Issue #15

ISSUE 15

HIGHLIGHT

MAGAZINE

FROM INDIAN LAKES // NICO VEGA // JUKEBOX THE GHOST // THE VENETIA FAIR & MORE

HIGHLIGHT STAFF Ashley Osborn

Co-Founder – Editor-in-Chief – Marketing – Photography

cara Bahniuk

Co-Founder – Art Director – Photography

Jenn STookey

Managing Editor

Anjel Lopez

Content Director

Courtney Dondelinger Copy Editor

McKenzie Hughes Co-Founder

Contributing Photographers

Courtney Dondelinger, Tarina Doolittle, Jordan Fischels, Nicole Mago, Charlie Martel, Heather Phillips, Sam Roenfeldt, Sam San Roman, Daniel Shippey, Jared Thomas and Amy Willard

Contributing writers (Online & Publication)

Ryan Argast, Haley Black, Jennifer Boylen, Colleen Casey, Perry Fish, Tamara Fuentes, Briana Henry, Will Howard, Logan Kant, Jessica Klinner, Matthew Leimkuehler, Taylor Pittman, Claire Pope, Allison Reames, Annette Schafer and Morgan Waldorf

BECOME SOCIAL WITH US website - www.highlightmagazine.net facebook - www.facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter - @highlightzine INSTAGRAM - @highlightzine

INSIDE FEATURES

36 man overboard While keeping their DIY mentality at the heart, Man Overboard has been able to release a discography lengthier than most bands who have been around for a decades. Entering into the new era of the band with their signing to Rise Records and the secret recording of Heart Attack, Man Overboard has made it very clear this is just the beginning.

INSIDE FEATURES

8 clothing highlight 18 x ambassadors Come find out why Denver, CO based clothing company, RUCKUS APPAREL, caught our attention in this month’s Clothing Highlight.

9 venue highlight

San Fransico, CA’s incredible venue, THE FILLMORE, is packed wall to wall with its very own history. Not to mention…. If you visit you may get an awesome gift!

10 label highlight

EASY KILLER RECORDS may be new to the scene, but they are certainly making a name for themselves. Check out their roster!

This genuine four piece band is truly unlike any other in the scene today.

Highlight sat down with them to discuss life, music, their college education and more.

48 reviews

Cover band, MAN OVERBOARD, are preparing to release their new album.

We’ve also got the 411 on KoJi, Daylight AND Youngblood Hawke’s new releases!

22 from indian lakes THank you Staff favorite, FROM INDIAN LAKES, hails from the mountains of California. Find out why we fell in love with their mentality.

24 nico vega

We had the pleasure of catching up with NICO VEGA’S very own, Aja. We picked her brain about being a touring parent, the state of the industry and more.

The Working Group, Man Overboard, Earshot Media, This Side Up Management, 10th Street Entertainment, FrameworkNY Management, Switchbitch Records, The Catalyst Publicity Group, Jered Scott, RUKUS Apparel, Big Picture Media, Columbia Records, all of the bands’ crew and tour management, our incredible readers and last but not least, Liz Brossard for all of her hard work over the last year.

11 industry Highlight 28 jukebox the ghost mailing list Jered Scott may be a pizza loving Seinfield addict, but he’s also one of the most badass photographers in the game!

Over the last six years this flawless three piece has played over 700 shows – and they certainly aren’t going to stop anytime soon.

Make sure you subscribe to our exclusive mailing list!

12 non-profit highlight 30 the venetia fair We caught up with August Burns Red frontman, Jake Luhrs to find out the story behind his incredible non-profit, HEARTSUPPORT.

14 marina city

The six members of Chicago based band, Marina City, certainly have one unique perspective on music.

We seriously do not have words to describe this piece. It’s also the first interview we’ve ever had to sensor!

44 photos

Spring tours have been kicking some serious ass. We were lucky enough to catch two of the best!

INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS page 6-7

Man overboard Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

olly murs

Silver Spring, MD, Cara Bahniuk

Marina City

Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

The Venetia fair

jukebox the ghost Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

from indian lakes Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

x ambassadors Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

nico vega

Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 5

man overboard - 36

olly murs

marina city - 14

the venetia fair - 30

28 - jukebox the ghost

22 - from indian lakes

18 - x ambassadors

24 - nico vega

TRENDS YOU’LL LOVE

COMPANY: RUCKUS Apparel LOCATION: Denver, Colorado OWNER/FOUNDER: Josh Schmitz WEBSITE: ruckusapparel.com

Company story?

I started RUCKUS in 2009, started off just designing 1 or 2 shirts at a time and it just naturally developed into something a lot bigger.

What do you feel your brand represents?

Our label is a lot more than clothing. We do productions, events and more. We really are a full service lifestyle label.

Reason you started your brand?

I started RUCKUS in the beginning just for myself; I really had no intention of actually starting a company. I would make one shirt for myself, then five for friends, then 40 for a team and all of a sudden it started naturally evolving into more and more.

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What are your three favorite designs?

Highlighted are some of my favorite pieces. These are all staple pieces that can be worn in numerous ways.

1) RUCKUS ARCH hoodie 2) New collab T-shirt with The Proper Barbershop LA 3) Maroon Deathcrew Crewneck.

Why people should check out your brand?

People should check us out because we are actually about what we say we are about. We aren’t some niche trendy brand. We try our hardest to keep our collections in a state where people are always wanting more, but never out of style.

The Fillmore - San francisco, california History:

If there is one venue that has made a huge cultural impact and continues to make history, it’s the iconic San Francisco establishment, The Fillmore. The Fillmore originally opened as a dance hall in 1912, but grew to its full potential under the guidance of mastermind Bill Graham.

The venue changed locations but eventually returned to its original site on Geary after enduring earthquake damage in the ‘80s. While The Fillmore is best known as the foundry of psychedelic music and counterculture in the mid-1960s, its reputation lives on with a staggering quality and variety of performers. Don’t miss the walls in the lobby of the venue, which are packed with pictures and posters of past performances that act as a testament to the legendary shows that have taken place there.

why play here?

The Fillmore has achieved unmatched status with both bands and fans. Bands have been known to return and perform on multiple occasions, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, who held an epic 20 night stand and played The Fillmore an overall 27 times. The venue’s incredible acoustics, warm ambiance and never oversold shows keep fans coming back for more. Also famous for its hospitality, The Fillmore has garnered followers by keeping up a tradition of giving out free posters created for select sold-out shows and offering free apples to concertgoers. Playing a gig at The Fillmore is a sure sign you’ve made it.

Twitter: @FillmoreSF Facebook: www.facebook.com/thefillmore Website: www.thefillmore.com

MUst attend shows May 14th Olly Murs

REVIEW: Logan Kant PHOTO: Venue’s Facebook/Paige Parsons

may 29th

Darren Criss

june 5th

The Boxer Rebellion

june 21st

Father John Misty

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label highlight

WRITE-UP: Claire Pope

Easy Killer Records, formed in 2013 in St. Louis, is brand new to the scene and already making a name for itself. However, founders Mike Judy and Kevin Gales are no strangers to the music world. Before creating Easy Killer, Judy worked as a very successful concert promoter over the last decade, booking gigs for everyone from Fall Out Boy to Snoop Dogg; Gales worked as a talent scout for over 20 years and helped countless artists by producing chart topping records. It’s not every day that people with such an eye for genuine talent join forces, and their efforts are certainly paying off. They quickly snatched up some highly respected, impressive rock and alternative bands such as Night Verses, The Company We Keep, Culprit, Brian Marquis and Tidewater, but they don’t limit their roster to one genre. Instead they use their years of expertise, knowledge, and fine-tuned intuition to sign the best of the best regardless of sound, which makes up a roster of acts with integrity.

The Company We Keep -

In a mainly male dominated field, female-fronted The Company We Keep is a welcomed change of pace. Lead vocalist Haden Brightwell is accompanied by Brian Southall (guitar, bass, programming) of The Receiving End of Sirens, Branden Morgan (drums, percussion) of Misery Signals and Justin Pierre (melody, lyrics) of Motion City Soundtrack to create a musical experience unlike any other. The Company We Keep released their first EP, Making Moves, in 2012, but they’re far from amateurs. What really makes their sound stand out is the heavy manipulations that create a futuristic rock effect; the use of distorted guitars, powerful drums, and various synths creates an overall mystical, orchestral feel to the EP. Pierre’s lyrics follow in the footsteps of his Motion City Soundtrack legacy; they are clever, interesting, well written and above all, relatable. Brightwell’s entrancing and dynamic vocals add a whole new dimension entirely. They’re dark, they’re charismatic, they’re electrifying and they’re made to play loud… very, very loud.

Listen to: “The Company We Keep”

Tidewater -The mastermind behind Tidewater, Brett Allen, is

not your typical singer/songwriter. Hailing from St. Louis, Missouri, Allen combines the bluegrass influence of his hometown with a pop/ rock twist. Tidewater is comprised not only of a melodic acoustic guitar, but also of compelling and varied instrumentals that include a mandolin and some hearty piano. He manages to blend this in with some infectious drumbeats and poppy electric elements as well.

This accompanied by Allen’s unique vocals and some excellently written, introspective and contemplative lyrics achieves a rare balance of commercial and intellectual appeal. Tidewater is best described as feel good music with serious depth, a common theme recognized throughout his releases: The Seas We Sail (2010), The Way That I Want You EP (2011) and The Beautiful Life EP (2012).

What really sets his releases apart is the fact that all are part of an interlocking series that document the blossoming relationship of a boy and a girl. The fourth edition to the collection, The Wedding, is expected to drop April 30th.

Listen To: “Ladies & Gentlemen...I Give You Hell” Night Verses -

This California/New York based band has recently come into the scene, and they have done so swinging.

Members Douglas Robinson (vocals), Nick DePirro (guitar), Reilly Herrera (bass) and Aric Improta (drums) blend a unique concoction of progressive instrumentals, aggressively heartfelt lyrics and earthrattling breakdowns to produce a sound unlike any other band out there. Their recently released debut EP, Out of the Sky, which is available for free on their website, embodies everything the band is about. The experimental sound of the EP gives the genre a refreshing breath of life and people are starting to take notice. In the short time the band has been together, they have gathered quite the dedicated fan base, and with such a unique sound, it is guaranteed to keep growing.

Listen to: “From Shadows Where I’m Low”

Highlight of

jered scott photographer Name: Jered Scott Location: San Luis Obispo, CA Website: www.severalguys.com Clients: MxPx, Relient K, Blink

182, Alternative Press, Tooth & Nail Records, Island Def Jam, TWLOHA, Goodie Two Sleeves

What is your personal story?

I got started with photography while at an out of town show that I drove to just to watch my friend’s band. A friend brought her camera and I asked if I could use it. After developing the film a few weeks later, the band liked the photos and ended up using them in their album packaging. I had no idea what I was doing, and pretty sure I just had that thing on program mode, but that’s when I had the thought that maybe I at least had an eye for this.

What are three of your most memorable career moments?

1. Shooting my first album cover and layout was rad, but even more rad was that it was for the band that got me passionate about music to begin with. The album was On the Cover II and the band was MxPx. They have been my favorite band since I was in middle school. To go from an 8th grade fan to being their photographer and buddy is insane to me.

2. My photos were chosen alongside legendary rock photographer, Lisa Johnson, to be used to make exclusive Blink-182 limited edition tour t-shirts for the comeback tour in 2009. Every night of the 50+ nights of tour they had 1 new t-shirt; each was specific to the town and printed only 182 times. Crazy opportunity. Crazy honor.

3. This one is probably the best highlight — it is a huge blessing and honor to me that I now call many of my favorite artists some of my best friends. Being invited into the homes and lives of guys I’d spent years with only in my headphones or car stereo has been unreal. A bunch of them wrote love songs as a surprise gift to my wife for our wedding; epic is an understatement. To call Ethan, Mike, Tom, Warne, Schneck, Tatiana, Tim, Nick, Chris, Seth, Bryce, Jordan, Josh and others friends means the world to me.

What do you want to accomplish still in your career?

I think I’ll always want to be getting better; most days I still feel weird calling myself a photographer. So maybe an accomplishment will be reaching the point where I confidently tell people what I do. As far as music photography goes, there are a few bands I’d love a chance to shoot in any capacity (live, portrait, etc.) like Green Day, The Foo Fighters, Ben Folds and the Avett Brothers. I’d also love to have a shoot with Jerry Seinfeld, Will Ferrell and Nick Offerman (a.k.a.

Ron Swanson.) Not all at once… I don’t think my brain could handle that awesomeness.

What is your favorite tour memory?

In 2008 while on tour with MxPx, we were able to fly planes courtesy of the Buchelt family. It was a pretty insane day; everyone had the opportunity to fly in either this little twoseater chipmunk or a biplane. All around it was a day full of laughs, cheesy movie making and doing something none of us had done before. (Full disclosure— I was not very good. I was told I kept climbing “like a homesick angel.”)

Instragram: @jeredscott

nonprofits YOU’LL LOVE COMPANY: HeartSupport

LOCATION: Pasadena, CA

OWNER/FOUNDER: Jake Luhrs, Founder WEBSITE: heartsupport.com

Twitter: @heartsupport Facebook: www.facebook.com/heartsupport Website: www.heartsupport.com How did HeartSupport begin?

As a touring musician and lead singer for the band August Burns Red, I felt that God gave me this incredible gift to share music with the world and has radically transformed my life in the process. I feel extremely blessed having my life-long dream become a reality and wanted to find a way to give back.

One night on tour, while sitting outside a hotel across the street from the House of Blues Chicago, I began thinking of all the great things that God has given me and how I wanted to do more in His service. I have a habit after every show of heading to our merch table and speaking with fans and a lot of times I hear heart-breaking stories of pain, struggle and addiction, and how through the power of our music it has transformed their lives or encouraged them to live differently.

So out of this great need I saw from our fan’s struggles and need for support, I felt God calling me to be more involved and help them past the point of just talking at a table but providing a place to come wrestle, find counseling and care, and other people going through the same things.

This vision birthed HeartSupport.

What do you feel HeartSupport represents?

Hope. In an age where more and more people are socially connected, but feel completely alone, we wanted an online environment where people could actually CONNECT. Everyone has a million Facebook friends, but continue to struggle alone because they’re unwilling to be honest about what they struggle with because they’re embarrassed or hiding who they truly are. As they begin to reveal their brokenness, it breaks chains once in their life to where they can authentically live and have hope

that being brutally honest about their hurts will eventually heal them. Each of our team members tries to emulate these principles so they can present hope to our readers.

Why did you start HeartSupport?

We started HeartSupport to give the youth and young adults of today a place to express their struggles in life, whether that be an addiction to drugs, alcohol, pornography, past sexual abuse, depression or even family and relationship issues.

HeartSupport is an online community built on the foundation of faith and honesty. I wanted to have a place for people to speak about their deep heart issues and at the same time be heard while pointing others towards healing, inspiration and encouragement through genuine concern. We want people to be okay with not being okay and realize that no one is perfect and we all have struggles; we just don’t want you to struggle alone.

Why people should check out HeartSupport?

Any and everyone has hurt at some point in their life and sometimes [they] don’t have a proper outlet or community to rally around them or talk open and honestly about real life things that affect us day to day. We try and tackle every topic and issue that comes our way and affects our community. Recently, a blog that got really popular was about how we all need to stop being religious bigots to those around us and connected really well with people of all faiths or no faith at all. We want people to feel comfortable regardless of their background to come be a part of this community that helps and encourages each other through life’s tidal waves.

Photo by Ashley Osborn

HOME: Chicago, IL NOW jamming: In the Wake of Dreaming - EP (Self-Released) currently: Planning tour dates!

Chicago, at least for me, is the place I go and have always gone for live music. And no, that is not just because I call Chicago home, it is because I believe that Chicago has some of the best venues in the county. Music is everywhere, even if you try to ignore it.

At the heart of the music scene in Chicago are the bands that call the city their home, too. With a band name dubbed after the famous honeycomb towers that connect to the city’s House of Blues, it’s easy to see how deeply connected and passionate Marina City is about the Windy City’s music scene.

“I loved the honeycomb towers. Problem was that I never knew the name,” said Ryan Alan, lead vocalist of the band.

“I ended up researching it one day and found out that the guy who created them had a dream that he would be able to create a city within a city. Everyone laughed. Well, he did and it even has its own zip code. That was an inspiration to us. If he proved the doubters [wrong] so could we.”

The band released its first EP, In the Wake of Dreaming, in 2012 and has been touring ever since. In the beginning, the band was six different people coming together and leaving old bands to form Marina City. Because of this, the EP was almost completely written ahead of time with each member adding something to the mix.

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“So now fast forward to 2013, every song we have written since the EP have been songs we wrote together in the same room,” Alan said. “Everyone was involved. Because of that we are now finding out what Marina City is truly going to be.”

So, the band has changed in the course of just one year and it has become six friends who write music that they love, not just people who happen to play well together. And this is something that they need, considering that the music industry spits more people out than it lets in.

Take for example Chicago again, where, as Alan points out, more people would rather go spend $12 to go see a movie than spend $8 seeing five live bands that they don’t know anything about; yet those bands would probably would put all of their heart and soul into that show and be much more worth the money than the seventh Die Hard. This is an obstacle bands have to face every day.

“For whatever reason, people think when you say, ‘I have a band and we have a show this weekend,’ It means you and your friends get high in someone’s basement, pick up some un-tuned guitars and play in someone’s dinky garage,” said Alan.

This isn’t something people just face in Chicago, just pick any city and you will hear the same story.

“But there are a ton of bands who are really trying to make a career in music, so they are rehearsing 20 hours a week to make sure their show is worth every penny of that $8.”

Not only does Marina City make rehearsals and music its full-time job but also the band has become each member’s personal and work life, jointly. For them, it is bittersweet because the things they took for granted before aren’t there in the same capacity. Like sleep, eating healthy, working out and downtime to share with friends and family.

“We try to do our best with what we can do, but if you really want to keep everyone you love involved, you all need to be on the same page with what is going on and have a lot of heart-to-heart talks,” said Alan.

This is one of the biggest struggles of being in a band – finding that balance somewhere in the middle, especially with loved ones. Drummer Eric Urrea thinks he may have found a small way to battle some of this.

“I always try to say that I have ‘rehearsal,’ not ‘band practice.’ I have found, for some reason, family members and particularly girlfriends tend to give you less crap when you can’t do something because you have ‘rehearsal.’ I don’t know why, it just seems to work.”

This spring Marina city has played 12 shows in 16 days and booked each one on their own; four of those shows occurred at SXSW. Touring is just one of the ways that the band has bonded and in doing so they have come to realize how much they enjoy touring and playing Indie rock together, or in the words of Alan; “warp tour genre music.”

New or old to the scene it doesn’t matter, it still takes the same determination to write the lyrics, put it to a melody and get up in front of five people or 500 people and play your personal stories. But for Urrea he will know he has truly made it when he can finally destroy that expensive drum set on stage.

PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW AND STORY: Liz Brossard

www.facebook.com/Marinacityband | www.twitter.com/marinacityband

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HOME: Brooklyn, NY NOW jamming: Litost - Full Length CURRENTLY: On tour with Imagine Dragons and preparing to release new music!

When you think of indie-rock, you most likely imagine names like The Strokes, Gotye or Vampire

Weekend… but definitely not Wyclef Jean. X Ambassadors, assembled of Brooklyn, New York, natives Noah Feldshuh (guitar), Adam Levin (drums) and brothers Casey (keyboard) and Sam Harris (vocals/guitar), are hip-hop lovers at heart and the R&B genre surprisingly has had a heavy influence on the production of their music. Sam Harris explained the unlikely phenomenon when Highlight recently caught up with the band.

“This R&B sound is a very pervasive thing in indie music – we started doing it a little early on. People would say we had this soul thing going on and we didn’t even hear it. But now we’re starting to make it more obvious.”

Harris’ smooth and soulful vocals are just one of the many dynamics that drive X Ambassadors’ signature sound.

Although the R&B element is highly present in their unique style, you won’t catch Harris rapping on any tracks any time soon.

“We just strictly listen to hip-hop pretty much. But we never really got into programming or making beats or anything so we just learned how to do it live with real instruments and

that’s sort of been the basis of our sound. I don’t rap though, don’t worry.”

The band has recently joined forces with producer, Alex Da Kid, who has contributed to the making of popular indie rock sensations Imagine Dragons’ most recent record. Having a significantly different perspective from such a unique artist has helped the band perform outside of their comfort zones and really surpass their limits in the studio.

“The hip-hop world is so different – it’s so much faster than us.

He’s learning how bands operate and we’re learning how he operates, so it’s a give and take,” said Harris. “What it comes down to is that it’s great to get into a room with somebody who really has a strong vision and strong idea of what they’re hearing and want to hear and somebody who pushes you as a songwriter.”

Ultimately, the band strives to create songs that are relatable to a wide range of listeners. Everyone can find some sort of message in an X Ambassadors song that makes them feel like the band has directly tapped into their brains.

“In terms of themes, it’s like we set out to write songs that tap into something universal that everyone can sort of interpret in

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their own way and apply to their own experiences. So a lot of the time what that comes down to is relationships with other people. Be it romantic, or something otherwise, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. We write about everything.”

A vast majority of musicians head straight for the open door to do what they love at a young age and most do not ever receive a college degree. For a long time, the band’s dreams of becoming touring musicians and recording artists took a backseat to their educations. It wasn’t until after they graduated that things really started to take off for them.

“After we graduated we decided to record this EP. Casey came to New York our sophomore year of college. We started being serious about it but not to the point of being able to quit our jobs and quit school; we thought it was important to have a degree,” Harris explained.

Each of the guys had their sights set on having a career in music since a young age, but at times it appeared as nothing more than a pipe dream. Sam graduated with a theater degree, Noah went to school to become a teacher, Adam a physics and biology major and Casey worked as a piano tuner for quite a while before the rest of the band really started to buckle down and get serious about creating music together and releasing it for the rest of the world to hear.

enough that we were out of town a lot and we sort of were like, it’s either we go on tour and I stay home and babysit.”

The quartet were lucky enough to have the support of family and friends to get them through their decisions to basically throw their college degrees out the window and put their faith in a new career that they ultimately had no certainty of knowing how successful would end up. Nonetheless, the four of them were more than eager to dive in and take the risk.

“None of us had parents who got mad at us for wanting to pursue this. That really is a big thing but you know, I applaud anyone whose parents didn’t support them and did it anyway,” said Harris. “It’s certainly a hustle – you’ve always got to be pinching your pennies. It’s good to have that because if you do come into money and success you won’t fuck around and take it for granted.”

It is refreshing to see a group of artists who genuinely appreciate every bit of good fortune they have received, and success is definitely coming their way. X Ambassadors are about to be popping up everywhere; with an upcoming tour alongside Imagine Dragons, and with their song “Litost,” which was featured on the soundtrack of Stephanie Meyer’s latest novel turned movie The Host.

Obviously working a 9 to 5 for the remainder of their lives was not where the group’s hearts lied, and this is when X Ambassadors was truly born, with the mentality that a career playing music was what their futures held, and they didn’t need a college degree to prove it.

Thankfully the band did not continue on with their original plans to become ordinary white-collar workers, because it would have been a waste of their talent that is worth being recognized. With all of the recent exposure, X Ambassadors is a name you are not going to want to forget anytime soon.

“There’s always a point in a band’s career where you have to say, ‘fuck it,’ quit your jobs and trust that things will go well.

We were starting to make money, things were going well

PHOTOS AND INTERVIEW: Ashley Osborn STORY: Haley Black

“There’s always a point in a band’s career where you have to say, ‘fuck it,’ quit your jobs and trust that things will go well.”

from indian lakes HOME: Yosemite Valley, CA NOW jamming: Able Bodies - Full-Length (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Preparing for more touring in 2013!

Raised in the small town of Yosemite Valley, California, the guys in From Indian Lakes were not

exposed to a variety of music or had the luxury of living in a town with a strong musical dynamic. Where you come from is often a big part of who you are, but in this sense, it is definitely not the case. Joey Vannucchi, Justin Stanphill, Rick Gutierrez and Chris Kellogg are all creating their own legacy despite the lack of musical influence in their hometown.

“There’s no bands where we’re from,” said Vannucchi.

“Unless you’re a bluegrass band or something, there are no other bands.”

The idea of being in a band was not always a conceivable plan for the future when growing up, and Stanphill definitely did not think it was in the cards for him at the beginning.

Having the talent to become a touring musician is one thing, but possessing not only the desire but also the resources to actually make that dream a reality is another story.

“I’ve always wanted to but I went to college and realized that I probably would never do it… this opportunity just kind of came up and I just did it,” explained Stanphill.

From Indian Lakes was formed when vocalist and guitarist Vannucchi began recording music and needed fellow musicians to contribute to playing live shows alongside him; the friends he brought on board were eventually the ones that ended up sticking around. Few people are lucky enough to have such an opportunity arise and run with it but that’s just what the quartet did, not letting anything come in between them and what they were born to do.

“We started with the attitude of ‘let’s just do whatever we have to do to create music.’ I think it’s mostly luck,” said Gutierrez.

Luck may indeed be a factor in the success that the band has had in their career thus far, but the combination of endless touring and constant songwriting had something to do with it; they have definitely wasted no time and have not slowed down.

Able Bodies is the indie outfit’s latest and second album release; it is almost like a part two to their debut album, The Man With Wooden Legs. Their second full-length maintained many of the same underlying themes and messages found in their debut, while still managing to produce something completely new sounding. Many of the topics of the album seemed to come pretty naturally to Vannucchi, though he claims he doesn’t have all of the answers.

“I’ve noticed critics say that I have too many questions, which I think is interesting. They want me to be cockier I guess. They want me to know more. Fortunately, I don’t, so the album is a lot of questions.”

The four of them have released both of their records independently without the support of a label, which definitely presents its own challenges, but From Indian Lakes realized that jumping at every chance to get signed isn’t necessarily the key to success.

“We’ve been saying no to everyone. Not just to say no, but

not taking any bones that people throw you, and it’s paying off because a lot of people think if you’re not signed you can’t get on big tours and stuff,” said Vannucchi. “Good things come but they don’t come as fast.”

Being on a big name label does not define an artist’s worth, and the band is not settling for anything less if it doesn’t seem like the right fit for them. Their motive is not to turn their passion into a business, but to simply do what they love and not take the opportunities they have been given for granted.

They have really made sure that this remains true for every aspect of the band.

“We just waited for the right people. We waited for people who were fans before they were businessmen in the way they approached us. That’s why we’ve been able to do these tours and stuff – because we have management that just really want us to succeed,” said Vannucchi.

Being self-sufficient in the music industry is strenuous, but also allows for a lot of freedom. The bands that work from the ground up are the ones who always appreciate their hard work that much more, and From Indian Lakes are already well on their way to establishing a lifestyle of playing music without all of the gimmicks of the music industry or losing sight of why they started in the first place.

PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Anjel Lopez STORY: Haley Black

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HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW jamming: Fury Oh Fury - EP (Five Seven Music) CURRENTLY: Preparing to release new music!

Everyone knows that as a touring

musician it’s difficult to balance your personal life and your job. Many manage to do so flawlessly, but when it comes to being a touring parent there is a whole new level of complexity while being away from home. Highlight got to catch up with lead singer Aja of Nico Vega to learn all about the band as well as the life of a touring mother; all while her daughter Arrow slept through the interview.

The members of Nico Vego hail from Oregon, Ohio and Connecticut; they all came together in Los Angeles after everyone decided they wanted to pursue music for the rest of their lives. They met through mutual friends while playing a show and the rest is history.

The band’s first breakthrough into the music scene came about via Myspace Music at the beginning of a whole new era of social media takeover for bands. Since then, Aja admits that social media has changed quite a bit.

“Social media is everything at the music world in this point.

You have to work a lot harder now than you used to have to work. There’s so many ways to get information and music now. Like when The Beatles started, there were like… three television stations. So if you played, everybody saw it. Now, you have to play like everywhere! Have two songs on the radio, play every late night show three times.”

With the constant social media presence in the industry, many musicians get lost in the whirlwind of countless bands popping up left and right. But Aja realizes the importance of standing out even if it’s difficult. “I think you just have to love what you do, believe in it and have a great time. Write good music and appreciate that it may never get further than your front porch. And if it does then you have to recognize that you are one of the lucky few.”

Luckily Nico Vega managed to reach ears beyond their local music scene; they started out with independent releases to get their name and music out there. Even though Aja still believes that it is possible to remain independent in today’s industry, she feels confident with their choice to sign with their current record label, Five Seven Music. “I feel blessed to be on an indie label and that I have so many people who believe in our music because that’s all you really need. We’re not going through a machine, so it’s going to be a lot of work on our own,” she expressed.

The band recently released a new EP entitled Fury Oh Fury through Five Seven Music and has plans for a new album as well. The new music is expected to be all over the map as far as genres go, just like Nico Vega has always been, in the best of ways.

“There’s electronic, heavy rock, and more. Some of it’s commercial and some of it is definitely not commercial,” Aja explained. “I think that if you don’t like that about the band you’ll be disappointed. But most people that listen to us, I think they appreciate all of the elements of who we are. We have a pretty cult following and we’re very blessed.”

Perhaps a lot of their mixed sounds come from their willingness to collaborate while recording. On their first LP, Nico Vega had the opportunity to work with Linda Perry, and the band was very open to collaborations for this record as well. “I like to change it up and write with people. I always write the lyrics and the melodies. I’m not into allowing other people to take that from me, but that’s just because I need to be okay with it myself. I do love having other chord progressions thrown at me so I can write around them,” Aja said.

She explained that writing with other people pushes Nico Vega out of their box and into new directions. “We tend to write really obscure things because we like to have fun. But I think that can be hard for our label to sell,” she admits.

Nico Vega doesn’t just rely on their unique sound to stand out in the music scene though. The band has been touring throughout their years to get their name out there even more.

“I always tell people to find a way to tour as much as possible because it makes you a better band and it’s everything.

There’s so much going on online now that I think what sets you apart is making an experience that somebody can have.

That can’t be replaced by anything – it can’t go obsolete,” Aja explained.

The constant hustle of touring can be tough on any musician’s life, but being a parent makes being away for so long so much more difficult. Aja was forced to balance her passion for music with her personal life, “It was hard when I had Arrow not to give up because I was so fried. But my heart is so attached to it that I just couldn’t.”

Even though it has presented its challenges, Aja has definitely proved that it is still possible. And rest assured, Nico Vega is far from finished. The band plans on touring even more, releasing more music and bringing in even more listeners as the band continues to grow and progress over time. You can definitely tell that Nico Vega is serious about what they do, and that they aren’t putting out music for any reason other than their genuine love for it. Aja expressed that this is what helps the band look to the future, “I think in this world it’s hard to move forward sometimes unless you just love what you do.

That’s the best way to approach anything.”

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HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 25

“my heart is so attached.”

JUKEBOX THE GHOST

Over the last six and a half years

Jukebox The Ghost has played around 700 shows and released three studio albums. Over these years the band has seen slow growth marked by playing bigger venues and upgrading their tour vehicle. The band just came off of a milestone headlining tour where we caught up with them at their sold out show at the Metro in Chicago.

The three piece from the Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia area consists of Ben Thornewill (piano and vocals), Tommy Siegel (guitar and vocals) and Jess Kristin (drums) who do a lot of touring to keep the band moving forward.

“I think that’s kind of the reality of the music economy,” Siegel said on having to do so much touring. “You can’t really make money selling music anymore. So any band just sitting around recording is either broke or like…Radiohead. I think everyone else has to slug it out on the road – fortunately for us we really like it and we find live performance very rewarding,” he said. “That’s how we’ve survived as a band,” Thornewill added.

The band have played small shows with very few people in the audience, opened for acts like Jack’s Mannequin and Motion City Soundtrack and headlined venues like the Metro, which has a capacity of 1,150 people.

Kristin recalls the first show Jukebox The Ghost ever sold out was in January 2008 at an 800 person venue. “That was an early moment like…’Oh, people will see us.’ We can do this in D.C. maybe we can do it in other cities,” he said.

Thornewill said the most difficult part of being in the band is touring but it’s also the most rewarding part. He said this last headlining tour has been a big next move in the bands career. “The jump from Lincoln Hall to Metro is a huge jump here in Chicago for us. It’s been happening all over,” he said.

“The crowds have been fantastic.”

Last year the guys packed up and moved to New York City to record their third studio album, which was released last June. “We made the record in New York and we would have done that regardless so I think it made the process more comfortable. But I wouldn’t say it influenced the music,” said Thornewill.

The band agreed that its biggest musical influence is how different they are as individuals. “I think influences are a little weird. I think the main influence is that we all listen to different music and we all have different tastes, we all sort of have a common vision of what we should sound like and we’re all making the music we like to make. It’s hard to say that there’s a band or genre that’s influenced us. I think it’s just general collective taste,” said Thornewill.

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“We’re all very different so it’s tough to answer the influence question. We are very different so it’s just tough,” added Siegel.

Jukebox The Ghost is never short on material. Thornewill said they are always writing, mostly in their down time because it’s very hard to write on the road.

“Personally I just write what sounds good and then when we arrange, I never write as in “I want to write a song that sounds like this,” you know? It just happens,” said Thornewill.

The band is already thinking about a new album. “Nothing to release yet but I think we’re talking about this summer we want to start getting the wheels moving for a new record,” said Thornewill.

They hope to work with their friend Dan Romer, who they loved working with on their latest album. “And Nicki Minaj,” Kristen jokes.

Siegel said a moment that affirmed the band’s success and potential was performing on Late Show With David Letterman, at least for his relatives. “I think that was a more life affirming moment for like, our grandmothers. Because [if] you tell your relatives you’re in a band and they’re like, ‘why are you wasting your life? You went to college.’ But then they find out you were on Letterman and all of a sudden they are

bragging to everyone they know. So that was a huge moment for everyone else around us,” he said.

For Siegel himself, however, the highlight of their career so far was when the band recently upgraded its van. “I know it sounds pretty trivial,” he said. “It’s been the most major lifestyle change that we’ve had in four years,” Thornewill agreed.

“It’s been a very tangible change but symbolical. We just upgraded to a mini bus. We have a sound guy now and he’s very dedicated. We have a dedicated tour manager now too,” said Kristin on the huge steps forward the band has taken on this tour.

“We started out the three of us in a station wagon, and then a mini van, and then an eight passenger van. Slow growth,” said Thornewill.

That slow growth is what has kept Jukebox The Ghost going.

“I think the next goal is figuring out how to keep building the momentum that we’ve had on this tour,” said Thornewill.

If it’s the measure of success hopefully we’ll catch Jukebox The Ghost playing an even bigger venue and traveling in a bigger bus next time they hit the road.

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The Venetia Fair has certainly got to be one of the most… unique bands around. Of course, we

mean this only in the greatest of ways. Not only do they have one of the most theatrical and hard hitting live shows we’ve ever seen, but their new full-length, Every Sick, Disgusting Thought We’ve Got In Our Brain, still remains our favorite release of 2013.

The Venetia Fair is made up of Benny Santoro (vocals), Mr. Chark (bass), Mike Abiuso (guitar), Joe Brown (keys) and Chris “C-VEGAS” Constantino (drums). We caught up with them in Chicago recently and honestly had no idea what to expect. If you’re already a fan, this interview will not surprise you one bit. But if you’ve never heard of The Venetia Fair – Highlight Magazine is not liable for any mental damage you may suffer while reading this interview. However, we did try and censor it for you.

Q: Let’s rewind back to October 2012 when you guys launched your Kickstarter program. Initially, did you have a strong feeling you would reach your goal?

Ben: I’m a glass half empty kind of guy – I was scared.

Mr. Chark: I thought we were going to crush it. Ben didn’t think we could do it because he never thinks we can do anything and I thought we would because I can tell the future.

Mike: I thought it was going to be fucking great from the beginning, no doubts. I love to get my hopes up on things.

We like letdowns.

Q: I mean, in all honesty how did it feel to reach your goal that fast?

Mr. Chark: It was like an “I TOLD YOU SO” moment for me, Mr. Chark.

Joe: I fucking knew it. I don’t think we expected to do it in four days.

Mike: I thought it would take like a week or two.

Q: What were the rewards you had on it?

Joe: There were like a lot of really stupid ones.

Mr. Chark: My entire hair collection was on there.

Mike: Fingers, treasure maps… fucking all kinds of sweet shit. Our backdrop, pre-orders of CDs, listening parties… a girl even paid to hop in the van with us for a week— we pick her up soon.

Mr. Chark: One thing I felt when we first hit it was like… I had been feeling pretty down about the band in general because we had been pretty inactive for a bit. But it was a nice reminder that people did like us, do like us and that they want us to make music.

Q: I’m really proud of you. That was a very serious moment you just had.

Joe: FUCK YOU I’M SO DISAPPOINTED. Mr. Chark: Scratch that for the record then.

Mike: Luckily he answered the question that she had already moved on from so that’s kind of good.

Q: Did you already have the album done when you launched the Kickstarter?

Joe: We were in the studio when it launched and then we remained in there after it was done. It was seriously just a huge race to get everything done.

Mr. Chark: We spent all the money on fake boobs for ourselves and then we realized that we didn’t want fake boobs so we had to spend it on anti-fake boobs.

Q: Wow, that must have been really expensive.

Joe: Yeah we know a guy–a really great fake boob guy.

Q: Speaking of previous times, it has been four years since you released your debut album. How does it feel to finally put out new music?

Mr. Chark: Clusterfuck.

Joe: I’m just glad we get to play new songs because every time we’re at a show and somebody asks me to play “Because You’re Lonely” I want to shoot myself.

Joe: We literally got our physical copies of the CD the day before it was released.

Mr. Chark: It makes me feel old that you say it’s been four years.

Ben: It took about twice as long as we anticipated.

Q: Your sound has changed a bit, which is inevitable with the amount of time in between releases; even so, this past release was not a “sophomore slump.” Do you think this was due to the fact that you had a larger amount of time to work on it? Or something else?

Joe: Yeah, we are horrible, horrible planners.

Mr. Chark: We went way over-budget so we spent all the money from the Kickstarter and we’re still in debt.

Joe: We got really, really excited when we got the money and spent it on booze. That’s a joke; we get all of our money from Clique Vodka because they’re awesome.

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C-Vegas: A combination of all of that. Mostly because I joined the band and I’m the oldest.

Joe: We had to spend a lot of time keeping him propped up at practice.

C-Vegas: My brain is old and mushy so when I learn a part, I just forget it in about two minutes.

Mr. Chark: We had to take a lot of naps.

Joe: Also, with our first album we didn’t know at all what we were doing and we were pretty much content to make whatever we wanted because we weren’t comparing ourselves to anybody. But now we’ve been touring for a long time so we need to make sure we are better than everybody else. So we tried to make this thing better than anything else.

Mr. Chark: And we failed.

Q: Because you had gotten such a huge response to fund this album by fans, how have they responded to the final result?

Mr. Chark: Yeah I think the main thing is like… you know when you spend money on something and you’re least likely to hate on it? Like when you spend a lot of money on a new knife. You’re gonna be like, “this knife is fucking awesome.”

Benny: That’s a weird choice of a product.

C-Vegas: Change it to a gun.

Mr. Chark: Yeah, like if you spend a lot of money on a new gun, you’re not gonna be like, “This gun sucks.” You’re gonna be like, “This gun is fucking awesome.”

Joe: You’re going to find a reason to love your new gun.

C-Vegas: So it’s like a psychological trick we played on our fans to make them like the album even if they don’t.

Q: Wow, that’s so smart.

Joe: Ben and I took psych in college.

Mike: We’re all very smart. Like, there’s a gun in our trailer and we’re going to kill you.

The interview got really graphic here and the band discussed guns for a few minutes. So… we’ll just cut that out as the content may be mentally disturbing for some of our younger readers.

Q: Just by listening to even one song, I can tell that you add a huge theatrical element into your music, which makes it so unique. Did something influence this or did it just rise out of messing around trying to find something that worked?

Mike: I think we just like things that we hear and we try to rip them off.

C-Vegas: We like things that we hear in video games and on weird soundtracks.

Joe: We’re all in theater; we all do a lot of dance.

Mr. Chark: I don’t think we draw any specific influence. I think it’s more of parts that we hear in songs or themes that we hear. Even emotions, we try to portray that in music. It’s not like we draw influence from artists – we just hear parts that are wonky.

C-Vegas: That’s why we’re emo… we hear emotions.

Q: You had mentioned that lots of bad things tend to happen with your van getting towed and/or breaking down online.

What is the craziest van story on tour that you have?

Mike: We got towed in this city. Fucking Chicago always tows our van and trailer. We maxed out all of our cards fucking paying for this bullshit city.

Mr. Chark: We saw some guy down there trying to throw cinderblocks through the window but they have bars so they are probably used to that type of thing.

Mike: The coolest thing van related was probably when we thought we hit a coyote so we pulled over and we had actually hit a woman… but she wasn’t dead.

Q: I’m going to publish all of this.

Joe: Yes, please do.

Once again, folks, it gets just a little graphic so we’re going to hold off on this portion of the interview. If this was television we’d have one of those cool rainbow screens but we don’t so just skip ahead.

Q: In all seriousness *everybody laughs* what would you say has been the most difficult part of your career collectively and personally?

Joe: This is a real answer— I think the most difficult part about this band is doing it with Chris in it.

Chris: I have a different answer. I’m just really not on the same talent level as everybody else; I kind of just wing it. I fuck up every show so bad.

Mr. Chark: I have an answer! Staying in the band. It’s a pretty shitty lifestyle. You’re always dirty, overworked, never home and underappreciated… usually. Not that I deserve appreciation but just staying motivated to continue this lifestyle when it would be very easy to get a real job and have a real place to live instead of living with somebody’s parents.

Joe: That would be wicked stupid though.

Q: I’m going to note that you’re sewing (Mr. Chark).

Mr. Chark: Yeah I’m making a hat for Joe, but I lost my knife.

Q: How did you, or do you continue to, overcome that?

Mr. Chark: Honestly, the Kickstarter was a huge factor in that. It was one of those things... it made me realize people want us to do this.

Joe: I think that we stay in the band to mask our suffering by using Clique Vodka.

Benny: Sometimes Chark and I have to cry together.

Mr. Chark: Yeah, I quit one time and Ben and I cried together so then I was in the band still.

Joe: When that happened I had already been looking for replacements.

C-Vegas: Since we had to take a lot of time off to record the album over the past year and some of us had to get real jobs

and shit, you realize that real life makes you more miserable than tour life. We kind of get to live [in] this really shitty, dirty dream world.

Q: What has been the ‘highlight’ of your career so far?

Mike: Honestly, probably this interview.

C-Vegas: The CD release show! *everybody agrees* Q: Well, this is coming out in May so is there anything you’d like to share about what’s coming up? Any last words?

Joe: Yeah! Check us out at 8PM on America’s Got Talent.

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HOME: New Jersey NOW jamming: Where I left You - Single CURRENTLY: Preparing for the release of thier new full-length, Heart Attack, on May 28th!

Evolution, in recent years, has

become synonymous with the state of the music industry.

Countless numbers of bands are turning away from the more traditional route relinquishing their control to record labels and management and are moving towards a more DIY attitude. Basing much of their philosophy as a band off of this ideal, Man Overboard has been able to shed light on this attitude in the pop-punk scene even after all of their success. “It started out of necessity, because no one cared and no one wanted to help. But from necessity came our ethos and our mindset of taking control of everything we do,” said guitarist Justin Collier, “We started out releasing our own music, then went on to Run For Cover Records and finally ended up with Rise Records.”

And a lot of this derives from their strong connections to their hometown. “Growing up in New Jersey, we all went to shows in the area and in Philadelphia. There were lot of examples of DIY and the bands we enjoyed were often bands who took their careers and futures upon themselves,” explained Collier. Man Overboard is still more than willing to admit when they need a helping hand; even though they are working with labels and management teams, they focus on keeping everything as personal as possible.

“Regardless of how big we have been over the last few years, and regardless of what help we have from labels, booking agents, etc. [we have] always been a very DIY band,” said Collier.

Over the years Man Overboard has developed a reputation for being quick with their music releases. They pleasantly surprised their fans at the end of February when out of nowhere the band announced that they had recorded a brand new full-length album. While out on their recently finished Suppy Nation Tour, they gave a brief preview of what was to come by performing the only two released songs off of the upcoming album entitled Heart Attack.

“I’ve heard a lot of positive feedback from people [about] the two songs we have released so far,” said vocalist and bassist Nik Bruzzese, “I could see that people are ready to hear new songs… this is the most excited I have been to release new music.”

This new release is definitely far from the band’s first time through. The band has racked up three full-length albums, an even greater number of EP’s and a split with Transit over the years. Because of this, Man Overboard definitely knows exactly how they want their studio experience to feel like. For Heart Attack, they headed into studio with Will Yip, the man behind Balance and Composure’s most recent split with Braid, and Title Fight’s Floral Green. “He 38 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

is a true artist and that’s so important in both a producer and an engineer,” commented guitarist Wayne Wildrick, “It brings your band to another world when they have a vision that is running parallel to your own.” Yip brought something special to this new Man Overboard record that they haven’t been able to touch on in previous releases.

“The drums are at the forefront of the mix,” said Wildrick, “that is something we wanted all along since everyone in the band is a drummer.”

The band also enlisted the help of Steve Klein, a founding member of New Found Glory. After working with Klein on the band’s last record, the group felt that it was only natural to work with Klein again. “This time around we used all the things we had learned from Steve on the first record and applied it to the bare bones of the new songs right away,” said Bruzzese, “This gave Steve a chance to actually test himself in a way that he wasn’t going to have to go over a basic song structure with a young band.”

From the small glimpse that they have given us, this growth is definitely prominent musically. It appears as if Man Overboard has created their most exciting and mature record to date, which is an exciting prospect for both the band and their fans. “ I didn’t know we were capable of musically writing this aggressive sound[ing] record,” said Nik. Collaboration isn’t anything new to the band’s writing process; they have two primary songwriters in the band working on their songs. Zac Eisenstein, along with Bruzzese, work with each other to bring together basic songs while the rest of the band throws their two cents in to turn a “Zac or Nik” song into a “Man Overboard” song.

“I think we both have two different styles, but yes, there is the common quality of a song made by Man Overboard, regardless of who wrote it,” said Eisenstein. Bruzzese offered a similar sentiment, “Zac and I have a different way of writing songs and I think that on this record we are both coming into our own with writing, but [we] both have an understanding of what we want it to sound like in the end.” And after spending the past four years together touring the world, Nik and Zac have spent the better part of that time learning how the other writes.

The band took a few steps outside of their comfort zone while making Heart Attack; they decided to add Geoff Rickley of the band Thursday as a guest vocalist to the song “Open Season” after they became friends while out on Warped Tour. Even though this is a new direction for the band, Eisenstein made it very clear that it probably wouldn’t be a prospect for the future. “This will likely be the only guest spot we ever have… Thursday and Geoff were a huge influence on me [and the band],” said Eisenstein.

With so much progression for the band happening in just one album, it’s easy to see why there is so much anticipation surrounding the release. “We wanted to write songs that we thought would set us apart from the norm and raise the bar,” said Nik, “If anything I would say Heart Attack is a little less polished from the earlier stuff and is a huge sounding, hard rocking record that gives Man Overboard some little mark in music.”

The band explained that there wasn’t a real theme to the album, and much of its direction just came out of the members throwing ideas around. Take the album name for instance; which wasn’t anything planned out in advance. “[We] honestly just thought it was an awesome name,” explained Zac, “We threw in the line ‘attacked by my own heart,’ which appears on the record, after we already knew [what] it was called.” In a way they went backwards from the traditional way of going about naming an album by taking the album title as an influence and a directive for the songwriting process rather than the music dictating the title. “I love the idea of a heart attack in the emotional sense of the word heart though,” said Zac, “Obviously physical heart attacks suck and are no joke.”

Man Overboard has become known for much more than their ability to release music faster than most other bands in the music scene today; probably one of their most exceptional aspects as a band is their incredible live performances.

They recently finished up co-headlining the Suppy Nation Tour with The Story So Foar, Tonight Alive, Citzen and The American Scene. “Suppy Nation was amazing,” said Nik, “It was really good to see our hard work with being on the road start to pay off.” Over the years Man Overboard has been building a strong following, and the fact that the band is so personal and hands on in every aspect plays a strong role in that. From holding meet and greets, to answering fans’ Facebook comments personally, they keep everything close to their fingertips.

And as a band always at the forefront when it comes to finding ways to connect with their fans, they have been branching out into new and almost unexpected avenues to do so. The bands most recent endeavor is no exception to their hands-on approach to running things; their new radio show on Idobi is as personal as it gets. “We used to do podcasts on our website and this stemmed from that,” explained Justin, “We interview people, shoot the shit amongst each other and play songs. It ‘s fun and another way fans can listen in and get connected with Man Overboard.” From running the radio show, having their own record label and coming up with designs for their merchandise, the band has found ways to stand out and truly connect with their fans in ways that most other bands aren’t even dreaming of doing yet.

Of these efforts, the one that really went viral and stirred a lot of talk was the phrase Defend Pop Punk. “[It] started out as a t-shirt design for us and people’s love and attachment for it is what brought it to the level it is at now,”

said Collier, “We are simply trying to have fun as a band and do what we enjoy… there are a lot of amazing bands playing right now and we love and support a lot of them, regardless of how pop or punk they are.”

Although the phrase is more of a playful one, Man Overboard has definitely proven that they have a more serious side and are actively involved in a number of issues. “We grew up on bands that told us to question everything the world put in front of us,” explained Wayne.

The band has no problem taking stances when it comes to things such as the Limewire settlement, and they have no problem openly expressing them either. “I don’t think that any level of success will push us to say more, or less about political and social issues that strike a nerve,” said Wayne, “I think what moves us to post about these things is that it’s a chance to make people feel something.” Most recently, the band released a special edition of their now infamous Defend Pop Punk t-shirt to aid the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. The shirt bore the iconic

Boston Red Sox logo on the front, and managed to raise over $5,000 for the One Fund in just a few days.

The band’s strong connection to current issues has played a huge role in how they present themselves. “We have bred ourselves to value the presentation and the operation of our band very highly,” said Collier, “We don’t want people to just like our music, we want them to feel like they are [a] part of a culture of Man Overboard.” They look to create things that make people feel, to draw an emotional connection amongst all people who listen to Man Overboard.

The band is gearing up for their second run on Warped Tour this upcoming summer and it’s safe to say the band will making a few changes for their second run. “Warped Tour is going to widely consume our lives for the summer of 2013,” said Collier, “We will also be doing ManO RadiO every Monday, streaming new songs and videos, hosting contests and doing some other fun stuff that people can get involved with.”

For a band like Man Overboard the past four years have been nothing but excitement. They’ve become the pinnacle of the success DIY can bring to the table; they’ve managed to put out records bigger and better than before while continuing to grow their fanbase. Although it’s not all fun and parties—being a DIY band (or any band for that matter) brings a lot of stress and hard work. Despite the challenges that they may have faced over the years, they have done more than most bands can even imagine achieving in just a few years. While keeping their DIY mentality at the heart, Man Overboard has been able to release a discography lengthier than most bands who have been around for a decades. Entering into the new era of the band with their signing to Rise Records, and the secret recording of Heart Attack, Man Overboard has made it very clear this is just the beginning.

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"We don’t want people to just like our music, we want them to feel like they are a part of a culture of Man Overboard."

olly murs

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before you exit

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The Word Alive

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Parkway Drive

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album

reviews artist:

Man Overboard album: Heart Attack rating:

Sounds like:

The Story So Far Transit The Wonder Years

Recommended tracks: “Swan Dive”

“How to Hide Your Feelings”

“Hoodie Song”

Tracks: Secret Pain 2 Boy Without Batteries 3 Where I Left You 4 Heart Attack 5 White Lies 6 S.A.D 7 Suppy 8 How To Hide Your Feelings 9 Swan Dive 10 Hoodie Song 11 Re Run 12 Open Season 13 Damage Control 14 Wide Awake 1

Release date:

May 28, 2013

website: www.defendpoppunk.com

Man Overboard dove straight into May 2013 with a new album, Heart Attack, and with the help of Steve Klein of New Found Glory once again. At Highlight, we had the pleasure of speaking to the band before they went into the studio to write, and it was clear how excited the band was to be getting back into recording after two years.

The album opens with the track “Secret Pain,” which features punchy drums and guitars, a catchy chorus and everything you’d expect to hear from Man Overboard.

While the album features songs such as the title track “Heart Attack” that sound reminiscent of Man Overboard’s past releases, the whole album is a great showcase of their progression as a band and features some unexpected sounds that I think will please fans of all genres of rock.

The track “Suppy,” which fittingly correlates with their recent Suppy Nation Tour, is a favorite that gives me old school Green Day vibes. While “White Lies,” “Hoodie Song” and “Swan Dive” show the band’s edgier side and really showcase how much their musicianship has progressed. The 14-track album is well rounded, and I can find something I love about each song on Heart Attack.

“Wide Awake” is the closing track on the album, and one of my favorites. The song features acoustic guitars, piano, gang vocals and is a great way to close out the album. The track builds up into layers of vocals and has a very different air to it from the rest of the album.

Overall, Heart Attack is yet another great release from Man Overboard. This album seems to be more polished than past releases from the band, but it still has the ruggedness to it that any quality pop-punk album should have. The production is topnotch, and while the angsty lyrics aren’t necessarily going to blow your mind, there are still a few lyrical gems scattered throughout that will resonate with you or at least get stuck in your head. Pop-punk fan or not, Heart Attack is an album you should be picking up on May 28th, and don’t forget to see the band play some of these new tracks at Warped Tour this summer.

review: Anjel Lopez

Artist: Daylight Album: Jar

Pennsylvania band Daylight has released their first full-length album, Jar, after releasing a few EPs over the last few years. Not being familiar with the band, I was pleasantly surprised by how good this record is. It proves to be a promising debut with a cohesive sound and perfect balance of hard-hitting and slower songs. The record has an overall heavier sound with a mix of influences ranging from metal to grunge and more often than not a 90’s alternative feel.

“Life in a Jar” was a track that stood out to me as it had a perfect structure alternating between heavy instrumental driven parts and melodic sections. “Outside of Me” is one of the heavier driven tracks on the record, while “Sheltered” is one of the most melodic and catchy. “Hole in the Ground” is another highlight, a beautiful slower song that I found myself listening to on repeat. For fans of the bands previous EPs I’m sure Jar will not disappoint, and for those unfamiliar with the band it’s a great introduction. It’s a record that I would highly recommend a listen to and a band to definitely keep an eye on.

recommended tracks: “Life in a Jar” & “Hole in the Ground” review: Morgan Waldorf

Artist: KoJi Album: Crooked In My Mind Since his debut in 2010, KoJi’s music has never failed to simultaneously engulf and enchant listeners. Most recently he went on the road with the Acoustic Basement Tour where he released a tour-exclusive 7” entitled Distance/Divided as a precursor to his long awaited LP Crooked In My Mind.

This album has a very unique feel to it. The tempo, bass lines and delicate percussion indicate a definite blues influence; and the emotionally taut lyrics only add to that overall feel. Although they are on the repetitive side, they are hard-hitting and spot on; anyone could find at least one line, if not more, that they relate to.

Crooked in My Mind, as a whole, is a very strong album and definitely some of KoJi’s best work. He has somehow managed to produce an album that is nostalgic, personal, relatable, powerful and catchy all at the same time. With this release he has proved that he can create a recognizable sound and with that there is no limit to what he can do musically.

recommended tracks: “Chasing A Ghost,” “The Near and Far,” & “In The Line” review: Claire Pope

Artist: Youngblood Hawke Album: Wake Up Youngblood Hawke’s debut album Wake Up is absolute perfection. The end. I couldn’t contain my excitement for this album and Youngblood Hawke definitely delivered. I enjoyed Wake Up more than I even thought I could.

Wake Up features complex composition and genius songwriting that pulls inspiration and style from all over the musical map. This record has infectious percussion with driving rhythms that you can feel in your bones and electronic sounds that engulf your ears.

The vocals are larger than life and from start to finish and Wake Up shattered my high expectations song after song.

Everything about this record is just feel good music that just gets to you. Listen to this record and don’t move to the music, I dare you; it’s not possible.

recommended tracks: “We Come Running,” “Dreams,” “Sleepless Streets,” & “Last Time” review: Jennifer Boylen HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 51