Hey,

I hope you’re well! We’re already here! The 50th Club Missive of the year! My third year in a row accomplishing such an incredible milestone! It’s Saturday morning, and I’m in my Tangier room/studio/office listening to a Canadian artist that Alex and I really like, Matthew Good. His last album’s opening track is called One of Them Years, and I thought it was getting along quite well with the feelings I have this morning as I’m looking back 12 months…! 2024 has been nothing less than a roller coaster ride all along, but a much better one than 2023 has been! 

I’m not sad to walk into the last few days of 2024... And as I’m looking back at everything we went through versus everything we accomplished, shared, and built, I’m honestly proud and very grateful to be precisely where we’re at today. I love to compare with where we were at the exact same time last year and hopefully beat everything we planned and envisioned on every possible level. Alex and I both have a very competitive state of mind, and the thing we hate the most is losing, or not accomplishing something we initially planned, and this, regardless of the reasons, even the most valuable ones.

But this year, following what has been a “I don’t know how we made it through” 2023, standards and expectations were quite high as I secretly prayed every night in my room, wanting to see the impossible happen on every possible level for Alex and us all around him. 2024 started with a really dark vibe around the tragic and way-too-early passing of Alex’s best friend and partner in vibes and spirit, his dog MacKaye. The table was all dressed and set up for us to welcome our very first music producer experience a few weeks into the year, but I still think we should’ve postponed this rendez-vous, as it became a real disaster and a waste of our time and energy in the end.

The incredible thing about 2024 was to witness how much of a fighter Alex has been even if he’s been facing some serious personal and professional challenges. From working with a producer for the first time to releasing three musical projects, coming back on stage for the first time after his heart surgery, touring all summer long in Europe, driving more than 15,000 km (9k miles) in America for the first time under his name, to starting over his new album recording process in Tangier… This is nothing short of being very impressive and inspiring. I’m not even mentioning how much Alex learned about himself as we faced serious band members challenges throughout the summer, where one member of The Long Shadows almost got kicked out of the band and wasn’t part of the first trip to Tangier last August/September. I’m not going deeper into some team members and friends for over a decade leaving the record label.

All of this while developing a new vinyl pressing plant, handling weekly meetings regardless of any circumstances, promoting Alex’s numerous releases even while traveling or being on tour, answering my deep and personal questions, always being there for his friends, not shy of breaking any deeply locked doors in order to set people free, to send you all personal audio recorded messages, being the greatest of all friends and of course, still mourning MacKaye secretly, especially now, as this dark anniversary is at our doorstep… Looking forward to 2025 and strongly hope it’s the same for you!  

I’m going to share a personal culture that I have established for the past decade or so, something I started to share with you last year, as this is a very personal thing, a me-versus-me year-on-year kind of culture. As I was thinking about 2024 and reading all of what I had initially planned and wished for, I was amazed to realize how far we’ve been in the unique and unknown context we encountered. 

I called this list “Better Get This Done”! And… To be honest with you, I obviously removed a few personal things from it but left everything publicly shareable!

Here’s my 2024 wish list! Feel free to share yours with me and let me know if you have any questions! 

Happy New Year to you all!!!! See you again on January 7!!! 

Let’s be great to one another! 

Your Host and Friend, 
Jeff 

2024 "BETTER GET THIS DONE" LIST

AHF