Freelance journalist covering culture, society, politics, and lifestyle. Bylines in The Guardian, Dazed, Euronews, Metro, Vice UK, Kerrang! and others.
Interview: Wings of Desire on growing up, loyal fans + creating the anti-Burger Records
They could be forgiven for taking it easy for a year or two, but Wings of Desire’s Chloe Little and James Taylor haven’t been resting up.
For anyone involved in the UK indie scene around 2016/17, the band won’t be an entirely unknown entity. Speaking to the duo - formerly two-fourths of indie-punky-shoegazey outfit INHEAVEN - it’s clear that they’re itching to get back out and tour. It’s been a good three years since they were last on the gig circuit, and in the time since we’ve had plenty to...
8 reasons to put Cardiff on your travel bucket list
Cardiff is often overshadowed by its English cousins London, Manchester and Liverpool, but make no mistake, it’s one of the most interesting cities to visit in the UK.
While there are stringent Covid regulations in place across Wales right now, there are plenty of reasons not to miss the Welsh capital when restrictions have eased and it’s safer to visit.
From shops and bars to castles and parks, Cardiff really does have it all. We’ve picked some of the best things to see and do in the UK’s el...
How Olivia Rodrigo became Disney’s first Gen Z music superstar
The 17-year-old’s debut ‘drivers license’ has become a modern pop phenomenon, with a rise compounded by Gen Z social media sensibility and widening avenues to teen stardom
“I say that’s my baby and I’m really proud,” Taylor Swift commented on Olivia Rodrigo’s Instagram, under a post celebrating Rodrigo’s juggernaut debut “drivers license”. For a 17-year-old at the beginning of their pop music career, this can feel like the gilded seal of approval. Just last month, Rodrigo was mostly known for...
Hi, Bi Guy: Coming Out to Your Girlfriend
In my first relationship, I wasn’t entirely sure of my sexuality, but I knew that I wasn't solely attracted to women. I never spoke about it to my girlfriend, though.I put it to the back of my mind. It wasn't like I wasn't attracted to women, so I just didn’t see any point in communicating my bisexuality with her.
I wasn’t out to anybody at the time. Being at school, where casual homophobic joking was commonplace, I was worried about the wider reaction - particularly as someone not seen as pa...
16 and 60: Travelling through Europe with my grandmother
Drifting across the Danube River on a warm evening, Budapest’s majestic Parliament Building to the right of me, it’s no exaggeration to suggest that I felt like my whole life had led to that moment.
Sat there alongside my grandmother and a couple of our fellow travellers, we soaked up the scene. The grey skies of the UK seemed a world away, and I couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.
This was the first time in my life I’d been able to choose a holiday destination. Knowing that I was k...
To Topple, or Not to Topple
Despite pressure from activists, local council votes to keep the statue of Robert Clive in Shrewsbury, U.K
In the middle of the central square in the charming market town of Shrewsbury stands a bronze statue of Robert Clive, or “Clive of India”—the first British governor of the Bengal Presidency.
While the statue of former slave trader Edward Colston was toppled into the river in nearby Bristol, the statue of Clive remains intact. Kuldip Sahota, a former council leader in neighbouring Telford...
How Nu-Metal Crept Back Into Popular Consciouness
When you think of nu-metal, your mind might go to 2001 and conjure up images of angsty teens wearing baggy clothes and silver chains while listening to Linkin Park, and for good reason. However, despite being something we think of as being as distinctly ‘turn-of-the-Millennium’ as New Labour or Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston, nu-metal has seen an unlikely resurgence of sorts over the last couple of years, creeping up in the output of some of our most creative contemporary artists.
A combinati...
Everything You Need to Know About Alcohol Enemas (aka Butt-Chugging)
So, it’s time to talk about alcohol enemas, also known as “butt-chugging” or “boofing” alcohol.
An alcohol enema is exactly what it sounds like: Instead of drinking alcohol, you ingest it through your rectum.
Why do people do it — and how? Could it actually be a smart way to avoid a hangover? What’s the worst that could happen?
Read on for a deep dive on the answers to these (and several other) questions about alcohol enemas.
It’s pretty much what you might expect. As we explained above, inst...
Beat the graduate blues: how to prepare for life after university
Around half of students report feeling low after leaving university, according to a recent study which highlighted a lack of support available to recent graduates. “There are lots of reasons why they might experience difficulties with their mental health. Moving on after studying can be both exciting and daunting,” says Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind. However, there are steps you can take in your final year at university to make the transition easier.
Avoid comparisons
“It is co...
Album Review: Puma Blue - In Praise Of Shadows
For Puma Blue fans, this album has been a long time coming. The 25-year-old (Jacob Allen to his mates) has been making a name for himself with dreamy soundscapes and mellow, blissed-out beats, and it’s almost strange that it’s taken him until now to drop a debut album. Fortunately, In Praise Of Shadows is definitely worth the wait.
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Puma Blue shares the heavenly 'Opiate'
Puma Blue confirms details of debut album
Combining xx-esque dream pop with the atmospheric post-dubs...
Do climate protests impact policy?
“It’s my view now that legal protest is only legal because it’s not a serious threat to our existing economic and political systems [which are] the real source of the climate crisis. Although the climate strikes were important for raising awareness, I’d argue that the changes they brought about were quite abstract and didn’t actually stop any kind of environmental destruct...
Unpacking Our Childhood Obsession with Jacqueline Wilson
Mention Jacqueline Wilson to your average British twenty-something, and they will be able to talk at length about her books. The story of April, abandoned in a dustbin as a baby. Elsa, who lives in a bed-and-breakfast with her family or Dolphin and her eccentrically tattooed mum. One of the best known children’s writers in the UK, Wilson was the most-borrowed author from British libraries for four years in the mid-noughties, and has sold over 40 million books to date. In 2018, Wilson reprised...
IDLES’ AF Gang Fan Community Proves That Social Media Isn’t Always Toxic
IDLES might have released Joy as an Act of Resistance last year, but the album’s nomination for the Mercury Prize has propelled it back into spotlight – that is, if it ever really left. One of the hottest UK bands around right now, IDLES have risen from obscurity in Bristol to headlining London’s 9,000 person Alexandra Palace later this year, generating hordes of fans in their wake.
Wherever IDLES go, the AF Gang will follow. With over 20,000 members, the IDLES fan group is home the ...
This Marginal Seat Is a Litmus Test For the Struggling NHS
“I am so passionate about my career, but I do not think that I will be able to continue practicing if the cuts continue,” Emma*, a student nurse, tells me candidly. I’m in Southampton, a city that’s divided between the Conservatives and Labour more than most. Tory MP Royston Smith holds onto the constituency of Southampton Itchen with just 31 votes – it’s the tightest Tory-held marginal in the country, and one Labour will feel they need to win if they’re to come out of this election successfu...
How to bring romance back into your relationship, according to the experts
Often, it seems like there just aren’t enough hours in the day – you and your partner can feel like passing ships in the night as you juggle the demands of everyday life – especially seeing as the past year has been more difficult for us all.
Work, children, ageing parents – there are plenty of reasons why couples can struggle to find the time for romance.
According to a recent survey, just over half of married adults (51%) feel like there’s ‘no romance’ there, while 45% are unsatisfied with ...