MayMayMay
Hi everyone! Writing these blogs causes me to sit down and reflect on all the crazy things that can happen in such a short amount of time. So here I am, sitting, drinking a coffee, trying desperately to recount the last thirty days of my life. Let’s see how we do..
ECMA 2011 in Charlottetown was an awesome time! The band and I played three great shows over the weekend, had countless one-on-one meetings with delegates from all over the world, and enjoyed all the lovely things PEI has to offer. Made lots of new friends and fans, all of whom seem to be ancy to hear the new LP I have been working on for the past few months. Which leads me to my next news item…
The new album is FINISHED !! After months of toiling away in Toronto, Burk’s Falls, and Point Aconi, the tracks and sequence have been finalized! I flew directly from the ECMAs to Toronto to mix the record with Hawksley Workman and engineer extraordinaire Stew Crookes (who is also in a sick band “One Hundred Dollars”). We spent a week finalizing everything before we sent the record to Nashville to be mastered by Hank Williams (no, not THAT Hank Williams). Hank has mastered the most recent Taylor Swift (!!!) record, among countless other internationally-known recordings. If it’s good enough for Taylor, it’s good enough for Carleton… Anyway, the record has surpassed all of our expectations, and believe me when I say, I can’t wait for everyone to hear this !!
The past few weekends I have spent in Halifax, playing benefits at The Cunard Centre for two very worthy causes: the first was for The Progress Club, a organization dedicated to early intervention for children with disabilities, and the second was for Phoenix House, which is a variety of programs and shelters for troubled youth. At both of these events I would perform a song, then a private house concert with me would be live-auctioned straight away to the highest bidder. A slightly nerve racking experience, I went for the bargain prices of $2500 and $6200, respectively !! Very honored to be a part of these worthy causes and glad I was able to help raise money for both organizations. Oh, and also got to meet Stuart MacLean and saw Anna Maria Tremonti, which I was geeked about because I am a CBC nerd. Just sayin’…
Back at home enjoying some quiet time right now, gearing up for some great solo shows this month. Really looking forward to the Songwriter’s Circle in Donkin on the May long weekend. I’ll be sharing the bill with three of my favorite Atlantic Canadian artists: J.P. Cormier, Thom Swift, and Steven MacDougall! The last weekend of May I will be playing a handful of shows with singer/songwriter/BFF Molly Thomason, who is releasing her new album “Beauty Queen” in the coming weeks! I had the honour to record some vocals on the album and will be performing with her at Molly’s CD release in Antigonish and a Songwriter’s Circle in Sydney the night before. Make sure to check out the show page for all of the details !
I’ll only be playing a few full-band shows this summer in preparation for a very busy fall. In the meantime, I am filling my time with house concerts. If you or anyone you know is interested in hosting a house concert during the summer months, feel free to get in touch. House concerts are becoming the premier way to see an artist perform in this region, don’t miss out on the opportunity on getting your favorite East Coast artists performing in your living room or backyard!
One final note, I will be performing an acoustic show TONIGHT at Wentworth Perk in Sydney previewing songs from my new album plus some old favorites. This is the best acoustic venue in Sydney, I hope a lot of hometown supporters can make it out ! Show starts at 6 PM and admission is FREE! Seating is limited so come early as to not be disappointed.
Stay in touch,
@carletonstone
