January 18th, 10.

Thanks for checking in!

A belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody. I guess its usual to look back over the year, but if you read down the page here you’ll probably get all of that.

So what’s in store? Really looking forward to the International Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis in Mid-February. I have an official showcase this year and a few guerilla showcases, and I’m presenting my workshop: “In the Trenches” Capo Workshop. I am going to be doing an in the round with Martyn Joseph, John Spilane and Sarah McQuaid, All from the UK/Ireland, that should be quite a Celtic evening. Lots of friends old and new to meet up with.

There’s a trip coming up to Wales, including England and probably Scotland in April – going to be working with Frank Hennesey from BBC Radio Wales, putting together a workshop and some gigs. Also got some co-writing to do while I’m there and going to be taking photographs and video for the next CD.

I’m busily writing and recording for the CD, at least as hard as my thumb will allow. Still doing the physical therapy and also doing art therapy as well now, which I thoroughly recommend. On a good day I can play the guitar pretty well, on a bad day I go and get coffee and bagels around the corner.

I know I’ve thanked everyone for all your prayers and good wishes, but they have really helped me through the last couple of months and I’m deeply thankful to you all.

Ok, I’m back in the studio, hope to see as many of you as I can at Folk Alliance or Kerrville this year.

Best for now,
David

November 16th, 09.

Thanks for checking in!

Well, things have continued to be pretty disrupted by the aftermath of my injury. Lots of physical therapy getting done, but it is putting things to right and in fact I’m getting to play my guitar a little bit now. It’s a bit clunky and painful, but it’s great to be back in the game. My thanks to Karen Pryor, who is a pretty amazing physical therapist.

A good friend of mine Betina Folleslev was over from Denmark at the beginning of October and we recorded one of our co-writes here in Nashville – who knows whether a “Country” arrangement will work in Denmark, but it’s a great song. Betina and her sister make up “Strawberry Blonde” and they have a new album out, which is currently in heavy rotation on Danish National Radio. I’ve got a couple of co-writes on there – hey that and 3 bucks will get you a cup of coffee.

Attended the SERFA conference at the Ozark Mountain Center in Arkansas. Absolutely brilliant conference, very different from some of the others I’ve attended. Can’t wait to go back next year.

Judi Sawyer and Kari Estrin both put a huge amount of effort into organizing a benefit and silent auction together in Austin (see previous entry). Huge thanks from me for all their work. It turned out to be an amazing night with great performances from everyone on the bill. The silent auction raised quite a bit of money and my thanks go out to all the friends, musicians, restaurants, festivals and hell, you all know who y’all are who donated. Austin still surprises me with it’s love and support of fellow musicians.

That was followed by the Austin Celtic Festival where I presented a “Short History Of Wales” workshop. Lots of fun, and thanks to Donnelle and all the crew at the festival for letting me do the gig with having to play my guitar, and for looking after us so well.

So what’s in store? The prognosis is good for a speedy recovery and I’m really hoping to be in the studio again in December/January recording a new cd. All kinds of plans and gigs lining up for 0-10’ - I think that’s what they are going to call it.

I’ve received a lot of love and well wishes from folks and friends all over. I’m trying to thank everyone personally – hang in there it just might take me some time.

Best for now,
David


Oct 1, 09.



Please note - For those of you who don’t live in Austin, we are also going to be organizing a couple of benefit concerts in Nashville TN

Many thanks to the wonderful artists who have offered their considerable talents to this event -

TOM PRASADA-RAO and CARY COOPER
(http://www.tomprasadarao.com, http://www.carycooper.com)
“Visually and musically, Tom is the most compelling presence to emerge in the singer-songwriter genre as I’ve seen in a long time.”—Jim Bessmen, Billboard.
“Cary Cooper has one of those voices—the kind you long for at the end of a hard day.  She starts singing and you just sit back, close your eyes and breathe a little deeper.”—Mare Wakefield, Performing Songwriter
 
ALBERT and GAGE (http://www.albertandgage.com)
In Austin, Texas, a town overflowing with gifted singer/songwriters and guitar players, Christine Albert & Chris Gage have a twelve year track record of making beautiful music together, although both musician’s individual pedigrees are far more extensive.  Over the course of six duet albums, the duo has demonstrated that disparate backgrounds do not preclude musical soul mates from finding one another.
 
ED MILLER (http://www.songsofscotland.com)
Ed Miller has been hailed as “one of the finest singers to come out of the Scottish Folksong Revival” and as “one of Scotland’s best singing exports.”
 
GRACE PETTIS (http://www.myspace.com/gracepettis)  “Grace Pettis is definitely an artist to keep an eye and an ear on.  She’s taking on big ideas, and hewing them into well-crafted lyrics.  There are graceful turns of phrase which sometimes remind me that she grew up under a roof that sheltered more than one great writer, but her voice is her own, as a writer as well as a singer.” – David LaMotte
 
KIM MILLER (http://www.kimmiller.com)  
“A native Texas voice whose music brings the Old World cultures of France, Mexico and the British Isles forward into the 21st century community of singer/songwriters.  If you can catch her live, you should.” – Willis Alan Ramsey & Alison Rogers
 
For more information about the concert please contact Judi Sawyer at jsawyer1@austin.rr.com or (512) 470-3879
 
The Journey Warehouse  3009 Industrial Terrace, Austin, TX  78758
CLICK HERE FOR MAP.

Sept 30th, 09.

Thanks for checking in!
Sorry I missed a month or so. Been a little indisposed.

Early Setpember I did a great little songwriting retreat with my manager, Kari (she was writing her book) in a cabin up near the Blue Ridge Trail in North Carolina. Thanks to Si Kahn for the use of his really cool cabin in the trees!

Then August 24th, had a little altercation with a large chop saw, and a two day vacation at Vanderbilt Hospital ensued. Cut through a bone, several tendons, and a bunch of other stuff that got in the way. Had a couple of pins holding my left thumb on, and a very pretty cast up my arm since then, but they tell me that I should be out of it next week. Pity really, I’ve been getting pre-boarding on Southwest! Maybe I’ll get to keep the cast, and I can slip it back on at the airport – great for getting the guitar up in that overhead compartment ahead of the rush :O)

Thankfully, the prognosis is good for a complete recovery (after some prolonged excruciating physical therapy), but choosing buying guitar strings over medical insurance does not look like such a great idea right now, so we are setting up some benefit concerts with silent auctions to cover the fast arriving medical bills – one in Austin TX, and maybe two in Nashville, during November.
BIG thanks to Judi in Austin, and Kari, for all the hard set up work! If you are in either town and can make it to one of the concerts, or want to donate an item or service, PLEASE drop me an email – david@davidllewellyn.com – for details.  Thanks! Would love to see you.

I have been out doing the gigs though – some house concerts in Florida and Chicago. Playing the guitar dobro style with the tips of my fingers – damn chords are upside down!  But the show must go on, and big big thanks to Kari for learning my songs at the last minute and playing guitar on all the hard ones! Great job.
Heartfelt thanks to Mark & Connie, and Mike & Carol for your amazing support, belief, and hospitality in Florida, and Katie & Deirdre for the same in Chicago. Everyone, you were fantastic.

While all this has been going on, I’ve been continuing to work with the amazing vocal coach, Debbie Beinhorn. I can’t wait to get back in the studio to try out some of this stuff!
And on that positive note, all the best for now

David

July 20th, 09.

Thanks for checking in!

Well, been traveling. Two weeks in Lendas on the island of Crete. Teaching songwriting – Fantastic! Loved it. Did not want to leave. My thanks and hugs to everyone there who made it special, and to Eva Hillered for setting it up and being so much fun to work and write with.  The only disappointment was my plane back to Athens taking off 30 minutes before a 6.7 earthquake occurred 20 miles south of the island – big enough to be felt in Cairo. Thankfully no one was hurt, and no property damaged. But an earthquake is on my “bucket list” - oh well :O) maybe next time.

Then dropped in at the Smithsonian 4th of July festival in Washington DC on the way home. The live radio broadcast with Frank Hennessy (BBC Wales) went really well. I didn’t have much of a voice after the fun that was Crete, so sang the Star Spangled Banner about half an octave lower than normal! Wales was the featured country this year, and it was great to hang with so many Welsh folks – great singing! Also got some time in DC – always wanted to check it out.

Then pretty much straight to Austin, Texas for a few days to work with Debbie Bienhorn – a really wonderful vocal coach. Brilliant stuff, but hard work too. Thanks Debbie for your insight, TLC, patience and endless energy!! I learnt so much.

Hopefully some time now to settle down and get this CD put together, and time to get with Kari and put some future plans into action.

All the best for now
David


June 3, 09.

Thanks for checking in! So much happening right now. Just back from a couple of big festivals in Texas. WILDFOWER in Richardson, north of Dallas. What wonderful people – Thanks to Pat and Al - I’ll be visiting again next year for sure!!!

And the KERRVILLE Folk Festival. Main stage and Threadgil stage this year YES YES YES. Just so much fun. I learn so much there each year about heart, music, people . . .

BIG NEWS
I’ve re-signed my management deal with Kari Estrin. Really excited about this. So many plans in the works. Great to have her with me at Kerrville/Wildflower – she just generates so much work and interest! It’s a hard old road out there, nice to have someone to help carry the load.

I’m off to teach songwriting at a retreat in Crete later this month (tough job, but someone’s got to do it) and then stopping off at the Smithsonian in D.C. on the way home to sing the Star Spangled Banner live on a live outside radio broadcast on Frank Hennessy’s BBC Radio show on the 4th of July.

Going into the studio to record a new CD in July and August, and am actively booking festivals and gigs for 2010.

Hey, keep checking in, and I’ll try to keep putting up these newsletters on the first of each month :O)

Best
David


April 08.

I NEED YOUR VOTE! My song "Take Us Down", about a small boy's first day down a Welsh coal mine, and his father's heartbreaking thoughts is vying for "Song Of The Year" Honors at the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

It is an on-line "vote-out" between two songs.

You can vote once a day, every day through until April 27th.

Follow this link to vote: CLICK HERE

Click on the "Folk" Catagory.

They will ask you for an address / date of birth / etc.
(Sorry about this - they are trying to cut down fraudulent voting)

But after you've voted once, it is an easy 3-click operation to vote again.

All your votes are greatly appreciated. Please VOTE! VOTE! VOTE! :O)

Your votes are important, and please get the word out to as many friends, groups, MySpace, Facebook, etc. people as you possibly can!

Big, big thanks!
David


October 29, 08.

Thanks for checking in again. Sorry this is a little late in the month, been a real busy one.
Did my first gig at Ugly Mugs coffee shop - gonna be doing that again as a featured artist on the 29th of November. Then down to Chattanooga to do the “Freedom” Festival – hope to have some good video/recordings from that one. Nice to have Meg Tennant in town for a gig at Bill Mann’s house concert and some good cowriting.

Then off to Ireland for a week long songwriting retreat. Inisheer is a fabulous island, check it out next time you’re over there. Thanks to Brett and all my fellow cowriters for a great time and some good new songs. Wales next, and a thirty minute interview with songs with Frank Hennessy for BBC radio Wales, and a great gig with him that night - nice to sell out the old CDs. No rest yet, off to Stockholm to teach guitar and play some gigs/cowriting with Eva Hillered. Big thanks to Ida and Peter – their hospitality generous as always.

Quite a trip! Ten separate flights. Six different airlines. Boats, buses, trains, trams, taxis, rental cars, metro subways, air coaches, air trains, and the usual shit load of walking, humping all your gear about. And even showing up at the wrong airport and losing the connecting flight – nothing like booking a couple of flights on the day of flying to stretch your credit card, and losing your guitar to boot in Heathrow Airport. It did show up a couple of days later :O)

This last week been getting over the exhaustion/jet lag, but I did do some really cool cowriting with Nancy Casteele, thanks Nancy.

So many things spring from these trips to Europe – lots of things in the pipeline – stay tuned. Going to knuckle down in the studio and get some good demos out over the next couple of months. It will be good to spend some time in Nashville for a change, just a trip to New York State for the NERFA conference and a week long tour in Texas before the end of the year.

If I don’t see you before Christmas/New Year/Thanksgiving, have good ones. Wrap up warm and travel safe,

David


September 19, 08.

Thanks for checking back in to the never ending meteoric rise to obscurity.

Obviously been a lot of stuff going on with the really cool John Lennon win, lots of emailing and the like. But first, Little Folk.
I like Little Folk. There’s a lot more Austin folks there. It lacks some of the competitive craziness of at least the first weekend of Big Folk, and everyone is just so happy to be there. Great weather this time, and lots and lots of singing around the campfires, especially a couple of great rounds at “Camp Bite Me” - thanks guys for setting those up. Big thanks to Jenny for the transport back and forth Dallas etc. Enchanted Rock was really really cool!

Spent a few days in Chicago – what a great town. Did a couple of gigs and was all lined up for the Celtic Festival which at the last minute got rained off. Hurricane Ike I guess. Pity, but there you go – I’ll be back next year for sure. I must thank Katie for looking after me so well and providing the cat entertainment, Dave Parry for all the work he does at the Chicago Tafia, and Erin Bauer at the Festival. All you guys keep the wheels on the road!

Two gigs this weekend – a new shiny coffee shop just ’round the corner from my house, with two good friends - Jack Sundrud and Cindy Greene, and a trip to Chattanooga – a Caribbean Party – The “Drive The Bus” Festival on the International Day Of Peace!! Downtown St. Elmo Village.

Got a couple of weeks now before I go to Europe, got some good friends coming in from out of town, gonna do some good writing with them. Just did a video shoot with Gary Gullbergh (five songs). They look great on the studio monitors – can’t wait to get my hands on the finished thing. Thanks Gary, you were really great to work with.

The fall weather has just arrived and the morning coffee on the front porch at 6:30 a.m. is really nice – my favorite time of the day. Hope it’s great weather where you are.

All the best for now,

David


September 3, 08.

STOP PRESS – SPECIAL ENTRÉE
I just won the prestigious John Lennon Songwriting competition – Folk Category !!!!!!!
I entered “Take Us Down”, my song about a small boy’s first day down a Welsh coal mine, and his fathers thoughts.

The song also helped me win the Kerrville Folk Festival’s “New Folk” competition last year. I could say I’m lucky I guess, but I must take this opportunity to thank Kari Estrin.

As a consultant, and then manager, she single handedly refocused my career. She took me back to my roots, took me back to Wales, made me look at my upbringing, my childhood in the small coal mining valleys of South Wales . . . and see who I am. She went with me as I went “down” a coal mine for the first time, as I listened to the stories of the old miners who are the tour guides now. The song is a testament to these men, my uncles, my family, the generations of men and children who worked underground. It is their story, their words, but without Kari, I would have missed it all. Thank you Kari.


August 27, 08.

Hi folks,
Well, another crazy month in paradise.
Robyn Landis stayed for a few days - we were both winners of the W.C Handy Festival in Muscle Shoals - had some fun down there. Managed to write some really good songs with Robyn while she was in town.

Had a great trip up to Los Angeles with Crystal. Many many thanks to our wonderful hosts, Cat and Toliver - you guys were just wonderful. Great gig down in Laguna Beach, definitely want to do that one again (thanks to Joyce Woodson for setting that one up). What a place southern California is, if it wasn't ten times more expensive to live I might even look at moving there, where's that Garth Brooks cut when you need it? Also thanks to John M. for his hospitality - always good to hang - fantastic studio, very well done.

Been organizing more trips out of town - flights to the UK and Scandinavia are becoming a real pain to book, but I think it's all done now. Can't wait to get to Ireland and meet up with everyone there. Thanks to all the folks in Chicago for your interest and help. Looking forward to the gigs up there in September.

Just finishing up doing the old taxes, argh, before I can get off down to the Kerrville Little Folk Festival, for some R&R - Real good Mexican and Richard's. . . Thanks for checking in.
Hugs,

David


July 23, 08.

Hi folks,
Here’s what’s happening this month, or is it last month?
Wow, it’s peach time in Tennessee - just picked 50 pounds of peaches off my one peach tree. Lots of smoothies gonna be happening.
Got some new cowriting happening this last month – Nancy Casteele, Wendy Jans, Candace Randolph, and Robyn Landis coming up this weekend. Yeah, I know guys, four extremely cute girls, but hey, someone’s got to do it.
Got to do The Saucy Sisters radio show WLAC 1510 - Beverly and Barbara are so much fun! Gigs at Norm’s River Roadhouse (with the Groove Band – our first gig – thanks to Jack Sundrud, Sergio Webb, Kim Risburg, Elizabeth Chauncey, and guests, Candace Randolph and Cindy Greene), Rocketown with Sheri Lynn DiGiovanna – thanks Sheri, and The Family Wash last night – great to sing with Jonell Mosser for the first time and Candace Randolph. Thanks to everyone who came out to the gigs!!!

A big thank you to Paul Schatzkin for his annual generosity, buying tickets for everyone, well not quite everyone, for the July 4th Sounds game. Always fun.

This weekend I’ve got Robyn Landis coming into town for some cowriting – really looking forward to that. We’re both playing at the W.C Handy festival in Muscle Shoals, Alabama this weekend where we are both winners. It’s her first visit to Nashville and I’ve set up a house concert for the Sunday night at Susan Shann’s home in Sylvan Park. Also on the bill, Susan Shann, Gary Gulbergh, and Laurie McClain.

Next month I’m off to LA for ten days – a couple of gigs, some more cowriting and a whole bunch of walking on the beach, and then maybe “Little Folk” at Kerrville at the end of the month.

Thanks for checking in. Drop me an email sometime, always good to hear from you.
David


June 17, 08.

Hi folks, Thanks for checking in. This last month has been really chaotic, this is the first chance I’ve had to keep you guys up to date.

The songwriting retreat in Sweden and the half dozen gigs that followed it were absolutely fantastic. What a cool country – Stockholm is just a beautiful city. Lots of new songs, lots of new co-writers, and good, good friends. Will be heading that way again as soon as I can organize it. Many thanks to Brett, Eva and Annika for all their hospitality, love and care. Anyone interested in going to this retreat next June, or its sister retreat on an island just off the Irish coast October 5-12 this year, please drop me a line - happy to fill you in on all the details.

And before I could look around and unpack my suitcase I was off to the Kerrville Folk Festival for the last five days. The last weekend is so relaxed, the weather this year was perfect - yeah, I know, it’s always too hot, too wet, too dusty, too muddy, too short, but this time the weather was idyllic. Great campfires, great Mexican food, what more could you ask for?

Been back in Nashville a week. Now is the first chance I’ve had to start recording the songs from the Swedish trip. I’m going to play some of them at Norm’s River Roadhouse (Nashville) on July 1st with a cool new band – going to do some groove songs for a change. Jack Sundrud will open with a fantastic set and then join me on bass in the band. If you are in town, come on down, bring 20 of your nearest and dearest friends.

Lots of gigs, house concerts and festivals in the works. Looking forward to the Chicago Celtic Festival in September and a trip or two to the UK/Wales to finalize my guided tours of Wales for next year (anyone interested in joining me on a ten day trip, probably May and/or September 09, email me). And there is also the Irish songwriting retreat in October – it’s going to be so much fun.

I’ll stop rambling for now. Always good to hear from you, all the news, any potential gigs, all that stuff.

Love and jam butties
David


May 5th 2008
Hey,

Yes, here at long last. The new website. Many many thanks to Jack Sundrud for putting it together for me. Check out his site on my Links page.

There are still some things for me to put in place – photos, the new press kit, some mp3’s etc. but basically here we are, all shiny and new! Let me know what you think (guestbook), if you have any trouble with links or whatever . . . good to get feedback.

I’m off to Sweden on Saturday for a couple of weeks - so trying to pull together all the last minute stuff . . . Now where did I put that Vaseline . . ?

I will try to keep a journal here of the trip. Thanks to Eva Hillered and Annika Fehling for inviting me to participate in the songwriting retreat. Glad I could fit it in this year.

Stop press . . .
I’ve just bought a Collings C10 guitar. Yeah, I know, the old Taylor has done fine duty over the years, but I couldn’t put this one down. Cedar top/Koa body – a surprisingly big sound for a small guitar. Cindy Greene played some of her songs on it last night – Oh man . . . I just hope that I can be the guitar player it thinks I am :O)

Thank you for visiting. I will try to keep this news page up to date with exciting news and fascinating insights – even if I have to make them up.

It is a stunningly beautiful day here in Nashville. I hope it is where you are.
Be great to see a lot of you at Kerrville again this year. Okay, as we get older, maybe partial nudity might be better . . .

All the best
David