DORÉ

I first met Sophie Auster through Spencer’s Instagram. His stories would be populated with these quirky vignettes from this utterly charming and goofy lady. Even from those twelve second clips I could tell these two had the elusive creative connection that so many creative couples yearn for.

What better way to showcase that magic then putting together a little travel diary of Sophie’s most recent tour with, of course, Spencer behind the lens. And Sophie’s words accompany his photos of… welll… her :)

Spencer and I first met at 2am at a bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

It was the last show of my American tour, in April of 2017, and the band and I decided to drive back to New York that night. Spencer and I had been writing each other every day for a month, after connecting on a dating app, and I was anxious to meet the man in the flesh. I felt good vibrations permeating through my mobile device, but I didn’t know if I was delusional or crazy for feeling that way.

So, as we crossed the Williamsburg bridge, I texted him and asked to see if he wanted to get a very late drink with me. Almost immediately, he responded. I walked into a dimly lit bar shining head to toe in my sequin stage outfit, guitar in hand, and roller suitcase behind me. We drank and talked till about 4am. We’ve been inseparable ever since.

In the two years we have known each other, we have traveled to Switzerland, France, Spain, Italy, Greece, New Orleans, California, the Midwest, Texas, and Seattle together. Spencer and I know what it means to be on the road. You have to roll with the unexpected and keep your spirits up. We have weathered many travel dramas together and we have always managed to keep our sense of humor. I think this is why we work so well together. So, when the idea came about to do a tour diary with Spencer, I jumped.

This tour was in anticipation of my new album, Next Time, out today through BMG worldwide (YAY)! You can listen & purchase here.

For this tour we started in Philadelphia, made our way to Washington DC, North Carolina and ended in Boston. Even a small tour can be grueling, but the shows were intimate, the audiences were engaged, and I breathed new life into songs I have known for quite some time now. We played as a trio, which leaves no room for error since every wrong note or wrong chord is heard. It was a test in sharpening our skills. And, as a manager once told me, “A good song should be able to be stripped down.”

Along for this tour was Sarah Goldstone, on piano, and Robbie Mangano, on guitar, who play with me in my band in New York. We are all accustomed to picking up and piling into vans, cars and airplanes. It is part of the life of musicians and thankfully, everyone here was a veteran of the road!

Later this month, I will be embarking on a European tour in six different countries to promote Next Time. I’ve already stocked up on face masks for my “spa on the go” routine which includes scaring passengers on every single mode of transport I take!

I will be back in New York playing City Winery with special guest Elizabeth and the Catapult on June 5th. You can check out tickets here!