Native American Peace Advocate Brings Her Music to Pulaski

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

As you could probably imagine, life for a singer/songwriter/artist/educator/peace advocate/mother of two teenage daughters can get quite hectic; not too busy, however, to miss out on the fun and help spread the positive message of Festively Local… at least according to Jackie Tice.  She will bring her uplifting lyrics and music to Pulaski this weekend for a special performance. I recently discussed with Jackie her inspirations, her work with peace advocacy groups, and she even gave me some good, solid advice:

Jackie Tice

You have a very fascinating background. How and when did making music become an integral part of your life?

Music has been integral to me since I first heard Diana Ross and the Supremes sing, at around age 8.  I decided very quickly that I wanted to be a singer — and Motown was my first love!

What was it like to work with Native American Grammy award winning artist Bill Miller on your album Second Skin?

Bill Miller is an extraordinary human being, as well as musician.  He has a very sensitive ear and instinct about honoring the artist’s vision, in this case, my vision, for the record.  I learned from him a great deal about allowing the music to be a painting, a representation of “this moment’s” interpretation of the song.  Never mind the “perfect” take that you’ve always imagined – just be with what that song is, and how you’re feeling it, right now!

Where do you usually find inspiration for your lyrics?

Usually I am moved by an image, a feeling or an idea that results in what I call the “Creation Moment.”  That Moment encapsulates the entire song and it is my job to chip at and carve out the lyrics and music from that, much like a sculptor sets free the art-piece hidden beneath the stone.

I see that you are working on planning tours to Africa and the Middle East. What brought about this decision to bring your music to these areas?

I have great ties to Africa through my close work with Jean Paul Samputu, the Kora Award-winning musician from Rwanda.  We have recorded together with children from Rwanda and performed at UNICEF, the UN and with All Nations Peace.  I want to experience that continent to better understand the people, their resiliency, and  the indigenous culture of Africa, which I find, at once, highly intelligent and instinctively spiritual.  The Middle East is both the “land of milk and honey” and the “ugly head of ruin.”  The clashing of religion and culture and genetic memories epitomizes possibility.  If music can heal, I want to be part of that possibility.

I know that you are heavily involved in All Nations Peace. Describe for our readers what sort of work you do for them, and how they could get involved if interested.

I founded All Nations Peace to bring together musicians from the Four Directions to stand as a World Tribal Peace Council in the spirit of Mitakuye Oyasin – which means, in the Lakhota language, “we are all related.”    We are an ever-growing group of people dedicated to using our music to help create and support cultures of Peace.   We believe in the voice of music as a tool to transcend our differences and to demonstrate that we are, indeed, all related by the simple fact that we are interdependent with the Earth.  We can help each other understand this through blending our music, thereby, our creative spirits, thereby, our hearts and souls.  This will teach Peace.  The website (http://allnationspeace.com) has an email address by which to get in touch with us.

How do you feel that we, as individuals, can live out the message of Festively Local in our everyday lives?

Raise your own food, make music and art, support and buy locally from your neighborhood businesses.  Most important, be grateful in thought, word and action.  Gratitude is the highest form of abundance and happiness is the best health insurance!

For more on Jackie Tice, visit her website.

Attend Festively Local for FREE!

Festively Local needs volunteers. Please call our volunteer coordinator Ruth at (615) 294-9873 or send an e-mail to volunteers@festivelylocal.com to find out how you can gain FREE admission and meals by volunteering.

Volunteers are needed for the following areas:

Ticket sales
Booth sales
Hospitality booth
Chefs for food tent
Servers and preps for food tent
Stage hands
Runners
Grounds, clean-up
Petting zoo
Pumpkin patch

Nashville Band Brings Epic Live Show to FL

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

Oftentimes, good things happen by chance. A chance meeting might introduce you to your future roommate, significant other, or even band-mates. Nashville based Lorien is a great example of an accidental meeting turning into something great. According to their biography, “The band approaches their music with a stark honesty not often found in popular music. Their songs are dark, yet optimistic; lush, yet blisteringly powerful.” Their epic live show will be featured on the Peter Pan Stage on Sunday, October 18th from 4:15-5:30 p.m. I caught up with the band to discuss life on the road, the world’s longest tongue-twister, and optimizing social networking sites for bands:

Lorien

According to your band biography, Lorien formed by accident. Could you elaborate on this for our readers and give us an idea of how the band came to be?

We all grew up in different places in the US and all moved to Nashville, TN to attend Belmont University. Kaleb (singer) and Thomas (drummer) were freshman roommates. David (bassist) moved in with them before he knew them in their sophomore year. Chase (guitarist) came the same year and knew Kaleb from high school. Kaleb emailed Cara (pianist) after seeing her perform at a school event. We had one practice and decided to try out being a band and have now been together for 4+ years.

As a touring band, I’m sure you guys spend plenty of time cramped in a van traversing the country from show to show. I’ve never been in a touring band myself, but I’d imagine that the road can be grueling and tough at times. How do you guys keep your sanity while traveling from one gig to another for weeks at a time?

Even though we met randomly and did not know each other very well when the band started, we found that there was a great dynamic with all of our personalities. While some bands seem to have a business relationship, we are a a family and enjoy spending time together (most of the time). Tour is the equivalent of a family vacation that includes a little work. However, it still gets tough sometimes so we have several techniques in keeping our sanity. Some of the more popular activities are…

1. Creating the world’s longest tongue twisters. Example: “super duper purple durple big burping flubber mumbler fumble slumber rubber bumper double bubble baby bumble bee bungee jumping bubble gum bladder dabbler cladder ball”

2. Playing games in the van. Example: Night Crawlers, Pay the Troll Toll, and MASH.

3. Talk about things we haven’t eaten for days. Example: Food

Along with the adversity that comes with spending so much time on the road, I’m sure plenty of hilarious things happen. What’s the funniest “on-tour” story from your years as a touring act?

We find ourselves ending up with an abnormal amount of interesting situations and funny memories from tour. One that comes to mind is from our first tour when we were in Cincinnati, OH. We went to a store called ‘Jungle Jims’ that has a lot of crazy and interesting food selections. We decided to play a game that involved picking the name of another band member out of a hat, not knowing who you have, buying one food item that they have to eat and then revealing the name of the person after all purchases have been made. Some of the things eaten were Red Bean Popsicles, Pickled Pigs Feet, Fish Sauce, Cheddar Cheese Crickets, Crazy Peppers, and Seaweed Soda. All of this was documented first-hand and can be seen in the video section of our website (www.wearelorien.com).

Does Lorien try to recreate the studio sound in a live setting, or vice versa?

We mainly attempt to recreate the sound of the album during live performances while occasionally doing something a little different to make it more interesting for the people that know our albums really well.

Festively Local is all about supporting local musicians, artists, and farmers. As Nashville-ians, where would you recommend our readers go in the Nashville area for the best of each?

Restaurants – PM, Jacksons, McDougals
Markets – Nashville Farmer’s Market, Whole Foods
Art Gallaries – The Frist
Venues – Exit In, 12th and Porter, The End

Your band was recently involved in something called The Mentoring Project. Could you please provide a bit of background about this project and how your band got involved?

The Mentoring Project is an organization started by author Don Miller that exists to provide positive roll models for boys in need of male mentors. A friend of ours created a video for the project and used our song for the video.

This day in age, it is critical for a band to understand new media and how to effectively use it. Lorien seems to be on the ball when it comes to this. How have you utilized social networking sites, YouTube, and other forms of new media to your advantage?

We believe that the main purpose for the social networking sites is to keep in touch with our fans. With tools like Facebook and Twitter we can really keep people informed. The more people know, the more they can have a connection to us and our music. Chase has taken numerous classes on HTML and flash, which has given us the ability to create our website and MySpace in house and stay connected with any new media.

To get connected with Lorien, head on over to their website , where you can check out upcoming tour dates, photos, videos, and get linked up to all of their other sites.

Music is a Life-Saver

By Rachel Story for Festively Local

There is no doubt that music has healing powers, but can music save your life? Well, if you ask songwriter Julie Rust, she’ll tell you that it can. These days, she is using her songs to heal others. If something happens to be ailing you, hold off on that psychologist appointment, and instead come to the Hook Stage on Saturday, October 17th from 7-8:15 p.m. to see Julie and a few other talented pianists. You can also catch Julie on Sunday from 10:30-Noon as part of the Positive Music Association of Nashville.

Julie Rust

I read in your bio that you became very ill and was told you would die if you did not play music. Can you elaborate on that for our readers?

No one could figure out what was wrong with me. Seven years ago my system was compromised by toxic mold, so my immunity system was not as strong as it once was. I was doing a graphic design business at home and homeschooling my two daughters. Before, during, and after the mold I was working on my fourth album “Leap of Faith”. I started playing piano at 9 and started writing music at 16 and with this album I felt like I had found my voice. I felt like this was the best thing I had done in my career so far. I tried to sell the album everywhere I could online but I wasn’t getting anywhere with it. I was so frustrated with everything going on; something had to give. I decided to totally cut myself off from music. It was like ending a long-term relationship. I stopped playing piano and stopped listening to the radio because I was exhausted! For about a month I felt relieved, like I was on vacation, and then I started sinking like a stone. I started getting weaker and weaker. I would go to the grocery store and have to lie down for 2 hours. I kept hearing about this book called “Awakening Intuitions” by Dr. Mona Lisa Schultz. In the book, she says all your illnesses are tied to emotional issues. Then, I found her on the internet and found out she does readings. All she knew was my name and my age, and she told me all my symptoms. She asked what my life goal was and I told her that I thought it was music. She asked me why it wasn’t. Basically, she said here’s the emotional issue, here’s what’s happening and this is what you need to do. She told me I had to get back in to music or I was going to die. I did everything she said. I dove into my music and was happier than ever in a years’ time. All this music came out of it and I recorded two albums in 6 months.

I know that you also write poetry. Does it translate into your music?

The poetry started when I had the experience with the mold from which I almost died. It’s a different process than the music. All my friends have a special thing about them and I thought I should write them all poems. So I wrote a poem for all of them and it turned into a book called “Little Awakenings“.

Do you play other instruments besides the piano?

I play flute and recorder. Started flute at 10 and piano at 9. I majored in theory composition at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. My husband plays guitar with me. He’ll be at the festival as well.

What do you plan to do next musically?

At this point I’m playing songs that I wrote for my healing process and now it’s healing others. It feels like I had to go through this process for my songs to carry the weight and now I’m in the process of writing songs that are just fun!

For more on Julie Rust, visit her website.

Five-Piece “Jamband/Rock/Dutch Pop” Band to Play at FL

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

It’s always nice when a band has a sense of humor; Huntsville, Alabama based  The Flying Dutchmen provide a fine example of one such band. They will be bringing their quirky rock show to the Hook Stage for an afternoon set on Saturday, October 17th. I caught up with a few of the band members to discuss their backgrounds, their influences, and groundhogs on trampolines:

The Flying Dutchmen

Could you please paraphrase for our readers, the story of the cigarette smoking boot and how The Flying Dutchmen were formed?

Jacob:  Nah, the boot had diarrhea.  Haha!  Burrito everybody!

TFD:  It was a sad day for the janitor.

Do all five members of the band have musicians backgrounds?

Jerry:  We were born with headphones on.

TFD:  Each band member plays a variety of instruments so it makes it easier to build on each others ideas and styles.  Most all of us have previously or currently play in other bands and music projects.

What would you say are some of the band’s biggest influences?

TFD:  Musically – Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket, Guster, Dr. Dog, Tool, The Doors, Radiohead.  Also – daylight, moonlight, cheeseburgers, firearms, space exploration, trucks…

Your sound has been described as “three groundhogs jumping on a trampoline while brushing their teeth.” For our readers who do not have access to groundhogs or trampolines, what should we expect from your Festively Local performance?

TFD:  The audience will have to listen for themselves.  We make a passionate effort to fill quality in our sound so we hope that stands out. During a typical band practice, we will jam and pick out what we like to use as a basic song structure.  From there it’s an open forum… we’ll practice harmonies, play around with different tones, slow things down, or change the timing.  No one person is ever really in charge, although we do challenge each other to step it up a notch.

JC:  We’re from Rocket City, so we’re not responsible if anybody in the audience is launched into outer space.

This festival is about local music, art, and food, so tell me, if and when I’m in Huntsville, AL, where should I go for all of the above?

TFD:  The Flying Monkey is a hub for all of the above.  Their events calendar is full with music shows, comedy sketches, the occasional burlesque troupe and even a few puppet shows.  Other great locations are Bandito Burrito, Big Spring Cafe, and Sazio’s.

For tour dates and MP3s, visit the band’s MySpace.

Musician/TV Producer Looking Forward to Performance

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

Songwriter/arranger/teacher/musician Susan Shann picked up a guitar sometime in her teens and quickly became a regular in various New Jersey clubs and coffee houses. Festival attendees will be treated to a performance by Susan and her band on the Hook Stage, next Sunday at noon. I sat down with her to discuss her first five years in Nashville, her television show, and her upcoming show in Pulaski.

Susan Shann

You moved here to Nashville a few years ago from New Jersey. How were your first five years in Music City, USA, and what do you look forward to in the next five?

The first five years (actually six as of August this year) have been an incredible adventure. I moved down alone, but my partner Gary joined me about 8 months later, and together we’ve formed so many great friendships and met so many amazing, creative and passionate people! We bought our first house in West Nashville in 2005. I’m totally looking forward to the journey ahead, continuing to perform and write music, host our environmental cable show “Earth Revolution“, complete a Master’s Degree, grow spiritually, and work to build stronger communities here through our non-profit, Fellowship of the Commons.

This festival is promoting local artists, musicians, and farmers, with an overall message of environmental sustainability, and I know that you are passionate about environmental causes. Explain for our readers your television show and its mission.

“Earth Revolution” came into being about 2 years ago. We’d been hosting monthly meetings of an environmental group, then called “New Vision“. Attendance was unpredictable ’cause everyone is so busy. I’d invite these great guest speakers, and kept thinking there had to be a way to get this information about sustainable living out to more people, to motivate, educate and inspire new thinking. That’s when I discovered local public access television. This past year we began uploading shorter versions of the show to YouTube, for those who can’t access the station. It’s been so fun and a huge learning experience for us. When we can afford to, time and money-wise, we want to do a lot more on-location work.

Earlier this year, you released a new album. Where did you get most of your inspiration for the songs that make up “Illumination“?

My friend Annie Sims is an angel, and she brought me in to the Positive Music Association. It was a natural fit, since I was already directing the choir at my spiritual center (Nashville Center for Spiritual Living) and writing / arranging lots of positive, uplifting kinds of songs based on my experience there – although a few songs on the album were older. I also included one written for the Obama campaign and the “Earth Revolution” theme song from the cable show.

How has your experience directing the Nashville Center for Spiritual Living choir been thus far?

I did it for 3 and a half years. It was absolutely one of the best things I’ve done. I taught music for several years in NJ before moving down here, so it felt good to use those skills and that knowledge once again. I formed some really wonderful friendships through that evolving group of people, and we gave some outstanding performances. I finally stepped down because I was just too busy. It was pretty time consuming and there wasn’t much room in the budget for decent pay.

I know that you play jazz, blues, and rock music. What can festival-goers expect to hear during your performance?

I’ve been writing some new stuff, but had to assemble the best of what I already have recorded, from the new CD and from the last few years in general, in the interest of getting it all out to the band. I’d say there’s some real good, energetic stuff in the mix, and some nice ballads. I leaned a little more toward the “positive” stuff, since I’m following the PMA (Positive Music Assoc.) show. The players are all good friends of mine from the spiritual center, and very talented musicians. Lance and Joel, bassist and drummer, are excellent performing artists in their own rite.

Are there any artists in particular that you are looking forward to seeing next weekend?

Oh my goodness! So many! I don’t want to single anyone out, ’cause there’s a slew of great songwriters and bands, but I’m definitely looking forward to Bonepony, for one. Saw them once before – killer! We’ll be there, camping and digging the whole scene, for the duration.

For more information on Susan Shann, visit her website. Also, to watch clips of “Earth Revolution“, check out the show’s YouTube page.

Tennessee Native Bringing Her Music Back Home

By Rachel Story for Festively Local

Growing up in Morristown, TN, Annie Sims began singing at age 3 during a family reunion, and she hasn’t looked back. She has toured extensively across Europe, from London, to Austria, to Sweden, and will be bringing her show to Festively Local next weekend (set time to be announced). I had the chance to speak with her about her past experiences as a performer, and the new direction of her music:

Annie Sims

You did an extensive tour all across Europe and ended it at the famous London Palladium. How did you feel having the opportunity to play where “Beatlemania” started?

I felt extremely honored. When you’re looking out at the auditorium from the stage, it’s very beautiful. You can see where the queen would sit, however she was not in attendance at our show. The musical Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang was in town at the time. They did not have a performance the same night as us, but all their stuff was on the stage behind where we were playing, so it was fun to look at and climb around their props. That was the grand finale for that tour so it was a lot of fun.

What inspired the second single “Dear Heartache” off of your album “Half the Moon” and the subsequent video directed by Scott Mumford?

It was pitched to me and I just got goose bumps. I loved it the second I heard it. The demo was amazing. I don’t know who the singer was, but she sold me on it and I knew I had to cut it. It was written by Bob GiPiero and Tom Shapiro.

You recently received the “Discovery Award” from Music Row Magazine, gaining you very great publicity in the Sates. Will this inspire an American tour?

I’ve actually changed directions to Positive Music. It’s a new genre that’s only been around for about 5 years. Some call it New Thought or Possy. It is songs that are uplifting and inspiring, but not religious. It’s uniting. I have done a lot of work with the author Neale Donald Walsch on his book “Conversations with God” which holds the longest time on the NY Best Sellers List. Touring with him has lead me down this path; maybe in a bigger way than country music. There are some performances coming up. I have a CD coming out later this fall. I founded the first Positive Music Association Nashville chapter and I am leading the Sunday morning spiritual service on the Peter Pan Stage from 10-10:30 then MCing the first PMA showcase later that afternoon featuring: Lance Hoppen (founding member of Orleans) and Rand Bishop (co-wrote Toby Keith’s #1 single).

Since this festival is also promoting locally grown food, do you have a favorite local place to shop for delicious local food?

For the past two years we participated with CSA, aka “Share” with Delvin Farms. At the beginning of the harvest season, everyone pitches in and gives money to local farm. Everyone pays the farmer and you pick up your organic, local produce from the farm. We always have fresh produce and we plan our meals around what is available. We love it!

To read more on Annie Sims, preview some of her music, or join her fan club, visit her website.

Making Music is a Walk in the Park

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

To say that the line-up of musicians for next weekend is top notch would be an understatement; all three days and nights are packed full of incredibly talented artists. On Saturday, October 17th, concert-goers who find themselves at the Peter Pan Stage at 5 p.m. will be treated to a jam-packed hour of music titled, quite simply, “Girls with Guitars.” During this hour-plus set, four very gifted ladies will all perform their own intimate set. One of these girls with a guitar just so happens to be Treva Blomquist, a Riverbluff Performing Songwriter Grand Prize Winner. I recently sat down with Treva to discuss her musical background, her band, and her outdoor hobbies:

Treva Blomquist

You were raised a long ways away from Nashville in Washington state. Aside from the fact that it is Music City, what drew you to Nashville, and how has your experience living here been thus far?

Upon graduating high school I visited Nashville and loved it, so when I decided I wanted to pursue music further and I found that the top three music cities are Los Angeles, New York or Nashville… it was an easy choice for me.  I’ve loved living in Nashville, the people are friendly and kind, there are a dozen GREAT show options almost every single night of the week, and even though it is a large city, it has a small town feel to it.

When did you start playing guitar, and who were some of your earliest influences?

I started playing guitar after I graduated from high school.  I was leading worship for my church’s youth group and I thought that if I could play guitar, I could be more effective and more helpful.  My earliest influences were artists like Amy Grant and Jennifer Knapp – ladies who played guitar, sang, wrote songs, and loved Jesus.  I went through a phase where I listened to country music, loving the powerhouse vocalists like Trisha Yearwood and Martina McBride.  Then, I discovered Patty Griffin – whom I still love.

Give us a little background on your band, The Suits. How did you hook up with them, and how much have they helped add to your live shows?

My guitarist and I met at MTSU in Murfreesboro.  We’ve been friends a looooong time now and he adds so much to my live shows, and to my recordings for that matter.  He’s classically trained and a really brilliant guitarist. I met my drummer, Brad Odum, at church and I met my bass player, Drew Wilson through a good friend of mine.  I love these guys like brothers and really enjoy playing music and traveling with them.  I’ve had a few people sliding in and out as ‘Suits’ now and then — Dan Hochhalter (violin), Ronda Armstrong (cello), Hitoshi Yamaguchi (cello) and Erick Quarim (keys).  I enjoy playing solo acoustic shows, but to me – music is a very communal thing – so playing music with other people, especially good friends, is so comforting and so fun.  I feel very blessed that I know and get to create music with the musicians in my band.

What are your thoughts on the mission behind Festively Local, and how do you feel you, as an artist, can help to promote the ideas behind this event?

I think it is so important to have a community of people to interact with.  I think in today’s busy, rushed world it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and we pass on the opportunity to know our neighbors and to know and support the people and needs within our own community.  It’s all in the title – Festively Local – and I think it’s beautiful to celebrate and support what is ‘homegrown’.  I also think most people want to be extraordinary, and want to make a difference – to somehow make our world a better place.  Well, if we’d all start by getting involved in bettering our own communities… who knows what might happen…

This event is all about keeping it local. When you aren’t in the studio or on the road, what’s your favorite thing to do in Nashville?

I’m a dog owner, so I love taking my pups walking at Radnor Lake, which is on the outskirts of Nashville.   It’s incredible, it’s a ‘Class II Natural Area’ – so suddenly you’re in the forest with a lake, deer, wildlife and trails.  It’s one of my favorite places to go in Nashville.  I also love visiting Cheekwood Botanical Garden – it is so beautiful any time of year.  However, 6 months ago I moved to Conway, Arkansas because my husband got a job offer.  I’m back in Nashville monthly and I’m thrilled to be invited to participate at Festively Local.  But, here in Conway, my new home off the road, I’ve been teaching beginner guitar lessons at a local Arts Academy and I really enjoy sewing and arts & crafts.  My favorite hiking spot here in Arkansas (so far) is Petit Jean.

For all things Treva, head to her website, her MySpace, or her Facebook.

A Songwriter’s Inspiration

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

From Oklahoma, to Texas, to Atlanta, and finally, to Nashville; Mike Cullison’s journey as a musician has brought him right here to Music City, USA. Next weekend, festival-goers will have the pleasure of hearing Mike perform his mixture of Americana, Rockabilly, and Country music (set time TBA). I had the opportunity to chat with Mike about his inspiration for his songs and about his upcoming performance in Pulaski.

Mike Cullison

What is it about the Festively Local event that has you most excited to be a part of it?

I think being able to help the organizations involved that do so much good for others is the biggest thing, then getting to introduce yourself and your music to people that may not have heard you before.

How long have you been playing guitar and writing music?

I have been playing guitar for about 30 years, but I have been involved in lyric writing for quite some time.

Where does your inspiration for your songs normally come from?

A lot of the inspiration comes from conversation, and a lot comes from either your personal relationships or witnessing others
and what happens in theirs. The thing is that you have to be able to say “I love you”, for example, in a different way that hasn’t been said  before. I wrote a song, “Miss Maggie Rose”, that is about my relationship with my wife of 26 years. I used a name from a relative though, to give the song a different twist. Recording it was great in that it’s like finishing a painting that’s personal. Performing it is like getting to say I love you all over again.

What can festival attendees expect from your performance?

I will have Mark Robinson on stage with me. We have been playing together for four or five years now. He is an exceptional player and has quite a resume. I am fortunate to have him up there with me. My set will have a lot of flavors.  I like to keep things moving and there should be a lot of toe tapping going on.

For more on Mike Cullison, visit his MySpace page.

Girls and Guitars – A Great Combination

By Sasha Savinov for Festively Local

From October 16-18, Festively Local will showcase some of Nashville’s finest singers, songwriters, and bands. While many of these artists grew up in Tennessee, quite a few ended up (and stayed) here after previously calling numerous other places “home.” Hailing from California, Kimberly Dahme is one such artist. She’ll be bringing her guitar and her songs to the Peter Pan stage on Saturday, October 17th at 5:30 p.m. as part of the “Girls With Guitars” portion of the evening. I caught up with her while she was out on tour to chat about her year-long move to Nashville, her new album, and Boston (yes, the band).

Kim Dahme

I know you’re currently out on the road. Where are you at the moment, and what’s on your agenda there?

I’m in Minnesota in my hotel right now. I just started writing a song on the plane, so I may finish that. Tomorrow morning I’m doing something with NBC KARE-11, and then at night I’m doing an intimate show at the Hard Rock Cafe here as part of Pinktober, which is a campaign for breast cancer awareness.

That’s great that you’re doing shows for a good cause. Are there any other similar events you do throughout the year?

Throughout the holidays, I try to do as much as I can to help. I do benefits for breast cancer (Pinktober), Make a Wish Foundation, and numerous food banks. I try to do as much as I can to give back.

You grew up in California and moved to Nashville after college. How was that transition?

I’ve been in Nashville 12 years now.  The transition didn’t go quite as smoothly as I thought. I had a pit-stop in Arkansas and lived there for a year. By the time I got to Nashville, I was so happy to be there. I love Nashville… it’s my favorite place to live.

What is it about Nashville that makes you love it so much?

The people! Everyone here is so nice and helpful. Oh, and the fact that we have four seasons here without too much snow. And, of course, the music. I had moved a lot, and I came to Nashville for a contest and it just felt like home right away, which was a great feeling.

I’m aware that you toured Europe performing in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” As a performer, what was the best part of that experience?

It was an amazing experience. It opened my eyes completely to a whole new world. The most memorable thing to me was performing in the cathedrals in Italy, France, Germany, and Holland. Your voice just carried so well, and it felt like angels were singing in there. It was a challenge the first time, but I went back last summer, and it was great. I have a wonderful fan base in Germany, and I have a CD being released there very soon. I spent a lot of time there and have some great German friends. They take care of me, handle my gigs, and make it a great experience every time I visit. My album “You Make Me Believe” was picked up in Europe, and they changed the title and of course put more sexy artwork on it.

German Version of Album

You had the chance to play bass on stage with Boston; what was it like to perform on stage in front of thousands along with a band you grew up idolizing?

It was quite an honor. I want to be so perfect when I play with them, and represent them the best way I can, so my harmonies and melodies are very precise. Working with those guys has been an amazing experience, and I feel very blessed to get to work with them.

Will you be performing solo or with a band at Festively Local?

I’ll be playing along with a few other girls as part of the Girls with Guitars section of the weekend. Myself, Treva Blomquist, Lani Nash, and Dawn Geis will each be doing solo sets.  It will be an intimate show, just me and my guitar. I’ll be playing all original songs, mostly from my new album.

This festival is about music, but it’s also about local art and food. What’s your absolute favorite local place to eat in Nashville, and what do you order there?

Well… I’m a vegetarian, so I cook a lot. Pancake Pantry would probably be my favorite if I had to choose. It’s in Hillsboro Village, and you have to wait in line since it’s a Nashville tradition. I love buckwheat pancakes with real maple syrup and a large orange juice.

For more information on Kim Dahme, and to preview some of her songs or join her fan club, visit her website. Also, for more information on Pinktober and how you can help, visit http://www.pinktober.org/.