Lindsay GIGS

Hey fine folks of the world who read these little black letters... Perhaps you are near-by to one of these places in which I will be singing for you??

(Okay, I sing for me too!)

Saturday September 6th - Wakefield, Wakefield Market from about 10am-12pm

Saturday September 6th - Deep River, Yacht & Tennis Club 8pm http://wp.drytc.ca/

Saturday September 13th - Prince Edward County, ON, Active Arts Studio, 8pm http://www.activeartsstudio.com/

Thursday September 18th - Wakefield, Black Sheep Inn 8pm (with Valerie Gore) http://www.theblacksheepinn.com/

Very happy to be playing some music!! I will be sharing some songs from my newest album too, although the album itself is not ready to be sold yet,  I can take pre-orders for sure :)

Love Lindsay xo

Listen to Your Gut

I Love to write. Being creative with words, stringing sentences together turning little black lines into something you can see and or think about is quite something. Finding a topic to write about when life has been good to you, now therein lies the challenge. Writing about pain is so very easy, even therapeutic, but (as I look up to the stars) I thank my lucky stars that I am not in the throws of pain at this very moment... but let me tell you, I suffered for years.  

I didn't find my one true Love until I was in my early 30's. Obviously I, being a Lover of Love, had to do a lot of research to find the right guy. My first boyfriend came into my life when I was sixteen years old, so believe me when I say I tried and tried again.

Today I am going to share a few little tidbits of (powerful) information that I have learned about human interaction (with regards to relationships, more specifically.) Firstly, let me tell you that I did it wrong for YEARS. I chose the wrong guy after the wrong guy after the wrong guy, and just when I said, I will take a year off to set things straight, to try to figure out what is RIGHT; I came back in full swing, choosing the wrong guy after the wrong guy after the wrong guy.

When they don't call you shortly after your first meeting, they DID NOT lose your number. So do NOT text them! Wait for them to text you (call you, facebook you etc etc) ~seriously, I hear some of you saying but why is it up to the guy to call?? because, Dear, YOU are into them, clearly, and you want them to be into you and they have to want to come to you. If they are into YOU, they will call. Let them call! And, warning, if they choose to call you, text you, facebook you late at night, then they are not interested in your soul, they are interested in having fun (which does not have to be a bad thing but if you are anything like me, there is a small seed of hope when that message comes in, or when you spend that second night together, a seed that you hope starts sprouting into Love.) One thing that is also very, very important, is listening to your gutt, or that wee voice that usually comes in as a whisper of doubt. Did you happen to hear something that sounded like a) Umm, this guy is WAY too hot, this is not gonna work or b) Ummm, this guy has a lazy eye, it kind of freaks me out or c) This guy talks about himself a lot, and really hasn't asked me any questions... but heck is he ever cute.... (okay, you get my drift and now I know that if there were doubts right from the start then this is NOT “the” guy.) When I think back to my “boyfriends” (some of whom I like to think actually were my boyfriends, but they were NOT) I can see that there was always a whisper of a doubt. Like, this guy has too much baggage (kids + crazy ex, mental issues) or this guy snorts/spits too much or this guy still lives with his parents. Too many red flags, but I busted through them with one big helping of HOPE in every case. Unfortunately, it took me years to start hearing that whisper.

So, here we are a few weeks/months in (with the wrong guy.) Shoot! He keeps coming home drunk and last week he peed in the corner of the bedroom, and last night he peed in the bed!! Of course he was sorry the next day and made you your favourite pancakes. (On a side note, this person could also be a girl, but my experiences include the male gender. All types of people can be lost and not ready to be in a relationship with you.) So how about the guy who calls you a bitch or something worse? Thankfully I came from a home where name-calling was not an option, which in turn is something I will not stand for, nor should you! Also, if he cheats on you, he is not that into you. If you take him back after cheating, he might do it again, and come on, would you REALLY ever trust him again?? What does your gutt say?

I could go on and on about what not to do, hindsight is 20/20 right??? All these heart-breaking experiences have led me into finally do the right thing, so there's that. I don't have any regrets, but if I can help one person get out of a situation that they know DEEP DOWN they should NOT be in, then I have done something good and right. If it smells good, looks good and feels good, then it is good.

Luckily I can syphon all my pain through music. If you listen to my music you will hear many examples of this. These days, of course problems still arise, but I feel it in my gutt that I made the right decision by marrying a man who Loves me to bits, never calls me names and always pees in the toilet (or in the field behind the house.) We have our ups and downs, living with someone can feel like riding a roller coaster at times (humans are moody and emotional, right?) but every fibre of my being sways towards Love when I think of him. It took me long enough.

“The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.” ? Ernest Hemingway

Thoughts on Summer and a Strange Thing Called Love

Lately I have been wearing my galoshes while I hike. Seeing as the rain has been coming in large waves, daily, I need these "wellies" to keep my feet warm and dry. It makes for an extra special type hike, as I can go virtually anywhere, through puddles, across streams and over riverbeds. I can go places I would never go in running shoes/hiking boots (for fear of getting a soaker!!) In fact, I am reminded of my younger days, when I would play outside in the rain, sloshing through the trenches, pretending I was a character right out of a viking fairy-tale. In more recent years, going outside in the rain wasn't something I took pleasure in, in fact it was the greatest excuse to NOT have to go outside at all... It's raining, I will get wet! But life in a forest is absolutely beautiful under showers, everything shimmers and the shades of colour are splendid! The canopy of trees prevent you from getting too wet, oh and an umbrella helps :) This past weekend, we decided to go camping, in the rain. Perhaps that was pushing the boundaries a little too far, but we did get a fire started and cooked a nice supper in it's heat. Hopefully the next camping trip will involve the sun, but it was a learning experience, out there in the fresh air, under the tarp and the cacophony of sound from the rain drops. On a side note, there are virtually no bugs here, but just in case, I made up some natural bug-spray to keep them away mixing two tablespoons of almond oil, ten drops of Eucalyptus oil, ten drops of Lemongrass oil, a teaspoon of alcohol and a couple tablespoons of water... Not only does it smell good but it feels good too and you don't need much. Actually, since starting a garden (our first) I have been diving into the art of home-made stuffs. While I have always liked creating pieces of art through jewelry and song, I never really took to making healing teas or balms/salves, all concocted from nature itself. It is a wonderful feeling, going out and picking herbs, petals, leaves etc and creating something else, something that helps the skin/soul/heart and more. We are very lucky to live where we do (in BOTH countries, between Canada and Switzerland) we have chosen to live outside of city life, only a half hour drive away from the big city. Both places are very different, but in both places, fresh water and fresh air are plentiful. Here, in CH we have many fruit trees and you can see them all spouting their fruits, but most won't be ready until Autumn (hazelnuts, walnuts, apples, pears and plums) some are almost ready (BLUBERRIES!) and some we are putting into salad on a daily basis (RASPBERRIES!!) It is a bit of heaven here, for certain, and it all sounds so healthy, BUT once you taste the fresh bread and the Swiss cheese, those fancy fruity ideas go out the window... I can not say no! My Grandmother used to say everything in moderation... and I am working on it ;) In other news, I would like to share with you a video we made a few weeks back when I was in Zurich for a concert! The video was shot on the banks of the Sihl River by The Automatic Film Maker, a.k.a Steve Ellington http://theautomaticfilmmaker.com/  The song is called "Apologies," written through the eyes of a friend, not yet ready to Love. I believe one can only truly Love someone when they can find a way to Love themself. Sometimes a person has to take some time away from relationships to find out their true sense of Self. On more than one occasion I see people trying to find out who they are, while they are in a stagnant/contrary relationship (a true remedy for a break up!) and this is not a place in which one can blossom into who they are supposed to be. If you are reading this, and are at a cross-roads or at a loss, perhaps this song will inspire you. I try to write songs that speak to the people and the one thing that we all have in common, is choosing the wrong people for the right reasons. Many many many times I myself have tried to breakthrough the unbreakable. My songs come from my own life experience as well as the lives living around me. "Apologies" was born through my understanding of what it feels like to be confused in the uncertainty of  HOW to Love, in turn, how to BE Loved. Certainly, I have been there, as have most of us! (on a side note, I am happily married now... Love takes time but when it arrives, there are NO questions on what it is! It's true what they say "You Just Know.")

Without further ado: APOLOGIES (solo guitar voice version)

http://vimeo.com/98002971

This song will be featured on my newest record as well (in FULL BAND style!)

We are still working on the album, tweaking some of the mixes and it still has yet to be mastered, but it is coming, and I am really looking forward to sharing it with you.

Love

Lindsay xo

This Canadian's Swiss Life

This Canadians angle on living in the countryside of Switzerland ( i.e please note that the things I have written here are from my perspective and might be entirely different elsewhere in this Lovely country.) So here I am, in my Swiss home (I live half time in Switzerland with my Swiss husband, and the other half we live in the quaint village of Wakefield, Quebec.) We have been here for a few weeks now, enjoying the nature, fresh air, great food and his wonderful family. It is a piece of paradise here, we have sheep grazing in the fields around our house and there is a fresh water spring right outside our front door. Things are, of course, a little different here, as one would expect, but nothing too 'far fetched' that I can't get accustomed to. For instance, we shop for groceries alMOST on a daily basis, our fridge is just a smidgen larger than a bar fridge that you might find in a Canadian hotel. I actually don't mind the smaller space, I suppose if our household held more than two people, it would be a different story. I could also tell you about how on Sundays, even the 'not-so-devotional' take a break and rest. One can not make really loud noises on a Sunday i.e chainsaw, mow the lawn etc. Oh and our chimney is cleaned TWICE a year over here and if they find any metal in there i.e a nail from a board, there will be fined! People here are very concerned about how their lawn/house looks. You will very rarely see a house that has junk around it and almost always see flower boxes filled to the brim around all the windows and the gardens are spectacular. Many folks around here grow food, in fact we planted our very first garden together this year and all from seed!! We have all types of deliciousness growing; broccoli, lettuce, cucumbers, melons, tomatoes, pumpkins, celery, zucchini, egg plant, radishes.... So much!! (who is to say if any will bear fruit as we may have started it all a little late?) Oh, and here, the main culprit against anything growing is NOT deer/animals looking for a snack (like in Canada) but snails and slugs!! They are everywhere... We have been saving all our used-up coffee grinds as they are supposed to fend of the little guys... Seems to be working (a little) but we are always finding them around. Some people say to put hair around the plants but I just can't. Perhaps I have watched too many episodes of The Walking Dead. No hair in my garden *shudder*  On the bus here (mainly in the country, as opposed to big cities) you say hello to the driver and the people on the bus, and when you get off, you thank the driver and say 'have a nice day.' My Swiss German is getting better, I can now say all of that ;) Here, they say 'Hallo zäma' or 'Grüezi Mitenand' which basically means 'Hello Together' (you never say zäma or mitenand when there is just one person.) Indeed, there are many things to learn over here, especially in the language department, but I can 'get by.' I know the giggles come from the fact I say things differently, but everyone now knows what I am talking about (when I need them to!) which is SOMEthing, right?? And we use our hands a LOT.

I Love my little life up here, out here, and I have to say, I am a healthier person while living here. There are not nearly as many options for junk food (there are two main flavours of potato chips here; Regular and Paprika -which tastes faintly of our BBQ version- you can get Salt 'n Vinegar in some places, and and a few other types but most of those 'specialty' brands are too expensive and you get very little. Nacho chips are also few and far between definitely no Tostitos or Doritos (how I miss the Zesty Cheese!!) There are no fast food restaurants anywhere near-by, so we have to cook!! While over yonder, in Wakefield, the options to eat out are simply endless.. I think there are at least fifteen places with tantalizing food options (okay, Tim Horton's not so much.) I do miss the easiness of life over there, some nights I have no idea what to prepare and am SO bored of my options (I just want a poutine!!) Some days I wish someone else would do it for me (Pizza delivery??) but mostly I am okay with it. Any type of food product that has anything to do with cream/milk is simply the BEST over here though. One of the famous desserts here is the combination of Ice Cream, Whipped Cream and Meringue. Oh my god. Yum. The bread here is unreal too. Many people that I have known with a bread allergy can eat it over here. It must be the lack of shit they spray on the wheat fields, who knows, but no tummy aches from eating it. You can buy freshly baked bread at all the grocery stores, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. It is so darn good! Take that bread, add a little Gruyere cheese and a glass of red wine and you have the perfect meal. Well, a perfect starter, anyway. (is anyone else getting hungry??)

People here are also wonderful, once you make the effort to get to know one, that is. If you have the courage to speak with someone (first,) you will generally get warmth in return, maybe even an invite to dinner (being a foreigner has its perks!) I have heard it said that the Swiss are 'prudish, straight-laced,' but in reality, the people here are just a little more respectful of privacy and mindful. I would also say generous. If you make a friend here, you will have them for life, there is a great sense of loyalty in a friendship here. I would never put the term 'wishy-washy' alongside Swiss. There are definitely a LOT of rules here though. Possibly because the country is so small, but almost everything has to be accounted for. If you want a dog, you have to take a six month course on how to be a good dog parent, i.e you must get a license. If you want to burn some brush in your field, you have to get in touch with the forest ranger in your area for permission. If a law is to be changed, the country is sent info about it in the mail, with voting cards, and everyone votes on it. Decisions are not made by one head man in power. The people here have a voice and they use it. Oh and recycling is amazing. There is a spot in every village/town and in various places across cities where you can put your recycling. A separate box for white glass, brown glass, green glass and a spot for all metals. The plastics get put in a container at your grocery store. There is actually a nice rhythm to it all, even if a little meticulous. I think many places around the world could learn a lot about how things can be done in a more reliable manner. Some rules I would scrap, of course, but many, I can live with!!

For now I am happy here, but always, no matter what, a small part of me is missing my Canadian life... just like while I am in Canada, a small part of me longs for Switzerland.

You just can't have it all :)

Hugs in the interim,

Lindsay xo

Nature Heals.

It's cold and grey outside; May showers rain on May flowers. Under a grey sky, every colour pops out so much brighter, the greens are so lush now and the land is dotted with various petal shades.  It was a 'no brainer' to collect a bouquet rather than to buy one for Mother's Day. I mean WOW! The beauty of it all. Some of it is even edible, did you know that you can put those baby daisies in your salad?? Finding out these special little clues about life make me want to find out more! My Great-Grandfather, Dr. Hans Güssow was a Dr. of Botany and I can't help but wonder if some of my curiosity comes from his? I see more and more about edible "weeds" that we just pull out and dispose of. I remember while I was in Halifax, a friend of mine got  'skin burn,' from dancing Capoeira, and he cured it completely just by chewing up some green leaves (what were they?) until they kind of came together as a mesh, then placing them on his wound. The next day the huge red raw piece of skin was entirely back to normal. Healing teas are also something I could concoct from the different flowers around these parts. I collected (and dried) an entire jar of teeny-tiny yellow blooms (they call them "Schlüssel Blühmli" -key flowers- here and I just googled to find out the English name which is "Cowslip") Anyway, these blooms are great for healing a cough. Amazing, right? All outside, for free. Speaking of  outside... I joined Canada's 30x30 Nature Challenge http://30x30.davidsuzuki.org/ which means getting outside every day for thirty minutes. Luckily for me, there is a complex map of trails around where I live so there is never a dull moment out there (and my time outside is always longer than thirty minutes!) "They" say that if you start a new way of life, it takes approximately twenty-one days for it to become a habit (ooh, I just googled that and apparently it's a myth! Oops!) Well, whatever, I would LOVE to be able to continue the "challenge" past the 30 day mark. It feels so good to get out for a dose of self-Love and fresh air... good for all of the senses too, especially at this time of year with the fragrant pockets of air that magically just appear. Some days though, you just want to stay inside and do the house-hold stuffs or stay attached to your guitar or keep on at the computer aspect of your job or whatever... but every time I get home from an excursion I feel better. Every time. It's like that voice inside your head says "No, I don't wanna go!!" but you fight it and then later, that same voice says "Phew! So glad I went and I feel so much better!" Every time. So, if you are feeling uninspired today, just head out for a walk or a hop or a roll (perhaps you are on crutches or in a wheel-chair?) I promise you will feel more clear-headed and fresh for it. Office types could just head out at lunch... Where there is a will, there is a way!! Go outside, find yours :)

p.s I am posting daily photos on twitter and if you'd like to see them, follow me! www.twitter.com/linzferg

Remember,

Nature Heals.

Love, Lindsay xo

Health Music Love Food

In no particular order, I suppose these are four of the most important things in my life. How bout you?

What are your top FOUR???

I just signed up for the #30x30Challenge via the David Suzuki Foundation. Here is the link http://30x30.davidsuzuki.org/ Basically, it is to get people more involved in the "Nature of  Things." What a smart thing to do, get people across Canada (or wherever!) to sign up for a daily dose of outside stuffs. Sometimes things are just easier to accomplish when you know other people are doing it with you. I wish I could MAKE MYSELF get out into nature daily, for thirty minutes or more, but I find myself doing other indoor type things and the day is gone when I finally decide to make the 'outside stuffs' happen... I am certain I am not the only one, so I truly welcome this challenge. If you want to get involved it is never too late, just click on the link. If you are interested in following me and my journey, I will be posting photos daily on my Instagram photo site http://instagram.com/linzferg so come follow me!! I will also be forwarding those posts to https://twitter.com/linzferg ... Long live healthy doses of HEALTH!! Oh, also, in other HEALTH news, I quit eating chocolate for the month and living in Switzerland does not make this easy... Dang! But, I can do it!!

Onto music news....

Well the new album is rolling along smoothly and it is great, if I do say so myself!! It's funny and strange, but every time I get a mix sent to me, I get shivers from hearing it. This is not the norm, as I am usually sick of me after the recording process, but seeing as I let go of a lot of the creative control, putting it into the hands of my producer, Brock Zeman who added Blair Hogan to the mix, the new tunes are sounding fantastic. Even my Dad likes them, saying  they are radio worthy!! How exciting??? (On a side note, Dad used to work in the radio industry, as a news/weather man, so, well, HE KNOWS ;) ) Haaha... Yes, I am thrilled and look forward to the day when the whole project comes together, and of course when it can be sent to YOUR ears :)

In the meantime, I am living in Switzerland these days (hence the chocolate issues) and have a few gigs coming up here. Lately I have been a fan of house concerts. This type of concert is fast becoming popular in North America but only just getting started here in the land of Chocolate and Cheese. So tonight I make my debut performance in someones home in Wichtrach, CH. Last weekend I was in Bern city, singing in the privacy of one's living room... It was quite special and I wrote blog about it over on my Facebook fan page, you can read it here https://www.facebook.com/lindsayfergusonmusic While, I LOVE performing in fantastic venues, there are a shortage of fantastic venues. What is a fantastic venue? How about one that holds attentive listeners? My performance is SO.MUCH.BETTER when I have the attention of the people. Some of you might say "Well, it's up to the performer to grab the listener's attention!" I will not dispute that, BUT when there are T.V's on in the back showing sports games, and people sitting at the bar who didn't buy tickets, and are not there for the music, one must compete with conversation which is hard. See, most venues are TWO things... A place to go see music and a place to let loose after work. Some places are known for their music i.e The Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield Quebec where people DO go to listen, even if there is a T.V on playing sports, as there IS an exception to every rule... but a living room concert is a wonderful place to unleash an artistic performance. They are SUPER easy to organize, as well. No stress!! Just a fun, intimate party with nibblies, wine and songs. Book one today ;)

Soon I will be singing in Luzern, and Zurich too. You can find the list of gigs at the end of this message.

Love sweet Love.

It is extremely helpful to have it in your life and I am extremely blessed to have found it.... People ask me "But now that you have found Love, where will all the torturous songs come from??" Well, thank GOODness I have lots of friends who experience torturous Love-fails, plus I have enough of my own experience on the back burners to call upon if needed. Of course the occasional LOVE song isn't so bad, is it???? Ha!

Food.

Mmmmmmmm FOOD.

I have been a foodie for as long as I can remember.... But only now, am I a cook. I was in the service industry for SO many years that I just ate at work or ate out... But since finding a partner-in-crime, I find cooking so much more enjoyable.  Working for chefs for SO many years, I must have caught on to how to do it right... (at least that's what my hubby says ;) ) We started our first vegetable garden this Spring... I simply can NOT wait to get my hands on the veggies that I grew, Loved and tended to mySELF!! Yes, sometimes the small things are the BIG things!! Imagine, me a green thumb. Lucky for me I have a helper in my hubby... We have sunflowers, cucumbers, lettuce, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, and more! Grow a garden, folks!

SO that is my blog today. I have given you LOTS of links, and ideas, I hope...

Here are some up and coming gigs  :)

May 3rd Wichtrach House Concert w Daniel Sigrist

May 4th Luzern Hotel National  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/living-in-luzern-magazine-launch-tickets-10391309687

May 6th Zurich Café Henrici http://www.cafe-henrici.ch/

May 9th Aeschiried House Concert w Daniel Sigrist

May 17th Winterthur House Concert w Timothy Jaromir and RYKKA

May 24th Zurich House Concert w Timothy Jaromir and RYKKA

June 14th Zurich Private Party

June 28th Luzern LUZERNERFEST http://www.luzernerfest.ch/de

NEW CD "CHAMELEON" coming SOON xoxoxoxoxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Forget Me Not

The flowers are bursting through the cold dark ground, giving us light and colour.I grew up with an intense Love for those miniature sky blue/pink  flowers, those sweet sweet Forget-Me-Nots. My Great Grandmother brought some over to the property they established alongside the Gatineau River, all those years ago, from Germany. Now, each Spring, the entire few acres are covered in blue and pink tipped grass. The vases over-flowed with those little touches of pretty. And now, when I see them peeking through I 'forget not' the times we all shared together, on that property by the river, sipping coffee and talking life over those precious vases of colour.  And now, I cherish the little Delft vase my GrandMother gave to me, and today, it sits on my kitchen table, filled with different shades of blue and pink...

There are so many ways to find beauty in life. Tradition has it's ways of reminding us. What a legacy that lived before me! If only I could travel back in time to ask some of my ancestors questions, I wonder what their voices sounded like, what type of accents they had... Besides German, I am certain there were loads of Scottish accents, and I wonder when they stopped speaking Gallic up there in the northern lands by the sea. My heritage is certainly a mix-up, wouldn't it be so interesting to snap your fingers, and glimpse into the past. For now, we have relics and photos and I get to use my imagination to no end. My Grandfather started up a family tree book and I remember one of his relatives was in search of gold, up in Northern Canada, back in the days of the uncivilized, no electricity and little information about wild animals, not much law... He must have had a fierce determination to get up there, following his big dreams.  Maybe part of his essence seeped into me and gives me the determination to keep following mine. I wonder if there were other singers in my family, besides my dear sweet Mama who LOVES to sing along to The Beatles, Boney M, and me. My Grandmother sang some show tunes, once upon a time, for fun, but I wonder if there was an antique piano being played somewhere with a voice soaring above it, for all to hear. I wonder where that magic of music that flows inside of me started? Was he a he? Was she a she?? Well, I may never know how, when, who or where, but I am a million times thankful. Even on my darkest days, where it seems that no gigs are coming in, and no ears hear my songs, I have faith that the flow is forever steady and present.

So, today, I thank you for your flowers and the music... Two of my favourite things.

Love Lindsay

Time to Breathe

Moving from one country to another, means packing up one house and organizing 23kg of 'must haves' to take to the other one. This can be super tough, and I had to constantly remind myself that the things I couldn't take with me were just that, things. 23kg, HA!! I did it though. But to think I packed up our whole house (ahem, trailer) cleaned it all up to sell, when for weeks I was losing sleep about how I was going to manage it all, AND do my taxes, AND book a tour out East, AND scrutinizing new mixes for my new record, and and....It just goes to show you where once it seems so hopeless and you think you'll never be able to get through it, losing sleep, stressing out, headaches etc etc but we DO manage, we DO get it all done, and once again, I am living proof, I did it!! As a side note, I mailed off my taxes the very day I flew out of Canada. Last minute Lindsay wins again. What a whirlwind though. From leaving Wakefield to spending some meaningful time/playing some meaningful shows in Nova Scotia, to flying to Switzerland and setting up house over here, I can finally say "phew" sit down and drink a coffee with a free mind. It feels so unusual to be so non-stressed out!! How wonderful actually, even if a little jet-lagged.

Nova Scotia has to be a new favourite place of mine. I forgot how simple and friendly the East Coast mentality is. I really needed that fresh sea air too, so thank you to all of my friends and fans, new and old. I will be coming back at the end of August, possibly the start of September (most likely) to start off my Canadian CD release tour. What fun!

In the meantime, I am here, in my little home over-looking a  small Swiss village for the next few months. It is great to be back, but always so sad to say good bye to my Canada. That said, it has been easier this time around, much due to the weather. Leaving snow storms and hurricanes to come back to green grass, buds bursting on trees, and flowers pushing up through damp spring ground, not bad at all. However, the change from Winter to Spring in one flight hasn't quite settled in yet. Though I am pleased about the breeze in my living room (the windows are open!!) it is a bit strange, as I am very much a seasonal gal and feel as though I too am still waking up. A new perspective for sure.

Well, there is some laundry to be hung on the line, and more coffee to brew, so I will get to it! Oh, and I will try to update my blog WEEKLY, so please if I am not doing this, will someone kick me into gear??? I Love to write and would like to do more of it, so any reminders will be appreciated.

Lots of gigs in Switzerland coming up, mostly house concerts, and private parties in the month of May, but I will be in Zurich at Cafe Henrici on May 6th. If you are in the area, come see!!!

Hugs and Love

Lindsay xo

East Coast Once More

So! It has come to be that time again, where I say good bye to one home and hello to another. We picked a doozy of a Canadian winter to live in a trailer with no running water. Let me tell ya! However, there are always positive sides and enduring everything that comes with a broken leg in such a small living space made the break a little easier to deal with! I will not be jumping off the back of a boat in Dominican any time soon or rather, never!! And once again, time becomes a question, it seems like only a short while ago I was hanging out with Chris Hadfield at the Ottawa Folk Festival. It sure has been an interesting ride, living by the heat of a wood stove, on a horse ranch outside of one of the coolest villages I know of, ahh sweet sweet Wakefield. Just a quaint little town with an eclectic vibe alongside the Gatineau River! Alas, when I think of the trails, the folks and the foods of Switzerland, I can not be sad.

Firstly though, I will be heading towards the Atlantic and out to Nova Scotia for a few gigs and then up up and away!! On a side note, if you haven't made your way East, I highly recommend it. The people, the fish, the view! Oh my! Indeed, that is where myself and my roadie/husband are headed, and soon! Ich freue mich as the say in Swiss German, and in English; I look forward!!

Packing has been another story entirely. I am still in awe of how much stuff two people can attain, even with living in such small quarters. I even purged a few "filled to the brim" bagsand yet I am still bombarded with too many things, certainly too much to take overseas. Thank goodness for friends and family with extra storage space! Having changed over from driving a van (for many, many years) to a smaller more efficient car, a Toyota Tercel, there isn't much space for suitcases and music equipment! Alas, where there is a will, there is a way.

Speaking of music.... My latest labour of Love and my newest record "Chameleon" is in the mixing stages!! What a thrill to be able to make a new album and with such talent as Brock Zeman, Blair Hogan and Steve Foley, I could not have asked for better... I am chuffed to bits about it and truly can't wait to share!! I think I will  dedicate an entire blog about the recording process as it was really something else. I am hoping to release it in Canada at the end of summer and perhaps in Europe before then, however, time will tell! I will, indeed, keep you all posted.

Now, with that, a few more odds and ends to take care of and then East, to the ocean!!

New Album in the WORKS!

Hey readers :) I hope this note finds you well and strong after enduring weeks upon weeks of snow and cold (providing you are reading this note from Canada.) If you are reading from other, more warmer spots on planet Earth, I am jealous, but won't hold it against you. It is snowing again, as I type. As a little pre-cursor, my hubby wanted to check out Canada in the winter, usually we spend winter in HIS home and native land of Switzerland (which is experiencing warmer than usual temps these days) but not this year. We chose the coldest and snowiest winter (in these parts) in the last fifty years!! Not only did we choose to endure such temps and weather in Canada, but we chose to live in a trailer with no insulation!! It may seem pretty crazy, when written down, but really, it gets very warm in this little tin box, since we installed a wood-stove. It only feels like the  craziest decision of my life at four in the morning after the fire has long since burned out and the outside temps have frozen all the warm air inside. One morning I woke up and it was minus six degrees Celsius in our bedroom.  But the view is great and having spent eight weeks in a cast, not able to get around very well with a broken leg, it was a blessing, strangely enough, to have everything pretty much at an arms length. Oh and as a side note, you aren't trailer trash unless you live in a trailer park. Phew!!!

Aside from all of that winter weather nonsense, life has been wonderful, living in the middle of the Gatineau Hills and calling Wakefield home. What a wonderful little community, where there is always something happening, and even in the darkest days it can be pretty bright. Soon we are leaving these parts though, and heading back to the land of Chocolate and Cheese.  In the past, I have written blogs about dual-country living,  it is always hardest at the beginning and at the end. You get used to your life in one place, finally, then have to up-root to the other place, getting used to that place, only having to leave again. Don't get me wrong, these are shallow complaints, as we really do get the best of both worlds. One can't forget Canadian Poutine and Switzerland Fondue!

This time, we are leaving from Halifax on April 2nd, heading out on a little road trip, with hopes to play a few shows here and there on our way. It was a last minute decision, so booking has been a little hard but I am getting some bites and will post the gigs as they come. For sure I am playing in Seaforth N.S on on the 22nd! Message me if you would like details, linzferg@hotmail.com :)

Anyway getting on to the BEST TOPIC EVER (in MY life, anyway!) is my latest labour of Love, my newest musical project, my third record-in-the-works: "Chameleon." I have been recording and creating this melodic dream with Producer Extra-Ordinaire Mr. Brock Zeman. Brock is a musician through and through and is currently on tour in the United States, you can find his tour dates here http://www.brockzeman.com/gigs.html

Brock and I have shared the stage a few times... Take that time we opened for Steve Earle... Me first, then him, then Steve. Now THAT was cool. Having a history, I decided to ask him if he would like to help me out on my third record. Brock has been piecing together a studio over the years, in the basement of his riverside home, in the middle of Nowhere, Ontario. Apologies to those folks who live in Lanark, Ontario, but I am pretty sure you know what I mean... It IS however a small piece of paradise out there, even if the roads aren't plowed!! Haaaa. I have always Loved Brocks vision, musically, and thought, let's see if we can combine our talent for sound. Our musical performances are quite different from each others. His is more dirty, greasy folk rock and I am more raunchy pretty folk pop. Turns out the two sounds blend very well and let me tell you,  imaginations have run wild! I am so thrilled, in so many ways and can't wait to get it out there, but it will take some time. This time around, I have asked a few artists from across the globe to share their skills, (what with technology and all) one is as far away as Egypt! I guess I really wanted to take my time on this, no rushing and NO booking a CD release party before the actual CD was in my hot little hands! Hahaaa... Sometimes you learn your lessons!

Anyway, I just wanted to up date you all on what has been happening this winter of 2014. I hope things are running smoothly for YOU and that YOU TOO let your imaginations run wild from time to time....

Love Lindsay