Hey Reddit,

My name's Alex Day - a couple weeks ago I posted the music video of my single 'Stupid Stupid' to r/music to see what you made of it. The song came out this week and looks set to become my third Top 20 single in twelve months, currently at #10 in the official UK charts - all without a record label, a manager or any PR or radio support. 50% of the profits of the song are being donated to Save The Children.

Ask me anything! :D I'm here from 20:00 until 00:00 GMT.

Proof is here

EDIT: 22:14PM, I need to head off early, I'm really sorry - thank you so much for engaging, it's been so much fun <3

Comments: 848 • Responses: 55  • Date: 

ElleTravi303 karma

Hey I'm the caller that requested your song on sunday...how much do you love me? hahaha

nerimon292 karma

OH MAN! Thank you so much <33 Seriously - you managed to do what I spent three months failing to do, get my song on the radio. Thank you! x

TheRealDealOneill185 karma

If charlie and you were in a domestic relationship, who would be the bottom bitch?

nerimon337 karma

Charlie.

I MEAN

ChilliStarta153 karma

Can I just say thank you for staying for about 4/5 hours. Normally people go after about 30 minutes.

nerimon126 karma

Of course! :)

JamRad114 karma

Hey Alex, love your music and videos in general, but my question to you today: WHEN YOU POOP, do you stand up or sit down to wipe?

When I asked Hank Green this, he said stand up, the weird individual.

nerimon175 karma

Yeah, I stand up.

boredlike102 karma

What inspired you to wear a Union Jack mankini in your Stupid Stupid video (seen by hundreds of thousands of people)?

nerimon372 karma

To me it was the most simple decision: the song is me calling people stupid. If I didn't turn it around and make myself look stupid, it'd seem arrogant.

So my thought process: 1) What would make me look stupid? 2) A union jack mankini.

Done.

Political_nonsense89 karma

Alex Richard George Day,

Is it true that you will be appearing in a Labour Party broadcast before the next election, despite your private support for Lib Dems during the 2010 election? Do you believe that Labour under Miliband is signifigantly different from the party under Brown?

nerimon70 karma

Haha - what? No, I'm not appearing in any broadcasts. I definitely think Labour under Miliband would be better than Cameron.

D179487 karma

Your song is just announced as Christmas no.1, officially. (I know you say it won't, but let's pretend) What 3 things do you do first?

Love your videos mate, they make me laugh.

nerimon157 karma

Cheers :)

  1. Open the champagne
  2. Make a thank-you video
  3. Email EVERYONE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Fletccch63 karma

How did you meet Charlie? :)

nerimon88 karma

Just on YouTube! :)

Zora-Link41 karma

Hey Alex! I love Stupid Stupid, I bought it on iTunes! My question is, which is your favourite episode of Doctor Who?

nerimon83 karma

Thank you so much <3 The Eleventh Hour is my favourite episode.

WhiteAndBlue8239 karma

ALEX! Which of your song's is your favourite?

nerimon86 karma

Good Morning Sunshine and an unreleased one called I've Got What It Takes :)

acciodoublestuf33 karma

Hey Alex! I think what you're doing is incredible! I know this AMA is about your solo music BUT is there anything new going on with Chameleon Circuit? Also, would the band ever try for the Christmas #1 the way you are now?

nerimon37 karma

Thanks :) CC is just a fun side-project for us all so it'll never have that kind of attention put on it, but I'm sure we'll do something new at some point.

iamconorwilson33 karma

Two questions:

1) Would you ever do a tour around the UK?

2) Who is your biggest musical influence?

Stupid Stupid is amazing by the way (As are all of your songs). I really hope it gets high in the charts!

nerimon52 karma

1) Perhaps! 2) The Beatles and Michael Jackson.

Thanks very much :D

dougja32 karma

Oh hey! Always wondered, do you intentionally wear such crazy clothes to help you stand out in order to get more attention (hence more subscribers/sales) and gain further reach with your personal brand? You never used to a few years ago, so what changed?

nerimon73 karma

Not at all - what changed was me. You grow, you change. I've gone through a lot of style changes: used to be big loose open t-shirts, then tight bright t-shirts in pinks and greens and purples, and now the black and white patterned stuff. Not to mention my hairstyle changes. I really don't think dressing like I do helps with my subscribes and music sales. If anything it probably puts people off!

deathbyhomework28 karma

Hi! I love writing songs, but they always just suddenly come to me, and I can never just write a song when I want to. Is there any way to increase my song-Eureka moments?

nerimon43 karma

I had a period during the summer when I devoted 30 minutes a day to working on music. Even if I was feeling completely uninspired. Forcing yourself to work through it can result in some great stuff. Good Morning Sunshine, my next single I've Got What It Takes and a couple other songs came out of those sessions.

TheBakedPotato27 karma

Did you know that on iTunes there are already rip-off "tributes" to Stupid Stupid? I think that's 'making it' if anything is.

nerimon30 karma

Ha, yeah, they have AWFUL fake English accents. I'd love to know who makes those, cos they have to basically mimic EVERY pop song effectively and they put so much effort in.

Maawong26 karma

I returned to your videos after taking some exams, what's the deal with the flower and static noises at the end of most of your videos?

nerimon27 karma

Ha - I answered this in my last AMA but people still ask. It's a finishing stamp.

citinsummik24 karma

[deleted]

nerimon29 karma

Haha - yeah, I've had a couple bad days this year. The evening after Stupidfest was pretty grim - I just had to accept that I'd failed in front of everyone and there was nothing I could do about it. I'm feeling better knowing I'm still in the top ten :D

cestchristina23 karma

Are you still following the no soap hygiene regime and if so how is it working now that you've had a decent amount of time to live with it?

nerimon34 karma

I am, and it's great! I shower every other day, my hair and skin still feels and looks and smells great.

Sniper_Echo21 karma

Hey Alex, just seen your video and wanted to let you know that such a massive donation to Save The Children is great! Really awesome thing to do man.

Started watching you on YouTube, me and my friend stumbled upon pokemon what happened to you, and ever since supported your mad antics to get in the charts. As someone who doesn't like 90% of the music in the charts, it's a great feeling knowing the internet can help lift people like you to achieve these huge goals, and having decent music helps too!

My questions are!

  1. What is the biggest "WTF" moment in your career so far?

  2. What is the weirdest thing a fan has sent you in the mail?

  3. If you had the opportunity, would you change any big aspect of your life/career?

Thanks mate! All the best for sunday.

nerimon41 karma

Thank you so much! :) I really appreciate it.

Biggest WTF moment - I think on Sunday when I was told I was beating One Direction in the charts and the audience went CRAZY with cheering (instead of revolting against me like I expected). I actually don't have a fanmail address cos I find it weird to encourage strangers to send me gifts. If I could change any big aspect of my career, I'd have radio play my songs!

Whatidiottookmyname21 karma

Do you reddit often?

nerimon71 karma

I wish I did it more. I really like r/minimalism and r/productivity.

ERMAGURDBEN20 karma

How did you first get into YouTube?

nerimon53 karma

I was bored and should have been revising :)

Ermahgerdrerdert20 karma

What do you sing in the shower?

nerimon35 karma

I have a big Spotify playlist which I put on shuffle and sing to. At the moment I'm listening to a lot of Christmas stuff :)

liam_jm18 karma

What are the future plans for Sopio?

nerimon41 karma

We're working on Deck 5 (theme: Sopio In Space) right now :D

13isaluckynumber17 karma

Hi Alex, Do you read poetry?

nerimon66 karma

I love Walt Whitman :D

HarvcoreRobin16 karma

Who are your major inspirations in the way of music?

nerimon36 karma

Michael Jackson for production, The Beatles for melodic style, Green Day for energy :)

_River_Song_13 karma

Hey Alex! Just have to ask - what's been your strangest fan encounter? (really hoping it wasn't me.....)

nerimon37 karma

A girl once gave me an apple along with a condom and her phone number sellotaped to the side. (My first question: why the apple?)

TheProstateKid12 karma

Have you ever considered that the reason why your music doesn't do well on a consistent basis, and have to resort to questionable loopholes and your already large fan-base as a consequence, is not because you're an independent musician, but because your music just isn't very good?

nerimon14 karma

You clearly have.

nerimon13 karma

Also my music DOES do well on a consistent basis. I've sold 300,000 downloads in the last twelve months and have charted higher than any other independent musician in the world. I'd say I'm doing alright.

Thornton312 karma

Where did you get those crazy jeans?

nerimon16 karma

H&M and American Apparel!

daleksupreme0811 karma

The song is at #59 on iTunes currently, what will you do if you miss the Top 40 entirely with this song?

nerimon34 karma

I definitely won't miss the Top 40 - my song's already sold enough to be in the Top 40. The iTunes charts isn't reflective of the UK charts. I'm at #10 on the UK charts. Remember all of the other remixes and the physical CD sales all count and they don't show up on the iTunes chart.

bopsterjazz11 karma

Are you going to release I've Got What It Takes?

nerimon23 karma

Yes! It's all recorded and done.

Anjello10 karma

Hi Alex! I used to be a pretty avid musician myself and I have a question. Do you sometimes feel disappointed in your progress as a musician and how do you deal with unsatisfactory moments?

nerimon26 karma

I always feel disappointed that I'm not where I want to be: how I deal with it is by working hard. The whole Rafiki thing: I can either run from it or learn from it.

LLBee10 karma

Who are you backing for Christmas No.1 this year? Other than yourself, of course.

Cheers for the AMA by the way Alex!

nerimon19 karma

James Arthur has it, I think - and well deserved, I think his track is really great. And of course, no problem :D

RockalApple10 karma

Hi Alex! Congrats on #10!

How excited are you about Ben Cook's "Becoming YouTube" series? How did that come about? Was he a friend of yours originally or did he just have some brilliant plan to create a YouTube documentary and wanted you to be a part of it?

nerimon15 karma

Becoming YouTube is AMAZING! I love it. Yes I've been friends with him for a while, as have most of the YouTubers, which is most of the reason he decided to do it: he was uniquely connected to do so.

MadWooookie9 karma

You should sing fairy tale of new york with carrie, how about it?

nerimon24 karma

Haha - only if I can do it the same way I did it in my video.

AntSmith179 karma

Do you think it's possible to achieve a number 1 in the UK charts without being signed to a major label? If so can you be the one to do it?

nerimon45 karma

I currently hold the Guinness World Record for charting without a label (my song last year got to #4) - so I have the best chance! :)

IrnBilbie9 karma

When did you get your newer t-shirts? Also, I miss the roadmap :(

nerimon7 karma

Topman mostly :)

guiglogirl8 karma

How long did it take to create the music video for Stupid Stupid, and what do your family think of it? :)

nerimon5 karma

About five hours - the quickest video shoot yet. And they all loved it :D

zipgunonparade7 karma

What'd you think of the three new Green Day albums/do you have a favorite song off of them? Assuming you've heard them.....

nerimon6 karma

I wasn't impressed. DOS was my favourite and the lead single from it (something Heart - Stray Heart?) was my favourite of that.

rachelrainbown_n7 karma

i met you at SITC back in 2010 and along with Tino i think your one of the nicest youtubers, stupid stupid isnt my favourite song but i still plan on buying the physical from hmv purely because of how nice you are to your fans n_n good luck for the number 1 and congrats on top 10 at least

nerimon10 karma

Thank you very much! That's really kind of you :)

meetmeindisneyland7 karma

Do you plan on coming out with a full-length album again anytime soon?

nerimon9 karma

Next year :)

tineyeit7 karma

What happened to your second channel?

nerimon38 karma

Second channel?

dietcoke2817 karma

When's VLR coming back? It's only my favourite podcast.

nerimon7 karma

When I have time to edit it instead of trying to break music - sorry! I love it too :)

I_Wanna_Be_A_Website6 karma

In your last AMA you mentioned a song about being stuck in a video game, can you tell us anything more about that or has it been shelved for stupid stupid?

nerimon17 karma

Yes! It's called Don't Let The World Turn Past Me. It's about what a video game protagonist thinks when the console is turned off and he/she's just frozen, out of control, waiting to fulfil his destiny but unsure if he/she ever will. It'll be out next year not as a single but as part of my full-length I hope.

PatrickAnimi6 karma

You're well known for fucking with your audience and having a lot of the dumb shits believe it - what's been your favourite troll? I'm personally partial to the alleged pornhub video between you and Carrie.

nerimon12 karma

Ha, yeah - Carrie's dad sent her a text message that day which scared the shit out of me. I haven't made any jokes like that since then.

I think my favourite one is the 'cancelled by Fox' line.

EnjoiThatMosh6 karma

Hey Alex, I'm a huge fan! Just wondering whether you were planning on going to MCM in May and if you have any other new songs planned? A new album maybe? Thanks!

nerimon10 karma

I wanna release a full-length next year :)

Esp33n6 karma

Hey Alex,

I know we aren't quite there yet but as you've said it seems unlikely you'll manage #1 this year, thoughts on what happened this year vs last?

nerimon17 karma

Last year was the first time we did this. Everyone saw it as a fun one-off thing to try. I didn't: I saw it as my first big single of many. But I think for most people the 'novelty' of trying to get songs in the charts has worn off.

BoardBuster455 karma

When did you first decide to become a musician and how did you go about doing that?

nerimon7 karma

It wasn't a decision, really. I couldn't help wanting to. I bought my first guitar at 15 and just started writing songs.

lethargicwalrus5 karma

What do you attribute your incredible success to?

nerimon14 karma

Hard work, good songs and the kindness of my audience :)

piplupable5 karma

[deleted]

nerimon4 karma

Acoustic guitar, £35 that my nan bought for me as a Christmas present :)

kaisco5 karma

[deleted]

nerimon10 karma

Most of my singles all put together would be enough for an album, so I could release all those together but I doubt people would get much out of that.

jokygabble4 karma

Hi, Alex! What do you eat for breakfast on a normal day?

Cheers.

nerimon11 karma

Four scrambled eggs :)

CoheedAndKombucha4 karma

If you could collaborate with any Youtuber, be it a musician to record a song or an entertainer to make a video, who would you choose?

nerimon9 karma

Boh3m3!

Pogobat3 karma

What type of MTG deck you running these days?

nerimon7 karma

Since RTR I've been playing a Golgari deck focused on +1 counters and a few scavenge creatures, but when Gatecrash comes out I'm sure some of the blue will creep back in (I identify most with Simic).

synonimical3 karma

Whhoooaaaa.....I don't really know what to ask you...I'm a massive fan! This is really exciting!!!

Oh wait I've got a question...Why did you bulk buy condoms and then show them all in your bedside drawer in a video? Just curious :)

nerimon24 karma

Well, I think it's pretty obvious why I bought them ...