Penultimate Draft for my media coursework

1. ARCADE F I RE
New Album Reviewed
DA F T P UNK
Did they just get lucky?
Z AK LAB IAD
POLARIS
Wa t c h t h i s s p a c e
Finding tomorrow today
ea
ob
How t
TUBE
You IT
H
With
SPLAT
atlantis
da n n y
BROWN
overtones
outkast
Visuals + MORE
“I wouldn’t want to do anything else. I couldn’t.”
DECRUZ
it’s his world - you just live in it
with: the day he broke the Music Industry

2. november2013
issue1
cover
stories
41. DECRUZ
Cover Star talks Fame, Fortune
and Family
48. Nick vs the music
industry
The infamous story of the
day the industry fell
25. HOW TO BE A
YOUTUBE HIT
Breaking big on the Internet
54. DAFT PUNK REVIEW
The Review that kept us up all
night - revisited.
32. THE ONE TO WATCH
Zak Labiad.
edd's note
It’s quite odd typing what I know will soon
be printed. These words are going to be on
physical paper so my final draft is... final. I
won’t be correcting any typos after publication! (Apart for the digital edition. To digital
readers: I hop your heving great tines)
This is the first issue of Polaris in print after
migrating from an online blog. We still have
the original blog which has upgraded into
a swanky new website (it’s got flash and
everything!) but this issue one means a new
start. So hello readers, new and old, digital
and print. We’re about to start a new journey
so kick back, relax and read about Nick
Decruz, the favourite foods of artists and a
retrospective of the year that just went.
If you have a Smart (or above average intelligence) phone then you can download our
new app which offers multi-media experiences, including exclusive videos and extra
features. So yeah, get on that.
See you in Two Weeks!
street art .34
news
4. POLARIS- november2013
The reunion of a band thought long
lost
50. ACTORS in films
14. DOWNLOAD LINEUP
Unmissable?
Songs that have made the best movie
soundtracks
16. THE LEGO MOVIE
53. BACK IN MY DAY
18. LILLY ALLEN FOR GLAS.
TONBURY
55. MUSIC MUNCHIES
20. SAINSBURY’S TO GO CDLESS
57. ANNUAL RETROSPECTIVE
Bricking it.
As it happens.
Store to stop selling CD’s online.
23.BLUR GONE FROM A Big Day
Band drop out from festival
Features
34. STREET ART
Is busking the way forwards?
38. THE LIVES AND TIMES OF
SPLAT
- Edd Slaney
This week’s recomended listening:
Fireworks - Gospel
49. RISE OF ATLANTIS
We celebrate the twenty years of
their album debut with this retrospective.
A look at independant music making
before the Web.
Our Favourite Musicians favourite
snacks!
As the year draws to a close, we take
a look at some of the highs and lows of
this year.
regulars
60. THE ONE YOU MISSED
Taking a look at some of the tracks
that may have flown under your
radar.
61. REVISITATIONS
Time to give another listen to “The
Areoplane over the sea”
63. TOP 10...
Artists that made it big through the
internet.
subscribe or get the digital copy at www.polaris.com

3. charliechalk .60
charliechalk .60
contents
ArtistFinder
the musicians inside this issue
coopER GOES SOLO .63
66. LIST OF 50...
Fifty of the best albums to buy any music fan for Christmas.
reviews
SUBSCRIBE!
Who’s there?
recieve 26 issues
and the weekly
digital copy
for only
Long awaited
£60!
Old and new Albums reviewed
68. Lady Gaga - ArtPop
So... Where’s the art?
70. Darla - “Knock Knock”
72. The Flaming Lips - Peace
Sword
76. Radiohead - OK Computer
Still the best album ever?
77. Thirty Seconds to Mars
- This is War
What are the chances?
78. Jake Bugg - Shangri La
Is he Bob Dylan yet?
80. Robert Downey Jr - The
Futurist
Tony Stark Sings?
(That’s Less than two
pound an issue!)
40: DECRUZ
38: Splat
49 Atlantis
14: Danny Brown
50: OutKast
57 Visuals
32: Zak Labiad
63. Arcade Fire
66. Daft Punk
78. Jake Bugg
53. Minor Alps
63. WoodKid
61. Neutral Milk Hotel
66. The Prodigy
60. Waves
53. Beck
50. Plumtree
63. Two Door Cinema
Club
63. David Bowie
55. Rolling Stones
61. Fireworks
55. Old 97’s
64. SoundGarden
55. Icona Pop
63. Bruce Springsteen
30. The Mountain Goats
53. Azealia Banks
Visit
www.polaris.com
for more details.
85. Bastille - Bad Blood
Good Stuff.
@Polaris
November2013 - POLARIS 5.

4. TO INFINITY
It’s not every day when you get to interview one of the greatest breakthrough acts in recent years – Unless you work for a music magazine. We’ve opted to pass the reins to one
of you to speak to the uprising revolution that is Nicholas DECRUZ as he talks cliches,
coolness and train sets.
POLARIS- november2013
41
subscribe or get the digital copy at www.polaris.com

5. @Polaris
November2013 - POLARIS
42

6. nick DECRUz - the interview
T
he first time my path crosses with DeCruz is in Brighton. He had arranged a meet
up on the beach through Twitter,
and I, like many of his followers
took this opportunity to meet him.
This was when I realised what appeal he had. People of different
genders with an age range from
os on YouTube. I had a guitar, I
was practising with it and when I
heard songs I liked I played them
myself and put them on YouTube.
I just wanted to see if anyone
would listen.
”
And they did. So what caused the
jump from covers to writing your
own songs? I asked him.
“I just wanted to see if
anyone would listen.”
eleven (with their parents nearby) to early twenties had turned
up, some bringing their own instruments.
This was never going to be a
prophet and his disciples, before
long DeCruz was playing instruments with everyone there – he
and I did a wonderful rendition of
The Rolling Stones’ Street Fighting Man with him managing to
find an accompanying harmonica
melody while I played his guitar.
It’s a Testament, then, that seven months later, soon after his
album’s release on ITunes and
subsequent rise in the charts (almost unheard of from someone
who’s previous primary output a
year ago were just acoustic covers of Imagine Dragons) that the
first thing he asks after I enter
the coffee shop we arranged to
meet – ten minutes late – was if I
was “The Rolling Stones guy from
Brighton”.
“Why wouldn’t I remember people from that day?” He says. “It
was fantastic being with everyone on that beach. I remember
loads of people. Nick smiles, re”
membering. “I had never done
anything like that before. I was
worried no one was going to turn
up. Unlikely to happen now, since
”
his sudden rise in fame. Nick nods
in bewildered agreement, as if he
isn’t quite able to believe it himself.
“All I did was start posting vide43 POLARIS- november2013
“I had never found it easy to write
songs, Nick admits. “I just felt I
”
was trying to force them to be
something they weren’t. Then…
I didn’t. I just decided to write,
play and sing and I never looked
back. I just devised them naturally. From the… He stops himself
”
with a grin before he unleashes a
cliché.
“Sorry, I’m pretty new to this interview thing. I remind him that I
”
am too. I have to steer the conversation back to him as he attempts
to ask me how I got to write this
interview, reminding who people want to read about.
“That is unbelievable too.
”
He adds. “It’s gone from
listening to my music to
wanting to know things
about me! I’ve never
been in that position
before.
”
On his first album
release, The Light
at The End, Nick
has this to say:
“Well, some friends
bought me a session
in a recording studio for my birthday.
They all pitched in together and it was one
of the best things I’d
ever got. This was when
I started writing songs so I
spent the rest of the holidays
working on producing the best
songs possible that I could record.
It was intense, but great fun. With
the digital copies it was just the
matter of pressing a few buttons
to release some of my songs as
free podcasts before the reception offered me the possibility of
selling an album.
In this time, it is so incredibly easy
for musicians to put out music.
Unfortunately it means that the
Small Fish in a Big Pond finds
himself in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean, you know?
And it’s just the hope
that people will fish
you out and serve
you with chips.
”
So why did
people take
to the music
so
much?
Nick
subscribe or get the digital copy at www.polaris.com

7. pauses, considering this.
“I already had people who would
listen to my music. He notes, “I
”
was releasing my covers on SoundCloud and
Yo u -
@Polaris
Tube. I suppose word of mouth
had something to do with it. He
”
suggests. “And, I guess it is just
proper old-fashioned music. I
love Pop Music; Lady Gaga is a
god amongst us, but you don’t
get get as much music with
people just… playing.
”
It’s refreshing to see
a musician rapidly
breaking into the
charts so cheerful about music. Is there
a
stigma
against pop
music to-
day?
“I’m not sure. I suppose there is,
but that’s only because people
enjoy it so much. And these other
peo- ple, the ones who think the
noises going into their
ears are better
than the noises
going into other peoples ears,
don’t like that
because their
noises are objectively good.
It’s all music!
It’s fun! Pop music isn’t what I
can see myself creating anytime soon;
it’s not my thing but
its music. Someone’s
gone and created music they feel
passionate
about and
I know how
hard it can
be to do
that so I
have respect for
anyone
w h o
makes
music.
”
Which
November2013 - POLARIS 44

8. nick DECRUz - the interview
“What
would my
life be
without
music?”
45 POLARIS- november2013
bands and artists influenced you?
“Loads. The Rolling Stones, as you
know, are amazing but I don’t know
if they inspired me in the sense that
I want to copy their style… maybe more like I wanted to have as
much fun as making music as they
seemed to. I guess my style is a bit
like Bob Dylan’s… letting the instruments do as much talking as the lyrics but comparing myself to him on
any level just feels like blasphemy.
”
He laughs.
“There are some more modern
things too. Radiohead – if you can
call them modern – are amazing.
I was saying with my friends that
with the development of digital music, while I’m certainly reaping the
rewards of it, one thing that seems
to have been lost is the whole…
product of an album. OK Computer
tells a story through the album and
they spent months debating where
to put which song and with the focus being placed on singles it seems
to have been lost.
That was something that maybe
subconsciously I sought to rectify in
Light at the End. While I hope every
song is something special in its own
right, the album was written to be
an album.
Yeah. I like albums.
I could list of thousands of artists
that have inspired me.
”
There’s a pause when suddenly…
“Bowie!” he exclaims. “I’m fairly certain that Bowie inspires
everything if you look hard enough.
”
What do you think you’d be doing if
you weren’t as successful as a musician?
“I wouldn’t want to do anything
esle. I couldn’t, to be honest. I’d
be making music anyway – I’m just
lucky in the respect that I have people listening. If I couldn’t produce
music at all, maybe I’d act. Something with an audience. But it is music that is my passion. I’m always
song writing. I’ll just be walking
down the street, and I’ll hear something funny – I heard someone asking for the time-check the other day,
subscribe or get the digital copy at www.polaris.com

9. I mean what’s that about? What’s
wrong with just saying time? So as
I was walking I was just composing
a song about time and the desire to
standout in the long run, all in my
head. It was weird. Will I ever finish
it? Maybe. I quite liked it.
You’re making me think now. What
would my life be without music? I
guess Maths is another option. I like
the finality in the answer is quite
nice – you’re either right or you’re
not. Which is basically the complete
opposite of my life right now! I’d go
in the complete opposite if I couldn’t
make music. What does that say?”
And how are your friends and family taking in your new found fame?
“They’re loving it. As I mentioned,
it was my friends who booked me
the recording studio that one time.
I probably wouldn’t be here without
them. I’m always skypeing them.
There are times when it’s really, really difficult to find time to talk to
them but whenever I can it’s like
picking up where we left off. I don’t
think being successful has changed
me in respect to my friends. I’ll admit, when I was younger and fantasising about being a super hero, I always had a fantasy that when they
all realised how cool I was the cool
kids would all come up to me and
grovel to be my friend but I’d be far
too superior to talk to them. Now
the “cool kids” have noticed me and
do talk to me and I just like talking
to people too much to tell them to
get stuffed. I get invited to more
parties which is awesome, but I’m
never leaving my original friends.
Someone once suggested that you
can count your true friends on one
hand. I can definitely do that.
And family? There was always a
worry from my dad that while I was
doing Music for A-Level, with the
intention of going to uni and doing
something music based there, that
I’d be left homeless and jobless but
holding a guitar. And he was always
very insistent that I finish my A2 before I started properly focusing on
music – my studying had to come
first and I’m very grateful for that.
Now, with where I am, I haven’t
@Polaris
the one to watch
august 2012
Before we were print, we were
a blog. Here is an extract from
an article from a year ago
where we (quite rightly) pointed to Nick Decruz as an artist
to watch before he took over
the world.
We love Pink. An amazing
voice and an amazing song
writer, so when we were submitted this link to an accoustic
cover of Raise your Glass
- one of our favourite songs we were hesitant to embrace
it.
That was before we pressed
play.
(On the blog we had a link to
the video here. Scan this page
with the POLARIS MAG APP
for a link or search “Raise
your Glass cover Decruz” Edd)
Nick Decruz managed to defy
our expectations and offer
something completely different. While we didn’t think the
song’s melody would transfer
to an accoustic version, Nick
seems to take us by the hand
and lead us through this familiar-yet-different song.
Predictions? We say in
around a year he will be
writing his own songs, putting
them on YouTube. Suddenly
his views will explode and
then everyone will know his
name.
Will we see an album in the
next couple of years?
All I know is that we’re hoping.
Article by Tobey Garfield - 2012
November2013 - POLARIS 46

10. nick DECRUz - the interview
ruled out Uni which he was happy with. I might go in a few years
but what I’m doing now, making
music and travelling – there’s
even talk of a tour – I’m loving it.
I’m happy here.
What about in ten years?
“Ten years? God. I’d be twenty-nine. Good God. I’m going to
Thomas the Tank trains and they
were amazing. I still do, actually.
They’re in a loft somewhere. One
day my kids will get them and
love them as much as I did. So in
ten years? I just want a train set.
”
Simple wants. Now for the question of sins… where do your ideas
come from?
“In ten years? I just
want a train set.”
be twenty-nine! And when I’m
twenty-nine? I have no clue.
Honestly. In my dream world
where everyone is happy and
nothing hurts I’ll still be making
music and I’ll still have people
listening. I’d have a house. In my
house – don’t tell anyone this but
–“
I cut him off, reminding him this
is an interview.
“Right, sod that then and tell
everyone. But I’ve always wanted to dedicate a whole room to
a massive model railway. I can’t
think of anything better than having little engines whizzing about.
I used to have those wooden
Nick gestures in a vague direction.
“I have no clue. The Ideas store
in Soho. Sometimes online. Really though? They turn up out of
nowhere. Like what I was saying
about the Time-Check. I’m walking and I hear that and suddenly there’s a song. I’ve definitely
put more thought into what that
guy said than he ever will. And
there’s life, I suppose. There’s
that brilliant bit in Shakespeare’s
Twelfth Night where the clown
asks what sort of song they want
him to play and they say Love as
they don’t care about life. That bit
made me smile. But I’m the opposite. I care about life and through
my life I love. Or something.
My songs are based off my experiences and my misadventures.
There’s not one song I’ve written that isn’t from my experiences. If I’m not putting myself into
it then what’s the point? Each
song means something to me.
Sometimes people forget how
long it takes to write music… you
wouldn’t commit so much time
and effort to something you were
only half into, would you?
I make mu- sic that means
something to me. I’m very lucky
in the respect that it means
something to other people. And
I don’t think I’ll ever stop, really.
Even when I’m old in bed, I’m going to be humming through my
gums and tapping a rhythm uwntil I get arthritis. Until I’m dead.
Now there’s a note to end on.
”
Nick Decruz was talking to Gwen
Watson.For your chance to write
for Polaris see below.
Do you want to
write
for PolAris?
One of Polaris’ earliest mission
statements was to find the newest
and uprising talent.
During our blogging days we
would accept submissions for
articles from readers - a tradition
we intend to continue.
If you’re interested in writing
for Polaris, please submit a
previously written article (this
can be anything, from a school
newspaper to a blogpost - no
more than 800 words though
please - to submissions@polaris.
org and if we like your style,
we might be in touch. For full
terms and conditions, please
visit www.polaris.com/article
you for FAQ and guidelines.
47 POLARIS- november2013
subscribe or get the digital copy at www.polaris.com