Post your art and participate in the process!

I’m honoured and excited to be collaborating with Elections Canada and Apathy is Boring, for “The Art of Democracy” National Youth Challenge.

We’re inviting all young Canadians 14-30 to submit an image, video, blog post, or tweet in answer to the question: “What does your democracy mean to you?”

Contestants will win prizes for the best submissions in each category and their work will be displayed at www.democracy-democratie.ca

Winners and runners-up with
Best Image
Best Video
Best Blog Post
Best Tweet
will receive the following:

Winner: Nikon camera – D3000 with 18-55VR and 55-200VR lenses
Runner-up: PlayStation 3 – 320 GB Entertainment System

Winner: iPad 2 – 16 GB with Wi-Fi and 3G, plus an iPad Smart Cover
Runner-up: PlayStation 3 – 320 GB Entertainment System

Winner: iPad 2 – 16 GB with Wi-Fi and 3G, plus an iPad Smart Cover
Runner-Up: iPod Touch – 32 GB

5 winners: Chapters Indigo gift card ($100 each)

The submission deadline is November 30, 2011. Winners will be announced in March 2012!

Click the link for more details:
www.democracy-democratie.ca

Coming into the light

Sometimes you go dark. Like the last 2 months, I went dark. Rogue. MIA. Quasi existential crisis meets new found love of red wine and ping pong. Yes, ping pong. The funny thing is, when you’re done “having your moment”, people are often out in the light waiting to say “hey, how you doin’?” It’s a nice feeling. So nice, it made me want to put out this new record pronto. That, and the fact that I remembered I believe who we are transcends what we do and that that idea was part of the concept of this record, and how many of the songs on it, were born.

My forth coming release “Die To The Past” is complete after countless bleary eyed trips between Montreal and Toronto, crazy bouts of insomnia and 900+ hours of work at RCA Studio Victor. It is DONE DONE DONE and I can’t wait to freakin’ share it!

This is the most personal thing I’ve ever shared publicly. I am naked on this thing. Literally.

The 15 tracks on “Die To The Past” explore whether our memories define us or if in every moment that we’re alive, we can experience a sort of rebirth. Combining rock n’ soul sounds with a little cabaret noire thrown into the mix, this record is lush with musical arrangements and lyrics that will land on your heart and squeeeze. Apologies.

I hope you like it as much as we do. Here are 4 tunes you can take for a test drive: LISTEN!

The band and I hope you come hear the rest live at our release show:

A Toronto date is coming very soon!

Big love to all the people who said “Mabs, what the F*ck are you doing?!”

Apathy IS Boring! Get up off your a$% and vote!

Presenting THE WAWA SHOW!

The exclamation point makes me smile, but it also bugs me a little. Who knew a person could feel so mocked by punctuation? Every time I see “The WAWA Show!” I am reminded of the shameless glee and enthusiasm I had for WAWA when it first came to be; a show dedicated to bringing together artsy ladies on a shoe string budget with only talent and team spirit to make the show happen. Not only did it work, but it’s grown from a fun and fancy fringe event, to something totally different. This year the show is not only part of the 2011 Montreal Highlights festival, but it’s going to other cities with Toronto as the first stop and may very well be expanding into an international artist network. So what’s the problem? I get sucked into the ideal of an idea and not so much what it translates too – A LOT of work. So much work, it takes over my life for months which would be fine if I could split myself into 20 different people. Don’t get me wrong, I have a great team of people saving my ass every day, but ultimately we are all artists with our own careers to focus on and sometimes holding the WAWA reigns is a little overwhelming.

Regardless, I keep producing this show and now that I’m met with my annual “why am I doing this?” moment, the answer is really simple…it matters to me.  Admittedly, I’ve always loved the idea of bringing people together and I love it even more when it involves creative work outside societal norms. Most of the WAWA artists are industry veterans in their own right and I believe they accept to be part of WAWA because it represents something that matters to them too: community and collaboration. There are very few gigs out there that provide an artist with that…feeling. The only other place I get to experience it, is with my band, close friends, and family.

It is increasingly possible for artists to be the maker of their own success while doing things on their own creative terms; a sustainable career is in some ways not so out of reach when you’re willing to play many different roles. Add to that the willingness to share your network and offer up real support to your peers, and you really have something. The WAWA Show was and still is a vehicle for me to communicate to other artists “Let’s share what we have on both the creative and business front and see what happens?!” When you find the right people, this not only works, but you form strong ties with people you can truly rely on. These ties insert a certain magic and chemistry into creative projects that money simply cannot buy. I feel lucky to have formed so many invaluable relationships with my peers. They have contributed to my development greatly and continue to be the major force behind WAWA.

Also, early experiences I had with my first “high budget” concert were another major motivator in the continuation and growth of the WAWA show.   The concert was a total disaster back stage; people weren’t communicating or showing any real interest in each other, a stage hand helping me was a nervous wreck because of an angry producer who loved shouting, there was a performer complaining loudly about not having her battery pack mic when there were other performers going on before her that didn’t have their’s, a manager of a famous singer who will not be named asked that everyone clear the back stage because she was coming, and countless production assistants dressed like ninjas were running around like frantic chickens. Some might say it was a disappointing taste of reality, but it made me feel strangely empowered. Here were people with tons of dough and no show to show…well barely.  It confirmed to the post teenage me that it was possible to build something great with very little. Having the budget and infrastructure, though great when used well, isn’t everything.

In addition, WAWA showed (insert dorky girlish teehee here) me that the support that comes from women for other women has an ineffable undeniable quality. If I were to try and define it, I’d say it tends to create a sense of comfort and understanding that encourages one to push forward with more gusto!  Said support, is necessary whether we like to admit to it or not.   With WAWA I can openly and honestly say that artists need other strong artists and women need other strong women!

I’ve had some friends say they find it less empowering to focus on women rather then just treat them like they are the same as men, that you end up marginalizing them.  Though I can understand that point of you, I think it’s important not to shy away from admitting there is a difference. Men don’t get pregnant or suffer from crazy monthly mood swings. There are many differences and ultimately those can be felt in the presence of other women who are a positive force in our lives.  To deny that, as though it’s just non-existent or trite, is just plain silly.   After having spoken to many of my girlfriends, I was relieved to find out they could relate and that I was not imagining things. They too were craving relationships with women they could trust and feel inspired by and found it difficult to find them.

Like all collaborations, there will be people who are high maintenance, but the people who actually DO stuff and expect very little in return humble me.  They seemingly operate on a “you get what you give” kind of mentality and can see the bigger picture. They make me want to shed light on the things that matter most and are often missing in an artist’s career and life; unification and measurable support from your peers. “The WAWA Show!” is just that. Exclamation point and all.

Show your support!  Show your enthusiasm! The WAWA Show! Website

WAWA in MONTREAL Feb 26th, 2011 as part of the Montreal Highlights Festival @ Theatre Gesu!

Featuring the music of:  Amanda Mabro, Mirjana Milovanovic, The Goodlovelies!
Circus hosts Krin Haglund & Andreane Leclerc
Photography by Andree Anne Handfield
Designs by Katrin Leblond

OR ON ADMISSION

Sing for your friends more in 2011!

I know I know, I’m always thinking out loud…

it’s just, last night I watched an episode of Mad Men with the hubby and in one scene the character named Joan (played by the actress Christina Hendricks) is incited to play the accordion and sing a song to her house guests. It reminded us of how pre-television, people would entertain themselves. We then began to reminisce a little about our “Claremont days” which is basically when we were room mates in NDG, Montreal with our good friend and constantly had friends over for sing a longs. We’d drink and trade songs into the wee hours of the morning, it was really fun. A guitar would get passed around between drinks and laughs by candle light. There was a TV, but it rarely got turned on.

As movie and television show enthusiasts, we tend to get carried away sometimes with watching stuff. Fortunately, we do not have cable and mostly watch quality, but we have definitely been seduced a little too much by the pacifier that is modern entertainment.

Today, I was talking to a friend on skype and she was telling me about how a cousin asked her if she had a recording of herself playing the piano and singing to a dying family member. The cousin didn’t want the recording simply to hear my friend’s voice, but because it also captured a moment in time and listening to it was a comfort.

This new year, part of my plan has been to stay connected to music outside my music career & students. Playing and performing in the purest sense; for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others, that’s it. I want this intention to translate over to everything else that interests me as well. I’m learning to play again.

May we create art everywhere we go in 2011,
Amanda xo

Babybel Cheese, here today, gone tomorrow…or in 30min after you’ve had some time to digest.

I keep staring at my Babybel cheese thinking it’s going to melt in the sun. I’m riding the train back to Montreal from Toronto again. I ordered a cheese plate with coffee and apple juice for breakfast. I love cheese. It’s one of my many weaknesses. I just couldn’t do the Babybel. I’d already had the swiss, strong cheddar (classic), a very modestly sized Coeur de Lion (and of course the itty bitty one was the best one), and a copious amount of Melba toast. I also love Melba toast. Anyway, by the time I got around to the little Babybel, I was far too full. So, there it sits, lonely little Babybel with no one to unwrap its pretty red plastic wrapper.

My friend Mark helped me book the seat on this ride. He’s got the inside scoop on the best place to sit on the train and he was right! I just passed a glorious expansive body of water with the greenest little cliffs around it. Ok, maybe not cliffs, but there were nice green patches, that’s for sure. Combine that with the pre-production tracks I’ve been listening to, and I’m totally in my own little bubble.

I’ve learnt a lot about bubbles in the last while, primarily, that bubbles eventually pop. When I made my little move from Montreal to Toronto, I was convinced I would adapt easily because the two cities are so close and I know Toronto well. In reality, it was much harder than I anticipated and I’ve been a whiny mess for the last couple months. Fortunately, I have wonderful family and friends and I was conscious of my behavior. It didn’t stop me however from expressing every emotion I had, so, to those whom I love, please forgive me for all my yammering about resistance to change and popped bubbles.

I think the mistake I made was getting attached. To be clear, I’m not talking about people. Loyalty and relationships are so important to me (though some people really believe in the idea that we are meant to only be in each other’s periphery for an undetermined temporary period of time. I subscribe to that in some cases, but having history with someone also counts for a lot if you ask me). What I’m really talking about is confusing places and things with living life. I never thought where I lived would matter to me.

As it turns out, my apartment with park view, which was the nicest I’d had since living on my own, had become my status symbol. It was modern, clean, it had an old piano, a spare room, a washer/dryer, and was very well located. My neighborhood was where all my artist friends lived. With them so close by, I knowingly created a little bubble that was truly romantic. We lay in the grass singing songs, sharing thoughts, motivating each other and then bitching about god knows what, swimming at the pool for free and having the best home made gelato. All around us there were dogs running, people playing Frisbee and guitar, and then the sun would set so perfectly it broke your heart. To process it all, you went home, and had a glass of wine.

Umm, so why undo all of that? The thing is, none of it is real. The shared moments are, but the rest is all just places and things and how you see them. Admittedly, giving up most of my possessions, my apt and everything that came with it, for something untried and seemingly less sexy was really hard and dare I say, a bit scary? (“It’s all right Amanda, you’re allowed to show that you’re scared” says inner far less judge-y voice.) I think at some point I’d convinced myself that I’d done well in the world, succeeded! Sure, I was making a modest living, but I was getting by as an artist! That was respectable! That’s something! So I hung onto it. Culturally, we’ve been taught to find value from

external sources. We look for meaning in tangible things that can be a symbol of our place in the world. I’m cool with people wanting whatever they want, I just don’t want to feel attached to places and things, no matter how humble a level it might be on, because once you start, it’s a slippery slope from there. Of course the memories and experiences are great, but they can live inside you as opposed to being held onto so firmly that letting go of them threatens your very identity.

Things are different now. My new location is much more noisy, urban and polluted. Instead of guitars and dogs, I hear sirens and shady characters yelling. I hated it at first, but really it was mostly the change I hated. I love it now and I’m not sure why, but I suspect it might have something to do with feeling like I’m being challenged.

When I expressed my negative feelings about this jarring change to family and friends, I was met with lots of different responses, but the one that stood out the most was my mom’s “What’s a matter with you? You’re acting like an old retired person! You should be asking yourself what your next adventure is going to be! Since when do you care about the kind of apartment you have? You’ve lived in all sorts of situations and the kid I raised is much more flexible” My mom is in her 60’s and lives on the other side of the world. She was right. Mothers.

So, the tall buildings that block the sun, the shouting people, the sirens, the more modest home, and the perpetual smell of Asian cooking are a welcome change. Bring it on! I’m having an adventure! I’m not in a bubble any more, at least not for now. Life is full of surprises and action these days and it’s an enjoyable shift in my experience of the world around me. Perception is everything and I’m done allowing my vision to be clouded by things that never mattered to me to begin with. You decide your worth, you decide what your reality is.

Babybel update! Packaging torn, inside=delicious.

I refuse to become Martin Burney in Sleeping with the Enemy!

I am totally like the guy from “Sleeping with the Enemy” these days. Well, minus the violent outbursts (except for one incident I had with a curiously skinny coffee table). I definitely feel like I’ve been a bit of a dragon lady though and it’s kind of funny realizing it in hindsight post martinis and a copious amount of delicious sleep. Who knew some drinks and hours and hours of shut-eye would give me this new found perspective.

The thing is, I’m moving again and I suppose I’ve just moved so much in my life that I’ve reached a point where I don’t want to move anymore. Consequently, I think I’ve been resisting it by trying to keep my home far too orderly and livable than is possible when you’re in the throws of moving. At least, not unless you want to be thought of as “Sleeping with the Enemy” guy.

I’ve grumbled so much throughout this move, I’m reminded of my old dog Chico. He was a black and white feisty little Shitzu who would growl every time I tried to pick him up after he was in his relaxation position of choice. He’d invested so much energy turning in circles to find that very ideal place to chill that when I’d try and move him…well often he’d bite me (in fact, he’d bite me so hard he’d draw blood. He was a real biter that Chico. Stupid mean f#$#ing vampire dog. I loved him so much.).

Anyhow, I got to thinking how important it is to just let go and stop indulging in the illusion of control. Accept that things are destabilized. Enjoy losing your balance. Those are my new mantras. I think I didn’t want to admit to myself that I minded having my environment be disturbed. I ADMIT IT.

It’s like someone said to me the other day, it’s not that moving is so terrible, it just disturbs all the little things we take for granted. For example, we sold our fridge and stove a couple of weeks ago and I said “so what?! We’ll eat lots of sandwiches and it’ll feel like an adventure!” It seems like that plan did not go over as well as one would think and I’ve been eating at Aux Vivres so much I may as well be a partner. That’s right, work and eat it all away on over priced yet somehow ridiculously delicious salads.

Suffice it to say, I see the error of my ways. I’ve planned a pic nic that won’t brake the bank with my dear friend, Ms Briga, and we will bask in the light of the sun over food and a possible swim. Life is good and I should be thankful.

Missing a stamp? The guy from Piknic has your back!

I had some really important documents to mail out today so I popped into the post office near home to drop them off .  The counter gal weighed my envelope and it turned out to be too heavy for the 1 stamp I’d stuck onto it!  Drat!

I didn’t have cash on me since I was wearing my quasi modest/almost booty-ish running shorts (I feel their quasi modest.  I was discussing booty shorts with Brigitte recently and we agreed that past the top of the thigh is quasi modest.  Above the thigh is ass town.  We do not live there.   We do however commend those comfortable enough to ride the short shorts ass town wave.) Anyhoo, I was a bit frazzled because I wanted to get to rehearsal in time and didn’t have enough time to hurry home and back again.  The counter gal said I could send the documents despite being 43 cents short and hope the letter gets there, but that it obviously might just be returned.   I didn’t want to chance it, so I turned my penniless ass around and made for the door.  I say ass a lot in this post.

As I began to walk out, this dude who was perusing the magazine section stuck out his hand and said “J’ai cinquante sous!” Taken aback by his kindness I said “C’est vrais?” and he kind of laughed at my disbelief and said “oui, oui, tiens” and I said that I couldn’t possibly (sheesh – yes, I am sheeshing myself) and then he insisted and said “T’ai pris, prend les”.  Random acts of kindness like this never cease to make me smile.  I was trying to figure out what I could do to show my appreciation – not just for the 43 cents but the generosity and kindness – and so I took the bill for the stamp and wrote my email on the back offering stamp guy a guest list spot to one of my next shows.  After I introduced myself, and said thanks again,  I mentioned I was a local artist and explained I’d like to invite him out to a show.  I told him about some of the exciting events we have coming up including Osheaga and it turned out he was not only from a local musical outfit, Piknic Electronik, but was also going to be at Osheaga as well!  Piknic is not only a Montreal staple, but apparently they also have some really fine folk on their team!  Need a stamp?  The guy from Picnic Electronik has your back!

Saint Sauveur brings out the 1993 in me

Bacon….eggs….toast….grapefruit (which I’ve totally been won over to lately thanks to my friend Holly.  As a child I used to eat grapefruit with sugar but apparently my taste buds have evolved to a point where they enjoy the sour candy like flavor of this possibly very underrated fruit)…freshly brewed coffee and Paul McCartney’s “Let ‘em in” make for an awesome recording weekend here in Saint Sauveur.

In the spirit of the upcoming record I’ve decided to sport my natural hair (circa 1993) that I really only rocked when I was 13 during my grunge phase. It’s messy and a little wild, but it’s mine so there. Actually the only reason I’m wearing it this way is because 1. I can’t spend a lot of time getting ready every day because it’s not as fun as doing other things (+my hair is super thick and straightening it takes forever) 2. I kind of don’t mind it anymore and 3. (as my grandmother used to say “jamais deux sans trois”) ever since I turned 30, I feel compelled to do what feels good all the time (not in that hedonistic kind of way, just in that letting go a little more kind of way).

I’m super excited about this recording as it embodies everything I love musically. It’s balls to the wall, it’s passionate and it’s got a little bit of a rock and a little bit of soul. It’s been such a blast being here with the gang, like being with family. In fact, they are family. What more can a person ask for? Working with people you love is an amazing thing and I feel very lucky and grateful to be able to do that.

Yesterday we were able to record all the drum tracks we planned on.  The environment here is just so conducive to recording with a view of the hills and village in Saint Sauveur, and the fog surrounding the trees – it’s pretty magical.

I then started working on the vocal tracks for “Say What You Want” but I was so exhausted from the dummy vocal tracking we did earlier in the day that we decided to take a dinner break.  Seriously, I do not recommend singing for 6h straight to anyone.  I was so fried by the end.

After our delicious meal and a few glasses of wine we attempted round two with much better results.  Perhaps the Canadians losing last night brought out the sad in me (I know it did in Patrick), ’cause we got some pretty solid takes and then decided to turn in.

Rick’s doing some piano tracks this morning before I go back to doing more vocal tracks.  The piano we’re using is the perfect amount of old and lovely.  It belongs to our manager Jen and her family who have quite the musical background.  Her dad, Leo Kay, has a gold record for his 1982 hit “Femme de Societe” hanging on the wall where we are recording – a place that was filled with music for years.  We’ve had some memorable experiences both with home recordings and in studio, but somehow this place is so much more personal, special, and right.  I  feel privileged to be here and believe the recordings will reflect the synergy, love and generosity behind them.

Speaking of generosity, Andree-Anne Handfield who was not only a fast friend but is quickly becoming our favorite live photographer, was kind enough to come join in on the fun and take some photos.  It’s the first time we have some session photos!  These will be so great for when we’re old and gray!

Time to start warming up…Rick’s already nailed down a bunch of piano takes and Tim will probably want to eat soon.

Lots of love and I hope you enjoy the pics….Amanda xo