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pop-punklouis · 4 years

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top five HL fanfic!!!!

biiiiitch you all know how hard it is for me to choose only 5. but sigh FINE here’s my all-time favorite list that isn’t 5 sorry i can’t choose 😔:

• Here in the Afterglow (89k)

“If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t have many friends,” Louis whispers, the blossom of insecurity in his stomach unfurling and clawing its way into his throat.

Harry is silent for a long time, and then he speaks; a soft, slow uncurl that makes Louis’ stomach shake. “I’ll be your friend.” 1970’s AU. In a tiny town in Idaho, Louis’ life is changed forever by the arrival of a curious stranger.

• Coax the Cold (86k)

England, 1897.

English Professor Louis Tomlinson’s passion for the occult has been a source of mockery and derision for most of his life. When he hears whispers of a travelling freak show newly established in London claiming the existence of a monstrous sea hybrid, half-man, half-fish, Louis sees it as his ticket to credibility amongst his peers. The summer he spends undercover working on the show, however, gives him much more than that.

• Wild and Unruly (124k)

Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

• This Wicked Game (70k)

An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

• Love is a Rebellious Bird (135k)

AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who "has made Mozart cool again" according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.

• Fixated On One Star (53k)

Louis is just a boy with the world on his shoulders, and Harry's just a boy from the wrong side of the galaxy. A little thing like love doesn't stand a chance against a thousand years of war, at least until the right two come along to break the mold.

Or: space Romeo and Juliet AU

• Finding Lou (60k)

Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

• California Sold

Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.

A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.

• Empty Skies (134k)

For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.

Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?

• And Then a Bit (159k)

“We’d like to give the fans what they want.” Magee states, placing his hand on the table in front of him and leaning forward. “We want to give them Larry Stylinson.”

Or, take a parallel universe where Louis and Harry were never together, mix in a two year hiatus and an impending comeback, pour in a dash of lost fans, two tablespoons of strong friendship and a Modest! employee with a good idea. Add a squeeze of pretending to be a couple, lots of kisses and a tattoo or two. Stir. Serve: the mother of all publicity stunts. (aka Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.)

• Dream Awake (31k)

The sun leaks through the tent wall behind him the way it leaks through eyelids, bathing the boy in an ethereal half-light as he croons. The crowd is mesmerized. Louis is mesmerized. This is the most important person in the world, he thinks wildly, and then can't figure out how to take it back.

On a hazy day in August, Louis sees Harry perform at a music festival as an unsigned act and convinces him to spend the rest of the weekend in his company. Harry gets signed; life changes. They never really wake up from the dream.

• Say You’ll Remember (93.5k)

au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they're also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.

takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.

• Outwit, Outplay, Outlast (61k)

Survivor All-Stars AU in which Harry and Louis are just in this game to win the million dollars, but they end up with something better.

Featuring Harry's yellow swim shorts, Louis in snapbacks, and OT5 shenanigans.

• Nothing Else But Us Right Here (35k)

Louis sighs and gives himself a mental pep talk as he smooths his jumper down over his hips. He can do this. He can resist the draw of Harry Styles, because he is a responsible, mature adult, and as much as he wants to tangle his fingers in that mess of hair and map those ridiculous tattoos with his tongue, he does not want to get his daughter’s favorite teacher fired.

• Wings to Break Your Fall (103k)

strip club AU. Harry’s work and family are keeping him busy. He really isn’t looking for a relationship, doesn’t want one. He just wants Louis. Problem is, Louis has other plans.

• Leave it to the Breeze (81k)

Louis couldn’t be prouder of his bake, but there’s something—there’s something. Something about Harry Styles and the earnest way he measures, pours, mixes, scrapes. Something about the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth as he knocks the air out of his batter.

or a great british bake off au in which louis cares about winning and winning only, harry is made of sunshine and rainbow sprinkles, and niall sticks his nose into other people's business. also featuring liam as louis's best friend-slash-concerned mother, and zayn as a macaron connoisseur.

• You Come Beating Like Moth’s Wings (81k)

Harry smiles. He's only known Louis for about two hours, knows nothing about him past his first name, but he's nice and sarcastic and helpful and so, so pretty. And Harry's still got a few days left in Barcelona, and he thinks he wouldn't mind spending them with Louis.

Also known as, Harry takes the summer before uni to travel Europe and meets Louis in Barcelona, and they end up traveling together.

• Hold Me Closer (36.5k)

Louis Tomlinson is one of the most promising dancers of the English National Ballet, on track to become the youngest principal dancer in the company's history. That is, until forces conspire to significantly complicate his life, including: a surprise ballet, an unfairly attractive guest choreographer, and being pushed into a rivalry with his best mate. Featuring lots of wine, dancing, pining, and a happy ending.

• In Vogue (121k)

Fashion AU. Louis is the editor in chief of Vogue magazine, and Harry's running British GQ. Featuring Zayn as the crazy creative director and Louis' confidant, Liam as the sports writer that gets to sit front row at fashion week and DJ Neil as the only sane person in the whole story. (There are no skinny jeans in this fic)

• These Things Will Never Change for Us at All (1.5k)

The room falls silent as they stay wrapped up in each other. Harry can feel Louis’ soft breaths on his neck, and he almost thinks Louis’ fallen asleep until he says softly, “How did you know you were in love with me?”

Or, Harry and Louis look back on five years.

• A Runaway American Dream (15k)

AU. they take route 66 with only each other and their secrets.

• Things Have Gotten Closer to the Sun (49k)

it’s strange, making the choice to face his past—it almost feels like he’s heading for the sun straight on, like he’s screaming come on and burn me, i deserve it.

when a solar flare is announced to end the world in twelve days, harry reunites with the people that he used to know better than the back of his own hand.

• Here (in your arms) (60k)

the one where Louis is a successful real estate agent and Harry works at a retirement home. They’ve never had a real home. Up until now.

(Starring Liam Payne as a fitness trainer, Zayn as an artist, and Niall, who busks.)

• These Inconvenient Fireworks (190k)

Future AU in which nobody tries out for X Factor but the boys end up finding one other eventually anyway. Louis is a jaded bastard who owns a cat named Duchess and teaches drama to teenagers, Harry is an idealistic aspiring photographer/part-time footy coach, Zayn teaches English lit and wears leather jackets, Liam saves people from burning buildings, and Niall is Niall.

• In Dreams (23k)

AU. When Harry moves to a new city, his new flat come with a number of sweet, anonymous gifts and surprises that brighten his days. Could it be a friendly ghost? Another friendly presence in his new building is his tattooed neighbor, Louis, who seems determined to put a smile back on his face.

• My Heart is Breathing for this Moment in Time (160k)

When Louis first saw Harry at the 2010 X Factor Auditions, he thought he was watching a peculiarly special stranger. But Harry has known Louis ever since he was five years old. Because Louis has a rare genetic disorder that causes him to Time Travel to important moments in his past and in his future - and to Harry, always to Harry. When they’re put into a band together, it seems like everything Harry has been waiting and wishing for has finally come true. Except for the small fact that Louis doesn’t know that Harry is in love with him- that Harry’s always been in love with him. Fate, it would seem, is just getting started.

A story about growing up and growing together, and the impossible love that makes it all worthwhile.

• Paint the Sky with Stars (63k)

On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom. Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform. By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help. Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.

Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending.

• Through Eerie Chaos (102k)

For as long as anyone can remember, Old Hillsbridge Manor has always been believed to be haunted. Everyone in the village agrees and keeps a respectful, fearful, distance. New in town after a bad breakup and an internship that led to disappointment rather than a permanent job, Harry Styles figures taking pictures of the decrepit building could be a great new creative project. Or at least a much-needed distraction while he searches for a job and crashes at his parents’ new house. No one warned him about the apparitions though; about the music, the laughter, the people who flicker and vanish when you call after them, the echoes of a past that should be long gone… Harry has never believed in spirits but even he can admit that there’s something weird going on. What starts as mere curiosity evolves into a full-blown investigation and soon enough, Harry finds himself making friends with an aristocrat from the 1920s and struggling with finding the best way to tell him that he’s dead.

The Ghost Hunter AU where Niall lives to prove ghosts are real, Zayn is a skeptical librarian and Harry gets caught up in a century-old mystery and catches feeling in the process.

#whew!#favorite fics #grey

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another-tiny-ant · 5 years

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Life at the moment...

I’ve realised that what I’ve posted here recently hasn’t been positive. I’ve been down, and not coping well. So I’ve decided that I ought to take some time to reflect, as this often helps me to clear my mind and carry on with my day. So here we go...

University lately has been difficult. I am living in a flat that is dark and depressing, even on a good day. But more importantly, I am surrounded by people that seem to dislike, or even despise me. Perhaps that’s too strong. But then perhaps it’s not. Sat in my room, attempting to work, but unable to clear my mind, or overcome that fatiguing sense of hopelessness that seems to overwhelm me, liking a breaking wave, as I open the door to that flat, I can overhear my flat “mates” talking about me. You can guess that it is nothing positive that they say. And it’s hurtful. But worse, it’s isolating. These are the people I have to pass in order to get food, or go to the loo, and everyone tells me that these are my closest uni friends. It makes me want to hide in my room and not ever come out, and feel crushingly alone. But I suppose the worst part is how familiar it feels. I have had rumours spread about me many, many times before. I have had friends turn against me innumerably too, and never really understood why. And here we are again. The cycle repeats.

I suppose what gets to me is that feeling that this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I dragged myself through school and college on the basis that university was going to be where I finally found the friends I’ve been missing, and it would all be sunshine and roses. Looking back now, that was always naive. But I wanted to believe it. I really wanted to believe it. Because that way, I’d just been unlucky. Nothing that had happened to me was my fault, I’d just never been mixed with the right people. We’re all just floating around in space and the stars hadn’t aligned for me yet. And I keep telling myself that this is still the case- things will get better. It’s just crushing when you’re reminded that this crap isn’t over yet.

The flat is certainly a major part of my experience at university. But it’s not the only part. On my course too, I’ve failed to make friends or find people that I fit in with. I’ve tried. And I've got to keep trying. But it does make me wonder why this has always been my experience. Is this my own ‘failure’? Am I just difficult to get on with? Do I expect too much of people? Have i just been unlucky? Or am I the problem? I’ve struggled in my attempts to join societies too. Perhaps this uni is just not where I belong?

Having pinned all my hopes on my university experience, I suppose academia became an important part of my identity. But without any support, or even interest, from the teaching staff, and increasing self-doubt, I feel that I’ve lost some of this identity. And what uni seems to have really ‘taught’ me, is that a lot of academia is utter bullsh*t. Academics often just brown-nose each other and themselves, studying things that are often irrelevant to real, lived lives, and all this founds an exclusive, privileged club, from a higher class to which I do not belong. So I sit down to work on an assignment, and instead just end up questioning what the point is to it all. After all, no one really cares what I write. And it’s hard too. Especially for me, as reading and everything takes me longer. The result is that I don’t seem to be sure of who I am anymore. And it was that self-assurance that always kept my head above the water in school. No matter what they threw at me, I always could look myself in the mirror and recognise what I saw. I think it’s easier to pick yourself up and dust yourself off when you have that knowledge. Now, I'm not so sure.

So... what now?

I've been really considering giving it all up. But i think I would only beat myself up for ‘failing’ later on down the line if i walked away tomorrow. So instead, I’ve decided to stick this year out. There it is. In writing. Decision made. Deep breath.

But how can I survive this year? Because to thrive, you have to first survive. Set realistic goals.

I’ve decided too to get the f*ck out of that flat. That dark, festering, pit of hell. Where to go instead, I’m really not sure. I’ll try and find a spare room and see where things go from there. Perhaps I’ll make some friends. Perhaps I won’t. But I’ve realised that it’s worth the risk; it really couldn't get worse than it is currently. To be alone would be better than to be lonely. I know there is a difference. To be alone is to feel sure of oneself, and be happy in oneself, even when there is no one else there. This has often been a choice for me, and it’s got me through. When I can’t deal with people, or their bullish*t anymore, I fly solo. That’s how I survived school. I turned up, got the marks, and left. Being lonely, however, is entirely different. Being lonely is being self-doubting. Comparing yourself to others and needing others to validate you. At least, that’s how i differentiate the two, based on my own experience. I would never judge, let alone berate, anyone who told me they felt lonely. I would be concerned, and want to be supportive. But for me, whenever I’ve felt lonely, has been when I've been the most down. Choosing to see myself as alone however, is liberating. It becomes a choice I’ve made. I’m not going to compare myself to others, or shrink away from people anymore. I’ve chosen to be alone, and there’s no shame in that. I feel like this change in attitude makes the situation liveable. So that’s the attitude change I’m trying to make. I've done it before, and I’ll do it again. And maybe then, things will get better. In order to make that change happen, I know i need to get out of that flat. The temporary fix is to live at home for now, and go back only when strictly necessary, and for as little time as possible. That’s what I’m doing at the moment.

So that’s step one. But there’s another attitude that needs changing. I need to stop being a bloody pessimist. It’s probably one of my worst traits. Being pessimistic is not only sapping for me, but also for those around me. And let’s be honest. It hasn’t been all bad. I’ve had some good times. Perhaps my company then isn’t my company now, but things change. Best of all though, is that I've met my lifelong companion. He is the diamond amongst billions of grains of sand, and somehow I’ve managed to stumble across him. I’ll be forever grateful that things worked out that way- despite only knowing him for less than a year, I already can’t comprehend how I lived for so long without him. If I gain nothing else from university than his company, it will all have been worthwhile.

Step three: get the work done. Force myself to sit down and work it through. And find the passion again. Because i have always had a thirst for knowledge. I must not let them take that away from me. And hopefully the course will get better.

Step four: do things that make me happy. Sounds obvious, but I rarely make the time. So I’m going to, from now on. I'm going to be creative, see my boyfriend, see my family, play with my dog, make memories, and do all the other things that will enrich my life. And look forward to things too, like spending Christmas with my wonderful boyfriend, and lovely family, and use this to motivate myself to get through the work. Strike a balance.

In the long term, who knows. After this year, I may take a year out, and go travelling with my boyfriend. And maybe I’ll come back to uni afterwards. Maybe I won’t. But I’ll always have that option; I won’t have failed, I will have chosen to walk away. If I feel like university was unfinished business, I can go back for a year and put it to bed. I’ll have that option. Maybe I’ll decide that by third year things will have got much better, and I’ll be happy to stay on and finish the degree in one go. Who knows. But what I have to keep reminding myself is that I have options- “adventure is out there!”.

So through all that rambling, what I'm trying to say is that I need to be, and stay, positive. I need to change my attitudes, and liberate myself in so doing. And then things may fall into place. Equally, they may not. But either way I’ll be more resilient to cope. And throughout all of this, I know i have the support of a wonderful family and a loving boyfriend, and that is honestly priceless.

As my mum always says, “see the flowers, not the mud”. That can be hard when things turn grey. Especially in winter. But there are flowers, if you look hard enough. Appreciate the little things, and the little victories. Be kind, and do no harm- not just in how you treat others, but in how you treat yourself. You too, deserve that kindness. And don't ever stop fighting.

🖤🐜🖤

#lifeonthelog #anothertinyant #selfcare #selflove

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thenobleartist · 4 years

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Prior to the Lockdown I was really flattered to find out that a pupil from one of my past college tutors was studying me as a case study for someone who successfully made a career in the creative industry. They sent me a questionnaire and even made a poster for their coursework. Really made my day. :) I've just copied and pasted the answers I gave the student: 1. Why did you choose this career? 1. I loved drawing when I was younger. I loved fantasy artwork but was always told their wasn't going to be a job for me doing it when I was older. I studied at art college, but went to Uni to study media, as I figured I'd find more luck with work in TV. Fortunately when I finished university and was working as a restaurant manager, I had a bit of an epiphany realising "you only have one opportunity at life, so do what you want to do!" I went back to college to learn game design (when I met Lizzie), which actually gave me a year learning digital art programs amongst other things. It became clear to me that this was how I could get my dream job! 2. What GCSEs did you take? 2. I took Art and got an A*, I did ok on the rest, but art was my favourite. I also studied Media, Spanish, History (which I also enjoyed) and the usual English, Maths and sciences (not so good on maths and sciences!). 3. Did you go to university, collage or get an apprenticeship? 3. I did all three. I went to college to study art, and actually went back to college, if I had time I'd go back again. I think you're never too old to keep learning. I watch tutorials all the time with the same effect! I went to Uni too, but rarely use the skills I picked up there because I didn't really follow my heart when I should have! I also was an intern (sort of like an apprenticeship) for my first games job. It was unpaid, and I worked at a restaurant too to pay my rent, but it was worth it. 4. Have you had any other jobs or careers? 4. I've done loads! One main other career, but lots of jobs. My other main one was as a restaurant manager. I loved working with people (which is a shame because I spend a lot of time working alone now), but I wasn't always so good at being audited (audits are like big yearly tests that you get judged on for performance... my maths wasn't so good so I had a happy staff but very messy paperwork!). I've also been a gardener, a barman, a checkout assistant and a runner for Sky TV. You'll probably find you do loads of jobs before you do what you want, but it's great because it shapes you, and makes you realise what you want. 5. What do you like about your job? 5. I love the freedom of choosing my own schedule, choosing my clients (the people I do illustration for). I love learning every day, which always happens as an artist. Every picture you do should feel like a new step in teaching yourself and pushing yourself. 6. Do you work in a team or by yourself? 6. I work by myself, I have a dog, she's great! 7. What inspires you now? 7. I love seeing other people's work. Like everyone I can get envious of how cool other people's work is, but that's healthy if you can use it to drive you. The trick is to spend all your energy progressing rather than wondering why you can't do it. When you get over that, you feel like every day is a new opportunity to improve. I improving my art skills and my personal skills, and I try to get involved in lots of different types of projects. 8. Do you have any tips about illustration or games? 8. Keep learning, nobody will every be perfect. Learn a bit, apply it to your work, then go and try and learn more. For games, build a nice portfolio and be discerning about what you put in it. Also, don't take rejection personally. It goes for all jobs, and it's the hardest thing to accept, but a freelancer, I'm rejected on a daily basis! Whether it's pitching for work, having corrections to an illustration, whatever. It makes life a lot less stressful when you can roll with the punches. Games art is very competitive, so you have to keep pushing to stay afloat and not (excuse the pun) get deflated! 9. How long have you been doing this? 9. I've been doing this for ten years now. The first three or four were the hardest, but if you keep putting yourself out there it gets easier. In the early days I'd spend half my week looking for work, trying to find clients, and now more often than not they find me. It's important to build that presence though. 10. What do you enjoy most about this career? 10. I like that I get to spend time with my family when I want to as I can choose my own hours. Also dragons. They're really fun to draw. https://ift.tt/2Ww9KoR

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newandbrave · 7 years

Video

youtube

Yeo ft. Asta – Never Wanted That

Talented Melbourne artist Yeo started 2017 off by supporting HAELOS at their Falls sideshow, Harts for his national tour and Emma Louise in festival showcases (as her musical director and band member). Amongst the performer’s busyness on the road, Yeo has made time for his love of production and song writing, releasing his first single for the year “Never Wanted That.” Yeo cannot receive all the credit for this single, as the track wouldn’t have been the same without the flair of Tasmanian singer Asta, who has recently produced her EP Shine. This is the first collaboration in the lead up to Yeo’s LP Desire Path (its rumoured there are more alliances to come).

“Never Wanted That” hit the sweet spot of contemporary music, it has all the charm of a commercial song, but the substance and sincerity of a truly gifted artist. This track provides the simplicity of a pop song, with a minimal dance beat that is completed with the rhythm of a clean guitar riff, nailing what the majority of listeners want to please their ears with, something that is catchy, not too intense and still gets them grooving without that doof feeling. The singing relationship between Asta and Yeo paints the picture of an Australian Drake and Rihanna, as the duo sing together and to each other as opposed to a simple feature. This prevents listeners from questioning whether the artists have actually met and worked together as well as allowing fans to feel the real depth and emotion of the song. What removes the cheese from this track and enables the sweet spot to be hit (opposed to other pop songs) is the naturalism of the lyrics, Yeo’s wit and common, everyday language pulls down the superficiality of the single and creates a certain relatability with the audience (a trait of all great artists). This conveying of language makes the message of the song so much more true to listeners, as the track portrays the false confidence and excuses men and women put up in a relationship, due to the harsh challenges of this world.

As for the video, the sentiment continues with the setting of the visual being a presumable 1960’s or 70’s, a period that embodies freedom, love and a simplicity that has gained fascination by 21st century hippies known as hipsters. Both artists suit their characters as blonde beauty, Asta, fits every part of a revolutionary love child, whilst Yeo’s more refined, straight laced outfit provides a good contrast for a song about the challenges between two lovers on the same page but with different opinions. The charm of this video is in the props and creative orchestration of the visual, as the screen is split into two, with both artists on the same couch completing activities that involve each other (blowing bubbles, Asta puts her feet on Yeo, Yeo snatches the magazine from Asta, etc). Except these events are reversed (e.g. Asta blows bubbles at Yeo toward the end of the video, yet Yeo feels them hit his face at the start), the video ending with a removal of the split screen and revealing how both artists are sitting on the same couch.

Yeo, who has been a favoured artist of New and Brave, was kind enough to take the time out of his schedule to have a chat and provide answers to the questions we all wanted to ask.

1. What has it been like to support Harts and Haelos and work with Emma Louise? Were they influences before your collaboration?

I knew of their work a long time before actually meeting them. I saw them perform a few times to huge crowds. They were both strong inspirations as examples of what is achievable with strong releases and a good team behind you.

2. You have said that in hindsight, you are unimpressed with your early music. What did you change to improve your song writing abilities? Or was it just your perspective on your own music?

If you're talking about the raw song writing side of things, I actually spent a while exploring folk and country music. In that genre it's all about simplicity. It's about a message or a feeling. My lyrics were very simple to start out with, and though they're still quite literal these days I hope I have learned to imply more depth. For example, instead of just singing "I went to the shop and bought a sausage roll," I'd now re-word 'shop' to 'milk-bar', say something about flaky pastry and combine it with suitable harmony and melody to convey my reasons for the excursion and how it makes me feel. In tandem, I've constantly been working on my production technique and trying to minimalize the squeeze (that is, including everything I possibly can, all the time) to leave more space for the music to breathe. I think over the years I've grown more patient with myself, as well as appreciative of what collaboration with other artists can offer.

3. You have been noted as a particularly hard working artist, tell us about your typical work habits.

I can easily spend entire days working on my songs with minimal interruptions. Sometimes I forget to eat, or find eating a nuisance. Don't get me wrong, I love eating, but when I'm on a roll doing what I love most, I forget about everything else. During the warmer months, if I have nothing planned the following day, I typically work on music in my shed until 3 or 4am in the morning, sometimes until sunrise. I've been known to start and finish a song within a weekend. Andy (my drummer) and I are pretty steadfast when it comes to rehearsing. We might arrive at the rehearsal room at 6pm, and finish around midnight, breaking once for a meal. I've been in lots of bands that take breaks often, like after setting up their instruments or after rehearsing one song. I don't look down those habits since it's important to appreciate the social aspect of music, but Andy and I know if we do the hard work now, we can relax and have fun when we're on tour because we know our shit. Vivian (my manager) and I often try and hang out as friends and we just end up planning our careers. I guess we love what we do.

4. Your multi–instrumentation is respectable, especially in today’s industry. What did you learn first and how did you go about mastering multiple instruments? What instrument is the basis for your writing?

I started with piano. I soon got bored with piano so I picked up guitar in high-school. Then at university, I realised almost everybody can play the guitar so I picked up the bass. And I fell in love with the bass. It's not as simple as that, as there are varying degrees of proficiency, but that was my literal thought process. I have written songs starting with any of the three, and every now and then a song begins with a vocal hook or a lyric. It changes almost every time.

5. Your sound has stood out in the genre of electronic music. What is your opinion on this facet of the music industry and what is your advice for progression in the Australian market?

I love electronic music because of the technical side of it. I nerd out about synthesis and breaking rules. I'll always be a songwriter at heart, rather than a "producer" that is skilled at making "beats" and "huge drops", which seems to be all the rage. The Australian market has allowed me to progress at nothing faster than a snail's pace, so I'm not sure if I'd be the right person to give advice. I'm also from a different decade (i.e. old) so there are new aspects of business I don't understand no matter how hard I try. If I had any advice, it would be to try learn as much as you can and never stop. Knowledge is power.

6. You have a diverse taste in music, who are you listening to right now and who are some local or unknown artists you really appreciate?

There's an artist from New York called Amber Mark. Her latest two singles are "Can You Hear Me?" and "Lose My Cool". They're honest songs about loss, with effective production that isn't fussy. The latter I've had on repeat, and it is perfect. It really showcases her sense of melody and expertise in structure. Lonelyspeck is a world-class writer from Adelaide. Their EP "Lave" is a display of unique production, and has a cool R&B edge which I generally look for when hunting for music.

7. You have a certain wit and humour in your writing, is that Ben Folds influenced?

Ha! I was a huge fan of Ben growing up, but I haven't listened to a song of his since my uni days. You could definitely compare our humour though. To be honest, I'm dissatisfied with the way things are on Earth. It's a great planet, and I wouldn't call anywhere else home (yet), but it's messed up in so many ways. Humour is the only way I know how to deal with things when they're messed up. Be it a shitty gig, or a clear display of unfair prejudice, or simply attempting to walk through a set of automatic doors and not being tall enough to trip the sensor, I'd rather laugh than get angry. I do get angry and spit vitriol from time to time. The processes are complex and deeply internal. They manifest in sarcastic lyrics and an eye-roll. That's me.

8. You must like working with Asta as you have reunited for “Never Wanted That.” Describe your working relationship further.

She's an incredible improviser. A solid proportion of her part in "Never Wanted That" was made up on the fly. I'm really drawn to Asta's energy, and there are layers of it, like an onion - though her talent clearly runs to the core. She's a lot calmer and sensitive on the inside than a lot of people immediately see. On the outside there's this amazing raw power. When she gets excited, everyone around her gets excited. I'm not really sure why she hangs out with me or wants to work with me, but I'm glad it's happening.

9. Your sound is so diverse that I did not know what to expect for “Never Wanted That.” What was the inspiration for this song and please outline the song writing process?

Full disclosure: I am a huge Rihanna fan, and one of the biggest songs she had last year was "Too Good", her duet with Drake. From that song I found Popcaan, and then the associated artist rabbit-hole turned into a yawning cavern. Anyhow, that influenced the production side of things. I started with the guitar, and tried to keep it simple. Then came the bass-line, and eventually drums. I structurally, I tried to do a lot with a little, creating new sections without too many changes. Lyrically, it's the same as usual. Someone was extremely rude to me. Someone was extremely rude to Asta. We got together and decided that these people are assholes and we're going to drag them. All. Day. Long.

10. What has been your greatest achievement so far and what has Yeo got in store for us in the future?

My greatest achievement would be gaining the mutual trust and respect of the people in my team. They all work hard, understand the pitfalls, keep my head above water/from expanding, motivate me when I need it most, and remind me to enjoy the fruits of labour. We're in the midst of releasing a billion singles and eventually an album in August, followed by a national tour in September. After that, I'll be keen for another album.

Facebook • Twitter • Soundcloud • Spotify

By Josh

#pop

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cityhqsarchive-blog · 7 years

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Congratulations Lia! Your application for the role of Suki Roberts has been accepted! Wow. This app was incredible, and a thrill to read. The devotion and care put into it is obvious from even a glance. Please send in your account within the next 24 hours. Don’t forget to have a look at the Welcome Page.

IC QUESTIONS

Here’s a couple of questions for you to answer in character. Feel free to get into as much, or as little, detail as you want. Or as much, or as little, detail you think the character you’re applying for would get into. Answer how you think they would.

Before meeting your future housemates, describe what would be your “dream” housemate.: “Someone who doesn’t mind me singing showtunes at the wee hours of the morning & would be willing to share sweets with me when I ask nicely– or even when I don’t ask nicely,” she answers right off the bat with a small giggle. “They’ve got to let me pick the movie for movie night, which are a given, & trust me when I tell them that my taste is far superior.” The smirk that graces her face gives off the illusion that she’s joking. But anyone who knows Suki knows that there’s really no telling. “I’d like them to be open-minded & willing to try new things with me.” A pause ( for dramatic effect ) “& I’d prefer if they weren’t messy. Though, I can tolerate a slob so long as they keep their mess to themselves & away from my living area.” A hair flip just because. “That’s not too much to ask for, right??”

What are you going to miss most about home while at university?: She’s quiet for a moment, but it doesn’t last long. A quiet moment from the raven haired girl rarely does. “I’m going to miss my honey, Ryan. He’s my boyfriend, if you didn’t know. He’s off at uni a bit of a ways up North. You’d think I’d be used to the time apart by now since he’s years ahead of me but it always feels like he’s worlds away. I miss when we could spend nearly everyday together, lounging on my family’s boat, watching movies, going out to eat, or doing anything really. now our time together is reduced to skype dates & heart-felt texts.” She doesn’t mention that the skype calls & texts have been few & far between since he left to move into his residence hall a few weeks back. But rather, her expression looks pained as if it somehow physically hurts for her other half to not be with her. “I always miss him when he’s gone.” She clutches at her chest, subconsciously fiddling with a necklace he gave her to make up for some fight they had months back.

And what about romance? Describe your dream date, whether it’s a date you’ve already been on or one you dream about having.: “Ooooh,” she exhales, shimmying slightly in her spot. Her hopeless romantic little heart starts to flutter at the idea of a dream date. “I’ve always loved the idea of a picnic in the grass, laying under a clear blue sky while my honey is feeding me chocolate covered strawberries. Doesn’t that sound divine?? We could chat about anything & everything, maybe listen to some music, & share a few drinks with our meal. There’s just something about the intimacy & thought that goes into having a picnic that makes it heartwarming.” An almost dreamy sigh leaves her lips as she smiles a tight lip smile.

PARA SAMPLE

Suki had arrived in one town car while her fourteen suitcases arrived in another. Fourteen. The only reason she maxed out at that number being that it was all they could fit into the vehicle, the trunk, backseat, & front filled to the brim. She felt it was necessary to bring all of her life necessities with her, making a list & checking it twice to make sure she got everything. From wardrobe to hair & makeup to collectables that would liven up her room. She had made sure to get to the house bright & early in order to get a good room with enough space for all of her things. From the outside, the house looked to be a decent size all considering. As she stepped out of the car & took it all in, Suki admired how quaint the two ( maybe three including the basement ) floor home was. It paled in comparison to the large manors back home but it had its own charm to it. She failed to see how it could be shared amongst twelve people however, until she stepped inside.

Yes, it would make a decent home for the next year or so she had decided as she roamed around the place, her family’s help working to bring all her bags inside. Only two of them had accompanied her on the trip up to Everly Port. One to drive each car. Her actual family members couldn’t make it. With her father having a very important meeting & her mother making a prior engagement to make an appearance at a charity brunch, the only person who had the free time to accompany her was her little sister. But she was a mere two year old who would probably cry the whole way there so Suki thought it would be best to just travel without her. Not that her family’s absence meant that they didn’t send their love & support. They had actually bothered to wake up earlier than normal to eat breakfast with Suki ( who was used to being the early riser who ate in the dining room alone ) & practically coddled her until strapped in the backseat of the car & down the road. It was hard to say goodbye. It was even harder to watch her expansive house get smaller & smaller as the distance grew between her & home. But she was at her new home away from home now & absolutely determined to make it feel as such.

Once bags were stashed away in what she deemed the nicest room on the first floor, Suki made a show of bidding the help ado with tight hugs & well wishes. The sun had just fully come out of hiding when she had started unpacking. She figured it would be easier to get things all settled before her housemates arrived since she would be too busy introducing herself & trying to get to know them to decorate properly. Plus hanging clothes up & making her bed worked as simple activities to keep her mind occupied. Certain ideas had been eating away at her for weeks prior to her arrival. She tried not to entertain them but it was difficult. The idea that herfriends might replace her while she was away didn’t quite settle with her. The idea that Ryanmight replace her while they were miles away from each other was even worse. What would she do without her A Team by her side, there to root her on & keep her sane?? What if her housemates were absolute lunatics or crazy axe murderers?? What if the arts program at the school was incredibly underwhelming?? What if she was no good at City?? Why didn’t she just go to London?? All these worries & more swimmed around in her head. As she obsessed over the ridiculous questions, she subconsciously began to tidy up more & more until everything was in its place. It was as if she had gone into some sort of autopilot mode. Not that she felt bothered by that. Everything in her new room looked neat, proper, & pretty. Just the way she liked it.

As she straightened out the fluffy assorted pillows on her bed, Suki could hear the faint sound of a car door slamming. The first of the lot she presumed. She sighed as she did a small twirl around the space & took a moment to let it all sink in. This was it. No matter how anxious she was, there was no going back now. She was settled in & people were starting to show up. She did as she did before every performance when she could feel the stage fright creeping in– closed her eyes, took a few deep breaths, let them out, & smiled to herself. You got this, was her mantra. & with that she left her room to greet whoever else had decided to show up at the ridiculous hour.

ANYTHING EXTRA

Some headcanons I have for sweet Suki :)

LIFE & TIMES

She grew up feeling the love from her parents. They were good at showing their little girl the utmost affection & giving her all the attention they could manage with their busy schedules. The Roberts were always hard workers, not just sitting on their money but actively trying to make more of it. That’s where Suki got her belief that if you really want something then you have to work for it

As a kid, her home felt like a castle. Her home in St. George’s Hill was large and secluded enough from the city life that she could play around in her own little world. Her idealized princess life was heavily influenced by how spoiled she was. But Suki was never ‘high-maintenance’. She was entertained by the simplest things & had a knack for making something out of nothing thanks to her wild imagination. So all the toys & pets she had were a good enough source of entertainment but the young girl really preferred dancing in the living room with her imaginary prince charming or making a dress out of her silk bed sheets, running around in mommy’s pearls & heels

Her wild imagination is what convinced her parents that she would thrive in an arts school. She was an excellent story teller who enjoyed playing dress up. All were early signs of a budding actress. Although she originally hadn’t loved it, Suki found arts school to be fun. At least there all her classmates seemed to be like her, which was reassuring & made for a good time. Her peers not only matched her creative mind but encouraged it. She really enjoyed all the dancing, singing, & acting classes– mostly because she was very good at them

Suki hadn’t really started making friends until she started attending her arts school. Before then her socializing was pretty limited to the little kids that came around for playdates that belonged to her mom & dad’s colleagues & the members of the golf & tennis club that adored when her parents brought little Suki around for tea. School was where she got to interact with kids her own age that shared her same interests. She was a real social butterfly with an ability to draw in just about anyone’s attention. Maybe it was her sweet smile or welcoming spirit. Regardless, people just loved Suki & she loved that

Although she was a social butterfly & talked to many people, she only ever really considered a few kids her friends. Mallory, Jen, & Daniel to be exact. They were her very best friends. She met Mallory in a dance class when they were children & their friendship blossomed from there. Jen came around a few years later. Mallory & Suki would always run into her at the same acting camps so they figured they might as well start talking to her. Jen introduced them to Daniel (who also goes by Dan, Danny, Danny-Boy, Boy-O, & Dennis because of reasons). He is the most fabulous person Suki knows & is the one person she can fangirl with during any hour of the day over musical theatre. Together the four of them make up an arty little bunch of nerds who like to sing show tunes, have dance parties at 2am, & go out to the club in color coordinating outfits just so people will know that they’re better than them

The reason Suki’s nickname is Suki is actually because when she & Mallory first met as kids she introduced herself as Suzi but Mallory misheard her & called her Suki. She really didn’t have the heart to tell her that she was wrong so she just went along with it. After awhile it just seemed really fitting so she told everyone to call her that. Only professionals or people who aren’t all that familiar with her call her Susannah

She’s always been one to go out of her way to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. A shoulder to cry on, a hype (wo)man, & a good advice giver all in one. Although she’s good at sorting out other people’s problems for them, she was never one to solve her own problems. Her closest friends can’t even count on two hands how many times they’ve had to pick up the pieces for her because she’s incapable of doing it for herself. & they’re happy to do it considering all she’s done for them. The only problem is that Suki always seems to get herself into the same sticky situations over & over again. It’s as if she never learns her lesson. She can’t just double book herself & expect to be able to make it to both gigs or keep letting the same boy hurt her over & over again & expect him to change

Speaking of boys, Suki has her heart set on one in particular. Ryan is this handsome, intelligent, older man she’s been seeing for two years now. Well two years & a few months if you don’t count all the times they’ve broken up & then got back together. Suki met Ryan through a mutual friend when she was sixteen & starting Sixth form. ‘Til this day she isn’t 100% sure what he sees in her, but she’s forever grateful that he’s taken an interest in her. From the very beginning, he’s been a charmer. The smile, the eyes, the voice- it all gets to her & makes her heart skip a beat. They’ve had their ups & downs. Mostly because of Ryan’s habit of accusing Suki of trying to replace him with other men( or women ) & paying too much attention to her work. She’s always trying to please him. From telling him what he wants to hear to wearing things that she knows he likes because when Ryan is happy, he can be very sweet. However, when he’s not he can be very cold & belittles her to the point where she feels like nothing. But he’s usually back to being sweet & promises to never do it again. The promise is always broken. It’s a vicious, unhealthy cycle really but Suki is so dependent on him & truly believes that putting up with someone’s good, bad, & ugly counts as love

Suki had always been her parents’ little princess. Spending many years as an only child, she was used to receiving all their love & attention. So you can imagine that the idea of a younger sibling was a bit of a shock to her, especially because her little brother or sister was coming so late in life. At the age of sixteen, Suki had to adjust to life as an older sister. It wasn’t like the family didn’t have enough room in their manor to share or like they couldn’t afford to take care of another child. It was just a difficult concept for the girl to comprehend, having to share the spotlight that is. After her sister was born, however, Suki took on the role of older sibling with such grace that most would think she had a younger sibling her entire life. She happily watched over the little one, let her play with some of her old toys ( although her mother tried insisting on buying brand-new everything for the baby ), & absolutely adored playing dress up with her. It was like having a new friend for her to take care of. Except the two were bonded together by blood for life. Now, two years later, the little girl already looks up to her big sister & Suki tries not to let this fact go to her head. But it’s Suki. Humble isn’t necessarily in her vocabulary

Although talented, Suki is also a really hard worker, which has helped her achieve so much success when it comes to her acting, dancing, & singing. She was known to get lead roles & solos in school, hardly anyone could compete with her. But then she went off to college & she went through a miniature crisis. In college she wasn’t the best anymore. She was simply one of the best out of a lot of other talented pupils. Before, she felt like a big fish in a little pond. But in college, she felt like a small fish in a big pond. It was like she didn’t know who she was since she wasn’t at the top. Her parents had to boost her confidence again, like they’d been doing for years, & remind her that she wasn’t just attending that college because it was the best one that money could buy. She was attending that college because she was talented enough & was going to go far. Her friends were also a big help in reminding her that she was THE Suki Roberts & that meant something. So she quickly snapped out of her miniature crisis & continued on doing what she does best: being a star

Getting an offer, although conditional, to the top arts school in London was an absolute dream for Suki. It was everything she had been working towards since she was about ten years old. Finally feeling like she had something tangible to show that she was worthy of something, she couldn’t have been more excited & her family & close friends couldn’t have been more proud of her

To say that her heart broke in two when she went to Ryan, quite literally crying tears of joy, to tell him to good news & saw that he wasn’t happy for her would be an understatement. He almost immediately shot her dreams of moving out to London & studying among the best of the best in her field. She wanted to be mad about it ( her friends would late encourage her to fight him about it, like they typically did whenever he said or did something wrong to her ) but she just couldn’t find it in herself to be upset with him. Especially when he explained that he didn’t think he could stand being that far away from her, with him moving farther up North & her moving to Central London. As per usual he knew just what to say to make her heart melt & get her wrapped around his finger, willing to do anything & everything to appease him. With a heavy but hopeful heart, she declined the offer. But at least she got to keep her lover boy

Her family & friends weren’t exactly supportive of her decision. & she knew they wouldn’t be. Which is why she didn’t tell them that she would be attending City Uni instead of the fancy smancy arts school until it was like two days until moving day. It was hard for her to keep up the charade while they were continuously congratulating her & making all these plans to come visit her in London once she got settled. But Suki is an actress after all, she knows how to be brave under pressure. She waited until she got all the most important people in her life together in one room ( her mom, dad, sister, ,allory, Jen, Daniel, & Ryan ) & told them at the dinner table that she had changed her mind about going to London. When those who were unaware of her plan started bombarding her with questions, all of them yelling & freaking out her little sister, she made a scene of crying & giving a long speech about it being her life & her decision & not asking them to understand her but for them to just accept it for what it is. Then she stormed out for dramatic effect & left everyone shook in their seats. They had to deal with it one way or another. Suki had some of her family’s help assist with her packing up her room & most valuable possessions the next day so what really could they do

So up she went to Everly Port during the early days of her summer in an attempt to find comfort in a new environment. Her move was a bit underwhelming to say the least, but she still keeps an open mind. At least at City Uni she’ll probably be the best in her course ( or so she likes to think ). Plus she’ll get to make new friends, which is something she typically enjoys. She doesn’t expect them to replace her very best friends back home but she’s hoping that they’re good company. Apparently she’ll be spending the next year at uni with eleven of them in one house. Might as well make the most of it

PERSONALITY & HABITS

As a Leo, she loves attention, looking good, & has a lot of emotions that are all out there

The biggest nerd in the sense that she doesn’t just like things- she loves them. Will fall in love with a new show & then want to learn everything about the cast, crew, set, writing process, etc. Just completely wraps herself up in it & will be able to tell you absolutely everything about it because she does her research

Has a collection of playbills that she’s been building up since she was a little girl who saw plays with her parents in West End. She’s even travelled to America a handful of times & when she gets the chance to visit New York she sees a show on Broadway, every single time. A few of the playbills are signed by cast members, which she tends to fangirl about

Facetimes her mom at least once a week just to talk. Demands that her mom walk her around the entire house/all her favorite rooms & show her dad & sister because she misses them lots & lots

Also facetimes her friends once a week to catch up. They make sure to call her every time the three of them go out without her to tell her that they’d be having so much fun if she was there too. She keeps them posted on all the house drama + Ryan drama

Calls Ryan at least once a day. He usually answers & when he doesn’t she gets worried that he might be hurt or sick. She then blows up his phone with texts until he responds. Is it a little crazy & clingy?? Maybe. But he would do the same if she didn’t answer when he called so… y’know

Sings in the shower

Dances while humming when cooking

Always eats breakfast & encourages her housemates to eat breakfast too because it’s the most important meal of the day

Actually has really refined taste in pretty much everything because of her upbringing. From food to movies to music

But also likes to watch the absolute corniest movies & is such top 40′s pop music trash???? But she still swears her taste is totally superior

Bites her lip when she’s thinking really hard about something

Pokes her tongue out a little bit when she’s concentrating

Actually needs glasses to see & has a pair that she never wears out in public. She wears her contacts always & has since she was thirteen & first needed glasses. But she has a bad habit of falling asleep with her contacts in & then wakes up with dry & sticky eyes. Then she’ll complain about it but she obviously doesn’t learn her lesson because she does it all the time

Will totally let anyone raid her closet for clothes because she’s always wearing the cutest stuff. Doesn’t even care if they don’t give them back because she can always buy more + she probably owns it in various colors

She doesn’t necessarily throw money around, but spending it definitely it’s a problem for her. She’s very willing to replace broken things in the house or buy expensive gifts for friends. Like you go shopping with Suki & mention that a dress in the shop’s window is cute & then the next thing you know she’s throwing you & the dress into a dressing room & dashing to the checkout to buy it for you before you can blink an eye

Her room is always super neat. Believes in having a clean sleeping & working space because it’s a nice contrast to how hectic her mind & schedule usually is. Everything has it’s place

Super into home decor & having cute trinkets. Plus she likes color schemes & aesthetically pleasing things

Speaking of aesthetically pleasing things, her instagram account definitely has a theme. Mostly posts flashy pictures of her outfits, meals she cooks, cute selfies with her & her mans, & glamorous photos of her life on the stage

Doesn’t like when people interrupt her beauty sleep but she’s that type of friend who will jump out of bed at three in the morning if anyone was to call her in need of being picked up or just wants a shoulder to cry on

Totally the mom friend. Scolds her housemates when they do dumb things that could get them hurt, reminds them to eat healthy & study for tests, asks them how their day was, & worries about them when they go out at night. Probably makes sure that they all check in with her when they come in from a night out

When any of them bring someone home in the night, Suki is always the one to ask the partner if they want some tea, coffee, or breakfast before they head out on their walk of shame. She’s just super polite & maybe a little nosy so she’ll talk to them about anything & everything, which could be awkward for whoever they hooked up with but really she’s just trying to be nice

It’s funny because so many people think that Suki isn’t nice when they first meet her because she has this superior vibe about her plus she openly talks about how great she is so they think she’s shallow & full of herself. Like so many people who are her friend now have said something along the lines of, “I thought you were a total bitch when I first met you”. But she’s genuinely the most caring person & puts other people before herself always

Uses people’s zodiac signs to help in her matchmaking duties

Probably lowkey ships all her housemates with each other & other people & is totally torn between which ship she likes the most

Has a certain mug that is designated as her mug. Refuses to use any other mug & doesn’t let anyone else touch it, not even to clean it

Because she’s so short, she wears heels all the time but you’ll never hear her complaining about her feet hurting because beauty is pain hunny

Takes about an hour to do her makeup & an hour to do her hair + she takes hour long showers so anytime people want to go out they always encourage her to get ready hours in advance because if not she’ll probably hold them up with all her primping

But she’s typically never late to anything. She lives by that old showbiz saying, “if you’re early, you’re on time. if you’re on time, you’re late. if you’re late, you’re fired”

Says a lot of weird things that probably sound like something out of an 80′s rom-com or something

Though she be tiny, she is fierce. Not physically strong, but will do some emotional harm to anyone that has anything bad to say about anyone she cares about. Has made people cry with how brutal she can be but she swears they always start it

Super affectionate. Likes using pet names for everyone & has a habit of being pretty touchy-feely. Could be mistaken as being flirty but really she’s just being her normal self. Totally respects boundaries though so if anyone was to tell her to back off, she would in an instant

Mock blog HERE. Complete with an INSTAGRAM & TWITTER page. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my app!!

#bio rp #new rp #town rp #college rp #accepted #sr

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thepunklounge-blog · 6 years

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Joe Maddox , his musical journey and plans for the future

Let's start at the beginning... I think I always wanted to be a musician, even from preschool age. I remember loading up the record player with 7” inch singles whilst my Mum did the housework. I must have been 3 or 4. I loved all the stuff my parents listened to- Bowie, Lou Reed, The Faces, Mott The Hoople, that song ‘Black Betty’ by Ram Jam? I remember my brother and I both loved that. I also totally adored ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ when I was about that age too. Vivid memories! My Dad used to buy my brother and I a single every week from the newsagents- we both loved Adam Ant and I remember choosing ‘Puss In Boots’ mainly because we loved the cover. Apparently, we had a huge Adam Ant poster in our bedroom, but Dad had to take it down because he had a skull on his jacket that scared us. I can’t remember that at all, but my brother swears it’s true! I always loved the glamour and style of rock n roll, and even though I was a pretty shy kid and am still pretty shy now, I totally love performing and have always known I could sing a little. Why the guitar? Originally, I tried playing the guitar at maybe 9 or 10, but a full-size acoustic was too big and it didn’t really feel too cool. Then my Dad got me a guitar and a Marshall amp from a mate he worked with. It was a black Les Paul copy and although it looked beautiful, I never really learned anything! I was 12/13 and was the victim of a short attention span. It wasn’t until I was 15 that I actually decided I wanted to be in a band for real and I thought I better learn to play something because, at that age, no one thinks about just being a singer! Once again, my Dad salvaged an old Olympic drum kit from a shed at his bakery and it moved into our garage. It was totally fucked but I played on it constantly and annoyed the hell out of the neighbours. I got pretty good and convinced my parents to buy me a shiny new kit. I wish I kept the old one now because it had a beautiful wood snare that I’ve since found out is worth quite a bit, but I liked hard rock and wanted a kit that was shiny…anyways, I played the drums for a few years in punk and grunge bands back in Gloucester and used to sing backup vocals and get up and sing one or two songs from the front of the stage. Essentially, I was like a West Country version of Peter Criss (although taller.) I didn’t rediscover guitar until I was 19 when my teenage bands had all split up. My mates went to Uni and I took a year out, so I bought a guitar and a ‘how to play rhythm guitar’ book that I only ever looked at once because it looked too hard, and I taught myself to play six open chords from a Beatles songbook and that was that. I was away! I’ve always wanted to be the front man; the singer and I knew I couldn’t do that playing drums. The guitar gave me an excuse to get out there and be the ‘main man’ but also gave me the security of something to hide behind, and a prop to swing about and look amazing with. Can you play any other instruments? As mentioned above, I can play the drums but rarely do so nowadays. I still like to play from time to time. I also play the harmonica, which I used to do a bit in my old band The Breakdowns. I love the harmonica and I must be alright because someone said to me once; “you’re better than me, you can bend notes and everything!” Major influences? As a kid, I liked 70s rock mainly- Aerosmith, Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Mott etc. but I got massively into the Ramones at about age 16- we’re talking mid/late nineties here when they were already calling it a day. Their music totally consumed my life and I had a couple of good school friends who got into them too. We formed a spoof band, ‘The RayMoans’ so we could open up for our ‘real’ bands, but the RayMoans soon took over us. We would churn out half a dozen songs a day sometimes in my mate’s garage when we should have been in school. We set out to write songs that were as simplistic as possible, but some of them I think are still ace! We recorded some demos and then a full-length album called ‘Ev’rybody’s ‘Appy’ which sounded like shit sonically because we recorded it live in a church. Very punk! Around the same time, I read the excellent ‘Please Kill Me’ by Legs McNeill and Gillian McCain which opened my eyes to everything New York punk and beyond. By the time I went to Uni, it was all Stooges, MC5, New York Dolls, The Heartbreakers, The Dictators, Television, Blondie and The Ramones…oh and Joan Jett & Cheap Trick! Nothing much has changed, to be honest. Successes and failures? My last band, The Breakdowns were together 10 or so years and we had good success and some near misses. Early on, we got approached by Richard Rashman, the guy that managed Busted and McFly and all those bands. He really loved our sound but deemed us ‘too risky’ to sign because we were too old! I think I was 25 or 26 at the time. Dougie, the bass player form McFly was a fan of ours and he recommended us. I often wonder if he still spins our tracks?! Doubt it….anyway, after that brush with stardom, we started advertising ourselves as ‘Zac Efron’s Favourite Band’ which was my stupid idea, but it kept getting quoted in articles and interviews. It was so stupid, but it worked. We had real success with our second full-length album ‘The Kids Don’t Wanna Bop Any More’ which got some good airplay, made Rolling Stone magazine’s ‘Albums Of The Year’ and topped a lot of online blogs and magazines album of the year charts. We toured Spain with it (we were already signed to a Spanish label) and did a full UK tour with Terrorvision. That was fantastic and was probably my first real experience of what it was like to play great venues night after night, plus Terrorvision were lovely and really liked us. We also played with bands such as Radio Birdman, Flamin’ Groovies, The Quireboys, Dogs D’amour and a few big rock festivals. As with everything though, we started to find it really hard. We kept putting out albums and singles and never got the break that I think we deserved. Part of that was because of our own apathy at times but we’d get frustrated as we’d get so close. It’s hard work when you put your whole energy into something that pays very little dividends. After we split, do you know what- we had more interest in us than we ever did when we were active! Everyone was genuinely sad and wished us all the best, told us they’d miss us! Imagine if they’d all bought our albums? I could be retired already! I’ve only been in The DeRellas a year and it’s quite different from my old band, partly because I still feel quite new and I’m playing a lot of songs that I wasn’t part when they were written and recorded. It’s been great fun though and since I’ve been on board, we’ve done two trips to Europe and played the Rebellion Festival amongst other things. We’ve been busy and I hope I’ve contributed positively to the band. Funny stories? There’s a story about two ex-band mates getting ‘robbed’ by a prostitute just off Gran Via in Madrid, but I shouldn’t tell that one in order to protect them. I have fond memories of touring Spain and remember one sensational night off where we decided to spend our quite large per diems on a visit to a late-night strip club. It must have been Madrid’s seediest night spot and when we got there, it was just the band, two Man City fans and lots of strippers! The girls were very keen to get us involved in their floor show, so like a true rock n roll star, I hid in the bogs for a bit. When I came out, my bandmate was on stage, with his trousers and pants around his ankles, being led around on a lead. I often wonder, “that coulda been me!” I think we spent a lot of money that night and all felt terrible the next day as we trekked 6 hours across Spain for the next show. There hasn’t been anything quite like that since I’ve joined The DeRellas yet although we did recently play a wild show in Liege where loads of young punks were at the front of the stage sniffing solvents and stage diving. That was a lot of fun to witness and has been my favourite DeRellas show to do date. It’s great playing to an active and appreciative audience. For those wanting to play your instrument or get into the business? If you want to learn to play the guitar, go to a guitar shop and try loads of guitars- even if you can’t play a note. Pick them up, find how they feel in your hands. Find a guitar that feels right, not just in how it looks, but how it suits you. The reason my early attempts at playing the guitar didn’t go anywhere I feel is because the guitar I had was too heavy. Also, watch loads of bands, loads of musicians and see what they do. Listen to lots of music and learn to play the songs you like. I don’t really consider myself a guitarist- I’m more a singer who plays the guitar, but I am good at playing by ear so if I hear a song, I can pretty much find the chords quickly and play along. If you can afford it, go get some lessons. I never did, and I’ve got lots of bad habits! Getting in the business? Do something that makes you happy, makes you motivated and drives you to be successful. Your chances of making a decent living out of music are probably slim- I know I can’t survive on being in a band alone so you’ve gotta enjoy what you are doing. Again, go and see other bands and buy their records. Find people who like what you like and write some songs, and if you can’t write your own songs, rip off somebody else’s songs but change them up enough so no one notices straight away, that’s what most people do anyway. Future plans? The DeRellas only have four more shows this year because we are working on new material for a new record. There’s probably half a dozen songs in the works at the mo which is exciting. We have a new drummer (Billy Chaos) and the sounds we are making are exciting! I love recording and being creative. Next year, there are more gigs around February/March in the UK, then Spain, Germany and Rebellion festival again. I want the new album to be out by the summer but that depends on how quickly we work. We are recording a few tracks in December, so we’ll be on our way. I also started writing songs for a solo project about a year ago that I’d like to commit to a studio soon. It’s all money and time though, isn’t it? Which guitar did you start with and which would you recommend to begin with? I don’t think the budget is important, I think having the opportunity to try loads of options is good. If you pick the wrong guitar, it may put you off playing guitar forever. I really started learning on an old Strat copy and through a shitty amp that I always had heavily overdriven. The guitar was probably worth £75. On the other hand, don’t go and spend a shit load on an instrument and find it’s not right for you and let it gather dust. That’s a crime! Maybe talk to friends who play and ask for a free tutorial or perhaps ask to borrow a guitar. What do you play now? I play a Gibson Les Paul Junior as my main guitar which I have had modded with a new bridge and stop bar. I play through an EX Soul Food overdrive pedal and a Fender Hot Rod amp. For me, it’s the perfect set up for what I do, which is trashy, tight power chord or first position chord rhythm guitar. I’ve been playing that combo for a long while now. I love Les Paul Juniors because of the simplicity of them- plus I think they look fab. Mostly at home and for writing, I use an Ibanez hollow body through an Orange 20watt amp, or I simply write on an acoustic guitar. In fact, I probably play my acoustic more than any guitar I own. I think I have 7 guitars at the moment, but only regularly use three. Your dream setup? I think I have my dream set up, actually. If I was to change anything, I’d maybe use a vintage 2 x 12 extension cab with the amp and have a really old Junior- a 1957 or something, but I’m pretty happy with what I’ve got. DeRellas Links: http://www.facebook.com/thederellas https://www.derellas.com/ https://twitter.com/thederellas Read the full article

#guitar #guitarist #JoeMaddox #punk #TheDeRellas

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bethshootsbands · 6 years

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Chelsea Dunstall (8123 PR) interview

Chelsea Dunstall is The Maine’s PR and the mastermind behind the scenes of their management and label 8123 Records. She was lovely enough to agree to an interview when i got in touch as part of my industry report assessment for Uni and below is a transcript of the phone interview! :)

What did you originally set out to achieve with the PR campaign for Lovely, Little, Lonely?

[Chelsea]: The Maine have been sort of doing it independently for a couple of records now the first officially sort of being Pioneer, and then I think every time we do a new record and a new campaign we sort of learn and grow from that and dissect what worked well and what didn’t, and then we’re also pretty avid about keeping up with the changes and trends in music and the industry and social media and the whole bit.. and I think it works well for the band because they’re so involved in all of those aspects of it they sort of come up with a lot of the ideas on their own.. but I think it terms of what we set out to achieve it was uh, yeah it was them making music that they were proud of and coming up with a marketing and PR campaign that they could get behind with integrity, first of all we weren’t shopping a product that they weren’t proud of but that also we were using the new music um, one to reach fans who have been fans of the band for a long time because we felt like it was music that people would connect with and also to reach new fans and to continue to grow their fanbase, that’s sort of the goal behind every record.

I mean you could argue that they have a lot of creative freedom as well to do what it is that they want to do.

They do, yeah for sure

Would you say that fan interaction is probably the biggest reason that they’ve reached so far over the years?

It’s definitely always been very important to them I honestly think its been a mixture of fan interaction and other moving parts and sort of everything kind of coming together cohesively, I think there’s a lot of bands out there that do fan interaction well or do, sort of one thing really well, and it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re going to reach a higher level of success but I think the one thing that The Maine have sort of achieved that success from is, yeah, definitely a mixture of fan interaction but also sort of covering all of their bases in different areas, they’ve always kind of got, um, their hands in different pods and they sort of branch out of what is sort of a traditional model for release or even a traditional model for what a band should be doing or following they kind of, um, they like to express themselves with other creative outlets that sort of bring it all together.

Obviously you’ve got other bands on the label such as the Technicolors and other content creators, do they have a similar approach as to how they get their content out?

Yes and no. I think that when we sign a band to our roster what’s really important to us is that they are sort of DIY hard workers and that they want to put the work in themselves, um, and that’s not to say that we’re necessarily against, uh, the record label model by any means ..we consider ourselves as more of an artist collective more than anything else but I guess at the base of it all we’re really a management company, so we’re not opposed to working with artists that are signed to a more formal record label by any means. But we want to work with people that we know have sort of a strong will to do things themselves and to really put the work in and sort of be realistic with their expectations but also striving to kind of push themselves further and further.

So with each of our artists we sort of, when we know a record is coming up, or a tour is coming up, we sit down with them we talk about what their goals are for that and we let them dictate sort of how we build a PR and marketing campaign out of that and sometimes artists will come up with an idea that they really want to do and its nothing to do with something The Maine’s done before its not necessarily like a recycling of ideas, so for example The Technicolors they did a living room tour recently, and it was an idea that came directly from their lead singer himself who said I want to do this, I want to go out on the road, I want to do this tour so we had fans sort of booking a show in their living room, and uh, we would announce it to that area where they would gather their own group of friends, depending on the fan and their situation but he basically travelled around the united states playing living room shows which was really cool and it was uh, very gruelling for him but it was a very cool rewarding experience and he reached a ton of new people that way and he’s very much so about the music so for him it was like very important to have that sort of one on one interaction with the fans and really talk about the new music.

That must have been such an experience that sounds amazing!

It was, it was super cool and he had a really great time and it was interesting for us cause we had never booked anything like that before, we’re not a booking company by any means, we usually work with agents to book shows for our bands so it was a new kind of learning curve for us but it was also something that our artist said they really want to do and it seemed like a great idea so we wanted to support it and find a way to make it happen so it was a kind of completely different approach to anything we’ve done before but, uh, just to give you insight into how, sort of, those ideas come up its really dependant on the artist so yeah that was something that, The Maine’s never done anything like that but that was something kind of unique to The Technicolors.

So that’s definitely a huge benefit of the way you guys manage the bands, but would you say there’s any drawbacks to how you do things in terms of budget? Obviously when The Maine were signed to Warner they must’ve had more freedom to play around with a budget.

Yeah! So when you’re with a label they usually front the money and then they recoup that money off of music sales…when you’re not with a label, um, the band has to pay for their own, um their own everything, so there’s definitely some tight restrictions in what you can do, you may have an idea but its too expensive to happen, or it’s got to be put on the back-burner until they’ve accumulated more money in their band account, but I think its also forced them to learn more, I think, you know they can’t work with necessarily the most expensive producers in the world but they have a great relationship with a few producers so they do get to work with the people they want but then they also get to do some stuff themselves, so, in The Technicolors for example, Sean, the guitarist is a producer so him and his brother usually mix and master records themselves and record, so uh, The Technicolors’ album was done by the Silverman brothers which is super cool because its very in tune with what they wanted it to sound like because Sean’s obviously in the band and it helped in terms of budget, but yeah so it definitely, it does sometimes put restraints on things we’re more careful with how we spend money, labels will often just dump money into different areas, and we’re a little bit more careful with how we plan to spend it but I think it forces our hand to be more creative and find more free or cheap forms of marketing and um it goes kind of along nicely with the bands DIY attitude.

So in terms of 8123, where do you see it going in the future?

It’s interesting because I think we always have ideas of where we sort of see things going with 8123 but a lot of things kind of sometimes just happen and that’s unexpectedly the direction it takes so this year we had the very first 8123 fest, and its been something they’ve been talking about for a long time and that idea developed out of a completely different idea for that so we kind of never really saw the festival happening until we started working out logistics for this other idea and then the festival happened and it was pretty incredible and so we’ve talked about how we want to build off of that success so I think a lot of our sort of future thoughts and directions are based on the successes we have of things that work really well, we then go back to the drawing board and we’re like okay now we’ve done this how can we take that one step further so in terms of where I see it going I think there will definitely be another 8123 fest down the road, I think we’ll continue with the bands that we have and putting out records and sending them on tours, we’ve sort of started working with more artists, um, because we’re the type of.. the way that we’re set up I guess as a company we’re also able to support smaller projects that a label would maybe not pick up so it’s nice when one of our artists is sort of feeling creative in a different direction, we’re also able to work with their side projects, so, John of The Maine has a side project ‘John The Ghost’ and it was very easy for us to transition and work on all the John The Ghost material, um, and he’s played a couple of shows now and put out some music under that name so in terms of 8123 I think the goal for us is to keep it very with that family-oriented feel, where we feel very connected and tight-net amongst each other but also with our fans while continuing to release new music in different forms and all the stuff that comes with that.

it’s almost seems like a natural progression as well isn’t it with all the ideas bouncing off of each other and developing even further.

Yeah, and nothing ever really feels forced, I mean we do the dissection at the end of something, okay at the end of 8123 fest we sat down at talked about what we really liked and how we would like to see it go from there and I think the next one will just be a build off of that and we’re very fortunate there’s a lot of really creative minds within 8123 and so, there’s sort of these new ideas and something that The Maine’s always been known for is pushing boundaries within the industry so there’s sort of always the, they’ll never come to us with an idea and we’ll be like oh that’s just too insane we can’t do it which are sort of some frustrations that people often have with labels and other more traditional release methods, and so with us we have that freedom to say like that’s great, lets find a way to make that idea happen, so yeah I think that’s where things will continue to go from here.

That’s a really great way of being able to do things, how long have you personally been involved with 8123?

Personally, I’ve been a manager with 8123 for almost five years now, it’ll be five years this summer, before that I was working with the band sort of under a different capacity, so officially with 8123 for almost five years.

What kind of advice would you give to people like yourself or bands that are trying to break out of this kind of confinement within a label or contract and they want to manage themselves independently?

I think that if people want to go that route, I think its great and I think they shouldn’t let other people discourage them, you have to be able to stand up for yourself and know what you believe in and there’s a lot of people who are going to say no along the way, that you can’t do it. Our bands have been told no by labels before, personally in my journey in the music industry I’ve been told no before so I think it’s just, you have to be committed and be prepared to sort of, take those no’s and figure out how you’re going to continue to make things happen when you’re told that and I think there’s sort of this delusion that you can just get up one day and say I’m going to do this DIY and things are going to take off and I think a lot of people look at the success of The Maine and sort of see that but you have to remember that they’ve been a band for ten years now they’ve been sort of grinding this out for a long time, putting a lot of work into it, and I think every band has their own timeline and journey, and nothing is going to work the exact same way. You can’t just take a model that’s working for someone else and make it work for yourself I think people have to put themselves out there for every opportunity and put a lot of really hard work into it and then just believe that something will come of it cause that’s usually when those opportunities come around.

What’s it like to have such a huge support system from the 8123 family? You’ve had endless backing from fans over the years that has to feel good.

Yeah I mean they’re the core of what allows us to do this, they allow our bands to make music, they’re what allows myself to do what I do every day for a living so, yeah they’re everything to us and they’re the line in the song ‘8123 means everything to me’ so yeah, I think it’s easy to get sort of lost in what’s happening around you and forget that but one of the key important core values for us is to never forget that so we’re constantly looking for new ways to make sure that our fans know how appreciated they are and how much that support means because we wouldn’t be able to take some of these ideas that we have and bring them to life if we didn’t have such a large fanbase there to pick up on these ideas.

What would you say is your favourite song from the new album?

My personal favourite off of the new album was Taxi from the first time I heard it but, it’s interesting because working in the back end of it so you hear things kind of in different forms so you listen to the demos and you think you’re gonna like one song and then you hear the mastered version and you sort of gravitate towards something else and then when you put the record out into the world you see the fan response and then the music videos get made and you kind of, I don’t know I think I’m heavily influenced by that, I spend a lot of time talking to fans, I also run the bands street team for them so I spend a lot of time interacting with some of their hardcore fans and seeing sort of their reaction and their thoughts and stuff is always interesting to me and I think that weighs on my decision, but uh, in terms of my favourite I think Taxi was my favourite from the start.

So the podcast, that’s going really well, do you think things like this allow the band to really explore their creative freedom.

Yeah the podcast has been an idea that they’ve had for a while and they started it off I think it was last year or the year before we had our first podcast and it was a fan sort of question one, it wasn’t a traditional podcast style it was more of, we would take questions from fans and sort of put them into podcast episodes and from that we sort of gaged that there was a demand for more of that kind of content so the band just uh, at the time it worked out well in terms of the bands situation and their access to a studio right know so they decided that they would give it a go I think all of the guys in the band are big podcast listeners, we kind of all enjoy podcasts in our own time so they thought it would be cool to try their hand at it and yeah, Pat and garret picked that up.

I love the idea of the fan day they have coming up soon, could you talk me through that?

Yeah, that was because it’s the anniversary of the band forming, uh so last year was their ten year anniversary on that day in January and they did 8123fest and then a lot of people have been asking us since if we were gonna bring it back and we definitely wanted to do it we just weren’t sure if we would be able to do it this year or if we were gonna wait um and do it again in the future so we decided to something to recognise that day because we’re not having a fest in January this year so, yeah so they came up with this cool concept of 8123 fan appreciation day where they’re going to basically spend the day making sure their fans understand how much they appreciate them and they sort of come up with a lot of really cool content and a structure for that day where they will um, essentially give back to fans.

I think that’s a really great way of doing it as well and they seem really influenced by social media and reaching out to their fans. Would you say there’s a difference between Us fans and European fans?

I don’t really experience the touring side of it so in terms of playing a show and that sort of side of it I don’t see it, but from our perspective in sort of the back-end or marketing or management, I think there’s always an excitement when we’re booking an international tour because we just don’t get to do it as frequently, so the band doesn’t, they’re just not as accessible to European fans because they spend most of their time in the US, and so I think its pretty cool when we’re able to send them over there and build a tour up there, there’s sort of a unique struggle I guess the marketing sort of side of it can be a little bit trickier, because we’re not based in those markets, but we work with a team of people that are, to sort of help us as support those tours and releases and obviously there’s different trends in the industry over there but in terms of differences between the fans, I think that’s the cool thing about the 8123 family as a fanbase, it’s worldwide so, the band tries to make all of the content and sort of chats and everything that they offer to the 8123 family accessible worldwide.

So when you’re working behind the scenes and doing your job, what’s the hardest thing you think you’ve come across so far from being so independent?

I think sometimes when we’re working on like a bigger record or release we usually work with, we outsource from teams of different people so sometimes they’ll have a publicist that’s working a specific record cycle or campaign for us or sometimes we’ll have a video team or a radio team or different people like that and they kind of change every cycle and sometimes we retain the same person but it’s very dependent on them and that, but I think the in between, those big cycles when we don’t set aside a budget for those then we’re without a publicist or we’re without a team in some way and its just down to us as mangers and 8123 as a whole, um, I think those were usually the bigger challenges, I cant think of a specific example but I know, my background is in publicity before this so usually I would handle the PR stuff so sometimes I could be a bit challenging because I don’t spend my full time days in PR but there are times when the expectation is I’m doing PR, in-between cycles so I think that would be, that’s usually like a personal challenge for me.

just as a last question, are you thinking of bringing The Techs or The Maine or any of your bands from your label back to the UK any time soon?

Oh yes absolutely, they will definitely announce, I can’t really say, what’s being planned yet but.. yes, yes we definitely are.

((Thanks again for the interview Chelsea and sorry i had way too many questions for you haha))

#uni work #interview #8123 #themaine

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rueur · 7 years

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Morning Pages #9 (13.01.2017)

Friday 13th Jan - 9:13 a.m.

So typing out the date just made me realise that it’s Friday the 13th, and I definitely have to go to the Laundry Bar tonight just because of that. I got drunk last night, and watched Girls, and was kind of outraged at how many attractive guys Lena Dunham gets to make out with. I should get into television writing, eh, and write a character just for me. Like Mindy Kaling as well.

Vacuuming yesterday went very very well, I should mention. No vomit, but Romy did hide under the bed for the next two hours or so, long after I’d switched the vacuum off. And I woke up to Bruno’s vomit this morning, for no reason. He just felt like vomiting, I guess. I emptied the rest of the pretzels into a big bowl and waited for Marcus but he never showed up. The bus came by and he just didn’t get on it, he said. It was an off day for him. I understood and I sympathised, but it didn’t stop me from having an off day myself for the rest of the day. Really. I sent some explicit photos to Ikaros out of pure boredom, and then went out and bought under twenty dollars worth of food, and then made myself a sandwich for dinner. After dinner, I knew I wanted a drink. So I used the lemon I found on the way down to the apartment, and some ice, and drank some otherwise straight white rum. I ended up passing out on the couch at around 9, and waking up at 4 a.m., realising that it was very cold outside and that the balcony door was still open. One cat had pissed on the rug again and I just couldn’t deal with anything at that point, I just went straight to bed. My legs feel really weird right now, like my muscles feel tense. I have to go to rehearsals again today too. I really don’t want to. I don’t like this show we’re working on, and I have a very minor part in it anyway. I don’t like Paul. I don’t think he’s a great person to work with on creative projects. He’s taken control over our latest one, picked the theme himself before doing any real work with us and seeing what concerns we hold, what kind of ideas we would want expressed in a show. He’s also not as physical and interactive as Emily or Martin were. First Impressions is supposed to be a very tactile group, very hands-on. Paul does everything from a distance and I don’t love that. Kat has also said some things about him, like this one time we had a girl with learning disabilities come and join our group for a few sessions after Paul began his reign. This girl, I forget her name now, was obsessed with anime (namely Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z) and kept offering inane suggestions along the lines of monologues taken straight out of those TV shows being used in our original productions. It was very disruptive and everyone kind of acknowledged that amongst themselves non-verbally, but we also kept in mind the fact that First Impressions is supposed to be a very inclusive group. It was also obvious that her knowledge and interest in those shows acted as a connection for her to the real world. I don’t doubt that she used those shows to talk to people, have something in common with them and make real friends. I felt a little bad for her; I also knew it would be impossible to develop a show with her. Martin would usually talk to the parents of children like this and see if they could figure out some kind of inclusive but still productive path. To be quite honest, I don’t know how Paul dealt with this issue. All I know is that after one session, he spoke to all of us when that girl and her mother weren’t there, asking how we felt about her. That placed us all in a very awkward position where we were forced to complain about how her learning disability affected us. It was a horrendous experience. The next week’s session, she wasn’t there. She never came back. I have no idea who spoke to her mother and what they said, but I know it was way too abrupt for it to have been good. Since that incident, I’ve been wary of Paul.

Another reason why I don’t want to do the show is because rehearsals are scheduled every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-5 p.m., which would’ve been fine for me if I was still living in South Morang but I’m not right now, so it’s just an abominable pain. It’s inconvenient as anything, especially if I’m really doing nothing for four hours. My role in this thing is so tiny that I have no idea why I need to be there so long at all.

I’m just complaining at this point, I’m sorry. My legs still feel really really weird. Still complaining. I had been typing this lying down, so I just moved to the living room to try writing someplace else and in a different position. I feel light-headed, not light-headed because I’m hungry though. I think I took care of myself enough yesterday, foodwise. Today it’s probably just a slight hangover: a bit of a headache, tired joints, a little fatigue. I bought greek style frozen yoghurt with figs and raspberries for when Ikaros comes over on Sunday. He was supposed to come over on Saturday, but because we’re meeting up with Lauren and Jacob on Monday, he said he’d come over on Sunday. I was a little sad about this at first, but then realised it’s probably a good thing, no definitely a good thing. It means that I am free to go out on Saturday night, I guess. I don’t know with who. Maybe just on my own again. Maybe this time, I’ll actually get to dance with some girls. Selwyn is still talking to me on Snapchat. I might ask him what he’s doing on Saturday, I don’t know. He seems like a douche, though.

Malith said he might come out tonight. I don’t know if he will though. I hope that he does. I want him to. We haven’t gone out, just him and me, in a long long time. I think the last thing we did together, just us two, was go and see Adam Hills? Or it was that time we walked from Thornbury station to my house on a whim. Either time was incredible fun and I miss having that fun with him. I’ve recently realised though, that he has that fun with everybody. He seems to have a lot of people who care about him, more people than I’ve got, I feel. That’s just because everyone is very busy all the time now. Toni and Sam are always working, Ikaros is working, and I used to be always working and if I wasn’t always working, I was always studying. This is a very rare period of inactivity for me. If anything, it’s kind of sweet that I get to at least spend it away from home, in Northcote. Being here on my own actually feels like I am doing something, gathering new experiences before the new semester starts and I go on my way to fulfilling the learning requirements of my degree. I can’t wait to graduate, but at the same time I am terrified of what life outside of school will be like. It’s taking everything in me to stop myself going straight through to my masters. I know I’ll do that eventually, but I just want a year or so to myself, to see what I can do. I want to see what adult life is like. I want to move out properly, hopefully with Ikaros. I want to write professionally, and I will see what steps I have to take to get there.

I’ve just been trudging through these morning pages for the past few days, and thinking about how they’re going to work when I’m back at uni and facing 6 a.m. starts. Would I be typing on the train? I think it would be a good idea if I kept my data plan for the year, maybe a smaller plan like 3 GB a month rather than 7. It’s been a godsend having internet on my phone, and having a phone that can actually access the internet. I do miss the simplicity of my old Nokia brick though, and taking photos on it was something else. The picture quality was so low it was actually interesting. The camera on my new phone is horrendous. The front-facing camera has a knack of distorting anything that’s at the edge of the screen, and the landscape setting is completely skewed and stretched out. It takes a minute to focus after you press the capture button, so you’re holding the phone there weirdly, wondering if it’s taken the photo or not. I told my brother I might lend him my iPod so that he can keep using the internet while he waits for a new phone, but I don’t know if I can give up my iPod because otherwise I wouldn’t be able to take any decent photos at all, and I’m the kind of person who takes photos very liberally out in public. Not selfies, but things that I see that I want to share with people. Once, I saw a spider hanging onto the outside of the window on my train, and I posted a photo of it on Facebook and captioned it ‘fare-evading scum’ and it was a big hit. PTV (Public Transport Victoria) has always made such a huge deal about persecuting fare-evaders and at the time of the post, there were a whole bunch of new ads showing fare-evaders as blurred out, or fuzzy non-humans, basically dehumanising them like there was going to be a new genocide. Death to fare-evaders! It’s ludicrous (great rapper) how extreme they got with it. It was reminiscent of those piracy warning ads they run at the beginnings of DVDs, with that dangerously upbeat music. ‘You wouldn’t steal a car’, so on and so forth. The extremism of those ads just makes the message you’re sending sound really comical rather than serious. It was the same deal with PTV. Back when they were still called Metro, they had another ad campaign that gained global recognition for being equal parts adorable and informative: Dumb Ways To Die. It’s a song, and now two apps and I feel like everyone is on the way to forgetting that it was coined by a transportation service and it’s original message was that you have to be safe around trams and trains. Don’t you just love it when that happens? When something fantastic comes out of the mundane. I think that’s why everyone’s in love with memes right now, because they usually take something like stock photos and road signs and people cooking, and they find something obscure in all this mundanity and they turn it into something flexibly hilarious. By flexibly hilarious, I mean that thousands of other people can play around with this one image and somehow make it even more hilarious than that first original isolated image. Modern comedy.

#morning pages #stream of consciousness #9 #13.01.2017

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