Hello Everyone,

Greetings from a midsummer's dream. Here in Virginia, wineberry season is winding down. Greens are leaning into gold. The pale blue chicory is periwinkling on the edge of Red August. My mind pants in the shade, waiting for smoke to clear, enough to be…here. 

Firstly, I'm sending out a great big thanks to everyone who's contributed to the fundraiser for my new album House Tears. We're 72% of the way to the $10k needed to cover the basics of recording, mixing, and mastering. Can you help nudge this project towards its goal? Donations of any amount, digital pre-orders, and commissions for handwritten lyrics or original songs are all a big help. Details can be found at dianecluck.info/help-fund-new-album.

The economy of making records must surely look mysterious from the outside. I'll summarize by saying that very few record labels are funding artists' recordings these days. The US National Endowment of the Arts gives grants to organizations, not individuals. And Spotify payouts don't come close to covering my costs of paying musicians and engineers professional rates for their work. House Tears is sounding so good (to my ears!) and I still hope to release it this fall. To finish these recordings I truly need the support of people like you who appreciate what I do! Thank you.

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On September 2nd my next 12-Week Songwriting Workshop begins (info/ register). We'll meet on Saturdays from 10am-12pm ET through November 18th, 2023. It's currently half full, so there's room for six more songwriters to join us. 

Why join a workshop? The more I talk with people one-on-one about their creative challenges, the more I encounter these common themes: Overwhelm with regards to media and information. Self-doubt along the lines of “Am I good enough? / Why bother?” The feeling of creating in a vaccuum without a sense of feedback or community. Desiring a framework for attainable goals like finishing a song or making a recording.

This is where group work really shines. It's been an honor to guide seven groups through this series since early 2021. Each time it's been a joy to watch a gathering of individuals grow into a unique body of co-supportiveness. So many beautiful songs have been made from these sessions! This 12-week workshop is for those with no prior experience as well as seasoned musicians/writers, and these mixed groups have worked well. Please don't be shy. Any questions? / Give it a try!

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Northeast US Fall Tour
What a sweet bouquet of small venues I'll be visiting this fall. More info to be filled in as known on my events page. You can also follow me on Bands In Town to be notified when I'm playing in your area.

Oct. 7th: Lancaster, PA - Lancaster Farmacy (info to come)
Oct. 8th: Philly, PA - The Perch Music & Arts (3:30pm w/ joy burklund / tix)
Oct. 9th: Queens, NY - Trans Pecos (7:30pm w/ AC Diamond / tix)
Oct. 11th: Woodstock, NY - Graveside Variety (6pm / tix)
Oct. 12th: Becket, MA - Dreamaway Lodge (7pm / by donation)
Oct. 13th: *Keene, NH - Nova Arts (info to come)
Oct. 14th: *Burlington, VT - Radio Bean - (7pm w/ Eric George / tix)
Oct. 15th: Somerville, MA - Green Gables (daytime house concert / tix)
Oct. 16th: *Kittery, ME - Buoy Gallery (info to come)
Oct. 17th: *New Bedford, MA - Hewn Boutique (info to come)
Thank you if you're able to offer clean, cat-free accommodation in the places above marked with a *

In preparation for tour dates I've made another small run of 100% cotton tees, tanks, and totes featuring my line art from Oh Vanille / ova nil. They're also back in my online store for mail orders (US shipping only): dianecluck.info/store

This is an imperial moth. It recently surprised me by ornamenting my door frame for two days of what is said to generally be a seven-day life span. Imperial moths do not eat. They reproduce and then pass away. 

Thank you, everyone. This is my news for now. Wishing all of us the best of care out there. Been cooking anything good? Below I'm including a beloved family recipe that I've already made three times this summer. It's so very easy. (Fresh or frozen can be swapped in for the canned foods.)

Golden Heartednesses,
Diane

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