Roots Revival Co. Zine || Issue 6 by Emelie Skye

issue 6 || August 2015

P.F. CANDLE Co. tumbleweeds handcraft MARCH TO MAY

JESSICA KEMEJUK

“Ain’t nothing but a stranger in this world” Astral Weeks - Van Morisson

The Lyric Collection

www.RootsRevivalCo.com

In This Issue P.F. Candle Co.

Tumbleweeds HC

March to May

Jessica Kemejuk Featured Products â&#x20AC;¢ Upcoming Events

P.F. Candle Co. The Beginning

The Goods

Pommes Frites originally started as a blog back in 2007. I was living in New York and working at a craft magazine when it folded - and I saw the opportunity to make a change. I moved to Austin where the cost of living was cheaper and launched my business, which originally sold all matter of handmade items, with a focus on repurposing. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d always made soy candles as a part of our offerings - I learned to make candles when I was a pre-teen so it seemed natural to include them. When we moved to California, I was still making other things like hollow book safes, but in 2013 I simplified to just candles. I was able to offer a craft that I could perfect and then make the same over and over - rather than an art object. In 2013, my husband also came on board and we began to grow.

We make candles! They are all hand poured in our Los Angeles studio using domestically grown soy wax, fragrance oil, and cotton-core wicks. Our current line offers about 14 different fragrances. We are also working on expanding into other areas of home fragrance right now.

The Inspiration Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re driven by simplicity and DIY. I used to hand stamp every single label - I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a background in graphic design, so when I was making labels on the computer it was coming out too complex and overwrought. I boiled it down to the simplest thing that felt true and aesthetically pleasing to me.

The Vision Candles are the vessel for the business to create an good work environment. We strive to be a responsible and ethical company because we know it’s the right thing to do, not because we’re trying to drive sales. I think it’s pretty awesome that 11 people make a living off a handmade item - that’s crazy to me, because 2 or 3 years ago, *I* couldn’t even make a living off a handmade item. We are driven by “anti-consumerist” marketing, meaning that it’s conscious consumerism. We believe you shouldn’t buy or sell things as a status symbol - you should buy things that are useful and that you truly love. It’s handmade so a lot of heart and thought goes into each one it doesn’t just exist to make money.

Find P.F. Candle Co. here: www.pfcandleco.com twitter & instagram: @pfcandleco facebook.com/pfcandleco pinterest.com/pfcandleco

I’m always listening to Neil Young for inspiration - specifically ‘After the Gold Rush’. This summer I’ve been listening to a bizarre mix of female-driven 90s music/British punk from the 70s and 80s/current pop. Click the image above to listen to Kristen’s playlist or listen at www.RootsRevivalCo.com

Tumbleweeds handcraft The Beginning

The Goods

We we’re living in Normal Heights, San Diego. I was working as a pastry chef and Doug had a job at a veneer shop pressing panels. We also had a little oddities shop open on the weekends. When Doug first started making the sunglasses, the demand became so great that I quit my job to help and it’s been growing ever since. We have always made art together, since we first met, so it seemed natural to transition into having a small handmade business together. It’s been such a roller coaster ride, learning how to run a business, neither of us had any idea how to even start and have been learning as we go for the last 4 years. The making part is easy, it’s the business part that will always be a bit of a learning process for us. We love connecting with our customers and making custom, one of a kind art for people to love for years to come.

We make the original wood veneer sunglasses, tiny knife charms and key chains, home goods, and jewelry.

The Inspiration We are very much folk-artists - self taught, utilitarian and raw. The sunglasses are wearable art - functional but also interesting and hopefully a conversation starter whenever you wear them! We are very anti fast-fashion and hope to make lasting art that brings people together! We are inspired by the world around us, nature, the materials we re-purpose. We vow to only use veneer cut-offs and unexpected materials that would otherwise be discarded. It really pushes us to be creative with what we have on hand and to step up our game!

The Vision We make functional folk art. Every piece we make passes through our hands and imprint our vision on everything we do. We want to make people happy and create a community of makers and people who value art. We also live on the fringe, supporting ourselves with our art, and that has made us so thankful for everyone who supports and believes in our journey.

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It’s a crazy process. You fall in love with everything you make, and then take a little piece of that love, wrap it up and ship it off to someone who believes in your love.

Click the image above to listen to the Tumbleweeds Handcraft playlist or listen at www.RootsRevivalCo.com

Find Tumbleweeds HC here: www.tumbleweedshc.com Twitter & Instagram: @tumbleweedshc

March to May The Who

The Why

Darren grew up in Maine, moved to Montana, and then kept on heading west until he reached Seattle. Beth grew up in Latin America and across a smattering of U.S. states before she, too, moved to Seattle. Both halves of March to May fell in love with the area – the natural beauty of the region, the abundance of amazing little coffee shops and breweries, and of course, the music.

Both of us were classically trained when we were younger – Darren on piano and Beth as a vocalist. Darren then picked up guitar, and Beth picked up harp. We both always loved music – there’s been something drawing us to it, independently, ever since we were children. Neither of us really pursued music seriously, though, until meeting each other a few years ago. But now that we’ve found each other, there’s no going back.

The Inspiration We’re both pretty serious readers, and have written a number of songs inspired by lines or ideas in the books we’ve read. We’re really inspired by people and their stories – even mundane, little things can be great songs if you peel back the layers and look at their core. Nature – especially the water – also weaves its way into a lot of our songs.

The Vision We want to speak to as many people as possible with our sound. If we can help give words and melody to people’s stories, that’s enough. Of course, placing our music in films, touring internationally, and winning a Grammy or two would be pretty nice, too!

When You’re Not Making Music Dancing! We both really love getting out of doors as well – hiking, biking, walking, you name it. We’re also big travelers. Beth grew up traveling pretty extensively, and while Darren came to it a little later, he’s been all over the world. We have pretty strong senses of wanderlust, which is a good thing when it comes to touring.

Secret Weapon Making smoothies. It’s a superpower, we swear. And it keeps us going on tours!

Secret Weapon Haha, probably too many things fit this bill. We’ll never say no to a glass of red wine or a fancy cup of coffee from one of Seattle’s many amazing coffee shops. We also spend as much time out of doors in nature as we can – which feels like an indulgence because we’re always escaping out of town. Darren in particular would almost always rather be out hiking than just about anywhere else.

Click the image above to listen to the March to May playlist or listen at www.RootsRevivalCo.com

Favorite Place Orcas Island, in the San Juans. It’s where we wrote our first song, filmed our first music video (for Embers) and where we try to go as often as possible. It’s a pretty magical place.

Find March to May here: www.marchtomay.com www.facebook.com/marchtomayband Twitter & Instagram: @marchtomay

Jessica Kemejuk The Who I grew up in Los Angeles, CA and am of Japanese and Russian/Ukrainian descent. I would describe myself as a true SoCal girl. The irony being, of course, that most people from Southern California don’t say “soCal!” My clothing and home design style, my taste in music, and even my taste in food are all the product of a beachy childhood! I went to school near downtown Los Angeles, where I focused on art and liberal arts studies. After going to college for TV/Film, I decided to pursue my childhood dream... acting!

The Goods I am an actress and a producer.

The Inspiration I would say that what inspires me most is watching people thrive in their element, whatever that may be. I am absolutely in love with witnessing people surrender themselves to their God-given talents. I am, of course, especially moved by deeply connected and transformative performances by actors.

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I am absolutely in love with witnessing people surrender themselves to their God-given talents.

The Vision The most important thing to me is making stories that matter. I deeply believe in the impact that film can have, and more than anything, I would like to contribute to that process, as an actor and as a filmmaker. My producing partner and I are directing a lot of our focus on telling stories that have a strong female presence. We started our company because of the lack of roles that were coming our way , with the hopes of creating more opportunities for not only ourselves, but for other women. My goal is to do justice to the roles/films that serve as a voice for those who are being silenced, for those who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the platform to tell their story, and for those who have simply been overlooked or forgotten.Â I love how alive film is, and how truly accessible it is. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an easy way to wake people up and shift thinking patterns, and I want to actively participate in this for the rest of my life!

The Music This rotates frequently, but I would say that there are some regulars who always remain on the list. I grew up on folk, so I would definitely consider it the music language of my heart. Anytime I feel like I’m spending too much time on the left-side of my brain and I need to tap in to something creative, I turn on some Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Joni, or Janis. Reggae also makes me instantly happy. For current music, I’m loving Woodkid, Glass Animals, Coleman Hell, George Ezra and Leon Bridges.

Find Jessica Kemejuk here: www.JessicaKemejuk.com Instagram: @jesser_k