Truth Lilies

Happy Halloween! What's really scary, though...

2009-10-31T22:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! I went for a walk tonight in my new neighborhood - Whole Foods was packed - with Brentwood families and dogs (yes actual dogs) in their costumes... I overheard a 20 something Yoga Bunny on her phone saying, "I guess they wouldn't want sugar free chocolate?.." lol! Later I saw some kids out trick or treating with pumpkin buckets in hand - still a bit of an odd sight as we didn't have Halloween growing up in Australia. On the way home I had a sudden craving for a BLT so I stopped at Subway. A homeless guy shuffled in and asked for a glass of water and the staff eyed him kinda suspiciously as he got a cup and shuffled out again. I paid for my sub and as I was on my way to the door, feeling for my change in my pocket, I saw the homeless guy sitting alone out the front, hunched over a duffle bag with his back to the wind that was picking up just after night fall. I thought, "I must have a dollar to give to him..." then realized I didn't have any ones left only a ten... For a split second I tensed up and thought, "one's enough, ten's too much!" Then with sudden clarity I realized, how in the world would $1 be enough? How is $10 enough?.. So I took out my ten to give to him, suggesting he get something to eat. When I got closer and looked into his face I saw he looked a lot like the dad's and grandfathers my sister, Tania, and I used to play cover gigs for at Bowling Clubs and Football Clubs in country Australia. Yellowing but combed back white hair and a ruddy, open face. My heart went out to him - no matter what chain of events led him to be without a bed or home to go to. Anyway, I looked into his eyes and gave him what must have been a bit of an awkward smile and the ten dollar note - and felt good about it. When nothing goes your way for a long time it's easy to assume it never will and so the downward spiral quickens. I don't know what else to say about that. I'm afraid of sounding preachy. But pictures of a hand, like a rudder, in the wind keeps popping into my mind - along with another of turning a canoe with one hand in rushing water. It seems to me we are in a position to slow each others downward spirals - if we want to.

Hear my song "Reality Check" on "Army Wives" this September!

2009-08-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

I'm totally psyched to be lettin' y'all know that my song, "Reality Check" will appear in an upcoming episode of the hit Lifetime drama, "Army Wives"!!

I've posted it on my player here if you wanna have a listen. This song's always been one of my faves!

F.
x

#3 on this week's Music Network Top 30 Country Chart

2009-03-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

My sister, Tania Kernaghan, is a country singer and entertainer in the land down under. I wrote a bunch of songs for her new album, "Livin' The Dream" and I'm chuffed to report that the first single is one of my songs... "Second Time Around" just came out and is up another spot to #3 on this week's Music Network Top 30 Country Chart.

Woo hoo!

For more about Tan check out www.taniakernaghan.com

20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity

2009-02-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

A good friend sent me this in an email recently. It's good to laugh! Here's to not taking ourselves tooooooo seriously....

20 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level of Insanity

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and Point A Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone Has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch To Espresso.

6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write "For Sexual Favors"

7. Finish All Your Sentences With "In Accordance With The Prophecy."

8. Don't Use Any Punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

10. Ask People What Sex They Are. Laugh Hysterically After They Answer.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play Tropical Sounds All Day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Hard.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won! I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking Lot, Yelling

"Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity.......

20. Copy this and Send an E-mail To Someone To Make Them Smile..
It's Called Therapy...

Mahalia and Jimmy Barnes at The House Of Blues in LA!

2009-01-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

Last night Dan and I went along to The House Of Blues here on Sunset
to catch Mahalia Barnes' first gig in the U.S - followed by a top notch set from her dad, Jimmy - who happens to be an Australian rock icon. It was fantastic!! Mahalia wailed with her soul and blues infused set and Jimmy let loose with some of his classics that have pretty much defined the Aussie Rock genre over the last 20 years. The room was packed with smiling, very Aussie looking faces. The air of excitement and pride was palpable as the band launched into classics like Khe San, Lay Down Your Guns and Working Class Man. Thanks for a great night, Jim!

ps! Mahalia's new album is available in the U.S on iTunes USA.

Why I love LA...

2008-12-07T17:25:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

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!..

2008-11-04T22:06:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-01T09:49:00.004-07:00

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

2008-10-27T20:26:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-26T14:12:00.001-07:00

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!

2008-08-14T10:42:00.002-07:00

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!..

2008-04-25T18:32:00.006-07:00

(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!

2008-03-13T22:20:00.010-07:00

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 !

2008-03-03T22:01:00.002-08:00

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

2008-02-17T03:01:00.001-08:00

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"

2008-02-13T04:52:00.002-08:00

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!

2008-02-02T18:10:00.000-08:00

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

2008-01-23T18:27:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-21T17:05:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-01-09T23:15:00.000-08:00

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!

Fiona Kernaghan & Daniel Kresco join with Maton Guitars

2007-12-17T16:51:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE ** PRESS RELEASE ** PRESS RELEASE ** PRESS RELEASE

Maton – Australia’s leading guitar makers - would like to announce their latest dynamic duo endorsement - International songwriting and production team - Fiona Kernaghan and Daniel Kresco.

“We are proud to have them join the Maton team, playing guitars built from 60 years of experience. Fiona has a great new album, a great new guitar so now there’s no stopping her” says Maton’s Mark Malmborg.

Both Fiona and Daniel have always had a strong love for Maton Guitars choosing them not only for use in the studio while recording and writing but also in a live setting.

Fiona Kernaghan is an award winning songwriter having written eleven #1 hits in Australia and has over 100 songs recorded around the world in a number of different genres. She is also an ARIA nominated artist and has just released her brand new album, “Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies”.

“I’ve played my Maton for 12 years and it just gets better with age. I’ve taken it all over the world and people always ask me about it and where the can get one”, says Kernaghan. “The smaller body model I have is super versatile – I love how it feels to play live, the electrics have been 100% reliable over the years and it also transitions perfectly in the studio”.

Daniel Kresco is an internationally renowned producer and engineer who has worked with superstar artists including Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Barenaked Ladies, Limp Bizkit and LeAnn Rimes.

“The CW-80 Cutaway is one of the most versatile acoustic guitars I have ever played. I can go from playing finger style ballads to the rock riffs and leads that take me all the way up the neck without needing to change guitars”, says Kresco. “The AP5 EQ lets me dial in the perfect amount of midrange so I fit in perfectly with Fiona’s vocal on stage. The low end is powerful yet defined – which is perfect for what we do on stage.”

For further information about Maton’s fantastic range of guitars check out www.maton.com.au

For further information, interviews or performances from Fiona and Daniel:
Karen Waters – Red Rebel Music
enquiries@redrebelmusic.com

www.fionakernaghan.com
www.myspace.com/fionakernaghan
www.myspace.com/danielkresco

IT’S ALIVE at The Virgin Megastore!

2007-10-29T03:53:00.000-07:00

I just received some press shots of my in store appearance and gig at The Virgin Megastore in Sydney the week of my album launch, 10/17. Many thanks to their ever cool store manager, David Mottek, and his staff for making it quite an event! It was really cool to be playing back in the city – I lived there for about three years before I took off to the U.S.A, so it was super fun to spend some time back in my old stomping ground. I was assailed by many happy and goofy memories of the wild times I had there back in my early 20’s, rockin’ around town with my soul sista E.T and cashed up with my first big publishing advance. Man those were the days! Lol! Said soul sista and I got together there again for the launch celebrations of Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies and we were hoofin’ it up George Street one night when I said, “You know my feet are killing me! I’m buggered and I just wanna sit down and have a nice cup of tea… We used to do walk all over the city back in the day in crazy high heels and I don’t remember ever having sore feet or anything… how did we do it?!” E.T laughed and said, “well, we were most likely inebriated!..” Yeah we were full of piss and vinegar, too. We sure had a good time, though. The face of rock and roll has changed for us – it’s a bit older and wiser now and though we may not “party” quite like we used to when it comes down to it I think we are actually more “rock n roll” now than ever. Something happens in your 30’s, and I think this is especially true for women, where you don’t take fools lightly, (you don’t tend to make a fool of yourself quite so much either! Lol!) and you don’t take much shit from anybody. Your authenticity radar is more efficient than ever. And that rocks.

Giant Faerie Towers & my first review!

2007-10-27T04:13:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here at our dining table listening to my husband, Dan, working on a mix in the office cum studio down the hall... It sounds good. It's a track for rock guitarist and singer, Troy MacCubbin, from LA. He has been playing lead guitar on tour all over the world with Russian popsters, T.A.T.U now he's working on a solo project.
It's a nice summer ish night here in QLD Australia. There's a big full moon outside and all the windows are open so I can hear the neighbours having some kind of dinner party or BBQ downstairs. We went for a walk on the beach late this evening. Only my second in the 4 months I've been here! Tragic! The lights of the Surfers Paradise skyline looked gorgeous, like giant Faerie towers at the oceans edge in the twilight.
I've been busy organizing my next trip to Sydney. I hope to catch up with some old friends while I'm there and meet some folks at radio stations, too. Maybe they'll have added "You Can Call Me "Baby" " to their play lists by the time I'm there?! That would be awesome! I'll be playing three gigs on this next trip. Friday night the 16th in Rozelle, Saturday the 17th in Parramatta and Sunday the 18th in Balmain.
Meanwhile, I'm really pleased that "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies" received its first review! I'll cut and past it below if you're curious... i love how he called it "grown up pop"!

FIONA KERNAGHAN
SHADOW WINE and TRUTH LILIES (Red Rebel/MGM)
U.S based Kernaghan, the quiet achiever of the Oz country music clan, has spent much of her career as a songwriter for hire. This, her second album of grown up pop - high on melody and insight and light on twang and utes - is more personal than a tattoo: Secrets Of The Flesh has an epic emotional flow that wouldn't have been lost on Sheryl Crow's great Globe Sessions.

Jeff Apter.
The Sydney Morning Herald Metro.

A Glass of Pinot Noir and The Week That Was...

2007-10-20T05:07:00.000-07:00

I’m sitting here with a glass of Pinot Noir taking stock of the week that was… I’ve been working my ass off to get our live set ready for the official launch gig at The Basement. I’m happy to say that went off without a hitch on Wednesday night. Charlton Hill and Anthony Snape opened for me and they were awesome. We had some fun playing the songs off my new record, Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies, talking about men, relationships, sex and eating chocolate. Thank you to everyone who came along and made it a great night and to those of you who bought a copy of the cd on the night!

While I was down in Sydney this week I also did live to air performances on Channel Nine’s The Today Show and Mornings with Kerri Ann and they were great fun. It was super cool having my hair and make up done for two mornings in a row! If I ever get really rich I think I’ll have someone come and do my hair every day! Lol. We played the single, “You Can Call Me Baby” and it was kinda funny to sing about doing coke and having a mind like a whore on am shows! He he. I got a special little thrill out of that ‘cause that’s just how I am.

I did an interview with Sydney’s 2SM radio and hope to get a copy of that interview with Carl posted here for you to hear – we talked about how Dan and I met at a demo session in Nashville and how we got married at the drop of a hat at LAX Courthouse. I’m not sure of we mentioned our Quick-E-Mart reception… we got a $3 bottle of pretend bubbly and toasted ourselves in the parking lot with plastic cups, hiding from the police cruisers passing by.

Now I’m home and pretty buggered from all the running around. I don’t seem to have the stamina I recall having when I was last living in Sydney, gallivanting around half drunk on Stolli with my soul sister Emily… she has a baby now and I’m married and partial to a nice cup of tea. Ahhg! Am I losing my edge? I like to think we still rock – just in moderation these days. Lol...

To check out my performance on The Today Show - just click on this link below then click on my pic, just under James Blunt who was on the day before me.

http://today.ninemsn.com.au/section.aspx?sectionid=3093&sectionname=entertainment

Gig @ The Basement in Sydney this Wednesday and an action packed week coming up!

2007-10-15T03:36:00.000-07:00

I’m about to get sucked into a whirlwind of events this week and have that tired but wired feeling of anticipation. You know like before you go on a trip and there’s a million little things you wanna get done? There’s half dried washing lying all around the apartment, the drier’s on the blink! The kitchen’s a mess and something tells me I’m not gonna be cooking that nutritious dinner I’d planned 24 hours ago. The nachos and Corona I had this afternoon will have to do… But the acoustic set Dan and I’ve worked up feels good and the lounge room looks, shall we say… “productive”? lol. There are bits of paper with to do lists and song lists strewn around, guitar leads and cables snaking all around the floor, mic stands and guitar stands and an array of Dan’s effects pedals with their little red lights blinking on and off. They give the room a nice glow when the lights are off.

There’s a rhyme and reason to the chaos, though. We’re flying down to Sydney tomorrow where we’ll start with a meeting at Sony BMG, raid the guitar store in the Pitt Street Mall, meet up with Kaz from Red Rebel Music then try and get an early night before Wednesday. We’ve gotta be at Channel Nine really insanely early to play live on The Today Show, then I have a radio thing at 2UE, then a boardroom performance at Mood Media, then sound check for the gig, then a photo shoot for The Known Photographic Exhibition with Nathan J Lester, then the gig that night with Charlton Hill and Anthony Snape – to celebrate the birth of my humble little labyrinth of a record, “Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies”! Thursday we have to be up and sober to play live on The Kerri Ann Show, then there’s a meet and greet at Mix 106.5 fm, then another boardroom performance, then sound check and load in and then a short set and some fun at The Virgin Megastore in the Pitt Street Mall. Hopefully I’ll be able to catch up with some friends after that and have a few long awaited celebratory drinks. Friday I’ve got a few radio interviews then back to The Gold Coast to take stock of what just happened. I really hope I have time to check out the chocolate shops my friend from here on Blogger, Mari, has told me about… Jeff de Bruges is one. If anyone knows of this or others please let me know. As a chocophile one has to conduct constant research. He he…

Meanwhile back on the indie music promo trail, I’m psyched about Mood Media adding “You Can Call Me "Baby” " to their retail play list. It means you might hear this the first single off Truth Lilies if you’re in one of these stores…. Angus and Coote, Adidas, Benneton, Billabong, BP, Bunnings, Brothers Nielson, Body Shop, City Beach, Country Road, Coffee Club, Colorado, David Jones, Escada, Ecco, Esprit, Footlocker, Goldmark, Hugo boss, Ikea, Jag, Mambo, McDonalds, Mango, Nike, Oroton, Payless Shoes, Puma, Pizza Hut, Perfume Connection, Portmans, Rebel Sport, Red Rooster, Reebok, Rip Curl, Rockmans, Sizzler, Strandbags, Toys r Us, Vintage Cellars, Williams Shoes and Zaraffa Coffee… cool!

But for now it’s Monday night here in Australia – Sunday afternoon back in California – and I think I need to have a cup of tea and pack my suitcase and then hopefully chill out a bit. Hey! “Californication” is on tonight! Gotta see what my boyfriend, Hank, is up to!

Happy Monday, Bloggers. I'm sending you all chocolate and chili flavored bliss bombs.

ps. I was about to post this when... into the above scene in our lounge room, my rock star husband enters in his footy shorts and no shirt laughing about someone "being pounded like a Mallard duck". The laughing subsided and there's nothing but the fridge humming when he kneels down in front of the above mentioned guitar pedals and cranks out a short but ferocious fart. Now THAT sounds like a Mallard duck! Lol!.. Yeah, it's the glamor of the music business that attracts me to it...

Womans Day Magazine, happiness and sexy weather...

2007-10-08T04:19:00.000-07:00

Geez, weeks have been pouring past like days lately… I can’t remember being this busy ever! I am starting to miss my sloth days! Anyway, to keep yas all in the loop, on Friday afternoon I did an interview with a magazine down here in Australia called “Womans Day”. I’ve never done an interview with a magazine like that before. It’s the kind that you see at every check out register along with the candy bars and impulse buys at the super market- usually has a story about Jenn and Brad and Angelina on the front or some such tantalizing news… The magazine asked for my brother, Lee, and sister, Tania, (who as you may know are both country singers here in Oz) to be involved because they wanted to know what Lee and Tania thought of me being back doing music and performing and after all my music is quite different to what they do and what do they think about that?.. I was more nervous about Lee being there than anything… I think I was nervous because he was concerned I was gonna talk too much about sex, drugs and rock n roll or something. Or antidepressants. Lol! Anyway… I hoped to set a celebratory tone so Dan and I had a cold bottle of Moet here for Glen (the journalist) and his photographer, Dave, when they arrived. We had a nice chat and I think we all enjoyed the champers. They got some great pics of Tan and Lee and I and me with my new Maton guitar as well! (Yeah, Maton Guitars make hand crafted guitars here in Australia and have just given me an endorsement deal and a beautiful new CW80 cutaway. Awesome!)

Glen did ask me quite a bit about the time I was fucked up by what turned out to be “clinical depression”. In hindsight, I really hope it doesn’t come off sounding like I’ve been depressed the whole time I’ve been in the States – like 10 years! Lol. I learned from the interview that I need to be more specific about when that all went down. Really it was 2000, worsening through til 2002 when after crying every day for about a year I realized this was not normal and I may not be naturally psycho so I finally went to a shrink and acknowledged there was a problem and began to dig MYSELF out of that hole. I’m happy to report that things have been on the up and up ever since! Actually, working on songs for Tania’s album, “Higher Ground”, from 2004 on helped a lot in my recovery and inspired me to write for myself again, too. Then spending more time back in Australia in 2006 helped, then writing and recording my record, “Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies” this year was, I believe, the final piece in the puzzle and completed my picture as it is now. Which is pretty much me having minor anxiety disorder symptoms from time (doesn’t everybody?!) but that’s nothing sex, wine, chocolate and music can’t take care of – and being happy as anything the rest of the time. He he. I think the Womans Day piece will be generally upbeat and realistic, though. Fingers crossed. Glen Williams seemed like an excellent guy.

Since then Dan and I’ve been rehearsing songs for our gig at The Basement next week – which is the “official” album launch. I can’t wait! It’s one thing to ponder over songs and choruses and things forever at home alone but it’s quite another to play ‘em to real live people! I feel like it’s quite bonding, actually. Some kind of ephemeral connection gets formed between us – singer and audience. Maybe it’s just the classic transfer of energy that I’m thinking of. Either way it’s groovy.

On a more tangible note, we’ve just started having these fantastic summer storms rolling past here in Queensland. The other night when I got home with some Red Rooster take away Dan and I sat out on the balcony and ate it by candlelight with the lightening performing for us and thunder rumbling in the distance. Big fat raindrops started to plop down and it was that kind of tropical weather where it’s raining but still warm. That’s gotta be the sexiest weather, hasn’t it? Well anyway, I’m gonna go and watch Californication now. Our new favorite show. I like how it reminds me of life in LA and I have such a crush on that bloody Hank now!

Welcome to The World Inside www.fionakernaghan.com

2007-09-27T07:28:00.000-07:00

So the web site, www.fionakernaghan.com is up and "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies" is on sale, too! Even though the official release date is still just around the corner... Thanks for stopping by and checking it out! And thank you for all the inquiries about how to buy the new record. Hopefully you'll find our pay pal facility easy to use. As you can probably tell from my blogs I'm so psyched to have the record done and out in the world! And I can't help feeling relieved that mum and dad seem to like it, too. It's very un rock n roll of me to still enjoy my parent's approval, isn't it?! Although, I'm not able to do everything the way they'd like it... It's really funny, every time I tell mum about an interview or something I have the chance to do she says "oh, that's nice! Just don't swear when you're talking to them! Be nice..." Well, I'm not gonna make any guarantees there! lol.

It always surprises me to hear which tracks and songs people like most. Like with my 66 year old dad who'se sung trad country for 30 years - his favourite is not the mellow stuff, it's the more in your face single about life being "hard core", You Can Call Me "Baby". Bizarre, hey? It'll be interesting to see what people, especially in the music industry, think of the style of stuff I'm writing and singing now... I think there's this misconception floating around that because my brother, Lee and sister, Tania, are so well known for singing country that I must surely be a country singer, too. But I think it'd be flat out misleading and unfair to let people think that "Shadow Wine and Truth Lilies" is a country record. Oh, speaking of which! There's a Facebook group you might wanna check out called "Can It Be Kernaghan and Not Country?" Well, anyway...let's not obsess too much about labels and definitions here. It'd be cool if you could just let the music happen to you. And if you can make it to one of the upcoming gigs - I hope you can come and let yourself happen to me.

Rugby tackle happiness to the ground, groovers!
Fiona