Me being up on the latest news, watching distressing phone footage from people under attack or debating online about what's right or wrong won't make the slightest difference to what's going on. The 24 hour news cycle is something I gave up a long time ago, not because I don't care about others, or wish to be ignorant of what's happening in the world, but because its unstoppable onslaught isn't good for my human brain. I don't think we need to feel guilty for living our lives or sharing whatever we want to share, because that's an expression of the

Something has happened which is making this feel even more important and like it could potentially save a sticky situation...but more to the point, I'm proud of what I've been making and think you might enjoy :)

youtube.com/penfriendrocks

https://twitter.com/penfriendrocks/status/1496142251281559557

I will also be getting my act together this week to swiftly sell a glittery Gibson Les Paul guitar and some effects pedals, so if you're interested drop me a line and I will sort out pics and info!

Scanning pages from my recording notebook today for the "Exotic Monsters" lyric books.

"Friday 5/7/20 - I feel I suck at everything I do and I'm worried about money. The internet is a fucking sickness."

That was the day I wrote this song! penfriend.rocks/cyh I highly recommend keeping a log of the hours you put into any creative project - I like seeing how long things took and how I did them (cos I always forget and think I'll never be able to write a song again!) plus it's fun to snort with laughter at my past dramatic self.

Will anything bad happen if I eat another Creme Egg even though I just ate one two minutes ago? Asking for a friend. It's funny how I used to have snotty ideas about how whoever I went out with should *love* Marmite, Creme Eggs etc. when actually, being married to someone who hates both is a dream because I GET TO EAT THEM ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

Do you like it when I share funny/aggravating FB comments here? They amuse me so.

Best so far today: "not bad, sounds a bit like Madonna". Way to wrap a huge compliment up as a damp squib!! This was the song in question: penfriend.rocks/blackcar My fave comment yesterday read, simply, "bye" 😂😂😂

My third album is FIVE YEARS OLD this Thursday, so I'm celebrating with a listening party on this thread at 8pm GMT. All welcome!

Here's a link to listen to "Direction Of Travel": shemakeswar.bandcamp.com/album/directio…

Ask questions or share memories on this thread beforehand or during. Yay! More info on this record can be found here along with links to behind the scenes blog posts about 9 of the 12 tracks (I clearly forgot to do the last few - ha!) shemakeswar.com/direction-of-t…

Pre-Covid and pre-Brexit, I used to dart around Germany playing solo shows. People regularly found it so strange that I wasn't up for getting wasted every night in "rock n roll fashion" but I've always had to be hyper aware of my safety as a woman travelling alone. In Europe, even at an indie level, accommodation is usually provided in some form, often a private hostel room or spare room of the promoter or someone's mate.

It feels like a decent time to listen to Pearl Jam's "Ten" for the first time ever. Could I BE more late to the party? Before you all explode in surprise - early on I decided EV's voice just wasn't to my taste, so focused my energies on Nirvana, Soundgarden, Hole, Smashing Pumpkins etc and the other day I thought, maybe I'll give that band another try with my more sophisticated ears and here I am

Dear friends, do I have a thread and a half for you. Something happened yesterday that I need to share with you. Get yourself a cuppa, pull up a chair. I was having a really nice day. I’d been listening to the first mix of the first song from the new album I’ve been working on all year (it sounds MASSIVE), the sun was out - sort of - and one of my strawberry plants was finally bearing fruit. Gardening success! I was enjoying a

So you think you’re all cool and self fulfilling and whatnot after playing a song at @RoyalAlbertHall on invitation of @robinince and Chris Hadfield and so on and then when you emerge from Kings Cross station late you find you have to placate a potentially unsettled man called Phil who’s loitering around on his bike in some weird bothering way and insists on grilling you on your engagement ring and where you’re going and whatnot and when you start feeling a little brave and telling him it’s time to get fucked and leave you alone because you’re a grown