“Debris”

Wasted hours; all that time I stole from me
Shady places; wakin’ up foggy in somebody else’s debris

I used to drive downtown, I used to get high, big city my ocean, it’s waves a free ride; I’d score in the alley have a sniff in the can, queen of the dance floor, whiskey in my hand; Lovely little girl in a wild space taken under the wing of a nameless face; “All you need is Love” singin’ in my ear as the whole wide world just disappeared

I once was tied, bound up and fried, I fooled the roost but never me.

I wanted so much, never had a clue I fell for it all ended up black & blue; always runnin’ to my Mama til she pushed me away or did I let her go, she’s gone either way. Lonely little girl in the dirty streets, change in my pockets when it’s change I need; death warmed over in a lethal state, pitch black eyes searchin’ for a clean slate…

I once was tied, bound up and fried, I fooled the roost but never me.

Waster hours; all that time I stole from me
Shady places; wakin’ up foggy in somebody else’s debris….

Life in Switzerland has been pretty wunderbar. Those picture books you see with the rolling hills, snow capped mountains, tree patched fields and funny shaped houses; they’re true. It’s THAT beautiful. We have sheep in the pasture where I live, and they wear bells around their necks… so there are always “wind chime” sounds floating through the air… it’s really pretty and not harsh at all, I will miss those bells when I head back, very soon, to Canada… my home and native. The fruit trees are in full bloom as well and the scents, at any given time can rush over you and make you swoon just like that first kiss.

It’s easy to write songs here. The air is fresh, the water clean and life out here in the country is slow enough that you can truly enjoy the ride and take it all in. I remind myself every day how fortunate I am to be here, working on new compositions as well as touring this Lovely country on occasion, much like today, in this train. I have a few last gigs here before I head home to Canada. I REALLY do miss Canada, though Switzerland is fast becoming a very close second. Did you know that it closes for lunch here? That at lunch time, after work and on Sunday’s you can’t make noise i.e mow the lawn, use a chainsaw, vacuum your car… etc… whatever has a loud noise… It’s not a law, I don’t think, but everyone sticks to it. Oh and I KNOW I’ve mentioned this before but the cheese, bread and chocolate is REALLY outta this world. I only wish I didn’t LOVE it all so much, my hips & bingo wings would be ever so thankful. Alas, this Love affair with food ain’t over yet!!  A few more weeks and I’ll be back to Canadian chocolate & cheese, which isn’t so tempting J

So here are some up and coming gigs I have. If you happen to be in the area, it would be GREAT to sing a few tunes for you….

Bern, Switzerland: 9pm May 12^th at Musig Bistrot

Lugano, Switzerland: 8pm May 19^th at Villa Sassa Resort

Liebefeld, Switzerland:  9pm May 24^th Erzbierhof

Wakefield, Canada: 9pm June 21^st Black Sheep Inn s/g Miss Emily & Nick Sherman; Song Circle

Merci!

The Globe Bar, George Street

“Song Room Sessions”

9:30pm

Sweeney’s on Dame Street

“The Dublin Sessions”

8:30pm

After reuniting with a good friend at the airport, we quickly headed out to the car, bags and guitar in hand (PHEW!) Then, I smelled Ireland in all its sea-air-filled glory. I was back. John and I drove down a highway (err, motorway) for a couple of hours and it was empty the whole way. That whole free road to ourselves, I could have been in Canada except for the fact I was sitting in the passenger seat on the driver side, and there were a heap of toll booths.

John was an angel to come and get me in Dublin all the way from Connemara. When we started through Galway, things started to look familiar, but it was the scent in the air that hit hard… It’s been a long time since I inhaled the scent of peat fires, perhaps one of my favourite smells. We didn’t get ‘home’ until very late but my ‘Ace girl’ Sasha was there with the kettle boiled and the fires burning. Irish tea is unlike no other, to be sure. I have never tasted a cup as good as I have over here on this land. Sasha lives in the blustery windy land of Ballynoe where cows are our neighbours and mountains are our view. It is splendid, raw and truly feels like the Ireland I remember.

After doing some shopping where Irish Soda Bread is high on the list and peat briquettes are considered number one, we prepare for the first party, Sasha’s fortieth. A night of dancing, memory making and lots of laughs would ensue in the quaint little village of Letterfrack, the Sunday following THAT Saturday night would not be recommended to anyone, however. Sometimes you just have to take the bad with the good

Soon I would head to County Cork by bus. Buses are not nearly as kind as Swiss trains to a woman with motion sickness, but we won’t delve too far into that! In Cork I was picked up by Skully. Don’t’ try this at home folks, but I met Skully on the internet a couple three years ago when we both found each other’s music. There had been talks of creating some new tunes, outside the “Lindsay” box during this time and we finally had the opportunity to lay our talents down! First I would play an amazing gig in the most wonderful of venues “DeBarras Folk Club” in Clonakilty, Cork. Sometimes a gig with a wonderful sound system and a full to the brim room full of eager listeners can refuel your heart and fill you up with light, but only sometimes Indeed a brilliant night and one for the books for certain.

The next morning I would wake up in a teeny tiny cottage near the sea and we would get straight to work. Skully had a few songs composed (he is an electronic music maker) and we listened to a few pieces where soon I would hear my first melody that would need an entire set of lyrics…which could have seemed very difficult if I thought too long about it, but it wasn’t hard at all, it all just flowed! At one point in our 48hrs together, we took a break and went to the sea shore, where in the exact same place,  if you had been standing there many moons ago, you would have seen the Titanic sail away on its last voyage, an epic image for me and more than a few goose bumps ensued. Skully and I put down five songs in the short time we had together and are currently making plans to resume where we left off so’s a new album can get into your hot hands at some point in the future, and I truly cannot wait to get back in his studio! Another positive Irish experience for the books, thanks Skully!

Soon I would be heading back up to the West Coast, back to my base in Connemara but only after meeting my long time friend Tim, who I used to pal around with once upon a time in St. John’s Newfoundland. Tim now lives in Scotland, in the Hebrides where he studies Gaelic, among other things. He is now my official roadie, and has been doing an amazing job at getting me to gigs safely, and even carries my guitar sometimes! After a quiet gig, nestled in the hills of Connemara, singing to my friends of ole, I would soon be heading to Dublin, which is where I type to you today from.

Dublin is a unique city, one which I intend to explore very soon. The skies have opened up and this sort of yellowy bright light is shining down out of the clouds… I am not sure what it is however as I haven’t seen it for as long as I can remember but it certainly warms things up! I played an amazing gig last night in Temple Bar where I shared the stage with an inspiring Irish songbird named Sarah Red. She is the best Songstress I have heard in many many years. Kind of Jeff Buckley meets Bjork meets Jen Grant. Google her! You will be pleasantly surprised. Tomorrow I will play my last gig in Ireland as part of “The Dublin Sessions” and then I will return to the rugged West for a few quiet last days spent beside turf fires, drinking tea with some old friends.

Besides getting lost in Connemara a few days back and being saved by my wonderful Finnish friend Anni, (she let me in the car in all my soaking wet glory!) this trip has been splendid and I am a MUCH better girl for it!  Soon I will be back in Switzerland, wrapping up my tour there and back to Canada, the most beautiful country in the world…

Back to the a.m, I quickly went downstairs to the kitchen to see if I could muster up some red hot coals from the fire, (so I wouldn’t have to re start it, only add to it) alas, it was black cold. So I rumpled up some old newspapers, (of which I am starting to make out a few words here and there, Swiss German, or German, rather, is starting to look less and less, well, German!) I added some small sticks, some wood, flicked my bic and blamo! Fire started. Of course, I would have to wait at least two hours before I felt its heat radiating through the radiators…Next step, coffee! I wouldn’t have to wait that long for its heat…the magic from freshly ground beans would soon be coursing through my bloodstream in aid of the long day ahead.

As per usual I leave everything to the last minute and it’s more than time to pack. I have been in search of a ‘light-weight, modern-style’ piece of luggage and I finally found it, in all its “Cassette tape” covered glory, but silly me, I left it where I found it, thinking I would be back to get it, but never did. So I decide to, err, have to use old faithful, you know, the one that weighs 5kg with nothing in it. That bag has been flying with me since I moved to St. John’s Newfoundland back in ’98…. Boy, if THAT bag could talk… well, it would probably sing us a song, to be sure J

So we fast forward to 4:20pm (once upon a time a very special time to me!) and I hop on the extremely punctual bus out of Rueschegg on its way to Schwarzenburg, where the immaculately tidy and ‘pin-drop-quiet’ train will take me to Switzerland’s capital, Bern. The whole trip takes me about an hour. While on the train to Bern, I remark to a friend, via text, that this train stinks! Once upon a time, this train held hundreds if not thousands of smokers, and there ain’t no way any cleaner of any kind is going to mask that empty, stale scent.

Fast forward to Bern and if I remember correctly, I have 7 minutes to get from train A to train B. But no, this time, I only have two minutes. I knew all that snow was gonna come into play at some point. So there I am with my heavy 1990’s luggage, my ‘filled to the brim, almost couldn’t get the zipper done up red leather bag” and my dear sweet guitar, slung over my shoulders, running, yes, me, running through a tunnel with a hundred other 5:30pm runners and it turns out the only way I can make my train is to hop on through first class (it’s the first car). Well, it’s my first time in train-style first class and I can now understand why, perhaps, if one did have money, then why they may choose first class. It’s spacious and I can actually pull my luggage through the aisle, on its wheels, and the seats are wider and plush, and LOTS of seats to choose from…if only I could have stayed a little while longer….alas, second class it is. Squished between a man and his dog, (yes his black lab, they can bring their pups on board here!) and a man on his lap top. I was facing the side of the train, not facing forward, not facing backwards but sideways. My inner ear vertigo friend would just have to deal. So I tried not to stare at the girls across from me, or to look too long at the punk on the stairs, sipping his Carlsberg, (you can drink ANYwhere here, on the bus, in the streets, ANYwhere.) Instead, I stared at life speeding past me, until it got dark, then I dreamed of Ireland. I used to live there, a long time ago, after my two year stint in St. John’s, I lived there for just over 2 years….So this trip, the one I have embarked upon, will be a journey indeed! I am now 36000 feet up in the air, and this green bullet will touch down soon…. My Irish adventure will soon begin, and to be sure, I will keep you posted. I can’t wait.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4C4eDPcuWE&feature=youtu.be

Be well and BIG LOVE,

Lindsay xo

http://partusfilms.com/local-film-album-reviews/lindsay-ferguson-monkeys-under-stars-2011/

I am honoured.

Thank you,

Lindsay xo