The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Kyleen Austin's second album, If You Were, came out quietly on August 18. She's been too distracted and busy with the abundance that comes from a productive, happy life.

"I haven't had time to do any promoting," she said.

She's making a little time now.

Austin, who lives on Puget Island, is a kayak guide for Columbia River Kayaking, a consultant for a local dairy, and a singer/songwriter. She's working hard, building a home out of a shipping container.

"I don't do anything that I don't want to do," Austin said. "Opportunities open when I get in touch with my passion and I can pursue them or not as I choose and life seems to be rewarding me for that. I'm okay with being a year away from 50. I am in the best shape of my life. I have just the greatest life. I could be any age and it would be all right. It's about living authentically.

"It took me 46 years, basically, to say who I am," she added, "to know what makes me tick, what my passions are and discover when I can just live life and be who I am.

"I think a lot of it has to do with this place."

Her first album came out two and a half years ago. It was recorded in eight days at her cousin's recording studio on Orcas Island. This time she was able to take her time with Grays River resident Bruce Satterlund in his recording studio.

"He's just brilliant," Austin said. "He's so methodological and he has a good ear. He hears what I don't hear. I hear what he doesn't. So we spent hours, sometimes a good solid four or five hours a day sitting in front of that mixer, listening and hearing things and tweaking and getting it to sound the way I wanted it to sound.

"The songs are better," she continued. "They're richer and deeper, they're more complex, but they still reflect who I am and where I am right now."

Austin was inspired by listeners to create this second album. Members of the audience would remember a song from the week before and ask her to play it again, or they would wonder if she had an album or when she was going to record one.

"Now you can pop the CD in whenever you want to hear it," she laughed.

There are several Wahkiakum County residents involved in the project. Cathlamet resident Jade Lewis played the drums on one song. Skamokawa residents Andrew Emlen and Jillian Raye play instruments and provide vocals. Satterlund played the bass on a couple tracks, and Puget Island resident Rob Stockhouse played the guitar intro on her cover of Bird on a Wire.

The album has six covers and seven original songs and is about 45 minutes in length, much longer than her first album.

She had more to say this time around.

Austin is also in a band called the Skamokawa Swamp Opera with Emlen, Raye and Erik Friend. She has a few solo gigs coming up as well as with the band. She will begin touring in Colorado in November and will head to California in December.

"I never find myself wishing I were doing something else. Unless it's napping," Austin laughed.

Austin's CD release concert is scheduled for September 12 at 4 p.m. in the Big White Barn at Little Island Creamery, 444 East Little Island Road. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. They will be available at the Bank of the Pacific or can be reserved at austincdrelease@gmail.com.

You can find her on Kyleen Austin Music Facebook page or at kyleenaustin.com.