Issue 14 by Focus Magazine

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 1

founders penelope martinez mariana patino editor-in-chief penelope martinez managing + copy editor lori gutman art director penelope martinez publicist leah dickerman

connect:

ifocuszine tfocuszine

facebook.com/focuszine focuszine.tumblr.com website: focuszine.com inquiries + submissions: info@focuszine.com

writers eddie chisham, elizabeth loo, kelly fadden, leah dickerman, lindsy carrasquillo, michelle balzer, vivien bui photographers bethan miller, grayson hary, jason cox, jess diaz, laura harvey, leah dickerman, lori gutman, penelope martinez, zac mahrouche

THANK YOU marianas trench kim clabby + sasha camacho like pacific austin griswold // secret service pr janet devlin joshua hammond + rey roldan // reybee parlour tricks anna stodart + violet faulk alvarez kings chrissy borsenillo // catalyst pr

cardiknox brooke black + kelly parker // wbr mike fishkin becca wilson // bpm marina city, anam merchant, emily tantuccio, zoe rain, anna sapphira, living the dream foundation, and anyone who has supported us.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 3

CONTENTS 6 14 16 18

artist of the month behind the band local spotlight organization of the year

22 26 32 36 40 46 52 58

vanna cardiknox like pacific parlour tricks alvarez kings janet devlin marina city marianas trench

74 gallery

ON THE COVER

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 5

Z R

A R T I S T

O A I O F

T H E

E N

M O N T H

WH O: ZO E R A I N W H AT: P HOTO G RAPH Y WH E RE : @ ZO E RAINPH OTO WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN AN ARTISTIC HOUSEHOLD? Very encouraging. Although I can’t imagine growing up with people who do not understand creativity, I consider myself lucky to have had a support system. However, art was not what I wanted to pursue as a career when I was a child; the title of an aerospace engineer seemed much more appealing. HOW DID YOUR INTEREST IN VISUAL ART BEGIN? From the moment I could pick up crayons, I was drawing. I destroyed a lot of Barbies and stuffed animals by covering them in those markers that smelled like fruit. WHEN DID YOU BEGIN PHOTOGRAPHING MUSICIANS, AND WHAT SPARKED THAT INTEREST IN THE FIRST PLACE? The first concert I ever shot was Macklemore and Ryan Lewis at the Nectar Lounge in Seattle. Jason Koenig, my boss who at the time shot mostly weddings that I assisted on and sorted through, knew the duo and got me into their 21+ show. I was handed a camera at their album release show, which was the first show they played together under that name. I did a horrible job. WHEN YOU WERE FIRST STARTING OUT, WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE WITH YOUR ART AND THE MUSIC SCENE? Just learning how to get a decent photo and edit it in a cool way was super hard. Getting comfortable in that setting—enough to where I could be sure that if I were sent to a show, I could get not only photos that were in focus but also visually appealing—was a big challenge.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO FIND AND DEVELOP YOUR STYLE? I think I’m still tuning and finding my style. I definitely have a set of presets that I start with when I begin my editing process, as well as certain color palettes that I gravitate towards. Still, I think my style will change over the next ten years, and that’s what’s so fun about growing as an artist. HOW DID YOUR WORK RELATIONSHIP WITH JASON KOENIG BEGIN? I was failing my high school photography class, and Jason Koenig volunteered to help kids with Photoshop and basic lighting. I started shooting with him when I had assignments, and he eventually hired me to sort through wedding photos and assist on shoots. SINCE THERE IS NO DEFINITIVE WAY OF “MAKING IT” OR SUCCEEDING IN THIS INDUSTRY, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE IN ORDER TO GET YOUR FOOT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IF YOU HAD NOT HAD JKOE AS YOUR MENTOR? I wouldn’t have become a photographer without him. I would have never picked up a camera again after high school. Becoming a photographer, and especially one in the music industry, never even crossed my mind before. HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGES IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY WORLD AND IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY SINCE YOU FIRST BEGAN? DO YOU THINK THEY’RE POSITIVE? I think that, because everyone has access to technology and a phone with a high megapixel camera, there is an oversaturation of content. Everyone has a Facebook and a blog and an Instagram to post that content to, and

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 7

everyone can distribute their photos on hundreds of platforms. That is both good and bad. There is a high sense of friendly competition, as well as more to draw from and be inspired by. It isn’t the best when everyone claims they are a photographer while shooting music and other jobs for free though. That destroys the market for people who are truly trying to make a living by pursuing this. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE YOU TO BE COMFORTABLE AROUND AN ARTIST? DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE TO THOSE TRYING TO CREATE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH MUSICIANS? I try to make an artist comfortable around me. My style is to stay as invisible as possible. Don’t disrupt them backstage or onstage. YOU SHOT A MUSIC VIDEO WITH RUSSELL ELLIOT IN 2015. WAS THAT YOUR FIRST TIME DIRECTING A MUSIC VIDEO? WHAT WAS FILMING IT LIKE, AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO GET ALL THE DETAILS DOWN? WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO PULL OFF A VIDEO? I directed and shot my first video two years earlier for my friend’s band, Kairos. It was a college final project, and it took about two months of planning and a week to shoot, followed by months and months of editing.

home, and try to finish all my work projects before I go. Some essentials are face wipes, twice as many clean pairs of socks, black tee shirts, headphones, and dry shampoo. DO YOU THINK HAVING A TOUR PHOTOGRAPHER IS ESSENTIAL? WHY OR WHY NOT? If I were in a band, I would try really hard to have a photographer, especially in the beginning when you are just starting out and gaining momentum. My photos from the early years of Macklemore—before anyone knew who he was—are my favorites, because they show a window to a past that a lot of people have no idea about. Sadly, most bands can’t afford a hotel on tour, let alone a photographer. So I understand why it isn’t a particularly common job. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE YET? HOW DID YOU OVERCOME IT? Being paid a fair wage is always the biggest challenge. Most people don’t know what a standard industry rate for photography is, both in weddings and in music. Music photography is mostly fun, but I stopped doing gigs for free a long time ago. It only perpetuates the idea that photographs are a public commodity or that they need to be purchased and licensed.

“Around” for Russell Elliot was a project that took over six months in the making. Russell lives in New York, so we worked via email and conference calls until the weekend that we shot. We had two days to film it. A lot of time and love go into making a video, even one that is three minutes in length. Russell wrote out most of the storyline and outline of how he wanted the shots to flow. We had a producer who helped by getting extras for the party scene, providing food on set for the 12+ hour days we shot, and grabbing anything needed day-of— including extra monitors, tape, and signs to keep out unwanted bystanders. Once the video was shot, I edited it over the course of four months, with drafts sent to Russell in New York every few weeks until we both found a happy medium. HOW DO YOU STAY INSPIRED AND CONFIDENT, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY NEW PEOPLE PICKING UP A CAMERA ALL THE TIME? DO YOU COMPARE YOURSELF AND YOUR WORK TO OTHERS? I try to not compare myself to anyone. I just do my best and work as hard as I can to leave my clients happy with what they paid for. My work shouldn’t look like anyone else’s, so why would I compare it? I definitely study lots of people’s work, but for inspiration and not for comparison. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR TOUR, AND HOW DO YOU STAY SANE IN SUCH A HECTIC ENVIRONMENT? WHAT ARE YOUR ESSENTIALS? There’s no way to prepare. I just try to leave everything at

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 9

macklemore + r y a n lewis

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 11

Asking a photographer to come out and shoot for a free pass to the show is like asking a plumber to come look at your toilet for a key to your front door. It doesn’t do them any good unless they can go home and pay their bills. DID YOU EVER WANT TO LET PHOTOGRAPHY GO? WHAT HAPPENED, AND WHAT MADE YOU KEEP GOING? There have been times in the past where I was on the edge of being able to pay my bills and getting enough work, but I never considered quitting. Sometimes it felt like a safe idea to get a real job for a while, but I am lucky enough to have never needed to do that. As long as I can still shoot, I will still be a photographer. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED? WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS/ VIDEOGRAPHERS TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING FROM THEIR ART? +Make people look good. +Make art that you like. +Research images all the time, and keep anything that inspires you in a folder or a Pinterest account. +Find a mentor. Assist as many people as you can. Ask others that inspire you questions. +Keep making art. +Make some more art. +Start charging small and keep upping your pricing every year. +Read some books and stuff. +Keep your workspace clean, cause an organized workspace is a happy workspace (but this one doesn’t apply to everyone). +Be nice to people! +Don’t give up. +If you aren’t making enough money, eventually you will. Try to figure out a way to make some rent money, even if it is taking photos of your friend’s new baby even though you hate babies. +Shoot a wedding even though you told yourself you are too cool to shoot weddings. Take some photos of an apartment and pretend you work in the real estate industry. Find a coffee shop you like and do a shoot with your cool friends with their coffee logo in it and then send photos to them and ask for money. Be creative. But do good work and get paid. Being a self-employed artist is only fun until you are homeless and literally eating peanut butter and only peanut butter. A L L WORK BY ZOE R A IN

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 13

B E HIN D T H E B A N D NAME: MIKE (FISH) FISHKIN

JOB :

RADIO HOST - GO FISHKIN

RESUME:

PRE-GRAMMIES, VANS WARPED TOUR, SKATE AND SURF, SXSW, AND MORE FOR IDOBI RADIO

HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTERESTED IN PRODUCTION AND VIDEO? Growing up, my father was a drummer in a legendary San Antonio wedding band, Fahrenheit. I would take naps in his kick drum and request “Brown Sugar” ad nauseam. By the time middle school came around, I became obsessed with the Pink Floyd Pulse DVD. Once I realized I couldn’t play guitar, I started seeing live music as often as I could, sneaking away to Austin on the weekends and submerging myself in it all. FIRST OF ALL, HOW DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, AND WHAT INTRIGUED YOU ABOUT IT? I was really intrigued by the music industry and the idea of being in a band after I heard “The Anthem” by Good Charlotte back in 2002 or 2003. From there, my parents bought me my first guitar for Christmas. In the next few years following that, I learned how to use GarageBand, and I recorded some demos and posted them on MySpace. I learned how to market and promote myself through all that. The first actual music-related job I had was doing merch and tour managing a local band. I made a lot of my initial contacts through that. WHAT OTHER JOBS HAVE YOU HAD IN THE INDUSTRY? WHICH DID YOU ENJOY THE MOST? I’ve interned with Live Nation, worked at local venues both in the ticket booth and on their street teams, booked cover bands for bars and nightclubs, had a show on my college’s radio station, and did merch for multiple local bands. Before I landed my show on idobi, I was working for another show on the station—The Gunz Show—for a few years. I enjoyed all of these jobs, and I learned a lot from each and every one of them. WHEN PLANNING OUT YOUR PODCASTS, HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR CO-HOSTS AND THE BANDS YOU FEATURE? WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR WHEN SEARCHING FOR ARTISTS? When I was doing my show while living on Long Island, I had two steady co-hosts: my friends Eric and Nicky C. That was always nice and easy to figure out. Since I moved out to Los Angeles in September, it’s been pretty different each week. I just text friends to see if they’re around on Thursday night for a couple of hours, and, luckily, they’re always down. People have started reaching out to me about co-hosting when they’re in town, and that’s been pretty cool! As for the featured bands, I always pay attention to the acts I see live. I get to shows early to see the openers, and a lot of the time I will reach out to the bands I like after seeing them play. Sometimes, I’ll go through my mentions and new followers on Twitter, as well as my emails and my Facebook messages. If I see bands asking about how to get on the show, I’ll exchange email contacts and set something up. I believe that if a band has the time to reach out to me, then I have the time to play them. WAS IT DIFFICULT PREPARING FOR THIS WHEN YOU FIRST BEGAN? DID YOU HAVE DOUBTS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT PEOPLE WOULD TUNE IN? It was pretty nerve-wracking going on air on idobi for the first time. I was filling in for Gunz of The Gunz Show. Playing the interviews with his big guests to a huge audience was pretty intimidating. I remember something went wrong

with my computer and I wasn’t able to connect to the server to get on air. I had to keep calling Eddie, idobi’s program director, until he answered, and I ended up going on air about forty minutes late. I was only supposed to be on for an hour, but I was having so much fun that I think I ended up staying on for two hours or so. When I started Gone Fishkin, I definitely had my doubts about whether anyone would care or tune in. I’m very grateful for the people who tune in every week now! WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO THOSE WANTING TO START THEIR OWN RADIO SHOW OR PODCAST? I would tell anyone who wants to start a radio show or podcast to be genuine and sincere about any music you play or things you talk about. If you’re not into something, don’t talk about it. When you’re passionate about what you’re talking about, people are able to sense it in your voice. Also, just pretend the microphone is one of your friends and you’re having a casual conversation. Don’t overthink things. If it’s pre-recorded, you can always edit, but don’t do a million takes of the same thing because you’ll drive yourself insane. If you’re live and make a mistake, just keep going. MANY PEOPLE DISLIKE HEARING THEIR VOICES RECORDED AND SUCH, BUT HOW CAN A PODCAST HELP AN ARTIST IN THIS DAY AND AGE? I was and still am not a huge fan of hearing my own voice. It was one of those things I had to really try to overcome. You’ll always be your biggest critic. If you need an opinion on your podcast or show, don’t ask your family or friends because they’ll always say you’re doing a good job. Just put it out there on the internet, and you’ll get a real opinion. Work off of that. A podcast can help an artist these days because of the power of the internet. One person with a lot of followers on social media could be listening to you, and they can mention you. Suddenly, their followers start tuning in, then they post about it, etc. It could be an awesome snowball effect, so make sure you give it your all every show. WITH NEW TECHNOLOGY AND APPS SUCH AS SPOTIFY AND APPLE MUSIC, DO YOU THINK THAT YOUR AUDIENCE SIZE HAS INCREASED OR DECREASED? DO YOU THINK THOSE SERVICES ARE WORTH THE MONEY? I use both Spotify and Apple Music. I recently watched the Taylor Swift 1989 World Tour on Apple Music, and it blew me away. That alone was worth the monthly subscription. Truthfully, I don’t think it has an effect on my audience. I could easily just make a Spotify/Apple Music playlist and link people to it, but, on my show, I take requests from people, shout them out live on air, and talk. In my opinion, it is a lot more personal, and I think people like the idea of it being more personal than that. Also, they get to hear interviews with different bands every week. Spotify/Apple Music definitely have their benefits, but so do podcasts.

an actor or actress, I’ll watch their latest movie, read up on them, find some cool talking points, and go from there. When I started out, I used to write down questions and just read off of a paper. Now, with talking points, it makes it seem more like a conversation and less of an interview. When I make a mistake, I just keep rolling with it and usually make fun of myself for it. WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN, AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU? The night before I started high school, I saw 30 Seconds To Mars live. I got to meet Jared Leto, and I asked him for advice on being in a band. He told me something along the lines of, “If you want a real opinion, ask a stranger. Never ask your parents, because they’ll love your stuff no matter what.” I actually stole the quote and made it my own in a previous question, haha. I’ve found this quote to be relevant to not only being in a band, but to a lot of other things in life as well. It’s really important to me because I’ve fixed things and changed things around based on how strangers reacted to them, and it’s honestly helped my show the most. WHAT HAVE YOU NOTICED PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO THE MOST NOW? WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY JAMMING TO? I’ve noticed a big revival in the pop-punk/emo scene that I grew up in. These days, I think people love nostalgia. If a new band reminds them of an older band, they really dig it. These days, I’m jamming to the new albums from State Champs, Giants At Large, Marianas Trench, 7 Minutes In Heaven. I always love to jam to the classics from Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Envy On The Coast, Brand New, and Taking Back Sunday. WHO DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR? Everyone needs to keep an eye out for some up-andcomers like Giants At Large, Walkney, and 7 Minutes In Heaven. Also keep an eye out for new albums from the legends like Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, and Blink-182. I’m really stoked for those to come out this year! WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2016, AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW TO ACCOMPLISH THEM? I hope to do the entire Vans Warped Tour this summer. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of Warped idobi Radio for the last two years and to do the first week of the tour each year. It would be a dream come true to do the whole tour. Also, I would love to keep doing Gone Fishkin and to keep having fun with it. That’s the most important thing to me-having fun. Be sure to tune in Thursday nights at 9PM EST on idobi Radio!

WHEN IT COMES TO EVENTS, HOW DO YOU PREPARE YOURSELF, AND WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE? In the days leading up to an event I’m doing press at, I’ll make sure all the bands I’ll be interviewing are confirmed, and then I’ll listen to their albums, read up on them, do some research, and print out some talking points. If it’s FOCUS MAGAZINE // 15

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT F E AT U R I N G

ANA SAPPHIRA INTERVIEW LINDSY CARRASQUILLO P H OTO S JAS O N COX

YOU’VE DESCRIBED YOUR NEWEST ALBUM, EDGE WALKER, AS TAKING A RISK AND STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT STATEMENT? HOW DOES THIS ALBUM DIFFER FROM YOUR PREVIOUS RELEASES? We wrote Edge Walker in a really short period of time. We started the year with the goal of writing our first fulllength album, and we were committed to that goal. We booked studio time at Warrior Sound in North Carolina well before the album was written, so we couldn’t back out. When we started writing Edge Walker, we didn’t have any real system of organizing and coordinating inspiration and ideas. It took us quite a while to get rolling on these songs. I’d say we put together about seventy percent of the record in the two weeks before we entered the studio. We still had to button up some songs while we were in the studio. That was anything but comfortable. Edge Walker has more personal subject matter, bigger, more digestible sounds, and a much more diverse group of songs than our previous releases. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND TO NEW LISTENERS? I would describe our sound as heavy, honest, and worth your time. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SCENE? Our local scene has seen quite a bit of decline over the past several years. There have been some holes in time where there weren’t really any venues that were consistently holding heavy shows in New Hampshire. Recently, however, there have been some promoters coming up and reemerging, and they are working hard with local venues anywhere they can find to create spaces to cultivate and revive a local music community. It’s been awesome to have passionate people like Richie Downs at New Hampshire Booking to work with again.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR LOCAL SCENE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? WHAT ARE SOME MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE GENRE OF MUSIC YOU PLAY? If I could do anything, I would kill the Internet—at least as far as rock and roll is concerned. I think the Internet has ruined a lot of the mystery and anticipation of live music and especially that of the local music scene. The only misconception that I wish all people would understand—one that almost all of the people I have met that would consider themselves Ana Sapphira fans clearly understand—is that we don’t want people to intentionally or carelessly hurt each other at our shows. That’s really not the type of energy we look to cultivate or inspire. AS AN UNSIGNED BAND, WHAT ARE SOME CHALLENGES YOU HAVE FACED? The largest challenge I feel we have encountered by being unsigned is meeting the right people in order to build a necessary network of relationships that has more influence, experience, and opportunity than we hold alone as the five of us. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT ANY OF YOUR PLANS OR GOALS FOR 2016? Our plans for 2016 are to get out into new cities that we haven’t been to yet, as well as to stay connected with the awesome people we have already built relationships with. We see this band as a real privilege. We’re grateful to be able to explore creative expression with each other, and to share it with such great people that connect with the heart of it so well. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE? You can find Ana Sapphira’s music and all kinds of pictures, videos, and memorabilia all over the Internet. Great questions—thanks so much for talking with us!

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 17

ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR

LIVING THE DREAM FOUNDATION

LIVE PHOTO LORI GUTMAN POSED PHOTOS PROVIDED P A R A M O R E P H O T O E M I LY TA N T U C C I O 18

They’ve made us smile and they’ve made us cry, but, more importantly, they’ve made a difference in people’s lives. LIVING THE DREAM FOUNDATION is a non-profit organization that is a part of our music scene. They strive to connect fans with artists in order to provide a more positive outlook on life, and to give them an experience of a lifetime. It’s extraordinary to see how they have impacted so many people of various ages and backgrounds, and we couldn’t be more honored to call them our Organization of the Year.

FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, WHAT DOES LIVING THE DREAM FOUNDATION DO? We bridge the music industry together with fans who have terminal diseases in order to help change their perspectives on life through the healing powers of music. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START LIVING THE DREAM? I actually have a terminal disease called cystic fibrosis (CF). When I was younger, I was fortunate enough to play music on a professional level in a band called LEFTY, and, during that time, I got to meet a lot of the talented music industry people we work with today. Several years after my own music career ended, I turned forty. Forty years old when having cystic fibrosis is a big deal, because, unfortunately, most kids don’t make it this far. It had me reflecting back on the fruitful life that I’ve been so lucky to have. It made me want to help other kids who are fighting everyday to live and who are dealing with the nasty “terminal” (cliché) cuss word part of diseases. I wanted to teach them, by example, to not focus on their afflictions, and instead to focus on enjoying each precious moment of their lives for as long as they’re here. IN THE BEGINNING, WITH SO MANY NONPROFITS AND FOUNDATIONS OUT THERE FOR MANY DIFFERENT CAUSES, WAS IT DIFFICULT TO GET LTD STARTED OR TO GET SUPPORT FOR IT? Of course, this is a huge undertaking for any non-profit organization. Back in 1999, I was lucky enough to have met Bob Hurley, Founder of Hurley, at a backyard party. We connected and became good friends. The night I turned forty, I called him for advice. He called me back, we met up on the following Friday, and it was then, at the end of our meeting, that Bob invited me to run LTD inside the walls of the Hurley Company—where it still resides today. This was in 2007. A few years later, in 2011, we officially became a 501(c)3. This was an organic growth, and it needed to happen in order for LTD to obtain additional sponsorship. LIVING THE DREAM IS HEAVILY INVOLVED WITH WARPED TOUR, TASTE OF CHAOS, MAYHEM FEST, AND MANY BANDS THAT PERFORM AT THOSE FESTIVALS. HOW AND WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THAT SCENE SPECIFICALLY? That was a no-brainer. While in my band, LEFTY, I met Kevin Lyman, founder of Warped Tour and co-founder of both Taste of Chaos and Mayhem Fest. At the time, I was managed by Freeze Management, which was founded by John Reese—also co-founder of Taste of Chaos and Mayhem

Fest. Warped Tour is the longest and most successful tour of its kind, and I was lucky enough to play on it with my band on two separate occasions. Those two gentlemen, Kevin and John, have been great mentors to me throughout the years, so, when it came time to build LTD, I had to do it with them. The truth is that we couldn’t have done it without them! YOU GIVE SO MANY MUSIC FANS BACKSTAGE EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR FAVORITE BANDS. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO GO THIS ROUTE? DID A SPECIFIC EVENT INSPIRE YOU TO DO THIS? From 2004 to 2007, I was asked by my doctors, nurses, and friends to help their patients and family members struggling with cystic fibrosis. With their help, I reached out to Liz, Nick, Juan, and Justin, and ultimately took them to the Warped Tour and gave them an all access day. This was the prelude to Living The Dream. I chose to do this because it allowed me to spend the whole day with them, so I could get into their heads and see if I could help them. In 2007, I felt the need to do this on a larger scale, and, therefore, Living The Dream was born. YOU DO AMAZING THINGS FOR SO MANY PEOPLE, GIVING THEM THEIR DREAM DAYS. WHAT EXACTLY GOES INTO PLANNING AND ACTUALLY EXECUTING THESE DAYS? HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO WORK OUT THE LOGISTICS FROM START TO FINISH? Thank you. I have a great executive team that helps to create LTD dream days—now in four different countries across two continents. There would be no Living The Dream Foundation without them. Two employees that are stand-outs for us that I work side-by-side with daily are Kacie Quigley, our VP of Marketing who’s been with LTD for over seven years, and Patricia Weingart, our VP of Operations who’s been with LTD for around three years. We also have many different LTD team leaders throughout the country who help us fulfill dream days. It’s not easy to find the right people for this job due to working with so many high profile artists, and the team we have in place is excellent! On the timeline of planning, etc., I’ll just say this: it took over five hundred emails over several months to many different industry people, bands, managers, and labels to secure four different VIP dream days during Leeds Festival. That was the first time we expanded overseas into the United Kingdom. It’s not usually that hard and lengthy, but getting it right always requires an attention to detail. Our team expends tons of time and energy getting it right. FOCUS MAGAZINE // 19

THE 2015 VANS WARPED TOUR CHARITY BOWLING TOURNAMENT SUPPORTED LIVING THE DREAM FOUNDATION AS THEIR SPONSORED CHARITY OF CHOICE—HOW DID THIS COME INTO FRUITION? DO YOU THINK FANS COULD ORGANIZE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO RAISE MONEY AND AWARENESS FOR THEIR FAVORITE ORGANIZATIONS? 2015 marked eleven years of delivering VIP dream days to terminal kids on Warped Tour thanks to Kevin Lyman and his great team. While not all of those years were “officially” through LTD, they were delivered with love nonetheless. That being said, I think it’s safe to say that the team that produces Warped Tour knows who we are and why we exist, and 4Fini believes wholeheartedly in our mission. LTD and 4Fini have been married for a long time now, and the marriage has been a beautiful relationship. I think it was a natural progression that got us to this place, and, no matter the reason, we are very thankful for the bowling tournament and their support. Can anyone do this, you ask? I did it, and I’m just an “anyone”… IS THERE A SPECIFIC LTD MOMENT OR EVENT THAT HAS HAD A LASTING IMPACT ON YOU? There are too many to mention; the whole process has been special and lasting for all of us. We’ve lost a lot of kids along the way throughout this journey, and that hasn’t been easy for any of us. Still, the rewards have definitely outweighed the tragic passings, and we’ve carried on with the knowledge in our minds and our hearts that “during their individual dream days, they were all 100% disease free.” There is a sad event that really stands out that I’d like to share from a couple of years ago, only a few days before delivering a dream day that was to be featured on Fuse TV. Our guest, Tricia, who was battling cancer, was supposed to be picked up by her favorite band, The Summer Set, in their tour bus. On top of that, they custom-wrote a special song for Tricia and were going to surprise her with it. Tragically, Tricia passed away before her day. The good news is that we had to tell Tricia that the band was going to be picking her up at her home so that she wouldn’t show up at Warped Tour on her own, and she was so excited! We discussed the matter and ultimately decided that we wanted to ask her husband to join us and deliver the LTD dream day in Tricia’s honor. We’re so happy we did! WHAT GOALS HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED WITH LTD? WHAT ARE YOUR CURRENT GOALS? Founding LTD, real-estate and sponsorship at Hurley, obtaining 501(c)3 status, getting many great sponsors sign on to help, building priceless industry relationships across the board, and having a great employee base have all been fun goals to achieve. My personal favorite goal, though, is developing the relationships we’ve been able to have with the kids and their families. I’ll cherish those forever!

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET INVOLVED WITH OR VOLUNTEER FOR LIVING THE DREAM? We ask you to add and share our website and social media sites with your family and friends to help spread the word. You can also donate to the cause via our website’s “donate” link. Be assured that your donation will go towards delivering a terminal kid a special VIP dream day they’ll never forget. Please go to our website and watch our videos to see for yourself. WITH THE USED’S TOUR AND WARPED TOUR COMING UP, WHAT ELSE DOES LIVING THE DREAM HAVE PLANNED FOR 2016? We’ll be jumping on The Used’s tour, and then we’re immediately off to Warped Tour, Self Help Festival, Knotfest, the Taste of Chaos Tour, the Pilgrimage Festival, and Reading and Leeds Festivals (back-to-back) in the United Kingdom. We’re hoping to do another Take Action Tour with our friends over at Hopeless Records. We’re heavily anticipating a Pierce The Veil tour will manifest as soon as their record is done, and we will want to jump on that, especially since we recently asked Vic Fuentes to be an Honorary Chairman—along with Bert McCracken of The Used. We’re very excited to have them both support and lead our mission going forward. We’re also hoping to jump on a couple of rare Good Charlotte dates in 2016. In closing, we’re truly blessed to be able to do what we do, putting smiles on the faces of kids who are struggling with their terminal diseases. It’s nice to spend a positive day with them and their families, and to introduce them to their favorite artists and bands. The looks on their faces are priceless! Again, it’s safe to say that on their LTD dream days, they are amazingly disease-free! Thank you to all who sponsor and help build these LTD dream days with us. Your contribution of love equates to “a Living The Dream day these kids will never forget.”

GET CONNECTED ltdfoundation.org iltdfoundation tltdtweets flivingthedreamfoundation

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 21

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF VANNA COV E RAG E LO R I G U T M A N

It was Valentine’s Day, and I had a hot date with Vanna on what was ironically the coldest day of the year. Seriously, it wasn’t even remotely hot. Things did get a little steamy when I spilled my large green tea all over myself though. As Davey was my only point of contact and he had left the venue to hit the gym, I walked into La Tulipe like a chicken with its head cut off. Not sure where to go, I sat down at a table and hoped that, at some point or another, someone would approach me and ask why I was there. However, once I spilled that aforementioned tea all over myself, I figured that things could only go up from there—so I went over to Nick and introduced myself. We chatted a bit before he took me backstage to meet Shawn, Joel, and Seamus. After moving the van from its spot behind the venue, Nick, Shawn, Seamus and I decided to brave the freezing cold for some much-needed food. We ended up at Bretzels Colossal, which, in case it wasn’t obvious, specializes in pretzels. Seriously, check out my giant, nutella-covered pretzel! The guys got poutine, because when in Montreal… FOCUS MAGAZINE // 23

We headed back to the venue, brewed coffee, and hung out a bit with some of Phinehas and For Today as the Vanna dudes got ready to hit the stage. Vanna was the opening band on the tour, so unfortunately their set wasn’t as long as I think it should’ve been (#biased). Still, they absolutely killed it and got everyone amped and ready for the rest of the night. Once they finished up on stage, we all headed down to the green room area where we threw a party and had some very important political discussions (#feelthebern). We did take a brief break to head upstairs and support Davey during his cameo in For Today’s set though. Towards the end of the night, once For Today finished up, Vanna took time to meet, take photos, and talk with any and every fan who approached them at the merch table. Soon enough, it was time to load out and get ready for the long drive ahead. As soon as the van was packed up and ready to go, they asked me for nearby food recommendations. Of course I told them about my post-concert goto with what is arguably the best poutine in the city: Patati Patata. The guys were kind enough to invite me along with them, so off in the van we went. Once we finished eating, they had a bit of a drive to do, but they still offered me a ride back to my apartment before they left Montreal. It was very unexpected—after all, I was still a stranger they had only recently met. Regardless, I was and still am so appreciative of that gesture. It’s the little things that make a difference. Back in my apartment, I really took a moment to process the day and what I learned about these five guys. Even though all their personal belongings had been stolen roughly a week prior, none of the them seemed angry or bitter like most people probably would’ve been. Instead, they were incredibly welcoming, and grateful to still be able to do what they love in front of hundreds of people every night. They didn’t let a shitty situation get the best of them, and that’s a testament to Vanna’s ability to persevere and overcome. While it was by no means a “wild adventure,” this was one of the highlights of my year thus far. Taking photos of their “cute little butts” (I told you I’d quote you on that!), hanging out with a couple of beers in the green room, and simply just getting to know and joke around with the lovely guys in Vanna made for a perfect day. They’re ridiculously talented and entertaining both on and off the stage, and I’m not kidding when I say you need to check them out as soon as you can (like, say, on Warped Tour this summer).

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 25

C A R D I K N O X INTERVIEW PENELOPE MARTINEZ STORY LEAH DICKERMAN PHOTOS JESS DIAZ

W H E N Y O U ’ R E Y O U N G , Y O U R E A L LY H AV E N O C L U E A B O U T W H E R E Y O U ’ L L A C T U A L LY E N D U P. W H I L E Y O U M AY H AV E A N I D E A O F W H E R E Y O U ’ D L I K E T O B E , L I F E H A S A F U N N Y WAY O F A B R U P T LY CHANGING COURSE. LONNIE ANGLE, VOCALIST O F C A R D I K N OX , K N OWS T H I S A L L TO O W E L L . “ I N M Y T E E N S , I D R E A M E D O F B E I N G A N AC TO R O N T H E S TA G E , ” S H E S H A R E S . “ T H AT E V O LV E D I N T O WA N T I N G T O B E A D I R E C T O R , A N D , I N A V E R Y R O U N D A B O U T, T W I S T E D S E T O F E V E N T S , I F O U N D M Y S E L F M A K I N G M U S I C . ” A LT H O U G H T H E O T H E R H A L F O F C A R D I K N OX , T H O M A S D U T TO N , H A S A LWAY S D R E A M E D O F B E I N G A M U S I C I A N , L O N N I E N E V E R P I C T U R E D H E R S E L F G O I N G D O W N T H AT R O U T E . “ I F Y O U H A D T O L D M E W H E N I WA S I N M Y T E E N S T H AT I ’ D B E I N A B A N D , I W O U L D H AV E T H O U G H T Y O U W E R E C R A Z Y, ” S H E L A U G H S .

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 27

Fast forward to three years ago, to 2013, when the duo met while working on a musical called Razia’s Shadow. They were reworking the standalone concept album so that it could follow a more traditional, linear storyline that would translate onto the stage as a bonafide musical. Lonnie details how their working chemistry was obvious very early on. “I had a lot to offer in terms of musical theater experience, and Thomas had a lot to offer in terms of the music industry. We were both fascinated with each other’s backgrounds, and we had a similar drive to create—whether it be pop music or musical theater.” They worked so well as a team that, eventually, Thomas asked Lonnie to sing on a holiday song by his old band, Forgive Durden. Evidently, he was enchanted by the tone of her voice. “I just remember him saying, ‘I think your voice is something special,’” she adds. From that point on, they started writing songs together, and, eventually, Cardiknox was formed. Once the band was established, Lonnie and Thomas had to work on establishing their writing process, and, as of now, it is a collective effort between the two of them. “Oftentimes, one of us brings an idea or a golden nugget to the table. It’s normally the heart of the song. Maybe it’s a lyrical phrase, an idea, or a melody, and then we start to build around it,” she details. “I tend to focus on melody, Thomas focuses on the music and production, and we work together on the lyrics.” For their debut album, Portrait, the duo was able to work with producer John Shanks, who “was a big piece of the writing as well. He was the big-picture man who knew how to take the songs and tweak, finesse, and fine-tune them to really bring them to the next level,” Lonnie elaborates. John was also a great asset in helping them push through the creative blocks that undoubtedly came up during the creation of this record. “It was helpful to have someone nudging us when we’d get caught up, for example, on a lyric. When it’s just Thomas and I working together, we tend to spend way too long on one thing. Oftentimes, it’s best to keep working past it and revisit it when you’re fresh,” she divulges. With the start of any new endeavour, challenges are always inevitable, and Lonnie admits that creating Portrait was one of the most intense experiences of her life. “We spent almost six months in the studio writing and recording every day. It took a lot of discipline, a lot of stepping outside my comfort zone, and exploring things both personally and professionally that I never had before. Also, trusting my gut,” she explains. For her, this record is very personal, as it is largely inspired by what she considers to be one of the biggest earth-shattering experiences of her life.

“The album speaks to a journey—one of loss, rebuilding, and ultimately moving past the pain. In many ways, it chronicles my experience with my parents’ divorce in my early adulthood,” she elaborates. “A lot of this album speaks to that experience… The heartache my mom went through, the anger I had with my dad, and ultimately finding forgiveness and peace with life’s constant flux,” she confesses. For many, it can be extremely difficult to hone in on those thoughts and feelings in order to express them, but, in the case of Cardiknox, these lyrics are what helped them connect with their producer as well as with their record label. Not everything off the record was influenced by personal experiences, however, as their single, “Doors,” was inspired by a dream that their producer had. Lonnie illustrates that, “in [the dream], he heard a small part of the chorus riff. Next, Kanye appeared, rapped on it, and all sorts of crazy stuff happened. Our producer came into the studio the next day with the idea for the song, and we built around it to create the track.” This was especially doable because Thomas is greatly influenced by simple beats from rap and hip hop— along the lines of Kanye and Drake—although this isn’t detectable right away given their pop-driven music. Nevertheless, a few months after the song was written, the song was remixed with Daye Jack, who raps on the verses. Lonnie thinks that it was really successful, because “[they] built the track like a rap song—heavy beats and sparse production.” All in all, this is just one of many examples that showcase the diversity of Cardiknox’s artistry. Within the months of effort the duo and their team put into this album, the most valuable lesson Lonnie learned was that hard work always pays off. “Put in the work and it comes back in spades,” she muses. Much of a musician’s hard work is done behind the scenes, but, unfortunately, that means that too many people overlook everything that goes into building a music career. In turn, this creates contrived expectations. “A funny expectation [many have towards artists] is that most artists are flighty and disorganized, which couldn’t be further from the truth for me and Thomas,” Lonnie reveals. “We’re both pretty Type A—we’re very organized control freaks, and we like things in order. I think in today’s music landscape, a lot of musicians need to be this way in order to survive.” Another unrealistic expectation is the belief that being a musician consists of minimal work and maximum play. The amount of work that goes into pursuing music, in Lonnie’s opinion, is something that a lot of people don’t fully grasp. While there are plenty of exciting and fun aspects of being in a band, success all boils down to hard work. “Oftentimes, things look and seem far more glamorous than they are. I think it’s more similar FOCUS MAGAZINE // 29

to being a small-business owner than anything else. The easiest part of that, though, is that you’re building a business around something that you truly love and believe in… Making it that much easier to pour your heart and time into it,” she professes. Comparing a band to being a small business allows for things to be put into a better perspective. For example, every business must start somewhere and grow their audience. It’s no doubt that today’s music industry has a plethora of new acts all trying to be heard, and, because of that, it can be overwhelming and intimidating trying to get one’s band noticed. Lonnie has a very positive attitude towards this, however, as she states, “Obviously, access to music today is completely different than it used to be. In one sense, that’s amazing, because anyone can discover music online if they’re willing to look for it. But it also requires looking and digging a bit harder to find what they like because there’s such an abundance of new work being put out all the time.” Listeners can toss aside many artists they stumble upon, but there will always be an artist that they latch onto. Aside from striving to earn dedicated fans, Cardiknox have faced plenty of obstacles in their journey through the music industry, although this came as no surprise to them. Someone once told Lonnie that “you should expect twenty ‘no’s’ for every ‘yes’ you receive.” She agrees that this statement is not at all far from the truth; however, the trick is simply to believe in yourself. In addition, she says that you also have “to be willing to work really, really hard and climb the hill, however slow or hurdled it may be.” Naturally, no matter how hard you work, or how much you love what you do, there will always be things you wish you could change about the industry you’re involved with. In Lonnie’s case, she would love to see more women executives in the music world—and across all professional leadership roles, for that matter. “The music industry is predominantly run by men. With that, there’s a certain level of sexism that’s unavoidable,” she asserts. “I’m lucky that on our Cardiknox team, I have a number of strong women that I work with—both on the label and on the publishing and management side. But as a young woman in the industry, if you don’t have those strong women around you, it can be really tough,” she discloses. Luckily, there are more and more women rising in the ranks of the music industry. Lonnie and many on her team are a testament to that. Hopefully, they can help guide us in the right direction so that conditions will only improve from here. Already, in the three years since Cardiknox’s formation, they have gained attention from the likes of Billboard, Spin, MTV, and Warner Brother Records—who they are currently signed with. Part of the reason this happened is because “we really believed in our songs, our sound, and the message of the album,” Lonnie declares. On top of that, they recently supported The Knocks, and also opened for Carly Rae Jepsen. With bigs things on the horizon, it is evident that the duo has followed the best advice Thomas was ever given: “Work harder than anyone else.”

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 31

G N I Y A TS ISSED P C I F I C A P E K I L h wit

INTERVIEW PENELOPE MARTINEZ STORY EDDIE CHISHAM PHOTOS LORI GUTMAN

G FOCUS MAGAZINE // 33

LIKE PACIFIC—consisting of vocalist Jordan Black, bassist Chris Thaung, drummer Dillon Forret, guitarist Greg Hall, and guitarist Luke Holmes—hails from the booming music scene in Toronto, Ontario. In an area where new talent is constantly on the up and up, Like Pacific’s aggressive, angst-ridden vocals, intense-yetmelodic guitar and bass, and hyperactive drumming all come together to help the five-piece stand out and expand beyond their hometown. “Stay Pissed” is a signature stamped on the band’s persona. It’s a motto that fits both Like Pacific’s experiences and sound. Chris explains, “It stemmed from an old friend of ours who was describing the vibe he first got after hearing our Homebound EP. ‘You’re not the happy-go-lucky, pop-punk band you used to be. There's more anger and grit now. Stay pissed.’” Perhaps the “happy-go-lucky” mentality left the equation due to the circumstances faced by a touring band. Mental, physical, financial, and emotional stress, a revolving door of member changes, touring with clashing personalities, and mountains of paperwork to obtain a work permit in the U.S. are just some of the things that might make a band pissed—and that doesn’t even cover their personal lives. In 2013, after grinding away for four years, Like Pacific almost disbanded. Chris reflects on the situation, admitting, “I felt [completely drained]. I was bitter and burnt out, and we had lost two guitar players. I think it was just getting to me. The idea of rebuilding Like Pacific for the third time was so unappealing. We were so close to calling it a day that we were planning our farewell show within days of deciding of breaking up... Just to get it over with. But if you're passionate enough about music, you'll find your way back. Music never really leaves you. That's exactly what happened with us, and here we are today.” Still, it hasn’t been all bad for Like Pacific. Their past experiences simply serve as fuel for their ferocious sound, and the lineup changes they had to endure have evidently turned the band into a united front. Their strong chemistry as a band shows in their new

record, Distant Like You Asked. While Greg creates a skeleton on guitar, Chris, Luke, and Dillon all add their unique touches to the new album. To finish things off, Jordan writes all of the lyrics. “All the songs we write are like memoirs of Jordan's past experiences. That dude is like Pandora's box sometimes when it comes to lyrics. It's crazy,” Chris declares. Although Like Pacific credits “heavy bands, angry bands, melodic bands, and fast bands” as their inspiration, their bass player’s relationship with music began in middle school, around the time of his Good Charlotte obsession. The punk rock culture influenced him, and, after forming numerous cover bands and one real band, The Homecoming, Chris felt like he had mastered the industry—learning pretty much everything from booking shows to monitoring social media to being in an actual studio with a real producer. Still, knowledge doesn’t automatically guarantee success, and, because of that, it’s hard to gauge how the fans will receive Like Pacific’s new album. “We wanted it to be good. We wanted to make a record that we liked but a record that other people would also like,” Chris shares. “Even up until now, as reviews are starting to trickle in, I still get nervous to hear what people think about Distant Like You Asked. So far, so good,” he laughs. “Worthless Case” from Distant Like You Asked provides the perfect sample for the band’s new sound. In it, Jordan cites a time when he felt dismayed after investing a lot of time getting to know someone. “My love life is pathetic, and I'll probably die cold and alone,” muses Chris, reflecting on the track. If that’s not relatable, I’m not quite sure what is. For Like Pacific, on top of the release of their record, 2016 started with opening for State Champs and Neck Deep in the Alternative Press World Tour. “There is still a long road ahead of us. We're still grinding away at this,” Chris proclaims. “I'd say everything we've accomplished so far were goals, and there are many, many more goals ahead for Like Pacific.” STAY PISSED.

“if you’re passionate enough about music, you’ll find your way back. Music never really leaves you. That’s exactly what happened with us, and here we are today.” -Chris Thaung

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 35

PA R L O U R TRICKS INTERVIEW PENELOPE MARTINEZ STORY LEAH DICKERMAN PHOTOS PROVIDED

”THE GIRLS ARE TOO PRETTY AND THE GUYS ARE TOO METAL,“

GRUMBLED AN OLD MAN AFTER A PARLOUR TRICKS SHOW. LILY CATO, LEAD SINGER AND SONGWRITER OF THE BAND, ALWAYS LOOKS BACK AT THIS MOMENT WITH A LAUGH. WHILE THIS STATEMENT APPEARS TO HAVE AN AIR OF DISMISSIVENESS, IT SYMBOLIZES HOW THE BAND AIMS TO DEFY “POP” STEREOTYPES— OR, AT THE VERY LEAST, SOME OF THE STIGMAS THAT COME ALONG WITH THIS PARTICULAR GENRE. EARLY ON IN THE BAND’S CAREER, LILY NOTED HOW, GENERALLY, POP WAS VIEWED AS A DIRTY WORD IN OUR CULTURE. HOWEVER, JUST A FEW YEARS LATER, “IT NOW SEEMS LIKE THE GENRE IS HUGE; THE MEANING HAS EXPANDED. [THERE IS] LOTS OF ROOM FOR A COLLISION OF GENRES AND INTERPRETATION,” SHE REALIZES. OVER THE COURSE OF PARLOUR TRICKS’ EXISTENCE, THIS MENTALITY HAS HELPED SHAPE THEIR MOLD IN THE TUMULTUOUS AND EFFERVESCENT MUSIC INDUSTRY.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 37

PARLOUR TRICKS started when Lily was in college, after she began writing music and recruited her friends Brian Kelsey (bass and synth), Terry Moore (drums), and Angelo Spagnolo (guitar) to join her. “I asked my friends to play it through with me to see if it sucked. We got a few weird gigs, and then kept getting more. It’s been a pretty fluid process,” she informs us. Lily remembers those first gigs fondly, even though they were cringeworthy. “They were bad,” she admits. “I think we had two original songs and five covers. Some jazz standards,” she confesses. “It was me and the three dudes, and we were fresh out of music school. We didn’t know what we were doing.” In their hometown of New York City, their usual gig was Sunday nights at 6PM in the upstairs lounge of a venue on the Lower East Side. A few months later, Morgane Hollowell and Darah “DeeDee” Golub joined to create the three-part harmonies Parlour Tricks is known for. Once the ball got rolling, it was time to start promoting themselves to get their music out there. Lily calls it “The Year of Yes.” She adds, “We played as 38

often as possible. We took crazy gigs, weddings, private events. We didn’t have nearly enough material so we’d play the same set twice, but the second time everything was a bossa nova.” Lily muses, “I think the turning point was after the girls joined. We had five or six more original songs, and we played a crazy loft party in Bushwick. It was cavemanthemed. Brian wore a Fred Flintstone one-shouldered leopard print dress. We drank absinthe and played at three in the morning, and everyone was dancing and sweating and freaking out. We knew we were doing something right.” During the beginning, some shows got wild, and the group was able to go out afterwards without a real fear of the consequences. Musicians are often stereotyped as party animals, no matter what genre of music they play, and there was a time when the guys and gals of Parlour Tricks could live the classic “rock ‘n’ roll” lifestyle. Still, that time was short lived. Lily can’t speak for all musicians but, for her and her bandmates, she can tell us that taking care of themselves is paramount. She reminisces on the days when

they “used to go out after every show, and get rowdy and drink and talk loudly in bars.” However, she realized that “there is nothing worse for your voice than shouting in a bar.” Now that they pursue music full-time, they need to concentrate on being able to consistently put on a good show. Lily jokes that focusing on their ability to perform “requires some pretty un-rock n’ roll behavior. When we’re on tour now, we try to be good grandmas: lots of water, steam, and vocal rest. We can’t risk our voices. What’s the point?” As she is the lead vocalist, Lily knows this all too well. Aside from singing, Lily does all the songwriting too. Almost always, people assume that songwriters draw exclusively on personal experiences for their inspiration. Usually, however, that’s not quite the case. Nothing she’s ever written has felt “too personal” to share with her listeners. “I don’t write that literally, though,” she explains. “It’s not like ‘Fuck you, Bob, you broke my heart and ate my sandwich.’ Often the songs aren’t about me at all— they’re about friends or books or movies. Part of the fun is dressing stories up so that the meaning might be open for interpretation. I met someone recently who asked if she could tell me what she thought a certain song of ours was about, and I could tell her if she was right. She was so, so far from right. But I loved hearing her version,” she reveals. Of course, this doesn’t mean that she’s never written songs about her own life. Take their current single, “Broken Hearts/Broken Bones,” for example. The song talks a lot about heartbreak, which is something Lily isn’t a complete stranger to. She divulges that she had her heart broken only once, back when she was fifteen. Her first love broke up with her by telling her that he wanted to take a break. A few weeks later, at a huge high school party, she awoke to find her boyfriend hooking up with another girl right next to her. “It fucked me up for a long time. I’m glad I didn’t write music then; that would have been some sad emo shit. It’s still pretty easy to conjure up that clenchedheart feeling. There’s nothing else like it,” she expresses. While Lily’s meaningful lyrics have touched the hearts of thousands already, Parlour Tricks is still a relatively small band. They’re still trying to get listeners to stick around, which Lily states is a healthy kind of challenge for the band. Surprisingly, gaining a fanbase isn’t the most challenging aspect of being a musician. Lily believes that a bigger part of it is actually sticking to their guns. “People have wanted to work with us, and they lay down their unfair, lopsided terms and expect us to just say yes. That’s been eye-opening,” she discloses. “We were in development with a label for a while that wanted to be able to license our music for free... Forever. I put my foot down. Stuff like that can really fuck with how you view the value of your work. Learning how to see past it has been the biggest challenge.” For a female, taking a stand in the music industry—which is so multifaceted and male-dominated—can evidently be difficult. More and more women are stepping into executive roles as time goes on, but females in this field don’t have it easy, and the ladies of Parlour Tricks are no exception. “People warned us that the three of us women would be treated differently, and, of course, it’s true. We struggle

with it every day. It’s a way of life,” Lily shares. “We’re lucky to work with three male bandmates who treat us as equals, and male management, agent, and label heads who treat us fairly.” Aside from the wonderful people that make up their team, what others say and have said to them—in Lily’s words—can be astounding. She brings up an anecdote from a sound check a few months ago: “When I asked for more of something in the monitor, the sound guy said, ‘You look so good, who cares what you sound like?’” On top of that, while they were busy selling merch after a show, “two dudes got furious and started yelling at the three of us after a show because we didn’t drink the shots they’d bought for us without asking.” Scarily enough, the list of uncomfortable experiences doesn’t end there. “I was waiting for the bathroom after a show when a giant, roidy guy came over to me and ran his hand up my thigh, asking if my pants were jeans or tights,” she continues. “I can’t even count how many times people ask me which of the guys in the band am I dating (none), or which of the guys writes all the music (none). There are too many examples. It is a battle every day.” Many of the stereotypes about female musicians aren’t true, although the stigmas that surround them—like being treated unfairly and being objectified—unfortunately are.

”PEOPLE HAVE WANTED TO WORK WITH US, AND THEY LAY DOWN THEIR UNFAIR, LOPSIDED TERMS AND EXPECT US TO JUST SAY YES.“ Being a fulltime musician is romanticized and glamorized, but, often, it is anything but glamorous. In Lily’s opinion, “the worst thing [about the music industry] is that it is an industry. Business comes first. I wish musicians could be prioritized and taken care of properly. They should come first. But they don’t.” Many musicians are trying to create something meaningful to share with the world, but people behind the scenes are only concerned with profits more often than not. It’s disheartening, but there is always a silver lining to the dark side of things. “The best thing [about this industry] is that despite all that [negative] shit, we are still able to get in front of an audience and make them happy. And, at the end of the day,” she concludes, “That’s the only thing that should matter.” FOCUS MAGAZINE // 39

ALVAREZ KINGS INTERVIEW + PHOTOS PENELOPE MARTINEZ STORY ELIZABETH LOO

WITH NUMEROUS ARTISTS TRYING TO MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, BREAKING THROUGH THE CLUTTER CAN BE A CHALLENGE. SIMON AND PAUL THOMPSON, RICHARD WALKER, AND SEAN PARKIN OF ALVAREZ KINGS UNDERSTAND THIS STRUGGLE ALL TOO WELL. “AS A BAND, YOU ARE A DEFINITELY A SMALL FISH IN A BIG POND, BUT IT DEPENDS ON YOURSELVES AS TO HOW BIG YOU REALLY WANT TO APPEAR,” THEY EXPLAIN.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 41

From their evolving music to the modest way they perceive themselves, one can admit that this band has experience in the industry. “We’ve been a band for some time now, and we’ve really crafted our sound and songwriting. We like to think our music speaks for itself, but we are aware that a lot of bands have the same outlook,” they acknowledge. From the beginning, music has played a role in each of the members’ lives. “Some might say that the band was formed in the womb,” Sean jokes. “Simon and Paul, being brothers and having the same parents, have known each other their whole lives, and they started playing music together from an early age. Through a series of circumstances, they stumbled across me and Rich, and eventually the band became what it is today,” he clarifies. As with many part-time bands, commitments and other obligations have affected their lineup. Thankfully, that’s all in the past now, and the band has been going strong as the current four-piece. “Alvarez Kings are finally in a position where everyone is focused and driven to accomplish the same goals,” Sean asserts. With everything they’ve dealt with over the years, the guys of Alvarez Kings have continued to mature their art. While working on improving and altering their music, they look to each other to generate ideas and gain inspiration. “Everyone brings different styles and influences to the table, especially now that we are all writing together. Previously, we had more of a punk rock edge to our sound, but, over time, we grew out of it, and our musical tastes developed and broadened,” Paul describes. Part of this is due to their latest work environment, which was a lot more cohesive and to-the-point when compared with their previous work. “Our songs were written with just the four of us in an ensemble rehearsal. Most of the writing for this record was done in a recording studio,” Rich details. With the release of their EP last June, the band had the chance to even further develop their sound. “It was a brand new approach to recording with a range of timbres we had never used before—such as strings, brass, and synth—so we faced challenges along the way,” Simon adds. With new instruments and sounds at their fingertips, the members were able to stretch their creativity and challenge themselves on a whole new level. When it comes to songwriting, sometimes musicians come to a point where they suffer from writer’s block. There are different ways to overcome this roadbump, and, for Alvarez Kings, they go with their gut feeling and start anew. “We are our biggest critics when it comes to songwriting, and we always ditch songs we aren’t one hundred percent into,” Rich confirms. “The best way to snap out of [writer’s block] and to assure yourself is by doing shows and seeing fans singing along to all the words, as well as seeing their reactions when we do meet and greets,” he says. Originating from Sheffield in the UK gave Alvarez Kings the opportunity to develop this fanbase while performing throughout Europe. Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. With motivated and grounded mindsets, the guy knew the difficult reality of being musicians. “We had enough

people telling us about the pit-holes of this crazy industry, so we kind of knew what to expect, and it helps that we have been doing this thing for years now,” Sean mentions. During their first serious tour, which was about two weeks long, they went to “various cities in Europe where we headlined lots of small venues in Germany, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, and France,” they recall. “The actual experience of being on a proper tour for the very first time was certainly an eye-opener, but such a messy laugh. The only downside was there being so few people each night, but we didn’t care. We just got tanked up and played as hard as we could,” they explain. As is the case with many international bands, going across the pond to the US changed the game for Alvarez Kings. The group is no stranger to Warped Tour, SXSW and CMJ. One of the band’s largest gigs, touring Europe with Echosmith, actually stemmed from one of their early stints on Warped Tour. “They’ve been like a family to us since Warped 2013, so it’s been great to see how far they’ve come,” they profess. “Apart from the Melanie Martinez Cry Baby Tour as the main support… These two tours alone, they have certainly been some of the biggest steps in our career to date,” they reflect. Evidently, every time Alvarez Kings perform around America, the guys get the chance to cover more and more ground. Although they love the adventure, the time it takes to get to each destination can be long and tiring. “Very rarely do you have an opportunity to go sightseeing… Unless you get a day off, which for us is a rarity in itself,” they admit. “That’s certainly the case in the States. A day off in the UK usually means you can have a little more of the old laughing sauce the night before,” they chuckle. “We all love what we do and have such a laugh as a group of guys. The bands are amazing. But the majority of our time is spent waiting around and fighting the monotony of hours and hours of traveling,” they add. With touring comes some horror stories the guys just can’t escape. “Many people have labeled it ‘The Curse of the Kings,’” Simon laughs. “On Warped Tour, the windscreen of our tour bus was completely put through spraying glass, and it ended up in the front lounge where we were sat drinking bourbon. Luckily, we had an experienced driver who kept it together and managed to calmly slow down and pull into the layby,” he reminisces. At one point during Warped Tour 2013, visa problems kept Simon from crossing the Canadian border. Luckily, bands like “Echosmith, William Beckett, and All-Star Weekend jumped in on vocals to help us out, while Simon gallivanted around in Canada ‘til he got his visa issues fixed,” Paul remembers. Due to all the effort and responsibilities that touring requires, being on the road has helped the four-piece build up stronger work ethics. “We travel miles—sometimes for little money, we rehearse for hours, and we set up all our gear for a thirty-minute set. It takes dedication, and, often, there are more lows than highs,” Rich discloses. “In order to find success in this business, you have to be prepared to work hard… It makes you more determined and driven,” he says earnestly. “In order to earn your crust, you have to tour as much as possible. None of us think of this as a bad thing at all. We absolutely thrive off of it.” FOCUS MAGAZINE // 43

Their experiences have helped them understand that benefitting financially isn’t very likely, especially when you’re just starting out and building your brand. “Labels don’t advance fiscally in the same way as they would’ve with the old industry model. It’s just the way of the times,” they inform us. Still, because they can relate to newer bands financially, the guys feel that “more money should be set aside [for small bands] in order to develop and nurture them… All bands should be provided with hospitality—even those just starting out from the bottom,” Paul proposes. “How much does it cost a venue to provide snacks, sandwiches, or even a crate of beer? Hell, sometimes not even water is provided for these bands,” he muses. Unsurprisingly, the challenges don’t end there. As insignificant as it may sound, the guys sometimes have difficulty keeping up with their various social media platforms. For most musicians who are trying to make a stable career, boosting social media posts through funding is the most reasonable option. What people don’t realize, however, is that spending so much time promoting yourself on social media can have its downsides. “It can take your focus away from the real parts of being a musician: writing, performing, and overall furthering your career. But I guess it is an integral part of being a musician now,” they explain. Still, Alvarez Kings have been fortunate enough to not have to rely on social media alone. Although they haven’t been at it that long, the guys feel very lucky to have been able to tour with “some awesome bands and play to their audiences. That really helps us spread our message the best way we know how: through live shows. This organically translates to social media growth due to fans talking to each other and spreading the word for us,” they exclaim. Even with all this word-of-mouth helping them, the band truly wins the fans over once it’s time to meet them in person. No matter what, the guys of Alvarez Kings try to give as much fanservice as possible. “We take the time out to have photos with them, sign whatever they want, and meet and greet every single person that wants to meet us after the show,” they proclaim. “The fans are our lifeblood, and we will always go out of our way to honor them,” they continue.

It’s the little things like love and support from their fans that make all the difficulties worth it, and the thought of leaving the music industry has never crossed the guys’ minds. “It doesn’t matter what knockbacks and letdowns you have. You have to be tenacious,” they emphasize. “Perseverance is the biggest trait you need as a musician. However, a sense of empathy is also necessary in order to view things from a different aspect. This allows you the freedom to judge a situation better. With hindsight, you learn and develop in order to deal with whatever is thrown at you, and you better yourself because of it,” they add. With the busy year of ups and downs, the guys have achieved quite a bit, but one moment in particular stands out amongst the rest. “We were able to finally tell our parents, who have supported us through years and years of perseverance and hardship, that we signed a major record deal with Sire Records/ Warner Brothers,” they confess. “Highlight of my life was slapping the contract on my dad’s lap on his birthday. The reaction was priceless,” Alvarez Kings tell us excitedly. Given all these life-changing experiences, the guys are able to reflect on their career as a band thus far. Ultimately, the four-piece stresses the importance of being kind and courteous to others. “We take having a sincere humility and being compassionate very seriously,” they explain. No matter what the situation is, they believe that “it’s important for musicians to learn to be polite and respectful to every single person they come into contact with on tour. Be it stagehands, the crew, the support bands, or the fans,” they clarify. “It’s important for us as a band to act this way in every single encounter. We try to be the stereotypical English gents as much as we can,” they add. With this optimistic point of view, Alvarez Kings look to the future with the hope of continuing to meet fans, play music, and work through any challenges that touring may pose. “Our time on the road provides us with our happiest memories,” Rich comments. “Those random moments and camaraderie makes for great storytelling. Meeting the fans, and having that connection onstage… That’s why we do this,” he affirms.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 45

Janet Devlin INTERVIEW LEAH DICKERMAN STORY ELIZABETH LOO PHOTOS LORI GUTMAN

”I

T’S A LITTLE BIT FUNNY... THIS FEELING INSIDE. I’M NOT ONE OF THOSE WHO CAN EASILY HIDE. I DON’T HAVE MUCH MONEY, BUT BOY IF I DID... I’D BUY A BIG HOUSE WHERE WE BOTH CAN LIVE.“ AS JANET DEVLIN SANG THOSE FIRST FEW LINES OF ELTON JOHN’S ”YOUR SONG“ ON NATIONAL TV, SHE CAPTIVATED THE HEARTS OF NOT ONLY THE X FACTOR’S UK AUDIENCE BUT ALSO THE WORLD.

Time and time again, children, teenagers, and even adults are asked the daunting question: “So, what do you want to be when you’re older?” In Janet Devlin’s case, she always knew she wanted to be a singer. But, because of how difficult it is to pave your way in the music industry, her mom often responded, “Good luck finding one of those jobs.” While Janet wasn’t certain about her odds of having a music career, she never gave up on pursuing her dream. “I still did it. I still went to classes for it and things. I just never thought it was realistic,” she recalls. Growing up in the small village of Gortin in Northern Ireland, Janet had time to explore her musical interests. After teaching herself how to play music, she created a YouTube channel. “People started watching, and it all became slightly more real,” Janet affirms. “I couldn’t tell if they were taking the mick, because in my head I was like, ‘oh, what if I’m one of those YouTubers who think they can sing, but people just come and watch and laugh at them?’ Genuine thought process there,” she chuckles. Little did she know that her fifteen thousand subscribers were taking her talent seriously. In 2011, Janet sent one of her videos to The X Factor UK, and she moved on to the live audition process. She ultimately made it into the top sixteen, and, in the course of a few weeks, her charming manner and pure voice won over not just the judges but also the viewers at home. The whole experience didn’t come naturally, however. Because the show thrusted her into the limelight, Janet had to learn to adapt from her shy nature over time. When she first started, she was apprehensive during interviews and conversations. “I remember getting told off because I was giving interviewers nothing. I was a closed book. I had to learn a lot, but it’s helped me grow. But obstacles… There’s a lot,” she declares. Nowadays, although she can comfortably perform if she’s thrown in front of a television camera, she still gets nervous over her live performances. “I’ve had to learn how to just be okay with being nervous. It’s fine. I think, for me personally, the day I’m not nervous is the day I probably stop caring, so I’m totally alright with it now,” she admits.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 47

After abandoning the tv world, Janet was offered multiple record deals, but she noticed that they left her no room for creative control. “Whenever [record deals] laid out the plans and all the things that they were gonna do, it was just so not me, even though they were offering a lot of money,” she explains. It just didn’t feel right, so Janet came up with an idea that was more fitting for her—one that didn’t involve compromising her music and her vision. Because her fans were the people who recognized and appreciated her talent, it made sense for her to involve them with her album release. Although crowdfunding was not as prolific at that point, Janet decided it was worth a shot. “No one had heard of it. I had to explain to a lot of fans how it worked and stuff. But as soon as I explained it to them and kept them updated, they really got involved with it,” she reminisces. “We reached our goal in under three months and ended up going way over the goal. It was way more support than I thought I would get. Just knowing I had a fanbase like that, it made sense to do the album that way,” she gushes. This show of support was invaluable to Janet, who believes that having a support system is crucial, especially for girls who want to make it in the industry. “I was really lucky because I had a really good support network of people who really cared. I’ve always had a safe environment, free from things that occur a lot,” she discloses. “I hear people sharing their stories about how they got in with the wrong crowd of people with drugs and all of that… Terrible people who took advantage of them. Ensure that you have a good support network,” she continues. Aside from that, she believes that social media is crucial for building a solid foundation for your career. “You don’t even have to leave your house. It used to be true that you’d have to go gig and gig and gig, whereas now you can just do it on the Internet. It’s a lot safer now,” she adds. Another perk of social media is that it gives Janet the opportunity to freely connect with people on a personal level. “You can keep in contact with these people in a way that you wouldn’t be able to do back in the day. So, for me, it’s awesome to be able to talk to them,” Devlin says excitedly. By going through fans’ tweets and pictures on Twitter, she can recall people she has met, and she can easily start conversations with anyone. “I call them my Internet friends, and there’s so many of them. It’s really breaking down that boundary between musicians and their fans.” Not only can they talk to Janet and read whatever she chooses to share, but fans can also

catch her playing via Stageit when she’s not on tour. “I can play to people from all over the world who wouldn’t necessarily be able to see me live,” she exclaims. Her first Stageit performance was to celebrate her full-length record, Running with Scissors. On it, Devlin reflects on life and love, and even travels back in time to her childhood. With a mix of piano ballads and folky pop tunes, she wants the record to connect with different people in some way or another. Everyone has personal preferences, but she hopes that “people give it a chance and give it a listen. There are a lot of messages in it… Maybe, hopefully, they can take something from it,” she emphasizes. “Whiskey Lullabies” is a song that particularly resonates with Devlin, as it addresses one of the effects of growing up. There are two versions: one in English and one in Gaelic. Singing in her country’s native language, Devlin channels the days where she attended an Irish-speaking preschool. As a whole, the song “talks about how when you’re a kid and you fall over, everyone asks you, ‘Where does it hurt? What’s wrong?’ Whereas, when you’re an adult, no one does that,” she shares. “No one asks you where it hurts anymore. I think something I had to come to terms with was realizing that I wasn’t even asking myself where it hurt.” Although the record does contain a cover, Janet stresses the fact that, first and foremost, she is a songwriter. “Being on the X Factor, everyone thinks you’re just a cover artist, but everything I do now is my own stuff,” she explains. Pulling influence from her life, Janet jots down anything and everything that even remotely inspires her. “I carry these journals around with me everywhere. They’re really creepy-looking. They look like they belong in Harry Potter; they’re weird, wacky, and wonderful,” she muses. “I write poems, and I document everything. If I keep my entries in poetry form, lyrics for songs are already done, and, because I write them in the moment, they’re all real,” she continues. Currently, Devlin is working on her second full-length. “I’m not gonna drop any names, but there’s a lot of cool people getting involved,” she answers. She mentions that those same people are hoping to have her be part of their projects too. “It’s weird for me because I didn’t think anyone would ever want me to be a part of their work,” she confesses. Despite what Janet may believe, with her insightful lyrics, gentle personality, and unique voice, it’s no surprise that she continues to make an impression on the people around her.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 49

”I’VE HAD TO LEARN HOW TO JUST BE OKAY WITH BEING NERVOUS. IT’S FINE. I THINK, FOR ME PERSONALLY, THE DAY I’M NOT NERVOUS IS THE DAY I PROBABLY STOP CARING, SO I’M TOTALLY ALRIGHT WITH IT NOW.“

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 51

Marina City It’s July 18th, 2015, and I arrive at the venue where Emarosa is set to play a very intimate acoustic set. I’m introduced to Matthew Gaudiano, vocalist and keyboardist of Marina City, and we wait as people start arriving. Marina City is one of the openers for the show. As soon as the six-piece takes the stage, their charisma and excitement bleeds through their performance. Throughout their whole set, I send videos to my friends and think to myself, “Holy crap. This is insane.” PHOTOS + INTERVIEW + STORY PENELOPE MARTINEZ

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 53

“There was never a time in my life that I wanted to be anything other than an entertainer,” shares lead vocalist Ryan Argast, who has been singing and dancing ever since he was a toddler. Because of the constant support he received from his family, he never had to give up his dream of pursuing music. Eventually, he joined some programs and partook in musicals that helped him in the long run. Still, despite his commitments to his passion, he does still have some regrets. One of them is not joining his school’s choir back in the day. “I thought I was too cool to do choir when I was younger,” he explains. Had he gone down that route, perhaps he would’ve received some sort of guidance and vocal training. Evidently, perfecting all the aspects of being a singer is difficult to do on your own, and, because of that, Ryan also regrets not taking vocal lessons when he was younger. “My big problem now is endurance and breath support,” he adds. “I can’t wait to get that down.” Despite not having much professional training, Ryan continued to sing and eventually started two projects that lasted throughout his middle and high school years: a band called American Riot and his solo project, Ryan Alan. “I was signed twice, and both times didn’t take me where I thought I would go,” he confesses. On top of the difficulties that came with managing and maintaining two musical endeavors, Ryan had to endure bullying from his classmates for being in a band. “I was bullied throughout high school because of my band,” he discloses. Luckily, Ryan took it in stride and prevailed, and he is mentally and emotionally stronger for it. “But I now know how to take criticism,” he adds. Once American Riot ran its course, Ryan turned all his attention to his solo project. As Ryan Alan, he was signed to a production team that was responsible for artists like Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx, and Twista, amongst others. As cool and exciting as that sounds, Ryan admits that he wasn’t too happy there. “They wanted to make me the next Justin Bieber. At the time, I wasn’t really feeling it, and, when it came time to re-sign, I declined.” Some good came out of this experience though, as Ryan developed a great relationship with his backing band. Ultimately, that motivated him to start over as a band instead of a solo artist. And after a few member changes, Marina City solidified their lineup with Ryan, bassist Aaron Heiy, guitarist Todor Birindjiev, guitarist Brian Johnson, keyboardist Matthew Gaudiano, and drummer Eric Somers-Urrea. “Brian and I have been playing music together for almost seven years,” Ryan tells us about how Marina City first came to be. “I looked up to his old band. When Brian told me he wanted to jam with me, I couldn’t believe it! I was borderline starstruck. Now, Brian is one of my oldest friends,” he continues. Aaron and Ryan have known each other since they were very young, and Matt was a keyboardist who happened to be playing drums in a separate band. Ultimately, Ryan knew he wanted a keyboardist in his band, so he convinced Matt that he was better at piano. Then, he persuaded him to join Marina City instead.

The guys found Eric on Craigslist, and, at first, Ryan didn’t think that Eric would actually take them seriously. “[He had] probably the most professional résumé we’ve ever seen. We didn’t think he would actually join our band. We thought he was too good,” Ryan admits. Todor took the initiative into his own hands and reached out to Marina City when he noticed that the band was looking for a new guitarist. The rest of the group met him in Michigan, where they played in front of just his thenband. “No one else was in the room. The sound guy left. We treated the rehearsal as a show and played just as hard as we would’ve if there were five hundred people in the room,” Ryan continues. That same dedication and stage presence is what has not only helped revive Chicago’s local music scene, but has also helped Marina City stand out amongst the many trying to make it big. “The scene was dead when we started out,” Ryan explains. “Have you seen The Revenant? Well, think of Leonardo DiCaprio as the local scene. It was mauled by a bear and left for dead. Luckily, we had some Chicago bands who were not giving up.” “A few years back, no one cared about local music, and it was really difficult to get people to care about what we were doing,” he continues. Still, the guys of Marina City found a way to prevail over the challenges posed by an ambivalent local scene, namely by getting to know their fans at shows and online. “We go to almost every major show and pass out free CDs and stickers, and we are constantly on social media talking to people,” Ryan admits. “We aren’t just posting things. We’re also interacting with people through genuine conversations.” Their efforts to interact with everyone have paid off, and the guys have befriended many of the fans that consistently show up at shows to support them. “None of this was overnight,” Ryan exclaims. “The band has been around since 2012, and we’ve been working really hard for people to care about us. Luckily, the Chicago local scene has gotten stronger and more supportive for every band coming up. The rise of Real Friends and Knuckle Puck really started to get bands motivated again. The Chicago scene has come back from the dead, and I’ve never seen it stronger. This is a family,” Ryan declares. Without limiting themselves to the Chicago area, Marina City established their end goals early on: to create careers out of music, and to do so together. Since their music kept improving and their fanbase kept expanding, it was only a matter of time until the guys decided to hit the road. While living in a small van with six people can get rough, Matthew assures us that it’s usually “smooth sailing” once you get the hang of it. “There are just a lot of bodies and personalities to know,” he acknowledges, but ultimately “touring is fun because no matter how much [we] bicker, it all just comes together on stage.” Living in cramped corners isn’t the only difficult aspect of touring, however, and the guys of Marina City have struggled with leaving their friends and family behind. On top of that, the people who are waiting for them back FOCUS MAGAZINE // 55

home are affected by the guys’ hectic schedules and lack of communication at times. “It’s not just a hard career choice... It’s a hard life choice. With tours, rehearsals, and recording sessions, it’s hard to give people consistency when you’re around. That can be frustrating on both ends,” Eric admits. Still, Eric explains that, in his opinion, the most challenging thing is the fact that their desires to constantly improve are never satisfied. “Our goals are always moving, and it has to be that way to stay successful. If, six months ago, you told me where we’re at today, I’d feel like I’ve made it. But here and now, we’re already focused on the next thing,” he continues. “How can we be better? How can we reach more people? It’s frustrating and super challenging, but, at the same time, it’s what we live for: being better every day.” Of course, it’s undeniable that there are times when artists question themselves and consider giving up what they love because of their living conditions, their chaotic lifestyles, or due to a lack of positive outcomes. “Work is very inconsistent, and it puts a lot of strain on you and your loved ones. There are long hours spent traveling, practicing, rehearsing, recording, and performing, and it gets exhausting for everybody,” Eric discusses. He explains that, while he has seen people give up and settle for something more consistent, he doesn’t want to succumb to the pressure. “I think the ones who stick around with it simply can’t imagine doing anything else,” Eric states. “You have to enjoy the suffering—the long hours in the practice room and making no money for years— because the payoff, or even the potential payoff, of being on stage for a living will be worth it.” Frankly, Eric and the rest of Marina City can’t see themselves doing anything other than pursuing their dreams and, in turn, their happiness. “Music isn’t what I do. It’s what I am,” he continues. “Even though it’s hard sometimes and I question my sanity on an almost weekly basis, nothing on earth makes me happier than playing music.” Luckily for them, they’ll have a special opportunity to do what they love on a huge platform for two weeks on this summer’s Warped Tour. Back in 2015, Marina City was one of the bands granted the opportunity to play Warped Tour in Illinois. Fastforward now to a few months ago, when they won the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands contest. “It feels like someone has unexpectedly handed us the ball in an incredibly important football game

and we cannot drop it,” Eric explains. “This is the biggest opportunity we’ve ever had, and we have to do everything in our power to not let it slip through our fingers.” Despite the excitement they’re feeling, he admits that it’s a bit of a strange thing to win because, usually, bands that are on Warped are signed, have a manager, and, more importantly, have a full length album—none of which are the case for Marina City. “We have a lot of work to do to prove to everybody that we deserve to be on Warped Tour,” acknowledges Eric. “As a completely unrepresented DIY band, people are going to question our seriousness, our talent, and our professionalism. It’s our job to impress any and all doubters and to show people how badly we want this.” Nonetheless, everything they have accomplished thus far has been because of the risks they have taken and all the work they’ve put into their music. While they don’t have a label or manager, it doesn’t mean that the guys haven’t received offers—they just want to prioritize their music over any potential contracts. When it comes down to it, they want to be one hundred percent certain that they will be a priority for whichever label they decide to sign to. “We are looking for a label who can take Marina City farther than we can and who will want to focus on Marina City,” Ryan states. “If that isn’t possible for a label to do, then either that isn’t the label for us or we are not ready to be signed. The worst thing that could happen to us would be getting signed and then getting shelved,” he adds. For that reason, the guys continue to work on improving their skills as well as themselves. “I told myself that I need to work on challenging myself,” Todor shares. “Whether it’s a complex guitar solo or pushing myself to go to the gym, I’ve made it an active goal to challenge myself. I want to use my motivation to propel myself in order to achieve this goal, and I’ve been doing a good job as of 2016. I’ve learned four new solos this year, but I still have to make a better attempt at going to the gym consistently,” he jokes. On top of that, they guys are going to keep on practicing in order to perfect their craft. “There are always things that other musicians are doing better than you are, so it’s important for us to just try to be the best musicians we can be,” Aaron explains. If what we’ve heard and seen isn’t the best version of Marina City, I cannot imagine what awaits us in the near future.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 57

MARIANAS TRENCH INTERVIEW MICHELLE BALZER POSED PHOTOS + STORY PENELOPE MARTINEZ LIVE PHOTOS ANAM MERCHANT 58

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 59

IF YOU HAD TOLD SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD ME THAT, IN A FEW YEARS, I’D BE WORKING WITH ONE OF THE ARTISTS I LOOKED UP TO THE MOST, I WOULD’VE TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP. I REMEMBER APPLYING FOR A PHOTO PASS FOR THE JOURNEY’S TOUR IN 2013—HEADLINED BY MARIANAS TRENCH—EVEN THOUGH I HAD NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE. I THOUGHT MY CHANCES WERE SLIM TO NONE, BUT, AT THAT POINT, I HAD NOTHING TO LOSE. TO MY SURPRISE, I WAS APPROVED, AND I’VE NEVER FORGOTTEN THAT MOMENT: THE FIRST PHOTO PASS OF MY CAREER, FROM THE BAND AND MANAGEMENT WHO GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO START PURSUING CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY. Fast forward three years to 2016, and both Marianas Trench and I are in completely different places. Still, one thing hasn’t changed for me: the immense amount of respect and gratefulness I have for this band. So, when I saw that they would be returning to Chicago with a whole new album and playing the same venue where my career began, I once again figured I had nothing to lose by requesting some time with them for a feature. Again, I was given the opportunity to work with the humans who completely changed my life.

guitar. Like Mike, Matt started playing instruments at an early age. He was thrown into piano lessons when he was young, and a few years later, he picked up a guitar.

The majority of the fanbase, myself included, loves Marianas Trench because of how down to earth and approachable the members are. The guys have consistently proven that tearing down the wall between artist and fan is immensely important to them. From interacting through social media to hosting costume contests like they did in their most recent U.S run, they have shown a devotion to their fans that doesn’t come around so often.

When they first began Marianas Trench back in 2001, social media wasn’t as prevalent as it is now, although MySpace was a huge platform for up-and-coming musicians to get their names out there. “We started back when MySpace was still relevant,” Ian comments. Ultimately, this platform helped them reach more people than they ever imagined. Still, their most useful tool was word-of-mouth. “Despite our success on MySpace, we didn’t have much radio or video exposure,” states Ian. “Our growth was all very organic.”

However, before any of the fame and the fans, vocalist Josh Ramsay, drummer Ian Casselman, guitarist Matt Webb, and bassist Mike Ayley were just kids with the same dreams and some immense talents. Josh grew up in a music-oriented family: his mother was a vocal coach and his father had his own recording studio that worked with many big artists—Aerosmith included. While Ian wasn’t born into a musical home, he attended a very music-driven high school that gave him a lot of necessary experience. “I was pretty lucky—I played in every possible ensemble ever. But I also studied privately with a guy in Vancouver,” he discloses. Mike, on the other hand, first got involved with music when he learned to play the trumpet. As he got older, he would sneak around his brother’s room and play his bass

The older the guys got, the more involved with music they seemed to be, and Josh eventually started his first endeavor, Ramsay’s Fiction, at the age of fourteen. Ian joined Ramsay’s Fiction towards the end of their time as a band, and, once it disbanded, the project transformed into what is now Marianas Trench.

Even with people talking about the band and sharing their music, building a family of fans was probably one of the most challenging things the guys of Marianas Trench have had to do thus far. Being from Canada didn’t make this any easier; it actually posed even more problems for them. Ian, Matt, Mike, and Josh figured out pretty early in their careers that, in order to “make it,” they would have to leave the city of Vancouver. “There’s too much going on in Vancouver,” Ian shares. “There are a lot of great artists, but there’s just so much to do there that the local music scene isn’t necessarily big. Many musicians have to leave in order to get started. You have to get on the road,” he continues. Consequently, the guys hit the road and opted to move to Ontario.

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 61

Although they were in a new city where art tends to thrive, they knew they still had to find a way to reach a larger audience. In the last fifteen years, while they have garnered success throughout Canada, breaking into international markets hasn’t come easily, and, even after four studio albums, gaining exposure can be challenging. However, the guys recently hit the Top 40 charts and were on the radio for the first time in the U.S., and both of these are incredible accomplishments for them. “It’s been a slow grind,” Ian comments. “Just taking those small steps is great, but we’ll never be satisfied.” Regardless of all the accomplishments they achieve, the guys will never stop setting goals for themselves as they strive to improve and create something better with every album. Echoing that, Ian firmly believes that, no matter where their music takes them, they will never release anything that they aren’t one hundred percent honest about. While he acknowledges that it can be tempting to release music that is trendy as opposed to music that is honest about your experiences, he clarifies that the band has never and will never release anything that doesn’t accurately depict them. “Do it for yourself,” Ian states. “Do it because you have to... Not in a selfish way, but because that’s the only way you know how to do it. Don’t do it because it’s popular,” he adds. And that’s exactly what Marianas Trench have done since they first began creating music, despite how challenging it may be. Putting their innermost thoughts out there for the whole world to see can be a terrifying thing, but, at the end of the day, the guys do what they need to do to get their message across. Frontman Josh Ramsay, for one, has shared some of his most intimate moments through the music he has written. After battling with addiction, depression, and eating disorders, Josh turned to music and wrote a handful of songs about his experiences and vulnerabilities. On top of this, he even took time to answer questions that a fan had for a research paper on mental health. In this set of questions, he addressed the lack of awareness that surrounds mental illness, and shed light upon the fact that people don’t usually notice them until it’s too late. That’s not the only time Marianas Trench have been vocal about the internal conflicts and pressures they’ve had to deal with. Early last year, the band released “Here’s To The Zeroes,” which focuses on the standards within the music industry today. While it seems as though many artists are pressured to fit into a specific mold, the song

acknowledges and celebrates the band’s—and more specifically, Josh’s—downfalls, and echoes the fact that they will never fit into the stereotypical, cookie-cutter expectations placed on them by the industry. Luckily, the guys are blessed with a great label that supports their music and their choice to go in whichever direction is best for them. Ian shares that, although everything seems great now, the band did have some offers that they simply didn’t agree with. Instead of accepting any contract thrown their way, the guys waited until they found a label that truly liked them and their music. “Some labels didn’t like our sound, but, if somebody wanted to change it, we just couldn’t bring ourselves to engage in that relationship,” Ian states. “We’re going to do what we’re going to do, and that’s how it’s going to go,” he reiterates. With this support system backing their hard work every step of the way, it was only a matter of time until Marianas Trench had people coming up to them on the streets and asking for photos and autographs. It was then that their families began to notice the immense impact the band had on their fans’ lives. “I think my mom originally thought I was nuts and that it was a huge mistake,” comments Ian on his mom’s reaction to his decision to pursue music full-time. “Once she saw that it was starting to get successful, she was very, very proud. Same with my dad. If people come up to you in the street when you’re walking with your parents and they ask you for an autograph or picture, it makes them feel proud,” he smiles. Before they reached that level of success and recognition, however, Ian had told himself that if he didn’t get to a certain place in his career by a certain age, he was going to give up. It wasn’t because he doubted the band’s future or their talent. Unfortunately, in this business, the harsh reality is that even the most hardworking bands don’t always make it out of their parents’ garages, and that can be discouraging to anyone. At the end of the day, though, the guys didn’t listen to the people who doubted them. “If you want to make it, you have to go for it,” Ian remarks. “If you don’t give it one hundred percent, you’re not going to make it.” Even now that they are at a great place, Marianas Trench will never settle. Despite the lack of sleep and the bickering here and there, playing music, being on the road, and meeting the fans is what they enjoy most. “[We’ve] had our ups and downs, but, right now, we’re the strongest we’ve ever been,” Ian exclaims. “It’s really hard to be in this industry, but, when you find something, you don’t let go.”

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 63

”DO IT FOR YOURSELF. DO IT BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO... NOT IN A SELFISH WAY, BUT BECAUSE THAT’S THE ONLY WAY YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT.“

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 65

S E O D T WHA H C N E R T S A N A MARI ? U O Y O T N A E M

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 67

Marianas Trench has impacted my life. For years, I was abused—emotionally, physically, and mentally. Music always got me through it, and I looked forward to driving to work because it gave me time to myself to listen to music. On those drives, I started hearing more and more of Marianas Trench, and I was pulled right in. I went and bought the two albums that were out back then and played them on constant repeat. Their lyrics were always stuck in my head, and they made me want to be better and to have a better home situation. Eventually, I gained enough strength to leave my abusive ex.

Marianas Trench mean the world to me. They’re so talented, and I get chills when I listen to them. I have seen them twice; both times, they were very interactive with the crowd, myself included, and they sounded absolutely amazing live! They are incredibly nice to us fans, and they are so great when meeting us. I’ve only met Josh, but he was so sweet. Their music helps me deal with whatever things I may be going through, which I am so thankful for. Bottom line, I owe everything to these boys. TAYLOR STORRY / 13 / @TAESTORRY

My old high school sweetheart who I had stayed in touch with helped me through that process. Ultimately, Marianas Trench’s “Good To You” became our song as we worked towards a relationship. That song showed me that love was still worth it with the right person. Fast forward to our wedding day two years later, and our first dance was to “Good To You.” I have now been to nine Marianas Trench shows and have a Trench tattoo, and I have made many amazing friends through MT’s music and fanpages. I truly believe that, without their music making me believe in love and in myself again, I would not be where I am today! DAISY KEELAN / 31 / @TRENCHPRINCESS

Why do I love Marianas Trench? Where do I start? I have been seeing them since 2009. As a person who suffers from depression, anxiety and an eating disorder, their music was there for me when no one else was. Their music was the only stable thing in my life during these dark times, and I’m forever grateful for them. All of that aside, these guys are so funny and super nice; they all take the time to get to know their fans, whether it be on social media, at meet and greets, or after the shows. They put on such an amazing live performance—it’s incredible! I went to nine Never Say Die Tour and seven Hey You Guys Tour dates, and, even though they had the same setlists respective to the tours, each show was somehow different. I also have two Marianas Trench-inspired tattoos: “I will change everything till it’s perfect again” on my foot, and a pirate ship on my thigh that will eventually say, “We lost ourselves in Astoria.”

I’ve been a fan of Marianas Trench for about nine years now, as I started listening to them when I was eight years old. I’ve been a hidden fan for years, mostly because my mom kept saying, “You’re too young to be listening to that kind of stuff!” when I was under the age of twelve. I remember showing her my new favourite song, “Shake Tramp,” after my friend’s older brother purchased Fix Me upon seeing them perform to a crowd of eleven people at a small club. My mom had an absolute look of terror on her face, and I was grounded instantly. After that, I ended up buying the album myself and hiding it, so I was only able to play it in my mini CD player with headphones plugged in. Luckily, my mom loves Marianas Trench now, and we often spend time singing off-pitch to their music. Even though I’ve been a fan for so long, I will never get tired of them. Each song is connected to different memories that will last a lifetime, and, every time I hear them, they never fail to impress me with mesmerizing vocals, expert instrumental playing, and lyrics so near and dear to me. Marianas Trench will forever be my favourite band.

SABRINA JOHNSTON / 18 / @SABRINAJOHNSTO

MERIAH WOLINSKI / 17 / @MUKESUNDERPANTS

Marianas Trench has saved my life. Hearing “Fix Me” gives me hope because it’s not some random person telling me that, somewhere in the far future, everything will be alright. Instead, it’s someone who has actually gone through what I am going through, so I know that I will be alright. Their lyrics tell stories, and you can hear the emotions in each song—it’s fantastic! Marianas Trench is the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. As I mentioned before, they have saved my life, and they are my heroes. They make me laugh when I am sad, and they make the pain go away. They are the best band ever, and I love them. ARIA DAVIDSON / 14 / @RAMSASSY_RC

ASH / 13 / @MTRENCHOFFCIAL

Marianas Trench have played a major role in my life over the past decade. They taught me to be strong and to love myself, and also reminded me that “nobody will break you” although people will try to bring you down. I got those exact words tattooed on me over a year ago, and it’s a daily reminder of what they helped me overcome. My love for the band has also connected me to other fans who have ended up being my close friends. With all that being said, I am forever grateful to Marianas Trench. REBECCA MASON / 21 / @TRENCHERFORLIFE

Marianas Trench is not just a band. To me, they are one of the most important things in my life. No matter what I’m feeling, Marianas Trench can improve my bad mood or make my good mood even better. This band has always been my constant reminder to myself to make sure that I try my best at everything and always push myself to get through whatever life throws at me. I’ve met the boys a few times before, and they’re the four sweetest people on the planet. They talk to you as if you’ve been friends with them for years, and they make you feel so comfortable— as if you were talking to your best friends and not your favourite celebrities. Josh, Matt, Mike and Ian are so very special and so very amazing, and I love them with all of my heart—now and forever! CRIS RULLI / 17 / @JOSHRAMSAYSGIRL FOCUS MAGAZINE // 69

Marianas Trench is a band very dear to my heart. The first song I ever heard by them was “Desperate Measures” during the Much More Music Countdown in 2012. I immediately became obsessed with the song, and I knew I just had to find more music by this band. I continued to learn song after song—I was hooked. I loved their style of music so much, and they pretty much became the first band I ever obsessed over (oops!). I tried to persuade my friends to listen to them as well, but no one really clicked with the music as well as I did. Instead, my friends teased the band a bit because they weren’t the typical “pop band” that most kids were listening to at the time. Because of that, I spent a few years singing to their music alone. At the time, to me, MTrench was a representation of originality and staying true to yourself. Although my peers’ shared different views on the band, I honestly didn’t care, because they were the ones missing out. Whenever I was upset, stressed or even super pumped, I played their music and it took me to another place. This year, I finally got to meet the guys at a signing in Toronto, and I was speechless. I’m not even kidding, it took everything in my power to even mutter “hi” and “thank you” to them. So much for the mini speech I had prepared! All that was going through my mind was, “These are the people you have supported for over four years, and you are meeting them. Here they are, in the flesh.” It was one of the best nights of my life, along with the Never Say Die Tour. The NSD Tour was one of my first concerts. I brought my friend with me, and we had eighties outfits on. I completely died when Josh came through the crowd because I had no idea they could do that! He walked right past me, but, me being the sheepish person I am, I just covered my mouth in awe and stood there. Anyways, Marianas Trench has been and always will be my absolute favourite band, standing out from any other band or artist I’ve heard. They mean the world to me and more, and I wish them nothing but the best in their lives and their careers. ALEXA MATEUS / 13 / @ALEXAAMATEUSS

Why do I love Marianas Trench? Simple. I’ve met some amazing lifelong friends because I am into their music. Whenever I listen to them, I feel as though I am in another world where I don’t have to worry about anything. I’ve learned from the band that although life can be hard, everything will be okay. Their music was there for me when I was an angsty fifteen year old, and it is still there for me now as I’m learning to be a responsible twenty one year old. The guys have always encouraged their fans to get professional help if needed, and I admire them for speaking up about those issues. I’ve been a fan of the band since 2010, back when they were just starting to blow up outside of Canada post-2010 winter Olympic season, and it’s safe to say that they’re the kind of band I will be gushing to my future grandkids about even when MTrench no longer exists. NICOLE KING / 20 / @NICXLEELIZABETH

I’ve loved this band for ten years. Growing up with Marianas Trench in my life has helped me through every hardship I’ve dealt with, and the band has brought me so much joy in the last decade. From struggling with an eating disorder, to falling in love, to having my heart broken and picking myself back up again, Marianas Trench have had the perfect song for me to sing along to at the top of my lungs. They are truly my favorite band of all time. SYDNEY DEAN / 21 / @LITERALLYSQUID

For me, Marianas Trench is like coming up for a breath of fresh air. I have loved them since 2008, and they are like my safety blanket. I go through a lot of personal things, and their music is what keeps me sane. I listen to their music everyday, and my mom actually gets annoyed because I play their music so much. Whenever I have anxiety, I listen to their music in a quiet room and it helps with my anxiety attacks.

I’ll never forget the date: 11.11.15. After practically four years of loving this band, I finally got to see them live in my hometown of Anaheim. I couldn’t believe that I was going until I was there, face-toface with them as they played Astoria. I’ll never forget my disbelief about all of this happening. I was fourteen years old when I first heard them back in 2012. Depressed and self-harming, I needed hope. Along came MTrench. Years later, I was so blessed to see them and be with them! I was so fortunate to meet them all after the show, and I’ll forever cherish that. I didn’t get to tell the guys how much their music means to me because I just had to get a picture, but, if y’all are reading this, thank you for everything. You’ve inspired me to get help and to be the best I can be in life! All the love. LEXI ROSE / 17

Even though I know I’m just a fan, these boys are my rocks. They keep me smiling, and I am forever grateful for them. I love it when Mike posts on Snapchat or Josh posts videos of Bennie on Instagram because they instantly make me smile. This band is a band that I’m going to love for a long time because it’s one of the most important things in my life. To them, I’m probably just a plain old fan who’s dying to meet them. But to me, they’re my light at the end of the tunnel, and I am so grateful for them. So thank you, Marianas Trench, for being my guardian angels. MICHAELLA VANDERKOOI / 15 / @MSTYLES19

I can’t even begin to express how much the guys of Marianas Trench mean to me. I’ve been a fan of theirs for a few years now, and I have somehow never failed to stop listening to them. Their bright personalities and mind-blowing shows always leave me with a smile on my face. I’m also thankful to have made so many friends through this band who I hope to have for the rest of my life. Josh, Matt, Mike, Ian—if you’re reading this, thank you so much for everything you do. NEVADA GRACI / 17 / @WLLDFXRE

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 71

First of all, where do I start?! I have loved Marianas Trench since the beginning. From their Fix Me album to their new amazement of an album, Astoria, they are truly an inspiration. All of their albums are mostly written about real life events, and they just hit you so hard emotionally. Listening to them, you feel happy, you feel sad, and you just feel so good about life. To me, their albums are stories—fairytales—that I just want to put on repeat. Their music videos are so fun, and, again, they tell a story. They’re the books you don’t want to put down. On top of that, the behind the scenes videos are just too funny. Marianas Trench really keeps you entertained the whole way. Similarly, whenever they make appearances anywhere, they just light up the room with fun and laughter! They are just so talented when it comes to performing, whether it be in videos, in interviews, on their albums, during acoustic sets, or live. Hearing them perform live is just heaven to my ears. Don’t get me started on their live performances! I have seen them perform live four times, and two of those shows were this year alone. I went to their concert in Hamilton, Ontario, and they just blew my mind. It was so amazing that I had to go to their Toronto show... And that’s what I did! They are just so fun on stage, and they interact with their fans so much— it is truly amazing. Who wouldn’t want to have some fun with their favourite band?

I’ve been in love with Marianas Trench since I was six, and I’m almost seventeen now. Still, they were never really important to me until I was around thirteen or fourteen. During that year, I switched schools and was really depressed. I wasn’t going to school, I wasn’t talking to my friends, and I didn’t go outside. I just sat in bed and watched movies. The only time I felt even slightly happy was when I was listening to Marianas Trench. During this time, I realized that music is all that I wanted to do, and that it’s all I’m good at. This realization hit me as I was singing my heart out to “Skin and Bones.” I took a deep breath and started going to school—one day at a time. Eventually, things did get a little better, but then I moved on to high school. That was a ride. My social anxiety got worse, and I ended up alone most of the time during my first year. Marianas Trench helped me get through that, and they are a part of me even now. I listen to songs like “Shut Up and Kiss Me” and feel so happy as I sing every word. This band heavily influences all of my music, and I know they will continue doing so for years to come. SHYLE POWELL / 16 / @STAR_MAPS

I will truly love Marianas Trench for the rest of my life, and I cannot wait for more albums and tours and just anything to do with MTrench! Josh, Matt, Mike, and Ian are seriously the most amazing and talented guys ever! I love them so much. MARLEY SUMNER / 28 / @MARSUMNER

Marianas Trench is my favourite band. Everytime I’m sad or just need to listen to amazing music, I put them on. I went to the show in Winnipeg, and I had fourth row seats. Seeing my favourite human beings up close was so amazing. They are fantastic live. I still don’t understand how someone’s vocal range can be so large (I’m talking about you, Josh). If any of the members were to ever notice me, I’m almost certain I would not be able to function for a couple of days. It would be incredible to have them know I exist. TALIA MORRISON / 14 / @NUNGOHS 72

ALESSANDRA PUGLIELLI / @POETANDISHOWIT22

I can honestly say without shame that I am a fairly new fan of Marianas Trench, but, once I crossed over that line, I knew there would be no going back. Every fan has a story... Some are heartbreaking, some are hopeful, and all are unique and special. Here’s mine:

Marianas Trench means the world to me! I have been a fan of them since 2006 but only recently have I been able to see them live. Back in 2008, when my father passed away, their music was there for me and gave me a boost. Before my father passed away, we would listen to them on the radio and dance like idiots to their music, and sometimes we would even dress up as Josh and sing our hearts out. That was fun. On March 19, 2016, I was finally able to go to one of their concerts in Oshawa, and I purchased the Meet & Greet option for the show. Funny story about that M&G... I brought a little gift for the whole band, and I gave it to Mike. He said, "Aw, thank you! I'll just put it over here," before putting it off to the side as I tried to find the perfect place to stand for the photo. All of a sudden, Josh turned me around and said, "Over here, sweetheart," while pulling me towards him with his hands on my shoulders. I accidentally stepped on his foot! He didn't seem to care or know about it, but I started freaking out and apologizing like crazy. They were just confused about why I was apologizing to them, haha! SERENA BERTRAND / 19 / @BERTRAND_SERENA

I wouldn’t be writing this if it weren’t for my best friend, Marley, who chose to take me with her to the Marianas Trench show in Hamilton this past March. I hadn’t had a close friend in a very long time, so this was a huge deal for me. I was beyond excited. I only really knew a few songs at that point, so, naturally, I listened to their albums on repeat for three weeks straight. I wanted to really be able to enjoy the show. It was like a slap in the face… How had I not listened to these guys before? Off we went, and, if you don’t already know... Marianas Trench puts on the most amazing live show! The energy is unreal, the production is mesmerizing, and those guys clearly lay their hearts out on the stage every night. I walked out of that venue with the craziest high that no drug will ever replicate. If I’m being honest, I really haven’t come back down. We tried to go back to everyday life, but all we could think and talk about was Trench! We knew we had to see them again. We entered about ten contests trying to find a way to get to that Toronto show, and, for the first time in my life, I actually won something! My heart had never beaten as hard as when I read the words, “Make your plans, I’m choosing you.” Just eleven days after seeing Marianas Trench for the first time, I was going to see them again! That night at the ACC is one that I will absolutely never forget. We screamed until our voices gave out and jumped until we couldn’t feel our feet. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was hands down the best night of my life. So what does Marianas Trench mean to me? They mean everything to me. They showed me a part of myself I didn’t really know existed. They’ve taught me that it’s awesome to be your own weird, crazy self. They’ve shown me that music speaks louder and truer than anything else. But, most importantly, Marianas Trench have given me the confidence to fight for something: myself. JESSICA UTTLEY / 24 / @JESSSTORIA

HAILEE WISTE / @MARIANAS.ASTORIA.TRENCH FOCUS MAGAZINE // 73

SO WHAT?! MUSIC FESTIVAL COV E RAG E J E SS D I A Z

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 75

CARLY JEPSEN BY JESS DIAZ

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 77

FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES BY ZAC MAHROUCHE

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 79

TROYE SIVAN BY LORI GUTMAN

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 81

HOODIE ALLEN BY JAS O N COX

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 83

UNDEROATH BY JESS DIAZ

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 85

FALL OUT BOY BY PENELOPE MARTINEZ

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 87

MELANIE MARTINEZ BY PENELOPE MARTINEZ

FOCUS MAGAZINE // 89