Keeping up with technological advancements like metered billing software is not only advantageous but essential. As an artist, designer, writer, or musician, you’ve likely noticed the shift in how transactions are handled in your field. The days of cumbersome paper invoices and lost checks are gone.
Today, digital payments and invoicing systems have transformed business interactions, offering freedom, flexibility, and secure ways to manage your financial transactions.
Let’s explore how these innovative systems improve operations and reshape tcreative sectors. As you delve into these changes, remember that tools like metered billing software and A/B testing tools are leading the way, ensuring that your creative output aligns with equally innovative business practices.
The need for transaction speed and simplicity has catalyzed the transition to digital payments. As a creative professional, you’ve experienced the frustration of delayed payments that can stifle your workflow and financial planning.
Digital payment systems address these challenges head-on by facilitating instant transfers of money. Whether selling your artwork online or billing for a freelance coding project, digital platforms offer a straightforward, user-friendly solution that ensures you get paid quickly and reliably.
Moreover, digital invoicing complements these payment systems by streamlining the billing process. You can generate detailed invoices and send them directly to your clients’ email inboxes with a few clicks.
These digital documents reduce the risk of lost or overlooked invoices and enable better tracking of your earnings and expenditures. Tools embedded within these systems can automatically update your financial records, offering real-time insights into your business’s fiscal health, which all businesses need.
The Power of Metered Billing
The role of metered billing software in this digital transformation cannot be overstated. This software automates the billing process based on actual usage or predefined metrics, particularly for creatives offering subscription-based services or charging by project milestones.
For instance, imagine you are a graphic designer who charges by the hour or a software developer who offers tiered subscription services. Metered billing software can accurately track the time spent or the services utilized, ensuring that your invoices reflect the precise amount owed. This enhances transparency and builds trust with your clients, as they pay only for what they consume.
In parallel, the best A/B testing tools have become powerful for creatives who manage their marketing and sales platforms. If you’re using a website to showcase your portfolio or sell products, A/B testing allows you to experiment with different layouts, content, and features to see what resonates best with your audience.
This is critical because your online presence is often the first point of interaction with potential clients. By optimizing your website or sales platform using A/B testing, you can significantly increase user engagement and, consequently, sales conversions.
These digital tools collectively foster a more dynamic and responsive business environment. They allow you to focus more on your creative work rather than get bogged down by administrative tasks, opening up new opportunities and allowing for expansion.
Digital platform avenues are integrated networks that can connect other creatives and clients from around the world. Freelancers and small studios seeking to expand their reach beyond local markets will find this a major boon.
The Future of Digital Transactions
Yet, as with any technological adoption, the shift to digital payments and invoicing comes with challenges. Concerns about digital security, the learning curve associated with new software, and the need for consistent internet access are valid considerations.
However, creative industries are uniquely positioned to adapt and innovate in the face of these challenges, instilling a sense of confidence and security. After all, creativity is about embracing change and reimagining possibilities, and creative industries are leading the way in this.
The rise of digital payments and invoicing in the creative industries is more than just a trend. It’s a significant shift towards more efficient, transparent, and global business practices. As you continue to navigate your creative endeavors, embracing these tools can streamline your business operations and enhance your capacity to connect with clients and audiences worldwide.
Netflix’s Geek Girl has garnered a lot of attention for its fun, wholesome, and enchanting aura. The series based on Holly Smale’s coming-of-age novel stars Emily Carey as Harriet Manners, who gets scouted by a major London model agency and is thrown into a whirlwind of events.
Here are the best stills from season 1 of Geek Girl.
Based on a novel by Holly Smale, Geek Girl is a new Netflix TV series which follows Harrit Manners (Emily Carey), whose life is turned upside down when she gets thrown into the fashion industry. She has no idea what she’s getting into: tight agents, offbeat designers, impossibly high heels, and a cute supermodel with a great smile.
With the release of Season 1, the show garnered a lot of attention, with its ten episodes full of drama, comedy, and wholesome moments. In light of a growing fanbase, we’ll be looking at the potential of season 2 of Geek Girl, the cast that forms the show, and rumours flying about it.
Geek Girl Season 2 Release Date
Netflix has not made any official announcements about Geek Girl season 2. However, with its rating and viewership success, the show may be renewed for another season if the producers and executives at the streaming platform approve.
Talking about the potential renewal of the showEmily Carey stated “I know it’s so cliche, and every actor says this about their show, but it is like a family. We all get along so well. And I adore them. We had the best summer. And so the thought of being able to do that again is very exciting.”
Geek Girl Cast
Emily Carey as Harriet Manners
Emmanuel Imani as Wilbur Evans
Sarah Parish as Jude Paignton
Liam Woodrum as Nick Park
Tim Downie as Richard Manners
Zac Looker as Toby Pilgrim
Jemima Rooper as Annabel Manners
Sandra Yi Sencindiver as Yuji Lee
Daisy Jelley as Poppy Hepple-Cartwright
Rochelle Harrington as Natalie Grey
Is Geek Girl based on a true story?
While not fully factual, Geek Girl is based on some of the events in the life of Holly Smale. The book is an adaption of Smale’s debut novel with the same title.
Does Harriet have autism in Geek Girl?
Geek Girl does not describe Harriet’s character as autistic or neurodiverse, but her enthusiasm for subjects, her wearing headphones in the classroom, and her internal dialogue, which is presented through voiceover in busy or loud environments, arguably imply to the possibility of a possible diagnosis.
Rich House, Poor House is one of the most beloved TV shows in Britain, currently having ten seasons across different platforms like Channel 5 and Netflix. It asks the question, can money buy happiness? As it observes two families, who live an utterly contrasting lifestyle. The working class and the comfortably wealthy.
The social experiment-esque show has become a fan-favourite throughout households not just for pure entertainment value but also for the insights into lifestyles many don’t get to see every day. It’s certainly a thriller, which is why the show has gained so much popularity on Netflix recently.
Rich House, Poor House: Season 7 Where to Watch It
Due to the rights and licensing, Rich House, Poor House Season 7 is currently on Channel 5, the show’s original host. Season 7 has 12 episodes, each lasting around 60 minutes.
Season 7 can be watched on re-runs on TV and also on Channel 5’s online app, My5.
Where to Watch All the Seasons of Rich House, Poor House
As mentioned above, there are ten seasons of the show, but there isn’t a single streaming provider that showcases all of them on the platform. So, here is our breakdown of all of the seasons of Rich House, Poor House and how to watch them.
Season 1 – Netflix
Season 2 – Netflix
Season 3 – Netflix / My5 / Channel5
Season 4 – Netflix / My5 / Channel5
Season 5 – Netflix
Season 6 – Netflix
Season 7 – My5 / Channel5
Season 8 – My5 / Channel5
Season 9 – My5 / Channel5
Season 10 – My5 / Channel5
How to Apply to be on Rich House, Poor House
At the moment, the show is produced by Emporium Productions. To apply to become a family on the show, you need to send an email to RHPH@emporiumproductions.co.uk with your income status and why you should be on the show.
Directed by Brad Peyton, Atlas is an action sci-fi movie following Atlas Shepherd (Jennifer Lopez), a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence who joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. But when plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.
The film has had mixed critical reception but has been praised for its visuals, production and Lopez’ performance, withEddie Harrison of Film Authority stating: “… it’s hard to think of any other performer who could make a decent fist of the kind of AI gibberfest featured in Atlas, but Lopez somehow manages it…”
The cast of Atlas includes Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla, and Mark Strong.
Whether you are a seasoned horse rider or just starting out, finding the right equestrian riding pants is essential for your comfort and performance in the saddle. With countless options available online, it can be overwhelming to navigate through all the choices. This guide aims to simplify the process and help you make an informed decision when buying equestrian riding pants online.
Understand Your Needs
Before diving into the vast world to buy equestrian riding pants, take a moment to evaluate your specific needs and preferences. Consider factors such as your riding discipline, weather conditions, and personal style. Different types of riding may require specific features in pants. For example, if you participate in dressage or show jumping, you may prefer full-seat breeches that provide extra grip and stability. On the other hand, if you enjoy trail riding or endurance competitions, consider lightweight and breathable options that offer more flexibility.
Take Measurements
To ensure a proper fit when shopping for equestrian riding pants online, it is crucial to take accurate measurements of your waist, hips, inseam length, and thigh circumference. Use a flexible measuring tape for precise results. Remember that different brands may have their sizing charts. Consistent waistline measurements are especially important since improperly fitted pants can cause discomfort during long rides.
Read Product Descriptions Carefully
When browsing various online retailers or marketplaces selling equestrian gear, pay close attention to product descriptions provided by the sellers. Thoroughly read about the materials used, special features like reinforced knee patches or silicone grip panels, and any unique technology used in construction that provides moisture-wicking or quick-drying properties. Each detail provided will contribute to a better understanding of quality hierarchies among different product options.
Check Customer Reviews
Customer reviews can provide insightful information about fitment variations across brands and overall satisfaction levels among buyers with different body types and preferences who have already made purchases. Take the time to read through genuine feedback, paying attention to both positive and negative aspects raised by customers. This will provide a well-rounded perspective on whether a particular brand or model is suitable for your needs.
Compare Prices
Comparison shopping is essential when buying equestrian riding pants online. While it’s tempting to go for the cheapest option available, keep in mind that quality should not be compromised for price alone. Higher-quality pants may come with a price tag but often prove more durable and can withstand the rigors of regular use. Consider your budget and strike a balance between cost and quality.
Consider Shipping and Return Policies
Before finalizing your purchase, remember to review the online retailer’s shipping and return policies. Ensure they offer reasonable shipping rates, timely delivery, and clear return guidelines if you need to exchange or return due to sizing issues or other concerns. Opting for sellers who provide flexible returns at no additional cost reduces potential frustration down the line.
Take Advantage of Sales and Discount Codes
Keep an eye out for sales, promotions, and discount codes when buying equestrian riding pants online. Many retailers offer discounts during holiday seasons such as Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Signing up for newsletters from your preferred equestrian stores can grant you early access to exclusive sales offers.
Follow Care Instructions
To prolong the lifespan of your riding pants, it is crucial to follow the care instructions provided by manufacturers. Machine-washable pants often need gentle cycles with mild detergent, while breeches with delicate details may require hand-washing. Proper storage—away from direct sunlight or excessive humidity—preserves fabric integrity, allowing long-term wearability.
In conclusion
finding the perfect equestrian riding pants online need not be daunting if you approach it thoughtfully and informedly. Take time to understand your individual requirements, read product descriptions carefully while checking customer reviews thoroughly, and compare prices across brands. Keep an eye out for sales, and ensure to understand and follow washing instructions, allowing your pants to remain in pristine condition. Enjoy shopping for your new set of equestrian riding pants – they are essential to any equestrian enthusiast’s wardrobe.
Staying on top of trends in the changing realm of fashion presents exciting and challenging endeavors. Fashion encompasses everything, from clothing to accessories, and provides many opportunities for individuals to express themselves. For retailers and business proprietors seeking to thrive in this field, considering the acquisition of wholesale fashion apparel and accessories could be a good decision. This article delves into the advantages of incorporating wholesale fashion apparel accessories into your offerings and why they are an investment for your enterprise.
Boosting Sales Through Diversity
A primary benefit of stocking fashion apparel accessories lies in the ability to provide customers with an array of products. By expanding your inventory with trendy accessories such as handbags, scarves, sunglasses and jewelry you can attract a customer base and drive sales.
Wholesale suppliers like Judson.biz typically furnish a range of items at affordable prices. This allows you to curate a collection that mirrors trends, letting your clientele stay stylish without straining their budgets. The increased variety also encourages repeat visits from customers keen on exploring the additions to your store.
Profitable Profit Margins
Venturing into fashion apparel accessories has the potential to enhance your standing through favorable profit margins. Since these items are usually offered at low prices when bought in huge quantities, stores can make higher profits than other products. Moreover, selling accessories typically requires more space on the sales floor than clothing or bigger items.
This enables stores to optimize their layout and increase profits using space efficiently. Adding fashion accessories to your product mix can boost revenue without sacrificing quality offerings for your clientele.
Connecting with Fashion Consumers
Nowadays, style-conscious consumers prioritize their appearance more than ever. Their accessory choices allow them to showcase their flair and experiment with looks using their existing wardrobe-essentials. Retailers who grasp this shift can capitalize on it by providing various fashion accessories that cater to diverse customer preferences.
By understanding what your target audience prefers, you can design displays that cater to different styles, such as bold, sophisticated, bohemian, or timeless. Offering choices for every taste will not only attract a wider customer base but also result in increased sales as shoppers discover accessories that perfectly complement their outfits.
Adaptable Market Strategies
The nature of the fashion sector demands flexibility and swift adaptation to market trends.
Wholesale suppliers can keep up with market trends by monitoring the global marketplace and quickly adjusting their product offerings to meet consumer demands. This enables businesses that rely on fashion accessories to stay current and aligned with the styles without investing excessive time and resources in extensive product development.
By staying updated on designs, colors, and materials from your suppliers, you can easily update your inventory based on changing market dynamics. This responsiveness to market trends not only keeps your store attractive but also helps you stay competitive in a constantly evolving fashion industry.
Enhancing Customer Loyalty
Building customer loyalty is key to understanding what motivates shoppers. Creating a sense of exclusivity can encourage repeat business from customers. Whether offering fashion accessories with limited availability or collaborating with local designers to craft custom pieces exclusive to your store, providing an element of exclusivity can make customers feel special.
Utilizing marketing platforms like media can amplify this sense of exclusivity. You can showcase your collection online, tease releases, and run promotions. Interacting with your followers not only gives you insights into their preferences but also fosters a community around your brand.
Networking With Suppliers
Engaging in the fashion industry also opens up networking opportunities that can benefit your business growth. Building connections with suppliers can bring about various advantages beyond mere product procurement. Suppliers often possess knowledge of the industry and insights into trends that they are open to sharing with their regular clients. By nurturing a relationship, you can leverage their expertise, gain access to new designs, and establish collaborations for exclusive product lines or informed purchasing decisions.
Conclusion
Opting for wholesale fashion apparel accessories proves to be an excellent decision for retailers seeking to leverage the potential of the evolving fashion sector. Offering diversity, profit margins, and alignment with consumer fashion preferences are among the benefits that make these accessories an appealing investment. Moreover, suppliers’ prompt market responses and networking opportunities contribute to customer loyalty and overall business prosperity. By incorporating fashion apparel accessories into your product mix, you position your business for expansion while staying attuned to the trends that attract today’s stylish shoppers.
Chenlu Wang is a talented UX designer whose diverse expertise spans accessibility design, tangible interface design, and urban design. After graduating from Harvard Graduate School of Design, Chenlu pursued her career at Google Youtube. Through years of experience in design, Chenlu is dedicated to using her skills for social good, volunteering as a design expert with VIVA, a global art organization that connects people through the arts.
If you are to capture highlights of your design career, what will you say?
My journey started from urban design about 10 years ago. In 2016, I was awarded Global Winner of VELUX International Design Award. For the first time, I stepped out of urban design and touched a broader scope of interactive design. Attending Harvard as well-I got professional training, explored across disciplines, and built my industry connections. Another highlight I’d say is working for Google. There’s so much to learn: collaboration with top-talents, cutting-edge technology, diverse project areas, focus on user-centered design. One last thing is my volunteer work as a designer at VIVA. I’ve been with VIVA for 5 years. I designed posters, curated exhibitions, designed workshops and hosted events – those are not daily tasks for UX designers, but only make the experience more fun and rewarding.
There are many areas of design you touched, accessibility design, ARVR, digital products, exhibition curation etc. Would you say they are different or very similar?
I’d say they are most of the time more similar than different. For all the design, there are users who we care for and serve. It’s always a type of interaction. For the digital products, users are interacting with interfaces, tabbing and swapping. For ARVR, users are interacting with the wearable in gestures. For exhibition, it’s the static interaction of the things on display with people who look at them. They are the same in that designers need to step into the users’ shoes and their journeys to understand their goals, the barriers, and help them reach the goals.
Differences exist as well. For example, in the accessibility design domain, there are more specific things to learn about in order to make reasonably good designs like color contrast and screen reader adaptability.
In your perspective, how’s the emerging technology impacting the UX design industry, and UX designer?
It boosts UX designer’s growth and the industry’s growth, and it alters the way we design. Emerging tech is not something new at all. Back in the 1950s, human machine interaction as a term was developed for the first time. The earliest interaction stems back to the command-line interface, nothing like the interfaces we interact with everyday today e.g. mobile, laptop, ATMs. We are already adopting new tech’s impact on UX like voice user interface, ARVR, and brain computer interface. They are not dominant yet, but developing fast.
In the field of UX design, sometimes technology goes first and we work on applying this to a field that’s most usable and accessible to everyone. It’s kind of like “the food here is so good, but how do we cook it?” Other times, we have great ideas and wait for technology to reach a point that’s mature enough to bring to industry at large scale. It’s more like “I know what I want to eat and what I can cook with that, I am waiting for the fruit to grow.”
As we discussed before, the key core is always the same in interaction design: designing for the users, understanding their goals and helping them go there through interacting with the devices, environment and machine. Those machines were command lines in the 1950s, are interfaces today, and might be our brains in the upcoming 10 years. Emerging technology will only change the methodology, but not the thing we are going to do itself.
What’s your perspective on AI’s application in design? There are concerns that AI is replacing designers.
I am more optimistic here. AI frees me from time-consuming labor work, allowing me more time and energy on highly-complex work. When looking for design ideas, I can spend less time collecting mood board resources but instead, get a dozen ready there for me to digest with a few lines of input. When working on a deck, I no longer need to look for images, but could generate ones that speak the exact story. And when I need to check the meeting recordings, I could spend 70% less time by reading the smart notes. That’s why I believe with the new technology application, there will be a new dynamic balance of supply and demand. It’s nothing like there were 100 jobs, AI does 50 so there’s only 50 left for humans. It’s like people will create another 1000+ job needs because designers are placed at meaningful tasks that will generate new demands to match the supply.
AI’s application in design and technology is also not new. Search engines are powered by AI. Generative AI is now boosting, and there will be more areas and fields to apply that like ads, creative marketing and many more. AI is not replacing us, it’s assisting us. And AI is not perfect today. It needs humans in the loop to do the fine-tuning, correction and “education” to serve people of various abilities and dimensions of identities better.
The members who make up the Austin indie rock quartet Good Looks – Tyler Jordan, Jake Ames, Robert Cherry, and Phillip Dunne – were all born and raised in small Texas towns. Jordan and Ames met the Kerrville Folk Festival in Central Texas, where their circle of friends grew to include pre-Big Thief Adrienne Lenker and Buck Meek. After releasing records under a few different monikers (including one produced by Lenker and Meek), Good Looks’ radiant debut LP, Bummer Year, arrived via Keeled Scales in 2022, four years after it was originally completed. After the band celebrated the release with a hometown show, however, Ames was hit by a car and fractured his skull and tailbone; healing took time, but he quickly found he could still play guitar and sing, and has since fully recovered from his injuries. The following month, Good Looks reunited with producer/engineer Dan Duszynski to record their sophomore album, out today.
While debuting several of its songs on tour, the group was involved in another serious accident: their van was struck from behind by a car traveling at high speed, and within minutes, their vehicle – along with their instruments, merch, and records – was engulfed in flames. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, and Jordan played some solo shows before the band joined him to finish the run. These hardships are undeniably an important part of the band’s story, but Jordan has yet to write a song about them. Still, Lived Here for a While is an auspicious and sneakily triumphant record that highlights their dynamic interplay, even during the more contemplative moments. The songs are, however open-hearted and anthemic, still centered around healing, whether dealing with family dysfunction, heartbreak, or the fractured country they call home. Jordan is a painfully aware songwriter, and his bandmates know how to tap into his concerns; together, they push through.
We caught up with Good Looks’ Tyler Jordan for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about his friendship with Jake Ames, his upbringing, the hardships the band has endure, and more.
I heard you’re out of town, is that right?
Yeah, I’m out at this folk festival right now. It’s an 18-day-long festival; I got here a little early to set up the camp. It’s called the Kerrville Folk Festival, it’s named after a little town. It’s been happening since 1972, and it’s awesome. I’ve been coming out here since 2009.
How does it feel this year?
Well, there aren’t many people here yet. It’s mostly older folks that I know. The first week, I usually just hang out by myself because it’s so much interaction and talking to people the rest of the time that it’s nice to hang out alone for a few days and get in the mindset. Mostly I’ve just been reading, swimming, getting coffee in town. It’s nice.
I know that’s where you met Jake as well. What are your memories of that time?
That’s right. We met out there maybe nine years ago. It’s been a long time. I volunteered for years at this festival, and he was on my crew – I ran this crew, which was kind of like a record store out at the folk festival. He was a friend of a friend, and I didn’t know him well. He was like a kid, you know. [laughs] Jake’s only a year younger than me, but he has a much younger spirit. He was probably 26 or 27, but he seemed like a teenager, very bright-eyed. Really how we got to know each other is we played this other folk festival – it was at the beach, and they had all these vacation rentals that they got for the artists, and they just happened to put us in the same little condo. We just hit it off and have been friends ever since. It took us a couple of years before we even started playing music together, but we would go to shows together a lot. Jake was new to Austin at that point, and I was showing him around and introducing him to the good bands in town.
On the song ‘Self-destructor’, you sort of address where your drive for music comes from, which I’m sure is a question that often gets directed at you. You sing, “Mine was put there by my parents, a place for me to hide/ And if I didn’t have it, I probably would have died.” It stands out as a single, but you feel the weight of it in the context of the songs that come before, like ‘Day of Judgment’, which revolves around your upbringing in quite a detailed and visceral way. Can you talk more broadly about the role music had for you growing up in relation to these songs?
First off, I’m really impressed. That’s very thorough listening. I’ve had a few interviews so far and no one’s taken that out, so thank you for listening. But I… yeah, I had a hard childhood. My parents were extremely religious, and it’s kind of a small, cult-like religion. It’s very repressive and judgmental. I don’t know how to explain it, really, other than they think most of the world was going to hell. So, music was a lifeline. After seventh grade, I was homeschooled and cut off from the world in a lot of ways. I was 13 in the year 2000, so Napster and downloading music was the thing. I was just at the house, downloading music, listening to music, and it was my only contact with what normal people were like. [laughs] My parents and upbringing were so unusual, and even my town was very small and conservative. As soon as I picked up a guitar, I was writing in my room a lot. It was a two-story house, and my room was upstairs, and I could play guitar and sing all night without my parents hearing. It saved me through some really hard times.
Was music also an escape from that world, or were you sort of subconsciously writing about it?
I don’t know. At the time, I was just writing songs about girls. [laughs] It was a very basic, primitive drive to write songs. Maybe it was also to be understood. And I was obsessed with the idea of being a rock and roll star – as a kid, you’re dreaming, anything is possible. It’s so long ago, it’s hard to understand what the motivations were back then; you’re just doing it, like breathing.
One thing that struck me is that while there are songs about romantic relationships on the album, it really addresses family directly, all the way through to the closer. From a lyrical perspective, was it daunting to have that be an overriding thread on the album, rather than including more veiled references?
I just write very literally and directly; that’s just my writing style. Partially because if I’ve written a song about someone, I want them to know it’s about them. [laughs] That’s how I move through songwriting, I try to be as honest and vulnerable as possible. It’s just upfront, and that’s the story. I understand some people are more private or some things are too personal to share, but I don’t think I ever feel that. Like I said, one of my drives for songwriting is to be understood. If I can do that in plain language and have it be clear what I’m talking about, then I feel like I succeed in those moments.
But I think that’s maybe what people like about the songwriting, too. As a kid, I was always frustrated when I’d listen to other artists and wanted to know more of the story. You hear a song and you’re like, “What are they talking about?” I want there to be a story that’s easy to follow along. I grew up listening to a lot of grunge music, I was really into Nirvana and Alice in Chains, all of these ‘90s alternative bands, and everything is so obscure. The lyrics are nonsense sometimes. I think sometimes my writing is almost a reaction to that.
The final song on the record specifically, ‘Why Don’t You Believe Me?’, feels like a plea to be understood. It’s not just plainly presenting a story, like you said, but almost like a letter. Was that a conscious way of making it even more direct?
I’m not sure. I will say, there’s a lot of flow to it. It’s often the opposite of self-consciousness. A lot of times, writing, you’re just tapping into something; some people think it’s the universe, I think maybe it’s just your subconscious. I don’t really know what it is, but you just get into a flow. I think the best songs, you’re maybe not thinking too much, you’re just doing it. It’s not something I’m really thinking about.
I’m curious if it’s the same for the instrumentation. ‘Day of Judgment’ is also one of the noisier songs on the album, which is indicative of a larger musical shift from Bummer Year. Would you say that the themes of these songs ended up defining the direction you went with them musically?
This is a roundabout response, but I write the songs alone, and I come up with the chord progressions and words by myself. Then I bring the songs, kind of fully-formed but just guitar, to the band, and then we arrange together. They’re very separate, in a lot of ways. I don’t think about that aspect of it a lot. We get in the room, and we start working on a song, and we make choices based on just what we think sounds good. I think the shift in the sound from one record to the next has to do with there being a lot of time in between. The first record was recorded in 2018, and we had to wait a long time to put it out because of the pandemic. Those songs are from 2015 to 2018, and most of these songs were written during the pandemic. So, I think there’s just a shift in style because there’s growth in what we were listening to and interested in.
And then the other thing, I think Jake is fully formed as a guitar player now. When the first record came out, he was figuring it out, but between the two records, he’s become outrageously good. I think guitar players are like songwriters too, in the sense that they find their voice or style, and I think he has found his style. I think that had a lot to do with it. Specifically with ‘Self-destructor’, I never would have arranged a song like that. When he started playing the guitar part on the verse with the sixteenth notes, it made me angry. I was like, “Why so many notes?” I was immediately againist it, and the other guys in the band had to be like, “No, no, it’s cool.” So, some of it’s just a push and pull. A lot of what I think we do well is the juxtaposition between Jake and me. We have very different brains and very different musical interests, and a lot of the sound is those two things synthesized.
I’m interested in that separation you mentioned, before and after you bring the songs to the band. The story of Lived Here for a While, as it’s laid out in the press release, is framed between two accidents: one during the launch party for Bummer Year in April 2022, and the other on the first day of your tour in July 2023. I understand that these songs were already written before Jake’s accident, and I’m curious how they existed in your mind before you had to think about recording or performing them, and the ways they were transformed afterward. When you think back on it, how do you conceptualize that trajectory?
Most of these songs, like I said, are from the pandemic. The song ‘If It’s Gone’ is a breakup song – I went through that breakup kind of on day one of the pandemic. Everything was shutting down, SXSW got cancelled, and I was in this band with my partner at the time. We had a tour planned for April, and the day she cancelled the tour dates, she broke up with me. [laughs] There’s a couple of songs – the last song on the record is an old song, it’s from 12 years ago. I had recorded it in a much more stripped-down version, and I had always wanted to do a bigger, full-band recording of it. That song felt connected to some of the other family songs, because it’s about my mom – there are references in ‘Self-destructor’, and ‘Can You See Me Tonight’ is about my mom, and ‘Day of Judgment’, so it just felt very connected. But most of the songs are from that time during the pandemic – before that, I was kind of stuck. I wasn’t writing a lot before, and that relationship ending, for whatever reason, everything was just flowing, even the songs that aren’t about relationships.
And then with the stuff with the accident, I guess it does affect how they were recorded because it was so soon afterward. We started the recording like three months after the accident with Jake, I think. I don’t know – it feels like the accidents have affected every part of our lives, and yet I don’t feel them in the writing yet. Even the new songs, like, I haven’t written anything about those accidents. It’s weird. Especially the last one, where we all could have died. I don’t know what that is. I don’t know if it’s like my brain doesn’t want to deal with it, but I don’t feel it in the songs. It doesn’t feel connected, you know what I mean? It’s such a part of the press release, because a lot of times, people are looking for a story to tell along with the music, so it feels significant – and it is. But when I think about those songs and that record, I don’t think about the accident. They feel separate, or they feel like they’re from two different things, which doesn’t make sense.
I feel like there’s the expectation that the story of the songs and the story of the band have to be intertwined. And maybe maybe one day you will write a song about it, but that line just hasn’t been drawn yet. Even if it doesn’t feed into the music, can you describe to me, in any tangible way, what it meant for you to stand by each other after each accident?
With Jake’s accident, where he got the skull fracture and fractured tailbone and everything, that one was really wild because as it was happening, it was not clear what the outcome was going to be. Traumatic brain injury is very different for everyone, and he was very messed up for the first few weeks, so it wasn’t clear – I didn’t even know if I was going to be making music with him. I was at the hospital every day – me and his mom and his girlfriend at the time were more or less caretaking, advocating for him to the medical professionals. And afterward, the medical system is such a mess here, having to set up all the follow-up appointments is such a pain in the ass. I was over at his house a lot after, so it was just a lot of time with him and myself.
Once we got home from the hospital, it was clear that the music wasn’t affected. Even though he was so wonky and he was saying crazy stuff, just very different personality, he came home and started playing guitar immediately, and it felt normal, like the music part was just totally untouched in his brain. I thought that was really fascinating. I think that sort of changed my brain around what we’re doing. Everything can be taken away so quickly. I bought an acoustic guitar from a friend during that time period; I have a friend who hand-makes guitars, and they’re really expensive and I had put off buying one for a long time. But I realized that the only thing you have a little bit of control over is yourself and your writing. Everything else – people can die, bands break up, things happen and change. That accident, even though Jake experienced it, really shook me up a lot.
The second accident – I feel like that one affected the guys more. My brain, after we got in that van accident, immediately went into crisis mode, trying to figure out how to finish the tour and move through it. I don’t know that that brought us closer together; if anything, they were a little upset at me [laughs] for trying to push through too hard. I think it did bring us closer together eventually, but at first – I remember I was in the hospital, we went to the emergency room afterwards, and I was trying to figure out all this stuff to get back out there. I think that’s just the way my brain works. When things are traumatic, I want to get into the logical world and fix things. I think the guys were really beat up and struggling after that.
But I also think a huge part of our story is just perseverance. We’re all a little bit older – a lot of indie rock bands are probably 10 years younger than us that are in the position we’re in. A lot of that is we just never gave up, we kept writing, kept doing things. I was in Austin for 15 years before anything happened as far as a record label and putting the pieces together. A huge part of our story is: we’re dialed in, and this is what we want to do. Everybody has their life set up, their jobs are flexible so we can go on tour whenever we need to. It’s just how we move through the world at this point.
When you were driving to those solo shows, what was going through your mind? What did that time alone solidify in you about the band, music, or just yourself?
I really enjoyed playing those shows. When I left to play the shows, I didn’t know if the band was going to come back or not. The guys were a little more banged up than I was, even physically, especially Jake and Phil, who were in the back seats and got thrown over the seats in the wreck. Initially, I decided to play those shows solo because I felt some guilt around – the booking company put in all this work to book these shows, and they only make money if we play the shows. It just felt terrible to cancel everything. My thought process was: maybe the band sees me out there, they’ll want to come, maybe they’ll heal up a little bit and think, “We should get out there.” And that’s what happened.
Playing those solo shows – there’s nothing more therapeutic than playing music. That’s what it’s always been for me. Getting to play a show in a different city every night, seeing your friends, singing your songs is so therapeutic. It just felt incredible after going through such a traumatic event. There’s no place I would rather be than doing that. And then when the guys joined me – we met up about a week in – it felt like we were indestructible. And some of those were bad. There was a couple of shows that were not well attended, felt kind of bleak. [laughs] But it just felt like we could get through anything at that point. It was nice to do a few shows alone, but I was so glad to have the band back out; rolling into a town as a unit, as a team, you’ve got your buddies, you’ve got backup if anything goes wonky.
You used the word therapeutic, and you’ve talked about having gone to therapy for 10 years. That kind of seeps into the language of songs like ‘Self-destructor’ and even the way you’re talking about these experiences now. How do you see the relationship between music and therapy? Are they separated in your mind, or do they feed into each other?
They are so closely related to me. Music was therapy before I had therapy. They are the same thing; in my mind at least, you are analyzing your brain. When you go to therapy, you’re talking out with another person, and maybe they point out things you didn’t realize, or through that process you’re shining light on different parts of how your brain works. Everybody has things from their childhood, these little patterns or ways they move through the world that maybe don’t serve them anymore – maybe they did when they were a kid, and maybe when you’re an adult, it doesn’t work the same way, so you kind of need to change.
But writing songs is like that, too, because you learn things about yourself that you didn’t know. Things will come out in songs that you are not aware of, they were just in your subconscious. When I write new songs, sometimes I take my guitar to therapy. I talk about songs with my therapist directly, we talk about the lyrics. It’s very connected. I would not be able to do the things I do musically without therapy. That is the only reason we are in the position we are as a band. I failed for so many years because I wasn’t fully there; I felt like I wasn’t ready in many ways. There was a lot of self-sabotage, not trusting people, not letting people in. Those journeys are very connected to me.
Given everything we’ve talked about, why did the title Lived Here for a While feel fitting? The “for a while” of it, especially?
It’s interesting. When we were talking about the title, we were throwing around album photos as well, like the cover photo. I was looking at that house, and I was thinking about how I’ve always been a renter. I’ve never owned a house or anything. I lived in Austin for 17 years. Me and my partener moved to a small town outside of Austin, but in those 17 years, I probably lived in at least 12 places. That house on the cover really reminded me of a house I had lived in previously, kind of shabby and drab and sad. The fence is in disrepair because the owners don’t really care, that kind of thing. It feels connected to a lot of what the songs on this record are about. There’s a lot of goodbye in the lyrics, they’re a lot about making sense of the time before. The way I think about this record a lot is moving from my 20s and early 30s and saying goodbye to the things that didn’t serve me. Even in that context, it’s almost like I lived in that world for a while and then moved on to where I am now, which is a totally different space.
There’s just something so temporary about always renting a place. So often, you’re forced to move; they sell the house or the rent goes up. You don’t have much control over the situation, so you have to move through it with grace. You’re like, “This is just a place where I used to live, and now I’m moving forward.”
How does that compare to the idea of home for you? Does it feel more permanent in any way?
I’m not sure. I think I say it in the line in ‘If It’s Gone’: “I always feel so lonely when a lover leaves my life.” I haven’t talked to my parents in 12 years, and I don’t have a relationship with them. So it’s like, I don’t go home – I don’t go to my childhood home. I don’t go back to my hometown. In some ways, a lot of times, my relationships are the thing that I’m most tethered to. And I also think homeownership sometimes gives people a false sense of security or a false sense that things are unchanging, but things are always changing, and you’re just riding the wave of what’s happening. It’s a little bit present in ‘If It’s Gone’, but I’ve been getting really into meditation the last four years. So much of it is the breath, and the practice that I follow is connected to Thich Nhat Hanh and the idea is that home is the breath. A lot of the mantras, when you’re doing a walking meditation, one of the things they say is, “I have arrived. I’m home, in the here, in the now.” Returning to the breath – in some ways, that feels more like home than anything else, because it anchors you into what you always have, which is the present moment.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
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Bitcoin casinos have gained immense popularity due to their unique advantages, such as privacy, security, and fast transactions. As a result, many traditional casinos are now looking to integrate crypto payments.
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