Heart Eyes Magazine / Issue 3

a music magazine highlighting how music affects life and covers the up and coming bands of our generation.

the team founder gabi yost head of interviews caleigh wells head of graphic design jared elliott head of photography heather zalabak co-head of production management jiselle santos co-head of production management ky kasselman co-head of social media ashleigh haddock co-head of social media madi mize co-head of writing victoria taglione co-head of writing peyton rhodes

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for submissions & questions, email us at

ana gomez, ava butera, erin christie, elizabeth lee, rachel wishop, kariann tan, jada moore emma watts, erin christie, ariana cruz, jess dooley ariana cruz

hearteyesmag@gmail.com

I S S U E T H R E E

L I T T L E I M A G E EDITORS LETTER First off, I would like to say thank you to everyone who purchased issues 1 and 2! The proceeds went to Hurricane Relief to help out the Victims of Harvey. Crazy to think that Heart Eyes started about 4 months ago and we are already on issue 3! In this issue, we have an interview with a band called Little Image, city travel guides, a gallery of photographs from past concerts, a girl power playlist, and lots more. From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank all the readers who have made our dream a reality. We wouldn’t be here without you. gabri yost

new city travel guides new playlists humans of the queue: bastille the perfect movie soundtrack the boundaries of being a fan

3 11 13 15 17

features the greeting committee 19 the young vines 25 little image 33

reviews live 41 albums 45

a travel guide to

New York City

By Elizabeth Lee

K

nown as the largest city in the world, New York City is packed with events and surprises at every corner. To make it easier for you, here are some of the best places in the city (and the best thing is, most of them are free!) Although the city may be known for it’s commercialized buildings and fast-paced environment, you can still find peace in its chaotic lifestyle.

Central Park is the perfect escape to enjoy the surrounding sights of trees and sun. Whether it’s finding a quiet bench to read, or taking a nap in the grass, this park will warm your heart and allow you to enjoy the sun (or in the winter, seem like a Winter Wonderland!). Bryant Park is another park right near Times Square. The park hosts fun events, like Square Dancing and movie nights on the lawn, as well as the Winter Village Christmas festival. Another park is Washington Square Park has the best nightlife adventures. It’s the perfect opportunity to grab some food, sit near the fountain, and enjoy live music and diverse crowds. If you want some of the best views of the city, the Top of the Rock and the Brooklyn Bridge are the perfect opportunities to do that! Located on the top of Rockefeller Center, this $34 sight is worth every penny! You can see the whole city from a glance, and it is just beautiful! The Brooklyn Bridge is a casual one-mile walk, allowing you to see most of Manhattan. Take in the cool breeze, and enjoy the phenomenal structure that links the two boroughs together. Don’t forget to also check out the Brooklyn Promenade nearby! The Staten Island Ferry also shows off Manhattan in a beautiful way! This 20 minute ferry ride will allow you to see the scope of the city, as well as Lady Liberty herself!

3 | travel guides

Photos by Elizabeth Lee

If you want something artsy and historic, The Metropolitan Museum of Art (also known as the MET) is the largest museum in the country. Whether it’s walking around the endless art and historical exhibits, or quickly snapping the typical Gossip Girl photo on the steps, this spot is definitely on the list of places to visit in city.

And let us not forget about food! New York holds some of the best (and cutest) coffee shops in the world! A growing Aussie-chain called Bluestone Lane has the most delicious chai tea lattes. Another great place is Birch Coffee, where their beautifully crafted mochas are just the right amount of bitter and sweet (and they have student discounts for all you college people!). Brunch is an essential ritual that every New Yorker seems to participate in. So next time you’re in the mood, grab an Instagram-worthy acai-bowl from Two Hands or try the best pancakes at Clinton Street Baking Company! Egg Shop in the Lower East Side a good place to get your egg and avocado fix, and The Wild Son is an aesthetic place tucked away near Chelsea Market. The list just goes on and on!

One of the perks about the city is that there are always things to do, and there is something for everyone. Of course, this list is just a handful out of the endless places to visit and see! Whether you visit these places or not, just come and visit New York City-you won’t regret it!

travel guides | 4

a travel guide to

CHICAGO C

By Rachel Wishop

hicago is a gorgeous city for concerts, visiting museums, watching sports events, hitting the beach, shopping, and sightseeing. Rich in history and endless in opportunities, it’s no wonder why 54 million people visit each year. Downtown is always bustling with shopping and dozens of tourist hot spots. Farther from downtown you’ll find quaint neighborhoods, each with unique cultures, local restaurants, and stores. In this piece, I’d like to share some of my favorite places in Chicago and my best advice if you’re planning to visit.Even if it might seem basic, if you’re in downtown Chicago, be sure to visit Millennium Park. This is where you’ll find Cloud Gate, also known as the Bean, one of the most photographed places in all of Chicago. Not only does this park provide a beautiful view of the city, it also hosts markets, dancing, and an ice skating rink in the winters. A short walk from Millennium Park is Grant Park, where the Cubs rally, Lollapalooza, and many other events take place. In the center of this park is the Buckingham Fountain, another heavily photographed location in the city. The breathtaking fountain is even more gorgeous when it lights up at night. Another gorgeous place to sightsee is Navy Pier. Right alongside Lake Michigan, Navy Pier has carnival rides, stores, cozy restaurants, and fireworks. There are plenty of options with live bands, boat tours, and indoor gardens. For those unafraid of heights, going up in the Willis Tower skyscraper is one of the best ways to take in the whole city.

This skyscraper is 110 stories high with glass cabins you can walk out onto to look down at the sidewalk below.

5 | travel guides

Home to hundreds of venues, bars, and clubs, Chicago’s music scene is always thriving. Most notably, every summer in Grant Park one of the biggest festivals in the world, Lollapalooza, takes place. This music festival draws in hundreds of thousands of people and brings amazing performers not only to the main stages, but also to smaller venues for aftershows. One of my all-time favorite venues is House of Blues in downtown Chicago. This venue is special because of its smaller size, but impeccable record of hosting some of the best up-and-coming acts in all genres of music. Artists they’ve had in the past are Khalid, The 1975, Lana del Rey, and thousands more. Some artists coming to House of Blues soon are: LANY, COIN, Lecrae, and Macklemore.Another venue I love attending is the Aragon Ballroom in Uptown Chicago. As a mid-sized venue, they’ve had some incredible acts like Young the Giant, Glass Animals, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Twenty One Pilots, and Green Day. Located right by the L, this venue is easy to get to by train and has easy, inexpensive parking. Around this venue you’ll find a variety of different kinds of places to eat, mostly local and cultural. Coming soon to Aragon Ballroom this fall are Jon Bellion, Dua Lipa, Khalid, and Brand New. Something really unique about Chicago is the plethora of museums to visit. One really awesome museum I love to visit whenever I’m in the city is the Art Institute, which houses classics from Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, and George Seurat. This museum is as beautiful as it is expensive, so plan on spending a good amount of time here.

Other museums worth noting are the Museum of Contemporary Art, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and the Field Museum. A little piece of advice: On certain weekdays, these museums have certain specials and times when Illinois residents and students can get in for free or for a discounted price!

When planning a trip to any of these museums, be sure to look up their offers on their websites!

Navigating the huge city of Chicago might sound intimidating with taxis, the L, non-stop traffic, and city buses. Here is some of my recommendations transportation-wise: If you want to drive, be cautious of expensive parking fees downtown. I recommend using apps like Spot Hero and to plan parking ahead of time. Of course, taxis and Ubers are a popular and safe method of transportation that don’t require much planning and are easily accessible. One factor to consider is the possibility of traffic slowing you down from getting you to your destination. Always be sure to tip and thank your driver.Taking the trains and the L is my personal preference when navigating Chicago. Metra tickets are more expensive on the weekends, but it’s the fastest way around the city. You can find these train stations all over the city, and have different routes. At first, taking the L is overwhelming, but you can catch on very quickly.

No matter the season, Chicago is stunning and has unlimited opportunities of activities. It’s the perfect scene for a day-trip, weekend getaway, to attend school, or to live. The Windy City has so much to offer to everyone from every walk of life. The city is bursting with color, excitement, and culture. I hope this travel guide inspires you to plan a trip to explore Chicago in the future! travel guides | 6

ChIC

7 | travel guides

a o g Photos by Rachel Wishop

travel guides | 8

a travel guide to

Miami I

By Ana Gomez

f you’re looking for a city with anything you could want- beaches,

museums, parks, and a vibrant art and music scene, you don’t need to look any further than Miami. This city is truly a must-visit for anyone, and it only seems to be getting better. Let’s be honest- if you don’t Instagram it, did it really happen? In Miami, you have no need to worry about that. The neighborhood of Wynwood, near downtown, features several blocks occupied by huge walls and galleries covered with eye-catching artwork by local and international artists. There’s sure to be some you love!

9 | travel guides

The city also boasts dozens of gorgeous, historic Art Deco-architecture buildings perfect for strolling through and getting some perfect shots. Pictured is one of my favorites, The Biltmore, which looks like it’s been frozen in time from the 1920s.

If you’re still hunting for even more cute and artsy places perfect for the ‘gram, Tea and Poets in South Miami is the place to go. Here, you can browse through all types of goodies from local vendors, grab some tea, play a board game, and listen in on one of their many events- local music, poetry, and open mic nights.

As you might have noticed, Miami’s music scene is unbeatable. There is a huge community for every genre imaginable, and Miami is home to some beautiful concert venues such as Bayfront Park Amphitheater and The Fillmore, whose stages have been graced by several Heart Eyes favorites!

Photos by Ana Gomez

Miami is home to millions of people from about every part of the world you can think of, and it’s a perfect example of how beautiful it can be when all these cultures blend together and coexist. If you’re feeling the wanderlust now, paying a visit to the Magic City will be the something you’ll remember forever.

travel guides | 10

G G R R L L P P W W R R

• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper • Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce

• No Roots by Alice Merton

• New Rules by Dua Lipa

• Take Me by Ally & AJ

• Weaker Girl by Banks

• Supermodel by SZA

• Cut your Teeth by Kississippi

• Good to be a Man by Elle King

• Rose Colored Boy by Paramore

• Where I Am by loren north

• There’s A Honey by Pale Waves

• Giver by K.Flay

• Someone Tell The Boys by Samia

• Yes I am by MAMAMOO

• Come Undone by Holley Maher

• Tough Knuckle by Yulez

• Boy Problems by Carly Rae Jepsen

• What’s it Gonna Be? By Shura

• Dead Man’s Arms by Bishop Briggs

• My House by PVRIS

• Cool Slut by Chastity Belt

• Future by Transviolet

• 3/3 by the Japanese House

• Our Deal by Best Coast

• I Know A Place by MUNA

• Stuck by The Aces

• Had Ten Dollaz by Cherry Glazerr

• Canyon by JOSEPH

• Beautiful People Beautiful Problems by Lana Del Rey ft. Stevie Nicks

STREAM THE FULL PLAYLIST INSTANTLY ON SPOTIFY add us @hearteyesmag !

visual by: ariana cruz

Humans of The BASTILLE

PROVIDENCE, RI Written & Shot by Erin Christie Within recent years, queuing has become a major- and to many, a necessary- part of concert culture. Ranging from fans spending endless nights on the streets, to waiting for their favorite bands to arrive, to experiencing them from the closest possible position from the stage, to even just waiting for an hour or two, bonding with the friends that you make in line. Queuing has become a huge trend especially as artists and bands begin to gain a bigger following with time, gathering much denser crowds, heaving with anticipation for what is bound to be a show to remember. With bigger crowds, though, comes more competition to get the best spot in line and the closest spot to the stage, hence, resulting in fans lining up in advance, even for a week or more, to ensure that their space is secured. This trend, though appreciated by many, has become much more aggressive as months come and go and bands gain more and more commercial success and attention, leading many fans to question whether or not having a barricade spot is really worth the immense struggle.

This fall, British indie rockers and fan- favorites, Bastille, returned to the states for a short stint, landing in Providence, RI for one of the closing acts of that tour on the 13th of September. Bastille has gained world- wide recognition within the past few years, most notably due to their 2013 radio hit, “Pompeii� which eventually reached number one on the UK Album Charts and succeeded internationally. Throughout the last few years, Bastille has continued to make fans proud, touring all over the world and releasing absolutely stellar track after track, most recently with their sophomore record, Wild World, which was released in 2016. With time, their fan base has gradually grown, amassing to a point where they began to quickly play massive arenas throughout the world.

13 | humans of the queue

For hours before doors were to open for this momentous gig, fans packed the street outside of Strand Ballroom and Theatre (previously Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel), anxiously awaiting the hour that would soon come where they would pack into the air- tight venue and rush toward the stage.

This waiting game, one that this venue and many like it has seen before, is not an uncommon practice and many times, it does not go as smoothly as one would like, resulting in possible tension and disagreement. With the possibility of conflict and the stress that may come with queuing outside a venue all day for a night with one’s favorite band, many question: “Is it really worth it, even if I get to spend the show within feet of the stage where my favorite band is performing?”

In the words of Jamie Debreceni, a fan who is quite experienced in terms of queuing, “I honestly don’t think queueing is necessary for every concert. For me, if I know the band very well, know most of the songs on the setlist, and seek a connection with the people in the band, I tend to queue.”

As a general consensus, queuing, for many, is only rational or vital when the band in question is one that holds a great amount of importance they have and the connection that one is hoping to get with said band (for, after all, being on barricade, though it doesn’t guarantee a better time, but it does guarantee a closer connection with the artist on stage). Queuing, in that sense, becomes an important part of the concert experience for many and that is completely valid.

For Ciara Burke, another fan, there is something about queuing that “makes a concert a full experience.” In her words, “Waiting in line adds to the anticipation of seeing the artist, and being able to connect with them and their music up close and personal is special. You also get to meet some amazing people in line who share a similar taste in music, and it makes you feel like you’re part of a larger community,” these points, and more, being major aspects as to why queueing has become such a widespread trend within recent years.

However, with this in mind, no matter if one decides to queue or not- depending on their preference- the experience that is gained from the concert holistically can still be enjoyable either way. As Debreceni thought regarding this, “I think it can go either way. There are sometimes I queue for a very long time, get to the front and enjoy every second of the concert. There are other times that I’m just miserable because it was raining or cold and I’d been sitting outside for more than 10 hours and I kind of wish that I just came when doors opened.” In a general sense, your experience at a show is generally what you make of it- no matter if you’re on barricade or in the back, or arrived two minutes before doors or even two days before doors, you can have a good time (or even a bad time, unfortunately) regardless.

Queuing, though a trend of many, is not necessarily an important, or vital, part of the concert experience that all need to take part in, but with that being said, many find joy in the process, waiting in long lines, making friends along the way, and gaining the spot on barricade that they deserve.

Though queuing can be enjoyable, it can also be stressful, though- if you or anyone you know are considering queuing, it is especially important to be prepared, to stay hydrated, and to understand your own limits.

humans of the queue | 14

SILVER

SCREEN

S O U N D T R A C K

By Peyton Rhodes

We know you’ve done it too. It’s a classic move; walking home with your earphones in, pretending like you’re in a movie scene, your favorite song playing as you, the main character, walk triumphantly down the sidewalk. People in cars passing by are probably laughing at you, but who cares? You’ve got those sweet, sweet tunes.

We’re here to empower you. Here’s a quick list of all the times our favorite tunes reminded us of a movie scene.

Nancy From Now On - Father John Misty You’re on your way home from a hard day at work or school. It’s raining, your car or bus’s windows are grey, and you lean your head against the cool glass, watching two raindrops race each other down the pane. Nancy From Now On’s comforting acoustic ballad status mixed with its sarcastic lyrics will make you feel like the misunderstood hero as you make your way home.

High - Sir Sly Ever wanted to feel like you’re in an expensive suit and sunglasses, walking away from an exploding building in slow motion with Will Smith by your side? Congratulations - the electronic power hit by Sir Sly will do the trick. The triumphant lyrics and synth music will make even the walk to the grocery store feel like a successful spy mission. make you feel like the misunderstood hero as you make your way home.

15 | the perfect movie soundtrack

Falling So In Love With You - Rome Hero Foxes Love is out of fashion - we know. But just in case (God forbid) you find yourself in the midst of a serious crush situation, this cheesy ballad will be the perfect soundtrack to your staring at the walls and dancing around your kitchen. Whether or not your love is requited, Falling So In Love With You will enable all your mushiest dreams for a glorious three minutes and forty seven seconds.

Tired of Love - The Dig On the off-chance that you find yourself on the flip side of a crush - whether you’ve just experienced a breakup or you just realized your favorite male celebrity is kind of a misogynist - Tired of Love is the perfect burn-all-their-belongings montage song. Revel in your newly enlightened state with this synthy indie pop perfection.

Unbelievers - Vampire Weekend Speaking of romantic relationships being overrated, our favorite part of any movie is the perfect best friendship. Whether it’s a prank montage, a bonding experience or a cementing of new friendship, Unbelievers will make you feel like your best friend moment is silver-screen worthy. Bonus points if you and your best friend are playing a prank and blasting the song at the same time.

Rollin - Calvin Harris Every good movie has a road trip montage, complete with the perfect song to complement it. Rollin calls to mind all the ideals of a movie road trip: overhead shots of a highway along a beach, laughing passengers, a perfect summer. A feature by America’s new sweetheart, Khalid, ensures that this tune will be your ultimate road trip montage song.

House of the Rising Sun - alt-J When you’ve come to the end of your movie - uh, your day - House of the Rising Sun should be your go-to “roll credits” song. The haunting melody and instrumentals would be the perfect backdrop for the fade to black part of your personal film. Tip: listen to this song as the sun is setting to get the full effect.

the perfect movie soundtrack | 16

BEING A FAN. WHAT IT IS AND ISNT

By Caleigh Wells

In this day and age, a musician’s followers get more and more access into their private lives than ever before, thanks to social media. We as music followers believe we see into a musician’s life, and through this, we create a falsified relationship to that artist-- a one sided connection that can be bittersweet. Today’s “stan” culture has created this idea that being a fan of a band is also being friends with the band. There is a line that defines the two, and it needs to be redefined.

Modern day bands and artists are on every form of social media in order to spread their music and connect with fans who don’t get to see them at shows. This is great; it allows fans who don’t have the resources to go to shows to get information and entertainment from their favorite musicians.

However, this has also created a new way for “stans”, or overzealous fans, to access private parts of a musician’s life that he or she might not want to share. Specifically, following or stalking family members to the band to access private photos and information. A musician’s family is a part of their private life unless explicitly stated, and for someone to go out of their way to find information through relatives, is borderline creepy.

The other thing about social media is that fans begin to think they know every corner of an artist’s life simply from what they put on social media. As a generation of people who are mostly involved with social media, we should know first hand that what we post is typically a better image of ourselves.

We project what we want others to see, therefore, we can assume artist’s will do the same. What they post is what they want their followers to see-- public information and messages. A follower cannot assume the status of a musician based on a 10 second clip, a selfie, or a tweet.

17 | the boundaries of fans

More important than an artist’s online privacy is their physical privacy. It is so easy for someone today to find a famous figure’s location and quickly spread it, until soon, a large group of fans will find the artist and demand them to come visit with them. Although a fan is a supporter, an artist does not owe them anything, specifically the time to talk and take photos when they’re busy with their private lives. Fans have increasingly become more aggravated when a band will not come out after the show to meet them. People forget that touring and playing shows is a job, an exhausting one. Traveling from city to city and playing a hot, physically demanding show will drain one of all their energy. A fan bought tickets for that performance-- not a meet and greet. Therefore, an artist has no obligation to come out after the show. Although it is nice, it is not required.

If you are a fan that has the ability to tour with a band, or go to multiple shows, that’s great. You are supporting an artist and their work by buying tickets.

However, it should be as far as that. Fans are buying tickets, not friendship. Simply because someone attends multiple shows does not mean the artist is obligated to be their friend. You don’t pay to see your friends. One shouldn’t refer to an artist as their friend, it creates an unhealthy, one sided relationship. Similarly, buying tickets for multiple shows does not make someone a better fan. It is a privilege to attend even one show, and although that kind of support is great financially, it does not make one at a higher level than other fans.

It is common knowledge to respect a female artist (or at least I believe it is.

I feel like people have become more aware about what is, and what isn’t, okay to say to a female performer) however, many fans do not understand that it is also not okay to sexualize a male musician. For instance, at every concert, I have heard at least one girl refer to a male band member as “daddy”, or they yell at him to take off his shirt, or catcall him. Imagine if this was reversed, a male screaming this to a female musician. How is it different when it comes to a male musician? Respect is essential when you follow an artist, whether it’s their music or them as a person.

Even as a joke, this kind of language is disrespectful and just plain gross.

This isn’t a callout to anyone specific, or any specific fan base. This is a callout to the accumulating indie genre fan base mindset. A lot of people want to be the first fan of that up and coming band to gain their friendship, or more. Being a fan of a small or local band is great, especially when there’s recognition on both sides of the relationship. However, assuming friendship can be uncomfortable for the artist, especially when they don’t know how to say no. Many artists don’t want to hurt or offend those that support them, and therefore won’t voice their discomfort.

Musicians are normal people who have similar feelings like we do. We believe we “know” them because of online following, but imagine a complete stranger coming up to you, acting like your best friend. It would make you feel a little uncomfortable, right? These kind of fans need to take a step back and remember the original purpose of being a fan-- to support and respect an artist for their art: the music. the boundaries of fans | 18

THE GREETING COMMITTEE Interview by Ky Kasselman Photos by Heather Zalabak

The Greeting Committee is an indie band from Kansas City, MO that consists of Addie Sartino (vocals), Pierce Turcotte (bass), Austin Fraser (drums), and Brandon Yangmi (guitar). They formed in 2014 while they were in high school and signed with Harvest Records in 2015. They have toured with MisterWives and most recently with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, when Ky got to sit down with them and talk about their story as artists.

Why the name The Greeting Committee?

Brandon: I was sitting in English class, and we had played one show at this point under the name Motion Picture because we couldn’t think of anything, so we named it that after a Radiohead song. Well then we wanted to change it to something else, but we didn’t really know, and you know those stupid motivational posters of fake books in classrooms? One of the books said the word “greeting” on it and I was like “Aw, that’s like a warm word” and I just liked the thought of meeting people and it being warm.

So all I had was “greeting” in my head for a while, and then I was watching a documentary of The Beatles because they’re my favorite band of all time. There’s a picture of John Lennon wearing a shirt that says “the greeting committee” on it, and right when I saw that, I was like “Yeah.”

Addie: I didn’t like it at first, but then it grew on me, and I finally saw the picture of John Lennon too, and I was like “yeah that’s pretty cool.”

How would you describe your genre for people who have never heard you before?

Addie: It’s indie rock music that you can like groove to.

Pierce: Alternative’s a common adjective.

Austin: I feel like when I’m talking to older people I just say alternative music.

So Brandon, you talked about The Beatles, but who are your other musical inspirations?

Pierce: I mean we straight up have a song dedicated to Bombay Bicycle Club, so.

Brandon: Their first album is a huge influence on us.

Pierce: When we first started out we were basically a Bombay Bicycle Club cover band.

Addie: I think personally we all have our different influences. I pull from a lot of singer songwriters because that’s the background I come from, but I also enjoy very powerful front-women. I think Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs is awesome because she goes and writes her sad music and scores films and then she gets to be a super powerful front woman. And I just think Hayley Williams is super cool, I love The Killers, Death Cab for Cutie, Daughter.

If you weren’t making music what would you be doing?

Addie: I would be in music business school at Belmont, which I would probably be dreading. School’s not my thing.

Pierce: I have a lot of passions. I’ve always joked around of being a touring musician-programmer-barista-author, and I’m more or less pursuing all of those, but I think in a dream world I would be a knight in shining armor slaying dragons.

Addie: Pierce, what the hell, you already are.

Austin: I’d probably be focused on becoming an audio engineer.

Brandon: I would still be the best food runner. But past college and stuff, probably be working with animals. the greeting committee | 20

What is your favorite song to play live?

Addie: Not depending on the audience interaction, my favorite song to play is Someone Else, I kind of look like I’m having a seizure at the end of that song when we play it and it’s really fun for me. If people are singing along though, She’s A Gun is my favorite to play.

Pierce: I’ve been liking BBC a lot lately. I get to shred at the end. Since I’m on bass, I don’t get to do that often.

Austin: Probably our cover of Kids. That’s fun to play.

Brandon: I like She’s a Gun a lot because that’s what we pour a lot of our energy into because we’re ending the show.

What’s your favorite lyric?

Addie: I’m not even sure they know the lyrics to the songs. But mine is “Nothing’s quite as nice from the passenger side” which is basically about, I love my dad so much, but it’s about the struggle we went through. He cares about me so much and doesn’t want me to make the same mistakes he did, but my philosophy has kind of always been let me learn, let me grow, let me go through these things, so that song is just like “Let me drive this car” because nothing’s quite as nice from the passenger side.

What’s been the best part of touring?

Addie: I’m a super homebody, so I wouldn’t travel nearly as much if I wasn’t in this band so I really appreciate that aspect of just getting to go to new places, see cities that I would never see on my own. That along with just meeting new people.

Pierce: I love going out to explore new coffee places, so like every city I’m in, I go check out a new place.

Brandon: I love how by the end of the tour you start to get in a groove, because you’re playing every single night, and you’re just confident that you’re going to have a great show, that is if something doesn’t go terribly wrong. You’re a lot more consistent as a musician.

Austin: I just love touring in general.

What do you want people to take away from your music?

Addie: I mean at our live shows, I want people to enjoy themselves and to get into it - just kind of shedding whatever issues they came in with. As a lyricist, I want people to hear a line and grab on to that and let it help them feel comforted, because that’s what music does for me and did for me growing up.

Brandon: The fact that I get to play music that I enjoy and people can empathize with that and connect with that is the most important thing to me, especially since I’m not a lyricist.

Austin: I just want them to take whatever they want.

21 | the greeting committee

the greeting committee | 22

Lightning round !

Cats or dogs?

Everyone: Dogs!

Pineapple on p iz Addie: No. za?

Everyone else: Yes. Winter or summ er?

Everyone: N either! Spring o r fall.

Sandals or snea kers?

Everyone: Snea kers.

What is your favo e album right n Addie: Decrit n McKenna’s now?

Melodramala ew album and .

Lorde’s Pancakes or wa Addie: Panfflceas?

Everyone else:kes.

Waffles!

Is a hotdog a sa dwich?

Addie: Umn… yes?

THE YOUNG VINES THE YOUNG VINES THE YOUNG VINES

25 | the young vines

THE INTERVIEW. Interview by Madison Mize Photos courtesy of Honey Punch Magazine; Shot by Emma Watts The Young Vines are a four-piece alternative rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. They released an EP this past spring called Habits + Heartbreak, and just finished filming a music video for the title track. Madison Mize had a chance to sit down with Jordan and Caleb, the drummer and the singer respectively, to learn a bit about the band before their last hometown show for a year.

Hi, guys! Thank you for sitting down with me. Can you tell me a little bit about the origin of the band name?

Jordan: “Thanks for having us! So the name of the band actually comes from a guy that I was previously in a band with, the band that The Young Vines kind of formed out of. I was in it with our current guitarist, Aaron Watts, and he proposed that our former band name should be “The Young Vines” because he, and our former singer, were taught by a guy named Michael Vines, who has taught a lot of the great guitarists and musicians in Tulsa. And it’s not that he just taught them guitar, he taught them music business. He taught them what happens when a record label approaches you with something or what happens when a naked woman walks on stage and your mom is in the audience.

It’s somebody that instilled knowledge into Aaron that he wanted to pay homage to, but also the people that instilled knowledge in us when we were younger and taught us about the music business, and it wasn’t just paying homage to just Michael Vines, but it was paying homage to everybody who had invested in us. We are The Young Vines, the young version of the people that invested in us.”

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How did the band get started and how did you guys meet Jordan: “We were in another band in 2013, called Capital Cars. I was in it with a friend from high school that I had been playing music with, probably starting about 8 years ago. We were friends through high school and we were playing shows around Tulsa in bars at the age of 15 or 16 years old. We kind of developed as musicians together and then when I graduated high school and got a job, I started going to college, and then we started a new project. He came to me and told me “Hey there is this girl I’ve been dating, and her brother is a really good guitarist.” So, I thought he could be in it too. We could be a four-piece band, and that is where Aaron [Watts] came in, and Aaron knew a friend that he had played with previously in other bands named Nick Vineyard, and he was our bassist for a while and that went on for about a year and a half and then our singer decided that he wanted to pursue other options for himself in Nashville, so we were down a singer. Caleb and I have known each other since 5th grade, and one morning I texted him and said “Hey, do you wanna be in a band?” and it was as simple as that. He told me that he was thinking about starting some stuff with a few friends from college after he graduated, and I was like “Well I already have a band, so how about you just join us? We already have all these shows lined up and we just need a singer.”

So we wrote a bunch of songs in the span of two weeks and we had our first debut as a band on a local news station, and then we played some shows for the next couple of years, made some appearances at South by Southwest, and we’ve done a little bit of touring, and we just came out with our EP, “Habits + Heartbreak”, this last April. It started out as a 13 song album and we narrowed it down, but it’s a culmination of writing from the last couple of years. We actually wrote the first song on the EP, “Wild Lines”, the night that we went into the studio. Caleb had written the instrumental part of it and some of the lyrics before for something in college, and I was like “We should make this a song!” I was listening to The Pixies a lot at the time, and I had a lot of influence from that band, so we kind of meshed that sound and made it a song the next day in the studio, and it came together really well.”

That kind of goes into my next question, which is, What is the writing process like and who writes most of the music and lyrics?

Caleb: “The writing process has changed over the last two years. We had to get out of the gate really fast when I joined the band because we had those shows booked right as we were a young band. We also didn’t really know each other very well, as far as playing in a band together, so we had to play together a lot to get things to flow well.

As we’ve grown into each other, we know each other’s playing styles and what we like, and what makes a song for us. Since I’m the main songwriter, I just sit in my room and work out ideas and I write most of a song or most of an idea until I feel like I’m done with it, and then I get together with the guys and we’ll play it and I know that they’re going to play the parts that make sense. They know where I’m coming from [when writing songs], and I know where they’re coming from.”

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Jordan: “I think we’ve gotten out of the habit of playing something that we think that a lot of other people are going to like, and when we write songs, we work them out together and we play stuff that we know that each other is going to like, because we all like similar music. We all listen to the same bands for the most part. Caleb comes to us with a guitar part that he wrote and some lyrics or a melody, then I know what way he is going, so I’m gonna play something that is inspired by one of the bands that he has been listening to. We are very influenced by what we are listening to at the time.”

What are some of your big inspirations when it comes to writing music?

Caleb: “They kind of change from season to season. I really like Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes, Jim James, or My Morning Jacket, either one is just great. Andy Shauf has been huge lately, Grizzly Bear. Just a lot of bands with super, super strong melodies that do really cool, interesting projects. Every album is a little different, but it’s all very focused on the emotion of the artists, singing and playing the song. The lyrics aren’t like “Ooh! Look at me make these cool analogies, and I’m really clever!”. It’s more like remembrance.

Things like “Do you remember that place we went to?”, or like painting pictures [with words]. That’s more of what I’m into. I guess I could say, in a “grand art scene” kind of perspective, it’s more impressionist, it’s more about the emotion of painting a really pretty, faded picture about whatever part of your life that you’re writing about. That plays into some of the more washy sounds, slower tempos, and the longer notes and melodies, and then the lyrical content, the direction that I tend to go towards not thinking too much, but when I think about a part of my life or a situation that I’m dealing with, I think “What is the thing that is inside of me that wants to come out?”. Even though it doesn’t really make sense, in a lot of my songs recently, I’ve caught onto phrases. Things like “I don’t know you” or “I know I’m wrong”. I catch onto a phrase and hold onto the emotion, so I think that is the inspiration for writing. There is a lot of influences, but it’s really just something inside me or something that I’ve gone through. I try to let it out, get a phrase, put a melody to that phrase, and then write a song.”

Do you remember the moment in that you decided to pursue music? Was it something that just clicked one day or was it an ongoing dream?

Caleb: “I was always the kid- a lot of people describe me this way- They would always say “Oh he’s the kid that sings all the time.”

Jordan: “Seriously!!”

Caleb: “Not just vocal melodies, but I’ll sing little guitar lines or hooks. Even when I was a kid I was doing that, and as an adult, I’m still doing it. One of my co-workers’ moms came into the [coffee] shop and leaned over to her daughter and said: “Is that the boy that sings all the time?” [laughs]. So it’s just a very natural way that I express myself. It’s really therapeutic to me. When I’m struggling with something in my life, I have to talk it out, I have to talk to like 30 people about it. Writing a song is how I can talk to someone about it without anyone having to be there. But then being able to perform how I’m feeling to a bunch of people. I talk with my hands a lot, and music is able to speak for me better than I can communicate with words. I have to emphasize everything. Texting is really hard because I can’t emphasize what I’m saying. I have to be very dynamic and intense in how I communicate. So, sometimes if I’m singing a melody, I feel like I can somehow, therapeutically release something, and get over something because I’m adding a part of my soul to some words that I wrote down. It’s how I’ve been able to cope with life. I guess it started when I was a kid and my sister got a guitar. She hated it so I would steal it all the time and I just picked it up super fast.” the young vines | 28

Jordan: “What’s funny is that I’m the drummer and I was better at guitar than Caleb before he actually started focusing on it. We both went to the same church when we were younger. We went to a charismatic, non-denominational church, and when you grow up in a church like that in Oklahoma, there is definitely a lot of music involved, and if you played in the church band, or you were around it, you can pick up stuff. So, I remember when I was playing guitar, and that was my main instrument, and then Caleb started taking a bunch of guitar classes at ORU (Oral Roberts University) and he became better than me in no time! So, I decided to pick up drums. I guess when I started playing, it was for a couple different reasons- some of them weren’t that great of reasons- but I loved playing music always, but I also wasn’t the coolest kid in high school, and I really, really wanted people to think that I was cool, so in school, I went to a private school here in Tulsa, and I was in the chapel band and that was my first experience playing in front of people, and then I started playing out in bars and stuff, which was really weird to me coming from the background that I did. I really enjoyed the music aspect of it, but I also enjoyed the fact that people really like the art that I helped create. That’s why it means so much that you want to interview us, and I mean personally, you. Like when you say on twitter that you love our EP or something, that’s something that we created out of nothing, and it means a lot to us. And that’s the reason that we want to push ourselves, and the reason that we want to pursue it because people say that they really like what we create. Which is weird to us, and this is a little silly, but if you look on Spotify, the artists that are our “related artists” are some bigger bands and it’s really cool, and it means a lot that people put us on their playlists next to those bands. People are putting us next to Mutemath and Colony House, Knox Hamilton, and bands that we listen to. It means so much to us that people think that of us, and it makes us want to keep pushing.”

I try to be a big supporter of local bands because it’s really important to push them so other people in other places can find out about it.

Jordan: “Every giant arena band in the world that you love has been a local band at one point. It’s just good to support young artists. I really appreciate that people have given us as much love as they have over the stuff that we have created. That is what keeps us pushing and wanting to make more music.”

Jordan: “Being an artist is different from any other profession because obviously Caleb and I have day jobs, for instance, I’m a banker. I don’t go to the bank and get recognition from all of my friends for starting a great loan that day, or opening a sweet business account.”

Caleb: “You wouldn’t do it for free. Not like you wouldn’t do music for free, but you kinda would, you know?”

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Jordan: “I don’t create the idea of somebody applying for a loan, or being a banker, or somebody ordering a latte or something like that. Caleb is the best barista I know, by the way. He makes the dopest lattes in the world. We don’t create that out of our minds, we create our music out of our minds and out of our hearts. It’s weird to take something really intangible, make it tangible, and then [have] people love it, and that’s what we really appreciate. I can’t express enough how thankful we are for the people [that promote us]. And we don’t even have to bug them about it! We don’t have to say “Hey listen to our EP on Spotify! We made this and it really means a lot to us” What is your favorite song to play live?

Caleb: “Man that’s hard. There’s a lot of new songs. I think sometimes my favorite song to play live is the newest song because it’s like “Ooh this is my new baby! I’m showing it off!” [With] Some of the older songs, it feels, not like you’re going through the motions, just that you’ve done this a lot, you know? The new songs just feel exciting to play because I get to play this new thing and see what people think of it, and that is always really cool. I obviously love all the songs, but whatever is new and fresh in my mind is always super fun.”

Jordan: “I have specific songs that I like. I really like playing “Ride”. “Ride” is awesome and it gets me really hyped because it’s usually second or third in our set. It’s a song that I think people appreciate a little bit more, and it’s really fun to see people react to it because people sway and dance to it a little bit. And there are a couple new songs that we play live too, that are probably my favorite songs to play and they’re songs that we haven’t recorded yet called “Pixie” and one called “Moonlight”. “Pixie” is usually a little earlier in the set and it’s a little more raw, kind of like- no pun intended- The Pixies, or some kind of more raw, alt-rock music that I like. “Moonlight” is usually our set ender and we kind of go HAM on it. It’s probably the most interesting song that we’ve written.

“Did you guys have fun shooting the music video for Habits + Heartbreak? What was the best part?

Caleb: “It was really fun! [laughs] I’ll start with the worst part: It was really hot!”

Jordan: “The best part was putting aloe vera on my shoulders when I got home!”

Caleb: “It was really hot, but the best part getting to do something with my band or my art where I was just taking direction and doing whatever everyone told me to do.

I’ve never gotten to do something like that before. It was cool to have other people creating something for me. I mean, it’s for themselves, but they’re creating something for me and it has a really positive impact on my art and my song. It was really freaking cool to have a big team all working for, not for me, it was for the director and this project, but it’s a song that I wrote, and that was the coolest part.

Jordan: “It was funny, like Caleb said, we kind of felt like the idiots that were just being put in different places. We didn’t know what the hell we were doing! We were just sitting there going “oh what do I do next?!” It was nice to be told what to do for a change. I think that it’s going to turn out really well.”

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THE MUSIC VIDEO. Honey Punch Mag gave us a behind the scenes look at the filming of “Habits + Heartbreak”, the main track off The Young Vine’s new EP Habits & Heartbreak Photos by Emma Watts Video Directed by Miles Rogoish

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the young vines | 32

ITTLE IMAG

Written by Jiselle Santos and Caleigh Wells Photos by Caleigh Wells While searching for new music in August, I scrolled through my Twitter timeline looking for suggestions on what band or artists I should listen to. I stumbled upon Sunlight Magazine’s album review on Musings by Little Image. I gave the album a listen and fell in love with their sound. As I was finding out more about them, Caleigh and I decided we would interview them here in Houston, Texas, the first stop on their small headlining tour.

From their respective small towns in Texas, Little Image is made up of five members: Alex on the bass, Jackson on the guitar and lead vocals, Abbie as vocals, Troy on the drums, and Brandon on guitar. This band had a lot to deliver for their first show on this tour.

Having the album just newly released, we asked the band how it felt to have it finally out for their fans to hear. Sounding excited to have the album out, the band tells us the process producing and writing the album took about two to three years. “We started writing the first couple songs on our first tour. It’s been a long time, but we’re finally glad it’s over,” Jackson stated. Although very relieved to have the album out, the band anticipated this moment for quite a while.

There were many inspirations and influences that had played a huge part into their songwriting and music producing process. “We were all still kind of in high school when we first started writing the record. I had just started dating my girlfriend whom I’m still with now.

I started writing songs about her, and I’ve never written a love song before. So this was new to me,” Jackson furthered explained. To Jackson, this album was new to him, “It was all about relationships in my life and relationships with myself.” However, he added, “There’s songs Brandon wrote all the way through, some about our personal struggles and things we want to see change.” Many of the inspirations from their life experiences and relationships had largely influenced the way the band had decided to take the direction of their album.

Having released a few EPs before launching their debut album, we asked the band what made them decide on these specific songs for the album. Abbie and Jackson stated, ”We wanted to make a whole new record and start fresh,” but Jackson added, “We wanted to make all new songs with new ideas. The EP was me and our process.

When everyone got involved, we wanted to make sort of something with just everybody. I think the songs have marks of everybody in them.” Alex described the album as more creative than their first EP. Jackson then states “We wrote these songs not specifically for this album, but each song [that] was written during this [process] kinda fit perfectly.” With having described their own sound as indie rock, alternative, Troy adds in saying, “Straight Rock n’ Roll.”

From writing these songs, producing them, and finally having Musing’s out for everyone, we asked Little Image what their favorite songs are from the album. Starting with Alex, he tells us, “I Guess I’m Not a Part of Your Dreams’ just because of the strong message,” but Brandon adds, “and the strong bass line.” Jackson tells us that his favorite is “2414” because not only does it have a lot of meaning, but it also is “a groovy song. It’s really fun to play and listen to.” However, Abbie describes “Dear Orphan” as her favorite,

“Yeah it sounded terrible, we ended up in the studio the next day, somehow got the whole thing outlines and tracked. It ended up being our new single and the most popular song on Spotify!

Kind of a crazy story!”

Troy further explains. We then talked to Brandon on his favorite song and tells us, “My favorite is probably Walls…. The meaning behind [the song] and because it’s very rock and roll too.” Troy adds to his statement saying “because he wrote it too!”

To add on to what inspires the band, we asked them what bands, artists, and musicians inspired them to become the musicians they are today. Troy goes first and tells us his favorite band is Mutemath.

“I saw a show of theirs when I was thirteen. It not only changed my musical perspective, but what a live show means. If you see the show tonight, you’ll see a bunch of light [light work]. It showed me something powerful about it, so it showed me what that means. And Colony House”

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Abbie then says, “He’s been on tour with them [Colony House]”, but then Jackson adds “He’s going on tour with Mutemath too.” The conversation then moves to Alex, in which he told us a band that really inspires him to write right now is Turnover. “There are really great band; they’re amazing. It’s crazy! They’re ore of a shoe-daisy dream pop band, like Bad Suns, I guess,” Alex says. Jackson then tells us that Brand New would be the band that inspired him, “Brand New has really good clean guitars, a lot of ‘rock n roll’ moments…. And [the band] From Indian Lakes.”

Abbie tells us that her someone that inspires her is the songwriter, Jillian Edwards.

“She really inspired me just in writing. A lot of my writing separate from Little Image is about my personal process, just a ‘throw-up’ station for me. Whatever comes out of me, just comes out.

Jillian Edwards has been a huge part of that. She’s a legend!”

Brandon then adds on to the topic and says that Me Without You is his favorite band. He tends to “like a lot of darker toned rock albums, which are great”, but changes to Switchfoot saying “Lately, I’ve been on a Switchfoot craze. They’re like my favorite band. I feel like inspiration from them was put into [what] Little Image [is today].”

Having focused on talking about their inspirations and the music itself, we then asked about the question most people have been wanting to know from most bands: what inspired the name of your band? Very adamant to tell us, Jackson explains the meaning of the band name by saying, “We’re just a little part of something bigger than us.”

Being the first time Cale and I have seen their shows, we asked them what’s to be expected from their shows, and how would the band describe their energy and performance overall. Troy tells us “lots of vibes, all the vibes!” However, Brandon explains: “We’ve kind of been on a journey. The past two years have been an up and down roller-coaster for everybody at different times. The reason why I even said ‘Walls’ was my favorite song is because [it] took me back to a point in my life where I wrote it in the middle of nowhere….. I was going through crazy stuff at that time. I think that this whole thing is a journey. [cont]

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My favorite thing about this journey is that it has taken Little Image as a band [to thinking] that we don’t care what people think anymore [about us].

We’ve struggled with that a ton throughout the making of this record, just to get to the end of it and say ‘you know what, we’re okay. ‘We’re gonna make this the way we’re gonna make it. We’re not gonna worry about [if] people like it or not.’ As much as one can try not to, we’re not gonna care about cool”

Alex adds on to say, “We’re gonna have it either way. If no one likes the show, we’re still gonna have a lot of fun.” Abbie further on saids, “I think another thing that one’s are to expect is that we’re gonna have fun, and we also give a lot. By the end of these nights, when we play, we’re really tired. We sang, and played, and danced and gave our guts to everyone [there].” Troy explains more of what Little Image will bring to shows by saying: “We give a lot to this show, visually. We make it an experience instead of just getting up there and be like,’hey what’s up guys! We’re just gonna play some songs.’ We’re gonna be like ‘we put a lot of time into these songs and we’re gonna show you what it’s like to experience these songs.”

Besides explaining much of the performance itself, Troy tells us more about the behind the scenes aspect of the tour: “There are some people with us that are working incredibly hard to make this show happen. They deserve a lot of the credit for this show. It’s just a big team effort. We sort of walk in sometimes with all this stuff, and people look at us and say ‘what are you doing? You’re not big enough for this. Why do you have a lighting rig? What do you have all of this?’ and then after the show, it’s sort of a different story. We don’t want to play these songs half…..ass, we wanna play these songs full ass. That the goal.”

With everyone chuckling at the half-ass remark, the band wants their audience to experience the songs for how they wrote it. Expecting a lot from their show, the band gave a phenomenal performance with amazing light sets during and inbetween songs, setting a very intimate show for the audience.

Lastly, we asked Abbie what it’s like to be a female in a male-dominated industry, such as music, or being the only woman in a band. She answers that she loves it, telling us how others may be annoyed by being around guys a lot, however she tells us she’s very much used to it. She leads worship in Dallas, similar to the situation with the band, and she tends to work with a lot of guys and has become accustomed to working with them. Troy comments saying “Abbie’s an incredible musician. We’re gonna put her with everything.” Alex then adds, ”There shouldn’t be boundaries in music.”

With this talented band from Dallas, it shows that their dedication and hard work put into their music has shown greatly through their album and live shows. Having just released the album Musings, the audience for this band has grown a fair amount since we’ve interviewed them. You can find their music on iTunes and streamed on Spotify.

”There shouldn’t be boundaries in music.”

phantogram

photos by jess dooley

judah & the lion

photos by caleigh wells

john mayer. live in sunrise, florida august 12th, 2017

A

Written by Ava Butera

ttending a John Mayer concert was truly something very different for me. I’m used to small clubs and theaters, not huge arenas. But I had to make an exception for the king of music himself. After countless years of listening to John Mayer’s music, I never had the chance to see him live. Being his first tour in three years, I was always too young to voice my opinion on how badly I wanted to see him live in the past. In addition, his las album was not as big of a success as previous records he released. Even though it was only three years ago, I was not fully into his music like I am now. But after patiently waiting for six months to see him live, I finally got the chance and it was definitely worth it. As I entered the venue, I was honestly dreading the whole night because I didn’t feel well and didn’t want to go out, let alone attend a concert. However, by the end of the night I totally forgot about how I felt because my body was pulsating with happiness and good vibes.

At one point in the show, I caught myself in a trance by John’s massively long guitar solos and angelic vocals. When people say “Oh that artist sounds JUST like the album!”, that statement doesn’t do Mayer justice. He sounds even better than the actual recordings, and in a music world where auto tune in the way to go, this is so hard to find now. Watching Mayer play was so mesmerizing. As I sat there in awe, mesmerized was the only word that stuck out to me for the duration of the night. I was so captivated by the whole experience. I’ve been to a ton of concerts, but this one was something different. Sure, John Mayer will never live up to that time I saw Bruce Springsteen or Green Day, but he came very close. Again, this was a different experience.

Most bands play a set and then an encore, maybe two if you’re lucky enough. However for this particular tour, Mayer had chapters and featured full band, acoustic, and John Mayer Trio sets. I really enjoyed that aspect of the show. In addition, Mayer had surprise sets in store for the crowds each night. Meaning, the setlist was completely different every night, leaving fans anxious to know whether or not he’d play “Why Georgia” (HE DID!) I had a blast hearing guitar intros and frantically trying to figure out whether it was “Gravity” or “Emoji of a Wave.”

The lighting and stage production was truly something to give The 1975 a run for their money. The lights and graphics complemented each song being played and were nice to look at, even when I could barely see Mayer himself. Even up from the nosebleeds, where I was sitting, I felt like I was in the front row. Being in such a huge venue, one feels as if it’s not as personal as a club sized show, Mayer makes it personal. This was the first time I’ve ever enjoyed an arena show.

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F l e e tandF o x e s Bedouine show review

By Ky Kasselman

August 17th was a special day for downtown Austin, TX. Bedouine and Fleet Foxes performed at ACL Live at the Moody Theater, a perfect way to wind down the summer before the craziness of university started up again.

Bedouine graced the stage with their calming and almost angelic stage presence; Azniv Korkejian filling the room with her soft, yet strong voice, carrying melodies that are unique to this folk experience. Korkejian has a way of capturing the attention of a room in a way that most opening acts only wish to accomplish. A hush fell over the room and every ear was focused on the folk-country-funk vibes that were guaranteed to be different than any audience member had experienced before. The band played almost the entirety of their self-titled album, save one song.

Because of this, Bedouine left the audience wanting more, but not having a lot to turn to, except the songs they just experienced live. Bedouine made many people a fan that night, and the show was just as much theirs as it was Fleet Foxes.

Fleet Foxes began their nineteen song set with the first track on their newest album, Crack-Up, titled “I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar.” They transitioned effortlessly between songs, taking the audience on a journey through their three iconic albums that have proved timeless, as six years has passed between the most recent two. As a long-time fan of the band, I was nervous to see how they recreated the layers that are so beautifully produced in the studio on the stage. However, Robin’s lead vocals and Christian’s tight harmonies were even more raw and real live and made me hear every song in a different light. Morgan switched between instruments what seemed like every song, implementing all the sounds that make Fleet Foxes so unique to other folk bands.

Overall, the show was a seemingly heavenly experience, filled with true musicianship that I thought couldn’t sound better than the studio recordings on a musical journey that both my seventh grade heart and twenty-one-year-old soul could identify with. Both Bedouine and Fleet Foxes are bands that I would recommend seeing live once in your life – their shows are not just a night of great music, but a night of creating memories and becoming the soundtrack to whatever season of life you may be in.

rise from the ashes with Wonderful Wonderful, is something truly inspiring.

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photos by ky kasselman fleet foxes / bedouine show review | 44

THE KILLERS album review: wonderful wonderful

By Ava Butera

Alternative music lovers rejoice!! The Killers are back and clearly better than ever. On September 22, the genre-defining band released their fifth studio album (not including their B-sides album, Sawdust) and new music for the first time in five years.

If you’re as big of a Killers fan as I, you were most likely frantically trying to hit play as soon as the clock struck 12 AM and were pleasantly surprised with the outcome. Wonderful Wonderful is definitely something different but just like always, it works to The Killers’ benefit.

Before the full length was released, we got two singles, “The Man” and “Run For Cover.”

Fans were shocked when the band posted various cryptic videos and messages across social media sites and equally taken aback by the sound of “The Man.” Honestly, you either loved the song or hated it. This song shows frontman, Brandon Flowers, singing sarcastically and sounding extremely similar to Talking Heads frontman, David Byrne. Multiple long time Killers fans didn’t know what to think of the new single and were confused as to what genre the band would be entering with the release of Wonderful Wonderful.

The second and final preview to the full length was “Run For Cover.” This track sounded very Killers-esque and fans were back on board. The high energy, the pulsating guitar riffs, and Flower’s powerful vocals all make this song one of the best on the whole album. Now, this one in particular received tons of critical acclaim for its classic Killers sound and keen lyrics. It sounds almost as if it could have been placed on a Battle Born/Hot Fuss hybrid album.

The opening track, “Wonderful Wonderful,” is the longest song on the album, lasting a little over five minutes. It opens the album ominously and sounds completely different from anything the band has done in the past. It’s slow yet cool and shows Flowers giving off a positive premonition of the next nine songs to come. This album truly depicts how far Flowers has come as a songwriter.

Just like always, Wonderful Wonderful is a Vegas album. Hailing from Las Vegas, Nevada, The Killers show their roots and always add the Vegas flair to each album they write and record.

Whether it be the glitz and glam of “The Man” and “Tyson vs. Douglas” or the trekking in the desert attitude of “Wonderful Wonderful,” the band’s fifth album most definitely fits in their typical fashion.

has put even more stress on the band. These guys have been through a lot and seeing them rise from the ashes with Wonderful Wonderful, is something truly inspiring.

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Breathy vocals and light piano drives the song “Some Kind of Love” which shows Flowers very vulnerable and emotional. As I mentioned earlier, the content of Killers songs are maturing as the band does. According to multiple music magazines and various interviews, Flowers revealed that this album was the most difficult to make because of how personal it became. If you’ve been a fan since day one, or just happened to have caught up with early Killers drama, Flowers was notorious for penning revenge and break-up songs, if you will. As amazing as “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me” are, these songs never truly showed us Flowers’ true heart and emotion.

This changes on this album especially on other ballads such as “Have All The Songs Been Written?”

The Killers took a very long time to meticulously craft this album. With the unanimous disappointment of Battleborn, The Killers didn’t get much praise for the album. Regardless of its deep cuts, there were no singles that made it to radio and therefore diminished the bands’ spirits since they took four years to get this album out. It was difficult for the band to come back from such a phenomenal precursor to Battleborn, Day & Age. In addition to the struggle with a flop album, over time The Killers have lost some members and this has put even more stress on the band.

These guys have been through a lot and seeing them rise from the ashes with Wonderful Wonderful, is something truly inspiring.

Photos by Ariana Cruz

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NOTHING BUT Thieves

album review: broken machine

By Kariann Tan

It’s been a fairly long 2 years ever since the then-fledgling band broke out with guns blazing on their eponymous debut album. Thoroughly surprising was definitely the understatement of the century as their first single Itch managed to capture a cult audience, thus setting these boys on the path of potential success. That being said, the roads to that particular level of fame hasn’t been easy for them, and we are able to witness the consequences of that today.

So here we are, sitting at album number two - Broken Machine, which has succeeded in delivering the gut punching melodies and abrasive riffs that we have all been familiar with from the beginning. You would think that for a band with a relatively large fanbase, things would be on autopilot from here on out. This doesn’t seem to be the case with Nothing But Thieves, however. Right from the start of the album, we are thrown into a flashy but grotesque entrance with “I Was Just A Kid”. The introductory bars seem very reminiscent of the Absolution era from Muse, but things take a different turn with frontman Conor Mason howling through the fierce chorus instrumental.

On the other hand, we have the second single “Sorry” capturing the experience of regret after a broken relationship. The buildup to the final chorus in terms of its lyricism feels all too similar to what one might experience during the height of a separation.

Life doesn’t necessarily get better after something as traumatic as a break up and this idea is exemplified even further with the following titular track “Broken Machine.” The broody bassline emulates what seems to be a introspective song; an example can be seen from the following lyrics - “I’m just a broken machine / with all the layers of dust / some things have started to fail.” As you can observe from this, the track primarily focuses on a deconstruction of one’s personality albeit in a pessimistic manner. This isn’t a new thing especially for modern rock musicians. With this song nonetheless, the band is able to accomplish walking between the fine line of pretentiousness and unnecessary self-deprecation.

“Live Like Animals” then swoops its way into record with its ambitiously experimental hook and distorted guitars. Mason’s pseudo-rapping is slightly timid to begin with, but we are able to hear him make up for that with the chorus. Nevertheless, the overall meaning of the track is noteworthy, as it highlights the issue of sensationalized news and media manipulation for the Snapchat generation.

From thereon, Nothing But Thieves begins to present a very interesting progression of the dismal atmosphere that was exhibited from the start of the album. There seems to be no signs of stagnation for the dreary overarching theme of politics, mental health and fractured relationships.

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Hence, a track that grabbed my attention with its lyrics that is nearly a pleading cry for help is “Particles.” Written by Mason along with two of his bandmates, Dominic Craik and Joe Langridge-Brown, we are beckoned to a journal-esque track detailing the harsh realities of being a touring band 24/7. As stated by Mason himself, “Particles” is a personal anecdote about his struggles with insomnia as well as his addiction to sleep medications during the strenuous leg of their tour. The final bridge is a fantastic snippet of what the band can achieve at its best, as the melody fuses with the growing uneasiness that we hear belted from Conor. The best example of this would be the instance wherein the phrase “My mind plays tricks” is bellowed. Right as it is being said, the guitars in the background fades into a silent reverie - eerily analogous to a hazed state of mind brought about by drug hallucinogens.

The album ends with “Afterlife”, a ballad in which Mason’s falsetto is utilized middlingly.

It feels like a juxtaposition of “Sorry,” but with the latter being a tad bit more straightforward in terms of what the tracks were trying to deliver. In spite of that, Broken Machine does not suffer in its entirety due to its less than stellar closing tracks.

Overall, Nothing But Thieves’ sophomore album is an interesting culmination of experimental sounds and intimate lyricism reflecting on contemporary society as well as the band’s personal experiences. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the album grabs from different perspectives and pastes them all into one complete work. To my wonder, it manages to work out sonically well despite a few minute flaws that hinder the album from being completely cohesive. Broken Machine isn’t perfect by all means, but I’d be damned if I didn’t say that this record is an indication of future groundbreaking releases by the band. That alone is already an exciting thought to bear. \

Broken Machine (Deluxe Edition) All rights reserved to Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited.

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