The ultimate quick fire questionnaire for the music and creative minded!  

We get under the skin of some of our favourite directors, musicians and bands to reveal what makes them tick musically and creatively, from their favourite band to the latest book in their hand!

THE REST is made up of life long friends Alex Motlhabane & Lewis Levi, who after shooting a series of short films surrounding British youth culture set themselves on a trajectory to music video stardom. As creative directors they built slowthai's unique visual identity from the ground up whilst also managing him as an artist. Now, having carved a name for themselves with genre-defying films they attract massive artists such as beabadoobee, Skepta and A$AP Rocky, all coming to The Rest for their brilliantly distinctive style.

The guys spill all on their earliest records, their last pre-lockdown gigs and dream music videos, here on Quick Fire 15...

1. What bands or artists are you listening to most right now? 

A. Reggie, James Blake, Brent Fayaiz, The Sundays, Yves Tumor, Don Toliver.

L. Unreleased slowthai, King Krule, Ethan P.Flynn, Nemahsis, and Fontaines DC.

2. What was the first record you bought? 

A. I lived off of bootlegs, mixtapes, and my older cousins collection for a long time but it was probably Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP when it came out.

L. With my own money? Showtime by Dizzee Rascal.

3. Favourite podcast? 

A. Dissect Podcast.

L. Akimbo by Seth Godin, or How I Built This.

4. What was the last gig you saw? 

A. I think it was FKA Twigs at Brixton Academy.

L. No idea, feels like a lifetime ago but somewhere Slowthai was.

5. Favourite album cover? 

A. There’s a lot that I feel like I can’t remember right now but Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and The Who Sells Out sticks out to me right now.

L. To Pimp A Butterfly, Yeezus, TYRON, Nothing Great About Britain, or/and Boy In Da Corner. 

6. What's your go-to karaoke song? 

A. Never done karaoke, but maybe Creep by Radiohead.

L. No karaoke for me.

7. If you could direct a music video for any artist/band, who would it be? 

A. This is always a difficult question to answer cause there’s many other variables to me wanting to work on something other than just the musicians. I’d love to continue working with slowthai, beabadoobee, Skepta. I’d like to work with Oliver Malcolm and Lord Apex too.

L. Already love working with slowthai, but Kanye West or Radiohead.

8. What song gets you dancing in your living room? 

A. Ke Star by Focalistic.

L. Uman by Kokoroko.

9. Film director idol?

A. Wes Anderson, Spike Jonze & Michel Gondry.

L. Wes Anderson, because he inspired me from the start.

10. Favourite music video? 

A. So many, but for something more recent Dangerous by Schoolboy Q. I always come back to Come Into My World by Kylie Minogue & Got Til It’s Gone by Janet Jackson though.

L. Ever? Damn. No idea. Today I'll say Flashing Lights by Kanye West.

11. Favourite movie and soundtrack? 

A. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of my favourite films and changed the way I look at cinema. Favourite soundtrack may be High Fidelity. If Beale Street Could Talk is a beautiful score though.

L. Another loaded question... today I'll say The Matrix. Soundtrack? Something by Wes Anderson.

12. What can’t you live without? 

A. An internet connection. 

L. Freedom

13. What are you reading at the moment? 

A. I’m reading wikipedia more than anything at the moment but The Tanning of America by Mim Michael Rivas & Steve Stoute is on stand by. 

L. The Almanac of Naval Ravikant

14. Greatest influence on your career? 

A. My own life & obsessions.

L. Every day life

15. What band / artist is your guilty pleasure? 

A. Don’t believe in guilty pleasures, you should always try to embrace the things you like.

Thanks guys!!