Connecting the dots
and a new song, Me & Willie.
My plan today was to write a post sharing the release of my new song and the story behind it. I still plan to include that but like so many of us, I can’t stop thinking about Los Angeles burning up in flames. We have so many friends and loved ones who live there, so many musicians and artists from our community that have lost everything, it is just heart wrenching imagining what they’re going through.
Times of crisis and devastation, especially those that feel infuriatingly preventable, always remind me of the thing I think we as a whole, need to be reminded of daily: that we are all connected. We impact each other. We need each other. We are part of each other. We are part of nature and of this Earth, of this universe, not separate from it. Life doesn’t stop moving when disasters happen. People are still birthing babies, in the middle of surgeries, people with severe disabilities are stranded, the elderly are waiting for help, all while the flames rage. This is poignant in my mind as I hear stories of friends in LA with new babies, running from their home and watching it burn. This is poignant in my mind as I watch inches of snow gather out our window, snow that shuts down a Southern city like Nashville and pray that the baby in my womb stays put until the roads are safe when my due date is only days away. When it comes down to it, no amount of money, gated community, individualism, shareholder profits, every man for himself, false survival of the fittest attitude is going to save any of us. Los Angeles being engulfed in flames, Asheville drowning in floods…they’re all screaming examples of the lessons we need.
I grew up hearing my mom constantly say things like, “We’re all connected” and “We’re all God’s children.” My dad would text me “You are made of stars,” to remind me of this factual wonder. They’ve always tried to hold our interconnectedness as a mirror. I’ve realized the older I get and honestly the more social media and volatility on the internet I consume, the harder it is for me to remember the truth and wisdom in their words.
I guess this is actually a good segue into the story behind the song I’m releasing today because this song, Me and Willie, originally recorded by Emmylou Harris, is a constant reminder to me of the dots that connect us all over space and time and music’s uniquely magical way of doing so.
I wrote about the story of discovering the song Me and Willie as well as my search for and then serendipitous meeting and befriending of the songwriter behind the song, for American Songwriter Magazine back in 2017:
https://americansongwriter.com/guest-blog-michaela-anne-willie/
To finally record it now, in this era of my life, feels fitting and reaffirming. For me, this song has always been about grounding in what your passion is. In my life, that’s not just music. It’s living a life built on songs yes but stories in general, relationships, experiences. It’s living a life connecting the dots, believing in magic, something more mystical, meaningful that I can’t quite understand but choose to trust, something larger than my own little life and the things I desire. But like I said, I need those reminders. Laurie’s song is a reminder for me. Meeting Laurie, developing a friendship, emailing back and forth with her the past few days about life and her song is another reminder.
It’s so interesting reading my words from that essay I wrote in 2017 and what the song meant to me back then, being at the beginning of my career. Almost 10 years later it holds the same meaning and it’s pretty beautiful to see that yes, in fact I am still playing music, yes still in dingy bars but also in big beautiful theaters, clubs, festivals…. I have a family, any day now we will have two beautiful children, we have a home and life we love all built on art, songs, words, relationships and experiences. It’s encouraging to see that even with all of the challenges, speed bumps, even full blown crashes and burns, the reminders keep coming to keep me on this path.
The song is available now on all streaming platforms! This is digital only so as usual, please stream as much as your heart and ears desire and then a little more.
It’s also available on Bandcamp for download and is the one place you can add much appreciated gratuity.
Me and Willie
Written by Laurie Hyde-Smith
Originally recorded by Emmylou Harris
Credits:
Acoustic guitars, Produced, engineered and mixed: Aaron Shafer-Haiss at Vacationland
Acoustic Guitar + Vox: Michaela Anne
BGVs: Ruth Moody and Sam Howard
Upright Bass: Sam Howard
Pedal Steel: Philip Sterk
Mastering: Raelynn Janicke
Photo: Autumn Dozier
Design: Jeremy Fetzer
As always, these essays are written quickly, from the heart and without an editor. Please excuse any typos, incorrect autocorrects or grammatical errors. Someday I hope to have an editor! And thank you for being here. Your readership, responses, subscriptions all mean a lot. Paid subscriptions go far as well. Thank you always.
First show of 2025 announced! If you’re in Indiana, I’ll be joining you in April for Crossroads Acoustic Fest.
It is in the shelter of each other that people live