If you follow me on FB or Instagram or Twitter or have seen me at all since I got home, you know that I pretty much had the best time ever and am still kind of on cloud 9.

Some highlights:

*Spoke to Deanna Walker’s songwriting class with my manager Charles Alexander. Deanna’s class is where I met Stan when we were in college. It was very nostalgic to be there after all these years. I don’t know if I was necessarily qualified to be on the “other side” of that class, but it felt full circle-y.

*I got to write with some amazing people. I left each session feeling like I had really learned something from each writer and also explored something new in myself. Thank you so much to Mark Selby, Jenny Gill and Deanna Walker for all these new and magical horizons!!

*I made a new friend who I am absolutely obsessed with- Ms. Jenny Gill. She has a heart AND a voice of gold. I only wish we lived closer and could hang out and sing together every day. She is a beautiful person, and her talent is really ridiculous. Can’t wait for her record to come out and melt everyone’s faces.

(click to watch Jenny Gill live)

*I got to play a show with Matt Mangano (Matt used to perform with John Mayer in the early years), Maureen Murphy (this woman is so so good!), Josh Day (he also plays with Sara Bareilles & Adam Levine from Maroon 5) and Brandon Conway. It was 45 minutes on stage of total magic. I LOVE these people. Matt has been a dear friend and a muse for over 10 years now, and whenever we play together, I feel in my heart that the stars align. The talent of this band was just insanity!! They are all musicians at the top of their game, and I had SO much fun getting to play and sing with them. It was a show I’ll never forget.

Here is a review of the show by Carol Buttenham at her blog Carol’s Choice.

*I ate at Calypso Cafe two days in a row. The Lucayan salad continues to be one of the best meals on this planet.

*I got to visit old friends who I love more than words can say.

So yeah, it was an amazing trip that could have only been better if Jeremy were with me. But it’s been three days since I returned, and I am still so overwhelmed with thankfulness and so so hugely inspired and excited for what is to come. Thank you mostly to Charles Alexander for his ridiculous support and encouragement!!

Stay tuned for things to come and all my thanks to you out there for listening and believing along the way!!!

(Stop The Presses: Please check out Ash Thursday’s new video. They are awesome! Ash is a dear friend and part of my band here in the Bay Area, as is Betsy Adams – the guitarist in Ash Thursday)

Bye y’all,

Keeley

(click on graphic)

I don’t know about you guys but as soon as the clock struck midnight on New Years Eve, 2013 rushed in with a gust of excitement and relief! I am jumping into this new year with lots of anticipation and joy and wish you all a year of happiness and peace and just plain magic!!!

One of the things I am most excited about for this coming year is the chance to dive head first and at full speed into this whole music thing. I’ve been plugging along for many a year now, but for 2013 I am freshly inspired and re-dedicated to following my dreams and making things happen. Starting with booking some sweet gigs!

Friday, Jan 11, 8pm, Room 5 in LA!!! My first show of the new year!

Future opportunities to play and perform in LA at this excellent venue are predicated by how well this show is attended. So I would really appreciate your support if you live in the area. Would love to see some SoCal faces! I have a new guitar that sings like a bird and a new song or two.

V. exciting!!

Also if you share this event on Facebook or Twitter (if you tweet), you get a 10% discount on tickets. If you want to help promote the event on your Facebook profile, here is a FB timeline friendly pic that you can upload to your profile. No pressure. Just a suggestion. Right click & download.

Stay tuned for lots of gigs up in the North Bay and also the southeast! Heading to Nash in Feb for some much needed southern comfort and can’t wait to play and write and see my Tennessee magics.

Thanks as always to all of you for your support and love and inspiration! Hope to see you out there soon!

Love, K

This Wednesday, October 10, is the season premiere of the ABC series “Nashville.”  In honor of the show, we put a little music video together as a tribute to the Nashville I know and love. We are also giving away “Nashville” from my album, “The Mechanics of Leaving.”  Click on the widget below to download. Enjoy!

Please like Keeley’s Facebook Fan Page and Listen to the entire album via BandPage.

For A Limited Time: Get Nashville For Free

Spring is really a’comin, day light savings this past weekend and allergies in full bloom. I love this time of year and the subtle hints of warmer days ahead, of flip flops and shorts and long days outside. I can’t believe that we are this far into the year already but then again I think I say that in every newsletter!

Things have been awesome on this end, I had an amazing and wonderful trip to Nashville two weeks ago, got to play a show and visit pals and scheme lots of magical future plans. Nash will always be a dear city to me and I count myself as incredibly lucky to call it a second home. Here is a video clip from my performance at The Basement. That’s my dear friend & producer Matt Mangano alongside me.

copy/paste link to share on Facebook: http://hitson.gs/keeleybasementnash

I’m gearing up to play some pretty cool shows so mark the calendars!!

Sat April 28: 8:30pm at Genghis Cohen in LA, $8

Thursday May 10: 8pm at Hotel Utah in San Francisco opening for the amazing and glorious Jen Foster!! And I will be accompanied by a gaggle of ridiculous musicians. So.Excited.

Thursday May 17: 7:30pm at Murphy’s Pub in Sonoma. Free!

More to come and one super exciting one to announce for June so get ready!!

One quick shout out- my old pal and fellow Vandy a cappella junkie Mr. Chris Mann is melting hearts and stunning the masses on this season of NBC’s THE VOICE!!! Be sure to check him out, he is a true talent and so deserving of this and he will realllly knock your socks off with his powerhouse voice and stylings.

Thanks so much to all and everyone for their support and kindness, hope to see you soooon!!
Keeley

If you missed it, the song "Honestly" was featured on the season premiere of Venice The Series, an online web series soap opera. You can view the show here. The song comes on at around the 18:00 minute mark. (Note: The show is best viewed by grown ups):

(click to watch video)

To get a free copy of "Honestly" – just click on the image below to download it.

If you like it, please consider sharing on FaceBook and/or sharing on Twitter.

2 weeks ago, I fractured my right elbow. It sounds pretty nasty. I’ll be honest, it hurts, but it could be 1,000 times worse. After a trip to urgent care and then to the orthopedic, I’ve been given a sling and a four to six week window for recovery. In the meantime I’m actually encouraged to NOT wear the sling as often as possible (which is awesome because frankly, the sling is miz) and to try to extend and curl my arm. I can still run and am expected to regain full range of motion- playing guitar is a few weeks out but just because it will hurt. The Doc said as long as it doesn’t get bumped again, it will be fully functioning before Christmas. I’m pushing for a miracle at the three week mark so I can aggressively help put up the holiday decorations next weekend, but really, one day at a time.

I’ve broken things before, I’ve gotten super sick and had to take things easy for awhile, had to take care of myself and simplify. When I tried to lay my arm on the x-ray table and realized it was not going to happen, I was struck with the notion that I was about to be taught a lesson. I knowingly sighed and welcomed the silver lining to appear whenever it was ready.

I slightly overestimated my capacity for optimism. In those first few days- those first few hours even, I felt more frustration than I really care to admit. Although a proud southpaw, only having the use of one arm, one hand, even if it is my dominant one, is really difficult. Some things that were really hard nay impossible to do that I wasn’t expecting:

-wearing shoes with laces (can’t tie them)

-putting my hair in a pony tail or a bobby pin (not awesome since my hair is at a super awkward length)

-getting dressed period. (one of my students actually asked me last week if I had trouble getting dressed. I can only assume it’s because I’m having to pick outfits and ensembles that are really easy to get on, whether or not they match or even fit)

-sleeping (the arm is supposed to be propped up therefore completely eliminating a whole side that I can roll over onto, not to mention snuggling)

-typing. one handed finger pecking takes for.ev.er.

-cutting food

-washing my hair (I’ve basically reverted back to being about 5 years old when all you do is squeeze a big blob of shampoo onto the top of your head and hope that does the trick)

I’ve tried to throw my good hand up and laugh it off and just accept my fate for the time being. A poorly dressed, greasy haired, velcro shoe wearing, sleep deprived, one armed slow poke. I’ve tried to just let it go when I start feeling sad that my guitar calluses are almost gone after two weeks of dormancy, or that I had just started to be able to do toe pushups in Shred Fit and will now undoubtedly be months behind and back to knee push ups if I’m even lucky. But more often than not I’ve had to take a time out and breath through some tears.

Woe is me right? I am not as enlightened as I thought. But I am happy to report that despite my relative impatience and even bratty-ness at times, lessons have indeed been sneaking in. The most important being a resurgence of gratitude, and it just so happens to be perfect timing seeing that Thanksgiving is upon us.

Here is a happier, more redeeming list of surprises and reminders:

-My boyfriend is a kind, compassionate and patient man. This is not a surprise, but I have been humbled time and again by his willingness to put up with me when I am whiny, to coax me into asking for help even though I should be a big enough girl to do so myself, and to gently assist me with a slew of unglamorous tasks.

-Team Shred Fit is awesome. I was with the gang when I took my little spill on the trail and much to my mortification, burst into ugly crying and curled up into a ball. Reb, Derek and Beist were so kind to me in my state, crouching down with me to wipe the dirt out of my mouth, the leaves out of my hair and to assess my boo boos. After having to miss several sessions since, I got back into the workouts this week and am fully planning on running the Turkey Trot next week with these shredding machines. Woohoo!

-My friends and family are so supportive. I’ve gotten so many kind calls, emails and notes of encouragement and happy thoughts. I feel infinitely blessed beyond measure to have so many wonderful people in my world and to be surrounded by such love. I am lucky, lucky lucky.

-I have gotten to sleep in, read with reckless abandon and treat myself to several espresso drinks from Starbucks all because the Christmas cups are out all without feeling guilty.

-I have taken great pride and pleasure in the smallest of things, most recently I was able to curl one little front section of my hair for a wedding and get the bangs back and out of my face. Today I was also able to twist open the peanut butter jar. Who knew this could bring so much joy?

-I have been reminded time again of the mantra ‘How important is it?’ Turns out most of the things I stress out about really are not.

-I have been quite touched by the kindness of strangers, more specifically grocery store cashiers. A dear checker at Trader Joe’s actually came out from the counter to help me put things back into my purse.

-My kids at school have said the darndest of things in response to my sling, my arm and getting hurt in general and it has all really cracked me up

-I can still walk, still drive, still write, still assemble my Gingerbread house for Christmas club next week

-Everything takes twice as long to do. Annoying yes, but sometimes it ends up feeling like I have a lot more time.

-I miss playing guitar and piano. Like Whoa. But I also have this great, excited, giddy feeling of anticipation about how magical it will feel when I can do it again. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.

So there it is. I’m still trying to figure it out, but I’m open to the whole thing. And ultimately thankful for the chance to remember and celebrate all that I have to be thankful for- the little, the big, the humor, the humbling.

Oh, one other thing to be CRAZY thankful for:

*In the midst of all this madness and musical pause, I found out that my song ‘Honestly’ is going to be on the Emmy award winning show, Venice!!! Wed, Nov 23, season premiere! I’m over the moon. Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/user/venicetheseries

Thank you Charles, Matt and Lynn for making it happen!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!

I found my first grey hair yesterday morning. It’s really not a big deal, I know. A lot of people have grey hairs. And it was just one. But I stared at it for a long time, more in wonder than in horror. Where am I in life?

When I first graduated from college, something happened and I woke up one day totally consumed with getting wrinkles. I had NEVER thought about it before, and certainly never been worried about it before. And suddenly, there I was in CVS, combing the beauty aisles for a product that might stop the little crow’s feet in their tracks. I was only 22! I was just learning how to not take my body for granted!!! Don’t let me get wrinkles now!!! I bought something from Neutrogena-which somehow made me feel better about it, like it might actually be good for my skin. It burned. It was awful. I don’t even know if I made it through the whole bottle. And in the end, when I looked at my face up close (not really recommended in any situation), nothing had happened to those baby wrinkles. They were there and they were going to stay and probably get bigger and deeper and all I could do was pray for acceptance. After all, weren’t they really just reminders that I was alive? That I’d spent some glorious days in the sun? That I’d had the luxury of going to college and staring in frustration and panic at the computer screen trying to write final papers? Attitude is all in the gratitude right?

I think what was really at the heart of the wrinkle-terror was that I had just graduated from school and was out on my own, in my very first apartment, as yet unemployed, totally at the mercy of the big, bad world in a way I had never before experienced. Since those days I have indeed been diligent in taking care of my skin (probably having more to do with the aforementioned learning how to not take my body for granted than anything else) and some times when the light catches the mirror just so during make up application or I’m staying in a hotel and can’t resist that God-awful magnifying glass bathroom mirror, or someone takes a pic of me laughing reallllly hard, you can see them. But I don’t really care. I know I will just get creasier and creasier and it’s okay.

This brings me up to the grey hair. I’ve had about 7 years since graduating college to get used to the wrinkles and embrace them and celebrate the ways they remind me about my life. The grey hair is a new addition.

As I said, I’m not freaking out about this. If I go full headed grey tomorrow then so be it. But I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s like my body is not my own. Am I being dramatic? Maybe. But I swear I have a worthwhile point.

This is my last year of my twenties. I am thinking about the future a lot. I’m thinking about babies and buying a house and laying down roots. I’m thinking about my career and what I really want that to look like in the long run. I don’t even remember the exact moment that I felt it in my heart of hearts that I was meant to do music. But I’ve felt in my bones for as long as I can remember. Could I have heard wrong?

I think I have had a lot of successes in my musical journey thus far, but I haven’t accomplished everything I’ve set out to do. Far from it in fact. There is a part of me that feels like I don’t want to enter the next phase of my life until I have a little more to show for myself in that department. The grey hair is more of a reminder that being a starving artist doesn’t have the same romance that it did when I was in my early twenties. (Let’s be honest, mid to late twenties too). It has no romance to me anymore. I want to have some stability, I want to be a financially responsible partner to my boyfriend and come to the table with my ducks in a row. Am I running out of time?

I don’t really believe in that, I don’t. Everything in it’s own time, what’s meant to be will be. “To everything turn, turn, turn.” I believe that. I still get scared though. I don’t know if I ever really imagined myself growing old. I’ve imagined (daydreamed about) myself doing a lot of things; performing on stage at the Ryman, singing a duet with Patty or Lori or Amy or Emmylou, writing songs for other people, having enough money to do something really nice for my parents, being a mom, living in Kenya, and being a really great ballroom dancer (that’s more of a distant fantasy. AKA never gonna happen.) But for the former ones, I still feel young enough to dream that big. Lori McKenna had 5 kids and was in her 40’s when she got a Nashville publishing deal! Patty Griffin was 28 when she began to really pursue music and play live. I remind myself of these facts quite often-whew, age ain’t nothing but a number.

My brain often vacillates between the logical and the emotional. In the same beat I can feel totally enlightened and at ease and faithful that everything happens as it should and then also get a stressball in my stomach that I’m not working hard enough and I’m crazy for trying and I’m going to ultimately fail. Maybe that’s just the thought process of a creative person trying to make their art a business in some way, maybe that’s the woe of almost 30somethings everywhere; maybe I’m just nuts. Whatever the reason, the grey hair seemed a physical manifestation of my most recent psychological ponderings. I’m getting older. I wouldn’t turn back the clock. For as many things that freak me out, my life has never been better. I love where I live, I love my friends and family so dearly, I love my boyfriend so much, I love the kind of shows I’m getting to play and the musicians I get to hang out with. Life is good. I don’t care about getting old(er), I just want to make all those people who believed in me proud. I just want to be one of those people who never gave up.

I want to do the best with what I’m given, be brave, present and faithful. And if I really think about it, there is always enough time to work on that.

As I write this I have totally abandoned my steadfast plan to unpack, return emails, do copious amounts of laundry, review and revise my to-do list and in general recover from a week away from home. Instead I’ve plowed through two heaping and glorious pieces of gluten free quiche that Jer made while in my pjs and subsequently climbing into bed. I lost the ambition pretty quickly.

Really, I just want to talk about the tour and remember every hilarious and wonderful moment on the road.

There are so many things I feel deeply and profoundly grateful about this past week. Here they are in the best way I can lay them all out.

Whit and I got the chance to traverse what is surely one of the most beautiful places in the country- and it’s all along the 5!!! The 5 North is decidedly different from the 5 South. It is green, lush, mountainous, and just plain gorgeous. And while the 5 South leads to a place I hold so dear, the drive to LA is NOT a picturesque experience. I was in awe the whole drive at the view. The road continues to be a place of wonderment for me.

I was able to see friends I have not seen in years. First stop in Redding, my old friend Jessica Fletcher appeared during sound check. I haven’t seen this amazing gal since middle school. We were two singing peas in a pod back in the 6^th grade; we wrote our own stellar tunes, performed ‘That’s What Friends Are For’ in the school talent show, and made honor chorus together. It was such a delight to see her beautiful face and meet her fiancé and get to see her little sister. The glory of reconnecting with old friends is really unparalleled. Even after all these years it felt like we still shared so much.

Then we hit Eugene and two pals from my freshman dorm days came out to support the show- Jess and Phil. (They’re married! I love that I knew them when we were all little freshies and they ended up getting married!) And of course, Eugene has become synonymous with Mr. Silas Valentino. My baby brother who has somehow managed to grow almost a foot taller than me and into a strapping young lad full of whit and humor. I could see the moment the Ducks came in, Silas had brought a whole brigade of U of O friends and they were all as kind as could be. The next day he gave Whit and I a tour of his dorm and his school and my heart was as full as it could be. To see him so settled, so happy and so inspired, I just felt so proud. Not like I had anything to do with it, but even after all these years he still feels like my little baby bro, and I still worry about him and cluck over him more like a pseudo parent than a big sister. He is so in his element and I know I can rest easy.

In Seattle I saw an old pal from middle school days (yay Ross Parker!!) an old highschool pal and musical accomplice (yay Eliza!!! who by the way graciously opened her house up to Whit and I for the night!! Can’t wait to hang out again girl!!) and the Mullen family. Molly Mullen and I were in kindergarten together and became the best of pals. We both eventually moved out of the Bay Area, her to Washington State and my family to central California but we always stayed in touch. Even still it had been many years since we’d seen each other. When she walked in the door with not only her brand new husband but her parents, I nearly peed my pants with excitement!! It was such a special couple of minutes getting to reminisce about the days of our youngest youth when we would play house for hours, make our little brothers participate in our outlandish and uber dramatic homegrown plays that ALWAYS took place in the ‘olden days’, and feverishly read The Boxcar Children series. To get to meet her hubby and hear about her current life and then see her parents who were always so dear and kind to me- it was such a full circle moment and just so heart warming.

I totally fell in love with Portland. It didn’t hurt that we were staying in THE cutest house with the coolest, hippest couple ever. Cara went to college with Whit and she and her hubs showed us such a great time and put us up in such amazing and cozy digs. They live in this adorable and quaint neighborhood right down the street from not only an immense and dense and perfect park with 40+trails, but also from a bustling main street chalk full of sweet little coffee shops, restaurants and the like- all with no sales tax! We drank some truly superb coffee, made use of as much of those 40 miles as we could and just took in the city and day dreamed about bringing our boyfriends there one day because they would both love it so much too. I hurried through my book (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo- so good but I definitely had TWO nightmares involving being kidnapped and shot in the head. Not so awesome) so that I could get started on the new Donald Miller book Jer gave me for Christmas. I just felt like I had to get to reading it given I was in Portland and all. Funnily enough this one is about being on the road and learning how to want only what you need, to ask the WHY questions and not the HOW, to be happy with what you already have, to feel good enough in the face of a world always telling you you are lacking in someway. It’s been a pretty powerful read, and a perfect companion for a girl on the road- and on tour at that.

We played some really great venues, met some amazing and supportive people and sang our hearts out. We learned a lot of things along the way like booking a gig on the night of SuperBowl Sunday is not the wisest thing to do if you want a crowd. We hauled all our own gear and ran our own sound if necessary. Every place we played was so receptive and kind to us and we are definitely making plans to return to all of them in the coming months. I especially want to give a shout out to Forza up in Seattle and their whole incredible team who just made us feel so welcome and so cared for. We really feel so, SO lucky to have met you guys.

We pulled into San Rafael about 2am this morning and were greeted by a giant sign of congrats, balloons and flowers everywhere from Jeremy. Honestly, I know it was only a week but I feel like I’ve written about three new songs in my head all about the missing and the distance. Shoot, what can I say.

I made it to my classes today and despite being pretty worn out and at times delirious, I felt like I was still buzzing from some kind of adrenaline and energy that we actually did it.

To Whit I would like to say, you are a dear friend, an amazing, talented and profound artist, and a pretty awesome travelling buddy. I will never forget this little adventure of ours.

Thank you to everyone who hosted us, showed us around their cities and came out to see our shows. Big thanks to the Groligs for their help in times of need J

Thank you so much to everyone who sent us off with well wishes and prayers and everyone who received us with smiles and open hearts. I feel so thankful and so excited for all that is to come.