Women's Issue

In The Middle Issue 14 06.03.15 Women’s Issue Music • Clubs • Fashion • Arts • Lifestyle and Culture • Society 2 Credits Editor-in-Chief In The Middle Music Clubs Fashion Jasmine Andersson Associate Editor Andrew Kemp Harriet Shepherd Esther Eldridge editor@thegryphon. Benjamin Cook Daoud Al-Janabi Maddie Davison Jessie Jones co.uk inthemiddle@ Oliver Walkden Claire McQue thegryphon.co.uk Emily Watts Tiffany Grous Emma Clark Arts Lifestyle and Culture Society Columnists Head of Hannah Woodhead Laura Rowlands Maddy Keating Ellie Parkes Photography Melissa Baksh Jess Murray Jen Pritchard Sam Broadley Rachel Groocock Katie Dawtry Beth Galey Creatives Ben Sandin Frazer Sparham In The Middle Ad 3 Contents 5 16 Ghostpoet spoke to us about his new We were first introduced to the Bechdel album, Shedding Skin, and how Jiro Test in 1986, three decades later and not Dreams of Sushi inspired him. much has changed. 7 19 Last week Twin Peaks, Bruising, and The Pintura offers one of Leeds’ most unique Orielles played a secret gig to a packed dining experiences. Great tapas-style food bungalow in Headingley, and we went with a laid back Basque feel. along. 9 21 Over the past decade Heidi’s become FemSoc have been called ‘the most hated one of the biggest names in dance music. society on campus’. We asked them what’s Playing shows regularly and appearing it like being a feminist on campus. regularly on Radio 1, she talks about the place of women in dance music. 13 23 The new Bond film may have cast the Ellie Parkes sits us all down to tell us oldest Bond girl of all time, but it’s got a to take coffee a lot more serious, and Jen long way to go to make up for decades of Pritchard’s written a column that’s got us all misogyny. calling our mum’s to say thank you. In The Middle Contents 4 In The Middle with Slow Club Walking backstage to Slow Club’s dressing music departments. From a young age, the ages.” Leaving behind the glitz and glamour room I hear booming laughter and sup- pair have been into music, relying and lean- of the Hollywood dream, Rebecca seems to pressed giggles. Charles Watson, the beard- ing on it to “cower away from the bullies”. have adopted Charles’ more laid back ap- ed multi-instrumentalist, and Rebecca Tay- Keeping in touch over MSN, Rebecca and proach to music, “I’m dreaming of having lor, energetic lead-singer, are sat on the floor Charles exchanged music, but didn’t form a fresh pair of jeans and a guitar that stays attempting to toast some pitta, a homely a band until much later. After that how- in tune”, to be content and thankful for their and inviting sight. Rebecca immediately ever, “it really never stopped. I don’t know success thus far. Rebecca adds, “unfortu- offers the concoction around with a home- what happened but we’ve carried on being nately I am only happy if Charles likes it so made guacamole accompaniment, putting in this band and will continue to do so until I’m stuck in this for life, and vice versa.” any nerves before the coming interview we’re older”. Rebecca seems sure and certain completely to rest. After politely refusing in saying this, the bond and friendship be- Their different approaches to life and music and finding somewhere to sit in the small tween the pair undeniable. is further evident through their approaches box room we begin to talk music, Samba to songwriting: “I make sure I’m in horrible and Hollywood glamour. relationships with awful people and allow “Imagine if you got them to break my spirit until I write songs Slow Club have been pretty much touring about it.” Rebecca says sinisterly. Charles on since they first formed a band, only stopping everything straight the other hand, remarks to make music you occasionally to record. They are therefore, have “to stay aware of your surroundings as far as bands go, experts at live perfor- away, you probably and interpret it really.” mance. “Smaller towns are great because people come out even if they’ve not really wouldn’t make music After nearly 10 years without a break, the heard you,” Rebecca tells me. “But of course pair seem more than happy to see where life you have to do the main cities like Shef- any more” takes them as opposed to planning ahead: field, Manchester and Leeds too.” So what “We’re at the stage where we don’t know if makes each tour different? “They all have we’re gonna do a load of festivals or just their own flavour mostly because of van From my few moments spent with the duo, stop and have a break and start writing. I jokes or personality,” Charles reflects. “But it’s quite easy to see why they work so well guess we’ll see what happens.” Reflecting on this one’s definitely been a lot more sober.” together, their opposite outlooks on life and my meeting with the duo, it is evident that Approaching nearly 10 years since the band music meeting to form a kind of harmony. the music world is lucky to have such a was first formed, Slow Club know how to Yet they are also reluctant to question why dedicated and hardworking band. Slow Club get the most out of a touring experience, the they work: “I think because we haven’t real- are witty, thankful and perhaps most im- music and audience being the primary focus ly figured out how it works, that’s why it still portantly, the best of friends. So why should of the moment: “Drinking isn’t good for your works.” Working together for such a long you give them a listen? “We’re the only duo music or you,” Rebecca draws on previous time, learning each others strengths and after the Chuckle Brothers, so we’re basical- tour experiences to make the most out of weaknesses, has added a definite humble- ly the second greatest duo to come out of their touring so far. “I’ve stopped and it’s ness to the group, especially on Rebecca’s Rotherham.” If that’s not an incentive to lis- been amazing, I just feel bad for the boys.” part: “Imagine if you got everything straight ten to a band, I don’t know what is. [Stasi away, you probably wouldn’t make music Rose] Rebecca and Charles first met at a Samba anymore, but for us there’s a real saddo’s ap- workshop, set up by their schools to merge proach to stardom. I’m happy for it to take In The Middle Section 5 Interview: Ghostpoet Shedding Skin is unlike any of Ghostpo- et’s previous albums. Obara Ejimiwe - aka Shedding Skin captures an intensely person- Will there be more The Art of Nothing ma- Ghostpoet - is a London based vocalist and al process yet Ejimiwe seems to embark on terial to look forward to? “I’ve realised mak- musician whose recent release ‘Off Peak his most experimental album to date. Driv- ing this record, I shouldn’t keep all my eggs Dreams’ encapsulates the daily grind of a en by a “burning attitude, a strong desire to in one basket, I want to keep this Ghostpoet commuter. But Shedding Skin is bigger than make something I wanted to make”, Ejimiwe thing as free as possible - and having this London; “It’s definitely in there, it’s natural leaves behind the comfort of his electronic space to experiment, to do some creative that it gets into the music….but it’s more a production to try his hand at a guitar record. stuff away from Ghostpoet definitely takes feeling I’ve got from travelling the world, it’s “I’m a huge fan of guitar music, always have the pressure off.” more global. The feeling that things could been. I’ve flirted with it in the past few re- be better.” cords and I have a great touring band, so I “For once, I allowed the thought why not give it a go.” Japanese frames the album, marking the music I was listening to three different stages in the process of Was it more difficult making this album then? shedding a past self. “A few days previ- “No, not really, definitely different though. to influence the music I ous, I watched this documentary called Jiro For once, I allowed the music I was listening Dreams of Sushi. I was so taken by his life to to influence the music I was making. I was was making” and his attitude towards his work - the idea listening to a lot of Nick Cave and the Bad of dedicating your life to one job, one pas- Seeds, Interpol, TV on the Radio, Massive sion and seeing it through to the end, and Attack… but I didn’t want to replicate what With just weeks until his tour, I ask Ejimiwe trying throughout the course of your career they were doing, I just allowed stuff that I how he’s feeling, “I’m really looking forward to keep a level of quality and never falling love to influence what I was going to make. to playing the new record and touring with below that - it got stuck in my head and I It’s like making a copy of a painting… say the new band. This record was made with thought, right, I want to get some Japanese there are ten people doing a still life draw- live performance in mind.

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