post-Christmas pre-new years

Yep. I'm in the valley of days that nestle somewhere in between. I'm sipping a caffeinated brew and [still] working on updating my press-kit(s). Motivation where have you gone!?

I'd love any ideas/suggestions anyone can offer.

Christmas morning

If you're anything like my family and I, you stayed up into the wee hours of the morning last night - eating snacks, playing games, and laughing your heads off. Our Christmas evening was filled with a whole range of emotions: tears of laughter, tears of joy, and even tears of a heart touched by the simple verse of a poem. Yes, we all write poems at Christmas.

Now, as the sun climbs high into the noonday sky, everyone is beginning to stir in the Kamps house - and the scent of fresh coffee beckons us to fellowship. As I sit and reflect on our old worn couch, there is so much to be thankful for on this, the most glorious of mornings. This past year has seen me face a variety of challenges, trials, and struggles; choices made and their stains of regret. Still, the gentle guiding hand of the Son of Man has seen me through it all. His shepherd staff at my back - keeping my posture whole [creating a holy posture].

So now I go, upward and onward into this needy world - wishing you and yours the best this day, when everything changed two thousand and forty-three years ago.

Prepping for the New Year

Right now there's a lot going on at the Kamps camp. A LOT. I've also got a latte - well not quite, but it's a delicious caffeine-based beverage nonetheless. The plans for this week are as follows:

- New Biography for website and EPK (Electronic Press Kit)
- Last-minute Christmas shopping (Ewww)
- Spend some time in the woods (Yeah!)
- Jam with a couple other musicians (Also yeah!)
- Begin the mail-out process for radio, reviews, and festivals (Speaking of which, if you know of any good festivals/events that my music would suit, please get in touch with me?)

I also wanted to send a simple well-wished MERRY CHRISTMAS to everyone out there who keeps tabs on this blog. Thanks for stopping by and spending some time. I really appreciate it!

-J04L

Las Vegas to Winter Wonderland

Incase you didn't know, I just finished a road-trip with the Kamps men this past weekend. Las Vegas to Calgary. It was a really great time; I got to enjoy the heat in Nevada and parts of Utah - and I've been trying to savor the memory of warmth. It certainly didn't make me too excited about returning to the cold up in Calgary. Nonetheless, I've gotta make do with the cards I'm dealt...

I woke up to slow-falling snowflakes dancing back and fourth through the sky, coating everything in sight with their fairy-dust like touch. Over the course of the night they've transformed the cityscape into a wonderland of beautiful mystery. It's an inspiring sight to say the least, and I'm hoping that will translate into some productivity today as I consider booking plans for the spring and write new melodies that come to mind.

Wishing y'all a wonderful start to the weekend!

Balcony TV Presents: JOAL KAMPS

Whoohoo! Yes folks, the video is finally here! Nathan and I are really happy with how it turned out (as you know, most live videos don't have quality sound). We had an amazing time filming this song with the E-town Balcony TV crew - and special thanks goes out to everyone involved!

I sincerely hope you enjoy this little offering. You can let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Youtube.

Accordi-on-the-way

The accordion has proved to be a very challenging instrument thus far. I've picked it up several times since I first received it, but I haven't had all that much time to sit down and hammer out a tune with it. I'm hoping to free up some time in the coming weeks - though I'm leaving for Vegas on Saturday and won't be back 'till mid next week.

In other news: during the last tour I collaborated with Balcony TV Edmonton and filmed a live performance of 'Amsterdamned' with the talented Nathan Pease. The official Balcony TV video should be uploaded sometime within the next 24 hours - I'll keep you all posted.

Much love.

Dry Bones @ Kamps House

Hey folks! This is a clip from this past weekend @ Kamps House. I am really happy with the sound quality on this video compared to past ones, so please have a listen and leave a comment or two.

polka + folk = ?

I was just gifted with an accordion this past weekend. You can guess what that means... "folka" music coming your way. Stoked.

*** I also wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who attended any of the four house concerts that I performed at this past weekend. It was an incredible time and I was touched to receive so much encouragement and support in pursuing my career dreams. Thank you all.

-J04L

Joal Kamps on RADIO!? Request it!

Calgary:
CKUA 93.7 - 403.266.5566 (ext 1)
CJSW 90.9 - 403.220.3991
Shine FM 88.9 - 403.276.8888
Mix 97.7 - 403.692.0977

Edmonton:
CJSR 88.5 - 780.492.2577 (ext 1)
CKUA 94.9 - 780.428.7595 or 1.800.494.2582
Sonic 102.9 - 780.423.1029
Shine FM 105.9 - 780.433.1059

Lethbridge:
CKVN 98.1 - 403.328.0988
CKUA 99.3 - 1.800.494.2582

Fort McMurray:
Kaos 91.1 - 780.791.5911
CKUA 96.7 - 1.800.494.2582

CD Release Tour - entry 7 (the final chapter)

I realize a good week has passed since the tour was officially over. It's been a new challenge for me to try and keep up-to-date with blog entries and I sincerely hope to keep this going from now on - preferably on time.

This CD Release Tour was an incredible experience for both Nathan and I. To have been able to drive my own vehicle (which I am so thankful for) across the Western Provinces of Canada and share meals and stories with many friends (new and old), and to live off donations and the generosity of our hosts and others has been an incredible blessing and humbling experience. There was a providential kind of provision throughout the three-odd weeks we were on the road, and for that I am truly thankful.

A sincere thank you goes out to everyone we met along the way. Thank you for being part of this blessed experience.

Peace and love,

-J04L & Nate

CD Release Tour - entry 6

Once our concert in Enderby was over we headed out to Salmon Arm to crash at the Stellinwerff's for the night. They were gracious hosts, allowing us to sneak into their open garage during the wee hours of the morning. I'm sure we looked like cat burglars, sneaking up the driveway, prying our way into their massive wooden carport doors...

Fast-forward several days, several house concerts, delicious meals, warm beds, epic conversations - and you would find us in Edmonton, AB. Nathan and I kept ourselves busy with dropping off records at radio stations, playing several gigs each day, and catching up with friends we hadn't seen in some time. Despite my Calgarian roots (and the traditional rivalry that comes with), I really enjoyed myself during our time there. Good friends, family, and lots of support for the local arts. I cannot name everyone, but quick shout-outs go to: Jennz, Jamie, Rob, Karisa, Lisa Marie, the Tiemstra gang, Aaron, Alex, Joel, Kasim, and the host of other awesome people we met while we were up there.

With the Northern AB leg complete, Nathan and I hit up Blackfalds for a gig at a local cafe: After the Grind. What an awesome space! This venue is apparently the oldest building in Blackfalds and had the most wonderful old-school hardwood floor ever. Uneven, stained, and creaky as ever, I was in carpentry heaven. While we were there we ran into a bunch of other friends and family - thank you all for coming out!

All tour my vehicle has been having issues on-and-off, so a tough decision was made to postpone our date in Brooks, AB. We will be there. Count on it. ;)

-J04L & Nathan

CD Release Tour - entry 5 (all for Enderby)

So where were we... ahhh yes, sleeping in the vehicle in Enderby, BC. This was a new experience for both Nathan and I. In the past I have slept in several different vehicle makes and models - none ever as comfy as my Toyota Camry wagon. I slept in that sweet ride for six weeks in the middle of Winter while I was living in St Albert, AB. I'm getting off-topic already. Coffee cup needs refilling.

Now Nathan and I didn't get much sleep that evening in Enderby. The city had been ripping up the main street to put in some new water lines, and coincidentally the side-street we chose to park on was transformed during the night into a quarter-mile drag-strip for all the locals to avoid the construction. Every ten minutes we were startled out of our uncomfortable state of pseudo-sleep by the obnoxious roar of a diesel truck flooring it through the blackness. All this suffering was well worth it though, for come morning we discovered the glory that is 'Hungry Jack's'.

This place was recommended to me on past tours but I had no idea where it was located. Amazing breaky. So good. I think I even saw Nathan shed a tear between sips of freshly pressed organic apple juice.

During the day we drove into Salmon Arm, suited up at the local thrift-store and then hit the recreation center for a swim. What a quaint town. We headed back to Enderby for our gig at Cliff's Cafe, which was utterly stellar, and met a tons of amazing new people - and some great local talent. Big shout-outs to Adam (venue owner and music supporter extraordinaire) and Ryan Murphy, a local gem of a performer. Enderby will definitely be a regular stop for me on future tours through BC.

Stay tuned for more to come!

-J04L & Nate

CD Release Tour - entry 4

Well Wednesday and Thursday passed us by rather quickly. We headed out early in the morning to arrive just minutes before our scheduled gig at the Cannery Coffee Co in Kelowna. After the gig we met up with good friends of mine, Matt & Louise - who offered us a place to stay while we were in town. We shared a lovely meal together and quickly caught up on life before parting ways for the evening; they headed out to see Stars, and Nate & I opted to have ourselves a little pool tourney. It was a massacre. Nathan cleaned house.

The next morning we headed out of town to Bliss Bakery (blissbakery.ca) in Peachland. We performed a noon-hour concert for the customers and staff and sold a hefty number of albums. It was quite the way to start the day. Sidenote: if you're ever in or near Peachland, go to Bliss Bakery. I've spent several years traveling and in all my time out on the road I've never experienced such delicious panini; and I lived in Italy!

Friday we made the short drive to Vernon and spent the afternoon hanging around at the Talkin' Donkey. What a great space! Done up in brick and exposed beams, there is a large hall area at the centre of the building with little nooks and wings for extra seating areas. After we finished our set and ate some epic sandwiches we drove off into the night - to spend our first evening sleeping in the vehicle. Needless to say, not a lot of sleeping was done. I hadn't realized how much lower the seats reclined in Shark the Battletank (RIP).

-J04L & Nate

Oak Street House Concert

CD Release Tour - entry 3

What an amazing couple of days... yet again. ;)

Monday saw Nate and I perform six more concerts at Langley Christian school and after seeing Nathan dominate a bowl of pasta at Ikea in the afternoon, we headed to Vancouver for a house concert at Oak Street House - courtesy of our good friend Ruth! (shout outz)

What an incredibly stellar evening. The apartment had been decked to the nines with artwork from a local painter and friend, Andrea Chamberlain (andreachamberlain.org) and there was an intoxicating scent of fresh baking, coffee, and teas. In addition to the beautiful art and beautiful smells, many beautiful people began filing in the door and we soon had ourselves a full house. YEEESH! How could anyone not like house concerts!? Did I mention how beautiful these people were?

During the concert I was able to introduce Nathan to another friend of mine, Sean Aiken: writer, filmmaker, and employee extraordinaire. He invited us to Surrey the next day for a screening of his new film, a documentary on One-Week Job (oneweekjob.com).

Tuesday was mostly comprised of eating, relaxing, and conversing. (We also caught the screening). A good break from a couple of busy go-go-go days. Yet again, the Oddsson home provided all the rest we needed and naturally it was sad to say goodbyes this morning but it's all part of the job. The 'shows' must go on; and we've got plenty more coming! Till next time...

-J04L & Nate

CD Release Tour - entry 2

A lot has happened since I last posted so we'll continue off from our evening in Squamish on Oct 29th. The gig at the Howe Sound Brew Pub went off without a hitch. Nathan and I had a ton of fun jamming through sets starting at 7PM and going till 10:30PM. The evening was brimming over with excitement including a classic heckler, a private tour of the brewery during a break, and a hearty bagpiper who stuck around into the wee hours of the morning... as we tried to sleep. It was pretty hilarious hearing him pipe back up again every 15 minutes or so. The Howe Sound Inn went over and beyond with their hospitality: dinner tab, hotel room, and an incredible breakfast the next morning. Everyone needs to check it out and say to Lavera for us; she totally rocks.

Saturday morning we met up with my friend Anna and went for a walk along the shoreline in Squamish. Next we hopped into her car and almost cleared 300,000km on our way to Brackendale to see a local gallery. You can pay money to have your face put on their wall, and we're pretty sure we found David Suzuki's face among the mix. After saying our goodbyes Nate and I jumped back into our car and drove to Brittania Beach - stopping at Galileo's Coffee. Delicious.

Vancouver was our next destination - Chris and Carla would be our next gracious hosts. With a pad just off Commercial Drive, it was the place to be. Another tasty meal, quick catch-up conversation and we headed off to our gig at the Wired Monk. Just before we left, however, we managed to get ahold of some costumes (thanks to Carla) for later on in the evening...

Once the concert ended in Kitsilano we returned to Commercial Drive for a party at a house on Gravely. A nice 10 block walk in the rain put Nathan and I in eager anticipation for the warmth of a good ol' [indoor] house party. We chatted, met cool new peeps, and danced our hearts out.

Today I took Nathan to Granville Island and Stanley Park. We sure do live in a beautiful world. After the sight-seeing we met up with Chris and Carla for some grub at Foundation - a local haven for veggies and vegans. Nathan even ate greens! (I kid, he's a healthy dude.) After the meal we caught an evening Church service and then peaced out to Langley once more to room with Paul and Wilma Oddsson.

I require sleep now.

-J04L & Nate

CD Release Tour - entry 1

It's day two of the official tour, and we (Nathan and I) have made a little time to fill you in! Yesterday we spent the better part of our day at the Abbotsford Christian Elementary & Middle school campuses. We played a total of 6 concerts before 3PM - which though hectic, was super fun; plus we met tons of cool kids. A good friend of mine named Alison met up with Nate and I at a local coffee house filled with antiques. After debating who had the best tea out of the bunch, we headed off to Langley to meet up with some family friends, the Oddsson family. Nate and I busted out the instruments and spent the night playing tunes for the family after sharing an incredible meal. The day finished off with insightful late-night chats with Paul: brother and friend.

We woke up this morning ate a simple breakfast and headed to Trinity Western University where we made some contacts for future tours and explored the beautiful campus. Shortly after we hit the road and headed off to Squamish, BC - carrots and celery in hand. A small pit stop took us to Lynn Canyon (where I shot the youtube music video for 'Victor'). We had tons of fun hiking around the area and explored the bottom of the falls. After that it was a non-stop express to the Howe Sound Brew Pub, where we play tonight! We're about to soundcheck now but you'll hear more from us soon. See you all on the road!

-J04L & Nate

New album nearing completion!

Yes indeed, the new record is almost finished! I have the mastered tracks in hand and they're sounding great! This week the CD artwork gets shipped off for printing, and with any luck I'll have it pressed and packaged for the Oct 6th gig! Keep your ears to the ground for new myspace sample sounds...

newzzz

Hey folks, come June I'll be unleashing some cool news related to the music career. I'm very excited about it and I hope that you'll all find it equally exciting. Come today, however, I'm unleashing the sheer awesomeness of bike riding.

It's amazing outside today and anyone who lives in Southern Alberta should be on their bicycles. The feeling the wind against your face; the sound of rusty bells dinging over your left shoulder; the hiss and whir of spokes humming with every tire revolution... Ahhh this is the soundtrack to Spring!

-J04L

Alberta Tour Success

For the last two weeks I went on a tour of Alberta with my good friend Katelyn Steinwand. What a time it was! We had our share of adventures, mishaps, and many lovely surprises along the way. From car problems, to amazing friends going out of their way (and city) to help us, to late-night dinners and karaoke, and sunny days spent feeding free-range chickens - it was a never-ending adventure!

I was so impressed by all of the hospitality that I experienced on this past tour. It was truly a huge blessing to Katelyn and I, and I wanted to extend our biggest thanks. I have never felt so welcomed, cared for, and supported in my music efforts as I am now.

Thank you, thank you; thank you.

-J04L

computron pack-rat

Today I made a plan: I'd finally get around to transferring all of the files off my old computers onto my newest one. What an undertaking... It's now 10PM and I'm still dragging files on and off a memory stick I purchased earlier this afternoon. I am amazed at how much I still hoard in a technological sense! I've been working hard at purging many of my physical possessions so that I'm left with items that will help further my music career (guitars etc), but now I can see a whole other challenge before me. Which files to keep? What photos to delete? It's no fun at all. But I suppose that's the standard. Is it ever fun purging things from our lives? I kinda doubt it... Nonetheless, it's something that must be done.

-J04L

renew

Tonight I'm sitting in a hauntingly silent recording studio nestled in the heart of the prairies. I find myself pondering the hypocritical quandary that is Joal Kamps. There are swelling gusts of wind passing across the rolling Albertan landscapes, howling as they dance around unfinished joints and window frames. The clouds forming to the West look like a wall of darkness. The people from in town say a storm is coming.

Wash me white as snow.

-J04L

recording/painting sessions

Tonight I find myself doing some painting at MuzikHaus. The control room is looking a little warmer with the new tone I'm throwing down (not literally... I'm being VERY careful not to spill). Life is good; I've got energy, some Lazy Mutt, and whole a lot more to be thankful for. Blessings.

-J04L

Shot At The Dark

Shot at the Dark - Joal Kamps from Shot at the Dark on Vimeo.

The way our world tilts and whirls has been studied for centuries, to find that our world is not flat, and our planet is not the center of the universe. This sought after information not only proved many believers and unbelievers wrong or right, but it didn’t bring us any closer as to why our paths in life cross the way they do.

Meeting someone as energetic and motivated as Joal Kamps does not always happen for some people. This man with a guitar strapped to his body, and a smile that opens the door of laughter, is on a mission. A new EP with stories of travelling and nostalgia, have swept across many people’s ears, desks, personal mp3 players, car stereos, and bike trips around the world. His messages have slowly made this world much much smaller, in that in one point in time, both sides of our world may have this man’s voice ringing through our environments.

When meeting with Joal Kamps, a hand shake could never tell the whole persona of his character. The stories unraveled, and knee slaps soon followed, and it was not long until the session was over. It was then that the message of music was revealed, in that it has no boundaries like that of a central planet, or timelines like that of a flat world, it is the stories that the lyrics narrate that make our lifetimes eternal. It shows in that with a song no longer than that of a cup of coffee, or a trip on a merry go round, that time can easily stand still, something of which science can never prove.

Shot at the Dark is proud to present our friend, Joal Kamps.


Excerpt taken from: calgaryisawesome.com

springtime tour

I'm beginning to work on a Springtime Tour that will see me playing dates across AB and SASK from April 14 - May 1, 2010. Katelyn Steinwand will be accompanying me on the tour as another act. More info to come...

-J04L

If I were and Opa - LIVE

Joal Kamps from Big Sky Sessions on Vimeo.

Did a live video with BIG SKY SESSIONS several weeks ago. Hope you enjoy!

-J04L

reflection in/and the surface of a black bevy

I'm sipping on an americano right now, reflecting on the week passed and all that I'm trying to accomplish this week. Lots of interesting stories to say the least... In brief:

- Someone tried to steal my car at 3:45 AM last Wednesday.
- Performed a concert at my old High School.
- Had some adventures in Canmore with a Dutch relative and made some new friends.
- Finalized more lyrics for the new album. Stoked.
- Shot a couple live songs with my buddy Brock (Shot At The Dark).
- Had the song 'Amsterdamned' selected for a music compilation CD.
- Registered 'Sojourner Music' and am currently drafting investors letters.
- Consumed a little more coffee than usual.

Yes indeed, it's been an interesting couple of weeks. Life goes on though, and despite all of the ups and downs - especially when it seems like most everything is a down - life continues; it's not out of control, and it has a purpose and direction. It is well with my soul.

-J04L

get stoked folks

Last week I hit the studio in Three Hills and laid down 11 tracks: Amsterdamned, Dry Bones, Embers, Heart of Stone, Learning to Pray, Lighthouse, Old Soul, P.O.W., Strung Out Heartstrings, Wasting, and Take My World Apart. Now I will say these are all working titles, so don't be surprised if things change upon release... I'm very excited with how pre-production has been going and I can hardly wait to start the recording process Feb 1st. Keep your ears to the ground.

-J04L