Line by Line: Something to Miss

“Something to Miss” is a song of mine that includes quite a few personal references, and I’d like to share some of them with you!

“There’s always something to miss…”
Everyone has their own list of people, times, and places they miss, and this song is part of my list.

“Like a three-week trip to the East Coast, Niagara Falls and ferry boats…”
When I was little, my family went on a big road-trip that lasted three weeks. We started from our house in Illinois, we saw Niagara Falls, we rode on a ferry boat, we saw the numbingly cold Atlantic Ocean, we went to a Red Sox game, we hiked, we listened to “The Lord of the Rings“ on cassette tapes, we went to one of my family’s favorite places in Minnesota, we went fishing, we packed picnics… What I remember most is simply being with my family for three weeks, and loving it.

“I heard the news through the grapevine yesterday, the brightest smile that I’ve ever seen was lost and gone away…”
One of my classmates at Taylor University passed away. We weren’t close friends, but he was the kind of person who could make you feel like you were. He treated everyone like a friend. He had a fantastic laugh, and he did have one of the best smiles I’ve ever seen… The kind of smile that lights up a whole room.

“An open door to local strays…”
Growing up, one of my best friends lived next door. Many of my favorite childhood memories include her. Her parents had a beautiful backyard, perfect for all of the make-believe games we loved. Her mom loved her flowers and the wildlife that lived back there: chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons… And of course, the neighborhood kids that so often showed up.

“I close my eyes and just pretend I know your face…”
I never had the chance to meet two of my grandparents… I’ve always wished I could have known them.

“Take him with wherever I go, Country Roads and Aspenglow…”
John Denver has always been one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and I miss him. The wonderful thing about music is that you can take it with you. It gets stuck in your head, you put it on your iPod, or you pull out that old album… You can keep the music you love alive.

“Camping out in the back, we’re Slapjack kings…”
Years ago, two of my cousins and I pitched a tent in their backyard, and we stayed up almost all night. We told jokes and scary stories; we tried to prank each other; and we played Slapjack for hours and hours.

“Down a block through the cornfields, just to watch a church-bell ring…”
This also has to do with my cousins and a tradition I’m not certain I’m even allowed to talk about… Cousin pacts, and all.

“It’s Christmas Eve, we need a tree…”
One Christmas Eve, we didn’t have a tree, and it didn’t look like we were going to get one. So a couple of my brothers and sisters and I took matters into our own hands. It was last minute; but we got a tree, brought it home, pulled out all the decorations, and we surprised my parents with a Christmas tree.

“A Dreamer day at the racetrack, just my dad and me…”
My dad took me to the Arlington Racetrack one time. I loved everything about it, but the thing we both remember best about the day is the chocolate ice cream. It was a hot day, and between every couple of races we got a couple cups of the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever had. I’m not sure if it was the best ice cream because it was the best ice cream or if it was the best ice cream because it was at the racetrack with my dad… Probably the latter. That was a fun day.

“Like a baseball game beneath the lights, Pony League and fireflies…”
I went to a lot of baseball games growing up. I’ll be honest, I didn’t watch most of them. When my brothers played in high school, I started watching the games and being a better fan; but when they were in little league, I was usually running around with the other younger siblings of baseball players. The best games were always the night games under the lights. All of us little kids were running around later than we were usually allowed, and it happened to be the perfect time for catching lightning bugs.

I hope you enjoyed these glimpses behind-the-scenes!
What song should I do next? Is there a song of mine that you would like to know more about?

-Brittany

Of Rhythm and Blues, Apple Pie Jamborees, and Manson Summer Nights

I had a fantastic weekend, and I want to share it with you before too much time goes by and I miss my chance.

On July 17, I opened the Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival in Winthrop, WA. I am not an R&B artist… So I was a little nervous that I wouldn’t fit. However, I decided that I was going to make the most of the 15 minutes I’d have on a stage in front of a substantial audience.

We arrived at the field filled with campers, and were directed to the gate behind a big tent where two people were waiting to meet me. They gave me a lanyard that meant I could go anywhere. Nothing makes me feel like a VIP like a lanyard with a pass attached to it.

When the sound guys said it was time, I grabbed my guitar and joined them on the stage. I did a quick sound-check, was introduced by a radio announcer, then I started. The Carlton Complex Long Term Recovery Group got this opportunity for me–just another open door I wasn’t expecting, so the last song I sang was “Wildfire”. I’ve been playing for small audiences for the past few months, so I almost didn’t know what to do with hundreds of people hanging on my every word. I almost didn’t know what to do when people jumped to their feet, but it was amazing. The response was incredible. I left the stage feeling like a million bucks.
This was a small taste of the big leagues, my friends.

On July 18, I had my first live TV interview and later my first radio interview where I had the chance to play one of my new songs… live… on the radio! In the afternoon, I sang at the Apple Pie Jamboree in Pateros, WA. My favorite thing about playing there was watching people sing along to “Wildfire”. People asking me to sign their CDs and people singing along with my songs are two of my favorite things. Ever.

On July 19, I opened for Daniel Kirkpatrick and the Bayonets at Manson Summer Nights in Manson, WA. I was a late addition to the Manson Summer Nights roster, but I am so glad I had that opportunity. It was so much fun, and quite a lovely evening despite the 99 degree weather. It is a wonderful venue–you should check it out if you’re ever in the area!

I’m looking forward to many more full-of-music weekends in the near future…

-Brittany

Home Again

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” J.R.R. Tolkien

Last week was a whirlwind. My family and I once again made the trek from a tiny town in Washington to the Country Music Capital of the World–Nashville, TN. It was a long, beautiful drive through mountains, forests, and wide open plains. On Monday, June 8, I recorded four new songs for Album 2 at Hilltop Recording Studios, and I cannot wait for you to hear them. I had so much fun working with fantastic musicians again–I wish I could do that every day!
With this trip, my second album is now over halfway complete.

On our way home, my family and I stopped in Mountain, WI, where I had my very first house concert… Or cottage concert. I had the chance to sing for a couple hours to about 35 people in a beautiful, charming cabin at Camp Lake Resort. I only spent a night at Camp Lake Resort, and it was hard to leave in the morning. I’d like to go back when I can spend a couple of weeks in the Northwoods of WI.

I hope more house concerts are in my future, because that was a wonderful evening. Oh, now I’m dreaming of a mini-tour between WA and TN…

The trip was a success in every way, and even though I just got home, I can’t help feeling a little bit like Bilbo Baggins, running as fast as I can, contract in hand, telling my neighbors, “I’m going on an adventure!”

-Brittany

On the Road Again

I’m hittin’ the road for Hilltop Recording Studios today!
I’ve been counting down the days since November!
Road-tripping from Washington to Tennessee, I’m excited to see some parts of the country in the next few days that I’ve never seen before.

I can’t wait to get in the studio on Monday to continue working on Album 2! And I can’t wait to share these new songs with you soon!
Prayers for safety on the road and success in the studio would be deeply appreciated!

On the way home, I’ll be stopping in Mountain, WI on June 11th for a house concert at Camp Lake Resort–up in the beautiful northwoods of Wisconsin!
Cannot wait!

-Brittany

Song Introduction: Paper Chase

Tomorrow I’ll be singing at an event for Relay for Life. Relay for Life represents “the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten, that those who face cancer will be supported, and that one day cancer will be eliminated.”

My song ‘Paper Chase’ was written about a brave, little warrior battling cancer, and since I’ll be singing it tomorrow night, I’m going to take the chance to give you a couple behind-the-scenes of this song.

‘Paper Chase’ has four characters in it. A brave, little boy who dreams of great things, the mom who fears for her son’s life, the boy’s older sister, and the boy’s little brother. Writing this song, the older sister and the little brother became two of my favorite people. I love their complete confidence that their warrior-brother is going to be okay. He’s going to get better. The whole song goes back and forth between fear of the unknown and this stronger-than-hope belief.

There is a line in the song that goes “torn by the gold and gray, our little guy won’t quit”. The “gold” and “gray” is a reference to awareness ribbon colors. A gold awareness ribbon is a symbol for childhood cancer, and a gray awareness ribbon is a symbol for brain cancer awareness. This is the only hint in the song as to what exactly the warrior-brother is up against.

Where did the title come from?
There is a wonderful story called The Railway Children, and in a scene of this story a group of boys are chasing a paper trail. They’re running as fast as they can to see where the trail leads and to find whoever is leaving it for them to chase.

In this song, a little boy is fighting for his life, but he still dreams–big, fantastic dreams and little, everyday dreams. He’s chasing after life with all the strength and enthusiasm he can spare. He has claimed life as an adventure, and this song is an invitation for you to live your life like that too. Chasing dreams. Chasing a full life.

The inspiration for this song is a real boy fighting in real life. His name is Chase, and I wanted to work his name into the fabric of this song.

-Brittany

Wildfire Release

I am releasing a new song on March 31, 2015, called “Wildfire”!

“Wildfire” (featuring award-winning, American bluegrass fiddler, Aubrey Haynie) will also be on my album coming out in the fall of 2015!

Drawing inspiration from the Carlton Complex Wildfires that swept through North Central Washington last summer, I wrote this song in an effort to capture what those smokey days were like: listening to the radio, hearing of the devastation tearing through neighboring towns, watching from the driveway as the fires burn down the mountainsides, evacuating your home, grabbing whatever you can pack in the car, seeing the trees on either side of the highway burnt and still burning, fallen power lines and closed roads, melted train tracks… And then that sound on your roof, after what seems like an eternity of waiting and praying: the sound of rain.

You can hear it on March 31!

-Brittany