Album Recording, Part One! And Happy Easter Weekend!

Hey, friends! Here's a little intro to the studio where I'm recording my album in Nashville. This is just to whet your palate. Much, much more to come!  Happy Easter, my loves!

New Album in Nashville!

Hey, guess what: I'M MAKING A NEW ALBUM!!! I just arrived in Nashville to start the recording process and I made a video downtown on Broadway to introduce you to the city and to show you what I'm up to. In fact, I'll be posting videos every week to show you the process of how an album is made and to keep you updated on the progress.

You know what else is cool? I'm doing a campaign with this album that will allow you to contribute to the making of it and be involved as much as you'd like to be. When you contribute, I'll offer some really cool experiences in return such as: a private concert in your home, a shopping trip with me to my favorite vintage clothing stores, songwriting lessons, a ticket to my songwriting workshop this summer, a signed copy of the new album and lots more. The campaign starts on Tuesday (April 2nd), so check back here for all of the details.

* A million thanks to Wesley Johnson for the making making of this video.

This Thursday at Cherry Lane Boutique!

Lately we've been down at my in-laws' store (Cherry Lane Boutique) helping and messing around as they get ready for a big event this Thursday night! If you're local and you've never been to their store, you've got to visit. The building alone is a historic site worth seeing. It used to be the old college Women's Gym in days of yore.  Anyhoo, this Thursday night is the night you've been waiting for to have that girls' night out.  They're having a fashion show (with some darling vintage-inspired dresses!), an Easter basket raffle, discount coupons for every guest and . . . you guessed it, FREE FOOD! Also, free gift bags for the first twenty people in the door! See address and details below.  Hope to see you there!

Cherry Lane Boutique
515 N. University Ave.
Provo, UT 84604

Thursday, March 21st
6-8 p.m.

New Album Coming, Fall 2013!

Co-write with Cason Cooley.

Over the course of a year, I've been digging, questioning, pondering and singing out fragments of  my feelings over rudimentary recordings.  Jotting down pieces of my ramblings in random notebooks, on napkins, paper plates or blank walls that beg to be graffitied upon.  I'm ready to say what I want to say out loud. I'm ready to commit the voices in my head to song and send them out into the universe and ultimately into the arms of anyone with the need to hear them.  I write music to be an extension of love. I write music to feel love extending itself toward me. It's a sublime relationship of reciprocity. 

I've searched high and low for the right person to help these songs draw their first breath and I'm over the moon to announce that Cason Cooley will be producing this album. We'll begin the recording on March 26th at his studio in East Nashville.  Cason has worked with some truly talented artists and bands including Katie Herzig, Matthew Perryman Jones and Sixpence None the Richer, to name a few.  

You can follow the recording process of my upcoming album here on my blog as well as on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Vine.

Cason's studio. You want to step into this picture, am I right?

The Light That Shines

 The Light That Shines from hailey bartholomew on Vimeo.

Things like this reaffirm why I chose a life path in music. I am so blessed and honored to have two of my songs as background music in this life changing mini documentary on a brave young woman named Jill Brzezinski Conley, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a double mastectomy and finally going into remission, she was then diagnosed with incurable bone cancer. Her message to love your body just the way it comes is beautiful. Grab your box of Kleenex and prepare to be inspired.

P.S. This was filmed by the amazing, Sue Bryce.

Post-Alt Recovery

Last weekend, I went to an amazing conference for bloggers, designers and artsy folks in general.  Have you heard of Alt Summit? It was my first time attending.  Interestingly enough, after I bought my ticket and was preparing to go, I had several people warn me about how the conference was more of a display of pomp and peacock feathers than anything else.  But having been to a handful of conferences before, I took those comments with a grain of salt.  Often when people get together in large groups of like minds who are experts in their field it can feel intimidating.  But I didn't go to prove myself to the prestigious.  I went to learn from people who are successful and to experience the knowledge and light that they had to offer.  Everything is what you make of it, right?

I was so impressed with the attention to detail at Alt.  Nearly every printed item was done on the most beautiful paper in letter press.  The food was exquisite.  The themed décor was so clever.  The speakers and panelists were top notch.  Rave, rave, rave.  I went with the goal to meet new people and find something to love about every one of them.  I hardly hung out with anyone that I knew (sorry guys!) because it didn't make sense to network with people I see almost weekly.

I've also heard people complain about what it costs to attend Alt.  I paid over $500 for my three-day pass.  That may sound like a lot of money at first glance.  However, I honestly don't see how it could have cost any less than that for what you get.  In fact, for the networking opportunities, the many classes, the parties, gifts and the gourmet food, I seriously think it's a steal of a deal.  I'm already planning to go to the next one! Who's in?

(Mike and Alma Loveland and writer, Amy Hackworth ham it up with me in the smilebooth.)

   

Music and Motherhood

Photo by Justin Hackworth.

I am a singer and songwriter by profession. I am also a mother (which should be a profession).  Someone on my Facebook page recently requested that I blog about how I balance these two roles.  And although I'd love to tell you all just how "balanced" I am, I'm not sure I've ever achieved that level of zen in real life.  But what I can do is tell you how I'm really just making it all up and writing my own story as I go along.

Stories are something I'm good at.  I've made up a lot in my lifetime about my limitations and weaknesses. There was a time when I thought that after I had kids, that would be the end of my ability to pursue a career or further my education.  Where did that story come from?  There was also the time when I bought into a story that being in the entertainment business would make me a bad mother.  Or how about the ones I've made up when I've been pregnant? No one will want to watch Jabba the Hutt sing songs about hearts with scars and little girls with great, big plans.  Thankfully, I've had some amazing mentors who have pointed out my story-making abilities and how they've proven to hold me hostage.  Why not make up stories where life is working for me, not against me?  I began to write a story where babies didn't mean that my own personal dreams were over.  But, a story that spelled out a plan where my children would be by my side as companions on my musical journey.  A story where I would wrap them up, and carry them to my college classes in a sling if I had to.  A story where they would toddle around during sound checks and eat the finger foods in the green room during concerts.  A story where people would find my big, round, pregnant belly endearing rather than offensive up on stage.  I have found that when I write stories that resonate with truth and lay them at God's feet that he always carves a path for me to accomplish them.  Does it all look perfect?  No.  Have I made mistakes?  Yes.  Have there been times when I've been self absorbed and lost my center?  Heavens, yes.  

So, if I had to sum up just exactly how I do both motherhood and music, I would tell you that I do a  reasonable amount of it with my kids in tow.  Yes, I write songs while I'm cleaning, driving or rocking a baby to sleep.  I do paperwork while my toddler dumps everything out of a drawer and onto the floor.  I let the camera crew hold my baby during shots and then I soothe him in between if he gets fussy.  At times it can be exhausting and as my career has grown, I've also recognized the need for help.  I have some amazing young ladies who come and help me with cleaning, answering emails, running errands and watching the kids when I need solitude.  My husband has also adapted in amazing ways to what our life looks like with me as a recording artist.  I'm not superhuman and I can't pretend like I do everything on my own.  I think the main thing to emphasize to you (and repeatedly to myself) is that your story doesn't have to look perfect.  In fact, it can't.  The beauty of it is, you get to write your own.

 

Photo shoot in L.A. for Zoe Magazine.

 Wrangling baby Griffin in between shots.

 

Backstage with my boys at the release concert for "Anchor." Photo by Justin Hackworth.

  

 Performing with the Teton Chamber Orchestra at six months along.  Photos by Krista Maurer.

 Filming the music video for "Eyes" at nine months along. 

Griffin was born exactly one week later.