Zine 3 by Half&Half

issue 2 Editor-In-Chief Sam Keeler Writers Jaycee Rockhold Bailey Vigliaturo Photographers Sam Keeler Anna Maria Lopez Kindle Kreis Jaycee Rockhold Cover Shot Anna Maria Lopez Design Sam Keeler

letter from the editor Hello! Several things to start with…Yes, it’s been a year since the last zine and yes, this zine is SXSW themed, which was 2 months ago. But you know, life happens and things get wild when life hits ya. This issue, however, marks the start of making sure this zine becomes quarterly so all you lovely humans can have this to look through more often. Here’s our third issue, featuring lots of incredibly talented people. I couldn’t be more excited about having The Drums as our cover feature. Cheers to a fantastic summer and hope you enjoy this issue. Sam

find us at WEBSITE: HALFNHALF.CO TWITTER: HALFNHALFBLOG INSTAGRAM: HALFANDHALFBLOG

Table of Contents MUSIC 7....sxsw INTRO 9....features 20....the drums 28....PORTRAITS

LIFESTYLE 42....FILM DIARIES 46....pooneh ghana 52....SNACK TIME 59....Katie Neustaedter

austin

SXSW 2017

We found ourselves amongst thousands of others in Austin, Texas, once again, for South By South West 2017. Our days were long and our nights didn’t seem to end. We got the chance to catch some favorites and found some new favorites to add to our list. In the next couple of pages we have some short features with NEHI, Hockey Dad, Post Animal, Hoops, The Velveteins, Aquillo and Her’s….all of which the full interviews can be found on our website halfnhalf.co. Along with that, we’ve got some photos of cool bands we came across and some other random things scattered in here.

photos by Sam Keeler words by Bailey Vigliaturo

post animal As if there arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough bands sprouting out from Chicago at the moment, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s another one for you to graze upon, Post Animal. This psych-rock, six-piece made of Javi Reyes, Matt Williams, and Joe Keery (all guitar), Jake Hirshland (guitar, keys), Dalton Allison (bass), and Wes Toledo (drums), and each member sharing vocals. For most of them, they grew up around each other and played music together, for others they met through mutual band friends or jobs, eventually making their way together. Back in 2015, the band released their first EP, Perform the Most Curious Water Activities, full of layered fuzzy guitar tracks and drums that seem to hold everything together, or so effortlessly. Last year, they released their second EP, The Garden Series, keeping the stacked guitar hooks that revolve around a state of psychedelia all which lead up to a slow break in the song, followed by a last effort jam. Coming from the tight-knit Chicago DIY scene, their live shows can easily reflect it, full of energy and plenty of crowd surfers to go around. This band is one of our favorites; make sure you see them in your city this summer.

Her’s Hard to believe this band rooted from a not-so-sunny Liverpool, but with their sun-gazed sound, they bring the perfect summer sound right to home. Dream pop duo, Her’s, quickly snowballed and caught the eye of many after releasing just two songs, “Dorothy” and “What Once Was” last year. The duo is made of Audun Laading (bass) and Stephen Fitzpatrick (guitar/vox), both playing alongside a drum machine. The two met at school in a music class, and after a little time spent bonding, they began the project, Her’s. Their easy going daydream sound, surrounds itself with pop melodies and basslines that have a serious groove to each song, similar to Triathalon or Ariel Pink. Earlier this month Her’s released their collection of songs, “Songs of Her’s”, described by the two as an “eclectic” mix of things to look forward to in the next couple years. The collection, although isn’t a debut album, but more of a compilation of the first three singles, plus three new songs. These two are sure to make a splash this year, and should definitely be in your playlist mix.

The Bloomington, Indiana band, Hoops, quickly caught the attention of many with their lo-fi, dreamy pop infused sound. What is now a four piece, first began as Drew Auscherman’s solo project, and soon shifted into the group consisting of Kevin Krauter (bass), James Harris (Drums), and Keagan Beresford (guitar). Make no mistake, Auscherman didn’t get the name from a sport, but from what him and fellow co-workers called the part of a plant nursery, really a polytunnel, they worked in. Hoops released their self-titled EP last year, and released their debut album, Routines, May 5th. We caught a glimpse of what’s in store for one of the most anticipated new albums of this year, with the first single, “Rules”. Although it is one of their most poppy, straightforward songs, and only lasts around two minutes, the sun-doused song gushes with up-tempo bass lines and daydreaming vocals. Routines is out now via Fat Possum Records, and we adore it. Some of our favorites off the album are “The Way Luv Is” and “All My Life” although they are short, the up-tempo, you can’t help but groove to their dreamy guitar anthems.

Hoops 13

Hockey Dad

Their name may derive from an episode of the animated sitcom, The Simpsons, but this Australian surf pop duo is far more indulging. The band consists of singer and guitarist Zach Stephenson and drummer Billy Fleming. For being a garage surf duo the two bring a load of energy into their set with their chaotic drums and distorted guitar riffs, making for a completely nostalgic record. As childhoods friends soon turned into band mates who tour around the world together, both Stephenson and Fleming have had quite some time to get to know one another. In 2014, the band released their Dreamin’ EP, an easy five-song record that perfectly captures the ‘day at the beach’ sound. Last August, the two debuted their first album, Boronia, keeping the warm toned tracks alive with bright hooks, doozy drumming, and that summer love angst. Although their sound may make you feel like a beach bum, Hockey Dad made a rowdy record that is the perfect summer go-to, but doesn’t have to be seasonal.

The Velveteins We sat down with Canadian band, The Velveteins, over a cup of coffee on an early SXSW morning. After watching Hoops play a set at Urban Outfitters Space Twenty-Four Twenty, we asked Spencer Morphy (vocals/guitar), Addison Hiller (percussion), and Dean Kheroufi (bass) everything from the start of the band to influential artists, and their new album release. Although this trio is from Edmonton, they sound like they were plucked straight from the west coast with their sun-touched, brooding, beach-pop sound. Their sound could easily be reminded of a retro surf town, and definitely encompasses a nostalgic feel. The band started as a solo project from Spencer, but soon formed into a group in 2014. By 2015, the band had recorded and released their first EP, ‘Fresh Claws’, followed by last year’s release, ‘A Hot Second with The Velveteins’, and just released their full-length debut album entitled, ‘Slow Wave’ via Fierce Panda Canada. If there’s one word to describe this band to its fullest potential, the guys say let it be ‘smang’, you know, smashing and banging. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open, you don’t want to miss out on this band.

NE-HI

This band is definitely one of our favorites from you guessed it- Chicago. This ‘60s garage, jangle-rock influenced quartet came together in 2013 to score a friend’s film, but instead NE-HI was introduced. Composed of Jason Balla (guitar/vocals), Mikey Wells (guitar/vocals), James Weir (bass), and Alex Otake (drums), these guys of NE-HI capture the sound of what an underground basement show in Chicago would be like. Following the summer they met, in 2014 NE-HI released their self-titled debut album, and certainly made a dent in the scene and turned heads. This February, the band gave us another gem, their sophomore album- Offers, a much more mature and polished sound to their previous reverb drained record. Offers showcases the bands post-punk influence with its overlay of melodic pop guitar chords to back Balla and Wells’ vocals, and basslines that seem to jump at you. NE-HI captured the energy and sound The Windy City has to offer with the ambitious, Offers, and we will continue to have this one on loop until the next.

The Drums

photos by Anna Maria Lopez words by Jaycee Rockhold interview by Bailey Vigliaturo

“What does it take for you to believe that I have changed?” Jonny Pierce sings on The Drums’ new single “Blood Under My Belt”. Well, since their creation in Florida in 2009, The Drums have undergone a lot of renovation. Initially the duo of Jonny Pierce and Jacob Graham, Pierce has shed the rest of the original members to spearhead the band himself, giving him total artistic control of his next release Abysmal Thoughts. When news first broke of Graham leaving The Drums, fans, critics, and indie pop lovers were unsure of what the future of the band was going to be. Pierce himself, who has been the brainchild of the band since first writing pop music in the safety of his own bedroom, found himself questioning whether people would still even take him seriously. It seemed like a fair point. Many were (and perhaps still are) under the impression that Pierce was just the “weird singer” of the band. But in actuality, a majority of musical content released by The Drums was actually written and created by Pierce. “There’s no hindrance whatsoever. It’s my biggest revelation,” Pierce said in regards to previous members leaving the band. “We released the first song about a week and a half ago or

something and I’m a little ashamed that I had to look at the reviews and look at the press to feel good about what I’m doing, but I did. I feared up until that moment. I felt so much love and so much encouragement. I actually haven’t, since “Let’s Go Surfing” which was like 8 years ago, felt this push behind me. Everyone from the fans to the press to even my ex-bandmates writing me like ‘dude, we are so stoked for you.’” Even though Pierce has since removed himself from getting notifications, reviews and comments on the internet were once a huge source of anxiety for him. He often found himself subscribing to Google Alerts, intent on hearing anything about the music The Drums released. Despite the good reviews well, feeling good to hear, the negative ones were still an uncomfortable and disheartening aspect. “It’s a double edged sword,” said Pierce. “When the band first started I was so fascinated like, ‘wait, hang on. I made these songs in my bedroom’. I was broke as fuck and like BBC news was talking about me. I did Google Alerts and like nine out of ten of those were nice. For me, I’m very fragile. Just one bad one and I’ll forget all of the nice ones”. According to Pierce, there’s an urge to continue

making the same music if critics and fans favor it. In order to be a dynamic artist, this isn’t a good solution. “Even a good review, like someone giving you a high five so to speak, it’s very hard for me to not be affected by that. I think that’s a negative,” Pierce said. “Even if someone is saying “Oh, I what you’re doing is really great”, I think it’s affecting your art. You’re just like, “Oh, I’ll just

“I made these songs in my bedroom. I was broke as fuck and like BBC news was talking about me.” keep doing that”. Like maybe, as an artist, you’re organically pivoting a little to go a different direction”. Reviews pushed aside, Pierce is still ecstatic in the direction that his music has taken. There’s no more molding to specific standards out of the pressure hovering around him of just simply having fellow bandmates. Instead, he’s able to dress like he’s always intended to, present him-

self however he wants to, and write about the subjects that aren’t always basked in sunshine. “I feel like I can talk about things like doing drugs or talk about explicit sex and talk about things like that,” explained Pierce. “I feel like I can do whatever I want on this record. It’s so personal. It’s like cracking open my diary, even though I don’t have a diary so I guess my hypothetical diary”. According to Pierce, this is the first album he’s shown his friends that ever made anyone cry. It’s extremely intimate and an “ultimate freedom”. Nothing is off limits. Abysmal Thoughts is charged with a myriad of emotions, ranging from isolating sadness to sexual energy. Pierce approaches subjects that would once have been discouraged by his old bandmates. Even his label, surprised by the vividly honest tone, was worried that it wouldn’t sell.

“I feel like I can do whatever I want on this record. It’s so personal. It’s like cracking open my diary, even though I don’t have a diary so I guess my hypothetical diary” “A lot of it is about growing up in a small town,” said Pierce. “I was the son of a Pentecostal pastor who was very abusive. Physically and mentally and all those things. Because it’s just me, I don’t feel like I have to broaden the subject so the other guys in the band can also relate”. By focusing on such narrow, specific incidences, Pierce has actually found that his music has become even more relatable. Instead of choosing wide-ranging themes, telling personal stories have allowed The Drums to become more authentic and candid. It’s true, it’s hard to talk about, and it’s a huge step forward. “Can we please talk about things that are awful?”, Pierce asks. In a world that wants to sing about partying, drinking, and feeling happy all of the time, Pierce’s willingness to write about darker feelings is refreshing.

With a shift in what his music deals with, there comes a shift in sound and appearance. Pierce, who has long been a fan of what has been considered off-limits by others, has consistently been attracted to peculiarly beautiful things. When asked about how his music has changed overall, he cited a sexual vigor for off the wall aesthetics. “It’s more 90’s, Russian prog, that whole Ukrainian vibe. Just kind of like down and out, motocross, shitty extreme sports…” said Pierce. “Aesthetically, I’ve always been sexually turned on by that kind of stuff. I can do what I want. Not only musically, but with the artwork. The Abysmal Thoughts artwork is actually my boyfriend sniffing my shoe on the cover”.

“I feel safe enough to express this stuff whereas two years I maybe even wouldn’t have felt like I could say it” Part of the reason Pierce has been able to change up both his music and his aesthetic is the fans of his music. The Drums have been one of the staple indie rock bands that have had a cult following for ages, especially since their jangly pop hit “Let’s Go Surfing”. With only one single released from Abysmal Thoughts, there’s only signs of acceptance and appreciation from those same fans. “I think it took three records to get to the point where I would also feel safe enough”, Pierce said. “My fans are so loyal and caring and I feel like they really want the best for me. I want the best for them. I feel safe enough to express this stuff whereas two years I maybe even wouldn’t have felt like I could say it”. The anticipation is high for The Drums’ next release. Abysmal Thoughts is the first release in nearly three years and people can expect nothing else but Jonny Pierce being unadulterated and himself.

omni photos by Sam Keeler

kid wave

photo by pamela ayala

yoke lore 31

Blaenavon

hippo campus

the evening attraction 35

THE BUTTERTONES

THE LIGHTHOUSE AND THE WHALER

AQUILLO

BLEACHED

FEATURING FILM DIARIES, AN INTERVIEW WITH POONEH GHANA, TOP PLACES TO GRAB A SNACK IN AUSTIN, & AN INTERVIEW WITH A LOCAL AUSTIN ARTIST

LIFESTYLE 41

FILM diaries photos by Jaycee Rockhold

pooneh ghana Pooneh Ghana, a San Antonio transplant that now calls Austin her home, is perhaps one of the most well-known band photographers of modern day. First gaining interest in photography in high school, Ghana quickly found herself documenting musicians mostly by using a Polaroid camera, showcasing her work on Flickr. Now, however, Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photos are used by popular music publications, stretching from online blogs to Rolling Stone. Encouraged by the vibrant Austin environment, Ghana has crafted her own skills, exemplifying a shooting style that is intimate, colorful, and uniquely Pooneh Ghana.

How did you first get into photography? I started by just picking up a camera in high school and shooting for fun, around when I started traveling to Austin from San Antonio (where I grew up) a lot to go to shows. I started shooting a lot of polaroids around that time of bands before or after their shows. Then I think it was 2008 when Gorilla Vs. Bear, who also shoot band polaroids for their site, saw a bunch of polaroids that I snapped at Fun Fun Fun Fest that year on my old Flickr page. Then I started shooting for them, and other people started seeing my work, and it all kind of just started growing from there! Your photos have a very distinct style, how did you develop that? I think it’s a mixture of pushing myself to be creative as well as it just being a natural process of constantly shooting everyday and building an eye over time after a lot of practice. I also really enjoy going into Lightroom and messing around for hours with colors. A big thing for me, especially when I was first starting out, was trying not to compare my style or what I was doing with other photographers. It’s good to get inspiration but also it’s important to take risks and try to do your own thing without worrying about how it looks against your peers. How do you go about evoking certain emotions from your photos? When I shoot shows and musicians, I go into it from the perspective of a music fan. I think of what kind of photos I’d like to see of my favorite bands, or what photos I had hanging on my walls when I was younger, and try to capture that same spirit with the bands I love and shoot now. I want my photos to feel genuine and intimate, and for people to look at them and feel like they’ve learned something a little more about the subject and who the subject is. If it’s a live show, I want to make people feel like they were there.

What’s been the hardest part of your journey in photography? Probably just getting my photography out there in front of people the first few years and hoping people will give me a chance to work with them. Being broke and going to school in something you don’t want a degree in while trying to build a photography career was also a challenge. Haha. But I didn’t quit, because I didn’t give myself any other choice than to chase my dream. I still pinch myself today. How has living in Austin influenced your photography? Austin has had a huge influence on where I am now. It’s where I developed everything from my music taste, photography, a real community of friends inside and outside of the music scene, and where I essentially came of age for the past 10+ years. It’s where I can go a great show every night and just be in the thick of it and shoot, and where I became really passionate about pursuing photography. If the music scene and community of Austin didn’t exist while I was growing up, I’m not sure where I’d be today. What’s your favorite thing about SXSW? Favorite SXSW memory? Favorite thing is of course seeing 100+ bands I love play down the street from where I live in the span of a week. All the surprise house shows, bridge shows, etc etc are always exciting too. My favorite memory is definitely the Cage The Elephant secret house party at my friend’s place two years ago, which was absolutely nuts. My friend got evicted after that show, but she says it was worth it. haha. What is your favorite festival to cover/attend? I just went to FORM Festival out in the middle of the desert at Arcosanti (Arizona), and it’s now by far

my favorite festival to shoot and attend. You just have to look it up because me trying to describe how majestic this festival and the community of Arcosanti is won’t do it justice. If you could work with any band (dead or alive) who would it be? There’s too many! Probably Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Or David Bowie. Do you have a favorite photo of all time that you’ve taken? If so, what photo and why? I wouldn’t say I have one favorite photo, that’s too hard! I can name a couple of memorable ones though. One is definitely The Strokes photo I shot last year in Austin. It was just before SXSW and I got an email, I think one day before, that The Strokes were in town and wanted to see if I could shoot some quick photos for their new EP. I was over the moon! It was a quick shoot in the studio they were practicing in, and we did a bunch of polaroids mainly. They’re all really cool guys. I’ve been listening to them since I was in middle school and they’ve influenced a lot of music I (and many other people my age) listen to now, so it was a big ‘full circle’ moment. Any advice to budding photographers? Always carry a camera with you and try to take photos everyday. Do you own thing. As I mentioned before, It’s good to get inspired by other photographers or to look for inspiration, but don’t get heady about it or get caught up in trying to copy a particular style. Don’t steer away from developing your own eye and thinking creatively. As you shoot and learn more about yourself as a photographer, you’ll keep growing and getting better at your craft naturally. Also, don’t be a dick.

snack time & other things photos by Kindle Kreis

Katie Neustaedter My name’s Katie Neustaedter I’m originally from Houston, TX I’m based out of Austin and I don’t think that’ll ever be changing. I’ve been doodling since I was a kid. When I was little, I wanted to be a jazzercise instructor or an artist; being an artist required less high kicks, so I guess I went with that. Oof. That’s tricky. My style has always been all over the place, but I think maybe comicky-monstery-messy-magical-radical-weird kind of about sums it up. My preferred medium will always be pen and ink. Even though I’ve started moving further into using digital platforms, everything always starts with pen and ink and mess. I draw inspiration from a lot of different places. I’m obsessed with campy B-rate horror movies, graphic novels, graffiti art and old punk xerox-made DIY zines and posters and in a weird way that’s all helped form me as an artist. Sometimes yes, sometimes no! Sometimes there can be communities here that are so beautiful and supportive, you can’t really do anything but be inspired by it. I’ve definitely met a lot of artists in this city that have helped me out of creative ruts and got me back on track. Other times, my rent goes up, eight blocks of homogenous condos are built, and I have to stare at my ceiling for a few hours, feeling incredibly alienated from everything, and will wonder if I still think it’s worth it to be here (the conclusion generally being “You’re fucking right it’s still worth it!” in big bold angry letters). So. Much. Creative. Energy. Despite the struggle of living here sometimes, the art community, again, is beautiful and supportive. If you want a space to have a show, someone will always be willing to offer their living room or warehouse space. There are people always willing to sit in a bar and draw dumb comics with you, and there are always basement showings of short films and hidden gems, where the film literally melts in the projector while the movie is playing. There’s a lot to see and something always happening and I wouldn’t want it any other way.