Winter has finally arrived here in NYC, thunking down heavily and all at once like a brittle-boned, gray-muzzled pooch who has circled one too many times around a soft and floofy pillow. We were unprepared, wearing too few layers until we remembered exactly how cold thirty degrees Fahrenheit can feel after weeks and weeks of warm-ish Autumn sunshine. Bring on the sweaters, thermals, and slippers…
In much the same way, I've found myself circling round and round in the past few months, feeling as though nothing much is happening until all at once the things that have been in holding patterns must take off and fly (or land with that unexpected, yet satisfying, floomph) all at the very same time: a recently-released VIDEO mashup, created with my dear Chicks With Dip songsisters; an overdue but firm grasp on plans for the new ALBUM (finally); an immediate need for new PROMOTIONAL materials; and of course, live SHOWS. So…
The VIDEO mashup of two iconic anthems, Tracy Chapman's "Talkin' 'Bout a Revolution" and Melanie's "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” is a generational reflection on our paradoxical times. Produced by the formidable Katherine Etzel and performed by Chicks With Dip, the women's songwriter collective I have been part of since the turn of the century in NYC that now includes women throughout the United States and Canada, it underscores the urgent need for change while embracing the hope for peace. Watch it HERE:
A limited number of audio downloads are available at: https://chickswithdip.bandcamp.com/
And as for that new ALBUM… well, back in February 2020, I optimistically announced plans to record and release it later that year. Like a lot of things, that project was unceremoniously derailed, and I've been trying to get it back on track ever since. But after nearly five years of indecision, under-confidence, and overthinking (plus a heaping helping of hemming and hawing), I'm glad to say it has finally begun to chug forward, albeit slowly. New ideas, new songs, and perhaps most importantly, a new Producer have greased the wheels.
I am overjoyed that the aforementioned Katherine Etzel has agreed to wear the Producer's hat, since it has proven too heavy for me. If you don't know Katherine, she is an absolute musical force of nature, leading the harmony-centric BOBTOWN for more than a decade and releasing solo material under the moniker THE EXISTENTIAL BELL. In addition to producing two gorgeous videos for Chicks With Dip, Katherine's audio production chops have graced projects like Bobtown's Chasing the Sun and Karyn Oliver's Cherchez La Femme, among others. I trust Katherine's expertise in everything from song choice to orchestration and mixing. I also like that she's really good at keeping my addled brain on task…
So, the wheels are greased, but we need a little fuel to keep the engine humming and rolling in the right direction. My working-class heart chafes at crowdfunding, so you'll never find me on KickButt or whatever that platform is called... BUT I also don't have thousands of dollars in seed money just lying around, so I'm hoping announcing this project will inspire a lot of folks to pitch in just a little. I hope you'll consider being one of them.
Just $25 bucks gets you a physical and a digital copy of the album the moment it's ready, BEFORE the promotional people get their hands on it. I'll keep you updated along the way with bits and bytes, sounds and sights, but I'm asking you to trust me with your dollars in advance so the train can actually leave the station.
Wanna get on the train? Click HERE.
And those new PROMOTIONAL materials? That's mostly for folks who are considering whether or not to hire me, but in case you are one of those people, or just curious, check out this four-minute tasting menu of seven songs currently in live performance rotation... it's sort of a very, very short Solebello solo show:
And yes, Virginia, there are live SHOWS! Just a few in the immediate future, but they're really good ones:
DECEMBER 15 at BELMAR ARTS CENTER, Belmar NJ – ITR with Pat Guadagno and Joseph Alton Miller
DECEMBER 18 at CINEMA ARTS CENTER, Huntington NY – co-bill with Allie Chip
JANUARY 18 at NOT JUST ANOTHER COFFEEHOUSE, Sharon MA – two sets!
FEBRUARY 1 at CAFE VERITAS, Rochester NY – two sets!
Find ticket links and details for all shows at CarolannSolebello.com/shows
Hoping to see you in three dimensions before too long, and until then, wishing you a beautiful holiday season and a joyous 2025. Follow me on the socials to stay in touch…
Peace,