What’s your idea of a top Christmas?
I love snow and being from the [American] South, we don’t get it that often.
What have been your best and worst Christmases?
My dad owned his own business – it’s like a car audio shop, where he puts radios in people’s cars. And my mom’s a teacher. A few years back, when we moved to Tennessee so my dad could try and start a new shop, everything kind of fell apart and my family had it really tough. We weren’t able to really buy each other Christmas gifts for a couple of years. It was hard. But a couple of years ago everything started working out. My dad went back to Mississippi to start a business and my mom got a new job. We were all together for the first time in a while on Christmas and we were able to actually get each other little things. It was awesome.
What is the favourite gift you have ever had?
Last year my mom got me cooking lessons. I still am a terrible cook, but that was really cool. It maybe was kind of insulting but I think that made it even funnier.
Christmas songs cause controversy – which ones are your top turkeys and which are top of your tree?
I hate ‘Little Drummer Boy’ – that song is obnoxious and terrible. I don’t know if this is wrong but I love Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas is You’ – it’s so genius. It’s so cheesy, it’s perfect. I just rebought it because I couldn’t find my old copy.
What will you be doing this year for Christmas and New Year?
I have family in three different states now: Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky. The cool thing is they’re all pretty close so I’m going to be able to drive to each one. I’m trying to see everyone and hang out – and maybe apply my cooking skills that I’ve learned!
Now we’re at the end of the noughties, what do you think was the key moment and movement of the last decade?
The political one is obvious for us in America – we got the first African American president, which I think is amazing. That’s not even just the most important moment of the last decade, it’s a huge moment in history.
What was your own best moment of the last decade?
Knocking Madonna off the top of the chart is about as cool as it gets [Paramore’s Brand New Eyes flicked Madonna’s greatest hits collection from the top of the UK charts in October].
What are your aims for the next decade?
In 10 years’ time I wanna be still playing music and having fun with my friends.
(First published in The Big Issue in December 2009)