Sitting Under A Tree with Aidan Jones

Ep 198 - Nas: Illmatic

This week to distract myself from how fucked our lives are, I spent some time diving into Nas' 1994 classic 'Illmatic'. The album was huge for me when I discovered it in my teens, but this week I dug into some old reviews and interviews from when the album came out, and also went back and watched 'Wild Style', the 1982 movie sampled in the opening track of the album. That led me onto 'Style Wars' from 1983, and I feel like with those two, and a bit more knowledge of Nas' life growing up in the Queensbridge Projects in NYC in the 70s and 80s, I have a new understanding of where this album came from. I never really thought about it too much, I just knew I loved it, so it was cool to dig in a little.

Ep 197 - The Hilltop Hoods: The Calling

This week in another attempt to dig myself our of the emotional mire that is extended lockdown, I decided to talk and tell stories about something I love very much. The album 'The Calling' by The Hilltop Hoods was released in 2003. I first heard it in the summer of 2003/04 when I was 12 years old, at the Australian Scouts Jamboree, and it changed everything for me. After listening again this week from the perspective of someone who - like the Hoods when they recorded The Calling - has been chasing after an artistic dream for more than ten years, I felt a new appreciation for the music. I talked about that, and did a bit of a deep dive on one of the guest verse rappers from 'The Certificate'. Lots of fun!

Ep 196 - Ten Years Doing Stand Up

August 15th marks ten years since the first time I ever did stand up comedy. This week, rather than wallow in the mess that is our collective experience, I reminisced about starting out as a comedian, read the messages I sent to book my first ever spot, and talk about what comedy means to me. I honestly find it difficult to go too hard at the sincerity, but I really enjoyed this. Just what was needed today, I reckon.

Ep 195 - Depressed

I am absolutely hating this lockdown. I feel sad, hopeless and bored. The one thing I can take from this week's podcast is that hopefully I've hit somewhere close to rock bottom so we now have something to build on. God this podcast was so bad hahaha.

Ep 194 - Say How You Feel When You Feel It

I've been asked for a lot of advice this week, which feels really nice! Feels like people respect me enough to ask for directions on the journey that is their life. Then again, whenever I've asked for literal directions in the world, I'm not ever too picky who I ask, I just ask whoever is nearby, and then based on how certain they are I decide for myself whether I'm going to ignore their directions or not. So I'm either well respected, or nearby. I'll still take that.

Ep 193 - The Retreat

I booked a beautiful retreat in the Glass House Mountains an hour or so out of The Sunshine Coast, and turned my phone off. I thought it'd be a nice way to unwind and reconnect with myself, whatever the fuck that means. I was wrong.

Ep 192 - I'm Still In Cairns

I've had a pretty tough week, if I'm honest. It is funny to me that the act of admitting that, and in doing so, implicitly asking the people around you for help, is also a sign that really, you're going to be okay. Someone who is truly having a rough time would never admit that they were because they wouldn't want to make the people around them feel bad or worry about them. So I want you to know that, while I am fine, I have had a pretty tough week. I could think of much worse places than Cairns to have had it in though.

Ep 191 - Don't Be Ashamed of Sex

I've been thinking a lot about sex, so against all of my instinctive shame and squeamishness, I talked about that this week. About why I have sex, the reasons I've had in the past, and the reasons I'd like to have in the future. Felt very inappropriate really, which is in itself, VERY INTERESTING!!

Ep 190 - Sometimes You Just Have To Let Your Heart Break

My girlfriend and I broke up last week, I'm very sad about it. I talk about breaking up with someone on Christmas day, and recount the times in the last few weeks that I've had a cry. Pretty good stuff, I reckon.

Ep 189 - Art

I had so much fun on stage last night! Fun!! Remember?! That's what it was supposed to be about!! I read about Clarice Beckett in this book on the artistic history of Melbourne, she died unknown and broke at 48, but she left behind so much work. Some of them she painted on the cardboard from cereal boxes, because she was too poor to afford art supplies. That's the point isn't it - she was doing it!! She loved her art!! That's the only reason to keep going!