I have wanted to start a garden for about four years now. Having first embarked (with much enthusiasm) in Austin, I was quickly set back by the 40-degree heat desolating all that I put outside. After first seeing my touring schedule in the Autumn I abandoned post, leaving both the shrivelled avocado trees and my broken guitar cases behind.
I've moved house a lot. Ever since I was very young.
Touring was a very natural progression, and I didn't feel at odds with that. That was until I turned twenty-two and decided that maybe roots (pun intended) would give me more stability.
'Ruins', a song from my debut, is one of the most revealing songs for me. My emotions during that time, if I were to imagine them on a graph, would be a harsh zigzag which allowed me to feel the depths that brought about those songs.
I needed a through line, which has always been music for me. Which isn't a lesser chaos.
So now, picture me, hunched over, wrestling with four bits of wood and massive bags of soil atop a slope... My boyfriend’s garden is one big slope and I've stuck my (metaphorical - for now) flag on one of the ledges... Jade Armstrong. This piece of land is my moon.
It worked! Now I've got cucumbers (a little dry), a tomato plant, herbs, the whole thing. And part of me knows I won't leave it to disrepair this time. I'll be touring but the roots are growing. Holding the stem so it sways, but stays upright.
For now, I'll leave my September tour dates below. If you're looking for an Autumn outing, I'll be
touring with Wild Rivers and My Morning Jacket. This might just be the last leg before new music!
Supporting Wild Rivers
3 Sept - Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA 4 Sept - Irving Plaza, New York, NY
5 Sept - Irving Plaza, New York, NY
7 Sept - Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA
9 Sept - Lincoln Theatre, Washington, DC
10 Sept - The Underground, Charlotte, NC
11 Sept - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
15 Sept - Studio at the Factory, Dallas, TX
16 Sept - Stubbs Waller Creek Amphitheater, Austin, TX 17 Sept - The Heights Theatre, Houston, TX
19 Sept - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
Supporting My Morning Jacket
3 Oct – Maymont, Richmond, VA
4 Oct - Cain Parks Even Amphitheater, Cleveland, OH
found some rusted iron platforms lying around, very sexy.
We may not get much joy in this life, but this garden themed posting certainly brings joy to some of us! Busy this and busy that, and before we know it so much time has passed, and perhaps the only thing that passes us more than the time is the miles we have traveled in that time. Old nature lover that I am, no matter where I find myself, deep in the country or running for my life in the concrete jungles (especially running for my life in the concrete jungles) I take heart whenever I see a flower or even just a single blade of grass break through the pavement and send the message to the world that life is here! I get the same such feeling whenever you release new music or post your thoughts here. Your music and your writing are as natural as the flowers, the grass, or any garden. I am forever thankful for the thoughts and perspectives you share like planting shoots and seeds that will germinate and take root in the sunlight and gardens in our minds to inspire us to keep on keeping on as best we can in this increasingly crazy world we call home. :) Peace & Love & Rooted Down Like An Oak But Swaying Like A Willow, Always!
Nice, lots of water and feed for cucumbers, I use organic seaweed extract, (strong stuff), butternut squash would grow well in that spot and are easy. Keep smiling 👋 😊