Reaching for more..

It's my birthday month, July. This month reminds me of my birthday parties as a kid..they were pool parties with all my friends. My mom made her amazing sloppy joe's, mac& cheese, we had cake and ice cream,..and my grandparents had an always stocked fridge in the garage, every pop you could imagine and want as a kid. So, combine snacks and fun, diving board competitions, splashing each other, traipsing through my grandparents house dripping wet and getting yelled at by them. haha. Isnt it amazing how real memories are?! I can taste the watermelon my mom would always have cut up for us...can see some of my girlfriends sitting all around while we opened presents..can hear the oldies music playing that my grandpa had playing on about 5 different am/fm stereos in the house and around the pool. From the time he woke up until he got settled for the night, there was always an oldies station playing. No wonder I love oldies music, right? it's happy, childhood memories that are associated with it. I can clearly remember that the parties were GIRLS ONLY, and then I remember a year when I asked if I could invite boys..ahhh how things changed. Suddenly there wasnt just fun in the sun. There was drama. The boy you have a crush on is talking to your friend more than you...oh. my. gosh. The world is coming to an end!!!!! But it felt huge at the time, didnt it??

This weekend Nick was gone for shows, and I had the weekend off, so I drove to Indiana to my parents farm to hang a couple days and pick up our little hairy kids. =) Today I had a girl day with my Mom and one of her best friends Paula..we stopped by Florence Mall in FLorence, KY...my H.S. was close, and that was the Mall I considered "my" Mall...walking through the food court, through Macy's and forever21, I had moments of feeling 16 and so insecure. Wondering if that cute boy noticed me, wondering if my outfit was as cool to anyone else as I thought it was when I thought about it for 20 minutes that day...and I said to my Mom, "I am so glad I'm all grown up and don't have that feeling anymore." Like the weirdest fish in the fishbowl. On display for everyone to stare and laugh at. Wow, teen years can be tough. Something happens in your 20's. Somewhere in there you start to feel like you fit in your skin. And you really stop caring so much what anyone thinks. It's a great feeling, isnt it??

Ok, enough of the flashback to the 90's..

My album has been out a couple months now. I have been so overwhelmed by how many of you have sent me stories about your favorite song, how the album is encouraging you..you don't know how much it means to me! I love hearing from you, being able to communicate with the very people supporting my project by facebook and twitter.

The new Superchick album is in full swing! We've been working during the weeks when we're home at Studio Max. =) We have some amazing songs we've been demo-ing, and I am certain Superchick fans are going to be so excited about the direction we've gone in, and how we're bringing some old school back into it. Thats all I'll say...=)

Hope you're all having a great summer! The last week I have had several conversations, all with different people, that have lead me to believe that God has something He's trying to tell me. I think we can all agree that we can look around us at the world and generally see a heavy, broken place. And it can be easy to feel defeated. I have those days when it seems like everything, everyone around me is trying to fight anything I do, Anything I work for, anything I'm reaching for...what's not easy is to choose to see the other people. To remember what I do have. To picture the faces of my family, friends, strangers who get the vision of what we do, what I do and who encourage and support it. Because there is good. And the whole world isnt against us. Life can be tough. Life can be an uphill battle at times, but at its worst, we are blessed. We have a breath to breathe today, we have a roof over our heads, food to eat, we have people who love us and will be there for us through the thickest and through the thinnest. We are blessed. And we can choose to see the good. Choose to hope for what tomorrow can hold. We can not let ourselves become defeated. We can remember that we are the children of a God who wants the best for us. Who sees what is and what is to come, and Who is a gracious Father. We can let our hearts keep hoping, even when something inside says to stop hoping and dreaming and praying because its futile, because its us against the world and our prayers never seem to reach past the roof of our house. So this is my hope for all of us. And it starts with me.

Do we have the faith, the courage, the strength to keep up the good fight? To rise above the things that threaten to drown us? To hope another day when it feels like the easiest thing would be to give up and say I'm done with all of it. I think we all have it in us. And that's what I'm reaching for tonight.

much love--T

follow me everyday on twitter at @superchicktrish

My facebook page is www.facebook.com/triciabrockmusic. Come "like" it when you have a minute!!

my website is www.triciabrockmusic.com

Friend reviews

So release day was here and you guys got my album all the way up to #2, where its been teetering. Amazing. Thank you so much to everyone who bought it to support me, and I hope you love it! For the next couple of weeks, I'm going to post blogs from dear friends of mine who have lived life with me the last few years, and are going to share their thoughts on this project. A little inside into me, so you feel like you get to know who Tricia is a little bit better. Lets call them my friend reviews. :-)

The first one is from my friend Charise. She is from jacksonville, FL, and over the years has become a rock to me in my life. We met at a show of ours at Murray Hill Theatre, and were complete opposites but just clicked. I'm so glad we did. She's blessed my life so much! Charise is a talented, passionate, Godly woman and entertaining, so following her on twitter and her blogs wouldnt disappoint you. Here is what she had to share...

It’s not everyday you can say one of your best friends is #3 on Itunes. But TODAY I can say that. My Beautiful and talented friend Tricia Brock released her debut solo album and yes my friends she is currently #3 on Itunes!!

The first time I ever saw Tricia she was singing a worship song at the end of a superchic[k] concert and the hairs on my arm stood up. I thought WOW this chick is SUPER anointed. SO it is NO surprise her worship album would be bring me to tears and encourage my soul…

Over the Last 10 years Tricia has been my “go to person” during trial, and I always knew she’d walk alongside me and pray for me. The last couple years I’ve watched my beautiful friend struggle and still chase God with favor and integrity. So to hear her sing about God’s grace, and Knowing God was the one who heard her regardless of her heavy heart moves me to tears. She is such amazing woman of God and her transparency is so evident in ” The Road “. I love this album because it’s not a Christian Artist writing yet another worship album. It’s an album from a real person who has struggled and felt like giving up. The Road is an Album of hope…This is an album from a woman I look up to singing biblical truths found through heartache.
My Favorites: You Hear & Always
So if you are looking for an awesome new album that will encourage you from someone who isn’t making albums just  to meet a quota but because she is called to make music that matters  then buy “the road” on ITUNES.

FOLLOW MY LOVELY FRIEND ON TWITTER @SUPERCHICKTRISH

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Thanks friend! Follow charise on twitter @Chariorozco

Here is the link to her blog---- Www.charise.org

His mercies are new...

My album, "The Road" comes out in 12 days, not like I'm counting down or anything. I've shared some of the stories behind this album with you guys, but I thought it was time for another.

I've been doing interviews for the album, and in the process of answering questions, I have actually found some of the answers. When a year or more of your life is immersed in a project, when it has become so close, so personal, its hard to see the songs, the album as a whole, from any other angle but your own. Then you get to talk to people who have maybe heard a few songs, maybe clips of the whole album at the most, and you hear their perception, their favorite song, and its a really refreshing process.

One of the questions I always get is, am I quitting Superchick? My answer to that is this. I am most definitely not leaving SC. To be a solo artist, to keep creating even on my own was always my plan. I love rock more than I ever even thought I would. But there are other sides to me as an artist, and now I get to express those. I decided to do a worship album first because I knew it was where I was being called. I have always wanted to write and record a worship album, and it felt like this was the time in my life when not only did I feel that door open for me, but I think that my soul was reaching for this too.

I've talked a bit about struggling through the last few years. I've shared some of those struggles openly, because I think we all need each other. To know we are not alone. To know that our fears, our doubts, our hurts are not just our own. So when Nick and I started writing, it was with heavy hearts. It was kind of with a heart of obedience to what I know I am called to. To worship God, to come into His presence, to seek to know Him more. That means when I feel He is showering His blessing on me, and also when I feel lost in the wilderness and I cannot see Him in anything around me. To believe and say that I believe God is Who He says He is no matter what my circumstances look like is not always easy, but a choice we have to make. And we are never the same. Our faith has been tested and made deeper through the fires of life's struggles. It is by His grace that we are given life, that each morning we wake up with breath to breathe, with a purpose to live and with mercies that are new every morning.

This winter, when the album was almost done, was when my words were put to the test. I had been writing, talking about believing God will rescue, He will go before me, He will stand beside me in battle, He will come behind me and heal whats been broken in me. Saying, I will sing when there is no song left in me. And then I experienced the deepest wound I have ever known. Nick and I found out in January that we had lost our first baby. I thought I was 9 weeks along, but the baby had only made it to 5 weeks. So here I was, recording vocals for this album in our house and I found myself feeling like maybe this was the one that would keep me down. I have never felt so ready to give up and say, I am just done. To ask God, how can this possibly seem fair after everything we've been through? I looked around me and felt like all that was left of this dream was an empty baby bed and no energy to even hope for what could be.

This was one of the darkest times I have been through. Some days I would just tell Nick, I just can't sing today. It isnt true, I don't mean the words, and I have to mean it. But slowly, through these songs that had been written months before and some by other writers, I found a God who maybe didnt answer every question, but who was seeking me out. I saw Him in every little place where I felt like He'd been distant. I felt Him seek me out in that wilderness that felt so huge I thought I might be lost there forever. And in His ways, in His timing still, He is taking me through the places of healing my heart needs.

He has made this album so much more than I ever could have dreamed it to be. It is a part of my heart that I am sharing. And I knew that to not share my story with you would make it incomplete. I know there are broken places in each one of us. My prayer is that we all find our souls renewed, we see Him restore all that has been lost and we find rest in the joy of all He is.

I am so honored that you have been a part of this road that I have been walking..

Much love- Trish

I will sing when there is no song..

We just had a weekend of 3 shows in 3 days. Thats optimal booking in good circumstances. It turned out to be a tough weekend. Why you ask? Well, it was a chicago show, an Oshkosh, WI show and then MI near Detroit. It seemed that bad weather chased us around. We took the van to save some money, so we were doing the driving ourselves each night, which is tough when youre 18, brutal when you're all a bit older. Haha. On top of drives though, we had quite a bit of snow, rain, freezing rain...just not safe conditions with a van and huge trailer. We did make each show thankfully, and made it home. With a few hitches and all pretty much exhausted. After our show saturday, we all trudged into a Tgifridays to have dinner before we took off. We were quite the sight! We were as tired as we were hungry..

My hubby was sick last week and I caught whatever bug it was the day we left for the weekend. So on top of all the blahs, I was feeling royally blah. Burning throat cold stuff. By the last show my voice was completely giving up. I would go for higher notes and it would just settle on something lower or not come out at all. So frustrating for a singer. Wanting to give my all vocally as much as connecting with the crowd is a big deal to me, so when I feel limited its tough. The crowd was a couple thousand girls, all ages, there for a girls conference. Crazy, loud, fun crowd...if you were there, thank you for being so great when I wasnt quite myself. :-)

So I know I've mentioned that I'll start giving some stories behind the songs and all, gearing up for my album release. I thought I'd start with the first song that is allready released on itunes on the compilation Now Hear This.

The song is called Lean. My husband, Nick and I wrote it with a writer/friend named Sarah Hart. When we sat down to write, my heart felt heavy. I was thinking of the tough years my husband and I had struggled through recently. I was thinking of people so dear to me who have had businesses fail, dreams seemed to be lost, disappointments for so long...and just barely holding on. Still wanting to say I believe there is a purpose for pain and struggle. I believe God is Who He says He is even when He seems distant. Even when I can't see Him coming to my rescue. So many thoughts went into this song. The idea of literally leaning on the cross. Just dragging yourself to the foot of the cross and laying it all there, crying out to God to give you the strength for the next step.

I grew up singing hymns...I love them! I love the reverance and the way they were written and sung. So I thought of the hymn, Leaning on the everlasting arms. One of my favorites. So the bridge of the song is some of that, with the melody changed just a bit.

"i will sing when there is no song, in the dark, Lord your light is strong.." you know even in the process of writing and recording this album I have had times when my heart felt broken, my spirit felt so heavy and hopeless, it was hard to choose to worship. To choose to write about God, when some days it really felt like He had disappeared. To believe I will understand one day and be okay not understanding right now, just trusting. To sing when there is no song. I feel like thats what this album is for me. Choosing to write songs of worship when my heart really wanted to say there was nothing to sing about. That I have been disapppointed for too long, in too many ways, that God hasnt come through when I needed Him. Oh but He is there. He is in the moments we dont choose to hear or feel Him. He is in the people around us who carry us through. He is in the sermon that is exactly what we needed to hear. He is in the song on the radio that makes us cry. We may not always understand how He is with us, or the ways He takes care of us. But like the air around us, He is constant and always there.

"your love is nothing less than a lamp unto my feet, so I can see.." its kind of a funny idea that brought this lyric to me..we have these stone steps in our yard that go to the backyard. When I take the pups outside I walk this path. We have lights in front and one in the backyard, but theres a spot where its prettty dark on the side..I've stepped on the stones enough times during the daylight that I remember the feeling enough to take each step in the dark. Some nights though, I still wonder if I'm about to slip off, twist an ankle or something. But my foot always finds the next step. (totally makes me think of that indiana jones moment when he has to take the step of faith on the invisible walkway..anyone with me??) each night I do it, I would think about faith and how so many times it feels like we are asked to take blind steps of faith and just trust that where our foot falls will be a safe place.

Much more to come...album releases june 7th. I will keep you posted on anything new until then!!

I am so excited to release this whole album to you! I would love your help in spreading the word. If you like my blogs or twitterings, please tell your friends to follow and tell them about the album.

Much love friends, I am off to rest for the night.

T

Take a breath, take a step

Well, I must say 2011 has had an interesting start. I think in all my adult years, 1 thing I have learned. If you try to make some prediction about what you think the New Year holds...well, lets just say, You'll be surprised. I am every year.

I'm not sure what the mood of 2011 has been for all of you. For Nick and I, its been a perfect mixture of disappointment in some areas and yet feeling so at peace and hopeful in others. I sometimes wonder, does the bad cancel out the good when theyre both in your life at the same time? I would say that it can. But that its our choice. We can decide not to let the tough places in life keep us stuck..and we can choose to feel what we need to feel. Move through the healing that you need but allow yourself to move on.

Have you ever gotten used to hurting and eventually found that you werent sure how to function if you moved on? Haha. Sounds crazy but it happens. My first broken heart..I was sad for so many months, and eventually my amazing sister who had been so patient with me, so understanding..told me it was time to smile again. Well, she actually did an interpretive dance to "beautiful day" by U2. Twice. A small part of me wanted to laugh. A bigger part of me had been so mad at the world and any happy people in it for so long that I was mad at her for trying to break my unsmiling phase. But she got through to me. It was time to move on.

So I called the boy and I told him to stop calling, because being his "friend" definitely wasnt helping me move on.

That was the moment I chose not to be the victim anymore. Sometimes we feel safer in a place we're used to, a job that might make us miserable, with someone who doesnt know how to love us, with friends who take and dont know how to give..but moving into a new place, a new job, being alone without that person, is scarrier than just being miserable and staying where you've been. Sometimes the best advice is just that its time to move.

Yesterday the first song from my album released..on a compilation of new artists called Now Hear This. The song is called Lean. My husband, Nick, and I wrote it with a friend and talented writer named Sarah Hart. We have 2 or 3 covers that will be on the album, the rest are songs we wrote with several different writers. We had the meeting this week, picked our 10 songs, decided on title. The album will be called The Road. Release day is 6/7/11. I'll make sure to blog more until then..to share behind the songs stories and more of the process. We are so excited, to say the least!

We had my photo shoot for my album a couple weeks ago. Our friend and talented photographer, David Molnar, shot for us. He did an amazing job! We had a great day, and had fun doing it. My friend and hairstylist, Renae Morton, did hair and makeup. Renae owns Lucy Pop salon here in Nashville. She's done my hair for years and even did my wedding day hair. Love her! My sister helped me with styling that day..accessories, shoes, decisions I didnt want to have to make. My friend, Grace Stevens helped me with styling/shopping ahead of time. We had quite the fun day together. She made me her little china doll, and we played dress-up in forever21's dressing room. I'll make sure to share some of the shots when I get them back..

If you want to follow my twitters, I am @superchicktrish...

Thanks for coming by..I love your thoughts and comments, so keep in touch! And my artist facebook is under Tricia Brock.

Stay warm and safe wherever you are..I think Nashville got snowed in tonight. Which means theres half an inch of snow on the ground, and everyone will raid stores for water, bread and soup. Haha. Oh, living in the south. We're a hot mess, Nashville.

Much love--T

P.s. i have a new favorite flavor out of Baskin Robbins 32 flavors...my dad helped me discover it. Its Gold Ribbon...chocolate, vanilla and little bits of caramel in there. Ummmm wow. Yes. Try it. Its happiness in a pint. Goodnight all.

Happy new Year!!

So where did you all find yourselves this New Years Eve? I got to be with my husband at one of his shows with Stellar Kart..It was in Tipp City, Ohio..so not all that far fom where I grew up in Indiana. It was the first show I got to see Nick play with SK, and of course lots of teenage kids with lots of energy, (I felt old), and apparently even in late December the dresscode for girls was short shorts and boots. I felt like I was in LA or something. Haha. My parents came with us, my favorite nephew Josiah and my super cool cousin Alyssa, who is a violinist and you will be seeing and hearing much of in the near future..and everyone says we look like sisters. ;-) it was a great night! Good ole Bob Evans for dinner before the show. Have you had their chicken and noodles?? I mean I'm not sure any Grandma could do much better. And love to see my Nick onstage of course.

Well I've slacked writing over the holidays so I just wanted to say hey and hope you all had a fun, safe and happy New Year! I feel so blessed by the people in my life. And it was cool to get to bring in the new year with some of my favorite people. Every memory, every moment we share, every funny story we have to tell, every emotion we have together..those things are more valuable than any gifts we can give or receive. And we can remember that and live that all year long. (and maybe people like me leave up our Christmas decorations way longer than some think is ok, to keep the cheer spreading a bit longer..) lay off me people.

The next 2 weeks we are working on the last of vocals and finishing touches and we will turn in my record. Every song I sing and get done just gives me this feeling of peace and of good to come. I know these songs are changing me as we write and record them, and I believe theyre going to bring you some joy and some peace in the places deep inside where you need it. Worship is a beautiful thing. I'm excited to lead all of you possibly into a new place this year. And honored.

Much love--

T