Category: Music

February 2018

~ ModernVoids ~ Leave a comment

Hey there, folks!

We’ve got exciting things lined up for this month.  Four gigs. an interview, recording, and video projects are all on the agenda for February.  Winter has always had a way of slowing me down, but this one feels different.

New year, new gear!  Tired of lugging around a massive 88-key Yamaha p-45, I’ve upgraded to a pre-owned 73-key Nord Electro 2 that Tommy found for sale on a gearswap facebook group.   I’ve named her Nora.  Ain’t she just the prettiest thing?

Tomorrow, Tommy LeBeau and I return to Hardwick Vineyard & Winery to perform an afternoon duo set of oldies and classic country tunes.  The event is free, open to the public, and the wines are sublime.    Then two weeks later, Saturday the 17th, the duo has our first ever gig at Rapscallion Brewery in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

february

This Sunday the Franklin County Sweethearts return to the studio to work on some originals we’ve been cooking up – as well as to continue tracking selections from our vast catalogue of classic country covers.  While we’ve been tracking, we’ve also been recording footage of our time together in the studio for a music video.

The Sweethearts have two gigs this month – on Monday, February 12th we’ll be performing at Bishops Lounge.  Tommy and Mike won’t be able to join us, so Lexi Weege and I will be doing some tunes “just us gals”, before we’re joined by AJ on bass and our good friend and country music extraordinaire Doug Beaumier on guitar.  Music begins around 8:30pm, with the Sweethearts taking the stage ~9pm, and local crooner Greg Hall closing out the evening with his homespun classic country tunes.  Lexi and I met Greg about a year ago; she’s worked for him as a harmony singer, and participated in his interview series of local artists.  This month, Greg has asked me to be his interviewee.

on Friday, February 23rd, the Franklin County Sweethearts return to the Cambridge House Brew Pub.  We had such a great time at our last gig there, we hope to make this a regular spot for us!  Last time we played as a trio – to change things up this time we’ll be playing as a four-piece with AJ on bass.  Music begins at 8pm and goes til 11 or later.
rosiephotos114

Happy Valentines!

-RP ❤

Wildwood Flower

~ ModernVoids ~ Leave a comment

Last Sunday, Tommy, Lexi, and I met at Tommy’s studio in Worcester to work on some tunes, eat snacks, and try a little impromptu recording. Once we settled in to tracking, it turned into a very productive session. First we recorded a basic live track with vocals: Tommy on drums, Lexi on the Gretsch Rancher acoustic, and me on my Yamaha P-45 electric keyboard, then Tommy set to work adding bass and electric guitar tracks. That very evening we posted the first of five classic country cover tunes, the Carter Family’s “Wildwood Flower”:

The Carter Family has been a huge inspiration for the Franklin County Sweethearts; this tune is one of our favorites we’ve been performing at our live shows. A “video” of the song (just the audio file and a film photo shot and developed by Tommy’s father, Dennis LeBeau) was uploaded to Facebook , and later to YouTube. We hope to return to the studio this weekend and have more tunes to share with you soon.

Til next time,

RP

January 2018

~ ModernVoids ~ Leave a comment

Hello everybody, and happy new year!

My last gig of 2017 was a really special New Year’s Eve performance with the Franklin County Sweethearts at Chester Common Table.  Photos of the evening were featured in a local publication, the Country Journal:

The Sweethearts, which began as a trio, as of October 2017 have expanded to a full band.  Our newest members, old friends AJ Del Negro on bass and Mike Benoit on drums, have settled right in to becoming Sweethearts. We were treated to a delicious spread of food, and were delighted to see good friends, and so many folks dancing and singing along.  We couldn’t have asked for a better way to close out the year.  Tommy and I will be back at Chester Common Table 3/16 for a duo performance during dinner (6:30-9:30pm).

The Franklin County Sweethearts have two dates booked this month:

img_2775

January 19th we bring the five-piece band to The Shutesbury Athletic Club – come ready at 8:30pm to dance!  Then a week later on January 26th we are playing as a trio at the Cambridge House Brew Pub in Granby, CT from 9-Midnight!

This winter, in lieu of heavy gigging, I’ve been spending a lot of time rehearsing new material, and with my record finished, beginning to write and arrange the next batch of original songs (listen to my first ep I released 12/13/17 here).  Today at the studio in Worcester, Lexi, Tommy, and I recorded basic tracks with live vocals for a collection of classic country cover material.  We hope to share the final results soon.

img_2772

Spring and Summer will be here before we know it!  With that in mind, I’ve already begun booking for the warmer months.  Need a solo, duo, or a full band for your private event, business, party, or wedding? Email rosieportermusic@gmail.com for booking.

In the Studio

~ ModernVoids ~ Leave a comment

 

~ We’ve had a busy winter ~

Tom LeBeau and I have been hard at work creating the “Pauline” album.
We recently invited our friend Josh Allen to 5 Front Studios to track his cajon (a box-shaped percussion instrument that he built himself and proudly decorated with sweet Star Wars stickers).  Josh is the percussionist for the Franklin County Sweethearts, and occasionally Tom and I will borrow him for a set of our own, so we wanted to feature him on the record. Josh is also a photographer who is based in the Pioneer Valley.  He has worked with us and many other fabulous local artists since first moving here from Ohio!

_MG_8814.jpg
the control room at 5 Front Studios – photo by Josh Allen
img_0537
Tracking live keys, guitar, and cajon

While we make steady progress tracking for the album,  I’ve also been experimenting with album artwork ideas.  I used cutouts from my sketchbook and found pieces to create the first very basic prototype front and back cover design for the album.

These were taken on my phone at my kitchen table, just to get a feel for the basic layout:

1st prototype of the front cover of the “Pauline” album.
1st prototype of back cover

Pauline as a waitress “serving coffee in a restaurant”
~ Based on a sketch done one morning over breakfast
at Charlie’s Diner in Spencer, Massachusetts ~

Pauline.

~ ModernVoids ~ Leave a comment

Produced by Tom LeBeau at 5 Front Studios in Worcester, MA.
Released 9/30/16

Lyrics:
Pauline,
One morning I will find you
In an open field
Waiting for me
Wet green
Underneath your toes
And you still don’t know
That you haven’t woken from this dream
Oh woe is me
I could never be the woman that you need
It’s killing me, Pauline
Pauline,
Stepping onto the subway
At the end of a long day
Like a rusted up machine
Oh I’ve seen
This world take its toll
On stronger souls
While you stay so serene
Oh woe is me
I could never be the woman that you need
It’s killing me, Pauline
The ocean is dancing at your knees again
Now you’re running between great big trees
Serving coffee in a restaurant
But in any of these moments
Could you see yourself with me?
Oh woe is me (x4)
I could never be the woman that you need
It’s killing me, Pauline