An Update to Keep You Posted

A little something to tide you over until my next brain dump

Hey there! I haven’t published any longform posts in a while, so I thought I’d share the latest happenings of my life with you in the meantime.

I caught up with a dear friend in the city last week and we sat by the river, walked around South Bank for a couple hours and he was kind enough to shout us some delightful gyozas for lunch. How good is peach soda?! There’s a tranquil Buddhist pagoda along the esplanade there that I never realised you could enter until I wandered up and took a seat inside.

While I was waiting for my friend, a stranger approached me and gave me a small purple flower that they had found. I gratefully accepted it and she continued on her merry way as if the kind gesture were an everyday occurrence. She happened to be walking past again hours later and stopped for a brief chat. It’s moments like these that give me hope in humanity.

In other news, I now have reading glasses! I went for an eye test because the strain of reading or staring at a screen for too long, both of which are daily rituals of mine, was becoming more frequent. I’m longsighted and have astigmatism in my left eye, but I didn’t wear glasses often enough as a child to correct it. After getting a third opinion, a different optometrist believed that glasses could help, so here I am. And I must say, I don’t hate them.

This has probably been a pretty boring divulgence of my personal life so far, but wait – there’s more! Remember how I made that big announcement about having reignited my passion for making music and collaborating with one of my favourite producers? Well, there have been further developments on that front. I’ve since reached out to another local producer I admire who did a great deal with me – my poor wallet! – on some beats for my next project.

So, you’re the first to know that I’m working on a new EP! I’m currently revising lyrics and tightening flows before I track demo vocals at home, which I’ll most likely begin next week. Once I’m happy with how the songs are sounding, I’ll record the final takes and send them off for mixing and mastering while I sort out a release campaign. If all goes to plan, there should be new Amity out by the end of the year. I’m going back to my roots for this one.

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On that note, I thought that I’d share with you what I’ve been reading, watching and listening to lately. Since I no longer publish my Monthly Muses, hopefully this can fill that void in your life. And don’t be afraid to offer your own recommendations in the comments!

What I’ve been reading

I was 60 pages into a novel that hadn’t grabbed me yet, so I made the decision to put it down and start something else. Time is too precious to spend it grinding through a book that you don’t enjoy out of stubbornness. Instead, my dad lent me The Bachman Books, an anthology of four novellas that Stephen King published under the pseudonym Richard Bachman between 1977 and 1982. The main draw for me was The Long Walk, which was recently adapted into a film that’s scheduled for release later this year.

In short, 100 teenage boys compete in a deadly walk across state lines – beginning in Maine, of course – where they must travel at a speed of at least 4mph through rain, hail or shine…or be shot. The winner gets to have whatever they want, but at what cost? I had always heard good things about this story in particular from fellow King fans and it definitely didn’t disappoint. The masterful tension throughout paired with his signature dark humour had me hooked. Sometimes the simplest concepts are the most compelling.

What I’ve been watching

I attended a mystery movie screening at my beloved Five Star Cinemas with some friends a couple weeks ago. We had no prior knowledge of the film’s genre, era, cast, crew or even runtime until it began playing. It turns out that they had chosen the 2023 French-Canadian psychological thriller Red Rooms – a BOLD choice for an unsuspecting audience of all kinds of people. So much so that at one point the man in front of us got up and said “I need a fucking drink” then never came back.

We loved it, but it’s the kind of movie that you appreciate for its technique and message yet never want to see again. I have a similar relationship with Martyrs (2008) and Funny Games (1997), although Red Rooms is much more elegant than these. It investigates the celebrity culture of glorified serial killers and the morbid, borderline-obsessive fandom that accompanies the true crime craze that we’re currently in. Besides, is anyone really who they say they are?

I also watched Thelma (2024) with the Folks recently and the beautiful ending nearly broke me. This family comedy was written, directed AND edited by Josh Margolin for his grandmother who was the victim of a phone scam. The story is outrageously funny and achingly poignant, the performances are fantastic, and the lighting is enchanting. It’s available on Netflix – at least it is here in Australia – and I suggest you keep some tissues handy.

What I’ve been listening to

I’ve been listening to a range of styles lately, mostly influenced by the tastes of friends. Of course, I still spin my old favourites like Linkin Park and Hilltop Hoods, but it’s definitely more diverse than usual. From soulful rap to blues rock to French metalcore, these are some of the repeat offenders in my playlist at the moment.

And with that, I’ll leave you to it! Check them out – or don’t – and let me know what you’ve enjoyed since we last crossed paths. Be well, much love and I’ll catch you on the flipside.