1646 - Issue 1

Louison Thépaut, Loïc Pohl, Matt Herbert and Alfie Brown 2018 leavers, Louison, Loïc, Matt and Alfie make up The Mangoes. Formed during their time at Reading Blue Coat, the band were a popular feature in Reading before heading to university last year. After they left Reading Blue Coat, their headline show at The Facebar on A Level results night was a gig not to forget and the band have also released the EP, Chapter 2 . Louison says: ‘The Mangoes were formed in Year 9 at Reading Blue Coat and have since released two albums: Peaches n Cream and Chapter 2 . During its final year at Reading Blue Coat, the band made regular appearances at The Facebar in Reading. Although all members have moved to different universities, the band has stuck together and looks to carry on playing gigs in the holiday periods. Hopefully more new music will be released and the band will keep on improving and developing in the years to come.’ Fraser T Smith As a producer and songwriter, Grammy and Novello Award-winning Fraser T Smith (leaver 1987) is the mastermind behind some of your favourite tracks. Last year, Smith worked with the likes of TomGrennan, Craig David, Stormzy, Not3s and Nina Nesbitt, as well as playing a role in creating Dave’s viral track Funky Friday , which went to Number 1 in the UK. Tarun Puri Old Blue of 2017, Tarun Puri is currently studying at Birmingham University, as well as releasing his own music. 2018 has seen recognition from BBC Introducing, the release of debut EP 1999 and even a collaboration with current student Harry Kirkwood on new track Lose My Mind . ‘The last year has been amazing for me, as I’ve released all my music in 2018. It’s been amazing to see how people have really understood what I’m trying to say and taken a liking to my work. Making music has given me so much confidence and freedom to carry on making art I love. Music is a huge part of my everyday life and it’s what I  truly enjoy doing. My best is yet to come.’ Alex Lewis After leaving Reading Blue Coat in 2010, Alex Lewis went on to set up his own record company in 2016. Now managing exciting talent such as James Vickery and Only Girl, Lemon Records is moving from strength to strength under the Old Blue’s guidance. ‘I set up my own Record Label and Management Company about two years agowhile I was working at Sony Music in London. I recently quit my job to work for myself full-time, which has been really exciting. Since leaving, I have been lucky enough to travel to Belgium, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Beijing, Los Angeles and even Iceland with my artists, and we are just about to sign one with a successful US label which has always been a goal of mine. Working for myself in the music industry is a constant challenge, but extremely rewarding and I am loving every single day!’ Having edited the School’s Aldworthian magazine, Old Blue Toby Bryant left the School in 2016. Still studying at Newcastle University, he has gone on to work with publications at The Daily Mirror , The Daily Mail , British Rowing and NME . Rhythm Last year saw Toby edit the music section for Newcastle University’s award-winning student newspaper, The Courier . His work was acknowledged with awards for Section of the Year 2018, as-well-as Sports Writer of the Year 2018, at the university’s annual end-of-year honours. Over the years, Reading Blue Coat has certainly not been short on the number of pupils who have gone on to make an impact in the music industry. From a sold-out headline show in one of London’s most prestigious venues to an A Level results night gig in Reading, Toby writes about what former students have worked on in 2018. 1 4