The Living Music List #45: On Playing Pretend
Kids love to immerse themselves in their imagination, but can adults still do the same?
Currently listening to: Kids and Time to Pretend by MGMT
I’ve always interpreted MGMT’s two hit tracks Kids and Time to Pretend as being a pair of stories about growing up and coming to terms with adulthood—specifically, the mundane, monotonous, unimaginative parts (which can feel like most of it).
In Kids, they look back “through a fogged mirror” at their earliest memories of childhood when they were care-free, comparing those moments to the frightening road ahead as young adults. The duo wrote this song during their senior year of college, with real life looming large over them. The lyrics of Kids, especially those in the chorus, are relatively opaque and can be interpreted in many ways. Some have suggested ties to climate change and our evolving relationship with nature (kids play outside while adults tend to lose that interest), while others see the “family of trees” as our ancestors who we derive much of our own personality traits from. Perhaps we should “take only what [we] need” from those ancestors and break the cycle of generational trauma. I tend to think of the song as being about the experience of nostalgia itself, and not getting too caught up in it while looking backward. It can be a dangerous practice to yearn too deeply for a childhood and a state of consciousness that we can’t return to. That’s wanting to be haunted.
As for Time to Pretend, it’s an even more cynical take on adulthood. While the pair explained they wrote the song imaginging their life as big rockstars, it was interestingly inspired by a praying mantis who laid eggs on the mantle in their house and then died, its babies later hatching and crawling around on a model ship decorating the space. Fans of MGMT know that origin story is about as normal as could be for them. I love that they connected this fantasy of living the fast life as rockstars with a small moment of pure life like giving birth and then dying—it all happens so fast, this life thing. Yet all the while, we play pretend. We pretend death isn’t coming for us while we dress up as bankers or musicians or writers, creating stories of our lives that we make up as we go along. There are all these expectations put on us, but it’s all made up. In a way, our childhoods felt more real than anything does in adulthood, though we spent so much time playing and imagining things that weren’t objectively real. In a way, we do the same thing as adults, but we take it all so seriously. At the end of the day, “we’re fated to pretend.”
Reflection
Hello, friend.
Do you remember playing imagination games? You know, the ones where you and a friend, or even just you by yourself, would walk around pretending you were doing something or being somebody, improvising entire stories, characters, and dialogue on the spot.
One of my favorite memories of this was playing zombies with my cousin Brett during sleepovers at his house. We would stay up all night, creeping around the house with Nerf guns, building pillow forts on the couch or holing up in the shed in the backyard. We’d sneak snacks from the pantry and sodas from the fridge to stockpile them in our safe zones, counting our bullets and supplies as we kept watch for invisible enemies outside. Sometimes, the zombies would wander too close and we’d light ‘em up, which of course brought a larger horde to our doorstep that we had to dig ourselves out of once we’d dealt with them in dramatic fashion. Occasionally, we took in other lone survivors who crossed our path, then listened to them tell us how they survived the apocalypse. Those imaginary people often ended up sacrificing themselves to save us—acts of valor we honored with solemn moments of real emotion. When we ran low on crucial food reserves (proabably salt and vinegar chips or some form of Little Debbie cakes), we’d embark on daring missions across town to the abandoned grocery store.
Those wee hours of the night could feel like weeks. In our minds, weeks did pass, and we became more gristled and haggard surviving together. It could even be episodic, as we’d spread our game across multiple sleepovers on adjacent weekends. It wasn’t always zombies, of course. We could be spies or Jedis or some lone survivors of a major catastrophe—there was usually some sort of survival and heroics involved.
We could have done the whole thing without props. Sometimes, we did. We used our magic powers that simply required us to raise a hand or speak a line of stage direction. Do you ever notice when kids are playing an imagination game, they say something like “Now pretend that I was digging and I found a box with stuff in it.” They openly acknowledge the act of pretending—almost like constantly breaking the fourth wall—but they can remain completely dedicated to the bit.
As adults, our imaginations still exist. In fact, we can be even better pretenders than kids at times because we have more experience to draw from when we imagine a story or a character. We can make it realistic, engaging, and deeply layered with meaning. Our movies and shows and music are evidence of this.
Our disadvantage as adults is that we are overtly conscious of ourselves and the world around us in a way that young children are not. This level of self-consciousness can inhibit our pretending abilities, make us question our choices, and hold ideas inside for fear of judgment. Kids usually don’t give a shit—they just speak out loud what they’re seeing in their little minds and expect (not hope for) the best.
I believe that the work of the artist is rooted in the pursuit of a partially childlike state of consciousness. As artists, we feel compelled to create from our imaginations, but as adults, we let our own doubts and negative expectations of others’ reactions tamp down on our creativity. The truth is that most of us never stop playing pretend for fun, we just stop doing it openly, unabashedly, without fear of not being understood.
As I think back to my own experiences of playing pretend as a child, I realize they are not so different from being a writer. I’m constantly living in the world of whatever I write, thinking about it as if it is real, immersing myself, fleshing out the details and emotions. I get sudden urges to tell myself “now pretend this” as inspiration strikes. External circumstances change—I run out of water in my cup or start to feel uncomfortable in my chair after sitting too long)—so I change the scene and see where it leads me.
I’m making it all up as I go. Should the rest of life be any different?
Bandcamp Friday Music Recommendations!
Hello again, friend.
Thank you for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed the reflection—and I hope you let you imagination run wild today!
It’s Bandcamp Friday! Today, 100% of proceeds from your purchases on Bandcamp will directly benefit the artists and/or the causes they support. The economics of streaming are simply not friendly to most artists these days, so your support of their work helps them keep making new music that moves you.
If you’re looking for something new and fresh to add to your cart and listening queue, you can start with the new releases below.
Happy listening.
The Living Music List—Ambient
Note: All of the below ambient projects are available on Bandcamp. Bold and ^ denote reader-submitted work.
Witch by Conan the Accountant (album / noise, experimental) [Independent / Bandcamp]^
Lake Fire by Loscil (album / minimalist, drone) [kranky / Bandcamp]
Heilun by Hyldýpi (album / meditative, ambient guitar) [Past Inside the Present / Bandcamp]
Live at St James's Church, Piccadilly by Fennesz (live album / drone, ambient guitar) [Touch / Bandcamp]
Re: Case Studies by Taylor Deupree & The Humble Bee (album / lowercase, drone) [Dauw / Bandcamp]
wellspring by anthéne & simon mccorry (album / drone, ambient cello) [Home Normal / Bandcamp]
Circular Falls by
(album / experimental, electroacoustic) [Independent / Bandcamp]Kumonomori by Hidden Sequence (album / field recordings, ambient techno) [Silent Season / Bandcamp]
The Living Music List—All Genres
Note: All of the below projects are available on major streaming services. Reminder: Bandcamp links only provided for reader-submitted work in the all genres list.
True Names: A Benefit for Trans Youth by Various Artists (compilation / indie) [Worry Bead Records / Bandcamp] {note: more on this release in The Press Box below}^
Xylophonics Remixed by JG Stockton (EP / electronic) [Dragon Trax / Bandcamp] {note: remixes of a 2023 album, mostly in the dubby electronic realm but there’s also an ambient remix by Asha Patera on here that is wonderful}^
All Set Let’s Swim by Liam Mour (EP / electronic)
425 by MIKE DEAN (album / electronic)
Scanners by Anthony Naples (album / techno)
The Diary of Living by Adam Melchor (album / singer/songwriter)
We Live In A Society by Flume & JPEGMAFIA (EP / electronic)
The Wee Small Hours: B - Sides and Other Detritus 2011 - 2025 by Real Estate (album / alternative)
The Scholars by Car Seat Headrest (album / alternative)
Golden Wolf by DOPE LEMON (album / indie rock)
The Press Box
In this week’s edition, I’m featuring a new benefit compilation out from Worry Bead Records—consider supporting the Trans Youth Emergency Project by buying this record on Bandcamp today.
True Names: A Benefit for Trans Youth by Various Artists [Worry Bead Records]
Out today is a new compilation from Queens-based DIY label Worry Bead Records that sheds light upon the ongoing onslaught of the trans community—particularly trans youth—by the majority of U.S. states and the Trump administration.
States across the country are targeting trans youth by restricting their access to life-affirming care. With this comp, we're raising funds for the Trans Youth Emergency Project, which helps families of trans youth find healthcare providers, travel to appointments, and pay for medication.
That was a brief summary from Matt O’Connor, who heads Worry Bead Records with their partner, Jenny Ruenes, and makes music in the band Tuxis Giant. O’Connor’s work to bring this compilation to life involved retrieving tracks from 17 other artists, nearly all of whom hail from the DIY indie scenes of Boston and New York City— Pink Navel, 22º Halo, and Fraternal Twin are a few examples.
is an exception, now being based out of Chicago, but the singer has roots in Boston connecting her with the rest of the comp’s lineup.Across the 18 tracks contributed songs to the comp are a variety of donated demos and singles that give life to a title deeply connected to the issue of identity faced by trans people. O’Connor explains:
The title, ‘True Names,’ was inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea series. In the world of Earthsea, True Names are sacred, holding incredible and transformative power. To know your True Name is to know yourself. And to share your True Name is an extreme act of vulnerability and courage.
O’Connor recently wrote a guest article in Atwood Magazine about the release of this compilation where they reinforced the fears shared by so many in the trans community these days, saying it plainly:
I’m scared. So are my friends. But as scared as I am, I can’t imagine how a trans kid feels. As if bathrooms and passports weren’t enough, state governments have begun stripping protections from trans people, increasing their risk of harm in an already-perilous world. And hospitals—even here, in New York City— have ended gender-affirming care for patients under 18. They’re going after our most vulnerable.
This is why purchases of the compilation directly benefit the Trans Youth Emergency Project, a project organized by the Campaign for Southern Equality. The southern U.S. is a region that can be particularly hostile to the LGBTQ+ community and trans youth are frequently at the heart of vicious debate and controversy. The TYEP outlines the current state of affairs and their mission as follows:
Cruel laws banning best-practice gender-affirming care have passed in 27 states across the country—and the Trump Administration has attempted to further restrict access to care. As a result, thousands of transgender youth and their families are being forced to identify new healthcare providers, travel extreme distances, and take on significant expenses just to get the care they need.
The Trans Youth Emergency Project is here to help families navigate this complex and exhausting maze, offering logistical and financial support. Our team provides 1-on-1 custom patient navigation services to unimpacted providers and supports families of transgender youth with emergency grants to help them travel for care.
You can purchase and listen to True Names: A Benefit for Trans Youth right now on Bandcamp ($10 USD or more).
Thank you to Jamie Halliday at Audio Antihero and Antihero PR for information on this release.
One More Thing: Bandcamp’s Best Ambient Music of April 2025
Yesterday, writer, musician, and DJ Ted Davis published his curated list of the “best” ambient music on Bandcamp that released during the month of April. In case you didn’t know, this is a monthly series and is a great spot to start exploring newer ambient records across many subgenres.
This month’s list included records from artists like Hiroshi Yoshimura, Jefre Cantu Ledsma, Saapato, and more! While I already recommended many of these in this newsletter, there were a few gems I missed, and there is some extra info to explore to help you in your music search.
Join the Hum, Buzz, & Hiss Community
Music is best when we listen together. That’s why I’ve created the Hum, Buzz, & Hiss Discord Community, where music lovers, indepedent artists, and small label owners converge to hang out, share great music, and inspire each other.
If you enjoy my letters and want to connect directly with others in the ambient/DIY music space, then come join us on Discord. There, you’ll also find more music recommendations from me, custom playlists, giveaways, and more.
Support the newsletter with a monthly or yearly subscription to get access. Through May 31, 2025, you can get 20% off the yearly subscription forever.
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That’s all for this week’s issue. Thank you for reading. Until next time.
Your friend,
Melted Form
Remember to listen to the hum, buzz, & hiss of the world around you—there is music to be heard there.
Read the previous issue of The Living Music List:
Afterword—Let’s Get In Touch
Are you an artist, a label owner, or a member of the press? Want to share an in-depth feature of your upcoming release, an advertisement, or a guest post for a future Hum, Buzz, & Hiss issue? Get in touch with me at meltedform@gmail.com. As always, I would love to hear and recommend your music, especially if it’s new and ambient/electronic/experimental.
