I am so grateful to find out that my CD “Hope” landed at #15 on the 2011 Folk DJ Chart!  Red Molly landed at the #10 spot and snagged the #5 artist of the year slot too! For me, 2011 was the year for recording and releasing new material, both with the band and on my own.  2012 will be the year to practice my buns off, learn new techniques, practice, write a slew of new songs, and practice some more.  Let’s get to it!

Reso-summit was the perfect inspiration to setup a regular practice routine at home.  I’ve been working on ear training, scales all over the neck of my Dobro, figuring out melodies of my favorite songs, and trying to make my Dobro sound like a real voice.  Today I even got back in the saddle for a little writing.  Though I think I may have to write a dozen or more clunkers before the good ones come along.

I’ve got a few really fun solo shows coming up in January- including an unplugged NYC house concert that is always a blast (with Pete Kennedy and Craig Akin!), opening for Lori McKenna up in Franklin, MA, and doing my part at Winterjam 2012 in Westchester, NY.   Hope to see you there!  Happy Holidays everyone!

I’ll mark the end of my touring season with one final solo show at Perks & Corks in Rhode Island, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Marc Douglas Berardo and I split this show last year and had so much fun we decided to make it a tradition!  Craig Akin will be joining us on upright bass this time and I’m hoping our favorite squeezebox player will show up too!  I’ll never forget playing “Too Soon” with him last year- it gave me chills.

Abbie

In other fun news, my solo CD Hope is now on Pandora!  I hope you’ll add my name to your station there.  Just for fun, I made a station with just my name, to see what other kinds of artists out there have similar music.  It’s really amazing what those Pandora people come up with and I’ve already found several albums I need to get my hands on (like Kevin Welch’s You Can’t Save Everybody).  How they manage to keep it free, I have no idea, but I’m grateful.

Abbie

It’s great to have a day of rest here and there.  Things are really gearing up for the release of Red Molly’s latest CD Light in the Sky on October 4th.  We’re planning a big CD-stuffing party at my place to get copies out to about 450 of our favorite DJs around the country and abroad.  The new stickers arrived last week and new T-shirts are on their way.  Every Tuesday until the release, we’re sharing something fun with our fans via Facebook and our website.

Later this month we’ll head down to North Carolina, to play shows in some of the areas most most hard-hit by hurricane Irene.  I truly hope we can give those good folks a little break from the stress and work they’ve been dealing with.

Until then,

Abbie

Friday was the U.S. release of the Indian blockbuster film Aarakshan.  Unlike most Indian film music, this score includes sweet sounds of the Dobro and banjo (as well as acoustic guitar) by yours truly.  I have yet to hear or see the whole thing, but I’m quite excited to make my film music debut!

On the T.V. front, my song “Break it Slow” (the first track off my latest CD Hope) has been chosen for the pilot of new show on A&E called “Fishmongers.”  It is sort of like Deadliest Catch, meets Hard Core Pawn, meets Goodfellas with humor that feels like it is ‘live from the Borscht belt’.  Holy cow.  How could this show not be a huge hit?  I might actually have to buy a television.  (Just kidding)

Reviews for Hope keep rolling in and making me jump up and down with happiness.  People in the biz tell you not to read your own press, but sometimes it’s nice!

And finally, at the home front, I’ve started reading music again.  In high school it was my dream to become a classical flutist.  That dream has changed shape over the years, and I never thought reading music would ever be something I do again.  Dobro music isn’t ever really written out (except with TAB) and I don’t have any Dobro player friends who read music or find any need to.  But as I was looking for creative ways to learn my instrument better, Craig (my bass player) suggested I try sight-reading my old flute books.  I gave him every excuse and reason it would be too hard- I mean you have to look at the Dobro, how can you read music at the same time?  Well after all the excuses, I went ahead and tried it.  He was right.  It’s amazing.  I’m learning so much and at the same time I feel like I got a little bit of that dream back.  I LOVE reading music.  It’s incredibly fulfilling.  And yes, I’m learning the notes all the way up the fretboard too, but at this point that’s almost an afterthought because it’s just so FUN.  Thanks Craig.  :)

Abbie

I’ll be touring around the country with Red Molly all summer with very little time for another solo band show until the Fall, but rest assured, we’ll be playing together again later this year.  Until then, I’m off to CO, NC, CA, KS, OK, NH, ME, VT, NY, OR…  holy frequent flyer miles batman.  And we’ll be releasing the latest Red Molly CD at the end of the Summer, beginning of Fall.  Stay tuned for a free pre-release download.

A highlight for this month will be heading down to the Swannanoa Gathering in North Carolina to teach songwriting.  It will be my second year teaching melody writing and “getting unstuck.”  After last year’s experience I’m really excited and ready to work with these great, dedicated songwriters.  I think it will give my own writing a push as well.  Especially alongside the other instructors:  Kathy Mattea, Janis Ian, Patty Larkin, Tom Paxton, Jack Williams and more!

Abbie

On the home front, the Mollies are putting the finishing touches on the new Red Molly CD.  We took pictures last week and are finalizing the mixes.  I can’t wait to share it!!  Stay tuned for some preview tracks and news on the release.  Meanwhile, I’m getting really into learning the banjo!  With a little help from my friends Louis (Stonehoney), Andrew (Roosevelt Dime), and Josh Josh (Newfound Road), I’m learning so much about picking patterns, chords, and the spirit of this thing.  It’s so different from Dobro, but in a really complementary way.  The loaner Gibson I’m using is not something I can easily lift, so I’m having a Trap-door banjo converted to a 5-string by the lovely folks at George Banjos.  I can hardly wait to have an instrument that feels right in my hands.  I’ll have Louis to thank for that part.  :)

Abbie

This is all great timing.  I have two CD release shows this coming weekend.  Pete Kennedy is joining Craig and I for these shows, so we’re bound to have even more fun than we did at the April shows.  Pete and Craig are some of the best musicians I’ve ever had the honor of playing with.  And seeing what Jerry Douglas could do with just a drummer, bassist and Dobro…  well, it pumped me up and gave me ideas!  I’ve got a new pickup in my National guitar and special guests Beaucoup Blue and Phil Minissale are coming to Sunday’s gig to sit in.  All that’s left to do now is unpack.

Abbie

5/7 Lewisboro, NY

5/8 Newtown, PA

5/29 Cambridge, MA

Talking about the record, Acoustic Live Publisher, Richard Cuccaro says, “Abbie Gardner shows her prodigious writing chops in her new album, Hope. Tales of love and loss, both gritty and sweet, ride the back of her by-now familiar, formidable slide guitar licks. She channels Lucinda and Bonnie, but remains pure Abbie.”

The first release show was last night at Rockwood Music Hall, but I really think this project will grow and get better & better.  What a challenge to play Dobro and sing without a guitar player to hold down the chords!  But my upright bassist, Craig Akin, completely shines in this type of a configuration and I know it will push my musicality to keep at it.  I’m heartened by this book I have about incredibly successful people who tried crazy things and just kept at it until they succeeded.  Walt Disney went bankrupt several times, Van Gogh only sold ONE painting out of the hundreds he made, and Fred Astaire’s first audition read “Can’t sing, can’t act, can dance a little.”  Doesn’t that make you feel hopeful and inspired?  Works for me!

Meanwhile, in Red Molly land, we’re full steam ahead with our next album!  The full band rehearsal went great and we head into the studio to lay down all the instrumental tracks together in NYC on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I’m really excited about this batch of songs, which includes two of my new originals and a re-written traditional song, among others.  This will be our first with Molly Venter, too!  I am quite lucky to have this much music in my life.