Demur Magazine - Effortlessly Cool - February 2018

Effortlessly Cool FEBRUARY 2018

CONTENTS 8 STOCKHOLM

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PICK UP LINES

10

ARTISTS TO FOLLOW

27

EDEN

13

37

WATCH LIST

SHIPS HAVE SAILED

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REAL TALK

@DemurMagazine

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A Fashionable Culture Š All Rights Reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily of the publisher, Demur Ltd. Reproduction in whole or part is forbidden except with express permission of the publisher. It is not the intention to print any matter that discriminates on the grounds of race, sex, sexuality or disability. We accept no liability for any misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages. Demur Magazine is a free monthly publication addressing a fashionable culture. Demur Magazine is published and distributed by Demur Ltd. For any distribution enquiries please email info@demur.co

Editor’s Letter D

id anyone else just feel that? The way January was just dragging and dragging, it felt like this month was never going to end! I don’t what the time to go by so fast but I kind of want it to move at a reasonable pace. February is just going to breeze by so swiftly that it will be summer soon and Christmas again. However, February is an exciting month for so many reasons, besides the fact that some of the most amazing people were born in February, i.e me, February is also fashion week season. This can only mean February is a month of discovering new talent and trends during the four weeks of fashion.

In true Demur fashion in this issue, we are going to let you in on some of the designers who we feel deserve some applause for their creativity and where you can hang out in between shows in London.

You might say ‘well the world doesn’t quite revolve around fashion’ and you would be right in saying that. For the contrarian who wants to get away from the four fashion capitals of the world, you can skip the festivities and head to Stockholm with our handy guide of things to do and see.

As for the one who might not have quite the budget or vigour to get away, you can sit at home and admire some art from some of the artists you should follow on Instagram or find out more about EDEN and his new album ‘Vertigo’. This is not even an exaggeration or an ad but when I first heard ‘crash’ by EDEN I immediately became a fan there and then, so give him a go, he might just be your cup of tea.

We also can’t forget that February is the month of love and no one should be alone on that one special day in February. We’ve put together some lines for you to bag that one person you have had your eye on for a while. Try out our pick-up lines and just make sure we get an invite to the wedding or you make us godparents of your future babies or something. Should you not bag a date in time for valentines, you have yourself and sometimes that is the best company, so you can take a look at our ‘Watch list’ to see what shows you can indulge in, without having to get dressed and leaving your house.

May this month be filled with fashion, love and creativity for you.

Until next time, Noreen Chada Editor

Noreen Chada – Editor Kay Samuel- Editorial Assistant Nicole Samoto – Social Editor Alice Diamond- Staff Writer Emily Bone – Fashion Writer Hollie Ismail – Music Writer Mia Seabrook – Contributing Writer Stella Dzingai – Contributing Writer Harrison Madzivachando – Creative Content Manager Emma Gillett - Graphic Designer

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Demur in Stockholm

A Place For Tranquil Discovery

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tockholm is revered as one of the most sustainable cities in Europe, carrying the highest number of eco-labelled hotels in the world. So, if you don’t like to recycle or don’t think twice before littering, you are probably not going to be embraced around here. Sustainability is such a big thing that the cocktails at boutique hotel, Hobo are made from herbs grown on site in an urban farm located in the hotel’s lobby. Even the local cuisine of meatballs served at ‘Meatballs for the People’ are made from organic meats including moose, bear, wild boar and reindeer.

No doubt you are aware of some of these brands that have now formed part of our daily practices, IKEA, H&M, COS, Skype and Spotify were all made in Sweden, Stockholm is like the Silicon Valley of Europe with so many start ups

coming out that one city. Stockholm is known as the innovative city for fashion, music, art, culture architecture and design. If you head on down to the Mosebacke Design District set up by design agency, Woodstockholm, you will also discover upcoming creatives in music, fashion, art and design.

Apparently being able to take a wonderful selfie with good angles and immaculate light does not make you a pro photographer. The Fotografiska museum puts us ‘selfie connoisseurs’ to shame. The Fotografiska, is one of the biggest museums in the world displaying contemporary photography. Four unique large exhibitions and about 20 smaller exhibitions are presented annually. If you head up to the café at the top of the

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restaurant, you can selfie there if you so wish, whilst admiring a wonderful view of the city that can be seen from the cafe.

Whilst Stockholm is immersed in urban culture, there are many hot spots around the city for those who still wish to be at one with nature. The island of Djurgården which is part of the Royal National City Park, offers the opportunity to trek through the nearby forests or set off in a canoe in the waters. On that same island, you can find the openair museum Skansen and the Gröna Lund amusement park. After you’ve stopped for a spot of lunch at one of the restaurants offering well prepared delicacies, you can then proceed onto the famous Vasa and Abba Museum. Once your day is done you can take a ferry to Gamla Stan, the picturesque old town where Stockholm was founded.

Royal Palace There are more museums, churches and tourist attractions in Gamla Stan including Sweden’s national cathedral, Stockholm Cathedral and the official royal residence, Royal Palace where you can observe the parade of soldiers and changing of guards at the palace. Just in case you are in town collecting your Nobel Prize Award, the Nobel Museum and prize giving centre is also here.

The 30,000 islands and skerries that make up the Stockholm archipelago are just 20 minutes away from the city. The archipelago offers a contrast from the bustling city with the beautiful clean air and tranquillity it exudes. With the Swedish right to roam afforded to you, you can set up a tent, swim, take a hike or go kayaking on one of the islands.

We were of the thought Archipealago that the cold weather was supposed to make you miserable and aloof. However, Stockholm is a welcoming city, the people are polite, at ease and cheery. Although they still like to sort of keep to themselves in public, there is a peaceful feeling about the Scandinavian people, you just feel safe and happy around them.

Stockholm is two hours away from London, if booked in good time, you can get a flight for £70 with a decent hotel costing £60 a night. When you’ve done all of the above and more, you can settle down for a Fika, which simply means have a cake and coffee. Who would say no to that?

Abba Museum

Gamla Stan

Fotografiska

The Instagram Art World Stella Dzingai @stellad_xoxo

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one are the days when you had to go down to your local gallery to discover new art and the artist remained an enigma to you. Now, with Instagram, you can get the art directly from the artists and interact with them more on the social media platform, giving you a much more personable experience. Instagram is your new gallery where you can discover new art and become an art aficionado yourself. These are some of the artists we feel are worth a follow.

Bill Noir @billnoir.chaosmos

Based in Strasbourg, Bill is a French collagist who also designs his own zine collection, ‘Mékanik copulaire’ inviting other collagist to submit their work. For his own artwork, Bill uses recycled books, magazines and old papers to create his collages.

Sara Pope @sarapopeartist

Serving us with lippy inspiration, Sara is actually a shoe designer who has designed for the likes of Paul Smith. Sara’s art features a variation of lips which come as high quality limited edition prints, screen prints, hand finished prints and Giclee prints. Sara also has a portrait of Pope Francis hanging up in the Vatican, talk about life goals.

Prefab 77 @prefab77

Prefab77 are two artists from Newcastle who are anti-establishment and making political statements with their work. Their work has reached overseas shores with some of their art being displayed on high storey buildings in Brighton, New York and California.

Prefab are a voice for the culture through a mixture of acrylic, spray paint, wheat paste and varnish art pieces.

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Jordan Nickel @tenderj

Back when graffiti was frowned upon, no one could have imagined that people would be writing huge cheques to have graffiti art hanging up in their homes. Jordan Nickel is now profiting off of that and his work of pop art. Jordan, known in the streets as POSE is a member of The Seventh Letter, a West Coast Chicago artist collective and Mad Society Kings (MSK), a world-renowned graffiti crew.

VIZIE @eiziv

VIZIE creates illustrations, murals, photography and sometimes hand paintings on clothing. VIZIE together with his brother NEKST helped build up the Houston graffiti community bringing it to prominence in the early 2000’s. VIZIE who is now based in New York has been in the art game for some time and he has now made a transition from street underground art to digital art which he considers unfinished work until the art pieces are printed.

Robin Coleman @robincolemanart

Robin Coleman who has not had any training in art has so far managed to have his work exhibited in various prestigious galleries across the world including, London, Paris, Dubai, Cape Town and California. Robin’s talent for art was developed when he started painting as a release of the pain and stress he was experiencing from a spinal injury. Robin does not have a team assisting him with his work even though he has gained such prominence.

Mark George @_markgeorge

Mark George puts emotion into a picture quite literally, Mark paints love, anxiety and anguish. Mark paints on torn roof panels which he believes gives the pieces an abandoned quality that suggests, the piece is not a painting per se, but a relic or an illustrative portion of an old billboard or advertisement. Mark’s work has a smooth finish which makes it look like it’s bee printed but rather it’s painted. Mark is giving us emotional pop art. Mark is also part of the Winter Group Show currently exhibiting at New York’s Krause Gallery until 24th February.

Tom Bob @tombobnyc

Tom dominates the streets of New York City by bringing objects such as manhole covers, gas meters and water pipes to life with art. You can’t help but stop by and admire Tom’s work no matter how much of a rush you are in, in one of the busiest cities in the world. Tom has been known to turn manhole covers into frying pans, Oreo cookies and escape routes for crocodiles. Check out more of his whimsical pieces on Instagram.

Demur's Watch List Lady Bird

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ady Bird sounds like a coming-of-age film we’ve seen too many times. A girl stuck in a city she wants to leave for good, sulking about her difficult relationship with her mother. However, directing debutant Greta Gerwig tells this old tale with a sweet honesty we’ve rarely experienced on the silver screen. Greta is able to do that with such honesty and guts - and yes, the occasional, annoying tweeness - because this story, out in UK theatres from February 16, is her own.

That strenuous, lacerating feeling of being sawed in half is one that anyone who has ever wanted to move out of a suffocating place knows very well. Gerwig not only knows it but she owns this narrative. She opened up her heart and fed it to the audience, delivering one of the best films of 2017, awarded with two Golden Globes, one for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy and one to Saoirse Ronan, who plays the title role.

The city is Sacramento, hometown to Gerwig and capital of the state of California.

If you’re now wondering “Wait, what?” you’re not alone.

Sacramento is a rather small,

pretty boring place pink-haired, Catholic school senior Christine aka Lady Bird (Ronan) is looking forward to leaving for good, hoping to move to the East Coast college her family can’t afford.

The film is set in 2002, at the beginning of the economic crisis, Lady Bird’s father Larry (Tracy Letts) loses his job and competes for a new one with people half his age. That same economic crisis will bring the country to its knees in five years’ time, smashing the last outpost of the American dream.

Right before the opening scene, a quote from journalist and writer Joan Didion reminds us that what we’re about to see is a very different take on the Californian myth: “Anybody who talks about California hedonism has never spent a Christmas in Sacramento.” Only a Sacramentan like Didion could use sarcasm while still sounding softened by her native city.

Only a Sacramentan like Gerwig could embrace these mixed feelings and process her visual journey back to her hometown with anger, grace and gratitude.

Gratitude pervades this opera prima, although hidden under layers of pretentiousness and

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arrogance, that kind of annoying bravado only a smart teenager with big ambitions can show off.

That Ronan’s character is an alter ego for Gerwig, and not some kind of fictionalised, embellished version for the screen, is crystal-clear from the start.

“Do you think I look like I’m from Sacramento?”, an eager Lady Bird asks in the very first scene in the motel room, a question she has probably asked before, hopelessly waiting for a different answer for once. “You are from Sacramento,” her mother Marion (Laurie Metcalf) cuts short.

Daydreaming, passionate, intense Lady Bird couldn’t be more different than practical, down-to-earth, harsh Marion.

Thanks to Ronan and Metcalf’s powerful performances, the film explores their complex

perfect mother-daughter friendship which, although soothing, is hardly ever relatable. Lady Bird and Marion are the opposite of #motherdaughtergoals and that is okay.

If the crossfire at the motel isn’t enough to give you a taste of this mother-daughter feud, there is a petty argument in the car shortly after. It ends up with the protagonist dramatically throwing herself out of Marion’s car on the way back to Sacramento.

Emotional car rides are a recurring narrative element in Lady Bird. Quite significantly so as they provide Lady Bird with a form of escapism she desperately needs, but also with a chance of growing up, as in the ride to prom when she stands up to her toocool-for-school boyfriend Kyle (Timothée Chalamet).

They are important to Marion, too. When Lady Bird is finally leaving for college, Marion coldly refuses to walk her to security at the airport and she drives away in tears only to rush back a few minutes later. A heartbreaking but pointless change of heart, as her daughter has already left. The hug Marion gives her husband at the airport

Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird is a fresh, honest take on The Same Old (coming-of-age) story

hall is one of the most honest moments in the whole movie, alongside two other hugs: the one Lady Bird gives to her gay ex (Lucas Hedges) and the other she gives to her best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein) after prom.

Lady Bird is Gerwig’s long love-hate letter to her city and her mother, who is tellingly called Christine like her character. The reconciliation which both occurs over the phone in a moving moment of truth.

“Did you feel emotional the first time that you drove in Sacramento,” Lady Bird asks her mother in a voicemail message at the end of the film, as images of those very same bridges, bends and old signs she has seen a billion times go by accompanied by Jon Brion’s dreamy soundtrack.

That’s when she realises how much she owes to her city. “I guess I pay attention,” Lady Bird

says when the teacher nun tells her she must love Sacramento from the way she wrote about it in her college essay. And, more often than not, love and attention are equivalent.

Greta Gerwig paints Sacramento with such care, it is impossible not to catch a glimpse of that love. It is also impossible to understand why she wasn’t nominated for Best Director at the Golden Globes, but that’s another story the Oscars have fairly fixed. As we are looking for more fresh female stories told from a female perspective, Lady Bird fits the bill and reminds us all we need our roots as much as we need new places to sprout up.

Stefania Sarrubba Twitter @freckledvixen

How The Beatles Changed The World? – Netflix One of the most iconic bands to come out of the UK, The Beatles influenced a culture and left a great legacy. This documentary tells the story of the band’s impact on music and society in general, through interviews and old footage from the lads’ heydays. We see how four young men dominated the world and became a national treasure.

UnREAL – Amazon Prime What really goes on behind the scenes of a reality tv show? UnREAL reveals all by showcasing the life of a TV producer who sabotages an American dating show in order to film worthy footage that will boost viewership. UnREAL may expose some truths about some of your favourite shows, so watch it with caution. We have no doubt after watching this, you will be questioning a few things or two.

What Else Can You Stream This Month?

Bates Motel Season 5 – Netflix This is the final season of the hit series based on the 1960 movie ‘Psycho’. The 10-episode season will be arriving on Netflix this month and will feature a slight variation from the original plot. Norman is still up to his old tricks whilst taking care of things at the motel by himself. However, Norman develops a stronger fondness for a certain someone and of course ‘Mother’ disapproves. So, in turn ‘Mother’s’ presence grows ever strong and Norman finds it difficult to cope.

Goliath – Amazon Prime Who doesn’t love a good old legal drama? Goliath is an Amazon original series featuring Billy McBride, a once hotshot lawyer who has fallen from the top and is now bar hoping seeking solace. Back in the day Billy helped build up a hugely successful law firm and now he has to fight a case of wrongful death against that very same law firm, unravelling a lethal conspiracy in the process.

Fashion Week The Designers

Fashion Week is all about designers setting trends for tomorrow. However, because of how saturated the market is and how eventful fashion week can be, some designers are often overlooked and thus we miss out on exciting trends. If we were to host our own fashion week, these are some of the designers we would make sure get the spotlight.

Shrimps by Hannah Weiland Although Shrimps showcased at London Fashion Week last year, we just get enough of their elegant faux fur coats. They add a certain graceful style and colour to our wardrobes. Shrimps can count Pixie Geldof and Alexa Chung as their customers and if you fancy your own piece of Shrimp you can pick one up at Selfridges, Matches or Net- A – Porter.

Krasimira Stoyneva by Krasimira Ivanova-Stoyneva Krasimira is all about being ethical and sustainability. The London based designer uses synthetic hair instead of fur promoting the hashtag, #wearhairnotfur. Krasimira’s AW17 collection was rather politically vocal in that it was inspired by the Syrian refugees, Brexit, Donald Trump winning the US election and the death of Fidel Castro. The Krasimira Stoyneva brand is for the bold, confident, fun free spirited individual.

ASAI by A Sai Ta A Sai Ta first came to our attention when he made his debut at London Fashion Week with the Fashion East Collective. With his Asai collection, A Sai who is the son of Chinese refugees who fled Vietnam, decided to infuse his cultural influences and address “the concept, and perhaps the fear, of China’s strength.” For his SS 18 collection, A Sai created what he called 'an Asian culture based on western perspective. It’s like Chinese whispers’, he described his clothing.

LAB by Louis Alderson-Bythell Louis a graduate of the Royal College of Art received a Dewar Arts Award in 2015 to assist with his master studies. Louis is impeccable at pattern cutting. In his designs, he utilises a variety of cloths including Vermiculite, silica and carbon fibre to create wearable art. Coming from Edinburg, Louis is taking this fashion thing worldwide. You can also catch Louis presenting some art pieces at Rotterdam Art Week as part of the Schuit Collection.

Matty Bovan by Matty Bovan Matty Bovan will be having his very first solo show at the official London Fashion Week, but he still deserves to be on our schedule. Matty who has dressed Rita Ora amongst many others, makes clothes for the modern woman. Matty has been working on his craft for a very long time, he rightly deserves the recognition he is continuing to get. There is something about Matty Bovan’s brand that just screams ‘free spirit’ and we are drawn to that.

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Do Accolades Such As A Grammy Really Matter Anymore?

For years artists have been boycotting award shows for the simple fact that these artists just feel a little unappreciated. Notably, Frank Ocean has exempted himself from the Grammys completely and will not even submit any of his music to be considered by the academy. Fans of Jay-Z were recently disgruntled, as the rapper who was up for 8 Grammy nominations did not pick up a single one of the awards he was lined up for.

Despite the millions of people worldwide who applauded Jay-Z’s latest album, the Grammy committee did not seem to think the album deserved an award. A similar thing happened with his wife Beyoncé last year as she lost out to Adele for ‘Best Album’, although ‘Lemonade’ was considered by some, as Beyoncé’s most poignant solo work to date.

So, it seems it doesn’t really matter how many records you sell and how much your fans adore your work. If the academy is not feeling it, your music just isn’t worth an award. But should that stop Beyoncé from being Beyoncé?

Is being a music artist all about collecting awards and being acknowledged? Do accolades really matter?

Nonetheless, there is a certain credibility that comes with having an award attached to your name. One award or even a nomination can beef up a career, how may Grammy nominated artist have you heard of?

Accolades offer publicity enhancing an artist’s career and they have the power and influence to essentially validate a career. The value that often comes with the right award can often lead to further opportunities, which works tremendously for those who receive the ‘Best New Artist’ gong. Record sales usually go up when an artist wins an award. Still, awards can also put pressure on an artist to deliver.

After the celebration of your award, you now

must prove why you were so worthy. Now that you’ve got our attention, all eyes are on you to deliver.

Some artists will spend time and money perfecting their craft to make sure it’s awardworthy only for it to be snubbed. Accolades are a celebration and acknowledgement of your achievements and should you not win, does that mean all that work was in vain?

Critics have often accused the academy committees of being out of touch with society.

There are some impeccable artists that we all know of that never seem to come to the Grammy boards’ attention. Are they not good enough, are they not to the selection group’s taste? Do artists now need to alter their work to sit the musical palates of those who sit on the committee?

Several artists who have been in the music game for so long and have never won nor been nominated for any of these prestigious awards, have gone on to leave a great musical legacy.

Marvin Gaye and Kurt Cobain died before receiving their Grammy awards, so clearly not winning an award does not nullify your career.

Marvin Gaye and Kurt Cobain will remain as some of the most significant musicians of our time and any other artist who feels snubbed not lose hope because us the real authorities of music appreciate you.

Noreen Chada @noreenchada

Effortlessly Cool Editorial

Photographer

Christian Santos

@Chrissantosfilms chrissantospictures.com

Wardrobe Stylist Yenifer Ubiera

@yenifer.ubiera yeniferubiera.com

Makeup Artist Mika Omura

@make_mika.o

Hairstylist

Alexis T. Allen

@ataminnaa alexisallenhair.com

Model

Taylor Harden

@johntaylorharden Wilhelmina Models

LOOK 1

White Goggle Beanie: C.P. Company Colorful Long Coat: Ricardo Seco Graphic T-shirt: Barking Irons NY White socks: Adidas Red Shorts: OBLANC White Mesh Sneakers: Tretorn

LOOK 2

Graphic top: Barking Irons NY Sneakers: Tommy Hilfiger Jewelry: Irka Designs Bandana & Socks: Stylist’s own Printed Shirt and Dark shorts: Vintage

Tribeca New York

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LOOK 3

Black Beanie: Stylist’ own Denim Jacket: Barking Irons NY Graphic T-shirt: Barking Irons NY Printed Sarong: Bozzi NY Printed Pants: Rideau Sneakers: Vans

Demur Pick Up Lines T

here is no better feeling than being in love. It’s pretty easy to spend the rest of the year without worrying about having a better half, but Valentines Day is a holiday that just wants to shove it in your face, that you currently have no one.

If that is the case for you fear not. With these pick-up lines we have compiled for you, you are sure to pick up a date.

1. Did you buy those jeans at a sale? Because they are 100% off at my place – A bit creepy, make sure you pick someone who looks like they have a sense of humour.

2. You: Would you like a raisin?

Potential Bae: No thanks You: How about a date? – As long as they are not allergic to dates, this should be fine.

3. You smell like trash..... Can I take you out? – You might not get the reaction you are hoping for, but still worth a try.

4. I'm not a photographer, but I can picture me and you together. – Forward thinking and planning is also welcomed in a relationship.

5. You look cold. Want to use me as a blanket? – 9 times out of 10, this will certainly work in England.

6. I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by YOU. – Said the overly wasted guy in the club.

7. Boy: I think your face looks like someone? Girl: Who? Boy: My next girlfriend…:) – This could be awkward, if you don’t get a laugh just walk away please.

8. Hi, I’m Mr. Right. Someone said you were looking for me?

– As long as you promise to live up to your title, we can’t see her saying no to be honest with you.

9. Are you a bank loan? Because you’ve got my interest – This seems like most appealing kind of interest, who wouldn’t want that?

10. Is your dad a drug dealer?

Cause you're so Dope! Hopefully his or her Dad isn’t an actual drug dealer, otherwise

you could find yourself picking up more than what you bargained for.

11. Most people need 3 meals a day to keep going... I just need eye contact from you. -I mean eye contact is great, but you can’t survive for long without food.

12. You so lovely, you make me wanna go out and get a job – No one wants a scrub and if he or she makes you want to go out and get a job we are all for it.

13. You look ill. You must be suffering from a lack of Vitamin ME. – Doesn’t really sound like a compliment, but might just work.

14. You remind me of an overdue library book, cause you got Fine written all over you. – Does anyone still use the library these days?

Please use these lines at your own risk.

WARNING: YOU MAY BECOME A LOVE GURU IF THESE LINES ARE USED EXCESSIVELY. Nicole Samoto @nicolesamoto_

EDEN TALKS VERTIGO with Hannah Marie F

or one day only, we caught up with Dublin based electronic producer and singer-songwriter EDEN. We got into the nitty- gritty of his journey to becoming the artist that is known as EDEN. EDEN shared his first-hand experience that you don’t have to splash the cash to be a successful international recording artist. Read on for an insight into the life of EDEN and some unexpected tips on how to make your music a living dream…

Hannah: What brought the name EDEN about?

EDEN: I set up a band and called it The Eden Project, and I got sucked into music production. So, I moved to the name EDEN when the time was right. There wasn’t a grand conspiracy behind the name it just came about.

Hannah: You ventured into a different genre from being ‘The Eden Project’ to just ‘EDEN’. What spurred on that change?

EDEN: I have a history of finding new genres and diving really deep into them. I used to be really into dance music when Skrillex and Deadmau5 exploded. I loved it, and I was already making music when I realised that people make full sounding songs that sound unbelievable and they don’t need the rest of the band or the orchestra. I thought I could just do it all myself, so I started making a lot of dance music and that was me finding new things.

I was scraping the genre barrel, so The Eden Project was always temporary for me. I knew I was always going to move on. I knew it wasn’t the artist project that I wanted to make a lifetime thing.

I was backing out of the EDM thing and finding this weird space between a whole bunch of things that I loved. I thought it was really exciting, it felt right, and it was time for a change.

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Hannah: Vertigo was released on 19th January. How long had you been writing and working on the album?

EDEN: A long time. The last song on the album is about 3 years old. I was scared to work on the album as a whole because I knew how much work I put into the EP’s and I knew what I wanted the album to be. I didn’t feel ready to start the album because I didn’t think I could do a good enough job. But then slowly but surely I had an idea and I loved it so much I saved it and started building it up. At the end of 2016 I made ‘start//end’, and thought this is it, this feels like the album. Then 2016 through to just before the summer of 2017, I had been sketching ideas and writing things down and made a large chunk of the album.

Hannah: So, after you made that first track 3 years ago, what was holding you back from releasing it straight away?

EDEN: Well when I made that track I was making ‘I think you think too much of me.’

There was a lot going on and I was touring, I just had a creative block. I was writing but nothing gave me the same feeling.

Hannah: Can we expect any future collaborations?

EDEN: There are none in the pipeline right now. I have before, but I always had a chip on my shoulder that this first album should only be me. From the words to the music to the mixing and mastering - I didn’t let anyone touch it. I just felt it had to be that way. But now that’s done, there’s a whole world of music collaborating that I haven’t touched and that’s really exciting. I really want to collaborate with SZA, but she’s become massive recently. Even before ‘Ctrl’ came out I thought oh my god she’s amazing. ‘Ctrl’ was probably my favourite album of last year. Start to finish it is a wonderful piece of art, but you can’t compare albums because everything is so different.

Hannah: Which artists other than SZA are you listening to at the moment?

EDEN: I really like the King Krule album ‘The OOZ’. I love his writing style. The production and the slinky jazz gloopy feel of the album I thought was so cool. His songwriting is just incredible. I love the way he formulated the songs from a lyrics point. I just really like it as it really resonates with me.

Hannah: What software do you like to record on?

EDEN: So, I use Logic Pro. I started by using Garage Band when I was about 13 and me and my brother used to drag the loops around. I started making bad techno, and then picked up dance music and then started doing it seriously. I would make music on the computer at any spare moment I had instead of doing homework.

Hannah: You’re only 22, do you have any tips for someone trying to emerge into the music industry?

EDEN: Someone was asking me for advice the other day saying she’d like to start putting songs on Soundcloud and I asked her if she had recorded them and she said no, so I said don’t feel like you have to get a professional recording of it. There is a phone recording on my album that I recorded on my Sony phone. It doesn’t have to be super high quality – you don’t need to spend all your money at a studio. If you feel strongly about it, people will find it and you can’t please everyone anyway. As you get better, pick up gear as you go, it took 3 years for me to become EDEN and I’m only just releasing my album. It just takes time, and you can’t expect everything to be a hit. But the reality is if you want to do music as a career, do it. I would put music out even if nobody would listen to it. You just have to experiment with it. People over think it too much and don’t get started. Just go and run with it. It’s the best thing you can do.

Hannah: Do you write songs for other people or would you like to?

EDEN: I used to want to. I used to like the idea of sitting in my bedroom and making music and not doing shows. I thought instead of doing shows I would write songs for other people. I help a lot of my musician friends write songs, but I haven’t really submitted a song for someone else yet.

I have songs I would never use, I just haven’t gotten around to it, but I would like to.

Hannah: The music industry can be unreliable in terms of making an income. Do you have any tips for people trying to make money out of their music?

EDEN: For me, I was in school when I started making music. I was living with my parents didn’t have any bills to pay and I didn’t want to sell my music, so I put it online for free. I grew my

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fan base by the time I dropped out of Uni, and thought if I started my music, I could support myself and thankfully, my parents didn’t kick me out. So, I didn’t start selling my music, but I did start putting it on Spotify. I might as well be on the platform if people are using it. So, I started making as much money as people thought I would just from Spotify, and that was like wow.

There is money to be made there, its just being realistic in what to expect. I don’t think you can decide to be a musician and quit your job and start from scratch and that will pay all your bills.

So just use all your free time and put music online and build a following so that when it comes to the point when you’re finished Uni, or your music is taking off, you know what steps to take next.

Hannah: How long did you go to Uni for and what did you study?

EDEN: I went for about 2 weeks and then stopped turning up because I was skipping class to make music. I was studying Science, because I wanted to be an Astronaut or a Musician.

They’re both crazy long shots so I thought I’d study Science and get as close to being an Astronaut as I could, and then the music thing happened.

Hannah: Which opportunity has made the biggest difference to your career so far?

EDEN: I think Spotify helped a lot because I didn’t want to sell my music, so I put my music there and started earning money. It helped as it was a security thing. I was making enough money to live comfortably, and that’s kind of ‘making it’. At that point, I got to do what I loved all day and every day. And be alive, eat, and have somewhere to sleep every day and not be in a hostel or a shelter. That’s freedom in a way.

Putting my music on a platform such as Spotify was a good opportunity and opened everything up. When I signed with management at the end

of 2015, the first thing that they suggested was to put on a tour. It took it from being an Internet thing to seeing people at these sold out gigs.

Hannah: Do you have any future music goals?

EDEN: I want to make music that is cool and just share it with people. I’m so pumped for the new live show coming up, we’re re-doing everything we’ve done before and its brand new. I’m already living comfortably from music, so I just want to make cool stuff. I would like it to be successful but if it stays like this or it gets smaller, it’s not the end of the world. You have to get your priorities right and I just want to make things I’m proud of and that I love. I’d like to be making music in the same way but hopefully on a bigger scale. Maybe collaborate with people. Maybe have A SZA verse on the album. Diversify it a bit.

I really want to make cool clothes, but I don’t really have the resources at the moment.

Hannah: What is your favorite venue you’ve performed at so far?

EDEN: There was one in Washing DC and they gave me an apple pie, I really liked that. I’m a sucker for an apple pie and it was delicious. I

played in Brussels and there was this place called La Rotonde, it was one of my favourite shows ever because it was such a weird and interesting space.

Hannah: You’ve got a massive following on social media. Do you have any social media tips that emerging artists can use to grow their fan base?

EDEN: I’ve not really cared about having a big social media presence since day 1. It gets to the point where my management suggests I post something. I’ll leave my Facebook without a post for about 2 weeks. I didn’t have Instagram until about 2015/16. My friend in America made my Instagram because he thought I should have it.

But I love it now because I love photography.

Do what you feel like doing and don’t feel under pressure to conform to expectations. You don’t have to have social media or use it in the way that everybody else does.

Hannah: If you weren’t a successful musician, what career path would you follow? …And you’re not allowed to say Astronaut EDEN: I really like driving, so like a racecar

driver? When I started having my businesses, Meek Mill sampled one of my songs and this was before I had a manager or a lawyer. I had to work out tax codes and all the information that comes with it. I thought it was really cool, I like the business side.

Hannah: Do you still get nervous when you perform? And if you do, how do you tackle it?

EDEN: I was in stage productions at school, so I don’t get crazy nervous, but it still affects me sometimes. On the first tour I did, it was like 7 shows and they were all spread out, but I couldn’t eat or sleep properly…but I’m over that now. I can eat that apple pie anytime! I guess it’s good to remind yourself of little comforts you can do, so if I’m thinking about my voice being tired, I’ll just drink tea or throat coat, and it’s comforts like that are so helpful. It’s a mind over matter thing, if you think you won’t be able to do it, you’re more likely to fail. If you can do little things like having a tea or making everyone leave the room so you can have a moment to yourself, do that.

Hannah: Do you have any tips for writers’ block?

EDEN: Every time I have writers’ block, it’s gone away in different ways. Sometimes just making yourself work on it even though you’re uninspired. I think the most important thing is to have faith in yourself. Remember it’s not a forever thing and it will go away.

Hannah: What’s the best part about being an international musician?

EDEN: I get to work with some amazing people and do what I love. When you go international, you’re busy with shows and meetings and hotels etc. but you do it for the love of doing music. The people that you meet are one of the best things about it. All the success could disappear in a day, but I know I’ve made new friends.

Hannah: What do you think has been the key to your success?

EDEN: I don’t know what makes people listen to my music, but I think what has been really helpful is that the demographic that listens to my music are in the same age range as me and you. I’m essentially going through the same thing that people that listen to my music are. We are growing up together. I also think I’m inherently basic and I think that’s why it resonates with people.

Hannah: Lorde liked your song ‘Sex’, how did that feel?

EDEN: I thought that was fake. I texted my manager asking if it was a hack and asked who posts on Facebook walls anymore? Then I realised if she was hacked why would the hacker post on my profile? It would be the worst frape ever. It was weird. Growing up in Ireland the music is very UK and US centric. It always feels like you’re looking in and it still feels that way to me to an extent. So, she’s someone I listen to and she makes incredible music. Not only did she listen to my music, she liked it enough to post it on Facebook. It was nice to know I’m not as separated from everything else that’s going on. We haven’t been in contact since, but I did see her at Coachella last year, which was cool.

EDEN’s debut album ‘Vertigo’ is out now. EDEN sat down with Hannah Marie, the soul fused rocker from London.

How The Modern Day Independent Musician Markets Herself s artists, one of the things we are A required to do to boost our careers is, market ourselves. Naturally, we want

to share our music with anything that has ears, but how do we reach our audience?

Where would we be if we didn’t have our fans? We are fortunate enough because technology is constantly evolving and has made it easier for the independent music artist to sell their brand. Here are a few tips to help you grow your fan base and spread the word about your music.

Who Are You Singing To? It’s important to identify your audience to know how, when, why, what, and where to promote your music. What platform should you promote your music on and what is the best time to upload content?

Things like people’s age, gender, and interest determine this, however being active on all platforms is useful to reach a wider audience. If you need help analysing your audience, look at data analytics from your social networks, to help you understand the performance of your page.

Spread Some Groupie Love As everyone and their Nan has a social media page these days, you want to make sure your brand personality shines

through. Whether you’re a metal band with a sense of humour, or a quirky pop artist, people want to see the real you. Put some charisma into your posts. Respond to comments from fans, keeping things personal. Ask questions in post descriptions that prompt people to reply, and voila! …You have fan engagement!

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Borrow Some Fans Find artists that have a similar vibe to you. Have a snoop through their followers and follow them also. They could be your next biggest fan, but they just haven’t discovered you yet, draw attention to yourself!

Plan Your Future Share Your Stories Stories are the future of social media. Including stories on your Instagram page makes you seem less robotic. You can now also include highlighted stories on your page which means if someone new views your profile, what you want them to see first will be looking them straight in the eye. We are all a bit lazy, so you want to ensure that your fans can get to your music in the quickest way possible. Including direct links in your posts and stories means they can access your music in one click. Why not play/sing live in your stories as well. They are following you for your music, so why not give them a free live taster?

considering. Why not use relevant hashtags to link your post directly to a community of things that are related to the same topic. You only have a limit of 30 hashtags in one Instagram post, so use them wisely.

Let Them Have Their Cake And Eat It Too If you’ve got a gig coming up, you will hopefully be giving your fans the best performance ever (so lucky them, right?) but

Even if you make the greatest song on earth (and let’s be honest, we all think our music babies have no faults) you want to make sure that you can’t be forgotten. Uploading regularly and being consistent lets fans know that “you’re still standing”, succeeding, and creating. If you don’t have time to upload regularly, take a moment to schedule your posts for the week.

Using management apps like Hootsuite and Buffer helps you plan ahead. These apps will post for you while you’re constantly on the go.

Remind Them To Show Some Love

Having a lot of followers means a great deal to the big guns in companies. That’s why it’s really useful to include reminders for people to like/share/comment/ subscribe. This is really handy for YouTube, where you can add buttons at the end of your video. You can also add links to your other social media accounts to remind people to follow those as well. Having a countdown for a song release is really beneficial, because it’s unlikely that all your followers will see the final post. Another way of doing this is to sponsor your post so that more users will see it. Cross-promotion, using platforms that join forces to help you sell your brand on each account, is also worth

what would be the cherry on top of the cake? Cheap drinks?

Discounted merch for the first few people through the door?

Remind them it’s going to be a sick night with their favourite band!

Promote Others Do give credit when you collaborate with other creatives. Tag people in your posts and if they’re like-minded, they’ll do the same. And what happens if they’ve got a

massive fan base…? Your name will have just been released to all of their followers. After all, we’re all in the same boat, we might as well help each other step up along the way.

That’s it for now, stay on that grind.

By Hannah Marie, the soul fused rocker from London. See Hannah’s advice in action on:Facebook: HannahMarieSmithMusic

The Songs That Made Us Fall In Love With These Movies

e all have that one movie that completely resonates with us, W no matter how old it seems to get. The one thing that all our favourite movie moments have in common is this: the soundtrack

accompaniment. Whether it’s a spirit-lifting musical number or an atmospheric background piece that enhances the emotional depth of the scene, these soundtracks make us love the film even more.

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‘La La Land’ (beautifully composed by John Hurwitz) is first on the bill, another modern musical with a soundtrack to die for. “A Lovely Night” is a great example of how a song can have an impact on its audience, without needing lyrics. Even though the song starts with a duet between the two main characters, the real swell of emotion is from the moment they start dancing to this music, and we can see the feelings of the two protagonists evolve from hatred to love, and our feeling for “La La Land” grow also.

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Although ‘The Greatest Showman’ is the latest on our list, it has already made its way into the hearts of millions around the globe. The film stars Hugh Jackman, Zack Effron and Zendaya, and has many heartwarming numbers, but without a doubt, the song that captures the essence of the whole film, is “This Is Me” (Written by Keala Settle). This inspiring musical number comes in when the cast are coming to grips with themselves as outcasts, and showing that they don’t have to conform to society’s expectations: a revolutionary act for the 1800s setting. It sends out the message to the young people of the cast that they can be themselves, and it adds so much beauty to the film.

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3

Quite possibly the movie of 2001, ‘Moulin Rouge’ is a whirlwind of emotional singing, dancing, and drama. The song that everyone remembers for being the most, up-beat, visually engaging, and overall lovable song of the entire movie, “Sparkling Diamonds” is the perfect accompanying song for the scene in which future love interest Satine, attempts to impress poet and protagonist, Christian. It encompasses everything about the movie, from its quirky nature to its comedic value, and “Moulin Rouge” simply would not work without it.

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Second to last on our list is the animated adventure, Disney’s ‘Tarzan’. Almost every child growing up in the late 90s to early 2000s fell in love with Tarzan and his ‘mother’, as soon as Kala cradled her adoptive baby to “You’ll be in My Heart” by Phil Collins. The message created by the film is that blood does not limit family, and those closest to you are your family, and this is made apparent at the very beginning through this touching lyrical piece that sets up the tone for the rest of this classical family favourite.

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Finally, our top song that makes us love the movie, even more, is the astounding ‘Les Miserables’ (2012). The heart-breaking story of a young mother that cannot provide for her child amid the French Revolution touches every soul it reaches, and the gut-wrenching song “I Dreamed a Dream” proves exactly this. Anne Hathaway provides a haunting performance with a freshly shaven head and tears streaming down her face so that we cannot help but feel for her character, Fantine in this scene and wish to follow her story through the movie and see out the revolution following her death.

So, there you have it. These songs prove an excellent movie is nothing without its soundtrack.

By Lydia Redpath

Let’s Just Dance with Ships Have Sailed W

e can all admit music does something to us, especially when it’s a song that makes us stop and ponder about life. On their latest single Ships Have Sailed’s vocalist Will Carpenter says, ‘I wanted to dive a little deeper and explore the struggle of always wanting more no matter what you already have, which I think is almost a feature of the human condition.’ This made us even more curious and of course, we wanted to find out what more we could learn from the duo’s latest single.

Alice: 'Let's Just Dance' is a track about the struggle of always wanting more no matter what you already have. What do you want more of right now in spite of what you already have?

Will: Well it's more of an idea rather than something super specific...the idea that there's always something more to strive for or desire. For example, I'm always wanting to experience every moment...I never want to go to sleep...I live for the next interaction, conversation, that next glass of wine, the next great creative burst. So, it's not just one

thing, it's a constantly shifting target with the same general feeling around it...and it can be a great motivator, but if you let it control you it can also build up into a feeling of discontent if that makes sense, so that's always something I try to avoid.

It's all about keeping the inspiring aspects of that condition while trying to keep the more negative ones at bay.

Alice: You are exploring human emotions within your music. What is the emotion that you would like to have better control of in your life?

Will: I think I personally struggle most with the need to please other people. I think as an artist that's a slippery slope because, while of course, you want people to like what you create, you obviously can't please everyone, and art is completely subjective, so that's something I'm always trying to balance and re-balance: making sure that what I'm creating is simultaneously the best I can do, but also staying true to myself artistically as well.

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Alice: Ships Have Sailed, what does this name say about the band?

Will: I love when I'm asked this question! The name came to me as the project was forming, and it was a particularly transitional time in my life... lots of things were shifting and not all of them felt great in the moment but wound up leading to better places than where they started. It led me to do a lot of reflective thinking about where we wind up at any point in time, and how we get there... often something that seems like a wrong turn winds up being the right one once you follow the path far enough. So, I was thinking back to all sorts of 'missed' opportunities, and the phrase 'That ship has sailed' popped into my head, and I kind of thought to myself that it should be more positive, so I flipped it to 'Ships Have Sailed' and realised it was the perfect name for this project. It really has informed our creative progression over the years too, we cover a lot of ground stylistically, and really don't like to limit ourselves when we create, but the common thread through it all is to attempt to find a positive angle through the music, regardless of what we're writing about.

Alice: You recently voiced your concerns about the changes to the Youtube Partnership Programme. What would be the ideal platform for artist such as yourselves to push their content?

Will: Yes, I guess I'm not super shy about speaking out when I see something wrong with the 'system' so to speak. The new YouTube rules are really frustrating for smaller creators because we've all worked really hard to reach the thresholds at which we were considered a 'Partner' only to find

that the goal posts have suddenly moved. Now, it's within YouTube's rights to do this, but I don't think it's really in their best interest long term.

Consistently favouring the larger players over the more independent ones is counter-intuitive because you're no longer being friendly to the next generation of 'big' players - everyone starts small. That said, they're not the only ones doing it - Twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all running algorithms now which really impact the amount of people who see content.

Ultimately, it's all a play to drive revenue from ad spend, but it's slowly starting to squeeze out the folks who operate on smaller margins, so of course, we're concerned with that. What I will say though, is that there is one platform has stood out to me over the past few years, and that's Spotify. They truly seem to support a level playing field for all the artists that use their platform and, while of course popular artists are featured (why wouldn't they be?) everyone has access to the same 'Fan Insights' dashboard that provides some really incredible data about the music you release there and how people listen to it. I think these days an indie artist kind of has to be everywhere, but I've been impressed with what Spotify has been doing. ‘Let’s Just Dance’ is out on 1st February and will be available to purchase and stream.

You can stay connected to Ships Have Sailed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @ shipshavesailed.

Alice Diamond