Somehow we are at the end of April – and a quarter of the way through 2026. It feels like we’ve blinked and arrived here, in the dead centre of autumn, and already flirting with winter. But aside from the chaos of our calendars, there’s been plenty of culture to consume this month – from medical dramas to new-release Deborah Levy books to a love/hate watch of the new season of Euphoria.
For all the things the RUSSH editors have been watching, listening to and reading in the month of April, read on…
Cassandra Dimitroff
Features and Production Editor
Watch … I’ve obviously been careening through the first few eps of Euphoria S3 (too early to tell thoughts, but nothing will stop me from persevering to the bitter, bloody end of this show).
Listen … I’ve been delivered right back to my former love of The Strokes after their Coachella sets, and have had The New Abnormal on repeat. (They also just announced a new album.)
Read … Lots of Deborah Levy – The Cost of Living, followed by her new book My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein. I’ve also heard great things about All Her Fault by Andrea Mara – a Sunday Times bestseller that’s next on my TBR pile.
Stacey Gaskin
Consumer Revenue Manager
Watch … I’ve been watching Outlander, which has been a wild ride. I also recently rewatched Double Jeopardy after seeing it so many years ago, and I love it. I’m patiently waiting for more episodes to come out of Million Dollar Secret season two on Netflix, so I can binge them all at once. Worked a treat for TSITP.
Listen … For working, instrumentals have been a go-to for me this month. A few favourites: ICARUS – Orchestral Version by Tony Ann and ARKAI, LOST by Tony Ann and Portrait Gallery by Luke Howard. Outside of work, I’ve obviously been listening to Olivia Rodrigo’s drop dead. Also Olga Myko’s Who’s That Calling? (thanks, TikTok).
Read … I’ve picked up The Witch by Marie NDiaye and Famesick: A Memoir by Lena Dunham.
Samantha Corry
Social Media Coordinator
Watch … Euphoria. And so far my favourite thing to come out of this show are the memes. I have also been loving Beef season two. It’s incredibly stressful but also quite funny. I went into the new Mario movie expecting to be disappointed, and I was. It was a lot of bright lights, and I know I’m not the demographic for it. Oh – another show I loved was Jury Duty Presents: Office Retreat. So hilarious, and these actors having to hold it together all this time is amazing.
Listen … I, of course, listened to Olivia Rodrigo’s new song Drop Dead. The whole office also dabbled in some old school Justin Bieber songs in light of his Coachella performances.
Read … Letterboxd reviews. I have been struggling to find some good movies to watch, so I have been doing a lot of research.
Alys Hale
Music Editor and Creative Producer
Watch … Unlike the rest of the world, I haven’t been able to get into Euphoria, despite the algorithm flooding me with memes (what’s wrong with me?), so my watching has been a little more sporadic. I recently watched and loved Joachim Trier’s The Worst Person in the World, which is suitably uncomfortable and moving as the protagonist struggles with a sense of self and former regrets. I recently took the child in my life to the Bloodsuckers exhibition at The Australian Museum which was more for me really, with a whole room on Vampire lore. As such: Nosferato, Vampryos Lesbos, The Lost Boys, and Blade etc. are firing up on the projector.
Listen … As above, I had to revisit my ‘Oh my Goth’ playlist to get my fill of Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy and Pink Turns Blue.
Read … I must confess, it’s been heavy on reading for work lately, so at night time I’ve been listening a little more than usual to help me switch off and sleep. When I’m a bit overloaded I turn to poetry (Atwood, Plath and Berman) and short stories (Calver and Sallinger) for manageable injections of creativity and culture.
Koby Dulac-Daley
Fashion Assistant
Watch … After the very long wait, I’m thrilled to be back on Euphoria Mondays. I’m still not 100% sold on the new season, but I’m here for the journey. Over the Easter long weekend I was quite sick, so to make myself feel better I spent a few days in Italy. Not physically – through Call Me By Your Name and The White Lotus in Sicily. I watched Burlesque again with my high school best friend while on a staycay, and I finally started watching season 18 of Drag Race. I’m loving the cast this year.
Listen … I have been deep in the Lorde archives lately… Melodrama, her sophomore album, in my opinion is one of the greatest albums of this century.
Read … This month my reading consisted of 50 pages of a lease agreement for my new apartment… I am also an April Aries, so I read all of my lovely friends and families sweet birthday messages and wishes.
Sophia Serafin
Implementation Manager
Watch … As expected, I’ve been completely absorbed by Shrinking season three – the kind of feel-good viewing you reach for between a heavier series. Speaking of, the latest season of Euphoria is pure chaos, but I’m all-in for the wardrobe alone.
Listen … Arlo Parks’ new album Ambiguous Desire.
Read … I’ve just finished Sunburn by Irish author Chloe Michelle Howarth. It’s a tender, quietly affecting story that feels like a more innocent Normal People, exploring first love, sexuality, and family tradition. I’m now deep into Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. I’m really looking forward to seeing the film adaptation.
Mia Steiber
Digital Strategy Director and Associate Publisher
Watch… I started and finished The Pitt. It deserves every little bit of hype it gets. I also spent a very long time on the Never Too Small YouTube channel. It’s all about exploring well-designed small spaces. It’s peak viewing for anyone who loves interior design.
Listen… I listened to all the Coachella sets. There were some very cool ones this year. Ninajirachi’s was particularly fun. I’ve got tickets to Deftones coming up soon so I’ve been listening to the most recent album, Private Music, on repeat. I’m also really loving Peach PRC’s new album Porcelain. The vibes are great.
Read… I’m still in the middle of the Throne of Glass series. This month I finished Queen of Shadows and Empire of Storms, and I’m now on Tower of Dawn which I’m actually not loving. I think I’m going to take a break from the series and read something else. Mayve another Gothic like The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Jaime Carmody
Digital Marketing Specialist
Watch … I was lucky enough to catch the Ron Mueck Exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and it completely floored me. It’s easily one of my favourite exhibitions in recent memory. I also finally finished Love Story, which I’d been deliberately pacing to brace myself for the finale… and I still wasn’t ready. When I say I was ugly crying, I mean full red-face sobs – the whole thing. Outside of that, April had me living vicariously through Coachella content, devouring as many live sets on YouTube as possible.
Listen … A proud Belieber through and through, all the Coachella content sent me straight back into the world of Justin Bieber, revisiting everything from the early days to the latest releases (and yes, I’ve definitely done my part in contributing to those streaming numbers). On the flip side, I balanced things out with a heavy rotation of Sade, which has been the perfect slower, moodier counterpoint.
Read … Reading continues to be one of my favourite ways to switch off, and April delivered. I loved The Anthropologists by Aysegul Savas, a quiet and powerful story following a couple navigating love, work and belonging. It’s a thoughtful, soulful take on what it means to build a home and a life together in the modern world.
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Feature image: film still from Girlfriends courtesy Paramount.
