Gemma Hayes checked in with fans on her blog at MySpace (@gemmahayes) on Monday (March 8), reacting to the suicide of Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous. The Irish singer-songwriter tells readers:

Mark Linkous died on Saturday March 6th from a gunshot wound to the heart. Mark was so beautiful. He was my friend and I loved him to the core. His death is devastating and hard to comprehend.

I am blessed to have known you Mark. Thank you for bringing magic and wonder into all our lives through your music. I love you. I love you. I love you.

“He who binds to himself a joy
does the winged life destroy;
but he who kisses the joy as it flies
lives in eternities sunrise!”
- William Blake

–Gx

Gemma Hayes updated fans on her blog at MySpace (@gemmahayes) on Wednesday (June 24) while in Los Angeles, talking about writing songs for a film and plans to release a follow-up to 2008’s ‘The Hollow of Morning’. The Irish singer songwriter tells readers:

I’m still in LA but moving home to Ireland for good in September. LA is a wonderful place and gets such a bad wrap. There definitely is the faker baker side but there is also a very beautiful side to LA that never ends up in the mags. Lots of wonderful creative people live here, not in Hollywood but up in the Canyons. It’s well worth visiting if you ever get the chance.

I was sent a script to read a few weeks ago with the view to writing some songs for the film. It is such an incredible story and I can’t believe it landed on my lap. I’m gonna give it my best shot, I guess that’s all one can do!

Still writing songs for my next album, looking to release it in October.