Last Month, Motion Skatepark in Bristol hosted a one of a kind event entitled “HogJam”. The one day event included A BMX jam including pro and amateur competitions, live graffiti, B-boys and DJ sets all day and night, not to mention a mouth watering Hog Roast!!

Our lovely Fran caught up with Mitch Yeates, who was the main instigator and chief organiser of HogJam.

How long have you been organizing Hogjam for?

I started organizing HogJam at the start of the month, a pretty tight deadline but we had the date set as it was Tom’s birthday. Which was also the inspiration for the name Hogjam.

How did you think the day went?

It went well, I was pleased with the turn out especially as it was my first event. I think the lack of time was a big issue in putting the event together not only for planning the event but also in letting people know it was happening. It was a great great learning experience and there a lot of things I feel I can do better next time.

What’s your background bike wise?

I’ve been riding BMX for about 10 years now. In 2005 I joined Simple BMX and I also ride for Duffs.

What are your plans for the future and hogfest?

We are holding the NASS Pre party at Motion so i will run a bmx contest on that day but it will probably have a new name.

To keep track of future events or to get in touch with Mitch, head on over to Motion Skatepark site

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Peskimo are a multi-talented duo who always seem to get it ‘just right’ whatever they throw their hand at. Their subtle humour is always evident amongst the vivid colours and strong artwork often, which just shows that the two artists are really enjoying themselves and having a whole lot of fun! We caught up with the peskimoids themselves to chat about their current exhibition Tease Made with Chris Dickason, and their plans for 2010.

You have so many strings to your bow, with all the different projects you work on, whats new for this year?

We are really excited to try new things, and we started the year with a short screen printing course. As a result, we’ve set up a make shift screen print studio in our back room. The first fruits from this will be on show at our new exhibition and we hope to release more and more exclusive screen prints through our website throughout this year!

Your work is unique in its style. Who and what inspires you?

Everyday oddities and slips of the tongue inspire the content of our artwork. We always jot down funny sayings or overheard conversations that conjure up pictures, characters and scenarios in our heads, that’s how our Croc Monsieur picture came about. Visually, we are inspired by mid-century design and illustration, especially packaging design and characters from that era.

Peskimo - Croc Monsieur

Is there any piece of artwork you have looked at and wished it had been yours?

ooh, so many! Jeff Koons giant balloon dog, Takashi Murakami’s giant statues, all the Ghibli films!

What inspired you to team up with Chris Dickason for the Tease Made show?

We are good friends with Chris and have known him since our university days, it was over Christmas (possibly over drinks and a pizza) that we decided to do a joint show and the pieces have fallen into place a lot sooner than we thought.

Peskimo Tease Made Print

Who do you rate illustration wise. Anyone in particular you think us guys should be keeping an eye out for this year?

There are so many great artists popping up all the time! We like to support creativity in Bristol so we’re keeping an eye on what’s going on at the Here Gallery in Stokes Croft and tend to pop in there as often as we can to find out what’s going on!

Any new toy projects planned at present?

The news was just released in the past few days that we are going to be a part of the new designer series of Qee. Qee was one of the early platform figures that really brought vinyl toys to the masses. They used to release artist series every year, but this series is the first they have released for 4 years, so it is a joy to be included! We are also developing some more designs and ideas based on our Monster Burp figure from Crazy Label

Monster Burp - Glow in the Dark edition

Who have you most enjoyed collaborating with?

Because we collaborate as a pair on all our work, adding another person into the mix can sometimes be very confusing! We have collaborated with Chris Dickason on a new piece for the show which enabled us to work separately on the individual parts of the piece. We then brought it together and the result was better than any of us could have imagined! It’s nice to be a part of a piece of work that you want to study and keep reviewing because you notice new things every time!

You can follow Peskimo on Twitter

Buy lots of great things on the Peskimo Shop

Or hit them up on the Peskimo Site

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David Stowe is a man on a mission. With Vannen Watches he wants to take over the world with his awesome limited edition collections. Not only does he live for the brand he created, but he’s also 100% passionate about the artists he works with, making sure they get the recognition they deserve. Inspiring, yet understated and humble, ladies and gentlemen I present the man himself…

Hello! How’s it hanging?

Doing great. Thanks.

For those who need a little education, tell us briefly about the amazing Vannen Watches.

Vannen makes stylish, affordable, reliable, limited-edition wristwatches designed by some of today’s most intriguing artists from all over the world. Our watches feature designs ranging from fine art to street art and everything in between. Simply put, we make unique timepieces that are – in essence – functional collectibles that make an artistic statement without breaking the bank.

Let’s go back in time a bit… Why did you start Vannen?

It was a combination of a few things. The first reason being I hated my day job. It was that nightmare job you hear every designer talk about. It got to a point where I would say things to my boss like, “Hey do you want me to bounce this off the cleaning lady for approval? I think she might have some good notes on this layout.” And then there would be times where I would just yell out loud, “I hate everyone here!” I felt a piece of my soul dying every day. I was working with a bunch of idiots with no vision. When it got to point that I had to answer to three incompetent bosses in a row, I realized that I needed to get out and invest my time into my future and not someone else’s.

One day after work while sitting in traffic, I started to I think about my idea for artist watches. And as I sat there thinking through the logistics involved in starting a watch company it hit me. I could totally do it myself. And at that moment, right there on the 101 Freeway in North Hollywood, Vannen Watches was born.

As soon as I got home I told my girlfriend I was going to start Vannen and that in a year tops I’d be out of my day job. That night I stayed up for 24 hours straight fleshing out everything that would become the Vannen you know today and the Vannen you will know in the future. 

That day in traffic when it all came to fruition, I had a feeling that a new art watch company could be successful if it provided people with a real limited edition product that was affordable and quality driven. I also knew that if I put actual heart and soul into the brand – and made it accessible from a place of sincerity – that we’d have lots of support from everyone involved.

Another reason Vannen became a reality was because of an inner yearning I had to create a new a product that could cross barriers… gender, race, nationality, niche and market barriers of course.  I wanted Vannen to be a fun product that didn’t alienate anyone or itself.

And I think it’s working. It’s really exciting to see our collectors feel a part of something fresh and exciting again. And that’s what I set out to do from day one – to get people excited.

Give us some insight into a typical day for you.

The average day consists of waking up early, going for a walk, hitting the shower, making breakfast, heading in to the office, and receiving and responding to e-mail and phone calls. Then hopefully I have time for some lunch. After that, I work on projects until around 8 p.m. And depending on the evening, I’ll either go to an art show or just stay in and relax.

The artists you’ve commissioned so far such as Buff Monster, Brian Morris, Chris Ryniak, Damon Soule and Dirty Donny are all fantastic, but so different in style. What are your guidelines and considerations for choosing artists for each series?

There’s really no exact science to it except an attraction to the artists work. Every artist we approach has a style that we feel will translate into a great wristwatch. If there is any guideline it’s to select artists whose art speaks to all sorts of people from different walks of life.  Each of our artists has their own fan base who I hope will embrace a wristwatch, but I really aim to get the artwork out there to a whole new batch of people.

Last year you released a top notch seasonal package for Halloween and Christmas, and it seemed to be well received. Is that something you hope to do more often?

I love doing the packaging and coming up with fun stuff like we did on those two releases. This year we plan on doing some obscure, funny holiday watches along with some super limited edition watches for boutiques and brands we’re friends with. And rest assured all of those will have great packaging too.

What’s been the best moment of the Vannen Watches story so far?

Making Vannen a reality was the best moment by far. When starting a business you run into a lot obstacles and something like 95 percent of people who try fail. I have to say I’ve been really blessed to have so many incredibly nurturing people in my life who support the project.

The artists, the stores, the sites, the blogs, family, friends, etc. Everyone has been really amazing. The other special moments are when I get e-mails from random people telling me how much they love our watches. That always makes me feel really good.

What else is in the pipeline for Vannen? Where do you hope to take the brand?

Oh, we have some exciting stuff coming up. We’ve got a great watch coming out on March 27th with Alex Pardee that you can only get at the ZeroFriends boutique in NYC, and if it doesn’t sell-out that weekend, you can find it online that following Monday at ZeroFriends.com.

Zerofriends Watch (EXCLUSIVE sneak peak!)

Alex’s watch is super limited to only 40 pieces worldwide and each box is signed, numbered and customized by Alex. No two pieces of packaging are the same. You’ll find out what we mean when you see it next week. It also comes with a limited edition print that you can only get by purchasing the watch.

We’ve also got a watch coming out in the first week of April with Atticus Clothing and 1Louder. That watch is designed by Brian Ewing and will only be available through vannenwatches.com and 1louder.com.

Brian Ewing

The cool thing about that watch is that Atticus has their version and Vannen has a version. Each version is limited to only 50 pieces and the packaging is signed and numbered by Brian as well. Series 2 will be out at the end of April or early May and that features Bigfoot, Blaine Fontana, Thomas Han and Travis Lampe.

Bigfoot and Thomas Han

Blaine Fontana

Travis Lampe

And then after that we’ve got oversized / larger watches and smaller watches coming out around June. We’ll probably have some of the oversized watches out in time for San Diego Comic Con and then maybe a few surprise SDCC exclusives too. 

With such a time consuming company, you’re obviously a busy man. What do you do to take time out and get away from it all? Or don’t you?

I go for walks up Runyon Canyon with my girlfriend or with Buff Monster. That’s pretty much the only real time that I can pull my head out of Vannen and breathe. But the other 99 percent of the time I don’t get away from it at all. I eat, sleep and breathe Vannen Watches. Aside from the daily walk in the hills I might go out for an art show, rock show, movie, or whatever social event that happens to pop up. Everything else time-wise is dedicated to making Vannen grow. I love Vannen, so it’s totally worth every second of my time.

MUSIC

What music are you blasting out of Vannen HQ at the moment?

Lately I’ve been listening to Against Me!, Mariachi el Bronx, Dead to Me, None More Black, Baroness, Priestess, Off with Their Heads and a wide variety of other stuff both old and new.

Which artists / bands would you love to see sporting your watches?

Honestly I’m excited when I see anyone wearing them.  But if I had to pick any artist or band, I’d be stoked to see Robert Smith, Morrissey or David Bowie wearing a Vannen watch. I’d be stoked to see Tim Burton wearing one too.  I’d flip out for sure if I saw any of any of them wearing one.

DEBATE

What’s biting your brain and making you frustrated at the moment?

I’ve been a really upset at how big companies that put out artist-related products like designer vinyl and apparel are not paying their artists a proper royalty. It’s pretty ridiculous and insulting that these big companies take an artist – who is essentially a brand in their own right – and put out products designed by these artists and then in turn only pay that artist only a tiny fraction of a huge chunk of money that’s coming in. I’ve heard horror stories about it, but recently just saw it happen to an artist I know and it blew my mind.

So for anyone reading this please buy direct from artist-owned companies like ZeroFriends, Circus Posterus, Metroplastique, Rebel 8, Grass Hut and the rest of those artist-owned and operated business where your cash goes directly to the artist…

or buy products from reputable companies like us who pay their artists one of the highest royalty rates in the business. And it goes without saying that you should support independent retailers, galleries and websites who truly support the scene too.

Just make sure your money goes to the artist and the people who really support the community. Collectors should also commission their favorite artist for original art and custom pieces as well. In short just do your research and become a more informed collector. Make sure your cash really goes to the artist.

On a general note, what are you really stoked about?

I’m really excited about our upcoming line of oversized watches. I didn’t think I would be this stoked on them because I prefer the more minimal, standard size watches, but these big ones are really going to turn out great. I’m also looking forward to putting out more crossovers and exclusives. Those are always a blast and fun to work on.

If there was one thing in the world that you could change, what would it be?

More time in the day to get things done. That’s all I want… just more time.
Thanks for the interview David. Here is a gift for doing the interview!

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Who or what is Anyforty? How many are there working at the label?

AnyForty is a UK streetwear brand specialising in limited run artist collaboration tee’s. Financially AnyForty is me, myself and I but it’s way bigger than that, we’re a family and at the moment we run about 30 deep, it’s a solid group of talented mates ranging from photographers, designers, musicians, illustrators, skaters &mountain bikers from all over the UK, all repping the brand day in, day out! Couldn’t of done any of this without them all.

Where did the name come from?

The name comes from the area of Gateshead, Newcastle Upon Tyne I grew up in, spent 22 years in the NE40 postcode and the north has a massive place of pride in my heart,made me the man i am today. When i moved to the South West i knew i wanted to start a brand up and wanted to come up with a original name that would pop up on google searches. Was playing with the NE40 thing and decided to switch it into word form, blam, job done, everyone loved it!!

How long has the brand been around?

The brand has just turned 2 this march. 2 Years Strong!

Who will you be collaborating with for your Spring/Summer ranges?

Unlike last years tee’s which saw AnyForty work with a lot of international artists our first drop of the year see’s us collaborate with a predominantly UK based range of artists, RichT, 45RPM, MegaMunden, Mr Bowlegs and Stephen Bonner all rep for the UK with some stunning designs, and our one international hook up is with good friend of ours and absolute illustrative beast Hydro 74.

What were your inspirations for S/S 10?

Sounds cheesy but i try not to follow trends or inspirations for these designs, just cook up stuff i know me and the family would love to wear. You can see from the varied illustrative styles we use we don’t follow any trends, just use people we like, fuck following trends, i want to set them!!

Favourite colourway of all time?

I think my personal favourite tee so far has been AnyForty X Waste, that was absolutely next level bat shit of a tee design, walk in any store in the world and you’ll not see stuff like Norm of Waste cooks up on tee’s, proper mental!

Any Forty 2009 Collection - Artist Series

Who inspires you?

I’m massively inspired by a few artists who’ve set there own one man brands up and have had great success with them, so cats like Benny Gold, Johnny Cupcakes, 123 Klan and of course Shepard Fairey with his Obey label.

Where are you stocked?

AnyForty is only 2 years old and it’s still a bit of a struggle getting stores to pick a relatively new brand up, but at the moment we’re stocked in the king of streetwear stores online Urban Industry and Focus Skateboard Store in Edinburgh & Glasgow, and we’re in talks with getting us in Fifty Fifty in Bristol and the dope Electrik Sheep in our home town Newcastle. Hoping to get more stores on board over the next year or so but i’m not in any rush, more than happy to sell direct from the AnyForty online store, even though the multiple post office visits a week get right on my nerves!!

What are the big trends gonna be street wear/skate wear wise this year?

Really don’t know and truthfully not bothered in the slightest, like i said we’re not following anyone with this brand, just trying to make our own path for others to come through and follow!

What are your plans for world domination this year?

AnyForty’s just gonna keep dropping unique tee’s from talented artists and see where this road takes us, if it’s to world domination, happy days, if not we’ve certainly given it our best shot and we’ll settle for dominating the South West and the North
East!

Any Forty Tees by Fresh to Death and McFaul

Who would you most like to see in an Anyforty t shirt?

This is a funny question, a year ago i’d of killed to see someone famous repping AnyForty, I sent many a free tee out to people in the music industry, DJ’s & MC’s I respected then never heard a peep back once they’d been posted. Think i’d rather 100 people bought and loved a AnyForty tee than 10,000 people who bought one because Dizzee Rascal or Kanye West wore one. 2 Years Strong now and ain’t no one getting shit for free again!

Alan Wardle is Head crayon & chief coin counter of AnyForty – The brand that’s hitting the streetwear
scene with a tin of Dulux to the dome!

You can follow AnyForty on Twitter

Visit the AnyForty online store

Or hit up their blog

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Photo by Eric Luc

There are very few music artists out there as engaging as Mia Riddle. With just 2 records under her belt, she has demonstrated the ability to write beautiful sincere songs which have a universal appeal. She’s an enthusiastic traveller with her creations, who’s out to show the world that the good old-fashioned honest approach is what it’s all about. She just lives and breathes her music. We caught up with the fabulous folk-rock songstress where she reveals all about her new album, songwriting process and life in New York.

Hello from the UK! How are you?
Hey there! I’m great.

For the wider audience, can you tell us about Mia Riddle and the life she lives? You started writing music when you were really young right?

I am a transplanted Californian living a somewhat bohemian lifestyle in Brooklyn. Our band all lives within a block of eachother, so we hang out a lot at the bar downstairs. It’s really fun. I started writing music when I was a kid, and have been in a bunch of different bands. This one has evolved from a solo project to a 6-piece rock band. It’s been really organic, how that happened, and it took a lot of time. I think that process really defined the sound.

Photo by Eric Luc

You’re in the studio recording your new album at the moment. How is that going?

It’s been going really well. We went upstate to the country for six days and recorded all the instruments. We played it all live, so it definitely has a sort of vibrance and rawness that we haven’t captured before. I’m going to sing on it in October at some point, but it won’t probably come out till late winter/early spring.

You also did some sessions for my new favourite website www.daytrotter.com! What was the best part of that experience and is there anyone else on there you’re particularly digging?

Daytrotter is awesome! It was such an honor. The best part of the experience for me was the essay that Sean wrote – he really cares about the music so much. My favorite Daytrotter session is still the Bon Iver one. It’s unreal.

Photo by Eric Luc

Technically, your song structures are so richly layered with hooks and melodies, but you manage to bring it together with one unique sound. What’s your usual process when you come to writing the songs?

It’s usually a pretty fast process. I’ll write a song in an afternoon or two, then after I’ve mulled it over for a couple of days, I bring it to our drummer Jeff, and we come up with the drum part, and then present it to the band, and we all start working out the final arrangement together. This is all a new thing in the last year, the process is a lot more collaborative than it used to be. I love that, everyone is so good at what they do, we’re really bringing everyone’s experience to the table.

Your approach to music is one that I feel is so romantic and genuine, with quality songwriting about real moments and experiences. You all seem to just enjoy what you’re doing together and appreciate life as it comes. I get the impression that the music is almost like a product of the laid back lifestyle that exudes from you? Would I be right?

Haha! I guess so….but I’m also one of the most uptight people around. I’m a little stress-ball, so it’s a balancing act. I just try to be as honest as I can, and tell stories with the best words that I can find.

Photo by Eric Luc

You’ve been here a few times over the years, but when are you coming back to the UK? You should definately come to Liverpool! Where else in the world would you love to tour?

We’re hoping to come back to the UK next spring, and we’d love to go to Liverpool, I’ve never been. I’d also love to tour more in Europe, we had a great time a couple summers ago in Paris.

Which other bands / acts are you currently enjoying?

All my friends in Brooklyn are making such cool music, it’s a great time to be here. Motel Motel are phenomenal, Scary Mansion’s new record is going to be great. Matt Pond PA, Holly Miranda, Abandoned Lighthouse, La Strada, Au Revoir Simone are all making great sounds right now.

Who would be your all time favourite band you would love to play live with?

I’ve always wanted to open for Pedro the Lion, if he would let me sing some backing vocals with him I would die. Also the Breeders, and if we were going really big, Neil Young or Fleetwood Mac would be epic.

How do you ‘chillax’ when you finally get time out?

It’s funny, when we finally get a break from working on music around here, I always really want to go play music.

Bryan Bruchman

Visual art

What visually stimulates you and those around you?

I grew up in the desert, and when I went away to university it was the first extended period of time that I spent around forest and nature. I think that seeing that kind of beauty on a daily basis is really good for you; now that I live in a less-than-beautiful city I try to get out to the country as often as possible. That dichotomy of city and forest figures really prominently in what I write.

I think your own CD covers have also been great pieces of art, particularly the bemused tiger heads on your first album.

Who does your artwork and do you have much involvement in the design process.
That’s nice to hear. My best friend Daria Tessler did the Tigers art, as well as that of the previous two solo EPs. Tumble and Drag’s art is from a painting by my friend Stian Rassmussen, in San Francisco. I really like to have art made by my friends, and I do the layout and design parts myself. The next album is going to have a crazy illustration by my friend Helen. It’s such a huge part of the album-making process for me; when all the songs are laid out and you can find a common thread between them, and then find a title and a piece of art that speaks to that, it’s really satisfying.

Tigers by Mia Riddle

Also, if you don’t mind, could you explain the concept behind the video to Open Wide. I have to say it’s beautifully shot and the dog is adorable!

Sure, that video was written and shot by our good friends Arlene Mueller and Marcin Nadolny, this brilliant Polish filmmaking couple. It’s a story about a lonely girl in the big city, looking for solace in the uptight little world she’s created for herself. Meanwhile the grit of real life is closing in and ultimately shatters everything, and she’s left in the rubble of her once-pristine apartment, eyes opened, possibilities suddenly everywhere. Which is awful and also exciting. Making that video was the highlight of the year; we and our friends did it all ourselves, built the breakable wall, borrowed the motorcycle….it was a truly epic experience.

Debate

What’s really ticking you off at the moment?

Overdevelopment of our neighborhood, being broke, the impossibility of getting health coverage.

What are your “buzzing” and totally happy about?

The new record, the change in the weather, the intense concentration of good music and creativity that always happens in the fall in New York.

Finally, what would would Mia Riddle do to change the world we live in?

Raining pancakes. That would be a big change.

Links

Preview and buy ‘Tumble and Drag’ on Amazon

Follow all the latest Mia news on the Mia Riddle Site

Listen to Mia Riddle on Spotify

Follow Mia Riddle on Twitter

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Toronto based quartet, The Flatliners are just about one of the most exciting bands to see live at the moment. Their shows are full of energy, anthemic tunes and diverse musical arrangements from reggae jams, rock n roll and straight up hardcore and punk rock numbers. We caught up with they boys in the midst of their latest European tour to talk festivals, donuts, and broken down vans.

A big hello from the UK, how the devil are you?

Things are great. Constantly recovering from hot shows and strong drinks in Europe.

For those not in the know, give us a run down on where the Flatliners are today and how it all started.

We’ve all known each other since childhood, so naturally we all started playing music together. We’d book our weekends in high school solid with shows and then once we were out of there we just hit the road and haven’t stopped. We are currently in Germany on our way to Luxembourg to play with The Aggrolites, in the 4th week of our Summer Euro Tour.

As well as wider Europe you hit the UK shores late August to play the Reading / Leeds festival, doing a few dates here and there with A Wilhelm Scream, Strung Out and the Mad Caddies. It seems your relentlessly touring again like you did for your last record! How has it compared to the last time round?

Our world of always driving, always playing shows and always meeting new, rad people seems to never end. That’s the best part. We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to do what we do, and get the opportunity to play with these great bands that we’re all big fans of. It seems each time we return to a city as well, we’re met my more and more people, so hopefully we’re doing something right hahaha. We were blown away when we heard we’d be playing Leeds and Reading this year. I remember my brother always reading NME magazine when I was growing up, and every year I saw the epic line up for each respective festival, and thinking “holy shit, how do all these incredible bands play together?” And now we’re a part of it. And that, is truly mindblowing.

How is the new record coming along? I’ve heard that there’s going to be a few surprises in there! When will it be released?

We finished recording our new album 2 days before leaving for this European Tour, so we’re in the mixing stages now and then we’ll get rolling on the artwork and everything. We’ve definitely got some tricks up our sleeve, involving some good friends of ours with rad voices. But I can’t reveal any more info yet. We’re secretive bastards! As it stands now, it looks like it will be out early 2010, so we’ve got some plans right now to do something cool this fall to get people stoked for the new record.

You’re very proud of your canadian heritage, what are the things you miss on tour and what are you glad to see the back of.

We all miss Tim Hortons like it was our favourite place on earth when we’re away. Its a coffee/donut shop that is massive in Canada. And the coffee is like fucking crack. We all miss our beds too. Sometimes its weird sleeping with a different pillow every night, but oh well. That’s life.

It was great to see you release a split with the snips for the fantastic Paper + Plastick!

Vinnie Fiorello is a great dude, and we’re stoked to be working with him on that split. The Snips are our homies too, they’re great. That split has been in the works for something like 4 years now. I remember playing a show with them in 2004 and we were all sitting around drinking, talking about the idea of doing a split where there were only short songs. 5 short songs rolled into 1 weird jam. And it finally happened!

What is your opinion on this crazy dispensable digital age of music?

Some bands will shoot it down like Metallica did Napster, some bands will deny that people downloading music actually helps your band. We’re not the kind of guys that really lose sleep over the fact that people download our music. I think things like MySpace and file sharing help bands more than they even know. Sure, people are buying fewer and fewer records every year, but look at the times we live in. The general population’s pockets are scarily empty, and they’re priorities may not involve buying a new CD for $15. We’re lucky enough to be a part of the Fat Wreck family, who share our ideals of making music as cheap as possible. We sell our CDs for $5 at shows, and I cant even count how many people I’ve talked to after our shows who have said something like “I downloaded your record, listened to it over and over again, came to this show and then had to buy the CD because it was only $5.” Fat Mike knows what he’s doing.

Which other bands are you currently enjoying?

There’s a band from England called The Living Daylights, who I just learned about a few months ago. And they’re awesome. We made friends with a band from Exeter last year called OK Pilot, and they’re like The Bronx meets Hot Snakes, but dirtier. I love that band. The Snips, of course, are a band everyone should check out. Same goes for our buddies Hostage Life from Toronto.

Who would be your all time favourite band you would like to play live with?

We’ve been lucky enough to play with a lot of cool bands, of which some are my favourites. I’d have to say one band the four of us would shit our pants over to play with would be Rocket From the Crypt. Although, they are no more… which makes it even more desirable.

How do you chillax when you finally get time out?

Get home from tour, do all my laundry, sleep for a week straight, wake up, hang out with my girlfriend, family, cat and buddies from back home, roll up some of Canada’s greatest export up and get real lazy. Oh, and then the four of us will likely jam a shitload.

Visual art

With all the cities you see on tour and bands you play with, you must come across a lot of of urban art, merch design and cultural images. Whats the most awesome thing you’ve seen? And would any of you have the desire to be visual artist if you had time away from the band?

Europe is covered in graffiti and I love it. I do a lot of merch design for our band, so I’m always looking around for cool shit and Europe has some incredible street artists. Its tough to pin it down to one or two sources, but I will say that its easy to be inspired when we tour over here.

Debate

What’s really ticking you off at the moment?

We just had to say goodbye to our tour manager’s amazing Sprinter Van. We got in an accident last week, so we’ve been touring in a rented Sprinter for a bit. We’ve done 3 tours in that van and its the best. RIP Duckmobile.

What are your “buzzing” and totally happy about?

We’ll be in England in 2 days. I love it there. Whenever we get to the UK this feeling passes through me like I never want to leave.

What would would the flatliners do to change the world we live in?

All we can do is write songs and enjoy life. People should love their lives rather than try to find ways to always to improve them or change them around. I think the human race is just so used to making advancements in all aspects of life at this point that we’ve forgotten that sometimes you’re OK just the way you are. Love your life.

Go see the flatliners play in your European city this summer!

Full details of the Tour are on the The Flatliners website.

Other links

The Flatliners on Fat wreck Chords
Listen to the Flatliners on spotify

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Hello! How are you doing today?

Not too bad at all. Sick last week, so this week is feeling a lot more productive. Thanks for asking.

Tell us what Drew Millward is about, what you do and why you do it.

That is the sort of thing that will send me into an existential crisis. I find it best not to think about myself too much in the third person, and certainly not to pay too much attention to what I’m all about. Basically I’m an artist/designer/illustrator. It’s not that easy to pigeonhole really. I suppose there are elements of all those disciplines in what I do. But the bottom line is that enjoy drawing pictures and having fun.

You seemed to have a developed a unique balance and blend of dark and light themes within your work, where does that influence comes from?

I think those are elements that I’m very much interested in. I’m drawn to things that have elements of light and dark, it’s something that I strive to illustrate in my own work. The thought that something can be attractive and disturbing at the same time is something that can engage a viewer in a pretty interesting dialogue. It allows you to build narrative into the work that would otherwise be lost without that balance. If something looks nice and the subject matter is ‘nice’, as much as people are drawn to it, the attraction tends to stop there. Equally with an image that works only to offend or confront the viewer will only really illicit one sort of response. You mix the two together, and you instantly create something that is a lot more engaging. I’m not saying I always achieve that, but it’s definitely something I look to as what I hope to create.

Are there any hidden meanings or messages within your work?

Lots. I find it really dull listening to people explaining why things are done the way they are done. It takes away some of the mystery. Like I mentioned before, I like the viewer to enter into some sort of dialogue with the work, so if someone sees something that means something to them it can draw them in and create a narrative that is personal to them, or indeed is intended to be there.
I love comics, and I love the traditional narrative form, but personally I could never think about sitting down and drawing a whole book. I would simply get bored. I’m much more interested in getting a narrative into a single frame, be that a poster, shirt, painting… anything really.

Tell us a bit about the process of your designs. I understand you do a lot of it by hand first.

Yeah, I’m a bit of a heathen really. I still prefer to draw everything by hand and then put it together in Photoshop later. I suppose as time has gone by I have become more reliant of computers to colour images and I’m beginning to see the advantages of using them to work out layouts a bit more, but I still would never want to stray too far from the hand-made aesthetic. Drawing is what I love doing, so creating something purely with a computer is not something I’m in any hurry to do. Having said that, it’s about the best tool you can hope for aside from a paper and a pen.

Does the music of the band you design for have any aesthetic impact on what you produce?

I would like to think so. The challenge of designing for a band is to try and capture the aesthetic of their music into a visual medium. As much as I have a style of work, I would like to think that I tailor what I do to the specific project I’m working on… maybe some are more successful than others. I really try as much as I can to work with bands that I personally like. As much as I don’t like turning down work, sometimes it’s unavoidable. If I were to disagree with a bands politics, or really dislike their music I would find it very difficult to produce work for them. I guess it’s a balance you have to get right.

You’ve done posters for The Melvins, Sonic Youth, Gallows, Bon Iver. What has been your favourite design you have done to date?

I’d probably say my Mogwai poster, but in truth it’s usually the last thing I have completed, since it’s usually fresh enough for me not to be sick of the sight of it.

Where do you hope to take your work in the next few years and eventually in the long term?

I’d love to carry on doing what I’m doing. As much as I bitch and moan about it, I genuinely consider myself one of the luckiest people on earth to be able to do what I’m doing. There are some things I’d like to do, like make toys, more clothing projects, more album work, but that is pretty much what I’m doing now. I would, however, like to own a house. Anything that can make that happen would be the best.

Music

What are you currently enjoying?

I’m constantly listening to music, so it’s a pretty long and eclectic list to be honest.
I’m listening to a lot of Tom Waits of late. I’ve always been a fan, but I’ve recently gone back and filled in some gaps that were in my collection. As a body of work it’s pretty much second to none, he even came through the 80’s unscathed. It’s pretty impressive that he has never made a bad album in such a lengthy career.

Other stuff…P.O.S., Trap Them, Black Tusk, Thou, Cannibal Ox, Pinback, Springsteen, Russian Circles, Hanged Up, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sunn 0))), Master Musicians of Bukkake, Goblin, Wolves in the Throne Room, Crippled Black Phoenix, Guapo, King Crimson, Lambchop, Richmond Fontaine, Mendoza Line, Giant Sand, Mogwai, Narrows, Planes Mistaken For Stars….

Who would be your all time favourite band you would design for?

I’m honestly not sure. Mission of Burma are one of my favourite bands, but I’m unsure whether my work would fit with their aesthetic. I’d love to work with Shellac, that would be awesome. To be honest, I’m happy to work with anyone who would ask me. But if pushed it would have to be Tom Waits.

Debate

What’s really ticking you off at the moment?

Most things really. I’m a grouchy individual at the best of times, but couple that with the fact that I’m mainly sat alone means I’m pretty much wound up by most things and most people.

What are you “buzzing” and being happy about?

Working alone and for myself.

And finally what would you change in this crazy world?

I honestly wouldn’t know where to begin.

You can view more work and information on the Drew Millward website. You can also follow Drew Millward on Twitter.

Drew Millward’s Music pick on spotify

Tom Waits, Cannibal Ox, Pinback, Goblin, Lampchop

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I recently interviewed 80′s inspired, illustration sensation Derek Deal over at Thunder Chunky. Derek talks about his inspirations, 80′s toys, The Black Axe and much much more!

Don’t be dumb. Go read the full interview at Thunder Chunky

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