Happy New Year from Gaelynn Lea!
I hope this newsletter finds you well, and as warm as possible in what seems to be a nationwide deep freeze! The Holidays have already come and gone, and Paul and I are back on the road. I am grateful that we got to connect with the folks we love back home, and I am excited to see what this year has in store.  I hope you had a great holiday season and that your 2018 is off to a great start! 
HELP ME FINISH MY NEXT ALBUM! 

As  you may have read i n my previous newsletter, I am currently working on a new full-length album with an amazing Minneapolis-based band (Dave Mehling, Al Church, Martin Dosh and Andrew Foreman), which is due out in September 2018. You can actually listen to two tracks here in an early music preview!
 
I cannot wait for you to hear all eleven songs on this record... I can honestly say I've never been this excited about releasing music before. Many amazing, funny, kind & downright inspiring musicians have contributed to the project... Some of the special guests you may recognize (Alan Sparhawk, HALEY, Bob Boilen), and others I hope you'll get to know through this music. The new album unlike anything I've ever created... I wish you could hear it now so you know what I mean! Anyway, I am beyond pumped to share it with you this September... I could never, ever have created this album on my own and I am so grateful for everyone who is involved in the project.  

When we were in Minnesota over the holidays Paul, Dave, Al and I spent several days in the studio with Zach Hollander at The Pearl Recording Studio and I am happy to say that all the parts are finally recorded and the tracks are edited! 

Now there's good news and bad news. The good news: we are past the major hurdle of recording (and it is sounding so radical)! The bad news: I initially underestimated the cost of the album and had to increase the fundraising goal... This means we still have about $15,000 to raise on GoFundMe to release this album without debt. 

So if you haven't donated to the new album project yet, now is the time! $15,000 may sound like a lot (well, because it IS a lot), but in reality if 1,000 people simply pre-order the album here, we will make our goal! So if you are planning to buy the album someday, please do it now when it helps us the most! And pretty please tell your family, friends, and music-loving coworkers about this project so hopefully they will pre-order too... Each little piece adds up. And everyone who contributes now will get prizes later this year!
 
This album is a ginormous undertaking & I really want to do it right. We still have a ways to go - mixing, mastering, pressing the vinyl, and publicity - so every donation to the project now will help keep me out of debt later as we reach the end of production.  I am confident that we will reach our goal before September, because I think there are enough people out there who are supportive of original music who can collectively make this happen. 

I really believe in the songs on this album and I hope the love, care and enthusiasm invested in this project will shine through when you listen next Fall. Please consider supporting my GoFundMe now by clicking the button below... And  if you've already contributed, THANK YOU so much! I couldn't do this without your support. Cheers to creativity, gratitude, and teamwork!

THOUGHTS ON A NEW YEAR: TIPPING THE SCALES
 
It's a New Year, and typically I would be all about crafting a super ambitious list of resolutions or perhaps a thoughtful mantra for the year, filled with expectation and bubbling with hope. That is, after all, my usual habit... one that I believe can be useful in shaping the year ahead (and even if it's not useful, it's a tradition that I definitely enjoy)! After all, most days I'd say I am an optimist by trade, and things like New Years have always been motivating milestones to me.

But this year's beginning felt a little different, a bit more ominous. The thought of a fresh new 365 days didn't leave me feeling as buoyant as it normally would, and somehow my typical New Year's routine didn't feel quite right. The past twelve months have been a lot to handle, haven't they? The nonstop news has been intense, and the future still seems unclear in so many arenas.

So instead of writing a list of New Years Resolutions, I started asking myself: "What is useful to focus on when you're Feeling Not Quite Like Yourself?"

If I can offer you one thought that has helped me so far, it's that the world needs good hearts and loving actions now more than ever. So it has been helpful for me to focus on trying to bring forth the kindness that the world needs, in even just the smallest of ways.

Feeling Not Quite Like Yourself can make you more sensitive to your own internal pain - after all, a sort of lingering sadness may dwell very close to the surface. It might hide just below the first layer of skin & escape in unexpected tears when you rub up against a bitter memory, a sad thought, or even something beautiful.  

But if you can remember that you're not alone in feeling this way, it can also make you more aware of other people's humanness. You'll be able to see that the solution to so many problems is simply compassion... more kind words & hugs and less judging of each other online, behind each other's backs, or face to face. 

You can help bring forth the compassion and understanding that the world so desperately needs. You won't succeed all the time (no one does), but each and every moment you can offer up love, you've tilted the scales a little further towards goodness.  You can make an impact on the world that is bigger and deeper than you'll be able to see... Kindness ripples outwards. 

Try to remember that each act of love you can offer the world, no matter how small, is incredibly important. Know that it's perfectly normal to feel sadness sometimes, because life can be tough... And if you need to talk to someone, definitely do! All of us need help sometimes - it's part of being human. Please take good care of yourself in the year to come so you can keep sharing yourself with others!

love does not look like a person
love is our actions
love is giving all we can
even if it's just the bigger slice of cake
love is understanding
we have the power to hurt one another
but we are going to do everything in our power
to make sure we don't

- Rupi Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers
THE WINTER ESCAPE TOUR!

I t was definitely great to be home for awhile this Holiday season. Paul and I had a chance to spend time with our siblings and parents and many close friends who we don't get to see when we're on tour. Perhaps the only downside of our recent visit is that we hail from Minnesota. And for those of you who have never visited, Northern Minnesota is the land of great natural beauty... and bone chilling cold! I honestly don't think the temperatures topped 3 °  Fahrenheit (so a high of -16 °C) the entire time we were home! Basically it felt like we were living on Mars. Or planet Hoth (I may have binged on Star Wars this Christmas). 

Needless to say, this next tour could not come at a better time...   As I type, we're in the car heading to City Winery in Nashville for my first of 27 shows in the Southern and Western parts of the country... We're calling this the Winter Escape Tour, and I am hoping the weather will cooperate!  Paul and I are looking forward to seeing the varied landscapes of Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California and 9 other states along the way... and letting the sun warm up our icy cheeks!  I'd love to see you at a show during this tour! 

Anyway, that's all the updates I have for now; t hanks so much for reading this newsletter !  I hope you have a great winter... T ake good care until we meet again! 

Love,
Gaelynn Lea




SNOWBIRD SHOW LIST:

  • 1/17 in NASHVILLE, TN at City Winery w/ Sarah Potenza - Tickets
  • 1/18 in ASHEVILLE, NC at The Grey Eagle - Tickets
  • 1/19 in MADISON, GA at Madison-Morgan Cultural Center - Tickets
  • 1/20 in TAMPA, FL at The Attic - Tickets
  • 1/21 in BOCA RATON, FL at Jaffe Center for Book Arts - Tickets
  • 1/22 in BOCA RATON, FL at Florida Atlantic University - Details
  • 1/25 in NACOGDOCHES, TX at Stephen F. Austin State University - Info
  • 1/26 in LA GRANGE, TX at Bugle Boy - Tickets
  • 1/27 in AUSTIN, TX at Lemon Lounge - Tickets
  • 1/30 in PHOENIX, AZ at Valley Bar - Tickets
  • 1/31 in TUCSON, AZ at Hotel Congress - Tickets
  • 2/2 in LOS ANGELES, CA at The Mint w/guitarist Mike Rufo - Tickets 
  • 2/3 in OJAI, CA at Ojai Underground Exchange w/Mike Rufo - Details 
  • 2/5 in FRESNO, CA at Bitwise South Stadium w/Mike Rufo- Tickets 
  • 2/9 in MODESTO, CA at Gottschalk Music Hall w/Dave Mehling - Tickets
  • 2/10 in SAN FRANCISCO, CA at Patreon HQ w/Dave Mehling - Tickets
  • 2/11 in SONOMA, CA at HopMonk Tavern w/Dave Mehling - Tickets
  • 2/15 in ALBUQUERQUE, NM - Venue TBD - Get Updated Info Here
  • 2/16 in AMARILLO, TX at Golden Light Cantina - Get Info Here
  • 2/17 in NORMAN, OK at Opolis - Tickets
  • 2/18 in LAWRENCE, KS at Replay Lounge - Get Info Here
  • 2/19 in DES MOINES, IA for HomeDitty - Email: [email protected]
  • 2/20 in IOWA CITY, IA at The Mill - Tickets
  • 2/21 in SHEBOYGAN, WI at Paradigm Coffee - Get Info Here
  • 2/22 in MINNEAPOLIS, MN at Bryant Lake Bowl w/Full Band - Tickets
  • 2/23 in MORRIS, MN at UMM Edson Auditorium w/Full Band - Tickets
  • 2/24 in ROCHESTER, MN w/The Jive Mill - Venue TBD - Get Info Here 
KEEP IN TOUCH!