'The Real Thing', 'Still' and 'With Me' were recorded in Austin last year. There is another more 'rockin'' version of 'The Real Thing' that was recorded with Avenue Elle (Chrissie Engle and me), Anthony Juneau and several other incredible musicians. I wanted to make a slower version of it for television. 'With Me' was written specifically for Dr. Meredith Grey and McDreamy (!).
More recently, I went into the studio and recorded nine songs that I wrote while in California. We recorded the songs 'live'. There was no going back and patching things up. It's the real deal and a little rough around the edges. More a music diary. It was a totally different experience recording that way. Pretty exciting and terrifying. Peter Dobson (who records this way all the time) plays with me on a couple of the songs. Peter was my guitar teacher in California. He started his music career on the BBC radio. I feel really blessed to have crossed paths with him.
'madlytrulydeeply' was George Harrison-inspired. As I was writing it I was thinking of his sweet ukelele sound. 'ocean meets the sky' was one of those songs just floating in the ether. It felt like a gift from my grandparents.
Influences
Today i'm liking Seether and Amy Lee...the Once soundtrack, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Shaye, Lagaan, Sting, M'shell Ndegeocello, Libby Kirkpatrick, Travis, Ben Harper, Corinne Bailey Rae, Peter Gabriel, Ani DiFranco, Seal, Sara Bareilles, Nina Storey, Leona Naess, Sheryl Crow, Prince, KT Tunstall, MC Solaar, the Beatles, George Harrison, India Arie, Stevie Wonder, Feist, Elliott Smith, George Gershwin, Bonnie Raitt, Ian Moore, Billie Holliday, Alicia Keys, John Mayer...these are a few of the artists that influence my songwriting.
My headline is from a poem called 'Lost' written by David Wagoner. I first heard David Whyte recite it. I wanted to put the whole thing down, so here it is:
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.
Hey girl, didn't know my previous comments came out on your front page...hmmm..I meant to send them to your myspace e-mail...oh well! Sorry our phone conversation got cut short - Call me Sun nite if u want or Mon nite....xo Kat
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!! ********************************* Hey Ms. Alison - I wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday. You are such a sweet and strong person - very Taurus right? Yeah girl!!! Lots of happiness sent your way today and always. I will call you later this afternoon. Hugs. Kat
Ms. Alison Lumley is so lovely! Hee hee...girl, let's talk soon okay? I am so glad to be back in Austin - and I know CA is da bomb....but you need to get your Southern self back to Austin at least for a visit. Leon misses you too!
School has been a little rough lately, but I'm struggling through. It's almost summertime and I'll have a good long break before the next semester! I hope u r well, healthy and happy also! U r so Beautiful and have a lovely voice! One of my ultimate wishes is to see u and Chrissie play live someday on stage!Muah!! ;)
Hi Alison! I've heard so much about you too from Kat! Thanks for adding me! Your music is beautiful. You have such a lovely voice. Kat says you're in CA now...You'll have to tell me how that's going for you sometime!!
love the new tunes. Hope you are having the time of your life in California. When you are ready to visit home, I want to get you booked at the Bend Studios. You will love it plus you can visit your Richardson family. Any John Cusack sitings yet?
Oh yeah! special ordered the sunburst one...it came in, too pretty, went & swapped it for the honey blonde demo.I shall break it in @ starbucks tomorrow.Missing you in Austin. -A.J.-
