The February Round-Up
Morning!
I wanted to start straight away by expressing my feelings of horror over the situation in Ukraine. It is truly nightmarish, and the words coming from Russia’s leadership are nothing less than chilling to the very bone. I’ve mentioned before that I find it difficult to write about the devastations of the world in my newsletters; there are supremely talented and courageous journalists doing this vital work for us, and it is them that I am turning to for this news. I hope that my posts, which are ultimately meant to be fun, thoughtful, and entertaining, won’t seem insensitive in the face of it all, but that they may offer a sliver of uplifting distraction if that is what you need.
That said, in February there have been so many interesting things to read, so much music floating around, and, as you will read below, it seems like a fair few purchases were made too, which are serving me so well that I felt the need to share. I also wanted to say thank you to those who have ordered either or both of my albums recently! My heart does a somersault each time I get one of those emails. If you are interested in my recordings, they are available in my Shop.
As always, I would love to hear from you and what you have been finding interesting recently. Hope you’re taking care of yourselves.
Love, Freya
I’ve been doing quite a lot of cross-state traveling recently, and have found the perfect companion to these long journeys; the audiobook version of East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. There is something about endless car journeys through varying American landscapes, paired with a good Steinbeck story, that just makes for a perfect combination. Even if you are not located in the U.S., reading (or listening to) Steinbeck every now and then is a treat.
This profile of Stevie Nicks by Tavi Gevinson for The New Yorker was a nostalgic reminder of just how iconic this woman is. It instantly made me want to listen to cassette tapes and write thoughts down in notebooks.
I played some Four Seasons for the first time! With an ensemble that I love. What a joy. Catch the video concert here.
Sometimes, making a small purchase of something seemingly not that important can have a hugely positive effect on your life. For me, it was this rack for my dumbbells, which now stands neatly in a corner, ready for use, and means I don’t have to lug the weights out of the cupboard (and put them away again) for each work-out. I encourage you too to look for the small things you can easily invest in that could make your life infinitely better without you even realising it!
I loved Goodnight Moon as a child, but I had no idea about the fascinating writer behind it. This article in The New Yorker about Margaret Wise Brown, written by Anna Holmes, was such as interesting read.
One day a couple of weeks ago, a certain woman was extremely rude to me. How this manifested for me was that I subsequently bought the most beautiful pair of purple, heeled, oxford brogues that I had been deliberating about for weeks, and I adore them. To that lady, I can only say thank you.
After hearing so much noise about this article by Allison P. Davis for The Cut called A Vibe Shift Is Coming, I finally read it. Lots to disagree with, but an interesting idea to ponder on.
There Is No Moral Imperative to Be Miserable - an article by James Greig on substack, about the significance of not letting capitalism destroy any and all chance at happiness. I subsequently read many more essays from Mental Health, which I found really interesting.
I ate at Comet Ping Pong recently (yep - that pizza place where Hillary Clinton was accused of sex-trafficking children in the basement back in 2016, remember that whole debacle?) and I can confirm that it is fantastic. Great pizza, beer, and vibes all around. And I can confirm that there is no pizza-gate.
This gorgeous etching by John Sloan, called Turning out the light. Its home is the Phillips Collection in D.C.
