beexposed: issue#07 - water

featuring Rae Morris

Issue 7

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Spring is elbowing its way through the chilled winter air, and catwalks are teasing us with new holiday ensembles whilst we plan our dream summer breaks. So is this the perfect time for a wardrobe detox? Out with the old and in with the fresh and new? Perhaps it’s not about the million vest tops we have stashed in every crevice of our boudoirs, and more about staple pieces that are timeless and, dare I say, minimal?

We named issue#7 the ‘Water Issue’, as we explore detoxing, washing away impurities, learning to love minimal, cleansing our bodies and cleansing our fashion. Making way for newness is an exhilarating process that we urge everyone to try. Read about Harriet’s personal experiences when forced to wardrobe detox, as she is faced with the manic stress of moving house and gutting her bedroom.

New lifestyle and features writer, Lottie, takes up the challenge of eating raw for a week. Read about her struggles and her socially awkward experiences, when faced with trying to eat like a rabbit in the name of a hot beach body!

Lawrence gets up close and personal with our stunning cover star and musical genius, Rae Morris. Read about her journey through music and how she is learning to play with fashion and style since being in the public eye.

We explore the simplicity of style and form in our latest fashion editorial, ‘Swim Fan’. Once again we show case incredible looks from emerging designers, shot by Scandinavian fashion and portrait photographer Donald Linderyd.

We feel that beauty is a huge part of our modern creative world. So in this issue we have expanded our beauty section to host a conceptual beauty editorial, as well as product pages revealing the top products for cleansing, protecting and getting you ready for spring. This issue should leave you feeling refreshed and cleansed and prepare you for the crazy summer ahead.

Editor’s Note

Tiffany & Helen xxx

Contents

Contributors 6

Is minimalist dressing maximum effort? 8

Minimalism made easy 10

BeInstyle 12

SwimFan 18

Meet the designers 38

Spring time accessories 46

Interview with Anjelica Dariah 54

An Interview with Rae Morris 58

So Fresh, So Clean 69

Splash 76

A Conversaton with Cash and David 82

One to watch: Sam Henshaw 86

Nordic Sirens 88

Nordic Playlist 90

The raw food diet 92

Chartreuse 94

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01 Lottie Coltman Ever fancied the Raw diet? Skinny for summer? Before you brave it, you must read the hilarious journey from our new features writer Lottie.

02 Harriet Dixon Finding it hard to jump on the minimal trend? Harriet shares her story with us as she is forced to reduce the contents of her wardrobe.

03 Jacob Clark A drink so good they named a colour after it. Read all about Jakes funny Chartreuse encounter. Learn about the drink and where the name really came from

04 Jemma Pearson Never underestimate the precision and detailing that needs to go into still life photography. Jemma shot our product and accessories shoot with pure perfection.

05 Rob Parfitt Talent portrait photographer, responsible for the stunning Rae Morris shoot as well as our new experimental beauty editorial.

06 Lawrence Linnell Our music writer gets up close and personal with our cover star Rae Morris, as well as interviewing the music masters Cash & David for our BeHeard series.

07 Sherida Kuffour We were so impressed with the layout of issue#6 that we needed to have Sherida back to work her magic on issue#7s pages. We hope you approve.

08 Rachel EvansAn important human in our ever growing music team, Rachael takes us on a dreamy journey through the Nordic music scene.

09 Jolanda Coetzer Back with our crew again, this talented makeup artist had fun with her foundations in our ‘splash’ beauty editorial.

10 Will Harper aka Fashion Bear Will contributed to the styling and production of our latest fashion & accessories editorial.

Contributors

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Moving house. Are there two words in the English language more capable of striking a sense of doom and misery into even the cheeriest of souls?

This is the arduous task I was faced with as the New Year began, and, although I was excited to move to new surroundings, the sheer amount of boring tasks involved made me want to retreat into my (fictional) shell and never move again.

The theme of this issue is water, which brings with it soothing connotations: serenity, purity, stillness. Not the kind of words anyone would associate with moving house, but, as the process of preparing to move house unravelled, I began to realise how cathartic it was. The cycle of sorting, throwing out, charity-shop drops, packing, or recycling left me feeling lighter (both physically and mentally) and with a profound sense of calmness and achievement.

Now happily settled in my new abode, the satisfaction of scaling my possessions back has stayed with me and left me wondering if I need to adopt a more minimalist approach to all areas of my life; becoming unencumbered by ‘stuff ’ that clutters my home and mind. And on a vainer note, surely it’s not a coincidence that the best-looking people in the world, Scandinavians, all shine with good health and enviable style, when they are famed for their pared-back approach to life?

It’s hardly our fault that we are conditioned to having a maximalist approach to our wardrobes; the mass production of fast fashion has embedded in us a consumerist mindset of quantity over quality; why have one pair of jeans when you can have skinny, flared, ripped,

boyfriend and ‘mom’? The fast turnover of stock on the high street means our antennae are always switched on and we feel compelled to buy into the new trends each season brings. But against the backdrop of noise, colour and cacophony from the Primarks of the high street world, Cos, the 7-year old Swedish (of course) brand is a refreshing antithesis to the melee. Cos’s signature is its simplicity; anonymous clothing, stylish basics, minimal pieces which translate the catwalk trends, but in a muted, calm way.

Karin Gustaffson, Cos’ womenswear design manager, says of the brand’s ascent: “It feels to us that customers’ shopping habits have changed. They are looking for key styles that last, such as the white shirt, chinos

and the little black dress, all of which we have interpreted to fit the modern lifestyle.” Being an OCD sufferer myself (not on a ‘flicking a light switch 40 times a day’ scale, more of a ‘can’t stand leaving an empty socket with the switch on’ level), I can fully engage with Cos’ ethos around simple and non-fussy style.

Beyond our wardrobes, if we look at the technology industry we can see a minimalism inherent in its evolution; DVDs have become Netflix, books have become a Kindle, cameras have

become phones. Although there is a certain nostalgia in holding on to CD cases from the 90s and battered DVDs which speak of memories, it’s hard to deny that the transformation from physical to digital possessions has led to a more streamlined way of life for most people. Although really, in a basic sense, we are still a hoarding society, instead of physical objects, we collect data and content on our phones, tablets and laptops.

Is minimalist dressing maximum effort?Text: Harriet Dixon

‘Keeping only things we love and need, this

will bring back a sense of peace and control to

our lives.’

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Francine Jay, minimalist blogger (Miss Minimalist), describes her choice of lifestyle as “freedom; from debt, clutter and from the rat race. Each time I eliminate something extraneous from my life – I feel an incredible sense of liberation”. This is a sentiment shared across the thousands of blogs devoted to celebrating minimalist living; freedom from the burden of too much stuff, being able to travel light, finding financial emancipation from spending less, more time and space for passions, not possessions.

As appealing as this way of life sounds, minimalist lifestyle can be, well, ironically high-maintenance. Minimalist style is synonymous with luxurious fabrics like cashmere and silk – but the paranoia of spilling that glass of red wine on these dry-clean only items brings me out in palpitations. And I can’t help but think there is something paradoxical about expressing yourself through minimalist clothing; sometimes colour, pattern and crazy style is what you need to show who you are.

Personally I couldn’t go as extreme as the fabulous minimalist blogger Ivania Carpio with her almost exclusively white wardrobe. However, as we battle with crowded diaries, overflowing inboxes, flashing phones, and everything else that forms modern living, perhaps if we can come become more efficient at editing our possessions, keeping only things we love and need, this will bring back a sense of peace and control to our lives.

‘It’s hardly our fault that we are conditioned to having a maximalist approach to our wardrobes; the mass production of fast

fashion has embedded in us a consumerist mindset of quantity over quality’

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Are you are considering de-cluttering your life, throwing away your old threads and starting afresh? Then like us you may feel a bit daunted. However, inspiration is at hand from some super stylish bloggers, who make minimalism look easy. Here we reveal our top three minimalist bloggers, who we will be looking to this Spring to freshen up our tired wardrobes.

Ivana Carpio: Love Aesthetics:Living in a seemingly perfect (and dirt free) world of white and grey, Ivana Carpio has some brilliant, and actually very practical, advice on how us mere mortals can share some of her chic aesthetic. We can only imagine her sleek, crisp look has been ingrained from a young age and we respect her dedication to a uniformed (i.e white), yet surprisingly varied wardrobe. Go forth and wear white, just avoid the red wine.love-aesthetics.nl

Charlie May: Girl a la mode:Starting her blog back when she was studying fashion design in Bristol, Charlie May’s inspiration was aimed at gathering her thoughts to create her collection. As time went on Charlie’s casual cool stole the limelight from full on fashionistas, and a star was born. Her personal aesthetic reflects her brands ethos and calls out to women who want to be comfortable, yet well presented, on the go. Charlie is the perfect mix of relatable and aspirational; we want to wear her clothes and steal herstyle.girlalamode.co.uk | charlie-may.co.uk

Marina London:Marina London produces beautiful silk staples, focusing on utilitarian silhouettes in a variety of colours. The blog provides a cheery (and permanently sunny) outlook of simple, wearable and elegant outfit solutions, including of course pieces from the Marina London collection. The outfits featured are worn by beautiful and inspirational guests to the site, presenting the brand as bothtimeless and effortlessly cool.marinalondon.com

Minimalism made easyText: Helen Butcher

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BeInstyle

Molami Molami has revolutionised fashion electronics by becoming the first headphone brand to be designed by women for women. They have incorporated the process of tailoring to create sculpted frames. The attention to detail is amazing with even the inner ear bud being decorated, with an intricate cut out design. These headphones give you the best of both worlds, amazing sound quality and a cool yet feminine aesthetic.www.molami.com

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Diemme Hailing from Italy, using the finest quality materials and craftsmanship, the Diemme collection ranges from trainers and lighter footwear to hunting and mountaineering boots, readapted for city use. Having produced for super brands such as Maison Martin Margiela, Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo and cult Japanese brands, such as Nonnative and Bedwin & The Heartbreakers, you are in safe hands with Calzaturificio Diemme’s 20 years of experience. There is a shade, texture and style for everyone, male and female, so lots to choose from for the ‘no socks required’ months coming.www.diemmefootwear.com

Sarah AngoldThe Sarah Angold studios host a talented bunch, working on both small scale but intricate jewellery pieces to large scale, dramatic lighting. The team are inspired by graphic shapes, mathematica structures and industrial processes; fusing the latest technical innovations with hand made craftsmanship. Look out for the iridescent Perspex and moulded structure necklaces for maximum impact.www.sarahangold.com

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Rebecca Minkhoff We love the new subtly edgy handbags and accessories in the Spring drop at Rebecca Minkhoff. In 2005 Rebecca designed her first handbag, which she soon dubbed the ‘morning after bag’, or the M.A.B. That iconic bag has inspired her designs ever since and we love her tongue in cheek, playful slogans. Look out for the Kerry wristlet and Cory pouch styles.www.rebeccaminkoff.com

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TriwaTriwa watches are a thoughtful juxtaposition of classic silhouette, Swedish contemporary design and curated materials. From perforated leather to matte metal, and everything in between, their unisex designs are everyday chic with a nonchalant air.www.triwa.com

Stefanie Biggel Designer Stefanie Biggel strikes a fine balance between androgynous cuts and high quality, effortless chic. Her SS15 collection, ‘Death by Watermelon’, and resort range are a cool mix of sheer panelling, mesh and cut out detailing. Check her out for minimalist looks with maximum impact.www..stefaniebiggel.com

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MilaMila specialise in luxury fragrances for the modern home. Featuring candles, bath oils and fragrance diffusers, there is something for everyone and they provide a quiet elegance. We love the mint and aqua blue colour ways to bring tranquillity and calm to our bath time and bedrooms.www.milafragrance.com

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HOOK LDN New kids on the block Hook LDN are a contemporary sunglasses company, inspired by the British music scene and vintage sunglass frames. With a laid back but bold look, we love the interior flashes of colour and cool clear styles.www.hookldn.com

Northskull Northskull is focused on creating stylish elements for a modern man’s wardrobe. It’s core DNA focuses on high quality craftsmanship and attention to detail down to the smallest piece. Men’s jewellery can sometimes look tricky, but these pieces are innovative and distinctive in design without shouting too loudly.www.northskull.com

Juju Juju footwear are the original creators of the British Jelly shoe we have all known and loved for over 25 years. Bringing back fun childhood memories of rock pools and rainy days at the beach, these sandals have had a noughties make over. We love the colourful and contemporary new finishes, especially the glitter styles. Get some on and get some happy feet for Spring.www.jujufootwear.com

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SwimFan Swim Fan

Karina wears, top and hot pants: Madelen Ljunggren

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Swim Fan

Credits:Photographer: Donald LinderydStyling and production: BeExposedStylist’s assistant: Will HarperHair and MUA: Jolanda CoetzerModels: Karina@ Leni’s model management Maxim@ Nev’s models

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Karina wears: Jumpsuit and coat: Lucine Sandiford. Towel with handle: Scotch and Soda. Maxim wears: Jacket, top and shorts: LucineSandiford.

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Top and jacket: Madelen Ljunggren. Trousers: Karen Verey. Bag: Rebecca Minkhoff.

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Karina wears: Jumpsuit and coat: Lucine Sandiford. Towel with handle: Scotch and Soda. Shoes: New Look. Maxim wears: Jacket, top and shorts: Lucine Sandiford. Shoes: Stylists own

This page: Bodysuit and Jacket: Madelen LjunggrenOpposite page: Jacket and trousers: Karen Verey. Vest: Stylists own. Shoes: Diemme

This page: Karina wears: Dress: Grace Golding. Shoes: New Look. Maxim wears: Boiler suit: Karen Verey. Shoes: DiemmeOpposite page: Bodysuit: Madelen Ljunggren. Sheer dress: Chic Freak. Shoes: New Look

This page: Coat: Madelen Ljunggren.Opposite page: Coat, top and hot pants: Madelen Ljunggren. Trainers: New Look

Jacket and shorts: Lucine Sandiford. Shoes: Diemme

This page:Top, hot pants and bag: Madelen Ljunggren Opposite page: Shorts: Lucine Sandiford

Shoes: Diemme

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At Laser Cut Works we are happy to work with both individuals and businesses alike to see that all of their ideas come to life. We have a background in the architectural and creative industries which means that we have an invaluable insight into the need for quality, timely and within budget results.

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+44 (0) 20 3441 3374

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SURREY Q

UAYS RD

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ROTHERHITHE NEW RD

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www.lasercutworks.com [email protected]

At Laser Cut Works we are happy to work with both individuals and businesses alike to see that all of their ideas come to life. We have a background in the architectural and creative industries which means that we have an invaluable insight into the need for quality, timely and within budget results.

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If you had one wish: My wish today would be to be at London Fashion Weekand witnessing first hand the incredible work on the catwalks.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your collection?My collection is based on 1950’s beauty pageants, where individuals weren’t judged on their looks but rather single parts of their body. I wanted to use the female silhouette to sculpt simple shapes using intricate techniques. I used zips in seams to give curvature and fringed strips of layered fabric to create volume and emphasise shape.

How has social media affected your designing/ brand?It has given me a lot of exposure and led me to work with some exceptional photographers. I have also been involved with various fashion shows and featured on websites. Social media is a great networking tool if it is used correctly.

Who do you most admire as an entrepreneur?Success, to me, is built on determination, perseverance

Grace GoldingAge: 22Place of study: Birmingham City University Ba HONS Fashion DesignOccupation: Merchandiser

and following your heart, regardless how big this success is. If you want to achieve something, you will if you want it enough.

What does Water mean to you?Fluidity, purity and a sense of calm.

What is your personal aesthetic, minimalist or maximalist and does yourpersonal sense of style affect your designs? I would say in my designs I aim to be minimalistic and love to create shapes based on simple techniques but in inventive ways. However as an individual I am a firm believer that anything goes when talking about style.

What are you doing now you have graduated? Is it what you expected you would be doing?Since graduating I have changed career path. I now work at Joules as a Merchandiser. My design and development knowledge helps immensely with my new role and I am excited for what the future holds.

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If you had one wish:I would wish to own a fabulous apartment in New York City.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your collection?My collection is called ‘The OODS’ named after a walking group my father was part of during his time at university, ‘The Out Of Doors Society.’ Old photographs from the late 1970s, taken from his scrapbooks, were my main source of inspiration. They show him and his friends in their rambling gear throughout different seasons. Wild flowers that would have been seen during their walks also became a big part of my collection, along with looking at vintage military snow smocks and tunics.

What three key fabrics have you used in your collection?I developed a process of laminating real dried flowers onto different fabrics. The flowers almost took on the role of a surface print, but it was much less restrained, as I could choose exactly where each flower would go on each garments. My collection is trans-seasonal, with the

Karen VereyAge: 22Place of study: Kingston UniversityOccupation: Menswear Design InternLocation: London

flowers growing in quantity and colour across the looks, starting in Winter and ending in Spring. Laminated wool and denim worked the best.

Who do you most admire as an entrepreneur?I am currently interning for a young emerging designer and it’s really great to see a new label develop quickly and successfully. He has achieved a lot in a short space of time balancing creativity and business.

What is your personal aesthetic, minimalist or maximalist, and does your personal sense of style affect your designs?I definitely dress in a minimal way, with my wardrobe containing only a few different core colours, mainly navy. I put my clothes together tonally in varying length layers and don’t tend to wear much print. I always put looks together in layers.

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Tell us about the inspiration behind your collection?I have focused on the body, and been inspired by the larger expanses of human skin and the layering of skin folds, down to micro details of finger prints andpores. My ambition was to take something ugly and unappealing and make it into something beautiful, like the folds of skin and veins, among other things. Thingswe don’t usually perceive as beautiful can unexpectedly be transformed to something aesthetically appealing.

What three key fabrics have you used in your collection? I have thought about the tactile feeling of the skin and combined fabrics and products that combine the same feeling, such as layered foam and latex.

How has social media affected your designing/ brand?It has pushed me towards a more radical design. To be noticed I feel it’s important to do something that is editorial.

Who do you most admire as an entrepreneur?Norwegian fashion brands, who dare to invest in an

Madelen LjunggrenAge: 31Place of study: Esmod OsloOccupation: Fashion designerLocation: Oslo

industry that is quite small here. It’s hard to make it in the industry, and especially in Norway, so I admire the people who try. They contribute to making the industry visible and diverse.

What does Water mean to you?I grew up in the country side in Sweden near a fresh water lake and I have lots of memories involving water, such as skiing, fishing, ice skating, and swimming.

Who is your muse?I have used Ivania Carpio as a muse, due to her way of using sport influenced garments in her day wear. Combining sportswear with fashion items, her look becomes original, clean with few colors and details.

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Tell us about the inspiration behind your collection? Running has always been a part of my life and a great stress reliever. Therefore when I started my final year, I entered to run the New York City Marathon and running became my main source of inspiration for my collection. My time was split between working on my degree and training for the race, so combining the two made sense and made both really exciting for me. I decided to combine vintage running gear with contemporary casual menswear pieces, enlarging numbers into functional aspects of the garments (like pockets), and the collection of 6 essentially became a life-size bib number. The cool and calm pastel colour palette was what I believed had a point of difference within menswear, inspired by a series of photographs called ‘Courts’ by artist Ward Roberts.

Which three key fabrics have you used in your collection? As fabrics were extremely hard to find in pastel colours that matched, I digitally printed the whole collection, using a variety of silks and cottons, and spent time colour matching them so the shades were consistent and aesthetically pleasing.

Who do you most admire as an entrepreneur? One of my favourite design duos is Agi Mdumulla

and Sam Cotton. Between them they studied Fashion and Illustration and, combining all their creativity and knowledge learnt in industry, started Agi&Sam. I admire how the brand doesn’t fear creating something different for menswear and doesn’t take fashion too seriously.

Who is your muse? My mum! She’s incredibly talented within art and music, dedicated to her sports crazes, a fab wife and an amazing mum to four girls.

What is your personal aesthetic, minimalist or maximalist, and does your personal sense of style affect your designs? Minimalist. I believe it does, as I love to pay more attention to fabric interest and little quirky details, whether it’s designing or shopping.

What are you doing now you have graduated? Is it what you expected you would be doing?I’m now a womenswear designer for a high street supplier, Collective Apparel. Working in the Fashion Industry was what I dreamed of doing, so I feel blessedto be working in the field that I adored studying, at a company where I have the chance to be creative and work with the most amazing people.

Lucine SandifordAge: 23Place of study: Nottingham Trent UniversityOccupation: Womenswear DesignerLocation: Surrey

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Credits:Photographer: Jemma Pearson

Stylist: Will HarperProduction and art

direction: BeExposed

Spring tim

e

Accesso

ries

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White

pendant: Lily

Kamper,

Blue pendant: Lily

Kamper,

Mint trainers:

Diemme,

Coral Lomin wrist

watch: Triw

a

White

headphones: Molam

i,

Glasses: T

ransiti

ons x Etnia

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Nude and grey trainers:

Diem

me,

Grey headphones: U

rbane

ars,

Grey watch

: Mian

sai, O

rganic

wristw

atch: T

riwa, C

lear frame

glasses: T

ransit

ions x

eye r

espect

,

Gold anchor c

hain: Mian

sai,

Silver h

ook chain: M

iansai

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Metallic backpack: Rebecca Minkhoff, Modern love sunglasses: Quay, White mojito shoes: Julian Hakes, Black speckle pendant: Lily Kamper, Peach pendant: Lily Kamper

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Grey blue tint backpack: Mi-Pac, Tortoiseshell and blue sunglasses: HOOK LDN, Baseball cap: New EraTrainers: Asics, Headphone: Happy plugs

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An interview with illustrator Anjelica Dariah

Emerging illustrator Anjelica Dariah never intended to be known for her colourful drawing style, but after a break in fashion design she built up an Instagram gallery which dances off the page. We talked to Anjelica about her favourite designers, spots vs stripes and what University taught her.This year I’m taking a bit of a break from fashion design. A few things happened in my life last year that were really difficult and graduation was in the middle of all of it. I just locked myself away and illustration became a sort of therapy for me; the drawings are so quick I can express my feelings in 5 minutes. I didn’t actually mean to be an illustrator, it wasn’t my goal, but it’s progressed organically. I’ve always enjoyed drawing so I put my stuff on

Instagram and got a really good response so I just carried on. I studied fashion design at University but you’re not really ‘allowed’ to illustrate, it’s more of an afterthought. It’s like just at the end of a project, the tutors wanted everything perfect and neat and would try to get people to use templates but that’s just not me. It’s like asking a potter to use a mould.

My drawings aren’t symmetrical, and I make loads of mistakes but they are relaxed and that’s my style. The other day I was watching some videos about famous designers at work in their studios. Even Victoria Beckham was on there and I just think how it is in the real world isn’t really what you get taught at uni. Because fuck what everyone else thinks, people should be themselves, otherwise everyone’s work ends up the same. If you follow the rules it’s pretty boring. Somebody will like you for you. I am on Instagram all day and I snapshot pictures I like, whether that be a photography style or a colour theme.

It’s usually about colour for me. I am also obsessed with stripes; most of my drawings have stripes hidden somewhere and I love linear things. I did a polka

dot drawing last night and I am not uploading it. It feels wrong to me; it reminds me of pyjamas. I went to Disneyland three times when I was little, so the obsession with Minnie Mouse was then. I like to think I’ve evolved since that.

I love the new Versace collection because it’s so linear. I also love Diane Von Furstenberg for her prints, and then there is the amazing Simone Rocha and, in photography, I love Tommy Ton. I could get so deep talking about designers. I love Miu Miu’s texture and Prada’s use of colour. If you saw me in the summer I look like a colour freak!

I went to New York in 2013 and discovered crazy cheap clothes where I could really experiment with bold styles; in summer I wear flowers in my hair and look like a crazy woman. I shouldn’t say my favourite colour is pink but actually.. it is pink. And Orange. When I work I have to be inspired with super cheesy music. I set up camp at my desk by the window and listen to Misteeq, Brittany Spears and Mariah Carey; all the 90’s stuff. I know it’s terrible music but I love it and it keeps me going.

After my time off I’m going to venture out on my own because I know what I want. I have seen a lot of talented people with something really special, who then they give themselves to a brand, and I think their work gets a bit diluted. I want to keep my work for me and progress with my unique style, so I hope people like it.

55Illustrated for BeExposed

56Illustration: Summer

57Illustration: Winter

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RaeI caught up with bright young singer/songwriter, Rae Morris, earlier this month at a photo shoot in a warehouse studio in Seven Sisters. Our conversation was light hearted, and friendly, with Rae being notably grounded and genuine in her responses. This is a talented young artist who has managed to stay true to her roots, using the industry to support and augment her own style and not mould it. We chatted about her rapid rise into the limelight, exploring the inspiration behind her vulnerably emotive music, the secrets of her captivating songwriting and the effect her career has had so far. Signed to Atlantic at just 18, her spellbinding 2014 debut album “Unguarded” has achieved notable success with frequent airtime across Radio 1 and 2, as well as inclusion on the BBC Sound of 2015 longlist.

Not bad for 22.You look amazing, how did you find the photo-shoot?Sometimes I find it quite a daunting thing because I’m not really used to that. I’m comfortable with music and I’m good at being in the studio and on stage, but a photo-shoot requires a new skillset that isn’t quite in my comfort zone yet.

How are you finding being styled for shoots and how would you describe the way you style yourself?I actually really enjoy it. I’m just slowly getting into it now. I think when I first started out I was very specific: I wouldn’t wear this, I’m not going to wear that. I think that when you are slightly uncomfortable you put up barriers to protect yourself. But then I slowly started to be a bit

Sincere SirenWords: Lawrence Linnell

An interview with

Morris

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Credits:Photography: Rob ParfittPhotography assistant: Thales KentMUA and hair: Lydia WarhurstStyling and production: BeExposedStyling assistant: Will HarperCream jogger suit: Second Female Trainers: Adidas - Stan Smith Jewellery: Rae’s own

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‘I never realized when I was a kid that it could be possible to express yourself in such a pure and genuine way.’

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‘Every single song is personal to me, I’ve not yet written a song that isn’t.’

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more open and experimental with what I wear, but I’m still very masculine - like today I wore a really cool suit and some Adidas Stan Smith trainers, which I enjoyed wearing. It’s cool to try things and be a bit more experimental.

How did singing for Atlantic come about and how did it change things for 17-year-old Rae?I was 17-year-old Rachel.,I was just some random girl from Blackpool doing her A-levels and it changed my entire life. I’m not really sure what I’d be doing right now if that hadn’t happened. There was a Teaching Assistant at my college who I got on really well with, whose best friend was the head of A&R at Universal publishing. It just happened that she liked my music and passed my name on to her friend. Gradually more of the industry heard about what I was doing and started to come up North to Blackpool, Preston and Manchester to see me play. There was an amazing summer with lots of people in the music industry wanting to see what I was doing, which was a real privilege and kind of crazy.

So far in your career you’ve performed with a myriad of notable artists, such as Clean Bandit, Tom Odell and Bombay Bicycle Club. What was your favourite collaborative performance and why?There was an amazing gig with Tom that turned into more than what I expected. We were in Nottingham, where I was supporting him on his tour, and he said he really liked ‘Grow’ and wanted us to play it that night. We didn’t rehearse it at all, we just went out and did it in his set, which was a very wonderful and bizarre thing for him to do in his own headline show. He wanted to play the support artist’s song with them, so it was very special and it’s never happened to me before. We actually recorded a version of it because we felt we should document that moment and that version is available as part of my album.

Your album ‘Unguarded’ is made to be accessible, with people taking an emotional journey with you. How much of your material is autobiographical, and how much focuses on conceptualized experience? Every single song is personal to me, I’ve not yet written a song that isn’t. I’ve never written a song from an outsider’s perspective, but ‘Cold’, that I wrote with my friend Fryars, has story elements and more of a focus on a tale of two people. It was

more about documenting the strange things people do when they’re in love and the strange things they say to each other.

What/who was your inspiration for certain emotive tracks like ‘Closer’?‘Closer’ was written about my brother. At that time we actually worked together. He was my tour manager for a long time, then we parted ways in that professional world. I think that was a lot for me to digest, as I was moving away from Blackpool and I was on my own for the first time, and getting used to being further away from the people I felt most comfortable with. I think in a way that meant that my relationships with those people, like my brother, actually turned out to be healthier and better when they weren’t as intense. It was a positive thing that had to come about from a slightly negative thing.

Listening to ‘Under the Shadows’, I picked up on some prominent Kate Bush influences. What are some of your other muses or influences?I love female vocalists, they have such a depth, and I never realized when I was a kid that it could be possible to express yourself in such a pure and genuine way. I think I always connect so much to a female vocal, so people like Bjork - I love Bjork, Feist and Cat Power. I do love male vocals as well, I’m a Tom Waits fan and Coldplay are one of my favourite bands, as my big brother introduced me to them when I was younger. But overall it’s the song I’m attracted to and the process of songwriting that fascinates me.

I loved the music video for ‘Skin’ - beautifully visceral and sensual. How did the idea and inspiration for this video come about?I worked really closely with the director, Nadia Otzen. She was really cool. It was important we conveyed that touch and feel, and as you said the sensual bond of humans and instinct was important for me. Breaking the rules is one of the themes explored - not being able to resist something that’s very instinctive and natural. I think the surfaces of the marble in the video encapsulate this. Marble is such a weird thing because it’s so beautiful, but when you touch it, you don’t get anything from it. I wanted people to want to touch the video and feel all the textures in it and think about them - like the surface things we have around us that you don’t connect to instinctively, although you are connected physically to them.

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There is a lot of dance, movement and motion in your music videos. Would you consider these an integral part of your music?

Rae – I wouldn’t say dance is integral. I think movement is important, and that’s something I’ve been on a journey with as well. When I first began, I just stood behind the piano and didn’t really move at all. I was quite afraid to even stand up. I’ve only recently started to stand in my set when I play live, because I never knew what to do with my legs. But I think movement is a wonderful thing, particularly with videos.

I love the diverse fusion of musical elements on ‘Do You Even Know?’ Electronic dance beats and synths, with wonderful classical and orchestral embellishments over the top. How much are you involved, and have also evolved, with the composition and production of your tracks?This was a turning point for me. It was the first track which I did most of the programming for, and I feel quite proud of it because I did get a programming credit - which was great. I’m very involved in the production generally, but I think that was the first time I’d actually used the sounds I programmed in Logic directly in the music. It’s a whole new area for me’ because when I first began I would just write on piano and not really think about the end product. Then, as a couple of years went by, I realised that it was a lot easier for me to conceptualise the final, finished, produced version and have those ideas at the beginning. This helped form the song as well.

Could you also comment on the visuals used in your live performances and how they relate back to your music?The light designer I work with is a guy called Squib, and he’s become a really good friend of mine. He works on Bombay Bicycle Club’s lights, I met him on that tour. He’s the only person that’s ever done my London shows. We have a conversation where I tell him what the atmosphere of the song is in my mind, and how I envisage and want the audience to react to the song, and we set the tone together. I actually just got into Pinterest recently. Squib and I use Pinterest to come up with ideas for the show. I think lighting is so important and when you have the luxury of it, you can really transform a show.

If you could go back and speak to 13-year-old Rachel, what advice would you give her? I found a picture of me at 13 the other day, and the clothes I was wearing were terrible. I’d tell me to stop trying so hard to be something that I’m not. I always wanted to do my own thing, but I was never brave enough to do it. So I would get my hair feathered a little bit but that would be it – I think I would tell myself to just read more, seek out music a little bit earlier and do more of the things that I was really enjoying.

You have previously mentioned that you were taught the art of songwriting at 17. Have you any advice or tips for any young budding songwriters? In short, the famous Nike quote - ‘Just do it’. Getting something done, even one thing, is important because I’d spoken about doing it for a long time. For a couple of years I was just doodling around on the piano and coming up with melodies and singing things, but not really ever finishing one song. As soon as I had one song, this huge weight was lifted and I suddenly had a tool and a key to an exciting new life because I had my one thing.

What is coming up for you in the near future? Are you working on any new material?I am yes, I’m really inspired at the moment because the first thing is out there. People have a reference point to look at and I can be getting on with other things. I’m going to make the most of this year touring, and write everything down.

Where do you see your future progression as an artist? Is there anything in particular you’d like to work towards?I aim towards playing certain venues that I have always dreamed of playing in and I just base everything on that – how many people you can fit into one space and get to listen to you. I think for me, I just want to continue. I can look at a different way of doing things now as I’ve done the album that I needed to be really honest, raw and real and ‘this is who I am.’ Now it seems like the possibilities are endless, so for the future I hope that I can just keep making albums. I would love that., That is my dream.

Well Rae it’s been an absolute pleasure, it was lovely to talk to you and we look forward to hearing your new material.

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Navy suit Stefanie Biggel Trainers: Adidas - Stan Smith Necklace: Lily Kamper

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Rae Morris has recently recorded her own version of The Beatles classic’ All You Need Is Love’ as part of the BBC’s campaign If You Love Something Let It

Show. The story and track can be viewed here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOxn-WC6hrM

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Credits:Portrait photography: Rob ParfittProduct photography: Jemma PearsonMUA and hair: Jolanda CoetzerModel: Lily EllisArt direction and production: BeExposedWords by: Jolanda Coetzer

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Credits:Photography: Rob ParfittMUA and hair: Jolanda CoetzerModel: Lily EllisArt direction and production: BeExposedFoundation:MAC

Splash

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The latest addition to artists we feel should ‘BeHeard’ are dynamic London electro pop/punk duo Cash+David. We want to prepare you for their bright future by shedding more light on the elusivepair themselves. Their triptych release of singles ‘Funn’, ‘Pulse’, and ‘Bones’ have had notable online and radio success, with poignant remixes by Daktyl and, recently, John Wizards.

Words: Lawrence Linnell

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CASH & DAVIDA conversation with

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felt. Eventually, whilst working for demos, developing different ideas and meeting up with Tim again, we made an album together. We made my album together, so it’s really funny to go from this very sweet and focused songwriter music to… our agenda was more obscene really. I just read this amazing book by Viv Albertine - the guitarist for The Slits. She talks about the boys club and being in rock music hence, the kind of Cash+David thing, cos of the boys club you know, cos obviously I’m a chick – FYI David is a chick, so yeah.

So the name was a synthesis of both your ideas?Liz – Cash+David is both our aliases yeah. Your label Plus (+). How’s that going and what plans do you have for that? Liz – Super exciting! We’d really like to start a night in London - a ‘+’ records night with other DJ’s and artists, creatives. Like when you’re on the road, for me I’m really keen to recreate that idea of cooperative musicians, as opposed to conflicting and competitive musicians, which is really getting me down, particularly in London.

Tell me about your influences. You’ve mentioned Bibio, Phoenix, and The XX. What are you listening to right now?Tim – I like a lot of trap music and I like a lot of bounce music. Chance, the rapper, is doing it for me a lot right now, ASAP Rocky, Kendrick Lamar. Liz – I’ve been listening to Pavement, the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and Sonic Youth recently, so that to me is almost exactly what we mean and what makes our sound. It’s quite a unique mix.

What would your definition of ‘making it’ be and do you have any particular goals and dreams?Liz – I hate the term ‘making it’ and absolutely hate the term ‘following your dreams’. I think we’re making, that’s what we’re doing, we’re making work. I mean we’re artists, that’s what we do everyday. I’d love a room full of synths in my house. I’d like a house actually. Tim – I don’t know, cos when we did the drop on ‘Funn’, I feel like nothing will matter ever again. (Liz laughs.) I just listen to the drop again and again and again, but then we have to leave the studio and after that make something different. Liz – I guess I’d love to play in Japan. We’d love to play in Berlin and in the short term we’d love to get ourselves out there, then a big studio in LA, a big house in New York! Tim – I think Phoenix has it pretty cushty. He’s got his studio, worked with Cassius, he’s got his pick of EDM pioneers and gets to bring his ideas together. He’s not necessarily recognised

Transcending traditional pop structure, the emotively Timbrel vocals of Liz Lawrence and impeccable pro-duction and guitar of Tim Ross form a diverse synergy of fiery Electronic Dance Music, Punk and songwriting into a formidable duo. We caught up with Tim and Liz, before their Line of Best Fit gig at the Lexington in Angel, to talk about anonymity, fresh starts, misogyny, aesthetics and their future. The duo have a clear agenda, are gritty, down to earth with a focused attitude and a mean sense of humour. Their Live performance (includ-ing some promising new material) proved they give as much live as they do in the studio, throwing the audi-ence into a trance reminiscent of the possessed dancer in their music video. An effect worthy of prestige for a relatively new act. With a debut album in the works, you can catch Cash+David at their next live performance at The Great Escape Festival in May.

Could you tell me more about the perspective of little Tim and little Liz? What started you both down your path to now?Tim – Little Tim… Have you ever seen the film ‘Switch’? There is a boy with OCD; he’s a panicker and that’s what I’m like. I always thought I was going to get ill, I panicked all the Time and put all my focus into playing the piano and saxophone. To skip ahead, I went to university to study orchestration. I was into really aggressive music growing up; the whole Mozart and classical music thing was a means to an end, it wasn’t really what I enjoyed doing. Then I met Liz about 5 years ago. She’s a bit of a soul mate and we were very much talking on the same page and it felt like everything I was heading to as a kid all sort of landed for me when I met her. Here was somebody else who understood where I was coming from. It’s all about the song, it’s all about the emotion, but it’s all about sonics as well - making things loud and aggressive. [cont] But also about making pop and creating. Neither of us want to regurgitate anything that anyone else has done, or form something that’s not really looked at recently. So Liz, you’ve evolved somewhat since Secret Garden Party a couple of years ago.

Tell me a little bit about growing up.Liz – As a teenager I was really into punk. The first Time I saw Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’ video when I was about ten - I was like “holy shit, this is so great!” So I was doing punk stuff, and then I wanted to get into songwriting, I wanted to know how to write songs that make you feel; that affect your body. So I was doing solo stuff and drifting. It wasn’t representing how I really

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all the Time. He does films and wherever he goes he has 2,500 people turn up.

Which is your anonymity. Why did you both choose to remain anonymous, and then reveal who you actually are? Liz – We didn’t want the first thing people read about us to be - Tim, the classically trained and Liz, the folk song troubadour. We wanted to come out here where no one knows what we’ve done before, release something that’s uniquely ourselves. Also for me, I didn’t want people to know I was a chick initially as we co-produce, and women in production are still massively unrecognised. It was interesting when we first started meeting people, before we identified ourselves, they were shocked that we were a boy/girl band. It was really cool – it worked and that was what we wanted.

How was the collaboration with James in the videos?Liz – Amazing really. We had a symbiosis with him; he got our ideas from the off and we got his ideas from the off, and the relationship really built as we made the 3 videos. We ‘heart’ James. Love the Bowie/Cash danceoff. Liz – We’ve been troubled by it because we didn’t name ourselves after David Bowie or Cash. One blog jumped up and said it – and then the Telegraph... The characters were just meant to be caricatures, where the chicks were dressed up as men and it was really sexy and cool, and then it ended up with me being misquoted in the Telegraph as saying that I f…. hate David Bowie and I don’t – I love him, I love David Bowie!

How do you feel coming from a folk career to slightly more electronic fusion?Would you say there’s still a place for someone trying to make it in a traditional folk paradigm? Liz – Absolutely, it’s not about moving all the Time, there is definitely a place for folk music. People love a good song structure and so many more people now have an eclectic taste in music. The genre doesn’t really matter if a song is there. I just think I shifted to something more electronic because I felt it represented me, it excited me. It’s the stuff I listen to and I love having my hands in the gear. But no, folk music is one of the oldest genres in the world, there’s always a place.

Do you feel, because your music is quite visceral, it engages people on an emotional level?Liz – Yeah I think that’s true Then do you feel you have a responsibility to your audience in terms of how you engage them and what you want them to get out of listening to your music? Liz – Absolutely, responsibility

is an interesting word. We have an agenda. We have how we like people to feel, and obviously it’s up to us to make sure we perform in a way that reaches them that way. Responsibility is a funny word. I think the responsibility we have to our audience is to practice what we preach, how we conduct ourselves and what we say in interviews. More than what we’re makingreally.

Any hot tips for future up and coming acts, anyone you’ve seen that you think might make a stir?Liz – Circle Waves, Rae Morris, Shura - They’re all people that I think are great and they’re the next wave.

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Like maple syrup in your ears, Samm’s rich vocal timbre will linger on your skin like a warm summer sunset, with elegant soulful music that is universally relatable and timeless. At just 20-years-old and in his final year of university, Samm’s sincere and fervent delivery reaches far beyond his years. His music proves that a traditional band setup still holds worth in an increasingly technologised world. Growling rock guitars, delicate piano embellishments and soulful backing vocals ensure Samm’s music reaches right through to your core. This became manifest at his recent gig at the Hoxton Square Bar & Grill where Samm had the audience in the palm of his hand with his recent singles and some promising new material; ‘Everything’, ‘Autonomy’ and his final song - ‘Better’ in which the audience was split into a two part choir which is certainly no mean feat. His performance contains clear gospel elements with him as the preacher and the crowd the congregation. The warm reception and hugely positive response of the crowd took the performers by surprise. Truly great music always stands the test of time and Samm’s uplifting melodies and capturing heartfelt lyrics will linger in your mind. Riding on the success of ‘Best Song Ever’ and his first single ‘Only Wanna Be With you’ Samm shows great promise with the release of his EP ‘The Sound experiment’ due out in May. soundcloud.com/sammhenshaw

Shining a light on ardent emerging creatives is at the very core of BeExposed and every now and then a new talent comes around with a sound that simply cant be ignored. BeExposed Music Editor Lawrence Linnell tells us why new kid on the block Samm Henshaw is his hot tip for 2015. Pay close attention.

SAM HENSHAWOne to watch

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To understand where the roots of this profound and distinct inspiration originate from, one must look closer at the history of the Nordic culture. Traditionally, for people of a Nordic origin, there is an ancient earth-healing philosophy, which is still very much alive today. Norse mythology cloaks perceptions of the importance of life in tales of gods and legendary creatures. These stories depict the cultural significance of what it means to be a human being and are passed down through the generations in the medium of folklore, in which music plays an important part.

The myths and stories contend that nature is an intrinsic and integral part of the spiritual cosmos. Multiple universes are coalesced through The World Tree (Yggdrasil), different realms can be accessed through the tree, all of which resemble an individual, natural characteristic such as the land of fire and the land of ice. Even though these worlds are separate, they have unified consequences, and actions in one world can have an effect in another. These realms were created from elements of a transcendent being, in which bones made mountains, blood became seas, and hair the trees. With this portrayal of the creation of worlds, we can see how the connection between humans and nature is fundamental and unbreakable.

The human race was created when the gods breathed life into an ash and an elm tree, thus creating a man and a woman. The World Tree, a symbol which alludes to the interconnection of all life, is under constant threat from the elements of each world. Although these elements decay the tree, it gains nourishment from the healing

water of a well, preserving the eternal equilibrium between growth and deterioration, a metaphor for the essential balance between life and death.

Ancient Nordic philosophers did not give weight to good and evil. Instead they believed in accepting the ways things are; that there has to be a balance between all inherent notions in which good and evil are irrelevant. Norse philosophy is concerned with accepting the primary relationship between humans and the natural world. In accepting that we are a part

of nature, we are able to listen to the land and this is where the Nordic artist finds his muse.

This philosophy and ethos can be illustrated in many Nordic artists from Sigur Rós, Ólafur Arnalds and Röyksopp to Todd Terje, The Tallest Man on Earth, Lykke Li and Trentemøller. Although their styles are not necessarily similar, they all exhibit a profound relationship between the music they make and the environment around them. This view is echoed across genres; from dance music to

folk and it is this element of Nordic music that is idiosyncratic.

Trentemøller, a Danish electronic music producer displays this in his 2006 debut album, where he contends that although being predominantly known as an electronic producer, he makes use of a variety of real instruments in his music, a stance shared by many other bands and producers from the region. Pitchfork named the album as “inviting a thousand wintry Nordic metaphors” which harks back to visceral Nordic philosophy, with which the essence of keeping music natural becomes increasingly important in an

Nordic SirensWords: Rachael Evans

“Music is a huge part of Nordic

culture, so it could be said that

Nordic artists want to maintain

that tradition.

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evermore-technologized world. Similarly First Aid Kit, a Swedish country-singing duo admit to writing a lot about “nature and fairytale-ish stuff ” in their records, illuminating this concurrent but unintentional leitmotif. Additional to the music itself, the Nords hold claim to one of the oldest music festivals in the world. Weathering the storm of time, ‘Nordic Music Days’ has run stoically and successfully since 1888, and signifies the immense importance of music within the culture. The Nordic Composers Council manages the festival and each year, Nordic countries take turns to host the festival, which serves as a bridge between Nordic composers and the international music domain. Luckily these artists and events are no longer hidden away in secluded mountain ranges and fjords and are becoming progressively accessible. There are many platforms that allow us to experience Nordic music and keep up-to-date with the brightest talent emerging from the North. These projects are facilitated by The Nordic Music Export Programme, NOMEX nordicmusicexport.com. Their aim is to enable development in the Noridc music sector by supporting projects such as the Nordic Travel Pass, JaJaJa and the Nordic Playlist. JaJaJa www.jajajamusic.com is an online forum, which discusses all things Nordic in their magazine and also hosts a monthly club night at The Lexington in London and the FluxBau in Berlin introducing the finest, handpicked talent from the Nordic nations. This exposure is coupled with major artists such as Fever Ray (who signed First Aid Kit), the front woman of The Knife, running their own record labels, specifically tailored to drawing out fresh Nordic talent. A great way to experience Nordic music is to listen to the Nordic Playlist www.NordicPlaylist.com. This features an artist or

tastemaker each week, who compiles a playlist of their favourite songs from each of the Nordic countries (Iceland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland). They also cover up and coming artists from the region and feature specially created DJ mixes so there will always be something new to discover. Previous curators and contributors to the Nordic Playlist consist of the likes of Little Dragon, First Aid Kit, Ólöf Arnalds, José González, Kasper Bjørke and Erland Øye, to name a few. I caught up with the editor of the Nordic Playlist, Francine Gorman, to discuss all things Norse:

What qualities do you see recurring in Nordic artists’ approach to music?“The Nordic Music scene is an incredibly rich and varied place, so I wouldn’t say that there’s any ‘one kind’ of music being made in the Nordic region. Instead, there’s a huge amount of exceptionally well-written music being made in a number of different styles and genres. If I were to find a common thread running through them, it would be a continual sense of creativity, an appreciation of environmental influences (be that in a city or in nature) and a drive to maintain the region’s strong musical legacy.”

What motivations do many Nordic artists have for making their music?“Music is a huge part of Nordic culture, so it could be said that Nordic artists want to maintain that tradition. I think that there are a huge number of extremely talented artists in the Nordic area, and that many of them find enjoyment and inspiration just through collaborating with each other.”

What would you say about the notion that Nordic artists take inspiration for their music from a deeper connection with nature and the intrinsic spiritual relationship they have with it?“When I’ve spoken to artists about this subject in the past, a lot of them have claimed that a musician will always react to their immediate surroundings; so a hip hop artist from Helsinki will likely sound very different to a folk artist from Iceland. But it is absolutely true that the Nordics boast some of the most fascinating and epic landscapes in the world, and there’s certainly a widespread appreciation of that to be found in the music produced in the region. I’m a big fan of artists such as Moddi from Norway, and Teitur from the Faroe Islands that make the scenery and landscapes that surround them the heart of their music. With such beautiful nature around them, there’s exceptionally beautiful music to be made.”

What makes you passionate about the music that Nordic artists create?“I personally love the diversity of the music coming from the Nordic region. There are lots of different scenes taking place - I love the electronic scenes in Copenhagen and Oslo, and the burgeoning hip-hop scene in Helsinki, for example. Within each of these scenes, you find creative networks with really excited, interesting people leading the way. I think the passion and energy of the Nordic music scene is something really special, and very likely one of the key reasons why this particular region creates so much incredible music.”

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Nordic Playlist

Few who are exposed to the fair music of the Nordic nations can say that there is not a unique and mystical air about it, with distinctive angelic voices and instruments played to sing in their own right, rather than pose as a mere tool of a given musician. Most genres have their collection of lovers and haters, however Nordic artists seem to separate the populous into those who love their music and those who simply haven’t heard it yet. There seems to be more to the Nordic ethos than the stand-alone notion of making music. Their music is not influenced by trends in the industry, but rather their inspiration and motivation for the creation of sound is an end in itself. Sasha Siem, an Anglo-Norwegian artist, visited Iceland to record her latest album ‘Most of the Boys’ and contended, “the land spoke to me”, giving her much inspirational drive for creating the beautifully authentic and impassioned album. Sigur Rós is arguably the most prolific Nordic band, in which the lead singer Jonsi creates his own language in order to use his voice, not merely as a lead vocal track, but as another instrument adding to the overall texture of the music. This element of the music expresses not selfindulgence, but rather a sensationally emotive and deep manipulation of sound. An example of this being Jonsi’s rousingly dramatic use of an ‘ebow’. This handheld electromagnet causes his guitar strings to vibrate, making them playable with a violin bow. The rich harmonic timbre produced echoes, emotive and primordial sounds that are rooted deeply in the primitive connection we have with music and the world around us.

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I am no stranger to a health fad. In fact, I ate chia seeds before Pret realised they could stick them in a pot with a bit of almond milk and charge you a fiver for it. I even have a juicer somewhere. And, like anyone who has ever read a copy of Women’s or Men’s Health, I’ve heard of the raw diet.

As the name suggests, this is a diet consisting entirely of raw foods. The theory being that when food is heated above 40–49 °C it loses lots of its ‘good stuff ’, stressing out our apparently temperamental bodies and causing ill health, ageing and a wealth of other nasty side-effects. So, health fad addict that I am, when I was asked to be raw for a week I didn’t even flinch. Maybe it’s because I like a challenge? Or maybe it’s because I had a bikini holiday coming up? You decide. The question was can a ‘raw diet’ ever be feasible for the average person with a busy job, active social life and a Tinder habit? I was about to find out.

Inevitably, with any situation such as this, there was a lot of furious Googling as to what was and wasn’t allowed. Turns out, the following worked as a pretty decent rule of thumb — if I wanted it, then I couldn’t have it. Actually, scratch that, even if I didn’t want it, it was banned. Take, for example, Ryvita. Nobody in this world has ever lusted after Ryvita, it is the food equivalent of cardboard. But as it turns out, that cardboard is baked and therefore well and truly on the naughty list. All of a sudden, Ryvita, to me, was as attractive as a man who owns an adorable puppy and has a tendency to give back massages.

The naughty list itself was brutal, unexpected and never ending. There was the obvious stuff of course — meat and anything else that requires cooking to be eaten — but there was also the stuff you don’t think about;

such as coffee and dairy and even most condiments. In fact, there were whole areas of the supermarket where there was just no point in me going. What was allowed can be summarised thus: raw fruit, vegetables, sprouts, seeds and nuts; a list which could normally be accurately described as the sum of what I don’t want to eat when hungover.

But human beings, when put in any traumatic situation, will seek out a coping mechanism. With the raw diet that mechanism is an unpalatable mix of make-believe and bare faced lying to yourself. Remember when you were little and ‘cooking’ involved the furious mixing of playdough and your mother’s

fifty quid facecream? Well, that’s what it’s like. I spent all my time making and eating things that were masquerading as something else. By day three, of course, I was willing to eat “chocolate mousse” made out of avocado. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and goddammit I was going to have my cake (made from cashew entrails, coconut oil and broken dreams) and eat it. The problem

with this is that it takes a serious amount of time, patience and a bank account larger than I possess. To keep up these necessary illusions raw vegans tend to rely on apparatus that sound like they wouldn’t be amiss in Fifty Shades of Grey; weird and wonderful items such as spiralizers and dehydrators; neither of which, of course, I had. They also apparently have pantries containing items normally reserved for witch potions and other black magic. I read recipes that called for pink Himalayan salt and kelp noodles like it was no big deal. I’m sorry, but as far as I’m concerned, if it’s too obscure for even Holland & Barrett to stock, then it’s just not a thing.

The raw food diet: An underbaked idea? Words: Charlotte Coltman

They say you are what you eat. Well, let’s face it, what I was eating was painfully boring.’

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Inevitably, my lacking in these areas meant I was forced to eat ‘meals’ that consisted of not a lot other than the generally unbecoming contents of the salad drawer in my fridge. Half a cucumber here, a carrot stick there. They say you are what you eat. Well, let’s face it, what I was eating was painfully boring. I’m not saying you have to eat a party bucket of chicken every day to be any fun, but there is no denying the fact that explaining to people why I couldn’t eat tofu was not winning me any friends. But when you are surviving on a handful of nuts and dried fruit like some type of forager, then it is no surprise that all you can think about is food. I was ‘hangry’, and my colleagues knew it. It was like a scene from the Snickers advert: “You’re not you when you’re hungry”. Except he gets a Snickers and all I got was a clementine thrown directly at my head.

I should point out, however, that there is one saving grace to the raw diet, and that is that wine is allowed. Hurrah! Although, this inevitably meant two things: one, that on more than one occasion I consumed an entirely liquid dinner (which I am sure is not considered to be the point). And two, that my dislike for spritzers was compromised by the fact I ended up watering down my wine with tears, born out of the knowledge that I wouldn’t be allowed a

‘Nobody in this world has ever lusted after Ryvita, it is the food equivalent of cardboard. But as itturns out, that cardboard is baked and therefore well and truly on the naughty list.’

kebab on the way home. So, could I do the raw diet forever? No. In fact seven

days was too long, which is why I failed on day five. And I’m not even sorry. When I broke it, I did so spectacularly, gorging on a burger with extra cheese, covered in gravy. The fact is, by this point, I didn’t even want to succeed. First of all, despite having lost a bit of weight (which I would attribute to the fact that I had barely eaten in five days) the health benefits seemed to be somewhat dubious. Secondly, and most importantly, life is simply too short. Yes, maybe it would be a little bit longer with a raw vegan diet, a solid eight hours of sleep a night and absolutely no fun whatsoever, but wouldn’t it also start to drag?

The fact is, I eat pretty healthily anyway (except for the gravy burger), and, although a bit more raw food in our diets would perhaps be no bad thing, there is still something to be said for that old adage, “a bit of what you fancy does you good”.

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London people are going mad for clean eating and healthy lifestyles. The trendy new drink on every gym bunny’s lips is fresh, cold pressed juices. So we have made your life easier by snooping out the top five on London’s radar for you to try.

Innocent Juiceinnocentdrinks.co.uk

Plenish Juice plenishcleanse.com

Drink RawTop 5 Cold Press Juices

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Imbibery Juice imbiberylondon

Succo Juicesuccojuicery.com

Crude Juicecrudejuice.co.uk

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Where would the drinks industry, or the hipster mixologist, be without monks? A strange question maybe, but anyone with a passing interest in booze will know that these reclusive men of contemplation are responsible for some of the most fantastic libations in the world. It must have something to do with all that seclusion and time to think that first encouraged them to brew and distil. Or maybe there was just a lot of time to kill.

From Trappist beer made by monks in France, Belgium and Holland (and now further afield) to Slivovitz, in central and eastern Europe, monks have been getting people buzzed in the name of the Lord since medieval times and beyond. But there is one drink produced by the Carthusians that surpasses all others in the complexity and intrigue of both its history and flavour, and that is Green Chartreuse. Most people will be more familiar with the word Chartreuse in relation to the colour rather than a drink. But for nearly 500 years, the monks of the Grande Chartreuse monastery in Voiron, France, have been producing a powerfully herbal digestive that they initially believed to be an elixir for long life.

To begin the story we need to travel to Paris and the early sixteenth century, when the marshal of the Kings’ artillery gifted the local satellite monastery of the Carthusians an ancient and mysterious manuscript for the elixir of long life. Too complex for the monks to

decipher, they sent it to HQ in Voiron where, nearly 100 years after the original gift, the monks produced Elixir Vegetal de la Grande-Chartreuse. This pokey tipple is still sold at a respectable 69%. After catching on that the locals were buying the liquid, not for its health bringing qualities, but for its ability to enable them to enjoy each other’s company better, the monks produced another drink that sits at a more moderate 55%. The drink was naturally green, due to its ingredients (the only alcoholic drink that is) and voila, Green Chartreuse was born. If this drink didn’t have enough trouble in its conception and birth, its infancy

and adolescence were even more traumatic. No wonder it is such a troublemaker these days (have a few fingers if you want to find out why). Like the dissolution of the monasteries on these shores, the French Revolution played havoc with monastic booze production. When Napoleon expelled all religious orders from France, production was interrupted until 1810 and nearly a century later, when the French government nationalised the distillery, the monks were forced to flee.

This time they fled over the Pyrenees and to Tarragona, where they set up a new distillery which still produces the liqueur today. Back in France, the government managed to run the monastic distillery into bankruptcy, and friends of the monks purchased the remaining shares and returned the distillery to the Carthusians.

When consuming this drink, a good deal of caution is to be taken. As mentioned, Green Chartreuse is 55% and, while there are stronger liqueurs and liquors around, this drink

seems to punch well above its weight. Its aroma is markedly medicinal and pungently vegetal, with a complexity that keeps throwing new smells into your head; wet grass, bitter anise and a powerful menthol finish. It can be served neat or with ice as an after dinner drink. If you had this as an aperitif you may not make it through to dessert. In the mouth it is initially very sweet, but takes on a menthol-spice finish that lingers long after bed time. Although this hasn’t been scientifically proven, I swear it is a mild hallucinogenic. A family friend once broke into the local vicarage after a night of drinking ‘Greenies’, and proceeded to undress and get into bed with the poor chap.

With 130 different ingredients used in its production, a long and intriguing history that inspired a book (l’odysee de la chartreuse), and the ability to make the clergy attractive, Green Chartreuse provides a top quality digestive with plenty of discussion points. To quote Quentin Tarantino: ‘Chartreuse, the only liqueur so good they named a colour after it.’

A drink so good they named a colour after itWords: Jacob Clark

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Chartreuse

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