Letter from Angie: “This Is Me, Saying Hello”

 I’ve never been great at introductions.

I usually let the songs do the talking —
they’re braver than I am.

But if you’re here, reading this… then maybe you already understand that music doesn’t always come from a polished place. Sometimes it comes from the cracked spaces. The quiet ones.

My name’s Angie Brooks. I write songs when I don’t know what else to do with how I’m feeling. I sing because it helps me breathe better. And I make music with Elias because… somehow, our voices know how to listen to each other.

I grew up loving words more than I knew how to use them. I filled notebooks with lines I couldn’t say out loud. I used to sing into my pillow just loud enough to feel something, just soft enough so no one else would hear.

Even now, I’m still learning how to let people in. That’s part of why we started A Gathering of Blue. It’s not a band name, really — it’s a space. A feeling. A place where sadness doesn’t have to apologize, and softness isn’t weakness. It’s for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re too much, or not quite enough. It’s for anyone who’s still finding their voice, like I am.

Our songs are just stories we didn’t know how to tell any other way. And this blog — this letter — is my way of saying thank you for listening.

I may not always know the right words. But I promise, I mean them.

Until next time,

– Angie