New Album 'Hydraulics' Just Released

‘Hydraulics’ Album Artwork by Mariana Flores of Created Designs

My new album ‘Hydraulics’ just released today, so I wanted to write a little bit here on the blog for those who are interested! The new song “Well” was inspired by Ephesians 3:17-19, Psalm 78:4, John 4:14, and more. I also wrote it after having recently read a book that studied the Hebrew word “hesed.” Track 6, “Peace,” is another Rich Mullins cover co-produced with my friend Maelah! The last track, “Keys,” is an acoustic version of one of the very first songs that I wrote in high school. A few people from completely different areas of my life had asked for a version on Spotify, etc. recently, so I thought I would give it a go (there is still a Youtube video with the original version of the song if you scroll way back haha). It’s crazy how lessons learned years ago are still applicable for me today, in the best way. I’ll include the full credits and track list below!

There is a lot more I can say about how the title came to be and how it connects to the songs, etc. but I’m going to just keep this brief for now!

Thank you so much to everyone who played a role in bringing this project to life. Thank you, thank you so much to anyone who is reading this and/or has listened. I truly appreciate it. I pray that something in here will be a blessing to you, and all glory to God!

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Credits:

Tracks 1-5, 7-10 written and produced by Rorie

“Surf” mixed by Warren David, guitars by Josiah Kreidler

Cello on “Beautiful Savior” by Gaylyn Foto

“Peace” written by Rich Mullins and co-produced by and featuring Maelah (piano, keys, bgvs)

Album mastered by Berlin at The Loft Studio LA

Artwork and design for album cover and “Beautiful Savior,” “Surf” singles by Mariana Flores of Created Designs

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Track List:

1. Surf

2. Beautiful Savior

3. Air I Need

4. Hidden in my Heart

5. Be Still

6. Peace

7. Well

8. How Much Love?

9. Audience of One

10. Keys (Acoustic)

Link to Album:

https://wingsmusic.lnk.to/Hydraulics

"Air I Need" & "Hidden in my Heart"

Hi! Here are a couple more “stories behind the songs.” The latest from the 'Hydraulics' album is "Air I Need,” which is a devotional praise song that was written after a season of severe asthma (something that I have dealt with at various times in life since I was young, mainly due to environmental allergies). A side note here is that the album title ‘Hydraulics’ also points to the human circulatory system, amongst other things. Maybe I’ll geek out about that later lol. Anyways, since breathing is a theme in my life - and especially over these past few years - I have enjoyed studying various parts of Scripture that reference breath and breathing (and their context)!

• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (ESV)

  • Study of this verse showed me that the Greek word used there means “God breathed.” Some translations say “inspired by” or “given by inspiration of,” but it is very cool to realize the more accurate meaning. The Scripture is Holy Spirit inspired / “breathed out” by God. So when thinking about breathing in as a human, I want to breathe in the Word. This is the air I need. :)

• In Acts 17:25, Paul says “Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.” (NKJV) This is one of many verses that shows God being the giver of breath and life. This section emphasizes turning from idol worshipping to worship the true God - “for in Him we live and move and have our being” Acts 17:28.

• I was also studying Daniel recently and noticed an interesting phrase that relates to this. As Daniel is explaining the meaning of the mysterious “writing on the wall” to king Belshazzar, he warns him saying that “…you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified” Daniel 5:23 (NKJV). Although this is a warning, the concept of God holding our breath in His hand is very notable.

• Genesis 2:7 “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (NKJV). Of course the creation account mentions this!

• The book of Job mentions the breath of life in a couple of memorable places. One of these verses, Job 33:4 is something that I usually see by itself, though it has very interesting context otherwise. Elihu is speaking to Job and says “The Spirit of God has made me, And the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” (NKJV) This is definitely a powerful statement and draws the connection between breath and the Holy Spirit, which is amazing since the book of Job is likely one of the earliest written in the Bible.

• Psalm 150:6 “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!”

• Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.” (NKJV) This is a phrase that is included as a kind of echo in this song and it is also prominent in another song that will release soon. Of course Psalm 23 is one of the most quoted Psalms, and for good reason. I was talking with someone about a challenge in my life and she reminded me of this verse in reference to a story that she had heard from someone else. The basic gist was that if things happened one way then God’s goodness and mercy would be following after them, and if they happened another way then God’s goodness and mercy would still be following after them. This may seem like a simple statement but for me it went deep into my heart. In the end, the Lord is my Shepherd and my life is His.

There are so many other verses that reference breathing, the Holy Spirit, and God being our sustainer, but it would take pages to mention all of them! There are some that I remembered but didn’t include in this post, and I’m sure there are some that I could have mentioned but didn’t think to. There are countless hidden treasures in the Bible that I have barely scratched the surface of. I am still learning and will never stop learning! It is just fun to write about as these are things that excite me! That being said, here are some verses that inspired the other new song “Hidden in my Heart:"

• Psalm 119:11 “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”

• Psalm 119 in general.

• John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

• John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

• John 1:17 “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

• John 6:68-69 “But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Link to songs: https://wingsmusic.lnk.to/AirINeedHiddeninmyHeart

story behind the song "Surf"

The next single off of the upcoming album ‘Hydraulics’ is called “Surf” and it just released! I was inspired to write this from a quote/devotional that I’ll share below. My friend Camilla texted me the quote one day and I had no intention of writing a song about it, but this chorus came to mind and was stuck in my head for literally days because it was so applicable to life. Hope it speaks to you too. Thanks for listening!

“…the bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary, a love we never can and never shall merit. Paul says this is the reason we are more than conquerors in all these things, super-victors, with a joy we would not have but for the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us. The surf that distresses the ordinary swimmer produces in the surf-rider the super joy of going clean through it. Apply that to our own circumstances, these very things – tribulation, distress, persecution, produce in us the super joy; they are not things to fight. We are more than conquerors through Him in all these things, not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. (…) “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation,” says Paul. Undaunted radiance is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can alter. The experiences of life, terrible or monotonous, are impotent to touch the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Oswald Chambers

“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Links to the song: https://wingsmusic.lnk.to/Surf

Lyric video:

story behind the song "Beautiful Savior"

Wanted to share a little bit about my new song “Beautiful Savior” - which is the next song off of an upcoming album, ‘Hydraulics,’ that releases in full this August!

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I’ve gone back and forth about how much to share about the story behind this song, at the risk of sounding dramatic or distracting from its meaning. But I think it’s worth sharing! One recent Easter/ Resurrection Sunday morning around 3:30am I found myself in the ER again for asthma. I’m thankfully doing better now, glory to God. While this was minor in comparison to many things that happen in the world, it definitely gave me a moment to think. I was sitting there thinking about how Jesus knew what was going to happen to Him and yet still chose to die for us, even while we were so undeserving. He went through unimaginable suffering and paid the price for our sins so that no matter where we have been or what we have done, we can have new life and eternal life through believing in and following after Him. All because of who He is and what He has done! Not only did He pay the price for us, but He conquered death and rose again! Sitting there in that ER room on that particular day of the year in a broken world, the beauty of the Gospel was so clear. I was/am in awe of Jesus. And even though I was far from being able to physically sing that morning, “Beautiful Savior” was the song in my heart and the lyrics that I started writing down. | “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!” Psalm 150:6

Thank you for reading <3 The next song, “Surf,” will be here on May 16th!

Links to the song here: https://wingsmusic.lnk.to/BeautifulSavior

introducing the newest member of our family :)

Hello and Happy Summer! Hope this quick blog post finds you doing well. We have a very exciting family update that we have been keeping close since December. This year, Steven and I became parents through adoption!!!

Our sweet son Azariah (nickname: “A-Z”) is such a blessing to us and everyone who knows him!!! We praise God for the miracle and blessing of his precious life ❤️

‘STONES OF REMEMBRANCE’ - STORY BEHIND THE ALBUM

Hi Friends,

Thanks for being here! I haven’t sent out a mailing list update for a little while now, and felt compelled to write a short update here.

In case ya missed it, my second album ‘Stones of Remembrance’ released in full last fall! I made a podcast style YouTube video to share more about it, so I’ll leave a link here if you’re interested in that kind of thing! We also filmed a homemade music video for one of the main singles ‘Still Small Voice’ (which is my first song to include a live saxophone 🎷, which I was pretty excited about haha).

Thanks so much for listening to the songs. More music/collabs in the works <3

With much love and God bless!

Second Album Website

Hello! Thanks for being here! Figured I’d quickly update this blog to let you know that I am currently releasing a new album one song at a time! I created a separate page on this website to share updates and more about the heart behind the album. I especially wanted there to be a place for those who aren’t on social media to check for updates and interact with the stories behind the songs, etc. The page is full of details, reflections, and options to support the making of new music, so if you want to know more then head on over to roriemusic.com/secondalbum!! (I meant to post this earlier in the year but just found it sitting in my drafts box. Thanks so much for listening to the new songs!!)

roriemusic.com/secondalbum

Intro to my new EP 'Resonate'

First single (title track “Resonate”) releases Friday, August 27!

Hello! I’m about to release a new project, so I shared a little intro post on social media. Here’s the text for those who have found it here on my blog:

At the end of 2020, I was going through a heartbreaking miscarriage after what had already been a pretty challenging year for a number of reasons. 2021 came along and there was still a chill in the air. Not only was I processing my own life, but found myself walking beside friends and family who were enduring some unimaginable circumstances. Like many people, I could probably write pages about everything that happened in the last year and a half (but that’s for another day)! Through it all, I found myself singing new songs and waking up to write lyrics in the middle of the night because, quite honestly, I needed to whether I was going to share them or not…

What resulted is a new EP called ‘Resonate,’ which is a collection of hymns, spiritual songs and worship songs - four originals and two classics that you may recognize! The title track “Resonate” is a worship song, and was produced in Nashville by Jordan Sapp (he also produced my previously released songs “Cadence” and “Love Alive!”). The other five out of six songs were produced by me, alone in my home studio (a passion that I have rediscovered these past several months!)

As an artist, I’ve always promised myself that the songs I wrote would be honest. I long ago decided that if I wrote music that came from an honest place, then those who resonated with each individual song or album would find it somewhere along the way. The tracks on ‘Resonate’ were what I needed to create these past several months while processing both pain and hope. When creating this music, I kept having this thought that maybe there was someone - even if just one person - who was going through something during this tumultuous year and needed these songs too.

Amazing Grace. This is what I hope will be present in these songs. And if they are something that will bless you and be meaningful to you, then I hope you will find them and share them with anyone you know! The first single, which is also the title track, “Resonate,” will be out next Friday, August 27 !! and then the full EP in early September! Can’t wait to share. Thanks for reading, and more soon 🧡 With Love, Rorie

'Valley in the Mirror' - Story Behind the Album

Dear Friends,

Hello! I’m in the process of finishing up some new music to release later this year, and I just remembered that I wanted to share the “Story Behind the Song” video that I made for my most recent album, ‘Valley in the Mirror.’ I posted this YouTube video in April 2020, but wanted to add it to the blog as well. To be honest, I meant to do that a long time ago, but better late than never :) The album was released on the last day of January in 2020, which was in some ways perfect timing, and in other ways crazy timing. Right before lockdown and, well, right before lockdown lol! It was so fun to create and release this album (funded by Kickstarter), and I loved creating a little podcast-style backstory. Anyway, you may have already seen it, but here it is:

Two new songs released this fall!

Dear Friends,

You may (or may not?) have seen that I released two new singles this fall…so I wanted to hop on here and share a little behind-the-scenes for both of the songs/some random and fun facts for whoever finds themselves here reading (thanks for being here, and hello)!

AVALANCHE:

My newest original “Avalanche” released a couple of weeks ago. I originally started writing this song in 2016-2018, and had thought about making it a part of my album 'Valley in the Mirror' (which released this past January, 2020!). However, this one wasn't quite ready in time, so I finished it up this summer, which seemed to make the most sense after all. "Avalanche" is a song about grieving and healing - for times when the only way around is through.

The full backstory:

A few years ago, our family went through a challenging season where we lost five relatives in a short amount of time. Four were somewhat expected (although that certainly didn’t make it easy), and one was the loss of a dear cousin, who was my age, in a tragic accident. I started to experience that feeling when the world feels upended, but everything else keeps going on as “normal.” My immediate reaction to this was to force myself to write a song about it, because songwriting has always been one of my main ways of coping with and responding to life. I soon realized that it wasn’t that easy. I had the theme and the emotion for the song, but I couldn’t write it. I would write draft after draft and end up tossing it. I was trying to use writing as an immediate way to process and grieve, but the time hadn’t passed yet. Fast forward to this year. Honestly, I stopped trying to write a super profound or monumental song, and just told it like it was. The second verse is based on a real recurring dream that I kept having, and I finally wrote my first full draft of the song after waking up crying (don’t worry, I’m ok! God is good, and sometimes these emotions are actually a beautiful and realistic part of life, no matter how unwanted or awful they may be). I’ve realized that these are the things in life that we don’t ever really move on from or get over, but rather they become a part of us. I will never forget these family members – and I will certainly be telling my kids stories about them in the years to come. It’s good to be honest about how hard these things are, and how sometimes the process takes longer than expected (and that’s ok).

The Music Video:

For the music video, my husband and I filmed it all with an iPhone, and super close to our apartment during quarantine. I also went down to the river by myself with a step stool and a bag of flowers and filmed the floral overlays. It was actually kind of funny because there were a lot of people in the park and I was standing on a step stool holding a rose into the sun and then dropping a bouquet into the river. I got a lot of curious stares and realized how much I’ve grown not to care what people think if it’s for the sake of “the art.” (I used to get SO nervous when I filmed my first videos). Here’s a goofy selfie and some screenshots of what the roses looked like before they were added to the actual video:

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Stream the song on Spotify/Apple Music/etc here: https://ffm.to/rorieavalanche

Watch the music video on YouTube in 4k:

BE THOU MY VISION:

In early September, I released my own rendition of the classic hymn "Be Thou My Vision." Though a little different in style from my other music, I've had ideas to create songs like this for years. Having played this song many times at church, I always pictured a version with just vocals, piano, and strings. I can still remember one of the first times that I sang this song, standing in a pew as a kid. I remember thinking that it was one of the most beautiful melodies I had ever heard, and being amazed at how timeless and worshipful it sounded hearing everyone sing together. There are many other stories about why this hymn means a lot to me, but it would take too long to write them all. I think it speaks for itself (and I can say that because I didn’t write it, haha). You can listen to it here: https://ffm.to/bethoumyvision

Or watch the lyric video here:

Fun fact about the lyric video…we filmed the outdoor footage at sunrise after hiking through the woods in the dark for about a mile to get to the little shore. We actually used a real lantern to make our way and avoid stepping on any snakes!

I also debated on whether or not to share this next part (because I’m going to use this concept again), but thought it might be fun since you’re actually taking the time to read my random stories :). I designed the song cover by drawing a little window and throwing some paint together. Super random looking, right? Then, my friend Camilla (who has done all of the design for my albums) helped me combine the two, and that’s how we ended up with the final version:

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Both of these songs were produced and mixed by me during this crazy year, and I’m very excited to share that I’m working on creating two new EPs, one that each of these songs will eventually be a part of. They (the EPs) are still very much in process, and I don’t have a current timeline for the release or anything yet. My goal is that at least one of them will release next year, but I’ll keep you posted!

2020 has been a strange, and often-times tumultuous year for all of us. I hope that the music will be a blessing to you and give you a moment of peace, wherever/whenever you are listening. You are very loved and your life has great purpose. As always, THANK YOU for listening, and talk to you soon! xoxo, Rorie

New Album 'Valley in the Mirror' OUT NOW, everywhere!

I can honestly say that I haven't written a blog post in forever - not because I don't want to - but because I'm not sure if anyone reads blogs anymore. It actually makes me kind of sad that blogs aren't a thing these days. I used to love sitting down to read captivating stories about people's lives. There was something nice about being able to take it in doses, and it was an exciting thing to catch up on unread posts. Now we are bombarded with SO much content - little mini blog posts in the form of Instagram posts, and double the amount of Instagram Stories or TikTok posts (are they called posts? l don’t even know lol). Information now comes at us in a constant, steady stream - kind of like an IV. 

I've realized that this happens with music too. There is so much music being released, and it can sometimes feel overwhelming to keep up with everything. Because of that, I thought I would update my blog with an Album Release Announcement post, just in case someone new is clicking around this site. If you're here: thank you for reading! Thank you for being here! Thank you for being you!!

After releasing EPs for the past few years, my first ever FULL-LENGTH album, 'Valley in the Mirror' is officially out in the world! You can stream it everywhere here. You can also find physical CDs and *vinyl* copies of the record here at my merch store. I will soon be posting a podcast-style YouTube video with stories behind the songs and the album title, etc!

These past two weeks have been a beautiful whirlwind as we performed two Album Release Shows in DC (Jammin Java) and NYC (Rockwood Music Hall). Thank you to each and every one of you who joined us for those celebrations! I had so much fun, and can't wait for the next show. 

Stay in the loop for more announcements this year! It’s just the beginning  🦋  Thanks again for being here.

With Love, 

Rorie 

ALBUM KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED!

- originally published February 23, 2019 -

Dear Friends,

I am bursting with excitement and thrilled to share that I just launched a Kickstarter Campaign to record my first ever full-length album!!! If you’ve been following my career for the past five years, you probably know that this has been a big dream of mine. Through working other jobs, I’ve been able to self-fund the EPs and singles I’ve released (except for Restore, which was also a product of a Kickstarter Campaign), but I finally felt like it was time to record an LP. In summer 2017, I had an idea for a title (to be shared upon the album release), and had an idea of some of the songs that I wanted to include. From there, everything started flowing. By mid 2018 I had written the full album and dreamed up the vision.

Fast-forward to now. The campaign has launched and this post is really just a formality to invite you over to Kickstarter, where you can be a part of making this record possible. I’ve worked a lot to get some of the pieces together so far, but as a completely independent artist, I really need help to make it happen. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE CAMPAIGN:

It is my hope that this new record will open up more doors musically – that I’ll be able to go on at least a small tour and have the chance to sing for you and meet you in person! I have ideas for professional music videos and homemade lyric videos…it’s going to be such a fun season. Most importantly, I can’t wait to finally be able to share more music with you. I am so excited about these songs, and can hardly wait for you to hear more.

In the meantime, check out the Kickstarter Campaign here with lots more info !!!: roriekickstarter.com

and please e-mail me with any questions about the project and/or your interest in becoming a backer!! rorie@roriemusic.com

With Love,

Rorie

stories of silver

- originally published October 17, 2018 -

My favorite color used to be lime green. I loved it so much that I even even bought the lime green version of the Ti85 calculator for algebra and calc classes (whenever I got a wrong answer, my teacher would jokingly say, “that’s because your calculator is green.” I did get the right answer sometimes too ;)) People used to tell me that I’d probably change my mind when I got older. Well, maybe that is true. I do have a new favorite “color combo.” It’s one that has found it’s way into apartment decor, the colors I gravitate toward in fashion and photography, and more. Purple + Silver.

I recently learned of Biblical and literary motifs where Silver is a color of redemption, and Purple is a color of royalty. I started thinking about all of the things I knew of that related to silver: a silver medal (second place), silver/gray hair, C.S. Lewis’ book ‘The Silver Chair’ (where there are indeed symbols of redemption, and being set free), the phrase “silver lining,” and the beginning of the story of Les Mis:

The main character and ex-convict Jean Valjean is finally let out on parole, and no one will take him in. He finds his way to a church where he is shown true hospitality. Out of desperation, Valjean tries to escape in the middle of the night with some silver candlesticks. A group of gendarmes finds him and brings him before the bishop, telling him that this man has stolen his silver. The bishop completely shocks Valjean when he proceeds to tell the officers that “the silver was given to him as a gift, and speaking of, he forgot to take the two other silver goblets with him when he left!” After they leave, the Bishop tells Valjean that he must “use this precious silver to become an honest man.” He challenges him to a higher plan for his life, and just like that, Valjean’s life is redeemed. He becomes an influential person who spends a lifetime living in grace, even through some incredibly trying plot twists, and is able to help and show love and compassion to a lot of people.

As a synesthete, I am always fascinated by colors, their meanings, and how they relate to stories, sounds, numbers, etc. I had never really thought about the inner meanings of this color palette that I enjoy so much, but when I realized that there was such cool symbolism, I knew I had to share! Here’s to a wonderful combination of redemption and royalty.

What are your favorite colors and what do they mean/what do they mean to you?

story behind the song: FALL AND RISE

- originally published December 3, 2017 -

Fall and Rise talks about the ebb and flow – the rise and fall – of life. There are great seasons, and there are horrible seasons. There are ups and downs, and if you’re like me, you experience those ups and downs in the same day (or hour, or minute!). In all seriousness though, I have found that in those dark moments, it is so important to know and believe that the story does not end there. So I thought of the idea of flipping the phrase “rise and fall” to “fall and rise,” and I was particularly inspired because this year has been a really hard year in many ways for a lot of the people closest to me. The song came together in one sitting this past summer. I liked it, but thought I would “save it for later.” Then, I played it at a few shows, and multiple people kept singling out, so at the very last minute (like, two days before I went back into the studio!) I switched out another song for this one, and I’m glad that I did because this ended up being probably my favorite on the EP. Tommee and I recorded it with a variety of sections (rises and falls…) and a cinematic feel, with the hopes that it might one day get picked up for TV+film.

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP

story behind the song: MEASURELESS

- originally published December 11, 2017 -

Measureless is a song about the immeasurable love of God. The kind of love that is not afraid to enter into the most hopeless places and situations, being not only so vast and beyond our imagination, but also closer than we can comprehend. One of my favorite lines in this song is “walls guarding all I’ve failed to prove / start to shake within the wild truth.” No matter what kind of strength we are able to muster up in this life, or how many times we fail, or whatever we face, grace is greater. Life isn’t easy, but knowing that you’re loved changes everything, and I truly believe that we are set free when we believe that. When I wrote and recorded this song, I imagined taking a blanket out into the middle of a field with a few friends, and looking up and seeing a sky glimmering with endless stars (this sonic imagery is actually drawn from a real experience in college when a group of friends and I did just that). I also wanted to create something that sounded as though John Mark McMillan and Florence and the Machine (two of my favorite artists!) made a song together, but maybe don’t tell them I said that…

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP

story behind the song: DAWN

- originally published December 18, 2017 -

Dawn is a song about perseverance. It’s about wrestling with questions and facing the unknown, even if it means staying up all night, metaphorically or literally, while you move through whatever it is. In the past I’ve written a lot of songs with lyrics that are more “wordy” (I love words) – so for this song, I wanted to write something that was more straight-forward and declarative. I ended up singing the lyrics and melody to myself for the first time on the way to the dry-cleaners on a January evening.

*If you joined the live Q&A that I did on facebook on the eve of the EP release (here’s a link to the replay if you missed it!), then you heard this anecdote: a couple of days before the EP released, I was driving down the same road that I had taken to the dry cleaners on that January evening last winter. There was a street sign leading to a small, offshoot road…and I suddenly read the name on the sign: “DAWN DR.” I kind of gasped and started laughing, realizing that I had probably read that sign subconsciously before making up the song. It didn’t register in my mind because, at that point in time, I had no idea that it was going to turn into something that I would end up releasing, let alone the inspiration for the title of an EP!

Anyway, back to the serious description: I was thinking about how easy it is to unintentionally give up on something that is actually important to us (note: there’s a huge difference between good, intentional rest, and just giving up). A lot of times we aren’t faced with two options: keep going, or don’t. Apathy creeps in slowly, and usually in disguise. It’s easy to say we’re not going to give up when things are looking promising, but when you’re facing what seems like complete failure or an unknown future, that’s when the choice becomes real. It takes real faith and grace to see it through until that literal or metaphorical dawn.

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP

story behind the title: ‘DAWN’ EP

- originally published November 30, 2017 -

It’s really no secret that writers and poets have been captivated by dawn (the time of day) for centuries, and this little blurb that you are about to read is no exception. Every time I write and release music, it feels like my whole life story and the state of my mind are being poured out into the studio and uploaded to the internet, so I try to choose titles carefully…

The dictionary definition of dawn is: “the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.” Wikipedia is careful to emphasize that it is before and different from the sunrise. There is also another definition, for the verb tense of the word: “become evident to the mind; be perceived or understood.”

There is some light, but it is not quite day. You can suddenly see where you are headed, but you are still aware that you are not quite there yet. I’ve always seen tension as a catalyst for art, and here in the tension of the “not yet” and “what once was,” is that first glimpse of light – the dawn.

In these songs, I talk about some of the stuff that can be a bit difficult to talk about: doubt, depression, difficult seasons, success, failure, loss, real love, perseverance, and faith – in my life and those around me. If I was releasing a larger project, there would probably be a greater variety of themes present throughout the songs … but I have realized that there was something truly purposeful about being in the place and time that resulted in this music.

Dawn is hopeful. In the Bible, David says “My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn...” Dawn is the beginning of something, and it happens over and over again, every day. In 2017, I sat here looking out into that in-between. Maybe you have a similar experience. Whatever the reason you found yourself reading this, maybe something in one of these four new songs will resonate with you. Thank you for reading, thank you for listening, and thank you for being you.

xoxo,

RORIE

LISTEN TO THE EP HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP

story behind the song: GOLD

- originally published November 26, 2017 -

Before I begin: these stories are little doors into my personal thought process and inspiration as I wrote these songs. As a poetic songwriter, I really value listener interpretation, as there is something special about listening to a song and making it your own. The other day, someone told me about another interpretation for “Gold” based on a relationship story, which I thought was incredibly cool. That being said, I’m excited to share these stories over the coming weeks, but if there is something in one of these songs that I don’t mention, it can certainly still be part of your personal listening experience.

—

So there is a bit of a theme to the songs on this EP. I’ll be honest and say that it was unintentional, however, as the choice for which songs I was going to record this summer played out, I realized that the four I chose were the right ones simply because they said exactly what I needed to say this year. Gold is about that fight for “success,” and whatever image we have of that in our head or whatever we feel has been impressed upon us. I wrote this in a season where I felt really wrapped up in an expectation of what I should be doing, or how things “should be.” I think it’s good to realize that things aren’t quite how they should be in life, but I noticed that within this intense pressure I was actually stifling the value of what I did have, and the beautiful people I live life with. There is a whole lot lot more to life than what we have, what we do, or what we achieve. I wrote the song during the summer, so it has a sort of anthemic but light, floating feeling to it. I wanted it to be open to interpretation, but to also instill that feeling of finding light in the middle of the fight.

LISTEN TO THE SONG HERE: fanlink.to/RorieDawnEP

How-To: A low budget music photo shoot… in your kitchen

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- originally published September 17, 2017 -

Last winter, I had an idea for a single cover, but didn’t have the budget to plan a whole professional photo shoot. So I started brainstorming ways to take the photo within the confines of our tiny apartment – and that is how this came about: 

If you haven’t heard the song: –> YOU CAN LISTEN HERE <–! But the motive of today’s blog post is to give away all of my secrets, step-by-step, and perhaps convince you that you too can take a photo in your kitchen and use it for a professional endeavor. I mean, if you want to of course. 

1. Dream up an idea 

2.  Notice that the light looks best streaming through the kitchen window in the winter

3.  Schedule the photo shoot for a Saturday morning in January

4.  Spend a few cold winter nights making a basket-full of paper cranes out of light grey paper that you could only seem to find in bulk at Office Depot (about $11.00)

5.     Go to the fabric store and find three things: 1. The very last piece of shiny, iridescent fabric (about $12) and 2. a spool of shiny, iridescent basket filling material ($4.99) 3. Clear Fishing Thread (~$3.75) 4. Painters tape (I already had this, but I think it’s about $3 at Home Depot)

6.     Take the original fabric that you had used as shutter curtains (shown above) off, and (using the painters tape), temporarily replace with the basket filling material. Make sure you remember that this new material is see-through and does not count as curtains!

7.     Take the clear fishing thread and cut long pieces to hang from the ceiling (also using painters tape). Stand on a step stool to tape the birds to the ceiling (try not to fall)

8.     Take your piano bench – which just happens to be the perfect height – and set it in front of the window

9.     Invite your mom, Kathy, over to help you with the camera (thanks mom you are the best!). Adjust the settings how you want them, and take a bunch of photos

10.  Choose the one that you’d like to use, and send to your super-talented friend/colleague Camilla to work some magic…because I don’t know about you but stovetops do not belong on a song cover unless, of course, the song is about a stove, or cooking, or something that I probably won’t write about any time soon. 

11.  And there ya go! Those are all the kitchen-based photo shoot secrets I have for today…and probably for a while. A few months at least. 

new music coming soon!

- originally published on September 8, 2017 -

Dear Friends,

Helloooo! I’m here today to tell you a bit about a new project I’m about to release this Fall. I had the opportunity to work with an incredible producer named Tommee Profitt: and we created a 4 song EP that I couldn’t be more excited to share with you! 

The first single – DAWN – drops Friday, September 15 (and the full EP will be out in November), and I am asking for YOUR help. If you love what you hear, these are a couple things you can do:

1. Share with your music-loving friends and family, both online and in person!

2. Follow on Spotify / Subscribe on YouTube / Instagram / Facebook – I mean, you get it. There are people asking you to do this all the time, but it really does help, and I would sure love to share lots of great content with you this season!

3. Add the song(s) to your Spotify/Apple Music Playlists! Playlists are huge right now for artists!

4. Leave a Review on iTunes – it really does help when people are browsing around to discover new tunes!

5. I am always writing and planning to make more music – but before I make an album or anything like that, I am needing to grow to be able to afford a big project (or even another small project). If you really want to support these projects financially, you can download the song on iTunes for $1.29, or on Bandcamp (where you can name your price – they’ll be up here when the full EP releases). Huge thank yous to those who have tipped on ConcertWindow this year – you help to make this possible, and I am constantly blown away by your support!

I can honestly say that it is your support and friendship that keeps me writing new songs and I am FOREVER grateful to share this journey and great passion with you.

Thanks again for everything. Can’t wait to share these songs with you.

Yours Truly, 

RORIE