uni – that lemon life

Everything You’ve Missed

Hola everyone.

Holy hell, I can’t believe it’s been almost three weeks since my last post. I’m so so so sorry for being gone for so long, but trust me, once I get everything off my chest and have told you everything that has happened the past few days, you will start to understand why I was gone for so long. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve been this busy in my whole life. I guess that comes with getting older, right?

Anyway, I hope all of you have been well the past few weeks and that the dread of life and the upcoming lockdowns (they’re everywhere, even here in London) hasn’t been pushing down on you all too much. I know it’s a rather difficult time for us all right now and I think I’m not the only one currently wishing for everything to get better soon. Actually, it’s quite freaky, because the past few weeks have been the best and kind of also some of my worst in my life and, not to be dramatic or anything, but my mind has been rather confused. But let me start right at the beginning.

As mentioned in my past few posts, I’ve recently taken on the role as the editor-in-chief of my university’s magazine called LDN and, to be honest, it has probably been the most fun but also hardest work I’ve ever done. Working a shift until 5 am at a bar is nothing compared to this. Because after the shift, you’re at least done with work, but with a magazine the work just never stops. Ever. I remember the night we had to hand in the finished first issue, Lauren and I stayed up until 7 am to finish the mag in time for it to be printed by the day we wanted. And although this probably sounds really horrible to many, it was so much fun. Because I was actually spending time doing what I love the most – writing about music and sharing that love with the world. And this whole process has kind of made me realize that there is a potential there that needs to be utilized. So now, Lauren and I are actually thinking about creating our own magazine, which is extremely exciting. We’re still in the planning phase, but I’m so excited I had to share it with you.

Included in all this excitement of the past few weeks are also the three amazing interviews I’ve had with Wallows, Boy Pablo and, believe it or not, Nothing But Thieves. Before I get all serious about them, please excuse me for a short fangirl moment…

HOLY FREAKING SHIT I INTERVIEWED CONOR FROM NOTHING BUT THIEVES. AND BOY PABLO, THE CUTEST GUY EVER. AND WALLOWS, A BAND I’VE BEEN ABSOLUTELY ADDICTED TO. HOLY MOLY. OH MY GOD.

As you can probably imagine, all three interviews were absolutely freaking fantastic. And it’s not just about me meeting the bands I love, but also about having real conversations with real people and I will truly cherish all these moments that I got to share with these phenomenal human beings for my entire life. Not to mention that my chat with Conor was without a doubt the best interview I’ve had so far – he’s truly the smartest, most self-aware person I’ve ever met – and their newest album “Moral Panic” is without exaggeration my favourite of the whole year (long-ish and very exciting album review to be posted on Friday, so please stay tuned for that). Please all go listen to it, it’s so so so good. And there are so many stories hidden in the lyrics, I’ve been listening to the album for a month now and still find hidden meanings. But apart from that, all these experiences made and still make me feel so lucky to be doing what I’m doing and to be spending my time like this. Talking to PRs, getting albums sent to me before the official release, talking to my favourite humans. It’s all truly insane. And although none of it is really my job yet, I know that I’ve found what I want to spend my life doing. I haven’t found anything in my life that fulfills me as much as that – and if gigs were actually a thing right now, I probably would be so happy, that I’d annoy the hell out of everyone. Not even joking.

Obviously, there is also the dread of said lockdown that is coming up, but with all this work and our plans of starting a magazine up and uni work on top, I feel like I won’t even notice that much of a change. That might sound stressful, but in times like these I feel lucky to be busy, otherwise I would probably spend my days watching one tv show after the other and that’s not really something to happily look back to, right? On top of that, I’m lucky enough to be living with my friends, so we are still able to have a good time, even if we can’t go to restaurants anymore or the cinema. Also, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t expecting another lockdown. I remember when I talked to Conor, he mentioned having the feeling there might be one on the come up and I couldn’t really believe it, but here we are. Told you, a very smart man.

And yeah, besides that nothing much has been happening. I think all of us have successfully settled into the flat and after our trip to Ikea a few days ago, it now truly looks and feels like ours as well. And although the past month definitely can’t be compared to what life was like last year – one filled with trips to the cinema, my job at Electric and countless gigs – I can’t really complain. I’ve loved my time back in London so far and it’s been nothing but pure bliss to live with Lauren and my friends. So I think I’m truly lucky.

Naturally, I hope you also feel a sense of happiness, despite how crazy life is right now. I know the current global situation can drag anyone down really easily, so I just hope you’re all alright. Please remember I’m always here if you need someone to talk to – I’m a good listener. And until then, I hope you enjoyed this post and me babbling on about work and my interviews. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below. Oh, and I wish you all a happy belated Halloween. And I wish you all a lovely week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

Bella Venezia

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and also a new week. I hope so far your Monday has been nice and that you enjoyed the past weekend. I personally spent most of the weekend exploring London and working on our uni magazine LDN. So far, I’m honestly super proud of what my team and I have achieved with the mag so far and I truly can’t wait to finally hold the first print issue in my hands. Although this is technically not even my own magazine, the past few weeks have felt like I’ve been building up something that is mine. Something I can pour all my heart and creativity into. And although I spend almost every free hour either working on or thinking about the magazine without really getting anything back in return, by which I mean money and such, it has made me happier than I could have ever imagined. It almost feels like I was meant to be the editor of the paper. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

On the other side, it could also be that I’m spending so much time working on the mag to get my mind off of missing my family and my home, especially my cat and my dog. Unfortunately, both haven’t been doing super well, which has left me feeling completely useless and helpless. Thankfully my parents are doing the most amazing job at looking after both my babies and I can’t wait to be with them again in two months. I think it’s just also been very tough for me to live without a pet for the first time in what feels like an eternity. It’s like a piece of myself, of my soul was left behind when I moved away from home. Actually, my flatmate Elena was meant to come with her feline friend Gatto, but getting him to London from Italy has proven more complicated than we thought. So getting our new furry child has been our number one mission ever since. So that might be another reason why I’m busying myself with the magazine and also basically burying myself in plants. It’s as if my brain and soul are looking for anything that is alive besides my flatmates for me to look after and give my love to. To be honest, you could probably do some psychological study on this, because, I’m not gonna lie, this is a bit weird. But hey, it’s what’s keeping me sane and happy these days, so there we go.

Additionally, looking back on my amazing summer – despite Corona and all that crap – has helped me a lot with staying positive. And part of that utterly beautiful summer was the trip to Venice with my mum, which is what I want to share with you guys today. Finally. I know, I’ve been talking about this for so long and never got around to showing you the pictures of our phenomenal trip, but I guess better late than never, right? So here they are, finally. My favorite shots from Venice.

To be honest, my mum and I both came to the conclusion pretty quickly that a trip to Venice could never possibly have been any better than ours. Although it was a risk to go to Italy in the middle of Corona, we knew that it would be worth it all and it truly was. I don’t think Venice will ever be this beautiful again. We all know what Venice looks like in the summer – now imagine that same city but just without the people. Because that’s what it was like. Empty. Not like Zombie Apocalypse empty, but empty for Venice standards. And gosh, the weather was just so amazing. And the food was even better. I remember not really loving the city the first time I went there, but that trip definitely made me fall head over heels in love with it. It is definitely a trip I will never ever forget. And one that rewarded me with memories and pictures filled with some much beauty that they will prolong into eternity. But, just see for yourself.

And yeah, now we’ve already reached the end of today’s post. As always, I hope you enjoyed the pictures and me babbling a bit about my life and my time in Venice. I truly hope you’re doing good in these rather stressful times and that maybe this post helped you get your mind off stuff for a short while. I’d really love to hear all your thoughts and opinions, so please don’t hesitate to leave any comments down below. And until then, I wish you all the best week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

The Sounds of Heaven

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and also with that to another week. I hope the last week and weekend have been great and that you’re doing good. First of all, I need to apologise for not posting anything the past week. I was quite busy the last few days – good busy, not bad busy, thank god – and could unfortunately never find the right time to actually sit down and write something, although ever since Saturday the 19^th – the one two weeks ago – I’ve had one post fully planned out. This one you’re reading right now, to be exact. And it’s a special one, I can tell you that. Because today, and finally, I have the honour of telling you everything about the very beautiful, super mesmerizing and absolutely unbelievable Amber Run gig I had the chance to attend. It was incredible. I can’t wait for you to read this.

Okay, so, first of all, the whole adventure started off with me – and buckle up for this – actually getting to interview these lovely guys from this incredible band. Joe, Henry, and Tom. The fantastic trio. And the ultimate reason for one of the most phenomenal days/evenings/nights of my entire life. I’m not gonna go into much detail about the whole interview, as all the gossip and stuff isn’t really my thing, but I do want to say that they were the nicest guys ever and that I still feel so incredibly honoured to have got the chance to meet them. I’ll definitely never ever forget it. And with that, it is also my pleasure to share the finished feature I wrote about our whole chat with you guys. So, if you want to check that out, please just click here and enjoy. Also, please don’t hesitate to tell me your thoughts if you do check it out. I appreciate any kind of feedback. Thank youuuu.

So, yeah, that was kind of the first part of the absolute madness that was that day. And I had every intention to fully enjoy every second of it. After the super lovely interview, I then obviously had to stay at the venue – the Roundhouse in London – in order to get to the front for the gig. You might think now that it could be a bit weird to be there as a journalist at first and then end up in the front row for the gig, but, in all honesty, I had waited for that gig for a long time and besides that, I’m also short, so it’s either the front or seats for me. And in that case, it had to be the front. Which I actually managed to get – I mean, it was second row, but let’s not be that strict, right -, which I’m still kind of proud of. I know, I know, I was one of the first people to actually get to the venue, so where else would I be, but still. I’m proud.

After quite some time of waiting outside and then inside, which mainly consisted of me sitting on the cold floor and fangirling about the interview with my friend, it was finally time for the support band – Stereo Honey – to come on stage and then, after them, Amber Run. I can’t even put into words how excited I was. Even after having spent quite some time with them chatting while being sat in a tiny room, it was still so incredible to see them on stage. Maybe also because it was my first time of seeing them live. Either way, if anyone ever looked professional and at ease with what they’re doing, it was definitely them. And I truly, truly loved that. You know, whenever a band is on stage, playing live, and really shows and lets the crowd know that they are enjoying the moment just as much as the people attending the gig, the whole thing levels up by about a hundred for me. It just completely changes the overall dynamic in the room when the artists are as happy as the crowd. And that’s why it matters so much to me. I want the band or the artist to be happy. Just as happy as I am in that moment. And I think, on that particular Saturday, the whole room was definitely just one big heap of happiness (and maybe a bit of melancholic sadness in-between, depending on the song they were playing).

Out of the whole one and a half hours, there were quite a few highlights, which I do have to talk about because I simply can’t help myself. The first one definitely has to be finally getting to hear ‘Amen’ and ‘I Found’ live. I cried during both of them. Both kinda broke my heart – ‘Amen’ a tad more simply because of its story and existence in general (or how Joe put it – it was peak emo). And both were an experience that I could only describe as heavenly and otherworldly. I mean, the whole gig in itself felt like a trip to heaven for a few reasons. For once, there’s Joe’s voice. If you don’t know how it sounds, please go and check it out now, because I simply have no words to describe how beautiful it is. Then there’s the fantastic band. And last but not least, there were the moments I will forever cherish when all three of them – Joe, Henry (their keyboardist) and Tom (their bassist) – sang together. I can’t even describe what their voices combined sounded like. Heaven. They sounded like heaven. And they made me feel like I was in heaven.

Besides that, there was also this very cute moment when they started playing ‘What Could Be As Lonely’, which is one of my absolute favourites and also funnily enough one of theirs as well, and Henry, who was right in front of me, and I had this very fun moment of complete understanding and excitement. The story to that is that we had discussed the song during the interview and at the end they had said that they would make sure to play the song. So, when they played it, Henry looked at me with that look of “AHA! There you go.” on his face and I just laughed at him and gave him two thumbs up. It was such a sweet moment, honestly. Actually having a real interaction with the band during the gig is literally one of the best things ever.

And last but not least I have to mention the moment when all the crying on my behalf started, which was when they played ‘Affection’. I mean, this one has always had a special place in my heart as it was the first song I heard of their newest album, but what made it all even more incredible was that they actually had the singer of Stereo Honey come up on stage to perform the song with them. Have any of you guys ever had to cry because something was too beautiful to cope? Because that was exactly what happened to me while I was listening to them and watching them. It was just so damn beautiful. And wholesome. And cute. It was simply perfect.

Actually, that’s what I would call the whole day/night overall. It was nothing short of perfection. As soon as the gig had ended, I fell in this kind of trance. It had really been this good. I felt like I was on a cloud or something. And I know this might sound super crazy now, but out of the over 170 artists I’ve seen live over the course of my whole life, that band and that gig definitely earned a spot in my top 10. And that’s really saying something. I’m easily excited and interested, but not like that. Amber Run did more than just excite and interest me. So much more.

Also, absolute probs to their whole team and especially their stage and light designers, because, heck, what a show. I mean, just take a look at the pics down below. How beautiful does that look? With the colours and the sign and just everything. So pretty.

So, overall, that Saturday, that interview, that gig and Amber Run created something magical that I had never experienced before and I will forever be grateful for that and cherish every single moment. If any of you guys ever get the chance to see these incredible guys live, please please please do yourself a favour and go to the show. Even if you don’t know their music. Trust me, you’ll love them. And obviously, checking them out on Spotify is a must as well. And until then, I can only hope that you enjoyed reading about this magical, heavenly day/night that I got to experience. I’m utterly happy that I got to share it with you and I can’t wait to hear all your opinions. And as always, I wish you all an amazing week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

‘I passed my goal a long time ago’

Hola everyone.

And welcome back to my blog and a new week. I hope you’ve all had an amazing weekend and that you’re doing well.

Today, I’ve got to share something very very special with you, guys. Something I haven’t really discussed with you in the past. I’m of course talking about the interview I did with the one and only Lewis Capaldi. And yes, I really mean THE Lewis Capaldi. The Scottish dude who’s currently at number 1 with his debut album and who recently sold out his tour in the UK within a few minutes. That guy, yes.

Some of you might remember that I briefly mentioned going to his concerts in Brighton and London and meeting him in the past (here’s the link if you want to check that one out), but I’ve never really talked about the interview itself. Which, in all honesty, I don’t even want to do, because it doesn’t feel right in any way. The opposite of professional, actually. But now that some time has passed, I thought it would be nice to finally share the finished piece I wrote about the interview with you.

But before you jump right into it, I want to add one thing: The interview I did with Lewis was my very first big one with a musician and even though it’s been about 8 months since I met him, I still can’t wrap my head around it. It still feels like a dream. Because, I mean, it’s Lewis freaking Capaldi. The guy I’m confidently calling the next Ed Sheeran. And I literally sat in a room with him, chatting for about 45 minutes, cracking jokes, the whole deal. Absolutely unbelievable. I’ll never ever forget how nicely he and his whole team treated me. It was my first step into an industry I’m hoping to become a full member of in the future and they all treated me like I had been part of the team for years. I can’t put my feeling of gratitude into words. I’ll never ever forget that interview. Never.

So, and now that you know that, I’m proud to finally share my Q&A with Lewis with you. It was definitely one of the funniest, nicest and most interesting interviews I’ve ever done and if you haven’t become a fan of this guy until now, you really need to ceck out his new album ‘Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent‘ and become one immediately. He really deserves all the attention he’s been receiving and so much more. He’s really a one-of-a-kind artist, especially once you get to see his Instagram and Twitter pages and experience his humour. And just so you’ve got an idea of what I mean – on his Wikipedia page it says that he plays ‘sunglasses’ for an instrument. Lewis, we all know you wrote that, just admit it. And, on another note, his twitter name is Lewis Crapaldi, because some hater called him that and he loved it so much, so he quickly turned it into his own joke. Yep, that’s Lewis. You just gotta love him.

And now, without further ado, please enjoy the article down below. And, as always, please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts and comments down below. I’d love to know what you think. Until then I wish you all a fantastic week and, of course, thanks for reading. x

‘I passed my goal a long time ago’

At the young age of twenty-two, Lewis Capaldi’s career couldn’t be more fairy-tale-like. Within less than two years the Scottish singer-songwriter went from singing in karaoke bars and self-releasing his heart-wrenching debut track ‘Bruises’ to supporting the likes of Sam Smith and Rag’n’Bone Man and selling out one tour after another.

I caught up with Lewis before his sold-out show at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire to talk about his most recent experiences with success, staying true to himself in the age of social media and handling all the attention he’s been receiving.

A few years ago, did you think you would end up where you are now?

No. I mean, I was kind of always doing this, but I didn’t think I would be doing it to this level. I did think I would be playing music, but my goal was to play 350 capacity rooms around the UK and, if I was lucky, 100 capacity rooms in Europe. And not even to necessarily play my own songs. I just wanted to play music and be able to make money off it. And so far it’s been very nice, but to be playing shows this size is a very weird thing. To have someone come to my room to ask me questions and write down what I’m saying so people can read it is a very weird thing. And having people outside in the queue know who I am is very weird. And it can all go away very fast. I’m not saying I would be okay with it, but if it did go away, I would still be playing music. I passed my goal a long time ago.

That must feel pretty amazing, right?

I’m pleased with it. But I’m sure we’ve all done amazing things, but have been too close to them to realize how amazing they are. That’s when you need to take a step back and go ‘oh, that is kind of amazing’. Sometimes I’m really bugged down about things going wrong. I think, as people, we are kind of drawn to focus on the things that go wrong rather than the things that go right.

Why did you start your career by releasing your music yourself?

Nobody wanted to sign me. *laughs* I’m joking. I just think the first thing you release should come from you. If you want your first piece to be exactly how you want it to be and how you see it, you should release it yourself.

Sounds like music means a lot to you…

I approach it as I approach everything else – I don’t take it too seriously. If I’m having a shit time and I write a song about it, I’m able to work through it, but it’s not like therapy. I don’t agree with people who say it is. But being able to look at things from that angle and seeing they aren’t necessarily as bad as they seem is good. Sometimes a good song comes from a bad thing. But I don’t want to put too much weight on things, even with music. It feels more like an old, familiar friend.

Which part of being a musician do you enjoy the most and is there something you hate?

I love playing live, that’s the main thing. That’s where I came from, that’s why I’ve done most of it. I’ve played live more than anything else. But I fucking hate being in the studio. It’s the most boring fucking thing ever. And I don’t know if that comes across in my music, but it’s just so tedious. Not so much being there with a producer and coming up with ideas, that’s fun. But the actual recording of the vocal is the fucking most boring fucking thing you’ll ever do in your life. For me, I record music so I can go and play it live.

And what about interacting with your fans?

Again, this is a very weird job. So having lots of human interaction online and during the shows is very important to me. And I mean, how often are you sat in your room, just randomly scrolling through Facebook and Twitter, bored out of your fucking mind? And I can just go and talk to people. It makes me feel more normal about everything. Suddenly it isn’t just a big, faceless crowd. And also, it can probably make someone’s day, so if I can make someone feel good, that’s just fucking sick.

Speaking of the internet – how do you stay true to yourself in the age of social media?

So many singers nowadays are very careful about what they do online. And I think, if you’re not a horrible person, you don’t really have to be careful. I was like this at the beginning, but I don’t want to not be myself because of that. I think it’s a hard thing to do for a lot of singers. But, again, this is a very weird job. The fact that so many people follow me on Instagram is a fucking weird thing. But you know what, it’s not that weird if you just ignore the fact that it’s weird. When I was growing up, I would have liked people to just be themselves as much as they can. That’s why, in the past, I always used to say: ‘if you don’t like a chubby guy singing sad songs you’ve come to the wrong fucking place’.

Also published in: The Sun & Brighton Life Magazine

Hello 2019

Hola everyone.

I know, I know, where the hell have I been? I’m so sorry for not positing anything for such a long time, but I thought it was the best to kind of just relax during the holidays and concentrate on spending my time with my family and friends at home. But now that I’m back in Brighton, I thought it was time to come out of my hole again. So, welcome back, guys, and hello 2019.

Now that I’ve been here for a week already, I have to say it feels like I’ve never been away, which is both good and sad. To be honest, I wasn’t in a really good state after I got here. I don’t think I’ve ever missed my home this much. But I’ve been talking a lot to my family and my friends, videochatting with my mum and stuff and now that uni has started again and I’ve got more stuff to do, I’ve been feeling better every single day. So yeah, back to business, right?

But enough of me – how were your holidays, Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Did you get to spend time with your family as well? I’m literally so happy that I got to be home for a whole month. It’s crazy how, when you leave your home and then come back again, you start to appreciate it all so much more. I mean, I’m honestly the luckiest person ever. We are the luckiest people, seriously. At least from my perspective. I’m so utterly grateful for my home and my family and my friends and just everyone and everything in my life. I think we as people often forget to appreciate those things and people we have around us everyday. Having dinner with your family. Having a comfy, warm bed to lie down in after a long day. Having a dog or a cat sitting next to you, who love you to the moon and back. Sometimes we all forget that all of this isn’t self-evident. Most people would probably do anything to have what most of us have and sometimes we kind of just forget about that. And that’s basically what the holidays and the time I got to spent at home taught me – to be more grateful for everyone and everything and to share happiness and love. At the end of the day, that’s the most important thing.

Bet you missed my deep, philosophical talks, right? Feels amazing to be back, honestly. I can’t wait to share all that has happened during my month at home with you and continue chatting about music and movies and more. I’ve missed you guys and being on here so much. This is literally my little home on the internet and I’m so grateful for that.

As always, I hope you’re all doing good and wish you an amazing week. If you’ve got any questions or anything else or if you just want to talk, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And, of course, thanks for reading. And again, welcome back, thanks for being here. x

Thoughts

Hola everyone.

Looks like it’s Monday again, huh? I can’t believe it’s already a new week and that I’ll be officially starting uni tomorrow. But on the other hand I’m also so happy that it’s finally beginning, I actually can’t wait any longer.

As you guys know from my previous posts, moving to Brighton and living here, without my family and my friends, wasn’t and isn’t the easiest thing. I mean, I know that I’m not alone and I’ve already met some amazing people and I’m head over heels in love with Brighton, I really am, but I still can’t help but miss home sometimes. All the people I love and my pets and just my home all over, the place I know and care about. I do always try to look at the bright side, of course, but this weekend I kind of got swallowed up by a dark hole. Honestly, I just wanted to go home. And it wasn’t because I wasn’t happy or anything, I just literally wanted to go home. You know, I’m used to coming home on the weekends, it has always been like that. But now that I’m here I can’t do that anymore and it just hit me.

I of course talked to my mum and other people and went for a walk to calm my mind. But I also remembered that what I’m doing is actually a pretty huge thing and certainly not an easy one. For nobody. So, it’s okay to not be okay, especially now. And I want you guys to know that. The important aspect of it is though, that you get out of this dark hole again too, because noone should stay in there for too long. I did get out again and I’m now feeling a lot better. Life is a rollercoaster, right?

But I didn’t write this post just to tell you guys my thoughts. I actually wanted to show you guys some pictures I took this weekend. Like I said, while feeling not so well, I went for a walk and took my camera with me. At first I tried to take my usual, colorful pictures, but that just didn’t feel right. So I went down to the beach and started taking photographs in black and white. And somehow I managed to transport my inner thoughts and emotions into these pictures and turn them into something beautiful. When I look at them I can actually sense how I felt while taking them. My mum said that they have some kind of gloomy vibes, which I think fits perfectly. To be honest, I really like the pictures and for me they don’t just represent my ability to translate my emotions into art but also a new step into a new creative, photographic area, which I’m very happy about.

So yeah, that’s basically what I wanted to talk to and show you guys. As always, I hope you enjoyed reading about my thoughts and looking at the pictures. Please don’t hesitate to tell me your opinions, I’d love to hear them. And if you have any questions, please leave them down below. Oh and if any of you are stuck in that hole and need some help getting out, please know that you can always talk to me or somebody else you trust and love. Talking always helps, guys, it really does. And yeah, I hope you’re all doing good and I wish you a nice week. And, of course, thanks for reading. x