'TIS THE SEASON
This month we discuss the 3 Ps - partying, Patreon and prawn trees
HELLO AGAIN!
Another month has rolled around, so here’s the second instalment of this mad newsletter (whose working title, for about 18 hours, was ‘my neck, my back, my pu***, my substack’). Just as life imitates art, my ex received last months’ and immediately unsubscribed - I’m sorry to inform you that the horrors (me) persist!
LET’S GET STRAIGHT TO IT…
I was very excited to be able to attend my first proper DJ event this month - Mixmag and ASOS threw a party, heard about my penchant for Having A Good Time™ and sent out the bat signal. You never know what these things will be like and, to my joy, this one was… SO FUN. Like a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, I found the dancefloor immediately, Lottie Moss clotheslined me with her hair, Pxssy Palace played baile funk remixes of ‘One Man (Raw)’ - it was agony and ecstasy all at once. I mentioned Sim0ne in my last newsletter because she’s fab, and I was ecstatic to discover she was headlining the event. More hot girls in techno please!
This month I also managed to finagle my way back into Abbey Road as part of their ‘Amplify’ event series and was very lucky to spend two days there for a few workshops, panels and 1-on-1s. Every time I am in that building, I am reminded of how much magic those walls have seen, and also, probably, heroin! I got to queen out with Dan Carey, the man who produced indie darlings like Nick Cave, Fontaines DC, Kae Tempest and Wet Leg. Naturally, I panicked when we spoke and asked instead what it was like to write ‘Slow’ for Kylie Minogue. Padam Padon’t worry I’ll show myself out!
Anyway… I always get quite reflective this time of year, as the day slips into night and I get the ball rolling on a 25 day hangover - I like to think about the year I’ve had and also prepare for what’s to come. Which brings me onto some rather exciting news…
MY PATREON IS NOW LIVE!!!!
As I mentioned in last months’ newsletter, I have launched a Patreon (!!!) and would love for you to join me there. I will do my best to deliver good music, fun, secrets, my artistic process (being sad when it’s dark) and the occasional nude. Just kidding, other platforms are available for this type of content and I’m not yet trying to pay for an album rollout…
The first post is now live (an unreleased demo of a song that is very unlikely to ever come out - it’s the only place you can hear it and read the story behind how it came to be) and there is plenty more to come over the next few weeks.
If you’ll allow me, I’d like to explain in more detail why I decided to do this because I don’t take asking for people’s hard-earned cash lightly!
I am excited to forge a 'proper' connection with the people who listen to my music - some of you have been on this journey with me for a number of years, and I feel that social media doesn't allow me to be truly open with my work - these platforms are a lot of fun and, in my case, extremely chaotic, but this will be a softer, more vulnerable space - where I get to show works in progress and have a proper dialogue about the music I'm making, my DJing journey (I remain committed in trying to blend Giggs with Madonna) and more. I'm excited to 'lift the curtain' in a way I have been, quite frankly, too scared to do so far!
The second, is of course, financial. This has always been an uncomfortable topic for me because I have always worried it would make me seem less ‘legitimate’ or as though I’m asking for charity, two things I have never wanted to appear as. The reality is, I am very likely to release this EP (my fourth!) completely independently again. I have worked on incredible projects, both creative and commercial (including two award-nominated films! Ok diva??), I have a publishing and sync deal with a major label, I released a song over the Summer that has almost topped a million streams with two leading UK artists and yet still cannot afford to release this music in the way I feel it deserves to be heard. So! I wanted to come up with something that offers value, fun and insight in return - details of this can be found on Patreon as I don’t want to bang on about it here. If you can participate, amazing, see you over there and if not, I hope the absolute brain goop of this newsletter is enough for you ❤️
RIGHT! Enough of that - back to the Christmas craic!
I am someone who was love-bombed by their parents/nuclear family and so I ABSOLUTELY LOVE CHRISTMAS. I am aware that this is not everyones’ position and that this time of year can be… extremely challenging. So, for this months’ ‘Sharefri’ I’d like to share few things that have helped me or bring me joy, seasonal or otherwise and if you want to, please do hold space for and feel the power in them.
SPEAK IN JANUARY AAAAHHH
Shaef xxx
SHAREFRI
ARTIST: Inji! I came across this gorgeous NY-based Turkish artist, Inji, last year and have loved pretty much every song she’s released since then. Whenever I am down in the dumps I throw this on, perform various acts from Step Up 2 in my kitchen and all is right again in the world.
FILM: I have been re-watching Lord of The Rings. Aragorn is my celebrity hall pass and has been for twenty years.
TV SHOW: EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH ‘SHRINKING’. I LITERALLY CANNOT RECOMMEND IT ENOUGH. I HAVE NOT STOPPED TALKING ABOUT IT. Harrison Ford as a curmudgeonly therapist? I am signed up and seated!
DJ: Yemz - I saw her at a tent at Glastonbury on my birthday and simply refused to leave. It was the best UKG set I’ve ever seen.
LIVE SHOW: Grace Campbell - I realise this is not helpful as the UK tour is over but should there be any European (chic!) babes on this newsletter, go see her in your city! She has put together a show about an abortion she had that is both devastating and very amusing in equal measure - extremely hard to do.
UGLY CHRISTMAS SHIT: Prawn trees! I became violently obsessed with these last year. They are a high risk (salmonella superspreader event) high reward (what’s not to love!) Christmas pastime.
