Student Pocket Guide - Summer 2021 Belfast #46 | Student Magazine

STUDENT POCKET GUIDE SUMMER 2021 #46 BELFAST

R I S E AG A I N ST F E A R N E C OT TO N T H E VA M P S DAV I D H AY E

STUDENT DISCOUNTS :: EMBARRASSING MOMENTS :: NETFLIX SHOWS ABS AND CORE WORKOUT :: ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS AND MORE

E D I T O R ’ S

L E T T E R

It’s been over a year since we rst entered lockdown, and while it’s been a bumpy ride, it’s inspiring to see how far we’ve come since then.

Smart Sma spending is vital during these trying times, so be sure to ick through our magazine and check out the online shopping tips, student discounts, and 'Inside Info' article to nd out how you can earn good money by becoming an SPG Student Ambassador! Staying t is equally important, so why not try out our abs & core workout courtesy of Ben Coleman, or get started with yoga using our beginner’s tips? Still unsure about indoor gatherings? Our guide to hosting your own Mexican style banquet will let you take advantage of the hot summer weather! ga gargen We must remember that small businesses have been hit extremely hard by the lockdown measures and show our support. Visit your local pub, avoid nursing one pint for the whole evening, and leave a tip if it won’t break the bank. When it’s time for the food shop, try buying meat from your local butchers; it’s better quality and more ethically sourced than supermarket meat. If you’ve got your eye on a PlayStation 5/Xbox Series X, some new outtts for your summer wardrobe, or you just fancy a post-lockdown give your business to your local highstreet. sp shopping spree, In this jam-packed Summer Issue, we caught up with YouTube star, recording artist, and boxer KSI, who boasts a whopping 22 Million+ subscribers! Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath talks about the meaning behind their upcoming ninth studio effort ‘Nowhere Generation’. TV and radio presenter Fearne Cotton reeects on her time in the entertainment business and offers valuable advice to entrepreneurial students. The Vamps frontman Brad Simpson talks about the band’s comeback, nine years together, and their fresh style. Last but not least, we spoke to the former Uniied Cruiserweight World Champion and WBA Heavyweight Champion of the world David Haye about his bold new business venture...

Stay safe, and subscribe to our website for more local discounts and offers.

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Elliot Norman | Content Manager

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RISE AGAINST

MUST WATCH SHOWS ON NETFLIX

FEARNE COTTON

MEXICAN GARDEN BANQUET

THE VAMPS

ONLINE SHOPPING TIPS

DAVID HAYE

SPG BRAND AMBASSADOR

All Rights Reserved © Pocket Media Group Ltd 2021. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any of the views or opinions expressed in this guide, errors or omissions which may have occurred, or accept liability for any services or facilities featured. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that all information is correct, changes may and can occur.

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Fund your future We have scholarships and bursaries available of at least £1,000 to support your studies.

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These London Students’ water-saving washing machine was named global winner of Red Bull Basement 2020 back in December, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we couldn’t originally cover this inspirational student success story. Now that things are returning to some sort of normality, we can’t pass on the opportunity to finally share it with our readers!

UK students Paramveer Bhachu and Joanna Power of Brunel University London took top honours at a global student innovation workshop with an ingenious solution that saves natural resources, time, and money by collecting and recycling shower water to clean clothes. The first-ever virtual edition of the event saw over 3,800 student innovators from around the world submit ideas to drive positive change.

Thirty-eight finalist teams from universities worldwide pitched their next-generation ideas at an entirely virtual Red Bull Basement Global Workshop, and the future looks bright. The programme empowers student innovators to drive positive change on campus – and beyond – through tech solutions, and while it was a team from the UK who made the biggest impression with their “Lava Aqua X” idea, the four-day interactive event revealed innovative concepts for everything from climate action to education tools.

The winning idea from Brunel University London, Lava Aqua X, tackles the sustainability issue of clean water. The team invented a washing machine that collects water on the floor of nearly any shower, filters it, and reuses the water to clean clothes. Portable and capable of washing clothes with less water and in a third of the usual time, the device was originally envisioned to address student water waste, but can be scaled for applications worldwide.

The team will now benefit from custom resources and contacts to accelerate their idea.

“England is set to run out of water within 25 years,” Bhachu pointed out, noting that insufficient student laundry facilities alone result in the waste over 16 billion litres of water per year. “Red Bull Basement have allowed us to test our product with engineering simulations and enabled us to apply for trademarks and design rights, future-proofing our design and our business.

With continued support, the potential environmental impact is absolutely staggering. If every student in the UK were to use the Aqua X, we could save enough drinking water for the entire population of Sweden!”

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It was like we were living in our very own Netflix show with the Covid-19 pandemic taking over the world for over a year! We were stuck at home and told it wasn’t safe to go out, so naturally we did an excessive amount of binge watching.

We take a look at our top 5 Netflix programmes well worth a watch if they somehow flew under your radar during the lockdowns…

If you haven’t seen this, we recommend that you binge it… ASAP! It’s an incredible programme about nature, science and friendship.

It’s powerful, beautiful, emotional, educational, and inspirational.

A perfect binge. Just have the tissues ready to wipe your eyes.

It wouldn’t be right whilst in the tail end of a pandemic not to include some kind of apocalyptic, end of civilisation themed zombie series. This series has many shocking twists and turns that will leave you at the edge of your seat, anxious and wanting more. Faced with a terrifying and deadly virus a group of “friends” risk their lives to escape the horror and fight for survival. This is a Russian production with English audio voiceovers, but don’t let that put you off – it’s a great watch and we are eagerly awaiting series two…

There’s just something about Irish movies we love and Calm with Horses is no exception. It’s a unique and violent movie with lots of surprises and shocks, which grab you from the moment you start watching! Ex-boxer Douglas ‘Arm’ Armstrong tries to be a good father but life keeps throwing him distractions and he finds himself becoming the man that “sorts things out” for the local drug dealing family. Hard hitting and shocking with superb acting, this gritty drama is certainly a stand-out movie.

It’s got some huge names including Jessica Chastain who plays an ex-addict-turned-assassin (with a heart) and Colin Farrell and John Malkovich, who are all part of a black-ops organisation. But let’s just say that not all of the black-ops members see eye-to-eye. It’s an action-packed thriller with dramatic scenes and a grabbing storyline.

A few scenes in our opinion are unnecessarily far-fetched and let the movie down a little bit, but it’s still solid and well worth a watch.

Raphael Rowe was sentenced to life in prison for crimes he didn’t commit. After fighting for his innocence, his conviction was overturned and he was released as a free man having spent 12 years behind bars in Britain’s toughest prisons. Now a presenter for Netflix, Raphael travels the world, and goes into the world’s toughest prisons, speaking to prisoners and prison guards about their experiences. Coming face-to-face with serial killers and rapists, Rowe asks the questions we’d be too afraid to ask. This show really opens your eyes to the different ways prisons run, who runs them, and how truly shocking the living conditions are. Rowe travels from prisonto-prison, exposing the truth. Series five is out now!

KSI HAS AMASSED 22M+ YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS, WON A PROFESSIONAL BOXING FIGHT BILLED AS THE “BIGGEST INTERNET EVENT IN HISTORY” AND IS MAKING MASSIVE MOVES IN MUSIC, WORKING ON HIS FOLLOW UP ALBUM AFTER THE HUGE SUCCESS OF ‘DISSIMULATION’.

WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE MAIN MAN HIMSELF TO TALK ALL THINGS YOUTUBE, MUSIC, COLLABORATIONS, BOXING, AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD A GLOBAL PERSONAL BRAND…

WHAT WAS YOUR LIFE LIKE GROWING UP AS A CHILD?

I had very strict African parents who put me in line if I ever misbehaved.

I’d go to church every Sunday, they would drop me off and pick me up from school every day without fail. I was never allowed to have sleepovers, never allowed to go to parties, I was quite restricted as a kid, which is why I probably had to find new ways to experience entertainment and found joy through the internet and gaming. It was definitely a strict upbringing, but it’s made me the person I am today which I’m grateful for.

CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU PICKED UP A CAMCORDER? AT THE TIME, WHAT WAS YOUR PLAN?

This is a good question! I don’t think anyone has ever asked me this before. The first time, believe it or not, was when I was like six or seven years old. Back in the day, me and my brother used to record toys wrestling each other. It’s cringe to think about that now, but we would have fights and wrestling matches between toys. I’d have an action man and he would have a teddy and we would have a fight. We’d create a storyline – I have no idea where those tapes are, but we used to record each other back in the day filming these random toy videos. That’s taken me back that! As for a plan, I didn’t have one. I didn’t think this was going to go anywhere. I just wanted to record it because it was fun.

It was sick! Me and my bro would watch WWE a lot and as well as doing wrestling moves on each other, we’d record ourselves doing wrestling moves with these toys.

YOU’VE AMASSED A STAGGERING 22M+ YOUTUBE SUBSCRIBERS! CAN WE BE CHEEKY AND ASK WHAT KIND OF MONEY YOUR CHANNEL MAKES TO GIVE OUR STUDENT READERS SOME ENCOURAGEMENT TO KEEP PUBLISHING CONTENT?

Very cheeky! I don’t have to tell you how much I make. Let’s say I make a good amount. Out of all the industries I am involved in (boxing, music, YouTube), I make the most from YouTube.

WHAT’S THE MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM YOU’VE PURCHASED?

The most expensive item I have purchased is a box at Arsenal – that was pretty pricey, a Lamborghini, various property with no mortgage – investments for my future. Those are the most expensive things I have purchased.

CAN YOU DESCRIBE HOW YOU FELT AFTER YOUR BOXING MATCH WITH LOGAN PAUL, WHEN YOU HEARD THE WORDS “THE WINNER BY SPLIT DECISION, FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM… K…S…I”

Come on man, it was insane. What a moment, incredible moment, unbelievable. I put my heart and soul into this, blood, sweat and tears went into this fight and to come out victorious is so amazing! To prove everyone wrong and I have the self-belief to show everyone I can beat Logan Paul. As the underdog, a lot of people wrote me off and I was victorious. I got to celebrate in front of Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber was praying for Logan Paul to win and God didn’t answer his prayers! To beat Logan Paul in his home country is crazy. Unbelievable scenes, gassed, one of the best moments of my life.

THEY CALLED IT THE BIGGEST EVENT IN INTERNET HISTORY! IS THERE ANYTHING THAT KSI IS NOT GOOD AT?

Ice skating, I’m terrible at ice skating. I remember I went on a date with a girl where we went ice skating and I tried to fletch to show her that I could ice skate but obviously I couldn’t. So, I tried just doing a move and I messed up, fell on the floor and kids started laughing at me, so that was embarrassing. I can’t ice skate to save my life. Anything to do with ice, snow, water – swimming. I can barely swim!

LET’S TALK A BIT ABOUT MUSIC AND YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, ‘DISSIMULATION’ WHICH HAS BEEN A MAJOR SUCCESS. AS IT BEING YOUR FIRST ALBUM, DID THE FINISHED RECORD MEET UP TO YOUR OWN EXPECTATIONS?

Where it landed in the charts, I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect to be challenging The 1975 to the Number 1 Album spot in the UK, that was ridiculous! I know I have a large audience and I have an audience that are very interested in my music side so knew I’d get at least a Top 10 but I didn’t think I’d get a Top 5, let alone Top 2 so that was insane. Musically, at the level I was back then, I felt that it reached my expectations and I definitely delivered but I’d say that the music I have coming out now compared to Dissimulation, I feel like I’ve upped the levels tremendously.

The good thing about me is that I’m always improving and getting better, never that person that stands still and just does the same thing over and over again. I always like to progress in my career.

ABSOLUTELY LOVING YOUR SOUND BY THE WAY - SO FRESH! WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO BRING TO YOUR NEW ALBUM, OUT LATER THIS YEAR?

I’m hoping to blow everyone’s minds away! Show what a YouTuber can truly do. With the collaborations I’ve got and the type of music I’m going to be putting out, nobody is going to expect it! No one is going to see it coming and that’s what I love. I love being so unpredictable. I love being in a spot where no one can place me, just this anomaly that does what he wants and does it well. I feel that’s very important. I like being in this space where I can do whatever and do it well and when people hear the music that’s coming out geeeeez, I know they ain’t gonna be ready for it! It’s going to really separate me from all the rappers in the UK because I wouldn’t even say I’m a rapper these days, I’d say I’m an artist and an artist just doing his thing in the best way possible. For me, it’s always about bridging the gap, blurring the lines and I feel like I’m doing just that.

WHAT IS THE MEANING BEHIND THE NEW SINGLE ‘PATIENCE’ FEATURING YUNGBLUD AND POLO G?

The pandemic has occurred and lockdown is in full effect. My mind is in a place that I’ve never been in before and it is challenging to comprehend life as we know it. But I’m being patient. Getting rid of any negative energy to make sure I come out of this feeling better and being better.

ARE YOU EVER IN SHOCK OVER THE SHEER NUMBER OF FANS WHO WILL TRAVEL TO SEE YOU PLAYING MAJOR FESTIVALS LIKE PARKLIFE, READING AND LEEDS? YOU’RE EVEN DOING A HEADLINE SHOW AT WEMBLEY ARENA!

To say I’m in shock, is an understatement. I can’t believe I’m in a position where I can play at Wembley. It’s all a bit crazy. I still remember times when I struggled to sell out 100 capacity rooms in the UK, and now I’m at a point where I’m going to be performing in front of thousands in such an iconic arena. I’m so ready for this and I can’t wait to see you all there for the ultimate ride.

YOUR 2021 TOUR SOLD OUT IN SECONDS! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PEOPLE ON THE PLANET?

I mean I don’t feel any different to be honest. I’m still the same old JJ, just enjoying what I do, enjoying making music, enjoying making YouTube videos, enjoying training. I just enjoy doing all these things and I don’t see myself as any different. I still take the tube, still walk to places, I’m just me and I just enjoy being me. I’m just having fun doing that.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED DURING YOUR CAREER?

Self-belief. Always believe in yourself. Not everyone is going to understand what you do, not everyone will like what you do but as long as you’re having fun and it’s right for you, that’s all that matters.

TOP TIP FOR STUDENTS…

Education is very important. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. That’s why the teacher is there to help you out. If you don’t know what you want to do when you graduate, don’t worry about it. I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I was growing up and I found myself – found what I enjoyed doing and then realised that was what I wanted to do when I grow up. It’s one of those things, the time will come when you will know what you want to do in life so don’t rush. Don’t panic. Live life! If you fail, it’s not the end of the world. You are the only one that can fail yourself, no one else can fail you for you.

CAN YOU TELL US A FUNNY STORY ABOUT YOURSELF, SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE WON’T KNOW?

I’ve been catfished before. I swiped right on a girl on Tinder and she wasn’t who she said she was when I met her.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN THREE YEARS’ TIME?

I have no idea. People always ask me this. I don’t know. If someone said 10 years ago, ‘where do you see yourself?’, I wouldn’t have put myself in this position. I wouldn’t have said ‘I’m going to making a song with Rick Ross, Lil Baby, Offset, Jeremih, have three boxing fights, beat Joe Weller, fight at the Staples Center, a sold-out Manchester Arena’. I would never have anticipated those things. I never would have thought this would happen so I can’t tell you where I’m going to be in three years. Let’s see what happens. That’s the thing with me, you never know what to expect.

I guess that’s why people and all my fans are so intrigued.

We thought we’d take a trip down memory lane and select our top 5 retro games, helping those who didn’t get a PS5 or Xbox Series X feel better (well, a little bit)…

The first inclusion in our best retro games list was released way back in 1989, Golden Axe was a SEGA classic set in the medieval fantasy world where several heroes set out to recover the legendary titular Golden Axe. Choosing one of three warriors, you fought gnarly enemy characters hurting them with your special potions and powers. This series of side scrolling beat ‘em up arcade games was released by SEGA – Makoto Uchida was the primary developer of the game, who was also responsible for the creation of Altered Beast.

First released in 1991, Streets of Rage established a series of beat ‘em up games which has lasted the test of time, with the latest entry in the series (Streets of Rage 4) being released in April 2020! The original trilogy had all been developed and released by 1994, and the first entry saw four main characters who - as the game title suggests walk the streets in rage, fighting various villains. It was a huge hit and was supported by the SEGA Mega Drive, Master System, and Game Gear consoles.

Fictional character Alex Kidd peaked in popularity during 1986, becoming a mascot and overtaking “Opa-Opa” from Fantasy Zone.

The creation of Alex Kidd was an attempt to rival Nintendo’s flagship character: Mario. Although in 1991 SEGA introduced Sonic the Hedgehog, so by this time Alex Kidd was nowhere to be seen. Well, that’s not strictly true, as he did make cameo appearances in other games such as SEGA Superstars Tennis and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed. We felt sorry for poor Alex Kidd, because in the original game he is an orphan who lives alone in Miracle World (Planet Aries).

Putting our emotions aside, this game is still awesome. Check it out!

This classic platformer is considered by many to be the best console game of all time. Selling more than 20 million copies worldwide, it just has to make out best retro games list. It even had an animated TV series! It’s not difficult to understand its huge success considering that the gameplay, art style, characters, soundtrack, and sound design were (and still are to this day) superb! Ride Yoshi, chase the 1-Up Mushrooms, or better still fly through the sky with Mario’s Cape Feather power-up in this undeniably 90s smash-hit game. Who needs a PS5?

Donkey Kong 64 was the first Donkey Kong game to feature 3D gameplay. The player explores island themed levels, collects items, and throws barrels at enemies to defeat them, as well as completing mini games and puzzles along the way to receive extra bananas and collectibles. Up to four players can play in a separate multiplayer mode making this an ideal retro game to enjoy with friends. Very enjoyable gameplay. A true classic, worthy of our top five for sure! Oh, and who remembers the “DK Rap” from the game’s beginning sequence?

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Trying to pay for five turtle necks at the till in Uniqlo and my debit card not working.

I once called Liam Gallagher “Noel” at an awards show. I passed him in the bathrooms and he said something nice in passing.

I was drunk, and the wrong name came out.

I don’t think he heard, but that’s obviously like, a true f***ing error.

Probably falling over on stage on The X Factor tour years ago.

It was the most horrendous feeling at the time! I fell down a set of stairs while trying to sing at the same time and completely stacked it.

I think my father once got banished from the touch line at one of my school rugby games when we were playing a game in Wales, because he made some reference about sheep which was deemed inappropriate for 16 year old boys. That was quite embarrassing.

I sh*t my pants at a kid’s birthday party when I was four.

Already a multi-gold and platinum punk rock band, Rise Against are due to release their next full-length album ‘The Nowhere Generation’ in June. As I spoke to frontman Tim, we explored the band dynamic, their strive to be musically versatile, as well as their endeavour to expose societal struggles.

HEY TIM! HOW ARE YOU AND THE BAND DOING AT THE MOMENT? IT MUST HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER DURING LOCKDOWN...

Yeah, and we’re a remote band. We’re all in different cities; we’re spread out in Colorado, Texas, and Chicago. That’s the way we’ve always operated, but yeah, for the most part this is the longest time I’ve gone without spending time with those three.

IS THAT A BLESSING OR A CURSE?

Haha. Yeah, it’s probably a much-needed break in a lot of ways. It’s the most time I’ve spent with my family in 20 years, and then the least time I’ve spent with those guys. I don’t think I was aware of how much time we’d really spent together until we weren’t.

WHAT’S THE DYNAMIC OF THE BAND LIKE WHEN YOU ARE TOGETHER? DO YOU ALL SHARE SIMILAR PERSONALITY TRAITS OR ARE YOU ALL VERY DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER?

I’d say we’re all different for sure, but what’s weird is when the four of us are together, we’re like a pretty well -oiled machine. Spending 20 years with the same dudes - we have all the same inside jokes, we have all the same stories and references.

ARE YOU FINISHING EACH OTHER’S SENTENCES YET?

Haha. Yeah, stuff like that. I guess like in sports the phrase is ‘to pass the ball without looking’. You just know that your person is going to be there. I think we’re all so aware of everything that it’s very predictable what we’re going to do or say. We’re all kind of the same person in that way.

LET’S GET TALKING ABOUT THE NEW ALBUM! WHEN DID YOU START WRITING IT?

Probably late 2018 then 2019, which seems like a lifetime ago now. We were wrapping up our ‘Wolves’ touring and 2018 was our time to focus on the next record. There was a smattering of shows and we went to the Download festival in Australia. We also recorded our Ghost Note Symphonies record.

We did a few shows on that, but aside from that the calendar was pretty blank in 2019, so it was designed to focus on writing. By the end of 2019 that’s when we had enough songs to go into the studio.

OH WOW, SO IT HAS ACTUALLY TAKEN A REALLY LONG TIME TO MAKE?

Ugh, so long. Some of these songs we started almost three years ago so it’s really crazy. For us there has never been this much time elapsed between the creation of a song to the time when everyone is going to hear it.

FOR OUR READERS WHO MAY NOT KNOW, WHO ARE THE ‘NOWHERE GENERATION’?

The ‘Nowhere Generation’ is really anyone who feels like they’re trying to get ahead in this world and they’re starting to wonder why they’re swimming against the current. As they play by the rules, as they follow the advice of previous generations, they find that the finish line keeps getting moved on them. That’s really anybody who feels like that – it doesn’t need to be a millennial or a Gen X. It’s really anyone who feels like ‘‘What’s happening? Why am I reading about concentrated wealth and the rise in the 1%?’’ So, I guess ‘Nowhere Generation’ is lending a sympathetic ear to that plight to talk about why so many people feel like this.

YOU SEEM TO BE TOYING WITH THE IDEA OF THE ‘AMERICAN DREAM’ HERE A LITTLE. DO YOU THINK THIS CONCEPT HAS BECOME DIMINISHED OR UNATTAINABLE? WAS IT EVER EVEN REAL?

It’s a good question. I think it was the comedian George Carlin who said: ‘‘They call it the American Dream because you’d have to be asleep to believe it.’’ I think the ‘American Dream’ is a concept which is well intentioned, but something started eroding it.

DO YOU FEEL THAT THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC SOCIETAL ISSUES WHICH THE ALBUM IS DELIBERATELY ATTEMPTING TO CALL OUT?

Yeah, I think to name a few things, the labour movement has been diminished in the last 40 years in the states. The unions have been cast as the bad guys so Americans don’t believe in unions as much, where unions were a place where workers were able to protect themselves from massive corporations and shareholders. Once you’ve persuaded people to give up on the ideas of unions and labour you’re just giving power to corporations and big businesses. You want to ask yourself, do you want to be in a world where people answer to voters or shareholders?

‘FORFEIT’ IS THE SIXTH SONG OF THE ALBUM AND IT STOOD OUT TO ME BECAUSE IT IS MUCH GENTLER THAN THE OTHERS. WHY DID YOU INCLUDE A SOFTER SONG TO AN ALBUM INTENT ON EMULATING DISRUPTION AND ANARCHY?

With Rise Against I love that we’ve always been able to get away with different things. Ever since we put out ‘Swing Life Away’ or ‘Hero of War’, people love hearing acoustic songs or more ballad songs, it has been a part of our canon and another weapon in our arsenal if you like. I don’t ever want to put an acoustic song on the record to tick that box, but that song just kind of poured out of me one night and I knew it needed to be somewhere on the record to show people the moments that we’re capable of creating.

I TOOK IT AS FEELING HURT BY THE WAY THE WORLD HAS TURNED OUT TO BE. WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU WERE GOING FOR?

Yeah, and that’s what I’ve always wanted Rise Against to be - this reflection of the human condition. We don’t need to be this straight up punk political band that’s just kind of always hitting you over the head with the world’s problems. As people we’re more complicated than that. When you wake up in the morning the most important thing in your head might be like climate change, but then in the afternoon the most important thing might be a relationship with your friend and you’re in pain in some way. All of a sudden climate change – who gives a sh*t, because you’re in love or in loss and that’s who we are as humans, we’re shifting priorities, we’re complex. I would want Rise Against to be a reflection of those emotions, so our song ‘Forfeit’ is acknowledging that we are complicated.

HOW ABOUT WE CONCLUDE THIS INTERVIEW BY SUMMING UP THE ALBUM IN THREE WORDS?

Modern, punk, chaos.

As this tragic pandemic swept across the land all we heard, and continue to hear about, are the losses we’ve been facing.

It’s been a struggle for so many people, and this level of disruption has never been seen in our lifetimes.

But we must stay positive.

We must focus on the future and adapt as things return to normal.

It’s not been easy, but here at SPG, we have remained as positive as possible. Rather than letting a situation which we have no control over bring us down, we have been re-evaluating, planning, and improving so that when things have 100% settled, we can bounce back stronger...

We have introduced a new login portal on our website for students and businesses. You can register for free as a student and take advantage of exclusive deals, competitions, as well as being able to submit content as a student contributor.

Businesses can register and upload their local student deals directly to our website which you as a student can redeem. Win, win!

So, we are on the lookout for outgoing, reliable, and organised ‘go-getters’ who are interested in representing us in your local area, and becoming an SPG student brand ambassador.

You will have the opportunity to earn money by introducing Student Pocket Guide to local businesses and selling deal listings, taking a nice slice of the fee for yourself. Think of it like your very own mini business without all the hassle. You will also gain access to our exclusive brand ambassadors’ network, which includes extra perks such as free festival tickets, meals, gifts, gadgets, and your own branded SPG hoody.

Of course, we will not be rolling this out until it is completely safe to do so, but the applications are open for people who are keen to register their interest.

If this is something that you like the sound of, simply drop us a message on Facebook, and tell us why you should become an SPG brand ambassador!

Traditional Mexican meals often include several separate dishes which diners share, meaning that it’s the perfect party food. Don’t spend your time in the kitchen when there’s fun to be had - our dishes can all be prepared beforehand and cooked outside on the barbeque, so you’ll be where the party’s at. Serve with homemade refried beans and guacamole for a Mexican banquet fit for el rey (a king)!

Mix together 4 tablespoons of sunflower oil and 1/4 teaspoon each of all spice and black pepper. Heat gently to infuse the oil with the flavours, then leave to cool before adding 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Place 4 rump steaks in the marinade and refrigerate for around 8 hours in a covered dish, turning occasionally.

Season after removing from the marinade and cook on a pre-heated barbeque grill for 3-6 minutes each side.

Soak corn for 15 minutes in cold water before placing on the barbeque to grill. Turn regularly during cooking, basting in a zingy sauce of melted butter, mixed with the juice and zest of a lime and a pinch (or two) of fresh chopped chilli or chilli powder.

Mix together a small can of sweet corn, drained, 150g finely chopped tomatoes, 3 chopped spring onions, and 1/2 a deseeded and chopped green chilli.

Toss in the zest and juice of two limes and a handful of chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Toss together finely shredded, sliced or chopped ingredients: 1/2 small red and white cabbages, 10 radishes, 2 carrots, red onion, 2 large jalapeno chillies, and a large bunch of fresh coriander.

Add olive oil, the juice of 3 limes, and a generous seasoning of sea salt. Your taste buds will sing!

Heat a little sunflower oil in a large saucepan, and add a finely chopped onion and 200g long grain rice.

Cook until lightly browned, stirring regularly.

Add a crushed garlic clove and cook for a further two minutes.

Add a can of chopped tomatoes, 375ml hot chicken stock and season. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a very gentle heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool, covered - the rice will absorb the remaining liquid. Stir in 125g of thawed frozen peas and a small handful of chopped coriander leaves.

You won’t want a blindfold when you smash this pudding; lime sorbet, served with chocolate brownies.

Stir 250g sugar into 2 cups of water over a low heat to make a sugar syrup. Allow to cool, then add the finely grated zest and juice of 6 large limes. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg white until stiff, then slowly add the lime mixture until combined. Freeze for 3 hours, then stir, before freezing again for a further 3 hours.

Remove and blitz until thoroughly smooth. Then refreeze until firm.

Beat together 10g melted butter and 200g caster sugar.

Add 2 eggs and mix well. Combine 60g self raising flour, 30g unsweetened cocoa and 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and add to the sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and smooth into a baking tin. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 180°C in a preheated oven or until the edges are firm. Cool before cutting into squares.

Serve together.

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DAVID HAYE A.K.A. “THE HAYEMAKER” IS THE FORMER UNIFIED CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION AND WBA HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD. NOW RETIRED FROM BOXING, HAYE IS STILL HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY, MANAGING DERECK CHISORA, COMMENTATING, AND TRAINING HIS SUPER-FIT 13-YEAR-OLD SON, CASSIUS. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE BOXING CHAMP TO TALK ABOUT HIS LEGENDARY CAREER IN THE RING AND EXCITING NEW BUSINESS VENTURE: THE BLACK MASK COMPANY…

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, DAVID. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN KEEPING?

I’ve been keeping super busy developing and launching The Black Mask Company, a 30-time washable eco-friendly 3-layer face mask, and have seen an amazing reaction. Since launching the original mask we’ve since brought a new colour to market ‘Sky Grey.’ It has been seen on the likes of Lewis Hamilton as he stepped onto Silverstone for the first time. But I’m currently working on some new releases and additional product lines, so watch this space…

IT’S NOT OFTEN WE GET THE CHANCE TO INTERVIEW A BOXING WORLD CHAMP! DESPITE YOUR POWER TO PUNCH AND SKILLS IN THE RING, DO YOU HAVE A SOFT SIDE – WHAT SCARES DAVID HAYE?

Failure.

YOU DEFEATED NIKOLAI VALUEV, THE ABSOLUTE GIANT, IN 2009. TO PUT THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE HE’S ALMOST 7FT TALL, WEIGHS 150KG, AND IS A 15 UK SHOE SIZE! WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND ON THE BUILD-UP TO THIS FIGHT AND WHEN THAT BELL RANG BEFORE THE FIGHT?

I’d given the camp my all and left no stone unturned in the lead up to the bout. I walked to the ring with total confidence despite the odds being against me fighting on foreign soil. I had to stick to our strategy and keep focus, when you’re in a ring with the biggest World Heavyweight Champion in history you can’t afford to get hit!

WHAT DID IT FEEL LIKE TAKING HIS PUNCHES, CONSIDERING HE’S SUCH A GIANT?

When you’re in the heat of battle you don’t consciously feel much. I do remember landing a punch early in the fight clean on his chin, one no other fighter would have been able to take and it didn’t even wobble him, it simply broke my hand!

WHO DO YOU THINK WILL WIN BETWEEN FURY AND AJ AND WHY?

Both fighters have their strengths and both have developed so much. AJ looked a different fighter in his rematch with Ruiz, likewise Fury looked a different fighter in his rematch with Wilder!

YOU NAMED YOUR SON CASSIUS AFTER MUHAMMED ALI, YOU TRAIN TOGETHER AND ARE BOTH IN EXCEPTIONAL SHAPE! AM I CORRECT IS SAYING YOUR BOY IS JUST 13 YEARS OF AGE? WHAT PLANS DO YOU AND HIM HAVE FOR WHEN HE GROWS OLDER?

Cassius turned 13 in April – he is crazy fit! I encourage him to make his own plans and I will just support him in that journey. He currently plays tennis for Great Britain, he loves it. He is a tennis Scholar at Reads School which is the best tennis academy in the country. His education experience is unique, his timetable is split between traditional learning and tennis training. He is incredibly fortunate but has trained hard and committed to the sport to get himself in that position.

WE OFTEN ONLY TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESSES AND IGNORE THE FACT HOW LIFE MUST CHANGE DRAMATICALLY FOR ANY SPORTS PERSON ONCE THEY RETIRE. WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU FROM A MENTAL HEALTH POINT OF VIEW AFTER YOU RETIRED?

Of course, it’s a period of transition, but one I prepared for when I was still fighting. I’ve always been in the ‘business of boxing’. I self-managed and self-promoted myself for much of my career and had an active role in broadcast. I have tried to keep the structure to my days, I train every morning and then with the various businesses I run the days are back to back. I’m actually having to learn how to have downtime without the guilt, ‘retirement’ certainly hasn’t been pipe and slipper time for me!

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT MOMENT FROM YOUR CAREER WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVISIT AND WHY?

I actually don’t think I would, moments are just that, moments. I try to focus on the current time and working towards my future goals.

YOU’VE BEEN ENDORSED ON LINKEDIN 85 TIMES FOR “KNOCKING PEOPLE OUT”. WHO WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO PUNCH THAT YOU HAVEN’T ALREADY AND WHY?

Good question...

CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR BOXING PROMOTIONS BUSINESS? YOU WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH DERECK CHISORA DON’T YOU, HOW’S IT GOING?

I’ve managed and promoted a number of fighters over the years (including myself!) from turning over George Groves and Joe Joyce from Amateur to Pro, David Price, Willy Hutchinson to name a few. Now I focus my time solely on heavyweight Dereck Chisora, who bizarrely I fought myself in 2012.

We’ve worked together now for two years and it’s been a great journey.

YOU’VE ALSO RECENTLY SET UP A NEW BUSINESS CALLED THE BLACK MASK COMPANY. I’VE SEEN A LOT OF COVERAGE ONLINE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN IN YOUR OWN WORDS, WHAT THIS BUSINESS OFFERS AND WHY YOU STARTED IT?

As Covid-19 took a grip on the UK, I went online to purchase a black face mask only to find them either out of stock or with an extended delivery time. At a similar time, I caught up with a friend who is based in Vietnam, a country noted for its effective management of Covid-19 with zero deaths to date at the time despite a population 50% bigger than the UK’s. As a nation they pulled on their experiences of SARS and Bird Flu and responded proactively. Shutting borders, closing schools and implementing a strict track and trace system, so I looked to them for guidance. The Vietnamese government commissioned a 3-layer cloth mask specifically for Covid-19 for their protection services to wear, known as The VP195 which utilises NanoSilver fibre technology to maintain the mask’s anti-bacterial properties for 30 washes. I then worked with them to create a bespoke black design in a range of sizes to appeal to the Nation’s youth and bring The Black Mask Company to market.

Lie flat on your back and place one foot on the floor with your leg bent (see picture). Straighten the other leg completely in the air. Then tighten your abs, push your heel into the ground, drive your hip upwards and squeeze your glutes. Make sure you don’t cheat and use your lower back to achieve the movement. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor and use your abs to reach forward with your hands. Hold for five seconds and then return to the starting position. This is one rep on one side.

Sit on your mat with your back straight and your knees flexed in front of you. Lean back slowly until you feel your abs working. When you’re ready, lift your feet off the floor, using your arms to balance you if you need to. Hold for 30 seconds. Return to the start position.

Lie flat on your back with your arms out in front of you, pointing towards the ceiling. Then bring your legs up so your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. This is the starting position. Slowly lower your right arm and left leg at the same time. Keep going until your arm and leg are just above the floor making sure not to raise your back off the ground.

Slowly return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite limbs.

This is one rep.

Sit on the floor with your legs out in front of you. Put your hands on the ground palms down just behind and outside your hips. Then push up and lift your body until it forms a straight line from head to toe. In this position, slowly bring your left knee towards your chest and the lower back to the plank position. Repeat with your right knee. This is one rep.

Are You Getting Your Daily CLANGERS to Help Manage Stress?

Stress, the perception that the resources we have to cope don’t meet the demand placed on us, is a huge contributor to our overall health and wellbeing.

Dr Phil Hammond has outlined that we need to make sure we get our daily CLANGERS and, with many of us having worked from home and feeling isolated from others for so long, this has never been so important.

Connect – We are naturally sociable. We like to be with others. Find ways to connect each day, using technology if necessary.

Learn – Psychological research has revealed that learning new skills is good for mental health. It provides you with a purpose, confidence, and improves self-esteem. Find something new to learn regularly. (be) Active – Make sure you get your five portions of fun a day for your mind and body. You might need to get creative: run an assault course in your garden, race with the dogs in the corridors of your flats, march between the bathroom and the kitchen whilst balancing a book on your head, etc.

Notice – Take time each day to take a moment and be present. What can you hear, see, feel, and smell?

Give back – Doing good does you good. Do something for someone else.

Eat well – Have a balanced diet. There is increasing evidence that gut health is linked to mental health.

Relax – Take the time to check your thoughts each day. Are your thoughts helpful or unhelpful? If they are unhelpful: what strategies do you have to manage unhelpful thinking?

Sleep – A good night’s sleep has multiple impacts on physical and mental health. Half of the population in the UK have poor quality sleep and feel more tired, stressed, less energised, and more anxious as a result. Aim to practice good sleeping habits.

To read the full article and learn more about stress management

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YOGA CAN BE CONFUSING, WITH SO MANY VARIATIONS AND STYLES. DON’T LET IT OVERWHELM YOU, AND DON’T BE PUT OFF STARTING DUE TO LACK OF CONFIDENCE. HERE ARE OUR TOP TIPS TO GET YOU READY TO BEGIN YOGA PREPARED AND CONFIDENT WITHOUT SPENDING A PENNY…

If you’re new to yoga, it’s likely that you will be a bit self-conscious and might not want to jump straight into a big class, especially if you have any Covid concerns. Practising yoga at home could be a great way to start. Watch videos online to get familiar with the excercises. Why not pick five styles and get used to them at home? Then when you’re able to take it to the next level, you’ll be confident enough to join a class.

If you’re not sure if yoga is right for you, make use of what you already have at home before buying any gear or props (which can get quite expensive). Wear something loose and comfortable – try pyjamas! If you don’t have a strap try using a belt; it pretty much does the same thing.

For a block you could use a really thick book, like a dictionary. Instead of paying for a bolster, try using cushions – get creative and save your money, until you know that yoga is something you want to invest in.

Avoid rushing and be patient, especially when you are a beginner.

You might not be accustomed to holding poses for long periods of time. Just try to hold the pose for a little longer than you would like to, and remember, you will improve as you develop your skill level. Focus on your breathing to distract you from the feeling that you might be uncomfortable. Don’t get discouraged. Keep practising whilst making sure not to rush anything, as it could cause injury!

Everyone is tight and flexible in different areas – some poses will be easier for you and others will be more challenging. Don’t worry about all the fancy poses which you can’t do yet, enjoy being a beginner - keep it simple and focus on how you feel!

HOPEFULLY THESE TIPS WILL HELP YOU DECIDE IF YOGA IS FOR YOU, WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND ANY MONEY. WHEN YOU ARE READY AND ABLE TO JOIN A CLASS, IF YOU ARE STILL A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE WHY NOT TAKE A FRIEND WITH YOU AND SHARE THE EXPERIENCE?

FROM THE CRAZINESS OF CELEBRITY JUICE TO BROADCASTING ON BBC RADIO 1, THE CHALLENGING CLIMB OF MOUNT KILIMANJARO, TO SETTING UP HER OWN FESTIVAL; FEARNE COTTON IS CONSTANTLY PUSHING HERSELF TO ACHIEVE MORE. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE LADY OF MANY TALENTS TO TALK ABOUT THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF HER CAREER, AND HOW TAKING RISKS LED TO NO REGRETS…

YOU’VE BEEN IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS FOR A LONG TIME NOW WITH A HUGELY SUCCESSFUL CAREER. MANY STUDENTS WILL KNOW YOU FROM YOUR APPEARANCES ON CELEBRITY JUICE. OF ALL YOUR TIME ON THE SHOW, WHAT’S THE FUNNIEST MEMORY THAT SPRINGS TO MIND FROM BEING ON IT?

Gosh there were a lot. I think the dancing game used to be my favourite as it was kind of awkward but genius too.

WHAT WAS THE MOST AWKWARD SITUATION YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN WHILST ON THE SHOW?

One time I had to go on a mystery trail as part of a game around the studio. I opened a door to a dressing room and unbeknownst to me the crew had filled it with ball pit plastic balls which all came hurtling out at me. I was so shocked. After the shock had subsided, I had a great time diving into the dressing room full of balls.

SOUNDS FUN! YOU ANNOUNCED THAT YOU LEFT THE SHOW SO YOU COULD “SHAKE-UP” YOUR LIFE A BIT AND TAKE RISKS. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST RISK YOU’VE EVER TAKEN DURING YOUR CAREER?

SO many in my career. Leaving Juice and Radio 1 being the main two. I think it’s always healthy to take risks if you can. I had no work planned at all after Radio 1, but some of the coolest twists and turns have happened to allow me to start up Happy Place. No regrets at all this end.

YOU HAVE SPENT YOUR TIME AND ENERGY ON CREATING SUCH A SPECIAL HAPPY PLACE. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO OUR READERS THAT MIGHT NOT ALREADY KNOW, WHAT THE HAPPY PLACE FESTIVAL IS ABOUT?

Happy Place festival brings to life everything I talk about in the podcast and books. In 2019 we had our first summer of live events in Manchester and London with yoga, meditation, talks, arts and crafts, fitness and food. Last year due to Covid, we had to cancel the live events and came up with the virtual idea. Taking all of the content we had planned to have across the live weekend and putting them on to your screens. So, the virtual festival had a plethora of classes from yoga, pilates, cocktail making master classes, talks with incredible speakers, fitness, food demos, arts and crafts and family fun.

SUPERB! YOU’VE GOT A LONG LIST OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ACCOLADES TO YOUR NAME, INCLUDING YOUR CLOTHING RANGE (FOR VERY.CO.UK), MAKE-UP AND TOILETRY RANGES (FOR BOOTS), AND ARE ALSO A BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR BABYLISS (NOT FORGETTING YOU’RE A MOTHER)! DO YOU EVER FEEL OVERWHELMED? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER STUDENTS THAT FEEL THIS WAY, JUGGLING STUDIES WITH TRYING TO EARN SOME MONEY?

I’ve dropped most of the projects previously mentioned because I want to be more focussed on Happy Place. I would say I’m never one to offer advice necessarily, I prefer to use my platform to point you in the right direction to other people who can use their voices. As far as earning and studying goes I think there are far more opportunities these days to start up projects and businesses from home online. If you have an idea give it a go and don’t let fear get in the way.

YOU SEEM TO ALWAYS PUSH YOURSELF AND ON TOP OF YOUR SUCCESS ALREADY MENTIONED, YOU’VE CLIMBED MOUNT KILIMANJARO FOR COMIC RELIEF, AND TREKKED THE INCA TRAIL FOR BREAST CANCER CARE. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE LEFT ON YOUR BUCKET LIST?

I think learning to relax. I’m awful at it and need to be much kinder to myself for sure. Although, I would like to take my kids on a trek one day when they’re older.

IF YOU WERE TO THINK BACK, DO YOU FEEL YOUR SUCCESS HAS STEMMED FROM YOUR DETERMINATION AND PERSONALITY TRAITS TO PUSH YOURSELF, AND WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER TO STUDENTS WHO ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON NEW CAREERS AND OPPORTUNITIES?

Yes, I’ve been driven since I was a small kid. It’s in my nature to try lots of new things and push myself. Sometimes to my detriment as I forget to take a breath. I think the best advice is just to give things a go. Believe me when I say tons of the things I’ve tried have NOT worked out, and that’s fine too. You have to try some things to learn hard lessons, to get resilient, and to work out what you really want.

If there’s ever a time in your life where you really need to cut down on your spending and save money, it’s now, right? Well, we’ve got you covered. Read our top five online shopping tips to help save those all-important Great British Pounds...

This may seem like the most obvious tip, but you’d be surprised at how many people don’t use them! Sometimes it can be a pain, especially when Google throws lots of sites at you. It can get frustrating when discount codes have expired.

The most annoying one is where you redeem the promo code and it says something like “head to the website, the code is automatically applied”, meaning it’s basically sale items and you’ve just wasted an entire four minutes of your life clicking annoying links, when you could have been doing something important, like gaming. But you might be just one click away from free delivery or 20% off your next purchase, so persevere for a few more moments and don’t get too impatient – you might save yourself £20, that’s Netflix for a couple of months, a fair few beers or a couple of bottles of (nice) wine, and possibly a Dominos – you never know.

When you’re in a hurry and on the hunt for your next pair of limited edition, exclusively designed trainers, you might be too excited by the fact they have your size rather than focusing on saving 10%. Just take your time and check to see if you can save money by signing up to their newsletter. “But wait, they only have 25 pairs left in my size?

What if 25 people all come along at once and buy the exact same trainers?” Avoid this costly mentality.

So, your car insurance renewal letter just came through, but you can’t be bothered to shop around and would rather play “would you rather”, because it’s hilarious. Like, would you rather have a hand twice the size of your head, or a head half the size of your hand... or, wait... would you rather never be able to eat desserts again, or never be able to...

Ok, STOP! Google “compare car insurance” and run through one of those short surveys about your vehicle. Enter how many miles you drive and where you park the vehicle at night (in the garage of course, if you have one). Then, let them come to you and save, save, save. Oh, and you usually get a free gift – feel the power yet? This also works for many other services including energy bills, internet, and even typical supermarket products. The internet is your best friend.

This one is cheeky; it only works sometimes, but when it does you feel AMAZING! Some websites use cookies to track customer behaviour, and are clever enough to notice when you add something to your basket but don’t actually purchase it – spooky.

So, if you have something that you are saving up for at the end of the month, why not add it to your basket a week before? Don’t buy it then, just look out for that “are you still interested – here’s 5% discount” email. If it doesn’t happen, you haven’t actually lost a thing. Be careful, though, they’re watching you...

Being organised is always a good thing. If you can get into a situation where you know the shoppingfriendly days coming-up-ahead, before you decide that you want a new TV, you’re doing well! But in all seriousness, if you are able to juggle your shopping-spree and plan ahead to buy on certain days you could save big. Just go on your mobile calendar and check: during 2021 there’s like 8 Bank Holidays in England alone (that doesn’t count the Northern Ireland/Scotland only bank Holidays) – and there are always Bank Holiday bargains to be had.

Then think of all the shopping friendly days such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday, January Sales, Easter Sales. Just don’t get carried away when spending money on sale items - try think of it as your normal spending.

MAX M IS CONSISTENTLY RELEASING TOP QUALITY MUSIC WITH A UNIQUE POP-ELECTRO SOUND. HAVING JUST RELEASED HIS DIVERSE YET DISTINCTIVE DEBUT EP ‘RENAISSANCE’, WE SPOKE ABOUT THE RECORD, COLLABORATIONS, EXCEEDING 5 MILLION GLOBAL STREAMS, AND HIS MOST RECENT SINGLE ‘IF THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE’…

HEY MAX-M, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN KEEPING?

Hey Ben, good to talk with you again. I’ve been ok thank you, and I hope it’s the same for you and your readers. These days being ok is quite a blessing considering the current situation.

CAN WE START BY TALKING ABOUT YOUR DEBUT EP ‘RENAISSANCE’? MAYBE YOU CAN GIVE THE READERS AN OVERVIEW OF THE RECORD, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU?

Renaissance is my debut EP and it truly means a lot to me; bringing brand new music to life is allowing me to express my creativity. When I started my music project in 2018, I decided to just follow my inspiration. I composed/produced very different tracks that are making Renaissance quite unique from a diversity perspective but with all tracks having my own touch.

YOUR LATEST SONG - ALSO FEATURED ON THE EP - ‘IF THIS IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE’, IS THE FIRST DUO YOU HAVE PRODUCED. HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT DECIDING WHO TO WORK WITH ON THIS TRACK?

Yes, it’s my very first duo. To answer your question, let me tell you a bit about the track’s history. The first demo was recorded with a female singer even though the song was written for a male. When I had the opportunity to work with Chris, we needed to pitch the production down to make sure it’d be in the sweetest spot for a male vocalist. Chris recorded the whole song and did a great performance as usual, but I was feeling that the track was missing some contrast only a duo could bring. I then started to look for a female singer who would have a voice greatly matching with Chris and found Della. I really love the result!

IT’S A REALLY UPLIFTING AND PROGRESSIVE TRACK, NO WONDER IT’S ALREADY AT 869K SPOTIFY STREAMS! CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE COLLABORATION WITH CHRIS WILLIS AND HOW THIS CAME ABOUT?

Thank you so much! I love following my inspiration while not having to stick to any very specific subgenre. In the meantime, I truly feel the Max M signature is starting to emerge. I was introduced to Chris and we started to discuss a potential collaboration as he really loved my productions. After the first call I was like, “Wow, I’ve just done a video chat with a legend, and we might work together!” He is a very nice guy, I really enjoyed it and I’m still enjoying our discussions. We then agreed to work on two tracks together, I’ll Be Up being the first to be released.

THE OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR THE FIRST TRACK FEATURED ON THE EP (IMAGINARY PROBLEMS) HAS RACKED UP A HIGHLY RESPECTABLE 200K YOUTUBE VIEWS AND HUNDREDS OF POSITIVE COMMENTS. IS IT AN IMPORTANT PART OF BEING A PRODUCER, IN YOUR OPINION, TO ENGAGE WITH YOUR FANS?

Indeed. You cannot exist as a producer or as an artist without fans. It has never been as easy to make and distribute music as it is in today’s world.

With so much music released every day, it has become really hard to stand out and allow listeners to discover the music you’re making. That is why I am making such efforts to be different and engage with them.

IF YOU COULD ONLY LISTEN TO ONE OF YOUR SONGS ON REPEAT, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

One that is not released yet. It’s called Comin Thru For You. That’s actually the first track I’ve written with vocals, and the production/mix/master still needs some work. Why? Because this track is about the story of my life and therefore means a lot to me.

WHAT ARE THE MAJOR HURDLES FOR YOU AS AN UP AND COMING ARTIST TRYING TO BREAK INTO THE SCENE?

Although I’m receiving great and encouraging feedback on my productions, it’s really hard to get some significant exposure when your name is unknown and you’re independent. Most of the spots are mainly reserved for the big names. Financing the project out of my own pocket does not allow me to have large promotion campaigns, which is also limiting the exposure a bit.

DO YOU FEEL THAT YOU ARE STARTING TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH YOUR MUSIC NOW IN TERMS OF ITS REACH?

I do see a bit of progress on Spotify but more on local and online radio airplay. All of my tracks are air-playing every day all over the world. I feel it is a really good sign to have tracks like Under Water or Never Wanna Leave still air-playing daily almost a year after their releases. It’s not huge, but it’s a good growth trend and therefore very encouraging.

HOW ARE YOU FINDING BALANCING YOUR PROFESSIONAL IT CAREER WITH YOUR RELATIVELY NEW MUSIC CAREER?

With good organisation and a lot of motivation. I have to say that it is sometimes hectic! Finding a good balance between family life, a job that keeps me busy, and music is not easy every day.

WHAT IS THE BEST SKILLSET YOU HAVE MANAGED TO TRANSFER ACROSS FROM YOUR IT CAREER TO YOUR MUSIC CAREER?

Attention to detail, perseverance (always find the right way to make it work, don’t stop until it does) and having a very open mind. There are always new ways to do things even if we’ve not found them yet.

WHAT IS YOUR ULTIMATE DREAM AS AN ARTIST?

Collaborations with singers and producers I love, as well as having my music on national radio stations and TV channels. That’d be awesome!

I’m not saying Baby Yoda memes won’t forever hold a place in my heart, but sometimes - like meeting up with an old friend an old school meme can melt your heart.

The O RLY Owl is from a simpler time.

A time before covid. More specifically, 2003. An expression of disbelief, in this age of fake news and internet hoaxes, we need this snowy owl more than ever. Demand clarity. Demand rationality. Demand proof. Demand... the O RLY Owl.

One of the “advice animal” memes, Socially Awkward Penguin waddled into our hearts in 2009. His photograph was originally taken for the National Geo-graphic website, but these days he prefers to recount his most awkward social slip ups. Instantly relatable. This meme really does deserve a second look.

Good Guy Greg started off in 2011 and he’s basically just that; a good guy. The internet can be a grim and dark place, but GGG is a source of hope in the universe. A shining example of how we can all better ourselves with a bit of effort.

In 2010, Bear Gryls was there to remind us to drink our own P***. The fact he was cool about the meme says a lot about him. Mainly that the dude likes to drink his own P***. Fair play to him, he saw the joke and even tweeted about it.

I don’t always write a list of old school memes which deserve a comeback, but when I do, I end it with this one. This meme hasn’t ever really gone away. He’s been with us since his appearance in a 2007 beer advert, and he’s still... the most interesting man in the world!

IT’S BEEN GREAT TO HAVE YOU GUYS BACK ON THE SCENE OVER THE PAST YEAR, WITH YOUR SUPERB LATEST ALBUM ‘CHERRY BLOSSOM’. CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THE ALBUM AS A WHOLE? WHAT DOES IT REPRESENT?

It’s been lovely to be back! The album represents rebirth and fresh starts. It was two years in the making. A lot changes in your life as a band, and as an individual - Cherry Blossom really encapsulates all of that. The music is a progression and really representative of where we are, we’re immensely proud of it.

‘CHEMICALS’ IS SIMPLY BRILLIANT. IT CAPTURES YOUR ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY AND IS SO PLEASING TO LISTEN TO WHAT INFLUENCED THIS TRACK?

The guitar riff was the first thing that I wrote and then I, LostBoy, and Tom Mann ended up building everything around it. These dirty in-your-face sounds and lyrics emulated that. This song genuinely really sparked the sound for a lot of the album.

‘MARRIED IN VEGAS’ IS SUCH A SUPERB AND EPIC SONG. THERE’S A BRILLIANT CONTRAST AND BREAKDOWN IN SOUNDS, LAYERS (WHICH KEEP BUILDING) AND YOUR VOICE HAS A REAL EDGE TO IT. I WANT TO LISTEN TO IT OVER, AND OVER - I CAN IMAGINE THE CROWD GOING CRAZY TO THIS! WHICH TRACK FROM YOUR NEW ALBUM ARE YOU MOST LOOKING FORWARD TO PERFORMING LIVE?

Ah, thank you very much, very kind! Yeah, I think this one, the energy and the tempo is gonna make it so fun live. God, I miss live shows!

THERE ARE A LOT OF FANS COMMENTING ABOUT THE VAMPS BEING UNDERRATED – WHAT IS YOUR OPINION TO THIS?

Haha, I don’t really know, we’re very happy with where we are as a band!

Our fans are f*cking awesome though, we’re gonna keep releasing music for us and for them, and what will be, will be!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR 9 YEARS OF MAKING MUSIC TOGETHER AS A BAND?

A learning curve. We spend more time with each other than we do with anyone else, over the course of touring and studio etc. We’ve got to a place of understanding of one another’s process, and knowing how to best enhance it. This album has more than anything been the most fun to write, we’ve had this unified vision and goal that we set out to achieve.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PERFORMANCE OF YOUR CAREER SO FAR?

We played a show in India at the Global Citizen festival and it was a really, really special night. There were so many incredible artists on the bill but also the crowd was just immense - it went on and on. They were also really receptive. As a band going into a crowd that isn’t solely ours - it’s like a challenge to make as big an impression as possible, and that can either go well or not, but that night everyone was involved and up for it. Also, it being such a great cause you feel very honoured to be a part of it. Loved it.

IT’S ALREADY BEEN AN INCREDIBLE JOURNEY FOR YOU GUYS – AT WHAT PART IN THE JOURNEY DO YOU SEE YOURSELVES, AND WHERE DO YOU SEE THE JOURNEY TAKING YOU NEXT?

I think we’re at a really crucial part, we’ve really found our voices as musicians and artists and know exactly where we want to be, and want to go. Experimenting with sounds, looks and style has been the most liberating thing, and was needed for us as a band. Once you do it once, I feel like your eyes are wide open and you want to never say no to anything ever again, “shall we sample this tub of Nutella and turn it into a tune?”

Absolutely yes. So that’s where we’ll be heading, pushing the band as far as we can see it going.

CAN YOU TELL US A FUNNY STORY ABOUT THE VAMPS – ONE THAT YOUR FANS WON’T ALREADY KNOW…

Our manager was proposing us working with a new person, and he was like a dog with a bone and wouldn’t stop going on about him, to the point that on the album he has a little homage... you’ll have to wait and listen to see where it is.

Editor in Chief: Ben Farrin Content Manager: Elliot Norman Graphic Design: Make North Contributors: Ben Coleman, Jack Shannon, Jessica Doran, Kelly Regan-Mears

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