Page 27 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 108

BV108 pg24-28 Anchor Lane Interview.qxp_BV108 pg27 12/06/2023 23:02 Page 4

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Lawrence can. That's a lifelong achievement to Lawrence wrote that lyric and most of the lyrics niversary I mentioned was our 11-year anniver-
be able to do what he can do on the guitar, what for the songs, but that is something that she told sary, so we've been together all that time."
Graeme can do on the drums, what I can do as him when he was going through high school. He
a singer. That's real. Social media isn't real. It's wasn't exactly an outcast, but I don't think he s mentioned, social media is a big
fabricated, it's whatever you want to call it, but it was doing particularly well with the girls, he was Atheme running through the album and it
isn't real." hitting a bit of a brick wall with that, and he was is very evident in the song 'Ministry’, which
While Conor does use social media, he a little worried about it, and she said those words boasts the lyric, ‘All you got to do is be the same
says, “I try to be someone who looks at what is to him to say that eventually, everything is fine as everybody else,’ however, 'Bitter' sees Conor
happening and make up my own mind rather and guess what, everything is fine! So, she was sing, ‘I'll always be myself’. We ask if he feels
than being influenced by social media, my correct." people not being themselves, or true to them-
peers. I want to know what I think about things Looking for advice and support that he has selves, is a problem in current society and why
and that is where you truly find out where you received, we ask about his parents and whether he feels people act that way.
stand about things. And unless it is something they have been an inspiration on his personal "Because anyone who tried to be them-
really extreme or deplorable, well, really you journey to this stage. "Absolutely," he replies. selves is treated as an outcast, as a misfit, is
can't be wrong. Because, if you have a solid He tells Black Velvet, "That I even had the made fun of. When I was 10, I grew my hair out
foundation of morals and a solid foundation of opportunity to go and do this, I owe it to them. and everyone thought I was the weirdest kid.
empathy, then I don't think you will be too far off Some people don't have the support which I had Just because I grew my hair out and because I
the scale of what is deemed to be an acceptable from my parents. They have always said to me, was listening to Green Day rather than S Club 7
way for all people to live. and instilled a belief in me, that, whatever you or Jay-Z or whatever. And that's the problem.
"The thing with the three of us, is that we are want to do, you can go and do it. You just need "And the problem, as well, is school, be-
pretty good at communicating, not just between to commit yourself to it fully and go and do it. cause school is designed to create people who
the three of us, but with people in general, and I "I didn't realise how powerful that was until I just act the same and think the same, so the
also think if you put out bad energy, you not only got a little older and I met other people who don't government can have mindless drones who go
get bad energy back, but you also attract people have that kind of support. Because, I think, that to school, go to college or uni, get a job, get mar-
with bad energy. And the three of us have al- foundation of support from your primary care ried, pay taxes and die. That's what they want.
ways tried to put out good energy. I think it's part givers is probably the most powerful thing you They don't care about you enjoying your life,
of how we found each other. can have in any walk of life." they don't care about anything. They just want
"We do have synergy with each other, we We ask Conor what kind of person he was you to do what you’re told.
don't agree on everything; we're three individu- when he was at school. "And that is what that's about, all you've got
als, but there is a similarity between our morals, "I was just into music, man,” he replies. “I to do is be the same as everyone else, that's the
our ethics, what we think is important, or in- liked playing music, I had a small group of government telling you that."
tegrity. Things like that and things which we hold friends and I wasn't really interested in much And is this something we should be pushing
very valuable within the band - and that's what else. I wasn't a misfit or an outcast or anything back against? Absolutely, is his opinion. "I think
keeps us a great unit." like that, I wasn't somewhere in the middle. consuming the right kind of media, especially
"I did OK at school, other than music, I only music and the arts, is where we find the sort of
nother standout lyric of the song 'Stutter' really cared about sport. Those were the two self-awareness around these kind of things.
Ais, ‘In the famous words of my mother, things for me. Well, I liked acting as well, so all From the age of 10, maybe even younger, I was
everything falls into another’. We ask Conor if the kind of things where you were up and about. encouraged by my parents to think for myself,
he can tell us if this is a genuine piece of advice I'm still friends with my best friend from school. but also, listening to bands like Green Day. If
from a parent. He was in the band for a while, but had to leave, you listen to 'American Idiot', which I return to at
He explains, "It's not from my mum. and my girlfriend, we met at school, as the an- least every six months, I just listen to it and I

ANCHOR LANE