Letter #113

How are you? I hope you and yours are safe and sound. Life at the moment might seem tough, but we’ve got each other, we’ve got music, and we’ve got hope.

Hope is important, because right now the world is filled with uncertainty. The impact of COVID-19 is coming in rolling waves; daily life, professional life, economic life, and our cultural life. Each one follows the other (and it becomes cyclical), and I think we’re still only at the very beginning of what’s going to happen. While that might sound bleak, only one thing will get us through; hope.

Like many, I imagine, I’ve had quite a tough week. Tuesday afternoon – searching for some fresh air and a breather – I sat on our back door doorstep. After a few minutes, my five year old daughter came over and hugged me, and asked if I was ok. It was a small thing, but a huge reminder that even the smallest gesture can have the biggest impact. It filled me with hope.

Over the last few week’s I’ve been working on a document at work that outlines what I think will happen post-COVID-19, and one of the biggest themes is community and togetherness. We’re going through ‘collective trauma’ right now, and I think it’s bringing out the very best in us. Love emerges in the face of disaster. I had a great conversation with Tom, the founder and editor of The Move this week, about thinking how we can rebuild our culture, and more broadly, our world. It sparked so much excitement that my head has been spinning for days. While the walls might be coming tumbling down, we get to put them back up again – but this time, we can choose how they look. We can choose our New Normal. It gave me hope.

Love Will Save The Day was founded on two feelings that have driven my whole life; love and hope. The love of music and culture, and the hope that other people might feel the same way as I did. When I started this project I never expected it to grow into what it has. Every letter I write, and mixtape I program, is filled with music that I love, and hope that at least one song makes someone as excited as I was when I heard it. Every reply, every listen, every share gives me hope that I’m doing something useful.

So this week I’ve picked some of the most hopeful new (new, but not necessarily new new) music I could find; both in lyrics, in feeling and tone, and in excitement for the song and the impact it could have on culture. There’s a bumper TL;DR Section, but no notes. I’m all worded out this week, unfortunately. Back next week.

As ever, please stay safe, stay home, and stay in touch xxx

PS. If you’re new then this is how it works. Here’s what you’ve missed so far. And this is me.

PPS. If you’re wondering why you’re getting Love Will Save The Day so soon again, then it’s because I’ve taken it back to being weekly while we’re on lockdown in the UK – we all need more music, more culture, and more of each other ☺️