Lately, I have received a lot of questions about the album. And of all the questions I’ve been getting, I think the question people ask the most is, “What’s it going to sound like?”
It's Photo Shoot Time!
Behind-the-scenes photos from the new album photo shoot!
Smash Hit Competition - Finals!
The finals are complete! Yay!
I'm The Crazy Grandma Lady
So I'm really social. And by social, I mean I run errands on Friday nights because I run into the least amount of people that way. This past Friday, I went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get a present for a friend. It was really fun. I had a gift card. I got some makeup.
Yes, there is a point to this.
When I was in high school, all the cool kids would hang out in the parking lot of the local Kroger (or "Krogers," as many Southerners would say). I was never invited to hang out there. I've decided it's because I was so beautiful that no one wanted me around to take their boyfriends. (Let's just ignore the fact that I had a unibrow....)
Well, in fancy-pants Franklin, Tennessee, it is apparently no different. At exactly 9pm, I walk out to my car from the store and was greeted by THIS.
Ok, so the picture doesn't do it much justice, but it shows a glimmer into the amount of lil' whippersnappers that were surrounding my car.
If I were to guess, I'd say around 10 million high schoolers were there.
OKAY, I'm exaggerating. More like 200. But seriously. 200 teenagers is approximately 199 too many teenagers.
They were EVERYWHERE. And they were doing lots of things that The United States and Tennessee laws have deemed slightly illegal in nature, like drinking and smoking and... cuddling.
Then all of a sudden, I turned into Crazy Grandma. I picked up my proverbial walking stick and started yelling.
"Where are you parents?! When I was your age, blah blah blah... YOUNG LADY, YOUR SKIRT IS TOO SHORT!"
Gosh, I am so old.
Nashville Preds Semi-Finals recap! (And Reba)
Okay, before I get started, I need to do something real quick...
WAHHHOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
That's Reba. She's cheering for me.
WOW. Reba is so excited about me winning the Preds game Smash Hit semi-finals! She can't believe I made it to the finals that happen Friday April 12th, 2013!
Thanks, Reba, for all your support!* (please note SMALL disclaimer at end of this post)
I am so thankful for this opportunity. That's so cliché to say/write, but I really mean it. To be able to play for 19,000-something people for two whole games, and now a THIRD!
I'm VERY tempted to wear a billboard somewhere on my body with my website and contact information on it for the next game. I ain't above it.
For this last performance, I sang Dolly Parton's "Jolene," and it was a blast! It's dark, it's twisted, it's soulful-ish, it's the south, it's everything.
There was one other guy I was competing with - Mitchell Tenpenny. He was awesome. And SO cool. Oh, Competition, you try and divide us, but it ain't gonna work. People are awesome, and we singer-type need all the support we can get.
I somehow managed to get the highest amount of votes, and I will be singing one more time for this competition.
BAH, I really hope I get this.
April 12th. Friday. 2013. Tickets are cheaper right now. StubHub has 'em, Craig's List has 'em, the world is your hockey puck(oyster)! Why don't ya grab some and come vote for me? *bats eyelashes*
I leave you with a couple more pictures from the game. Yeehaw!
*Technically, Reba does not know me from Adam, nor does she know I am using this picture. TECHNICALLY, I might have just googled "woohoo!" and this picture popped up, and I just ganked it off the Internet, blah blah....
...It's Just a Shot Away (Preds game recap)
Most of the time, life runs in a pretty predictable pattern. You eat your breakfast, go out and till your land for the day, pay some bills, buy some dish soap, have a few thoughts of wishing you could buy the more expensive dish soap, eat dinner, and then go to bed, wake up, and do it all again. ...Then every once in awhile, something really crazy and interesting happens, and in about 10 seconds, your life goes from organized and predictable to messy and AWESOME!
Apparently, it was my turn to have the random-awesome moment this week! Sa-weet!
A long time ago (it felt like a year!), I submitted a video into a singing contest. It was for the Nashville Predators' "Smash Hit" singing competition. They held live auditions in downtown Nashville. I had missed them and saw something about it on the news that evening. They then said videos were also being accepted. That night, about an hour before the deadline, I sent in a video and forgot all about it.
Fast forward to this past Friday night. I get this email:
"Jessie:
You have been selected to compete in our Smash Hit vocal competition. I wanted to check with you to see if you were available Monday the 25th for a 5pm sound check and 8:30 performance during the second intermission at our game.
Once I know your availability, I'll send you the details for the day."
What?! What did I sign up for again? Is this a scam? I was confused. After a couple more emails, I realized what was going on, and it started to sink in.
They want me to sing at a Nashville Predators game? In front of 19,000 people? In 3 days?! In a COMPETITION?!!I didn't think I'd actually win. I'm not very good at winning things. I've tried out for every tv show, variety show, school ensemble, you name it, and I NEVER "make it."
(Although, for one competitive-singing-tv-show-that-shall-remain-nameless, I made it to the top 15, but I wound up rolling my eyes at a comment the judges made about my performance, a moment which was focused on in the episode, and then "suddenly" I was cut. Oops... teehee.)
Now, on to the night of the game/competition. Long story short, we got up on the "band stage" at 2nd intermission, each sang our one song, and afterwards the people at the game texted in who their favorite was. Then after about 5 minutes, voting stopped and they announced the winner.
Somehow, I managed to win this particular singing contest and advance to the semi-finals.
...Which will be held NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 2ND.
Did you see that? I'll type it again, just in case.
NEXT TUESDAY, APRIL 2ND.
And cheap tickets can be purchased here. And then you can come and vote for me. Come on, you know you wanna see me on a Jumbo Tron. A JUMBO TRON, for cryin' out loud!
If I win the semi-finals, I will advance to the final round. If I win the finals, I will get the most incredible blessings I could think of right now. Like a fully paid-for showcase in Nashville provided by William Morris Agency, as well as William Morris Agency representation, as well as studio time. Oh my good grief, knowing how difficult it is to have such great representation, and how expensive it is to have a showcase, this would be a dream come true. Especially since I have an album coming out soon!
Also, I just want to say (write)... Ryan, the guy whom I was competing against, was really awesome.
It is so hard to "accurately" JUDGE someone's music.
...Which is why I hold very loosely to things like competitions.
But I still wanna win. :P
I never said that.
I leave you with some photos and low-quality video footage of the events of last night. If you get dizzy watching them, just close your eyes. :P
[youtube=http://youtu.be/EIZUvxkC4XM]
[youtube=http://youtu.be/gyfA36i7iNs]
Irreverent Funnies
Here are some more funnies from my Pinterest page I thought you might enjoy! :D
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: allofmywords.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: tickld.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: failblog.files.wordpress.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: artnet.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
...I shall leave you with this little bit of irreverence. Jesus would SO laugh at this. ;)
Source: themetapicture.com via Jessie on Pinterest
Weekend Update
movin' and shakin'
This past Thursday, my husband and I drove to Georgia to have a creative meeting with the producer and his team.
On the way there, we stopped in Chattanooga and went to the Tennessee Aquarium and Cheeburger Cheeburger (a famous burger place). We went in honor of our 1st wedding anniversary that happened yesterday (Sunday). aaaawww :P I have one picture from it. You really don't wanna see it. It's very lame.
See, I told you. Moving on...
We made it to Georgia. Valdosta, GA to be exact. Home of the - well, I'm not real sure yet. We did find a $2.50 movie theater and a few pawn shops. And we found one of those parking lot fairs, too. But we didn't do any of it because we have no money we're extremely fancy.
We met Mark the producer, Jim the business guy, and Steve the assistant, at the new studio.
Yes, this is it. This is what a Grammy winner's studio looks like. Okay, maybe not ALL of them, but swampy, soulful, southern ones can make this old building a bad@$$ music-making hub.
'Don't judge a book by it's cover' would be an appropriate reminder at this moment.
Anyways, My husband played guitar, and I played a little piano, and we played through my songs. We re-worked a couple of things, but every song is being kept the same as I had written them. Pretty awesome. :)
That's Mark there on the right. :)
After the meeting, we left the next day to play a show at The Rookery in Macon, GA. We like them there, and it's a good place to try out new songs.
Then, we got up the next morning, visited with my cute lil Nana Banana,
...and then went back home to recoup. I'm still recouping. I'm sleepy. Somebody gimme a Red Bull. No, please don't give me a Red Bull, that stuff tastes like ABC bubble gum dipped in dirty Koolaid.
K, bye!