It’s that time again boys and girls.  Come by Rockwood Music Hall where I’ll be giving a sneak preview of the tracks on my upcoming album, ‘The Departure’. Featuring Rob Ritchie on guitar, Zack Lober on bass, Chris Berry on drums and special guest Maria Neckam on backup vocals.

SUNDAY, MAY 26TH, 7PM

196 ALLEN ST.

Between Houston and Stanton Streets

We all work too damn hard: NO COVER

Stay tuned for more updates…

Wow, what a trip that was.

My eternal gratitude to those who contributed to my campaign to raise funds for my debut album ‘The Departure’.

We exceeded my goal of $4,000 – tallying a total of $4,449! This experience has undoubtedly humbled me. Trust me, asking for money is not in my DNA. I couldn’t believe the amount of support I was receiving – some  from people I’d only met once before two years ago, for example.

Special thanks go to my friend from Beijing, Peter Luk, who wanted to be a producer of the album and contributed a whooping $1000 towards the cause. I was trying to hold back the tears when I read his email explaining how he wanted to help out with my record. Again, my ass was humbled (in a great way!).

I’m going to make ya’ll proud, just watch me.

Three-and-a-half weeks ago, Nir and I headed into the elusive Bunker Studios in Williamsburg to lay down drum tracks with the one and only Dan Rieser. Our engineer Jacob Bergson was a dream to work with, and the overall vibe of the studio was a unique experience that I will cherish indefinitely. I will be back. To see photos of the session, please check out the ‘Photos’ section of my website where you can be privy to the progress.

While the drum cuts are currently being edited, I had a photo shoot two weeks ago with Jim Herrington, photographer for the famous and not-so-famous (ie. ME). I met Jim about a year ago in a restaurant and instantly fell in love with his work when I checked out his website. As an enthusiast of photography (ESPECIALLY black and white), I had secretly fantasized about the day I would get to work with him. “What would my photos look like if he took them?”, I asked myself. I finally gathered up the courage to ask about his rates and availabilites and voilà, next thing you know, we’re shooting. We just had to find the most important component – the set. I made a couple of calls and finally got an “OK” to shoot at Lola Brooklyn, one of the most charming restaurants in the Fort Greene area. It was all coming together and the question was, “am I ready for this?”. I wasn’t expecting to be shooting so quickly.

I spoke to a seasoned drag-queen friend of mine, named Yancey, who is also an accomplished fashion designer and seamstress. He has been in the business for 30 years and was so excited when he heard about my project; subsequently, he offered a couple of his gorgeous made-to-wear pieces for me.

The story gets better: not only did I get hooked up with a set for the photo shoot, but my friend Saleem came to the set, all prepared with his makeup gear, ready to dab, poke and prod me with makeup. He fixed my dress and my hair on set, plus he was at my beck and call whenever I needed something. I offered Jim and Saleem lunch during the break and when I went to settle the bill at the end of the photo session, the restaurant covered our tab! WHAT?!

Free high-end clothes, free set, free stylist and free lunch (literally)? UN. HEARD. OF.

“I don’t know what I ever did to deserve this”, I thought as I wept inside from gratitude.

Here’s a sneak preview of some of the shots we did:

Stay tuned for more updates!

May

xoxoxox

21 days late, but nonetheless, my greetings are from the heart. I had a wonderful holiday back in Vancouver, spending quality time with close family and friends. My friend and talented drummer Andrew Millar hooked me up with a solo gig at Tangent Cafe on Commercial Drive. I had a delicious Kari Ayam (chicken curry) there. The right remedy for a typical rainy Vancouver night. The audience was a reunion of sorts, with high school teachers and high school friends, family members. Here are some photos:

Now it’s back to the grind with lots of projects ahead of me, including my debut album set to be released in late May. Details to be posted, so stay tuned! I recently posted up a video of my gig with Towering Poppies back in August last year. Check it out when you have a moment!

Virtual hugs,

May

Hurricane Sandy has arrived, and it certainly feels nice to stay inside for once and  work on things I have overlooked in the past couple of weeks or even months! I was in the recording studio in Queens a three weeks ago with producer Jai Titus, laying down some vocals on top of some tracks he made. An engineer by the name of Twin conducted the whole process, and I have never worked with such an efficient engineer in my life. As far as the track goes, you won’t be able to hear it for a while since Jai and I are gonna keep things under wrap to prevent any “leaking”. Here are some pics from tha studio:

Queen Aliyah and her presence in the studio. This was, needless to say, a very eye-opening experience as I’m delving into the R&B world, as well as the singer-songwriter realm.

Speaking of such, I got to play in two of my most favorite venues in NYC – Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room -both in the same night! It’s always so great to play at Rockwood, the sound onstage and offstage is amazing, not to mention the overall ambiance of the venue caters to an intimate discourse between performer and audience. At 7pm, I hit the stage with my main guys, Rob Ritchie (g), Zack Lober (b) and Zach Mangan (d); playing with them was like riding in a Volvo..so smooth you don’t notice how fast you’re going. We’re sounding more and more cohesive as a group, and I can’t wait to get into the studio to do a FULL LENGTH ALBUM with them. More to come with that, so stay tuned! Post show, we headed over to Snack Dragon for some killin’ tacos! Yumz. Then at 9pm, I headed over to The Living Room, THE venue which I have yearned to play at since I arrived in NYC. I met up with Peirson Ross, fellow Canadian and singer-songwriter extraordinaire. Peirson invited me to play piano on his tune Simone and sing backup vocals on one of his new tunes. It was a privilege and an honor. The next day, we visited the Gibson headquarters where Peirson is endorsed from. It was so cool to see remnants of the Beatles and their legacy on the walls, signed Les Paul guitars, showrooms, and the “hospital rooms” where beat-up Gibsons get their “treatment”.

I’ve also got some shows coming up in November, one on the 1st, at Pianos that happens at 7pm, and another at Zirzamin with my new found friends from Barcelona, Pau Figueres (g) and Adrian Gonzalez (p) on November 9th at 9pm.

Stay well and stay tuned…

Autumn in New York is one of the most magical experiences one can witness in a lifetime. There’s something in the cool air that brings the juxtaposition of the concrete buildings and the nature (or lack thereof) surrounding it. A stroll through Central Park is a must, with a camera in hand. Autumn brings with it the renewal of life; showing us that the only constant in life is change.

It’s one of my most favourite seasons, and I can’t wait to start baking, reading, knitting, crocheting and taking photos. I love watching the leaves turn color, watching people replace their summer get-up with their fall gear, but I love – most of all- hitting up cafes and watching people go by.

There were a few warm days before September rolled in, so my roommate Jared and I decided that we would take advantage of the warmth and hike up Bear Mountain, which is located on the west side of the Hudson River in Orange and Rockland counties. Here’s a photo I took of the view when we reached the summit:

It was beautiful to see the peaks and valleys of the nearby mountains and the sun peeking through the floating clouds, casting shadows upon the hills.

I’m currently reading ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield, and it’s been giving me some insight towards the insidious writing blocks that most artists go through. I highly recommend it to anyone in any field that is faced with any personal “blocks” in their lives.

Music wise, I have a handful of shows coming up, with the electronic duo Pax Humana, and my own group, so be sure to check out my EVENTS page to see where I’m playing!

Here’s a quote I came across recently that I’d like to share: “The reason we struggle with insecurities is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone’s highlight reel.”

-Steve Furtick

Ahhhh, spring has sprung. I love the smell of blossoming flowers and the renewal of life as the seasons switch over, albeit jaggedly. With the fluctuation of temperatures coupled with a few [very] late nights, I’ve managed to catch a cold. But that won’t stop me from playing at one of favourite venues in town – Rockwood Music Hall in the lower east side in Manhattan. I’m very excited to be playing a few new tunes and originals. Sharing the stage with me are Syberen Van Munster on guitar, Zack Lober on bass and Zach Mangan on drums. So save the date: Saturday, April 14th at 6pm – no cover charge!

Rockwood Music Hall is located at 196 Allen Street between Houston and Stanton.

Hope to see some of you New Yorkers there!

Love,

May

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday with friends and family. I was lucky to have shared this Christmas with friends here in Brooklyn, as hard as it was to be so far from my family. My multi-talented composer-friend Vickie Yang was the chef with the mostest and I was her right-hand woman. I am a foodie after all, and it was so great to work in the kitchen with someone that is just as passionate about food as with music. Prime rib was the star of the show, cooked to medium-rare perfection, as well as quinoa-stuffed eggplant for the veggie-lovers. Both entrées were served with potato pavé and Chinese broccoli tips topped with fried shallots and fleur de sel. The night ended with an impressive array of desserts, thanks to Ms. Yang and the countless hours she spent on preparing them. True altruism, I tell ya.

These days, I’ve been performing I’ve played at the prestigious Rockwood Music Hall a handful of times, as well as Pianos. Tomorrow night, I play at Sidewalk Cafe, with bassist extraordinaire Or Baraket. I’ll be strumming away my original songs, so I hope to see you there if you’re in the city.

There will be more updates to come, so keep posted.

Stay cozy!