New Year, New Excuse...

With January drawing to a close, many of you may be slipping with your commitment to the new years resolutions that you promised yourselves not too long ago.

Now, if this is you, what you could do is await the arrival of the next optimistic January to come around and then get yourself to the gym, eat healthier, save those extra pennies or whatever you had hoped for 2020. But before you abandon that prospect of a 'new you' for the next 11 months, think about the lifestyle changes that you could realistically implement in your life.

Why not take those extra steps to move yourself that bit closer to the next version of yourself?

I used to always set myself new year's resolutions but this year I've taken a different approach...

Rather than setting myself a new year's resolutions that is so unrealistic that my failure is inevitable, I decided to try to positively change myself through my lifestyle. I'm going to treat it more as a monthly plan that can be adjusted according to the progress made in the previous month. This may not work but the idea is that the excuse for one month is something to consider and avoid the following month.

I'm not a life coach, personal trainer or motivational whatever but the one piece of advice I would give to anyone looking to change/ grow in 2020 is not to quit (ew what a cliché) but to keep adjusting your goals instead of wishing they were a little easier.

Alfie Templeman

Alfie Templeman

Two years on from the release of his debut EP, Like an Animal, the 16-year-old Bedfordshire born singer/ songwriter has been found on the renowned stages such as those of Reading and Leeds Festival as well as other major festival stages across the UK.

Last Friday saw the young musician bring his melodic indie tunes to Headrow House in Leeds for a headline gig where he closed a night of music that had already seen up and coming artists such as: Matilda Mann, Hannah Willwood and Van Houten.

Upon entering the room I knew I was in for an night of good music in a venue that epitomised everything an intimate gig should be. Throughout the night I was surprised at how respectful , despite the room being full, the crowd was. I am no stranger to gigs and it is usually commonplace for the music to be ever so slightly tainted by the constant pushing and shoving which come with the alternative music genre in particular. Personally I think that says a lot for the style and atmosphere Alfie Templeman and his music have the ability to create and I hope to see more artists following suit.

The New Friendz gigs are hosted by Super Friendz and aim to present the next wave of favourite acts to the music scene and that was certainly achieved on this Friday night. This sold-out gig comes as only the second headline show for Alfie Templeman and I think it's pretty safe to say that many more are to come.

A youthful yet mellowed sound is what Alfie Templeman brings to the stage, creating a refreshing balance of a new chilled sound that hasn't held a place at the forefront of the indie/ alternative genre in recent years while continuing to stay true to the genre's roots with strong bass and guitar sounds. The music he is putting out is comparable to that of Rex Orange County, not only because of the chilled yet melodic tone but also because of the aforementioned atmosphere that can be felt amongst the crowd.

About

Hey and welcome to my lifestyle blog.

I'm Jessica Bayley, a student journalist with a passion for music.

I have a devotion to music and there is nothing I love more, so I thought a blog could be just the thing to showcase what I enjoy and hopefully share some recommendations.

If you would like to take a look at my journalism website the link is https://jessicabayleywrites.wordpress.com/

Any ideas of what you would like to see, email me at jessbayley2208@gmail.com