Editors Message Wow I cant believe it’s the end of 2014 already. What an amazing year its been for Darkus, with so many mind blowing opportunities to meet and work with some of the most inspirational names in the world of music, fashion, photography and modelling. As Editor I try to make each issue stronger and better than the last, therefore I hope you enjoy checking this issue out. My team and I have had a fun few weeks covering some exceptional events and I am extremely happy when it came to music we were able to focus a bit more on up and coming artists here in the North East.
Music Content The Subways Darkus Meets Lola Colt New Talent: False Heads DZ Deathrays Marmozets: The Weird & The Wonderful Eagulls
It was also an absolute delight to speak to the likes of Chris Trower and Bearded Cynic Photography as you will see from their articles that their work is absolutely outstanding.
Coasts Becky Hill
A special thank you to everyone who has got themselves a copy of Darkus over the year as well. I look forward to bringing you even more exceptional work in the new year.
Funeral For A Friend State Champs
So for now lets end 2014 in style, and remember my dears, Live Free, Be Happy And Rock On!!!
Enter The Lexicon
Lots of Love
Johnny Marr
Dee x X x
New Talent: Lisbon
Editorial Notes
Guilt City
Editor: Thushara S. Chandrasiri (a.k.a Dee)
Stone Lights
Interview Team: Dee & Constance A. Smith
New Talent: WAKE
Brett Dennen Lola Colt Review
Reviews By: Dee, Tyler Marriott, Georgia Rogers-Smith, & Molly Chard
New Talent: Kobadelta
Front Cover Image Taken By Bearded Cynic Photography
iC1s
Special Thank You To: Ian Cheek Press, Chuff Media, Ponama, Little Press, and all the amazing people who took part in this issue.
Fashion & Photography Content
Published by Photoline Ltd (Newcastle Upon Tyne)
Chris Trower Photography The Journey Of The Bearded Cynic Amy Laura Smith
Be sure to check out the following: Twitter: @DarkusOfficial Facebook: Darkus Magazine Instagram: @darkusmagazine Www.darkusfashion.bigcartel.com
I first heard of The Subways a few years ago from my older stepbrother, a veteran gig-goer. Showing me rather turbulent footage of a lanky-looking man (“That’s Billy Lunn, he’s mental”) diving from a balcony of some sort, he told me that it was "one of the best gigs he's been to in his life." Considering the neverending list of gigs he's been to, I was rather excited to witness them for myself. Cut to a few days ago, with both of us hurtling towards Newcastle. I had no idea what to expect from the rowdy Hertfordshire trio, who are well known for their wild live performances. Consisting of the aforementioned Lunn on Vocals/ Guitar, Bassist Charlotte Cooper, and Drummer Josh Morgan, the group burst onto the scene with an average age of 16, releasing their debut album "Young For Eternity", which quickly reached cult status.
“Mary” evokes a particularly good crowd sing-along. Written about Lunn’s mother, the rather melancholic lyrics are howled triumphantly, it may be the closest we get to any sort of sadness in the room tonight. “I’m In Love and It's Burning In My Soul” is briefly halted by technical difficulties, but this, and other new songs from the upcoming self-titled album still manage to stir the crowd into a frenzy, which is often quite rare at concerts. The riotous “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is preceded by Lunn telling the crowd the origin of the songs lyrics; they’re about the “craziest woman he’s ever met… apart from Purple’s Drummer.”
Arriving at the already half-full venue, what was to be a mind-boggling night “Rock N Roll Queen”, one of The Subways most well-known songs, increases the commenced with local quartet Shoot The Poet. The Hartlepool-based band, who fear of the floor caving in even more. Despite being in the teeny upstairs room have shared a stage with the likes of Primal Scream and Spiritualized, rose to the of the O2 Academy, it’s the closest I’ve ever been to being seasick. occasion with an energetic and compelling set. Managing to evoke a crowd singalong only a few songs in, the group showed that they clearly know how to Intermittent technical difficulties with the guitar don’t stop the band from perconnect with the audience. Halfway through the set, debut single “Little By forming a hit-packed set. Raucous (and highly relatable) “We Don’t Need Money Little” is played to an appreciative crowd, having made its way onto several To Have a Good Time” has a member of the audience lose his glasses, who are sporting club’s halftime playlists, alongside airtime on national radio stations. kindly returned by Lunn, although neither band or audience are sure if they’ve been returned to their respectful owner. The room is packed to the rafters by this point. Next on the bill is the seemingly indefatigable Purple, and the crowd sure as hell know about it. Hailing from “With You” is dedicated to “our fans”, before Lunn shows the extent of his Texas, the band play with full force from the word go, making songs about crowd-controlling skills during finale “It’s A Party”. Before the final chorus, he “liking shy boys” a lot more exuberant than it sounds. To me, the trio like the instructs the crowd to crouch down, before jumping up when he commands sort of people you would eagerly invite to a party, only to regret it the next them to. This works out surprisingly well; Lunn truly is an amazing front man. A morning when you wake up sellotaped to your own ceiling. This is an advantage final pounce on the drum kit from Lunn, and they’re gone. to the band though, whose relentless energy and enthusiasm transfers to the crowd; you can’t help but like them. After several hours of non-stop rowdiness, the crowd disperses, and I’m surThe Subways arrival on stage is announced by a flurry of air raid sirens; the prised that the floor is still intact. It (and the crowd) well and truly took a energy that the band are about to unleash upon the crowd is worthy of such a beating. warning. Kicking off with “Oh Yeah”, the first song in already sees front man Lunn pouncing onto the drum kit for the first time tonight, whilst Morgan hapSo, my stepbrother was correct. The Subways really are one of the best bands pily sprays water all over himself. you can possibly see live, as long as you don’t mind seasickness, dancing till your feet hurt, and possibly losing your specs. Looking back at some extremely shaky Second song “Shake! Shake!” does exactly what it says on the tin: you can feel video footage I captured, all that was visible was a lanky-looking man spraying the room lurching up and down as the crowd moves; it’s nauseating in the best water everywhere and pouncing on the drum kit. That’s Billy Lunn, he’s mental. way possible.
Darkus Magazine: Having recently completed your UK tour, how well do you think it went? Lola Colt: Really well! We had no idea what to expect as it was our first time playing a headline tour, but there were so many wonderful places and people all just full of energy for what we were doing - it was incredible! DM: Congratulations on Away From the Water; what was it like working on the album? LC: It was a true labour of love. We knew we wanted to push ourselves at every turn and we wouldn't rest until it was right. That meant hard work, long hours, tears and happiness, eureka moments and bang your head against the wall moments. Above all, though, it was an adventure. It was all worth it. DM: Being a debut album, what was the main thing you wanted people to learn about Lola Colt?
mantra, through the unusual changes and song structure to the task of capturing it all - it took countless hours and energy to get right. DM: For anyone new to your music, if they were to ask you for the three most quirky facts about you, what would you say? LC: Well, with six characters there are a lot of individual quirks! But as a band, I guess I'd have to say the fact that we didn't actually start out to be a band at all - we wanted to create film scores to imaginary movies. Also there's the fact that we're named after a spaghetti western - which is pretty strange when I consider the breadth of what we do. And lastly that we record and rehearse in an old Turkish Delight factory! DM: With only a couple of months left of this year, what else would you like to do to end the year in style?
LC: Yes it certainly did, but it's also something we're constantly evolving. You can only be happy with something until you've explored it, then you need to move on or it becomes uninteresting. DM: If you think back to day one of Lola Colt, how far do you think you have come? LC: Considering we weren't even trying to form a band at day one, I'd say a huge way! Kicking back after a headline tour, having an album pressed in vinyl sitting on the record player - produced by a member of The Bad Seeds - it's all a dream really. DM: From the live recent shows, was there any particular one which surprised you the most? LC: Hebden Bridge. We'd never heard of the place, but when we arrived it was beautiful! The venue there is great and people come from all over to see shows there, which is just as well because the town itself is tiny!
LC: Our music acts as escapism created primarily for LC: Throw a big party for everyone that has helped our own ends, and as such we were more concerned make this an unforgettable year in the life of Lola DM:The debut album is out now; what would you about discovering what we could learn about Lola Colt! say to encourage and entice people to not only buy Colt. In hindsight, though, I'm happy to find that the album but also check out the band live? people see us as a band that don't conform, that DM: Your music is always so well received by the push boundaries and that can't be taken for granted. audience; what do you think is the secret of your live LC: There's a lot in the album - the whole thing is a success? grand adventure. It's full of light and dark places DM: Is there any particular track that you are most strange and exotic twists and turns, sometimes painproud of? LC: Probably just hard work. We agonise over deful sometimes beautiful - if you listen intently tails. Nothing is left to chance that we can be in enough I think you will discover things you'd missed LC: No, but there are songs that were harder than control of. time and again. Playing it live challenges us no end others to tame and that required a lot of perseverand I hope that makes for an interesting live show. ance. Moonlight in particular stands out as a song DM: Did it take long for you to find a direction you We place the energy differently and present it in a that was really difficult to master on all fronts - from were happy with as a band? raw way that we hope gives another side to the the initial spark rooted in the rhythms of an Indian music.
Raucous East London trio False-heads are kicking up a fuss with their new EP "Tunnel Vision" The band, currently comprising of vocalist/ guitarist Luke Griffiths, bassist Jake Elliott , and drummer Daniel Delgaty (Griffiths and Elliott share song writing duties), originally released the EP in July 2013. After gaining plenty of positive attention from underground press and radio, the three piece signed to Hi4Head Records, and released it once again with additional track “Anything Else”.
A rousing bass line, guitar that seems to skyrocket, and stampeding drums kick off the track, which you can imagine stirring up quite a fuss for crowds at live shows. 15 seconds or so of riotous guitar commence yet more angst-ridden lyrics, including the fearful yet careless chorus of ”Do you miss me I can’t tell/ I don’t know you or myself.”, “I don’t mind/ I don’t care”. The lyrics are kicked up to a harrowing notch in the second verse: “I want to be scared/ I want to be dead”, which in-avoidably makes you feel uneasy, before you’re met with shouts of “I don’t mind/ I don’t care” not long after. Distorted guitar brings this overall distressing song to an unnerving finish.
The EP opens with 3 and a quarter minute stormer “Fall Around”. A slow drum Final track “Remedy” restores some peace. Melodic guitar and vocals that are beat may as well be the calm before the storm, before slick, grungy riffs and almost cooed provide some relief after some rather provoking moments. The snarling vocals set the mood for the three tracks that follow. The infectious song could almost be about the eventual calm and recovery after a tough time, chorus of "it's all there/but you're dreaming" perfectly captures the angst that Opening line “Can you break me down/and bring me back” backs this theory is synonymous with music of this genre and similar, as do rather morbid lyrics up, whilst the chorus of “Like an old remedy” uplifts. This is quickly reverted telling of “losers leaving in body bags” and the question of “who is born well/ with the line of “And I swear that my bones weigh a ton”, a conflicted train of and who is born sick?”Next up is the slightly more laid-back “Anything Else”. thought, perhaps? Anthemic-sounding guitar uplifts the listener once again, Don’t let the clean-sounding guitars and almost-soothing vocals at the start fool you; the song quickly develops into the expected ear-piercing guitar, ang- before a final repeat of the chorus.The “Tunnel Vision” EP to me is how a teensty chants of “if I could reach your weapon” (backed by drums that almost ager-y doom, gloom, and angst album should be. Conflicting lyrics, clamorous warn you of the chaos to come), and finally, a wall of brash, reverberating guitar, and angst yet almost senseless chants provide catharsis, whilst unlike noise.You’re given a few seconds of peace before third track “Without A most aforementioned albums, it provides some light relief at the end. Truly a Doubt” begins. great EP to have a strop to.
There's been a lot of hype about guitar bands lately, notably two piece bands and after seeing an impressive Royal Blood at The Riverside last week I was keen so see if the hype is well deserved or if all two pieces in rock are just glorifying the same thing. So were Australian two piece DZ Deathrays different? Certainly. As a live music reviewer I thrive to see variety amongst a set list and that's what DZ provided. This is clearly evident in the track ‘Northern Lights’, a song that keeps its moderate pace throughout only ever breathing light into raw guitar and harmonious double vocals. Another highlight from their performance at Newcastle was the song ‘The Mess Up’. It reiterated why the band have gained such recognition and rightfully so. The song toys on selfish heavy guitars and distorted vocals that don’t go to the extent of screaming, yet border safely between that and singing. It’s a great combination. DZ are a great live band that we should all be excited by, not only are they playing rock music but they create a live show to want to see again and again. And For all promoters, reviewers, venues etc. this is great news. They gained a great reception and left the stage to applause not only because their session guitarist was wearing the colours black and white on the day Newcastle got three points but because they were different, they were impressive and they proved to be a great support act for Band of Skulls. I must admit when I think of Band of Skulls I don’t immediately think of Southampton and its coastlines, ships and their highflying football team, I think more along the lines of America with its sunny beaches, leather and sunglasses. But this would mean I was wrong, in fact they are from Southampton. This assumption has probably cemented into my head due to the fact their sound is something I would express in the same breath as The Dead Weather, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and in some aspects The Black Keys. And whilst they have in fact gained huge success abroad it feels like England, their homeland, is somewhat playing catch up. Have Americans unearthed a musical treasure whilst we Brits were blind to see it when they were on our doorstep? If the reaction of the crowd were to go by then indecisively it’s a yes. Although the early start of Band of Skulls appearing upon the stage by 8.15 didn’t affect the atmosphere, fans were still strolling into the doors of Riverside at 8:30 unfortunately this meant missing opening songs such as ‘Light Of The Morning’ and ‘Bruises’ gaining a crowd sing along and head movements, but it never really blew the roof off. A
further half of dozen songs went by and still I noticed the crowd were very much enjoying it but not to extent of movement. This was unexpected as the last time the north east played host to Band of Skulls was 2012 at the Evolution Festival. Yet, I gained some respect for the crowd that were obviously there to take in the live experience, to embrace it for what it was and to not smash into people making it look like a Royal Rumble match you would find on WWE paper view. The evening saw its highlight in notable fan favourites and critics favourite ‘I Know What I Am’ a song that got iTunes single of the week and it got the attention it deserve from the crowd. The evening ended to the rock n roll sound of ‘Hoochie Coochie’ that, in my opinion, displays the band at their very best, effective drums, two perfectly matched voices by bassist and guitarist giving that 70’s feel good rock back to the modern music industry. The UK is definitely playing catch up with Europe. However if I’ve learnt anything from this gig is that two piece bands are all not the same and we seem to have hit the nail on the head with Australian born DZ Deathrays who I will certainly see at a headline gig. I can only imagine what they would be like in a room filled with DZ fans and the venue to themselves.
If there is one band I have been listening to the most these days, it would have them finishing things in style, yet giving the listener that feeling of wanting to be Marmozets and their spectacular album ‘Weird & The Wonderful’ remore, as they have just experienced the best ever dream and adventure that leased via Roadrunner Records. Having toured the UK this Autumn as part of Marmozets music has to offer. the Big Cheese tour, there is a lot of talk of whether they are the best thing to happen to British music scene. My simple answer is – hell yes! Describing them- Without a doubt this is one of those albums that if you haven’t got already YOU selves as ‘Rawkous Alternative Math Energy’ Marmozets have had an incredible NEED TO! When you’re a relative newbie in the music scene, one of the princiyear and simply listening to their debut album fills the listener with adrenaline. ple aims is to create music which excites, which Marmozets have successfully done throughout Weird & The Wonderful. There may only be 13 tracks on this So what can I tell you about ‘The Weird & The Wonderful’ having listened to it album, but its nevertheless for someone discovering their music for the first non stop for the past few weeks? Easy…exactly what it says on the tin! time the perfect starting point to discover what great things Marmozets have to offer. As a writer I am left impressed, but as a fan I am just excited to know The album starts with the track ‘Born Young And Free’ which encourages you to that this is only the tip of the iceberg as even more mind blowing things are yet stop whatever your doing immediately so you can just get up, dance and party to come. to this incredible band. The vocals of Becca McIntyre are just unreal and it gives you a butterflies as she shows off her clean and unclean vocal skills. The track is a great introduction where you know you can expect intensity, 100% energy and vibrancy throughout the whole of the album. One of my favourite tracks on this album has to be ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’. Full of attitude and meaningful lyrics, this is one of those songs that you can relate to in to an instant. We all have those days when we come across people and situations that challenge us, where you cant help say “WTF”. Well Marmozets see that situation and say what everyone is saying. For me I found it as the perfect song to let your frustrations out to. Oh my god I cant give you a low down about this album without mentioning one of favourite tracks, ‘Is It Horrible’. From vocals, lyrics and the pace and vibe this song is just unreal. It just blows my mind my as the track progresses, and in doing so my hyperness levels increase as well. Weird and Wonderful is not all fast paced however, as ‘Cry’ and ‘Hit The Wave’ shows the bands diversity to mix things up, and you can also experience more of the soulful and moving side of McIntyre’s vocals. It such a moving and beautiful track, yet still has those fantastic traits that Marozets are known for. The band end this incredible masterpiece with Back To You, a track that sees
Of what I understand of Punk band Eagulls could be written on a piece of paper shorter than your weekly shopping list. However what I do know of the Leeds five-piece is that they performed in front of Bill Murray on The Late Night Show with David Letterman, which in its own right should be celebrated by all English music fans, due to the fact the band don’t get by on their looks or their ability to buy a suit and tie. Another thing to be noted is that they supported Franz Ferdinand on their UK tour as well as some of the members of the band being able to call The Cluny on Osborne Bank local. The last time Eagulls were in town they sold out The Head of Steam in which they conducted a mass of broken lights and certified aches and pains in the following morning. So it is safe to say this time around Thursday was not going to be an ordinary quiet night.
Undoubtedly it was not, with support coming the gas pedal. Serving the purpose to entertain alism. There is no ‘hey, how are you’ or ‘the next from local lads High Tide 15:49 who were easily and hopping to achieve universal appraisal they song is…’ it is full speed ahead and that for me influenced by the crowd expecting nothing less lived up to the audiences expectations. Front man shows that the band know their audience. From than Eagulls like antics, High Tide 15:49 endorsed Craig Johnson vocals radiated an abrasive attire smashing into each other to sharing sweat and cliché rock n roll symbols of frolicking around the that further exfoliated the bands intensity. Detect- blood from making a total chaos erupt after every stage and trashing equipment this in turn dising when a song finished and started was the song; it was a rarity to find an indie music scene tracted the audience’s intentions away from the problem I found, the wall of sound never stopped make this kind of commotion. As the swaying bands material which in fact was very good. They to let in air filled with harmonies, a change in body of front man George Mitchell reminded me reminded me of early 90’s grunge I would even tempo or pace, this for me was the bands Achilles of a puppet on a string; it reiterated how simpliccompare them to Smashing Pumpkins with their heel. ity can become effective. No encore, no stage front man not being vocally outstanding yet fitting antics and no talking nonsense to the audience. As for their laidback rock. The second support act Although the same could have been said for head- they left the stage to their last song Possessed it were more comparative to Eagulls not only for liners Eagulls they offered much more depth in the left with it an audience going away with a t-shirt being from Leeds too, Autobahn simulated audiability to extend a song from perfected noise to stuck to their body, exhaustion from head to toe ences with their high tempo, chaotic and hard interactive music, the type of music that delivers and the need for water. So let’s hope they come driven punk whilst never truly putting their foot of both pace and tempo with articulated professionback and make a Thursday feel like a Friday.
The indie genre is possibly one of the most booming genres of the generation within the music industry, watching the names of Two Door Cinema Club, alt-J, Catfish and the Bottlemen and multiple others dominate the pages of highly respected magazines and social media platforms. However, their status could very much become under fire upon the release of a certain Bristol band’s EP, ‘Rush Of Blood’... Coasts have fabricated the track ‘Wash Away’, which takes medial position on the EP, but this doesn’t allow for it to get lost within the midst of other - ‘Drop of Blood’ and ‘Let Go’. ‘Wash Away’ holds it’s own; opening with sole soft plucks of strings, soon to be accompanied with the melancholy vocals of Chris calling ‘our days are lost in a summer haze, our voices off in the twilight gaze’. The almostinnocent tone to his voice is darkened when approaching the bridge, as the kick pedal slides into the track. This causes a build up of multiple layers that are haunting; captivating listeners, enticing them with hints of the chaos that come with chorus with the repeating ‘could you be the one… to wash away’. We’re then thrown into the deep end, in the chorus which holds no depth in lyrics but a captivating combination of instruments that create that sweaty, vigorous, almost psychedelic vibe that indie fans thrive upon. As an EP, A Rush Of Blood delivers everything an indie kid could ever want or need. Made up of an opening booming track that sets the underlying tenor of the whole EP; a darker, slightly more reserved progressive track and a track with lighter beats and samples of synth that make you dance without realising (whether it be in the office or in the backroom of a dark bar). If you’re a fan of The Wombats, JAWS, Fenech-Soler or Foals, I urge you to catch Coasts on tour, from November 22nd until December 7th, as Wash Away is the track you need to hear live in a sweaty small crowded basement. Get your tickets while you can, because I can assure that small venues will not be able to cater for their fan capacity before you know it. The ‘Rush Of Blood’ EP will be released on December 1st 2014.
After a busy summer of doing the exact opposite as left dancing by yourself to an ABBA mega mix on a questions asked in the chorus are simply another the title of her upcoming single suggests, Becky Hill sticky dance floor somewhere (just me?) spiteful stab at the subject of the song, maybe? “but may just be unstoppable. The Bewdley-born you know I wish you well/ in everything you songstress has already supported Katy B on a major “Arms spread open wide/face up to the sky/there’s do” (okay, maybe not so spiteful), “but it’s me you UK tour, penned songs for the likes of Iggy Azalea and nobody by your side”. A brief moment of hope before left behind/ and I have feelings too/but anyway”. To Little Mix, and has performed at festivals up and everything comes crashing down again. Not for long , me, it evokes the all too familiar bombardment of down the country. Aforementioned upcoming single though, as the somehow-uplifting chorus soon kicks conflicting feelings you receive after a breakup. “Losing” is hardly fitting, then. in: Hill urges you to “hold on” once again, before the questions” Is there someone out there to keep you Another elevating chorus, a half minute or so of powMy initial listen of the song revealed an overall sense breathing?”, …” is there someone out there who erful howls from Hill, then a final chorus bring the of melancholia, but with a drumbeat that’s easily really loves you?” are asked, and so far, it’s up for the song off to an overall optimistic finish. Personally, I dance-able, and a chorus that was just made to be listener to answer. imagine this song will be THAT one song that gets howled along to after a few too many. played on a night out, which leaves some slightly “I’m through with losing” adds a bit more hopefulover-refreshed people reduced to mascara-covered Beginning with a haunting, slightly distorted howl of ness to the mix, before the second verse kicks in, messes. Take from the song what you will, but re“hold on”, the first verse sees Hill crooning of bringing another dimension to the song: “I wonder “someone… dancing on their own”, “tired of being how you sleep at night”… “Has everything gone black gardless, I can see it as a future club classic that gets alone”. Immediately the listener can most likely reand white/since I’ve been gone.” It now appears that everybody moving and singing along on a night out… late, most likely being reminded of a god-awful night the song may be an attack on a former partner, AKA or sends everybody running and crying in the loos. out where all of your mates have pulled and you’re everyone’s favourite type of song (admit it). The
2015 is shaping up to be quite a year for Funeral for a Friend; with the release of their new album ‘Chapter and Verse’ pencilled for January 19th and a headline tour to follow, the journey for the band is only onwards and upwards. However, they are certainly not forgetting where they are coming from… Formed in 2001, FFAF are one of the last remaining bastions from the British Hardcore scene, and their new single ‘You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions’ demonstrates why they’ve stood the test of time where other bands have long since failed. Although they’re are very much a ‘marmite’ band, the Welsh four piece have stuck to their guns whilst producing the new record; something other rock groups have failed to do by selling out to the mainstream music industry. ‘Chapter and Verse’ is not a renaissance of Funeral For A Friend’s musical intentions and styling, but rather an eclectic accumulation of creativity they have acquired during their 13 year evolution. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to infer that the British hardcore scene is wilting at the moment and as the last true trailblazers, there is pressure on FFAF to revitalise it. And, well, if there is no fresh blood, what better way
to do it than themselves? ‘You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions’ delivers to fans of the band’s previous work; with their defining outspoken, almost tongue-in-cheek attitude. Cutting straight to the point the track kicks in with heavy riffs and deafening drums accompanied with gritty vocals, which then flow into melodic choruses; portraying possibly one of the most socially diverse and heavy messaged songs to grace my ringing ears in a long time. Although the layers of the track cater to classic Funeral For A Friend, when paralleled with lyrics concerning wealth inequality and feminism, this product is a distance away from earlier tracks. The song itself is inconsistent, but before you start heckling into your pages of Darkus, hear me out. Jumping from blasting beats into melodic choruses prevents Funeral For A Friend from being boxed and categorized; a rare trait to be valued in today’s industry. Their ability to deliver such diverse tracks that don’t appear disjointed should be accoladed, as it has produced a track which can only keep FFAF fans and the hardcore scene thirsty for more.
Having joined New Found Glory on their recent UK Tour, Darkus Magazine caught up with front man Derek Discanio from Albany, New York based band State Champs when they came to Newcastle. A band who have a lot of respect from their fans, we chatted to Derek to see how life in the UK was treating him.
Darkus Magazine: Welcome to Newcastle Derek. How was the journey to England? Derek: Yea it was good. This is day two of the tour with New Found Glory. We arrived a bit earlier to the UK this time which is good as it gave us a little bit more time to relax and adjust. The last time however we came over, we landed on the same day of our first show, so as you can imagine after a long flight we were pretty exhausted and tired. How we pulled it off on the first night of that tour I do not know haha!
The last time we were here was with the band, The Wonder Years who are pretty big in our genre right now. New Found Glory on the other hand are the veterans so to speak, but as they come from a youthful genre they have a varied fan base with the majority being much older – so it would be great to win some of them over too in the process. DM: What is the most touristy thing you have done?
DM: What have been your main happy moments of 2014?
D: Well we love to check out the sights and last time we didn’t have a lot of time to do that. I still haven’t seen Big Ben, Buckingham Palace or been on the London Eye yet. The only real British thing I have done instead is eat a lot of fish and chips.
D: It has been a very long, busy but exciting year for us. Probably the best part was the Summer we spent on the Vans Warped Tour as in some respects it was our turning point. Also our first headline tour back in October was pretty exciting too.
Thanks man you have just reminded me of my ‘to do’ list haha! DM: Before I let you go, what would you say to encourage new fans?
DM: From your perspective what is that one song that seems to be popular with the kids? D: I would probably say our latest single ‘Elevated’. A lot of the time we save it for last and it always seems to have the best reaction. It is also a track that has a lot of meaning to us so its good that our fans can also share that meaning. DM: Musically what were your influences over the years? D: I grew up listening to different things, then in 2000 when Driv Thru Records was the next big thing, I started listening to the likes of Yellowcard, Allister and one of my favourite bands, The Starting Lines. DM: So if I told you at the beginning of your journey as a band that you would be playing alongside these bands years later would you believe me? D: No! I would probably smack you and call you crazy haha! Seriously though its so surreal to have bands we grew up listening to and somewhat idolising as our friends now. DM: Being the support what are you going to offer the crowds on this tour? D: You know what we didn’t create State Champs to be different, but carry on the traditions of long established bands, but obviously with our own spin on things. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, its more like the passing of the torch which allows us to create something new and refreshing.
D: Quite simply, Don’t Knock It Till You Try It! Haha!
Unless your chorus goes along the lines of 'I can feel it' then it's nothing short of a milestone accomplishing mainstream success when you're in a band from the North East. Either way the endeavours of Enter The Lexicon shouldn't go overlooked because 1. audiences sing along to their music and 2. they have the ability to transform a crowd full of folded arms to an active uproar. So where does this leave Enter The Lexicon? 2014 for the northern lads has been somewhat of a pogo stick year. Early January of 2014 after being signed to American label Kill/Hurt it seemed like the final missing puzzle piece was found. However, it hadn't planned out the way everyone hoped. With no new material surfacing online and the occasional gig now and then it was growing increasingly hard to predict the bands future. But, within the past three months the band has seen their single ‘Do You Feel The Same’ gaining airplay both on Kerrang TV and Scuzz. As well as embarking on a UK tour that will see the three piece hit cities like Manchester, Leeds and London, whilst venturing further afield to play their grunge in Cardiff. Kicking off the tour in their hometown of Newcastle fans of ETL (as referred to by listeners) were in for a treat that came in the disguise of their set list which encapsulated all four tracks from their recent self-entitled EP. The set also included a variety of new songs which should be expected at a headline gig, to universal appraisal the new songs left the crowd eagerly excited by the bands future. One song in particular 'Conversation' caught the attention of the room with a hint of Nirvana pop styled chorus, a wall of sound provide by bass and drums and the chemistry maximises with the singular rock riffs. From first lesson ‘Conversation’ seems to be a hit in the making in the same way as 'Do You Feel The Same'. Lyrically the songs focal centres are of a more emotional nature, the relationship type that only poetic gestures could comprehend and front man Mykl Barton captures this in the true rock spirit. Venturing on personal anecdotes and opinions the use of personal pronouns within lyrics 'I could get lost in you, you could get lost in me' perfects a more personal tone to songs that when played live connects the distance between stage and audience. In the lights of ETL they ironically endorsed the ideology of selfishness that contradicts other songs 'I don't need to fucking please you, I'm the beat of a selfish heart'. These specific traits transferred into their live performance, the crowd were in full swing bouncing into one another whilst singing in full voice. The music never lost its thrive or its abrasive, in your face sound. This is why there was no room for a slow paced song within their set as it would have disturbed the momentum; the momentum that was carried through till the end in which the band left the stage to various chants of ETL.
You never know maybe 2015 will be 'The Beginning of the Twist' for Enter The Lexicon.
By Tyler Marriott
Johnny Marr is back once again with some unreal beats for his fans, this time in the form of his latest album, PLAYLAND. Having recently completed his spectacular UK tour – the question is how the album would fair against his live performances. Containing his latest work, my initial thoughts of this album is that it is actually quite good. Marr has had an extremely successful journey in the music industry already as it is, so from anyone looking from the outside in, Playland is a clear indication that Johnny Marr is still going strong. The appealing thing about this album is that you can pick in up and listen to any time of the day regardless of your mood, because to the credit of Johnny Marr his music helps you to feel relaxed. An example of this is the track ‘Candidate’ as it just has such a chilled out vibe to it. I am yet to come face to face with Johnny Marr but from what I am hearing from this album I can tell he is quite a skilled song writer, as there is a lot of depth to the music both lyrically and musically. Another of the tracks I really found my self bopping away to was ‘Speak Out Reach Out’. Its just one of those tracks which you listen to and know straight away has Johnny Marr written all over it due to the slickness and the style. As you know I love picking out some of the best tracks to tell you about when I write any review, however this was a bit more difficult on this occasion, as no offence to Johnny Marr but not all the songs on this album appealed to me – it was pretty much a mixed bag. When this happens as a reviewer I then look to the final track of the album which can either be the lead balloon or the saving grace. This is Marr, so obviously it was the second option. Once I heard ‘Little King’ therefore, almost automatically my eyes lit up, a smile appeared and my mind was chanting ‘TUNEEEEE!’. I was so glad to see that despite the hit and miss with the rest of the album, Playland nevertheless ended strong…but then again what would you expect! To be totally honest Playland is one of those albums that does take a bit of getting used to, but once you get over that initial hurdle then you will find that it actually aint all that bad.
A Sunday spent spending no money and enjoying the vibrant vibes and warmth of Pop Recs displaying, yet again, home grown talent. How else would you like to spend a Sunday? Lisbon was the band and we were the fortunate ones. 28th of September, otherwise known as an actual Sunday worth getting out of your pyjamas for, showcased an array of local delicacy with support coming from Darlo. LISBON, a four piece alt rock band from the heart of Whitely Bay, have had a humongous year full of growth that will hold them in good stand as they have finally released their highly anticipated EP, Life Is Good. Seeing a direction change that could be described as Rick Astley meets Little Comets, seems to have paid off for the four piece who have seen more than 70,000 plays on their Soundcloud alone. For those who have not yet been a costumed to their music they’re a thinking man’s 1975. Already making strides within the alternative indie scene, they have had numerous slots within the UK festival circuits, as well as playing BBC Introducing stage and they’re well on their way to success with latest single Rio. The change was evident to see whilst playing Rio the infusion of instruments and electric equipment made me believe their sixth form days are well and truly behind them as they seek to adventure into the limelight. My personal highlight of the evening was B L U E L O V E, the dance floor filler captivates the band at their best, signalling their way to a future to be excited for, I have no doubt these northern four piece will find their way into mainstream success. Other songs included Native, a northern pop song surrounded by indie structures and repetitive vocals to the effect of the catchy lyrics and front man Matthew Vartys effective vocals keep the lyrics 'I've never been so far from home' on your lips on the walk home. My advice to you is to see them at a local gig before fan girls and sold out shows become a norm.
Releasing a live record is a way for bands or artists to gain revenue from their fan base. This occurs when they do not have anything in the pipeline to release or if like Elvis Presley you have released a staggering 70 albums beyond the grave. Either way, they are usually released at the latter stages of a bands life expectancy or at the height of their fame. Therefore I commend the efforts of duo Wake for getting themselves out there and trying to offer their sound at its most purists, when it is raw and in your face. The live EP (recorded at Think Tank, Newcastle) consists of six tracks that are divided into five original songs and one cover, that cover being The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. The main question is, are Wake worth missing live or should you see them support Lisbon on the 7th of February 2015 at O2 Academy Newcastle? Only you can answer that question upon listening to the live EP on Bandcamp for free. However my answer would have to be a yes. On a night that will advocate indie rock, it’ll be interesting to see what reception the grunge duo will achieve amongst a crowd expecting feel good dance floor fillers. After finding a home supporting the likes of Wytches and Demob Happy it’s no surprise this has benefited them live. The EP itself takes you back 20 years, to a time where technology wasn’t at the fourth front of gigs and grunge still had a place in venues worldwide. This EP conveys all the inspirations of grunge from early Nirvana, Mudhoney and Sonic Youth in the same way of modern successors Metz. Through the use of unconventional rock, experimental guitar, Fuzz pedals and a do it yourself attitude. But this style sometimes has negative impacts as seen through the EP. It lacks that much needed melody. The band vocally touchdown on a screaming punk like style that compliments their sound and recordings but it never becomes listenable for all. Wake are not going to be your night time listen, or a band you go to when you are in search for tranquillity. They’re a band that you seek when you need to let go of all emotions, notably anger. A band that you will discover when you are bored of the mainstream indie rock bands that are nowadays clogging up most of the independent rock scene.
They are one of the many hard working and passionate local bands in the north east at the moment, and not even being together for a full year yet, Guilt City have already been achieving some fantastic things via their music. With their EP recently released I caught up with the guys to find out a little bit about them and see what they had in store for their launch.
DM: Welcome to Darkus Magazine. Tonight is the EP launch – how are you feeling?
band its special as the music we create I actually want to listen to in the car.
Orchard Hill in December and one in January that we cant announce just yet.
Ewan: Really excited to be honest. It should be cool as we have invited loads down. We have tried to promote the event as much as possible, so hopefully it should be a good night!
I wouldn’t say it’s a dream but it’s a really important milestone in our Guilt City career especially we haven’t been together for a full year yet.
Matthew: Come on let’s tell him more!!! Haha
Matthew: I’m really looking forward to it as well. I think everyone who normally sees at other shows are going to be reunited in one place for this one.
DM: How has being in different bands enhanced Guilt City?
Ewan: Ok fine! Ha ha! Next Summer is a big one for us as we are planning to head out to Europe. DM: How have you found the local music scene for your music?
Sam: Everyone has come from different music backgrounds and varied experiences, so everything we play Ewan: Can I be honest? There are great bands and if DM: What has the overall preparation been like? and write creates a powerful and strong experience your at the right show there is a good atmosphere, but for the fans. that rarely happens as no one really comes out anySam: Really relaxed. more. DM: How did you all meet then? Ewan: We didn’t really do any preparation to be fair Matthew: We went to Cardiff right?! No one had ever but as it was our first proper gig after touring we knew Ewan: Me and Sam knew each other from playing in a heard of us before and the venue was packed based it had to be something special. We made it a £1 entry band before. I met Matthew through another band I on their pure love for live music. Not saying the North fee so as it’s a Friday night as well, the aim is to create used to be involved in. East is bad, but there is an attitude of ‘this is not my that party atmosphere. friend’s band’ resulting in people going home early or Matthew: I was friends with our drummer Alex for 6 or not taking bands seriously! Matt: No, no! To be fair we had done some prep. We 7 years, then there was Usher who came from noall got a bottle of Jeiger for the crowd, added in a few where. He was kind of like the dark horse. DM: Thank you for your time guys. Why would you party poppers, glow sticks, blow up dolls etc. recommend your music to the readers of Darkus? DM: We heard through Ewan as well about Sam’s mad DM: Haha! You had me at glow sticks! guitar skills as previously he was only our driver. Then Sam: Like I said before we have different variety of when Ewan suggested he join, myself and Alex were influences and experiences, which makes us a band When You put your material onto an official CD is it like, “Yes…lets do that!” that anyone can relate to. the of “Wow” or “Man Is this for real”? DM: What would you like to accomplish next? Ewan: Guilt City is that something extra you have all Matthew: I have been in bands in the past who have been looking for to explode your mind! released cds and yea that’s ok. However with this Ewan: Well we have a mini tour booked with the band
I always have a lot of respect for acoustic artists as they are a prime example of music in its simplicity – no gimmicks, extravagant ideas, just a combination of a guitar and a creative mind. Wanting to go down a similar path are duo, Stone Lights from Tyne & Wear. Comprising of the duo Carl Stacey [vocals] and Daniel Sewell [guitar] who have previously been linked to hardcore bands, it was really intriguing to see what the pair had to offer in an acoustic setting. Taking a risk and putting their heads together they Stacey and Sewell released their EP, Slow and Steady. Although the record only has 5 tracks, what I like about this EP is that the music is purely about the lyrics. Yes all the songs on this EP are fascinating but their was one track that stood out most to me, ‘After The Rain’. Expressing themselves in the poetic and beautiful that they do, Stone Lights gives this song a lot of depth and meaning. Stone Lights may be a relatively new concept but if you take a moment to check out their music, with an open mind, you will see that there is potential behind the sensitive and gentle music that Stone Lights have to offer. Available via www.stonelights.bandcamp.com and You Tube, ‘Slow & Steady’ by Stone Lights is definitely worth the listen.
Having been the main support for Paloma Faith on her recent UK tour and recently completing his latest record, Smoke & Mirrors, Brett Dennen has been one of those new and upcoming artists to watch out for. We met up with him as he came to Newcastle and delve into the mind of this inspirational singer
Darkus Magazine: How does it feel to be in the UK?
DM: Good song for a new starter?
Brett: It feels great. A great place I haven’t really spent a lot a lot of time in.
B: Well I have a new record coming out in December so I am mainly pushing those songs, but also playing some which as you say are classed as ‘back catalogue’. So yeah I just sticking to songs which have been popular radio singles back in the States.
DM: What is the most British thing you have done? B: I would probably say driving on the left hand side of the road. I went a football match to see Man City play against Moscow. Um…I have also been to a few pubs!
DM: Main priorities for 2015?
DM: What went through your mind when you were invited onto the Paloma Faith tour?
B: Well I have already got at least the first half of 2015 already planned, which is a lot more touring and recording in the US. However there is one main priority being that I would like to make it over here more to give people the chance to hear my music properly.
B: Ok well she sent me a note via my booking agent to ask if I wanted to support the shows. So I was like “Ok umm whose Paloma Faith?”. I understand she is a mega star over here in the UK and seeing her play each night is just amazing.
DM: Compare yourself to when you first started to where you are now. How would you rate your progress?
Maybe it’s because I live in my own little world which is why I didn’t know really B: I think you are always moulding your craft as an artist in terms of wielding know, but then I looked her up and was like “WOW! Holy Cow this is like opendown to the heart of the matter. We are like inside the heart helps define who ing like Christina Aguilera or something”. So when I came over I was so nervous, we are as artists and individuals. Every song I write is an exploration as I find out then from meeting her, she was so incredible, nice and genuine and makes you more about myself. feel good about yourself. The next thing I know all those nerves just started to go away. DM: Biggest challenge of the process? I really appreciate all that she is doing for me by bringing me here, but at the same time I also believe that I should be here. I am a quality artist and I write great songs that I put my heart and soul into.
B: I think not knowing whether or not your material is good enough. You put your heart and soul, but cant help worry if that’s enough as you are going out on a whim to see if people like it. The moment it becomes second nature that’s when you have to start digging deeper.
DM: Must be great to know someone personally choosing you? DM: Why should people checkout the new record? Yea totally! You release music but there is always a bit of uncertainty as you never know who it actually reaches. A British soul singer? WOW! That’s pretty validating.
B: I personally think it has ten great songs. It’s a great inspiration as it allowed me to get a deeper understanding of myself, but left open to interpretation. If people want to hear a true singer song writer they should check it out.
DM: Paloma aside, what is Brett Dennen bringing to the party? DM: How much does music mean to your life? B: Inside my head it’s a good fit because on one hand you have this fantastic soul singer with a big band etc, then here I am, a singer-song writer from California who comes from a totally different tradition and lifestyle of music. My set is all about all the lyrics and the guy behind those lyrics, so I just came across with songs which are personal and from a sincere place.
B: It sort of just became my life over a period of time. Sometime I am at odds with it, then other times its intense but that’s what music is all about. To discover more of the fantastic work of Brett Dennen head over to brettdennen.net
Psych sextet Lola Colt may just be one of the most exciting and innovative bands going. Taking their name from a spaghetti western, the London basedbased band are truly spellbinding. The group consists of guitarists Matt and James, Kitty on keys and percussion, Sinah on bass duties, drummer Martin, and Gun ( whose stage presence is just as powerful as her namesake) on vocals.
crowds from Teesside and beyond, and recent EP "Discordia" exceeded expectations. Keeping with the western undertone at tonight's event, their set sees songs like "Bandito" and “Jackals”, with pounding drums and howled vocals, provide an ideal soundtrack to a guns-at-dawn stand-off.
commence “Heartbreaker”, a foreboding, melancholic ballad of sorts, with an explosive chorus. The instrumental “Time To Burn” still maintains a certain majesty and power about it, even without Gun’s vocals. A quick breather for her, perhaps, before the everescalating “I Get High If You Get High”. Penultimate crooner “Vacant Hearts”, a mournful but yet still proud and powerful ballad speaking of an unrequited love, may be the closest to vulnerable that Lola Colt ever get throughout the show, one concludes with “Away From The Water”, which ebbs and flows as an epic instrumental for a good three minutes, before quickly transcending into a gargantuan finale.
Lastly; the enigmatic Lola Colt take to the stage. Opening with 8-minute mind-melter "Jaguar", the Although the majority of the acts tonight have a crowd are entranced from the word go; you’re immerather western undertone to them, opener Girl Sweat diately coaxed into dancing and twirling, or standing breaks the mould slightly, as he always does. transfixed. Next, “Driving Mr Johnny” howls and builds for a breathtaking chorus, before the powerful The first time I saw Girl Sweat was around crooning of “Highway” soothes yet stirs the audience. about two years ago. The experience left me speechThree songs in, and, already, the front portion of the And just like that, a quick “thank you” and “goodbye”, less. A disorientation mix of loops, lapsteel, and howl- crowd have taken to dancing in a tribal-like way (this and they’re gone. You’re left to come back down to ing, the one-am project of R A Gray must be seen to keeps up for the entirety of the set, amazingly). earth with a hell of a thud, even though the reverb be believed. Whenever I write a review I always try remains and rattles you for long afterwards. my hardest to catch whatever song titles are shouted Album opener “Rings Of Ghosts”, with it’s swaggerout. However, with Girl Sweat, this is near impossible. ing, swirling guitars, further helps with the imaginary Seeing Lola Colt live felt like much, much more than a After a quick conversation over Facebook, it tranfilm-soundtracking occurring tonight, as does reverbgig to me. The swirling and ever-metamorphosing spires that heart-warming songs such as “Human laden successor “Boom Boom visuals, mixed with the overwhelming (in the best Glue” and “Rivers Of Hair” were included in the set. Blasphemy”.“Moonlight” is eerie-sounding at first, way possible) music and powerful stage presence of Girl Sweat is an unmissable act, but maybe one to with keys and guitar building tension and atmosall members made it more like an experience, and watch on an empty stomach. phere, before pounding drums and rolling guitars one that I recommend you confront if you ever get mould the song into ear-shattering psych. the chance to. You won’t remain the same Next up, Stockton-based five piece Cellar Door. Their afterwards. bluesy post-punk never fails to impress appreciative Strutting guitar and a powerful lament from Gun
Kobadelta, a five piece indie-psych-rock band hailing from Newcastle have released their highly anticipated EP entitled Remain Distracted, an EP that will instantly make a lasting impression within your record collection. If like me you have been short sighted to psychedelic rock, Kobadelta, Remain Distracted will be your Dummy’s guide to psychedelic rock. Remain Distracted does exactly what it says on the tin, it keeps you distracted from anything going on around you, and ever since I first opened my ears to the impact of opening track Siam I have remained distracted. The perfect combination of Frontman Dom Nobles enticing vocals merged with slick guitar
riffs and an ambient rhythm section hits the listener with an ever lasting impact, the impact to dive further into the EP and to their back catalogue. To me the best way to describe it would be the way it makes you feel the seductive foundations of the rhythmic EP captivates an imagination. Walks to work at nine on a Monday morning (thanks to Kobadelta) can no longer have a somewhat depressing tone to the thought. The EP continues from where it started, every track could be easily mistaken as a single. Second track, They Can’t Hurt Me, has an almost dark, seductive edge that flaunts sex appeal. The enhancing bass parallel to the enchanting vocals captivates their
sound at its best this well and truly shapes the EP to be odds on their best material to date. The third track entitled ‘Repetition’ stands on its own two feet, with all the right measurements to become a stand out track. To repeat the track would become compulsive, catching your imagination and excitement with every listen. It's that one song on the EP that grabs the listeners attention to yield the in between missing piece of listener and fan. Luckily, for the pleasure of the public ‘Repetition’ is on SoundCloud as a free download. Whilst they gain a reputation from supporting bands like Temple and gaining recognition from NME, the North East can be proud to call them local.
If I think about all the bands I have checked out this past few weeks who have an incredible vibe about them, one of the names that comes to mind has to be iC1s. Having supported Dexters on their UK tour back in October the band have such a great energy about them. Their supporting role on the tour was the first time I had heard their music, and despite a set lasting a mere 35 to 40 minutes it was enough to intrigue me to find more about them. How did I do this? Easy I got my hands on their epic EP, ‘In The Blink Of The Eye’. It may only consist of 6 tracks, but they are 6 of the strongest tunes you will hear. The EP starts with the upbeat and energetic track, ‘Growing Up Going Down’ which looks at the aging process and in a way is a bit thought provoking as it encourages listener to consider the key question – what have you done with your life?. The chorus ‘The years have passed, and I’ve never left this town, its not how it should have been’ just sticks in your mind. The great thing about this EP is that there is a lot of diversity, thus showing how adaptable iC1s are as a band, especially in the song writing department. An example is ‘Beautiful Ugly’ such a heart felt song with a lot of passion behind it. This is one of tracks you can just listen to and easily sing along to. Is it a love song? To be honest I will leave that up to you to decide when you all go and get the EP, but it is perfectly balanced as you can sometimes get bands going over the top making it a little bit cringe. The final track on this EP is quite a quirky little number, ‘Wack Jack’. At first you think that its slow and think to yourself ‘booooo’…but then when you least expect it the chorus kicks in and all of a sudden your adrenaline go through the roof. I really loved this song because it embraces the quirkyness we all have deep inside and not being afraid to be ‘a little bit mental’. That song just describes me all over haha. iC1s have certainly made me love them even more after listening to this EP, and that’s what music should do. In The Blink Of An Eye is certainly worth investing your time and money in. I wish the guys all the best, and based on what I just heard this is only the beginning of a incredible crazy and fun adventure for this up and coming British band.
Darkus Magazine: What sparked your initial interest in photography? Chris: As with a lot of photographers, my initial interest in photography was sparked by taking photos of my young daughter, friends and family a couple of years ago. As time went on and I got into it a bit more, I began to notice and understand the effect that different light and angles had on images, I began to experiment and managed to get some really lovely photographs! From there, I was hooked and I began working with different models as a means of practicing and learning and it just kind of went from there. DM: Having been taken back by your amazing work it was an honour to feature you in Darkus. Tell us then about the images you selected for your article and what they say about you? C: It was really hard to choose the images for this article as I'm really proud of so much of what I've done in the past year or so. I would like to think that the images show a bit about the journey that I have been on so far and the direction that I am heading in. I hope that they also show what it is that inspires me with regards to photography; that is using beautiful light and trying to either tell a story or capture moments, emotions or just that split second where the subject's true personality comes through. DM: Dare I ask...but do you have a favourite niche of photography at the moment? C: Fundamentally, it's ALL about people for me. As time has gone on and I've learned to understand what exactly it is that I love, this has evolved from simple portraits to what might be described as environmental portraiture, with a nod towards fashion. I've also started to develop a real love of street photography and would love over the next few months to be able to develop that and fuse it with the other elements that I've been working on.
extends to me as the photographer - if I feel or come across as nervous or uncomfortable, this in turns affects both the images that I take and how the model themselves feels. DM: Your talent speaks for itself (as we can see from your photos)...but what do you enjoy most about what you do? C: Thank you, that really means a lot. Absolutely everything about what I do, I love! Whether it be the opportunity to meet and work with crazily talented and creative people (who constantly inspire me), laughing, having fun and immersing myself in the moment, getting the images onto the computer after the shoot, flicking through them and knowing that I've caught some beautiful shots and editing them to a point where I'm happy and can look at what I've done and feel proud about that and share them with people. DM: Having done such a variety of exciting projects was there any that you will always consider as a personal highlight? C: I'm really proud of everything I've done so far and working with each and every model, stylist and MUA has been a constant highlight all the way through (is that a cop out!?). Personally, I feel that having been recognised for my work by being published in a few magazines and by being asked to shoot for a nationwide modelling agency have been recent highlights for me. If 2015 is anything like 2014 has been, it'll be very exciting! DM: What is the best satisfaction you can get as a photographer? C: This one is a simple and straight-forward answer! The best satisfaction has to be looking at the final product and knowing that you nailed it! Then being able to share that joy with people around me!
DM: What qualities (in your opinion) do you need to be successful in your field?
DM: When it comes to a shoot what are some of the basic things you expect from the other creatives involved...i.e. model, HMUA etc?
C: In my experience, the most important aspect of what I do has to be the ability to quickly build a rapport and relationship with the people that I'm working with. It's so important that they feel comfortable with both me and the fact that I have a camera pointing at them. If the person being photographed isn't comfortable, that REALLY shows through in the images. This point of being comfortable also
C: Only really that we're all going in the same direction and have a shared vision. Like with any team, if we're thinking different things or heading in different directions, then it just doesn't work. To get there, there has to be great communication between everyone involved from the initial concept right the way through the shoot itself and beyond.
DM: What is the next step for you? C: The next step for me has to be to just keep doing what I'm doing and to continue developing my skills as a photographer. I'm really excited about the direction that I am starting to go in with regard to street, fashion and editorial photography. In doing so, I hope that the right people begin to notice what I do and that I one day get to do what I love for the rest of my life! DM: What is the main method you use to promote your work? C: Mainly word of mouth, but you can follow my work on my website (www.christrower.co.uk) and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, although I am making some plans to focus more on traditional forms of marketing and have less of an emphasis and reliance on social media.
DM: Welcome to Darkus...tell us a little bit about yourself? James: Well I live and work in Newcastle but I’m originally from Durham. I studied at Northumbria University and after graduating I moved down to the Isle of Wight to play ice hockey, I had a lot of free time when I was living on the Isle of Wight and that was when I took up photography. The Island is very picturesque and has some amazing landscape to take advantage of, that’s what got me started with landscape photography. DM: Beginning as a landscape photographer then at what point did you feel like you wanted to move to shooting with people? J: To be honest I’ve always had an interest in all aspects of photography from landscape, cityscape, wildlife to model based work and fashion. It took me a long time to move onto working with people because the concept seemed to foreign to me, the pressure of working alongside someone, particularly when you are first starting out is a little daunting. After moving to Newcastle and taking some time away from ice hockey I decided that I finally had the time to invest in trying something new with my photography. I decided to put a casting out to see if anyone would like to work with me, the only images I had to show were landscape ones which weren’t really applicable but I hoped showed that I at least knew my way around the camera and this new direction was something I could adapt to. I got really lucky with Jessica Foxx and Beth Loki both being willing to work with me, they both have good experience and helped me get started.
DM: What has the past few weeks been like for you? J: The past few weeks have been great for me, things have really developed in a positive way and I’ve had some fantastic models contact me to shoot and I’ve been really lucky with the people I’ve had an opportunity to shoot with recently. When I first started out in this field I really threw all my time into it and was shooting on every single day I wasn’t working my full time job. This was great and it helped me get experience but I’ve started limiting my shoots so that I have a better work life balance and I’m passionate about every shoot I’m doing because I’ve had the time to plan it in advance and get concepts together. The brand is starting to come together a little bit more with the logos I have and the website starting to look more cohesive, it’s challenging keeping up to date with everything, thinking about the way in which I want to market my images and how I want to progress in this field. DM: Your logo is pretty amazing like...is this the beginning of the bearded cynic empire? J: I was really lucky to be able to work with Dave Robson a graphic designer in the north east to get the logos together. Dave worked through a lot of different ideas before we stuck with the ones I’m currently using on my images. We have some back up watermarks and logos that you might be seeing across my images and site soon but like the brand and my photography it’s a work in progress. As for whether this is the start of the Bearded Cynic empire, it seems like a lofty ambition but I like the idea. I am having some tee’s made up and hope the photography continues to go from strength to strength. I’ve had a lot of help and encouragement from members of the photography scene across the UK trying to help me progress and I have a game plan for trying to continue my development, fingers crossed it’s successful and my images will start to be seen across a larger audience
DM: Tell us about the images you chose for Darkus...what was it about them that appealed to you the most. J: I wanted to use images from a couple of different shoots because I always feel the results I get from each shoot are different and it was worth conveying that in the article. The shots with Tashii Opium were taken specifically for the magazine as we had shot previously and she’s effortlessly natural in front of the camera and has a great style about her.
DM: I know we have discussed this issue a couple times over a glass of Johnny Walker...but in a nutshell what are you views on the whole TFP versus Paid argument? J: I stand in a very “on the fence’ point of view with this one which is unlike me. It is the same for creatives in all aspects of photography whether it be photographers, MUA’s, Stylists, models etc it can be frustrating when you feel you are losing paid work because others are offering to do the same work for free. That being said everyone needs experience to improve on their skill set and TFP is the clear starting point for this.
Ida Holmes was a shoot I already had planned in as I had seen her work and was really pleased to be able to sort a shoot with her. I hadn’t worked with Ida before this shoot and as the shoot progressed and I could see the results we were getting I decided to try and incorporate some of them into this article.
It’s a difficult balancing act as I know that if I have specific requirements for a shoot or a specific model in mind then it is only fair to reflect this when approaching them for a shoot and enquire about their rates.
The shoot with Eve Elizabeth was an impromptu one but I was definitely lucky to be able to work with her, she’s a fantastic model and the shoot flew over. I loved the results we got with soft lighting and that’s why those images were added in.
Essentially it comes down to respect, If you feel the project is beneficial to all those involved then by all means enquire about working TFP, however don’t be offended if TFP isn’t an option and try and be understanding that everyone has their own projects and priorities and they might only be taking on paid work.
The final image from the article was taken from a shoot with Lola Filth and Jessica Foxx. I’ve shot with both of these models on several occasions and always come away with results I’m happy with, they’re great models and very easy to work with. This was the first time I got to shoot them together and the image I used for this article gave a really nice sense of attitude and confidence. Jess and Lola have both been a great help in getting this side of my photography off the ground so I’m pleased to have captured an image that fit in well with the article.
In terms of how I approach a TFP shoot in comparison to a paid shoot, I approach them in exactly the same manner. The professionalism and organisation for a shoot should always remain the same and I always want to achieve images that both myself and all others involved with the shoot are happy with and they leave the shoot feeling positive and pleased about having worked with me.
DM: Congratulations on making it to the front cover as well. To see your work featured in any publication - how does that make you feel? J: It’s fantastic; I genuinely didn’t expect to get the cover so that was an awesome surprise when I was informed. The Bearded Cynic photography brand has really progressed much quicker than I expected so to be in a publication within a year of starting out has really blown me away, I’m definitely feeling very lucky to have all the support I have which has enabled this to happen. DM: With the new year in sight have you thought what the main aims will be for bearded cynic in 2015?
DM: There is no escaping the fact that the north east is quite competitive for creatives. What would you say would be your main survival tactics? J: I’ve learnt to always get references and always make sure I feel comfortable going into the shoot that both myself and those involved are all on the same page and have a clear idea on what we want to achieve. Aside from that I just try to stay laid back and take each shoot as it comes. DM: For a shoot to be successful in your eyes what are some of the key things you would expect to see from the others involved?
J: Enthusiasm, as long as everyone is working towards the same goal and enjoy the shoot and keep a positive attitude it really doesn’t matter to me if things don’t go perfectly to plan. Having a mood board and a clear idea on the direcJ: I’m trying to keep my goals for 2015 relatively simple, I have a list of models I tion the shoot is going to take definitely helps, agreeing to levels in advance and would like to work with from around the Uk and i’m hoping to organise a tour to being clear on the shoot goals also helps. Aside from those thing’s I really like try and get to work with as many of them as I can. It would be great to feature working collaboratively with people, It’s great when people have suggestions on in more publications. Overall my aim is always the same, to keep progressing, shoots or have an idea they want to try. Photography is a creative process so improve my photography and try helping other creatives where I can. working with creative people always makes for great shoots.
J: Levels is an important subject in this field of ages too? photography, a lot of people assume it’s only the model that is allowed to have “levels” they J: People working with my can expect me to be are happy to work to. This definitely isn’t the positive and enthusiastic about the shoots and case, as a photographer I’m not going to take laid back, I conduct myself in a professional my best images if I’m uncomfortable so I do manner but still always want shoots to be fun, have levels I’m happy to shoot to. These do I’m a naturally chatty person and enjoy the vary on things like how often I’ve shot with process of working on shoots so as long as you someone and the success of those shoots. are passionate about achieving great images we There’s a high level of trust in working with should work together great. As for those that someone on a shoot and agreeing levels prior to follow my social media, you can expect regular the shoot and sticking to them plays a large updates on what I’m doing and hopefully you’ll part in that trust. continue to see my images improving. You’ll probably get a combination of all my images, DM: What can people expect not just from what I want to achieve and my thoughts on life working with you but those who see your imin general…mostly the photographs though.
DM: Wishing you all the best James. How can people find out more about Bearded Cynic photography?! J: There are several ways you can get in touch with me or follow my work. I have a webpage which is www.beardedcynic.co.uk a Facebook page which is under Bearded Cynic Photography and an Instagram page which is beardedcynicphotography. I can be contacted via either my site or my page and I always get back to enquiries quickly, I’m currently starting to book shoots for the New Year. Thanks for all the support so far.
About Me My name is Amy Laura smith and i sell hand made, quirky, crazy cool halter tops for alien babes, mermaid princesses' and basically anyone who has awesome style! I started my shop, in June this year, selling handmade matching sets of tie up halter tops and skirts and shorts on a website called Depop. It has a similar set up to Instagram but you can buy things! i had loads of interest in the stuff I made and gained just over 12k followers on the site which really gave me the confidence to create my own website and brand identity, as i knew people loved the stuff I made! In September I created my own website using Big Cartel and its just gone up from there! I used Instagram and Depop for promotion which has been an amazing way to show off my ideas and has also helped find some great people to work with, such as Emma Crompton, Natalie Yang and Miriam Marlene who I am working with constantly shooting new exciting pictures and lookbooks! I really love working with up and coming young photographers and love making garments that are fun and exciting for them to photograph! I would say my favourite piece in my shop is definitely the rainbow mermaid shell halter! its just so fun and makes me so happy when I see people wearing it because it turns everyone into a true mermaid princess! For me this year has been crazy - having to juggle starting university with making orders, and keeping Instagram updated with marketing and promotions. I am loving it! Meeting lots of new people daily and getting a lot of support from social media! What does the future hold for me? At the minute I am not planning ahead too much as I have only just started out I really have not idea what could happen! I have a new collection coming out in the next few weeks, and am constantly working with photographers around the world to create new exciting photo shoots! I am also looking to expand into accessories and may be working with some other small online shops to expand my selling outlet! I am just taking it as it comes and am always excited to see what happens tomorrow! My website is-amylaurasmith.bigcartel.com and my Instagram is @amylaurasmith Just remember my name and you'll find some fab clothes!