OK babes. Let’s be real. I’ve been real stinkin’ busy and haven’t had a heart to heart with you. So let’s catch the fuck up. Some bullet points of my last couple months:
* I signed to CAPITOL RECORDS in October and I get to do pretty much whatever I want, which is amazing because I want to do a lot of cool things that save humanity.
* The NEW YORK TIMES did a piece on me and it was front page of the Arts section and I may have carried it around with me for a month showing flight attendants, cab drivers, annoyed baristas, and other unsuspecting employees preoccupied with working.
ugh the nerve.
* My new EP comes out NEXT WEEK, on TUESDAY 12/17. It’s got some old tracks that are re-vamped and ready for radio and world domination, and a new track that will gut your insides and you’ll need blankets and a kitten and frozen yogurt probably and I apologize in advance. The four track album is called “Welcome to the Age of My Body” which is great introduction to how cute of a butt I have. I have a cute butt.
* “Welcome to the Age of My Body” is a line from a Brian Ellis poem that I fell in love with because a dear friend read me his book on a drive from Portland. It’s always stuck with me. It is brilliant and simple and beautiful and you should purchase his book as well as other talented writers I adore.
* I have great blood pressure. I used the air-puffer-tester when I was at CVS. This feels relevant somehow.
* I have been on the Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ arena tour since October singing ‘Same Love’ and crying often about the beauty of life. I have been on a tour bus with 11 incredibly talented angel-humans for almost two months and it has been a life-altering experience. To say that I’m honored is an understatement. I spent my childhood performing sad songs to thousands of invisible people that loved me. I was so lonely then. I don’t know how I got to this point or if it’s divinity or what, but I am doing my best to honor every moment and the incredible impact our song has had.
* ‘Same Love’ is nominated for Song of the Year at The Grammys. I don’t even. I can’t. I’m just. Heaven on earth. I just cry and cry and cry out of sheer disbelief, happiness, and gratitude. The nomination is not about Ben, Ry, or me as songwriters, but about the reflection of our society that makes a song like this soar. It says that we have come leaps and bounds regarding equality and that NO ONE GIVES A SHIT ABOUT A LESBIAN BASED “SHE” PRONOUN IN A SONG. That’s an incredibly beautiful thing to witness and be at the epicenter for. I’m ecstatic. Humbled. Completely shaken in the best way possible.
* Fun fact: Two years ago, I ran a Kickstarter for my first EP, “Letters Don’t Talk” before we recorded “Same Love”. I made an offer to anyone donating $1000 that they would be my +1 to the Grammys. See below.
“For $1000:
You will receive a letter, digital download, the EP, my chapbook, your name in liner notes, a shout out, a singing telegram, a song written for you, a show at your house, 10 songwriting lessons, and my PLUS ONE AT THE GRAMMY’S. i’m not joking. get on this now. it could be next year. or five years. but it’s happening.”Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
* It’s Christmastime and that means all wonderful things happen. Like magic. I hope you are having magic this December.
* I moved into a new apartment by myself. It has big windows and a real washer and dryer and a place for my bicycle and I am feeling many things. Loneliness, peace, discovery of self, joy, mourning of my relationship, and welcoming the struggle to find independence. I am definitely a different person than I was prior to ‘Same Love’ and those feelings definitely reflect that. I don’t think it’s necessarily a better or worse change, just different. I’m learning things about myself that I never knew existed. The change is simultaneously welcomed and terrifying.
* I am extremely late, but I discovered jeggings.
* The new radio edit of She Keeps Me Warm debuted on Seattle radio yesterday on KISS 106.1 and will be on many stations starting next week!! There’s a cool video of me freaking out online.
* I did a cool cover of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’ for Billboard.com and I’m proud of it, plus my shoes are peacock painted from Hourglass Footwear and they are the bomb.
* I HAVE A LOT OF SHOWS COMING. I will let you know, babes.
I hope you are all having the best December ever, and you love each other and are kind to your babies and the cashier and your neighbors and your spouses and most importantly, yourself. You can’t take care of others if you can’t take care of yourself.
Some things I’ve been doing to take care of myself that you can try if you want:
Dancing to Robyn’s Body Talk in my panties
Putting salsa in my salads instead of dressing- GENIUS
Making my bed
Ordering CRAZY AMAZING PLUS SIZE CLOTHING FROM CITY CHIC
Reading Andea Gibson‘s poetry
Having a crush and writing cute songs and poems and feeling tingly
Wearing flannel
Eating dried mango slices
Praying
Introducing myself to strangers and smiling at everyone
Talking to my beautiful family
Letting myself cry before bed if I need to
Stretching
Drinking champagne and celebrating nothing and everything
Loving and loving and loving and loving
That said, all of my love to you and one massive hug and kiss on the nose from me to you.
You are all wonderbeings with skin on.
xoxo
M