Where You’re Supposed to Be

Photographs By Luis Patton

Northern Ireland’s Top Model Winner, AJ Lynn, opens up about the hard work that goes into modeling, expressing himself as a drummer, and ending the term “working for exposure”.

Belfast, Northern Ireland

What’s it like being an artist in Northern Ireland?

Well I love my work, my Job. It’s now a huge part of my life which I never would have thought back when I was a kid. I just love the great, creative people that you meet. That environment of just feeling like your where you’re supposed to be is beautiful and it’s great that it’s different every day. But of course there’s a bad side of everything. A lot of pressure is put on models especially in Northern Ireland for doing work for free even when you have years of experience behind you. There is also a lot of abuse regarding female creatives in the industry which seems to be all ‘hush hush’ in the country which definitely needs to change.

What came first: music or modeling?

The music. When I was young I always wanted a hobby that I could really get in to, and I loved music. I knew I wanted to play an instrument but couldn’t choose between guitar or drums. I happened to go to a drum lesson before I went to a guitar lesson and I fell in love with the drumming and when my drum teacher told me I was a natural, I knew I had to stick at it. I started drumming when I was eight years old.

I didn’t start modelling until I was about fourteen. You know when you have those random people on Facebook that you don’t necessarily know but there just there? I had a message from one of those random people, that turns out to be a photographer.

He messaged me saying he had a photoshoot coming up and was wanting to know if I was interested. I had no thought about modelling and I had no experience but the sound of a streetwear shoot sounding appealing to me so I took my chance and went for it. Then when we finished and put the images up on our social media’s our careers took of from there and the rest was history. Shout out to David for starting me off.

Do you ever compare the two mediums?

Sometimes. It’s often on my mind which I would like more. To be a famous drummer touring the world, or to be a supermodel working for big designer brands. I guess I’ll just have to wait and see what takes me further.

Do you have a preference on either?

I don’t think so. I used to prefer the modelling as the money was good and the band was struggling with booking gigs, getting money, and we were emptying our own pockets just to get a venue. But now the band has been taking off the past year and the money is good, the modelling is getting even better. So I’m at that happy stage with both but I know I want more success from both careers.

What are some of your favorite experiences?

I’ll start with a favorite experience with the band. We played a mini-tour all round the North and South of Ireland and we were wrapping it up 5 mins from my home, in Bangor where we had never played. We played a great gig and the crowd were amazing and we really enjoyed it. It was by far the best experience just knowing how far we had come from before.

I have had a lot of amazing experiences so far with the modelling but the thing I’m most proud of would have to be being the winner of Top Model Northern Ireland. Was a great experience and was very motivational for me and made me want to go further.

Modeling

How does modeling allow you to express yourself?

The modeling industry is a very creative space to be in so there’s always a way to express and show what you think without having to speak. Being a model does give you that boost of being self-confident without being big headed. There’s something about being in the studio or outside in the air that gives you space to do whatever you like, however you want to do it. It’s freedom of trying different things, whether it’s how you look, what you’re wearing, or how you feel.

What are some things you’ve learned?

The biggest thing would be that modeling isn’t easy. People have this misconception that I just show up, put on some clothes, stand there to get my picture taken, and then go home. In reality there is a lot of responsibility on a model to know how to pose and walk to fit the style of what’s being worn and what the message is you want to get across. Another thing would be that the industry is not all what it seems; there are a lot of people out there who abuse and use you for their own good and the only one that’s getting something out of it are them. There’s definitely a lot to be learned for anyone new coming into the industry.

What would you change?

I would love to put an end to the term ‘working for exposure’. It is a common thing especially in Northern Ireland for brands and business to ask models to shoot for their brand for free as it’s good exposure, instead of paying the model for the work they have done. It is currently a huge issue and has been for years and I have been spreading awareness about this over my social media pages and have been getting a lot of attention and messages regarding this.

Do you have any favorite shoots?

I enjoy all of the work I get as it’s all totally different! Some of my favourite work would have to be when I modelled some big named brands such as Gucci, Versace, Givenchy ect. I have also worked with famous barbers such as Leah Hayden Cassidy and Ollie Foster which were so fun. I enjoy doing shoots that are a bit ‘out there’ like a shoot I’ve done for the designer and magazine owner Beyond Man.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I have always wanted to push myself as far as I can go so I will be proud of myself if I manage to travel to places such as Milan, Tokyo, and Los Angeles for work. I would love to be able to see myself on billboards and in shops especially in my hometown. That would be pretty special.

Music

How does being a musician allow you to express yourself?

I think music is a great way to express yourself, and as a drummer I can tell how someone is feeling due to the way they play. It’s just a natural thing to put all of your anger into it if your frustrated. It sounds weird to say, but you can play an instrument to express your feelings of sadness. The same way you can tell if a musician is really enjoying themselves. It’s all in the way you play.

How have you grown as a musician?

When I was a starter drummer at eight years old, I would never have thought I would have drum grades and be able to teach the younger generation at the age of twenty one. I would never have thought I would be in a successful band with a bunch of great boys , headlining festivals and selling tshirts. I guess I have came a long way from being a kid who learnt to play the drums in someone’s shed.

What are some struggles you deal with?

I would have to say that motivation would be a big struggle of mine. I think you have to be in the right mindset to do something, or you will not do it well. And being a perfectionist I do not like playing when I’m frustrated. You constantly battle with yourself when trying to learn something new and it’s always a hard thing to face if it’s something you know you should love. I think everyone needs a break sometimes just to fall back Inlove with something and that’s what I had to do at one stage a few years back.

What the the ups and downs of collaborating with other band mates?

Collaborating with someone can be hard. Especially when you have to play with 3+ members at the same time. Music isn’t easy and it’s not always easy to put out your ideas and come together just to pick one. So I would definitely say it’s hard to come to a decision. There is a lot of positives with the same reasoning because if there’s four or more people in a room , there are going to be four or more completely different ideas of things that you wouldn’t have thought of. So it’s great to be able to see other peoples thinking process and how they come up with things.

Where do you see yourself with music?

I’m not too sure where I’ll be but I know where I would like to reach. I would just love to be touring the world playing wee tint bars to big stages in different country’s. That’s the dream.