Ten minute tea with Afternoon Tea. Spend ten minutes with Afternoon Tea. In the time it takes to boil one kettle, and let one cup of tea steep, we will have your daily art + music fix covered. Take your afternoon tea break with our Afternoon Tea curators.
Today’s tea + soundtrack + visuals curated by Rosanne Baker Thornley.
Torontonian singer-songwriter, Rosanne Baker Thornley, is readying the release of Sorry I’m Late, a record written to move and comfort listeners through reflections on pieces of life that Thornley has lived and witnessed.
It’s about insights, moments of awe, losses, lessons, and the determination to continue on. Sorry I’m Late features the vulnerable and introspective title track, which gently pieces together the hectic nature of a day in Thornley‘s life, as well as the most rewarding experiences she’s had, such as raising her daughter.
Over hypnotic acoustic guitar, drums, and lilting piano, Thornley straddles the line between entering into the future’s unknown and grappling with the present’s quickening pace.
Stream + share the title track from Sorry I’m Late:
The tune
“Cheap Idols Dressed in Expensive Garbage”
by John Moreland
Songs telling stories.
Words that walk you through imagery.
The emotive delivery of the story.
The intention of the songwriter.
I had not heard of Tulsa-based John Moreland until one day his song “Cheap Idols Dressed in Expensive Garbage” came on in the background of my day.
There was something in the realness the song offered that piqued my interest. The simplicity of the production, the space, the acoustic guitar, the vibe, the gruffness of his voice and the lazy delivery to a very real, cool lyric and hookline – “Cheap idols dressed in expensive garbage. We can’t afford the deal we bargained”.
Moreland was inspired to write this song after viewing a social media account that featured various pastors misleading working people while draped in designer clothing. As he bluntly puts it “here is a song about end-stage capitalism.”
This song was my first introduction to Moreland. I have since dove into his full catalogue and am impressed with the artistry he’s adding to the sea of music out there. Check him out 😉
The image
“John Dee Holeman”
by Jimmy Williams
A songwriter first, I am for certain in my heart, a photographer second – documenting life. Like songs, I love that a photo captures a moment. Evokes a feeling. I am a huge fan of documentary and journalistic photography. Images that offer a sense of being in the story. Texture. Light. I love and seek out the simplicity of black and white – the romanticism and immediate sense of freezing a moment and telling its story.
Many years ago I came across award-winning photographer Jimmy Williams. His sense of capturing and telling those moments are massively inspirational to me.
“Whether I create a scenario or capture it spontaneously, I always start with – how do I want this image to feel? This involves opening myself up to the moment and trusting my emotions to dictate and inspire a compelling story. It’s also about building a connection or a feeling of familiarity with subjects that allows me to see their true vulnerable, unguarded selves. These emotions are raw. Sometimes private. Always honest.” – Jimmy Williams.
That statement truly encapsulates my sentiment for both my love of photography and my love of co-writing. I know that I truly ‘see’ the person in front of me whether I’m taking their photo, or creating music for them. I can just feel people in front of me.
This photo of “John Dee Holeman” speaks volumes. While I didn’t know this man myself, Jimmy notes that “the world lost a great musician and a genuinely kind, humble man”. Which this photo tells me. And I love that.
Check out more of Jimmy Williams work at jimmywilliamsphotography(dot)com.
The Tea
A London Fog
Earl Grey tea, turned cloudy and the colour of a fog-laden afternoon in London when the warm milk hits the cup. The reinvention of Earl Grey tea – sweet, floral and creamy. It’s my latest go-to for a late night, ‘everyone is neatly tucked in bed and the world is quiet’ – tea.
Tea + Me 