Our 50th — and final — written interaction of 2025.

Hey,

I hope this message finds you well. I’m currently on a plane heading back to Montreal after a very short but meaningful stop in Frankfurt, where I personally shipped hundreds of packages now heading your way, my dear European friends. All remaining orders have also been sent, so with a little luck and patience, everything should be reaching you very soon. Honestly, it feels like a beautiful way to close out such a memorable year.

As I was writing these lines earlier today in the airport lounge, I found myself in a deeply grounding conversation with Alex, who, at that exact moment, was just waking up in Tangier. For a brief window, we were back in the same time zone, sharing thoughts about the year now reaching the end of its journey. We spoke about how we feel, where we stand, and how proud we are of what we’ve accomplished, especially when we look back at where we were exactly one year ago.

I usually take great pride in always moving things forward. But this year felt different. 2025 asked something else of us. It asked us to return to the very foundations of what we’ve been building for so long and to remove a few weeds we had, perhaps unknowingly, allowed to grow for far too long.

When this year began, we weren’t looking for things to change: we were looking for things to transform. And transformation, when done honestly, demands sacrifice, patience, and hard work. In a band and in a community, change is rarely easy. Transformation even less so. The status quo can feel comforting as time goes by, but for Alex and me, it has always been something of an enemy. Even when transformation must begin with ourselves, and trust me, this year, it truly did. And I’m grateful it did.

If there’s one thing I’m most proud of, it’s this: through a year of removing in order to rebuild better, we stayed aligned with who we are and why we do things the way we do. We should never fear change when our hearts are aligned with our values. In other words, we are never wrong when we choose to do the right thing.

Thank you, truly, for making 2025 something far greater than a simple prelude. You didn’t just help us close a chapter, you helped us set the table for 2026. And I can say this with sincerity: what’s coming next will exceed expectations on every possible level.

2025 “Better Get This Done” List

AHF

• Welcome Oli into the family
• Perform Your Favorite Enemies songs
• Perform Windows in the Sky in its entirety
• First-ever performance in Italy
• First-ever performance in the Czech Republic

THE CLUB

• Completely reshape the Club Missives following Alex’s Substack launch
• Welcome many new members this year — fewer than 2024, but every single one deeply cherished

PERSONAL

• Visiting a new country: Czech Republic
• Be offered insects to eat in Mexico (left those to Alex, who genuinely seemed to enjoy them)
• Write a full new song for the first time, in my own little studio — more to come
• Bring five new people to Tangier (third year in a row — and still magical every single time)
• Attend a concert abroad outside of conferences: Mogwai in New York City
• Make one true new friend — not a follower, not a number, but a real friend
• Discover a new Scotch: St. Kilian — shared with Alex at the Lufthansa lounge (yes… at 7am)
• Read five books:
    1. The Art of Noises Manifesto / Luigi Russolo
    2. Between Kingdoms / Suleika Jaouad
    3. Corporate Rock Sucks / Jim Ruland
    4. Blackstar Theory: The Last Works of David Bowie / Leah Kardos
    5. Goth / Lol Tolhurst
    6. Love Goes To Buildings on Fire / Will Hermes

 Let’s be great to one another.

With gratitude and heart,

Your friend and Chief Operator, 
Jeff

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