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Waterparks' Awsten Knight: How I'm Surviving Self-Isolation

The Waterparks vocalist reveals how he's keeping his mind of the coronavirus pandemic while stuck inside

With the world turned topsy-turvy thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, millions of us have been urged to remain indoors and self-isolate to avoid catching the disease and spreading it to others. But on earth do you pass the time when going outside isn't an option? You find a hobby, like Waterparks' Awsten Knight is doing.

"If I have something I’m working on that I can get totally into, time goes very quick," he tells Kerrang!. "But if you’re just sitting around or doing a bunch of small things, like, ‘I’m gonna clean this table’, even though it’s productive you notice how bored you are after a few things. But if I’m doing a demo or something I’m into, I’ll get lost in it for hours. I’ll look up and be like, ‘How is it 2am?!’ Time just goes.”

Here's how Awsten is wiling away the hours of self-isolation before being allowed to tour again.

Making Music

“I’ve had more time to try creative things, sound-wise. Normally if I have an idea for something musically, I’ll sit there and be like, ‘I have to get to the end of this and make it wound as good as possible.’ But right now, I’m kind of just fucking around and making weird sounding things, so hopefully that turns into something cool.”

Making Clothes

“I’ve had time to study clothing. Designing, you know? Not merch, but an actual clothing line – fashion. I’ve been having ideas and designing stuff that’s going to get made. I started drawing things, but then I moved it to Photoshop to make it more organised. I’ve got some books on it, trying to figure it all out. It’s cool, it’s fun, it’s a new thing.”

Re-Watching Classic Shows

“I restarted watching Prison Break. I started it in, like, 2011 or 2012. Now I’m redoing it. Nothing has ever made me more stressed than that show! Getting back into old stuff is really cool if you haven’t watched it in a while. It’s not like movies where you know every line or something – with TV, there’s literally days worth of one show, so even if you know what happens, it feels fresh.”