To celebrate SXSW coming to London for the first time, we sat down with the festivals Head of Music, Adem Holness. Previously working as Head of Contemporary Music at The Southbank Centre, Adem was tasked with giving the green light to hundreds of musicians that will be performing at the Music, Film & Tech conference from the 2-7th June 2025.



In this chat, we spoke about:



 * How can brands harness the power of grassroots music
 * What the countless music venues closing down signifies for our future
 * Why festivals like SXSW London are so important to our culture



Enjoy!

25. Head of Music at SXSW London, Adem Holness speaks on the need for festivals, the importance of grassroots musicians, venues and more .

TOPJAW have over 10 years in the food & travel recommendation world. They've spoken to hundreds of chefs, industry professionals and celebrities across the world about the most unique, hidden and authentic restaurants and bars. Starting off as a simple way to eat great food, their empire has now grown to over 1.3 Million fans on social platforms!



In this episode, we chat about how you stay relevant in the social media landscape, how TOPJAW have stayed true to self while doing brand collabs with Deliveroo, Amex and many other global brands. We also chat about what celebrities like Jamie Oliver and Louis Theroux are really like in person.



We also flip the script on Will, and find out what his favourite restaurants are in London!



(00:00:00)  Introduction

(00:02:18) 10 Years of TOPJAW

(00:02:59) The Origins of TOPJAW

(00:05:18) Pivoting To Youtube

(00:08:16) Why It Works

(00:09:27) Why Food Recommendations

(00:10:00) Favourite Celebrities

(00:12:53) TOPJAW’s Growth

(00:21:02) Making Money on Youtube 

(00:23:30) Comedic Timing and Content Creation

00:30:00 Video Editing to Shortening Attention Spans

(00:31:55) How TOPJAW find their guests

(00:36:39) Their Dream Guest

(00:37:55) What Have They Learnt About Vitality?

(00:40:46) Chatting With Instagram

(00:42:29) Do TOPJAW Gatekeep Restaurants?

(00:43:35) Maintaining Trust Alongside Brand Partnerships

(00:47:10) How Do Restaurants Stand The Test of Time?

(00:50:33) Will’s Best Restaurant Recommendations

24. Food & travel filmmakers, TOPJAW, talk on staying socially relevant, how to do authentic brand partnerships, and the celebrities they've interviewed.

DJ pioneer, community builder, and proud father, Charlie Dark MBE, steps into the spotlight to share his journey of bringing people together. While "community” has become a real buzzword, for Charlie, it’s been a lifelong mission. His work has and is uniting people both on the dancefloor and in the streets.

As the founder of Run Dem Crew, a London-based running community, Charlie has impacted countless lives through the power of movement and positivity, earning an MBE along the way.

We spoke to him about his career as a DJ, his battles with mental health, the evolution of RDC, and his vision for a health-focused future across the UK in the years to come.



Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction 

00:03:30 Charlie's Early DJ Career

00:04:02 The Birth of Blacktronica

00:10:03 Mental Health In The Music Industry

00:21:46 Rediscovering Life Through Running

00:23:51 Exploring London at Night

00:30:15 What Running Teaches You About People

00:31:45 The Importance of Rules and Manifestos

00:32:25 Running Is for Everyone

00:35:45 The Birth of Run Dem Crew

00:38:24 Incubating Ideas: The Key to Success

00:46:15 Navigating Brand Relationships

00:53:10 What’s Next For Charlie Dark?

01:00:00 Wise Words

01:00:49 His MBE

23. Charlie Dark MBE on founding Run Dem Crew, how to properly build communities and his legendary DJ career.

We sat down with Jay and John, co-founders of the AI Creative Studio, Solarflare, to talk the world of AI. From helping brands understand how they can use new tech to their advantage, to learning about the problems we may face in the future, this chat covers it all.



Specialising in cutting-edge tech installations and collaborations with major brands like F1 and UEFA, Jay and John shared their knowledge on how AI is transforming creative industries day by day.



We spoke about the ethical ramifications of AI along with all the positives that’ll come with it too.



Our jobs are changing, and whether we like it or not, AI will play a key role in our lives at some point. So here we are, jumping on the curve before it passes us - come listen in so you can too!





(00:01:47) Who is SolarFlare?

(00:03:25) The Impact and Future of AI in Brand Activations

(00:08:51) Exploring the Metaverse and AI Integration

(00:22:29) The Future Workforce and AI's Role

(00:25:40) The Evolution of CGI and VFX

(00:26:53) Adapting to AI in the Creative Process

(00:27:57) Tech for Good vs. Tech for Bad

(00:30:32) Hiring for Hybrid Skill Sets

(00:32:20) What Happens to Coding?

(00:41:41) AI in the Music Industry

(00:43:48) The Future of Live Performances

(00:50:24) Looking Forward: AI's Potential

22. AI Creative Studio, Solarflare, explores AI's influence on jobs, the music industry, and the future of creativity.

Founder of the Adidas sponsored, Romance FC, Trisha Lewis breaks down how the creative football team is driving grassroots sport culture around London.



Built to provide an active meeting space for women and non-binary people who are also filmmakers, musicians, designers and all other walks of creativity, Romance FC has become a thriving community in its own right. 



They’ve worked closely with music and fashion legend, Pharrell Williams, for his HUMAN RACE FC campaign, which also saw the likes of Arsenal FC involved.



We talk about Trisha's relationship with Adidas, what it’s like in the world of community football, the struggles, the successes and what the future of Romance FC holds. 

Trisha Lewis, founder of Adidas-sponsored football team, Romance FC, talks grassroots sport, working with Pharrell Williams and on building tight communities. 

After selling Depop to Etsy for $1.6 billion in 2021, Simon Beckerman took on a new challenge, to fix the food industry. 



With his dedicated team, including Community and Partnerships Manager, Sam Wong, DELLI set out to champion small independent food & drink makers, providing them with a means to sell their products. 



We spoke with Simon and Sam to uncover how DELLI is leading the charge in reshaping the broken food industry, why Simon believes DELLI will be more successful than his previous venture, Depop, and how they’re creating a community of foodies turned friends along the way.



Timestamps

(00:00:00 Intro

(00:02:15) What is DELLI?

(00:05:17) Sam’s Intro to DELLI

(00:07:29) The Importance of Storytelling

(00:12:09) Where Did The Idea of DELLI Come From?

(00:15:23) Overcoming Problems In Business

(00:21:15) Food is the New Fashion

(00:22:38) The influence of Depop

(00:24:09 Relatability with DELLI Makers

(00:29:03) Discovering New Food on DELLI

(00:31:16) What Will Supermarkets Look Like in 10 Years?

(00:35:10) Moving Away From Alcohol 

(00:40:02) Staying Authentic 

(00:42:15) How to Build a Community

(00:43:24) Creating a Healthy Work Environment

(00:44:36) “We Don’t Follow, We Create”

(00:46:27) Understanding What’s Happening In Culture

(00:48:14) Importance of Content Creators

(00:54:03) Brands Using Slogans

(00:55:53) Going Viral 

(01:00:18) DELLI’s Photography

(01:02:04) Outro



DELLI’s Website [https://delli.market/]

DELLI’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/delli.market/]


Truant's Website [https://www.truantlondon.com/]

20. Simon Beckerman, founder of Depop and DELLI, and Sam Wong discuss reshaping the food world with DELLI and building successful communities.

In part 2 with BAFTA award winning filmmaker, best-selling author and extreme sports veteran, Christian Stevenson, we talk about how his friendship with Jamie Oliver led to his book deal.

We also cover how he became a best-selling author in the barbecue world, DJing at A-list celebrity parties, and how he interviewed music legends such as Coldplay, The Cult, Aerosmith and more



19. Christian Stevenson on being a best-selling author, snowboarding with Jamie Oliver and interviewing music legends. Part 2

BAFTA award winning filmmaker, best-selling author and extreme sports veteran, Christian Stevenson talks on what it was like to watch skateboarding legend, Tony Hawk, land the 900, his tv show 'RAD' that ran for 17 seasons and how he started in filmmaking to become a world famous name in snowboarding, skateboarding, DJing and BBQ.

He also reveals how he networked to get music by Radiohead, Oasis, Stone Roses, DJ Shadow, Moloko and more for his snowboard movie, Odd Man Out.



(00:00:00) Davina McCall and Noel Gallagher

(00:00:34) Introduction to Christian Stevenson

(00:01:50) Making a baby at the BAFTA’s 

(00:03:38) Tony Hawk's 900 at X-Games

(00:07:40) Skateboarding in the 70s and 80s

(00:09:36) Filming Action Sports as a Career 

(00:11:19) Creation of the Show ‘Rad’

(00:13:14) Challenges in Filming ‘Rad’

(00:13:57) Longevity of ‘Rad’

(00:14:19) Wing Walking, Hovercraft & Robin Reliant Racing

(00:18:43) Getting Music Legends on His Soundtrack

(00:23:26) Networking for Soundtracks

(00:27:53) Snowboarding Stories 

(00:30:25) Meeting Jamiroquai 

(00:32:02) Filming with Celebrities

(00:34:45) Traveling and Touring 

(00:36:06) Rad Tour Adventures 

(00:38:12) The Cool Bus 

(00:39:52) Barbecue Memories 

(00:42:03) Deejaying and Barbecue Career



Christian's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/djbbq/]



Truant's Website [https://www.truantlondon.com/]

Truant's Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/truantlondon/]

Truant's TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@truantlondon]





18. Christian Stevenson on extreme sports, winning a BAFTA and skateboarding with Tony Hawk. Part 1

What do you think of when I say opera? Yep, we thought the same thing before we spoke to professional opera singer, Galina Averina.



Kostie and Max sat down with Galina, who had just finished her UK tour, to get a feel for the history of opera, understand the stereotypes and gain an insight into just what goes into becoming a professional opera singer.

17. Galina Averina on what the opera scene is REALLY like, the stereotypes, and being a professional opera singer.

Rated as the Hottest Brand of 2023 (Lyst), luxury fashion brand, LOEWE, is taking the fashion world by storm. Kostie and Max sat down with Charlie Smith, Chief Marketing & Comms Officer at LOEWE, where he gave some insight into the secrets behind the brand's success.

16. Charlie Smith on the success of luxury fashion brand, LOEWE

Welcome to The Truants, a podcast providing bitesize insight into creative scenes and the cultures that surround them. Expect an unpredictable ride as you are thrown into conversations with a range of people from unique creative scenes, each with their own stories to tell.

Lennie Hughes

Shows