Page 23 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 114

BV114 pg 20-23 Defences Interview.qxp_BV114 pg 23 11/06/2026 17:22 Page 4

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need to love ourselves more. We need to realise She says of the Defences fans, “They’re amaz-
that we are amazing. We are all unique and we all ing.” The band have a Facebook group called The
have something special about us. We need to love Heart. “Most of the people in The Heart are OG fans,
ourselves more, to be less self-critical, and, instead, people who have been there since the really early
be kind to ourselves. We need to focus on our fea- days, so it really does feel like a family space. And
tures, not our flaws. But, even our flaws are worth yeah, the fan group on Facebook, and on Insta-
embracing, too. In ‘Shadowlight’, Cherry sings, ‘If I gram, is called The Heart, which was taken after our
can’t love myself, can’t love anyone else’. We often song ‘The Heart’, on our second album, ‘In The Bal-
hear of females not loving themselves, but this also ance’. But I don’t really call it The Heart anymore, I
relates to males, too. refer to them as the Defences family, especially
She says, “Just from my own personal experi- when I’m talking to them in a live show. I talk about
ences, with people in my life, absolutely, it applies the Defences family, and it’s because it really does
to women, especially, but it really does just apply to feel like that’s what it’s become. Everyone there is
everyone. I’ve had friends who, I’ve seen them really supportive of everyone. Obviously, everyone’s
struggling through life, and I know that that has connected by the music, but people have made
come from a lack of love for themselves, a lack of friends and organised to meet up, outside of coming
love and respect for their own life, and what their life to a Defences show. We try to put extra special ex-
could be if they let it. And, if they found a way to let clusive things in there for them, things that other
more joy into it, I think that too can, unfortunately, people don’t get to see, just as a little way of saying
be a really universal experience, and it is difficult be- thank you for always being there and always sticking
cause, without the person even knowing, it affects with us and supporting us throughout the years. And
everything and everyone that they come into contact yeah, just trying to keep that family vibe in there. I
with and they are in touch with, in a way. And, I think, think, in terms of how they inspire me, one of the
yeah, if more people put self-love higher on their pri- things that’s really cool that’s started to happen over
ority list, the world would be a much better place.” the last few years, is that some of our fans have
started making us stuff. So, we’ve started getting a
here’s a fantastic song on ‘Shadowlight’ lot of really awesome, really thought-out custom jew-
Tcalled ‘Greatness’. In the song, Cherry men- ellery. Jewellery for the ‘Shadowlight’ era, lots of
tions the well-known Persian adage ‘This too shall spiritual kind of symbols, lots of moons and stars
pass’. Cherry thinks that everyone needs to remem- and stuff like that. Just the thought that they’ve put
ber the phrase if they’re going through something into the things they create to give us is so humbling,
tough. and I just feel so full of gratefulness for them, and
“Thank you for asking about that song, because so that inspires me to obviously keep going… be-
people don’t… it’s the underrated song on that cause it’s not always easy being in a band and doing
album, and it’s a shame because it is, I think, an es- everything else there is to do in life. But yeah, the
pecially important one when it comes to the mes- Defences family is definitely our biggest inspiration
sage. It is all about mindfulness and about really to just keep doing this.”
understanding that now is all we have, really. I’ve
got a tattoo of that. It’s a symbol of mindfulness, or side from the Defences family, Cherry has
the visual kind of representation of mindfulness with Abeen inspired by people that she has met in
a dot in the middle and then lines coming off of it everyday life – especially since she moved to
from all sides to show that the dot is the now, the Brighton. “Since moving to Brighton, I’ve met some
present, and then you have your past and the future incredible people who have definitely inspired me,
and unknown, but the solid bit is the now, and re- just in terms of what I want my life to look like and
membering that and grounding yourself in that can how I want to go about my life. Moving here was a
be incredibly helpful. And remembering that, no mat- fantastic decision because I knew I’d find my people
ter what we do, time is going to keep going. Time is here. Some of the people that I’ve met are also very
going to keep passing, regardless of what we de- spiritual people, way more dedicated than me, and
cide. Tomorrow will come, next year will come. that’s been really inspiring to see how their spiritu-
Time’s just going to keep on going. And so, also, ality really does have a ripple effect throughout their
what that means is, whatever it is that we’re strug- entire lives and how they carry themselves and how
gling with right now, in this present moment, is not they spend their time and how they spend their en-
going to be forever. It’s not going to be our always. ergy, and again, being more mindful with that. And
And that can be incredibly powerful and helpful, as being able to see from the outside just how together
well.” they appear and how at peace with themselves they
She is right about grounding yourself in the now. are, that’s been incredibly inspiring to me. I’m trying
Eckhart Tolle has written about the power of now, to to put some structures in place so I can also have a
avoid worrying or fretting about the past or becom- specific routine, or routines, that allow me to also
ing anxious and scared about the future, but to live connect to my spirituality more when I need to, and
and focus on the now. But, while we don’t want to allow me to have more time for self-care and self-
become anxious about the future, it is good to have love in my day-to-day, and yeah, things that will
positive thoughts, hopes, goals and intentions, and bring me that peace and happiness.”
things you wish to manifest. We end by asking Cherry how she would like to
When we ask Cherry what she wants her life to inspire others herself. She replies, “I would like to
be like, she replies, “I want my life to be, first and help inspire people to be themselves. To be truly, au-
foremost, happy. I’ve struggled with a lot of mental thentically, themselves, and to not be afraid to go
health issues for a lot of my life. I’ve spent a lot of after the version of themselves that they want to be
time being sad. And so, the biggest thing that I have – because we all have that capability, and, most of
wanted, and want, for the rest of my life is for it to the time, the only person stopping us is ourselves.
be a happy life for me, whatever that means for me. And yeah, if I can inspire anyone to overcome that
I want to be happy, and I want to feel safe, finan- within themselves then that would be amazing.”
cially, physically, mentally, and I want to create
music that people love and connect with, and get to Visit www.defencesofficial.com for more info
play that music for those people and cathart on and catch Defences on tour, where they will trans-
stage, and just do that. That’s all I want.” form your life.
We can feel that she’s already on her way to
making her goals a reality. A lot of fans have con- Words By Shari Black Velvet
nected with Defences’ music, and they are winning
more and more fans with every show, song or video Photos By Elliatre Visuals & Julia Rocknrolla
play.
DEFENCES