Here are some thoughts I had as my husband, Patrick, and I released our first EP together:  
THE LAY AWAKES EP

"I've known for 7 years now that I'm a songwriter.  It was partly a realization, but mostly a decision - a declaration.  I couldn't, of course, decide to be a good songwriter - that's not besides the point, but it's not my point to make or job to decide!  To me, the risky and exciting part about being an artist is that you're bound for bull's eyes, near-misses, and strike outs.  It's most crucial that you keep attempting.
In the same way, forming The Lay Awakes was part realization (we should work together!), but then it surely had to become a decision and a declaration.  The band naming process might have been the biggest risk of all.  Once named, it existed. And now, we're both responsible! :)
I am so grateful to be able to work, create, and perform with Patrick, and I am thrilled for the release of our debut EP!  While tracks 1, and 3-5 are about relationships and tend to be more duet-like, track 2 (Hush) is 'Anna's song' and track 6 (To Get What You Want) is 'Patrick's song.'  Ironically enough, when we asked each other our favorite track was, I picked track 6 and Patrick picked track 2.  I think that signifies one of the best parts about being in this together; we love watching and helping the other improve and flourish, and we have each others' backs.
Over the past year, we were able to work with so many amazing musicians and engineers in Brooklyn (and Vancouver), and we're thankful for all of them.  We especially thank Jeremy McDonald  - our producer and dear friend.
We hope you enjoy listening!
Anna

The following entry is a short piece that I wrote for my friend's blog last week.  I've decided to include it here as well: 

"The fall equinox is only a few days away.  Autumn is usually a sad season for me.  I get anxious to jump from summer to winter in one big crash - to ignore the fact that change is often slow - I try to create my own solstice where all at once, I'm different.  But it has struck me the past few days that I should let autumn rest in my bones and in my spirit.  Fall holds both the final secrets of summer and the doors to the winter.  It's almost hot, and then almost cold.  It's the last taste of life and the first bite of death.  It is a season of change, and I want to be seasoned and changed by it this time 'round...
As a songwriter, I feel this fall will be a time to form new ideas, new projects, and to write.  But then I ask myself: "What if I'm not inspired?  What if I let winter creep in, and I miss all the colors?  What if I just watch my leaves fade, then fall?  What if I don't find anything to write about?  In my opinion, my best songs are those that are sparked with inspiration and finished with process.  Inspiration and Process. Meat and Bones.  I need both: if I try to write a song that is 100% inspired, then it lacks precision, form, structure, and clarity.  If I try to write a song that is solely from process, it can only ever be a representation of the real thing - a skeleton - no meat!  This is why I am keen for inspiration this fall.  I want to gather and reap and store away, so that in the winter months, I will have meat saved - I will have substance to put on the carefully crafted skeletons.  
I had a summer filled with music, performances, friends, family, and travel.  It was a time to be in bloom, to show off, to be brave, bold, rich, and colorful.  I released my first solo album in June, and I spent July and August performing the songs off of that album and many new songs.  I formed a band, and we rehearsed, wrote, explored, collaborated, disagreed, recorded, and lived together.  It was fruitful.  
Now that season has ended.  Now, I need to harvest the memories and ideas created in summer.  Now, I need to witness the beautiful changes around me and within me.  Now, I need to be willing to fall and to die, to loosen my grasp.  I sometimes try to squeeze a moment or a day or a person for all their worth - in attempts to get 'the most out of them' - but in so doing, I risk strangling the moment, the day, or the person.  Now, I need to prepare, watch, listen, wait, save, write, store-away.  Now, I need to change. 
The fall equinox is 12 hours of day and 12 hours of night.  This is a day and a season of 'in between'.  I want to learn how to work, create, and live in the 'in between' this autumn."

Anna

The "Anna Paddock Band" as it's currently called began 7 weeks ago in friendly Manitoba.   

"Use what you have" -- The release of my first album, "Feel Better" is very exciting for me.  I definitely think that I'll - uh - Feel Better when it's out there.  Here are the basics:

There are 11 original songs on the album.  All are written by me.  All piano and vocal parts are me, too.  When you hear that tasty bass come in, that's Zev Katz (Hall&Oates).  Thank you Zev! 
The recording took place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn on my very own baby grand.  My dear baby grand had a few more problems than I first suspected, but between me and the wonderful Russian piano technicians (see picture below), we worked out the issues.  
Fits and starts occurred in the recording process due to the almost never-ending construction out the window and in the hallway.   The studio-apartment converted into just a studio for about 8 days.  My talented friend, Gerardo Giraldo was the fabulous recording engineer for the week. 

One of my goals for this project was for it to be a very true experience of my songwriting, my voice, my piano playing, and my life.  I tried my best to "use what I have" and not go looking in all sorts of directions and get caught on trails leading me somewhere I'm not yet ready to go to...  I play the songs just how I practice them.  No overdubs.  No fancy effects.  I think it's a good place to start in general.  You gotta take care of what you're given.  It's no easy task.  Doing the thing right in front of you can be the most challenging.  But I am so grateful that I had enough time to write, record, and produce this album.   I really hope that as you listen to these eleven songs, you will feel better - especially if life has recently gotten you down.  Oftentimes, my whole being aches for the souls and wounds of people around me.  I barely ever have answers, but sometimes... I have memories, I have stories, I have ideas, and when all these collide, I have songs.