War Child has been running for over 25 years now, how exactly did it get started?<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n War Child was founded in 1993 by filmmakers David Wilson and Bill Leeson, along with social entrepreneur Willemijn Verloop. On assignment in the former Yugoslavia in 1993, they were horrified by the violence and ethnic cleansing they witnessed and particularly the impact this was having on innocent children. When they returned to the UK, they were shocked to find that this massacre, happening on their European doorstep, was met with indifference and inaction from political leaders. So, they decided to do something about it \u2013 and War Child was born. <\/span><\/p>\n Why is music specifically so important to raising funds for, and awareness of, War Child?<\/b><\/p>\n Music has always been at the core of War Child\u2019s activities. As our founders were well connected within the music industry, they saw a huge opportunity to engage high profile artists in raising awareness and funds for War Child\u2019s cause. In 1995, we released a charitable album called <\/span>Help<\/span><\/i> which was incredibly successful, featuring tracks from some of the UK\u2019s biggest artists of the time (Massive Attack, Portishead, Radiohead, Blur, Oasis and more) and raising over \u00a31.25 million. Music remains a central part of War Child\u2019s activity to this day, and we have a dedicated music team who deliver fundraiser gigs, club nights, a record label and other music activations in partnership with the wider music industry. Collaboration with influential artists and music platforms is not only a big fundraising opportunity, but it also helps amplify our cause and connect us to forward-thinking, diverse and receptive audiences. <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n Music has always been at the core of War Child\u2019s activities<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n How would you describe what War Child do? <\/b><\/p>\n War Child are the only charity dedicated to supporting children affected by war. We operate in many countries around the world affected by conflict, to keep children safe and support them to heal, learn and thrive. We understand their needs, respect and stand up for their rights, and put them at the centre of everything we do.<\/span><\/p>\n Over the course of your own time at War Child is there one thing that they\u2019ve been able to achieve that you\u2019ve been proudest of? <\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n I am proud of a recent initiative we launched called Dance For Good where 11 leading UK venues joined forces to donate a share of their bar profits from the 29th April to War Child. That date was International Dance Day, so we were celebrating the club\u2019s contribution to dance culture whilst also raising funds. Participating venues included The Jazz Cafe, Village Underground, The Love Inn and Phonox, and the hope is that the list of venues continues to grow each year.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n How do you prepare for events? Is there a theme that runs through War Child shows, or certain artists you seek to work with say?<\/b><\/p>\n It really depends on the event, but as a charity we rely a lot on collaboration and good will. We are very fortunate to have very dedicated, long-standing support from the music industry, with music committees who support us in securing artists and promoting our activations and events. There isn\u2019t necessarily a theme that runs through our events, though they will sometimes be reactive to specific moments when crisis breaks out in a war zone. For example, last October we ran an Afghanistan Emergency Fundraiser with RA, whilst this year we ran a joint Emergency Fundraiser for Ukraine and Yemen.<\/span><\/p>\n Why was it valuable to collaborate with a designer?<\/b> <\/span><\/p>\n We wanted to collaborate with a designer from one of the countries we operate in, to tie this project back to our cause. This is why we were excited to work with Estherr La Main D’or, from the Democratic Republic of Congo.<\/span><\/p>\n What made you want to be part of Parallel? <\/b><\/p>\n The story behind Parallel has always been collaborative, supportive and it\u2019s always had a buzz about it. Starting with supporting venues and collaborating with artists and magazines – and now in support of Warchild UK through sustainable merch – it\u2019s definitely something I want to be a part of. I\u2019m also very much a live artist, so an excuse to play in aid of Warchild is a huge bonus.<\/span><\/p>\n Can you talk a little bit about Warchild? Why is the work they do so vital? <\/b><\/p>\n I\u2019ve been aware of Warchild for a while, they\u2019re great at using the music industry to gather support, though I\u2019ve never had the opportunity or the means to support them until now, so I\u2019m excited to be a part of this.<\/span><\/p>\n The story behind Parallel has always been collaborative<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Do you think music can be political? Do you want your own music to be?<\/b><\/p>\n Some of the best music out there is political. The Clash, Talking Heads, Kendrick, Rage Against The Machine, N.W.A, Childish Gambino, and loads more. I think it\u2019s hard not to be if you really have something to say. Some issues are raised more discreetly than others, but it doesn\u2019t detract from the meaning. In most cases I think a double entendre can be the most powerful delivery. I wouldn\u2019t say my music is \u2018on the nose political\u2019, but I write about the lack of support for our mental health and youth frequently, as that\u2019s where I\u2019ve been personally affected. <\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s the relationship between your music and your aesthetic?<\/b><\/p>\n I work in and out of fashion as well as making music, so my aesthetic ties in very closely. I\u2019ll definitely write a certain type of song depending on how I\u2019m dressed when I go to the studio. For this I wanted to make something quite old school, the kind of tee you might dig out of a trunk at a car boot sale, or something you might see someone wearing in a Harmony Korine movie.<\/span><\/p>\n What gives you hope?<\/b><\/p>\n Unexpectedly big conversations with strangers. Sometimes I swear, I\u2019ve been on the tube, or walking down the street, listening to music or some new demos, and someone\u2019s come up and started talking to me, and I\u2019ve thought \u2018ah shit here we go\u2019. Then they ask me a question, or ask to hear my music, or ask for some help, or give me advice! And it\u2019s little things like that, having a really good conversation with someone you\u2019re only going to see for two minutes in your entire life, that make me realise what\u2019s important and give me hope.<\/span><\/p>\n What made you want to be part of Parallel initially? <\/strong><\/p>\n It always features such great designers and companies, some of whom we\u2019re friends with. That would have probably been enough, but if it hadn\u2019t been, the series\u2019 support of War Child would have swung it for us.<\/span><\/p>\n We need to help refugees, and that\u2019s all there is to it<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Can you talk a little bit about Warchild? Why is the work they do so vital? <\/strong><\/p>\n War Child is an incredible charity. Of course it\u2019s true that their work needs support more now than ever due to the war in Ukraine, but the sad fact of the matter is that their work is always vital. The horror of what\u2019s been going on in Ukraine has touched everyone, it seems, but conflicts are constantly going on around the world, meaning that, as victims of war, children and their families need the help of charities. It\u2019s not their fault they\u2019re in these terrible situations, and we should never forget. We need to help refugees, and that\u2019s all there is to it. I can\u2019t understand why anyone would feel differently, and I\u2019m constantly disappointed by our current government who have treated victims of war so appallingly for years.<\/span><\/p>\n Do you think music can be political?<\/strong><\/p>\n When people think of politics in music they first think of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez and Billy Bragg. And that\u2019s definitely one side of it \u2013 that\u2019s how music has been political in the past, and can continue to be. But I think the music itself is only the half of it. Music isn\u2019t only about the music. People follow artists because they align with their beliefs, and they look up to how they behave off the stage as well as on. There are lots of artists who don\u2019t make outwardly political music, but they make their feelings clear in the way they operate, what they say on social media and who they choose to support. I think that can even be more powerful and influential than the tracks having a political message. Just look at the Grime for Corbyn movement.<\/span><\/p>\n For you, what\u2019s the role of an independent magazine on the current music landscape? And in supporting emerging artists? <\/strong><\/p>\n It some ways it hasn\u2019t changed. As a magazine that started just before social media really got going, our job was to make sense of all this new music coming through on the open internet and curate it for people trying to have a grasp of it all. With streaming, people thought that job might not be needed so much, but if anything it\u2019s more important due to the amount of music now released: how do you actually delve into the story behind the music that\u2019s coming out now, in the world of algorithms and quick fixes? Of course, for some, they\u2019re happy just with the tracks and don\u2019t need more than that, but if you do, that\u2019s where finding a magazine or site you love can be a great thing.<\/span><\/p>\n Music isn\u2019t only about the music<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Since its inception Parallel has combined a merch campaign with a live show. Why are live shows still so important for new and emerging artists? <\/strong><\/p>\n I think the simple answer there is that live shows are how artists support themselves now. They can\u2019t through streaming, that\u2019s for sure, and most emerging artists won\u2019t have an album out for quite some time. Even when they do, it\u2019s all about getting out there and creating a buzz by playing in front of people. How IDLES blew up is a perfect example \u2013 they released their first album themselves and toured so heavily it picked up steam off the strength of the live experience. They caught the eye of a lot of labels and signed a deal off of the back of that live excitement.<\/span><\/p>\n What gives you hope?<\/strong><\/p>\n Young people. The generation below mine, who in recent years have mobilised and held school strikes over climate change are incredible. They\u2019ve got a tough ride ahead of them in so many ways, and it\u2019s sad, in a way, that they have to be so well-educated on social and political issues at such a young age, but they\u2019re stepping up to it. I sometimes wonder if the generation above mine look down at ours and thought how much further we\u2019d progressed, but it would have been nothing like how ahead of the game young people are now on issues of race, gender politics and the climate. <\/span><\/p>\nVC PINES<\/h3>\n
Loud And Quiet – Stuart Stubbs<\/h3>\n