Hello friends,

Thought I would update you on my musical life. I recently played a show with Amber Snider in downtown Napa. Believe it or not, I had never actually been to downtown Napa. Self-proclaimed foodie and attendant to many a Napa wedding that I am, it’s surprising I had never stumbled upon this mini mecca of river-fronted weekend activity. Napa restaurants are kind to their musicians and Napa tourists are fun-loving, sophisticated people in my experience. Whitney played his new mini bass drum, which has a lovely sound for such a little frame. It spurs conversation too. Thanks to Amber for having us.

We next play this coming Wednesday at Philz Coffee in Berkeley. Debbie Neigher opens from 7 to 8pm and then we play from 8 to 9pm with a full band (as full as can be in a cafe). Should be fun.

I’ve been in the studio a lot with producer Gawain Mathews. The drum tracks are all done and so are many of the vocals, piano and guitar tracks. I’m excited to make string parts in the next week. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Hope you are having an easy weekend,

Grace

We played a show last night at Luna’s in Sacramento with Nikki Maoz and Katie Knipp. Female-fronted line ups are so incredibly empowering. Last night and my recent visit to the Starry Plough open mic confirm my love for discussing vocal technique with other female songwriters, including vocalist and harmonium player Tamarind Free Jones.

I underestimated Sacramento. We’ve played there many times over the years; I know how supportive the community is of artists. What I didn’t really know was how cool and vibrant a place it is to live. We actually spent the night on this last trip with some friends who live in midtown as they call it. Within a couple blocks of their house we could stroll through the outdoor Sammie music awards showcase, or walk into a number of art galleries for their 2nd Saturdays Fest. There’s just a lot going on and it’s warm outside. And they even have fancy Chinese food at 2am. It’s really not the suburban sleeper town that I always pictured.

Whitney played his first show on his new “travel kit” which is basically a stripped down set that incorporates a tiny tiny bass drum. He can actually carry the whole thing, hardware and all, in two bags. In the interest of portability, I’m also awaiting a battery that I bought to serve as a silent generator so I can play and sing outside where there are no outlets (bbq in the park anyone?).

I want to thank our most avid supporters in Sacto who came out last night- Joe, Jules, Brian, Rob, Deanne, Maren, Melissa and of course Art Luna of Luna’s Cafe.

Today I feel like a train wreck. I have some transposing to do and some finalization of a new song, but I may just end up lying down and staying there. I’m back to another long recording session tomorrow and am pleased to report that these long stints in the studio are yielding some fun and cathartic moments. Hope you guys are having a great weekend!