welcome back to FRESH! it’s been a while since we’ve had a proper updates issue, so let’s just jump straight into things.

FRESH: music

• Outside - Tourist: you can never go wrong with piano house, especially if its coming from a legend like Tourist. this is his first solo musical offering of the year ahead of his (as of yet, unofficially announced) Trance album, and that catchy repetitive chorus has been glued to my brain since i first heard it.

FRESH: youtube

• Halsey - Drive: arguably, Halsey’s revival of the Badlands era ten years on has been one of my favorite pop culture things to happen so far this year. just seeing that shade of blue hair on her takes me right back to the days of pale glo. also arguably, Drive should already have had its own music video back in 2015, so it’s only justice served that now it finally gets its rightful one. same with Gasoline.

• Ed Sheeran - A Little More: speaking of revivals, Mr Sheeran has also pulled off one of his own recently, fourteen years after the faithful events of Lego House. seeing Mr Ron Weasley reunited on screen with his ginger doppelgänger is just such a delight to watch.

• despite being vegetarian, i really enjoyed watching unlikely duo Spiderman and the King of Hell’s Kitchen bond over a chicken sandwich, non-alcoholic beer and being British.

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love,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what recent revivals have you been thoroughly enjoying lately?

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Small Moments I Stole From You

i’m watching your friend run up and wrap her legs around you in a hug. it makes me feel something i can’t name.

you’re slowly sobering up on the subway with headphones in your ears. i’m keeping an eye on you to make sure you’re okay. i think i like taking care of you.

we’re sitting down on the grass in San Francisco, and your back is against mine. someone is taking a polaroid of us. it feels right.

i’m standing behind you while the music is loud all around. i wish i could dare to close the space between us.

you’re drumming your fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the stereo. i think about how those fingers would feel against my skin.

we’re at Target choosing which air-fryer to get. i get a glimpse of what our domestic retired suburban life would feel like.

you’re in the Hamptons, and you’re texting me after two sangrias. my fingers are undoing the buttons of your red Hawaiian shirt and running down your chest.

we’re in the crowd, and all our friends have left on one side quest or another. it’s just us together again. there’s somehow space, so we lie down next to each other. we listen to a song together with our eyes closed.

the thought of you making out with someone else in the Elsewhere bathroom makes me want to puke.

i drag you outside into a quiet corner so we can make out too. it’s our spot now.

your friend asks us how we met, and i get a twinge of pride knowing you’re going to have to explain all over again from the beginning. it’s my favorite thing to hear you answer.

there’s a pink origami heart on your desk. i Googled how to fold one for you while you were out.

every time i kiss the back of your hand, i think i can feel your heart melting a little.

i’m browsing through your record collection. i stumble on the vinyl i gifted you all those years ago. the note i left you is still inside. it makes me smile.

we’re eating leftovers from the fridge that your mom cooked for you. i wish i could thank her in person.

i’m in Amsterdam months after you were there. i retrace your steps without knowing i am. i can feel your comforting presence around me.

i get out of the bathroom, and i’m watching you playing something on the piano with your back turned towards me. i can’t see your face, but you feel sad. i quickly sneak a photo to look back on tomorrow morning.

we’re having dinner outside on the patio. you’re talking about the kind of phone case your new best friend has. i think to myself - you used to talk about me like that too.

your phone screen lights up every time with a different picture of people you care about. everyone appears except me. it feels like a gut punch every time.

there’s a polaroid of you and another girl above the microwave, next to the one of you and me. i wonder who she is to you.

i take a polaroid portrait of me, and slip it into the mirror on the closet door. you’ve already taken it down the next time i notice. i pretend it doesn’t feel like you ripped it up into pieces.

i’m riding in someone else’s Tesla. it smells like your sister’s car. i’m haunted by the last conversation we had in the passenger seat.

i buy your favorite scent, and sign myself up for a ski lesson so i can feel closer to you.

you’re in Miami. i change my Weather app location on my home screen so i can see what the weather is like in your world.

there’s someone who has your haircut on the train. i sit down beside them because it’s the next closest thing. my day is just a little bit brighter.

the sun is setting into the sea by the beach. there is a pink bench with “KISS ME AT SUNSET” written on its side in black paint. a couple is sitting on it, kissing each other. i look at them and for a moment i can feel your lips on mine again too.

i’m in Tokyo alone, and i just want to go home. i play your favorite song in my head as the houses and fields flicker past by the train window. they make me feel closer to you, even though you’re long gone.

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today.

love,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what are some small moments you stole from someone?

buy wing a coffee

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welcome back to FRESH, it’s time for some more feelings.

i don't know what it all means, but it makes me want to believe things will be okay again

it’s late at night, and we’re all loitering outside a Brooklyn club after a show. your Uber arrives, and you say your farewells to everyone. you get to me, and shout a quick “love you!” before you leave. it catches me completely off guard. it’s the first time in forever that a friend has said that to me.

the bus is taking us down to DC, and we’re sitting next to each other. we are talking about everything and nothing. you open up about your sister for the first time. i feel completely comfortable for the next five hours.

we’re walking up the subway exit stairs at night. we need to part ways to go home in a moment. there is a pause, then the quickest peck on my cheek, and you turn to go. i blush and stare at your silhouette as you walk away.

the music is loud around us, and we sit down on the grass. you’re putting a bracelet onto my wrist. i keep it close me for a long time.

we’re by the sink in my kitchen. you’re intertwining fairy lights into my hair, into yours. they make you look like a shining angel. there is one earbud in my ear, and one in yours. i wish i could take a picture of this moment, and keep it forever.

i buy a lock for us from the bodega around the corner. we write our names on it in Sharpie, chain it to the park fence and scramble the code. i take the long way home just to walk past it.

you sneak me into your house. we’re squished into the guest bathroom next to the back door. the shower is tiny, but it’s just right.

the airport is calling me home. you kiss me and tell me you’ll wait for me. we don’t see each other for a year.

i buy a necklace with your favorite number on it. i put it on so you can stay close to my heart. i wear it so much it rusts and turns brown.

you’ve got your own car now, and you’re picking me up from the arrivals curb. i steal a granola bar from the box you bought for me, and we take the highway back into the city.

we’re parked outside my house at midnight, and i’m supposed to get out. two hours later, i’m still in your lap in the driver’s seat with your lips on mine. the police car behind honks at us, we’re blocking the whole street. we carefully drive a loop around the block with me on you until they go away.

i’m in my Sunday best blue dress. we’ve just come back from church, and we’re all playing badminton in the garden. i meet your aunt, and she says “welcome to the family”. it’s the first time anyone has said that to me.

we’re sitting cross-legged inside our tent. you tell me how you’ve been feeling. the tears are running down my face. your friend tries to come in, and i tell him to leave us alone.

i’m in your passenger seat again. i ask you if we can go back to being just friends. you say yes. i take my backpack upstairs and cry the whole night.

i lose my Polaroid camera in Los Angeles. it feels like losing you all over again. my eyes are so blurry i can’t see. my friend holds me upright until we make it to Yoshinoya.

we’re in the Uber backseat going home. my thigh is touching yours, and you pull away. it breaks my heart just a little bit more.

you follow me down the steps to the bottom of the garden. the birds are chirping around us, and you’re telling me things i don’t want to hear.

we’re listening to the new Fred Again album for the first time. i’m in the passenger seat trying not to sob out loud. i’m wondering how he wrote an album narrating my life. our friend is driving, and asks me if i’m okay. i nod. you’re blissfully unaware in the back seat glued to your phone.

my Uber is taking me down the same highway into the city. you’re not there this time. the sun is shining outside, but it feels wrong.

you’ve finally agreed to meet me today. i look out the window, spot your car coming down the street, and run downstairs. i’m walking behind you, and taking in your figure in the sunlight. i smile, because i’m just happy you exist at the same time as me.

we’re heading down the stairs to your car. i’m watching you walk out the front door, and i want to tell you to come back so badly it hurts. i let you leave. i’m on the phone later that night confessing to you through tears.

i’m on the ferry home to you. we sit down on the grass and watch the sea. there is so much space in between us.

my ferry leaves in five minutes. i’m still pressing you against the side of your car.

we’re in California, humming a song together while we walk down the street with Starbucks in hand. it feels like the old days.

your flight is in two hours. i can feel you running away from me. there’s no point in talking on the couch anymore. you pack up as fast as you can, and forget your shorts behind in the dryer.

i’m watching you walk in towards our restaurant booth. you sit down and order your usual. you’re wearing the bracelet i made for you years ago. the space between us doesn’t hurt as much anymore.

they close down the park where we put our lock. it feels poetic somehow.

i’m sitting at my breakfast table typing this out. i don't know what it all means, but it makes me want to believe things will be okay again.

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today.

love,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what makes you believe things will be okay again?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

here’s something shorter and sweeter for you today - in a new visual format:

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today.

love,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• which chapter in your story are you writing right now?

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hello dear FRESHers, it’s been a long, long time! i have a lot to update you on, with not a lot of time so i’ll make it short and sweet.

in the past year i’ve:

• become a flight attendant and spent the year travelling the world

• moved out into my own place

• fulfilled childhood dreams and had to pinch myself too many times

• made so many core memories with people i care about

• fallen in and out of love

i know we usually talk about things that are ~fresh~ here on FRESH, but i want to switch things up a little bit this issue. i’ve been going through a lot of personal things lately - recently, i think its fresh to allow yourself to have feelings, own them unapologetically and to express them. hence, i caught the writing bug again and needed to write this out.

FRESH: feelings

A Not So Secret Love Letter:

i remember the day we finally met in person. i open the door, and you are standing there in front of me. our eyes meet, and something in the air changes. it feels like a “good to see you again”, instead of a “nice to meet you”.

i’m at the bus stop on your birthday, and you’re here to pick me up. you’re all excited, because you say it’s the first time anyone has travelled this far to see you.

you catch my eye from across the crowd. you’re mouthing the lyrics to our song as it plays, willing me to hear what you mean.

the stereo is loud, and the Uber is taking us all home. your thigh is glued to mine in the back seat. we don’t move an inch.

it’s the morning. i don’t know how we ended up here, but i’m lying next to you, watching you peacefully fast asleep. i stare at your eyelashes and wonder if you feel the same way.

i’m hugging you tight in a San Francisco parking lot and not letting you go because it feels right. your Uber is waiting for you to get on, all our friends are around us. you tell me later how much that hug meant to you.

nobody is aware that we’re playing footsie under the table. nobody is aware that you’re coming home with me later. i can’t wait to get you alone.

we’re kissing for the first time. i can feel you smiling, and it makes me laugh. i’ve never felt this kind of happiness before.

the back seat of your car smells like takeout pizza boxes and us.

you’re watching me on the subway while someone else is holding me. i don’t want to think about how sad you look.

i’m sitting on your lap on our California porch. the sky is dark out, and the night is young. there is plenty of room in your bedroom, but i decline.

you’re spooning me, and your phone is under the pillow. it’s playing something we know all the words to. we aren’t allowed to kiss each other. you read me poetry you wrote about me. i wonder if it’s too little too late.

we're in a Denver bar after getting snowed out. we haven’t talked in a year. your head is in my lap, and i stop questioning things.

i send a risky text, and make my way to your new place. you’re giving me a full house tour. i peep into the bedroom, but you stop me and say we’ll get there later. it’s really endearing.

you ring the doorbell, and i rush to open your door. you’re standing there with beautiful flowers, but they don’t compare to you.

we’re watching the sunset over the Hudson. Lady Liberty is in the distance. i’m holding you, and the sky is purple. it feels like we are in a film.

i’m slamming you against the door in jealousy. we end up talking about it on your carpet. i wonder if this will break us.

my flight gets diverted to Boston. i curse and tell the universe to stop keeping us apart.

we wake up in your bed. you tell me you don’t see a future with me. it’s the first time i’ve seen you cry about us. my brain short circuits, and later i cry my make up off as i’m putting it on for work.

i tell you not to buy me flowers if you don’t mean it. i want them anyway.

we’re on the floor of your shower. you say you won’t be able to take showers again.

it’s raining on a Philadelphia night. my hand is in yours in your coat pocket as we walk down the streets. your lips taste like magic.

i’m sitting at your building lobby again, waiting for you to come down after work. i’m in a new red furry coat. i have first-date-feeling butterflies in my stomach even though it’s the last time.

our legs are intertwined in a restaurant booth. the server comes over to say happy anniversary to us, because you booked the reservation as that. he asks us how many years it’s been, we look at each other and don’t know what to say.

you pick me up from my hotel, i’ve got flowers for you and we’re on the highway home. it’s been so long since i’ve been in your passenger seat.

your friend drunkenly tells me that you’re looking to get hitched, and urges me to make a move on you. i know it’s not true, but it gives me dangerous hope for a second.

i’m stuck in traffic on the bus, and i finally get your reply that i knew was coming.

there’s graffiti on the bathroom door at the club. it says “i miss everyone i’ve ever met”. i am frantically texting you, knowing it’s my last chance to. i miss one person more than the rest.

my Uber is taking me back to my hotel. it’s not the right direction, but we’re driving on the highway home to you. we pass your work building, the subway entrance we don’t use because it closes after 7pm, the Bath and Body Works i dragged you to. i can’t hold in my tears anymore in the back seat.

the reception staff are watching me sob in the hotel lobby. they silently offer me a box of Kleenex. i tell them i can’t go upstairs yet because my room is too empty. they console me until i feel ready to fly home alone.

i’m sitting on my carpet typing this out. i don’t know what it all means, but it still makes me want to believe in love again.

thank you for making it this far with me, i am ever grateful for you.

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today.

love,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what does your heart sound like at this moment?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

happy belated Lunar New Year and Valentines, FRESHers!

we continue with our shortened writing format this issue, to catch you up on the most in the shortest amount of reading (and writing) time!

FRESH: youtube

• Cannons - Heartbeat Highway by Naani:

  • this small gem of a Youtube channel has been one of my all-time favorite discoveries over the years. named Naani, each video cuts scenes from well (and lesser) known films into short yet poignant music videos, set to the tune of excellent indie electronica song selections.

  • my heart skipped a beat seeing the thumbnail of this new upload, as it was from none other than Before You Go, Chris Evans’ 2014 directorial debut and self-starred romantic drama. (it’s gotten its fair share of criticism for being a knockoff of the Before trilogy, but it still has a big soft spot in my heart. just between me and you, Before You Go made a bigger emotional impact on me than the originals did.)

  • also got introduced to this wonderful album by Cannons through this video! (go give it a spin here)

• Kevin Lee Jacobs: cozy homebody vlogs of a middle-aged Renaissance man. expect tea set unboxings, step by step recipes and calming household chore routines. i know it sounds boring, but these videos have been such a relief for my mental lately, maybe they’ll have the same effect for you. (watch with a hot mug of cocoa here)

FRESH: bling

• We’ve Moved!: our bling pop up store is now in a new location for February! come visit us if you’re in Hong Kong for some exclusive finds. (Box AL1, Shop F123B, 1st Floor, Argyle Center, Mong Kok, Hong Kong)

FRESH: live sets

• Hamdi @ VERSUS: i had the pleasure of catching Hamdi’s debut show in Hong Kong earlier in January! Counting and Skanka were such a treat to dance to with a great, lively crowd who knew their music. (scroll down to around January 19 to listen to more tracks from the night here)

FRESH: events and happenings

• Creamfields Hong Kong Lineup Announcement: the annual Creamfields returns with a special Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep stage takeover on both days! very very excited to hopefully finally see CRi here in April! (buy yourself tickets for the weekend here)

• SonarLab x Printworks: London local Printworks has just announced a special trip to Barcelona this summer to take over the SonarLab stage for two nights at Sónar Festival! maybe see you there? (June 14 and 15, grab a Sonarpass for the weekend here)

FRESH: music

• All Ur Luv - Wavedash, Madeon, Toro y Moi: your new favorite boyband is here! All Ur Luv is the first collaboration between these five gentlemen, and is guaranteed to make your upcoming summer sound really, really good. (watch the music video here)

• One Night/All Night - Justice, Tame Impala: taken off Justice’s upcoming comeback album Hyperdrama, One Night/All Night is a hypnotic and earworm-worthy track, with none other than Tame Impala on vocal duties. (listen here)

listen to these new releases and more on our dedicated FRESH 2024 playlist!

FRESH: gaming

• Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp: i’m a bit late to the pandemic craze that was AC:NH, but this little mobile version of the game from 2017 has been bringing me a lot of joy these past few weeks. TLDR, you gather fruit and fish fish, invite the local animal villagers to your campsite, collect Bells to craft cool furniture for your cabin and cooler clothes to flex. it’s really the simple pleasures in life, like adopting a tribe of snowmen. (available on iOS or Android)

• Duolingo: if you’re going to spend hours of screen time doomscrolling anyway, why not replace it with some quick-fire language practice instead? pick as many languages as you want to brush up on at the same time through writing and listening exercises, hit achievement goals to win Gems, and compete with other learners around the globe in weekly leaderboards. don’t forget to practice daily, or the Duo owl will come for you. only slightly joking. (available in browser, on iOS or Android)

as we edge closer to springtime, it’s almost time to store away your winter coats and watch the flowers magically bloom around you! take care, and we’ll be in touch soon.

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today.

love on the highway,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what are some Youtube gems you have discovered over the years?

• what are you looking forward to this springtime?

palestine 101

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

today we’re bringing you special joint coverage of this year’s GRAMMY awards, and inviting Paul from back to join us in the FRESH writer’s room! 

here’s a quick rundown of how this issue will work:

• before the show, we each wrote our own personal predictions for who we thought the most likely winner would be in various categories

• Paul will be focusing on the hip hop categories, and i (wing) will be focusing on the electronic ones - but we’ll both chime in on ones here and there

• after the show aired, we came back to our predictions and added further afterthoughts!

let’s get into it! 

FRESH: GRAMMYS 2024

Best New Artist: This category recognizes an artist whose eligibility-year release(s) achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.

Nominees: 

• Gracie Abrams

• Fred again..

• Ice Spice

• Jelly Roll

• Coco Jones

• Noah Kahan

• Victoria Monét (WINNER)

• The War And Treaty

pre-show wing: i’m obviously biased, but i have to root for the man of the year Fred again.. here. the past two years have truly exploded him into the general public music consciousness, whilst still taking over the electronic world by storm with Skrillex and Four Tet as Pangbourne House Mafia. 

Pre-Show Paul: I’ll have to pick Ice Spice for this one - based on popularity. She’s a name I saw anywhere and everywhere over the past year. She did some huge collabs - including one with Nicki Minaj for the biggest movie of 2023, Barbie. However, I would personally love to see Victoria Monét win. She’s gone from being a songwriter for chart topping artists to becoming a talented artist in her own right. Her album Jaguar II was one of my favorites from 2023 and the rollout, music videos, etc she did for it were done with the utmost intentionality. 

Post-Show Paul: WOOHOO! She won! And the speech she gave was excellent. It was beautiful to hear her talk about how she had put in work of all kinds for 15 years to reach this moment. 

post-show wing: congrats to Ms Monét!! well deserved for sure. 

Best Dance/Electronic Recording: For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.

Nominees:

• Aphex Twin - Blackbox Life Recorder 21F

• Disclosure - Higher Than Ever Before

• James Blake - Loading

• Romy & Fred Again.. - Strong

• Skrillex, Fred Again.. & Flowdan - Rumble (WINNER)

pre-show wing: once again, my money is on Pangbourne House Mafia here. Rumble was the song you couldn’t avoid hearing at any show this past year no matter where you went, let alone the countless bootleg remixes from producers left and right. i do have a very soft spot for Strong though, and it’s wonderful to see Disclosure get a nod from their fantastically underrated album Alchemy. James Blake and Aphex Twin are also electronic staples, so all in all great nominations here.

post-show wing: right on the money!! loved what Skrillex mentioned in his speech about Rumble coming from a place of him, Fred Again.. and Flowdan simply making music that they love together to push culture forward, instead of trying to make music for the sake of making a hit.

Best Pop Dance Recording: For solo, duo, group or collaborative performances. Vocal or Instrumental. Singles or tracks only.

Nominees:

• Baby Don't Hurt Me - David Guetta, Anne-Marie & Coi Leray

• Miracle - Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding

• Padam Padam - Kylie Minogue (WINNER)

• One In A Million - Bebe Rexha & David Guetta

• Rush - Troye Sivan

pre-show wing: i confess that neither David Guetta song has come across my sphere of attention as of yet. i’m heavily rooting for Troye here, though i personally argue that Got Me Started deserves the title instead of its popular big brother Rush - it’s got that layer of rare genuine heartfelt emotion that Rush is missing for me. i did also enjoy Calvin Harris’ take on pop-trance this year, definitely had its fun sing-along moments at shows! 

post-show wing: not my personal favorite, but i do get why Padam Padam won out here. going to just slide this lovely HAAi remix of it here for your listening pleasure!

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album: For vocal or instrumental albums. Albums only.

Nominees:

• Playing Robots Into Heaven - James Blake

• For That Beautiful Feeling - The Chemical Brothers

• Actual Life 3 (January 1 - September 9 2022) - Fred again.. (WINNER)

• Kx5 - Kx5

• Quest For Fire - Skrillex

pre-show wing: my hands remain tied because Actual Life 3 was the definitive late 2022-2023 album for me personally. objectively, it feels like Fred’s magnum opus after his first two album offerings, in terms of sonic but also thematic and lyrical cohesion. the tracklist of Actual Life 3 flows like a series of audio diary entries, incredibly intimate and quietly profound. 

that said, i reckon Skrillex and Kx5 have a run for the money here - albums that also made a solid impact in the electronic music consciousness this year. seeing the legends The Chemical Brothers nominated is also a great sight. 

post-show wing: wow, frankly i’m a little pleasantly shocked that Fred actually bagged this one! the man himself didn’t make an in-person appearance at the GRAMMYs, hasn’t acknowledged his win on his socials and instead has continued business-as-usual in the studio, teasing us with new music. like Skrillex said in his speech - for the culture and the love, not the hits or fame! 

Best Remixed Recording: A Remixer's Award. (Artists names appear in parentheses for identification.) Singles or Tracks only.

Nominees: 

• Alien Love Call - BADBADNOTGOOD, remixers (Turnstile & BADBADNOTGOOD Featuring Blood Orange)

• New Gold (Dom Dolla Remix) - Dom Dolla, remixer (Gorillaz Featuring Tame Impala & Bootie Brown)

• Reviver (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix) - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, remixer (Lane 8)

• Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix) - Wet Leg, remixers (Depeche Mode) (WINNER)

• Workin' Hard (Terry Hunter Remix) - Terry Hunter, remixer (Mariah Carey)

pre-show wing: i love some Dom Dolla, but i have to root for TEED and Lane 8 here! i remember being blown away by this remix when i first heard it way back in October 2022 for several reasons: 1) that TEED was even remixing a Lane 8 song, 2) that TEED was now making breakbeat remixes, and 3) that Lane 8’s label This Never Happened was now releasing breakbeat tracks (for context: their usual wheelhouse is primarily deep house and progressive!) 

post-show wing: again, not my personal favorite but congrats to the tag-team of Alt-Rock British winners here!  

Best Rap Performance: For a Rap performance. Singles or Tracks only.

Nominees:

• The Hillbillies - Baby Keem feat. Kendrick Lamar

• Love Letter - Black Thought

• Rich Flex - Drake and 21 Savage

• SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS - Killer Mike feat. Andre 300, Future and Eryn Allen Kane (WINNER)

• Players - Coi Leray

Pre-Show Paul: Out of all the songs here, the best performance came from Keem and Kendrick. Their bouncy flows as they traded bars gave the song an infectious energy that made it a joy to listen to every time. The technical prowess of “SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS” would be appreciated in a perfect world but a song like this being nominated is still a win. “Rich Flex” was certainly popular however, so it could go to Drake (who doesn’t care about GRAMMYs btw) and 21 too. 

Post-Show Paul: Well this was genuinely surprising! As I said, Killer Mike’s song winning would happen in a perfect world but it did. Obviously, the world isn’t truly perfect but I am pleasantly surprised they chose this song. Several parts came together for this song and each person did perform at a high level. 

Best Melodic Rap Performance: For a solo or collaborative performance containing both elements of R&B melodies and Rap.

Nominees:

• Sittin’ On Top Of The World - Burna Boy feat. 21 Savage

• Attention - Doja Cat

• Spin Bout U - Drake & 21 Savage

• All My Life - Lil Durk feat. J.Cole (WINNER)

• Low - SZA

Pre-Show Paul: I’m picking “Low” for this one because it combines the rap and R&B elements most easily. Most of the others all have rapped verses and sung choruses. While this is a “combination” for sure, “Low” finds SZA using a consistent rap-sung flow throughout the whole song. The ad-libs from Travis Scott that pop in (and the fact he doesn’t have a verse) help showcase how this one brought the Rap and R&B elements together seamlessly without segmenting them. However, “All My Life” has a strong sentimental angle and Durk does deliver a rap-sung flow that’s common for him. 

Post-Show Paul: This one isn’t quite surprising. As I said, it does contain Durk’s rap-sung flow which does include elements of Rap and R&B. The track also contains yet another widely praised verse from J. Cole. I’m not mad at this winning at all. 

Best Rap Song: A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

Nominees:

• Attention - Rogét Chahayed, Amala Zandile Dlamini & Ari Starace, songwriters (Doja Cat)

• Barbie World [From Barbie The Album] - Isis Naija Gaston, Ephrem Louis Lopez Jr. & Onika Maraj, songwriters (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice Featuring Aqua)

• Just Wanna Rock - Mohamad Camara, Symere Woods & Javier Mercado, songwriters (Lil Uzi Vert)

• Rich Flex - Brytavious Chambers, Isaac "Zac" De Boni, Aubrey Graham, J. Gwin, Anderson Hernandez, Michael "Finatik" Mule & Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, songwriters (Drake & 21 Savage)

• SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS - Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane) (WINNER)

Pre-Show Paul: Now for this category, I could see “SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS” winning. Out of all those choices, it is the most complex and involved from a songwriter’s perspective. Doja Cat’s song did an excellent job of establishing her new era through its lyrics however, Killer MIke’s track was more involved in who it brought together and what they rapped and sang. “Just Wanna Rock” may be the most instantly recognizable but is surely not lyrically elaborate. “Rich Flex” birthed a meme (as Drake’s music often does) but at the end of the day, is nothing special lyrically despite having an engaging arrangement. 

Post-Show Paul: I was right about my prediction with this one! Songwriting is a layered topic in the rap world but this track comes from a rap purist. It’s always interesting to hear different types of artists bring their voices to one track but what they say is key. They have to say things that compliment what everyone on the song says. 

Best Rap Album: For albums containing greater than 75% playing time of new rap recordings.

Nominees: 

• Her Loss - Drake & 21 Savage

• MICHAEL- Killer Mike (WINNER)

• HEROES & VILLAINS - Metro Boomin

• King's Disease III - Nas

• UTOPIA - Travis Scott

Pre-Show Paul: This is always the most difficult one to predict. HEROES & VILLAINS certainly had appearances from many of the hottest names in rap right now and Metro’s cinematic production and curation showcased their abilities well. However, praise for production and curation could also be given to UTOPIA even though it reminded many listeners of a different album from 2014. Once again, Her Loss appears as the most accessible choice but rap purists are likely to lean towards Nas and Killer Mike. PERSONALLY, I would love for Travis to win since the Grammy alluded him in 2019 and he was visibly upset about it. However, I also would love to see Metro take it considering the work he’s put in as a producer and how he’s built a name for himself. 

Post-Show Paul: Welp I was wrong about this one too lol. Congrats to Killer Mike - for the third time! He swept every category he was nominated in. This is a truly commendable feat no matter who does it but for Killer Mike to do it is very surprising. Killer Mike is an artist who is not quite underground but not a chart topping artist either. He has respect as an artist for his group with El-P called Run The Jewels and for being a community leader and activist. Many rap fans were surprised to see him win this one with some saying they did not even know who he was. Hopefully, his sweep will inspire them to go educate themselves. 

what a time! another congratulations to all of our winners this year, and thank you for spending time with us here enjoying the spectacle of televised award shows. whilst GRAMMY wins alone can never objectively determine the cultural importance or impact that any song or artist has had, it sure is gratifying to witness deserving ones get public and professional recognition in this way - especially if you are rooting for your favorites!

very respectfully,

paul & wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• did you predict any GRAMMY wins of your own?

• what other songs, albums and artists do you think got snubbed this year and deserved a nomination?

palestine 101

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

GUESTFRESH is our dedicated guest writer section - we invite a featured writer to take over the reins of an entire issue, to share their freshest discoveries and recommendations! all previous GUESTFRESHes are available for you to reread right here.

finally, here is the the long-awaited FRESH debut of Paul from !

Paul K. Barnes is a music journalist with an English degree from Bridgewater College. With bylines ranging from reviews, think pieces and other forms of commentary, he has committed to using his skills to share and speak on multiple facets of the music world. However, he enjoys doing the same thing for movies and television shows too. If he’s not listening to music, he’s probably watching a video essay about it on YouTube or watching a movie. Between gaming, reading and cooking he still manages to find time to be an editor for two music publications - and make sure his dog gets all the head rubs she wants. 

Hey y’all! wing asked me if I wanted to come over here to talk about something and naturally I was honored! Hope you all enjoy hearing my two cents on something that may (or may not) have been all over your TLs.

trigger warning: death, murder

FRESH: getting swarmed by ‘SWARM’ 

A short overview

SPOILERS AHEAD. 

When SWARM was first announced I anticipated it for three reasons: the creators, the lead and the plot. Donald Glover (AKA Childish Gambino of course) is a modern Renaissance Man and I have enjoyed several creative outputs from him across the years. His previous Emmy winning show Atlanta was amazing for several reasons so naturally I was hype for what he had in store for us next. He is the co-creator of the show along with Janine Nabers who also was a writer on Atlanta.  Dominique Fishback had the lead role and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve seen her in so far. 

SWARM is a show about Stan Culture - among other things. All but one episode is preceded by a message we often see at the end of shows and movies with a small but important change: “Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely intentional.” This is followed by “This is not a work of fiction”.

SWARM wants audience members to point at the TV like Leo did.

Many things happened!

The show follows Dre (Dominique Fishback) after she loses her sister Marisa (Chloe Bailey) who takes her own life.  Dre is a Stan for an artist named Nijah who strongly resembles Beyonce. As the series progresses, Dre ends up in a variety of unique situations. She causes some of them on her own by murdering people - mainly because of things they said online about Nijah. 

As I watched the show, I found myself frozen in silence during many scenes. The cinematography, music and acting throughout the series was that impactful for me. I know some people like to have shows on in the background as they do laundry, cook etc. This is not the show for that unless you want burnt food or a pile of unfolded clothes to mock you for a week. The makers of the show had a message to send and they sent it with the perfect blend of truth and exaggeration. 

I Didn’t “See Myself” in Dre But…

There’s only a handful of artists I would say I am a Stan for. But, I have never argued with anyone online about them. Or, defended them like I personally know them. I don’t argue with anyone online about anything because I just view it as unnecessary. For artists I love, I enjoy discussing their music with people actually interested in hearing about it. This works out even better when the person becomes a fan of them too.

When I truly love an artist, naturally I consume more media for them than other artists. This includes watching all their interviews during a promo run, their performances on shows etc. Because of this, I end up hearing the stories about the album multiple times. At first it made me think “Why do they keep bringing this up?” but each time they are sharing it with a different audience. This repetition is how I think superfans become “experts” on the project's themes and concepts. We hear it so much - and listen to the album itself - it becomes hard to forget. 

SWARM is an (exaggerated) accurate depiction of what it’s like to be (an overly) dedicated fan of a music artist in 2023. Many moments of the show depict Dre scrolling through social media and various posts pop up on the screen. The way these sequences are edited show just how overwhelming this can be. As someone who frequently will scroll through an album’s hashtag on the night of its release - I know it can be a lot. The artist’s subreddit can have even more as people will type paragraphs about the project. However, fortunately (at least as far as I can tell) the accounts I come across are never obsessed with the artist…

For me, SWARM is an excellent example of a show made for 2023 that doesn’t make us roll our eyes. It combines the realities of things we have come across with enough drama and intense situations that it still is entertaining. Understandably, it may be a little too intense for some viewers. But for those who think they can handle it, they’re in for a ride that will certainly prompt conversations with other viewers. 

[editor’s note: we had some interesting discussion in the comments after reading through Paul’s piece, they now are here also for additional context]

FRESH by wing: am i right in thinking that the creators took inspiration from real life events and extended the story past what happened IRL? just cautious of the implications of such a statement if it isn't entirely true

Paul Barnes: Based on what I've read the creator(s) say in interviews, every major situation the lead character got into was directly inspired by an IRL event.

—————————

FRESH by wing: do you think this is justified? [re: Dre’s murdering spree]

Paul Barnes: Definitely not

—————————

FRESH by wing: personally curious: after watching, do you think SWARM depicts stan culture in a negative light by over-exaggerating and dramatizing events? in a "look what these crazy fans are willing to do" way?

Paul Barnes: Hmmm...can I say yes and no? I think it's a show for those well aware of how serious Stan Culture is to some people. I think it can act as a telescope and a mirror to viewers in terms of the depiction. Not to go full #musicnerd but the music video/song "Stan" is pretty grim and extreme to begin with. It all stems from that initial moment of extremism. The social media aspect adds multiple layers that are unfortunately quite accurate. I  DON'T think it's a show someone (likely not in our age range) should watch to "understand" Stan Culture though.

thank you for taking us through SWARM, Paul! whilst psychological horror definitely isn’t in my usual ballpark, SWARM certainly has my curiousity piqued - especially on the reality versus fiction side of things. breaking that fourth wall, when done tastefully, makes for some intriguing, thought-provoking art.

stay tuned for our next GUESTFRESH, and drop us a message to get your writing juices flowing!

love and stans,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what is your current take on stan culture?

• who or what do you identify as a stan for? why are they important to you?

• what are some meta works of content that have made an impact on you?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

welcome to the debut of our new FRESH series, the FRESH guides! in these special issues, we shall be focusing solely on one topic in depth; giving you lots of tried-and-tested recommendations and info, and personal reflections on relevant experiences. think of these as the FRESH version of the How To… For Dummies book series, in the style of Time Out!

each guide is informed by years of my own research and experimenting - we’ll only include the cream-of-the-crop, best quality picks for you to easily and concisely digest.

given this, we have some housekeeping updates for you: we’ve thought long and hard about this, and have decided to keep the majority of these guides paywalled. we want to think of this as publishing digital mini-books here with substantial value, the same way you would purchase guidebooks at a physical bookstore.

we know you love free things, so here’s your first two weeks free to read right below!

Get 14 day free trial

with a paid subscription, you will have full unlimited access to all current and back-issues of FRESH guides. regular update issues and GUESTFRESH will continue to be free to read on any kind of subscription.

you can manage and upgrade your FRESH subscription right here - we appreciate your consideration dearly!

at the start of each guide, we shall include a brief intro and rundown of subtopics covered within our main topic, so you can identify particular parts of interest.

let’s jump into the juicy parts! this London guide was originally planned for a regular update issue, but as i started writing out everything i wanted to cover, the list got longer and longer… to the point of needing dedicated coverage in a separate issue, hence our FRESH guides!

the recommendations in this guide have been informed by my most recent trip back to London this past springtime in 2023. it was my first time back in the country and city in a good 5-6 years; so much had changed about it since, and it was exciting to both revisit old haunts and discover new delights.

the FRESH guide to: London includes 14 separate recommendations, spanning the following topics:

• music and nightlife

• entertainment

• restaurants

• cuisine

• outdoors, nature and scenic routes

we recommend viewing this guide in your browser via this link here, as it is a considerable length and will get cut off short within your email.

FRESH: music and nightlife

Printworks London

a big incentive for this trip was to finally catch a show (or five) at the infamous venue Printworks. it has been hosting legendary electronic events since its opening in 2017, but unfortunately became a victim to the Canada Water Regeneration Masterplan, a multi-billion pound gentrification project in the humble South-East London neighborhood. after announcing its immanent closure this past May and faced with an uncertain future, it fortunately is now set for a 2026 reopening, though likely in a very different physical form.

my first Printworks experiences were also my last ones (for now), and Canada Water already had a special place in my heart, which made the whole experience quite surreal and bittersweet - but i could not be happier with deciding to make the trip back over. i’ve been to a great number of impressive live music venues, but Printworks takes the cake for me. the main stage, Press Halls, is simply jaw-dropping whether crowd-deep on the floor or up on the side balconies; and the smaller Inkwells stage offers an more intimate, hypnotic experience.

some highlights from my run of shows:

• somehow ending up front and center in the crowd for my final Printworks show to see Kasablanca (for the first time!) and my favorites Above & Beyond, and getting adopted by a lovely group. A&B opened their set with this classic and it’s still stuck in my head.

• freaking out when Bonobo dropped Ariana Grande and Jasper Tygner.

• hearing vintage Brodinski and Louisahhh out of nowhere in the Inkwells - i still have no idea who was playing at the time and i love that.

• going so often to the pizza stall outside in the courtyard that the staff started recognizing me as a regular.

for a more complete tracklist, head over to my 2023 playlist and scroll down to around April-time.

Printworks London: Surrey Quays Road, London, SE16 7PJ

Read more

GUESTFRESH is our dedicated guest writer section - we invite a featured writer to take over the reins of an entire issue, to share their freshest discoveries and recommendations! all previous GUESTFRESHes are available for you to reread right here.

today, Jeff from brings us an extended issue across personal growth and music, complete with gorgeous hand-drawn illustrations. grab a drink, get cozy and settle in!

Hi, I’m Jeff Gill. I’m a graphic designer, writer and artist. I write a short weekdaily email called TREE about personal growth for misfits, creatives and ecclectics. I live in Dursley, Gloucestershire with my wife and two cats. Before that I lived in Conwy, North Wales. Before that, I lived in Tucson, Arizona. The freshest thing I’m doing right now is learning British Sign Language.

FRESH: Personal growth 

Embracing lessons that teach opposite things

What’s fresh in my brain right now starts with a paragraph by one of my favourite writers:

‘There is no monomyth. (Sorry about that, Joseph Campbell.) It’s precisely because no one story makes sense of everything that traditional societies had so many myths, each with its own lesson to teach and its own applicability to the events of everyday life. It’s precisely because our culture has become obsessed with a single story, in turn, that we’re in our current mess.’

— John Michael Greer

This isn’t superfresh. You can find people tearing up the idea of a monomyth all over the internet. It got my attention though. Next, in the comment section of the same post, someone wrote this, which really started me thinking:

‘It’s not obvious to me that all religions and myth are reducible to some single set of universal meanings, but rather represent a panoply of lessons, some of which will necessarily be incongruous.’

— Fra’ Lupo

We know how a fundamentalist thinks: There are genuine differences. What I believe is absolutely true and righteous. What you believe is absolutely wrong and terrible.

We know what the folks with COEXIST bumper stickers on their cars think: Different belief systems may seem different, but at the core, they are all the same lovely thing.

Then Fra’ Lupo rocks up and says, or at least implies: There are genuine opposing ideas and that doesn’t mean one of them has to be wrong.

I think Fra’ Lupo is onto something. 

I once read a book about your own life as a hero’s journey. It impacted me deeply. I recommended the book to lots of people. A couple years later, I read it again and was like, meh.

It wasn’t that something went wrong with the hero’s journey. It was that I had changed in those years. I needed a new story. I’ve learned that there are many people, especially women, for whom the hero’s journey never resonates. It doesn’t speak to their life experience. It doesn’t need to. There are other stories, different myths.

Here’s another example.

A few days ago, I read a profile of Toto Wolff, boss of the super-successful Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 team. One way he ‘fosters ongoing competitiveness is by encouraging his team members – from the engineers to the marketing people – to find out who their counterparts are on rival teams and commit to surpassing them.’ He emailed his entire team and told them to ‘Take the time to find out who your opposite person is [at the Red Bull F1 team] and look at him or her every day. Put the picture right in front of you so you know whom to beat’ (Anita Elberse, Harvard Business Review, December 2022).

Less than an hour later, I read this from Rick Rubin (The Creative Act, 2023):

‘Wanting to outperform another artist or make a work better than theirs rarely results in true greatness. Nor is it a mindset that has a healthy impact on the rest of our lives. As Theodore Roosevelt pointed out, comparison is the thief of joy. Besides, why would we want to create with the purpose of diminishing someone else?

‘When another great work inspires us to elevate our own, however, the energy is different. Seeing the bar raised in our field can encourage us to reach even higher. This energy of rising-to-meet is quite different from that of conquering.’

The super-successful Formula 1 boss says you need an intense focus on beating your opponent. The super-successful music producer says the way to greatness is by not competing. These two ways of working are in complete disagreement with each other. Asking who’s right is useless. The better question is: Are either of these ways of working useful to my situation? 

Speaking of Rick Rubin, he points out in the same book that disagreements aren’t only external. We don’t even agree with ourselves:

‘Our point of view doesn't have to be coherent. And it's rarely simple. We may have different, and sometimes contradictory, points of view across a variety of topics. Aiming to narrow it all down to one elegant expression is unrealistic and limiting.’

There is no The Way.

Or maybe there are infinite The Ways. Because it’s not just one or the other. Our understanding of the world has moved way beyond opposites. More and more, science is discovering the spectrum-ness of pretty much everything, especially everything that goes on in human brains. Almost nothing is completely one thing or the other.

Just because most everything exists on a spectrum doesn’t stop people wishing for the simplicity of binaries. And so there are plenty of people selling binaries. We are surrounded by voices loudly insisting that the peak of their particular wave is the one and only truth. But reality shows us that the trough and all the infinite points in between are also true.

My mom is a Christian who believes in a personal God who loves her. I think the universe we live in got here by randomness and chance. I also don’t think my mom is crazy. Both of us believe what we do about existence in ways that help us grow to be kinder, better people. So who’s wrong? I don’t think either of us are. Does it matter?

Even though I don’t believe in God anymore, I find St Paul’s writings in the bible very helpful. I have a good friend who does believe in God but can’t stand Paul because of the way his words have been weaponised against her (and all women).

I think maybe I’m seeing this stuff about myths and stories and truth with different meanings because I’m feeling brave enough to trust that I can choose the ones I need for the season I’m in. I’m no less a part of the universe than any guru or religious leader out there. 

I guess I’m also grown up enough to recognise the limits of such choices. I can tell myself whatever story I want about sunshine and taxes, but I won’t spend eight hours on the beach without wearing sunscreen or try to cheat HMRC.

What I will do is try my best to approach different myths and stories and ideas and philosophies with curiosity instead of fear or suspicion. Even if they don’t have something to tell me right now, I might need them down the road when my circumstances change.

I’ll also take the advice of a recent FRESH guest author:

If a belief is useful, use it. If not, change it. Very few things are objectively true. Use that to your benefit. — Thomas Plaatsman

And I’ll add that something I wrote a while ago: How you believe is more important than what you believe, so don’t worry if you find yourself learning contradictory lessons from time to time.

FRESH: Music

Tunes for being happy while getting work done

DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ – how great is that name! – turns samples from old TV shows and who know what else into luscious electronic soundscapes of pure pop joy. I listen to music all day while I work, except when I’m editing video. I listen to a ton of different genres, but whenever I need to be seriously productive Right Now I put on DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ’s album Bewtiched. It has exactly the right balance of repetition and variety to keep me focussed and happy.

Fresh talent from Manchester

My daughter introduced me to DellaXOZ before anyone had heard of her. Well, maybe six people had heard of her. Now her music has been on BBC Radio 1. I hope she gets to be huge because I think she’s making very excellent, intelligent pop. ‘i want, doesn’t get’ is my favourite song she’s done so far.

Old but still Reznor sharp

15 years ago before streaming music was really a thing, Nine Inch Nails gave away an album online. I downloaded it and I loved it, then I forgot about it because Spotify came along and my iTunes library sat gathering digital dust. A few weeks ago I remembered it again. It’s still fresh.

thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Jeff! i personally resonate with the ideas around spectrums versus binaries - whether that’s right or wrong, write or don’t write. being more open to and accepting of this fluidity in not just our own, but others’ belief systems, allows for less frustration and more unity. we also love a good dose of DJSTTDJ on FRESH whenever we can!

more GUESTFRESHes still in the pipeline - this could be you this year, so get in touch with us soon!

love amongst the trees,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what belief systems do you hold that contradict each other? how have they helped you in day-to-day life?

• what music keeps you focused and happy?

• which rising artists are you keeping an eye on this year?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

new year, new FRESH! welcome back home, FRESH gang. how did your holiday season go? how is your new year feeling so far?

first, the housekeeping:

• Sundays remain FRESH days! frequency-wise, we’ll remain unpredictable and ready to surprise you throughout the year.

• let’s test drive a slightly different writing format for this issue! less long-form paragraphs, more bullet points of concise info - for ease of literary digestion. more about this format later, in our new FRESH section to debut soon!

FRESH: self

• New Year's FRESHolutions, or Lack Thereof: i confess, i haven’t made a proper ‘regular’ resolution in years. instead, i like making a bucket list to start the year off, and adding to it as the months go on. it makes for less guilt about incomplete resolutions at the end of the year, and more focus on the excitement of getting the most out of life. (how to: start your list on your Notes app, on Google Docs, in your journal. anywhere you’ll remember to check back to every so often)

FRESH: playlists

• FRESH 2024: our yearly namesake playlist returns! as always, we’ll be closely monitoring those New Music Fridays and putting the best new releases straight in here. most music mentioned on FRESH will likely already be in here, so check back for a cheat sheet and easy playlisting. (play weekly on Spotify here)

• FULL SEND 2024: another yearly playlist tradition! this one serves as an audio tracklist diary of tracks i hear and come across (and have probably Shazamed) - either at shows, concerts, in the street, on the car radio or elsewhere. neatly collated to the best of my memory, so you can discover your next favorite song too! (best consumed when feeling nostalgic at the end of the year, on Spotify here)

• Spotify’s Playlist in a Bottle: i somehow missed the memo last year about this, but back on the train now! it’s time to select your song responses to Spotify’s (questionable) prompts this year, and seal up a musical time capsule in a variety of objects, for you to only open up next year. i’m already looking forward to opening mine next year and having a good laugh about some of my selections. (choose your fighters on the Spotify app)

• porter dj sets: there’s been lots of new tracks to add in here, following Porter Robinson’s recent run of NYE shows (see: Echostage, NOTO, Hijinx, Countdown), and they all have been getting me in the right mood to get down and get things done. (play on shuffle on Spotify here)

FRESH: music

• The Words to Auld Lang Syne - Antony Szmierek: i recently discovered Antony' Szmierek’s music through his collab with fellow Brit producer Because of Art, and was immediately charmed by his matter of fact, yet emotionally-hitting lyrical wordplay. ever since falling in love with The Streets’ rework of Fred Again…’s Berwyn (all that i got is you), aptly retitled Mike (desert island duvet), i’ve been searching for similar spoken-word rap artists, and this track was exactly what i was looking for. enjoy this delicious Pre-Chorus and Chorus combo:

All the little things that you needed / All the tiny pieces will fall into place

And let me hold you for a second / If only just your gaze / Tomorrow's never promised / But neither was today / And when you need a friend, I'll be there / I'm in every city light / Eyes wide into the night

(catch Antony Szmierek live at The Old Blue Last in London on January 16th, and find him on Instagram)

• All Ur Luv - Wavedash, Madeon, Toro Y Moi: if 2023 was the year of Pangbourne House Mafia, 2024 is looking like it will be this yet unnamed supertrio’s (or rather, superquintet’s) year! Madeon teased this unreleased ID in his recent NYE run of DJ sets, a feel-good groovy track that indeed feels full of love. we’re calling Song of the Summer right here already! (listen on Madeon’s Instagram)

• ID - Justice: the French kings themselves seem to be teasing a 2024 comeback soon, having wiped their Instagram clean for New Year’s except for this mysterious audio snippet. they also appear to have quietly snuck it into fellow Frenchman Madeon’s DMs, allowing him drop this bomb of an yet unnamed track live during his recent DJ sets. it’s Gonna Be a Good year ahead. (listen to the live recording on Youtube)

FRESH: gaming

• BrownFarm: aka Farmville, but make it LINE Friends themed. on BrownFarm, you grow crops and feed your cows to make all sorts of food dishes, to fulfil the (sometimes demanding) orders of your fellow LINE Friends. surprisingly soothing, and incredibly easy to sink in several hours of gameplay in one go. (available on iOS and Android)

more gaming coverage coming to you in a future FRESH issue!

FRESH: books

• Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton: an autobiography written by none other than Draco Malfoy himself. whilst the early ‘days of youth’ sections of the book are full of fun anecdotes about Felton and his Harry Potter costars, the latter sections depict a brutally honest and gripping recount of his adult struggles with drinking, self medicating and rehab. a poignant reminder that everyone you see on the silver screen remains but a human inside, and that there is solace to be found in sharing our universal thoughts and feelings, for both reader and writer. (read on Goodreads here)

as always, thank you for being here and starting off your year with us. we wish you a fulfilling and memorable 2024, full of your favorite things and people. now, back to working my way through the flurry of Google Chrome tabs i keep open of FRESH drafts!

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today.

love ahead,

wing

alright, over to you now - reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• how do you tackle your new years resolutions, or lack thereof?

• how are you planning to keep a record or diary of your experiences this year?

• what lyric has hit you profoundly lately?

• have you read any surprising (auto)biographies this past year?

palestine 101

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

happy official falltime, happy belated mid autumn festival and a warm welcome to our new FRESHers who have joined us over the summer! we’re popping back into your inboxes for a quick handful of updates, spurred by a sudden energy burst to write to you again.

once again, a round of quick housekeeping updates:

• about that ad-hoc publishing basis we mentioned last issue - once every month or two seems more realistic at this point in time. still dealing with some writer’s block and writer’s guilt about not writing more often, but know that we’ll still be in touch every now and then!

• GUESTFRESHes and that new topic-centric issue format still in the works, bear with us!

FRESH: self

A Summer to Strip the Self

i’ve been in an energetic lull for a good part of the summer. both my consumption input (of media, actual food, social) and output (writing, creating, connecting) took a huge drop the past few months - it’s felt like hitting a giant stop button. i just simply didn’t have energy to spare for “extra” tasks; besides keeping myself fed, hydrated and hopping to and from the gym.

albeit not planned nor of my own conscious volition, it’s been a good experiment of stripping away everything “unnecessary”, all the excess noise. proving to myself that i still can live day by day just by existing on my own.

who or what is left of me, when i remove the external things i’ve chosen to define me? without friends or a lover constantly blowing up my phone, validation from story views, inspiration from a muse? without someone else’s problems to psychoanalyse, overwhelming emotions to drown in, the rush of staying out all night with strangers you’ll never see again? when you peel back all the layers of the onion that have grown over each other, what is really there inside? i don’t quite have the answers figured out yet.

the idea of writing an issue again felt so daunting: what could i possibly share that would still be relevant, when i’ve been out of the loop, not actively engaging with the world around me and uninspired? relevancy perhaps isn’t the point - information is timeless, and the very act of experiencing or sharing that information to someone else makes it once again relevant to the present moment, like retelling Grimm’s Fairy Tales to each new generation of unsuspecting kids.

if Wham’s Last Christmas can consistently make a comeback every wintertime even after four decades, then i think i’ll be alright sharing these little tidbits of things that made me smile for a moment in time on this small corner of the internet, relevancy be damned. rather, they’re relevant because they hold some sort of meaning and importance to me right now, and if i’m lucky, maybe they’ll be kind enough to grant you the same.

FRESH: bling

Hot Bling Summer, Continued

let’s go with with something that’s definitely time-sensitive: we’re super excited to announce that our bling by wing summer pop up store will be continuing throughout the rest of the year, tentatively until new year’s eve!

reinventing designs and restocking new pieces into the store has been a much needed constant this summer that i’ve unexpectedly enjoyed. having the immediacy and physicality of a real location has granted me extra motivation to keep creating and building something tangible, however small.

sometimes i lose sight of the bigger picture of what i’m working on, with our main storefront being virtual and pieces never staying long in my hands when they get shipped off to wonderful new owners around the world. being able to head over to the store and see everything together in one place still gives me a reality check whenever i need it, a feeling of “ah, this is what i’m doing it for”.

here’s our pop up location, come drop in and browse some bling!

box C9B (middle of the store), THE CUBE, shop S122, 2nd Floor, Argyle Centre, 688 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

head over to our bling Instagram also to peep some of our available pop up pieces!

FRESH: lifestyle

Hi From Your New Amazon Associate

hate to be an inevitable cog in the capitalist wheel that makes the world go round… but if so, let’s make it have at least an ounce of use, no?

curation is an integral part of my life, no matter the aspect - FRESH itself is founded on the basis of curating bits of information from all over into digestible bite-size meals. i relentlessly curate the thoughts in my head like trimming overgrown bushes, curate the places i frequent onto endless pins on Google Maps, and i’m particularly meticulous about curating the objects around me that i either use, put onto my body or consume.

hence, i’ve whipped up this mini curation list of things - you could say this is a Wing Starter Pack™:

the majority of selections in here are things i’ve either used before or am currently still using, in some cases the exact product wasn’t available so i’ve added similar items in. each one has added some sort of value to my life at one point or another - perhaps some of these will for you too. take a browse here and see what takes your fancy!

if you’ve got a particular area or type of item you’d like to see me curate, reply to this email or drop a comment and i’ll add it to the list!

i earn a small commission fee through this link, if you choose to purchase something.

FRESH: new music

Remnant - G Jones

although being the fourth and last single released from G Jones’ next (yet unreleased) album offering, titled Paths, Remnant certainly holds its own against its fellow tracklisters. it refuses to categorize itself into one genre, flowing effortlessly from the ambient sounds of Everything All at Once, to hyperpop-esque trap ever so slightly reminiscent of the hard-hitting drops off R.A.V.E.. it may be too early to call it, but Remnant may end up being my overall favorite track off Paths - my Spotify play count can attest to this.

• we’re absolutely here for Troye’s new era of music - the sonic choices, the vibrancy, the styling, the art direction all comes together to feel oh-so nostalgic and bittersweet (hello Blue Neighborhood) yet fresh as ever. obsessed with the Gucci disco ball suit from the Got Me Started music video.

• resident Brit Ed Sheeran has a new alias as the host of The Gingerbread Man Shopping Channel - a series of short commercial spoofs about the wonders of British autumn (heavy sarcasm), to promote his new album Autumn Variations. all of them are downright entertaining, but this first one made me crack up the hardest:

FRESH: film + television

• Bostonian Chris Evans keeps a relatively low profile these days after his Cap retirement back in 2019, but it’s good to see him pop back into the pop culture sphere every now and then to play with puppies or more recently, give a crash course on his entire acting career over the past two decades. itching now to dive into more of his filmography that i’ve missed along the way.

• one of the highlights of my week was rewatching a random episode of CSI: NY with no prior knowledge that a young Chadwick Boseman would magically appear as a New York City lima-bean-wielding hustler in the middle of Times Square. i did about five double takes before opening up IMDB and losing it.

FRESH: youtube

• you can take the boy out of Hogwarts, but you can’t take the Hogwarts out of the boy, as badboy Slytherin alumni Tom Felton would probably argue. here’s his heartwarming new commercial with Uber Eats, complete with catastrophic spell-casting consequences. wonder if his father has heard about this?

• maybe i’m just secretly a cat in my spare time, but i really enjoy throwing on one of these 8 hour long Cat TV bird videos whilst i’m cooking - something about watching birds hop around and break the fourth wall is extremely soothing and comforting.

we’ve made it through! thank you as always for being here and choosing to spend your time with me. sending all my love, and enjoy the rest of this (climatically unpredictable) falltime, before we hunker down for the winter.

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today - we appreciate your consideration dearly!

love as the leaves fall,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what layers of self have you been stripping away recently?

• what is your take on the idea of staying relevant?

• name one product that’s been bringing value to your everyday routine lately.

• which spoof or crossover commercials do you have stuck in your memory?

• when was the last time you were surprised by an unexpected actor cameo in a film or episode you watched?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

GUESTFRESH makes its comeback, finally!

GUESTFRESH is our dedicated guest writer section - we invite a featured writer to take over the reins of an entire issue, to share their freshest discoveries and recommendations!

we have a quick housekeeping update for you too - all previous GUESTFRESHes are now collated and available for you to reread on this page right here, accessible from our main site navigational header. future GUESTFRESH issues will also show up here, so check back every so often in case you miss one!

this issue, we are thrilled to have returning for her second GUESTFRESH appearance.

Rachel is an artist of many mediums with a career rooted in education. She is based in Vancouver, and writes her own newsletter Spirit, which you can read and subscribe to here - highly recommended read for all art enthusiasts! for more about Rachel and her portfolio, head over to her website racheldavidson.com.

you can reread Rachel’s previous GUESTFRESH from issue 11 right here.

Thanks for having me back, Wing! So nice to be here, and I hope you enjoy the lil bits and bites I’m serving specially for you all~

FRESH: television

Beef

If you enjoyed Everything Everywhere All At Once, Beef is for you! I was floored by this bingeable comedy-drama, and am increasingly convinced that production company A24 can do no wrong.

I don’t normally watch shows with this much gore and swearing. However, I was hooked by the character development, which I found more intense than typical Netflix fare. Beef forces the audience to confront their own darker impulses by granting nuance and humanity to the feuding duo, Danny and Amy. It’s not hard to see something of ourselves in their stories – an equally scary and life-affirming prospect, given all the awful things they do to one another. I will avoid spoilers, but suffice to say every aspect of the script, casting, music, cinematography, sets, costume design, and appearance of crows (!) was perfectly thought out to complement the plot.

A fun fact is that many of the episode title cards were painted by David Choe, who plays Isaac (careful of spoilers in that article!). These additions set a bold tone, and add another layer of meaning to each irresistible chapter.

I won’t make a pun on beef, since that’s been overdone… har har :P but props to A24 for an incredible piece that is bound to make waves at awards shows!

FRESH: short stories

The New Yorker: Fiction Podcast

I recently returned to The New Yorker: Fiction Podcast to find a slew of new episodes from the last year of monthly uploads. In each episode, an author reads short stories by another author (well-known, upcoming, or anywhere in between), and then discusses key themes and plot points with New Yorker editor Deborah Treisman. I appreciate that the authors are given an opportunity to explain why they chose their story and what elements they most enjoy. It’s like learning about two authors in one.

In this season of my life, when I don’t have much time to read physical books, this feels more satisfying and soul-nourishing than advice podcasts. I like to follow a story while driving, folding laundry, or unloading the dishwasher; this somehow gives more shape and meaning to that time.

My favorite episode this year is Gary Shteyngart Reads Weike Wang. The dry wit of Weike Wang’s short story “Omakase” inspired me to find her novel Chemistry, which I devoured in one sitting!

FRESH: music

Richie Griner

In April, I accompanied my boyfriend to FKJ’s concert in Vancouver. As impressed as I was by Vincent Fenton’s virtuosity on multiple instruments – and his ability to improvise two 7+ minute songs in one concert! – I was equally impressed by the opener, Richie Griner. This young man had the courage to go on stage solo, to a cold audience, and make magic out of beats, keyboard, loop pedals, guitar, rapping and singing. Richie even auto-tuned live vocals, which complements his lyrical themes of seeking authenticity and connection. Something about his combination of catchy keyboard riffs and beats reminds me of one of my all-time favs, James Blake!

I think Richie primed the audience well for FKJ, and it was sweet that Vincent invited Richie back on stage for the second improvised song. There isn’t a lot of info about Richie online, but I look forward to seeing what he does next.

thanks for all your recommendations, Rachel! i’ve still yet to catch up on Beef - will have to devour all of that in one sitting soon. finding media that is satisfying and soul-nourishing is so important, no matter the format. curating my digital consumption alongside my actual food consumption has been a big focus this year for myself, i’m so glad you brought this up! Richie Griner is a new discovery for me, his mellow beats are perfect for slow mornings.

more GUESTFRESHes are still in our upcoming lineup - we’d love to feature your writing here, so get in touch with us soon!

love and beef,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what stories or characters have strongly resonated with you recently, and why?

• how do you make doing your chores bearable?

• what artist did you discover for the first time at a show or concert?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

we owe you an apology, a long issue and an update for up and disappearing for a good two-three months, dear FRESH family.

during that time: i’ve been to the States and back again, come down with a serious case of writing burnout, rode on a few emotional rollercoasters, got five unexpected (and pretty nasty) tooth cavity fillings, last-minute set up a pop up shop for my jewelry creations in Hong Kong from scratch, bought a gym pass for the first time in my life and started (practically) living there. we’ll dive into as much of that as we can in this issue!

before we dig in, we need quite a few housekeeping updates here:

• last time we talked, we mentioned covering our Paris and London adventures in two separate issues - that is still the plan; as well as potentially focusing on them, other cities and specific topics in a new issue format of FRESH! stay tuned for the debut of that whilst we hash out the details.

• as you’ve noticed from our absence, we’ve been unable to keep up our weekly Sunday publishing schedule for quite some time now. going forward, issues will still be published on Sundays as much as possible, but on an ad-hoc basis (monthly or twice a month seems a more realistic goal for the meantime, whilst i sort out the remnants of this writer’s block and ease back into a more sustainable writing routine).

• we have some lovely, juicy GUESTFRESH features both ready and in the pipeline to share with you all, again keep your eyes peeled here!

FRESH: self

The Big Bad Writing Wolf

i won’t lie, even after having years and years of academic, professional and personal writing practice, i still find writing incredibly difficult to craft.

the process of thought-to-sentence doesn’t run smoothly in my head nor on my keyboard, and it takes me a long time to try to do so. i easily get frustrated and discouraged by this, but i’ve been forcing myself through it to write these issues. i think that resentment and exhaustion built up over the course of this year, and cumulated into a massive writing burnout. i simply didn’t want to write anymore (and probably couldn’t even if i tried), and i avoided opening my FRESH dashboard like it was the Big Bad Wolf hiding in my endless Chrome tabs.

another reason i feared opening this again - i received a particularly nasty hate comment on one issue that tried to personally target my insecurities (that has since been deleted). it’s one thing to objectively critique my writing or my opinions, which i’m open to, but to make assumptions about my personal life for the sole purpose of trying to tear me down is unacceptable, and will not ever be tolerated on FRESH.

having a few months distance from here has been very needed, and now i finally feel ready to step a foot back into writing on this platform. i’m very grateful to still have this space as a sounding board for self-expression, and to have an audience willing to hear me out, so thank you for being here with me.

FRESH: fitness

Gym Girl Summer

in the spirit of Hot Girl Summer, i’ve coined this year’s summer for myself as Gym Girl Summer.

after riding said emotional rollercoasters earlier this year, i ended up with both my external surroundings and internal landscape feeling sparse and empty, complete with tumbleweeds rolling through. i felt so lost, and didn’t know what to do with myself. so i threw myself into the gym on a whim, and it’s turned out to be the most grounding practice in my life right now (apart from regular therapy sessions).

extra endorphins are an obvious plus, along with the satisfaction of feeling physically stronger. however, the biggest benefit has been the mental stability and clarity i’m gaining from committing to several sessions a week. each time, i put on my gym gear, trek over with my water bottle, and go for a post-session convenience store treat. this consistent routine has become a familiar touchstone that i know i can rely on to stay the same and can come back to whenever i need; a constant in a sea of changing uncertainty.

our gym happens to be a small, cozy and quiet one. it’s become a place of meditation for me whilst i run through reps - i don’t listen to music, and just focus on being present with the sensations in my body, in the ambience of air-con engines and treadmill footsteps. it feels like the equivalent of dunking my mind in an ice bath; all my intrusive thoughts disappear into a blissful calm.

TLDR: i’m now in a committed, and satisfying relationship with my gym. that definitely wasn’t on my bingo card for this year, but i’m glad it’s ended up on there now!

for more updates on Gym Girl Summer, head over to my stories on my personal Instagram!

FRESH: bling

Hot Bling Summer

continuing with things i didn’t expect on my bingo card this year - yet on another whim, i rented a spot in a shared creators’ shop here in Hong Kong and set up bling by wing’s first ever summer pop up shop!

i’ve pondered options for in-person pop ups for some time, but one way or another hadn’t got around to it until now. it’s something cool that i can tell my younger self about now - i know she would be ecstatic about this!

making so many bling pieces from scratch, designing and constructing the pop-up layout in the span of a week was an exhausting and stressful process that i, in retrospect, probably should’ve allocated a longer time span for. again, i rushed myself to immediately fill that internal void i felt with anything possible. it worked, but next time i know i have room to be gentler with myself and to take my time.

that said, it was also a rewarding process that reaffirmed i could indeed do what i set my mind to, and squashed any self-doubt i had about falling short. it’s the biggest and most priceless takeaway i’ve gained from the whole process.

here’s our pop up location, we’ll be here from now until the end of September so come drop in and browse some bling!

box C9B (middle of the store), THE CUBE, shop S122, 2nd Floor, Argyle Centre, 688 Nathan Road, Mong Kok, Hong Kong

head over to our bling Instagram also to peep some of our available pop up pieces!

FRESH: playlists

Wing Radio

i’ve given my currents playlist a quick makeover for the summer, and renamed it from the long standing wing’s minifridge to wing radio! save this to your library, pop it on shuffle and tell me what tracks you discover:

FRESH: new music

Gonna Be Good (Live Edit) - Madeon

we at FRESH HQ always love a good live edit from Madeon, and here’s one more to add to the list! this one is extra special, as Gonna Be Good will very likely be the last release of Madeon’s Good Faith era, marking its end after a jam-packed four years since the release of its very first single All My Friends, back in May 2019. we’re getting nostalgic just thinking about all the way back then!

GBG was first teased as a live-only track last year in March, before getting an official studio release, a dedicated radio episode, a music video AND an official live recording from the Brooklyn Mirage live show this past May - perhaps the most definitive live show of the entire era, it was really something special to witness in person. (plus, we’re a speck somewhere in the crowd in the live recording!)

we may well be biased, but we definitely are partial to the GBG Live Edit over the shorter two-minute studio version, and are thrilled to see it get a streaming release as well. that extra melodic twist on the refrain towards the end of the live edit (3:40) is our favorite part of the whole song!

Look How Hard I’m Into You (Ariana x Barker) - séverine

this track has perhaps been the unexpected highlight of our spring and summer! i first heard this when i was deep in the crowd for Bonobo’s very last Printworks show, and he dropped this out of left field in the middle of an entrancing set. i had to do an audio double take - playing Ariana Grande at the rave? a bold choice indeed, but a fantastic one - one that has apparently still stayed a staple in his track lists, as well as making its way into Porter Robinson’s.

Look How Hard I’m Into You is a mashup by Los Angeles DJ séverine, layering the vocals of Ariana Grande’s 2016 smash hit Into You over the hypnotic ambient techno of Look How Hard I’ve Tried, courtesy of Berghain resident Barker. truly a best of both worlds mashup, uniting pop with the underground - and one that is worthy of the dance floor in subject matter and spirit.

FRESH: events and happenings

• speaking of Printworks (we miss you already) - Drumsheds London (created by the same management team behind Printworks) have just announced their AW23 opening lineup of shows, and you can’t go wrong even if you took a random pick without looking! in particular, please teleport our soul to that (Cassius) b2b DJ Falcon set on October 21st.

• legendary electronic music festival Tomorrowland has been broadcasting their festivities live from Belgium this past week on their One World TV and Radio streams! we’ve managed to catch a good few sets - the Freedom stage takeover by the Afterlife regulars was absolutely fantastic, and so were the aerial bird performers high in the sky during the opening ceremony over on main stage. (edit: the highlights of Weekend 2 so far have been that throwback Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso singalong set, and Adam Beyer & Maceo Plex for the quality techno!)

FRESH: film + design

Barbenheimer Girl Summer

we couldn’t leave you this week without indulging in the biggest hype phenomenon this summer! as of time of writing, we’ve not yet seen either Barbie nor Oppenheimer in theatres yet, so we’re still steering way clear of major spoilers…

for the meantime, enjoy this wonderful special edition of Architectural Digest house tours: where Barbie herself, Margot Robbie, guides you on a personal tour of the Barbie film set! it’s an intricately designed and thoughtful work of art - those letters written in child-gibberish inside the Barbie mailbox are such a lovely touch of world-building.

phew, that was a lot of go through! thanks for doing a big catch up with us, and we’ll be in touch soon - very likely with our next GUESTFRESH!

if you enjoyed this issue and would love even more FRESH in your inbox, click right here to upgrade your subscription to a paid one today - we appreciate your consideration dearly!

love girl summer,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• how does the writing or creating process feel for you?

• how have you dealt with creative burnout in the past?

• will you be joining us for Gym Girl Summer? (all genders are welcome!)

• what is one track you will always remember hearing live at a show?

• extra credit: show us your best Barbenheimer double showing outfits!!

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

hello again dear FRESHers, it’s been a while and we’ve missed you all! it’s not our regular Sunday yet, but we wanted to send you an update mid-week anyhow.

as we mentioned last issue, it indeed turned out to be a jam-packed April: after attending Creamfields, i headed straight to London for two weeks, then to Paris for a week. we’re now back at FRESH HQ’s homebase in Hong Kong, ready to kick back into speedwriting gear as we’ll be setting off once again next week! our publishing schedule may be irregular for the next month or two - please do bear with, and know that we’ll be back as soon as we can.

let’s start with housekeeping updates: in terms of recaps, we’ll be aiming to split coverage of the London and Paris adventures into two separate issues coming up, to have enough room to dedicate to all the things we want to share! this issue, we’ll catch up on Creamfields and other wider happenings the last few weeks.

FRESH: self

Rest, Recovery, Crashing and Burning

since coming back from the trip, my sleep schedule has been quite off-kilter for the past week or two. i wish i could say it was just jet lag, but i don’t reckon it is. usually i handle jet lag like a pro and sleep it off in the first day or two, so this feels very unusual for me. perhaps it’s the result of accumulated exhaustion and my body catching up to itself and demanding extended rest, which i know better than to be stubborn and fight against.

an update also from issue 29: my diet nor appetite has fully recovered yet, since the nausea debacle. i’m still way more sensitive to dairy foods than i used to be, and try to steer clear of them as much as possible. my overall food intake has also stayed reduced, mainly due to feeling hunger less often. i’m lending myself and my digestive system as much grace i can spare, and accepting that what feels best for my body might differ from socially-accepted standards, and what i’ve come to expect as ‘normal’.

FRESH: new music

we have just about 5 weeks of new music to catch up on, we’ll keep it as concise as possible:

Shield - salute

Austrian powerhouse salute is back with a new four-track EP titled Shield - his collaboration with No Rome, Run Away With You, has been one of our most anticipated releases and it does not disappoint! salute’s signature bouncy house grooves prove to be a perfect match for No Rome’s buttery smooth vocals. don’t miss the closing track Feels Like My Hands Are On Fire, a slower downtempo cut fitting for those late nights.

never worry - Snakehips

it’s been a long time coming for Snakehips’ debut album, since their early days and breakout hit All My Friends back in 2015 - but it was worth the wait! never worry is a sonically cohesive body of work that captures the British duo’s R&B-influenced production and summer poolside energy, whilst keeping it interesting with a varied roster of vocal features. notably, Tinashe returns for another iconic collaboration with the duo on the closer track Who’s Gonna Love You Tonight, their first reunion since All My Friends!

more new albums to keep your eardrums occupied:

• Secret Life - Fred again.., Brian Eno

• Arrived Anixous, Left Bored - Flume

• Pure Imagination - moistbreezy

Anjunadeep 14: Live from Qarraba Bay, Malta

keeping with tradition, label heads James and Jody have once again recorded a three hour live mix of Anjunadeep’s annual compilation of new and unreleased tracks, this time on the majestic shores of Malta! Free and Sloane + Sibs are currently firmly stuck in my head.

FRESH: events and happenings

Creamfields Hong Kong

we’ll keep it short and sweet - the highlights were hearing John Summit drop his new single with Hayla, hearing this throwback gem from Above & Beyond, and ticking off some of my 2013 bucket list ten years later by finally seeing Calvin Harris and The Chainsmokers live. tried and tested - any track off 18 Months still sounds as fresh today as they did eleven years ago.

you can find my bootleg setlist from the festival here!

Coachella 2023

proving themselves to be the kings of live music streaming, Coachella unveiled their brand new extended coverage this year, with not just three but six livestreams from each of their different stages!

over on Mainstage on Sunday, Porter Robinson performed his last US Nurture Live shows, with a surprise appearance from fellow musician Madeon to sing their collaboration Shelter - six years on from their 2017 Shelter Live Tour finale on the very same stage. the talented TEED (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) also made an appearance to sing a duet with Porter on their track Unfold.

on Weekend 2, surprise headliners TBA appeared on the lineup to close off Sunday - revealing themselves to be none other than Pangbourne House Mafia themselves: Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred again..! enjoy their full set below:

FRESH: television

Secret Invasion: Official Trailer

arguably, some of Marvel Studios’ finest works to date have been ones keeping a more grounded and serious tone, tackling darker thematic material: think WandaVision’s exploration of Wanda’s grief, Civil War’s legal conflict between Steve and Tony, and of course, The Winter Soldier’s incredibly personal political and moral storyline centered around Steve and Bucky.

Secret Invasion looks to be following in the footsteps of TWS, both in plot and tone - Nick Fury is back from the dead, and on a personal quest to settle a long-standing vendetta. needless to say, this trailer got our anticipation skyrocketing!

Secret Invasion lands on Disney+ June 21st - are you ready?

House of the Dragon

spoilers for the show ahead!

i procrastinated for a good nine months or so, but i finally sat down to marathon the whole season of House of the Dragon recently and was oh-so pleasantly surprised - the same way i was about Rings of Power. HOTD pulls off the seemingly impossible: a reverential return to Westeros with the same level of world-building and production quality, that quickly gets you invested in a whole roster of completely new (to screen) characters.

where Game of Thrones felt all over the place at times by necessity of needing to cover so many different storylines, HOTD thrives by focusing its narrative onto a handful of key family members of the Targaryen dynasty, two centuries before the infamous Daenerys was born. instead of feeling like a sprawling war epic like GOT, HOTD reads more as a family drama with castles and dragons - it’s refreshing to have a zoomed-in take like HOTD within the vast Westeros universe. (the big, sudden time jump halfway through the season is another issue, but we’ll let it slide.)

i emerged from my marathon with a strong affinity for (pre-time jump) Rhaenyra, Criston and surprisingly, Daemon (probably because of Matt Smith). indeed, it is exhausting always rooting for the anti-heroes.

that said, it is gratifying to see these three characters in particular champion a stronger (yet still flawed) sense of agency over one’s intimate affairs, in contrast to the loveless, arranged marriages and one-sided eloping that has been the norm in not just Westeros, but a lot of television and film.

there is something to be said about our collective gravitation towards and fascination about forbidden love, and wanting what we can’t or shouldn’t have. these three certainly tick those forbidden boxes: incest, grooming and vows of chastity, to name just a few. maybe a topic for a future FRESH issue.

here’s the trailer from last July, if you need more to wet your appetite before diving in!

FRESH: design

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau’s Hidden Los Angeles Home

fresh off my HOTD marathon, i went back to skim through some old Game of Thrones episodes and reignited my love for Brienne of Tarth and Jaime Lannister’s road trip through Westeros in Seasons 2 to 3. in the spirit, here is Jamie Lannister himself, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, doing a show-and-tell of his Scandanavian-inspired LA home complete with resident Brienne of Tarth plushie doll.

FRESH: bling

our STARLIGHTER necklace was recently featured on Delightfultack! she’s made primarily of star-shaped and baroque pearls, and adorned with plenty of delicate faux gems.

i loved this piece so much after creating it that i kept it for myself - we’re open for custom requests in this style, so shoot us a message below!

come say hi @blingbywing

big ups to you, for sticking through this jam-packed issue! we’ll be aiming to craft our write-ups of London and Paris soon, and get those out to you hopefully in the next few weeks. until then, take care of yourselves!

love and dragons,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• how have you been taking care of your physical and psychological energy levels lately?

• what upcoming summer releases are you excited for?

• what are your thoughts on forbidden romance?

• who did you root for in Game of Thrones, and why?

buy wing a coffee

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

welcome back to the FRESH Friday edition, it’s time for another GUESTFRESH!

this GUESTFRESH, we have Justin Andersun in the driver’s seat for a personal and reflective edition, both written and illustrated by himself. take it away, Justin!

Justin writes and draws about creativity and slow productivity in his newsletter, Turtle’s Pace. When he’s not working, he’s rock climbing, skiing, or wandering through the Cascades. You can occasionally find him on Twitter and Instagram.

FRESH: self

I once read that “rituals are habits with a soul.” This subtle vocabulary change implies that when we choose to do something each day, we engage in an almost ethereal practice, which was alluring to me. It’s funny how a Thesaurus exchange can be so profound.

Less eloquently, I’ve come to think of my habits—err, rituals—as a “Six-Pack of Sanity.” Ever since the lockdown of 2020, I’ve been practicing six daily rituals that have helped me feel calm, collected, and—dare I say—sane. These six things have evolved to align with my values and unlock long-term objectives, but they are tractable enough to complete almost daily.

Let’s crack open this six-pack.

Journal

Each day, I handwrite one page in my journal. Although I’m not overly aesthetic, I care a lot about the specifics of this ritual because the quality surrounding it seems to influence the energy with which I approach the practice. I have a leather cover that fits around a 3.5” x 5.5” cahier notebook and a 0.5mm Japanese gel pen. The thin, dark ink lets me write small and neatly on the ruled pages. I can write anything I want, but I must fill a whole page and only one page. I’m an external processor, so this ten-minute practice forces me to externalize my thoughts and quiet a naturally ruminating mind.

Language

Each day, I complete one Duolingo lesson in a non-English language. For most of my 600-day streak, I’ve focused on Spanish, but I’ve also had stints of (trying) to learn Hungarian to better relate to my coworkers in Budapest. Although app-based language learning is nowhere near as effective as in-person conversation, this daily ritual reminds me that most of the world speaks a different tongue than me and that their worldview is valid and interesting. It’s a daily exercise in forcing me to think beyond what is natural and be open to learning from others.

Exercise

Each day, I get at least thirty minutes of physical activity. While this might often be more—an hour-long bike ride or half-day hike—setting an achievable bar for each day ensures that physical fitness remains a cornerstone of my life. A simple bodyweight workout between meetings or a night walk can reinvigorate me.

Reading

Each day, I aim to spend thirty minutes reading a book. While I sometimes struggle with this, setting a timed reading habit can get me away from a screen and focus my mind on something with quiet stimulation. The slowness of reading words on paper (or an e-reader) is calming and plants ideas in my head when doom-scrolling-induced anxiety would otherwise overrun it.

Writing

Each day, I write 500 words. Somedays, it’s more, but it’s usually possible to write 500 words in a half hour. Since many of my endeavors—fiction, newsletters, product strategy—involve writing, carving out time can help me commit to daily practice. Even on busy days, I can usually squeeze out 500 words.

Friends

Each day, I have one meaningful interaction with a friend—a thoughtful text, email, phone call, or in-person time. These friends may be family, long-time pals, or new acquaintances. While I can have a good time with coworkers or other business contacts, this doesn’t count as “friend time” because the foundation for the relationship is founded on motives other than friendship. It’s too easy to lose ourselves in work and romantic relationships at the cost of our friends and family.

I love these six rituals because they scratch my innate, completionist desire. Each day can feel like a success, even if I accomplish nothing other than these six things. While I can complete this Six-Pack almost every day, I give myself a little slack with a concept I call the “Random Sabbath.” Like the religious tradition of reserving one day for “rest,” I adopted this practice for my rituals to have one “slip” per week. For instance, if I am behind on sleep on Thursday, I can forgo my reading and writing rituals and go to bed early.

This six-by-six framework might not seem like much, but I’ve been impressed by the significant progress it can yield over time. For instance, I’m more self-aware each year from journaling, have more quality relationships from daily friend efforts, can converse with locals in Mexico in Spanish, and have published dozens of articles each year from daily writing.

What’s in your Six-Pack of Sanity?

FRESH: positivity

I started attending this writing workshop on Saturday mornings, which has been a lovely way to meet other writers. A generous woman opens her home to 15 strangers on rainy Saturday mornings in West Seattle, and we all bring a dish to pass as we contemplate a prompt to kickstart our writing. We then scatter to various corners of the woman’s home—her basement, breakfast nook, office, even a spare bedroom—and write for forty minutes to two hours. Then we came back as small groups to read what we wrote.

This is where things get interesting. I’ve attended my fair share of writing workshops over the years in all corners of the country, and most of them have followed a tried-and-true formula: The writer shuts up and takes the punches of criticism on her work. But this workshop follows the “Amherst Style” critique method. After someone reads, you can only share positive feedback on their work. I was skeptical of this method at first because it felt too fluffy on the surface—how could we improve if we’re not getting critical feedback?

I was delighted at the outcome when I put aside my skepticism and leaned into the process. Genuinely creative stories emerged from my head when I wasn’t afraid of judgment. I returned to ideas I had long ago suppressed due to fear of rejection or a belief that I couldn’t “make them work.” But here, in this supportive and positive community, I was writing more exciting work.

We’re all our own worst critics—we don’t need the world to validate those negative thoughts. Positive feedback is more productive for writing (and creative work in general) because it gets us to do the job without fear. We don’t feel the need to “improve,” only to express what we’re trying to convey. Art frees our minds and allows us to create what wants to emerge—if we give it a chance.

thank you so much Justin for sharing your thoughts with us! seeing your rituals outlined so clearly makes me reflect on what mine are, and how i could work on fine-tuning them - my journaling and exercising could be more consistent for sure, and i share the desire for meaningful interactions with friends everyday. it’s also wonderful to see creativity be able to flourish in safe spaces, where left-field ideas are embraced instead of met with criticism and rejection.

if you’d like to read more from Justin and myself, here’s another collaboration piece we wrote earlier on Justin’s publication, in case you missed it!

Turtle's Pace

Po

People hate arguments. Emotions flare up, and relationships get strained, so our lizard brains tell us a simple story: Agreement is good, and disagreement is bad. Yet, this binary thinking spawns the negative connotations around arguments in the first place…

Read more

3 years ago · 7 likes · 7 comments · Justin Andersun and wing

more GUESTFRESHes are in the pipeline so stay tuned, and drop us a line if you’d like to see your writing featured here too, the more the merrier!

rituals of love,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what’s in your Six-Pack of Sanity?

• what existing habits are you interested in turning into rituals?

• what recent experiences or interactions have given you positive feedback or affirmation?

buy wing a coffee

ways to help turkey and syria

help east palestine

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

hey FRESHers, congratulations on surviving April Fools - we’ve cooked up a special Sunday edition today for you! there were a handful of Youtube videos that didn’t make it into previous issues, that collected into more… so we thought we’d feature them all in one issue, subscription feed style. take a peep and watch to your heart’s content! they’re sorted into categories for ease of viewing, per usual FRESH layout.

we mentioned a busy April coming up - i’ll be at Creamfields this weekend, then FRESH HQ will be mobile and on the road for most of the rest of April. Sunday issues may or may not be taking a few weeks hiatus, depending on my upcoming schedule. to tide you over, we’ve got a GUESTFRESH scheduled for this coming Friday with Justin Andersun from , so keep an eye out for that!

we’re also officially out of our twenties and to our thirties! what are the chances we’ll settle down, start a family, and find the one?

FRESH: lifestyle

Using Your Nice Things with Rajiv Surendra

remember Kevin G’s rap solo from Mean Girls? fast forward nearly two decades later, the real Kevin G himself, Rajiv Surendra, has 1) stepped away from acting, 2) become a Renaissance Man of many skills, and 3) started his own lifestyle Youtube channel earlier this year about said skills. talk about unique life paths!

in this above video, Rajiv details reasons to use your most prized (whether expensive or sentimental) possessions as much as possible, instead of saving them only for special occasions. using his own used and loved items for show and tell, he explains how his custom 3-piece tweed suit gets more flattering with each wear, using his leather bag as a makeshift journal of places he has travelled to, and how wearing holes in handmade tea towels gifted to him by a dear friend makes them even more special.

if you enjoyed that, also check out Rajiv’s NYC apartment tour below - it’s fully Marie Kondo’ed, exquisitely curated and filled with special objects.

FRESH: design

NTS Renters: Cat Lover’s Plant Filled DIY Apartment, Buenos Aires

this 301sqft Buenos Aires apartment looks much more expansive than it actually is, thanks to its open floor plan and light-colored furnishings. it hosts an Architect, three cats and many, many plants! the shining gem of this humble abode is its outdoor spaces; not only does it have a sunny front balcony, but also a back patio that leads up to a whole rooftop space! what a wonderful place to live.

Inside Debby Ryan & Josh Dun’s Fascinating Ohio Home

i may have been living under a rock, for i had no idea that Disney princess Debby Ryan and Twenty One Pilots’ Josh Dun have been together for the better part of a decade, and are now engaged! AD’s tour of their Ohio home takes you through their custom painted murals, boxing ring, Dude Cave, recording studio, cinema suite, outdoor ice bath and more. i could not agree more with this comment on the video:

Architect Walks SoHo NYC, Exploring Its Distinctive Style

Architect Nick Potts takes you on a walking tour of NYC’s SoHo, a beloved area of mine. it’s fascinating to know what builders and architects were able to craft from cast-iron, and how the material influenced later builds in different materials, like steel and glass.

FRESH: style

Everything Creed’s Tessa Thompson Wears In a Week

this series of Vogue’s never misses - this go around it’s Tessa Thompson in the hot seat with her fabulous style! props to her for keeping it real and changing shoes multiple times during the video to pair with an outfit, the way we all would when figuring out how to style a look. that LA/NYC look on Sunday is chef’s kiss especially with the harness, and the classic all-black Tessa look on Thursday is just so fun.

i’m off to continue throwing things into my suitcase - hopefully we’ll be in touch over the rest of the month, if not we’ll see you in May with lots and lots of updates and recaps! have the loveliest of Spring seasons ahead.

love and other nice things,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• did you get April Fooled this year?

• do you have a habit of using your precious items? which ones are your favorite to use and why?

• what’s been on your Youtube watch history lately?

buy wing a coffee

ways to help turkey and syria

help east palestine

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

hello from FRESH HQ, reporting once again from the weekly Sunday speedwriting session in bed - this week, it’s menstrual cramps that are thoroughly kicking my butt. March has been hitting me hard and fast with a whole spectrum of physical ailments, perhaps a not-so gentle reminder for me to really put effort and intention into properly resting my body. which brings us into our main theme this issue:

FRESH: self + health

Reflections on an Unintentional Three Day Fast (Almost)

(TW: nausea, throwing up)

a couple days ago, i woke up with some of the worst nausea i have ever experienced to date. that went onto throwing up my breakfast, then passing out on and off for a good 24 hours from exhaustion. i had zero appetite, and didn’t force myself to eat or drink out of fear i’d throw it back up again. a day or two later, the nausea has thankfully passed, yet my stomach remains incredibly sensitive to anything and my appetite hasn’t quite made a return yet. thus came about my first unintentional, almost-fast in a long time.

i’ve had the idea of fasting in my mind for some time, yet didn’t have a good enough reason to, or talked myself out of it by doubting whether i could actually go through with it. plus, who was i to ignore my body’s signals telling me to eat?

this time, i think my body decided it was time and chose to do it on my behalf, which made the process much smoother even though it was ‘forced’. i listened to my stomach telling me “no”, and the mental side of things could not argue with that, despite all the arguments of being dehydrated, malnourished… i actually haven’t felt either of those sensations in the past few days. i feel more in tune with my physical self than i have for a long time, and operating in tandem with it instead of resisting or protesting against it.

it’s quite a simple formula: when i feel hunger, i eat or drink; when i don’t, i let my system rest. it’s been a paradigm shift to see the physical, lived evidence that i don’t need 8 cups of water a day, or a complete diet that hits all the nutritional requirements of however many milligrams of iron or protein per day. i think it’s easing a lot of fear i didn’t realize i held about not ‘properly’ fueling my system, according to societal constructs and not my body’s own gauge. it comes down to trust, of trusting yourself to know best what you need at any point, regardless of what research or anyone else says.

a quick Google search put me onto the B.R.A.T diet for sensitive stomachs: bananas, rice, apples and toast - my version of that which my digestive system can currently tolerate is a couple spoonfuls of plain congee, mini Japanese rice crackers, a fresh apple, sliced wholemeal bread, plus kids-sized juice boxes and a sip or two of water or ginger tea here and there. it’s the least i’ve ever eaten over three days in a ridiculously long time, and i surprisingly feel very okay about it, both physically and mentally. (for context, i usually eat a good 4-5 small meals a day as i have lightning-quick metabolism.)

an extra side bonus i’ve had from resting so much is a heightened meditative state - closing my eyes and lying down yet staying conscious has amplified sounds around me and made them feel as vivid as seeing colors. my mental space has, for the most part, remained blissfully free of negative self-talk, and becomes a more peaceful place to be the more i rest.

i’m still not sure what caused the initial nausea; perhaps PMS, a bad sandwich or the lingerings of my flu symptoms - but i don’t think that is what’s ultimately important, nor something i care to figure out. the main takeaway has been the experience of life with minimal food and drink, and it’s not such a bad one after all.

FRESH: events and happenings

another exciting collaboration in the books - this is a piece on Justin's wonderful publicationthat we co-wrote together, centered around a few fun creativity 'workout' exercises! click through for great insights from Justin about divergent thinking, snippets of both our inner worlds and lots of circles:

Turtle's Pace

Po

People hate arguments. Emotions flare up, and relationships get strained, so our lizard brains tell us a simple story: Agreement is good, and disagreement is bad. Yet, this binary thinking spawns the negative connotations around arguments in the first place…

Read more

3 years ago · 7 likes · 7 comments · Justin Andersun and wing

one takeaway that came from the discussion was Justin’s idea of doing a bling by wing centric issue of FRESH, doing a deep dive into the brand, its values and aesthetics. that is in the brainstorming pipeline for sure, so stay tuned for that - plus a GUESTFRESH from Justin himself here soon!

FRESH: new music

Fantasy - M83

we promised you the album writeup last issue, and here it is - Fantasy is Frenchman M83’s latest album offering since 2019’s DSVII.

it’s quite a shame that the anticipation and release of this album was soured just this week by interviews and statements from Anthony Gonzalez himself; essentially throwing shade on the general EDM scene for musically appropriating his viral 2011 track Midnight City without Gonzalez’s express permission first, and calling DJs who only do so-called button-pressing “disrespectful and gross”.

Gonzalez brings up a complex situation in modern music culture, and the wider creative scene - what happens when a creation you put out into the world gets received as something completely different from what you intended it to be? from his statements, it seems like he never intended for Midnight City to be an international smash-hit on every EDM DJ’s thumb drive, and only as a personal expression of emotion. from this angle, every creative can empathize with the frustrating notion of not having your art be fully understood by an audience, or even misinterpreted and misused in this case, and losing agency over your creation.

that said, the situation still doesn’t warrant Gonzalez’s blatant hate and shunning of the entire culture of EDM, one that he doesn’t seem to understand the nuance and diversity of. yes, there are DJs who do just press buttons and make prerecorded sets, yet there are so many more who don’t, are incredibly skilled and truly respect it as the art form that it is. reducing an art form to the outliers and its stereotypes is a disrespect in itself, and isn’t something i expected of Gonzalez as a musician and artist himself. this closed-minded perspective from Gonzalez is making it difficult to appreciate Fantasy as the wonderful body of work it is, knowing that its creator openly hates something that i still love.

taking all cultural context out for a second: Amnesia, Deceiver and Sunny Boy truly are beautiful tracks that harken back to the whimsical sounds of Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming and Saturdays = Youth.

• also don’t miss Eprom’s fantastic new single, Untitled Emotional Acid - exactly as advertised on the label.

FRESH: live sets

Madeon Live at Coachella 2015

let’s wind it back to April 2015 for a minute - Madeon’s debut album Adventure has just been released, and he’s brought the Adventure Live show to Indio for his debut Coachella set at the ripe old age of 20! i vividly remember this being the perhaps the first Coachella i intentionally sat down to watch the livestream of, one of the main reasons being this set. seeing one of my already favorite albums come to life and reimagined was priceless, and at Coachella nonetheless.

to my despair, there had been no video recording of the livestream for years - up until recently, this video popped up out of nowhere on Youtube! rewatching this for the first time in eight years was so surreal, as i had quite resigned to never seeing footage from this livestream ever again. perhaps i’ll save the next rewatch for another eight years time!

• DJ NOT PORTER ROBINSON made a surprise appearance at Mogra’s Music Unity event last night at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport of all places - keep your ears peeled for that Beings (Porter Robinson Shelter Live Edit) in the middle of the set!

FRESH: bling

the IRIDESCENT WATERFALL: MYSTIC TOPAZ necklace

hurray, a new restock of necklaces! this baby is a special reimagination of our classic IRIDESCENT WATERFALL wire-braided design, woven through chunky silver chain. i have lovingly dubbed this one the Nerds Rope necklace in my head, and i think it shall stay that way.

adopt her here

thank you for spending a little of your time here today with me! i’m back off to rest and recuperate, especially for a very exciting April ahead… more news on that later!

love and congee spoonfuls,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what has your experience been like with fasting?

• is anything particularly sparking your creativity this week?

• where do you stand on the art vs artist dilemma? can we fully separate the two? does art belong to the public community once it is out in the world? how much weight should we put on the artist’s original intention, versus our personal response and interpretation as a viewer?

• what is your most vivid livestream memory?

buy wing a coffee

ways to help turkey and syria

help east palestine

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

it’s FRESH’s first birthday on Monday the 20th! let’s make this one a bit of a celebration issue shall we.

first off, let’s cut some cake - take a slice for you and your neighbors, plenty to go round!

we’d like to thank each of you for being part of FRESH, for reading and supporting us. you’re a big part of the reason FRESH is still here and running - knowing it’s loved and appreciated by you as much as i do gives me the drive to show up every Sunday, regardless of how tired i am or how terrible of a mood i’m in.

when i started FRESH a year ago, i felt like i jumped into the deep end of the pool and got in way over my head. i felt imposter syndrome kicking in - what was i doing amongst all these other established and skilled writers at their craft? the more i wrote the more i felt comfortable and validated as a writer, proving to myself each issue that i indeed could put in the effort and produce work that i’m proud to have my name on as writer of.

earlier this week, i interviewed for a writer position at an established global publication - something i never thought i’d have under my belt, or even be considered for. though i won’t be pursuing that particular position going forward, just getting my foot in the door felt so surreal, and felt like hitting a major milestone in my writing journey that i didn’t know i needed.

another big thank you to all our GUESTFRESH collaborators and writers over the past year for putting their own spin on FRESH:

- issue 03

Rachel Davidson - issue 11

Sophia Tan - issue 13

Thomas Plaatsman - GUESTFRESH: Cultural Reads

if you’d like to send FRESH a birthday present this year, do consider upgrading your subscription to a paid one here, for the price of a coffee each month.

alternatively, grab your friends in on this and gift them a subscription to FRESH to share the love around!

Give a gift subscription

also a small belated housekeeping update: daylight savings has once again been upon us, and our posting schedule has shifted an hour forward to 9am EST on Sundays! for all of you not in daylight savings countries (eg. Asia), timing remains the same as usual.

FRESH: new music

Mike (desert island duvet) - Fred again.., The Streets, Dermot Kennedy

this one has been a long time in the making! Mike (desert island duvet) is the honorary part two song to Berwyn (all that i got is you), off Fred Again’s latest album Actual Life 3. during the writing process, Berwyn originally had more verses and more lyrics, which weren’t used in the final song, and got saved to be vocally reimagined by iconic British vocalist Mike Skinner of The Streets for this version! the result is a more upbeat, soul-healing continuation to the heavy emotional weight of Berwyn, and makes for wonderfully satisfying listening back to back. Mike quite deserves a track 5.5 spot in Actual Life 3’s track list, right between Berwyn and Bleu (better with time) - if anyone’s already made or come across an edited track list version, please do link it in the comments!

• in other Fred Again.. news, his first collaboration track with Skrillex and Four Tet (aka Pangbourne House Mafia), Baby Again, is finally out on all platforms! here’s a 1 hour loop of the track being played at Madison Square Garden last month, posted by Fred himself if you still can’t get this earworm out of your head.

• Phoenix have teamed up with Clairo for a lovely duet reimagining of their track After Midnight, taken off their latest album Alpha Zulu. lead vocalist Thomas Mars and Clairo’s voices unexpectedly complement each other so well, and the two-by-two lyric distribution between them both makes for a fun call-and-response take on the original.

With Love From - Aly & AJ

With Love From marks Aly & AJ’s third album of the decade, and perhaps the most refined, confident one in terms of its sound and direction. the ladies have had some time to experiment following their post-pandemic comeback and rebrand as an independent indie-folk-pop duo, and the results really show on this LP. the album is incredibly cohesive as a body of work both sonically and thematically, and hits its mark as a nostalgia-full yet hopeful, melancholy reminiscing of memories with a past lover, and contemplating the possibility of a future rekindling.

the album’s lead single With Love From is perhaps one of the duo’s best work to date; also don’t miss Open to Something and That Something Is You, Blue Dress and Talking in My Sleep.

(saving the full M83 album write-up for next issue!)

FRESH: live sets

• CRi is back with another fantastic mix for The Anjunadeep Edition, featuring a number of his latest releases, IDs, and the wonderful So Afraid by Amtrac and Alex Metric!

• here’s a juicy, new hard-hitting live ID from Madeon, taken from his latest DJ set at Atlanta’s District.

FRESH: film

and myself have been screaming quite vocally on our respective publications about EEAAO’s Oscar nominations - thankfully, we’re on the right timeline where it did end up winning most of its categories! (Stephanie Hsu deserved one for Joy for sure - her next nomination has to be a win now.)

thank you FRESHers for celebrating with us this issue! onto year two now, shall we?

With Love From,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what have been your favorite FRESH memories over the past year?

• got a favorite ‘part two’ track to a song to share?

• any post-Oscars thoughts?

buy wing a coffee

ways to help turkey and syria

help east palestine

head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!

hey FREShers - i’ve been dealing with a particularly nasty flu this past week and have been under the weather for most of it, so i’ll do my best to make this issue work! once again, writing this tucked up in bed to give my body some extra rest.

FRESH: tech + music

Po-uta’s Humansongs

for long time listeners of Porter Robinson, especially for enthusiasts of the Vocaloid-heavy Worlds - this news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise! earlier in the week, Porter announced that he had immortalized his voice as an official Vocaloid voicebank for YAMAHA in the style of his most recent album Nurture, a Vocaloid aptly named Po-uta.

the deeply intriguing part of this announcement stems from the demo track that Porter produced using his own Vocaloid - Humansongs, and his accompanying interview explaining his thought process behind its creation:

Q2: What are your thoughts or hope on the demo song?

I want people to contemplate the future of AI, and to feel a bit of grief and sadness for all of the confusion and ethical dilemmas that will emerge in the age of AI. It's a story about an artificial mind, Po-UTA, who looks up to me, Porter, as a father figure. But because I'm mortal and he's not, he's separated from me for all eternity, and comes to terms with the grief that ensues. It's a story about a child grieving its parent. Of course, it's looking at AI through the lens of human emotions, so I don't know if it's realistic, but after all it's art that's meant to resonate with humans.

first off, it takes balls to write a song this meta about the very thing it utilizes. the ethical Pandora’s Box that AI has inevitably already opened (with technology like ChatGPT) is something that has been on my mind for some time now, and it’s great to see it be explicitly acknowledged and explored in a creative context this way.

writing the song from AI/Vocaloid Po-uta’s perspective is a fresh spin that allows listeners to humanize and empathize with the technological offspring we create. in the final verses of Humansongs, Po-uta laments, “so now i’ll sing for you til i can’t talk / i’ve been teaching myself to cry so that you know how much you’re loved”. living, learning, having emotions and making art are core pillars of the human experience - if our AI offspring can eventually do the same, we really should consider treating them with the same gravitas and consideration that we do with our human ones, and keep in mind the ethical boundaries we may be blurring or crossing.

FRESH: new music

Bad Lover (DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ Remix) - Small Black

this year is shaping up to be one full of DJSTTDJ goodness! we covered DJSTTDJ’s earlier single Brave back in issue 21, and we’re back again with her dual remix package of Small Black’s 2010 indie classics, Bad Lover and Despicable Dogs.

the best remixes retain the spirit of the original track whilst transforming it into completely new sonic territory, and this one of Bad Lover happens to do just that. it may very well become my go-to version of the track now, the way i’ve considered Washed Out’s remix of Despicable Dogs the ‘original’ version of the track in my mind for over a decade now. an absolute indie electronica classic that sounds as fresh as it did thirteen years ago.

here’s a fun recent interview in The Guardian with the still-anonymous DJSTTDJ, detailing a little of her creative origins and musical inspirations (some being lo-fi house legends Ross from Friends and DJ Seinfeld!)

listen to this new release and more on our dedicated FRESH 2023 playlist!

FRESH: live sets

Clockenflap 2023

we promised you a writeup of Clockenflap this year, and we shan’t disappoint! let’s start with first impressions - apart from a longer-than-usual queue time on Friday where all ticket holders needed to acquire their wristbands, Clockenflap was a well pre-organized festival. practical venue layout, impeccable artist selection, fantastic stage design, water refills all weekend long, plenty of places to lounge out, great food despite the lines.

the biggest surprise perhaps was the main stage on Friday - just look at how many people managed to pack into that space! i’ve been to many a festival and have never felt more like a sardine in a crowd than i did at this point; there was literally no space to walk even on the very fringes of the crowd, and no crowd control happening. maybe everyone was just super excited for Clockenflap’s sold-out return or having Friday fever, either way this could’ve been a recipe for crowd disaster and i’m very glad we all made it out okay.

some highlights from the weekend:

• seeing my favorites Phoenix rocking in my hometown for the first time, and hearing some big discography throwbacks to their first album - namely, Too Young and If I Ever Feel Better.

• getting the rave on with exceptional electronic music at the Electriq and Robot stages. Dee Montero and Serum were absolutely fantastic.

• catching the elusive Birdman animatronics performances! white-clad performers on towering stilts would perform a ritualistic bird dance, before roaming around the grounds inquisitively - one time, it started playfully pecking a little girl on her dad’s shoulders with its beak for fun!

as always, i do my best with set-listing here. Clockenflap has already announced its return later this year from December 1st to 3rd - maybe i’ll see you there!

FRESH: film

Ghosted

alright alright, this film is already as cheesy as it looks and sounds, but that’s what it’s meant to be, no? the Chris Evans and Ana de Armas action rom-com is finally here, after their previous team-ups on 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s The Gray Man. Ghosted features Evans’ as the lovelorn sidekick following de Armas to London, after she ghosts (ha) him after their night of hooking up - upon which he discovers she’s in fact, a CIA agent. touché!

i’ll only be watching this for pure comedic value, and to see what these two can cook up on a piece of their own. maybe also to see Evans in a “boyfriend” role again, instead of as Avenger-Superhero-Captain-America, and to see some ladies kicking butt and saving the day.

FRESH: bling

the original IRIDESCENT WATERFALL necklace has been spotted on the socials of the wonderful magazine publication Canto Cutie, after being featured in Volume 5!

more bling pieces are in the making pipeline - just have to physically recover and get them finished, photographed and up on the site!

this couple hours of focused speedwriting every Sunday late afternoon is perhaps working and developing into a workable routine… will see if i can fit in writing at other points during the week, but for now this makes a lot of sense.

teaching myself to cry so that you know how much you’re loved,

wing

alright, over to you now - hit up the comments section, or reply to this email with your thoughts! if you enjoy a little prompting:

• what are your thoughts on the dilemmas around AI?

• what do you, or don’t you use AI for? why?

• which remix do you prefer over the original? which original do you reckon needs no remixes, as it is already perfect?

• which have been your best and worst festival experiences?

• which are your go-to cheesy rom-coms?

buy wing a coffee

ways to help turkey and syria

help east palestine

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