"Flowers" for Spring...groundbreaking | ZIRMAIL NO.2
Okok time for another one of these. SPRING EDITION.
I told myself I was going to do a Bowie drag number for Bowie’s birthday back in October and sure enough on Jan 8th I did my first official (no instruments on stage, just me in swimsuit bottoms, orange hair, and ~a dream~) drag show at Purgatory. People ask me if I’ll do another drag show and my answer is, yes of course, I’m sure I will at some point! It took a surprising amount of effort to put a single number together. If anyone has ideas of a song to perform next please send it my way : )
February was filled with lots of time in the studio. There was a week I felt like I lived at Better Company in Fort Greene. Cooking up some amazing stuff with Taylor Pearlstein and Claire Ozmun Band (COB). An album of fantastical rock n’ roll proportions in in the works with the latter. Claire released her Dying In The Wool music video, a BTS for it, and a website all of which you should go check out.
The highlight of March was for sure getting to play Jesse French’s music in their project called Infinite Jess at a fire-hazard-level packed OWL Music Parlor. Their music is dizzyingly intricate, magical, and inspiring to me and my own artistry. Florid, also on the bill, made me want to pay a $50 ticket just to be there basking in their divineness. Go see them play when you can! I also got to play some cajon for Beche (and didn’t hurt my hand this time) at the same venue, equally as packed, for their single release show.
Last week Halsey and I played a Pip The Band show, just the 2 of us, that felt so spiritually rejuvenating. Probably the one of the most authentic I’ve felt onstage in part to the timelessness and dreaminess of Halsey’s music. You can check out an ZIRMAIL EXCLUSIVE recording of the night here.
As for my own music, we are still actively cooking, please be patient (but also someone please come over and strap me into my chair and force me to look down the barrel of logic pro and say, “I DO NOT FEAR YOU”). Hoping to give people SOMEthing by the end of the year. Trying to be the primary musician, producer, and engineer for my project while trying to incorporate elements of music production I know little about continues to be a huge struggle (I pray worthwhile). Andy Waldron, if you are reading this, I owe you a demo. No shows for Zir as of now but open to hoping on a bill if someone gives me enough notice👀
Music:
in btwn by Slugs
Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory — I recently followed bassist Devra Hoff’s substack where she breaks down all the bass lines from the album
“Disease”, “Perfect Celebrity”, and “Garden of Eden” from the new Gaga record
Moses Sumney — someone at a house show told me to listen to them after hearing me sing and I can’t remember who it was but whoever you are, thank you for blessing my ears. I watched their Performance in V Acts and was blown away.
“Quarter Life” & “Laymen” by Beche
I’m getting deeper into house/techno — send recs!
I’ve discovered Zoe Blade, a synthesizer aficionado on youtube. She’s fantastic.
Frou Frou
Revisiting old favs like GLOW ON by Turnstile and Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain (the 2 genders, I contain multitudes, etc)
Books:
the Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas series. Absolutely loving the way it smooths my brain in these rough brain times. I’m starting Kingdom of Ash. Painfully awaiting the next ACOTAR book announcement…
Love In A F*cked Up World by Dean Spade — There is no one I wouldn’t recommend this book to!!! Was crazy to read in the middle of a fantasy series that is overflowing with the romance myths Spade urges us to get realistic about lol.
On*x St*rm by R*becca Yarr*s was the worst written book I’ve ever read. Do NOT fall for this series!!! let the swifties have it.
Movies/TV:
Flow — so cute and makes you THINK
Mutt — fantastic movie on transness in relationships
Yellowjackets - girl…
Things I’d love to know from you if you wanna chat:
If you have any must-have, fav plug-ins
A moment where you felt most authentic
Until my next trip to earth,
Zir Indigo