#starring more important people: heather and eileen

[partyinthemysterymachine]

we went on dates at the lake // hi again, dad

Hello, firefly.

Hello, angel.

(The water glimmers when he laughs. His ears don’t work as they used to; they’re as clear as the thick and sticky mud that coats the bottom of the lake. When Harry speaks, when he laughs or sighs, he can hardly hear him. James smiles at his husband as he drifts past. No, he can’t hear him very well with such cruelly clogged ears, but Toluca likes Harry well enough to have given him another way to speak to a never-forgotten mechanic.)

I love you.

(Ripples crash into his hands; his neck; his legs; his body. They’re sent from one man to end at the other, vibrating their spot in the lake, and James hears his voice. Like echolocation. (Dolphins.) His ears don’t work like they used to - that is to say, not much at all - yet Harry’s voice translated to waves sounds just as heavenly.)

I love you, too.

(Heavenly; heavenly is appropriate, because Harry’s been nothing but an angel to him since day one.)

I missed you.

You missed me? You’ve been right here with me all day, angel.

And I’ve missed you when you’ve been asleep right next to me.

(Harry hands slip beneath James’s arms from behind and tugs him back against his chest. (James glows orange, so beautiful and rare.) A rush of water blows past his cheek; a chuckle, and then a kiss lands on his jaw. James has a smile of his own to say about it, and lays his cold hands over his husband’s forearms.)

You’re clingy, aren’t you?

A little. (Not that it mattered any to him. It was nice to be wanted.) I’d spent years without you.

I know. I’m sorry, angel.

Shh. (His kisses feel different now under the water. Harry isn’t fully Harry anymore, but neither are themselves. When he kisses him, his husband’s lips feel like a brush of silky seaweed and moss; James never thought they could get any softer than they’d been before. He didn’t know if he was happy about it, or mournful as to why. (Don’t worry about it, honey,) he’s said before. So for him, he tries not to.)

I love when you glow for me.

I don’t glow for anyone else. I can’t.

Because you’re stuck with me. That was my grand plan of gluttony all along: to steal you away, take you all for myself, and never let anyone try to have you at all.

It worked.

Sure did. (James closes his eyes. Harry’s arms are home. His hold is strong, encasing him in his love and protection. There’s nothing to get them now; they are, in fact, safe, yet Harry makes him feel even safer. He hasn’t heard the voice in awhile. It’d shut up when he hit the water. (His did, too.) Its silence meant peace, and how inhumane he was to put that above the family he’d found and truly adored so much.

One day, he hopes to be rid of any guilt altogether. (He does, too.) How can it be that it lingers like this? Of course, ‘punishment’ is the only reasonable answer here. Toluca Lake is vicious and bartered steep prices for their residency, yet James agreed to all the terms so he could rest in the arms of the angel who ripped his wings from his back for him.

(‘Angel.,’) he calls him. (How many times, sweetheart, will he have to correct you that you’re the angel?) Forever. Harry can never change his mind. (Then this is a war that he’ll be happy to fight for the rest of eternity.))

Whaddya say we take a trip to the garden today?

The garden? What’s the occasion?

Do we need one?

(He tries to look over his shoulder, but the old scamp has his face pressed behind his ear. It sure makes it difficult to see him, and for Harry to see the smile on his own so pale. (He knows it’s there.))

No, I guess we don’t.

I’m glad you agree.

(When he chuckles reprise, the vibrations tickle his skin and drum a dead, once beating heart, and reminds it how it’d thrived years ago. James sometimes misses his regular heartbeat. Then again, that very feeling holds him in its arms. That just might be even better than any of that nostalgia.)

When did you want to go?

Right now, if you’ve got the time.

I think I can clear my schedule.

You spoil me, firefly.

Yeah? Is that what it takes to spoil you, angel?

It doesn’t take much for you to spoil me, honeylove, (he says, and that coveted pet name rolls through him like sun on a perfect spring day.)

(It makes him glow as such, too. Harry’s eyes don’t work as well as they used to. The water contains blinded secrets even during the wealth of the afternoon sun. James has drawn him up to the surface before - never breaking their shield, always immersed, forever bound beneath - to feel the thin heat upon their glittering but still waters. But for Harry, that’s all of the sun can offer, for his world is the pit of night. (Nothingness lies beyond the dark, earthy eyes that James liked to watch take in the living world around them; the very same that he still likes to watch search the deep, and light up when they fall upon him.) No, honey; that’s not true. He can see you, and he can see him. They may not be as clear as they were, but they can see each other, and that’s all that matters.

Amber has always been James’s color.)

(James turns in Harry’s arms and slings his own over his shoulders. The everlasting warmth of the author’s smile greets him, and he smiles back. (James is at his most precious when he smiles. Harry’s savored every single one of them since the beginning. How extraordinary it is that a man woven from galaxies and gold can exist as James does - did - and bless him with that heavenly gift.) Heaven is no place for a sinner, (yet they talk about it all the time,) and no matter how he tries to deny it, (heaven is a place on earth, and it’s better known as) Harry (James) Mason.)

(Do you know what that’s worth?)

(No, because there’s nothing that could ever dream to be so valuable; and yes, because he’s lived in its riches since he met you, angel.)

(His husband is smiling and Harry can’t see it like he used to. James glows because he always has, from the night he met him in the grass to where they flirt in their shared grave. He’s not crystal clear in the permanent halo, somehow solid and transparent at the same time, yet enough that he can see when he smiles, feel when his arms loop around his neck, and when his glow pulses three times whenever he’s near.

James is beautiful.)

If you wanna go right now, we should get a move on.

(And when he speaks, Harry hears him like a whisper behind his head that tingle his ears.)

I guess I’ll have to let you go, then.

Won’t be for long, angel.

You’re my eyes, sweetheart.

(He doesn’t understand what Harry sees in Toluca’s abyssal waters. His husband has described it over and over again, each time more tender and reverent than the last; a natural storyteller, that man, whose written word in the past ten (more than ten, my love) years was preceded by a dedication page to his family. (To my favorite daughter, who needs to do her homework, and to the one I held in my hands.) James liked to read his books. Harry reading them, or anything else, to him was his preferred way of consuming any story.)

(James has tried to tell him what he sounds like now. The mechanic was never good with words, and that suited Harry just fine - and that hasn’t changed. His husband is verbose by the way of his touch. That hasn’t changed since they reunited in her ill-fated deep. He’s said he loves to listen to him speak (always have, always will) and Harry loves his angel’s voice (no, no, that’s always been you, darling), and every word he speaks is filed away in his cherished memories. James (Mason) tells his stories when he takes his hand and pulls him into his arms. Sometimes his tales are three simple words that are a story that Harry never tires of. That’s when he glows like that hot summer night in the grass.)

(This is our favorite spot.)

(We call it the garden.)

(It’s a sad place,)

(‘bittersweet’ is the more appropriate word,)

(but we love it.)

(It’s ours.)

(The Masons like to float amongst the reeds here. They tend to start their visit in silence, listening to the water and its muted life. Today is the same, two men hidden in the liquid fog, holding hands two arm’s length apart. James remembers the time when letting go would have meant forgetting. Since then he’s feared that hollow, and Harry’s refused to let him meet it, the world be damned. The patriarch is a persistent man, always has been,)

(always will be. After all, it’s that quality that got him where he’s sought to be all his life. He’s tried to share it with James, for persistence is laced in things deserved, wanted, needed. But when he’d just begun to think that his lover had finally understood, Harry also discovered what sort of persistence had been fermenting within the last Sunderland all his life, too. More than a few times, he tried to blame him for following through. Then he spun it around to blame himself. After all, would it be right to punish the one he loves for something that he knew was always in his own future?)

(Hypocrisy 101.)

(Only when it suits me.)

(Like I said..)

(Pot, kettle.)

(The best of friends.)

(Their fingers are loosely hooked together. They’re comfortable in their distance - one is never far from the other.)

I can’t believe she’s getting married.

Me, neither. I think she’s nearly thirty-five. She was still working on her masters.

For..?

Psychology. She wanted to work with trauma and PTSD patients.

Ah. That’s right. That’s a long time to still be in school. Thirty-five?

By now, honey. She’d gotten her degree when I left. (The water’s a bit colder all of a sudden.) Don’t worry about it. .. you know.. it feels strange. I’m not sure I have her age right.

(He (and he) feels guilty for not knowing, either.) It’s fine. It’s coming up soon, though.. I think.

Mmhmm. (The glow dims. Don’t despair, honey.) She’s alright, James. Eileen is a lovely girl.

She’s from..?

Ashfield. She and Heather met in a thrift shop of all places.

Heh, oh yeah?

She said that she was one of those rare full price items. (That makes him laugh, and the light pulses each time. How extraordinary.) She’s nice. I think she was getting into nursing, but was thinking of changing careers.. I don’t remember.

I don’t expect you to.

She’ll be alright, James. Our girl’s a tough cookie.

I know. She takes after you.

And you, honey. She’s got your silent judgmental face down pat.

(The vibrations are warm and induce waves noticeable on the surface when Harry laughs to James’s indignant yank on his arm. His husband glides close to him, an excuse to gather each other up in their arms. (Not that we ever need one.))

(There’s a town that overlooks the lake. It’s sprawled from north, to west, to south-east. Each of these smaller precincts have names and personalities of their own. James remembers a few of them. Harry only remembers one. There’s a

town that overlooks Toluca Grave. It never liked us, and we once tried to like it. We’re still not so sure what it had against our family. James was always connected to it. I was naive to think moving away would put it out of sight, out of mind. But that town

that overlooks my lake - my real home - can’t do us any harm. From the time I was small to my adulthood, I knew that she was meant for me. As much as I loved and lost, then lost and loved all over again, there’d only be one answer, one place, where I’d come to rest. I used to think Harry didn’t belong here.

But I do. Wherever you go, honeylove,

I follow.)

—

Heather’s fingers link with Eileen’s and together, they test each other’s strength. There’s nothing to say as they gaze out across Toluca Lake. Silent Hill is to their left and right, but from where they stand, it doesn’t exist. Her new bride leans into her side and folds her other hand onto hers, holding fast; a wordless show of love and support.

Fireflies dance as an ensemble on the water, bizarrely grouped over one spot. Their eyes don’t deceive them when they think the natural, flitting halo moves closer and closer to their place by the shore. The wives daren’t move, their breath trapped in their lungs as the summer’s lanterns come to a stop mere (three) feet away from the lapping water line. Heather steps into the lake as though in a trance, immediately ruining the nice, white leather shoes she’d paid a pretty price for, and the white slacks that she won’t let be cleaned. Her wife, Eileen, feels her bride’s hand grow limp between her own two, and yet she doesn’t let her go; and she, too, will not be sending her wet gown to anyone’s cleansing steams.

The lightning bugs patiently retreat until the women - Heather and Eileen Mason - are submerged just below the knee. White silk and tulle billows on the water. Their eyes (green and brown; green and brown) are transfixed on this abnormal, miraculous, private light show just for them.

Heather’s breath hitches. From the cloud of yellow rises one, then two, of these precious summer jewels. Eileen’s gasp is so soft beside her. But it’s the way she laughs right after, so enchanted and excitable, that overflows the tears that had blurred her vision. Down they roll, hot and abundant, over her cheeks; and she smiles. She smiles, and laughs with her, and grabs Eileen’s hand stauncher than before.

‘Hi, dad,’ she wants to say. They seem like the right words and they sit high at the back of her throat. Yes, they seem like the right words, but they aren’t the right words for the moment. In her peripheral vision she sees her wife raise her hand to an orange firefly curiously swerving before her eyes. Heather can’t look there yet, because there’s a twin orange firefly lighting up her tear-streaked, freckled face in amber.

Eileen gasps again when the lights suddenly switch position, inspecting the women bound in love. It’s too quick - too early! - when those two zoom away.

The golden cloud parts, and then they follow as a nighttime sun, into the twilight.

There were three, then two, then one; then two; then four. (The family’s together again. Our family.)

Heather’s choking sobs turn to Eileen’s shoulder. Her lovely wife cradles her blonde head and holds her close; now and then she brushes the tears from her eye. The newlyweds stand in the cold waters of Lake Toluca, their feet numbed and wrinkling in ruined shoes, gluey mud seeping into the soles.

Heather wants so badly to say something. ‘Hi, dad’ or ‘You guys suck’ or ‘That was really fucking cheesy’ or ‘Does that mean you like her?’ or even, ‘I love you.’ There are tons of words in innumerable combinations that she feels ought to be said right now, and they won’t be. She’s in mourning and in love, and her wife mourns with her, and loves her more.

They finally turn to slog out of the water. There’s a blue pickup truck parked three feet away.

Eileen suddenly yelps, breaking the reverent, solemn night. Heather’s reflexes snap her forward before she can tumble back. Movement beneath the water, and the oddly directed drift of Eileen’s dress suggests that something pulled at it. She frowns, guiding her spouse to the safety of the shore, yet remains ankle-deep in the mud.

Heather studies the lake, half-listening to Eileen gathering her dress and exclaiming that something tugged at it. That’s when she sees something peculiar out there in the deeper dark. A beacon; a strangely throbbing beam; it’s dim in this shitty, horrible lake; but it flickers three times. Her heart flutters hopefully (if she’s hallucinating now, let her be happy in her newfound craziness forever more); there are ripples that originate from no discernible, physical fault on the water, and they quickly spread far and wide.

All those tears come running fresh over a big smile.

“You guys are fucking cheeseballs,” the Mason matriarch croaks through a chuckle. “That was all way over the top. First the fireflies, then you’re gonna bully my wife, and then whatever the fuck that was..? Jesus. I’m gonna take all this and I’m gonna put it together in a script, and then I’m gonna sell it to TLC or Hallmark and reap in the big bucks, because this shit that just happened, here? It’s going to get eaten. Up. By aaaalllll those people who love chick flicks and tragic gays.” Her smile wavers. Behind her, Eileen’s peering curiously at Dr. Heather Mason, and then out at the lake.

“That was them?”

“I’ll put two shakes to it.”

A quiet settles between them for a moment. “How?”

“I dunno. Maybe they get a guide book like in Beetlejuice.”

“‘The Handbook For The Recently Deceased.’”

“Yeah, that.” Heather looks back at a tense, worried woman. “Hey. It’s okay. I know how you feel about the paranormal, sweetie,” she soothes, leaving the water at last to pull her younger bride into her fold. “If that was really them, they didn’t mean any harm. They didn’t know. They’re just.. dorks.”

Eileen appears to be a little comforted by her wife’s voice and kiss, then looks out over Toluca again. “.. yeah. I guess.. I’ve thought about it, Heather,” she says, looking back at her reddened, freckled face. “It weirds me out a bit because of..”

“Yeah.”

“.. but.. for you? .. for me? I’d like to get to know them.”

Heather’s relieved, adoring smile flusters Eileen’s heart, and those uncomfortable, persisting fears suddenly lift away.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“We’ll take it slow,” Heather assures her, giving her a squeeze. “You can set the tone.”

“I know, sweetie,” she sighs through her smile, leaning into her taller wife’s chest; she’s just at the right height in her dirty heels to kiss her chin. “Thank you.” Her dark eyes search Heather’s pretty, glassy green. She loves that green.

Maybe one day, she hopes, Heather won’t cry when Eileen chooses that very color to wear, or to upholster the couch, or in the blanket she uses to wrap her up in when they cuddle. She has a good feeling about that day being very close, indeed; something in those gorgeous eyes she can’t get enough of tells her so.

In her sweetheart’s earthy brown eyes, Heather can tell that Eileen’s ready to heal. The years have been long from the time it all happened, to them working together, to Eileen seeking shelter in Heather at night and even during the daytime. Her heart broke for the poor woman, but she was vigilant. Eileen wants her freedom back and those brown eyes hold stubborn determination. Heather knows she’s scared of the lake and what (who) rests in its reeds. But Eileen loves her; she barely knew Harry, yet she loved him; she never knew James, and yet she wants to love him, too.

Heather loves the color of Eileen’s eyes.

It’s three steps to the blue pickup truck. The sodden wives climb in and shut the doors tight. The engine turns over and roars, almost drowning out the laughter of two women bound in love - Eileen Mason, formerly Galvin, and Heather Mason (a doctor of psychology). This old blue pickup truck’s tires and mechanics hardly muffles the blaring music (The Dixie Chicks, Eileen’s favorite band) as it leaves Toluca Lake behind, just for now.

—

(Ripples on the water; Harry’s laughing. (Orange flickers; James chuckles along with him.))

I like her.

I like her, too. Poor girl. I didn’t mean to give her a scare.

She knows, angel.

Maybe we were over the top.

Doesn’t matter. It was worth it.

Can’t disagree. She said they’d be back.

Mmhmm. I wonder what’s wrong.

Whaddya mean, honey?

Well, didn’t you say that Heather mentioned how she knew how she felt about the paranormal? (James frowns then, and darts a questioning glance at his husband.) Are we paranormal?

Yeah, she did. Beats me. I guess we’ll find out. (Harry finds James’s glow to shrug at him.) Maybe. Whatever; it was fun.

Yeah, it was.

Come to bed, firefly. We’ve had a long night.

(James gathers Harry up in his arms, and closes his eyes as he’s locked secure in his embrace, too. They tuck their heads to their soulmate’s neck, their bodies as close as physics allow. He balls up a maroon sweater in his fists, and can feel the tension pulling at the back of his green military jacket. The water is cold and they don’t care. They were one, once, then were forcibly separated to find each other again. They found each other, to never separate again.

This is how they sleep, James and Harry Mason: two puzzle pieces with sharp edges, two sheets of crisp white paper and charcoal. Toluca Lake is their home and their grave, but their real home has always been in each other’s arms. They’re together.

Just a firefly, and an angel.)

[avaliveradio]

Pop Country Songwriter Eileen Carey's New Release 'Leave It All Behind'

Artist: Eileen Carey

New Release: Leave It All Behind

Genre: Pop-Country, singer-songwriter

Sounds like: : “Carey— a little bit cosmopolitan, a little bit country, a true musical chameleon, blending pop and rock and country influences with ease .Fans have recognized Carey’s star-quality for years, but now the critics are starting to take notice as well”. – (ElmoreMagazine.com)” 2017 “Blending pop, country, and rock in a music that feels uniquely hers.” (POPDOSE) “Eileen Carey is a singer-songwriter-vocalist in the Pop-Country genre who has emerged over the last few years as both an accomplished storyteller and effective, appealing stylist, while making music that deftly combines country influences with pop arrangements. Her songs also offer distinct, prominent messages about personal empowerment and emotional fulfillment.” - Ron Wynn, Nashville Music Guide “The crowd was hooked from the moment “Hearts of Time” kicked off the night. Carey’s sassy yet humble stage demeanor gave off Gretchen Wilson meets Miranda Lambert vibes, which clearly appealed to the crowd, which engaged in hand clapping, line dancing and singing along.” - Heather Allen, Music Connection

Located in: : Altadena, CA 91001

Onwards and Upwards: In Motivational “Leave It All Behind” Single, Artist of the Year Eileen Carey Urges Listeners to Move On From the Past “Blending pop, country, and rock in a way that feels uniquely hers.” (POPDOSE) HEAR EILEEN CAREY’S ODE TO INDEPENDENCE “LEAVE IT ALL BEHIND” HERE In both her new single “Leave It All Behind” and her overall career trajectory, it’s onward and upward for New Music Weekly AC/Hot AC Breakthrough Artist of the Year Eileen Carey. Continuing her knack for crafting perfectly blended country and pop, Carey’s latest single is the latest testament to her positive, forward-looking approach to life and love. “Leave It All Behind” is available June 21 via _______. Carey is heading to her home away from home, Nashville, Tennessee from June 15 to 20 to record new songs and will kick off the summer concert schedule with a show at the Orange County Fair on Saturday, July 24 (1:30 PM on the Hanger Stage). Co-written by Kathryn Grimm and Travis Allen, “Leave It All Behind” is an upbeat anthem of self-belief, endurance, and independence. Described by Elmore Magazine as “a little bit cosmopolitan, a little bit country,” the critically acclaimed Carey explains how “Leave It All Behind” is meant to inspire listeners who feel trapped in a negative situation: “Sometimes we get stuck in the past or in a mess that we can't get out of. We then think everyone else somehow has the answer. But the truth is that we will always find a way - if we believe in ourselves.” Believing in herself seems to come naturally for Carey. The chart-topping singer has forged a wildly successful career through her tenacity and her desire to let love rule. Nashville Music Guide best explains why Carey and her feel-good blend of pop, rock, and country has connected with fans and critics alike: “Eileen Carey has emerged over the last few years as both an accomplished storyteller and an appealing stylist. Her songs offer much needed messages of emotional fulfillment and personal empowerment.” Now situated alongside household names like Post Malone, Five Seconds of Summer, and the duo of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Carey has done things her own way and very much on her own timetable. The result is an astonishing eighteen music awards in half a decade, including: IMN Fan Favorite Female Country Artist for 2020 Reverbnation #1 Regional Country-Pop Artist for April 2019 Los Angeles Music Awards Crossover Artist for 2018 Los Angeles Music Awards Country Music Performer of the Year for 2017 Independent Radio Network Crossover Artist for 2016 Carey also uplifts women via her blog The Music Mom. Much like “Leave It All Behind,” The Music Mom reveals Carey's desire to positively impact others through the sharing of her experiences and wisdom: “The world is filled with ups and downs, so I want to help people see things in a more positive light and find a better place in life.” For more information on Eileen Carey, visit her social media: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE For press inquiries, please contact ________

This single represents Eileen's continuing move over to Pop. So many influences Sheryl Crowe, Martha Davis, Keith Urban, Singers like Celine Dion and Whitney Houston. Songwriters Lennon McCartney and Diane Warren

Right now we are...

Heading to Nashville Tuesday, June 15, going into the studio at Nashville Tracks to lay down a number of vocals on her new material.

Artists Bio..

A Long and Winding Road: How One Night’s Drive Turned Eileen Carey into a Pop-Country Phenom By Matthew Kayser As the late twenty-something wife and mother of two daughters drove home from yet another exhausting 15-hour shift, something snapped within Eileen Carey. After spending years booking entertainment for a Los Angeles hotel, Carey realized that it was now her turn to write, sing, and perform the songs she loved. Yes, she had been the consummate family woman, fully devoted to her kids and her husband. And yes, she knew that most professional artists launch their careers when they’re young. Or at least younger. But the California-based Carey has a habit of trusting her heart. And her heart was quite emphatic in insisting that now was the time Country to pursue her lifelong dream of a career in music. That now was the time to prove to her daughters that any woman - no matter her age or her social status - can achieve whatever it is she wants.

Besides, Carey thought, if not now, when? And with this realization, Carey’s most unlikely and inspiring music career began. Eileen Carey has always been a lover and a fighter. The chart-topping country pop artist has forged a wildly successful career through both her tenacity and her desire to let love rule. Carey has proven that very good things can come to those who wait - and work. While Elmore Magazine describes Carey’s sound as “a little bit cosmopolitan, a little bit country,” Nashville Music Guide best explains why Carey and her feel-good blend of pop, rock, and country has connected with fans and critics alike: “Eileen Carey has emerged over the last few years as both an accomplished storyteller and an appealing stylist. Her songs offer much needed messages of emotional fulfillment and personal empowerment.” Empowerment is evident in Carey’s long and winding path to being named the New Music Weekly’s AC/Hot AC Breakthrough Artist of 2019 and 2020. And in 2018 was their Country Breakthrough Artist. Now situated alongside household names like Post Malone, Five Seconds of Summer, and the duo of Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, Carey has done things her own way and very much on her own timetable. This includes crashing the low glass ceiling facing women in country music: “When I was thirty, an A&R guy in Nashville told me, “You’re too old. Go home.” He is now one of my biggest supporters. I don’t believe that anything should hold back talent, effort, and aspiration. Not gender, age, or race.” Carey credits her urge to push for equality to heroes from multiple spheres of social influence and her desire to positively impact her daughters: “I am inspired by the huge numbers of women making waves in society, whether it’s in sports, business, or the political arena. I have two daughters, so this is very important to me.” Fueled by her hunger for equality, her self-belief, and her love for her family, Carey followed her car-ride epiphany with the release of two tracks, one a cover, and one original. The cover was Carey’s take on Patsy Cline’s hit “Walking After Midnight.” Carey’s rendition of the Cline classic was the winning track in a Nashville radio syndicated fan contest. Carey just so happened to beat out Martina McBride. Carey’s other track was “That Town,” a nostalgic look back at the songwriter’s youth spent in Ohio. “That Town” soon took off on Adult Contemporary radio. Carey’s first two songs convinced her that she really did have the goods to succeed in the music industry. A look at her list of accomplishments since then has proven Carey correct. She’s won an astonishing eighteen music awards in half a decade, including: • New Music Weekly AC/Hot AC Breakthrough Artist of the Year for 2019 & 2020 • Reverbnation #1 Regional Country-Pop Artist for April 2019 • IMN Fan Favorite Female Country Artist 2020 • Los Angeles Music Awards Crossover Artist for 2018 • New Music Weekly Country Breakthrough Artist for 2018 • Los Angeles Music Awards Country Music Performer of the Year for 2017 • Independent Radio Network Crossover Artist for 2016 Perhaps most indicative of her magical rise is the who’s-who of legends with whom Carey has shared a stage, including Rita Coolidge, Wilson Phillips, Don McLean, Jefferson Starship, Martha Davis, Johnny Rivers, Peter Noone, Nelson, and Tal Bachman. Following in the footsteps of what The Hype Magazine calls a “long line of radio hits,” Carey’s recent single “Keep Your Love to Yourself” is a rally cry for women who find themselves in abusive relationships. The song’s message is loud and clear: every woman deserves a healthy, positive relationship in which they are treated as equals - and anything less simply won’t cut it. It is this unrestrained tenacity and commitment to positivity that has inspired the songstress to take part in several projects aimed at making Carey and her fans healthier and happier human beings. Whether it’s promoting physical and mental health via kickboxing and time spent outdoors, caring for animals through her work with FixNation and her family’s nonprofit organization Stray Paws Animal Haven, or providing thoughtful parenting advice on her blog The Music Mom, Carey strives to offer support and encouragement for listeners everywhere: “I try to give people a different way of thinking about the world and their role in it. I want them to focus on the positive aspects of life. I genuinely believe that very good things will happen for them if they do.” In addition to positivity, two other words perfectly describe Carey, her music, and her career: passion and persistence. Carey’s endless enthusiasm and determination to see the good in life has produced a career that teaches a valuable lesson: slow and steady may win the race, but genuine and likable earn the winner much applause. And while she was familiar with applause due to one of her hotel management chores being the booking of the entertainment many years ago, it took a fateful drive home and lots of hard work for Eileen Carey to finally be on the other end of it. Written by Matthew Kayser nowishistory@gmail.com an accomplished writer, teacher, and musician.

LINKS: www.EileenCarey.com www.TheMusicMom.com www.cdbaby.com/Artist/EileenCarey www.facebook.com/EileenCareyofficial www.Twitter.com/EileenCarey https://www.instagram.com/eileencareymusic/ www.youtube.com/user/Rolley23EileenCarey https://soundcloud.com/EileenCarey www.reverbnation.com/EileenCarey https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/eileen-carey/id4240542 https://www.linkedin.com/in/eileen-carey–1775528

Reviews:

Mountainlady of Back to the roots wrote:

“Great song, just way too pop for my current playlist, reminds me of my teen years when I liked music like that:) I look forward to listening to more form you in the future.”

Post To Wire wrote:

Thanks for sending your track our way . This is right on point for that country pop listener. Keep up the great work. 

Run Hundred wrote:

"The guitars remind me of U2—while the soaring vocals make for an excellent contrast—but the tempo is too slow for our audience otherwise I would have posted you for sure.”

Glasse Factory wrote: 

“The vocal styling in this has a bit of a commercial feel for what we like to share with our audience but you have a great song and vibe to your music.!"

EarToTheGround Music wrote: 

"I appreciate the pop energy here, unfortunately with country we're looking for a bit more of a throwback style overall. Great work.” 

Nam Radio  wrote: 

"Awesome track, it is lively and I enjoy listening to your music.”

Press:

CBN Network of Caribbean Broadcast Network has shared "Eileen Carey - Leave It All Behind" on 6/16 in rotation.  They had this to add: Greetings, your MP3 was distributed to our stations' DJ's (32) and was played and will continue to be played by DJ’s who choose to include it in their regular line ups and or when they play at events! ♛♬

Mark-Xtreme of Ejazz Radio has shared "Eileen Carey - Leave It All Behind" here: 17th June 1-2pm EAT.

They had this to add: Radio link : radio.ejazzug.com

Playlists Supporting this single:

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🔥JAX DAILY Morning Coffee Playlist:

  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7pEY8BiSj6sLLSHAoOo9k0?si=IrwIjmHVRN2vswRyw_P6gA

🔥Songwriter Gold https://open.spotify.com/playlist/68x51bTCMLuLi4o6vqwGfh?si=hXz5kG-rTN-bGkZBJuPm9g

🔥SUMMER SINGLES Fresh Indie Music Finds https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7oQCpI2xEN2RaGWLcRGQJX?si=o93Tf3RwSH2HLg4B57qAVw

🔥Road Trip Best Indie Folk 2020 Music Playlist - Indie / Pop / Folk / Rock https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1PLd9drToDxT0rUcGWGpZ9?si=FvfbaXtcQ1-HJyHf3h59oA

🔥 Country Gold  https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1mOu6js2o1Vqwst3r6Znq3?si=j-WKFuWfQ8qPw3nx2nwryg

[mandibierly]

Why social media is the biggest issue teen TV should tackle

Katherine Langford as Hannah Baker in 13 Reasons Why. (Photo: Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection)

Andi Mack creator Terri Minsky doesn’t feel it’s her place to tell any other showrunner what they should be doing on their series, but she does understand why Yahoo Entertainment reached out to television producers to ask which issue they’d like to see more shows address for teen and family audiences.

“TV shows are a message, a warning, from one generation to the next, about how not to do things,” Minsky says. “My generation thought high school was supposed to be the best four years of your life, so obviously there was something wrong with you if they turned out to be the most miserable. Kids who hated high school grew up to write Freaks and Geeks, and Daria, and Glee, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, so the next generation came prepared, fully informed on what an emotional and psychological cesspool high school really was. Now, TV writers are trying to clear the forest of homophobia, xenophobia, racism, violence, rape, addictions… There’s a lot to do, and unfortunately, right now, this list grows longer by the day, sometimes by the hour.”

In this age of Peak TV, many producers echo the words of The Fosters showrunner Peter Paige: “I think we have an incredible opportunity at this moment in time, with the breadth of programming going on, to explore all the issues that teenagers today wrestle with — sex, drugs, the internet, social media, guns — without talking down to them.” The Vampire Diaries‘ Julie Plec lists a broad array: “Just like the rainbow coalition of normal human issues, whether it be depression and therapy, sexuality, gender dynamics, race dynamics.” 13 Reasons Why‘s Brian Yorkey gives more of a mission statement: “I would love to see more shows that speak honestly and personally and unflinchingly to some of the difficult things teens face on a daily basis, and not in a way necessarily that seeks to educate adults, but in a way that seeks to honor the experience of teenagers and to let them know that — as much as they may be feeling they’re the only kid going through it — they’re really not alone.”

But as we sorted the responses to our “Why Teen TV Matters” showrunner survey, we noticed one recurring theme:

Social Media

The Middle‘s Eileen Heisler cuts right to the chase: “I think the issue of social media is one that has impacted today’s teens in ways we don’t even fully understand yet. I think the effects of social media usage on teens is a current health crisis and something television should address.”

Heather Wordham, creator of Netflix’s Alexa & Katie, recalls something she heard recently explaining the pathology: “The point that was made that really stuck with me was that before social media, any teenager who felt bullied or like they weren’t enough at school always had a reprieve from that when they went home at the end of the day and could get away from some of those feelings of inadequacy. But with social media, that influence is now 24 hours a day. Anytime a kid checks out their social media, no matter what time it is or where they are, they risk facing those challenges and feelings.”

This is a particularly timely discussion for Pretty Little Liars creator I. Marlene King, who, by the way, doesn’t limit the damage being done to just teenagers adding to the conversation: “Young people and adults have forgotten that words matter. They can inspire but they can also inflict deep and impactful wounds. When you hate anonymously on social media, your words still land hard and cause pain. Social media bullying is an epidemic in this country and we need to address it in our storylines. We need to show the bullies how it feels to be bullied. And we need to show kids who are being bullied solutions and ways to rise above the hate. I’d also like to see more storylines exploring the stress of needing to be popular on social media. It’s adding another layer to what success looks like to young people, and their need to be perfect at everything. We’re exploring these issues in our new show, Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.”

Awkward creator Lauren Iungerich (whose next series is Netflix’s On My Block) might have a suggestion: focusing on “self-compassion over self-esteem.”

“Self-esteem suggests that in order to win someone has to lose. And when you promote self-compassion, you are telling people to find a connection even in failure. That there are lessons to be learned when you don’t win. That when you don’t win, you actually connect with everyone else who is also not winning. And in that common connection, you find community,” she says. “I feel like our society is driven by so much self-importance that community has been lost. Being part of a fully-realized, supportive, and inclusive community is where we really flourish as a society. And I wish more shows would promote that idea.”

Buffy creator Joss Whedon would watch them: “The stories I’m looking for are about the kids who aren’t beautiful, sculpted, sexy leaders and stars,” he says. “I’m always interested in the people who get ignored and get by anyway. (And look like they’re still in high school.)”

So, too, would Dan Perrault (Netflix’s American Vandal), who wants to see the labels that divide us disappear: “I think it’s getting a lot better, but in general I’d like to see less stereotyping and categorizing of teens. It seems like in real life we’re moving away from the idea of jocks, nerds, cool kids, and losers. We don’t all fit in a box, so I hope teen TV reflects that.”

Embracing our differences would help bring back what One Day at a Time co-showrunner Mike Royce believes is missing: “Portraying empathy is so important. For identity, representation, privilege… any storyline that can convey an understanding of people who are not necessarily exactly like you. Their problems, their struggles,” he says. “The kicker is, it’s all relatable no matter who you are. But empathy is becoming a lost feeling and we need to be finding it.”

There is hope

Funnily enough, the most optimistic outlook on the issues facing this generation may come from the co-creator of Netflix’s Everything Sucks! , Michael Mohan. “One of the most rewarding aspects of making this show was being able to hang out with these teenagers outside of filming. And it was so illuminating because I feel like so many articles about this current generation of teenagers take a pessimistic stance. You read about teenagers being addicted to technology — personally, I think teenagers today have a much healthier relationship with their phones than most of my adult friends have. Our cast wasn’t glued to their phones at all whatsoever,” he says. “You read about them being emotionally distant — but I actually think they’re more in touch with their own vulnerability than prior generations. And I think they feel far more empowered than anyone is giving them credit for. So while our show is set in the “olden days” of the 1990s (the same distance from when The Wonder Years took place and when it aired), I would love to see a straight-up honest, vampire-free story about what it’s like in high school right now, so that teenagers can see themselves represented onscreen accurately, and so that adults have a window into how amazing this generation actually is.”

Peyton Kennedy and Jahi Di’Allo Winston in Everything Sucks! (Photo: Scott Patrick Green/Netflix)

Katie Elmore Mota, executive producer of Hulu’s East Los High, has her own list of priorities — safety, equal access to education, issues around sex and relationships — but she, too, thinks what is most important is listening to the teens you are writing about. “We need to ask them what matters most to them, and what stories or characters would they like to see on television that they maybe haven’t seen yet, what is on their minds. We did this with every season of East Los High and we always learned so much. I think it really helped us ground the show and keep it relevant,” she says. “And overall, I think one of the most important things in life is to feel seen and heard. I hope that more and more teens feel that they are seeing themselves in mainstream media, that they see representations of themselves that they can relate to and that they feel that their stories matter. And to validate their feelings and challenges, and remind teens that every day is a new day, so never lose hope or give up. My mom always said ‘this too shall pass,’ and that’s true for both the highs and the lows in life.”

That kind of communication is what One Day at Time co-showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett hopes to see more of: “I think parents start to get afraid of their kids and don’t know what to say to them. And on our show, we try to show that it’s hard and awkward and you don’t always say that perfect, elegant thing. But it’s the doing that is important,” she says. “Penelope always goes right in there and talks to her kids. I think it’s good for both parents and kids to see that.”

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:

Show creator looks back at 4 decades of ‘Degrassi,’ from abortion to Drake

Joss Whedon on Parkland students: ‘I’ve been writing about kids like these for a long while. I thought I was writing fantasy.’

‘My So-Called Life’ and ‘Parenthood’ creators on Parkland teens ‘changing the conversation’ on TV and in real life