Text that reads 'HEADY' with a blue balloon replacing the letter 'O'.
Painting of a person riding a bicycle with a large orange backpack, set against a gray and white background.
Pieces of tape affixed to a dark surface.

Audio project | The nature of conversation between friends

I wish I’d spoken to Sam.

He took his own life in 2024.

Sam was a kind, intelligent, sociable guy. I admired him deeply for his ability to reason and to stand by his convictions. We were geographically distant – he lived in Nepal – and we didn’t message often. But, whenever we reconnected, he sprinkled magic into my life.

In my last email thread with Sam, I wrote:

“May this be the year
we spend more time together."

In the wake of Sam’s death, it became painfully clear that I hadn’t been having deep, tough conversations with those around me. Sam loved his bike, and it dawned on me that a long cycle ride would have been the perfect opportunity to talk through what was on his mind.

The idea for Heading Out was born.

I travelled across the UK to meet up with friends, and we set out into nearby nature. As tends to happen when you’re travelling side by side (think of car journeys), these outings gave us space to talk. About the good stuff, and the not-so-good stuff.

We recorded those conversations, in the hope that they might inspire others to head out with a friend, colleague or family member who might be struggling.

Listen now on Spotify.

A colorful hand-painted poster with the words 'HEARING OUT' written in large black letters on an orange background, a mountain at the bottom, and a blue balloon attached to the letter 'O'. There are small trees and two people hiking in front of the mountain.