I Did It Myself (Video)

I guess I've been a D.I.Y artists for a long time. Instead of looking at it as a bad thing, I decided to just run with it. You saw the 'trailer' that I put up, now here's the music video.

I shot it on a Saturday afternoon a few months ago. There was drama (boo hoo). Now here it is. I really do like what Das Kapital did with this remix. And I'm proud of Ms Marcee for shooting this on a BlackaBerry (9900). Sometimes when you don't have a million Rand you have to improvise.



Enjoy!

D.I.Y Porcelain

Do. It. Yourself

I've been quiet for a while because I've been writing (songs), reading this month's books (3 of them) and living. I've also been trying to figure out how to make this album release as painless as possible. 3 months ago I shot a music video for the Das Kapital remix of 'Today is the Day'. I kept making promises to upload it but... Nothing happened. Well here is a video explaining my woes.




What's the point of doing this is if I can't have fun? I honestly got so caught up in what wasn't being done, that I forgot that I can ALWAYS DO something about my situation.

Album Update

• I think I'm comfortable with releasing the album after Winter. There is still so much to do in terms of promo, so I'm giving myself the next 3 months to sort that and the track listing in order
• I am currently working on 2 music videos (dont have enough time to explain, but I will in the next few days)
• I STILL have a music video that is being played on TV and if you haven't see it, check it out here:

And the Das Kapital remix is below:

I scare myself

Its been a while since I posted on The Journey. My apologies, family stuff got in the way and being part of a 2 woman label means work is definitely affected. I'm back and ready to share.

Last year I decided that it was important to do something that scares me everyday. I lived a life ruled by fear and that seemed like the only way to learn to live with fear. I don't think fear ever goes away, you just need to learn to not let it run your life.So everyday I do at least one scary thing. I found that I'm actually getting tougher by scaring myself everyday ha ha ha.

Anyway... I am working on something big-ish for the album and it needs to be completed in 16 days. By now you know that I am very ambitious and that I like to traumatise myself with big scary tasks. This is one of them. I can't say now what it is, because there are other people involved and I don't wanna take way the 'SURPRISE' moment.

So I may be quiet-ER than usual for the next 16 days. 2 woman label work has just gotten EXTRA intense. I need to get this done and then I can announce my other BEEG surprise. So many exciting things coming up, Yaaaaayyy!!

Wearing my Today is the Day shirt and look extra excited for my next 2 releases for the album

Later Days. Porcelain. Out.

DAS KAPITAL is FIYAH!!

It's here folks. Go ahead and have a listen and then listen again and then pour yourself a drink and dance to it. The Das Kapital remix of 'Today is the Day'. I LOVE it :)

Coming Soon

quick album update

I am starting to feel like there is 2 of me (is that even grammatically correct?). There is a part of me that is working endlessly and grateful when wonderful stuff happens. Then there is the other part of me that is just a ball of anxiety.

The closer we get to album release date, the stronger both these parts of me become. I look at this way: It is different sides of the same coin. I'm most anxious when I am by myself. I'm sick in bed today so I don't have to tell you what kind of a day its been.

When the anxiety gets too much, I remind myself this:

• I am living my dream everyday
• No matter what happens I am LOVED and I LOVE
• I am worthy of having my dreams come true regardless of what I have or haven't done

And I also remember how amazing I felt wearing that dress on Expresso (cheesy, but it helps):

Had to have them

I saw these in a magazine and started stalking them. One day I was meeting Marcee at Cape Quarter and she told me that she had spotted them. I wasted no time.

I wore them on Expresso.

pic taken by Liezel van der Westhuizen

Porcelain Tees

A week or 2 ago, we sent out 29 press packs. I picked the number 29 specifically because I am releasing the album in the year that I turn 29. In the previous post you couldn't see the t-shirt properly. I got my dearest Marcee to do some modelling and I joined in the fun as well

Ladies t-shirt

Guys t-shirt

We might start selling these. Dunno. I just did it for fun, but people keep asking me where they can get them. Might sell them... Aaargh dunno... We'll see...

Its not a coincidence

You may or may not know this, but my upcoming album is called Invincible Summer. I got the title from an Albert Camus quote. It has taken almost 2 years to make and along the way I felt like quitting. But love for music kept me going.

Over the past 3 months it has started feeling like it is the right time. Everything is coming together nicely and it doesn't feel like such a struggle anymore.A few days ago Today is The Day was featured on Clever Bird Banter, it was the first blog to put the video up. Ever since then I have been visiting the blog and guess what I should find there today:

via Clever Bird Banter (source)

Its part of a series of typographic prints by Matthew Kavan Brooks. This would make an awesome birthday present. Uhmmm... They are are available via Society6, just saying.... Yeah!

First TV performance

Yesterday I was on Expresso, this was my first TV interview and performance. I couldn't sleep properly the night before (nerves). We had to wake up super early because the show starts at 05:30. Call time was actually at 04:45... WHAT?! Yes.

I performed Butterflies and Today Is The Day. Below is me performing Butterflies.

Today Is The Day video

Here it is folks:

Woza Album

For the past 2 weeks we have been sending out promo packs. Because I am releasing this album in the year of my 29th birthday I decided that 29 is the magic number. This album and turning 29 are both quite a big deal (for me). So we sent out 29 promo packs and have received such lovely feedback.

Some of the ladies who received the packages took pics and said how much they loved them. Ladies shirt is white and the guys shirt is charcoal. I will get a nice shot of me wearing the guys shirt. WOZA ALBUM!

Lesson of the week (Pick up the phone)

I'm sure you are familiar with his journey and how long it took me to start looking outside of South Africa (for opportunities). When I started out I was being told by record label execs, small time producers, people with no industry knowledge, radio presenters and their grandmothers that I couldn't do it. I'm a middle child, proving people wrong is what I do for fun, so none of that BS got to me. My manager (and everything) Marcee eventually got tired of hitting her head against a brick wall and decided to approach radio stations outside of South Africa.

Immediately we were struck by how open and accepting they were of the music. Not because the music was shoddy but because rejection had become the norm. So Marcee got music playlisted in 36 countries. At this point we thought it was safe to try at home again. We sent out CDs and every time Marcee made the follow up calls, she got excuses about the CDs never arriving or a million other excuses as to why they hadn't listened to the songs.

This morning I was so fed up with how difficult it was becoming, so I decided to call the 'culprits'. I don't feel entitled to airplay in SA, but expecting to be treated is something I do think I deserve. By the time I had gone through all the phone calls I realised how tough it is in some regions (for SABC radio stations). One music compiler told me that the post office is far away from where they are. They have to go pick the packages up themselves and they don't even get all of them most times. Another didn't even have access to email. They were all really patient with me as we worked out systems that would ensure that the music arrived when it was supposed to arrive. Until I had spoken to these compilers I really had no idea how 'broken' the systems in place are. It put the entire (South African) music industry into perspective for me.

Lesson of the week: Don't get mad. Pick up the phone and find how YOU can make the situation better. Sometimes that's all it takes.

Coming Soon

Video shoot day feels like it was AGES ago

The video for 'Today is the day' is on its way. I'm hoping I will have something to share this week *crosses fingers*

Today is the day by BlackPorcelain

Cheers!

Last night I finished writing the last 2 songs for the album. I cannot wait to go into studio and record them. The project feels complete now. For a while it felt like there was something missing. I am happy now. Marcee will use this post against me when we are 'done' and I start faffing again. Yay!!

I'm posting a pic of a glass of wine because I cannot have any alcohol for the next 4 weeks.

P.S I am not as angry as I was yesterday. I'm still disappointed that the album won't be released in March

Sitting. Waiting. Fuming!

I wish I could properly express how bloody pissed off I am right now. Have to change the album release date to April (instead of March). Aaaarrgghhh!!

I don't belong to a label, so I have not been assigned a deadline. I took my time with this project (almost 3 years on and off). I wanted the music to be to my satisfaction. Everything is almost done and I have to change the date because of something that has absolutely FUCK ALL to do with the music.

I need a time out...

Lesson of the week (Potential)

Marcee often says to me "don't listen to what people say. Listen to what they do." This week I learned to listen and let go.

I have always been a people person, but not in a conventional way. I thrive in social situations; getting to know people has always been fun for me. My mom says my parents took me along when they went to register me for creche. While they were being given the tour, I stayed behind in one of the classrooms and started talking to the other kids and learning the songs they were being taught. Ma only realised that her daughter was missing when they reached the office. When she eventually found me I asked her if I could stay in the class while they were busy. So you see how much I love new experiences and people.

My love for other people stops when I have to work. I do not work well with others... Well this was until I decided to pursue my dreams. I quickly learned that there were many other people involved in the making of an album and I would have to grow up (just a little). I am less of a pain in the ass to work with, but somewhere in the back of my mind there is a voice whispering 'that person is gonna fuck up, so don't take your eye off the ball'.

This week 2 people 'left' the project (reasons don't matter) and I was not surprised. In the pursuit to be a 'team player' (I dislike that word), I started putting a lot of emphasis on potential and ignoring everything else (including results). 'Surely if that person had potential then I would be a 'bad person' if I denied them an opportunity to develop it?' Obviously I now know how ridiculous (and arrogant) that is.

Potential (n): a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed.
  

Lesson of the week: A person's potential is NONE of my business. I should instead be focusing on what that person is DOING.

P.S I am not mad at the people who 'left the project', that would be immature. They were both very honest with me and I really value honesty. This post is not about them, but about the lesson that I have learned form the experience. I cannot grow if I do not learn from my experiences. I am grateful for the experiences and the lessons.

Sending out stuff

Promo stuff... Album release in 3 months and I'm fairly calm (where is that damn sarcasm font when you need it?).

Quick One

Back in Cape Town and I have just seen, the ungraded version of, the music video for 'Today is the day'. I am both excited and nervous. I am excited because it has taken us so long to get to this point. I have wanted to shoot this music video FOREVER and now it's (kinda) done. I am also nervous because up until now I have been able to 'hide' behind the music. Very people know what I 'look' like, when I am 'performing', so this is something new. I guess you could say that I am shy in my own weird way.

Gonna leave you with the song, while I wait for the video to be graded. It is available on iTunes and Rhythm Music Store.

Today is the day by BlackPorcelain