SPOUSE REPORT DOUBLE HEADER – We have had a big few months with the release of our single so we’ve been a bit behind blog-wise! We’re catching up on it all today with not one but TWO spouse reports 🙂

JOSH

Hello spouse blog! Not to be dramatic but recently at work they’ve been putting me in that medieval torture machine that stretches you out by your arms and legs. Spouse dropped the smash hit single of the summer though (!!) so things have been very busy but incredibly fulfilling – proud of the gang and very excited about what’s to come. Feeling very grateful for my friends.

A movie I watched this month:

So I was keen to see the new Spiderman movie but Ash had never seen any of them, so over the months of July and August I made her watch 15+ hours of Spiderman movies in preparation (we did skip the Andrew Garfield ones, sorry to my garfheads out there). Truly insane that there are eleven of them. My ranking is as follows:

1. Spiderman 2 (2004)
2. Spiderman (2002)
3. Spiderman: Into The SpiderVerse (2018)
4. Spiderman: Brand New Day (2026)
5. Spiderman 3 (2007)
6. Spiderman: Across The SpiderVerse (2023)
7. The Amazing Spiderman (2012)
8. Spiderman: No Way Home (2021)
9. Spiderman: Far From Home (2019)
10. Spiderman: Homecoming (2017)
11. The Amazing Spiderman 2 (2014)

Completely different vibe but I also went with Ella to see La Bola Negra at MIFF, which was a gorgeous gay spanish war movie (it truly did have everything).

An album I listened to this month:

Whiplash of a month music-wise for me – My favourite albums I listened to were C**T by Sidney Phillips, AVANT NOVA by slayr, a lifetime spent sitting down by frogurt, Fuzao by Faye Wong, Forward by First Day Back, and E by Effie.

I also revisited Halcyon by Ellie Goulding – kind of a random pick but when I was 13 I entered a playlist competition and won tickets to Avicii (my idol at the time). Devastatingly I was too young to go, so the label running the comp instead sent me a signed Avicii shirt and a stack of CDs as a replacement prize. One of these was Halcyon, which ended up being weirdly formative for me for some reason lmao. It was really interesting to hear how much of it holds up – I probably wouldn’t give it a second thought if I heard it for the first time today but it certainly instilled a number of pop sensibilities within me that are still present to this day.

A gig I went to this month:

I went back up to Canberra for the Gutwrench Birthday Show! Daan invited me up for a cover which was lots of fun, I sang Let’s Dance by David Bowie and rocked the house down. The last couple of times I’ve been back home have been very quick trips to play shows, so it was really rejuvenating to have that extra time to spend with people. i ❤ canberra, there, I said it.

A game I played this month:

I have been far too busy with important things to play many games so I’m still making my way through FF7 Rebirth – I’m kinda rushing through it now so I can start a new game but I know I’ll be sad when it’s over. 

In the queue currently is 007 First Light, then either Metaphor Refantazio or Black Myth: Wukong, then hopefully at that point the new Zelda will be out and I can get into that. I also thought I got too cool and woke to care about GTA VI but the previews unfortunately looks reallyyy good, so may have to do some inward thinking there.

A photo I took this month:

A humungous cheese wheel, mutilated

DAAN

Hello Splogosphere, another month goes by. Everytime I do one of these I look back through my camera roll to see what happened and god there are so many memories in one month. I forget what an incredibly busy and active life I live until I look back and then I realise I have done so so much. Anyway this month Emmett sang onstage with Horse at Memory Card 3 (event of the year), I bought some fund ties, I played lots of guitar, farewelled Jenna & my brother (shoutouts), made a bunch of shirts, celebrated Gutwrench’s 4th birthday, turned 26 and got super sick with the Flu. Shoutouts to the GWR 4th Birthday that was the most fun night ever!! Love this little community 4 ever. Also Spouse put out our first single!!!! The Birds Are Dead Along The Highway. That’s been super super rewarding to put out. Bless you all for listening, supporting and all the kind words. It’s so nice to have it out in the world

A movie I watched this month:

This month I watched a bunch of stuff including The Odyssey (top tier boy movie), The Maze Runner Trilogy (sure, what the hell) & The Italian Job (does Jason Statham ever do anything else?) but I really want to talk about Heat bc I also watched that! I’ve been meaning to watch Heat for years (another top tier boy movie I fear). It’s flames bro. I haven’t seen much with Al Pacino but he is incredible in this movie. The casting is truely bonkers. Val Kilmer, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Jon Voight, Ted Lavine, Natalie Portman AND Henry Rollins. It’s bonkers. The Henry Rollins feature really caught me off guard, he gets thrown around at one point and I swear I saw his Black Flag tattoo on the back of his neck (he does have one on the back of his neck right?)

An album I listened to this month:

I’ve been rinsing the new Frogurt album! Shoutouts! It’s so so good I love them so much. Give it a listen. My fav track is Full Metal Spine

A gig I went to this month:

I went to / and played Woodastock this month with Atlast. Was an epic house show in Ainslie with a skate ramp in the backyard. Truly life affirming show to play for a bunch of friends on a cold Canberra night. Also saw my buddies in All That’s Left Of You at the Capital Noise showcase (also a house show) later in the month which was lovely. Shoutout Declan and all the hard work he does 

A book I read this month:

I’ve been reading Richard Bachman’s ‘Rage’ this month and it’s a very different vibe to fall asleep to than the previous books I was reading lol. Very glad to be reading a Stephen King novel again, I feel so at home in his books. I’ve read so many of his books that his writing is a real comfort to me. After watching the Maze Runner books I kind of want to read those. Might go grab a copy this month. 

A photo I took this month:

Jenna, Ellie & I at the house show ❤

EMMETT

Emmett spent August trapped in the Piss Dimension so he unfortunately couldn’t provide us with a blog update.

EZRA

Hoo boy. Oh boy yipee hooray.

A movie I watched this month:

I could be crazy but I straight up dunno if I even saw a movie. I watched a shit tonne of sex and the city though however. For those in the know I think I land somewhere between a Charlotte and a Carrie, but Steve is best boy I literally don’t care do not @ me, I like that he talks like a dork in a peanuts cartoon. 

An album I listened to this month:

I’ve been on my mid-air thief shit again. Really enjoying the Campthehills EP, has made me go back and listen to some old MGMT and Passion Pit. I associate all that music with playing Fallout 3 as a kid, and like, message boards and Threadless and shit like that. Also been listening to the Late of the Pier album Fantasy Black Channel a fair amount. 

A gig I went to this month:

Gutwrench Birthday! Cried several times. You don’t see the Strawberry Prince sing U2 everyday man, but you should, you should. 

A book I read / game I played this month:

I’ve been reading God Emperor of Dune, just when I thought I was out they pulled me back in. Leto II is one of the weirdest protagonists(?) I’ve ever seen in a book. Game wise I beat AC II and AC Brotherhood and have started Revelations, I played these games so much as a kid without beating them it’s surreal to actually see the endings. Were you aware that you fist fight the Pope? With a dozen clones of yourself? In this game? They don’t make them like they used to dude. 

A photo I took this month:

Off the coast of Hobart on a boat tour, saw seals and dolphins and a cave and a historic lighthouse, asked the boatman so many questions I thought he’d hate me but my guy just kept having answers.

EM

This month was full of highs and lows. The highs were plenty of moments of friendship and good company which I’m always grateful for. My parents were in the country this month, and actually the whole family were together in Melbourne for the first time in nearly a decade. Sadly I had to say goodbye to my beautiful auntie Lisa, it’s maybe a bit too somber for the blog, but I guess this is about vulnerability and honesty. I want to share how amazing and wonderful she was, Lisa was a wholly creative, colourful and bright person, and inspired me so much when it came to anything creative. She was an amazing painter, musician and teacher. She was totally on board and so excited about Spouse, and was very supportive of me and us always. There are so many times of doubt and uncertainty in pursuing music and a creative career, but she always had a helpful and cheering perspective, it really made me feel like there were no wrong choices, or that whatever happened was meant to happen. I’m so lucky and grateful to have been fueled and so warmly encouraged by my beautiful aunt. She fought a very hard battle for five years and I’m sad to say goodbye but grateful to get to be sad. It was equally special and fitting to be reunited with family that I haven’t seen in a long time. Love you Lisa. 

A movie I watched this month:

The gang went to see The Odyssey (I imagine you’ll be seeing the rest of spouse saying the same) – not in iMAX and perhaps there were some moments where you could tell Chris wanted the gimungous screen to show it all – but I didn’t feel like I was missing out really. Entertaining and very loud. 6.5/10

An album I listened to this month:

Natural Part – Horse Jumper of Love (10/10)

I’ve been back in Horse Jumper of Love obsession (ongoing for many a year), but have newfound love for their 2022 record. I’ve always liked this one but forgot how weird and freaky it is whilst still being sweet and earnest. I think dimitri is top 3 songwriters of all time. 

Train on the island – Aldous Harding (10/10)

Have also been rinsing this one, I shamefully confess it’s the only Aldous album I’ve properly heard so far as a recently introduced fan, but I love that she’s a freak and seems to really traverse different worlds and characters. 

A gig I went to this month:

Josh and I went n saw our good friends Horse play at the Ev! Love those guys and love seeing them play. 

A book I read this month:

I’ve been reading There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib, it’s beautiful and interesting in form (kind of autobiographical but becomes poetry here and there). Thank you sky for lending it to me

A photo I took this month: