GIANT PEACH JOURNAL

a cheeky zine for music, literature, art, film and art history. created by millie norman

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WOMEN TO THE FRONT #4: PEACH CLUB Spearheading the Riot Grrrl Renaissance, Norwich four-piece Peach Club are breathing new life into the feminist punk scene. We chat to the band about the relationship between activism and music, their inspirations and heroes and what it means to be a woman in punk. HOW HAS THE RIOT GRRRL MOVEMENT INFLUENCED YOUR WORK? WHAT ABOUT IT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE MUSIC? Definitely the style and the attitude with it. Old 90’s Riot Grrrl bands always looked like they were having the best time whilst also spreading very important feminist messages. They were all so badass. I think we’ve really taken inspiration from the ‘don’t hold back’ attitude, which is why our lyrics are very to the point.  TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS. Usually Katie writes the lyrics and a simple guitar line, sends a demo to the rest of us and then we all work on it individually until we can practice it all together! It’s quite simple really haha.  HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MUSIC AND ACTIVISM IS? HOW DO YOU HOPE TO TRANSLATE THAT RELATIONSHIP INTO YOUR WORK? Our music is our activism. We use that platform to spread awareness and help movement towards liberating those under the patriarchal strain. We think using this art form is a really important way to promote feminism because it’s fun and people enjoy the music, which means they listen to us basically saying ‘fuck the patriarchy’ every time they listen to us. We translate it through our lyrics, our personalities, our social medias. Any way we can.  WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR ACTIVIST AND/OR MUSICAL HEROES? Obviously Kathleen Hanna is a big one, she pretty much pioneered the Riot Grrrl movement. But we’re also huge fans of Munroe Bergdorf, ‪Kate Nash‬, Marsha P Johnson, Frida Kahlo and many others. We just love women who are not afraid to stand their ground and speak up for what they believe in.  HOW HAS BEING WOMEN IN THE PUNK SCENE AFFECTED YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY? It’s made us realise how much people underestimate us and expect us to be shit just from hearing that we’re 4 girls. It’s fun proving everyone wrong.  WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE THROUGH YOUR MUSIC? We hope to make young girls feel confident and happy and unafraid of living their lives as they please. We hope for men to understand the stress they put on us daily, and for them to collectively see the errors of their ways and try to correct it and help us out. We just hope we can, even in a small way, make the world a better place for non-males everywhere.  SEE MORE OF PEACH CLUB: PEACH CLUB on Spotify @peachclubband on Instagram PHOTO BY POPPY MARRIOTT www.poppymarriott.co.uk @poppymarriott__ on Instagram ‘WOMEN TO THE FRONT’ IS A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN IN THE ARTS, AIMING TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE AND GIVE VOICE TO FEMALE ARTISTS.

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WOMEN TO THE FRONT #3 : THE ART HISTORY BABES From Dada and Duchamp to Delaunay and Decadence, the wine-drinking, Gaugin-hating, Art History Babes provide the only visual cultures podcast you need. We chat to the four podcasters about their beginnings in art, Yoko Ono and the role of feminist discourse in the contemporary art world.

WHY DO YOU LOVE ART AND ART HISTORY? WHAT FIRST INSPIRED YOUR INTEREST IN VISUAL CULTURE?

It’s a different story for all of us. We’ve all been attracted to art since our middle school/ high school years. Many of us had really amazing professors in undergrad that helped to further ignite our interest in art. Over time, we’ve learned more and more how integral visual culture is to society and everyday life, so the interest continues to grow and develop constantly.

IF YOU COULD INVITE THREE BADASS WOMEN ARTISTS TO DINNER FROM ANY PERIOD OF TIME, WHO WOULD YOU INVITE AND WHY?

‪Yoko Ono-We’re all pretty obsessed with Yoko Ono. Just being able to bask in her energy would be the coolest experience. She’s so wise and peaceful and her work is so influential and inspiring-there would be so much to talk about.‬

Hilma af Klint - Not only was Hilma a fascinating abstract artist, she also talked to ghosts so we would 100% have a seance with that babe.

Frida Kahlo - Hanging out with Frida would probably be an intense experience, but in the best way. Not only would she be fascinating to talk to, but so much fun to party with.

IN THE EPISODE ON GUERRILLA GIRLS, YOU TALK ABOUT THE CONNOTATIONS OF THE WORD ‘BABES’ AND YOUR RECLAMATION OF IT-HOW WOULD YOU DISCUSS THE IMPORTANCE OF RECLAMATION OF INSULTS/SLURS WITHIN ART CIRCLES?

I think reclaiming terms that are considered derogatory can be a very powerful act. To be honest, our use of the term “babes” was not exactly a feminist statement. We all refer to each other as “babe” regularly and it is always meant as a term of endearment. That being said, the issue does arise occasionally and our typical response is that it is a term that we are all comfortable with and that we enjoy using.

WOMEN’S ART IS OFTEN LABELLED FEMINIST, WITHOUT NECESSARILY BEING POLITICAL, AND/OR FEMININE DUE TO THEIR GENDER. HOW DO YOU FEEL THESE CONSTRAINTS LIMIT FEMALE CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS AND HOW DO YOU SEEK TO CHALLENGE THEM?

Labelling work that way can be very constraining. Just because an artist is female does not mean that feminism or the female experience is central to the work and there are many artists that have no interest in engaging with those subjects.

I think the best way to challenge these ideas is to think about how we label artwork in a more holistic sense. If we are going to label artwork according to the identity of an artist, then we should also be labeling the work of white male artists that way.

IT IS OFTEN ARGUED THAT MUCH MAINSTREAM CONTEMPORARY FEMINIST PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART IS NOT RADICAL OR INCLUSIVE ENOUGH, AND SHOULD SEEK TO BECOME MORE INTERSECTIONAL IN ITS REPRESENTATION. TO WHAT EXTENT TO YOU AGREE, AND HOW SHOULD ARTISTS AND THE ART WORLD COMBAT THIS LACK OF INTERSECTIONALITY?

Issues of inclusivity and intersectionality are at the forefront of every aspect of culture right now, and we think it is something we are actively considering both as individuals and a society. However, artists can only challenge these issues if it interests them personally. For our project, we do our best to tell the untold stories and approach topics from as many angles as possible. We try to actively open conversations to the opinions and thoughts of those with different backgrounds than us. Ultimately, we think the best way to be more inclusive is to ask questions and listen to others.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE WITH YOUR WORK?

We hope to make art accessible and fun. There’s a prevailing idea that art has to be serious and heavy and, while it can definitely be that, it can also be hilarious. We want to bring attention to artists outside the typical “white male masters” and to open people’s eyes to the impact of visual culture on our day-to-day lives. 

SEE MORE OF THE ART HISTORY BABES: arthistorybabes.com

‘WOMEN TO THE FRONT’ IS A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN IN THE ARTS, AIMING TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE AND GIVE VOICE TO FEMALE ARTISTS.

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BRUCH: WOMEN TO THE FRONT #2 Self-produced folk electronica artist BRUCH is making waves in the live indie circuit with her haunting voice and hypnotic melodies. We chat to the ethereal songstress about her inspirations, her creative process and what music means to her. WHERE DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSIC BEGIN? When I was very young, I would always sing random lyrics, make up songs as I was tidying my bedroom - I’d go, ‘ooh, this is good, I should write this down’ - then forget. I never thought of doing music seriously, as a career, putting my heart and soul into it. It just didn’t occur to me. But I always loved to sing and I always had a song in my head. I started getting involved with musical theatre through my early teens and thought that was what I wanted to do, but just before I left school I discovered artists such as Björk, Aurora, and Lianne La Havas, purely by chance. They had so much creative freedom, and were song incredibly, beautifully sure of themselves - they could speak their minds - I knew then that I wanted to create my own kind of music, instead of singing somebody else’s, or acting like a character. WHAT TRIGGERS YOUR WRITING PROCESS? A lot of the time, I will look at somebody I see on the train or when I’m out and about, and see the simple thing they’re doing; putting up an umbrella, standing in the wind - I realise that everyday life is so poetic, and even small actions, when put into lyrics, can spark strong emotions. Lately, I have been so busy with shows that I haven’t had much time to write, and during the time that I am rushing around and performing, I don’t have any yearning to write because I am in the ‘performance' mode. Then when I have a few days off, I get this surge of inspiration. I very recently had some days like this - hundreds of lyrics and melodies came into my head, I was recording little memos of each small thing that popped up so I wouldn’t forget - I managed to set up my home studio and write three songs out of all the lyrics and melodies I’d come up with. It’s funny and a little scary how my brain can work this way! But it’s also wonderful, getting so much inspiration all at once, seemingly from nowhere. I also take a lot of inspiration from nature. It’s so unpredictable, frightening at times, and beautiful, powerful and ugly, all at once. I think it also really highlights humanity’s flaws - when a crisis occurs, how do we act? I have very strong feelings towards climate change and environmental issues, so it fuels a lot of the meaning behind most of my songs. HOW DOES YOUR LYRIC WRITING PROCESS DIFFER FROM YOUR MUSIC WRITING PROCESS? WHERE DO THEY INTERLINK? Usually lyrics come first. Mainly because they can come to me at any moment, and they usually come to me at inconvenient moments, too - they’re unreliable like that! I can write the vocal melodies on the go too, but to form the musical aspect I need to be in the studio, at least somewhere with a keyboard or my laptop, so I can find something to accompany and enhance those vocals. For me, everything needs to fit perfectly - any tiny detail that is out of place can throw the whole song off for me. That’s probably why I find it so hard to let anybody else touch them! I always have a very clear vision in my head for my music, and I think the only way to fully materialise that is for me to put my whole self into it. FOLLOWING THE RELEASE OF THE EMPTY LAND VIDEO, HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK VISUALS ARE TO MUSIC? I think visuals can be really impactful, but not necessary, per se. For example, if I hear a song for the first time with a music video, I will always associate the visuals, colours, lighting, images, with that song, with those sounds. However if the visual aspect isn’t there on first listening, it’s more open to interpretation by the listener - they see colours, images, and may have particular emotions, by translating what they themselves perceive through the sound, which I think is a beautiful thing. That song can be whatever they need it to be. The only time I think 'visuals' are really important is perhaps when an artist releases live versions of their songs - it’s really interesting to properly see how the artist interacts with the music live, how they feel when they perform it, and this can really take a track to a new place for me. I remember how the artist and audience must’ve felt in that moment, and it transfers that atmosphere to me when I listen to it. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART ABOUT CREATING? Definitely seeing the end result. As a completely self-produced artist, it can be so tough getting a song off the ground in terms of production (not being able to find the right sounds, the right rhythms that fit with the emotion of the song). Sometimes it can take me months of changing things around to find the version of a track that really clicks. That’s why I find it so, so rewarding once a song is finished. I remember how many takes I’ve done, how much editing, cutting, mixing, altering, and how much time it’s taken to get to that final stage, and it’s amazing how good it feels to be self sustained, and at the end of it, to have music that is completely and utterly yours, and that sounds great. It's amazing to know that it wasn’t all for nothing - and to know that it can finally be heard by other people! WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON? I have just announced that I will be releasing my debut EP this year! It will be towards the summertime, and I’m so excited to get new material out! I’ve been sitting on the news for a while, with lots of people asking for an EP or album, so it's great to finally have it out there, amongst such a supportive network of fans. I’m mostly excited to produce a piece of work that has all aspects of the music I create, not just one song, which only embodies one part of myself as an artist. I want people to know that I’m not limited by a single sound or genre. WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE THROUGH YOUR MUSIC? I hope that people can take away something - even if it’s just that it makes them want to dance or wiggle, that can still be a strong feeling! Of course, it is incredible when people come up to me at the end of a show and tell me then connected to me and my music on a deep, spiritual level, I love that so much. But in the end, not everybody is going to feel that way. I’m hoping that, especially with some of my more meaningful songs, people are able to learn something. See things from, and understand, my point of view. Perhaps something in the lyrics might help them make a difficult decision they’ve been struggling with, or help them through a difficult time. At the end of the day it’s the emotion and feeling, some kind of connection that counts. SEE MORE OF BRUCH spotify: BRUCH instagram: @bruchmusic PHOTO BY INSTAGRAM @blackhamimages ‘WOMEN TO THE FRONT’ IS A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN IN THE ARTS, AIMING TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE AND GIVE VOICE TO FEMALE ARTISTS.

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WOMEN TO THE FRONT #1:ANIA MAGLIANO-WRIGHT Challenging the gender divide in comedy (and making us laugh while doing it), Ania Magliano-Wright is a stand-upping, character-writing, prejudice-thrashing comedian with something to say. We chat to the Funny Women Regional finalist about being a woman in comedy, Fawlty Towers and her future projects.

WHERE DID YOUR INTEREST IN COMEDY BEGIN? WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT IT? I grew up watching lots of classic British comedy - stuff like Monty Python and Fawlty Towers. I would also always watch panel shows like Have I Got News For You with my parents. I think a part of me always knew that this was what I wanted to do, but because the forms of comedy I was watching had so few women in, I never thought it was a plausible career choice and always just said I wanted to be an actress instead. Then once I went to the Edinburgh Fringe I realised that there were LOADS of people (and more women!) making a career out of comedy and just decided to go for it. I find writing and performing comedy a lot of fun - and I would be pretty worried if I didn’t since that kind of feels like the point. It’s not only about having a good time and making people laugh, I’m super interested in the mechanics behind what makes a strong joke and a strong show. 

HOW DID THE TRANSITION FROM YOUTUBE TO PERFORMANCE AFFECT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH COMEDY? I think it helped massively! It meant I already had experience with writing my own material which was *meant* to be funny, and the discipline to just sit down and write. It also gave me experience with comic timing and knowing what sort of personas work and don’t work. And a good Twitter following.

TELL US ABOUT STOCKINGS. Stockings is a comedy collective for women and non-binary people set up by myself and two of my best friends, Ruby Keane and Emma Plowright. It was a productive way of channeling the anger we felt from experiences where our gender had visibly proved an obstacle to pursuing a career in comedy. Since making a Facebook page in July, we’ve had 3 open mic nights in Cambridge which have been bloody brilliant. At our most recent one, we had four amazing and HILARIOUS girls try out stand up for the first time and absolutely smash it. I had a little emotional joy cry on the way home.

THE FIRST STOCKINGS VIDEO SATIRISES THE CONSTRAINTS PLACED UPON WOMEN IN COMEDY, BOTH BY THE INDUSTRY AND BY THOSE WHO BELIEVE THEIR CONTENT SHOULD BE PRESCRIPTIVE-HOW DO YOU HOPE TO CHALLENGE THESE CONSTRAINTS AND HOW HAVE THEY AFFECTED YOU? It’s hard to answer how those constraints have affected me, because although there have definitely been specific incidents (not being let in to the venue I was performing at whilst the men I was with were/being told by a guy who I was dating that he ‘just doesn’t find women that funny’), it’s much more deeply ingrained in society. Not only do women have to overcome the hurdle that many people believe they are inherently less able to be funny, but that they can’t be funny and attractive, or funny and self-confident, or pretty much anything. Part of challenging these constraints comes from being unafraid to highlight them, and continuing  to carve out a space to give women the confidence to pursue comedy in a place where they don’t feel intimidated (the main purpose of Stockings). Obviously we can’t do this alone - in the comedy industry, bookers need to be booking gender balanced, diverse line ups. It’s 2018. There is literally no excuse not to.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? I’m working on two shows that I will be taking up to the Edinburgh Fringe this year. One is a split hour of stand up with my wonderful friend Riss Obolensky, and there other is a character comedy show called ‘The Man Presents: Women’ which tells the stories of the women that men can’t write.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE? I think I’ve come from a particularly privileged background, where I have had the encouragement and resources to pursue comedy with the confidence I have. I am aware of how lucky I am to be in this position, and want to do everything I can to enable other women and non binary people to have the same sort of access to this world! And also to make people laugh, I guess. 

SEE MORE OF ANIA: twitter-@aniamags instagram-@aniamaglianowright

STOCKINGS: instagram-@stockingscomedy youtube-stockings comedy

‘WOMEN TO THE FRONT’ IS A SERIES OF INTERVIEWS EXPLORING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A WOMAN IN THE ARTS, AIMING TO EMPOWER, INSPIRE AND GIVE VOICE TO FEMALE ARTISTS.

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‘I’M JUST SHOWING YOU WHAT I SEE-WHAT’S THERE” In artist and filmmaker Amber Bardell’s latest series, the concept of habitats is explored. Comprising of intimate photography that plays on the relationship between natural environments and those that are human constructed, her work arouses questions and ideas surrounding identity, vulnerability and our relationship with our surroundings. DISCUSS THE WORD HABITAT-WHAT ARE IT’S CONNOTATIONS FOR YOU? If I really think about it, I’m very nostalgic, and always slightly associate the word habitat with that home-ware shop-my mum took me there sometimes as a child and it was one of the few places I liked, on shopping trips I hated. In this series, I’m looking at habitats in the sense of what we surround ourselves with.

WHAT WERE YOUR INSPIRATIONS BEHIND THE PROJECT? I’m always inspired by set design in Wes Anderson’s films and a whole range of artists and things I collect. I also want to style and match models outfits to backgrounds for the next series as part of the project, as well as photographing my friends and family in their favourite spaces for a documentary approach. I always toy between documentary and highly constructed art style images so I want to do both. I also watched Garden State and there’s a shot in that where the main character has a shirt that matches the wallpaper-I was thinking of that sort of thing for the visuals. Maybe go full on Yaoi Kusama with spots!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS-HOW DO YOU APPROACH AN IDEA? WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS? I am a visual ideas kind of person so I completely just start off collecting things and making links. I love the making part, I’m very hands on which is why I love creating sets and painting on bodies like that, even collecting objects that look good together (I spend a lot of time in charity shops!). Once I’ve taken the pictures or made the film I don’t like to have to edit too much. Some colour grading or a bit of basic stuff is cool but I don’t want to make my photos really fake in that sense.

HOW MUCH OF A RELATIONSHIP DO YOU THINK THERE IS BETWEEN VULNERABILITY AND HABITAT? Like I wanted these pictures to feel quite intimate and raw I guess but not shocking. I’m just showing you what I see-what’s there. I’m really against airbrushing and photoshop manipulation like that. Even with my own makeup-I only conceal temporary things and add stuff for artistic effect, I think you can definitely feel empowered with makeup in that sense but you shouldn’t feel you need a façade. There are definitely some undertones of vulnerability and intimacy in the themes for this project but it’s more about where you place yourself and what you surround yourself with - be it the metaphor of clothing in a relationship or an artist in their studio space.

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF COLOUR IN THE PROJECT? Colour says a lot to me. I love warm tones, if we’re talking about intimacy. Dominik has a real thing for sound and colour, so it’s always in my mind. Breaking away from documentary realism, I love nice colours and compositions, so I try and fit that in to the whole range of things that I do.

WHAT IMPACT DO YOU HOPE TO HAVE WITH YOUR WORK? It’s hard to know what impact I want to have with this project, because it’s more about self-progression. My ultimate goal is to make a name for myself so that I can inspire others and make a positive difference in other people’s lives. If I am ever rich, I promise I will try to be humble and use my money to help others rather than being one of those people that I despise. Even if one person sees my work, and it inspires them, I suppose I have succeeded. SEE MORE OF AMBER’S WORK HERE: INSTAGRAM- @amberbardell YOUTUBE: Amber Bardell

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"I HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT MAKES ME FEEL A CERTAIN WAY-THAT’S HOW I WRITE SONGS" Much like the title of her single ‘Daydreaming’ suggests, the soulful croons of musician Celeste’s smoky voice are laced with hazy nostalgia. From the softness of the song’s bridge to the full-bodied, guttural sound it reaches in its hypnotic hook, the simultaneous rawness and tenderness of her voice touches the soul in the same way that the jazz greats, such as Ella Fitzgerald and Eartha Kitt, touched Celeste’s as a child. In anticipation of the release of her EP, we speak to the musician about her influences, what inspires her to write songs and where her love for music began. WHERE DID YOUR PASSION FOR MUSIC BEGIN AND HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR INITIAL BACKGROUND WITH MUSIC FEEDS INTO THE MUSIC YOU CREATE NOW? It's hard to pin point an exact time. I always knew I was interested in music-from like 3 years old. I tried learning different instruments throughout school, like violin and saxophone. I was obsessed with the violin-I still am. I always knew I had a voice too, I just never really knew what I could do with it. WHEN DID THAT LOVE FOR MUSIC SHIFT INTO WANTING TO CREATE YOUR OWN? I never really thought about sitting down and writing a song, until I was like 15. I remember just having an idea for a beat and some lyrics so I just sat at my computer and made it. I think that’s when I realised I could make my own music. Then I had a band with some boys from my college and we used to practise every weekend. One day we wrote this song called Sirens, which was the first thing I wrote that actually meant something. It was also the first thing my manager heard, which lead to me then going to the studio and taking writing more seriously. WHO ARE YOUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES-MUSICAL AND OTHERWISE? I grew up with my Mother-she could never really sing, but she loved to. I remember her off-kilter renditions of Annie Lennox in the kitchen and her attempts at singing ‘Somebody Else's Guy’. I also spent a lot of time at my Nan and Grandad’s-their taste in music was anything from the 40s - 60s really; they listened to Jazz, Soul…my Nan was a Mod in her 20s, so her thing was a bit more rock and roll, whereas my Grandad was a bit more old-fashioned. I think that’s where I took most of my influence from: Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Eartha Kitt, Otis Redding. There’s so many I could mention, but those are the ones that stuck out. It’s much the same now, but obviously now I'm older and have the freedom to buy and discover more music, I listen everything that I can find. IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT? THE MILK AND HONEY (EP) WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR WORK FOR YOU-BOTH IN THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY WITH YOUR MUSIC? To have a clear vision in my head of what I want, having the right team of people around me to listen to my ideas, and just general life-I have to have something that makes me feel a certain way. That’s how I write songs. LISTEN TO CELESTE HERE: soundcloud.com/celestewaite

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“MUSIC IS LIKE A WAY TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE-YOU PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES AND EXPLORE THEM”

Hailing from Liverpool, 18-year-old singer-songwriter Dan Astles regards music as a fundamental means of communication-both with yourself, and with others. The raw and undeniable integrity of his lyrics highlight how he sees music as a way to tell stories-your own, and a channel through which you can begin to understand the stories of others. With hauntingly stripped guitar arrangements and emotionally-driven lyrics, Astles’ music has a magnetic vulnerability, but the husks, rasps and breaks in his sweet-toned voice deliver a sound that is full-bodied and continually evolutionary. We speak with the musician about childhood, his creative process, and what the power of music means to him.

WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP, WHAT KIND OF A ROLE DID MUSIC PLAY FOR YOU?

I think music played a much bigger role in my life than I ever realised growing up. I remember being sat in the back of the family car and listening to my parents’ favourite records, knowing them word for word. It was the stories they told I liked. I can remember picturing the songs in my head-all the people they described and how real they were for me. I still get that now listening to songs, and I hope I can write songs that make people feel the way I did in the back of that car.

WHEN DID YOUR INTEREST IN MUSIC TRANSPOSE INTO CREATING YOUR OWN?

I’d made up band names with my friends since I was around 10; it’s all I wanted to do. I used to jump on my bed with a plastic guitar and pretend I could play it. It was when I first started writing songs when I was 13 that it became a real part of who I was. I just used to write and write, whenever I could. I’d come back from school and pick up my guitar and just sit and try and get better. Until I played guitar, the songs I loved seemed so out of reach; when realised that I could do it myself, I just couldn’t stop.

WHAT INSPIRES YOUR WRITING AND WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS LIKE?

The people around me inspire me most-often, songs come from things that people have said to me. I find it like a way to understand people-you put yourself in their shoes and explore them. I do write about myself, but sometimes it’s not till after I’ve written the song that I realise. You sort of learn about yourself, whether that be in a good way or not. My writing process is quite simple really-I’ll either just be sat at my guitar, and ill come up with something I think is worth pursing, or I’ll think of some words and write them in my phone and come back to them later. A lot of my songs never get finished, but I think that’s okay sometimes-hopefully ill come back to them.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU ARE WORKING ON CURRENTLY YOU WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT?

There are a few really exciting things coming up which I cant talk about right now. But I’ll be releasing my Debut EP around March time, and then there’ll be another EP before summer. I’m really excited to get into the studio and get down some of the songs I’ve had for a while. There are a lot of festivals I’d like to play and I’m sure there’ll be a lot more to talk about soon.

WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR MUSIC FOR YOU?

Music is just the most accessible way for me to express myself and say how I feel. The most important part of my own music to me will always and has always been writing things that mean something to me, but also being able to create something that can mean something to someone else. If people can feel personally addressed and invested in your songs then that’s what’s important for me.

LISTEN TO DAN HERE: soundcloud.com/astlesmusic

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLIE ANN BUXTON

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december cover page and playlist

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“THE POETS ARE FAR FROM ENDANGERED. IF ANYTHING, THE POETS ARE WAKING BACK UP.” At 21 years old, poet Tommy Sissons stands at the forefront of the spoken word revolution redefining poetry. Exploring masculinity, politics and class amongst a range of other topics, his writing and magnetic delivery in performance mark the poet as a channel for societal commentary and a voice for the silenced. We speak to the award-winning poet about his creative beginnings, coming of age and his anticipated second collection. WHEN DID YOU BEGIN WRITING CREATIVELY AND WHAT/WHO INSPIRED YOU TO DO SO? I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I was writing poetry as a kid, and then I really got into it when I discovered poetry slams around Brighton. Winning slams is what I’ve been able to build a career off the back of. I’ve always wanted to speak out about my environment and the people I grew up with-to try and find positivity in a negative background. That’s what inspires me most. The journey from boyhood to manhood never fails to supply me with inspiration. HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT COMING OF AGE AND THE TRANSITION FROM BOYHOOD TO MANHOOD HAS AFFECTED THE WAY YOU WRITE? It’s matured my writing style a lot. I’m now able to look back on my previous experiences and write on them from a learned perspective. I’m no longer trapped within those experiences and trying to make sense of them at the same time. COULD YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT YOUR UPCOMING SECOND COLLECTION? Over this last year, I’ve been going through a lot of changes in my family life, my social life and my love life. I have come up against some challenging experiences but have overcome them all so far, and I feel better than I ever have because of it. This collection is really centred around change and new beginnings. I have about twenty poems written for it so far. I’m aiming for about fifty in total, so I’m expecting it to be a bit longer than ‘Goodnight Son’. IT MUST HAVE BEEN AMAZING TO HEAR YOUR WORK IS BEING STUDIED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TRIER-WAS THERE ANY PART OF YOU THAT FOUND THE IDEA OF WORK PERSONAL TO YOU BEING PART OF AN ACADEMIC PROCESS SURREAL? It’s amazing to me that university students are studying my work. I couldn’t ask for anything more rewarding. I find it hard to talk about my personal life in day-to-day conversations, but I always feel comfortable speaking about it openly in my work, so I’m thrilled that it’s being considered by students abroad. I’m trying to spread awareness of working class lifestyles in the UK so the fact that my opinion is being discussed academically in Germany is thrilling to me! WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR WORK FOR YOU? As far as the creative process goes, I love to experiment with imagery and metaphor. I feel like they really bring any poem to life and add a new dimension to the piece. In terms of what I want to express, it would have to be supplying a voice for those that do not feel they have one. FOLLOW TOMMY SISSONS: https://www.facebook.com/TommySissonsOfficial/ FIND ‘GOODNIGHT SON’ HERE: https://www.waterstones.com/book/goodnight-son/tommy-sissons/9781909136847

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LAUREL-PARK EP REVIEW Diverging from the harmony-laden chamber-pop of 2014’s ‘Holy Water’ and ‘To The Hills', 'Park' marks a turning point in the sound of 22 year old Laurel Arnell Cullen. The indie-alt pop sounds of the four track EP permit a more explicit exposition of her talent as both a guitarist and writer and aid in boasting a rawness and grit to the lilting licks of her hypnotic voice. The relatively stripped arrangements of the EP, in comparison to her previous releases, argue for a dilution of Laurel's characteristically complete sound, but nothing is compromised: with the heavy drum kicks and fuzzy guitar hooks of ‘Maybe Baby’ and ‘Hurricane’ nodding to the likes of Sonic Youth, the dark pop of the opening tracks is full-bodied and visceral. The second half of the EP gives way to a mellower sound, with the dark, brooding musings of ‘Too Far’ and the coarse and stripped ‘Goodbye’. Recorded as a demo, the acoustic track captures Laurel’s skill for illustrating organic emotion flawlessly, the soft breaks in her lilting croons vulnerable and exposed. The rawness of each track and the magnetism of her sultry, husking voice marks Laurel as one of the most exciting musicians on the indie scene today; its exposition of her talent as a writer across genres implies that only success will follow in the wake of ‘Park’.

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“AS MUCH AS I AM A CREATOR, I AM MORE SO A CONDUIT FOR THE ENERGY PEOPLE EXUDE” Wordsmith, photographer and filmmaker Christian San Jose (aka CHRXX) is fundamentally a storyteller. Utlising his creativity as a channel through which he communicates and captures the energies of his subjects, his work emanates the integrity and intimacy that gives it its magnetism. We speak to the artist about his creative process, the importance and meaning of a muse and his beginnings in the arts. WHAT DREW YOU TO CREATING, AND IN PARTICULAR TO FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY? It’s a bit of a ‘cause and effect’ as to the reason why I started creating. As a kid I had some unfortunate events happen to me, and it has deeply affected the way I think, move, and express myself to people (and the world as a whole). I believe it’s this awareness that has allowed me to gravitate towards creating as a way of venting out. Eventually I fell in love with words-with literature and the way you can shout them out or whisper them with such clarity. I wanted to be a poet. I knew it was what I was good at. I could tell from the way people interacted with my writings or the short conversations we would have. The only thing was…I couldn’t really see a way of creating an impact large enough to influence the world...much less making a living off of poetry alone. Just to give you a bit of a metaphor, at the time, I felt like my poems and short stories, though loved, were like a fancy car, stuck in a cul-de-sac…going round and round, passing by the same 4 or 5 houses who appreciate it but that’s it. I knew the world was bigger than that; something had to give. This was eventually what lead me to picking up a camera. In that journey, I guess you can say that I recognized story telling was my passion. Because in the end, words, poems, photographs and short films…they are all but techniques in how to take people to a place they have never been before. I’m a storyteller, this journey has taught me that much…but passion only lasts for so long. Eventually I yearned for something tangible, a reason as to why I was put on this earth. I wanted a purpose for myself, and that led me back to the reason why I even started creating-I wanted to change the world-but more specifically, I wanted to reach out to the people who share this hardship that I went through, and maybe give them hope, or inspiration, or maybe even meet them. I wanted to remind them that they’re not alone, and that they, too, are storytellers. Just like me. HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT AND WHO TO CAPTURE? For me, this requires a couple of things: 1) Energy-the energy that I get from them has to be correct. At the end of the day, as much as I am a “creator”, I am more so a “conduit” for the energy that people exude. It makes creating easier, but when your subject already has substance, it just amplifies the work you’re going to make even more (simply put, you can’t turn shit into gold) 2) I try to narrow down the people I want to work with as much as possible…almost as if you’re curating who you choose to exchange energies with. In the fashion industry, they call this “casting”; in employment they call this “interview and hiring”: same principle. We should try to curate what and who we want to shoot as much as possible, because if we say YES to everybody in hopes that one of them would be a good fit, we end up wasting too much time and energy on the wrong people. Now, I’m not saying that you stick with this particular notion, the key to creation is flexibility and more importantly… 3) Curiosity. Stay curious. Like forever. Lol. It’s really the only way for you to find out what you like to capture. Eventually, you gravitate to what you like best to shoot. For me, it’s very much about love. I started out shooting my girlfriend, and then I shot everything from cars, to rappers and artists. But in the end, there’s this magnetic pull so irresistible when it comes to love. And the only way I found out that that’s what I liked to shoot, was by doing other stuff. WHAT MAKES SOMEONE A MUSE? It’s how you feel about them. How they can bring about the best or the worst in you. Something that others can’t ever manifest with the work you guys do together. I hate it when someone throws around the word “muse” a lot. It’s an obsession. Every damn scene, set, pose, smile, words and feelings, you have him/her in mind…it consumes all that is you, and you let it devour you. But maybe I can leave you with this quote in answer to the question: “The heart has reasons, that reason cannot know”-Blake Pascal. FOR YOU, WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF YOUR WORK IN BOTH THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND ITS PRESENTATION? Its a harmonious ensemble of integrity, honesty and taste. Integrity and honesty stem from the same place, that of ‘self’, whereas taste level is this interaction between you and the outside world. It’s a vague answer but I think if I over-explain it, I run the risk of not respecting my audience’s ability to decide for themselves what is good and true, vs what is not. As far as actual presentation-I’m very much a full immersion kind of guy. Kinda like how when you step into one of James Turrell’s installations, your senses are no longer yours. He only shows you what he wants you to see. SEE CHRXX’S WORK HERE: CHRXX.COM INSTAGRAM.COM/CHRXX

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collaging collage art. inception

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POEM OF THE MONTH: QUESTIONS FOR THE WOMAN I WAS LAST NIGHT-WARSAN SHIRE Warsan Shire explores identity in ‘Questions for the Woman I Was Last Night’ through a critical self-examination of two opposing aspects of the speaker’s identity: one side that craves the love of those that do not love her, and the other which rejects those that wish to care for her. This included, the poem is full of contrasts, as seen via the juxtaposition of opposing words, contrasts in the tone of poetic voice, contrasts in phonology, and most simply via the speaker’s use of direct address towards the two aspects of her identity she is criticising and questioning. The first three questions that the speaker asks herself have an interrogative and abrasive tone and focus on the way in which she pursues those that do not return her displays of affection. She firstly asks herself: “How far have you walked for men who’ve never held your feet in their laps?” The employment of the plural, “men”, validates that this cycle of rejection and lack of reciprocated affection is one she has experienced many times and emphasises the metaphorical physical strain of what she has endured for the men who do not return the favours and sacrifices she gives so willingly and cyclically, highlighting the speaker’s frustration in her not learning to not give herself to those that do not care for her. The second question reinforces this frustration via the employment of sibilance and plosive alliteration, demonstrating both her bitterness towards the way in which she has been treated and the anger she directs towards herself for allowing it to happen so frequently. The conflict between the words “unavailable” and “alluring” is highlighted via their alliterative nature in the third question, serving to reflect how the speaker sees no sense in why she continues to act in this destructive cycle. The tone becomes significantly more nurturing in the short series of questions that follow the opening three, as the source of her pining for affection that is not reciprocated is hinted at. The blame begins to edge away from the aspect of her identity that she brings into question, and suggests that her cyclical behaviour of ending up in a disproportionate power dynamic in relationships in which she does not receive the same affection that she gives out stems from a singular factor/person(s), that warped her perception of a healthy and loving relationship; she asks herself: “who made you feel so worthless?”. The soft alliteration of ‘w’ sounds in this section contrast to the sibilance and plosive alliteration of the opening. This combined with the way in which this section questions an “it”, a “what” and a “who”, opposing the rest of the poem’s interrogation of the actions of the “you”, highlights an element of nurture and self-care in reaction to the pain she has experienced. However, this sentiment expires quickly, as the language becomes malicious in attempts to humiliate and shame herself: “All this time, you were begging for love/ silently, thinking they couldn’t hear you, but/they smelt it on you, you must have known/that they could taste the desperate on your skin?” The use of personal and sensory language (“hear”, “smelt”, “taste”, “skin”) creates an intimate and almost claustrophobic sentiment, which is emphasised by the use of enjambment and asyndetic listing, which lengthens the question and makes it overwhelming and invasive. The malevolence of the way in which she examines this part of herself and the way in which she establishes power over this past identity by inducing shame may be a parallel of the way in which those that have neglected her in relationships have treated her, demonstrating how this toxicity has been ingrained in her. This question is placed just before she questions her counterpart identity: “What about the others that would do anything for you, why did you make them love you until you could not stand it?”. This links the malignity of the preceding question’s tone and its parallel to those that have hurt her to the way in which she turns away from and rejects those that wish to care for her. The word “make” implies an element of manipulation, highlighting her new role as the more powerful in this inversed relationship dynamic. The phrase “until you could not stand it” also highlights an element of her being unable to accept and feel comfortable in the love of others. Her craving for power and her rejection of nurture are significant as they are both elements in relationships that the poem previously suggests she has been denied of, linking these two sides of her identity which both seem to stem from neglect and abuse. The union of these two sides of her identity is culminated in the final two questions of the poem as she repeats “where did you learn this” when calling into question both aspects of her behaviour. This signifies how events of the past have moulded these two aspects of her identity, that, on the surface, seem to clash. The repetition of this phrase, although the tone remains critical, may serve to drive home that she has become aware of the stem of her behaviour and is on a pathway to beginning to heal by recognising the way in which her past has warped her perception of her own identity and the way she perceives relationships.

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november playlist