January Changes
Hello my loves….
Kicking this off with a never before seen photo from my last photo shoot:
Photo by Barb Neufeld / Imprint Photography
Do you feel it? The changes we are going through….I almost feel like we are being pushed to anchor into who we really are. Because, there is no other alternative.
I’ve been clearing space, and at the same time I’ve received a number of signs from the universe that I’m on the right path, the path of writing again…from the heart, in my room, words and melodies coming together in that familiar union.
Kevin at the Samosas place in Dundas…recognizing me and having a jubilant outburst about my voice.
Mary on LinkedIn, telling me that my music saved her back in the day….
Brad from ohio, leaving a random voice message out of the blue saying, he keeps singing “You’re wasting all my time / my precious time” at various points in his week…and then has to go listen to Beautiful Things.
Noah from Brooklyn asking me to put Original Leap Year up on Spotify. (This is the weekend)
And then in this week’s kicker, Dina from Superstore, aka Lauren Ash, noticed my follow on Instagram and said she listened to Summerlong for 6 months straight and wore out the CD back in the day.
The universe is throwing things at me left and right and I am listening.
In the coming weeks there will be some changes here. This will likely be your last payment for The Backstage in this form as I’ll be migrating over to Patreon. But before I do that, I’ll be leaving you some behind the scenes goodness before February! So don’t miss it. Once you’re over on Patreon (it’s not live yet) you’ll have a number of different ways to support me. I’m doing this instead of a Kickstarter for a new album as I have lately begun to enjoy the Patreon platform - its ease of functionality - and that it’s easier to keep up with artists than a self-made fan club platform. I hope it will give us the chance to connect in a more immediate way. As always, your support has meant so much to me and allowed me to navigate every little creative urge and see it through.
The metal band is something I see as a small chapter within this rejuvenation. It seemed like with everything going on in California (sending love to all of you who have been affected, whether through friends or family :( ) releasing a song called “Face The Fire” seemed tone-deaf at the very least. But I’ll continue to keep Ovary Axe going but the priority is another Emm Gryner record. I’ve heard you in the survey, I’ve heard it in my heart….
Godin were kind enough to send me another guitar which I’ve been loving. Another sign from the universe, I just wanted a black guitar but they sent this incredible thing to me…I’ve been able to plunk out stuff like Serenade and Math Wiz on it and it’s been really cool.
I haven’t named it yet, but Zwerg is probably the best name. Sometimes I shake my head because I can’t believe he’s really gone.
I’ve been able to give some $ towards California fire relief efforts. I sent some money to Hannah Pilkes (look her up!!) as she is one of the most joyful comedians I’ve ever known. Her comedy just makes me laugh so much. I also have donated to the GoFundMe for Hero Drops, the initiative to deliver meals to firefighters, this one organized by guitarist Phil X.
So stay tuned for a little behind the scenes magic as this month closes out. Know that I love you all. Soon, this website will be revamped as well, with the focus on music, releases, shows and more.
XOXO Emm