Month: July 2024

A few months ago, Wild Pink (the project of John Ross) announced Fire Talk Records as their new label home. That has so far spawned the Strawberry Eraser EP, and now there’s a full-length album on the way, too: Today (July 16), Wild Pink announced Dulling The Horns and shared the single “The Fences Of Stonehenge.”

Ross says of the song, “I was messing around with some classic-sounding lyrical tropes because I wanted to pick them apart as a song idea, but also because they actually sounded good as lyrics. I think it works because this song is kind of about figuring out what to do when you realize you outgrew a lot of stuff you used to like. This song came together somewhat quickly and I was pretty sure it was gonna be the album opener when I was writing it.”

He also says of the album, “You zoom out, and I’m very fortunate. But Dulling The Horns came from the feeling of figuring out how do you deal with things and move forward and just keep creating.”

Listen to “The Fences Of Stonehenge” above. Below, find the Dulling The Horns cover art and tracklist, along with Wild Pink’s upcoming tour dates.

Wild Pink’s Dulling The Horns Album Cover Artwork

Wild Pink’s Dulling The Horns Tracklist

1. “The Fences of Stonehenge”
2. “Eating The Egg Whole”
3. “Cloud Or Mountain”
4. “Disintegrate”
5. “Sprinter Brain”
6. “Dulling The Horns”
7. “St. Catherine St.”
8. “Catholic Dracula”
9. “Bonnie One”
10. “Rung Cold”

Wild Pink 2024 Tour Dates

10/10 — Stockholm, SE @ Slaktyrkan
10/11 — Oslo, SE @ Belleville
10/12 — Copenhagen, DK @ Stengade
10/13 — Berlin, DE @ Badehaus
10/14 — Hamburg, DE @Aalhaus
10/16 — Cologne, DE @ Blue Shell
10/17 — Rotterdam, NL @ Left Of The Dial Festival
10/18 — Rotterdam, NL @ Left Of The Dial Festival
10/19 — Utrecht, NL @ EKKO
10/21 — London, UK @ Moth Club
10/22 — Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
10/23 — Glasgow, UK @ Mono
10/24 — Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
10/25 — Leeds, UK @ Headrow House
10/26 — Bristol, UK @ The Crofters Right
11/08 — Kingston, NY @ Tubby’s ^
11/09 — Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk ^
11/10 — Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern ^
11/11 — Windsor, ON @ The Meteor
11/12 — Kalamazoo, MI @ Bells ^
11/14 — Milwaukee, WI @ XRay Arcade *
11/15 — Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle *
11/16 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Pittsburgh Winery *
11/17 — Washington, DC @ DC9 *
11/19 — Portland, ME @ Space *
11/20 — Boston, MA @ The Rockwell *
11/21 — Philadelphia, PA @ Ukie Club *
11/22 — Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool *
11/23 — Brooklyn, NY @ Union Pool %

* with John Francis Flynn
% with The Natvral
^ with Friendship

Dulling The Horns is out 10/4 via Fire Talk. Find more information here.

There are some positives about being an A-list celebrity: you get to fly all over the world, meet other big named celebs, and adopt whatever dog you’d like. On the other hand, everyone knows your business all the time. So it’s a bit of a double-edged sword, but there are some bright spots!

For instance, Natalie Portman went through a divorce earlier this year, and normally that’s not the type of thing you want the world to comment on, but that’s how Hollywood works. Luckily, she was given a pep talk by Rihanna, so now she is the most powerful divorcee in the world.

Portman and Rihanna were met each other during Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, where the singer praised the newly-single Portman. “It was…an amazing experience for me,” Portman told Jimmy Fallon this week. “I think every woman going through a divorce should get to have Rihanna say to her that she’s a bad b*tch. It was exactly what I needed,” she added.

Video of the two meeting went viral back in January. “You are one of the hottest b*tches in Hollywood,” the singer told Portman before asking for a pic. Portman then told Fallon, “It was a formative moment in my life.”

“That’s a big deal,” Fallon replied, though he will never know what it’s like for Rihanna to call him a bad b*tch. He can only dream of what that would feel like for him.

Ahead of hitting the road with Green Day, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Rancid, energetic rock band The Linda Lindas have announced a new album.

No Obligation, the follow-up to 2022’s catchy Growing Up, has been in the works for over two years. It was recorded during “spring breaks, winter breaks, and long weekends,” as guitarist and vocalist Lucia de la Garza and bassist Eloise Wong are in high school, drummer Mila de la Garza just graduated middle school, and Bela Salazar is out of school but still a teenager.

Along with the album announcement, The Linda Lindas also released the first single, “All In My Head.” In a statement, Lucia said, “It has the most indie vibes we’ve leaned into so far because it was written on an acoustic guitar. Recording it was really fun, full of lots of dancing in the studio. I wrote ‘All In My Head,’ from the perspective of a book character, which kinda brought us out of our comfort zone.”

You can watch the “All In My Head” video above.

The Linda Lindas’ No Obligation Album Cover Artwork

The Linda Lindas’ No Obligation Tracklist

1. “No Obligation”
2. “All In My Head”
3. “Lose Yourself”
4. “Too Many Things”
5. “Once Upon A Time”
6. “Yo Me Estreso”
7. “Cartographers”
8. “Don’t Think”
9. “Resolution / Revolution”
10. “Nothing Would Change”
11. “Excuse Me”
12. “Stop”

No Obligation is out 10/11 via Epitaph. Find more information here.

Ella Purnell has been having a bit of a moment. Actually, make that a winning few years, including her roles as the unfortunate Jackie in Showtime’s Yellowjackets and as a very different type of survivor on Prime Video/Amazon’s smash hit, Fallout. Before that, Purnell starred in two seasons of the underappreciated Sweetbitter series (which will appeal to devotees of The Bear) for Starz, and given that her star is rising, the cable network decided to rescue a Sky-produced TV series that filmed in 2020 but still hasn’t seen the light of day.

That would be Sweetpea, and let’s not waste any more time with filling in the details known so far.

Plot

The series is based upon C.J. Skuse’s same-named 2017 novel and is described by Starz as a “coming-of-rage” tale. Expect a dark comedy about Purnell’s character, Rhiannon, not to be confused with the 1970s Fleetwood Mac song about a witch. The Sweetpea book is not based upon the song, but Skuse did previously reveal that she changed the character’s name to Rhiannon after listening to the Fleetwood Mac song.

For some not-incidental info: Stevie Nicks wrote that song about a mystical figure called Rhiannon, framed as a witch in the song and based upon Mary Leader’s 1972 book, Triad: A Novel of the Supernatural, and Skuse’s novel also happens to revolve around a young woman who comes into a killer ability of her own. With that said, the story of Sweetpea is its own creation and a dark comedy, and Skuse’s book has drawn comparisons to Bridget Jones and some of cinema’s most terrifying villains. We’d say more about those villains, but those would spoil the fun. From Sky’s initial synopsis:

Rhiannon Lewis doesn’t make much of an impression – people walk past her in the street without a second glance. She’s continually overlooked for a promotion at work, the guy she likes won’t commit, and her dad is really, really sick. So far, so shit. Then everything in her life turns upside down. Rhiannon is pushed over the edge, and loses control. Suddenly the wallflower is gone, and in its place is a young woman capable of anything… Rhiannon’s life transforms as she steps into a new, intoxicating power, but can she keep her killer secret?

Cast

Purnell will be joined by Leah Harvey, Tim Samuels, Dino Kelly, Elliot Cable, Lucy Heath, and Jessica Brindle.

Release Date

Originally meant to arrive in 2020 for Sky, the Starz pick up means that Sweetpea will see the light of day before 2024 is over.

Trailer

Sweetpea hasn’t surfaced in trailer form yet. However, Purnell fans might want to revisit Sweetbitter (with the trailer below), which (again) will also appeal to fans of FX’s The Bear.

John Wick, famously, was originally written about a 75-year-old former assassin before Keanu Reeves stepped into the role, and the rest is vengeance-soaked cinematic history. That bit of trivia adds to the act of contemplating FX’s The Old Man, and various relationships in this series also bring into question who the real “old man” of the show’s title really turns out to be. Yet we aren’t here to dwell on that particular wordplay too much but, instead, to talk about what will arrive in the second season.

Jeff Bridges returns in this John Wick-esque story about an ex-CIA operative, Dan Chase, who also digs dogs and has been living off the grid but got pulled out of obscurity by no choice of his own. Soon enough, Dan was on the run and also waving Taken and Reacher vibes for good measure. During first-season production, Bridges suffered enormous health difficulties — including a rough Covid case and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma — and still managed to nail his action and stunt choreography (although yes, Bridges did have an ace stuntman doing the heavy lifting). The actor revealed last week that he is “feeling great now,” and he still cannot believe that he filmed the first season with “a 9- by 12-inch tumor in my stomach that didn’t hurt.”

It sounds like the second-season production ran much more smoothly, so let’s get down to business on what to expect.

Plot

With the above sentiments said, this FX show was not born out of a desire to replicate John Wick. Rather, the series is based upon Thomas Perry’s same-named 2017 novel that contains endless layers about Dan Chase’s history and twisting motives of various parties that are not what they seem to be. John Lithgow portrays Dan’s former colleague, FBI agent Harold Harper, who will soon be fully entrenched in Dan’s way of life, for better or worse.

The Old Man became a Dad TV-favorite in 2022 followed by a speedy renewal after spinning into a whirling dervish of intrigue as Dan hopped right back on the horse and pulled his landlord, Zoe (Amy Brenneman), into the danger zone as well. To make matters even more complicated, Dan’s daughter, Emily/Angela (Alia Shawkat), moved from the peripheral to being a key focus of Afghanistan warlord Faraz Hamzad (Pej Vahdat) with identities beginning to fold in on each other. In the second season, her precarious fate sends Dan and Harold on an attempted rescue mission, although there’s no telling who — her captor, her father (and which father?), or both — will or should prevail.

In the below clip, Bridges and executive producer Warren Littlefield chatted with Deadline about whether the Rottweilers will surface in this season, which will also take characters “deep into Afghanistan.”

What is also certain is that Bridges and Lithgow are working extensively together now, which pleased Lithgow to no end. At this month’s Television Critics Association panel for the series, Lithgow gushed (via Hollywood Reporter), “I so wanted to work with Jeff. And there is an abundance of it in the second season. We have such a fantastic time.” To that, co-creator Jonathan E. Steinberg answered, “As much as you guys wanted to work together, we wanted to see you together.” He then added, “And, in a way, it’s driving the show [now]. It’s such a treat to be able to write scenes for these two.”

Bridges, as well, elaborated on how he and Lithgow nurtured their chemistry:

“We’re both second-generation actors and we approach it the same way… There are a lot of actors who say, ‘Please only call me by my character’s name’ or, ‘Let’s not have any contact.’ We’re the opposite of that. Let’s be friends. Let’s get to know each other. Let’s do it quite aggressively!”

The onscreen payoff of that relationship should be a main attraction. From the second season synopsis:

In Season 2 of FX’s The Old Man, former CIA agent “Dan Chase” (Jeff Bridges) and former FBI Assistant Director “Harold Harper” (John Lithgow) set off on their most important mission to date — to recover “Emily Chase” (Alia Shawkat) after she is kidnapped by “Faraz Hamzad” (Navid Negahban), a powerful Afghan tribal leader. With all three men claiming her as their daughter, Emily finds herself in an identity crisis that has dire implications.

Cast

Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow are finally a team as Dan and Harold, respectively. There’s no word of whether Bill Heck will return to portray the younger version of Chase, but the cast is rounded out by Alia Shawkat, Amy Brenneman, Jessica Harper, Pej Vahdat, Joel Grey, Navid Negahban, Kenneth Mitchel, Rowena King, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Hiam Abbass.

Release Date

FX will bring back the espionage thriller series’ second season on September 12. Two episodes will initially debut with six weekly drops that add up to an eight-episode season.

Trailer

A teaser trailer (that does a very good job at spoiling nothing but generates anticipation) awaits:

Ingrid Andress isn’t the first singer to mangle the national anthem, and she won’t be the last.

During the Home Run Derby on Monday as part of Major League Baseball’s All-Star festivities, the four-time Grammy nominee gave a “trainwreck” performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” To be fair, it’s a tough song to sing! But that’s probably small consolation for Andress, who has yet to publically comment on what the heck happened. But at least she’s in… well, maybe not “good” company, but company nonetheless. Below, you’ll find some of the worst anthem renditions (U-S-A? U-S-A? U-S-A?) of all time.

Jesse McCartney (October 11, 2009)

If there’s one crowd you don’t want to forget the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” in front of, it’s a NASCAR crowd.

Roseanne (July 26, 1990)

Back before Roseanne Barr lost her mind, she was the queen of sitcoms, thanks to her brilliant self-titled ABC comedy. One of Roseanne‘s executive producers was Tom Werner, who also owned the San Diego Padres at the time. His synergistic plan to have Roseanne perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” backfired when during a break between games of a Padres vs. Cincinnati Reds doubleheader, she intentionally sang off-key and grabbed her crotch, eliciting a think-of-the-children rebuke from then-president George H. W. Bush. As the game’s first-base umpire Steve Rippley told the Sporting News, “We [immediately] knew it was a disaster.”

Alexis Normand (May 18, 2013)

This is why you don’t have a Canadian sing the American national anthem (except Celine Dion… and Neil Young… and Joni Mitchell… and Japandroids, just to see what that’s like — they’re all allowed to).

Victoria Zarlenga (May 26, 2012)

The most common explanation for a pitchy live performance: in-ear monitor issues. “This was not a good performance and I take full responsibility for it! I did not realize I would need ear buds as monitors and to block out the stadium sound delay, lack of knowledge on my part,” Victoria Zarlenga explained following her flat, uh, interpretation of the national anthem at a USA vs. Scotland soccer match. “Therefore, I had to borrow a pair from the sound crew that were too large for my ears and were popping out.”

Carl Lewis (January 21, 1993)

Two words: “Uh oh.”

Fergie (February 18, 2018)

How did Fergie respond to the audible laughter for her performance at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game? By apologizing, basically. “I’ve always been honored and proud to perform the national anthem and last night I wanted to try something special for the NBA,” she said the next day. “I’m a risk taker artistically, but clearly this rendition didn’t strike the intended tone. I love this country and honestly tried my best.” Fun fact: before Fergie performed the United States national anthem, Barenaked Ladies did the same for Canada.

Kat DeLuna (September 15, 2008)

Kat DeLuna tried to the make the National Anthem her own, like when Aretha Franklin sang it for over five minutes. But with all due respect, there’s only one Aretha Franklin.

Ingrid Andress (July 15, 2024)

Just in case you somehow missed it.

Jaylen Brown has had an eventful summer to say the least. He won his first championship and the NBA Finals MVP award with the Celtics a month ago, but more recently got left off of Team USA in favor of his teammate, Derrick White, as the replacement choice for Kawhi Leonard. Brown expressed his frustration with that decision, believing he was excluded because he’s not a Nike athlete.

While Team USA is in Abu Dhabi continuing to ramp up for the Paris Olympics, Brown made the trip out to Las Vegas to watch the Celtics in Summer League action, popping up courtside at Celtics-Lakers alongside girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick and Angel Reese. During the game, cameras showed the trio talking about the game at the exact wrong time for Brown, as he appeared to say, “I don’t think Bronny’s a pro.”

Gondrezick responds that he’ll probably be on the G League team, and Brown seems to doubt that because of his name. It’s all a very fair conversation to have at a basketball game with your friends, but certainly not one you want to end up on national TV.

Naturally, the clip went viral and prompted a response in the early morning from Brown on Twitter, who said Bronny being on the same team as LeBron was “a flex” and said he’s excited to watch his growth.

The truth is, Brown isn’t wrong about Bronny right now. He struggled mightily in Summer League, particularly shooting the ball, and that’s going to be a critical skill for him if he’s going to be able to get on the floor in the NBA. In fairness to James, Summer League basketball is about the worst place for him to show the things he’s actually supposed to be good at. Being a good connective piece and quality team defender isn’t something that pops in the chaos of Summer League, where players who thrive in structure almost always look worse than they are. Even so, it’s certainly fair to question whether Bronny is ready right now to contribute to the Lakers, and he likely will need to make some trips to the G League to get some reps and develop and sharpen the skills he’ll need to be a player in the league.

As for Brown, he might’ve learned why you sometimes see celebrities finding ways to cover their mouths while talking courtside, because while it was a totally normal conversation to have at a game, it’s one that also will cause quite an uproar if it breaks contain and goes public.

Prince, one of the fascinating, exciting, and eccentric musicians in American popular music history, is getting a documentary about his life and career. It’s just a matter of how long it’ll be.

Back in 2018, it was announced that Selma director Ava DuVernay was working on a documentary with Netflix about The Purple One. “The only way I know how to make this film is with love. And with great care,” she tweeted at the time. “I’m honored to do so and grateful for the opportunity entrusted to me by the estate.” DuVernay has since departed the project, but filmmaker Ezra Edelman, who made 2016’s Oscar-winning O.J.: Made in America, stepped in as director. He finished his cut of the film “a while back,” according to Puck, so what’s the hold up?

For one thing, Prince’s estate apparently isn’t thrilled by the documentary. “It’s unclear what exactly peeves them,” Puck reports, “but one source insists it’s not revelations of drug use or sexual stuff. Instead, the estate argues there are things in the film that are inaccurate.” Also, the current cut of the documentary is allegedly nine hours long, when Netflix requested it come in at six hours. Until a compromise is made, the film is being “held hostage.”

The Eagles documentary was four hours. The Prince documentary is somewhere between six and nine hours. At this rate, a Fleetwood Mac documentary will have to be 12 hours, and I will watch every second.

(Via Puck)

Media outlets love to compile lists of impressive people under a certain age. They laud the accomplishments of fresh-faced entrepreneurs, innovators, influencers, etc., making the rest of us ooh and ahh wonder how they got so far so young.

While it’s great to give credit where it’s due, such early-life success lists can make folks over a certain age unnecessarily question where we went wrong in our youth—as if dreams can’t come true and successes can’t be had past age 30.

Weary of lists celebrating youngsters, television writer and producer Melissa Hunter sent out a tweet requesting a new kind of list for 2020. “Instead of 30 Under 3 or NextGen lists,” she wrote, “please profile middle-aged people who just got their big breaks. I want to read about a mother of 2 who published her first novel, a director who released their first studio feature at 47, THAT’S THE LIST WE WANT.”

u201cAt the end of 2020, instead of 30 Under 30 and NextGen lists, please profile middle-aged people who just got their big breaks. I want to read about a mother of 2 who published her first novel, a director who released their first studio feature at 47, THAT’S THE LIST WE WANT.u201d

— Melissa Hunter (@Melissa Hunter)
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The Twitterverse responded with a resounding “YAAASSS.” Story after story of folks finding success in their 40s, 50s, and beyond began pouring in. If you worry that you’re not far enough along in your 20s or 30s, or think it’s too late for you to follow your passion in the autumn of your life, take a look at these examples of people crushing it in their mid-to-late adulthood.

Take this mother of four teens who released her first full-length book at 45 and started law school this year at age 47.

I am a mother of four, I released my first full-length book at 45, and started law school this year—at 47—with four teenagers in the house. Some of us are late bloomers, but wow, when we figure it out…🔥

— Tracy M (@dandelionmama) January 7, 2020

Or the woman who published two books in her late 50s and is revising book #3 at age 60. Oh, she also started running at age 45.

My first book was published when I was 57, second, at 58, and now at age 60, working on revisions for book #3. Also, I didn’t start running until after I turned 45 (averaged 1,000 miles/year for several years.) #nevertoold #nevertoolate #nevergiveup #dreambig #workhard

— Jill Hannah Anderson (@JillHannahA) January 7, 2020

Another person shared how they got out of prison for drugs at age 49, stayed clean and started their own business, and broke the $1 million sales mark last year at 56.

“Lauching my clothing line now—at 48,” wrote a mom of two. “Next venture feels amazing.”

Another user chimed in with “Yes! Plus the 40 under 40, 30 under 30 can be quite contrived (sometimes). I want to see people juggling school, career, and family.”

Yet another mother of two teens finished her PhD at 41 and got a tenure-track position at age 47. She’s also working on a book on Indigenous Early Childhood.

Finished my PhD at 41 with two teens as an Indigenous woman in public health. Finally got a tenure-track position after gig work in 2018 at age of 47. I’m an Associate Director & Assistant Prof with an academic book in the works on Indigenous Early Childhood

— Dr. Angela Mashford-Pringle (@armp71) January 8, 2020

How about this woman who hadn’t taken a math class for 40 years? She aced her statistics classes and will graduate with a perfect GPA after she turns 60. “Lots of life to live!” she says.

Workings on my doctorate. I had not taken a math class for 40 years but aced statistics and advance statistics with A’s. I will graduate with a 4.0 at the ripe age of 60+. The dissertation is all I have left. Lots of life to live!

— N Stevens Carrell (@greekfromidaho) January 8, 2020

Another mom (are we seeing a theme here?) discovered a passion for interior design and won a national TV design challenge in her late 40s. Now, at 60, she has a successful design career and contributes to radio and magazines.

I was a stay at home Mum for years. In my late 40’s I discovered a passion for interior design & won a national TV design show challenge. I now have incredible clients & projects, contribute to national radio, and write a popular magazine column. I’m 60 this year, and on fire! pic.twitter.com/3mjGRrnidv

— Anne Tuohy (@RoomJunkieAnne) January 9, 2020

Of course, we also know there are fabulously successful folks who got a “late” start in Hollywood, including the incomparable Ava DuVernay, “who left her job at age 40 to focus on filmmaking and then became the first black woman to make over $100 million at the box office.”

As one man pointed out, “The idea that you’ve got five years between 20 and 30 to do everything you’re ever going to do is ridiculous.” Hunter agreed, writing, “The advice is always that it’s a marathon, not a race, and I wanna read about the people who finished that marathon!!”

congrats! and agreed. the advice is always that it’s a marathon, not a race, and i wanna read about the people who finished that marathon!!

— Melissa Hunter (@himelissahunter) January 7, 2020

So many stories of people publishing their first books, landing their ideal jobs, or discovering a passion later in life just kept coming, and person after person shared how inspiring and motivating they were.

Of course, not everyone has lofty career goals. If these stories aren’t quite hitting the mark for you, check out this woman’s contribution to the conversation. She’s “just a regular human,” she says, but she went to Zimbabwe and volunteered at a wildlife refuge at age 47. “Life doesn’t just peter out after 30,” she wrote. “My friend Elsa is 96 and went on an archaeological dig at 75. I want to be like her.”

Don’t we all.

I didn’t publish anything, I’m just a regular human, but I went to Zimbabwe and volunteered at a wildlife refuge at 47, saw Victoria Falls. Life doesn’t just peter out after 30. My friend Elsa is 96 and went on an archaeological dig at 75. I want to be like her. pic.twitter.com/LAu8Pbhe7z

— Kate (Santa’s Version) ❄️ (@KateGrand) January 8, 2020

Age really is just a number, and there’s nothing magical about “making it” in your younger years. Let’s be sure to celebrate people living their best lives and making dreams come true at any and every age.

This article originally appeared on 01.10.20

What are women up to when no one is watching?

Artwork courtesy of Sally Nixon, used with permission.

Well, take a look at Sally Nixon’s illustrations and you’ll see.

The subjects in her artwork aren’t aware we’re looking at them.

And that’s the point. They’re living in a world free from the pressures that exist in the real one.

“I like drawing girls doing their everyday routine — just hanging out, not worried about what others are thinking,” Nixon told Upworthy. “They’re usually alone or with other girls. Their guard is down.”

Editor’s note: An image below contains partial nudity.

Capturing her subjects in this liberated light wasn’t intentional at first, she explained.

But when she started a 365-day challenge last April to create one art piece a day, the work started reflecting the nuances of her own life away from prying eyes — “I was kind of like, ‘Oh, I’m brushing my teeth, so I’ll draw that.'” — and a theme began to form.Her illustrations show how women look, away from the exhausting world where they’re often judged more harshly than men.

You also might notice none of the girls in her illustrations are smiling.

According to Nixon, that’s a deliberate choice.

“I don’t sit around smiling to myself,” Nixon said, noting the double standard that exists in thinking women should always appear cheerful.

“I’ve been told, ‘You need to smile more.’ It’s so infuriating. I wanted to show the way girls actually look, comfortably.”

The theme of friendship is also an important one in Nixon’s drawings.

“I have four older sisters, so female friendship has always been a big part of my life,” Nixon told The Huffington Post. “You gotta have someone to talk about periods with, and dudes just don’t get it.”

Creating relatable scenes was key to Nixon, too — from the details of women’s lives to the physical shapes of their bodies.

“It’s important that the women I draw aren’t rail thin with huge boobs,” Nixon said. “I think there are enough images of bodies like that out in the world. The ladies I draw typically have small-ish, droopy breasts and thick thighs. They’re kind of lumpy but in an attractive way. Just like real people.”

The women in Nixon’s work aren’t real, but she hopes their stories are.

“One of my absolute favorite comments [on my work] is, ‘Oh my God, it’s me!'” she explained of the depictions.

“There’s a little bit of beauty in [everyday life] and I wanted to bring that out.”

You can view more of Nixon’s artwork on her website and check out her prints for purchase on Etsy.

This article originally appeared on 04.15.16