SNACK Magazine: Issue 23 – January 2021

SNACKMAG.CO.UK ISSUE 23

ABUSE OF POWER COMES AS NO SURPRISE

JANUARY 2021

SLEAFORD MODS | HEN HOOSE | DJANGO DJANGO | SEAN FOCUS | ALAN BISSETT | MICHAEL CONNER HUMPHREYS MUSIC | FILM | VISUAL ART | BOOKS | FOOD & DRINK | LGBT+ | REVIEW | LIFE

CONTENTS WHAT'S ON | P10

EVENTS

INTERVIEWS | P22

SLEAFORD MODS, HEN HOOSE, DJANGO DJANGO, SEAN FOCUS, ALAN BISSETT, MICHAEL CONNER HUMPHREYS

FILM | P76

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS

LGBT+ | P82

THE (NOT) GAY MOVIE CLUB, HIV IN SCOTLAND

FOOD & DRINK | P96 VEGAN RECIPE, VEGANUARY REVIEW | P118

DJANGO DJANGO, SLEAFORD MODS, NUBIYAN TWIST, GOAT GIRL, OLIVIA THOM, JAMES YORKSTON, VELVET, VIAGRA BOYS, SARYA, ANNA B SAVAGE, FELIX & THE SUNSETS, ANDREW O'HAGAN, DARDISHI ZINE, COMFORT ZONE, THE YOUNG MASTER

CREDITS Editor/Sales: Kenny Lavelle Sub Editor: Leona Skene Food and Drink Editors: Emma Mykytyn and Mark Murphy LGBT+ Editor: Jonny Stone Design: Kenny Lavelle Front cover image: Alasdair McLellan Cover quote: Jenny Holzer hello@snackpublishing.com 0141 632 4641 Disclaimer: Snack Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of this magazine in part or in whole is forbidden without the explicit written consent of the publishers. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content of this magazine but we cannot guarantee it is complete and up to date. Snack Publishing Ltd. is not responsible for your use of the information contained herein.

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Hello and welcome to issue 23 of SNACK, Happy New Year! In January 2020, in what now looks like an era of wild and unbridled optimism, the SNACK team were piecing together some fairly big plans for the year ahead. Instead, in Spring, we had to take the difficult decision to put the print magazine aside and switch to our online only format, to keep the mag alive. This year, like everyone else involved in the arts in Scotland, we’ll settle for still being around to tell the tale: ideally, down the pub before a real life show. Anyway, we’re still kicking, and I’m grateful for that.

In this first issue of 2021, we talk to young Forrest Gump, Michael Conner Humphreys, about his role in, and life after, helping create one of the most iconic movie characters of the past 30 years. It’s a fascinating story. We also speak to Sleaford Mods’ Jason Williamson about their superb new album, Spare Ribs, and catch up with Django Django to chat about their fourth album, Glowing in the Dark. Tamara Schlesinger tells us about the all-female Scottish women’s music collective, Hen Hoose, and their plans for addressing gender inequality in Scotland’s music industry. I’m a little disappointed to note that, uncharacteristically, we haven’t hit our own even gender balance target in this month’s issue. We’ll rectify this in the next few issues and throughout the rest of the year.

As for the rest of this month’s issue, I’m sure you’ll find your way around.

Kenny Lavelle Editor

WHAT'S ON

Ok, who was counting down to the end of 2020, confident that better days were coming? Let’s remain optimistic and say that brighter times are still ahead; it just might take a bit longer for them to arrive!

The political upheaval in the US in the opening week of the year has been more captivating than the finest dramas. The greatest scriptwriters are now re-evaluating what is plausible in their films and shows.

There's a lot going on out there, and you know you should stay inside. As you would expect, SNACK is here to help, and we present our guide to what is on (mainly online) in January and February.

The End of TV Back to Contents

MANIPULATE FESTIVAL 21st January till 21st February Arguably the most inventive festival of the year and certainly one of the most interesting, this year’s month long Manipulate will be held almost completely online. Restless Worlds might seem a bit too real for some right now, taking inspiration from a Boccaccio novel where ten strangers sheltered from the Plague. However, much like those characters made their way through the quarantine with story and hope, so shall we. Even with lockdown restrictions in place, the planned moving sculptural artwork should hopefully take place at some point in the year. Restless Worlds is curently planned to run in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Glasgow across January, and February. One of the digital highlights of the event will be ‘The End of TV’. With a soundtrack of 70s R&B pop songs, the show digs into the American Dream, focusing on two intersecting characters at critical points of life in a fictional Midwest US city. If you have any interest in the over-commercialisation of life, and how we got to this sorry state we are currently in, this could be a winter standout.

Though there will be a chance to see some exhibitions in real life, please check the latest listings before setting off. The digital side of the festival will run from Friday 29th January till Sunday 7th February. manipulatefestival.org

Ballad of theHYYTS Crone What’s on Page 11

ABOUT COMEDY 101 A ZOOM WORKSHOP WITH DEAN GUMMER Online – 19th January If there were ever a perfect time to seek humour, January in Scotland would surely be the answer during a worldwide pandemic. Dean Gummer, Edinburgh Drag King, will deliver you the skills you need to hone your comedic chops. Whether you dream of a life on the comedy circuit or you want to captivate people’s attention when we inevitably return to the office or pub, this is the Zoom workshop for you.

The class is a mixture of stand-up routine and self-development, so even if you can’t make yourself funny, you can still laugh at others.

Tickets from Outsavvy

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NOVA SCOTIA THE TRUTH

VIRTUAL CAREERS FAIR 3rd February – 10am till 2pm New Year, New Me, how many of us yelled the same thing into the virgin night sky as we moved over to 2021? It was probably more entertaining than watching BBC. And be honest, how many of us meant it?

If this is the time for a change, Scotland’s career fair is the perfect time to put that plan into action. The event features countless prospective employers, virtually limitless opportunities [well maybe not, but it's still probably not a bad place to start], and as good a nudge as you’ll ever need to touch up that CV. Leap into 2021 with a positive first foot forward. And remember you don’t even need to get out of your bed to attend it.

UKCareersFair.com/Scotland

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THE BARD & HIS BELLES – VIRTUAL BURNS SUPPER Online Burns eh? He was the Ayrshire Pete Doherty of his times. Perhaps Robbie did fewer drugs, but there were more unsettling rumours about slavery. They both had an eye for the ladies though, and the ability to knock out a poem that lingers on well after leaving the room. You don’t need to don your kilt and brave the elements to raise a glass to the bard this year. Log onto YouTube Live and settle down to an evening of well-kent faces, and the knowledge you are supporting the Beatson Cancer Charity.

The event is billed as having top-class guests, but so far, the names appear to be Karen Dunbar, Hazel Irvine, and the Red Hot Chilli Pipers. Perhaps the topclass guests will be announced later. For all that though, it’s for a tremendous cause, and it might be the entry to Burns’ Suppers you have long wished for but never dared to take.

BeatsonCancerCharity.org/TheBardHisBelles

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TAKE UP A LANGUAGE ONLINE Scotland’s National Centre For Languages You’ve likely spent a large part of the past year dreaming of where you will go when we have freedom again. For some, it might be the simple charms of the local pub or the grotesque yet equally charming appeal of a sports stadium.

For many, though, there is a burning desire to see more of the world. Why not give yourself the best chance of enjoying your trip by developing new language skills. You’ll hopefully find some affordable classes for a language that appeals. There are plenty of scientific studies that suggest learning a new language stimulates your mind, so, with this, you can better yourself at home.

Failing that, how cool will you sound in the pub when you roll out foreign phrases that no one else understands?

SCILT.org.uk

ONLINE SHORT COURSES AT THE ROYAL CONSERVATOIRE OF SCOTLAND Online till 31st March You’ve been stuck in the house for more than half a year, you’ve got a passion for the performing arts, and you’ve got endless energy to burn. What’s stopping you taking up an online short term performance course at the worldfamous and hugely respected RCS? The online course offers you the chance to learn new skills, meet new friends and most importantly have fun and enjoy yourself. With weekly classes, evening courses and specialist short studies available, you might find immersing yourself in a role provides you with fresh insight into what you can achieve or what type of person you wish to be. rcs.ac.uk/online-courses

What’s on By Gregg What’s Kelly on Page 15

THE DAZZLED

CELTIC CONNECTIONS 2021 15th January till 2nd February A gem in Scotland’s cultural calendar, pandemic be damned, our Celtic Connections this year will continue regardless. More than 30 performances across 19 days of online entertainment, the event retains its place as a celebratory kickstart for the New Year. With performances filmed across many of Glasgow’s most prestigious venues, international artists from around the world have lined up to create a Celtic Connections that will feel instantly familiar to long-term attendees.

The 2021 line-up includes Jose Gonzalez, Jamaican musician Brina, and Sudanese singer-songwriter Amira Kheir. Homegrown talents like Karen Matheson, Roddy Woomble and Project Smok also appear.

An annual treat is the Roaming Roots Revue. In 2021, the theme is Songs for Survival, something which speaks to us all. Star names involved include Simon Ross (Biffy Clyro), Field Mouse, Ricky Ross & Lorraine McIntosh (Deacon Blue), and many other talented performers.

With the festival lasting for two weeks, there will be countless performers you know and love, and many more you’ve yet to fall in love with. celticconnections.vhx.tv

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EXPLORE STIRLING'S ARCHITECTURE Online Known as the men who built Stirling, (for those of us of a particular vintage, Dougie Donnelly wasn't one of them), Andrew McLuckie and Ronald Walker designed more than 200 buildings between 1886 & 1911. Their legacy still exists in Stirling to this day through incredible architecture in Barnton Street, Spittal Street, Baker Street, the Bridge Tower Clock and beyond. We may not be able to gather in numbers these days, making a proper guided tour of the area some way off. However, while a physical exhibition is planned as soon as it is deemed safe to do so, this online exhibition will allow you to see the city in a whole new light. stirlingcityheritagetrust.org

What’s on Page 17

VISUAL ART Back to Contents

Halyley Tompkins: Pinkest Mesh War

WALTER PRINCE – PEARL LINES HAYLEY TOMPKINS – AFTER A LONG SLEEP, IT WOKE UP The Modern Institute, Glasgow – till 16th January New York-based artist Walter Prince presents his third solo exhibition. This series of paintings, spanning the last three years, can be found at the Aird’s Lane gallery, alongside a selection of new work in the adjacent brick space. These are paintings which manage to combine abstract and representative styles in order to present personal memories alongside collective history. Prince allows viewers to look into familiar settings from unusual and disjointed points of view.

Glasgow-based artist Hayley Tompkins presents six acrylic works of gesso board for her latest solo exhibition. Tompkins takes an experimental approach to painting, viewing it as an active process of thinking and investigating. She presents visions that oscillate between figuration and abstraction, but refuses to be determined as one thing only, leading to a supernatural quality in her work. themoderninstitute.com

RABIYA CHOUDHRY, FIONA JARDINE AND HANNELINE VISNES – AMBI CCA, Glasgow – 30th January till 28th February The CCA presents an exhibition of textiles, fashion and costume holdings from the Glasgow School of Art Archives and Special Collections. The title of the show, ‘ambi’, is the Punjab word for what’s known in Scotland as a ‘Paisley pattern’. Each artist has been commissioned to select one piece each from the GSA Special Collections and track the history of the item, to present a new artwork or story from it. This exhibition explores the history of fabrics, colonialism, and the importance of craft.

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RE-ND-ER-ED: ONE IN-ONE OUT Axiom Art Building, Glasgow – 29th to 31st January RE-ND-ER-ED is an artistic collective dedicated to creating projects embodied in both physical and digital spaces. ONE-IN-ONE-OUT is their latest collection, which aims to present a series of unique digital installations. The installations exist as part of a collection of immersive artistic experiences, through a combination of experimental audio and visual works.

SOPHIE FIELDS: HANGING BY A MILLION THREADS Edinburgh Festival Theatre – till 31st January Designed to act as a statement of thanks to all those who have supported theatres, this is a textile-based installation made up of hundreds of comments posted on the Theatre Emergency Support Fund crowdfunding page. The woven fabric hangs over the theatre to highlight the precarious fate that theatre has faced over the last year. The words of encouragement and hope from the public are written large for all to read, but these do not negate the jeopardy of an industry currently kept alive by donations or an artwork supported by millions of threads.

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PATHS TO OTHER PLACES – DRAWING PARALLELS Linlithgow Burgh Halls – till 24th January A virtual tour of this latest exhibition by Scottish artist James Cosgrove.

The works in this exhibition are primarily rooted in drawing, and look to explore the definition of this form. Cosgrove draws from notebooks and his imagination, rather than let himself be led by representation, and in this way drawing is used to reconstruct situations on larger canvases. Cosgrove’s work uses psychology to decode memories and allow the narratives surrounding certain events to be changed on the page.

BRIGHT SHADOWS: SCOTTISH ART IN THE 1920S City Art Centre, Edinburgh – till 6th June This exhibition features a collection of artists working in a range of media, including sculpture, drawing, printmaking and more. The artists involved are Stanley Cursiter, S.J. Peploe, Dorothy Johnstone, Eric Robertson and William McCance. The exhibition demonstrates Scotland’s innovation with regard to the

RHUBABA Podcast Episode #6: Poetic Resistance, a conversation with Clara Hancock Rhubaba runs out of a warehouse space off Leith Walk, with a gallery space where they host contemporary art exhibitions and events. Their mission is to practice a DIY approach to art production and dissemination. In 2020, Rhubaba released podcasts discussing arts events and issues close to their hearts. In Episode 6, the Rhubaba Committee and artist Clara Hancock consider the need for public parks and green spaces, and poetry’s radical potential to transform these areas into a place for collective refuge.

Listen on Soundcloud and Spotify What’s on Page 21

INTERVIEWS

SLEAFORD MODS HEN HOOSE DJANGO DJANGO SEAN FOCUS ALAN BISSETT MICHAEL CONNER HUMPHREYS

SLEAFORD MODS

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We all enter a New Year hopeful the next twelve months will be bigger, better and brighter than the last. 2021 doesn’t need to get much right to be better than its predecessor, but equally, you’d only be human if you weren't fearful of new and even more punishing horrors to come. So, what can we do? One answer is to find joy in small mercies, and wage war against the crushing forces which are out for themselves, all the while damning the rest of us to miserable oblivion.

In the UK music scene, you’d be hard pushed to name a modern band who have spoken out as long, as hard, or with as much incisive intelligence as the Sleaford Mods. While every band with a workingclass twang and a list of complaints is compared to the duo, you don’t often get the feeling of authenticity that you do when Williamson is mouthing off.

Speaking to Williamson, he agreed, there’s a whiff of a gap-year in some of the mouthier malcontents in today’s music business. Sleaford Mods have long been ahead of that game. One of the fall-guys in the final months of 2020 was Phillip Green, who was called out years ago on the band’s 'BHS'. And then there’s Dominic Cummings. By now, you should have bopped and nodded along to 'Short Cummings', a timely release, but one which was written in 2019.

As the initial anger at the arrogance over that infamous Barnard Castle drive, and then seeing Cummings get off scot-free, died down, a smile would have crept across Williamson’s face as he knew he already had his attack on the shamed political strategist in the can.

He says; ‘Yeah, that fell for us. You just know with these people, there’s Music by Andy Reilly Page 25

always something new coming out about them. With Cummings, I was interested in what he was up to a good while back. No one voted for him, and yet he was running the show.’

While the political ire and societal surveillance is still on point, there is a maturing evolution in Sleaford Mods. The music gets stronger with every release, with Andrew Fearn digging deeper into a robust yet varied record collection for inspiration. Even the frontman is looking to make a more measured approach as to how, where and at whom he rails.

When asked if he has other targets in his sights for a future release, he said: 'Oh yeah, plenty, and it’ll always come up. I am trying to get away from that side though, you can’t just solely be having a go at people. I’m sure it gets tiring. It’s the same with bands, I don’t want to get into the same fights with the same people.'

While the Government deservedly gets it in the neck on the album, there’s a lot of reflective and personal focus on the record, with moments dipping back to his childhood. The lyricist was not alone in spending much of 2020 in a reflective mood.

Williamson said; ’I think that was inevitable with lockdown, because what else are you doing? Getting up, doing the school run, and then spending the rest of your day around the house. I think it’s caused a lot of people to think about themselves and their surroundings, and I think this is where a lot of the low mood or depression stems from.’

Of all the things we’ve learned in the past year, it’s that life is better when it’s shared with the right people. This is true for the band's new Back to Contents

Image credit: Alasdair McLellan

I AM TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THAT SIDE THOUGH, YOU CAN’T JUST SOLELY BE HAVING A GO AT PEOPLE Music by Andy Reilly Page 27

Image credit: Alasdair McLellan

WELL, THAT’S THE THING ISN’T IT? YOU’D LIKE TO THINK IT’S OBVIOUS I’M HAVING A LAUGH

album, Spare Ribs. It’s on the collaborations that the album is most likely to puncture or prick the consciousness of a wider audience. Not so much in a way the band is tapping into other act’s followers, but that the collaborators drove the act to higher levels.

Williamson said; ‘We were looking to push things on, and it was suggested we try a few collaborations. We weren’t sure, but it worked. Production wise it was interesting, and it has kicked us on, so yeah, it worked out well. 'Nudge It' with Amy Taylor and 'Mork N Mindy' with Billy Nomates are the best songs on the album for me, the most commercial anyway.’

The track with Billy Nomates was the lead song of the record, packed with classic Sleaford Mods style murky mithering, but the chorus soars. The infectious rhythm and Nomates’ lilting delivery have hopefully been lodged in your brain for months.

While aggression is commonly cited in reviews and dismissals of the act, the wit and humour aren’t regarded so quickly. And yet, some of the most mesmerizingly funny lines of the past decade have been spat out by Williamson. All it takes is the mention of eucalyptus and this writer is chortling to himself, such was the frontman’s caustic response to that word.

Of course, humour, much like political ideals which threaten to tear the country apart, is a game of opinions. It doesn’t help when people can’t see the joke that is right in front of them.

‘Well, that’s the thing isn’t it? You’d like to think it’s obvious I’m having a laugh, and that people don’t genuinely think I’m talking about how rich I am or how fit we are. It is a worry, but still, you’ve Music by Andy Reilly Page 29

got to have a sense of humour and have a laugh with it.’ The singer’s Late Night With Jason clips on social media have also split opinion, as he explained; ‘Oh yeah, I’ve been pulled up for them a few times.

Even when you’re reaching out to other musicians, you hope they get it, but it’s a laugh, I enjoy it’.

Twitter bans have also followed, including a lockout for swearing at Jacob Rees-Mogg. This begs the question, why hasn’t everyone sworn at Rees-Mogg? Williamson's answer? ‘Because they’re f***ing idiots aren’t they?’

One man who isn’t an idiot is Tim Burgess, one of the heroes of the past year. ‘Tim’s a good lad, a very positive person, and it’s been good for people’ was Jason’s take on the Twitter listening parties, with the band featuring prominently in the early days as the phenomenon gained traction.

At that time, Thursday night meant applauding for the NHS, and the duo’s back catalogue, with a series of album run-throughs. ‘We did it a few weeks in a row, and I was worried about people becoming bored with it, but it went okay. I enjoyed it, and it was a good chance to look back on the albums, share some photographs. It was good to hear from other people too.’

The week before Spare Ribs is released, the band are playing a streamed show, something they’ve already dabbled with in the past year. Williamson said; ‘It was alright, we love performing and we thought it was going to be like a TV show, and that’s how it went. It

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was an extended sort of TV show, but it was fine.’

It’s likely the band is envied by many of their peers, not just for their forthright views, but for the simplicity of their live shows. While being unable to divulge their touring plans for 2021 just yet, the duo can pretty much get in a car or van and hit the road as soon as they get the all clear.

Unsurprisingly, they’ve got another assault on your ears, heart and mind ready to go, and when live shows return, it won’t be long until they’re playing near you. We shouldn’t need any additional encouragement to get out of the house.

Spare Ribs is out January 15th on Rough Trade Records.

Sleaford Mods are scheduled to play Glasgow Barrowland on 18th November.

Image credit: Alasdair McLellan Music by Andy Reilly Page 31

Image credit: Chelsea Lowe

HEN HOOSE

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Tamara Schlesinger

Tamara Schlesinger, better known as solo artist MALKA, is founder and director of Hen Hoose, an all-female songwriting collective based in Glasgow. The collaborative project is a response to music industry inequality, which brings together an impressive array of talent including Stina Tweeddale (Honeyblood), Karine Polwart, Elisabeth Elektra, Emma Pollock (The Delgados), Amandah Wilkinson (Bossy Love), Suse Bear, and Carla J. Easton. We chatted to Tamara to find out about the game plan now the initiative has launched.

As a lecturer in Music Business, what is it like engaging with young adults in music and did this inspire Hen Hoose?

I’m always really excited to get the chance to engage with young adults beginning their music industry career. Interestingly, my latest intake is mainly women, but the previous year was all men. I don't think that’s directly inspired the collective, but having an awareness when you’re teaching about the gender balance stats, along with the options available to women, has certainly hammered the point home to me even further. It seems the gender gap is a lot more visible when it comes to technical aspects of music in Higher Education. As I said, I’ve a lot of young women in my current first year intake and aside from the previous year, I’ve always had fairly good gender balance in my classes. But noticeably, some of those women made the choice to move away from Audio Production after the first week of teaching. In part, I think that’s due to the fact they’re often the only woman on the course, but also because it’s really important to have role models.

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With just 12 percent of music producers registered at The Music Producers Guild being women, perhaps there just aren’t enough role models for those women to believe that they can go on to make a career in those areas.

So, another area where we essentially need to reach girls from a younger age?

I think, yes - we need to be looking to schools to encourage young girls to believe that they can be high achievers in roles they might have previously been discouraged from pursuing. I think there’s often been an imbalance when it comes to selecting careers and the expectation of what role a woman would suit compared to a man.

In the context of ‘you’ve got to see it to want to be it’, there’s still a way to go?

We just need to find a way to even things up. I am so sick of the talent that we have making incredible music, playing fantastic live shows, and not getting the visibility they deserve. Without gender balance across the industry there will not be the changes that are required to ensure everyone is getting the same opportunities. Without seeing more women as CEOs of labels, or producing big acts or writing big hits, younger girls can aspire to achieve but possibly not really believe that they can make it. I hope that Hen Hoose will be something that will encourage young girls to see the talent that already exists and the changes that we are trying to make to even the playing field a little bit.

What are the attitudes of the young people you are engaging with?

I would say there’s a strong awareness of the gender imbalance on both sides, and for the most part everyone believes that things need to change, and that they can make the difference themselves.

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And the industry?

It’s the industry that seems to be slow on the uptake here. While some festivals and bookers have signed up with the Keychange initiative [formed by PRS to encourage a 50/50 gender split on line-ups with just over 150 events registered] many have not. And creating a stage just for women (see TRNSMT and their Queen Tut’s stage) is just a complete slap in the face for artists who deserve to be playing the same stages as men and don’t need a 'little stage' to allow them to grow.

Also, recent stats about both the roles and the income of women working at record labels are pretty dispiriting, and on top of that we have the issue that female songwriters still only make up 14 percent of signings across UK publishing companies. So, I would say many are aware that changes need to be made, but not so many companies or bookers are doing enough yet.

Suse Bear Music by Lindsay Corr Page 35

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Stina Tweeddale

What’s your view on the responsibility of bookers, venues and labels to book and nurture talent in a way that ensures opportunities for women?

I think everyone has a responsibility within their roles to try to both balance and diversify their rosters. They can still try to argue that there aren’t enough women to book for headline slots but to be honest, that just won't fly anymore.

There are outstanding female artists who are huge and can sell out arenas (Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, St. Vincent, Björk, to name a few) and there’s exceptional talent coming through. The labels need to be signing more female talent and the bookers just need to open their ears and eyes.

How have industry professionals reacted to your brainchild, Hen Hoose?

For the most part there’s been great support, with both men and women showing a real interest in the project and throwing their support behind it. There’s also some other great organisations forming to try and level the playing field, such as Scottish Women Inventing Music (SWIM) and The F-List, so we’re all supporting each other to gather momentum and shine a light on the issues.

Can you elaborate on the support aspect that’s available within Hen Hoose?

It was something I felt the need to create due to the current situation that myself and so many artists found ourselves in, with depleted income streams and lack of touring due to Covid-19. I’d been writing to brief, pitching for adverts, and decided to work more on that while I was stuck at home. Then the idea of bringing on other writers came to me, because not only would it be great to collaborate, but so many creatives were in the same position. I wanted to encourage female writers to take on new roles they may not always have felt they could and to work in different genres. Together, we’re building our confidence as writers and Music by Lindsay Corr Page 37

producers. At the moment, this is the pilot of the project with funding received from Creative Scotland, so the writers get paid for their time. I hope this is just the beginning and we can grow the idea to bring on even more writers over the coming months.

Now that Hen Hoose has launched, what have the internal conversations been like?

There is just a huge amount of excitement and support within the project. I think it’s so easy for women to be pitted against each other in the industry, to fall into the traps of 'she sounds like her', or 'she is better than her' or even 'we already have someone that looks or sounds like her'. In reality, with so few slots for gigs and signings, it’s not a surprise to feel that there might be a competitive element.

But this project is full of balance - everyone is equal, encouraging, self-believing and supportive. The feedback from the group after listening to the first batch of songs was incredible, and in general, the writers are energised about growing in confidence with what they can achieve. Which was really the main purpose of starting Hen Hoose.

The talent involved with Hen Hoose is diverse and staggering, with many known as advocates for females in a male-dominated industry.

How did the current members come to be a part of it?

When I first came up with the idea, I approached a few of the women I’d already met and built up a friendship with. Once I knew there was interest and excitement about the project, I went on to ask others. I also had some recommendations from people that I had worked with in the industry about who to approach. And yes, you are right, the line-up is diverse and indeed staggering! I had to pinch myself when I had the final names.

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Image credit: Craig McIntosh

Carla J. Easton

Amandah Wilkinson Back to Contents

What is the experience like bringing solo artists together for collaboration? Is there an overriding sound emerging or voice that represents everyone?

That's an interesting question. I guess you’d need to ask each group about how the dynamic has been with each song, but for me I have found it so inspiring.

You’ll hear a melody going in a direction with someone or a song building in a different way, and then the other writer throws their idea in and you think, wow...

I didn't think of that! Then it just opens your mind further and expands your own ideas. If you trust and respect the other writer, you will find a balance that is a mix of both of you and something that could never have existed without the other person's involvement. With regards to a sound emerging… actually, we had a listening party just before Christmas featuring three songs, and although they are different themes and styles, they all fit together in a way that would work on an album. It’s early days, but exciting to see how they’ll all sound pieced together as a whole.

Can you tell us more about the Hen Hoose album?

We are currently aiming to write 15 songs. Some writers want to do more and others less, but the majority will do at least two songs for the project. We’re grouped together and working to briefs, but there’s a real sense of freedom and expression. The hope is that if we are all proud and happy with what we’ve created, we’ll then go on to release the works as an album, along with pitching the songs to sync [for use in TV and film]. After hearing the first batch of songs, I would be surprised if we didn't go ahead and do this. The format that we release in will have to be discussed and we’ll work out the best route for that when the time comes. henhoose.com Music by Lindsay Corr Page 41

DJANGO DJANGO

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Photography: Harrison Reid

Django Django are back with their fourth album Glowing in the Dark (we’ve a full track-by-track later in the magazine, if you’re wanting a taste of what to expect). We caught up with David and Vinnie and talked about how it all came together, the challenges of translating some of their recorded tracks to a live setting, and the importance of small to medium venues to the music ecosystem.

How are things with you both?

V: We’re in the studio at the minute, working. It’s good, just writing. We’ve got a lot of tracks we’re working on, getting them finished up and stuff.

Glowing in the Dark: in a lot of ways I’d say it’s got a similar energy to your first album.

V: A lot of friends have said the same kind of thing. It does have a positive kind of outlook, I suppose, in some of the tracks. It changes through a lot of gears. We’re happy with it, positive about it.

As always with yourselves, there’s a huge amount of different ideas and influences thrown in there.

V: Yeah, there’s tracks like ‘The Ark’ [grooving bubbling jungle acid] against things like ‘The World Will Turn’ [lush vocal harmonies on a bed of picked acoustic guitar and sweet strings]. I think that’s something we’ve done from early on; all four of us are writing and we’ve all got different things we gravitate towards, musically. So, we bring those different areas together.

And once it's played by us and recorded by Dave, it kind of unifies them and makes something that sounds like us, at the end of the day. Someone will come with a starting point. It might be a sample from a record or a little riff.

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D: Yeah, just someone will come with a starting point, and maybe a sample from a record or a little riff or something like that. And then we try and build up and build around. And yeah, I think we do that more than jamming. But sometimes we'll jam out a song between the setlist tracks, you know, we'll start a little jam and that'll become something. But usually it's that people have started their own little idea at home, and then they bring it in and build it up.

It sounds quite democratic.

D: I think so, yeah. Because as Vinny says, we've all got our different things, you know. I'm into sampling and drum machines and dance music. And I won't sit with an acoustic guitar. But then if you bring those two things together, you've got something. We’ve all got our little ways of working.

How's it been, the last year, not being able to tour?

D: Difficult. I mean, it's hard to function as a band, as a business, without live touring and festivals. So it's definitely a struggle. I guess the only upside of it is just more time to write and more time in the studio. But yeah, every musician and everybody in the creative industries is feeling it.

Were you tempted to hold back on releasing the album?

D: I think this one has been pushed back a bit. Because no-one quite knew, when the lockdown started in March. There was talk of it being done by summer, and then it just kept going on and on and on. So things did get pushed back. We just started thinking [laughs] ‘this could go on for years, let's just start putting things out.’

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Image credit: Maxim Kelly Film by Jamie Wills Page 45

Image credit: Maxim Kelly

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You mentioned that you’re working on some tracks just now. With the album being finished, what is it you're working on?

D: Brand new stuff and stuff that didn't quite make the last album. We’re trying to tidy up loose ends of tracks that are needing a chorus, or whatever it is. Getting them up to scratch to put in the done pile.

V: We’ve loads of little recorded starting points for tracks and you've got the tendency to just keep on writing new stuff, new starting points, until the point where you've got the guts of thirty starting points. There comes a time when you've got to try to finish stuff. Which sometimes can be tough or sometimes can be easy, but it's quite satisfying. At least if a track turns out to be great, or okay, it’s in the finished pile and you can start to move on.

I guess that’s a thing, to know when a track is finished and it’s not like Father Ted’s car where you keep chipping away at it and it ends up a monster?

D: Yeah, we definitely have lots of Father Ted’s cars in the garage. You get to know when a song is at the right level and you can put it to the side – all the broad brushstrokes are done on it. So that's what we're trying to do.

Did you go in with a plan of how you wanted the album to flow? Or was it similar to what you were saying – you come in with ideas and, once they come together, that's the album?

D: Yeah, I think it's once you've got a body of work that makes sense. Then you say, right, this is an album. But we've never really been one for trying to get a sound that carries a whole album. Each track lives in its own little world, usually.

And we've never gone into the studio and recorded an album with the same guitar setups or pedals throughout. So usually our albums just chop and change.

Music by Kenny Lavelle Page 47

I guess, Vincent, your vocals tie everything together and that allows you to go off in all these different directions, to keep it cohesive.

D: I think so. Yeah.

V: We’re trying to push ourselves on, make sure we're not repeating ourselves.

Whether that be a subject matter for a song or the kind of style or rhythm that it's on it. You're just looking for these gaps that you haven't already filled. On the fourth album a lot of it is that. But also, when we go to write an album, the stuff we've done on the last one, we want to move on from that a lot. That has the potential to push you into a new space and a new kind of outlook.

You’ve worked with Charlotte Gainsbourg on this one. On the last album you worked with Rebecca Taylor [Self Esteem]. Is the introduction of a fresh vocalist something you like to do, to have a break in the sound?

D: If we have a track and it just sounds like someone else could be singing it, then we're happy to put it to someone else. More and more, we like to do that.

Because sometimes we write things, it could be a hip hop track, and we need a rapper other than a singer. These kinds of collaborations keep us entertained and excited as well.

V: It freshens an album as well. If it's just me or Jim singing across twelve or thirteen tracks, having somebody else in to guest can be a bit of a palate cleanser.

Also, with that track that she sang on, I think a lot of the lyrics have this road movielike imagery, and it lent itself to a female vocalist coming on there. We were really glad that she OK’d it and went with it.

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To me, it's an album that's easy to imagine hearing it being played live.

Do you think it will be easy to translate to that setting?

D: The single that’s out now, ‘Glowing in the Dark’ is already a struggle to play live [laughs] cause it’s got that ‘Default’ thing of the chopped vocal and a looped drum beat. But yeah, tracks like ‘Headrush’, ‘Spirals’, ‘Asking For More’ are already quite fun to be playing live.

Is ‘Default’ still a difficult one to play live then?

D: Oh, yes. We've still never figured that out. It's a nightmare. I remember we'd only just put it out and hadn't figured out how to do it. Then we had to go on Jools Holland and play it. And I always watch that back and think, yeah, you can tell we have no idea [laughing]. Because it was made in a bedroom out of samples and a chopped vocal. So how do you then take that live? It can be tricky sometimes, when you work like this.

Have you got plans for a tour later in the year?

V: Yeah, I think there's talk about autumn: September, October. Things are looking more certain now there's a vaccine en route. We just listen to our gig booker, really. He gives us the most realistic situation. Hopefully post-summer, stuff will come together.

D: There's places we're dying to get back to, like the Liquid Rooms. We really like these certain sized venues, where we can contain an atmosphere and a buzz.

I think the first shows back are gonna be quite euphoric for everybody. Fingers crossed that happens next year and this doesn't keep rolling on; false promises and whatnot. But I can’t wait to be playing these new ones.

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It’s been a tough year for the smaller venues.

D: Personally, I enjoy those sized venues; they work because of the type of band we are. We didn't write songs to play in stadiums; we didn't write a kind of slow, bombastic, epic record. Because we came out of doing a lot of warehouse parties, that’s what we like doing. Clubs and parties. That's what we still enjoy. And without those Tut’s sized venues, you just wouldn't get grassroots bands coming through.

If you only have big, big venues then it’s very difficult for bands starting out, and for bands like us who have a certain style of music. So, yes, it’s important.

Is there a lyric that sums up or ties the album together for you?

V: Um...

D: Vinny can’t remember the lyrics.

V: [Laughs] Yeah, it was quite a long time ago. Well, it feels like it anyway. I suppose there's always an aspect of escapism which appears in a lot of our music. It's probably something in that kind of ilk. A track like ‘Spirals’ came out of the setting of Brexit and Donald Trump being in power. The backdrop of things having been quite divided and the rise of dubious governments across the world. Tracks like ‘Hold Fast’ and ‘Spirals’, we're trying to hark back to an idea of ‘things will be okay’, and that things will eventually pass.

Glowing in the Dark will be relased on 12th February via Because Music

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Image credit: Maxim Kelly Film by Jamie Wills Page 51

SEAN FOCUS Back to Contents

Photography: Shiara Bell

SNACK caught up with Sean Focus to discuss his latest album Incase I Don’t Dream, his Edinburgh based independent label, Imvaize, and how it all got started.

Congratulations on being named ‘One to Watch’ on Amazon’s +44 list. How does it feel to be the only creator based in Scotland represented?

Thank you! Yeah, it’s a cool feeling, the way I’m looking at it I was neither born in Scotland nor went to school in Scotland but basically most of my friends and supporters started from here back when I was like twenty, twenty-one. So, it’s a great feeling.

You moved from Zimbabwe to London before entering the Edinburgh music scene, how do you think the places you inhabit affect the work you create?

I’ve been trying to figure out on my journey how to utilise my surroundings – so where I am right now is a combination of what’s happening in my environment and a mix of practice. I try to practice taking in everything that happens to me, like knowing where I am and the people I bump into. I take all my stories for my music from either someone’s experience or my experience, so my environment has fully helped. In a big way – as opposed to when I used to live in London. I’ve been more comfortable here and I’ve had time to think in this environment through being in Scotland.

It’s calm isn’t it? It’s definitely a factor in writing my music today as opposed to five, ten years ago.

Music by Maya McDowell-Uppal Page 53

Cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh have very active music scenes – but the cities themselves are smaller than somewhere like London, and this can make them seem more accessible in a way.

Yeah, exactly. It’s more of a community.

What do you think of as your music evolution in relation to these places?

My music now is different because before it was all about girls, partying, having a good time! There were one or two sad songs but in 2017-2018 that’s when I flipped the script on what I was trying to write about and show people. There were people going around saying I couldn’t rap – I had to not just be a jack of all trades but master rapping and singing. I don’t think I can sing – I just rap with a tone sometimes, you know.

I had to master the art itself. It’s put me in a position where I can pick topics now. before I could never pick a topic… I would just rap. Now I can expand on a theme so that in itself has made me a rapper/singer/ engineer. I can do it all better now.

For your latest album Incase I Don’t Dream did you approach it with an overall theme, or does it use individualised topics for each of the songs?

Incase I Don’t Dream – when you sit and look at it maybe ten years from now – it’s probably one of the Back to Contents

most creative pieces I’ve ever done. Every year I release a project and the whole idea behind this, the concept, is that every song has a specific reason for being included.

I had twenty-seven songs, so I cut it down to eleven, twelve. If you pay close attention even if you don’t know what I’m talking about, even if it sometimes sounds fake – it’s part of it. Incase I Don’t Dream is personally my best piece that I’ve ever done in my whole career.

What was the overall concept?

The overall concept was basically ‘touch wood’.

Okay, I’ll start from my idea. I like double entendres and metaphors and hidden meanings. 'In case I don’t dream' means in case I don’t manage to have more ideas or more topics or more engagements or more lyrics. In case I don’t make it tomorrow. You know what I mean?

Touch wood. I centred this around it because throughout 2020 I’ve been having good luck some might say.

With labels and things like that. I felt like my sound was starting to change by default because of the positions I’m in now – dealing with labels which I now know what they need, my mind is clearer. It’s finding the balance between keeping my old sound and making sure that I continue to be on the market without losing myself. I feel that this was the last piece of me that I will probably have full control over from start to end. It’s a landmark in my career because every day everything changes.

Music by Maya McDowell-Uppal Page 55

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Would you say this is a transitioning album between being lowkey and independent, doing everything by yourself, and suddenly having support but maintaining who you are Yes! This is literally how I’m preserving myself before I start the transition and move on to wherever I’m heading.

Is that what you’re doing for your own independent label, Imvaize?

The vision I have for Imvaize is that I have more or less done everything myself, nobody taught me anything. I watched YouTube and had countless sleepless nights.

It saddens me to think that there’s people who are where I was two years ago where nobody was trying to even hear me out. I wanna be in a position where I’m somebody’s guiding hand. I want to have a string of people who believe in no strings attached help.

People who later we could bump into each other at the Grammys and go 'Yo, I recorded my first song in your studio!' That’s all I need. It’s guidance for your family – Imvaize is a family.

It started with you doing sound engineering and mixing for your own songs do you have a sense of perfectionism for your music?

I started producing because I had a friend – he Music by Maya McDowell-Uppal Page 57

used to make beats for the choir and that weirdly, but I used to watch him and go home and practice it on my computer. When I was sixteen, I got discovered by a guy I was working in the studio with and it led to me wanting to put down an idea for a beat that I had made. My former boss, at the time, told me to make it into my song and it kind of worked. But ultimately it was a vice because obviously back in Africa – people don’t really recognise ADHD so it was a vice for me where all I did was make music from when I was fourteen. I didn’t know about going to other people I just started putting my equipment together in a studio I made where then I had to mix my own vocals. That prompted me to produce and mix my own stuff. Life put me in a position where I had to do it, it wasn’t really about the control of the music it was that I found a vice. It kept me off bad stuff and kept me busy.

Is this a similar approach to how you create the music videos and the multimedia content that surrounds your music? For example, how your music videos go very hand-in-hand with your singles almost as if they were created as a pair.

So everything is planned in advance for example I’ve got a single coming out of the 29th January and we planned that before November. Basically, I recorded the song in January and I’ve had this song the whole time, we planned to release it in December but this

video slowed it down. I try to plan as much [as I can] just to stay ahead. I’ve got a really good video director called Graham Glover and I tell him once and he just gets it.

You’re known for your live performances and the energy you can create in a show, are you looking forward to getting back into gigs when we can?

I was talking to a friend about this yesterday – before all of this, for four years straight I had a legal issue that was stopping me from going anywhere but the U.K. and that legal issue ended in January this year. So as soon as that happened Covid kicked in and I couldn’t travel!

The moral of the story with that is, sure the performance side of music has lacked – and I love performing – but for me because I was in such a predicament not that long ago it just felt like I was continuing. Yeah, it just felt like the block was still there. It’s sad but I just continued as I was supposed to and achieved certain things which overshadowed the fact that I was missing the performances. However, performances are my biggest selling point! One could say, do I really miss performing or am I just accepting it right now? I think that’s probably the case, but I don’t think I can accept it next year [2021] yet!

Music by MayaMusic McDowell-Uppal

by Lily Black Page 59

ALAN BISSETT

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Alan Bissett is a novelist, playwright and performer whose debut novel Boyracers (2001) introduced an important voice in Scottish writing. Lazy Susan is his first book of prose for a decade, and he spoke to SNACK about it.

Your new novella is called Lazy Susan. How would you describe it, and how would you describe 'Susan'?

It is a wee riot of a book, and so is Susan. She is a kinda Scottish, working-class Holly Golightly, a 22-year-old partygirl from Fife who has come from nothing but has ambitions to be a social media influencer. We follow her over the course of one weekend, flitting between different parties on the East Coast. She’s fun to be around and she’s an optimist, but there are complications in her life – her Mum isn’t speaking to her and her best pals are all settling down and leaving her behind.

The book is told from Susan’s point of view, and I take a few risks with the narrative structure that will make it a bit of an unconventional read. But I want folks to discover what I mean by that only once they’ve opened the book.

This sees your return to writing fiction after almost a decade away, since 2011's Pack Men. Why now, and why this story?

There were just a multitude of factors that made it difficult to write a novel over the last decade. I threw myself into campaign mode during the independence referendum and novels take too long to write, publish, and consume to make them an effective medium for responding quickly to current Books by Alistair Braidwood Page 61

events. Then shortly after the referendum I had children and they take up huge amounts of your time and energy. Also, I’d gone into theatre and was really having fun there. You can write plays more quickly, and clearing the decks for a novel would’ve really slowed me down as a playwright. But I somehow still considered writing prose fiction the ‘day job’, and I’ve longed to return to it.

Basically, Speculative Books published the scripts for my Moira Monologues plays last year and also offered me a wee deal for a novella. I knew I didn’t have the time or headspace to write a full novel yet, but I figured a novella would get me back in that zone.

Susan was the character who was buzzing about in my head, and so as soon as I’d committed to giving her room to emerge – bang!

Out she came, no stopping her. It was just a nice convergence of forces that brought me back to prose.

Do you think working in other areas, and I'm thinking particularly of your theatre work, helped or affected the way you approached returning to writing prose?

I learned a lot from the immediacy of theatre. You have to grab an audience from the word go and hold them in an intense spell over the course of an hour so that they are literally thinking about nothing else. You develop a much stronger sense of storytelling and pacing, which I found I was applying to prose fiction once I went back to it.

You proudly describe Lazy Susan as a novella, an often overlooked form of prose fiction - was this a deliberate decision, or did it just fit this story?

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Well, at a practical level – having not written prose for ten years – a novella was just less daunting than a full-length novel but still allowed me to exercise long-neglected muscles again. So the ‘limbering up’ element of it appealed to me. But then I started enjoying the restrictions that the form was setting down. I had a word-count ceiling and that forced me to find a neat, manageable size for the story – one weekend over the course of one girl’s life.

How do I show the maximum of a person within that time frame?

It reminded me a bit of writing for 'A Play, A Pie and A Pint' in the Oran Mor. They stipulate you can have three actors and a 50min time slot. The limitations make you focus. You can’t sprawl. But you can still innovate. Like when you see a film with zero budget but tons of imagination? I always like a creative challenge, so the novella form, one I’ve never written in before, gave me boundaries I could really respond to creatively.

Sitting on the sidelines for ten years, so to speak, how have you viewed Scottish writing, and particularly fiction, over that time?

Well when my first novel, Boyracers, was published in 2001 it was right at the tail end of that kind of ‘Rebel Inc’ moment in Scottish literature, post-Trainspotting, when loads of workingclass voices pushed through, which is possibly why Boyracers got a hearing at the time. But very quickly after that Scottish workingclass writing – and also Scottish surreal writing – fell sharply out of fashion and was considered ‘very Nineties’ for a good fifteen years or so.

For quite a while people only wanted to read crime fiction from Books by Alistair Braidwood Page 63

Scottish writers, and many, very fine, crime writers did emerge from Scotland in that time. But, observing things recently, it feels like the pendulum has swung away from genre fiction again, so now you’ve got the likes of Jenni Fagan, Kerry Hudson, Graeme Armstrong and Chris McQueer, Scottish working-class writers who’ve all had major breakthroughs with stuff that isn’t easily marketable. So it all feels possible again. These things are cyclical, I now realise.

The 2010s were a historic, often volatile and divisive, decade for Scotland - politically, culturally, and socially - and for a large part of it you were at the heart of the discussions being had. How do you look back at this time personally, and for the nation?

I look back on it as an immensely positive and hopeful time in my life, one which I’ll forever be proud of being part of. I gave everything I had to the independence movement, but we didn’t win (yet), so after that I wanted to go off and explore different things and themes, rather than just be ‘that independence guy’ forever. There’s nothing at all about Scottish independence in Lazy Susan, for example. But I think it was a rare period in recent history when Scotland seemed on the brink of massive, epochal change, which is of course why the ruling establishment – abetted by their local branches in Scotland – threw lightning bolts from the sky to stop us. We shook the pillars of the British state, and who knows? It might yet fall.

I have little children to raise now, though, and I live in a small community that I want to try and support, so being a public Back to Contents

agitator is no longer where I want to devote my energies. That said, absolutely nothing has happened since 2014 to make me think Scotland didn’t make a huge mistake in voting No, so I can happily stand by the me from that period.

Lazy Susan is published by Speculative Press Signed copies can be ordered from alanbissett.com Alan will be taking part in the opening event of the Paisley Book Festival 2021. paisleybookfest.com

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MICHAEL CONNER HUMPHREYS

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In 1993 Michael Conner Humphreys, from small town Mississippi, attended an open audition for a new Tom Hanks film. It would lead to him being cast as the young Forrest Gump. After the film grossed $600m worldwide and ‘Run Forrest, run’ entered the lexicon, the stars were aligned for Conner to live the high life.

Instead, Conner ended up enlisting with the US army, serving 18 months in Iraq. Today he teaches English online to Chinese students from his home in Vancouver, a suburb of Portland. In today’s world of TikTok, Instagram, and wannabe influencers, a man in the know expresses caution for teenagers with a thirst for the spotlight.

Knowing some of what you've been through since, Forrest Gump feels a bit like Macbeth: something not to be named.

But how did it come about?

The Memphis News announced they were doing an open casting call for a Tom Hanks film, in Memphis and my mom asked me if I wanted to go, just for fun. I didn’t know who Tom Hanks was by name, but I knew him from the movies. We just went on a whim.

The call probably had 300 or 400 kids, and nationwide they had a few thousand. I went in for the first audition and then maybe two more the following weekends. A month later they were flying me to Los Angeles to do screen tests with the director.

What happened next?

We went to film. My mom took me for months to do that, and my dad was back at home taking care of my two younger sisters.

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He had to leave his job to take care of my sisters during those few months while we were filming.

I did the shooting in the middle of ‘93, and then I was essentially involved with it for the next two years. Every six months they would release the film in another major region, so I did a lot of travelling: ended up in London for the first time, Germany, Japan, a few other places. And also the Oscars happened. All of the hubbub from it happened in those two years when I obviously had all this attention on me.

Did you want to be famous?

I knew the film had done very well, but at that age I never thought about being famous. But the longer it went on, the more uncomfortable I got with having all the attention on me. Those initial two years after the film, there were people calling, and I did hit up a few auditions here and there. But I found having to travel and do auditions tedious. Once I realised what kind of work you had to do, and that I’d have to move to Los Angeles, I got less and less interested in pursuing it.

Were you a happy teenager?

Well, this is the thing: I had the two years of messing with Forrest Gump, and during that time I was still in the same school, around the kids I had grown up with. So even after I came back from making that movie they didn’t really act any different around me.

When I was 11 we moved to a new town in Mississippi. I went to this new school and they knew who I was before I even got there.

From that point on I was only ever ‘the kid who was in that film’.

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Film by Jamie Wills Page 69

I hated every relationship I had from that point on, which did not work well for a teenager. My handling of my social anxiety went completely downhill. All of my grades fell. I used to be a straight A student until I was 11, and then I just became flunk, flunk, flunk.

If I had moved to LA and been around people who did that stuff, it probably would have been different, but staying in Mississippi and having that following me was a weird situation for a kid.

What interests did you have?

My dad and grandfathers had all been in the military, so I had always been into military stuff, and aircraft, and engineering. I also started to get really into history and archaeology right after Forrest Gump. My main interests were not in acting.

Is that why you chose the army?

I wasn’t planning on being in the military. But 9/11 happened, and as the wars picked up I got more interested. I was like ‘OK, if you’re going to be in there, this would be the time.’ And at 19, when I joined, I basically had got to the point where I had no idea what I was going to do with myself. That was the peak of my postForrest Gump disillusionment. My head was: ‘You’re probably never going to do anything else that comes close to that, except maybe being in a real war. Go do this and that will be the other thing you have that is somehow semi-respectable.’

Was it easy to transition into the army?

So they put you through the routine of basic training – the Film by Jamie Wills Page 71

whole break-you-down, build-you-back-up, drill sergeants yelling at you. It’s the same experience for everyone. I didn’t go in telling people who I was, but after a few weeks they figured it out. They made jokes, but I went through the training and stayed professional. I found it easy because I was trying to push myself.

Also I was geeking out about all the equipment.

I’m guessing that they were unforgiving with Forrest Gump catchphrases. [laughs] Oh yeah. What’s funny is that it's a popular film in the army community, and drill sergeants already had a tendency to call people ‘Gump’. They would call me that before knowing who I was. That was just something they yelled at everybody.

Or ‘Run Forrest, run’. It was just horrible!

Do you think your experiences have delayed a ‘normal’ life?

Honestly, I’m 35 and I am where I could have been when I was 25. That is not uncommon now. But I just finished college a couple of years ago. I have never been married. I’ve had very few long-term relationships. I’m not that far past my post-army, early 20s. Being in that film as a kid and other circumstances kind of led to that, and there was a ten-year period when I just didn’t do anything. That is my fault, just a decade of no real activity, no moving forward. Once you get out of the military there is a postmilitary malaise. A lot of people fall into depression, and it is easy, post-deployment, to just become static. I started getting out of that a few years ago.

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Would you recommend the military to a teenager?

I think everybody should be in the military for a couple of years, probably when they are at 18, 19, 20 years old. There’s a lot of good stuff, and everyone I know who was in there, they all have certain common attributes. What you get to see greatly expands your understanding of the world and yourself. That’s hard to find if you are in high school and then college. You’re never changing the little bubble you’re in.

Was there any part of fame that you missed?

Because of the experience I had, I became very anti-celebrity.

Just the idea of fame, and all my experiences with it, have been really negative. I think you can either be really famous, and you get the benefits, or you are constantly at the bottom scrounging for it, and that is kind of what I saw as a kid. I just wanted to have nothing to do with it.

How easy is it for someone at a young age to see peers being celebrated in the media?

There’s a very toxic side of celebrity, and I think for young people in particular it is dangerous to be too enthralled with that. It’s like social media: now people are just obsessed with having attention on themselves, and when you’re a teenager you are doubly obsessed because you’re trying to fit in. For a 17-year-old kid who is trying to be successful at acting and sees somebody else make it, and they don’t make it, that is probably pretty devastating.

I don’t think a kid needs to be dealing with that.

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Did any part of you want awards and recognition?

I didn’t really think about it. I knew what the Oscars were, and the film got so many Oscars – I was proud of that. I didn’t get anything personally, but Tom Hanks did give me an honorary Oscar. It was appreciation for my part in the film.

So I have a fake Oscar from Tom Hanks, which is cool enough.

Something he bought in a souvenir shop somewhere? [laughs] Yeah.

Is being searchable a burden?

So far it hasn’t been. I don’t search myself…well, every now and then I do: I’ll Google myself just to see what is popping up. But I have never delved into comments. Things like interviews and Tom Hanks talking about me, that’s cool. Forrest Gump has been out for 26 years now so the majority of the population on earth has seen me at some point, and I guess there are people looking me up on the internet right now. But in my daily life I don’t have to think about it. That’s fine with me.

What would you say to parents whose children want to get into acting?

My parents made a good choice: when I decided I wasn’t interested in it, they didn’t push me. But if somebody is going to take their kids into this, I would say get the kids to focus on theatre and acting classes, and stay away from film. I mean, if your kid can get a part in a film, chances are it’s not going to be a huge Back to Contents

film. Stick with theatre until at least in their late teens. Learning acting as an art is going to help carry them forward.

What happens next for you?

I’ve been trying to work my way back into acting. Just slowly but surely. I’ve been doing acting classes in Portland, and little small roles, mainly theatre. Now I have actually been doing acting classes, I’ve rediscovered how much I like it. I’m confident with going to try out for stuff now, which was not the case throughout most of my life.

Finally, I presume you haven’t told your students about Forrest Gump. [laughs] Oh, they know about it. The company I work for uses me to promote themselves specifically. The five year old kids don’t know, but their parents know for sure.

Film by Jamie Wills Page 75

FILM

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS

THE ROYAL TENENBAUMS Cinema has always renewed and refreshed my sense of hope, and as we enter 2021, we all need this more than ever. One particular movie that gives me endless pleasure and makes me feel like life is worth living, is The Royal Tenenbaums. Director Wes Anderson announced his genuine arrival as an auteur with the film, and it has remained dear to many people since its release in 2001. While the film is ostensibly a comedy, the depth of its characters and deep emotional pull mean it creates something far beyond the surface.

Royal Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) is the father to a trio of genius kids. Separated from his wife Etheline (Angelica Huston), he finds himself down on his luck in his later years.

He hatches a plan, pretending he is dying of cancer so he can rejoin the family, setting in motion a series of mishaps and surreal adventures.

For many, Anderson’s directorial style is ‘love it or hate it’. For me it’s the former in spades. Prior to this movie Anderson had made Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, both interesting, amusing films but ones which didn’t really hint at his genius. With The Royal Tenenbaums his measured, meticulously designed and novel approach created something wholly original, in a Back to Contents

gloriously colourful and heartwarming way. The film is like a hug from an old friend you haven’t seen in years; it envelops you with warmth and love while acknowledging the bittersweet impermanence of life.

Revisiting the film this time was perfect for me, as it was during a week when I was feeling the winter/Covid blues something bad. I just knew it would cheer me up, and inspire me to change my mindset, despite the fact that this viewing was probably the 20th of my life. When you know a film so well that you look forward to little moments, gestures from actors, camera movements, the use of songs, that’s when you know it’s one of your favourites. The film has almost constant moments like that, for me. It does help that Anderson has such good taste when it comes to soundtracking his films. Here we have cuts from Nick Drake, Elliot Smith, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles...the list goes on. His use of these timeless songs never feels forced or pretentious; they anchor and underpin each scene beautifully, a crucial part of the world he creates. Even small touches add light, like Owen Wilson’s character Eli Cash listening to The Clash in a couple of scenes, his rebel spirit intact.

With all of the concentration on Anderson’s visual style, Film by Martin Sandison Page 79

you might be tempted to think the film doesn’t flesh out its characters. You would be wrong. Each character is such a joy to meet and re-meet, and his direction adds something new upon each watch. In one scene Anderson places a stack of VHS porn in the foreground of Wilson’s apartment, while Wilson is in the background; the stack is so out of focus that you may not notice it on first viewing. Or in my case the fourth or fifth. Every single character has touches like this, from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Margot Tenenbaum turning off televisions and opening locks with her feet, to Danny Glover’s Henry Sherman hilariously and unexpectedly falling down a hole on an archaeological site. It’s the only time I’ve enjoyed a Paltrow performance; she is perfect as the detached but emotionally open Margot. I’m also not a huge Stiller fan, but he inhabits and breathes life into Chas Tenenbaum beautifully - a man recently widowed and with the worst relationship with his father out of the three siblings.

The real revelation is Gene Hackman as Royal Tenenbaum.

At a time when his star was on the wane, and he was more known for tough guy parts such as the sadistic sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, his depiction of Royal is transcendent.

At turns conniving, loveable, charming, and hilarious, you grow to love this severely flawed but beautiful man. It’s one of my favourite performances in cinema. Matching him all the way is Angelica Huston as Ethel Tenenbaum, easily the ‘best’ person in this dysfunctional family. Her heart and empathetic nature counterbalance Royal’s cantankerousness brilliantly.

For me it’s one of the most beautifully constructed films ever made, in terms of visual design. The movie is also incredibly emotionally honest with regard to the journey of its characters.

One of the last lines in the film is delivered by Stiller: ‘I’ve had a rough year, Dad.’ If the tears don’t well up at this, especially after the year from hell we’re all still experiencing, I’ll hang up my pompous writer's hat and go home.

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I'VE HAD A ROUGH YEAR, DAD Film by Martin Sandison Page 81

LGBT+

THE (NOT) GAY MOVIE CLUB HIV IN SCOTLAND

ALL ABOUT EVE

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In the simple yet immortal words of Madonna, 'Bette Davis, we love you.' After all, the First Lady of Film is, alongside Judy Garland, one of the first major gay icons in Hollywood. With camp one-liners, a rapier wit and, most significantly, unparalleled screen presence, Bette Davis is the archetype for powerful leading ladies. Never has Davis been more radiant and mesmerising, however, than in her turn as Margo Channing in Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s drama All About Eve. In October, the film celebrated its 70th anniversary, and it somehow feels just as astute today as it did in 1950. This month’s entry has a higher pedigree than our usual choices – it won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture – but it is a veritable camp classic that served as the perfect vehicle for Davis to showcase everything she could do. We present this month’s inductee into The (Not) Gay Movie Club, All About Eve. In some ways, the film and its legacy are, ironically, all about Davis herself. The film is so synonymous with her persona, more so even than Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, that it is hard to disassociate the actor from the role. Davis plays Margo Channing, an iconic Broadway actress concerned about the effect turning 40 will have on her career. Channing stars in a play, ironically titled Aged in Wood, and is visited backstage by a big fan, aspiring actress Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter). Eve has followed Margo’s career for years and has travelled around the country to see her perform; upon divulging her life story, Eve is hired as Margo’s assistant. She then manipulates her way into Margo’s life, and works her way up the ladder to become the understudy to Channing’s most recent part. By the end, Eve is one LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 85

of Broadway’s most prominent stars and has an illustrious career in Hollywood ahead of her (much to the chagrin of Margo and the small gang of victims Eve has left in her wake). She, in turn, has gained her own adoring ingénue fan – who has managed to make her way into her apartment and fallen asleep.

The girl manages to work her way into Eve's life, offering to help Eve pack for Hollywood, and so the cycle continues. With intrigue, deception, and a level of narcissism you can’t believe, All About Eve is a high-camp cautionary tale about the pitfalls of ambition, and a closer look at the transient, ruthless nature of fame.

However, while one might assume Davis, in her camp majesty, is the queer icon of the piece, it has historically (and fairly offensively) been suggested that it is actually Eve whose mercenary ambition and desire to emulate Margo creates the queer subtext of the film. Let’s remember when this film was released: 1950, amid the Hays Code era of conservatism in cinema discussed in our October issue, when concepts like sex, homosexuality and anything considered socially dangerous were prohibited from appearing in films. With that in mind, cynics have leaned into All About Eve’s queer subtext and the character of Eve Harrington specifically. There are examples of queer coding at various points of the film, some more subtle than others. At one point, Margo says, 'Eve would take my clothes off… tuck me in, wouldn’t you Eve?' to which she replies, 'If you’d like.' You don’t need a masters in queer theory to crack that code. And it’s possible that her interference in not one but two heterosexual marriages could be read as a parable on the stereotypical threat of homosexuality. However, in 20:21 vision, Davis’ mutual affection for gay audiences has solidified the film’s camp credentials through her bravura performance alone: it’s overstated, abrasive and withering. Perhaps appreciating this facet of the film is more productive than investing too heavily in outdated Sapphic interpretations.

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YOU DON’T NEED A MASTERS IN QUEER THEORY TO CRACK THAT CODE

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 87

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The film is beautifully crafted, not least in its costuming, which earned studio legends Edith Head and Charles LaMaire one of their many Academy Awards for Best Costume Design. Davis has never looked more divine in the black dress for which she will forever be associated, as she utters the line, 'Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.' at Margo’s party. Similarly, Eve’s growing assertiveness and ruthlessness is reflected in her clothing, and as the story progresses we see her don more typically masculine attire such as trench coats and fedoras. Meanwhile, Mankiewicz’ script is flawless: acerbic and compelling, it is reminiscent of the script for Sunset Boulevard, a film coincidentally released the same year and which also presents a complex actress in what is considered to be the 'twilight' years of her career. And while the cast is excellent, we’re really rooting for Davis, the anchor of the film. She is magnetic and frankly so much fun to watch.

The title 'a cinema classic' feels overused, but All About Eve is close to perfect. We see Bette Davis lean into the persona she had cultivated as an abrasive, sharp-tongued diva, and 70 years later it remains a flawless, mesmerising performance. Over the top? Absolutely. But the film’s exploration of women in showbiz and the complexity of friendship feels relevant today. Ultimately, All About Eve feels like an indulgence to watch, and that is why it has earned its place in our imaginary vault of cherished classics.

Bask in Davis’ performance, the costumes, and the gleefully camp dialogue, and maybe keep an eye on that new intern who just started in your office...

LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 89

HIV SCOTLAND STIGMA AND MISINFORMATION STILL PREVALENT

In 2021, the younger generations of LGBTQ+ Scots have not experienced the trauma caused by HIV and AIDS to the extent our community did at the peak of the epidemic. But while a long, healthy life for those affected is certainly achievable with comprehensive treatment and remaining vigilant about the virus’ impact, recent research indicates that an alarming number of Scots remain complacent or misinformed about the virus.

HIV Scotland has revealed the results of their Scottish Public Attitudes Poll, which indicate that stigma and misinformation about HIV continue to exist across the country. For example, 31% of Scots believe they are ‘not the type of person who can get infected with HIV.’ Spoiler: anyone can get HIV. Similarly, attitudes regarding the virus are surprisingly archaic, with several harmful stereotypes lingering from a seemingly bygone era. The goal of the organisation is to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, but this can only be achieved when we collectively address the glaring obstacles that stand in our way: we must educate those around us, reject complacency of the virus and support those whose lives it affects.

The results of the poll, taken in October of last year, are based on a survey of 2,023 respondents and demonstrate some serious concerns about public knowledge of HIV and the alarming stigmas that still surround it. While 98% of Scots astutely recognise sex without a condom as a transmission risk, 46% think HIV can be transmitted through biting, spitting, or kissing someone, and an alarming 7% of Scots think HIV is transmitted by sharing a glass, cup, or cutlery. Attitudes such as that last point belong in the bygone era of dangerous misconceptions and assumptions that left an entire community ostracised.

Some revelations remind us that we still have a long way to go regarding LGBT+ Music by by Jonny Lily Stone Black Page 91

education. 42% of people think the statement ‘Women on HIV treatment cannot pass it on to their children’ is false. This alone indicates that not enough people are aware that vertical transmission between women and their children has been eliminated in Scotland, and that this misconception can lead to unsafe practice and negligence. A mere 17% of Scots believe there is a pill you can take that prevents HIV infection, seemingly most are ignorant of the fact that Scotland was actually the first country in the UK to make PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) available free to those at the very highest risk of acquiring HIV sexually, according to The Guardian, 27th February 2019. If more people were aware of this, the risk of sexually transmitted HIV would decrease exponentially.

And if we’re aiming to end the epidemic by 2030, the Scottish Government must reinforce vital information like this to young people that may not be fully aware of this.

Most disheartening, however, is the realisation that stigma surrounding HIV is still prevalent in Scotland, reminding us that we must engage in open, honest dialogue about the virus. When only 13% of Scots claim they know someone living with HIV, either now or in the past, evidently people aren’t disclosing their status to those around them, which allows us to reflect on why. Perhaps they fear the consequences of doing so: this is understandable when 52% of Scots agreed that people with HIV face discrimination at work and only 23% agreed that they would be comfortable starting a relationship with someone who is living with HIV. A mere 27% would be comfortable kissing someone living with HIV, which is frankly heartbreaking. I naively believed these attitudes were a relic of ignorant, dangerous times.

Evidently much is still to be done to amend attitudes about HIV and educate those Scots who remain oblivious to a virus that has decimated our community.

Commenting on the full results, the Chief Executive of HIV Scotland, Nathan Back to Contents

Sparling, states: ‘These results show the effect of our failure to bring society along with us at the same speed of medical advances. There is almost a lost generation of people, who didn’t grow up in the height of the AIDS pandemic and didn’t get any education about HIV at school – including myself. Education is vital to ensure young people, and society at large, have access to information on how to prevent HIV as well as reduce the stigma. Stigma exists because society sees HIV as something to be fearful of. The reality is that people living with HIV now live long, healthy, and happy lives.’

However, there are parts of the survey that are worthy of celebration, or at least convey some optimism that Scotland’s attitudes are moving in the right direction. 88% of those questioned agreed that someone taking HIV treatment can have a near-normal life expectancy, demonstrating an awareness that a positive status doesn’t necessarily equate to a short life expectancy, while the vast majority (93%) of Scots strongly disagreed that there was too much time, money or resources invested in HIV compared to other health problems such as LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 93

heart disease or cancer. This will hopefully reinforce the Scottish Government’s proposed new elimination plan. And, promisingly, 64% of respondents claimed they would know where to get advice and help if they were diagnosed.

So how achievable is our nation’s 2030 target?

Sparling believes that we will see a generation of Scots in which there will be no HIV transmissions or diagnoses. ‘The really exciting news is that Scots can be part of Generation Zero, the generation that sees an end to HIV stigma and new HIV transmissions. We can all play our part by learning the facts and sharing them with others.’ This prospect is certainly exciting, and the efforts that have been taken to promote HIV awareness and prevention are truly inspiring.

But clearly this fight is far from over and we must collectively contribute to this endeavour. You can donate to HIV Scotland to ensure their tireless work is supported financially; you can speak to your loved ones who perhaps have retained the archaic attitudes that alienated a generation of HIV+ Scots, to try to change their thinking; you can promote positive dialogue about HIV in your workplace to ensure people feel safe to share their status. We all have a part to play, and we owe it to those who came before us to make 2030’s dream a reality.

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LGBT+ by Jonny Stone Page 95

FOOD &

DRINK

RECIPE

LENTIL & VEGETABLE WINTER STEW

VEGANUARY NATURALLY STEFANIE

LENTIL & VEGETABLE WINTER STEW (VEGAN) Historically considered a food for the poor in many parts of the world, bulking up on lentils provided a solution to potentially meagre meals, especially in winter when summertime crops simply weren’t available. Dried lentils, when properly stored, can stay good for up to three years, and once cooked they can keep for up to one full week in the fridge.

But aside from lentil soup and Indian dahls, there perhaps aren’t too many obvious recipes for lentils. And yet we really should be eating more of them.

In fact, they should be placed on a pedestal for all their health-giving benefits.

Lentils are high in protein and fibre, as well as potassium, folate (one of the B vitamins), and iron. Potassium can counter the negative effects of high salt intake and can lower blood pressure. Folate protects your health by converting carbohydrates into energy and making red and white blood cells, especially important when growing up and for expectant mothers. Iron helps support the immune system, as well as fighting fatigue. On their own lentils might be a little boring, but add in some extra ingredients and suddenly you have a flavoursome and belly-filling budget food.

This lentil and vegetable winter stew is hearty, rich, and easy to make. The hardest bit is waiting for the lentils to soak overnight, although you can miss this step out if you buy them tinned. This recipe makes enough for you to keep some in the freezer and whip out to microwave whenever you need a quick, warming meal. To make the dish fully vegan, make sure to use a vegan Worcestershire sauce or use a mix of soy sauce and brown sugar instead.

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Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, Foodie Explorers Page 99

INGREDIENTS 1 ½ ltr vegetable stock 2 tbsp olive oil 1 onion (diced) 4 cloves garlic (minced) 130g frozen peas 4 carrots (diced) 4 stalks celery (diced) 1kg potatoes (peeled and cubed) 200g brown lentils 2 tbsp mustard (use English mustard if you want a strong mustard flavour, Dijon if you want a good bite, or wholegrain for more of a vinegar taste and crunchy texture – we used wholegrain.)

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (for non-vegan version, as the sauce traditionally contains anchovies) 1 tbsp soy sauce (if making vegan Worcestershire sauce substitute) 1 tbsp sugar (if making vegan Worcestershire sauce substitute)

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METHOD Add olive oil, onion and garlic to a large pot.

Saute the vegetables over a medium heat for a couple of minutes.

Then add celery, carrots, and potatoes, and continue to cook.

After about 5 minutes, add the lentils, mustard, soy sauce (or Worcestershire sauce if making a non-vegan version), brown sugar, and vegetable stock.

Ensure everything is fully mixed and then place a lid onto the pot.

Turn the heat up high and bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down to a simmer for about 30 minutes.

By now the potatoes will be soft, so mash some of them to thicken up the stew.

Keep some for chunky potato tastiness.

Finally, add the frozen peas and allow them to heat through.

Taste your stew, and add salt if required.

Serve with crusty bread for a filling dinner.

Food and Drink by Mark & Emma, Foodie Explorers Page 101

VEGANUARY NATURALLY STEFANIE WITH

Veganuary – it's here again, and apparently there've been 500,000 wonderful people signing up to the month long challenge – more than ever before! Whether you are new to being vegan, trying to be more plant-based, or have been vegan for years, this month can be a great time for reflection.

I spoke to Scotland’s most glowing vegan, healthy eating and fitness blogger, Naturally Stefanie, about her plant-based journey, and vegan living in Scotland.

Did you go vegan in Veganuary?

I did not – I actually went vegan in May of 2013! I was pescetarian before this and, once I started looking into healthier ways to eat, I came across veganism online and knew it was for me. As you can imagine it was not all that popular on social media 7 years ago and the content around it has changed quite a lot, but at the time it was perfect in helping me find the information I needed to make the change.

Do you think it is easy to be vegan in Scotland?

Oh yes. 100%. The supermarkets in the UK in general are full of vegan alternatives, making it so easy to get pretty much anything you could want. There are also so many great vegetarian and vegan cafes and restaurants, especially in Glasgow and Edinburgh: two of my Glasgow favourites are Mono and Suissi Vegan Kitchen. So many mainstream restaurants also have vegan options and some even have entire vegan menus alongside their regular menus and my favourite place for that has to be Red Onion!

Food and Drink by Laura Woodland Page 103

Do you have any Scottish vegan products you love?

I love sweet food, so my two favourite cake and dessert shops would be Considerit Chocolate and Naked Bakery – both in Edinburgh.

Do you think Veganuary helps people to go vegan?

Yes, I really do! There is so much hype and information surrounding it that it really gets people curious to try the lifestyle without feeling like that is 100% committing for life. It’s more a taste and try before you buy approach, which is so much more relaxed and more likely to attract people.

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What motivated you to go vegan? Did you find it easy?

I would say when I started getting interested in the fitness lifestyle I started to be more aware of what I was eating and looking at what kinds of foods I wanted in my diet. Being pescetarian, and a super fussy eater, I naturally found that plantbased foods were much more up my street. I did find it fairly easy, even though there were nowhere near as many food options seven years ago as there are now. However, the lack of ice cream and dessert options in supermarkets was a major struggle for me! Thank goodness for Ben and Jerry's non-dairy range now.

What do you look forward to in Veganuary?

I honestly look forward to seeing more of my community online taking part and using my recipes and content on social media to help them on their journey. It motivates me to put out more helpful content!

Food and Drink by Laura Woodland Page 105

How do you stay healthy? Do you think being vegan helps with this?

I would definitely say I have a healthy diet because I am very balanced in what I eat. I do not restrict myself and love sweet food more than pretty much anyone I know! I think being vegan made me more aware of what I was actually eating and being into fitness also helped with that, so I am very aware of what food choices I make. I also happen to love healthy food, so that is a win! Except mushrooms... I hate mushrooms, haha.

Tell us a bit more about your blog/business.

When I first went vegan and started talking on social media about my love for fitness and a plant-based diet, there was a severe lack of other content creators Back to Contents

doing the same. It seemed you were either a vegan living in Australia doing yoga and cycling or you were a meathead who lifted weights. There didn’t seem to be a blend. After I started my food blog and YouTube channel I decided there needed to be a place I could share my love for both food and fitness and thus veganaesthetics.co.uk/app was born. I built a community online with thousands of [mostly] women who wanted to eat plant based and build killer bodies in the gym at the same time. We run 12 week challenges throughout the year which come with home and gym workout plans to suit anyone's needs, and also a meal guide with tons of super healthy balanced recipes. The community has grown so much and I am so grateful to the thousands of people who have joined me on their journeys. Since then I have also released my cookbook Naturally Stefanie which focuses on the same style of recipes for a healthier stronger you. It even has a fitness section at the back for some starter workouts.

STEFANIE'S TIPS EDUCATE YOURSELF Watch documentaries, read books and articles, and view YouTube videos to really get clued up on what veganism is all about. Most people already eat about 70 percent plant-based and just need to make small swaps on their plate. For example, a common household meal might be chicken with veg and potatoes, so swap out the chicken for a vegan alternative and your meal is 100 percent plant-based.

CHECK THE LABELS AND KNOW YOUR STUFF Plant-based means you avoid any products that derive from animal sources, such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, or honey. You would be surprised at how many everyday foods have at least eggs or dairy in them, but equally, many daily products are what we call ‘accidentally vegan’. Some of your favourite biscuits and sweets might already be vegan-friendly and you just don't know it.

FOLLOW SOCIAL MEDIA INSPIRATIONS Just about everyone has a smartphone, so get on Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube and see what vegan pages are cooking up for some inspiration. There are pages on Instagram which show everyday foods that are not labelled as vegan but just so happen to be suitable for your new lifestyle. This is especially good if you're Back to Contents

just starting out and need some convenience food and snacks to grab on the go, or to have with your nighttime cuppa.

KEEP IT SIMPLE There is nothing worse than trying a new lifestyle and thinking you have to flip your whole diet upside down with complex recipes.

Pages like my own @naturallystefanie have plenty of ideas for simple meals you can make in under 30 minutes, with costeffective ingredients. You don’t need to be spending lots of money on superfoods and powders – simple everyday foods such as beans, lentils, pasta, potatoes, rice, fruit and veg are cheap.

VEGANISM IS A LIFESTYLE Veganism is not a diet or a fad that you try for a few weeks to shed some pounds. It is a lifestyle change that can make you feel and look your best by eating a balanced range of healthy foods. A diet is short-lived, as most of you probably know. If you treat it like a diet you will fall off the wagon and claim that veganism ‘doesn’t work’ when it is a perfectly healthy way of life.

So many restaurants nowadays have vegan menus available, so have plenty of options for you to try. It makes it a lot more realistic when you can go out with family and friends to restaurants they love where there are both vegan and non-vegan menus; as opposed to trying to convince everyone to try a 100% vegan restaurant with you. It completely normalises your new lifestyle to those around you and helps everyone see just how easy and convenient being vegan can be!

Food and Drink by Laura Woodland Page 109

MUSIC

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE...

EVERYTHING WILL BE FINE...

On 24th January 2020 I crammed into King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow to see Dead Pony, Swim School, The Roly Mo, and The Bleeders.

It was the penultimate night of New Year’s Revolution – a month-long celebration of the latest and greatest talent to emerge out of Scotland – and hopes were high for another year of prosperity among the Scottish music industry’s brightest stars.

In the crowd that night, I remember feeling indestructible. Pogoing around that perfect little basement space, I felt part of a city alive with its own creativity and zeal. From the sticky floors, to the technical problems, to the public displays of affection, it was raw, exuberant and carefree. Looking back now, perhaps those technical issues were in some way a foreshadowing that no matter the challenges that were to come, the Scottish music industry would never say die.

Fast forward ten months and I’m sitting in my umpteenth Zoom interview discussing how that resolve has really been put to the test. Richy Muirhead, founder and creative director of the Scottish Alternative Music Awards, reflects upon having organised and hosted his first ever online awards ceremony: ‘It just felt really odd without an audience’, he says. ‘It was really Back to Contents

important to highlight the artists involved and put a smile on peoples’ faces around the country.’ Richy is one of the industry’s good guys, but this is a sentiment shared by many. In fact, for artists and industry figures alike, the events of 2020 often galvanised them to do even more.

Image credit: Ronan Park Image credit: Ronan Park

THE LOCKDOWN LOWDOWN

Scottish musicians worked admirably in the face of adversity throughout 2020.

From live streams, to field trips, to 118 118 style hotlines, what they lost in live opportunities, many artists made up for through multimedia showcases and online events.

LUCIA & THE BEST BOYS Having sold out King Tut’s the week before lockdown, Lucia & The Best Boys could have been forgiven for going to ground and sulking as the rest of their coveted live opportunities disappeared into thin air. However, in the months that followed, they instead opted to write, record and release arguably their most well rounded work to date, with The State of Things EP. The promotion of the record was nearly as inspired as the music itself, with the Perfectly Happy Hotline being set up to connect fans directly with the band. A phone number was sent out to newsletter subscribers and anticipation quickly built on social media. Fans could then call and have one-on-one conversations with band members Lucia, Ally, and Christopher.

This lighthearted, quirky promotional effort was just the pick-me-up many fans needed as the year that wouldn’t end trundled on.

Music by Mackenzie Burns Page 113

DEAD PONY Having signed with LAB Records on a multi-single deal in April 2020, these Glaswegian post-punks spent much of the year crafting hard-hitting yet bitesize bangers. ‘Sharp Tongues’ and ‘23, Never Me’ gave fans a much needed soundtrack to scream their houses down to, while ‘Everything Is Easy’ provided a dose of Abba-esque pop sensibility.

Their studio output might have been impressive but it was Dead Pony’s live stream for New York-based The New Colossus Festival that reminded fans of where the band are at their best: up close and personal, sweaty, and live on stage.

Their immersive set, which also included interview time with US radio personality Brad Wagner, exposed them to new audiences as people from all over the world tuned in. It was a proud moment, seeing a stalwart of the Scottish music scene become an international export in real time.

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Image credit: Chris Almeida

LIZZIE REID In contrast to the bright lights and bluster of Dead Pony’s live stream experience, former band member Lizzie Reid has begun a new chapter making impactful acoustic folk. Her performance of ‘Seamless’, live in Epping Forest, was as affecting as it was beautiful, with the surroundings adding another dimension to the open catharsis of the song.

While many artists could and should be praised for their ingenuity in recent months, sometimes a gifted and honest songwriter can tap into the human condition, armed only with the proverbial three chords and the truth. That’s exactly what Lizzie Reid showed herself to be capable of.

Music by Mackenzie Burns Page 115

THE NINTH WAVE As with Lucia & The Best Boys, The Ninth Wave looked set to break even bigger in 2020. With a string of European dates supporting Paramore’s Hayley Williams on hold, they instead set to work fine-tuning their first new music since 2019’s Infancy.

In the aftermath of EP Happy Days! release, alongside sister remix record Unhappy Days!, the band recorded a live version of their new single ‘Everything Will Be Fine’. In the bright, minimalist surroundings of Glasgow’s SWG3, their trademark dourness was offset with an infectious optimism: a balance that The Ninth Wave struck with poise and precision. If you didn’t believe it before, you’d better believe it now: everything will indeed one day be fine.

TAAHLIAH When she wasn’t shattering glass ceilings by becoming the first Black transgender person to win at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards, TAAHLIAH was busy curating and co-ordinating an online movement for social change. As part of the Black Lives Matter Glasgow protests in June 2020, the artist, producer and DJ worked with Clyde Built Radio to promote two days of music, discussion and community outreach, all in the name of equality.

More so than lifting up her fellow musicians or even the industry at large, TAAHLIAH was at the forefront of mobilising the Scottish music scene as a force for societal good. In a year when you could have been forgiven for not wanting to leave your bed, she played her part in communicating an important message of humanity to her peers.

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As for the state of music to come in 2021, that’s really anyone’s guess. The glimmer of hope offered by news of a vaccine in December 2020 was quickly extinguished by the announcement of another national lockdown at the turn of the year.

The Scottish music scene is certainly suffering as a result of its COVID-enforced hiatus, but absence makes the heart grow fonder. And if 2020 was any indication, then you’re never truly isolated from that which inhabits your very soul.

It is my belief that we might be socially distant but we’ll never be musically distant. In many ways, in the year since COVID-19 began its extensive world tour, music has proven to be the glue which has kept us all together: mentally, spiritually, and socially. In my head I’m still bouncing around King Tut’s with a few hundred of my closest friends, and with any luck, my feet will be stuck to that famous floor again before too long.

TAAHLIAH

Music by Mackenzie Burns Page 117

REVIEW

DJANGO DJANGO SLEAFORD MODS NUBIYAN TWIST GOAT GIRL OLIVIA THOM JAMES YORKSTON VELVET VIAGRA BOYS SARYA AKA SWOO ANNA B SAVAGE FELIX AND THE SUNSETS ANDREW O'HAGAN DARDISHI ZINE COMFORT ZONE THE YOUNG MASTER

DJANGO

DJANGO TRACK BY TRACK GLOWING IN THE DARK

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The identity or character of Django Django is about as straightforward to nail down as a serpent covered in a specially formulated nail-proof butter. Having met via Edinburgh College of Art, forming the band in London, while hailing from pretty much all four corners of the UK, they even resist geographical pigeonholing. All the while, the maelstrom of eclectic influences that goes into their sound presents a challenge to reviewers, as any attempt at defining their sound in simple words becomes a vague list-making exercise.

That being said, the band’s output is hardly challenging to the point of unlistenable. The dense mesh of Django Django’s musical heritage manages to settle in a broadly laid-back fashion. The one exception to this was possibly their second album, 2015’s Born Under Saturn, where brash mixing meant some songs were overpowered by individual bleepy or splashing elements.

Glowing in the Dark flirts with this gung-ho level mixing approach, but there’s an overall feeling of restraint to the record which, when aligned to the songwriting – some of the most mature and heartfelt the band have ever produced – makes this bubbling record a potential career highlight on the theme of escape. Escape from life, the planet, convention – anything – is surely going to resonate with almost everyone after these last 9 months.

Music by Stephen McColgan Page 121

Image credit: Eva Vermandel

As an opening track, ‘Spirals’ is a real signal of intent. A bold, rising synth joined by squelchy bass, and very clean guitar, merge in a pleasing intro that quickens its tempo until the whole band joins in. The chorus is way more hummable than the chord sequence than it has any real right to be, and the solo section after the four-minute mark benefits from a relatively non-distorted guitar line which shyly transitions into a synth-heavy outro.

‘Right the Wrongs’ has a distinctly early Eighties feel. Subtle dynamic shifts reminiscent of Wire and other New Wave acts are offset by Vincent Neff’s vocals, which still straddle the no-man’s land between falsetto and regular registers with an airy sense of ease.

The rhythm guitar in ‘Got Me Worried’ is my favourite element in the track. The emphasis is squarely on rhythm as staccato chops of compressed (with a touch of wah) barre chords drive a palm-muted train-like time signature. Charlotte Gainsbourg features on ‘Waking Up’ and the song is a predictable high point.

The chorus encourages bopping in even the most toe-tap-averse and the middle eight is exactly where you want it to be. Three minutes of pure, vibrant, oldfashioned pop.

‘Free From Gravity’ transports the listener to an interstellar soundscape and it’s hard not to imagine skirting the curvature of a remote planet, even if the lyrics very pointedly refer to Earthbound items. The synth in the chorus is somewhere between a conventional coda and the bleepy bit from Kraftwerk's ‘Pocket Calculator’. The bass manages to retain an organic feel, despite the effects used, and the breakdown version of the chorus towards the end hits a real elemental sweet spot.

‘Headrush’ is centred around a driving mix of bass and drums with an offbeat snare hit. Along with the drum machine, this provides an ideal song to accompany some quite aggressive walking, should you need accompaniment to your aggressive walks. Instrumental ‘The Ark’ could be seen as filler, armed as it is with swooping synth lines and subtle dynamics. I disagree, however, and would actually have liked it to have been twice as long, keeping the synths diving like hungry ospreys for another three or four minutes.

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Music by Stephen McColgan Image credit: Page Maxim 123Kelly

Night of the Buffalo’ feels like a triumph of song construction. Snare-heavy rhythms in the verses give way to a chorus which feels like it’s trying to cram several superfluous chord changes in, and there’s a distinctly Middle Eastern tilt to the bridge. It’s a song which probably shouldn’t work, yet strangely I feel it’s all the more organic-sounding for its Frankenstein-style composition. The bits of the song that seem contrary to the previous section are the bits that become all the more rewarding on repeated listens.

Shortest track on the album, ‘The World Will Turn’ is a folky, acoustic number that wouldn’t have suffered from being twice as long or from kicking into heavy instrumentation. ‘Kick the Devil Out’, which follows it, is a breezy jaunt heavily reminiscent of Altered Images and Orange Juice.

From here on out, the last three tracks are highly electro-influenced. Title track ‘Glowing in the Dark’ starts with a drumbeat that isn’t a million miles away from the type of thing Laurent Garnier would stick on as a ‘one more tune’ at 4am.

The sampling of Neff’s voice for the stuttered refrain never feels like a gimmick and binds perfectly with the techno-style layer sequencing.

‘Hold Fast’ follows with its rumbling tom-led drumbeat, constantly threatening a time change that never appears, while the final track, ‘Asking For More’ displays the now familiar restraint and brevity referred to earlier. The track could easily morph into a noisy end-of-set noisefest, but instead settles for embellishing the base track with one of the most satisfying squelchy noises you’ll ever hear, duelling with a calm organ for its final minute.

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Glowing in the Dark is possibly the best thing Django Django have produced thus far, and it’s all the more impressive when you think of all the buzzing excesses that could’ve been thrown into the mix on half the tracks here.

Overall, it’s a triumph of composition over compilation.

Glowing in the Dark is out 12th February via Because Music

Music by Stephen McColgan Page 125

SLEAFORD MODS

TRACK BY TRACK SPARE RIBS

Image credit: Alasdair McLellan

On their 11th studio album, you might wonder if Sleaford Mods would start to run out of things to moan about. And then you realise that the entire world, but Britain especially, is going to hell in a handcart. Quickly. It’s a miserable situation for all of us, but it fills you with confidence that the lads will dish out bloody noses once again.

A sprightly opening and a boisterous ‘hey’ from Jason Williamson might fool you into thinking that the band are putting on an upbeat front for 2021, but of course, that doesn’t last long. Amongst the warbling set-up for the record, the line ‘and we’re all so Tory tired and beaten by minds small’ grabs attention. ‘A New Brick’ taps into the Pink Floyd anthem about bricks in the wall, which is apt seeing as we’re all being pulled back to the 1970s because of this government.

Let’s hope the concept of a three-day week is as appealing as it sounds.

It would have been fitting if ‘Short Cummings’ was the coda to Dirty Dom’s time in the public eye; a fanfare for the uncommon man, playing him out as he sets off for a long, lonely, eye-testing drive. Sadly, he’ll likely be gnawing away in the background for some time to come, poisoning policy and causing untold hardship for millions. Say what you like about Sleaford Mods, but they’ve been calling these rats out for some time. Doing it in a manner that gets you bopping and weaving simultaneously is a real skill, and quite frankly, their songs should be stuck on the school curriculum.

Guest vocalists add a new sense of life to the band’s output, even on a topic that has been done to death. The English love a class war, especially when some of the people involved are putting on an act, positioning themselves as something they are not. From Amyl & The Sniffers, Amy Taylor lends a snotty punk edge to ‘Nudge It’, and hopefully some bands will take the hump about a perceived slight.

Music by Andy Reilly Page 127

Fake bands get it in the neck again on ‘Elocution’, with the initial shout-out to independent venues hinting at those who will jump on any passing bandwagon if they think it will get them further down the road.

‘Out There’ has a looping sense of paranoia, nailing the feeling of dread the double whammy of COVID-19 and Brexit has delivered. In many ways, it is your archetypal Sleaford Mods track. Andrew Fearn’s hypnotic beats allow Williamson to take a scattergun approach to all who are loitering and in his line of vision It might all be muttering, mumbling and grumbling, but it’s instep with how many have hazily slumped throughout 2020.

After that, you need a cold shower to wake up, and ‘Glimpses’ is a refreshing and melodic blast of optimism. 2020 was a dumpster fire; there’s no point in arguing that. However, the ​odd flickers of light and warmth have kept us all hanging on, and we need to to grasp the joyous moments, regardless of how fleeting they are.

On ‘Top Room’, the duo returns to the topic of lockdown, this time focusing on the tribulations of dealing with the everyday boredom and pressure. Sure, your social media feed might have been filled with banana loaves and sourdough bread, but lockdown’s been a grinding and draining experience.

It’s hard to argue against ‘Mork n Mindy’ and its selection as the lead track on the album. The appearance of Billy Nomates elevates the song to a greater level. The juxtaposition of the vocal styles, even when both deliver a slightly sneering putdown, grabs you from the start, and the chorus is sure to stick in your head.

Given Elon Musk’s penchant for outrageous social media assaults, you might Back to Contents

Music by Andy Reilly Page 129

think there would be a kinship between the Tesla man and the Sleaford Mods.

Thankfully, that’s not the case, and the entitled weirdo gets called out on title track ‘Spare Ribs’.

Most of the people who bear the brunt of the band’s ire deserve it (and a whole lot more), which is why they have no qualms about naming and shaming people like Musk. However, ‘All Day Ticket’ is a more oblique call-out, no doubt a personal attack, but one which doesn’t set the dogs loose on the target. That’s fine though, because you’ll probably have someone from your life in mind when you decipher the lyrics, and it’s another chorus you’ll find yourself mumbling out of nowhere.

As the name suggests, ‘Thick Ear’ is another walk down memory lane, touching on casual violence at home and the desolate surroundings of businesses going bust and lives tumbling down the drain. Well, it might be billed as a trip back in time, but anyone who has ventured onto the High Street of late might find it an all too familiar appraisal.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that ‘I Don’t Rate You' sees Williamson’s vitriol running out of steam. It’s certainly not an insult along the lines of ‘Graham Coxon looks like a left-wing Boris Johnson’ or ‘All gone quiet on the wanker front’ as we’ve had on previous albums. Don’t worry though, it’s bristling with energy, swear words, and as is the case with the whole album, it features Andrew Fearn’s ire bubbling away nicely underneath it all. A Sleaford Mods gig might seem like a comfortable night for Andrew, push a few buttons and have a few drinks, but he puts the hours and work in before a live show. I think this is the case, anyway, because it’s getting hard to remember what gigs were actually like.

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childhood. ‘Fishcakes' has a gloomy air, with a slightly menacing twist in the music and hushed vocal delivery. However, there’s also an air of defiance: yes, times were tough, but we got through it. And, collectively, we’ll get through this too.

They’re still here, they’re still as vital as they’ve always been, and it’s not too late to get yourself listening to one of the finest bands of the modern day.

Spare Ribs is out January 15th via Rough Trade Records

Music by Andy Reilly Page 131

NUBIYAN TWIST SINGLE: IF I KNOW

FEATURING K.O.G.

Fun and spirited, the latest release from Nubiyan Twist is a vibrant showcase of talented playing and creative composition. Fusing sounds of afrobeat, latin, soul, reggae and dance music, 'If I Know' captivates uplifting sounds that will take you back to the long nights of summer. From the fast-paced rhythms and playful horns, this track has an energy that makes it impossible to resist dancing to. It anticipates the release of their third album Freedom Fables, out 12th March. Every song on Freedom Fables features an acclaimed guest artist, with K.O.G (K.O.G & The Zongo Brigade/Oninpa) delivering soulful vocals and rapping for If I Know. The lyrics embrace a cool optimism, with K.O.G describing them as entailing the need ‘to respect everybody and to let them do their thing’. During these long cold nights, it is the perfect track to vibe around your makeshift living room dancefloor with a homemade margarita. You can do this on 30th March where Nubiyan Twist will be performing a live stream album launch from the Islington Assembly Hall.

'If I Know' is out now on Strut Records

By Emily Silk

GOAT GIRL ALBUM: ON ALL FOURS

Virtually everything is political. Just because the new Goat Girl album doesn’t loudly rail against the same villains as they did on their debut, doesn’t mean they no longer care. If anything, the broadening of their outlook makes them even more relatable.

And of course, the music is excellent. Tight but loose, the album flows with carefree nonchalance that sees time pass swiftly.

The groove of ‘Sad Cowboy’ is an obvious entry point to the record, but there are gems sprinkled throughout, with ‘Closing In’ crying out for a proper summer in order to shine in a fitting setting.

There’s a hypnotic and woozy charm to the album, which fits well with modern times. ‘Anxiety Feels’ will speak for far too many people and ‘Bang’ has a soulful, nibbling refrain that won’t be leaving your mind anytime soon.

Don’t bother skipping tracks; just let the album run and switch off.

On All Fours is released on 29th January on Rough Trade Records

By Andy Reilly

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 133

OLIVIA THOM EP: THROUGH IT

Glasgow-based singer-songwriter Olivia Thom’s debut EP Through It has come at the perfect time of year. Thom’s warm and gentle voice makes for perfect listening on a dark evening, the relatable subject matter a comfort at the tail end of a bleak year. The three track, folk-pop inspired EP follows the themes of self-discovery amongst uncertainty and finding strength within yourself. Carried by melodic guitar and dreamy harmonies, Through It takes the listener on an empowering and inspirational journey of acceptance.

Opening track ‘Fine Wine’ explores self-love and self-reliance – a feeling of being whole without depending on anyone else. The rhythmic guitar and Thom’s soft but powerful vocals build to an assured peak, the laid back sound transforming to match the lyrics of building confidence and comfort. ‘Waves’ examines the feeling of relinquishing control and accepting things you can’t change, the simple production mimicking waves on the shore and the layered vocals cutting through its melancholic instrumentals. The final track, ‘Questions’ pays tribute to the support and advice of Thom’s parents. The song grows in tempo and becomes more upbeat as it seems Thom starts to believe the words her parents tell her about how far she has come and of her inner strength.

Through It ends on an optimistic note, leaving you feeling as if you’ve been on a journey of gathering self-belief, and have realised that it’s okay not to have all the answers.

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Thom cites some of her inspirations as Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith, and Joni Mitchell, and while their influences can be heard in her poetic lyrics and honest, soulful vocals, Thom’s sound is entirely her own. Her gentle Scottish accent and delicate harmonies, minimalist production from Hugh Richardson, and careful instrument selection make her debut EP a stand-out independent release of 2020, and mark her as one to watch for the years to come.

Through It is available to stream now

By Lily Black

Photography: Rene Passet

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 135

JAMES YORKSTON

AND THE SECOND HAND ORCHESTRA ALBUM: THE WIDE, WIDE RIVER

No matter the year, January is the month for warmth, comfort and things that feel right. This January? You need that in a double dose.

This is why it’s so gratifying to welcome James Yorkston back, this time accompanied by The Second Hand Orchestra.

In an album recorded and mixed in just three days, there’s a sense of urgency and familiarity. There are many flashes of inspiration, with touches of The Beatles, Nick Drake, and even, whisper it, Morrissey, (but only his music!) all present, alongside more traditional elements.

The choral collective on ‘Choices, Like Wide Rivers’ blends folk with an almost gospel feel. ‘Struggle’, despite the name, is anything but: it’s a muchneeded audio hug.

It’s baffling at times that Yorkston isn’t a household name, at least in Scotland.

His latest release strengthens his consistency and again offers light and cheer to a musical style which many hold dear but don’t explore.

The Wide, Wide River is released 22nd January via Domino Records.

By Andy Reilly

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Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 137

VELVET SINGLE: BLACK AND BLUE

Glasgow band Velvet's excellent new single can simultaneously be described as soulful and menacing, driving it near to the front line of recent Scottish indie rock releases. ‘Black And Blue’, released under their newly-founded label Affection Records, boasts skilful musicianship from the ensemble with multiple layers of innovative indie rock.

The intro is soft and intimate; all alluring lead vocals (think Luke Pritchard meets Alex Turner) and sparse, clean guitar. Then a sudden guitar twang jolts us straight into familiar bold, energetic territory. There is a noticeable improvement in the quality of production on ‘Black And Blue’ over their previous charmingly lo-fi and airy offerings, the band adding a sheen, focus, and sophistication which works well for them. You’d hope the band aren’t entirely ditching their previous sound in the long run, though.

This track hits with an uppercut. With a fair wind, and the opportunity to play to a live audience, Velvet could find their way into the forefront of Scotland’s independent music consciousness.

'Black and Blue' is out now on Affection Records

By Aisha Fatunmbi-Randall

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VIAGRA BOYS ALBUM: WELFARE JAZZ

Jazz, rockabilly, honky tonk, melodic pop, electronica, and a lingering sense of dread: Swedish post-punk band Viagra Boys serve it all up. With so much variety on offer, and when you have a band who embrace a twisted sense of humour, the music sometimes has a feel of pastiche or parody.

Which is fine, but the energy and honesty of these songs pull it all together. It has the feel of a compilation record rather than a cohesive set around a universal theme, but in these scattergun times, that’s ideal.

‘Into The Sun’ would sit neatly alongside much of Mark Lanegan’s output, growling out confessions of fractured masculinity.

With acts like Fat White Family and their offshoots, we’ve got plenty of sleazy homegrown bands of our own to love. However, we should never close our borders to more of the same, not when it’s done as well as Viagra Boys do it.

Welfare Jazz is released 8th January on Year0001

By Andy Reilly

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 139

sarya aka swoo SINGLE: i'll break my heart (so you don't have to) Listeners of SNACK’s ‘Best of 2020’ playlist may have noticed the spoken word track ‘a good day’ by sarya – an eloquent and delicate reflection on the tangled mess that is trying to exist as a good person in the world today.

The track encompasses everything we love about sarya, an up-and-coming musician and poet living in Edinburgh; their work exists within the ethereal space between poetic musings and melancholy ruminations, in the world of bedroom and electronic pop. sarya’s upcoming single ‘i'll break my heart (so you don’t have to)’ is a dreamy love letter to unrequited crushes. They sing earnestly about toying with the love you feel towards a friend who unfortunately doesn’t return your feelings. The song is a commentary on treating your own heart as a plaything, and ultimately protecting it from the pain that exists alongside it with your own, deliberate, silence; it is an idle contemplation of the spiky anticipation which surrounds young love. The single follows on from their self-released EP take care of yourself in 2020, and continues in the same style of soft speech and airy vocals we have come to expect from sarya’s music. These are songs which build anticipation, beginning quietly – simple and stripped back – only to build layers quickly, in tandem with the emotional peaks sarya describes in their carefully straightforward lyrics. sarya writes music for those seeking importance in the small things. She writes Back to Contents

for those who look at the gossamer that surrounds them and brush it away, to more clearly see the meaning in confusing texts and uncertain friendships, however painful that may be. ‘i'll break my heart (so you don’t have to)’ is a song to listen to if you’re looking for reassurance that unrequited feelings do not mean you’re alone in the world.

By Maya McDowell-Uppal

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 141

ANNA B SAVAGE ALBUM: A COMMON TURN

London-based singer-songwriter Anna B Savage's album, A Common Turn, is an extraordinary statement of intent. Mired in the kind of uncertainty that causes night sweats, it's nonetheless a confident-sounding debut, with lush, delicate production from William Doyle (formerly known as East India Youth).

Savage's deep, resonant vocals seem very much at odds with her lyrical content, curling operatically around acoustic guitars and shimmering synths.

Both her parents are classical singers, so it perhaps seemed inevitable that she would follow them, but strong musical DNA does not always lead to a sense of entitlement.This is most evident in the hypnotic chime of ‘Dead Pursuits’, where she questions the worth of both creating art and of decisions she has made. ‘I didn't ace that interview / I didn't even apply’, she sings, and you can feel the cringe right down to her toes, even as her voice spirals and soars.

‘A Common Tern’ (sic) is folk that bares its fangs, lulling the listener into a false sense of security with a casual strum that moves into dark corners, then seems to implode. On ‘Corncrakes’, Savage sounds utterly exposed: 'I want to text you, but it'd mean I'd thought about you... I don't know if this is even real / I don't feel things as keenly as I used to'. It's like discovering a diary page casually flung out onto the street – you’re left wondering at the pain that motivated the writer to put such words down.

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It's testament to Savage that such honesty and vulnerability never feels selfindulgent, though. Inspired by authors like Tove Jansson and Amy Liptrot (no strangers themselves to introspection), there is enough sly humour here to counter any concerns. Closing track ‘One’ even sees Savage playfully mocking her own insecurities, suggesting that therapy and art have pulled her through some difficult times and will continue to do so.

Savage is every bit as effective when stripping things back as when whipping up anthemic storms, and much of her power lies in knowing when to keep the dynamics low-key.

If, as many cultural commentators have suggested, narcissism is on the rise, then leave it to artists like Savage to provide the antidote. This is a majestic collection of songs which prove that the empaths who walk tentatively among us may yet hold the answers to future understanding. There is strength in sensitivity.

A Common Turn is out 29th January via City Slang

By Lorna Irvine

Image credit: Ebru Yildiz

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 143

FELIX AND THE SUNSETS SINGLE: THIS WILL CHANGE

'This Will Change' is the newest single from the Edinburgh based alternative rock group Felix and the Sunsets. Reflective and hopeful, the track is ‘a celebration of the Black Lives Matter movement and the sea of people who marched for an end to systemic racism’, following the murder of George Floyd last summer. 'This Will Change' embraces down to earth song-writing musicianship through poetic lyrics delivered by unique soft vocal harmonies. The track’s thoughtful positivity is strengthened by fun samba rhythms using afrobeat inspired percussion. The climatic Santana-inspired guitar solo is brilliantly delivered and foresees the fresh talent emerging from this upcoming Scottish band. All proceeds from the track are being donated to Intercultural Youth Scotland, who do outstanding work to support young people who face multiple barriers to success. Felix and the Sunsets’ kind-hearted movements are reflected into their music making and sound, making them all the more enjoyable to listen to.

By Emily Silk

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ANDREW O'HAGAN BOOK: MAYFLIES

Andrew O’Hagan often weaves fact and fiction in his novels, using real lives and events as the starting point for the story he wants to tell. With his latest, Mayflies, the story is a particularly personal and powerful one, being an elegy for his childhood friend, Keith Martin, who passed away in 2018. It’s split into two sections. Part One recounts a life-changing summer of love in 1986, where narrator James and his best friend and kindred spirit Tully Dawson are facing the end of their school days and the beginning of the next chapter in their lives.

Future possibilities are tempered with the thought that things may never be the same again.

The novel then jumps to Autumn 2017, when James receives the news that Tully is sick and is reaching out to his old friend. The energy and excitement of the teenage reminiscences give way to the sobriety and seriousness of middle age, confronting the fears that come to us all. The universality of their relationship and the passing of time, and the honest and candid way that O’Hagan relays this, give Mayflies an emotional punch that stays with you long after the last page.

Mayflies is out now, published by Faber.

By Alistair Braidwood

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 145

DARDISHI ZINE ISSUE 2

Dardishi Zine is a community arts project founded by and showcasing the cultural talents of Arab and North African womxn in Glasgow (womxn is a term here used to encompass trans and cis women as well as intersex and nonbinary people). The group delivers a 3-day festival every year at the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow, and although the precarious nature of faceto-face events is ever-present in 2021, the publication of zines and online collaborative works has not been halted.

Dardishi: Issue 2 is a comforting read that is focused on the concept of healing.

To create the publication, the community of artists and writers associated with Dardishi came together within its pages to analyse what ‘healing’ means to them.

Overwhelmingly, the responses were heartfelt discussions of collective trauma ,stemming from the intergenerational issues faced by people of colour living in diasporic environments across the world: notions of colonialism, imperialism, war, poverty and displacement run rampant through the shared experiences of these womxn. Dardishi: Issue 2 includes contributions from 34 talented creators, and incorporates a range of media, from poetry, prose, illustration, and collage, to both personal and critical essays. The womxn between the pages talk with sharp wit and bitter anger about their intersectional existences, and the differing experiences which define them as individuals.

It is important to note that the experiences of these womxn are centred around Back to Contents

being people of colour, foreigners in a white society. When Aude Nasr’s illustrative tale of catching ‘the little ghosts sitting on our shoulders’ describes carrying on one’s back the trauma of one’s ancestors – how relatable is this feeling? For thousands of people living in Scotland it is a very familiar experience indeed. Leila Maachi perhaps puts it best in her poem ‘the trial: case of the cyborg and the human’, which explores a world where a cyborg becomes the fabled ‘other’. How does this machine go about explaining separation? How can a robot understand inhumanity? Maachi asks the reader to explain the algorithm for human suffering to a confused cyborg. What answer should one give?

This zine is an important edition: every submission offers highly personal interpretations of growth and what healing means to each contributor. It can act not only as a source of comfort and community for its target audience of Arab and North African womxn, but for all those familiar with the pain of this type of collective trauma. For those new to these discussions, however, the zine exists as an interesting starting point. To anyone who has never given this topic much thought, but is open to learning more: it comes highly recommended.

By Maya McDowell-Uppal

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 147

COMFORT ZONE SHORT FILM

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Comfort Zone, a short film by Paris-based director Jordan Blady, dazzlingly showcases Tbilisi’s LGBTQ+ community’s refusal to give up existing, elevating its voice and place in Georgian society in the face of tireless homophobic threat and attacks. Blady takes a close look at Tbilisi’s vibrant drag community, focusing on activist and performer Matt Shally. The audience is offered close insight into Shally’s personal journey of self-acceptance, first as his emotional and aggressive drag alter-ego Victoria Slutyna and then as his true self, Matt in a Dress.

The film also sheds light on the scene’s burgeoning ball scene, which celebrates the diverse range of performers and arguably brings unity to the queer Tbilisi. The ball scene is beautifully shot and intimately captures the energy of live performance that we’ve been desperately lacking since early 2020.

Shally makes for a compelling subject: he speaks with honesty and feels like the perfect ambassador for Georgia’s burgeoning queer movement. He caught Blady’s eye when, following police raids of gay clubs, he featured in a news report during the 2018 riots in Tbilisi. The film sees him lead the audience through the city’s streets and eventually into the drag ball, and Blady’s exterior shots, which overlook the city landscape at dusk, highlight Shally’s beauty.

What is truly inspiring is the tenacity of Tbilisi’s LGBTQ+ community, persisting in the face of a very real threat faced as a result of the country’s homophobic attitudes. One such incident occurred last October: the European Court of Human Rights reported that Tbilisi police breached international protocol by deliberately humiliating LGBTQ+ activists during a raid, strip searching them, calling the activists 'sick,' 'perverts', and 'dykes', and threatening to out them to their families. Even filming Comfort Zone had its own risks: in street filming, Shally was accompanied at his request by two security guards in order to Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 149

guarantee his safety, as seen in the behind-the-scenes featurette. Such is the reality of queer life in Georgia.

As one would expect, attitudes are more progressive among the youth of Georgia, though not overwhelmingly so: The National Democratic Institute (NDI) found in 2019 that 38% of respondents to a survey on LGBTQ+ attitudes aged 18-35 said that protecting the rights of ‘sexual minorities’ was important, contrasting with the 36% who actively disagreed. 21 percent answered that they were neutral on the question. This was a slight rise from previous surveys, such as the 2015 edition that saw just 22% suggesting that protecting LGBTQ+ Georgians is important. Things may be slowly moving in the right direction, but clearly representation in the arts and media is crucial at this stage in propelling forward LGBTQ+ equality.

The film has been met with acclaim and success on the festival circuit: Comfort Zone won Best Unscripted Personal Work at Berlin Commercial and Best Cinematography and Script at A Shaded View on Fashion Film; garnered a nomination for Best Doc at London Fashion Film Festival, and enjoyed selections at Aesthetica Short Film Festival and Canadian International Fashion Film Festival. It will also be part of the official selections for Fashion Film Festival Milano. Comfort Zone sheds light on a lesser-known queer scene bringing joy and unity to its tribe, and it’s heartening to see its positive reception.

Comfort Zone is available to view in the UK on Vimeo

By Jonny Stone

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Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 151

THE YOUNG MASTER The last couple of years or so have been heaven for fans of classic Jackie Chan movies, with a slew released by Eureka! and 88 Films respectively. Now we have Jackie’s 1980 smash hit The Young Master in glorious HD and 4K. These formats mean seeing old low-budget martial arts movies in a completely new light, especially when it comes to what they were made for: the action.

In his second film as director, Chan plays Dragon, a young Chinese man who attends a martial arts school. After their rivals humiliate the school in a show-stopping Lion Dance, and Chan covers for his friend Tiger too many times, he is thrown out by the Master. The plot follows his comic adventures before he must face the ultimate showdown with a villainous superkicker and criminal (Hwang In Shik).

It was around the period of Drunken Master to this film's completion that Jackie was in his physical prime, and whatever you say about the man now, there’s no escaping the fact he created some of the greatest fight choreography in film history.

Here his prop comedy was in its infancy, but alongside that we have some of the most intricate moves to ever have graced Back to Contents

the screen. Incredibly fast and skillful, this is blink- and-you’ll-miss-it physical genius. From his ridiculous dexterity with a paper fan, twin swords, and at one point a massive skirt, to the gruelling brilliance of the final fight, this is the kind of movie martial arts fans point to when asked what all the fuss is about.

There’s a cohesion to the comic tone here that makes the film more accessible when compared with other kung fu comedies of the time. Add to that an incredible use of a classical music piece by Gustav Holst, and a worn-in, old-school magical atmosphere that entrances me to this day, and you have something very special. The lack of a good plot and the silliness of some of the comedy may be off-putting for some, but for aficionados that’s all part of the charm. If you want to witness a golden age traditional martial arts film with arguably the greatest star of the genre, look no further than The Young Master.

The Young Master will be released on Blu Ray on 25th of January via 88 Films

By Martin Sandison

Email: review@snackmag.co.uk Page 153

GAMING IN 2021 As 2021 kicks off, it's time to look to the year ahead. This can only be a good thing, as it means that more video games are on their way. With some heavyhitters expected, such as God of War 2, Back 4 Blood, and the Lego Star Wars Collection, as well as the dawn of a new console generation, 2021 is already shaping up to be an exciting year in games. In anticipation of this, I’ve listed here a number of games big and small, coming soon to a mix of console platforms and PC. These are definitely ones to keep a sharp eye out for.

SABLE First announced in 2018, Sable was dreamed up by two dudes in a shed.

Daniel Fineberg and Greg Kythreotis, the founders of Shedworks, have a few previous releases under their belts, most notably Snipperclips for the Nintendo Switch. This small team has now expanded and is taking on larger projects: this is where Sable comes in.

With the eponymous main character zooming about the desert on a hoverbike, and a heavy emphasis on exploration and discovery, Sable has every appearance of a contemplative, engaging and beautiful game.

Sable was delayed from its original launch date; previously scheduled to ship in 2019, it is now headed for a 2021 release. During its development a steady stream of gifs, videos, and images have been posted to the Twitter accounts of the two core members of Shedworks. These gifs work really well to showcase Back to Contents

snapshots of the game, revealing how climbing, exploration, and traversal will all work, without the need for big flashy trailers. And one of the most notable things about the game is that it's clearly drop-dead gorgeous.

The visuals are reminiscent of work by French comic book artist Moebius, also known as Jean Giraud, with bold, flat colours and thin unyielding linework.

Sable also looks to be doing some interesting things with cel-shading. Already used in games such as the Borderlands series, or Telltale adventures, celshading is a process where the colours in a game world appear flat, giving a comic book or cartoon-y feel. This is something that can be used to maximise the graphic impact without taking too much of a toll on hardware. This approach really makes the arid, desert world one you want to just jump right into.

Sable is set for a release in 2021 on Xbox platforms and PC

Gaming by Dominic Cassidy Page 155

DEATHLOOP Deathloop, a timed PS5 exclusive, looks to offer more of what fans of Arkane Studios have come to expect. The Prey and the Dishonoured series developers are well known for the logically mechanical way in which their worlds are built – if you do X, you get a reasonably satisfactory Y outcome.

You’ll play as a character who’s being hunted for sport, on an island which resets every day. Your character has to eliminate the leaders of this community in a limited amount of time in order to earn a chance at freedom, or time will reset and you’ll have to start again. This becomes more difficult when you discover that there’s a separate character who wants nothing more than to preserve this time loop, with this character being controlled by a player online who can jump in to disrupt your attempt to clear the game.

Looking like a mash-up between Dishonoured, Groundhog Day, and any number of Rogue-like games, the possibilities here seem endless.

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GARDEN STORY Garden Story is an upcoming RPG in which you, a grape, must keep your community safe. The game is summed up on developer Picogram’s website: ‘Concord, the youngest grape in The Grove, is now a Guardian, and it’s their job to help restore the island.’

Garden Story seems to take a lot from other games, like the town management from Animal Crossing, the combat from the Legend of Zelda series, and the lifesim aspects of Stardew Valley, but it puts a more culinary spin on things. Playing as the little grape, you’ll have to fight off ‘the rot’ to keep your community safe, with the help of your various garden fruit or veggie-inspired pals.

With cute pixel art visuals and a pretty competent-looking combat style, Garden Story looks to be a good game for clearing checklists and gaining the sense of community some of us may have missed last year.

Gaming by Dominic Cassidy Page 157

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