Summertime is Upon Us

Thanks to everyone who came out to our last round of shows in the UK, Ireland, and Sweden (the very first Woodpigeon shows in Scandinavia, yo). Extra Special Thanks to the great new bands and performers we met and shared the stage with along the way — Music for Dead Birds, Dag för Dag, Beardfish, Stuart Silver, Serafina, Murray Lachlan Young, and on and on … It was great to premiere a couple of new songs for everyone, and collaborate with some new pals too.

I rode my pal Hampus’ bike through Stockholm the other day, and wandered through a children’s library, looking at the best-designed kids’ books I’ve ever seen. We planted potatoes in Hampus’ garden allotment with Phoenix on the portable stereo, and found ourselves dancing until the wee hours of the morning to Daedelus at the Normal Books publishing party. Three weeks before, we stopped through Bulgaria in search of gypsy folk music and hand-knit slippers, and a visit to the rather awe-inspiring Rila Monastery up in the mountains. En route to Ireland, we took the ferry from Holyhead, Wales, a tiny settlement worth exploring if you ever get the chance. In Cardiff, our hosts Liz and Ryan of the band The School took impeccable care of us (including a visit to Spiller Records, the world’s oldest record shop).

Woodpigeon’s coming back overseas for some nice festival (and otherwise) action in July and August, and we’ll announce all of that soon. First up, however, we’ll be broadcasting live from NXNE on CBC on 20 June from The Legendary Horseshoe in Toronto, then heading home for our first hometown show in ages at Sled Island 2009 (sharing the stage with The Alberta Rural Advantage, our friends Knots, and long-time hero-figure Mt. Eerie). It seems like we’re playing London more than Calgary lately — and it’s time to make up for it.

It’s nice to see the sun out in Calgary, and the bike paths full of cyclists. Hope it’s sunny where you are too.