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2015
festivals
OUTSIDE LANDS//photography by Sam Keeler
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UNDERGROUND MUSIC SHOWCASE//photography by Sam Keeler
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SASQUATCH//photography by Sam Keeler
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AUSTIN CITY LIMITS//photography by Bridget Craig
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RIOT FEST DENVER//photography by Sam Keeler
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LOCAL MUSIC
PLUM
who: Kyle Miller, Ty Baron what: Psych Rock Band where: Denver
interview by Jaycee Rockhold photography by Sam Keeler
and Jake Supple
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The Underground Music Showcase, a festival spanning four days across multiple venues in Denver, Colorado, is hosting one of the most promising rock bands in the city. Plum, a psych rock band made up of Kyle Miller, Ty Baron, Jake Supple and Rodrigo Valdes filling in on the drums, met us at City O’ City to answer a few questions. How did you guys start out? Supple: We went through a couple of different phases of the lineup, as far as who we started it with. It was Ty, myself, and one of my friends and we started when we met Kyle. We all moved into a house together. Baron: One of the original members, we stopped seeing eye to eye. We part ways with him and it’s now us as kind of the core members. And we have a new drummer. Miller: Do you know Freaky North? His drummer is playing with us. How has the local music scene helped you out? Baron: I would say we’re pretty close friends with a few other bands. Everyone kind of supports one another. I don’t know if anyone specifically has helped us out. Supple: We’ve all played in bands in Denver before this one, except for Kyle, so we kind of established connection. When are you guys coming out with an EP or an album? Baron: Top secret. Supple: We have a couple of releases thought up for the future. Baron: We’re aiming for next year. Supple: In the spring. Are you guys playing any local shows besides UMS? Miller: Psychfest. I’m excited for that. Baron: It’s impossible to look at Facebook and see anything but UMS right now, so I don’t know anything that’s coming up. Do you guys have any plans for outside of Denver? Miller: We’ve talked about doing some shows in
New York and maybe doing a tour out there. We have some close friends in New York and Boston, so we’ve talked about them. Supple: I think those will come up when we have some sort of physical music to sell. What bands do you plan on seeing at UMS? Baron: STRFKR is gonna be sweet. Supple: All of our buddies in the other bands are gonna be pretty great to see. I know a lot of people are excited to see Residual Kid. Baron: Wild Island and our friends called Sunboy are playing. Supple: We’ve been so busy doing our own thing. UMS is a very in the moment thing. Leading up to it, we’re so busy. It’s hard to find time to make a schedule. Baron: It is a thing you have to plan out though. I think I was so busy socializing last year I saw only like two bands. Who or what would you guys say influences Plum? Miller: Well I’ve worked at record stores when I was 19, so a lot of the time I learn from jazz. I was really into folk rock a couple years ago, which oddly enough is extremely psychedelic as far as how chord changes go. So I would say that that’s a big influence. But anything with a guitar, I love, no matter what genre. Supple: I think collectively we’ve sort of gathered more of an influence from any music that’s just lasted a long time. There’s always gonna be the bands that come out and you get really into them for a little bit and you’re like wow, that’s awesome, but then you stop listening to the records. But then there’s the bands where we can listen to their records over and over again and if that’s all you had for the rest of your life that’d be okay. We’ve been listening to a lot of music like that. Any short term and long-term goals? Baron: Step one, don’t die. Miller: We just want to make a really good record. Baron: We want to make guitar rock that appeals to everyone.
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GENGAHR
There are millions of bands, but none quite like Gengahr. Hailing from North London, this bands pulls elements of dreamy pop and rippling guitar. together to create a mysterious sound. We got the chance to chat with John of Gengahr about pokemon, art, and sold out shows.
How did you guys all come together?
Felix, Danny and Hugh have known each other since school and have been playing music for about as long. They’ve always been in bands together. I met them maybe 4 years ago now as we were hanging around the same areas of London, specifically in a Wetherspoons pub (classy). We all got along really well and shared a similar taste in music although different enough for me to think we could create something interesting. You guys played quite a few festivals this summer, how was that? Do you prefer to play a festival or an intimate show? It was fantastic, the fact we got to go Australia is insane. I always prefer smaller club shows, both playing and attending. I just think it’s easier for a band to connect with an audience in a smaller room and it usually appears louder as the sound is bouncing off the walls. I’ve seen some great shows at festivals but all my favourites have been club shows. You guys recently put on an art exhibit with several other bands, can you tell us about that. Hugh has done the artwork for our album and all our singles so it seemed like a good idea (when drunk) to put on a little exhibition for when the album came out. We soon realised no one would to come to that so (even more drunk) we asked our friends if they would be interested in getting involved. I think it worked out really well in the end.
How has it been playing a headlining tour with all these sold out shows? I was so nervous before the tour assuming no one would come, lack of self belief. Even when we found out Scala sold out I instantly assumed it must be a mistake. But every gig has been amazing and so much fun, helps we’ve got two great bands on the road with us. I think the highlight of the tour for me was over hearing people outside Glasgow discus their favourite Gengahr song. Hearing that in the Glaswegian accent made it hit home that people I don’t know actually like our band, which feels awesome. We hear your band is named after a Pokémon, if you were each a Pokémon which would you be? Felix - machamp Hugh - bellsprout Danny - pysduck John - clefairy What do you see in the future for the band? Hours upon hours of Pokemon playing. Maybe write a new album when our thumbs start to hurt. Describe the band in one word. Pokemon
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BEN HOWARD
February 15 Portland, OR Roseland Theather photography: Sam Keeler
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Purity Ring October 29 London, England Roundhouse photography: Sam Keeler
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James Bay September 30 London, England Brixton Academy photography by Sam Keeler
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zella day
July 9 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge photography: Sam Keeler
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CHVRCHES
October 27 Nashville, TN Marathon Music Works photography: Nina Lorenz
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HALSEY
July 8 Nashville, TN Bridgestone Arena photography: Nina Lorenz
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A R T I S T S TO W ATC H I N
2016
BY: JAYCEE ROCKHOLD
PLUM If there’s one thing Denver does well, it’s psych rock. Take a tight knit community that’s expan expanding to the likes of Idaho (where Plum is playing at Treefort Music Festival), stir it up with the sound of oldies like premature Strokes and the Black Keys, and you have the local miracle that is Plum.
Tr a n s v i o l e t For a band that seems to have appeared out of thin air, Transviolet has seemingly wiggled their way into a growing niche of electro pop. Though most first heard their single “Girls Your Age” through a tweet by iconic boy band member Harry Styles, the four piece has proved their rightful place on stage by playing a hefty tour with the likes of Mikky Ekko. Despite the obvious f influence from pop it girls like Halsey and Lana Del Rey, Transviolet has combined subtle rock understones, the carefree essence of electronic music, and hauntingly dark pop jingles to create an undeniably more polished, striking sound.
T h e Fr i gh t s There’s always one band that can simultaneously write a honeyed
The Japanese House
love song and make you want to
It’s already impressive enough that The Japanese
mosh at the same time. The
House is on Dirty Hits (which is the same label as
Frights, a band out of Ca California you can either sway or push
the 1975 and only claims 6 artists), but their ear for ethereal sounds speaks to their true talent. For
people around to (listen to their
fans of any
song Makeout Point and it’ll be
syn inspired synth
clear), is often found on garage
tunes or
rock playlists, but rightfully deserve a spot along Beach Fossils and Deerhunte Deerhunter.
harmonious, layered vocals, The Japanese House proves to be a source of solace.
Diane Coffee
There are some solo artists who are practically just spinoffs of their origin (think Albert Hammond Jr. ofThe Strokes), but then there’s some like Shaun Fleming of Foxygen that can actually branch off into their own style. When listening to his
recent album Everybody’s a Good Dog, there’s sweet, whimsical emotions r eminiscent to older doo-wop. Think of the soulful sentiments of Pet Sounds wrapped up in a neat little package that satisfies any fan of the 60’s.
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Jordan Hughes interview by Sam Keeler You began your career as a gig photographer at a fairly young age, at what point in your life did you have that moment of realization that photography could actually be a full time career? Well I was working part-time at Ben Sherman and it was coming up to festival season. I’d just taken two weeks off work anyway to tour with Wolf Alice and I just thought...whatever, I’m going for it. It was always going to be scary but this is what I’d been working towards since I got my first photo pass at 13 so I figured it wouldn’t get any easier. That was two years ago so it seems to have paid off! What was your “big break”? The Slaves cover that I shot for the NME was a huge moment in my career. It was my first ever cover, and it was such a privilege to be a part of as it went on to become the last cover of NME before the relaunch. It’s funny because I’ve been mates with the Slaves boys for a while; I did their first ever NME shoot for the Radar section, shot their first feature, and then went on to shoot their first cover, so it seemed like a pinnacle moment for all of us involved. I absolutely loved how the photos turned out and it definitely lead to some pretty big things. In your opinion, what makes a great photo in terms of live music? Capturing a moment. Always. Without a doubt. People can talk forever about the technical side of music photography and whatever but nothing will ever be more important than having the capability to catch something that other people might miss. The cover of ‘London Calling’ [The Clash album] is a prime example; it’s one of the most iconic photos of all
time taken by Pennie Smith and it’s blurry. But who cares! People get so caught up in having the conditions perfect and getting fantastic technical photographs but then lose what I feel is the most important side of music photography - the moment itself. I want people to look back at my photographs and get a sense of the atmosphere and how it felt to be there. What’s a typical day in the life of Jordan Hughes? Wake up. Go out. Stroke a dog. See my girl. Eat vegan food. Photograph a musician. Listen to grime. Go to bed. What are some of the down sides in the world of live music photography? There’s no more down sides to music photography than there are with any other job. I have incredible opportunities and experiences but I urge anybody who’s thinking of becoming a photographer to think long and hard about the ins and outs of it all. People tend to forget that it’s a job. We’re paying our bills with our art. It’s scary, really scary, especially when you first start out. I’ve been away on tour and missed big events that my family and friends are having but you have to be willing to sacrifice those things sometimes. It’s difficult but I wouldn’t change anything for the world. It was recently revealed that you shot the NME cover of Taylor Swift, what was it like shooting/working with one of the biggest people in the music industry? Taylor Swift was a pro. From the very moment she walked onto that set she meant business. One of the best shots from the entire shoot was the very first frame - she didn’t need any warming up. Taylor’s team were fantastic, the photographic studio was brilliant, my team were outstanding and Taylor herself was awesome and...well, the biggest pop star in the world. It was just an absolute dream come true. To be honest with you though, I tried to treat it like any other photo shoot that I’ve shot in the past; the only difference being that there were three security guards there in total (one on each exit).
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ANNA LEE
If you have seen Walk the Moon or Small Pools lately, chances are you have also seen their tour photographer. Anna Lee Media is a 28 year old photographer based out of Oklahoma City. She spends her time photographing weddings and on tour with some of your favorite bands.
interview by Sam Keeler
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What inspired you to get you started in photography and when did you know this would become a career? (referring to all the photo stuff you do, weddings, bands, ect.) My general draw to photography grew steadily over my entire life. It was obsession with preserving memories. I planned on photography becoming a career shortly after graduating college. The appeal of working for myself made me very antsy in my desk job days! The inspiration for making each genre of photography a career came at different stages as I gained momentum with clients in each area. How did you get where you are today with tour photography? Being a big music fan, I tended to gravitate toward friendships with musicians or other music fans in Oklahoma City where I’m from. I’d already been doing photography for a few years when my hobbies began to overlap. I shot countless local shows and promos for friends’ bands. Often, small local shows will not have any camera rules. They are also usually poorly lit with no pit barrier- so if you can learn to get good photos out of these conditions, shooting shows will only get easier. In college, I became extremely invested in the school’s event programming board. I gained the position of concert coordinator which gave me unlimited access to shoot some very prestigious artists, as well as a valuable crash course in concert and industry logistics. These early stages were great for gaining live show and low light experience and portfolio images. My first tour ever was pretty unreal: Warped
Tour… in Australia. Similar to my start in music photography, my first tour experience was with a friends’ band. They were part of the Australia Warped lineup in 2013. After that I had the tour bug. Although I gained experience and a variety of portfolio images, it didn’t lead directly to any other tour opportunities. The next band I toured with was Smallpools. They are the band that actually got the tour ball rolling for me. If you follow my work, you know I’ve been with them for long time. My start with Smallpools was an anomaly, in that it broke the “it’s all who you know” rule. I had no connection to them, or anyone they knew. So here’s how that came about. On the advice of a musician friend, I created a “music photographer EPK” that I could send out, which was a self-contained document citing my experience and including sample images. I researched several bands I enjoy that were either on tour or that would be soon and reached out to the them in the same way that I do when requesting PP’s. When it came to Smallpools, the only way I could find to contact them was via Facebook message. Even though I was a total stranger, they took the time to look at my work. They told me that they liked what they saw and decided to give me a chance based on that. We started conservatively. I went out with them for one week, beginning in LA and ending in OKC, so that they were able to drop me off at home. This kept it inexpensive since this was an experiment/investment for both of us. Fortunately is was an amazing fit, and Smallpools hired me to continue coming back every time after that.
From there, I was able to quickly build a network of connections with other bands that Smallpools toured with as well as friends in crews with other bands. This led to tours with Grouplove, Walk the Moon, as well as relationships with other bands for future work (stay tuned!). I love disposables and think your ALM Fan Cams (#ALMfancam) are the most clever idea. How did you come up with that idea? The #ALMfancam is a project I started as a way to give fans an all-access peek into what I get to do every day. I encourage concert goers to be the first one to put a disposable camera in my hand day of show. They communicate with me via Twitter to claim the camera for their city, by sending a selfie in line with their disposable. I keep the camera with me throughout the day and fill it with exclusive backstage photos and shots from the pit. I first witnessed this done while on tour with Grouplove. A couple of times, a concert goer would come early bearing band gifts and disposable cameras for them to use. I saw it again most recently with Magic Man, for which I commandeered the camera during the set. It was fun, but what really registered with me was witnessing their excitement to get the camera back, and then seeing the developed photos in a later tweet. I realized that I could help facilitate this experience. I can give people a more comprehensive and intimate peek into their favorite bands’ lives behind the scenes, as well as to snag a few show photos for them from spots they would not otherwise have access too. The response has been amazing so far, and fans
have gotten in line to claim the #ALMfancam as early as 5am! What has been your favorite tour experience? Picking a single favorite experience is impossible, but in general I love any event that creates unexpected bonding time with other people on the tour. I also have a blast with anything that allows me to interact directly with the performance. For example: when band members pose for my camera from the stage, throwing Smallpools’ killer whales to the crowd, and taking that end of set photo of the band from the stage with the crowd behind them! And finally I’ve had a blast getting to meet fans all over the country through the #ALMfancam concept. It’s such a unique experience for me that I wouldn’t have without touring as a travel outlet. A small, new thing I’ll be adding to my fan interactions are some custom button pins that I’ve designed for those who bring a camera, as well as some for any fan who finds me and asks for a button! If you could describe your artistic style in one word, what would that be? I’ve never really tried to come up with one word before… I believe it varies in each situation (especially with the difference between weddings and tours)! I know what I strive for can range from edgy/raw/quirky to romantic/etherial/soft. The beauty of art is that the way you describe your own work will often be different than how others interpret it. So out of curiosity, I asked Twitter and got a few more good words: artistic, authentic, iconic.
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BY: JAYCEE ROCKHOLD
DISPOSABLE DIARY: CHICAGO
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BY: SAM KEELER&MONICA WILKE
DISPOSABLE DIARY: CHICAGO
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photography by Sam Keeler
location: Denver, CO order: peppermint latte find them: instagram//huckleberryroasters
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GETT LO location: Amsterdam photography by Sam Keeler
TING OST 63
AMSTERDAM//photography by Sam Keeler
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MARFA//photography by Bridget Craig
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MT. HOOD//photography by Sam Keeler
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As 2015 comes to an end, we find ourselves reflecting on the year that has passed by. We think about the good, we think about the bad, and we think about what we didn’t do that we wished we had. So here is to 2016, let it be a year with no regrets. A year that come next December we look back and there isn’t anything we wished we had done because we did it. A year with more adventure, more celebrating small victories, more looking in the mirror and being happy with the person that is looking back at us. We hope this issue has inspired you to chase after what makes you happy in 2016.
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IT’S LIT