Issue 15 by Focus Magazine

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

connect: t focuszine ifocuszine facebook.com/focuszine focuszine.tumblr.com website: focuszine.com for any inquiries: info@focuszine.com

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

THANK YOU daughter lauren resnick // glassnote records crown the empire austin griswold // secret service pr beartooth sarah lutz // looters lucky chops maria gironas // reybee

the dirty nil rosie boyce// girlie pr bonfires, clear pioneer, ariel kassulke, southpier, kat nijmeddin, mike cubillos, vans warped tour, austin griswold, i prevail, fearless records, crush music, and all of our wonderful staff + readers.

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CONTENTS 6 artist of the month 12 local spotlight 14 a day in the life 18 26 32 36 42 50 56

clear pioneer lucky chops the dirty nil bonfires beartooth crown the empire daughter

64 gallery

ON THE COVER

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KAT NIJMEDDIN

ARTIST OF THE MONTH

WH O: K AT NIJ MEDDIN WHAT: ILLUST R ATOR W H E R E : @ N IJ M E D D IN CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU WERE FIRST INTR ODUCED TO THE ALTERNATIVE MUSIC SCENE? I’m currently studying for my Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Fresno State, entering my official senior year. I first got introduced to the music scene when I was starting middle school. My parents got me an MP3 player, and my older cousin made me a huge laundry list of bands I needed to start listening to immediately: Senses Fail, The Used, Taking Back Sunday, and Dashboard Confessional. It definitely blossomed from there. WHEN AND WHY DID YOUR INTEREST IN DESIGN, AND IN ART IN GENERAL, BEGIN? I was fascinated by art and drawing when I was a kid. I was always at the library checking out books on how to draw things, from dragons to caricatures of celebrities. When I was in elementary school, I had a friend who was super into anime, so I learned anime style art to try and seem cool to her. I guess that ’s where I first learned how to draw portraits. I just love seeing the way things look. I love looking at something and seeing how its lines and colors work, while also admiring the little details. YOUR WORK IS VERY DISTINGUISHABLE AND UNIQUE, FROM YOUR COLOR SCHEMES TO YOUR STYLE. WHAT INSPIRES YOU? This is so cliché, but I truly get inspiration from everything . I could be inspired by some Instagram post I saw, or by some random lyrics that are stuck in my head. I look at a lot of tattoo-style art, especially traditional

tattoos, because I like to see how clean the line work is. For someone who has zero tattoos, I sure do follow a ton of tattoo artists. WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING YOU HAD TO LEARN WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED OUT? Art-wise, the most challenging thing was learning how to make all my illustrations digital, as well as learning how to work with colors in order to try and limit everything to three or four colors so they can be printed. Business-wise, when I first started out, I had no idea what I was doing. I had to learn what invoices were, and how to actually email people. I’ve sent more emails in the past six months than I have in my entire life. I’ve also learned how to organize my life— my classmate made me buy a plan ner so I wouldn’t forget anything. ARE YOU MOSTLY SELF-TAUGHT, OR HAS ART SCHOOL HELPED YOU LEARN A LOT MORE? I am mostly self-taught. I had to teach myself a lot about art. I’d study things like the proportion on people’s faces. If you’ve ever seen my artwork, you’ll notice that flowers are kind of my thing. I’ll sit there for hours learning how things like petals work for different types of flowers. I still get a ton of books teaching myself how to do new things. When I first started doing full color portraits, I spent a week learning how colors work with each other. School has helped me more with the technical aspects of design, such as how to format posters and make logos, rather than with actual illustrating.

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DO YOU ENJOY GOING TO ART SCHOOL? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS IN YOUR OPINION? I enjoy it because I learn a lot from my peers. My program is small, so I’m usually spending six hours a day with the same five people around me, and this makes it bearable. Pros: it ’s cool to be around people who kind of have the same goals as me. Cons: College is a scam (sorry mom). HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH ARTISTIC BLOCKS? HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED MANY, AND HOW DO YOU GET PAST THEM? I get a ton of artistic blocks. It gets pretty frustrating at times, especially when you really want to make a design but there is nothing in you that can physically force a design out. You shouldn’t have to force it. Sometimes, if I get frustrated enough, I’ll go take a nap or a shower. That ’s usually when my best ideas come to me. DO YOU PREFER TO WORK ON PAPER AND THEN TRANSFER YOUR WORK TO THE COMPUTER, OR DO YOU LIKE DOING IT ALL DIGITALLY? I recently bought an iPad Pro for my illustrations, but, as much as I absolutely love it, I still prefer to work on paper before transferring my art to a computer. It seems more natural that way, and there’s nothing I love more seeing an illustration go from a draft to a final drawing once I finish lining it. WHAT’S THE MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT BEING A VISUAL ARTIST? The most challenging thing about being a visual artist is probably trying to get your thoughts out and into a physical illustration, as well as trying to work with someone who doesn’t quite have the same visions as you. Sometimes, it ’s tough to find common ground.

IS THERE A LOT OF COMPETITION IN YOUR FIELD? HOW DO YOU MAKE YOUR WORK STAND OUT? I think there is a lot of competition, because there’s a ton of people trying to do the exact same thing. I’m not quite sure how my work stands out exactly. I just like to make things that I personally like, and hope that other people like them too. I just drown everything in flowers, really, and it ’s been working out for me. YOU RECENTLY TOOK A BREAK FROM DOING COMMISSION DESIGNS TO WORK ON YOUR MENTAL HEALTH. DO YOU THINK MANY ARTISTS OFTEN PUT THEIR HEALTH ASIDE? WAS THIS A DIFFICULT DECISION FOR YOU TO MAKE? I’m glad this was brought up, because your mental health is incredibly important. For a time, I was going to school fulltime while also working between two part-time jobs and doing freelance work. My days literally lasted from 7am to 9pm Mondays through Fridays, and then I would work entire weekends too. I ended up quitting one of my jobs to try and have more time for art, but I still had a full schedule and I was stressing out. For a good seven or so months, I was constantly sick. I had bronchitis, frequent colds, and was getting random illnesses. At one point, I literally had strep throat, a virus, and the flu… All at the same time. During this time, my anxiety was getting worse, but I kept ignoring it thinking it would just go away. I was tired all the time, I didn’t ever want to do much, and I couldn’t hold conversations with any of my friends. It got to the point where I didn’t have the energy to even line any of my illustrations. I had traveled up to the Bay Area during spring break, and I got the chance to see the band Sorority Noise. They bring a lot of attention to mental health. I t hought

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about their set my entire drive home the next day. I decided I needed to take a break from everything and focus on my health. I stopped taking commissions, and I cut my shifts at work for about a month or so while I tried to get back up on my feet. I think many artists, including musicians, do put their health aside to continue doing things they love. It was the most difficult thing I decided to do, because I felt like I would fall behind in life if I weren’t constantly working. I thought if I declined jobs , people would get mad at me for not helping them, a nd you don’t want to feel like you’re letting people down. It was a tough month for me, but it needed to happen, and I’m glad it did. My friends were incredibly supportive of my decision, and it made it a lot easier on me. It ’s always okay to ask for help. It doesn’t make you weak. WHAT ART PIECE ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF ? WHY? Is this kind of like asking which child you’re most proud of ? I think the piece I’m most proud of is the flower/arrow design that I did for The Wonder Years. I used to tweet at Dan Campbell saying that even though he didn’t know who I was, I was gonna make art for him one day. Over the course of a year, I tweeted a ton of TWY-themed illustrations, just hoping that one of them would work out. When their single “Cigarettes & Saints” came out, I decided to challenge myself and make an illustration in roughly two hours. They ended up liking it enough to sell on their tour with Motion City Soundtrack. My dad and I traveled down to one of the dates, and it was the first time I ever saw one of my illustrations on an actual shirt. It was unreal to see something I drew on a physical shirt that people were buying.

WHICH ART PIECE TOOK THE LONG EST TO CREATE? I think my portrait of Robin Williams took me the longest. I think I spent a solid ten or so hours on it. My normal illustrations can take, on average, a few hours, but my colored portraits always take a day or two to finish, mainly because I take a lot of snack breaks. DO YOU SEE YOURSELF WORKING FOR A COMPANY IN THE FUTURE, OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO CONTINUE FREELANCING AND FOCUSING ON THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? I wouldn’t mind working for an actual company, and working for Disney—Pixar specifically—and Google are actually goals. Still, I love doing freelance work, because I get to work on my own terms. If free lancing were my only job, I wouldn’t mind in the slightest. I graduate college in May, so I’m not quite sure where my future lies quite yet. YOU RECENTLY GOT ACCEPTED TO INTERN AT HOPELESS RECORDS—CONGRATS ON THAT! WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU, AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO GET OUT OF IT? Thank you! Getting the graphic design internship was a huge stepping-stone for me. They’re letting me work out of Fresno, and it ’s honestly so sick. I’m mainly making social media promos for them, bu t I can definitely say I enjoy making stuff for them way more than doing actual project s in my classes. I’ve been doing this internship for about a month now, and I can see myself doing something like this as an actual career. ALL WORK BY KAT NIJMEDDIN

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SOUTHPIER

facebook.com/southpiermusic southpier.bandcamp.com TI southpierri

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

HOW DID SOUTHPIER FORM? A couple of years ago, a group of us who had been in smaller bands decided to get together to form a pop punk band. We all loved the genre and the energy behind it, and we wrote “Wake Up Call.” This past summer, a couple of original members left. When we (Erik, Levi, and Davis) started looking around for new members, we found Blake and Jerry—two incredibly talented and passionate musicians who have not only fit in with us, but have also been instrumental (no pun intended) in taking our sound and live performances to all new levels. WHAT KIND OF EMOTION OR ATMOSPHERE DO YOU TRY TO CREATE WITH YOUR MUSIC? Emotionally, much of our older material is lyrically centered on the struggles of someone finishing high school, moving on to college, goi ng through breakups, and losing friends… Events that most people go through. It has been super cool for us to hear people fin ding our lyrics as relatable as they do. Newer lyrical themes start to take those negativities and find ways to turn them into hope or belief in oneself, which has been a huge part of our lives as we continue to grow up. YOUR LAST RELEASE WAS A SPLIT WITH THE BAND ROCKET SHIP. WHAT WAS THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS LIKE? The split with Rocket Ship was an awesome time for all of us, so, before we get in to the writing and recording process, we all want to say that those guys are the best. For us, it was a whole new experience of iteration

through the songs as a group—making them more polished and mature. The release features a whole new range of guitar tones and a much more mature vocal delivery from Erik. It was also fun to send our work back and forth with the guys in RS and hear their feedback. It gave us a whole new outlook on production and how other bands function, which was super important. WHAT SHOULD PEOPLE EXPECT FROM YOUR LIVE SHOWS? Our music, like a lot of pop punk, is centered on the live performance. The most important thing about every song we’ve written has been the ability to connect us with a crowd, whether it ’s through jumping around together or screaming in each others’ faces. That interaction has always been super important to us. Basically, if you come to a Southpier show, expect to get sweaty pretty quickly! WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AS A BAND? Some of our biggest goals include traveling to new places and releasing new music together. We played the Ernie Ball Stage of the Mansfield Warped Tour last summer, and we would love to do something similar again. It would be super cool to continue meeting new people, playing with new bands, and showing more people the music that we love creating! ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE SHARE? We can’t give away too much just yet, but you can surely expect another EP from us within the not-too-distant future!

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I PREVAIL COVE RAG E // P E NE LO P E MA RTINE Z

It had been around six months since I last saw the guys in I Prevail, so there wasn’t a doubt in mind that I wanted to catch up with them when I saw that they were headlining another tour. The last time I spent the day with them was at the same venue, and almost on the same day… Strange, h uh? Being around these guys and their crew is always a blast. They’re kind, down to earth, and absolutely hilarious. Whether they’re watching embarrasing videos of themselves (looking at you, Eric) or fighting over who remembered my name more accurately, these gents always manage to find something entertaining to do. For more photos of this feature, head over to our website: focuszine.com/a-day-in-the-life

A DAY IN THE LIFE

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CLEAR PIONEER OFTEN, AFTER A CLEVER AND ENGAGING first sentence, I’ll introduce you to a band that maybe you’ve heard of, maybe you haven’t. I’ll throw in some quotes about the origins of the band and press on to inform you of a meatier story. The beginning of this story, however, will not follow this somewhat generic formula. Instead, lead singer extraordinaire Grant Clementi—of Milwaukee-based Clear Pioneer—will tell you, in his own words, how the band first got involved with music. G ather around. It ’s storytime. For those of you skimming through this article, I present to you a brief summary of Clear Pioneer ’s existence: “The voices in our heads wanted to be heard by other people, and music is the best way to spread them around.”

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Intrigued? Confused? Stay tuned for the longer version of events: “[I], [the band’s] singer and producer, took piano lessons (for the theory) and jazz band (for the girls), quit, and then learned how to play by ear with the help of Eminem and MGMT back in middle and high school. A friend showed [me] guitar and [I] took it from there, building some knowledge on synths and production in the lazy college days. Kyler [Schmor] sang very loudly in metal bands. He also punchdanced his rage out on drums in the most fashionable way throughou t high school and even went to college for it for a brief spell. As soon as he wasn’t a semi-pro hockey player, he settled for the second-best job: being in a band. All other meambers are naturalborn musical prodigies and resent any implications otherwise,” Grant explains. So, there you have it. Now that you are caught up to speed on Clear Pioneer ’s backstory, we can move on. Except… there’s one small detail that is actually fairly important: while the band only formed in 2013, and they have already found themselves using the term “ex-guitar player.” Grant adamantly confesses that the official announcement of Brian’s departu re will encourage Zayn-type tabloid articles for the drama, but, alas, we are just not that kind of zine. However, for those of you who are curious, their former guitar player is “off cruising the highways of this vast and great nation, doing him,” Grant adds. Still, the fate of Clear Pioneer is still headed for greatness, as the guys have already found another guitarist. “We recently acquired the fresh meat known as Matt Fox, straight out of the bullpen of raw genius and tons of tasty gear,” Grant exclaims.

With this lineup change all settled, Clear Pioneer is currently working on their second release, which has already posed its share of challenges. Grant divulges, “If lack of time is a 300-meter hurdle and meager funds a barbed wire fence, then our lack of industry friends is the Trump Border Wall of our obstacles. Born in LA, we might h ave had Joe Gordon-Levitt as a babysitter or barbecued with Bruno Mars—not so much here. A tip for anyone out there crazy enough to want notoriety: they ain’t lying when they say it ’s who you know. We’re trying to hop that wall by being generally nice to people and working on perfecting our craft. There’s still a lot of music to make and people to meet. Outside the help of any other producers or writers, we’ve gotten a few songs together that we play live, but they remained unnamed and constantly changing until recently. We’re just at the point of figuring out the dankest possible dank for the rest of this collection of songs.” Back in 2014, their first EP, Calatrava, was released. Grant describes the record as “a nice collective of quite different songs that all got along swimmingly and decided to form an alliance o n a CD.” Because it was their first release, they didn’t go into the recording process with a specific sound in mind, and, ultimately, they didn’t even record it in a studio. “That EP was partly a dorm-recorded diary of a college student and partly a placeholder on the band name and Spotify page,” Grant reveals. “’Honeymoon Stages’ was written as a bit of a laugh, but one day I walked into a gym where the girl working had picked up our demo from a friend, and I dropped the

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barbell when the intro I wrote started playing. Next thing we knew, we were hearing ourselves on FM102.1, our local alternative station, and thinking, ‘Welp, we’ve gotta make some better music!’ Our first four songs were recorded in a dorm an d a hallway on a cheap USB mic, and our new stuff is being recorded in a bedroom with an expensive USB mic, so expect significant improvement,” he jokes. “Really though, we’re working with some good studios here, and these songs a re gonna get upbeat. They’re gonna get shiny and synthesized and sexy.” Slowly, but surely Clear Pioneer is moving up in the world— especial ly with the help of “absinthe,” which they use to overcome writer ’s block, according to synth player Jon Eleyet. Whatever works, I guess. Being the small, local, DIY band that Clear Pi oneer is, the funds to pursue this dream aren’t easy to come by, and even the project itself, as of now, isn’t generating enough revenue to be a sole source of income. “We’ve served drinks and slung cell phones—anything to keep up this silly, expensive habit of making music. We have this decent friends-with-benefits thing going on with Corporate America right now, and if we’re not hitched to music in thirty years, who knows? Maybe we’ll just settle down with our big business overlords. Don’t count on it though. Your only two trap doors from the rat race are being creative and being born from a lady who happened to be wealthy, and we enjoy being the former,” Grant admits. Evidentl y, lack of interest, time, and funds are some of the biggest hurdles a local band needs to overcome. “People don’t listen—you have to show

them. There will always be a difficult balance for us between wanting to make whatever the hell we want and keeping certain people’s toes unstepped-on. We know it ’s not a very ‘indie’ thing to say, but trust us: we’re as countercultural as you are. We just really want to be able to quit the soul crusher of day-to-day jobs and get into the true nitty gritty of songwriting and being artists,” he explains. With this in mind, the guys of Clear Pioneer understand that, in order to make ends meet, smaller bands also need to develop and grow their fanbase. “We lean more towards pop because we like it, but also because lots of people like it—people geographically outside of our locale and epistemologically outside of the messages we want to portray in our songwriting. We’re trying to musically cast a wide net, and to stand out so that people will listen. It ’s hard work, but won’t that be more fun with more people listening in? We hope so,” he declares. Aside from the aforementioned and always impending hurdles, there are a few that the band has already cleared. While they have made their fair share of mistakes, they have also learned from the ridiculous obstacles life has thrown at them. “Don’t buy a van from a guy on Craigslist to do a cross-country tour,” Grant starts. “If you’re an idiot and you did that, at least have someone look at it before you drive it to Iowa.” Ah, yes, that doesn’t sound like a wise idea. Grant definitely wasn’t speaking from personal experience… Just mentioning a hypothetical scenario that could totally happen to anyone... Everyone, take note (and don’t do what they did that one time).

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Surprise, surprise, though—this apparently was not the biggest c halle nge the band has faced yet. Over everything they’ve had to deal with—ranging from lineup changes, lack of mon ey, and silly Craigslist mistakes that anyone could make—Grant reveals that it was “probably getting this interview done. It ’s just that we had a marvelously edited masterpiece all finished for the wonderful creators of the publication in your hand, saved it all ready for a proofread, and our technology decided that this was the one document it didn’t want to remember. In short, this answer is an utterly public and completely immortalized apology to the beauties at ‘Focus’ for our tardiness. We promise we’re nice people and owe you drinks,” he finishes. It ’s always the technology, isn’t it? Well, consider this your apology publically accepted, seeing as it took us maybe three months to get this published. We will still accept the offer for the drinks though. Or food. I hear our editor is a fan of donuts and pizza. Just throwing out some suggestions. So now you know a little bit about the band that is Clear Pioneer. If you’re wondering what you can expect from the band for the rest of the year, Grant leaves us with these parting words: “You can expect whatever you like! But if you want to see what we do end up making this year, go right now and follow our social media pages and check us out wherever you get your music! All we want is for you to hear what we create, and to be happy. If you can do those at once, we’ve done our jobs,” he declares. PH OTOS // ARIE L KASS U LKE I NTE RV I E W // PE NE LO PE MART INEZ STO RY // LE AH DICKE RMAN

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LUCKY CHOPS R E G AR D L ESS O F W HE R E YOU ARE I N THE WORLD, GROWING U P P OS E S I TS FA I R S HA R E O F C HA L LENGES. EVERY DAY IS FULL OF SURP RIS E S , G O O D OR B A D, A N D THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE DURING ONE’S T E E NAGE Y E AR S. DUR IN G THAT TIME, PEOPLE OFTEN FOCUS ON FINDI NG T HE M S E LVE S W HIL E A LSO FINDING THEIR NICHE AND CULTIVAT ING T HE I R PASSIO N S THR O UG H SCHOOL, HOBBIES, OR EXTRACURR I C U L AR AC T I V I T I E S. THR O UG H L IF E’S TOUGHEST MOMENTS, THESE AR E T H E O UT L ETS P E O P LE TUR N TO—WHETHER THEY ARE FRIENDS, FAMILY, A RT, OR SP O RTS. WHATE V ER THE OUTLET OF CHOICE IS, IT CAN B E LIFE-CHANGING. P HOTOS + I N T E RVI E W // LOR I GUT M A N STO RY // M IC HE LLE BA LZ E R

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For three of many students attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, music was their solace. Eventually, Raphael Buyo decided to develop his pa ssion for music, which he hoped to someday take public. At the time, he was playing in the high school jazz ba nd when he met Josh Holcomb and Daro Behroozi. Every day after school, Daro, Josh, and Raphael gathered anywhere from four to ten people and played music in Central Park. This was the beginning of Lucky Chops. For Lucky Chops, LaGuardia High School and the teachers they came across motivated them to pursue their musical passions and change their lives. “We all play instruments because we had some teacher who was patient enough to deal with us while we were starting out and still sounded really bad. We had teachers that stuck with us, who gave us the courage and confidence to keep going and to get better,” Josh reminisces. “We want to inspire people all over the world to practice and get into playing music because if we didn’t have music… Lots of us grew up in inner city New York City, and we could’ve ended up in not so great positions doing very bad things right now. We really look at music like this: music saved us and gave us this life,” he admits. Throughout their journey around the world, this six-piece—consisting of baritone saxophonist Leo P, trombonist Josh Holcomb, tenor saxophonist Daro Behroozi, trumpeter Joshua G awel, drummer Kevin Congleton, and sousaphonist Raphael Buyo—has made it their mission to not only be an instrumental band on the radio’s top 40, but to also inspire people to follow their dreams. Music changed their lives, and now Lucky Chops hopes to change yours . After the band’s inception, while Lucky Chops spent a large amount of time playing aboveground in Central Pa rk, they dreamed of playing in New York City’s subways. In high school, they didn’t get that chance, but this never discouraged the group. In

order for them to play unde rground with such a large and loud band, they needed to obtain a special permit. The group auditioned for th e Music Under New York official program, and, once they were accepted, the band was given legal spots and times to play. Lucky Chops played their music for free for millions of people that happened to stumble upon them in New York’s vast subway system. In past decades, a band or singers would often play at different clubs and venues in hopes that label executives or A&R people would see them and sign them. Evidently, by putting their music on people’s radars in various subway stations, Lucky Chops decided to take a different approach to this age-old tactic. “We just said, ‘You know what? We’re not going to wait for some music A&R executive to come hear us and give us a record deal. Instead, we’re going to create our own network by making videos and playing in public places where thousands of people walk by us in New York City at any given time,’” Josh divulges. Still, this wasn’t the first time Lucky Chops decided to renovate music industry traditions. While Lucky Chops continues to tour the world and share their music with anyone willing to listen, the difference between them and most other touring bands is the fact that Lucky Chops does this sans vocalist. Even though they don’t incorporate lyrics—the main component that people typically relate with—the guys aren’t deterred from connecting with their listeners. Instead, Lucky Chops uses their instrumentals to convey emotions that fans can latch onto. “If you’re really projecting a strong emotion, people can connect with that the same way they would connect with a lyric of a song. It triggers that same reaction from somebody,” Josh clarifies. Because of this, the band’s performances are filled with energy. Ultimately, they believe that people can connect with energy, whether it ’s through watching the band perform live or watching them on a video.

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Eviden tly, no matter where these guys perform, they never forget to leave a lasting impression. “Going into the band from the very beginning, it was our mission to see if this could even be done without a singer. It really hit us one hundred percent when we just got back from our European tour. Almost all of the shows were sold out, with hundreds and sometimes thousands of pe ople in the crowd. It was so hum bling. What really pushed it over the edge was how they would sing along to all of our songs—like if you’re at a show and the crowd sings along with the singer—even though there are no words. So they were just going, ‘Da da da da,’ or ‘La la la la,’ and just singing along with our melodies without singing actual lyrics,” Josh laughs. “That ’s kind of when that part hit home for us. We were like, ‘Whoa, our mission is actually happening.’ We’re getting people into these songs that have no lyrics, because they’re singing [the songs] on random syllables. It ’s really powerful and borderline comedic,” he continues. Lucky Chops is dedicated to not only inspiring with their music, but also to encouraging fans to go after any opportunities they are able to obtain. “A main goal of the band is to give back to the world, and to show generations of young people what happened because we followed both the amazing teaching and the opportunities we were awarded,” Josh explains. “On top of that, we want to get the widest reach possible so that we can potentially impact the greatest number of people that we can.”

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THE DIRTY NIL E V E RYO N E H AS SO M EO NE TH EY LO O KED UP TO W HO F IR ST I N SP I R E D T H E M TO P ICK UP AN INSTRUMEN T. F OR LU K E B E N T H A M , GUITARIST AND VO C ALIST O F THE DI RTY N I L , I T WAS T H E BAND NIRVANA. H E RE M INISCES, “ ONC E W H E N I WAS A K ID, A NIRVANA VID EO CAME ON TV W HI L E M Y FA M I LY AND I ATE BREAK FAST. I TURNED I T UP LOU D A N D I T CO M PLE TELY UP S ET M Y PARE NTS . FR OM TH AT DAY F O RWA R D, I O NLY WANTED TO P LAY ELE CTR I C G UI TA R .” T H I S PASS I ON STAYE D WITH H IM , AND, IN HI GH S C H OO L , H E STA R T E D P LAYING M US IC WITH BASS IST A N D VOC AL I ST DAV I D N A RD I AND D RUM M ER KYLE FISHER . A F TE R ST U M B L I N G T HRO UGH S O M E RIFFS FRO M BAN DS L IK E BLAC K SA B B AT H AND LE D Z EP P ELIN, TH E Y WO R KED O N C R E AT ING S O M E O RIGINALS . IN T ERV IE W + STO RY // LINDSY CARR P H OTOS // LO RI G U T MAN

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In their early days, the guys’ first shows consisted of performances in church basements before they took their act to a proper stage. “We started playin g church basements shortly after we formed, but our first proper show was about a year after our first practice. It was at The Underground in Hamilton, Ontario… Sadly, a now-defunct venue,” Luke explains. Those small shows got the band heavily involved with the music community in Toronto and, as is the case with many successful acts today, the guys acknowledge that their local scene was very beneficial for their career. Luckily, at the time, The Dirty Nil had a lot of help from established bands that encouraged them. “We played with GOB and The Saint Alvia Cartel in our first year or so, and they helped us land a show or two, which was crucial at that point in our development. Also, local venue owners played a large role in helping us get off the ground, offering us shows w hen we couldn't draw many people and linking us with bands who were far beyond our caliber,” Luke reveals. It ’s no surprise that, at the start of a band’s career, things like booking shows, gathering crowds, and releasing music are all challenges that they need to overcome, and The Dirty Nil was no exception. “Growing up in Dundas, we had no examples to follow because there were so few bands. We figured out everything—from booking to releasing music—for ourselves, which was obviously a good learning experience, but it's nice to be past that sta ge of struggle,” Luke discloses. Following this pattern, he describes their entire career as one big learning process w ith several obstacles along the way. The biggest was probably in 2012, when the band really amplified their touring schedule. Luke had been studying psychology in a different city at the time and, as pursuing music fulltime comes with its share of sacrifices, he left school b efore completing his degree. Ultimately, the sacrifice was worth it, and the band ha s had the opportunity to land some big tours across both Canada and the US. Just last summer, The Dirty Nil played on Warped Tour, which was both a good and

bad experience overall. The guys believe that, if the conditions were right, there’s a possibility that they would do it again. However, the festival’s atmosphere would have to be different from last year ’s. Luke clarifies on this, saying, “If there were more rock bands, it would be a different story. It just wasn't our scene, crowd-wise. That being said, we did our job by playing hard every day, and we met a lot of good friends along the way. It was a valuable experience and the right move for us at the time, but I can't see us doing it again under similar circumstances.” While they would prefer perform ing in front of more rock-oriented crowds, The Dirty Nil don’t want to label their music—although many tend to describe them as ‘punk.’ Luke expands on this idea, explaining, “Yeah, we just don't care about labels. I mean, we obviously play loud and fast most of the time, but we also play quiet an d slow. We do whatever we want to do and don't care about trying to fit that into a two word label. If someone says we’re a punk band, we're not going to say, 'No, we're not.' We're whatever you want us to be. We don't mind being labeled, but we're certainly not going to do it ourselves.” Despite the difficulties The Dirty Nil have faced and the ones that are sure to come, the guys are grateful for the opportunity to play music with their best friends every night in some incredible places. With all they have experienced in the last few years, they understand that there is a negative aspect to every career path and that living their dream doesn’t come easily. Instead of dwelling on the negatives, the trio has learned to embrace them instead. “I'm so tired of hearing people moan about the lay of the land—streaming royalties, travel costs, etc. If it were easy, everyone who picked up a guitar at fourteen would still be pursuing a band. Rock and roll is hard—that's part of the romanticism,” Luke declares. “Liste ning to co mplaints about streaming and downloading is like watching someone yell at the rain. This is how it is now,” he continues. “If you don't like it, stay inside or put on your poncho and go jump in the puddles. There are a lot of disappointing things in the world; rock ’n’ roll is never one of the m.”

“THERE ARE A LOT OF DISAPPOINTING THINGS IN THE WORLD; ROCK ’N’ ROLL IS NEVER ONE OF THEM.”

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PH OTOS // ANAM ME RCHANT I NTE RV I E W + STO RY // PE NE LO PE MARTINEZ

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“IN AUGUST OF 2014, we had been doing a tour by ourselves. With about a week of the run left to do, our van's engine shot a rod, leaving us stranded in Ft. Bridger, Wyoming. We ended up having a tow truck driver scrap the van, a nd we piled into the back of a U-Haul to drive twenty-four hours back home to Chicago,” Brad Harvey, vocalist and guitarist of Bonfires, discloses.

On top of that, pursuing a music career is not an easy feat, because obstacles outside of your control are always imminent. The little things in life—such as eating a decent meal or taking a shower—can’t be taken for granted once you’re on the road. Still, Brad admits that the most challenging thing for him thus far was finding a way to tell his mom that he wanted to tour for a living.

After this incident, the band— comprised of Brad, guitarist Nathan Thompson, bassist Kyle Grzejka, and drummer Kevin Provencher—had little to no confidence and enthus iasm left. “Our morale was six feet under,” Brad admits. “Most of us considered going back to school and getting ‘real’ jobs.”

“There was always the idea of ‘Plan B’ in our heads. But, at the same time, we believe that if you have a goal in mind, it's so important to work towards it with persistence, almo st as if it's the only option,” shares Brad. Fortunately, their families and friends were supportive, despite how crazy and unpredictable their aspirations were.

Despite how defeated they felt at the time, the guys decided to hold onto their passion for a little while longer, and they went on to write Nothing To Hold/Something To Keep instead of calling it quits. Had they not done this, Bonfires might not be around today. The following December, the four-piece was invited to open for Real Friends’ Holiday show. “It was an important night for this band,” shares Brad. “It was after that show that we realized kids enjoyed what we were doing.” With a confidence boost that lifted their spirits, the guys got to work, and, i n March of 2015, they were signed to Bad Timing Records. This milestone didn’t come easily though. At the time, the local music scene was still in the process of being revived by bands like Knuckle P uck and Real Friends. Unfortunately, it was still difficult for most bands to get kids to come out to shows.

With support from both the music scene and some of the most important people in their lives, Bonfires continued to work to towards their goal. Luckily for them, it wasn’t long before people started responding to their music. “We are one of the lucky ones,” Brad admits. “It took a little less than a year for kids to really start listening. These days, it's an incredible challenge for a local band to really get kids to start paying attention.” Soon enough, the guys found themselves working tirelessly to keep the momentum going. With the knowledge and experience that all of the members had from their previous musical endeavors, Bonfires knew what they wanted to accomplish, and it was not going to be an easy journey in the slightest.

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“Throughout the numerous projects we've all been a part of since high school, I think one of the more important things we've learned is that everyone works differently,” explains Brad. “It really takes the right blend of musicians to make things happen, and a unit is only as strong as their weakest link. It's important to be sure everyone is happy and on the same page,” he adds. So when Zech Pluister, former vocalist, announced his departure, many fan s were caught off-guard due to how cohesive Bonfires seemed at the time. But, as Brad mentioned, one of the priorities of being in a band is making sure you’re happy and that you have the same visions and aspirations as those around you. “At the end of the day, we were in different head spaces,” he confides. Still, even with Zech’s departure, Bonfires continued to persevere and, more importantly, grow. This growth is mostly seen in their most recent single, “Colorblind.” With a new album in the works and with many different influences, it ’s safe to assume that their upcoming release is easily one of the most anticipated ones of the year. “The music we write is our own self-expression,” Brad details. “The songwriters of Bonfires are still in the band, and the live show is equally as energetic—if not more now than ever before. We're still the same band, just growing and getting better.” Brad continues, “Writing music has always been therapeutic—it ’s a way to take negative energy and feelings and turn it into something positive.”

“ E V E RY T IM E W E ST E P IN TO T HE VA N AT T HE STA R T O F A TOU R IS JU ST AS SU R R EAL AS T HE FIR ST.”

Evidently, they took a potentially career-ending situation and turned it into an opportunity for the band to evo lve. Bonfires’ momentum hasn’t come to a halt yet, and it doesn’t seem like it will any time soon. However, the same can’t be said about other bands in the scene. “It's a fast-paced world, and there are a lot of hard working, talented bands out there that go unnoticed,” Brad observes. At the end of the day, it comes down to the fans and their support, whether they’re purchasing merch or paying for tickets to see the bands live. Without this support system, most artists cannot survive on talent alone, and the guys in Bonfires, for one, have made it a priority to connect with their fans as much as possible through their online presence and by hanging out at shows. Apart from this, they plan to work towards touring more and continuing to grow. “Every time we step into the van at the start of a tour is just as surreal as the first,” Brad exclaims. “There's a moment of humbleness we all experience when we realize we're doing the things we've dreamed of doing for so long. We're making connections. We're making stories. It's all an incredible experience,” he expresses. “Our time as a band is just beginning.”

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B E A R T O O T H “WHEN I WAS IN SEVENTH GRADE, we had to pick

whether we wanted to be in jazz band or in choir. I was way too afraid to sing in front of people because I can’t sing, so I joined jazz band. I decided to play the drums because I thought everything else was kinda lame. I fell in love with it, so I wanted a drum kit really bad, but my mom and I lived in an apartment so that definitely wasn’t going to happen. She ended up buying me a guitar instead. From the first night I got it, I became obsessed with it. Since then, I’ve never felt compelled to do anything except for play music. It’s one of the few things in my life that I can’t seem to get away from. It hit me in retrospect,” Taylor reminisces.

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As is the case with many musicians today, music was a hobby that the members of Beartooth picked up throughout their childhoods. For Taylor, on top of his newfound love for guitar, he grew up surrounded by the punk rock his mom and aunt listened to. “My introduction to music was West Coast gangster rap, which was ridiculous,” Taylor laughs. “My aunt was really into punk music, so she introduced me to Green Day, Rancid, and The Offspring when I was pretty young. My mom really liked listening to ACDC, Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies, and stuff like that. They were my introduction to punk music,” he remembers. From there, Taylor transitioned into his pre-teen years by jamming to H2O, the first hardcore band he ever came across. “I got a split sampler CD of them and New Found Glory at a skate shop in Columbus, and I just instantly fell in love with it,” he continues. “That was my introduction to hardcore, but I came from having a background of punk bands and stuff up until that point,” he concludes. Vocalist Caleb Shomo, bassist Oshie Bichar, and guitarist Kamron Bradbury followed similar paths in terms of the music that they listened to. “With Caleb growing up, he listened to a lot of Christian radio artists like DC Talk, and I’ m not super familiar with that s cene,” Taylor recalls. “He got into heavier music when he was a mid-teenager and stuff. Oshie liked Green Day and pop punk,”

he explains. “Oshie loves pop punk so that ’s right in his wheel—Third Eye Blind and Red Hot Chili Peppers and stuff like that. Kam only listens to James Taylor… He’s kinda the lame one,” Taylor jokes. Their early love for music followed them into adulthood and onto the stage, and this is clear in the way Beartooth love to perform and share the energy they’re feeling with the audience. From pe ople crowd surfing to jumping on stage and diving off, everyone in the room feels and feeds off of a show’s vitality. “The band and the crowd just become one, and it turns into a real show,” Taylor exclaims. “I love playing with the guys on stage because we don’t take ourselves too seriously. We joke around and play little pranks on each other on stage, running around being goofy. I love getting to play music with some of my best friends,” he confirms. This passion on stage is important to them, because it stems from truly loving the music that they make. Taylor goes on to explain how musicians sh ould always play their music for themselves first and foremost. “If you’re playing your music for somebody else and the crowd decides that they don’t like it anymore, then you’re not really playing anything you like and the crowd’s not there to like it either. What ’s the point?” he questions. “If the crowd isn’t going to show up, at least play the music that you like so you can enjoy it,” he emphasizes.

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Luckily, the crowds for Beartooth’s shows don’t disap point, especially when it comes to their local sets in Columbus, Ohio. “We’ve had nothing but amazing shows in Columbus every time. All of our friends and family come out and have a fun time. They have fun supporting us, and we try to include our friends’ bands in it as well as the bands we love whenever we play at home,” Taylor explains. “It ’s been pretty encouraging having that many friends and family at home to support you. They want to come o ut to see you and hang out and have fun at the shows even though you see them everyday when you’re at home,” he mentions ap preciatively. Once a band starts gaining momentum beyond their hometown, there is almost an expectation of sorts about what they’re going to do with the platform they have. Ultimately, being in a band involves the task of figuring out what messages to put out into the world while also establishing a unique sound that can connect with listeners. For Beartooth, they strive to be honest with their audiences while also motivating them, because the band understands that life can be tough. Through their latest record, Aggressive, Caleb, Taylor, Oshie and Kamron continue to encourage old and new fans to never be concerned about what other people think. “That was the thing we kind of made oursel ves out to be from the start. This is what we are and this is what we’re going to stick to,” Taylor details when asked if the guys’ mindsets have changed due to their involvement in the

business. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to like us or anything like that . We have always stayed true to that. It ’s only been four years at this point, but it ’s not crazy. Let ’s see if I can still answer that question six years from now,” he laughs. In order to maintain this frame of mind while also staying motivated to achieve their goals, the guys keep their humbleness in check. “We’re very, very good at kee ping each other accountable and making sure none of us have a big head about things or anything like that,” Taylor admits. “But we also don’t really care about the stuff that doesn’t matter. To us, the things that matter are putting out a record and playing as many shows as we can. We’ll do anything that we have to do, but if it doesn’t matter or if it ’s not something that is necessary to making music or performing, we try to steer away from it. We try not to get involved in the ridiculous politics of music. For us, whether it ’s with bands that fit with our music or not, we just want to play shows with the bands that we like and that we’re friends with. That ’s our biggest motivator—that and just each other,” he concludes. This honesty and earnest approach to the industry is one of the reasons why fans are so drawn to Beartooth. “For me, my favorite part [of touring] is seeing people that are coming back to the shows that I recognize. It’s cool to see people that you see every time you roll into their town or their country. It’s cool to me that people come back, and they want to be involved. We must be doing something right, I guess,” he humbly comments.

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Evidently, they are doing something right, and one of the ways this success manifests itself is in the size of their fanbase. In order to connect with and keep in touch with these fans, the guys often rely on social media. Taylor understands that, ultimately, it’s a great method to use when talking with fans, although he does acknowledge that sometimes it can reach into the members’ privacy. “But that’s not anything too crazy yet, at least for us,” Taylor remarks. “We reach out, answer questions, talk to people, and engage with them as much as possible,” he clarifies. Of course, the guys of Beartooth enjoy interacting with their fans in person as well. “At shows, we love talking to people. Stuff like Warped Tour and other festivals are great for that because we have the opportunity throughout the day to meet people,“ he details excitedly. “We like meeting people. If they’re going to support what we love doing and make it possible for us to have a career and make a living off of it, then that respect is there,” Taylor proclaims. Overall, getting to know their fans on a more personal level is one of the band’s favorite aspects of being on the road. “They’re helping us do what we love, so, absolutel y, we’ll take the time out of our days to talk to people, and meet with people and hear their stories. I think, for me, that ’s one of the coolest things about touring—making friends. We have plenty of fans, people who started out as fans, that have become close friends of ours now,” he adds. Their fanbase will no doubt keep growing due to the release of Beartooth ’s second full-length, Aggressive. With Caleb taking the reins on writing songs, creating this album became a straightforward process

for the band. Every idea they had was shared via Dropbox, and that is also how they shared input, support, and jokes throughout the whole process. `

“TO US, THE THINGS THAT MATTER ARE PUTTING OUT A RECORD AND PLAYING AS MANY SHOWS AS WE CAN.”

“We always have a constant group chat going where we send each other ridiculous jokes and stupid things we’d find on the Internet, and every once in a while Caleb would drop a link to a new song or new song idea or a cool little part… Something like that,” Taylor discloses. “And, for us, it’s pretty unanimous whenever that happens, and it’s awesome. We share our input, and it’s almost always positive. We lucked out, because we have a very good situation where we have someone who’s such a great songwriter, and we all really enjoy the same types of music. It works really well that way for us. There are actually a lot of bands out there that are very similar that way, but they’re not really as open about it as we are,” he points out. Eager to perform their new songs in a live setting, some of their favorites include “Hated” and “Burnout.” “My favorite song on the record is ‘Always Dead’ because it sounds like flair,” Taylor remarks. “I love ‘Hated.’ I love the lyrical content of it and I love the song itself. ‘Burnout ’ is also one of my favorites. That song’s actually gone through three different versions, and it ’s been really cool to see its evolution from where it started to where it ended up n ow. It ’s way heavier now than it was originally,” he expounds.

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Following what they believe in, loving what they do, and showing a genuine appreciation for their friends hips and fans, Beartooth will continue to hit the ground running with Aggressive and their next tour in sight. For the rem ainder of 2016, the band’s goals are to “play as many shows as we can on this record,” Taylor declares. “We want to play in some new countries in South America. We want to play in Japan again , and just play in as many places as we can. Even Antarctica—that ’d be cool,” he muses. Touring gives people the chance to have fun performing while creating spontaneous memories, and Beartooth wants to spread the excitement of being on tour. “If we’re going to be on a tour, we want to try and hang out with all the bands. We don’t want to keep to

ourselves,” Taylor comments. “We want to make new friends and make a tour enjoyable. It ’s always a bummer when you tour with a band and they’re ‘ too cool’ to hang out or do something fun, but that ’s few and far between us. It ’s cool to be able to have relationships like that and to grow closer,” he concludes. In relation to Aggressive, Be artooth looks forward to their upcoming fall tour. “There are some really awesome bands on it and some really good friends of ours,” Taylor points out. “I’m personally really excited for that. I think it ’s going to be great.”

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N W O CR TH E

E R I E MP

There comes a time in your life when you have to choose what you want to commit to, and you have to d ecide which metaphorical path you are going to go d own. Sometimes, people know exactly where they want go—what they want to be—and they have a well thought-out plan as to how to get there. For some, though, the path isn’t always clear, and instead they stumble upon it by happenstance. Early members of the band Crown The Empire had plans involving sports, college, and the like. It was after they played their first show that everything changed, and they shocked their families by announcing that music was the new journey they all wanted to embark on. At the time the band came together late in 2011, the lineup consisted of vocalist Andy Leo, guitarists Bennett Vogelman and Brandon Hoover, bassist Hayden Tree, and drummer Brent Taddie. Barely eighteen, they had previously been in “jam bands,” as Andy described it, which made Crown The Empire their first serious musical endeavor. The b and’s involvement in the music industry happened seemingly by chance, as within the first day of the release of their debut EP, Limitless, labels began approaching them. Shortly thereafter, David Escamilla joined the lineup as a second vocalist, which added a n ew dynamic to their sound.

Since the band’s inception, their goal was to set themselves apart from similar acts. In order to achieve this, they set out to make concept records that took listeners to another sonic, post-apocalyptic world through the use of soundscapes and elements of cinematic scores. Due to these factors, Andy reminisces on how a community of gamers made montages to their songs. “Before we knew it, we had fans internationally without having ever played a city outside [our hometown] of Dallas,” he adds. This is a testament to how the Internet and word of mouth are p owerful tools for up-and-coming bands.

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As you can imagine, Texas isn’t necessarily the mecca for rock musicians on the rise. Once the guys had carved out a place for themselves in their local music scene, people were quick to write them off. Luckily for the band, Crown The Empire was formed at the tail of the Myspace era, so, as a way to promote themselves, they all spen t several hours every day after school reaching out to as many people as they could. Andy admits that, while thi s tactic wasn’t always effective and was extremely tedious, it was definitely a catalyst in growing Crown The Empire’s initial fanbase. On top of having to promote themselves, they had to work even harder to be able to financially support the production of their music. “It took us six months to record six songs. Everyone had fast food or mall jobs while still in school to invest into the recordings,” Andy discloses. With this in mind, the guys of Crown The Empire have never had anything handed to them, and they worked extremely hard to get where they are today. Some of this hard work came in the form of dealing with their first tour, which ended up being a crucial learning opportunity for the band. Andy details that, while it was supposed to be a two to three week run, due to certain variables and “promoters ‘forgetting we were playing,’ it ended up being about a week.” However, he looks back on the situation somewhat optimistically. “It was a great experience learning the dynamic between all of us [in the band] living together. [Although] everyone had butt heads with one another, I think we definitely came out of it a tigh ter band all around. It ’s a night and day difference compared to our tours now,” he explains. Fast forward to present day, and Crown The Empire has come such a long way since their first release. “I can’t even begin to describe the growth all of us have had in all areas of music since the beginning. It ’s almost scary how little we knew, but how we pretended to know it all,” Andy expresses. “I think the biggest sign of growth is accepting how little we know whi le also striving to learn more and more every day.” The further down their paths they go, the more and more they learn along way, and this growth and evolution truly manifests itself in how the guys have learned to tackle any difficulties that come their way.

Recently, they faced a huge obstacle in their careers: the departure of guitarist Bennett Vogelman. It is not uncommon fo r the paths of individual members to diverge from the path of the band as a whole, and this situation is no exception. This lineup change happened around the time the band began working on their third studio album, Retrograde. Often, when a band loses a core member for whatever reason, a search begins to fill the missing piece of the puzzle. However, instead of finding a new sixth member to continue with them, Crown The Empire decided to carry on as a five-piece instead. This ultimately lead to what Andy professes to be one of the biggest obstacles they have faced thus far: the reformation of the band’s roles and goals upon the completion of Retrograde. Initially, it took quite some time for the band to become a seamlessly united front, as indicated by the struggles they had during their first tour. The decision to not look for a sixth member was based on the band’s desire “ to keep it all in the family. If it took us this long to feel united, we didn’t see the motive behind bringing someone else in,” Andy declares. He also reveals that “ there was a huge dynamic change [within the band], because this was the first time a long-standing member of the band had left. I think everyone wanted to improve the band for the better, but we all had to figure out what our roles were all over again.” During the recording process for Retrograde, he confides that “[the band] had to sit down and really make sure we were all on the same page about where we wanted to go, and how we wanted to get there.” Although the internal dynamic has changed, he assures us, “ the sound of the band won’t be affected.” While the sound fans have come to know and love won’t be changed, their next musical venture will not be a concept album. When the guys first started the band in their late teens, they had not experienced a good majority of what life has to offer. This is why the route of the concept album, where they created stories in this post-apocalyptic world, was an extremely effective decision at the time. Andy confesses, “[For this release], we wanted to drop the heavy concepts and ideas of narrative because, although it was fun and ambitious, we never could execute

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our ideas in the ways that we had initially envisioned. We figured now was the perfect time to drop the story. And since we’ve been able to grow up, live our lives, and share experiences, we didn’t have to create our own imaginary world. We had stories to tell of our own.” As the band naturally progressed through out their career, so has their music. Crown The Empire is one of the few bands in the metalcore genre that takes their listeners into a whole other world, and, over time, they have fine-tuned their sound in order to stand out even further. “Sonically, I’d like to think of the change as a metamorphosis,” Andy muses. During the time of their EP, the band wanted to create music that they were fans of, and this motivation allowed for them to get together, bounce ideas around, and ultimately have fun in the creative process. “Since then we’ve been pushing to create our own style or cut in the metalcore world,” he explains. “Now, we’ve taken the best elements of what made us unique and expanded upon them to try and create something that truly solidifies an identity for us.” One such way they have done this, as briefly mentioned before, was by the inclusion of cinematic elements, which were instrumental in creating the world for their narrative, conceptual albums. A question that may linger in the minds of fans is, will this style continue over into the new album? Fear not! Andy reassures us all that they will “absolutely” continue with this style, which “is what initially set us apart from everyone else and will always be a pillar on which the band is built on. To ditch th at I think would be completely different from what our fans know and love about us,” he assures.

Andy agrees that these cinematic components, along with the band’s “abstract ways to approach the same popular metalcore elements,” help separate Crown The Empire from other bands in this scene. “But I think what really sets us apart now is the fact that the listeners have been able to see us evolve, mature our sound, and avoid the safe route into creating something truly unique,” he adds. Over a majority of the past year, Crown The Empire had been hard at work creating something tangible to showcase the band’s “metamorphosis,” specifically by finessing their third studio release. This time around, they had triple the time to complete the recording process when compared to the time they had for their two previous albums combined. Before recording was set to begin, Andy had the opportunity to be in the studio for a whole month. He points out that “ the added month was an immense help in locking down a shared vision for the album with our producer, Drew [Fulk]. We’ve only ever had a collective three months to be in the studio working on our last two albums. And with this, we’ve had nine. I think everyone will see how much the extra time really makes a difference.” With the extra allotted time to write and record comes the surmounting pressure and expectation that this album will blow their previous two out of the park. In order to deal with this pressure, the band focused on their personal expectations for the record instead. Andy divulges, “This new album was about the self discove ry and growth of the band that we wanted to see in ourselves. This is the most time and money we’ve spent on an album, and all we focused on was making something we were all proud of.”

The road for Crown The Empire thus far has been nothing short of a whirlwind. As far as their biggest accomplish ments go, Andy admits, “It ’s hard to speak on behalf of everyone, because not only have we reformed as a band, but we’ve all been around to see each other grow up and overcome our biggest obstacles individually.” For the group’s collective achievements, however, the success of their releases, the band’s critical reception, and their touring success are all a testament to how far they have come. Looking down the road ahead, Andy discloses his personal goals for this upcoming album cycle. “I p lan to be the best singer and entertainer I can possibly be, and to establish our selves enough to actually have a home outside of a tour bus,” he declares.

connect with their music is “because we talk about vulnerability—amongst other things people can relate to—in an abstract way, and we have a sense of community due to people getting lost in our stories and world we made. It ’s brought our fans really close together, and I think there’s something special about that.”

No matter what the future holds or where the guys of Crown The Empire end up on their path, fans have been patiently waiting to dive into this new chapter alongside them. Throughout the years, fans have stuck by the band, and their support has only grown exponentia lly. Andy believes that part of the reason so many people can

Evidently, his and his bandmates’ ultimate love for music translates well through all the blood, sweat, and tears they have poured into their sound. It ’s part of the reason why so many people proudly call themselves fans of Crown The Empire, and why they have decided to join this five-piece on the path they are paving in this world.

The heart of what music is about, in Andy’s opinion, is the feeling the artist is trying to give you, and that ’s what Crown The Empire strives to continue doing. “I can listen to a metal band in the car, and my heart starts pounding as I want to break stuff. I can listen to a ballad and feel the longing or heartbreak that makes me connect with every note,” he reflects.

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DAU G H T E R INTE RV I E W + STO RY // E DDIE CH IS H AM PH OTOS // PE NE LO PE MART INE Z

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L A S T T I M E DAU G H T E R WA S I N M I N N E A P O L I S , T H E Y P L AY E D AT 7 T H S T R E E T E N T RY, A T I N Y S I D E AT TA C H M E N T T O T H E FA M O U S F I R S T AV E N U E . T H E I R P E R F O R M A N C E WA S I N T I M AT E A N D G E N U I N E , F I L L E D W I T H S H Y S M I L E S F R O M VO C A L I S T E L E N A T O N R A A N D A WA R M L I S T E N I N G COLLECTIVE HEART SHARED BY THE AU D I E N C E . A F T E RWA R D , T H E Y S T O P P E D T O G E T P I Z Z A , B A R E LY R E C O G N I Z E D , A N D A M A N Y E L L E D O U T, “ G U Y W I T H T H E A C C E N T A N D T H E C H I C K ! ” T H E Y B R I E F LY C O N S I D E R E D I T A S A BA N D N A M E . This time around, Daughter sold out First Avenue, generating a line of passionate fans braving the brisk Minneapolis elements—one that stretches around the corn er hours before the doors even open. The packed venue glistens with teary-eyed fans singing their broken hearts out while guitarist Igor Haefeli can’t help but smile as the crowd’s emot ions spill onto the stage. The brilliant performance features songs from The Wild Youth EP, If You Leave, and their most recent album, Not to Disappear. Between numbers, Elena can barely get a word out as the fans cheer relentlessly, so she simply lets out a shy smile and laugh while looking down and shaking her head as drummer Remi Aguilella raises his glass to the crowd—perhaps a toast to not disappearing. “The reaction is more than we ever expected,” Remi says humbly. The contrast in fan reception is huge from last time, yet the performance is quite reminiscent of that show at the 7th Street Entry. Elena’s stunning vocals softly carry through the still room as Igor creates a complimentary soundscape and Remi keeps it in time—just like before. Everything and everyone on stage seems to hold the same personality, but Daughter had to have had a master plan in order to get to where they are today. “We don’t really have a plan,” Elena laughs. “The bands that we love we have always explored. I think Radiohead is a big influence. I love the idea that you can explore different avenues.” She shares that In R ainbows is her favorite Radiohead album while Igor proclaims that his is Hail the to Thief. “We wanted to evolve, but we trusted our sensibilities,” Igor explains. “We obviously have natural inclinations toward sounds and the things that we do. Despite the fact that we were experimenting, we got together in a way that was very Daughter. We are still part of these songs.” These natural musical inclinations tend to be the perfect compliment to Elena’s vocals and lyrics. Whether the music is emphasizing the feelings within the songs or directly contrasting them, Daughter ’s message surfaces powerfully. “[The music] is quite instinctive,” Igor responds when asked about how he and Remi create Daughter ’s sound. “It ’s not necessarily very thought out. We either play with the lyrics or we play in another direction. Sometimes the sound is soft and slow to pair with the lyrics, but then it will contrast and become quite expansive. The rhythm is instinctive, but it still often fits with the feeling behind the songs.

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“Sometimes it changes the way you feel the song,” Elena adds in reference to “To Belong,” which features uplifting music and sad lyrics. Igor expands, “I think, as a listener, it can be quite comforting when the music enhances that feeling and offers release from the harrowing lyrics.” The unique musical feel behind Not to Disappear did not form overnight. After spending so much time together as a band, Remi explains, “You feel like you can predict what the other person is going for. You have a sense of what the other person is trying to do—chemistry, in a way. We’ve done so many shows together that, even when we do sound checks, we collaborate on each other ’s energy.” Igor illuminates on this thought. “We gave ourselves the time to experiment. I think it is a more cohesive record than the first one.” Specifically citing a well-calculated jam session that occurred while recording their new song, “Fossa,” Igor continues, “The outro section was something that wasn’t there originally, and what happened was Remy kept on playing drums, because they were the foundation. When it came to me playing guitar, I kept playing over it. We found a pattern that we liked, and we ended up recording guitars and relaying vocals. It was a studio moment. It was one of those surprises that sometimes happen.” While Daughter ’s musical progression comes instinctively, they still strive to explore in order to create. Beyond their music, Elena explores her inner depths to form the lyrics with which their fans identify. She insists that all there is to say about her songs is on the page, aside from the occasional exception. “I’ve always thought, lyrically, that all I’ll say in them I’ve already said,” Elena translates. “I guess that when you write, you include everything you feel, or the most th at you are comfortable talking about.” “In Not to Disappear, I think it ’s quite clear what the songs are about,” Elena goes on, explaining how the new album took a bolder turn. “I think If You Leave was indirect, and this one was more [to the point].” That wasn’t the only transformation when it came to writing the album’s lyrics, however. Elena continues to explain how, this time around, she moved away from just being a victim— which is how she was often portrayed in If You Leave. Instead, she transitioned into writing with a more selfcritical voice. “The first album was more of a relationship breakdown where I felt like the wronged person. This album is more comfortable in saying sometimes I’m an asshole as well. It ’s about the failings of two people. Not that this album is about heartbreak—I don’t think it really is. But if it ever touches on that, I think it is quite honest.”

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In the midst of her self-exploration, Elena never channels her happy self while absorbed in the writing process, and it ’s pretty evident in Daughter ’s music. “In the songs that seem the most depressing, I have to be there to write them,” Elena expounds. “I become the most inspired when I’m not feeling OK. I never seem to write anything happy. Even if we are just cool and jamming, I’m still singing like, ‘Dying!!!’ I think it is just the way my brain is wired. We have made [unreleased] humorous or at least emotionally neutral recordings. Like, life’s alright.” Although Elena’s lyrics are painful and sad, creating them is more so as an act of therapy rather than an experience of revisitin g that pain. “I think when I go a long period where I don’t write, I find it ’s a really stressful time,” Elena reveals. “I go mad. I feel like if we don’t feed the creative bug, then we go a bit loopy. I think it is an illness and a therapy.” Luckily—or not—even in the mid st of touring, Elena still finds that sadness and the inspiration to write. “There are sad and happy aspects to touring,” Elena analyzes. “There are eleven or twelve of us in our gang, and we are seei ng the world. But when you get back home and try to readjust to not being away, it ’s like, ‘Hello, alien beings that we don’t know anymore.’” Igor magnifies this point, adding, “You miss people evolving through that month. Getting used to them again means relearnin g and re-educating yourself on those people.” Great art tends to be a side effect even when the members of Daughter aren’t completely immersed in music through touring, writing, or recording. Not long ago, the band d ecided to release videos for “Doing the Right Thing,” “Numbers,” and “How.” Although the songs themselves are not serial, the music videos all go together as one interconnected piece of art. “We worked with Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard, who did the “Still” music video. We were thinking about videos quite early,” Elena

discloses. “We were lucky that they made that beautiful video for us. We had a rough idea of the singles that we wanted to put out. We sent them the music and lyrics, and they sent them to their friend, Stuart Evers, who is a short story writer. They made the stories into screenplays and finally short films. It ’s kind of amazing how they made these three videos in three or four days. We didn’t have much of a budget but they made it work. Even the actors were incredible.” “They are beautiful pieces of art,” Remi explicates. “It was all shot at the same time with the same people. They really kept it all together and you can see it as three short movies that are all one thing rather than three separate music videos that are just used as promotional material.” Ultimately, outside of music, there isn’t much that captures the interest of Daughter. “I like researching about psychopaths,” Elena admits. “I like watching things that are crime-related. I find humans interesting. Studying humans is my jam, but music is my outlet. I get frustrated, because I’m not very good at other things. Not that I’m great at music,” she muses. As for the other two, Remi enjoys photography and woodworking, while Igor insists that he’s not really interested in much else. “I don’t really have anything I like,” Igor laughs. “I suppose I like spending time with people I love, but music consumes my life. I read about it all the time.” With this in mind, investigating how Daughter caught on so fast is simple: they explore different facets of themselves in order to pursue what is most important to them. Elena explores herself for the powerful lyrics that provide the backbone for Daughter. Meanwhile, Igor and Remi explore their instincts to bring the songs alive with an incredibly creative sound, enhancing the feeling that comes with the music. Still, perhaps most importantly, the trio that is Daughter is just being themselves, and that evidently resonates with their fans.

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BY P EN ELO PE MARTINE Z

C R U E L H A N D

PANIC! AT THE DISCO BY P ENELOP E MARTINEZ

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V A N N A

BY PE NE LOP E MARTI NEZ

O L D W O U N D S BY P ENELOP E MARTINEZ

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68 BY P ENELOP E MARTINEZ

M A I N E

T H E

C A P S I Z E BY P ENELOP E MARTINEZ

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