Stevie Jewel

Success Defined

Have you ever worked at something for a long time and then suddenly you feel like you didn’t make the progress you expected? It’s not that you didn’t meet your goals or didn’t succeed, it’s that you had unacknowledged expectations of where you thought you would be at a certain point. SuccessSuccess

That feeling is the pressure we put on ourselves! Recently I had an encounter that helped me see that not only am I experiencing success at my goals in all the ways that I wanted to, but that I was being hard on myself for no reason! I was diligently working, but constantly pressuring myself that I could have done better and it was killing the joy of my successes!

Success Success

What changed my perspective was validation from someone I respect greatly and who is very successful in their own right. Having someone like that say that my work was good enough.  Reminded me that things are working out exactly as they should. Sometimes it takes an outside opinion from someone else in your industry to tell you that you’re nailing it! But it doesn’t have to.  You can do this for yourself.

Being an independent artist can be a true adventure, and sometimes it’s really helpful to hear from someone with more experience that you are checking all your boxes. Here’s the thing though, I had been so down on myself. For NO REASON. I could’ve acknowledged my growth on my own; with some perspective.

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So what I really want you to take away from this is that we can be our own worst critic. It’s okay to know when you can do better. However, arguing with yourself when you’re doing the best you can is pointless. As Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, do better.” and that’s all we can ask of ourselves. So if you’re working on your goals daily, and you’re seeing progress, even small progress, give yourself some credit! You deserve it.

Story: Behind The Songs of The Phoenix Story

My new concept album has just come out! You can get it here!  This feels like the perfect time and place to talk about the story behind each of the songs and how they came together to create the concept album that became The Phoenix Story.  So we’ll go in order from the start.
Album

  1. Off The Market

I wrote this song about three or four years ago with one of my guitar players.  He was playing this little riff and then I said, “What if it was a little edgier?” and that’s how the signature guitar riff from Off The Market was born!  After that the words just flowed right out of me.  The initial music was so sassy it wasn’t hard to tell what the song wanted to be.  Once the song was finished I didn’t think about it again until one summer I was putting together the setlist for a festival I was playing.  I found the song and thought, “this would be great!”.  After we played it at the show multiple people came up to the merch table to ask where to buy the song!  That’s when I knew it had to be released.  Off The Market is about when you see someone for the first time and have that instant connection.  You both know there’s something there and it’s just a matter of time before your paths cross.

Story

  1. Bad Habit

            Bad Habit was such a fun song to write.  We were tossing ideas around and then someone said, “What if someone was like a bad habit? Something you like, but know it’s just not good for you?” and as soon as the words “bad habit” were in the room, we knew that was the hook for the song. After that the song was done in about 20 minutes!  Bad Habit is a fun spin on “bro country”.  It’s the same concept, but sung by a girl which felt so fresh considering the heavy male influence that has been happening in country music for the last couple years.
Story

  1. Earthquake

            Earthquake is a very special song to me.  When it was written it was never intended to be about a romantic relationship.  It was from real experiences that I was having at the time and I wanted to remind myself that I was going to get past the betrayal.  Of course, this is exactly what happened, but it made me feel so much better to write Earthquake and give myself an anthem to hold onto.  It turns out that lots of other people needed an “earthquake” anthem of their own!  From the early days of playing the song out at shows people have been reaching out to tell me that the song means a lot to them. That helped them with something they were going through also.  This is the greatest compliment as a songwriter; to give people a message they need.  In terms of The Phoenix Story, Earthquake is the turning point of the album, it’s about taking back your own power and becoming the hero in your own story.
Story

  1. Siren

            Siren came from the idea of the sirens in the Odyssey. It’s story of a warrior who leaves his home and experiences all sorts of adventure and peril while trying to return home.  The Sirens are beautiful women who live on an island. The women have the power of luring sailors to their death. Their enchanted song draws the sailors close to the jagged rocks where they can get shipwrecked. Siren was a song that I started, but that didn’t really get finished right away.  I ended up finishing it in a hotel room in Saskatoon Saskatchewan at the Canadian Country Music Awards.  I wanted a song that embodied the idea that someone can hurt you and lose you but they’ll never be able to truly forget what they did or what they lost.  It will live on with them like the Sirens from the Odyssey and can cause ultimate destruction with the sweetest song.
Story

  1. Told You So

           I knew that The Phoenix Story was going to have some dark undertones, and so wanted it to end on a sassy note just like it started.  Ending it this way really embodied the concept of a phoenix; a mythical bird that ages and then bursts into flames only to be reborn again from it’s own ashes.  Writing Told You So started with the title and happened while I was driving from one gig to another.  It was another song that got finished mostly in a hotel room before a show.  Instead of telling you too much about Told You So, I’m going to suggest you listen to it.  I can almost guarantee that it will make you smile.
Story

I’m Not Going To Say I “Told You So”

Here’s a super secret sneak peek of my new concept EP  “The Phoenix Story” and my BRAND NEW SINGLE “Told You So”!  The official release date is March 2, 2018 and I’m so thrilled the time to share it with you is approaching!

It took me almost 3 years to complete this project even though I didn’t even realize I had started.  The idea really came to me about 18 months ago but it was already in progress because I had written songs that went with the idea perfectly!

Mountain Time

The past few months have been very busy and packed with music, travel, and excitement! Going to Colorado and being on “mountain time” was a great way to get a little downtime with family, but also to take in a beautiful space.

mountain time mountain time

The family time combined with the scenery really helped to remind me how it’s important to work towards goals and achievements, but it’s important to enjoy the moments too! We explored Mountain Village; just a gondola ride away from Telluride. It’s the cutest community nestled in the mountains. The village has great little shops, spas, and restaurants, as well as some spectacular homes!

mountain time mountain time

The coolest part was the ski runs that run right through the town and community. If only there had been a bit more snow while we were there, we could’ve gotten some ski suns in. In the summer the runs are used for mountain biking. The beauty wasn’t impeded by the lack of snow for skiing though!

mountain time mountain time

The runs, trails, homes, and the village all made for an exceptional cute ski town! Getting outside for a walk to take in the mountain views, the snow, and the sunshine were a great way to explore while also getting a minute to relax and find inspiration! With new music coming out soon it’s time to start writing some new magic. Sometimes I find the most inspiration when I just pause for a moment and allow the inspiration to arrive.

Radio Day on Hunters Bay

Sometimes you’re working away, touring, doing radio interviews and everything is great!

Then there are a few rare instances when you feel like you’re working away and your efforts aren’t going anywhere. We all have those moments.  Whether you’re visiting a radio announcer, a mom, an interior designer, a hairstylist, a doctor, or any other career or profession. Hopefully the moments where you feel like things aren’t working only account for 1% of the time. Truthfully though, it doesn’t matter how infrequently it happens. It still doesn’t feel great.

Radio Radio

But then, out of the blue, something meaningful and amazing happens.  It rejuvenates you and reminds you how much you love what you’re doing.

That’s exactly what happened during this interview with John MacDonald on Hunters Bay Radio. It was a real conversation about music, making music, where it comes from, and what it means to make the music that becomes the soundtrack to life. I love almost every interview, but some of them dig a little deeper and make me think about why I love making music, and that always reminds me why I do it.

Radio Radio

I do it because I want to help other people by giving them the songs that they can identify with, that describe their feelings, and put those feelings into words.

I love talking about all the buzz worthy parts of the music business. It’s fun to talk about traveling, style, and all the perks. However, it’s also so exhilarating to talk about all the deep parts of music.  That’s what makes it so special! To talk about the history of music, the influences we all have. It all comes together in a unique expression to give us the music we have today! If you’d like to see the whole interview you can watch it here.

Radio Radio

CTV Morning Live

Last week we were on CTV Morning Live in Ottawa!

For a musician being able to share your music is the most fun.  Getting to share it on national television when you know so many people are watching is both exhilarating and exciting.  Once we arrived we were  buzzed in through the security door and then checked in with security.  After that we were treated to unlimited amounts of Tim Horton’s donuts and coffee while waiting for our CTV handler to prep us for being on air.

CTV Morning Live CTVMorningLive

Once we were mic’ed up I started to feel butterflies because I was about to perform my original music on live television for the first time. However, the host was so friendly and warm!  Which helped me remembered I was about to do something I’d dreamed about for so long!  We were on CTV Morning Live to talk about the big giveaway that we have going on for a fan and a friend to visit Nashville TN and the new single, “Earthquake”!

CTV Morning Live CTVMorningLive

I’ve always wondered what it would be like the first time I played on television; what would the interview be like? Would they try to catch me off guard with unexpected questions?  What would it be like to have television cameras moving around right in front of you while playing? But it was SO MUCH FUN and I’m already excited for the next one!

Of course I was fortunate to have my drummer there with me to play CTV Morning Live. Which made playing the song even better! Having other musician’s to play with always makes the performance even more fun.  After the show we went up to Ottawa’s New Country and had a great interview about Earthquake with them as well. We always love visiting Ottawa.  I’m hoping soon we’ll have a full band show there!

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