autumnal updates, pt. 1

talking shop + time traveling - a hemlock memory jog

greetings all,

🕊️ 🧩 🕊️ 🧩 🕊️

reporting to you (after a few months of newsletter radio silence) with part one of what will be a two-part update. this one’s for the “business” stuff.

my spinning plates have been so full that i’ve felt overwhelmed at the idea of noting the moving parts of my recent whirlwind here, but there has certainly been much worth sharing, so now that i’ve landed in ATX for the month of december, here’s a relatively reeled-in hemlock memory jog, to catch us up to speed.

deep breath in, deep breath out. most of the sentimentality to come in part two. here we go.

time traveling

let’s retrace our steps. a reverse chronology. backwards jogging.

most recently: i moved to TX to close out the year.

Austin is my temporary anchor. ringing in the relocation with the distinctive honor of playing at Wizard Rodeo tomorrow. i am thrilled.

poster by Dan Grissom

and beyond tomorrow, here’s another quick peek into the coming weeks:

december TX poster roundup (1-2 by me, 3 by Grace, 4 by Taft)

much more to look forward to in the near future (like going on the road with Squirrel Flower in Jan & Feb as a merch slinging crew member) ! but for now,

the recent past

made it safely down south from Chicago via a fulfilling & life-affirming tour, playing & singing in Merce Lemon alongside The Slaps, who just put out an absolute stunner of an acoustic album. it was a delight to listen to live each night, and a pleasure to share song with Merce. i relished every moment. sparkling hearts, the whole lot of ‘em.

also pulled off a few solo hemlock shows that i cherished in Chattanooga, NOLA, and my hometown, Lafayette, with the help and care of dear ones. got to sing with my sisters. a much-needed & blissfully familiar southern welcome.

The Slaps x Merce Lemon x free domestic beers vs. the photobooth at Lily’s Snack Bar in Boone, NC

before leaving chicago, a trio iteration of the hemlock band was able to squeeze in a live session with DZ Records. two tunes, done in two takes each, both under two minutes. thanks Ben, for having us, and even letting us toss the tracks up onto Bandcamp for Bandcamp Friday. they’re available for any (or no) price, here.

a favorite moment of the arrangement from the session is hocketing with Bailey at the end of ‘autumn’. you can catch the videos below:

the full band also played one helluva hemlock-funeral-themed going-away house show, at which we raised hundreds of dollars for Palestinian advocacy / relief orgs. curt oren opened. i wept. I love bailey & andy & jack. one for the books. one that i hope my memory holds onto for all time. it took a small and special village of beloveds to pull off. thank you oscar, emma, lydia, artem, and all other helping hands. thank you Clean Air Club. and more thanks to everyone who came. even & especially those who had to leave early because it was so full. the room was one big, golden, sweaty hug.

and in the days following the funeral, we resurrected to knock out one full-blown miracle of a two-day recording session. 12 songs down, in the nick o time! i am so proud, and overspilling with gratitude. i can’t wait for these tunes to spread their wings and fly into everyone’s ears. a lot of love was poured into those arrangements. incredulous at the brilliance of this band, and the insight & oversight of Jason Ashworth & Gabe, without whom such a feat simply would not have been possible. i trust them all with the deepest parts of my heart (my songs). what a gift that trust is.

weekend daydream blur at In The Pocket

more happenings since my last update that I hope be elaborate on some other time:

• Sept:

  • recorded a small treasure trove of songs with dearest Ryan Albert (of Babehoven) in upstate NY

  • toured the New England corner of the country as the leaves turned crimson, including a run of a few Maine shows with Jes (thx friend)

  • played a set in Michigan in collaboration with / celebration of one of my most darling friends, Lin, and their incredible quilt.

• Oct:

  • sang a tune in Minor Moon’s Gillian Welch tribute nite, and played a few other shows that left me feeling inspired by what community is and what it can be

and also worth a belated shout… recent(ish) hemlock in writing:

• from Oct: ‘13 albums I missed in 2022’ from Josh Terry’s ‘No Expectations’ newsletter - I greatly admire Josh’s earnest presence and persistence in the Chicago music scene. he is an honest and passionate observer, and unapologetically challenges the standards of ‘album cycle’ music writing. In his own words: “I can go against the grain a little and just write about albums I love that aren’t necessarily timely. Each full-length listed here came out in 2022 and I firmly believe they are all worth your time right now.” grateful to have ‘talk soon’ acknowledged in this list, nestled between other talented buds.

  “Voicemails from loved ones fill in the gaps on this marvelous LP from the Chicago-based hemlock. When you take this LP full of introspective, raw folk as a whole, these phone missives add resonance and heart rather than filler. What Carolina Chauffe, the songwriter behind this project, does so well is find revelation and grounded observations in intimate, mundane moments. It’s an LP written and recorded in nomadic bits and starts but the songs always feel like home. Chauffe is a prolific writer and performer who I’ve seen play locally too many times to count this year, and whatever hemlock does next is undoubtedly going to my most anticipated Chicago LP.”

• from Sept: ‘A Conversation with hemlock’ - or on my end, a conversation with Shea, of Ugly Hug Records, in which i repeatedly humble myself (e.g. admitting bird misidentification and acknowledging the first song I ever learned on guitar was ‘our song’ by taylor swift). I appreciate Shea’s thoughtfulness here, down to the recognition of a stunning symbolism surrounding a painting by my grandmother of a Baltimore Oriole.

  “Song writing to Chauffe is very archival. To them it is ‘very much with the ethos of trying to capture a moment, capture a memory without smothering it, and being able to let it glow in a way that feels true’.”

lagniappe

(a little something extra) ⁺˚｡ °✩ ⁺⋆｡ ° ✩ ⁺⋆°

• light & meaningful reading:

  • ‘Something Soft’ by Allegra Krieger x Gunk - Allegra’s eyes catch every spark. it is a gift to have brief & profound chances to observe the world through them, in her songs and her written word. this piece of hers left me with some easy morning tears when i initially read it.

    Elemental truth: Chaos and Harmony depend on one another.

• a tip o the iceberg bandcamp playlist of some songs i’ve been spinning, on a fave playlisting site that i want more folks to know about

and finally,

free palestine

it is strange to carry on with the day-to-day when there is active genocide happening. over 20,000 killed by the apartheid state of Israel since early October. it is our duty to be anything but silent. i believe in a free tomorrow for Palestine, and for all. a copy of the poppy lino print above will be available at all of my upcoming shows, indefinitely, until there is a ceasefire and an end to the occupation. let us keep calling our reps, and raising our voices. our comfort is at the cost of the murder of innocent tens of thousands.

a couple handy links:

• A Guide to Palestine for Beginners / A Refresher

• Action Checklist

🕯️ 🕯️ 🕯️

solidarity forever,

Carolina