Author: larissamckay

How has it been a month since my last post? HOW?

The Great Escape was so much fun. My faves were The Jezabels (that drummer is the shizzle), Ben Howard (acoustic bliss), Bag Raiders (boogie bliss), Friendly Fires & Team me. The vibe of Brighton was amazing, and everyone was so happy and there cause they love music 🙂 I’d definitely reccommend going if you’re in the UK next year in May. It’s so well run – I forgot the print off our tickets (how unlike me?), but it was no problemo. I went with Bec & Mel who I met there last year and Lans, and I felt like I didn’t stop laughing the whole time.

I saw a play called In The Forest Dark & Deep with the dude from Lost. We were in the nosebleed section but there was a Q&A after the show which was really interesting. There’s always one tool though that’s gotta talk poop. Lans and I took a few cheeky pics of Mr Fox, although the sun on that island really aged the poor fella. The play itself was great – one scene, two characters and with time, the plot thickens.

We also saw Carl Barron. “Sometimes… I’m a dickhead”. Ohh, it was so funny I had tears.

Took a little trip up to Manchester & Liverpool over the bank holiday weekend with Lans, Bec and Vic.  Manchester was a little.. How do I put this? .. It was a hole. Fun nightlife though –  for example,  I lost my wallet, Bec lost her camera and Vic walked into a glass door and pretty much broke her nose. But don’t worry, Lans didn’t escape – I have just been informed that while she was in Budapest this past week she lost her fur coat and jewellery she bought in Morroco. Sometimes we’re just not good at life.

Liverpool was heaps of fun. Really pretty and around the docks has been all refurbished and it’s kinda swanky. We had a good night out there too and saw four girls stack it cause their dresses were too tight, their heels too high and they couldn’t see through their fake eyelashes. We did the Beatles tour and I saw the exact place where John and Paul first met and the room in John’s house where they used to jam. I jizzed in ma pants! It was incredible. We also went to The Tate and ate a good roast. Laughed myself silly on this trip away too.

There have been some really hot and sunny days, as Summer offically clocked over a week ago. When I say hot I mean 24 degrees, but I did get burnt. We’ve been hitting the park and a group of us went to Greenwich for the day and it was loads of fun. Had a good Thai feed and got jugs of Pimms at the R-y.

So I got my hair chopped – see video below 🙂

I’ve started my Cheese, Wine & Larissa McKay gigs at The Corner Shop – http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=209223192449130&ref=ts – Sundays in June from 1-4pm. And have a gig this Sat night at The Slaughtered Lamb 34 Great Sutton St, just near Old St, East London. Then the next one’s in Kilburn on July 1st. My sis is here (YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY) so come hang out.

My last few gigs have been so much fun – There’s a video of me singing Ricocheted at 93 Feet East here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em5Albw1K-Y and I really can’t thank my friends and fans enough for coming out and supporting me, you’re all legends. And to Lans, Mick, Bob, Mark, Kimber, Lisa, Josh, Zee and Jake, thanks for lugging my keyboard with me. I won’t forget your kindness.

Saw this vid yesterday and laughed so much. I think you will enjoy it also. Bye for now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_il1m8NJbDY&feature=player_embedded
Larissa
x

So I’m set up in London again and bloody loving it. My flat’s a shithole, the pennies are dwindling but I stangely feel at home again. It might have something to do with the string of great weather lately- I have spent the past month lazing in the park, drinking cider, going to gigs, playing piano and catching up with friends. I also visited Edinburgh which is just beautiful and am off to The Great Escape Festival in Brighton which I played at last year next weekend. It’ll be really nice to be back there again and be amongst some of the world’s best up and coming artists.

The wedding day was epic – it felt like the vibe of the Sydney Olympics. Everyone was so happy and friendly and proud to be British. A few friends went to a street party in Shoreditch and I had a grin and tingles the whole time – I’m a sucker for that patriotic shizzle though. We’ve had the best few weeks cause of the bank holidays over here in England which usually means there’s heaps of good gigs on and heaps of people out and about. I saw the Bag Raiders do their first UK gig and it went off.
I just booked another bunch of gigs, the next one is this Sunday. So excited.. it’s been a while. I can’t wait to play some new songs for the London crew.

Sunday May 8 – 4pmThe Luxe
109 Commercial St
London E1 6BG

Monday May 23 – 8pm93 Feet East
150 Brick Lane
London E1 6QL

Cheese, wine & Larissa McKay every Sunday in JuneThe Corner Shop
123 Shoreditch High St

Living Analogue is up to #17 on the Unearthed pop chart so THANK YOU so much to everyone who rated it. If you haven’t you can go to http://www.triplejunearthed.com/larissamckay and you can also download three songs there for free 🙂 My new demo that I recorded with my (amazing) band back in Sydney is only available at live gigs.
I’m so excited that my sis is coming over for a month in July! We’re going to Croatia, Paris and Barcelona and she’s never been to the UK or Europe before so we’re both stoked.
Well.. off to get a haircut from a guy who said “I’d love to do something creative with your hair”. Wish me luck.

Larissa

My band and I have spent the past week in the studio laying down a new family of songs for you all. What started out as an EP has grown into nine songs – six revamped oldies, two new ones, and the last which I wrote a few days ago. Today I went to Andrew’s flat to record vocals and was so impressed with his setup. He was in the family room and I in his bedroom leading into the ensuite and he’d hooked it up so we could talk like walkie talkies all professional like innit.

Some days I wake up and talk and I sound like death and other days my voice sounds like well, to quote Andrew “creamy goodness”. I got lucky and lasted through six and a half hours of belting and got all the songs done. I’m truly pooped now and may have lost my mojo a few times along the way. Who would have thought singing to the click would’ve brought me back?

I can’t thank my mazing band and friends Andrew Warren, Adam Pecar and Jordan Roach enough for all the time and effort they’ve put into this project. They do it for the love of music and are so patient, creative, genorous and fun. We still have to mix but it should be ready to go in a few weeks.

The mini-album will be released at The Vanguard on Sunday April 3rd, 8pm. 42 King St, Newtown, Sydney. It’s $10 and will also be my last gig and last night in Oz for a long while. So come have a drink, and say bye and help celebrate. Tickets avail thru http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/TicketRequest?eventId=100290370&presenter=AUVANGUARD&venue=&event

Get High. Let Me Stray. Living Analogue. Hope Love. Soldier. Falling Away. Just The Wind. Ricocheted. What She Wanted.

I just watched Standing In The Shadows of Motown again with Dad and this song makes me feel a tingley. Talk about a tune.. band.. voice.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO4bqyTWHdA

Love Larissa
x


Hey everyone,

I’ve been terribly slack with my little blog. So here’s a catch up on what’d been happening!

The film clip for Hey You was filmed over three days in London. I had a such a great time and couldn’t have asked for better weather, better company or a better result. Thanks to Greg, Heather, Jo, Robbie, Leah, Andy, Nick G and Sami for being awesome and lending us their houses, time or possessions.

On my bday, the 20th, I did a bit of last minute filming with Greg and then went to Winter Wonderland. I usually spend my birthday at the beach so it was so pretty cool to be rugged up, drinking egg nogg and walking around Hyde Park.

The next morning had to get up at 330am to head to Gatwick to fly to Zurich with Alana J (Lans) and Alana G (Alana). We were a little worried cause the snow had been cancelling loads of flights, so we got there extra early and waited with all the other potential holidayers. Alana G’s bag ends up being overweight cause of all the shit Lan’s and I offload to her to check in. So we rejuggle everything and distrectly hide our handbags under our coats. Then Alana’s bag is too big to go on the coveyer belt so we take it to oversized lugguge. So by this time our flight is boarding and we’re still yet to go through customs and security, so we barge through, and then have to sprint to the boarding gate. Which is something ridiculous like 55. As we’re sprinting I can feel my lungs burning and Alana’s boot zipper breaks and she’s hobbling along trying to keep her shoe on. Lan’s takes one for the team and flies off towards the gate. We finally make it and cause we’re all wearing our snow gear and themals, sit down and are so puffed and sweaty. Lans just goes “typical”. lol.

Zurich is a very pretty city. We went on a tour to the top of the Swiss Alps, never been so cold in my life. It actually felt like the skin on my face was burning off. But the view was stunning and we got some beautiful photos. Lans wore inappopriate attire and nearly got frostbite cause her boots were broken and the snow going straight into her shoes. We walked inside a glacier and made friends with Heinz our 60 year old tour guide. He hated a chat.

We had cheese fondue for dinner and looked around the Christmas markets and had a photo shoot by the river.

The next morning we got the train to Innsbruck and met up with the rest of the Aussie crew. There were 23 of us staying in a massive chalet in Stum. Lans and I decided to snowboard and got our lesson on the first day with Lee-Lo. Bloody hilarious how many times we stacked it. My coxix was in a bad way but I tell ya what! It was worth it.

On day three we decided to go to the park where pros do jumps and tricks, so we could watch. We met Bo and Carla and Smitty, Lans, Alana, Tommy and I followed their lead. We had to go on a few runs to get there, they were red runs, but we’d done one the day before, so thought it would be okay. mmmmmm.

We reached a hurdle when the crest of the slope was ridiculously bumpy. I could see Lans up ahead, bum in the air, holding onto the mountain for dear life screaming “oohh mmmyyy daaayys” so I decided I would take my board off and walk over these bumps. Then, I saw the real problem – This hill was insane. I edged on my bum a little way holding the board, then all of a sudden I was off down the icy cliff – my arse like melted butter on a pancake. The snow was flying up into my face and as I tried to stop myself, the board slipped from my fingers and it took off down the mountain. Everyone was screaming (maybe just me) and I was so scared it was gonna take someone out from behind. I stopped and wacthed my only way down this (bloody) mountain fly off the cliff and into god knows where. Lans slid closer and as she approached I think saw the fear etched into my face cause she took one (again) for the team and edged her way down the cliff and after fifteen minutes I could heard.. Tyyyyyyyylleeeeeerrrrrr, so I knew she’d found help. Tyler found my board – I think in a tree lol. I slid on my bum the whole way down and the last bit was actually quite fun cause it was fluffy. Meanwhile, other Alana had admitted defeat and was sat on the cliff waiting for help. We called for help (the buggie of shame) and the guy rescued her. The story continues.. just think more ridiculous cliffs, the sun getting dangerously close to setting and a lot of remarks including, “this is not fun”. “This is actually not okay!”.
The rest of the trip was bloody amazing and by the last day, Lans and I could do s curves (I made that terminology up) down the mountain.

Back in London, we went out to a friends’ place for cocktails for New Years celebrations and hoped on the tube across down to a club in East London and had a cracker.

I said my byes, then on Jan 12th I flew back to Sydney.

It’s been great being home and seeing my family and playing with my band. We’ve played The Vanguard for the Hey You Video Launch- and depsite rocking up and the venue telling me the projector had blown up the day before and they had no replacement (get me a bullet seriously!!) – it was a great gig. Thanks to Jordan Millar and Jugu who played before us, it was a great night.
Then on Friday we played at The Markets By Moonlight in The Rocks which was good fun and we’re recording in a few weeks (hell yeah!).

I’m playing at a Floodraiser at Henry Afrikas on Fri 25th of Feb. I’m on first at 7pm, and it’s $20 and goes to a great cause!
Our next band gig is March 2nd at Notes in Newtown, Sydney. Ticket avail from http://noteslive.net.au/events/larissa-mckay-ed-worland-lana-de-angelis

I’ve been reunited with John Mayer’s live DVD, Where The Light Is, and it brightens up my day and is softening the blow of being away from London. Sydney is a great place to live, there’s loads to do and the weather is quality, but people in London live each day with the attitude of “why not?” – something I believe in – and I miss my like-minded people.

That said – the sushi, playing with my band, laughing with my sis and running into old friends, really floats my boat.

Larissa
x

You probably know by now that I’m returning to Sydney town in January for a few months, and I feel kinda ready. London has been a wild ride, don’t get me wrong! But I haven’t been to the beach or cuddled my dog or eaten good sushi or played with a band for a very long time and I can’t wait to do those things among a whole bunch of others.

My track Hey You is pretty much done. I’m so so happy!! It should be up on iTunes for you all to buy in a few weeks and preproduction has started for the accompanying video (OMG!!)

I have a show this Tuesday Nov 30th at Monto Water Rats 730pm, £5 from me (email larissamckaymusic@gmail.com ) or £8 at the door.  I would love you all to come celebrate with me and go out with a bang. But never fear, I will be back next year 🙂

I played at Troy Bar last night and it was great fun as usual. Thanks to the peeps who came down.

The night before I supported Sarah Blasko in Brighton at Audio. It was pretty surreal and exciting and I shook her hand and met her and she was lovely. Her show was beautiful as usual and if you don’t have her album As Day Follows Night, you should. I got to play their Nord Stage 76 note. I’m still undecided.. I’m still a faithful Roland fan – although today I leant down to get a coke bottle from a packet of lollies (sweets) and my back spasmed. It could’ve been karma finally biting me on the arse for all the sugar I eat, or it could be an unfair whipping for shlepping the god damn keyboard across London this past week.

Lans has organised me and Whit to meet her at a surprise location tomorrow at 11am.  The only clues are it’s something we’re in need of and we have to bring our cossie (swimming costume). She is abusing the power and making me quite paranoid.  Flashes of us swimming the Thames so she can tick it off her list have come worryingly to mind. I’m quite excited though- what a sweetie. Loving Leah and Lans living round the corner! Told ya East London was where it’s at yeah? Leah is a good influence, we cook actual meals together. We have Whit and Fran’s farewell this weekend. Fun, but also a little sad  😦

It’s pretty cool now, there’s frost on the fottpath in the morning! Not quite beanie weather but getting there. Seems strange to think eveyone at home is in thongs (flip flops) and shorts.

Larissa

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I went into the studio on Sunday to lay down a song of mine called Hey You. Macks, the producer, and I had planned to just have keys and vocals, mainly cause I’m on a filthy budget but as you do, we got carried away and the song is now much more than a simple rendition..

The day before Whit (bless her) and I had lugged my gear there on two buses so I didn’t have to worry about it.  So on the morning of the big day I went for a run, ate my porridge and set off for the studio. It was raining so I got a bus to the station, then the overground to Dalston, and had to change to another overground to Highbury & Islington. Got to Dalston and the ajoining overground had track works. Brilliant. So had to get the bus from there to the studio. I was sitting reading my book, and just as the bus pulled up to my stop, a bomb dropped and I realised I’d forgotten my bag with my leads in it. I contemplated throwing myself in front of the oncoming traffic, took a depth breath, crossed the road and got the same route back, picked up my bag and then the same route back again. By this stage I was two hours late, stressed and pissed off. Great.

Macks is a legend and didn’t hold a grudge after I apologised about fifty times. We got cracking and added strings, some Nord, synth (cause I’m well cool yeah?), guitar, floor tom (it’s my favourite drum), tambourine and  some do dos.

We called it a day at 1am and despite being so exhausted I got home and was still on a high and had the song going round a round like a bloody merry-go-round – I could hardly sleep. lol.

It’s now been two days and we’re going back in to continue mixing and I can’t wait to hear it again with fresh ears. Not sure how long it’ll be till it’s done but I’m very excited.

 

In other news, Keith and I have parted ways and are on great terms but just both felt like things had come to an end. I have a gig in Brighton next Wednesday the 24th supporting Sarah Blasko (OMG) so it will be a lovely memory for the both of us to part on.

I have another gig booked down under so Aussies pen it in. Tue Feb 8th at The Beach Rd Hotel in Bondi.

I saw Washington last night and she was amazing. If you have the chance to see her live make sure you go.

I just finished A Million Little Peices by James Frey which was great and I just started A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. I have a feeling I’m going to love it.

Also, I’ve been listening to Jessie J heaps – she’s got the best voice ever!!

Larissa

x

 

Last night was amazing. Something I will remember for a long time. The room was pretty packed and everyone came onto the floor to watch and you were all a great crowd. Some smiling, some singing along, some hearing the words and relating it to themselves.

I had such fun.. really.. and thanks so much to everyone who came to watch.

This was the set:
Soldier
Get Yourself Together
Hey You
Heartbreaker
Blue Sky Mine
Ricocheted
Just The Wind

Next gig is at Troy Bar in Hoxton on the 25th and  I go into the studio on Sunday and seriously can’t wait!! YAY

Larissa
x

Halloween was on the weekend so Leah, who has just moved here, came over and we fake blooded and tatted up and got our scare on. Went to a friend’s houseparty in Clapham North then to The Old Blue Last on Great Eastern St. Somewhere along the way Leah lost her purse with credit cards, i.d, phone, oyster card and cash in it. Somehow we recovered it, some sweet girl had found it and we went to pick it up the next day. Regardless we had a cracker of a night!  I think she will fit in very well with Alana and I. I just kept saying- Dude, we do stuff like this all the time. Don’t worry!

She’s moved round the corner from me in Bethnal Green so it’ll be nice to have another neighbour. On the home front I think I misjudged my flatmate. She’s coming out of her shell heaps and loves a chat. Gave me some fish the other day and likes listening to me play. We have a date next week – she invited me to her room to watch a movie. Nothing suss.

Gig tomorrow night at The Regal Room – a venue Keith and I had been trying to land for ages. So very excited! They have a piano there so it’ll be wicked to play a real one again.

Went for a few interviews with recruitment agencies and had to do excel, typing, powerpoint and word tests. They were the worst few hours I’ve endured in a long, long time. I’m not even kidding when I say I think I’d rather have someone punch me in the stomach than have to do that again. I was also told I dress too funky. I don’t get why corporate dress has to be boring?  Tell me that.

The clocks have changed so it’s dark when I leave work which is odd – they changed on Sat night but didn’t realise till Whit mentioned it on Sunday night at dinner. Samsung actually pulled through, it’s fricken amazing!

I’ve booked in the weekend of the 14th in the studio! YAY! So I’ll have at least one fresh track for you very soon!! I can’t wait – it’s been too long.

Larissa

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