Hello world!

Welcome to my newsletter about music and other fun stuff :)

~ Hello friends and friends of the future! ~

Hello world! Welcome to my first newsletter! I’ve added you to this list because you’ve expressed some interest in my music/my life either by 1) being my friend 2) coming to my album launch earlier this year 3) buying an album :)

If it’s not your thing, please feel free to unsubscribe (I don’t mind, I’d prefer you enjoy yourself here).

As many of you know, I am a fan of the personalised email, (and was a fan of the handwritten letter back in my high school days) so I intend for this to have the same vibe. Me rambling about stuff I’m proud of/I like/I’m interested in. I recently found Gabriel Kahane’s substack and it’s inspired me to get going on one of my own. (Check his substack essays out if you’re a fan of his music, you’ll love it. And if you’re not a fan of his music, get onto it!)

Ok here we go!

~ I have a new beautiful film clip (if I may say so myself) ~

So a week after I released my album Friends of the Future, a random guy emailed me - he’d discovered my music through my dear friend Jon DiNapoli’s instagram and felt big feelings listening to ‘Esb’ on the tram: “As the music crescendoed the tram moved forward and revealed dancing lights on the Regent Theatre marquee. In that moment it struck me how seemingly random things rushing past can be given profound meaning by music”.

The film clip is the result of that moment. The random guy’s name is Harry Quinlan and he is no longer random, he is now a fabulous collaborator!

I really like all the Melbourne vibes in this clip - love those loitering men out the front of Sydney Rd’s Alaysa and the slightly older men loitering in Coburg - giving me real Brunswick feels (especially being on the other side of the world right now). I’d love you to open the vid and watch it when you want to take a moment to feel the beauty in everyday life. Check it out:

Trouble Juice did a really lovely write up about the film clip which you can read here. As did Cyclic Defrost.

~ I have a new website! ~

The other good thing about being on the other side of the world with very few things to do is that things I have been meaning to do for ages are finally getting done. Par example, I have a new website! www.lenadouglas.com

I’ve put together recordings and videos from a bunch of projects from the past including Tetrahedra, Tulalah and Feeling Counts, a cross disciplinary project w Siobhan McKenna, and I think it looks pretty pretty.

~ living in Stockerz ~

It’s funny how things change a lot when suddenly you don’t know that many people and you have a lot of time on your hands. Weirdly I feel that Melbourne lockdowns prepared me really well for living on a little island in Stockholm without any of my usual networks.

For the first time in a really long time I feel like my priority is to spend time playing around with musical things without worrying too much what the outcome is going to be. This has been a strange change for me but feels really good! I’m currently working on a song that started because I recorded myself tapping on a MASSIVE mushroom that my housemate Toby picked while gardening and brought home. Lol.

Here’s a parting pic of the autumnal leaves in Stockholm. They’re off the chain. No filters no nothing:

Hope you have enjoyed my ramblings somewhat. Lots of love to you all, sending my good wishes far and wide!

Lena xx

P.S. If you haven’t listened to my album Friends of the Future, I’d love you to check it out. And if you’ve been enjoying listening to it, I’d love you to buy it! OK bye til next time.