So Sam, can you explain the mechanics of this process and how it's played out for the 2026 financial year for the Space Force?

Yes, great question.

It is different how the Space Force and how the Pentagon's budget is being constructed.

And this is the case for fiscal year 2026, as well as the case for fiscal year 2027, which is what our paper that came out this week is about.

So for fiscal year 2026, you had two different legislative processes shaping the Space Force budget.

One was the annual appropriations process in which you had the White House release its budget requests, a certain amount for the Space Force, as well as for the Pentagon, as well as for other agencies.

And then there was this second legislative process called reconciliation.

I mean, why is that significant? And I guess the reason, that's kind of an open-ended question, but of course it is significant, but what does it actually say about what's happening with Golden Dome and what's happening with the Space Force?

So, Sam, why don't you just give us a little update on your family? Maybe tell us about your kids and anything else you want to say.

Well, we just had our latest kid, Hadley Wren.

She was born just over three weeks ago now.

Joining our two other boys, Cohen and Nolan.

And they're very full of life young boys.

They love to do everything outdoors.

My son Cohen, his favorite activity right now is to create traps.

it is fun well tell us about your other son

Is it proving or is it showing that this is a viable option for farmers to put not too fine a point on it and want their cake and eat it too?

Yeah, absolutely.

We think it is what we've showed so far.

And it does depend on the region you're in, on what sort of impact those solar panels might have on your productive capacity.

For example, we did an earlier study in the Taranaki region where it is a little bit warmer and drier, particularly in the summer, than down here in the lovely Manawatu.

And they seem to see more positive benefits up in Taranaki from the panels on pasture growth, particularly between the panels.

Down here in the Manawatu, it's not such a rosy story.

What about animal welfare? Have you done any look at that as regards to, if we're talking specifically sheep farming here, do they like it? Do they dislike it? Do they get an advantage out of it? Have you done any work on that?

I mean,

it's, it's been a real, um, it's been very, um, enjoyable for me uh because i think from the moment that i started like recording my own music in like 2018 or whatever it was very much you know beaming beaming it sort of into a computer and and sort of making making all these aesthetic decisions and arrangement decisions um and having to be very particular about that um but you know getting to be a part of a a genuine collective is really invigorating.

And it's nice not to have to worry about a part.

I know that everybody in the band is not going to be happy until they're happy with their part.

There's no passengers.

Nobody's going to go, okay, well, that's good enough.

I'm pretty keen to go to the pub.

Who would you call the one artist that is the most influential to yourself?

What was going through your mind, man?

So when I found out I was going to be a dad, right, I was away filming Blade Runner.

And I came home from filming because you kind of do, because to be honest, I'm never number one on the call sheet.

So I kind of, I came home for, you know, like a week between when my scene was needed or whatever.

And Hayley, my partner, was like, she was acting a bit cagey.

And she, but then I also, I'll be honest, I also thought, God, it was kind of warming up.

It was kind of sunny at the time.

second daughter had that.