Bri Anne Michelle
Kindred Folks are real flesh, blood and bones humans that we feel a kinship with. They often do rad things. Typically, they have a bit of rebel in them too...you know, question everything and follow their heart type of stuff. We think people's lives would be a bit brighter knowing more about them. So here goes....
Say hi to Bri Anne Michelle of Fools Gold Daugher. Bri Anne is part artist, part mama, part song bird. I had the pleasure of hearing her before I met her years ago on the LES of NYC. Her voice gets into your bones and wakes your soul up with goose bumps from the inside out. After her set was complete I had a few moments to chat with her only to discover she is just as lovely as her voice is. Fast forward years later and I am lucky to call her a friend who inspires me.
She is an artist living a rebellious lifestyle in this time period. Painting, weaving, creating greeting cards for people to send via snail mail and hosting unplugged music showcases in the backyard are just a few ways Bri Anne stays connected to real life and real music. Her backyard house shows are private showcases for artists to perform in an intimate space where people are truly there to listen and experience music up close and personal. It creates a space where artists and fans/friends can have one-on-one interactions.
Name three items you cant live without:
1)A little bag of art supplies carrying my paint brushes, a pencil and journal
2)Fresh flowers in my home
3)Local honey in my tea
Obviously this answer would change if I was stranded on a deserted island. Hopefully the island would just come with wild flowers and wild honey. ;-)
If you could go on a road trip with your best friend tomorrow, would it be more Thelma & Louise, PeeWee's Big Adventure, Easy Rider, National Lampoons Vacation, or Sideways? Well, my best friend is my amazing husband and we love adventure, nature and remote places, so I'll go with Sideways, but something more along the lines of Under the Tuscan Sun might be more realistic. We dream about stumbling upon an old Chateau on a road trip that we then move into, remodel and create beautiful gardens and a farm.
What did you do the last time you unplugged? When we got married. We decided to head to Costa Rica to get married in a very small village where there was strategically no cell phones or internet. We surrounded ourselves with our best friends in a beautiful environment where all we had was each other's company. We surfed, walked on the beach, picked tropical flowers and discovered caves, monkeys and sloth's. There were many sunsets on the beach.
Best hangover cure? Oh, man. Nothing works for me. I have to sleep it off. ha ha. I can't drink too much, especially now that I have a baby.
What do you miss most about your pre-internet brain? I think more than anything its the connection with others. I miss the real conversations with people. Now my brain thinks it's ok to just email people instead of calling someone, hearing their voice and having a legitimate conversation about what is truly going on in their lives
When, where and how are you when you are the most present? Gosh, for the last two years I would say while I was nursing. Being still, nourishing my baby girl and clearing my mind of anything I had to do at that moment was so meditative. Since I stopped this a couple of months ago, I feel like I have a bit of my body back but I can't seem to find the same energy anywhere else. Lately, painting, crocheting and weaving are my most present moments. I love that they force my body to be still and focused.
Describe the most memorable night of your life. New Years Eve 2010. It was the start of 2011 and also the rest of my life. This is the night my husband and I truly connected as soulmates. I was performing the night before in Santa Barbara and my future husband came to the show from LA when we discovered we were both staying at a mutual childhood friends house. Like the gypsy woman I can sometimes be, I had my band members leave me in Santa Barbara knowing I'd somehow find my way back home. So the next morning, New Years Eve day, I woke up without a car or a ride and received a very sad phone call with the tragic news that my uncle had passed earlier that morning. I have an extremely close family so this was very hard to hear and process. I spent the day walking around Santa Barbara with this new acquaintance (my husband) who felt super comforting. We literally spent the whole day together, had a celebratory New Years Eve dinner the best we could and then went out that night to dance and have a champaign toast. We walked the beaches and the boardwalk till 5 am when we finally made it home to crash. He took me back to LA the next day only to find that the Grapevine was covered in snow and I couldn't make it home. We spent the next week together in LA falling in love. It was fate. That was the end of single life as I know it.
What's your spirit animal and why? I have many. They come and go on their own timing. Currently I'm drawn to the Ram. I happen to be sketching an image of one right now to remind me how important perseverance is in this journey I'm on.
Each of the 'Spirit Animals' I painted in my series showed up in my life in the past 2 years in very strong ways. They each represent something unique and special:
The Rooster - The rooster represents confidence, leadership, self-expression and prestige.
The Horse - The horse is a universal symbol of freedom without restraint.
The Nautilus - This creature teaches balance and proportionality in all things.
The hawk - means that you have an inclination towards using the power of vision and intuition in your daily life
The Wolf - The power of the wolf brings forth instinct, intelligence, appetite for freedom, and awareness of the importance of social connections.
The Rabbit - By becoming quiet, their confident inner voice can help to guide them where they need to be.
The Deer - When you have the deer as spirit animal, you are highly sensitive and have a strong intuition.
The Buffalo - The white buffalo is the totem for one who’s life path is to awaken the soul of others.
The Owl - The owl spirit animal is emblematic of a deep connection with wisdom and intuition.
Best album cover of all time? Well, in my lifetime Fleetwood Mac's Rumors cover has been very significant. I also remember the first time I saw Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album and I was so inspired by the artwork and the whole world that was created
What keeps you up at night? I'm a night owl, so my brain turns on around 8 pm and that's when I'm most productive in a lot of ways.
Lyrics, GMO's, painting ideas, music party planning, my kickstarter campaign, vaccinations, where we should move for my daughters schooling, something I might have said that came out wrong, music video ideas, pesticides the normal night time mommy things that happen when you have a two year old,etc.
A Little Note From Bri about KickStarter
Over the past three years a lot has changed in my life -- I've transformed from a traveling troubadour to a creative mother, where I've found unmatched love and a renewed inspiration to paint, weave and write music. Late night writing sessions and energetic music venues have given way to nap time writing and early evening living room performances by my daughter.
After completely devoting the past two years to my daughter, I'm ready to share the fruits of my newfound life. I've completed my first series of paintings and weavings entitled "Spirit Animals" that were directly inspired by the new sound that motherhood has added to my music, and I would love nothing more than for your encouragment and support in this project!
While I've been "off the grid" raising my daughter, the record industry has undergone a massive identity crises, as more and more consumers of music turn to monthly streaming services to meet their needs. While the industry struggles to catch up, record labels are putting less towards artist development and are demanding more from new artists than ever before. As a result of these unrealistic demands, many artists such as myself are choosing to retain ownership of their music and forgo traditional record deals. For these independent artists, a direct connection to their fans, and unwavering support are what allows them to continue to record the music that we Love so much. For this reason, I'm asking you to be my record label and record beautiful music with me. Every song that you download, piece of art that you purchase or t-shirt that you wear will go directly towards my new music. If you are inspired by what I've done, help me show others that it is possible to be an artist and a mother and share this project.
Fools Gold Daughter
Fools Gold Daughter is a deftly executed artistic trifecta by recently reinvented Echo Park based artist/songwriter, Bri Anne Michelle, who finds a perfectly fitting coat stitched from a tapestry of contemporary alt-country music, powerful 'Spirit Animal' paintings, and uniquely original weavings.
Whimsically honest, Fools Gold Daughter's soon to be released debut EP, "Gifts of Amethyst", is a lucid and articulate collection of evocative narratives embraced by orchestrally enriched accompaniments and languid steel guitars wrapped in tight, Americana grooves. Michelle's voice meets a striking balance between power and fragility; her sultry alto vocals feel eloquent yet "lived in," steering the performances while weaving a heartfelt display of both the dark recesses of loss and anguish as well as the dizzying heights of faithful pursuance of truth and love. The music veers from feisty to captivating, showcasing vivid characterizations, as each successive listen reveals new elements of color and warmth, hypnotizing vocals encased by seas of strings and well arranged instrumentation that washes in and out, adding vintage undertones to the entire EP.
Not easily confined to any one medium, or musical genre, Fools Gold Daughter is the embodyment of an artistic kaleidoscope that breaths life into this creative visionary. From behind a freshly stretched canvas, Michelle has expertly curated exquisite imagery and an artistic expression all her own. Through strokes of realism, her series of spirit animals run and find shelter within gaia inspired melodies, which are amplified by naturally occurring crystals and minerals at the heart of each of her one-of-a-kind dream shields. Intrigued by the gold rush that took her home town in the Sierra Nevada foothills by storm in 1849, Michelle's art pays homage to an era once passed. Inspired by her natural surroundings, within each piece you can feel the snow filled Yuba River rush through canyons where Maidu Indians once slipped in and out of Ponderosa shadows. With just one glance, it is easy to understand that each piece has been carefully thought out to integrate into a larger vision, that showcases the oneness of Fools Gold Daughter's art.
Connect with Bri Anne Michelle and Fools Gold Daughter:
other kindred folks
Fellow rebel Nicole Cardoza of Yoga Foster is an entrepreneur and yoga teacher who finds time on the mat and offline to give back to the yoga community.