Kina Grannis

co-write w/ kina – part IV (the bridge)

i can’t believe this song is going to be FINISHED in two weeks! wow. it’s been quite a journey with this one but i love how it’s come together and i can’t wait to hear the end product.

in other news, things have been a bit insane lately. as many of you know, i recently began working on an “S.C.P” (secret crazy project). unfortunately, i can’t tell you anything about this thing except that it IS indeed crazy, and secret, and will remain so for the next… many many months. :/ it was probably mean of me to start talking it up so far before you’ll ever know what it is but i was just so excited. it will be one of a few things dominating my time for the next while, but it’ll be a fun journey!

i’ve also been trying to get back in the songwriting mindset. over the next few weeks i’m hoping to record demos of all my little song pieces i’ve written since Stairwells, and then, hopefully, finish some of them!

getting very excited for the fall tour! can’t wait to see you all. i just bought my plane ticket up to portland where i’ll rent my car and start off the tour! it’s getting real :) also having fun playing with the idea of debuting a few songs on tour… we’ll see.

here are the show dates, for the millionth time:

visit the shows page here for all show details as well as pre-sale ticket links!

9/17 • Portland, OR • Aladdin Theater
9/18 • Seattle, WA • The Vera Project
9/19 • Vancouver, BC • The Media Club
9/21 • Eugene, OR • WOW Hall
9/23 • San Francisco, CA • Great American Music Hall
9/24 • Santa Barbara, CA • SoHo
9/25 • Anaheim, CA • Heritage Forum
9/26 • San Diego, CA • Anthology
9/27 • Scottsdale, AZ • Martini Ranch
10/1 • Dallas, TX • House of Blues – Cambridge Room
10/2 • Austin, TX • Stubb’s Jr
10/3 • Houston, TX • House of Blues – Bronze Peacock Room

RSVP on Facebook here!

<3
kina

oovret: Week 81

If you could replay any one of your SST shows, which would you choose?
replay it because it was so AWESOME, or replay it because i could have done it better? i think i’ll keep both answers a mystery :) they were all special shows, even ones when i was out of it.
What kind of ukulele are you thinking of purchasing?
i’d love to eventually find one identical to my grandfather’s. it was a gold label koa kamaka hf-2 concert… i loved it! in the meantime, a very very generous fan sent me over a cute little makala uke from hawaii for my birthday which i’ve been enjoying. (by the way– thank you jason!)
What did you do to pass the time while traveling on tour?
book on tape– “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo!” this time around it will be “The Girl Who Played With Fire.”
Do you enjoy listening to Lady Antebellum?
i should probably check out more of their stuff! “need you now” is an incredible song.
How many live animals did you see on the road?
i saw a few deer on a hillside. some birds. that praying mantis. hmmm…. not nearly enough.

Posted in Blog, General | 17 Comments »

springtime tour recap + new merch + birthday!

some stats on the Stairwells Springtime Tour for you:

shows played: 14
miles driven: 2,840
awesome people performed for: 2,860 (almost one mile per person… weird?!)
ukuleles lost: 1
suitcases of merch stolen: 2
subway sandwiches consumed: 20 (one a day)
praying mantises spotted: 1

i figured i’d spare you the number of dead animals in the road :( you’re welcome.

also, i wish i had more footage on this, but there was such an overwhelming amount of support and generosity after my car was broken into. to everyone that randomly donated money to my paypal or contributed to Phil Chao’s relief efforts… i cannot thank you enough. i was presented a check at my Toronto show for all the money Phil had raised with your help and it really just touched my heart to know that you all care so much, not to mention how amazing it was that Phil started this thing in the first place. i will be putting that money towards a replacement for my grandfather’s ukulele that was stolen (it was in my trunk, by the way, not out in the open) and my two merch suitcases, and as soon as I do I’ll be sure to show you all where the money went to!

i FINALLY got the Guitar Girl Keychains and signed Springtime Tour shirts up on the webstore, hooray! You can check them out here.

annnnd, because i don’t know what else to do with the fact that it’s my birthday, i made a discount code for 15% off any purchase on the webstore as long as it’s August 4th somewhere in the world. just type “happybirthday” in the discount code section and you’ll be set!

thank you all a bazillion for the birthday wishes! i was so overwhelmed by all of your tweets/emails/eCards when i woke up this morning… it was a wonderful way to start today :)

and just a reminder… here’s all the info on the UPCOMING tour!

visit the shows page here for all show details as well as pre-sale ticket links!

9/17 • Portland, OR • Aladdin Theater
9/18 • Seattle, WA • The Vera Project
9/19 • Vancouver, BC • The Media Club
9/21 • Eugene, OR • WOW Hall
9/23 • San Francisco, CA • Great American Music Hall
9/24 • Santa Barbara, CA • SoHo
9/25 • Anaheim, CA • Heritage Forum
9/26 • San Diego, CA • Anthology
9/27 • Scottsdale, AZ • Martini Ranch
10/1 • Dallas, TX • House of Blues – Cambridge Room
10/2 • Austin, TX • Stubb’s Jr
10/3 • Houston, TX • House of Blues – Bronze Peacock Room

RSVP on Facebook here!

Posted in Blog, General, Uncategorized | 16 Comments »

the only exception + fall tour announcement!

*yawn*

i didn’t sleep very well last night, but today being a day-after-uploading-video day, it was easy for me to get out of bed. somehow these days are always a bit like christmas morning to me– my presents under the tree are all of your hundreds of youtube/facebook/twitter comments i find waiting for me in the morning… and i’m like a little kid dying to unwrap.. er.. read them all. so, thank you for that.

stairwells fall tour!
as you might imagine, i’m pretty excited to be back on the road seeing you people face to face again. i’m also pretty excited about the places i’ll get to see. and lastly, i’m pretty excited about the venues i’ll be playing (but i’m also a liiiiitttle intimidated… they’re a wee bit bigger than i’m used to.)

i’ll of course be doing meet and greets after every show just like on the last tour :)

visit the shows page here for all show details as well as pre-sale ticket links!

here are the lovely cities i’ll be playing this fall:

9/17 • Portland, OR • Aladdin Theater
9/18 • Seattle, WA • The Vera Project
9/19 • Vancouver, BC • The Media Club
9/21 • Eugene, OR • WOW Hall
9/23 • San Francisco, CA • Great American Music Hall
9/24 • Santa Barbara, CA • SoHo
9/25 • Anaheim, CA • Heritage Forum
9/26 • San Diego, CA • Anthology
9/27 • Scottsdale, AZ • Martini Ranch
10/1 • Dallas, TX • House of Blues – Cambridge Room
10/2 • Austin, TX • Stubb’s Jr
10/3 • Houston, TX • House of Blues – Bronze Peacock Room

also, for all you facebook people, you can RSVP for the tour and share it with your friends here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=146996975311170&ref=mf

hope to see you soon!

<3
kina

Posted in Blog, General | 10 Comments »

co-write part III (verse 2) & Lilith recap

you know the deal, watch the video and get creative.

before i forget!
come hang out with me in Orange County, CA this weekend! it’s a free, all ages, outdoors… i mean, come on.

Kina @ Pittsford Park, 5:30-6PM
21701 Pittsford Dr.
Lake Forest, CA
Info: Meet and greet after my set at the merch table. Opening for Rita Coolidge!

anyway…
this past weekend i played at Lilith Fair in St. Louis and it was amazing. for those that don’t know, Lilith Fair is a tour/travelling music festival of sorts started by Sarah McLachlan years and years ago as a way to celebrate female artists. it was something i remember hearing about on the radio in middle school and thinking it was probably the coolest show ever. this summer, 11 years after the last Lilith Fair, it was revived, and somehow i was lucky enough to be a part of it.

it wasn’t until minutes before we sat down at the press conference (picture above) that everything kind of sank in. i had been excited for Lilith for a while, but i think i had forgotten just how much of an impact Sarah McLachlan had had on me. i found her at a time when i was just discovering how powerful music was… i remember when i was in high school laying in my bed with my candles burning and listening to her album all the way through (much like how i would sit in a dark closet in middle school and listen to k’s choice for hours…). i guess i’ve always just connected to music on a very emotional (or creepy) level. so anyway, minutes before she came out for the press conference i had this crazy welling-up of emotions when i really realized where i was and what i was doing and who i was doing it with. luckily i collected myself before i was introduced to her. as expected she was as kind and humble and graceful as a person could be, and the same goes for Emmylou Harris.

the rest of my day consisted of watching awesome performances by ingrid michaelson, mary j blige, metric, marié digby, meeting tons of awesome supporters, dying in the blazing st. louis heat, hiding away in catering (which was the only air conditioned place), and being eaten alive by roughly 30 mosquitoes (or so it seems by the look of my devoured legs). oh, and i also awkwardly introduced myself to ingrid michaelson by the dinner buffet and told her she was lovely. go kina!

all in all, it was a very exciting, emotional, inspiring day :)

been feeling very grateful for you all lately… thanks for allowing me to live my dream <3
kina

Posted in Blog, General | 12 Comments »

pretend – LIGHTS cover + Lilith Fair Announcement!

well, hello!

a few tidbits before i go pack for Lilith Fair…

- exciting things are happening
- fall tour will be announced VERY soon
- i <3 you
- shoot i can't think of anything else.

well, this blog was a total failure. in any case, i'm grateful for you all daily, and i hope to see you soon.

<3
kina

p.s. maybe i’ll start to blog more often on random days when i actually have something mildly interesting to talk about… thoughts?

Upcoming shows:
7/16/10 – Kina @ Lilith Fair – 2:30PM
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
14141 Riverport Drive,
Maryland Heights, MO

7/25/10 – Free Outdoor Summer Concert – 5:30
Pittsford Park
21701 Pittsford Dr.
Lake Forest, CA
*meet and greet after the show

oovret: Week 80

When was the last time you had a Tim Tam?
….last night.
Have you ever attended a Lilith Fair concert?
never! but i’ve always wanted to. love sarah mclachlan!
Can you play a vuvuzela?
haa. if i could, i’m not sure that i would.
Do you enjoy listening to Brian McKnight?
he is very talented guy!
If you had to describe each of your immediate family members as animals, what would they be?
haha… i think i will refrain from this one as to avoid misrepresenting anyone :) i will mention that misa does a very good t-rex and baby bird.

Posted in Blog, General | 11 Comments »

co-write with kina – part II

part II of the co-write begins! visit the “Moderator” section on my channel page to submit your lyrics for the pre-chorus and chorus. then help me vote up the best lyrics over the next 2 weeks!

so i’ve been back from the tour for about a week now! i miss it but it’s nice to be in one place again. my body is still thoroughly confused as to what is going on. i’m pretty much on the verge of falling asleep at any given moment (except when i actually get into bed). jet lag? exhaustion? fighting a cold? perhaps, but i’m thinking it’s some form of tour-withdrawal.

i’ve got a lot of catching up to do here at home, but i promise there will be a tour summary video and blog sometime in the near future.

well, i’ve been fighting a nap all day… i think it’s time i give in.

much much love and thanks,
kina

ovret: Week 79
Happy Anniversary!

Did you realize you have been answering our oovret questions for two years?
wow, we’re like old-time friends! only i have no idea who you are… :(
Do you miss going to the post office to mail merch?
no, i definitely don’t miss post office workers scowling at me for having bags and bags of things to mail. they made me feel like such a bad person!
[Replacement Q] Did you bring anything back from Japan?
yes. a hammerhead hand puppet. cutest thing that ever was. its name is hammy.
Do you enjoy listening to Hikaru Utada?
definitely haven’t listened to enough of her! i like what i’ve heard.
When visiting Japan, what is one restaurant everyone must try?
any restaurant that serves japanese food…

Posted in Blog, General, Uncategorized | 12 Comments »

life on the road…

well, hello.

just thought i’d pop in and say hi mid-tour-ish. before i begin, let me warn you that i am currently sleep-deprived and starving. i am a complete zombie. just got back from the ann arbor show and am now waiting for my 1 am dinner to show up. despite all this, i am having the time of my life. i’ve met so many amazing people, heard so many moving stories, and just had so much fun it’s silly. you all are amazing… so far this tour has blown my mind.

quick aside: it’s interesting that my total deadness is actually affecting my usual overuse of exclamation points. the thought of one just wipes me out completely. i promise i am really excited, i just can’t sound like it right now because i’m not really conscious.

also, i’m sorry for my lack of videos/tweeting/emailing while on tour. i’m doing my best (which is not that great) to fit it in, but i promise when i get back home (after i’ve slept for a few days straight) i’ll be back in business and tell you all about everything :)

thank you thank you thank you times infinity.

kina

p.s. MY SANDWICH JUST GOT HERE! *rejoice*

Posted in Blog, General | 24 Comments »

cowrite with kina

help me make this the best song it can be! visit the “Moderator” section on my channel page to submit your lyrics. then help me vote up the best lyrics over the next 2 weeks!

in other news, the Stairwells Springtime Tour has begun! the SF and LA shows were so much fun, huge thanks to all that came out :)

i have a few days now to prepare before leaving for the 12 remaining dates. so excited to see everyone!

more updates to come…
kina

Posted in Blog, General | 14 Comments »

baby… (i don’t know how i feel about this blog title)

“baby” is one of many terms of endearment i am incapable of (or perhaps opposed to?) using naturally in my everyday speech, but songs somehow make it slightly less awkward coming out of my mouth. go songs.

anyway, i had to pay homage to the boy taking the world by storm, so there i go. say what you will about his music/age/hair…. the fact remains that justin bieber has one heck of a voice.

the Stairwells Springtime Tour is coming up! i can’t wait :)

check if i’m playing in a city near you!

Check out show details and purchase tickets here:
http://www.kinagrannis.com/shows/

RSVP on facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116529365041288

RSVP via twitter:
http://www.vevite.com/2305

in other news…
my sisters and i are going to Japan for 10 days! starting tomorrow. i better go get some work done. oh, and pack.

thanks for everything,
kina

Posted in Blog, General | 30 Comments »

mr. sun + stairwells springtime tour

stairwells springtime tour!!
i am beyond excited to finally be out on the road and meet all you lovely people in person! all but 2 of the 14 shows have been officially announced on my shows page, so be sure check if there’s one by you (or anyone you know)!

here’s a list of the cities i’ll be playing in:

Los Angeles, CA
San Francisco, CA
Decatur, GA
Nashville, TN
Lexington, KY
Toronto, Canada
Ann Arbor, MI
Chicago, IL
Columbus, OH
Pittsburgh, PA
Vienna, VA
Philadelphia, PA
New York, NY
Boston, MA

you can get all the show details, including links to pre-order your tickets, here:
http://www.kinagrannis.com/shows/

there’s also a facebook event and for the tour! check it out, and if you’re so inclined, let you’re friends know about it too ;)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116529365041288

RSVP via twitter here:
http://www.vevite.com/2305

in other news
here are a few exciting things that have happened in the last few days:

- i discovered the cutest tiniest little bird this weekend whose favorite thing to do seems to be tapping on the kitchen window
- i found a baby bird in a tree that was trying to learn how to fly (wasn’t doing so hot). more importantly, it was really silly looking because it had some baby feathers sticking straight up on its head.
- i found an anole!! i’ve only ever seen these awesome little lizards in hawaii… so my mind was pretty blown.

lastly
happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear mama g, happy birthday to you!

oovret: Week 78

What kind of flowers do you have growing in/around your house?
…dying ones :(
When was the last time you cut your hair? When do you plan on cutting it next?
eek. don’t ask me that! it makes me feel like a bad person. i should probably give it a routine trim sometime soon…
How much time do you usually need to practice for a cover song video?
hmmm… i’d say roughly 3 hours.
Do you enjoy listening to Ke$ha?
her songs are incredibly catchy, and something about the production really draws me in, but i can’t say that i connect with them at all…
What is the largest amount of cash you have held in your hands?
hmm… i’ve held a giant check in my hands (thanks doritos!)… cash-wise though… a couple hundred? sometimes i keep my merch money in my wallet after a show, and then when i go to buy a coffee or something and the cashier takes a glance in my wallet i feel like a sketchy drug dealer. but it’s mostly one-dollar bills… haha.

Posted in Blog, General, Uncategorized | 39 Comments »