i moved to new york in august of 2006 to do a two year associate's degree in fashion studies at parsons school of design. while in school i started playing a lot of music. things seemed to fall into place. kept asking people to join my band and they kept saying yes. i finished school and was lucky enough to get a break from a friend i knew from toronto, as an assistant designer of hand-bags.
in a month i was so miserable i wanted to cry. ( and i did) my friend knew the job wasn't what i wanted. she let me go. and i floated around trying to figure out what to do next. between then and now, i've written a lot of songs, played with a lot of people, recorded an ep, and made a lot of very talented friends.
new york is special in an indescribable way. most people who gravitate there have a dream. being surrounded by all these people pursuing their dreams gives you license to dare to pursue yours too. i've known since i was a kid that i loved to sing more than anything. now i know that i also love to write songs. singing and writing songs are pursuits that i hope to hold on to and expand toward for the rest of my life. along with being able to play guitar like an old bluesman.
my band is called the collectors. we've been playing together since sept 2009, in the past few months it feels like the enthusiasm has been dying. we started recording an album in january and we only have 3 songs tracked. we've booked a residency at kenny's castaways every thursday this september. i was thinking that maybe we could record a bunch of those shows and cut the best of those takes together to release a live album. after that, we'll see. if everyone's still on board then so am i. but i have also started a new solo project.
pinkwing will be truer to the simple, gritty, country and blues style that i seem to gravitate toward. i hope to record an album and start promoting it within the next few months.
i need to start making more money. i hope that getting organized will help me do that. that's kinda what this blog is about. to keep me on track. and also to get word out about all the amazing photographers, musicians, artists, stylists, writers and performers that i am blessed to have met in my time in new york.
so here's to progress and karma points.
sorry for the autobiography :)
jo
