the one that got away

it's been a year....

2009-08-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

hey there friends...

i'm not even sure how many of you still check up on me every once in a while...but hello.

i'm back.

it's been a year, and so much in my life has changed. i figure it's time for an update...of sorts...

so let's look at it this way.

where i was august 29th 2008:
location: omaha, nebraska.
dwelling: parent's basement.
occupation: musician-performer/lesson giver

where i am august 29th 2009:
location: minneapolis, MN
dwelling: my own fabulous apartment.
occupation: full-time at the container store

since i moved to minneapolis, about a year ago, a lot has changed for me. due to life...and such...i had to give up the "full-time musician" label for a "full-time merchandiser" one. (which oddly enough...i'm finding i really enjoy.)

but the time has come...and it's probably overdue...but music starting a faster trot in my life...and i'm grabbing the reigns and taking off.

so, here's what i can tell you for now.

-there will be more shows
-there will be more music
-there will be more songs
-there will be more learning
-there will be excitement
-there will be adventure
-there will be disappointment
-there will be satisfaction
-there will be growing
-there will be changing

i'm so excited to embark on this next chapter.

it's certainly been quite a while...

2008-06-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

how can i describe the past month and a half.

confusing?
disheartening?
enlightening?
refreshing?
scary?
hard?
crushing?

probably all of the above.

these past few weeks have been very different for me from the months before them. from november(ish) to mid-april i was playing gigs like crazy. (now, when i say like crazy...that probably means about once or twice a week.) i was teaching lessons at the same time...so the weeks seemed somewhat busy.

but then i went through what i would like to dub a 'artist drought'. i wasn't playing very many gigs...in fact weeks would go by without unloading/loading gear into a venue even once. it was a really rough time for me. i started to question who i am as a artist. (and questioning for me has always been scary) during those weeks though, i wrote more than i've written in probably the past two years. most of it will only ever be heard by the walls of my basement...but some of it is good. so good, in fact, that i've been feeling the bite of the recording bug at my ankles...

must save money.

anywho...things have started to take a turn...and this month is going to be beyond jammed for me. i've got lessons every week (twice a week now) gigs on the 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, and i think 29th...i'll be going out of town TWICE (once for a wedding...once for music stuff)...

and in the meantime i will be thinking-it is not my gigs that make me a artist. while the gigs are nice...and help pay the bills, being a artist is so much more.

it's seeing colors more brilliantly, hearing the chirps of birds or the cry of a baby and not being annoyed, crying harder than you could ever dream, living life with friends that will last the rest of my life on earth (and after), traveling to places most people would deem irresponsible and a waste of time, smiling at a stranger whose face is overcome with doubt...

that is what it means to be a musician. to be an artist. to be who i was created to be.

goals...goals...everywhere....

2008-05-03T00:27:00.000-07:00

so.

a funny thing happened this week. and to be totally honest, i'm not really sure if i've gotten to the place yet where i quite understand what it is that actually did happen.

let's rewind to...oh, say...last september.

i was sitting down talking with my dad, hashing over what we could imagine the next few years of my life would look like. i mean...making the decision to be a full-time musician has so many options...and i just wanted to dream up all the possibilities.

well, the obvious was performing. recording an album. and then there was teaching lessons. maybe even a little jingle work here or there. singing at weddings. and, if i had my dream wish...i'd tour with some fantastic musician...opening for them and then singing background vocals during their set. (singing harmony is my first love...)

my dad then asked me a question: 'jess, if you could open for any musician, who would it be'? i sat there for a second, not wanting to give a hasty answer...and really thought over people who i thought i could honestly play music with. my answer: 'levi weaver'. i had seen him play with imogen heap about a year and a half earlier...and fell in love with the honesty that he portrayed through his lyrics. he seemed to be a person who played music because it's what he knew he had to do...

and i told my dad that i would be honored if it someday worked out for me to open for him...

(fast forward to march-ish)

so, i found out levi was coming to omaha...WHAT?...and i just got very excited...omaha loves/needs good musicians to stop through and i was just very happy that i would be able to bring some of my friends to see him play.

(fast forward to monday)

well, as it turns out...a good friend of mine (and local musician) tim wildsmith was playing with levi both nights he was in town...so i figured...great! i'll get to see two great shows in one week. outstanding. i get to the show monday night...GREAT show by everyone involved (tim, levi, and skypiper)...and i end up finding out that tim and levi were supposed to play with another guy on wednesday night...but he ended up dropping out...

(so do you see where this is going?)

i texted tim and asked if they still needed someone to play with them on wednesday night...cause i would LOVE to play...turns out they did...tim said to come on down to barley street on wednesday...

(fast forward to wednesday night)

i opened for levi weaver.

so....rewind back to september...i've been performing around town regularly since october. finished my debut album. teaching lessons since january. just met with a guy about doing some jingle work. singing (and crying) at several weddings (even performing some of my own cheesy wedding music) :)

and now...i've opened for levi, a musician i greatly admire.

(so i guess all that's left now is to get on a nationally touring gig...and sing harmonies, of course)

jessicalindsey

(p.s. if you don't know about levi weaver or tim wildsmith...please go check out their myspaces...i promise, you won't be disappointed)

(disclaimer: levi...if you end up reading this in some way, shape, or form...it was so great to meet you...blessings on all you do with your music...and yes, it's true...i'm a HUGE fan of yours...)

a little word of thanks.

2008-04-20T22:54:00.001-07:00

so. in the process of making this project...i've come to realize that there are a lot of people who i should probably thank for all their help with everything. now...those of you that have the cd might have noticed that there was no traditional 'jessica would like to thank' section...

(if you don't have the cd...go to http://www.cdbaby.com/jessicalindsey...)

...that wasn't something i overlooked...i just didn't feel like i could fit it all on one little tiny section of liner notes...so...instead...you can find it here...until the end of time. (or until i decide to delete this blog...which will hopefully be never)

how does one even start this list? chronologically, perhaps?

my parents.
dad and mom. you two are, simply put, the absolute best parents on the face of the earth. you have encouraged me from as early as i can remember to follow my dreams. to dare to live an extraordinary life. to never settle. mom-thank you for suggesting i major in music instead of speech pathology that one night about eight years ago when i was giving christine a bath. you are aware that that is the reason i decided to really pursue music, right? i love you beyond words. dad-thank you for giving me the courage to believe in myself by believing in me when i couldn't. thank you for supporting me through this season in my life in more ways that i can even mention. you are, simply put, the best manager and sound guy i could have ever asked for. i love you!

my brother and sisters.
you guys are my lifeline. you see me day in and day out...makeup and no makeup...emotional or distant...and you love me probably more than i deserve to be loved at times. i honestly cannot wait to see all the places that we go in our lives...and the best part is...i know that we will remain friends for the rest of our lives. i love you three so much. thank you for letting me learn so much because of you.

matt and carolyn tobias.
wow. in the short nine months since this project started, you have become such an important part of my life. matt-thank you so much for all the work you put into this project. from helping me with musical direction on several of the songs...to gracing the tracks of the cd with your untouchable drumming abilities...to putting hours into making my songs come to life...to your willingness to continue playing with me...all i can say is thank you. you have played such an integral part in this whole process...i'm very much looking forward to the next time i get to step into your studio. carolyn- who would have known that through a recording process in your basement, you would come to be someone i have come to love and trust so much. your straightforward, no nonsense attitude towards life has changed the way i look at several things in my life. (and the movie nights are fun as well) i love you and your beautiful family so much. thank you guys for opening your house to a group of artists craving to know what our purpose is here on earth...

marc frieden, jason burkum, chris carmichael, steve packwood, and alli moehring.
you have all played very important roles in the process of this recording. thank you for your sacrifices and hard work. i very much look forward to making music with all of you in the future. you are some of the most talented musicians that i know. and working with you has been an honor.

westy foss.
other than my dad and mom...i think i can confidently say you are my biggest fan. thank you for your excitement when it comes to this project. you have already done so much in the way of helping with this project...(for goodness sake you came up with the name of the album!) thank you for all your support...it is felt quite strongly from all the way in nebraska!

doug van sloun at focus mastering, tim cich at bassline studio, and jamie massey at hey kidd! design.
even though i spent little time face to face with each of you-your work on this project cannot go unnoticed. without you this album certainly would not be complete. thank you so much for your investment into the album.

those who helped inspire the music that i make.
you may know it. you may not. but thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life experience in such a way that allowed me to create because of knowing you. i have learned many lessons in the short 24 years i've been alive...and good or bad they have allowed me to express myself through song. so thank you for being a part of my life. for letting me learn. for letting me make mistakes. for helping me to write the music that is on this project.

my friends who have helped in so many ways.
i could go on and on in this category. from giving me ideas for songs. to coming to each and every one of my shows (unless i double book). to coming to even just one of my shows. to listening to me play rough drafts. to allowing me to practice at all hours of the night in our apartment. to traveling over 400 miles to and from minnesota to come and work the merch table at the release (oh...and to hang out too, i guess) :). to coming to town for literally 12 hours to see me perform. to purchasing a cd even though you live in virginia and pennslyvania and colorado and all sorts of other random states all over the us...thank you for being my friend. you probably know this...but you mean more to me than most anything else. i love you.

my family all over the states.
thank you for loving me and my family so much! and for taking the time to watch the cd release via the live feed...what a crazy world we live in that that's actually a possibility. i love you all so much and cannot wait until the next time i get to see you.

you...the people i've come to know through the process of playing here in town.
you are so important to everything that is my music career. thank you for coming out to the numerous shows. for buying the cd (and the t-shirt). for telling your friends that live in germany about me. for supporting my future endeavors both here in town and where ever else life may take me. for putting one of my songs as your myspace profile song. i appreciate you all more than you can know. see you may 13th at myth? :)

my creator.
you have put music in my blood. in my lungs. in my being. my whole life is in dedication to you. may my life show even an ounce of the love you have shown me to those i come into contact with.

without all of you, i certainly would not have been able to do any of this.
i'm really looking forward to the next few years...i'm pretty sure there's going to be some very exciting things in store.

thank you from the bottom of my heart.

jessicalindsey

i think this could feel a little bit like giving birth...and then sending your child off to kindergarten all in one day....

2008-04-06T20:04:00.001-07:00

not that i would really know...but...if i had to guess...i would say that's probably a pretty accurate description...

last night was, of course, the cd release party.

so...of course there should probably be a blog...and i think i'm going to divide it into two sections.

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section one: the main event
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thursday morning i woke up unusually early (when i say early...i actually mean ten in the morning...which you must realize is early for an insomniac musician like myself). i went upstairs...and started to check my e-mail. my phone rang. it was one of my best friends who lives in virginia. we talk probably once or twice a week...so nothing seemed out of the ordinary. the first thing she brought up was the weather...asked what it was like in nebraska...and then proceeded to tell me that it was 70 degrees and beautiful at her house. we proceeded to plan out a way for her to get out of the office by telling her boss that she had errands to run...great scheme, right? turns out...the joke was on me...about twenty minutes later (while i'm still checking e-mails) my little sister points behind me and says "it's lauren". i, not knowing anyone named lauren in nebraska, was very confused. then she said it again. "it's lauren". and much to my surprise i turned around...and there she was...my friend from virginia. what a surprise. later that evening two more of my best friends showed up with my sister...ready to help me get excited for saturday night. i had lots of errands to run on friday...a tour of downtown omaha to my out of town friends...piano lessons to teach in bellevue...and band practice for three hours to get ready for the next night. and then...there was saturday.

the morning consisted of the usual stuff...followed by a panicked afternoon run to target to try and find the perfect necklace to wear to the show that night. (needless to say i didn't end up finding one) and then it was off to the airport to drop off lauren and pick up two more friends that would be coming into town for about 12 hours. after that...i headed off to PS collective to start setting up with my friends in tow. they set up a fantastic looking merch table...while i practiced with my bgvocalist and sound checked with the band. and right around 7:15...people started showing up...to my surprise...i never really got nervous (i attribute that to the fact that i've played like a million gigs in the past eight months...ok...maybe that's an exaggeration).
my good friend stephanie pilypaitis started the night off...even though she was super sick...and things looked to be off to a great start. my dad and brother even figured out a way to broadcast the concert live over the internet so family and friends from across the country could watch...fabulous!

to make it short and sweet: i got up and played three songs acoustic...and then was joined by the band (who are probably some of the most fantastic musicians i know) for the next ten songs. and let me tell you. that was probably the best forty five minutes of my musical career thus far...yes, there were a few slip-ups..but i LOVED every single second of it. especially playing 'why don't you' off the album and 'maybe i'll just wait'-which is one of the newest songs i've written. i'm pretty sure that the crowd LOVED 'i wanna hold your hand'...since pretty much every single person i talked to afterward said it was one of their favorites of the night. i finished up with three more acoustic songs...and then...mingled...packed up...and headed home.

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section two: where do i go from here
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i got home with my friends and family (everyone was totally beat from the festivities of the day) and pretty much right away my parents asked how i felt about the night. and about as soon as i opened my mouth...the tears started flowing. the night was over. this night that i had been planning for about six months. come and gone...in what literally seemed like the blink of an eye. and this night was, for me, very symbolic of the fact that now...my music is out there...for anyone and everyone to feel any way they'd like about it. to love it. (hopefully) to hate it. to pick it apart and analyze it. to let it change the way they view life. and i now have no control over that part of the equation. thankfully...my friend lj picked up on the situation and pulled me outside to get some air. well...i continued to cry...and babble...and just go on and on about how...this is it. i'm committed now. i can't just give up and decided..."well...i don't wanna do this music thing...it isn't practical...i'll just get a real job like everyone else". nope. i'm a musician now. for real. and tonight...writing that out...scares me like nothing else.

and what does any good real musician do after a fantastic show? taco bell run, of course. so my friends, sister and i ran to the bell to get some late dinner. and how does a real musician spend the rest of the evening/early morning after one of the best shows of her life? by watching a documentary on overweight dogs and cats in england and talking til three in the morning with one of her best friends...

really. would any respectable musician end the night any other way?

jessicalindsey

the one that certainly didn't get away...

2008-03-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

i had my first 'full band' gig with the new band tonight...

the guys are amazing. like. A-mazing. it was so much fun to be able to show my music with a full band playing behind me. (except for the fact that i wanted to see their faces the whole time we were playing)

it was a good crowd...at least for the first hour or so...then things dwindled down a bit...(but hey...anything beats playing to a bartender)

so...tonight was a success...now...there's the cd release to look forward to...

jessicalindsey

today...i make a promise to myself...

2008-03-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

ok.

so...my career as a musician has been underway since...(let me see when my first gig was...)...june fifteenth of last year. so... a little under a year. i've had 37 'gigs'...a little more than one a week...which is pretty amazing to me.

and yet...i feel like i could be doing more.

i should be getting the cd in about a week and a half...the cd release is two weeks after that...and then i want to launch. i don't wanna be a musician who settles for a 9-5 to pay the bills and then hopes to get a gig once in a while. i want music to be my life.

i have quite a few ideas brewing in my mind. some of which i think could be amazing opportunities.

so, today i'm making a promise to myself. i want to squeeze every ounce of music out of my soul. whether it's performing. teaching. studying. learning. i want music to take me over. and i want to promise to myself...and you...to do this. starting tomorrow things are going to kick into high gear for me. (i hope)

i know i'll have up and down days...but i'm done sitting by and waiting for things to happen. i'm going to start MAKING them happen...

just you wait and see...

jessicalindsey

i'm sitting in the studio as we speak.

2008-02-27T15:24:00.001-08:00

it's the final venture.

(other than dropping the cd off at the guys to duplicate it)

i'm sitting here listening to my cd run a real time copy to the 'master' version. this has been such an interesting process. i've learned a lot about what it means to make an album...(although i still feel i have so much more to learn).

tonight i'll be putting some of the songs on myspace. it's a really emotional experience. i feel like i'm putting myself out there for the whole world to find...and just waiting to see what will happen.

i don't know. i'm rambling now.

basically i just wanted to say:

the cd is being mastered at this moment.

it will be dropped off for duplication tomorrow.

and done by the 19th.

i'm at a loss for words.

march 10th. (give or take a few days)

2008-02-07T23:50:00.000-08:00

that's it.

the day.

the one i've been waiting for since the beginning of september.

it's the day i'll have 1,000 cds sitting in the basement next to my keyboard.
(well, hopefully...)

things are going well here in the great NE when it comes to music. i've been writing some new songs lately...about four in the past three weeks...and this last one...it's gonna be on my first full length...and i guarantee you that it is going to be my first single that takes the radio world by storm. (i'm trying to be a little optimistic here folks)

i've been having a fair amount of gigs in the past month and a half. at least one a week...which is great. people are starting to come to venues to see me...and keep asking when the cd is coming out, cause they'd "totally buy one". it's nice to know that people enjoy listening to you perform. i also started teaching lessons to some little kids last week. four lessons total (ages 4,6,8, and 10) and it's a blast. i think it's gonna be a challenge for me...mostly because...i'm teaching...piano lessons. for those of you that know me personally...you probably know that i graduated with a degree in vocal performance...so that's definitely my most comfortable instrument...piano being my secondary instrument...but they're all little ones, so all should be well.

i've also begun discussing some possible touring in the late summer/early fall with some musicians from here in town. talking with my producer/drummer about starting to play full band gigs. doing a lot of research on music law and self-employment...i feel like i've just begun to scratch the surface.

well, my friend...i'll be writing some more soon i'm sure...

(i'm playing a valentine's day party at a wine bar tomorrow night)

do what you love. where you love. with those you love.

jessicalindsey

i've heard about some dreamers....

2008-01-24T23:58:00.000-08:00

i am starting to catch the bug...

the future is looking really exciting for me...and i think for the first time i am starting to get really excited about it. i was talking with a friend tonight...who also happens to be a musician...and we got to dreaming about what could be ahead for us.

we want to make a difference...not only in the lives of those we come into contact with...but also in our own lives. we cannot and will not settle for mediocrity. we want the best of what we can achieve. we have this unique thing in front of us...we have freedom...very few responsibilities and commitments...so what's holding us back?

nothing.

(that's what is so exciting about the whole thing)

jessicalindsey

a little place called mosaic...

2008-01-14T10:46:00.000-08:00

so,

these last few weeks have been very interesting for me. i feel as though my last blog skipmed on the details....and since blogs exist for one person to write every detail of their life and have another person read every detail i believe i shall share a little bit more of what my life is now...

well...on december 31st i quit my job at crane coffee...i then went up to minnesota (where some of my favorite people in the whole world reside) to celebrate new years eve and spend some time with friends and my sister. it was one of the best decisions i've made in a long time. it made it clear to me that i was headed in a different direction than i had been for the past eight months.

i came back to omaha on january 2nd and dubbed that my "first day" of work. and on that day i got two gigs booked...one at a wine tasting place and another at an outreach center/music venue called mosaic. i figured it a pretty good day.

the weird thing about this whole self-employment thing is that there is no one keeping you accountable on a day to day basis. like...i don't have to show up to work fifteen minutes early everyday...complete tasks on a task list that someone else made up...and do everything according to someone else's schedule. instead...i make my own schedule. if i wanna sleep in til eleven...well...i can do that. if i wanna stay up til three in the morning searching the endless abyss known as myspace for venues to play at and bands to become friends with....i can do that. if i want to play piano for hours on end and write new songs...guess what...i can do that too...

so, just this last saturday night i played at mosaic...and what an awesome thing it was. four "acts" got up and played...and each one was SO entirely different from the next. there was this kid named "vinal" who was probably like sixteen or seventeen that just got up and played his guitar...the next band was...i guess hardcore...there was screaming and loudness...so that's what i'd consider it. then came me...with mello vocals a piano in tow...followed by a band called "fate of angels" look them up on myspace...they're fantastic...the type of band i'd LOVE to sing background vocals for.

i'm also starting to teach lessons next monday through a studio here in town...and get this...i'll be teaching approximately 12 students...11 of which i'll be teaching piano...that's right...i said it...piano. i'll only have one voice student for now..which is fine...and all the piano students are beginners between the ages of 5 and 10...

pam may would be very proud:)

anyways...there's a more extensive update on life. ooo...and i'm also up for this thing called a momentum award through an organization called "indieheaven.com"...we'll see how that pans out...i was actually in the omaha world herald on sunday about it!

well...more to come next time...i suppose...

jessicalindsey

p.s. the recording is ALMOST done...just waiting on one more track from the strings guys in nashville, chris carmichael, and then it's mastering and artwork...

woot woot!

2008...here i come...

2008-01-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

well hello there...

i'm finding myself not wanting to post this blog. it's very scary. here's the thing.

as of january 1st, 2008...

i'm offically self-employed.

i've been working on a coffee shop for the past eight months...and it just came to the point when i realized...this is not what i was created for...this is not my ultimate calling in life...while it was nice for a time...that time has come to an end.

so, here i am. jessica lindsey. learning what it means to be a musician. i've been booking gigs. working on my resume for teaching lessons. practicing. and just brainstorming all that it means to be a self-employed musician. there are so many options out there...and i know that it will be fun and challenging all at the same time exploring them.

so, in the days ahead...look for more than just blogs about gigs and recording...

(except i don't really know what all that "more" will be)

jessicalindsey

myth?....or reality?

2007-12-28T09:43:00.000-08:00

so i've been playing at a local venue, myth....blah blah blah, i've gone on and on about in pretty much every blog so far...so i'll spare the details this time.

last night one of my friends here in town (who also happens to be a musician) got really sick so she asked me to cover for her gig at myth...

(it's funny how even in the entertainment industry you sometimes "call in sick" to work)

long story short the show went great. i had a TON of positive feedback from people (there was even a lady sitting in the front booth for a while who sang along with me-even though i'm SURE she didn't really know any of the songs i was playing). AND i brought in about twenty of my friends and family-with such late notice i was REALLY surprised.

(oh, and, i didn't use my computer for lyrics this time....not sure how i feel about it...but we'll see for the future)

overall it was a great gig...i was very pleased:)

on a side note...my last day of work at the coffee shop is monday. after that...it's just me...being self-employed...if someone asks me what i do...i'll get to say "i'm a musician"...

i'm excited and a little nervous all at the same time...who knows what the future holds? certainly not me...but i'm too excited to experience it all...

jessicalindsey

oh...ooo...oh...oh....

2007-12-19T20:04:00.000-08:00

it's been a busy week and a half for me...

let's start with last tuesday.

i got to play at my favorite venue in the city-myth. it's become a staple visit of mine pretty much every tuesday...i set up my system and everything by myself for the first time...thanks to some help from brian the bartender...and soundcheck help from two of my fabulous friends...

and the night went quite well. it was a larger crown than usual...which is always positive...and i talked to a guy who runs an organization here in town for artists of all types (he even considers farming an art...only in nebraska)

then thursday i got to go in and lay down some more vocal tracks for the project...it went really well...got a lot of work done on three of the songs...includeing some crazy doo doop doo doop'ing on one of the songs....

i'm starting to get very exicted....

then tonight i got to go back into the studio...to finish up a song called johnny...
it's a song that has been really hard for me to do vocals for-mostly cause i am having a hard time connecting to the song...(it's the only song i've ever written that wasn't inspired by anything...well...inspirational...

but tonight something clicked.

at the suggestion of my producer, i listened to a little shawn colvin this week to get a feel for what he was thinking for the song...and something inside me connected with an idea for the song. then we were trying to figure out background-ish vocals and after about a half hour...i got it...a little oh here...a little ooo there...

anywho...i'm now done with vocal tracking and we have only guitar on one song...strings on two...mixing and mastering to get done...

it's looking like february might actually happen:)

i would like to thank....

2007-12-02T11:39:00.000-08:00

this week has been an interesting one when it comes to the musical side of me...

on tuesday night i performed at myth martini bar (i'm pretty sure i've mentioned it before...it's this tiny little trendy bar in downtown omaha...leather couches...dim lighting...it's just fantastic) and i had a great time. it was only their second week of having music on a tuesday night...so it was kinda slow, but everyone that was there gave me huge compliments...two girls kept asking about my cd...which i had to say would be coming out in the beginning of next year...

i even got to see some friends from high school that came out to listen...which is always great.

then i got to go into the studio on thursday night to record vocals for the project. it was such an experience. i've recorded vocals before...but not as intensely as i did on thursday. it's amazing how after singing a song seven times in a row...you really can start to lose your passion for conveying the meaning of the song...

recording went really well...got three songs done (lead vocals, at least) and set a date to come in next week and *hopefully* finish up on vocals...

then, friday came around and i was supposed to play a gig at a place called keno cabana in bennington, ne. i had asked my friend stephanie pilypaitis (look her up on myspace...do it!) to come and play with me...so we were all set to go...
well, i had a bad feeling about the gig all week (if you'll remember from an earlier posting...keno cabana was the place where i played after a husker game....and everyone left so i played for fifteen minutes) so i had my dad call the place and he said it gave that message that says "doo dooo do this number no longer is connected message 15 42 7". so i tried calling myself...and got the same thing. i remembered from the last time we were there that there was another little bar across the street. i looked up their number and placed a call. it went something like this:

hello, the sportsman
hi, i was just wondering if you were located on main street?
oh yes sweetie...it's a small town you won't be able to miss us
oh, well, actually i was wondering if you were the bar located across from the keno cabana?
oh sweetie, that place is closed down
oh really?
yeah, he didn't pay his liquor license...

she then proceeded to assure me that if i wanted something to do that night since my gig was now cancelled, i could come on down to the sportsman, cause they make a mean steak dinner...

so i would like to thank the sportsman lady who answered the phone...not only did she save me a long trip out to bennington to discover whether or not the place was close...she also gave me another option if i'm ever looking for a great steak dinner.

jessicalindsey

an...update.

2007-11-10T17:44:00.000-08:00

today was day number....in the studio...

i got to go in early before work today...and listen to my guitar player play through some stuff that he's come up with for a few of my songs. it's funny...the november/december release date is looking very unrealistic right now...and oddly enough, i'm more than ok with it...

mostly because this music is blowing my mind. i'm really, honestly, finding myself day in and day out being completely amazed with what this project is turning out to be. the music. the players. everything. wow.

so, this morning i was able to hear the guitar parts that my guitarist is coming up with...

for 'why don't you' he has created this ambient guitar part that sounds like it should be on a real cd...wait...right...he's also come up with a seriously angry guitar line...something one might find on, say a tori amos song....tori amos...yes...i am sometimes an angry girl too...

then on 'before' we're working on some acoustic-y/rough sounds...it's gonna be grrrreat.

for now...i'll leave you with this thought. if you know me...which hopefully you do if you're reading this...this album is going to show you several sides of me. possibly sides you've never seen before...possibly sides you knew existed...but i am just discovering...either way i hope that by listening to this you are able to know more of who i am...and who i am becoming.

some writers like footnotes, i like hyperlinks...

2007-10-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

so, last thursday i was given the opportunity to partake in one of the BEST recording experiences of my life...

now, granted, i haven't been involved in too many:

*156 my junior year in high school (the worship team i was on at church)
*chorale (the choir i was in for two years in college)
*random other personal recording done during college

but, all the same, last thursday was too much...partly because of the studio...partly because of the piano...

the studio i worked at is called bassline studio (http://www.basslinestudio.com/studio.asp)

....it was like a trip into the past...into this completely crazy seventies steakhouse/recording studio/house...

the piano i used was a bosendorfer (http://www.boesendorfer.com/index.php?menu=6)

it was like playing butter...if butter could make beautiful music. the keys were loose...but not too loose...and the sound was soo resonant...ahh! wonderful!

so, anywho, i played four songs:
*crying alone (acoustic version)
*why don't you (acoustic version)
*lady monday
*this is love

oh, it was wonderful...we recorded around one o'clock...which was interesting, cause my voice is not really at top quality until around eight at night...but i think things went really well...i played and sang at the same time on all four songs, so as to give them a very live feel. i'm really anxious to see how things turn out.

anywho, all that's left now is guitar (acoustic and electric) on all four band songs, strings on a few songs, and a little bit of fun percussion here and there...oh, and vocals on four of the songs, of course...

so, when it all comes down to it, i'm very excited...very very excited...it's looking like our end of november finish might actually be a possibility...

...well, or maybe sometime during december:)

lesson number fourteen...

2007-10-13T20:35:00.000-07:00

so...

tonight i played a *short* gig at a place called the manhatten...i kinda opened for another band...(aka the venue double booked)

well, the interesting thing is...the venue was not really my style at all...very large...the crowd wanted to dance...

:::i play music that people want to sit and listen to or slow dance to:::

well, i trucked through my hour and fifteen minutes-due mostly to the fact that i had three friends in the audience...along with my folks...

even covered 'i wanna hold your hand' by the beatles...(i have officially fallen in love with the song)

...lesson learned...it may not be your style of venue...but you're still getting paid...and at the end of the night...you need to deliver...

so deliver (as painful as it was) i did...

(and i made about $75 a hour in the process)

lesson number thirteen.

2007-10-04T22:16:00.000-07:00

so, i decided that i'm going to go back and re-look at all of the shows/performances that i've had thus far...

i want to find a lesson from each performance...but for now i'm just going to start with tonight.

so, i performed tonight before stephanie pilypaitis...at a martini bar here in town called myth. it's this adorable place (kinda reminds me of minneapolis) and we had a fairly packed house tonight. the fun thing about it was that we didn't know a whole lot of the people, so some new people got to hear us sing.
well, anyway...i did about an hour set in the beginning...kinda played my best songs. and i just had a great time! i was super relaxed, and just loved it.

while we were setting up, a few people asked why i had my computer with me. (i always perform with my lyrics and set list on my computer) my explanation was that i like to be organized...and save set lists so that i can reference them later.

well, about an hour and fifteen minutes into stephanie's set, a woman approached her and asked if she knew how to play norah jones' "come away with me". stephanie didn't know the song, and so looked at me and i said i would see what i could do. so, i looked up the chords, and decided i would be able to play it. i then found out it was the woman and her husband's anniversary...so i decided to tell them there was room for them to dance up in front. (there really wasn't...but i thought it would be cute) so anyways, i went back up, they came up and danced, and i played the song. it was seriously magical. there were about fifty people in the bar and at that moment, it seemed like it was just me and them. they kept saying, 'oh my gosh, you're so good'...'you're better than norah jones' and all sorts of other things...people were even taking pictures of them dancing and me singing.

after it all, i sat back down, and the woman came up to me and gave me a tip...it was the perfect ending to my playing the evening.

so lesson number 13: having your computer with you to look up music can end up making someone's anniversary...so always use it for performances...

jessicalindsey

this is what i'd like to call an update...

2007-09-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

it's been a while. so i shall write.

let's see about two weeks ago i had a gig at a place called the "keno cabana". i think i would probably consider it my first real bust of a gig. it was after the husker/usc game (ask me if i really care) and apparently since the huskers lost all of nebraska had to get their prescriptions for anti-depressants refilled. so, after the game, everyone went home leaving me, my dad, my guitar player and his wife and the staff to listen. lame.

none the less, i still got paid...(half the original amount) and got a gig booked for november. (hopefully there won't be a husker game that night)

also, i played again at chilis. this time they called me. it was for their st. jude's all profits day. now here i have a few things to reflect on.

the night started out rough. they were planning on putting us (i'll get to who "us" are in a minute) outside, but it was going to rain...so that was a no go. so we wandered around for about twenty minutes trying to figure something out...i was about ready to leave-thank goodness for my dad who can talk things out much better than i can-they ended up putting us in the bar....and people loved it. we made about $100 for the hospital, and just overall had a great time. now i'll get to the "us".

see, over the past four months i've been having a really hard time meeting friends here in omaha, but lately-i think things are changing. I've been spending some time with a fellow omaha musician, stephanie pilypaitis over the past few weeks, and i am really excited for whats to come in our friendship. she came out and played with me for the chilis event, and in turned asked me to play with her next thursday at this AMAZING martini bar called MYTH. we went tonight and spent about two hours just talking and listening to some music played by chris saub, probably one of the hardest working musicians in omaha. anyways...i'm just really excited, because now not only am i making some friends...but their also musicians...and good ones at that!

other than that, nothing much new in the music realm. the cd's been on hold for about three weeks, scheduling conflicts and business abounds. but...we'll get back in track soon, i hope!

i'll let you know how things go next thursday night!

jessicalindsey

tonight was....cold...

2007-09-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

something ineteresting happened today...

i had a gig...

an outdoor gig to raise money for st. jude's children's hospital at chili's...

...and it was sixty degrees out with blowing wind...

...i played for a total of six people plus a couple of wait staff people...no one wanted to sit outside...

cold + outside = stopping an hour early cause my fingers were shaking

it's what they call a 'scratch'

2007-09-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

so...tuesday was officially day...let's call it day six of actually being in the studio....

(i have to pause for a moment to say that in the midst of feeling quite possibly the most alone i've ever felt in my entire life...i
know now more than ever that this is exactly where i am supposed to be right now)

so..tuesday.

we showed up to the studio around nine at night...afterall, what good musician ever records a minute before then anyways. tuesday night was the night for me to lay down piano tracks to (what we thought would be) four of the six main songs. started with 'crying alone'. it's an easy enough song for piano...nice 6/8 feel...pretty straight forward. it took me a take or two...but we got it. then we moved on to 'why don't you'. let me just say that this song is turing into something i never ever expected it to turn into. the bass line is absolutely phenomenal. it's kinda got a life of it's own. so, the piano playing was again pretty straight forward (so as to not take away from that the bass and lead guitar would be doing).

two songs down. two more to go....

and this is where i got scared.

see, i would never really consider myself a 'piano player'. i play the piano. i can easily accompany myself while i sing. but...playing lead keys really isn't my strength. so...the next song we took on was 'before'. matt (my producer) and i wanted to come up with some great coldplay-esque piano lick that would kind of work as a hook for the song. (something that when you hear it you know exactly what song is playing) well, we thought about it for a good twenty minutes or so...and then decided...this is not for me to play. i'm not a fill player...at all....which is totally ok...but...at the moment seemed kinda disappointing. plus, it didn't really make sense to try and put in a piano hook with only bass and drums laid down....since 'before' isn't really a piano driven song. so we put it on hold.

then we came to 'johnny'...and thankfully it didn't take us more than say, ten minutes, to realize....there most likely won't be piano on this song either. (at least not any played by myself)

so...then we moved on to me laying down some scratch vocals for the lead guitar player and strings guy to hear while they are laying down their tracks...it was fun...except that i am in the middle of an allergy thing...so...at times...well, let's just say those vocal tracks will be deleted someday...

...so...for now...things are looking like the end of november...hopefully...we have a lot of outside people that have to do stuff with the album (mastering, strings, artwork) so...it kind of depends on their schedules...

...i am so loving this...

part deux of the state fair....

2007-09-02T17:29:00.000-07:00

i'm going to take a second and explain the title of this blog to you, whoever you are...

'the one that got away' is *potentially* going to be the name of my project when it comes out (which will hopefully be by late october/early november) i got the idea for the name from one of my dad's friends and at first, i didn't really like it at all. to be honest, i wasn't totally sure if i even wanted to title the album, thought i might just call it, 'jessica lindsey' or something original like that. well, i talked with my producer and he said it is totally normal for people to title and ep...so, i started thinking up some titles and the one that just kept coming back was 'the one that got away'. i couldn't shake it.

so i started thinking about it more....and i fell in love with it for so many reasons.

not to sound proud...but i think it's a great way to look at situations when they don't quite go your way...

take the state fair talent show for example. today was, by far, not my best performance...i got ambitious and walked off stage and into the audience while i was singing...which kinda slipped me up a little...but besides that my vocals were strong. i had really great stage presence...and had a loud cheer from the audience when i was done...and yet, the judges didn't like me...i guess i wasn't their style....i sang 'we belong' by pat benatar...maybe they don't like pat benatar...

WHO DOESN'T LIKE PAT BENATAR THOUGH???

anyways...so back to 'the one that got away' so i think that i have found myself feeling a little like i am the one that "gets" away in a lot of circumstances...maybe it's a good thing...i always learn from every experience. but...well...it's hard to be "let go"....

so...what do you think of it for a title of an album? if the cover had catchy artwork on it...would you buy it?

corn dogs and cows

2007-09-01T19:34:00.000-07:00

today was round one...

of the state fair talent show here in nebraska. as most people already know, i participate in a county fair earlier this summer and got second place...thus leading me to the semi-finals in the state fair today. so, my dad and i showed up around 10:15...even though the letter we received said to get there at eleven...good thing too, cause they actually meant for us to get there at ten...so while they were running behind...it appeared that i showed up nearly on time...

...we all (all fifty contestants) proceeded to rehearse the finale number God Bless the USA (which i begrudgingly sang...not because i hate the united states...i love the united states...i just hate this song)

the contest for underway around one and i sat around watching other acts perform. there was this one little girl who played the accordian...SHE WAS FANTASTIC!!!! and a kid who played a AC/DC song....he probably changed how i view guitar players.

so then it was time for my group....we are called the 'novas' (every age group has some kind of a star name: -12 comets 12-19 and novas 19+)

so, i was like fifth i think...and i sang bonnie rait's "something to talk about". let me put it this way...if you're reading this...you most likely know me...i'm not a prideful person...infact most of the time i have areally hard time thinking i'm much good...but tonight...

I @*!@* rocked....like....i sang the heck out of that song....and not only that, i performed like a true performer....i mean...really...

i walked off the stage feeling like about five million bucks...i was sure i had it in the bag.

so, the rest of my group finished, and then it was time to reveal who was moving on to sing tomorrow...they read all the names of the people that were in the top five of each age group...and mine was not in that group...

i was bummed....but, oh well...i got to perform...and even though i felt like i did the best out of anyone there...i figured, whatev....

well then they announced they were going to also advance eight more people in additon to the names previously called.

da da da duh...Jessica Lindsey.

so...needless to say...although i wasn't in the top five i did advance and i'll be singing Pat Benatar's We Belong at the state fair finals tomorrow:)

i'll let you know how things go

craig's list

2007-08-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

it's an amazing thing, you know?

so, last night i got inspired. i posted two notices on craig's list...i also responded to a woman's post about needing a wedding singer for her ceremony.

and low and behold....

i got two responses.

one from a dad who wants me to give voice lessons to his daughter (i talked to him on the phone today...it seems very promising) and the other from the woman needing a vocalist for her wedding...

so who would have thought....i guess music can provide for various means of income...

we'll see if anyone else is interested...

this blog has nothing to do with music....

2007-08-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

so, i'm in minneapolis right now...

actually at this exact moment, i'm sitting in my car in uptown, borrowing the internet from one of my favorite coffee shops in the entire world...

see, i'm too cheap to buy something...and i think it'd be rude to take up a chair, use the internet....AND not purchase anything...so i'll sit here...

so, i'm in minneapolis. my little sister is moving to college, the college i just graduated from, in fact, and it's so weird to be here. here's why:

last year, i was in leadership....like i hold a master key to the world leadership...and while not a lot of people knew me, i knew a lot of people. most of my friends were still going to school, and the place represented everything that was beautiful to me. relationships, learning, growing, you know...that good stuff. and now...here i am and i don't know more than 10% of the people i've been seeing for the past few days. most of my friends have graduated...and if they haven't...this is their year to be in 'i hold the master key to the world' leadership....so, they're really busy. so, i'm sitting here waiting to hang out with someone...there are a few people who i really want to see that have graduated....but they're busy too....my best best friends have all moved away from minneapolis...so i can't just call them up and go get....chipotle or redbox or tickets to a fabulous concert in town...

i guess all this to say...i think being in omaha is good for me. the changes i'm facing there are exciting...i'm really chasing my dreams...and since i'm not here in minneapolis, i don't have anything to mope about...cause everyone is a million miles away...

...and oddly it's easier to have people a million miles away from omaha while i'm there than it is to have them a million miles away from minneapolis while i'm here....

hmmm...growing up....

it's day number one...

2007-08-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

well, it's actually a few weeks after day number one...

for the past few weeks i've been taking the first small steps on my journey for this portion of my life. i've started to record my first album...it's going to be a six-song album with two bonus tracks of variations of two of the songs on the cd. i guess you could call it and ep (even though that term originally meant 'extended play'). it's been interesting thus far.

the first time i met with my producer...that's right...i have a producer...we just talked through the logistics, then the next time we met i played all of the songs i've written that i would like to consider putting on the album. it was really exciting to have my producer (matt) pick almost all of the songs that i would want to record. i don't know how many of you have heard me play...seeing as how i didn't do much performing-other than classical-until i arrived here in omaha (which is another blog entirely). But, if you have....the songs we decided on are:

Crying Alone
Why don't you
Before
Johnny
This is love
Lady Monday
Bonus: Acoustic Why don't you
Acoustic Crying Alone

This album is seriously going to rock my face off. The first four songs will be full band songs-with drums, bass, guitar, strings, and piano...and whatever else we decide needs to be added. This is love will be a type of orchestral arrangement...and Lady Monday will be me and piano only...sorta a live feel. i'm going to be able to play a grand piano while recording the last four songs on the above list....it's going to blow my mind.

So, after that...i went in and scratch recorded those six songs for the musicians that will be playing for me...eh...i found out i'm no good at playing to a click track....and i play too many sixteenth notes when i accompany myself...

ha...

ok, so last night my drummer, matt (who also happens to be my producer) laid down the drum tracks to three of the songs. i was blown away....is this really happening? are my songs that i wrote really being put on a recording? am i really a musician?

i guess the appropriate answer to all of these questions is: yes.

So, as i go along....doing this whole music thing....you can find my thoughts here...sometimes they'll be scattered...sometimes they'll be funny....sometimes....they might even be...well, we'll just have to see won't we.

for now...that's all i have...

thanks for reading....

jessicalindsey

(i would like to say thank you to my friends melli and mari...i have been inspired to do this because of them....so, thanks guys)