HNY friends (even thought it’s already February!),
I hope you all got to have a nice little break. Once I had finished all my gigs for 2025 (clocking off at midnight on NYE) I did absolutely nothing for a whole two weeks! I was so exhausted after an epic 2025 that I still wish there was another month of sun, and beach, and couch, and wine.
But I can’t sit still for long. That’s fortunate because I’ve really had to get off my butt and get going on a range of very exciting and musically fulfilling projects that are coming up. Thanks so much to each and every one of you for being part of the journey this far. And thanks for coming out to my end-of-year tour and giving my most recent tracks a listen. I hope that these experiences filled you up with all the good stuff.
So, 2026! It’s gonna be huge.
Firstly, I’ll be heading back to the northern hemisphere a bunch, starting with a very special show on April 14th (my birthday!) in London at Piano Smithfield with the exquisite cellist, vocalist and songwriter William Jack. This tour is presented by my new friends at Classical Unlocked, whom I met while playing SXSW London last year. I can’t wait! Please tell your UK-based mates. > info here.
Secondly, I have spent the past couple of weeks writing five new atheist hymns. Back in 2020, I released three of these hymns on my album From the Bottom of the Well. I decided late last year that I wanted to dive deeper into this project and have loved coming up with new hymns for a collective humanity going through a time of disarray, grief and fear. These hymns are atheist hymns, yes, but they’re also humanist hymns, so I imagine they might work for religious and spiritual folk, too. I’ll be performing this project for a special early evening show on February 19th atTadao Ando’s MPavilion joined by my sister Meg Kolac on double bass. Meg has also designed and made a beautiful hymn book to help guide us all in some communal singing. This event is free by registering. > register here.
Then, in some final big huge news for this newsletter, I am honoured and ecstatic to announce that I have been named this years’s Melbourne International Jazz Festival’s Take Note Leader. Each year, MIJF runs this program to support and encourage gender diverse musicians working in jazz/improvised music. As part of the program, I have been commissioned to compose and perform a brand new work for this year’s MIJF. I am really looking forward to getting started on this new work which will premiere in October. I’ll share more as I dive in.
There’s more to tell in the coming months. I’m so pumped (and a bit terrified) for all the adventures I’m about to embark on this year. You can expect new music, new live music experiences and my usual philosophising about the meaning of life and universe. And now that I’m relaxed, rejuvenated and refuelled, I’m ready to get a move on.
See you out there.
Love xani xx
P.S: At a time that suits you, there are four other ways you can immerse yourself in a creative world:
1: Listen to music:
Get inspired by listening to my music online. Just listen here.
2: Listen to a community of music makers:
Jump in to the peaks and troughs of my favourite music by local artists.
Check out my monthly playlist.
3: Get ethical and own the latest experience for yourself:
Ethically buy the latest music and merch I have created just for music lovers.
Get my new organic cotton tee here.
4: Immerse yourself in my world:
Check out my pretty website all about my work here.
