Lockdown! at the Disco #32: The New Year Episode

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Hiya folks, and welcome to 2021. As teen drama dreamboat Seth Cohen’s fave band Death Cab For Cutie once said, this is the new year and I don’t feel anything different.

let’s jam…

TRACK ONE: “The New Year” – Death Cab For Cutie

That was “The New Year” by Death Cab For Cutie and you’re listening to episode #32 of Comics Youth Radio presents Lockdown! at the Disco and this is The New Year, New Lockdown Episode – because, yes honey we’re in our third act of lockdown. And I won’t lie, it’s been stressful. 2021 is really giving 2020 a run for its money, and we’re only a few weeks in to it – even though it already feels like we’ve done three months worth already.

In today’s episode we’re going to be talking about the new – how to make a fresh start on things when you feel like change is needed, the grotesque mythology of new year, new you mantras, and why new things are just generally overrated in our culture and society.

As ever, this is our usual weekly disclaimer that whilst every effort is made to keep Lockdown! at the Disco family friendly and free of any content that may not be appropriate for younger listeners, sometimes the odd word or reference may slip through that may be more suitable for older listeners so parental discretion is advised.

But now, let’s dive straight in and attempt to feel shiny and fresh, shall we?

This is “New” by No Doubt

TRACK TWO: “New” – No Doubt
TRACK THREE: “begin again” – Purity Ring

That was “begin again” by Purity Ring. And begin again is perhaps the best phrase for defining how I feel – and maybe you do too – about new year vibes.

There is always so much emphasis every time a new year starts that ‘this is a opportunity to start again’, and to become a better version of yourself than last year. New Year, New You – and all of that nonsense.

But begin again is a much sweeter and more realistic way of approaching a new year. It’s nice to have an opportunity to hit reset and to restart things a little bit – but it’s also nice to acknowledge that maybe you’re fine as you are. That the version of you who ended the previous year might be a little flawed but is also strong enough and capable enough and fabulous enough to begin again without radical reinvention.

Begin again is the perfect new year mantra as it is takes the emphasis and pressure away from a new year requiring a new version of you to inhabit it, and instead put the onus on the old version of you just getting on with things and levelling up as and when you feel ready to.

New beginnings don’t always mean a complete change to the script or to the person living it. New beginnings can simply mean a slightly fresh perspective on things or insight. It can mean that you’ve simply taken the time to reflect on things and want to move forward with or without some of the things from the past.

Whenever people or companies push the idea of New Year, New You it’s with the idea that the old version is somehow utterly flawed and shameful on a deep level that requires a massive overhaul.

When it actuality, all forms of change happen gradually over time. They can’t be demanded and they can’t be wished for. You get there on your own and you certainly don’t get there by feeling ashamed of any part of yourself or by focusing only on your flaws.

For this new year, move forward with pride and focus on the things you love about yourself. If you think some changes are necessary, that’s cool. But those changes will likely naturally come so long as you identify the things that make you awesome first and foremost. We all find ways to adapt and to renew – and we don’t achieve that by hating or unfairly judging ourselves.

And with that in mind, here’s sweet baby boy Jeff Buckley with “New Year’s Prayer”:

TRACK FOUR: “New Year’s Prayer” – Jeff Buckley
TRACK FIVE: “Start Again” – Keeley Forsyth

That was “Start Again” by Keeley Forsyth.

When we’re talking about starting anew and reinvention and transformation, these sorts of things are something that often get unfairly slapped onto people of LGBTQIA+ identity as and when they’re experimenting with who they are – be it finding a label or pronoun that they feel comfortable in using or an aesthetic of gender expression that they want to present to the world.

As and when an LGBTQIA+ person really figures out who they are and they feel safe and comfortable enough to present themselves as they are, there usually tends to be a lot of dialogue about this new version of them.

And don’t get me wrong, coming out is so important and deserves all the celebration in this world. But we also shouldn’t get the semantics of such a great public shift wrong. The ‘newness’ of a person coming out – as gay, transgender, non-binary, queer, or anything else within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum – is only new in terms of the society who see this change and accept it.

In reality, coming out isn’t about a fresh start or unleashing a new identity. Coming out is about presenting an existing identity that has been forced to lay low for one reason or another.

There’s an element of transformation and transition involved in coming out – sure. And there is such incredible power in that. But never forget whether you yourself are coming our or a loved one or acquaintance is, that this quote “new” version of them isn’t actually new for them. It’s the version of them that that has always been there, and that’s the part that deserves all the party poppers and presents and bunting and streamers going.

The opportunity to embrace our true selves and to feel safe and comfortable and loved enough to do so is phenomenal. But just remember, it’s not about starting again. It’s not about releasing a new version of yourself to the world. It’s not even about reinvention or a fresh start. It’s about you telling everyone that this is who you’ve always been – same old, same old – and that you finally get to dress and live and act exactly how you’ve always wanted and deserved to.

So let’s continue this vibe with a classic queer anthem shall we? This is the queen Diana Ross with “I’m Coming Out”:

TRACK SIX: “I’m Coming Out” – Diana Ross
TRACK SEVEN: “Since I Left You” – The Avalanches

That was The Avalanches with “Since I Left You” – a song that offers a bold reminder that fresh starts can sometimes involve figuring out the things that don’t work for you in life, getting absolute rid of that noise, and moving on past it all into a better future.

This could be a person or relationship who you perhaps figured out wasn’t the best for you  in terms of support or wellbeing or mental health, a job that was more grief and stress than the experience or wages was worth, a place that didn’t give you enough space within which to grow as big and as bold as you’d like to, or even just a moment in life that you’re glad to have gotten out of and grown from.

There’s power in identifying these things and finding the strength to leave them behind. That’s not always easy. In fact, there are times when you might find yourselves stuck in situations that are toxic or unpleasant or that simply don’t serve you in the way you need but you won’t realise it until way down the line when you might just wake up one day and go ‘why do I feel so bad?’ and then finally identify why.

But just as that Avalanches song highlights, there is such joy in figuring out things like that and though it can be difficult and stressful and upsetting even to get yourself out and away from these people, jobs, places, or situations that are more of a hinderance to your life than a help, once you get over that initial struggle it’s all love, honey!

Sometimes you have to put yourself first. Particularly because if we don’t prioritise our time and our dreams and our ambitions and health, happiness, and wellbeing then we run the risk of resenting the things and people that have gotten in the way of those things. We all deserve to have access to and achieve the things we want in this life. And heck knows, everything goes so quickly that there’s no time to waste on things that make you unhappy.

So be sure to keep on taking stock of everything in your life. Take the time to stop and to reflect and to process your feelings and your mindset. And damn, honey – never ever lose sight of the things you want or your dreams. Every day is a brand new one and a fresh opportunity to dream big.

So make sure that you take the chance to do so. This is “Brand New Day” by Dizzee Rascal.

TRACK EIGHT: “Brand New Day” – Dizzee Rascal
TRACK NINE: “Dream Baby Dream” – Suicide

That was the sublime “Dream Baby Dream” by Suicide and that brings us to the end of another episode of Lockdown! at the Disco.

A quick announcement, we are changing things up on this podcast and we are currently recruiting for a young production team to help out with things behind the scenes here.

If you’re a young person aged 13 – 25 who would like to get some podcast production experience under their belt this year, then get in touch with me via amy@comicsyouth.co.uk. We’re currently looking for people to dedicate about an hour each week who would like to help with specific jobs such as curating themed playlists, recording weekly segments, script writing, and research for things we can talk about during the episode.

You can find more information about that on our website via comicsyouth.co.uk/discoteam.

On next week’s episode we’re going to be doing a Women in Music special as requested by a couple of our young people in our safe spaces group. As part of that we want your song requests for music by women who think are trailblazers of the music industry and why. And we’ll also be talking about why it’s still so difficult for women to get the respect they deserve within various sectors of the music industry and why that’s the case!

Chat to me in the Safe Spaces Discord channel if you’re a member or email me amy@comicsyouth.co.uk.

And that’s it from me for this week! This is “Feeling Good” by Nina Simone and this is Amy Roberts signing off.

Byeeeeee!!

TRACK TEN: “Feeling Good” – Nina Simone