Growing Pains
July 24, 2009
Growing Pains
There’s only one disappointment I have to report. I have to cancel some upcoming shows: the Stables in Mullingar, Ireland this weekend, as well as Kenny’s in Lahinch, Co. Clare next week. But it’s because of good news.
Let’s talk about the good news first! My single “What Does It Take” was added six weeks ago to the BBC Radio 2 B-playlist. That means I went into regular rotation on all the different shows, alongside Bruce Springsteen, Bat for Lashes, a-ha, Paolo Nutini and James Taylor. It was truly a feat for an Indie girl like myself. Then, two weeks ago the miraculous happened. I got bumped up to the A-playlist, which meant that each week 20 million people were hearing my song in their cars, offices, and transistor radios (well, no one has those anymore). Twenty million a week – that’s a third of the population of England!
Five minutes ago we just found out that I’ve been kept on the A-list chart a third week, totaling six weeks on Radio 2 now.
I even went to my first red carpet event a couple of weeks ago in London. After a great show the night before in the tiny Irish town of Slane, I drove back to Dublin, got half an hour of sleep, missed my flight to London and had to scramble to get on the next plane. I finally arrived in Heathrow with twenty minutes to get ready for this formal affair. Twenty minutes people! Remember, I was playing in a country pub getting sweaty and drunk and having fun until the wee hours of the morning the night before. No shower, no sleep. What’s a girl to do?
Let’s just say I did the best I could. I curled my hair, put on false eyelashes, and smoothed out the wrinkles in my party dress. A car took me to the Hilton, where I met my new management team, Nick Stewart and Associates (Nick has co-partnered with my long-time manager in New York, Alex Fredericks). Beth from Nick’s office ushered me to the red carpet where the paparazzi awaited. She said, “Okay, you are going to walk down the carpet, stop in front of the photogs, pose for the them, and then walk inside.” I did exactly as she instructed, and… Silence. No bulbs flashed. Tumbleweed could have rolled by. Not a single photographer clicked his shutter. I laughed out loud and kept my best grin on. The videographer said to me, “Well it was a nice try.” There was nothing I could do but laugh it off and go inside. I made a beeline for the trays of champagne.
Beth came up to me at the party – “Oh honey I’m so sorry, I didn’t know, I was supposed to prep the papps out there and tell them who you are, that you’re a new artist from New York with a single on the A-playlist… You have to go and do it again!”
And you know what friends? I went back out there. The videographer asked incredulously, “You’re back for a second attempt?” But when I walked out this time, stopped and posed and smiled, all the bulbs started flashing and the photographers were calling to look this way and that. Unreal.
Just goes to show: never take the limelight too seriously, right?
So here I am in London – pushing as hard as I can with Team Nell to capitalize on the fantastic opportunities that are coming up from this radio exposure. I’m still keeping a level head, though, and remembering who my friends are.
Which brings me back to the bad news: because of the newfound industry attention, and the showcases Nick Stewart has set up for me this week and next, I have to miss playing what would have been some really fun shows in Ireland.
If you bought tickets to the Stables in Mullingar for July 18 – I won’t be there. I love playing the Stables and I’m so sorry for missing it. I hope you will understand. I’m also missing Kenny’s in Lahinch, Co. Clare, which I was also looking forward to.
Just know that it’s for a good cause. It’s so I never have to stand on a red carpet and hear tumbleweed rolling by again.
Working hard for you out here in London…
Love Always,
Nell
