Advice From Paradise: Love Advice (and Music) from Nedelle Torrisi

This week: being haunted by your significant other’s romantic past, dating someone who’s frequently on the road, and should you stay or should you go?
Art & Culture
Advice From Paradise: Love Advice (and Music) from Nedelle Torrisi

This week: being haunted by your significant other’s romantic past, dating someone who’s frequently on the road, and should you stay or should you go?

Words: Nedelle Torrisi

April 03, 2015

Advice From Paradise

Hi, my name is Nedelle.

I’m a musician who started playing the violin and singing in musicals at age seven. I come from a Sicilian–American family; I’m the daughter of an ex-nun and an ex-priest who ended up working at a prison. My brother is a neuroscientist and will probably discover something really awesome someday. We’re all musicians, too.

I’ve put out a bunch of albums on different labels and under different monikers: Nedelle, Nedelle and Thom, and Cryptacize. The most recent one just came out on Ethereal Sequence/Drag City under my full name, Nedelle Torrisi, called Advice from Paradise.

I also began giving out love advice semi-professionally on my Tumblr a couple of years ago, after doing it unprofessionally for friends for years before that.

Have a question? Need some advice? Ask me anything at [email protected].


Hi AFP,

I started dating a guy months ago and we have fallen deeply in love! He’s the best lover/companion I could ask for and he proudly proclaims to feel the same about me. He spoke a few times about his ex-girlfriend, who was “the worst thing that ever happened” to him. He was madly in love and she cheated quite a lot. I recently found out who she is—a Grammy-winning musician! I feel like I could never make him hurt over me the way he did for her. Make sense? Help!

I once had a guy tell me about how he thinks of his first girlfriend a lot. First off, what was the intent in telling me that? Secondly, I thought it was pathetic. Stop living in a teenage fantasy, dude. Grow up. I fought off the temptation to call him out on it because the idea was too abstract and absurd to even warrant my attention. (Of course, I’ve flipped out on many other occasions, so that wasn’t intended to sound holier-than-thou.)

The basis of your feeling reminds me of this, in the sense that there is no competition between you and this woman, except in your imagination. It seems rooted in jealousy, too, which is like, the Bermuda Triangle of emotions. You spot it, you say, “Oh, shit,” and before you can do anything about it, you’re sunk. I like this quote about jealousy: “As a jealous [person] I suffer four times over… From being excluded, from being aggressive, from being crazy, and from being common.” Think of it like this: you’re in an awesome, loving relationship, and nothing is really wrong here. I’d encourage you to put this imaginary competition out of your mind, so you can continue to be the great person that your boyfriend fell in love with, and probably loves in a more genuine and lasting way than he loved her. Good luck!

Song recommendation: “Jealousy” by Queen

Nedelle, what do you do when you are in love with someone who is constantly on the road? Basically someone who will never really settle down in one spot for too long.

Good question. I think the trick here is to reject any feelings of abandonment. The person who is at home hasn’t been abandoned in any way, they’re just static and the other is moving! I know it’s jarring to have your sweet domestic life constantly uprooted by one person traveling, but think of all that free time! You can learn a second language, take up sewing and alter all your clothes so they fit perfectly, learn to garden, read the classics you’ve been wanting to read, or go on a trip yourself! Friends. Friends will be very important. I remember a while back asking a woman whose husband was always touring in a band how she dealt with it, and she looked at me like I was crazy. (I didn’t mean it as an insult!) She said, “I love being alone and get a lot done when he’s gone.” How awesome is that? Another anecdote: When I was touring singing for Sufjan Stevens there were a some married men in the band and they said Skyping is really important. To see someone’s face and expressions helps a couple feel closer than a phone call. And finally, there’s the element of “missing” the other that’s so romantic!

Song recommendation: “Time Is On My Side” by The Rolling Stones

Hey Nedelle,

I think I’m at the end of my rope with my relationship. It’s not making me happy anymore because we fight a lot, and we seem to be deeply incompatible in a few important ways. My girlfriend thinks we should give it one final try, and change some things in both of us to make it work. I’m tempted to try, especially because I still really love her. Should I try again or just head for the hills? Thanks!

Here’s an answer in 3-2-1 form. My hunch is that you’re writing to me because you already know the answer but want to hear it from a third party. You basically said everything in your second sentence, and the first thing you should always listen to is your gut feeling. And that’s saying “skedaddle.” Sorry, boo, breakups are brutal, but it’ll be better for you both in the long run. Good luck!

Song recommendation: “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline