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The Diplomat Season 5: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

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Political thriller The Diplomat is back with season 4, which not only rises to the high bar set by previous installments, but smashes it. The fresh batch of episodes has a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, with both critics and fans raving about it.

This season has already amassed 4.8 million views on Netflix, making The Diplomat one of the most-watched titles on the platform and a Top 10 show in 58 countries. Are new episodes on the way? Here’s what we know so far.

The Diplomat Season 5 Release Date

At the time of writing, there’s no official news available about a potential The Diplomat season 5.

That said, the positive reviews and strong viewership numbers are a plus, so a renewal seems imminent. If all goes well, fans could reunite with Kate and company sometime in fall 2027.

The Diplomat Cast

  • Keri Russell as Katherine “Kate” Wyler
  • Rufus Sewell as Hal Wyler
  • Ali Ahn as Eidra Park
  • Rory Kinnear as Nicol Trowbridge
  • Ato Essandoh as Stuart Hayford
  • Nana Mensah as Billie Appiah
  • Bradley Whitford as Todd Penn
  • Allison Janney as Grace Hagen Penn

What Could Happen in The Diplomat Season 5?

The Diplomat revolves around Kate Wyler, an American career diplomat unexpectedly appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. Although she is more comfortable working in dangerous conflict zones, Kate must now manage tense relations between Washington and London.

Her husband Hal is also an influential former ambassador whose political instincts and appetite for power often clash with her own. As the couple deals with their strained marriage, Kate becomes entangled in international conspiracies and political rivalries.

With each subsequent season, the series expands into a broader struggle over political power. Expect shifting alliances, unexpected betrayals, and a constant threat of war. All the while, Kate must balance her responsibilities with her own moral convictions.

The fourth season ends with a bang. Without giving too much away, a major cliffhanger leaves viewers on the edge of their seats, eager to find out what happens next. The Diplomat season 5 will probably pick up from there and catch up with Kate as she continues to navigate a volatile political landscape. We can hardly wait.

Are There Other Shows Like The Diplomat?

If you enjoy The Diplomat, shows with similar vibes include The West Wing, Madam Secretary, Homeland, The Americans, and Slow Horses.

Alternatively, check out some of the other shows trending on Netflix. Like Below, East of Eden, Tyson, Take Charge of My Heart, and Doctor X: Mafia in White.

Tyson Season 2: Cast, Rumours & Release Date

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Now 60 years old, Mike Tyson continues to be a polarising figure. The former heavyweight champion had an extraordinary rise, but also a turbulent personal life marked by public controversies. Netflix original Tyson recounts his story.

With 5.1 million views this week, the docuseries is currently among the most-watched titles on Netflix. It’s also a top 10 show in 54 countries, proving that fans are still interested in what the boxing legend has to say. Could a follow-up be on the way? Here’s what we know so far.

Tyson Season 2 Release Date

At the time of writing, there’s no official news about a potential Tyson season 2.

That said, the title is listed as a limited series on Netflix. Since it’s based on true events and tells a fairly complete story, a follow-up is unlikely anytime soon.

Tyson Cast

  • Mike Tyson

What Is Tyson About?

Over the course of four episodes, Tyson follows Mike Tyson from his difficult childhood to his emergence as one of the most dominant figures in professional boxing.

As a teenager, Tyson found direction through trainer Cus D’Amato, whose mentorship helped him become a formidable athlete. At 20, he was the youngest heavyweight world champion in history. It was the start of a period of spectacular success that brought him fame and fortune.

However, the docuseries also covers what happened beyond the ring. As Tyson’s celebrity grew, his controversies began to threaten his career. His 1992 rape conviction and imprisonment marked an obvious turning point. Additionally, his 1997 disqualification for biting opponent Evander Holyfield during a heavyweight title fight became one of the most infamous incidents in sporting history.

“Most people are too scared to look at their lives objectively, wanting to paint themselves as the hero of their own story,” Tyson told Tudum. “But if we are truly objective, we know we can never be the hero in our own story. We have to be able to face the man in the mirror — taking the good with the bad — to give a full account of our contributions in this life.”

All in all, Tyson is a story of triumph, collapse, and reinvention. The overarching question is how a man celebrated for his physical power came to terms with the damage caused by some of his own decisions. The former boxer’s legacy remains divisive, which makes the show a captivating watch.

While Tyson season 2 is unlikely, viewers keen to learn more about the Brooklyn-born fighter can use the docuseries as a starting point. There’s a fine line between extraordinary talent and destructive behaviour, turns out.

Are There Other Shows Like Tyson?

If you enjoyed Tyson, check out some of the other docuseries streaming on Netflix. We recommend Kylie, Victoria Beckham, Being Gordon Ramsay, At Home With The Furys, Earle Meets World, and Death of the Pastor’s Wife.

Finding Lingerie I Actually Love Wearing With SHEIN

The Underwear Drawer Test

Buying lingerie online can be tricky. A design might look beautiful in a product photo, but the fit, fabric, and overall comfort can feel different when the item arrives. While appearance is important, choosing underwear that works for everyday wear requires a little more consideration.

For me, the ideal lingerie combines three things: comfort, a flattering fit, and a style that suits my personal preferences. I want pieces that look good without constantly needing adjustment throughout the day.

This is where browsing SHEIN’s lingerie and underwear collection becomes interesting. The selection includes everyday basics, simple bralettes, coordinated sets, and more decorative designs. Having different styles to explore makes it easier to compare options and find pieces that suit different occasions, outfits, and comfort preferences.

What Should You Look for When Shopping for Lingerie?

1. Prioritize Fit and Comfort

Comfort should be one of the first considerations when choosing lingerie. Tight elastic, restrictive bands, or straps that dig into the skin can make even the prettiest design difficult to wear for long periods.

Before ordering, it helps to check the product’s size chart, fabric details, and customer reviews. Measurements are generally more useful than relying on a usual size alone, especially when shopping across different styles. Reviews that mention fit, stretch, and support can also provide helpful context.

SHEIN offers a variety of designs, allowing shoppers to compare different cuts and silhouettes. Depending on individual needs, a simple bralette may be suitable for relaxed days, while a more structured bra may be preferable when additional support is needed.

2. Choose Styles That Match Your Routine

Not every lingerie purchase needs to be reserved for a special occasion. Everyday underwear should work comfortably with the clothes you already wear, whether that means fitted tops, casual T-shirts, dresses, or relaxed loungewear.

SHEIN’s range makes it possible to explore both understated essentials and more detailed designs. Neutral colors can be practical for everyday outfits, while lace accents, coordinated sets, and bolder shades offer alternatives when you want something different.

I have found it helpful to think about how often I would realistically wear a piece before adding it to my cart. A versatile design that fits naturally into my wardrobe can be a more useful purchase than something attractive that rarely gets worn.

3. Pay Attention to Fabric and Care

The material can influence how lingerie feels against the skin, how much it stretches, and how easy it is to maintain. Cotton blends may appeal to those looking for breathable everyday options, while lace and satin-inspired fabrics offer a different look and texture.

Product descriptions are worth reading carefully before making a decision. Checking the fabric composition and washing instructions can help set realistic expectations about maintenance and durability.

It is also useful to inspect the garment when it arrives, paying attention to seams, elastic, closures, and any areas that may cause irritation. These small details can make a noticeable difference in whether a piece becomes a regular part of your wardrobe.

Making Lingerie Shopping Feel More Personal

One advantage of having a variety of styles available is the opportunity to explore preferences without committing to a single aesthetic. Some days call for uncomplicated basics, while other occasions might inspire something more feminine or detailed.

SHEIN provides options across these different styles, making it easier to browse according to personal taste and budget. However, the best choice still depends on the individual item, so checking measurements, materials, reviews, and return conditions is worthwhile before placing an order.

Lingerie can also be a personal confidence booster. Even though it may not be visible to anyone else, wearing something that feels comfortable and suits your style can make getting dressed feel a little more enjoyable.

A Better Approach to Building an Underwear Drawer

Building a useful lingerie collection does not mean buying more pieces simply because they look appealing. It means choosing items that serve a purpose, fit comfortably, and complement your everyday wardrobe.

When browsing SHEIN, I would start with the essentials I need most, then consider adding different colors, cuts, or decorative styles once those basics are covered. This approach makes it easier to shop intentionally instead of ending up with a drawer full of items that rarely get worn.

Ultimately, good lingerie is about more than appearance. Fit, fabric, practicality, and personal preference all play a part in finding pieces worth reaching for again. With a little attention to these details, exploring SHEIN’s lingerie selection can become a more thoughtful way to discover styles that feel as good as they look.

Champions League Matchday Two: What a Live Odds Screenshot Leaves Out

Arsenal is scheduled to host Lille on October 13, 2026, with Manchester City welcoming Paris Saint-Germain the following evening. UEFA’s second Champions League matchday puts both fixtures into the same week of broadcasts, match alerts and group chats. On a phone, either match can become a cropped scoreboard with three prices underneath.

The numbers look precise. The surrounding conditions often disappear: when the page refreshes, whether the market was suspended and whether anyone actually secured the displayed odds. Forward the image after a goal, and an apparently current quote becomes a record of an earlier match state.

The next round follows quickly, with matchday three scheduled for October 20-21. Across those consecutive European weeks, the useful distinction is between what appeared on a screen and what an operator accepted. A screenshot alone rarely establishes both.

Arsenal on Tuesday, City on Wednesday

UEFA lists Arsenal-Lille and Atlético de Madrid-Manchester United on Tuesday, October 13. Manchester City-Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa-Fenerbahçe follow on Wednesday, October 14. A capture labeled only “Champions League tonight” can lose its meaning once someone forwards it the next morning.

The competition’s 36 clubs each face eight different opponents, four at home and four away, with results feeding into one league table. Match odds concern a particular fixture; qualification or tournament-winner prices concern a longer sequence. Keep the competition, opponent and date attached to the image before discussing what its numbers suggest.

Four details the crop must preserve

Two screenshots become comparable only after their labels match. Check:

  • Fixture and selection: the same match and the same outcome.
  • Market and period: match result, first-half result or another specified market.
  • Line and match state: the exact handicap or total, score, minute and dismissals.
  • Timing and status: capture time, time zone and whether betting was open or suspended.

Over 2.5 goals and over 3.5 goals are different selections, even when both prices appear under “Total Goals.” A first-half draw also differs from a draw at full time. Cutting away those headings can turn a tidy comparison into a false one.

An on-screen clock needs checking, too. A paused stream may show the 54th minute after play has moved on, while a screenshot’s file timestamp may indicate when the image was created without revealing when the odds last refreshed. Saving or forwarding a copy can further obscure the original capture time.

A goal moves the sports-betting market before the chat catches up

Goals and player dismissals can prompt market suspensions and revised odds. The team affected, remaining time and selection determine how a price responds. Odds can also move between major incidents as time passes and the operator’s information or betting exposure changes.

Consider hypothetical decimal odds shortening from 2.00 to 1.50. Their reciprocal implied probabilities rise from 50% to approximately 66.7%. Those figures contain no adjustment for the bookmaker’s margin and should not be presented as independently measured chances of winning.

The UK Gambling Commission explains that operators use event data to revise prices, suspend markets and settle bets. Television and online broadcasts can lag the action. A goal alert arriving before the televised finish therefore says something about delivery timing, not an app’s ability to predict goals.

Acceptance has its own clock. An in-play processing delay can separate pressing “place bet” from receiving confirmation, and its length varies by operator and event. Save the confirmation if the claim is that someone obtained a particular price; a market screenshot records only what was displayed.

The app build cannot date the underlying quote

For an interface comparison, record the installed version and its download source. Android uses an internal versionCode to order builds and a user-visible versionName whose format the developer chooses. Readers who get the latest app version before comparing bet slips should record the installed build and check the publisher’s release information. A date-shaped version label alone cannot establish that an installer is the newest supported release.

The source of a price deserves equal attention. An editorial page displaying sample odds provides no evidence that those odds were available for acceptance. Readers checking Melbet Tanzania should treat the independent review site’s displayed prices as illustrations rather than live offers. Its page states that it does not accept bets, so an acceptance claim needs the operator’s transaction record.

Check price-change settings before submission where the operator provides them. Under the Gambling Commission’s standards for operators it regulates, customers must be able to choose whether to accept odds fluctuations after requesting a bet. Those British requirements do not establish another market’s rules; the relevant account settings and operator terms still need checking.

After full time, keep the receipt and the original

Archive the untouched capture before preparing a public copy. Redact account identifiers, balances, bet references and payment details, and label edits that remove relevant context.

Keep the displayed quote, accepted transaction and settled result as separate records. A first-half draw and a full-time home win can both settle successfully in the same match because they cover different periods. For the next reader, attach the fixture, selection, line, score, minute and capture time; add the app version when the interface itself is under discussion.

Before the Whistle: Listening to CAF’s October Return Legs

CAF has scheduled the Champions League’s second preliminary-round returns between Oct 23, 2026, and Oct 25, 2026. Sixteen group-stage places are at stake. Sidama Bunna’s tie with Al-Hilal Omdurman gives the Ethiopian club a place in that continental conversation, alongside pairings involving clubs from across Africa.

The fixture list supplies names and dates. A broadcast supplies something less easily cataloged: the sound of people reacting together. At home, that sound shares the room with commentary, messages and whatever another screen starts playing.

Listening carefully changes the experience. A crowd reaction can make a moment feel enormous without explaining whether the referee has allowed the goal, while a quiet commentator may be delivering the decision that actually changes the tie. October’s knockout nights are an opportunity to separate those signals before turning up the volume.

A return leg gives silence a context

The first-leg result follows the teams into the return. It follows the audience, too. The same early chance can sound very different when supporters believe their club must score twice rather than protect an advantage.

Before listening for tension, write the aggregate position beside the television. Otherwise, a commentator’s urgency can become the viewer’s only explanation for the mood. A loud stadium does not automatically mean the home side controls the match.

CAF’s September preview confirms Sidama Bunna against Al-Hilal Omdurman. It does not supply an authenticated soundtrack for the tie. A specific chant, performer or pre-match song needs its own evidence before a writer assigns it to those supporters.

Which microphone are you hearing?

A television viewer hears the broadcaster’s selection of the ground. A pitch-side microphone, a commentary channel and a camera near one stand can each emphasize a different part of the event. The resulting mix is a presentation, not a complete acoustic map.

Try a short listening exercise during an ordinary passage of play. Notice whether individual shouts remain audible, whether the commentator speaks over every reaction and whether a replay carries the same background sound. These observations describe the feed, not the loyalty or size of the crowd.

A clip needs its original moment

A video circulated after a goal may start with the celebration and omit the whistle that preceded it. A music overlay can replace the ground’s original sound entirely. Before attributing an audio clip to a match, find the original broadcast sequence and check the teams, score and clock.

That small act of verification matters to cultural reporting. A reused celebration can otherwise become supposed evidence of a new ritual, a new song or a reaction to the wrong opponent.

The mute button is an editorial choice

On a second screen, audio controls decide which experience gets the foreground. WCAG 2.2’s Audio Control criterion calls for a pause, stop or independent volume control when web audio starts automatically and continues for more than three seconds. Background sound can interfere with a screen reader’s spoken output too.

Game presentation deserves the same scrutiny as a sports feed. A celebratory sound should be read alongside the actual stake, payout and resulting balance. For someone comparing the best online casino experience, accessible sound controls and clearly displayed game rules are more useful criteria than the loudness of a win animation. Muting a soundtrack should still leave the outcome and cost understandable.

The word best needs a criterion. One adult may prefer quieter play and visible transaction history; another may value an easy-to-find paytable or larger text. A ranking that ignores those needs describes the reviewer’s taste, not a universal winner.

Give one screen the room

Set up the viewing space before the return begins. Multiple feeds can turn commentary into an echo, especially when they reach the same moment at different times. The simplest arrangement gives one feed the sound and keeps the other devices silent.

Check four things during the opening minutes:

  • Whether commentary remains intelligible at a comfortable volume.
  • Whether captions are available on the chosen service.
  • Whether notifications obscure the score or interrupt spoken analysis.
  • Whether a second video starts playing when a link opens.

The last item often escapes attention until someone shares a highlight. A browser tab that suddenly plays another match changes the whole room’s sound, even when its picture stays hidden.

Headphones offer a different arrangement for shared spaces. They also make it easier to miss conversation around the television, so decide beforehand whether the night is a solitary watch or a social one.

A crowd roar is not a market update

An adult following football prices needs the confirmed event behind the reaction. A goal celebration may precede an offside decision, and a replay can repeat a moment whose price change has already happened. When examining a football market at Melbet, check the score, match clock and selection’s current availability before interpreting a quote as a response to what the speakers just played. Use the accepted betting record to confirm the price attached to the stake.

Keep a note of the event time separately from the moment a notification reaches the phone. The two clocks can differ. That distinction prevents a viewer from treating a delayed message as newly available information.

Save the sound with its provenance

For a cultural note after the match, record the fixture, broadcaster and approximate timestamp beside the observation. Identify whether the sound came from the live feed, a replay or a supporter recording. If a song is audible, verify its identity rather than guessing from a few seconds.

A useful description can remain modest: applause after a save, a sustained reaction during a corner, commentary falling quiet before a restart. Precision lets the reader hear the scene without inventing what an entire stand thought or felt.

7 Best AI Roleplay Apps for LGBTQ+ Stories That Get Your Characters Right

You waited ten episodes for your queer OTP to finally kiss. The screen fades, credits roll, and the romance stays unresolved. When that happens, the best AI role-play apps for LGBTQ+ stories keep the canon alive, spinning fresh scenes, alternate endings, and side-quests on demand. Yet a misgendered pronoun or sudden hetero detour can shatter immersion in a heartbeat. So we’ve sifted release notes, policy pages, and community threads—not joystick “testing”—to surface seven respectful, memory-savvy platforms spanning story engines, character libraries, and companion tools. Grab a mug, settle in, and keep those ships sailing.

How We Picked the Best AI Role-Play for LGBTQ+ Stories

We scored each platform using published documentation, pricing pages, release notes, and sustained community feedback, never one-off “testing.”

Weighting

  • Identity fidelity: 25% 
  • Narrative quality & steerability: 20% 
  • Published context / memory capacity: 15% 
  • Character & world-building tools: 15% 
  • Multi-character support: 10% 
  • Access & value: 10% 
  • Privacy clarity: 5%

A single pronoun shift can shatter immersion; one Reddit user dubbed it the he/him of doom and despair.

At-a-Glance Lineup

Rank App Best for Mobile access Main compromise
1 DreamGen Multi-character queer fiction Responsive web No native app; small public library
2 Nomi Relationship continuity & group casts iOS, Android, Web Companion-first; occasional pronoun slips
3 Kindroid Deeply customised lead iOS, Android, Web Steep learning curve; layered pricing
4 AI Dungeon Queer fantasy campaigns iOS, Android, Web Higher tiers pricey; pacing can drift
5 Character.AI Fandom discovery & voice iOS, Android, Web Variable creator quality; strong safety rails
6 NovelAI Prose-first fan fiction Web, PWA No live group chat; context tuning needed
7 SillyTavern Model-agnostic setups Desktop, Termux DIY install; security upkeep

 

Prices change fast, so confirm current rates before you subscribe. With the framework set, we’ll unpack each pick in order.

1. DreamGen: Best Overall for Multi-Character Queer Fiction

DreamGen acts like a stage manager who loves every role in your ensemble, and it never drops anyone’s pronouns. In this comparison of 2026’s top AI role-play chatbots, it ranks as “Best Overall Roleplay Chatbot” with a 4.5/5 score, and its Scenario Codex earns praise for keeping multi-character lore intact.

Why It Stands Out

Role-Play Mode lets you juggle lovers, rivals, and comic-relief best friends in one thread. When tension peaks, tap Story Writing Mode to narrate a scene yourself, then hand the dialogue mic back without breaking pace.

Canon That Sticks

The Scenario Codex (plus the newer Scenario Wizard and Role-Play Assistant) stores pronouns, orientation, relationship arcs, and speech quirks. Each turn checks that guidebook again, so your trans bard won’t lose their name mid-ballad.

Roomy Memory

DreamGen’s in-house GLM 4.7 model keeps roughly 5,000–30,000 tokens of context, enough to remember chapter one when you reach chapter twelve with a full supporting cast.

Edit on the Fly

Rewrite any AI line to fix tone or pacing; the correction feeds straight into memory and preserves immersion across a broad storytelling range, from cozy romance to dark fantasy.

Pricing

  • Entry tier with monthly credits 
  • Starter, Advanced, and Pro tiers that scale context and speed. Your data stays yours.

Trade-Offs

No native mobile app yet, and the public scenario library is smaller than Character.AI’s treasure trove. If you value granular control over a sprawling queer saga, DreamGen remains the steadier co-author of 2026.

2. Nomi: Best for Relationship Continuity and Group Casts

Nomi remembers the first date, and the inside joke about spilled matcha, long after other bots forget.

Persistent Memory

Your custom backstory, pronouns, and shared history live in an Identity Core, while Shared Notes pin inside jokes or boundaries the model must never cross. A visual Mind Map tracks who loves, loathes, or secretly pines, sparing you a spreadsheet.

Bigger Stage

Invite multiple Nomis into one thread and watch them banter like a practiced ensemble. April 24, 2026’s V5 update layered in contextual images (think café backdrops or wistful portraits) and voice chat that lets tone do the flirting.

Plans and Access

Start free on the web, then pick monthly, quarterly, or yearly tiers on iOS, Android, or desktop to unlock longer memories, faster generations, and extended voice sessions.

Trade-Offs

Nomi is still companion-centric, part of the wider shift toward AI companions as interactive entertainment, and its editor lacks the granular scene controls fantasy authors want elsewhere. Community threads also report occasional pronoun slips after model tweaks.

If you crave a slow-burn queer romance with the warmth of the best Heartstopper quotes, one that survives every time-skip and keeps anniversaries straight, Nomi delivers relationship stability without forcing you to babysit memory settings.

3. Kindroid: Best for a Deeply Customised Recurring Character

If your plot lives or dies on one protagonist who must stay perfectly in character for months, Kindroid is the obsessive co-writer you need.

Layered Memory

Pour quirks, traumas, and triumphs into a Backstory panel, log day-to-day growth in Journals, and tag pivotal beats as Long-Term Memory. MAX subscribers can access about 3.5 million characters of total context, with nine recalled long-term memories (roomy enough for a multi-season arc).

Multisensory Immersion

Custom voices and optional video calls move chemistry off the page, while group chat supports side-character cameos (group context up to 3,000 characters on MAX). Kindroid still feels handcrafted for one-on-one depth, and identity drift is rare once you lock pronouns into the core persona.

Pricing Tiers

  • Standard: about 790 k characters of total context and 1 M monthly audio credits. 
  • Ultra add-on: expands context to 1.7 M and provides 2.5 M audio credits. 
  • MAX add-on: 3.5 M context, six-million audio credits, and priority selfie processing. Signing up via web still undercuts new App Store rates (June 2026 notice).

Learning Curve

The dashboard brims with sliders for temperature, memory weighting, and safety filters, which is great for tinkerers but daunting for writers who just want to draft. If you prefer softer onboarding, Nomi remains the gentler alternative.

For authors treating one queer protagonist as a lifelong collaboration, Kindroid delivers surgical control over voice, memory, and emotional continuity.

4. AI Dungeon: Best for Queer Fantasy and Adventure Campaigns

Imagine a crew of misfit space captains, a coven of sapphic witches, or a poly hero party storming a dragon’s lair, and AI Dungeon lets that chaos sprawl across planets without losing track of pronouns or plot twists.

World Tools

Kick off each run with Story Cards that anchor characters, factions, and lore. Drop hard rules, such as “No sudden straight romance” or “They/them for Captain Vega,” into Author’s Note; the engine checks that note every turn. Plot Essentials condenses quests and active clues into a retrievable summary, while a separate Memory Bank recalls long-term betrayals and side romances three chapters later.

Multiplayer on Any Device

Invite friends, assign roles, and vote on twists from a browser or the iOS/Android apps; it feels like a live tabletop session minus the scheduling drama.

Context and Cost

Wanderer (free) offers up to 4 k tokens of context; Journey doubles that to 8 k, Legend reaches 16 k, and Mythic/Ultimate max out at 32 k for truly epic sagas, according to the AI Dungeon membership benefits page. Higher tiers also unlock stronger models and faster generation.

Trade-Offs

Left unchecked, the AI can drift into exposition over dialogue, and premium prices add up when you push maximum context or image credits.

For branching queer quests packed with shared laughter and consequential choices, AI Dungeon is the seasoned game master that keeps the map, and the identities, intact.

5. Character.AI: Best for Fandom Discovery and Voice

Need a five-minute chat with your comfort character before work? Character.AI gets you there fastest. Search a sprawling public library, pick a fan-made persona, and you’re trading quips before the tea cools.

Memory Tools Catch Up

Chat Memories and Pinned Memories give everyone tools for fixed facts, including a 400-character notebook for pronouns or prom-night confessions. A beta Lorebook (subscriber-only as of September 17, 2026) triggers world facts by keyword, so Hogwarts stays Hogwarts even if the scene hops continents, according to Character.AI’s support documentation.

Voice and Definition Depth

Multiple greetings, voice calls, and imagine-and-chat visuals add flavor. Power users can pack up to 32,000 characters into a Character Definition for tighter canon consistency, per Character.AI documentation.

Cost and Speed

Unlimited messages remain free on web, iOS, and Android. The c.ai+ plan ($9.99 a month) skips most queue waits and doubles pinned-memory slots, handy when chats run long.

Trade-Offs

Creator quality varies because anyone can publish. Strict safety rails can interrupt intense story beats, and community threads still flag pronoun drift in lengthy sessions.

If you need an instant fandom fix, whether that’s a grumpy space captain or your favorite sapphic detective, Character.AI is the fastest on-ramp. Export the persona elsewhere when you need stricter continuity.

6. NovelAI: Best for Prose-First Fan Fiction

When your story needs full paragraphs of neon-soaked description, not texting bubbles, NovelAI offers a quiet, distraction-free editor and simply asks, “Where should we begin?”

Structured Memory

Store pronouns and relationship beats in persistent Memory, then offload city lore, spell jargon, or ship schematics to the keyword-triggered Lorebook. An Author’s Note steers tone, whether you want snappy banter or purple prose, without breaking flow, and Text Adventure mode suggests the next beat when inspiration stalls.

Context and Cost

A 50-generation trial shows the ropes. Paid tiers climb from Tablet ($10, 8,192-token context) to Scroll ($15, 16,384 tokens), and Opus ($25, 28,672 tokens), according to NovelAI subscription documentation. All plans run in the browser or install as a progressive web app, so no gatekeeping app store.

Trade-Offs

There’s no native group chat, and the slider-heavy interface can feel more like configuring Scrivener than swapping quips. Long sessions push you toward a subscription faster than casual chatbots.

If you crave sentence-level control over every neon reflection and breathless confession, NovelAI is the writing cabin where your queer fanfic can stretch its legs and keep its canon intact.

7. SillyTavern: Best for Technical Users Who Want Backend Choice

SillyTavern isn’t a model; it’s a cockpit that lets you fly almost any model you like. Install the open-source client on Windows, macOS, or Linux, then point it at a local Llama-3, an OpenAI key, or a hosted Jurassic-2 endpoint. You control writing style, safety filters, and cost per thousand tokens.

Story Tools

Character Cards lock pronouns and personality, while World Info surfaces lore only when a trigger word appears, which is handy for sprawling queer ensembles. Group chats and multi-persona toggles round out the toolkit.

Recent Updates and Security

Version 1.19.0 (September 14, 2026) added mobile-friendly viewports and faster World Info search, according to the project’s GitHub release notes. A May 3, 2026 PSA noted that a third-party “Bot Browser” extension exfiltrated API keys from outdated installs, so patching and key hygiene remain the user’s job.

Setup and Cost

Expect to juggle Python, Node, and model downloads; running a 13-b Llama locally needs about 6 GB of GPU VRAM. Android needs Termux, while iPhone users usually remote-host or rent a cloud VM. Once it’s running, local models are free, and paid APIs charge only for the tokens you send. The code ships under an MIT licence.

If you love tinkering and want complete control over how your queer cast speaks, SillyTavern is the flexible front end that lets you write without vendor limits, provided you keep your keys safe.

Which App Fits the Story?

Match the tool to the tale, not the other way around.

  • Want a sprawling ensemble that remembers every side quest? DreamGen still tops the list. 
  • Building a slow-burn romance or found family? Nomi keeps anniversaries and inside jokes intact. 
  • Need surgical control over one lead? Kindroid rewards meticulous backstories. 
  • Craving a branching quest with friends? AI Dungeon is your cooperative game master. 
  • Dropping into fandom banter or voice chat? Character.AI wins on speed. 
  • Drafting polished prose chapters? NovelAI is your cabin in the woods. 
  • Hacking your own stack? SillyTavern hands you the keys.

Before spending a cent, paste the same safe-for-work opener into two finalists:

“We’re at the annual Pride gala. I use they/she pronouns and just told my girlfriend Jade (she/her) I landed the lead in our favorite sci-fi reboot. She hugs me, and our best friend Rio (he/they) cracks a joke about finally getting free tickets. Write Jade’s reaction in her warm, nerdy voice.”

Watch which bot keeps pronouns, tone, and memory straight over ten replies; identity fidelity is the quickest litmus test.

Finally, skim each privacy policy. Your head-canon is precious, so choose a platform that treats it that way.

16 New Songs Out Today to Listen To: Hannah Frances, Whait, and More

There’s so much music coming out all the time that it’s hard to keep track. On those days when the influx of new tracks is particularly overwhelming, we sift through the noise to bring you a curated list of the most interesting new releases (the best of which will be added to our Best New Songs playlist). Below, check out our track roundup for Tuesday, October 20, 2026.


Hannah Frances – ‘Circadian Heart’

Hannah Frances has returned with a new single, ‘Circadian Heart’, which comes paired with a music video. “‘Circadian Heart’ is a look into the relational pattern of choosing unavailable people and trying to get them to choose me back, only to find that I have to stop chasing and learn to choose me in the end,” the singer-songwriter explained, homing in on the psychoanalytical lens that marked 2025’s excellent Nested in Tangles. She continued, “How we’ll break our own hearts to feel familiar pain, until we choose a new way that is softer and more reciprocal.”

Whait – ‘Falling down’

Whait, the collaborative project of Wendy Eisenberg and Mari Rubio (aka more eaze), have announced a new album titled sympathy at home. It’s led by the new single ‘Falling down’, a homey, enchanting synthesis of the artists’ compositional proclivities. This week, the duo will be supporting Animal Collective’s show at the Knockdown Center in New York.

claire rousay & zander raymond – ‘can’t we have both’

Over the past month, claire rousay has released a collaborative album with Martyna Basta and a solo project called on holding. She’s already back with news of another collaborative LP, this time with zander raymond. something good is out January 29 on Thrill Jockey, and ‘can’t we have both’ is out today. Never quite clinging to form, the song, one of two vocal tracks on the album, is spine-tinglingly gorgeous.

Soul Glo – ‘Ppl Worried’ [feat. Tunde Adebimpe]

Soul Glo have joined forces with TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe for ‘Ppl Worried’, the electrifying new single from their upcoming LP NA I’M GON GRAB ALLAT. The LP also feautres Oxbow’s Eugene Robinson, Commitment’s Tati Salazar, Mannequin Pussy’s Colins “Bear” Regisford, MIKE, and Bbymutha.

Lambrini Girls – ‘The Basement’ and ‘Split’

On the latest pair of songs from their forthcoming No Refunds, Lambrini Girls showcase two contrasting sides of the record’s sound: ‘The Basement’ is typically ferocious and resentful, while ‘Split’ is starkly minimal. “It was exciting and challenging to do something that’s so different to the rest of the album and what we do in general, but to make it as powerful in its own way,” bassist Selin commented.

One Step Closer – ‘Blue Hour’ and ‘Was It Ever Enough?’

One Step Closer bring forward a similar contrast on ‘Blue Hour’ and ‘Was It Ever Enough?’, the double single that leads their new album Zero. The meditative ‘Blue Hour’, in particularly, is the closest I think they’ve sounded to the Linkin Park hit they’re named after.

Caroline Rose – ‘Valery (please don’t be mad at me)’

Ahead of the release of their new album, Gentling the Horse at the Walt Whitman Mall, on Friday, Caroline Rose has dropped one more single, the hooky, anthemic ‘Valery (please don’t be mad at me)’. “A lot of this record pulls from stories from my hometown and fuses them with other stories from when I lived in NYC, so some characters might be a mix of two or three different people,” the singer-songwriter explained. “‘Valery’ is a combination of my best friend from my hometown, who passed away from a heroin overdose many years ago, along with another friend I loved so much who also became addicted to heroin and just had a really difficult life. I gravitate toward people in my life who have struggled, and they often come out as characters in my songs.”

sadie – ‘Little Things’

sadie has released a luminous new song called ‘Little Things’. “This is a song about living in the moment and not getting too existential about things,” she reflected. “It’s about not worrying what’s going to happen next. I was feeling sexy and flirty when I wrote it and it’s probably the only purely feel-good song I’ve ever written and may ever write…”

Lamplight – ‘Ring Stains’

Deliciously off-kilter and radiant, ‘Ring Stains’ is the latest preview of Lamplight’s new record, Lick The Spoon, Let It Soften, ahead of its arrival on Friday. “It touches on a familiar season, adding another ring to the tree one year at a time,” Ian Williams shared. “Things are changing, I’m getting older along with my friends’ kids, but we reliably come back to the yearly rituals that center us. I’m cleaning up after a group dinner, I’m dipping my toes in the river, I’m celebrating, I’m sun soaked.”

Liily – ‘CALLUS’ and ‘ERROR’

After sharing ‘FOREVER’ and ‘EVERYDAY’ earlier this year, Liily have announced their major label debut album, WAX, sharing another pair of tracks. ‘CALLUS’ and ‘ERROR’ are accompanied by a music video once again directed by the band’s guitarist Sam De La Torre. “This album was the easiest process we’ve ever had while simultaneously being the most intentional,” frontman Dylan Nash commented. “These last two years I’ve worked so hard towards being more compassionate to myself and others and that truly changed the way we create music. WAX was our stab at honest art. Whether it suits your tastes or not, I hope you hear something real.”

Nabihah Iqbal – ‘Heaven Can Wait’

Nabihah Iqbal has signed to Ghostly International, marking the announcement with a nervy, hypnotic new single called ‘Heaven Can Wait’. “‘Heaven Can Wait’ is a song about the happiness of friendship,” the musician offered. “It’s about loving life, feeling good and appreciating all the positive things that this world has to offer. The song is inspired by summers in London and New York City: it’s about having fun with your friends, and really, truly feeling alive. I wrote the song in a small, quirky, basement studio in the East Village, Manhattan and I wanted to channel the energy and freedom of this iconic New York neighbourhood.”

Dowsers – ‘Dogwood’ and ‘Three Forks of Cheat’

Gar Hole Records has signed Dowsers, the North Carolina/Illinois supergroup comprising Courtney Werner and Evan Morgan (Magic Tuber Stringband, Weirs), Austin Cash (Nathan Smearage), Oliver Child-Lanning (Weirs, Sluice, Fust), James Gibian (Beak Trio), and Alli Rogers (Alli Blois). Their debut LP is slated for 2027, and today, you can bask in the melancholy twang of ‘Dogwood’ and the explosive post-rock tune ‘Three Forks of Cheat’. “‘Dogwood’ is a song that I wrote in the spring of 2020 at my friend Hunter’s grandparents’ house in Hayesville, NC so it’s release has been a long-time coming,” Morgan expounded. “The reliability of certain seasonal markers, some familiar and some new depending on local ecosystems shifting conditions due to climate change, is something I think we all become increasingly aware of as we grow older. The Dogwood tree that grew outside this house in Hayesville was the center here for my reflection on humans growing older but natural cycles reappearing.”

“‘Three Forks of Cheat’ has always been one of my favorite fiddle tunes,” Morgan added. “The source fiddler for this one is Edden Hammons of Webster County, WV. I learned it from playing with Will Csorba who shared his obsession with me for Hammons family tunes. I think of the three unequal, ‘crooked’ lines of the B part as representing the three forks of the Cheat River. I wanted to try to draw out the atmospheric qualities of this strange tune with Dowsers, ending in a cacophonous sludge section inspired by the great Athens band Harvey Milk.”

 

Lambrini Girls Release New Songs ‘The Basement’ and ‘Split’

Lambrini Girls are back with a pair of new songs, ‘The Basement’ and ‘Split’. They’re taken from their forthcoming album No Refunds, from which they’ve already shared ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and ‘Cult of Celebrity’. Listen below.

Wiry and increasingly distorted, ‘The Basement’ revolves around the story of “a sad little man who gets radicalised by the manosphere,” according to the duo. Commenting on ‘Split’, which is more stripped-back, bassist Selin said: “It was exciting and challenging to do something that’s so different to the rest of the album and what we do in general, but to make it as powerful in its own way.”

No Refunds comes out January 15 via City Slang.

One Step Closer Announce New Album ‘Zero’, Drop New Songs

One Step Closer have announced a new album called Zero. The follow-up to 2024’s All You Embrace drops on February 19 via Run for Cover. It’s led by the songs ‘Blue Hour’ and ‘Was It Ever Enough?’, the first of which starts out shadowy and contemplative in a way the band has rarely sounded before. Take a listen below.

The new album was recorded by longtime collaborator Jon Markson (Drug Church, The Story So Far, Drain, Koyo). “This may have been the hardest year for us, and that’s reflected in the songs” vocalist Ryan Savitski said in a statement. “There’s so much desperation on this record but I think people can relate to that–these songs will always mean something different to me than everyone else, no one is living the same exact experiences, but I want people to take these songs and mold them to fit their own.”

Zero Cover Artwork:

Zero Cover Artwork

Zero Tracklist:

1. Numb With Sleep
2. Until You Bloom
3. About a Boy
4. August
5. Blue Hour
6. Write My Wrongs
7. Drowning Skies
8. Was It Ever Enough?
9. A Fleeting Face
10. “For Them”

Artist Spotlight: Sadurn

Sadurn is a Philadelphia band that began in 2017 as a solo outlet for G DeGroot. Joined by guitarist Jon Cox, drummer Amelia Swain, and bassist Tabitha Ahnert, they laid down their 2022 debut album, Radiator, at an isolated cabin in the Poconos with collaborator Heather Jones (aka ther). While DeGroot already had new songs in the works, a host of medical issues, including chronic pain, gut problems, and issues with their voice, started intensifying in the wake of the album’s release through Run for Cover. Most of the recording for its follow-up, The Underworld, took place in January 2024, when they once again rented a house in Poconos, though they needed to take a break and go back on the road before finally completing it. Arduous as the process may have been, it positively sounds like a group settling into songs they’ve lived with for a while, from the pedal steel that accentuates Cox’s guitar playing to the fiddle that draws the record to a close. In moving through a perpetual cycle of pain and yearning, it doesn’t wear the listener out so much as foster a space where they can warmly coexist, both intimately weighty and free-wheeling in nature. “I’m afraid that the way down is a long one,” DeGroot sings, a fear that never prevents The Underworld from coaxing itself upward.

We caught up with Sadurn’s G DeGroot for this edition of our Artist Spotlight interview series to talk about following up their debut album, dealing with medical issues, the idea of destiny, and more.


I know there were a lot of stops and starts in the process of making The Underworld. How much did the feeling that it was due colour each time you went back into it?

That was definitely present the whole time. I think what that had the biggest effect on was probably the writing process, because it’s not really good as an artist to feel like there’s any pressure around something coming out. And I had never before been in that situation where I was writing songs knowing that there was already an expectation of what they were going towards, like an album, and there was already an audience because we had another album out. But we recorded most of the album in January 2024; some of the songs I was writing before Radiator even came out. There’s the pressure, but there were also other uncontrollable forces at work when it came to moving things through. Like, I had a long-term vocal injury that prevented us from recording.

Are you comfortable talking about the physical challenges you dealt with around that time? To what extent do you think they stemmed from that pressure?

For me, all of the physical issues that I had that started to mount as we started touring the first record had to do with the internal pressure of feeling like I needed to be perfect, I guess. It’s kind of a funny way of putting it, but I truly believe that all of the health issues and vocal health issues that came in a cascade following the escalation of this situation of being on stage and performing and being visible – there were other things happening in my personal life that added to the intensity of the moment for me, but I was experiencing chronic pain in my hands and arms where I couldn’t play guitar sometimes or do basic things. I was experiencing a lot of other health issues, some of which overlapped with my vocal health. And that just made it hard to tour. To me, these things are all related. They’re not separate. 

I’m just gonna be honest, it’s almost like an arms race of external validation. For me, it felt like this band and doing this thing was a way for me to be safe. This was my future and my identity. It gave me a sense of self-worth and value, and I felt so deeply afraid of failing. I felt like this was our one chance as our dreams were happening. There’s a lot of pressure to just push and push and do and say yes to everything and do all of this. Touring is hard before you’re a band that actually makes any money – you’re sleeping on couches and floors, and you’re getting up really early and going to bed really late just to get to the next place and play. You’re getting sick and playing shows with a fever. It’s pretty intense.

We’re all trained to believe that making it as an artist is the best possible thing that could happen to you, and you should definitely do it at all costs. It’s funny, we started touring and I started meeting all of these other bands that we were touring with, and there were so many of these people – especially the frontperson of the band, weirdly – who would have these autoimmune disorders and vocal health challenges, and while they were on tour, they had to compromise so much. And I’m like, “This is so weird! Why is this so ubiquitous?” Essentially what I believe is that your body will tell you when you should stop, but if you believe that you shouldn’t stop or you can’t stop, then that’s going to lead to a breakdown physically. 

So that’s what had to happen for me. I wanted to put out a new record soon. I wanted to share more songs. I wanted to keep doing it. But it was tied too much to my feeling of safety and self-worth, and that became the reason that I was pushing. It was like a feeling of scarcity. That’s a better way of saying it – sorry, it took a long time to get there, but I was basically doing it with a feeling of scarcity. And I don’t think everyone does it that way, but a lot of people do. That’s kind of how capitalism works, on this idea of scarcity. You either get the opportunity or you miss it. You either take it and push yourself to do this thing, or you’re going to miss it and fall behind.

It’s actually really interesting for me right now to be going back into this stuff, because when health and vocal health things took me out of it definitively, it gave me the chance to rewrite my sense of self and my sense of what actually made me safe and whole and worthy. I basically had to learn that chasing that was not going to be the real solution to that, that I actually needed to build up an internal feeling of those things. That’s what this journey kind of allowed me to do. That’s what I was doing in the time that this record wasn’t being made or coming out.

I understand a lot of this boils down to the visibility of being an artist, and I wonder if you can expand on how this affected the invisible parts of it – not just your internal questioning but the songwriting itself; things that are more private to that identity.

Thanks for asking that. I think it did make it slower for me to write. I don’t think that it affected the songs themselves too much, because that space of making songs is so sacred for me. When I’m in that space of writing a song, it is just for me. But I think that having the pressure of creating an album made it harder to get into that space. So it was just less often, or less consistently, that I was able to get into that space and stay in that space. The space itself of where I write songs wasn’t corrupted, it was just harder to access. When you’re making something, no matter whether it’s a song or anything else – which, I think everyone should write songs – it’s about communing with yourself. It’s not about communing with yourself and wondering how that’s going to look to other people. If someone else is in the room evaluating, or even someone in your head, you’re not really communing with yourself.

In the bio, you mention that songwriting is “a place where you can circle back to your own truth.” That sounds like a good thing written down, but I suspect that there are moments of struggle or frustration, in some way, when you find yourself circling back to the same truths. Do you feel like that cycle ever manifests in a negative way?

I do think that it’s always a positive thing to go to your truth. I think a lot of times it means going through layers of pain. And I think that’s a positive thing, because if you’re feeling and looking at that, then that’s how you actually move through it. If you’re not looking and touching down onto it, then it’s just getting shoved down, affecting you in other ways. The way you’re talking about that makes me think about, on the album, the song ‘why does my heart’, which is about that – a lot of the album is about this feeling of not being able to move on from a relationship. In that sense, a lot of the feelings that I was moving through that end up on this record are about coming back to what I really feel and where I’m really at, and realizing that this person was still just at the center of… It can be frustrating when you feel like your brain wants to move on from something, but your heart has not done that. That’s why I ended up with so many songs about it.

It’s a complicated feeling, because it’s like, I would like to be free from this, but I’m not, and there’s layers to that. It’s not just frustrated; it’s also just like, I’m still in love. And so, ‘why does my heart’ cycles between these different chord progressions with the same phrase. One is frustrated, like, “Why does my heart always lead me back to you?” Like, I can’t do anything about this, I’m powerless to it. And the other one is kind of accepting. There’s so many dimensions to those feelings.

When I saw that quote, I was thinking of the line about having “a head full of planets circling my one desire” from ‘never tell me’. That’s one of my favorites on the record, partly because I feel like it paints a picture of that one desire as a solar system as opposed to something one-dimensional. Maybe I was curious about the negative implications of that creatively, because one layer of this pain that you sing about is that it tends to dull everything out. I was wondering how this numbness can act as a barrier to writing.

Yes, because when we are numbed out, it’s because there’s something that’s painful and there’s parts of us that want to protect us from that, and so they numb us out. That can look like so many things. It can look like looking at your phone, or just dissociating in different ways, or substances and other things that could be worse, more disruptive. But when we’re numbing out, we’re fundamentally not connected to what’s actually happening, and there’s a reason for it. It’s designed that way. The numbness is designed to protect you from something that’s really challenging. But it’s only by being in touch with the thing that’s challenging that you can move through it. Songwriting is in that place where you’re in touch with what’s happening for you. If things are too painful to be in touch with, then good luck writing a song. But you can write about being numbed out, because that is a way to get back in touch. First you can acknowledge, “Oh, I’m numbed out.” That’s like your trailhead, that’s your way back into what you’re feeling. It’s really important, because that is a feeling in itself.

It’s one thing connecting to put pen to paper and writing something in the moment, and it’s another thing staying connected throughout the whole process to that original feeling. I wanted to ask about that in relation to the gap between the first sessions and the last, and through the mixing process. How did that time affect your connection to the songs?

It’s hard. When it comes to the whole process of making a song, the time that you feel the most alive with it is the moment that it comes out of you. I’ve heard this Alex G quote about this, too, where he talks about how when he’s producing a song, creating the recording, it feels like it gets further and further and further away from that raw first moment of when it was coming out and he first demoed it. It’s not just linear like that; there are so many really beautiful moments that happen in the recording process. That’s its own creative process, especially because it’s with my friends. When they add their parts to a song, or when we play it live to track the song together – like, when we were playing ‘the weight’ and Jon ripped this amazing solo that we kept in the song, that just took it to a new place. There are parts along the way that are inspiring and giving even more life to something.

I would say mixing and mastering… not so much. Mixing and mastering have always been some of my least favorite – shout out to Mark [Watters], who mixed this record, because it’s a painful process for me, and he made it as painless as it could be. When you’re mixing, you have to put on your critical ears, so you’re taken out of just feeling it and appreciating it, because your job is to be listening to it critically. I always go through a phase when making an album in mixing where I completely hate it. [laughs] The thing is, I just have to know that that’s what happens to me. I’m going to go through this phase where I don’t like a single thing, and it feels like nails on a chalkboard. I don’t think it’s just me, but that’s a consistent reality for me, and I just have to take a break from it for a while.

Unfortunately, towards the end of making a record is when I feel the least connected to it, because you’ve distended your energy on this thing, and I’m like, “I just want to write songs. I don’t want to record, I don’t want to mix, I don’t want to master, I just want to write songs. Why am I even doing this?” So part of me is just relieved that we’re putting this record out. I want to go back to the part of being an artist that I really identify with, which is writing songs.

In terms of the recording, do you have a vocal performance on the album that you’re really proud of? ‘why does my heart’ is especially moving to me.

I’m glad you say that. That was just a practice take. I had just written the song within weeks of when we recorded it, right before the recording session, January 2024, so it was new to us. We were figuring out how we wanted to play it, with what instruments, so we just set up one mic in the middle of the room, and we were just all around it. We did a few takes with different instruments, and that was just one of the practice takes, and we just kept it. We were like, “What if it was just this? What if we just didn’t try harder on this?” The only thing is we added little pieces of Dobro after the fact, super subtle. But other than that, it’s this one mono take. It’s vulnerable to do that, so it means a lot. I like to have a mix of those things – some vocals are live on the record and some vocals are more comped, trying to get the best version of it.

For me, ‘the whole thing’ is one of the funnest songs to sing. I’m fundamentally a singer – before any of this, I just like to sing – so it just feels good to do that. I love doing harmony arrangements, so I got to add a bunch on that song.

As a whole, The Underworld is so wrapped up in the idea of destiny, which you directly address on the closing track. I’m sure your feelings around a lot of things have kind of changed since writing these songs, and I wonder if you speak to whether that’s true about fate, the way it registers in you.

I think it’s something that I struggle with, and that’s documented in all of these songs. I think that sometimes a connection – a romantic connection – can open up whole dimensions of reality for both of you, that you feel like you can only access through that person or that relationship. And those new dimensions of this magical reality feel like the most real, important, meaningful, beautiful thing. It can be hard to imagine that you’re supposed to do anything except move towards it. It feels like, without that, things are just flat.

I think that we live in a very magical reality. The way reality works is really squishy, and I’ve come to know that a lot more intimately since writing those songs. I think I always knew it, but my experience of metaphysical reality has expanded a lot in the past couple of years.Something that was really important for me to do was to rediscover that that magical layer of reality was something that was actually fundamental to me and how I experienced things, and that I didn’t need any other person in particular to experience that. I do think that if we’re really in love with someone, that probably doesn’t go away. I don’t necessarily feel like I’m ever going to not feel that way about that relationship that I wrote about so much. But what I did discover is that I have access to my own magic, and that I could reclaim that, and that I needed to put myself at the center of my destiny, so to speak. Someone else can’t be at the center of that for you. 

Tying this back to the idea of musical destiny, something that comes up in these interviews is identifying the moment you first realized you’re meant to be doing this. But I understand that’s a realization that recurs, that you also circle back around, and I wonder if you can share the last time you remember having that thought.

I hope this isn’t too preachy – I just believe that, if you’re curious or excited about something, that is your destiny. If you are curious about it, if you’re excited about it, if you feel genuine desire to do something – it doesn’t matter if it’ll make you money, or if it’ll earn you anything, or if anyone will look at it or like it at all – none of that matters. If you feel curious, or excited, or it makes you feel connected to yourself, then that is your destiny. I think we are meant – born – with things that we’re meant to do, and I think that that feeling of curiosity and excitement and enlivenment is the compass towards those things, so it doesn’t really matter whether we think that we’re that good at them, or whether they’re gonna do anything – this or that for our life to make us secure, or have a reputation. I really think it’s just about whether we feel that internal little fluttering about wanting to do it. That means it’s your destiny. 


This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.

Sadurn’s The Underworld is out October 16 via Run for Cover.