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HEADLINES:- A big hello to all my radio and media friends once again, some close by, some a world away, but thanks to the internet, not so far at all!. It's been a few months since my last news, but my family has been very busy with a new baby (not mine!), an engagement and a wedding about to happen,.. and on top of that, a few months of computer chaos with my lovely 'Old faithful' 10 year old IMAC finally biting the dust!. Sad though it was, it gave me a watertight excuse to buy me a NEW one and I didn't spare the horses! Being that I spend an awful lot of time staring at it (as does Marty these days), I decided a 20 inch screen was a must! I'm sure it's going to take me the next 10 years to work out how to use all of it's wonders but I'm enjoying the journey so far! My 15 + year old printer also packed it in (in Sympathy perhaps?) so that had to be replaced too,.. (but a second hand one will have to do until we sell a few more Cds!),.. oh and that reminds me,.. anyone still using an older printer that takes Epson Stylus Colour Cartridges 400/440/460/600/640/660/670/740/760/800/850/860/1160/1520 & Scan 2500, PLEASE CONTACT ME as I have some very expensive, unused cartridges that are going FREE to a good home! NEW DUET ALBUM FOR PAT DRUMMOND & KAREN LYNNE:- Some very good news to bring to you this month with the release of my seventh album, "Long Journey Home", the long awaited follow up duet album with Pat Drummond. Unlike our first collaborative album, which was a selection of country flavoured 'love story' songs, recorded in a very traditional country style, this project is a completely acoustic effort and a collection of true stories and their characters as well as some social comment songs of the type that Pat is well known for. It's a special album as it's kind of a celebration of our 10 years singing and touring together and everything from the title; the stories collected on our travels; the CD artwork containing tour photos & maps of places we've been, right down to our dedication of it to all the gig organisers, billets, community groups & venues, is a celebration of that time. The sensitivity of the stories is reinforced by wonderful acoustic arrangements of guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, even tin whistle & accordian! which gives the album a feel that's much more on the 'folkier' side of Australian country music and the real scary thing is that it's produced entirely and totally,. by me. The song selection is quite vast, from Pat's wonderful character portraits in song, to a few very gentle and extremely personal efforts that reflect the very hearts & spirits of us both (and even a couple of songs that left us both feeling a tad naked),.. but we think worth every cent. It contains some real gems including the duet versions of many of the songs we sing in the show that I've been getting requests for in the last few years, including 'David's Watch', 'Spirit of the Southern shore', 'Dreams' and a most beautiful Christmas Carol from the hand of Pat's brother Geoff (to be released to Australian Radio in December), Carol Lights. TOP 30 FOR AUSSIE SINGLE RELEASE:- Thank you to all the Radio Presenters around Australia who gave support to the fifth & final Radio Single from my beautiful "Changes" album, on NFS 121 'Blue Mountain Rain'. Thanks so much once again for the support. It made the Top 30 but got very stuck in the queue with Kasey Chambers and now Amber Lawrence holding the top spot for weeks and thus clogging up the chart well and truly,.. but hey, I am always happy just to make the chart at all,.. and it's always a much bigger achievement when you do it with a bluegrass track! FIRST "LONG JOURNEY HOME" SINGLE HITS RADIO:- August 2008 has brought the release of the first single from the new duet album to Australian radio on NFS 124. A song called "Dreams" which looks at how dreams inspire us & motivate us no matter how silly they look from someone else's perspective. Regardless of how we change as we get older, we need to keep finding that all important life motivation and inspiration from somewhere. Its an original Pat Drummond song and although released many years ago on one of Pat's solo albums, it has been given complete new life as a duet. Please give it a spin if you can, I'd be happy to have a live/phone chat at anytime convenient and any Media personnel, Reviewers, Djs etc not having the albums can get them direct from me,.. FIRST REVIEWS IN FOR "THE SINGLES" ALBUM:- This is a great compilation album that encapsulates much of my career so far and is a good way to buy a compact snapshot of my music,.. & here is one of the first reviews to come in. THE SINGLES KAREN
LYNNE NEW BAND FORMATS:- I have had lots of people asking questions about the various line-ups of "Acoustic Shock" they've seen me working with and even a few line-ups going under a few other band names as well! I have found that while working with Acoustic Shock has been wonderful, the members are not always available to do the gigs I pick up and therefore the line-ups have had to temporarily change. A lot of you have asked about Jim Rush who has not been available for some time and while he is on a bit of a break at the moment, we too hope that you'll see him back in the line-up sometime in the future. I have tried to use a different band name to show when the band line-up wasn't actually ' Acoustic Shock' but it seems that this just confuses everybody even more because they still see so many familiar faces. Never mind, I think next year will bring a few changes to our band line-up once again, remember,.. it's still me! GIG NEWS:- Over the coming months we'll be in Mildura, Richmond, Wagga Wagga, Bunyip, Barham, Dorrigo, Wollongong & Tasmania, which may mean we are 'passing close by' if you are a DJ and would like to do an 'in person' interview and we can possibly swing it, we will, Just contact me. Thanks for everyone who supported our gigs over the last few months, especially the local ones I wasn't able to advertise properly due to my computer problems. THANKS Firstly thanks to Will Blakeley, my soon to be Ex-Manager, who departs for the USA very soon to take on new management responsibilities over there. It's rather sad as I believe we could have continued in the quest to raise the bluegrass profile in Oz & beyond, but regardless, I thank him and wish him all the best with his new endeavours (mind you Will, as soon as we're ready to tour in the USA, we'll be on the phone!). As well as getting some gigs for us over the last year, Will has been central in harnessing my first ABC release deal where they will (hopefully) be releasing a version of my "Changes" album as part of their "Heartland Series". It should include a selection of songs from that album plus a couple of new tracks (yes Herm, I'll be on the phone very soon!). We are really hoping that it is all signed and sealed soon,.. but as it is something I could not have negotiated myself, I thank him for this wonderful opportunity. To Pat Drummond who helped me get my new computer happening and for recovering all my much needed data etc, I would still be in a right computer mess if it wasn't for your help. And yes, you deserve a brownie point for all your work. "Gig" Thanks to Bob & May Craven, Rollo Kiek & the Mt Beauty Muster team, Brian & Carolyn & the Goulburn Community Radio team (2GCR) for setting up a great gig at the Railway bowling club, selling tickets and promoting it. We know that "Bluegrass" is not something you get 'live' in the Goulburn area very often so thankyou all for taking the chance and coming out on such a cold night. William especially had a ball, enjoying himself so much that he decided that being on stage was more fun than being off in the second set! Please blame the band for allowing him to stay there! it wouldn't have been my choice, but I was out-voted. We had the joy of attending the Redlands Bluegrass Convention for the first time in about 5 years and it was wonderful to see how it has grown in that time. Everything, from the venue, to the food, organizers and accommodation was simply great. The workshops & jams made the atmosphere wonderful - especially for William, who joined in with much gusto! He most definitely got the lions share of attention and most deservedly so, as he tottered around with his little "tar" (a very battered old ukelele) inviting himself into many a jam session,.. strumming away (in meticulous time of course!), singing, and even doing a bit of a jig when he felt so inclined!, talk about cute enough to bottle (he even made the bluegrass page in Cap News and I was at least 20 before I got my pic in there!!). Special thanks to Neil & Cilla & all the organizers for making us feel so welcome . To Pam & Daniel Mistry & all who came to the concert at Caves beach Uniting Church (and to all who bought my Fundraising chocolates!); to Peter Clough and the organizers of the Blue Water CM Festival at Nelson Bay and to Herm, Rhonda & Greg, Sandra and too many more of whom I just don't have the room to mention, who came to our gigs there and said hello what a great night at the RSL we had! ,.. and not in the least affected by the third year of rain!; Rob Wilson & the band at the Cessnock RSL club; to Ann & Bevan, Joseph, Della & all at Opal Fm Community Radio for not only setting up the gig at Lightning Ridge but also for organizing for us that lovely trip down the mine into the "Chambers of the black hand",.. it was fascinating!; to Trish & Bryan, Val & Arthur & all who supported the show at Bomaderry, it was a lovely night!; Nellie and all who organised our fundraiser show at Morven Gardens Aged Care facility & to Carolyn & Jodie & all who did so much work to get the Holy Trinity playgroup playground fundraiser show happening also,.. we hope to do those two shows again next year. Also to Col Hardy and his band who invited us to sing at the NAIDOC week show in Campbelltown, and to John Taylor & Eileen for all the help promoting the Merry Muse gig. To Peter, Merelyn, John & Smiley, Merle, Brenton, John, Derek, Ann, Lorraine, Wally, Tom, Michael, Carol, Ian, Tony, Barry, Rod, Frankie, Brendon, Richard Fiedler, (Del & Bob, especially lovely to see you both up at Redlands), Glenys & John for all the interviews, to Laura, Marty Warner, Norma (Grandma) Pooley, Linda, Deb & krista; Liz; Judy & Denise, Beth & Nellie for babysitting William at these many & various gigs,. thankyou! To Alan & Loretta McMonagle, Chris Henger & Sharon & Martyn for opening your homes to us, and lastly to Trev, James, Glenn, Bruce & the SCCMA band, Quentin, Mark, John & Donal, Michelle, Bryen, Lindsay & Gary, Craig & Simone, Peter & Arthur and any other musicians that I've missed!, for lending us your talents at these many and varied gigs. DJs please note, I STILL have a couple of albums from fellow UK Country singer 'John Dean Foster' to giveaway, so anyone interested let me know,.. he's got a lovely voice. Anyway,.......Lots of Love!,..
anyway,.......Lots of Love!,..
Karen Lynne
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