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 are curated by Phillip Vonesh. If Only For The Night is the forthcoming third album from Toronto born singer-songwriter Phillip Vonesh. Set for release on June 16th, these eight songs tell stories of hard goodbyes, frustration, depression, moving forward and ultimately coming to terms with all of it.
“Fly Over State” is a product of a co-writing session with Albertan songwriter Hannah Gazso, who Vonesh met at a virtual incubator program (Canada’s Music Incubator). Gazso shared a lyric that mentioned the idea of being a “flyover state,” and the rest of the story wrote itself easily. Vonesh reached into his own personal history with his ex to explore the feeling of unrequited love and of just being a convenient hook-up for someone.
Stream + share “Fly Over State” now:
Visual:
As I am writing this, it is mother’s day in North-America and I am away from my mum. This image is one of my favourite photos that I have taken of her. I shot it it on my little ricoh camera, probably on kodak 400. This was taken a few summers ago, maybe the summer of 2020 when the wildfires were blazing in western canada. My mum and I went down to the beach in Toronto to go for a swim and the haze from the wildfires had taken away all of the detail from the sky. I love this photo because of the sky, and because it is my mum in her element. She loves the water so much.
Music:
In staying with the mother’s day theme, I chose the song mama’s eyes by the late, great, Justin Townes Earle. This is a song I really relate to, and I think many young men the world over. I am my father’s son, and I bear his scars, his flaws and all of the negative things associated with being a man. But I also have my mother’s eyes, and in her I find my redemption, my kindness, the good in this world. Though I would add that I love both of my parents very much, and that’s not entirely fair to my father who is a very loving and lovely human, if not frustrating at times.
Tea: Orange Pekoe
We grew up on orange pekoe, often Tetley, sometimes Red Rose. I don’t feel a specific brand allegiance, but orange pekoe reminds me of my mum and reminds me of home. Two teabags in the pot, warm the cups, milk first and then the tea, no sugar. Simple, warm and comforting anytime of year.
Happy Mother’s Day to my mum, Marie. And a very happy mothers day to all of the amazing mothers around the world!
Tea + Me 