June 28, 2006
A Word from Nerissa
Hello, dear friends and fans!
So much has happened since we last wrote. For me, the birth of my daughter, Lila on May 4 has naturally transformed me from a neurotic, self-centered artiste into a yogurt-making, avocado-pit-growing, totally tranquil earth mama. This is good for my nerves, but I am fairly well convinced I will never write another song again for the rest of my life, and the scary thing is, I mostly don't care. Friends in the know assure me this will change, and – full disclosure – I started a new song yesterday on our daily walk around the public gardens. Also, fortunately, I have been asked to sing John Lennon's "Imagine" in church this Sunday, which is forcing me to pick up my guitar. Lila likes "Imagine." I swear I caught a tear running down her cheek during the part that goes "imagine no possesions...I wonder if you can..." but that might just have been her imagining life without her black and white dog-on-a-ball with which she is enamoured, or her Winnie-the-Pooh rattle. (More about Lila on the Nields Blog.)
Also, and perhaps more interesting to you than the doings of me and my baby, Katryna and I have FINISHED the family CD we made with our father and it's off to the presses! The name of the CD is All Together Singing In the Kitchen and it's mostly songs by other people, although we penned four ourselves. it will be available at Falcon Ridge. Of all the CDs we've ever made, it's my favorite. I think it's number 13. We have another CD in the works, the tentatively titled Sister Holler, which we plan on finishing this summer and releasing in January, but don't quote me on that. I am delirious with prolactin and lack of sleep.
Other things that make us super joyful:
- The Kennedys moved to Northampton and are our new neighbors!
- We just celebrated our 15th year as a band! If by "celebrate" you mean "we had dinner together."
- Falcon Ridge is just 7 weeks away!
- That guy with the gray hair won American Idol!
- William can say "Lila" and "Amelia" although in Williamese they both sound kind of the same!
- Bruce Springsteen's new The Seeger Sessions CD which has been on my stereo non-stop since April 28! (Tom and I are going to see him on tour! But not Lila because it's too loud and we don't have those fancy baby headphones Gwynyth Paltrow has for baby Apple to endure her Coldplay father's concerts.)
Katryna and Dave will be playing at the Festival at the Eno. Though I wish mightily I could be there too, mostly to get to see them play together, for I am certain that will be fantastic, I am glad to not be bringing my baby into the mid-summer Carolina heat. Still, I will miss my NC buddies, especially Rhiannon, Nell, Marie and that guy...what's his name.
So I will see you at Falcon Ridge, unless you're not coming, in which case I'll see you anon. Happy June, dear ones!
Nerissa
A Word From Katryna
All Together Singing in the Kitchen is complete! I love this record so much. We listen to it all the time. Amelia dances. William tries to jump. It just makes me happy. We are hoping that we will have the actual shrink wrapped cd's in time to bring them to the Eno. Dave and I are excited about our gig. Amelia and William will be hanging around the festival too. Do you all have any special requests for our sets? I think we are going to be doing one set on the children's stage and one on one on the regular stages. I am hoping for the Grove so that we'll be out of the sun. But maybe it won't feel like the Eno if we don't play in the blazing hot meadow.
We are all looking forward to Falcon Ridge this year. It will be Lila's first festival! I can't wait to eat some Myron's yakitori chicken skewers and lie in the grass listening to my favorite music. I can't wait to jam on the workshop stage and play with our crackerjack band on the mainstage. We might even drag our Dad up for a song or two!
This summer also sees us returning to Elizabeth Park in Hartford, CT for a show on the evening of August 2. We once had a "consultant" come to a show we did there. I am guessing it was 1992. He told me that I should try to get rid of my vibrato. I told him he should try to get rid of his face. We paid him. He told us about knowing a bunch of famous people. It was great. Luckily, this time, we are coming on our own. Unless you count Lila. I don't think we have to pay her. Anyway, despite that memory, I have really great feelings about Elizabeth Park. I cannot wait to return. Hopefully we will see a bunch of old friends from our Hartford days.
On August 25 we will be at the Boston Children's Museum for a cool kids show in the middle of the day. You should come. It will be serious fun. Plus, the museum is amazing.
Keep your eyes and ears open for some cd release parties this summer in our happy Pioneer valley. We are hoping to do a couple of mini shows at child friendly venues to celebrate the release of All Together Singing in the Kitchen.
This fall we will be hitting the road again. We cannot wait to see you all.
Katryna
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