An entire lifetime seems to have passed since that last journal entry. I’m writing this from my bedroom, streaming Adrianne Lenkers entire discography. The sun is starting to set, I’m drinking green tea. I would love to drop all my responsibilities for three days and go hide out in the forest with my comfort books, a journal, and my phone on do not disturb.
Truly, LA can get really overstimulating, as much as I appreciate living here. But WHY ARE THERE BILLBOARDS EVERYWHERE. I swear you cannot walk anywhere in this city without seeing an advertisement for something plastered on a wall, on the sidewalk, at bus stops, on the sides of buildings, etc… “buy this now,” “stream this music,” (guilty) “visit this place,” just everywhere you look 5 things are asking for your attention. The internet is even more insane. We already know this, I don't need to get into it this month. Even music sometimes starts to just feel like noise if I don’t take a break from it now and then. I don’t think we were built to consume as much media as we do. I can feel myself aching for a change of pace. A slower one.
Been doing a lot more tarot readings lately and they’ve been bringing me so much clarity
There is, however, so much to celebrate and be excited about as I reflect on everything that’s happened this month (sidebar maybe I should stop leaving my journal entries to the very end of the month, maybe y'all are getting sick of it being reflection central over here. But I can’t help getting reflective at the end of every month sorry) For one, MY ALBUM CAME OUT. My first ever album, MALIA. I love her so so much. I feel like I just carried myself so differently this month because of how proud I was to have a project like this finally out in the world for people to listen to. Thank you guys so much for the kind messages and the excited reactions. Every single one of them MADE. MY. DAY. I will never get sick of people telling me that a song of mine connects to them in some way or another. It's the actual best feeling in the whole entire world.
My friend took this photo of me outside of a little gathering i had to celebrate the album release <3
This month was also so full of love in a lot of ways, just so many lovely interactions with people, reconnecting with old friends, making new ones, leaving my house a bit more (cuz lord knows I was still hibernating in January) and overall feeling a sense of belonging in so many different places. I’m extremely grateful for that. It can be a rare thing at times.
The nicest charcuterie display I've ever seen.
Taken at the Concord Grammy Party.
As far as what's next, I've just been pouring the contents of my heart into new music and I don't have much else to tell you other than that. It’s so funny, the whole time I was doing press leading up to this album release, I was so adamant about the fact that this album is a reflection of my “truest” sound. The “most me” a project has ever been. So naturally I’d expect to feel a strong pull to continue on the ethereal pop wave. To my horror and dismay, the only thing coming out of me is folk music. Piles and piles of folk songs. So we shall see how that plays out.
Til next month,
Ash