Anna Coogan: News

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!

There's been a lot of talk from me about making the new record over the last year. We spent the better part of the last 6 months meeting producers and engineers from all over the country. I flew more than I ever care to again, to LA and NYC, VT and Boston. We have met some amazing people and seen some heartbreaking-ly beautiful equipment (and some fine sunsets as well). Sadly, in those same 6 months, the entire world economy began to unravel, and we have decided to put the project on hold until the new year. Brooks and I are spending Christmas in Vermont, doing a few shows in New England with drummer Eric Hastings, and hoping to write a lot of new music. In January, we are going to assess where things are at and proceed with the record from there. I've got a lot of new songs just dying for a home, and I can't wait to get back on track.

We just finished the 10-day East Coast tour, a 2 day whirlwind trip to LA, and a night of extreme emotions and massive celebrations following the Obama victory. One thing at a time!

The East Coast tour went well: keyboard player Brooks Miner and I reunited with Eric Hastings, the longtime north19 drummer who has recently relocated to Providence, RI. We started the tour of playing at the White Electric, an incredibly hip little coffee shop. We held it together despite having not played as a group for months, and shared the evening with some great local musicians. Then on to New York, where we were joined by the incredible Jeremy Chatzky on bass (you can find Jeremy playing bass on one my favorite albums of all time, The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen). We rocked the early set at Banjo Jim's, and managed to pack the place. Thanks to everyone who came out and showed their support. Then it was off to Barnard , Vermont, for a show at the historical Barnard Town Hall. The leaves hit there peak while we were playing (I swear), the food was wonderful, and it was great to see so many old friends and new faces. Eric drove back to Providence and Brooks flew back to Seattle, and I did the rest of the tour solo. I shared a lovely house concert with Jenee Halstead, a Boston-based singer-songwriter, and look forward to sharing the stage with her again.

It's been a heck of a summer-- spent a month in the backwoods of Alaska wrestling salmon and playing music on the beach,which was too much fun. Now I am looking forward to a tour of New England and finding the right place to make my next album. Please keep in touch!

I just got the sad news that Seattle musician Jim Hinde died of a heart attack in his sleep this week. Jim was an inspiration and offered me (and many other struggling artists) encouragement at every opportunity. He and his music will be sorely missed in Seattle.

Available Now!
Live from the 2007 Northwest Folklife Festival

Featuring 16 stellar live performances from the 2007 Festival, this benefit CD is available now from iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody and other digital download outlets. You can also buy it online at www.nwfolklife.org or at the Festival! Only $10 and your purchase of the CD benefits Northwest Folklife and the Festival you love! Join us May 23-26, 2008 at the Seattle Center for the 2008 Northwest Folklife Festival.

For all of you tweens out there, the song "Rise On" is airing on the ABC family show "Kyle XY", episode 2:16. You can check it out at www.abcfamily.com. You can hear the song in the background of the emotional discussion between mom and dad about aging and abandoning youthful dreams! How fitting.

I just registered to make an album with 14.5 songs in the month of February. All songs must be written and recorded during the long, dark month of February. I can't wait to get started! Check out www.fawm.org for details.

Just got done with a photo shoot with local artist Michael Bauer. If you live in the area, I highly suggest working with him! www.michaelbauerphotography.com The new year is going well: making lot's of music, starting a new project with Jared Clifton (formerly of Radio Nationals), playing with north19, and recording with Eric Hastings. Hope to see everyone out and about.

I am busy setting up my new website and myspace page. 2008 will bring new music, new shows, and, hopefully, a new solo album. I am very much looking forward to it! Hope everyone has a happy holiday!