Faith and the Cycle of Life

Dear Friends,

I have been on a roll this year with prompt blogs and downloads added the 1st of every month. Yet THIS month…OUR month…Rocktober, I fell off that streak; my apologies. 

My world got rocked the tail end of September.  Some of you know that my father had suffered from a mini-stroke.  I found this out about 30 minutes before our #25 love stream that Thursday.  This news made it a challenge to play, but the news that came the next day was worse.  Pancreatic Cancer, spread to his liver.  Damn!

He’s been trucking along, able bodied, has a new love in his life, ready to live another 100 years!  He’s 89.5 years old.  Two weeks prior from all this happening, I bought him a 2021 calendar!  Ready to plan his 90th birthday, not thinking for a second he would be taken out before that time. 

The odds of him making it to MY birthday (Oct. 26th) will be a huge accomplishment at the rate he is going now.  Mo and I are packed up now and ready to take off early tomorrow, after the slew of appointments that I have today and a final outdoor show at the Sandbar.  We’ve cancelled a few shows at the end of our season, which is a bummer, but I need to be up there with him.  If I can walk him to the “door”, I will.

My head has been riddled with all sorts of thoughts and emotions.  His life and my time with him is flashing before me. I have cried my eyeballs out quite a few times, and my dreams are consumed with his sweet face.  Oh how I don’t want it to be true, but life flows in a circular motion.  

My heart hurts for the dreams of his new partner NOT coming true, my heart hurts for so much right now.  I lost my mom suddenly back in 2002, she had heart attack which took her instantly and we were all devastated.  The take away from her death is that even though I can’t get to hug her, look her in the eyes or speak to her face to face…I still communicate with her all the time. 

I find myself thinking of her and her little voice pops in my head and in some ways, our relationship has gotten closer since she’s parted.  She sees all of me now from where she sits.  She has guided me in many ways and has even saved my life once or twice.  (Another long story, remind me to tell you).

Anyway, it may sound crazy to some of you, but I have a STRONG FAITH. It’s not wrapped around any religious dogma, but it’s a powerful knowingness that transcends our worldly language.  Perhaps it’s only a thing that makes me feel better, yet…it feels much stronger than that. 

I have a knowingness that we see people (and pets) we love again, regardless of expiration.  That our souls and spirits never really die.  And this transition is another “chapter” of a life; a life well lived.  My father is being called back again, and mom is waiting on the other side for him.  I gotta believe that. 

Now, some of you can relate to this topic.  To some, it might be morbid.  But if we can’t explore death, we can’t live deeply.  And I’ve made the agreement to live deeply in this life; I am strong enough to FEEL all of my pain to its entirety.  That is an ingredient that comes out now and then in my music.  That is why sometimes a tear might stroll down a face or two in the crowd, or these days…my own face. 

The next few weeks are going to be a ride…and it’s like walking into an ocean.  It’s going to knock me on my ass, but I know that I can swim.  I have to trust my body, and my spirit. 

And I look at the world right now.  So many people in strife, fighting, and the disregard for peace; the election is creeping up, people are riddled with anxiety about it (and rightfully so).  The tally of deaths from this awful Covid;  215,000+ (just in the US) and counting!  My God…would I have ever thought I’d see a day?  Did YOU ever think you would be seeing this shit?!

Faith comes back to me folks, and whispers in my ear…LOVE is stronger than HATE, generosity, kindness and caring is contagious, it make us feel better then rudeness, bullying, and righteousness.

My faith tells me, “The pendulum ALWAYS swings back”.  The pendulum of Joy vs. Sorrow…or with any opposites really, is in constant motion and WILL come back around, like the LAW of gravity; it’s just the way things work.  And yes, it could get worse and swing even further towards an unfavorable side…but knowing the good of people, the beauty of this planet, the power of the Universe, we shall return to a more peaceful BETTER world at some point because of all these things going on now. 

That is why I thought the song, “Make You Feel My Love” was a perfect fit for this month’s Mp3 download.  Now, I just learned it, and I’ve only have the time for a basic recording (no Mo, meow!) so, a little forgiveness for that and my tardy blog ha ha!   I would like to dedicate this song to Janie B, our newest member from Ohio!  Janie found us through Cheryl Wheeler and I absolutely LOVE the story and thank Cheryl for sending her looking for “Ghandi Buddha” on the world wide net and discovering us!  How fun!  See…the Universe is good…it’s filled with Janie B’s.  ;-)  Thanks for suggesting this song Janie!

Hang in there folks, let’s walk into the ocean (“the storm is raging on a rolling sea”) and trust ourselves! Much love to you all!!!   

Niccole, Mo, and Juno

One Step at a time….

One Step at a Time!

A card that came the DAY I completed the song, by a completely different listener who had NO IDEA I was working on a song called “One Step at a Time”.

Hello Beautiful Friends,

Well aside from the “world at large” life almost felt “normal” in August.  We had a semi-busy month. We had many private party gatherings, which were very small and spacious, all outside with a lot of heartfelt love. 

We played at some of our favorite outside venues; The Sandbar, Indian Creek Winery, Red Fish Lake & the Roseberry Concert Series. We got to see many of you, masks on, from a safe distance. We’ve had a couple weeks without a love stream (which has been strange since it’s the the “new norm” for us). We got to go camping, feeling pretty lucky and now it’s suddenly September! 

The election is in the air and there is as general feeling of anxiety towards it.  We feel it.  We see it with our friends and strangers and we are all embarking on our own individual journey and as a mass population, “One Step at a Time”. 

“One Step at a Time” is a new original song that came right on time.  It’s also your next download.  Two lovely VIP members came to me with an idea, the title actually.  I listened to their stories and the feelings they had about their individual process as individuals, a couple, and a family.  Something connected that day for me as I understood exactly what they were meaning and how it relates to the world today. 

All of us are on this journey to take life day by day, one step at a time.  Many of us are not making big future plans for a trip or to spend time with distant family members because this Covid thing is still a very real threat.  So all we can do is practice presence and let each other know how much we care. Sometimes just knowing that there is someone else on the “trail” with us, a friend, a lover, a dog…makes the “walk” of life more tolerable, less scary, and more joyful. 

We used to be a population that had its calendar stuffed to the gills, I am completely guilty of this.  And now, it’s a day to day, week to week, month to month living.  There have been pluses and minuses to this way of living, but if I go back to the songs’ meaning…it helps me through.  It helps me feel appreciation for the journey that is NOW.  It helps me get through to Nov. 3rd and beyond, with whatever fate throws at us.  It helps me not give up because I’m feeling uninspired, deflated or “old”. 

We’ve all had feelings of helplessness through these times.  We can feel insignificant and powerless.  Let’s face it…a massive trauma has plagued the Earth’s humanity.  It’s the first in our story here when the world is really spinning.  A first true global pandemic (I know about the Spanish Flu yes but technology makes the world a bit faster…yes?  And…none of us were around to experience it back then.) Think about when trauma hits a single person.  The re-evaluating of life for that person…it’s what the whole world is going through whether people are consciously aware or not. 

I’ve been inflicted with severe and chronic PTSD myself, and the way I’ve always described the feeling is, “the file cabinet got knocked over”.  If you think of your life as a four drawer file cabinet, this is how you’ve organized your thoughts, emotions, belief systems and have made some sort of sense in your world…every thought and feeling is filed away in your body, mind and heart.  All your pain, joyous moments, learning, and experiences are in your own “order” which invoke feelings of safety, understanding, belonging and equilibrium.  (Assuming work has been done to put and keep it in order, ha…no easy task and a life long process.)

Well…when trauma happens, depending on how severe it is, someone or circumstance, kicked over your file cabinet or pulled out a few files and through them on the floor.  Disorder, chaos, unresolved feelings are now needed to be organized.  This happens to an individual who has been traumatized.  Now think of it… the WORLD has been traumatized, and you might wonder why you feel a “little out of sorts”, and can’t explain it?  The files are all over the floor.  It’s a scattered disorganized feeling. 

So…one step at a time, we pick up our own pieces.  We organize ourselves for this “new world” we are living in.  Society at large is reshaping the fabric of how to proceed during these times and since the files are out…there is a lot to process.  “Oh…I forgot about that paper I wrote in the 5th grade” so to speak.  It’s a recycling, a re-organizing, a great “cleanse” if you will.  And we are all in it, no matter how removed one may be or feel.  So in that, I am grateful that I heard our wonderful members reach out with hopes for a song about “One Step at a Time” and I am honored and humbled that Spirit met me to complete this song. 

I hope you like it, that it keeps you going through this time, and that you understand we are WITH you in this journey. We will make it over the “rivers and the rocks” along the way.  We will “walk” with each other every step of the way…one step at a time.  May it bring you hope, comfort, and peace. 

Thank you immensely for all of your love,

Niccole & Mo

PS.  You will also note that Mo is not yet on this song…that is how new it is.  We may do a second version of this when she gets her part down.  Also, the video (for those who get video) is a bit different than the download.  I encourage you all to not get too attached to a particular version yet, as it will fluctuate until it settles a bit.  But enjoy them non-the-less, I hope!  Much love! 

Dinner with Fran! Our member from Washington who we’ve loved seeing this summer! Thanks for coming and bringing your love Fran!

My two favorite girls, Mo & Juno! Cut from the same cloth they are! LOL! You KNOW what I mean!!! Ha!

Walk softly and sing under a big tree!!! LOL! Compliments of Melinda Bristol! Thanks Melinda!

Smile and the little mouse!

Smile, the tow truck is here!

Sandpoint Adventures July 4th-July 16th, 2020:

It was somewhat strange, I’ll admit, preparing the trailer all week to make our way up North to visit Nicci’s papa in Sandpoint.  We were excited, but also somewhat skeptical to make the journey with Covid looming in the air.  I’m not generally superstitious, but there were also a few things that happened before the trip that made me wonder whether or not this was a good idea after all.

 A couple days before our departure, I noticed Niccole’s car battery was completely dead, and she’d just had it in the day before for an oil change, where they supposedly checked everything.  So that was a two day endeavor back and forth to the dealership, but provided some relief as we thought our trusted ride “Slyvie” was all taken care of now.  Also, I filled up the water tank in the trailer earlier than usual, and thank God I did because when I went to turn on the pump, water started spewing everywhere!!  Needless to say, I drained the water from the tank and packed about 6 gallons for drinking and washing.  What a drag, but hey, the silver lining was at least we had a place to rest our heads, stay a safe distance from folks, and cook some good meals.

Our trip had some interesting gigs to start with.  We played for a wedding in Horseshoe Bend (about 45 minutes North) on July 4th.  Everyone was dancing and having a great time in the beautiful outdoors; a lovely 50 acre property right on the Payette River with giant cottonwoods, ponderosa trees, and old mining cabins.  Very cool terrain!  The fireworks show they had went till 3 am that morning, though we wouldn’t have minded if they weren’t being blown off 20 feet from our trailer.  We missed the “memo” on where they were going to do that apparently….. 

Headed off Sunday morning, eyes half mass, to play on another flat bed truck at the Dirty Shame Saloon in Garden Valley (another hour North).  We played for several hours in 95 degree heat, having to pull our mic stands and sound system back every 30 minutes  to avoid being exposed to the blistering sun.  We’d heard about the giant rock slide in Riggins on Hwy. 55, 120 feet long and 40 feet deep, so we knew we’d have to take either 84 West through Oregon and the Tri-Cities, WA. Or go up through Stanley, Challis, Salmon, ID. to Missoula, MT.  Well the decision was made for us, cause just as we were finishing up our set at the Dirty Shame, we found out there’d been a horrible accident about 30 minutes away that would prevent us from going home, taking Hwy 84.  That accident that happened at 4pm, ending up holding traffic till 12:30 am that night. It was a bad one.  At least one fatality and the other 3 life-flighted. They went off the embankment into the river.  We said a silent prayer for that family, and also for all the folks hanging out in the blistering heat that couldn’t get back home after a long 4th of July weekend.

Our only route option.

We landed at Southfork Lodge, a beautiful hotel nestled on the river banks of the South Fork and Payette River that night.  Our friend and another fabulous VIP member, Trudy was with us as she’d come to our show, and couldn’t make it home due to the road closure.  So we camped in our trailer, and she got a room, and we had a quiet evening/morning in a lovely Oasis. The breakfast was delicious as was the much needed shower! Of course, Juno was in her hay day frolicking in the river, and rolling in the grass! She loves a good road trip!

From there, we headed further North Monday morning to Stanley, then onto Challis, and into Salmon, about a 5 hour drive.  The terrain and landscape was absolutely breath-taking! Like a combination between Glacier and Zion National Park with rolling farm lands in between. Magnificent! And “Slyvie,” our trusted ride was powerful and doing  great so we continued to roll on towards Missoula after we swam Juno in the Snake River.  We were hoping to find camp somewhere for the night as we headed up the Lost Trail Pass. 

We were about a mile or two from the summit, MT/ID border when Nicc looks at me, very concerned as says “do you smell that?”  I put my sniffer on it right away but didn’t smell anything.  Then in a flash, the cab filled up with a most foul odor, and while Slyvie was spiking over 4000 RPM’s, she was losing power quickly! Fortunately there was a pull out ahead, and we pulled over just before we lost all engine power.  Whew! First thought….Oh Shit! Second thought, thank God for this pull out! We popped the hood, and a fellow, already parked there, came over to inspect the situation.  He thought “sounds like the transmission.”  Another fellow, Ray who’d already driven past us in his Winnebago had turned around and came back to check it out.  He and his 16 year old son, who was a 6 ft. 7 baseball pitcher, looked at the engine, and we started to trouble shoot what’s to be done.  We let the engine cool, and tried Slyvie again.  Ray, who will further more be referred to as Arch Angel Raymond, proposed to attach and tow our little trailer on his if Slyvie could make it to the top, thinking that we might be able to coast down 50 miles to the next town in Hamilton, MT. Good idea in theory, but “Slyvie” stunk to high heaven and wasn’t going anywhere. So we swapped numbers, and gave him Nicc’s family’s numbers so they’d know what was going on. He agreed to find a tow company from Missoula to come get us that evening since none of us had cell service.  We were completely in the hands of a stranger, and thankfully a kind stranger.  It was 6:30 pm when we broke down.  We set up camp on the side of the road and made some dinner.  We had a beautiful picturesque mountain view from our spot,  I cooked;  grateful we were okay, and that help was on the way. 

Double tow truck service…double the dough $$$ yikes, what’s the garage going to charge?

22 hours later, the next day we’re wondering what the heck is going on?  People would occasionally stop at the pull out, but it was to let other traffic go by.  We would wonder each time, is this person “Safe or creepy?” “Here to help or hinder?”  There were definitely no tow trucks, or cops in sight which furrowed my brow.   We made breakfast, read a little, did some yoga behind the trailer, and then while sitting in our road side chairs wondering “WTF?” this bright yellow flat bed truck “Wimps Towing” drives by, and I make a commotion, waving him down.  Tim was his name.  He said that he’d heard on the radio that we were already picked up by another company last night.  To which I replied, “well we’re still here as you can see, and haven’t heard anything, can you please help us?”  He was on his way to pick up a motorcyclist, then would come back to check in.  He called in another fellow, that would be coming from Hamilton, 50 miles away.  “Arch Angel Michael” was his name.

I tried to batten down the hatches in the trailer as best I could because I knew it was going to be a shit-show after being towed behind the big wrecker tow truck.  After he got Nicc’s truck on the flat bed he attached the trailer, and we all piled in the cab of the tow truck, Juno on Nicc’s lap, us with our masks on.  We were watching the trailer in the rear view mirror. It might as well have been one of those mechanical bulls, buckin’ and poppin’ the whole time, holy crap!  So we called a shop in Hamilton, M& M Trans and Auto, most of them were about to close.  Mike, our driver said we could have his appointment spot, as there were 60 cars to be fixed ahead of us.  They were really nice folks, and let us camp in their parking lot that evening.  Silver lining was, we were safely off the pass, and had a great view of the Selway-Bitterroot mountain range where we watched the sun set that evening.  

M&M AutoTrans in Hamilton MT in there “parking lot”, pretty sweet view. Silver linings!

We were praying it was something simple to fix, though I’ll admit we were both worried it was going to cost us an arm and a leg.  The guy took Slyvie out for a test drive several times, ran his diagnostics, checked everything out, and what did he find?  A mouse nest, and its foul smelling latrine all over our engine.  Fortunately it had not chewed any wires, but the nest and mouse had suffocated our engine on the pass, and the smell was, well mouse excrement or ground up dead mouse carcass!!  Uggghhh!  So he cleaned out the engine of the nest as best he could, never did find the damn mouse, and we were on our way.

We didn’t want to go over any other significant passes (Lolo and 4th of July Pass), so we opted to go Hwy. 200 through Thompson Falls, MT. into Sandpoint.  It had been a long time since we’d taken that drive, and we’d forgotten how jaw-dropping beautiful it was! We plopped our trailer at pop’s place right next to his amazing garden and under the graceful shade of two ponderosa pines. It was so good to land in such a magnificent place!  We had dinner, caught up, and slept probably 10 hours that night, after having had two nights of little rest due to road-side trucker Jake brakes.  Silver lining….we finally landed safely! 

Ahh…safe at Papa’s!

Juno was in her glory!  No borders, fences or any restrictions on this big beautiful plot of land, so she ran for the ball like her life depended on it!  She was the happiest and freeist we’ve ever seen her!  There were fields of long grass and wild daisies everywhere you turned!  The aspen trees rustled their leaves singing nature’s song.  Hummingbirds by the handfuls fighting for the feeder right outside the dining room window. They’d often come right up to you and say hi. Osprey in the distance feeding their young, and the luscious forests that spread as far as the eye could see!  It was quite a solace sanctuary to land, and we were so grateful to be there!  Nicc getting the quality time with her papa she’s been so looking forward to.

Juno and Sunny in the lake. Sunny learned how to swim that day!

Her dad cooked us breakfast every morning, and took us to his favorite restaurants almost every night.  The floating restaurant in Hope, right on the water, was a definite high-light.  Again, everywhere you looked between the Selkirk, Cabinet, and Monarch mountain ranges, to Lake Pend Orielle; that gorgeous 43 mile glacial lake, and the healthy, dense forest all abound, you felt infused with life!  We both remembered the allure of why it was we’d lived there for so many years.

Highlights of the trip were too many to describe, and what a good problem, eh? Nicc got to go car shopping with pops, though she’s still on the look-out.  Slyvie got us home just fine thankfully.  Niccole also gleefully got to drive dad’s giant Denali truck (he never lets her drive).  She drove his Polaris, 4 wheeler all over the property, and had a thrill on his high powered lawn mower!  Dad jumping out of the way at 89 years old, yelling “slow down Niccole!”

We floated the Pack River in a double kayak one day.  We didn’t realize this happens to be the major pass-time of all the locals now, so it was quite a busy float, but beautiful nonetheless. Dad BBQ’d some steaks in his “green egg” and it was probably one of the best smoked steaks we’d ever had!  Big pig-out sesh! Our friend, Kimmy came up for a surprise visit and came to our show, camping next to us one night.  Swimming our dogs at Tressel Creek was a blast.  Dad lives 8 miles North of Sandpoint, and we didn’t even venture into town till the last day of our trip cause we were having such a great time in the sticks.  We got to spend some outside quality time with our dear friend, Rhea, Niccole’s former acupuncturist, who had also come to our sole performance there in Hope, ID at the Old Icehouse Pizzeria.  Talk about a lot of LOVE in the audience. It was like coming home!  It was a feel-good show, where you could see everyone’s hearts open to the music.  And a gorgeous view of the lake and majestic Monarch Mountains in the back drop.  Everywhere you turned there was such exceptional beauty and bounty.  Idaho is quite a home!

Mo and Juno on the Pac River. Pac full of beauty!

So that being said, we had all of you with us in our travels, and wanted to give you a peek into our adventures along the way.  The song “Smile,” off Niccole’s second album kept resonating with us on the trip.  “Smile is the sunshine of your Soul….. puts joy where there was once a lonely hole, no need to keep it together, emotions are like the weather, no control.”  Since our smiles are presently all covered up with masks, we wanted to give you this song as a reminder and giant thanks for being our rays of sunshine through it all! We recorded the Blaze and Kelly version of “Smile” in our studio just for you!  Hope you enjoy!  Take very good care of yourselves, and may your smiles also bring a ray of sunshine to humanity during these unprecedented times.   Be safe, and be well! 

Love Mo and Niccole

Nic’s note: My awesome Dad and I target practicing…he’s 89 and still a “dead eye” :-)

 Nicc’s notes:

We decided to give you BOTH versions of Smile so you can hear the difference back to back. There is almost 20 years between these 2 recordings. I love the Cello and the vulnerable “baby” voice I had back then, but…I prefer Mo, even over the Cello ha ha! I find it amazing that a song so old can be even more relevant than when it was originally created! I hope you find it interesting. Thanks sweet friends, for bring smiles to our faces every day!

Cheers Cheers Cheers!

Hi Friends,

I hope this finds you well and healthy and if so, THAT is worth celebrating. A lot has happened this month; in the news, in the world and it seems to be steam roller-ing along as we “sit in our homes” and wonder, “What’s next?” Or do we dare to ask that question in hopes not to tempt fate.

Here in Idaho we have been affected by the Covid but not to the degree that other states have, but…we are catching up with the rest of the states. At the same time the numbers in our state grow, venues are wanting to book us. So strange. Such a strange place we are in, all of us, witnessing, watching, praying, protesting.

I have come to the page thinking, what is really new to say? What is there to be joyous about? What is going on with music that we are excited about? Is there ANYTHING exciting?

Last blog I wrote about finding joy in the simple things. That is still the case. My drive to get projects done has waned, as there will ALWAYS BE another project. I’ve extended my energies towards “accomplishing” enough. I have immersed myself in Netflix series. Immersed myself in Gin and Tonics too! Now, I’m drinking tea. The pendulum may be swinging back to balance for me. Not a new world that I like…but one that I am slowly accepting… perhaps.

I still miss hugging people when I see them. It’s still so strange to feel so much love and not be able to do anything with it. We are beginning to play out live, mainly at outside venues provided they are maintaining the safety perimeters. In doing so, we feel the emotional distance too at first. Yet, music is the grand uniter! After 2-3 songs in, people forget the hard times and start smiling again, if only for a moment. This is good and makes our hearts smile.

How can you be aware of what’s going on…concerned and safe…but NOT worried! Right? What does worry get us anyway? One step at a time, alligator closest to the boat, right? Keeping conscience and staying aware yet also holding the knowing-ness that all will inevitably be ok in the long run anyway.

In the long run we all will go back to our maker with the gifts we’ve collected from this world. The exchanges that we’ve had, the memories, the soul gets it’s “food” for where ever it needs to go next. No one nor I knows concretely where we all wind up of course. But I have faith that it is someplace beautiful and good.

I know it’ seems a morbid blog. Yet there is a reality…many people are passing from this planet. It IS happening. And politically we are faced with GREAT CHANGE for the world. How ELSE do people listen? If their lives aren’t threatened, if there are no grave consequences for our actions, people tend to keep “going along”.

There is a grand intelligence to the universe indeed. We look around and see the “magic” of a crystal stream and the ecology of what it supports. We see the circular pattern of the a day into night or a year into next and the seasons change like a sunrise and sunset. We see the universal law playing before our eyes and sometimes…especially in times like these…we can feel so small. So minuit. Up against a big thing, a series of systems and unfolding.

We can feel helpless in the midst of solidified mind-sets, other peoples programs or belief systems that differ from ours. We can think the little things don’t matter. But…they do.

I said to a crowd this weekend, “Have you ever tried to sleep with a mosquito in the room? The little things definitely matter!” This little germ spreading across the world has made itself matter. Sometimes we can wonder in anything we do…”does it matter?” Especially in isolation. People, others, the love for others gives us purpose and gives us a “mattering point” if you will (for lack of better word).

It is an easy time to lose our compass and the feeling of our true North. But this is where we pull in the reins a bit. We take shorter steps. We walk the trail and we NOTICE the small stuff going on in our consciousness. We do the “house cleaning” and we get to the “calm” in the middle of this shit show. We find ourselves. We look in the mirror at another day and walk into our lives as best we can.

I have known enough or figured out as much about myself to know what motivates me. I am very accountable to other people (not so much to myself at times but if I say I will do something…I’ll do it.) Last year I had this song idea dropped into my lap. "The 5 star dive bar”.

Actually Earl Grief a guy who hired us for “Ride Idaho” a non-profit here in Bose, called me to write a song called “the 5 Star Dive Bar”. Earl is quite a character. Very fun loving, whimsical, sweet, ornery, and sometime surly. We love Earl and have been playing for his organization for over 9 years.

When he first told me about the song concept (5 star dive bar), I though, “how clever”. Yet, it seemed vaguely familiar. Well no wonder, up in Sandpoint at a seedy little joint called the 219 there is a sign that reads…”the 5 Star Dive Bar”. Earl stole the idea from that. Sandpoint of all places! I had a whole other life there years ago so I thought that was coincidental.

I was excited about a twangy “country-fied” song that would tell a story about a 5 star dive bar. Visions played in and out of my head for about…5 years! Ha! Maybe more maybe less, they go so fast these days. I wrote the song a million times, but I never wrote it down. I would show up for Earls gigs and sing him something different each year. I would make it up there on the spot always poking fun at Earl and the audience would laugh.

Every year he would ask, “Did you write that song yet?” and I would fib my way through a live ad lib for pure fun and entertainment with a sweet crowd. Well, last year 3 days before Earls gig I was sitting in the bathtub…songs fall in when everything else falls out. I started coming up with lyrics and melody.

“Damn it Earl, now I have to get out of the tub, dry off and write your damn song!” Ha! You never know when the song fairies are going to drop “gold” into your head and this time it was truly inconvenient. But I got up, dried off, grabbed paper and pen and recorder and penned out this very fun song.

I sang it for Earl 2 days later and we laughed like hell. 5 Star is a culmination of all walks of life. It’s a tale of coming in as a stranger and leaving as a friend, where all walks of life reside and are accepted. There was no covid then, people played darts and rode mechanical bulls. The good ol boys merged with the queers and nobody cares. I invented a place like that in my mind. A true melting pot of color, creed, gender and all the in between ADDED to this 5 star culture. Variety made it great…like the scene from Star Wars and all those weird characters in that bar.

I wanted it to be a celebration song where everyone sings and raises a glass. We STILL have much to raise a glass to boys and girls. It may be camouflaged right now, but there are some strides being made. I know you all need some cheer! I hope you enjoy having this song and many of you are in the audience of this recording saying exactly that….”cheers cheers cheers”…good things are coming! Hang in there and stay safe!

Much love and many hugs!

Niccole

Cheers Cheers Cheers, at an Irish Pub in Whistler Black Comb Writers Tears Whiskey with a Guinness emmm…

Mo in her happy place in the sun on the slopes.

The Simple Things

JUNO!!!

Hey Friends,

I am super thankful for you folks coming to read these pages and download the Mp3’s. We hope you have been enjoying the membership and we are very appreciative of your support!

The month of May has been a full month! Many things have happened this month in the world, in our country, in our state. We got handed all these rules to be paranoid about, and many of them simply go against the nature of being human.  We gather, we hug, we celebrate and now…we are torn between “right and wrong”, “opinions of what healthy really is”, “red and blue”, “economist vs. humanitarians”, “risk, denial, and chance seekers vs. playing it safe or being respectful”.  This has been a very challenging time for everyone and for me, someone who’s purpose is mixed with building community and spreading the light, there is a lot of dark right now.

If you turn on the news it can seem like there is no light to be found. When do we go back to “normal”? Will the world EVER be NORMAL again? And for us personally, how do we keep our ship sailing financially? There are so many levels of unknowns here and I know, I am not the only one to ask these questions. Many of you are suffering from your own inner struggles with the way the world is right now. There is NO WAY for me to come to these pages and write an out of touch blurb that is puffed and “jolly jolly”! But…I can come to this piece of writing and share my compassion, for you and the world.

I can sit in this chair as I type and tell you that I can actually HEAR our chimes outside blowing in the wind (which is a rare slight miracle for me). I can tell you that if you still your mind you may notice the Simple Things around you. The sunshine dancing in the tree leaves as the wind gently plays it’s wind song. The smell of bacon still left over from breakfast. Or that hug from the dog, wow…if you pay attention, they REALLY know how to HUG!

As I was heading through the house, I leaned over Juno yesterday. She met me with as much if not more love than I had. My face berried in her fur, paused to take in this sweet beast. I could feel her little heart beat and hear her dogie breath in and out. For a moment, I felt Joy. For a moment…

Finding the “Joy in the Ride” these days is a true challenge folks, I’m not going to lie. For someone who wrote that song and a bunch of others, Life is Beautiful, Above the Rain, Keep Facing the Sun…I search too. Searching for the light and the brighter side is the byproduct of those songs. I had to work and SEARCH for that, it’s not as though I was “walking in that”. Writing a song is much like trying to catch a butterfly. You get glimpses of the feeling, laced into words or perhaps music, and if you are lucky and don’t try to “chase” the feeling down…it will land on you. And it’s fleeting yes, but it gives you a moment, a moment to take it all in. A moment to experience harmony and joy and dogie breath to make you feel at peace.

We have to keep reaching for those moments. We have to be open for the butterfly to land and give us a moment of serenity. Like one musical note suspended at just the right time…it can unlock a heart! I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. And when I feel dead inside, I reach for music. It brings out the life in me.

And yet here I sit too, with expectations upon myself, as we all do. When given enough time, we expect we should do great things within this new “surge of extra time”. Where are the new songs? Why is that front shed not cleaned out? When are you going to get some well needed exercise? Ha! We dance in our own obligations every day and we can become our own driving force to be reckoned with and if you are like me, you are driven. I was an athlete, I was a teacher, I am a different type of musician because of those things. A part of me thrives on structure and a part of me resists structure. It’s a constant flux. A stretching of giving myself permission, expanding to be playful, to be creative, then back to the contracting of taking care of business, checking things off the list. Expand, contract, expand again.

I don’t feel like I am the only one going through this as our world is spinning to a different frequency than it was just a few months ago. People are diggin’ deep and confronted with sobering realities. It has not been an easy road as of late. But I have faith it will “Turn Around”, and perhaps in ways we would not have expected. We have to REACH for the JOY, we have to pay closer attention to the GIFT of life and all it’s beauties, especially when there is so much ugly out there right now. (Riots/Violence…etc.)

Take in those Simple Things. That humming bird that just whizzed past. The ants that gathered under Mo’s car last week, looked like an oil stain but it was moving. A sea of thousands of little tiny ants all moving in it’s own microcosm. A fascinating underground world revealed as they made their way into the cracks of the pavement.

Our picture has been dominated by the horror that has gone on in the world, but if you change your focus, you may see those small, little things, those gifts, the beauties, and the “Simple Things”.

One of our members asked us to record the “Simple Things” for your download. The original version is nearly 20 years old before I met Mo. Well, we are posting this song for you WITH the “Mighty” Mo. Take time for the little things, the simple things. Practice shifting your focus and recognizing your “driver”, perhaps that “athlete” in you that keeps pushing you to your “goal”. Being driven is great…but not if you drive yourself nuts! I have had to take some hard looks on how I treat myself. I think that is what this time is about. How do you treat yourself? What can shift, re-balance or adjust so there is a greater sense of peace and acceptance? Just ask yourself these questions in the silence of your mind from time to time. The “driver” will not be able to answer these things for you. You can not “drive” to the answer. It’s going to have to be between the spaces of your to do list. In the places and times that you give yourself to drift and day dream out in the yard, gardening or hugging the dog.

And those that are drivers and can’t FIND their drive, perhaps it’s time to let faith take the wheel. Or if you’ve never been and athlete or particularly driven, watch your mind and see if your mind is driving and your body just refuses to buy into it…then come teach me how you do that! ha ha ha!

I wish for you and myself some amazing “Ah-ha” moments in all of this. I wish for you that expectation management is met with ease and grace. And I hope you enjoy this months download. An old song, but a NEW recording.

Be well sweet ones! Stay healthy and thank you for all you do and all you are!!!

Much love,

Niccole , Mo & Juno

Gonna let my Garden grow!

Love the interaction between friends! Love the hearts too!!!

Hello beloved friends,

I hope this finds you well and healthy. Spring has indeed sprung here in Boise and there are many projects coming to completion around our home during this quarantine. It’s interesting what you get use to, isn’t it? Here in the middle of a pandemic we find ourselves live streaming in our shop/studio and preparing for it all week. This is so different than how our “normal” gig life has been.

“Normally” we have 3-5 shows a week, we lay a “blanket set list”at our feet with over 100 songs to choose from and half the time I never look at it. I look in the eyes of our audience and my “Angels” give me a nudge of what songs to play. The perfect song between our confidence and feel good and the audiences wishes and wants. Those “little voices” beckon to play this song because Dave is in the audience or that song because Jane is in the audience. It’s been such a trip playing in front of a phone camera!

The phone camera does not give you expressions of feedback, it does not applaud, smile, gesture, cheer and nor does it frown, glare, talk loudly, yawn or chew it’s food!!! *Big Smile* We can interact during a live stream with the use of a notebook on the music stand. I absolutely adore the exploding hearts that rise up the screen of all the love sent from folks listening from their homes. So there is interaction, but there are no distractions. Nothing to take you off your mark except your thoughts. And now that I am use to this, I can literally “feel” the expansion of energy. It’s truly a trip! Like when we sang Life is Beautiful last week I could feel our audience and in my minds eye, SEE everyone. Like and elevated perspective. People don’t have to physically be here to FEEL them, which was SO COOL!!!

This time has also allowed us so much! For me it has allowed a much needed space. Space to get clarity. I am one step away from the audiences needs and wants (or what I tell myself they want) and one step closer to deciphering what I want. What kind of show would I like to play? I always have my audience in mind as a priority. Even still when we make the set list days in advance of a Saturday stream show, I am adding songs from the vortex and requests from the prior week. I think about the platform that we are on now (in our shop on a camera) and I have all these other tools at my disposal like different guitars and sometimes sheet music if we really love the song but don’t have it committed to memory. This has been a wonderful exploration to just allow myself to enjoy music! I can put my full attention to this once a week show! It’s been a bit of heaven! We walk to the gig…our back yard *snicker*. The equipment is already set up. When the show is over we walk back into the house! Ha! No driving, no fending off drunken hang ons -*loud laugh*. This is very different than how we’ve done music for all these years!

I have slept harder during this pandemic than I ever have in the last 20 years of playing music. (Well, after the first couple weeks of the pandemic.) I have had to ask myself, “What is this about?” Sparing you the psychological detail, it really comes down to taking care of myself. Allowing my wishes and wants and needs to be heard and acted upon, a bit more (a LOT more). Recognizing the stress of performing, what it does to the body, how it revs the mind. How much energy it takes to be social.

I’ve known these things, but not like I know now. You know things when you get away from patterns that once held you. We can be in automatic, running from one show to another, or one social engagement or appointment and all the while, self-care takes a back seat. And if you looked at our home, there are many things that haven’t made their way into our priority. Simply because we haven’t had the time.

One thing we just completed today is a drive way! It was a great project! Fun, hard, physical and we had no one show us the ropes on how to do it, go about it or even the best tools. I had wanted to do this last Spring yet we were off and running to Oregon I think and then it got too bloody hot! We completed the task in phases and Mo was a super star! We rented a “ditch witch” and I drove that around with reckless abandon! Ha! Well, not really reckless, I was very careful actually. I was surprised how innately natural I was driving and operating one of those “tonka toys”! It has always been on my bucket list to play with bull-dozers and tractors and fun things like that.

When I was young I would mow our folks 5 acre yard with a big international tractor. I LOVED that thing! My parents never had to ask me to cut the grass…I was on it!

So I got to play, and get an adult job done. Yay! Now as our nation and state starts to “open up”, we do have a bit of concern about how it all will go. Mo and I have tried to nail down what we can and won’t do as we all honestly still need to be careful. The virus does not discern and it’s not like a parent telling us, “Ok, you’re not grounded anymore!”. I would feel terrible if our show created a population to be infected. So each venue, party, person we will need to address what the protocol will be. We will probably cancel all of our out of state bookings through the summer. Which is sad because we had some GREAT venues and parties lined up.

But there is a larger part of the picture that I get to see from all this. I get to fall in love with music again, detached from what I want to DO with music or where I want music to TAKE us. I get to noodle and doodle and get my hands in the dirt tending to my own garden. In every way, we are “tending to our own garden” right now. Whatever your “garden” is…do it with passion and a grateful heart because this time won’t last forever. And when the merry-go-round starts spinning fast again, we don’t have to step back on it.

Which leads me to your new download this month, “The Garden Song”! (Mickey your are going to love this! LOL!) Patricia Daily, a great friend of ours, who is also a fabulous musician asked if we would do harmonies on this song she was recording. So, when you hear it, you will hear the lovely Pat Daily and then we come in for the harmony towards the end. It’s such a happy little tune I thought you would enjoy! It’s really perfect for this time period too…what “seeds” will you plant? How do you want to live after this great reflection of time? How will you “fertilize” your garden? Who fosters your garden? Who brings the weeds? Who steals the harvest? Who helps weed? Who makes a feast for you from the harvest?

Instead of “All the places you will go”…it’s more like, “all the things you will grow!” Ha ha! A twist on the ol’ Dr. Sues! ;-)

We love you all. Stay safe out there! For anyone that doesn’t know how to get on our live streams you can watch live every Sat. @7pm MST from Blaze and Kelly Facebook (you don’t need to be our friend…but you are!) OR if you are NOT on Facebook, you can view the show from YouTube search Blaze and Kelly “Love” Stream and you will find the series to watch. We hope to “see” you soon, and to someday actually SEE you!

Much love,

Niccole, Mo & Juno

The treasures you find when you clean out old stuff! This was my first ever Winnie! I adore Winnie! There was a time I had a 3 foot huge Winnie I would insist to take every where. He would sit with me at Church and take up space on the pew. I would bungee him to my big wheel. This little guy is my only survivor of those old days, and I don’t think I will ever part with him. He’s a late 60’s model ha ha! And so am I!

Nic Digs!

The Crew!!!! (and supervisor Juno!)

Edging, there is no quick tool to help this…total shovel grunt work. :-)

Leveling the “playing field”.

All the stones laid out and leveled with a weed guard tucked underneath.

A finished gravel drive way! This use to be a terrible weed field. Funny how a “weed” can motivate you to make something nicer! Every time I back the trailer over this, I will smile with the satisfaction of a job well done!

Everything you have...was given!

A moment in time…a true gift!

Everything You Have Was Given

Everything you have…was given, from your life down to your shoes. Yes you went to the store.  YOU bought them with YOUR paycheck…but you were GIVEN a paycheck and the clerk that helped give you the shoes also gave you a bag to carry them in. 

Every job you’ve had, you were given. Every meal you’ve eaten was given, whether you made the meal itself or someone cooked it for you.  You were given the groceries that you shopped for, you were given gas to drive home. You were given a smile from your partner as you whipped up the most amazing spread to give to those you love. 

You’ve been given a break, you’ve been given time, you’ve been given life.  And…if you are part of the human landscape, you’ve given too.  You’ve given love, you’ve given laughs, and you’ve given friendship. This is not a closed circle.  You’ve given and you’ve gotten.  This is a circular motion; it is not something that see-saws like in a child’s play ground.  Some folks you give to and some folks you get from and it makes the world go round.  The trouble occurs when we think we have not gotten. But as long as you are breathing, look around…you’ve gotten everything.  From the car you’ve been driving to the home you lay your head, to the crowd you hang around with.  Someone made this vehicle, made this place to dwell and rest, some acquaintance GAVE you time to get to know one another. 

Life is like that.  It twists our perception and makes us feel that perhaps we’ve over given, perhaps we don’t HAVE enough, and perhaps we are lost in a delusion that there is NO ONE that gives to US. 

But the mailman still comes…to give you mail.  The trash man still comes to give you space by recycling your containers of the left cartons you’ve gone through.  The bar still gives you drinks and the musicians still play your favorite songs.  The pastor still gives you a sermon.  The dog still gives you a wag and nature still gives us a rainbow after all the water the Earth can drink.

It is easy to get on the opposite side of this.  It is human to sometimes feel sorry for itself.  But your lungs are still collecting the air you breathe and your heart is still providing blood through your veins. Remember these small miracles as you go through time.  It is often something we take for granted. Everything you have and own has been given by something be it a collective grand thought, effort, time, attention or a singular creation.  We are all a part of this circulation and it’s a beautiful knowingness when you can see the back story of every item woven into the fabric of your life. 

May it bring you peace. May it bring you joy.

May it bring you to your knees with tears of humble gratitude.

May it be an awareness that you now walk with divine knowing.

For as long as you live on Earth, take heart in being gifted and understand, what is yours to pass on.  That’s all life’s about. 

-Niccole Blaze

Hi Friends,

This is has been quite a ride huh? We were high on a cloud after our show March 12th and then like a snap…the whole world changed. It was coming, we just didn’t realize how much it would level us. It took about a week for Mo and I to come out of a dazed state of partial denial, ignorance and down right rebuking of the truth. People are dying and the only way we can insure safety is to stay away from each other. How horrible!

I know you look to these blogs and tunes for something uplifting, and I hope that the message above was something you could really let sink in, because it’s true. But this virus has been and WILL BE life changing, for a lot of us. I know Mo worked diligently to secure gigs all through the summer. We were “locked in” from here to Washington, to Oregon and North Idaho and now we are cancelled. And it sounds as though I may be describing the last sunset…BUT…hang in here with me…the Moon is rising!

And with that Moon I see the blue hue of hope! I’ve seen more people be kind to each other, on social media and when we dare take that trip to the grocery store. I’ve also seen an amazing turn towards live streaming! Since we’ve been on “stay home” assignments, we have all been more worldly. Tuning in to other countries besides ourselves. Listening and educating ourselves from people all over the world. On a macro level, this is amazing and unprecedented! Capitalistic agendas have paused…I mean, let’s face it…the Kentucky Derby was post-poned!!! *Hands on hips, mouth agape!*

Never before have we seen major sports events, music events, conferences and churches SHUT DOWN!!!! Look at that! Look at what a society can do when we all work together! And it’s going to take us all working together to spare the lives that are going to suffer from all of this.

Honestly folks…I’ve cried many many tears. I’ve drank way too much more than I should. I have prayed. I have thought of all of you. I have thought of all my friends and family. I have thought about my life. I have thought about my habits, beliefs, standards, and purpose. This is causing us to go deep. And…frankly, we need to. Collectively, on a whole…I know it’s my opinion, but I feel strongly that we need to go deep right now.

On a macro level, we need to take care of the environment. We need to be stewards of the land. On a micro level, we need to look out for one another and on the deep deep micro level…we need to learn self love. Nothing will point it’s finger at self love so perfectly as when you have NO distractions! When you have too much time on your hands and the typical go go go will not hold you up anymore.

We are staring at ourselves in the mirror and it’s going to take courage boys and girls…in the next few weeks as we begin to really slow and tap into what our subconscious has been whispering to us for so long.

We GET to slow down. We GET to have extra time. We GET to love each other more because of this. We GET to get organized. We GET to look at our habits, our beliefs, our junk in the closet we need to clean out! We GET to do so many things with this time. We GET to CHOOSE WHO TO BE!!!

We had a great “hug” at the Sapphire show 3/12! It was a perfect show to finish before this unplanned “sabbatical”. My father showed up! The girls played so well! The crowd was amazing! And we all knew on some level, the shit was about to hit the fan, and we slipped this show right under the radar!!! That was my hallelujah!

Double hugs! Nic, Evelyn (Keyboardist), Mo & Heather (Violinist)

Meghan Sandwich (our beloved percussionist)

Amongst all my “madness” of producing last years Sapphire thumb drives and organizing the last bit of details…like planning 3 weddings…my “little voice” whispered to me…”You need time Nic. You need to give yourself a break!” Well here we have it! At least 3 months of break!

Our house is a small house and we are on the go A LOT! There are things that have been piling up that we have not been able to get to. Now…we can! We GET to paint our bedroom (last room in the house to go!) We GET to have a garden this year! I GET to write a song! I GET to produce this years show!

And a Silver lining…our “Love” stream! I am so amazed by the reactions and responds we have received from our B&K Facebook live streaming!!! It is absolutely incredible! Just this week, we had 49 new “likes” to our B&K page!!! Our live streams have curated over 5000 engagements!!! This is unheard of! I have been so “lazy” putting ourselves out there on mass media! I immediately got over my fears of getting our “show” out to “unknown crowd” because I knew that our people need us (our music) and in that…people from Ohio, PA, CA, WA, OR and even Japan have tuned in!!! Unbelievable!!!

My mind grew! Why have I been holding back? Why haven’t we produced live streams before? What have I been afraid of…better yet…How can I make them great!? Better!? What can we do!? And folks…there has been some new people that have stepped onto the VIP membership! And there have been many donations that could make me cry because I’m so moved by peoples generosities! And folks…you have a new song waiting for you called, “Silver Linings”! It’s not finished…but the recording is pretty good as my skills of recording are getting better and better!!!

All these things are moving in a syncopated way. I do trust the Universe has a unique masterful design. All is unfolding as it should on a Macro level and Micro level. Even though it seems really really hard right now. There is a grand plan to all of this. People are reaching deeper, into what it means to be HERE…NOW!

“Isn’t this beautiful….here in this process…a grand development, we don’t understand…” Life is indeed STILL beautiful. This virus hit NOW 2020…not 15 years ago before all this technology. We have enough to do the right things. We have the brain power, the technical power, the inner wisdom power. The power to go within and take this break. To look…deeply at ourselves and find what there is to love in all of that!

This is a horrible time…and an incredible time! Make it sing! Make it ring! See where you go! Where the energy flows! See what you do, see what comes true! Pray a lot! Sing a lot! Wash your hands a lot! Think of everything you’ve got!!!

We are here! With you…in this process…of the unknown! Remember all that has been given to you…and all you GET to do and be! Enjoy your unfinished tune and know how grateful we are for you, your patronage, your love, your requests, your undying support!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Hang in there!!!!

Niccole & Mo

Mo, standing in the “middle” of herself…how beautiful!

Meghan, letting it rip!

Evelyn’s nimble fingers on the board!

Heather haunting our souls with her violin!

My adorable Papa!

Mo love! With Jeremy Davis and Melissa.

“Good night friends, God Bless you, stay safe and remember we love you!”

Standing Up and Selling Out!!!

“Oh Juno, do you know…she’s a banana dog, banana dog, a waggy waggy waggy!!!”

Hey Friends,

We are heading smack into our production month. A very awesome and somewhat prestigious show at Boise’s premiere Sapphire Room concert showcase at the Riverside Hotel! The beauty is…it’s SOLD OUT and this is about the 5th time we’ve done just that! The great part is…the tickets went very quickly this time and it’s a true blue sell out! We were half full one week after they went on sale back the end of January. What that tells me is, people enjoy what we are doing. It also tells me they are learning to buy earlier as their chances for a seat will get away from them if not (and that is always sad for us too!)

So what a production entails for us is, kinda like getting ready for a wedding. There are all these arrangements to make, practice, promotion, hype, organizing players, picking songs, creating a set list, scheduling rehearsals and nailing everything down so you are prepared for the big show. The set list and the song order is about the hardest thing to determine. You want it to be a fun “roller coaster ride”…take your people on a journey with you; bring them up, then allow for some soul reflection time, pierce the heart a little bit, then back to some great laughs! I expect a lot from our shows. I want it to be an experience that opens folks or at least entertains!

With a world that is so grabby for time these days, I want these productions to be a place of “home” in a way, perhaps refuge from all the crap that goes on in the world, a moment to forget and enjoy. They can have a few laughs and a bit of, dare I say, “Spiritual food” for the soul.

This year we have an all lady band. This is a first. There is usually a gentlemen or two that join us and that is totally cool. But it is great to have the opportunity work with only women, and this is a first for us aside from our trio ensemble with Rochelle Smith on mando/vocals or Meghan Watters on percussion. We have played out in the world with our “lady band” but not at a ticketed event-production.

Here’s what I noticed while working with all women (please forgive me if this sounds total sexist, NOT my intention). No one is trying to take over. That is the biggest difference. There is no ego that is so huge in the room that wishes to dominate! So…it’s been REALLY fun to rehearse! It’s been just lovely seeing these ladies amazing energies (aka the Waggie Tails), and we want to bring that love to the stage! We will truly miss them when this whole thing is all over. We are going to have to do something else…and that is the kind of “glue” I’m talking about! There is this energy, this new “family” if you will, and you miss it when it’s over.

So we have a sell out, and I’m well aware that CD sales are dropping. Why would anyone want to buy a CD if they can’t play it? Right? All the new fancy cars and even computers that don’t have CD players. Well, I thought about thumb drives for the past few years now but people have always talked me out of it. Why?

Why have I allowed others to poo poo on this idea? Perhaps it’s because THEY are resistant to change? Ya know folks, my last name use to be Bayley. I made two records with that name, you can find them on itunes still under that name. Mo and I use to run around as Niccole Bayley and Mo Kelly.

I decided back in 2008 that I wanted to ditch the name. It was a married name (long story there) in which I was grown out. I had a huge calling one day on the road, I remember exactly where we were and it was like a lightning bolt and it said, “Change that last name!”. Actually, it felt like my Mother said this to me, with a few swear words in there and her little Jersey accent. That’s how I heard it.

I thought about it, a bit shocked and a bit grieving. That name carried me around over 15 years (like I said it was a LONG story). It was like a favorite coat you wore around. But, it wasn’t where I wanted to go anymore. I wanted something different.

Blaze is now my LEGAL name. And, akin to my family name Blaese. Everyone in the world would mess up my birth name, which is pronounced Blay-zee. Growing up and having an unusual spelling for a first name, (Niccole with 2 c’s) and then the desecration of my last name was just a tedious and constant correction for others. I have a little song I created when I was 12 that spells my name. When people asked how to spell my name I would sing it to them. Ha! Every kid in camp new how to spell my name! I imagine if I ever became a doctor I would have a song for all the bones and long medical words! Songs truly are a great way to remember things!

Anyway, back in 2008, you would not believe the blow back for me to NOT change my name. I had so many people giving me advice NOT to do it. They told me how much I would mess up my career. I already had a two CD’s out and a website and all my promo had my old name on it. And I sat back and looked at what a pain in the ass it was going to be…but guess what, “I had new fans that didn’t even know me yet” I thought, and “Blaze and Kelly has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it!?” So, even though it was hard, I did it. Even though maybe there are some folks wondering where that Niccole Bayley went…she’s right here, kickin’ ass! Ha ha!!!

So in the same Spirit of change and moving with the trends, I selected to proceed on the thumb drive endeavor. And let me just say, it’s been an endeavor! Not so much the physical aspects of getting sharp looking thumb drives, but the internal workings and technology has been a bit of a bugger!

Did you know, that EVERY song you pull into iTunes gets a thumbprint? Yes, every song comes with meta-data, which is information about that song. This allows for the artwork to be attached to the song in the car when you play it and tells you what genre it is and what order it is on the play list and who is the artist.

CD’s when they are manufactured correctly have this encoding built in. Thumb drives do not! Ugh. I’ve learned WAY too much about this technology. Thumb drives don’t have the capacity to have a menu play list. And they like to shuffle and screw up what picture goes with what song. So, there was that. I called a genius to help get me through it and he basically told me this.

Gracenote is an operating system that is the media sync for all the cars out there. Gracenote, iTunes, Spotify, Pandora…they all work together. “These people don’t want you to create and sell your own medium for music!” And it’s true, unfortunately. Infact, if I drag my mp3’s that I produced into my iTunes player, my iTunes puts a finger print on the meta-data and you go to play it in the car and it will say “Unknown”. or “Corrupt Media”! So, I have had to bypass my iTunes player to put the files directly to the thumb drives.

I’ve gone round and round with techy folks and friends. It’s been quite an education. All that is to say, I’ve created some sharp thumb drives that work! Folks can put them in their computer, the artwork shows up, drop them into your phone, blue tooth them into the car and have the music where ever they go.

If you put the USB right into the car, it will play it…after there is a rejection warning from the car but that is only because Gracenote operates all car sync and doesn’t recognize the media, however after those warnings if you still go to brows and play (or propagate the songs), it will eventually play the thumb drive. And when it plays them it will shuffle them, so it won’t be in order.

I was so holding on to the order of these songs, and my buddy told me to let that go. For some reason I wanted people to go to a folder in there car, hit the folder button and open the CD to their choosing. The more fancier cars can do this (my car is a 2010 and can not) but here’s the thing. I ran around in my car for a few days with the drive in…test driving, pun intended, and it played the drive in “shuffle”; a song I wrote when I was 29, then one I wrote when I was 36 then one I wrote when I was 42. That was wild! To bounce back and forth in my “diary of songs” which is quite a collection these days! I’m pretty darn proud of our catalog!

Deciding a price. Ugh! Well, I have 2 drives I am going to release at the Sapphire show. One will be a walnut 4 GB with 50 songs on it. These songs are my pick for “Best of” and I will provide a list of the tunes that are on there, and since that data only takes .5 GB they have and extra 3.5 GB to utilize for whatever they wish. I decided to sell that at the price point that would basically beat iTunes and be affordable. Since I have all these song…$50.00 bucks for 50 songs + a sweet thumb drive! Killer deal I think.

Next, the Sapphire show from 2019! Last years show was so fun! So epic of a night! We had Mo and I, Bonnie Johnson on electric lead, our buddy Roxx Smith on vocals, mando and Cajon, and Earl Huges on pedal steel. It was a high energy phenomenal night! We recorded it and I have been finishing up the last of the mixing and making it sound good. Wow! THAT has been a learning curve too, but I’ve had a lot of fun with it! I’ve learn SO much this last month! I am super proud of the 2019 production and I found these sharp thumb drives that are a sweet Sapphire color with our logo engraved and I will put the whole show on a 2 GB and sell that for $25.00. It’s 20 songs of unreleased material! I am excited! I know I will run into the occasional, “I don’t know how to work this thing in my car?” question. But I will encourage most folks to download it to their computer, then put it on their phones and blue tooth it. But for those that like a challenge, pushing buttons in their car, it WILL play. The folders ARE on the thumb drive!

I also know that I will get those folks that will say, “When are you going to make another CD?” And for those folks, I will say…”Here’s the drive, download it on your computer and rip it to a CD”…there ya go! Right!?

Sometimes ya just have to stand up to the change that is inevitably coming. I feel like I have my independence back with these things. They are sharp utilitarian devices and I am proud of their quality. So we will run with these and probably learn a lot. It will be the first Gen. of TD’s we do.

50 song Collection!

Live at the Sapphire! 20 newly released tunes!!!

This months Mp3!

Oh JUNOOOOOO Waggy waggy waggy do Yooou know! Waggy waggy waggy!!

Here’s the back story. We were at a rehearsal here at the house with our drummer Meghan and keyboardist Evelyn. We were hammering out the set for a few hours and we all got hungry so I ordered pizzas and Mo went to pick them up.

During the time Mo was gone, I was tinkering on my guitar and told them I “wrote a song for Juno” that morning that went something like this…. Now, I never wrote a word down, and still haven’t. I just picked up the guitar that morning and Juno came in and put her head on my feet. So I sang her a little tune off the cuff. Well, I remembered the cord progression from that morning, played it for the girls and the pair of them immediately got on their instruments and embellished what I was doing. We had a GREAT time! It was super fun!

Some of the verses were awesome, others not…but to have these ladies just chime in will give you an idea of the playfulness and vibe we are sharing. Super stoked! So note that this recording is COMPLETELY IMPROV! I had no words written down, or changes. We just had a super fun time! Hope you like it and it gives you a “waggy tail” ! What’s cool is I had no idea the girls recorded it! I was just goofing off! They GOT me!!! So here you have it! Maybe I will develop the tune to be a real song someday. Juno is worth having her own song!!! That doggie makes me smile every day!

Thanks so much for taking the time to check in with us and thanks for being part of our faithful team! We appreciate you!!!