Friends, family, and leerers, welcome to my second ever newsletter! Okay, diving in ~
Been thinking a lot about routines as of late. I think due to the late and irregular hours of my work schedule I’ve been feeling a bit unmoored lately, knocked around a little every day whether or not I’ve had a full plate in front of me. If you’ve been around me during the last several weeks, I’ve probably mentioned that I’m aiming to become a regular at more places, thinking this could be an antidote. Joel's weekend shift at Time. XTIAN's Monday evening shift at Bex. Pat's Tuesday night shift at Ramona (though it's so hard to get to). Harri’s DJ night at Home Sweet Home.
That’s why it struck me to come across this short essay by Brianna Wiest called “The Psychology of Daily Routine.” In short, well, I just excerpt three points ~
Most things that bring us genuine happiness are not just temporary, immediate gratifications, and those things also come with resistance and require sacrifice. Yet there is a way to nullify the feeling of “sacrifice” when you integrate a task into the “norm” or push through resistance with regulation.
It would make sense to assume that moods are created from thoughts or stressors, things that crop up during the day and knock us off-kilter. This isn't so. Psychologist Robert Thayer argues that moods are created by our habitualness: how much we sleep, how frequently we move, what we think, how often we think it, and so on. The point is that it's not one thought that throws us into a tizzy: It's the pattern of continually experiencing that thought that compounds its effects and makes it seem valid.
When you regulate your daily actions, you deactivate your “fight or flight instincts” because you’re no longer confronting the unknown.
As your body self-regulates, routine becomes the pathway to “flow.”
During the glory days of the pandemic (I’m not ashamed of my nostalgia) I had a morning routine down pat. I’d ground some coffee beans for a pour-over, put on some “morning jazz,” break off some pieces of dark chocolate, journal, do a KenKen or two, and read. The slowness and regularity of my mornings left me feeling solid for the day ahead. My days weren’t demanding so much of me, but still—what happened to my beloved mornings? I think maybe what happened is I fucked up my stomach a little starting each morning with coffee and chocolate.
Anyway, since reading the essay I’ve been working a bit harder to wake up at the same time every day, write at the same time, eat at the same blah, blah blah at the same blah blah blah. It’s so simple and yet! I feel good.
Last week shot the cover for my new album with Logan, Coco, and Kelsea—superstar team. Shot at several locations around town, ended the day with me fully immersed in the sultry silty Prospect Park lake. Occasionally a fish would flap up against me and in turn, I would flap out of the water screaming. It’s possible I have contracted an undiscovered infectious disease from the lake’s mysterious waters, but no one can say that I’m not committed ;)
Molly got a bunny on Craigslist, and maybe a week later learned the bunny was pregnant. This has nothing to do with me but I’ve been looking at the baby bunny pictures a lot and sharing them with whoever I happen to be having dinner with on any given night.
Finished mixing the album with Steve V earlier today. Hard to express how good that feels. It’s funny to listen through to the whole thing, which finally sounds like a real-ass album, and think of all that’s gone into it ~ time, effort, forgoing a more stable and/or secure lifestyle and/or future. All for something that amounts to not even half an hour of listening. And yet, it feels totally and completely worth it. I’m deeply happy with how it’s come out.
On Tuesday I’ll fly across the Atlantic Ocean for what was meant to be just a straight-up vacation. But of course, couldn’t resist lining up a few shows (my first European shows ever). If you happen to be in PARIS I’ll be playing a show at L’Industrie on September 12th. If you happen to be in LONDON I’ll be playing a low-key set at Star of Kings on September 15th and a not low-key set at The George Tavern on September 17th.
I’ll confess…I…only started planning my trip last night. Paris is solid but I’m looking for a couch to sleep on in London on the 7th-8th and the 13th-17th. If anyone could offer a night or two please holler. Also down for the hang with whoever.
In other news ~*~*~*
Legend Joe Kerwin has a new newsletter going. Been a real treat in my inbox.
You’ve already heard it by this point, but Harrison has got a new project called The Dare, and has finally released the long-awaited sleaze revival banger Girls. Featuring yelling by Shallowhalo and yours truly 💙
Blaketheman1000 has released the first half of Citibike, but he’s keeping the public waiting for the second half until the first half blows up on TikTok. Blake’s playing a free show in LA tomorrow night (tonight?). To clarify, September 3rd. If you’re in LA you don’t wanna miss it.
Love to all,
M
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