Nice People Issue 10 by Nice People Magazine

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Nice to see you again. Welcome to Issue 10 The big one-oh! Being independent, as much as it can be a struggle to keep afloat, is a means of bringing people together. It’s about being able to shout about the people who deserve to be shouted about, supporting those who need to be supported and spotlighting the colourful communities we share a doorstep with. As the head honcho here at Nice People, I often sit and wonder if it’s worth all the rigmarole of finding funds, chasing deadlines and late night editing. But of course it is. Being part of a kind, bold, supportive independent community is what makes running this magazine so worth it. This milestone edition is dedicated to the last three years of nice people: sharing a city with them, celebrating them and, most importantly, developing friendships with them. The cover features only a handful of the acts who have played our gigs and we’re proud to call our mates. A big thank you to the cover artist and day one nice one Julia Pomeroy for capturing the energy of the last three years so beautifully. She designed our original logo and has always been a true friend - Julia, you’ll never have to buy a pint when you’re with me again! Thank you to the kind illustrators and writers who have contributed their time and talents to this issue. Thank you also to our advertisers for taking a punt on us and keeping this magazine afloat - there is never a shortage of nice people in Leeds. Thank you Lizzie, Oliver, Millie, Gus, mum, dad & the Book Club fam for always being there for some sound advice and a cuddle. Thank you as always to Tom, who’s carrying the Nice People torch over in Toronto and producing some excellent live sessions over on @nicepeoplesessions. I hope this copy of the magazine gets soaked in something bubbly now we’re allowed back in the pub. Stay Nice, Meg x Co-founder & Editor

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Front cover design by Julia Pomeroy (@j.uliapomeroy)

Managing Editor: Meg Firth

Logo design: Julia Pomeroy

Co-founder: Tom Nixon

Pull-out poster: Zac Rosso (@zacrosso)

Printed by Mortons Print

CO N T E NT S 4

Nice Gigs Up North

English Teacher

August Charles

Our guide to the

The emerging band talk about

The neo-soul singer-songwriter

unmissable gigs

being pigeonholed, future

sits down with good friend Yusuf

reyt ont doorstep.

ambitions and the impact of

Yellow to discuss the art of music

Leeds music scene.

and how it is a form of therapy.

18 8

Julia Pomeroy

Aletha

"To Go Please"

Get to know the fine artist and

The staple of Leeds nightlife talks

The first installment of Izzy

Leeds Arts University graduate

with The Lila Booth about how she

Weglowski’s ongoing series of

behind the cover of Issue 10.

began DJing, representation in the

short stories. A barista finds

industry and mental health.

friendship with a customer.

28 Molly Pukes Comic Strip The animals take an office break and go to a nice show in this delightful comic by illustrator Molly Pukes. FIND US Facebook: Nice People Magazine Instagram: @nicepeoplemagazine allthesenicepeople@gmail.com

NICE GIGS

REY T ONT DOORS TEP

UP NORTH SELECTED BY NICE PEOPLE MAGAZINE

WHAT’S YOUR FLAVOUR? Laid Back

Something New

Hot and Sweaty

Vibey

LEEDS MONDAY 27th SEPTEMBER

FRIDAY 15th OCTOBER

FRIDAY 29th OCTOBER

Nice People Magazine Issue 10 Launch: featuring The Sunkissed Child, August Charles & LAIKA Hyde Park Book Club For fans of: laid back, introspective songwriting that make your toes tap.

Team Picture Brudenell Social Club For fans of: seeing a band before they’re huge.

Bored At My Grandma’s House Hyde Park Book Club For fans of: Clairo, Best Coast, Van Houten...

TUESDAY 28th SEPTEMBER

Art School Girlfriend + Tony Njoku & Kimber Hyde Park Book Club For fans of: Beach House, Massive Attack, Japanese House...

TUESDAY 19th OCTOBER

THURSDAY 11th NOVEMBER

IAMDDB Belgrave Music Hall For fans of: Nat King Cole and Erykah Badu if they made modern trap and R&B.

Far Caspian + Van Houten Brudenell Social Club For fans of: Chugging basslines and a lot of reverb.

THURSDAY 21st OCTOBER

SATURDAY 31st OCTOBER

Pip Millet Belgrave Music Hall For fans of: buttery vocals and minimalist R&B beats.

Nubiya Garcia Belgrave Music Hall For fans of: jazz-fusion at its very best.

FRIDAY 22nd OCTOBER

SUNDAY 31th NOVEMBER

Superfriendz introduces: Mya Craig + Shansea, Yusuf Yellow & special guests Headrow House For fans of: discovering the best emerging hip hop acts.

Easy Life O2 Academy Leeds For fans of: having a cig first thing in the morning.

SATURDAY 30th OCTOBER

FRIDAY 2nd OCTOBER

Shaku + Ponyland & Bunkerpop Hyde Park Book Club For fans of: facemelting guitar riffs and silliness.

WEDNESDAY 10th NOVEMBER

Yussef Dayes Leeds University For fans of: pulling that face when there’s an excellent beat and bassline.

Self Esteem Belgrave Music Hall For fans of: putting the Radio Times in front of all the gossip mags in Tesco. WEDNESDAY 17th NOVEMBER

Greentea Peng Belgrave Music Hall For fans of: clever neo-soul that’s as smooth as butter. SUNDAY 21st NOVEMBER

Mr Jukes & Barney Artist Belgrave Music Hall For fans of: MF Doom, Madlib, Loyle Carner... er...

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

MANCHESTER TUESDAY 28th SEPTEMBER

THURSDAY 16th OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

Los Bitchos YES For fans of: bongos, synths and tequila.

Marlowe YES For fans of: L’Orange and Solemn Brigham.

Nubiya Garcia Gorilla For fans of: having a bit of a boogie on a school night.

THURSDAY 8th OCTOBER

THURSDAY 23rd OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

Willy J. Healey + Trudy & The Romance YES For fans of: loose trousers and stomping guitar licks.

Gruff Rhys + Bill Ryder Jones Albert Hall For fans of: looking out of windows when its raining.

Falle Nioke Soup Kitchen For fans of: gentle soultronic beats and multilingual lyrics. WEDNESDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER

SUNDAY 31 OCTOBER

Yemi Bolatiwa & Untold Orchestra perform Nina Simone The Blues Kitchen For fans of: Ms. Nina Simone

PINS YES For fans of: wearing sunglasses indoors and actually pulling it off.

WEDNESDAY 13th OCTOBER

WEDNESDAY 3rd NOVEMBER

Snapped Ankles Gorilla For fans of: not knowing what’s going to happen.

Falle Nioke Soup Kitchen For fans of: gentle soultronic beats and multilingual lyrics.

Ashley Henry Halle At St. Michaels For fans of: bold modern jazz with wonky basslines.

THURSDAY 25th NOVEMBER

Altın Gün YES For fans of: global psychedelia and hypnotic Turkish vocals WEDNESDAY 27th NOVEMBER

Alfa Mist O2 Ritz Manchester For fans of: global psychedelia and hypnotic Turkish vocals

Illustrations by Ekaterina Sheath @ekaterina.m.sheath

WEDNESDAY 24th NOVEMBER

SHAME + The Goa Express + Wu-Lu O2 Ritz Manchester For fans of: getting sweaty and loud with strangers.

SHEFFIELD FRIDAY 1st OCTOBER

THURSDAY 7th OCTOBER

FRIDAY 5th NOVEMBER

Nubiyan Twist Sheffield University For fans of: infectious afrobeat, hip-hop, jazz and soul

Bo Ningen Record Junkee For fans of: fierce and electric noise being spat at you, politely.

Bang Bang Romeo The Leadmill For fans of: Tarantino soundtracks if they were queer.

SATURDAY 2nd OCTOBER

THURSDAY 14th OCTOBER

THURSDAY 11th NOVEMBER

Team Picture Sydney & Matilda For fans of: (trust us, they’re going to be huge.)

Dream Wife Yellow Arch Studios For fans of: empowering and unapologetic garage punk.

Sorry Sidney & Matilda For fans of: bopping to roaring basslines and wonky beats while your shoes stick to the dancefloor.

SATURDAY 16th OCTOBER

The Belgrave House Band play Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours Abbeydale Picture House For fans of: watching some of Leeds’ best musicians cover an iconic album.

Girli O2 Academy Sheffield For fans of: putting horrible boys in their place.

SUNDAY 24th OCTOBER

THURSDAY 25th NOVEMBER

The Magic Gang The Leadmill For fans of: wearing tailored suit trousers with a band Tshirt.

JAWS Sheffield University For fans of: synthy guitar music that’s really good.

WEDNESDAY 24th NOVEMBER

ISH L G EN R TEA E CH English Teacher, with their inspired lyricism and Indie sensibilities, are the Leeds quartet steadily rising to the top of the class. Writer Eddie Smith sits with Lily Fontaine and Nick Eden to discuss identity, songwriting and their love for Leeds.

ost-Punk as a term has always represented a broad genre of music, grouping artists together for their stance rather than sound. A label that came into fruition largely in retrospect, referring to a specific period in the late 70s and early 80s, it has recently been reappropriated and attributed to a whole slew of contemporary acts – many of whom share little more than an attitude. One such act is English Teacher. “Post-Punk has a lot of stigma on it now,” says lead singer Lily Fontaine. She sits upright on a red sofa in Burley, proudly sporting a Clue Records beanie indicative of her enthusiasm for the Leeds music scene. A wry smile betrays the outwardly dour demeanour of Nick Eden, the band’s bassist, who sits beside her. “It doesn’t feel accurate for a lot of what we do,” Fontaine continues. She’s right. But then again, English Teacher’s sound morphs from song to song, capable of darting between garage rock fervour and reverb-laden indie pop. Despite their conventional lineup (vocals, two guitars, bass, drums, and synthesizer), they treat each song as a blank canvas, throwing out all that has come before time and time again; building from the ground up. Fontaine adorns each piece with consistently poetic lyrics, often crafting intricate metaphors to convey her opinions, dropping in references to Victorian literature, local history, and even YouTube channels along the way. Her vocal style refuses to stand still; fragile and soulful in one instant, brazenly monotonous the next.

After meeting at Leeds College of Music, the band began life as Frank in 2018, before adopting a new name and settling on the lineup of Lily Fontaine, Nick Eden, Douglas Frost, and Lewis Whiting. “We all liked our English teachers at school,” explains Fontaine, “I think we all had crushes on them.” Over the past 18 months, the band have been steadily releasing singles, most recently through Nice Swan Recordings. They’ve also been supporting artists such as Yellow Days, No Vacation, and even appearing alongside Sports Team on their fabled Margate coach trip. The seaside town is the epitome of Englishness, a subject that troubles and inspires the band. Though lyrically they show a lot of warmth toward particular towns and places, there are some factions of the nation that impress them less. On their recent track ‘Wallace’, Fontaine points the barrel of the gun at the political right-wing. Named after Wallace Hartley, bandleader on the doomed Titanic and famous son of Fontaine’s hometown of Colne in Pendle, the song is an attack on those who choose to look the other way. “The rampant nationalism – it frustrates me.” Fontaine displays a look of discomfort, “I’m glad I’m from here, but I’m not particularly proud of it.” Eden takes a sip of water from a glass stein the size of his head. “I’m proud to be European,” he adds with a smirk. Besides notorious witch trials, the Pendle district may seem as if it has little to offer a lyricist. Fontaine, however, excels in transforming the smallest idiosyncrasies into sweeping allegories. “I see it is as creative writing. It’s fictional scenarios representing real-life things. Facts aren’t necessarily that important to it,” she says. At times this results in the lyrics drifting into absurd territory. An example of this is ‘The World’s Biggest Paving Slab’, written from the point of view of a (you guessed it) huge paving slab that rests outside Colne Town Hall. The song explores the history of the area, highlighting the noteworthy within the mundane and reconsidering the slab as a neglected celebrity.

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Image: Sophie Jouvenaar

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Recent single ‘R&B’, however, has bucked the trend somewhat. “I don’t think many of our other songs are as personal.” Fontaine fixes her collar, glancing to the corner of the room. “Though they’re all about me in some way or another, that was the first one where I referenced myself.” Personal as it may be singing about ones own voice and writing style, Fontaine taps into universal themes, confronting issues of racial identity and imposter syndrome over a searing chorus of guitars. She is as accomplished with the literal as she is with the figurative. “I prefer the [figurative] stuff,” the singer replies when quizzed on her preference, before backtracking. “It is nice to write from a personal perspective, but it’s scary.” One city that is referenced less than might be expected in Fontaine’s lyrics is Leeds, for which the band have nothing but praise. “There’s the Brudenell Social Club, which is incredible, and Hyde Park Book Club. I don’t know if we would have had such a good start in music if we didn’t do it in Leeds.” Despite hailing from all over England (“We’re frauds!” claims Eden) the band have adopted the city as their own, and are proud of it too. “The third to last gig we played, people were chanting ‘Yorkshire,’ and we weren’t even in Yorkshire,” says Eden. “I mean, we were at least five minutes from Yorkshire.” “We were in Manchester,” asserts Fontaine. A debut appearance at this years Leeds Festival shows how much the band’s stock has risen in their short time together, yet Eden is coy with his reaction. “It was a mixed bag, but I had a great time,” he says. Fontaine meanwhile is keen to stress the uglier side of performing. “It’s one of those things that as a musician you only dream of doing, but it was incredibly overwhelming, in a scary way, and I don’t want to not mention that to people,” she confesses. “I look at the videos and I’m like ‘was that me?’” Fontaine’s ruminative honesty sets her apart from other frontmen and women. Where others thrive on bravado, she expresses sensitivity freely, finding the value in honesty.

"It's one of those things that as a musician you only dream of doing..." The festival appearance coincides with a wave of support from the music press, notably including plays from radio DJ Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music, which Eden describes as “A blessing and an honour.” With the music industry focussing more on streams, and now even on TikTok appeal, English Teacher appear to be doing it the ‘old fashioned’ way, via live performances and radio airplay. “It’s a shame there are not more shows that have such gravitas,” Eden laments. One gets the feeling that the band are very much at home on the radio, capturing listeners with their urgency and playfulness. With tour dates across the UK fixed until the end of November, English Teacher are quickly establishing themselves as not only a vital part of the Leeds music scene, but of the UK indie scene as a whole. As a plethora of guitar bands continue to excite the nation, English Teacher are proving as worthy as any of them. Albums and headline slots surely await, but for now, Fontaine and Eden are reluctant to give away too much. “Before Christmas, there’ll be something,” teases the bassist. The blank canvas has been daubed once again; the picture, however, is yet to be revealed. If English Teacher continue to push their sound into unexplored territory, perhaps post punk will remain the most suitable label – if only in the most literal of sense.

Eddie Smith

GUS T U A S CH E ARL Fresh on the Leeds scene, Neo-soul singersongwriter August Charles is a name that is soon to be on the lips of industry heads and fans alike. August sits down with rapper and friend Yusuf Yellow to discuss how music is an opportunity for self-expression, escapism and self-exploration.

uring 2020, August Charles blessed us with two singles: ‘take me away’ and ‘something new’. These introspective tracks are a raw and powerful display of his storytelling ability and emotional vulnerability. Although this artist has the presence and mindset of someone pursuing the craft their whole life, August had no intention of being an artist at all. He would only write for himself, using the medium to express and process his inner contemplations. Lucky for us, August came to a point where releasing music made sense. Now, imagine walking into an art gallery: you quietly observe the different pieces, noticing one you like. You walk over to the painting, spend some time contemplating the artist’s intentions, decide on what your interpretation is and then move on. To an extent, this is how August wishes people would approach his music. He mentions, “Over time, one thing that’s lost is the idea of music as an art form.” August feels that audiences often expect an explanation and some context given whenever a song is released. Yet, the meaning of a song is very personal to him, and his wish is for the audience to form personal associations. From an artist’s perspective, this reaffirms how music and art plays a multitude of roles depending on when a listener approaches it and how it relates to the narrative of their life.

Yet, with August’s new single ‘blessed’, (released September 10th) he felt a need to give more context to the listener. The song is a heartfelt tale about his relationship with his mother he adores but has felt a lack of emotional connection with while growing up. He stated that the song “Is almost a cry out to express things that have happened in the past”. “Growing up, I was forever in my head and never really had an outlet or anyone to talk to about these things”. August has found an outlet through his writing, which has led to such emotionally charged music. He stated that there will also be a music video coming for this single that will visually express the feelings he shared in the song. This Summer, August found himself at Tramlines Festival - his first festival experience since Covid restrictions lifted. Amongst 60,000 people, August brought an unmatched energy to the stage with his band. The band immerse themselves in the music, completely uninhibited and treating the stage as a rehearsal room. On stage, August feels like he’s a different person, almost shutting off his normal personality and letting the music take him wherever it may. When he gets off stage, it’s almost as if he’s waking up from the trance of performing. One of the other beauties of music, aside from the internal journey it takes you on, is the opportunity it gives you to share and merge ideas with other creatives. August mentions that his first two singles were made in lockdown over the internet, meaning there wasn’t much flexibility to merge ideas creatively. August is now working on an exciting project with his band, allowing him to express a whole different side to his music. This first body of work also combines the emotions and ideas of multiple people. August will be making a significant impact on the Leeds scene over the next few years. You’d be a fool not to check out his music and go and see him perform live. This has been Yusuf Yellow, peace and love to everyone reading, make sure you stay hydrated. Joseph Alhallak

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Image: Rasha Kotaiche

THE LILA BOOTH INTRODUCES:

ALET H A Hailing from Manchester, Aletha has become a heavyweight on the Leeds DJ circuit. The Lila Booth sits down with the party-starter to talk about how she started DJing, the importance of representation in the industry, and the impact nightlife has on a DJs mental health.

fter a year of non-existent nightlife, the sound of Aletha’s electric acid, techno, juke, and groovy broken beat in the club is a god save. Growing up in Manchester, Aletha attended indie concerts that allowed her to discover dance music from their supporting DJs. She continued exploring the sounds of heavier techno and acid in her college years, before later moving to Leeds for university. Here, Aletha began getting into the soulful and rhythmic sounds of bruk while putting on her own events - and finally starting to DJ her own discography. Aletha is now one of the most sought after DJs in Leeds, after playing almost all the venues in the area; with a residency on Sable Radio and Melodic Distraction, and her name on the exclusive lineups of Dimensions, We Out Here, Outlook, Fabric, and Keep Hush. Aletha began her path into music at home: “My mum and dad were both interested in music like Motown and R&B, so my dad would show me Lauryn Hill and The Fugees. They loved Luther Vandross. That influenced that side of the stuff that I like, but the main influence from my family was my uncle. He manages bands and would give me tickets to go to Manchester Academy, so I was into indie music because of the stuff that he showed me.” In Year 7 and 8, Aletha’s older sister would go to Ibiza, doing seasons out there and bringing back all the Ibiza classic CDs which Aletha says got her into electronic

sounds: “I’d put them on my iPod and take them into school”. At sixteen, she began creating playlists on Spotify. “At house parties, people would ask me to put the music on, but I don’t think I ever considered that I would be a DJ. It was only the music. Back then female DJs weren’t as noticeable. It wasn’t until I saw Jayda G play at Wire that I thought this is something I could do. I didn’t think I could buy my own records or mix until I saw that representation. Seeing her being mixed-race, with curly hair, throwing it around, not giving a shit about what other people think… when I’d go to clubs, I’d be too scared to move my head too much – am I gonna get my hair in someone’s face and make them annoyed? Her not caring was really inspiring.” Feeling inspired, Aletha began collecting records and started mixing after purchasing her first turntables, teaching herself as she went along alongside bits and pieces of what people had taught her. She solidified her DJing whilst doing resident sets at Belgrave and Headrow, becoming familiar with CDJs, after having started exclusively with vinyl. At Leeds University, Aletha studied Human Geography, and afterwards started a job at the Leeds City Council as a planner, inspiring her to start a masters in town planning. After recently getting a job as a senior planner, she is passionate about combining this role with music. “I saw that there were a lot of struggles between nightlife and planning. A lot of the problems that occur in clubs is flats being built too close to them. I want to make a difference.” During covid, the impact upon venue spaces was huge. The flats near the clubs were finally happy, but as a DJ it was hard to stop playing sets to a crowd. Not only did nightlife provide a space for letting loose to music, but it was also essential for many people’s social lives. “Everything was centred around a night out; when that all stopped, you had to then think of other ways to hold onto friendships. It became quite strange and isolating.

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Image: Alice Palm

Covid didn’t necessarily affect my work life as much - I had a job and an income - but without having a musical outlet, it was just really strange.” Aletha lived on her own for the first three months of lockdown, which she describes as being horrible, especially to begin with. Due to already struggling with anxiety, it felt like going into overdrive. Metal health issues within the DJ community have been described as a crisis. With constant nights out becoming your work, substance abuse can be easier than ever to engage in, along with little sleep, and too much travel. “I often think I will have just a couple of beers just to settle my nerves, and then a couple of beers turns into more than a couple of beers. I think it’s a confidence thing, when your sober you can overthink everything so much, but I would love to DJ completely sober at some point as alcohol has had some form of impact on my mental health, and it does put me off.” In the age of social media, the mental health of DJs has also been impacted by the constant need to self-promote through platforms like Instagram, which most promoters now use to scout DJs, as well as club-goers to find a party. “It’s kind of impossible now to do anything without social media. It’s stressful to have to be constantly posting and updating everything”, Aletha says. As well as Instagram being used now for businesses and promotion, it can also be a self-branding platform in a way that is solely about image, beauty, and style. There are signs that this has begun to have influence people’s opinion of women’s priorities, as Aletha tells me how comments have been made on YouTube that women aren’t good at mixing because they spend all their time taking selfies. “Some men have the perception that the only reason women DJ is for the look of it.” Now that clubs have reopened Aletha is being booked left right and centre. One of her favourite gigs to date was the live-streamed Keep Hush night at the Old Red Bus Station, where she went b2b with Dubrunner

"At house parties, people would ask me to choose the music. But I'd never even considered I could be a DJ..." on a heavy 160bpm set. The crowd were ecstatic and the energy in the room was at a non-stop high. However, there was a moment that forced her to re-evaluate the positive energy when a man from the crowd approached her, asking where she was from, and then denying her being from Leeds as she was “Multicultural”. “It massively threw me off, my mixing suddenly got a bit sketchy. Whether they were trying to throw me off because I was a woman or a person of colour, I don’t know, but after that point, I felt more determined to do well, which isn’t right. You shouldn’t have to do any better than you think you can, just because someone has made you feel that way. I think if there were other people in the booth in the future it’s going to make me more cautious. I’ve seen so many videos recently of female DJs recalling men messing with the mixer or trying to flirt with them. Do men have to experience that, or is it just us?” Despite the hurdles that Aletha has faced as a woman of colour in the DJing industry, the future couldn’t be brighter for this talented, eclectic, and knowledgable DJ, who we can certainly all trust to give us a night to remember.

The Lila Booth

The Lila Booth is the spotlight project by Leedsbased DJ and booker Lila Cusset. With a regular slot on NETIL Radio, The Lila Booth provides a platform for emerging DJs on the underground UK scene. @thelilabooth

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Image: Hannah Metcalfe

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

by Zac Rosso (@zacrosso)

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Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

A JU LI

POMERO

Julia Pomeroy is a multidisciplinary artist from London capturing the unguarded state of mind. Following her artist-in-residence position at East Street Arts’ Patrick Studios, Pomeroy talks with friend Meg Firth about channelling universal feelings of loneliness and isolation in her psychologically charged works of art.

ince school, Julia Pomeroy has always shown promise as a budding artist. She would sit contentedly crosslegged in the playground, drawing animals while footballs and kids raced past her: “We had a great teacher in Year 6 who let our PE lessons be a bit of a free for all,” Julia reminisces. “I’d sit with a sketchpad and this encyclopaedia full of animals. I loved the textures and colours of the furs and skins.” A strong appreciation and awareness for texture and colour are ever-present in Julia’s bodies of art. She transforms large canvases into bold, vibrant scenes of the everyday. Exploring how colour and light interact together, Pomeroy constructs subtle narratives in the relatable scenes she paints. With broad yet delicate brush strokes, Pomeroy captures the energies of contemporary figures and the spaces they occupy. “How we have evolved as a society and our reactions to the everyday is fascinating,” Julia muses. “I get easily lost in questioning whether my work is contemporary enough or responsive to hardhitting themes, but I think it’s just as important to analyse our everyday introspections.” Themes relating to introspection, comfort and loneliness underpin Pomeroy’s paintings. With layering bursts of vibrant marks, Pomeroy situates contemporary figures within psychologically charged spaces. The scenes are relateable and familiar, with unarmed states of mind at the forefront. “I love to see people lost in their own worlds,” Julia admits with an affectionate smile.

“I like the contrast of people being occupied both physically and mentally, and contextualising it with the external world. Their immediate environment feels like a safe space where they are allowed to get lost in their thoughts and not have to socially perform. I like to capture people on that boundary they’re not paying attention to me as an onlooker and they feel comfortable in their environment.” This refreshing optimism helps recalibrate the way we perceive the often monotonous and mundane scenes of everyday life. Pomeroy transforms someone staring at their phone into a vibrant display of selfcomfort, candid beauty and introspection. The way she marries colour and light celebrates these social comforts and the relationships we develop within both public and private realms. Part of Julia’s work process is to photograph a candid, everyday moment that resonates with her. Here, she captures friends in deep conversation, a stranger casually rolling a cigarette, a bored mind lazing in their home. Her artworks migrated from the public realm into the private confines of her subjects’ homes in response to the covid national lockdowns. These works communicate the collective sense of detachment we all experienced and inspire an underlying conversation surrounding mental health, loneliness and isolation. “Before the pandemic, I painted scenes of the shared pleasures we experience together in a celebration of social comforts and relationships. When we were in lockdown,” Julia continues, “my paintings became about readjusting to life within walls. The pandemic messed up my initial appreciation for looking at figures in the contemporary world. The facade of knowing what we’re doing became twisted with the lockdowns.” Being bored and unstimulated as a population is what inspired Pomeroy’s most recent exhibition at Sunny Bank Mills: ’Collective Isolation’. Created during Pomeroy’s 6-month awarded residency at Patrick Studios, the works in this series encapsulate the restriction of lockdowns: they migrate from exploring outdoor spaces in sunny towns to being restricted to the confines of our homes. “It made sense to pinpoint this challenging time through the series and depict how life is when we’re unable to live freely,” Julia explains.

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Image: Sophie Jouvenaar

Being awarded a studio space to explore her practice (first at Sunny Bank Mills in the winter of 2020, then Patrick Studios in the New Year) was invaluable to Pomeroy, who was used to working from the kitchen table or her bedroom. With national lockdowns taking away access to university studio spaces during her final year, Pomeroy found herself determined to complete her 2-meter tall degree show painting in the back alley of her student house. Despite these unconventional circumstances, Julia graduated from Leeds Arts University with a first and her name on many ‘Ones To Watch’ radars. Being from London, and having completed her foundation year at City & Guilds of London Art School, it would be tempting for Julia to move back to the Big Smoke following many of her peers. Yet, Julia believes that there is a “cultural wave” happening in Leeds, and she’s keen to evolve her practice in a city where “collaboration and kindness” is valued. “I love the close-knit communities in Leeds; there is a different variation of creative on every corner. You can go to Old Red Bus Station just for a dance and discover a new artist with their work on the wall, or go to Hyde Park Book Club for a coffee and see who the Art Club [HPAC] is exhibiting. The arts scene in Leeds is not very prominent - it’s all very DIY and under-the-radar. But it’s exciting seeing new galleries being established - like Screw Gallery - representing artists in a professional way aside from temporary pop-up exhibition spaces.” Julia is very much a part of this new ‘cultural wave’ of artists blossoming in the city. With Leeds Arts University, Beckett University and the University of Leeds all offering Art courses, it’s inevitable that Leeds has become a petri dish for aspiring young artists away from the white cube galleries of London. Julia is quick to spotlight her friends and peers who are practising their craft in the city: “Will Fise and I used to paint for hours together in our shared studio space at uni - his paintings are astounding.”

Top: ‘Manahatta’ (2021) Oil on canvas Middle: ‘Kashmir’ (2020) Oil on canvas Bottom: ‘Parade Sweetness’ (2020) Oil on canvas Overleaf:

‘Ever Changing Light’ (2021) Oil on canvas

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

“I always love Hugh Robert’s mural work the way he combines screenprinting, painting and typography on a canvas.” “Luci Pina has just started a residency at East Street Arts and her illustration style is so confident. I get jealous looking at her work!” It’s no doubt that Julia Pomeroy is going to excel in her craft as she continues to navigate her path as a professional artist. She talks excitedly about exploring other disciplines, such as sculptures and installations, before eventually moving back to her roots in London. With the world reopening, it’s exciting to see what collective mood Julia will capture next with her empathetic and timeless style.

Meg Firth

BOUNDLESS LP

(COMPILATION ALBUM - ECOMIX VINYL)

SHOWCASING SOME OF THE BEST NEW MUSIC FROM CREATIVES OF COLOUR BASED IN YORKSHIRE ORDER FROM CPWM.AWESOMEDISTRO.COM

‘Before the Coffee Gets Cold’ #1 by Izzy Weglowski

GO, O T "

Illustration by Harri Ketteridge

PLEAS

n oat milk latte with one pump of vanilla syrup. That’s what she ordered every day for three months. On hotter days she added ice but apart from that, there was no variation. I began making the coffee before she even ordered it at this point. She bounced through the doorway every day, curly hair swishing behind her as she greeted each of us individually. I often wondered where she had been or where she was going, but I never asked. Most of our conversation revolved around the weather or coffee and didn’t deviate from those two topics. She did once ask me what song was playing in our small coffee shop and I took great delight in writing it down for her. That was the only time we had acknowledged that we may have something in common, but I still wanted to know her. Being a grown up had begun to feel a lot like treading water. Making friends at twenty three felt near impossible. I knew that people did it, but how? She was so open and easygoing that the thought of offering my friendship to her seemed far too intense. Asking her to go anywhere with me could be misconstrued as flirting. Talking in more depth in my workplace felt imbalanced. There didn’t seem an appropriate way to become her friend.

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Nevertheless, I tried to be approachable whenever she came in, asking how she was and listening earnestly. I even attempted to make smiley faces and cats in the foam of her lattes. It sort of became a game we played; her guessing what I was creating before I had even finished. One Friday, my coworker revealed that they were uni friends, not very close but still friends. I was told we would get on, apparently we had lots in common. My coworker offered to introduce us outside of work but that seemed pathetic to me. I wanted to be able to make a friend on my own, not doing so made me feel like a child going to nursery school for the first time. It was as if I had forgotten how to talk to people entirely. I suppose most of the friends I’d made in the past few years had been situational; we met and bonded through a shared education, sport or job. It was only recently that I’d begun spending time with coworkers outside of our allotted shifts. So, making a friend that was completely separate from myself felt altogether alien. Oat Latte Girl was almost certainly too aloof and charming to have concerns like this. She was effortlessly cool and disarmingly confident, I imagined that making friends was easy for her. Some people just have a natural gift for connecting with others. She was standing opposite me, chatting to one of my colleagues, whilst I made her coffee. I listened to them joke about their shared messiness, both fussing over their hair and clothes. I was trying to swirl a flower into her coffee but it was just a misshapen blob, so I pushed a takeaway lid onto the cup and slid it across the bar towards her with a smile.

“No art today?” She exclaimed. “It didn’t turn out so well. I’ll do better next time, I promise.” I joked. She popped the lid off her cup and turned it slowly in both hands. At every new angle she guessed what I had tried to make. A Mouse, A Ghost, A Star. None were right, but it was a fun game that made me less embarrassed about my lacklustre skills. We never came to a resolute decision about what it was that shimmied on the top of her coffee. Instead, she took a gulp of the now lukewarm drink and licked the foam from her top lip. As she reached the door, she paused and turned towards me again. “When’s your next day off? Maybe we can go somewhere where you don’t have to make the coffee for once.” I told her we could do something tomorrow and she said to meet at midday. It felt strange, not getting a phone number or Instagram. I would just have to trust that she would show up, like my parents used to, I guess. I sort of liked it. It made our commonality feel more authentic. Her forwardness made me feel bolder. She demonstrated that being direct could pay off, maybe making friends was a lot simpler than I had led myself to believe. Maybe I could be better at it than I thought.

Izzy Weglowski

Nice People Magazine Autumn 2021

Molly Pukes is a freelance illustrator and animator based in Leeds. Their colourful and comical illustrative style always brightens the page, whether its a custom portrait commission or a comic strip narrating the trials and tribulations of various delightful creatures. Working with Girl Gang Leeds and running a successful Etsy business, Molly’s distinctive work is dotted across the North of England.