HATC Magazine Issue 15 Luke Hemmings

Luke Hemmings, Jess Glynne, Jacob Anderson, Kenzie Ziegler, Maggie Lindemann, Picture This, Here At Last.

HATC

LUKE HEMMINGS

Photography By Nat Michele

Culture and Mental Health

COVERS

Luke Hemmings Words Alice Gee Photography Nat Michele

Maggie Lindemann Words Will McNab Photography Alexis Rosario

Jacob Anderson Words Alice Gee Photography Aaron Hurley

Kenzie Ziegler Words Hannah George Photography Kevin Amato

Picture This Words Alice Gee Photography Chloe Maylor

Jess Glynne Words Alice Gee Photography Cosmo Rush

Here At Last Words Hannah George Photography Aaron J Hurley

Nell Mescal Words Mia Caven Photography Betty Oxlade-Martin

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CONTENTS

8

EDITORS NOTE

74

JESS GLYNNE

Photography Cosmo Rush 10

LUKE HEMMINGS

Photography Assistant Keira Simpson

Creative Alice Gee & Nat Michele

Styling Chloe Oldridge

Photography Nat Michele

Styling Assistant Georgina Armitage

Styling Chloe Oldridge

Styling Assitant Olivia White

Styling Assistant Amelia Connolly

MUA Marie Bruce

Styling Assistant Georgina Armitage

Hair Styling Beth Kucic

Styling Assitant Olivia White MUA & Hair Stying Sandra Hahnel

88

PICTURE THIS

Photography Chloe Maylor 26

MAGGIE LINDEMANN

Styling Chloe Oldridge

Photography Alexis Rosario

Styling Assistant Amelia Connolly

Styling Kirsten McGovern

MUA & Hair Stylist Gracie Jai Cox

Styling Assistant Christella Santiago Styling Assistant Kajal Sieuraj

104

NELL MESCAL

Hair Styling Johana Castillo

Photography Betty Oxlade-Martin Styling Elodie Purcell

34

JACOB ANDERSON

MUA Rebecca Robinson

Photography Aaron J Hurley

Hair Styling Evelyn Davies

Styling Lois Jenner MUA & Hair Styling Eoin Whelan

114

BUCK BRAITHEWAITE

Photography Chloe Maylor 46

KENZIE ZIEGLER

Styling Alice Gee

Photography Kevin Amato Styling Marc Eram

126

ELLE COVES

130

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY

MUA Yasmin Istanbouli Hair Styling Rikki Gash

Conor O’donoghoe 62

HERE AT LAST

Photography Aaron J Hurley Styling Jessie Stein MUA & Hair Styling Gracie Jai Cox

MASTHEAD

Editor-in-Chief & Creative Director Alice Gee

Styling Marc Eram Kirsten McGovern

Sub-Editor

Jessie Stein

Madison Drew

Chloe Oldridge

Hannah George

Alice Gee Elodie Purcell

Contributing Writers Alice Gee

MUA

Madison Drew

Yasmin Istanbouli

Will MacNab

Gracie Jai Cox

Hannah George

Marie Bruce

Mia Caven

Eoin Whelan Sandra Hahnel

HATC Alice Gee

Hair Styling

Jade Poultney

Rikki Gash

Bronte Evans

Gracie Jai Cox

Madison Drew

Johana Castillo

Hannah George

Beth Kucic

Mia Caven

Eoin Whelan Sandra Hahnel

Advertising Enquiries Advertising@headabovetheclouds.co.uk

Photography Assistants Kim Nipple

Love to all those involved in Issue 15.

Photography

Keira Simpson Styling Assistants

Nat Michele

Christella Santiago

Aaron J Hurley

Kajal Sieuraj

Kevin Amato

Georgia Armitage

Alexis Rosario

Olivia White

Chloe Maylor

Amelia Connolly

Cosmo Rush Betty Oxlade-Martin

8

HATC MAGAZINE

Issue 15 has arrived just in time for the awakening of Spring. As a confessed Winter girlie, I hate to admit there's something about this time of year that awakens part of my soul that I forget about almost every year.

It often brings a sense of positivity and a feeling that anything is possible. I'm sure many feel this as they usher in the New Year, which I do from some perspectives, but it's always the same time of year when I realise the adverse effects I've been feeling from January to March. It may come down to a notion in my unconscious that I should have everything figured out by the time a new year rings, or it could simply boil down to a lack of sunlight; who knows? It's like my psyche struggles to get itself into the right gear. But finally, the cogs are turning, and it's many of our Issue 15 cover artists and guests who feel a sense of enlightenment, with promising upcoming projects on the horizon and an infectious sense of positivity for what the year has and continues to offer.

Opening Issue 15, Luke Hemmings is on the horizon of a new EP, Boy, following the success and, in his own words, the experiment of his debut solo album, When Facing the Things We Turn Away From. Undoubtedly, his fan base has been waiting to lose themselves in his new genre-bending single 'Shakes'. As he tells me how he found himself with an outlet, ready more than ever to push the boundaries of what he expects from himself, it's clear the outlet writing provides him. Similarly, we see this throughout Issue 15, how the unpredictability of mental health often finds serenity and stability through each guest's creative process. Jess Glynne is no stranger to this, having taken several years to re-focus herself, re-ground her efforts, and find her feet with her new self-titled album, Jess. As Jess speaks about the ongoing scrutiny that falls within the public eye, it's a weight of loss and rediscovery that's inspired and pushed an album addressing the idea of self-love and worth.

ing to us here at HATC wondering why that is so. Is it our unrealistic expectations that hinder our confidence or more the constraints of society and everyday life that seem to get in the way? Issue 15 finds a place in conversations for self-improvement in its healthiest forms whilst many of our guests, having evaluated their perceptions, come to grips and clarity with who they are. Our interview with already much loved Here At Last, spins us and their fans into a frenzy as we get to know everything in between, from their most recent rush of tour dates around the UK to their surprisingly mature outlook and self-awareness as individuals and as a group in terms of their identity. Light years ahead of most their age.

As the theme of self-awareness threads through the issue, from Kenzie Ziegler setting herself free of chained emotions when it comes to love both romantically, from family and, more importantly, the love she's found for herself, Picture This feels and talks passionately about joy and the fiery depths of the idea they unearthed in their new album. Our guests never felt more comfortable in the rebirth and new heights they climb.

Be prepared to unchain your perceptions and connect on another level with our Issue 15 guests.

Regarding the idea of self-worth, we often need to address the idea of how underwhelmed many usually feel when they look in the mirror, lead-

ISSUE 15 Spring Issue.

Editor-in-Chief Alice Gee

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10

LUKE HEMMINGS

It's a tough job; I tell Luke over a call between London and LA, having to pick a cover when there are endless gorgeous possibilities. The real question is, which one do we go for? Having had what could be described as a fleeting visit to London, jam-packed with press engagements and a cover shoot in the heart of London’s music business epicentre, Kings Cross, Luke, back in LA, joins me with the approval to delve into his life for his HATC Magazine Issue 15 cover story. Being a confessed 5sos fan, it was a no-brainer that I would become a convert for Luke’s solo endeavours. Since the launch of his debut solo single "Starting Line" in 2021, he’s captured the hearts of more than just those from the 5sos band fandom. Luke’s identity has wavered from the lead singer of a boy band to, in his own right, a master of words with heart-wrenchingly open and honest lyrics and divine melodies.

Growing up in farmland in western Sydney, Luke is used to the suburbs, even now when calling LA his home.

Being brought up in a working-class family, he attributes much of this to his musical influences and idols, a culture of midnight oil over real Aussie punk bands like INXS at the core. “One of the first things I heard was loud guitars. Rock music. That's where it kicked off musically for me”. Having watched his two older brothers learn instruments for varying amounts of time, it was almost a given that Luke would immerse himself in guitars that were left lying around. Obsessed by the age of ten, Luke maintains it all began hiding in his bedroom as a teen for years, emulating his idols Slash and Angus Young.

Curious about what came first, the chicken or the egg, instruments or writing, Luke explains how playing guitar felt like his thing before even starting to sing or write.

“It’s always been cool to me to be able to hear a song and then be able to learn it and play it.” An outlet, I wonder? “For sure”, Luke responds. “I spent a lot of time in my room making a lot of noise,” as he jokes about how it’s possibly frustrating and annoying for his parents. “It then expanded into learning lyrics and figuring out how to sing.”

Having released his debut album in what could easily be described as extenuating circumstances during the COVID pandemic, having so much time at home had a rather important role in falling into his solo path and the experiment it first presented as. “I was trying to figure out how far I could push myself with writing and musically pulling in new musical influences. I fell in love with that process more than I thought”. With the music turning into the entirety of his debut, Luke suddenly had a choice in where he spent his time being grounded, and the band had just put out an album. “It gave me a creative outlet to get these stories out and try and expand my knowledge.”

With the release of his new single "Shakes", I am curious to ask how his debut inspired the music he finds himself writing today and the music he wants to put out into the world. “I wanted to try and make something sonically on my own. I don’t know what I expected, but I found it

incredibly rewarding and fun.” Having got what, he calls an experiment out the way within his first album, it’s all about moving forward for Luke. “With these new songs, I wanted to take my favourite parts of the first album and expand on them.” It feels a bit more like a whole project and refined, he explains, “I think as an artist, the hope is to move forward and get closer to the heart of what you want to say, and I think I've done that.”

Having experienced a career rollercoaster from those green teenage years to where he finds himself now, I wonder whether he felt anxiety moving into a space where he holds full autonomy over his work and wondered how it would be received. “If I’m honest, I always self-doubt myself and what I can do.” I wonder whether it comes down to the fear of the fans or his expectations that formed the exhausting dialogue of self-doubt.

“I struggle with perfectionism. Knowing internally how much effort it took to get the first album out, I knew it would be a big personal endeavour to try and do it again.”

Knowing in his own words that it would take time to get the music to where he wanted it to be, Luke explains the waiting process for the right songs to come along, “Which "Shakes" was. We (Sammy, who worked with me on the first album) went to New York to write many songs. "Shakes" is one of the first ones to come out. It was liberating, the chorus in particular. It held all the emotion and feelings I had been trying to express.” Writing "Shakes" from hotel rooms, planes, and everywhere in between the sun has had its lasting effect on the track as I tell Luke how my first impressions of the track centred around the sun and those first moments when you wake up from a haze. “I love hearing how people can attach their own stories to it.” In talking for a moment about our own experiences and how they attach to the music we listen to, I wonder how the unpredictability of Luke’s feelings plays a part in the writing and the inevitable processing of moments that can often feel overwhelming.

“Writing helps me process uncertainties in life. I think it's funny because I'm often writing in a way where it usually comes out as a word vomit, a stream of consciousness.” I ask Luke if he finds himself playing catch-up when something strikes. “Sometimes when you're writing, you don't even know what it's about until you step back, and it's finished.” In pinpointing precisely what he’s looking to say with the subconscious playing such a role, Luke explains, “Your own emotions and mental state is such a difficult thing to overcome. It’s like you’re at war with yourself. It helps me a lot with feeling out of control.” In wanting to emulate both sonically and musically his experiences of overcoming challenges with his mental health in a way others can resonate with, Luke found inspiration from feeling hyper-emotional in the most dynamic way possible.

“I think I've arrived from a place of honesty, unlike what I believe in. It's a very selfish way to write. And for people to resonate with it, attach their own stories, and find themselves in the songs feels incredibly validating.”

With the first album coming out in the middle of COVID and shows not being something immediately on the horizon, Luke opens up about the apprehension behind playing his first show. “I’ve done so many shows with the band from such a young age that playing something on your own with your songs was incredibly nerve-racking. It felt intimate in ways I didn’t realise. It helped a lot to open my eyes and see the songs mean something to many people because you get lost in your own world for a little bit.”

With others being able to enjoy being lost in the music and his energy being 100% in perfecting his art, I emphasise what Luke’s priority is regarding himself and staying grounded. “That's a good question. Apart from the main things like exercise and trying to be healthy in what you do with your body physically, I think as I've gotten older. Disconnecting from the outside world helps me—turning off my phones and stepping outside. That helps me stay grounded. Over the years, there have been many cities and shows, and it's all very fast-paced.

You're on your phone in a new city, and your whole landscape constantly changes and moves. So, I find putting away my phone for a few hours nice. Having nothing in the schedule was nice because everything's been so scheduled for many years.”

And in terms of Joy, I'm curious about those moments we often forget, that make our hearts feel like they’re going to burst. “For me, it’s remembering when I’m listening to something and how it moves me as much as I'm trying to move people in what I create.” Looking closer to home on what Luke explains on a domestic level, cooking with his wife and immersing himself in those everyday little moments we often lose, forget, or neglect is something he wants to savour and enjoy. It’s a stability and focus he’s all in.

Boy, the new EP from Luke, is out 26 April Luke is set for shows in the UK, Europe and North America for his ‘Nostalgia For A Time That Never Existed’ tour later this year Words Alice Gee Creative Alice Gee, Nat Michele Photography Nat Michele Styling Chloe Oldridge MUA & Hair Stylist Sandra Hahnel Styling Assistants Amelia Connolly, Olivia White, Georgina Armitage

Jeans, Gant. Jacket, Italian Vintage Sylk. Necklaces, North Cross. Rings, Rat Betty and Pyrrha.

Hair & MUA, Augustinus BAder, Glossier, Caia Cosmetics, Quai and GHD.

Suit, Gianni Versace. Vest, Holzweiler. Shoes, Dr Martens. Jewellery, Capsule 11.

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MAGGIE LINDEMANN

Dress, Roff Ael. Leather Necklace David Menkes. Leather Choker, David Menkes. Fingerless gloves, Tableaux Vivants. Belt, Benedetta Bruzziches, Ear cuff, Michael Opipari. Earrings, My Dearest World. Bracelet, Eliburch. Shoes Roff Ael.

Dress, Alice Seon. Bow Tights, Greta Carmel. Pink Fishnets, Stylists own. Earrings & Necklace, April Beila. Index ring, Marland Backus. Ring, Ariana Boussard. Shoes, Roff Ael.

Transitioning seamlessly from the realms of pop to an edgy landscape of pop-punk and now venturing along a path she’s not set on before, superstar Maggie Lindemann has continuously explored and experimented with her sound.

Each time, she has only tried to put her most authentic self forward and push the boundaries of her creativity.

Maggie joins me over a call from LA, having made the vibrant city her home for the past decade after relocating from Texas. Reflecting on her time in LA, she acknowledges the abundance of opportunities it offers in the entertainment industry. “I’ve lived here for ten years now, so it feels home. If you want a career in entertainment, there are so many opportunities living in LA. Every producer I work with, and every event is here.”

Despite immersing herself in the bustling energy of LA for her career, Maggie maintains a deep fondness for her home. “I love Texas. It’s very calm, and it’s where I grew up.

I try to spend as much time as possible during the summer and holidays, seeing my parents is the best thing. When I go, I stay pretty close to them. Also, the food is way better, there are so many different great foods in LA, but Texas has the best food, so I love that.”

In March, she unveiled her latest EP, HEADSPLIT, marking her first release since her debut album SUCKERPUNCH. It’s a kickass, high-octane EP that embodies her vision for the future and the direction she wishes to pursue. As Maggie reflects on the release, she shares her excitement for it and for being busy once again. “I’m so happy that it’s finally out! I hate that in-between period from one project to the next. It’s this awkward time where you’re not really doing anything publicly, but personally, there’s so much going on.”

Ultimately, HEADSPLIT presents a collection of love songs infused with a dark and haunting twist. However, within each track, Maggie skillfully navigates themes of manipulation and inner conflict. For instance, in "Deprecating" feat.

Siiickbrain, which inspired the EP’s title, Maggie confronts manipulative behaviours head-on. Similarly, in "Hostage," she grapples with her inner demons, highlighting the dichotomy between love and self-doubt. “I feel this project is a love song EP, but then it’s also about being stuck in your head and overthinking,” she explains. “It’s like my head’s been split. Half of me is super in love, and then I overthink, what if something bad happens?”

Opening up, Maggie explains how much of this “Head split” follows her throughout her personal life. “There are just parts of me that have really bad abandonment issues,” she shares candidly. “Even when things are going amazingly well, there’s a little thing in the back of my brain that’s telling me that shit’s going to hit the fan.” She understands that it’s not true and that little voice in her mind is taking control. “I know it’s not true and shouldn’t listen to it. It’s just this little voice that tells me everything’s going to get messed up, and everyone’s going to leave.”

I ask Maggie how she deals with these moments and how she regains control when her mind drifts into these turbulent mental states. “I just freak out. I really don’t have coping skills,” she admits. “I have to just let it run its course because it comes in waves. All of a sudden I’m thinking if someone said something in a weird tone, and then it’s, ‘Oh my God. Do they hate me?’” she explains. “I’ll feel like things

are weird for a bit, and then all of a sudden, someone will say something, and it snaps me back into reality, and I realise they don’t hate me at all.”

Many artists find solace in channelling their inner struggles into their art, using it as a vehicle to express and alleviate their emotional burdens. I'm curious if Maggie also views her music and songwriting as a coping mechanism. “Yeah, I think so,” she reflects. “Although it’s less of a coping mechanism and more just, therapeutic.” Maggie admits, “A lot of the time when I’m writing and I hear it back, I think maybe I’m being dramatic. It’s a dramatised version of whatever is going on because what’s actually in my brain is probably not accurate. So when I actually hear it back, I think I’m definitely overreacting for sure.”

Throughout her career, Maggie has often collaborated with different songwriters, sharing the writing load on her projects, but HEADSPLIT becomes undeniably hers as she writes solo for the first time. “I really enjoyed it,” she exclaims, reflecting on the experience. Despite its difficulty, this solo endeavour has been transformative for her, allowing her so much personal growth. “In the past, there had been times that I would get stumped on a section and sit back and let the other writers kind of take the lead for a second. With this project, it allowed me to be really focus on it.” She continues, “I think not having to rely on anyone else helped me get songs done way faster.”

Looking ahead, this project hopes to be the start of many like it. She expresses a desire to continue exploring solo writing and even considers extending her talents to writing for other artists. “I want to keep writing by myself and then maybe even extend myself and start writing for other people.” Maggie holds the likes of Finneas O’Connell and Olivia Rodrigo in high regard, admiring their songwriting prowess. “Finneas. I think he is such an incredible songwriter.

And together Finneas and Billie are insane songwriters.

And then I also love Olivia Rodrigo, obviously. I think she’s so talented, and she’s so young. When I first started making music, writing was something that was really scary and really hard for me. The fact that Olivia, at such a young age, is fully writing her own songs is really admirable.”

In today’s world, the next biggest single is just a swipe away, and tracks are being sped up faster and faster for maximum consumption. There is an obvious pressure for artists to continuously release. “It’s so different than it used to be; you don’t really have much time to sit back and really think about what you want to do next.” She notes the unpredictable nature of viral trends on platforms like TikTok, where a single song can suddenly overshadow months of hard work. “I think TikTok has really changed the music industry because we’re consuming so fast. You could put out all this amazing work, and then all of a sudden, a song on TikTok could blow up, and maybe that person takes over what you were trying to do. You know what I mean?”

It’s especially hard when you also feel like you're part of the problem. “People’s attention spans are so short now.

Including mine,” she admits. “I’m definitely a victim of it. It’s hard for me to watch TV shows or even YouTube videos without getting on my phone or wanting to do something else. I have ADHD, which is really bad. When I’m making music, I’ll get really into it for maybe 30 minutes. Then, all of a sudden, I’ll snap out of that and be on Instagram or Twitter.

I think in that aspect, it can help, but it can also really dis-

tract me. In some ways, it can be a blessing just as much as it is a curse. Knowing that I do have to be quick to do things is helpful because it makes me more inclined to get up and go to work than just sit back and take a little break because I do want to continue the momentum.”

In 2016, Maggie experienced a meteoric rise with the release of her single “Pretty Girl”. Today, the single and its remixes boast over 1 billion Spotify streams alone. However, despite her initial success, Maggie found herself grappling with the constraints of being signed to a major label. “I released four or five songs with the label. There are so many perks to being signed, but I think we just had different directions in mind.” As she delves deeper into her experience, Maggie shares her sense of disillusionment. “I was so young; I just wanted to make music, and I was down to listen to people who I felt knew what they were talking about. I got swept into things that I just didn’t want to do and didn’t feel genuine to me. I felt super inauthentic during that deal.”

perform live again,” she shares. “It’s just exciting. I think this show will be really cool. I think it’ll be a fun vibe.”

Reflecting on her recent tour across Europe and America, Maggie expresses gratitude for the overwhelming support. “It was amazing. I’ve never headlined a tour before, so it was really cool. Then the fact that it sold out in four minutes was just so cool,” she says proudly. “It was really fun when we went to Europe on an actual tour bus. I mean, the US was amazing. I’ve toured in the US before, so I kind of knew the vibes a little bit, but I think people really blew me away. I wasn’t expecting people to mosh so much.”

Looking ahead, Maggie dreams of expanding her tour to Japan, Asia, and South America. “I really want to go to Japan, so hopefully, I’ll be able to do a tour in Asia and South America, too. The shows are so crazy down there. I always get comments saying, 'Come to Brazil.’ It’s been an ongoing thing since forever, so Brazil would be really cool.”

HEADSPILT by Maggie is out now.

In 2020, Maggie made the bold decision to leave and establish her own label, Swixxz Audio, which also serves as the foundation for her clothing brand. This move marked the inception of her own empire. Currently, Maggie is the sole artist under her label. “Yeah, no, it’s just me right now,” she confirms. “I really want to eventually sign other artists, but I think I want to establish myself a little bit more first. It is so much work to be an independent artist, but definitely when I get to a point where I feel I can do that and really put my attention into someone else.”

While Maggie acknowledges that there’s still a journey ahead before she can start signing other artists, she dreams of curating an eclectic lineup. In a fantasy world, Maggie’s lineup would look something like this: “I would probably pick Bring Me The Horizon and then Beabadoobee because I just love them so much. I’ve loved Bring Me The Horizon since I was just so young. And then, again, probably Olivia Rodrigo. I love Olivia Rodrigo. I feel like "PARANOIA" and her vibe kind of intertwine a little bit. I love her marketing. I love her aesthetic. I don’t know. I feel I could really work with her.”

With a sense of clarity, Maggie compares the pressures of her past experiences to her current situation. The shift from the frenetic pace dictated by external expectations to a more self-directed approach has brought a renewed sense of motivation. “Being signed with my distribution deal just feels more motivating as opposed to ‘you need to do something now, and it needs to be good,’” she shares.

“So yeah, it’s just not as much pressure, but I know I need to do it. It’s like when you’re in a rush to do something, and you’re scrambling, you’re dropping things, and everything’s falling apart. But if you would just calm down and do it at a good pace, you’d probably get there at the same time.”

Looking ahead, Maggie reflects on her future plans and ambitions. HEADSPLIT serves as merely the inaugural step towards a larger ambition—an album in the making.

“I’m definitely working on an album. I really want to put something up as soon as possible, but it’s such a process, but hopefully soon.”

As anticipation builds for her upcoming album, Maggie eagerly looks forward to her performance at The Troubadour on May 28th. “I’m excited to perform this project and just to

Photography: Alexis Rosario Styling: Kirsten McGovern Hair Stylist: Johana Castillo

Top and Skirt, Fey. Leather armband, David Menkes. Earrings & Rings, April Beila.

34

JACOB ANDERSON

Sat opposite one another, coffee in hand and homemade cake in the other (I'm an avid baker), it feels less like three years and more like a matter of months since I last spoke in depth with Jacob for his debut HATC cover. With our previous conversation taking place over Zoom amid the pandemic, when Jacob arrived on set, I felt, in some essence, that I knew Jacob quite intimately from his vulnerability and openness with me in his previous interview when, in fact, it dawned on me it's the first time we are meeting in person. There's something about Jacob's nature that puts you at ease upon his arrival; it's incredibly disarming. He's a force of nature; no one needs telling otherwise. However, he carries an element of calm with a smile almost permanently on his face.

It's exciting for me to get a chance to catch up with him in person and tell him the impact our interview had on me, let alone anyone else. At the time, I remember being in some form of crisis with life proving difficult, and I had a lot of life questions I was unable to answer, let alone expect anyone else to tackle. By accident, I found myself opening up to Jacob with him having bared his soul to me in an open-all-areas interview, where nothing was closed off. In short, I left the conversation with confidence that had felt foreign to me for some time. So when it came to releasing the second season of Interview with The Vampire, you bet we were chasing our tails to welcome Jacob back to the family fold.

Vampires, I know, we've been there, seen and done that, but have we? You may or may not have a personal gripe with anything Vampire under the header of fantasy but let me tell you now that Interview with The Vampire is no cliché, with a gripping script, complicated characters and queer brilliance. If not classy, it is indeed the reinvention of the Vampire. It's all about extremes.

Jacob tells me, "The first season is more of a show about a bad marriage, and they just happen to be vampires. It was all about extremes." With the second season promising elevation of the first in a slightly different manner, it is bizarre to me the lack of buzz surrounding the first series.

Having disappeared off the scene for a year before the first season's release, it left fans asking, where is Jacob Anderson? The narrative's focus remains the same, on identity, with new personal depths; it's a trance that will lock you in, binging the show easily in one afternoon. When delving into the world of Vampires, Jacob tells me that every role he takes on has a purpose, with never a regret, "I'm never going to regret anything I do", he tells me dead honestly. "As much as I think this is a privilege I've been afforded, I won't just do something if it's not something I'd love myself.

I wouldn't." Authenticity is entrenched in Jacob and his being, as he tells me he's always prioritised, whether with his music or acting. "I'll never write a song that I wouldn't want to listen to, and I've never advertised anything I wouldn't buy myself." Being a sellout agitates him for all the right reasons, "Like it just sits in the pit of my stomach. Even now, to this day, there are things out where I think, 'Why did I do that? I wish I hadn't done that, even though it's been and gone." Never thinking of where or how it will be consumed, Jacob's only consideration is whether he does his work justice. Still, when it comes to the show's return for season two, Jacob won't pretend that he's thought about it more than needed, with the idea of doubt not being something that serves him or anyone else.

I appreciate his honesty. As someone whose face gives away my trail of thought before I have the chance to hide it (I guess you could also call it resting bitch face), I appreciate the transparency. Jacobs's honesty is inherent to him, doing every second of his on-screen character the justice he deserves. I'd like to know what drew him to Louis, the complexity of his character, and whether separating himself from the character's perspective was easy enough. "It's not easier necessarily, but it's different. I think I used to approach it quite differently from how I do now. I think I used to put less of myself into acting because the characters were so far away from me. It was probably because it was more of a protection thing." But in Interview With The Vampire

and Doctor Who felt different, he explains, "I love how playful it was." Jacob's aspirations focused almost entirely on Doctor Who, admitting he would have been internally happy forever portraying a character in the fantasy series. "As a kid, it was a huge deal for me. It was the only thing I wanted to do when I first started acting. I was like, I need to be in Doctor Who, and I'll be happy.

I think I put quite a lot of myself into that, just in a playful way, just having fun. Like a kid again. It made me want to act again at a time when I didn't want to anymore."

Filming series one of Interview with The Vampire in New Orleans and the second in Prague, I can't help but wonder if Jacob watches his work back, with the series too good not to. "I do, but I tend to pick it apart slightly." With that confession, Jacob also acknowledges that he will never see himself objectively. "It's just not going to happen. But I've realised I don't need to. It's not necessarily healthy to see yourself objectively." He feels he can look at Louis's character from the outside; in ways, it's the most personal part he's ever played. It's fascinating to see the separation of actor and character. I assume he connected with the character in ways that made reprieving the role still exciting. "I get bored easily. So, regarding the idea of returning, I was slightly worried I'd get lazy or complacent. I realised that Louis is quite different in lots of different ways. Where he left at the end of season one wasn't the same in Dubai or New Orleans. So it wasn't possible to do the same." Jacob is excited about the potential for viewers to see the unexpected whilst connecting with Louis on a personal, human level. "I think the series is extremely human. To me, vampires are just the most heightened version of humanity. They feel everything, just tenfold. Forever is a long time to sit in feelings. I love that about immortality. Life is all about endurance. It was one of the big things with Louis that I think I fell in love with." But with comfort also came a feeling of confrontation for Jacob as he discovered on a level that both he and Louis can be swept up within their feelings. "My version is that void of not feeling anything like that. It's extremities of high and low and how exhausting that feels, and you're trapped in that with seemingly no way out. Eternity is a long time. I guess Louis reminds me of some of the darker times I've had in my life and in my head but just stretched out."

A switch flicks for Jacob, throwing him back to our first interview over Zoom. "As you remember, I was worried around the time of our first interview because my album Andy came out just after my daughter was born. And suddenly, I was like having to do interviews. I think I only did three interviews because it was too raw. I remember thinking, am I going to spill out everything? I appreciate that you didn't take advantage of that." As someone who couldn't even consider the latter, at times (quite often), I know that the media world can be challenging to navigate and trust. So Jacobs's trust and vulnerability to be open with me still sits with me today. Jacob's vulnerability is clearly described in his most recent album, Andy. The body of work as a whole is so eloquently written yet, at the same time, incredibly critical within pockets of self-dreprication. "That's something that I have kind of a preoccupation with. I could barely see myself in a positive light throughout my life."

The only exception is when he feels overwhelming pride in his work. "Subconsciously, my brain made the song, and I worked through it without knowing. It's as funny as "Big and Scared". I don't know if you hear it, but I broke down in tears in that song.

Partway through the song, I had to stop because I thought I'd start crying. I'd never spoken to myself like that before. I meant it; I did. It's always been in my interest and motivation to get myself to a place where I can go on stage and do a job, but that song was a big personal moment for me." Jacob explains that its position led the rest of the album. "I'm proud of it, and it's a time capsule of myself."

"Honestly, I don't speak very kindly about myself in the first album.

So, I think subconsciously, I wanted to do something different

a second time. I wanted to do something a bit more kind, which doesn't come easily to me. It's a fight with perfectionism." How do you see your first album? "I think the first album was made out of embarrassment and almost self-deprecation, almost laughing to myself about it all." I wonder if Jacob considers his first album to have a sense of humour that the second didn't. "I almost developed a deflection technique in the first album. The second time around, I asked, how am I? Where am I?" Jacob tells me he wasn't in therapy when writing his first album, confessing it made a big difference. It isn't easy when people aren't used to that level of self-deprecation and how you speak to yourself to understand and receive a body of work, whereas I'm doing the opposite; it spoke to me on levels I wasn't expecting. "It was deeply personal.

But that's the final step of why I do any of this stuff. I think you can make music and keep it for yourself or make no attempt to get it out anywhere. But when I think about when I was growing up and some of the musicians I connected with, you work on it for as long as you need to work on it until it feels ready. It becomes less personal when I don't tend to listen to things again." Jacob explains, "When I've done shows, and I start to feel how I felt again, it can be difficult. I don't write songs retrospectively. Every song I've written is how do I feel right in that minute."

I opened up to Jacob, explaining that we are often sold a pipe dream regarding perfectionism in the creative industries and how something is only truly finished when it appears seamless, placing little worth on anything that doesn't fit snugly into that pigeonhole. "When you get to that stage where other people are metabolising it in their way, whether they agree or not, the intentions behind something you make are critical." At some point, you have to find a way to let go, even if it is for your sanity. "You can't control how other people feel about what you've made.

That's partly why I thought I would release an EP with some demos from the first album."

Having re-released an updated limited edition vinyl for 'YOU'RE A MAN NOW, BOY', I'm curious about what led Jacob in that direction. "It was convenient. It was something I've been trying to do for years. I would have liked to have it that way the day after the vinyl sold out the first time. It's not a year anniversary or anything, but I finally got to put the artwork I always wanted on it.

That stuff matters to me." How something looks and feels holds weight for Jacob: "I feel like it needs to correspond with how something feels or sounds. But it was a feeling of completion when the vinyl arrived at my house. I saw it and truly felt this was the end of this era."

As the era comes to a close, I ask about the simplicity of Joy and the rather unsimple and underestimated value it brings to Jacobs's life. It comes down to two things. "I am sticking to things rather than people because people bring me joy." Jacob taps into his emotional side again, "I feel very guided by music; my mood is very guided by it. Silence is something I find tough. I hear music in things a lot as well. I hear rhythm in things, even just in speech.

I think that was particularly tough at the beginning of lockdown.

I've always got something in or over my ears. Something I didn't know about myself until recently is that if I wake up and just put music on in the shower, it changes my chemistry. So I think that brings me joy. There's nothing other than that and human love from which I get the same euphoria."

Words Alice Gee Creative Alice Gee Photography Aaron Hurley Styling Lois Jenner MUA & Hair Stylist Eoin Whelan

46

KENZIE ZIEGLER

Kenzie Ziegler is no newbie when it comes to releasing music, already approaching her second release of the year with her latest single "Word Vomit", out March 15th; it's safe to say it does not disappoint. Kenzie continues to embrace vulnerable themes throughout many of her recent heart-wrenching ballads, including "Face to Face" and "Anatomy". I won't say too much too early, though, as we were lucky enough to sit down with Kenzie herself to discuss all things music, writing and the story behind her latest release.

Kenzie joined me over Zoom from a very sunny LA, and we got straight to it. She candidly revealed that her first memories of creating music and singing stemmed from her love of High School musical. "Every time I tell someone this, they're always like, that is hilarious, but when I was younger, I loved High School Musical; I wanted to be Vanessa Hudgens so bad, and I would sing around the house all the time, I had vocal lessons because I wanted to be her so bad, and that's my first memory of music, I fell in love with it and would do vocal lessons every single day."

That was at just six years old, and Kenzie has been creating music ever since. Her creative process has altered slightly from singing the High School Musical soundtrack; wanting to know more about how her process has evolved, Kenzie told me, "When I was younger, I would write by myself in my room on my ukelele, and as I grew older I started doing sessions with other people, and I've found my favourite group of writers that I write with, but my creative process is pretty simple, I usually come in with a concept, all of my songs are basically about my life so I come in with a concept, rant about it for hours and then we write from that, it comes so easy, but it's so important to have those friends that you can write with because I feel so comfortable writing with them especially talking about deep stuff."

Hearing Kenzie talk about this therapeutic approach to writing, I was intrigued to know how she felt once these more intimate songs written with close friends were released into the world. Telling me, "I recently put out a song called "Anatomy" about my dad and how I grew up without him being present, and I only wrote the song because my therapist told me to write a letter to my dad, and I didn't want to do that so me and my closest two friends who I work with all the time, we wrote a song about my dad, and I showed it to my therapist.

Everyone said you have to release this, this is going to help so many people, and that was a scary moment for me because not only have I been so vulnerable with the world, but I also have to share this with family members who I haven't even talked to about this certain situation. I had never even spoken to my dad about it, so it was a whole thing, but the second it came out, I realised how much it helped other people and also helped me when I saw the responses."

Wanting to know more about her writing process, specifically about her upcoming release, "Word Vomit", Kenzie told me about the song's origins, opening up about the struggles of being in a public relationship. “I recently went through a breakup with someone I was with for three years super publicly, it was honestly the hardest breakup I've been through being with someone for so long and having everyone's eyes on you the whole time. I went through a lot of crazy things during that time. I didn't even say Word Vomit one time during the song, but everything is unfinished sentences, and I was spilling how I felt; it just became this song, and it is a very vulnerable track that I am nervous about putting out because I haven't properly talked about what happened. Still, once again, I want to help people with the same struggles I went through.”

Hearing Kenzie talk about the struggles of being in the public eye, especially from a young age, I wanted to know if growing up with social media, which can be a massive aid for creativity but can also be a significant hindrance. Kenzie told me how she chooses to navigate this. "I think our generation has it very hard with social media, comparing ourselves to people through the internet and with relationships as well, it is a very toxic environment, but I feel it does give me a tough skin when it comes to releasing a very vulnerable song because there's going to be people that love it and there's going to be people that hate it, but I love it and I'm excited for people to hear how I feel."

It is clear to see how passionate Kenzie is about her upcoming releases. She tells me more about what we can expect from her new music: "My older music is a bit darker, and I'm constantly finding my sound. Of course, it changes all the time because I'm still growing up, but I still do many things depending on how I feel that day. I feel like a lot of my music, recently has been super raw and stripped down because that is my favourite music to listen to; I've been writing many sad songs ...I can't stop writing them because they are just the best."

In agreement, being a massive sad girl music lover, I asked Kenzie what she was listening to and if she had any key inspirations from other artists.

"Yebba is someone I really look up to, and she is really in her own lane and doesn't get as much recognition as she should; she's insane all around the board, and her music just itches my brain; I could go on and on, so many people inspire me and even dance in a way, I always bring that into my music, I think how would I feel dancing to this. Dance has helped me in a lot of ways."

Following on from this, I asked Kenzie if dance is still something she would consider bringing into her music; she replied "I lost my love for dance very early on. Being in the competitive dance world is super toxic and being constantly compared to others, and I'm not competitive at all but I want to get back into it just to do it for fun."

With all this talk about music and performing, I pried, asking Kenzie what is in store for the next year; she told me, "I already have my album finished, and it's set to release in July, and I'm still writing so much music I seriously think I could put a whole new album out again, but my biggest goal for the year is to tour and to perform and I do get stage fright so I need the practice, I need to go on tour and I love meeting everyone as well."

Well, we certainly can't wait to hear the album later this year.

In the meantime, you can stream "Word Vomit" on all major streaming platforms as of March 15th!

Words Hannah George Photography Kevin Amato Styling Marc Eram MUA Yasmin Istanbouli Hair Stylist Rikki Gash

62

HERE AT LAST

Pedro, Shirt, Che. Ryan, Vest & Shirt, Che.

James, Jacket, All Saints. Tommy, Che.

HATC sat down with the latest up-and-coming boy band, Here at Last.

The five lads told HATC all about life on tour, their unusual preshow ritual, and navigating virality on social media.

Reminiscing on the hay day of boy bands, I asked the band if they had always seen themselves in a boy band or whether it came about as a natural progression from their solo endeavours; the answer was pretty unanimous, they told me, “It was never something we'd have considered before, but it was just a great opportunity and the thinking behind it was that there haven't been any boy bands recently so there was a bit of a gap in the market, so we thought, give it a shot and here we are.”

Well, it has undoubtedly been a success so far. The group have only been together for the past few years; they have gained plenty of traction via TikTok and acquired a loyal fan base with just under a million on Instagram and over 3 million on TikTok. I asked the band how it feels to have garnered such traction in such a short period. “There's definitely a momentum aspect to it. When we first started TikTok, I think it was the fourth video we did went straight to 40 million views, and then from there, the followers started coming in on TikTok and then filtered onto Instagram. It was all momentum, and it was a massive kickstart.”

Social media can sometimes be a rat race, keeping up with trends and algorithms; I asked how the boys have chosen to navigate these online platforms.

“If it was just on the basis of following trends, everyone would be millionaires, and they'd be really famous, but you can't just follow trends; you have to try and be individual and trial and error loads of videos and see what works and what doesn't. We've had to do that quite a lot over the time we've been doing this, so I think we've kind of gauged what people want to see or expect from us.”

Having grown their fanbase online during the pandemic, I wanted to know what it was for the band to connect to their newfound fan base.

They told me at first, it was a struggle: “We can't put a face to a name or Instagram handle.”

Having said this, they went on to tell me how unreal it was to gradually see the positive feedback on their music, seeing this support materialise online: “It's great when people tag us with the merch on. That's mental that we've created something, then someone has bought it, and then tagged us and said I love this. I think that's crazy.”

Coming out of the pandemic, the band debuted in the flesh for the first time. They told me more about their first time performing: “We ended up performing four nights and then three nights in a row in Manchester in between. And seeing people in the flesh, compared to when you see numbers on a screen is quite bizarre.”

The band has gone from performing at 250 capacity venues to now 1800 at their recent show at the O2 Indigo, they told me how surreal this has been for them.

“I mean, there are photos we look at now, and we are just like, that isn't real. It's one of those pinch us moments. We write our own stuff and love seeing and listening to people saying the words we're actually writing, it’s a weird experience.”

Speaking to the boys, it's clear their fan base is very important to them.

I wanted to know more about how this built; they told me it's always been about building a community rich in support for one another.

“We've tried to create a tight-knit community, it almost feels like we’ve got a few 100,000 friends. We get quite a lot of messages for help with mental health issues, or even family stuff, or just hey, I've got this exam on Monday, and then you wish them luck. It's just little things like that.

We support them, and they support us.”

Speaking up about mental health has been very important for the band in terms of fostering safe spaces for their community and their music. Their latest release, 'Until Tomorrow Comes,' features themes of grief and memory.

“Releasing songs about mental health is so important because you don't often hear it coming from guys, more now than they used to, but still, men don't tend to speak about it as much as they should do. That's why I think we wanted to step out of that box a little bit and shed a bit more light on the issue.”

Writing about mental health and these more vulnerable moments is not for the weak; I asked the band more about their writing process and priorities regarding their releases.

“We write music about the mental health of ordinary life. That's what we want to write, and that means a lot to us. We didn't really go into writing sessions going, okay, what will do well, what is TikTok going to do well with. It was more, let's go in there, write a song we want to write and one that we're going to want to play live. I think that's so important for longevity- playing music that you want to play. So important.”

Having recently toured their new music, I asked how life has been for the boys, adapting to new spaces and constantly being on the go.

“Our days can be pretty hectic from one to another. It's not even just about the tour, we all live away from home, we all have days where we're feeling a bit crap, to be honest. We all also know that if you have those days, you've got four other people in the house, and if you fail, you can pick yourself up. We also give each other a bit of space because we spend a lot of time together. Sometimes, you just need that little bit of personal space. I think we're all now on the same level of understanding and it's become a really healthy household.”

Although they honestly acknowledge the struggles of touring, the boys didn’t fail to tell me how sentimental the experience was for them.

“It was one of the best weeks we had in the years we've been a band.

I think that was the most relaxed and most fun. That was an example of what we all want to do all the time. Obviously, you can't tour all the time unless you're maybe Harry Styles and Taylor Swift, which I can imagine is a different story in terms of how tired you get; it was just a really nice period. There are so many stories from the tour that none of us are ever going to forget. It was such a good time, and I think it's important that upcoming artists should know as well. Touring is really, really fun. I know it can be tiring, but it's the most fun you'll ever have doing music.”

The boys also unveiled to me their preshow ritual, and let's say it's not what you'd expect...

“So, you know how everyone goes to put hands in? We do that and say, ‘to Co-Op ‘so we go ‘to Co-Op’ because Co-Op was the first store that played our songs over that tannoy, and so every single one- and I mean every single gig- it's ‘to Co-Op ‘every night.”

As a last word, the band opened up about their dynamic as friends both within the band and as genuine mates, discussing the hardships of being an unsigned band.

“I will say that being unsigned is not easy, so we have bonded over some traumatic experiences. When I say traumatic, I mean that very lightly. It's the fact that we live together, and we eat together. When we wake up, we see each other's faces, we do everything together. The one common denominator is we just love music, and we love having a positive influence on people. The way we're looking at it is because we're so comfortable with each other, we are so unapologetically on that right?”

Here At Last’s latest release "Until Tomorrow Comes" is now available on all major streaming platforms!

Words Hannah George HATC Creative Alice Gee Photography Aaron J Hurley Styling Jessie Stein MUA & Hair Stylist Gracie Jai Cox

Tommy Shirt, All Saints. James Shirt, All Saints. Jeans, Lee Jeans. Ryan, own jacket and jeans. Pedro, Vest, All Saints. Leather Jacket, All Saints. Jeans, own.

Zach, Top, Lee Jeans. Jacket, Alpha Industries.

74

JESS GLYNNE

Dress, C Ritter.

Jess Glynne is back feeling better than ever. Following a hiatus prioritising her health and the back of the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was a well-deserved break after 9 years of nonstop writing, touring and being in the public eye. For Jess this period of rest has set a green light when moving into a new era of music, a self-confessed moment to breathe. With an accolade of awards to her name being a Grammy Award winning singer with two studio albums under her belt Jess is ready to talk about everything in between from loss, love and boundaries to her new self-titled album, Jess.

ALICE: You're bringing out new music, you've had a couple of years hiatus. What was important about taking that time for you? Has it felt good to reset?

JESS: Sometimes with writing, there's always that block and I find that I can't write if I don't know what's going on or where I'm at. The plan was never to have such a long break, it just kind of happened that way. I came off the road in 2019, and I needed a break, I was just so exhausted from touring, from performing, from the studio, from everything, and it had been seven years of nonstop. Then COVID happened and I changed my teams. I can't even believe it's been that much time at this stage. I think I needed a break at the beginning, but then I would obviously be invigorated and inspired but there were loads of obstacles. Being on the road and everything going on was super exciting, everything took off super quick, and then I was hitting everywhere. It was incredible. I had all this success, and I had a toe in around the world. It catches up with you at a certain point, and then not finding structure and balance and all those kinds of things is what is difficult. For me it just got to that point where it's been so long that I hadn't had a light moment for myself, so at the end of that world tour in 2019, it wasn't that I was sick of any of it in a negative way. It was more like I needed a moment for myself to breathe.

ALICE: It must have been strange, coming off it all and then going to the polar opposite. - you went into the polar opposite with everything shutting down during lockdown.

JESS: Having that moment to be, I don't have anyone calling on me for work and they couldn't call on me for it, so I didn't feel guilty. For me saying no to work or not turning up is my hardest thing. I think that's what I struggled with massively, not being able to avoid or not do work.

ALICE: We cover culture, mental health, and we talk a lot about it. I think we forget about all the contributing factors that goes into those things, and environmental things, being one of them, let alone pressures of the industry. Did you find that in your time off?

JESS: I think I didn't feel pressured to be creative; I knew that I was going to be taking that time anyway, so I think for me, I didn't, at the beginning, feel that way. I think I enjoyed actually making my house a home just doing me- cooking and actually just living normally, the only thing I could do was walk, and be a little homebody, which I really enjoyed. It wasn't until the end of a lot of downtime; I started to feel inspired again and wanted to start creating. I started to try to teach myself how to produce.

ALICE: Having so many eyes on you, being in the public eyehow do you manage the pressures of people always having an input, the eyes constantly on you?

JESS: It's a really complex question. There are so many elements, there's such an incredible part to it, the excitement, the payoff, living and breathing and doing, what it is you've always dreamt of doing. The fame side of it, for me, has always been the hardest part especially being a woman with all eyes on you, judging. There are all these aspects of it at the beginning, that I didn't necessarily notice so much. It wasn't until I started to burn out and I was ill and people were just treating me like a product, and then all of a sudden, my voice was gone, and I couldn't sing. It's those moments where it's okay I really need to re-evaluate how I'm working. It takes its toll. The pressures of the press and being criticised for every little thing. I've been quite fortunate in my career. I've had some moments, early on and then, I guess, towards taking a break, there were a few moments that 100% set me back. You can't make a mistake without the whole world jumping down your throat. But then those moments that are really tough to teach you. How do I want to be in the public eye? How do I want to present myself, and how do I want to interact with my fans and the world? There's been so many elements that I've had to juggle with. I think I'm actually in the best place I've been now but that's after doing a lot of therapy and having a lot of changes put in place. I had a really tragic loss in my life that sent me back again. But from that loss, I've done a lot of work. There are so many different elements.

But the public eye and being in the spotlight constantly definitely make it harder to find the balance but then again, it's a beautiful thing, at the same time, when people are celebrating you.

ALICE: Grief in itself isn't really talked about a lot and there's this idea that it's very linear, and it just passes, and I don't think that's the case. I think when you have so many eyes on you and opinions of input on how you should do things and deal with things -I can imagine as much as it's wonderful for people to have input and be excited, you must hit a point where boundaries have to be put in place.

JESS: Boundaries are massively important. I've definitely put that in place in a lot of areas, with my work, and with my personal life. I think finding the confidence in yourself to know that that's alright, as well. I know, for myself, I worry about how people judge you or react to certain decisions that you would make. For me, it's about finding what's important to me, and owning those decisions and owning those moments and keeping those boundaries. It takes a long time to get to a place in your life where you actually feel calm. Well, for me, it took me a long time to actually feel comfortable putting myself first.

ALICE: Did you find having those couple of years to kind of re-evaluate and take some time, has cemented your foundation now?

JESS: When I first wrote "Enough", I think it had a different meaning from what it has now. I think it's taken on a whole new meaning to me at this stage. I wrote it literally in 2020.

That's coming up to four years. And I think when I wrote it, it was a conversation about everything that I suppose I was going through and where I was getting to, and it was probably me trying to remind myself that I am enough and that it's all good to make the decisions that I'm making and be who I want to be. Whereas I think now, listening to it feels completely different, and singing it because it represents exactly how I feel and how far I've come. I think it is an important message massively for me and I think for people. I think the world that we live in at the moment, especially down to social media and whatever impacts so heavily on our insecurities

and how we look at our life and ourselves, and are we doing enough? Are we looking good enough? Are we there?

So we go into another event, or we go, have we got a good enough job? Are we earning enough money, like, whatever that is. And it's important to remember that everything is relevant to your situation. And you're good enough. You've got a roof over your head, and you can pitch, and I mean, there are people out there who really are going through it. And I think, the world that we live in, especially my world, the music world, and whatever, I think sometimes we forget, you know, you're alright.

ALICE: Your album that's coming out at the end of April, was that a similar process in terms of writing over a couple of years and finding its place through these years of evolution and changes that you've been through?

JESS: I think it's been a really different creation from previous records, and it's happened in so many different stages.

I started it in the lockdown when I was still with my old label and my old management, then I left my old management and left my old label. After that I was doing everything on my own for a while. I also did sessions, before I jumped into a new management and then a new label. Then, I went back in and started writing again. On the course of that, so much has happened in my personal life that sowing the seeds, and actually, bringing the whole project together has been such a journey and this album is a very good representation of where I've been what I've been feeling over the past four years. The reason I've self-titled [the new album] is that it's not because it's any more Jess than any of the other albums, but this is me now. I think it's just me wearing my heart on my sleeve, allowing myself to be vulnerable, allow myself to talk and allowing myself to say the things that maybe I wasn't comfortable enough to do before. I'm really excited for everyone to hear this record because it's still Jess Glynne, and it's never going to be an indie record, but it's definitely something I'm looking forward for people to sit with.

ALICE: Do you find that being so vulnerable, was more nerve-racking or liberating?

JESS: When we're creating, whatever the situation presents, that's how it comes about. It's never a plan. I think that’s the beauty in what I do; you never know what's going to happen or what you're going to get out of a session or what you're going to write, this record just turned out to be the way it is because I've just been free with myself and to be honest with you, I've such an incredible team around me to just let me do me and I haven't been controlled. I don't think it's ever possible to do anything all alone. You need a team, different eyes, and different opinions to be the best version of yourself. That's how you get any great success to the top. I think it's been massively important for me to be free to do what I want to do. It's also great having inspiring people around me who have been such an inspiration, and their work is very different from my old team. My mind is open to so many different things. It's an ongoing thing as it's still frickin hard out here and I'm working my ass off. As great as this journey has been, I'm at that phase where you always want to be the best. I'm competitive with myself. I always want to do the most. I always want to be the best. I always want to do everything and anything. It’s always been who I am; it’s always been in my nature, so I'll never stop being that person.

ALICE: What's something that you've solidified in the foundation of everything right now that is super important?

JESS: Getting back on stage, but I'm not gonna lie it's been so long. Yes, I've been releasing music, but I haven't been massively present, onstage. I'm just excited to have the record out, perform new songs, and just really let people hear the music. For me, that's the most important thing. I'm also really excited for the next song to come out because I love it. I think it's gonna be a nice little moment. I think it's also just finding that place in the industry and finding that place with my music and what I mean, how it works for me at this point, with social media and stuff. Part of it's taken the authenticity and real music out of it for me but then part of it, there's an excitement to it in a way as well. I think it's just a very different world. At the end of the day, music is so important to the world and it's something that will never die. I love how it makes me feel. I love being able to escape. I love being able to go to a show and feel and breathe and be in music.

I think music for me, the artists that inspired me, the Amy's, the Lauren's, the Whitney's, the Justin's, of the world, why do I love them? Why do I love those songs? Some people are gonna love it. Some people are gonna hate it. Some are gonna be indifferent. But that's what I love about music because everyone has a different opinion. I think that the way it's been sold, to the younger generations now, scares me a bit because are they enjoying music?

ALICE: We've focused this idea of joy because I realised a couple of months ago that I didn't really think about what brought me joy and it wasn't necessarily a priority because other things came up or life is life. So, we've started asking people, as we go to the end of podcasts and interviews, the question of what brings them joy, no matter how small it is or whatever it is. I just think it's important that we consider it more, if that makes sense.

JESS: Joy is an important part of life. I've learned to put myself first and do the things that are important to me because I think before it was always work is the most important thing every day. Whereas now you need to enjoy your life. I had a friend that was here one day and gone the next day, that's how short life can be. You don't know what's around the corner. Besides, you just need to make sure that you do the things you want to do and enjoy the moments because you don't know how long you’ve got. I think prioritising yourself is also a massive part of joy.

Jess’ new album, JESS is out 26 April!

Words Mia Caven HATC Alice Gee Photopraphy Cosmo Rush Photography Assistant Kiera Simpson Styling Chloe Oldridge Styling Assistant Georgia Armitage Styling Assistant Olivia White MUA Marie Bruce Hair Stylist Beth Kucic

Trench, Sylk.

Coat, TopShop.

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PICTURE THIS

Ryan, YSL 3 piece suit, SYLK. Shirt, Dior. Shoes, Sylk. Rings, Underground & Rat Betty. Cliff, Blazer, Allsaints. Trousers, Allsaints. Silk Neck scarf, Soho scarves.

Jimmy, Leather blazer, Allsaints. Shirt, Allsaints. Trousers, Allsaints. Shoes, Dr Martens. Owen, Shirt, HODO Trousers. HODO Jumper, Vintage SYLK store

Ryan, Leather jacket, Vintage SYLK.Trousers, Balmain SYLK store. Shoes, Underground. Cliff, Cardigan, Allsaints. Trousers, Zara. Jimmy, Jacket, Allsaints Trousers. Shoes, Dr Martens.

Owen, Trousers, HODO Waistcoat. Jumper, Vintage SYLK Store. Trainers, Converse.

Years before, Picture This band member Jimmy never would've thought that conversations with bandmate Ryan as he drove him home in his car would turn into a fourth studio album, aptly named Parked Car Conversations, transforming the chats into an emotional 16-track ride on the album. Since then, the band made up of Ryan Hennessy, Jimmy Rainsford, Cliff Deane, and Owen Cardiff have gone on to gain a hugely dedicated fanbase, an ever-growing bond between them, and have played shows all around the country, including supporting the Jonas Brothers and Irish rock artist, Rea Garvey next month.

As they gear up for the release of Parked Car Conversations next month, the hit Irish four-piece takes HATC's Alice into their writing process for their upcoming album. They discuss the nerves and thrills of playing brand-new songs from the yetto-be-released album right in front of lucky fans for the first time ever.

ALICE: My favourite gigs are intimate gigs. I love it, and I feel you get a bit more for your buck when you go in. A smaller crowd feels more personal.

RYAN: We've heard that a lot this last week, actually. I've seen it a lot online after the shows everyone was like, ‘you can't beat an intimate gig’. Which is funny because I always, for some reason, just naively thought everyone loves the big spectacle of arena shows or the big outdoor shows we do, which people do, obviously, but I did see that a lot of people love an intimate show, but we love it as well.

ALICE: Do you get more nervous playing smaller gigs?

RYAN: Totally! This was really nerve-racking because we're playing new songs for the first time—songs that nobody's ever heard before, playing a new song for somebody off your phone, that alone is nerve-racking, and then having to actually perform it in front of an intimate crowd that standing right in front of you is really nerve-racking, but we loved it.

ALICE: You can imagine with big spectacles, you kind of get used to everything being a well-oiled machine. Do you find that things go a little bit more spontaneous, too?

RYAN: You're so right. I would say in Manchester, for example, I ended up standing on the bar at the venue. That doesn't happen at big shows because more often you are a little bit removed. We had to walk through the crowd to get to the stage for shows, which we haven't had to do in years. But it's an amazing feeling and I think it's just cool for people to have the band walk through you and then get to the stage.

But yeah, it is just a lot more off the cuff and a lot more interaction with the crowd.

Sometimes it feels like a stand-up sometimes on stage because you get heckled, you have to respond, you know? It's fun, though.

ALICE: Then, with bigger crowds and stadiums, how do you connect with a crowd of that level?

RYAN: I think it's the music that's kind of the entryway into the connection for us because we have these big sing-along songs. The first song, the whole crowd is singing at the top of their voices. That's kind of where the connection happens, and you're in it quite quickly. There's no greater connection than that feeling of performing a song and the crowd singing it with us. From the first song, everybody's equally a part of the show and the performance. That's what we do anyway, you make the audience a part of the performance so that they're not just watching and observing a performance. They're a part of it by singing along and getting them involved, or it's just simple stuff like clapping or hands in the air or all of that stuff, letting them know that we see them and feel them.

We've always had a natural connection; I think no matter how big the shows are, I don't know why. I think maybe it is just the music and probably just how we are as people; we want people to feel seen and heard at our shows; it's not all about us, we're only there because of them. So, it's just a natural thing that we connect with audiences we play for.

ALICE: With a new album coming out, does that make you nervous when you're waiting for their first reactions?

JIMMY: Yeah, it does, when you play a brand-new song, everyone becomes very attentive because they know they're hearing a brand-new song for the first time. Having that many eyes on you all at one time, or even people recording it and stuff, it can be quite nerve-racking, obviously because for us, we would obviously have played the song in a rehearsal room or played it in front of people; it's a mixture of different things. It feels like a separate part of the show. You're delving into this kind of weird, unknown world. But we love it. And we've really loved being able to play the new songs off the upcoming album live for people because they are very live-sounding songs. They work really well in a live setting. That's something we have been told over our career is that our music is made to be performed live. So, with this album, it feels we bridged that gap a little bit. And [the new songs] are just very live energetic songs. They suit that mood. And I think the crowd can feel that. And thankfully, there's no real difference really between hearing all our new songs live and listening to them on the album. So, I think it's the perfect time to showcase it really.

Alice: Do you guys feel that when you write, you make it for live performances?

RYAN: From a lyrical point of view I would say sometimes. It's not necessarily that you do it, but you kind of know it in the moment when you do it. You're like, oh, this is something that crowd of people are going to want to sing along to, or whatever it is just lyrically. I think if you think about the outside world when you're creating a song, you might contaminate the song, and it has to be quite personal.

JIMMY: You're totally right. And I was just thinking of something that I saw recently of Rick Rubin talking about how when you make songs, it should be for you, and the

audience comes last. I think that's mental. I would actually think the opposite. I love making songs for people. Wanting people to love your song is an amazing feeling.

It's not like you're desperately trying to get confirmation that the song is good. But that's the whole reason we love writing songs. And playing it for people is because we want this to be a shared enjoyed experience. And there's nothing more enjoyable than writing music, that you know people will love and people will get something from. It's about sharing. It's not about keeping it in. And if someone likes it from the outside world, and that's whatever you want to do.

RYAN: For me, I feel a song doesn't exist until people hear it. I remember I wrote a song for Jimmy for his wedding. And it was the first time I think I'd ever written a song that I hadn't shown him. It just didn't feel the song existed to me. Until he hears it. It doesn't exist. That's exactly how it is for an audience. I'm the same. I hear people saying, ‘Oh, I just make music for myself. And if people listen to it, then-’ Just fucking stay in your room then. Just don't release it. It's a shared experience. A song doesn't exist until somebody hears it.

ALICE: I think the beauty of songs is that feeling when you listen to something and connect to the words in a way that says something you've been trying to say for so long, and that connection that fans get with it, I think, is the most special thing you can have.

RYAN: Absolutely. I think exactly what you just said hearing a song say something that you've always felt that you didn't know how to say. That's something that I've always felt over my life.

ALICE: How has it been approaching this new album, has it felt different in the approach, or have you followed the same sort of routine?

RYAN: I think it has been quite different from the others. I think it's evolved. Going into recording the album for me, I had a couple of goals, I wanted to be able to stand behind every single lyric confidently and know that I really did my best, not that I ever wasn't doing my best, but sometimes something has to fucking rhyme! But I didn't want that on this album. When it was finished and listening back, I was able to stand by that. We wanted to try and bridge the gap of how we come across live and how we are on a record. And that was a big goal for us. Like Jimmy said, I think that's something that we achieved on this. You're never going to be able to capture the live energy 100%. That's impossible, but I think we came as close as we possibly could.

JIMMY: Personality as well. I think it's so key. Obviously, when you bring out your first album, people say you've got your whole life to write that. It's actually just the rawest form of your personality coming through your music because you've never hard anyone telling you how to do it beforehand and finding that magic. Just saying, this is who we are and we're just going to translate it into music and enjoy it and also, we want to write songs that are relatable, and that people love. I think the most unique thing an artist or a band can do is showcase their own personality. Trying to sound like something else, is basically trying to change your personality, in my opinion.

ALICE: Do you find it that it's not just about the music, but also creativity in performances and that's where it's interesting, having this creative set and that's where your personality comes through?

JIMMY: I 100% agree with you. There's obviously a great thing about watching the band live and seeing them play the music but when you can add more creative and artistic ways of expressing the music, through physical format or visible formats, that just adds so much more to your performance. What is the film without the music at the end of the day? I'd say that half of the magic has gone the same way with a performance. If you can do some great visuals, have a physical set, and even have some choreography, make it a show. That's it, you want to have an all-sensory experience. It's like when you go see Coldplay? It's like walking out of the most emotional movie you ever watched, and it was just a gig!

ALICE: What would you add to the shows if you had the ultimate budget?

RYAN: Very good question! [debates between the boys commence] ALICE: Would you have you flying from one of those trapeze things?

JIMMY: I think if you made it more of an actual show performance, or if a fan comes to the show and they know they're going to be filmed on that night, that's going to be every night, will be a different movie or something.

ALICE: I've had Raye's My 21st Century Symphony live album on repeat, have you guys ever thought about doing live recordings of the shows?

JIMMY: We have made some live recordings and videos we put up on YouTube, which have been really amazing. We've never actually made a decision to film a live show and actually do it as a proper release. But I think it's definitely something we are going to do in the near future for that exact reason that you said, our live show has crazy fans, and there's a lot of energy,capturing that properly with an actual film crew, I think it's something we're going to do. I'm surprised we haven't done it.

RYAN: I'm surprised we haven't either ALICE: Thinking about intimacy in writing, how has it been getting to those places where you are so intimate, and you're kind of baring your soul and for people to take it however they take it that must be nerve-racking in itself?

JIMMY: Ryan is obviously the main writer of the band, but I just want to reference,

actually, Parked Car Conversations and how that one came about. Ryan and I were on a writing trip together on an Airbnb down in Ireland. Ryan had mentioned that title to me the night before. He said, I want to write something called Parked Car Conversations and me being oblivious half the time, I didn't realise that it's actually about our relationship, that we spent a lot of our early years in the band, I'd drive Ryan, home in the car, and we'd sit in the car and plan the whole future of the band in the car. But then, as it went on, and Ryan started actually writing the lyrics the next day, it became very, very emotional, even between the two of us, me and Ryan, delving into a very personal thing about ourselves.

I think, having that key when you're writing a song, that if from the get-go, it's already about something very personal and emotional, people will relate to that a lot easier. Because it's just very raw. And having that kind of rawness where we're thankful that Ryan can do that because [Ryan] can write something very quickly, but very raw and very genuine. I think that really comes across to the fans. I think when you're genuine, writing a song, it has real personal weight behind it. It's very easy for fans to get involved. I'm a fan of a lot of artists, obviously and I've had extreme emotional reactions to songs because I know they come from a personal place or I know what they're about. So, I think that's, for me, that's kind of the foundation and fact that Ryan writes lyrics and listening to what Ryan has to say a lot of the times, and as a fan. I can kind of feel how, wow, that's something really, really personal.

Yeah, it's a lot easier to relate.

ALICE: Do you ever have it where Ryan writes something, and you don't realise you're feeling that way?

JIMMY: Totally. And again, I'm talking about me. It's a great skill that Ryan has, which is exactly what you said there. Being able to say things using your vocabulary and words to bring someone to an emotional state, you know, is a great talent. And you know, that is already a great talent to have when you pair it with an emotionally driven pain, a part of our conversation, and you could relate instantly. I think everyone can relate to it because everyone has had that thing. I think it's taking the simplest thing and using music and your lyrics to try and transfer it into this otherworldly thing. That's the grey area of magic that no one can figure out.

ALICE: You guys travel all the time with one another. So, there must be that inherent kind of moral support, can you read each other like a book?

RYAN: I think I can read all of you. Because we've just spent so much time together, you know, and continue to do so. I think it's good that we're all very different from each other, you know, four very individual people with different traits. And that kind of helps, actually, because there's not a lot of clashing that happens. We all fit into our own, our own place. And there's always just an underlying, unspoken togetherness and support among us. You don't always have to talk about it. You don't always have to say, I'm here for you, or I know you're going through something. Sometimes, it's just a feeling that you get when you're that close as a group. And that alone is comforting enough. Sometimes without having to talk about something.

ALICE: What's something that lights you up?

RYAN: Thats a very good observation because I think people do joyful things but are not present. So, they're somewhere else in their mind. So, they're not actually enjoying this joyful experience that's happening. I like dancing. I love being on stage and getting to perform that. That's a very obvious one. But I also have been going to a lot of Northern Soul nights. Just dancing all night, no drinking. It's just a really nice atmosphere that's created on those nights. There's just something about moving your body that's just joyous. I think, whether that's exercise or performance, or dancing, or whatever it is, there's something about the movement of your body.

That just feels great. Just gives me a lot of joy.

ALICE: One of the things that I did in the PTSD therapy pathway was I learned was this weird, way to dance. I felt like an absolute tit, I'm not going to lie, when they made us do it in front of everyone. I don't even know how to describe it, but it's really good for your nervous system, and it actually worked!

RYAN: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It's just fun. You feel like a fucking idiot sometimes, for sure. But that's what's fun. Yeah, it is just about embracing it. Jimmy dances all the time.

JIMMY: There's no shame, and I don't get embarrassed.

ALICE: If you could pick any genre of dance to do, what would it be?

RYAN: For me, it's Northern Soul JIMMY: I love disco, 70's style music. It's just fun because it just feels it's on a loop.

CLIFF: For me, joy is a good coffee in the morning, but there are a lot of things I find change the older you get when it comes to your needs. When I was younger, I wanted a lot more things. And I find the older I get I don't feel I need a lot of things. But one thing I do for myself is when we go on tour. The first few days are probably just about getting settled in. And then once you get settled in, it's an amazing feeling that you can just go forever, and that is something that I absolutely love. Once you kind of kick into the rhythm of it all.

ALICE: What's it like being on tour together?

JIMMY: To be honest. We're not crazy. We've had some crazy times! You know, we've done some stuff! But nothing too crazy. We don't drink that much. None of us do drugs and never have, so that's a lot of craziness immediately dead.

We're very close to four of us. We're good friends. And it's like being on holiday with

your friends all the time. Everything's a good idea. You can't say no to anything. It's because you feel like children and the whole world is at your doorstep. You know when you're a child, and you get a ring for free or here's a cinema ticket or here's food. And when you're in the band, it's exactly the same thing. Here are free tickets to that. Here is this, and you're just living very much in the moment. And I understand why people want to go on tours and experience that. Now there are times when it's a bit shit, and you don't sleep, but ultimately, it's the camaraderie between the four of us, I think it's great. It's a very key factor to our success I think.

RYAN: Yeah, absolutely. It's very cliché as well but walking on stage with the boys is when I feel some of the most camaraderie I've ever felt in my life. Because I feel for solo artists who have to walk on stage alone. I know they have musicians and stuff, but it's not the same as the four of us walking on as four equal members. I just feel there's just subconscious support and togetherness that we have, and I just feel so safe. I'm on stage with the boys, and there's a beautiful sense of camaraderie that I feel really intensely.

ALICE: It's also that shared experience that's really personal.

RYAN: So true. Because there's a lot of stuff. All of the experiences we've had and my favourite experiences in my life have been with us. It just wouldn't be as special if I did it by myself. We were only saying recently I was in LA without the band recently and it was just- we have had such amazing times in LA and some of our favourite memories are from there when we've been together. And then I was there by myself, and it just wasn't as fun. Then Cliff came out, and it became a little bit more fun. [being in LA solo] It just wasn't the same. There's an amazing kind of magic and sharing experience with other people that just makes it more meaningful.

Picture This' brand-new album, Parked Car Conversations, is out April 26th!

The band is set to play some UK festival shows and outdoor shows in Ireland this summer.

Their headline UK & European tour starts in October. Tickets are on sale now.

Words Madison Drew Photography Chloe Maylor Styling Chloe Oldridge MUA & Hair Stylist Gracie Jai Cox Styling Assistant Amelia Connolly

Ryan, Shirt, Rowing Blazers.Jumper, Marni. Trousers, Balmain SYLK store. Shoes, Underground. Ring, Rat Betty. Cliff, Jumper, Rowing Blazers. Trousers, Zara. Shoes, Dr Martens. Jimmy, Trousers, Armani. Cardigan, Zara. Shoes, Dr Martens. Owen, Shirt, YSL. Jacket, Levi’s Jeans.

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NELL MESCAL

Jacket, LAUREN PERRIN. Skirt, LAUREN PERRIN. Shoes, ALL SAINTS. Watch, HEXTER AND BAINES

Jacket, SIMONE ROCHA. Dress, SUSAMUSA. Shoes, DR MARTENS. Watch, HEXTER AND BAINES.

I had the pleasure of speaking to Nell Mescal, a rising star in the indie-verse. With her debut EP, Can I Miss It For A Minute? coming out, we discussed the emotional toll it can take with the pressure of thousands waiting for your creations, her experiences supporting the likes of Florence the Machine, and more.

all these bracelets they give me, and I love that aspect of it. Meeting people after shows is so important to me. I'm afraid to get to a point where I can't do that because it's so lovely. And I really do appreciate anything that, getting to meet as many people that want to meet me. It's iconic. It's my favourite.

MIA: You have released two singles so far this year. How did those releases feel for you?

MIA: You've gone to loads of festivals and performed at festivals. You've even supported Florence & The Machine.

Those are massive accomplishments, how were those experiences for you?

NELL: Scary. With the first one, we had just written the song. So, it was probably the quickest turnaround. I remember thinking am I even gonna like this in a month? But I love it so much. So I'm very happy. I feel it was interesting to release another song literally the same week, a year from the first kind of release I did. It was full of energy. I wanted to encapsulate that again going into this year, but with a more mature edge. I got that with "Killing Time", which was such a relief. And then, with "Warm Body", I was absolutely terrified. It's probably what I know; everyone is always saying this is my most personal or whatever. But I do think we're embodying that so much.

MIA: So obviously, this is prep for your debut EP. How are you feeling about that happening?

NELL: It's so strange to have a project that you've worked really hard on it. Last year, I released a lot of music, but I think it was mostly for the sake of playing. But going away and actually putting together a project, that’s my baby; I care so much about her. Emotionally, I'm tying up those loose ends of my life and being able to put that away and put a bow on it before saying ‘It's yours now’.

MIA: Literally, the next thing I was gonna say is, I know, from speaking to loads of musicians, a lot emotionally goes into making music. So, do you feel it sometimes takes a positive or negative toll on you when writing music? Is there a process that's just a bit tiring? Or really healthy for you?

NELL: I think it's always a little bit different. But there'll definitely be some songs that I'm writing that I'm so sad about writing. Oh, my God. And then, give it a few days, or a few weeks or time away from them before thinking, ‘Oh, I'm so glad I said it’, even if it was hard, especially because I don't really filter things, obviously I try to be considerate and careful. Because a lot of my songs are about other people, and so the most I filter out is when I'm trying to be considerate of people that I'm writing about, even if I'm writing about something bad that they did. Because the songs are going to be there forever. And I don't know, I think you have to be careful with other people's feelings, even if they weren't careful with yours. So, I think when I'm writing without a filter, it can be really difficult. And I have no privacy. But I do think it's important. Any emotion is. But also, as soon as I release a song, obviously, I'm scared the first day, and then it's so fine - other people have written about scarier things or whatever.

MIA: So you perform a lot; as you mentioned, what is your favourite thing about performing?

NELL: Just being in a room with people who really care or trying to win over a crowd, like at a festival when no one really knows who you are. It's a thrill like no other. It's exciting.

But I have that connection with the people that come to my shows. Usually, when I'm not on a shoot, I usually have

NELL: You are so out of body supporting Florence or Dermot Kennedy, which was back-to-back-to-back. I can't explain what that week was like. There's so much adrenaline.

You're so excited but you're also nervous. I do think that the nerves were completely overtaken by the adrenaline of it all. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited for my band and for my family to be there. It was so fun and so exciting.

I get emotional, but I think the shows always come at a time when I needed something.

MIA: It's quite a broad question. But what would you say is your favourite experience so far in your music journey?

NELL: I think every single show. There's been a handful of shows where it's been stressful, or I've been in my head, and I haven't enjoyed that. I've been playing my whole life.

I've been singing in choirs but actually being an artist… As soon as I tried my first tour, I remember thinking this has to happen.

MIA: I mean, music is such an emotional thing for most people, whether they're making it or listening to it, what is it that you want people to mostly take away from your music? I know you said you write a lot about what about people or what people have done to you? What is it that you want people to listen to that and think about or feel?

NELL: I think there's always some sort of thing that is resembling hope. I hope that all my songs are prophetic in some way. But with every single song, there's something, whether it's a guitar line that feels fresh air or something, even with the dark stuff, "Warm Body", which is quite dark for me. But there are some things that I pop in that brings it up. There's a line in it about my best friend, Emily, telling me to breathe. It’s nice listening to sad songs and feeling sad with them, but there's something even better about feeling so sad and then just the feeling, oh my god, it's actually okay. In all of these situations, it's essentially my experience but not a solo experience.

MIA: That process from there to here has been huge. It's been an upwards trajectory. What would you say that has been something that's been scary in terms of handling being an uprising artist?

NELL: There are definitely weeks where you are a little bit more stressed out. Or are there times when everything happens all at once? It's definitely overwhelming. I think that it's so fun getting to do it, even today. I wouldn't have ever thought I would ever do this as I was quite self-conscious. I can get stressed, but more often than not, I tend to my inner child.

MIA: If there's one thing you want to achieve with your music, what would you like to achieve?

NELL: I think I want to be doing it forever. I want to do it for as long as possible. So longevity. As long as I get to play, I want to keep going and bring as many people on the journey. What excites me about getting the EP out is that I don't want to have to write about this forever. It's been a part of my life that I've been really sad for, but I'm also really grateful for getting to finish it and put it away. There's other stuff I want to write about, so getting to put that away, I can move on around it. There are some things I don't want to write about yet. I'm sure I'll find a way to write one day. It's weird that I will try to write a song about something, and my brain says, no, not today. I've been writing a lot of love songs recently. I'm not in love. It's just interesting. Before, if I had tried to do that, it wouldn't have worked.

MIA: What would you say to people who struggle, who listen to you and who love music? What would your message be for them?

NELL: Every time I get asked something I think how do I say it without being cringy? To feel your feelings? It's great to listen to sad music and really feel it or understand why you're feeling it and knowing the song is going to end.

There's a movie that I actually think everyone should watch.

And this is my advice for everyone. Watch Perfect Days.

[For a moment, we both talked about how much we loved that movie and shared how we truly both think people need to watch it.]

NELL: And hug trees.

MIA: So finally, aside from your EP and the gigs that you have coming up, what are you looking forward to most with music future?

NELL: I think it's just reaching people. It's hard to look past the EP right now. Because it's my thing. I just can't wait for people to hear it. This is my base. My foundation. I'd like to have the ability to build on it. I'm excited for people to see that.

Nell’s EP, Can I Miss It For A Minute, is out 3rd May Words Mia Caven HATC Creative Alice Gee Photography Betty Oxlade-Martin Styling Elodie Purcell MUA Rebecca Robinson Hair Stylist Evelyn Davies

Dress, SELF PORTRAIT. Shoes, PULL & BEAR. Watch, HEXTER AND BAINES.

114

BUCK BRAITHWAITE

Jacket, Represent.

Vest, Vivienne Westwood.

Actors are committed to their work, even if it means falling on a horse during an intense battle sequence with props when you've never ridden a horse in your life in the middle of a desert. Crazy right?

After landing his most significant role to date as historical figure Alexander in Alexander: The Making of a God for streaming giant Netflix and being under the eyes of Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg in Apple In TV+'s high-budget TV series Masters of the Air,' Buck Braithwaite tells HATC about the reality of entering the world of acting. From working amongst Barry Keoghan to embracing the intensity of film shoots to tackling the anxieties of auditioning and waiting for the next big job, Buck opens up about his journey so far, which all started with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in his primary school musical.

ALICE: Let's talk about how you got into acting and where your passion began.

ALICE: What happened when you got the role and realised you'd have to learn how to ride?

BUCK: As soon as I got the job, we were due to fly out within a week. So, I had one or two lessons before going out, so I at least looked like I knew how to get on a horse. I'm actually allergic to horses so I lived off antihistamines for two months.

ALICE: Some scenes looked tricky, and that's coming from someone who's ridden for years!

BUCK: I think we had five days before we started shooting to have horse-riding lessons, including hair and makeup rehearsals. So they put you on this horse and say, "Okay, here's the sword. Go over there and fight with your mates!" And there are about ten guys on horses over there with swords. And then you're kind of just like, "Well… I suppose. Now I'm here, it's now or never!" They give you tips throughout, and there are incredible stuntmen, too, but it was a very intense crash course.

ALICE: Here's the real question... did you fall off?

BUCK: As a kid I was in all the school musicals, all the choruses from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' to Fagin's gang in Oliver. My best mate Stuart got the part of Artful Dodger over me and still teases me about it today. At the time, I was curious if it was a real-life job you could do for a living. So, I went to do work experience in a broking office. I wanted a change, and I did it for a week. I remember thinking I could do this. This is a real job. I was still doing drama at the time and I hadn't fully decided until I watched Bronson with Tom Hardy, which had me hooked. I rewrote the whole film for my GCSE drama piece, this little scrawny 14-year-old boy pretending to be this absolute beast of a man shouting at all these prisoners.

I thought that's it. I'm going to give this shenanigan a crack. And then here we are, ten years later.

BUCK: Once.

ALICE: That's pretty impressive, considering how complex some of the scenes were and that you'd not been riding for very long!

BUCK: I jumped, or more so, I took the initiative to jump off because the horse panicked, and it ran off into the desert. I cut my foot on the stone paving slabs, but apart from that, that was the only injury we had, which was surprising because we had to choreograph and do a lot very quickly on the day, which I loved. I love a bit of danger. I do better in high-pressure, fastpaced environments, I think, because you have to do it. It's convenient.

ALICE: There's not a lot about you on the internet. You have to dig and then what you find isn't always true (I tease Buck for the various ages I found online).

ALICE: Every actor has that big moment, that big role. Do you think that was what Alexander was for you? It was for Netflix, after all, a mega streaming platform.

BUCK: Yeah, it's not all true. I'm not 36.

BUCK: I think so, but that's also because it's part of history.

Alexander is a huge historical figure. That was so far out of the jobs I've done that it feels like a personal achievement. I'm proud of how it came out in the end. When I auditioned, I had this thick Greek accent in the audition, and I thought, I've obliterated this; they're probably going to be offended, and [My agents] will come back to me and say can't even send that. So, I didn't think I was going to get it. A few months later, my agent called me and said, "Oh, Netflix wants to meet with you." That time, I didn't use the Greek accent.

ALICE: This is your chance to set the record straight, I joke. Out of the roles you've done over the past few years, what's been a standout?

BUCK: I feel [Alexander] was my largest role over the last few years. It's my first lead. It's just the pure scale of Alexander's story. How huge it was, it's unfathomable. It's epic, it's passionate, there's horses, it's intricate and it's sensitive. I learned a lot on that job. I'm quite indecisive about my decisions sometimes as an actor. It was such an intense shoot, and we had to deliver a lot in a concise amount of time. So, I would second guess myself at times. I have learned to trust my decisions even more now. Not so much by choice but because I didn't have time to debate. I feel like that was helpful for me because I'll dabble in decisions for hours if you give me the opportunity so it was nice to make a decision and run with it because we had to shoot six episodes in six weeks, which you should usually have a month to shoot an episode. We were doing, like five, six scenes a day.

Also choreographing for the battles and all that.

ALICE: I imagine accents can be tricky, especially as I wouldn't want to offend anyone if it didn't do it justice.

BUCK: I needed to figure out where to start. My colleagues at work gave me the name of this Greek singer, and I went home and spent two days watching interviews. I don't know what noises were coming out of my mouth, but something worked. I won't put [getting the role] down to the accent (Buck Laughs).

ALICE: What about Masters of the Air? What a stellar cast! Did that make it intimidating to approach?

ALICE: Did you learn how to ride horses?

BUCK: This is one of those classic, mendacious actor things you say yes! Your agent calls you and asks, "Can you ride a horse?" and I say, "Yeah. Sure! I used to ride when I was younger. I'm a bit rusty, but I'll pick it up." not thinking you're going to get the callback.

BUCK: Well, it was interesting. After eight years of trying, it was my first professional TV job. So, to have Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg hanging around felt like a ridiculous joke. It was a gigantic juggernaut of a production, which is misleading for someone at the beginning of their career because not all jobs are like that. It was wild. There were so many of us, a few hundred cast members. For a TV show, you might have 15, and it

might even go up to 50. But this was on a much larger scale.

There were a lot of young guys together, thriving at the beginning of their careers, and they were so grateful and excited just to be there. It felt fantastic to have a lot of people in the same position. To go off to lunch and sit there chatting with Barry Keoghan and Austin Butler, who are incredible, felt outrageous.

It was a crazy, surreal experience. But as you said, it was the first job I signed up for and the last one that came out. That's how long ago it was. It was two and a half three years ago that I started filming that.

ALICE: How was the experience playing the role of historical people, some of whom are still alive? You feel you want to do it justice. Is there an added pressure, or is it more of an incentive?

BUCK: I think a bit of both. Every character was based on a real person. Everyone obviously felt a huge responsibility to do them justice and honour their stories. It is easy for people not to comprehend the scale and the entirety of what happened.

Being a part of that production, I felt submerged in its history for many months. It's a lot. You just hope that it resonates with the heroes' families and shines a light on this story for everyone else who's unaware. You hope it educates people on all of it, and yeah, it's a spectacle. It's quite something to watch.

ALICE: Is the character you play still alive?

BUCK: He went missing in action, so it was never clarified if he was in a prisoner of a war camp or if he died. They have the 100 Bomber Group websites where anyone can learn about the person they're playing.

ALICE: It must have been incredible, especially on the scale at which it was produced.

BUCK: Especially coming off the back of Band of Brothers as well. It's going to be the final trilogy. You're going to have all these expectations when you make them. When we went to the premiere, we saw the first episode. Me and George [Webster] sat next to each other in awe. The battle scenes also come to life because we film in a hydraulic tangent called The Volume. It was epic.

ALICE: After such a long time filming, it must be nice to see it come full circle.

BUCK: It's nice to have a small part in that show. It's cool to work with guys and remember them all when you see them all in their scenes. It was an incredible experience.

ALICE: Do you enjoy travelling to different countries and being in different cultures when filming?

BUCK: We filmed [Alexander: The Making of a God] in Morocco for six weeks in the desert. I was in Belfast last year. I like to travel and experience different places.

ALICE: How long were the days on Alexander: The Making of a God? BUCK: You get picked up at 4 am from the hotel. It'd be like an hour and a half journey some days. You'd get to set for six and make up, and then you'll be back in a hotel at 10 pm, after a long day of battles, before grabbing some food and learning your lines for the next day. So, some days, you'd get four hours of sleep.

ALICE: If you could pick anything, what's a role that you'd love to do?

BUCK: Anything Quentin Tarantino. He's got one more film

he's shooting later this year, so I don't know how I will get in….

I guess I'll have to send him this magazine!

Anything with him, I think he's one of the best writers of dialogue.

ALICE: As a working actor, what's it like coping with the down time?

BUCK: There's so much time where you're just in limbo, waiting to hear from auditions, or just waiting to get an audition and just thinking when the next one will come and if I'm you're going to work again. You find yourself checking your emails every five minutes, even though your agent is on VIP so if anything important comes through it'll pop up on the Home Screen. You get into a state where it might go for a week, and all you've thought about is when the next thing will come up rather than being present.

My dad teaches a lot about mindfulness. He does these stress-free seminars. He's always taught me to be present and try and stay in the moment, which is much easier said than done. It's great to have him there and talk reason into me when needed. I work better in high-pressure environments because I don't have time to sit there and think about everything. It's essential to take stock and be grateful for what you've got and the friends around you. I have to remind myself I've been doing it for ten years; I've come this far, so I need to relax.

Words Alice Gee Photography Chloe Maylor Styling Alice Gee

Jacket, Represent.

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ELLE COVES

Rising artist, Elle Coves is giving all the yeehaw pop the music scene needs. At just 19-year-old, Coves has come a long way in a short time since falling in love with song writing as a teen in Ireland. Growing her fanbase of yeehaw gen-Z girlies who connect with her realistic lyrics of heartbreak, joy and screaming to Harry Styles’ discography.

Her songs have that youthful carefree essence, ones that ache to be included on the soundtracks to your favourite coming-of-age films, certainly those from her newly released EP, Selfishly Inclined.

Elle speaks to HATC about her journey to releasing her first EP as she braves the music world, learning about the artform through recording her hit songs in her bedroom to supporting Cate on her UK last year: “It was great. I’ve done a couple of supports and small little tours around Ireland, but this was my first UK tour with Cate. So, it was really lovely. Also touring with a girl was very fun. We’d get ready together and just do little things like it was just really wholesome and her team is incredible.”

with my mum.

“[Cate’s] audience as well. Her fans are really welcoming. I felt very safe. I think that allowed me then on stage to be more open. I didn't feel very shy. I'm fine with playing. It's just sometimes the talking bits, I can go a little bit shy. Or, you know, I will stumble on my words. But I felt quite comfortable. Because the energy was so welcoming I was like, this is great! And I felt more confident on stage. Also doing so many shows, one after the other. Just, it's crazy. Because you make mistakes, you don't know things and you learn them, and you get to do it again the next day. So, I just thought that was amazing.”

And then, Conor asked me ‘Do you write songs?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, you know, I’m starting to’ And then he said to me that I should just write a song a day and he was going to listen to them and give me notes. And I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is ideal’, I took it quite literally.

And I sent him a song a day. it was a bit overkill. But it was great because I would send him something. And he would actually just give me advice and I’d send him the corrected version. He’d be like, ‘great’, and then it'd be the next song and we did that for a year.

ALICE: What artist would you love to support on tour?

ELLE: I feel like everyone would say this, but I'm a huge Noah Kahan fan. Noah would be insane. Obviously, Taylor [Swift]. Maggie Rogers as well. Maggie was a huge, huge, huge, huge, influence when I started writing songs. And just in general, sonically. I just think she's cool, so that'd be insane. Just to hang out with as well. I would just love to just be on that tour.

ALICE: Let's talk about music growing up, where it all started and how it's come to where you are now.

ELLE: I grew up in Germany, my parents are Spanish. We had this big group of friends, loads of my parents’ friends, they were all kids from the same kindergarten (nursery). We were all the same age and we all used to get together on weekends. And all the adults played instruments except my parents. There was always music around the house, but my parents didn't play any instruments! My parents told me that I started asking for a guitar when I was about four. So, it was always something that I was just drawn to. I started playing and I did covers. I made up a couple of songs. But I didn't really write songs.

And then we moved to Ireland when I was 13.

ALICE: How do you adapt to moving to Ireland during your teenage years?

ELLE: I learnt English in school. And I loved it. So, I was kind of excited. But I don't think I really realised what that entails. I had a really cool group of friends, and I didn't realise that friendships, you have to maintain them, especially at that age. We went back to Germany the following year; I went back to school because they finished school later than in Ireland. So, we'd finish school in Ireland and go to Germany back to my old class for like, three weeks. And the first year was great. We were all 15 and we got on well still and it was great. Then the following year, we went back and then I think how you change from like 14 to 16 is pretty, pretty huge. So there I kind of realised how much effort it takes when you move away to maintain friendships.

I'm used to having few friends scattered. I have a couple of friends in Ireland. couple of friends in Spain, so I’m kind of used to the long-distance friendship thing now. Now I think that was a lesson.

Honestly, all the first songs that I wrote, they're friendship breakup songs. They weren't like romantic breakups.

So then when we moved to Ireland, that's when I met Conor O’Donohoe my manager when I was 14. We met at a Wild Youth gig and I was

ALICE:I love that your mum was like “Hey, will you manage my daughter?”

ELLE: Yeah, it was kind of a bit like, “Oh, you know, we were just trying to get anyone to listen to me” and get discovered thing. I was a bit shy around that time. So, my mom was more outgoing than me. And she used to just be like, “Hi, I'm Esther and my daughter sings!” so that's what she did with Conor.

I had some covers on YouTube. And she sent him one. We didn't have the intention of him managing me. It was bit like, Oh, he's in a band.

He knows music. We have no one in the industry we know, we don't know how to get started. I hadn't really written songs at that point, like, song-songs. I'd attempted to write stuff, but it wasn't serious.

Then I went to the studio twice in Dublin and Conor showed me how to be in a studio. I had no idea how anything worked.

ALICE: I think it’s just one of those expectations to know everything already, especially in this industry.

ELLE: Yeah, I was so used to listening to my songs with just my vocals and a shitty keyboard I had. He’d be like ‘How do you hear this part?’ And I didn't have that developed because I didn't know it was possible. So, it was really nice to have Conor and my producer (Cormac Butler) teach me how to. That was great. And then lockdown happened immediately after.

Then we had to figure it out. And I think it was my mom again-my mom's the best- She saw a lot of artists were doing Zoom sessions.

She thought I could do it so I did a couple of Zoom sessions until October 2022.

'Summer' was a song that I literally wrote in my bedroom. I recorded the vocals in my bedroom and those were the final vocals on the record. Because sometimes [recording] can be a bit like the back and forth. It is fun, but it's a bit intense. It's really expensive as well. So sometimes if I have to get a vocal out, I'll just do it at home, and send it over. I’ve done that for a couple songs.

ALICE: I think it’s great that we now have flexible working spaces and sometimes the best ideas come out first at home.

ELLE: It's so much more accessible really. You don't need to be a genius producer, you can just record, comp, and cut your own vocals, and it's pretty straightforward and then send them, which is just what I do.

ALICE: It’s great that you are outspoken and ask for help from your peers.

ELLE: I want to be constantly improving, I’m trying to, there’s a million things even just doing the shows, setting up and stuff. I'm like, Oh, God, all these cables! I think that first day of show rehearsals, I felt a bit useless, and I felt really shitty. I was like, I have no idea. But then I'm like, well if I don't do this, I'm not going to learn. I'm not going to magically know. These people have done this a million times. They’re pros. So, I need to be watching and learning and asking questions.

Honestly, it was my producer Cormac who taught me how to do the vocals and once I knew that you're just cutting now. It makes my life so much easier. I think it's important to ask for help because no one is born knowing.

ALICE: What's one of your goals for music?

ELLE: I'd love to maybe start sketching out an album. I want to release a second EP after my first.

[Selfishly Inclined], was just taking songs that were written and putting them together. Sketching out an album or thinking just a bit more concept, even if it's not a concept album. Just thinking about it more because I have no idea. I'm already sketching out the second EP, but an album is quite like a milestone.

ALICE: I saw your recent trip to Nashville on your Instagram, how was that?

ELLE: I stayed in Nashville for two weeks for a writing trip last October. And I loved it. And that was just testing the waters. I was there for a week before the Cate tour. I literally came home. I was home for two days. And then went on tour.

ALICE: Is there a location that you feel most connected to?

ELLE: Probably my home (Ireland) Usually, I go home, and I write for a week or two and then I'll collect my best ideas. And I'll go to the studio with my best ideas. That's how I write, so home is always where I gather my thoughts and just reconnect and think about what I want to say.

ALICE: Are you in a certain era? What vibe do you feel like you are currently in?

ELLE: Some people were asking, like, ‘Oh, so it’s country.’ I’m not a country artist. I just think there are elements of country and Americana that I really enjoy just fusing that with pop. It's something that I’m starting to explore with a producer (Todd Clark) I met in Nashville that I'm working with a lot. I’m just exploring it, but I’d definitely say I’m in a little yeehaw era.

ALICE: Do you ride horses?

ELLE: Not well! My aunt used to love horses So when I was little, more. But then I took some riding lessons for the "Lost Cowboy", and I felt like it was the perfect excuse. I try not to stick to [the country genre] but it’s something that I really enjoy, and I really love country music.

With a pen for writing about relatable stories of young romance and her ever-growing love for music that she continues to study, Elle Coves is surely on her way to being a rockstar.

Elle’s new EP Selfishly Inclined is out now!

Words Madison Drew

Conor O'Donohoe, the Dublin-born singer and songwriter, set his place in the industry after being a contestant on Eurovision as the lead singer of the band Wild Youth.

O'Donohoe started performing music as a teenager in his local area of Dublin; as he grew older, O'Donohoe had an unfortunate accident that had him housebound; it was during this time that he started playing piano and fell into the world of songwriting. Since then, music has been an integral part of his life, leading to the formation of his band Wild Youth, consisting of three fellow Irish musicians, one being David Whelan, a long-term childhood friend of O'Donohoe's. The band released their debut single, "All or Nothing", in 2017, later followed their debut album, The Last Goodbye, in 2019, which resulted in great success for the band, enabling them to tour with the likes of Nial Horan, West Life and Lewis Capaldi. The height of the band's time together came in 2023 when they represented Ireland at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest with their song "We Are One" which took them to the contest's semi-final. Since then, Conor O'Donohoe has shifted his career ambitions, taking on music management as his current endeavour. O'Donohoe says it was "Managing (that) fascinated me as much as being in the band. Two years of being in the band and kind of having that role, I learnt so much."

At present, Conor works alongside his older brother within the Ikon family. W agency, whilst at first, the agency had a key focus on sports, O'Donohoe built up the music side of things in the hopes of becoming 'One of the best management companies in the world', stating, "With me writing music, I was never like I have got to be the best in the world. Don't get me wrong, I always believed in myself, but when it comes to music management, I could be part of a company that could be one of the best in the world."

Conor's transition from performer to manager has been a natural progression, which he always wanted to focus on whilst in the band but feared he 'would be stretched too thin.' His mentorship with musician Elle Coves cemented his shift over to managing. Conor was introduced to Elle at one of his gigs by her mother, who was only young at the time; Elle was eager to ask Conor's advice on her music. For years, Elle would reach out to Conor for advice, telling her, "If you write a song, I'll always respond to your email. She must have written around 365 songs in one year, no joke. As promised, I gave feedback on every song, and I started to notice that her writing was getting better and better. She was really taking my advice on board." A few years later, Elle was invited by Conor to attend a few studio sessions, and from this came the song 'Summer.' The following year, Conor began managing Elle and has since gone on to sign a big publishing deal and record an EP. Conor speaks very highly of her, stating, "There's a massive kind of hype around her as an artist, which is such an exciting thing to be a part of and managing her has been incredible."

At present, Conor continues to manage Elle Coves and Joker Out (band) while growing his agency, Ikon W.

Lets * Talk * Chronic * Illness *

Coping the best I can.

Hoping for healthiness and tranquillity.

Re-visiting what I desire from my life and new unexplored boundaries.

Overthinking my milestones I’m getting left behind.

Never making my commitments, I am so sorry.

Invisible illness…but you don’t look sick?

Chaos.

I sense feelings of blame and defeat for not satisfying others anticipations of what I can do.

Loaded with heartache and grief over the old me.

Loneliness, crippling loneliness.

Not all medics understand me.

Enjoying and appreciating ‘ok days’, every day and every hour is a different feeling.

Snap out of it, it’s all in your head.

Sorry if I come across as quiet, I am so exhausted.

Words Bronte Evans