Some moments crystallise the reasons why you do what you do. For me, getting to hang out with the Beastie Boys – just me, Mike D and Ad-Rock – is definitely one of them. This might be the most fun interview I’ve ever done...
The Beastie Boys
The Flying Lotus Issue
As an experimental producer, DJ, filmmaker, rapper, composer and label boss, Flying Lotus has created an interconnected universe unlike anyone else. I asked him if he would assemble a collection of stories that reflect his friends, collaborators and inspirations – a growing network of talent that stretches across cultural boundaries. He said yes... and it's amazing. Take a peek inside here or order your copy here. (Or check out some press coverage from Pitchfork, Design Week and Another Something.)
Jason Reynolds interview
Jason Reynolds is such an inspirational writer, not just in terms of getting people psyched about reading and writing, but about the intrinsic value in chasing a dream. I had the chance to speak with him on his recent tour of the UK and had some great bits of advice he was willing to share. You can read it here.
Best of 2018
This has been the most intensely productive and challenging years of my career – and by far the most rewarding. If I had to pick one highlight, it would be the special edition of Huck that’s about to drop in January. But that’s top secret for now!
Looking back, some of the best memories include: speaking about publishing at a live Q&A in Dublin; commissioning wide-ranging reportage features in Venezuela, Finland, London and India; interviewing personal heroes like George Clinton, Desiree Akhavan and the Beastie Boys; trekking to rural wales for a cover story on downhill mountain-bike star Tahnee Seagrave in Red Bulletin; celebrating skate culture for Mr Porter; speaking with legendary photographers Susan Meiselas, Bieke Depoorter and Mikiko Hara; reflecting on my early days of graft in music journalism for this chronology of the Quietus, pulling together the most entertainingly scathing reviews of 2018 for the BBC, and searching so hard for potential stories that I found this activist travelling across the US on horseback and this sports designer inspiring a sisterhood of shred. Phew!
But I have a feeling that 2019 will be even better…
Chilly Gonzales
Sometimes I love nothing more than being able to plug into a brilliant mind, ask them anything I want and then see where the conversation goes. That was the case when I met Jason Beck: the rapper, classical pianist, producer, composer and educator better known as Chilly Gonzales. You can read the interview here.
Huck's Annual Photography Special
The latest issue of Huck – our sixth annual documentary photography special – focuses on incredible women and non-binary photographers.
Roughly 85 per cent of working photojournalists today are men. That means that a disproportionate amount of the news imagery we consume, whether it’s of war or sports or politics or fashion, is framed and filtered through the masculine experience.
To help address this imbalance, this issue celebrates exciting voices of change within the industry – from emerging talent to established pioneers – who have broken new ground or disrupted the status quo in their own way. You can order a copy here or a find the individual stories at huckmagazine.com
Skate Kitchen
A few months back, I got to meet Skate Kitchen (an all-woman collective in NYC) and filmmaker Crystal Moselle (director of The Wolf Pack). They’ve made a film together that’s pretty inspiring for a lot of different reasons – and it’s out in cinemas today. You can read about their story here.
Desiree Akhavan
It's hard to get someone to talk about deep stuff in a half-hour interview slot, but Desiree – one of the freshest voices emerging in film – went there. This turned out to be a special encounter. If you're interested in how success and anxiety are tied up together, how our insecurities drive us, then this might be worth delving into... Read over at Huck.
The Attitude Issue
Rise above the noise with Huck's bold new mag, The Attitude Issue, celebrating the people and movements determined to reject the status quo in 2018. From Indian bodybuilders to an all-female skate crew in NYC, from BMX riders in South London to motorcycle makers in California, this issue is all about rising above the noise to forge your own path in life.
Snail Mail, a teen talent to remember
Sometimes you encounter someone so sharp, at such a young age, that it blows your mind a little bit. That's what happened when I interviewed musician Lindsey Jordan of Snail Mail, who opened up about figuring out your path in life – independently of the hype and expectation your talent may generate.
The Coming of Age Issue
If coming of age means realising who you are, then the breakthrough can arrive at any time – no matter what stage you’re at. But wherever life takes us, wherever we end up, we all remain connected to the same point in our rearview mirrors: that wide-eyed teen just trying to figure shit out as best we can.
Huck's Coming of Age Issue celebrates characters who know that better than anyone – from the teenage activists shaping our future to prodigious creatives who don’t believe in failure – and keep on forging their own path regardless.
An interview with George Clinton
Having spent much of my teenage years listening to hip-hop, it didn't take long to realise just how much of it was built on the music of Parliament and Funkadelic. So when I got to quiz George Clinton about his crazy life – drugs, unbelievable collaborations, even a UFO encounter – it was all I hoped it would be.
Tahnée Seagrave
On a cold, wet morning in February I travelled to rural Wales – taking a bus, two trains and a taxi – where I stayed at an inn with no phone reception, then got up at the crack of dawn and hitch-hiked my way to the home of downhill mountain-bike star Tahnée Seagrave.
We hung out with her family, drove through the hillside and pitched up in an empty bike park shrouded by trees. I got sick in the process… but it was one of the best commissions I’ve ever taken on. Tahnée is an inspiring character who’s wise beyond her years and taught me a thing or two about the nature of success. You can read the full cover story here.
The Journeys Issue
The new issue of Huck uncovers the paths taken by extraordinary individuals – from filmmakers and photographers to surfers and skaters – and the lessons they’ve learned by blazing their own trail in life. I'm really excited about this one. It's a cocktail of inspiration and a great way to put the world in perspective. You can read more about what's in the issue at huckmagazine.com or order a copy in glorious print here.
Totally Dublin interview
I spoke with Totally Dublin about the power of print in a digital era and why we do what we do at Huck. It's in their new issue but you can read it online here. For the first live version of Totally Dublin, I'll also be making an appearance at Dublin's Sugar Club on Tuesday 13 March to talk about the power of print in a digital era.
Subcultures that refuse to die
"For most photographers, taking a portrait is an impossible attempt to get underneath the skin of someone. This is the complete opposite: they’re giving you this thing in their head."
For the past six years, photographer Owen Harvey has been finding out why people are drawn to styles from a bygone era... and developing some unexpected perspective on his own life in the process. We spent many hours piecing together what it all means.
A Shout-out from the New York Times
Thanks to the New York Times for selecting my story on Russian roof climber Vitaliy Raskalov in their 'What We're Reading' section. It was also picked out by NextDraft which, like What We're Reading, is a daily newsletter worth subscribing to!
The Fantasy Issue
This issue features the boldest collection of stories I've had the chance to assemble – and I love the way each chapter hangs together. The Fantasy Issue is all about making the impossible possible – celebrating the dreamers determined to make their vision a reality, no matter how unlikely it seems.
We take a trip through the idiosyncratic worlds of furries, indie wrestling, Twin Peaks, Cuba's reggaeton revolution, afrofuturism and much more. You can order a copy here or find the individual stories on huckmagazine.com
The Doc Photo Special V: Rule-Breakers
This issue of Huck is dedicated to storytellers who blend fact and fiction, who take risks to transcend their own limitations and who have led extraordinary careers by overstepping the line.
It's our annual celebration of visual storytelling, this time featuring photographers such as Todd Hido, Gregory Crewdson, Zanele Muholi, Cristina de Middel, Guy Martin and Laura El-Tantawy among others. I was fortunate enough to six of them. One particular highlight was speaking with LaToya Ruby Frazier on the legacy of Gordon Parks. You can order a copy here or a find the individual stories at huckmagazine.com
The No Regrets Issue
The new issue of Huck is all about the rock stars, renegades and idealists who refuse to sugarcoat life – making no apologies for who they are. It’s about learning from the past so that we can live more fully in the present – and build a better future while we’re at it.
This edition was particularly fun to work on, pulling together in-depth reportage on topics such as the state of Turkish journalism, creative independence in Athens, prison photography as well as interviews with Liam Gallagher, Naomi Klein, Piss Drunx, Nick Broomfield, Shaun Ryder, Jamel Shabazz and many more. You can order a copy here.