February 2020 Newsletter | The Congress House Sessions
Hello Friends,
In January I rode approximately forty roller coasters, had my first Twistee Treat in New Smyrna, became BFF's with Oliver Peters-Walsh (check out #oliveroftheday), released a single in The Benelux, and sang songs in an elevator with my best friends in New Orleans until the Sheraton security guard kicked us out. I've also been working really hard on three new songs. I've never worked so hard on editing, editing, editing! I feel myself growing as a songwriter and can't wait to share these works with you when they are completed. These songs mark the end of the longest dry writing period of my life. At this year's Folk Alliance, Phil Hurley (South Austin Moonlighters) turned me onto Austin Kleon's book Keep Going. I highly recommend it. The major thing that hit me from that book was "Don't be the noun - be the verb. Don't say you're a writer. Write." So, that's what I've been doing. I've committed to facing a blank page or returning to an uncompleted work every day. What I've discovered is some days I'm inspired to work on songs, but other days I'm inspired to work through the new challenges I've been facing over the past two years as a full time singer-songwriter. In the recent future, I'll begin sharing those essays with you on a dedicated page on my website. I've included an excerpt below for you to check out!
This month, the road brings me back to Texas for a handful of shows. I'll also be spending two days at The Congress House Studio with Mark Hallman to record a combination of refreshed compositions and new songs. We'll have a couple of very special guests on these recordings, including my harmony hero Eliza Gilkyson! I'm still a 100% independent artist. If you'd like to help us get these recordings into the world, you can support the funding of the project by visiting the Jaimee Harris Web Store. Enter the code "STUDIO" at checkout to receive $5 off your purchase! If you are a minimalist or are interested in making a financial donation to the sessions, you can read more about the project and donate here. I am so grateful.
The past ten years have brought me to places I've always wanted to go and expanded my friend and fan network far and wide! For that reason, I need a bit of your help. I want to make sure that my new friends all over the world don't get bombarded with too many updates. In the new year, I'd like to transition to sending you emails that are pertinent to your area and interests. So, I'd like to hear from you. If you can reply to this email to let me know your location (City / State / Country) and whether or not you'd like to continue receiving the monthly newsletter, or if you'd prefer to only receive notifications for events in your area, I'd be happy to make adjustments to your preferences. Plus, I like hearing from y'all.
Thank you to all of the kind folks in Austin, St. Petersburg, New Smyrna, Santa Rosa Beach, and New Orleans for coming out to hear us. It was such a treat to play for you!
I hope things are great wherever you are this month! You can always reply to this e-mail to let me know how things are going in your world. I LOVED your Linda Ronstadt stories last month! Truly, I love hearing from you guys every time.
Love,
Jaimee