Exciting times ahead ...

As Martin and I prepare to head over to Europe for the start of a 49-show spring tour taking in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland and the UK, I’m tremendously excited — and not a little nervous — to also be announcing the launch of a crowdfunding campaign for a project that I hope will secure my creative future.

The three newly-written songs that I’m playing in my current tour set are the first ones I’ve completed since we recorded the Dig Any Deeper album back in 2017, and it feels amazing to be finally getting back to creative work after such a long dry spell … but I’m still facing the challenges I always face when I write new material: how to get it gig-ready before I go out and play it live, and how to get it recorded so that I can share it with the world. Recording studios are expensive, and it’s difficult to make an album the best it can possibly be when the clock is ticking.

Which is why I’ve embarked on the process of converting the derelict garage that adjoins my house into a home studio. Not only will I be able to record ALL my future albums there — so no more pressure around paying for and making maximum use of studio time — but it’ll also be a space where I can rehearse with a full PA setup, film music and tutorial videos, livestream concerts, work on admin tasks, and store all my merchandise and PA gear.

Simply having enough room to keep all my instruments and equipment permanently set up and ready to use, rather than put away in cases, will make it so much easier for me to create new music, and I expect my output to increase exponentially! To show my gratitude for your help in making this happen, I’ve put together a list of thank-you gifts ranging from signed CDs and LPs to free downloads for life (!!) of all my future recordings, handwritten and illustrated lyrics, one-on-one guitar or songwriting tutorials, and your very own concert livestreamed from the new studio. Read all about it here:

Meanwhile, I’ve got a very busy touring season ahead — which is good, as it gives me a chance to try out my new material on live audiences before I record it. Here’s where I’m headed:

In other news, Part 1 of my highly amusing interview with Sam Millar on his UK Americana Bar Show video podcast is now available to view right here! Do check it out, and watch for the moment when Bigfoot Bernie steals my flask. Part 2 will be airing this time next week, followed by a couple of live songs in studio (including the world online premiere of my brand-new song “Too Many Plates To Juggle”, which I hope to record in the aforementioned new studio) — subscribe to Sam’s channel and you won’t miss it!

Also now available on my own YouTube channel are two videos from my January concert at TwickFolk, kindly sent to me by Pete Bradley – one of “In The Pines”, with lots of enthusiastic audience participation, and the other of the evergreen classic “Autumn Leaves”:

With so much to do in preparation for the tours and for the studio project, gardening has taken a bit of a back seat of late, but those of you who take an interest in that side of my life will be pleased to know that I did manage to get my seed potatoes chitted out, so they should be ready to plant in the gap between the end of the Germany/Benelux tour and the start of the Ireland/UK one. Here they are — 2 kilos each of first earlies (Rocket), second earlies (Charlotte) and maincrop (the wonderfully named Acoustic):

As always, you’ll find details of all the gigs on the Tour page of my website, and you can also follow me on Bandsintown to get notifications about concerts near you. Please do tell your friends about any shows you think might interest them, and please do book in advance if you can. I’m very, very grateful for your support.

All the best,

Sarah