stephanie mabey

what the what?!

2011-01-06T09:40:00.000-06:00

Meet Lacey.

She is 18. She is my cellist/little sister. There's no nepotism involved here, though, folks. She is an arranger and player who possesses mad skills. The parts she comes up with tend to blow my mind.

Photos: Russ Dixon

(...but that's not why I want you to meet her.)

Something pretty amazing happened a few weeks ago. Lacey wrote her first song. In other news: I forced her to record it. (And not just because I'm a proud sister.) She had been wanting a ukulele for years and this Christmas* she got it. She was working 4 part-time jobs that week, but the fleeting moments of her free time were spent crafting this song. When she played it for me, I couldn't help noticing that even though she plays the guitar, cello, violin and piano, she never felt inspired to write a song on these instruments. Part of her knew there would be something magical about a ukulele. She was right. It plugged her into the flow of her creativity. This song poured out of her the minute she had the tool she knew she needed.

And it's pretty freaking awesome, too.

*Ok, technically it was "Early Christmas" on Thanksgiving. All of the siblings were in town at the same time. We really love presents.

Wake Up Dreaming.

2011-01-01T01:32:00.002-06:00

Ok, my blog posts have been sporadic at best. "Hey guys, I'm doing blah blah blah with my music." "Hey guys, look, photos. Of me." Don't get me wrong, it's all fun, but blogging simply for the sake of self promotion isn't something I'm super passionate about. Good news: I finally feel like I have something to say here.

Go download this song for free. (http://www.stephaniemabey.bandcamp.com) Give it a listen and you'll know what I am super passionate about. It's called Wake Up Dreaming.

I keep noticing all kinds of fascinating people in my world who are doing more than just existing. They are creating and adding to the world around them. (Example: those rad sketches you see on the bandcamp site are the work of my brilliant cousin, Madeline. She's in high school.) Sometimes we are doing this in spite of our day jobs. In spite of odds and convention. We're waking up early before our kiddos (and the sun.) And it is so incredibly worth it.

I'll still keep you posted on music stuff (yes, the album is still in the works! more on this later.) but I'm really excited to find fresh ways to bring these people out of the woodwork. Fingers crossed that I'll do them justice.

Happy New Year :)

Halo night.

2010-12-12T09:05:00.001-06:00

I was recently hanging out at a basement gaming night throwdown in Park City. I'm terrible at Halo, so I was thrilled to discover the kiddie room with Rock Band playing on a giant screen (until the 5th rendition of "I Love Rock and Roll.") I had no idea that kids were so dedicated to their craft.

My insanely talented friend Brian Tibbets was kind enough to do an impromptu photo shoot:

(Check out Brian's photography: www.tibbets.org)

I'm glad he didn't get any of me figuring out that you only need three buttons on the Rock Band keyboard.

We are go for album (!!!)

2010-09-08T14:28:00.002-05:00

Exciting, exciting, exciting. This project is going to be different from anything I've done before. I'm thrilled to be working with Meghan Toohey, who is not only an amazing multi-instrumentalist but a supremely talented producer. We're going with an electronic-organic-fusion approach that I think will compliment this arsenal of shiny new songs beautifully.

Meghan plays with The Weepies and they're gearing up for a bunch of touring in October, so we're going to get as much done during the month of September as we can. Whatever we don't get done this month will be finished on the tour bus and during their stop in Denver. Yeah, I'm geeking out a little.

go buy this album pronto.

I can't wait to share the journey with you! Maybe I'll even blog more than once this month.

:)

Cope

2010-06-30T10:43:00.000-05:00

I wrote this at one of those times where I felt like I was in survival mode. While I was cleaning the kitchen (wiping off the toaster, to be exact) the line "She polished every piece of silverware" popped into my head. I headed over to the keyboard and started to figure out why she would be polishing her silverware in the first place. It led me to a song about different ways we hang on when we don't know everything will be ok. The kitchen never did get finished that day.

(Let's be honest, it never gets finished most days.)

A song for the Bearded Lady ...

2010-06-23T08:51:00.002-05:00

I have been promising to upload this song for months now and am happy to report that the Bearded Lady (aka The Main Attraction) has finally joined my YouTube channel! (Thanks for your patience.)

I have a bearded lady necklace that holds a picture of one of the original performers from P.T. Barnum's 19th century sideshow. It's one of my favorites, though it has been known to freak out a few ladies at baby showers and the like. When I was writing this song, I wanted to express how it feels to be truly seen by someone who gets you. To me, the character of the bearded lady is a beautiful metaphor for real love.

Enjoy :)

help wanted.

2010-06-14T01:53:00.002-05:00

Ok, I still need to do a blog post about some sweet adventures in L.A. ... but before I do, I would love to get your opinion. I am looking for your list of three artists that you consider similar to my music. (I'll be using it as a point of reference for people who have never heard my stuff.) Bonus: I will send you a free download in exchange! If you're in:

1) Click here to preview the newest songs.

2) Leave a blog comment below with your list of your three similar artists.

3) Email me at stephaniemabeymusic@gmail.com and I'll send over an mp3 as a thank you!

Piece of cake :) (You can also check out YouTube.com/StephanieMabey for live versions of a few songs.)

Thanks!!!

UT last week...

2010-05-24T10:34:00.005-05:00

I just checked in for tomorrow's L.A. flight. 'A' boarding group. Right on. I was in UT a few days ago playing 4 shows, co-writing 3 songs and recording 2 demos. Tucked in between this awesome relay of music was a blissful Sunday at my sister's in Logan. Here's what it looked like:

Heather's lunchtime arrangement from flowers in her yard.
I swear, this girl could make a pile of rocks stunning.

Autumn loved gardening.
I kept noticing how everything here thrived...

...even my ghetto amp. (Thanks, Austin!)

Well, I guess these guys were the exception
...the delicious, delicious exception.

Heather, Lacey and me up the canyon.
(Photos: Laury Smith. Except the dead fish one. That was all me.)

Off to finish my landry from last week's trip...looking forward to this week's adventures. :)

The Way That I Love You

2010-05-13T22:52:00.005-05:00

writers/wigs

2010-05-12T08:52:00.023-05:00

A couple of friends of mine are working on material for their band's upcoming album and they were kind enough to fly me out to collaborate on a song. This co-write was *so much fun.* My favorite part:

We were sitting in a circle in the writing garage starting to throw ideas out when out of nowhere Brian gasped, "Oh man...I forgot The Wig."

I thought he was kidding, but it turns out he likes to rock a wig when they're writing. And sometimes when he's going out with his wife. I'm going to pause and say that Brian is hands down one of the most interesting and hilarious personalities around. He also showed me that it's possible to drive while playing a baby taylor guitar. You steer with your knees. (Don't worry, mom...it only works if you have cruise control. I won't be multitasking any time soon.)

So, Russ begins digging through the bin of Halloween costumes in search of a wig and I am completely intrigued.

Me: So, Brian...do you have an accent when you're wearing The Wig? Does it become an alternate personality or something?

Brian: No. Sometimes I just like to be a nice guy with long hair.

So great. Russ ended up finding an acceptable replacement for our writing session, but I have a feeling it didn't hold a candle to The Wig.

(Photo courtesy of Russ's iPhone. My phone is a glorified rectangle.)

I'm headed to UT to play 5 shows, record 2 songs, and attempt 1 co-write. I'll be home for a week, then it's off to L.A. ... I pinky swear to keep you posted.

L.A./N.Y./UT

2010-04-15T15:35:00.003-05:00

Happy news: I am playing the Acoustic Long Island podcast this summer! For those of you who haven't checked it out, it's the #1 acoustic podcast on iTunes and it is *awesome.* I'll be heading out to NY to play on August 4th w/Debra Fotheringham and I can't wait.

(This is us playing there in '07. So. Much. Fun.)

I'm looking to play a couple of house shows in addition to the podcast...if you or anyone you know in the area might be interested, give me a shout. There is a fantastic house concert website called Concerts in Your Home where you can learn more about hosting shows. (I just posted my profile here. So fancy.)

More happy news: I'm touring through UT May 14-19th and heading to L.A. May 25-29th! Check out the calendar here. I'm playing all over the place and would love to see you at a show!!!

Hey, Nashville.

2010-04-05T14:34:00.001-05:00

I'm killing time in a little cafe until my 3:30 meeting here in Nashville. I always get butterflies in my stomach before these things. I think it's a good thing, though my guts would beg to differ. I crossed everything off my little to-do list before getting here and I'm feeling pretty good.

(I forgot the camera but remembered the Flip. I'm still counting it.)

dress for less

2010-03-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder what a $0.49 dress would look like?

uh...yeeeah...probably just how you imagined it would.

(♫ I got it at Ross ♪)

download-a-rama

2010-03-29T12:26:00.000-05:00

The EP is now available for digital download!!! Click the album art to get it on iTunes for $4.95:

You may have noticed that it says "Acoustic Preview EP" on the album art. I'm currently saving up money for a fully produced CD and this EP has 5 acoustic versions of songs I'm putting on that project. Every EP I sell gets me closer to that goal. I am also doing a fundraiser on my website. http://www.stephaniemabey.com

(it looks a little something like this...only less squished:)

So far I've saved up over $1,000 (*happy dance* and a giant *thank you* to everyone who has donated ...yes, the website counter needs an update...) and I'm hoping to reach my goal of $5,000 by the end of this summer. Let me know if you'd like to be involved with bringing this project to life!

Dress Ups.

2010-03-26T15:53:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I get bogged down in the details. I get caught up in my insecurities, emails and music business madness. But she always saves me...this time with a dollar store hat.

life is so, so good.

The Curse of the Red and Khaki

2010-03-23T11:21:00.000-05:00

The other night I had a dream that I accidentally wore red and khaki to Target and they forced me to be a cashier. I posted this as my Facebook status and got some hilarious comments about people being mistaken for retail employees. I actually used to work at Target back in the day...

...and once when I was cashiering, a woman came through my line wearing red and khaki. I asked if she wanted to use her employee discount and she gave me a weird look.

Me: Oh, I’m sorry…I saw the red and khaki…I just assumed…

Red and Khaki Lady: Oh no. I don’t know why I always do this! How embarrassing…

Then I realized she had a baby carrier in her cart. With a baby boy. Dressed in red and khaki.

I don’t know why we always do this either, Red and Khaki Lady…but we do. Even in our sleep. There is no escaping it.

Peace out, comfort.

2010-03-15T12:37:00.000-05:00

When I was younger, I was terrified of...well...almost everything. Sleepovers, making phone calls, ordering at Taco Bell, lakes, sharks (valid to a degree...but I even got stomach cramps when playing 'Ecco the Dolphin' on Sega Genesis...) and running in public. Looking back, I recognize that my anxiety was a bit off the charts. Thankfully, writing and playing music prevented me from becoming a total nutcase. There is also the added benefit of blaming any residual quirks on being "artistic." High five.

Today, I am happy to report that I can sleep in strange places, talk on the phone repeatedly, look at a shark without puking, and even order at Taco Bell (blech.) Beyond tackling these neurotic/irrational fears, I've also found that the best experiences usually lie just beyond my comfort zone. Now, I've been working out pretty consistently, but it's been mostly on the blissful low-impact elliptical. Today is the first day that I really faced my old nemesis Running. I was not graceful or comfortable...in fact, I had a few side cramps and I kind of felt like I was going to die on a couple of the running intervals. *But* it felt so good to know that it was my first 4 miles of something I used to think was impossible.

M I S S I O N *A C C O M P L I S H E D

(more to come.)

good stuff ahead

2010-03-12T08:43:00.000-06:00

I'm playing a show with Cory Mon and Wes Kirkpatrick at The Walnut Room in Denver a week from today! 3/19/10...8pm...$10. Get your tickets here:

http://www.thewalnutroom.com/show/detail/25608#tickets

In other news...I've decided to see if running is as horrible as I've imagined. I'm thinking no, which is why I'm giving it a shot. I'm running my first 5k on May 1st, so I'm going to be starting a 6 week beginner program on Monday. I was always the girl who faked sick in P.E. so I wouldn't have to run the mile...or do pushups...or play volleyball. I think if I could go back in time, I'd tell the 12 year old me that the only way out is through. Time to find a decent sports bra.

Things I Found In My Guitar Today:

2010-02-16T10:30:00.000-06:00

1) Guitar picks.

2) Toy pancake.

3) Toy "frog."

Ok, here's the crazy part. You see the pancake and the sound hole? Almost the same size. My two year old and I were making up funny songs on the couch when her lightening fast toddler ninja hand slipped it in...right before my eyes. Mid-strum. Well done, young grasshopper.

Free merch!!!

2010-02-04T10:00:00.000-06:00

I just posted pocket mirrors and giganto stickers to my online store. Come check them out!

http://www.stephaniemabey.bigcartel.com

Great news...I'm giving away *free* stickers this week with every $5 CD purchase. Come get yours. All of the merch characters were drawn by yours truly. I knew all of that doodling in class would pay off one day.

:)

*~stephanie~*

Hiding Place

2010-01-19T08:47:00.000-06:00

Witness Protection program

2009-08-25T20:20:00.000-05:00

Hey you. Thanks for stopping by. I have good news all around:

1) I just released a brand new EP. It's a five song acoustic CD and it can't wait to go home with you. There are zombies and everything. Friendly zombies.

2) I also just launched my new website. http://www.stephaniemabey.com. Now, you may be wondering what is up with the name change if you have followed my music for a while. Here is the deal: I met the hottest geek on the planet, he put a ring on it and now I have a funky little last name. I've decided to embrace the Mabey, step out of the generic name arena and into a new chapter of my music. I'm crossing my fingers hoping that you'll come with me.

3) I am raising money for my new album on the website (http://www.stephaniemabey.com) and I'm offering you some sweet stuff for getting involved. CDs, shirts, personal theme songs, house shows....it's a fundraising wonderland. Come check it out.

4) I recently moved to Colorado. Now, between the move and the name change, it feels a little bit like I'm in the Witness Protection program...but I kind of love the idea of a fresh start. If you know anyone who digs my 'Stephanie Smith' stuff, please spread the word.

Many more good things on the way, kids.

:)