I had so much fun teaching and performing at California Coast Music Camp in the beautiful Carmel HIghlands. I taught songwriting and vocal style. I performed songs from 13 WOMEN and tried out a couple of new ones. I'm not sure what was more fun: playing piano in the rock band at the dance, sitting in on Stevie Coyle's fingerpicking class, or sitting in on Ami Molinelli's percussion class. It's fun to perform and teach but it's really fun to be a student. Next week I head to Circlesongs in SF to study with the legendary Bobby McFerrin.

Been thinking lately about good ways to practice voice, guitar and piano as I get in recording mode for my next album. This blog is spot on, whether you sing or play an instrument. 

I heard Portland poet Brittney Corrigan read some of her lovely poems from her new book Daughters recently. In it she "reimagines characters from mythology, folklore, fairy tales, and pop culture from the perspective of their daughters". For instance there's a poem written from the perspective of Bigfoot's daughter that's great. She talked about "persona writing" and I realized that's what I did when writing the songs for 13 WOMEN: I inhabited those amazing women for a while.

I moved to Bend over a year ago, but with the Omicron variant raging last winter and my father's passing last February it feels like I'm just getting started. I've been writing songs for a new album I'll record in 2023. Meanwhile I'd better learn to cross-country ski since it started snowing here on Halloween and is still at it.

I have gone through countless capos trying to find one that doesn't pull my strings out of tune. Two friends separately recommended D'Addario NS Tri-Action Capo and finally my search has ended. 
This is the one that works, no more retuning when I use it.

I drove into Bend a year ago on Oct. 22, 2021, following Tom who drove a 26' truck with all our stuff. I was happily listening to KPOV, the very cool eclectic community radio station here. So it's fitting that on the anniversary of our move to Bend, Tom and I will be playing and singing on air to celebrate the last day of the KPOV pledge drive. Our host is Rick Miller of Center Stage: we'll be streaming at kpov.org/center-stage.

In the past four months I sold my home in Nashville, temporarily moved to Berkeley to be near my father and fix up his house, bought a home in Bend, OR, and drove all of my stuff across the country to move there. Well, my husband Tom drove the 26' truck, I drove our Honda behind him and had the easier trek. I couldn't make Audible work so I listened to oldies stations on the radio as I drove through the heartland of the US. I'm looking forward to settling in here and making music again.

Spring is coming, vaccines are happening, and life is feeling a bit lighter these days.I'm happy to announce that the new album is out, please go the 13 Women page for music samples and lots of info on all the amazing women who inspired this album. I've been having lots of fun doing interviews and reading the nice reviews coming in for the album. It's super gratifying to see this project get out into the world.

I was listening to David Wilcox' incredible song "Chet Baker's Unsung Swan Song" and it inspired me to create a new Spotify playlist. I filled it with one bummer song each from some of the greats: Joni, David Wilcox, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Rickie Lee Jones, Sam Cooke, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt--and also more recent wonderful singer/songwriters like Jason Isbell, Kris Delmhorst, Becky Warren, and Corrine Bailey Rae. The last three songs are more hopeful but who knows, they might make you cry too: 

Songs to Make You Cry Then Lift You Back Up: a playlist by Susan Anders

There's much to do before the release of 13 Women, and since like most of you I'm still at home I'm sitting here doing it! Plus I've been playing all the songs to the dog we've been fostering, hoping that one of these months I can play for a live audience again. The first single "Just Give Me Everything" will release the day after Thanksgiving, when I hope you will all be sitting around digesting. Pre-orders of 13 Women start that day as well.