This Wild Life

S'up fuckers. Listen to this;



Good init. That's what over 4 million other people apparently thought of this cover, too. The sweet tones of Kevin Jordan's voice are enough to lull you into a little delicious sleep; you know, the kind where you wake up and don't hate everybody. I mean, Oli Sykes original vocals are good, really good, but there's something about a song being covered by a bearded man with an acoustic guitar that we as listeners eat up. Now tell me how many of you haven't started this video again. Cus if you haven't, go do it.

I digress (a lot), but this was the cover that got This Wild Life a lot of attention. Recently signed to Epitaph Records, the once pop-punk twosome turned acoustic band, have began making noise in a big way in the UK. Anyway, I went to The Talking Heads in Southampton (eurgh) last week to watch these two talented bastards perform. Never a dull moment in that grey city, I encountered a Spanish Catalan, a gypsy trying to steal cigarettes out of an old ashtray and quickly realised that emo ain't dead, apparently. The first support came on who's name I forget (and I'm not one to shun support acts, remember Mirror Signal?); but for the articles sake let's call them Ben Howard wannabes with less sexual tension between the lead singer and the bassist. Rob Lynch was up next who is a huge bag of talent and stage presence, joining them just off the U.S. Warped Tour where they both performed throughout. Then it got to 10pm, show time for TWL, and as I sipped my luke-warm Budweiser, remembering how much I despised it with every gulp, I was perplexed by the lack of crowd rushing into the venue in time for the guys to get on stage. Are the people of Southampton turned off by good music? Does everyone know something I don't about the Talking Heads venue? Has Ebola suddenly hit Hampshire? Whatever it was, it meant they were missing out, big time. The bromance was real, the fans were laughing, someone was shouting about tits, there was nothing not to love about the atmosphere, no matter how small the crowd. As expected for the first night of a tour, you could sense the nerves on Kevin, but he brought it back with personal anecdotes and dat whistle in Puppy Love. By their last song both Anthony and Kevin were in the full swing, and as they finished History, the crowd chanted for one more song, that they apologetically shook their heads at. Mad respect for bands that are honest about their last song. The important thing was that they left the crowd wanting more; which I'm sure with how talented these boys are, they will deliver in the new year. As I left that little venue that made me sweat more than dicks on a hot day despite the person next to me not invading my personal space, I had one thought and one thought only, these guys are gonna be huge.



To catch these guys before their tour ends, you can book tickets here.
Equally, you could tweet them some love, or buy some merch.
Regardless of whether you do all or none, just enjoy them. 

Big love x

A late Christmas gift

I went to a gig not so long ago and left with chills. Not because of the breeze that was coming off of Camden Lock, and not because of the main act. But the support act.
7.30 - Mirror Signal the set list taped to the door told me. I HAVE to interview this guy I thought, so here we are. A little shy but never the less, one of my favourite acts I've started listening to this year. If this guy doesn't blow up in 2014 I will be absolutely dumb founded.  

What started it all for you?

I've been writing for quite a few years now. In middle school I learnt 'Mary had a little lamb' on piano, it was literally that that got me into music. So I joined the orchestra as a clarinetist which was weird, I then moved onto guitar and wrote my first song in year 8. But electronically this year really.

You should do a tribute performance of 'Mary had a little lamb' as a thank you.
Haha, yeah that's not a bad idea actually.

Musically, biggest influences?
Green Day, weirdly were my biggest influence to learn guitar, also Fall Out Boy. But gradually my tastes changed and I just went off making acoustic music as my previous stage name TeeTotal, I was less into the mainstream stuff.  I started listening to a lot more electronic stuff, I'm not even sure how, so for my current sound, James Blake, definitely Radiohead, bands like that.

Your music is quite chilled, would you say your influences reflect in the music you make?
A lot of people draw comparisons to my influences when listening to my stuff. But I wouldn't compare myself, I don't think I'm that good. 


You don't think you're that good? Crazy. What made you put the songs you have released out there then?
I just recorded an EP in January with some tracks and put it out in April. I've recorded since but I've recently come into management so I just haven't had time to release anything else yet. 

Can I have context for the lyrics in your tracks?
At the time of writing I was going through an existential crisis, you know, where you don't really know what anything means? I just had loads of ideas about society, what society means and why there's meaning where it's not really needed. A  lot of my lyrics stem from that really. 

Cool. How easy is it to balance gigging as Mirror Signal and being at uni?
Easy at the moment, my manager will ring me up with a gig and I can either accept or decline depending on how much stuff I have on that particular day. But I'm in my first year at Uni so its not too difficult to balance. Music is first and foremost what I want to do. Uni was a back up plan, so music will always come first.

2014 plans for Mirror Signal? 
At the moment I'm writing a few songs, I have 7 or 8 in demo form. I'm releasing a new song early next year called Submarine Eyes. But that's about it.

Have you been starstruck yet?
Sort of, yeah. But not as much as I thought I'd be. I supported Andreya Triana, she's pretty big. I'd been listening to her for ages and I supported her in October, she came into sound check and I was star struck for a couple of seconds. And at the end of that gig I just saw Newton Faulkner in the room. That was really weird. I met Jamie Cullum too but he's a really nice guy so being star struck doesn't last too long.





I once saw Newton Faulkner at London zoo watching the penguin show. The guy gets around. Is Jamie Cullum really short in real life?
 Yeah he's tiny, I didn't think he would be but he was shorter than me.

Was Jamie Cullum playing your track on his show a big boost to the attention you received?  
Definitely, it was my biggest influx of new fans. I had so many new Twitter followers and Facebook messages after the show. Which just proves radio is still a big part of the industry, I think people forget that sometimes. 

We have to talk about the 'fro. Its quiet amazing. Are you ever manhandled for your choice in hairstyle? 
Yeah actually, I played a gig in Manchester and after my set three drunk girls came up to me, didn't mention anything about what I'd just played but asked if they could touch my hair. I was just like "I could get used to this".    

Having an afro seems like people see it as an invitation to touch the afro-bearerr, like a green light to the general public.
Haha, yeah I don't mind it at all. 

Festivals next year?
I can't really say anything but I've been offered a few stages. 

Dream festival to play?
Obviously Glastonbury, but a couple in America that I'd like to play as I've never been there.

Things have happened so quickly for you, it seems so crazy.
Yeah, I'd say I'm quite shy, indifferent and strange, I try to channel that into music to make it stand out. I guess that its working. 

True dat.

For all you creepers;
Follow him
Like him

I want you on my team, so does everybody else

Tattoo post number three comes in the shape of 20 year old Sebastian Ennis. I know you want your standard tattoo post but honestly, let me digress here, it's worth it. 

As well as having a completely bad ass sleeve and studying full time for his BA Hons in Film Production as a sound engineer, Seb also produces his own music. Under the alias In as Beast (which is actually an anagram of Sebastian, clever init, my name's an anagram of shit) he has had recognition from BBC introducing after sending them his track Constellations. Seb told me his main influence when producing is house music, but the list of specific artists that influenced him to start making beats and to continue doing so is insane.
"In particular I love J Dilla, Koreless, a lot of the producers on Hessle Audio, people like Pearson Sound, Ben UFO... I've been listening to a lot of machinedrum, I think his sound is subconsciously changing mine slightly the more I do."
"A lot of my main influences are hip hop based so people like Pete Rock, 9th Wonder, Madlib. I'm into a lot of the newer ones too like Julio Bashmore."
"I listen to a wide range, from indie to hip hop, but I'm still discovering my sound"


 

Sick, right?! I know what y'all really want. Here you go... 

How old were you when you got your first tattoo?
I was 18 years old

Which was the first?
The outline of the day of the dead skull

Which one is your favourite?
Probably the buddha on my inner bicep, I'm quite a fan of dot work and the dot work is quite complex on it around the leaves. more the technique, rather than the actual design itself

Are there any meanings behind your tattoos?
Not particularly, I've always been interested in tribal but I didn't want the lazy approach of going in and saying I want that one, I sat down and told the artist what I wanted and after a process of back and fourth, we came up with tribal that has other elements in it. The script on my left forearm probably has the most meaning, it was a tribute to Gil Scott-Heron after he died. I've always been into writing so after he passed I was quite saddened by it so I thought I'd get some of his work on my arm, cus I know I'll always be a fan. Its from one of his songs/poems called Spirits

A lot of people are big haters of tribal tattoos, did that cross your mind when getting your sleeve?
Not at all, I have a lot of people in my family with tribal tattoos. I've always done art at school so from an early age (year 6/7) I had a big interest in Maori/Polynesian designs so I researched it a lot before. I also made sure I went to an artist specialised in that kind of style. I think people worry about tribal tattoos because they know if you get a lazy design a lot of people are going to have it, but mine was done to how I wanted it so it wasn't an issue.

How long did it take to design?
Probably about two and a half months for the artist to design it for me, and then I think it was all in all about four or five long day sessions over a period of two years

Where did you get your tattoos?
Barry Louvaine House of Living Art in Earlsfield

Are you planning any more tattoos?
I'm due to start another half sleeve that will continue with the tribal theme, there's more dot work from what I remember of the design as I asked my artist to include more of that. Then a mask that has headphones on it cus I'm really into sound, that'll goes across to my left pectoral, as a continuation of the sleeve. All of that will hopefully be done by March. After that I'll probably start on my back piece, I'm thinking a gypsy pin up girl in day of the dead style.


Did you worry about how having a sleeve may affect your future when it comes to careers?
Yes and no, my mum has tattoos so she's fine with ink but she always told me to never get my hands or my neck tattoo'd, so from an early age I always agreed with that. In terms of my sleeve, I don't plan on going into an academic background so it's not such an issue. For interviews and things a long sleeved shirt will completely cover it.

Have you ever had any negativity towards your tattoos?
Oh yeah a lot, when I was working in retail I'd have people tell me I was going to regret it when I'm older but I disagree. To me they're memories, it's my arm and I don't really care what I'm going to look like when I'm older.

Any advice for people thinking about getting a tattoo?
My main advice would be if you're not sure, don't do it. But if you're unsure of pain or having to have a meaning behind your tattoo, I think that's quite pretentious, the fact that you over think it takes the meaning away. You get it because you want it, don't worry what anybody else thinks, it's on your body.


SO MUCH YES. For any of you interested in listening to more of Seb's stuff as In as Beast, you'll find it here. If you're too lazy, have another




peace xo