Co-Mission Contributor: Erika Lewis
(Photo by Eve Hawthorn)
Meet Erika Lewis
I had written this song some years ago during a transitional time when I could feel a necessary change was coming and it brought up hard feelings of fear and uncertainty. Those feelings came with the realization that the pain of letting go was the only way to move forward and foster new growth. The song felt fleeting and cathartic and at the time, too dreary to share. But now, in this collective place we find ourselves in, it feels relevant. Not just because there is a sadness to it, but because I think we are all experiencing letting go on some level. I had forgotten about it until recently when I was working over some songs with my friend John James, just before the pandemic became a reality. My hope is that this experience serves to open our hearts and minds as we re-emerge into the world.
Before the pandemic I had recently moved to Asheville, North Carolina with my son. Starting over is never easy but spring was on the horizon and I began to make some musical connections and book shows around town for my band, The Lonesome Doves. Hope for the future. Put on hold. For the past 11 years I have also been part of a jazz and blues band from New Orleans called Tuba Skinny. We tour a couple times a year and for us, April is a big month of festivals and events down there that I return to play for. Of course, that was all cancelled as well as the majority of gigs for the rest of the year. Sharing music with people is what I love to do and I feel grateful that I have been able to support myself in it so far
The best way to support me is to download my album here: thelonesomedoves.bandcamp.com or if you’d like to be a patron you can PayPal me at thelonesomedovesband@gmail.com
You can also find me on:
Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelonesomedovesband/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelonesomedovesband/
Bandcamp: thelonesomedoves.bandcamp.com