Emerging
Opening statements, gig tickets & book recommendations
Welcome my nearest and dearest! In the conspicuous absence of viral social media fame and my poor email response metrics, I address you now in essay form.
Since releasing my first baby into the wild last summer (my debut EP, not an infant), I have done lots of reflecting on what making music means to me, the life I would like to build. Though the report remains inconclusive, it highlighted that I need a slower and deeper way of connecting with you and broadcasting announcements that, at present, barely makes it into my family group chat. It also became apparent that the post-release void I swam around in for a while was not one of stagnation but of cross-pollination. In allowing myself the freedom to read books and poems, watch documentaries, move city and generally just stare at the wall I have asserted how important these influences are in my life and my music; that they should be shared alongside any big exciting releases. We are so often focussed on the final product but the process is where new things are made.
In the spirit of this I present a publication that will probably be part bulletin, part blog. I’m sure it won’t surprise you that urban cafe-dwelling-laptop-wielding writer is high on my list of dream professions so naturally I thought this project would resemble an effortless scene from a Nora Ephron movie. In a shocking turn of events it’s actually been very challenging and I have lost count of how many times I’ve restarted this word document.
But for those of you who who have made it this far, keep reading (even further) to find tickets for my autumn gigs (getting the band back together!), book recommendations and music to douse your autumnal evenings in an appropriate degree of melancholia. If all goes to plan, I’ll see you next Friday (and when it doesn’t you have a free pass to digitally heckle me).
Meet you on the stage
11th October - Manchester @ The Basement (supporting Rachel Lavelle)
29th October - Sheffield @ The Dorothy Pax
11th November - Leeds @ Brudenell Social Club*
12th November - London @ Servant Jazz Quarters*
*Full Band Show
Meet you in the bookshop
A Life of One’s Own - Joanna Biggs
This absolute beauty of a book is what they call a ‘group biography’ (adorable) of nine great women writers and how they influenced each other. It’s a ridiculously accurate account of being a big-feeling-ed lady, I wept after every chapter and learned a lot about the literary fiction canon along the way. Serving suggestion: in bed or bath with glass of wine.
My Friends - Hisham Matar
This book is big and scary but completely gobble-able. I generally don’t like hard back books because they hurt my arms and I always drop them on my face BUT this was worth the extra weight. Beautifully written political fiction about three Libyan friends in exile over 40 years and the best depiction of male friendship I have read in a long time. I got this in a quest to read more fiction and it was delicious. Yum.
Meet you on the radio
Some things I have been listening to as I gaze out of the bus window and pretend I’m in a movie.
Spectre - Lily Lyons
Try Me - Merrick Winter
Gracias a la vida - Joan Baez
Listen to my weekly playlist here!
Please consider supporting my music as a one-off PAYF donation. All funds go towards recording and releasing more melancholy music for you to weep to.