CATRIONA and Will head off to York and we take the kids into Stirling to see granny Joyce at McDonalds and get some breakfast.
Next stop is Europa Music. Owner Ewan had asked for some stock so I drop off some vinyl copies of my live album… and CD copies of the new album to go on sale on release day (18 November).
We take the kids to the swimming pool but there’s no open booking slots until much later on in the afternoon. We take them to the pool in Falkirk instead.
Back in Doune the kids get something to eat and I finish editing a square and vertical format video to promote the live shows on any socials. After some general posting I make them into targeted ads.
Once the kids are in bed we have dinner and watch some telly.
Conic hill poking through the clouds above Balmaha…
UP early to inflate the paddleboard and get ready for Fiona and David coming up to go out on the loch.
The ‘windy’ app says it should be very calm…but it’s not. It’s pretty windy and choppy out there!
We paddle. out the bay and cup between Inchcailloch and Inchfad negotiating some rough spots and white horses along the way. We go ashore for a coffee then head back to Balmaha.
There’s a lot of work to get through before we head off to Doune. We’re staying at Catriona and Will’s tonight and tomorrow to look after the kids….
I drop everything to get some pix for a freelance journalist keen to use the toybox story in a piece about my forthcoming album and dates…
FIRST task of the day is to follow up some of the album launch invitations.
Next – back on the PR/media trail for the album and dates. A call to a freelance acquaintance and a chance mention of the toybox story leads to a potential feature and I need to get pix to him quick.
After lunch another journalist calls for a phone interview and we chat for a good while before I get back behind the desk.
I’d hoped for a walk, but the promo takes priority and it’s after 7pm before I know it.
We take a walk along to see Betty and Joe for an aperitif. Joe’s really not keeping great and it’s hard to see him so poorly. We sort some music which will hopefully he’ll like, have a drink and chat a while before meandering back along the road for dinner.
We pick up my old toybox – discovered in a cellar in Glasgow where it’s been for 50 years!
MORE album and tour promo this morning – then a midday Zoom session with one of my guitar students.
As soon as I’m done I dash back to the house and get sorted to head into Glasgow. Margaret’s already in town and got the car…I head for the bus to Balloch then jump on a train into Glasgow. It’s tipping it down!
First stop is Blitzkreig – a music and merch shop near the Barras – to drop off some vinyl to my pal Tony who’s keen to stock it. We have a good catch up and I leave a poster for the upcoming Glasgow show.
Margaret’s waiting out side to pick me up then we head to the street where I grew up…we’re going to pick up my old toybox that I haven’t seen for 50 years. Folks in one of the flats getting underfloor heating came across it in the cellars and found me on Instagram. But that’s all another story!
I stop to take some pix on my walk home from the doc…stone being helicoptered up the Conic for path repairs..
A BUSY day ahead so I get straight onto the PR for the album launch tour…I have a long chat with the music/entertainment journalist at the Inverness Courier who seems keen to do a wee feature…she’ll call me on Thursday for another chat.
I also speak the the Press & Journal about the ABerdeen show. The pressures on for the Glasgow gig tho’!!
I set some glass coasters engraving for one of Betty’s pals then I make up some sandwiches, drop the coasters off at Betty’s then head for the midday bus to Balloch. I have a meeting at a school where the staff are keen to get me in to do some music work with the kids.
There’s a fair walk to find the school then I have a productive and interesting meeting before getting a lift back to Drymen…I’ve to get my covid booster and flu jabs.
The rain stays off for most off my walk home and I stop along the way to grab some phone pix of a helicopter taking big bags of stone up the Conic for path repairs.
Back home I hit the office and do some more PR/promo work then back to the house…Margaret’s made paella 🙂
WHEN I wake up I realise it’s hallowe’en and the perfect day to do some promo on Devil May Care – the tile track from the forthcoming album. Shoulda been more prepared.
As soon as the sourdough is out the oven and cooling I hit the studio and start working on a hallowe’en teaser animation..then it’s breakfast followed by my first Zoom guitar student of the day.
Then it’s back to the video teaser and I add some scrolling gig dates at the end of the video before posting it around. Keen to get some organic interest before I start any paid advertising for the tour dates and album, The bandsintown thing doesn’t seem to have made any difference to price of mince!
I’m starting to panic about playing the new songs in a live set…and there’s really only a couple of weeks to get them in my head. The playing part is easy…I just can’t get the words to stick!
After running through the song a few times I get on with some more tour dates promo and a little on the album and media launch.
Betty called earlier to see if I could drop by and help with something…it’s already dark and pishing rain, but if I don’t get out even for a short walk and help Betty now it won’t happen.
I have my second and final Zoom guitar student of the day then it’s almost straight into the Wildcats’ livestream on Facebook. Phew…!
Time for a seat after walking the two pumpkin hunt trails at Cashel
WHILE Margaret’s sorting breakfast I nip along to Betty and Joe’s with some sourdough starter and my ‘instructions’ for Greta.
Catriona and the kids have arrived when I get back and Margaret’s got breakfast (almost!) ready. And nearly set the kitchen on fire it would seem!
I hit the studio and get a little work done then we take the kids up to Cashel for the pumpkin hunt. It’s a bit of a drench day but we have fun and the kids love it.
Then it’s back to the studio for me. I run through a few songs and then work on some gig promo. It’s hard to prioritise the gig promo over the album promo…but, for the moment anyway, bums on seats is the main thing!
A LONG lie then, after breakfast, I go a quick walk and take Betty’s newspaper along.
Then it’s into the studio and some work on the media launch for the album and some promo on the live shows. In between times I start rehearsing the new songs…I guess I’m gonna need to know them for the upcoming shows!
We’re going along to Betty and joe’s for dinner with them, Shona, Ian, Karen and Greta later – Margaret’s busy making a pavlova and I carry on with the gig promo until it’s time to wander along to our pals’.
FIRST job is to finish sorting the photos from yesterday.
I get them sent off but the client isn’t happy and as they’re too dark. It’s a style thing and a subjective thing but I go through the images and brighten things up.
The media/industry album launch is getting closer and I still have some invitations to sort out…then it’s time for lunch.
There’s an invoice to be done for the village shop which entails pulling together all the delivery notes from the last month or so and working things out.
Then it’s back onto the album launch and media stuff for the rest of the day.
The photo client still isn’t happy. I don’t have the time or inclination to argue – I don’t care about the fee, but I do need to understand what’s wrong with the photos.
We have an early dinner then hit the village hall for a community quiz night where our team – The Wanderers – take second place!
WE sleep in a bit then I have a panic trying to print postage labels for all the Devil May Care t-shirt orders…I’m of to a photo job on the other side of the loch and I wanna drop them at the post office in Balloch.
Luckily there’s not a specific time for the photo job – it’s internal pix of a penthouse flat overlooking the loch…but I did say I’d be there late morning.
There’s a slight issue with getting access but I get into the property and spend a good four hours taking photos. A bit longer than I’d planned but it’ll hopefully be worth it as the property is lovely.
I stop in Balloch on the way home, drop off all the t-shirt packages and grab something to eat.
When I get home I’m knackered so after starting the photo dump onto the computer I have a nap.
Margaret’s busy making dinner to take to Betty and Joe’s later…I start sorting through the photos then join a Zoom meeting with Spotify before running along to Betty and Joe’s….
