Producer and Artist in Sebastian, Florida
You can now find Crash, my latest release, on all your favorite platforms, Itunes, YouTube, Spotify, Tidal, Amazon, etc. Creating this was a sonic adventure and I hope it makes you want to dance. We should all dance and sing more! Be well.
My new single, Happy is out now. And my upcoming single, Watching You, will be out in mid-July. You can pick it up in Itunes, or listen on Spotify and be sure to subscribe to my Spotify channel as I’ll be adding more music for you soon.
The chaos in today’s world can make it seem like happy is quite a distance away. For many, these past few years have been ones filled with difficult transitions. People changed jobs, moved their homes, took on new challenges, and found themselves in unexpected situations, myself included. Along my path there were times when I felt a sense of adventure and newness and in some of those moments being happy was palpable. I tried to capture that feeling in this song. It feels odd to release it when there’s so much pain in the world, but perhaps some ear candy can help soothe the savage beast if only for a brief moment. I wish you many happy moments on this journey of ours.
Thanks for supporting my work!
When I first arrived in Vero, my mom would get up early to walk her dogs, so my dog Margot and I got in the habit of joining her and subsequently upon moving to Sebastian, Margot demanded that I continue that pattern. We got in the habit of long walks in Sacramento and enjoy them here too. I use walking to connect with nature, think, be grateful and work on song ideas. During the summer, the earlier the better! It’s fun to walk the neighborhoods, watching folks getting out the door early to start work and come Friday morning, the boats start heading out and you can feel some anticipation for the weekend in the air. It was the starting point for this song which is a collection of a few sights I’ve seen, and some fun I’ve had along the way. Todd Jones and I will be back at the Kilted Mermaid November 7th from 6:30 to 9:30 pm, and we hope you can join us for an evening of entertainment!
I am thrilled to be back at the Kilted Mermaid this Sunday, October 3rd, with the wonderfully talented Todd Jones. You may have caught one of his solo performances over at Havana Nights on the beach or seen him working with other bands around town. He’s a highly skilled guitarist whose leads are a great addition to my covers and originals. We hope you can join us for an evening of fun entertainment. 1/2 off select bottles of wine! You can follow Todd’s work on Facebook at Todd Jones Music
“Singer/songwriter Kally O’Mally has only lived in the area for a short time, but she is already making a name for herself at such local hotspots as Kilted Mermaid…”
Read More: Singer/songwriter O’mally and Vero sound like a perfect fit | 32963 Features, Arts | Vero News
Thank you to Mary Schenkel and VeroNews for introducing me to the area. Come out to the Kilted Mermaid on Sunday October 3rd from 6 to 9 pm. I’ll be playing lots of your favorite songs, my fun covers and featuring Todd Jones on guitar.
I’ll be playing the Wine, Women and Song show Sunday, Sept 5th from 6 to 9pm. I have some fun new covers and originals to share and the amazing Todd Jones will be sitting in with me on guitar. Half off select bottles of wine and a rowdy good time! Come out and enjoy the evening with us.
I’ll be playing Pareidolia Brewing Company in Sebastian on Sunday, August 15th, 2021 from 3 to 6pm. I’m thrilled to have some friends sitting in on some songs and Heather will be joining in for the third set. Making music is always more fun with other musically like minded players. We’ll be in the little park with the stage, weather permitting. Come enjoy some tasty brews and entertaining tunes.
The Kilted Mermaid in Vero Beach has a lovely Sunday night series, Wine, Women & Song. Heather McRae and I are thrilled to be returning August 1st with some new songs in our set list and we’ll be ready to entertain. We appreciate all of the wonderful support of everyone who came out and if you missed the last one, be sure to catch this one. Here are some photos from July 11th:
We love what we do and are grateful for the opportunity to entertain. We’ll see you at the Kilted Mermaid August 1st. Keep an eye out for us as we add new show dates to the calendar along the Treasure Coast.
Now that I’m settled, I’m taking more time to focus on, and record my next CD. Here’s one of the tracks I’ve just wrapped up. Take a listen. I have two upcoming live performances with Heather McRae at the Kilted Mermaid in Vero Beach, FL. July 11th and August 1st, 2021 for the Sunday evening Wine, Women and Song Series.
After twenty two years in Sacramento, California, I’ve returned to Florida. The hardest part was saying goodbye to Ally and my fabulous bandmates, Paul, Ron & Zane and my community of friends. I retired from my full time job at the University of California, Davis Medical Center and relocated to be able to make music full time and be closer to family. I’ve been in my new home in Sebastian for nearly a month and am in full swing. Creativity is flowing and magic is in the air. Sebastian is beautiful. Rich with wildlife and lovely locals, a sandy terrain, and on the Indian River, Sebastian is the perfect place for me to decompress and delve into creative goals. I met a talented local finger style guitarist, Paul Goulet, and have started working on a couple of projects with him. One is a three part harmony group that focuses on the works of the Wailin’ Jenny’s, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Brandi Carlisle (to name a few) and the other is a Joni Mitchell tribute. Learning her music is a wonderful way to explore and expand the full potential of my vocal and guitar abilities. The melodies and open guitar tunings open up a new world of tonality and I’m making fast progress now that I have more time to concentrate on music. I’m so grateful that life lined up in such a way that I was able to take the leap and grab this opportunity.
To celebrate my move, I spent a day indulging in one of my favorite guilty pleasures, writing a cheesy pop song. Just call me DJ Swiss Cheddar! You might recall Dave Matthew’s song, Crash Into Me, which was released in 1996. I was struck by how the music, lyrics and melody worked so well in that piece and wanted to write something similar but didn’t know how I could pull that off successfully. That’s a long time for an idea to percolate and the result is above.
Keep an eye out for me in the Treasure Coast area and be well! ~ Kally
2018 was spent learning lots of new music and moving through some transitions. I was lucky to get to spend some time with family over the holidays and to have a little bit of respite from my job, which I spent making music. In addition to writing pop/americana/rockabilly types of songs, I also have an alter ego, DJ K-OM who creates electronica. You can check out my latest, Jellybean here:
Ally and I have some shows coming up. Friday, January 18th, we’ll be at the Fox and Goose with According to Bazooka!
And Feb 8th, we’re opening Kevin BaconFest at the Torch Club. You do not want to miss this! BaconFest is a blast. 6 local bands playing some of your favorite hits from Kevin Bacon movies.
We look forward to seeing you in 2019!
The O’Mally Sisters: Kally & Ally will be playing tonight’s WEAVE Benefit at the Fox and Goose in Sacramento. The show starts at 5 and we take the stage at 7:40 and look forward to entertaining you. The organizers are also accepting donations for victims of the Camp Fire. Our hearts go out to all affected by these fires and we appreciate the hard work and sacrifices that the firefighters, police and first responders have made in getting folks and animals out of harm’s way. We look forward to seeing you tonight!
We’re back at the Goose on Friday night, August 31st and we would love to have you join us. Gavin Canaan and Ollie Morrish will get things rolling at 9pm and the 8 Tracks and I will be doing some of the new songs from my forthcoming album as well as some of my favorite covers. You gotta have faith when things get crazy so you can make a little magic or end up just another rolling stone dreaming about your very own Bobby McGee… I’m thrilled to have my sister Ally (Allyson Tretheway) joining us that evening. She’s got skills! #rockandrollviolin. She and I will be back at the Goose in our duo formation, “The O’Mally Sisters: Kally & Ally” on September 15th. We all look forward to seeing you soon.
I’ve been busy writing new songs and recording new material. I love the production and engineering aspect of making music. So I’ve been studying up, buying and using new plugins and getting better on the instruments. It’s been over a year since the last CD was released and the band and I have been working on learning enough cover material to have a good four sets of music. Our mix of covers to originals is about 50/50 and I’m always learning and adding more covers and writing new material. I learned several Janis Joplin songs last year and I find that when I’m delving into an artist, that I pickup stylistic gems that end up getting incorporated into my own new songs. I’m currently in my Linda Ronstadt phase and learning a bunch of her tunes. Though it was written by Little Feat, Linda’s version of Willin is one of my favorite songs at the moment. I just love singing that song.
I’ll be back at the Fox and Goose this Saturday my band The 8-Tracks. Blame the Bishop and Stephen Ruderman will be joining us on the bill. Come out and have a pint and a night of great music! 9:00 PM, 5 Dollar cover.
Keep checking back, I’ll have some new music out soon!
“Houston, Houston means that I’m one day closer to you. Oh honey, Houston, Houston means the last day of the tour and we’re through.”- the Gatlin Brothers.
This song was one of my favorites when I was young.
One of the reasons I write so many weather related songs is because I survived Hurricane Andrew. I was with my family in Homestead, FL and we briefly walked outside during the eye to see whether or not we were gonna make it through the second half of the storm. We were lucky. Andrew was a fast moving storm that was over in several hours, and we had massive wind damage as a result but it’s the flooding that puts lives at greater risk during a hurricane.
It took awhile for help to arrive but when it did we were so relieved. We had military personnel, state troopers and public utility personnel arriving from all over the Southern United States to assist. It was an incredibly chaotic time, but seeing those people who sacrificed their own personal comfort to help us, restored our faith in humanity and filled us with gratitude.
The folks in Houston need our support. If you’re able, please consider donating to the Red Cross Hurricane Harvey Relief fund or any other credible fund like Samaritans Purse or the Houston Humane Society. I’ve posted a few links here. Do your own research as to which organization you’d like to support. Even the Cajun Navy needs money, but do please give if you can.
http://www.houstonhumane.org/giving
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/disaster/hurricane-harvey/
http://cajunrelief.org/donate/
The SPCA of Texas is looking for support via fostering. http://www.spca.org
Austin Pets Alive is looking for donations and fostering. https://www.austinpetsalive.org
Hang in there Houston! And a heart felt thank you to each and every public servant, good neighbor and charity who has shown up to help during this time of great need.
Kally O’Mally & the 8-Tracks
Sacramento just hit the Top 25 Cities to Live In list and our musicians and artists are not surprised. We’ve been talking about how lucky we are to live here for years. There are some great local hot spots featuring live music including local and touring artists. The Torch, Fox and Goose and Old Ironsides can easily quench your live music cravings. In these venues you’ll feel a bit more intimately connected to the performers, and when the house is packed, the fun is infectious. All three are home to fantastic local acts such as Loose Engines, Danny Morris and the the California Stars, 50 Watt Heavy, Joy and Madness, Mike Blanchard and the Californios, to name a few. For bigger acts coming through there’s Harlow’s and Ace of Spades and that’s not even taking into consideration the large venues such as the new Golden One Center. Hello Lady Gaga and Neil Diamond!!
The 8-Tracks and I will be at Old Ironsides on August 25th playing some new songs and some fun crowd favorites like “Time To Break All the Rules” and “Still Got the Honey.” Come out and have some fun!
Danny Morris and the California Stars playing at The Shack in East Sacramento.
Loose Engines at The Torch
As a songwriter and performer, nothing makes me happier than when people are dancing or singing along to my music. If you can inspire one to dance or sing along, you’ve hit the root of community, gone beneath the surface and found connection. When we make music and dance together we celebrate our life and for a few sweet moments we can let go of our burdens and instead, take a spin. I love to dance and have recently gotten back into social dancing in Sacramento. The social dance scene here is thriving and it’s a sight to behold. The first time I went I felt a sense of being transported back in time. I was struck by how healthy it is to have a place where we can all come together and dance. I hope listening to A Love Like This makes you want to dive into your local social dancing scene. Take a twirl! Huge shoutout to Musik and Film Records, specifically Stephen Wrench, producer and co-writer!
Photo credit Getty Images and Vladimir Pustovit http://tinyurl.com/jtk9bjw
“On the radio… On the radio-O”
“Day and night, you’ve done me wrong.
Left me captured and aching my tender heart breaking.
this pain has lasted so long.
I’m so blue lonely without you
blue lonely without you.
blue lonely without you.
The trumpet from the corner
sings a likeness of you.
The moon has gone, she hides her face
maybe patience can change my fate.
I’m so blue lonely without you
blue lonely without you.
The streetlamp shines her soft light
in the darkness of my pain.
I thought I saw your silhouette
how your memory remains.”
This song was born out of jam session I attended in downtown Sacramento. We kept returning to the theme and I came up with the words and refined it over time to what you hear now. I’m thrilled to see Blue Lonely getting airplay on Vittek Tape and Records in Italy, Adelaide’s Coast 88.7 FM, Londrina Hits in South America, KTEQ FM, RSU Radio, Bundaberg Community Radio and Smooth Jazz South Florida to name a few. Hello Oceania! Thank you to Stephen Wrench and the team at Musik and Film for getting my material out on the airwaves.
You can purchase Blue Lonely via these links:
I’m working on a new blues song now, “She Learns The Hard Way” and I look forward to getting you more of my music! Thanks for the support. Stay safe and stay tuned!
Blog image used under creative commons license 2.0
So much is happening. My music has been re-released on Cinderella Records, Sony Entertainment (Germany) and my new publishing company is set, O’Mally/Tabitha Publishing.
I’ve finished mixing 11 new instrumentals which I’d love to have released by the end of this year. It will be off to mastering with Professor David Houston in the next few weeks and then I’ll focus on the artwork.
I’ve re-edited the video’s for Easy Money and Texas Rain and am preparing for this Saturday night’s show at Luna’s here in Sacramento, featuring Carey Seward at 8:00, myself at 9:oo and Jenn Rogar at 10 pm.
Magic happens to artists when we cross into other artistic fields. I got back into painting after my divorce. The pain of divorce left me feeling as though I might not ever be able to make music again. It was as if there was no strength left in my diaphragm, like I had been kicked in the gut. I couldn’t even look at my guitar without feeling slightly ill.
I was sharing my house with a professional artist friend and he had paints and extra canvasses and encouraged me to get back into it. As soon as I picked up the brush and started working with the colors and mediums I found myself swimming in that same feeling of timelessness I get from making music. It’s like a field of potential energy watching color fall onto its body.
It took me over a year to be able to pick up my guitar and close to 18 months before I could eek out a tune again. Painting helped make me whole. It helped me feel the vibrancy and vigor of celebrating life and when I did finally find my way back to my voice, it was there as strong as ever, ready to rock and roll.
My paintings will be installed in Luna’s Cafe and Juice Bar for the months of August and September, 1414 N Street, Sacramento. I’ll be performing in two separate shows those months, August 22nd and September 12th. I look forward to meeting you!
P.S. A Shout Out to the amazing Dr. Huong Bach (UC Davis) for reminding me that the heart heals on it’s own time.
Tips for musicians who work day jobs:
1. Return to gratitude as frequently as possible. Gratitude expands the heart and opens possibilities whereas resentment, frustration and discontent block creative flow.
2. Downplay gossip, it eats the soul and fuels discontent so avoid it at all costs.
3. Find a couple of good friend coworkers who appreciate all of your talents and your super hard working nature. This is especially important if they make you laugh or bring out your silly side.
4. Try to catalog the funny office moments that may fuel or spark a song. There’s a ton of great relating examples in the workplace. What can be culled from those lessons and applied towards your craft?
5. Know that you’re setting a powerful example for your child (if you have children) as a responsible parent who remains dedicated to your artistry.
6. Know that people in the community respect you. Most people give up their dream along the way but you have found a way to contribute to and work with society without sacrificing your artistic integrity.
7. Find the aspects of the job you do like and try to grow those areas and minimize the annoyances if possible.
8. Return to number one.
9. Fake it til you make it.
10. Retire as soon as possible. Focus on your plan for the future and manifesting your personal goals.
I have enormous respect for musicians who continue to do what they’ve got to do to support their families. Ultimately I’d like to see a better balance and monetary infusion for artists, in the form of generous grants.., something! Until then you’re a fierce soldier of your craft!
Featured image used under a creative commons 2.0 license from Flickr
Photo by Paul Hudson
I’ve hatched a new one. This is fresh from the mental factory and there are three main components driving this song. At Monday night’s Fox and Goose open mic in Sacramento, I heard a performer effectively use the “repeat the same line 4 times technique” and I realized that I typically avoid that technique in my writing. I like to go somewhere with the story and resist singing the same line. He challenged me to write a song this week using that approach… so I did!
Carey Seward played Ani Difranco’s, “Both Hands” that night and that’s one of my favorite songs of Ani’s so I wanted to capture just a touch of that element as well. And finally, another local songwriter, Allison Hallenbeck recently wrote a song with lyrics that impressed me so much I practically fell out of my chair. So I thought of Allison and her lyric effectiveness as I pulled this together.
Carey is a songwriter from Alaska who has recently joined the music community here in Sacramento and she’s got oodles of talent. Allison is a ukulele goddess with a sweet soprano voice. Both frequent several open mic’s around the Sacramento region.
The second verse came first and then came the chorus and then the last two verses and ironically the first verse was the most difficult to write, but it’s so true that it sticks with me like butter.
2 Week Update: I’ve changed the chorus. It was too annoying. It’s become:
This ain’t working anymore.
This ain’t working like before.
The time has come to close the door
cause this ain’t working anymore.
There’s a girl from Kentucky, with dreams as big as the blue sky.
She was raised to stand strong and tall, she was taught that she could fly and have it all.
I spent 6 hours on Saturday morning creating this video for Fly. It’s really amazing what you can do with stock footage clips and a video editor.
Sometimes things come together so well, it’s almost magical. The Kentucky girls dreams carry her away, while the young man from Tennessee sees his future clearly. Let me know what you think and don’t be afraid to Fly!
Update: I entered this video into the Beat100 charts and have won a silver medal for creating a high quality video! Yay!
The struggle of all working artists who haven’t broken through the surface of their craft’s domain is the day job. All those years of music education to be a secretary… and have a bed to sleep in, a pot to piss in, and maybe with enough hard work, you’ll manage to break through, but at least you won’t be sleeping on the street somewhere dreaming about the would have could haves.
Some dreams die easily. I’m not going to be a famous dancer, doctor or a National Geographic investigative journalist which were dreams that lit up like a firefly and burned out fast. But I do have a particular set of skills that have grown into an ability from a teeny tiny little mustard seed and that ability continues to carry the root of who I am and what I have to offer. That’s where this song comes from.
Flaming needles prick the darkness, hosed down halls that house the heartless, two pills in a paper cup, liquid soul, drink it up.
The Institution describes the cognitive dissonance I feel in my day job. It doesn’t even matter what the day job, so it’s not tied to my current organization of employment. I know I’m not the only one….
This is my latest song baby. She was born the first weekend in May and came back from Mastering a week ago. She is definitely one of my more inspired pieces. What does that mean? It means that everything came quickly and easily from the words to the sounds to the recording. I played around awhile with the mix using different vocal effects and ended up happy with a clean version, just a touch of reverb.
The lyrics of this song haunt me. I got up Saturday morning and watched the Bruce Jenner/Diane Sawyer interview and the idea that we all just want to be “free” really stuck with me. I think the darker imagery stems from realizing that Bruce had been struggling with this issue for so many years. For me “Free” represents the deep unabating desire we have to reach self actualization and fulfillment. That’s really the American Dream is it not?
Never have I been more thankful for my teachers and technique, than in Sacramento’s glorious spring. A layer of gold pollen covers cars, the trees are blooming and colorful flower petals float back in forth in the light valley breeze. Everywhere I look, there’s flowers, poppies, roses, lavender, dandelions, mustard and wild weeds. It’s beautiful here and it’s beauty has been a muse to many an artist beit painter or composer.
What does it mean for a singer with notorious hay fever? Having a good understanding of the typical physiological response to allergens and a plan of action, is so important. Last year I tried a new product, Sensimist by Flonase and I have finally found real relief. I still get some breakthrough sneezing so an Allegra on top does the trick. Kudos to Flonase for coming up with this fabulous product.
I do my best to head it off early but sometimes still miss the mark. My toolbox contains:
It’s a well known and ongoing issue which is why understanding the physiological response to allergens is so important for singers. The natural inclination is to become tense and press- but don’t! Just don’t!
Relax, fall back. retreat, do some easy ooohs and gentle well placed eeees – resist the temptation to panic and consider your antihistamines and environment. Listen to the people around you. So many of the workers in my office have raspy sounding voices at the moment and my best buddy told me she couldn’t even sing the hymns in church on Sunday. So I know it’s related to the environment and to rely on my understanding of my instrument and careful technique.
There are a few things I’ve done to make it easier performance wise as well:
As soon as we bust 100 degrees it gets better. But look at these guys, is it any wonder??
They’re like little assholes, standing poised to ruin your spring performances.
When you feel their affects, proceed with caution, go back to the gentle basics of good singing technique and if that’s not enough:
If you can afford an allergist and can handle the shots that may eliminate the whole ordeal, and local bee honey is supposed to help as well. But if not be patient, summers coming!
If you haven’t caught David Houston and String Theory, make it a point to get to one of their gigs. I’ve nicknamed David, Professor Houston because his talent deserves that level of respect. As a songwriter I have a particular affinity for wordsmiths and this man is a genius. The way he turns a phrase will catch you off guard and open your heart before you’ve realized what’s happened and then here comes String Theory with a sweeping line to lift you out of the mechanics of the lyrics and into the job that music is meant to do – move you to another level, another hemisphere, another view. Several times during their performance I marveled that this combination is so powerful and effective. It’s vibrational open heart surgery, hits you in the nostalgic area of your gut, but the strings and arrangement saves you. They hold you up, help you feel and keep you from falling too far down. That’s the feeling of an open heart.
It doesn’t get any tastier than this delightful pairing of aural pleasure. Solid song structure, expert musicianship and powerful lyricism that at one point brought up a few tears. Now that caught me off guard, I can’t recall when a performance delivered that kind of punch, hence this post. Kudos Prof Houston & String Theory, I look forward to your next gig! Stay informed: http://www.davidhouston.com
Marvin Gaye’s family won the lawsuit to the tune of 7.5 million dollars. So now Thicke and Williams have to pony up the loot. I’m a songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist and producer who strives for originality. Now nothing in songwriting is purely original. Most of us stick to the Western scale system and use I, IV, V as the root of our music. Different formula’s for different styles but the fundamental platform in which we write a song has been an established paradigm for years. So then what’s the problem? The business wants Mimicry! Repetition and for you to make it sound familiar! One need only look to Glam Metal to see the obvious….lol.
Making music is a huge business where ridiculous profits are possible (not probable for most). Promoting the new and unique is akin to risk taking and like any big business, they’re risk averse. They want to continue to reap profits from a proven method. It’s understandable. Fear of losing one’s paycheck is enough to incentivize them to want to err on the side of caution, so everything soon starts to sound the same. Follow the rules, sound like someone popular, get to the hook fast, have production that sounds like the pro-sounds that the major houses put out. One of the best examples of this is the Nashville sound, which has pretty much ruined country music. The commercially produced music coming out of Nashville is sounding like pre-packaged meals, looks great on the outside, but inside it’s bland. As long as the standard operating paradigm for the music business continues to be “do what has been done before,” we’ll continue to see judgements such as this.
We love songwriting for the framework, it’s like you’re given free range to roam within a certain set of rules and boundaries. But there’s nothing new in the universe, so being creative is a challenge. As a voice student, I was taught to never try to sound like anyone else, but to discover and cultivate my own sound. The same approach applies to my songwriting craft. I sonically isolate myself from popular music or even any music at all when I’m creating and let the words drive the melody. Even with all safeguards, it’s still possible to end up with something that may sound a bit like something else.
To intentionally create music that sounds like something else flies in the face of true artistry, but we can’t help but wonder if the jury had really been peers of Thicke and Williams (meaning a jury of fellow songwriters) would the outcome have been the same? I can easily distinguish the cowbell rhythm differences, and other major differences, but could the jury?
I use a submission service to place my music and I’d like to give you a little taste of my last rejection from Warner as it demonstrates this paradigm: “Hi Kally, First I want to say you are a true artist/writer. I admire when an artist is not afraid to do something new. The problem is, we work with straight middle America pop and RnB. I wouldn’t know where to begin to place your project so for that reason, I have to pass. If in the future I receive an opportunity that fits your style of music I’ll reach out to you.” I’ll take the rejection over watering down my artistic integrity any day.
I’d be willing to bet that many artists get worn down over time and eventually bend to what the business wants, which is guaranteed profits. It would be all to easy to sacrifice that integrity for the idea of “success” which is something every composer/producer must face.
The Medicine Show rides again! Though it’s live on most music distribution platforms, I recommend getting it at bandcamp for just 7$. http://kallyomally.bandcamp.com/album/kally-omallys-wild-west-medicine-show It’s a wild ride through falling barstools, shady medicine men, a hotel with a phone that doesn’t work and some transition easing buorbon. I’ll be announcing the CD release show here shortly and will have the physical copies delivered early next week. If you would like a physical copy, send me an email and I’ll get one to you via mail.
I’ve already starting working on new material for the next one and still am working on getting the instrumentals out. If only there were more than 24 hours in a day or I didn’t need to sleep.
Stay safe, stay happy and stay on yer barstool!
Big hugs and thank you!
Kally O’Mally
I’m terribly impatient. I want to release these as I get them recorded and don’t have anything keeping me from doing that. Freedom is a beautiful thing. I’ll eventually pull them all together into a CD format and hopefully manage to keep a few songs a surprise.
My family is from Ashland Kentucky and my Granny and I had an especially close relationship. She was an amazing and entertaining lady. She would talk about how beautiful Kentucky was and how she ached to return to the land of her roots.
When she was in the assisted living facility she was a hoot. I was visiting with her one afternoon and she was telling me about what was happening with the lady she shared the room with and somehow we started talking about Kentucky and she said, “Oh, what I wouldn’t give for some KY bourbon. Just a taste would be sooo good.” and I said, “Granny, I can take care of that for you right now. There’s no good reason why you can’t have yourself a little swig of bourbon if you want it.” You could see her eyes just light up at the thought and then she said, “Oh, no…no. I just couldn’t,” “Yes, Granny, yes, you can. It’ll only take me a moment to run to a package store and get you some!” She refused. It was a funny moment that stuck with me. So this song is for her. I tried to capture her passion and love for the state and I accidentally made up a word, which I can fix in editing – I’m just not sure I want to.
Lyrics:
Give me bourbon on my deathbed
fill my cup, before I die.
In that cup, I place my solace and the
secrets of my life.
Kentucky bourbon on my deathbed
when the bells begin to chime
Oh the devil comes a callin,
If I drink before it’s time.
Give me God that sweet refreshment
it’s like horses running wild
through the bluegrass fields of heaven
as I cross the great divide.
One last kiss of pure delightment –
one last taste upon my tongue,
for this land has been my heaven,
Kentucky bourbon take me home.
Kentucky bourbon take me home.
I’m terribly impatient. I want to hold back until the whole CD is finished, but I can’t wait to share when I think I’m onto something. I guess the great thing about being an indie musician/producer is that you don’t have someone telling you not to do something. So here it is. I typically close out my shows with Two Days Gone as it’s a natural fit. I love to sing and play this song live. And I admit to being somewhat twisted. When I wrote this song, it was with the intent of writing the “complete” country-blues song. It had to have certain elements (I think I even collected a list of these words before finally writing the lyrics), trains, a gun shot, lightning and a shack, red clay roads, Alabama and Memphis, family drama, someone in jail, someone in heaven, a bar, a hotel and a twenty.
The photo is by Pat Henson and can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/80297647@N00/2275352946
Two Days Gone by Kally O’Mally
I got crippled back in Memphis when Bessie
shot me in the knee.
Lightnin hit our run down shack and I was
begging God to please, take me now I’ve had enough
I can’t take another day. So I packed it on up and took
the south bound train.
Whoa Momma’s gone to heaven.
Bessie’s all locked up in jail.
Papa ain’t been seen nor heard from for the
past fifteen years.
I’m sleeping here in this cheap hotel.
Girls in short skirts hanging out in the stairwell.
Down on my luck ain’t got nothing,
nothing to sell.
Chorus:
I’m two days gone, so all alone, no
dial tone on the telephone,
holes in the wall, no one to call, no one at all.
So I made my way to a bar named Sam’s
Deep down in southern Alabama.
Where the land is red and there’s fools a plenty
bought me some beer, spent the last of my twenty.
Gonna find me the reaper he’ll have plenty to sow.
Gonna pack it all up, it’s the end.
Gonna pack it all up, it’s the end, end of the road.
Kally O'Mally 