Earplugs! for band mate snoring, loud chewers and screaming inflight babies.
Cheap guitar leads exist to teach you an expensive lesson
Cibo boasts best coffee in Adelaide airport (Step Away from Terra Rosa)
Sleeping in your van before a red-eye flight = More sleep (almost feels like cheating!)
It pays to do a quick scan of the airport before you buy a $4 luggage trolley
It's a really nice feeling to give your luggage trolley to someone at the airport and save them $4
Take a photo of where you park in the long-term car park
Always check to see if your iPhone charger is still plugged in the hotel wall
A perfume scented scarf is essential in overcoming a farting in-flight neighbour!
Carry a spare power supply just in case yours gets blown up just before your show (like Jeff Langs did in Alice Springs)
Set calendar alarms to SMS reminders before ALL radio interviews
Must pack fingerless gloves for outdoor winter gigs!
Always assume the band don't read your emails & text them ALL show details again on the day!
Always pack up your own gear (or prepare to buy a new capo/lead/tuner.)
Remember to pack emergency food rations for the gigs where there is no time to eat!!!
People LOVE T-Towels!!?! (*must order more for my next tour)
Dry shampoo!!!!
Alice Springs is beautiful! Make sure to gig there one day.

Skidding in sideways just before winter in this hemisphere comes to a close and September brings Spring...I race to deliver you to these August musings. I considered typing this with one finger on my mobile phone app a couple of weeks ago in mid check-in queue to one of my numerous flights during this months heavy touring schedule but it all seemed too uphill. I decided I was allowed to drop the ball for a moment or two and just rely on instagram and face-crack to keep in touch.

My Songs For The Dead Of Winter Tour was a non-stop adventure that took me to freezing Melbourne and regional Victoria, Brisbane, back to Adelaide, all the way to my first trip in balmy wintery Alice Springs and back again! It was a beloved month of flights, long drives, solo, duo and band gigs, songwriting workshops, a charity fundraiser and lecturing JMC lyric classes in-between it all. Busier than I have ever been I felt alive and thrived. Naturally, I am now ready for the flip-side quiet of the countryside..... to write, make art and be still for a moment before the next wave of touring. It took me a while to truly understand this...but the dump after any big event, tour, production, play etc is real and oh so very normal. I am already keen for the next phase.

I love all the stages of this vocation. The Yin & The Yang. The loud and outwardly mobile larger than life stuff that leads me to adventures, new friends, bright lights, late nights and encores.....and the solitude of extended creative times wether joyful or challenging. The never-ending admin stuff can grind me down sometimes but it really ends up making the touring harvest all the sweeter.

Let the photo's below from my August do the rest of the talking.

The Texicans

Rehearsing in Melbourne with my Texicans; my bro Jeb, Ash Davies on drums, Eamon McNelis on trumpet and Trent McKenzie on bass! Woohoo.

A Packed House at Selby Folk Club

The Joint Was Jumping!

Open Studio with my beloved Texicans!

Jeb does a face-melter!

Vic Night Markets Showing us LOVE!

The Old Church On The Hill!

10 folks took part in my songwriting workshop in this gorgeous space and Jeb & I performed to a beautiful crowd that night alongside local legends Alawishus Jones & The Outright Lies and beauty Graciana Holland.

Skye's Casa!

Another beloved candle-lit house concert in Castlemaine! Gah. This was so cosy and beautiful. It was a shame I had to drive back to Melbourne that night for my early flight back to Brissy. We could have easily stayed by the fire drinking vino with those lovely folks!

Now this is what you call a HOUSE CONCERT!

My airport style. Sit & charge till the last call!

Hello Alice!

G-Man at CAAMA Radio, Alice Springs.

My new Alice trumpet player Steph!

One text sent and I met her backstage. Next minute she's up on stage with me!? Very cool.

My Gold Alice Crew! Jeff Lang, King Maron, Bec Matthews & Orlando

Thanks to Mike Wolke for bringing us all together for this special show in Alice Springs

Singing out to Alice

Last Class!

Can hardly believe it! I just finished teaching the 12 weeks Lyric Writing course at JMC mUsic Academy. Was so absorbed in it I forgot to take a pic of my awesome students!

My Fundraiser Concert!

WE DID IT!

Thanks to Phil Barlow, Sian Evans, Cameron Milford, Asha Niketan Constance, Alicia and Shelley May Evans for donating their talents to this charity show for The Women Of Deep Samburu! We had messages in real time from Naomi the charity organiser in the Samburu village as the concert unfolded. Stunning messages about her drinking Chai at sunrise whilst explaining to some women what a 'house concert' is....and I kept sending photo's of each performer. We raised $550. A modest amount to some but a formidable amount to help three Samburu widows. We collectively can say we have changed their lives for the better forever and pat ourselves on the back. Go team.

Catch you soon online or in the flesh at an upcoming gig,

Love Abbie x

P.S. I have very exciting gigs to announce over the next month as I support The Wilson Pickers Album launch for a few shows with my band and solo so stay tuned!