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Catch me doing a couple moves & some zills work in Ginger Doss’s brand new music video for her song, “Mandala”, which is a straight up work of art itself! The video debut was January 4th, and it went beautifully. Ginger & Lynda have been good friends of mine for many years now, but I’m still a little starstruck at times. This video, seeing the three of us together as part of Ginger’s video vision for her epic song, brings that home! Feast your eyes and ears!

Holiday time for most of us involves a bit of stress, a bit of travel maybe, and a bit of chaos.  Last thing I want to do with that in mind is ask any of you for more precious time than you can afford to give.  But I know I’d be on the naughty list if I didn’t take a moment to make sure you’re aware that I released the Winter Wish digital EP on Christmas morning!  It’s got eight songs, some familiar and some brand new, all inspired by seasonal folklore and tradition.  As many of the creatures and customs which inspired the songs will still be stomping around until Twelfth Night, I don’t feel I’m too late to tell you.  

Listen here or via the player above, purchase if you like, and please share the link: 
http://music.sjtucker.com/album/winter-wish-2019-digital-ep

What’s on it:  
-a brand new song for the Welsh horse-spirit-ghost who comes to your door on winter evenings to challenge you to a battle of wits!  (I love her, terrifying as she is. Actual Traditional Nightmare Before Actual Christmas, anyone?)
-my two familiar wintry singles, “Solstice Night” and “The Feast of Krampus”!  I love them, also.
-a newly polished mix of my song for the Oak King & the Holly King, two mighty brothers who trade places in colloquy on the two yearly Solstices.
-a very silly holiday skit about getting the best of Krampus, performed by Heather Dale, Ben Deschamps, and me!
-a surprise acoustic version of a very industrial song
-two bonus tracks!

I hope you’ll all love what you hear, of course.  This can be a rough time of year, and I would always give you a break and a grin, if and when and as often as I can.  

I hope you’re and comfortable wherever you are today.  I hope you’ll be well and comfortable and able to join me for one or both of my online concerts this month, as well! I’ll stream on our new platform, Online Concert Thing, at 2pm Central (3pm Eastern, 1pm Mountain, Noon Pacific, 7pm GMT) on December 21st AND December 22nd!  Please join me for whichever one suits you best, if not both!  I’ll be offering special tip reward goodies only available then and there, including unreleased songs, handwritten lyric sheets, shiny things, and seasonal blessings!  Also, so long as recording is successful, we will make the video of the concert available for purchase afterward for anyone who’s unable to watch it in realtime.  

Watch here, and check out the goodies on offer at any time: http://onlineconcertthing.com

And if you run into any trouble logging in or otherwise getting set up, write to our capable admin: ben@onlinconcertthing.com

Performers and viewers alike have been loving this new platform, which is run by people I trust and know personally!  It’s fantastic to have something reliable for the production side AS WELL AS the audience side of things!  While Concert Window filled a need until it closed down this fall, I’m really enjoying this next place to be.  It’s been running like a dream, and I hope you’ll be able to experience it as an audience member for yourself!  

These two live streams on December 21st and 22nd will be my final performances of 2019.  I hope to be able to start giving evening shows once again as early as January, perhaps swapping off daylight and night time shows every other week.  If you all have preferences or suggestions along those lines, I’d love to hear them!  My goal of course is to do my best to make my streaming concerts available for as many of you as possible, at times and on dates which will suit you.

If you would like to keep up with me into 2020 and beyond, and receive more news and more exclusive goodies such as automatic album pre-orders, handwritten correspondence, and special monthly audio downloads, consider joining me on Patreon or subscribing via my website!  

Patreon details: http://www.patreon.com/sjtuckermusic

Monthly/yearly subscription details (via PayPal): https://sjtucker.com/buy/other-products/sponsorship-subscriptions/

I haven’t announced any of my 2020 tour dates yet, but I’ll be sharing the news very soon!  It’s good, every last word of it.  You won’t believe some of the places I get to see over the next few months!  I’ll certainly keep in touch here and on social media as a way to take you all with me.

My dearest friends and colleagues are starting to give their own shows at Online Concert Thing, as well!  Catch them if you can!  Betsy, Alec, and my darling Dogwood will have a show there as Smoke, Flash, and Horn in just a couple of days: December 14th at 7pm Pacific (8 Mountain, 9 Central, 10 Eastern)! 

My Canadian buddies the Heather Dale Band are the might behind this platform.  For their streaming schedule, head to  http://heatherdale.com AND ALSO consider becoming a supporter there: http://heatherdale.com/supporters/  When you do, you’ll get to see, among other things, a video clip of the Krampus pageant I wrote for them to perform last week!  No, I’m not kidding!  

As always, thank you for being part of my year and part of my journey, and for allowing me to be part of yours.  Today on Twitter, someone referred to me as “joyful and encouraging”, and told me that my music is “aggressively affirming”, and that with it, I help so many others to feel seen.  That, folks, is exactly how I want it.  You wouldn’t have read this far if my work hadn’t helped you in some way; I am humbled by this and grateful for it, for you.

Happy Halloween & blessed Samhain to all of you! 

Please join me from wherever you are for my very first solo broadcast on our new streaming platform, Online Concert Thing!  Showtime is 2pm Central (3pm Eastern, 1pm Mountain, noon Pacific, 7pm GMT) on Sunday, November 10th.  Online Concert Thing is still very new and plain, but it ran like a champ for us on October 20th when I shared a broadcast with my tour sister Leslie Hudson.  I am confident that it will grow in features and aesthetic as we move forward, and I trust the folks who are running this thing implicitly.  

Check it out and sign on here to watch the show from the screen of your choice:  https://onlineconcertthing.com

Later in the month, I’ll be returning to the Samhain event of my heart near Memphis, TN: Summerland Grove’s Festival of Souls!  Ginger Doss performed there in my place last year, as baby Jesse and I were just barely home from the hospital at the time.  It’s gonna feel like coming home, and I can’t wait to get there, this time with baby and all.  My concert is scheduled for Friday evening, one hour after the opening of the Candlelight Labyrinth.  Please let me know if I’ll see you there.  
Go here for registration info and more: http://summerlandgrove.org/festival-of-souls/


A couple of other bits of news:  

-I’m so grateful for the turnout at all of my October concerts: those shared with Leslie in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, and online; and my set at Arkansas Pagan Pride Day in Hot Springs last Saturday.  Y’all are so good to show up, in every sense of the phrase, and this month was no exception.  Thank you for reassuring me that my songs & performances matter to you, even during a time when I am performing less often in order to keep learning how to start out as a decent mom.

-The audiobook I just narrated and produced is out in the world on iTunes, Audible, and Amazon! Start listening to Daughter of the White River, Depression Era Treachery and Vengeance in the Arkansas Delta at one of the links below!  
US link: https://tinyurl.com/y2qmma7c

UK link:  https://tinyurl.com/y57lullc

FR link:  https://tinyurl.com/y26kcbr7

DE link:  https://tinyurl.com/y3hafvkl

Did you know that there is also a documentary film in the works, run on all-local talent, crew, and funding so far?  As I understand it, the plan is to make something beautiful out of dramatized scenes, interviews, and archival footage.  Several of my songs will be featured as well, but only if the project gets a little bit of a grassroots boost from folks like us!  
Check out the Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/2Ne7UV2

-My buddy Nathaniel Johnstone has a great new release just in time for Halloween! 
Check out The Dubious Hat & Other Tales of Ineffable Horror!

-My stage sister Leslie Hudson is done touring for the year, but she’s released several singles from her upcoming album, Keep Left at the Fork. Get them here!

-I may be a little bit late delivering content this coming month to my subscribers and my Patreon patrons, as I’m working on getting over some sniffles before I record their monthly download, but you’re all welcome to join me in either place at any time!  I truly enjoy creating and sharing exclusive content for my small gang of subscribers and Patrons.

Subscribe via PayPal here: https://sjtucker.com/buy/other-products/sponsorship-subscriptions/

Join me on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/sjtuckermusic

Thanks for reading this post today.
May the changing of the seasons treat you well, joyously, and gently.

My audiobook production of Denise Parkinson’s Daughter of the White River is available now via iTunes, Amazon, and Audible!  Follow this link to start listening!

I got a bit excited and created a short trailer video for the audiobook. Feel free to share it around!  Don’t ask me if other people ever make trailers for audiobooks. Is that even a thing?  I’m making it a thing, if not!  

Thanks to all of you for your support, even when I divert from music briefly to use my acting chops in this way, to read to you into a microphone and make a different kind of art, a different kind of connection.  This project has been very important to me, and I’m honored to have it out in the world now.  Young Arkansan Helen Spence’s tragic story lives on because of it.  This is my second time to produce an audiobook in the studio, my third time to narrate one! If audiobooks are not your thing, no worries!  I’m hard at work again on music, and I’ll keep getting new song content out into the world as the autumn settles in.  Follow or pledge with me on Patreon for early listens and other goodies!  https://www.patreon.com/sjtuckermusic  

Other news: Women of Substance Radio has featured two of my tunes in two of their podcast episodes, over the past two weeks! Listen here!

Reminder: I have concerts coming up this month, in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee, and I’d love to see you there if you’ll be nearby!  Also, watch for details about an online concert shared between myself and Leslie Hudson on Sunday, October 20th! 

All the concert info:  

1. Thursday, Oct 17: Lawton, OK
Curious Goods 7-10pm
1105 NW Ferris, Ave Lawton, OK 73507
with Leslie Hudson
GET TICKETS: http://lesliesoojlawton.bpt.me

2. Oct 18: Fayetteville, AR
UU Fellowship of Fayetteville 7-10pm
901 W. Cleveland St. Fayetteville, AR 72701
with Leslie Hudson
GET TICKETS: http://soojandlesliefayetteville.bpt.me

3. Oct 20: Online show with Leslie Hudson
(Details TBA. If all else fails, we will stream on both YouTube and Facebook Live if possible.)

4. Oct 22: Memphis, TN
Neshoba UU Church 7-10pm
7350 Raleigh Lagrange Rd. Cordova, TN 38018
with Leslie Hudson
GET TICKETS: http://soojandlesliememphis.bpt.me

5. Oct 26: Hot Springs, AR
Arkansas Pagan Pride Day at Entergy Park — free admission!
http://www.arkansaspaganpride.org/

My tour schedule page is experiencing some shenanigans this week, but the blog page is in good shape.  Here’s a blog post with all the info on my upcoming shows in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Tennessee this month, with more fun news just after!

1. Thursday, Oct 17: Lawton, OK
Curious Goods 7-10pm
1105 NW Ferris, Ave Lawton, OK 73507
with Leslie Hudson
GET TICKETS: http://lesliesoojlawton.bpt.me

2. Oct 18: Fayetteville, AR
UU Fellowship of Fayetteville 7-10pm
901 W. Cleveland St. Fayetteville, AR 72701
with Leslie Hudson
GET TICKETS: http://soojandlesliefayetteville.bpt.me

3. Oct 20: Online show with Leslie Hudson
(Details TBA. If all else fails, we will stream on both YouTube and Facebook Live if possible.)

4. Oct 22: Memphis, TN
Neshoba UU Church 7-10pm
7350 Raleigh Lagrange Rd. Cordova, TN 38018
with Leslie Hudson
GET TICKETS: http://soojandlesliememphis.bpt.me

5. Oct 26: Hot Springs, AR
Arkansas Pagan Pride Day at Entergy Park — free admission!
http://www.arkansaspaganpride.org/

Other news

—My audiobook production of Daughter of the White River by Denise Parkinson is now available on iTunes, Audible, and Amazon! Click here to start listening!  Denise and I have worked very hard together to bring this audiobook into the world, about the short life of Arkansan Helen Spence. I’ll let you all know when it’s available for purchase!
More about Helen Spence:
https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/helen-spence-5376/
Recent article about Helen, Denise, and the book:
https://onlyinark.com/arkansas-women-bloggers/helen-spence-story/

—Women of Substance Radio has included my song “Burn Me Out” in their own podcast, episode #992, released September 30th, AND “Burn Me Out” in episode #995, released October 7!  Listen here!  More info on the WoS Radio shows, founder Bree Noble, and their “Music with a Conscience” series: http://www.wosradio.com

—All is going well with my Patreon page, as well as with my PayPal-based subscription service! Join one or both for exclusive downloads each month and other perks!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/sjtuckermusic
Subscribe with PayPal:
https://sjtucker.com/buy/other-products/sponsorship-subscriptions/

Thank you!

Thank you all for your support and attention this year!  Now that I have the audiobook off my plate, I can focus on enjoying this month’s performances, on celebrating my little son’s first birthday, and on recording and mixing the new witchy album to come.  As big a year as it’s been, you’d think I could cut myself a little more slack about my snail’s pace with album completion. Ha.

Thank you for being part of what keeps me going. I hope you find plenty of inspiration for your own creative pursuits this Autumn.

I’m posting to make absolutely sure everyone knows I have an online concert tomorrow evening (Thurs. Aug 22) at 8 Eastern/7 Central/6 Mountain/5 Pacific, on my Concert Window channel:

 http://www.concertwindow.com/sjtuckermusic

This will be my last-ever show on that platform.  Concert Window will shut down forever next month, according to an email I received earlier this month from their current CEO.  Please tune in if you can, to help me make it a truly grand finale.  

I’m on the hunt for the next streaming site to host my online shows, but I have not yet found one that’s the right fit.  I’d love to let you all know once I HAVE found that new online concert home.  To that end, if you’d like to be on an email list JUST for future online concerts of mine, please shoot me a quick email.  I’ll create that list as soon as I know what my plan going forward will be, and I’ll add your email address so that I can fill you in.

Thank you all for your support this year and always, however long or short a time we have been connected. You keep me singing into the dark, the light, the landscape, and my microphones, no matter what else is happening.

Watch the Thursday night online show here:  http://www.concertwindow.com/sjtuckermusic
You choose the ticket price, you choose your level of participation in the chat window, and you choose your own location to watch.  Grab friends.  Grab a snack.  Cuddle in and enjoy. Thank you so, so much for tuning in if you’re not busy.

Since these songs all happened because I said yes to something that scared me, I said yes to another thing that scares me: namely unlocking the whole set for previewing, free listening, and individual downloads of each song. Why’s that scary, Sooj?

Well fam, these are all rowdy and rough recordings, you see, and a good portion of them are straight up iPhone voice memos that I’ve cleaned up just a little. And let’s face it, internet randos can say really shitty things. I have a hard time not letting that blindside me on the rare occasion that it happens in my direction. I’m really laying out my guts with these tunes, unpolished as they are.

But after consulting with my fabulous online audience during my broadcast last night and getting a whole heap of support from them for the idea, my courage is up. I’ve set Traveling Songs to go public. I began offering this collection as a direct-from-the-artist promotion three years ago this month, and the results were very rewarding. We’ll see how this new method works out! I hope y’all enjoy what you hear. Thanks for the encouragement. 🙂