Recorded on Saturday, September 25, 2021

This episode has another band joining me, The New Age of Decay. The band / project is made up of Michael Burton, aka NotAnotherPoet, and Dann Gaymer, aka The Slow Blade. They join me online as Michael has recently returned to the UK while Dann and I are still in Beijing.

The band is a collaboration between the two who met through literary circles here in Beijing. Combining the slam poetry of Michael Burton with the techno, sample-influenced beats of Dann Gaymer, the project stands as a testament to the creative work that can emerge despite a global pandemic. Whether this project remains a one off or is to be continued, either online or in person, remains to be seen.

In this episode we talk what life is like being an expat in China and what it’s like to hold down full time jobs while pursuing one’s creative endeavours. While Michael uses the pen and paper method, Dann takes to the road on an often gruelling touring schedule. In this episode you’ll also hear just how close things were to not happening as the choices that everyone made prior to the full-on pandemic influenced what they were able, and not able, to do in the last year and a half.

You’ll also hear about some of the other travels the two have done prior to landing in China, and what sort of advice they’d give to people who are thinking of living and working overseas and how having a passion project can be a good outlet, and connection, with your surroundings.

To find The New Age of Decay’s album and links to their other projects, visit https://daftpop.bandcamp.com/album/new-age-of-decay, or head over to YouTube to see their music video for their song, “Quarantine”.

Show notes at https://www.stevensirski.com/ssp27-new-age-of-decay/