Llais Festival: Welsh Music Prize 2023

 A fun filled event promoting and celebrating the musical talents in Wales has yet again proved that the Welsh indie scene is one to watch. As part of Llais Festival, the awards ceremony for the ÔÇÿWelsh Music PrizeÔÇÖ was presented for the second time in front of a live audience presented by BBC Radio 1ÔÇÖs Sian Eleri on October 10th, at the Millennium Centre in … Continue reading Llais Festival: Welsh Music Prize 2023

Are Dating Apps Leaving Us Lonlier Than Ever?

Words by Madeline McCabe-Smith It is safe to say a significant amount of university students have dabbled in the world of online dating, whether itÔÇÖs in search of a potential life-long partner or simply out of curiosity. EveryoneÔÇÖs experience is unique, and the outcomes differ considerably. The development of technology has blessed us with the ability to discover the world of dating in a brand-new … Continue reading Are Dating Apps Leaving Us Lonlier Than Ever?

S┼Án Festival 2023: In Conversation with Ani Glass

Ahead of her performance at this year’s S┼Án Festival, I had the opportunity to sit down with Welsh electronic musician Ani Glass, and chat all things South Wales, creative processes, and the genius of the late, great Martin Rushent. You released your debut solo album, Mirores, in 2020, but you were in a lot of bands before that; whatÔÇÖs your musical journey been like, and how has … Continue reading S┼Án Festival 2023: In Conversation with Ani Glass

Large black shelves filled with books

The Value of the Book itself: How Second Hand Books Bring People Together.

Words by Josef Swindell In the process of reading or purchasing a second hand book you will make a connection with another human. Second hand books are valuable due to this as you gain an association with a book that could have easily been neglected or thrown away. You could even learn the thoughts of previous owners due to a books annotations. These are only … Continue reading The Value of the Book itself: How Second Hand Books Bring People Together.

photo by Fred Moon on Unsplash

Sober October vs Oktoberfest: Drinking Culture at University and Alcohol-Free Things To Do in Cardiff

Words by Ellie Young It is an indisputable fact: drinking is embedded in our university culture. Week after week of society events, StudentsÔÇÖ Union nights and irrefusable pub deals foster a social life rotating around alcohol. Of course, it feels like the natural path to follow: a new place, new people and complete freedom are reason enough to point one towards the ÔÇÿsocial lubricantÔÇÖ of … Continue reading Sober October vs Oktoberfest: Drinking Culture at University and Alcohol-Free Things To Do in Cardiff

Girls Pushing Buttons: A Celebration of Music, Community and Womanhood

Quench were lucky enough to be invited along to Girls Pushing Buttons, a celebration of South Wales-based electronic pop artists – Honey B McKenna, Millie Blooms and Femmebug. As well as a night of fantastic music, we also got the chance to sit down and chat with Honey and Millie about community, their musical journeys, and what they liked about South Wales’ rich and diverse … Continue reading Girls Pushing Buttons: A Celebration of Music, Community and Womanhood

Half Happy performing

God Is In The TV: 20th Anniversary Celebration

┬áI didnÔÇÖt actually know very much about God Is In The TV until they sent Quench a message inviting us along to the 20th Anniversary celebration. In hindsight this seems like a bit of a misstep, because God Is In The TV is like a showcase of everything I love about the South Wales music scene, and represents everything I think the music industry should: … Continue reading God Is In The TV: 20th Anniversary Celebration

The Last Dinner Party: In Conversation with Georgia Davies

Eclectic, effervescent and ethereal are just three of the words that I would use to describe The Last Dinner Party. Having first met whilst at university, the quintetÔÇÖs exuberant styles and extraordinary performances have catapulted the band from LondonÔÇÖs live music scene to the likes of Glastonbury and the international stage. With such great success before the release of their debut album, itÔÇÖs not hard for me to say that they are indieÔÇÖs next big thing. Ahead of their performance at S┼Án Festival on the 21st of October, I was fortunate to have the chance to speak with the bandÔÇÖs bassist Georgia Davies. Continue reading The Last Dinner Party: In Conversation with Georgia Davies

The Endless Double Date

Words by Holly Hostettler-Davies Imagine this: ItÔÇÖs 2022 and you and your partner decide to live with your best friends, who are also a couple. YouÔÇÖve been on countless meals out, days at the beach, shopping trips, walks in the park – many double dates. YouÔÇÖve even been on trips together, shared living spaces for a short time. But now youÔÇÖre going to share a … Continue reading The Endless Double Date

The Undertones @ Tramshed 30/09/23

The Tramshed was packed to the rafters for two prime punky cuts of Saturday evening entertainment. DerryÔÇÖs very own Undertones are touring to celebrate the forty-fifth anniversary of the Teenage Kicks EP, which kicked off Terri HooleyÔÇÖs Good Vibrations record label, graced John PeelÔÇÖs show twice in a row, and gave the London boys a run for their money. In fact, it was a neat … Continue reading The Undertones @ Tramshed 30/09/23

‘GirlTok’

What kind of stereotypes or narratives about women does TikTok really perpetuate? Words by Julia Bottoms, Quench Culture Editor We spend a lot of time on TikTok these days. The average UK teenager spends 75 minutes a day on TikTok, opening the app 19 times in a single day.┬á So, IÔÇÖm sure any chronically online Gen Z-er (like myself) will have encountered the ÔÇÿgirl dinnerÔÇÖ … Continue reading ‘GirlTok’

Princess Goes performing

Review: Princess Goes

Princess Goes once said in an interview the perfect place to listen to music is ÔÇÿanywhere itÔÇÖs safe to close your eyesÔÇÖ – their music echoes this very premise, with every song encouraging an entire audience to pulse as one. Anyone who wishes they could have experienced the 80s and 70s club scene, where Blue Monday and Depeche Mode come to mind, fused with a … Continue reading Review: Princess Goes

PRONOUNCE AW23 Catwalk Review

Words and Images by Kate Nichols The designer brand PRONOUNCE was established by Yushan Li and Jun Zhou in 2016. During London Fashion Week, I attended the Autumn/Winter 2023 PRONOUNCE Catwalk in Regent Quarter and witnessed the ÔÇÿNew Stroke OrderÔÇÖ collection showcase. The collection was inspired by ancient Chinese methods of communication, such as oracle bone scripts and Chinese knotting. Actual knotting techniques were used … Continue reading PRONOUNCE AW23 Catwalk Review

Invisible Illnesses VI: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

I spent most of my adolescence dipping into the puddle that was therapy in the Caribbean. I got to feel special, I got to be enigmatic. I was told I was simply just bright for my age, as though depression was the punishment for reading above my grade level. I was told I had mood swings, that I should be kinder to myself, that I … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses VI: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder

Lessons From University : 25 Things It Helps to Know Going In

So here we are at my last ever column, and to mark the occasion IÔÇÖve compiled a list of the things I wish I knew before coming to uni. IÔÇÖve kept it to the fairly inconsequential stuff since the big lessons you learn will be things you have to experience first hand to really know, and as someone whose uni years have been so dominated … Continue reading Lessons From University : 25 Things It Helps to Know Going In

(Not So?) Happily Ever After: The Depiction and Evolution of Marriage in Literature

Words by Anushka Kar Whether itÔÇÖs in Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility or any of her other novels, you can always rely on Jane Austen to advocate marriage, love, and the intermingling of the two in a taboo-esque manner of the nineteenth century. For Austen, marriage could not simply be an economic ordeal; it had to have that mutual attraction in order for it … Continue reading (Not So?) Happily Ever After: The Depiction and Evolution of Marriage in Literature

Cardiff’s Cocktail and Breakfast Tour

We’ve all got a lot of celebrating to do as the academic year draws to a close and there’s surely no better way to celebrate than over a cocktail. So, we asked our contributors for their Cardiff cocktail recommendations. Plus we like to cover all bases here at Quench, so we’ve got your hangover breakfast covered too. words by Floss Harrison Who says that Cardiff … Continue reading Cardiff’s Cocktail and Breakfast Tour

Get on The Same Page: A How-To on Harmonious Communication

This article should give some simple tips and templates for communicating with your partner effectively about different issues. How do you bring up an issue without worrying or upsetting them? What is the best way to ask them to listen to you? One of the first lessons in communication that I remember took place upon the rug of my reception classroom, five years old cross … Continue reading Get on The Same Page: A How-To on Harmonious Communication