LONDON TO DENVER TO ONE OF THE BEST DAYS OF MY LIFE

I am pleasantly jet-lagged which is making this day seem mildly psychedelic. I flew from Heathrow to Denver in an endless line of stiff lower back, sweating through my clothes hustling from one terminal to the next, always as far as they could possibly be from each other… I was “a’glaze.” Ick. Then to the longest shuttle ride to the third car rental place from the sun. I was in the “questionable” zone of being ok to drive, but luckily I have a hyperactive “fight or flight” response which is like a spare rocket to get me to my semi-janky hotel. (I’ll take a balcony over swank every time.)

I am hurling from one large responsibility to the unrelated next one. Both require full faculties and then some. It’s fucked up but I love this. It’s the pressure I signed up for. I am alone and contemplative and very punchy. Everything is funny. I organize my hotel room a few times with the sliding glass door wide open. It’s like putting myself in a salad spinner with cool water pouring over my head. I sleep the sleep of the dead and wake at 4:30 am. I am filled with great anticipation for the first coffee of the day which I will have to wait two hours for. I’m so in love I don’t even feel grouchy about it.

I am here because I am in love with music and musicians. I am meeting with the lovely Tom Hagerman (of Devotchka) who has orchestrated beautiful symphony parts for seven songs on my new record, and also, the amazing Sara Parkinson, who will be conducting the symphony players. As I walk through Tom’s homey and well-loved Victorian house I am overwhelmed and a little emotional. I can’t believe this is really happening. We three confer on the parts that will be played and make sure we are on the same page for the next day which is the big event. We seal and celebrate this good day with delicious food from La Loma. It’s now 2:30 pm, mountain time and I am so jet lagged and tired from feeling things that I’m ready for bed. Haha! 

Now here I am in today; the big event. I walk into the studio slightly late but only late enough to hear the first strains of the symphony from the front door. I walk toward the sound and become more and more unsteady with every step. It’s more beautiful than I could have imagined. I enter the control room and am greeted by Colin, the kind engineer, Mack, one of the business partners and the studio assistant, Mitch. I forget their names immediately as I am now so swept up in the sounds I am shaking. (I am also shy, so I sometimes black people's names out upon first meeting…) Through the control room glass I see a roomful of incredible musicians playing along with my song and begin to sob in silence. It’s just too much to take in. It’s too much of an honor. This is in the top three best days of my life. It burns so bright I can’t even remember the other two!

I’ll post more about this incredible day for paid subscribers tomorrow with some audio! Get on board! XO!