Melody & Muse

June 30th 2025

Survive Lewis Capaldi PREVIEW   ​

It’s wonderful to see Lewis back. One of the most gifted songwriters of our generation, his rise from pubs and bars to the biggest stages in the world was meteoric and so was the weight that came with it. When he stepped away to care for his mental health, it was a sobering reminder that success doesn’t shield us from struggle. I found myself thinking about him often, hoping he was healing. Now, hearing Survive, it’s clear he’s emerged with something even deeper.

The song is raw, honest, and heartbreakingly human. The line “How long till you know that in truth you know nothing at all?” floored me. I’ve been sitting with that lately, the urge to understand everything, to fix and prevent and control. But there was a magic time, especially in childhood, when I didn’t need answers to feel at peace and live joyfully. I just existed. I played. I flowed.

Somewhere along the way, thinking took over. Useful at times, but eventually suffocating. This song reminded me that survival isn’t always about solving the mystery, but learning to live and love within it.

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for my old me rüüdy. PREVIEW   ​

This came on recently whilst I was feeling a moment of lightness that I haven't in a while, maybe since I was 15 listening to Flume in the garden with my lil bro with not a care in the world. Life can naturally get heavy as we grow older, both literally and conceptually and it's an act of courage to defy that. Not an act of denying reality but an act of staying open to it and seeing it through youthful, wonder fuelled eyes. It's such a light sound that also acknowledges the longing and pain that life can hold.
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The title itself felt like a note to that version of me who saw the light the world had to offer and wanted to embody it, that I'm still here, still adventuring with curiosity and fervour filling my sails. The storms have and will keep coming through and despite that I will endeavour to keep the ropes feeling light in my hands because what a joy it is to have an ocean to explore.

Show Me Big Gigantic, Koastle, Emili... PREVIEW   ​

I've always had a thing for unapologetically electric songs. This track from Big Gigantic, Koastle and vocalist Emilia Ali is nothing short of a welcomed, synthesised punch in the face when the drop comes in.

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Jimmy Carr

“Celebration is gratitude in action”

One of my favourite quotes from the podcast I’ve linked below really stayed with me. Gratitude is something we hear about all the time, and for good reason, but the way it was framed here hit different. It reminded me how vital it is to celebrate our wins, not necessarily by throwing huge parties or losing sight of our bigger vision, but simply by acknowledging and soaking in the moments as they come.

Move the goalposts if you need to, keep dreaming big, just make sure you take a second to notice that you scored before you sprint off to the next thing. It doesn’t always have to be a big win. The fact that you are here, living and breathing, feeling and exploring the world through your own adventure is cause for celebration.

Unknown

“A man asked a gardener why his plants grow so beautifully, he said 'I don't force them to grow. I remove what stops them”

It’s an impactful shift to stop asking what do I need more of? and instead ask, what do I need to let go of?

Maybe it’s a commitment that no longer feels aligned. A habit that drains you. An expectation that’s quietly weighing you down. Growth doesn’t always come from adding sometimes it’s the clearing that makes the space to bloom.

I’m writing this as much for myself as anyone. It’s easy to make life, and creativity, harder than it needs to be. To expect so much from yourself in every direction. You can do anything you want, you just can’t do everything you want.

Sometimes you have all the right ingredients, but the environment isn’t right. The soil’s wrong. There’s not enough light. Or maybe the plants around you are soaking up your energy. It’s a tough metaphor, but a useful one.

If something isn’t working or could be a lot better, try asking yourself 'if I were a plant, what would a good gardener do?'

Ian McGilchrist

“Meaning emerges from engagement with the world, not from abstract contemplation of it.”

My word..what a wildly potent realisation! The more I live, the more I find that thinking is all too often overrated. It’s a vital skill to think critically and deeply, but true depth and meaning come from direct engagement with life, not just circling ideas in your head.

Building on what I spoke about in last month’s newsletter, the story continues in my exploration of the brain’s hemispheres and the dynamic between them. Thinking and rationalising are so often revered in our culture, but it’s easy to mistake them for the end goal. You end up caught in loops of thought that lead nowhere tangible, trying to grasp life with your mind while it quietly slips through your fingers.

That’s not to say I want to stop thinking or reflecting, just that I want to do it less often, and with more intention. So that I can prioritise feeling, flowing, being.

There’s something in the implicit parts of life that no book, guru, newsletter, or thought can ever fully capture, but turn on a song, sit with a good friend, step into the moment and suddenly, there it is, in all its ineffable glory.

Ross Edgley - Swimming Around Iceland

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This man is something else!

I had the pleasure of meeting Ross back in 2019, not long after a very serious injury I was still recovering from. I was competing in a Red Bull swimming race up a canal just outside of Glasgow, in freezing cold water. Ross had just completed his unbelievable swim around Great Britain. The magnitude of what he did can't be overstated. He swam 1,792 miles around the UK… insane.

While I was recovering from a serious leg break, I was in hospital watching him get up every day on the boat, get back into the sea, and swim another 20 miles through jellyfish-infested waters, freezing temperatures, and silent darkness during the night swims. It motivated me endlessly. I gathered so much strength and focus from the energy he was exuding. It helped get me back on my feet and walking again. I owe a lot of the progress I made in my recovery to the weekly videos he put out at the time and the mindset he demonstrated.

I wanted to thank him for that in person and was blessed to have the opportunity at the Red Bull race. He was there as a Red Bull athlete, showing support to the swimmers. His enthusiasm was contagious, and he genuinely received and mirrored my gratitude when we spoke.

I ended up qualifying for the final and finished inside the top 10. Ross was incredibly busy that day, but at the end of the race, he came straight to me. He gave me a big hug and kept saying through an unlimited grin, “Brad, you legend!! You just came top 10, you absolute legend!!” My lips were too cold to say much else, but I couldn't stop grinning either. It made me realise the power of the human spirit.

Later on, I found out Ross was battling through the news of his father having terminal cancer halfway through his swim. And with his father’s encouragement, he chose to keep going, even when everything was stacked against him. That alone speaks volumes about his character.

Now he’s out there tearing his way around Iceland — and it’s unbelievable to watch.

Ross isn’t just an athlete, he’s a living example of what’s possible when purpose meets perseverance.

The Rise, Fall, Rebirth of a Dreamer

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This video is an unbelievable deepdive into the highs, lows and everything in between in the life of a young, driven and passionate creative. Preston tells an unbelievable story with some of the craziest cinematography I've seen on the platform. It's such a dedicated passion project with a really powerful story and message behind it. I will let the video speak for itself :)

Jimmy Carr - Modern Wisdom

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I really loved this conversation. I satisfying blend of humour, sincerity, genuine insight and encouragement. It was cool to see Jimmy show his more honest and sincere side and turn that back on Chris too as usually he is the one asking the questions and listening. This time they both share a more honest and raw side to their journey through life, coming from a UK culture where it's all too common that people squash their dreams and goals through fear of being judged by those around them for trying. They talk about how they forged their own path in life and everything that has taught them.

I'm worried what people I know are going to think if I post videos of my journey and I don't think I sound good. Where should I post?

It’s completely natural to worry about what people might think, especially those who know you personally. But the most important thing is that you stay true to yourself. If it scares you but deep down you know you’ll thank yourself for doing it, then take the leap.

Practically speaking, I like YouTube for this kind of journey. It’s a long-term platform, which means what you post now can continue to resonate and reach people over time. If I had to pick just one place to start, it would be that. You can always expand into other platforms later.

Here’s the truth: the people you know are often not the most accurate indicators of how your work will be received, precisely because they know you. Some might be overly supportive, others overly critical. But neither reaction necessarily reflects the quality of what you’ve made.

What matters most is what it means to you. You have no control over how it will be received, and that’s actually kind of freeing. The most honest responses often come from strangers, people who have no bias, only a reaction to how your work made them feel. That’s real.

Also, keep in mind you’re at the beginning of your journey, which means no matter what, in a few years you’ll look back and see huge improvements in your voice, your craft, your confidence. But the only way you’ll get there is by starting now, even if it feels uncomfortable.

You don’t have to tell your close friends or family that you’ve posted something. You can just do it quietly, let it live on the internet, and allow it to find its audience over time. It’s completely fair to be concerned, but it’s also something you can choose to let go of.

You don’t need to love what you made. You just need to love the fact that you made something. My first songs and videos weren’t great, but I was proud of the fact that I’d done them. That was enough.

If someone gives you constructive feedback, great, you can learn from it. If it’s just hate, ignore it. You’ll probably get more negative comments as your audience grows, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It just means you're reaching more people. How you respond is up to you.

Creating from a place of authenticity is the most grounding thing you can do. It’s the one thing that will always matter more than opinions.

Things are in full flow, here's an insight

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I've been working on a wide variety of music recently and it's all something I can't wait to share more of though it's not quite in a place where I'm ready to share it just yet. Here is a little snippet for you though 👀

P.S I've been loving this soundtrack to fully dive in and focus when I'm in a flow that isn't directly involving music production. It's a masterpiece and you'll find yourself in a deep flow state in no time I promise. It fuelled my writing of this months newsletter endlessly.

TWO LANES - LIVE PERFORMANCE (PIANO SET)

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