I am heading back to the Gaspe!!!!
I am originally from New Richmond, but have not been back to the coast in twenty years. So it is time.
With the generous support of ELAN (English Language Arts Network) and the Department of Canadian Heritage, I developed a tour proposal with a goal of illustrating the vitality of the arts community in Rural Quebec. I will play a series of concerts in non-traditional venues throughout the Eastern Townships in October, pairing with a local performer at each venue.
In addition to the Townships tour, I decided to include a trip to the Gaspe, to reconnect with my roots, and take advantage of the beautiful landscape, and bring music to some interesting cultural landmarks on the coast.
There are still a few loose ends to tie up. These tours will include a video component, excellent guest musicians, a blog post about each concert, and probably a few surprises.
Here are the dates so far. I am still adding dates and performers, and will update the list regularly.
Gaspe:
Sept 6, La Petite Ecole, Nouvelle, with guest Jean-Rene Martin
Sept 7, Gendron General Store, Loyalist Village, New Richmond, guest TBA
Sept 8, St Andrew's Anglican Church, New Carlisle, guest TBA
Sept 9, Optimist Lodge, New Carlisle, in support of the Linda Lemore Brown Walkathon
Sept 11, Gaspe Elementary School, Gaspe, with guest Don Barclay
Townships: (supported by ELAN)
Oct 4, Piggery Theatre, North Hatley, with guest Kate Morrison
Oct 5, Brome County Historical Society Old Courthouse, Knowlton, with Sarah Biggs
Oct 9, Wales Home, Richmond, with guest Patricia Hortop-Benson
Oct 12, Uplands Museum, Lennoxville, with Storyteller Michel Thibault
Oct 13, Haskell Free Library, Stanstead, with Emily Nyman
If you would details about one of the upcoming shows, or you represent a heritage building that would like to host a concert, or you are a performer and would like to participate, feel free to email info@matthewmccully.ca for more information
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
News
OK Folks, I know it has been a while. The latest news:
Progress is going very well on the songs for the new album. Lots of interesting sounds and ideas.
I have inherited a beautiful Toyota Tercel, which I have named Batina Green. I have added one bumper sticker so far, "my dog is my copilot".
With a new car, comes new possibilities. I am setting up a late summer-fall tour of Quebec. I'm excited to get back to the Gaspe, and to discover other parts of the province for the first time.
What am I listening to right now? Bowerbirds, The Clearing. My favorite song? Stitch the Hem. Brilliant.
My mandolin banjo (Manjo)...has been repaired, and the new action is inspiring!
the weather has been phenomenal so far this summer, I can't wait to hit the road and do some camping, lake swimming, bonfire building, roadtripping, and all that fun stuff...oh yeah, and then sing about it...
Progress is going very well on the songs for the new album. Lots of interesting sounds and ideas.
I have inherited a beautiful Toyota Tercel, which I have named Batina Green. I have added one bumper sticker so far, "my dog is my copilot".
With a new car, comes new possibilities. I am setting up a late summer-fall tour of Quebec. I'm excited to get back to the Gaspe, and to discover other parts of the province for the first time.
What am I listening to right now? Bowerbirds, The Clearing. My favorite song? Stitch the Hem. Brilliant.
My mandolin banjo (Manjo)...has been repaired, and the new action is inspiring!
the weather has been phenomenal so far this summer, I can't wait to hit the road and do some camping, lake swimming, bonfire building, roadtripping, and all that fun stuff...oh yeah, and then sing about it...
Friday, June 1, 2012
This is not an open letter. This is a storm
Here are the basics of a storm.
1. The calm. There is an electricity in the air. A darkness approaching, eerie quiet, an uneasy feeling.
2. The eye. there is panic, loss of control, chaos, disorientation, despair.
3.The aftermath. Acknowledging survival and evaluating loss. Repair, rebuilding, and in some cases, recognizing irreparable damage and mourning.
I am afraid of a storm, because I have no control over it, and it could kill me.
This is a storm.
On different days, I change between the calm, the eye, and the aftermath. But always in the shadow or the throws of it, and I feel powerless and desperate.
My needs are basic, and no different than any other human. Food, water, shelter. Regardless of the quality of life I maintain through various means, my basic needs never change.
When I evaluate the competence my Government, I start with my basic needs. And then the storm rolls in...
Resources have become commodities, Ministers have become brokers, and basic human needs are secondary to the fueling of an ever-thirsting economy.
Our economy doesn't need to weather the storm . It is the storm.
I feel angry and guilty. Angry because I am a pawn in a corrupt system. And guilty because I let it happen.
So when I wake up, should I put myself in the calm, the eye or the aftermath? What course of action do I take?
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Goodbye Mattywagon
It has been a busy few months. Lots of gigs, a snowstorm that finally allowed for some snowshoeing, and some meetings with producers for my new album. Haven't made any decisions yet, but met some cool people with great ideas.
On a sad note, my car, The Mattywagon died. It had been running pretty hard for a while, and recently, couldn't make it more than five minutes without stalling.
It was a great car; got me to Tofino, up to Skookumchuck Hot Springs, Whistler, and all the way across the country.
Needs I am currently putting out into the universe: a cool-ass camper-van, a record deal for the new album, and a few mini-tours through eastern Canada and the States.
If you have some pull with the universe...or car dealers...or record labels...please pass on the message.
Thanks!
On a sad note, my car, The Mattywagon died. It had been running pretty hard for a while, and recently, couldn't make it more than five minutes without stalling.
It was a great car; got me to Tofino, up to Skookumchuck Hot Springs, Whistler, and all the way across the country.
Needs I am currently putting out into the universe: a cool-ass camper-van, a record deal for the new album, and a few mini-tours through eastern Canada and the States.
If you have some pull with the universe...or car dealers...or record labels...please pass on the message.
Thanks!
Monday, January 23, 2012
New Song
Just finished a new song. I actually played it at a show this past Thursday. I don't usually share new material until I have gone through it at least 100 times, but I decided to push myself.
It was well received, which is great. It has since changed quite a bit, which is also great. My good friend Kim recorded a one take wonder of the song in its very early, very raw form in her living room. I think I might post it when she sends it over, so people can get a sneak peek at where my brain is right now.
Since starting to work on the new album, I have been going through all the tunes I have been mulling over, some new, some years old. I gave working names to them, and began the process of playing them through, sounding out syllables, and thinking about what each of the songs feels like, what I feel like, and what I want it to say. If you were to listen to me constructing a song in the early stages, it would probably be unsettling. Like happening upon someone speaking in tongues.
Strangely, this new song was not on the list. It came from me trying to adapt one of the songs from my first album for Ukulele while I was rehearsing for my show. I have to say, it really messed with my rehearsal, because every time I tried to play through a song, I was drawn back to the new one. It actually would not let me focus on anything else. I had to stay up really late to finish it. I called a grounding force in Vancouver to leash myself to the real world, and then edged my way out into the ether to get the lyrics, the bridge, and the meaning. I got back with enough time for a few hours of sleep, and then headed to Montreal for my show. It went well, despite my inability to polish my set the way I normally would. But I think it was a fair trade and people were happy to hear something new.
I haven't given it a name yet. Its hard, because lyrically, it is very intense. I used words with powerful associations. In the song, they flow, but as a title, they could be off-putting or over the top. And I don't want to just name it after the meaning of the song and "give away the punchline." A lot went into it in a very short time. It contains a few lines and a palindrome from a song that I put into storage. And the verses are modeled after Paul Simon's song Crazy Love, from the Graceland album. It is heavy and light.
Are you just dying to hear it now?
Good, that was the point of this blog post.
I'm not usually one to give lengthy explanations before I share a tune, but in this case, I wanted people to know that i'm not just speaking in code. Some of the lyrics in this song are what I call magic words. They carry a certain weight, and a certain association with them that can lead to different interpretations, which was my intention.
Now I am excited for you to hear it!
I will release it soon, stay tuned!
It was well received, which is great. It has since changed quite a bit, which is also great. My good friend Kim recorded a one take wonder of the song in its very early, very raw form in her living room. I think I might post it when she sends it over, so people can get a sneak peek at where my brain is right now.
Since starting to work on the new album, I have been going through all the tunes I have been mulling over, some new, some years old. I gave working names to them, and began the process of playing them through, sounding out syllables, and thinking about what each of the songs feels like, what I feel like, and what I want it to say. If you were to listen to me constructing a song in the early stages, it would probably be unsettling. Like happening upon someone speaking in tongues.
Strangely, this new song was not on the list. It came from me trying to adapt one of the songs from my first album for Ukulele while I was rehearsing for my show. I have to say, it really messed with my rehearsal, because every time I tried to play through a song, I was drawn back to the new one. It actually would not let me focus on anything else. I had to stay up really late to finish it. I called a grounding force in Vancouver to leash myself to the real world, and then edged my way out into the ether to get the lyrics, the bridge, and the meaning. I got back with enough time for a few hours of sleep, and then headed to Montreal for my show. It went well, despite my inability to polish my set the way I normally would. But I think it was a fair trade and people were happy to hear something new.
I haven't given it a name yet. Its hard, because lyrically, it is very intense. I used words with powerful associations. In the song, they flow, but as a title, they could be off-putting or over the top. And I don't want to just name it after the meaning of the song and "give away the punchline." A lot went into it in a very short time. It contains a few lines and a palindrome from a song that I put into storage. And the verses are modeled after Paul Simon's song Crazy Love, from the Graceland album. It is heavy and light.
Are you just dying to hear it now?
Good, that was the point of this blog post.
I'm not usually one to give lengthy explanations before I share a tune, but in this case, I wanted people to know that i'm not just speaking in code. Some of the lyrics in this song are what I call magic words. They carry a certain weight, and a certain association with them that can lead to different interpretations, which was my intention.
Now I am excited for you to hear it!
I will release it soon, stay tuned!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
New Ideas
the Blarney is flowing. I've got lists. I've got plans. I was recently reminded about one of the secret pleasures of wintering in the country. The quiet. I went for a hike with some friends, and half way up the mountain, the peace was overwhelming. We started to whisper. We walked more softly.
My brain likes the quiet.
What inspires me right now is prayer. An internal thought that you want heard, lost in the ether. And call and answer. (you'll know what I mean when you hear it, trust me)
When I was young, my family went to Catholic Church on Sundays. I remember bits about a lamb, a sacrifice, grant us, deliver us, have mercy on us. Those words scared me. I never felt comfortable there.
A few years ago, I celebrated Christmas with some Pagans (so it wasn't Christmas, it was Yule...) I was asked to participate in a prayer. Having remembered the prayers of my youth I was reluctant, but these were good friends, so I agreed.
We stood in a circle with some bread and some wine (familiar, but not symbolic of body parts in this particular case). Then one at a time, my friends approached me smiling; they offered me some bread and said, "may you never hunger". Once everyone had received the offering, they circulated again with wine. "may you never thirst".
Simple. No stipulations. No fear. Just a genuine interest in my well being, which in following moments was extended to the ground we stood on, the air we breathed, the rain that had fallen and the sun that followed it.
When I look at songs that I have written, I can see that they are a lot like prayers. Now that I can see it, I can feel my strength as a writer, and the power of my words.
My brain likes the quiet.
What inspires me right now is prayer. An internal thought that you want heard, lost in the ether. And call and answer. (you'll know what I mean when you hear it, trust me)
When I was young, my family went to Catholic Church on Sundays. I remember bits about a lamb, a sacrifice, grant us, deliver us, have mercy on us. Those words scared me. I never felt comfortable there.
A few years ago, I celebrated Christmas with some Pagans (so it wasn't Christmas, it was Yule...) I was asked to participate in a prayer. Having remembered the prayers of my youth I was reluctant, but these were good friends, so I agreed.
We stood in a circle with some bread and some wine (familiar, but not symbolic of body parts in this particular case). Then one at a time, my friends approached me smiling; they offered me some bread and said, "may you never hunger". Once everyone had received the offering, they circulated again with wine. "may you never thirst".
Simple. No stipulations. No fear. Just a genuine interest in my well being, which in following moments was extended to the ground we stood on, the air we breathed, the rain that had fallen and the sun that followed it.
When I look at songs that I have written, I can see that they are a lot like prayers. Now that I can see it, I can feel my strength as a writer, and the power of my words.
Monday, January 2, 2012
New Year, New Album
I have been accumulating new material over the past months, since my return to Quebec, and I am preparing to record a new album.
The move has been a challenge. I can't say whether this place is different than how I remembered it, or I am looking at it with new eyes. In any case, I am embracing the opportunity to see different, be different, and learn how to re-connect with my roots.
The move has been a challenge. I can't say whether this place is different than how I remembered it, or I am looking at it with new eyes. In any case, I am embracing the opportunity to see different, be different, and learn how to re-connect with my roots.
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