Dawn McCarthy of Faun Fables is expecting a child in late October. She and her musical comrade, Nils Frykdahl, are on a nationwide tour, and their four-song extended play CD, "A Table Forgotten," will be released in July, although advanced copies will be available for purchase at each of the tour stops.
With all this going on, McCarthy, who is now based in California's Bay Area, said the biggest challenge is finding time to replenish her creative soul.
"These days it's so easy to overdo things," she said during a phone call from Santa Fe, N.M. "With the Internet and career and songwriting and recording and touring, there can be too much stuff in my life. One of the things I'm working on is finding inspirational places to visit and explore and to find peace and contentment in my own home."
That's one of the reasons why the extended play is called "A Table Forgotten," said McCarthy.
"I love the kitchen," she said. "There have been times in my life where the kitchen has literally saved my tail. It's the working in the kitchen. The creating, the cooking that is soothing to me.
"I love to cook. I love spending time with friends in the kitchen, and I love eating," she said with a laugh. "But it's more than that. No matter where you live in a neighborhood, you will have a kitchen. And for me, it unifies us."
McCarthy's foray into music was almost accidental, she said. "When it comes to music, my brother is borderline idiot savant. He has perfect pitch and is untouchable on piano and guitar. My sister plays drums and my parents were both pianists.
"I looked around and figured they had the music part covered and I got into visual art and theater."
While attending art school in Wisconsin and New York, McCarthy sang in bands with her sister.
"It was during those shows that I started hearing songs that I wanted to write," she said. "I had done a lot of public performances with various theater groups as well. So I felt I'd like to try my hand at performing music."
She found a following with her low-key sound. And after meeting up with Frykdahl in 1997, her imagination and songwriting blossomed.
"In the past decade, I can truly say that I feel useful," said McCarthy. "I've always thought that you add to the world by using what you have. And I have my music. And I feel like it's important to some people. I have found a spiritual place by serving people through my music."
If you go ...
What: Faun Fables, Purr Bats, Chaz Prymek
Where: Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West)
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
How much: $10
Phone: 364-3538
Web: www.24tix.com
E-mail: scott@desnews.com