Molly Thomason received two ECMA award nominations, Pop Recording of the Year and Rising Star Recording of the Year, for her album Beauty Queen.

Just back from a whirlwind visit to Toronto for the Canadian Folk Music Awards. So much fun, and so many wonderful surprises. The biggest was being given the Young Performer of the Year at the CFMA. Congratulations to all my fellow nominees – it was so fun to find out about you all, and so exciting to see another Nova Scotia artist, Dave Gunning take two awards from the CFMA’s. Yay Dave! Thanks to all the folks who took the time to listen to Beauty Queen, and who gave me and all the great people who made it happen, their stamp of approval.
I’ll be back and forth to Toronto in December to visit again, as I’m starting work on the project with John Angus MacDonald (still calling it Songs for the After Pageant Party at the moment!) and can’t wait to get back in studio with John-Angus, Nick and Cone starting December 17th – just about a year to the day I started working on Beauty Queen!

Performance-wise, this week I’m excited to be getting together with my friend Carleton Stone for a show on the 10th – a sort of house concert that we’re calling Songversation – in the Green Room at the Bauer Theatre in Antigonish. This is an all ages show starting at 7.30 so tell your friends, and come enjoy a few tunes with us.

Then on December 16th I’m very proud to be joining Jenn Grant, Carmen Townsend, Christine Campbell, Ria Mae and Mo Kenney to support young Emma MacRae, who is being treated for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Please get your tickets for this event taking place at Montes Showbar and Grill on Waverly Road in Dartmouth – tickets at all TicketPro locations!

We’re on the countdown to Christmas now, so I guess my mom will have to turn the furnace on. As a little salute to everyone whose mom has NOT turned the furnace on yet, I’m going to offer a free download of a song from my first album….Angel and Me. Just right click and you’ll get the download option! So please! Fill yer boots! And enjoy the snow – I mean, it’s coming so….get out and play in it!
09 Angel And Me

Hey y’all!
Here we are on a rainy day, but this month has felt almost like summer in NS!
November has been fun-filled so far. Music Nova Scotia Week was last weekend, and it was a blast! Had such a fun time rocking my Rodd Grand showcase with the boys, Jared Farney on drums and Peter Bull on bass, talk about adrenaline rush!
Now I’m gearing up for the next big November event: a songwriter’s circle with Joel Plaskett, Ian Sherwood, and Mo Kenney. This is a fundraiser for Invisible Children, an organization that helps child soldiers of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, defect and be rehabilitated into society. It’s an amazing cause, and I’m really excited to be part of organizing it with my friends Heather, Rachelle, and Reily. If you’re in Antigonish (or a drive away) on November 26th, please come support this important event and hear some great tunes. It starts at 8pm in the McKay Room on STFX Campus, $15 for students/unwaged, and $25 for adults. I really hope you can make it out!

Looking ahead to December, I’m very excited for the Canadian Folk Music Awards weekend. I’m nominated for Young Performer of the Year, alongside some really talented people, you can check out all then nominees here: http://folkawards.ca/awards-night/nominees/
It will be nice to get back to Toronto, I’ll be there a lot next month. Getting very excited to hit up the studio with John Angus MacDonald again just before Christmas, maybe Cone will stop by for a visit? You never know!
I hope all of you out in cyber-land are well. See you on the 26th!
Molly

The September dive into cold water – going back to school! – is behind me now, and I’m settling into autumn and have lots of NEWS!

Had a great birthday weekend, and enjoyed my time at Contact East in PEI (thanks so much for the showcase, guys!) That coincided with releasing a new video of People Lie made with Pete Murphy, an Antigonish filmmaker, and starring my friend Aislin Flynn. If you haven’t had a chance to see it please go have a look!

People Lie is now out as a single across the country, so encourage your friends to phone their local radio station and ask for it!

The new album, Beauty Queen continues to get great responses: have a look at the reviews page! Thanks to everyone who’s taken the time to listen,consider, and then write about it!

Coming up in October – lots of local gigs:
Oct 4th: In aid of Mental Health at the St. FX Art Gallery
Oct 12: Pride Week (with Ryan MacGrath at St. Andrews United Church)
Oct 19th: Halifax Pop Explosion (Company House, Halifax at 8 PM),
Oct 20th:North Nova High School, 7 PM, supporting drought ravaged countries in Africa
Oct 26th:Supporting the Antigonish Men’s Health Centre, Bauer Theatre, Antigonish
and then October 29th, in Truro a really fun event – see the poster below!
This Halloween Bash with all ages singing should be a real HOOT so come on out and bring someone!

One more thing to watch out for: In the next couple of weeks, I’m going to be launching a PledgeMusic site.

Folks who’ve followed my blogs know that I got the chance to record with John Angus MacDonald from the TREWS this summer in Toronto. We have our first song, Audrey Mae, in the can, and are now really keen to work together on a larger project aiming to have it finished by the time I graduate in June! Of course, that means raising funds, and Pledge Music seems a great way for someone like me to do it, and give all you supporters special ‘treats’ along the way! Video blogs, downloads, limited edition t-shirts, and lunch in the studio with John Angus and me while we’re recording are just a few of our planned exclusives!
Keep your eyes glued to my website, myspace and if you can help, do. We’re really excited to be working together on a rockin’ album “Songs for the After Pageant Party”, (to follow Beauty Queen) and we’d love your help to make it happen!

One of the very best things about PledgeMusic is their incredible commitment not only to helping artists make their projects a reality, but to tying those projects to charities which best reflect an artist’s interests. So, a percentage of everything I raise will go to my chosen charity – Invisible Children. I’ve heard several incredible and moving presentations by these folks who’ve come into my school, leaving me and my classmates moved to tears and, I hope, to action.
The idea of helping other kids who live in and cope with circumstances I can’t even imagine, seems really important. So –
when you’re considering helping my campaign, look at the work that Invisible Children www.invisiblechildren.com does, and I’ll be very proud that your support of me, means our joint support of them!

Phew!! Finally home and into the September crunch of grade 12, and I came home to 2 Music NS Nominations!! Thank you so much, guys Its amazing to be nominated alongside people like Jenn Grant, David Myles, Christina Martin, and Carmen Townsend, congrats to them and all the other nominees.
Toronto was amazing, as I said in my last couple posts. I can’t wait to get back to that awesome city in a few months! It was so much fun recording with John-Angus, Dan Meery (my old next door neighbour, crazy!), Nick Detoro, annnnnd….Cone McCaslin from Sum 41!! It really felt like a dream world to have such an amazing team, I hope we’ll get to do it again. Can’t wait to get some of the stuff out there for folks to hear!
Well, I guess I should do my english now.
Cheers!
Molly

FROM THE CYBER TEAM: Congratulations to Molly Thomason who received two nominations at this year’s 2011 Music Nova Scotia Wards! She is nominated for Female Artist Recording of the Year ( Beauty Queen ) and Folk Recording of the Year ( Beauty Queen ). Congratulations Molly!

Alot has happened since the last post! Wow! Maybe its this fast-paced city.
I’ve finally made the much needed investment in a new guitar! Yay! Its a Blues King Gibson, tiny body and tiny neck, but a big sound. He was christened “Clancy” at the awesome house concert last week (thank you to Kim, Gary, and all the Millers!).
I’ve found that I never go away from a house concert without a great story, or a new friend. Well I came away from that one with quite a number of new friends which lead to lunch the next day and a swim in their gorgeous pool! I made another new friend at the Stern’s house, his name is Biscuit. I’ve never met a rabbit with such a personality before. After a couple (okay, maybe more) dried papaya pieces, we were best friends.
Last night I got the chance to jam with John-Angus and the guys playing on Audrey-Mae today. It was fantastic. I got that great feeling when you know something just works. I’m really excited to see what comes out of the recording session today, and to tell you guys about the special guest!!
Talk to you then!
Molly

So…maybe I lied a little when I said “daily” updates…

I’ve arrived in T.O and played a really fun gig at the Free Times Cafe last night, it was nice to be back there again after CMW. Before I played, there was a really great Coffee House put on by Josh Miller, founder of The Poetry Wall. TPW is a Facebook page where you can post your work for others to read in a safe and supportive environment, I checked it out when I got home and it’s awesome! It was nice to get a peek at the Toronto arts scene with folks my age, I hope you guys keep doing the coffee houses.

Although it was pretty bad weather here last night, it was nice to see some friendly faces at the Free Times. My friends Brennan, Natalia, and Tim from the Cheap Speakers came out, it was awesome to see them again!

The great night lead to a great morning, as I woke up to a wicked article by Tara Thorne in the Coast Magazine, and my face on the cover (thanks Scott Blackburn)! You can read the article here: http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/young-blood/Content?oid=2694443

I’m excited to be playing at C’est What tonight, opening for Jesse Labelle at 9:30. Hope I’ll see some of you there
Molly

 

It’s my first time in this lovely city, but I know it won’t be the last. Even though it rained a bit today, it’s still gorgeous. Mom and I arrived from N.S yesterday afternoon, rented a cute little Fiat, and made our way out to Wakefield, QC, which is only about 30 minutes from Ottawa. What a cute little town it is too! I played at the Black Sheep Inn last night, opening for Roger Marin and Scott Nolan, and man, the place was rocking. I seriously recommend checking both of them out, especially if you like rock/folk with sharp lyrics.

This morning we did a bit of exploring and found a couple really gorgeous spots (loved the covered bridge), then it was time to hit the road. Once we got settled into the hotel room we explored Ottawa and checked out the Parliament buildings (of course). I didn’t expect to be so taken by their beauty, what with all the ugly that comes out of them.

We had a lovely BBQed salmon dinner with Andy, Patti, James, Errin, and Adam, thanks guys, it was great!

 

Now can’t wait to get to Toronto and play some gigs (you can check those out on the shows page), and record with John-Angus MacDonald from the Trews and a special guest! Check back to find out who that might be I’ll be posting daily travel blogs from the trip.

 

Thanks for reading, and for any Toronto-nions out there, I hope I’ll see you this week!
Molly

 

It’s been such a great summer apart from the weather, boohoo!
Water everywhere.

I’ve been really enjoying the festival gigging, and had an amazing, but sadly short, time at the Camp SongCamp, Gordies Sampson’s songwriting camp at Ingonish Beach in Cape Breton. Some great folks there, Carleton Stone, Natalie Lynn, Barb Cameron, Mo Kenney, Steven MacDougall, and Dylan Guthro to name a few. Some wonderful songs were written and demoed and I can’t wait to have them all on my iPod!
I’m really looking forward to a bit of a whirlwind tour planned for the the end of August:
House concerts in NS, then my debut at the Black Sheep Inn in Wakefield, Quebec, www.theblacksheepinn.com so excited about that, opening for Scott Nolan and Roger Marin. Then we head to Toronto to re-visit the Free Times Cafe on College Street who were so great to me during Canadian Music week. I’ll be opening for Jesse Labelle at C’est What, on August 25th, then on the 27th, playing a house concert for the daughter of someone who heard me at a house concert in NB (I love house concerts!!!!) and a gig at Analogue Gallery on Queen St. West. Then, the highlight, two days in studio working with John-Angus MacDonald from the Trews, who has offered to produce a song or two for me. I can’t wait! He’s already having such great and exciting ideas, I know we’re going to have a blast. Then it’s back to school for the last year. I can’t believe this will be it for high school.
HURRAY!!! Bring it on, real life.