'THE HAPPIEST SEASON' - FILM REVIEW

Who doesn’t love a good, romantic, Hallmark-esque Christmas movie? There are so many classics, and they’re all cheerful, fun and heartening in the best ways - reminiscent of a comfy warm hoodie or a lovely hug with a favourite friend. However, (unlike most of my favourite friends) they also tend to be incredibly heterosexual: and by ‘tend to be’ I mean they all, indispensably and irrefutably, are. Thanks to writer and director Clea Duvall, along with a star-studded cast including Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Davis, Aubrey Plaza and more, a queer and quintessential holiday heartwarmer was born. It feels incredibly shocking to say that ‘The Happiest Season’ is the first of its kind, but despite LGBT+ cinema becoming a lot more prevalent, especially recently, this festive delight indeed takes that honour. And although that means there is absolutely no bar for it to break in terms of competition it is still, in all of its warm, sapphic sentimentality, unparalleled. Bringing all of the usual Christmas cheer but making it a heck of a lot more queer.

Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) are your archetypal, loved-up, Christmas movie couple, and when Harper invites Abby to her stay with her family for Christmas Abby is all in - Even after Harper reveals that she is not out to her family yet, and Abby is forced to play the role of her straight, orphan roommate. ‘The Happiest Season’ perfectly toes the line between its heavy subject matter - the difficulties of coming out and being a lesbian in a heteronormative society - and the joyous and witty feeling of a well-written and genuinely funny Christmas comedy (I mean, Kristen Stewart trying to believably play a straight girl is comedy enough in itself). It’s a rollercoaster of emotions that will make you laugh and cry and yell and want to fall in love and be unapologetically yourself for the rest of your life.

The great thing about ‘The Happiest Season’ is that It’s a lesbian film made by a lesbian - something cinema is seriously lacking - but it puts across really important elements of the LGBT+ experience to any audience member of any sexuality. Coming out is really, really hard. There’s an incredible scene where John - a standout character played by the wonderful and quick-witted Daniel Levy - talks about how different coming out is for everyone, and what an emotional experience it is. Having such a topic discussed in such a typically heterosexual style of film is a sort of groundbreaking, meaningful contrast. The idea that straight people will see this film and be so beautifully offered that glimpse into one of the most difficult aspects of the lives of queer people creates a feeling that is something I can’t even explain, one of extreme gratitude for the casual representation of the struggles queer people go through, whilst also being an uninhibited and constant reminder that their struggles do not define them.

This is a charming film with a beautiful message; and it’s delivered with a perfect amount of gay jokes, quirky characters and genuine humanity.  I can only hope that it becomes a Christmas staple for every household, gay and straight alike. I think if there’s one thing we can all agree on this holiday season, it’s Aubrey Plaza in a suit.

FINAL DESTINATION: RANKED

The Final Destination franchise has become iconic for all of its glorious goriness, and after five films (And hopefully a sixth one on the way!)  The series has definitely developed a strong and well-deserved place as a staple of horror cinema. But which is best? After rewatching the whole series over a few days, I decided to sit down and try and work that out. After I'd got over my fear of chairs. And computers. And, well, everything - I guess that's what intaking over 7 and a half hours of Final Destination style bloodshed will do to you.

5. THE FINAL DESTINATION

The fourth instalment in the series, 2009’s ‘The Final Destination’ has the air of a horribly average Final Destination film in the middle of a rebellious stage of teen angst and identity crisis. It’s all rock music, Mortal Kombat-Esque X-ray effects and an incredibly disappointing race track opening sequence, which  -  despite its seemingly good setting, what can't go wrong at a high-speed car race? - falls miles away from the brutality, intensity and sheer shock factor of some of the other films setups. It relies heavily upon its special effects to create some really gory deaths, such as the absolutely brutal mall explosion and escalator meat-grinder scenario, but a lot of them fall flat (both literally and figuratively) in a 2D setting as it is clearly much geared towards its original 3D release - a LOT of splattered blood and explosions. In fact, capitalising off of the 3D craze of the time seemed to be this film's whole purpose - who cares about plot when you can really see someone’s head explode right?

All of this combined, as well as its bland and uninteresting cast of entirely forgettable characters, some of (if not the) worst deaths in the whole franchise - getting crushed by an old guy's bath? Seriously? - and an absolutely terrible ending which feels entirely distant from the rest of the film and just a shoddy attempt to wrap everything up after a very intense buildup (which seems to be a common theme with a lot of this film's death sequences)  places this film at the very bottom of the grouping. It’s not terrible, and unlike its inexplicably missing number, it doesn’t deserve to be ignored entirely - even if only for the racist guy burning to death - but it's a far cry from its predecessors and the final film which followed it.

4. FINAL DESTINATION 

Putting this one so close to final destination 4 feels like some form of blasphemy - because this film is really good.  And of course, the film that kicked it all off - ’Final Destination’ was a shock to the system when it came to the traditional horror slasher idea that to have scary and gory deaths you needed some form of a scary and gory killer - this release proved that idea wasn’t necessary at all and that maybe the scariest killer of all is simply just an entity - Death itself. Arguably the most plot-heavy instalment to the series (as one would expect, really), Final Destination established the rules and regulations of the films’  universe - basically just the idea that death has a design, and he really doesn’t like when you fuck it up.

In amongst setting the stage for itself and the films to follow, Final Destination still managed to throw in some impressive deaths, including the actual premonition at the start - that plane explosion is brutal and plays on a lot of peoples fears, something which this film does well. Unlike other films in the series, this one isn’t too bizarre yet, so between the use of various everyday objects and long sequences leading up to ultimately some grizzly deaths, it definitely creates a kind of fear that other horror movies can’t with the idea that there is not one singular threat, everything is a threat - and that really works for it. It’s not as fun or gory as some of the others, focusing more on that scare factor, but it’s still a fantastic introduction to the formula that the whole series follows and puts across a very thought-provoking ideology on the concept of death and the value of life - this is one clever film, and it being this low is simply only because of how well its successors built on the groundwork it laid out for them.

3. FINAL DESTINATION 2

The opening car crash sequence is immaculate - perfectly realistic but with that eerie and outlandish Final Destination edge to it, it stands head and shoulders above every other initial disaster the series offers. It wastes no time having to create any form of setup or lore too - it just jumps straight into some crazy, crazy deaths that only get better as the film goes on and with some gnarly sequences that, unlike in The Final Destination, really pay off. The dynamic of them not knowing each other before the pile-up is an interesting take, and leads to a super diverse group of people, but on occasion often leads to less of an emotional grit as none of these people share an emotional connection besides fear of death. The return of Clear Rivers is a nice callback to the first film as well, giving this instalment a lot to praise.

Unfortunately - perhaps down to the film having three writers, more than any of the others in the series - the plot feels a little convoluted. There’s a super confusing rule about how new life can beat death which, quite frankly, never made much sense to me - as well as a peculiar ending that leaves the two main characters somehow having escaped death, making them the only people in the series to do that, with no real explanation. (In a special edition of Final Destination 3 a newspaper article reveals they did die eventually, but it still doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.) 

Finally, there is the disappointing revelation that Alex - the protagonist of the first film- who safety proofed his house, survived being electrocuted, crushed by a train and tons of other crazy shit throughout the entirety of the series’ previous entry - ended up being killed offscreen by nothing but a falling brick. The definition of a letdown.

So overall, these things earn this film a disappointingly low ranking - but its dark yet goofy spin on the Final Destination formula is solid, and watching a dude get sliced into three pieces by a fence is insane - so despite it being lower on the list, don’t pass it up.

2. FINAL DESTINATION 5

The final instalment in the franchise has everything you could want from a final destination film. There’s a shockingly dramatic opening sequence in true Final Destination tradition and some of the goriest and most suspenseful deaths of the whole series. It’s definitely one of the better films in the series if you’re into it for the gore factor but plot-wise it leaves something to be desired.

Maybe that’s because this has been done 5 times now, it’s hard to create something fresh and in the defence of this film, it did an incredible job at trying - both with a really interesting twist on the rules that you can take a life in place of your own, which added a whole other dark spin to the typical formula, and of course the incredible twist at the end, which truly blew my mind and was the reason the 5th and final film made it this high on my ranking  - the whole film is a prequel to the events of Final Destination one, subtle hints are dropped but it’s almost impossible to know this until the very end when the two survivors are boarding a plane and the realisation - quite literally - blows up in your face. It is insane, and a fantastic end to the series that reverses all of the damage done by its mediocre 4th instalment with its intense series of completely jaw-dropping moments - I have genuinely never felt suspense like watching the Gymnastics scene in this film - it is a brilliant final film which sums up and showcases some of the best things about the Final Destination films - the incredibly crazy deaths.

1. FINAL DESTINATION 3

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, many seem to view this film as the moment the Final Destination films started to go a bit wrong - presumably due to the aforementioned complete and utter disaster that was the film that followed. But honestly, for me, Final Destination 3 has so many quirks and clever elements that elevate it just above every other entry in the franchise. It’s opening sequence, a rollercoaster crash, is enthralling and shocking in true final destination fashion and the fairground setting is really cool, especially when it comes to the true standout aspect of the film, much like the ‘signs’ referenced in final destination 2, photos taken at the fairground depict hints to the way each survivor is going to die. It’s a really fascinating aspect to the film which helps keep the formula fresh, and watching them try and figure out what the hints mean is captivating. It’s just such an intriguing element.

Another bonus is that this film is led by Mary Elizabeth Winstead (who is - as always - incredible) and just overall has a really interesting cast of characters. Ian Mckinley is still one of my favourite characters in the whole series (even if his whole personality is just a bad impression of JD from Heathers). Final destination 3 did a really solid job of balancing plot and gore - unlike some of the other instalments you actually feel for the characters while they’re dying brutally, and I’ll be damned if I’m not still terrified of tanning beds. I just really like how impactful this one is, and it works incredibly well as a standalone film, unlike the others in the series, which sort of come to rely on the no-plot-crazy-deaths gimmick a lot more.

 

LITTLE WOMEN - FILM REVIEW

It is not a new concept to bring Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel to the screen. Countless TV and film adaptations have been attempted in the past - some doing well, others... not so much (1978 Miniseries, I’m looking at you.) The newest take on this literary classic, however, stands head and shoulders above all others and comes in the form of a feature film adapted and directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Greta Gerwig. 

“Little Women” is Gerwig’s second venture behind the camera following 2017’s ‘Lady Bird’ - A touching ode to her hometown of Sacramento which earned her Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. As someone who was positively blown away by Gerwig’s directorial debut, I had incredibly high hopes for her attempt at this well-renowned story and I was certainly not disappointed. It is clear to see that this is one of - if not the best - representations of the adventures of Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg to ever be brought to our screens. But what is it that makes Gerwig’s version thrive where others have failed?

The short answer: everything. Gerwig has absolutely left no stone unturned in this pitch-perfect period adaptation. Feeling as fresh as ever, despite being almost word for word to the original text.

Little Women is 2 hours and 15 minutes of beautiful filmmaking, with shots framed like warm paintings, a lively and perfectly paced score and costumes that despite being authentically period look comfortable and modern. Not to mention the incredible cast including Saoirse Ronan, one of the most talented actresses around at the moment, who truly shines as the feisty and emotional Jo March. Especially working alongside Timothee Chalamet - who also worked with Saoirse and Greta on Lady Bird (creating incredible chemistry as Jo and Laurie) - as well as Meryl Streep as Aunt March and the fantastic Florence Pugh, who’s portrayal of Amy gives a whole new perspective and insight on the character that other adaptations have missed entirely. Truly impeccable casting that allows a modern audience to connect more than ever with these iconic characters. 

In adapting a book like this, there is always the danger of it turning into something that feels more like a GCSE English lesson as opposed to a truly entertaining film, but despite its age, there is so much potential in this source material. The core themes of the novel: Wealth, War, Feminism and Family, are things that are as relevant now as they have ever been - and Gerwig’s acknowledgement of this is where her strengths lie, and what enabled her to turn this film into something incredibly close to the novel, yet with a new lease of life that keeps the March sister fire burning still in the 21st century, 150 years after they were originally introduced to the world. 

Greta Gerwig’s Little Women is heartwarming and at times heartwrenching, emotional and inspiring. It radiates positive energy that will make you want to follow every dream you've ever had. A timeless adaptation of a timeless classic that truly allows to ring true the words of the heroine herself:

"No one will ever forget Jo March"

TENET - FILM REVIEW

An ambitious and revolutionary director, Christopher Nolan is no stranger to the kind out-of-the-box thinking that elevates your typical action film into a ground-breaking blockbuster- and, although it’s no ‘Inception’ , the action fuelled, mind boggling ‘Tenet’ is an unrelenting and fulfilling reminder of the pure scale and extent of an excellent cinematic experience.

Stylish shots and slick action sequences as well as a standout, stunning score tie the whole thing together to create the immense and seemingly limitless world of Tenet,  which follows a CIA agent simply named ‘The Protagonist’ (John David Washington) as he works to prevent World War Three. It is, at its heart, a globe- travelling, chaos-causing, bond-esque spy film – but when it comes to Nolan, nothing is to be taken at face value. Trading in the overused clichés to create a threat so large out of something thought to be so well understood - Nolan’s one true cinematic love: Time.

Time is a huge factor in so many of Nolan’s films. From Memento to Interstellar, Dunkirk to Inception:  it’s clear this is a notion he loves to tangle with – and Tenet only takes that to a whole other level. Twisting the way we think about time and physics entirely, the ambitious plot is unlike anything I’ve ever seen presented on screen before. At times its fast-paced nature can be too much whilst trying to keep up with such a complex concept, but to quote some wisdom passed down to The Protagonist – “Don’t try to understand it, just feel it.” – and that is the way Tenet is best enjoyed.

Backwards car chases, bungee jumping up buildings and a huge fiery plane crashes, undoubtably Nolan’s vision will not be compromised. The sheer sense of power that Tenet radiates bursts right off the silver screen with every single word, punch and piece of music. It has its complexity and complications, sure, but it’s all worth it for those moments where the penny drops and it all clicks into place with a singular word, action or shot. With incredible performances all round from the likes of Robert Pattinson, Kenneth Branagh and Elizabeth Debicki - ‘Tenet’ is an action film like no other, and a crucial message in a time that so desperately needs it of just how stunning and remarkable film can be.

‘TENET’ IS IN CINEMAS NOW

PARASITE - FILM REVIEW

The newest film from writer-director Bong Joon

Ho has taken the world of cinema by storm after

debuting at 2019's Cannes film festival to an overwhelmingly positive reaction - one that was well deserved. 'Parasite’, which follows a poor Korean family as they attempt to infiltrate their way into the lives - and house -  of a much wealthier family, is one of the best pieces of cinema in recent years.

It is a perfectly paced, beautifully shot and an incredibly compelling social commentary

on the effects of class divide that descends from a lighthearted comedy to something

much darker so fast you barely even notice until it’s too late - a sharp and striking reality

that gives this film an uncomfortable yet necessary edge. The visceral uneasiness of Parasite

is almost tangible, there’s intensity in the simplest of scenes and yet sometimes an eerie calm

that seems to only exist to make you worry for the next moments, whatever they may be. 

Every single aspect of the film is framed in the most impeccable way to keep you on the edge

of your seat, not just watching but feeling the story that Joon Ho is trying to tell here - and

it is one spectacular story, riddled with an awareness that transcends the boundaries of

Country and Language. It’s no surprise the critical acclaim it has received - although the irony

is not lost on the fact that these award shows are often judged and attended by the privileged few

that parasite makes effort to call out - but this can’t take away from the achievements of this

masterpiece, including making history at the Oscars by being the first foreign film to win Best

Picture.

‘Parasite’ will make you laugh, it will make you angry, it will make you downright heartbroken at

times. Whatever way it does it, one thing is for sure: This incredible social satire will - much like

its namesake - work its way into your head so intensely it’s truly impossible to forget.

PARASITE IS IN CINEMAS NOW

INTERVIEW: SI MARTIN OF JUNIOR

Si Martin is one of my favourite people in the pop-punk scene right now. Not only is he the drummer of Junior, a band who's recent album 'Beautiful Life' absolutely blew me away (You can check out my overwhelmingly positive review via Invicta mag!), but he's also the co-founder of mental health non-profit 'Heads Above The Waves' which is such an important cause and something that means a lot to me and many others.
I had the opportunity to speak to him about both of these things, and hear his thoughts on drumming, mental health, touring and more!

So, you play the drums in Junior, I've seen you say that drums are what you always go to when you're struggling with mental health and as a drummer, I can definitely relate. Do you mind telling me a bit more about that? 

 Yeah! Aw dude, it’s the best. I wish I could look back and say I had some sort of light bulb moment of inspiration that drums was the thing that could help in dealing with stuff, but honestly, it was more of a gradual process. I’d been struggling with self-harm for a few years as a teenager, and now with the benefit of hindsight, I can look back and see that I was feeling a lot of anger and frustration and didn’t really see any way for dealing with those and processing those emotions other than taking them out on myself. But then gradually over time, I found myself thrashing my drums every time I felt those feelings, and it helped, cuz I was doing something with all that frustrated energy, and actually creating something out of it instead of it hurting me. It was awesome to see progress too - I went from not being able to play something to being able to play it after practising, so that feels good too. Ooh! And doing the rudiments (so like, patterns with your hands and feet that you do instead of scales in drums) is something repetitive to focus on, and particularly if you’re learning a new rudiment, or playing along to something particularly tricky, it takes up all your concentration, and means you’re focussing on what all your limbs are doing rather than all the other stuff that’s going on in your life. So yeah, drums are sick.

Junior just released their first album and did a release tour, how did it go and how are you feeling in the aftermath of all that?

 It was great! I know we’ve probably said it about other tours in the past, but this was legit the best we’ve done. Even the shows that we were a bit worried about turned out to be great. Well attended, well received. There were people singing along to all our songs, which considering the album had only been out for a few days by the time we were playing those songs to folks is actually quite impressive..! I just wish it could’ve lasted longer! I’m well keen to get back out and do it all over again!

What's your best advice for staying happy and okay on tour? 

Truth be told, I had a bit of a breakdown not long before we went away on this tour. I’m very lucky to be around a super supportive group of people whenever we tour; the other two guys in the band and our crew that we go out with are all really understanding. I shot the guys a message before we left to just give them a heads up that I might need a bit more time and space on this run, or that I might not be up for partying every night (which is fine cuz none of us are really party animals anyway..!) and they were amazing about it. So I think honesty is super important. Touring is such a weird bubble where you spend loooooads of time with the same small group of people, usually in quite close quarters, so I think it’s super important to be up front & honest with them, and honest with yourself too for that matter. Know what your limits are - physically, mentally, and emotionally. Oh, the other tip that I’ve realised is great is to have a pair of ‘God Tier’ socks and underwear in your bag. Save these for the day that you feel not so sparkly and need a lil pick me up that no-one knows about apart from you. It might not make everything better, but it’s a nice little thing that helps you feel a bit more special and is just for you. I’ve found myself doing this loads while touring recently.

The album "Beautiful Life" has a lot of very positive lyrical themes, do you have a favourite lyric and why? 

I recently had to try and pick one - we do these posi lyric posts from HATW and I did a Junior one for the day the album came out, and picking just one was really hard..! I’m gonna cheat a little in this, and go for the line “Press yours to mine; feel from the inside; it’s ok to not feel alright” - not necessarily because of the lyric itself (though I do think that ‘Girls and Boys’ is one of the most posi songs, and def one of my favourite Junior songs we’ve ever written), but because of the way that bridge section feels. I can’t really put my finger on it, but that whole bit just gets me, whether I’m playing it or listening back to it!

Linking to the positive lyrics, you also run a mental health non-profit called "Heads Above The Waves" can you tell me some more about that? 

 Yes! Heads Above The Waves is a non-profit Community Interest Company (which is basically like a charity but not a charity), and the whole vibe is to try and improve young people’s mental health. But specifically we do a lot of work with young people dealing with self-harm, and trying to introduce the idea that self-harm is a coping mechanism, but a harmful one, so we try and introduce more positive coping mechanisms to people as a short term fix, and try to give them a space and enable them to feel equipped to have conversations to get to the root of what they’re trying to cope with in the first place. We do school workshops, we’ve got an online presence, and we sell merch with a message to help fund our work, and hopefully start conversations - we do that out of our shop in Cardiff, and at all sorts of events, from national festivals down to local art shows.

I know it very closely links mental health with music, do you think the two go together?

Yeah, 100%. I think a lot of folks who perhaps struggle with their mental health are drawn to the alternative scene. I wouldn’t like to give a proper cause as to why, but it strikes me that a place where you can be accepted as you are (which is generally a little different to mainstream society) and be around people who understand you for you, that’s gotta be appealing - especially if you’re struggling with how you fit into this crazy old world of ours. I also think that music can be such a cathartic process. Whether that’s creating songs out of painful experiences, or just using it as a way to vent feelings (like me ragging my drum kit), as a creator of music, it helps hugely. But then as a consumer of music too; for as long as I can remember, I’ve had songs that make me feel something, or even just being able to relate to someone on the other end of a speaker who’s been through a similar experience and it’s made me feel less alone - those are some powerful moments.

What is your favourite part of running Heads Above The Waves and what are you most proud of?

Well, it’s funny. I’ve never really seen myself as a businessman. I never actually ever had any intention of running my own thing; I always assumed I’d go down that “traditional” route of getting a job and working up the ladder. So I think legit to just be running HATW alongside Hannah, who’s been in it from the start, is something I’m quite proud of in itself - and the fact that it’s still going is pretty cool to me. But since day one, we’ve always said that if we can reach or help just one person then it’s all been worthwhile. I’d say my favourite part is knowing that we’ve done that. There’s been people we’ve reached with our message or our content, and it’s encouraged them to reach out and get help, or to try new things and kick self-harm, or to just become the version of them that they want to be. It’s the most frustrating bit too, cuz it’s not so easy to measure that sorta impact, but anecdotally, hearing that someone who’s in the same position I was in when I was younger now feeling better cuz of HATW? Man. That gets me out of bed in the mornings.

Where do you hope to go with it in the future?

Honestly, I’d like to be able to make it a full time career, for myself and for others. I’d love to be able to bring in a bunch of new folk to be able to help lead more workshop sessions and do some hands on stuff in schools, as well as growing the online side of things. I’d REALLY love to branch out and open some more shops, but managing one is enough of a job in itself at the moment haha. But who knows!

Finally, what's your advice to anyone else struggling? 

 You have no idea what amazing things are waiting just ahead of you. This rubbish you’re feeling stuck in right now - it won’t last forever. Things can, and do, and will get better for you. Just don’t give up and keep on fighting, for yourself. Don’t do it because anyone else tells you to. Do it for you. For your future. And for the amazing person you’re going to become. This difficult time right now is gonna make you stronger, and once you’re out the other side, it’s going to be something you look back on and know just how strong you are.


You can check out the Heads Above The Waves site here - which includes resources, merch, advice, playlists and more!

and you can stream the new Junior album, Beautiful Life, which is out now!

INTERVIEW: LUKE RAINSFORD

Before his Brighton gig I had the pleasure of interviewing the wonderful Luke Rainsford. He was an incredibly lovely guy and we chatted about everything from 2000 Trees and new music plans, to his worst interview experiences (luckily he didn't say this one!) and some of the weird and wonderful - and in this case, bird themed - things that can be found hidden amongst the internet.

So you just played 2000 Trees, how was that?

Oh it was great! I ended up playing like four sets, which was really cool. My main set was on Wednesday night so we didn't expect anyone to come, but it was really busy so that was cool as hell. I also played the busking stages where I played some weird sets, new songs and covers and stuff. It was really fun! I had a great time.

You've played Trees a few times before, what's your favourite part of it?

I love how friendly it is! A lot of festivals everyones there just to get super drunk and stuff, which is cool but Trees is a lot more chilled out! Also, the lineup is always so varied. My music taste is all over the place and it's really cool for that because I can go see like an emo band or a punk band, a heavy band or something more chill so yeah, it's really cool for that!

It's obvious you enjoy it, you played so many sets this year! What's your favourite thing about playing shows?

It depends on the show! I love playing small sweaty shows! With festivals and stuff it's always cool playing weirder places, like a forest with Trees or Slam Dunk north last year was a university campus, I love the weirdness. You always end up doing weird things and playing to weird people, It's really fun!

Do you have a favourite venue to play?

I'm a big fan of The Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham, that's great. Key Club in Leeds is great as well.  Those are my favourites for sure!

Are there any venues you want to play that you haven't yet?

I've already kinda achieved my main goal - I always wanted to play Underworld [Camden] and I did that in March, which was cool as hell! If i was being ridiculously over-optimistic it'd be Brixton Academy - I saw Blink there when i was like 18 and that was rad as hell so, probably that!

Do you have a favourite song to play live?

This changes like every week - anything except home safe! At the minute it's probably new songs that I haven't been able to play much, I've been practising those for when I make the new record.

What about favourite song you've ever released? 

Probably What I Hide Beneath! I'm proud of it, I think it was really ambitious. It goes through so many vibes in such a short space of time, and it doesn't really repeat itself which I'm really stoked on. I don't really play it live that much, because it's a killer to sing and it doesn't really translate solo, but I love it.

Do you prefer playing full band then?

100%! I don't really like acoustic music that much - I'm not ashamed of saying that! I've said it my entire music career, but I won't be playing acoustic stuff much longer! My new music is not gonna be very acoustic at all which I'm really excited about. obviously I still love acoustic shows! Theres just something about playing a tour with lots of people which is the best experience, the shows are so fun!

Favourite band you've toured with?

Holding Absence! No question, don't even need to think about that!

I gotta ask, what do you think of Luke Birdsford? [A twitter account that posts photos of luke photoshopped as birds, very entertaining stuff]

The internet is a weird weird place, but I think it's cool as hell that someone has dedicated their time to making really dumb memes about me! It's super funny and a cool way to interact with people in a different way. I love that me making music has led to a meme account about me! I've never experienced anything like that, It's really funny

Finally, thank you for doing this interview! I hope it wasn't too much of a disaster.

Not at all! I had an interview once where the interviewer knew absolutely nothing about me, she literally said "So, you released music? What was that?" So this is far from the worst!