Ok, do you really want to change your name, Chloe?
Because yeah, I could see changing my name to Amanda Michelina. I haven't decided yet. It was quite emotional the first time I changed my name: I don't know if I could do that again. The stage name was initially going to be The Nylon Balladeer, but Amanda Michelina was one I thought of around late 2019, early 2020. Glen pitched Mickey Riddler as a stage name, but I was meh about that.
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No, I don’t actually want the MA or PhD anymore. I’m just not interested, and this virtual thesis defence has genuinely been a waste of my time.
I’m not going to write a thesis. I’m just not keen. I’d rather have the honorary one when I’m older. The MSC -- yeah, I still think about doing that, but probably when I'm older. I'm on a hot streak creatively atm, and dissecting is best done in retrospect. This article was rather inspiring recently: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/interviews/all-that-light-stan-brakhage-film
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As for teaching: yeah, nah. I like private students, but I’m not a particularly brilliant teacher.
I’m a good director, but that’s a somewhat different skill.
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Re: Johnny O and Jake - he wishes: I was just singing the song from the book. That’s the magic of the folk songs: everyone reads into them as if I wrote them, then I get to be all like “but that’s just what the book said” .. makes me seem smart.
And what I’m really missing is Stephen Patrick Riddell, my bro. His producing savvy - nobody has spent more time listening to my music than my twin, bro.
When I was still practicing (ie 2020 and 2021), I was still talking to him regularly, and he mastered the EP too. It’s just last year that I haven’t been able to rely on Steve.
I hear he’s doing ok. But yeah, he was supposed to remaster my folk songs, but then he got real focused on his next album.
I’ve heard a draft - it’s an interesting album. It’s weird how our songs play off of each other .. I think we’re very Lennon-McCartney in terms of our competitiveness with each other motivating songs.
There’s a new one of his with a line about crumbling machines that feels like a response to my song..
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I don’t belong to NZSM, and that’s why they can’t win me back. I need to get a new copy of my degrees with the new name. I changed it on my NZ Guitar Competition prize.
I was thinking of hanging up my degree, but it says Michael…. I really want an Amanda version for my room. That’ll probably cost about the same as my new passport.
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I guess I’m picking a hell of a time to move to Auckland. And yeah, I think it’s likely that I’d move, but I’d like to keep my job too.
I went down K-Road during my trip, but only as far as the first fried chicken place. It cracked me up when I realised how close your electorate office was to my hotel.
- Guitar nerdery:
Chris plays tonal music. Rameka plays a lot of rep, but Chris is specialising in NZ composers. Ideally, though, everyone will play it. I want it to be that level of famous, like Concierto de Aranjuez.
Jake is a new music specialist, but my piece isn't ‘new music’ - and therefore I’m going to press Chris about it after I see how he does with Vanya’s Lament. He's playing that in May in Auckland, so I'll be coming up to see that.
I did have a crack at the first movement. It was alright, but it’s more time than it’s worth for me to learn it… too many projects I’m juggling atm to pump nylon like a pro.
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And seriously, the opera is a no. It’s not about justice or fairness there - that’s people trying to follow my dust.
To be big-headed, it’s not like Paul McCartney ever did anything like that, though the Beatles made several movies.
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I’m really not that keen to make the Weeded Out feature. If I meet a performer who could play Tina (amab transfem), maybe, but still I think it’s not really worth the hassle.
Particularly given I’m not interested in the pitch that other people have made for the film.
The book, though… Once I have the new layout of the comic strip, I think that could really work. The comic strip is supposed to be 100 issues, but yeah... that mindset is finicky.
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Fun question: did you save your blogs from before you became famous, Chloe?
I recall something about you being an active blogger from my research.
Of course, now you’re famous, and a columnist in the Herald.
The rain is really coming down; I could talk into the tape, but this is easier, plus now I’m too insecure about my accent to talk.
At least my laptop doubles as a good heater.
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If I really am dying, then I’m not really sure what I want. I’m finding that hard to process, and hard to believe because I haven’t been diagnosed.
Either way, the paranoia that I have ALS is fucking with my head. Don't know how that started... my brain is random like that.
I’m too clever for my own good: that’s probably why I’m always so paranoid - plus the whole 'criminal' element that I socialise with. And if the government really is fucking with me, then I reckon I’m playing that crazy paranoia to the hilt. 🍃🤣
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It’s not like much news breaks overnight, so it’s really about sitting through the night without going too mental.
The bulletins sound really authoritative, but I’m just a trannie adding commas and shuffling a few words around. It makes me totally nocturnal, though; I find I stay in the same sleep cycle during my off days.
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