My dear brothers, sisters, friends, and loved ones,
I hope you’re all doing well and that you’ve been able to enjoy a little of what summer has to offer, from the simplest of joys to the most invigorating season. That’s the beauty of this buzzing season, a sense of light-form innocence, a time when it’s okay to slow down, breathe, and seize the instant for what it is. It’s actually liberating to know that we don’t need big plans or over-the-top strategies to appreciate the restful peace that’s available to us all… There’s a solacing comfort in that acknowledgment.
Funnily enough, you probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that, but fall, with its contemplative nature, has long since been my favorite season, one that has recently been interchanged with spring's vibrant bloom of colors, a mesmerizing period I eagerly await every year ever since I moved to Virginia. As for summer, I suppose that when you grow up in the poorest part of town, it carries a different vibe than warm beaches and seaside breezes... It’s more likely backstreet concrete and city overheat.
That being said, the silver lining aspect I found growing up in poverty as a kid is the empowering capacity there is to define your own set of wonders. Some are tangible, others invisible. Some are transcending, others are educational. That's why, in retrospect, there’s something deeply enlivening in shaping your own happiness with whatever you have access to, regardless of whether your reality is “good” or not. Perfect settings are never the starting point, even for those who have a wider playground due to their favorable upbringing. It’s not about ressources, it’s about intentionality, and there’s something truly exciting in deciding to embody your own expectations. I found that mindset an enabling act that has the power to transform any uninspiring surrounding into a rich canvas of illuminated possibilities. The poorest part of Montreal was the richest in that regard for me, and that’s what I’m learning (or relearning) in Tangier nowadays: to align myself with the present moment. And Tangier is a city that beats through “now” in a pure, authentic, and visceral way.
It’s still not entirely natural for me to feel part of a place’s social fabric. Maybe because I’m constantly on the move, and I’m quite terrible at managing communicative interrelations… I don’t know… But I’ve grown more reclusive in recent years. There already wasn’t much space for others to squeeze themselves into my reality, and it takes quite a large measure of love to be my friend, probably even more so to attempt to become one. It’s not out of a conscious attempt to push people away… My ongoing health struggles haven’t helped, but there was also a profound emotional fatigue that quietly set in within me, a sort of relational withdrawal. There are several reasons I wasn’t inclined, if not entirely reluctant, to emotionally commit myself outside the sealed-up realm of my intimate seclusion… I could write about it forever, but I’m too grateful that it has completely changed since arriving in Tangier this time to reimmerse my reflections in any of those reasons… I’ll go back to them at some point. But at the moment, I just decided to wholeheartedly enjoy the fact that I crave the city’s human vibration now that I feel physically stronger, yes, but also probably because I’ve made the decision to sever some of the heavy emotional ties I had been imposing on myself with a few of my bandmates. I can meaningfully breathe ever since… That, too, has made space for something new.
This renewed state of emotional openness is deeply rejuvenating for me, on every level. And that’s my sincere wish for you as well, to enjoy being you. It’s not easy for me to do so, therefore I know it may not be easy for you either, but choosing to fully exist as I am, believing I’m worthy of the joy I’ve been yearning for, and knowing I have value within any collective (a family, a group of friends, or a community), feels essential to the serenity I’m presently cultivating in my life. There is so much more to explore, around us and within us. So much more to evolve through as individuals. There are no real restrictions except the ones we place on ourselves. These constructs only obstruct life from becoming the abundantly meaningful experience it’s meant to be. That’s how I see it… And, more importantly, how I’m learning to embrace whatever is placed in front of me every day.
If this has probably nothing to do with this week’s Q&A — no surprise there, right? — it’s just what was on my heart to share with you, as I find myself in the middle of what I know is a significant moment of self-emancipation. One without guilt. One rooted in the fulfillment of knowing that everything is possible again. That I haven’t reached the finish line just yet. And let me tell you, it’s a fabulous sensation.
I wanted to encourage you to be. That’s the most generous gift we can offer ourselves, and eventually, others. Once we decide we truly have value, no matter what anyone has said, keeps saying, thought, or thinks, a fulfilling life feeds itself with embodied intentions. We only get one ticket at life… Sometimes 2, like it was the case for me. And it’s ours to shape into the journey we want to experience, to allow ourselves to be transformed in its midst.
There’s no right or wrong, only the infinite possibility to be over and over and over again, until we know deep down that we are. And even then, the voyage continues to unfold before us to engage in. It’s a beautiful, exhilarating perspective... Don’t you think?
Now, back to the original subject (lol): here are questions from the third edition of my Q&A, some of which I’ve grouped under shared themes:
1. Album VS Project
Damian, York, UK
You mentioned in your Fajar Soul Dweller Studio video that you’re working on a creative project, something you seem to distinguish from a record. What’s the difference for you, and what are you working on?
👉 Starting at 04:45
2. Upcoming Tour Schedule
This was definitely a vibrant topic! Many of you from around the world reached out about it.
- Nathalie: Y aura-t-il un concert à Paris, Alex ?
- Pélagie: Avez-vous prévu de venir en France bientôt ?
- Yuki: @Alex Henry Foster @Jeff Beaulieu – Avez-vous prévu d'autres dates de concert ?
- Marcus: Any updates on tour dates?
- MaryDG: @Alex, à quand un concert au QC ?! Presque 10 ans depuis la dernière fois… c’est trop long !! 😉🤗
- Johnny, Columbus: Saw you at the A&R, you guys blew me away. When are you coming back? Trust me—I’ll be there.
👉 Starting at 18:23
3. Audience Singularities
Gajumaru
Are audiences different in the US, Canada, Europe, and Japan? People often say Japanese fans are quiet. Do you experience it that way?
👉 Starting at 37:17
4. Band Lineup Change
Sheeva, Austria
How inspiring is it for you to change your band lineup — and why now?👉 Starting at 45:53
5. Artists & Political Stance
Becky
What’s your take on the current controversies involving bands and politics in the UK? I don’t think I’ve heard your stance yet.👉 Starting at 52:12
I hope the third edition of the Q&A gave you the answers, or at least the insights, you were looking for. As for me, I don’t believe in finite answers. I don’t believe opinions are immutable, not even when it comes to personal values or beliefs. I think life is about layers and shades.
Opening up to you isn’t about “me” or “my” universe. It’s more about the blessing of being able to continuously learn, grow, evolve. About discovering new subtleties of reality. Realizing that the foundations we once held to be true might be entirely wrong. That’s not regrettable; it provides us with more possibilities, more alternatives. And one too many people deprive themselves of such blessings… out of fear of being disappointed, ostracized, or elusively “canceled.”
Let’s be wrong. Let’s be bold. Let’s be subversive. But let’s do it with honesty, sincerity, empathy, benevolence, and respect so we can truly commune. Welcome. Be received. Freely.
Life creates life.
Your brother and friend,
Alex
PS: The next Q&A installment will be focused on questions I received regarding the project A Nightfall Ritual. So don’t hesitate to send me your questions, either through comments here or wherever you usually write to me. I usually record my video on Wednesday afternoons, Tangier time.
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