Ariana has thoughts too...

Inspiration.

2012-01-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

I've been writing like crazy lately. Almost like I'm going crazy. Like my mind won't turn off - it doesn't know how. All day. All night. Every minute it feels like some new thing bursts into me with extreme force and I can't stop it. But instead of letting it pummel me into tiny pieces, I take it and shape it and try to make something out of it. Something new - something I've never heard before that I want to hear. Something that feels right.

Inspiration is strange…I don't know where it comes from. I don't know how I can get some. It's like this obsolete drug that is almost impossible to find. But, sometimes, like now, I get my hands on a whole stash of it and I can feel it pulsing inside of me, breaking down walls and screaming…screaming to just. get. out.

It's beautiful. It's like I'm another person and I get lost in it all.

And that's how I write my songs. It's an out of body experience that I can never quite remember.

I love it. I crave the insane, the drive, the motivation. When I can't sit still and ideas just race through me and out of me. When I open my mouth and a new melody just erupts out of my throat from somewhere deep down inside. A place that I could never reach if tried to - but believe me, it's there. And it's just waiting for that little spark of inspiration to coax it out of hiding so that it can be free.

And I never want it to stop.

My dad :)

2011-10-10T09:38:00.000-07:00

October 10th. Haha. Wow, I've been MIA for a little while.

My dad and I have been working hard for the past two months on the new album. Today is the last day of mixing and then all that's left to do is get it mastered.

Surprisingly, this album took way less time to make in comparison to the first. But I think it's because we have really settled into our style…we both know what we want to hear and our taste in other genres and what we like has become very similar.

I love my dad. :)

He works so incredibly hard and puts every ounce of his energy into his projects. And! He's retardedly talented.

I always get the question, "How does it feel to have your daaad playing in the band?" or "What's it like to go on tour with your daaad?"

And yes! Haha. They always draw out the word "daaad" like it's a bad thing. :)

I always answer in the same way, and I'm not sure if they believe me or not. Or maybe it's not what they want to hear…

But it's not like he's my dad. It's like he's my best friend. Both of us have discussed it many times over and agree that if he ever acted like he was my "daaad", it wouldn't work. We wouldn't be able to have fun, and tour, and play music together. It would be a completely different environment. A fun squisher.

When we are together, we joke around all the time. That's not to say we don't ever bicker. We do! But in most cases, we aren't arguing with each other. We are both just not in a very good mood and end up taking our frustrations out by squabbling. For example…the dang GPS! God, if I had a skittle for every time that silly thing screwed up on us, I'd be more than 'tasting the rainbow'….I'd be drowning in it. Haha.

I'm not sure if it's 'uncool' to other people when they hear that my dad plays in my band. He usually tells me to keep it on the DL. But, I personally love it and think it's awesome. I'm proud to have him in my band, as my producer, as my role model. I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

Diddy of the Day: When we were playing the Deep Roots Music Festival out in Wolfville, Nova Scotia my dad said the funniest thing I have ever heard. I laughed so hard I was crying…and I seriously couldn't stop. Maybe it was so funny because I was tired, but one things for sure, I laughed for 30 minutes straight and all the people around us kept their distance.

Fact: That was an awesome festival and I am definitely considering moving there. What an awesome town!

Fiction: Our GPS never screwed up once.

Here is a sweet picture taken of the trio when we played at "The Dunk" in PEI. Photo credit goes to Kevin Molyneaux.

Americano equals love. :)

2011-07-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

I think it's due time for an update, don't cha think? :)

So much time has gone by since my last post, but I have been incredibly busy with touring and the new album.
We are hoping to have everything recorded by the end of August, but even with a whole month ahead of us, things are still looking a little tight. Everything is shaping up nicely though and we are extremely happy with what we have so far.
Just saying that 'I'm excited' for this new album doesn't quite cut it. I am so many feelings right now, and all of them are great. :)

Our Maritimes tour was absolutely fantastic. I had so much fun and got to meet so many incredible people. The band became so tight at the end of the tour it was insane. I really wish it could have gone on longer for that reason alone. I keep imagining what another two weeks would sound like. Probably insanier! Haha. Seriously though, each show was so unique and so great for it's own reasons. I don't even know if I could pick a favourite now that I think about it...

Probably the highlight of the tour was on our day off. My dad and I stayed at this beautiful house in Blandford, Nova Scotia.
It was right on the ocean and you can ride a bike around the whole cove. (I didn't go the whole way...it would have taken me probably 10 hours because I kept stopping to look at everything haha).

There was also this little beach shack separate from the house that just kind of sat on the ocean. It had a huge bed, a kitchen table and chairs...it was seriously like a mini house, with paper lanterns and blue and white Christmas lights decorating the ceiling. I got to sleep inside one night. The tide was in and I could feel the waves rocking and swaying underneath me. It was so peaceful...probably one of the best sleeps I've ever had, and when I woke up, I could see the ocean through a little window and hear the seagulls around me.
Ahh. Just thinking of it makes me miss it so much...

I really think if there was a place I was meant to live, it would be Nova Scotia. This is the second time I've been there, and every time I leave, I feel so sad. I mean, I love where I live now...it's beautiful in the Niagara Peninsula with all the Wineries and green. But I don't know, there is just something about Nova Scotia that gets me. Like it already roped me in the last time I visited, and hasn't let me go since...

Diddy of the Day: I went kayaking yesterday in Paris, ON. It was amazing. Afterwards, I had the best Caffè Americano of my life at this little coffee place downtown. Yeppers, I'm hooked on coffee now! I think I love it a little too much.

Fact: When we went on tour I chewed way too much gum and drank wayy too much coffee. Bad. Bad. Bad...

Fiction: I heart lemons. Haha. I actually H-A-T-E lemons and lemonade. No idea why...but I just do. :)

Carrot Cake Fire

2011-06-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Lately I've had this insane drive. And I just can't stop thinking about music. All these ideas are bouncing around like those little rainbow balls in the playrooms at McDonald's.
It's amazing - and I love it.

Last night as we were driving home from the Burlington Sound of Music Festival, there was this huge fire in me. All the way home. Like there is so much to do to get my music heard and I just can't wait to get started. I have become so passionate about this it's crazy. And I'm getting so much done!

I remember about a year ago I wanted to quit. I thought about going back to school to become an Avian Veterinarian. I actually even called up Guelph University to ask about the application requirements. I mean I was almost dead set on doing this.
I'm not exactly sure what changed...maybe a good review or something someone said after one of my shows, but it gave me hope. It lit this small match, this fire, inside me that has been burning ever since. It's been steadily growing hotter and hotter in the past months. Last night was the brightest and hottest it has ever been.

You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, and right now, my mind is as open as a book. And I am ready to sing and write and do as much as I possibly can to make this work.

Diddy of the Day: My absolute favourite cake is Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese icing. It is one of my biggest weaknesses. Once I take a little bite, I'm done for. The reason I bring this up is because last night we stepped into a little cafe to get coffee and there were these beautiful little pieces of carrot cake staring at me from one of the plates. I said no this time....but next time, I can't make any promises. :)

Fact: If you don't put shredded coconut and pineapple in a carrot cake it is NOT allowed to be labelled "Carrot Cake". Like seriously buddy, who are you trying fool? Not me...not me....

Fiction: I enjoy good cop bad cop movies.
I actually extremely dislike these types of movies because they are so gosh darn predictable! Yet, my dad rents them all the time....well those and cowboy movies. Yea, don't even get me started on those.

New Album

2011-06-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

So we've finally got the tunes for the new album all sorted out. (Had to pick 10 songs out of a list of almost 100). But, I'm confident in our song selection and now it's just a matter of gettin' 'er done.
I'm super excited to be working on the next album and am already buzzing with ideas!
We'll be in the studio the third week of June and we're hoping to have the album ready for release for the end of November.
Unbelievably, this actually isn't a lot of time, especially since we'll be touring out east in July, and have a lot of shows coming up in September and October. Recording a CD takes time, in my opinion. You need to think about things and listen to the songs over and over again to make sure they feel right. Of course, there are also exceptions to this rule, and there have been a lot of great albums that were recorded and finished in just a few weeks.
I still like to sit on things a bit though. :) Mull it over, and come up with ideas as they pop into my head (instead of forcing things out).

I met two awesome people last Saturday - and meant to write about it sooner, but time has just kind of flown by. They came to see Micah Barnes play his CD Release show at the Rivoli and I did an opening set. It was a great room, with great sound and I played pretty well considering I had my wisdom teeth out about a week and a half prior to it. Their names were Dylan and Krystal and they were both wonderful to talk too. They made me remember why I love doing what I do. It really isn't just about writing a song or singing a tune or playing a chord when it comes to music. There is this whole other side that you have to find and embrace and it never happens the same way twice. It's this emotional connection that takes place between you and the audience...especially the type that just manifests out of thin air and makes the room crackle with all this energy. It's truly incredible, and I love it. :)

Fun Diddy of the Day: I say the word crayons weird. (Or wrong...not really sure. Regardless, everyone always makes fun of me when I say it). Lol.
Fact: I draw and paint and such. (The picture below is some of my own art style that I'm still trying to develop.)
Fiction: Garfbumble! .......is not a word. I promise. I even looked it up for the sake of maybe being wrong. But nopers, it is most definitely not.

Double Fun Diddy of the Day: I just remembered that I had a cup of coffee this morning! Yes! ME. Coffee!
And I know that this little tidbit of information may seem trivial to you. But, I actually HATE coffee. I mean, really really do not like the stuff at all. I am a total tea person. But, I woke up this morning and was like, 'I want a cup of coffee.'
It was so unbelievably weird-ee-ola. We'll see how long it lasts...

Dylan, Wisdom Teeth and Hot Yoga (yea, these definitely all go together)

2011-05-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

So, I meant to update you guys last night before I got my wisdom teeth out this morning, but I was having some pre-surgery jitters. In fact, I woke up every hour on the hour last night and I was sweating like crazy even though it was freezing cold in my room.
Scared? Hells yea I was! Haha.

The reason is because I have a history of Malignant Hyperthermia in my family. It's an inherited disease that causes a rapid rise in body temperature (fever) and severe muscle contractions when the affected person receives general anesthesia. So basically, you have an allergic reaction to the anesthetic, your body overheats and you could die. I'm not exactly sure if I have it, but my grandfather did and one of my cousins had an allergic reaction when she was put under. They had to put her in an ice bath to cool her down and luckily they caught it just in time before. So, you can imagine why I was a little freaked out. Plus, it was my first surgery.

On a good note, I only had to get two removed (only two ever grew in on the right side of my face), the bad news is they were both impacted and one of them was so far into my sinus that my surgeon had to dig deeper than he thought he would in order to get it out.

So basically it looks like I was punched in the face. The whole right side of my mouth is scratched up and is now turning all the colours of the bruise rainbow. YAY! Good thing my photo-shoot was last week haha. :)

The reason I am typing this right now and not resting is because I am pretty hyper. And, whenever I fall asleep and wake up again, my mouth hurts like hell. Seriously....what's up with that? Lol.
Plus, there were a couple of things I wanted to update you on.

The first was, that around three weeks ago, I put on a Bob Dylan Tribute at Hugh's Room in Toronto.
It was my first time ever doing anything like this and I had to organize everything, learn two Dylan songs myself, and host the night. It. was. nuts. And truthfully, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

It's like when you want to throw a party at your place. You have all these ideas and thoughts about how big, grand and fun it'll be. When the big day finally rolls around, you are too busy running around for everyone else, that you have no time for yourself and it doesn't end up being the big fun night you pictured.
So finally when it's all over, you couldn't be happier to get off your feet and just relax for a bit. :)

I do have to say however, that all the musicians/artists were absolutely fantastic, the house band was incredible, and we sold out the show. Pretty successful methinks.
Just so you know though, I have to confess that I probably won't host next year. It was just way too much for me and I thought I was going to lose my marbles.

Another update...
I officially LOVE hot vinyasa yoga. The obsession happened about two weeks ago, when my sister Briar talked me into going. I've always wanted to try it, but I never wanted to go by myself. Needless to say, we are both hooked now and forever.
The experience is so invigorating, and you leave feeling refreshed and alive. Oh, and you will sweat like you have never sweat before in your life. AND, on top of that, when you get home you will want to eat everything but the kitchen sink. Haha.
If you're on the fence about it, just try it. You've got nothing to lose, and I trust me when I say this, you will feel the best you've ever felt in your life afterwards.
I'm still trying to get my dad to try it. (I even tried to guilt him into coming last night by saying that I might die on the operating table. Still no dice. Boy is he ever a tough cookie to crack). But he will come....eventually. When he can't take my pestering anymore. Muah ha ha ha ha....

Diddy of the Day: When they injected the anesthesia into my arm this morning, it burned and stung like a bi-atch. And then I woke up and didn't remember when I fell asleep, or how I did. Pretty neat. I was also talking about hot yoga to the nurse haha. I think I might have converted her....but I'll never know. I was extremely talkative when I woke up. All I wanted to do was make friends. Heehee.

Fact: This is the first time I have ever received stitches in my entire life, and it isn't even my fault I got them either.

Fiction: I can type and talk really well right now. Truthfully, I'm going to have to go back and re-read this post 10 times because I am spelling and wording so many things wrong it's insane. (Instead of yourself, I said yourings, I spelled scars, scras, and all my tenses are messed up. Plus I deleted the whole post and had to rewrite it again). Gee...maybe that's why they say don't operate heavy machinery after anesthesia. If this was a chainsaw right now, I'd probably have only one of my pinky fingers left...

PS - More updates soon when I'm not all cuckoo in the head...

Forms and more forms

2011-04-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

My brain is going to explode...

Paperwork is killer. When you stare at all these blank administrative documents it feels so hopeless at first. Pages and pages of questions like, 'What is your Marketing Strategy?', 'How are you specifically going to achieve the goals you have outlined (please provide facts)?', 'How do you plan to market to an international audience?', 'Please provide a brief budget summary (and when they say brief, it's 6 pages long).'

Seriously? I am not God. I do not have the answers to my future at this time. I do not know what is going to happen and how exactly I plan to become successful. I just want to make great music. But you know what? You can bet your ass I will work my butt off to get them those answers. And truthfully, its good. It gives me perspective, provides me with experience and will always - no matter what - help me in the long run.

It's just a matter of taking a deep breath, putting my boxing gloves on and tackling those pages. One by one. Until finally, I'm finished...and I am euphoric. Just, brimming with happiness and relief when I slip that thick orange envelope into the mail....

Then, I go home and start on the next one.

Diddy of the Day: I wanted to start planting a garden in our backyard. I started digging up the lawn (after planning the size out in my head). After about 1 hour I had a square foot done. Then, the Garden Nazi came and made me put back all the grass and dirt that took me so long to dig up.

Fact: I can no longer plant strawberries because by the time I dig up the lawn again and make my 'garden' it'll probably be June.

Fiction: Happiness is a coconut (unless of course it's a fresh young coconut from Chinatown in Toronto...I'm ecstatic when I get to have one of those!)

PS: I still haven't found a good gum yet. :)

Gum!

2011-04-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

I've been really busy that last few days trying to get my East Coast Tour finalized.

There are still a few places pending, but so far it's been great and I'm really excited to go out there again this year. :)

But, the real reason I wanted to write today is to talk about gum. Haha, I know...

For the last two days now, I have woken up with a headache and I couldn't figure out why.

The culprit? Aspartame. In chewing gum.

So, I am going on a quest to find a long-lasting gum that does not use aspartame as a sweetener (one without sucralose in it as well would be even better!). I'm kind of an all natural girl and I only like to use safe sweeteners such as stevia and xylitol. I stay away from all types of sugar except for honey and agave occasionally.

Stevia, is derived from a noncaloric herb native to Paraguay . The leaves of the plant are 30 times sweeter than sugar, and Xylitol (though it sounds like a chemical) is actually found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables like berries, oats, corn husks, and mushrooms.

Pretty cool huh?

These are both safe to consume and I use them in baking and many other things as well. :)

But back to the gum.

If any of you know a good lasting gum that doesn't have aspartame (or sucralose) I'm all ears. Most of the natural gum lasts about 3 minutes and then it's Kaput. Booo!

Diddy of the Day - My bird is a master of escape. I have so many twist-ties, links and locks on the cage doors it's ridiculous.

Fact: I will post a video of her escaping on youtube (keep checking in).

Fiction: Margaret Atwoods, 'Oryx and Crake'. Yet, many of the things in the book are coming true. By the way, if you haven't read it, pick it up. You won't be disappointed.

It's April already?

2011-04-06T06:31:00.001-07:00

What the heck? I haven't posted a new blog since November 23rd?

....oopsies....

Sometimes I find that over time I slowly get lazy updating things like this - which is bad, very bad. :)

So, I'm going to start out by saying, 'I will now update you at least 3 times a week.' (But please don't kill me if I flake out again haha).

So, what's new....

Well, I went to Memphis, TN in February for the Annual Folk Alliance International Conference and made many new friends. I had such a blast. :)

I also got to meet an amazing inspiration to me - Eliza Gilkyson. If you haven't heard her stuff definitely check it out. You will be an instant fan.

Another thing...I'm not vegan anymore! (yes, I said it. Even after all the harping I was doing in one of my previous posts). Here's how it all happened.

I started a workout program in November called P90X which is pretty extreme. I was making progress, but it was very slow - much slower than I felt it should be and I was always pretty drained after the workouts. In about January I got sick (and this was for about the 3rd time this winter) and so I had a counseling session with myself about what is healthy and what isn't.

I, obviously, was not healthy despite eating an incredible amount of fresh veggies, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, grains etc. There was something missing.

So, I introduced dairy back into my diet and felt an immediate energy surge. And that was the turning point. About a week later (took me a little longer because of my moral conscience) I began to eat meat again.

But you should have seriously seen me in the grocery store buying that first carton of eggs and yogurt. I was probably standing there for 25 minutes in front of the display internally arguing with myself whether or not I should get them. :)

Oh! And I can officially do 2 pull-ups unassisted now, and 3 chin-ups. Yep, pretty exciting seeing as I could barely get half way up before.

Diddy of the Day: I am a tea addict! Not really, but I drink a lot of it. :)

Fact: Matcha Green Tea is now my favourite and it takes me about 10 minutes to prepare it every day.

Fiction: I have Japanese Tea Ceremonies every morning and I dress up like a Samurai and fight the Blonde-haired chick from SuckerPunch who totally kicks my ass. (Even though that would be super cool).

P.S. - This picture is from a TV show called 'Samurai Jack' which I used to watch religiously.

P.P.S. - I really think I want to sign up for Jujitsu...

Update

2010-11-23T15:48:00.000-08:00

I just came back about a week ago from a two week house concert tour in Northern Ontario.
I had such a wonderful time playing at all the homes. The hosts were so friendly and hospitable...kind of made me feel like a mooch actually. Haha. But it's all good - and I'm so happy that I was able to be a part of it!
I've started painting again. I originally painted all the walls of my bedroom white and I am slowly filling up the walls with whatever feels right. :)
I am hoping that someday soon there won't be any space left on the walls to draw anymore pictures. I'm thinking my room will look pretty kick ass by then...
Besides the painting, I went to the optometrist today to learn how to use contacts. YAY. What. fun.
I actually only need one if you can believe it. My left eye is "legally blind". (Even the biggest letter is blurry on the screen). However, my right eye is extremely strong and takes over for my left. That's why I've survived so long without glasses or contacts.
It's always been that way. Maybe it's from me hitting my head three times in the same place as a kid. That would explain a lot.

I really love jungles even though I've never been to one. I just read an article on yahoo that mentioned the tiger will be extinct by the year 2022 if no one helps to keep the environment where they live intact. Ironically, this prediction date is the chinese year of the tiger. Strange. And I really hope this prediction doesn't come to light.
That would be bad. Really bad.

Diddy of the day: I am broke. HAHA. Oh how I love music. :)

Fact: I love parrots. A lot.
Fiction: All parrots love me. In fact, I went to visit a Dusky Conure the day before my tour. The owner failed to mention he was a little bastard. The bird stepped up, became all cuddly on my finger and started saying 'watcha doing' and crap like that. So, I said, awww, give me a kiss? He leaned in and bit right through my lip.
I will never visit that bird again.
Moral of the story...not all birds have been well socialized. :)
AND, beaks can be freaking sharp.

Turning 20

2010-11-06T08:19:00.000-07:00

So today I am 20. My teens are behind me and I am at the start of another whole decade.
At first I was a little uneasy about it all but I think I have finally come to terms with the fact that it's a good thing to get old. I will continue learning and growing until I just simply cannot anymore. And the future is exciting. There is so much that don't know and have yet to understand.
I am actually away from home for my birthday. I am doing a two week house concert tour in Northern Ontario and right now I am in Ottawa getting ready to play my next show tonight. :)
I have had such a wonderful time so far and have met so many great and generous people. I am so thankful. It's amazing to see so much good in a world that where negative events and actions are so prominent. Environmental disasters, political injustices, the broken economy, war, murder etc etc.
I just watched a brilliant documentary on how we as a human race are connected to everything. We tend to forget that... I know I do. We go on living and become oblivious to all the extraordinary things going on around us. It truly is beautiful to just stop and smell the roses once and awhile.

Diddy of the Day: I played ping pong with a young man from poland the other day and we chatted and talked and laughed. I also received a beautiful hand-made scarf from a woman from India that same night.

Fact: Everyone can make a difference.
Fiction: One person can't change the world.

Being Vegan :)

2010-10-03T11:50:00.001-07:00

I just bought a MacBook and so I don't really have an excuse anymore for not keeping up with my blog. Haha. :)
So here I go! No-excuse- ariana, typing full speed ahead. (But not really because I'm one of those one finger typer people).

I was incessantly pondering over what to write about today and then I had an idea. So here it is.

What it's like to be Vegan in 8 simple points....

1) Having to keep up-to-date records on all the latest health research so when someone asks you a question like, "But where do you get your protein?", you can answer them scientifically and resourcefully.
2) Having to order a salad every time you go to a restaurant and asking them to hold the cheese, creamy dressing, and meat while the waitress and the rest of your table looks at you funny and you secretly hope the entire time that someone DID NOT spit in your salad (among other things).
3) Having 20 people ask you "But where do you get your protein?" on a daily basis.
4) Having to bring food with you every where 'just in case'.
5) Having to smile politely and not strangle the 21st person today who just asked you where you get your protein from.
6) Having to be compared to a rabbit, bird or other small animal.
7) Having to constantly explain to people, no, I don't eat chicken or fish. They are animals! GAH. :)
8) Having lots of energy and feeling good about life consistently.

TADA! Now you know what it's like...kind-a (If you are in fact vegan please feel free to add to this list in the comment section). On the positive side of things, being Vegan is also extraordinarily rewarding, fun, vibrant and is also a very big part of my life now. But, if you are still wondering where I get my protein from even after the rant - hehe - I take a protein supplement daily and average around 60-70 grams a day - or 30% of my diet. I also eat beans, lentils, sprouts, grains like quinoa, millet, rice, corn and amaranth, fresh dark green leafy vegetables and lots of juicy fruit. YAY!

Diddy of the Day - I just made my first ever vlog that can be viewed on my youtube channel 'arianagillis'. Or here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOopVgEcnns.

Fact: I am really strange. No lie. If you ever drive with me somewhere be prepared to be totally weirded out. (Meet my dad and you'll understand where it came from).
Fiction: This bird's name is killer.

Vocal Troubles

2010-09-20T16:41:00.001-07:00

I've been a little frustrated and down lately which is why I haven't written a post in so long.
My vocal chords were hurting me every time I went to sing a song which is incredibly shitty for someone like me whose life is so involved with music.

So, off to a vocal coach I went - Micah Barnes of the Nylons to be exact, and he is reteaching me how to use my diaphragm again. I took singing lessons before when I was younger for almost 7 years, but it's strange how one forgets simple techniques over time. I also visited a great doctor who told me that it wasn't my vocal chords at all (relief!!) but the muscles around my neck that I have been tensing up for the last little while.
Since then, I have been taking it super easy, catching up on my reading, and finding less stressful activities to incorporate into my life. Someone said I should take up yoga. I think kick-boxing would be way more rad though. Hehe. :)

I just very recently got sick - within the past week - which is also a bummer because I was asked to tour with a good friend of mine and fellow singer-songwriter Jadea Kelly. She asked me if I would go out east with her and play bass on her tunes. I was incredibly excited to head out east again, and especially, play bass! (Which I haven't played since high school. Yes, I took upright, classical bass in high school...who knew?) Unfortunately, I could feel the cold going into my chest which is scary for me because I had double pneumonia not to long ago, and I knew if I went on the road for 3 weeks I would get it again. (Which my doctor later confirmed after prescribing me antibiotics and lots of rest).

On a positive note (there are some good things that happen in my life lol), I wrote a killer new song that I am so unbelievably proud of that I want to bust a gasket and let my guts leak out rainbows and lollipops. I'm not kidding! Trust me, you'll like it.
It's sad and beautiful and haunting all at the same time.

As for things in the not too distant future, I'll be heading to OCFF in late October and finishing up that month with a string of private house concerts. That's right, I'm back in the game folks! :)

Diddy of the Day - I changed my hair. AGAIN! Now it's blonde and blue. It's actually funny because every time I dye my hair blonde, everyone mistakes me for a 12-year-old girl.

Fact: I am currently 19 but I'll be 20 in November. Ee-gad!!
Fiction: Twinkies are a food.

Oh, and I forgot to mention. I played at Shelter Valley Festival at the beginning of the month and all I can say is wow! I had such an amazing time playing and Aengus did a wonderful job directing it this year. He will most certainly be missed! :)

Cherries from Washington are very tasty.

2010-07-26T07:25:00.000-07:00

I just ate a big bowl of cherries and I feel wonderful. Like I can accomplish anything (we'll see what happens when the fruit sugar wears off though...hahaha). Regardless though, this feeling is so important for achievement in my opinion. If you aren't motivated, or inspired, nothing is going to happen. So eat fruit. (I think that's my point?)

I put up a youtube vid about a month ago of myself covering Metric's 'Eclipse - All Yours' song from the soundtrack of the newest installment of the Twilight Saga. I wasn't really expecting anything to come of it - and honestly, nothing really has. BUT. It's already up to 80,000 hits with all positive comments which is pretty freaking amazing. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um6iuwUfEAE

I've also been playing a lot of gigs lately that involve my snare drum and I. Now all I have to learn is the kick drum, cymbals, high hat and tom-tom. Perfect. :)

Diddy of the Day: One time I was walking down the stairs to my basement with a searing cup of hot chocolate in my hand. As I descended, the banister on the wall broke in one place and went up like a teeter totter. I fell all the way down the stairs on my bum and when I got to the bottom, I looked up, and the hot chocolate from my cup came cascading down upon me. I don't remember if it hurt or not....

Fact: I am very clumsy.
Fiction: You can outgrow being clumsy. (I am living proof that this is a fallacy).

Blog Time!!

2010-07-18T17:43:00.000-07:00

For some reason I can never find the time to update my blog anymore...but I will strive to write a new post at least once a week.

I came home about a week ago from my first little "tour". Like mini me. But what it lacked in longevity it made up for in kick ass-ness. I played a wonderful festival in Bardstown KY and was also one of the live feature artists on the main radio station in Louisville. Very cool - and fun! It was about a ten hour drive there with the band - and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the time flew by - both there and back.
Even though, on the way back, Ben thought he locked his keys in his car and so we had to wait for AAA to come break in, only to find (2 hours later) that the keys weren't even in there to begin with. Yes. Wonderful. Haha.

The morning after we came back my family and I left for Nova Scotia. It was only my dad, David Gillis, and I on all the gigs this time, but it was extremely enjoyable. :)
We played at two places on our way out to Stanfest. It's absolutely beautiful out east. And I have a feeling I may be moving out there in the years to come...maybe move near a lake or something. I love swimming.

When we finally arrived at Canso for the Stan Rogers Folk Festival we were already tired. Little did we know of the late night jamming that was to come. It was definitely my favorite festival by far and I still have the bruises to prove it. I met so many amazing people and musicians there, and staying up till 4am both nights playing music and swapping songs made it even more incredible.

Best story of Stanfest: It was 2am. I had drank 2 bottles of water. I had to go to the washroom. Picture an old summer camp site with cabins, surrounding a mess hall. To the right of the mess hall are the washrooms (more like 5 wooden sheds with toilets in them). It was very dark. Everyone forgot to leave the lights on in the washrooms so I couldn't see where I was going. But, Oh Joy! There were two minuscule blue solar lights right beside each other lighting up the pathway. Unfortunately, they only lit up about an inch of the grass around them. I had to weave in and out of cars to get to the pathway. Finally, when I thought I was home free - charging towards those little blue lights with much charisma and determination in my heart, BANG! I smashed into the invisible wooden picnic table that I swore was not there during the daylight. My shin felt like it was going to explode and I fell flat on my face on the top of the table. And you wanna know what the absolute worst part about this was??!? I still had to go to the washroom....
All in all though. It was the best time of my life - with one final gig at the Carleton in Nova Scotia to put a sword through the cherry on top of the sundae.

Fun Diddy of the Day: I can impersonate the actor of "Kevin" on the hit TV Series the Office so well that it actually scares me. In fact, the whole tour everyone kept nagging me to do it.

Fact: Bears eat beets.
Fiction: glabba glabba glorf glob

Music is the Best

2010-06-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

Rob came over yesterday and we recorded an "EPK" in our basement. Three songs, Caroline, Simon Brooke, and Samuel Starr.
You can actually view them all on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2A-NnsUN3E&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuroCMijdKk&feature=channel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuroCMijdKk&feature=channel

We had a so much fun recording it.

Because we were filming in our basement, we had to make due with what we had.
We stuck some curtains up with tape to cover the mirrors behind us. We stole them from the upstairs living room . :)
While singing Caroline, I could hear the tape cracking and knew that they were going to come down. I was just hoping it would wait until the end... Too bad things never work the way you plan them. But that's a good thing, the unexpected is much more interesting in my opinion.

We left it in because we all thought it was pretty funny, even though Caroline is supposed to be a serious song. Ah wells. :)

My sister, Briar, just bought a baby parrotlet. He is very cute, but could never replace my other bird. He also still needs to be taught everythingggg. Ahhh. Which I know that I am going to have to do. Briar takes care of something for the first month and then moves on to better and brighter things. Hopefully she will prove me wrong this time. Besides, I am moving in September and no one else but her will be responsible for 'Toby' when that time comes along. Here is a picture of the little squirt. :)

diddy of the day: I ate a dead dried up potato bug when I was a year old. I don't remember doing it though and it kinda goes against my views of me being a vegan and all. Actually....I'm not sure it really does, I mean, he had been dead for awhile - or so I've been told...

Fact: I watch the Office a lot.
Fiction: Marshmallows and Jello are vegan foods.

Books and Bruises

2010-05-02T17:35:00.001-07:00

Wow. It's been so long since I have posted anything - I actually didn't even realize how long until I looked at the date.
I've been working to save up some money so that I can move to Toronto. It will most likely be in September, but I'm not quite sure where yet. The job was mostly for the month of April because gigs were slow. Now that they are starting to pick up again I think that they'll fire me for asking for too many off days. Haha. :) (we'll see)
Just yesterday and the night before I played my first gigs in a month. I forgot how amazing it feels. It's a beautiful musical high that just reconfirms that I want to do this for the rest of my life.

I've also written a few new songs which is very surprising considering how busy I've been.

I would really like to start reading again - it's been so long since I picked up a book. I used to read avidly, around 2 to 3 books a week. I'm a strong advocate for literature as it is such an important aspect in songwriting. It's amazing how much it can inspire you. I especially love Charles Bukowski and his cynical, profound and dark writing style. It is so dramatic and genius, and his poetry allows my creativity to flow freely in every direction, letting it's tendrils wrap around whatever deep lyrical stories and engaging melodies I can find. I love music. I love songwriting, and I especially love how they make me feel. Like everything is right.

diddy of the day: At work I bump into pretty much everything and come home with bruises on my shins because I am too lazy to "step over" the object and think that I can make it around without hurting myself.

Fact: I heal extremely fast.
Fiction: I am part lizard and can regenerate a tail.

A Review

2010-04-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

It's been such a long week for me. I am ridiculously exhausted, but with a new sense of being. I have pushed myself to the absolute limit everyday and I feel stronger for it. Refreshed even. And very motivated.

I was up last night thinking about the music industry and all the politics that go on underneath it all. I recently read a review of my CD 'To Make it Make Sense' in Penguin Eggs Magazine. You can view it here. It was definitely not a big confidence booster that's for sure, actually the other way around. And the strangest part about the review is the fact that my music isn't even the issue that is discussed. It seems to me that when 'Scott Lingley' received my CD, he took one look at the picture on the cover and made an instant judgement about my character based on my purple hair and 'auggie'. Haha I guess it serves me right to send my CD to a folk magazine to be reviewed. But even still. I dyed my hair that colour on purpose. I wear fun make-up and neat dresses on purpose. I don funky boots on purpose. Not because I want to be something big and exciting, but because that's my personality. And I am unafraid to be myself and bend the rules. I'm not trying to be profound when I'm writing my songs, I just write down what I feel and make sure it holds some truth with me. Music shouldn't be about fitting the cookie-cutter sounds, it should be about originality and expression - the way it used to be. But please, read the review, I would love to hear your thoughts. :)

On a side note - I have improved a lot on the snare drum which is extremely exciting for me. I don't really know how much better I'll get - probably not enough to play a whole drum-set. No, I'll leave that to the pros. But hey, at least I can keep time.

diddy of the day: I wear socks to bed and in the morning I wake up with bare feet. I kick them off when I fall asleep.

fact: My parrot sleeps in a tent.
fiction: I sleep in a popcorn.

Down in the Rain

2010-04-06T16:27:00.000-07:00

It was raining really heavy today. The power even went out for about 10 minutes. It was exciting.

I happen to love the rain and usually go out and dance in it. Haha that probably made me sound like a hippie freak but it's true.
I went to the bank today and commented to the teller on how beautiful a rainstorm is. She looked at me like I was a nut-case.
Maybe I am. But I'm not afraid to push the boundaries and I'm certainly not afraid of what people think of me.

I read a great quote by Dr. Suess today.
“Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel, Because Those Who Mind Don't Matter, and Those Who Matter Don't Mind.”

I wrote a song last night - I actually wasn't even going to write it. I was fumbling around with chords and a melody - kind of experimenting when Briar came out of her room and was like, "Hey, I like that. If you don't write it, I will." And so the challenge began. I still have yet to come up with a strong chorus that I like, but I know something will come to me eventually so I'm not too worried.

diddy of the day: I grew 2 inches in the past year. Don't ask me how, I thought I was done with the growing part of my life. Yet it seems I still have some heights that my heart and body are set out to accomplish.

Fact: I have about 8 pairs of rain boots.
Fiction: I still play with Barbies.

Ze Fish Bowl of Death...

2010-03-31T18:23:00.000-07:00

I have a gig coming up tomorrow - a private party. I feel special. :)
But, my sister, Briar, will be joining me this time which is super exciting. I love playing with her. The energy we generate together is so human. It's that instant feel good organic emotion that usually only occurs between family. I'll be playing drums (aka my snare) with her on one of her songs. We had a practice today and it went over amazingly - it sounds so great.

I really love being just a musician sometimes. Either being the one playing guitar, drums, accordion, whatever while someone else takes over as the 'front-man'. I can enter my own world and concentrate on just the music. It's different - but extremely refreshing and invigorating. I just have to remember to 'warm up' before I play my snare. I was a little shaky at the beginning of the practice today, but got more comfortable as time wore on.

It was beautiful out today. I can't wait till the summer where I can spend most of my day outside - get some much needed vitamin D. And a tan!! Haha, I'm as white as a ghost.
I've noticed that most musicians share this trait though. Probably due to the fact that they are much too busy practicing and promoting themselves to care whether or not they're 'sun-kissed'. Regardless. I really would like to go one summer where someone doesn't comment on my lack of a tan. :)

Experts say that jumping on a trampoline is one of the many cures for depression. Reason being......how can you seriously be depressed when you are bouncing up and down. I know I can't. Try it. You'll smile. :)

Diddy for the day: I have a betta fish and he's still going strong. I feel bad for the little guy because sometimes forget to feed him...and change his water. On a postive note, when I do change the water, he comes back to life again and swims around like he is a happy fish.

Fact: I used to work at Petsmart.
Fiction: I enjoyed my job.

ps - I found this picture sad. Probably because I feel guilty about denying any type of animal the life of freedom it deserves. And the fish on the right looks identical to my betta.

Second post eva

2010-03-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Today was pretty uneventful. Except for a few exciting things that happened.

1) I went to the grocery store.

2) I read two paragraphs of a book

3) I took a nap

I know, I know! So incredibly awesomely amazing. Don't worry, I know!

On another note, or should I say beat - hehe - I finally practiced my snare drum today. I bought it almost a month ago and it was sitting in the corner of my room for ages. I wasn't really doing much, just trying to start a book - which I wasn't motivated in the least bit to read anyways.

I popped in Katherine Wheatley's newest CD, "Landed" and started playing along. Until of course, I realized how hard it actually is to play with a CD. You can't 'feel' it as well as if you were to play the songs live. I can't really explain it, and if you're not a musician you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But there is this groove, this pocket, the way everyone kind of sways to the beat...

Anyways, I gave up after about half an hour. I'm going to try for longer tomorrow.

I would also like to start practicing my accordion again. Haha, there is a lot of stuff I would "like to do".

I watched the movie "Finding Nemo" today with my little sister. It brought back memories of how I used to have a fish tank and used to be an aquarium fanatic. Actually, for a moment, I was even considering getting a tank again - this time saltwater. But, it's incredibly time consuming - and very expensive $$$, and I love my parrot, of whom I will be talking about in posts to come.

Fun diddy for the day: I went to Niagara Falls about two weeks ago and my sister persuaded me to go in a haunted house with her. I almost didn't go in and I cried.

Fact: I don't like scary things.

Fiction: I am a Walrus...Goo goo ga joob.

First post eva

2010-03-28T17:50:00.000-07:00

So I have never officially been a blogger before, and in the past I always felt that they were a bit of a waste of time. However, my opinions and values tend to change from day to day - I'm a very whimsical person - and today I thought, 'I'm going to create a blog!'

After all, I do have thoughts and opinions, and it's nice to voice them. About music, art, books, health, etc. And it's just another way of "meeting me" but not actually meeting me.

So there it is. My explanation for the blogging extravaganza.

I just recently picked up a new CD. The artists in question are 'Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.' You might have heard of Conor before - he is from the previous titles band 'Bright Eyes'. He was a huge inspiration to me while I was growing up.

I actually thought this CD was they're first, and was a little disappointed when I found out it wasn't. But the music is good regardless. :)

I need to start reading some good books again. Suggestions would be most appreciated.

I like cantaloupes.