Artistic Integrity

Collaborations! ‘Drink Me’ video session wt Grethe Borsum

oooh …..this song gives me the chills every time I hear it!

Me and the fabulous Grethe Borsum (Get Her Band) sat down a couple of years ago with some beers and whisky, my resonator and a means to record. The intention? to do some songwriting…

Approaching collaborations you never really know how it will go until it does. The best I bring to it is to focus everything I’ve learned as a musician and songwriter and try to stay focussed on getting something to come away with, as well as having an experience that nurtures the creative process….it needs to flow 🙂   Admittedly, I was a teensy bit nervous, mostly because I’m used to writing on my own and it feels so vulnerable doing that with someone else.

It turned out that we had a lot to talk about…as the evening passed we crafted and played, had a chat and beer break, repeated this countless times. The result of which is this beautiful, lullaby of a song I get lost in every time I hear. Drink Me.

Proud. Happy.  A genuine marinated shared creative experience.

When Grethe made a trip back to Liverpool last month we got together and recorded this video in Jacaranda, I’m so happy it’s here to share.  Thanks to Grethe for her amazing video skills as well as the experience of writing this song together! Also, shout out to Luke Moore who jumped in and did some videoing for us too.

Enjoy x

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Luke, Me, Grethe

Special Guest Harmonica! – Cold Coffee Blues.

Updates!

So, 2, 3, or even possibly 4 years ago I made a quip on Facebook regarding having the cold coffee blues…

… once upon a time I would drink my way through a Cafetiere of coffee whilst working/songwriting and drink it dry as it was going cold….now? no, no, I like it hot!

Hence my proclamation.

This was commented on at the time by an old friend of mine from my time on the Popular Music BTEC  at Thornes Park College..Mr Ryan Mitchell – Smith,  that it would indeed be a great song title.   I agreed.  I said I’d write it and he said he would play harmonica on it.

Being the kind of person that if I say I’ll do something, I tend to mean it.  10 years may go past but I will carry it and one day, it will be done.  And here we are.

Cold Coffee Blues is now a song.   When I sat down with my guitar to write one day, that song just fell out, (as easy as knocking over my coffee has been plenty of times). It’s fun, it’s thoughtful, it’s easy and cathartic and made me smile and when I smile playing one of my own songs, its all good!  Once I’d finished it I was hoping Ryan would still be up for being a part of this. Lucky for me he was still into it.

Full circle.  I’m totally honoured.  Ryan has nailed this song. We have some cheeky Blues Harp.  His playing is awesome and has really captured the vibe and it’s been on repeat in my headphones for the last couple of weeks.  It’s really exciting for me to work with people on my music, and when it fits, it’s magic. Like excited being a kid magic.  Things I wouldn’t and couldn’t have done myself.  It’s much more fun involving others!

Please go and check out Ryans music, he writes his own songs and plays harmonica for a range of people.   Here’s an ace vid from one of his own songs, go check out Youtube for more.. 

 

Cold Coffee Blues will be on my next album.  I’m recording and working with guest musicians to make it an album I’m happy, excited and proud to share. So far it’s all working to plan 🙂 I’ll be continuing with updates as things happen each step of the way and when I have bits of music to share it will be here first!

Thanks for reading, listening and sharing and don’t forget……..DON’T LET YOUR COFFEE GET COLD.

Jo x

Studio, guest musicians and co-writes..

Hello,

There are things bubbling under the surface at the moment that make me happy to be creative.

The main thing I’d like to talk about today is my studio session with Cello on 2 tracks for my currently-being-record album…

Last month I headed down to Crosstown Studios in Liverpool to work with Jon Lawton again.  Love working with Jon, so chilled and interesting, great coffee and an ideal ear to bounce ideas off!   This time it was with the company of Luke Moore.  I’ve worked with Luke on a couple of occasions on Operation Lightfoot projects and he has many hats but in this situation it was as Cellist,  Cellist to contribute and weave some dark, beautiful string tones to 2 of my songs.   The songs most fitting for this – Riches to Rags and Say Everything Do Nothing.  It’s exciting for me to hear an instrument I don’t play adding sprinklings to my songs.  Strings have such a powerful sound and I came away from the studio very happy.    So, amidst conversations about zombies, Crystal Maze, Obstacle Races and coffee we put melodies and rhythms down to enhance, enhance, enhance.  I had lots of fun being objective about my music and I’m now able to stand back from these songs and enjoy the craft.  Being in the studio has to be one of my favourite ways to spend time, especially building my own songs. Onwards!

 

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NEXT UP NEWS!…….  I have another fantastic guest musician to announce on another song in the coming week for the album…. I’m going to sit on the details of this a tad longer but this song is on repeat on my phone at the moment and makes me smile 🙂 There will be details of this to come.

 

On a slightly different note…I did my first ever 10k Obstacle race last month called Wolf Run.  Loved it! So much fun, so much mud.  More more more.  This is my preferred way to defrag and get a body stretch and some fresh air, for this I’m grateful.

 

Stay creative

JO x

Recording! new songs – new album

Hello!

I have now started recording my second album.  I’ve spent the last year in my creative cave, gathering enough songs that I can be excited and proud of to put together worthy of an album. 12 songs in total, yes!  I made it.

Admittedly I got a teeny bit waylayed as I spent time on some amazing collaborations with other artists (Bowker, Tiki Black, Operation Lightfoot) and also had the pleasure of playing guitar on the Kwalaparla album Break the man.  I have also acquired a small collection of commissioned pieces for BBC Radio Merseyside Pure Musical Sensations show (Anyone Who Had a Heart (yes, a Cilla cover…), Always Feel Like Home & Faith on Hope st.).

Admittedly…………..I also got a bit more waylayed as I entered into a personal mission to get fit (Crossfit / Running / Hiking / Mountain biking) and eat clean, get some decent sleep, early mornings and drink less..(much less)…so, rock n roll….I know,  but I feel amazing…..  and…it feels GOOD!

But now….I’m ready.  In motion.

So I have a little quick video to share with you that I’ve just recorded at home as a taster of what’s to come.  The album is pretty much a mixture of acoustic  guitar and slide guitar songs.  Some solo, some with guests 🙂 I’m excited.

But for now….

Enjoy x

 

 

 

Liverpool Acoustic Festival – 19/03/16

Hey all,..

Lots of squirreling little plans going on here that I’m excited about for 2016.

Creative, collaborative, proactive..

The most immediate is my involvement in Liverpool Acoustic Festival.  This is a weekend packed full of acoustic artists held in Unity Theatre and Philharmonic Music Rooms.  I’m made up to be on a line – up with lots other fantastic artists including Marcus Bonfanti and Dave O’Grady.  The festival runs all weekend but my performance is on Sat 19th March in The Music Room – Philharmonic, I’ll be on at 7.15pm and will be road testing some new tunes.. Get your tickets.

I’m also very honoured to be invited as part of a panel discussion with Liverpool Acoustic at Unity Theatre at 5pm – 6pm on the subject ‘Female Is Not A Genre’..This, I believe has sprung from a very well written piece by songwriter Roxanne De Bastion last year.  I’m in good company for this sitting alongside Roxanne De Bastion, Kaya Herstadt Carney and Eleanor Nelly.

I hope to see some of you there!

Other news on the collaborative front is my co-written track ‘Sharks’ with Operation Lightfoot (Luke Moore)… the track is now recorded and finished and sent for mastering.  I’m excited, really excited about this track from beginning to end.  It was great to be asked, to work with Luke and Jon (Crosstown Studios), to perform with other Lightfooters and now just to hear the finished product puts a big smile on my face.  I loved working with strings on this one! I will be making some noise when it’s release time….

I’ll also be making some noise soon…. All will be revealed in due course!

 

Until then, stay creative and with your heart

x

New artwork and gig updates

This morning I finished my latest job as a freelance designer.  I was asked to design a logo for Liverpool  Independent promotion company Scarlet Tone. The company is run by Matt Swift, Singer/songwriter and at the moment manifests as a monthly run music night.  If you want to know more details head to the PAGE.

These artistic specimens are what I came up with.  As ever it was a pleasure to work with Matt who I have also gigged with many times!

Earlier this month I also finished my design for The Cake Kitschen, Liverpool.   A bespoke cake and cupcake business run by Jo Shelbourne.   The idea was to come up with a pin-up style likeness of the woman herself.  This started off as a pencil sketch and I am very happy with the result!

Logo Design

For quotes for any type of artwork please message me.  I love doing this stuff and it makes me happy when people are happy with it.  Have a look at my ARTPAGE for more of what I do. Whether you’re a business, a band or you want a bespoke present for someone.

Now onto the MUSIC!!!

I have some great gigs and radio sessions coming up this year: These are they so far…..

1st April:  The Lomax, Liverpool

10th May: Cherry Reds, Birmingham

11th May:  The Spring Gardens, Bristol Mark Venus Music presents…..

12th May:  Songs From the Shed session

12th May:  Marlows, Bristol Mark Venus Music presents…….

15th – 22nd May:  IPO Festival Liverpool (dates tbc)

9th June: Burscough Wharf, Ormskirk (Adam Christopher Music)

7th July:  Festival of Firsts, Wirral

11th July:  Icarus Club @ The Pelton Arms, Greenwich, London

14th Sept: Session on ‘Roots and Fusion’ PURE FM

15th Nov:  Picnic Club @ Fuel, Withington

I am also looking into recording a new vid for one of my tunes and plan to write my next albums worth of songs before the year is out!

Take care

Jo x

Bob’s Folk Show session

This brings me to Feb 2012… already. Tuesday (31st Jan) I headed down to Chertsey on the train to play on Bob’s Folk Show (www.radiowey.co.uk).

I’m fairly new to radio sessions but 2011 brought me a spurt of them and after booking in for this session in October last year I realised it had arrive pretty quickly. I’m mostly pretty confident and chilled with this situation, the worst thing that tends to happen to me if I think about it (which I try not to..) is that I start to think I’m going to forget my lyrics whilst live on air 🙂 .. it’s not happened yet…

I REALLY enjoy journeys and so heading down via London with a coffee and a book and my guitar was great fun for me. I get all philosophical and creative. I felt like a muso…:) a proper one. So… Bob’s Folk Show.. I met Bob in Chertsey and we headed to a pub where Keith Moon used to drink.  A beer, a halloumi sandwhich and some good old convo about being independant and sticking it to ‘the man’ we then headed to the radio shack which is next door to the hostpital in Wey. Awesome 🙂 proper studio, bit of vintage about it,  I loved it. Bob’s massively into his music so we chatted and he introduced me to some artists he liked and then we did 2 hours of his show. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to play 9 of my tracks live inbetween listening to some fab independant musicians.  Great show, great bloke and I’m looking into sorting some gigs down in London in the next few months.  I stayed in a hostel that night in Pimlico and as I arrived at midnight (after Bob very kindly drove me after the show) I had the amusing situation of having to negotiate making my bed in the dark whilst 12 other people were sleeping. I like random. I woke up pretty early and walked out the door to see the Thames and for a little saunter across London . It was a beautifully lit morning…

If 2012 is all like this I will be HAPPY! I urge you to check out Bob’s Folk Show. If you’re into decent, high quality acoustic music that’s not generic…..

Jo x

Art Adventures

Last week I was commissioned to paint a birthday present for one of my guitar students parents. For me it was the perfect request of a painting in my style with a bit of a brief of what they wanted the vibe and the intent of the picture to be. After studying a few family photos and letting my imagination have an extreme wonder this is what I came up with.  The result being some very happy customers….happy days.

The rest of my artwork can be found here

I also do illustration, logo design, merch, posters etc…many things creative. For those looking for an original present and like what you see drop me a message and we can talk more…

Jo x

Awesomely creative…The Cake Kitschen

This is a bit of an artistically respectful and recommendation – type bloggage on my part…

It was recently my Mum’s 60th birthday and having seen some examples of handmade cakes courtesy of Jo Shelbourne aka The Cake Kitschen I was very interested in her making something to impress my family for such an occasion.  The result is as the pics below and they tasted awesome!  My mum used to make cakes like this when I was a kid and she was ridiculously impressed by her knitting biker AND matching cupcakes, a crafty morsel, which, incidentally ended up looking a little bit like a car crash at the end of the night…:) but it tasted gooood!

If you’re looking for handmade artistic creative cakes I seriously recommend checking Jo’s stuff out. Check out the FACEBOOK page or give her a shout.  This is the good stuff I tell ya. Local, handmade!

On the music front I have a gig coming up this Thursday (18th) at Mo’niques in Liverpool with the Kevin Critchley Outfit and Kaya….

Play guitar…eat cake… x

WHISCing on the SEVENSTREETS of LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC

At the beginning of this week I hit a bit of an ebb tide-wise after spending copious amounts of time in computer-based business research mode. The creative portion of my existance started to seem like a very distant memory. After a small crisis I aired on Facebook in the words of ‘HELP!’, Mr Graham Holland of LIVERPOOL ACOUSTIC came to my aid. After 2 coffees in conversation at Bold st Coffee I realised I am actually doing ok for a self-release muso/artist on the organisation/business front.  I have dealt with the fact that I’m not the only one and after a couple of words with myself I think I’m over it 🙂

So, Liverpool Acoustic. Graham set up this up originally as a web-based hub for all things acoustic in Liverpool. A place to find gigs, open mics, reviews, web-links, artist profiles. Anyone interested in the acoustic scene or musos looking for reviews, a profile or gig opportunities should defo check out this site. Liverpool Acoustic is also a bi-monthly top quality event at View 2 Gallery on Mathew st. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

My next stop of what turned out to be my magic day was WHISC (Womens Health Information Support Centre) on Bold st also. Reason for visit was to reschedule my Shiatsu massage after sleeping in last week….oops. I went in and babbled about how much time I seem to be spending on the computer and came out having agreed to do their blogs/updates aswell……?! 🙂 However. This is a place I really support in Liverpool and I’m trading for a free massage so I didn’t really do bad afterall.

WHISC is a charity for women to use. They offer everything from a drop-in ‘listening ear’ service to reduced price holistic therapies. I have been having Shiatsu there for the last year and it’s amazing. So if you’re female and need support or want to volunteer or are looking for massages etc I suggest you head here! They’re really friendly people.

Thanks to Vicky Andrews this week who did me a fab interview for SEVENSTREETS magazine. Awesome bit of writing. There’s even a swear word in it (see what happens after a couple of beers..).

I also had my album reviewed by AMERICANA magazine.

Have a great weekend! And if anybody needs one of my badges to cover up unsightly holes or stains on clothes give me a shout. I hear that’s what they’re being used for…:)

x