Seanan McGuire (seanan_mcguire) wrote,
Seanan McGuire
seanan_mcguire
  • Mood: loved
  • Music: BOCA, "Put Your Records On."

Mandy's a pirate, and Mia weaves silk shrouds for fairies...

I'm trying not to be the all-Hugos, all-the-time channel right now (believe me, it's hard), but there is something I really wanted to talk about, and that's my nomination in the Best Related Works category. Wicked Girls, the CD I released in January 2011, has been nominated for the brass ring. This is the first time a single-artist filk CD has been nominated for the Hugo Awards...except for where it's not a single-artist CD. My name may be the only thing on the cover, but it's not the only name that was involved with the project. And that's what makes this so amazing. Because Wicked Girls is the thing I did with some of the people I love best in all this world, and I think that it shows. I really do.

This is the album where half the songs were written specifically so Vixy could sing them with me, or specifically for Amy's fiddle breaks. This is the album where my "I love you more than fairy tales" songs for my friends all got recorded, "Wicked Girls" and "Mother of the Crows" and "The True Story Here" and so many others. It was an amazing experience, recording this. And I credit that entirely to the people who recorded it with me.

Vixy, who sings with me on almost every track. Amy, whose screaming electric fiddle is the first primary instrumentation on the album. Kristoph, who tolerantly listened to me trying to explain what I wanted, and then gave me a hundred times more. Mary, and Betsy, and Sooj, who took the time to come to the studio and make things amazing. They put the heartbeat into the songs. Paul, who I loved first and best as a guitarist. Tony, who makes magic with strings. Margaret, who harps like it's going to be banned tomorrow. And others, and others, and others, forever.

Tara designed the cover; Beckett designed the liner notes. Mia made the pendants that inspired almost half the songs. Deborah listened, and loved, and helped in a thousand ways, as did Kate, and Cat, and all the members of my scattered family.

After more than thirty years, the filk community has representation on the Hugo ballot, and it's for an album that contains members of Southern filk, Midwest filk, Pacific Northwest filk, and California filk. And that is amazing. I am amazed.

I think I'm going to be amazed for a while.
Tags: amy, awards and stuff, beckett, betsy, deborah, filk, good things, i make music, mary, paul, recording, tara, vixy
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  • 69 comments

spectralbovine

April 11 2012, 15:11:01 UTC 5 years ago

Amazeballs.

vixyish

April 11 2012, 15:45:05 UTC 5 years ago

AMAZEBALLS

I think that needs to be my new expression for a while.

spectralbovine

5 years ago

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ladymondegreen

5 years ago

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dornbeast

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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mac_arthur_park

April 11 2012, 15:13:16 UTC 5 years ago

I was *so excited* when I heard of that particular nomination! (Okay, I was excited when I heard all of them, but....) Congratulations!

ohari

April 11 2012, 17:31:52 UTC 5 years ago

What She Said.

seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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la_marquise_de_

April 11 2012, 15:32:06 UTC 5 years ago

I've been off line for seveeral day, so this is late, byt yay! congratulations! Go Seanan! on the Hugos.

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:47:33 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

liamstliam

April 11 2012, 15:41:23 UTC 5 years ago

When I sent the list to Allison, the first thing she did, after squeeing over the novel, was to comment on "Wicked Girls."

That is very, very cool.

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:47:44 UTC 5 years ago

I'm really thrilled.

liamstliam

5 years ago

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faecat

April 11 2012, 15:57:11 UTC 5 years ago

Is Wicked Girls available for purchase as a digital download anywhere, or just a physical CD? I'd love to buy it, but I'm getting ready to move cross-country and trying not to acquire any more physical stuff if I can avoid it.

seanan_mcguire

April 11 2012, 17:08:09 UTC 5 years ago

It's not. I don't have digital permissions for either of the cover songs, so the only way I could distribute it would be missing two of the tracks, and I'm not willing to do that.

The whole CD will be available, virtually, in the Hugo voters packet.

faecat

5 years ago

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hms42

April 11 2012, 16:22:27 UTC 5 years ago

As I mentioned over on Amy's LJ, its a team effort on the CD and Wicked Girls deserves to be on the ballot.

Its been 28 years since we had a filk item on the ballot and this time, its a recording of someone performing their own music (with lots of good help from all over the US.) Hopefully you will win a hugo for the album.

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:48:14 UTC 5 years ago

I would die of happy if I did.

serge_lj

April 11 2012, 17:23:19 UTC 5 years ago

"...I'm trying not to be the all-Hugos, all-the-time channel..."

Why the Hell should you try not to?
You deserve to celebrate.

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:51:33 UTC 5 years ago

Aw, thank you. <3

ohari

April 11 2012, 17:31:29 UTC 5 years ago

OH, go ahead, be All-Hugo, All-The-Time. It's fun for us all too!

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:51:40 UTC 5 years ago

Hee!

sweetmusic_27

April 11 2012, 18:06:50 UTC 5 years ago

*full of hearts* We did it! ♥ ♥ ♥

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:51:48 UTC 5 years ago

We did!

briargrey

April 11 2012, 18:58:31 UTC 5 years ago

I am so excited for this nomination! It's one of the key reasons I coughed up the fifty bucks to do nominations this year. The album touches me, and the title track especially. It's beautifully done by you and everyone who worked with you on it. Well done, well-deserved, and hopefully well won :)

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:52:00 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you, very much, and here's hoping.

midnightblooms

April 11 2012, 19:19:02 UTC 5 years ago

Such a well-deserved nomination! Congrats to everyone involved.

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:52:08 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!

yellowblackhaze

April 11 2012, 22:11:42 UTC 5 years ago

It's a shame you can't somehow divide the Hugo (if Wicked Girls wins) so that everyone can have their very own piece of it.

seanan_mcguire

April 15 2012, 16:52:25 UTC 5 years ago

We will all get our pictures with it!

naamah_darling

April 11 2012, 22:36:12 UTC 5 years ago

I hope it doesn't come across as awful in some way if I say that this one, the Related Works one, is the one I want for you. I have feelings about the others, of course I do (complicated by other people I love on the ballot, but that's as sweet as it is bewildering) but this one I want in the fiercest way.

I was listening to Wicked Girls the other day when I really needed the toehold and . . . it's one of those albums that helps me fight, stand my ground, even when things get desperately hard, and I am therefore desperately grateful for it in every way, and that makes this particular nomination a terribly personal thing. I have never known quite how to thank you for it, but I'll never forget what it's done for me. I don't say this as often or as clearly as I should.

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:22:32 UTC 5 years ago

It doesn't come across as awful, at all. I actually feel the same.

And I am so glad you like the album. I recorded "The True Story Here" for you.

naamah_darling

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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peachtales

April 11 2012, 22:59:43 UTC 5 years ago

It's good to be amazed. :)

I'm sure this has come up before, but I'm not finding it anywhere, so I'll ask. Are there any plans to make your music available for download, instead of just by cd? Just curious, as I'm running out of space to hoard stuff in the real world.
I know of several people who like bandcamp for that, although I think I've bought a download from cdbaby before as well.

deakat

April 21 2012, 17:07:40 UTC 5 years ago

Here is an answer from above in the comments. I imagine similar issues would apply to the other CDs, also.

peachtales

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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peachtales

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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peachtales

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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peachtales

5 years ago

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mythos_amante

April 12 2012, 00:12:23 UTC 5 years ago

I absolutely love this album and am thrilled for you! Congratulations!!

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:22:53 UTC 5 years ago

Yay!

janeg

April 12 2012, 01:02:22 UTC 5 years ago

I am thrilled to see filk on the Hugo ballot and love that you are sharing the credit with so many others -so filkish of you! But it's more you than everyone else put together and I really hope you take home a Hugo for it.

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:23:05 UTC 5 years ago

I do, too.

wendyzski

April 12 2012, 02:03:38 UTC 5 years ago

I saw someone reading a library copy of Deadline on the train coming home this afternoon. I almost asked if I could take her picture and send it to you but that would have been weird. She was already looking a little leery at the complete stranger grinning like a loon across from her.

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:23:16 UTC 5 years ago

Hee!

groblek

April 12 2012, 02:32:00 UTC 5 years ago

Wicked Girls is an amazing album by an amazing team. I'm glad it made the ballot. Your nominations are the deciding factor for us to buy supporting memberships this year. Sadly, there's no way we can make it to anxiously hope Wicked Girls and your other works win Hugos, but judging by last year, we'd just stream the live feed from our hotel room while Josh sleeps. So, congratulations again on the nomination, and our familly will be cheering you on virtually at the ceremony.

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:23:35 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you. So very, very much.

anne_d

April 12 2012, 02:51:47 UTC 5 years ago Edited:  April 14 2012, 18:38:21 UTC

Awesome!

In other only slightly related news, I spent portions of the last two days reading all of your online stories (Incryptid, Velveteen Vs, and Sparrow Hill Road), and very much enjoyed every last one of them. All those different worlds you've built, and each of them feels fully realized to me the reader. Wow.

Also the Husband is reading Feed. He seems to be well and truly hooked, heh heh heh...

ETA: The Husband said last night that he's really enjoying Feed. I mentioned that the next book is over there on the shelf and the third will be out in June. Oh good, says he, I like having something to look forward to. Gotcha...

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:23:48 UTC 5 years ago

AWESOME.

amusingmuse

April 12 2012, 22:37:41 UTC 5 years ago

I'm really glad it made the nomination, and glad to have helped put it there. Everyone on it is so exceedingly talented. Do they have any albums of their own? The only filk I've known about has been stuff I never cared much. I love, love, love, this style so much and want more.

And finished "Discount Armageddon". It was cute. Made me chuckle. More mice. More Aeslin mice! So yeah, you got me with that one. ;)

filkferengi

April 17 2012, 15:12:17 UTC 5 years ago

This video of "Wicked Girls" from Duckon includes links to the artists' websites in the description:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DQx7iF-yOc

amusingmuse

5 years ago

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filkferengi

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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serge_lj

April 12 2012, 22:46:17 UTC 5 years ago

I just bought "Deadline". I haven't read "Feed" yet, but I guess it'll have to wait until I'm done with "Deadline" and all the other Hugo nominees.

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:25:01 UTC 5 years ago

I would read Feed first, if you possibly can, just because I think Deadline spoils too much of it. You'll still like Deadline (and might even like it better) without reading Feed, but I never recommend reading book two first.

serge_lj

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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serge_lj

5 years ago

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seanan_mcguire

5 years ago

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vincentursus

April 12 2012, 22:46:53 UTC 5 years ago

I think I'm going to be amazed for a while.

It's good for you. Keep it up.

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:25:09 UTC 5 years ago

<3

cleothyla

April 13 2012, 15:53:15 UTC 5 years ago

Congratulations, sweetie!!!!!!!! That is fabulous news!

seanan_mcguire

April 26 2012, 16:25:20 UTC 5 years ago

Thank you!