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KENNY HOLLAND // 26
MY SILENT BRAVERY // 24
G MATTHEWS // 16
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ISSUE THREE TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 // LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 5 // STAFF PLAYLIST 6 // MUSIC REVIEWS AJR My Chemical Romance My Silent Bravery Famous Last Words Streets of Laredo Frank Iero 8 // SHOW REVIEWS LANY & Transviolet The Summer Set Yellowcard
STAFF
11 // CONCERT ETIQUETTE 12 // LIVE PHOTOS Finish Ticket LANY Against the Current Kenny Holland The Story So Far Alex Mullins and the Royal 16 // INTERVIEWS G Matthews Foreign Figures Kenzie Moore My Silent Bravery Kenny Holland 30 // MOST ANTICIPATED
FOUNDER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Rachel Leonard CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Mykell Bowden, Lanie Davis, Emily Jacks, Rachel Leonard, Sydney Maes, Marisa Neil FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHERS: Haylee Finn, Rachel Leonard, Amanda Puglisi, Gabbe Yoder GRAPHIC DESIGN: Jessica Pulos LAYOUT: Rachel Leonard
If you are interested in joining our staff or having your work featured in an upcoming issue, please email us at aspectsmagazine@gmail.com.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Issue number three. This is still really cool to me. There are a couple new things we tried with this issue. Our playlists are now on Spotify for your listening pleasure! You can find the link on our Twitter or click the link on the next page. We’ve also welcomed a few new staff members, which is always exciting. As always, please contact us if you’re interested in working with us. You can email us at aspectsmagazine@gmail.com or go to our Twitter and fill out our new application! As always, thank you to all of my hard-working staff and to the incredibly talented musicians that we were fortunate enough to work with this issue. Enjoy! -Rachel Leonard
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STAFF PLAYLIST
“THIS MUST BE MY DREAM” - THE 1975 “ILYSB - STRIPPED” - LANY “BEST SUMMER EVER” - BRIAN WIGHT “OUT OF IT” - MOTHICA “PERFECT ILLUSION” - LADY GAGA “KNOTS” - SPEAK LOW IF YOU SPEAK LOVE “THIS TOWN” - NIALL HORAN “HURRICANE” - ALEX MARSHALL “THE OCEAN” - TOKYO POLICE CLUB “ALL MY FRIENDS” - THE SUMMER SET “KNOT IN MY HEART” - THE ZOLAS “BODY MOVES” - DNCE “PRETTY GIRL” - HAYLEY KIYOKO “TAKE ME” - ALEX & SIERRA “RUIN” - SHAWN MENDES “BODY LANGUAGE” - BKLYN. “TWIST” - NATHAN SYKES “BITTER SALT” - JAKE BUGG “FAVORITE” - NICKI MINAJ “I CAN MAKE YOU FEEL YOUNG AGAIN” - COPELAND “UNDEFEATABLE” - YOUNG RISING SONS “SOMETHING” - JULIEN BAKER “LEAVE A LIGHT ON” - YELLOWCARD “COME HANG OUT” - AJR “JUST WANT TO MAKE IT NEW WITH YOU” - SOKO “OTHER KIDS” - BEFORE YOU EXIT
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MUSIC R AJR - “WHAT EVERYONE’S THINKING” SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 VIA AJR PRODUCTIONS
“AJR started going viral with their song ‘I’m Ready’ which was originally released in 2013. They started gaining massive amounts of fans, but they are much more than their radio single. Their newest EP, What Everyone’s Thinking, stays true to their fun loving pop vibe. It explores a little more ‘grown up’ concepts like marijuana legalization in ‘No Grass Today’ & figuring out who you are in a world of media expectations in ‘Turning Out.’ There isn’t a bad song on the EP. My favorite is definitely ‘Turning Out,’ which is the ballad of the EP & really showcases their vocal talents. I would highly recommend checking out the EP and, if you like what you hear, go catch them on tour with Ingrid Michaelson through the middle of November.” - Mykell Bowden
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE - “THE BLACK PARADE/LIVING WITH GHOSTS (10TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION)” SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 VIA REPRISE RECORDS
“2016 marks the ten-year anniversary of My Chemical Romance’s third album The Black Parade. Although the emo rockers split in 2013, they rereleased the classic album on September 23, along with eleven previously unreleased demos and rough mixes. ‘Not That Kind of Girl,’ ‘Party at the End of the World,’ ‘Emily,’ and ‘All the Angels’ ultimately didn’t make the cut in 2006, but their presence on Living With Ghosts gives fans something that tastes like new material. These previously unheard songs appear alongside early versions of Parade favorites such as ‘Mama,’ ‘House of Wolves,’ ‘Famous Last Words’ (under the title ‘The Five of Us Are Dying’) and ‘Disenchanted.’ Demos of Parade bonus tracks ‘Kill All Your Friends’ and ‘My Way Home Is Through You’ also feature. For die-hard MCR fans, The Black Parade/Living With Ghosts is worth the buy.” - Marisa Neil
MY SILENT BRAVERY - “BREAKTHROUGH” SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 VIA PUREVOLUME
“Boston based singer/songwriter My Silent Bravery premiered his album Breakthrough via PureVolume before its release via online music distributors on September 28th. Featuring accessible lyrical content, these songs will find a home amongst many listeners. Having worked with producers who list work with Elton John, Joss Stone, and Avril Lavigne amongst their credits, these songs reflect the high production quality that one would expect from that caliber of artist. Along with the touching and heartfelt lyrical content, these songs also feature a fantastic range of emotions, but overall has a very uplifting and positive undertone running throughout all of the songs. This album is one not to be missed and will be enjoyed by many different audiences, all of whom will find something to which they can relate to or be inspired by.” - Emily Jacks
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REVIEWS FAMOUS LAST WORDS - “THE INCUBUS” SEPTEMBER 30, 2016 VIA REVIVAL RECORDINGS
“Michigan post-hardcore 5-piece, Famous Last Words, released their third
studio album on September 30, 2016 to rave reviews. The band artfully gives listeners a narrative more so than just an album. The Incubus delves into a story of sexual/domestic abuse, which makes it a very important album to be listened to. Their sound parallels that of The Used and early Set It Off with a bit of a harder edge. They have a very complex musical style that begs to be listened to as they tell the story they’ve obviously carefully cultivated.” - Mykell Bowden
STREETS OF LAREDO - “WILD” OCTOBER 21, 2016
“Brooklyn-based group Streets of Laredo released their newest album, Wild, on October 21. The indie-folk band caught attention of listeners everywhere with their debut album Volume I & II and their follow-up LP doesn’t fall short on expectations. Wild contains a song for any kind of mood, with slower songs like ‘Laying Low’ and ‘Gold’ mixed in with catchy jams like ‘Silly Bones.’ With a sound that is bound to stick with you, Streets of Laredo is a group to keep your eye on.” - Rachel Leonard
FRANK IERO AND THE PATIENCE - “PARACHUTES” OCTOBER 28, 2016 VIA VAGRANT RECORDS
“Former My Chemical Romance guitarist Frank Iero’s latest effort hits us hard with loud, passionate punk. Frank Iero and the Patience is a reincarnation of Iero’s previous outfit frnkiero andthe cellabration, and Parachutes is the follow-up to 2014’s Stomachaches. With the newest album, Iero continues to prove that he has plenty of great songs still in him after My Chem’s 2013 breakup. The sound of the new album is clearer than its predecessor, from the guitars to the vocals, but loses none of Stomachaches’s catharsis. Tracks like ‘I’m A Mess,’ ‘Oceans,’ and ‘Remedy’ stand out most strongly as the album’s singles, but nothing sounds like filler. Unfortunately, Frank Iero and the Patience had to cancel the remainder of their tour after a bus accident in Australia a few weeks before Parachutes’ release on October 28. The Aspects Magazine staff wishes a speedy recovery to the band and crew members.” - Marisa Neil
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SHOW R LANY & TRANSVIOLET
Three-piece indie-pop band LANY are no strangers to Salt Lake City. After only a couple of shows there, they became a popular name around town with concerts that were known to sell out quickly. After seeing them grow WORDS & PHOTO BY RACHEL LEONARD from a 200-capacity garage to a 1,200-capacity venue in less than a year, I was excited to witness what all of the talk was about when the band stopped at Salt Lake’s The Depot on their “kinda tour” this fall.
THE KINDA TOUR
Opening bands can often be hit-or-miss, but LANY’s opener Transviolet made an obvious impact on the crowd. Vocalist Sarah McTaggart kept the audience’s attention, despite the technical difficulties with the microphone at the beginning of the band’s set. McTaggart along with band members Judah McCarthy, Michael Panek, and Jon Garciao drew the crowd in with their alternative indie-electronic style that’s a bit hard to pin-point. Songs like “Bloodstream” and the band’s new single “Future” stood out amongst some of their other, more well-known songs like “New Bohemia” and “Girls Your Age.” During the break between sets, the audience began to get restless waiting for the lights to dim. When they finally did, they crowd viewed a video of Whitney Houston singing the national anthem. After the audience did a quick “USA!” chant, LANY stepped onstage and broke into “4EVER!,” the first song off their I Loved You. EP followed by “yeah, babe, no way,” all of which was sung word for word by the crowd in front of them. Their fifteen-song set covered the majority of their discography and kept the audience intrigued by mixing upbeat dance jams with slower, piano-led ballads, like “Someone Else.” Lead singer Paul Klein was all smiles throughout the night as the ecstatic, sold-out crowd sang along with every word. His clear vocals sounded incredibly similar to the recordings. Drummer Jake Goss sat on a drum riser close to the front of the stage allowing the audience to watch his phenomenal skills from up close and Les Priest worked his magic on the keys and guitar. I found it was incredibly difficult to take my mind off of the band’s performance. After it was over, I found myself seriously missing the environment. This show definitely took me from casual listener to a long-term fan.
ASPECTS MAGAZINE // 9
REVIEWS THE SUMMER SET
MADE FOR YOU TOUR
On October 14th, pop-rock band The Summer Set brought their Made For You tour to the Motorco Music Hall in Durham, North Carolina, thanks to voting by fans.
WORDS BY LANIE DAVIS PHOTO BY RACHEL LEONARD
The concept of the Made For You tour is that it’s built by the fans. Fans voted on the cities where the band would play, and they voted for the setlist. North Carolina fans ended up voting Durham into the tour, much to the delight of fans who haven’t seen a headlining The Summer Set show in several years. The band opened with “Missin’ You,” an upbeat single off their April release Stories for Monday, and upbeat is the right word for this show. The band went on to play other fan favorites like “Jukebox (Life Goes On)” and “All My Friends.” The band paid homage to their first release Love Like This, which was released seven years ago almost to the date of the show, with “The Boys You Do (Get Back At You),” “Punch-Drunk Love,” and “Chelsea.” Lead singer Brian Dales took time to tell a heartfelt story about the song “Legendary” and how it essentially came about from his love of the television show How I Met Your Mother. This really gave the audience the chance to connect with him; it felt as if he were telling us the story as a friend to give a bit of life advice. Everyone in the room, whether they were big fans or drunk college students, had Brian’s attention and hung on his words. The show wrapped with encore performances of “Figure Me Out” and “Lightning in a Bottle,” where the energy was so high, I’m sure everyone in the room was at least tapping their foot. The liveliness of the crowd did not go unnoticed by the band. The excitement was unreal, more than likely because of the fans’ wait to see the band live again. After this show, I’m sure that The Summer Set will think twice about skipping the Tar Heel state on their next tour.
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SHOW REVIEWS YELLOWCARD
This summer, Yellowcard made the announcement that they would be ending their twenty-year music career after releasing their tenth studio album and finishing one last farewell tour around the WORDS & PHOTO BY RACHEL LEONARD world. On their final night in Salt Lake City, Yellowcard gave everything they had so the audience could have the best night of their lives.
THE FINAL WORLD TOUR
Yellowcard returned to Salt Lake venue the Complex and played a 2,500-capacity room that was filled to the brim with fans to celebrate the career of one of their favorite bands. The night started with “Believe” and shuffled through their twenty-year discography. Their 20+ song set kept the audience entertained and excited throughout the night and demonstrated the incredible journey the band has had. Yellowcard has always had an exciting live show, and this night was no different. They were constantly jumping, spinning, and moving all around the stage. Even the lighting design was put together brilliantly and added an amazing new element to the band’s live show. The night was pretty long; Yellowcard’s set alone was just over two hours. That two hours, however, was filled with repeated thanks for the band’s career. They never for one moment let the sold-out crowd forget how thankful they were for all of the opportunities they’d been provided. The music scene won’t ever be quite the same without Yellowcard in it, but I’m excited to see what each member will do next.
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CONCERT ETIQUETTE WORDS BY LANIE DAVIS
No one wants to be that person at a concert, the one that kills the vibe for everyone around them. It is important to be courteous to other people because they also are trying to enjoy the show. Here are a few etiquette tips to ensure the best concert experience for everyone:
Phone/iPad Usage Phone usage at concerts is a big debate. However, I think as long as your phone is not blocking anyone’s view, go ahead and take as many pictures and videos as you want. You paid money for a ticket, you should be able to save the memories in your handheld device. iPads are a different story. They are big, bulky and will probably block someone’s view of the stage. Most big venues have rules against bringing iPads into the venue. Posters Posters show off creativeness and artistic ability, but that’s pretty much all they’re good for. In bigger venues, fans tend to make posters on large boards. There’s a small chance this could get you noticed in a large venue, but for the most part, they are just a nuisance. They block the view of anyone behind you for several rows back. If you feel the need to make a poster, please be courteous of the people behind you and don’t hold it up for an extended period of time.
Crowding Be mindful of other people’s personal space. This can be hard sometimes in general admissions crowds, but it is important to try to give others some room to breathe. No one wants to watch a concert with an elbow in their side or someone pressed against their back the whole time. Also, try not to be pushy. Pushing other people against the barricade won’t help you get that much closer to the stage. Opening Acts Sometimes opening acts can be kind of a drag if you’re really looking forward to seeing the headlining artist, but that does not mean you should talk through the whole set. Chatter of the crowd during an opening artist’s set is extremely noticeable in small venues. The crowd should at least be somewhat attentive, even if they don’t know of the opening act, to be respectful. There are also some people who might just be there to see the opening act. If you’re talking loudly during their set, it’s not only rude to the artist on stage but their fans in the crowd too.
These are just a few points that could improve everyone’s concert experience. Just remember to always be courteous, respectful and kind to maximize what you get out of going to concerts.
ALEX DIDONATO PHOTO BY GABBE YODER
OF FINISH TICKET
PAUL KLEIN OF LANY PHOTO BY RACHEL LEONARD
CHRISSY COSTANZA OF AGAINST THE CURRENT PHOTO BY AMANDA PUGLISI
KENNY HOLLAND PHOTO BY RACHEL LEONARD
PARKER CANNON OF THE STORY SO FAR PHOTO BY RACHEL LEONARD
ALEX MULLINS OF ALEX MULLINS AND THE ROYAL PHOTO BY HAYLEE FINN
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G MATTHEWS WORDS BY MARISA NEIL PHOTO COURTESY OF G MATTHEWS
Young rocker G Matthews stands out from other indie artists in 2016. Her debut LP Chasing Happy (released October 6th) with its energetic beats and empowering lyrics reflects her passion and drive. G was kind enough to answer some of our questions about songwriting and her budding career. Aspects Magazine: What are you most proud of at this early stage in your career and how do you see yourself growing as an artist? G Matthews: I’d have to say that I’m most proud of the fact that I wrote all of the songs on the album. With this ability to write songs, I see myself growing and exploring different genres as well as writing for other artists. AM: What makes you different from other artists? GM: OMG. This question… I don’t know. I try not to spend my time picking myself apart or making comparisons. I believe that we are all different and should just focus on being the best “self” a person could be. AM: What scares you and how have you faced that fear? GM: My biggest musical fear is interviews and yes, I face that fear quite often. [laughs] AM: You’ve spoken about vulnerability in songwriting in past interviews. How do you find the balance between opening up and over sharing? GM: Songwriting is always going to involve vulnerability and there is no getting around that. There is a fine line between being openly honest and over sharing. I like to keep ambiguity in my songs, so no one knows who or what exactly I’m talking about. Then I cross my fingers that no one ever asks. [laughs] AM: Favorite Hall & Oates song? GM: “I Can’t Go For That.” Love this song. AM: If you could go back in time and write music in another decade, which decade would you choose?
GM: I would love to go back to the late 90’s. 1995 to be exact. This is the same year that No Doubt’s Tragic Kingdom album came out. This is where my heart is. AM: What draws you to a song the most: melody, beat, or lyrics? GM: The first thing that catches my attention in a song is music. I’m a rhythm girl so I love a good bass riff and drum fill. AM: Do you have any memorable experiences with fans that you’d like to share? GM: Every experience with my fans is memorable. Any interaction is a memory that will last a lifetime. I’m super humbled to know that people are listening and following my musical journey. AM: Some of the songs I’ve heard from your new LP (namely “Chasing Happy,” “Judge Me Not,” “Cheer For Yourself,” and “Something Special”) have really empowering lyrics. Is inspiring your listeners one of your goals? GM: Absolutely! I truly believe that music aids us in our day-to-day lives. When I began this adventure in music, I always said that my main goal was to encourage myself and then others. And I say it in that order because most of the time when I’m writing these songs I’m singing them to myself. AM: Would you like to say anything to other young women and girls who aspire to write and perform music for a living? GM: Yes; don’t aspire, just do it. If you have a song to sing, someone out there needs to hear it.
@gmatthewsmusic @gmatthewsmusic
www.gmatthewsmusic.com
ASPECTS MAGAZINE // 17
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FOREIGN
WORDS BY RAC PHOTOS COURTESY O
Foreign Figures, a four-piece pop-rock band from Orem, Utah, has begun to make a name for themselves around the nation after opening for bands like American Authors and X Ambassadors. We sat down with guitarist Johnny Tanner and bassist Seth Dunshee at their rehearsal space in Orem to discuss their upcoming music video and live performances around the country.
Aspects Magazine: You guys have a great sound that translates really well to your live performance. Do you have different live arrangements that you play? Johnny Tanner: We’re all about creating moments for people and that comes from a variety of different things. I think those musical additions we have create some special feelings for people that they don’t get from the recording. Obviously you’re going to have a different feeling listening to someone’s recorded music versus hearing it live, so we just try to make it more of an experience for somebody. Especially when you have social media nowadays, people kind of lose that human contact and when they come out to the live event we want it to be a full blown experience for them. That’s kind of why we add on different musical elements and things like that. Seth Dunshee: We just want people to see a show versus just hear it. That’s why you come to see a band, hopefully. We figure that playing live is one of our favorite things to do, so we want to make sure that we can have some fun, interactive moments. It takes a lot of planning. A lot of bands don’t really think about that. They’re think, “Let’s go out there and have fun!” I think if we did that we’d still probably be pretty good, but you do have to plan certain aspects if you want your live show to be as good as it can be. We try to strategize a little bit, but of course not so much that we’re taking away that in-the-moment energy that’s so cool about live shows.
AM: Do you guys have a favorite song that you like to perform live? JT: I enjoy playing our song called “Paradigm” a lot. We’ve added a little drum ensemble, for lack of better term, that we only perform live. It’s fun to play just because it’s something entirely different for us. We all bail on our main instruments and start drumming. It’s tough to pick out a favorite part because the entire night just the connection with the crowd is what it’s all about for me. SD: I like our first song, because it’s the first song we get to play. [laughs] It’s always fun seeing whether or not people will care when you go onstage. We play a lot
ASPECTS MAGAZINE // 19
FIGURES
CHEL LEONARD OF FOREIGN FIGURES
of events and gigs since this is our full time job and not every show that we chose can be a big, awesome, heavily promoted show in a venue. Sometimes we’ll play a festival or something where no one really cares, or assumingly so, and I kind of see it as a challenge. “Can I get someone to like my music by playing it?” Sometimes it doesn’t work and sometimes it does. I just like the feeling of playing the first song because you want that first impression to hopefully impress somebody visually and sonically. AM: Your music videos, for the most part, take place outside in nature. Is that a conscious decision you guys have made or are you just taking advantage of the Utah landscape?
JT: It is conscious. We feel like our music speaks to that. Hopefully that kind of comes through our recorded music. It’s kind of tough sometimes to get that big, spacious, open feeling on a recording. But it’s always a special feeling to play outdoors. Those are my favorite concerts, when we can just enjoy the landscape and be outside together and enjoy the music. SD: Besides, it’s easier to go outside in a beautiful, naturally-lit place than to bring all the stuff into a building. I’m sure one day we’ll do an inside one. We’re doing a concert on the 18th of November in Orem [Utah] in a warehouse and we’re going to be professionally filming the whole thing. That should be fun. It will have more of a live aesthetic since we’ll be recording it all live, too. This next video, “Force of Nature,” is shot in Utah still, but it will be a break from what we’ve normally in music videos. AM: How does your next video differ from what you’ve done in the past? SD: We’ve always wanted to do a story video versus just cool performance shots. It’s easy to be impressive visually, but not because of us per say. I don’t think I can explain it as well as Lance Lowry, the creative mind behind it, but it’s kind of a spin off where if the kid from Where the Wild Things Are was an adult. We get older and we have to lose that childishness and adventure, so we made a big suit for the guy to wear while going about his job, riding public transportation, and being around the house. Lance put it all together and we just trust him to make it happen. I think it should be cool. It will be a good break from what we’ve done, but I for sure want to continue using landscapes because there’s so much magic in shooting a video in a cool, beautiful place, as crappy as it is to get a bunch of equipment out there. AM: You guys have a three-week tour coming up. You play a lot in the Salt Lake and Provo areas already so you have a pretty solid following here. Are you playing to any new markets or have you
20 // ASPECTS MAGAZINE been to these places before? JT: Some old, some new. That’s what we’re excited about, lacing familiar places with non-familiar places. AM: You guys do a little bit of experimenting. Your song “Come Alive” has various kinds of drums and “Outlier” is all a’cappella. When you’re writing songs like these, do you plan for them to be a bit different or does it just come naturally? SD: We’re kind of divided in that regard. Sometimes we want to define a song before we write it. When Johnny mixed the album, we wrote down three adjectives for each song. We just wanted to describe what the song and the mix should sound like, whereas Eric likes it to just come from his brain and let it be born, so I think it’s a good mix of both. I like having a bit of a vision for it once the original idea has been presented. JT: We don’t ever want to write the same song and become a one-trick pony, because I think bands like that are a one-hit-wonder and everyone forgets about them. That’s not something we want to do. We revere Coldplay and Imagine Dragons because they can pump out a ton of different songs that many people connect with. They’ve had such long and successful careers and they’ll continue to do so and that’s kind of what we strive to do with our music. We compare it to an evergreen tree. It’s something that takes a while to cultivate and grow, but once it’s there it’s strong, deep-rooted, and it’s not going away. AM: We’re all about giving people a place to start with whatever they want to do in the music journalism world. How did you guys start and how did you go about finding your way into the music industry? JT: I think we’re still trying to figure that out. There’s no paved route in this industry and that’s something that appeals to us, but it’s also quite scary. We’re all natural entrepreneurs and businessmen and this is a chance for us to prove to ourselves that we’re able to grow a successful brand and a successful career in a very unstable and unreliable industry. People are sharks and we recognize that. We’ve had experiences with that. But, that being said, our eyes are open and we’ll continue to press forward and make allies instead of enemies.
SD: We’re just figuring out what we want to do. For us, it was “We’re not bad. We won a few Battle of the Bands. Let’s keep playing shows.” Then we started getting booked for weddings and corporate events and started making a little money and investing it back in our own gear. We ended up buying a trailer and a van. It’s been bit by bit. It surged a ton when we decided to make this our job. And it was really hard. At first we had to work other jobs while we did this full-time. We kept thinking “We’ll get discovered someday. Someone will pick us up. When that happens I can quit my job.” That’s not how it happens anymore. It’s 2016. People use Spotify. No one downloads on iTunes. Even if they do, we only get 30 cents or less per song download. The music industry isn’t going to come with these lucrative offers. But there’s also YouTube and the Internet. Anyone can be in a band and have a hit song. There’s way more competition than there used to be. So, since we’re independent, we thought let’s just act as though we’re our own label and do everything a label would do for us until something comes along that makes sense for us. I know a lot of musicians don’t like the business side of things. Eric, our singer, is 100% musician. He doesn’t like emailing or finances, but between the four of us, we divide up the aspects of the business. We have a couple other team members now, but I think that’s been a part of it, too. A lot of musicians don’t want to “sell out.” How are you going to make music still? You have sustainability like any business. It’s funny sometimes when artists say “You’re all about the money.” Of course we are, because that’s the way we can continue doing what we love and keep connecting with people through music. Sometimes that means sitting down and thinking “How are we going to brand this album?” Just little things that are a bit more complicated and aren’t music related, but in the end help
ASPECTS MAGAZINE // 21 there ever was. And if it never comes to that point, then so be it. At least we know we worked every day to make it happen. And everybody in the band feels that way. We want to be the best in what we do so that we can connect with people, and that’s the name of the game for us.
us grow the music out, like licensing deals. Sometimes they come from great songs, but sometimes they come from great relationships and marketing well. I think a lot of local bands don’t think that way, and we certainly didn’t until we started to do this full-time. We had to think as though we were our own label. Not because we want to be independent for our whole careers. When we get a record deal, we want to see it as the right thing to do and that it’s the right deal for us. Until then, it’s going to be a lot of what we’re doing now. AM: Do you guys have any upcoming goals or plans for 2017? JT: We have our 2016 resolution chart here on the wall. We haven’t made our 2017 list yet, but I’m sure we will. We always have goals. We’re talking about doing an EP release next year, for a variety of reasons. Not simply to put out new content, but because we feel that with Paradigm’s release, which only happened in April, in terms of songwriting and our connection with each other, we’ve almost outgrown it. Maybe that’s just because we’ve heard the songs so many times, but we feel like we can write better songs from an objective point of view - songs that will connect with people better. That’s what we’re going to do. Hopefully 2017 will see that release and, if all goes well, it will be closer to the beginning of the year rather than the end. But we kind of learned our lesson this year with not setting unrealistic deadlines, otherwise you’ll keep creating forever and things will never be perfect enough. So I think we’ll continue working on our craft. We rehearse every day. We write songs every day. Just continue to polish ourselves, both individually and collectively. I want to be the best guitarist there ever was. Seth wants to be the best bassist
SD: We’re focusing a lot on the Mountain West region: Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California, Idaho, Oregon, Washington. Just the states that are closer with good music scenes. That will be an opportunity for us to make a lot more national ties and network. And at the end of next year be considered not just a local band from Utah, but a contending national act. We know that if we write the right songs and work hard enough, then it will happen. AM: Is there anything else you want our readers to know? JT: November 18th is our biggest and also our last show of the year locally. We’ve got a warehouse here in Orem that holds about 600-800people. We’re going to stuff the place full with people and we’re going to do it for a few reasons. First, because we want to give back to the people that have given so much to us, but also because with the next wave of songs we’re going to be writing, we’re going to be restructuring and doing different things as well and we want to have a very professional night in the sense that we’re going to get professional video and audio recorded so we can release some amazing content out to the world after the night has occurred. We want to start marketing ourselves more effectively as a live band, because that’s what we’re about – that live event. Wherever we are, come see us live because that’s what we work so hard on. As much as we work on our songwriting and recording, that’s less important to us than connecting with people in real life. So anybody that’s available on November 18th, that’s going to be the show to come to. @foreignfiguresofficial @4infigures @foreignfigures www.foreignfigures.com
22 // ASPECTS MAGAZINE When indie-pop singer/songwriter Kenzie Moore was a young girl, she was told by Celine Dion, yes the Celine Dion, that she had a beautiful voice. The Detroit native has been singing ever since and put out her EP Stories in 2015. On September 23rd, Moore released her debut album Dear You. We spoke to her about her album, her influences, and more. Aspects Magazine: You just put out a full length album. Tell us what writing and recording that was like. Kenzie Moore: Yes! When Dear You was released, it was such a big moment for me. Not only because it was my first full-length album, but also, this record holds a lot of emotional memories and moments for me. It was a really great experience to write because I felt that this was the best way to release those emotions that I would have otherwise kept locked away. I really enjoyed recording this record and I really hope people enjoy listening to it! AM: How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to it before? KM: I think there’s a little something for everyone. It’s a
pop album, but the lyrics go a bit deeper than most top 40 songs you hear now. I try to put stronger messages in my music. I would hope that anyone who hasn’t listened to it can find at least a few songs that they enjoy and connect with. I also think that most of my music tells stories that most everyone can relate to. Insecurity in relationships, wanting someone you can’t have, unrequited love, etc. I would like to think that people hear these messages and they understand that it is a normal occurrence when feeling these things. AM: What is your songwriting process like? KM: You know, it’s really dependent on the actual song. Most of the time, I’ll write down lyrics that come to my mind and I’ll build a song around that one quick line. Sometimes, I’ll sit down and write a melody before even looking inside my journals. It could be a one-day quick write or a month long process consisting of rewrites over and over again. I’m all over the place depending on how I’m feeling, creatively speaking. AM: What do you use as inspiration when you write? KM: Mostly, my own personal experiences. I usually find that it’s easier to write about my own feelings, especially if something huge has impacted me. So, for Dear You, this past year graduating college, leaving Chicago, moving home, etc. was a really great opportunity to utilize the mix of emotions that comes with those big changes. However, sometimes it’s a situation where I’m seeing it as an outsider, and someone close to me is experiencing something big. In that case, I think its unique to write on song using that outside opinion. The thing about inspiration is, it can strike anywhere, which is why I carry around my journal as though it’s a part of me. AM: Who are your biggest musical influences? KM: I’m probably all over the place with this one. I grew up listening to musicians of all sorts. I love Elvis and Johnny Cash. However, nowadays, I really
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KENZIE MOORE WORDS BY LANIE DAVIS PHOTO COURTESY OF KENZIE MOORE
look to Adele, Ed Sheeran, and Sia. All of whome are so talented in their own way. All of their music really makes a statement. I just really have learned to appreciate good music and they are definitely a big reason for that. I think that when a musician writes their own music, it makes a difference in the performance. The artists feel more attachment to it, therefore, at least I think, they make the song even more their own and, often cases, even better. AM: When did you decide to pursue music? KM: I have always loved singing. Of course, growing up I always joked about being a rockstar, but I didn’t really realize the dream until I was well into college. I had a small taste of it while performing at sorority philanthropy events and I really loved being on stage. So, once I started sitting down and writing my own music, it all changed. I realized that, not only do I love performing, but writing these stories down using a melody became kind of an addiction. I loved, LOVED writing songs. AM: What do you hope people take away from your music? KM: I love writing music. And the fact that I also have the opportunity to perform it is something that’s very important to me. But, it isn’t just the whole performance thing that really gets to me. It’s that I write songs about everyday events that I think every human goes through. Losing someone, unrequited love, not feeling good enough, etc. I don’t have some emotional back story where my life was altered, I just want people to know that having those feelings is completely normal. In fact, it’s common and I love having the ability to let those feelings out. AM: How have family and friends helped with your career? KM: I am so incredibly blessed to have such an enormous support system. My parents especially have just been so amazing throughout this entire experience.
Whenever my whole father’s side is together at the family lakeside, we have talent shows where all my younger cousins put on different showings of their talents and passions. I have 19 younger cousins, all of whom hold such immense talent within them, so having these constant reminders of love and support from the younger side, as well as my older family members, is unreal. I’m so lucky. AM: You recently had an album release show in New York. How was that experience? KM: It was incredible! It was the first time most of those people have ever heard the full album and the feedback I received was amazing. It was so great to see these people love the work that I put my heart and soul into. I also had the opportunity to perform there, which was great. I love singing live and seeing raw reactions from listeners. It’s a little better to have them be my audience than my cemetery of old shampoo bottles in my shower. AM: Are there any plans for more live shows in the future? KM: Nothing is on the calendar yet! I would love to perform live more, but at the moment, I’m just focusing on the release of the full-length album. I hope to be back on stage soon, though, so make sure to stay tuned for future announcements! AM: What does music mean to you? KM: Everything. I know that’s probably incredibly cheesy to say, but there is no other way to explain its importance to me. Music was blasting throughout my household for as long as I can remember. Growing up with it playing such a role in my childhood makes it even more important to my everyday life. Whether I’m performing, writing, or even listening. So, yes, music means everything to me. www.kenziemooremusic.com @itskenziemoore
@itskenziemoore
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MY SILENT BRAVERY WORDS BY SYDNEY MAES PHOTO COURTESY OF MY SILENT BRAVERY
Prior to releasing My Silent Bravery’s new album Breakthrough, Matthew Wade took some time to speak with us about all things MSB. Wade tells us about his creative process through the many years he has been putting out music and he takes us a little deeper into the recording process of his recent release. My Silent Bravery seeks to connect with its audience through its music, so we also asked Wade about his connection with his fans, what it’s like to be on the road and what we can expect from him in the upcoming year.
AM: If you only had one sentence to describe My Silent Bravery to someone who has never heard of you before, what would you tell them? Matthew Wade: Acoustic influenced pop rock with an inspirational message! AM: What about this album making process was different from your previous albums? MW: I got more feedback and dug deeper on this one than any prior records. The album was originally 10 songs, and I thought it was finished. However, I got more feedback and the general consensus was that I needed a couple of singles. I was a bit frustrated at first thinking I already had a few, but I am really glad I was pushed as the last three songs added to the album were ‘Warning Signs’, ‘Drunk Off the Sun’ and the title track ‘Breakthrough’, which have all been getting great feedback. AM: What was it like to work with such highly commended producers? MW: It was awesome working with such pros. They are all great musicians and people. I feel blessed to have found such talented people to help me bring the music to life the way they have. They bring a great deal to the table. I can tell you that I have a lot of trust and faith and a great deal of respect for all of the guys I have chosen to work with. They are all extremely tal-
ented and one of the reasons I have chosen to work with them is that I like their production. I generally let them take the reins on arrangement and production as that is what I have hired them to do. There is a lot of discussion going on during the production process and I of course throw my $.02 in when I feel it’s necessary, or something is out of line with my artistic vision for the song. There were constantly nuggets of wisdom or experience being thrown my way and I was just trying to soak up as much as I could. AM: As someone who has been creating and performing music for so long, what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned? MW: That is a great question! I think for me, the biggest lesson in my life was a sports injury I experienced in my youth. For those who haven’t heard my story, I was traveling in Australia when I was 21 and working out in the gym and ended up herniating a couple of discs in my neck. The injury led me to do a lot of soul searching for pain relief which led to me to spirituality, more specifically Kabbalah. As a result of my studies in Kabbalah and working on myself, I realized I wanted to give back to the world at large and music was the vehicle I wanted to use to help spread a positive message. I think everything happens for a reason. My injury was the biggest lesson and challenge of my life so far, but from the biggest challenges also come the biggest blessings. The injury helped me recognize it’s important to pay it forward and help others. I want to create music that inspires, helps, and motivates others to overcome their challenges. AM: Who has consistently inspired you musically throughout your career and who would you say has influenced this new album specifically? MW: I would say my biggest musical influence is Bob Marley. I love how he promoted a message of peace and unity with his music. It’s something that I try to do. Also, there is a philosophical, spiritual vibe to a lot of his music and lyrics. I have some of that, but within my own way and beliefs. He’s definitely my favorite.
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I even reference him on the first single “Drunk off the Sun.” I think my fans influenced this one a lot. The message has become louder and more pivotal to me as an artist the longer I keep doing music. The music can’t be just about me, it’s about the listeners. I hope listeners can relate to this album with their own boundaries that they are trying to breakthrough. AM: With your music you strive to send a positive message and the mindset to persevere or find that inner strength. What kind of responses have you received from your fans in regards to your mission? MW: The fan reaction has been amazing. You know every artist has their story to tell but so does every fan. I have been blown away by fans sharing their challenges that they are trying to overcome and how my music helps them through the challenging times. This is music to my ears! AM: You recently released the video for “Warning Signs.” What was the process like for coming up with the vision of the video and then bringing it to life? MW: I have worked on the majority of my videos with Vassili Shields out of Boston and I think we keep challenging ourselves to make a better video with each new single. I wanted this video to be much different than prior videos, and I think we accomplished that in a big way. I love how the video is filmed backward and there is the twist ending and no one seems to see it coming To Me, “Warning Signs” is about one of man’s oldest dilemmas in deciding between the head the heart! I think many of us favor our heart as most want to be in love and feel loved. The question lies there in is it a healthy love?! Not always. Hindsight is 20/20 as they say and you can usually see the reality of the situation when you are out of it. The filming of the video was really fun as usual and great working with Amanda Zocco and Britany Baldi the lovely ladies in the video. AM: You’re touring the north east soon with Eric Hutchinson, Elliot Yamin, and Blake Lewis, what is your favorite thing to do during the downtime you have while on the road?
MW: There really isn’t much downtime while touring. Most of the day is usually spent traveling to the next venue, load in, sound check, performing, and meet and greets. I think I will go with eating! AM: What can we expect from My Silent Bravery in 2017? MW: You can expect more new music, new music videos and more touring! AM: Do you have anything else you would like to say to our readers? MW: I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read this article. I will be out on the road this fall for some tour dates with Halo Circus featuring Allison Iraheta and hope to see you there! Dates at www.mysilentbravery.com. The new album, Breakthrough, is out now and you can order it on iTunes.
www.mysilentbravery.com @mysilentbravery
@mysilentbravery
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KENNY HOLLAND WORDS & PHOTOS BY RACHEL LEONARD
ASPECTS MAGAZINE // 27 21-year-old Kenny Holland has taken the Internet by storm over the last few years. With his 6-second videos on vine and creative mash-ups on Facebook, his music has become well-known around the world. We sat down with Kenny on his most recent tour to discuss his upcoming EP, Begin Again, and his upcoming goals.
Aspects Magazine: You have a new EP coming out soon! Kenny Holland: I do! November 25th. AM: What was the inspiration behind it? KH: The EP is called Begin Again and that’s exactly the theme of it. I went through quite a rocky time for a while within the industry and I was kind of trying to figure out who I am and who I want to be as an artist and as a human and I kind of found myself on some different paths. This is all about coming back to my roots and what got me started on day one, which is my love for music and my love for people. It’s all about starting fresh and getting back to my roots. AM: This EP is a bit different from your past work. You’ve already played the first show on this EP preview tour where you played the new music. Had you played any of it before then and how have fans reacted to it? KH: The tour started two days ago in Arizona. We played the new music there and it got an awesome response. But this is the first time out on the road that we’re able to perform the new music so it’s really exciting. Like I said, it’s having a great response so far and I really think that it’s going to keep getting a good response because it’s really sick. The new music is really sick. AM: You seem really stoked about it! KH: Yeah, yeah! I’m really stoked about it. AM: That’s how it should be! Is there a specific song that you’re excited for fans to hear? KH: The first single is called “Matter to You” and that’s a cool song. I really love all the songs, honestly. There are three songs on the EP and they’re all special and different and were written specially and differently in their own ways, but I really like the first single. It’s got a cool vibe. It’s a little bit of a different vibe than I’ve played with, but it’s about the dark side of love and is definitely really relatable from the boy’s perspective and the girl’s perspective in relationships. AM: Aside from this EP, is there a specific song that you’re most proud of writing, whether it’s from this EP or an older one? KH: I’m sort of biased. I enjoy my music and I put a lot of heart and soul into it. It’s a tough question to answer because they all mean so much to me in different ways, but I’m
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really proud of a couple of them. This whole EP is something I’m really proud of, but I’m really proud of “Lifeline” from BOATS. There’s also a song called “Shabby Shoe Chandler” that I released on BOATS, as well, that means a lot to me. I really put everything into those songs. AM: You’ve done some acting work, like in Saturday’s Warrior. Has that influenced how you’ve gone about creating music or how you’ve gone about performing in any way? KH: Definitely! Yes! I had never really gotten into the whole acting experience before that and it has definitely kind of opened me up even more as a performer. I mean, I’ve been doing this since I was sixteen so about five years now and with all that experience I feel comfortable and everything on stage now. But that took me to the next level of performance as an actor, so that
was great. Musically, it was set in the 70’s, so I learned a ton about old rock bands and all that kind of stuff so it definitely influenced my music. It influenced me a ton as a person in general. I’m really grateful for acting in Saturday’s Warrior. AM: You’ve also been doing a lot of covers on Facebook recently. With all of the songs out there, what attracts you to a song to cover it? KH: I’ve kind of been focusing on these mash-ups and putting a bunch of songs into one. I mean, I love to write music and create. It’s kind of a whole thing. Performing a cover is doing that for sure, but then to figure out how to work three songs into one is just a whole new realm of fun and creativity. I make it easy on myself by putting a lot of songs into one, too. It just depends. I have a lot of different musical tastes. I will use whatever makes sense with the song.
ASPECTS MAGAZINE // 29 AM: If you had to write or experiment in another genre, what would you go about doing? KH: I’ve done some experimenting up until now, honestly. I’ve done kind of like a talk-sing-twenty-one-pilots kind of thing. I’ve done a little bit more pop-rock and stuff like that, so I’ve definitely experimented and I plan to continue to do that. But I fantasize over being a rock star. That’s kind of like a childhood dream of mine, like all the old classic rock bands and everything, so I would love to dive right into a classic rock project or something like that. Or even pop-punk kind of stuff. I don’t know. I just love rock. It’s super cool. It’s got a lot of emotion and stuff.
AM: You’ve been doing music, like you said, for about five years now. Is there anything you’ve had to sacrifice or that you had to miss out on in order to keep doing music? KH: Well I went to a year of college after I graduated high school and it was kind of through that year that stuff started to really take off and become a bit more serious. I loved that year of college and I haven’t been able to really experience the real side of college since that. I’ve also moved away from my family since then, so that’s pretty tough for me. I have a really good relationship with my family, so that’s probably the biggest sacrifice, family stuff and not being able to be with them. Like, all the time and everything. AM: And you just moved to your new studio. KH: I did!
AM: How’s that going? KH: It’s good! I’m planning to spend more time with my family at home in Arizona; that’s where I’m from. I’ve lived in California in LA for the last year and a half or so trying to keep chasing music and everything. I’m planning to kind of spend time in both places and just stay very balanced. AM: Is there any specific song you wish you wrote? KH: Let’s see… I wish I wrote the song “Drops of Jupiter” by Train. That’s my favorite. AM: Good call! When you first started music, how did you go about finding your footing and getting into the industry? KH: When I was fourteen, I started playing music with my keyboard at frozen yogurt shops in Arizona and I did that for a couple years, playing for tips. Then I kind of lucked out and started working with like a really good group of people in the local music scene in Arizona and they kind of took me on as a project and helped kind of guide me as an artist and songwriter and musician. So luckily I had their guidance to be able to navigate my way through the industry. If I was going to give any advice to anyone who’s trying to start, I would just say to do everything you can and do not stop. Those are my two pieces of advice. AM: Is there anything you want your fans and the readers to know about you, your music, or anything? KH: Just simply thank you so much to anyone supporting this crazy, wild dream I’m trying to chase because, like I said, I’ve seen some ups and downs and lights and darks through my days of chasing this dream and anyone who’s still around supporting me and on the train with me on this crazy ride… It is so powerful and I’m so grateful for it so I just want to let everyone know how grateful I am for their support. @iamkennyholland
@kennyhollandmusic
@kennyhollandmusic
@kennyholland
www.kennyholland.com
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MOST AN
NATHAN SYKES - UNFINISHED BUSINESS
DNCE - DNCE
NOVEMBER 4, 2016
NOVEMBER 18, 2016
“Former boybander Nathan Sykes is releasing his first solo album, Unfinished Business, on November 11. Since The Wanted went on hiatus in 2014, Sykes has been working on his solo music. He put out his first solo song in March 2015 and has been teasing the album ever since. Sykes has currently released six songs off the record, including singles ‘Over and Over Again (feat. Ariana Grande)’ and ‘Give It Up (feat. G-Eazy).’ Based on these, Unfinished Business will be worth the wait.” - Lanie Davis
“DNCE has been wowing everyone since they released their first single ‘Cake By The Ocean’ in September 2015. They followed it with their first EP, SWAAY, in October 2015 and did not disappoint. The group announced in September that they will be releasing their self-titled album on November 18. With the amazing work they’ve already done, DNCE is sure to be a stand out album of 2016.” - Mykell Bowden
GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT
REPUBLIC RECORDS
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NTICIPATED
MOANA
NOVEMBER 23, 2016 DISNEY
“Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming film Moana will take audiences on an adventure through the Pacific islands of Oceania on November 23. The story follows young Moana on her journey to find the demigod Maui and save her people from looming danger. John Musker and Ron Clements team up to direct Disney’s newest animated release since Zootopia. The cast features the vocal talents of Dwayne Johnson as Maui and Auli’i Cavalho as Moana. Viewers can also look forward to songs and music by Hamilton writer Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i, and Mark Mancina.” – Marisa Neil
AS IT IS - OKAY.
JANUARY 20, 2017 FEARLESS RECORDS
“Following up their 2015 debut album, Never Happy, Ever After, the second album from As It Is, okay., promises to deliver the lyrically honest, upbeat songs fans have come to expect from the British five piece. So far, the band has released two singles ‘Pretty Little Distance’ and the title track, ‘Okay.’ Both of these songs demonstrate the band’s commitment to take what fans have come to expect and love about their sound to the next level. Fans can preorder via that band’s website or on iTunes. Check out okay. when it’s released January 20th via Fearless Records.” - Emily Jacks
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