I don’t normally write about music on this blog, but a very special record comes out today and I wanted to tell you all about it. It’s called I Never Meant It to Be Like This and it’s by a band called Cumulus.

Cumulus is a Seattle band fronted by a seriously amazing lady named Alexandra Niedzialkowski. I met Alex the first summer I volunteered with Rain City Rock Camp for Girls, a summer day camp here in Seattle that’s part of the global Girls Rock Camp Alliance (I know that’s a lot of links, but they’re all worth visiting, I promise!). Girls rock camp is an incredible experience that I really believe in: helping girls aged 8-18 learn to use their voices, write music, build confidence, and generally make the world a better place. Through rock music. I mean, how awesome is that, right?! It sounds kind of corny to say it, but my first summer volunteering at rock camp kind of changed my life.

I was a first time camp counselor, and admittedly a little nervous, but Alex was an old pro, having volunteered at rock camp before. She came in on Monday morning with the most incredible enthusiasm and energy, and that’s the first thing I noticed about her. Not only did she get the campers pumped up and excited, but she got me pumped up and excited, too. And before you knew it, I was jumping around dancing to the lunchtime bands and screaming along to the camp song too. She was a model for the new volunteers like me. She kind of embodied the rock camp spirit. And it’s not just because she beleives in the girls rock camp mission, although she does; it’s because that’s just the kind of person she is. Upbeat and excited and wonderful to be around, making other people feel good about themselves, about the world.

All that stuff comes through in her music, and that’s why I’m so excited the Cumulus full-length is out today. Maybe I’m a little biased, because I know Alex personally (and for the sake of full disclosure: this record’s out on my husband’s label, Trans- Records), but it’s a gorgeous record and I hope you’ll take the time to listen to at least a song or two. You might fall in love. I know I have.

If you’re in Seattle, the Cumulus record release show is this Thursday, October 3rd at Neumos, with Kithkin and Sundries. Full event details here. I’d love to see you there!