Editors Message

Wow I cant believe it’s the end of 2014 already. What an amaz-

ing year its been for Darkus, with so many mind blowing opportunities to meet and work with some of the most

inspirational names in the world of music, fashion, photography and modelling.

As Editor I try to make each issue stronger and better than the

last, therefore I hope you enjoy checking this issue out. My team and I have had a fun few weeks covering some

exceptional events and I am extremely happy when it came to music we were able to focus a bit more on up and coming

artists here in the North East.

It was also an absolute delight to speak to the likes of Chris Trower and Bearded Cynic Photography as you will see from

their articles that their work is absolutely outstanding.

A special thank you to everyone who has got themselves a copy of Darkus over the year as well. I look forward to bring-

ing you even more exceptional work in the new year.

So for now lets end 2014 in style, and remember my dears, Live Free, Be Happy And Rock On!!!

Lots of Love

Dee x X x

Editorial Notes

Editor: Thushara S. Chandrasiri (a.k.a Dee)

Interview Team: Dee & Constance A. Smith

Reviews By: Dee, Tyler Marriott, Georgia Rogers-Smith, &

Molly Chard

Front Cover Image Taken By Bearded Cynic Photography

Special Thank You To: Ian Cheek Press, Chuff Media, Ponama, Little Press, and all the amazing people who took part in this

issue.

Published by Photoline Ltd (Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Be sure to check out the following:

Twitter: @DarkusOfficial Facebook: Darkus Magazine

Instagram: @darkusmagazine Www.darkusfashion.bigcartel.com

Music Content

The Subways

Darkus Meets Lola Colt

New Talent: False Heads

DZ Deathrays

Marmozets: The Weird & The Wonderful

Eagulls

Coasts

Becky Hill

Funeral For A Friend

State Champs

Enter The Lexicon

Johnny Marr

New Talent: Lisbon

New Talent: WAKE

Guilt City

Stone Lights

Brett Dennen

Lola Colt Review

New Talent: Kobadelta

iC1s

Fashion & Photography Content

Chris Trower Photography

The Journey Of The Bearded Cynic

Amy Laura Smith

I first heard of The Subways a few years ago from my older stepbrother, a veteran gig-goer. Showing me rather turbulent footage of a lanky-looking man

(“That’s Billy Lunn, he’s mental”) diving from a balcony of some sort, he told me that it was "one of the best gigs he's been to in his life." Considering the never-ending list of gigs he's been to, I was rather excited to witness them for myself.

Cut to a few days ago, with both of us hurtling towards Newcastle. I had no idea what to expect from the rowdy Hertfordshire trio, who are well known for their

wild live performances. Consisting of the aforementioned Lunn on Vocals/Guitar, Bassist Charlotte Cooper, and Drummer Josh Morgan, the group burst onto the scene with an average age of 16, releasing their debut album "Young

For Eternity", which quickly reached cult status.

Arriving at the already half-full venue, what was to be a mind-boggling night commenced with local quartet Shoot The Poet. The Hartlepool-based band, who have shared a stage with the likes of Primal Scream and Spiritualized, rose to the occasion with an energetic and compelling set. Managing to evoke a crowd sing-

along only a few songs in, the group showed that they clearly know how to connect with the audience. Halfway through the set, debut single “Little By Little” is played to an appreciative crowd, having made its way onto several

sporting club’s halftime playlists, alongside airtime on national radio stations.

The room is packed to the rafters by this point. Next on the bill is the seemingly indefatigable Purple, and the crowd sure as hell know about it. Hailing from Texas, the band play with full force from the word go, making songs about

“liking shy boys” a lot more exuberant than it sounds. To me, the trio like the sort of people you would eagerly invite to a party, only to regret it the next

morning when you wake up sellotaped to your own ceiling. This is an advantage to the band though, whose relentless energy and enthusiasm transfers to the

crowd; you can’t help but like them. The Subways arrival on stage is announced by a flurry of air raid sirens; the

energy that the band are about to unleash upon the crowd is worthy of such a warning. Kicking off with “Oh Yeah”, the first song in already sees front man

Lunn pouncing onto the drum kit for the first time tonight, whilst Morgan hap-pily sprays water all over himself.

Second song “Shake! Shake!” does exactly what it says on the tin: you can feel the room lurching up and down as the crowd moves; it’s nauseating in the best

way possible.

“Mary” evokes a particularly good crowd sing-along. Written about Lunn’s

mother, the rather melancholic lyrics are howled triumphantly, it may be the closest we get to any sort of sadness in the room tonight.

“I’m In Love and It's Burning In My Soul” is briefly halted by technical difficulties, but this, and other new songs from the upcoming self-titled album still manage

to stir the crowd into a frenzy, which is often quite rare at concerts.

The riotous “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is preceded by Lunn telling the crowd the origin of the songs lyrics; they’re about the “craziest woman he’s ever met…

apart from Purple’s Drummer.”

“Rock N Roll Queen”, one of The Subways most well-known songs, increases the fear of the floor caving in even more. Despite being in the teeny upstairs room

of the O2 Academy, it’s the closest I’ve ever been to being seasick.

Intermittent technical difficulties with the guitar don’t stop the band from per-forming a hit-packed set. Raucous (and highly relatable) “We Don’t Need Money

To Have a Good Time” has a member of the audience lose his glasses, who are kindly returned by Lunn, although neither band or audience are sure if they’ve

been returned to their respectful owner.

“With You” is dedicated to “our fans”, before Lunn shows the extent of his crowd-controlling skills during finale “It’s A Party”. Before the final chorus, he instructs the crowd to crouch down, before jumping up when he commands

them to. This works out surprisingly well; Lunn truly is an amazing front man. A final pounce on the drum kit from Lunn, and they’re gone.

After several hours of non-stop rowdiness, the crowd disperses, and I’m sur-

prised that the floor is still intact. It (and the crowd) well and truly took a beating.

So, my stepbrother was correct. The Subways really are one of the best bands

you can possibly see live, as long as you don’t mind seasickness, dancing till your feet hurt, and possibly losing your specs. Looking back at some extremely shaky video footage I captured, all that was visible was a lanky-looking man spraying

water everywhere and pouncing on the drum kit. That’s Billy Lunn, he’s mental.

Darkus Magazine: Having recently completed your UK tour, how well do you think it went?

Lola Colt: Really well! We had no idea what to ex-

pect as it was our first time playing a headline tour, but there were so many wonderful places and peo-ple all just full of energy for what we were doing - it

was incredible!

DM: Congratulations on Away From the Water; what was it like working on the album?

LC: It was a true labour of love. We knew we wanted to push ourselves at every turn and we wouldn't rest until it was right. That meant hard work, long hours, tears and happiness, eureka moments and bang your head against the wall moments. Above all, though, it

was an adventure. It was all worth it.

DM: Being a debut album, what was the main thing you wanted people to learn about Lola Colt?

LC: Our music acts as escapism created primarily for our own ends, and as such we were more concerned

about discovering what we could learn about Lola Colt. In hindsight, though, I'm happy to find that people see us as a band that don't conform, that

push boundaries and that can't be taken for granted.

DM: Is there any particular track that you are most proud of?

LC: No, but there are songs that were harder than others to tame and that required a lot of persever-ance. Moonlight in particular stands out as a song

that was really difficult to master on all fronts - from the initial spark rooted in the rhythms of an Indian

mantra, through the unusual changes and song structure to the task of capturing it all - it took

countless hours and energy to get right.

DM: For anyone new to your music, if they were to ask you for the three most quirky facts about you,

what would you say?

LC: Well, with six characters there are a lot of indi-vidual quirks! But as a band, I guess I'd have to say

the fact that we didn't actually start out to be a band at all - we wanted to create film scores to imaginary movies. Also there's the fact that we're named after a spaghetti western - which is pretty strange when I consider the breadth of what we do. And lastly that

we record and rehearse in an old Turkish Delight factory!

DM: With only a couple of months left of this year, what else would you like to do to end the year in

style?

LC: Throw a big party for everyone that has helped make this an unforgettable year in the life of Lola

Colt!

DM: Your music is always so well received by the audience; what do you think is the secret of your live

success?

LC: Probably just hard work. We agonise over de-tails. Nothing is left to chance that we can be in

control of.

DM: Did it take long for you to find a direction you were happy with as a band?

LC: Yes it certainly did, but it's also something we're constantly evolving. You can only be happy with

something until you've explored it, then you need to move on or it becomes uninteresting.

DM: If you think back to day one of Lola Colt, how

far do you think you have come?

LC: Considering we weren't even trying to form a band at day one, I'd say a huge way! Kicking back after a headline tour, having an album pressed in vinyl sitting on the record player - produced by a member of The Bad Seeds - it's all a dream really.

DM: From the live recent shows, was there any

particular one which surprised you the most?

LC: Hebden Bridge. We'd never heard of the place, but when we arrived it was beautiful! The venue

there is great and people come from all over to see shows there, which is just as well because the town

itself is tiny!

DM:The debut album is out now; what would you say to encourage and entice people to not only buy

the album but also check out the band live?

LC: There's a lot in the album - the whole thing is a grand adventure. It's full of light and dark places -

strange and exotic twists and turns, sometimes pain-ful sometimes beautiful - if you listen intently

enough I think you will discover things you'd missed time and again. Playing it live challenges us no end and I hope that makes for an interesting live show. We place the energy differently and present it in a

raw way that we hope gives another side to the music.

Raucous East London trio False-heads are kicking up a fuss with their new EP "Tunnel Vision"

The band, currently comprising of vocalist/ guitarist Luke Griffiths, bassist

Jake Elliott , and drummer Daniel Delgaty (Griffiths and Elliott share song writ-ing duties), originally released the EP in July 2013. After gaining plenty of posi-

tive attention from underground press and radio, the three piece signed to Hi4Head Records, and released it once again with additional track “Anything

Else”.

The EP opens with 3 and a quarter minute stormer “Fall Around”. A slow drum beat may as well be the calm before the storm, before slick, grungy riffs and snarling vocals set the mood for the three tracks that follow. The infectious

chorus of "it's all there/but you're dreaming" perfectly captures the angst that is synonymous with music of this genre and similar, as do rather morbid lyrics telling of “losers leaving in body bags” and the question of “who is born well/and who is born sick?”Next up is the slightly more laid-back “Anything Else”. Don’t let the clean-sounding guitars and almost-soothing vocals at the start

fool you; the song quickly develops into the expected ear-piercing guitar, ang-sty chants of “if I could reach your weapon” (backed by drums that almost warn you of the chaos to come), and finally, a wall of brash, reverberating noise.You’re given a few seconds of peace before third track “Without A

Doubt” begins.

A rousing bass line, guitar that seems to skyrocket, and stampeding drums kick off the track, which you can imagine stirring up quite a fuss for crowds at live shows. 15 seconds or so of riotous guitar commence yet more angst-ridden

lyrics, including the fearful yet careless chorus of ”Do you miss me I can’t tell/ I don’t know you or myself.”, “I don’t mind/ I don’t care”. The lyrics are kicked up to a harrowing notch in the second verse: “I want to be scared/ I want to be

dead”, which in-avoidably makes you feel uneasy, before you’re met with shouts of “I don’t mind/ I don’t care” not long after. Distorted guitar brings

this overall distressing song to an unnerving finish.

Final track “Remedy” restores some peace. Melodic guitar and vocals that are

almost cooed provide some relief after some rather provoking moments. The

song could almost be about the eventual calm and recovery after a tough time,

Opening line “Can you break me down/and bring me back” backs this theory

up, whilst the chorus of “Like an old remedy” uplifts. This is quickly reverted

with the line of “And I swear that my bones weigh a ton”, a conflicted train of

thought, perhaps? Anthemic-sounding guitar uplifts the listener once again,

before a final repeat of the chorus.The “Tunnel Vision” EP to me is how a teen-

ager-y doom, gloom, and angst album should be. Conflicting lyrics, clamorous

guitar, and angst yet almost senseless chants provide catharsis, whilst unlike

most aforementioned albums, it provides some light relief at the end. Truly a

great EP to have a strop to.

There's been a lot of hype about guitar bands lately, notably two piece bands and after seeing an impressive Royal Blood at The Riverside last week I was keen so see if

the hype is well deserved or if all two pieces in rock are just glorifying the same thing. So were Australian two piece DZ Deathrays different? Certainly. As a live music reviewer I thrive to see variety amongst a set list and that's what DZ provided. This is

clearly evident in the track ‘Northern Lights’, a song that keeps its moderate pace throughout only ever breathing light into raw guitar and harmonious double vocals. Another highlight from their performance at Newcastle was the song ‘The Mess Up’.

It reiterated why the band have gained such recognition and rightfully so.

The song toys on selfish heavy guitars and distorted vocals that don’t go to the ex-tent of screaming, yet border safely between that and singing. It’s a great combina-

tion. DZ are a great live band that we should all be excited by, not only are they play-ing rock music but they create a live show to want to see again and again. And For all promoters, reviewers, venues etc. this is great news. They gained a great reception and left the stage to applause not only because their session guitarist was wearing

the colours black and white on the day Newcastle got three points but because they were different, they were impressive and they proved to be a great support act for

Band of Skulls.

I must admit when I think of Band of Skulls I don’t immediately think of Southampton and its coastlines, ships and their highflying football team, I think more along the

lines of America with its sunny beaches, leather and sunglasses. But this would mean I was wrong, in fact they are from Southampton. This assumption has probably ce-

mented into my head due to the fact their sound is something I would express in the same breath as The Dead Weather, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and in some aspects The Black Keys. And whilst they have in fact gained huge success abroad it feels like

England, their homeland, is somewhat playing catch up. Have Americans unearthed a musical treasure whilst we Brits were blind to see it when they were on our door-

step?

If the reaction of the crowd were to go by then indecisively it’s a yes. Although the early start of Band of Skulls appearing upon the stage by 8.15 didn’t affect the at-

mosphere, fans were still strolling into the doors of Riverside at 8:30 unfortunately this meant missing opening songs such as ‘Light Of The Morning’ and ‘Bruises’ gain-ing a crowd sing along and head movements, but it never really blew the roof off. A

further half of dozen songs went by and still I noticed the crowd were very much enjoying it but not to extent of movement. This was unexpected as the last time the

north east played host to Band of Skulls was 2012 at the Evolution Festival. Yet, I gained some respect for the crowd that were obviously there to take in the live ex-perience, to embrace it for what it was and to not smash into people making it look like a Royal Rumble match you would find on WWE paper view. The evening saw its

highlight in notable fan favourites and critics favourite ‘I Know What I Am’ a song that got iTunes single of the week and it got the attention it deserve from the crowd.

The evening ended to the rock n roll sound of ‘Hoochie Coochie’ that, in my opinion, displays the band at their very best, effective drums, two perfectly matched voices

by bassist and guitarist giving that 70’s feel good rock back to the modern music industry. The UK is definitely playing catch up with Europe. However if I’ve learnt

anything from this gig is that two piece bands are all not the same and we seem to have hit the nail on the head with Australian born DZ Deathrays who I will certainly

see at a headline gig. I can only imagine what they would be like in a room filled with DZ fans and the venue to themselves.

If there is one band I have been listening to the most these days, it would have to be Marmozets and their spectacular album ‘Weird & The Wonderful’ re-

leased via Roadrunner Records. Having toured the UK this Autumn as part of the Big Cheese tour, there is a lot of talk of whether they are the best thing to

happen to British music scene. My simple answer is – hell yes! Describing them-selves as ‘Rawkous Alternative Math Energy’ Marmozets have had an incredible year and simply listening to their debut album fills the listener with adrenaline.

So what can I tell you about ‘The Weird & The Wonderful’ having listened to it

non stop for the past few weeks? Easy…exactly what it says on the tin!

The album starts with the track ‘Born Young And Free’ which encourages you to stop whatever your doing immediately so you can just get up, dance and party

to this incredible band. The vocals of Becca McIntyre are just unreal and it gives you a butterflies as she shows off her clean and unclean vocal skills. The track is a great introduction where you know you can expect intensity, 100%

energy and vibrancy throughout the whole of the album.

One of my favourite tracks on this album has to be ‘Why Do You Hate Me?’. Full of attitude and meaningful lyrics, this is one of those songs that you can relate to in to an instant. We all have those days when we come across people and

situations that challenge us, where you cant help say “WTF”. Well Marmozets see that situation and say what everyone is saying. For me I found it as the

perfect song to let your frustrations out to.

Oh my god I cant give you a low down about this album without mentioning one of favourite tracks, ‘Is It Horrible’. From vocals, lyrics and the pace and vibe this song is just unreal. It just blows my mind my as the track progresses, and in

doing so my hyperness levels increase as well.

Weird and Wonderful is not all fast paced however, as ‘Cry’ and ‘Hit The Wave’ shows the bands diversity to mix things up, and you can also experience more

of the soulful and moving side of McIntyre’s vocals. It such a moving and beau-tiful track, yet still has those fantastic traits that Marozets are known for.

The band end this incredible masterpiece with Back To You, a track that sees

them finishing things in style, yet giving the listener that feeling of wanting more, as they have just experienced the best ever dream and adventure that

Marmozets music has to offer.

Without a doubt this is one of those albums that if you haven’t got already YOU NEED TO! When you’re a relative newbie in the music scene, one of the princi-ple aims is to create music which excites, which Marmozets have successfully done throughout Weird & The Wonderful. There may only be 13 tracks on this

album, but its nevertheless for someone discovering their music for the first time the perfect starting point to discover what great things Marmozets have to offer. As a writer I am left impressed, but as a fan I am just excited to know

that this is only the tip of the iceberg as even more mind blowing things are yet to come.

Of what I understand of Punk band Eagulls could be written on a piece of paper shorter

than your weekly shopping list. However what I do know of the Leeds five-piece is that they performed in front of Bill Murray on The Late Night Show with David Letterman, which

in its own right should be celebrated by all English music fans, due to the fact the band don’t get by on their looks or their ability to buy a suit and tie. Another thing to be noted

is that they supported Franz Ferdinand on their UK tour as well as some of the members

of the band being able to call The Cluny on Osborne Bank local. The last time Eagulls were in town they sold out The Head of

Steam in which they conducted a mass of broken lights and certified aches and pains in the following morning. So it is safe to say this time around Thursday was not going to be an

ordinary quiet night.

Undoubtedly it was not, with support coming from local lads High Tide 15:49 who were easily influenced by the crowd expecting nothing less

than Eagulls like antics, High Tide 15:49 endorsed cliché rock n roll symbols of frolicking around the

stage and trashing equipment this in turn dis-tracted the audience’s intentions away from the bands material which in fact was very good. They

reminded me of early 90’s grunge I would even compare them to Smashing Pumpkins with their

front man not being vocally outstanding yet fitting for their laidback rock. The second support act were more comparative to Eagulls not only for

being from Leeds too, Autobahn simulated audi-ences with their high tempo, chaotic and hard

driven punk whilst never truly putting their foot of

the gas pedal. Serving the purpose to entertain and hopping to achieve universal appraisal they

lived up to the audiences expectations. Front man Craig Johnson vocals radiated an abrasive attire

that further exfoliated the bands intensity. Detect-ing when a song finished and started was the

problem I found, the wall of sound never stopped to let in air filled with harmonies, a change in

tempo or pace, this for me was the bands Achilles heel.

Although the same could have been said for head-liners Eagulls they offered much more depth in the

ability to extend a song from perfected noise to interactive music, the type of music that delivers both pace and tempo with articulated profession-

alism. There is no ‘hey, how are you’ or ‘the next song is…’ it is full speed ahead and that for me

shows that the band know their audience. From smashing into each other to sharing sweat and

blood from making a total chaos erupt after every song; it was a rarity to find an indie music scene make this kind of commotion. As the swaying

body of front man George Mitchell reminded me of a puppet on a string; it reiterated how simplic-

ity can become effective. No encore, no stage antics and no talking nonsense to the audience. As

they left the stage to their last song Possessed it left with it an audience going away with a t-shirt stuck to their body, exhaustion from head to toe and the need for water. So let’s hope they come

back and make a Thursday feel like a Friday.

The indie genre is possibly one of the most booming genres of the generation within the music industry, watching the names of Two Door Cinema Club, alt-J, Catfish and the Bottlemen and multiple

others dominate the pages of highly respected magazines and social media platforms. However, their status could very much become

under fire upon the release of a certain Bristol band’s EP, ‘Rush Of Blood’...

Coasts have fabricated the track ‘Wash Away’, which takes medial

position on the EP, but this doesn’t allow for it to get lost within the midst of other - ‘Drop of Blood’ and ‘Let Go’. ‘Wash Away’ holds it’s own; opening with sole soft plucks of strings, soon to be accompa-nied with the melancholy vocals of Chris calling ‘our days are lost in

a summer haze, our voices off in the twilight gaze’. The almost-innocent tone to his voice is darkened when approaching the

bridge, as the kick pedal slides into the track. This causes a build up of multiple layers that are haunting; captivating listeners, enticing them with hints of the chaos that come with chorus with the re-

peating ‘could you be the one… to wash away’.

We’re then thrown into the deep end, in the chorus which holds no depth in lyrics but a captivating combination of instruments that create that sweaty, vigorous, almost psychedelic vibe that indie

fans thrive upon.

As an EP, A Rush Of Blood delivers everything an indie kid could ever want or need. Made up of an opening booming track that sets

the underlying tenor of the whole EP; a darker, slightly more re-served progressive track and a track with lighter beats and samples

of synth that make you dance without realising (whether it be in the office or in the backroom of a dark bar).

If you’re a fan of The Wombats, JAWS, Fenech-Soler or Foals, I urge you to catch Coasts on tour, from November 22nd until December 7th, as Wash Away is the track you need to hear live in a sweaty

small crowded basement. Get your tickets while you can, because I can assure that small venues will not be able to cater for their fan

capacity before you know it.

The ‘Rush Of Blood’ EP will be released on December 1st 2014.

After a busy summer of doing the exact opposite as the title of her upcoming single suggests, Becky Hill

may just be unstoppable. The Bewdley-born songstress has already supported Katy B on a major

UK tour, penned songs for the likes of Iggy Azalea and Little Mix, and has performed at festivals up and

down the country. Aforementioned upcoming single “Losing” is hardly fitting, then.

My initial listen of the song revealed an overall sense

of melancholia, but with a drumbeat that’s easily dance-able, and a chorus that was just made to be

howled along to after a few too many.

Beginning with a haunting, slightly distorted howl of “hold on”, the first verse sees Hill crooning of

“someone… dancing on their own”, “tired of being alone”. Immediately the listener can most likely re-

late, most likely being reminded of a god-awful night out where all of your mates have pulled and you’re

left dancing by yourself to an ABBA mega mix on a sticky dance floor somewhere (just me?) “Arms spread open wide/face up to the sky/there’s

nobody by your side”. A brief moment of hope before everything comes crashing down again. Not for long , though, as the somehow-uplifting chorus soon kicks in: Hill urges you to “hold on” once again, before the questions” Is there someone out there to keep you breathing?”, …” is there someone out there who

really loves you?” are asked, and so far, it’s up for the listener to answer.

“I’m through with losing” adds a bit more hopeful-ness to the mix, before the second verse kicks in,

bringing another dimension to the song: “I wonder how you sleep at night”… “Has everything gone black and white/since I’ve been gone.” It now appears that the song may be an attack on a former partner, AKA

everyone’s favourite type of song (admit it). The

questions asked in the chorus are simply another spiteful stab at the subject of the song, maybe? “but

you know I wish you well/ in everything you do” (okay, maybe not so spiteful), “but it’s me you

left behind/ and I have feelings too/but anyway”. To me, it evokes the all too familiar bombardment of

conflicting feelings you receive after a breakup.

Another elevating chorus, a half minute or so of pow-

erful howls from Hill, then a final chorus bring the

song off to an overall optimistic finish. Personally, I

imagine this song will be THAT one song that gets

played on a night out, which leaves some slightly

over-refreshed people reduced to mascara-covered

messes. Take from the song what you will, but re-

gardless, I can see it as a future club classic that gets

everybody moving and singing along on a night out…

or sends everybody running and crying in the loos.

2015 is shaping up to be quite a year for Funeral for a Friend; with the release of their new album ‘Chapter and Verse’ pencilled for January 19th

and a headline tour to follow, the journey for the band is only onwards and upwards. However, they are certainly not forgetting where they are

coming from…

Formed in 2001, FFAF are one of the last remaining bastions from the British Hardcore scene, and their new single ‘You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions’ demonstrates why they’ve stood the test of time where

other bands have long since failed.

Although they’re are very much a ‘marmite’ band, the Welsh four piece have stuck to their guns whilst producing the new record; something

other rock groups have failed to do by selling out to the mainstream mu-sic industry. ‘Chapter and Verse’ is not a renaissance of Funeral For A

Friend’s musical intentions and styling, but rather an eclectic accumula-tion of creativity they have acquired during their 13 year evolution. It

wouldn’t be unreasonable to infer that the British hardcore scene is wilt-ing at the moment and as the last true trailblazers, there is pressure on

FFAF to revitalise it. And, well, if there is no fresh blood, what better way

to do it than themselves?

‘You’ve Got A Bad Case Of The Religions’ delivers to fans of the band’s previous work; with their defining outspoken, almost tongue-in-cheek attitude. Cutting straight to the point the track kicks in with heavy riffs and deafening drums accompanied with gritty vocals, which then flow into melodic choruses; portraying possibly one of the most socially di-

verse and heavy messaged songs to grace my ringing ears in a long time. Although the layers of the track cater to classic Funeral For A Friend,

when paralleled with lyrics concerning wealth inequality and feminism, this product is a distance away from earlier tracks.

The song itself is inconsistent, but before you start heckling into your

pages of Darkus, hear me out. Jumping from blasting beats into melodic

choruses prevents Funeral For A Friend from being boxed and catego-

rized; a rare trait to be valued in today’s industry. Their ability to deliver

such diverse tracks that don’t appear disjointed should be accoladed, as it

has produced a track which can only keep FFAF fans and the hardcore

scene thirsty for more.

Darkus Magazine: Welcome to Newcastle Derek. How was the journey to England?

Derek: Yea it was good. This is day two of the tour with New Found Glory. We arrived a bit earlier to the UK this time which is good as it gave us a little bit more time to relax and adjust. The last time however we came over, we landed on the

same day of our first show, so as you can imagine after a long flight we were pretty exhausted and tired. How we pulled it off on the first night of that tour I do

not know haha!

DM: What have been your main happy moments of 2014?

D: It has been a very long, busy but exciting year for us. Probably the best part was the Summer we spent on the Vans Warped Tour as in some respects it was our

turning point. Also our first headline tour back in October was pretty exciting too.

DM: From your perspective what is that one song that seems to be popular with the kids?

D: I would probably say our latest single ‘Elevated’. A lot of the time we save it for last and it always seems to have the best reaction. It is also a track that has a lot of

meaning to us so its good that our fans can also share that meaning.

DM: Musically what were your influences over the years?

D: I grew up listening to different things, then in 2000 when Driv Thru Records was the next big thing, I started listening to the likes of Yellowcard, Allister and one of

my favourite bands, The Starting Lines.

DM: So if I told you at the beginning of your journey as a band that you would be playing alongside these bands years later would you believe me?

D: No! I would probably smack you and call you crazy haha! Seriously though its so

surreal to have bands we grew up listening to and somewhat idolising as our friends now.

DM: Being the support what are you going to offer the crowds on this tour?

D: You know what we didn’t create State Champs to be different, but carry on the traditions of long established bands, but obviously with our own spin on things. We are not trying to reinvent the wheel, its more like the passing of the torch

which allows us to create something new and refreshing.

The last time we were here was with the band, The Wonder Years who are pretty big in our genre right now. New Found Glory on the other hand are the veterans so to speak, but as they come from a youthful genre they have a varied fan base with the majority being much older – so it would be great to win some of them over too

in the process.

DM: What is the most touristy thing you have done?

D: Well we love to check out the sights and last time we didn’t have a lot of time to do that. I still haven’t seen Big Ben, Buckingham Palace or been on the London

Eye yet. The only real British thing I have done instead is eat a lot of fish and chips.

Thanks man you have just reminded me of my ‘to do’ list haha!

DM: Before I let you go, what would you say to encourage new fans?

D: Quite simply, Don’t Knock It Till You Try It! Haha!

Having joined New Found Glory on their recent UK Tour, Darkus Magazine

caught up with front man Derek Discanio from Albany, New York based band State Champs when they came to

Newcastle. A band who have a lot of respect from their fans, we chatted to

Derek to see how life in the UK was treating him.

Unless your chorus goes along the lines of 'I can feel it' then it's nothing short of a mile-stone accomplishing mainstream success

when you're in a band from the North East. Either way the endeavours of Enter The Lexi-con shouldn't go overlooked because 1. audi-

ences sing along to their music and 2. they have the ability to transform a crowd full of

folded arms to an active uproar.

So where does this leave Enter The Lexicon? 2014 for the northern lads has been some-what of a pogo stick year. Early January of 2014 after being signed to American label Kill/Hurt it seemed like the final missing

puzzle piece was found. However, it hadn't planned out the way everyone hoped. With

no new material surfacing online and the occasional gig now and then it was growing

increasingly hard to predict the bands future. But, within the past three months the band has seen their single ‘Do You Feel The Same’

gaining airplay both on Kerrang TV and Scuzz. As well as embarking on a UK tour that will

see the three piece hit cities like Manchester, Leeds and London, whilst venturing further

afield to play their grunge in Cardiff.

Kicking off the tour in their hometown of Newcastle fans of ETL (as referred to by lis-teners) were in for a treat that came in the disguise of their set list which encapsulated all four tracks from their recent self-entitled

EP. The set also included a variety of new songs which should be expected at a head-

line gig, to universal appraisal the new songs left the crowd eagerly excited by the bands

future. One song in particular 'Conversation' caught the attention of the room with a hint of Nirvana pop styled chorus, a wall of sound provide by bass and drums and the chemistry maximises with the singular rock riffs. From first lesson ‘Conversation’ seems to be a hit in the making in the same way as 'Do You

Feel The Same'.

Lyrically the songs focal centres are of a more emotional nature, the relationship type that only poetic gestures could comprehend and front man Mykl Barton captures this in the

true rock spirit. Venturing on personal anec-dotes and opinions the use of personal pro-nouns within lyrics 'I could get lost in you, you could get lost in me' perfects a more

personal tone to songs that when played live connects the distance between stage and

audience.

In the lights of ETL they ironically endorsed the ideology of selfishness that contradicts other songs 'I don't need to fucking please

you, I'm the beat of a selfish heart'.

These specific traits transferred into their live performance, the crowd were in full swing bouncing into one another whilst singing in full voice. The music never lost its thrive or its abrasive, in your face sound. This is why there was no room for a slow paced song

within their set as it would have disturbed the momentum; the momentum that was carried through till the end in which the

band left the stage to various chants of ETL.

You never know maybe 2015 will be 'The

Beginning of the Twist' for Enter The Lexicon.

By Tyler Marriott

Johnny Marr is back once again with some unreal beats for his fans, this time in the form of his latest album, PLAYLAND. Having recently completed his spectacular UK tour – the question is how the album

would fair against his live performances.

Containing his latest work, my initial thoughts of this album is that it is actually quite good. Marr has had an extremely successful journey

in the music industry already as it is, so from anyone looking from the outside in, Playland is a clear indication that Johnny Marr is still

going strong.

The appealing thing about this album is that you can pick in up and listen to any time of the day regardless of your mood, because to the credit of Johnny Marr his music helps you to feel relaxed. An exam-

ple of this is the track ‘Candidate’ as it just has such a chilled out vibe to it.

I am yet to come face to face with Johnny Marr but from what I am hearing from this album I can tell he is quite a skilled song writer, as

there is a lot of depth to the music both lyrically and musically.

Another of the tracks I really found my self bopping away to was ‘Speak Out Reach Out’. Its just one of those tracks which you listen to

and know straight away has Johnny Marr written all over it due to the slickness and the style.

As you know I love picking out some of the best tracks to tell you

about when I write any review, however this was a bit more difficult on this occasion, as no offence to Johnny Marr but not all the songs

on this album appealed to me – it was pretty much a mixed bag. When this happens as a reviewer I then look to the final track of the album which can either be the lead balloon or the saving grace. This is Marr, so obviously it was the second option. Once I heard ‘Little

King’ therefore, almost automatically my eyes lit up, a smile ap-peared and my mind was chanting ‘TUNEEEEE!’. I was so glad to see

that despite the hit and miss with the rest of the album, Playland nevertheless ended strong…but then again what would you expect!

To be totally honest Playland is one of those albums that does take a bit of getting used to, but once you get over that initial hurdle then

you will find that it actually aint all that bad.

A Sunday spent spending no money and enjoy-ing the vibrant vibes and warmth of Pop Recs

displaying, yet again, home grown talent. How else would you like to spend a Sunday?

Lisbon was the band and we were

the fortunate ones. 28th of Septem-ber, otherwise known as an actual Sunday

worth getting out of your pyjamas for, showcased an array of local delicacy with

support coming from Darlo.

LISBON, a four piece alt rock band from the heart of Whitely Bay, have had a humon-

gous year full of growth that will hold them in good stand as they have finally released their highly anticipated EP, Life Is Good. Seeing a direction change that could be described as

Rick Astley meets Little Comets, seems to have paid off for the four piece who have seen more than 70,000 plays on their Soundcloud alone. For those who have not yet been a costumed

to their music they’re a thinking man’s 1975. Already making strides within the alter-native indie scene, they have had numerous

slots within the UK festival circuits, as well as playing BBC Introducing stage and they’re well on their way to success with latest single Rio. The change was evident to see whilst playing Rio the infusion of instruments and electric

equipment made me believe their sixth form days are well and truly behind them as they

seek to adventure into the limelight.

My personal highlight of the evening was B L U E L O V E, the dance floor filler captivates the band at their best, signalling their way to a

future to be excited for, I have no doubt these northern four piece will find their way into mainstream success. Other songs included Native, a northern pop song surrounded by indie structures and repetitive vocals to the

effect of the catchy lyrics and front man Mat-thew Vartys effective vocals keep the lyrics

'I've never been so far from home' on your lips on the walk home. My advice to you is to see

them at a local gig before fan girls and sold out shows become a norm.

Releasing a live record is a way for bands or artists to gain revenue from their fan base. This occurs when they do not have anything in

the pipeline to release or if like Elvis Presley you have released a staggering 70 albums beyond the grave. Either way, they are usu-

ally released at the latter stages of a bands life expectancy or at the height of their fame. Therefore I commend the efforts of duo Wake for getting themselves out there and trying to offer their sound at

its most purists, when it is raw and in your face.

The live EP (recorded at Think Tank, Newcastle) consists of six tracks that are divided into five original songs and one cover, that

cover being The Stooges ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’. The main question is, are Wake worth missing live or should you see them support Lisbon on the 7th of February 2015 at O2 Academy Newcastle?

Only you can answer that question upon listening to the live EP on Bandcamp for free. However my answer would have to be a yes. On a night that will advocate indie rock, it’ll be interesting to see what reception the grunge duo will achieve amongst a crowd ex-

pecting feel good dance floor fillers.

After finding a home supporting the likes of Wytches and Demob

Happy it’s no surprise this has benefited them live. The EP itself

takes you back 20 years, to a time where technology wasn’t at the

fourth front of gigs and grunge still had a place in venues world-

wide. This EP conveys all the inspirations of grunge from early

Nirvana, Mudhoney and Sonic Youth in the same way of modern

successors Metz. Through the use of unconventional rock, experi-

mental guitar, Fuzz pedals and a do it yourself attitude. But this

style sometimes has negative impacts as seen through

the EP. It lacks that much needed melody. The band vocally touch-

down on a screaming punk like style that compliments their sound

and recordings but it never becomes listenable for all. Wake are

not going to be your night time listen, or a band you go to when

you are in search for tranquillity. They’re a band that you seek

when you need to let go of all emotions, notably anger. A band that

you will discover when you are bored of the mainstream indie rock

bands that are nowadays clogging up most of the independent rock

scene.

DM: Welcome to Darkus Magazine. Tonight is the EP launch – how are you feeling?

Ewan: Really excited to be honest. It should be cool as

we have invited loads down. We have tried to pro-mote the event as much as possible, so hopefully it

should be a good night!

Matthew: I’m really looking forward to it as well. I think everyone who normally sees at other shows are

going to be reunited in one place for this one.

DM: What has the overall preparation been like?

Sam: Really relaxed.

Ewan: We didn’t really do any preparation to be fair but as it was our first proper gig after touring we knew it had to be something special. We made it a £1 entry fee so as it’s a Friday night as well, the aim is to create

that party atmosphere.

Matt: No, no! To be fair we had done some prep. We all got a bottle of Jeiger for the crowd, added in a few

party poppers, glow sticks, blow up dolls etc.

DM: Haha! You had me at glow sticks!

When You put your material onto an official CD is it the of “Wow” or “Man Is this for real”?

Matthew: I have been in bands in the past who have

released cds and yea that’s ok. However with this

band its special as the music we create I actually want to listen to in the car.

I wouldn’t say it’s a dream but it’s a really important milestone in our Guilt City career especially we have-

n’t been together for a full year yet.

DM: How has being in different bands enhanced Guilt City?

Sam: Everyone has come from different music back-

grounds and varied experiences, so everything we play and write creates a powerful and strong experience

for the fans.

DM: How did you all meet then?

Ewan: Me and Sam knew each other from playing in a band before. I met Matthew through another band I

used to be involved in.

Matthew: I was friends with our drummer Alex for 6 or 7 years, then there was Usher who came from no-

where. He was kind of like the dark horse.

DM: We heard through Ewan as well about Sam’s mad guitar skills as previously he was only our driver. Then when Ewan suggested he join, myself and Alex were

like, “Yes…lets do that!”

DM: What would you like to accomplish next?

Ewan: Well we have a mini tour booked with the band

Orchard Hill in December and one in January that we cant announce just yet.

Matthew: Come on let’s tell him more!!! Haha

Ewan: Ok fine! Ha ha! Next Summer is a big one for us

as we are planning to head out to Europe.

DM: How have you found the local music scene for your music?

Ewan: Can I be honest? There are great bands and if

your at the right show there is a good atmosphere, but that rarely happens as no one really comes out any-

more.

Matthew: We went to Cardiff right?! No one had ever heard of us before and the venue was packed based

on their pure love for live music. Not saying the North East is bad, but there is an attitude of ‘this is not my

friend’s band’ resulting in people going home early or not taking bands seriously!

DM: Thank you for your time guys. Why would you recommend your music to the readers of Darkus?

Sam: Like I said before we have different variety of influences and experiences, which makes us a band

that anyone can relate to.

Ewan: Guilt City is that something extra you have all been looking for to explode your mind!

They are one of the many hard working and passionate local bands in the north east at the moment, and not even being together for a full year yet, Guilt City have already been achieving some fantastic things via

their music. With their EP recently released I caught up with the guys to find out a little

bit about them and see what they had in store for their launch.

I always have a lot of respect for acoustic artists as they are a prime example of music in its simplicity – no gimmicks,

extravagant ideas, just a combination of a guitar and a creative mind. Wanting to go down a similar path are duo, Stone Lights

from Tyne & Wear.

Comprising of the duo Carl Stacey [vocals] and Daniel Sewell [guitar] who have

previously been linked to hardcore bands, it was really intriguing to see what the pair had to offer in an acoustic setting.

Taking a risk and putting their heads

together they Stacey and Sewell released their EP, Slow and Steady. Although the

record only has 5 tracks, what I like about this EP is that the music is purely about

the lyrics.

Yes all the songs on this EP are fascinating but their was one track that stood out

most to me, ‘After The Rain’. Expressing themselves in the poetic and beautiful

that they do, Stone Lights gives this song a lot of depth and meaning.

Stone Lights may be a relatively new concept but if you take a moment to

check out their music, with an open mind, you will see that there is potential behind the sensitive and gentle music that Stone

Lights have to offer.

Available via www.stonelights.bandcamp.com and You

Tube, ‘Slow & Steady’ by Stone Lights is definitely worth the listen.

Darkus Magazine: How does it feel to be in the UK?

Brett: It feels great. A great place I haven’t really spent a lot a lot of time in.

DM: What is the most British thing you have done?

B: I would probably say driving on the left hand side of the road. I went a foot-ball match to see Man City play against Moscow. Um…I have also been to a few

pubs!

DM: What went through your mind when you were invited onto the Paloma Faith tour?

B: Ok well she sent me a note via my booking agent to ask if I wanted to support the shows. So I was like “Ok umm whose Paloma Faith?”. I understand she is a mega star over here in the UK and seeing her play each night is just amazing.

Maybe it’s because I live in my own little world which is why I didn’t know really know, but then I looked her up and was like “WOW! Holy Cow this is like open-ing like Christina Aguilera or something”. So when I came over I was so nervous, then from meeting her, she was so incredible, nice and genuine and makes you feel good about yourself. The next thing I know all those nerves just started to

go away.

I really appreciate all that she is doing for me by bringing me here, but at the same time I also believe that I should be here. I am a quality artist and I write

great songs that I put my heart and soul into.

DM: Must be great to know someone personally choosing you?

Yea totally! You release music but there is always a bit of uncertainty as you never know who it actually reaches. A British soul singer? WOW! That’s pretty

validating.

DM: Paloma aside, what is Brett Dennen bringing to the party?

B: Inside my head it’s a good fit because on one hand you have this fantastic soul singer with a big band etc, then here I am, a singer-song writer from Califor-nia who comes from a totally different tradition and lifestyle of music. My set is all about all the lyrics and the guy behind those lyrics, so I just came across with

songs which are personal and from a sincere place.

DM: Good song for a new starter?

B: Well I have a new record coming out in December so I am mainly pushing those songs, but also playing some which as you say are classed as ‘back cata-logue’. So yeah I just sticking to songs which have been popular radio singles

back in the States.

DM: Main priorities for 2015?

B: Well I have already got at least the first half of 2015 already planned, which is a lot more touring and recording in the US. However there is one main priority being that I would like to make it over here more to give people the chance to

hear my music properly.

DM: Compare yourself to when you first started to where you are now. How would you rate your progress?

B: I think you are always moulding your craft as an artist in terms of wielding

down to the heart of the matter. We are like inside the heart helps define who we are as artists and individuals. Every song I write is an exploration as I find out

more about myself.

DM: Biggest challenge of the process?

B: I think not knowing whether or not your material is good enough. You put your heart and soul, but cant help worry if that’s enough as you are going out on

a whim to see if people like it. The moment it becomes second nature that’s when you have to start digging deeper.

DM: Why should people checkout the new record?

B: I personally think it has ten great songs. It’s a great inspiration as it allowed me to get a deeper understanding of myself, but left open to interpretation. If

people want to hear a true singer song writer they should check it out.

DM: How much does music mean to your life?

B: It sort of just became my life over a period of time. Sometime I am at odds with it, then other times its intense but that’s what music is all about.

To discover more of the fantastic work of Brett Dennen head over to

brettdennen.net

Having been the main support for Paloma Faith on her recent UK tour and recently complet-ing his latest record, Smoke &

Mirrors, Brett Dennen has been one of those new and upcom-

ing artists to watch out for. We met up with him as he came to Newcastle and delve into the

mind of this inspirational singer

Psych sextet Lola Colt may just be one of the most exciting and innovative bands going. Taking their

name from a spaghetti western, the London based-based band are truly spellbinding. The group consists of guitarists Matt and James, Kitty on keys and per-cussion, Sinah on bass duties, drummer Martin, and

Gun ( whose stage presence is just as powerful as her namesake) on vocals.

Although the majority of the acts tonight have a

rather western undertone to them, opener Girl Sweat breaks the mould slightly, as he always does.

The first time I saw Girl Sweat was around

about two years ago. The experience left me speech-less. A disorientation mix of loops, lapsteel, and howl-

ing, the one-am project of R A Gray must be seen to be believed. Whenever I write a review I always try

my hardest to catch whatever song titles are shouted out. However, with Girl Sweat, this is near impossible.

After a quick conversation over Facebook, it tran-spires that heart-warming songs such as “Human

Glue” and “Rivers Of Hair” were included in the set. Girl Sweat is an unmissable act, but maybe one to

watch on an empty stomach.

Next up, Stockton-based five piece Cellar Door. Their bluesy post-punk never fails to impress appreciative

crowds from Teesside and beyond, and recent EP "Discordia" exceeded expectations. Keeping with the western undertone at tonight's event, their set sees

songs like "Bandito" and “Jackals”, with pounding drums and howled vocals, provide an ideal sound-

track to a guns-at-dawn stand-off.

Lastly; the enigmatic Lola Colt take to the stage. Opening with 8-minute mind-melter "Jaguar", the

crowd are entranced from the word go; you’re imme-diately coaxed into dancing and twirling, or standing transfixed. Next, “Driving Mr Johnny” howls and

builds for a breathtaking chorus, before the powerful crooning of “Highway” soothes yet stirs the audience. Three songs in, and, already, the front portion of the crowd have taken to dancing in a tribal-like way (this keeps up for the entirety of the set, amazingly). Album opener “Rings Of Ghosts”, with it’s swagger-

ing, swirling guitars, further helps with the imaginary film-soundtracking occurring tonight, as does reverb-

laden successor “Boom Boom Blasphemy”.“Moonlight” is eerie-sounding at first, with keys and guitar building tension and atmos-phere, before pounding drums and rolling guitars

mould the song into ear-shattering psych.

Strutting guitar and a powerful lament from Gun

commence “Heartbreaker”, a foreboding, melancholic ballad of sorts, with an explosive chorus. The instru-mental “Time To Burn” still maintains a certain maj-

esty and power about it, even without Gun’s vocals. A quick breather for her, perhaps, before the ever-

escalating “I Get High If You Get High”. Penultimate crooner “Vacant Hearts”, a mournful but yet still

proud and powerful ballad speaking of an unrequited love, may be the closest to vulnerable that Lola Colt ever get throughout the show, one concludes with

“Away From The Water”, which ebbs and flows as an epic instrumental for a good three minutes, before quickly transcending into a gargantuan finale.

And just like that, a quick “thank you” and “goodbye”,

and they’re gone. You’re left to come back down to earth with a hell of a thud, even though the reverb remains and rattles you for long afterwards.

Seeing Lola Colt live felt like much, much more than a

gig to me. The swirling and ever-metamorphosing visuals, mixed with the overwhelming (in the best

way possible) music and powerful stage presence of all members made it more like an experience, and one that I recommend you confront if you ever get

the chance to. You won’t remain the same afterwards.

Kobadelta, a five piece indie-psych-rock band hailing from Newcastle have released their highly antici-

pated EP entitled Remain Distracted, an EP that will instantly make a lasting impression within your re-

cord collection. If like me you have been short sighted to psychedelic rock, Kobadelta, Remain Dis-tracted will be your Dummy’s guide to psychedelic

rock.

Remain Distracted does exactly what it says on the tin, it keeps you distracted from anything going on

around you, and ever since I first opened my ears to the impact of opening track Siam I have remained distracted. The perfect combination of Frontman

Dom Nobles enticing vocals merged with slick guitar

riffs and an ambient rhythm section hits the listener with an ever lasting impact, the impact to dive fur-ther into the EP and to their back catalogue. To me

the best way to describe it would be the way it makes you feel the seductive foundations of the rhythmic EP captivates an imagination. Walks to

work at nine on a Monday morning (thanks to Kobadelta) can no longer have a somewhat depress-

ing tone to the thought.

The EP continues from where it started, every track could be easily mistaken as a single. Second track, They Can’t Hurt Me, has an almost dark, seductive edge that flaunts sex appeal. The enhancing bass parallel to the enchanting vocals captivates their

sound at its best this well and truly shapes the EP to be odds on their best material to date. The third

track entitled ‘Repetition’ stands on its own two feet, with all the right measurements to become a stand

out track. To repeat the track would become compul-sive, catching your imagination and excitement with every listen. It's that one song on the EP that grabs the listeners attention to yield the in between miss-ing piece of listener and fan. Luckily, for the pleasure of the public ‘Repetition’ is on SoundCloud as a free

download.

Whilst they gain a reputation from supporting bands like Temple and gaining recognition from NME, the

North East can be proud to call them local.

If I think about all the bands I have checked out this past few weeks who have an incredible vibe about them, one of the

names that comes to mind has to be iC1s. Having supported Dexters on their UK tour back in October the band have such a great energy about them. Their supporting role on the tour was the first time I had heard their music, and despite a set lasting a

mere 35 to 40 minutes it was enough to intrigue me to find more about them. How did I do this? Easy I got my hands on

their epic EP, ‘In The Blink Of The Eye’. It may only consist of 6 tracks, but they are 6 of the strongest tunes you will hear.

The EP starts with the upbeat and energetic track, ‘Growing Up Going Down’ which looks at the aging process and in a way is a bit thought provoking as it encourages listener to consider the key question – what have you done with your life?. The chorus

‘The years have passed, and I’ve never left this town, its not how it should have been’ just sticks in your mind.

The great thing about this EP is that there is a lot of diversity, thus showing how adaptable iC1s are as a band, especially in the song writing department. An example is ‘Beautiful Ugly’

such a heart felt song with a lot of passion behind it. This is one of tracks you can just listen to and easily sing along to. Is it a love song? To be honest I will leave that up to you to decide

when you all go and get the EP, but it is perfectly balanced as you can sometimes get bands going over the top making it a

little bit cringe.

The final track on this EP is quite a quirky little number, ‘Wack Jack’. At first you think that its slow and think to yourself

‘booooo’…but then when you least expect it the chorus kicks in and all of a sudden your adrenaline go through the roof. I really loved this song because it embraces the quirkyness we all have deep inside and not being afraid to be ‘a little bit mental’. That

song just describes me all over haha.

iC1s have certainly made me love them even more after listen-ing to this EP, and that’s what music should do. In The Blink Of An Eye is certainly worth investing your time and money in. I

wish the guys all the best, and based on what I just heard this is only the beginning of a incredible crazy and fun adventure for

this up and coming British band.

Darkus Magazine: What sparked your initial interest in photography?

Chris: As with a lot of photographers, my initial interest in photography was sparked by taking photos of my young daughter, friends and family a couple of years ago. As time went on and I got into it a bit more, I began to notice and

understand the effect that different light and angles had on images, I began to experiment and managed to get some really lovely photographs! From there, I was hooked and I began working with different models as a means of practicing

and learning and it just kind of went from there.

DM: Having been taken back by your amazing work it was an honour to feature you in Darkus. Tell us then about the images you selected for your article and

what they say about you?

C: It was really hard to choose the images for this article as I'm really proud of so much of what I've done in the past year or so. I would like to think that the im-ages show a bit about the journey that I have been on so far and the direction

that I am heading in. I hope that they also show what it is that inspires me with regards to photography; that is using beautiful light and trying to either tell a

story or capture moments, emotions or just that split second where the subject's true personality comes through.

DM: Dare I ask...but do you have a favourite niche of photography at the mo-

ment?

C: Fundamentally, it's ALL about people for me. As time has gone on and I've learned to understand what exactly it is that I love, this has evolved from simple portraits to what might be described as environmental portraiture, with a nod towards fashion. I've also started to develop a real love of street photography and would love over the next few months to be able to develop that and fuse it

with the other elements that I've been working on.

DM: What qualities (in your opinion) do you need to be successful in your field?

C: In my experience, the most important aspect of what I do has to be the ability to quickly build a rapport and relationship with the people that I'm working with. It's so important that they feel comfortable with both me and the fact that I have a camera pointing at them. If the person being photographed isn't comfortable, that REALLY shows through in the images. This point of being comfortable also

extends to me as the photographer - if I feel or come across as nervous or un-comfortable, this in turns affects both the images that I take and how the model

themselves feels.

DM: Your talent speaks for itself (as we can see from your photos)...but what do you enjoy most about what you do?

C: Thank you, that really means a lot. Absolutely everything about what I do, I

love! Whether it be the opportunity to meet and work with crazily talented and creative people (who constantly inspire me), laughing, having fun and immersing

myself in the moment, getting the images onto the computer after the shoot, flicking through them and knowing that I've caught some beautiful shots and

editing them to a point where I'm happy and can look at what I've done and feel proud about that and share them with people.

DM: Having done such a variety of exciting projects was there any that you will

always consider as a personal highlight?

C: I'm really proud of everything I've done so far and working with each and every model, stylist and MUA has been a constant highlight all the way through (is that a cop out!?). Personally, I feel that having been recognised for my work by being published in a few magazines and by being asked to shoot for a nation-wide modelling agency have been recent highlights for me. If 2015 is anything

like 2014 has been, it'll be very exciting!

DM: What is the best satisfaction you can get as a photographer?

C: This one is a simple and straight-forward answer! The best satisfaction has to be looking at the final product and knowing that you nailed it! Then being able

to share that joy with people around me!

DM: When it comes to a shoot what are some of the basic things you expect from the other creatives involved...i.e. model, HMUA etc?

C: Only really that we're all going in the same direction and have a shared vision. Like with any team, if we're thinking different things or heading in different di-

rections, then it just doesn't work. To get there, there has to be great communi-cation between everyone involved from the initial concept right the way through

the shoot itself and beyond.

DM: What is the next step for you?

C: The next step for me has to be to just keep doing what I'm doing and

to continue developing my skills as a photographer. I'm really excited

about the direction that I am starting to go in with regard to street, fashion and editorial photography. In doing so, I hope that the right people begin

to notice what I do and that I one day get to do what I love for the rest

of my life!

DM: What is the main method you use to promote your work?

C: Mainly word of mouth, but you can follow my work on my website

(www.christrower.co.uk) and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,

although I am making some plans to focus more on traditional forms of marketing and have less of an em-

phasis and reliance on social media.

DM: Welcome to Darkus...tell us a little bit about yourself?

James: Well I live and work in

Newcastle but I’m originally from Durham. I studied at Northum-

bria University and after graduat-ing I moved down to the Isle of

Wight to play ice hockey, I had a lot of free time when I was living on the Isle of Wight and that was when I took up photography. The Island is very picturesque and has some amazing landscape to take advantage of, that’s what got me

started with landscape photography.

DM: Beginning as a landscape

photographer then at what point did you feel like you wanted to move to shooting with people?

J: To be honest I’ve always had an interest in all aspects of photog-raphy from landscape, cityscape, wildlife to model based work and fashion. It took me a long time to move onto working with people because the concept seemed to foreign to me, the pressure of working alongside someone,

particularly when you are first starting out is a little daunting.

After moving to Newcastle and taking some time away from ice

hockey I decided that I finally had the time to invest in trying some-thing new with my photography. I

decided to put a casting out to see if anyone would like to work with me, the only images I had to show were landscape ones which

weren’t really applicable but I hoped showed that I at least

knew my way around the camera and this new direction was some-thing I could adapt to. I got really lucky with Jessica Foxx and Beth Loki both being willing to work with me, they both have good experience and helped me get

started.

DM: What has the past few weeks been like for you?

J: The past few weeks have been great for me, things have really developed in a positive way and I’ve had some fantastic models

contact me to shoot and I’ve been really lucky with the people I’ve

had an opportunity to shoot with recently. When I first started out in this field I really threw all my time into it and was shooting on every

single day I wasn’t working my full time job.

This was great and it helped me get experience but I’ve started limiting my shoots so that I have a better

work life balance and I’m passion-ate about every shoot I’m doing

because I’ve had the time to plan it in advance and get concepts to-

gether.

The brand is starting to come to-gether a little bit more with the

logos I have and the website start-ing to look more cohesive, it’s

challenging keeping up to date with everything, thinking about the way in which I want to market my im-

ages and how I want to progress in this field.

DM: Your logo is pretty amazing like...is this the beginning of the

bearded cynic empire?

J: I was really lucky to be able to work with Dave Robson a graphic designer in the north east to get the logos together. Dave worked through a lot of different ideas

before we stuck with the ones I’m currently using on my images. We

have some back up watermarks and logos that you might be seeing across my images and site soon but like the brand and my photography

it’s a work in progress.

As for whether this is the start of the Bearded Cynic empire, it seems like a lofty ambition but I like the

idea. I am having some tee’s made up and hope the photography

continues to go from strength to strength. I’ve had a lot of help and encouragement from members of the photography scene across the

UK trying to help me progress and I have a game plan for trying to

continue my development, fingers crossed it’s successful and my im-ages will start to be seen across a

larger audience

DM: Tell us about the images you chose for Darkus...what was it about them that appealed to you the most.

J: I wanted to use images from a couple of different shoots because I always feel the results I get from each shoot are different and it was worth conveying that

in the article.

The shots with Tashii Opium were taken specifically for the magazine as we had shot previously and she’s effortlessly natural in front of the camera and has a

great style about her.

Ida Holmes was a shoot I already had planned in as I had seen her work and was really pleased to be able to sort a shoot with her. I hadn’t worked with Ida be-fore this shoot and as the shoot progressed and I could see the results we were

getting I decided to try and incorporate some of them into this article.

The shoot with Eve Elizabeth was an impromptu one but I was definitely lucky to be able to work with her, she’s a fantastic model and the shoot flew over. I

loved the results we got with soft lighting and that’s why those images were added in.

The final image from the article was taken from a shoot with Lola Filth and Jes-sica Foxx. I’ve shot with both of these models on several occasions and always come away with results I’m happy with, they’re great models and very easy to work with. This was the first time I got to shoot them together and the image I

used for this article gave a really nice sense of attitude and confidence. Jess and Lola have both been a great help in getting this side of my photography off the

ground so I’m pleased to have captured an image that fit in well with the article.

DM: Congratulations on making it to the front cover as well. To see your work featured in any publication - how does that make you feel?

J: It’s fantastic; I genuinely didn’t expect to get the cover so that was an awe-

some surprise when I was informed. The Bearded Cynic photography brand has really progressed much quicker than I expected so to be in a publication within a

year of starting out has really blown me away, I’m definitely feeling very lucky to have all the support I have which has enabled this to happen.

DM: With the new year in sight have you thought what the main aims will be for

bearded cynic in 2015?

J: I’m trying to keep my goals for 2015 relatively simple, I have a list of models I would like to work with from around the Uk and i’m hoping to organise a tour to

try and get to work with as many of them as I can. It would be great to feature in more publications. Overall my aim is always the same, to keep progressing,

improve my photography and try helping other creatives where I can.

DM: I know we have discussed this issue a couple times over a glass of Johnny

Walker...but in a nutshell what are you views on the whole TFP versus Paid argument?

J: I stand in a very “on the fence’ point of view with this one which is unlike me. It is the same for creatives in all aspects of photography whether it be photogra-

phers, MUA’s, Stylists, models etc it can be frustrating when you feel you are losing paid work because others are offering to do the same work for free. That

being said everyone needs experience to improve on their skill set and TFP is the clear starting point for this.

It’s a difficult balancing act as I know that if I have specific requirements for a

shoot or a specific model in mind then it is only fair to reflect this when ap-proaching them for a shoot and enquire about their rates.

Essentially it comes down to respect, If you feel the project is beneficial to all

those involved then by all means enquire about working TFP, however don’t be offended if TFP isn’t an option and try and be understanding that everyone has their own projects and priorities and they might only be taking on paid work.

In terms of how I approach a TFP shoot in comparison to a paid shoot, I ap-

proach them in exactly the same manner. The professionalism and organisation for a shoot should always remain the same and I always want to achieve images that both myself and all others involved with the shoot are happy with and they

leave the shoot feeling positive and pleased about having worked with me.

DM: There is no escaping the fact that the north east is quite competitive for creatives. What would you say would be your main survival tactics?

J: I’ve learnt to always get references and always make sure I feel comfortable going into the shoot that both myself and those involved are all on the same

page and have a clear idea on what we want to achieve. Aside from that I just try to stay laid back and take each shoot as it comes.

DM: For a shoot to be successful in your eyes what are some of the key things

you would expect to see from the others involved?

J: Enthusiasm, as long as everyone is working towards the same goal and enjoy the shoot and keep a positive attitude it really doesn’t matter to me if things don’t go perfectly to plan. Having a mood board and a clear idea on the direc-

tion the shoot is going to take definitely helps, agreeing to levels in advance and being clear on the shoot goals also helps. Aside from those thing’s I really like

working collaboratively with people, It’s great when people have suggestions on shoots or have an idea they want to try. Photography is a creative process so

working with creative people always makes for great shoots.

J: Levels is an important subject in this field of photography, a lot of people assume it’s only

the model that is allowed to have “levels” they are happy to work to. This definitely isn’t the case, as a photographer I’m not going to take my best images if I’m uncomfortable so I do have levels I’m happy to shoot to. These do vary on things like how often I’ve shot with someone and the success of those shoots.

There’s a high level of trust in working with someone on a shoot and agreeing levels prior to

the shoot and sticking to them plays a large part in that trust.

DM: What can people expect not just from

working with you but those who see your im-

ages too?

J: People working with my can expect me to be positive and enthusiastic about the shoots and

laid back, I conduct myself in a professional manner but still always want shoots to be fun,

I’m a naturally chatty person and enjoy the process of working on shoots so as long as you

are passionate about achieving great images we should work together great. As for those that

follow my social media, you can expect regular updates on what I’m doing and hopefully you’ll

continue to see my images improving. You’ll probably get a combination of all my images,

what I want to achieve and my thoughts on life in general…mostly the photographs though.

DM: Wishing you all the best James. How can

people find out more about Bearded Cynic photography?!

J: There are several ways you can get in touch with me or follow my work. I have a webpage which is www.beardedcynic.co.uk a Facebook page which is under Bearded Cynic Photogra-phy and an Instagram page which is bearded-

cynicphotography. I can be contacted via either my site or my page and I always get back to

enquiries quickly, I’m currently starting to book shoots for the New Year. Thanks for all the

support so far.

About Me

My name is Amy Laura smith and i sell hand made, quirky, crazy cool halter tops for alien babes, mer-

maid princesses' and basically anyone who has awesome style!

I started my shop, in June this year, selling hand-

made matching sets of tie up halter tops and skirts and shorts on a website called Depop. It has a

similar set up to Instagram but you can buy things! i had loads of interest in the stuff I made and

gained just over 12k followers on the site which really gave me the confidence to create my own

website and brand identity, as i knew people loved the stuff I made!

In September I created my own website using Big

Cartel and its just gone up from there! I used Insta-gram and Depop for promotion which has been an

amazing way to show off my ideas and has also helped find some great people to work with, such

as Emma Crompton, Natalie Yang and Miriam Marlene who I am working with constantly shoot-

ing new exciting pictures and lookbooks! I really love working with up and coming young

photographers and love making garments that are fun and exciting for them to photograph!

I would say my favourite piece in my shop is defi-nitely the rainbow mermaid shell halter! its just so

fun and makes me so happy when I see people wearing it because it turns everyone into a true

mermaid princess!

For me this year has been crazy - having to juggle starting university with making orders, and keep-

ing Instagram updated with marketing and promo-tions. I am loving it! Meeting lots of new people daily and getting a lot of support from social me-

dia!

What does the future hold for me? At the minute I am not planning ahead too much as I have only

just started out I really have not idea what could happen! I have a new collection coming out in the next few weeks, and am constantly working with photographers around the world to create new

exciting photo shoots!

I am also looking to expand into accessories and may be working with some other small online

shops to expand my selling outlet! I am just taking it as it comes and am always excited to see what

happens tomorrow!

My website is-amylaurasmith.bigcartel.com and my Instagram is @amylaurasmith

Just remember my name and you'll find some fab

clothes!