WE’RE GOING TO CANADA!

After almost nine months of planning, researching and looking forward to this trip, Canada is finally just around the corner… but it got us thinking:

Is looking forward to something sometimes better than actually doing it?

In this episode of The Offstage Life, Lauren & Kate talk about the strange excitement of anticipation — whether it’s planning a huge holiday, preparing for a gig, learning a difficult song, taking on a new challenge at work or chasing a goal you’ve wanted for years.

We’re road-tripping from Vancouver through the Canadian Rockies to Calgary and back, and Lauren has spent MONTHS planning it. So what happens when the thing you’ve been looking forward to for so long is suddenly… over?

We get into expectations vs reality, why we’re always looking for the “next thing”, anxiety and control, learning to actually enjoy the process, and whether being stretched outside your comfort zone is part of what makes life exciting.

Kate also shares what anticipation feels like from a musician’s perspective — from learning songs and rehearsing to the nerves before a live gig — and why sometimes the most satisfying part isn’t the performance at all.

Plus: ✈️ Lauren’s fear of flying, 🐻 our hopes of seeing Canadian wildlife, 🏔️ why we’ll choose mountains over cities every time, 🌴 the holiday that completely exceeded our expectations, and 🇺🇸 the Hawaii trip that… definitely didn’t go quite how we imagined.

And yes, we revisit THAT slightly terrifying Hawaii music-store story. 😂

So we want to know:

Would you rather have something incredible happen TOMORROW with no warning — or know it’s happening in six months and get six months of anticipation?

Tell us in the comments 👇

If you enjoyed the episode, LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and join us for more of The Offstage Life — conversations about music, relationships, travel and everything that happens when you’re not on stage. 🎙️

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00:00 — Welcome back and announcing the Canada trip

00:43 — Is anticipation better than the actual event?

01:37 — What happens after the thing you’ve been looking forward to?

02:06 — Are we always chasing the next experience?

03:07 — Stimulation, dopamine and the search for excitement

04:01 — What we’re expecting from Canada

04:30 — Lauren’s long-standing connection to Canada

05:56 — Moving to Australia and changing expectations

06:44 — Rocky Mountains, nature and seeing a bear

09:35 — Would you rather have an amazing surprise tomorrow or wait six months?

10:32 — Why preparation can make big experiences easier

11:31 — Is the build-up to a gig better than the gig itself?

14:21 — Anxiety and learning to enjoy the process

17:36 — Applying the same idea to challenging construction work

18:57 — Why new challenges feel more exciting

22:41 — When expectations let you down: Hawaii

31:51 — Quick-fire questions about holidays, music and Canada

33:09 — The frightening search for a music store in Hawaii

35:00 — Culture shock, safety and travel privilege

36:52 — Closing thoughts and goodbye

After a nine-week break, we’re finally back!

In this episode we share what it was like meeting Amy Shark at her exclusive Soft Pop album listening event in Sydney, what surprised us most about the experience, and why it reignited our own creativity.

As musicians (and music lovers), we dive into Amy’s songwriting process, why she chose to leave drums off the entire album, the clever musical decisions that give Soft Pop such a unique identity, and the imposter syndrome that even artists experience.

We also chat about:

* Why we’ve been away from the podcast

* Creative burnout and getting inspired again

* Why Australian artists deserve more recognition

* Kate’s perspective as a drummer and songwriter

* Lauren’s thoughts as the partner of a musician

* What it was really like meeting Amy Shark

* The importance of finding your own creative voice

Whether you’re a musician, creative, or simply love hearing the stories behind the music, we hope this episode inspires you to create something you’ve been putting off.

Have you listened to Soft Pop yet? We’d love to know your favourite track.

🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music and all major podcast platforms.

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This week on The Offstage Life, we’re celebrating Episode 10 by going behind the desk with Sydney sound engineer, lighting operator, award-winner, musician-at-heart and professional chaos wrangler — Steve.

From growing up in a musical family and being classically trained on violin, to falling in love with Aussie rock, working backstage, mixing live bands, managing egos, fixing gear minutes before showtime, and somehow surviving a gig on a boat that started sinking in the middle of Sydney Harbour… Steve has seen the side of live music most people never think about.

We talk soundcheck disasters, loud guitarists, soft singers, lighting as part of the live experience, the magic and burnout of turning music into your job, wild backstage stories, The Frocks, the infamous two Chrises, and why the people behind the stage are often carrying the whole show.

It’s funny, chaotic, honest, and very Offstage Life.

In this episode:

Soundcheck etiquette, sinking boats, Elvis impersonators, backstage madness, live music disasters, The Frocks, sound engineering, lighting, egos, and the real work that happens before the crowd ever hears a note.

0:00 - The boat started to sink in Sydney Harbor.

1:03 - Introduction to episode 10 of the Offstage Life podcast.

2:09 - Discussion about Steve's musical family background.

3:20 - The importance of playing the violin and its impact.

4:45 - Transition to becoming a sound engineer.

6:09 - High school experiences and musical journey.

8:26 - Falling in love with rock and roll music.

11:17 - Desire to be on stage and pursue music.

13:16 - First opportunity to learn sound engineering.

16:34 - The importance of lighting in music performances.

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