Anna Coogan: News

I'm excited that my song "Crooked Sea" from "The Nocturnal Among Us" was selected to be featured on a compilation CD that will be used to raise money for the Indiegrrl Music and Arts Camp for children. Killer cause, and it is gonna be a hell of a good CD. I'll post links to the finished product in a few months.

I will be the first to admit that playing music is not always fun. In fact, there are long stretches where it is no fun at all, and I scratch my head and wonder what the hell I am doing. The job of being your own booker, manager, promoter, and networker can feel (and, indeed, can be) impossible. I've got something like 10 social network sites that I try to maintain, my own 10-headed online avatar re-creation of myself. It's so easy to lose your way out there, to start feeling bitter.

And then, every once in a while, something happens.("just when I thought I was out....they pull me back in!") It can be any number of things: a show, a recording experience, a new song that comes out of nowhere, even just a positive email. And you remember why you are doing it.

Last night was one of those moments. After 6 months of solid work of booking the tour and finishing the record, with a credit card bending under the weight of each new purchase, I was feeling rather burnt out. I was starting to feel like a broken record, like a copy-and-paste email gone bad. I did not know what to expect out of my international band, who arrived 2 days before the show having never met eachother,let alone played together. All I could do was cross my fingers and hope for the best.

And I got it. Last night at the Fremont Abbey was one of the best shows of my life. Everything clicked into place. The house was packed and the audience was quiet (wow!). The sound was beautiful and the acoustics of the former-church were almost holy. The band, all 5 of us, played like we had been playing together for years. For the first time in what seemed like years, I felt every word I was singing. For the first time in what seemed like years, I remembered exactly why we do what we do.

After the show, we drank the last bottle of our wedding champagne and danced to 80's hip hop at the local dive. I woke up way too early today ( not yet on a tour schedule!) and am hung over, yet I feel better today than I have in a long time. We're starting the tour in earnest next week, and I know it will be a roller coaster. Goods, bads, drunks, and everything in between. But for now, it's just me and my coffee (the boys are all still asleep, lucky them) and a brief moment of clarity. This is why I do it.

Today is the official release date of "The Nocturnal", which means you can now buy it on Amazon, itunes, cdbaby, ect. You can still purchase it directly through me, as well. Thanks for all your support on this. I am so excited to pack the van, make sure Juno (the corgi) get's comfy in her travel crate, and head out on the road.

"The Nocturnal" is Richard Gilman's pick of the week for "The Outskirts" on KBCS 91.3 FM. Richard did my first ever radio interview all of 7 (!!) years ago, and is an incredible DJ. Thanks, KBCS!

Reviews are starting to come in for "The Nocturnal Among Us". You can check out this great review, from the music blog Wildy's World, here:

http://wildysworld.blogspot.com/2010/02/review-anna-coogan-nocturnal-among-us.html
Here's a sample:

"Coogan floored me from the opening notes of The Nocturnal Among Us. Her voice is truly something special, and Coogan has a talent for phrasing that's somewhat rare in Pop music. Coogan also is able to write and perform music that sounds 100% authentic, honest and from the heart. If she chooses, Coogan's going to be making music the rest of her life. Talent like this screams to be used."

Thanks, Wildy!

We've found a guitar player for the tour (and hopefully many other shows in the future.) Where did we find this guy? In Rome, Italy, of course! Which means: converters, transformers, dictionaries, and, for me, trying to talk a little slower. We are really excited! Ciao!

For those of you who have purchased the album and are staying awake at night wondering "What IS she saying? I really wish I had some lyrics!", I have now added lyrics for the entire album to the "Music" section of the website. Feel free to print them out,share them around, or ignore them completely. And thanks for all the pre-orders! Please spread the word to your friends!

We've locked in a 350+ radio campaign for "The Nocturnal Among Us". We'll be working 150 stations with Bill Wence Productions for Americana/non-comm AAA, and 200 college stations with Planetary Group. We are thrilled to be working with such great agencies. Listen for "The Nocturnal" on March 2nd, the official add date, on a station near you!

I've been busy booking my CD release tour over the last few months, and I am so ready to get off the computer and get on the road!!! I'll be doing shows with some incredible artists, including Edie Carey and Katie Todd (both from Chicago), Lindsay Fuller, Martin England, Rebecca Pronsky, Nightjar and lot's of others. There are tour details in the calender section of the website, but here is a quick look at March:

March 5-Seattle: Fremont Abbey. Edie Carey and Lindsay Fuller open.
March 6- Bellingham: The Roost. Pete Farmer opens.
March 11- Portland, OR: The Woods. Lower 48 and The Ishes open.
March 12- Roseburg, OR: Jasmines. An intimate evening with US.
March 13- San Fransisco: The Plough and Stars. With Bootcuts.
March 14- San Luis Opisbo, CA: Linneas. An intimate evening with US.
March 15- Paso Robles, CA: Senor Sancho's.
March 23- Fairfield, IA: Cafe Paradiso. With Truckstop Souvenir.
March 24- Madsion: The Frequency. w/ Katie Todd.
March 25- Milwaukee: TBA. w/Katie Todd.
March 26- Chicago: Uncommon Ground Devon. w/Katie Todd
March 27- Indianapolis: Radio Radio. w/Katie Todd and Nightjar.
April 10- Boston: Club Passim. opening for Edie Carey.

I'm still filling April and May out and will post news soon. See you out there!!

We've had a lot of comments on the record artwork-- the cover image is from a painting by Ali Walsh, a Brooklyn-based artist. You can see more of her amazing images at http://www.aliwalshart.com . Tell her we sent you!

The photography is by our local favorite Michael Bauer. You can find his work at http://www.michaelbauerphotography.com . You can see his amazing wedding and portrait work, as well as his live shots of artists like Brandi Carlile.

The design was done by my intrepid husband, Brooks Miner. Designing a CD is a lot of work, as he found out the hard way-- but we are still married. So that's good.

Seattle in December is a tough sell. There is about 2 hours of daylight (actually, it is more like 7 hours, but the cloud cover is so thick that sometimes you can't be sure the sun has risen at all), the drizzle never seems to stop (unless it is being interrupted by a downpour), and everything is soggy and muddy. It is the opposite of winter in the East Coast-- in December, everyone is thrilled about the new snow, everything is Christmassy and fresh and cozy. By February, though, you are pretty much ready to off yourself and get it over with. In Seattle, February seems like spring is just around the corner (the fact that there is NO spring and summer doesn't arrive until July notwithstanding).

The things that make a Seattle winter worth living through are: coffee (any kind, almost anywhere), small corgis who need to be walked, the occasional glimpse of mountains through the clouds, guitars, and of course, the dark, cozy, loud bars of Ballard.

We are in the process of leaving our beloved Ballard apartment, with stunning views of the ENTIRE Olympic mountain range. I wrote most of my new album in this apartment, overlooking these mountains. Our stuff is now in a million boxes (what IS all this stuff??) scattered around the city. We are moving into a basement apartment in Lake City, which is much more fitting for the "starving artist" (and grad student) lifestyle. This move will enable me to go on tour for 3 months this spring, go to Europe this fall, and generally make a living as a musician. All in all very good stuff, but hard to wrap my head around right now.

I got the 1059 copies of "The Nocturnal Among Us" on Friday-- and the bonus EP's are arriving on Tuesday-- and they look great! Amazing artwork done by Ali Walsh-- this is really dark stuff-- and beautiful design by my incredibly talented husband. I sent off all my pre-orders yesterday morning, which is a great feeling. Thank you, thank you for all your support on this. I can't wait to release this sucker into the world...

So a few more days of moving and packing, and then off to Anchorage, to spend my first Christmas in snowy Alaska, with TWO corgis, one new husband and one new family. So very grown up. I hope you have a wonderful holiday-- keep in touch! Lots of love from the GPNW (Great Pacific North West)....

It is festively (and unseasonably) cold here in Seattle, and we are knee deep in work-- booking the spring tour, moving to more affordable digs ( to better pursue music, which sadly doesn't make many people rich....), training our dog to fit into a VERY small carrying case so we can take her with us for Christmas in Alaska. It's too early to reminisce on 2009 yet (I usually get all dreamy towards the end of the year), but it's been a good one.

We should have the record in our hands in just a few weeks. Thank you so much to all who have pre-ordered and donated to this: you have made it possible! Keep them coming, tell all your friends!

The CD release tour is coming along wonderfully, with some amazing house concerts, festivals, and venues booked. We will be coming to a city near you, so be in touch!

In other news, our goofy "House Concert Promotional Video" was selected as one of the top 10 finalists in a recent "Concerts in Your Home" contest. You can see it HERE . Congrats to Seattle songwriter Sarah Sample for taking home the grand prize!

That's about it for now. Stay warm and see you soon!

We've signed on to work with HARD PRESSED PUBLICITY for press coverage for the record, which is great news. Based out of Austin, Jo Rae works with some amazing artists and we are thrilled to join her roster. We will be adding radio promotion in the next few weeks.

Releasing a record is a lot like falling in love. And not just in the good ways. There is so much potential, so much excitement, such high hopes of the travels it might take you on, the places you might go together, the people you might meet. There are the sleepless nights, the leaping out of bed to get coffee and down to work in the morning, the nervous stomach as you wait for that call, which may or may not ever come. It is the higher-than-the-highest-high of the successes, big or small. It is the let down, when things don't go as planned (do they ever?) , the crushing feeling when you realize your feelings are unrequited. But there is always hope...and that hope keeps you going. It makes you ignore your dog (and your husband, in this case) for weeks on end while you tap away at the computer building new bridges and accidentally burning some along the way.

I've done all of these things in the last year-- burned and built bridges, been overjoyed and underwhelmed, spent a hotter than hell week in the backwoods of Maine with 4 of my favorite people in the world, spent a million hours at the computer, been up and down and all over the place, solicited help from my friends, family, and fans, and finally, yesterday, put everything in a package and sent it on it's merry way to New Jersey to be duplicated.

It's a relief to say the least, that the product part of this love affair is coming to an end, and I can get back to what I REALLY like to do, which is play shows, write songs, and read books about climbing disasters from the safety of my couch.

The record is getting mastered today by JJ Golden in Ventura, CA. I've spent the last few weeks agonizing over song order, ect. Today is the day when it get's set in stone, which is good, because that means I can move on with my life in general. Funny how by the time you put a record out, you have heard it 5,000+ times, and no one else has heard it at all.Pre-orders will be available soon, and the whole thing may be done before Christmas. Present idea!

We're really in the thick of the record right now, mixing it down at Jackpot! studios in Portland, OR with JD Foster and the amazing Kendra Lynn at the controls. It's been a marathon session, with 12 hours days and a lot of songs yet to go, but it has finally started raining here so being inside all day is easier. "The Nocturnal Among Us" is set to be mastered on Nov 2, meaning the audio portion will be done in just a few weeks. We'll be doing pre-orders in a few weeks. I've been busy booking the release tour for this record, look for a local Seattle release on March 5th, followed by an extensive cross country tour.

It is thrilling to get towards the end of making this record. So many people have helped us get to where we are now: everyone who has donated to the record, both set's of parents for endless support, ("Go ahead! Quit your day job!") Geoff Hazelrigg and Kendra Lynn for working the boards for looonnnnngggg hours, JD Foster for his incredible work and producer's ear, Eric Hastings for impeccable drumming and work ethic,Sam Kassirer for providing us with a wonderful and affordable place to record ,Austin Nevins for sending us perfect edits and killer guitar, and of course, Michael Bauer for his wonderful photographs, new husband Brooks for always being there for practice and long budgeting discussions, and for being around the fix the new van. I'm getting teary eyed!!

This should be in our hands by the new year, if not before, so keep in touch. Hope to see you out this spring-- and if you want a concert in your area, please let me know! Now is the time!

Just checking in after the longest, most funnest summer ever. Brooks and I tracked 15 songs in just 7 days at the Great North Sound Society in Maine with the help of producer JD Foster, engineer Geoff Hazelrigg, and drummer Eric Hastings. It was hot, muggy, buggy, and just about the best week ever! The GNSS is a 300 year old farmer house filled with pianos, organs, guitars, and a whole lot of cables. (also, a lot of BB guns) Everybody worked their butts off, and the results are amazing. We will be mixing the record with JD at Jackpot! studios in Portland, OR this October, and releasing the record early in 2010. We will have pictures and sneak previews up soon. Oh yeah, and Brooks and I also got married.

We just got back from playing the fantastic Blue Balls Festival in Luzern, Switzerland, opening for Reamonn. It was a whirlwind trip, but we made the most out of our time there- an amazing show, a lot of 10 dollar coffees, a stay at the Schweitzerhof Hotel, and a bunch of wandering through the altstadt.

As it turns out, knowing German helped a ton, even if it was hard to understand the Swiss dialect. We can't wait to get back there and play again! Check in soon for photos, audio, and video from our show at the KKL Art Center. It was pretty fun to play to over 2000 people!!!

Dear friends and fans,

I am excited to announce that I will be releasing my first “solo” full-length record in late fall of this year. I have been working on these songs for over 2 years now, and I think they are my best work to date. I spent the better part of last year looking at studios and producers, and I am excited to have found a great team to work with. I am writing to ask for your help to make this record a reality, and get these songs out into the world.

I will be going into the studio with my backing band, now consisting of longtime drummer Eric Hastings and keyboard player Brooks Miner. We will be recording at the Great North Sound Society in Parsonsfield, Maine, an amazing space where artists such as Josh Ritter and Langhorne Slim recorded their most recent projects. We will be working with New York based producer JD Foster (Calexico, Laura Cantrell, Patty Griffin), Philadelphia-based engineer Geoff Hazelrigg , as well musicians from across the country to transform these songs into a cohesive and exciting record.

And that is where you come in! As many of you may know, the recording industry is changing rapidly and is a tough place to navigate. Independent artists such as myself have turned to a new source for help—the fans. Through pre-sales and fan donations, I hope to raise the 15,000 dollars needed to make this record.

Any amount of support –financial, emotional, or otherwise, is greatly appreciated. Every single donation will receive a thank you note, and there are a variety of other gifts at different levels.

Thanks so much for all your help!

If you would rather send a check, please make it out to Anna Coogan and send your name and address to:

Anna Coogan
898 Clay Rd
White River Jct, VT
05001

***Sponsor Levels***

***Pre-sale***
$20-50 USD
A signed advanced copy of “The Nocturnal Among Us” sent to your house
A personalized thank you note

***Bronze Level Sponsor***
$51-99 USD
A signed advanced copy of “The Nocturnal Among Us”
A personalized thank you note
A signed glossy promotional poster

***Silver Level Sponsor***
$100-300 USD
2 signed advanced copies of “The Nocturnal Among Us”
A personalized thank you note
A signed glossy promotional poster
Your name in the CD credits under “Silver Level Sponsor”

***Gold Level Sponsor***
$301-999 USD
4 signed advanced copies of “The Nocturnal Among Us”
A personalized thank you note
A signed glossy promotional poster
Your name in the CD credits under “Gold Level Sponsor”
2 tickets to the CD release party nearest your home.

***Platinum Level Sponsor***
$1000+ USD
6 signed advanced copies of “The Nocturnal Among Us”
A personalized thank you note
A signed glossy promotional poster
Your name in the CD credits under “Platinum Level Sponsor”
4 tickets to the CD release party nearest to your home

We just got the great news that we will be featured in the 2009 Blue Balls festival in Lucerne, Switzerland. We will be sharing the stage with German Rock legends Reamonn. Other artists include Jamie Lidell, Lucinda Williams, Seal, and many more.

The Blue Balls Festival is one of Switzerland's most prestigious music festivals, and is known for presenting internationally acclaimed stars and new talents. We are really excited to be packing our bags for what will be my first music related trip to Europe since I left Salzburg in 2000.

Mark your calanders: May 21. Tractor Tavern. 7 pm. Early show. It's been a while since we've been at the Tractor, so come on out.

Also, if you are on Bainbridge Island, I will be playing with local legend Holly Figueroa-O'reilly on April 11. Details on the "Calendar" page.

Just coming off our mini-tour with Nashville band Lambchop at the Aladdin Theater in Portland and the Triple Door in Seattle. Highlights included amazing audiences at both shows, Kurt , lead singer from Lambchop, who is now my new musical hero, (this guy can make you SHUT UP and LISTEN!), a fancy meal of duck at the Triple Door,and truly amazing sound on both nights. Can't wait to do it again sometime.

I am currently opening up a few spots for guitar, voice and songwriting students. I often teach a combination of the three, but can tailor the lessons to meet individual goals and needs. (ie: just guitar, just voice). If you are interested, please email anna@annacoogan.com to discuss rate and availability.

I’ve been writing a lot these days, getting up early before work and staying up late to finish up a new batch of songs. It is exciting to feel inspired again, and I am getting closer to a complete album’s worth of material. I have been working with Laura Veirs and Pete Krebs, two Portland-based songwriters, who have both been helping me find new ways to approach writing and playing. What fun!

I am not going to officially participate in “February Album Writing Month”, because challenges like this tend to freeze me up (last year, I crumpled under the pressure of 14.5 songs in 1 month and instead wrote none), but I will definitely join my friends in Seattle for writing workshops and Sunday Brunches this month.

Brooks and I have been getting our home recording studio set up and are looking forward to posting some new tracks on myspace in the next few weeks. We’ve also been getting ready for the wedding- keep posted for news about our big pre-wedding show/party.

Also, check out our tour schedule- we've got some cool local gigs coming up, including an opening spot for Nashville legends Lambchop at the Triple Door.

After intense snow storms on both sides of the country and many, many cancelled and delayed flights, we made it back to New England for Christmas. (although not in time to play our Sunday Show the Burren, to my chagrin.) It's been cold and blustery most of the trip, which left lot's of time for sitting inside and thinking about the new year.

2009 is am exciting year for me, mostly because I am getting married in August to my long time sweetie. Beyond that, though, I am excited to get closer to a new album (and by closer I mean DONE), and continue refining my writing. I will be taking some lessons from Portland based songwriter Pete Krebs, who's work
I have long admired. Tour plans include the Northeast and the midwest, and of course at home in the Pacific Northwest.

Hope your new year is filled with good things-- please keep in touch!