Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Wow.

When I look back at this year, I am just amazed by it. We had so many incredible adventures and experiences. We formed a new line up, recorded new tunes to 1/2"tape, played many a festival, raised the funds for a tour to California and Scotland, won a song writing contest, released the new record North Winds, played with many amazingly talented folks, and witnessed beauty beyond words.

We ended this year with as much fun as we started . This month hosted our Eastside CD Release Party at SoulFood Books and it was extraordinary. Our opener was very special. We had a few teens from the Northwest Junior Pipe Band join us for a rousing start of the show! Highland dancers, drummers and a sweet piper made the evening start off with a bang! The Northwest Junior Pipe Band is going to Glasgow in 2015. We felt that since folks supported us going to Scotland that we should bring awareness to this fine group of teens and help them get there too!

After the piper and dancer performances, we screened a little of our new DVD that we are in the process of finishing, SeaStar Takes Scotland. The film captures the beauty and the stories that touring brings to light. We hope to have it finished by the start of February. You can pre-order it by emailing us at
seastar at jetbutterfly dot com

We continued the evening with Haggis tasting and a great show with lots of audience participation. I think it was one of our best nights even if my voice wasn't in full form due to a terrible cold that stole it away for nearly 10 days. A humbling experience indeed.

The following week, I had the great opportunity to play at Harissa's in Seattle with George Sadak. He and I put together a Middle Eastern Christmas album called Christmas Tapestry ~ East Meets West in 2010. We had a grand night with 3 glorious dancers. Captain and Falcone helped me out that evening with some back up. I believe that it got us all into the Christmas spirit!

Tulsa was the next stop. I played at Foolish Things Coffeehouse with Mark Gibson. It was a great night of friends and family. I even got to play my new guitar that I got for Christmas! My new Taylor friend will be recorded on my upcoming solo album that will be coming in Spring.

And now... it's the end of the year. In these last few hours of this wonderful year I sit here and reflect on how lucky we are to have such great fans, friends, and family. The music brings us together. It warms us from the inside out. How fortunate it is to beable to do this. Thank you.

What's Next?

2014 will be about travel and new music.
We will push our limits.. expand our sound, and keep growing as musicians and travelers. I sincerely hope to return to Scotland as well as find new places to adventure. Berlin is calling... perhaps it is time to explore my German roots.

We wish you well in 2014.

May all your dreams find light and hope.

BigLOVE,

-Fae


folks from the Northwest Junior Pipe Band - 13 Dec 2013


Poster from our night at Harissa's


at Foolish Things CoffeeHouse in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Friday, November 29, 2013

Grace

Happy Thanksgiving!

When I look back at the last month I am rushed with emotions. Scotland was like a dream. We walked where the veil between daydream and reality was thin. When it comes to describing the immense beauty and magic that we felt. I am often at a loss for words. My heart is so full with gratitude. What an amazing journey!

Perthshire Amber

The Perthshire Amber was unlike any festival that we have been a part of. The festival is run by lots of family; blood or friendship, it doesn't matter. There is a closeness that the festival generates that has forever changed how I wish to share music. It seems that in Scotland, music begins at an early age and is a continued conversation over the years of development. One doesn't have to be musical to take part in the dialogue, as those who listen are just as important as those who create it. The pubs are filled with sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, sharing a musical conversation. Grans and Grand Fathers are also there sharing in the history, folklore, and adding the stories to be passed to the next generations.

As part of the Festival we were able to play on a Song Bus, host a session at the Perth Arms, play the beautiful and prestigious Perth Concert Hall with Dougie MacLean and his mega talented friends (to a near sold out audience!), and perform at Scotland's smallest distillery, Edradour.

In between the performances there was time to share songs and stories with the entire cast and crew after hours in the Royal Dunkeld Pub. Such beautiful moments! Gorgeous songs, glowing tunes.. moments that will burn in my heart for my lifetime.

Thanks to the entire Perthshire Amber crew for the wonderful hospitality and opportunity (including Marty and Michael the sound GODS!). Thanks to the Royal Dunkeld for the beautiful place to lay our heads. Thanks to our new musical friends, Charlie McKerron, Buddy MacDonald, Gina MacLeod, Alan Jordan, Ewen Sutherland, Marc Clement, Ross Ainslie, Anderson McGuinty Webster Ward & Fisher, Calum Buchanan, Gordon, MacLean, Pete Garnett and so many others! I am in awe of your talents! I bask in your glow! To Dolina MacLean for her beautiful smile, lovely stories, and raising a super amazing son, Dougie. And sincere thanks to Dougie and Jennifer MacLean and their incredible powerhouse team for organizing and executing such a fine tuned festival!
Thank you Thank you!

~

While we were in Scotland we had the opportunity to travel a bit and visited many beautiful places. We went and said hello to the Old Man of Stor on the Isle of Skye. I ran through the castle grounds and had a conversation with a robin friend at Eileen Donan Castle. We took a ferry to Stromness in the Orkney Islands to see the Neolithic chambered cairn called Maeshowe. The Orkney Islands blessed us with rainbows, selkies, stone circles and kind folks. We walked where the tides came together to see a Viking settlement while the sky turned raspberry gold. We ran through the gardens at Dunrobin Castle and whistled tunes to magpies.

Scotland was a dream that I didn’t want to wake from.

What's Next?

Be on the lookout for our new DVD all about Scotland!! We hope to have it ready for sale by Friday December 13 at our Eastside CD Release party at Soul Food Books in Redmond!

Festival application season is in full force. I have applied to many festivals across the globe. We will see where the winds will take us!

Solo CD for Fae. I have never done a full solo studio album. I think that it is time. I hope record this winter and have a new CD ready for you listening ears by the summers first light.. Stay tuned!

Thank you for listening, following, and cheering us on.
You mean the world to us.

Have a glorious Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, St Andrew's Day and start of the last month of 2013.

Love, Fae


Performance at the Perth Concert Hall. Photo by Rosie Leitch


Sound check at the Perth Concert Hall with Buddy MacDonald


Fae singing on the Song Bus!


Making music on Halloween at the Taybank in Dunkeld


Playing at a session in the Perth Arms

Monday, October 28, 2013

Twas the night before Scotland...

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve. My excitement about exploring bonnie Scotland is as great as the feeling I had as a child eagerly awaiting Santa's arrival. I am swooning over the ideas of selkies, Vikings, Celts, glens, lochs, castles, whisky, and tartan. My excitement can't be contained when I talk about the Perthshire Amber Festival! We are playing at the fest in sessions 31 Oct - 2 Nov. Our main concert will be the evening of 2 Nov at the Perth Concert Hall. wow!

The last few weeks have been amazing and intense. My tour to LA was very successful. I had the privilege to play with Clint McCune for the week! I attended a wonderful conference called Far West, met new musical friends, and saw the sights in Southern California. Hollywood was a blast!

Upon my return, SeaStar had its CD Release Party at Egan's Jam House in Ballard. It was a great night. All of our wonderful friends and family attended making the night warm and inviting. My voice was pretty tired from singing 8 days straight on tour. And I went back to teaching my 28 student roster on the next day after I returned home. I had to cancel my show up in Victoria BC due to vocal fatigue. I felt terrible for doing so, but I needed to. Thankfully I was able to reschedule for the spring.

But now... I am ready! Engines on and roarin' to go!
Let's fly away!!!

We will post occasionally on facebook while we are traveling. Hope you will follow us along the way!

Thanks for all the support and love!

We truly appreciate you!

-love, love, love,

-Fae


From our show at the Urban Coffee Lounge on 25 Oct 2013


From our CD Release Party at Egan's on 19 Oct 2013

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

North Winds

They are here!! Hooray!!
Our CD Release party will be held at Egan's Jam House
on Saturday October 19, 2013, 9pm.
We really hope to see you there.

It's live on CD Baby, BandCamp, and will be on Itunes soon!!

LA, HOLLYWOOD, IRVINE

Seriously a great time! My tour was a success and met many kind faces along the way!
What's next? Our CD Release party is this Saturday. Sunday morning I head to Victoria next to play with my sister in song at the Victoria Folk Club, then SeaStar has one more state side show in Kirkland at the Urban Coffee Lounge. Next stop.... Scotland!
Thanks for all the love and support!

This has been a very exciting autumn!!
love,

-Fae

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Kickstarter Funded!

Thank you!! We now have the funds to pay for mastering and duplication of our new CD
North Winds! WOW! Thanks so much!
We truly appreciate you!!

AND...

40 DAYS until we leave for SCOTLAND!

Dougie MacLean plays tonight at the Triple Door in Seattle. We are very excited about going! Fae has been a huge fan of Dougie's music. This whole adventure makes her burst with enthusiasm when speaking of it.
Dreams really do come true.
Learn more about the Perthshire Amber Festival!

North Winds

Our CD Release party will be held at Egan's Jam House
on Saturday October 19, 2013, 9pm.
We really hope to see you there.

LA, Hollywood, Irvine

Fae is headed off to LA to play in Brilliant Strings the guitar gathering @ ArtShare LA, created by Goh Kurosawa. This is a fresh music series that takes place on the first Sunday of each month in the Artist District of downtown Los Angeles. From there she heads to Acadia to play in JC Hykes Songwriters night, Hollywood is the next stop to play the LA Women in Music songwriting night at teh M-Bar, and finally she will play 3 night in Irvine playing at the Far West Conference! Sounds like a great adventures! We wish her will with her music and promotions!


Thanks so much! You are magic!
-Fae

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The New CD from SeaStar
"North Winds"
is Comin'!
But we need YOUR help!

Drenched in Celtic undertones
and the spirit of the seas,
the new album from SeaStar will
sweep you away in the
"North Winds".

It's exactly one month till my birthday.

If I could have our new record "North Winds" at the duplicators by the time I blow out the candles ...
WOW! that would be a dream come true!
We will release the new album in late September;
but I need your help to do so. I need to gather the funds for the mastered and duplication.

Please check out our KickStarter Campaign! We are so proud and excited to bring this music to you! I really believe that this is our strongest album to date!

"North Winds" was recorded on 1/2" tape at Green Arbor Studio by our very own Kelly Blanchard.
Ron Allen, from Wynne C Blue and her Troublefakers, is mixing the CD. Pat Sample from Paradise Sound will be mastering it for us!
Such a great group of technical talents!

Thanks for everything you do and are!
with love and gratitude,
Fae


Thanks for looking!
And if you can't help financially,
please help us spread the word!

Big love!

Sunday, August 11, 2013

First Place in the Bob Kotta Memorial Songwriting Contest!

Fae received her first ever award for songwriting at the Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival in Port Gamble Washington. Her song "Sailor" was well received by the panel judges. Her imagery in the tune was highly noted. She and Captain performed "Sailor" at the festival with Mike Freeman on percussion. The song will be released on our new "North Winds" due out early September 2013.
Bob Kotta was a Northwest musical force of nature. His band Howling Gael hailed from Portland, Oregon, and released two albums on vinyl in the late 1970's on the small Grassroots Music label. They became very popular amongst the locals and abroad. Their musicianship is exceptional and very pleasing to the ears of anyone who enjoys Irish and Old English folk music.

Thanks to the Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival for the great honour, to the judges, and to the fans.

August 16th Concert!!

Join us at Soul Food Books on Friday, August 16 for an evening of new music, laughs, and surprises! We will be hosting a little auction, some silly raffles, and other SeaStar games to get our fans involved! We are so excited to be touring in Scotland and we hope to share as much as we can with you!
Concert night will be suggested donation of $5.
Bring your checkbooks! We will have lots of merch and things to bid on! Hope to see you!!

NEW CD!!!

It's coming! North Winds will be released very soon! If you attend our show on the 16th you will have the opportunity to pre-purchase the new record with some special perks! Those of you who cannot make the show you can purchase the pre-release deal for $15 via paypal. fae13 at jetbutterfly dot com

Also the concert on Friday August 16th will be streamed live for those who cannot attend in person.
visit www.soulfoodbooks.com
just click SoulFood TribeTV at the top of the page

Index Arts Fest!

We had a grand time at the Index Arts Festival this month! Thanks to Pat Sample for the glorious sound on his stage! The folks of Index, WA made our hearts full with all the love and bravos that we received. The Index Arts Festival is SeaStar's favorite festival by far.
Thanks for having us! See you next year!!!

Bandcamp

Dont forget that we have our Tshirts available at Bandcamp now.
We also have SeaStar necklaces and other groovy merch at our shows! So dont forget to check the table at every concert. New stuff coming!
We are "On The Road To Scotland!' so by buying something 'SeaStar' you are helping us get there!
Thank you for that!!!

Such a sweet life. Thank you for everything!

-Fae


Fae on the ferry back to Seattle with her award!
Congrats to ye, Fae!


Fae and Captain play the Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival


SeaStar at the Index Arts Festival, 3 August 2013

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

North Winds

Our new CD is almost finished! We are in the mixing process and will have the CD available for sale at the end of the month! With that being said we will have some great package deals to help us get to Scotland!
so STAY TUNED!!!

Festivals!

Index Arts Fest is coming up this weekend! We love this festival and you will too. We play at 5:15pm. Bring the family! Hope to see you!

There is a rumor that SeaStar will be making an appearance at the Port Gamble Maritime Music Festival on  Saturday, August 10. We heard it on the wind and it sounded like applause.. it will be a grand day indeed!

Fundraising Night!

Join us at Soul Food Books on Friday, August 16 for an evening of new music, laughs, and surprises! We will be hosting a little auction, some silly raffles, and other SeaStar games to get our fans involved! We are so excited to be touring in Scotland and we hope to share as much as we can with you!
Concert night will be suggested donation of $5.
Bring your checkbooks! We will have lots of merch and things to bid on! Hope to see you!!

Past Shows

We played Yakima Folklife on July 19 at Kana Winery and Bill's Place in Yakima. Thanks to all the kind folks who came out and supported this long running event. Yakima Folklife is a little gem in Eastern Washington, twas a great time to be a part of it! Thanks!

Bandcamp

We have our Tshirts available at Bandcamp now.
We also have SeaStar necklaces and other groovy merch at our shows! So dont forget to check the table at every concert. New stuff coming!
We are "On The Road To Scotland!' so by buying something 'SeaStar' you are helping us get there!
Thank you for that!!!

Wow! What a summer!! Thanks StarHeads!

Love, thanks, and sparkles,

-Fae



SeaStar plays at Bill's Place as part of the Yakima Folklife Festival

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

'..Oh the North winds are blowin'..'

Over the Solstice weekend, we began recording a new CD at Green Arbor Studios under the skilled hand of our very own Kelly Blanchard. We worked on 7 songs the first day and celebrated under the glorious super full moon! It occurred to us that our first studio recording, 'Home', was also started on a full moon. Bella Luna!

We have a little more to go on the CD. It will be an EP with 8 songs... but one never knows! You will have to stay tuned to find out if we record more *big grin*

New Band Shots

As you may have noticed we have some new band pics! We rehearse at this little caboose every week and it just seemed fitting to document it in our musical life.

Syren's Voice is Fae's studio where she teaches voice, guitar, uke, and other things. It's a magical environment to make music! So grateful to have the space.

We have more pics coming from other places too! And we are looking for really great ideas for more band shots. If you have any, let us know!

We would love to hear from you!

seastar(at)jetbutterfly.com

Festivals, Concerts, Merch!

We are ready to play a few festivals this summer! We are heading over to Yakima on the third weekend of July to participate in Yakima FolkLife. Always a treat to visit Yakima. Kind folks with big hearts, just like us.

Then we are playing Call To Africa, a fundraising music festival for one of Fae's students who is heading off to Africa to teach music for a little while. Sound be a great event!

And then, our favorite festival of summer, Index Arts Fest! First weekend in August, in the heart of downtown Index, Washington, is the best little festival we know. Under the direction and music expertise of Pat Sample from Paradise Sound (where we recorded Home), we will sing to the mountain and the amazing folks of Index, Gold Bar, Sultan, and neighboring communities. It is always a great day with beautiful artwork (live painting all day), poetry, dance, and of course, the gorgeous surroundings. We can't wait!

Summer is such a sweet time to play music! And we will play any chance we have! Please check out our Shows page for our full summer lineup!

Bandcamp

We have our Tshirts available at Bandcamp now.

We also have SeaStar necklaces and other groovy merch at our shows! So dont forget to check the table at every concert. New stuff coming!

We are "On The Road To Scotland!' so by buying something 'SeaStar' you are helping us get there!

Thank you for that!!!

Stay tuned.. Life is a whirl!

Summer is letting down her hair! It's all magic!

We love you,

-Fae





Thursday, May 9, 2013

SCOTLAND!

We just got the official word that we will be traveling to bonnie Scotland at the end of October! We will be playing in the Perthshire Amber Festival in Perthshire! The Perthshire Amber Festival brings together many musicians and entertainers from different parts of the world who have been involved with Dougie MacLean over the years. I had the honour of sharing a pint with Dougie a few years back when he was in Seattle touring.

We are very excited and honoured to be apart of this festival and will have to work hard to gather the funds to get us there. So look forward to more merch and exciting fun ways to get involved and help us on our journey! Stay Tuned!!

April! Two great shows!
The first one was at Copper Gate in Ballard with the Molasses Theory! What a great night and a lovely little room! Thanks to Kubby for the great sound!

The other was at Black Dog in Snoqualmie on April 27. We shared the stage once again with the Molasses Theory! Such Fun!! What a grand crowd! Thanks to the beautiful community for coming out that night and supporting us and our music! We loved the vibe, the hugs, and the food! Thank you!

SeaStar Wars!
Our "May the Fourth" was a great evening! Lots of costumes and cosmic adventures! Thanks to Blue Star Creeper, The HayBurners, Samaya Tribe, and Wynne C Blue for joining us that night on stage! We have photos from that night on our Facebook Page

We are working on the new EP that we will have ready by summer's end! Lots of new shows being booked!
We are very grateful.

Stay tuned! Lots happening! and Thank you!
-Fae

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

A Very Busy Spring!

Greetings! And thank you for continuing to follow us and our crazy musical adventures! We have had a very busy spring with finishing personal projects, work, and just "stuff". Funny how that can take all the time!

We had a great start the year playing our first show at the Urban Coffee Lounge on January 4. We played to a full house! What a wonderful way to start a new year of shows! Thank you to all who attended!

In February, I began working on my yearly songwriting project called the RPM. You have to write a full length album, 10 songs or 35 mins of music, record it all yourself, and make a cover. I was under the wire this year due to a chest cold that I just could not shake. But SUCCESS!! I finished the album. You can hear it as well as all my other RPM writing challenges HERE

In February we also started performing with
Blue Star Creeper songwriter, creator, wizard guitarist, and front man, Kelly Blanchard. We played the Flying Apron in Redmond to another full house! Lovely night full of new friends, old friends and great vegan food! We had our King StarHead, TieDye John, in the house sporting his latest TieDyed Tshirt.. Ours!! We were so impressed!

We played the Jewel Box theatre in the Rendezvous Club on March 6 with Clearly Beloved, Blue Star Creeper, and the lovely ladies of Samaya Tribe! What a fun evening! Very tiny theatre and we had lots of folks who came out to support so it was packed! We loved it! We unveiled a old Hebrides tunes that I have known for years. I remembered it the day before the show and taught it to the boys that night! The crowd loved it! One of my bodhran students, Kym, joined us! If you missed it, don't worry, we will do it again!

On the Ides of March we were back at the Urban Coffee Lounge for another full audience! We had a wonderful night rich with musical community as Wynne C Blue and her Troublefakers came out to support us! Gotta love a city where other musicians support one another!
The show opened with Dirk Myers singing some tunes. Next up was my student Kym who shared a couple of traditional songs with me. So lovely.
SeaStar took the stage and pushed the limits once again. I sang a song that I had written that afternoon. With my insides out in nerves, we played it. The band had never heard it and they did a great job following along! I was very proud of the boys! The song is from the viewpoint of a barman at the Brazen Head Pub in Dublin. At this time last year, we were preparing for our Atlantic Crossing so my mind is swirling with all things Ireland. The audience gave a wonderful cheer at the end. I told them that they could name it. After a poll on our facebook page, the song is now named
"Bittersweet Rubbish". Thanks everyone!!

Don't Forget we have a DVD for sale at our shows, or just email us and we can send you one. They are $10. It's our adventure in Ireland! The movie is just over an hour long and it documents some of the historical place we visited, our performance in Carlow, as well as interviews and craziness! Falcone edited and did most of the filming. We are very lucky to have such talent in this band. It makes many things possible for us.

What's up next... Black Dog in Snoqualmie, Mirkwood, Index Arts Festival and MORE!

Thanks for all your support!

love,
Fae


Playing Flying Apron ~ Photo by Ron Allen


King StarHead - TieDye John and his Groovy Tshirt


At the Jewel Box in the Rendezvous ~ Photo by Michael Raley


DVD for sale email us! only $10

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Beginnings, Endings, & Scotch

I get so contemplative in January. Perhaps it is because part of nature is sleeping, dreaming, planning for a glorious new start… that’s how I feel. The past is over. The soil is turned. And the tides are washing in new ideas…

I often say that I am on the verge of something, and then something beyond my dreams happens. I find myself with that same feeling again.

I have been overly busy at my studio. While my job is hardly a chore to be at and I love what I do, I am a bit burned out. I have downsized my studio to a much more moderate 23 students. Hosting a student roster of 30 was becoming a little more than I could handle. Not the work load, mind you, but, my creative side seemed to evaporate. No space between the music. A good composition needs to have rests. And so do I.

In my constant drive to stay in the moment, I am writing more and doing yoga. While I have hoped to do this everyday, I am pretty close. I have new songs that have sprouted and I am looking forward to the RPM challenge this year. I am still working on the movie, but perhaps not as diligently as I should. I am giving myself some time to process and breathe.

Tomorrow I leave for Victoria for a well-deserved weekend with friends as well as a little music with my dear sister, Melody. We will celebrate Robert Burns day in full Syren style. My things are gathered and my heart is so happy! I cant wait to be on the ferry, taste the salt air on my lips, and see Victoria unfold through the mist. Oh, to trip down the streets to Dallas Road, with the arms of arbutus high above me, dreams of Emily Carr swirling in my mind, echoes of Robert Service hanging on the cedar limbs while Joni songs whisper in my ear.. to stop and gaze at the water, and in that moment, nothing more yet everything too. and then off for a pint with dear friends to share stories, hugs, and howyabeens ... Oh Victoria, how I miss you. It will be good to be back.

A few days ago I woke up from a wave and shook a song from my brain. It dripped onto the page. Tiny beads of shining words, mixed with tears and sand, reflected pictures of shipwrecks, seaweed, and bottles of long forgotten memories ... another stormy seaside love song….. This is how my January has been.

Hope all is well with you and yours. Thank you for following me.

Do good deeds,

-Fae




from our show at Urban Coffee Lounge, 04 Jan 2013.



a little video I did in December. Tune is "Falling" from my album "the Branch Above"


from our show at Urban Coffee Lounge, 04 Jan 2013.

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