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Our weekend in Ottawa started off with a very early start, but once we had some coffee in us, we were good to go!

Watching the...

Being a kid can be tough...

Now that I'm an adult with lots of responsibilities and bills to pay, sometimes I wish I could just be a kid again. Oh how I long for those days when the only thing on the agenda for the day was to play outside, come in for lunch, and then take a nap. BUT there are some things that I really don't miss about being a kid and being bullied or teased is one of them.

Ok, I must admit...I’m a Gleek! I’ve been a pretty big fan of the show “Glee” since it premiered in 2009. Now in its 2nd season, I am still watching avidly. The other day, I watched the episode entitled “Rumours”, which featured songs from Fleeetwood Mac’s album “Rumours” (released in 1977). The day after I watched this episode, I was listening to some songs on my itunes and I happened to click o...

On Sunday I attended my very first Juno Awards show. I didn't really know what to expect going in, but I was pleasantly surprised by the whole Juno experience. Unfortunately, I wasn't a nominee though...but maybe someday!I did find it a little odd that the venue for the show was the Air Canada Center (or maybe it just feels that way because I was up in the "cheap seats"). I thought it would've bee...

The Essentials have such amazing and supportive fans!

Occasionally, we

How old am I? Well the real answer is 26, but sometimes I feel much older than that...like today, when I realized that my favourite drink to order on an airplane is either Ginger Ale or Tomato Juice. Or when 10pm rolls around on a Saturday night and I'm ready to fall asleep. Somedays I just feel really old! I think I need to take some tips from my brajahs (aka Jo3, Thom, and Dan) to find m...

Only two weeks left to catch “Real Estate” playing at the Village Playhouse Theatre in Toronto, where you can hear The Essentials’ music before and after the show (as well as in between acts). The review is in…and it’s a good one! Check out the review from Inside Toronto here: http://www.insidetoronto.com/what's%20on/article/926507--longtime-resident-makes-directorial-debut-at-village-playhouse...

Oops...did I type "#1 blog of the year"?? What I meant to write was "Blog #1 of the year"...there's no way that I can compete with Jo3's magnificently detailed and funny blogs. Anywho! Just wanted to say welcome to 2011!!! I look forward to another year ahead with The Essentials and I hope to see many of you at an upcoming show this year. Keep your eye out for some even crazier shenanigans from u...

'Tis the season for food, fun, and family! While I cannot ignore my happy holiday spirit (and my awful willpower for sweets), I would like to take a minute to celebrate the life of my brother's dog, Sampson, that passed away last week. Sampson was a boxer (just like my dog Darla). He was bursting with energy but when it was quiet time he LOVED to lie on people's laps. He will be greatly missed bu...

I'd like to thank Calgary for preparing me for winter! After spending 4 days in -20 degree weather (with the windchill), it was a nice treat to come home to weather that was above zero! :) Although it was quite a shock to the system, I must admit, it was nice to see some beautiful snow after going so many months without it. Perhaps a temperature closer to zero would've been a bit nicer though. O...

What a fantastic weekend in Kitchener/Waterloo! It was my first time performing in the Tri-Cities area and I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback that we received on BOTH nights. Thank you to everyone that came out. I truly felt like I was welcomed in with open arms. I can't wait to do another show in the area! Kai, a soulful singer/songwriter from Mississauga, was a great fit as our opening...

It’s that time of year when most Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving, and I think it’s an absolutely perfect time for it! This time of year always makes me think of all the hidden wonders in this world. There is so much to be thankful for, but sometimes we get so busy that we take those things for granted. I always love taking a drive up north in the fall to see all the leaves on the trees changing...

Thanks to our incredible fans, we are currently sitting in the #1 spot on the Toronto charts for our latest album Nothing But Blue! We were ecstatic to find out about this news today (click here to see the chart). Okay, okay, so we actually share the top spot with Eminem right now...but still!! Being in the #1 spot for one of the biggest markets in Canada is a huge accomplishment for us! We wan...

Every few years, The Essentials make their way back to the place where it all began, the parking lot of the Merla Mae ice cream shop in London, ON. In the beginning, the group would sing a few songs for the line-up of patrons in front of the store in exchange for some delicious ice cream. It quickly grew into a regular gig for the group and The Essentials became a household name to Londoners. T...

On August 1st 2009, I performed my first gig with the group at the Taste of the Danforth festival in Toronto. I'm already coming up on my 1 year anniversary with the group...I can't believe how fast the time has flown by! I remember how nervous I was getting up on that stage for the first time as the newest member of The Essentials. I had some pretty big shoes to fill! But after spending so much ...

On behalf of the boys, I would like to say thank you so much to everyone who made it out to our CD Release parties in London and Toronto. We appreciate your support and are so happy that you could be part of our special occasion with us. We were overwhelmed by all of the positive feedback from the shows and the album. Although this was the fifth full-length album release for The Essentials, this ...

This just in...our brand new album!! Although our official CD Release isn't until June 12th in London, ON, we are excited to announce that our first shipment of discs arrived this weekend. It's an amazing feeling to finally see all of our hard work wrapped up into a neat little package! We hope that you will enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed creating it! :) Now I'm sure you must be th...

After many hours of writing arrangements and spending time in the studio, we are pleased to announce that our new album Nothing But Blue will be released in June! We are so excited to show all of you what we've been up to over the last few months. Some of you may be wondering how we came up with the album title name Nothing But Blue. It wasn't an easy decision to make and it took a lot of brainst...

As most of you already know, we have been working hard in the studio recording our upcoming album (check out our latest video blog for a sneak peak at one of the songs). We are excited to announce that our album is being produced and engineered by Darryl Neudorf, the former drummer for the band 54-40. He has been honoured with production credits on several albums of well known Canadian artists, i...

Love is in the air! Happy Valentines Day and Happy Family Day to all who celebrate them! I can't help but want to sing the Sister Sledge classic, "We are FAMILY, I got all my 'brajahs' with me. Hey, hey, hey! We are FAMILY!" ...Oops! Got a little carried away there. :) During this weekend of love and family, The Essentials are also showing our passion for music. We have been working hard at ou...

With a new year comes new goals, new endeavours, and...new blogs! The Essentials have been busy setting goals for 2010 and working on the new album. Since the group has taken a shift in members over the last year, I thought it might be a fun idea for you to get to know us a little better. At the end of each of my blogs this year, you will notice a section at the bottom with a little Q&A about ...