Ellis Paul

Hi Everyone—

I am catching my breath, in the middle of a two day break at the New England Songwriters Retreat. My feet are up on a couch in a cozy B & B at the facility. Aaaah. It has been an amazing experience to be here and watch people go full kabloomy over four days. The next session begins on Friday and I expect another garden full of them. You know, I feel like Laurie and I are having a profound impact on artistic lives, and it’s incredibly fullfilling. It may be my most important work.

We have older folks and younger folks, beginners, advanced hobbiests, and some of the finest emerging professional songwriters in the country. All mingling, inspiring, laughing, crying. What a weepy, wonderful world.

I love writing songs and making albums. As you all know, I make my living doing this. It’s what I love to do the most, but it’s a private affair— lots of alone time sweating over details of the songs and productions, the manufacturing and marketing. Alone time driving miles and miles.

NESR (the retreat) is a community affair. Relationships are formed, songs cowritten, ideas flying off the walls. It feels good. Alot of being a songwriter is like the loneliness of the long distance runner. You put in the miles, you see improvements, you race against the clock, your race against yourself, and your race against others. It’s been nice to turn the clock off. Stand still in a community for four days and embrace like minded flowers.

These two weeks are my favorites of the year.

But the wheels have to hit the highway next week. It’s time to put in the miles, and hit the road— I have to start finding the groove of the Fall shows, the Fall’s stories, the Fall’s songs. I’m driving through the leaves towards you.

I leave next week for shows in Harvard, MA at the Fruitlands Museum with the wonderful Crys Matthews, Natick, MA, at TCAN, Beacon, NY at the Towne Crier and an outdoor Festival in Kennett Square, PA.

Lots of great artists and openers on stage with new this fall at these places; Crys Matthews next week, Sam Robbins, Sadie Gustafsen-Zook and Radoslav Lorkovic will be riding along for quite a few of my weekends adding piano touches!

Do me a favor and scan the towns below to see if I’m near you. Hit the website www.ellispaul.com for ticket links. Come out and see some music! Introduce yourself!

This is my Fall through to New Years below!

And yes, of course we do private shows if you’re interested, let us know!

— Very best to you all!

Ellis

UPCOMING TOUR DATES!

• Thursday, September 5, Harvard, MA

• Friday, September 6, Natick, MA

• Saturday, September 7, Beacon, NY

• Sunday, September 8, Kennett Square, PA

• Saturday, September 14, Columbia, SC

• Thursday, September 19, Dayton, OH

• Friday, September 20, Cumberland, MD

• Saturday, September 21, Alexandria, VA

• Saturday, September 28, Newtown, CT

• Thursday, October 3, Pittsburgh, PA

• Friday, October 4, Thomas, WV

• Saturday, October 5, Tuckerton, NJ

• Sunday, October 6, Frenchtown, NJ

• Thursday, October 17, St. Augustine, FL

• Friday, October 18, St. Petersburg, FL

• Saturday, October 19, Tampa, FL

• Sunday, October 20, St. James City, FL

• Friday, October 25, Boulder, CO

• Saturday, October 26, Denver, CO

• Sunday, October 27, Fort Collins, CO

• Friday, November 8, Belmont, MA

• Saturday, November 9, Brownfield, ME

• Sunday, November 10, Ogunquit, ME

• Thursday, November 14, Methuen, MA

• Friday, November 15, Northampton, MA

• Saturday, November 16, Saratoga Springs, NY

• Sunday, November 17, Piermont, NY

• Friday, November 29, Charlotte, NC

• Saturday, November 30, Decatur, GA (2 shows)

• Thursday, December 12, Kennett Square, PA

• Friday, December 13, Timonium, MD

• Saturday, December 14, Peterborough, NH

• Sunday, December 15, Portsmouth, NH

• Saturday, December 28, Boothbay Harbor, ME