GayleSkidmore.com

We have met so many stinkin’ rad people on this tour!!! YAY Aspen Hollow! Yay Bryce (Coolfield)! Yay Josh (The Midwinters)! Yay Ardent! Insomniac Folklore! Nate Allen! Die Midwestern! The Martyrs! The Roe! The Myriad! I had so many wonderfully refreshing conversations and exciting adventures! I walked all over Portland and Camas, got sick on a merry-go-round, picked blackberries with friends, ran into Suzy at Imago Dei in Portland… This has been so freaking fun–I can’t even tell you, so I won’t.

(-The Thrills, from their So Much for the City album)

I think Thrills must have taken the 5 instead of the 1, but you know what-?? They missed out.

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Tonight Rheanna Downey and I released our new e.p.s at Room 5 in Los Angeles. I had several of my closest friends from college show up for the show, and a very good friend from San Diego drove all the way up. It made the show extra special to have them there!

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I have never bought a guitar.  This is mostly because I have never had any money to speak of.  However, God has always provided me with an instrument.  Recently, I have been experiencing a lot of pain in my left hand and arm when I play my guitar.  The action on my Hohner guitar is very high, and although I recently had the truss and bridge adjusted, it has always been difficult to play.  My Martin has a very mid-rangy tone and a laminate backing… and neither one plugs in (which is difficult at shows).

Anyhow, I have needed a better guitar for some time but never thought I would be able to afford one.  This past week, while practicing with the gals (getting ready for the Tour de Felicite) I was unable to get through my new song “Strange” because of the action on my guitar.  SO!  How does this end, you ask?

I met a man named Dave, whom I believe I mentioned in another post, who is a wonderful engineer.  He mentioned to my friend Preston that God had given him a guitar to give to someone, and Preston mentioned me…. So today Dave came by today with a beautiful Aria guitar with a Spruce top, a Rosewood bridge and a Mahogany back.  He asked if I wanted to play it….  AND THEN ASKED IF I WANTED IT!!!

I have no words to express how absolutely overwhelmed I am.

For the past three days I have been staying at Rheanna Downey’s in Encinitas getting ready for our tour. We were fortunate enough to get our new three song e.p.s finished this week (thanks to our hero & great friend Preston Parsons, engineer etc.) and will be proceeding with our cd release party this Saturday at Room 5. I haven’t played there since the night I won my Martin guitar from Tyrone Wells a few years ago and I am so excited to play there again! We are opening for Krister Axel. Honestly, I didn’t know who he was… but when I went to see the new Harry Potter movie the other week, they played one of Krister’s songs before the movie! I was still waiting for my friends when it came on so I had no one to nudge, but was still excited.

I am so thrilled to release a new cd, even if it is only three songs. Working with Preston has been wonderful, and the songs sound fantastic. It’s only a limited release, but I can’t wait! We recorded “Paper Box” and it came out really well.

This has been the most stressful week EVER. Yesterday, Rhe and I had an 18 hour day on minimal sleep. We have been busy making last minute plans and merch for tour. Rhe was gone for the last 6 months in Australia, and I have never planned a tour like this before, so there was a lot of last minute stuff to do. Anyway, I am going to sleep! We are still trying to find a tour van before Saturday. Yikes.