Issue #19

ISSUE 19

HIGHLIGHT

MAGAZINE

SKATERS – ECHOSMITH – THE FRONT BOTTOMS – BLONDFIRE – TAYLOR SWIFT & MORE

co-founder – editor-in-chief ashley osborn

IGHLIGH

co-founder – art director cara bahniuk managing editor jenn stookey content director anjel lopez copy editor courtney dondelinger markeitng coordinator perry fish co-founder mckenzie hughes contributing photographers

cara bahniuk, matt burke, dan deslover, courtney dondelinger, tarina doolittle, jordan fischels, brad heaton, anjel lopez, nicole mago, charlie martel, david mullis, ashley osborn, heather phillips, petey place, danny raybon, sam roenfeldt, sam san roman, daniel shippey, jared thomas and amy willard

contributing writers (online & publication)

ryan argast, haley black, jennifer boylen, colleen casey, rebecca del castillo, trevor figge, perry fish, tamara fuentes, will howard, logan kant, jessica klinner, matthew leimkuehler, daisy marietta, theresa pham, taylor pittman, karlin reed, ryan bahniuk, annette schaefer, alyssa schmidt and morgan waldorf

digital marketing team

rachel carter, sierra eldridge, misty frederick, mary patterson, megan shea, catie suliga and becca white

news posters

jordyn lockwood, heather malan and taylor miller

_________________________ www.highlightmagazine.net

facebook facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter @highlightzine instagram @highlightzine _________________________ thank you

tonight alive, kmgmt, another reybee production, warner bros., earshot media, black lodge pr, press here publicity, side one dummy, promenade music entertainment, adam lopez, translate apparel, big hassle media, erickson pr, secret service pr and stephanie marlow. also, a special thanks to all of our amazing readers!

_________________________ 06 tonight alive sammy roenfeldt

07 keep it cute tarina doolittle

echosmith ashley osborn

skaters ashley osborn

blondfire eliot lee hazel

the front bottoms mark jaworski

bear mountain ashley osborn

taylor swift ashley osborn

september 05 this or that

08 clothing highlight 09 film highlight 10 label highlight 11 venue highlight 12 industry highlight 14 katy capella 16 the body rampant 18 bear mountain 22 the ongoing concept 24 skaters 26 echosmith 30 keep it cute 34 blondfire 36 the front bottoms 38 tonight alive 48 taylor swift 52 reviews

r

THIS

OR

THAT

∆ (ALT J)

EDWARD SHARPE AND THE MAGNETIC ZEROS

25%

75%

40%

60%

LANA DEL REY

14%

MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS

BOTH

13%

73%

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 5

TONIGHT ALIVE - 38

ECHOSMITH - 26

BLONDFIRE - 34

BEAR MOUNTAIN - 18

30 - KEEP IT CUTE

24 - SKATERS

36 - THE FRONT BOTTOMS

48 - TAYLOR SWIFT

CATCH ONTO THESE TRENDS COMPANY: Translate Apparel OWNER/DESIGNER: Brittany Maccarello LOCATION: Upstate New York WEBSITE: www.translateapparel.com

COMPANY STORY?

Translate Apparel isn’t just a name; it’s a feeling that is in everyone.

Translate is about capturing that; showing the differences among all of us through images and words. I came up with the name Translate years ago, but the idea stayed dormant for quite some time. I really wanted to create a clothing company that was unique and stood apart from the rest. Where I was in my life didn’t allow me to that then though. But when this idea came to me, I never imagined it being what it is today. With a little help from my friends Kyle Hulett, Kelsey Garmendia, Kelly Sundaze and Jason Dickhut, with writing, editing, photography, marketing and printing, they have helped me make Translate a reality. I couldn’t possibly take all of the credit for this amazing journey without thanking them. Because of all of our work, Translate is here to stay and leave an imprint in our world. And I can’t wait to see where this road takes us.

WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVORITE DESIGNS?

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOUR BRAND REPRESENTS?

Everything is homegrown in the USA. I even make the leather labels myself on the hats. Each order is sent out with a personal thank you from the Translate team and me. I put my blood and sweat into each item. Each piece reflects who I am and where I come from. And the creative process is never ending. We have an amazing team who is dedicated to getting the millions of ideas we come up with out there.

Our company is not just about the product, but its about having soul, having a deeper meaning. This company means a lot to me, and whoever wants to check it out after this I appreciate each and every one of you.

It represents inspiration, art, music, originality, and seeing not only differences, but also our similarities. Our brand is showing that while we all come from different backgrounds, we all can have one common starting point.

REASON YOU STARTED YOUR BRAND?

I’ve always wanted to start a clothing company. But I wanted to give something more than that. I didn’t want our customers just be another business transaction. I wanted a meaning behind our products, a family-tupe relationship with our customers. Not just me putting a design on clothing and selling it. I wanted a clothing company that showed more than one idea, more than one perspective. I wanted to embrace our differences and translate them into images for everyone to see. The beauty about life is that there is no one definition. Everyone has a different perspective.

1) The Circle design on the left featuring (Chauncey Crawford), because it was one of the first designs I came up with in the early processes.

2) The Native American Head in the middle which is my brother (Anthony Maccarello) because I am part Native American and I love Native American stuff and it speaks the truth not only does it have an image but also words incorporated into it.

3) The whale tails is the last one, which I’m modeling; because whales are my favorite animals in the world and when I designed it I wanted that stheart feel to it. Stheart is one of my favorite clothing companies out there; I love their stuff!

WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK OUT YOUR BRAND?

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kelly SunDaze: facebook.com/kellysundazephotography Jake Mitchell: 301pro.wordpress.com

HIGHLIGHTED

R E M M U S E H T F O P O T FILMS HORROR­BEST BEST COMEDY­ BEST

RATING: R STARRING: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, and Ron Livingston The Conjuring follows two paranormal investigators who aim to rid families and properties of looming demonic spirits tormenting their homes. Based on true events, these investigators are called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in their secluded farmhouse. Although the story is nothing new and perhaps even a bit played out, The Conjuring manages to bring a fresh, chilling perspective and actually deliver.

Playing on the fear of the unseen and the unknown, it echoes in similarities to Insidious, yet where that film fell short The Conjuring manages to actually terrify.

THE CONJURING SCORE & SOUNDTRACK Definitely not for the faint of heart, this soundtrack boasts an eerie score composed by Joseph Bishara from Insidious. The music from The Conjuring plays on the subtle but sharp noises that make your skin crawl while climaxing with ear shattering screeches.

The Conjuring proves a good scare all lies in the music, by not only haunting audiences in theaters, but also creating a lingering uncomfortable feeling in the air long after the film is over.

RATING: R STARRING: Nick Robinson, Moises Arias, Gabriel Basso and Nick Offerman This is a coming­of­age comedy about three friends that run away to the woods to break free of their overbearing parents. They spend the summer building a home in the forest, living off the land, and discovering their independence. What makes this film one of the best of the summer is its simplicity and the natural chemistry amongst the cast. As a viewer it hits your core, reminding you of what it was like being a kid anxious to grow up. It’s raw, real, and relatable.

THE KINGS OF SUMMER SOUNDTRACK: ORIGINAL MUSIC BY RYAN MILLER By far the most unique and powerful soundtrack of the summer; director Jordan Vogt­ Roberts and Ryan Miller modeled the melodies after classic video games like Donkey Kong and Zelda complemented with simplistic sounds of nature. This soundtrack perfectly encapsulates the spirit of the film yet stands on its own; providing an interesting listen for just about anyone. There are even some pretty raunchy rap tracks thrown in the mix to keep things fresh. Overall the soundtrack to The Kings of Summer is an awesome throwback to the days of being young and stupid, an album of pure nostalgia.

REVIEW: Rachel Carter

E

ACTION­BEST INDI

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 9

YOU MAY WANT TO LISTEN TO...

Originally founded by Andy Hull (Manchester Orchestra, Right Away, Great Captain!) and Jeremiah Edmond (formerly of Manchester Orchestra) Favorite Gentlemen Records was started in 2005 with a foundation built on community and friendship. Manchester Orchestra, Hull’s side project with Kevin Devine, Bad Books and Hull’s solo side project Right Away, Great Captain! are all housed under the label. The label is also home to other southern indie rock outfits such as All Get Out, O’Brother and Bad Books. Favorite Gentlemen has 14 acts currently signed and over 30 releases that have been distributed by Sony Music Entertainment. Last year, acts such as All Get Out, Junior Astronomers, Death On Two Wheels and Harrison Hudson were featured on the Favorite Gentleman Tour, which showcased the label’s family roots.

ALL GET OUT -

All Get Out’s unique blend of indie, punk and country has made them a band to watch. Three years of intense touring to very little crowds hardened the Charleston, SC, rockers and left them feeling defeated. The four-piece band poured their feelings into four new songs on their debut LP The Season, while the rest were previously written. The Season was acclaimed by fans and critics alike and helped the band to get on tours with La Dispute, Anberlin and Transit. Now a two-piece (with friends filling in on tour), vocalist/guitarist Nathan Hussey and drummer Gordon Keiter are aiming for a 2014 release of LP two.

Listen to: “Lucky Bastard”

BAD BOOKS - What started as just jamming together during downtime on Favorite Gentlemen community tours, Andy Hull and Kevin Devine accidentally formed Bad Books.

That accident then created a self-titled LP with five songs from Hull and five from Devine. Both Hull and Devine are known for their folk inspired indie, but the artists said that their Bad Books was aesthetically poppy while still staying true to their storytelling lyrics and imagery. Their second album II was released October of last year. The band will be playing all three days of Riot Fest Chicago in September.

Listen To: “Forest Whitaker”

HARRISON HUDSON - First formed in Atlanta, GA in 2005 as a solo project, Harrison Hudson wrote Angel On One Side… Other On The Other about one of the darkest times in his life. By, 2008 Harrison Hudson was a trio in Nashville, TN, with another release under its belt. Soon after, Hudson wrote another 70 songs that were soon 12 on the album American Thunder. Inspired by some of Nashville’s greats, such as Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley, and 50’s muscle cars American Thunder is a gritty homage to the roots of rock ‘n roll without sounding like an imitation. The trio’s second album is due on September 24th and they have a nationwide tour with label-mate Kevin Devine and Now, Now starting in October.

Listen to: “Bookstore Girl” WORDS: Alyssa Schmidt

VENUE HIGHLIGHT 9:30 CLUB - WASHINGTON, D.C.

HISTORY:

WHY PLAY HERE?

The 9:30 Club, a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C., may not be pretty but it holds a ridiculous amount of history! Having opened in 1980, the club’s name came from their original address at 930 F St, but in 1995 the venue moved a few streets down to 815 V St. Since the early 1980’s, the 9:30 Club has been known as a profressive venue due to their discovery of up-and-coming acts. The 9:30 Club has been home to many rare, significant acts including, but not limited to, Bob Dylan (in 1997 and 2004), The Beastie Boys as they made their return from their hiatus and Radiohead with a secret show in 1998. O.A.R has recorded a live album at the 9”30 Club and Jimmy Eat Worl recorded a live DVD performance. In more recent times, Adele sold out the venue in less than 2 minutes in 2011 and Fall Out Boy sold out the venue in 3 minutes and that show holds the title of one of the most popular shows this year so far.

I think the better question would be why NOT play here? The 9:30 Club has been honored with the title “Nightclub of the Year” four times and has also been included in the top ticketselling club. In 2004 alone, the 9:30 Club sold 236,112 tickets!

The 9:30 Club is also included in many artists’ favorite venue in America and is an honor to the band when their tour stops here. The Rolling Stone Magazine rated the club the #1 Big Room in America. Patrick Stump, of Fall Out Boy, has said. “It’s got so much character, you wonder if they locals know how lucky they are.”

And if you’re lucky, you may even get to taste one of 9:30 Clubs special cupcakes!

TWITTER: @930Club FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/930Club WEBSITE: www.930.com SEPTEMBER 14TH

SEPTEMBER 17TH

SEPTEMBER 18/19TH

SEPTEMBER 26/27TH

Jake Bugg

City and Colour

∆ (Alt-J)/Lord Huron

Walk The Moon

REVIEW: Cara Bahniuk PHOTO: Google Images

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YOU’LL BE AMAZED BY

JOB: Talent Manager/Founder of New Age Media Management LOCATION: Connecticut/New York

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL STORY? I grew up playing in local bands as most people did, mostly around the Connecticut area but my first industry taste was around the time when I was 17 or 18. I started out as a booking agent in Boston, booking my first national tour, which made me gain an incredible respect for agents. Booking is no picnic and I immediately knew it wasn’t for me.

After that I bounced around a bit— tried my hand at college for a bit, but after being kicked out of one and dropping out of another I realized very quickly that in fact, that wasn’t for me either. I founded the talent management firm New Age Media Management in 2010, which was when I started pulling all the threads together of my professional role in the music industry. I’ve been incredibly fortunate that the firm has done a lot of amazing things in such a short time, we’ve done partnerships with Fortune 500 companies (PepsiCo), got a chance to pair our artists with some amazingly talented producers (Claude Kelly, Zack Odom, Kenneth Mount) and our past and present client’s record sales are somewhere around the low millions.

In 2011, about a year after creating New Age, I was offered a job as the Director of Digital Marketing at an EMI joint venture (Krush21/EMI), which was a pretty fantastic experience to really get to kind of play devil’s advocate and see how things worked first hand as an internal part of a label. Although it was a small label, I was able to really grasp the concept of radio campaigns, big budget rollouts, independent investment strategies, etc. while still doing New Age on the side.

After my time at the joint venture I move onto another one but this one was slightly different and partnered with Island Def Jam (Belfast Boys/IDJ.) I was contract[ed] in as an A&R/Artist Development consultant, which really gave me a lot of insight on the gestation period that an artist requires to really be a contender on a larger scale. After my two years jumping into the label pool and running New Age on the side I decided to completely dive into New Age, which was the best decision I’ve ever made. I absolutely love and am proud of what we’ve done but I know there’s a certain point everyone hits where growth is absolutely key to the success of anyone whether it be an executive or an artist but not always imminent. We believe it’s important to stay innovative and act in a “creative-first” mindset and to always do our best to think five steps ahead, I’m truly excited to see what the future holds.

WHAT ARE THREE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CAREER MOMENTS? This is a tough one but I’d have to say that one of them was definitely coordinating an international tour spanning eight different European countries. That was one of the craziest things and took an immense amount of work but I learned an incredible amount from it, regardless of how much sleep I lost. Another moment I’d have to say is when we had a client who we happened to get on an iHeartRadio/Clear Channel radio countdown in their home state; fans would vote weekly as to where their favorite artists would place in the countdown and each artist was only allowed to spend eight weeks on the countdown, then their song was retired. We went up against some pretty massive artists, but once again proving that fans have all the power, the single spent all eight weeks on the countdown at number one.

Finally, I’d have to say writing a book. Over the months of July/ August I ran an IndieGoGo campaign to try and get everyone involved in a little passion project of mine; I’ve always been fascinated by writing and really wanted to share that with the world and luckily it got completely funded! The book is titled No Smoking in the Green Room and is in the process on being edited and sent to print, we’re looking at a late fall release, probably sometime in late October and I couldn’t be more excited for everyone to check it out!

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH? Tons! We have a bunch of really fantastic stuff in the works over at New Age, including an iPhone and Android ecommerce/ merchandising application set to release in December as well as the release of our latest venture in which the only thing I can actually say is that it’s something in the pop space and it IS a new artist that will be announced sometime in late October as well.

Overall, I really just want to be surrounded by a team that believes in creativity and innovation as much as myself and of course the rest of the team. I’d really like to have a stake in pushing the industry forward as a whole and I feel like given the amazingly talented people I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with both in the past and presently I believe that’s an attainable goal.

PHOTO: Jimmy Murning

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 13

HOME: Las Vegas, NV NOW JAMMING: Turn The World Around - Full-Length CURRENTLY: Working on a brand new album!

WHEN MOST PEOPLE HELP OTHERS,

it may be through volunteering or giving blood, but for Katy Cappella, it’s through music. Cappella was introduced to music at a very young age when her mother taught her how to play the piano. Music comes naturally to Cappella as both her mother and father sing. As she was growing up, she was incredibly lucky to have so many musical mentors in her life that brought growth to Cappella’s understanding of music and performance.

She took her music to a new level and became more serious about it, even participating on a competitive front, which lead to her receiving a music scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and studied vocal performance opening many doors for her musical career.

In 2010, Cappella was chosen to be the lead singer of Chesapeake Energy’s corporate band, Shaleplay. They were qualified for FORTUNE Magazine’s, “The Battle of the Corporate Bands” contest and qualified for regionals in Las Vegas, and walked away with first place. Because of this opportunity, a Fox Executive discovered Cappella and immediately introduced her to Wade Martin.

Cappella’s producer, Wade Martin, has worked with several big names, has many musical facets and is helpful when creating ideas, which are some of the many reason Cappella said she feels blessed to be working with him.

“The quality of the actual instrumental music he creates is like none other I have ever heard!” she said. “I am so lucky to be able to work with Wade.”

Cappella couldn’t be happier to have the opportunity to be working with Wade and the impact her family, fans, piano teacher and producer have made in her music career has been influential to her music. This has also helped her discover the message she wants her fans to hear in her songs. She wants people to be moved or encouraged in a positive direction with her music.

“Of course there are times I write to release my emotions or empathize with people and how they might feel about certain things, but usually in the back of my mind, no matter what I am writing about, I think, ‘how can this help someone else?’”

Cappella added.

Even though her infectious pop songs have become a hit with her fans, the song-writing process wasn’t an easy one for her, but she was up for the challenge making her songs more meaningful and relatable. She had never written a song in her life before this album, and she was literally in tears working on the first song not knowing how to get started. But by the time she finished writing the album the creativity was flowing so easily.

Whether her uncertainty of writing music stemmed from a fear of failing or the fear of people seeing her emotions, she learned to put them aside and jump in and just do it. She learned to fear new experiences and to “just take them as they come.”

“Whatever comes along with it is part of the journey, and I try and look at it as something I can gain new insight from and if it is a struggle I look at it as a learning experience that I can only get better at next time,” she added.

The song “Through It All,” on her full-length album Turn the World Around, means the most to Cappella because the lyrics are something everyone can relate to, which is a connection with her fans she strives to keep. Since everybody goes through difficult times, finding that one or two people who you can turn to in that time seems to become a source of strength, which is what she hopes fans get from this song. “It’s like the saying that ‘you can’t see the stars without darkness,’” she said.

The highlight of Cappella’s career this far is releasing her first album as well as starting her own show. Her songs have made her a stronger person because she let her fans in on her emotions.

“My career has just gotten started and I am just so humbled at how this is how it is taking off,” she added.

Even though she will not be touring this album, she is excited for the premiere of her show this November in her hometown, Las Vegas. She is more than thrilled for people to see the show because they will be able to catch songs from her album.

Cappella is most thankful for the people that have helped her get this far in her career because they have made opportunities possible for her and wouldn’t be here without them help, support or guidance from them. She is blessed with fans that understand and relate to her music.

“My music career never would have been possible without the support of everyone,” she added. “Also, I am thankful for the fans and that they allow me to share my passion with them; I could never say thank you enough!”

Fans can expect a few celebrity duets coming up in the near future in Cappella’s new album, which is set to release sometime in 2014. Because she has learned to keep pushing through all of the negatives, it has helped steer her career in the right direction thus far and hopes her journey will continue on.

PHOTO: Courtesy of Promenade Music INTERVIEW & STORY: Abby Welsh

“It’s like my brain just unlocked and the creativity started to flow once I let go of my fears,” she explained.

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 15

HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW JAMMING: Midnight Mayfair - Full-Length CURRENTLY: Celebrating the release of their new album!

WITH THE RECENT RELEASE OF A

new record, The Body Rampant has a ton planned for their future.

Between booking tours and planning videos, Highlight got the chance to catch up with JM Lopez to get all the details on the band, the new record and what is to come for The Body Rampant.

Following the break up of hard-core band Every Bridge Burned in 2010, JM Lopez took that opportunity for a fresh start as a musician and The Body Rampant was born. After writing and recording the bands first EP on his own, he found a group of musicians that make the band what it is today. The name of this five piece comes from a book penned by Jim Morrison and Lopez says no idea could represent them as artists or humans better; “[we are] always capable of anything we put our body and minds to,” he said.

Currently they have succeeded at this goal by releasing their very first full length, Midnight Mayfair. “The reaction has been amazing, it is a really dark album to be released in the summertime, and I feel the record has its light and dark moments. People have been really cool about the songs thus far,” he said.

Lyrical inspiration for Midnight Mayfair comes from everyday trials and tribulations. The record tells “stories of love, grief, happiness, anger, all things we experience on a daily basis,” Lopez said. But sound wise this record is as real as it gets. “We wanted to deliver a real sounding album the we can step on stage and give you the same experience. We didn’t use any synths, digital or analog, on the songs themselves,” he continued.

The process for this record was also different than their previous releases; they wrote Midnight Mayfair in the studio directly prior to recording it. “We wanted to really make sure the songs were written the best they could be and we wanted an improv-type approach to the song writing and recording. I hate over thinking parts and a lot of the guitar leads and effects were laid down right on the spot first take.”

Not only do they want their music to be as real as possible, The Body Rampant doesn’t want anything to take away from that.

Anyone who is a fan or even just checked their Facebook page can’t help but notice the masks they wear in photos, album art, and even their music video for “Sativa.” Even their bio is home to

the quote: “The Body Rampant are determined to make a name for themselves by their heavy pop music, not their looks.”

“Our original plan from the start was to do something fun and different. Every record label has a certain ‘image’ that their bands have. Every management co/booking agency does the same thing, our society loves fashion and beauty; its disgusting,” Lopez admitted. “We don’t want that image to add to/take away from what people think about the MUSIC. We get ostracized because of our image and how scary we are, but people also get a kick out of us and admire and respect our vision.”

But that goal has also become one of their biggest struggles as a band. “Being different visually and musically from what is popular in the mainstream is a definite struggle, however we overcome this on a daily basis,” Lopez said. The Body Rampant is not going to let that stop them. They overcome these struggles by “[staying] positive about our music and having faith that people will listen to the music over time. Things don’t happen over night and you have to have patience to succeed.”

Some of The Body Rampant’s greatest experiences have been in the studio. “The producers we have worked with and those

recording experiences I would say have been the most gratifying experiences given to us at this point. Working at Salad Days Studios in Baltimore was epic, as some of our favorite artists like Circa Survive and Thrice have created music in the same building,” Lopez said. Even so, the next goals for the band are to focus on their live show. “Our shows have been getting bigger and bigger. We want to keep this train rolling until we can be playing huge shows on the reg. We love playing live shows and being a visual band we love taking the stage to showcase what we were born to do,” he continued. That’s where they realize that they are living out their dreams. “Last month we played a sold out show at House Of Blues in Anaheim. Seeing over 1,000 people in the crowd was definitely a point where we knew we were having fun doing what we love.”

Be on the look out for more shows from The Body Rampant in the beginning of next year. Until then they will be showcasing the visual elements of Midnight Mayfair. “It will be the perfect backdrop for our story,” Lopez said. Stay tuned to see exactly what the story of this record looks like PHOTO: Courtesy of the band INTERVIEW AND STORY: Jennifer Boylen HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 17

HOME: Vancouver, BC NOW JAMMING: XO - Full-Length (Last Gang Records) CURRENTLY: Preparing for a ton of touring!

ELECTRO-POP MUSIC HAS BEEN the breakout genre during the past few years or so, providing a stimulating sound that classical instruments can often not create.

Incorporating authentic sounds as well as an electronic aspect created by computers or other forms of technology of the present day is a happy medium. Hailing from Vancouver, Bear Mountain does just that with their own innovative and occasional exotic twist.

The quartet, made up of twin brothers Greg and Ian Bevis, Kenji Rodriguez and Kyle Statham, have been evolving since the band was first formed by lead singer Ian Bevis several years ago when he was still in high school. His perseverance has led the band to the success they have achieved today.

“I have been a band since I was 15, and this band is different from the others in the level of commitment I think. I’ve been in lots of bands where someone always had a Plan A, and music was Plan B, even though that person wanted nothing more than to play music for a living. With us, playing music for a living has always been Plan A, so with that level of doubt removed, it’s a lot easier to commit to being broke and being a musician, because you know it’s going to work.”

The artists didn’t quit and were determined to make things work as they began to get serious about their music careers. What once was a small project produced from Ian Bevis’ computer slowly multiplied as more members were inducted to complete the group, which was soon followed by songs beginning to surface on the Internet.

“Bear Mountain started very small. I uploaded a few songs to MySpace, and then shared those with my friends. They liked the songs, so I kept releasing them and started sending them to blogs. I needed to play some shows, so I asked Kyle to join the band, playing guitar. We started playing shows together with a drummer, and Kenji saw us play live and asked if he could join the band doing visuals. We had a tour booked and needed a drummer, so my brother Greg joined.”

Creative Director has never been a stereotypical role for a band member, in fact it may not even be a familiar term when associated with musicians, but Bear Mountain brings an interesting dynamic to their live performances with their own personal lighting director operating directly from the stage. Bevis describes Kenji Rodriguez as, “the glue that holds us together.” His unique position does not require playing an instrument, but he is in charge of making live shows a much more exhilarating experience than your average concert.

“Kenji is in charge of visuals, and we label him as our ‘creative director.’ He performs live with us and maps images onto different objects and projections,” said Bevis. “As a performer and a creative spirit, I’ve never met anyone like him. He has such a pure love of art and performance, that he really brings the band together and inspires the rest of us to be better artists. He’s also one of the hardest workers I’ve ever met.”

Throughout 2013, Bear Mountain has been performing at festivals across North America, including at SXSW, Governor’s Ball, Lollapalooza and Sasquatch. Because their live shows happen to be such an invigorating experience, well rounded with an energetic performances complete with the on stage light show, playing outdoor festivals is a whole different animal, which needs to be tackled strategically.

“We definitely have to adapt when playing in the day, because you can’t see the light show, so we just try to focus on playing well and getting the crowd hype. My favorite this year was playing Sasquatch I think, because so many of our friends were there, and the crowd was so hype. I think we looked at each other after that set and we all knew that something special had just happened,” explained Bevis.

Their ascent to all of the accomplishments that they have recently been rewarded with has been a deliberate process. Good things take time, and come to those who are willing to really work for it.

Some might even go ahead and dub Bear Mountain as ultimate perfectionists in the music industry. Bevins explained what it truly takes to grow as an artist and beat the odds against you.

“We’ve all been slowly grinding away at our craft for the past ten years, and it takes a lot of determination to stick with something even when you’re not making any money, or it doesn’t work out. It takes a lot of conviction to know you can do something even when it seems like it’s not going to work out. It’s tough to take a crack at playing music your whole life when everyone is always saying how hard it is, and how you’re not going to make any money. It’s up to you to prove them wrong.”

Today’s music industry may not be perfect, and it may be getting harder for artists to make a living, but Bevins doesn’t blame the industry for its corruption. The guys in Bear Mountain are always ready to accept any challenge that looks them in the eyes despite circumstances such as illegal downloading and the use of free music applications.

“I wouldn’t change anything about the industry; I think an artist should change the way they operate within it. Within challenge there’s opportunity, and there’s no shortage of challenges in the business today.”

A valid point was brought up when mentioning that musicians today need to learn how to adapt to their changing work environment. Bear Mountain have definitely been an audacious bunch throughout each of their endeavors, which is always restorative to know that a band would do anything in their power to make their dreams come true no matter how hard the road ahead may be.

PHOTO: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW & STORY: Haley Black

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THE

ONGOING CONCEPT

HOME: Rathdrum, Idaho

NOW JAMMING: Saloon - Full-Length (Solid State Records) CURRENTLY: Playing shows on the west coast and booking tour dates

TO CLASSIFY THE ONGOING CONCEPT as merely another scremo/metalcore band in a long list of similar bands in the alternative rock scene these days would be a severe injustice.

While it is clear that both genres are an inspiration and a key element to the band’s sound, there seems be a bit something more that these four guys from Idaho are bringing to the table.

With their first full-length album now out and in the world, this foursome is pushing the envelope of genres with their unique blend of hardcore and soul. These guys may be barely out of high school, but they have covered a lot of ground having built up a growing fan-base and seem to be going nowhere but up.

While most kids their age were making decisions on what colleges to attend and what to wear to graduation, the guys in The Ongoing Concept were focused on their band and making a career for themselves in music. Many may have look down on this decision but things certainly seem to be working out for the best.

“Everyone said it was smarter to go to college and major in something, but we were like, ‘College is stupid, we can do that online when we are 30 and have a wife and kids. There is no such thing as online touring, so I am going to pursue my band first.’

No one really got it…” said vocalist and guitarist Dawson Scholz.

Trying to make it as a musician certainly isn’t without its pitfalls.

Financial struggle is a common problem in the music industry and many bands suffer through it even some of the bigger names in the

scene. The guys in The Ongoing Concept are more than aware of these problems, and even though they may not have felt the full burden they certainly aren’t letting this reality get them down.

“Well all three of us brothers still live with our parents, so financial burden lifted! However, when financial ease does come to an end, it’ll be this band that’ll get me through the day. To me a career doesn’t seem satisfying, and I know for sure working at a real job sucks. This is what I have always wanted to do with my life, so I’m not going let a little thing like money stop me,” said vocalist Kyle Scholz.

As a band that defines their sound as “unconfined” and seems to take pride in creating unique music, it’s no surprise that they may take a few extra measures to keep their sound as original as possible. This certainly would make the creative process an interesting one.

“Well when we write, we try to stay away from music as much as possible. When we’re not writing, having a broad musical spectrum and an appreciation for musicianship really helps us to keep from writing the same breakdown song ten times over. Which is why we listen to bands like Bruce Hornsby, Toto, Yanni, Allen Stone, Deaf Havana and Jonny Lang as well as bands like letlive., Stray from the Path, Underoath and Bring Me the Horizon. We like variation, and we hope other people like it to,” Kyle Scholz said.

The band also keeps it simple when playing on stage. They take inspiration from some of their favorite bands, but they also find

the “be yourself” method to be the most effective and entertaining way to connect to their audience.

“I think it’s pretty obvious to see that we get our stage presence from letlive. and The Chariot. But it’s also about being ourselves on stage, and not trying to look like we’re BA or something,” he added.

The band recently released their first full-length album, Saloon, on August 20th. Previously the band had released two EPs, but it seems that the guys are more than ready to move forward and do something bigger with their music as their career and their possibilities continue to expand.

“EP’s to me have always seemed like demos. Every time I see one advertised I automatically think it’s going to sound bad and because of that, I rarely purchase them. If I feel that way, I’m sure others do too. A full-length album has so much more legitimacy to it. I feel putting out this full length album finally establishes our band,” Dawson Scholz said Now that the album is out the band has been able to look back and see their progress over the last three years as a band. The Ongoing Concept recognizes the growth and shifts they have gone through with their sound, and it seems they are more confident and sure of themselves than ever before.

“Our first two EPs are pretty atrocious. Saloon’s much much better.

The reason for that is because we now know who the Ongoing Concept is, we didn’t before. The tools and the frame of mind we have now when we write now is much more mature then it was then. Pretty much we grew up, and we weren’t afraid to look at ourselves and see that we sucked and needed to make ourselves better,” said Kyle.

The Ongoing Concept has big goals for their new record and hopes to have created something truly unforgettable.

“We went into writing Saloon with a mindset of timelessness. So I never want Saloon to go out of style, and I believe it won’t. I think it’ll blow people away, and I hope they’ll keep coming back for years to listen through it again,” Kyle expressed.

The band has come a long way in a short amount of time, but they continue to push forward and keep improving themselves. These guys seem to have a strong sense of self and an even stronger determination.

“When I’m able to sustain life off the money we make, I think that’s the ultimate goal, to make this our livelihood,” Kyle added.

PHOTO: Courtesy of the band INTERVIEW & STORY: Annette Schaefer

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HOME: New York, NY NOW JAMMING: I Wanna Dance (But I Don’t Know How) - Single CURRENTLY: Touring, touring and more touring

MANY PEOPLE USUALLY GIVE

up after their first band is unsuccessful, but the members of SKATERS had an entirely different idea. Composed of members Michael Ian Cummings (vocals), Noah Rubin (drums), both from the band The Dead Trees, and Joshua Hubbard (guitar) from The Paddingtons, came together to form SKATERS. In only a year they have played big festivals like Reading and Leeds and Lollapalooza something that vocalist Michael Ian Cummings says, “was pretty amazing. I don’t think I slept for 4 days. [It was] intense but a blast. I grew up with Lollapalooza; I went to see it when I was a kid. [I’m] glad we got to do it.”

Having been together for only a year and already being signed for less than that is something that many bands are unable to say but even with their years of experience in their previous bands it came to a shock to them. “It was pretty unexpected,” he says. “We wanted to find a label for the band but we had no expectations beyond a local indie. In the end I think a bit of timing and hard work landed us on warner quicker than we expected. Our last band went almost six years with only one small indie deal. You never know I guess.”

But even then, Cummings says that everything they’ve learned before helped them get this far and that they feel like they didn’t go too fast with this new experience. “We’ve been around the block before. We were all prepared.”

“We were a lot more shameless about promoting our band this time around. We would just go around telling everyone that we were the best thing around,” he said about promoting the band.

“I guess if you say it enough people start believing it! In previous bands I had a really hard time promoting my band. I was too shy about it, I think.”

While many of their influences are bands from the 70s and the 80s like The Ramones and Devo, confesses that he would’ve loved to tour with Wasp. “I really wish I could experience playing with them first hand,” Cummings explained.

When comparing the sound from the EP to their new LP, which is being recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York City (which was built by Jimmy Hendrix) Cummings said that fans should expect a somewhat different sound. “It will be a progression for sure,” he says. “More sonic experimentations, more new feels, same charm.”

Even though they’ve played big festivals and have a record deal with one of the biggest labels in the world, Michael Ian Cummings reveals that that is not their biggest ‘highlight.’ When asked what it really was, he says it was when “We sold out Bowery Ballroom, which was a childhood dream for me.”

And while dreams have come true, he still thinks that they have a long way to go. “When I hear our single on the radio it freaks me out, every time.” he says. “Can’t wait to hear it in the US though.

Still haven’t caught that. I feel like I’m in ‘That Thing You Do.””

Whether you’ve heard them before or you’re hearing about them for the first time right now, they’re definitely one band to watch.

Make sure to catch them whenever you can and keep your eyes peeled for new music in the fall and their new LP in January. This is one band that will definitely get bigger and bigger as time goes on and we can’t wait to see them become even more successful.

PHOTO: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Jenn Stookey STORY: Tamara Fuentes

Although they’ve been extremely successful, especially with playing in big name festivals, they still struggle with missing home. “Being on tour away from New York [is the hardest part.]

I miss that place, man. When I come home for a few days I feel like I’m out of the loop,” he continues by saying that he is able to overcome this and every other struggle he goes through just by laughing at everything.

But even missing home doesn’t stop them at all. Even with their EP Schemers only a bit over a year old, their new LP is currently in production and set for a January release date something that Cummings says, “seems like ages away.” Don’t let that long wait fool you though, he goes on by saying that “there will be some new music coming out this fall though, don’t worry.”

“There’s no real formula or rules. It can start in a number of ways. I think the important thing is to make sure the songs make sense together,” he says about his writing style. “Once you find continuity within your songs you can kinda see what elements are missing. We try to draw things out of all our influences which are all over the place.”

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HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW JAMMING: Talking Dreams - Full-Length (Warner Brothers) Out 10/1 CURRENTLY: Preparing for Fall and Winter touring!

ECHOSMITH IS ONE OF THE youngest bands out there right now to not only have been signed to a major record label (WBR) before their first release, but also to have just finished their first go on Warped Tour. The past year has carried a lot for the band, and with big opportunity comes big responsibility. We had the opportunity to speak with lead vocalist Sydney Sierota, who is only sixteen. Her age puts her somewhere in the middle of her 3 siblings who make up the rest of the Los Angeles born band— the oldest member is only 20!

Although many fans may have only recently been introduced to Echosmith, Warped Tour and a big record label wasn’t the first part of their band’s journey, being that they have actually been around since 2009. Formally known as “Ready, Set, Go!” the band changed their name to Echosmith after getting signed to Warner Bros. Records. More than two years ago, before many had heard of them, they started to release an array of beautiful YouTube covers. Their list of highly viewed covers on YouTube now includes “Price Tag” by Jessie J, “Lights” by Ellie Goulding, “I Will Wait” by Mumford and Sons and “Set Fire to the Rain” by Adele.

That’s how I personally first heard of them, and even then I was surprised when I first heard them perform live earlier this year at the Vans Warped Tour Kickoff.

by what they grew up listening to. “In the end, it all worked out for the better. We wouldn’t have the songs we do if we didn’t have to wait all that time. The best part of recording was for sure getting to hear all our songs being recorded in a huge legendary studio.

It’s such an amazing experience,” said Sydney about the best part of the recording process.

Listeners will have a lot to look forward to, as we learned that the album contains stories of adventure, love and life, coming from where the siblings are in their lives; describing the world the way they look through it as individuals. “There’s a sense of adventure both musically and lyrically throughout the songs as well,” Sydney said, explaining that the “Summer Sampler” they put out earlier this summer was a nice taste of what’s to come, but the full-length shows more sides of what the band does that they’re stoked to share.

Having written all the songs together as a band, we learn that the Sierota siblings have a songwriter father, so it makes sense that it runs in the family! They also collaborated on a couple of the songs with a few other friends, making what’s sure to be a versatile record. Produced by Mike Elizondo, whom Sydney felt got their vision for the record and made it a reality. The album was recorded at Can Am studios from August 2012 to February 2013.

Sydney explained that Warped Tour was unlike any other tour, surprising the band in the best way possible. They were fortunate enough to have made a lot of awesome friends on the tour, such as Hands Like Houses, Alvarez Kings, Tonight Alive and plenty of others. She feels that Warped Tour is a good example of showing that the harder you work getting your name around, the more you get out of it.

The most difficult part of the band’s career so far has definitely been being patient. Though things happen when they’re supposed to happen and there’s no way of telling when it’s going to be, it’s difficult to wait sometimes. And we know how difficult it is for the fans to wait, too! Luckily the band has learned that you just have to keep working hard and it will pay off. Warped Tour showed them quite a bit about hard work.

Being such a young band, it’s sure to be a question on everyone’s mind of what it’s like being so young upon entering the industry.

But to Sydney, it has both a positive and negative aspect to it.

They certainly got a head start because they’re young, but on the other hand, people have a certain idea of what they’re going to sound like or be like because of their age. That’s not usually a very positive image or sound, and she feels it’s fun to surprise them and prove them wrong.

Having had such an insanely busy past year, Sydney described how great it’s been and how thankful they are for everything and all the opportunities they’ve had. Excited to have the album out, she said it’s strange to have all the songs recorded and finished and having to wait for everyone to hear it. The top source of anxiety? Waiting for all of it to happen.

The highlight of their career was understandably hard for Sydney to pinpoint. “I think the most amazing moment for us all was listening through our album all together for the first time. It brings up so many fun memories with each song, whether it’s funny circumstances in recording or all the things in our lives that inspired each lyric. There’s no other feeling like it, and it gets us all so excited for what’s to come,” she explained, seeming just as excited for the release as all of their fans are, both old and newfound.

Their debut album is being released on October 1st and Sydney told us about how excited they are to finally be getting the record out. They’ve spent the past two years writing and recording and wanted to really make sure that the right songs would be on the record. The band wrote over 80 songs, so there was a lot to choose from. A good explanation for why there were so many songs and why the recording was pushed back, is that they went through such a major change in their sound during that time and found a style that felt like it came straight from them and influenced

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POSED PHOTO: Sammy Roenfeldt INTERVIEW & LIVE PHOTO: Ashley Osborn STORY: Daisy Marietta

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HOME: San Antonio, TX NOW JAMMING: Just Give Me A Reason - Single CURRENTLY: Making touring plans for fall/winter

OPENING UP A SHOW FOR BIG name artists like The Ready Set, T. Mills, Breathe Carolina and We the Kings can be a daunting task for anyone, especially a quartet of unsigned newbies. However, San Antonio pop rockers, Keep It Cute, did just that this summer as openers on We the Kings’ Summer Fest Tour. As the band’s first major tour, Summer Fest took them across the entire country, for the first time, to share their music. Vocalist, Ryan Alexander spoke with us about the tour and more.

“The highlight of our career so far is definitely joining We the Kings, Breathe Carolina, T. Mills, and The Ready Set on The Summer Fest Tour,” said Alexander. “The opportunity to go on this tour was a complete dream come true. We have made so many friends on this tour in the other bands and have finally had the opportunity to meet all of our fans across the nation. This whole experience has been so surreal. Being able to play sold out shows every night in front of screaming fans is a dream come true. It is so surreal to think that our music has positively affected so many people.”

Though it’s the triumph the band is most proud of, Summer Fest isn’t all Keep It Cute has accomplished. The band released their EP, New Beginnings, in early 2012. In addition, the guys landed a select date on the Vans Warped Tour in 2012, playing their hometown, as well as a slot in South by Southwest that year. That’s still not all. Keep It Cute secured their place in the April 2013 issue of Alternative Press’ “100 Bands You Need to Know.”

Unfortunately, getting to this point hasn’t been easy. Recently, Keep It Cute underwent a major lineup change. As the only remaining original member, Alexander buckled down earlier this year, switching members to form the band you see today. With a new lineup consisting of Matt Zaval on guitar, Aldo Lazcano on bass and Kevin Diaz de Leon on drums, the band is ready to continue to grow and progress.

“Keep It Cute first started with me just writing songs in my bedroom on my acoustic guitar, but as a few months passed, it became way more serious than we ever expected. We all have been great friends since we started playing music together in the local music scene and when we all joined up, we strived for greatness. We have all had dreams of touring the country, and those dreams are finally coming true.”

Along with adjusting to a lineup change, Keep It Cute has had to deal with a hardship known by every artist and have leaned on their dreams to help get through it. Alexander let us in on that, saying, “I think we can all agree that the most difficult part of being a band on the road is being away from your home, friends and family. Playing in front of sold out crowds, meeting so many new fans and being able to see the world is such a dream come true. Just the idea of living this dream is the easiest way to overcome missing home.”

Continuing to live their dreams should be no problem for this band and their contagious, energetic sound. With the perfect mix of rock n’ roll and Top 40 elements, Keep It Cute’s sound has come to be described as “Pop n’ Roll.” Making the band stand out and helping to set them up for a long career is the message being taken from every song.

“Listeners always seem to take a positive feeling or idea from our music. Our music is all about living life to the fullest without any worry or doubt. The main message that I try to send when writing music, is just to create lasting memories and no regrets.”

Alexander also spoke of the band’s favorite song, saying: “Our song, Celebrate, means a lot to all of us. Celebrate is all about having fun in life without having to worry about relationships, drama, etc. which ties to the overall message we like to spread to our fans: Have Fun.” An equally fun, high energy and intensely loyal fan base is another reason why this band won’t be going anywhere. The band strives to make and maintain a strong, direct connection to their fans, in person and through social media. Keep It Cute doesn’t hesitate to make sure their fans know how thankful the band is for the love and support they give.

“When it comes to inspiration and motivation, it is all about living life to the fullest and, of course, our fans. Without our fans, we would not be where we are today. It’s the best feeling in the world to be able to affect someone with your own music.” said Alexander. “Our fans mean absolutely everything to us, without them we would be nothing. Our fans have given us so much, and we try our best to give it back to them by writing music they love and interacting with them as much as we can. Whether it’s through social networking or in person, we make sure that a positive connection is made between our fans and us.”

It doesn’t sound like the band will be slowing down. Alexander shared upcoming plans with us, “We have a lot of exciting things coming up in the future! We have both fall and winter tour plans, and we plan to write and release more new music as soon as possible!”

The future looks bright for this band. A continually growing fan base and list of achievements prove that there is no limit to the things this up and coming quartet can achieve. With infectious melodies and a magical Pop n’ Roll sound, Keep It Cute is bound to get toes tapping and heads turning, all while encouraging listeners to make the most out of life.

PHOTO: Tarina Doolittle INTERVIEW & STORY: Rebecca Del Castillo

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HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW JAMMING: Where The Kids Are - EP (Tender Tender Rush) CURRENTLY: Working on new music

ERICA AND BRUCE DRISCOLL HAVE

been making music together since they were very young. Growing up in a household where both parents played instruments and encouraged the creation of music made their decision to form a band together an unconscious effort. The Michigan-bred, LAbased sibling duo began touring and releasing music under the band name, Astaire. After creating a considerable amount of buzz as Astaire, the band was asked to change their name because of its association with a certain deceased celebrity and the potential threat of facing a lawsuit if they refused. So, Blondfire was born.

The name itself came out of a mispronunciation of the word “bonfire” while the Driscoll siblings were hanging out with some of their friends.

“Finding it was kind of a fluke really. One night while driving with friends, someone kind of fumbled their words and it sounded like they said they smelled a blondfire, instead of a bonfire,” recalls Erica. “We had been looking for the right band name for a while at that point so I jokingly said, ‘That’s what we should call ourselves,’ and it kind of stuck… I like that it’s both feminine and masculine sounding.”

Well, the fluke paid off. The band self-released their first full-length album, My Someday, in 2008, thanking Fred Astaire in the liner notes. More than four years later, Blondfire released their latest EP, Where The Kids Are. The title track from the EP reached number one on the iTunes Alternative charts without any major label promotion. Their success illustrates the positive effects of their DIY style of making music.

“I really did a lot, acting as our own publicist and being creative about different ways to keep going and get noticed. The most important thing to do is either have an amazing show and get written about, or get bloggers and press to notice you. Once you’re getting the attention, selling music, and almost don’t need anyone is when labels, publishers, etc. notice and want to do something,” commented Erica.

“Growing up, I was always inspired by dreamy sounding bands like the Cocteau Twins and The Sundays. Bruce and I also love a lot of the 80s bands like the Smiths, New Order and Pet Shop Boys, so I’m sure that comes out subconsciously in our songs,” said Erica.

While we’ve talked much about the brother-sister duo, they are not the only people making up Blondfire. Bassist Nathan Beale and drummer Kevin Rice also play a role in the recording process as well as touring. Bruce no longer tours, though he still plays a major role in all other aspects of the band. To fill Bruce’s slot on tour, Blondfire began to seek out a new guitar player. They ended up finding one in the most peculiar of places.

“At first, I thought it was going to be impossible to find someone else to play his parts and just going to be weird not having [Bruce] there. Luckily, we found our guitar player Steve Stout. Bruce, funny enough, had put an ad on Craig’s List and Steve was one of the first people to respond. When Bruce told me he thought that he had found the guy, I really didn’t believe it was possible. I thought you only found furniture and weirdos on that site, but I met up with him anyway and we started rehearsing. So, Bruce was right,” recalls Erica.

Blondfire has accomplished a lot in a little amount of time. They signed a record deal with Warner Bros. last August. Since signing, they have been hard at work on completing their major label debut, Young Heart. While no specific date has been set for the release of the album, Blondfire says that it will be out before the year is over.

PHOTO: Eliot Lee Hazel INTERVIEW & STORY: Jessica Klinner

Blondfire’s dreamy, peaceful sound results subconsciously from their musical influences. Being brought up by a Brazilian mother and American father brought a lot of diversity to their musical taste at a young age.

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HOME: Bergen County, NJ NOW JAMMING: Talon Of The Hawk - Full-Length (Bar/None Records)) CURRENTLY: On tour!

NEW JERSEY BAND, THE FRONT BOTTOMS,

have been making some serious waves in the music scene for the last year. Since the release of their sophomore album Talon of the Hawk in May, buzz for the band on music blogs and in music magazines has seemed to continually increase.

The band’s signature sound is refreshingly laidback and catchy.

Along with that, these two can put on an energetic and entertaining live show. With their fun and simple sound and endearing live show, it’s no wonder that people are quickly falling in love with them.

While the guys in The Front Bottoms may not take themselves too seriously they definitely consider music as an important part of their lives. They started out as friends just getting together for a good time and have been able to take that and morph it into a full-fledged music career.

“Originally it was really just boredom, me and Matt and his brother hanging out with nothing to do. Playing music became a fun way to kill some time. I quickly realized that writing songs and playing them with my friends became a huge outlet for me emotionally and that’s when we started taking it a little more seriously,” vocalist Brian Sella said.

The band is currently two full-length albums into their career, but it seems it’s the growing popularity of Talon of the Hawk that has put The Front Bottoms’ music into the ears of music fans all over.

“Talon of the Hawk was, to date, the most important thing that I have ever done in my life, and I’m sure Matt would say the same.

We were extremely proud of how it turned out and worked very hard to make it good. The reaction to the album has so far been amazing and we are super happy that people are enjoying the music,” Sella said.

The success of Talon of the Hawk didn’t come without a little extra hard work. The band set their minds on continuing to put out genuine and creative music and to continue to improve themselves.

“We both approached the album with the same mindset of ‘let’s try to make this one better than the last,’ and we kept that in the back of our minds but didn’t let that get in the way of being creative,” said Sella.

The Front Bottoms work hard to put out music that they enjoy making as well as music that they hope others will enjoy, but the band doesn’t have any desire to try too hard and be something they’re not. They make music that is an honest representation of who they are as a band.

“I never felt like we should be trying to make this amazing. I wanted people to know that this was just us doing this because we wanted to. There was nothing to hide behind— this was the music and this is how it sounds,” said Sella.

Clearly this band is focused on being creative and playful with their sound. With this in consideration it may be a bit hard to pinhole The Front Bottoms into a particular category or genre. The band’s Facebook page even lists them as “What is genre?” The band seems more than happy to leave their style up for interpretation.

“Regardless of what we say, people are going to try and put you into a mold and that’s fine; it makes it easier for people to be comfortable with whatever type of music they think you play.

But for us it’s always been hard to describe our type of music when people ask. Not because it’s some crazy type of music that can’t be held down by names but because it’s tough to talk about yourself in such a broad sense,” Sella explained.

While the band seems to be getting noticed more and more these days, it doesn’t mean that they don’t face regular struggles or a challenging future in the music industry. In a scene where the old-school view of a “rock star” is all but dead, it’s tough to get heard amongst the millions of others that are fighting for listeners’ attention. This can be tough for many musicians, but it can also be pretty rewarding when you are finally heard. The Front Bottoms are no stranger to these feelings.

“Feeling like what you are doing really means something to everyone who is coming to the shows and spending money on our t shirts and telling all their friends about us. It feels like a mutual dependent relationship I couldn’t be happier to be in it,” expressed Sella.

The band members do have moments of doubt though in their decisions to make their passion a career. Those times are no doubt difficult but they haven’t seemed to have much of an effect. “Being in a band has a lot of down time, and when I have time to think sometimes the thought of ‘maybe I should get a real job’ will creep in. But then I think about how much fun I’m having and I quickly forget those thoughts, but in the moment it is difficult thought to have,” Sella said.

Through it all The Front Bottoms seem to be making quite the impact. From a talked about new album to a wide range of tour dates, the band and their community continue to grow while still remaining true to who they are. It would be understandable for the band to feel like they already have it made.

“I’m already there. People are coming to see my band. That was all I wanted, everything else at this point is a bonus,” said Sella.

PHOTO: Mark Jaworski INTERVIEW & STORY: Annette Schafer

HOME: Sydney, Australia NOW JAMMING: The Other Side - Full-Length (Out October 6th-11th worldwide) CURRENTLY: Touring Australia, Europe, the UK and the UK and then Warped Tour Australia!

MAY 31ST, 2008 MAY NOT HAVE A

lot of significance to most, but to Australia based band Tonight Alive, it is a day they’ll always remember. On this day some five years ago, Tonight Alive began their musical journey together.

The fact they can even pinpoint a specific date to their formation shows it’s importance.

Bassist Cameron Adler and guitarists Jake Hardy and Whakaio Taahi began playing together in high school. About a year into it, the band lost their singer. Cameron knew just who would be the perfect replacement. He asked his friend Jenna McDougall to join the band, she agreed, and Tonight Alive was born. Only a year after their formation, the band decided to part ways with their drummer. Tonight Alive began their search for a new drummer and it only took one practice with drummer Matt Best to know that their search was over.

The band recorded their first EP around school and work schedules, taking every extra minute to head into the studio to record. They recorded two EPs (All Shapes and Disguises and Consider This) in 2010 with Dave Petrovic, who also produced the band’s second

album, The Other Side. The releases generated enough of a buzz to get Tonight Alive picked up on several Australian tours. This was just what the band needed to get their foot in the door of the music world.

In 2011, Tonight Alive decided it was time to take their music outside of Australia. They set out for Los Angeles to begin work on what would be their first full length album, What Are You So Scared Of? Calling upon the expertise of producer Mark Trombino (Blink 182, Jimmy Eat World), the band created a 12-song album sculpted by catchy guitar riffs, punchy melodies and electrifying vocals. Tonight Alive followed up the release with tour after tour after tour.

In 2012, the constant touring began to take a toll on the band.

While the band had been traveling around in support of their first album, Jenna McDougall was battling a serious skin condition, which she opened up about in a recent blog post. She was a trooper and tried to suppress the pain she was feeling in order to continue touring, but one person can only handle so much pain before it can no longer be ignored. The band made the unanimous 40 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

decision to cancel their tour with Go Radio in the United States so Jenna could take time to recover and get the medical attention she needed.

But with What Are You So Scared Of? being released in all other parts of the world, Tonight Alive soon found themselves back on the road. Their fan base began to grow and their name started to become well known. Among countless other tours, Tonight Alive have spent the last two summers on Warped Tour, a rite of passage into the alternative music scene in the United States. The band opened up about how this year’s run on the summer-long festival compared to their first time as rookies.

“Warped Tour is such a unique tour and it takes a little time to adjust. It was a lot easier for us when we returned for a second year. It was a lot busier for us this year as the band is really starting to grow. The weather conditions definitely kept us on our toes,” recalls the band.

Now seasoned veterans of Warped Tour, Tonight Alive are making themselves comfortable in the American alternative music scene. Their crowds at Warped Tour this year are a testament to

their growth. This could very much have something to do with their energy on stage. The band leaves everything they have on the stage. You’ll get tired just watching them perform. They make every single second of their set count, engaging the crowd in every single second of their performance. The Tonight Alive family has grown far beyond Australia and will continue to do so every day.

After spending two years touring off of What Are You So Scared Of? , the band decided it was time to begin work on some new music. They had spent so much time on the road that they decided to stay close to home during the recording of their second fulllength album, The Other Side.

“We hadn’t stopped touring since we recorded [What Are You So Scared Of?] two years ago. We decided that we didn’t want to spend two months in L.A. or anywhere else; we wanted to be home in Australia in the summer. So, we found an amazing house on the north coast of Australia and set up our own studio and recorded the record with our long time friend and producer Dave Petrovic. It was honestly the best thing we could have done with

the record. I don’t think it would have turned out like it did if we had done it with someone else or did it somewhere else.”

having this amount of time to think or overthink can be damaging, but it turned out to be an integral part of the process.”

The quintet found a remote house secluded from the lights and sounds of the city to settle down and record their new songs.

Picking the location was quite easy for the band in their pursuit to make sure they were in the best mindset to record.

Along with staying close to home to record, the band called upon their long time friend and producer, Dave Petrovic, to work with them on the new songs. Having known him for so long made recording all the more comfortable for the band.

“Distractions were a major factor. We wanted to be in Australia, but we didn’t want to be near our homes either where little domestic distractions can take away from the process. Being in the middle of a rainforest surrounded by nothing but trees let us focus on the record. It was such a breath of fresh air for us. The ability to relax and do what we wanted influenced the end product in a huge way.”

“We chose to go with Dave Petrovic because we knew he could make the record that we wanted. This time around, we had such a clear vision for our record and we were a lot more confident in ourselves. Dave has recorded all of our songs except for What Are You So Scared Of? and he feels like the sixth member of the band. We’ve known him since he recorded our very first song and has been a crucial part of the creation of Tonight Alive.”

The album recording process is different for every band. Some choose to get things done fast, whipping out a whole record in a week. Others spread out the process over a vast period of time, recording songs here and there. The latter can often lead to albums never being completed or sounding disconnected. Though Tonight Alive did spread out their recording process, it worked to their advantage.

After hearing the final edit of a song on an album, it’s hard to imagine that it started out as just a guitar riff or a vocal part. All the elements mesh together so well that we don’t want to think of a time when it didn’t sound so complete. Instead of jumping head first into writing with all the instruments, McDougall and Taahi wrote every song on The Other Side acoustically first.

“We actually recorded the album in different blocks of time in between tours. We did pre-production for two weeks at the beginning of December and recorded demos that we used as references. We then went home for Christmas and came back to do drums in January. After that, we flew to the UK to do the Kerrang Tour and flew back to record guitars, bass, and a bit of vocals. Then, we flew to the States to do the Suppy Nation Tour and then flew back to finish vocals at Cameron’s house. Normally,

“We concentrated on getting the songs to 100% before adding anything else. After we wrote the songs, [Whakaio] wrote out the rest of the instruments on a midi program called Guitar Pro and them demoed them out. Then, [Whakaio] gave them to the band and everyone put their own touch to their instruments.”

No album is complete without the title; album titles give a glimpse into what the album’s theme will be and what the songs will focus around. Titles have the power to turn people off or on to deciding

to listen to the album. They’re strong. They’re powerful. They’re often inspiring and every album title has a story behind it. The message behind The Other Side is positive, encouraging and hopeful.

“The Other Side refers to the realization that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. We originally had the idea of Black and White, or polar opposites, but after all the songs had been written this idea jumped out the most. There is always light; you just need to find it.”

The positive messages sent from the band to the fans through song have changed lives and given hope. Their ability to express their life experiences through song have translated to their fans on a personal level. Thankfully, this kind of vulnerability and realness is just what Tonight Alive strives to create in their music.

“One of the main influences of this record and the title is our fans.

We have so many kids coming up to us with horrible stories saying that our music has helped them. One of the strongest themes that we wanted to express is that the change that everyone yearns for actually comes from within ourselves and the realization that we can change any situation we’re in. We want our fans to be the strongest people that they can and not let anything bring them down. We love when kids come to our shows, relate to each other, share their experiences and help each other through hard times.

That’s what Tonight Alive is about.”

Between the release of What Are You So Scared Of? and the recording of The Other Side, Tonight Alive grew as a band as well as people. They were just out of high school when they started regularly touring, experiencing the world for the first time and stepping out on their own. All the things they experienced shaped them into who they are today and as a result shaped the new album.

“The main difference from What Are You So Scared Of? is that we have had so many more experiences and found so many more influences through touring all around the world. Jenna was still in high school when most of What Are You So Scared Of? was written. The Other Side was completely written on the road and really stems from personal experiences and life as we see it.”

The Other Side contains the most raw and honest songs Tonight Alive could have produced. With all that has happened since their last album, The Other Side will sound like a whole new band, maybe not in the musical aspect, but definitely in the emotional quality of the songs and the honesty in the lyrics.

“These songs are completely raw. It’s another difference from What Are You So Scared Of?; we finally weren’t scared of showing everything we have. Jenna’s lyrics are completely personal about struggles she went through and the struggles that the band has gone through trying to deal with this life. It’s the next step in our lives and it’s laid out in 12 songs.”

The transparency found in the songs allows listeners to connect with the band on a more personal level. The beauty of it all is McDougall’s willingness to open up about her struggles through song, something she had never done before. Many people face challenges every day and try to hide them because of embarrassment or fear. Being able to step out and show the world your scars shows bravery and growth as a person. It’s truly honorable and commendable. One song on the record to look out for is “Complexes.” The song resonates personally with each member of the band.

“Complexes is definitely a song that hits home for everyone in the band. It talks about people that you care about who are not there for you and the realization that that’s not good enough.”

It’s very easy to see why Tonight Alive has had success up to this point. They are living proof that if you work hard for what you want and stay true to yourself, good things will happen.

Sometimes being in a band where people are constantly watching what you’re doing, saying, eating, and tweeting can be annoying and personally invading. Tonight Alive have chosen to use their position to spread positivity and healthy thinking. It’s refreshing to see how they interact with fans through their music and in person.

The Other Side will be available for purchase in the United States on September 10th. Their first single from the album, “The Ocean,” has been a hit so far. It is a perfect transition from What Are You So Scared Of. The band hints that The Other Side sounds heavier than previous releases, but not so heavy that it takes their sound in a completely different direction. We are very excited to see what the next year has in store for this band. They will be busy the rest of the year with touring for the new release so be sure to check out their tour dates! You do not want to miss a chance to see these guys in action!

PHOTOS: Sammy Roenfeldt INTERVIEW & STORY: Jessica Klinner

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TOUR

HIGHLIGHT TAYLOR SWIFT - RED TOUR

CHICAGO’S SOLDIER FIELD WAS MAXED OUT at a 55,000-person capacity on one of the most flawless and glowing summer nights I’ve ever experienced. As I strolled around I saw fans of all different ages, ethnicities, types and sizes. However, they had one thing in common... they were all decked out in various shades of RED. Of course, I was at the RED tour—a night of pure joy to honor the one and only, Taylor Swift.

When being escorted out of the photo area during one of the opening acts, we strolled passed Taylor’s mom and a huge group of fans, when I asked about this, I was told this was her RED Party. What is that? I was told it was a group of random fans that her mom picks from the crowd who are lucky enough to get a backstage tour and after the show they get to spend one-on-one time with Taylor herself. How awesome is that? I was so happy to hear that even one of the biggest stars in the world is still giving back to her fans!

At last, it was finally time! As a bubbly Taylor Swift made her rise to the stage, the opening track of her most recent album, 22, “State Of Grace,” began in full swing and fans exploded. Swift slowly made her way down the stairs and onto her incredible catwalk to interact face to face with her adoring fans in the VIP pit (those of whom were lucky enough to be surprised with random access.)

As the show continued it felt more of a girls slumber party than it did a concert. Taylor has the most incredible and genuine stage presence, which even if you aren’t into her tunes, I can guarantee it will still impress you! When she talked to the crowd, even 55,000 people it feels one on one. She spent as much time as she could work on somewhere amongst her massive stage setup interactive and holding hands with her fans.

After hearing all of her mega-hits I felt more than satisfied. Personal highlights of the night had to have been, “Sparks Fly” and “Fearless.” Come on... we all know the tunes! Overall, Swift played one of the most incredible and energetic sets I’ve possibly ever witnessed. Whether you are a fan or just taking a sibling to this tour I can promise you that you will leave impressed and smiling ear to ear.

PHOTOS & WORDS: Ashley Osborn

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album

reviews artist: Tonight Alive album: The Other Side rating:

Sounds like: Paramore The Dangerous Summer VersaEmerge

Recommended tracks: “You Don’t Owe Me Anything” “The Other Side” “The Ocean”

Tracks: The Ocean Don’t Wish 3 Lonely Girl 4 Hell And Back 5 The Other Side 6 The Fire 7 Complexes 8 Come Home 9 Bathwater 10 No Different 11 Say Please 12 You Don’t Owe Me Anything 1

Australian band Tonight Alive has done it again. Their highly anticipated sophomore album, The Other Side packs a powerful and emotional punch straight off the bat with “The Ocean” and continues to build on the momentum throughout.

2

Release date: September 10, 2013 (U.S.) September 6, 2013 (Australia)

As you listen to the album, the songs progressively get deeper both musically and lyrically; almost as if it is a beautifully wrapped, Martha Stewart worthy looking gift with layers of paper and ribbon you have to go through before making it to the actual gift itself at the very end. In comparison to their debut album What Are You Scared Of?, The Other Side is more cohesive and vulnerable, in addition to being less experimental. The band has hit a solid groove and dare I say, has found their “sound”.

The only downfall with this incredible album is, many of the songs are so similar in sound and structure that they begin to melt together and lose their impact. Oddly enough, the monotony does allow for two tracks to shine above the rest. When I first heard “The Other Side,” the steady build was volcanic, but “You Don’t Owe Me Anything” on the other hand, moved and shattered my soul. The song has a beautiful and simple introduction with a heartbreaking Imogen Heap goes punk quality that carries throughout. Both songs are addictive, just the right blend of melodic punk that perfectly highlights lead singer Jenna McDougall’s voice, and in my opinion, make the album great.

website:

The Other Side is a fantastic album with poetic lyrics and a refreshing emotional undertone.

As a whole, it met my expectations. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a solid album to play when trying to be super productive or any Paramore fans looking for something a bit more punk.

www.tonightaliveofficial.com

REVIEW: Theresa Pham

September 9, 2013 (UK)

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Artist: Touche Amore Album: Is Survived By...

Is Survived By… is Touché Amore’s follow up to their break through hardcore album, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me. This album has been heavily anticipated ever since they announced it and let me say, the wait is well worth it. Is Survived By… will have you on the edge of your seat weeping, because an album made you feel more alone than any of your friends could.

Starting with the track “Just Exist,” where vocalist Jeremy Bolm lets the world know that he wants to be remembered forever, and he will. With songs like “To Write Content” that leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside as Jeremy sings about why he started to write music. Then you’ll arrive at “Praise/Love” which transitions perfectly into “Anyone/Anything” and Bolm sings about how he owes no one anything except for music.

Is Survived By… is easily one album that everyone who likes hardcore or punk along with any of its sub-genres should listen to. So that they may hear the beauty that lies within Bolm’s love letter to hardcore. This album has something within it for any and everyone, it has guitar, bass and drum parts that evoke happiness, sadness, acceptance and pain as they flow from song to song blending the fast-paced, hard-hitting hardcore riffs we all love to two step to, with melodic instrumental parts that leave us dead in our tracks. Not to mention the angered, jaded, hurt screams of Jeremy Bolm, which are only further complimented by the honesty within his lyrics.

recommended tracks: “To Write Content,” “Praise/Love” & “Is Survived By...” review: Trevor Figge Artist: William Beckett Album: Genuine and Counterfiet It seems all too often that good bands break-up and leave fans wanting more. On the other hand, there is also usually a brighter side to most break-ups; the release of a solo album. For William Beckett formerly of The Academy Is… that was just the case. The band wrapped things up in 2011 and since then Beckett has put out three EPs and an acoustic album, giving fans little bits of his new sound before releasing his first full length, Genuine and Counterfeit, on August 20. This debut album was well worth the wait.

The album begins with the fun and energetic opening track “Pick up the Phone”. The song is a bit reminiscent of The Academy Is… and it really sets the tone for the rest of the album, although, don’t expect it to sound like another TAI album. The album then moves into the catchy tracks “In My Blood” and single “Benny & Joon”. Each track makes you want to bob your head sing along.

Overall, this album is exactly what most fans of TAI and William Becket have been dying to hear. It’s an honest album that is both fun and touching. William Beckett is so talented and I, for one, can’t wait to see where he goes from here.

recommended tracks: “In My Blood” & “Time For A Sign” review: Annette Schaffer Artist: Woe, Is Me Album: The American Dream EP With its patented heavy scream versus and clean pop/rock/punk driven choruses, this EP is a welcome addition to any Metalcore fan’s catalogue. Woe, Is Me’s line-up has changed more than a teenage girl the night before her first big date. With their new EP, they have no longer have a keyboardist or programmer for their electronic parts which means they have changed their style drastically from their album Number[s].

Don’t get me wrong, The American Dream offers a very welcome change from their previous style, which concentrated on musicality and incorporation of electronic elements into their music instead of lyrics. Where as now, Woe, Is Me seems to have completely changed lyrically. And the result was this incredibly inspirational EP; I would even go as far as comparing the meaning and inspiration that the lyrics offer to the likes of artists (in their respected scene) such as: We Came As Romans, Close Your Eyes and Memphis May Fire. Songs like “American Dream” and “A Voice of Hope” definitely give me well… hope for this band in the years to come.

In the end, The American Dream offers diversity by giving the consumer tracks that aren’t all the same thing. They even offer two acoustic tracks showcasing the lyrical prowess and vocal ability of their (newer) singer, Hance Alligood. The strength in this EP is definitely in the lyrics, because in no way, shape or form was I expecting them to be so powerful. However, musically something is lacking, as it wasn’t anything new or inventive that made them different from every other Metalcore artist I’ve listened to.

recommended tracks: “American Dream” and “Restless Nights” review: Trevor Figge