I can't wait until Chicago turns green like this again! Until then, I continue writing new songs for the next album.
Earlier this month, I wrapped up three months of studying Stevie Wonder at the University of Illinois Chicago, as their Department of Race, Diaspora and Indigineity Studies hosted their course, Wonder Lab. It was amazing to view Stevie's work and life from so many different perspectives, and to hear from the people who attended the class, including a couple of women in their 80's who had been activists during the time Stevie released his classic albums.
My final presentation did focus on his songwriting, as I brought my acoustic guitar in to give the class a deep-dive into his song, “Lately” to see how he used compositional techniques to build the song's emotional intensity.
We do have some really cool shows lined up in 2026 at venues and festivals that we haven't played before. I'm not allowed to reveal them just yet, but keep an eye on the show calendar!