Issue #4

HIGHLIGHT

featuring

MAGAZINE

enter shikari // the maine // tallhart // jamie lono & MORE

LIGHTS

HIGHLIGHT STAFF Press & Publicity – Head Photographer – Editor– Co-Founder Ashley Osborn

Production – Art Director – Layout & Design Cara Bahniuk

Editor - Writer – Co-Founder McKenzie Hughes

Contributing Photographers

Derrick Austinson, Cara Bahniuk, Lauren Brown, Nicole Busch, Mike Danenberg, Lori Gutman, Catherine Khom, Erica Livoti, Charlie Martel, Tara Novak, Josh Olson, Heather Phillips and Brittney Tambeau

Contributing writers

Logan Anne, Claudia Boisvert, Liz Brossard, Jessica Klinner, Sophie McCaul, Jade Middleditch, Marina Oliver, Taylor Pittman, Kristy Siciliano, Brian Sykes and Patrick Quiring

Online Contributers

Amanda Diske, Anna Schultz, Samantha Skapin, Brian Sykes, Hayley Todd and Morgan Waldorf

BECOME SOCIAL WITH US website - www,highlightmagazine.net facebook - www.facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter - @highlight_mag

WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH US? contact ashley@highlightmagazine.net for more information

INSIDE FEATURES

12 lights

INSIDE FEATURES

8Jawbreaking current trends 16 Enter Shikari started out as a jewelry Enter Shikari recently released a

24 album Reviews

company but has quickly turned into clothing as well. Read to find out how it began and why!

brand new album and completed a tour cycle. Read into what is to come in the future for this band.

Need new music to listen to? Want to read someone elses’ opinion on your new favorite album? Our album reviews should be your stop

9 venue highlight

18 Jamie Lono

26 show reviews

10 label highlight

20 The Maine

THank you

11 radio Highlight

22 Tallhart

Chicago is full of rich history and music venues, but very rarely do they overlap. Come read up about the history behind Lincoln Hall and what artists are appearing soon.

Wind-Up Records has definitely left their mark on the music industry but is no where near stopping. Check in and read about three of their most acredited signed artists.

Gunz started his career on an MTV about Blink 182 and now he hosts the most popular online radio show. What is next for Gunz? Read to find out.

Jamie Lono had his start on the hit television show The Voice and is currently recording an album. Read what is next for this up and coming music star.

The Maine recently released an entire album on their own without their major label. Currently on a world tour supporting Pioneer, read what is next for these Arizona boys.

The Flordian band Tallhart may have had a rocky start, but they are working towards a stronger future.

Read more out them and their plans.

Highlight went to two must-attend (or should have attended) shows this month. Check out photos from fun. and The Maine to see what you may have missed out on.

We would like to send out a big thank you to Another Reybee Production, Big Hassle Media, Big Hassle Media, Catherine Powell, Eighty One Twenty Three Management, Equal Vision Records, Idobi Radio, Jawbreaking, Matt Vogel, Mike Danenberg and Rock Steady Music as well as all the bands that took time out of their busy schedules to work with us. Also, thank you to everyone who supported us and checked out the first three issues. We hope you have enjoyed what you have seen!

INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS page 6-7

the maine

lights

Lydia

jamie lono

arkells

enter shikari

tallhart

fun.

House of Blues, Chicago, IL, Cara Bahniuk

House of Blues, Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

House of Blues, Chicago, IL, Cara Bahniuk

Gage Young

Palantine, IL, Ashley Osborn

Chicago, Mike Danenberg

Bottom Lounge, Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

The Vic, Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn

Want to post news online?

Contact ashley@highlightmagazine.net

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 5

themaine - 20

lydia

arkells

tallhart - 22

12 - lights

18 - JAMIE LONO

16 - Enter Shikari

fun.

TRENDS YOU’LL LOVE

Jawbreaking was began by Aly Silverio one random summer in her hometown of Cary, North Carolina when she didn’t want to get a real job. She never expected Jawbreaking to get to the point it is at today. Come read about the company, Aly and check out more at www.shopjawbreaking.com.

How did Jawbreaking come about?

The summer before my junior year in high school, all my friends were getting jobs and I just didn’t want to get one.

Spontaneously enough, I started making necklaces out of polymer clay and decided to sell them online. The name was extremely random though. My friend and I were just looking for a word that started with the letter “J” to alliterate with “jewelry.” We came across “Jawbreaker” and “Jawdropping,” so I combined the two to form “Jawbreaking.” For the next 3 or so years after that, I made “Jawbreaking Jewelry” but I always wanted to branch out into apparel. Eventually, with the profits I gathered from the jewelry, I decided to finally design some shirts for Warped Tour 2011. Since then, I’ve released a bunch of shirts and other apparel that I’ve constantly been promoting via social networking, music festivals, and the music scene in general.

What you feel your brand represents?

Jawbreaking is a brand that’s based on fun, good times, and never giving up. Our shirts all have meaning or a story behind them and we want to make that apparent with the designs. I want people to know that they can live their dreams like I am just as long as they work hard and don’t give up.

What are your three favorite designs?

1) The Wander Tank Top says “Not All Who Wander Are Lost” and that’s one of my favorite quotes solely because it’s the truth. I like to go with the flow with things but that doesn’t mean I’m going nowhere fast. A lot of people

think that I’ll fail because I’m currently not in school and pursuing this dream of having a clothing company, but no, it doesn’t always work like that.

2) Another one of my favorite designs is the Live Forever Young Shirt. I’m actually terrified of growing up and there’s just those moments when you realize how great it is being young. Some people are in such a hurry to become an adult and don’t realize the perks and good times you have when you’re young. I dig being 19 and I wish I could stay a teenager forever sometimes. You don’t have to grow up quite yet, just enjoy your youth.

3) This Univerity of Life shirt actually was inspired by a bunch of my friends when we were in Tennessee. We stated how our group picture looked like a sorority girl picture but we realized how none of us were in school.

One of my friends, Megan, said we went to “The University of Life.” I personally just had a lot of fun designing this because we made it like a varsity type shirt and I drew a few of my favorite places I’ve gone or wanted to visit in the UL lettering. University of Life - Class of Infinity, just live your life.

Why people should check out your brand?

Jawbreaking isn’t like most brands you see. Our shirts have stories or some sort of meaning to them and we want to keep it that way. We don’t just stick some bold words on a shirt just because we know it will sell, instead we hand draw almost everything and perfect all our designs for you guys. We don’t just have a simple t-shirt and tank top cut, we’ve got different cuts and sizes for everyone because we want it to a brand that everyone can wear.

venue highlight Lincoln Hall- Chicago, Illinois History:

Why Play Here?

Notable APRIL Shows:

Lincoln Hall opened in 2009 and is one of Chicago’s newest music venues. The building, circa 1912, has a rich history. It originally housed the Fullerton Theater, a nickelodeon, and is known as the site where FBI sharpshooters positioned themselves to prevent John Dillinger’s escape from the Biograph Theater on the night he was killed.

Seasoned venue owners, Mike and Chris Schuba, envisioned Lincoln Hall as a larger, more comfortable and refined version of its sister venue, Schubas. This venue design offers concertgoers crisp acoustics, excellent vantage points, and an intimate setting with a capacity of 500. Seating is available in the balcony and bar area. It is located in Lincoln Park, surrounded by public transportation and things to do. Grab a pre-show meal at one of the areas unique eateries, or save room for Lincoln Hall’s famous mac n’ cheese!

june 7th –

WRITE-UP AND PHOTO: Logan Anne

John Mclaughlin

June 19th –

Laura Marling

June 22nd –

Motion City Soundtrack

June 23rd – Del Ray

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 9

label highlight

WRITE-UP: Tamara Fuentes

Wind-Up Records has certainly left its mark in music history. Being based in New York City and the largest independently owned record label in the world, they certainly know how to pick their artists. They’re well known for kicking off the careers of Evanescence, Seether, and Creed, as well as picking up some new talent like Civil Twilight and Thriving Ivory. After buying out Grass Records in 1996, Alan Meltzer certainly created a kind of music label and one that is here to stay for a long time. Check out these artists that are on the label!

Civil Twilight -

With their latest album, Holy Weather, just released in March and the reviews comparing them to the likes of U2 and Muse, it is no wonder why their tour is taking them all over the US and UK. Their songs are taking over the television scene as well, as they’re being heard in big named shows like Degrassi and The Vampire Diaries, Civil Twilight is certainly getting the recognition they deserve as one of the most promising rising acts in music today. We are definitely excited to see what they have to bring to the table and what they have to add to this new generation of artists that are rising up and changing music.

Listen to: “Fire Escape”

Evanescence - After taking a short hiatus after losing

their guitarist and drummer, Evanescence is back and better than ever. With their self-titles album becoming their second album to debut at number one on the Billboard charts and getting positive reviews all around, it’s no wonder why their concert is certainly one of the hottest tickets in town. The group formed in 1995 and is well known for their dark rock style and Amy Lee’s killer vocals. They are certainly back and ready to take over once again. Now with their latest album out and tickets selling out fast, it doesn’t really take us that long to make us excited for what other stuff they have up their sleeve for us to hear in the future.

Listen To: “Made of Stone”

Seether - After taking out their latest release, Holding Onto

Strings Better Left to Fray, this post-grunge group is back with a new album after four years. Now, as they head onto a full scale European tour, Seether is back with a newer sound than previously heard. Well known for their big hit album Disclaimer in 2002, this South African band knows how to evolve their music in ways never head before while keeping their fans and newcomers on their toes for new stuff. We are excited to see what this new album and tour has in store for us.

Listen to: “No Resolution”

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Highlight of

gunz

Name: Gunz Location: New York City Website: www.idobi.com/radio Job: Radio Host - idobi Radio “The Gunz Show”

How did you get into radio hosting?

When I was 15 years old I beat out over 300 other people and became on the television show, “MTV’s Becoming: WannaBe Blink 182.” I ended up winning that show portraying Tom Delonge of Blink 182 and from there I moved on to MuchMusic / Fuse TV. I worked my way up and became on air for a couple shows there, as well as an associate producer and working behind the scenes on many of their TV shows there. All along I have been involved in the music industry – started out volunteering than officially interning at various music managements, major labels, etc. I always wanted to help out bands that helped me along the way, as well as pursuit a career in broadcasting, and thus idobi gave me a show. I now work at ABC / ESPN radio during the day, and then do “The Gunz Show,” which is the top rated Internet / itunes music show across the world, and I broadcast out of Madison Square Garden.

Career highlights?

I’ve been able to go on tour with bands such as Forever The Sickest Kids, The Starting Line, the Vans Warped Tour and others; I’ve introduced bands on stage from Third Eye Blind to Boys Like Girls.

Also, I have been on Fox News / ABC News and other television stations as well.

I’m fortunate to have people out there that listen to my show, and I’m grateful to being able to be an inspiration or at least a motivating factor for my listeners out there to follow their dreams and to introduce new music to them as well as all the crazy antics I bring to it.

What do you still want to accomplish?

To continue being a broadcaster, maybe move back to the television side, get my name out there, make “The Gunz Show,” an international success.

Keep updated with Gunz www.thegunzshow.com @TheGunzShow

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 11

LIGHTS

HOME: Toronto, Ontario NOW jamming: Siberia [Lights Music] CURRENTLY: Touring, touring and touring

Lights always has defeated all

of the obstacles on her way just like a hero coming straight out of a comic book. She is a character that has conquered the industry of music by imposing a new musical trend she is the only master of, making it her greatest weapon.

Working hard to emerge for many years, it was at the end of 2011 that she released her second full-length record ‘Siberia,’ which was certified gold in Canada on April 27, 2012. It is quite an achievement unlocked for the young Canadian whose creativity has not stopped astonishing her fanbase, Lightsarmy.

Highlight recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the very charming Lights for an interview. She spoke to us about her childhood, musical background, her rise to fame, her aspirations, and her plans for the future. Lights recently just wrapped up a tour in the UK and during the time of this interview she was touring the USA, where she was keeping busy as usual. The singer juggles many different obstacles between her work, family, video games, relationships, and the charities she supports.

Born in Timmins Ontario, Lights grew up all over the world; in places such as the Philippines, Jamaica, and Vancouver, where she was experiencing many different cultures at a young age. Lights was lucky enough to have creative and open-minded parents growing up. She speaks about her amazing childhood experiences saying she was pushed to do whatever she dreamed of doing, “I was raised with the idea in mind that whatever it is that you want, just run after it and you can get it” she explains.

Having been home schooled her entire childhood and having a very close relationship with her family, the Siberia songstress has always been encouraged by her parents to be creative saying, “I feel like I have the ability to be anything I want and everyone else should have the ability to feel that”. She goes on saying, “I guess my career is an example of making it happen and it probably wouldn’t have been that way if I hadn’t had the same family support that I did and the same childhood that I did.’’ Though, it was only after exploring different forms of art and expression like doing gymnastic and drawing her own morbid comics that she found herself in music.

When it comes time to discuss the exact moment a music career became a dream for Lights, she tells us the story goes way back, “ I remember the first time my dad knew I could sing is when I was two and we were driving to London, Ontario and we were both singing our lungs out in the car.’’ During home schooling a day was dedicated to music, this is when her dad would set up his camera, during which her and her sister would recite poetry and sing along to it. “The minute my hands were strong enough he bought me a guitar and taught me how to play.” Her father encouraged her to figure it out and learn by ear. This was the giant step in her song writing process that would later on lead to her genuine success.

From the moment Lights started exploring writing she simply never stopped, “I thought that it is such a cool thing that one minute you have nothing and then a few minutes later you have invented something that exist but doesn’t exist but has so much power and that is the beauty of music.” Music is such an important aspect of life to Lights.

It is something that makes a huge difference in people.

She remembers being young and being scared or upset and her father played his guitar and everything went away, and that is what for her makes music so powerful.

At the age of 13, Lights received a $1000 inheritance from her grandmother, which she spent on an 8-track that she produced instrumentals to go along with her lyrics. A couple years later at the age of 15, Lights met her future and current manager, Jian Ghomeshi. “He saw a lot of potential, he kind of stood by me through all my phases growing and developing as an artist, that was actually the first big step for me in the music industry.”

For those of you who don’t know Lights’ first real big break was writing for the Canadian hit show “Instant Star” that she actually auditioned for but didn’t get the part. Lights got to write for Sony, which shaped her and gave her the experience and helped her to perfect the craft of song writing. She explains, “My songwriting aspect was suddenly taken care of, I mean they took me under their wing and taught me so much more about songwriting and so much more about making the perfect song.’’ Having written only for her own advantage, writing songs for characters of a show where each character had their own background or story, Lights had to make sure to write from their point of view. “It was a cool experience because you’re writing from a different point of view,’’ she says. For her, songwriting is just like a muscle you have to work out in various ways and you must simply take away from each experience you have.

With her newly gained confidence as a writer, Lights used social media and uploaded a couple of songs onto MySpace in 2006. MySpace helped her promote and gain a fanbase, that later expanded worldwide.

Developing your own sound in the industry of music is such a hard thing to do. For Lights, influences such as Björk played a major part in her search to find her sound “You take those inspirations and balance them with great songwriting inspiration like Supertramp, the Beatles, and then you have a great combination.’’ When we asked the singer if she ever feared her music wouldn’t be welcomed by the industry she answers with no hesitation; “You know that’s funny, I never thought of that, never thought if I put this weird sound, would it be acceptable or accessible?’’

Lights does not believe a musician should give themselves any boundaries just because they fear what the industry might think. Each artist creates his own music and writes for different reasons. For her, creating great pop songs that sound different remains her only objective.

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 13

As far as inspirations go, fantasy worlds were where it was at for Siberia. “When I was writing Siberia I brought in a fantasy art book the entire time in attempt to write a sort of soundtrack for that world, for this other dimension and these dark fantasy characters.’’ Siberia comes from a very confident place, with songs mostly sending positive messages but with a much darker sound than the tracks on her first full-length, The Listening. Even though the songs on her first record were pretty joyful, the album itself was a sad record. “The songs were basically me going through stuff and to come out of it positively, which makes it for playing them again not being a negative experience.’’ Moving away, being far from your family, and not having many friends are things many people experience in their life according to the singer, but these things are always hard to go through the first time you experience them.

Freedom for an artist such as Lights is something really precious. When asked if she felt she could be more flexible writing her second record because of the success of The Listening, the signer explained she actually felt the opposite. “Once you put something out, suddenly you have these expectations placed on you by your fans and yourself of what you need to come up with next. That became something that I really had to shed and I had to go in with an open mind so that I didn’t create the same sound again.” Her manager encouraged her to do something she would love instead of just settling for what was safe. He helped Lights trust her instincts and believed in her ideas. She was also able with his advice to collaborate with Holy Fuck. “You really need to have people around that can help you not get stuck in one place,’’ she says on that matter.

14 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.net

Lights has collaborated with many artists throughout her career such as Silverstein, Bring Me To The Horizon, and Ten Second Epic to name a few. She does not only collaborate on others albums, but she has a few of her own on her album with artists like Shad and Holy Fuck.

“Collaborations are always going to be there, they bring new dynamics, new songwriting techniques they challenge you because it gives you the opportunity to work with other artists,’’ she says, while hinting that she is opened for future collaborations. Lights does not limit her music taste to one genre, she is a big metal fan referring to herself as ‘one of those kids who go to Warped Tour.’

For those of you who have been dreaming about the rumors of Lights playing Warped Tour this summer, prepare to be disappointed because she isn’t. She is keeping busy this upcoming summer by playing festivals and shows all over the world, hitting up places like Australia for the first time and finding her way back home for fall which she plans to do more touring. Lights will also be featured on a tribute album in honor of Talk Talk, an English pop band (set for release very soon).

On this warm spring day, Lights continued her time in the small quaint town of Palatine, Illinois by relaxing pre-show. Once she stepped onstage, we were quickly reminded that Lights is one of the artists that will continue to perform with the aspect of surprise always under her belt. As she traveled through all of her discography, Lights played a show that not only captivated her audience, but blew them away as well. Between her genuine personality, her hard working mindset and the love she has for those around her, we know that Lights’ career is promising and we here at Highlight believe that we will be hearing about for years to come.

INTERVIEW AND PHOTO: Ashley Osborn STORY: Charlie Martel

PHOTO AND INTERVIEW: Ashley Osborn STORY: Kristine Siciliano

ENTER SHIKARI

HOME: St. Albans, UK NOW jamming: A Flash Flood of Colour [Ambush Reality/Hopeless Records] CURRENTLY: Preparing for a summer of shows around the world

It has been a long road for the

British rock/hardcore group Enter Shikari as they have been around for nearly a decade. Throughout the past nine years they have made a huge name for themselves, gaining fans world wide that enjoy every second of their albums to every second of their live stage performances.

Their music, for those who don’t know, incorporates electronics that have the style of electronica, dubstep, trance and occasionally drum and bass on top of their already found hardcore style. Their live performances are a must see, they take their performances to the next level with all their lights and strobes. They are full of energy and each and every person in the crowd is jumping up and down whilst singing along to every one of their songs.

They have done many tours all around the world, mostly consisting in the United States and the United Kingdom.

With their tours in the United States, they had found themselves on the Vans Warped Tour; one of the biggest tours in the country, for two years in a row which being in 2010 and 2011.

Enter Shikari’s lyrics differ from most bands in their particular style or genre. They are very political in their lyrics, kind of similar to older punk rock songs. Rou spoke about the lyrics and stated “Its hard to kind of draw specifics, we’re lucky enough to tour as a band and that means experiencing different cultures around the world, meeting different people, getting different views, got a lot of time spent in small enclosed areas for hours on end on like a bus, in a plane or a train, so you know you tend to either read, watch documentaries or anything like that, and so there’s not like we have some sort of agenda or anything we just kind of write about things that we experience in our lives, and we think various topics that we think should be covered more, perhaps the media not doing a good enough job or coming from a hardcore punk background is important for us to be running around shouting our heads off on stage, it has to be something about that’s what we think deserves to be shout about.”

With their lyrics, they are trying to accomplish to get everyone to think of a different perspective on things and realize that we are all one species and we are all in this together. If we all don’t start realizing this now, how can we live for a sustainable future as Rou puts it.

Majority of the people who are not in a band believes that the music industry is a cakewalk. The music industry has been vastly changing over the years, due

to the Internet becoming increasingly more popular, the industry developing into something more and the illegal downloading of music. A lot of the bands today have a problem with people illegally downloading, then there are some who state that as long as you have the music and can enjoy it’s ok, if you get the money you should go pick up a copy to help support the bands. Enter Shikari has been one of those bands who have not been directly affected, let alone really had a problem with the changes in the industry. Back when they started in 2003 the Internet started spiraling up into one of the most successful things today. Rory stated “When we first started making music the internet was already sort of, people were already downloading stuff off of napster, so I don’t know that kind of all started when we starting as well, we never really noticed that sort of change in the industry.”

Out of the all the years Enter Shikari has been touring they have recently just finished up their first United States headlining tour with supporting acts such as Letlive and At the Skylines. This was by far one of the best tours Enter Shikari has ever done; their lights were spectacular, along with their stage presence. The energy was filling the room and if you looked around you could see all the fans singing, clapping and dancing along. The tour was called ‘A Flash Flood of Colour’ which is mainly supporting the drop of their most recent released album. The tour started in the beginning of April and ended in the middle of May. Since they are done with their headlining tour in the United States, they are heading back home to do a lot of different festivals for the summer since they are not apart of this year Vans Warped Tour, which is a buzzkill for all their diehard American fans. They will be performing on the main stage at the Leeds Festival along with many others.

Even though Enter Shikari’s music career started nearly a decade ago they are only just at the beginning. Their musical talent and the progression they’ve had since their first album release to now has grown tremendously and will only continue growing. Each and every step they take furthering into developing their music will prove to everyone who isn’t an Enter Shikari fan that they have just as much talent as every other band out there does, if not even more. They are extremely dedicated musicians, not only are they dedicated to their instruments they are also dedicated to their fans. Their heart and determination will far surpass everyone’s expectations and they will last a lot longer then most of the bands that are currently starting out today.

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 17

JAMIE LONO

HOME: Chicago, Illinois NOW jamming: I Think I Like You (I.T.I.L.Y) (Single) CURRENTLY: Recording a new album

W

hen the NBC show the “The Voice”

aired its first episode in 2011, many people waited to see if it would have the same allure as “American Idol.” It was an opportunity for musical talent of any age to showcase their talent in a way that American Idol didn’t allow. There were no preconceived notions, just a voice. For Jamie Lono, a singer and songwriter from Vernon Hills, Ill, it was the perfect opportunity.

The 23-year-old was eliminated in the battle round on the show, but this was just the beginning for him. “ I think the greatest part about having this opportunity was that now people from all over the world know who I am,” said Lono. “Before the show, nobody really knew about me. I played at small clubs and gave some people background music. Now it’s heading toward a career. I am so thankful for that.”

The Voice, as well as American Idol, does one thing very well; it gives exposure to artists that would not have had such an ability otherwise.

Lono spent almost two months in Los Angeles with 125 other contestants filming the show. He said that the greatest part about being in L.A. was the opportunities that the show allowed him. Because of the Voice, people from all over the world know who he is.

“I had some great moments and really enjoyed the time I spent out there. We would all go outside and share music with each other nearly every day,” said Lono.

Lono was judged by panel of four pop-music stars; Christina Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee Lo and Blake Shelton. Each of the four judges decides who they want on their musical “team” to move on to battle rounds and, ultimately, the winner of “The Voice”. Lono had a choice between Levine and Cee Lo to coach him into the next round. In the end, he chose Cee Lo as his mentor.

While in L.A filming, Lono had meetings with the executive production team. In one incident that he recalled, he found himself at the gym when he suddenly remembered that he had an interview that day. He ran back to his room and changed and barely made it to the meeting on time; covered in sweat, about to meet the producer.

“Literally my shirt was completely wet,” said Lono.

The Voice delved into Lono’s personal life, especially his childhood, as they tend to do with many of the constants. Lono said through all the hardship he

endured throughout his childhood, he was able to get away from it all by playing music.

“When I was little I had a growth on my left lung. The medical cost really hurt my family and we went into bankruptcy. Life was honestly tough,” said Lono. “When I was an older teenager my house caught fire and burned down. We spent weeks in a hotel, it was really hard.”

During the time after his home burned down, he realized that he had a voice and the talent to go along with it. This is what kept him going, and he believes the music kept him thinking positive.

Even though Lono didn’t make it to the finale, the experiences he had as well as the exposure he gained are already coming into great use. He is currently working on his first album, spending days in the studio and putting his heart and soul into his music. He is using a plethora of different instruments and production techniques, yet staying true to his musical roots.

“That’s all it is about, being true to myself and my music,” said Lono “Now that I am off the show, I want to give my fans my album.”

Lono’s fans really are the backbone of his blossoming career. Many donated money to help make the album possible. Lono said that it was pretty tough to acquire the funds that he could spend on the recording process.

He was only working a part–time job and once the album is complete his full time job will become touring with his music. The album is expected to release in the late summer or early fall of 2012, but he will keep his fans updated on his progress.

He is currently recording in Chicago at IV lab studios and is trying to put music on the album that is perfect for the summertime. Lono is very excited to get this album out to his fans. Due to this, he is giving his first single, “I think I like you,” away for free until the album comes out.

“I just want people to have this music, and that’s why I chose to give this out,” said Lono.

Lono is very grateful to his fans and said that everything he is doing now is because of them.

To learn more about Jamie Lono, and for links to all of his sites, go to www. JamieLonomusic.com PHOTO: Mike Danenberg INTERVIEW AND STORY: Liz Brossard

HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 19

THE MAINE

HOME: Tempe, Arizona NOW jamming: Pioneer (Action Theory) CURRENTLY: On the Pioneer World Tour

“We are the pioneers. We forge our own tracks

however improvised they may be.” These two short sentences appeared on lead singer John O’Callaghan’s Twitter page last July. Many who read it brushed it off as another cryptic tweet from the lead singer and continued on with their daily routine. To O’Callaghan and his band, indie rock group The Maine, these words would become a motto for their third full-length album, Pioneer. In December of 2011, Pioneer was released and fans everywhere reverted back to the tweet, slapping themselves for not realizing what a significant hint it was to the new record.

The road to Pioneer was both a blessing and a curse for The Maine. The band secluded themselves on a farm in Texas to record a nine song demo. The results of that were taken to their label, Warner Brothers, to talk about turning them into a full-length album. Warner Brothers was not happy with any of the songs The Maine brought to them. In turn, the guys decided they would have to take matters into their own hands. “Either way they were going to put this record out or we were. There was going to be no compromise on what the record was going to sound like. There were moments of fear, but the excitement outweighed it tenfold,” said bass player Garrett Nickelsen when asked about the reluctance to record separate from their label. Without the support of their major record label, The Maine would need to self-fund, produce, and release the record. With more determination than ever, they headed back into the studio to record what would eventually become the masterpiece of Pioneer.

Previously on Fearless Records, The Maine was able to build their name in the pop rock world. With an upgrade to a major label and years of touring under their belt, they were eager to venture into a more mature sound. That goal seemed almost effortless with the release of Pioneer.

The entire record holds an indie rock sound which is a far cry from their previous work. Listening to The Maine’s discography from the very earliest release until now might have people wondering if the same band produced them all because each album sounds completely different. It is very easy to tell that this drastic change from album to album is the result of maturation and growth within the band. This type of growth poses many questions, but the main one being: how have the fans reacted?

Every band will agree that their fans are the reason for their success. The Maine started as a pop rock band with catchy songs and cliché looks that captured the attention of mainly teenage girls. Throughout the years,

it seems the fans have stuck around and grown with the band. The songs, while still catchy, have become more personal and heartfelt. They no longer center on the boy-meets-girl scenario and tackle more mature ideas.

“I think the goal for a musician is to see how deep you can go. If you are feeling something, there is probably a good chance more people have felt that way too. Life isn’t just feelings between boys and girls. As you grow up, you start thinking of different parts of your life in new ways.

So maybe it is us ‘growing up’ or something, but I think anyone at our age would want to talk about new ideas,” commented Nickelsen. The Maine knew their fans were just as much ready for a change as they were, but the fear of the unknown is unsettling to anyone.

The struggle and hard work put forth by The Maine and their crew to release Pioneer has not gone unnoticed. The journey to Pioneer consisted of many sleepless nights and stupid fights, but the band stuck it out and created a praiseworthy album that Warner Brothers should regret not being a part of. If anyone is ever interested in learning more about The Maine’s adventure in making their third album, they would only need to go to the band’s YouTube page and watch a short documentary entitled “This Is Pioneer.” The film, directed by Jay OByrne, follows the band 30 days before the release of the album and includes flashbacks to footage shot while they were recording.

Allowing fans to see what it took to produce Pioneer is what makes listening to the record even more personal.

Touring with big names such as Taking Back Sunday, Augustana, and New Found Glory has also made a way for The Maine to gain new fans. Their current headlining tour with Lydia and Arkells may go down as the best tour they have ever been involved with. It is good to see them touring with bands that compliment their new sound.

While they plan to be overseas for most of the summer, The Maine is looking to be back in the US this fall. The Maine continues to bewilder fans, both new and old.

From constant touring and revamping old songs, it has allowed their name to remain in the mouths of their fans and music lovers everywhere. Their willingness to stray away from the safety of their label and create something for themselves and their fans is a testament to not only them as musicians, but also as people. They are true pioneers who have created a path of hope and freedom to all who listen and choose to follow.

INTERVIEW AND STORY: Jessica Klinner .

PHOTO: Ashley Osborn

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TALLHART

HOME: Tampa, Florida NOW jamming: Bloodlines - EP (Equal Vision) CURRENTLY: On tour supporting Bloodlines

Real music is certainly hard

to come by these days. Many aspiring musicians cave into what the current trend is, and ironically gets overlooked in the long run. The few that are actually willing to take a chance, and can survive the music industry are the ones that come out on top victorious. These of course are far and few in between, but they are the cream of the crop.

Tallhart is just that. This four piece comes straight out of Tampa, Florida, and they have already had quite the journey. Just this year they have signed to Max Bemis (Say Anything) new imprint on Equal Vision Records called Rory Records. In the words of the band members, “They felt absolutely honored to be the first band on his label.”

This has been a dream for guitarist Chris Brickman ever since he picked up his guitar 12 years ago. Getting signed to a record label means a lot to these musicians. Not only does it have meaning to the four-piece band, but also it will increase their audience and let them share their music to a wider range. It will also let them follow their passions, something that every musician aspires to happen.

Maybe it was fate for how these guys got signed to EVR. All Tallhart had to do was have their manager email EVR. Luckily general manager Dan Sandshaw saw it and came down to Tampa to see them play. Later on in the year when they were touring with Eisley; Max Bemis who is married to Eisley’s lead singer Sherri, saw them playing on the first night and decided it was time to start Rory.

Their back-story just gets more interesting after that. They were not always known as Tallhart, as they first started out as Glasgow. But in the end they had to give that up because of a different band having that same name. The next name they decided upon was Marksman, which was a name of one of their songs, and as the band stated, “It seemed to fit them.”

As things started to get more serious with EVR their lawyer advised them that that there may be complications down the road if they kept Marksmen. Fortunately for them their lead singer, Matt Segallos, was reading the Game of Thrones books and the name Tallhart was in it. Members enjoyed the idea of having it as their band name, which thankfully stuck.

Developing a sound that is different from other bands around you can sometimes be quite the juggling task.

Tallhart solves this problem by having Chris and Matt come together with, “A bunch of different ideas and seeing what sticks.” They want to sound original, but there is never a certain sound in mind when crafting their music. Chris fulfills this by, “Mixing melodies, lyrics, and an amazing rhythm section with his guitar work.”

To get such a sound Chris is inspired by a number of artists, ranging from “Dave Knudson (Minus the Bear) to Jimmy Page. They take something conventional and make it their own,” stated Chris. In return Chris noted that it is something he will forever strive to do.

Tallhart supplies the complex instrumentals with some heart-felt lyrics. In many of their lyrics there is often a sense of struggle with faith, family, love, friendships. They hope to give people a sense of comfort, and that they have something to relate to in their songs.

Most of the members have played their instrument of choice for years. Matt noted that he grew up singing in church, while Reed is a self-taught drummer. Glenn has also never had any formal bass lessons. This leaves just Chris who has had lessons, but only for a summer when he first started playing. He eventually quit because all he wanted to do was play “punk rock,” he stated.

When bringing out this amazing sound for Bloodlines they had Max send notes back to them on tracks they had sent to him. They also had some help from Tim McTague with restructuring songs and pushing Reed on the drums.

Dean Tidey of Feeder helped the band with guitar work.

The last person to help them out was Travis Hearne who had a major influence in the overall sound of the album.

They certainly believe that the E.P. wouldn’t sound like it does without the help of everyone in the studio.

Bloodlines might have just come out, but Chris already has an idea of how he wants the future to play out. He is aiming for everything to be on a much larger scale. He is most excited about writing and recording and seeing how their music will evolve. Most importantly he wants to be happy with the music he ends up making.

Touring is also an idea he wants to continually make larger by touring with bands that range from Thrice to My Morning Jacket. Chris believes he could learn a thing or two from these musicians as well. Touring has also brought him one of the most significant moments of Tallhart’s career. On their recent tour with Eisley they played a sold out show at the legendary Bowery Ballroom in NYC. To him it felt like almost a rite of passage, and it was a journey he will proudly remember.

Tallhart might have had a rocky start, but they are going places. Their latest effort Bloodlines is full of some of the best songs I have heard within the year. With each note they pluck you can hear just how sincere they are in their music. In every lyric it is possible to tell that there is depth and meaning. Keep your ears up because sooner or later you will be hearing them everywhere possible.

INTERVIEW: Kristine Siciliano STORY: Patrick Quiring PHOTO: Gage Young

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review: Patrick Quiring

artist:

Empires album:

Garage Hymns rating:

sounds like: Lights Resolve The Killers Speak

recommended tracks: “Shame” “Lord Have Mercy” “We Lost Magic”

tracklisting: Can’t Steal Your Heart Away 2 Keep It Steady 3 Hell’s Heroes 4 Night Is Young 5 Runaway 6 Shame 7 Surrenderer 8 Hard Times 9 We Lost Magic 10 Hitchhiker 11 Lord Have Mercy 1

release date: June 12

website: weareempires.com

Some would say the do-it-yourself spirit is slowly fading away from music lately.

Chicago based Empires would have to beg to differ with you on that. They’ve been self-producing most of their work since 2006. Their latest album called Garage Hymns is actually entirely self-produced as well, and it could be their best work yet.

On almost every song you can hear each member’s talents soar far above expectations. Astonishing lead guitar parts are littered throughout the entire album. Pounding drums accompany them perfectly, and vocals add the final touch to making this sound all their own.

This distinctive sound that echoes throughout the record seems to be inspired by 90’s grunge. For instance on “Hitchhiker” the opening sounds a whole lot like Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.” The record truly reaches a pinnacle in the middle with “Shame,” which could be one of their best songs to date.

With their intimate, but large sound it’s quite possible to see a lot of these songs becoming small club anthems, where lead singer Sean Van Vleet would lead the crowd in a full-blown sing-along. After the show whole slews of people would be singing songs as they go to their cars.

Having a tenacious independent spirit for so long seems to finally be paying off.

Garage Hyman seems to be a step in the right direction. This album is certainly great in many aspects; they’re just some things that they could improve upon.

Theses guys are on the to something though. With an album that has potential to blow them up to nation wide status be expecting to hear them on your radio sometime after the album drops June 12th.

Artist: Architects Album: Daybreaker

Only a year has passed since the release of their previous record, but the metalcore band Architects has already finished their sixth album, “Daybreaker”. Fans will notice a slight change from their last work, as the group leaves their rock influence to come back on heavier stuff. The great thing about this band is they can mix harsh medley of instruments to very melodic sounds; screaming to singing. This combination brings songs you expect from classic metal such as “Even If You Win, You’re Still A Rat” (feat. Oliver Sykes from Bring Me The Horizon) but also softer pieces as the last one on the record, “Unbeliever”. For someone who isn’t sure if they love the metal universe or not, this band is a great way to start, maybe not softly, but at least to have various elements and not only screaming !

Recommended tracks : “The Bitter End” and “Behind The Throne”

recommended tracks: “The Bitter End” & “Behind The Throne” review: Claudia Boisvert

Artist: Matt Skiba and the Sekrets Album: Babylon Matt Skiba & the Sekrets is a solo project led by the Alkaline Trio frontman himself, Matt Skiba. The debut album, Babylon, is supported by his dream team of musicians, Jarrod Alexander of My Chemical Romance on drums, and AFI’s Hunter Burgan playing bass, who he hand picked to help him on the record. What sets Skiba’s side project apart from Alkaline Trio is the addition of more keys and automated sounds rather than solely being punk rock. The most notable song on the record is “Voices”, with its upbeat tempo, and haunting, but very relatable lyrics. Another distinctive song is the last track, “Angel of Deaf”. Being the slowest song, it unwinds and smoothly wraps up the whole album. Babylon has a wide array of lyrical content, ranging from battling inner demons, to love songs. With the extra time on his hands, Skiba has truly created something quite unique while remaining true to his own personal style of writing and composing music.

recommended tracks: “You” & “All Fall Down” review: Haley Black

Artist: Write This Down Album: Lost Weekend The Christian Rock Band, Write This Down, is back after two years of silence. Their first self-titled album released in 2010, and fans of that album will be surprised with the heaviness of the newest album, Lost Weekend, in comparison. The 12 track album is comprised of punk themes, but reminds the listener of the earlier works of bands like the Foo Fighters or Shinedown, especially in the song “Red 7”. Overall, the album is a little too heavy for my tastes, but if you are a fan of alternative rock, this will be an album that you should take the time to listen to. Lyrically, Write This Down has a lot to say, but for those of you who are not fans of Christian rock, it may fall on deaf ears.

recommended tracks: “Lost Weekend” and “Crash and Burn” review: Liz Brossard

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fun.

WHERE: The Vic, Chicago, IL PHOTO: Ashley Osborn

The maine

WHERE: House of Blues, Chicago, IL PHOTOs: Ashley Osbrn (top) Cara Bahniuk (bottom)