Why I love LA...

Last night we were poolside under a starry sky with Tiki torches flickering and Sangrias in hand... That's December in LA for ya! Dan and I had a great night celebrating our friend, Rafa Sardina's, 40th birthday in true Californian style. Rafa's a multi Latin Grammy Award winning producer and engineer and on top of that I can honestly say he is also one of the nicest, most wonderful people I've ever met in all my years in the music industry! They went all out and had two bands playing - with pa and lights of course! It was a good vibe vortex and I enjoyed meeting his wonderful array of friends from all over the world. What is it with Spanish people?.. I don't think there's an ugly one among them! lol. We reckon we had the best Mexican food of our lives last night, too... A small catering company set up a grill in the backyard under a tree and treated us to hand made tortillas and soft and crunchy tacos crammed with seasoned pork and onions and cilantro... Locals might wanna check out "Tacos EL PAISA" 323. 588 6618

The Billboard Film & TV Music Conference

It was with some trepidation that Dan and I packed an overnight bag and headed into the Sofitel Hotel for the Billboard Film and TV Music Conference... What to bloody wear? Would we know anyone? Would I feel "like a shag on a rock" !? (That's Australian for "out of place and feeling like an idiot" lol!) I took a deep breath and walked into the crowded lobby sporting my unassuming little laminate that read, "Fiona Kernaghan Music"... Yep, that's us! Before I knew it I was comfortably carried along on the good vibes generated by the eclectic and friendly creatives who'd coughed up plenty of green to be there with an ear to the ground an eye on the future. The overall mood was really positive and pro active. The first panel I listened to included composer Marc Streitenfeld talking about his relationship with director, Ridley Scott. We got the inside goss on Marc's process and checked out samples of his incredible work in films like "A Very Good Year" and "Body Of Lies" (both with Russell Crowe). That was incredibly inspiring! And it set the tone for the rest of the 2 day conference. I was inspired, enlightened and... had a lot of fun. Dan and I ran into a few friends including Jewel Coburn of 10/10 Music in Nashville, rising star composer Kristin Baum and the irrepressible Charlyn Bernal from LA's Ascap office. Here's a pic of us in the green room right before Diane Warren accepted her Billboard Career Achievement Award...

Me and the editors of Billboard magazine - Bill Werde was great!

Daniel Kresco, Charlyn Bernal, me and Brendan Okrent.

I Can't Get The Smile Off My Face!..

Tonight Dan and I are just finishing off a bottle of CA sparkling... To celebrate the arrival of a new era and this historic day. Here's to you, Mr President Obama, and may God bless you and guide us to a brighter future!

Domestic Bliss

I'm sitting in bed typing this this morning... And much to my surprise
and delight it's raining! Raining in LA!? It's been hot, dry and sunny
for so long it was getting, well... boring! lol. So I'm really enjoying
this - some moody gray in the sky, the fresh smell of rain on the
leaves just beyond our balcony and the distant roll of thunder... I'm
getting ready to listen to "This American Life" on my laptop and I can
hear Dan in the kitchen putting coffee on and warming up some
croissants for breakfast. Yay! This reminds me of something I wrote
about in my song, "Taken". It's about how Dan and I got together and
what those days were like. They were actually quite turbulent and
cathartic. I knew I was being swept away and taken somewhere better - beyond my invisible, floating bubble that doubled as wall around my heart. I didn't know then that one of the sweet payoffs in coming down to Earth is this - domestic bliss!

LAWM "Indie Music for Film & TV" panel

LAWM "Indie Music for Film & TV" panel

On the weekend I went to an interesting conference and panel put on by "Los Angeles Women In Music". The panelists included film director Penelope Spheeris, Ascap's Associate Director of Film & TV Music Charlyn Bernal, Publisher Robert A. Case, film producer Amy Salko Robertson and Music Supervisor, Allison Wright Clark. I found it pretty informative - there were a few legal issues covered that clarified some things I'd been wondering about. And it was motivational and encouraging to hear about the volume of indie music still being embraced by film & TV producers! One of the things I love about living in LA is access to events like this where you can get first hand info about what other folks in the music and entertainment industries are up to. To find out more about LA Women In Music you might wanna visit their web site, http://www.lawim.com

My 3rd wedding!

No music industry news this time... We've been traveling a lot lately - after recording in Nashville we went to a friend's anniversary in Vegas and then over to Massachusetts for our third and final and much anticipated "American Wedding". I'll explain!.. When Dan and I were first married in LA back in 2003 we weren't able to bring both our families together from both sides of the world- and we knew it would be more practical to have two more weddings - one for my family in Australia and one for Dan's in the U.S. I did not imagine it would take quite so long for us to get around to our "American family wedding" ... But we just had our third (and final!) wedding (or renewal of vows anyway) at the Spencer Country Inn in central Massachusetts at the end of September. The Inn dates back to the 1700's when it was a stage coach stop on the way to Boston. Daniel's mum and dad, Bob and Claire and his sister, Donna arranged everything. There were 140 guests, mostly family of Dan's who are all from that area. It was gorgeous and we had a ball! I wore the same dress that I wore at our "Australian wedding" in Byron Bay in 2004, but this time I added a two tiered veil with crystal trim. This wedding was much more traditional than our first two! That seemed appropriate, given Dan's family is more traditional than mine and it also felt right in the historical New England setting. Because it's fall (or autumn) in America right now we had a "fall theme" - with lots of flickering spice scented candles and real pumpkin centerpieces. It was foggy and raining on the night of the wedding - and we had our "renewal of vows ceremony" in front of an open fire burning in the huge stone fireplace in the Inn's main hall. Dan and I both love Ireland and I have Irish ancestors, so we incorporated some traditional Irish vows into the ceremony - and that involved toasting our past, present and future with a goblet of wine. Something I really enjoyed! lol.

NEW blog and free songs at www.fionakernaghan.com!

Hi, guys!

Just a quickie from me to let you know that my blog full of musical meanderings and musings on the music industry and songwriting is now online at

www.fionakernaghan.com

Get a FREE song when you sign up to my mailing list there on the "contact" page as well!

Cheers,
F.

New Official Website with free music and lots more!..

(Ross Wilson and I backstage at The Vanguard/and at The Sydney Opera House.)



It's been ages since my last post - but I haven't dropped off the face of the earth! I've been rehearsing for gigs and traveling to Sydney and getting a new web site built... Yay!

At the new web site you'll find all the latest gig info as well as videos, blogs, bio info and podcasts. The video page features the "City Of Angels" video clip, a live acoustic performance on Channel Nine's "Mornings With Kerri-Anne" and even an old rarity... My dad's tv commercial from 1979, with me aged 6 in the intro sitting on our horse, Geronimo, and saying "Hello ladies and gentlemen. I'd like you to take a listen to my daddy's new record..." lol!

We have free podcasts for you to listen to online or download and keep in your ipod etc,. The first podcasts are all about the making of my new record, "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies" and the inspiration behind the songs on the record. Coming up we'll have conversations with my family where we'll swap notes on the music industry and what it was like growing up in a very non conventional and musical family.

Of course there is an online shop as well where you can buy "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies" and the "Feeling Fiona" compilation cd. The price is $15 U.S ( a bargain at about $17 Australian!) There is a currency converter on the shopping cart which accepts credit cards from anywhere in the world.

More news!

I just got back from Sydney where I opened for homegrown legend, Ross Wilson, at The Vanguard. What a funky and cool club that is! It's got a sexy, budoir feel to it with red walls and feather trimmed lamps along the bar. I used to drink Jack Daniels on stage a lot but this time we cracked out a box of Lindt Balls and shard them around the crowd before we played "For The Love Of You" (The ChocoIate Song) - it was such fun! I really enjoyed the gig and send out a big thanks to everyone who came along and made it a great night. I know it's a bit testing sometimes to unload a whole set of original songs on a crowd - songs no one knows yet - so it was a joy and a pleasure to feel such a warm reaction from the packed house. Good on ya Sydney siders!

www.fionakernaghan.com

GIRLS ROCK RADIO!

I got some great news today! An online radio station from the U.S has added 2 of my songs to their playlist! "Taken" and "Where The Wild Things Are" are both now on regular rotation on the oh so cool, "Girls Rock Radio" - "The Soundtrack
For Your Awesome Life!" lol!

Here's some info about the station...

"My name is Mot, and I run the station from the Girls Rock Radio studios in south central Wisconsin, USA -- a suburb of our capital city, Madison WI, called Middleton. It's my goal to keep the station living up to its tag line, "Hot, Sexy, and way too much Fun !!" while giving you great depth of music from today's all-girl or girl-fronted bands."

To listen online go to their web site and choose your player - it's easy.

www.girlsrockradio.com

Bye for now,
F.
x

"ARTIST OF THE WEEK" THIS WEEK ON THE GOLD COAST'S 107.3FM !

DJ and radio personality, Benni Mihan, at Life 107.3 fm on the Gold Coast (QLD Australia) invited me to be their "Artist Of The Week" week so I'm excited about that! It means 107.3 will air a segment of the interview we recorded last week every night THIS week.

We talked about a bunch of things like how I got started song writing right through to finding myself at Russell Crowe's post Oscar party at the Bel Air Hotel in LA a few years back. Surreal! lol!

I'm looking forward to hearing the new single, "Tonight" go to air with them as well!

Yep, we've decided to send out a new single to radio next week. I love "Tonight" and the big chorus and Dan's rockin' guitar solo on that track. I hope people out there might dig it like we do.

The Missing Bath Tub and The Maharishi

It's a windy and rainy Sunday night as I type this and I'm wishing we had a bath tub in this apartment... what kind of condo doesn't come with a bath? Crazy!
Dan and I've been talking a lot about getting my web site revamped and hope to do that soon - with decent media players so we can post podcasts for you to listen to. I want to tell some stories about my wacky childhood and Dad's Jet powered truck... and how I came to be the fringe dweller I am. lol!
We had a great Valentine's Day - we went out to a lovely seafood restaurant and had mussels, scallops, oysters and champagne. Yum. Dan surprised me with this envelope at dinner - he said I'd been wanting this for years and I couldn't think for the life of me what he was talking about... But I'm so wrapped! It is a gift voucher for a Shirodhara Ayurvedic treatment at a spa near us! This is an ancient Ayurvedic beauty and health treatment that is supposed to be very calming and cleansing - I think it involves warm oil being poured on your third eye area for about an hour and finishes with a head massage. One of my best friends has had it and says it's quite transcendental. I can't wait!
Speaking of transcendental, I hear the Maharishi, founder of TM, kicked the frame. I was initiated into the practice of transcendental meditation in the late 90's and I'll be eternally grateful for what it's brought me - thanks, guru, for your intrepid spirit and the teachings you brought to the west!
Well, I'm gonna finish this bottle of Semillon and watch an Australian comedy on the mad box (Australian for "TV") tonight.
Cheers,
Fiona.
x

"It is for education of today's world to realize that complete education, or absolute education, is not a process of knowing anything else. It is in fact returning from anything else to knowing oneself."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Founder of Maharishi Vedic and Ayur-Veda Universities

FK and more on iTunes iMix "Love’s Journey"

Hey, Groovers!

It's Valentine's Day Eve as I type this and I'm looking forward to tomorrow! Dan disappeared this afternoon after he was last seen making secretive phone calls to our virtual brother in law... Then all he would say after he came home was that I would be "very happy" tomorrow!?.. hmm.. lol.

He has great taste in fantastic, schmaltzy love ballads and yacht rock - designed to get underwear descending... lol! So if you would like to check out our "mix tape" (weren't those the days?) - and you have iTunes try this link.

Love's Journey

Or go to your iTunes music store and click on iMix then key in "love's journey".

Good night, sweet hearts!

SEX & CHOCOLATE!

Hey guys!

Today I'm just letting you know about this sexy little song, "For The Love Of You" (The Chocolate Song) on my new record “Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies”. People always ask me if the song’s about chocolate or SEX? Well the answer is “both!”

Anyway, it's a groovy little mid tempo with a bossa nova feel and even a little sultry jazz alto sax thrown in... it might be handy if you have some seduction planned for this Valentine's Day!?.. Hey, I'd be happy to help! lol.

You can buy it online via iTunes and at just about any online store or from my online store at www.fionakernaghan.com

Have a free listen first on my myspace page - just click on the title "For The Love Of You" - on my music player.

Happy Valentines Day!

Mood Media & Music Network Magazine

I stopped by the harbour side offices of Mood Media on a trip to Sydney and met the wonderful staff there, including their director of music programming, Cathy Lee. Mood Media have been great supporters of the new record and have added the first single, You Can Call Me Baby, to their in store play lists across the country. Now what do you know, Cathy Lee and I ended up in the "Look At Me!" pages of Music Network Magazine this week! I'm looking forward to seeing Cathy when I'm in Sydney again and perhaps we'll have time for a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc next time!

The "Woman's Day" Magazine Interview is out now!

I wrote a blog a while back about this interview I did with Australia’s “Womans Day” Magazine. Well the article just came out this week – in the edition with Princess Mary, Katie Holmes and Oprah on the cover.

It’s the first time ever that my brother, Lee, my sister, Tania and myself (pictured above) have been interviewed together. We had a great time and they squeezed a fair bit into a 2 page spread – the whole piece (including more about my sexy American husband and producer, Dan) is also posted on the “Womans Day” website. The link to that page if you wanna check it out is –

http://www.womansday.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=368531

Rock On!


ps- don't forget, to hear samples of all the tracks on my new record, "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies", go to www.myspace.com/fionakernaghan

There are links there to my online store and iTunes as well. Cheers!

"You Can Call Me Baby" on the Gold Coast's 107.3fm!

I dropped in to visit the team at Life 107.3 fm on the Gold Coast recently. DJ, Benni Mihan, and I recorded a great interview and I'm wrapped to report the station has programmed the first single off "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies" - and you can hear it on the super cool "Oz Shuffle" show as well as on the nightly countdown.

THANKS 107.3!!

Check out 107.3fm at http://www.1073.com.au/index.php

You can click on "Live @ 1073" and follow the links to watch Dan and I playing a live acoustic version of "You Can Call Me Baby", too!