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

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

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

Two Worlds

What is it like to live in two different places, for about half a year each? Well, I am in my third year, living in between... and it satisfies my 'wanderlust-filled' soul.

If I could, I would live like this for the rest of my life,

that way, I wouldn't have to say "Good-Bye" for too long.

I Love my friends and family across the world and it is truly hard to say those two words. When I embark on that final (for the moment) journey to the airport, I focus on the next place, and try to swallow those good-bye tears. Sometimes it's easier said than done, and I spend my train time swallowing hiccups and thankful I have a hanky.

Small price to pay however, to have a different view from time to time.

As a musician, I can find places to play anywhere in the world, from living rooms to lit stages, it's an 'easy' profession when it comes to up-rooting once in awhile... (or twice every year.)

Sometimes performance can be difficult, if you are used to getting a laugh in between songs, the nature of sarcasm and jokes can get lost on a crowd who may speak English as a second (or third) language. I am much more "Italian" in the way I speak when this is a factor, using my body and hands as tools to get the jokes across. It's pretty fun. Sometimes I just laugh to myself, or at myself... alone.

Laughter is the best medicine, right?

Miscommunication is okay for me, as is other "bad gig moments" such as a non-responsive crowd or a terrible sound system (or stinky microphone, yes, that happens too!) In these cases, it just becomes a 'practice session' or yeah, just about the money ;) However, I do believe in performing as best as I can, even if there are only a handful (or more) of listeners. If I can get through to someone, just a little, then I have done my job.

Fellow Canadian artist, Craig Cardiff has a notebook that he takes to his concerts in which he asks people to write their dreams, thoughts, secrets etc in... And it always amazes me, when I get a chance to read some of these, at how profoundly music can help. I am so entirely thankful for this musical path I am on, be it for me or for you, it's worth it. Bad sound systems, non-listeners, sore shoulders, hot lights, smelly mics, long drives, sideway-glances and all!

Being away from home, either home, is tough at times. Thankfully Social-Media is here for home-sickness... or maybe not? I see shows and markets and babies that I am missing out on, but still, I get to see your face once in awhile and hear your voice too!! At the very least we get to stay present in each others lives, which is  big bonus, missing you in 'real life' or not.

Currently, I am writing a new song, featuring wisdom that I have learned over the years.

I hope to debut it on Sunday, where my voice will be soaring in a church for the first time in a long time.

You never really know what life will bring. Look forward to every day, and try not to want to know,

that way, you will be surprised,

surprises are good.

Love Lindsay

A Life in the Day of an Indie Artist

I live each day trying to fulfill my needs as a self-employed singer and song-writer which doesn’t always have to be that complicated and trying to explain what I do to people who are living by an entirely different set of rules, well, therein lies the complication. Talk about guilt! Some days on my list of things to do it goes a bit like: Make a fire, put the coffee on, do the dishes, check your emails, write a blog, pick up the guitar, work on songs, put more logs on the fire, fill up the wood box, prepare dinner, read a book, book a show, watch a movie, charge the phone, go to sleep. Some days the writing table is full of arts ‘n craft supplies, feather earrings!! Sometimes there is a yoga mat on the floor. Sometimes I get to talk on Skype to close friends and family, some days I get to go on hikes, you know, fuel for the soul and the songs. Some days I get to PLAY MUSIC in front of an audience.

These are pretty much the details that make up my life. I am also very lucky because I have a partner in crime who accepts and Loves me for who I am and what I do. I do not follow the normal day to day life that many of my friends have and it’s a bit hard for me sometimes because I am sure that there are people out there that do not appreciate my life, the life I chose, this independent set-your-own-rules way of living.

Talk about discipline! There is no one out there telling me what I have to do, no guidelines, no boss, so it’s all up to me.

I remember moving out of the house I grew up in, to University, where I could do whatever I wanted. I could eat marshmallows for breakfast and potato chips for dinner, there was no one to tell me any different. But through heartburn and tiredness I quickly learned how to eat better and be more attentive to my nutritional needs. Some days I feel like I am back there, in need of discipline and Mama’s knowledge.

I am still learning and still working hard to keep this musical ball rolling and it can be hard without a boss. I am not saying the grass is greener, but I am saying that I appreciate all of you who work so hard in a fixed schedule and sometimes I wish someone could arrange mine for me. Alas, this is my life and I am sticking to it.

Up with music!!

Home is where the Heart is.

Let’s face it. You live with yourself, your face your hands for the rest of your life. I remember, back when I was bursting into ‘teen-dom’ being struck with the notion, hit with the plain truth that I would be stuck with me forever and it was right there, just between myself and my reflection where I came to the conclusion that there was only one way. I just had to accept myself.  I think it may have also been the first time that I realized I wasn’t just a daughter, sister or kid, but that I was my own entity and from then on, it was my life, MY very own life. I had no idea at the time what life would be about, but I sure hoped that it would be bigger than my parents rules, school bus seating, bedroom decor, fashion, sleep-over’s and homework. Music was a thread, sewn through me, more than I knew, during this ‘breaking-out-into-the-real-world-for-the-first-time’ phase. I would sit in front of my ghetto-blaster after school learning the words to all my favourite songs (Cyndi Laupers ‘True Colours’, Madonna’s ‘La Isla Bonita’ etc) and I would record myself on tape, singing along, playing the music on low volume, to be sure I could hear myself (not having the slightest clue that I would do the same thing years later in a real live studio!!) I listened to those tapes and made new ones, eventually making my own songs, searching through my treasure trunk, dressing the part as well. I had dreams to sing on stages, again with no clue that those dreams would eventually turn to reality, (and how!)

Wherever I went, as a young girl, a teenager or now, as an adult, I have this music inside me, this flow that, simply put, keeps me going. Through rejection, pain, depression, anger, fear; ultimately REAL LIFE, I know I have this neat thing within and when I sit down with my guitar and let ‘er rip, all of the negative just floats off, somewhere else, (for the time being) and if that’s what happens to ME when I sing, then I just KNOW I have to sing for others too.  So I put it out there for you, on occasion and I hope you like it. From me to you, that’s how it works with this musical gift… it’s the least I can do and it is how I will leave my mark. Perhaps one would call it a legacy, I will call it luck.