Staying with friends in Camden has afforded me some time to relax & get back to some long-overdue work. I'm finding that the sun shining across Camden Green inspires me to think about where I've come from, and where I'm going.
I've had some great feedback since the release of hello, my uglies, and am delighted at how it has affected so many people. Mostly received well (besides the epicly classic line from Alternative Ulster: "The debut album by Rachel Austin, an American born singer/songwriter now based in Belfast, is, well… not great."), the uglies have afforded me new, unseen opportunities, like sharing the stage with Mr Special & the RTE Orchestra at the National Concert Hall, Dublin, as well as getting to know some of my musical heroes.
I used to marvel at how easy artists make the musical life look. In reality, it's a real joy, whilst being incredibly taxing. This isn't a build up to a retirement speech; quite the opposite. I've been enjoying the creative process more than ever, and have recently been in a period of taking initiative when it comes to business & promoting.
Still, it's easy to lose a sense of centre. I sense this is often blamed on the sensation of being an adult, but don't think that's an entirely fair assumption. There are places I feel are homelike, at once familiar and relaxing. Maybe this is an aspect of being an artist with an introspective disposition: there can be a constant scanning of intuition, searching for that sense of place. This tends to be exhausting, which is why I have been slow at the Myspacing recently.
This period of a hiatus has allowed me to regroup, and I've got some exciting plans up my classically Pride & Prejudice sleeve.
Meanwhile, keep listening to the uglies & letting me know what you think. Get the word out there, and let my headaches & neck pains, loss of sleep & hair be worth something!

xo