Another New Beginning... Hope you all had a smooth transition into 2006? I managed to raise a bit of extra cash for the album by spending hours at the Blackjack table in Atlantic City... Ah... the things we'll do for art... I was in bed by 12:30am though so it wasn't all debauchery...

I'm so happy to be back in NYC now. This city really is home. I have been blessed to have been so accepted by The Big Apple. I'm planning to get myself a permanent home here this year... yes, that's right, I'm going to sell a kidney and a lung to help buy an apartment.

I start rehearsals for Measure For Pleasure in 10 days. David Grimm sent me a new draft of his play, he continues to be a genius... I have wanted to work at the Public for ages. They have a great work ethic and it's just the kind of place to get to do all this weird, new stuff!

As you will notice... the site is now up and running. There might still be some bugs or quirks throughout the site, but for the most part, it is well underway. Kevin has worked his ass off on this (he has changed this site so many times, at my request, that he has vowed to chop of my typing fingers if I suggest another revamp.) You can get in touch with him (the webmaster) to send your praise and thoughts... I'm sure he'd love to hear them, as would I.

Check out the gigs section for info on the album release party and keep an eye out for our competition, coming soon, to win tickets to this gig and a signed copy of the album... there will be other prizes of signed flyers and posters too... There will be very few tickets on sale for the launch party but there will be a second gig at Joe's Pub two weeks later for all those who couldn't get into the first one!!

Also, check out the NewClear section to see some of the photo shoot I had done for the album cover... these are photos that didn't make it but I thought you'd like to see the direction we are going in!

The gallery is now in the process of being updated, which is now hosted on Flickr, with all the old photos you've seen before and loads of new ones and I will be putting lots of NewClear studio and rehearsal shots on there as soon as I can.

So... not long now... I hope to see you all at the Public and beyond... you know I couldn't do any of this without y'all (Cathy will hate me for using this Southern terminology again!! She said us northerners don't say y'all)!

Till the next time. Take Good Care

Euan x

TA-DA!  So we are finally here.  This is the new layout for OEM. Kevin has worked harder than a Fraggle on this and I am very proud of what he has achieved. Actually I think it was the Doozers who did all the work, the Fraggles just stood around giving orders and generally keeping the mine in shape. Ok, tangent.

I have now completed laying down the final vocals on NewClear. It has been an amazing experience and I am so looking forward to taking this project on the road and getting some feedback. Being in the studio reminded me of my first time in NYC. It felt like home. 

The crew down at Bias were amazing and we have all had such fun. Just a few more weeks on the mix and master then we are ready. The release date is now secured for 21 March but there will be a pre-sale announcement (sign up on the website to be notified) from Lyric Partners for those who just can't wait. There will be limited copies but they will be signed! (Like anyone cares- although my Mother is desperate for a signed one).

On other topics. I have now achieved another driving milestone by passing my drivers test in VA and getting my American license. I thought having it would give me such freedom to be able to hire a car and see even more of the USA, only to discover that you can't hire a car without a credit card - which I don't have - so that plan is buggered  It just means I have to start saving up for a car too, why me?

How have you all been? Busy? I'm still managing to find time to add new pics to Flickr.com weekly so do keep checking back there. Lots of folks have told me that seeing the personal photos is great and I'll say it is nice to be able to control what gimpy images get put out there, as you'll have noticed I can look pretty disgusting (and it takes hardly any work). 

I have been ordered to go shopping and get some new t-shirts this year as everyone is sick of seeing me in the same clothes all the time. I just get attached.

Rehearsals are going really well and the Next Magazine cover shoot came out Friday which should help sell tickets, not that we need any help, it's selling very well!

I'm still balancing my time at the Public with rehearsals for the Signature gigs, which are nearly sold-out. I'm using the same band we used on NewClear so it should be a really hot evening. I need a blow up doll though so if anyone has a spare one? It's a stupid idea I had for the gig, I'll probably abandon it but just in case!

Anyhoo. Welcome to Officially Euan Morton. 
Welcome to 2006. And Happy Valentine's Day.
Love to one and all

Me x

So NewClear is complete. At last. It was mental and maybe doing too much is what kills me in the end! I had to miss the last day of mixing and the mastering sessions as we had gone into heavy tech at The Public by that point. They have completely transformed the Anspacher Theatre for this play - It's a big job but there is a great atmosphere at work and I'm really enjoying being there. The cast are all supremely talented and there is a brilliant crew.

Oh and we all were given a pair of slippers to relax in! How civilized.

The band and I are looking forward to getting down to DC, well Virginia really. I have given up on the blow up doll idea for the gig. Let's just sing songs. We have sound check on Monday afternoon then a couple of gigs that night. We'll be doing a few of the songs from the album : 'NewClear' (the title track, obviously), a song by Dan Bern called 'Chelsea Hotel' and a slightly different version of 'Hallelujah' and maybe more... It's the first time for some of these songs. It makes me a little nervous. Oh, what the hell. I vowed I would try!

There will be a presale announcement from LyricPartners.com in the next few days. These are for early, signed copies. If you haven't signed up already then now's the time... Mother asks if I can personalize hers and because I said yes I felt I should extend this offer to everyone. Mother? Very Norman Bates of me. Oooh Psycho... that should go on the Stuff page. Again, tangent... all these details will be on the announcement but please don't ask for a novella...

Also, I haven't forgotten about the competition mentioned in earlier diary entries. Winners will receive 2 tickets to the NewClear launch at Joe's Pub in NYC. (Can't get your travel though)! Other booty includes signed posters and pics and a signed copy of NewClear. Keep an eye here for more details. Oh and check the NewClear page for tiny final thoughts...

Ok. It's early morning now.
I feel old.
Must rest.
Have a goodnight and sleep well.

E x

Hello again. I have finally stopped saying Happy New Year to folks now. I was told that it was bad luck after a certain time of year (like singing Christmas songs outside of December) so no more Happy New Years!

It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces this past week down in VA at the Signature gig and I had a chance to meet lots of new faces too. We managed to sell out both shows that evening which isn't bad for a whole new city so thanks for coming out and lending me your ears. The few songs that I performed from NewClear were really well received and I've had lots of positive feedback so again, thank you. It makes me all the more excited to perform the whole thing at Joe's Pub.

I've also bumped into a lot of old friends at Measure for Pleasure. I was nervous that so many folks came in the first preview week but actually it really helped me relax and enjoy this first week. Previews of a show are always a hard time as that's when all the changes and cuts get added but it's been really smooth on this show and it should all be set in stone by the middle of next week. Good I say as my mind is fried!

I've been doing lots of press to help promote NewClear including radio play in DC, NYC, San Fran, Cincinnati and others. Promoting an album is a bit like being a showgirl in Vegas. Lots of shiny clothes and gratuitous flesh shots.

Oh and talking about shiny clothes, I just want to say thanks to Debbie and the Zamparos who obviously read my last entry complaining about my lack of wardrobe. I love the sweater and t-shirts. I promise I will take some pics of me around town in them and load them on Flickr.com real soon. Thanks so much, however now you've made me want to spend a week shopping to find stuff to go with everything. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be a bigger fashion icon than P Diddy?!

There are a couple of lovely girls from Germany (well Austria) who always bring me Irn Bru (a very famous Scottish soda) everytime they see me. I love them for that as it is hard to get hold of in New York. It's a pure sugary mind blast. Brilliant.

Now. Once you've finished hunting the corners of America for Irn-Bru, check out the NewClear (The Album) section to have a look at the finalized art work and see, for the first time, the playlist. There will be songs you recognize and some you don't but this is it. This is NewClear.

Book your tickets for NewClear @ Joe's Pub now before the last few are gone. I've held back two seats for the competition prizes but the rest are moving swiftly.

Also, make sure you're back on here soon to enter our online competition. All the answers can be found somewhere on this site so make sure you read OEM thoroughly in the next few days including the Flickr.com pics (oh and feel free to comment on the pics, there is a section underneath each photo that you can write your thoughts. If you let me know which ones you like then I'll try and concentrate on getting more of those kind up. (Please don't berate me for wearing that football t-shirt or Yankees hat too much though)!

Till then, work hard, play harder, love everyone.
Always,

E x

Hey there. Thanks for all your kind messages about the radio stuff we put up. As you can see we are always tinkering with the site, trying to get it looking its best. Our latest idea has been the OEM headlines. When there are loads of things going on then you can read the whole journal entry by clicking on the relevant section on the Headlines page. (I presume you've done this now if you are reading on.)

So. Measure For Pleasure had her opening night last Wednesday with a party after at Pop down on 4th Avenue. It was fun. We've had a long run of previews but the show is all set now and it's been going really well. We are scheduled to close on 26 March, so no sooner do we get going than it all comes down again! It's an interesting life.

Hannah, Kevin and my Parents arrive at the end of this week (of course baby Erin too) for the launch of NewClear. It has been a year since I last saw Erin. My god but it's gone fast. I'm thrilled they were able to come. Now just gotta find them a place to stay!! I am very prepared.

The NewClear CD itself, has arrived from the manufacturers this week so there has been a quite a bit of work to get them out to folks on time. Like before the release! Bill Coyle has kindly allowed me the use of his office, so I'm keeping office hours during the day now! And I'm glad to say there has been a great response to the pre-sales and I just want to thank each and every one of you for your support and the albums are on their way.

Many people have asked me to personalize an autograph for them and I've decided that I will keep that up for a wee while, as long as my fingers can cope (I tripped and fell against a cabinet, injuring my thumb and index finger recently, so it may not be long). Just let us know at Lyric Partners what you want me to say!

Also, the eagerly awaited results of our OEM Competition were announced online. If you are one of our winners then you will have been notified by email, and your names will be announced on the site once we have all your details. I hope you enjoyed playing as much as I enjoyed reading your answers. They were funny and sweet and sometimes, to be quite honest, a bit bizarre! We will be giving away more goodies in the near future so keep an eye on those Headlines.

Rehearsals for Joe's Pub have been great. I think we are all a little nervous but it's good nerves. I'm not yet pulling my hair out. Yet. Although that may come.

So as you might have guessed, this is a big week coming, all in all. NewClear is here and more than nervous, I'm very excited. Whatever becomes of it I am very proud of the work we've all put in and you'll be able to hear it in its entirety on 21 March (coincidentally that's Rosie's birthday so I'm sending her a copy). It's great having boxes of CDs. I'll never need to buy birthday gifts again. (actually I can't keep giving out NewClear forever can I)?

On a personal level, I'm moving house again soon for the Brundibár contract. Back to my old neighbourhood of Hell's Kitchen. Excellent! Just a shame I won't be so easy to pop into Barrymore's anymore.

Well Take Care and hopefully I'll see some of you readers at the gig on Monday?!
Much Love.
E x

p.s. Lots of bits and bobs that have fallen out of my brain have arrived at Euan's Stuff so enjoy.

Joe's Pub was such a blast last week! Thanks to all those who came out and made it such a great night. I was thrilled to hear the response - especially to the new stuff. Don't forget that there are still two more gigs in our NewClear @ Joe's Pub series, 7 PM and 9.30 PM on Monday 3 April. I know the craziness you guys all had with tickets and tables, it was great to see so many faces out there but mad for y'all I'm sure. It's so much better doing two in a night so we can fit everyone in!

I'm looking forward to seeing our competition winner Helen at the first show. Plus all of the CDs and posters have been sent out to our other winners now so you should have them in your mailboxes soon. If you haven't already, check out our competition page to see if you are a winner.

Another exciting note is that CDBABY sold out twice last week and so we've been rushing to have more discs printed to fill their orders. We also learned that NewClear is being featured on their Top Sellers List. It's nice to hear that the music is getting out there.

My producer friend Jen and I are beginning to get our heads together on a video for the title track... just a melting pot of ideas at the mo but definitely something we could have fun with in the future.

Oh, here's a new thing... I have entered the world of MySpace and now have my own MySpace page. You can listen to some of my favourite tracks from the album and register as my new friend at www.myspace.com/officiallyeuanmorton. My friend Fiona who works for some of the student music papers back in London insisted that I get with it and join the MySpace universe. It seems the whole world will soon be one big MySpace page and there will be no need to ever see another human being again... it really is The Matrix.

Measure for Pleasure closed the weekend of 26 March. Another chapter ends. It was really great sharing the stage with such a talented cast of actors. Weird when it all ends though, and everyone moves on to their next thing. It's a great team they have at The Public Theatre though. I was hoping to be able to have a wee rest these next two weeks before Brundibár begins but of course it has all become about NewClear. After Joe's Pub, it is then off to VA for the ArtSpeak! gig, then I'm off to the University of Utah to play a gig out there.

It's great singing on the student circuit and I'm looking forward to going back out to Utah... though a much different part of the state from Sundance.

Saw The O'Donnells R Family Cruise documentary All Aboard this week at the HBO Theatre in New York. Memories! What a great film. Nice theatre too, the HBO cinema.

Anyhoo. There was probably a lot more to tell you but there was so much going on in the last couple of weeks that most of it has gone from my mind! My Family have returned home so it was a sad goodbye, especially to baby Erin who really is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen.

I was also sad that I didn't get the chance to avenge my losses to Kevin at air hockey. 2-5, 3-5, 2-5. Argh! (webmaster edit : 7 games - 7 wins... HOOHA!)

So, that's all for now... Come take a peek into the MySpace universe.
Much Love and Thanks.
Euan.

ps. There are loads of cool NewClear goodies now available at www.cafepress.com/euanmorton. Have a look! I've been wearing my black t-shirt for two weeks now. Reckon I should get it washed now.

I've arrived back in NYC after a great week doing gigs at universities and high schools in Virginia and Utah! The ArtSpeak! program is fantastic. They do great work supporting theatre and music and work hard building an audience for the future. It was great getting a chance to share stories with the students and sing songs for them. They reacted well to NewClear and I made loads of new friends in the MySpace universe!

Utah was beautiful too! I was staying up at a place called Logan. The students performed some songs for me and we chatted for hours. I forgot to take the camera to get pics for Flickr but you should take my word, these folks were cool. The uni's campus was surrounded by huge, snow-capped mountains and my hosts were lovely. I really wanted to stay much longer but I had to fly back overnight for the first day of Brundibár rehearsals here in New York. It's good to be back.

Now I'm just finally sitting down at the computer after a few intense Brundibár days. A lot has changed since we performed the show at Berkeley. Really great stuff. The stilts have gone, but now there is more opportunity for Brundibár to have much freer movement. I'm excited about the changes. It has just begun though so there is still a way to go. It's fun to try new stuff I would usually be scared of doing though, and it's cool to be working more closely with Tony Kushner.

I finally got round to buying a guitar by the way. Whilst up in Utah I was staying at an Inn and across the road was a music store. I had been talking about wanting to learn the guitar all day (and have been carrying a pick in my wallet for three years) so the next morning (I hadn't slept for 24 hours) I awoke, dressed and ran over the road to buy my first "axe". I hadn't realized how many people would talk to me just 'cos I had a guitar. It hurts the fingers though. I have lost the feeling in the tips of the fingers on my left hand!

Has anyone been watching the new series of Doctor Who on the Sci-Fi channel? I have missed most of it. Just too much trouble to get to a TV and I don't have Tivo! What I caught was ok though. I'll wait for the whole thing on DVD.

Oh and thanks for coming out for the last gigs in the Joe's Pub series. It was fun seeing some folks in the NewClear t-shirts. I have finally got round to washing mine. Nice to know they survive the wash! If you are interested in checking the t-shirts or other goodies out go to www.cafepress.com/euanmorton.

How was your Easter Hols? I actually forgot everything would be shut. We worked over the weekend and I moved house, back to Hell's Kitchen. It was a fairly stressful holiday. Nice to back in Hell's Kitchen. Or Clinton as they call it now. Why'd they do that?
Hell's Kitchen is much better!

Well. I'll keep you posted on how Brundibár goes and try and get some pics for you. I'll let you know how things go with planning for the upcoming Birdland gig too. That's yet to come and there's work to be done!

Keep Spreading the Music.
Much Love,
Euan

Hello again! It's been a long time, but I think we have a good excuse. Kevin has been hard at work at getting the new design for the site ready... it's much more ergonomic now! Many changes but I think this new look is easier to work with than before and I love the blue and the water! Hope you like it too? Let us know what you think... get in touch with me or Kevin (webmaster) with your comments and all.

A lot has happened since we last spoke eh? Brundibár has come and gone already and now we are a week away from tech at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor for Tommy. I had such a great time working with the kids during Brundibár... it all happened so quickly but the show went very well, I think! I can say that I won't miss gluing that moustache to my face every night though!!

Tommy is going very well, though anyone who saw me perform 'I Won't Dance' at Town Hall knows how challenging I find choreography-- still, I keep telling myself that it's the challenges that make life interesting. It's a talented company and crew, and Tommy is a brilliant/weird musical! We are rehearsing in New York but I keep hearing about how beautiful it is at Sag Harbor, so it should be nice to spend part of the summer out at the Hamptons. I'll be driving up after a gig at Robinson High School in Fairfax, VA and I'm a little nervous about the 6-7 hour drive...If you see a rent-a-car going at a snail's pace in the DC or NY area then it's probably me... lost!

What else to tell you about? I really enjoyed the gig at Birdland. I've written a bit about that night and some of the other concerts in the new section called "Gig Reviews." Thanks to all of you who came out to see us and look out for us maybe taking over Birdland again in the Fall! But life isn't all singing and dancing... (which is a shame I think). I've also found some time to practice my guitar. In fact, I recently played my first song in front of an audience. Ok, it was an audience of one. I played 'Amazing Grace' for Mae Robertson from my record label. A simple song of minimal chord structure but whatever! She claimed to be impressed, so who knows-- maybe the rest of you will soon hear me playing the guitar! (By "maybe" I mean way off in the Futurama).

I've also started doing some voice-overs in New York. Don't be surprised if you are innocently watching the television and all of a sudden you hear me trying to sell you something. I've also recently completed recording my first book on tape...

One should always still find time to explore New York and I have a new favourite place. The Dave and Busters on 42nd Street is one of the best places I've been in a long time. If they had air hockey, it would be perfect. The crew from Brundibár and I would go there after the show some nights. I would generally lose at all games to them. (My God that's what I came up with for "explore New York")!

Ok, so enough from me as I must get back to the tv to continue watching the French Open. Yup, we are smack bang in the middle of tennis season and I love it. I hope one day I'll get to go the French Open for real, just the French and Australian still to get to.

Enjoy the new site. Take a look around and check out our most recent additions to the photo gallery, a lot has been snapped since we last spoke! Keep watching as usual to keep up-to-date with my shenanigans.

Take Good Care,

Euan x

Well Hello Again!

In case you were wondering breathlessly, I wanted you all to know that my car trip from Virginia to the Hamptons was successful! I made it! I moved in to a cottage here in Sag Harbor and after a few rainy days have been enjoying the lovely weather and scenery. The theatre is beautiful and is located right on the water in this former whaling village.

Our first several days here were spent rehearsing and working out all the technical aspects of Tommy. Then we had a few previews and an exciting opening night. I had a little bit of a scare just before the opening. I wasn't feeling very well, so the theatre called a doctor and basically, I was diagnosed with the croup, which is pretty much a disease from the 50s that is most common in infants and very young children. Apparently, I'm a medical wonder in my ability to catch random diseases. Thankfully, I was able to avoid having to miss any shows, but when I wasn't performing, I was on vocal rest, and was given a course of antibiotics and steroids. The steroids made me incredibly moody. A waitress at a local restaurant got to witness a bit of my 'roid rage' and told me that I was 'vaguely terrifying.' I like to think she was kidding. The rest and the medication worked and I had a great opening night.

Now that all the rehearsals are over, I can just enjoy doing the show and getting to know the area during the day. Everything in Sag Harbor is walking distance, but I had a car for a few days and was able to explore the neighbouring Bridgehampton and some of the local beaches. I have been meeting some of the local radio media folks here and introducing The Hamptons to NewClear too!!

I am staying in a cottage on the grounds of a house run by 2 of Bay Street Theatre's founding members. Steve and Emma -- along with their 2 kids and their dog Nell have been very welcoming and don't seem to mind that I practice my guitar in their garden at all hours. Nell comes to visit me during the days. She stares through the glass door until I let her in. No flies on her. I'm thinking she would make a great song subject... 'No Flies on Her.'

There is more travel in my future. I will be returning to DC to teach at the Kennedy Centre next week. Renting a car was fun, but to save time (and possibly lives!) I think I will fly back this time. It will be a quick visit, but I always love working with students and am looking forward to meeting the talented group that is taking part in the Overtures programme. Then I come back here to continue playing Tommy until 9 July. The cast and I were talking the other night and I think we are all wishing we could have a longer run because the show and the company are so much fun. Is summer flying by for the rest of you too?

In other news, the audio book I recently recorded will soon be available to order. It is called The Wrong Hands and was written by Nigel Richardson. Give it a listen, or a read, maybe you will enjoy it as much as I did. I'll be a great visiting reader at schools now with all this practice!

Thanks to all of you who have already made the trip out to Sag Harbor, and thanks to the others who have told me that you are coming, always nice to see familiar faces. After the run is done I plan to have a little holiday for a few weeks and just catch my breath before we move into Fall season, keep checking the site for holiday updates and snaps... and maybe I'll even set up a few out of town gigs while I'm away. Who knows. I hate to not work you see!

Until next time,

Euan x

We finished Tommy on Sunday, the 9th of July. I really enjoyed my time in Sag Harbor. I got to work in a beautiful place, singing a great score, surrounded by a talented company. Everyone at Bay Street was so welcoming and I hope to return one day soon. One of the hardest parts about a career in acting is leaving the company at the end of a run. I made a lot of great friends on Tommy and will miss working with them every day.

Our final show had some difficulties. My microphone went out in the second act, so we did the rest of the show without any audio support at all. The perils of live theatre! The very first thing I did after the last show was to get all my hair cut off. I enjoyed the long curls for a while, but it is too hot for the summer, and I blame it for slowing down my tennis game. Now I'm aerodynamic. Also, it began to feel as if I were taking my hair for a walk every time I left the house.

So... what's next? I am going to take a bit of a break and see some more of the country. I will start by driving south to Savannah, Ga. then I hope to return to Birmingham, Alabama so I can play Mary at poker again. I need to win my money back. Maybe I will have time to finally see Nashville and other parts of Tennessee. Then, I might get up north to see some new friends in Toronto who have promised music and air hockey. I plan to gig wherever I can on the road, so if you have any places you would like me to stop, let me know, and maybe I will surprise you!

I will be updating from the road and will send you news of my travels!
Take care,
Euan x

How are you all? I'm in the middle of my road trip. I spent a few days in Virginia's muggy humidity after finishing up at Bay Street and then packed up the car and headed north. This was a change of plans as I had intended to drive south first, but the opportunity to see a new country (well, Canada is new to me!) was too exciting to put on hold. Plus, it was really hot, and I thought it would be cooler up north. I was right. The drive up was lovely. The scenic greenery of Pennsylvania made me a bit homesick as it reminded me of Scotland.

On the first night, we arrived in Niagara Falls and it did not look at all the way I expected it to. I thought it would be a rugged, natural place. I imagined myself hiking and sitting by the water reading a book. Next time maybe I should read some guidebooks because I was stunned to find myself in the middle of a theme park. To be fair, the falls were breathtaking, and were all the more beautiful when they were lit up at night. But it was unexpected (for me without my guidebook) to see an amusement park and a casino just a few paces away from the amazing Falls. Next I drove to Niagara on the Lake which is the home of the Shaw Theatre Festival. Very Hamptonsesque!

Then it was onto Toronto, and this is where I spent one excellent week. I hate to make generalizations, but are all Canadians kind, funny, generous and talented? (Actually generalizations are my forte!!) One highlight for me was the "Christmas in July" party I attended after taking the ferry over to Toronto Island. We had a great evening of music and fun. I even got up with the band and sang a folk version of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town."

Our hosts in Toronto were amazing. They showed us around, introduced me to some of their talented friends and they didn't even seem to mind when I got a little over excited and felt the need to dye everyone's hair a different colour. My hair is now back to the peroxide blond that it was when I first arrived in the States - all those years ago now! Since the cut and colour have lightened the load of the badger I've been wearing on my head, I finally decided to bite the bullet and lose the Yankees hat, I know some of you will be devastated by this news but I believe the majority of you will be thrilled to never see me in it again, still gotta love the Yankees though.

I managed to do a bit of sightseeing in Toronto and particularly enjoyed the Basilica and the old distillary in an area known as Corktown 'cos of all the Irish immigrants who settled there over the years.

All through the days we spent in Toronto we met artists, engineers, musicians, singers, songwriters and chiropractors. I left so inspired to work harder on my song writing and guitar playing. There was music every night and also a lot of food. I've eaten about seven hundred boxes of maple creme cookies, all different varieties!

Leaving Canada was sad, but I promised myself "I'll be back..." (In a Terminator type voice). I drove about 10 hours through some spectacular lightning storms in order to get to New York to rehearse the gig for Bay Street Theatre's 15th anniversary gala. Then drove back to Sag Harbor again for soundcheck and to perform what we had practiced. I hope they raised millions so the theatre can continue its good work.

I've posted loads of new pics in the gallery section to illustrate all the points I've mentioned above. Just flick backwards through Flickr and it will give you a sense of the journey I've been on.

Now that Bay Street's birthday is all over, I'm off to Georgia for a few weeks. I'm going to sit in a field and write, write, write. I have loads of stories to tell you but they will sound better in song form!

Till Then
Keep changing the world...
Euan x

Happy August to everyone!

I've just returned to New York after a trip down south. I intended to travel all over the place and had big dreams of getting to Tennessee, Birmingham and Florida. In the end, I arrived at a beautiful location just outside of Savannah, GA and just stayed--for days and days and days! I think all the hard work of the past several months combined with the travel of the past couple of weeks finally caught up with me and it was nice to take a proper break.

I swam, played tennis, saw friends and spent a lot of time with my guitar. Also had a fun day out go-karting round fast and slow tracks in a town called Pooler! I went on daily alligator hunts (I'm not joking!), lots of hikes with the dog, Cole, and many high speed, off-road golf cart adventures. As those of you who have followed my driving history know, I am very proud of my driving ability, but I will admit right here that I should never, ever be permitted to drive a golf cart. The golf cart is the best part of the entire game of golf, but I prefer to drive it far away from the green, through sprinklers, huge mud puddles, and on wooded paths. Basically, I like to go wherever you aren't allowed to drive. I won't go into details now, but just don't trust me behind the wheel of a little plastic buggy! There have been accidents and there has been blood. (sadly, it was mine-- I am scarred, but recovering.)

Even without the golf cart, I couldn't seem to stay out of trouble in Georgia. One day I got kicked off the tennis court for taking my shirt off (it was humid and over 100 degrees), and then got thrown off the golf course after an ill-fated attempt to golf while not wearing the mandatory collared shirt. It is hard for me to believe that people actually get worked up about what shirt you wear (or don't wear!) when there are such monumental things occurring in the world right now.

I don't often talk about such things on these diary entries, but I am saddened and deeply concerned about all that is going on in the world right now. I recently sent out an email which was sent to me by my friend Marco. It was from The Ceasefire Campaign. Asking folks to sign their petition to the UN. If it comes to your mail box please do sign and pass it on. You can even make a donation to help them be heard with a louder voice. There... had to just pass that on...

But even with the depressing world news and the Shirt Police, I did love Georgia, and got some exciting news from my record label when I was there: NewClear has found its way to iTunes!! I love my iPod and hope that all of you who like to have the album art on your colour models get a chance to download the cd! It's also a great way to share the music with your friends.

But... holidays must end, as you know. I drove 13 hours, stopping only for gas in order to get back to New York for some meetings. I still get excited when I drive or fly into New York and see that magical skyline. I never had the fortune of seeing those massive Twin Towers rising above the city but I try and imagine them there every time I drive over from Jersey. It's so hard to believe that terrible day was nearly 5 years ago now. I love how New York has survived and regrown to be even stronger-- she's a beautiful city (if maybe a bit smelly in the heat!!)

So, It's great to be back. I'm working on my music and some films and very happy to be here. I'm hoping your summer has been equally enjoyable. You can email me at NewClearCD@aol.com if you have any summer stories you just have to share! Take Good Care and Catch up with you soon, Euan x

Hey. It's been a wee while since I sat down to write an entry for this journal. I've been thinking of what to say... what to tell you... more summer road trip stories? More fun pics of me Go Karting or frolicking with the dog? More exciting stories about how all the writing and singing is going?

Then, as I sat down to type, I realised that I'm not in the mood to tell you another happy road trip story, and who gives a stuff if me and the dog are cute eh?! Plenty time for stories later!

If you were to read back over these journal entries you might think I am a dull, opinion free person... quite the opposite in fact! I am very opinionated... I have opinions on everything!!! In fact, I have been accused of speaking my opinion as if it were the truth... it's not that... I know I live in a world that we all have to share, I just think a lot of what I have to say makes sense!!

Do you ever feel stuck? As if nothing you do can ever make a difference? Sometimes things feel so futile to me. I have lived a large portion of my life focused on my career: music, tv, theatre, whatever it may be at the time. I have always been very ambitious and have worked hard to not let self doubt get in the way, you know, like when people tell you not to stand in the way of your own happiness? I used to think that was such crap and that it was up to the Fates as to whether we were to be 'happy' or not.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. (Even though I'm opinionated, I can admit I'm wrong too)!

I have found that it is possible to get in your own way. We are responsible for how we live, and therefore we are responsible for what we put out into the world and in that case we must hold ourselves to account for what we get back. It's not good enough to just know, or just be, action is how we will be judged. It matters little what is said if none of what is said translates into positive action, this is true on our tiny individual scale and true the world over...

Good Grief. I don't know what makes me want to share this with you all today. I guess I just wanted to say that sometimes I find it difficult to balance what I do for a living with what I believe I should be doing to help change the world. It feels so wrong sometimes to want that role so badly or to be raising the money to record an album when there is so much else going on. I know that it is all relative, and it's not something I think about every day or I'd go crazy. I just want to make a difference. I've been lucky enough to be given this gift in the arts and sometimes it feels like such a curse. I hate the parts of this job that encourage self-obsession. I don't want to focus on if my nose is too big for the role... or if my voice sounded flat today in that audition... or if he/she was better than me, I just want to sing songs and have the world hear them. I just want to do plays and know that someone is touched by what we have to say. I want to use my talents to make this "difference" a reality, and not have my talents turn me into a self-obsessed alien. I want to take action. I want us to take action. I want us to make a difference. Our lives should have meaning, right? I meet some amazing people when I'm out doing my gigs or masterclasses round the country. People who tell me that because of my work or my journey they have somehow found personal strength to follow their dreams, well, it is these same people who, when I am low and confused, give me the strength to keep going and to reach for the furthest star... and all that...

If no one needed anyone then the human race really would be a pointless waste of space. I need you. I like that sometimes you need me and I know that everywhere, all over the world we need each other. To carry, to share, to feel, to laugh, to cry with, to love, to sing to.

I'm sorry for my failings and I'm proud of my successes.
I love my life.
I love my job.
I am nervous about the future but I love that I have one.
I love my family and friends...
But most of all.
I love You.
Thank You.
Euan x

Welcome to November, everyone! I hope you all had a Happy Halloween, or should that be Unhappy, Frightening, Gory Halloween...?

Lots of people shared their stories of love and fear and joy and pain with me after reading my last journal entry and the response was amazing. No one ever really has to go through things alone, if we just reach out, so thanks to those who felt they could trust me with what was in their hearts.

Of course now, I'm almost too busy to reflect... Back in NYC and back in the swing of living at the speed of the city! I'm renting a little apartment way up town in the late 100s... I was very spoiled when I first moved to New York. My first home was in the heart of Manhattan so now I feel like I'm commuting from Rhode Island!

Lots of things are coming up over the next few weeks which has sent me on a shopping spree for music, clothes and guitar strings! I'll be performing at the Only Make Believe benefit on 6 November. You can read about the work they do in the Euan's Stuff section of this site. I enjoy doing this sort of benefit because it enables me to make a contribution in some small way to an organization that is doing a lot of good in this world. This relates directly back to some of what I touched on in my last entry, but basically, if I can use my voice to make a positive difference or to help someone in some way, then I'm a happy man. Especially when I get the chance to help kids.

There are other things too, I'll be performing at Town Hall in the Unplugged concert on 13 November, and that is always a fun evening. This is the third time I've done it, and there is more and more talent on that stage every year. It was touch and go that I would do the gig as the Town Hall were refusing to let me work there for a while. Let me explain: I did a concert there last year and it was my friend's birthday. I gave her and her party a shout out and wanted to give her a wee gift from the stage but then realised they were sitting way up high in the balcony so I made a joke about the cheap seats... totally off the cuff... but Town Hall were furious!! I really didn't understand why but it seems they got over it and all is good again! I'm glad as I love the venue and the staff there and would hate to miss out over something so stupid.

Anyway, I must admit that I'm most excited about my upcoming concert at Birdland In New York on 27 November. (Check the gig section for details). I'm going to be trying out some of my own material for the first time which makes me excited. Robert (my writing partner) is gonna fly down to play with the band and support my nerves! He's a great guy and has offered me a safe place to dive into music and doesn't judge when sometimes I come up with total rubbish. It's an honour to work with him and he will be a great fall guy if my songs don't go down well!!!! (Just kidding, Rob). Get your tickets while you can and don't miss this one!

And, and, and... Due to popular demand, we have decided to do another autograph session for NewClear. All the details on how to get your autographed copy of NewClear are right here on officiallyeuanmorton.com, but basically, if you are looking for a Holiday gift for someone who loves music, now is your chance! My hand has recovered from the cramping I suffered from the overwhelming response we got last time and I'm going to the gym to build up strength for this time around. The cutoff date is 11 December giving us time to get the disc out to you for the hols! As always, I am happy to personalize to you or to your loved ones.

Now. Just a quick story before I head off. Last month my friend had her identity stolen. Some rat took thousands from her debit account and her bank have not been forthcoming with much help. It is much harder to get anyone in the bank to care when it's your money that is stolen... I'm stunned at what they are putting her through... a Billionaire Bank crushing the little people makes me want to throw up, not that that's a new thing though. Make sure you get a PIN only bank account folks, and avoid handing your card over wherever possible if it is not a PIN entry machine. Or move most of your monies to a savings account and keep a small checking account to live from. That way, if you suffer a bank theft they won't get everything you own...

OK Folks. Time to switch off the computer and head to Hakata for a nice Japanese dinner. I'll see you all very soon, and hopefully often in November!
Much Love
Euan x

So... Back in NYC in time for the holiday called Thanksgiving... I've been travelling America again! This time I ended up right around the geographical centre of the country in Peoria, Illinois. We had some wonderful gigs there and I met some great people. My hosts went out of their way to make me feel welcome and the whole experience just filled me with enthusiasm and optimism-- so thanks for all who made the trip possible and who turned up to hear me sing.

The charity gigs I have recently played were great too-- at Only Make Believe, a lot of us Taboo folks sang 'Come On In From Outside.' It was really touching and made me remember once again what a special time in my life that show was. Great to be reunited with old friends too! Plus I got to share a dressing room with Donnie Osmond and Kathie Lee Gifford! Check out the Only Make Believe site on Euan's Stuff.

I've been very busy getting this Birdland gig ready. I am happy to say that we have added an 11 PM show-- which might be a little foolhardy, considering it's the Monday night after the Thanksgiving holiday-- but I hope to see as many of you there as possible. Let's all consider it a test of New York city's late night transit system! I promise that you will hear a lot of your old favourites -- but there will also be some great surprises that I am excited to share with you. There are so many songs to sing in this world...

It hasn't been all work and no play. I recently went and saw a great documentary about the Dixie Chicks called Shut Up and Sing!-- it's well worth your time if you are looking for a movie to see. Interesting insight into the music business, and a fascinating political story as well. I've also been seeing loads of theatre. I love working on stage every night, but the nice thing about having some time off is that I get to see a lot of other actors putting themselves out there. I'm always surprised when I hear about actors who never take the time to go see other people's shows because I always learn so much from my theatre-going experiences-- good and bad!

On a different subject, I'm also thinking on a scheme to help actors and theatres recycle their waste paper. I throw so many sides and scripts away (shredded of course) and music sheets I'll never use and I know that many of the professionals I meet do the same... I'd like to find a way to get all this wasted paper effectively recycled. Just an idea right now but... in Toronto they have recycle bins on every street corner... Today Hilary Clinton's office returned my call (!) which makes me think that maybe we will be taken seriously in our environmental efforts.

What else to share with you? I can't give full details right now, but if you live in the DC/Virginia/Maryland area and want to see me in concert, you might consider keeping the date 9 December free. I promise, I will tell you everything when there is more to tell!

It's great to have so much work coming in, and to be able to go out to these gigs to see you all. Come to Birdland, we'll have fun. And this time I won't rush off at the end of the evening quite as fast as I had to the last time I was there! I'm looking forward to meeting some new faces so let's do some hanging out?!

So Birdland was everything I could have wanted it to be! Thanks to you all who came out-and thank you for the continued emails detailing what you enjoyed! I love the feedback-especially on the new material and so many thoughts on that missing song title it's not funny! So did everyone get their trains home alright? I stayed until they kicked me out and then walked home-but thoroughly enjoyed myself all through the night.

So. What's next? It's been officially announced so I can finally talk about something that I've been keeping quiet for a bit. I have been cast in a play in NY. I will be performing in Howard Katz, directed by Doug Hughes, written by Patrick Marber and starring Alfred Molina at the Laura Pels Theatre. It will be produced by Roundabout Theatre Company. I love the role, so I'm very excited and being in a show and working with such talented people - excellent!!

Of course I will continue to work on writing music and finding evenings to gig because I've been enjoying it so much-and I hope you will keep coming out to see the shows?

And now I'd like to share a little dream with all of you. Just hoping that the Christmas Fairy is reading. Does Christmas have a fairy or is that only for teeth and back yards? Sometimes it can be difficult to share dreams, because they are such precious things. Willliam Butler Yeats wrote about this: "I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread lightly because you tread on my dreams."

Your greatest fear can be that your dream might be laughed at, or ridiculed. But recently I've been given the confidence to think that maybe I can get things in place to get this dream to come true.

Those of you who have been following my career know what a major influence Karen Carpenter was on my life and on my voice. As a 6 year old I used to listen to her over and over again. I never had any formal music training, but I consider all those hours listening to Karen Carpenter my education! I call her my singing teacher.

Anyway, back to the dream. What I would like to do is to honour her in the only way I know how. By singing every song she ever sang in a massive venue like Madison Square Garden! Now. Every song she ever sang would be one helluva long evening so maybe nearer the time I will have to be a lot more selective. Who knows. But I am definitely not flexible on the venue!!

So there-I've put that dream out there in the world and I'm going to do everything in my power to make it come true. If you are going to dream, you might as well dream big! (see: enormous).

Oh. Check out this cool picture of Niagara Falls frozen over. It's very rare and very beautiful, I think. I fell a little bit in love with Niagara Falls when I was there despite the disgusting casinos and amusement arcades that litter the landscape there. None of those things back when this photo was taken.

Another dream of mine is to travel back in time and see places as they were hundreds of years ago-but I'm coming to grips with the fact that I might not achieve this any time soon!).

I've been seeing lots of theatre whilst back in the city and some out in Princeton too. I recently saw A Christmas Carol which has a wonderful way of putting you in the holiday spirit. Dickens doesn't force religion on anyone, but instead, focuses on the spirit of the holiday, and it's one of the reasons I like him. I often think it's unfortunate that we need special days to do things that we should be doing every day. We don't have to wait until Valentines Day to tell someone we love them, and we shouldn't only remember what we are grateful for on Thanksgiving. But Dickens' point often seems to be that we should care for each other, look out for one another-and in some ways Christmas gives us permission to do this. I'd like to leave you with these wonderful lines from that extraordinary author. I don't think it matters what you celebrate, Christmas, Solstice, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any other holiday. Dickens refers to Christmas, but the sentiment still applies. Let's always look out for each other, lets treat each other kindly, and let's be grateful:

Happy Holidays to you all,
Euan
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