Posted September 19, 2012 at 7:52 am

You (new song lyrics)

I will be premiering this tonight.

On this:

YOU

I would have given you a world without an end

If you had only crossed that bridge you'd built towards me

I drew a treasure map; you held it in your hand

Because the time before you tried – you nearly lost me

It's you, you – the distance I must brave

You, you – the mystery uncharted

You, you – the burning in my veins

You, you – the only thing that matters

Of all the continents discovered on my quest

you were the fairest one – a tantalizing vision

So when I landed on your shores, I loved you best

To make a home with you became my worst decision

It's you, you – the history I've made

You, you – that bears not repeating

You, you – the silence in my veins

You, you – that keeps my heart from beating

Wind is turning on me

waves are churning on the sea

ships are burning…

You.

(2012@EIK)

Posted September 19, 2012 at 7:52 am

in bed

…and so just before the tour was over – and I had two shows left – my body said "STOP. NO FURTHER. OR ELSE".

Literally.

I started running a high fever, my throat was in agony, and standing up for long periods of time was a luxury I was no longer able to afford. I went to a doctor in Tucson, who examined me, prescribed me antibiotics and kindly informed me that I should consider NOT singing in the coming two days, if I wanted to get away with my vocal cords intact, and especially if I had more concerts scheduled in the upcoming weeks (which I do).

And so after a minor emotional breakdown (I HATE canceling things, I dislike being weak, and I detest giving in to circumstances), I had to not-so-graciously concede.

Body always wins.

I am home, in bed, catching up on emails, sleep, movies and mediocre BBC crime series, which are curiously satisfying. Guitar practice awaits, as do all the important chores…. but….but….not quite yet.

Lots of exciting things in the works. Stay tuned.

Posted September 19, 2012 at 7:51 am

summer is here

The acoustic release of the iTunes Live session (videos and audio) I did with string section will be out next month – July 17, 2012, to be precise. I will be in New York then, and do a very special release show July 20th, at Rockwood (main stage).

I have been working hard and trying not to lose my mind, but it's not always easy. The road walked between art and normal life is particularly thorny sometimes. Ah, but here is the trick, if only I was always this wise:

Fortunately I have been performing, and that always helps. I have also been getting into live looping and other interesting things, and having a weekly opportunity to experiment has been a huge blessing.

Tomorrow night is the last night of the residency, and I'll have some kids joining me on stage to sing Dreamer (yes, from that same choir that covered it at their recital).

We are almost done digitizing the Beatrix story picture map – found within the record's physical packaging – launching soon with all the new content within the brand new site. We made it interactive so it's easy to follow the adventure, and also add your own bits and pieces down the line.

Posted September 19, 2012 at 7:51 am

I am home… but not for long.

The tour with Sinead O'Connor was wonderful – we have lots more pictures and footage.

And I have a photo of Stonehenge, taken by my tour manager, which has an alien in it! (yes, seriously).

It has been, however, a difficult few days. I am no stranger to emotional ups and downs, and all to often they should be ridden out like a roller coaster and not ignored, because there is always a reason behind them. As it stands, I am going to write and record now for a few days. It helps me lose time, but also find a catharsis and a healing.

Another week and I am back on the road, this time opening for James – it's a West Coast tour.

For now, here is something, too – the first from the Home Sessions:

Posted September 19, 2012 at 7:51 am

NYC II

The City can't decide whether it wants it to rain or not. After the deluge of yesterday, it is still pondering, so I did get rained on a couple of times throughout the day, but it was very minor. All in all, I do prefer this weather to the stifling heat of yesterday.

Obviously it's all about me, so theretofore I brought the rain to NYC, didn't I? Anecdotal evidence: when I was in Austin, performing, we arrived to heat and three-month draught. Within 12 hours of my arrival, a thunderstorm came to pass (short, but effective), and the day was saved.

Maybe not all my doing, but a girl can feel important: why not?

After getting rained on and finding refuge in a French bar:

I found shoes! Fortunately for me, it's sales season. Gloves, shoes, flower dress and NYC is my oyster…err… apple. Right??

Tomorrow is my performance and I am in the mood. Let's do this. Tonight I'll read some poetry and try to imagine what it is going to be like when I come and stay in NYC for a whole month, doing a residency – it's in the plans – being here certainly makes me want to dress up and strut a lot more than Los Angeles ever has. It could be dangerous! But life is short. Why not?

The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.
(Michelangelo)