download Archives - Sofia Talvik - Americana / Folk with Swedish Roots

August 2, 2013

Thank you!

Two months ago I put up a Kickstarter project for a live album and a book about the US tour “Drivin’ & Dreaming”. I didn’t know if any of you would be interested in reading about it, after all, I posted a lot on Facebook and my website along the way. But not only did you show me that you wanted to read more about it, you showed me that you support me in what I do and want me to keep on doing it!

The book and the album was funded within 24 hours and now that the project is closed we almost tripled our goal. This has helped me to expand the book from the original planned 200 pages to 300 pages, filled with stories, pictures and recipes – and believe me I could have filled 1000, but 300 is not bad either. So this is me saying THANK YOU for your support, on the tour and now – after the tour.

The whole thing was such an amazing experience and I got to relive it all through making this book. I hope you will feel like it was you going on tour when you read it, and I hope you will love every story just as much as I love them and try all the recipes (especially the Swedish ones).

Some final editing is left for me to do before I send it off to the printer and it should be ready to ship to you in September. I hope you all have enjoyed your digital bonus album and have checked out the videos for all the songs (http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL291E31BFD5CB9723).

If you haven’t watched it already, here’s the video diary I did while on the tour, ten episodes of gigs, driving, breaking down and having fun:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL77033D15B65E7C84

Well, I suppose I need to get to work finishing all so you can get your goodies 😉

Thanks once again for your immense support!

xoxo
/Sofia

July 21, 2013

Last week to order the BOOK & LIVE ALBUM!

Dear Friends!

I’m nearing the end of my book. In fact, I’ve already written everything that is going to be in there ( … I think … I keep remembering new funny stories all the time). Now I’ll have to do the less fun work of proof reading and editing, but I’m very lucky to have my friend Jenny help me with the proof reading.

I’m also in the process of deciding which songs will be on the live album. It’s going to be amazing. The sound is so great, just like you were there in the room.

Listen to a sample from the live album here:

IMPORTANT: The Book can only be pre-ordered and will NOT be available after July. It’s a limited edition print so it will only be printed in as many copies as ordered. So be sure to order your copy today.

It’s been quite the learning process to write a book, even though there are many pictures I’m now on page 293. I started out just writing the stories and then it was like I found my voice and I had to go back and rewrite most of the stories in the first part of the book.

Sometimes I’ve been banging my head against the wall, especially when I have a great story and no great picture. In those cases I just decided to let the story speak for itself, even though pictures speak a thousand words. I’m so happy that I will get my printer sent down from Sweden this week so that I can print the pages. I feel like you never see the stuff you did wrong until you see it on a printed page, it’s just so easy to miss stuff on a computer screen.

A huge thank you to all of you that have contributed to this project!

Please spread the word and let your friends know that they can get the acoustic download “There’s A Man In A Smiling Bag” for just $5 up till August 1st. Oh by the way, if any of you missed it, the book is a pre-order only. That means that you won’t be able to buy it after the Kickstarter project closes on August 1st, so if you want a copy you should get it now.

xoxo

June 14, 2013June 15, 2013

New Live Album

In September I’m releasing my new album “Drivin’ & Dreaming LIVE” with live recordings we did in different venues on the US tour. It will be a full length CD with a mix of songs from all my albums, recorded with room mics and from the sound board to give you the ultimate live experience, just like you were at one of my concerts.

Many of you asked me about the Swedish folk song that I sang in my concerts. It will be featured on the album.

The album is up for pre-order now, and if you pre-order it before August 2nd you will get an exclusive download of “There’s A Man In A Smiling Bag” free of charge, directly to your inbox. The download is acoustic versions of all the songs from my latest album “The Owls Are Not What They Seem”, recorded outside in scenic locations around the US.

To pre-order go here! and scroll down to “pledge $25” in the menu on the right hand side. Click that box and follow the instructions.

June 8, 2013June 8, 2013

New album and book in September!

Kisses and hugs to all who pledged on my Kickstarter Project! Thanks to you the project is now GO! and I’ve started working on the book.

Go HERE to place your order for the book and live album now!

The pre-order for the live album and the book will be open until August 2nd, but even if you order now you will not be charged until August 2nd when the pre-order closes. Note that pre-order is the ONLY way to get the book and it will only be printed in a limited edition. So after August 2nd, there will be no way and nowhere to get a copy unless you pre-ordered.

The order is made via Kickstarter and Amazon, so if you have shopped at Amazon before it will be easy as pie to just log in and order. (If you are unsure how to order, here’s a video that will guide you.

Watch it here and follow the instructions:

Everyone who places an order for the live album or the book will get a complimentary download of the acoustic version of my album “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” direct to your email.

Some info about the album and the book:

Drivin’ & Dreaming – One artist’s odyssey through America

I spent a year and a half from 2011 to 2013 traveling across America in an old RV, playing over 250 shows in 37 states. I named the tour “Drivin’ & Dreaming”. During the tour I met amazingly wonderful, weird and inspiring people, and I got to see and experience every corner of the US.

This book is the product of all the stories and pictures from the “Drivin’ & Dreaming” tour that I collected along the way. The book is in coffee table format with beautiful pictures and funny short stories. You will be able to open the book to any page and just start reading. It will be around 200 pages and you’ll get to experience the life on the road, breakdowns, the wonderful people that came to our rescue, weird gigs, breathtaking places and smiling faces. The book also contains a collection of my favorite recipes that we cooked in the RV.

Drivin’ & Dreaming LIVE – full length album (CD)

We recorded almost all of the 250+ shows on the tour and have chosen the best of the best to be featured on this live album. If you weren’t able to make it to any of the concerts, here’s your chance to experience it, just like you were there in the room with me. All the recordings on the live album were recorded with room microphones and direct sound from the board. The final product will be a high-quality live album mixed and mastered from these source recordings. Many of you asked about the Swedish folk song that I sang on the shows, this song will be featured on the album!

You can get the book + live album for $100 (including shipping in the US, +$5 for outside the US) or the live album alone for $25. There is also a possibility to get some other cool stuff, like your name in the thank you notes in the book. Check it out here!

When the pre-order closes on August 2nd the album and the book will be sent to the printers. You will have your copy approximately a month later.

June 3, 2013

Drivin’ & Dreaming – BOOK & LIVE ALBUM

From November 2011 to March 2013 I did the adventure of a lifetime. I toured America in an old RV and played my music in every little town I could find.

Many of you followed my tour through Facebook and my website and I met and became friends with so many of you along the way.

I’ve now decided to collect all my personal memories, pictures, stories and concert recordings from the tour in a coffee table book and a live album so that I can share all the fun I had with you. This is an excellent way to re-live the tour, as well as to be a part of it even if you didn’t get a chance to come to any of the shows.

Needless to say it’s a massive project that will take all summer for me to complete. That is why I’m asking you for help, and for some of your dollars to fund this huge undertaking.

I’ve decided to make this book and album it into a Kickstarter Project. That way I’ll let YOU choose how much this project is worth, how much you are willing to support my passion and work to continue to create art and music. If you don’t know how Kickstarter works, I will send out some tutorials later, but to in short you choose a tier and a reward to help me fund parts of the production costs.

Once aboard you’ll get updates on the progress, see how the book grows and get to listen to previews of the songs from the live album. Everyone who joins will also get an exclusive download of an acoustic version of my latest album “The Owls Are Not What They Seem” that I recorded out in the nature in beautiful locations along the way.

By becoming a part of the project you will help assure that the book and album becomes reality, and it will also be the only way to get your hands on it. It will be very exclusive and only printed for the ones who join, you won’t be able to order it on my website or in any other store after the project closes.

This is my way of thanking you for helping me out along the way, for making my tour possible and for your support and friendship.

/Sofia Talvik