She comes across as a warm, intelligent, creative, genuine spirit with a slightly cheeky sense of humour. Rain Francis, Tearaway's 30-year-old reigning chief from New Zealand has been in the top job since 2009. My decision to interview the Wanganui native was easily reached as I have been a contributing writer since 2008. While she has been making the crucial editorial decisions for almost two years, the bright blonde with the (determined) interest in surfing, has been involved with the title since she was a child.
Building a skill base
Suite101: How long have you been Tearaway's editor?
"Since May 2009, although I've been involved with the magazine in various capacities since I was a little kid. My parents founded the magazine so I literally grew up with it (the offices and our home were in the same building). When I was 13 I had a job opening hundreds of competition entries - this is back in the day when envelopes existed - then when I finished school I became Music Editor, and later Editorial Assistant. I lived overseas for many years and wrote occasionally from there, mostly doing band interviews and stuff, and when I came home Tearaway was in need of an Editor, so it was just kind of natural."
Suite101: Where were you placed before this?
"I actually have a double life and am also a dancer/choreographer (mostly ballet and contemporary), so before this I was dancing professionally and living overseas, in London, Dublin and Lisbon."
Words of wisdom
Suite101: What is the proudest moment in your professional career?
"Whenever I get feedback about the magazine, especially from people who have known it for years. Mum and Dad created something unique and with such good a good ethos, and it really touched and helped a lot of people. So I'm proud of them, and also to carry on what they started (they are no longer involved). I do my best to uphold the old Tearaway integrity and quality."
Suite101: What is the best quality that a hopeful writer/journalist can have in order to do well in this industry?
"It takes many qualities to produce good work, but the ones I most look for in Tearaway contributors are honesty, organisation, creative thinking, attention to detail and a sense of humour."
Eclectic musical taste
Suite101: What kind of music do you like?
"It's pretty varied. I love old jazz, rhythm and blues, Motown, funk, folk, rock, classical. The Pixies, The B52s and The Shins are some of my favourite bands ever. Anything that has a heart; so I'm not really a Top 40 kinda gal."
Suite101: What do you like to do in your downtime?
"Dance. Read. Get in a couch/duvet/DVD groove and stay there for awhile. Go to gigs and live performances. Surf (and when I say "surf", I mean flail about, getting tangled up in that cord thing that connects to your ankle. That's surfing, right? I suck at it, but I try)."
Aden Miles - Aden is a journalist, writer and artist with a passion for music, food and telling people's stories.
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