Robyn Landis: News

Hey everyone, tomorrow begins online voting for the Lennon Awards. As Session I 2009 Grand Prize winners in the folk category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Larry Murante and I are competing with Session II folk winners for a shot at Maxell Song of the Year.   It's a lot to ask ya'll to vote every day for a month, but that's what it'll take, and the truth is, the prizes can really help us keep doing what we're doing. And honor Paul ("Paul's Song") too. We would be grateful!  

Vote every day, tell your friends, and enjoy a FREE DOWNLOAD of "Paul's Song" from now through April 26 as a thank-you and to share with friends. Just go to my music page on this site!

  (VOTE FOR "PAUL'S SONG" HERE!)

Two more bits of recognition--Robyn was selected as a songwriting finalist at the Susquehanna Art and Music Festival in Havre De Grace, Maryland, this May 7.  She will perform along with nine other songwriters on Friday, May 7 and then attend the rest of the festival.

A few day later, "Paul's Song" (co-written with Seattle songwriter Larry Murante) was named a finalist in the Great American Song Contest, which received over 1500 entries this year!

Robyn was commissioned to write the music for PAWS' 2010 fundraising video which will premiere at their gala event "Wild Night," March 27 at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle.  She wrote the song, "Bring Them Home," in February, and the filmmakers and PAWS loved it! The song and lyrics will be posted here on the site in the Music section in April, for a download of $5 donation to PAWS animal rescue. It will also be featured with the video on PAWS' website.  The song features Robyn on vocals and guitar, Katie Mosehauer on violin, and Jeff Woollen of Village Sound Studio on piano and bass. Jeff generously donated his engineering expertise and studio time pro bono to the project, for which everyone is very grateful!  An avid animal welfare activist, Robyn was very honored to be asked for the song.

Many Moons was the 16th most played album on Folk Radio (#16 of the top 70 counted) in the month of October. It slipped a bit to #22 for the month of November, but still--the CD has been in the top 25 on this chart for three months running now.

 

I'm proud of this especially because the sustained airplay has come without any big professional promo push or publicist behind it. Just me, sending 'em to the stations and hoping they like it. And apparently, they do!

 

It also comes at a time when many highly respected and beloved artists--including some of my personal favorites--also have new CDs out.  I'm extremely honored to be so high on these playlists alongside Nanci Griffith, John Gorka, Caroline Herring, James Keelaghan, Cliff Eberhardt, Sarah Jarosz, Dave Rawlings Machine, Catie Curtis, Sarah Lee Guthrie, Guy Clark and many others.

 

And the personal notes and comments I have received from many DJs really makes my heart sing. I feel like the three months I spent in the studio at the start of this year and the loving, joyful attention I gave to every moment of the recording is being heard and recognized. 

 

I'm deeply grateful to the DJs who give airtime to folk musicians and who spend mostly volunteer hours listening and programming so that our work can be appreciated.

 

You can view the listings of top albums and artists here: http://www.folkradio.org/ 

Hey everyone,
I wanted to make sure you knew that as a sideline, I am now designing CD packaging and helping musicians with their websites, bios, one-sheets and more.  In addition to designing my own CD packaging for Many Moons, which I am pleased to find has generated quite the buzz, I designed my dear friend Kat Eggleston's new CD package, which I am also happy to report has her and everyone delighted. And I've edited and laid out Kat's brand-new website, as well. I also lay out a gorgeous paper bio, radio one-sheet and more. i have samples.
I can do this for you!  If you are a musician and want this service, email me. As a musician as well as designer and writer for over 20 years, I can capture the essence of your music visually AND verbally, in an original and expressive way.  My rates are reasonable.
Thanks!
Robyn 

Just days after learning about the JLSC, this past weekend Larry Murante and I got to perform "Paul's Song" in Paul's home town of Richland, at the festival where I first met him. We closed the mainstage set Saturday night with "Paul's Song" in a spectacular downpour (the first on Labor Day weekend in Richland's history), under bright stage lights we hoped wouldn't explode, with stage techs holding umbrellas over our heads and the guitars. Check out the photos here! I just posted two of them.*

Before the show, Paul gave me one of his actual Vietnam war medals that he said he wanted me to have. It was one of those expansive moments that can't be described, where songwriting becomes about so much more than it seems and a simple song takes one's community so much farther and larger than one imagined. I felt soooo lucky. Thanks to all the volunteers for a great Tumbleweed Festival!

*NOTE:  Hostbaby and CDbaby are having a lot of problems right now, due to their  !?@^&*!^~(@_(&$@+=}#$%~`#%$@!!^&*(&^%#$ "upgrade," and one thing among many that happened is most of the photos in my gallery were lost. I'll eventually need to re-post them unless they figure out how to fix what they did. Meantime, don't be surprised if you see only a handful of photos in  my gallery when there once used to be a veritable photo-journal of my last 5 years as a musician!  Grrrr....

WOW!!!  AMAZING!

"Paul's Song," from the new CD Many Moons, has won Grand Prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest!   (Folk category, session 1)

http://www.jlsc.com/winners/2009a/winners.php

As many of you know, "Paul's Song" was co-written with my friend Larry Murante, who also recorded the song on his own terrific brand-new release, Point of Entry.

My version (the winning version :) ) features the incomparable Kat Eggleston on the second guitar, as well as Cary Black (Kingston Trio) on bass and Larry on harmony vocals.

I am very proud of this song, and still humbled by the quietly courageous man who inspired it.

Larry and I will each get to perform the song in Paul's home town this Labor Day weekend at Tumbleweed Festival, and it is just icing on the cake to have this  recognition for the song (and Paul) right beforehand.

True to its beloved namesake, JLSC is considered one of the most respected awards in a songwriter's career, as it receives many thousands of entries worldwide and is open to professionals at any level as well as amateur songwriters.

Later on, Grand Prize winners in each category compete head to head (Session I and Session 11) for the "Lennon Award" and then the 12 Lennon Award winners compete for the coveted Maxell Song of the Year Award (which means substantial prize money that can help a full-time musician live, which is why I'll be asking for you votes if that day comes...) More on that later.

If you don't have the CD already (what?! you don't?!  ;->) you can listen to "Paul's Song" and read about Paul here on my website .  You'll need to buy the CD to see the cute picture of Paul in my beautiful little lyric booklet, however.  :)

This is really exciting and gratifying, and I am very grateful.

I just had one of the best times in New York I've ever had. A whirlwind three days, staying in the East Village with my friend Kathryn, an amazing fine artist and poet who works for the Metropolitan Opera too, and with my best friend Amanda in tow (we bused to NY from Philadelphia).

I grew up in NY, and spent summers in Manhattan during college, but have been back a scant few times since I moved West. This was such a happy visit! My show at the Bitter End Friday night (Aug 7) was SO MUCH FUN! I had a nice crowd, which included not only Amanda and Kathryn and her friends, but my parents (seeing me perform for the first time since I got serious about it--the last time they saw me was about 8 years ago), and about 15 "kids" from grade school and high school who made it a point to come out and see me!  That was a real trip, but in the nicest way--a really warm and appreciative audience.  

I was relaxed and enjoying the heck out of myself, and very proud of that and appreciating the opportunity and how I've grown as a performer and the chance to play in a place that was once the haunt of so many of my heroes. I really felt that presence there, silly as it may sound.  People snapped up Many Moons (which also got two great reviews last week, from FAME and Victory Review).

Oh, and it didn't hurt to have the talented and gorgeous Eleanor Whitmore playing fiddle with me--a songwriter in her own right, Eleanor is also a stellar violinist who plays with Slaid Cleaves, Kelly Willis, Son Volt and Susan Gibson. I was really honored to have her.  Rehearsal with her Thursday night was so easy and so fun--and ended up being an impromptu dinner party when Amanda's brother Nick (now a New Yorker) joined us at Kathryn's as well.  

Going out to Counter, a famous NYC vegetarian bar and restaurant where everything is organic, and having all 15 "kids" from my childhood follow me there to drink organic drinks and catch up, was also wild.  Afterward, Amanda and Kathryn and I walked all over the East Village till about 2 a.m. in the gorgeous warm summer evening under a full moon. It was a perfect night!

It was all a great reminder of the ever-widening community I have around me, even 3000 miles from where I now call home. I'm looking forward to coming back and playing more in the East.

Not only did I get to have a ridiculously smooth and fun and joyful recording process earlier this year, but my CD release followed suit by being magical perfection and immense fun.

The day was gorgeous. The house was full. The views were incredible. The food was delectable. The brownies were decadent. The wine (I hear, cuz all the red was gone by the time it was over and was ready to drink :) --I had my eye on the Bonterra merlot) was ambrosial. I had all the love and support I could possibly ask for. Laughter. Light. Sun. Love. Most of my dearest friends and loyalest fans were there. Folks LOVED it. Everyone seemed as happy as I was.

Oh yeah, and the music--it ROcKED. Unbelievably. The best friggin' band I ever played with. I hear I sounded pretty good. :) I know everyone else did! Cary Black, Paul Elliott, Mark Graham, Charles Reed, Larry Murante, Mark Wells. I could not wipe the grin off my face. Check out the pics as proof.

I had the time of my life. I was flying. I was singing and laughing and babbling. I hope I was coherent. I was so high afterward, I couldn't go to sleep till 9 a.m. the next day.

I hope I remembered to thank everyone.

Oh yeah, and I sold some CDs. :) Right. Cuz it was a CD release!

Regrets? That it went so fast. That it was over too soon. That I want to do that every night. That Paul Elliott and Cary Black aren't part of my permanent band. (I need to do something about that.) That it ended.

You get the idea.

I am so lucky.

Wow, I can't believe it's been SIX MONTHS since I posted an entry here. Half a YEAR has flown by? How does this happen?

Well, in that half a year I've had some of the most fun I've ever had in my life. I spent three joyful and creative months in the studio making my new CD "Many Moons," which arrived in early May and has been getting rave reviews! I'm so proud of it. I sang at my friend Larry's stupendous CD release concert. Once released from the happy captivity of the studio, I spent a couple weeks in Tucson in May, performing and hiking and sunning and meeting new friends.

Then at the end of May, I joined my co-writer friend Larry Murante at Kerrville Folk Festival (my first time; that's called a Kerr-virgin!) for the New Folk finals as well as nearly two weeks of singing and playing around campfires, attending amazing concerts, swimming in the river, meeting tons of new friends, stargazing, hooting and hollering, crying over staggering songs, laughing till my abs hurt, drinking tequila (yes, me! Kat Eggleston says she'd have PAID to see that) and generally having a marvelously magical time. Yes, I'm a Kerrvert now!

And THEN, just before boarding my flight home the other day, I got word that I'm a 2009 Falcon Ridge Emerging Artists Showcase Selected Artist! Always a dream of mine. It's an amazing festival, one of the biggest in the country, featuring many of my favorite performers. The Emerging Artists Showcase is legendary. I'm so delighted.

Now it's summer (almost) and I have lots of gigs and a wonderful new CD to share (and my CD release coming up! June 28 on Vashon--email to reserve) and I'm going to the Northeast in July for Falcon RIdge and the Bitter End and to see my family and friends.

Life is good.

Wow, it's been a while since I posted anything. Since August! So busy. Did a lot of writing with Larry Murante this fall. We've co-written several songs together and are working on more. It works well! Also still writing a lot of my own stuff.

Went into the studio late fall,and the CD is coming together! No title yet, but have 12 original songs (more actually, but that's how many will go on this CD). I'm THRILLED to have Cary Black, Paul Elliott, and Dan Tyack back on board with their sweet sounds, and excited that they're excited too! Also will have Jami Sieber, a cellist new to me but highly recommended. I love cello and this CD wants it! It's more fun and satisfying and creative and cool and fortifying and expressive than I can say, making this CD. It feels like my work. and it's creating. I can't wait for you all to hear it. It should be out mid- spring. Hard work, but no purer joy.

Meanwhile I've played a bit last quarter--Oct. Luna show, December show at The Red Bike on vashon, the upcoming house concert with larry Murante and Mark Wells that we are all SO jazzed about, and a Tacoma gig in February. And I had an INCREDIBLE opportunity at end of Dec/beginning January, attending a songwriter's intensive retreat with masters Darrell Scott and Mary Gauthier. In Costa Rica, no less. OMG. Intense all right! In the best ways. 'nuff said.

But mostly, I'm focused on recording, recording, recording (and how to pay for it!) Like most artists--angels are always appreciated with utter gratitude.  Donations and CD sales make a difference. I'm looking forward to sharing this new music with the world in 09, and keep on writing, and see what happens!

More to come!

Robyn

Robyn is off to the Tumbleweed Music festival this Aug 30 Labor Day Weekend, for third year at Tumbleweed Music Festival in Richland, Washington. This wonderful laid-back festival on the Columbia River features four stages and lots of local and regional talent. Robyn plays the West Stage Saturday at 4:15, is a judge for the songwriting competition on that stage (a first!) at 5:00, and teaching a songwriting workshop n Sunday at noon.

Robyn co-wrote a new tune with one of the Northwest's finest and most beloved songwriters, Larry Murante. It's called "Dry Rain, Calm Wind" and we're both VERY excited about it. Larry and Robyn will both record more polished versions soon, but right now a rough MP3 of Larry singing it is up on the Music page. Check it out! Larry is already performing it and it's getting raves.

As one of 5 winners of the WC Handy Music Festival in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, Robyn performed alongside other winners such as 2007 Kerrville winner David Llewellyn. Robyn spent 5 days in Nashville hosted by David, getting the whirlwind tour of the infamous home of Music Row, seeing Tom Kimmel at the legendary Bluebird Cafe, and writing with David. She is already performing one of the finished songs from that trip, "Losing Sleep." Robyn also played a house concert with David and new friend Laurie McClain, and FANTASTIC songwriter who you must check out!
Stay tuned for more!

Robyn is again a finalist (third year in a row) in the Susanne Milsaps Performing Songwriters Showcase at the Founder's Title Folk & Bluegrass Festival in Snowbird, Utah.

Today the Telluride Bluegrass Festival announced its ten finalists plus honorable mentions in the Telluride Troubadors competition--one of the most respected and prestigious songwriter showcases in the country. Robyn was selected as one of 15 honorable mentions from the many hundreds of entrants. The brand-new songs she entered, Jamison Brown and Hey Dog, are available in demo form in the MUSIC section of the site now!

Indie-Music.com not only posted a great review of Love and Other Words in December 2007, but selected the award-winning "While Trees Fall" as one of their Top 25 MP3 singles of the year!
http://www.indie-music.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6794

Robyn has been selected to play at the Tumbleweed Music Festival this September 3 in Richland, WA. This is a wonderful festival that Robyn played at with Short & Sweet two years ago and loved it. Robyn has also been selected as an alternate finalist in Tumbleweed's songwriting competition: http://3rfs.org/TMF-07/tmfPerf07.htm (she competed as a finalist there two years ago as well).

After sweeping the Unisong International Songwriting Competition last year, with five songs winning in various categories (Acoustic/Folk, Americana, Lyric), either as top 20 or honorable mention as well as a top honor with Second Place in the Acoustic/Folk category...Robyn's ONLY entry in Unisong THIS year made it to the Top 20 finalist status in the Lyrics category! The song was "She Don't Have Your Eyes," Robyn's poignant, pensive view of adoption from a loving parent's point of view (a demo of it is available on the Music page).

Robyn just received word that she is a finalist in this year's Performing Songwriter Showcase at Solarfest in Vermont! She will have to decide whether to attend this festival and perform on the mainstage in the showcase and competition (she was a finalist the previous two years but was unable to travel there because of other gigs) or attend the KRCL/Founder's Title Folk and Bluegrass festival for their festival in which she is also a songwriter's showcase finalist (for the second year in a row). Hmmm...tough choice! Stay tuned...

Robyn has been selected as a finalist (for the second year running) in the 2007 KRCL-FM Susanne Millsaps Performing Songwriter Showcase. This showcase is held at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort in Snowbird, Utah, in conjunction with the 19th Annual Founders' Title Folk and Bluegrass Festival and the 2007 Utah Bluegrass Instrument State Championship. Coincidentally, the delightful award-winning songwriter Sarah Sample is a finalist again (as she was here last year as well; and she and Robyn were both finalists at the Tucson Folk festival competition this year). Also, the fantastic guitarist Carl Tosten is a finalist--Carl is also from Washington state and won second place at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival songwriting competition in 2006 (when Robyn won first place). It's a small songwriting world! Should be a fantastic showcase.

Just found out "Winter Blues" won an honorable mention in the West Coast International Songwriting Competition. Cool! http://www.westcoastsongwriters.org/contest_winnerinfo.htm

Had a GREAT time at the 2007 Tucson Folk Festival. Performed as one of ten finalists in the song competition, for the third year in a row (and did not win--oh well!), but had a blast and also performed on the mainstage Sunday and at favorite local venue Javalinas. She also performed at Miles Elementary School as part of the Music in the Schools program. Thanks again, Tucson, for the warm southwestern welcome!

Working on many new songs...recording a few demos for hopefully a fall-winter start on solo CD project...a few shows here and there right now...

More to come!

Robyn has been selected as a finalist in the Tucson Folk Festival Songwriting Competition for the third year running. She will also perform on the festival's mainstage and have a pre-fest special show at Javalina's in Tucson.

September 2006 - December 2006
A bit of an autumn lull, for various (non-musical) reasons--but the recognition didn't slow down. Robyn won an Honorable Mention in Nashville's River Bluff Music Festival Song Competition ("While Trees Fall") and, with the same song, a finalist slot in Brooklyn, NY's Williamsburg Live Songwriting Competition. Played a handful of wonderful private parties in the fall. In October, Robyn appeared in a fantastic, well-attended Songwriters In The Round night at Vashon's Blue Heron Arts Center with NW powerhouses Linda Waterfall and Larry Murante.