June 2020
We are sending you all inner peace and health through this unimaginable circumstances we all find ourselves in: staying physically away from each other in order to take care of one another. As with everyone, plans and habits of living have been upended, and we’re breathing day by day through the ongoing feelings of shock, fear, gratitude for loved ones, seeking that place of calm in the storm. May this calm be yours. Yes, all of our March through June concerts are now postponed, along with our travel plans. Several concerts are already rescheduled either for later this year or for next year. The next ones on the calendar right now are in August in California. Our calendar will be updated as changes are made. In the meantime, some new creativity is creeping in (what else to do with the time?!). Read on...
Mark’s New Song and video “Room By Room” is now out!
Says Mark: “One morning in the summer of 2019, I had woken up caught in a wave of panic at the state of world affairs - in particular, my own country, the US, and the terrifying path it appeared to be taking. I felt both responsible and powerless. I knew I was not alone in the feeling. Writing the song was a reminder to myself that I cannot in fact take on the whole world myself- or better said, that the primary way to affect my world is to keep my own center, my own ‘inner fire,’ alive and well.
“I felt it was important to get the song out there in early 2020 and had already planned on a spring release- I also already had the idea of creating a video collage of various people with candles to go with it. When the Covid-19 crisis hit, a new dimension was added to the song that I had never intended, and my invitation for folks to share clips of themselves took on new meaning. We each have found ourselves self-isolating in our own ‘rooms,’ hopefully tending well to our well-being and aliveness, in anticipation of the light of day returning.”
Go to Mark’s page here to watch the video or purchase the song.
A new Shadowlands song, “Not Alone”
While sheltering in our separate homes, Karoline and Mark wrote music to some words Wendy Liepman sent us, recorded our parts at home and had Wendy and Bob Liepman record their vocal and cello at their place. We hope it brings you some solace in these times.
A To Wake You song from home, “At The Heart Together”
We were emotionally touched by the sharings of several friends at the beginning of the lockdown and out came the song “At The Heart Together.” We made a quick recording of it from our home for you.
Winter and the Sacred Tree CD
Released January 2019
Our new CD "Winter and the Sacred Tree - A live concert recording" is here! The package includes a 12-page booklet with our personal song notes, lyrics and a very special introduction written by Therese Schroeder-Sheker. You can read more about the project at our Winter and the Sacred Tree page.
The album will only be available on CD for now- with a digital release planned for later on. The CD can be ordered directly from us by writing to towakeyou@gmail.com.
In San Luis Obispo, CA, it's also available from Boo Boo Records.
And of course you can get it at our concerts. See all live dates
2-sided Single: WHAT IS IT? / TO WAKE YOU
Released July 2016
The second single from To Wake You is two-sided: it has two songs, yes - but it’s also a dance between the band’s two members, Karoline Hausted and Mark Davis. Both songs were written while the duo lived miles apart (Hausted in Denmark, Davis in California), preparing for a life together in no small part through musical dialogue and collaboration. There is contrast: Hausted’s “What Is It?” floats with a feminine sweetness, while Davis’ “To Wake You” rumbles with an aching masculinity. Yet, the songs both still live on the same planet.
While it is safe to consider these love songs, there is something else going on here, something pointed toward in the dreamy, layered quality - both sonically and lyrically - that unites the tracks. We’re in the land of wonder, of mystery, of the subconscious (think The Swell Season with a dash of Radiohead). It’s music to close your eyes to and travel. Whether one is migrating into a new love or a new land, taking the plunge into the unknown brings both excitement and fear; one can feel suddenly awake, emotions open up, nature sparkles and speaks, yet it isn’t always a comfortable ride. To Wake You brings two songs here that contain both these sides, but ultimately this music is an invitation to find beauty that wasn’t noticed before. It’s an offering from the romantics that we will be all right in doing so.