Tag Archives: saskatchewan

Back to ‘Painting’…

Hey Folks…

Well these past months feel like a blur…some of them I question whether or not they actually happened and some of them are blurry like a bad drunken night…by that I mean they were blurry with excitement and endorphins that caused me to relate them to an experience or two I may have had with a bad drunken night…just to clarify lol.

From Halifax’s In The Dead of Winter Festival (IDOW) to Wakefield Quebec’s IDOW to Toronto, Ontario’s Winterfolk to a Valentine’s Day show in Antigonish, Nova Scotia to the Atlantic Canada House for the Olympics in Vancouver British Columbia to Sydney, Cape Breton for the ECMA’s… I needed a good break lol. So that is what I did…I spent a week in a wooded area with a wood stove and a house that kind of looks like a ski lodge (also my soon to be home in June lol).  Although I was supposed to do nothing…I filled up my time by constructing to-do lists in my sleep for fear of sitting still and going crazy.  We fixed and painted and bought and drank and walked and drove and visited and when the week was over I realized I had done nothing close to relax or take a break.  My body is naturally set on go mode due to my Mother’s upbringing (If you met her, you would understand…and here is where all my friends laugh)  (Oh  yeah..and if you met my sister’s…and my Dad…so yes my whole family is like this).  To sit still is to be tortured.  Don’t get me wrong, I think I’m abnormal and crave to be able to one day sit down in the woods and have nothing float through my mind but “what shall I drink…a beer or a spiced rum?” but highly doubt I will see the day.  lol (bahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahha…that one’s for Adam)

So here I am back in Halifax and back to ‘Painting’ my album.  It feels like months since I’ve been in the studio and “Painting With Tides” is one of those things where I question if it really happened.  The good thing about this is I can listen to the recording and know for sure that yes it did. lol.

Yesterday I had Phil Sedore play some guitar…nicest guy ever and sure knows how to make a guitar seep into a song instead of sit on it..I like that a lot lol.  And I also just found out I get another special guest on my album…Geoff Hilhorst from The Deep Dark Woods playing that amazing organ he does!! I’ve been listening to these guys non-stop for these past two months of craziness and they have kept me sane.  LOVE their music…so to have him play that sweet sweet organ means a lot..and they are from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Love it.

As we all know, things don’t always turn out like you plan.  It’s looking like the album will not make the May release date we would have liked. Some great opportunities came up these past two months (like spending two weeks at The Olympics) and set the process back a bit.  We are also thinking about staying away from summer, as most do, as there are festivals and hopefully I’ll be playing a few.  So I’m sure you can guess that you may have to wait a little longer that you may have liked, but….I can guarantee it will be worth it! And to all of you who have pre-ordered the album and showed your support and helped fund the recording, I will be forever in debt to you…literally. lol Just jokin..seriously, I hope you feel good like you should knowing that just by pre-ordering the album, you’ve helped directly in the making of it..and that’s pretty special…so special that your name will be in the credits.  And for those of you who haven’t pre-ordered the album but want to and want your name in the credits, because we still need help, you can do it right here or click the right hand side of the page on “Help Kim Make Music”….literally. lol

Til next time…I must get back to ‘Painting’…thank you for all your support…without you, none of this would happen.

Much Love…

Kim

KIM WEMPE’S STAR RISING FROM COAST TO COAST

Prairie born songwriter’s career taking off thanks to East Coast support

February 19, 2010

HALIFAX, NS – February is a busy month for Kim Wempe, and one she’ll probably never forget. The Halifax folk/roots artist recognized for a voice as fierce and powerful as a North Atlantic storm has been thrown into a whirlwind of her own, crisscrossing the country with a series of winter festival dates and a two-week residency at Atlantic Canada House for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Pavilions.

But it doesn’t end there. The Saskatchewan born songwriter, whose most recognized song tells her story of falling in love with Atlantic Canada and her move to Nova Scotia, returns from her last Olympic gig just in time to finish rehearsals for performances at the East Coast Music Awards where her May 2009 release Where I Need to Be is nominated for Female Solo Artist and Rising Star Recording of the Year.

“The support for emerging artists on the East Coast is amazing,” says Wempe. “Everyone appreciates music, it’s such an important part of culture out here, and that is reflected all the way up to industry organizations like Music Nova Scotia, the ECMA and the funding partners.”

After a digital release of the record in May, Wempe hit the road with pal and musical soulmate Carmel Mikol (the pair formed their bond travelling together to last year’s ECMA’s) on their “Guess Who’s Driving?” Tour – an ambitious series of more than 50 dates from Newfoundland to Gabriola Island, BC and back to Nova Scotia. The adventure netted them new friends and fans, endless stories and a Canada-wide co-write that will be featured on Kim’s upcoming full-length release, Painting With Tides.

Kim hibernated in Halifax’s Echo Chamber with producer Charles Austin (Joel Plaskett, Thom Swift, David Myles) through January to record the new album which follows her more alt-country Where I Need to Be with a folk/roots sound and added influence from some of Atlantic Canada’s best players including Joel Plaskett, Thom Swift, Chris ‘Old Man’ Leudecke, and David Bradshaw. Currently in mixing, the record has so far been funded by fan support and the Province of Nova Scotia through the Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage and is currently available in one of five custom pre-order packages at http://kimwempe.com/help.

While no release date has been set for Painting with Tides, Wempe is offering free downloads of three tracks from her ECMA Nominated Where I Need to Be. The entire EP can be downloaded for $4.99 or fans can purchase a limited edition CD + poster package with an instant digital download for $9.99 + shipping. All are available at buy.kimwempe.com where the record can also be streamed for free.

Kim’s music is also featured on this year’s ECMA Rising Star compilation (Where I Need to Be: The East Coast Love Song), the Atlantic Film Festival Music & Image Compilation (Oh Heart) and Spincount Music’s Best of the East Coast Volume One digital download card (Out of My Closet).

Stream Where I Need to Be
Pre-Order Painting With Tides

Myspace: myspace.com/kimwempe
Twitter: kimwempemusic
Or search “Kim Wempe” on Facebook

Time flys when you’re makin’ music with friends…

Hola Folks!

Here I am, morning coffee in hand watching Canada AM and contemplating first thing Monday morning how time is flying so fast that I can’t keep up nor do I have time to sufficiently soak up the joy from every amazing experience I’ve had lately! This…is not something you want to think about Monday morning! Believe me! lol….(siggggghhhh)…

Since Newfoundland, I’ve been chillin’ out, writing, making album plans, recording, and planning the tour out West with Carmel. This music thing is always being able to plan for at least 3 months ahead of now, which means sometimes you get so focused on the months ahead that you forget about the “now”. And then when you take a vacation, like I did this weekend, and forget about the months ahead, Sunday rolls around and smokes you like a brick in the face and you feel behind!! I’m sure a lot of people feel this same way. Now what we need is a solution lol…a multitasking mind that can enjoy every inch of the “now” yet plan months ahead at the same time!! …Next time maybe lol!

This past weekend my Mom and Auntie came to visit me and we hit up the Cabot Trail! What a beautiful weekend. I’ve done the Cabot Trial four times this year and it was still super beautiful, especially with a great soundtrack to listen to! Traveling music is key and so is letting my Mom and Auntie in on the East Coast artists so they can bring these artists back to Saskatchewan and Alberta and say hey! Check this out! We had a little Old Man Luedecke playin’, of course, a little Rose Cousins, a little Norma MacDonald, Joel Plaskett, David Myles, Ian Sherwood, Amelia Curran, Christina Martin, my partner in crime and touring, Carmel Mikol, and the new Atlantic Voices collection blaring the whole trip. We even showed them some history with Stan Rogers Home in Halifax live album. Sunday we hit up Louisbourg, since I’ve still never been, in the pouring rain with ponchos and flip flops…way to go Kim…I thought this one through real hard! What made me even more mad was that my runners were in the car! Anyways…despite the rain, wind, puddles, and rocks between my toes that sliced my feet every time I walked, it is something to see! Very cool…the fog, mist, rain factor may have just added to the feel.

Last night I also got my new t-shirts in! They are awesome! Seriously…I said I would never wear my own t-shirt but I might go back on that. There are women’s and men’s and they are the most comfortable t-shirt you’ll ever put on! If you want one, then email me!

Today, I’m going to take my mom and Auntie out to Peggy’s Cove and hopefully it stops rainin’! They go home tomorrow so today is my last day with them :( It’s hard to be away from them but it was wicked they came to visit and I got to spend a week with them!! Now they understand why I’m in love with the East Coast so they’ll come visit more now for sure!

Alright people! Keep your eyes out for gigs…they are far and few this summer due to recording. People out West! Be prepared when me and Carmel roll through ’cause we’re gonna blow your minds! We are super excited to see you and I’m excited to see those mountains and prairie fields again!!! Can’t wait to see you…

I hope you have a wicked week and enjoy the “now” will you! Lots of love from East to West…

Kim