Number 10

Number 10

Stupid Things, Thread, Splinter, Out of Mind, Fancy Things, Happy, Moments, Torch Song, Cyrano, Never Done, Run, Repair. The current list of songs (in no particular order) we’re tracking for a new, yet-to-be-titled album. The songs are brought to life by our usual cast of exceptional musicians, with a few special guests, culminating in a collection that oozes with themes of nostalgia, reflection, acceptance, and heart. Lots of heart.

The LONG version (click to read)

Stupid Things, Thread, Splinter, Out of Mind, Fancy Things, Happy, Moments, Torch Song, Cyrano, Never Done, Run, Repair. The current list of songs (in no particular order) we’re tracking for a new album, tentatively titled “Closing the Space” which is a line from the song “Thread”. This album is oozing with themes of nostalgia, reflection, acceptance, and heart. Lots of heart. But we’re at the stage where we start to question ourselves, and it helps me to examine the “Who?” “What?” “Where?” “Why?” and “How?”.

Who? Well, the first answer is Annie, Rod, Jason, Ozzie and Mikey (Michael Shimmin), hopefully a handful of guests, and Geoff Michael at the mixing board. But we’re making the record FOR YOU.

What? This seems rather self-explanatory. but ARE we going to run off another 1000 physical CDs? I doubt it. Should we do vinyl this time? $$$ Cassette tapes? Not kidding. Still don’t know.

Where? We have recorded nearly all of our albums at Big Sky Recording in Ann Arbor with the aforementioned Geoff Michael (and previously Gregg Leonard). We also do a lot of tracking at our trusty home studio, partly to save some money but also for the convenience and because we can!

Why? Now THAT’S a little more nuanced. With each album comes the hope for reaching more and more ears, opening more doors, breaking through some imaginary ceiling (a ceiling that keeps getting higher). But we can’t hang our hat on that. There’s also an assumption of demand from our existing fans who seem to be enjoying hearing new music from us, and then there’s the marketing. New music is how artists show they’re still in the game, still working on their craft, and still have something to say. Blah blah blah… Bottom line = We make art and art is supposed to be shared. Period.

How? Money. Cold hard cash. I wish we could make the kind of album we want to make without spending a lot of money but we can’t. Obvious expenses include the incredible musicians (see the “who” section) who are worth more than we can pay them, and the engineers who work their magic, blending and finessing all those tracks into a soundscape that brings the song to life. In the end, it’s really all about the songs. But there’s also manufacturing and if we can afford it, radio promotion and publicity. In a perfect world, we make music, sell the music, play a lot of gigs, and earn enough to make the next recording and, you know, buy food and stuff. Sadly, the music alone doesn’t even buy the food. Streaming services are a great way to listen, but not so much a great way to financially support the artists who spend their hard-earned cash to create the music you’re listening to. At least not at the level we’re playing this game. Never mind that artists like us employ the musicians, engineers, graphic designers, etc. of the world, and that ain’t cheap. So, we are once again finding ourselves in the position of asking our fans for even more than we already do.

Wait… are you still reading?

As we did with Love & Rain (quite successfully, thanks to you), we’re launching another self-administered fan funding campaign to raise the capital to complete this album. Our goal this time is $10,000.00. Why double? Well, last time we were okay with going into debt a little. At this stage of our lives, we simply can’t do it.

I feel like I need to try and explain why we think you might want to help. When the world is going indiscriminately nuts and some of us are feeling utterly helpless to do anything about it, I remember how music is this universal language of joy and love and compassion, and connection! It is, for us, a means of survival. There’s nothing that pulls me out of a state of despair more than music – making it and listening to it.

So if that resonates with you at all, or if you were just planning to buy the album when it comes out anyway, a couple hundred pre-orders would be SO helpful!

The Spirit of Folk? Me?

The Spirit of Folk? Me?

Last weekend (although it feels like a month ago already) the Folk Alliance International honored me with one of 4 “Spirit of Folk” awards.

Rod and I drove to Montreal for the conference so I could accept this award in person. They only gave me 60 seconds for remarks. Not complaining. That’s a good thing. I STILL don’t have the words to express how honored and grateful I am. The surreal feeling of walking up on a stage to accept an award after someone* has just told a hotel ballroom full of “folkies” (many heroes of mine) – most of whom have never heard my name – why I deserve a Spirit of Folk award, was … well… it’s kinda how I would imagine attending my own funeral would feel. Most people don’t get to hear that kind of praise in such a big way during their lifetime. Gobsmacked.

*Oh and um… that “someone” was Fiona Whelan Prine. Gobsmacked x10.

Honestly, I don’t know what to do with all of it. Of course I don’t feel worthy. Of course my mind flips to the thousands of volunteers and hard working folks behind the scenes who rarely get more than a pat on the back. 

I don’t mean to dismiss this award at all. Nor discount the judgment of those who felt me worthy of it. Just the opposite. I want nothing more than to deserve it. The truth is, I feel like I have a LOT of work left to do and I will do my best to eventually live up to all the kind words. 

Life in Michigan

Life in Michigan

The North Star Lounge in Ann Arbor was the scene of an invigorating evening of daredevil Americana music thanks to the exceptionally talented Annie and Rod Capps Quartet.” – Chuck Marshall, Life in Michigan

Kinda gobsmacked by this awesome review of our North Star Lounge show. We jumped off the proverbial songwriting diving board into the deep end with a bunch of songs we barely knew but wanted to “road test”. By all reports, they stood up to our loyal friends and fans’ standards. Far from perfectly delivered, but there was no denying the passion and well-seasoned professionalism. I love the metaphors Chuck Marshall of Life in Michigan used in his review.

https://lifeinmichigan.com/annie-and-rod-capps-quartet-at-the-north-star-lounge/ 

Holiday Season

Holiday Season

 

The holiday season comes with a lot of conflicting emotions for me. The older I get, the less I enjoy large boisterous gatherings (unless I’m on stage!!) and the more I crave quiet peaceful days at home with no obligations looming over me so I can lounge around in my comfy clothes, read a book or watch a mindless t.v. show. THAT’s what I look forward to. The Down Time. I tend to feel an unusual sense of calm, which is hard to reconcile amidst the insane traffic and louder sales pitches cluttering the TVs, phones, and inboxes. Who knows what the coming year will bring so my plan is to revel in what’s left of 2024 by tuning out the politics and focusing on the people I love. I don’t buy into the commercial Christmas crap and would be happier if the gift-giving part of our traditions were left behind so we could find other ways to show each other how much we love and appreciate them. Not to be all Scroogy but gifts from well-meaning friends and family rarely hit the mark and the enthusiasm of the recipient is usually an act to make the giver feel good. So what’s wrong with that? If it makes your friend or loved one happy to give you a gift and you mean enough to them that they’re willing to spend their hard-earned money on you, it’s your job to accept that gift graciously and if said gift ends up haunting the various surfaces of the house you’re trying desperately to declutter until you finally swallow the guilt and donate it to Good Will hoping it’ll find a home with someone who would actually use or enjoy it, that’s just how it goes. It doesn’t matter that those who truly know you, also know how uncomfortable it feels to be given a gift when you can’t or choose not to reciprocate. 

Dear Abby, Should I tell my friend to stop buying me gifts? Answer: Maybe the best gift you can give them is to LET THEM buy you a gift. If it makes them happy.

I was chatting with my mom the other day about the self-imposed pressure to buy “the right” gift for someone and how much we used to agonize over those decisions. We’ve long since outgrown the exuberant anticipation of Christmas mornings around the tree tearing into packages filled with shiny new objects chosen “by Santa” from a list we labored over. The thing is, I remember getting so much joy out of watching my siblings open presents that I had picked out for them. So, yeah, I get that by saying “no presents this year” we deprive our loved ones of that joy.  As I said, conflicting emotions. I guess the answer is to drop the expectations and just appreciate… all of it.

Big love and happy holidays from us!

It’s Been A Minute

It’s Been A Minute

Wait. Our last post here was May 2023? We were asking for help to fund our Love & Rain album which has now been out for a whole year! Holy cow. Note to self. I really must get better at this. Coming to you now as we head into a very exciting summer of festivals and outdoor events. Mostly with the Capps band but three of those festivals were after the Badass Women Band! It all started with my solo album “How Can I Say This” which was formed to help bring the album to life for a few CD release events. We had so much fun playing together and there was so much songwriting talent on that stage that it made sense to evolve into something more than just my album. Spurred on by some interest from the Wheatland booking committee, we set to work on building a press kit that would serve to promote this band. My songs were low-hanging fruit for now so we recorded “Dirty Little Secret” and “Two Different Things”. Filmed by the amazing Charlie Steen and recorded by and at La Luna Recording and Sound in Kalamazoo (where I also recorded and mixed my album) with engineers Maggie Heeron and Ian Gorman.

We’re now working up a full set featuring all the songwriters in the band, Annie Bacon, Fay Burns, and Julianna Wilson as well as some very cool covers. Along with these three badasses, the band features incredible musicians, Cori Somers on violin, Sara Gibson on cello, and Carolyn Koebel on drums. Visit https://badasswomenband.com for more info and of course, we’ll post all the shows here on our LIVE page.

Hope you’ve got a fun summer planned. All reports are that it’s gonna be a scorcher. Be safe. Drink lots of water and carry an umbrella for shade. (let’s see if I can take my own advice)