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Audience at Early Days Presents photographed by Meg Sweeney
At worst, the creative industries are ruled by cliques, branding, coolness, sell-sell-selling, trends, turmoil and exploitation. And yet, The Industry is undergirded and made possible by so much more: artistry, autonomy, action, self-expression, voices for change and community building. This is creative industry at its absolute best. This is where we find Early Days.
At worst, the creative industries are ruled by cliques, branding, coolness, sell-sell-selling, trends, turmoil and exploitation. And yet, The Industry is undergirded and made possible by so much more: artistry, autonomy, action, self-expression, voices for change and community building. This is creative industry at its absolute best. This is where we find Early Days.
Early Days is a new Brighton-based multidisciplinary collective that has organically evolved over the course of three years. It emerges now and in tandem with the tiring state of affairs suffered by most creatives. Whilst human nature tells us to engage creatively with the world to experience belonging, Early Days instigator Les Adriaans found that many of his circle and beyond felt unable to share their art publicly due to perceived inadequacy, scene-based intimidation, social media pressure, not knowing the “right” people and detrimental lack of funds.
There are many barriers to exercising your creativity but the economic crisis is the enemy of all. It is the enemy of recording new music, the enemy of investing in art materials, the enemy of affording PR, the enemy of securing studio space, the enemy of touring, the enemy of buying new equipment, and most of all, the enemy of having the time, freedom and headspace to create. Live shows and the gig economy are vital to the wider industry, our beloved local venues and our collective wellbeing, but these spaces are ultimately becoming less and less accessible to an ever-growing body of financially squeezed creatives. In the 70s or 80s, artists could go on the dole to focus on their art in an attempt to break through the class barrier, but the decimated social welfare state means that Universal Credit is barely enough to cover the astronomical cost of rent, not to mention bills, food, travel or a humble pint. Consequently, talented artists are juggling ambitious creative projects with stressful jobs and responsibilities in an increasingly hostile environment. Times really are hard, but creatives continue to create, and many are in need of a safe and supportive infrastructure.
Early Days seeks to remedy the condition of conflict that prevents people from further pursuing their creative projects by providing an accessible platform for sharing art in an environment of mutual respect and learning. By democratising the arts in this multidisciplinary manner, Early Days aims to empower individuals, harness talent, foster sharing and build community through two streams of people led action: Early Days Projects and Early Days Presents. Early Days Projects will begin as electronic music workshops where folks can bring along equipment, jam with new people and discover interesting ways of creating. With visions for Early Days Projects to develop across the arts with collaborations with film, photography, fashion and more, the scope for transdisciplinary sharing is fresh and exciting. Early Days Presents has already taken off as a showcase series for musicians to share new (and unfinished) material to audiences in unorthodox spaces. From Projects to Presents, Early Days is all about discovery and collaboration.
Rapture Mag had the pleasure of catching up with Les before the inaugural Early Days Presents showcase nestled in the North Laines at Loam coffee shop on Sunday 12 May.
Thanks so much for squeezing us into tonight’s busy schedule! What’s the story of Early Days?
In my second year of uni, I started to get the vibe that people wanted a space to work, operate and create in where there was less pressure to present perfect ideas. The more people I spoke to about the stuff that they're doing creatively, the more people there were crying out for something like this. There are other collectives in and around Brighton that do similar things. But it kind of hit me because it was within my immediate experience that loads of friends who are creatives wanted a platform, and didn't know of any other platforms that they felt they could step towards to try things out and to just test the waters with material that they've been working on.
Within that year at uni, I was just kind of dropping the seed about, you know: “hey guys, if there was a platform like this, would you want to use it?”. People thought it was a good idea and were happy to try some bits and pieces out; everybody was on the same page. I spent maybe two years just speaking to different people about the project, speaking about the idea of collaborating with different disciplines, whether that's fashion, music, film, TV, or any of the creative sectors. It started off as this small idea of putting on an event, but I wanted to veer away from it just being a stereotypical club night or something that people have experienced a lot.
I think stewing on the idea for a while and getting opinions from other people was important to figure out the format before anything went live. It was also important for me to try and take away the pressure on myself to produce a really well rounded, finalised project and products. The collective is to highlight ideas that maybe aren't fully fleshed out and to give people the opportunity to share ideas that are in progress. It’s to take away the barrier that people may feel to have to present ideas at 100%, and allow them to do that freely and feel safe to do so. And then to have that kind of mentality across the board in terms of the multidisciplinary element, because I think we could get some really interesting results. It snowballed a little bit, in a sense because of the potential that the platform could hold. And now I'm lucky enough that Loam is helping us to put on the first showcase.
That’s an amazing story. So, is Early Days run by just you? Or are there other people directly involved in the operations?
The initial idea of the collective came from myself, but you know, the name came from a friend of mine. We were having a conversation about the platform and she just dropped the name, Early Days. I thought it was really, really cool. Ingrid and Will, who I play in Willing with, have been helping out loads with figuring out how we should make things look online or how we could make things work. So, I’d say that I started the platform, but by no means is it my platform. From this point onwards, the floor’s opening up to whoever's involved. Anybody who's willing and wanting to step in is then a part of what's happening. Hopefully, it’s as open as possible, but we'll see, I think it's going to figure itself out over time.
There's a real exciting opportunity for radical, creative working.
Yeah and I think it's important to alleviate that pressure off one another by sharing. It's really nice that it doesn't feel like a lonesome venture. It did at the start, and that’s what made it feel scary. I think starting anything, or having an idea and then starting it, is absolutely terrifying. I think that’s why it took so long to get things up and running. There were many moments that I thought we were ready to go live. Over time, I just realised that the whole point of the platform is that things aren’t perfect, so you don't have to wait for things to be ready. Also, nobody's hanging around for whatever it is that you're trying to come out with. So, the collective is there to let people express themselves however they want to and at whatever level they’re at. I think that’s important.
That’s encouraging to hear. So, the first Early Days Presents is tonight at Loam! Why did you choose a coffee shop for the occasion?
I mean, aside from the fact that we all just go there all of the time, it came out of wanting to utilise spaces that we feel aren't being used as much and to try things out and show people that you can put a gig on without it being in the traditional format or traditional space. It’s not that it hasn’t been done before by any means, but I think it goes back to alleviating pressure in the sense that we aren’t on a stage or divided from the audience, it’s all gonna be on the same level. With that, there’s the feeling of not having to “perform” as much and that we’re just sharing what we’ve got in a space that we’re comfortable in. We want to push the boundaries a little bit to see what we can do and what hasn't necessarily been done too much in Brighton. It could be refreshing to pop into a little coffee shop and see some music on Sunday. You know, everyone in Brighton loves coffee.
Alongside Early Days Presents, you’re also planning Early Days Projects. Could you talk us through the concept?
So again, it comes from the idea of wanting people to present different formats and ideas. The Rosehill and other places do open mic jams which are really, really cool but I’ve not seen a lot of that thing with electronic music where there's a bit of an open floor, people can jump back and forth from one another with different ideas, and be in and amongst that kind of environment. I still need to figure out spaces that will be good for this and how to present the idea to people. But the initial idea was just to get people who are on the production side of music together, or just any side of electronic music. So it would be like: people bring some of their equipment and people have the opportunity to have 10 minute jams with a couple of others. The idea and the goal would be to have someone who's super inexperienced with, let’s say, how to use a drum machine, but there’s someone stood next to them who knows it all. People can figure things out together, help one another out. I feel like if you allow people to share spaces like that, then you can facilitate people's growth and development, but also the moments that you can share with someone can be ridiculous. Let’s try it. Hopefully, in the near future we’ll find venues that could work and go from there.
The workshop kind of format is so cool. There’s so much potential for transdisciplinary sharing.
I think it’s so important because we can have people together recontextualising ideas from different disciplines in the creative industry, merging the two together. It could be a great opportunity for people to express themselves and share the same spaces to get some really cool results. There’s loads of this kind of thing in London but seeing it actively happen in Brighton would be amazing.
How can people get involved?
Keep an eye and ear out, and just join in! Come down to an event and say hello, chat, get to know people, speak to me or just whoever’s there! Make it known that you want to start contributing and it could all start from there. Hopefully, down the line there’ll be a more streamlined approach like if someone has an idea or project they can pitch it, we make space for it and have the means to facilitate it. But right now, at the early stages, come down and just enjoy it. I’m excited to see how it’s going to figure itself out and how it could grow through other people.
It’s genuinely really exciting. What do you hope to come from building this kind of collective?
I think if there's a platform that comes out of this that has a bunch of different creatives who are able to facilitate one anothers growth and development within this industry, but also help out externally, and hopefully long-term have a range of different services that we can provide people; that would be the dream. Now, in what kind of shape I want that to be in, I'm not sure yet, because there's a whole host of things that you can provide for people, and it's figuring out what people need. But yeah, I think just being able to facilitate anyone or anything that wants or needs a platform to progress. I don’t know, I've got ideas of what Early Days could be but, like I said, that’s just my idea and Early Days isn't me, so I’m more waiting to see how things grow and develop over time. I think it’s important for people to share and know that you don’t have to do everything yourself, or on your own.
Willing photographed by Meg Sweeney
With this conversation as a delightful backdrop to the evening, we ambled up the road to find a crowd of people spilling out of the little coffee shop and basking in the evening glow. Bustling and intriguing, the atmosphere was warm and friendly; an organic reflection of Early Days’ priorities. Shortly before the first set, every inch of the intimate space was filled with attentive listeners and the smell of great coffee.
REA opened the affair with a stripped-back acoustic set, her confessional storytelling wrapped in delicate vocals. The silent room was utterly transfixed. Melancholic alt-indie four piece Willing were up next, with Rachael from REA transitioning into her second set of the evening, joined by Ingrid, Will and Les. Blending lo-fi beats, silky harmonies and sounds of the natural world to create something otherworldly, Willing created impactful and interesting soundscapes by experimenting and interlacing their talents across acoustic, electric and electronic mediums. This was Willing’s debut show and their gorgeous debut EP cottard arrived just a few days later; a soothing soundtrack to a sweet Sunday evening at Loam, a pensive midweek morning or a Friday night watching a golden beach sunset. The audience overflowed into the street and were joined by passers-by who peered through the window to discover what all of the fuss was about. Some stayed for a song, others the whole set; a transient collective gathering with the potential to be made material.
The format and delivery of the first Early Days Presents was a real moment for Brighton. The showcase felt very different to a traditional gig. Whether it was the serene atmosphere, the unconventional venue, the DIY setup, the relaxed Sunday evening vibes, or the aroma of fresh coffee instead of stale lager, who knows? What we do know is that it really worked. With an induced lightness and clarity on the importance of community and creativity, we’re excited to see where Early Days will grow.
Follow Early Days to stay up to date and get involved with community led Projects & Presents.
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