Diary of a DIY band and postman!!!

Hey,

I hope you’re doing well! It's Monday early in the morning, as Alex and I are leaving at 1pm (13h) for the airport on our way to Frankfurt with loads of packages to ship all across Europe! Very promising day of a two-day trip across the Atlantic! Cheers to the DIY spirit and to you all for your incredible love and support! 

As you’re reading this, we’re hopefully enjoying the city of Frankfurt with our dear friends, hoping your packages will all arrive quickly and all in perfect condition! 

One of the band members who drove us to the airport also drove to the United States, 1 hour further south, to ship all of the non-EU packages as well! Massive mission from the AHF band and crew! Also a huge celebration of what matters the most for us all: you guys!

🎧 Music I’m listening to

Archive - Glass Minds

I’m sure I’m not the only one listening to this record! But this album has something really special and thoughtful. Magnificent work behind this wonder.

Listen to the Missive Playlist

📖 Reading highlight I’m pondering

Woe to the man whose heart has not learned while young to hope, to love and to put its trust in life!!” - Joseph Conrad

I really love this amazing quote, as it reminds me that hope, love, and trust are not weaknesses but foundations that give life its meaning and depth. To learn these things while young is to develop a heart capable of facing hardship without losing its capacity for wonder while getting older. 

Life inevitably brings disappointment, loss, and uncertainty, yet those who continue to believe in beauty, connection, and possibility carry within them a quiet strength. Without this connection with our own heart, life can become something simply survived; with it, even difficult paths can lead toward growth, purpose, and transformation.

For me, this quote carries a message of encouragement and resilience. It speaks to the courage of staying open to life, even after heartbreak or disillusionment, and to the greatness that emerges when people refuse to let darkness define them. Music, community, and shared experiences become reminders that hope is not an illusion; it is a choice, a practice, and sometimes even an act of defiance. 

To trust in life is to believe that meaning can still be found, that healing remains possible, and that every chapter, no matter how difficult, still holds the potential for beauty and renewal.

This is why we started as a band in the first place! Let’s take a chance or two! 

🎙️ Podcast That Inspired Me

The Prof G Pod - David Brooks

I really like this conversation even if I don’t really like to talk politics since it’s a pretty divisive conversation, especially these days, sadly! But to me, this pod moves beyond politics or cultural analysis and into something more human: the search for meaning, belonging, and moral clarity in a fragmented world. 

What makes the conversation especially powerful is its sense of hope. Rather than focusing only on division or uncertainty, Brooks points toward the possibility of rebuilding connection in a culture often shaped by isolation and performance. He suggests that greatness is not found in perfection but in the willingness to grow, to listen, and to remain open to life’s deeper questions. 

In that spirit, the podcast becomes more than an interview. It feels like an invitation to slow down, reflect, and remember that a meaningful life is often built through small acts of kindness, honest self-examination, and the courage to stay connected to others. And it’s not only attached to America but all over the world, of course. 

📸 My Picture Of The Week 

Alex, Marcus, and myself.

Marcus, our merch captain amongst so many other great, great, great things! This gentleman has a huge heart on his sleeve and is always making sure everyone around is aligned with something above and beyond our own selves! Always true to himself, inspiring in every word and move he does, it’s been really shocking to learn about his new chapter in life: cancer. 

We’re with you, precious brother, every step of the way! You’re not done down here, precious brother, pretty far from it! Love you so much! 

💬 Shared in the Long Shadows Chat this week

Well...! The classic conversations of a DIY band, I guess! 

• Flying to Germany with suitcases full of packages with your LPs like a punk-rock postal service, trying to outsmart customs and border patrols while pretending this is a completely normal adult decision. Is there a tax for stress? 
   
• Discussing the fragility of the human heart one minute, then calculating postage costs with the intensity of underground economists trying to save independent music one package at a time. Ramen or tuna sandwich? 
   
• Realizing that DIY isn’t just a philosophy, it’s writing songs about healing the world while manually labeling shipping boxes in a warehouse somewhere between exhaustion, laughter, and total freedom. Who needs a break? 
   
• Talking about hope, war, and the state of humanity while arguing over who forgot the packing tape and why nobody brought enough coffee for a 14-hour straight package-packing party. Any 24-hour fast food chain restaurants with a 2-for-1 coffee deal around here? 
   
• Dreaming of a schnitzel and a beer while finalizing a so-called chorus, wondering if it was guitar feedback or some boxes being taped…! 

Diary of a DIY bass player postman!!! 

Let’s be great to one another! 

Your friend and Chief Operator, 
Jeff