UK Living Room Tour

Dear friends, 

I've been thinking a lot about the impossibility (and miraculous possibility) of holding both joy and sorrow at once. Wishing you comfort in this particularly tense and disheartening moment in history. I hope art and friends and sweetness and illumination reach you. 

Next month I'll do my last little round of Living Room Shows for the year, this time, in the UK. I've loved playing these intimate concerts. The experience is shaping the next batch of songs which feel more brave and more thoughtful than anything I've made. This will be my first UK tour since before the pandemic. It's only five shows, all under-the-radar, and any amount of word-spreading would mean the world to me. 

NOV 13 WED
Railway Inn @ 8:00pm 
Winchester, United Kingdom
TICKETS 

NOV 15 FRI
Undertow Living Room Cooncert @ 7:00pm 
Birmingham, United Kingdom
TICKETS 

NOV 16 SAT
Undertow Living Room Concert @ 7:00pm 
Manchester City Centre, United Kingdom
TICKETS 

NOV 17 SUN
Undertow Living Room Concert @ 7:00pm 
Preston, United Kingdom
TICKETS 

NOV 23 SAT
The Central @ 1:00pm 
Gateshead, United Kingdom
TICKETS 

A couple weeks ago I had the profound pleasure of sharing the stage with writer-pals Hanif Abdurraqib and Kaveh Akbar, and musician-pal Kasey Anderson for a benefit at Portland Art Museum's new Tomorrow Theater. All three have new beautiful releases out now (Kaveh's novel Martyr! is currently up for a National Book Award). I highly recommend you check out their work. My friend Vera Brosgal drew us during the show and captured the fact I was smiling the whole time. 

Currently reading the new Sally Rooney novel, Intermezzo, and rereading Elena Passarello's excellent collection of essays about the voice, Let Me Clear My Throat. 

Much love from here,
LG

A long hello, Portland show.

Hello friends near and far, 

The last time I updated my website or emailed a newsletter was late February 2020. The pandemic has been many things: I make quilts now, I can tile a bathroom, I take a lot of walks. I’ve also been working on music and writing projects, which I’m excited to share someday soon. 
 

For those in the Portland area, I’ll be playing my first show in over two years, June 4th at Mississippi Studios. I’ll be trying out new songs and attempting to remember old ones. My very dear buddy, Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani, will be performing a set, AND my longtime super-pal, Rachel Blumberg and I will be playing a short set of music from our new project called ENCOURAGEMENT FRIENDSHIP BAND. 

Please come! Grab your tickets here.

Other stuff I’ve been up to: 

A while back, the radio show and podcast Selected Shorts gave me the ridiculously wonderful but also intimidating assignment of writing a song based on a new short story by one of my favorite living writers, Lauren Groff. I performed the song last month at Symphony Space in New York for Selected Shorts’ anniversary event and book launch. I am told it will be airing on the show at some point. I will keep you posted. 

The very strange but earnest song called Ursula, which I made with the experimental jazz collective Blue Cranes, is out in the world on their Voices album. Blue Cranes are incredible musicians and I had so much fun collaborating with them and hope to do more soon. 
 

A few months ago, I recorded a cover of the Horse Feathers song “Curs in the Weeds” for the Kill Rock Stars anniversary compilation. The music Kill Rock Stars has put into the world has changed my life, so it was an honor to be a part of the celebration.

At the end of 2020, I had the pleasure of scoring the very great podcast series called Timber Wars, produced by OPB. The podcast won some nice awards last year, including a trophy from MIT that arrived at my door in a Tiffany’s box. It’s really is worth a listen, especially if you live in the Northwest. 

That’s all for now. Wishing you all energy and illumination in this season of baby ducklings and itchy eyes. 

LG.

Hello to all the kind folks who read my thoughtful spam,

I am currently, jetlaggedly enjoying the springtime in New York.
 
I just returned from a truly wonderful tour in Europe, both energizing and exhausting. I’m so grateful for all the people who came to shows, and for my friend Beatrijs De Klerk who joined me on violin, keys and vocals. Highlights included running through the Venice alleyways, riding the Budapest Eye and spotting an albino nutria on the riverfront in Frankfurt. Here are a couple of photos (of Schwäbisch Hall, Germany and Venice, Italy).

Greetings from Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the Corn Palace (which is actually quite impressive).

NEW YORK!!

I’ll be performing at the beautiful new Loft space at City Winery TOMORROWwith the talented Jesse Marchant opening. It’s gonna be a good one. Here is a handy poster, I made (photo from the Fader).

There are limited tickets left, available here.

I have a handful of upcoming East Coast dates. Tickets are here:

Fri Apr 26 - New York City, NY @ City Winery (TICKETS) *
Thu May 9 - Portland, ME @ Apohadion Theater (TICKETS) ^
Fri May 10 - Providence, RI @ Columbus Theater Upstairs (TICKETS) #
Sat May 11 - Boston, MA @ City Winery Haymarket Loft (TICKETS) #
Thu May 16 - Baltimore, MD @ The Crown (EVENT)
Fri May 17 - Washington, DC @ City Winery Loft (TICKETS)
Sun May 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Live (TICKETS) %
Sat Jun 8 - Sun Jun 9 - Nelsonville, OH @ Nelsonville Music Festival (TICKETS)

* with Jesse Marchant
^ with Greg Jamie
# with Arch Cape (Rachel Blumberg)
% with Birdie Busch

TWO SHOWS IN THE WILDERNESS:
 
I’m excited to announce two shows in the wilderness of Eastern Oregon.
 
June 1st and 2nd, I’ll be returning to the Minam River Lodge in the Eagle Cap Wilderness in the Wallowas, performing music on the back deck. I played out there last summer and it was hands-down my favorite trip of the year. You can only reach the lodge by hiking in, or by hitching a ride on a tiny airplane. It’s truly one of my favorite places I have ever been.
 
Their summer is quickly getting booked up but there are still a few spots available for the weekend I’m performing. Book a night or two here.

In August, I’ll be the musical guest for Winding Waters Rafting’s annual Music for Wild Places trip. I’ve wanted to raft down Hells Canyon since I was a kid and couldn’t be more excited to play campfire shows each evening.  Spots are limited and can be reserved here.

THINGS TO READ:
 
Folks that follow me on Instagram (@lauragibsongirl) know that I sometimes post the books I’ve been reading. I’ve been asked for recommendations often at the merch table, so I thought I’d share a few here.
 
The last round of Europe tour I read and LOVED these books:
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The Falconer (by friend and fellow Hunter MFA alum Dana Czapnik)
Everything Under by Daisy Johnson
Normal People by Sally Rooney
 
The books I just bought upon my arrival in New York and am very excited about:
Sing to It, New Stories by Amy Hempel
Being Here is Everything: The life of Paula Modersohn-Becker by Marie Darrieussecq
 
Book I read this past year that I still think about all the time:
Women Talking by Miriam Toews (Portland folks – she’s reading at Powells soon)
The Gospel of Trees by dear friend Apricot Irving (just won an Oregon Book award)
In the Pockets of Small Gods poems by my buddy Anis Mojgani

KEXP SESSION:
 
And finally, KEXP recently posted a video of our full session back in December. Check it out here:

Thank you for reading!
Love, LG

I have a lot of news to share!

I’m very proud to present a new video I directed for my song, “I Don’t Want Your Voice to Move Me”, which premiered today. The song is an anchor for Goners and seems to be many people’s favorite from the record. We shot it over two days in September, across the state of Oregon, from the Zig Zag Ranger Station to the Alvord Desert. I learned so much working with our small crew/cast: Scott Ballard (DP), Asia Brown (AC), A.J. Van Loo (Drone shots), Josh Kletzkin (Editor/Colorist), and young Olivia Van Loo who joined me on camera. My mom and I made the costumes.
 
The nice folks at Brooklyn Vegan shared the video this morning, along with a few of my thoughts about making it. Watch here:

In other video news, the video for “Domestication”, which I co-directed with the amazing Alicia Rose, will be screening as part of the Reel Music Film Festivalnext week. More info here.

I’m honored to have been named a curator for Joyful Noise Records White Label Series, which highlights lesser-known favorite and forgotten artists by pressing their albums on vinyl. Other curators this year include St. Vincent and Juliana Barwick. Subscriptions to the series are limited and always sell out. I believe there are just a few left here.

I chose the record Hymns by wonderful songwriter and dear old friend Kele Goodwin. To celebrate, we’ll be playing two Oregon shows together. March 21stat Suttle Lodge, and March 23rd at The Old Church in Portland.

Kele will also have some copies of this wonderful record for sale at our 2 shows and on his Bandcamp page. 

Also, excited to announce I’ll be back in New York, April 26th at the beautiful new Loft at City Winery.
 
This current U.S. Tour has been going amazingly well. We’ve just arrived in the Midwest. Yesterday was a big day for me. In all my touring I’d been to every state but one. Last night I finally caught up to the elusive South Dakota and joined the Fifty States Club.

A lot of new dates have been added. Check the shows tab for an updated list.

Thank you for your support, your conversations, your time.
 
LG

Dear winter birds, hunker-downers, snowdrifters...

Happy New Year.

I am about to embark on a big lopsided figure-eight around the United States. I don't make it to some of these towns very often, and really hope you can join me. Word of mouth continues to be a powerful thing, and it always means so much when friends send friends to shows. 

Hello from a hotel off the I-5.

Just a quick note to celebrate my final shows of the year, and to announce a few more shows this winter/spring, including shows supporting beloved Colorado songwriter Gregory Alan Isakov.

For the first half of the tour (Boise through Nashville) my backing band will consist of my crazy-talented friends Stelth Ulvang and Dorota Szuta. They'll also be opening those shows, performing Stelth's songs. I first met Stelth when he was playing in beloved Colorado band Dovekins. He's since been touring with folk-pop superstars the Lumineers and has made a few records of his own. 

The second half (Georgia through San Francisco) I'll be playing solo versions of the Goners songs. I'll be sharing shows with friends Dawn Landes, Takenobu, and Dana Falconberry, then opening for the wonderful Gregory Alan Isakov. 

I'll have some big announcements soon, but mostly want to share these tour dates (check the “shows” tab for updated list of dates).

One of the last things I did in 2018 was hike up to Angel's Rest in the Columbia River Gorge. The trail had just reopened after being destroyed in a massive forest fire in 2017. I was away on tour back when the fire was happening, and remember wondering if I'd ever get to hike those trails again. It was strange and sad and beautiful to be up there. So much is already growing in the burned out sections. Here is the picture: 

Photo by Anenome Tank

Photo by Lauren Jacobson

WNYC SOUNDCHECK

Before our New York show we stopped into one of my favorite radio stations in the world: WNYC. Watch the session here:

Joyful Noise White Label Series

I’m honored and really excited to curate a release for the Joyful Noise White Label Series.

Subscription info here.

Thank you to everyone who has made it out to shows. Sharing these songs has been an incredible experience.
 
Best,
LG

GONERS is here

My new record is finally out today, and available in all the places. I am so thankful, and kind of astounded, that making music still feels as essential and charged and life-saving now as it did when I began. Songwriting remains a strange tethering of extreme loneliness and extreme connectedness. Thank you to everyone who has listened so far, and especially those who’ve gotten in touch to tell me so. Chekhov said (or at least George Saunders said that Chekhov said) that the purpose of art is to “prepare us for tenderness”. My hope for these songs is that they help you stay tender.

Check out the NPR First listen