Welcome to my first music post for 2016! Happy New Year & all the best to you all! May the New Year offer a bright start, a new outlook & a chance to create new adventures! Here's also to a year full of upcoming artists & exciting gigs to fill the year with as well!
My Christmas & New Years break was lovely & felt like just enough time to catch my breath! (although everyone including me wishes for more time off!) Before the festive break, my office was open half day on Christmas Eve so we were treated to such a lovely lunch, children were welcomed & presents were exchanged. After lunch a few of santas elves stayed behind & helped me clean the office before we all treated ourselves to an afternoon ringing in some Xmas cheer at the pub. It was definately a nice chill out before the festive madness properly began!
Christmas was at my house & it was such a success, the sun stayed out for most of the day & I even managed to squeeze in a swim in the pool! We had a mezze platter & cocktail jugs a plenty, before the ham, turkey & desserts were devoured & everyone went home with full tummies. As soon as my head hit the pillow Christmas night then my countdown began! 2 days after Christmas the fam & I headed to Queenstown in New Zealand to visit our neighbours Bill & Erica for a week. As soon as we woke early on Sunday morning we were on our way to the airport awake & eager. After a maccas hashbrown we boarded the plane & nearly 3 hours later we had reached our destination! & It was such a very enjoyable week, very refreshing to not be near any wifi & to also be able to share quality time with Bill & Erica through the New Year.
Queenstown is an absolutely stunner, I've never seen a place so green & hilly (It reminded me so much of Scotland!) we stayed with Bill & Erica for the week & their place had a beautiful view of the lake from their balcony where each day a sunrise/sunset wasn't missed. We were even treated each day to paragliders gliding past our bedroom windows!! Being the adventure capital, there was heaps going on!
As I promise myself every year to begin the year with much enthusiasm Erica, Mum & I on New Years Day (as well as Erica's 74th Birthday!) went on the exhilirating Shotover Jet Boat & then in the afternoon I spent nearly 5 hours white water rafting another part of the Shotover river. Lucky me as I once again had another magical way to start the year! Now back to reality, I'm keen to muck in & get started!
The track this week I've chosen to begin 2016 with is an absolute gem, a few days ago I was in a beer garden & once I heard it I remembered just how much I loved this song. You can listen to the track below:
Sharon Van Etten is an American singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. Her style is hazy folk & I just absolutely love it! Van Etten's music is characterized by a heavy use of harmonies. "Every time the Sun Comes Up" was released in Van Etten's fourth album "Are We There" on May 14, 2014
"People say I'm a one-hit wonder But what happens when I have two?"
Sharon Van Etten was recently in Australia & New Zealand touring the beginning of last year. I missed her, but hopefully if she comes back to Australia this will be an artist I would definately love to see.
Cheers Amy