Edition #20
Commemorating Windows in the Sky
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for joining me last week for the live viewing session. It’s always a wonderful privilege for me to share with you as it’s quite inspiring to have your perspectives and insights.
Therefore, since I couldn’t answer every one of your questions in that ongoing live chat format, nor is having only 200 characters to properly express myself easy for me, I decided to take a moment to go over the questions I couldn’t react to or didn’t notice as the chat box rolls out pretty fast, as well as the questions I received by email or elsewhere online.
Again, thank you all for taking the time to send me questions and comments, it means a lot to me, really.
Much love,
Alex
Therefore, since I couldn’t answer every one of your questions in that ongoing live chat format, nor is having only 200 characters to properly express myself easy for me, I decided to take a moment to go over the questions I couldn’t react to or didn’t notice as the chat box rolls out pretty fast, as well as the questions I received by email or elsewhere online.
Again, thank you all for taking the time to send me questions and comments, it means a lot to me, really.
Much love,
Alex
your questions, my answers
It’s off-topic, but I know you are close to people and involved with many humanitarian organizations, what is your take on the Russian invasion? Will it affect your upcoming tour? – Martin, Belgium
As I said at the beginning of the live stream event, I am profoundly troubled, shocked, and affected by the horrifying human crisis Ukrainians have to endure. I have dear friends all over the region, not only in Ukraine but also in Russia, Poland, Hungary, and Belarus to only name those. While I’m greatly thankful to know that my friends are still safe, I’m absolutely revolted, repulsed, and sickened by every single life that has been stolen and torn off by someone else’s soulless tyranny and unquenchable taste for economical blood. It’s important for me to take a tangible stand and to contribute directly by bridging people together, so I will share the details of a project I decided to initiate in the upcoming days. In the meantime, if you have the ability or the means to support, don’t hesitate to send a few dollars to the Ukrainian Red Cross: redcross.org.ua/en/
As for my upcoming tour, if there’s something that I’ve learned in the last 2 years, it is to keep my hands open and manage my expectations regarding what I don’t have any control over. I’m still pretty confident we’ll be able to tour in Poland, Hungary, and in all the other places that have yet to be announced. But for me, it’s about people’s lives, freedom, security, and auto-determination. This is what matters. The rest is only that; the rest. Even if it’s significant for many, some sections of my tour need to remain in a global perspective.
As for my upcoming tour, if there’s something that I’ve learned in the last 2 years, it is to keep my hands open and manage my expectations regarding what I don’t have any control over. I’m still pretty confident we’ll be able to tour in Poland, Hungary, and in all the other places that have yet to be announced. But for me, it’s about people’s lives, freedom, security, and auto-determination. This is what matters. The rest is only that; the rest. Even if it’s significant for many, some sections of my tour need to remain in a global perspective.
Alex, I had a little question about a few details on your stage… What’s the story of Hello Kitty and his whole gang??? – Mpano, France
These are gifts that friends have given me over the years, and as I am very anxious before the concerts, it is a reminder that I am not alone and it gives me courage.
Is the setlist of the live broadcast the same as the album? – Kevin, UK
It’s the first 3 songs of the album (The Pain That Bonds, Winter Is Coming In and Shadows of Our Evening Tides)… This is what, for me, is considered as the initial act of that emotional journey.
Where have you got the different languages from in the song Winter Is Coming In? Are those news anchors or what are they exactly? – Dave, Netherlands
As you know, I’m very close to people and I have the wonderful privilege to have friends in many different countries, so I like to add little surprises in the songs. It’s my way to say I miss you.
We saw you on the big stage at the Jazz fest a few weeks ago. You didn’t move at all on stage (or almost). But it’s very different now. Why the change? – Sofia, Switzerland
The safest answer would be about the particular context in which the Jazz festival concert took place. It was at home, in front of family and friends, set up to be a one-off event honoring my late father’s memory and envisioned as the only concert I would do. I didn’t have any ambition to keep on going nor any pressure to start a solo career. I thought it would be the very last time I would be on a stage and was at peace with it. It was only about the spirit of the songs, about total abandonment and let go. I didn’t foresee the emotional liberation I would experience that night nor how emancipative the intimate connection I would have with the people would be, leading me to envision another one of that singular moment afterward.
The most sincere and honest way for me to answer your question lies in the transformative stream that took place, from that initial night up to the last tour I did with The Pineapple Thief last fall. It involves a little more inner peace, less anxiety related to who I am, no more pressure on what I believe is expected from me, a determination to live and commune the moment with people instead of the self-imposed perspective that I need to entertain others… It all goes back to accepting who I am and refuting what I’m not. It might sound simple, and maybe it is, but it’s been an everlasting struggle for me, no matter what I was involved in, be it competitive sports, when I started doing theater, when I was expressing myself in art class, when I write lyrics and compose music, up to everything related to the business side of my different projects. I’m a very intuitive individual, but I think my time and involvement in organized religion messed me up pretty bad inside. It doesn’t have anything to do with faith nor is it an anti-religion statement on my part, it’s just the circumstances I was in. I felt trapped by what was expected of me, what I was supposed to do, how I needed to do it… The ongoing power struggles and all the other relational community issues… I’ve been greatly marked by it all. It took me some time to accept that I might never be that intuitive ever again… or at least that I may have to fight those hesitating thoughts and doubtful reflections forever. And the more I keep on going, the more I discover who I am now. Some days are very difficult, while others are fantastic. It’s a journey of self-acceptance, not of surrendering. That’s why I’m not bitter about the “church” nor even regretful or resentful towards the community I was still a part of only recently…
The most sincere and honest way for me to answer your question lies in the transformative stream that took place, from that initial night up to the last tour I did with The Pineapple Thief last fall. It involves a little more inner peace, less anxiety related to who I am, no more pressure on what I believe is expected from me, a determination to live and commune the moment with people instead of the self-imposed perspective that I need to entertain others… It all goes back to accepting who I am and refuting what I’m not. It might sound simple, and maybe it is, but it’s been an everlasting struggle for me, no matter what I was involved in, be it competitive sports, when I started doing theater, when I was expressing myself in art class, when I write lyrics and compose music, up to everything related to the business side of my different projects. I’m a very intuitive individual, but I think my time and involvement in organized religion messed me up pretty bad inside. It doesn’t have anything to do with faith nor is it an anti-religion statement on my part, it’s just the circumstances I was in. I felt trapped by what was expected of me, what I was supposed to do, how I needed to do it… The ongoing power struggles and all the other relational community issues… I’ve been greatly marked by it all. It took me some time to accept that I might never be that intuitive ever again… or at least that I may have to fight those hesitating thoughts and doubtful reflections forever. And the more I keep on going, the more I discover who I am now. Some days are very difficult, while others are fantastic. It’s a journey of self-acceptance, not of surrendering. That’s why I’m not bitter about the “church” nor even regretful or resentful towards the community I was still a part of only recently…
We can see images of the ocean in the background. Why the ocean? Is there a special meaning to you? – Julien, France
Water has a very significant dimension for me and a profound impact on my creative endeavors. I don’t know when it all started, but I have always had a deep fascination for water, from its spiritual symbolism to its poetic dimension. It’s birth, rebirth, love, redemption, death… There are so many different elements associated with it, so many different perspectives depending on your culture and faith. I have always wondered why I was so captivated by its unique essence. It supposedly all started when I was a child, as my mother said I was so attracted by water that it was a constant source of preoccupation for my folks every time we were either going to camp by a lake or visiting some relatives who had a pool. I almost drowned as a kid yet somehow never felt repulsed by water after it happened. I was even more attracted to it and grew up being even more inspired by its nature.
You sing about letting go in the song Shadows of Our Evening Tides. What did you let go that brought you to be who you are and where you are today? – Marc, Germany
It’s hard for me to define… I would say illusions and make-believes, but mostly regrets. Regrets that I wouldn’t be able to talk to my father no more when I feel like there is so much for me to talk about. Regrets of having invested so much of myself with some people or projects even though I knew at the time I should have followed my own journey instead. Regrets of not leaving my former community way before. And the persistent impression that I have ruined my life, my dreams, and my talents for elusive reasons. Again, it’s about accepting that no matter how hard I try, I can’t change any of it, and that in the end, it’s what made me who I am today… Fragile, yes, but maybe more sensitive about who I truly am and therefore what I can create as well, all that while taking a chance at trusting others again and welcoming people inside my otherwise pretty hermetic insights…
Love that you are playing in a church and that you added the sound of bells in the song Summertime Departures. Why add this sound? – Lisa, Canada
Sounds are a reflection of life, of moments, of whatever floats within the invisible, even literal or ethereal presence. For Summertime Departures, it’s about the constant tension between my late father and me. I’ve been raised to be completely independent, emotionally and organizationally. So when I tried to connect on a deeper dimension with my father, it had a frightening effect on him. He never knew how to deal with it in general in his life, or maybe more so with me specifically. So all those sounds resonating in my music represent elements that I can’t define or express in any other way. Most of the time, I just can’t comprehend the profound emotional implication of what they represent, mean or stand for… Maybe it’s a way to sublimate anguish I can’t admit or fathom just yet…
If you could sail through the past today, what would you like to do? (About Summertime Departures) – Jacek, Poland
I would like to hold my father’s hand a little longer before he dies…
We can see that you became more at ease with playing instruments. Is there another instrument that you would like to learn in the future? – Sabrina, UK
It’s always funny for me to talk about musicianship or about playing instruments… Not that I despise scholars and masters, but it just doesn’t mean anything to me, nor does it spark any particular sensations. I appreciate it, value the ultimate dedication involved in mastering the craft, but for me, an instrument serves emotions. It is a tool to communicate something you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. That’s why I like sound textures. I’m obsessed with their ability to guide me towards the invisible, to enhance our sensibilities, to remind our souls and spirit of a deeper dimension carried by the sounds that surround us. They evoke life, love, hope, as much as they shed a light on death and sorrows, sometimes all in the same song. So for me, it’s not about instruments, it’s about tones and what they either represent within us or give life to. Maybe that’s why I’m not afraid to pick any of those “emotional painting brushes” nor do I have any subjective preconceptions about their nature…
Is there a reason why Alex chose Japan as the visual image for the song Shadows of Our Evening Tides? – Tetsuo Moriya, Japan
I always had a very profound affection for Japanese people. They were amongst the very first ones who welcomed Your Favorite Enemies’ music and creative universe back in 2006. I had a weekly blog at the time in which I shared about culture, social and emotional issues, arts, and politics. Some of my beloved friends were incredibly dedicated and faithful to translating it into Japanese. Therefore, my relationship with YFE’s Japanese supporters became utterly personal and it evolved from being some sort of support group based on my weekly posts to a wonderfully unique communion revolving around its members’ interactions and own preoccupations. My involvement became even more intimate. I could be myself rather than have to cultivate the self-imposed pressure to be at the center of it all. That’s why that fabulously integrating group became a refuge for me, which was priceless at the time since I was struggling with the reality (and illusions) of being the lead figure of a band that was becoming more and more popular. It saved me from the isolation in which I was slowly losing my mind. I needed that nonjudgemental vibe to find some peace of heart, which I found the very first time I visited Japan in 2007.
In fact, that trip turned out to be incredibly determinant for me. I felt at home in a manner I had never really experienced before. It was something more spiritual than physical, I would say, be it through its glowing beauty or its relational polarization. There was a transformative delicateness to it, something that vibrated beyond what we usually see in most touristic brochures. That’s what I wanted to express through the visual for “Shadows of Our Evening Tides”; a rejuvenated allegory taking place in the wonders of daily life, in the vibrating sensations that go by without being noticed, the essence of a real and sincere smile offered by a stranger, the epiphany of the wind kindly covering our skin, a train ride representing life…I believe there’s nothing ordinary in what is too often seen as ordinary happiness. That’s why the video is so contemplative. It’s a reflection of self, somehow, of how we want to experience our personal and collective journey. We don’t know how far down the line we’ll be able to go, and once we grasped how much of a blessing it is not knowing about the end, then we are free from incarnating life. We just have to be.
In fact, that trip turned out to be incredibly determinant for me. I felt at home in a manner I had never really experienced before. It was something more spiritual than physical, I would say, be it through its glowing beauty or its relational polarization. There was a transformative delicateness to it, something that vibrated beyond what we usually see in most touristic brochures. That’s what I wanted to express through the visual for “Shadows of Our Evening Tides”; a rejuvenated allegory taking place in the wonders of daily life, in the vibrating sensations that go by without being noticed, the essence of a real and sincere smile offered by a stranger, the epiphany of the wind kindly covering our skin, a train ride representing life…I believe there’s nothing ordinary in what is too often seen as ordinary happiness. That’s why the video is so contemplative. It’s a reflection of self, somehow, of how we want to experience our personal and collective journey. We don’t know how far down the line we’ll be able to go, and once we grasped how much of a blessing it is not knowing about the end, then we are free from incarnating life. We just have to be.
Is there a new song released this year??? I want to hear … Alex’s song now. – Tsugumi, Japan
YES!!!!!!! And I can’t wait!!!!!!
Can we expect a cover of Several Species on the June tour? – Neil, UK
Good question… I’m right now wondering if a set of 2 hours 30 minutes would be enough for me to share most of my songs with you, so we’ll see regarding covers…!
Isn’t finding a tour van super difficult right now? – Dozbik, Unknown country
That’s an interesting question, especially since we all know how the last 2 years have been. I guess we became experts in booking and rebooking pretty much everything related to a band about to hit the road, the logistic of which — regardless of the instability caused by the pandemic — is always quite stressful and hazardous by nature. No matter if you’re in a favorable position allowing you the luxury to decide the way you want to tour or if you have to operate with significant restrictions, pretty much everything goes down to the budget you have, how long you’ll be on the road, the number of people involved, the complexity of your itinerary, the different realities associated to the countries in which you are either already radiating or developing… And even when everything seems to be perfectly aligned and figured out in advance, there are always multiple unexpected details to deal with along the way. It’s the challenging dimension you have to manage your way through, which is utterly exacerbated if you are an international artist because all the regulations are then multiplied by the number of countries you visit and also why Brexit is particularly brutal. More paperwork, more money, more time, more consultations… It can be complex and nightmarish. That’s why I’m so blessed to have such an enthusiastically devoted team to support me. But all of that – and I mean ALL – instantly disappears the second I see someone enter the venue. All the previous hustle is nothing compared to the upcoming moment of pure heartfelt communion about to be experienced and shared.
Oh, yes, the van…! It’s booked. Both of them are!
Oh, yes, the van…! It’s booked. Both of them are!
Will it be possible to exchange with you after the concert in Paris? Bastien, France
Absolutely Bastien, that’s why I take the road, without those sharing moments, it’s only noise.
Is it possible for you to say more about Polish gig dates? I know that with Covid and now war, it is simply impossible to predict, but… it seems music is hope and we really need it. – Barbara, Poland
Krakow should be on July 21st… we are standing with our friends who are now facing the terrible distress of that war, so we’ll see how it goes…
When is the next time you’ll be playing in Hamburg, Germany? – Silke, Germany
Hamburg is June 7th, and it would be awesome to see you. We were so disappointed when it was canceled when we were touring with Pineapple Thief.