February 28, 2013
Toronto, ON

It’s a winter wonderland once more in Corktown, Toronto. And after the grand deluge of yesternight, a surprise, I suppose, to wake up to anything besides an ark outside my window. Despite the weather, I took myself on a grand wandering date yesterday avec umbrella, boots, and camera. What more does a girl need besides a frothy latté from Balzac’s and and a dark romantic library corner with her true love? It’s been quite the month of madness for me. Late nights, long days, and lack of sleep make a Sweetypie a shell of her scintillating self. But the fog is clearing at last, and it’s time to plan the next great adventure.

This past weekend was an epic one, to say the least. For the first time in five years I joined all the members of my musical tribe at the 25th annual Folk Alliance International conference. This year, the party came to me in Toronto, for which I am eternally grateful. It was a big old Little Red Hen Music reunion with my darling road sisters darlenYa, Jan Bell, and our newest little henlette Dede Alderman. We hosted a magnificent private showcase room, caught up with our dear long-lost friends, and made some amazing new ones.

For those of you who have never been to an FAI conference, the experience is difficult to convey. It is at once awe-inspiring, overwhelming, and surreal. Many things can happen when you gather 2000 musicians together in a hotel for five days, and they usually do. It all culminated on Saturday night in a folk-ish full moon frenzy. I only heard rumours of the fire hose flood on the 9th floor, and the Mexican gangsters in disguise as folk musicians. But I believe. You may or may not be able to watch this little clip by Jay Aymar featuring three of our little hens, and a wee peek inside our showcase room … But I hope you can. Enjoy!

Next on the Sweetlandish schedule of events is planning the Captain Dirt & The Skirt CD release tour and putting the finishing touches on our new album. I have butterflies just thinking about it. And it looks like we’ll be joining together with my gorgeous Ladies In Waiting for a late-May CD release show at Lula Lounge in Toronto. Will have the date for you -and others- any day now. So stay tuned.

Till then,

xo

Skirty