Release day!

It's official! In the Light of Morning is available on iTunes, Amazon and Bandcamp starting today! So excited to share it with all of you.

Official website

Happy to announce the "official" Montclaire website is finally up and running. Hope you like it.

http://www.montclairemusic.com/

First post-album-release show!

 

Super excited to be playing this show with the guys of Lost City. It's a part of the Musicfest NW therefore it is sure to be a fun time. I start at 6pm (yeah, kinda early), but the good thing is that after the show I can enjoy all the other amazing bands playing that night. Details here.

New Music!

Super duper uber excited to share one of my new songs with you all for download on my Bandcamp page. The other tracks will be released Sept. 4, but for now...I hope you enjoy!

xx,
Sabrina

I'm gonna do this.

Wasn't planning a trip home to Hawaii anytime soon...but got the call to play this show with some of my favorite Hawaii indie artists at the historic Hawai'i Theatre and I couldn't pass it up. If you are in the 808...I hope to see you there!

Writing Christmas songs

It's probably too early to talk about the Holiday Season with the sun shining so brightly out and the fact that we haven't even gone past Labor day yet. However, A project has come up for me to either write an original Christmas tune or cover a classic. In the moment I responded with, "Yes, I'll write my own." I knew exactly what I was stepping into. A big writing challenge. What may come about might be the biggest cheeseball song of them all, but I hope not.

I have tried once before to write a Christmas song a few years back but it didn't stick. It is about as difficult to write for me to write a Christmas song as it is for me to write a traditional love song. I mean those really sappy songs too that you hate to admit it but are really good. It runs the risk of being uber cheesy (snow, reindeer, mistletoe) or being oddly too contemporary where basically a pop song gets the word love changed for Christmas (wink-wink). There is a small...very teeny-tiny window where it can work; where the melody and lyrics harmoniously find a home together. So I am throwing down Barney Stinson style and said "Mission Accepted!"

In the meantime, I am digging up some old Christmas pics and videos from my childhood for inspiration. This one scene from "Frosty the Snowman" always gets me. I think it has something to do with the little kid who cries out "Oatmeal!" when trying to think of names for Frosty. I can't help it. I had to share.

Teaser #3: "Cowards"

My friend Toni Wong visited me from Hawaii this week. She has played music with me a bunch and it was nice having her in town to talk about music, go camping and try out new restaurants. She constantly had her camera with her and took a few clips that have been mashed together with part of the song "Cowards" from the upcoming EP. So here you have it...teaser #3. Enjoy and pass it on! xx

Yes, master.

Perfect way to end the week. Official masters dropped-off at my doorstep. Have a great weekend everyone!

Teaser #2: "The Shift"

I've held onto this footage of the swifts roosting in the Chapman School chimney for two years now. Seemed like a good time to combine it with a clip from the song "The Shift." Track #2 on the EP and teaser #2 for you all. That lovely male voice you hear in the background is the one and only Nate Ashely. I hope you enjoy it.

35 seconds

Summer

Summer seems to be in full-bloom this week! It's been amazing. Spending lots of time out in nature during the day and practicing in the evenings. I hope you are all enjoying your summer wherever you are! 

An 'Alternative HI'

After some back and forth of my new tracks they are FINALLY, OFFICIALLY, getting mastered. No really...they are. I promise.

In the meantime, one of my first songs that I ever wrote called "Over-rated Town" was recently released on a compilation called 'Alternative HI' (Mountain Apple Co.), put together by some of my friends back in Hawaii, Brandon Apeles and Shawn Livingston Moseley. It is available on iTunes and includes 18 Hawaii bands that are working hard to raise the awareness and appreciation for independent alternative music in the Islands. I am so proud to have been a part of such a wonderful group of musicians...and my song is track #1! Extra bonus!

I recorded it last May at Soul Sound Studio in Kaneohe, HI with Shawn and Brandon, and musicians Elija Oguma and Toni Wong on accompaniment.

To be honest, I was skeptical about recording this song at first, because I had tried to record it about three different times (and studios) prior and it never seemed to translate well as a recorded track. I found this video taken by Eli (Oguma) the night I recorded the song. It's not the greatest lighting or take, but it was the first time I went over the song with Shawn who helped me arrange the song to what you hear on the recording. I am not going to include the final track...because you are just going to have to check it and the 17 bands tracks here.

Over Rated Town

This over rated town

Lifts me up to drag me down

Got memories of better days when

All you said would make me stay

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah

But it's not enough to

Set me free of this

Over rated town that rests on me

From black and white to shades of gray

I'm struggling to make my way

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah

Wasted dreams that I live to tell

In the only place that I know so well

I'm feeling restless, and careless

Pretending that I like this

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah

Oh yeah, Oh yeah, Oh yeah

And I won't be held back by you

No I won't be held back by you

Oh yeah, Oh yeah

Oh yeah, Oh yeah

'We Grew Wings'

We Grew Wings/ Fall Teaser from Ellen Schmidt-Devlin on Vimeo.

Good news! Three instrumental tracks from my last release "The Hawk & The Hunter" are in the documentary "We Grew Wings" about the University of Oregon women's track and field teams. I haven't seen it yet, but I can't wait. Love love love when my music meets film.

House show

 

I'm a total loser you guys. I told you I'd let you know when my first show was with Nate Ashley but I couldn't cause it was a house show and more on an invite-only basis. #badsabrina :( Anyway, our first show was last night and it went off without a hitch other than my guitar cord shorting-out.  

It's been such a fun experience to play with Nate's and his band. It keeps my mind working and learning while I work on my own music, his music is so good, and the guys are just fun to hang out with. I think we've got another house show coming up. If you are in the Portland area, hit me up for details. xx

The Sea

There is nothing better than hearing a cover one of my songs. Stumbled on this video when I was looking for something else on YouTube. My friends from "Wait For It" put their own spin on "The Sea" and completely made it their own. Love <3 it.

Pics and more pics

I have never been much of a wordy person, but I do take pictures of everything. I was sorting through my photos on my laptop and found some pics from my last recording session at Type Foundry that I thought I would share; otherwise they'll just live on my computer and probably never get looked at. So here you go. 

In the meantime, I am targeting August for the EP release. I've got a title, a cover artist, and 4-tracks, so outlook is good! 

I have started working on new songs for a full-length album. That probably won't come til next year, but I am working with someone who I think is pretty rad and I think you will too. If I can squeeze another EP through I'd like to but we'll see how it goes. My brain has been chaos trying to get time to work out ideas I have had over the past few months. If it gets quiet on here bear with me...just means I'm having fun tinkering around in my tiny apartment. 

And then...a title.

I took this picture this past Spring while out on a walk in my neighborhood. Flowers were blooming everywhere. Each corner I turned down welcomed me with the brightest colors and sweetest scents. After months of gray skies and rain during the winter it felt like a new beginning and a sense of hope began to rest on my shoulders.

At the time I had already written a handful of songs that I later realized all had a running theme, a new beginning. Previously most of my songs had been about love, loss and desire; but this time around I noticed the words focused inward on the self. I began to explore new sounds and instruments. Not a huge departure, but subtle accents in sound and harmony that set me on a new path.

A few nights after I took this picture I stayed up really late working on a new song. I was having really bad writers block and hated everything I was coming up with. Finally, I just went back to the basics. Simple chords, simple melody, and the lyrics came naturally. Maybe I was inspired by the season and the life that was growing around me, the lyrics were short and simple and heartfelt, about letting-go and that moment when you need to change the path you are on. I wrote it in 10 minutes and called it "The Shift." From it came the title of the EP, "In the Light of Morning."

The Shift

I realize I've fallen

And everything we made

I cannot save
I cannot save

And only in these moments
It brings a shift inside

And in the light of morning

We came alive

We came alive

Til then, we fall

Til then, we fall

Til then, we fall

Scene + Heard

For over a year now I have been lucky enough to write a blog focusing on music for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser entertainment blog Honolulu Pulse. I try my best write about Hawaii-specific music when I can because I enjoy the opportunity to promote Hawaii's diverse and unique musical culture. I focus on new bands, established bands, events, promoters, venues, etc. I post weekly (every Monday) an urge you to check it out. It has been such a great opportunity for me to talk about what I love (music), meet new people who share my passion, and always keep a connection to my home. If you have a topic idea for me feel free to drop me a line too. I can only post once a week so it can be difficult to choose just one, but if it catches my ear I will do my best to write about it.

There Is No Finish Line

Even though this is from my last album "The Hawk & The Hunter," I wanted to share the trailer for this lovely documentary that was created by some great people and scored by an awesome person (John Askew). The film has two of my songs in it. So proud to have music put together with a film, especially one about such an amazing woman.

The process

I was cleaning out my hard drive this morning because my computer has been running slow due to all the junk I have on it (movies, music, pictures, etc.) and found a bunch of demo tracks I recorded over the past year. Some of them great...some of them....well, not so great. ;)

I haven't really ever been the person to share much of the process of how I write, but I always enjoy reading and listening to demos from other artists/bands so I thought I'd share a song.

First, I should say that I never really used to make "demos" in a studio for any album or do "pre-production," until the past year. I am not exactly sure why I haven't, but my process of demo-ing had been to record bits and pieces of song ideas or lyric ideas either into a tape recorder I have had since college (though carrying tapes around can get heavy), or record it onto a tiny digital recorder. Then I just piece them all together like a puzzle and record ideas over and over on tapes until I am happy with it. This process I love and hate. It's like a really good crossword puzzle where it's so difficult that you want to give up but yet you can't stop because you want to finish it. In the end you stop and think "Yes! I did it!"

I am also probably the least tech savy person out there when it comes to recording music. I got a ProTools Mbox a few years ago as a gift and never made much use of it. Though, I have started using Garage Band more which is nice.

Before working on this latest group of tracks, I was blessed to know some amazing people who allowed me studio time to record song ideas. I had three demo sessions over the past year and probably recorded enough songs for a full album that will most likely never see the light of day.

One session that stands out was last fall at Soul Sound Studio in Kaneohe, HI. I was back home in Hawaii for a week and my friend Shawn Livingston Moseley, who owns the studio, invited me in to record with just an acoustic guitar, live, no click track...just straight forward songs and help me sort out my ideas. It was so wonderful to have that time to work with my friend and have those ideas documented.

Here is one of those tracks called "Blue." I have played this song live a few times and it seems to be a favorite with a lot of people so I thought I would share it. I wrote it when I moved to Portland in 2010 and the weather had just started to turn from Summer to Fall. The song has since changed some lyrically and melodically, but this was in the beginning stages.  Sorry...this one didn't make it to the upcoming EP...but maybe in the future. In the meantime, click here and feel free to take a listen and enjoy a stripped-down track. -Lots of love, xxMontclairexx
(Photo by Toni Wong)