Page 5 - Black Velvet Issue 91

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BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 5
colours
colours

ing all the time.” those colours have stayed with me my whole “Everyone's got their own place in this band
Black Foxxes fans are learning too, as Mark life, they enable me to think differently and cre- and it gels very, very well. We used to fall out
is not shy about mentioning Crohn’s Disease on ate differently to others.” quite a lot early on, but we just don’t anymore
social media. “I make people aware about it be- As far as a message for any kids or anyone because we all respect each other's positions. I
cause it's quite a misunderstood disease,” he reading who has any sort of mental health issue, think that's the most important part of being in a
says. Lyrically he says that he was instantly Mark says, “It's so cliche, but get help. Talk to band, realising when to say something and
drawn to singing about his health. “It just felt nat- your friends, family, book an appointment with a when to not.”
ural to be honest,” he says. He’s even written therapist and just talk. I guarantee you'll feel bet- As a band they haven’t let anything change
songs while he’s in hospital. Not every song is ter for just talking, then you can go from there them. Mark comments, “It's amazing the amount
about his own health though. He tells us, 'What- and figure out what works for you.” of people that change in this industry the mo-
ever Lets You Cope' was written when I was on Mark himself was inspired by Ryan Adams, ment someone gives you an ego or dangles
holiday in Pembrokeshire. This tiny secluded who suffers from Meniere’s Disease, a kind of money in front of your face. I think a lot of people
seaside village, it was beautiful. The song’s tinnitus that causes vertigo and hearing loss find me insular and cut off a lot of the time, but
about a lady I saw shooting up with heroin next amongst other things. At its height, Ryan had se- that's deliberate. I’ve got an incredible group of
to the most incredible setting. It just struck a vere stage fright, lost sleep, felt nauseous and friends and team around us as a band that it's
chord with me that drug addiction can take hold had balance problems. Things have gotten bet- hard for me to let others into that. I'm a kid from
of you anywhere. It was a really striking image.” ter with Ryan taking a natural approach, eating a little country village that doesn't give a fuck
healthier, giving up smoking and coffee, doing about who you've toured with or who thinks your
he cover of the album, designed by yoga and having acupuncture. Mark says, “Just band will be the next big thing.”
TDaniel P Carter (who incidentally discov- seeing him overcome it is awesome.”
ered the band and took them under his wing, espite ‘I’m Not Well’ only being released
bringing them to Search & Destroy Records), hen Black Foxxes first formed in the Dthis year the band are already looking
shows a young boy with 'I'm Not Well' on his WSouth West, the three members to the future and planning on continuing their
hands. “That kid looks so much like me as a kid clicked very quickly. Mark says, “I knew I wanted growth. “Writing that first record was a really
it's weird,” Mark laughs. He relates to the image two other guys that wanted to be in a band for beautiful thing but we're finding ourselves grow-
a lot, saying, “The colour surrounding the child - the rest of their lives. That's what we've got, ing musically all the time. We're stoked with the
interpret how you will - is rage, anxiety, anger, that's what we'll do and over the years it's going message that came across and the overall de-
creativeness, passion, it's everything! And that to evolve naturally a lot. livery of that first album, but now it's onto the
doesn't change when you struggle with mental new venture, whatever that will be.”
health, you feel very weak and vulnerable - like Looking back on 2016, Mark says the year
a child - but it's also powerful! So I'm stoked was “obviously amazing, the feeling of releasing
a debut album is unreal. But 2017 is going to be
our year, shit’s about to get busy.”
That’s what we like to hear.
Visit www.blackfoxxes.com for more info.
Words By Shari Black Velvet

BLACK FOXXES