It's October, and the point I want to hammer home is the fact that sometimes you need to wake the fuck up from your complacent haze and utterly obliterate your comfort zone with raw power, daring risks, and fiery momentum. In short, I realised I had nothing to lose. Sometimes you've just got to let fury have the hour and use your anger as power like The Clash said in their song 'Clampdown'.
The last five weeks of my existence were plagued by a special kind of disease—called complete social isolation and comfort with complacency. I was so lost in cognitive haze that I didn't even realise school was starting the day after instead of the week later. Despite having five full weeks of holidays (I was able to skip the last three weeks of school) to do literally anything, I remained stagnant as my social department completely collapsed under the accumulated weight of inaction. I spent thirty-five dismal, depressing, dolorous days of my life having hung out with nobody, having made zero memories, and having time slip away as I wasted my existence. Everyone else was out there making shit happen and building connections that actually mattered.
The fact is that if you want any kind of meaningful social life, you have to make peace with the fact that shallow acquaintances will use you for free emotional support and entertainment while using the excuse of being 'busy' to avoid actually connecting on a deeper level. How did I fix this problem? I realised it was just a numbers game, and I had nothing to lose as it can't get any worse anyway, so I just mass followed a bunch of people to get people to know me and open up more opportunities for connection. The fact is, it works. That was the method I used to build up an audience for this zine.
I also realised the importance of momentum and pumped out Issue 9 despite it having sat unfinished due to perfectionism and procrastination. It wasn't going to beat Issue 8 featuring Findaway in terms of critical reception anyway because the gig venue and timing meant that the photos were taken with poorer lighting compared to the cinematic photos of Issue 8, and Pricey isn't really a well-known figure compared to Findaway within the Brisbane underground alternative scene.
Let's be honest here, most people within the scene have never experienced true isolation because they've always had their safety nets and real friends. But at the same time, they don't have an insane work ethic when given the motivation to use that work ethic. They aren't willing to spend the time and energy to create a music magazine; they rather get high with their friends and fuck around at gigs instead of being there to properly absorb and connect with the music. The fact is that most people aren't willing to do brute-force, unconventional methods to get what they want.
A testament to this philosophy of mine is my experience at this year's SkatePUNK festival. Props to the gig organisers, but being isolated while everyone else flexed their popularity and showed off how many friends and cool memories they'd created made for a disastrous fucking experience. It was brutal standing there alone watching people showcase everything I didn't have. But you know what? I still went. I showed up knowing it would be painful, and that takes more guts than showing up with your big as friend group. My experiences made me want to share that raw perspective nobody talks about—the side of people who people have to suffer alone. To give a full picture of SkatePUNK, we're also featuring an interview with Braxton Hunt-Nissen, the organiser and owner of Deadtrigger Records who organised the entire event, plus a review of his new album 'Delirium'.
I want to thank Eliza for taking on the mentor role in my life and doing it quite well. I also thank Tani for listening to what I have to say unlike everyone else and being one of the kindest people I've ever met. I also thank Tasmiya despite her legacy role in my life for having provided the raw rudimentary framework for my life values and mindset. Her advice has been indispensable, and this zine would not have continued if it wasn't for her, nor would I have gotten out of the many ruts I've been in without having received the advice she gave me.
Live life by your own values and be loud about it. When faced with a problem, sometimes you've just got to try many things to see what sticks. Don't be afraid to repeat what you know works. Above all, when a risk has the potential to change your life and the state your life is in isn't great, you've got to realise that it can't get any worse if it's already bad, and take the opportunity to change your life for the better.
From the archive. Editorial · October 2025 · phone notes carried verbatim.