One Month Down

End of January, Robert Wyatt, Improvising, and upcoming Japan

January always feels like the longest month to me. Its the same amount of days as December, March, August, but feels like it takes up a third of the year. Maybe its because we’re all just getting started again, or the days continue to be dark, or we’re just putting the puzzle pieces together for our upcoming year. The crazy thing to me is that when it gets to February- it feels like we start to slingshot throughout the rest of the year and then BAM! its December again. Lets start over.

This January is no different- It’s felt a bit slow rolling, but now that we’re towards the end of the month I can begin to see all the different directions I will get to move in, and I’m getting excited. Finom has been making some absolutely incredible and bonkers music videos- and I want you all to know that it has been the joy of my life this month. I’m having so much fun I kinda can’t believe it. Its also a very strange experience to feel excited about my personal life, and horrified about the larger world and existence as a whole. I suppose having hope in one facet of life enables yourself the stamina to continue fighting for the rest of it. I’d like to think.

Robert Wyatt is one of my favorite songwriters/musicians, and I recently had the pleasure of recording some covers of his with my friends in Church Chords. We happened to do my two favorite songs: “Just As You Are” and “Free Will and Testament”. I’m putting the lyrics to the latter here because they really hit home for me in tender times.

Just As You Are

Free Will and Testament

Given free will but within certain limitations, I cannot will myself to limitless mutations, I cannot know what I would be if I were not me, I can only guess me

So when I say that I know me, how can I know that? What kind of spider understands arachnophobia? I have my senses and my sense of having senses. Do I guide them? Or they me? 

The weight of dust exceeds the weight of settled objects. What can it mean, such gravity without a centre? Is there freedom to un-be? Is there freedom from will-to-be?

Sheer momentum makes us act this way or that way. We just invent or just assume a motivation. I would disperse, be disconnected. Is this possible? What are soldiers without a foe?

Be in the air, but not be air, be in the no air. Be on the loose, neither compacted nor suspended. Neither born nor left to die.

Had I been free, I could have chosen not to be me. Demented forces push me madly round a treadmill. Demented forces push me madly round a treadmill. Let me off please, I am so tired. Let me off please, I am so very tired.

I’ve got a few shows coming up this month before Finom heads to JAPAN!!
Here they are:
2.7 - Duo with Lily Finnegan at Constellation
2.22 - Duo with Ben Lamar Gay and set with Drawler at Elastic Arts
2.23 - Playing with Makaya McCraven in Bethesda, MD
2.25 - Set at Color Club for Al Scorch’s Sunday afternoon series
2.28 - Girls Rock Chicago benefit at Evanston Space

Japan Shows

3.6 & 3.7 - Tokyo, Japan opening for Wilco
3.8 - Osaka, Japan opening for Wilco
3.9 - Kyoto, Japan (More info to come)

Thanks as always for reading

<3

MS