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 WAASH.
WAASH – the latest, pop-refining project from prolific Vancouver songwriter Andrew Bishop – previews the upcoming self-titled full-length with third single “It’s a Lie.” A smooth, laid back statement on putting up boundaries as a form of self-care, the single arrives through WAASH‘s label home, Light Organ Records. Following the shoegaze slant of WAASH‘s similarly self-titled 2023 EP, “It’s a Lie” is more of a synth-crystalized bop, which points to the broader experimentation Bishop brought to his next LP.
“You’re probably going to think these are breakup tunes,” Bishop continues of the song – and indeed the album, on the whole – though he adds the drive of pieces like “It’s a Lie” is more generalized than pure romance. “It’s really just about standing up for what you need out of a relationship, and making sure you’re getting what’s important to you. And if it’s not reciprocal, then you go. No harm done.”
Featuring Courtney Ewan Hancock on lead vocals, stream + share “It’s a Lie” now:
“I really love the play between the two voices in the vocals – there are many shared words and feelings but both people are having such different experiences,” Hancock elaborates. “Like two people having two totally different conversations.”
Tea: Mint
Music: “No Ordinary Love” by Sade
Visual: Photo (self taken)
Nothing really tops a cup of mint tea. It’s refreshing, crisp and comforting while never being too intrusive. Doesn’t matter the season, Mint tea is always a favourite. To help set the mood, it’s harder to find a track that accomplishes that more perfectly than Sade’s “No Ordinary Love”. This song is the perfect example of restraint. The pulsing bassline and “low end heavy” drum beat never change, creating a groove with just the right amount of tension.
Pair the sonic joy of Sade and the inviting mint tea with a moment of clarity and you’ll be feeling as still and smooth as the reflection in the photo.
Tea + Me 