Remember that time.Remember that time I told you all I'd be doing this once a month and then I haven't posted since December? Oops. Hang in there. I think I'm figuring my life out and time is finally a little more on my side so I can be spending it doing the things I actually love. Like talking to you.
So much has happened since December. I feel like a different person. Truly. I think of myself then and there was just no way I could have seen what was coming. And what's going to be coming up now. But before I go forward, I want to look back. Opening for Kimbra. Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of opening for Kimbra at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs. (In case you don't know who she is, remember that song, "Somebody That I Used to Know"? She sang on that and has since gone on to make incredible music that you should listen to.) She and her team were some of the most down to earth people I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with. If you were there, thank you for singing along to "Light" with me and for being kind while my nerves pushed my stories out too fast. (In my head I swear I'm talking at a normal speed.) The Eddies Awards. I'm sure, unless you're a local musician in the 518, you have no idea what the Eddie's even are. At their best, they're a chance for all of us lovers of music in the NY Capitol Region to get together, see each other in the same place at the same time, and celebrate the hard work we've all created over the last year. When I tell you I was so wholly unprepared to receive one, let alone three of the awards I was up for, I didn't even have a speech ready. I had some ideas floating around in my head of names I wanted to say on stage if I did win but didn't think I'd have the chance to do so. I was truly in shock. I think I still am? I ended up walking away with Album of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Solo Artist of the Year. (Or maybe Photographer of the year? If you were there, you know. Hehe) It made me so proud of myself, my band, our local radio stations, and all of you who have carried me through the ups and downs of this last year. Who would have thought my little album would reach so many wonderful and willing listening ears? If you're new here and haven't yet listened, now's the time. I can't wait for you to hear what everyone put into it. It's stunning. Just one more thing. I recently had the pleasure of taking a walk and having a lovely conversation with Sophia Vastek. She is this incredible musician out of Troy, NY who is everything I admire in a human being. Oh, and she writes just about the most beautiful music you'll ever hear. We walked around her neighborhood and "talked about believing in your self-worth, going at your own pace, and tending to the spirit through everyday moments." (excerpt from Sophia <3) In the midst of this interview, both of my parents were in the hospital. Or to be more frank, my mom was in a rehab clinic for her speech/physical body/to heal after a few nasty falls. My dad was in and out for weeks after they kept putting off a heart valve replacement and sending him home prematurely. All of this is to say, everything I mentioned above has been happening on the tail end of some of the most difficult things in my personal life. I think we need to look out for each other. Hold each other up. Be there for one another because - and I know I sound like a Marshall's throw pillow but - you truly never know what anyone else is going through. You need to be patient with them, and first and foremost, with yourself. Give yourself a little grace. Take the time you need to recharge and then step back in when you're ready. That being said, if you need me, I'll be over here reading "Old Flames and New Fortunes" by Sarah Hoyle because it's the cutest damn rom com I've ever read and you're lucky I put it down to write this to you all. ANYWAYS. I'm still floating around. If you need me, I'll be on cloud 9. All my love, Angelina
0 Comments
It's December.
I just can't believe how quickly this year has flown by. I feel like I just keep saying that. But life is moving faster than I can keep up. I have had the loveliest last couple of months even if I have definitely been disregarding responsibilities like these. I know I promised a post once a month and I've been really lacking in that regard. But I'll always come back to it. Sometimes you just need to take some breaks. And for me that included quitting my day job and accidentally taking off two months. And I've spent that time re-painting every piece of furniture in our apartment and feeling like every piece is now brand now which has been so much fun. I've also been reading again. And I mean DEVOURING these books. I haven't read this way since I was a kid and it has felt so good. I've spent less time on social media, less time focusing on the outside world and just getting lost in these stories. I can literally feel my nervous system coming back into regulation. There is a tightness that has been in my chest for about two years that I feel has finally shifted and allowed for space and peace and joy to come back in. That has been a wonderful feeling. I know this time of year just gets whackier and wilder. But the week between Christmas and New Year's is always one of my favorites. It feels like everything should just close and we should all be able to crawl into little holes and hide for a week. Shut it all down and just reset before we walk back into the new year and start it all over again. I know that's not possible, but I'd like to think it is. I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season. My best wishes to you and yours. Take care of yourself and keep breathing. <3 -Angelina Here we are in October.
John Craigie has an album called "October is the Kindest Month" and since I started to listening to his music, that's what I think of as soon as I hit October. I this October is kind and I also think October is stunning. Might be my favorite month? The time of year when you start craving warm cups of tea at night again. And you know winter is on the way but it's not here quite yet. You can start pulling out your sweaters and it's still a little too hot for them but you don't want it to be. The big blankets start to show up on your couch again and it's time to get under them and keep warm. I love it. I took most of this month off from performing. I have one show I'm a small piece of at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall on October 14th. That's going to be a really incredible show. Just a group of musicians showcasing their works in a beautiful space and I have the honor of backing them up on a piece. So if you're free, that's a night not to miss. Other than that, most of this month is moving really slowly for me. I've had time to watch the sunset and really watch the leaves change color by taking walks everyday. And I mean slow luxurious walks. Trying to move my body in ways that really feel good. The other day, I walked outside and finally smelled fall. It felt wonderful. I needed some time to myself and some time to reset and re ground. That being said, I do have some new music coming out. On 10/6, I'll be releasing a new single. And then, on 10/20 the next single will be coming out along with a music video from our time in the studio. It should be a blast. I can't wait to share what's coming with you. Much love, Angelina 🌻 Wow. So here we are already. One month since my last one of these. I truly don't understasnd the passing of time as I get older. I love the idea that time moves quicker as we get older because our amount of life grows with each year and so the median gets pushed and BAM, suddenly we're 40.
Or 30. As I am about to be. Just a few more days. To be honest, I thought I'd be one of those "OHMYGODIMTURNING30WHATDOIDONOW" people, but I'm not. I think I'm looking forward to it? My mom would always say, "30 is young enough to know what you want and old enough to get it." And yet, I was just speaking with an elderly friend of mine today who was saying his prime was from 45 - 60. That's when you really start to know who you are and feel comfortable in this whole life thing. So maybe it'll take 15 more years than I thought. I always told myself I'd have the whole life thing figured out before 30. I told myself, "Most people don't get it until they're 30? I'm going to get it at 25." But 25 came and went. I spent my 20's pining for the peace and comfort that I think you can only really achieve when you're 30 or older, if you're lucky I suppose. But that's been my recent musing. You can't have what you'll have at 30 because you're not 30. (Imagine the answer being so simple.) But you have to go through it. You have to take what life throws at you and realize what's important and what's not. You have to let yourself and love and be loved by the people who won't hurt you. You have to put your time into cultivating the things that give back to you, in whatever way that is. You have to spend time with your loved ones because they won't be here forever. And stop pining after that stupid boy who isn't going to commit to you. Stop wasting your time, it's beneath you. (lolz) Truly, it took me until maybe, 6 months ago to realize, I deserve to be here, I deserve to take up space, I deserve to have a voice and to be heard and to do the thing I love without needing to break my back in the process of doing so. I just had to break my back -and heart- about 4 times to really let this conclusion and those words and thought processes settle in. But I think it's all okay? Somehow? The heartbreak and the growth and the pain and the love and the realizations. I think it's all life. And I think it's learning to dance in and around all of those things and still find joy, no matter how small. Otherwise, you get really sucked up into the weight of it all because, don't get me wrong, I know weight. And I know these things are heavy as heavy can be, but if you try to walk around with and carry them all simultaneously, you'll break. So don't be afraid to set some of it down and come back to it when you can. And in the meantime, celebrate the small things, spend time with the ones you love, and be grateful for what you've got because a giant meteor could hit earth any second and what's the use of spending what mininal time we have here worrying so much about how clean your floors are? Happy 30, 40, 50, or 60 to you, Angelina 🌻 Here we are. Already in August. I can hardly believe it.
I think in my head, I had planned to do one of these a month. If you look back at my previous post you can see that I missed July. To be honest with you, July was just such a whirlwind, I could barely keep up myself. But I have a minute here and I thought of you and I wanted to write. This last week or so, I've been doing some major reflection as I come into the back half of the year. This year started with my first ever sold out show in my hometown at The Cock 'n Bull. Rick, the owner and a good friend of mine, was texting me that morning telling me he had people calling him personally and asking for tables and chairs. I was shocked and humbled and it was an incredible evening. In February, that same band and I made our way down to the city to play music for the CEO of Atlantic Records. He loved my music, specifically "Steady Your Heart" but I didn't have the social media following for him to want to move in any forward motion with my music being attached to his record label's name. (The big question is, would I have wanted it even if I could have had it? Something I still ponder over 6 months later.) Then, March was full of Nippertown's March Madness competition, which ended in all of you getting me through to the final round and allowing me recording time, some extra cash, and a chance to play at their festival in July. That made me feel so held and supported by all of you, I can't even begin to explain. I had no idea I had that many people behind me that believed in me enough to make that happen. For those of you who don't know, I then unfortunately lost my Grandmother and my cousin in the following months and I've still been healing from that. Every now and again I think to myself, "Why do I have so many of these days where I only want to sit on my couch, watch 'True Blood' and eat snacks?" And then I remember, I'm still grieving. Those deaths are weighing heavy on my heart and really turned my world upside down. The song inspiration has been on a bit of a pause as I try and process how different life is now. Sometimes you know you're going through that hero's journey as you're in it, and that's what this feels like. In June, I had my first ever headlining solo show at Caffe Lena, the door manager said she had never seen so many at the door tickets purchased before the show, which was giving me a heart attack because I was sure no one was coming until I walked out on stage and there were 102 of you in the audience. (Not sold out, but 8 tickets away. It's now a goal for next year.) My heart is still so full from that evening and that will really mean so much to me for quite awhile. July just didn't stop. I saw so many of you out and about at all of the various gigs I played and it was so lovely. Closing out with Wolf Hollow and my family coming out and us being able to gather for something that wasn't a passing really brought so much warmth to me, I could feel it while I was up there and still feel it today. I just released my "Tail End of Summer" dates. Come and see me, I'd love to see you. These gigs I have coming up and have had this year are the gigs I've been striving towards for the last seven years. Gigs that feature my music and a room of people coming to sit and listen to it. It's incredible. And all of this is not lost on me. Just how lucky I am to be able to do the thing I love and have people listen. I think about that almost everyday. (Gratitude is a practice I try to instill daily or I'd lose sight of what's important.) To close, thank you. Thank you. The support you have brought this year has been unprecedented. It has felt like a major shift in a multitude of ways. But I am just to grateful. Thinking of all of you, I hope your summer has been full of the things that make you happy. Much love, Angelina 🌱 Trying something new.Hiiiiii.
I truly have no idea who's going to see this, if anyone. So I think I'm just going to do it like no one's reading it. I think I'm better at expressing myself in this way than through songwriting sometimes. Sometimes I get caught up in thinking about what it sounds like, whether or not I've been clever enough, if anyone's going to get my witty little lyrical twist, or if the person it's about will hear it and they'll know it's about them- which is something I have always equally wanted and not wanted at all. (But moreso wanted.) In conclusion, I'm hoping to use this as a way to get to know each other better. I'll let you know what's happening in my life, what shows are coming up, and just general current life musings, which I generally have a lot of. If you know me at all, you already know that, and the next new thing is always up and coming and I've listened to three podcasts about it and I can't to share it with you and maybe offer some knowledge along your journey as well if you think that's something you might want or need from me- or not. You're getting it either way. But I'm looking forward to connecting in another way. Can't wait to see where this might get us. Chat soon. 🌱 |
AuthorHi! Welcome to my blog. This is a new thing I'm starting. I'm not great at being consistent with it. But I want to try. Let's get to know each other a bit better. Archives
April 2024
Categories |