HATC BEA MILLER CULTURE AND MENTAL HEALTH Gabrielle Aplin. Declan McKenna. The Wombats. Cabbage. Jade Bird. Black Honey. Hayley Hasslehoff ISSUE 2 £4.00 GBP £4.00 PAGE 1 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF BRONTE EVANS ALICE GEE JADE POULTNEY GABRIELLE APLIN SUB EDITORS CONTRIBUTORS HEAD ABOVE THE CLOUDS JADE POULTNEY SHOOT PHOTOGRAPHER ELOISE ADGER BETTY MARTIN BRONTE EVANS SHOOT STYLIST DESIGNER ALICE GEE ALICE GEE SOPHIE BASSETT CONTRIBUTORS SHOOT MUA ALICE GEE KAREEM JARCHE ELOISE ADGER BRONTE EVANS HAIR STYLIST JADE POULTNEY CONNOR MCLAUGHLIN MEG ATKINSON CHAR BEA MILLER COVER TOM CHERIE PHOTOGRAPHER ISOBEL DYE GINA GIZELLA MANNING CHARITIES SUPPORTED DECLAN MCKENNA COVER WWW.MIND.ORG.UK PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF HAHN HATC TEAM ALICE GEE THE WOMBATS JADE POULTNEY PHOTOGRAPHER BRONTE EVANS PHIL SMITHIES ELOISE ADGER PHOTOGRAPHER CREDITS A SPECIAL THANKS TO NIALL HORAN - CONOR MCDONNELL BEA MILLER HAYLEY HASSLEHOFF - HISSA CHARMA GABRIELLE APLIN BLACK HONEY - LAURA ALLARD-FLEISCHL DECLAN MCKENNA JADE BIRD - CHARLOTTE PATMORE THE WOMBATS FLYTE - JAN PHILIPZEN HAYLEY HASSLEHOFF MASTER PEACE - SAHRA ZADAT CABBAGE ULYSSES WELLS CABBAGE JADE BIRD FLYTE BLACK HONEY PRIVE SWISS TOM CHERIE CONTENT CREATORS ALICE GEE @HATCMEDIA www.headabovetheclouds.co.uk PAGE 2 ISSUE 2 COVER ARTISTS PAGE 3 EDITORS NOTE Right: Gabrielle Aplin our first December cover star. Above: Editor-in-Chief Alice Gee As we exit lockdown 2.0 and enter a new year I can’t help but reflect on the life changing circumstances we’ve come to face. Lockdown has Photography: Betty Martin proven a difficult time for the majority, from being unable to see our nearest and dearest to our front Oh, so often over the liners sacrificing everything to care for our nation. past year we have grappled with the Personally, this year has been one of severe notion of certainty or anxiety and uncertainty whilst witnessing beacons should I say lack of. I’m of hope through the extraordinary actions within sure I’m not the only our communities. We have watched our nation pull one who is constantly together to support those less fortunate whilst second guessing continuing to fight against COVID. the year of 2021 and what’s in store. I feel Taking this into account, I feel a huge amount every conversation of pride and gratitude that we have been able and meeting we are to release our second issue featuring an aray of expressing our hope extremely talented individuals who have continued and dreams only to half to create and inspire over the past 12 months. The shut them down with creative industries have taken a real hit this year everything being so with live events and venues having to shut their unsure. This can be disheartening and paralysing doors. With this, we have seen artists manoeuvre at times. So, it made sense for us to push harder new innovative ways to entertain and keep the arts and achieve even more with our winter covers and alive. culture focused pieces. PAGE 4 We want to highlight that the industry is very much open for business and although we are in these uncertain times it’s up to us to find new ways to “LET 2021 BE discover culture whilst highlighting those ready to take 2021 by storm. THE YEAR OF As I steped out bright and early, mask in tow to journey to what would be our first and only shoot CONTINUING of Issue 2 due to new restrictions, I feel a sense of normality and excitement that I hadn’t felt in quite CHANGE some time. Although we were able to shoot socially distanced outside for one of our previous covers, I really had missed the hustle and bustle that comes FOR BETTER with a studio shoot. It’s moments like this where I long to once again be close to one another. MENTAL Our Winter covers are a nod to both the old and new staring musicians who have, and are consistently HEALTH” are taking the industry by storm. Together these Ultimately I feel lucky that we are still able at Head artists total over 1110 minutes of music and have Above The Clouds, to do what we love even if it toured more than 120 cities. Sometimes the past is slightly different without our much loved gigs really is the best teller of future and what better and festivals. For us, I think continuing in some way to instil confidence that our creative industries capacity is hugely lucky and something we will will arise front the ashes. continue not to take for granted. One of the hopes I have following the pandemic is we don’t become complacent and blind to the struggles of mental health that many have finally arrived to bare witness to. We were already in the midst of a mental health crisis pre COVID-19, with many suffering and falling victim to mental illness day in and day out. I pray that we continue to acknowledge mental health as something that needs more funding and support and that ourselves, communities and charities should not be alone in this. It is time our government acknowledge their responsibilty in the fight to better our mental health and better funding, care and strategies. We have seen over this year how we are all capable of pulling together to show such understanding and love, as well as how physical and mental health go hand in hand. It’s time to pave a better future, we must not fall complacent. In times of such uncertainty all we have is one another, and now more than ever it is so important to continue to look after one another. Let 2021 be the year of continuing change for better mental health. Merry Christmas and I hope a happier new year. JADE POULTNEY Director & Contributer A BBC Music Contributor and northen music advocate campaigning for more social mobility in creative industries. Isobel Dye Isobel Dye A 19-year-old student at the University of Manchester tackling the effect of COVID-19 on Jade Poultney students with her TikToks on the subject going viral. ALICE GEE Founder & Editor A mental health campaigner and writer with a wealth of experience in both music and media industries. Alice Gee THE PEOPLE INVOLVED Meg Atkinson MEG ATKINSON Interviewer & Contributer Music liason and Broadcaster whilst studying and working as Midlands Regional Music Officer. BRONTE EVANS Interviewer & Contributer Mental health worker and writer. Bronte Evans ELOISE ADGER Interviewer & Contributor A BIMM Music Business graduate with experience in events and Eloise Adger photography. PAGE 6 HATC & WHY? Head Above The Clouds began to create safe spaces within the music industry for those with their mentalhealth issues, whilst promoting better mental health policy and raising funds for key mental health charities. Since Head Above The Clouds began, we have run numerous events including gigs, festivals and panel debates whilst producing online content of podcasts and campaigns. As we continue to grow at an incredible rate, we also continue to reach a wider audience by branching into new areas within the creative industries and growing into a much wider media company. Here at Head Above The Clouds we want our magazine to be an immersive experience. With that and the work we do, we understand the trouble that can arise when it comes to making a magazine that is accessible to those with learning and visual difficulties. The magazine aims to not only produce content for readers to understand and tackle their own mental health struggles but to also give you the chance to hear from those who have, and still are experiencing mental health difficulties. Experts featured will provide readers a chance to learn about different mental illnesses, the stigma and policy issues surrounding them as well as information on how and where to seek help. We want to provide for those suffering with mental illness a chance to not only learn and feel welcome but a chance to have a voice and a place to change prejudices surrounding the every day battle for better mental health. Want To Get Involved? Contact us at : [email protected] Photography: Betty Martin PAGE 7 CONTENTS HATC 1 CONTRIBUTORS 2 ISSUE 2 COVERS 3 EDITORS LETTER 5 PEOPLE INVOLVED 6 HATC & WHY COVER INTERVIEWS 9 BEA MILLER Bea on her mental health triumphs, american politics and ‘elated!’. 15 GABRIELLE APLIN Gabrielle talks to us on releasing her first album independently and how being diagnosed with ADHD has changed her life for the better. 25 DECLAN MCKENNA A look into Declan’s second album ‘Zeros’ and how music has kept him sane in lockdown. 43 THE WOMBATS We find out what The Wombats have been up to over lockdown and whats to come in 2021. MUSIC INTERVIEWS 81 FLYTE 23 HARRY STYLES 35 CABBAGE Q&A talking lockdown, doorstep ‘Golden’ review following the release We talk Cabbage’s new album gigs and more. of the video. ‘amanita pantherina’. 87 ULYSSES WELLS 31 NIALL HORAN 63 BLACK HONEY Ulysses Wells opens up about his Live at The Royal Albert Hall We catch up with Izzy Philipps person battles with mental health #WENEEDCREW who tells us all about their and his latest release ‘Can’t Take It upcoming album ‘Written & Much Longer’ FASHION INTERVIEWS Directed’. 57 HAYLEY HASSLEHOFF MUSIC REVIEWS Hayley tells us how fashion really 75 JADE BIRD 21 LANY can leave you feeling a million dollas Jade on her new life in Texas and Review of lany’s third album ‘mama’s and how it’s impacted her body her first single ‘Headstart’ in over b o y ’. confidence. a year. PAGE 8 91 BURN OUT With the pandemic hitting, unem- ployment is on the rise.