Interview - Sweet Boy
Sweet Boy, hello lovely, welcome my love to Spill the Tea!
To start, how did you get into drag?
Thank you for having me! I’ve been dyiiiiiing to ride on this queer train. A lot of my passion for drag comes from my mum, she was a big supporter of anything I done, but unfortunately she passed away Jan 2020 after a short but feisty battle with Cancer. She didn't get a chance to see my drag because I didn’t start until June 2020. She used to throw fancy dress parties for every birthday, and she’d always have the most iconic costume, so ever since a child me and my family were big on dressing up. Then in my late teens I turned to cosplay, and that got me into making my own costumes and such. Next up was drag, I was in lockdown feeling sorry for myself in a retail job and mourning the passing of my mum, so I needed something creative to put my mind to, and as an already big fan of drag I knew exactly where to turn.
“Oh, that boy volunteers here? Isn’t he such a sweet boy!” - this always stuck with me, I am a sweet boy, I always will aim to be a good and sweet person. Cut to 6 years later, deciding a drag name, it hit me straight away: Sweet Boy”
How did you choose your Drag name?
Okay so this is a fun one! Let me set the scene: Summer of 2014, I’m in College and have some free time on weekends, so I start volunteering at an RSPCA Charity shop. I used to stay behind after the shop closed to change the window displays every week, which I think is where my interest in fashion and clothing stemmed from. Anyway, working in the shop often came with a lot of praise from older ladies that volunteered there and shopped there too, “Oh, that boy volunteers here? Isn’t he such a sweet boy!” - this always stuck with me, I am a sweet boy, I always will aim to be a good and sweet person. Cut to 6 years later, deciding a drag name, it hit me straight away: Sweet Boy.
How would you describe your Drag style?
Hmmm, good question! I’ve been described as a glam clown before, so let's say that! I think I’ve only recently started to actually find my style, It took a while to get there. I’m most known for being a connoisseur of party hats, and that only began as I made a party hat for one look, loved it, so it did it more, and now here we are! I’ll soon be making custom party hats on my etsy, so here's a little tease at that I guess!
I must say I love the wide variety of looks you share on your page. I think you deserve so much credit for putting out fun / different creative looks. How do you go about choosing what to create?
Thank you so much! A lot of the variety is from me trying many different things to discover what I like, and what I think suits Sweet Boy. From January to March 2021 I competed in a digital drag competition called Rose Ball which gave me weekly challenges and themes to create looks to, which really helped me discover my aesthetic, and grow a lot as an artist. Other than that, I take a lot of inspiration from nostalgic cartoons such as Powerpuff Girls, Scooby Doo and Kim Possible. I often get a lot of my drag from charity shops or random pieces I find in my flat and use that as an anchor point to create a whole look based around. It’s a great way to give yourself a starting point for a new look.
You are very lucky to have your partner photograph you for our Instagram… which we must firstly say CONGRATS on the engagement! Sorry, back to questions, when shooting who’s the boss or is there equal input?
Ahhhhh my lovely fiance Brad! He’s great. We’ve always been super close of course, but since I started Drag we’ve really been able to connect and collaborate which has just been the most amazing thing. I'm very grateful to have someone like him to work with, it’s like Sweet Boy is a joint project of ours at times. and THANK YOU! Oh how I wish I was back in the mountains on our engagement day. But yes, questions, right. I think it comes down to the shoot. Some shoots are more Brad’s idea so he takes charge, and sometimes it’s something I’ve got in mind so I’ll take charge, and sometimes it’s both!
What is your go to lip sync song?
Anything by Qveen Herby. If you haven’t listened to Qveen Herby, take a short break from reading this interview and treat yourself to a listen, go crazy! I’d recommend a song but there’s too many bops to choose from. Anyway, I love to do a lip sync to Qveen Herby songs, and she’s just released her debut album which I’m obsessed with, so you can expect a good few lip syncs to come from me to tracks from the album, “A Woman”.
When on stage what do you love most about it?
I haven’t performed live yet! I’m still waiting for that opportunity to get up in front of a crowd and make a fool of myself. I’ve actually just moved to Manchester, so plenty more opportunities up here for me, so maybe soon! I do a lot of digital performances, which ties in well with my University degree in Film Production. I tend to do a lot with lighting and editing to enhance my performances as I’m not a dancer and I’m still very much learning to walk in heels! Maybe I shouldn’t be admitting that...
Shout out time! What one other Queen, King or queer performer deserves a shout out from you?
Oh gosh! There’s so many I wanna say… I’m gonna go with one of my best judy’s, Sperm Donna! The winner of Rose Ball Season 1, and one of the first drag artists to encourage me and my drag. We’re now super close, and we just hosted a show together for my birthday in april, “suchasweetbash”! Sperm Donna is insanely talented, a jaw-dropping performer, and has such a unique and interesting style. I can see big things in the future for her! Truly an icon.
Where can people find you on social media?
Oh it’s the end already?! Well, it’s been great! Thank you so much for having me!
Image credit with thanks Brad Lacey