So, as we enter this wonderfully festive period of eating far too many mince pies, drinking copious amounts of alcohol in it’s many lovely forms (especially mulled wine) and we start the crazy hunt for the perfect Christmas presents for our nearest and dearest, I really feel that December has come around far too quickly this year! Still so much to do in so little time…12 days and counting! And after that, 2014 is practically around the corner. What?!!
As I ponder over this past year, I must admit that it has really been a wonderfully creative time for me with so many highlights, culminating in my gig for the London Jazz Festival at The Forge. The LJF is such a seminal event in the British Jazz calendar and I was so excited when I was invited to be a part of it that I even screamed a little! It was the first time playing at the Festival under my own name so I thought it would be a great opportunity to preview some of the material that I have been working on and that will be part of my debut album which is due to be released next year. The decision to write and release my own album was definitely something that had I was planning to do for quite some time now and things just started to come together so organically this year that I knew it was the perfect time for me to buckle down and make it happen!
A few weeks back, we did the photo-shoot for the album cover and that was amazing fun. We definitely got the “money shot” and lots of other great images which I will share with you over the coming months. A MASSIVE thank you to the wonderful photographer Karolina Amberville and Make-up artist Magdalena Skoczylas and I really cannot sing their praises enough. These ridiculously talented ladies are complete pros and not only managed to make me look picture-ready as I was practically on 4 hours of sleep and was so tired that I even started crying at Clapham Junction station that morning as my train had been delayed by 5 minutes (?!). But they even managed to put a smile firmly back on my face and made the whole day one laugh after the other. Karolina even prepared a Vegan lunch especially for me. How is that for some seriously great service! Would recommend these ladies to anyone.
On another note, lots of exciting things are happening on the -isq front in the New Year! We are recording the new album at the wonderful Rimshot Studios in the stunning Kent countryside during the first week of January, have a gig at The Forge in February where we will preview some of the new material AND we have a video shoot planned for the “single” at the beginning of March. We have our last -isq rehearsal of this year next Tuesday, (the day I come back from Athens from a gig at 9am in the morning…oh yeah…) so I am busily (and maniacally) trying to finish writing 3 songs as we speak. Just like buses, you wait ages for one song inspiration and then 3 come along at once!
And I think that’s all from me! Have a wonderful Christmas and I will be back in the New Years regaling you with more tales and news from the wonderful world of -isq and my musical world in general.
Besos,
Ire x