Oh, Boy! | Gabe Niles

Photo © Moni Haworth

Name: Gabriel "Gabe" Niles

Age: 19, nearly twenty

Location: Los Angeles, Born and Raised. 

Day job (what pays the bills): Whatever pays the bills...anything that comes up (keeping my dignity intact). Most gigs do pay sometimes, that's always nice. 

Photo © Moni Haworth

 What was growing up like for you? 

Brief, I blinked and I'm here. But the whole time I was surrounded by music and I always surrounded myself with music. I started drumming at 18 months. 

 Who is Gabe Niles?

When I figure out a way to answer that you'll be the 2nd to know. 

Photo © Moni Haworth

Photo © Jo Kimberley

 Have you always been into music and when did you decide that was the direction you were going to go with life? 

Yes, always always. In every way, shape and form. Music is my one constant thing. My greatest love, my "Jesus Christ", my saviour. 

 How did Gateway Drugs come together? 

Gateway Drugs started with Noa (my brother) and Liv (my sister) and I sharing bedroom closet demo tapes with each other. Realising instantly, where our hearts and minds truly were we quit the band that we were all playing with at the time and grabbed Blues and Zak (both sworn blood brothers). It's a family affair. 

For those who haven't heard Gateway Drugs how would you describe the music?

To put it as simply as I can it sounds like Gateway Drugs. I know that's vague. I don't know though, its different for everyone. To me, its a living, breathing, ever growing archive of emotions/feelings that have been and continue to be, expressed through music. 

 Your sister Liv is also in the band and also another Niles - Noa. Is music in the genes? And whats it like sharing the stage with them? 

Yes, Liv and Noa. Our father is a musician. Its in the blood I guess. Writing and creating with them is complete musical understanding. Its almost a telepathic experience. Live, it is a completely different entity, a form of musical meditation. In those moments, we are breathing and creating as one. One big fucking machine. 

Photo Christopher Thorn

If you couldn't be involved in music what would you be doing? 

I'd become a professional George W Bush impersonator and get sponsored by Cheesecake Factory, eat and drink myself into a heart attack and of course be buried in a KISS coffin (only the best of course). 

You've also done a little modelling work before with the likes of Abbey Lee Kershaw and Riley Keough. What was that like? And is that something you'd like to try more of? 

Modelling is modelling. I'm not opposed to it at all. But I will only sell myself to the highest creative bidder. Meaning, someone who has an authentic expressive vision driven by something bigger than themselves. 

Photo © Moni Haworth

You've been featured many times on Johnny's Bird photographed by the amazing Moni Haworth. What is your relationship with her like now that you've become a regular in front of the lens? And how do you decide what you want to share with her and essentially the Internet world? 

Moni has a way of taking you out of your own mind while she shoots. You forget about your personal insecurities and your view of yourself and you blindly give creative trust. It's like two friends talking, laughing, walking around the city. And that's exactly what it is. Two friends shooting, talking, venturing around Los Angeles and me stealing her cigarettes all along the way. I trust her to put up anything really. With Mono, I've never sacrificed my character or authenticity.

Both yourself and your sister have been blessed with some pretty sweet genes. What's it like dealing with an attractive sister and all the men and swoons that follow it? 

Oh Livvy. She's gorgeous and that being said, both, men and women, have boundary issues or just harass her. Live is very street smart though, well, most of the time. She knows how to handle herself in weird situations with strange men. Its impossible not to get involved. I cant deal with angry irrational baby boner driven men shouting shit at my sister.. or in general. It's fucked up. I don't care, I lose it and see red. I'm her brother first and best friend second. I love her with  anything and everything i have to offer. She's my big sister you know?

Photo © Moni Haworth

Photo © Moni Haworth

How would you describe your style? Do you have any personal style icons? 

I basically wear what I like. I'm not really into fashion, I respect it but its not my department. Good will is my department store. Also JuJu Sorelli - the evil Rock n Roll Hollywood cat. 

I love everything JuJu makes, to be honest. Check out the store. Basically its things I feel are an extension of me. But when getting dressed I kinda just throw things on. 

Let's talk about girls. Ladies man, fun loving bachelor or hopeless romantic?

Ask them. 

Photo © Moni Haworth

What captures your attention first when comes to the opposite sex? 

Eyes, voice, hands, mind. 

What can we expect from Gabe Niles in the next 12 months?

I know two things about 2015. 

1.  Our debut album comes out

2. We are touring a lot. In March we leave for a tour  of the US with Screwdriver. And more to be announced..

Photo © Moni Haworth

https://www.facebook.com/GatewayDrugs

https://gatewaydrugs.bandcamp.com

https://twitter.com/gatewaydrugs_

Oh, Boy! | Jack Royle

Photo © Mario Benedetti

Name: Jack Royle

Age: 24

Location: London (But currently spending time in Plymouth)

Day job (what pays the bills): 

Anything really A bit of Labouring work. (but mainly off the books modelling)

What was growing up like for you?

 I moved around a lot as a kid, my step-dad was a vicar so I was constantly moving from pillar to post. I was a happy child. Big Imagination.

How did you get into modelling? 

I was working in TopMan on Oxford St and a girl that worked there asked me to do a shoot for I <3 Fake magazine. It kinda domino effected from there.

Photo © Darren Black

What was the response like from your mates when you started modelling? 

They all thought it was hilarious. As did I, when you think model you see an image of grace and beauty. The opposite to myself in my opinion.

When you are not modelling what are you doing?

 Writing a lot at the moment. I go through spurts of being really inspired and then nothing. So I'm taking full advantage of my current state of inspiration.

What's it like seeing yourself all over the Internet and girls gushing all over pictures? 

Ha, erm I think it's all a bit silly really. This generation have the perks of instant communication where a picture or text can be instantly seen around the globe. I won't lie. It's nice to have your ego stroked once in a while (who doesn't like that?) But it can get quite lonely when you don't know weather a girl likes you for what you are rather than who you are. 

Who is Jack Royle?

 I'd say I'm everything and nothing. I'm beautiful, I'm ugly. I'm smart, I''m stupid. I don't know who I am. I know exactly who I am. 

What inspires you and who would you say your role models and/or heroes are? 

Tom hardy as an actor is really amazing. He has it all. Looks, presence, talent. If I could be like anyone it would be him

Photo © Jolijn Snijders

How would you describe your personal style? 

Skinhead/Mod. Basically as my dad dressed at my age.

Is there a difference between the public and private Jack?

 Yeah I'm privately a quiet thoughtful person. But openly I can be quite confident and loud. I think we all have different personalities. 

Photo © Billie Turnbull

Is there anything you would be prefer to be doing as a career instead of modelling? 

Films have always captured my imagination. I would love to be a writer. But also acting is another field I would love to excel in.

I've heard you are quite the poet. How are some of your favorites and what do you love most about writing? 

I think it's when I can be most honest with myself. I don't tend to share how I feel verbally, so writing it down can be really liberating.

What can we expect from you in the future? 

I'm going to university hopefully in September so I guess I'll be getting my head down and studying so I an augment my writing talents.

Photo © David Sessions

Photo © Stav Agapiou 

Let's talk about girls. Ladies man, fun loving bachelor or hopeless romantic? 

I've been all three. Love is a dangerous thing. I would say I am at my loneliest at the moment. I grew out of one night stands years ago. And I guess I'm looking for the right girl. It's tough though I'm very icky. Don't get me wrong I don''t think I'm anything special. It's just very easy for me to lose interest in a girl.

What do you look for in women and admire most?

 A sense of humor. I need someone I can talk to on a level. Basically a best friend I can have amazing sex with. 

Girls vs Women? 

Women. I gotta thing for the 30-45 age group

Photo © Nicollas Lupetti

Photo © Mario Benedetti

Do you have any advise for guys who want to get involved in the modelling industry?

 Don't bother. It's a fickle business that can fuck with your self confidence. Give you false hope and give you an arrogance that can only be described as monstrous.

Anything you'd like to say to your fans and the readers?

 I sincerely hope I have no fans. If you put someone on a pedestal for the way they look all your gonna be is disappointed when you finally meet them. (That's said with love) :)

Photo © Stephen Burridge

Where can we lurk you online? 

jackroylepoetry.tumblr.com

Oh, Boy! | Billy Huxley

Name: Billy Huxley

Age: 24

Location: London

Day job (what pays the bills): Fashion Model

What was growing up like for you?

Growing up for me was mostly just like any normal working class kid from East London, I went to a state school, I had a good circle of friends and came from a loving and supportive family. Not everything was rosey though, I used to get involved in a lot of scraps growing up. It got pretty bloody serious, I came to a point where I really had to change my ways or I'd end up being in a far worse place than just A&E, Luckily I grew up and changed for the best, fighting is no good unless it's a professional sport and your making money. Fuck anything else.

How did you get into modelling?

My cousin Hannah O is an MUA, she was working on a fashion show and could put forward models, she asked me if I fancied it and I thought why not? Soon after, I tried my hand at a bit of free lance where I worked for a number of clothing brands, I got some photos together and created a twitter account which led to me getting in contact with a model booker, I suppose the rest is history as they say!

What was the response like from your mates when you started modelling?

Everyone is and has been right supportive when it comes to my modelling, they all know that I used to do roofing and hated it, so they are just happy that I'm doing something I enjoy. I'd like to say they are proud of me, I actually think they did tell me how proud they were once, but I can't be sure of it, as I definitely am sure Gin and Tequilas were involved that night haha!

Photo by Maciek

When you are not modelling what are you doing?

I do go gym, I try to get down the gym around 5x a week, I like to get that out the way before I do anything else. I'm a very social dude, I get bored of my own company very easily, so when I'm not working and finished up at the gym I'm always seeing who's about to meet up with for a drink or what not, I love a drink me, nothing beats meeting up with all your pals and putting the world to right over a few (or 10) beers.

What's it like seeing yourself all over the Internet and girls gushing all over pictures?

Haha! Ermm I've kind of gotten used to it to be honest, like it was never an overnight thing for me, it was quite gradual so I have never really been taken back by it all. At first there was one or two photos of me up on the net, then gradually more and more got posted. The girls gushing over the photos? Ha! Yeah it's flattering, I don't take much of it seriously though, people's online persona is a lot different to who they are in reality, I'm sure some of the comments I get would never get said to my face!

Photo by Paul Smith

Who is Billy Huxley? 

A fucked up mixture of ink, hair, alcohol, cigs and chicken.

What inspires you and who would you say your role models and/or heroes are?

To be honest with ya, I don't have any role models or heroes, like, there are people who I appreciate, that I can see are doing things for a better place and what not but I wouldn't call them my role models. People know what the difference between good and bad is, they know how to do right, why do you need a guide for that? I don't. There is Elvis of course though, he's the man! 

Photo by by Darren Black

How would you describe your personal style?

When it comes to style I quite like plain things and muted colours, I dress quite smart..ish. You can't go wrong with a black pair of skinny jeans, a pair of docs and a buttoned up Fred Perry (other brands are available😉)

Is there a difference between the public and private Billy?

I'd say I'm more reserved when it comes to the public Billy, you have to be, I'm a bit too opinionated to post some of my thoughts on twitter and stuff like that, I think everyone has to be. To avoid all the bullshit I need to tone it down a notch or I'd probably get into trouble and not have a job ha! 

Photo by Maciek

Is there anything you would be prefer to be doing as a career instead of modelling?

I'd be in a rock n roll band, music is my biggest passion (apart from the obvious). I can't go anywhere without my headphones, music is my life, it's just a a shame I can't sing or play guitar very well!

What can we expect from you in the future?

Your guess is as good as mine, models have no idea what is going to happen from one day to the next, I wish I could say big things, but I literally have no fucking idea. Watch this space. 

Photo by Tom Johnson

Let's talk about girls. Ladies man, fun loving bachelor or hopeless romantic?

Ermmm tricky one that! The term bachelor makes me cringe so I wouldn't choose that. I'd like to think I can be romantic if I want so I wouldn't choose hopeless romantic. Let's go for ladies man.

What do you look for in women and admire most?

A woman has to have good banter, if she can't have a laugh then what's the point? Life is serious enough, chill out for fuck sake! Confidence is good but NOT cockiness. I've gotta feel loved, I could never get with a woman who is cold and doesn't like all the touchy feely stuff, I need to feel skin.

Girls vs Women?

As long as they are over 18 then what's the difference!?

Photo by Dan Kennedy

Photo by Tom Johnson

Do you have any advise for guys who want to get involved in the modelling industry?

If your not already, get is shape, Never pay for photos, and don't let anyone take advantage of you. If your not with an agency you can easily end up having companies take the piss out of ya with working for free and gaining no benefits, make sure something is in it for you! Whether that be exposure or payment in some way, shape or form. What's the point in doing a free shoot for a brand that has a cheap 2 bob website that only 10 people visit a day? Research your photographers, If your photos look cheap and tacky then so do you as a model.

Anything you'd like to say to your fans and the readers?

Yeah, thanks for reading you sexy bunch of fucks x

Where can we lurk you online?

My twitter which is @billyhuxley or Instagram - billyhuxley. There are tumblrs and all the rest of it but none of it is owned by me, Twitter and IG are the only social media platforms that I own :) 

Oh, boy! | Wesley O'Meara

Name:  Wesley O'Meara

Age: 33

Location: New York, NY

 Day job (what pays the bills): Hairstylist

What was growing up like for you?

It was weird. I knew I didn't belong where I was, as cliche as that sounds. I guess I was a little more femme when I was a kid, too? I was teased a lot - school was hard. This caused me to rebel in a way and explore things that existed outside of the school environment and this lead me to the rave scene in the mid 90s. I feel like this really opened up my eyes a lot to the world of nightlife, art and creativity. It also left me with some really terrible tattoos.

 Who is Wesley O'Meara?

ha. My agent just asked me this yesterday! I guess I'll spend the rest of my life trying to figure this out..  whoever he is I hope he keeps evolving.

How did you get into the hair industry? Why hair?

Well, as any young gay I LOVED playing with my sisters barbies. Like, I couldn't handle how amazing her hair was. When I moved to new york, I was a little too young to really pursue any real dreams. I spent a lot of time, years even in odd jobs and on the verge of existential breakdowns daily. Finally, I said to myself just go for it, you've always wanted this and so, I did. When you follow your dreams and you're passionate (and have help and support from loved ones), you can really become successful!

What was the response like initially from your friends and family when you became a hair stylist?

I don't know if anyone really cared. It probably seemed like just another chapter in Wesley's life. But, I think once the celebrities and the traveling started to become frequent everyone started to take it seriously. I changed a lot as a person in this process and have lost touch with a lot of people I used to be close with, and I have also gained a lot of amazing new friends out of it as well.

When you are not doing hair what are you doing?

Thinking about hair, lol. It's becoming a problem. I'm on a 6 month hiatus from drinking so hair is all I got going for me right now! jk, sort of. But, I am in the process of a new venture with some partners that will help build a brand for all of us and that is super exciting. I can't wait to start talking about that! oh, and TV... I love TV. 

I absolutely love your site 'We hate your hair". Can you tell us a little bit about it?

aw!! Thanks so much! I love getting positive feedback. Well, I started my blog beginning of last year at a transitional point of my career. I was advised to start thinking about building a brand to make myself marketable to publicists and press, especially with this whole HUGE social networking thing right now that has taken the world by storm. I had a bit of free time on my hands so I starting thinking about what the industry was lacking and it hit me! I get asked questions from people on a daily basis on what they should do to their hair or how they can fix problems so I wanted to give this a platform and put a spin on it that was unique and also entertaining.

 I wanted people to read it for fun and not just for advice. I chose to create a tumblr because it is extremely approachable and has a HUGE community of my target age bracket so it was a no brainer. My first post was on bangs and it was such a success that the questions immediately started rolling in. I love it. These days my updates are few and far between because I have gotten so so busy and I feel like I owe a lot of it to the blog! I like to think that everyone can get a chance to get honest advice from a professional with a bit of humor thrown in.

What are the number one hair no no's women consistently make?

Bringing in pictures of Kim Kardashian to their stylists as a reference. No, jk! I think the biggest no no is coloring your hair at home. Like, great colourists spend years mastering their craft and they still make mistakes almost everyday or something doesn't turn out the way it is supposed to. What makes someone think that they can buy a box for $10 and have a nice result with something they did in the bathroom in 20 minutes??

What do you think will be the most popular hair trends in 2013?

 I feel a lot of 60s influence rolling in, judging by the runways. It was a great time for hair, too, very playful yet effortless.

What inspires you and who would you say your role models and/or heroes are?

I'm really inspired by challenges. I'm for the most part self taught when it comes to styling. I still watch youtube video tutorials on a daily basis, it is kind of amazing how I learn things from a rockabilly girl in southern cali or a girl in China that has a certain way of doing her braids. In the hair industry I always look at Julien D'ys. I love his mix of art and sculpture in hair, using so many mediums, he truly is a great artist.

Is there a difference between the public and private Wesley?

hahahaha, if you really actually know me, no. I'm quite the extrovert. 

Fun loving bachelor or hopeless romantic? 

At the moment fun loving bachelor but I am SUCH a nester. I love love love being domestic. But, I think right now being single is working and keeping me focused. Besides, I'm getting the best cat even in a couple of weeks, so I won't need a boyfriend anyway!

What do you look for in a partner and admire most? 

Where I am in my life right now, I won't settle for anyone that doesn't have any ambitions and a stable job. Someone that compliments me and has to have the same sarcasm I  have. I need to laugh but I also need to be grumpy and I need him to be ok with that.

Do you have any advise for people looking for a career in hair styling?

Assist assist assist! You can never ever stop learning. I even learn stuff from my assistants ALL the time. Once you feel like you know everything I think your ego takes over and you can never grow. Also, you have to know that it isn't your show. You are working with a lot of creative people and it is important to find a balance so everyone can be happy with the finished product.

What can we expect from you in the future? 

A new venture that is going to be major and kind of change the way people view salons! I can't get too much into it now but look out and be prepared to be blown away!

Anything you'd like to say to your fans and the readers? 

Thank you so much for the support and feedback both positive and negative and never be intimidated and ask away!

http://wehateyourhair.tumblr.com/

TWITTER: @wessles
www.wesleyomeara.com
http://thewallgroup.com/artist.php?artist_id=85