December Letter
Birthday Celebrations, Old English Tales & the Last Gig of the Year
Dear friends,
We’ve arrived at the last newsletter of the year already.
It’s the evening before December begins, and I’m writing from my living room to the soundtrack of a northern lights ambient playlist, with the crackle of the log burner beside me. We’ve enough wood stocked up to last the whole winter (we accidentally ordered too much - oops!).
I thought I would feel resistant to the dark nights and short days of November, but actually I’m thoroughly enjoying leaning into this hibernation period. The gloomy days are begging for candles to burn all day, to wrap up and be cosy indoors, to eat warm winter-y meals, to spend the evening in the low lamplight writing songs, crocheting, reading, and watching the new Stranger Things (side note: how good was the latest episode!?). It’s time to hunker down for the season.
But to think that the new year is only around the corner is inconceivable. The doorway to 2026 is within reach, cracked open, a slither of light pouring in, waiting for us to rip it wide open and let in the new year.
November seems to have passed by in a blink, and yet trudging through muddy fields by torchlight to the local bonfire for fireworks at the start of the month feels such a long time ago.
It’s been a little over two weeks since ‘Ghostwriter’ came into the world, too. Oh my, what a joy to finally release it. That song is over three years old now, so to have been sitting on it for a long time and finally having the chance to record and release it feels wonderful. Thank you to everyone who has listened and shown the song some love - it really means a lot, and I’ve loved hearing your thoughts on the song and its direction.
Thank you to those who joined me on the recent livestream also, to celebrate the song’s release. It’s been such a long time since we’ve all gathered together like that. I hadn’t realised quite how much I’d missed it until we went live and I got to see your familiar names in the comment section and talk to you again! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It was a lot of fun to change locations and livestream from my Dad’s art gallery.
This week, ‘Ghostwriter’ also got a play on BBC Introducing radio. It’s always really cool to hear your songs on the airwaves. And the lovely James Fenney of Belwood Music wrote a super kind review of ‘Ghostwriter’, which you can read here.
Between the release of ‘Ghostwriter’ and watching the leaves fall from the trees, I celebrated another year on earth. As a November baby, I like cosy birthdays. Last year, I had the shock of my life when my sister came home from New Zealand to surprise me. Although no siblings returned this year, I did have a perfectly cosy day nonetheless, lighting a fire in the morning, my Mum joining us for breakfast pancakes, followed by a trip to the cinema with Jake in the afternoon, and a cosy evening back home to enjoy a delicious birthday dinner (and yes, you guessed it, in front of the fire). I received lots of lovely messages and birthday wishes, so thank you!
A couple of days later, the weekend brought about the Manchester Art Fair, where I helped out my Dad, who was exhibiting his art gallery. They were long days, but some of you dropped by to see us, which was so thoughtful and special, to see friendly faces coming to support us and appreciate the artwork.
Anyway, my friends, I hope your 2025 has had many moments of magic. I want to say a big thank you for being here, not only through supporting my music as you so wonderfully do, but for also being here in these newsletters.
These letters have been running for five years now, but this has been my first year on Substack, and I can’t tell you how much I’ve loved writing here and enjoyed the freedom to be creative each month and share whatever story I want to tell. Thank you for reading them and for immersing yourself a little deeper into my world.
If there’s anything you’d like to see from me here going forward in 2026, I’d love to hear what you enjoy reading about, and I’ll see what I can make happen.
I look forward to writing to you again in the new year. It’s like opening the first page of a brand-new book, isn’t it? Who knows how the story will unfold?
All my love,
Meg xx
My 2025 Soundtrack
A yearly playlist seems to have become an accidental tradition in my newsletters over the years. I love seeing which songs resonated with me most through different chapters of the year, so I’ve put them all together in one big playlist for 2025. I think there’s a real mix of songs and genres, so hopefully there will be one or two you like. :)
Happy listening!
Listen here
Fredymology
Anyone who is a fan of literature, language, and/or history might enjoy this recent discovery. Fredymology is a podcast hosted by Frederick Atkinson, who chronologically explores the history of English literature, covering poetry, prose, and playwriting.
From the shadows of Old English to the glow of the Romantic era, Frederick moves through time, analysing works that demonstrate their impact on the world, including vibrant original creative pieces by Atkinson himself.
This seems to be a brand-new podcast, with only two episodes published so far, but they’re chunky beasts - I’m talking good 90-minute to 2-hour episodes. You kind of feel like you’re in a class, but Frederick’s energy and the way he presents the texts (in his very posh English accent) is so fascinating and refreshing that it’s exciting to listen to, and the episodes never drag on. It was the title of his first episode that captured my eye: “Monsters and Magic: Old English Literature and Anglo-Saxon Heroes.” Monsters and magic? Yes please! Sign me up!
A Gig to End the Year
Gigs have been few and far between for me this year. While I had hoped for a busier gig diary, I think focusing on the creation of music has been more important. It’s a slow process, but as another year passes, it’s another step forward. My hope is that my calendar in 2026 will include some live shows across the country.
But in the meantime…
I’m delighted to be playing at The Granary Arts Cafe in Nantwich for one last gig this year, raising money for Mind alongside songwriters Louis Coupe and Jonah. I’ve played an event like this once before, and it was a very lovely evening, so I’m excited to be returning - especially as many of you have said you’ll be there, yay!
If you’re thinking about coming, you might need to be quick. I’ve been told tickets are close to selling out, so grab what’s left while you can.
For those attending, I’ll see you on Thursday, 11th December.
And to everyone else, I look forward to seeing you in the New Year when I return to these monthly letters! (Although no doubt there’ll be another Substack email here or there before 2026 begins.)
Until then, my friends, here’s to a very merry festive season and a healthy and happy New Year! ✨
If you’ve enjoyed these letters and would like to support them with a little tip, you can ‘buy me a hot chocolate’ on Ko-Fi here - thank you!! 💛
Thank you for playing What Colour is Your Heart on your live stream - it was beautiful! I don’t have Facebook so I can’t interact on there, but I was watching and singing along ☺️. Hope you had a lovely birthday month x