T.O. and P-Bo.
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Back in London after a crazy four days or so, playing in Toronto and then Peterborough. While both shows had their upsides and downsides, I enjoyed them both thoroughly. Toronto's show was at the really very cool venue The Supermarket; it was a songwriter-circle kind of deal with Lindsay Ferguson, Marc Charron and Coco Love Alcorn. All were a treat to listen to and jam with a little on stage. Hope to do some more collaboration with them in the future, should the fates allow. I'd also love to go back to The Supermarket--perhaps with a slightly bigger crowd in front of me! Peterborough is a lovely little town (I'd never been before)--much more what I would think of as a typical college town than London, for example, and quite pretty to boot. But then again I'm probably just biased because I had such a terrific evening. The people at Showplace were SO organized and nice; even though I was not at all the biggest-deal performer there that night (!), they treated me like a professional, and even added in some friendliness. I'd happily go back there--it's a beautiful theatre too. So, I played my bit before and during the intermission of the show in the lounge area, with tables and a bar. A few people seemed to take notice, which was nice. Then I went to listen to Ron's set, which was fantastic. Highlights for me were his rendition of "Brandy Alexander" (co-written with Feist, which I didn't realize) and the ever-heartrending "Gold In Them Hills." I missed my other favourite, "Tell Me Again," because he played it as an encore while I was downstairs packing my gear. However, after the show, Ron--soft-spoken but very approachable--and I talked a bit, and then he ever so kindly invited me backstage to have a drink. Which I did, unhesitatingly. I had a lovely conversation with Don Kerr, who, aside from being a great drummer and apparently one of the nicest men on the planet, can also open beer bottles with a spoon handle: very cool. So, a highly memorable evening. Without getting too starry-eyed, one has to observe that it really isn't every day that you get to meet one of your ... what? Idols? Role models? Those aren't the right terms. Objects of very much admiration, let's say. I felt like I had a four-leaf clover in my pocket. Glad to get back for some time with my little family, though...and then: Montreal! Love, K. |
New song posted on iLike
New songs are popping up left and right around here... Well, this one's not really new; I wrote it a while back but have never really played it much. But it was one of the tunes I did recently at my friend Doug's place, so I figured I'd post her somewhere so you good people could listen if you like. No more room on the MySpace player, so I put it up on iLike. It's called "Waltz (The Day You Come Home)":
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Kaya+Fraser
Have a listen--you can also dedicate it on Facebook, if you're into that kind of thing. (You just need to add the iLike application.)
Love,
K.
More recording...
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No samples available yet, but today I recorded some more demo material for the next project and/or just for fun. My thanks to Doug "Turbo" Pratt for takin' the time and for the awesome Dr. Pepper cocktail. Songs recorded: - Shameless - Airborne - Everything Must Go - Spiders and Moths - Risky Undertaking - Waltz (The Day You Come Home) - Cariboo Horses (alternate take) Stay tuned... Love, K. |
Six months already? They grow up so fast...
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So, I just had (in the immortal words of Mr. Dressup) a big fat idea. The end of May will mark six months since the release of my very first record, and I thought it would be fun to do something for the occasion, so I contacted a very cool local record store, Grooves Records, to see about doing an in-store show. They're into it, so I'll be playing (I hope avec band) at 3 PM on Saturday, May 24th. There will be treats and maybe even prizes... And hey, it's FREE! If you're like me, you don't need much incentive to waste a bunch of time in a record store anyway, but here you go in any case. Should be a great afternoon. Hope to see you there! Love, K.
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New songs posted!
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Oh, Willyboy Recordings, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Had a great time last night, recording three new songs with Will Haas and a bottle of wine out in the wilds of Hyde Park. The product of this evening is now posted in my MySpace music player, which is here: I'm curious to get feedback from anyone who feels like commenting on the new tunes. I think they're going in a bit of a different direction than those on T&S (Turkey and Swiss, as the EP was affectionately nicknamed during recording). It's hard to tell from this side of things, though. I guess I just hope people like them, in the end, 'cause I like playing them. The actual record is some ways down the road, still, but this is the first step. Pretty exciting, I think. Oh, and if anyone feels like donating several thousands of dollars towards this project, please feel free to contact me. Love, Kaya |
Best of Montreal? Plus, Home County Fest
Hello friends, especially hometown friends,
One of my sharp-eyed friends spotted a category in the yearly Montreal Mirror "Best of Montreal" Poll for "Best Singer-Songwriter" and said that I should tell my fans about it, in case they feel like voting me in. So, if you feel like putting little ol' me alongside such Montreal pleasures as proper bagels, Schwartz's smoked meat and tam-tam Sundays on the mountain, by all means do! Here's the link:
http://www.montrealmirror.com/bom/
Also, I've been offered a spot at the lovely Home County Folk Festival here in London in July, and after some deliberation (due to life complexities), I've accepted. It's just too nice to turn down. Details will follow.
Love,
K.
Back to the studio
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It’s official: I’m booked in for a bit of studio time chez Willyboy Recordings, to record a demo for the Factor grant I’ll be working up. It’ll just be me ’n my guitar, no band, to keep it fast and simple. I’m thinking it’ll be "Open Horizon," the yet-to-be-decisively-named "80s song," and "Cariboo Horses." Kind of fun, yet strange, that this will be the demo for a whole new album. I feel like I just made Tremor and Slip yesterday. But this album is definitely beginning to shape itself in my mind... I have no idea where I will record it or who will produce it, but I trust that those questions will sort themselves out. My job is the songs and the performance of them, so I’ll work on that until the rest of the picture gets filled in. In other news, the sun is strong now and the sidewalks are filthy with mud and newly-revealed cigarette butts: spring comes to Ontario. Love, K. |
How it went, and some tentative plans...
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So the show was all right, on the whole. There were sound issues (when oh when will I have the money and status to have a sound person come with me to every gig?...) and, on my part, voice issues. But the energy was high and some fun was had. It was also good to get the first live performance of some of these songs out of the way. I wasn’t happy enough with my performance to post any recordings, but it’s always useful just to get that first public appearance behind you, no matter how it goes. "Open Horizon," in particular, started to come together in a way I liked. So did the song I have not quite named yet, the one the band refers to as "my 80s song" (eerily, Sean had separately termed it my "Bangles song"). Will Haas said he liked that one the best, in fact--surprising when a song you almost scrapped gets feedback like that. Shows what I know! Thinking now towards the next project. Another Factor proposal may be in the works, this time for a full-length album. Don’t know yet where it would be done, or with whom... but the songs are coalescing around the ideas in "Open Horizon." That’s all I’ll say for now... I’m hoping to do some demos at Willyboy before too long, for the purpose of the proposal. (Gotta get in that studio one more time before I don’t live here anymore.) When I do, you’ll hear them. Love, K. |
Nerves
For some reason, it feels as if there has been a long, arduous journey leading up to tonight's show at the London Music Club. For once, I'm kind of...nervous.
People always ask me if I get nervous, almost as if they want me to say "yes, actually I have to puke seven times and consume a valium-and-bourbon cocktail before I get up on any stage," etc. etc. But the truth is I really don't get nervous, usually: I've been on many stages many times and I guess I somehow lost that paralyzing fear that I'll do something stupid and everyone will laugh.
This time, though, I must admit I'm a little nervous. Not in the filled-with-nauseating-dread kind of way; it's just a fussy kind of feeling, a little internal fidgeting. Almost curiosity to see how it will turn out. See, I think that's the key to overcoming nerves: you have to get to a point where you can separate yourself from what's going on on stage, and sort of watch it from outside yourself, almost. You have to know that whatever happens, it's not really going to hurt or destroy *you* as a person. I guess living through many performance flubs also helps--so that you yourself are living proof that you can botch things up pretty damn badly and still wake up the next morning. It's happened to Bruce Springsteen. It's happened to the Rolling Stones. It's happened to everyone who regularly gets up in front of people, eventually. It's normal and forgivable.
Anyway, I'm not nervous because I think we'll botch things up. In fact, I'm full of affectionate trust, thinking about the band and the amazing degree of intuitive musicianship in each of them. True, it is a different feeling, going up with a group of people and not just you and your guitar--so many variables! But they know music. They get it. And they'll play it well, despite the missed rehearsals this week (due to, among other things, a headcold plague that flattened both me and Chris). So: bring it!
I think the nerves have more to do with the fact that it's been a few weeks of low morale for me: frustration, uncertainty, forgetfulness of why I do this. It's a bit tough to get back on the horse after it bucks you off. But here's hoping that tonight will be one of those nights that reminds me why it's all worth it.
Love,
K.
PS: You should come!
Home for a while
Home for a while now, after a month of March madness... It’s good. I was totally flattened by the end of it, as fun as it was.
So, now preparing for a couple of local shows, including a band show on April 4 with the new lineup of Lazy Dynamite. Rehearsals have been going well; it’s incredible to me how much one personnel change can change the sound of a band. The New Guy, a talented young lad named Blair Whatmore, is doing a stellar job at keeping up with my sometimes tricky progressions and my made-up, "I don’t know what it’s called but I play it like this" chords. He also has an appropriate sense of humour. For example, he is pictured below (left), layin’ down some phat harp lixx with bass player Chris Ingram at the last practice.
Anyway, I think a month of a less nomadic lifestyle will be good all around. Things are pretty unsettled over here--I’m living on a bit of a knife edge right now, in various ways. Stillness and a calm heart are in order, I think.
Love,
K.
