I'll Be Home For Christmas

The last couple of days have been very exciting days for Home Free and the Home Fries, both happy exciting and disappointing, and just stressful.

A few days ago they announced that they had been invited by Kenny Rogers to sing "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" with him on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on the 14th, as in yesterday. They, and the Fries, where all very happy and excited about it. It happened to be on a rare day off in the middle of their "Home Free For the Holidays"-tour, this year's Christmas tour, so it was perfect.

They set out to fly from Nashville early yesterday morning but ran into flight problems. They actually boarded two different planes, and were de-boarded from both; then they were booked on yet another flight; but mechanical problems and weather conditions were working against them. So they ended up chartering a private jet to get to New York, and just as they had done so the show pulled the plug because they had no chance of making it there in time for rehearsal. They were so bummed, so heart broken, and it was so hard to follow their tweets without having my heart bleeding for them. This was a dream about to come true, that got broken in the last minute. However, they were not defeated and since the jet was already paid for they decided to fly there to support Kenny anyway.

They got to meet Jimmy Fallon and his crew, they met Channing Tatum (hello, handsome) and they got to hang out with Mr Rogers in the green room where they watched the airing of the show, chatted about old country legends and they even sang through the song with him without anybody else being around. A memory to treasure for them, I'm sure.

The Fries on the other hand got busy tweeting and messaging Jimmy Fallon and the Tonight Show to re-book Home Free, to give them a second chance and invite them back and other variations on the same subject. I have a mental picture of Fallon and his crew sitting there, scratching their heads, wondering wth happened to their twitter as it must have exploded all of a sudden, I know I had a few hundred nofications about it. Woooaaa! Never underestimate the power of the Fries! Of course, we don't know if it did any good, but at least they must have noticed both the Guys and their loyal fans. And the Guys felt our support and love which were much needed. They have all expressed their gratitude for the love we all showed them. As is their style. That's one of the reasons we love them so much.

Anyway, one way or another it so happened they announced that were going to be on a different TV-show early this morning instead. It was not their first appearance on Fox & Friends, they've been on there a couple of times before, but this time it was well needed, I think. Certainly for us fans, but obviously mostly for the Guys.

In my honest opinion things worked out in a great way because Jimmy Fallon never even spoke to Kenny Rogers on the show. Kenny just sang his song, and that was it. If Home Free had been on there they would have been the back-up singers to him, and then nothing else. People might have thought they were good, but not thought much more of it. Kenny is the big name. Kenny would have been in focus and would have gotten all the attention, at least to the audience sitting in front of the television sets at home.

On Fox & Friends, they were mentioned and lightly talked about before coming on and when they came on they were talked to both before and after they sang. And, boy oh boy, did they sing!! Rob sang like an angel. It was so beautiful I think the angels up in heaven must have cried. They all sounded absolutely amazing! It was more than perfect.

Maybe not as many people are reached by Fox & Friends as by the Tonight Show, but being in focus instead of being a back-up must be a lot better. I love the support and love they are getting from Kenny Rogers, it is amazing to see everything he is trying to do, and does, for Home Free, but it's out there now. He sings the song with Home Free on video in the background on every show during his "Once Again It's Christmas" tour, they are featured on his album, they have the video with them all singing together and he brought them to the Tonight Show and surely Jimmy Fallon must be curious and have their eyes on them now. But maybe, just maybe, this worked out better for them in the end.

The video-clip of them singing on TV this morning is up on the show's Facebook page, and it already has more than 50,000 views (5,5 hours after it was posted). So maybe, the flight problems were a blessing in disguise. I always believe things happen because there are greater things waiting instead.

So, what song did they sing?

They sang one of my all-time favourite Christmas songs "I'll Be Home For Christmas". It was originally written for soldiers during WWII, and performed by Bing Crosby. Home Free dedicates it to soldiers and their families that have to spend the holidays apart. Their just released video for the song is heartwarming and moving with real footage of returning soldiers surprising their families at Christmas time mixed with the five Guys of Home Free sitting in a Christmas dressed cabin, just singing. It brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it. The combination of Rob's soulful and angelic voice and the footage of happy families re-united hits home even after having seen it 20 times or so.

I have spent Christmas all alone because I couldn't go home to my family because of work, but I can't even imagine what it must be like to be at war, or to have a loved one at war. All I know is that it was one of the hardest and saddest days of my life knowing that they, my family, were all there together and I was all alone. It was a very good lesson to go through, though, because it certainly made me look upon the holiday season with different eyes. Whether you are near or far from the people you love the most, remember to share your love in any way you can.

Of course, today's video is the video already mentioned, if you want to see the live performance from this morning you can find it right here, but first check out the video below.

Love//
Carina

Speaking Of;

Last night we had our annual Christmas Dinner with work. As always it was a lot of fun and I wish I hadn't had to leave early, but I did. The setting was charming with a mixture of old and new decor; all my colleagues, more than 100 of us, where dressed up and stunningly beautiful (I must say we clean up really well); the spirit was high and by the time I left people were dancing their butts off on the dance floor. The food; well, some of it was very nice, but other things a disappointment. I didn't mind it too much though, as I'm having another Christmas Dinner tonight. And I know the food will be great at this one because I'm cooking half of the dishes myself.

Speaking of this dinner tonight; it's with good friends of ours and it will be the fifth year in a row we're having it. We take turns in who's house we're having it, and this year we're in our friends house. Makes it easier for me because I don't have to worry about cleaning, setting tables and other things like that, just cooking. I've made meatballs, and the traditional Christmas ham is in the oven. I've also made a rise porridge which is the base for the dessert, just mix it with some sweet whipped cream and add pieces of oranges and/or mandarins. It's called Ris a la Malta, and it's yum.

Speaking of Malta; that's where the company I'm doing my freelance writing for is based and I'm working on my first assignment for them right now, and will be dedicating tomorrow to it as I've got a deadline on midnight Monday.

Speaking of Monday; exciting Home Free news reached us the other day. They will be on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon together with Kenny Rogers and the Roots on Monday. How cool is that!! As a true and dedicated Home Fry I cried of excitement and joy. I love being part of this time in their careers when so many fantastic things happen. The sky truly is their limit, or maybe as my son once said, why limit yourself to the sky when there is a whole universe out there. True dat!

Todays video will be a Christmas song, but it won't be Home Free, it will be a cappella, though. I've mentioned Peter Hollens before, but I must say this is one of my favourite arrangements of his. What he does is that he uses only his own voice, but layers it. His vocal range is fantastic as is his voice. It's easy to understand why he has more than a million subscribers on YouTube.

Here's "Mary Did You Know?" with Peter Hollens.

Happy Saturday, y'all!

Love//
Carina

Return of the Blogger

Hello, good people of the internet world, and especially my readers!

How are you all doing? I am very well, thanks for asking!

As you have noticed I haven't been around at all for a long time. I felt I needed a bit of a break, but I am back again now.

So much have happened, well, that was probably an exaggeration but some things have happened.

In my life of writing absolutely nothing has happened for a long time, which is why I needed the break, I just hit a wall when it came to all writing and I needed to re-evaluate it. What is it that I love about writing? Why do I want to write? For whom do I want to write? What do I expect from it? And other questions of similar kind have been floating around in my head. I don't have it all in place yet, but I'm getting there, and I know that when it all fits again I will have taken a step further up the staircase leading me to where I am going.

Unfortunately this means there will not be a book released this year, but don't worry, it will be there when the timing for it is right.

My personal life is the same as before; the same boyfriend, cats and son; although we have been crazy busy at work which has left me exhausted and tired and with a lack of creativity and energy outside of work. It's not ideal but I do still love my job, mainly because of my amazing colleagues. I am so happy to have them in my day-to-day life.

So, what about Home Free? I know you are all wondering, because let's face it, this blog has become in big parts a blog about them.

Well, they are currently on a break between their Don't It Feel Good Tour that ended about a week ago, and their Home Free For the Holidays Tour that begins on the 1st of December and will be leading up to Christmas. After that they have a break before coming to Europe! Yay! We are ready for them!

Oh, and I'm sure you all know by now that they finally released more dates for Europe but here it is if you didn't;

• 27th of January; Birmingham, England
• 28th of January; St Andrews, Scotland
• 29th of January; Dublin, Ireland
• 30th of January; London, England. 

You can get tickets to all the shows except the London show at their website. The London show is sold out as far as individual tickets are concerned, but you can still see them if you get the (full) Festival Pass for the London A Cappella Festival. The Festival Pass is more expensive, but will give you access to a whole lot of other acts like Naturally 7 and the Swingles as well as workshops and some other fun activities. You can find more information about the Festival and the Festival Passes on their website. 

Y'all know I have a VIP ticket, and my sister has a front row ticket, for London, but you might not know that we also have regular tickets for the Birmingham show. Yiiipppiiiiee!!! After all, that will be their real European debut, and I just had to be there for it! And thanks to the same Fry Angel Friend that helped me get my VIP ticket, we have at least a chance of getting to the Birmingham show in time before the show starts without having to pay for a 2-2,5 hour taxi ride.

You see, it is a matter of things falling perfectly into place; my sister's flight need to be on time, her luggage need to arrive on the belt quickly and the weather and the traffic need to be on our side too. My Fry Angel Friend is picking us up at the airport on her way to the show. If everything falls into place smoothly she should arrive there at about the same time my sister gets through customs and everything, and I am completely confident that they will, because, why else would things be naturally lining up like that. Send everybody that might have an effect on the outcome some love, you know; pilots, other airport staff, other people in the traffic and so on! Thanks!

On to other subjects; we are coming up to Christmas. Hooray! In Sweden we have the tradition of Advent with the four Sundays leading up to Christmas Eve (which is when we celebrate Christmas), and next Sunday is the 1st Sunday of Advent. This means putting up at least some of the Christmas decorations. I can't wait,

But, as someone who used to live where it was snow, darkness and pretty lights in all the windows during December (Swedes put electrical candles in their windows that light up the darkness) finding the "right" Christmas feeling is more work when living somewhere where it is blue skies, sunlight and a lot warmer. It doesn't come as naturally because all of those things are a part of it. So, I have to find ways to build it up deliberately instead.

Over the years I have found that smells, tastes and sounds are most important, so beginning next weekend I will start baking traditional Swedish Christmas yummies such as saffron buns and ginger snaps. Or maybe I'll buy some of it, because I can and it's less messy and saves time. The Swedish Christmas food is quite traditional, but I'll get into that some more when we're getting closer. Next Sunday our friends will be over for some Christmas dinner planning, some Glögg (mulled wine) and some saffron buns and ginger snaps. This is when Christmas becomes real every year.

Another very important thing to me this time of year is the music. I have to have Christmas music! I love Christmas music, always have and always will, and of course, Home Free has some of the best Christmas music out there. And, yes, I am partial because I already love them, but over the next month I will be sharing their Christmas music with you, just because I've been waiting to do so for months now, so if you haven't already heard their Christmas songs prepare yourself for some ear goodies!

First out is the newest one. I had never heard this song before we heard that they were going to collaborate with the one and only Kenny Rogers on it for Kenny's new Christmas album (another great album, btw) Once Again It's Christmas. I of course looked it up on YouTube and I didn't really like it. So, I was a bit skeptic. Of course, I should have known better. After all it is Home Free, my greatest music love of all times, together with one of my first loves in music. Kenny Rogers (and Dolly Parton) was my introduction to country music when I was just a kid and I have loved his voice ever since. Now, having said that; I still wasn't too excited when I first heard it, but I bought it and put it on my playlist, and the more I heard it the more I liked it. And now, now I absolutely love it. It is happy and fun and it has the trademarks of Home Free's unbeatable beats and unbelievably tight harmonies along with the strong, raspy and yet smooth voice of Kenny Rogers. The video shows the five men of Home Free looking sleek, all decked up in suits and vests, and Kenny with his white hair and beard in a red shirt and cowboy boots in the middle, like a countrified Santa Claus. It is perfect and simple and distinguished. It is Christmas. So, even if at first listen or look you don't really like this song, give it a few listens. Feel the song, hear the fun and the different parts of it. The details are so much fun in this song.

Anyway, that's it from me for now. I am glad to be back. I'll see you soon. Have fun, spread the love and take care!

Here's "Children, Go Where I Send Thee".

Love//

Carina

Home Free's Summer = Epic Overload

The other day I promised you an update on what's going on the Home Free world, so here it is.

First of all they have finished recording their upcoming album, which we still don't know the name for. They've said it will be released sometime in the fall, maybe September, maybe October. Around half of the songs on the album will be new, original songs and half will be covers. Among the originals we know there will be at least 2 Tim Foust originals and the first Austin Brown original. I CAN NOT WAIT!! They've also said we will see kind of a different side of them. I am very eager to find out all about it!

They also recorded the classic song Elvira together with the famous Oak Ridge Boys, which ORB say is amazing. The video is already shot. We don't know if this song will be on the album or if it's one of their videos outside of the albums. Either way, I am sure it will be absolutely epic! How can it not be?!

Speaking of epic, Home Free is currently filming a video for a Christmas song collaboration. And let me tell you, not just any collaboration. This song is part of no other than the legendary Kenny Rogers' upcoming Christmas Album, and of course I am sure it will be out of this world. I mean; it's Kenny Rogers, and Home Free, and a Christmas song. Can it get more epic than that? For real, doe!

Well, maybe it can; on the 17th of July Home Free had what was, according to Austin, a top 3 moment in their musical career. They had their debut at the Grand Ole Opry. And it was totally epic! From the moment they walked out on stage with the audience cheering wildly, to the low notes, the high notes, the beatboxing, and the sweet, sweet harmonies, Home Free rocked the socks off of everybody at the Opry. They got standing O's and I am sure they lifted the roof off the building! They were immediately invited back, on their debut night, which from what I understand is not all that common. It is said that the Opry tour guide was way in the back of the building and he was wondering what the Heck happened when he felt Tim's low notes. How cool is that!! Epic as can be for sure! I was listening to it live, of course, even though it was 3,30 am here. Fries all over the world, no matter what time it was, were listening with huge smiles on their faces and tears of pride and joy. I am extremely happy I got to be a small part of this moment that for sure is already historic in the history of the Grand Ole Opry. Epic history!

So, what else is going on? Oh, the Guys have joined Periscope (a live streaming app) and every once in a while they will appear live on there, sharing their daily lives with us Fries. Yesterday we got to hang with them twice, first before their rehearsal for the new tour, and then in the evening when they were sitting around a ring of fire (yes, literally) at their music retreat location. It is really cool to see the more relaxed sides of them, hear them joke and goof around and get a glimpse of their more personal sides.

I mentioned the new tour already, I believe it will kick off in September sometime. In the States of course. We still don't know anything about their European visit that is said to be worked on for next year. We're keeping our fingers crossed that it will all fall into place for them, and us European Fries!

The Guys are also busy filming more videos, most of them (maybe all of them) with the music video making geniuses that is FifGen Films, and attending fairs and doing other shows up until the time of the new tour starting. I am excited to see what they will come up with this time around. I am proud to be a Patron to help pay for the videos that is spreading the word about them around the world.

Wow, I get tired just writing about all they have been doing in just the last two months. They sure keep busy, and we as fans absolutely love it.

Ok, I think that is it, except for their latest video. This video is epic too. It's a medley/mash-up of 16 (although they have named only 15 there is actually 16 songs) of the past few years most popular pop songs. The arrangement is made by Austin and he has been working on for a couple of years, putting together a list of around 100 songs before he narrowed it down and put it all together. And let me tell you; it is sweet! And the video, it is hilarious! There are no words to properly describe it, but one of my favourite things about it is that it shows off the Guys different personalities.

If you are interested in listening to/watching the original songs in this mash-up you can head over to my friend Rachel Cheng's Buzzfeed Blog where she has them all listed.

But first, have a listen and a look at Home Free's video. And let me know if you can find the Stealth Chicken (I will tell you the history of it in an upcoming post).

Here's COUNTRY FRIED POP MEDLEY! (Don't forget to listen with headphones with a good bass, it will make all the difference in the world when listening to Home Free).

Love//
Carina