Page 18 - Black Velvet Rock Music Magazine Issue 92

BV2 You Me At Six_BV92 pg18 10/03/2017 00:03 Page 3

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my sister and my friends all just sort of… it was benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation. here’s a song on ‘Night People’ called
not necessarily a dose of reality, because they Tonight Alive’s Jenna McDougall has also be- T‘Heavy Soul’, so Black Velvet takes the
could understand why I felt the way I did, but I come more spiritual over the last couple of years opportunity to ask Josh what has made his soul
think they were wary of what I’d be walking away and practices yoga and meditation. With You Me heavy lately.
from, and did I absolutely want that? Was that At Six about to tour with Tonight Alive, we won- “The state of the world right now can weigh
really how I wanted my time with You Me At Six der if maybe Josh will embark on some medita- down young people,” he replies. “I live in East
to end – because of London and I can
being forced to walk respect and ac-
away rather than cept other peo-
walking away on ple’s view of
my own accord? So Brexit and the
in the end I decided way that things
that I wasn’t going have panned out,
to allow other peo- but living where I
ple’s behaviour and live, it’s a multi-
attitudes to force cultural society
me into a position where there are
that I didn’t neces- lots of different
sarily want to be in.” cultures that for
Josh had long the most part live
talks with his par- in harmony and
ents and fiancée have a good vibe
about quitting the about it. I was
music business. shocked actually
“Yeah, there that what hap-
were absolutely pened, hap-
moments when I pened, and even
was straight up say- more so when
ing, “I’m not going Donald Trump
to be in this band was… and I’m
anymore”. Not just not saying by any
this band but “I’m sense that Hilary
not going to do Clinton was a
music anymore”. drastically better
And there were option, but I was
times when I felt certainly shocked
guilty towards my at Trump by
brothers, who I love some of the stuff
more than… the he was saying, in
friendship and the particular when
bond that we have is not the kind of thing that… tion with Jenna while on the road. Josh says, he was voted in as President. But it is what it is.
when you say, “Ah, this person’s my best mate,” “The guys in Tonight Alive are some of our But that’s something that I have been thinking
when you’re in a band with someone it’s more favourite people that we’ve toured with and about recently and trying to get my head
than that. You spend the majority of your life with that’s why we’ve gone to great lengths to make around.”
that person in the most extreme circumstances, sure this tour is happening and working the way Josh is a musician that really does care
so when I say I love these people it’s not just be- it is, because I hold them in a very high regard. about the future of the world and its inhabitants.
cause I think it sounds good to say, it’s because I think the way that Jenna, but also on a wider During his time in You Me At Six he has travelled
it’s absolutely, you know… I can’t imagine my scale, across the band, the way that they view the globe, seen it all, and educated himself on
life without them. It was difficult having some touring and life in general, is a powerful way of many subjects. And he would definitely prefer
conversations with Max where he understood doing it and existing. I’m sure we’ll have an op- certain countries to be run by more compassion-
but he was also hurting and frustrated and he portunity to do lots of stuff together. We always ate beings. He supports companies and organ-
could see that my heart wasn’t in it. That was seem to enjoy one another’s company, so yeah, isations that are doing things for the good of the
the thing that was difficult for me. I knew that I I’m sure there’ll be lots of positive stuff to come earth and those on it. Recently he attended the
was doing everyone a disservice. I can’t really out of that tour.” LUSH Prize Awards and said it was a very in-
remember what the catalyst was but there was With the ‘Night People’ tour now their main sightful and powerful evening.
a moment in time where things switched and priority, the band are focused on being the best “I’ve been vegetarian for about five years,”
things came together easier.” musicians they can be and performing to the he tells us. “My fiancée is vegan. What I found
highest standard that they can while on tour. incredible was people from all over the world,
he band’s manager suggested they - Josh spent some time working with vocal coming from parts of the world that aren’t easy
TJosh, guitarists Max Helyer and Chris coaches, while Matt secretly also did too. to live in or to grow up in or study in, and making
Miller, bassist Matt Barnes and drummer Dan “Matt actually spent some time, and he ac- remarkable steps in science without the use of
Flint - went on a meditation course together, so tually did it in the shadows almost, in the sense animal testing. I liked being around very different
they did some work with the David Lynch Foun- that he didn’t tell any of us that he was going to people to myself, but at the same time we had
dation. Josh says, “I was given a mantra and go and work with a vocal coach. None of us had the common goal that we don’t really see the ne-
taught the basics of transcendental meditation, really had a chance to, or had put together, a sit- cessity for us as humans to not be able to live in
which definitely helped when we were making uation where we can perform as a band live harmony alongside animals and why people
the record. I haven’t really practiced it as much without Chris’s cousin Luke, who would come need to eat animals. I think it’s a shame and all
as I would have liked to since, for whatever rea- out and do backing vocals and guitar with us. So it comes down to is education. There’s a lack of
son, but I certainly found it helped. It was an- he worked very hard during our time off. And understanding of how people think they can’t
other part of my life that I could make my own yeah, I did that mainly because I wanted to live without eating meat and this idea that, “Oh,
and enjoy.” make sure that my job in the band, I’m doing to if you’re not eating meat then you’re not getting
A number of musicians and celebrities med- the best of my ability and to make sure we the protein your body needs and if you don’t
itate. Josh Homme of Queens Of The Stone Age sound as good live as we do on record, and I drink milk you won’t have strong bones,” and the
has credited transcendental meditation with wanted to make sure we had the opportunity to bollocks that people come up with. My main
helping him recover from a near-death experi- do that. So far the feedback from playing live thing that in particular recently has got me even
ence in 2010. Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai has since has been very positive and it’s something more so attending the LUSH Awards and that
commented that meditation is “one of the best that people are noticing, so it’s a nice reward for sort of stuff is the understanding of what animal
ways to find inner peace and balance in your the hard work.” agriculture is doing to our planet. I think, what
outer life,” while Sheryl Crow has also practiced kind of aftermath am I going to give to my chil-
meditation for many years and performed at a dren or grandchildren if I just sat back idly and
YOU ME AT SIX