https://galchester.com Galchester Wed, 26 May 2021 14:24:16 +0000 https://galchester.com en http://galchester.com/Galchester-Loves-1 Wed, 26 May 2021 14:24:16 +0000 Galchester 406186 <img width="1360" height="1360" width_o="1360" height_o="1360" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9aecfc11cece94c4d16d1653a396d2310a4453cf1d0c67b733c364a251466406/Galchester-loves.png" data-mid="1092129" border="0" /> Shop Small - Shop Local Click on photo to shop. <img width="3402" height="3402" width_o="3402" height_o="3402" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e8ab0e38a2cdcc29364172a35ce6cbb64099ac386c882f8e6ec6f82c23e985e7/Galchester-Loves-1x1_Master.jpg" data-mid="1116783" border="0" /> <img width="14173" height="14173" width_o="14173" height_o="14173" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8015b121b55d9e4b08f1b313bd0d8b3266d48caf71e059c58000a0851ef19907/Galchester-Loves-1x1_Master.jpg" data-mid="1092117" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d764c7fda8e0d0699d3090d58075e3331362fcf04949385b08086560f0660793/galchestermag_187403301_593513081623917_2230660074622325106_n.jpg" data-mid="1092115" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6533b3b64ccd01b5bf6286a8fa137904d613a5b7c114feccb65ce733b33060b0/galchestermag_158132146_3881458988579558_8677171802738851267_n.jpg" data-mid="1092114" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6b975e2043ae7ab826529ebe87b31611cf1a8c0845803260c0b1706479a6f76e/galchestermag_156939116_2915764062081994_8447787543131276003_n.jpg" data-mid="1092113" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6aba02372d8a5ada5fa9a21b91c1c7ba4bda533f37046afd43ac615dc7682f48/galchestermag_156473883_485799292798578_7244287696921670272_n.jpg" data-mid="1092112" border="0" /> Shop Small - Shop Local Click on photo to shop. http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Victoria-Jane Wed, 26 May 2021 13:56:42 +0000 Galchester 406174 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/62c1a8e960c17c27703a501bd53b5bed2cb7404b819c2b8f074e361947bfef17/WEB-INTRO_VJ.jpg" data-mid="1218118" border="0" /> Interview Via Zoom Follow Victoria Jane HERE Radio presenter and singer-songwriter <img width="1200" height="1300" width_o="1200" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1e6e02367d3cb62e77ca43cd70f0ae86ff5244d182454d58a9d760213e6b9bf1/VJ_01.jpg" data-mid="1218119" border="0" /> From working in a call centre to landing her own BBC Radio1 show in a matter of months, Victoria Jane is the ultimate Manny grafter and rising star to add to your follow list. Hosting Radio1’s Future Soul show every Sunday, the 23-year-old has interviewed stars from John Legend to Bruno Mars, but her main drive is supporting talent from outside of London. She runs her own interview series, Vic Meets, hosted this year’s Soho House festival and is also a singer, songwriter and producer in her own right. Here Victoria shares advice on breaking into radio and reveals the realities of making music as an independent artist. How did you first get into radio? I didn’t study music in school, but I figured a good way into the music industry would be through broadcast journalism. In my second year at Salford Uni, I got involved in the student-run Shock Radio and did as many interviews as I could with anyone that’d have me. I made a show reel and sent it to a few stations in Manchester and Unity Radio asked me to come on board as a presenter. It was here I started meeting people from the Manchester music scene and really making connections. At the time, there wasn’t much of a light on Manchester and we were only really known for Bugzy [Malone], even though the scene was popping. I tried to use my drivetime slot to help up-and-coming artists get coverage on the radio, I think it’s so important that everyone gets the win. Your first gig at the BBC was with BBC Introducing Manchester, what did that entail? The show spotlights the best new music coming out of Greater Manchester and it’s such an incredible platform. I applied for the presenter role and Roesh ended up getting it, but they wanted to keep me on board, so created a role for me as team assistant. This was a freelance position and part of my job was running the social media, as well as suggesting tracks for Roesh to play. <img width="1063" height="1079" width_o="1063" height_o="1079" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d7fbb91a2ff71ab4e8ad4070385a9ac881713c02b21157cd3d8b24242e3f3abc/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-20.18.13.png" data-mid="1218121" border="0" />@_victoriajane <img width="1440" height="1440" width_o="1440" height_o="1440" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/abefc718cb43ee3514ded8d16cdf5378ec341a40d39e23dfa7f2f84650dd3a61/_victoriajane_284463368_1054414081872599_2000440835357267221_n.jpg" data-mid="1218120" border="0" data-scale="55"/><img width="12756" height="12756" width_o="12756" height_o="12756" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/132f2f9a56528643a511461cc69b9e0fff375883c9acad115df4e8b5ecdc21d9/VJ_05.jpg" data-mid="1218122" border="0" data-scale="42"/> Any tips on how artists can increase their chances of being played on the show? The team select tracks from those submitted, but there are so many sent in that making your profile stand out is crucial. The team will listen, then read your bio, so make sure you write about yourself as it makes it easier to talk about on air. How did you balance your time during this period? I worked in a sales call centre all day Monday to Friday to pay the bills, then did my (unpaid) Unity show prep, BBC Introducing work and worked on my own music in the evenings and weekends. It was a huge juggling act and I could only afford to quit my sales job once I joined the BBC fulltime. Tell us about your journey to landing your own BBC show. I applied for the BBC Christmas presenting slot covering DJ Target on Boxing Day and, surprisingly to me, I got it. On the day, I focused my show on talent from outside of London, which was a niche I think they liked. The head of Radio1, Aled Jones, asked me about my goals in radio and I told him I believed there was scope for a R&amp;B soul show. He asked for a demo and then I didn’t hear back for months. I got invited to launch Radio1 Relax during the pandemic covering Greg James and shortly after, I got the call to host a new Future Soul Show on Radio1 which was just insane. Now, I pre-record my show every Tuesday at Media City in Salford and the show goes on air on Sunday nights. <img width="1740" height="890" width_o="1740" height_o="890" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/28131046d183a283bada8e22243c8faaef6066346d53c3ccbc23c242b3f83631/photo5.png" data-mid="1228165" border="0" /> <img width="1740" height="880" width_o="1740" height_o="880" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/589e86bb24eb07db1ee64c382fa973ffa8fe8b66dcba1d2abb7433c19db4cca5/photo4.png" data-mid="1228166" border="0" data-scale="73"/> What’s the main drive with your show? Unless you’re of a certain status, many artists don’t really get played on mainstream stations, especially if you’re from outside of London. I love to focus on new music and artists from all over the world and it’s the best feeling when people tell me they’ve discovered artists from my show. The show allows me to push artists I’ve been following for a while, whether they’re from up north or Canada, they might be blowing up where they come from but never usually geting radio plays. Best advice for breaking into radio presenting? Find your niche If you want to be a radio presenter, then you have to bring something different. Figure out what you're about with music and presenting, then stick at it. For example, if you love sport and music, maybe you can find a way to incorporate that into a podcast. Put yourself out there on social media Sometimes I go on people’s socials and I can’t see anything to do with their music taste or presenting experience, but it really helps to build your identity as a presenter on there. Treat it sort of like your business card and don’t only have Instagram photos of you with your mates if you want to make your mark. Go for every opportunity Whether big or small, any experience is going to make you a better presenter. Even if you don’t land the job, someone could notice you and think of you for another project. I never thought I would get the Radio1 Christmas slot and even submitted the wrong show reel, but I ended getting it, being on DJ Target’s slot and nine months later I got my own show. Create your own opportunities Don’t be embarrassed to network and DM people in the industry, you need to bombard people to get a foot in the door. Lots of people don't get to where they want to be because they're too afraid to be message people and put themselves out there. Don’t wait for someone to offer you opportunities on a plate because it probably won’t happen. Don’t let setbacks hold you back I thought it might be the end of my presenting dream when I didn’t get the BBC Introducing presenter role, but it turned out it just wasn’t my time yet. You have to keep the faith and realise there is not one route to ‘success’ - you can’t predict when the doors will open. A 2021 Gender Disparity Data report revealed that only 20% of British artists played on UK radio were female. DJaneMag research shows only 6% of female DJs played at the world’s top clubs. According to a recent BBC study, only one in ten headliners at the UK's top music festivals this summer are women. What’s your experience of the underrepresentation of women in music? The UK music scene doesn’t do nearly enough to highlight women artists. I think that the men in the industry need to step up and collaborate or support women a lot more. If you ask someone in the urban music scene to name five male artists who’ve recently put women on a track they’d have to sit and think about it. But if you ask them to name five male artists that have put other men on, the list goes on and on. I can’t think of one big male Manchester artist that has featured a woman, and the same goes for supporting them on their Instagram story. I’ve been at gigs in Manchester with loads of Manny artists, and guys will come up to me and say, ‘Ah you’re doing sick with your music Vick, blah, blah,’ but they’ve never once shared my songs on their story, yet they’ll share a guy from London's track that they don't know. Maybe they’d share someone as big as Summer Walker, but what about the women from their hometown who are trying to break through on their own? It's something I can’t get my head around still. You’re also a singer-songwriter, tell us about your style. My mum and dad have always been into jazz music, so my sound has been naturally influenced by old soul singers like Etta James. My natural singing style is low soulful vocals but initially I found it hard to find beats or producers that can produce for that, so I made a lot of trap. Recently I’ve embraced my natural soul style more. <img width="652" height="1066" width_o="652" height_o="1066" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d06f84e599b263c2578b1aa0727a5f71ace9bd0d45ee692495cd88d4c7fef21e/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-20.18.35.png" data-mid="1218125" border="0" />@_victoriajane <img width="652" height="1062" width_o="652" height_o="1062" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/030685d0a20c19aa015ca02e85c85c405bd929d4340f755c98f37140d181edbc/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-20.18.29.png" data-mid="1218126" border="0" /> How did you first start making music? My first time in the studio was with Two4kay &amp; Litek, and they opened my eyes about using YouTube to find beats and downloading music software Logic to start making beats myself. Before then, I’d always been so confused about how to find beats and whether buying them online is the right way to go about it with copyright. With YouTube, I would search for beats and then freestyle while recording on my phone voice notes. Then I started making beats myself on Logic, but also started connecting with producers who sent me beats, then I’d write songs to them. <img width="2542" height="1432" width_o="2542" height_o="1432" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/01358143f9412889118e3065430c4b65739bfaa6106d57c0990a029c5df2a73a/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-19.53.05.png" data-mid="1218130" border="0" /> <img width="2538" height="1424" width_o="2538" height_o="1424" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/60c38c3b7a203304255d97dfa468f597a669ee20fedc034e6ddbd0f64883c33c/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-19.53.28.png" data-mid="1218131" border="0" /> <img width="4500" height="5625" width_o="4500" height_o="5625" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1a73fe123db5bfd3f587ce2f3d1bb92aae23647e29874a85a23e72e1760cf846/SOCIAL-GRID-4x52.jpg" data-mid="1240211" border="0" /> What’s the reality of the cost of music making for independent artists? It’s hugely expensive to fund making your own music. I’ve turned down every holiday with friends for years to save money, but it’s the sacrifice I chose to make for my work. It can be disheartening when the videos or songs I’ve paid for aren’t getting the amount of streams I’d like, but you have to put in the grind and hope that one video or song blows up. An hour in a standard recording studio might be £40 and the mastering and mixing might cost £150. For music videos, the videographer will be upwards of £500, a director to take on the creative vision might be over £1000, then there’s the styling, plus promotion and radio pluggers – it all adds up. I’ve shot videos on my iPhone with friends before and even though I’d love to be able to just go to studio and make music on the spot, I have everything prepared beforehand. What’s next? You can catch my show on BBC Radio1 on Sundays at midnight or on the BBC Sounds app. Plus, I just launched interview series Vic Meets where I chat to my ones-to-watch and share weekly playlists of my favourite new music. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="1200" height="1300" width_o="1200" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/551acedae092e315344c17b53c10ae43fb6d7078a07201156674154c265919ea/VJ_02.jpg" data-mid="1218135" border="0" /> The song you blast for max creativity… ‘Motions’ by&nbsp;Kech Vibes&nbsp; Most recently played… ‘I Think I Love You’&nbsp;by Dwele <img width="1200" height="1300" width_o="1200" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7e11882ebb79bc0980c1e85b95d11a530f9381264eb15764c86b737c7271c0f1/VJ_03.jpg" data-mid="1218136" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1300" width_o="1200" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1711a9ccd48995c10ea05680921d59dae60ad12286fc27e84a6f7d0e7d0f0382/VJ_04.jpg" data-mid="1218137" border="0" /> The song that get’s you out of a sad mood… ‘Free’ by H.E.R The song to play while getting ready to go out out… ‘Iced Out Summer’ by Minikingz, Ragz Originale &amp; Benjiflow <img width="1200" height="1300" width_o="1200" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f4f22290692cc5dc4f662458cb27109cee0892563997e607ae71e63875d8272b/VJ_06.jpg" data-mid="1218138" border="0" /> <img width="1200" height="1300" width_o="1200" height_o="1300" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c653b0be1be132958b28ec1b952ed0283ee37ef7ee99b520d4accf0ab7f84d58/VJ_07.jpg" data-mid="1218139" border="0" /> &nbsp; What Manchester artists are on your radar right now? Akemi Fox, [ K S R ], Musumba, Nxdia, Nina Cobham, P1 Caps, The KTNA, Robin Knightz, Mali Hayes <img width="459" height="482" width_o="459" height_o="482" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/43a8b0685f4bb66aea73ae936d68bb87a64e4fbeba06358c0db5fd28eb23fce0/noun-dj-2075532.png" data-mid="1218140" border="0" data-scale="46"/>@_victoriajane RELATED <img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/977f85b46677dab89fa15971df884d2e0abcc0d86a70c530c02420457191017e/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="1218141" border="0" /> <img width="1020" height="1020" width_o="1020" height_o="1020" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bfa1c2f119587f7e0b318589096e43ec5d5caeb552598917020299d369341215/Nia-Social-Tile.jpeg" data-mid="1218143" border="0" /> <img width="1562" height="1558" width_o="1562" height_o="1558" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/44f429d07c6209112d872d4bcb1f93eab52d306aab2f4e9be0b4c6e1765e822e/Screenshot-2020-12-04-at-09.19.16.png" data-mid="1218144" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here  &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via Zoom Follow Victoria Jane HERE Radio presenter and singer-songwriter From working in a call centre to landing... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Nia-Archives Tue, 27 Apr 2021 06:24:41 +0000 Galchester 404171 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/37f9c95bff51470ef2908069bc4c7abc3be3b20ac09a140ca21b0e493ac27c46/WEB-INTRO_NIA.jpg" data-mid="1081424" border="0" />Interview Via Zoom Follow Nia Archives HERE Listen to Nia Archives HERE <img width="1246" height="1410" width_o="1246" height_o="1410" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9bffd9b63a6911470d574fcf3c04b03c920c8cc765a08a8a6d0b436d0fa6165f/Screenshot-2021-04-20-at-17.52.19.png" data-mid="1081427" border="0" /> Producer, singer-songwriter and DJ Nia Archives is the definition of self-made. Leeds-born and Manchester-raised, she taught herself to play piano aged eight and was experimenting on music making software Logic by the age of 12. Moving to Manchester on her own at 16 kickstarted her ambitions to become more than just a raver and she now releases her debut EP ‘Headz Gone West’, the lo-fi jungle project that’ll have you itching to get back on the dance floor. Fusing the sounds of old skool jungle, gospel, soul and jazz, the 21-year-old is inspired by everyone from soul-singer Nina Simone to dubstep artist Burial. Here she talks about sexism in the D&amp;B scene, her DIY bedroom studio setup and the positives of imposter syndrome. What music influenced you growing up? Old skool jungle is my passion. I’m from a big West Indian family and at every party my uncles would DJ and play reggae, lovers rock, rocksteady, dancehall and jungle. My nana used to play me all her soul and jazz tunes too, which is why I love to combine the melodies of soul with jungle beats in my own sound. My all-time favourite producer is Burial, but I also love Lemon D and Roni Size. When did you start making music? I taught myself how to play piano aged eight and the first time I used Logic was at 12 – my ex-stepdad was a musician, so I always messed round on his laptop. Family issues led me to move to Manchester on my own at 16 and I made friends by going to house parties. People would be rapping and I’d end up jumping on the mic and freestyling. I wrote songs as a kid but the first proper one was when I was 17, I downloaded a cracked version of Logic online because I didn’t have any money and I started making beats. They were awful but the more I practised, the better I got. Have you always been confident performer? I’ve always had a bit of social anxiety singing in front of people, whenever I freestyled at parties, I had a lot of liquid confidence. But it's something I'm working on. I love it and this is what I do, so I try to own it. I think having a bit of imposter syndrome can be a good thing, because it means I don’t have a huge ego like a lot of people in the industry. I sit in my room making tunes that I’d like to hear and it’s still mad to me other people care. <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b058b3dc3fc14acda214a7abedf6aade3c8cceeb08a6f3c9b9119717f73d0a56/dclassic-2021-04-10-142137.380.jpg" data-mid="1081438" border="0" />Images by @onagreenwoodart Any advice for getting a manager? Expect a lot of knockbacks. I sent ‘Sober Feels’, a single featured on my new EP, to so many big D&amp;B labels and nobody cared. I was trying to get a seat at their table, then I realised I needed to make my own table and do my own thing. It's the law of attraction, as soon as I did that and stopped caring about getting the approval of huge labels, opportunities started coming to me. I got speaking to someone from Marathon Music Group and they introduced me to my current manager Tom. The advice I have is to keep doing you, because that's what makes you unique. Make sure that you like what you're making and just keep going with it. You recently moved to London to study music, why didn’t you stay in Manchester? The Manchester music scene is incredible and it’s where I really found my voice as an artist,but I really wanted to study music. I don’t have any A Levels, so my options for university were extremely limited, but I did my research and found Community Music, which has a music production and business course in partnership with the University of Westminster. All I needed was a portfolio of my beats and I got accepted the same day I had my interview. <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2813d46a4e380e7878aeac8d0feea661befa56f7b307a9f94a69de48ccc29eae/dclassic-2021-04-10-142210.752.jpg" data-mid="1081441" border="0" />Images by @onagreenwoodart <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/df1b2d2799c48fcea65f372c15fd4e1f143a6a553c6537cb25f935e5336a1684/dclassic-2021-04-10-142153.200.jpg" data-mid="1081439" border="0" /> <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e72703e9232954195db787c363540b067c01fcde89aefcd67b0cde9184124dbf/dclassic-2021-04-10-142211.617.jpg" data-mid="1081442" border="0" /> How do you support yourself financially? My student loan covers my living costs for a warehouse in Hackney Wick, where the rent is cheap for London, and I work part-time in a Wetherspoons kitchen to pay for the rest. Furlough really saved me in the pandemic. I’ve lived on my own since I was 16, so I've just had to learn to support myself. Whatever happens, I know I've only got myself at the end of the day. Whatever life throws at me, I’ll come out swerving it. I never pay for studio fees because I have a DIY recording set up in my bedroom. I’ve got my laptop, MIDI keyboard, microphone, speakers and audio interface – it’s really basic, but it works. Any advice for tackling creative block? The best tactic for me is to not force it. If I’m struggling, I try to do something else that's creative, like make some videos or come up with new project concepts. If I’m having a block while producing,I give myself a 15 minute time limit to make beats for fun, I call them Mess About Beats and they take the pressure off by turning it into a game. It makes the process a lot more fun. <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/02f5004291300138f95580942f8320bf3afafd161624d8827bebed899f8b8094/dclassic-2021-04-10-142224.726.jpg" data-mid="1081443" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/70d09c3046b825102f2cfc590d64f5fd18e92376cb1353b6577d52496a2a4762/archives.nia_163955649_1902351716584584_2581880156350423608_n.jpg" data-mid="1081445" border="0" data-scale="50"/> @archives.nia Tell us about the making of your debut EP ‘Headz Gone West’. I like working quickly so I made it in about two weeks last August. I was going through a phase of not looking after myself and partying too much. I had nothing to do in lockdown so I spiralled a bit. Friends were telling me I need to calm down and I used this project to process my emotions about hating the idea of being sober. How has the enforced isolation of the past year affected you? I’m a completely different person now to who I was a year ago. I was a huge partier and though I still will be when things open up, I’ve embraced my introverted side. Lockdown was a huge shock to the system because I was so used to keeping myself busy at all times, it was suffocating to be alone with my thoughts but it forced me to process a lot of internal emotions. Has your self-esteem been affected by becoming an artist? When I first started at 17, I would compare myself to other people a lot, but now I really don't compare myself to anyone. It’s not an ego thing, I'm just not trying to prove myself to anyone. I'm making tunes that I like and that I want to hear, so that gives me peace. I'm not focused on getting validation from other people. Getting lots of streams is great, but it’s genuinely not my focus. <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d374104db4ae6050fa9867639031684504af632a6ade986d5521add0b2474b43/dclassic-2021-04-10-142138.646.jpg" data-mid="1081444" border="0" />Images by @onagreenwoodart Who have been your mentors in the industry? My tutor Jason has supported me endlessly and he told me about the EQ50 mentorship scheme I now have a place on. EQ50 are a collective working towards fairer representation within D&amp;B. Being around this community of womxn has been the most important thing for my development, it feels so good to be in a supportive environment where everyone works to elevate each other. It’s been especially incredible meeting other Black womxn in the industry, like DJ Flight and Elizabeth Troy, that I can like look up to. Have been underestimated in the D&amp;B scene because of your gender? I love D&amp;B, but it is extremely sexist and there’s a huge amount of testosterone in these spaces – it doesn’t always feel safe. The more women that DJ and produce will help change this. There needs to be more female energy in the scene so we aren’t made to feel so uncomfortable. Many people assume I'm just a vocalist and can’t believe I produce my own beats, just because I sing on them too. I’m constantly being referred to as a ‘female producer’ or a ‘female DJ’ which I find offensive, what does my gender have anything to do with it? My gender doesn't stop me from pressing buttons and no one would ever say, 'Oh, that’s sick male DJ’. Have you experienced any racism in the scene? I went to a socially distanced rave last December and a guy said to me, ‘You don't see Black girls in like places like this,’ implying that I didn’t belong. It’s such a strange view because if you watch any old school rave documentaries, you'll see the scene is full of Black people, the music is of Black origin. That’s why it’s so outrageous that Black women are being pushed down. What’s next for you? After the EP, I have some remixes coming out soon. I’m really excited to put solely my production skills on show. One long term goal is to produce for other Black women vocalists, I'd love to create a supportive community, there’s space for us all. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2548" height="1432" width_o="2548" height_o="1432" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4d27e0430c2931dc01ec87d123b39ac488e2507788eec384fe79880e0fc7f5f6/Screenshot-2021-04-20-at-17.53.24.png" data-mid="1081431" border="0" /><img width="1179" height="1404" width_o="1179" height_o="1404" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8cf64e08469b7f23f3a26d1a3a4562ee8dc35a16d5643f07dbaf39719cf70324/Screenshot-2021-04-20-at-17.50.47.png" data-mid="1081432" border="0" /> Three words that define your music. Chill, sunshine, vibes Three words you want your music to make people feel. Nostalgic, positive, free. What is the album you blast for max creativity?&nbsp; Burial’s ‘Untrue’ is my all-time favourite album, it makes me emotional in the best way. I listen to that at night to get out my own head. Who should we be following on Instagram? My friend Louis (@louistm_) is definitely one-to-watch. He's a visual artist and photographer who’s recently collaborated with Dazed and Bimba y Lola. What artists do you currently play on repeat? Anz is an incredible producer and DJ from Manchester and I also love the MC Talia Beal,she’s from Tottenham and has such a strong visual identity. <img width="1269" height="1408" width_o="1269" height_o="1408" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6c8151568e41145f0b0983878c944d816f52c3aa6b357e8931d4689bb929e095/Screenshot-2021-04-20-at-17.52.48.png" data-mid="1081433" border="0" /> <img width="561" height="598" width_o="561" height_o="598" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/94eeee79ac1f9cd3714ef812c417515b26d8b7f5d9a28fc83028d8fd4a8d5ecd/noun_Music_1769176.png" data-mid="1081434" border="0" data-scale="36"/> @archives.nia RELATED <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/01c09377d86a9a333d56a3e153c8f93f4c4360e7bf361a025bc01e62d41107aa/Lois-social-1.jpg" data-mid="1081437" border="0" /> <img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f3ee1af9e06e721fd273b53929e442e154b2ec853e261395b8282ba605fadcc6/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="1081435" border="0" /> <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c95eec5d06afc9167de2222cfe1746128a01109749c71b2b98bb63c98bbf3349/Sarah-Angel-profile.jpg" data-mid="1081436" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here  &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via Zoom Follow Nia Archives HERE Listen to Nia Archives HERE Producer, singer-songwriter and DJ Nia... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Myla Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:52:38 +0000 Galchester 402191 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f57774f7ac88343203a252ab722c6c282edefa0ba61d1ba0ad18dd10ae10b1b6/WEB-INTRO_MYLA.jpg" data-mid="1071930" border="0" /> Interview Via Zoom Follow Myla&nbsp;HERE <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/71a0d19c2a3c015ee3199bf8b54b783c81e857a75035c0e7ae9ec43d9f599846/dclassic-2021-03-23-164933.731.jpg" data-mid="1071932" border="0" data-scale="89"/> Images by @onagreenwoodart Loved by SZA and Pat McGrath, 20-year-old makeup artist Myla is a star on the rise. A role model to university dropouts everywhere, Myla has already been tapped by Gucci and her loyal 100k followers have turned her face-painting hobby into a freelance career – in less than three years. Also signed to Brother Models, Myla’s drive is to make sure curvy and dark skinned women feel seen and celebrated. Born in Ghana and raised all over Manchester, Myla is now based in Rochdale. Here she talks about the pressure of going viral, learning to love her body and how she deals with online trolls. When did you start seriously considering a career in the arts? Until I started Loretto College, I wanted to be a forensic scientist. I've always been into art and studied it throughout secondary school at Manchester Health Academy, but I never thought of it as a viable career path. I grew up in an African household and you just can’t choose art as a career. You’re pushed towards a path where you can make a ‘stable living’, so it wasn’t an option. Becoming an artist has been a sort of happy accident after I started experimenting with drawing on my face in college. Why was dropping out of university the right move for you? I nearly dropped out in my second year of college too, but ended up pushing through. I liked learning but trying to cram so much information in my brain for exams was just too much. I was supposed to take a gap year after A Levels, but ended up going to Coventry University to study business last minute. I switched to advertising and marketing but dropped out after three months, I realised education just wasn’t for me. It ties into why I love being a freelancer so much. I get to decide my own schedule, I don’t have someone in my ear telling me where I need to be or what I need to be doing. I work on my own terms. I create on my own terms. <img width="2048" height="2560" width_o="2048" height_o="2560" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7d8c19b773524c9af8c3458eefa03bafc07e95048a7006ce43362af26eb87027/IMG_6398-2.JPG" data-mid="1072472" border="0" /> Tell us about your first experience with makeup. My mum didn’t allow me to wear makeup until the very last few months of year 11, aged 16. She always thought it made me look ‘too grown up’. When I was younger, I’d tell my mum I was going out to play at my next door neighbours, then steal her mascara and experiment. I’d have to sneak back in when she wasn’t around and run upstairs to wipe it all off. Then when it was allowed, I didn't really wear much makeup because I had no clue how to put it on. I used YouTube tutorials like Jackie Aina to help learn the basics. <img width="2048" height="2560" width_o="2048" height_o="2560" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f0a5753c5574532d40a608c4c75bb24b0bbd8f9a9b31a996745b9926d8cd5d68/IMG_6394.JPG" data-mid="1072474" border="0" /> When did you start creating the colourful looks you’re known for? At 18, I decided I didn’t want to do the standard smokey eye and glam, it was boring to me. I wanted to do something different, with a bit of dazzle. That’s when I got into editorial and avant garde looks. It’s thanks to my Instagram explore page really, I saw some shoots from Sickie and Hunger magazines and started experimenting. <img width="1242" height="828" width_o="1242" height_o="828" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5e7a5be7cf305e8ba1f3af7bd2949c7716a41502b910fd2fc650640bdf9cae9e/dclassic-2021-03-23-164953.413.jpg" data-mid="1072460" border="0" /> Images by @onagreenwoodart Tell us about the first look that blew up on social media. I started on Twitter and posted the very first time I applied eyeshadow in late 2018. I got lots of positive feedback so transferred to Instagram. In 2019, it felt time to try something different, I used to watch Drag Race so much, I think that probably was like the biggest inspiration for me to step out my box. The first look I did totally blew up. It was inspired by my favourite singer SZA’s music video for ‘Love Galore’ and after I tagged her, she commented and followed me. I remember waking up from a nap to so many notifications and I just jumped on my bed and screamed. I only had about 6k followers at the time. <img width="1080" height="1269" width_o="1080" height_o="1269" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/00ccbdd28a175e07bd3d2399d8c90467300c13495dfb1d929763078deddb8e83/pradaolic_60121754_881479975531095_7628701185377948269_n.jpg" data-mid="1072274" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1274" width_o="1080" height_o="1274" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0cda92a3a86395f7c32bdf8cb24193cb643cefce99de0ce2938a8bb9745018c2/pradaolic_60631393_2274318752830554_5452696011247403101_n.jpg" data-mid="1072273" border="0" data-scale="50"/> @paraolic When did you realise you could make a career out of your art? I wasn't getting any paid gigs before summer 2020. I didn't even know you could get paid for creating and I'm still learning the ropes of how to get those paid jobs. Even though summer 2020 was awful in so many ways due to Covid, it was a blessing in disguise for my own creativity. Staying at home really pushed me. For so long I was stressing about whether university was the right choice for me or if I should take a gap year, but as soon as the March lockdown hit, I said to myself, ’Okay, listen. You can't just stay at home doing nothing, you’ve got no job, you need to create.’ Then a month later, Instagram reached out after seeing a flower look I created. They reposted it and asked me to do an LGBTQ+ interview because they’d seen I was queer in my bio, then from that day all my posts just started blowing up. I went from having 10k followers in March, to suddenly gaining 10k followers every two weeks, it was a crazy time. <img width="1080" height="1350" width_o="1080" height_o="1350" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/84c17d4951c0e704f0b3a8f578f81669d95647b4de22696c7c40d1546d770482/pradaolic_90673934_147806219887131_3193090879938901594_n-1.jpg" data-mid="1072277" border="0" /> <img width="1080" height="1350" width_o="1080" height_o="1350" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6841b7f8f156c00ec8a216b4673c8b122daf88580ee88556de5f62ef80e2f4b5/pradaolic_91025542_2444354849228342_1140585328473149681_n.jpg" data-mid="1072276" border="0" /> Tell us about how you express your queerness through your work. Even as a child, I felt different in a way I couldn’t put my finger on. At 14, I was struggling so much with my identity and tried to convince myself that I was straight, but 17 was the firm age I knew I was not a het. But I don't see my queerness as just my sexuality, I see it as who I identify as – my feminine side and my masculine side. Both aspects have a lot to do with what I create. For me, queerness is what I do, what I create, and who I see myself as, rather than who I’m attracted to. Has makeup helped grow your confidence? In the beginning, I was very insecure, so makeup was more of an alter ego that I used as an escape from reality. I found such freedom in changing my whole identity, but now I don’t use makeup as a mask. I can wipe it all off and still feel confident. Now, I see beauty as a twin I get to create with, instead of faking it till you make it. Beauty is comfort for me. You’re signed to Brother Models modelling agency, how did that journey start? At first I thought I was being scammed when Joey Darlin – the model who helped launched Brother Models’ curve board in September 2020 – DM’d me on Instagram asking if I’d be interested in modelling. I didn’t reply for a week, but something made me return to the DM and it all went from there. I was one of the first people she reached out to. Joey is so inspiring and has helped me so much with my confidence, she really pushed me towards feeling good about my body. She's always reminding me and the other curve models that we are beautiful as hell. Have you always felt confident in your curves? I love everything about my face, but my body has been much harder to accept. The media's beauty standards makes you feel that bigger women don't deserve have to be on runways or commercials, but we're all beautiful really. We need to come together as a community and stop these silly beauty standards because it's just unrealistic and unrepresentative. <img width="1200" height="1578" width_o="1200" height_o="1578" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/852430426738dedc7b569f018677272a3507381cc29a22b7aa534b3587fa3f15/dclassic-2021-03-23-194445.618.jpg" data-mid="1072462" border="0" /> Tell us about your first ever shoot. When I went to my first test shoot, I was terrified they’d get me in angles I'm not used to, it was really scary for me. But I also remember sitting down and thinking little me would be so proud. You don't see a lot of dark skinned and curvy representation in the media, so for me to be part of that community making change is incredible. I know that in a few years time, a little girl who looks like me is going to see herself represented and think, ‘Oh, my body shape is normal, my skin colour is normal. I can wear what she's wearing.’ What’s your aim in the modelling industry? I want to show the world there’s more to curvy models than big thighs and slim waists, everyone comes in different shapes and sizes. The fashion industry needs to understand that curve models aren’t all built in one shape. I have broad shoulders, a bit of belly and big thighs, but I don't have a teeny waist. I've always wanted to see someone who looks like me represented on social media, so it’s really special. <img width="1200" height="1614" width_o="1200" height_o="1614" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2154d74d32d77e897d8a47c027382dfecf05dc0d135bc0fa6760daee9ec410d9/dclassic-2021-03-23-194120.824.jpg" data-mid="1072470" border="0" /> <img width="828" height="1242" width_o="828" height_o="1242" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/25d7bad63851a24ac503711ac571b0aaa7ac80689ed0382237110a22ad834d03/Photo-2021-03-23-04.51.54-pm.jpg" data-mid="1072471" border="0" data-scale="58"/>Images by @onagreenwoodart What do you love most about your job? Definitely the messages I recieve from other women. Many women who reach out are older than me and it blows my mind that I have the ability to inspire them. I've got quite big boobs, but I tend to wear revealing tops and one lady messaged me saying, ‘We’re kind of the same size and I feel so much better after seeing you're able to wear bikini tops and not be afraid of it’. I remember telling her that just because social media has made us big boob girls feel like we can’t wear crop tops, doesn’t mean we have to listen, we can literally do whatever the hell we want. A message that made me cry recently was a girl who said she used to be too scared to try brightly coloured makeup until she saw my account. She was scared that people would say, ‘You’re too dark skinned for that’. That made me so emotional. Receiving messages like these means so much and pushes me to carry on stepping outside of the box and representing people that look like me and are built like me. It's an honour. How do you deal with online trolls? Me and the block button are besties. As soon as I see negative comment, they’re getting blocked. You’re not going get a reaction out of me. I lost some weight last summer from stress and then put it back on and I got comments telling me I’d got fat and it really infuriated me. I see people commenting on other people's body type on social media all the time and I just think if they’re happy, why is it any of your business? My motto is ‘mind your business’, it costs nothing and it's really not that hard. I’ve filtered every negative word I can think of on my profile, I'm not going to give anyone a chance to come in my comment section with negative energy, my space is my space. It's a safe space for other people and it's a safe space for me. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2540" height="1404" width_o="2540" height_o="1404" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/852be892a95785b79ee6af8393fa0c593278e45c964395a2638efcfd993e83a2/Screenshot-2021-04-02-at-11.19.00.png" data-mid="1072482" border="0" /><img width="1168" height="1432" width_o="1168" height_o="1432" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4b9f20870636399aa6796d1f9ccf74d42e75c5c30ff9418c08929306bea0f521/Screenshot-2021-04-02-at-11.18.49.png" data-mid="1072477" border="0" /> Three words that define your aesthetic Ethereal, angelic, bold. Three words you want your art to make people feel. Fearless, creative, etherealness. What’s the song you always blast for max creativity? Lately, it’s been ‘Telepatia’ by Kali Uchis and ‘Feed The Fire’ by SG Lewis ft Lucky Daye. Both songs have me grinning from ear to ear and get me grooving. Last played track on Spotify? 有吗炒面&nbsp; by Lexie Liu. Latest book that blew your mind? Remember, Be Here Now by Ram Dass, about spirituality, yoga and meditation. Most surprising thing in your beauty bag? Hair glue – I use it for my eyebrows if I want a feathery look. <img width="1100" height="1428" width_o="1100" height_o="1428" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6073e8459642c55e3c289d6913f6aec96e18eb95a7556f25076259ce3311aa77/Screenshot-2021-04-02-at-11.18.17.png" data-mid="1072479" border="0" /> <img width="1186" height="1416" width_o="1186" height_o="1416" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d24066164f29d8bd18711b27ac058c64c063a471f564eaa4e4fdf4e0f3316dfe/Screenshot-2021-04-02-at-11.17.37.png" data-mid="1072480" border="0" /> Beauty product you couldn’t live without? Fenty Beauty's glass slipper lip gloss. Favourite beauty brands for skin? Fenty Beauty and Milk Makeup have the best skin tone ranges. I’m loving Paula's Choice skin perfecting 2% BHA liquid exfoliant&nbsp;right now, but my all-time favourite is the Gucci face gloss. It gives the perfect dewy highlight to my face. Best beauty tip? Warm a clear lip-gloss up by massaging it in circles on the back of your hand and apply on your upper cheek bone for a dewy glow. <img width="590" height="609" width_o="590" height_o="609" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/39d8e6c395c9c5b80a851e7740af69e737e8d002d64fd7585905c6255e88d6c2/noun_make-up_478739.png" data-mid="1072289" border="0" data-scale="44"/> @pardaolic RELATED <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/011845d6fe3bb83538450c505f12ad8512f7b70764df738714baacc3f293a92a/Sarah-Angel-profile.jpg" data-mid="1072486" border="0" /> <img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3eb526d201e6092aa38375a7f4eabcc15e02730c6678af48a3f596b12e59a422/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="1072484" border="0" /> <img width="2480" height="2480" width_o="2480" height_o="2480" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4de2904b509f7044c399fa45209a3291675148773af6db460b9725816be26a83/RUBY-KIRBY-IMAGE-1_darker.jpg" data-mid="1072485" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here  &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via Zoom Follow Myla&nbsp;HERE Images by @onagreenwoodart Loved by SZA and Pat McGrath, 20-year-old makeup artist Myla... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Lou-Webb Sat, 30 Jan 2021 10:32:43 +0000 Galchester 396919 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/43307cf4e5acfa1d1c4e9f43b32267999eaaf7b66cf2daedb340f494bca68069/WEB-INTRO_Lou_Webb.jpg" data-mid="1045647" border="0" /> Interview Via ZoomFollow Lou HERESee her work HERE <img width="979" height="1314" width_o="979" height_o="1314" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8822bf100448f3cc71907ff0056c840508ce62cd372a90615a2150472a71d7c8/Screenshot-2021-01-17-at-18.23.35.png" data-mid="1045648" border="0" data-scale="92"/> Influenced by her countryside roots in Cornwall and Congleton, 22-year-old Lou is a multidisciplinary artist who focuses on taxidermy and sculpture, with a keen interest in dust and remains. She upcycles dead animals by turning them into art and accessories – from squirrel handbags to cat vertebrae belts. She’s also an ardent vegetarian. In lockdown, she started turning the bones into jewellery. Here she talks about her interactive arts course at MSoA, common misconceptions about her work and why her flatmates don’t mind her keeping hedgehogs in the communal freezer. When did your interest in taxidermy begin? I’ve always lived in the countryside, from being born in Cornwall to growing up in Congleton. Naturally, I came across a lot of dead animals and so became very desensitised to seeing the inside of beings and blood. My cats constantly brought dead rodents into the house and I’d have to clean it up. Also, my mum is really into paganism, [a modern religious movement that believes nature is sacred and that the natural cycles of birth, growth and death profoundly spiritual meanings]. In my early teens, I stumbled across a paganism and taxidermy store in Macclesfield and made friends with the owner, Kate (@themaidenmotherandcrone). I started helping out in the shop and at 15 I treated my first rat. My mum always thinks I love taxidermy because I was obsessed with cuddly toys as a kid and taxidermy is sort of just the real thing. <img width="2576" height="1932" width_o="2576" height_o="1932" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/98823c141902bd02a3bfb507e328479bacc601b7e58904fbbc47dd61947333cf/IMG_2478.JPG" data-mid="1045678" border="0" data-scale="42"/> <img width="2576" height="1932" width_o="2576" height_o="1932" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fab91ad4c4a254a939e5342525e3716e2e1e8cf1862e111b99da306afdc3fa07/IMG_2479.JPG" data-mid="1045679" border="0" data-scale="43"/>Image by @sara_carpentieri_ <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bca441fd9e1ecea8901241a483d6f9b658f42f13c255d4e91cccd02e426f8ce7/LW_G_3.gif" data-mid="1045652" border="0" /> Where do you find your animals? I was worried there’d be no dead animals around in Manchester, because obviously it’s a city, but there’s been a surprisingly good amount. My friends are always on the lookout and call me saying, ‘There’s a magpie on Parrs Wood road,’ or&nbsp; ‘I’ve just seen a fox on this street.’ Then I get on my bike and collect it. At first, picking up a dead animal is unusual because – and this sounds silly – they look so real! It’s strange because they are lifeless, heavy and sometimes still warm, but you do get used to it. They look so beautiful, especially up close, but it’s terribly sad that they aren’t alive anymore. <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bbbeb4adb3b15e4654014ba7e7af05321be7ee49489a4657b6193bad7c231f70/LW_G_6.gif" data-mid="1045651" border="0" /> <img width="750" height="941" width_o="750" height_o="941" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/da2b2f8d9ce92a05765e413059eaceabf5f229b7cbad859f39b6d97f8eba140e/IMG_6468-2.PNG" data-mid="1045697" border="0" data-scale="39"/>@balubalou Tell us about some of the reactions to your work. Most people are shocked, but it goes over my head, because I'm so used to it. I’ve had some grief at exhibitions and sometimes people don't want to touch my work or see it. My housemates are so used to it now, at our house there are bones everywhere and hedgehogs in the freezer… I have a designated drawer, of course. We’re all vegetarian too. My work is ethically sourced so there are no issues there. People find that almost contradictory, but it’s totally not; I’m not killing animals, I love animals! My work is all about upcycling. The first thing one of my hardcore vegan friends said when she saw one of my squirrel bags was, ‘Oh, I love recycling!’ I like the feeling that I’m looking after the bodies and giving waste a new lease of life. *TRIGGER WARNING – GOREY DETAILS INCOMING* What is the physical process for taxidermy? It’s honestly easier than you think. My housemates thought it was just going to be gross, blood and guts everywhere, but when you skin an animal all the horrible stuff is in a membrane. However. I've had some really bad experiences where I've cut into animals and babies have come out. That was really nasty and I cried my eyes out, it was horrible. <img width="750" height="426" width_o="750" height_o="426" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/24ff31f9ea3af847907817c74e09b25a2003c24f13468aa632100860c5523967/IMG_6465.PNG" data-mid="1045688" border="0" /><img width="750" height="422" width_o="750" height_o="422" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ef3305b4bd1a9080c3af421e6634711fe8da695f295edb190cf89ca64556cb2d/IMG_6466.PNG" data-mid="1045689" border="0" data-scale="64"/> @balubalou <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7c1095f14f3d5ca0e902df0f22b5f2ba878b8b7b332834b97231d173da2611a8/LW_G_10.gif" data-mid="1045650" border="0" /> First, you put the dead animal in the freezer for a couple of weeks to kill fleas, then you have to defrost them. I can't fit any food in my freezer draw because it’s full of animals I still need to work on. Then you skin the animal, cleaning the hides by hand with fleshing with a knife, until it’s fat free. It’s a simple process and I like picking at bits, so I enjoy it. You use a tanner to treat the hide after washing it clean with a gentle soap and pure alcohol. After the skinning is finished, the skull is cleaned and it can be placed back inside the head for shaping or moulding. The moulds vary depending on what I’m making, but quite often I don’t use them, because my hides will be turned into bags or puppets, instead of traditional ornaments. Tell us about the jewellery you started making in lockdown. I’ve always piled on jewellery ever since I was young, but lockdown gave me time to start crafting. I live in a house full of artists, so my flatmates and I spent lots of time together beading our various projects. It feels even better now that I’m making use of the bones of the animals as well and it’s good to commodify some of my work to make some money. I’ve made fox pelvis earrings, sheep coccyx necklaces, cat spine belts and squirrel bags. The bags are fully functional, but you can only fit the necessitates; a lighter, maybe lipstick or bank card. Prices range from £10 to £30. <img width="1932" height="2576" width_o="1932" height_o="2576" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8553627f6bf4f08cbb694b61bac054ebe3131b2e64ddc7524e68f1be6a116fcd/IMG_2447.JPG" data-mid="1045680" border="0" data-scale="42"/>Image by @sara_carpentieri_ <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1ebb61ea4e1a84807192d62e958c4c4cc9f676b78475d28d52d37b7f82253ddf/LW_G_7.gif" data-mid="1045653" border="0" /> How else have you been diversifying your income in these tricky times? Everyone’s skint and struggling trying to keep a roof over their heads. Creative jobs are wholly discouraged right now and it’s easy to feel at a loss with no work. I work part time job at Ol Brewery, sell jewellery and have recently started a job as a fieldwork surveyor, which is actually fun. Modelling has been a fabulous way to connect with other artists and I recently signed to Liquid agency. I also cat sit on ‘Cat in a Flat’ app, I do home visits, overnight stays and water plants. Hire me, please! You were forced to finish your university degree work from home due to the pandemic, how did this affect your craft? There was some technical support at uni for people doing complex work like AR or virtual reality, but I wasn’t even allowed to go in and collect stuff from locker. It's such a social mobility nightmare, because either you have the resources to finish your work or you’re literally fucked. I'm lucky that I could borrow good cameras from friends, but it's been rubbish. The university has expected people to have the space, money and equipment to finish work. Everything has been compromised. Thankfully my housemates and I have a garage, which is where I do most my work, because it’s so messy and the latex I use stinks of ammonia. “ I like the feeling that I’m looking after animals’ bodies and giving waste a new lease of life. ” <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3f7344de5990aa31e4d73626a0d5421e3ebb11c54c2b8cbdf3a191b808a0828b/LW_G_11.gif" data-mid="1045654" border="0" /> How did it feel to graduate during this bizarre Covid era? We submitted work&nbsp; in lockdown and our degree show was an online exhibition. It felt almost non-existent and extremely lazy, it's been a total downer. But it’s been nice seeing people push themselves to keep their creativity alive. My friend is part of a collective called Studio Scum, which had a zine launch and amazing AR exhibition online which I put some work into. Were your art courses encouraging of your practise? At A-Level, I was told I had to paint because my ‘sculpture’ was taking too long and they wanted to tick boxes for units. During my foundation art year at Newcastle Under Lyme College, I experimented with hair detached from the animal. My teachers discouraged my taxidermy practise because they thought it was dirty and wouldn’t touch it out of fear. Then when I came to Manchester for my Interactive Arts degree, which is essentially fine art without being put into a specialism, it was such an intimate course and they were really encouraging. It was the perfect course for me, because I didn't really know what I wanted to do. I loved drawing, sculpture, film, and you can do all of that. <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e42fa0357c58d8cf4bb956029d06577dbfe4c31d75fcf8a9209d9e4e58448ca8/LW_G_8.gif" data-mid="1045655" border="0" /> <img width="745" height="938" width_o="745" height_o="938" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9f7dc01c64182dd0c8ccdc419aeba1ccf001181da922638d9e8bd5d8082efe7e/IMG_6467.PNG" data-mid="1045690" border="0" data-scale="48"/>@balubalou Tell us about representation on your course, do you feel there was adequate diversity? It was a really intimate course of about 25 people, five boys in the beginning which dwindled down to two, so it felt like real community and everyone was super supportive. There were a handful of BAME students on my course, which was nice, but at the university there were barely any black tutors. There are no black female tutors, no Asian female tutors – there's no representation, really. I only saw women who look like me working in the cafe or as a cleaner, which is crap. From a cultural standpoint, this could be why a lot of people don’t understand my work. My dad’s from the Ivory Coast and there are lot of cultural references of this, which are lost on people. Life can be brutal and raw, and I've been censored for trying to interpret this. I completely understand that I can't do work that injures myself, for example, but art school is meant to be a place where you can be open and honest. <img width="2576" height="1932" width_o="2576" height_o="1932" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/aa6b6e875c90cba33c8dc05af399abe1c462c7684d69d11ff03aa5a6671243f7/IMG_2491.JPG" data-mid="1045673" border="0" data-scale="70"/>Image by @sara_carpentieri_ <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4a545dfac8e5193ee26b7c46d3d0b8c5f9bd21c2ee8a130ce9969bae148fc01c/LW_G_2.gif" data-mid="1045657" border="0" /> *TRIGGER WARNING – MENTIONS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT* Tell us about the work that was censored. I made a sculpture of a penis about the pain I felt after I was raped. It was going to be alongside a mask I'd made, with aperformance. I put so much time and effort into these pieces, and they told me I couldn’t exhibit them due to their explicit nature, even after I offered to put a warning sign and age rating next to it. Surely, if I’m comfortable letting people know about the this personal trauma, I should be allowed to express my experience? They just made it really difficult for me. Like many other people, I never went to the police about the incident, then when I actually wanted to talk about it I was shut down. Making art is a cathartic experience for a lot of people. Also, it seems you can have as many vaginas or boobs as you want on display, but when it's a penis, it’s suddenly too much. Any advice for people struggling through this third lockdown? Instagram is not a friend. Surround yourself with people who care for you. Drink enough water. Remember you are temporary; be mindful, tender and grateful. <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/968b9cc727573b68f0d8a898eeed25177c08172e68178063de800da48f0be81c/LW_G_5.gif" data-mid="1045656" border="0" /> <img width="1932" height="2576" width_o="1932" height_o="2576" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/efac77cd09d03788648d585b50124b11abbdc7333ecf1eb0bbe7800cdfe67bd1/IMG_2461.JPG" data-mid="1045672" border="0" data-scale="49"/> Image by @sara_carpentieri_ QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2838" height="1390" width_o="2838" height_o="1390" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2360b64eee32b010588796534d49d67ae35f02068825f165f4a3c1a2e0a50361/Screenshot-2021-01-17-at-18.23.11.png" data-mid="1045659" border="0" /> <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e60f55581bc58e9c47d53b3e4fad6ee9a31f2ceaa350e6af241eea2f67d94641/Quick_Fire_1.jpg" data-mid="1045660" border="0" /> Three words that describe your aesthetic. Rusty, doyley, cupboard. Three words you want your work to make people feel. Stunning, beautiful, gorgeous Who’s the artist you blast for max creativity. At the moment, it’s Pa Salieu all day. What’s your perfect midnight snack? Toast, always toast. It’s all that’ll fit in my freezer really. How do you tackle creative block? Do nothing. Maybe meditate. Best work environment? In a chaotic environment, where people are busy all around me, or late at night, like 2am. <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e391f3e4314dde9036dc0c0864f61b3ecc2b2bd2a593a05a57033393e37963f9/Quick_Fire_2.jpg" data-mid="1045661" border="0" /> <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/72a8fa494194a0abf54f81794c0c25f0edbddfb7870b1cf5f31d74b1ac72b92c/Quick_Fire_3.jpg" data-mid="1045662" border="0" /> Who should we be following on Instagram? Briony Siobhan, she’s a sick photographer and my friend @taboo420 makes really cool music. Who should we be following for the lols? @sovietlust, it’s a lot of carpets on walls porn, it’s weird. Favourite place to go in Manchester? Anywhere free, or cheap. One positive that’s come out of lockdown? I’m way more flexible, I’ve been really getting into my yoga. Five words that sum up your lockdown life. Guadeloupe, apple cider vinegar, spliffs. <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/eb72366c2098b2b2257938e1d55c2c862218e42cfbab96e38d88bbb1be523e40/Quick_Fire_4.jpg" data-mid="1045663" border="0" /> <img width="559" height="574" width_o="559" height_o="574" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/dfbb3f3fa9bd7b07e4d1c8ff427996d27e57ce5de2698fa4791d7a148f49996f/noun_Squirrel_2505450.png" data-mid="1045668" border="0" data-scale="62"/> @babaloutanaweb RELATED <img width="2480" height="2480" width_o="2480" height_o="2480" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/76106374793fedf1c0725088ec660950f979dfc3b55fd9e4341d2baf63b303ea/RUBY-KIRBY-IMAGE-1_darker.jpg" data-mid="1045669" border="0" /> <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9f7f768abc48577deea014a05c664da92c8882e377a8a98b891e612ef82f53f5/Sara-profile-2.jpg" data-mid="1045670" border="0" /> <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7f502016fbf4979b985fcb546d1ad8d6a0e584b461f838f07cec4effe490f47c/Lois-social-1.jpg" data-mid="1045671" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here  &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via ZoomFollow Lou HERESee her work HERE Influenced by her countryside roots in Cornwall and Congleton, 22-year-old Lou is a... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Akemi-Fox Wed, 02 Dec 2020 20:48:26 +0000 Galchester 391940 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a09e99bd9f17dee8b8649a8b5a316934565e9c949db13a10d22bb978d63463dc/WEB-INTRO_Akemi-Fox.jpg" data-mid="1018375" border="0" /> Interview Via Zoom Follow Akemi Fox HERE Listen to Akemi Fox HERE <img width="1251" height="1371" width_o="1251" height_o="1371" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c404b289150c79808d2176fcdf994e1f9a26f00a69b466f2862a914a0a9929eb/Title-image.jpg" data-mid="1018374" border="0" /> Singer-songwriter Akemi – pronounced ‘A-kay-me’ – started writing songs aged eight. But severe stage fright meant that it took till her late teens to pursue singing seriously. Now, the 22-year-old releases her debut EP ‘Colour You In’ (11 December), starting with single ‘Your Love’ (today!), all written and recorded in lockdown. Spanning five-tracks, Akemi’s mellow, soulful sound is like a seductive diary entry musing on love, past and present. Born in Chorlton and currently based in Whalley Range, she is also a final year fashion branding and communication student at Leeds Arts University. Here she talks about how she went from posting singing videos on Instagram to getting management, bootleg recording in a home studio and why you should never surround yourself with ‘yes men’. Where does your love of music come from? The reason I’m into music is definitely because of my dad, he’s a lover of jazz music and it was played constantly around the house growing up. Akemi Fox is my real name, not stage, and I’m actually named after a jazz pianist called Akemi Kuniyoshi-Kuhn. My personal music influences are very 2000s/2010s RnB – Neyo, Alicia Keys, Keri Hilson – after a childhood spent watching music channels with my cousin. Then I also love soul artists like Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott. Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’ is one of my all-time favourite albums and lyrically, I love bands Daughter and Hiatus Kaiyote. <img width="425" height="425" width_o="425" height_o="425" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c8797ec4755fc2c2fb5ad3c4a5371e8364e48ce30803134637f5c22a2fb6f14c/Gif-2.gif" data-mid="1018363" border="0" /> <img width="2544" height="1428" width_o="2544" height_o="1428" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/81d04fb00ecedac63c3c64c0fa236e7fa81b140062bea699589c06c382a5bcac/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.17.09.png" data-mid="1019056" border="0" data-scale="50"/><img width="2534" height="1424" width_o="2534" height_o="1424" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4ca6936a1938fceed73888576eb41c1275ea2bc48c3500577cebb771ca87408b/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.17.31.png" data-mid="1019057" border="0" /> When did you start writing songs? I started writing really young, around aged eight, but definitely some of my best lyrics came at 15 or 16-years-old. I used to write them down in my diary in bed and have even used them on my new EP. It’s so nice to make use of them six years on. What were you like in school – were you always a confident performer? I definitely had a lot of confidence in primary school and got the main singing roles in school plays, but in secondary school I started to get the worst stage fright. It was the classic case of becoming a teenager and being worried about what others think of you. I never sang at school, only at home, and signed up to study dance and drama in the hopes of becoming an actor. I started writing lyrics again to help out my friends who studied music – I always loved English lessons and writing stories. I was too scared to audition for the yearly school concerts until year 11, when I plucked up the courage to do a duet with my best friend. That was the start of really getting into my music. I started posting videos of me singing on Instagram, and then when I met my current producer and friend Teo (@teomadeit) in my gap year, I realised that maybe releasing music could be a reality. <img width="2316" height="3088" width_o="2316" height_o="3088" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b2753fbadbe546d7e0300936b45f66929497b63ba62c251ee1aa8a64704ac308/IMG_7994.JPG" data-mid="1019060" border="0" data-scale="35"/> <img width="2316" height="3088" width_o="2316" height_o="3088" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/31696850a994e9374db4f17f27f2f04996d6b08be170b527803f2a3f91118c52/IMG_8013.JPG" data-mid="1019059" border="0" /> Image by @sara_carpentieri What’s your songwriting process? When I was younger, the lyrics would just come to me and I’d write them down with no music, but now I prefer to freestyle over a beat. I draw on personal experiences, but also things that have happened to friends and whatever I’m watching or reading. For my single ‘Lemon Tea’, I just noticed an empty yellow carton in the recording studio and wrote the song in one sitting, over maybe three hours. It’s a very quick process for me, I don’t like to drag a song out. <img width="425" height="425" width_o="425" height_o="425" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/eabae017270b1a2828b0be248e9bfa35e64e4362b1572a18e33dd1280c72d897/Gif-4.gif" data-mid="1018365" border="0" /> Your music video for ‘Lemon Tea’ was created in lockdown over FaceTime, tell us about this process. My friend Zoey Jacqueline has a student modelling agency called Agency 7 and Ona Greenwood, an art direction and styling student, messaged me on that. She asked to do a FaceTime photo shoot and we got chatting about my music and it turned into a music video. We shot it in one day over lockdown and it just shows you can do anything from home.<img width="976" height="1738" width_o="976" height_o="1738" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8a78a07349840d132f2edcf454bca5ce5669b081244b89fdad49bde957beec3d/Screenshot-2020-12-03-at-23.08.30.png" data-mid="1019097" border="0" />Video stills taken from&nbsp;@onagreenwood’s music video <img width="980" height="1738" width_o="980" height_o="1738" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/15409a319fb1b181e2b8ecc307f8a8a6d001691015694a37abbe32151fad630d/Screenshot-2020-12-03-at-23.08.43.png" data-mid="1019098" border="0" /> <img width="970" height="1750" width_o="970" height_o="1750" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/176b1935ba60dd184d7dd6952481abc996d3f21e0baed087399a23566f81f2bc/Screenshot-2020-12-03-at-23.08.55.png" data-mid="1019099" border="0" /> <img width="970" height="1732" width_o="970" height_o="1732" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/03b40ae0c36010f918feef44434e464789e5e6a3b4e40e5e37fa67e7a3005ed2/Screenshot-2020-12-03-at-23.09.14.png" data-mid="1019100" border="0" /> What was the inspiration behind the first single from your EP, ‘Your Love’, which drops today? I write about love all the time with my lyrics, which might be boring to some people, but I think it’s something everyone can relate to. I wrote this during lockdown, reflecting on the start of a relationship where you’re amazed at how quickly you get to know someone and fall into place with each other. <img width="2526" height="1426" width_o="2526" height_o="1426" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c9c6a9207995350e8418573f3a9460ab90fa8326e8b4c2ba45f332a80772c402/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.22.07.png" data-mid="1019066" border="0" /><img width="2540" height="1420" width_o="2540" height_o="1420" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7884bec8e6538233dfddb5fa00f2197b9df8b8a9291a4ad918f7555d830ed836/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.21.14.png" data-mid="1019065" border="0" /> <img width="2546" height="1430" width_o="2546" height_o="1430" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a09e4110d165f8e9360ab65bc2ee776a965d4ec1557b4ef666ce6b6d3d8cc8f7/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.22.50.png" data-mid="1019067" border="0" /><img width="2542" height="1424" width_o="2542" height_o="1424" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0807ac6dc234bb5040ad2dbdb20828182d8ac51995cf1a08231c46a717002732/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.20.56.png" data-mid="1019064" border="0" /> I recorded it very bootleg in my producer Teo’s home studio and I loved the natural, chilled setting a lot more than being in an actual recording studio. I like to be comfortable when I’m writing. It feels fitting for my EP of chill bedroom tracks to be recorded also in a bedroom. What’s been the biggest fangirl moment of your music journey so far? Performing with BBC introducing in the BBC Breakfast studio with their film crew was incredible, it felt like the moment my career became ‘official’. Also, recently one of my favourite artists Biig Piig played ‘Lemon Tea’ on one of her Instagram Lives when she did a playlist in quarantine. Seeing her dancing and say how much she loved it was surreal. Tell us about your drive as an artist. I want to create an iconic, timeless album like Frank Ocean’s ‘Channel Orange’, but I also want to be part of a more diverse music industry. Festival line-ups are dominated by men, especially Leeds Festival, and I also find myself listening to so many male artists unknowingly. Such a male-centric industry and line-ups is worrying when you’re trying to break into the business. Tours and festivals are where artists make most of their money so this really needs to change. Through lockdown, I’ve spent time discovering some great women artists like like Nina Cobham, Nxdia, RADA and Jaydonclover. I’m hoping for a lot more girl power, even all-female festivals in the future. <img width="2316" height="3088" width_o="2316" height_o="3088" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/118864fed7db4c62fa14bf7a9271c2b402293b522c994f92fa062b7ef5938865/IMG_8064.JPG" data-mid="1019101" border="0" /> Image by @sara_carpentieri I’m mixed race myself and would really like to see a lot more dark skinned black women rise up in the industry. A lot of things are inspired by black culture so it would be nice to be appreciated more. Do you think studying a creative course has helped with your music? Definitely. Though I now know I don’t want to go into fashion, I’ve learnt so much from people I’ve met here. My course taught me a lot about social media, styling and photography, and I’ve collaborated with so many creatives, like Morgan Roberts (@shotbymr) who shot the cover of my EP. <img width="2316" height="3088" width_o="2316" height_o="3088" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/10449b041a8bf490b32954aea8cd0b4a0cdd3a55c0931adbc634c831402a7f48/IMG_7887.JPG" data-mid="1019070" border="0" /> Image by @sara_carpentieri How do you navigate social media as an artist? It must be easy to get bogged down in comparing yourself. Social media is fabulous, but it’s very intense. Recently I’ve felt overwhelmed by the constant scrolling and I’ve taken a step back to just use it for a work. It’s easy to say ‘stop comparing yourself’ but if you take a break and stop looking at those perfect images, you really do start feeling better about yourself. I’m constantly reminding myself of this, I want to be more carefree and enjoy life more. What’s your advice for someone breaking into the music industry? I never went into this with too much of a game plan. I think that if you enjoy making music it’ll come across – if you would listen to it yourself, then that’s almost all you need. Don’t obsess over having a massive social media following either, if it’s good work and you have faith in it, it can find the right ears. <img width="425" height="425" width_o="425" height_o="425" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f34a92723f103ad6a0ac0b616f97ff27ea5fdab2fdba0877a1edac2fea4c091a/Gif-1.gif" data-mid="1018362" border="0" /> <img width="842" height="1438" width_o="842" height_o="1438" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b2489ecbf201ade807a0fd0e575bd7770e7101c2296125f33da252c3ee73871e/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.25.14.png" data-mid="1019073" border="0" data-scale="34"/>. &nbsp;<img width="876" height="1424" width_o="876" height_o="1424" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e6d401397fcbf3d771d91d1aacdb70840f9602779e43ad0de41c8ddf5daa2a72/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.26.01.png" data-mid="1019072" border="0" data-scale="36"/> Also, making friends with other musicians has been so crucial for me. I can ask them to be honest with me and they’ll give me proper feedback. This can sting at first, but I have so much respect for that and it pushes me to do better. You want to create a circle of people that aren’t always going to be your ‘yes men’, constructive criticism is vital to grow as an artist. It’s really helped grow my confidence and I’m a bit less emotional now. I used to cry when someone said something I’d created was bad, but now I’ve gotten over it and realised that to get better you need someone to tell you ‘no’ sometimes. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2546" height="1430" width_o="2546" height_o="1430" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f7da87149e59a0bf6ea7e11a852d9eb308cff41744be98d0a08b4365708db5fd/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.22.50.png" data-mid="1019077" border="0" /> <img width="1598" height="1418" width_o="1598" height_o="1418" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/22bc80c1e8ca4da3cf3b82903fd8b2abece5934784bde724b7406e2b07940b88/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.19.32.png" data-mid="1019079" border="0" />Three words that define your music. Chill, alternative, fun. Three words you want your music to make people feel. Happy, nostalgic, relaxed. What’s the song you blast for max creativity? Anderson Paak’s second album ‘Malibu’. I rediscovered it months ago, it makes me feel so good and motivated.Your perfect midnight snack? I’m loving mozzarella dippers right now. How do you tackle creative block? I have a good cry and then come back to it later. Sometimes you feel blocked and need to release it. When do you write best? Late at night in the dark, I’m not a morning person.<img width="1818" height="1426" width_o="1818" height_o="1426" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d62b37459ee48a4dd16a2210fa0bb6ec825fbd46b112bedae52a8076cff197a1/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.19.54.png" data-mid="1019080" border="0" /> <img width="1470" height="1440" width_o="1470" height_o="1440" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d817c1099c691d14c49f5598d630bd42ec76ce004f3b4dd1c95b140efe2576df/Screenshot-2020-12-02-at-21.20.40.png" data-mid="1019082" border="0" />Who should we be following on Instagram? @zoeyjacqueline, she founded Agency 7 as a platform for young creatives to source models for projects. Who should we be following for the lols? @depopdrama, though I’m more of Twitter person. Best thing to come out of lockdown? Finally finishing my EP. I feel like I got my life together when life stopped. <img width="606" height="577" width_o="606" height_o="577" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5bb18f5ce9e137c21ac422b6298ba00720dc8c4817e9d7c7c314e4291688c596/noun_Microphone_1064098.png" data-mid="1019085" border="0" data-scale="60"/> @akemifoxx RELATED<img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/45bf7690994ddabb62975629ec2af2e542406d0e4f37d818fe7726a534e2df11/image-1.png" data-mid="1019095" border="0" /><img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4d677740ae9b9fd12bf889e9018bef12d5c75601691f3b0d11f6493c6aae88b4/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="1019093" border="0" /><img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/59b1329596f54ef9a6b721dc79ed9acec27bf76b3bd629fa86bca669c2cbe3b8/Lois-social-1-2.jpg" data-mid="1019094" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here  &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via Zoom Follow Akemi Fox HERE Listen to Akemi Fox HERE Singer-songwriter Akemi – pronounced ‘A-kay-me’... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Ellie-Brennan Fri, 09 Oct 2020 11:55:31 +0000 Galchester 386883 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/55c5382eb99d4af252aff206bcfd810f2fdfed31168b32cb96ffa28f8b78728e/WEB-INTRO_ELLIE_BRENNAN.jpg" data-mid="991290" border="0" /> Interview Via Zoom Follow Ellie Brennan HERE <img width="1238" height="1434" width_o="1238" height_o="1434" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/a66285642d94157db1cff999604f922ccdec6e15817fdca0a67a603492b8d204/Screenshot-2020-10-09-at-12.05.17.png" data-mid="991291" border="0" /> ‘Rug dealer’ Ellie is making the fine art world more accessible and inclusive, one parmo and chips rug at time. Growing up in Middlesbrough, she worked with textiles as an anxiety reliever, but it wasn’t until final year of her fine art BA at MSoA that she tried her hand at rug making. Since graduating last year, the 22-year-old has been invited to the Royal College of Art to give a talk on invisible disabilities in the art world and has become the youngest artist (by a mile) awarded a residency at the San Jose Museum of Quilts in California. Sadly, the pandemic meant her residency was cancelled, but you can see her art ­– a nostalgic exploration of class, food and comfort that flips the idea of quaint textiles on its head – at her first solo show at Middlesbrough’s Eston Arts Centre until 31st October. Now based in Whalley Range, Ellie splits her time between labour intensive rug making and pulling pints at Manchester’s The Pilcrow Pub. Go on then, get your rugs out. Talk us through your style. My work is so colourful and loud, but my personal style is much more neutral colours and I’m much quieter. I just see stuff on the street and turn it into a rug, like with the Carling can rug, I spotted one floating on an algae covered pond on a walk during lockdown. It’s made of lots of neon greens – my favourite colour – and textured, lumpy wool which gives it that cool, risen texture. I enjoy the making process more than the planning, I find it really therapeutic and I’m really passionate about teaching the craft through workshops. <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/992a988ce6cb6e37acf8b69fde50d10499e8bf95dd144ebccb6f93d72fc2ad35/ellie.d.brennan_94424663_2576295045977834_6709341623135036986_n.jpg" data-mid="991292" border="0" /> @ellie.d.brennan <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0f40b7f9278765bc8354aca69ad6d9c8f795fd521e54a135e1f93affa36c87be/GIF_2.gif" data-mid="991293" border="0" /> Why does your work reference food and canned goods so much? I love branding, logos and supermarkets – that’s my jam. It sounds lame, but during lockdown I found it so stressful not being able to spend lots of time in the supermarket, when we were restricted to once a week. I love walking around supermarkets for hours, going down every aisle. I get such a kick going to one I’ve never been to before and I’m so glad I can go to big Tesco again. <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/490682cdfb2969ccafdec24c3979cf62a22d00a19ac397c64002072907575921/GIF_4.gif" data-mid="991294" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8d2ec1726308c064a26c61ca4971f53b777ecd345951cd515d921ae409a74ecd/GIF_3.gif" data-mid="991295" border="0" /> How did lockdown affect your process? I have a DMZ studio space in New Islington, but had to work from home for a long time which was messy. I made sure to bring a lot of the neon threads home with me because I wanted to make fun, happy pieces. If I’m finding the work dreary and boring, then I tend to not finish it. In times like these, I need work that cheers me up. Over lockdown, I made a Sims rug using an old coffee sack as the base because I ran out of proper material. I usually use any sort of open weave fabric like hessian or linen, other manufactured rug making fabrics can be so expensive. The process of punch needling is quite a suburban American mum hobby, so it comes with a premium that those kinds of people can afford. As a broke bar tender, I usually just scrap things together – I used a pair of curtains once. Tell us about how you got into rug making. At university, I actually spent two and half years making big scale performance work looking at food as inanimate objects, but I wasn’t really enjoying it. I had a phase where I made only things about eggs when I was stalling in third year – completely the wrong time, I know. This huge egg was the worst piece of work I’ve ever made and it took six weeks. It’s made from polystyrene and plastic so I threw it in a skip after because it weighs so much. In the end, I realised it appeals to no one. I had always really enjoyed textiles at home, so decided I should use the last bit of my course to do what I do like. For my final degree show, I made a toast rug to go with the big egg, and that was the first thing I made with my rug gun. You can see I’ve ripped holes in the canvas because I wasn’t used to working with it, but I had a great time. <img width="1080" height="1080" width_o="1080" height_o="1080" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/39bd05afea47b78462107bc846d5f49bf74039972366a082d9a3917b34a2b256/__.shuffle_99440132_331817151136805_938625209812197986_n.jpg" data-mid="991296" border="0" />@ellie.d.brennan <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4f7d5c5872294739fc863f2f38bbe2fc48b9eba995bed304cffe6966238ed290/GIF_6.gif" data-mid="991297" border="0" /> As for your techniques, what’s the difference between using a gun and punch needle? With punch needling, every different punch makes a loop and the rug gun (also known as tufting gun) makes more of a carpet. Instead of a loop, the gun cuts each loop made as it goes through the canvas, it’s faster and louder. The punch needle is my favourite at the moment and I appreciate the therapeutic time it takes. This bean piece was the first I sold outside uni and was made using a rug gun. It’s pretty taxing using a tufting gun if you don’t have a proper frame set up and my frame just rests against my bedroom wall, so it means I’m crawling against the wall sitting in awkward positions. I can get quite comfy doing punch needle work. <img width="1046" height="669" width_o="1046" height_o="669" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/cc487b413ca66364c0aa871ce4d61ff8f466d0f896e6d1367306deba3828b140/2083.jpg" data-mid="991298" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4e36f2448b9bea0dc469669ae51a1794211e54d2ff87c1fd35e3cde4ba8234db/GIF_1.gif" data-mid="991299" border="0" /> You’ve also made some incredible banners. Most of my commissions have been banners. I did one for Manchester’s National Football Museum during the Women’s World Cup last year and also did a pride flag for the Manchester Culture Consortium. Both banners were paid opportunities and a stark contrast to how I usually work. I felt professional sending invoices over email, it was the first time I felt like a proper graduate. Within the space of two months I did two workshops with them and I was like, ‘Ha! I’ve really got this graduate life sorted.’ But now I’m more like: ‘Please spare a penny for me! Think of the rug makers!’ How can we commission you for a rug? Instagram DM or email me and we can have a chat! It’s tricky, because I get asked to make rugs a lot, but are put off by the price. A lot of people don’t understand how long it takes, especially when juggling my bar work. You have to price your work to include that in-between time where you’re gluing it down and sending it off to the post office. To work out the price, I add up the hours it takes to make, pay myself a living wage and then add material costs – usually £20 to £30. The white carrier bag rug would be £180-200 and the Carling can rug roughly £200-250 as I worked on it for three hours a day, two weeks straight. I’d love to do more affordable pieces, but it’s all done by hand and it’s just me. I always give customers a price range and let them pick what they’d like to pay, that way I don’t feel like I’m forcing a price on anyone. Usually people go slap bang in middle or once I give them a price point they don’t reply. This is common for lot of artists. People love your work and ask if they can commission you, but never reply again. I’m not mad at anyone though, that’s just the way it is. It just means I get to keep them in my flat for longer which makes me happy. What’s been your experience working in Manchester’s creative scene? Manchester is pretty welcoming to graduates. There are a lot of organisations like Paradise Works, Castlefield Gallery and Short Supply who are open to working with us and other ‘emerging artists’. There’s a lot going on here and some great opportunities to exhibit straight out of university. I much the online art community rather than the IRL one, I find it a lot more friendly. That’s where I met Georgina and Ashley from Babeworld (@babeworld3000)&nbsp; and Ellie (@winegums) who invited me to London to do a talk at the Royal College of Art. It was part of their ‘Don’t Worry, I’m Sick and Poor Too’ series which gives space to marginalised artists. What did you speak about? I spoke about invisible disabilities, the importance of inclusivity and recognising them in an academic environment. I never thought I’d be part of something at the RCA, I didn’t think it was for people like me. I’m a neurodivergent person myself, and when I say invisible disabilities this includes Autism, ADHD and many different mental health illnesses. Accessibility and inclusivity is what I focus on a great deal in my artwork. For me, making rugs really helps to calm me down and focus. I didn’t have a lot of support for this at university and would have probably got a more out of the experience if I had. For the talk, I wanted to make sure that anyone listening learns it’s alright to ask for help sometimes. There are systems in place to help you. Sometimes you’ll have to keep going on at the system for hours and weeks, but you’ll get there eventually. Sometimes artists can be made to feel like being London is the only city to find true creative success, have you ever felt pressure to move to the capital? I really enjoyed my time in London with my friends, but the travelling and expense was too much for a little northerner like me. I’m such an anxious home bird, Manchester is the most southern city I’ve ever lived. The thought of the London art scene is scary and I’ve never had an interest in moving there. I think going to a northern art school [Northern School of Art, Middlesborough] from such a young age, 16, made me realise how many opportunities and talent there is in the north. Northern pride was instilled in me from a young age and it’s part of my identity and art aesthetic. <img width="1080" height="716" width_o="1080" height_o="716" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/330e51480e8c4a938c851728dc0a7800e1b983916abfd50c550a8346c35dfe97/taracollette_71175330_1349219631924248_8296549281170081935_n.jpg" data-mid="991313" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/69072a59e481b6b4b5710e24f486d2bd5f808b320bb644d9374e2f22c2f2af35/GIF_7.gif" data-mid="991314" border="0" /> How did you find the transition from art school to life as an artist? It was hard to transition into to the ‘real world’ after graduation. You spend so much time being creative, learning and educating yourself on topics like gender and sexuality, but people who haven’t been to art school will never have been exposed to this way of thinking. You live in a bubble for three years and as soon as you graduate you realise people won’t respond to your work in the same way. It’s no longer just students looking at it, it’s older people who won’t have lived the same experiences. This is what made me move away from making such personal work for a time, because it got exhausting trying to explain the mind of a 19-year-old girl to 55 year old men at exhibitions. But recently, I’ve started creating pieces that make me happy again. I don’t make work for anyone else anymore, I make it for me and if other people like it then great. I also never make work for exhibitions, I look for opportunities based around what I’m interested in. I don’t find any joy in making work about things I don’t like. Tell us about the residency you were chosen for. I was awarded a three month residency at the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles in California, but couldn’t go due to Covid. Most of quarantine has been spent thinking, ‘I should have been booking my Airbnb right now,’ or ‘I should be packing my suitcase’.&nbsp; They award four artists in residence per year and I was actually the youngest artist ever chosen. It’s hard to wrap my head around, because I get such imposter syndrome, like many artists. It was mindboggling that they’d offer it for someone under 30, let alone me aged 21. My friend Ashley (@babeworld3000) shared the opportunity, so I applied but never thought anything of it. I left it last minute and had to run around asking tutors for references in a blind panic. I was required to write a long proposal for what I would do there; how I would use the space and what work I’d bring to exhibit. I hope it can be rearranged, but there are so many other factors to contend with now, like the money situation. I was on furlough throughout the summer so haven’t made as much money, which means I might not even be able to afford to go next year. Tell us about your new exhibition ‘Fingers, Thumbs and the Spaces Inbetween’. I was contacted by the team at Eston Arts Centre who asked if I wanted to show some work as I'm from the local area. The themes are the same as my usual work; therapeutic nostalgia and providing a space in which people can indulge in more playful kinds of art. I didn't want it to feel serious at all, that’s why I’m encouraging people to break the 'look but don't touch' rule by interacting freely with the pieces. I think you get the full experience of my work by feeling it, it's super soft and has a really interesting texture. If you’re in the area go and check it out, it’s on until 31st October. <img width="960" height="960" width_o="960" height_o="960" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/18d75000e29a5f2b485dca9cb4cf29ce3ab7b7e3cfd26e7d98cfd9787e0fa61f/ellie.d.brennan_120842897_155584889561468_7982324579833342841_n.jpg" data-mid="991300" border="0" /> Any advice for aspiring artists? 1) Apply to as many opportunities as you can, but don’t just focus on the big galleries or even local ones, look online. &nbsp;Instagram is great for getting your name out there and meeting people, you never know who will comment on your work and start a conversation. I’ve found so many opportunities through Instagram and relatively grassroots organisations, like Short Supply. I exhibited in their first show and they do a lot of great graduate based exhibitions and support schemes. It was there I met many similar minded, laid back artists. 2) Don’t be afraid to apply for schemes that aren’t solely for graduate artists. Even filling in an application is experience and you can definitely recycle those. 3) You tend to really want a break from work after you finish university, but try and keep making stuff. I stopped for about a month, then didn’t properly start again for six months, which was a lot of lost time. You definitely need some reflective downtime, but you need to keep being creative because your art world bubble will burst, so it’s good to feel still connected. Keep going, even if it seems like you’re not going anywhere. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2796" height="1570" width_o="2796" height_o="1570" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ecc88eafa929579ec4c810d542f7f119577a640af6f37bb6e317829df977c8fa/Screenshot-2020-10-09-at-12.50.15.png" data-mid="991302" border="0" /> <img width="1333" height="1423" width_o="1333" height_o="1423" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6313f79935a4edb9cc151802e78f75443712a275cf71bd6d3bd52ebcfbc9872b/Screenshot-2020-10-09-at-12.03.46.png" data-mid="991303" border="0" /> Three words that define your aesthetic. Neon, tactile and trashy. My work is very different to my personal aesthetic, I’m very minimal and my work is not. Three words you want your work to make people feel. Happy, intrigued and eager&nbsp; – meaning eager to learn the process or to have a conversation. I love having conversations about my work. What is the album you blast for max creativity? As You Please by Citizen. How do you tackle a creative block? I give myself a break and do something completely different. I don’t think you should ever push yourself to make something, otherwise you’ll end up hating it. Luckily I’m a rug nerd so usually enjoy it all. What’s your perfect midnight snack?Sesame seed crackers with vegan Violife cream cheese on top. What’s in your bag at all times?A punch needle or an old ‘to do list’ that’s been washed with my bag and is stuck to the lining. <img width="1306" height="1440" width_o="1306" height_o="1440" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/374356bea0bbc81cada17c7714149e89cd90626ee8e3329c680d4ce68e706371/Screenshot-2020-10-09-at-12.04.48.png" data-mid="991304" border="0" /> <img width="1350" height="1432" width_o="1350" height_o="1432" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/fca15775459d755859c6147cc1f4042847d6f867899be288f1a2bdc85070c03c/Screenshot-2020-10-09-at-12.03.19.png" data-mid="991306" border="0" /> Strangest work habit? The weirder I’m sat the better I work. My legs are usually twisted in a painful way and I prop my frame against myself to the point it’s almost crushing me, if I’m working with my rug gun. Who should we be following on Instagram? @robynnichol, Robyn is like my Instagram girlfriend. She makes beautiful embroidery pieces on hoops, inspired by childhood nostalgia like Monster Much packets. Where’s your favourite thing to do in Manchester? Have a pint in a good old fashioned pub like The Pilcrow Pub or The Castle. <img width="597" height="519" width_o="597" height_o="519" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3f20bbae5471b45c36437e0ef26321bf665ba15098da74b5bb8f63d63c0e3cd2/noun_Wool_2540179.png" data-mid="991308" border="0" data-scale="77"/>@ellie.d.brennan RELATED <img width="2000" height="2000" width_o="2000" height_o="2000" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4737d69e19e701668ec4e5a1c3103a7fe5ce28ca7549ccb83c05d423f23177d4/RUB_-KIRBY_SOCIAL_BODY_SQUARE_1A--2.jpg" data-mid="991312" border="0" /><img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6dfea4d0c1be438a6fa7a296a06bfa76759862b1386c62da51f4bda4d9d99c2e/Lois-social-1.jpg" data-mid="991310" border="0" /><img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d912f700a1137e858a081e497d94fc42f028aa0ca2b7673114226f894fa14c4d/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="991311" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here  &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via Zoom Follow Ellie Brennan HERE ‘Rug dealer’ Ellie is making the fine art world more accessible and inclusive, one... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing Tue, 06 Oct 2020 08:40:39 +0000 Galchester 386532 <img width="5175" height="9200" width_o="5175" height_o="9200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/59b2298afb5a3512a39922d8d54a44bd277211108d21a4ec127d3a6a33d95cb3/SOFA_SURFING_LAYOUT_STORY_1.jpg" data-mid="990151" border="0" /> <img width="5175" height="9200" width_o="5175" height_o="9200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0748716d2e04a402a77368294df5c6caebd8f49573f3a74a5865c646bf3a9832/SOFA_SURFING_LAYOUT_STORY_2.jpg" data-mid="990152" border="0" /> <img width="5175" height="9200" width_o="5175" height_o="9200" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e24cd33789605a976e4e27de89da4501f59a477ead805eba5f611b2e2b057dc7/SOFA_SURFING_LAYOUT_STORY_3.jpg" data-mid="990153" border="0" /> SOFA SURFING During the pandemic, it was harder than ever for young creatives to get work. Freelancing? 'Regrettably, it's in-house work only at the moment.' A permanent role? 'Unfortunately, we're not hiring right now!' Launched during lockdown, our Sofa Surfing series promotes a different Manchester-based woman each week, in the hope of increasing their visibility. We want you to buy their art, wear their clothes, listen to their music and keep them in mind for future projects! Enter our gals' worlds as they let us crash at theirs (over Zoom) all across Manchester. <img width="2000" height="2000" width_o="2000" height_o="2000" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f8d594ae83a3eda07ab1a93622f231872f42a8420dd30e94afee059e53afa1e9/RUB_-KIRBY_SOCIAL_BODY_SQUARE_1A--2.jpg" data-mid="990123" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4bc7bf51a02d95207d3aa648f9bb944758d353d8723beced4841891a0524f3de/Trim-5.gif" data-mid="990124" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2cd22c125337cce00dbbbe9e706c63108bc98894e39c9945be5edf2904b679e9/Trim2.gif" data-mid="990125" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/> SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e149494925ce835ce9c15864b11d16433bf6f4ab489f2a8aa63e4e33700c9cbe/image-1.png" data-mid="990128" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/66c96b168982b750e8a3c7c5814ed060496369f987f4c2e0da6d568da5c34448/3g.gif" data-mid="990127" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6f4b2a628543cf65bbd16d3b955ac9c1922f36c95aa659b0a6387a2e1df49303/1g.gif" data-mid="990126" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/b4d71ac3d3c87b50ae6f58be7dd6dbb8c8a66d0e80f7279fa95ad1a7e2598ff1/Sara-profile-2.jpg" data-mid="990135" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c39743ef49518c38ee31054f91fddbbc84b2148fb43c294fd03677632b8f74b4/Gif-3.gif" data-mid="990136" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/994285de9025fbecef1b42ed34eba00e2513d14a5ead116e4b9a97d46d192e9b/Gif-9-1.gif" data-mid="990137" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/083b5b9c2bc37d6f277f8563cfef1940284eb190c5b81404aa43dfd49d7ddc7f/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="990133" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/244542d5aace64e7a6c737859fb5738ccd682263d653268ab1df50a8c7b651c2/Gif-2.gif" data-mid="990132" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2bbec63446802941fdc13c30741c855f631a1e466b04ffb7d975e82dbf3bdcf3/Gif-9.gif" data-mid="990131" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/99a416ca6802476b79f3f0bad8a138265dbea3de4fd62d332f7c1dc00cc5360b/Lois-social-1-2.jpg" data-mid="990143" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/82af8566ffdd039d86fab06264f47d05e929ad6104a314f0d4b6e00421718c54/LS_6.gif" data-mid="990138" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7c69ec029a8e8334ed43b9023dec83aa131b2f65107e14ec39e7a74da5b57eb0/LS_3.gif" data-mid="990141" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/592183aaf0b1e42b7a89dfdc6cf3c3cee97a5cf1fb8698c37b898040443ebce8/ELLIE-BRENNAN-SQUARE.jpg" data-mid="994613" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f555f3a818345aabffd9afb08da4ea0127dc8da89c39ce2d338124c09766e84d/GIF_1.gif" data-mid="994611" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d16e893bb8dd6c53c7a05a3d3876d9b87fd3beb9fc607487c590bc5216b7b8c4/GIF_7.gif" data-mid="994612" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1562" height="1558" width_o="1562" height_o="1558" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e7259ae3d7420da0acd9af480808fdf07ae0967883b7acf5705137e70cf38b25/Screenshot-2020-12-04-at-09.19.16.png" data-mid="1019208" border="0" /> <img width="425" height="425" width_o="425" height_o="425" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/7e14f7decba1727548ae377e1fa64fcfc75d58bcade347d5179922b737fc7b1e/Gif-2.gif" data-mid="1019193" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2da1d72c3088cc95deb436b5eef781c503fe54d33d749fec6aa9a5d72d7a564b/Gif-6.gif" data-mid="1019192" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4e90222fae447ebe2cbbc0e94378065ffc95e069b475bfd7e412210518019146/LOU-WEBB.jpg" data-mid="1045709" border="0" /> <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5170c77b4dda0debf87b686afcea39947e5a33461da934bcad6c5d37d32fab9b/LW_G_3.gif" data-mid="1045710" border="0" /> <img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5f8cbf1261c4dd8751a2ab1fbba2582d9bcc8bb7767fe903e88c52e6e08c57b6/LW_G_7.gif" data-mid="1045712" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/> SEE FULL INTERVIEW <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/bd7bd2c1d05ee4f9d9225a3cb4dc5bafe0b5135d6d73e4aa17a677fb0eaec95c/MYLA_MAIN_IMAGE.jpg" data-mid="1071925" border="0" /><img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e17bb228c52bcffbcf06ea989855013517af6ce5593772dace0981d2d11e01e1/Myla_4.gif" data-mid="1071919" border="0" /><img width="567" height="567" width_o="567" height_o="567" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2f88415448f1577c2c0224fce0ba9cd24a67cb752fb1eac519d506f46f940bfb/Myla_3.gif" data-mid="1071926" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULLINTERVIEW <img width="1508" height="1506" width_o="1508" height_o="1506" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2763739d313bba7be275631dcd179d46c05cbc4133365936f3fae8b357276684/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-21.14.09.png" data-mid="1218178" border="0" /> <img width="1518" height="1510" width_o="1518" height_o="1510" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c44a6f5c93cb56096dfe36bdcdb8c4a4390c277b924fa5e27c3dbd6b04e8c941/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-21.26.03.png" data-mid="1218205" border="0" /> <img width="1564" height="1562" width_o="1564" height_o="1562" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c8cbb5b88a174da4e7141cffd0c41fe33ab3cbf6eabd42c86ec28545be5036f6/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-21.26.17.png" data-mid="1218206" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULLINTERVIEW <img width="1020" height="1020" width_o="1020" height_o="1020" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8ef79e52871ca0b400ef6c4af0ddce51f18dda964bca0c0403942d69ea77f957/Nia-Archives.jpeg" data-mid="1218209" border="0" /> <img width="1560" height="1560" width_o="1560" height_o="1560" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d17d6637ac289b840aad46186bc95db1217c069dd229494796133573c4467632/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-21.26.30.png" data-mid="1218210" border="0" /> <img width="1560" height="1562" width_o="1560" height_o="1562" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/eb86edf012c46a4d992418bdca993f2524f7d2ba2a13da7b6b053b438a8d3189/Screenshot-2022-08-24-at-21.26.40.png" data-mid="1218211" border="0" /> <img width="659" height="457" width_o="659" height_o="457" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2badbe8e546cf5b684f8c1ec1c4840433f1e7fd23ae88b23d7ec1581845a9972/Arrow_Black.png" data-mid="990145" border="0" data-scale="21"/>SEE FULLINTERVIEW More interviews coming real soon! &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; SOFA SURFING During the pandemic, it was harder than ever for young creatives to get work. Freelancing? 'Regrettably, it's in-house work only at... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Lois-Saunders Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:11:27 +0000 Galchester 386190 ins <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/79bdf7dfb84487d4d51f6e256d894fe6d6c2c67b3069e921b90bcfe59e3ccd27/WEB-INTRO_LOIS_SAUNDERS.jpg" data-mid="990121" border="0" /> Interview Via Zoom Follow Lois Saunders HERE Buy&nbsp;Lois Saunders HERE <img width="1251" height="1371" width_o="1251" height_o="1371" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0da8086ccbd3274c1ad511e01e720e14c7f2224ddf48b545235182f69aba8b03/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.21.16.png" data-mid="990122" border="0" data-scale="97"/> Last month, 21-year-old designer Lois Saunders finished her Manchester School of Art course with no graduation day, no graduate fashion week, no end of uni celebrations, and no ‘best summer of her life’. She finished her intricate final collection in lockdown from her Withington flatshare and ineffective Zoom calls replaced vital tutorials. But lucky for Lois, her recently launched brand 1xBlue, which makes saucy two-pieces from recycled football scarves, has been making waves. 1xblue has been featured on Dazed and Season Zine, spotlighted by Depop and has fans including singer Madison Beer, model Chi Virgo, stylist Anna Trevelyan and Wonderland editor Toni Blaze. A Mowalola collaboration is imminent. Here Lois talks about graduating during a pandemic, launching on Depop and how she deals with having her designs ripped off. How easy was it for you to decide to pursue a creative course? I grew up in Canterbury, Kent and did fashion design as an extended diploma at the University of the Creative Arts instead of A Levels.&nbsp;My parents are very creative, my mum’s a hair stylist and my dad's an artist so they’ve always been very supportive of an artistic career. My mum used to take me to Fashion Week when I was a kid, so I've always just had a love for clothes. I chose to come to Manchester because it was far away from home and the next biggest city after London, I’d never even visited before my first day on campus but I trusted all my friends who raved about it. The more affordable prices compared to London meant I could actually go out with my mates regularly without t a huge financial strain. Tell us about finishing your final year in lockdown. It's been really difficult. Doing a creative course in lockdown is not as straight forward as conventional courses obviously, because there's been no studio space. We've had a few meetings with our tutors every week through Zoom and the ending of our collection has been completely changed. Before the virus, we had been working so hard in the studios from 8am till 10pm most days, so to be told that all the graduate shows have been cancelled after putting so much effort in was heartbreaking. It’s sad, but we've all made the best of a bad situation. It's just being really unlucky. <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8f4592f8673c92ac484212095faa912443280d7c7218b17dc3d448a779fcb2e0/LS_5.gif" data-mid="990829" border="0" /> <img width="750" height="998" width_o="750" height_o="998" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/382ed36d641ab93e8e37a7f45d793b6628baf738f60dd7635a92843485f8fddc/82191054_712756422888177_3824282113499201536_n.jpg" data-mid="990830" border="0" />Photo by @sara_carpentieri_ Talk us through your final collection. It’s called ‘Medieval Punks Try Couture’ and was heavily inspired by my family’s punk and medieval history. It involves a lot of intricate embroidery and is basically the opposite of 1xBlue, it's very couture. I use tule processes and embroider beads into faces. The process is so long, at uni I’d sometimes spend 12 hours a day beading and while the final result is beautiful, I prefer 1xBlue where I can make something really cool in a short space of time. Tell us about when you launched your brand. The idea came in January when I was charity shopping in Chorlton and I came across an amazing football scarf. There was no intention to start a business at first, I just made it into a top for myself. I used the overlocking machines at uni and when I put it on Instagram around 20 people messaged me asking for one. I launched on Depop [her account @lois_saunders now has 10k followers] and in the first week was featured on their main Instagram page. They’re so supportive to young designers, especially ones promoting sustainability and recycled materials. <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/82362828bf36b0627b1b7222c56922887e630e9f374689338582a87185a5b4db/LS_9.gif" data-mid="990835" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/4c9739344d64e3ed0206deb335c3a52b7a6f373867bdbaa897482a384e175dbb/LS_11.gif" data-mid="990836" border="0" /> <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3d3d494aee4ffacfd16f14d53e93f5ffd9c80275489fa942ea3d53193f00ba68/LS_13.gif" data-mid="990837" border="0" /> How do you source your material? Most of the scarves now come from eBay and Depop now because I can buy them in bulk and I’ve also made some shorts from Playboy curtains I found on eBay. Due to a recent spate of people ripping off my designs I have actually started to manufacture my own scarf material. Even though it’s sadly not sustainable, I do think it’s important to have a few personal, branded pieces in the collection How did you work out your price point? The pieces are relatively expensive [prices vary from £70 to £180] because I've always wanted my pieces to be something people have to save up for as a treat for themselves. I've had a few people message me asking about a custom order for their birthday and I think it just makes the brand more special. <img width="750" height="998" width_o="750" height_o="998" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/d6e897a0962b5b452ab8413c861908b9578aa3a39b943f9942397f2356ab039d/101834801_609979876273980_7567401452616810496_n.jpg" data-mid="990838" border="0" />Photo by @sara_carpentieri_ <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/acbc369c15a4ce9adcc8b00be7bf85fc6ff80a7a3b5661b7d9cd70c8d7693a7c/LS_7.gif" data-mid="990839" border="0" /> How can we buy them? Look out for when I announce drops every few weeks on my Instagram page, then head to my website. Tell us about the importance of sustainability in your work. I’ve always loved second hand shopping and wanted to incorporate recycled materials somehow. Sustainability is vital to consider when starting a brand because obviously the planet needs a big clean up and fashion leaves such a bad imprint. I learnt a lot about clothing waste at uni. Have you been forced to adapt your practise in lockdown? I'm really lucky that during this time I’ve been able to carry on as normal. Even before lockdown started, I did most of my work at home because I have my own sewing machines. The only thing that’s impacted me is I haven’t been able to do shoots or collaborate with other creatives which I enjoy. <img width="2790" height="1568" width_o="2790" height_o="1568" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/356238078abb5f649c351ad2a6edac5326ef9d1980c6a72b567b1ac59aa8aa78/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.17.29.png" data-mid="990841" border="0" /> <img width="2788" height="1572" width_o="2788" height_o="1572" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/58c37c1091530a68a93ac399946daa4904f6d88a90a1ff7acdb52e781153c0b8/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.18.04.png" data-mid="990842" border="0" /> <img width="2790" height="1564" width_o="2790" height_o="1564" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f59b1915b2bfe714486ef2061b709eb9398142242809a7b7a3147faff1e0a25e/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.18.31.png" data-mid="990843" border="0" /> Tell us about the Depop accounts who have been copying your designs. It's difficult. I don't like calling people out, but it hurts when you’re so excited about your designs that are just taking off and you see them being completely ripped off. I get sent so many screenshots of people copying my designs from followers. A lot of people say that it's just taking inspiration, but most have created the same shapes and exact styles using football scarves. I don’t like arguing and it’s difficult to go about the situation, but in a way it's taking business away from me, a small designer who’s just starting out. I'm still growing so it’s frustrating to see. <img width="2737" height="1428" width_o="2737" height_o="1428" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/042cdef6d6d59b1de0279e018d108439b3498498845f95a19275f1013bf4977a/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.20.14.png" data-mid="990844" border="0" /> <img width="2790" height="1560" width_o="2790" height_o="1560" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3acbbcb309d5c2f5be2b05a2c23be5f28a654e5bfd3d36592b92a760bccd8df2/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.20.28.png" data-mid="990845" border="0" data-scale="78"/> Most of the copiers are relatively young girls, so I understand that they aren’t mature enough to fully grasp how damaging this is, but they can’t just not be pulled up on it. Most people have deleted their designs after our conversations. One girl said, ‘It’s naïve to think you’re the first person to make clothes from football scarves’ but has followed me on Depop for a while, so it’s just obvious. The feeling you get when you someone rip off your designs never gets better. Just get your own ideas, you know. QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2778" height="1568" width_o="2778" height_o="1568" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/2072d950be2559a42962c670b5db0d745737b92ca089936ad393fd770f6f04d4/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.16.35.png" data-mid="990846" border="0" /> <img width="1204" height="1424" width_o="1204" height_o="1424" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/476e1111581671ce8f867deeebf679f22f865bfc8d50c0a5c37b7758cd6d5490/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.22.58.png" data-mid="990852" border="0" /> Three words that define your aesthetic. Sporty, nostalgic, sexy. Three words you want your work to make people feel. Cool, empowered, sexy again. What's the album song that you always blast the Matlock's creativity? Amy Winehouse Essentials playlist. What’s your perfect midnight snack? Chocolate Hobnobs. What's the weirdest thing in your bag? I can't leave the house without lip balm. At the moment, I've into Vaseline and I use it for my eyebrows most days. I heard a beauty myth that it’s supposed to make them thicker.&nbsp; When do you work best? I wake up at 7.30am most days and that's my most productive working time, before breakfast. <img width="1224" height="1407" width_o="1224" height_o="1407" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/0b565ce983cbfc027a1d475f78f4d42ac72cf13bf1403976d8011bf7f0bfd1c3/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.23.18.png" data-mid="990853" border="0" /> <img width="1146" height="1436" width_o="1146" height_o="1436" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/ad9967794daa8a3bd96c0a8e5d678ef13c3307b86b68588c0689f793b6098c86/Screenshot-2020-10-06-at-09.35.00.png" data-mid="990854" border="0" /> How do you talk tackle creative block? A lot of my ideas come from second hand shopping, so having a potter round some antique or charity shops really inspires me. Who should we be following on Instagram? I'm currently working on a collaboration with my friend she’s called @eloisecoon, she’s an amazing knitwear designer and is going to be big Who should we be following on Instagram for the lols? @notmyanimal. They put aside the funniest, weirdest catches of animals, and they always make me laugh. What's your what's your favourite place to go out in Manchester? One of my favourite bars is Behind Closed Doors in the Northern Quarter, it’s in a basement of a converted porn shop. The cocktails are so good and it stays open so late, you won’t be kicked out until the early hours of the morning.&nbsp; What's one positive to come out of lockdown? My business has thrived because I've been able to focus so much on it. What are the five words that represent your quarantine life? Sewing, scarves, Facetime, wine and sunbathing. <img width="1245" height="1424" width_o="1245" height_o="1424" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8f5819e88428d303ad2e5e76f72b40e9ace19a69f0e6506b92ab3ce8e339dab8/Screenshot-2020-10-05-at-19.23.29.png" data-mid="990855" border="0" /> <img width="594" height="560" width_o="594" height_o="560" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c0104fe71ba0fc7a71141791518f6fed1337025322ac9afc9cab466e6f1c4b38/noun_Sewing_2565821.png" data-mid="990865" border="0" data-scale="30"/> @lois_saunders RELATED<img width="2480" height="2480" width_o="2480" height_o="2480" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/5107defe11e0c11657347f4136fbfc79c2c39e877caf7dbd25ff814807956d27/RUB_-KIRBY_SOCIAL_BODY_SQUARE_1A--2.jpg" data-mid="990868" border="0" /><img width="1181" height="1181" width_o="1181" height_o="1181" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/8cfe3c1ee0689bfe972c9881e7df0eb7a8d4a0d228ad8d5ccd342a3d15a5e119/Kat-intro.jpg" data-mid="990866" border="0" /><img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/70f226807aef558d39784423204d8eacb11dd0fc8bdfe297a40206e561c331d5/Sarah-Angel-profile.jpg" data-mid="990867" border="0" /> More Sofa Surfing Here&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; ins Interview Via Zoom Follow Lois Saunders HERE Buy&nbsp;Lois Saunders HERE Last month, 21-year-old designer Lois Saunders finished her... http://galchester.com/Sofa-Surfing-Katbrownsugar Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:41:44 +0000 Galchester 385963 <img width="1366" height="768" width_o="1366" height_o="768" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3dec39a04e553c99ee83b864374e76dab473ccec0f8f674637805db607334098/WEB-INTRO.jpg" data-mid="987924" border="0" /> Interview Via Zoom Follow Katbrownsugar HERE Listen to Katbrownsugar HERE <img width="1718" height="1608" width_o="1718" height_o="1608" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/6982da3983206a181f6c0b6c93da94864ef2b3b84bce99d25b46866e162e0ecd/Screenshot-2020-09-30-at-17.10.00.png" data-mid="987926" border="0" /> Despite starting out DJing only three and half years ago, 28-year-old Katbrownsugar has become a permanent fixture on the Manchester music scene and beyond. Old Trafford born and based, her chilled, neo-soul, future beats have gained her a global following on own radio show Sweet Vibrations Radio and monthly NTS Manchester show. In 2018, Katbrownsugar won two mixcloud awards for Rising Star and best hip-hop/RnB/afro-beats show, was finalised by The Black Madonna for a Smirnoff Equaliser campaign and secured a campaign for Nike with Footasylum. Also a musician, singer and producer, on the live circuit she’s performed at Outlook Festival, toured with Children of Zeus and supported Manchester soul-singer Pip Millet. Here, KatBrownSugar talks about making the self-employed leap, the music grants that have helped her through lockdown and how she overcame being undermined for her looks. Tell us about your musical influences. My sound is really soulful, chilled, laid back, relaxing, but always has a nice head bopping beat. Growing up, my mum listened to neo soul, so that’s where I have the neo soul and jazz love from. At uni I got really into old school hip hop, future sounds and chill hop. I sometimes play noughties R&amp;B and it reminds me of my pre-teens listening to Nelly and Kelly. I take so much pride in curating all those vibes. How do you think your University of Salford music course prepared you for the music industry? I’ve never been into playing instruments and the course wasn’t really for someone who was just a singer, but I stuck to it. It was a popular music performing course, but the way I learn music best is by ear, just hearing and repeating. For quite a few years after I graduated I just worked in bars and hospitality, going into the studio once a week. I think I thought I was pursuing it, but I wasn’t really. I eventually got a job as an events manager which I finally loved, but I ended up losing it. It turned out being the best thing for me, because it pushed me to become self-employed. ‘You don’t let these men tell you you’re not good enough’<img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/80bec549756fbfe9ef0bc707f4cbe724a31dc6be7235c5ec1b581aaa166b58b3/Gif-4.gif" data-mid="987962" border="0" /> When did your music turn into a paid career? My flatmate made me realise I could make money DJing and I’ve always wanted to work for myself. I remember being so broke, DJing everyday in my living room for six hours at a time to practise doing a long set. I ended up getting some gigs and it went from there. Jamie Grooveman was the first DJ to let me do a mix for him and I’m still so grateful. Tell us about your radio shows. I’ve had a show on NTS Manchester for two years now, it’s my little baby. Before that, I had a podcast which IAMDDB appeared on twice, but Sweet Vibrations is a new radio show I’ve started myself in lockdown. I found out about Mixlr website which you can host your own radio show and now I finally can produce a whole station that R&amp;B and neo-soul all day. I’ve met so many DJs and selectors around the world that play this genre, so I realised I could use my connections to get mixes. We did our first broadcast in May with a sick DJ from India and my friend RebeccaNeverBecky from Manchester. The June episode was with a guy from South Africa called Chrysalism Radio who did a mix of future sounds, hip hop, beats and alternative R&amp;B mix. Children of Zeus’s DJ Galex provided a neo-soul mix, you can listen back on my Soundcloud KatBrownSugar. With regular DJ work drying up in lockdown, how have you managed to financially support yourself? Through Manchester International Festival I got a lockdown grant to help me maintain my growth as an artist and it’s allowed me to keep exploring ideas. Shout out to those guys. I also started a part time job literally two weeks before lockdown, so I’m being paid on furloughed from that, thank god. Obviously, it still doesn’t make up for all the DJ gigs that I would usually do, but it helps. Lots of friends have got Help Musicians grants where they’ve been given £500 to help with bills, initiatives like these are brilliant to see.<img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e75d253e200fedf07219f503d463625d19be006faa700cf1df4deb8a137566d6/Gif-3.gif" data-mid="987961" border="0" />‘For every couple of haters, there are so many people that appreciate what I do’ <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/496b3b38e476c80f2c7734615b4a2c08716b2389aeccf9fc05b4522f598f642e/Gif-2.gif" data-mid="987960" border="0" /> What is your experience as a woman in the male dominated Manchester music scene? I’ve found it hard at times. People have said I have talent, I’m only good for my looks, I’m just sexy, even though I’m producing, doing radio and am obviously so much more than that. There are definitely people who are nice to my face but throw shade behind my back. You can’t dwell on it, though I’m actually quite sensitive. When I was younger, I did a show then spent the next day crying my eyes out after this well-known guy on the scene did a status shouting out everyone involved apart from me. The only time he referenced me was pointedly mentioning my boyfriend was there. This guy knew everyone and after seeing him shade other females, I knew it was purposeful. He used to give me dirty looks if I saw him in a bar, despite being a grown man. If that happened to me now, I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid because you’ve just got to have thick skin. I realised it was just one comment by someone who doesn’t even know me. I’ve done such amazing things and for every couple of haters, there are so many people that appreciate what I do. If I had paid attention to a small amount of negative voices in my hometown, I could have given up, but hell no! You don’t let these men tell you you’re not good enough. A man ain’t telling me shit. Do you view yourself as a Manchester artist? I try not to lose myself in a Manchester bubble because a lot of my fans are from America. I see myself as a global artist. I used to box myself into the Manchester scene but it can get stressful. It’s small, so there’s lots of clashing. A lot of my music is ambient beats and if I was trying to take over Manchester with that, it just wouldn’t work. Recently I released an instrumental and it did alright but not many people in Manchester said anything about it, but I got so messages from people around the world of people saying, ‘That’s my jam, I can just relax and chill to that.’ It made me realise that you can’t think of your town as the be all and end all because there’s millions of people in the world that could relate to your sound. It’s beautiful that we can reach anyone anywhere. ‘You have to believe in yourself if you want other people to believe in you’ <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/1390fd19bc48bafb82c2d44ce2fc3661db0627229c3e41d8051a58674b322d74/Gif-1.gif" data-mid="987913" border="0" /><img width="942" height="1246" width_o="942" height_o="1246" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/f503967d038302f8647ee3b739cbf4d54ee9d7299eb78771d4e12d67a22a5b20/Screen-Shot-2020-07-03-at-13.00.05.png" data-mid="987973" border="0" data-scale="56"/> Have you ever worried that living in London is the only route to a successful music career? It also feels quite hard to have a voice if you’re not based in London and even now I wonder if I should move to London. People still say you have to move there if you want to be in the thick of it and the people I know in London are gigging every night. But ultimately, I don’t think London lifestyle is for me. I’m not a busy person and I like living in a relaxed area – I don’t even like going to Manchester City Centre, so I don’t know how I’d survive in London! I think I’d be overwhelmed.&nbsp; It’s also obviously very expensive, so I have to weigh up what the quality of my life would be like there, versus here. I get to live in Manchester and travel lots. The opportunities may not be as much as I could get in London, but I’m happy. Do you feel encouraged by the great talent coming from Manchester right now? Manchester is building a big name for itself with the likes of IAMDDB, Aitch and Children of Zeus. They’re killing it and shining a light back on the city. Children of Zeus are brilliant at supporting new talent – they invited me on tour with them and Layfullstop and KSR, last year – and there are so many amazing women breaking through here. Layfullstop, Laura Ell, Pip Millet and so many DJs – we’re doing our thing. The city’s identity is definitely still wrapped up in the Madchester era, but it actually doesn’t bother me, I think its sick. If I could party in the 90s, I’d have been in the Hacienda too. But there’s a new Manchester R&amp;B soul scene happening right now and in the next few years, I don’t think we’ll only be known for indie Hacienda vibes. <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/af5c3713da8c7877eaab7711c52f5ac692d8583c706ea4bac40569553c2b4b08/Gif-5.gif" data-mid="987969" border="0" /> ‘I think it’s important for people who are self-employed to have multiple streams of income’ How has the covid 19 pandemic affected your music plans? I was meant to be on my DJ tour in France in April, amongst other things, which is upsetting, but there’s no point being sad. Every person on this planet has had their life affected by this virus in some way. I was on holiday the week before lockdown began, so had to leave early. I’d been working so hard beforehand, just getting through thinking, ‘I’ll be able to chill soon’, but no. How have you been passing the time in lockdown? It’s been up and down mentally, of course, and there are days I wake up panicking that I’ll never be able to DJ and make money again. But no one knows what’s going to happen. I’ve done so many new things and have had time to self-care. Everyone I’ve connected with recently has told me something new they’ve learned and I think it’s so cool that we’ve had this time to work on ourselves. You’ve got to embrace it, really. Musically, I’ve produced some new beats. I also shot and edited a music video myself for a new instrumental, so I’ve basically become a director. I’ve really surprised myself. I love to cook and have been researching a lot more about Jamaican food and ital cooking, which is usually vegetarian and avoids processed foods and sometimes salt. I love eating vegan and I really connect with the spiritual ital lifestyle. I’ve been cooking so many random things with plantain, from pancakes to curry. I watch a lot food vlogs on YouTube and lash tutorials, because I’m also trained in lashes, and I’ve been reading up on finance. <img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/3e27f54cef117fad5b1e5ecaf5d46c535b299515ea4ac9adbea6bee9bc2c8759/Gif-7.gif" data-mid="987970" border="0" />‘Don’t hold yourself back’<img width="283" height="283" width_o="283" height_o="283" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/739555e356cee496722840c175eb0726c04cfe863b0aa782b98115e99ee80028/Gif-9.gif" data-mid="987972" border="0" /> Do you think the lack of education around finance is a failure of universities? We were definitely not taught anything about money, but I also probably wasn’t interested. I think it’s very typical of a creative to live month to month, cheque to cheque. I’ve never really had any savings, just used student overdrafts, but I’m in my late twenties now and want to get to a more stable position. I’ve been researching how to make savings, which is so necessary, especially with what’s going on now in the world. Things are going to be changing financially and I think it’s important for people who are self-employed to have multiple streams of income. If I only had DJing work right now, I’d have no work. It’s cool to branch out and do a few different things. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s to have three months of rent and bills saved up. What’s been a standout career moment so far? When I performed at Blue Dot in 2019, I did a DJ set just before the headliner and the whole tent was packed. I was with my best friends and it was such a surreal moment. Everyone was dancing to this really cool South African music and it felt so good. Anytime I travel I’m at my happiest. I’ve DJ’ed in Egypt before and I love playing in France. I do a Valentines Day gig in Paris every year and it’s so cool connecting to people through this vibe of hip hop and neo soul. Any advice for those starting out in the music industry? You’ve got to have thick skin, especially as a woman. People always have opinions and if you believe in what you’re doing, and it really is your passion, then don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do it. Keep your eyes on the vision. Go for it and don’t hold yourself back, because you doubt that you’re good enough. You have to believe in yourself if you want other people to believe in you. Be fearless. Katbrownsugar · SWEET VIBRATIONS RADIO QUICK FIRE QUESTIONS <img width="2868" height="1602" width_o="2868" height_o="1602" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/9a2d3a922e8d5355fe70449b98fff44c628b82d133a9bdff02c376e220f61ca1/Screenshot-2020-09-30-at-18.07.53.png" data-mid="987981" border="0" /> <img width="1516" height="1600" width_o="1516" height_o="1600" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/07cc1a6ead204fba8e0561a83b6cf67116e4d3a7b8cb558ee1be7635f773df4f/Screenshot-2020-09-30-at-18.05.37.png" data-mid="987977" border="0" /> Three words that define your music. Chilled, soulful and Pisces. Three words you want your work to make people feel. I want it to take people to their happy place, mine is on a beach or in a jungle. What is the song you always blast for max creativity? Chronixx ‘Ain’t no giving in’ is what I listen to if I’m feeling stressed out or nervous. How do you tackle a creative block? I do guided meditation for creativity and I always burn some sage before I work to clear the energy.&nbsp; What’s your perfect midnight snack? Cheese on toast, made very specifically. You’ve got to grill one side until it gets brown, flip it and add a layer of ketchup, then add the cheese. Toppings can vary. What’s the weirdest thing in your bag at all times? I take my hard drive everywhere, it’s basically a child to me. <img width="1734" height="1594" width_o="1734" height_o="1594" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c0f92089a76c7de2b4b4bd4999587e8fd495d23ff53feb69441f705508d8f68c/Screenshot-2020-09-30-at-18.04.47.png" data-mid="987976" border="0" /> <img width="1786" height="1614" width_o="1786" height_o="1614" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/aea5f1907206375914ed73ec29cc03f8c715cc90a4e9e1d65469e15fbc41c302/Screenshot-2020-09-30-at-18.05.01.png" data-mid="987974" border="0" /> Strangest work habit? I’m a proper early bird, so I’ll be mixing in my room at 8am burning sage. I never record at night. Who should we be following on Instagram? Photographer Maya Mothi. What does your discovery page on Instagram look life? Eyelashes and cute animals. I don’t really follow lol accounts but I send pictures of baby rabbits, otters and cats constantly to my friends. What’s the first think you’ll do post lockdown? In an ideal world, I’d be on the first plane to Jamaica. But realistically, I can’t wait to just chill Chorlton and Whalley Range bars. There area is full of creative people and there’s a bif scene for craft beer which I’m really into. You’re more likely to see me at a bar having a cheeky beer than on a proper night out in town. Tell us one positive to come out of lockdown for you. Pushing myself to do new things like making the music video. I’ve been doing live streams on Twitch – which is usually my idea of hell – but I’ve forced myself out of my comfort zone and I’m enjoying it. What are five words that sum up your Quarantine life? Business, Desperate Housewives, facemasks, booty workouts and nature. <img width="1566" height="1612" width_o="1566" height_o="1612" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/44f637e966ac591f0638183fb7516b39d557f0308724232d900de959f9ce1a65/Screenshot-2020-09-30-at-18.05.21.png" data-mid="987975" border="0" /> <img width="431" height="538" width_o="431" height_o="538" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e9a3be554f84448847d5a0ff830453f85dae00be1b528f8a81af29569767267f/noun_Microphone_1022992.png" data-mid="987947" border="0" data-scale="35"/> @katbrownsugar RELATED <img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/c35bf0254ebba89469690dcc875524bffaf804b3b8cfd5d57ecf4ddbbf11a1ec/Sara-profile-2.jpg" data-mid="987950" border="0" /><img width="1024" height="1024" width_o="1024" height_o="1024" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/25f892064125dfd70c4fc037009d0cb2ace8c24fcf60ee5faa9a87726698d34a/image-1.png" data-mid="987948" border="0" /><img width="2480" height="2480" width_o="2480" height_o="2480" src_o="https://cortex.persona.co/t/original/i/e1cb1a5a42e87cdb74fd5f7967c965432e7cb624e4d06955d901acf870d0326e/image.png" data-mid="987949" border="0" /> More interviews coming real soon! &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; Interview Via Zoom Follow Katbrownsugar HERE Listen to Katbrownsugar HERE Despite starting out DJing only three and half years ago,...