30 Challenges: Failed

Okay, so maybe I set myself a few too many challenges alongside moving house and recovering from major surgery. Here are the challenges I managed to complete:

1. Build a new recording studio, with help from an online fundraising campaign – Completed! It went right to the wire but we made it with HUGE thanks to family, friends, and others who contributed and gave practical help. Now to record the fourth “Super-Duper” album!
2. Do an album launch gig to release my third album – Completed
3. Attend a protest – Completed
4. Perform solo at an open mic night – Completed
5. Attend a class in radio production – Completed
6. Spend a week without TV – Completed
7. Lose a stone in weight – Completed
8. Do a gig in an unusual place – Completed
9. Make my own version of the Doctor Who theme – Completed
10. Make a dance remix of one of my own songs – Completed

Ten challenges ain't bad, and I'm still going to complete the rest. The new deadline is my next birthday (November 2015), and if I don't complete them by then, I'm not sure that I ever will.

Here's the new studio:

And here's the remix – don't ask me what genre this is, because I have no idea!

My third album - listen for free

Album Release


After all the hard work and preparation, and moments when I thought it would never happen, my third album is finally out. Here is the description posted on Bandcamp, CD Baby and other sites:

This 2014 album from British singer-songwriter Hollie Sue is influenced by soul, jazz, blues, and folk. Expect sultry, heartfelt vocals and thought-provoking lyrics, accompanied by a rich varied tapestry of instruments including piano, ukulele, guitar, double bass, gentle drums, percussion, strings, and breathy vocal harmonies.

There are emotional piano ballads like “Invisible” and “I’ll Stand Alone” written with lyricist Joy Bowes, soulful numbers such as “Give It Time” and “Sweeter Milk”, quirky folk-pop songs like “Break Into My Heart” and “Who Are You?”, and more. This mammoth fifteen-song album reveals layers of angst, nostalgia, love, idealism, and spiritual searching.

The Island Album Cover

You can stream the album for free here, and if you like it you can always buy a digital copy for yourself or as a gift for a friend, for only £5. Digital copies from that link include full artwork and lyrics PDFs.

If you prefer your music on CD, you can get one from my website for £6 including lyrics booklet and postage.
(£7.50 for orders outside the UK).

For 15 songs you can't say fairer than that!

Album Launch Event

Again lots of hard work has finally paid off - the launch performance went well with two mini-sets from acoustic support act Alistair J. Pearson and two longer sets from us (us being Brian Morrell on piano, Craig Smith on drums, Jonny Stott on guitar, and yours truly on vocals and ukulele).

Soundchecking before the album launch

We didn't take any photos on the day apart from this one while soundchecking; we were too busy! But HD Video Services made a professional video which is being edited at the moment, so when it arrives we can take screenshots from that.

Although it wasn't attended as well as I'd hoped, for various reasons, we all had a good time and we're looking forward to seeing the video, and also hearing the full-quality audio which was recorded straight from the mixing desk.

I'd like to thank everyone that came along, everyone that helped on the day, and those that supported the event even if they couldn't get there (you know who you are). I'm also grateful to the church members and minister for letting us use their beautiful venue, to Jonny for bringing his PA for us to use, and to my parents, step-parents and auntie who all helped in various ways. Thank you to Alistair who played and sang beautifully, and to my band-mates who did a great job.

Throughout all of this we didn't forget about our friends Baz and Jo: you were and still are in our thoughts and we have fingers, toes, and everything else crossed hoping that things will improve for you.

30-challenge update

Continuing with my 30-challenges-by-the-time-I-turn-30:

1. Build a new recording studio, with help from an online fundraising campaign - In Progress
The studio computer has now been built!! This is due entirely to the generosity of people who contributed to the online funding campaign - thank you to every single person who donated or helped to publicise the campaign, and to Richard whose practical help has been extremely valuable. At the end of this month we will be able to get Cubase software and a USB mixing desk/interface, which will be enough to get started with. Later we can replace other things bit by bit which will do for a little longer, such as headphones and microphones. See the campaign here

2. Do an album launch gig to release my album "The Island" - DONE! (See above)

(no updates on challenges 3-11)

12. Make my own version of the Doctor Who theme tune - DONE
I didn't advertise this one in advance, as I wasn't sure if my old failing studio equipment would be up to the task. Well, the system crashed a couple of times and I had to bang the desk more than once to make it work, but it managed to crank out this one last tune for me:

It's already had 48 views and it's only been up for a couple of days!


Here's a new challenge I might work on once the studio is up and running:

13. Make a dance remix of one of my songs! - To Do...

Exciting contest results, upcoming launch, and 30-challenge update

UK Songwriting Contest 2014

I entered the UK Songwriting Contest this year with a lyrics-only entry. The song is called Sweeter Milk and is from my new album 'The Island', which will be released this September.

The first phase of the results were recently announced, and my song made it to the Semi-Finals so far. Only the top 20% of all contest entries make it to the Semi-Finals. Later in the year, it will continue to the following higher judging stages and there is a chance it may reach the Finals and might even be a Winner.

In the past I've made it to the Finalist stages and even been named a Runner-Up in the Jazz/Blues category in 2010. This year I have my fingers crossed for a win!

The song begins by detailing my personal struggles with Crohn’s Disease and dealing with debt. Then through the lyrics I remind myself that there are far worse problems in the world:

Feeling tired and so weak
I lie here in bed, and life is so bleak
I owe too much, I’m in breach
Everything I want seems out of reach

Somewhere East of England
There’s a girl runs fabric through her fingers
She works in the light, she works in the night
Then she lies on the floor, with five or six more

[Chorus:] I was born with gold in my hair
Breathing diamond dust for air
I was wrapped in cashmere and silk
Still I cried for sweeter milk

She and I were both born in November
The same year, but she won’t remember
She’s one child crying in her ear and two working on the floor
They’ll grow up just as poor

[Chorus]

When obstacles seem overwhelming in size,
And other people look at me with pity in their eyes
All I need to do is think of that girl
And be thankful I was born into this world

[Chorus]

Free Live Performance & Album Launch in Doncaster

My new album, including the above Semi-Finalist song ‘Sweeter Milk’ will be released this September, and to celebrate, there will be a free live performance with a full band. This will take place on Saturday 6^th September at Doncaster Unitarian Church, Hall Gate, at 3pm. It's free entry and a soft drink and nibbles will be provided.

Expect sultry heartfelt vocals, thought-provoking lyrics, resonant electric piano, screaming blues guitar solos, and a melting-pot of ethnic percussion, drums, and acoustic bass. Genres include acoustic, blues, folk, jazz, and soul. This is not a religious event and all are welcome. Please check the website before travelling: www.holliesheard.co.uk

30 Challenges

Continuing with my 30-challenges-by-the-time-I-turn-30:

1. Build a new recording studio, with help from an online fundraising campaign - In Progress

This is now 19% funded and we will be able to add a big chunk to the fund in a month's time. This means that the computer for the recording studio is almost completed - just one small component left to buy - and then we can move on to things like mixing desk, audio interface, headphones, microphone, and software such as Cubase and East West virtual instruments. See the campaign here

2. Do an album launch gig to release my album "The Island" - In Progress

This is set for Saturday 6th September at Doncaster Unitarian Church on Hall Gate at 3pm. There's going to be a full band including myself on vocals and percussion, Brian Morrell on piano, Jonny Stott on guitar, and Craig Smith on a variety of instruments including drums, bass, and percussion.

We're really looking forward to this gig and will be pulling out all the stops to make it lots of fun for everyone attending. It's free entry and there will be a soft drink and nibbles provided.

Please check the website before travelling: www.holliesheard.co.uk

3. Attend a protest - DONE (see previous post)

4. Perform solo at an open mic night - DONE

I did this challenge not once but twice! The first time was on Wednesday 16th July at Cask Corner. I took my very heavy piano and accompanied myself singing two of my original songs from my album "The Island". It went okay, but I had a little trouble hearing myself. Then I went again the next week on the 23rd, this time with my ukulele. I performed a cover of Randy Crawford's Rainy Night in Georgia, and one of my own "The Island" from my album of the same name. The pub was pretty packed, but it went silent when I sang. I suppose that means they either loved or hated it!

5. Attend a class in radio production - DONE

This was something I saw at my local community radio station - a free introductory class to show people how things work at a radio station. I signed up online, and got an email asking me to come and have a chat. It turned out I probably won't be able to attend the class as it's several weeks in September, when my surgery is due. But because of my past experience and knowledge of music tech, they showed me how everything worked within half an hour, and before I knew what was happening, I had put together some ideas for a show and become a radio presenter! I did my first test show recently (listen here) and will need to do a few more until they think I'm ready to start broadcasting my show for real. So although I can't do the class, I think I've learned everything I would have done in the class, so I'm marking this challenge as done.

6. Spend a week without TV - DONE

This challenge was incredibly easy as my husband and I went on holiday to Scotland for a week in a self-catering apartment, and although the apartment had a TV, we just didn't feel like watching it. Instead we went on walks and enjoyed the beautiful scenery, visited the local Buddhist monastery a few times, nipped back down to England for a bit of shopping in Carlisle, read books, and played cards.

7. Read War & Peace - In Progress

This is a really long book, but I've managed a couple of chapters so far and I'm sure I'll manage it by the deadline.

8. Make a documentary - In Progress

I decided to do this documentary about the Buddhist monastery we visited in Scotland, so while we were there I recorded plenty of video. Now I need to add audio narration and compile it into a short documentary. This project will take a back seat for a while though, as I have plenty of other challenges to work on first.

9. Lose a stone in weight - In Progress

I'd already lost two stone when I set this challenge, and eventually I'd like to lose another two. For now though, I've just set the challenge of losing one more stone. So far, since I set the challenge I've lost half a stone, so there's another half to go.

10. Do a gig in an unusual place - DONE

At the weekend we went to visit Brian's Auntie Shirley, to fulfill a promise we made on her 80th birthday. We gave her a voucher promising to do a live performance just for her, and anyone she wanted to invite, in her living room. Her birthday was in November, so we waited until the summer for the nice weather, so her guests could mill around in the garden while we played from just inside the open French windows. It went very well, and we sold seven CDs which brought in a bit of cash towards the studio project (challenge 1).

11. Busk in my hometown (Pontefract) - To Do

Normally busking anywhere would be a challenge for most people, but I'm already a busker. So to make this challenge harder I chose my hometown of Pontefract, where I went to high school. They say no-one is appreciated in their home town!

Other possibilities for future challenges are:

Write a short story and attempt to get it published

Make a piece of visual art

Be a TV "extra" in something

Make a garment of clothing

Grow my own veg

Send a message in a bottle

Spend 12 hours doing nothing but writing songs (to get material for my next album)

Make a time capsule

Spend a night in a tent

Try a new class at the leisure centre

Make a music video

30 Challenges

I'm turning 30 this year.

Cringe.

While I was in hospital I read about a woman who did 100 challenges in 100 days prior to turning 40. Inspirational - but that sounded like hard work for someone with my condition and energy levels. But I think I could handle 30 challenges...by the time I turn 30. Why not?

Then I got home and found that my equipment for recording music had given up the ghost. So my first challenge immediately became to build a new recording studio, so that I could start work on my next album. I set a campaign on Fundrazr to fund it, and so far my friends and family have helped me to raise 16% of the funding needed. Here's the campaign.

First challenge underway.

My second challenge is to do an album launch to release the album I've recently finished, "The Island". I hope to launch it in late August and am in talks with possible venues.

Second challenge underway.

My third challenge was to attend a protest, which is something I've never done in all my 29 years. Today was the day. There was a good cause, which was close to my heart, and the protest was only a short hop away in Sheffield. I went to the Magistrate's Court to support two people that had been charged for resisting arrest because they didn't want to give the police their names during a peaceful protest. The police used excessive force on them and several other disabled and elderly protesters, and I think it should be those police officers in the dock, not the two peaceful protesters that were manhandled. Read more about the cause in the Guardian here.

Me with my trusty busking whiteboard.

That's me in the background on the far right, holding the whiteboard up high.

I enjoyed standing up for a real cause like this, and think I will get involved in protests more often, 

so long as I believe the cause is just.

Third challenge completed.

Wonder what the fourth challenge will be? Answers on a postcard please.