“Nobody here’s a hipster – I’m the fucking hipster”. So says Darren Hayman, sat in one of the venerable carriages of the Epping to Ongar Heritage railway, where we caught up with him during a session doing voluntary work. The railway, which once formed part of London’s Central Line, is run by volunteers like Darren, who turn up when they can to keep the track and rolling stock going. As Darren explains, for him this isn’t nostalgia for a “chocolate box” historical past, but a love of the machines themselves: “it’s beautiful to have old things come alive, it’d be good if it served function”. It rather reflects the attitude of his unsentimental approach to history in albums like The Violence, about the seventeenth century East Anglian witch trials, or his current Thankful Villages trilogy.We find out about how a trip to the railway will help Hayman work out exactly what’s needed with a new drum pattern, and what motivates him to do the work. “I’ve always liked the difference between the healthy enthusiast and the fanatic,” he says, “I love what trains stand for, this great age of public transportation”.
To read our profile of Darren Hayman, visit the Lush website. The Quietus at Leisure was produced by Luke Turner and shot and edited by Ethan Reid. The series is produced in association with Lush.
