issue 11 - girl, put your rose-colored glasses on
issue 11 - girl, put your rose-colored glasses on
Something About Your Love, getting into the flow, working with details and a special GUESTFRESH from Rachel Davidson
your regular scheduled housekeeping updates first:
for the meantime, paid Friday issues will be going on a hiatus - Sunday issues will switch to an ad-hoc basis. paid subscriptions will still be available if you would like to support us!
our paid subscriptions start from USD$5 a month: we’d like to keep writing as accessible as the price of a coffee ☕
you can manage and upgrade your subscription right here - thank you so much for considering a paid subscription, and we appreciate your support.
FRESH: new music
Something About Your Love - SG Lewis
it’s always a good time when there’s new SG Lewis music! when SG posted this snippet on Instagram of Something About Your Love, i knew it would be going straight into my All-Time Favorite Songs Hall Of Fame. this double-sided single (paired with post-breakup banger Missing You) is SG’s first release since his debut album Times early last year. it sounds like the honorary lovechild of Mansionair’s Astronaut (Something About Your Love), the self-titled Deepest Blue and Daft Punk’s Digital Love - it’s SO earwormy in the best way, i’m unable to take it off the repeat button for now.
here’s a little of what SG had to say about the track:
“It’s no secret I’m a massive Daft Punk fan. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever made to a tribute to them. I was listening to Discovery a lot, and there’s a specific technique to it. I chopped up the sample of these seventies keys and drums. It came together easily. Lyrically, It’s a pure confession of admiration for someone.
that Daft Punk inspiration shines through for sure - the interlude at 2:41 will be incredibly familiar sonically, if you too happen to be a Daft Punk enthusiast. thematically, most of SG’s discography revolves around love and romance, and so far that seems to be a strong lyrical thread into this new era and album also. that pure confession of admiration shining through on Something About Your Love is equally apparent in Daft Punk’s Discovery, both perhaps with the innocence and naivety of young love, rose-colored glasses on, sans-inhibitions.
the track does lean a little on the cheesy side, but in today’s day and age of skepticism and jaded views about love, it seems like the perfect time for a burst of unbridled feelings. there also might just be some subtle love-tennis symbolism in that very dramatic, surrealistic tennis court inside an abandoned cathedral for the cover art, featuring SG himself as both tennis players - quite brilliant.
Rush - Glimji, jamesjamesjames
jamesjamesjames is always on our FRESH radar, and his latest offering is a collaboration track with Glimji! Rush is an instant mood-lifter hyperpop tune, served up with a side of manicured nails and a lovely selection of dainty silver rings on the cover art.
Video Games - Ramin Djawadi
God of Dramatic Soundtracks, Ramin Djawadi, is back with his latest orchestral cover of well-known pop songs - this time, it’s Lana Del Rey’s classic Video Games getting the treatment, featured in the ending sequence of Westworld’s first episode of Season 4. entirely fitting for the main story arc of the episode (of which i shall not spoil), and for that cliffhanger reveal at the very end!! after a whole (relatively slow) opening episode of narrative exposition, it’s exciting to see the season pick up pace in these subsequent episodes. (edit: just finished watching Episode 3, had me flip flopping between being giddy with joy seeing those old faces pop up again, and having to pick my jaw up off the floor with those break-neck plot twists!!)
FRESH: music + television
you know we love it here on FRESH when television and film use music well in scenes, especially electronic music - the newest addition to the list is that ending epilogue in the Ms Marvel finale episode, which nearly made me flip my laptop in excitement as it was none other than this very familiar tune!! (not directly mentioning it by name, just in case you haven’t watched the episode!)
i can think of no other theme more perfect to close off the series with, and one that is so perfectly suited for Kamala herself. the nostalgia came flooding back after that scene - i have so many wonderful memories with this song, and now having this moment too to go along with those is just the cherry on the cake.
FRESH: fitness
Let’s Flow
last month i ordered my first set of Poi, light up orbs suspended on a length of rope! i’ve been eyeing flow toys for some time now after seeing people at festivals put on dazzling light shows and thought, why not just bite the bullet and give one a go. (Poi originates from Maori culture and its traditional dances, and was eventually adapted for modern flow arts - here’s a bit of crash course context.)
learning a new physical skill from the ground up has been very humbling, to realize first-hand how difficult the simplest of poi tricks are. that said, it’s also been very rewarding, and given me good reason to stay active and get outside more often. flowing at the beach at sunset is extremely soothing and therapeutic - being barefoot and grounded to the earth makes it effortless to get into a flow state.
FRESH: bling + self
Big Picture, Small Details
these past few months i’ve made more pieces in this style than any other - the IRIDESCENT WATERFALL collection! each piece is created from intricately beaded wire wrapping and requires immense concentration to make - the process has been a learning curve for me, both physically skill-wise and mentally. in the not-so-distant past, i would intentionally avoid using tiny beads as i was used to creating with bigger beads, and would scare myself out of using them from fear of failure, and convincing myself that i wouldn’t thrive creatively from using them. i was very wrong!
i definitely still find small-scale beading more challenging to craft, though it has become more second-nature after lots of practice. mentally, i also still grapple with bouts of imposter syndrome (of which i experience very rarely creatively), feeling like intricate beading “isn’t my style” or “isn’t cut out for me”, but feeling myself improve in skill and seeing positive reception to my works has been slowly changing my mindset about it - so thank you for that! working with the smaller details has allowed me to zoom out to a bigger picture perspective - that in the end i’m only competing with myself, and what matters is giving things a go, even if it terrifies you.
GUESTFRESH: rachel
this issue we are joined by Rachel Davidson, an artist of many mediums with a career rooted in education. Rachel 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. take us away, Rachel!
Thanks again for having me, Wing! Hi everyone 👋🏼 In the last few weeks I’ve enjoyed summer break from work at school; I am letting time pass comfortably, without too much attention to the particular hour or minute. At this point I want to zoom out my perspective by learning new ways of looking at the world, including people with vastly different circumstances and lifestyles. I’m delighted to share some things which deliver that ~fresh~ light and energy.
FRESH: ideas
If you haven’t heard of Rob Henderson yet, I’m sure you will soon; he’s an up-and-coming name in psychology, with an unusual background. After growing up in foster homes and enlisting in the Air Force, he went to Yale for undergrad and Cambridge for his PhD. These divergent experiences allow him to approach academia from outside the stereotypical “ivory tower,” and analyze social issues with new perspective.
I appreciate that each of Henderson’s articles succinctly summarizes academic research in an easy-to-read tone, and teaches me something about the human condition. His article on Parasite includes the insight that “Envy is reserved for those who are similar to ourselves” – which seems counterintuitive, but upon reflection I realize is true in my own life. He also devotes several pieces to attractiveness in the dating pool, and finds specific-yet-cool phenomena such as “if a person uses self-deprecating humor… people rate them as more attractive… But only if the person is high-status.” These surprising conclusions keep me glued to my inbox for his next newsletter.
FRESH: psychedelic r&b
Greentea Peng - Your Mind
Speaking of making you think – when I came across Greentea Peng’s video for the COLORS series, I was struck by her thoughtful lyrics. In that song, this UK artist explores a detox from drugs; in Your Mind she tackles anxiety and self-sabotage with an uplifting conclusion. Coming from North American culture where much of mainstream pop seems to highlight (and arguably glorify) hedonistic, overindulgent lifestyles, Greentea Peng uses her music to explore self-improvement and higher, existential questions. I’m drawn to the sound production in this latest single as well, combining psych-rock guitars, orchestral sweeps, and a modern, soulful cadence.
FRESH: reality tv
Old Enough! / はじめてのおつかい
Thought I’d end on something wholesome! If you have Netflix, you can view 20 short episodes of the classic Japanese reality series that follows young children on their first errands. Often between 2 and 4 years old, the children’s young age must shock some viewers. However, I know from living in Japan that much of the country is safe enough for toddlers to walk around by themselves. The small neighborhood businesses are kind and supportive of the children who come through to shop. The cameramen are also there to help if the children stray too far off their given path.
While there is some silliness and forgetfulness, I am impressed at how well a lot of these children remember directions and instructions, and how well they advocate for themselves. They take pride in being able to help their families, and remind me of the fun and joy that can be found in everyday chores.
The series is so adorable and popular that it inspired spinoffs in several Asian countries such as South Korea. If you haven’t seen Old Enough!, I highly recommend warming your heart with an episode or two.
wasn’t that fun - thank you Rachel for being a part of FRESH and sharing your recommendations! as ever, if you’re up for writing a guest feature - simply shoot us a message on Instagram! be well, and we’ll see you for the next issue!
love and thunder,
wing
alright, over to you now! hit up the comments section with your thoughts, or if you enjoy a little prompting:
when do you find yourself putting on rose-colored glasses most often?
what has been your physical activity of choice lately? what do you enjoy most about it?
are you a big picture or small details person? are you both? do you switch between both depending on situations?
what in your life has been giving you that ~fresh~ light and energy?
head over to freshbywing.com to catch up on past issues of FRESH, and find us on instagram!
 | A guest post by
|