Issue 12

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founders penelope martinez mariana patino editor-in-chief + design penelope martinez managing + copy editor lori gutman writers abbey dufoe, lindsy carr, kelly fadden, kieran james, knial saunders, vivien bui

connect: @focuszine facebook.com/focuszine focuszine.tumblr.com website: photographers focuszine.com bethan miller, grayson hary, jason for any inquiries: cox, laura harvey, leah dickerman, info@focuszine.com lori gutman, penelope martinez

THANK YOU real friends heather + alyson // fearless records neck deep becca + shelby // big picture media somos austin griswold // secret service pr highly suspect anna stodart // golightly media the technicolors chelsea dunstall // 8123 i prevail steve karas // skh music 2

bakkuda, manny phesto, kayla surico, mike cubillos, soundset, anna jojo, rhymesayers, issuu, gardens, hannah branigan, our incredible staff and you.

Thank you to anyone who has skimmed, read, or purchased our issues, and sent us music and requests. Thank you for helping us release a year of issues and allowing us to do what we love.

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CONTENTS 6 artist of the month 12 behind the band 14 local spotlight 18 20 22 28 32 34 40 46

highly suspect the technicolors bakkuda i prevail somos manny phesto neck deep real friends

56 album reviews 60 show reviews 78 gallery

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ON THE COVER

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PHOTO: YUODORA MCFADDEN

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WHO: Kayla Surico WHAT: Photography WHERE: KaylaSurico.com

Kayla Surico FIRST OF ALL, TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF. My name is Kayla Surico, and I’m a photographer based out of Central Florida. I’m incredibly bad at these kinds of things. I was tempted to write “I’m a dingus,” but I’ll actually attempt to give some information about myself. I’m nineteen, I laugh way too much—to the point where I swear my cheeks are probably going to fall off, I’m really good at making goat noises, I have an obsession with Lost, and I just really enjoy making people happy with the art that I create. I also have a huge weakness for anything ridiculously cute, especially bunnies and dogs.

WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN ALTERNATIVE MUSIC? Assuming you’re referencing music that would usually not be played on the radio, I first became interested in alternative music back when I was in middle school. One of my friends always played music off of Pandora, and that helped me to discover bands like Mayday Parade, Cartel, Between The Trees, etc. One of my other friends also got me super into My Chemical Romance around that time.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN PHOTOGRAPHING MUSICIANS? HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY? I’ve been photographing musicians since August of 2012. I was sixteen at the time, and I had gotten my first DSLR camera that summer. I had a strong interest in photography for a while, but the thought of pursuing music photography never crossed my mind until I attended the Vans Warped Tour. I brought in my camera and took a ton of photos from the side or from the crowd, and I really enjoyed doing it. That night, my friend, Candy Valenzuela, messaged me asking if I was interested in helping her out by filming her interviews with bands. In exchange, she would

try her best to get me photo passes for shows. At the time, she had a blog titled “Concertjunkies,” and she wanted to make it more than just a blog. With a few others, we turned CJ into a music outlet.

WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED OUT, WHAT DID YOU FIND TO BE THE MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY? For the longest time, I was deathly afraid of shooting in manual mode because I was nervous that I would mess up. To be quite honest, I didn’t know how to fully use my camera, and I didn’t know exactly what everything meant or did. It was challenging for me to learn everything and to understand how to use my camera in the beginning.

HOW DID YOUR FIRST SHOW GO? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO DIFFERENTLY? I don’t even remember what the very first show I shot was—it was probably a local show. But the first show I received a photo pass for was The Maine, Mayday Parade, and The Postelles. I remember both my friend Melissa and I had photo passes, and we were ridiculously happy to have the opportunity to photograph our favorite bands together. If there were anything I would do differently, it would definitely be shooting in RAW instead of JPEG. CAN YOU THINK OF A TIME WHERE YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE SHOOTING OR YOU JUST WEREN'T HAPPY WITH THE WORK YOU HAD DONE THUS FAR? HOW DID YOU SNAP OUT OF IT? This has happened to me a couple of times, and I’m sure every artist goes through a period where they just aren’t satisfied with their work. The help and support of my friends, along with realizing how much effort and hard work I’ve put into this, is what sort of helped me snap out of it.

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WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME DIFFICULTIES YOU'VE COME ACROSS ALONG THE WAY? HOW DID YOU DEAL WITH THEM? It gets a little difficult and overwhelming sometimes when I feel like I won’t really be successful with photography.

I’m constantly being pressured by my family to go to school and to study things such as medicine or law or engineering. While those are all great, they just aren’t for me. Because of that, I always try my best to show them how much I’ve been improving, along with sharing the amazing opportunities I’ve been given and the things I’ve accomplished.

WHO OR WHAT HELPED YOU GROW AND DEVELOP YOUR STYLE? When it comes to my style and what I personally want my photos to look like, I get a lot of inspiration from film photography. Some of my favorite photographers— those who have helped me develop a love for this style and have inspired me—are Matt Vogel, Maysa Askar, Anam Merchant, Ashley Osborn, and Sara Kiesling.

IT SEEMS THAT NOT ONLY HAVE YOU CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF FANS, BUT OF MUSICIANS AS WELL. YOUR WORK HAS BEEN USED ON SEVERAL SHIRTS, AND SOON IT’LL BE FEATURED ON AN ALBUM AS WELL. WHAT GOES THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU GET APPROACHED FOR INQUIRIES LIKE THESE? Honestly, I freak out on the inside and get stupidly happy about it. Practically every time I’ve been contacted about having my photos published or used on merch or in albums, I stood up and screamed “MOM! MOM!!!!!

MOM, GUESS WHAT?!?” before proceeding to freak out to her about how excited I was. It’s truly incredible to receive support from artists that I love and admire.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT WORKING WITH MUSICIANS? I love working with people who also have a creative mindset! Plus, most of the musicians I’ve met are generally hilarious, silly, and super fun to be around.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT SHOOTING LIVE SHOWS? ANY PARTICULAR MOMENTS THAT STICK OUT? I think my favorite thing about shooting live shows is capturing the really emotional, happy, and intimate moments. Like when the musician gets super into the music and you can just instantly tell how much it means to them... Or whenever they interact with the fans.

When I shot letlive. recently, I got a picture of Jason hugging a guy in the crowd during their set, and it was so raw and emotional. After the show, I found the dude, and I showed him the picture. He legitimately started tearing up. He gave me the biggest hug and told me how that made his night, and then he thanked me a million times for capturing the moment for him. That made me want to cry.

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Another moment that stands out happened while I was shooting TWIABP at FEST 13. At the very end of their set, practically everyone got on stage and started singing along. Everyone was just so genuinely happy to share that moment with each other.

DID YOU TAKE ANY PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES? WILL YOU BE GOING TO SCHOOL TO STUDY PHOTOGRAPHY OR ART? Yes! I took a photography class online in high school.

Also, while I did dual enrollment full-time during my last two years of high school, I took a digital photography course at my community college.

As of right now, I don’t have any plans to study photography or art in college.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST STRESSFUL THING ABOUT PHOTOGRAPHY? When I have a lot of photos to work on, edit, post, or send to people, I start to feel a bit stressed. Other than that, I love photography, and it actually relieves a lot of my stress.

WHEN YOU NEED INSPIRATION, WHERE DO YOU TURN? WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPHERS? Whenever I need inspiration, I spend some time looking at new photos on Flickr.com or LooksLikeFilm. com. I also check out work by my favorite photographers. Some of my favorites, other than the ones I stated previously, are Eden Kittiver, MichaelRex Carbonell, Chase Harris, Keano Jan Osmillo, Dieter Unrath, Miranda Eliot, Jason Cox, Shannon

Bray, Sam Desantis, Elliott Ingham, Demi Cambridge, and so many more. I could probably go on and on.

WHEN DOING PORTRAIT SHOTS, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU TEND TO KEEP IN MIND? I always try to think about what kind of lighting is perfect for the look I’m going for, and what poses are most flattering for the person or people I’m shooting.

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL FOR THIS YEAR IN REGARDS TO YOUR ART? My main goal for this year is to step outside of my boundaries, travel, take photos in new places, and hopefully make more of an income off of photography.

WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? Hopefully happy and still doing what I love!

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER RECEIVED? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS WANTING TO GET INTO MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY OR PHOTOGRAPHY IN GENERAL? The best advice I’ve ever received is something I will continue to advise others to do: just keep practicing, and never forget to have fun with what you’re doing.

Also, make friends with other photographers. It’s so much more rewarding to become close with other photographers, so you can learn from them and help them rather than just view them as competition.

Don’t be afraid to do something weird or out of the ordinary, or to break the rules!

GET CONNECTED: kaylasurico.com www.facebook.com/KaylaSuricoPhotography kayla_surico

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BEHIND THE BAND NAME: Mike Cubillos JOB: Publicist at Earshot Media RESUME: Rise Records, Mod Sun, All Time Low, All American Rejects, Avenged Sevenfold, Copeland + MORE

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THAT YOU WANTED TO START WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? I originally intended to go into TV or film production or possibly even journalism, but, as a lifelong music fan, I interned at a record label in college and got hooked on working in the music business.

HOW DID YOU BEGIN WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY? My internship led to a couple of other internships, and I eventually got hired by one of the record companies. I started out assisting in a few different departments—video promotion, marketing, and publicity—and eventually found my way into publicity full-time. I became a coordinator, and then a director of publicity.

EARSHOT MEDIA STARTED IN 1997, ALMOST TWENTY YEARS AGO. HOW DID YOU CREATE IT, AND WHAT GOALS DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH IT BEFORE 2017?

Back then, I was working at Mercury Records, and I was part of a huge wave of people that were laid off after a big merger between Seagrams and Polygram.

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At that point, I was a bit disheartened with the major label world, and the layoff was the push I needed to strike out on my own. It really ended up being a blessing in disguise.

My goals are really the same as they’ve always been: to continue to survive and thrive in the industry, and to do good work while hopefully continuing to challenge myself with the kinds of projects I take on.

WHAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST LESSONS YOU LEARNED WHEN YOU STARTED EARSHOT MEDIA? I learned that starting and running your own business isn’t easy. As gratifying as it can be, it can also take a lot out of you. It requires a lot of patience, hard work, and persistence.

WAS IT CHALLENGING TO FIND CLIENTS WHEN THE COMPANY HAD JUST STARTED? Actually, I got lucky with that. One of my former label colleagues was looking to hire a publicist for the label she was working for at the time—Mojo Records. I started with a pretty solid stable of

clients, such as Reel Big Fish, Goldfinger, and others.

That really helped Earshot make a name for itself in the alternative/punk/indie scene and, from there, a lot of doors opened.

HOW HAS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED WORKING IN IT? So much has changed. Everything from the way we service music, to the way we issue press releases, to the number of outlets that we work with, to the size of label marketing budgets… I could go on. As much as the internet has allowed indies and smaller bands to better compete with bigger labels and artists, it has also helped smaller companies like mine.

The tools that are now available to bands, labels, publicists, etc. to allow them get their music heard really has helped to level the playing field.

HOW HAVE YOUR JOB RESPONSIBILITIES CHANGED? Again, the sheer number of outlets we work with has drastically changed. It feels like twenty new music blogs pop up every day. It’s become a challenge to sort through them all to find out which ones will have the most impact on any given campaign. The need to be hyper-vigilant over who gets advance music, for fear of album leaks, has also become a bigger concern.

SINCE YOU WORK WITH A WIDE RANGE OF ARTISTS, DIFFERING IN GENRES AS WELL AS FANBASE SIZES, WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST ABOUT EACH? I like that each project is different and calls for different press strategies. It definitely never gets boring. It’s very gratifying to work with smaller, developing bands and helping them get to that next level. It’s exciting to see and feel that happening and to know that you played a part in it. And, obviously, working with the bigger bands is always amazing too.

BEING IN THE BUSINESS FOR AS LONG AS YOU HAVE, YOU’VE PROBABLY SEEN PUBLICATIONS COME AND GO. DO YOU THINK IT’S EASIER TO KEEP A MUSIC OUTLET GOING NOW COMPARED TO A DECADE OR TWO AGO? I have seen a lot of publications come and go. It’s always sad to see some great magazine or website fold, not only because it’s one less cool outlet for your bands, but because it means some good, hardworking people are out of work. It has to be a lot harder to keep a print magazine going these days, so it’s really impressive when one manages to continue on and thrive. I’ve also seen many print publications go to an online-only format and do really well, and that’s always cool to see. The other thing is that a lot of blogs and zines are run by younger kids or teens who are super passionate about music, but, as they get older and go off to college or start working in the “real world,” they have less time to devote to their publication. As a result, it slowly fizzles out. But the good news is that there will always be more young, passionate music fans out there who will be motivated

to start up some sort of publication, and that cycle is part of what keeps the DIY scene alive and well.

IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE WHO HAVE STARTED THEIR OWN BLOGS OR ZINES SOMETIMES FORGET ABOUT LOCAL BANDS AND SMALLER ARTISTS. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THESE OUTLETS? I think it’s important that they also try and cover smaller, developing, and local acts. Bigger bands are great and all, and I understand that they drive traffic to your site or bring more eyeballs to your magazine, but these smaller bands also deserve some love.

Rolling Stone, People, and all the huge circulation national magazines and larger websites are really good at what they do, and, while they do often devote space to newer bands and artists, it’s the grassroots zines and blogs that have the freedom to take chances on smaller artists that are deserving of attention. They’re the ones that can have a hand in helping to “break” a band.

WHAT ARE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE ABOUT YOUR JOB? Many people think that music publicity is all fun and games. Hanging out with bands, going to shows and all that other stuff is fun, but it’s also a business and can be very stressful at times.

WHAT IS THE MOST STRESSFUL THING ABOUT BEING A PUBLICIST? A publicist is constantly putting out fires, whether it be an interview that an artist forgot about, a client who’s found his or herself involved in some controversy, a publication that’s on a deadline and urgently needs a photo, or a writer that is stuck outside of a venue because somehow his or her name wasn’t on the guest list. These things require us to be pretty much constantly on call and ready to deal with whatever situation might come up.

HOW DO YOU STAY ORGANIZED? Things like Google Calendar, Outlook, Haulix (for servicing music), Freshbooks (for invoicing), and MadMimi (for sending press releases) are all incredibly helpful.

WHAT WAS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE SOMEONE GAVE TO YOU ABOUT WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHERS TRYING TO JOIN THE PR GAME? I don’t know if it’s really advice I was given—it’s really just something I’ve always known—but I’d pass it on to anyone thinking of getting into this business: be kind, be humble, and show gratitude. I run into a lot of people that forget these simple things, and it drives me nuts.

GET CONNECTED: earshotmedia.com facebook.com/earshotmedia earshotmedia

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LOCAL SPOTLIGHT F E AT U R I N G

GARDENS

INTERVIEW: LINDSY CARR PHOTOS: PENELOPE MARTINEZ

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HOW DID YOU ALL MEET? WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA TO CREATE GARDENS? We all met at some point during high school. When we met, we were all in different bands, but we talked a lot about starting a band during or after college.

By the end of college, our paths reconvened again, and we decided to make it happen. The inspiration behind starting the band was the fact that we couldn’t really picture ourselves doing anything else.

WHILE GROWING UP, WHO OR WHAT INFLUENCED YOU TO BEGIN PLAYING/SINGING? I think we all started getting into music in middle school. I know Jackson’s brother got him into a lot of indie rock like Wilco and The Pixies. I think Jordan and I both independently wanted to start playing guitar because of Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin. I also remember getting Green Day’s Dookie in seventh grade, and that was probably the first time I distinctly thought playing guitar and singing was really cool.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO IN THE MUSICAL DIRECTION THAT YOU DID? It’s still a little hard for us to say definitively what genre we are, as well as what musical direction we’ve been moving in. In a lot of ways, it was affected by all of us being able to find a meeting point for our individual influences. As a songwriter, I’m really influenced by Noah Gundersen and Andy Hull.

Jackson draws a lot from Modest Mouse, and Nine Inch Nails has always been one of Jordan’s favorite bands. Those are just a couple of examples, but we all come from pretty different places musically.

Luckily, we’ve found a way to create something we’re proud of as a result.

YOUR DEBUT ALBUM, DEATH IN THE FAMILY, WAS RELEASED IN NOVEMBER. ARE THERE SKILLS YOU LEARNED WHILE MAKING YOUR EP THAT YOU THEN APPLIED TO THIS RECORD? We had only been a band for about six months when we made the decision to write and record a full-length album, so at that point everything was still a learning process. Honestly, it’s still a learning process. I think we mostly learned how to communicate with each other during the making of Death In The Family. Our EP was very bare bones writing-wise, but the full-length was much more of a collaborative experience. We are all pretty passive and non-confrontational people, so learning how to say things to each other and understand where each person was coming from took some time.

WHAT WAS THE WRITING PROCESS FOR THE ALBUM? DID YOU HAVE ANY CHALLENGES REGARDING SONGWRITING OR GATHERING INSPIRATION? After we put out the EP, I came to the guys with my idea for Death In The Family. I’ve lost a lot of close family members in the last ten years or so.

As such, the inspiration for the album was finally making myself process all of things I’ve swept under the rug for the last decade. On one hand, it made writing easier because I knew exactly what the album was going to be about, but, on the other hand, it made things difficult because every song was a heavy, cathartic process.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SCENE? IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DISLIKE OR WOULD CHANGE ABOUT IT? The local scene in Chicago is pretty interesting. In a lot of other cities that we’ve been to, people come to shows just because they hear there are shows happening, and that’s something that doesn’t seem to really happen here. For the first year or so of us being a band, we booked all of our “local” shows in the city. But the reality is that that’s not really local for us because we’re from the suburbs. We’ve been trying to play a lot more suburban shows, and I think the response has been a lot better.

WHAT ARE SOME GOALS YOU’D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR? Our main goal is to tour as much as possible.

For most of this year, we’ve just had a lot of band expenses to cover, and it’s held us back from touring to a certain degree. But we’ll be on the road for a good chunk of the summer, and we’re all excited about it. Other than that, we’ve been in talks about doing a split this summer.

We also want to start writing for another release.

YOU’RE CURRENTLY ON TOUR WITH SLEEP ON IT. DO YOU HAVE JOBS WAITING FOR YOU AT HOME? IF SO, HOW DO YOU BALANCE OUT TOURING WHILE STILL MAINTAINING YOUR JOBS? We all have jobs to supplement the band, and it’s a tricky thing. I think, for any band, there’s a point where each member has to decide whether they care more about having a steady job or about touring and committing to the band. We’re all at the point where we’ve committed to the band, but we still need jobs to be able to pay for touring. But, with that being said, touring comes first. If that means having to find new jobs each time we get home, then that’s just life for us now.

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YOUR DRUMMER RECENTLY LEFT THE BAND. HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED GARDENS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CURRENT TOUR? Aaron left towards the end of January of this year, just before our tour with Great Dane. For us, it wasn’t sudden or unexpected. We knew with plenty of time to prepare that we were going to need to part ways. Aaron decided to go to graduate school in the fall, and pursuing that as well as the band wasn’t really a possibility. He is our best friend, and we miss him so much. We’ve had our good friend Jake Newling from Tiny Kingdoms and Flight Plan filling in since January. He is one of the most talented guys we know, and we’re extremely grateful to him for basically keeping our band glued together for the time being. We have a friend, Josh Suaverdez, who’s going to be moving here in June to join the band full-time, and we’re very excited to start playing and writing with him.

WHAT ARE SOME STRUGGLES YOU’VE FACED AS A BAND? The biggest struggle so far was probably Aaron leaving the band. It was really hard on all of us, and it still kind of is, actually. We love that he’s pursuing what he wants to do and we support him one hundred percent, but there’s still that selfish side that wishes he could’ve stayed. He was with us from day one, and it was hard to imagine pursuing this with anyone else for a while. Other than that, I’d say money is the biggest struggle—which is the case for most bands. There’s so much that we want to do, and a lot of times we just can’t because of money.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES THINK ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL ENDEAVORS? Our families are generally pretty supportive about us pursuing the band. It seems like they all understand that we wouldn’t be happy if we weren’t doing this. There’s still a hint of “maybe you should get a real job and be a person” once in a while, but, overall, they are a huge support to us. Our friends are pretty supportive as well.

Some of them have been coming to shows all along, which means a lot to us.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN TELL US ABOUT THE FUTURE OF GARDENS? One highlight is that our new drummer, Josh, is going to be joining us in June. We’re also planning to tour the East Coast toward the end of June, and the West Coast in July. We’re hoping to do a split with some friends this summer as well, but that’s still in the works.

GET CONNECTED: facebook.com/gardenschi wearegardens.bandcamp.com/ wearegardens

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“THERE’S A POINT W H E R E E AC H MEMBER HAS TO DECIDE WHETHER THEY CARE MORE ABOUT H AV I N G A S T E A DY J O B OR ABOUT TOURING AND COMMITTING TO THE BAND.”

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H I G H LY SUSPECT INTERVIEW: ABBEY DUFOE STORY: PENELOPE MARTINEZ PHOTO: PROVIDED

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February 28th, 2009 wasn’t just your average day for the guys in HIGHLY SUSPECT. On that day, Ryan and Rick Meyer and Johnny Stevens, the guys of Highly Suspect, played their first show with two acoustic guitars and a set of bongos. “We were all so nervous,” Johnny admits. “It was literally such a rush. I couldn’t look at anyone while we were playing, and it took us like two minutes in between songs to get ready for the next one.” After all the anxiety and awkward silences, the guys made fifty dollars and had free beers.

Although they have been playing music together for about ten years now, their journey as Highly Suspect didn’t start until roughly six years ago in Brooklyn, New York. “All of us have been playing music for as long as we can remember,” shares Johnny. “In the early days, we just had a house together and had basement party jams.”

Those ‘basement party jams’ soon grew into full-time jobs after years of hard work. “We feel very fortunate, but it certainly wasn't luck,” confesses Johnny. “We all really busted our asses to get to this point—building houses, landscaping, bartending, painting houses, roofing, washing dishes—whatever it took to earn a dime.” All of the money they earned went towards shared bills, since they have been living together for a decade already. Johnny recalls a time when Ryan was working sixty hours a week at a landscaping job whilst still managing to play shows five nights a week for three hours a night. “One night, he was puking and playing the drums. We just got him a bucket, and the show went on. That’s what you have to do if you want to make it. You can't risk burning one bridge or fucking over any clubs,” states Johnny.

Luckily, they guys have had a strong support system throughout all the challenges they faced to become the band they sought out to be. Johnny’s dad, for one, has been extremely supportive of Highly Suspect.

Although he doesn’t think having a song be the third most viral on Spotify is that impressive, it only pushes Johnny to work harder. “I guess I'm gonna have to keep going until I put a Grammy on his shelf,” he laughs.

Somehow, amidst the work and the shows, the band has been hard at work creating an upcoming fulllength record. They reveal that they had written one in 2010, but they only had one hundred and fifty copies available. Most—if not all—of those were given to friends and family. However, the material

they had written for that release is entirely different in comparison to their most recent work. “Those songs were on a whole different tip,” states Johnny.

“They may as well have been from a different band.”

For this album, the band updated three songs out of the ten that they plan on releasing. Highly Suspect originally wanted this album to be comprised of only new material, but Johnny was advised by some successful people to work on old songs and improve them now that the band had the time and resources to make the tracks the way they always wanted to. “We thought it would be cool to take the three songs that were the most popular with our original core fanbase and give them a lift,” explains Johnny.

Still, writing new material for this album hasn’t been easy. Songwriting in general can be challenging since it puts the writers in a vulnerable place. Johnny echoes this sentiment, stating that he’s constantly nervous about verbalizing his thoughts. “Whenever I feel scared to tell the truth in a song, I just think, ‘What would Kendrick do? Eminem? Meek Mill?’ I look to rappers as a huge influence for keeping it real,” he discloses. He expands on this by admitting that, ultimately, the music he writes will be for himself and not for the fans. “Sorry, fans… Much love, but I write this shit to get it off my chest,” he continues. “It's my own therapy, and admitting to my mistakes or being honest about my feelings keeps me centered. It helps ease the anxiety.”

With a little over a month left until the release date of their full-length, the band’s emotions are all over the place. Luckily, they were able to work alongside a great team of people who provided support through the whole process. “We get to work alongside and learn from some of the biggest people in the business every day… And they actually care,” he exclaims. Hearing many horror stories regarding the music industry, the guys were cautious at first.

But, eventually, they saw that there were more genuinely good and honest people than there were assholes. “I actually love this industry, and that's probably rare for an artist to say. Maybe it's because I couldn't care less about Bentleys. I just like stages.”

Fortunately, it’s not long before Highly Suspect release Mister Asylum. And with all the success the band has found thus far, you should definitely check them out once the record is out.

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THE TECHNICOLORS INTERVIEW: LEAH DICKERMAN STORY: PENELOPE MARTINEZ

PHOTO: PROVIDED

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The 8123 roster is home to many amazing artists— The Maine, Lydia, Nick Santino, and, more recently, The Technicolors. THE TECHNICOLORS originally started out as Brennan Smiley’s solo project. What was initially intended to be an outlet for learning how to write songs soon took on a life of its own.

Once Brennan gathered enough talented people together to play a few live shows, they decided to officially form a band.

Although coming together and continuing as a group was a good decision, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Some of the members have other projects going on in their lives, and balancing them out can get strenuous at times. “It’s just a matter of finding time in between what we’re doing to make it work,” shares Brennan. Unfortunately, finding the time to focus on all of their responsibilities is only one of the challenges that come with pursuing a career in the music world. Despite this, The Technicolors approach the difficulties with a positive outlook. “At the end of the day, it either works or it doesn’t. You just have to keep pushing through,” comments Brennan.

As is expected, writing and recording music also comes with its fair share of setbacks and doubts.

Most, if not all, of their work has been self-released.

Along with dealing with the financial burden that this brings, the members also tend to worry about outsiders’ opinions. “Your perspective is always different than that of someone who doesn’t have an emotional attachment to the physical work being put into a piece of art,” explains Brennan. “But after four years of doing this, I’m still excited every time there’s an opportunity to create and travel.” Nevertheless, the

outcome and the finished product make it all worth it for Brennan. “I love seeing the whole picture come together. It’s not always what you expect,” he muses.

Fortunately, The Technicolors didn’t have to worry about negative opinions in regards to their latest EP. Their most recent release, Ultraviolet Disguise, was highly anticipated amongst fans and artists in the scene. Brennan was especially pleased by that, as this EP was particularly special to him due to the inclusion of “Feels Like Trouble.” “I’ve written a lot of tunes that live in the same dynamic as this song... But, for some reason, they always seem to get pushed under the table,” he admits. “I’m excited that this one got to see the light of day.”

Fresh off a tour with The Maine, Real Friends, and Knuckle Puck in support of Ultraviolet Disguise, The Technicolors aren’t getting too comfy at home. This summer, they have big plans—including a West Coast tour and another in Brazil. During this they will continue to write and record. Still, they’re not entirely sure what the outcome of their creative sessions will be.

“Maybe we’ll make an EP. Maybe we’ll make a record.

Who knows? We’re trying not to box ourselves in too much this early on in the game,” mentions Brennan.

Regardless of what they decide to do, their main focus will be on making music for themselves and staying grounded despite the success they find.

“Don’t believe the hype, whether it’s good or bad,” expresses Brennan. “It’s a reminder to stay centered around the reason that we started making music in the first place. It’s a big world, and everyone has something to say—whether they know it or not.”

PHOTO: PENELOPE MARTINEZ

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B BA AK KK KU UD DA A INTERVIEW + STORY: KIERAN JAMES PHOTOS: HANNAH BRANIGAN

The name BAKKUDA is Korean for change, and striving to change the world for the better is something that electronic artist Bakkuda tries to encompass in her songs. “I really want my music to influence people in a positive way. A lot of my lyrics speak out against social injustices, and if they help someone cope or help someone learn or help open up someone’s mind, then I’ll know I’ve done my job well. I want to inspire and empower people with my music because that’s what music has done for me,” she shares.

Bakkuda’s desire to pursue music stemmed from her childhood and her family. Her father was a musician, playing in bands and delving into production— something that would later inspire her career. With such a constant influence in her life, she was always singing as a child. Her earliest musical memory took place at a family camping ground, between the ages of eight and nine. “I ended up getting up in front of a bunch of strangers and singing Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still The One,’” she confesses.

Reading and writing were also important aspects of her life when she was younger, as Bakkuda often spent her time writing books, short stories, and screenplays. Because of this, songwriting appeared to come naturally to her, even though she had no prior experience with it. “I hadn’t tried it until I was about seventeen, but, as soon as I did, it just felt right,” she muses. “Like I’d been doing it all along.”

She then began writing songs, and, upon discovering electronic music, Bakkuda was attracted to it due to its versatility and range of acoustics. “You don’t have a set number of instrumental sounds to work with.

There are thousands of options for you to create with, and to manipulate and turn into your own sound— one that no one else has heard before,” she explains.

Because she is a solo artist, Bakkuda is responsible for writing all of the sounds, melodies, and beats in her music. On top of that, production is something she deals with firsthand, as she also mixes her own tracks. “I initially started producing my own work because I didn’t want to rely on other people, and I discovered that I enjoyed creating everything more than I enjoyed just doing the vocal aspects of a song.”

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“I WANT TO INSPIRE AND EMPOWER PEOPLE WITH MY MUSIC BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT MUSIC HAS DONE FOR ME.”

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For a solo performer, there is understandably a lot of pressure to not only put out good music but to also be able to put on a great show, and Bakkuda knows that firsthand. “I was always so embarrassed to be on stage alone at first, but now I’m very comfortable with it,” she admits. Live shows are of great importance for her, and she tries to put a lot of emotion and energy into them. “I want to create memorable moments with the audience and to keep them captivated. Sometimes I have dancers or hula hoopers with me if it’s a bigger show!”

Clearly, Bakkuda puts a lot of time and effort into doing what she loves. Fortunately, the proudest moment of her career was realizing how her hard work has paid off. From writing songs to practicing to booking and playing the shows, she has learned that “there’s nothing you can’t do with a bit of creativity, a lot of determination, and a computer.”

All her endeavors ultimately came together in the form of her self-titled debut EP, which she released in September of 2014. Alongside her previous singles—“The Message,” “Happy Tears,” and “Gravity”—it also featured two new tracks. Considering it was only her first album, Bakkuda was incredibly pleased with the reaction the release garnered. “It was the first time I felt super confident putting music out into the world, and I think that was reflected back to me with the positive reception online and at shows. I feel so happy and thankful that people are enjoying the songs and getting to know them,” she tells us.

With a second EP, online content, and music videos all in the works and set to be released in the near future, 2015 is shaping up to be an adventurous year for the upand-coming solo artist. “I’m just so excited for 2015! You can expect to see a lot of Bakkuda on my social media outlets and lots of new songs and videos coming out,” she exclaims. With plans for shows outside of San Diego and a promise to incorporate new and exciting visual elements, Bakkuda is definitely one to watch in the years to come.

GET CONNECTED: bakkuda.com facebook.com/Bakkuda bakkuda

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CAN’T DO WITH A BIT OF DETERMINATION, MPUTER.” FOCUS MAGAZINE // 27

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I PREVAIL INTERVIEW: LEAH DICKERMAN PHOTOS+STORY: LORI GUTMAN

IN THIS DAY AND AGE, TECHNOLOGY IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND ADVANCING, AND, EVERY DAY, IT BECOMES INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO FIND SOMEONE WHO’S NOT ACTIVE ON AT LEAST ONE SOCIAL NETWORK, LET ALONE SEVERAL. OLDER GENERATIONS SCOFF AT MILLENNIALS GLUED TO THEIR PHONES AND COMPUTERS, BUT THAT’S BECAUSE THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION. WHILE, ADMITTEDLY, SOCIAL MEDIA DOES HAVE ITS DRAWBACKS, IT’S STILL INCREDIBLY USEFUL AND CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SUCCESS OF MANY BAND’S CAREERS. MICHIGAN’S I PREVAIL IS NO EXCEPTION.

About a year and a half ago, vocalist Brian Burkheiser and guitarist Steve Menoian decided to start making music together. After writing two or three songs, they realized that they probably needed some other members if they wanted to pursue being in a band. “Through a friend of a friend of a friend of a cousin of an ex-boyfriend of something, we found [unclean vocalist] Eric [Vanlerberghe],” Brian jokes.

The guys then found the band’s drummer, Lee Runestad, thanks to his drum covers on YouTube.

“We all got together and really went into the studio for about a year in total. We worked on writing music, and getting all the songs to how we wanted them to be. We started going in and practicing, and things kinda developed from there,” he continues.

Before unleashing I Prevail onto the world, the guys wanted to make sure that the project was exactly what they were envisioning. “We really took a different approach. A lot of bands just wanna get out there and start playing. They wanna get in the scene and start getting noticed,” Steve mentions. “We spent all of our time in a cold, smelly basement writing music.

You only get one first impression, so we wanted to make sure it was exactly how we wanted it to be.”

A couple of weeks before releasing their debut EP, Heart vs Mind, the guys unveiled their Punk Goes Pop

cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” on YouTube.

They chose “Blank Space” because, unlike “Shake It Off,” it wasn’t just an upbeat pop song with catchy hooks and melodies. Instead, it had a darker story around it that the guys used to their advantage.

“When we recreated it, we put a little spin on it with the harsh vocals and the heavy guitars, and that kinda gave a different meaning to the same song,” Lee explains. “I think that’s part of the reason it worked so well for us.”

Still, the cover didn’t just reach two million views in a month by chance. After releasing it, the guys used word-of-mouth to really plug the video and get it out into the world. “It didn’t just get big right off the bat. We would literally go to my apartment, all four of us would get on the computers, and we’d each go on a different website. ‘You’re gonna take Twitter.

Start tweeting fans of A Day To Remember. You’re gonna get on Facebook and start messaging all your friends,’” Brian admits. “Social media is a way that you can get the word out to ten thousand people in an hour if it starts picking up traffic. I would advise other bands to really make sure they take pride in it. With the world we’re in today, social media ranks right up there,” he adds. This statement rings true, and the proof is there: in just a few months, the video has amassed over eleven million views.

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“YOU ONLY GET ONE FIRST IMPRESSION, SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS EXACTLY HOW WE WANTED IT TO BE.” 30

In January of 2015, just a few weeks after the release of the video and the EP, I Prevail appeared on several Billboard charts for both the “Blank Space” cover and Heart vs Mind. For Eric, this was a major turning point. “I knew that all our efforts were career-worthy when Billboard picked us up.

Seeing our video hit two million views in one month, and dropping our album and having it be charted on Billboard… We started getting offers from management companies and record labels. I had been playing music in the local scene for five or six years and never got an opportunity like that,” Eric discloses. “All of a sudden, all of these offers came flooding in from reputable labels and management companies, and going to college while also serving at IHOP was incomparable to the opportunity of touring the world,” he muses.

Although a wave of offers kept coming in for I Prevail, the deals just didn’t make sense numbers-wise. Luckily, the guys had found management that consisted of people who really wanted the best for the band, and who gave them advice regarding the deals.

“We were actually completely ready to do it ourselves. We were such a new band that definitely saw how we could be viewed as a high risk to a label,” Steve discloses. “We were ready to accept that those things weren’t gonna line up, and that it just wasn’t a good time for a deal. So we waited, and we said no to a handful of labels,” he goes on.

Fortunately, I Prevail captured the attention of a pretty big label, and, pretty soon, Fearless Records reached out to them. “Fearless has such an awesome brand and roster, and they don’t sign a ton of bands. They definitely caught all of our eyes right away, especially after they made an offer that made a lot of sense. We thought they could bring a lot to the table for us, and we could hopefully do a lot for them as well. We couldn’t be happier.

Waiting definitely paid off,” Steve adds.

The change from being unsigned to being on such a well-known label is a drastic one, and it has certainly changed the game for I Prevail. Disregarding their roster of wellloved bands, Fearless Records themselves also have a huge fanbase, and that ultimately introduced I Prevail to a whole new market of music fans. With that in mind, the guys are excited to see where things go from here. “I think, over time, we’re really gonna see their impact. Once we release new

content to promote,” Steve comments.

Eric echoes that thought. “Say we come out with a new album in X months. Now we don’t have to go around knocking on a hundred to a thousand doors trying to get someone to open, and then convincing them to check it out. There are people knocking on Fearless’ door asking what new music they have coming out,” he exclaims.

Despite the fact that they released their first EP only a few months ago, I Prevail are already planning out their first full-length record. They’ve been putting a lot of time and effort into writing new material, and, because the band borders on a few different genres, they have the musical freedom to experiment with different aspects both lyrically and instrumentally. “We wanna make sure our fanbase reacts the same way that they reacted to Heart vs Mind, so we’re gonna try not to stray too far from the path while still giving them a couple of new elements,” Brian mentions.

Steve builds on that idea, saying, “We’re just on the brink of developing what our sound even is, so we are definitely at a point where we could continue to explore the things we did on the EP and still get a bit more experimental at some points. But really, we just wanna continue to develop what I Prevail’s sound is. We’re only seven, eight songs in. We’ve got a lot of music to get out.”

With less than two years together, the guys of I Prevail have accomplished more than most bands ever have the chance to, and they don’t plan on stopping any time soon.

Aside from working on their upcoming fulllength—which they hope to have out next year—the guys plan on touring relentlessly, and meeting as many fans as possible.

“We try to connect with our fans as much as possible through social media, so when we have a show, it’s not just us playing to a bunch of strangers that we’re trying to win over. In reality, we’re playing to rooms of friends,” Eric shares. “So, hopefully, within the next year, our shows grow from a hundred friends, to five hundred friends, to who knows how many. We’d love to keep growing our fanbase and our family.”

GET CONNECTED: facebook.com/IPrevailBand IPrevailBand.com iprevailband

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INTERVIEW: LINDSY CARR STORY: LEAH DICKERMAN PHOTO: PROVIDED

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GET CONNECTED: somosma.tumblr.com facebook.com/somosMA somosbandMA

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here comes a time in your life or your career whenwhen you just to dotowhat’s best best for you, and youhave just have do what’s for you, and sometimes that means doing what you feel you and sometimes that means doing what need to do rather than what is expected of you. This mantra holds true for SOMOS. Michael Fiorentino, Phil Haggerty, Justin Hahn, and Evan Deges, the guys comprising this Boston band, have made it a point to create music, and, more importantly, to create music that they want to hear. In turn, Somos releases music with heartfelt lyrics and a sound that is influenced

by The Strokes, Bloc Party, Foals, The 1975, Hop Along, and Vampire Weekend—to name a few.

Growing up, Michael took lessons in order to learn how to play bass guitar, and he believes that Phil and Justin also had some sort of formal guitar training.

Their drummer, Evan, didn’t follow suit with taking lessons, however. Impressively, he only started playing drums at eighteen years old, and he taught himself everything. “When I found that out, I was honestly blown away. I think he’s a great drummer,” exclaims Michael.

When the guys weren’t learning to play music, they spent their time listening to it. The members of Somos all got into alternative music in their early teens. During that time in their lives, Michael states that he, along with Evan and Phil, geared towards the hardcore and punk side of the alternative spectrum, while Justin was more interested in the indie side of it. Evidently, they have different influences and styles, but, collectively, that’s what separates Somos from many alternative acts today. “We strive to write the music that we want to hear,” Michael tells us.

“We each have a different take on the songwriting process, and I ultimately think it makes our songs stronger. So far, songwriting has been a very healthy and collaborative process in our band,” he adds.

Songwriting in particular requires one to delve deep into his emotions and harness the ability to share them with the world—which can put the writer in a very vulnerable place more often than not.

Unsurprisingly, the inevitable vulnerability looming overhead could sometimes make writing difficult.

Michael shares that “the hard part is coming up with stuff that still seems good to me a few weeks after I write it down. I try to write in a way that doesn’t lend itself to melodrama, although I’m not sure I’m always successful. I’m always surprised to see which lyrics stand out to the listeners.”

While they spent a lot of 2012 and 2013 writing songs, one of Somos’ biggest challenges was dealing with the realization that they were a band without an audience, and that “taking the step from being off the map to a band that at least some people cared about seemed very daunting at the time.”

This challenge ultimately helped the band learn an important life lesson: you can’t predict or know how things will turn out a year down the line.

All the time they spent writing eventually blossomed into a record, and the guys of Somos took an intimidating but important step in March of last year when they released their debut album, Temple of Plenty. “We had no idea Temple of Plenty would catch on in the way it did. In the beginning, the hype was overwhelming, and I personally developed unhealthy habits—always comparing our progress to other bands, being devastated if someone said something unkind about us on the internet, etc.,” Michael elaborates. He has since dropped those habits, and, today, his main goal is to put his all into simply writing something of quality with his friends.

“If we’re able to create something that people latch onto, so much of the other stuff will take care of itself. If it doesn’t take us to where we want to be, at least we truly worked hard and learned things through the creative process,” he adds.

Currently, they are working diligently on their next album, which they hope to have out by the end of 2015. With a positive attitude and the determination to be the best they can be, it’s hard to predict anything but success for Somos.

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#MannyForMinneso INTERVIEW + STORY: PENELOPE MARTINEZ P H O T O S : G R AY S O N H A R Y

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GET CONNECTED: mannyphesto.com manny_phesto

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“BREATHE DEEP,”

Manny tells himself before any show.

Based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, MANNY PHESTO began freestyling roughly ten years ago. “I moved out of town when I was eighteen,” he shares.

“When I was about to move back, my uncle asked me what I would want to do if I didn’t have to worry about money.” His first thought? Creating music. Before he knew it, he was writing lyrics and making connections at shows all over the city.

Growing up, his family never listened to hip-hop. Without the musical influence during his childhood, Manny’s lyrical content is instead inspired by his experiences and memories. Social issues and politics were largely discussed in his home—a household that consisted of a visual artist father and an activist mother. Because of that, Manny often writes about social issues that he thinks need to be addressed. With that in mind, his goal isn’t to preach or to change people’s minds. His main purpose for writing is to share his experiences while turning his thoughts into art. “I’ll speak on whatever I’m thinking about,” he admits. “I’m not holding shit back.”

Unfortunately, whether the main focus of his music revolved around social issues or relationships, people would still find a way to criticize and judge. Despite that, the negativity hasn’t stopped Manny. He admits that being an artist, “you gotta be an open book.” You have to disregard what people are thinking, and ignore the doubts of those around you. Luckily, aside from his family, he has a small circle of friends who have been supporting him since day one. “A lot of the people that are with me now were with me then, and a lot of them make music too,” Manny discloses. “When this first started, we were just so excited about what we were doing. Who knows what people were thinking about us?” he muses. “If they thought we were bullshitting, now they know we’re not.”

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Still, even with all the support from friends and family, Manny was still missing the support of some pretty important people—fans. “In the beginning, nobody wanted to listen to my music,” he recalls. “If nobody knows who you are, they won’t want to listen to your music.” Because of this, he made it his mission to network as much as possible. “I went to as many shows as I could and met as many people as I could,” he reveals. “I talked to fans and journalists alike. I wanted to have people there so that, when I did drop something, I had platforms that would sponsor me and help me. It took me at least five years to get to get to where I am today.”

On top of trying to build a fanbase, Manny was also faced with the difficult task of booking shows. As an independent and new artist, people didn’t want to book him. Still, he managed to get a few shows here and there, and, because most of the music industry works by word of mouth, those shows helped him in the long run. “Once you start getting booked, you just build off of the momentum of the last events. Then it just gets easier, and, eventually, they start hitting you up,” he explains. He admits that, even though it was tough in the beginning, the hands-on experience and the chance to be in control of his whole career was more than worth it.

All the effort evidently paid off, and, last fall, Manny released one of the best hip-hop albums of the year— Southside Looking In. He worked with his friend Mike [the Martyr] on it for around nine months. “A lot of long and rainy nights were spent working on it,” shares Mike, “but it was really great to see it play at Soundset on such a big platform.” They went to the studio almost every day and, most of the time, Mike would send Manny home with a bunch of beats.

Fortunately, Manny didn’t go through any sort of writer’s block when working on music for this release. This past winter, however, was kind of difficult for him. “It was a bit of a dead zone inspirationally,” he confesses. Still, even with occasional writer’s block, he admits that he would never hire someone to write his music. “In hip hop, that’s basically a big no,” he states. “Besides, I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing that. If I did that, the people wouldn’t be relating to me. They’d be relating to somebody else’s version of what I would say.”

With time, he has slowly but surely been getting over his writer’s block, and Manny has started writing new material as well as collaborating with other artists. Although it’s only been a few months, Manny has already had a great year—from playing at this year’s Soundset Festival to touring in Hawaii and planning future music. With more festivals and tours ahead of him for 2015, Manny knows to appreciate everything as much as he can. “The moment that you stop feeling nervous and stop enjoying it is the moment you start getting sloppy,” he comments. We can’t wait to see what else he has in store for us, and we fully support #MANNYFORMINNESOTA.

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“THE MOMENT THAT YOU STOP FEELING NERVOUS AND STOP ENJOYING IT IS THE MOMENT YOU START GETTING SLOPPY.”

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INTERVIEW: KIERAN JAMES STORY: LEAH DICKERMAN PHOTOS: PENELOPE MARTINEZ

NECK DEEP

When a band forms, its members don’t necessarily have a concrete goal of opening for their idols within two years’ time. Sure, they would love to do that, but rarely does it happen so quickly in a band’s career. Still, that’s not to say it’s impossible, and NECK DEEP are proof of that. The band formed in 2012 at vocalist Ben Barlow’s house in Wrexham, UK, and it was originally intended to be a fun project for him and guitarist Lloyd Roberts. Shortly after they began, the two recruited guitarist Matt West, bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans, and drummer Dani Washington to complete the lineup. Neck Deep’s evolution as a band is a testament to the whirlwind of success that follows hard work and dedication to a dream.

Growing up, Fil Thorpe-Evans was introduced to the pop-punk world upon his discovery of Blink-182. He quickly became obsessed with music and was inspired to start taking guitar lessons at school. He went on to discover other bands like New Found Glory and Sum 41, which added fuel to his fire. The guitar lessons didn’t last long though. “All I wanted to do was play Green Day and Blink-182 songs, so, once I had the basics of holding and strumming, I learned everything else on my own,” he shares. What intrigued Fil the most about this genre of music, he says, was “the fact it’s been hardwired into me from such a young age. I love its alternative side, its punk roots, and the scene that came with it. I also love how straight up catchy and melodic a lot of the music is.” This influence can definitely be seen in older tracks off of the band’s Rain In July EP, as well as in their newest single, “Can’t Kick Up the Roots.”

The first Neck Deep songs that were written and recorded by Ben and Lloyd formed the basis of the aforementioned Rain In July.

Shortly thereafter, they realized just what they had created. Knowing that this could turn into something, especially with the improved lineup,

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the band began the recording process for the EP together as a whole unit.

Maybe it was irony, or maybe it was fate. For the Rain In July EP, the recording process took place in familiar territory, as most of the guys had used the same home studio in Seb Barlow’s bedroom to record tracks for their previous bands. “[Seb] is a computer whiz kid and knows loads about recording. We just sat in his bedroom and recorded with him. He also has a big hand in writing for us, and he’s been doing that from the start,” elaborates Fil. After the release of the EP, the positive reviews came pouring in, and the guys of Neck Deep had a tour booked with Me vs. Hero within a few short months.

During that tour in late 2012, Neck Deep played their first shows as a band. “[Since] our music had been out for a while, people were waiting to see us. A few people were singing along to our songs even on the first night. Although the crowds weren’t quite as energetic as they are these days, there was a crew of people there singing along, which felt amazing for us,” Fil details.

Surprisingly, before they played local shows around their hometown, the guys performed around the country. This is partly because a majority of the band had already toured with other bands prior to Neck Deep. Fil states, “Lloyd, West, and I all had some decent touring experience, which really helped us from the start. You learn so much so fast when you’re on the road. Even on the level of performing, we were all pretty comfortable on stage from early on because we had all played so many shows with other bands.”

After realizing they were gaining fans at a rapid pace, they huddled back up in Seb’s studio to write and record A History of Bad Decisions, a three-song EP, in early 2013. While touring for this release, they ended up playing a few impromptu shows over in the United States. It was then that they discovered they already had fans in America who knew all the words to their songs. The buzz surrounding Neck Deep just kept growing and growing.

As they started creating their first full-length album, Hopeless Records offered the band a deal and ultimately signed Neck Deep in August of 2013. With the support of a major label, Fil feels that “it allowed us to reach that next level of being a band. We were taken more seriously. We knew that we would actually be able to get a record out and in stores, and that our music could reach people all over the world in a more physical sense, rather than just online.” The timing felt right, and, even closing in on the two-year mark, he still believes that this union was the right move

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to make. “Hopeless consists of an incredible team of people, and it has such a great community. Their help on our records has been invaluable,” he adds.

They spent the end of 2013 perfecting their debut full-length, Wishful Thinking, for its release in January of 2014. Within just one year, listeners heard the growth of the band between their first EP and their first LP. “I think we just had natural development in songwriting. I feel like we learned to make bigger choruses and better song structures,” Fil comments.

As with many art forms, songwriting is very personal.

Putting certain thoughts out there for the world to hear can be daunting and questionable. Although Ben writes a vast majority of Neck Deep’s lyrics, Fil is confident that Ben would agree with him when he says, “Opening up your vulnerability can be great for getting over things. Voicing your troubles through lyrics can help you deal with them. No matter how deep a feeling or a problem is, there is a kid out there somewhere in the world who has gone through or is going through the same thing. When they find that song and connect with it, well, that’s why we do it.” Wishful Thinking garnered even more positive reviews from critics and fans alike, so naturally the next step was to support the album on the road.

The rest of 2014 consisted of touring. For the first time, they were able to completely tour the United States. “All of us had dreamed of playing and touring in America our whole lives. As a British band, it’s a big deal to be stateside, and we did it,” Fil exclaims.

These U.S. tours included a summer on Vans Warped Tour and a co-headliner with Real Friends.

Of course, there are many differences between touring in the UK and touring in the U.S. One obvious example is that it takes less than a day to travel across the UK by car and numerous days to travel across America, which makes tours in the States significantly longer. Fil shares that “the drives were long as hell, and we were so cramped in this tiny little van. But all the shows had really amazing responses, and that made the tour so incredible.” He also says that he didn’t even get homesick, because having the opportunity to tour America was a goal the whole band strived to accomplish.

As if conquering America wasn’t the icing on the cake for 2014, Neck Deep ended up winning the Best British Newcomer award at the 2014 Kerrang!

Awards, and it was yet another giant leap forward in their careers. Incredibly, the milestones didn’t stop there. In August, they played at London’s Brixton Academy when they opened up for none other than Blink-182—the very band that guided Fil into the pop punk scene and inspired him to start playing music.

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The momentum wasn’t quite over, and, this year, Neck Deep opened up for All Time Low at London’s Wembley Arena. “Playing with Blink-182 obviously made me feel like all my dreams had come true, and the same goes for playing Wembley Arena with All Time Low. Every time you do something new that’s big, it puts everything else into perspective,” Fil muses.

In between these shows and more touring, the band found time to work on their second full-length. This time around, it wasn’t recorded entirely in Seb’s home studio. Despite the change, Fil tells us that “[Seb] did all the pre-production and helped us write the songs. He is basically the sixth member that not everyone knows about.” For this release, Neck Deep collaborated with producer Andrew Wade and Jeremy McKinnon of A Day To Remember. “We weren’t worried, but we were a tad nervous, as we hadn’t worked with other people when making our previous records,” admits Fil. “We had our system.

This was the first time we changed that team, but it all worked out perfectly. We clicked from the start.

They are so talented and professional that the whole process was just a dream, and I don’t think we could have made this record the same without them.”

With every album, musicians learn more about life and about themselves, which lends itself to changes in their sound as well as lyrical content. For the upcoming album, Life’s Not Out To Get You, Fil claims that they made more improvements to their songwriting—much like they did for their debut album, but on a much bigger scale. “It had been so long since we had written music, as we had been touring so much. This time, it really feels like we have a record that’s gonna show that we’re gonna be

around a long time. It feels like that breakthrough record for us,” he elaborates.

Like most success stories, Neck Deep’s includes difficulties amongst the triumphs. When first starting out, bands—or any musicians, really— must fight for a place in their respective genres. Fil expressed that, at the beginning of their careers, trying to stand out in the pop-punk genre and having people compare Neck Deep to other bands was tiring. “These days, we feel like we’ve proven ourselves enough to not really get [those remarks] as much,” he adds. Even with the challenges starting a band posed, the overwhelmingly positive response from fans outweighed the negativity and constant comparisons, and it showed that Neck Deep could successfully stand out in the crowd. “If we never received that positivity that early on, none of us would have been as motivated to do more,” he asserts.

When Neck Deep first formed, the guys never thought they would make it as far as they have. At the time, Fil felt everything with the band “was moving fast and had potential, but I never could have dreamed about some of the things we’ve done.” Undoubtedly, this band has grown and accomplished unbelievable things in a relatively small timespan. With the release of a second full-length album and a full run on Warped Tour this summer, things will only continue to grow exponentially. With that in mind, the guys in Neck Deep definitely don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. Fil says fans can expect “touring, touring, and more touring” from the band, as well as “cheeky little surprises along the way.” Great things are in store for this band, and we can’t wait to see how everything unfolds.

GET CONNECTED: neckdeep.co facebook.com/neckdeepuk NeckDeepUK

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P H O T O S : D A N I WA S H I N G T O N

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REAL FRIENDS INTERVIEW+ STORY: KIERAN JAMES PHOTOS: PENELOPE MARTINEZ

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“IT WAS THE SUMMER OF 2012, AND WE WERE ON OUR FIRST TOUR. WE PLAYED A HOUSE SHOW IN CINCINNATI, OHIO. THERE WAS AN UNEXPLAINABLE FEELING IN THE ROOM THAT NIGHT WHEN WE PLAYED. AFTER THE SHOW, I TOLD ALL THE GUYS THAT I WANTED TO TALK OUTSIDE. WE TALKED AND COMMITTED TO DOING THIS FULL-TIME SIX MONTHS LATER,” REFLECTS KYLE. “WE WENT HOME AND WORKED FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, AND THEN, IN 2013, WE STARTED TOURING FULL-TIME.” Back then, Real Friends could hardly predict that, three years after their inception, they would be performing a string of headlining tours across the UK and Europe, and supporting pop-punk giants All Time Low at the legendary Wembley Arena in London.

Vocalist Dan Lambton was initially introduced to rock music as a child thanks to his father’s love of The Beatles. Dan, however, wasn’t allowed to go concerts until his later teens, so he spent his time discovering music online instead. He first explored playing music in the fifth grade when he began playing the alto saxophone, and it gave him a solid foundation in music theory. A few years down the road, he discovered Blink-182 and, in seventh grade, he was inspired to pick up a bass guitar. “I started playing bass because I thought Mark Hoppus was the shit!

I wanted to play drums, but Travis Barker is really good. I got really intimidated,” he confesses.

During high school, Dan played in two other bands prior to Real Friends. Their setlists consisted mainly of punk rock covers from the likes of NOFX and Rancid. Reflecting on his previous bands, Dan mentions that, “[They] thought that all it took was the music, and that there was no work to be put in.” He recalls that the other members believed that being in a band was something simple, and that all they had to do was play shows in order to score a record deal and become huge.

After graduating high school, Dan decided to get a job at OfficeMax while enrolling in a community college. His initial plans for studying in university were soon diminished when bassist Kyle Fasel approached him about auditioning for a band he had started with guitarist Dave Knox. At the time, Dan thought, “If this band works out, then this band works out. If not, I can always go back to finishing my application.” Dan has no regrets about his decision to join the band. He believes that although it would have been great to get a formal education, he doesn’t miss having the debt.

Once Dan joined the band, they recruited drummer Aaron Schuck, and the band began writing Everyone That Dragged You Here. Unfortunately, during the writing process, Shuck decided to leave the band to pursue other endeavors. The guys then decided to add drummer Brian Blake and guitarist Eric Haines to the lineup. “It just took people who were willing to makes sacrifices, who were willing to work towards a common goal, and who actually appreciated playing music,” Dan exclaims.

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Understandably, being a full-time musician is often a very risky and unpredictable profession, and, because of that, Dan got upset whenever people asked him the typical “Do you have a back-up plan?” question. “I mainly got that question from my family.

It would be more of a condescending question, so I’d get a little upset because they asked it to try to antagonize me a bit,” he discloses. The only thing he had considered as a backup was to return to college and study either English or Psychology. “It doesn’t matter what band you’re in. Anybody’s at risk. Real Friends might not be a band in a year, maybe not in a week, maybe not in a month,” he continues. “There’s no way of telling that because it’s so unpredictable.

It’s real life.”

Because actually getting somewhere as a band is somewhat rare, Kyle believed that he would have to work a full-time job the rest of his life. Being a full-time musician was not something he even considered until much further into the band’s career.

He believes that the main downfall with many bands is them believing that they made it when it’s only just the beginning of their journey. “I think some people make the mistake of tasting a little bit of success

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and thinking, ‘Alright, let’s go. We’re going to go on tour!’” he adds.

Of course, it’s never that easy, and the guys of Real Friends know this firsthand. They had to make sacrifices in order to put their music before anything else. “You have to put your life into a band if you want it to work. I can confidently say that our band is all we have,” Kyle explains. “And that’s how it was when we started out—all or nothing. There are too many bands out there for it not to be that way.”

After releasing a series of EPs over the course of a few years and gaining a loyal fanbase in the process, the band signed to Fearless Records in 2013. With such a strong backing, Real Friends released their first full-length record, Maybe This Place Is The Same And We’re All Changing, in 2014. While writing lyrics for the album, Kyle admits that he was in a difficult place; he was going through a break up and experiencing anxiety about getting older. “Eighteen year old me didn’t think I was going to be twenty-six years old—it’s really scary. I think a lot of us deal with that. It was that kind of middle ground of ‘I’m going somewhere but I don’t know exactly where,’ and

it’s kind of scary.” Still, the guys believe the album was a step in the right direction musically, as it was quite a large contrast from their previous work. “We wanted to slowly go in a different direction with the album. I feel a transition is better than jumping into a completely different genre.”

recruiting Dan. “If I sang, we wouldn’t be sitting here,” he jokes. “I think it’s good because Dan’s voice is okay,” he laughs. “But no, really, I think Dan has a great voice, and it’s emotionally relieving to me when we get together and work on songs. I think we both feel something from it, which is really cool.”

Throughout their past releases, the band incorporated “Sleepy Eyes and Bony Knees” in many of their songs. Fans got used to seeing the SEBK logo on merch and photos online. Kyle has explained how SEBK was about his struggles with depression and staying up late at night because he couldn’t stop thinking. This recurring motif was absent in the debut full-length, which surprised some fans. “That theme still holds a special place in my heart, but I'm in a different spot now. We kind of all are. Bands do things and move past them. It's all part of growing,” Kyle shares.

Dan tells us that he emotionally connects with the lyrics and is usually able to relate them to his own personal experiences—which is the point of music in the first place. “The lyrics are applicable. I can relate to them myself, and I can take those feelings and relate them to something else in my life, whether or not they’re the same situations that Kyle went through,” he adds. They reveal that, during writing sessions, Dan often rearranges and rephrases lyrics, and then he works together with Kyle to produce something they’re both happy with. “We do a lot of work together to make sure it’s for both of us and something we both agree on, because it can be awkward to have someone else singing and experiencing your feelings and not his own,” Dan explains.

Because Kyle is the main lyricist for the band, it’s easy to assume that creative decisions can be difficult at times. This, however, doesn’t seem to be the case. Kyle was the primary songwriter for all of his previous bands, as well as for Real Friends before

Aside from their debut album and EPs, the band has also recorded two acoustic EPs: Acoustic Songs

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released in 2012, and More Acoustic Songs released this year. “We wanted to be able to give people reimagined versions of their favorite songs. It’s something fun for us to do and something extra for us to release,” Dan comments.

Real Friends released More Acoustic Songs on Record Store Day with the belief that physical releases are still important— something people don’t really consider to be true anymore. “Most people just download their music now, and that’s it, or they’ll order it online, so there’s no actual trip. Buying physical copies of music is a little bit of an adventure. Like, you have your own spot in the mall, or a place downtown, and you go buy your record.

You have a special place, a special time. It’s something to do instead of just sitting by your computer,” Dan expresses.

Another thing the guys believe has been forgotten is the importance of local music scenes. Anyone who follows Real Friends on their social media accounts knows how the guys all encourage their fans to attend local shows in their home states. For a band that has been constantly traveling and working on music these past few years, they have successfully stayed up-to-date with many of the local bands and shows in Illinois. “Kids should always support their local music scene. It gives them and the people in their area an outlet to showcase their talent,” Kyle affirms.

Because the guys have been keeping tabs on their own local scene, they believe that, while it has improved, it still needs a lot of work. Real Friends, along with their friends in Knuckle Puck, have been consistently supported by not only their fans but by a nearby bowling alley called Centennial Lanes. Centennial Lanes has allowed many locals to play shows inside one of their party rooms, thus creating a fun and accessible place for both kids and adults to enjoy music. A handful of bands have performed there, including Sudden Suspension— who Kyle has started managing. “I’m very passionate about the business end of all of

this so it's sweet,” he shares. “I just feel like they were always the best band in the area, but they just didn't know how to approach things. I believe their music is ahead of their age.” Since he also did most, if not all, of the business side before Real Friends signed to Fearless, he hopes to guide the guys in SS using the knowledge he has gained thus far.

Although Sudden Suspension isn’t new to the scene, it can still be challenging for local bands to capture attention nowadays. Dan believes that people have short attention spans, and, at the end of the day, it’s up to fans to determine who gains momentum and who is successful. “They’re the ones that dictate what’s popular because they’re the ones that are interested and are paying for the music,” he states. Because of this, bands are adding new elements to their music, and taking their sounds in new directions.

Still, Real Friends don’t plan on changing who they are or what they sound like in order to get approval. “It’s really easy to get caught up in the fast pace lifestyle this is,” expresses Kyle, “but you have to remember to have a good time.”

So far, 2015 has been an incredibly busy year for the guys. Kyle thinks back their first few shows years ago and realizes how far they’ve come. “Starting in basements and garages and then playing in venues and actually going on tour,” he reminisces.

“The whole growth of it, including our early stages, is just full of great memories.” In these past couple of months, Real Friends have completed a full tour with The Maine, and have performed in Japan and Hawaii…

It’s crazy to think that this is only the beginning. “If you want something in life, let it consume you. Sometimes, it’s not going to be fun, and, sometimes, you’re going to want to quit. But that’s all part of it. Nothing comes easy,” Kyle declares.

GET CONNECTED: realfriendsband.com facebook.com/realfriendsband RealFriendsBand

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“It just took people who were who were willing to work to who actually appreci 54

e willing to makes sacrifices, owards a common goal, and iated playing music.�

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While She Sleeps, a metalcore band from Sheffield, England, made their way into the music scene with their debut album, This Is The Six, in 2012. The album came in at #27 on the UK Album Charts and helped While She sleeps receive the Best British Newcomer award at the Kerrang! Awards. With such accolades being thrown at them for their first attempt, I had high hopes for their second full-length, Brainwashed.

WHILE SHE SLEEPS B R A I N WA S H E D

The album’s opener, “The Divide,” is just short of a minute long and consists of a crowd talking and growing louder. The track then goes completely silent before going into “New World Torture.” Lawrence Taylor sings, “We are the underground.

They know nothing of our sound,” and, as the song progresses, it’s obvious that the band has stuck to their melodic sound.

The album continues with the aggressive, fast-paced “Your Evolution,” with a chanting of “Destroy what destroys you” numerous times throughout. The track’s strong melodies,

BY LINDSY CARR engaging guitar riffs, and smooth breakdowns make it a standout. It’s easy to see why the band chose this song as a single--it would easily get a crowd moving in live setting. What follows is the title track, another fast song with empowering lyrics, especially when Taylor sings, “They’ll take our rights, we’ll take them back again / We won’t fail, we’ll find a way.” It has an anthemic feel to it, and the words make it relatable to people from many walks of life.

On songs like “Four Walls” and “Torment,” unexpectedly clean vocals from lead guitarist Sean Long are showcased and help to add diversity to the songs. Another track that came as a surprise is “Kangaezu Ni,” a simple, piano-based interlude with some soft guitar that effortlessly leads into “Life In Tension,” another powerful song with anthem potential.

The album draws to a close with “Modern Minds,” which starts off with chanting and contains the catchy gang vocals, “Take our freedom, take our rights / Teach us how to conquer life / By the book, by guiding light, within the lines of modern minds.” The song is on the softer side compared to the ones before it, and it slows down a little more than halfway through with a very strong bass line and soft keys. It is a perfect example of how the band isn’t afraid of trying something different, but it makes me wish that elements like these were found on other tracks within the album.

Although Brainwashed may take a few listens to really get into, the lyrics and overall sound make it well worth it. While She Sleeps has clearly succeeded in doing exactly what they wanted to without being pushed to create something that appeals commercially.

B OY M E E T S WO R L D BECOME SOMEONE

BY LEAH DICKERMAN

All BoyMeetsWorld have been able to accomplish thus far without being signed is a testament to hard work paying off.

The result is their debut album, Become Someone, which they have collectively poured their hearts into. The theme and overall message of the album is letting go of whatever is holding you back from chasing your dreams. Although I wouldn’t go so far as to say “Feel It In The Air” is a strong opener, it sets the tone for album and eases the listener into who BMW are.

“So In What?” follows, and it is an up-tempo song with contrasting lyrics that reflect on a failed relationship. “And I watched the sky fade from blue to grey / What I wouldn’t give to see a sky like that again,” sings vocalist Craig Sulken, painfully and with nostalgia. The shining moment of the song comes from guitarist Drew Richter, as his solo really sets this track apart from the others on the album. An acoustic version of “So In What?” is also included as a bonus track, and it almost seems like a completely different song. It serves as a ballad and successfully showcases Craig’s vocal range— specifically his lower range—more so than any of the full band

If I had to pick one song that truly exemplifies what BoysMeetsWorld aims to be as a band, I would have to choose “Best You’ve Ever Had”—the album’s lead single. The vocals are gritty and showcase a lot of attitude as Craig sings, “I could’ve been the best you’ve ever had, but you made the worst mistakes.” It’s a perfect song that displays the type of energy this band has, and it would be ideal for a live set on Warped Tour (which the band will be part of all summer).

A runner up worth mentioning is “All or Nothing,” as its intro is quick and heavy, and the track’s intense guitar riffs are reminiscent of A Day To Remember’s style.

As far as favorite songs go, one I really enjoyed was “Moving On,” mostly due to how much I can relate to it. I wrote this review at my “9-to-5” job, so, when I first heard “I don’t feel alive / And something’s gotta give / And it’s this forty hour week that I live for,” I was drawn in. The upbeat tempo is motivating, and it reassured me that eventually something will give and get me out of this job. For me, it was one of those moments where I connected with lyrics on a personal level.

Once that happens, I wholeheartedly consider myself a fan.

Another relatable song that many other listeners can connect to is the album’s closer and title track, “Become Someone.” It wraps up the themes of making active decisions and taking risks to go after whatever dreams you have. Craig’s vocals have underlying tones of pain that come with the self-doubt he touches upon in the chorus: “Wake me from this nightmare / Lately I’ve been doubting myself / I’ve been doubting my whole life / So if the best is yet to come, when will I become someone?” He leaves listeners asking themselves this question, which is arguably cynical.

For me, however, it serves as motivation to really work to make my life what I envision it to be.

Overall, this album is a great start and introduction to BoyMeetsWorld. With Become Someone, the guys have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with. Checking out this album will surely be a great start to your summer, so get acquainted with their music before catching their set on Warped Tour!

K I N G S L A N D R OA D W E A R E T H E YO U N G

BY LINDSY CARR

Pop group Kingsland Road got their start back in 2012, going by the name Kingsland. While appearing on the tenth season of the X-Factor in 2013, the band had to change their name, and the guys chose to modify it to Kingsland Road.

Now down from five members to four, the guys from East London have released their debut album, We Are The Young.

The album begins with the anthemic title-track, “We Are The Young.” It is full of vocal hooks on top of a strong bass line, soft keys, and bells. The song has a carefree, laidback attitude that is reminiscent of summer, and that feeling is present throughout the rest of the album. The opener is followed by “Misbehave,” a track that shows off each member’s distinct vocal range and power. Instrumentally, the song has a poprock sound with its strong drumbeats and distorted guitar riffs. The record’s single, “Dirty Dancer,” is bound to be a radio hit. It’s easily the catchiest song on the record, and it’s no surprise that it peaked at 85 on the UK Singles chart.

The album continues with the track “Freedom,” which is the type of summer song that would work well on any road trip playlist. This song is simple, with a repetitive “Just gonna let it go, just gonna let it go,” and a powerful repeat of “Hey!” that would go over well live. Straying from the rest of the album, “Shoreline” has an R&B inspiration behind it, along with electronic drumbeats and a heavy bass line. The album closes out with “Walk Away,” an interesting rock track with distorted guitars. The song sets itself apart from their other pop-heavy tracks by bringing a much-needed edge to the record.

Overall, this album lets Matt Cahill, Joe Conaboy, JJ Thompson, and Josh Zare’s vocals stand out without sounding over-produced in the ways that some other pop albums typically are. Kingsland Road’s debut has a collection of fun songs, but, unfortunately, it does lack thought-provoking and meaningful lyrics. Still, with the theme of being young and carefree, it’s understandable why they went that route. We Are The Young is a good starting point for the band, and it’ll be interesting to see where they go from here.

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songs do. It’s a great addition to the record because it shows what talented musicians the guys of BMW are.

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Silverstein have been leaders in the post-hardcore scene for well over a decade. Their blend of catchy hooks, emotive lyrics, and intensity have led to them selling over one million records so far, and I Am Alive In Everything I Touch proves just why they’ve experienced so much success. It feels as if the guys in Silverstein set out to write a record that encompassed everything they’ve worked towards over the past fifteen years.

S I LV E R S T E I N I AM ALIVE IN E V E RY T H I N G I TO U C H

This record has all the catchy choruses one could ever desire without losing any musical integrity, most notably on my favorite track, “Buried at Sea,” as well as on “The Continual Condition” and “Face of the Earth.” The lead guitar riffs provided by newest member Paul Marc Rousseau are infectious and are definitely one of the highlights of the album. This is evident when his playing anchors songs like “A Midwestern State of Emergency,” “Face of the Earth,” and “In the Dark.”

Similarly, vocalist Shane Told shines throughout the entire album.

BY JAS O N COX His harsh screams have never sounded so powerful, and his control over his clean vocals is unmatched. On the faster, heavier songs (i.e. “Milestone” and “Buried at Sea”), his contrasting vocal styles work together in perfect harmony. The guys have once again shown that they have the ability to write music that is equally heavy and catchy.

What really sets I Am Alive In Everything I Touch apart from their previous material is the addition of two slower anthems--“Late on 6th” and “Toronto (Unabridged).” “Late on 6th,” a surprisingly slow ballad-esque track, is the perfect example of Silverstein exploring unchartered territory with confidence and succeeding in doing so. Impressively, the song has an incredible emotional weight without feeling forced. While this album is mostly classic Silverstein, the orchestra-driven “Toronto (Unabridged)” is a beautiful track that contrasts with the band’s typical sound while also giving a sense of finality to the record.

Although it feels as if Silverstein have elevated their game as a whole with their latest effort, I do have a few criticisms. Certain transitions feel out of place at times, as is evident in “Je Me Souviens” when the verses and choruses really don’t mesh well. Additionally, I think that “Desert Nights” falls a bit flat. The band’s songwriting is more advanced than what is exhibited in this song, and the vibe of the track doesn’t feel like it belongs alongside the rest of the record.

My few complaints notwithstanding, I truly believe this is one of the best records the band has ever created. The current lineup seems to work together in complete cohesion like never before. Told’s vocals are stronger, the riffs are simultaneously heavier and catchier, and the drums and bass hit harder. As a fan of the band since the days of Discovering The Waterfront, it has been a pleasure seeing them grow into what they are today. I only hope that Silverstein can stick around to write a few more records, because I think they are entering a new and exciting chapter of their prolific career.

OTHER GREAT RELEASES:

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FUTURE HEARTS TOUR COV E RAG E : LO R I G U T M A N

Sun shining, a light breeze blowing—the weather reminded me of the first and only time I saw All Time Low at Warped Tour 2012. The second to last stop of the Future Hearts Tour was the opening show for JBL Live at Pier 97’s summer concert series, and the six thousand cap venue along the Hudson River was completely sold out. Quite frankly, it seemed like all of the teenage girls whose parents let them go to concerts had gathered in one place in NYC. Starting off the night was State Champs, the poppunk band from Albany that is slowly taking over the scene. I first heard of them during last year’s Warped Tour, and they impressed me when I caught their set. Since then, it seems as though I can’t go a week without hearing or reading about State Champs…

But I’m certainly not complaining. Their energy on stage only seemed to improve with time, and their rowdiness got the crowd perfectly amped up for what was to come. Hopefully, the Future Hearts Tour, alongside State Champs’ upcoming Australian tour with 5SOS, truly puts State Champs on the map and in iTunes playlists worldwide.

When Tonight Alive came on after State Champs, I felt a mix of confusion and disappointment because I believe that they deserved to be direct support and not just one of the openers. Still, instead of focusing on that, I focused on the positives—aka their whole set. This Aussie band never seems to disappoint, and it’s understandable why they have such devoted fans that travels hours to catch them whenever they play in the States. It’s been months since I saw Tonight Alive on the Honeymoon Tour, and it’s evident that they get better each and every time I’m fortunate enough to catch them.

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Closing out Tonight Alive’s groundbreaking era for their sophomore album, they switched up their setlist for its final tour. They opened with “Lonely Girl,” arguably the most popular track off of The Other Side, instead of closing with it as they typically do. As part of the switch-up, they finished off with “The Edge,” Tonight Alive’s go-to opening song on previous tours. As another pleasant and unexpected surprise, Tonight Alive performed “Wasting Away” off of their first EP, Consider This, which they didn’t include on the earlier dates of the tour.

With guitarist Whakaio Taahi’s and bassist Cam Adler’s constant jumping, and guitarist Jake Hardy’s hair flicking, everyone individually owned the stage.

But vocalist Jenna McDougall takes the cake in terms of stage presence—raising her middle fingers several times, interacting with the fans, and giving small speeches that everyone deserves to hear. Before the fan favorite “What Are You So Scared Of?” she asked the crowd to repeat, “I refuse to live in fear of someone else’s judgment.” Jenna said the lyrics with such conviction that there were few people left uninspired. Although the set was short, it was definitely sweet, and I can’t wait to catch Tonight Alive in the hopefully near future.

Despite how tempting it was to write, “I had some issues with Issues,” that just isn’t the case. Although they did seem out of place in a lineup of relatively pop-punk bands, diversity can be a good thing.

While I’m not sure how they fared when faced with an audience full of young girls, they personally won me over with their love for Pokémon alone.

The Pokémon-themed stage setup was one of my favorite tour setups I’ve ever seen, and, when the

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guys came out to the Pokémon theme song, I was sold. They could’ve done heavy metal covers of The Wiggles at that point, and I probably wouldn’t have cared. With some rare exceptions, I’m generally not super into heavier metalcore bands, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Issues again.

When All Time Low took the stage as the sun was setting, you could practically feel the atmosphere change. The screaming amplified by several degrees, and, despite the open-air venue, it seemed to get significantly hotter with everyone pushing to be in the front. The band started off with “Satellite” from their latest release, Future Hearts, before going into “The Irony of Choking on a Life Saver,” “Lost In Stereo,” and “Stella.” Long-time All Time Low fans were ecstatic to hear “Weightless,” “Six Feet Under The Stars,” and “Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don’t),” while Tonight Alive fans couldn’t wait to hear Jenna take over Vic Fuentes’ parts in “A Love Like War.” Amidst the songs, the guys participated in the cheeky banter that is typical of an ATL concert. While I am all for freedom of speech, I don’t think it was

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completely appropriate given their demographic and all the kids in attendance. Despite that, the penis jokes were still relatively amusing and didn’t take away from the quality of the music itself.

Towards the end, All Time Low brought out a bunch of fans from the crowd for “Time-Bomb,” before finishing off with Future Heart’s first single, “Something’s Gotta Give.” During that last song, confetti cannons exploded, effectively covering a majority of the venue and a good amount of the Hudson River.

Of course, their set wasn’t truly over, because it wouldn’t be a proper All Time Low show without “Jasey Rae” and “Dear Maria, Count Me In.” Once the guys returned to the stage, they went into “Kids In The Dark.” After that, along with the two All Time Low classics, the encore consisted of Green Day’s “American Idiot” and Blink-182’s “All The Small Things,” both of which really gave the show the punk flare it was missing at times. As All Time Low finished the night off with “Dear Maria,” the confetti cannons were back for round two, and I feel bad for whoever had to clean the venue after the fans took some confetti home as souvenirs.

we m et m arn ie!

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NEW POLITICS + BAD RABBITS COV E RAG E : L E A H D I C K E R M A N

At the University of Rhode Island, the Student Entertainment Committee books a concert for students and the general public to attend during the fall and the spring. This past April, they booked New Politics as their Spring Fest artist. Having seen them twice before when they opened during Monumentour, I was thrilled that I was finally getting the chance to not only photograph them, but also see them play a full set. Before NP took the stage, Bad Rabbits opened the show and prepared the crowd for the main act.

Since Bad Rabbits are from Boston, MA, I had heard their name, but I hadn’t had the chance to catch them live. The committee couldn’t have picked a better opener for this show, because Bad Rabbits’ music has more of an R&B influence that pairs nicely with New Politics’ pop-alternative sound. My favorite part of their set was when they got the whole crowd singing and waving their arms to "Fall in Love."

Although many students didn't seem to be familiar with the music, they were enjoying themselves the whole time as they either danced or swayed their arms. Overall, Bad Rabbits were upbeat and fun to listen to, and their set put me in an even better mood before NP went on stage.

New Politics opened their set with “Tonight You’re Perfect.” The crowd came alive again as everyone jumped and continued to dance. All three guys bring so much vivacity to their shows; I find it difficult to imagine how anyone could have a bad time watching them. During the fourth song, “Give Me Hope,” lead singer David Boyd showed off his breakdancing skills. His dance moves are one of my favorite parts of their set because it really sets them apart from many acts out there. It adds an extra element of entertainment for the audience to enjoy.

Throughout their set, the band covered various songs, ranging from the Beastie Boys to Nicki Minaj, all of which the crowd screamed the words to. The cover that earned the most reaction from the crowd of 90s kids was of Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time.”

Guitarist and vocalist Søren Hansen played the song on his keyboard and made it a very intimate version of the song before leading into “Stuck On You.” From that point on, the show was coming to a close.

The next four songs proved to be some of the best in terms of the crowd’s energy and overall atmosphere.

They played “Everywhere I Go (Kings & Queens),” the first single off their upcoming album, Vikings.

From there, the exuberance of the crowd elevated as

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they played “Yeah Yeah Yeah” off their debut album, and all the fans sang as loud as they could. There wasn’t a single person who was standing still.

The second to last song, “Fall Into These Arms,” had a bit of a slower tempo, but what made this song special was David walking into the crowd and “falling into their arms” at the very end. Throughout the night, he also made speeches about how music really brings people together.

Evidently, it was a special night for the trio, as they haven’t done many headlining tours. I’m sure they were surprised at how enthusiastic their fans from Little Rhody could be. With a last burst of energy, they played their radio hit, “Harlem,” and the crowd went wild. There wasn’t a single face without a smile plastered on it. I can’t wait for what’s in store for them on their Vikings album cycle, and I definitely can’t wait to see them live again.

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FOUR YEAR STRONG THE STORY SO FAR TERROR SOUVENIRS C O V E R A G E : G R AY S O N H A R Y

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soundset COV E RAG E : P E N E LO P E M A RT I N E Z

Days before it took place, Soundset was named the Best Hip Hop Festival in the world, and we wholeheartedly couldn’t agree more.

Rain or shine, thirty thousand people showed up just as planned and kicked off this year’s festival. From the car show to the skating ramp, music was playing all over festival grounds, and fans could be found anywhere and everywhere.

The lineup consisted of well known artists such as Ludacris and Big Sean, but it shed a light on some smaller artists as well— namely Manny Phesto and Vic Mensa. Soundset even brought out some veterans in the game, most notably Ice Cube and Aesop Rock. Regardless of who you looked forward to watching, you were bound to discover new artists and make new friends while waiting in the rain.

Soundset will be returning to Minnesota State Fairgrounds on May 29th, 2016. You’ll probably need a year to prepare yourselves because, if the lineup was this incredible this year, we can’t even imagine what it’ll be like in 2016.

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all time low

BY LORI GUTMAN

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tonight alive

BY LORI GUTMAN

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the story so far B Y G R AY S O N H A R Y

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four year strong B Y G R AY S O N H A R Y

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big sean

BY PENELOPE MARTINEZ

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ludacris

BY PENELOPE MARTINEZ

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