Happy Sunday. I've been away holidaying, having spent a few lovely days in Berlin, and before that a short trip to Cambridgeshire. Before that, I had a bit of a busy spell with my album release so it was nice to have some time to just chill and think about how far I've come. Having spent time reflecting, I've got lots to be thankful for.
A week before my travels I was on the radio chatting to Ruth O’Reilly – the host of The Sunday Tea Show on ALL FM – about all things creative, my books and my new album. It was a lovely time which went by too quickly, so much so that on the way home, I had a pinch me moment and a startling realisation. It occured to me that I'd just done something I used to dream of a few years ago. There I was, a guest on a radio show, talking to a presenter while my album was played on air. Not too long ago I could only dream of releasing an album, let alone promoting it on the radio, and I'd just done it. Pinch me.
But that's not all. On coming back from my holiday, I received an email I'd been waiting for, which confirmed that I'll have my album stocked in a couple of local branches of HMV – a national music and record store. So, not too long from now, anyone can walk into HMV Arndale or HMV Stockport in Manchester and pick up a physical copy of Hope on the Horizon. Pinch me.
In addition to having my CDs stocked in store, I'll also be playing in-store gigs at these branches in May (24th, 12PM at HMV Bury), June (28th, 1PM at HMV Stockport), and September (13th, 2PM at HMV Arndale). Speaking of gigs, I've had good feedback and reception to my music and live performances the last few times I've been out playing. Case in point, the night before flying out to Berlin, I went to play at a venue I'd never been to before and naturally I didn't know what to expect. My time came, I went on and played and afterwards, a man came up to me, shook my hand and told me how much he enjoyed my performance. This happens from time to time and yet it still blows my mind every time. While on the subject of nice things people have said about my music, here's a lovely writeup based on an interview I did with an online magazine. Pinch me.
To bring this full circle, did I mention that Berlin was lovely? It was nice to walk around the city and take in its rich history, architecture and culture. We had lovely food, pastries, the best donuts we've ever had, and some fine coffee. We also got to visit a few monuments and learn about the local culture and its place in geopolitical history. Throw in a couple of visits to the local parks and sightseeing with the best company as the cherry on top.
This is all a long winded, verbose way of saying I've got reasons to count my blessings and I'm making a conscious effort to smell the roses, because life is good, and if this is all one long dream, just let me sleep. Don't pinch me, and certainly don't wake me up. Leave me to my slumber.
My new album, Hope on the Horizon, is out everywhere now. Not a fan of streaming and want to support my music? You can download a digital version or buy a CD now here. Thank you for listening, spreading the word, and reaching out to share your thoughts. I appreciate it. Have a great week.