Do you have a nemesis? + Tour Updates & Live Q&A
On the benefits of being a hater, and why having a nemesis in music is soooo good.
Chitty Chat for haters
I’m hosting a live chat on Saturday, April 12 at 4pm PST / Sunday April 13 11am AEST.
I’m off to see Amyl and The Sniffers that night at the Fox Theatre in Oakland so perfect day to convene with my music fam.
We’re going to be talking about why having a NEMESIS has its benefits.
I’ve been working on a piece for The Artist’s Almanac about disgust being a galvanising force for writers, and kicking it off with you guys would help me get a sense of who is triggered and who is fired up by the talk of nemeses.
Maybe you’re nemesis-curious.
A nemesis inspires. They provoke intense feelings, passion, dislike, opposition. And why? That’s the juice: they become a key for exploration of your work and what’s important to you.
And yes I have one. It’s my little secret. He’s someone I’ve known for a long time, he’s in a very successful Australian band, and I can’t fucking stand him or his music. But you know, he’s also a really nice guy. Which is super annoying.
It’s usually someone who is bound to your greatest fears and wildest dreams. A mirror, like Magneto to Professor X.
Wellness and self-improvement culture has dulled the fundamental joys of being a hater. Most of my friends who are artists enjoy getting together and having total bitchfests about what we like and don’t like. We are impassioned and changeable, but being opinionated is the point. We’re human beings and we write often to process flawed and politically incorrect feelings. My favourite artists were railing against and reacting to something they disagreed with, if not all-out hated. But they weren’t driven by hatred. It’s not about elevating disgust, it’s about folding it into the emotional mixture of your work in just the right amount. In therapy speak: it’s about equanimity.
So make sure you’re signed up and ready to go for the chat! Reminder I’ve opened it to everyone for a few months while we kick this off.
Got a project? Let’s chat!
My 1:1 for May is open to paid subscribers. You can reply to this email or message me and apply for the 30 minute spot by telling me a little about your music project. Learn more about the 1:1 here. Support me by sharing this with any musicians you feel like would be into it.
Toury Toury biz biz
The Preatures have announced a Brisbane Show and next week will reveal some more dates. Sign up to the band’s mailing list for presale access.
That’s it for now, a bit of paywall content coming next week, up your tier if you feel it but if not plenty to come that’s free!
Ciao
x