Two days ago a member of my online gig audience asked why the sea has been a recurring theme in my music since I wrote my first water-based song “Scared To Capsize” in 2008.
“I think there’s so much rich metaphor in waves, and depth, and sailing, and stuff…”
Deep.
It’s Bandcamp Day* – hooray! – and I’m celebrating by sharing a FREE / pay what you can live album of all my sea-themed songs, performed live on the internet on the 4th anniversary of the Penfriend launch^!
13 audio tracks, 8 songs, 1 “Gremlin interlude” and a lot of love.
I performed 8 songs that mention the sea in some fashion, PLUS had a chance to answer your burning questions, including:
• what’s my choice of ice cream flavour? • am I sand or pebbles when it comes to beaches? • if I could only visit one beach ever again, which would it be?
and
• did I *really* swim in the sea at Blackpool last week?!!!
* This album is FREE / pay what you can for the next 10 days only AND today is Bandcamp Day, so all proceeds come directly to me instead of paying the platform.
^ This sort of thing makes me appear incredibly organised, but was in fact a complete fluke.
Thank you for your support – have a wonderful weekend!
Love, Laura xxx
NEXT
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
Four years ago TODAY I launched my Penfriend solo project after 10 years of releasing music under another name.
People told me it would ruin my career, that starting a new music project at the age of 39 was a doomed endeavour, that no-one would be able to find me online any more. But I knew I had to make a change – and with that change, my creativity blossomed again.
I have no regrets.
Sometimes I wonder whether fans of my previous project She Makes War think I fell off the edge of the planet, but then I remember they probably know how to use a search engine.
PS tonight I’m celebrating sea-themed songs from six solo albums in a FREE online gig called “She Sings Sea Songs”. Sailor hats optional, lispy tonguetwisters definite.
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
And oh look, the livestream is embedded in this very post! Handy. Yes – this link also works for watching later (unless something terrible happens and I delete the livestream off YouTube!) 🙂
Music starts at 8pm on Wednesday 3rd April but you’re very welcome to pop along early to chat in the comments. If you have any questions for me please type QUESTION at the start of your comment so I can scan through and find them.
See you there (here)?
Love, Laura xxx
NEXT
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
I’m Penfriend aka music producer and solo artist Laura Kidd. Half of Obey Robots, ex- She Makes War.
I make heartfelt indie rock, synth pop and sad songs to make you feel better, sharing stories, photos and artwork as part of my ongoing creative practice.
Through my videos, essays and weekly forum posts I seek to support and encourage others along their own creative journeys. We’re all in this together!
Thank you for visiting this page – you clearly have great taste x
In 2019, my fingers burned by crowdfunding platform Pledge Music disappearing with £6000 i.e. ALL THE PROFITS from my 2018 album “Brace For Impact”, I decided to try my own thing.
I set up a subscription club I called Supersub Club. 100 analogue memberships sold out within a week, and I created CDs packed with demos, rarities, cover songs and voicemail recordings PLUS zines of stories, photos and artwork throughout the year to send to generous music fans around the world.
In 2020 I launched my new solo project Penfriend on the same day as opening up The Correspondent’s Club: a new and improved membership offering with analogue and digital, monthly and annual options plus a community space. It worked, and it was magical.
Over the past four years my members have received 18 analogue / digital bundles of music, stories, photos and artwork, made up of:
• 101 songs, demos, exclusive live tracks and podcast stories • 18 zines packed with stories, photos and artwork • plus postcards, bookmarks and stickers
So far, Correspondents have supported the making of: • 2 studio albums • 233 YouTube videos, including 9 official music videos • 50 podcast episodes
Earlier this year I knew it was time for a change. We’d outgrown the cobbled together WordPress plugins I’d assembled in spring 2020. I researched all the other options, comparing fees and features with a far longer view than anything I’d ever set up before.
Would this work for us for the next 5 years? If not, it was a no.
I chose not to use Patreon in 2020 because it didn’t have the capacity for people to pay in their local currency, and I didn’t want my majority UK-based fans to have to pay conversion fees. When Patreon came out on top of all my research, I was surprised and delighted to find out they’ve spent the past four years making their excellent platform even better.
While it was frankly nauseating sitting in my kitchen and clicking “cancel” on 235 recurring payments on Thursday morning, I knew I had to operate from a mindset of abundance rather than poverty. I don’t want people to subscribe to The Correspondent’s Club because they forgot to cancel a recurring payment. I want them to actively want the things they get from it.
On Thursday lunchtime I launched the new home of The Correspondent’s Club to existing members.
On Friday lunchtime I launched to the rest of my mailing list. Fifteen minutes ago I launched to YouTube and social media.
At the time of typing, I have welcomed 152 paid members on Patreon.
For the past five years I’ve been building The Correspondent’s Club into a community that reaches far beyond the songs I make and the videos I share.
People are amazing. Music fans want to support the artists who provide the soundtrack to their lives.
• downloads of my entire back catalogue (7 albums + 1 EP)
PLUS
• the entire Correspondent’s Club digital archive (101 tracks + 18 zines)
Then, whichever membership tier you choose, you will receive:
• weekly Airmail messages • monthly Voicemail / Facemail recordings • complimentary downloads of all official Penfriend album releases • VIP invitations to bi-monthly private online events • previews of my regular videos and personal essays before they go public
PLUS extra member perks detailed in each tier.
My last two albums went into the Official UK Albums Chart at #14 (#1 Independent) and #24 (#5 Independent) – completely powered by music fans. No labels / agents / managers / pluggers / middlepersons. No games.
I’m independent on purpose – so that I never have to compromise my artistic vision. I’ve never pandered to fashion, and I never will. I’ve never waited for permission from anyone to do this.
I’m not interested in where my music might take me, I’m interested in where I am right now.
Right here, talking to you. Hi!
The Correspondent’s Club has not only changed my life as an artist, but has become a joyful space for my members to connect with each other over their shared passions.
After 5 years of DIY-ing this I’m moving to Patreon in Spring 2024 because I love this platform and wanted to find a friendly home for me and my beloved Correspondents for the next 5 years.
** It’s FREE / pay what you can for the next 9 days only **
This warm and welcoming live experience includes 7 songs performed on ukulele, vocals and loop pedal PLUS very real talk about:
• my Sliding Doors moment: the songwriting crossroads I find myself at following the success of the Obey Robots album “One In A Thousand”
• 5 years on: the exciting next phase of The Correspondent’s Club
• my favourite jam – will its name ever be revealed?
and
• the real reason I’m still not touring…
In the spring of 2008 I was feeling Very Cheesed Off.
“Making an album one day” had been a dream since I was 15 years old, and it didn’t seem like it was ever going to happen.
Newly resident in East Dulwich/Peckham Rye, I was wandering the back streets, trying to work out what was what and what was where, when I happened across a tiny music shop. A little red instrument waved at me from the window, and I was immediately sold (read on for evidence!).
Moments later I was back in my studio flat, sitting on the bed (no sofa, no table, no room) and putting my fingers on a baffling new fretboard.
I tried a simple guitar chord shape – the one for E major / A minor / etc – and it sounded nice. I kept two fingers where they were and took one off. Also good. I put the third finger back in a new spot and wow – “Scared To Capsize” was born.
I had just bought a loop pedal, after seeing KT Tunstall’s career-changing performance on Jools Holland, and soon discovered that uke + vocals + loops worked together beautifully.
“Scared To Capsize” became a key moment of nearly 700 live sets I played over the next 11 years, and my collection of thoughtful songs written on the ukulele grew along the way.
I recorded my debut album “Disarm” the year after the ukulele brought it’s colourful cheer to my life.
In my latest livestream I decided to celebrate that journey, hence “Four Strings Good”.
Have a fabulous weekend, and thank you for supporting independent music!
Love Laura xxx
NEXT
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
Last Friday I collected my most hopeful songs together to play for you, and I haven’t felt so relaxed on stage in some time.
It was fun to rework some older songs, two tracks that have rarely if ever been performed live: “Disarm” (from my 2012 album “Little Battles”) and “5000 Miles” (from 2016’s “Direction Of Travel”).
We talked about the inspiration behind my “mend the year” lyric in “Paper Thin”, my “shiny things” for 2024 and more besides. What a lovely night!
Happy New Year to all of us! Whatever you’re going through, I’m sending you my love and hopeful wishes for a great year ahead.
Warm wishes and thanks for being here! Laura xxx
PS ✅ “5000 Miles” appears on my third She Makes War album “Direction Of Travel” and this version of the song was performed live on 29th December 2023.
NEXT
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
The life of a new song, something to dance to, plus a 20-page zine Q&A with photos and studio recording notes.
The only way to get access to future Correspondent’s Club releases is to become a member – browse member perks here.
Track listing:
1. Life Of The Party (rehearsal) 2. Pearlescent Brilliant Sporty Blue (posh demo) 3. Life Of The Party (posh demo) 4. Life Of The Party (phone performance)
I’m proud and very thankful to be a fully fan-funded artist, so if you’d like to stay involved and continue to support the making of new music, writing and videos:
❤️ Get immediate access to my entire digital archive (close to 200 tracks!) plus additional ongoing Member Perks by joining The Correspondent’s Club on Patreon!
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