Issue #41

issue 41

HIGHLIGHT

MAGAZINE

ALL GET OUT – WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS – CLEAN BANDIT – THIRD EYE BLIND & MORE

and and andthe the the

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editor-in-chief jenn stookey co-founder – art director cara bahniuk

IGHLIGH

co-founder – photo editor ashley osborn managing editor jessica klinner online editor nick yacovazzi copy editor courtney dondelinger digital marketing manager olivia adams design assistant benjamin bacon co-founder – legal – finance mckenzie hughes contributing photographers

cara bahniuk, demi cambridge, jordan fischels, lori gutman, rachel kober, casey lee, charlie martel, natalie montaner, savana ogburn, ashley osborn, heather phillips, sam polonsky, taylor rambo, sam roenfeldt, nicole fara silver, kara smarsh and clark terrell

contributing writers (online & publication)

lauren ball, haley black, jennifer boylen, geoff burns, haley buske, colleen casey, rebecca del castillo, ally fisher, trevor figge, caroline hall, annette hansen, jessica klinner, zoe marquedant, bridjet mendyuck, theresa pham, alyssa schmidt, alex, shimalla, catie suliga, nick yacovazzi and bailey zeigler

digital marketing team

geoff burns and tim mcgovern

news posters

laura arthurs, kristen torres, samia mirza, sarah akomanyi and brad laplante

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

thank you catfish and the bottlemen, christina santamaria, capitol records, mega force records, atlantic records, warner music group, bad timing records, nettwerk music group, epitaph records, secret service pr, indoor recess inc., sony music, big picture media, hollywood records, sara scoggins, dcxv, and all of you who read our issues and support us every month!

_________________________ 06 catfish and the bottlemen rachel kober

07 william fitzsimmons casey lee

all get out sam polonsky

clean bandit charlie martel

braids landon speers

pianos become the teeth charlie martel

sara scoggins demi cambridge

third eye blind rachel kober

july 05 this or that 08 clothing highlight 11 label highlight 12 venue highlight 14 industry highlight 16 highlighted artists 17 film highlight 18 pianos become the teeth 20 braids 22 all get out 24 william fitzsimmons

and and andthe the the

28 clean bandit 32 third eye blind 36 catfish and the bottlemen 48 tour round up purity ring the story so far terror four year strong 50 reviews

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THIS

OR

THAT

60%

40%

MAJOR LAZER

33%

67%

DIE ANTWOORD

HALSEY

80%

20%

MISTERWIVES

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CATFISH AND THE BOTTLEMEN 36

ALL GET OUT 22

BRAIDS 20

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SARA SCOGGINS 14

24 WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS

28 CLEAN BANDIT

18 PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH

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32 THIRD EYE BLIND

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND DCXV INDUSTRIES?

DCXV originated out of my garage. I had taught myself how to design, and so I taught myself screen printing to bring my designs to life. DCXV are the Roman numerals for 615, the Nashville area code, and the name came about when I was considering where to live after college. I wanted a tattoo to represent my hometown, and Roman numerals seemed like they would suit me better than just digits. Ultimately, I decided I’m not cool enough for a tattoo, so it got pocketed until people 8 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

wanted to wear my designs, and I realized I already had the perfect company name. About half of the designs I was printing at the time were Nashville centric, as at the time there were no shirts you could get that didn’t make you look like a tourist. Since I’m a born and raised native, I honestly just wanted something for myself, but apparently a lot of people felt the same way.

Cities like New York, Los Angeles and Chicago all have brands that are from those cities that accurately share & represent those cities. Why not Nashville?

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR BRAND REPRESENTS?

Nashville is so much more than what people think it is. It’s vibrant and alive with music, art, style and new adventures. All of this adds up to a unique experience that connects with people around the world. We represent that experience. We’re not the company that creates great designs about Nashville; we’re the brand from Nashville that creates great designs.

WHY DID YOUR START YOUR BRAND?

Street wear, or whatever you want to call it particularly graphic t-shirts, often aren’t considered fashion. A lot of that has to do with the design. At the same time, I felt like Nashville wasn’t being represented when it came to design. We’re a lot more than cowboy boots and cowboy hats. We’re much more of a jeans, t-shirt and Chucks kind of town, so it was appalling that the only option available in terms of apparel was kitschy, low quality crap not designed here and not made here. My mission was to elevate both the design aspect of street wear and the idea of what Nashville apparel can be.

Not everything has to say Nashville on it, and a lot of what I design is unrelated to the city, but the point is, it’s from here and it represents what’s happening here now— who we are now.

THREE PERSONAL FAVORITE DESIGNS?

“I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE” - Certainly my most wellknown design. It started as a mural to serve as a positive, unifying symbol for locals and visitors alike,

but it’s turned into something much bigger than I could have ever expected. Everyone from Reese Witherspoon to The Lumineers have taken photos with the murals, and Taylor [Hawkins] from the Foo Fighters wore one of our shirts at their last gig here.

VOLUME - Also another one of my murals. I used my original concept sketch for the design. It’s a black and white drawing of a wall of speakers, but I think it really embodies my style of high impact through simplicity.

THIRD COAST - The Third Coast is a nickname from the glory days of the music business. You had New York on the east [coast], L.A. on the west [coast], and Nashville on the “third” coast. I always wanted to bring it back in a way, so when I was in L.A. last fall and saw all the beachwear in Venice, I thought it’d be fun to meld the two. It’s a little tongue-in-cheek, as clearly we don’t have a coast of any kind, but with summer coming on, it just felt like fun.

WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK OUT YOUR BRAND:

If you’re a passionate person who loves style and good design, that’s who we are and that’s what we do. f /DCXVindustries t @DCXVindustries i @DCXVindustries PHOTOS: Mary Beth Blankenship

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YOU MAY WANT TO LISTEN TO...

Decaydance Records began as a side project for Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz back in 2005, but the past decade has stood as a witness for what poor timing can do to a record label.

Decaydance launched with Panic! at the Disco’s breakout album, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, and also helped the likes of Hey Monday and Tyga gain media attention. Unfortunately, not everything was on the label’s side: Wentz had to watch the label fall slightly, especially after Fall Out Boy went on hiatus a few years ago. But there was a blessing in the downtime. In 2014, Wentz relaunched the label under a new name: DCD2. The old faces of Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, Cobra Starship and Travie McCoy are still around, but the relaunch introduced the music world to New Politics and LOLO, the first two artists to sign onto the revamped label. Soon enough, MAX joined the team, and the label has since been growing. Wentz has stated in recent interviews that the label’s focus will remain on a mixture of old artists, all of whom are friends with either Wentz or Fall Out Boy, and new artists.

FALL OUT BOY Unless you’ve lived under a rock for the past 15 years, you’ve heard of Fall Out Boy, or at least Pete Wentz.

In January, the band released their sixth studio album, American Beauty/American Psycho, which has seen incredible support from die-hard fans and newcomers alike.

The album introduced listeners to a new Fall Out Boy, as the band seems to have grown up slightly from the disgruntled teenagers in a Chicago suburb who started the band back in 2001, but no one’s complaining.

Listen To: “Uma Thurman”

MAX Although Max Schneider has been acting in various TV shows, films and Broadway shows since he was a toddler, his musically inclined alter-ego, MAX, is still breaking into the scene. Unlike labelmates Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco, MAX’s sound is a unique mix of R&B vocals and hip hop tunes. He also has the envied ability to hit the highest of notes and still be enjoyable. MAX will be supporting Fall Out Boy on the Boys of Zummer Tour all summer long.

Listen To: “Gibberish (ft. Hoodie Allen)”

LOLO Although LOLO has been making music for the better part of the past 10 years, her breakout role seemed to be from her background vocals in Panic! at the Disco’s single, “Miss Jackson.” Now under the guidance of DCD2 Records, she’s making her own way. Her EP, Comeback Queen, will be out on July 17, and then she hits the road this October with New Politics on the Wilderness Politics Tour presented by Journeys. Her raspy voice fits perfectly with the soulful sounds that her songs are known for. Once the world starts to truly understand LOLO’s talent, she’ll be here for a while.

Listen To: “I Don’t Wanna Have To Lie”

WORDS: Alexandra Shimalla

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VENUE HIGHLIGHT CANNERY BALLROOM - NASHVILLE, TN MERCY LOUNGE

HISTORY There seems to be one major requirement for opening a concert venue—it has to be in an old building. The Cannery Ballroom is no exception as it was built as a flour mill in 1883. Like most establishments in Nashville, it went through a country music phase, but then eventually diversified its tastes and became one of the most popular venues in Nashville by the ’80s and ’90s.

WHY PLAY HERE? The Cannery Ballroom covers everything from the newest underground acts to big names in music. It is essentially the perfect place to showcase talent to Nashville’s music tastemakers with special events like the Road to Bonnaroo concert series and 8 off of 8th, a free weekly showcase. For those who aren’t exactly chomping at the bit to hop on stage, this venue gives you that nice, intimate setting while providing you with big names such as Lenny Kravitz, Katy Perry, Imagine Dragons, etc. There’s also a huge bar, which is nice if you’re of age, but it won’t keep you from getting in if you’re not.

It’s a fun place to play and to enjoy shows, so either way you win.

@canneryballroom

/thecanneryballroom

WWW

thecanneryballroom.com

JULY 7TH

JULY 13TH

JULY 14TH

JULY 24TH

mewithoutYou

Three Days Grace

Neon Trees

Kevin Devine

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REVIEW: Bailey Zeigler

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NAME: Sara Scoggins LOCATION: Los Angeles, California WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL STORY/WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE INDUSTRY? I got involved in music simply because I love it. I always wanted to have a positive voice in the community and a voice that would empower fans and artists. I moved out to Los Angeles when I was 23 with an idea of what I wanted to do, but it was never a guarantee it would work out.

YOU’VE BEEN HOSTING A WEEKLY SHOW ON IDOBI RADIO CALLED LET’S TALK MUSIC FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW! LOOKING BACK, WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART OF TAKING ON THIS PROJECT? By far, the best part of the project has been the feedback from listeners that they’ve discovered a new band while listening to the show. For an hour each week, I get to share music I love with a live audience— it’s my favorite part of the week. We tweet to each other during the show, and that instant reaction is so incredible. I love the community we are building and the positive conversation we’re fostering.

WHAT ALBUM OR BAND HAS HAD THE MOST INFLUENCE ON YOU? Oh gosh, there isn’t just one. I’ve really grown attached to a lot of bands and albums over the years. Bands like Jimmy Eat World, Brand New, Paramore, The Starting Line; they’re all the bands I grew up with, but never grew out of.

Bleed American has always been an important album for me because I’ve always found a need for it during different phases of my life— breakups, growing pains, loss, selfdoubt. That album has a lot to offer.

LET’S TALK MUSIC WAS CREATED TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER THROUGH MUSIC. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL TAKE AWAY AFTER LISTENING TO AN EPISODE? My hope is that they will take away a new band to love and new friends in the community to share a passion with. I keep the show very energized (which can be difficult when you don’t have a co-host), positive and fun. I hope they can then turn to a friend after the show and continue that kind of conversation about music.

time, but I was the only one approved to do an on-camera interview for the tour, and that was such an honor. I’m glad they didn’t tell me until afterwards because I would have been incredibly nervous.

Second, I had written a post about my personal connection to the song “Last Hope” by Paramore, and Hayley [Williams] ended up seeing it. She even tweeted me a thank you with a link to my post. I still have the screen shot of the tweet on my phone [laughs]. It was so sweet of her.

And lastly, my recent experience interviewing Aaron Marsh of Copeland for my Idobi show was just incredible. I met with him while the Writing The Future Tour was in L.A. and he was so generous with his answers. We had a great conversation about everything under the sun that lasted twice as long as I had anticipated. When I can sit down with someone I admire and I can make them laugh, or get them to open up a little bit more, it’s so rewarding. It makes me feel like I’m doing my due diligence as a journalist and as a sincere fan. That one will stay with me for a while.

YOU’VE WORKED AT HOLLYWIRE AND BUZZNET AS A MUSIC JOURNALIST/REPORTER AND HAVE ALSO HAD PIECES PUBLISHED ON OTHER MUSIC SITES. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING MUSIC JOURNALISTS? This is probably the question I get asked most. My advice is to start cultivating your voice as soon as you can. Figure out what makes your perspective special. Having your little place in a community carved out will make your work stand out, and having a strong perspective will create a lot of conviction in your work. It took me a little while to figure out where I thought I fit in among all the voices out there, but it’s important to recognize what you can offer.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH? TONS of things! I feel like I’m just getting started and have a lot of work to do. t @SaraScoggs t @LETSTALKMUZ

WHAT ARE THREE OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE CAREER MOMENTS? The first that came to mind was my interview with The Staring Line during the Say It Like You Mean It 10 Year Anniversary Tour a few years ago. I didn’t realize it at the PHOTOS: Erica Lauren

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HIGHLIGHTED

ARTISTS FRANKIE Location: Oakland, CA Current Single: “Problems, Problems”

Meet FRANKIE, the Oakland singer/songwriter who’s just as strong as she is sweet. Bellowing soulful melodies and catchy choruses, it’s hard to ignore this writing star.

JOSH DST Location: Bronx, NY Current Single: “Buzz” Slow and smooth, the Bronx’s Josh Dst combines a powerful blend of hip-hop and R&B. A rising star, Dst stands to release his debut EP in the coming months, featuring his hit single, “Buzz.”

KAIL BAXLEY Location: Los Angeles, CA Current Album: A Light That Never Dies Meet KaiL Baxley, the soulful, nomadic songwriter you’ve been waiting for. Based out of Los Angeles, KaiL meshes traditional rock stylings with vintage groove, soul and blues.

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WORDS: Nick Yacovazzi

HIGHLIGHTED

FILMS

SHOT BOYS

When touring, most bands put together some kind of generic “on the road” video. These compilations, before the rise of YouTube in the baby days of social media, were initially a welcome change in medium. Before, all fans had to go on was the stray Myspace post, the “A Day On Tour With...” articles and a memory of the night that the tour passed through town. Then came Wi-Fi and Internet-enabled phones. Suddenly, you could know what your favorite band ate for dinner, what their pre-show routines were, what they forgot to pack and all other details of their lives.

That’s not to suggest that the pre-Facebook Internet was the Dark Ages. There have always been writers and photographers covering shows and giving a voice to life on the road, but in those formats, the voice of the band was somewhat limited. Musicians could answer journalists’ questions however they wanted, but they couldn’t write them. Now with control of their various social media accounts, bands are able to tell their story their way.

A presence on the Internet has allowed for some very genuine insights into bands that previously you only knew through their music, bios, interviews, articles and liner notes. The problem arises when a band posts their 500th Instagram picture. A deluge of updates crowds the image that a band forms of itself. In a way, this endangers the tour video. In the age of Snapchat and Vine, it’s difficult to have a 10-minute video of interesting, funny and engaging footage when there’s already so much information out there. There’s already a trail of tweets following the band’s week, so why compile all that footage when you could just revisit the appropriate Vines?

For bands that still put the work in to curate a video, some efforts have become lacking in, well, effort. In many cases, the standard tour update has become formulaic. The videos all contain shots of the landscape blurring past a van window, long pans of crowded venues, a clip of the band eating, a scene in which someone is pranked and one black-and-white token artsy shot, probably with the speed adjusted. They’re usually set to the band’s own music, songs from their labelmates or some Top 40 pop song that’s so out of place it’s comical. These videos are still watchable, and on some level enjoyable, but they’re undeniably very similar and pretty unoriginal.

Part of this issue is that the material isn’t always fresh— given that a lot of the information has already made its rounds through social media. It doesn’t help that tour can be a little monotonous as well. Touring, especially in the U.S., can mean lots and lots of hours spent driving. (Not much to see there!) Then there’s all the time spent prepping at each venue, sound checking and playing the shows. These moments usually make the final cut, but what else? There isn’t always proper downtime on tour, and when there is, there might not be something to do. How do you make an interesting video when you only have two hours off in a random city? And do you want to spend your precious time off filming a video or actually living your life?

Some resort to an outsider to capture everything. Jack the Camera Guy filmed TAI TV back before The Academy Is... broke up, and currently Tom Falcone shoots All Time Low along with others. Still, some bands keep hold of the reins, and of those that do, some have found a way around the update slump by growing the idea of the compilation into a more curated effort. Neck Deep, a U.K. pop punk band, put together the episodic “Neck Deep Do America” series while touring in the U.S., and Jukebox the Ghost, a U.S. piano pop band, shot the mini documentary “Long Way Home” while on the road earlier this year. These more thought out videos rock the line between interesting insight and “Wow. You guys also play X-box on the bus? No. Way.” It’s what viewers have seen before, but it’s done in a reinvigorated way.

State Champs, New York’s contribution to the newest class of pop punk bands, are amongst those reinventing the tour update. Musically, the group has gone from anticipated and underground to touring alongside the likes of All Time Low and 5 Seconds of Summer and being booked to appear at the APMAs later this month in a short amount of time. They’ve transitioned from Bandcamp favorite and opening act to one of the most promising bands in the genre.

Now before embarking on their own The Shot Boys of Summer headlining tour, the band is releasing Shot Boys via their YouTube page. The scripted series stars the boys of State Champs playing themselves, plus a few extras. The first two episodes of Shot Boys are full of apparel envy. The premier episode, “Nice Shirt,” is five minutes of but-who-wore-it-better, as the band’s guitarist Tyler Szalkowski and bassist Ryan Scott Graham discover they both love the same shirt. This, of course, results in (spoiler alert) them battling it out in a heated game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. The skit sets the tone for the rest of the season, which is short, funny and reminiscent of a TV sitcom.

The longer second episode, “The Wrong Crocs,” opens with Graham asking a doctor what to do about his back pain. He’s prescribed Crocs and hilarity ensues as his bandmates, guitarist Tony Diaz and drummer Evan Ambrosio, secretly steal the shoes for their own use. The scenes are dotted with bursts of canned laughter. Add to this exterior shots panning to street signs, narrative voice-overs and a corny theme song befitting of Full House, and Shot Boys seems more of a spoof or a comedy sketch than a tour update.

Instead of a montage of show footage, the viewer gets to see something the band made that isn’t their most recent release. While Shot Boys doesn’t say anything about how the boys were faring on the Future Hearts tour, it does give viewers an idea of the band’s sense of humor, and in that way a brief glimpse into their personalities. They aren’t capturing their likeness, but rather capturing something they’d watch. You can tweet, follow, friend and subscribe to a band if you want to see their day-to-day lives, but a series like Shot Boys taps into and showcases their creativity. Like their music, State Champs’ Shot Boys is another creative effort, albeit a less serious one, but still one that fans of theirs or just music should see.

REVIEW: Zoe Marquedant

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HOME: Baltimore, Maryland NOW JAMMING: Keep You CURRENTLY: Getting ready to play Wicker Park Fest in Chicago at the end of the month

AS WITH ANY FORM OF ART,

much thought is put into every single detail for the piece being created to establish a specific meaning or significance. While a record can have many different meanings to a listener, as opposed to the band or artist creating it, the album may represent a snapshot of where the artist is currently at in their career. Baltimore rock group Pianos Become The Teeth have taken a large step toward the inevitable evolving stage within their career with their most recent album, Keep You, and it’s only the beginning.

The band’s third album includes softer vocals, light guitars and an overall deeper sound, which is new for Pianos Become The Teeth fans; something the band thought they weren’t going to like.

“I think in the back of my mind I didn’t think people would hate it. I just thought it would be the record that in 10 years the people that did hate it will revisit it, and it will be a spark for them,” said guitarist Michael York.

York explained the time when he discovered the Smiths at age 16, and he was passive toward their music. He revisited the Smiths’ album, The Queen Is Dead, when he was 25 and something clicked. He finally understood their music and said Keep You, if anything, might serve this specific purpose for others.

“People that are still with us now are the people that are going to be with us for good,” York said. “If they like Keep You and past releases, I think they’re going to enjoy the stuff that we are going to consistently keep writing. We’re never going to stop evolving. We’re always going to do something different and never write the same record twice.”

While the band’s debut album, Old Pride, and second album, The Lack Long After, consist of heavy guitars and harsh vocals— something Keep You strays away from— they still provide an overall theme with their third full-length.

York said there is significance on each record from lyrics to cover art, which all coincide into a deeper meaning within the record itself. Old Pride’s cover art consists of two horses that are abnormally skinny, which represents watching someone disintegrate. He said the cover art for The Lack Long After, containing the feet of a person lying at the end of a bed beside an opened window, has a heavy meaning

for vocalist Kyle Durfey. Keep You’s cover art pictures a white sheet and smoke, which signifies the attempt to send a message to someone whether they can see it or not.

York said Keep You’s title was chosen to signify that there is no right or wrong way to do what you need in order to get through life. The last song on the album, “Say Nothing,” contains the line ‘Oh, what we frame and hang to get by’ and summarizes what the record is about.

“Everyone that comes and goes in life you will always keep a part of that person, whether they’re here or not here,” York said. “This record itself is about a lot of people not being in your life anymore, whether that means they’re dead or they’re just not existent within a friend group that you might have talked to in the past and they kind of dissipated. ‘Keep You’ means whatever you have to do to get through life to keep you going is fine.”

And while York stressed Pianos Become The Teeth never want to release the same album twice, the band have already started to write their next album. He said they hope to incorporate the same idea as Keep You, but won’t be afraid to be heavy at times while also creating the softest material they’ve ever written. Keep You is where the band is right now in their career, and it represents an important change that will only grow stronger.

“It was a lot more fun and challenging to write something that we have never written before,” York said. “This is a record that we wanted to write and that’s kind of how it came out and I couldn’t be more proud of it. That was the most fun thing to do was creating something that might alienate people or might make people feel strange or upset. That’s how you know you’re creating art that is worthy of anyone’s attention because you should be pissing some people off or making people upset about what you’re doing because you’re pushing your boundaries of your own limitations as an artist, and I think that’s the most important thing.”

PHOTO: Charlie Martel | INTERVIEW & STORY: Geoff Burns

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HOME: Montreal, Canada NOW JAMMING: “Miniskirt” CURRENTLY: On tour

THERE’S ALWAYS A MINOR LEVEL OF

discomfort for listeners whenever a band they’ve truly grown to know and love over the years— a band they’ve come to connect with intimately— decides to change directions.

However, in the case of Braids, fans need not worry.

Though Deep In The Iris, the band’s most recent release, is a far cry from the anarchic pop of 2011’s Native Speaker or the wintry Bjork-esque electronica of 2013’s Flourish // Perish, their sound manages to remain recognizable. This familiarity, which expertly evades the boredom that arises when a project fails to grow, allows listeners to gain a fresh perspective of Braids’ potential without becoming too comfortable.

Last spring, Raphaelle Standell-Preston along with band members Austin Tufts and Taylor Smith abandoned the amenities of their home in Montreal, Canada to travel across the United States, creating Deep In The Iris among a 20 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET

variety of environments. Standell-Preston described the trek, which spanned six weeks and took the trio from the rugged, parched terrain of Arizona to the luscious hills of Vermont and upstate New York, as transformative.

“For two weeks we didn’t even write any music, we were basically just chilling together and rebalancing our friendship and just trying to get really comfortable with each other again,” she said. “That was a huge part of the recording process, feeling really comfortable and open with each other and feeling allowed to be vulnerable and constantly making sure that we were cultivating that safe space. We just played a lot of music and jammed a lot. We were living together and eating together, but we always had the instruments there in case of a creative outburst.”

After touring and writing albums together over the span of five years, the members of Braids experienced a rift that

was bound to appear after the trio began to mature and change in ways that are commonplace when venturing from the tumult of late teenage years to the self-awareness of one’s mid-twenties.

“It was a very hard time for us because we ended up parting ways,” Standell-Preston said. “We were just not all on the same page. It was a hard record to record, but I’m really glad it’s out and we were able to make something beautiful out of something that was [a] really difficult time.

It was like climbing a hill the whole time. I wouldn’t want to do that again.”

However, Braids refused to let the turbulent nature of growing up impede them from creating—the product merely took on an altered form to match the transformation of the band’s relationship. Instead of mimicking the chaos of previous albums, Braids opted for a release drenched in minimalistic texture and dark spaces. Standell-Preston described the process as purely interpersonal in nature.

“We were just trying to feel good the whole time and that was a triumph— just feeling positive,” she said. “At the end of the day, we wanted to have a good time recording. A lot of the sounds and words don’t end on a solid note, but with an upward conclusion. I think that’s because we spent so much time making sure we all felt good with each other.”

Though Deep In The Iris in its entirety is a deeply impassioned production, perhaps the most affecting song on the 41-minute LP is the first single off of the release, “Miniskirt.” The single describes the struggles and challenges that women face daily, and how females are forced to wade against a tide of condescending remarks, objectification, and even violence due to something as simple as a traditionally seen “provocative” piece of clothing.

“We wrote the instrumentation before the vocals and the instrumentation was just the hardest thing we’ve ever written— it was really dense and powerful,” StandellPreston explained. “The lyrics are something that I’m starting to think about more and more as the collective consciousness is starting to weigh in that [feminist] direction.

There’s a lot more media attention focused on those issues.

Experiences in my life, experiences in my friends’ lives, and just observations within culture have directed me towards wanting to write a song about it.”

This visibility that Braids unapologetically brings into mainstream view isn’t exclusive to the generation that have already moved out of their childhood bedrooms. In fact, Standell-Preston described the connection that teenage girls foster with the band. “On the Purity Ring tour that we just did, whenever we had a show, they went nuts for ‘Miniskirt’ because they’re experiencing that,” she explained. “It doesn’t really happen as much for older audiences. For younger people, there’s that feeling of being belittled for

wearing something that’s more provocative or for having a couple of boyfriends at a time. You’re deemed a slut.”

Though the band is wholly empathetic with the plight of the younger generation, they evade the possibility of alienating other groups of women. “It still touches me, and I’m 25. I wrote it, and I’m 25. I think that it’s for all women; they all go through it. In rape cases, a woman will be asked what she was wearing as though she was asking for it,” StandellPreston said. “Unfortunately, it happens in our culture a lot, where women get blamed for that kind of behavior.”

The music video for “Miniskirt” also follows the same theme, unabashedly proclaiming feminist principles while set against an eerily alluring greenhouse backdrop. Highly metaphorical in content, the video features Standell-Preston floating between rows of systematically planted flowerbeds and alone, tethered in a marble room reminiscent of a Grecian temple.

“The whole concept was about humans having control over nature and how we persuade it to do what we want it to do and how we want it to be, and how we want the female to behave culturally and socially,” she explained. “We were comparing the woman to the flower and packaging her up and stripping her down and growing her and growing her in this greenhouse environment. In the first half of the video, I’m very much objectified. We wanted to have that difference between the front and the last half of the video to show the ability to move and to feel that freedom and strength. In the last half, I’m moving a lot, and in the front half, I’m very objectified.”

Ultimately, the creation of Deep In The Iris serves as evidence of transformation and self-acceptance. Standell-Preston depicted the metamorphosis of the album, compared to earlier releases, as immensely personal. “As I get older, I see less and less reason to hide anything about myself in regards to the music that I make. I just wanted to present what I think about and who I am and what my voice sounds like and not cover it up at all,” she said.

It’s a statement rebuking the superficiality that can arise from an overflow of recognition. When presented to the world in a certain light, it’s all too easy to lose yourself in the rush of the public’s assumptions. However, Braids has thus far managed to bypass the bipolarity that occurs with widespread success.

“Just try and make art that you like and don’t make it for other people because those people go away,” StandellPreston suggested. ”Your fans will come and go, some will be with you all the way and some won’t, but if you don’t like your music…you have to be with yourself everyday, so you have to make music that you like.”

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HOME: Charleston, South Carolina NOW JAMMING: Movement CURRENTLY: Nathan Hussey making a solo appearance on tour with Aaron Gillespie and William Beckett

AS DAVE ELKINS OF MAE STEPS

onstage during All Get Out’s set at Exit/In in Nashville, he hands out shots of whiskey to each member. It certainly is a time for celebration.

“We just wanted to thank our friends in All Get Out for coming on this tour and supporting the 10 year anniversary of The Everglow. It has been amazing and we couldn’t ask for better friends to have joined us,” Elkins marvels.

A tired, yet resilient smile creeps across All Get Out vocalist Nathan Hussey’s face. It’s been a long couple of months for the band. Embarking on their first tour in over two years, the exhausting road ends in Nashville, yet despite all this, the band is ready for more.

Between songs, Hussey lets out a hesitant cough. He’s been fighting a cold the past few days, but it doesn’t stop him or anyone else in the band from delivering an incredible final performance, capping what has been a monumental moment in the group’s career.

“This [tour] has been the best thing that’s happened to us.

We’ve played the Ryman before and this still tops it, being back out here on the road,” Hussey says.

All Get Out jumped onto the scene with their acclaimed 2011 release, The Season, launching a journey that would lead the band across the United States and beyond. Touring with bands such as Balance & Composure and La Dispute and performing strings of shows with powerhouse artists Manchester Orchestra and fun., All Get Out started to become a household name within their respective scene.

As 2013 approached, the band began to slow things down. With the departure of guitarist Mel Washington, All Get Out seemed to fade into the woodwork.

Hussey and company have proven that wrong.

The past two years have been a moment of rebirth for Hussey and the band. Dropping from the touring circuit and releasing only a handful of tracks off Movement, the band has shed their old persona and risen from the ashes stronger than ever— a phoenix, if you will.

“The past couple years have been 90% personal growth. I did a solo record in between to pass the time and fill in the gap because I wanted to write and experiment before I put in my two cents into All Get Out again,” Hussey says.

“I spent all these years touring but not writing, and there were a couple places I needed to grow. I needed to learn how to be a human and an adult,” he adds. “So I went home to do that.”

All Get Out’s new direction is a direct result of the band’s reflection period. The group has also been working with Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra to produce their sophomore full-length record.

“We’ve always wanted to make a big-boy album,” Hussey says. “I’m writing all the songs. No one’s writing for me, but we’re working together to make it the best it can be. So my goal is to have a record that sounds like I’m 30. The Season was cool, but it was a lot of young stuff, silly and angry, and I’m not that angry.”

“They always tell you to write about all your life experiences, but when you’re in a band and all you do is tour, you get just that influence. So now I’ve been writing what to do next. Touring is a big commitment out of me, and it’s a big commitment out of my family. It looks glorious, but we all know it’s not (laughs). Nothing like trying to sing in front of 400-500 people when you can’t even speak, but it’s still fun,” Hussey adds.

All Get Out’s new record is expected to release next spring. Though it may be a new era for the band, a sense of optimism washes over the group.

No one will truly know where this personal growth will lead listeners musically. Perhaps staunch supporters of 2011’s The Season may not feel the same love as they did four years ago, but the zen and confidence Hussey and All Get Out inject into their newest EP show promising signs.

There’s a scene in the middle of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, where Harry mourns the death of Dumbledore’s phoenix, Fawkes. Comforting Harry, Dumbledore assures him that while Fawkes’ time may have come, he will rise from the ashes once again. Small, but destined to grow mightier.

Hussey’s beard may be a little shorter, but there’s no doubt that All Get Out will do just that.

PHOTO: Sam Polonsky | INTERVIEW & STORY: Nick Yacovazzi

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HOME: Jacksonville, Illinois NOW JAMMING: Pittsburgh CURRENTLY: Gearing up for European tour

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WHILE STROLLING THROUGH THE

progression to the record. Pittsburgh was completely selfproduced, which is something he had not done in quite some time, but he said it felt right with this one. His grandmother had recently passed, and he wanted to sit down and have a conversation with her through his music.

Although he admitted that sometimes making a record on his own was not always the best approach from a professional standpoint, he didn’t care this time around. He didn’t want anyone else’s input.

Fitzsimmons began writing music over a decade ago and put out his first record while studying to become a therapist.

Between writing songs and collecting his necessary internship and clinical hours, a wise friend told it to him straight. She said he was doing two things but doing neither of them well, subsequently doing a disservice to both. His eyes were wide open, and he knew he had to make a choice. He had just separated from his first wife and didn’t have a place to live, but his decision came easy.

“I just wanted to kind [of] have it be between me and her,” he said. “I just wanted to sit with the memories with her for a little while, and that was good.”

French quarter of New Orleans, William Fitzsimmons took time to chat with us. As he passed landmarks and jazz ensembles, he reminisced about his past, present and future. After almost immediately cracking a joke about his infamous beard, it’s like talking to an old friend. His responses were warm and honest, reflective of his music, as he took us on his journey of being a musician, a father and the human experience.

“To be a therapist and to not be fully engaged in that profession is pretty dark. That’s an awful thing to do.

And the same goes for music,” he admitted. “Music was honestly the obvious choice. I just went with it and never really looked back.”

His background has even shaped his song writing in some ways. As a solo artist, it can become challenging to consistently keep your music fresh, especially after a long career. However, Fitzsimmons doesn’t have trouble coming up with lyrical inspiration. He compared a variety of people connecting to the same songs to group therapy: people who have seemingly nothing in common and completely different backgrounds can relate because their emotions are universal. Everyone can understand things like loss, grief, love and joy—those are the ways everyone can connect.

“I love the dirtiness of human emotions,” he shared. “I just love thinking about relationships and difficult times in people’s lives, those are very real and worthwhile things to think about.”

Although lyrical inspiration comes easy, music inspiration can be a bit more tedious. Fitzsimmons jokes at his shows that listeners probably can’t tell the difference between a new song and an old one, but he consistently tries to broaden his musical spectrum. If he constantly sat down with his acoustic guitar, his music would begin to sound like a giant medley of the last decade, he said, so he is constantly trying to educate himself.

Fitzsimmons is originally from Pittsburgh, hence the title of his newest release. He explained that this record is largely about where you’re from, whom you’re with and how that turns you into the person you become. He currently lives in the small, quiet town of Jacksonville, Illinois, with his wife and two kids and shares the move was life saving for him because all the negative parts of his life were geographically rooted. Although he has been able to create a new family with the people he works and goes out on the road with, leaving his family at home is tough—especially as his kids get older. Fitzsimmons said he tries to be as balanced as possible with the two aspects of his life by not touring for such long periods of time and even possibly taking his kids out on the road in the near future. Even with the aided communication with technology, he stills finds the separation challenging.

“It is something that I worry about every single day,” he acknowledged. “I enjoy the challenge of it too. I get to take care of my family doing something that actually means a lot to me and I want them to be part of that in some way.”

Music being the way he feeds his family has also been an obstacle in his career. The struggle between integrity and money has been tough at times. Although he feels that battle is never really won, he has to stay true to his ideals and know he is making the right decisions.

“I want to genuinely make art that matters and can affect people,” he said.

Fitzsimmons has almost all of what remains of 2015 set on the road. He’ll spend the rest of the summer in Europe and then will travel the U.S. once again in the fall.

PHOTOS: Casey Lee | INTERVIEW & STORY: Jennifer Boylen

“You have to remain a student. You can never [be] so bold as to think you’ve really got a handle on this. You just have to be humble and keep learning,” he said.

For his latest release, Pittsburgh, he delved further into drum machines and even taught himself the bass guitar to pull at different parts of his brain and bring some musical

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clean bandit gets creative

HOME: Cambridge, England | NOW JAMMING: “Real Love” ft. Jess Glynne | CURRENTLY: Touring in Europe

LAST YEAR, “RATHER BE” EXPLODED

onto the charts at a global scale, throwing the masterminds behind the song on an unforgettable ride that led to some incredible things including a Grammy. With that said, Clean Bandit are way more than one song. Using pure talent and creativity, they have made some wonderful work since forming in 2008, and they have no intention of stopping.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised when “Rather Be” suddenly took off in the U.S., and it sounds like the group’s violinist, Neil Amin-Smith, was on the same boat as the rest of us. “It was just such a mad thought. [‘Rather Be’] had already had some success in Europe and the U.K., but it’s kind of never been on our radar that people were playing it or listening to it in the U.S. It was quite an incredible thing,” Amin-Smith said.

Media outlets such as Buzzfeed spread the word about the carefully crafted, band-directed music videos.

“In the earlier days, it used to go very much kind of hand in hand,” Amin-Smith began. “But now, because of just the pressures of working with an amazing label and also just the deadline, the biggest hump, you have the music, obviously, and then a single is picked, and then a video gets made to go with the songs.”

He went on to explain how he misses how it felt more interactive, but that their team has been doing a great job since they’ve stepped away from that side of their work.

Naturally, they try to stay as involved as possible but not so much as to overshadow work by being a part of the videos themselves. Among other creative elements of the “Rather Be” film, the team seemed to integrate story and performance aspects seamlessly in a way that was entertaining and fun to watch.

Whether it’s in a music video or Glastonbury, the band feels the most at home on stage performing for their fans.

“We kind of started only for the purpose of doing live shows for our friends, really. We didn’t have any intentions at the beginning to make recordings. I don’t know if that may necessarily be the music. I definitely think we’ve always relished playing live from the beginning,” Amin-Smith described. “I think a lot of dance acts are sort of a challenge to replicate and kind of make a live show, because it starts with someone making the beat in a room somewhere.”

In a sense, it just comes across more naturally and gives the group a bit more flexibility while performing.

One song they don’t touch is “Rather Be” because it’s the group’s favorite song to play live due to its wide appeal.

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“It is just such a great feeling, having a whole crowd sing along and know every word. It’s such an amazing thing,” he said. “You can hear them singing, no matter how big the stage is, and that is kind of a feeling that will never get old.”

The band had plenty of opportunities to play their Grammy Award-winning song during their recent whirlwind of performances, one such being the Governor’s Ball in New York City. Currently, they’re working their way through the European festivals.

Festival season does have drawbacks, though. Despite all the fun and energy the festival scene provides, Amin-Smith admitted that being away from home takes its toll.

“We were on the road for seven weeks, basically, in one go. It’s such a long way, and we were in a new place every day,” he shared. “…It can be quite lonely and disorientating. I’m still working on it. I think it makes a big difference if you can find space and time to yourself.”

Luckily, the good outweighs the bad. Amin-Smith described how his favorite experience of his career thus far was during their 2013 headlining tour.

“It was such an amazing thing, even to tour cities in the U.K. that I’ve never been to before. I met people who had bought a ticket literally just to see Clean Bandit, which was kind of quite a pinch-yourself moment.”

Though they enjoy their stage time like everyone else, their writing process is a bit more technical.

“It mostly starts with a sort of electronic instrument that Jack [Patterson, bass/vocals] comes up with, and then we often work with the featured vocalist. Not always, we often work with the featured vocalist to build vocals, and then the string composition usually comes back,” Amin-Smith explained.

He mentioned that it was completely different for “Rather Be” since everything had been written before they found their featured vocalist, which was all a matter of finding the right one.

Aside from their performances at European festivals, the group is hoping to finish up their sophomore album this fall so it can be released in early 2016. Personally, I’m curiously waiting to see what they’ll bring to the table for the new release because this group knows how create unpredictable and unique songs that stand out from the crowd. We won’t know it until it’s coming, but I’m sure it will blow our minds.

PHOTOS: Charlie Martel | INTERVIEW & STORY: Bailey Zeigler

that is kind of

a feeling that will

never get old

“

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HOME: San Francisco, California NOW JAMMING: “Back to Zero” CURRENTLY: On tour with Dashboard Confessional

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IT WAS A HOT, HUMID, MID-JUNE

day in western Maryland. I was sitting in the floor-to-ceiling window-dominated stairwell of my school’s journalism building, praying that my phone would not lose service as it had been routinely doing for the past week in my highly over-priced student apartment. I was about to talk with Stephan Jenkins, singer and guitarist of Third Eye Blind, writer of multi-platinum hits such as “Semi-Charmed Life,” “Jumper” and “Graduate,” and a legend as well as an icon from the ’90s alternative music scene that dominated my childhood. I could not afford to have faulty service.

When San Francisco natives Third Eye Blind emerged from the Bay Area back in 1993 and dropped their notorious self-titled album four years later, they became a household name as well as an unstoppable force in the alternative music scene. The guitar-driven, post-grunge sound that comprised the 1997 album paved the way for commercial success as well as a career that would flourish over the next 20 years.

But, being in a band for that long in an industry that is constantly changing can be stress provoking and anxiety inducing. The guys in Third Eye Blind know it all too well. Throughout their 20 years together, the band have experienced a series of unfortunate events, such as lawsuits and controversies from past members as well as countless line-up changes, leaving Jenkins and drummer Brad Hargreaves as the only remaining original members.

Through thick and thin, however, the band have maintained a positive attitude, always looking on the bright side of life.

So when asked how they have continued to stay relevant in an ever-changing music scene, Jenkins starts off with a modest “prayer and clean livin’” proverb followed by a, “Start your day with sit-ups… Lots of ‘em…” motto and a contagious laugh that captures his admirable, young-atheart perspective on life. “I’m incredibly immature,” Jenkins stated. “I’m looking at a skateboard, a surfboard, and a guitar… I think Brad [Hargreaves] and I just both have a lot of energy and we both tend to be really fascinated [and] glad that we’re alive.”

But even with Jenkins’ undeniable drive and captivation with life, he still suffered serious writer’s block in the six-year time period between the release of the band’s fifth studio album, Ursa Major, and their latest release, Dopamine. However, Jenkins found solace and inspiration in music from artists such as Bon Iver, Weekend, and even Beyoncé, specifically her song “Mine.”

“When she dropped her record, I really listened to the album,” Jenkins said. “In doing that, I heard this vulnerability and a spontaneity that I really admired. It made me listen more carefully to the track and underneath all that production I found this simple, honest song.”

This newfound ideal of simplification would inevitably follow the band into the recording studio, in turn creating a remarkable new sound for the guys from San Francisco. “[Hargreaves] said, ‘Let there be an organizing principle [to] simplify everything.’ The whole point to get down to is, ‘What is the most direct conveyance of that emotional predication?’” Thus, an album with a message fixated on radiating positive energy and living life to the fullest was produced, and they cunningly called it Dopamine.

The album and energy are brought to life as the band travel the country this summer with indie-rock band Dashboard Confessional on a tour that Jenkins can only define as “summer camp.” Post-show bonfires, talks about life and overall good vibes are just some of the aspects that make this the most enjoyable tour he has ever been a part of.

Some behind-the-scenes action can be found in the band’s tour video diaries titled “We Don’t Belong Here,” a way for both the band and the fans to reminisce on what possibly may be the best summer of their lives.

Even though tour life is typically perceived as a constant state of euphoria, it also allows for the introduction of an outlook on life that only the band and crew are fully aware of. Jenkins tells the story of a crewmember about to experience this incredible new perspective: “The other night we were rolling down the road, and I was talking to a new guy on the crew, never been on tour before, never even been on a tour bus. And I said, ‘Do you feel this lightness right now? We’re leaving everything behind and going off into something new into the night.’”

While the guys may be having some of the best times right now, acting like kids at sleep-away camp and coming off the high of finally releasing a new album after six long years, they never forget to stop and think, “This moment is extraordinary.”

Though this is the last traditional LP from the San Francisco natives— simply meaning the band are going to stop producing LPs in advance and will instead take on the task of posting new material directly onto the web— this is also the mark of a new beginning. Despite the fact that the band has been around since 1993 and the majority of us know them as “the band that sings ‘Semi-Charmed Life,’” to others, Third Eye Blind are the band that has guided them out of the darkness with their undeniable emphasis on positive energy and living. Thus, expect Third Eye Blind to be around for at least two more decades— releasing music in a brand new way, going on tour, and, of course, sending good vibes to all their fans.

PHOTOS: Rachel Kober | INTERVIEW & STORY: Ally Fisher

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HOME: Llandudno, North Wales NOW JAMMING: “Kathleen” CURRENTLY: Recording an album and getting

ready for a sold out U.K. tour

WIRY AND

SPIRITED, these young Brits look like they stepped straight out of the ’70s punk scene and got mobbed by a pack of wily hipsters. There isn’t really that much to Catfish and the Bottlemen that sets them apart after a quick once-over. They look like every other British band out there these days, but to confine them to “just another band” would be like writing off the Rolling Stones as “just another rock band.”

With visions of blinding lights, resounding cheers and sweltering heat (the kind of heat that only 60,000 bouncing bodies could create), Catfish and the Bottlemen dream about selling out stadiums. They are a band that lives for the live show. “I think, for us, a lot of the passion and energy that drives the band comes from the reception of the crowd really. It’s the thrill of playing live,” commented lead guitarist Johnny “Bondy” Bond.

Inspired by their fearless lead singer, Van McCann, the indie rock band officially formed in 2010 in a small town in Wales after McCann decided to take fate into his own hands and make good on the promise he’d been making since he was fourteen: he was going to sell out stadiums. Most bands are afraid of making such bold statements. It’s a one-in-a-million shot—not something easily accomplished. Yet, McCann and the band make it sound simple. They don’t even break a sweat talking about their plans.

They are so causally confident; it’s hard not to believe them.

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“

”

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“They say you should just play the music for what you want, but we do what we want,” Bond commented. “We don’t compromise anything. I guess we just try to be honest with our intentions, you know?”

In this spirit, McCann and his best friend and bassist Benji Blakeway formed Catfish and the Bottlemen— a salute to a memorable street performer from McCann’s childhood named Catfish the Bottleman. From that point on, the two spent their nights stumbling their way through cover songs and making all their mistakes in front of uninterested audiences. At a time when dance music was king, Catfish and the Bottlemen were trying to revive rock music. Even though they faced incredible criticism, McCann and Blakeway never gave up. Then, finally, after realizing their sound was missing key players, the two got around to adding drummer Bob Hall and Bond. With the addition of the other two bandmates, the guys were able to find their sound and stick to it.

“It all started in a really small town in Wales,” Bond recalled. “It wasn’t the sort of situation where you try to choose a drummer and choose a bass player. It was more like ‘Can we start a band? Are there any drummers here?

Are there any bass players?’”

With a strong do-it-yourself work ethic, the band played over 250 shows throughout 2012 and the beginning of 2013. It was extremely important to them to build a strong fan base as well as improve their live show until they received a record deal. After more no’s than they could count, someone finally said yes. In 2013, all their hard work began to pay off when the band signed to Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons’ Communion Records, releasing three singles before they moved to Universal in early 2014 and began working on their debut album, The Balcony.

Produced by Jim Abbiss (Arctic Monkeys), The Balcony was released in the U.K. late in 2014 and became an overnight success, debuting at number 10 on the U.K. charts. Before the band could blink their eyes, people were singing their songs back to them at concerts, and their shows were selling out in minutes. While many bands fall into the trap of becoming popular in their own country and never really pursuing fan bases in other areas of the world, this taste of success only made the band more determined than ever to take on the international market. Even though it was like starting over again, it was exciting to perform at various sized venues— from clubs in the U.S. to concert halls in Japan, where their music caught on like a wild fire. With their sound, reminiscent of ’90s pop rock with grungy indie flair, the band has captured the attention of audiences around the world.

Much like the band itself, the music is straightforward. It’s not flowery; it’s just real. Covering topics from smoking weed with friends to girl problems, their songs are incredibly relatable and catchy with a sound that just begs for a live show. “Kathleen,” the first single released from The Balcony, weaves bittersweet tones during the verses into passionate, gritty vocals during the choruses. It is surprisingly smooth and unexpected at the same time. Their music feels like the friendly stranger from the subway— enchantingly new, yet comfortingly familiar. And with lines like ‘You don’t own worries or a chest full of heartache’ in “Kathleen” and ‘You see I, I was a test-tube baby’ in “Fallout,” it’s impossible not to want to know more about this band.

Currently fresh off of a successful U.S. tour— one full of unnecessary visa scares that postponed their tour by a week and false rumors of tour dates being canceled— the band will soon find themselves in the studio to record their longawaited and highly anticipated sophomore album. When asked for a hint at what the new record will hold, Bond vaguely replied, “We just want to make a big optimistic record. We want to see where it takes us.” Then, starting in October, the band will be touring the U.K. on a tour that sold out in mere minutes.

With more personality (and hair) than they know what to do with, Catfish and the Bottlemen are bursting at the seams in anticipation for the world to discover their music. They’ve got the startling, yet relatable personas of rock stars. “I can’t imagine anyone in this band doing anything other than what we do. We get home for three hours and we just want to go out and play again,” Bond said.

Some people are dreamers. Some people are doers. Then, there are the lucky few who are rock stars— the ones who find the balance between the dreaming and the doing.

Catfish and the Bottlemen are young— it’s true. However, spend two seconds with them, and you’ll get the feeling too.

In a world full of dreamers and doers, these guys aren’t just another boy band, and it’s only a matter of time before they announce that international stadium tour they’re always talking about.

COVER PHOTO: Tom Oxley LIVE PHOTOS: Rachel Kober INTERVIEW & STORY: Haley Buske

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TOUR ROUND UP

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album

reviews ARTIST

MS MR ALBUM

How Does It Feel RATING

SOUNDS LIKE CHVRCHES St. Lucia Purity Ring RECOMMENDED TRACKS “Wrong Victory” “How Does It Feel” “Criminals”

TRACKS 1

Painted

2

Criminals

3

No Guilt in Pleasure

4

Wrong Victory

5

Tripolar

6

How Does It Feel

7

Tunnels

8

Leave Me Alone

9

Reckless

10

Cruel

11

Pieces

12

All The Things Lost

RELEASE DATE July 17th, 2015

WEBSITE msmrsounds.com

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Two years after the release of their debut record, New York-based electro-pop duo MS MR’s sophomore album, How Does It Feel, is punchy, twisted and quite unexpected. The album is not as melancholic as Secondhand Rapture, but it is as eclectic and deeply rooted in old-school ’70s disco.

How Does It Feel begins with “Painted,” a lively up-tempo song with a repetitive chorus that looms in the background of the song. There is a danceable urgency to Lizzy Plapinger’s vocal hook that nicely contrasts the heavy electric guitar riffs. “Criminals” is euphoric, diverse and breaks convention with its unusual dance beats. If you dig past the motivating tempo, the lyrics are a clever play on the idea of being someone else’s “partner-in-crime” and the rush of being in love.

The title track and “Reckless” are both expertly crafted. “How Does It Feel” compels the listener to philosophically and internally reflect on emotions, but when the horns come blaring in, the song will have you epically dancing on the edge of your seat.

The album does include slower tracks such as “Wrong Victory” and “All The Things Lost” that are lyrical gems. “Wrong Victory” is absolutely refreshing and a musical triumph; it sounds like nothing you will find or hear on the radio now. MS MR have architected a captivating anthem that is utterly striking. When Plapinger croons, “This body only knows how to hold back more than it shows,” it is evocative and ethereal. The innovation in the song’s balance and juxtaposition of innocence and disco is profound.

How Does It Feel ends with “All The Things Lost,” a somber, eerie song that seems like it should be airy and light at the start. In hindsight, it is the complete opposite of “Painted.” There is an underlying pain that subtly creeps in and ends the album on an emotionally conflicting and uncertain note.

Overall, How Does It Feel is a strong follow-up to MS MR’s debut album, but includes some rougher gems in the mix. At its best, How Does It Feel can distort your sense of both time and reality, but the album can feel a bit conventional at times. The duo has solidified their honest postmodern indie-infused and lyrically provocative sound. As a whole, the album does not feel saturated, but instead is vibrant and verbose.

REVIEW: Theresa Pham

ARTIST Bea

Miller ALBUM Not an Apology In a world where the majority of pop music is love or party songs, Bea Miller flips the script. Not an Apology is full of fantastic anthems that have solid, pop-based music and lyrics that are empowering to all listeners. It’s actually something I’ve been waiting on for a very long time. On top of that, it is fun to listen to with its perfect balance of edge and energy.

Most people consider it a challenge to write one successful pop anthem, let alone an entire album’s worth.

Though I love songs that reach out to the masses, this album does it a little too much. Despite the great message, overstating it can get tedious to listeners, which is my only worry in terms of this project’s success.

This album has many solid songs, but the one that stands out the most is “Force of Nature.” It’s the only acoustic track on the record, and it actually delves into some country influence. Not to mention, lyrically and sonically, it’s a beautiful track. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s the sweetest love song, but you can almost feel the chemistry of the moment Miller is describing.

I wasn’t sure what I expected going into this album, but color me impressed. Bea Miller has managed to find a fun, relatable style with her art that is honest and empowering. Not to mention, these songs have a lot of potential to be successful on the charts if everything works out.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS “I Dare You,” “Perfect Picture” & “Force of Nature” REVIEW Bailey Zeigler

ARTIST Between

The Buried And Me ALBUM Coma Ecliptic Push aside everything you thought you knew about Between The Buried And Me. To sum up this record in just a few short words, it could be anything from a metal, Queen symphony to a futuristic ode to the progressive metal forefathers. Doubling up on their level of synth, clean vocals and poetic measures, the band has created a concept record unlike anything they’ve ever done. The melodic intro, “Node,” leads audiences into the single, “The Coma Machine.” The execution of every note is strategic, soulful, weighted and, most of all, accessible to all listeners with an inkling of knowledge about metal.

A rock opera about a man in a coma who travels through his past lives, this album showcases similarities to Rush, Pink Floyd and Queen while keeping metal at the forefront, especially on the track “Memory Palace.” Each song is full of anticipation. With storybook lyrics throughout the album, the record is an explosive glimpse into the precision the group has been hammering away at to create something unlike their previous records. “Turn on the Darkness” has the staple progressive flow you’d find in a Rush song, yet with more melodic rock qualities that the group hasn’t accessed before. The record holds booming vocals with enough technical guitar notes to make your head spin.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS “The Coma Machine” & “Famine Wolf” REVIEW Bridjet Mendyuk

ARTIST Man

Overboard ALBUM Heavy Love Heavy Love is actually heavy on guitars, which is obviously to be expected from a band with three guitar players. Some listeners may find it overbearing and unnecessary, but it has worked for Man Overboard in the past, and it continues to work for them now. The singles, “Borderline” and “Now That You’re Home,” are classic pop punk anthems that are perfect sing-alongs to jump on the backs of other fans in the crowd in attempts to stage dive or grab the mic.

As far as content goes, Heavy Love contains the same hyped-up, emo ballads as previous records regarding breakups, cheating, makeups, loneliness and the often detrimental outcome of long-distance relationships and the difficulty of leaving. With a fast tempo that is consistent throughout the album, there are several songs, including “Cliffhanger” and “She’s in Pictures,” that will get crowds charged up this summer and adapt to their high-energy set at Warped Tour. With this strong addition to their praised discography, Man Overboard’s 30 minutes on stage will undoubtedly be something worth exploring.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS “Cliffhanger” & “Anything” REVIEW Haley Black

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