So…I spent the past week in New Orleans and had my mind blown. That city is irresistible in the most dark, twisted, beautiful and culturally diverse way. I ate too much, drank too much, and took in everything the French Quarter Jazz Festival had to offer. It was truly incredible. From the 9th ward to the Garden District, the French Quarter to creepy plantation tours, I can’t say enough about this beautiful place.

Got home to the country yesterday and caught a red eye to Vancouver. Playing some sweet shows with the Nine Mile boys and Michael Franti at the Telus world Ski and Snowboard Festival which is being broadcast live on YouTube this weekend. I’m a lucky gal.

From po’boys to powder…signing out.

Xm

Oak Alley – Creepy, but beautiful plantation, LA

Broken Dreams in the 9th Ward

Home of the Voodoo Queen

How I feel

Recording in a cookie factory is pretty sweet. 

Men at work. DARKLARK is comin’ atcha soon!

Almost a year ago now I received a grant from the lovely Ontario Arts Council,  to complete a spoken word album. I was so excited when I got the news to explore an art form I hadn’t been working in for awhile. I had no idea what I was about to create.

Despite the fact that I have 3 albums coming out this year, I was feeling slightly stifled and ready to expand my creative wings a bit. I wanted to push myself as a writer, and as a musician, and this opportunity arrived just in time. I hope the Ontario Arts Council accepts my submission as a spoken word project, because to say I pushed the limits on the requirements on this is an exaggeration. I made a freaking hip hop album. And I am in love with it.

I’ve been collaborating with a good friend and talented beat maker/producer named Jake Merkin who’s the master-mind on all the beats and a lot of the production on the tracks. He’s been a dream to work with. My heart skips a beat every time he sends a new beat my way, and more often than not I fall into a deep, trance-like writing state immediately upon hearing his stuff. I’ve never had such a huge output of creative expression before in my life. After my excessive writing outburst is complete, I play my ideas to long time collaborator and partner D’Ari Lisle, who helps to arrange the parts into something that resemble a song. He’s also a great guide in teaching me how to get my gangsta on. From there, the tracks have been sent to friends and players from Fort St. John, BC to Waterloo, ON to put little bits of sauce all over this beast.

It’s really exciting, and sounds absolutely unlike anything I’ve ever done before. Can’t wait to share…more to come.

Mel will be playing some shows with an incredible supergroup of madmen this weekend in honour of Mr. Gong himself. You don’t wanna miss this show!