My Mum Loved This Song is a series of conversations about music and grief by Katie Thomas.

Hi, I’m a writer and editor based in South London, and my mum Jill passed away on May 29th, 2020.

I’ve worked in music for the majority of my career, and am currently a senior editor at electronic music publication Resident Advisor. Though my life has revolved around music and dancing for as long as I can remember, since losing my mum it’s become even more of a lifeline.

One of my favourite things about my work is delving into why music makes us feel the way that it does, how communal and transcendent those experiences can be, and how it can connect us to each other and to our memories.

That’s what this newsletter is about—the records that move us because they connect us to our loved ones.

Each edition will feature a short interview and some music. It’s all a tribute to Jill, whose singing and dancing around the kitchen is forever etched into my mind. I hope this will be a comforting space for those of us navigating grief, and that you’ll discover some music you love in the process.

Grief can be excruciatingly lonely, but it’s also a shared experience. I feel most understood by the people who really get what I’m going through, and that’s why I wanted to create a space to chat about musical memories and how we continue to honour our people in our day to day.

This Substack stuff is all very new to me and I am so open to your thoughts and feedback. If you have a story or a record you want to share, I would love to hear from you.

Why subscribe?

Subscribe for free to get full access to the newsletter and the archives. Each new edition will be sent to your email inbox.

If you’re able to sign up for a paid subscription, 50 percent of all money I receive will be donated to Cancer Research UK. From time to time, my guests might choose a different charity for their edition, in which case I will communicate this as and when.

Anything else?

You can follow me on Instagram, and find out more about me and my writing on my website.

A huge thank you to my wonderful friend Lucy of Goodie Works for the gorgeous logo and branding.

If you know someone who would find comfort in My Mum Loved This Song, please pass it on. Thank you so much for reading, and listening. <3

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Conversations about music and grief. A newsletter by Katie Thomas.