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 break with our Afternoon Tea curators. Need an extra lump of sugar? One more sip? If you have five minutes more (or ten), we have one more hit.
Today’s tea + soundtrack + visuals curated by Malia Rogers.
Nova Scotia raised, Ottawa-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Malia Rogers unveils her debut EP, Chameleon, featuring the vast and heartfelt centerpiece, “Indefinitely.” Chameleon merges her East Coast roots with folk, bluegrass, and Celtic traditions to explore themes of identity, growth, self-compassion, and enduring connection. With a storytelling voice rich in vulnerability and nuance, the six-song collection offers a layered portrait of transformation – pairing past hurts with their healing counterparts.
“Indefinitely” offers a barefoot love song for the deeply known – a sweeping meditation on partnership, evolution, and unconditional devotion. Built on rhythmic acoustic textures, lilting mandolin, melodic strings, and a heartbeat of bodhrán, the track captures the feeling of the tide coming in – calm, powerful, and enduring. “I told my producer Neil Whitford that I wanted it to sound like the tide,” says Rogers. “There’s ocean imagery in the lyrics, and as a Nova Scotian living away in Ontario, the water makes me feel like I’m home. So does the love this song is written about.”
Written on the seventh anniversary of her relationship with now-husband Matthew, “Indefinitely” reflects on the idea that we become entirely new people over time – and how rare it is to evolve in tandem with another.
Stream + share “Indefinitely” now:
A seasoned performer in the Canadian folk scene, Malia Rogers also lends her talents to acclaimed roots group Jessica Pearson & The East Wind, offering mandolin, banjo, and harmonies. With Chameleon, she steps into a new chapter – one that embraces change, affirms her voice, and finds courage in emotional honesty.
“This release has helped me overcome a lot of imposter syndrome,” says Rogers. “I’ve learned to trust my instincts, take my time, and be proud of my work. Chameleon is proof that our stories can change – and so can we.”
Music:
This song fills me with warmth on every listen and transports me so completely to a late summer evening — down to the hum of crickets and the smell of fresh cut grass on a gentle breeze. The conversational lyrics and gorgeous, grounded production elucidate the beauty of ‘the ordinary’ in a love-soaked life. To me, as someone whose family and friends are spread out across the country, moments where we get to bring out the ‘good plates’ for loved ones are especially sacred moments.
Art: “Otherwise” poem by Jane Kenyon.
This poem is one of my favourites out of the ‘Good Poems’ anthology I received as a gift one year from my late grandfather, and – I guess similarly to my song choice – I think it’s a poignant expression of gratitude for the daily small joys of life. Someday, everything will be otherwise, and learning to appreciate the ’now’ has been a focus for me in the last few years as I’ve gotten more familiar with loss.
Tea: Celestial Seasonings Bengal Spice.
This sweet-and-spicy herbal tea has been my beverage of choice for study sessions and late-night deep conversations all through my twenties. It’ll always make me feel contemplative and nostalgic. I also appreciate the sugar kick – I have more than a bit of a sweet tooth 🙂
Tea + Me 