I’m sitting in the study (library? office? I like “study” because that’s what my grandfather calls it) of our new house. It’s little and perfect, and I am sometimes deliriously happy to think that we get to live here in Saxapahaw.

After coming back from Kerrville TX, I beelined it straight to Ocracoke Island NC for the Ocrafolk Music Festival. A few dizzying days later, I was home, unpacking boxes and organizing bookshelves. I’ve enjoyed several days of loafing, and now I’m ready to jump back in. We’ll be giving a free concert on June 22 (this Friday – tomorrow!) from 6 to 8 at the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.

Also! Please vote for me at the Carolina Music Awards for Best Rock Female. Thank you!

On to more fun things:

The consecutive experiences of Kerrville and Ocrafolk were enough to make me wild with joy. I was not one of the Kerrville New Folk winners, but in Sheen-ese I was definitely winning. Suffice it to say that Kerrville is a magical place.  A flock of traveling songwriters (including Elvis, as you can see…) converges yearly at Kerrville. Said flock proceeded to blow my mind with tremendous hospitality and diversely excellent songwriting.

Ocrafolk was defined by a similarly robust creative community, with a small-town feel. It was an honor to play at Ocrafolk because you get the feeling that you’ve been invited into the family for a weekend. Standing on stage at 11 a.m., I was surprised to see a crowd of fully cogent people who were following along with every lyric. I didn’t even care about the voracious mosquitos.

Later that night, the female performers from all the festival bands got together and put on “Ocrachicks.”  We each performed one song with the other women as our backing band. The whole thing was improvised, and we were squeezed like sardines into a tiny community theatre (we had to turn over 100 people away!). We got lucky and magic happened.  It was a pin-drop night, if you know what I mean.

The more I travel, the more I bump into the same people. I see them in Florida, Texas, Memphis, Nashville, small Virginia towns… we’re a traveling community, made up of smaller bunches of people in places like Kerrville and Ocrafolk. We help each other on the road, recommend the best local grub, swap shows, and share couch space.

Thanks to all my friends who have kept me safe and happy on the road! Maybe see you Friday.

Love,

Lizzy