A quick message

I promise to update you on the second half of the tour soon, but in the meantime I wanted to drop a little note to say thanks again to everyone who has supported me over the past year.  It's been a brilliant ride so far and I'm very excited about where 2009 will take us from here.

Next week the boys and I will be heading back to the studio to get some prep work down for album 2.  For those of you who have been to recent gigs, I'm sure you've noticed that I already have a lot of new material on the go!  With all the great experiences this past year, I certainly haven't been short on inspiration and material, and you've seemed to enjoy it so far  :o)  

Dark To Light was a bringing together of the varied threads of my music to that point in my life (which covered a lot of ground!), but I can feel things coalescing now into the full and confident picture of who I am as a musician.  I don't know if you're like me, but when I find a band that I like I tend to buy everything they've ever produced, and then sit back to enjoy the journey they have taken.  It never ceases to amaze me how musicians change and grow, yet remain somehow uniquely themselves; but I guess I'm beginning to understand how it feels now.

And as for changing - well, with the end of my "day job" (by choice!) coming shortly after the new year, followed by some time travelling - or travelling time - to see the world a little more, then back to get stuck into album 2 and gigging full time, who knows where things will end up?

So everyone, have a peaceful and happy Christmas, and an exciting New Year; just remember to always enjoy the ride and keep your eyes open so you don't miss those special moments.  Warm hugs to all xx

Tour Diary Pt 1 - Birmingham, Norwich, Bath and Bristol

Just grabbing a few free minutes to update you all on the excellent series of gigs we have enjoyed over the last couple of weeks... 

Starting with Birmingham where we found a hidden wonder in the form of this cabaret-supporting, vegetation-wielding, musical hide-out - the Kitchen Garden Café.  Please - if you are anywhere near King's Heath I cannot encourage you enough to pop along and enjoy the ecclectic treats of this special.  You will make friends, hear sounds never imagined (Bingo!) and just thoroughly enjoy yourself.  Of course, the fact that the venue is almost 100% packed out for every show speaks volumes in this credit crunching time.

You know, it's one of the things I love most about gigging - meeting amazing, everyday, genuine, graceful human beings.  No matter how much the media wants us to believe everyone is out for themselves and no-one gives a damn about anything anymore unless they can gain something from it, getting stuck in out there in the real world will show you that good, honest, human generosity still abounds. 
A big thanks goes out to Brett and co. for keeping us warm, safe and fed - you rock.  And a special thank-you to my old buddy Tim plus Dave's crazy mates for all your excellent support, despite the toe-whistling incident... !

So, Dave and I completed our experience of Birmingham with a 1am curry (on a Sunday!) and ludicrously convoluted journey home escaping city and M6 traffic.  All part of the fun   Then, after a short return to daily life, we packed up for the much less substantial hike over to Norwich's beautiful Arts Centre. 

After losing our way on the roads yet again, we were treated to an afternoon of excellent music from Paul Bullen, Abi Moore, Peter Appleyard and The Smiling Strangers, and yet another wonderfully warm welcome, from the man in charge: Jason.  Great sound and a great crowd helped Dave and I to a really enjoyable set, which seemed to connect well with the crowd.  Thanks to all of you who stopped by the myspace site to leave messages afterwards - you really made my day!  Thanks also to my aunt and uncle for fighting Saturday shoppers to add their support

After another short break - which included catching the awesome album launch party for Sunday Driver here in Cambridge - Dave and I packed up for the long haul over to Bath.  This time at least we were prepared, with a working sat nav and back-up map, we weren't going to get caught out by one-way systems and bizarre parking locations again!  Arriving comfortably for our sound-check we found the Moles Porter CellarBAR to be a unique, cozy little cavern with warm acoustics and a friendly atmosphere.  As a regular live music venue this was a solid, professional set-up with a comfortable yet attentive ambience. 
Outstanding guitar work and moving songs from local artist Simon Hemmings opened the evening, leaving me in one of those intense modes with all my emotions bubbling even closer to the surface than usual.  With crowd support from good friends Jody and Aimee to boot, Dave and I seemed to really click perfectly with the music and, despite the quiet evening, completed the set with a feeling of real exhiliration.  We received a very positive response from the little crowd and I have just seen an excellent review of the gig on the Cellar Bar's own site which you should definitely check out: http://www.moles.co.uk/porter/reviews.ihtml?step=3&id=867

Staying overnight in the area, we were able to enjoy some of the touristy traps of beautiful Bath on Thursday afternoon with a visit to the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.  I had to wonder - how many appropriately placed people sneak a special someone into those deliciously hot springs for a chance at 'spiritual' healing?   Seriously though, this is a city packed full with layers of fascinating history and narrative inspiration - a true muse.

Finally - for this section at least! - came our set at The Thunderbolt in Bristol.  One of those rare venues with that magical je ne sais quoi for captivating musicians from all walks of life to patronise its cosy, one-room bar, this venue would definitely be a regular haunt for me if I were a Bristolian local.  David - bar manager and hugely welcoming host - made us feel completely at home on what ended up being a rather dreary and rain-sodden evening.  Inside the bar though, we made some lovely new friends, caught up with wonderful old chums, marvelled at the Green Room's own little piece of architectural history  and - as we were the only act on stage that evening - played our socks off for what must have been the better part of an hour!  Dave performed magnificently when I threw a last minute, totally unrehearsed song in his direction, and everyone seemed to take something different away from the set as a favourite.  Orange Cat was dedicated to my good friend Pat (singing along in the crowd) and, thanks to a quick late night Asda visit - we were all able to enjoy French Fancies and rum until the small hours of the morning! 

Tomorrow we have a full band gig in Cambridge and then Dave and I head out to find new experiences on the road in Redditch, London and Hitchin next week.  Until then, take care of yourselves and have an excellent Halloween!

Clara xxx

Radio Interview Online and The Upcoming Tour

My interview with the lovely Bernie Dollery over at Future Radio in Norwich has now been posted up to the worldwidewibbly so get along to http://futureradiofm.podbean.com/2008/09/23/clara-kousah-live-acoustic-session-with-bernie-dollery-23th-sept-2008/  and have a listen!  This is a 1 hour interview including 4 live songs (my voice was pretty raw at end of all that yakking).  Wahey!  Thanks again for a lovely time Bernie

Also here's a quick note about the upcoming mini-tour... this will be my first time performing in the following lovely cities and I will be joined by the ever-amazing David Gane on percussion --- Birmingham (Sun 5th Oct), Norwich (Sat 18th), Bath (Weds 22nd) and Bristol (Thurs 23rd) --- then we are back on home turf with London on Sat 25th and Cambridge on Sun 26th to round off the event.  We can't wait to get going - I anticipate sofas (comfy), McDonald's (yuk), sweets (yum) and sambuca (hiccup) 

Cheerio!

Clara xxx

Great Album Reviews and Launch Party News!

The Album Has Gone Wild At Last!
========================
The official release date for the record was Monday 18th August which means you can now buy the CD from Amazon (US and UK), Play, Zavvi, HMV etc, or you can download tracks from good old iTunes. Get stuck in and let me know what you think please!

Album Reviews
===========
We are just thrilled with the reviews the record has been receiving so far - this is my debut album and my first time recording professionally let alone with a band and producer, so I could not be happier! Here are some snippets for you:

RoomThirteen.com -- Dark To Light (11/13)
"Whatever you're expecting, put it to one side. There are a million and one female singer-songwriters out there, and most of them are lovely. But then there are some that are trying to break out of that mould, or were never in it. That's where Clara Kousah comes in..."
Full review: http://www.roomthirteen.com/cgi-bin/cd_view.cgi?CDID=8748

SubbaCultcha.com -- Dark To Light (3.5/5)
"...this is a record of depths, with a real flavour of melancholy that, whilst surprising, really works with Kousah's soft vocals, at once this is both sad and strangely comforting. The songs here are stripped back, the spaces as important as the music that rushes to fill them..."
Full review: http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_album.php?id=8056

The Launch Party
=============
Wednesday 20th August - JRINK Soho, Frith Street, London
For those of you able to attend the party we have a really special night in store! With a great line-up of DJs, two live sets from myself and the band, free drinks (first come first served :o), free snacks and sweets plus some extra random free goodies it is going to be a night to remember! Here is the schedule for the evening...

5pm -- JRINK bar opens
6pm -- things start warming up - free drinks and snacks begin!
7:15pm -- first live set from CK and the Band
8pm -- DJ Detail
9:15pm -- second live set from CK and the Band
10pm -- DJ Muthafunka
11pm -- DJ Boney Em
12am -- DJ Baz
1am -- Bar Closes

Wahey! Hope to see you at the party :)
Take care of yourselves everyone,

Clara xxx

Album Launch, Piranhas and Monkeys

Cor blimey with kippers on top - it's been a busy few months and we are well on our way to yet more rocking and rolling, so without further ado here is the news....

The Official UK and Online Album Launch
Yes it is finally on its way - Monday 18th August is the date for those distributory people to let you get your mitts on the CD or your iPods on the download.  In fact, I've just spotted the CD on Play.com wow!!  It's there for pre-order - tell your friends, tell your pets, send it to complete strangers! 

The Album Launch Party
So on to partying... and we can't let an amazing event like the launch of my first album go by without a big knees up and some musical fun.  It's free and everyone is most welcome to attend, plus there will be some free stuff and snacks to keep you all happy along with two sets from myself and the band - around 7pm and then around 9pm - with wonderful DJs filling in the spaces between and on until the 1am venue close time.  It all kicks off at 6pm on Wednesday 20th August at JRINK SOHO on Frith Street in London.  Come along, introduce yourself, pick up a CD or just enjoy the cocktails - it's going to be a fab night :o)

Piranha PR Comes On Board
I am very pleased to welcome Rosie and the gang at Piranha PR on board our little ship.  Piranha will be working to promote the upcoming gigs, spread word about the album and gather in some press coverage/reviews for the record as the album launch approaches.  Fingers crossed!

Feed The Monkey
I am also extra thrilled to be working with Nat and the lovely Feed The Monkey crew in promoting the album launch and making my way into the smog-filled world of London town.  These guys are the bees-knees when it comes to great nights of live music and throwing genuine support and enthusiasm behind the songs and writers they enjoy.  It's an honour to be on that list and the launch is going to be a great success thanks to my little monkey friends :o)  Plus keep your eyes peeled for other, more regular upcoming gigs in London from myself both solo and with the boys.

As for me, I've been keeping up the heavy gigging schedule and loving every minute of it!  We've had some really super sessions recently including - 
Acoustic Kitchen's BIG Event which was just utterly fantastic.  Pete and the team always put so much effort into their live music events and the warm and friendly atmosphere remained in force throughout.
The Royal Standard - performing with the band for my old hometown pub with the locals in full force and Mulletboy providing amazing sound and lights - it was a heart-pumping, adrenaline filled night for us all!

I've also had some fab live sessions plus lots of album play on the radio recently - in particular big thanks go to Paul and Wellsey at 209radio, and Sue Marchant at BBC Cambs/Norfolk/3Counties for their great support!  Check out Paul's Rock of Ages show on a Monday, Wind Down With Wellsey on a Sunday, and Sue's evening show 7-10 every weekday.

Right, that's about it from me!  I promise to update you with smaller snippets on a more regular basis from now on (let's make it a mid-year resolution), especially as there are some great little stories to tell from all the gigs.  I'll just leave you with one of my favourite exchanges from a recent set - the guy was so drunk and I could hardly stop myself laughing :o)

"So, are you here to see the acts?"
"Um, actually I'm one of them"
"Really?  Did you play already?"
"Yup - I was on stage when you entered and called for a drink..."
"Wow......... can you autograph my programme??"

Great big hugs to you all :o)

Clara xxx

"Local Heroes" interview and other news

Hey folks

Well it's been a busy month!  I have a wonderful new manager, some great feedback on the record, two special CSI fanvideos featuring my songs, a plethora of exciting gigs booked up and now the Cambridge Evening News have printed a nice interview with me for the "Local Heroes" section of their entertainment pages!

Firstly the article - this was an interesting interview for me and I tried to answer as honestly as possible... well, see what you think :o)  http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/cn_lifestyle_music/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=315253

On the business side of things I am totally honoured to have Duncan Catchpole join me on this musical journey as my manager.  Duncan is a local hero himself as the Managing Director of The Cambridge Organic Food Company - www.cofco.co.uk.  His enthusiasm for the music and excellent business sense are an amazing addition to our little group.  And I have to just say a big congratulations to Duncan and his wife Cally on the birth of their baby daughter Leona :-)

For those not in the know, CSI is a forensics drama from the US with a large fanbase (and yes, I am a fan! :o)  One fan in particular from Seattle who discovered my music has wonderfully created two YouTube videos of key scenes from the show with my songs High Stakes and Underground as the basis for each.  The clips follow the lyrics and mood of the tunes - check them out here:

Underground: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uZg43AkAHs
High Stakes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHYsRdBQzRs&feature=related 

Gigs -
I am continuing to keep a busy gig schedule booked up through 2008 with a nice mix of intimate acoustic sets and lively full band shows.  We have a number across London in particular and as always it would be great to see you there!  You can find all the details at http://www.clarakousah.com/gigs.php but my next upcoming date is below:

Tuesday May 27th - The Great Indoors at Dex, Brixton Road - this is a fabulous night with lots of industry interest and I would be especially appreciative of your support in making a big impact :)

Finally the album!  Yup, you can now buy this through PayPal in advance of the official launch (which is looking to be July/August time).  I have received great responses so far and all feedback is appreciated - please do send me your messages, comments and let me know your favourites!  You can buy the record from the Music page of my website - http://www.clarakousah.com/music.php - or by following the link on MySpace.

Right that's enough for now - thanks to everyone who came along to support the big Half Moon gig last month, which was great fun despite further string-self-destruction (oh dear)... my guitar is off to be pampered (and threatened) before the next set of gigs, and I am _always_ keeping a spare with me now :-)

Big hugs to you all,

Clara xxx

THE ALBUM! And other things...

I just can't believe it - the album is here at last!  I am soooooo happy with it and think I will be bouncing off the walls for a while yet :o)  I have my first gig with a real record to sell tonight and I do hope people like it.... eep!

So what can I say?  I haven't been messaging here for a little while due to the insanity of rushing around getting the aforementioned recording into reality, so now I can breathe a little and relax for a few minutes :)  The album is going to be for sale at gigs initially and I will set up a Paypal link too, in particular for those folks outside the UK who have been bugging me for a copy!  In a little while (not sure how long yet) it will be available to download from the usual web wonders, and then in about a month or two it will appear in UK record stores thanks to distribution through the little label I am utilising - Imprint Records!

Aside from all that good stuff you should be able to see that I am keeping very busy with all the gigging and live work.  We are fast approaching our BIG gig in London - the first time I will be playing with the band in our capital city - and it is a headline slot at the world famous Halfmoon so I am pretty blooming excited about that too!  Please please please please come along and support us - it's going to be a great night and it's only £4 for a ticket so there :)  Tickets are available online from ticketweb.co.uk.

Before that, however, I will be playing live and chatting about all things musical on BBC radio with the fabulous Sue Marchant across a number of UK counties - that's coming up this Wednesday 23rd April and I will on at about 9pm.  Tune in to your local radio show or online through the lovely BBC and hear me talk complete nonsense and then sing a few tunes :o)

Ok that's enough rambling... I just want to say that I'm really grateful for all the support people have provided over the creation of this record and I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.  Love, hugs, peace and stripey socks to you all! xx

Final promo song and some excellent gigs

As High Stakes and Alone With You jointly passed the 1,000 plays mark I decided it must be time to upload the final preview track from the album.  Entitled ’Underground’ this new song shows yet another style from the record - we’ve had loud and we’ve had quiet and this is somewhere inbetween ;-)  But this is really what the record is all about - the ups and downs of thoughts and feelings and life but with everything that happens in the middle as well, with style and lyrics and sound reflecting all of it in coordinated or contradictory methods.  Well, I’ll leave you to see what you think :)

Aside from recordings is the life of a musician - the gigging.  This is such a wonderful thing, with each experience being so unique and providing wonderful new insights into people, places and musical culture... 

My first gig of the Dark To Light build-up was at The Portland Arms in good old Cambridge.  Always an interesting venue this particular evening was something special with an amazing line-up of female singer/songwriters.  Jazz - Portland regular and busy soundman, musician and gig organiser extraodinaire :) - put on an excellent bill and I was thrilled to play a slot in amongst it all.  The crowd was attentive and enthusiastic for all the artists and the bar staff were especially friendly and welcoming; I enjoyed every minute of the night!  People were also kind enough to pick up a flyer and drop me messages afterwards to say how much they liked the set, which was rather schizophrenic in the end with loud to quiet to loud but a good response to all!

Then on Friday I packed up my car and headed out to Peterborough’s utterly unique venue The Glass Onion.  What an amazing place - it’s almost impossible to describe just what this pub/venue/living room is all about, but warmth and the welcoming spirit of a friend’s open house comes closest.  Run entirely by volunteers, all of whom appear to be musicians of one variety or another themselves, the Onion is a treasure-trove of fascinating life-stories and real live music. 
With an open mic start to the night we were treated to the amazing talents of a variety of artists including excellent hip-hop styled beats, rapping, some bongos and of course some acoustic songs.  Then myself, Odette Michell and Heather McVey began our ’in the round’ styled session for the night which turned out to be a perfect way to participate in the Onion’s vibe.  I played a rockier set to start us off with, followed by a wonderful melodic set from Odette and then the beautiful acoustic soul of Heather.  The girls were on excellent form and the variety of styles we brought to the evening seemed to spark off each other in the best of ways.  Everyone in the room was enthusiastic about aspects of each of the sets and the overall atmosphere seemed to grow with the evening.
We then repeated the process with another set by myself - this time joined by a number of bongos, tambourines, one orange cat and Odette hitting a bottle of beer!!  The set was a joy to perform and My Last Breath in particular (a song from the album which you will only be able to hear live at the moment!) was something truly special.  I think I will always remember the motion of the music as half the room beat time to the ever-increasing crescendo, to be carried away in the moment :)
Odette’s following set was nothing short of magical, with some outstanding and unique covers of wonderful songs (Men At Work!) and a performance that only raised the bar ever higher and brought the crowd along for the ride. 
Finally Heather’s last set rounded the evening off in perfect electric style with a live jam of percussion joining her and an almost frenzied atmosphere. 
Everybody at the venue was a delight to meet - every one an instant and genuine friend - every aspect of the room a cry out for heart and soul... I doubt there is a place like it anywhere else in the country.  If you are in Peterborough then this is the only place that should be on your list of things to see :o)

Gosh that was a long one - sorry for the rambling and all that... I guess that’s what happens when you try to sort your brain cells out on a Sunday! 
I’m off to gig for the first time in London tonight... should be a nice and relaxed evening and I’m really looking forward to a good, chiled session.

Take care of yourselves,

Clara xxx

I need a drummer!

Until now I have been accompanied by the lovely and talented Rachel Beaven on drums, but unfortunately she has her own commitments and other band responsibilities so it is finally time for me to find a permanent drummer :o)

For those who haven't heard it already, you can listen to some of my music on clarakousah.com and myspace.com/clarakousah.  If you're a drummer and you like what you hear, can make it to regular practise sessions in Cambridge and want to gig locally and nationally, then I want to hear from you!

Please contact me through myspace or the address shown on http://www.clarakousah.com/contact.php and let me know your background, experience and tastes, preferably providing some samples of your previous work.  I will be auditioning for the position over the next couple of weeks so be quick!

Cheerio :o)

Breaking The G String

It's one of those things.  When it doesn't occur within a specific and yet somehow indeterminate period of time, it becomes like waiting for the inevitable thunder storm in an overly hot and muggy summer holiday - when it finally hits you're not sure what will happen... but the world might end, or begin, or at least change dramatically in some way, or maybe you'll just be stuck up a telephone pole without your rubber-soled shoes.  Breaking a string in the middle of a solo acoustic gig is just one of those things.

Lucky for me this momentous event did not herald the coming of the four horsemen, or even the end of my set.  The good old G string just wasn't much needed for the end of my little performance and, aside from an instant of stunned confusion mid-sentence on my part, went relatively unnoticed by those viewing me in my spotlight.  No doom, not even any blood.  My lucky day for sure!
With this I completed my support gig for Louise Alexander feeling a wonderful sense of happiness and relief... the storm had passed with just a single lightning bolt 5 miles away in a deserted field.  No loss of life incurred.

But even without the magic G string, it was a truly special evening.  Louise's album launch was a solid, rocking success and I was delighted to enjoy the most excellent company of Louise and her fabulous band of musicians and friends.  All in all a top class act. 
And the High Barn itself was welcoming and gracious, warm, comfortable and dripping with music and character.  If you ever find yourself in the middle of Essex I heartily recommend paying this delightful venue a visit!

So now I'm back to my tiny little broom cupboard surrounded by books, cds, guitars, plectrums, garfield paraphernalia and things that might soon gain sentience.  Still, I've got my lucky G string too, so things are looking up :o)