The Skinny On... Squiggles

What’s your favourite place to visit?
Any service station. It always makes me feel like I’m on an adventure. 

What’s your favourite colour?
All of them at the same time. I’m terrified of turning beige.

Who was your hero growing up?
Tré Cool. He made drums seem like the coolest instrument to a tiny Niall. And I genuinely thought his real name was Tré Cool for so long. What a perfect name for a drummer!

Whose work inspires you now?
Anything John Robins does. The way he deals with shame, self-esteem, and self-image so candidly and with such humour is just fantastic.

What’s your favourite meal to cook at home?
Just a massive pile of Linda McCartney Vegetarian Sausages. A couple of years ago I helped The Spook School bluff their way to an unofficial sponsorship deal with them. They sent me too many sausages and a branded apron I still wear around the flat. I feel it’s my duty to continue providing a return on their investment.

What three people would you invite to a dinner party?
Tré Cool, Karen O and Lydia Loveless – to ask if they would like to start a band with me, or at least be my pals, or if they could at least help me choose a new haircut. Either way the deal ends with them getting a lot of Linda McCartney sausages.

What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen?
I could honestly watch Grease 2 forever. I know it’s not ‘good’, but I love it. It’s bad in all the best ways. I guarantee you will have the best time watching it with pals. 'Who’s that guy on that motorcycle / What would they say if they knew it was Michael?'

What’s your favourite album?
Laura Marling – Alas, I Cannot Swim. It reminds me of so many people I haven’t seen in such a long time. It’s bittersweet, melancholic and has the ability to make me feel like I’m time travelling. Suddenly I can smell, hear, taste, feel all these memories. It’s almost painful, but in a good way!

How have you stayed inspired since the beginning of the pandemic?
I don’t know if I have! I feel like I get inspired when I’m around people and travelling. It can feel like it’s been a long couple of years being stuck in more ways than one. Now is the time for trying to shake that off and get Squiggly!

What book(s) would you read if you had to self-isolate for the next ten days?
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking – I’ve tried to read it and still don’t understand. Maybe another attempt will help me understand what anti-particles are?

Who’s the worst?
I’m beginning to come to the realisation it might be me. I’m too loud.  

When did you last cry?
Yesterday. I took a bite of my sandwich and my unkempt moustache got caught in it. Essentially, I bit my own face, okay. 

What are you most scared of?
I’m covered in tattoos but seem to have a fear of hypodermic needles. A while back I needed some blood taken. The nurse told me she had a 100% success rate with no patients fainting. Challenge accepted. I was all good until she decided to show me how much blood she had taken so far. I managed to faint backwards off the chair, hitting my head and bursting open a pack of my collected blood. I woke up confused and covered in blood to have the nurse tell me it was now a 99% success rate. 

When did you last vomit?
I ran around too much for my lungs at five-a-side football and did a little sick in my mouth. I think it’s because I’m an athlete.

Tell us a secret?
I really like chess. No, I don’t think you get it. I really, really, really like chess. Would anyone like a game? 

Which celebrity could you take in a fight?
All of them. At the same time. Once they’ve been seen with me, by osmosis, they would no longer be celebrities. Then they would just be regular people… beating me to a pulp.

If you could be reincarnated as an animal which animal would it be?
A tardigrade. A tiny water bear that accidentally lives on the Moon. (This is a real thing!!) I want to go to Space!

Look What We Have Done, your debut EP as Squiggles is out this month. What can people expect?
The sound of people trying their best to make you realise that you too are a Squiggle, we’re not alone in life. Join us!

You're playing our stage at Kelburn Garden Party this summer – do you have any surprises up your sleeve?
Oh yes. MwahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHA!