Greetings from a long lost Idol!
First off, to all of you who actually give a hoot-n-a-holler about this wacky girl who once rode a pink-basket-clad scooter—what good taste you have! Seriously, the response I received shortly after my Idol stint and well beyond it was and is flattering.
I'm excited to launch my website in conjunction with the release of my début cd, Tales from Magnolia Drive. The project came to pass in 2005, following my graduation from New York University, when I was singing at a national conference for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). I met a dynamic and talented speaker named Buddy Howard, who saw that with his funds, my musical gift, and our shared vision, we could create a meaningful album. The missing piece was finding a talented producer who shared our vision and who would work well with me. Enter Elliot Hunt, an award winning musical producer who had taken time off to pursue other passions and was eager to get back into the music business upon hearing of our project.
What was supposed to be a five track demo recorded in a mere 30 day period, turned into a creative mania of sorts for me and Elliot, and when we emerged a month later (in February of 06), we had written and recorded a 10 track album. I was set to leave for a 10 month theatrical stint in Pennsylvania, leaving Elliot to eek out as much time as his schedule allowed for working his magic on the production end.
We were skeptical of shopping the project out to bigger labels, as we wanted to keep all the songs as organic and raw as they were written. Losing the project's heart was not an option, despite the lure of financial gain.
Much of this "heart" lies in the stories the individual tracks tell, ranging from triumphant tales of recovery from an eating disorder, to uncomfortable narratives tackling issues of childhood abuse.
If the project was completed in 2006, why, you may ask, are we just releasing it now? While Elliot was completed with the bulk of the work in early 2007, my life was changing, and I put the cd on hold. I completed my work in Pa, and moved back to NYC. I became engaged to my dashing, staggeringly-brilliant love, Julian, and swiftly learned the art of planning a NYC wedding without losing one's mind. We married in May of 2007, and shortly after, photographer Rachel Hunt contacted me to schedule a photo shoot for the album. While I agreed to fly out for the shoot, I was leery of moving forward with the cd at that time. Planning the wedding triggered a major relapse of my anorexia, and I was feeling too hypocritical to release a recovery-centered cd while I was struggling with my disorder in such an active, visible way. Again, I put the project on hold, turning my focus on growing stronger.
And you'll never guess what happened. In the early fall of 2007, I watched a little stick go from blank to a vivid plus sign and realized I was pregnant. Can you imagine?! Scooter Girl with child!! Ha! It blissed me out. No better incentive to pull yourself together and treat your body well than the knowledge that you're now a host to a tiny person! I began eating like the vegan goddess I am (my Julian is also a vegan), and am proud to say am at a healthy weight for a 6-and-half-month pregnant lass. We are expecting a son, Dashiell Frederic, in June.
I was minding my own business growing a kid and all, when an upcoming event for NEDA this March presented me with an opportunity to unveil three of the songs from the cd. The timing seems perfect for us to wrap up production and get the cd in the hands of those who would be inspired by it.
You can purchase the cd now, via CD Baby, or download the songs in mp3 format at digstation. Enjoy, and thanks again for all your support and interest.
Ciao!
Nicole
