Bad Date for Good People!

Hey,

I hope you’re doing well. It’s actually Saturday afternoon, Valentine’s Day. Not that I really care, but it’s in the air anyway, and I’m sitting at my office mainly looking outside, thinking about how much last week has been of high intensity on so many levels. I feel as if 2026 is so emotionally demanding and draining already, between our personal reality in the band around Alex’s home in Virginia and, of course, all of what’s happening around the world on a daily basis. 

Thanks to the Olympic Games, not that I care either, especially following the Ukrainian athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych story, but at least it removes the same old faces from the news landscape, replacing them with great stories from around the world. 

Canada has been no exception this week after what happened in Tumbler Ridge, which is one of the worst tragedies in Canada’s recent history. It's hard to find hope, joy, and even true love on Valentine’s Day these days, tragically enough. 

I first wanted to write about role models and try to invite us all to become such a thing in the life of at least one person around, but then realized there couldn’t be a better time for me to celebrate what’s most valuable to me, and it’s friendship! 

I’m so thankful for your very precious birthday wishes and messages, especially following what Alex shared about our friendship last week and my latest missive as well...! 

🎧 Music I’m listening to

"Imidiwan Takyadam" by the Sahrawi Tuareg band Tinariwen (featuring José González) translates from Tamasheq to English as "Friends, Take Care" or "Friends, Stand Up".

I’m a huge fan of those two! When I realized they’ve been working together on this amazing song, and its meaning around friendship, I couldn't stop listening to it...! 

Also, very important! I started a new playlist! I’ll be adding weekly songs in it until next September when I’ll start a new one under the new theme! 

Save it! Share it! Listen to it as loud as you can! :) 

Listen to the Playlist

📖 Reading highlight I’m pondering

But of course, spirituality is not just about
finding quiet in a noisy world.
It is about finding the sacred in the mundane.
It is about re-contacting our aliveness after
experiences that have deadened us.
It is about crying out to something
larger than ourselves.
Song allows us to do all of this.
-Tara Mohr 

For me, dedicating my life for the ones I love is where I find the sacred in the mundane. What is it for you?! 

📺 Show to Watch

Open Conversation between Alex and Myself - A Year of Affirmation

Talk about celebrating friendship! Alex and I sat down before I left Tangier last January, and I had the chance to ask Alex multiple questions about how he managed to navigate through the several life challenges 2025 brought on his way and how he managed to not only free himself from years of despair and hopelessness but to reach such an inspiring level of freedom, happiness, joy, and so on, which will give birth to one of the greatest years for us, I’m sure...! 

This is why we wanted to take the opportunity to gather us all together to watch it, celebrating what really matters the most in this journey: US! :) 

Make sure to be notified!!!!! 

📸 My Picture Of The Week

Bad Date for Good People! This was back in 2015 when we decided to invite you all for a live Q&A with every band member, during which we would all share about our best and worst Valentine’s Day dates, with 2 songs aligned with each date! We had such a great time! 

In this friendship celebration missive, I wanted to also underline how sometimes, the best laughs come from simply allowing ourselves to outshine what the world is throwing at us in grand style!!!! 

Back then, people could expect a bit of frivolity, good music, delicious wine, and a moment that, I hope, they all remember to this day...!  (Of course, for different reasons!).

Hoping this made you smile! :) 

💬 Shared in the Long Shadows Chat this week

Alex sent us an audio message last week sharing how much he loves us and how proud he was of the work we did on the new songs we’ve been working on before and after the Christmas holidays, as he was in Tangier working on lyrics.

This audio message came in as Alex is surrounded by his completely devastated home, where everything around him simply suggests falling into a world of pure madness, cynicism, negativity, disenchantment, pessimism, and so on and so forth. 

But Alex completely decided otherwise, which, to me and to us all, became such a powerful source of intentionality, purpose, rigorous work, and thoughtfulness, and to make sure, through our very unique connectivity after 20 years of ups and downs, that this project, this music, this year, will be one we’ll all remember forever! 

Can’t wait for you to hear it! Soon… Soon!!! 

Let’s be great to one another! 

Your friend and Chief Operator, 
Jeff 

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