ISSUE 8
HIGHLIGHT
featuring
the ready set
MAGAZINE
ADORA // LIONS LIONS // LOVE, ROBOT // OUTLINE IN COLOR // SECONDHAND SERENADE & MORE
HIGHLIGHT STAFF Press & Publicity – Photography – Editor– Co-Founder Ashley Osborn
Production – Art Director – Photography Cara Bahniuk
CO-founder – Writer McKenzie Hughes
Features Editor – Writer Liz Brossard
Online Editor
Jenn Stookey
Copy Editor
Hayley Todd
Contributing Photographers
Derrick Austinson, Lauren Brown, Lori Gutman, Arielle Johnson, Erica Livoti, Charlie Martel, Heather Phillips, Oscar Rodriguez and Nesha Torres
Contributing writers (Online & Publication)
Haley Black, Liz Brossard, Tamara Fuentes, Logan Kant, Jessica Klinner, Marina Oliver, Taylor Pittman, Patrick Quiring, Kristy Siciliano and Morgan Waldorf
BECOME SOCIAL WITH US website - www,highlightmagazine.net facebook - www.facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter - @highlight_mag INSTAGRAM - @highlight_mag
WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH US? contact ashley@highlightmagazine.net for more information
INSIDE FEATURES
22 the ready set
INSIDE FEATURES
8Wantcurrent trends 14 adora 29 album Reviews new threads to add to your Adora has worked to make a name Need new music to listen to? Want wardrobe for this upcoming fall? Check out Hide&Seek. Great clothing with an even better message behind every style and design.
for themselves in today’s music industry and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. Check out Highlights feature on their successes.
to read someone elses’ opinion on your new favorite album? Our album reviews should be your stop.
9 venue highlight
16 outline in color THank you
10 label highlight
18 lions lions
The Garmercy Theatre puts on shows from some of the biggest names today! Check out New York’s most intimate venue and upcoming shows.
Run For Cover Records has helped launch the career of many bands in the industry. Check out which bands are Highlight’s favorite!
Outline In Color fills Highlight in on what their fans mean to them and the bands recent ups and downs. Make sure to read this feature!
Bringing a unique sound style to the hardcore music scene, Lions Lions sat down with Highlight to fill us in on the bands present and future plans.
11 industry Highlight 20 secondhand serenade Mike Cubillos began his own publicity firm after a few internships in the music industry. Read up all about Mike, his career and his future!
Secondhand Serenade has set many goals for the future, but all while maintaining a great relationship with the fans. Read up about this band!
12 love, robot
26 riot fest
Love, Robot fills Highlight in on their most recent release, current life and what is in store for the future. Check out the feature of this New York band!
We would like to send out a big thank you to Adora, Bryon McCoy, Danny Rukasin, Hide & Seek Clothing, Love, Robot, Mike Cubillos, Outline In Color, Warner Bros. and Working Group Management 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 eight issues. We hope you have enjoyed what you have seen!
mailing list
Make sure you subscribe to our exclusive mailing list on our Facebook page. You’ll be able to find out our cover artists before anyone else as well as receive montly update emails!
Missed Riot Fest this year? Don’t fret! Highlight was in attendance and is filling you in on all the Highlight acts. Don’t miss out on next year though!
INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS page 6-7
The Ready set
a day to remember
secondhand serenade
Lions Lions
adora
Love, robot
Outline in color
Boys Like Girls
People’s Court, Des Moines, IA, Matt Vogel
Sheri Berman
House of Blues, Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Colby Moore
Want to post news online? Contact ashley@highlightmagazine.net
Riot Fest, Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Sam San Roman
Rams Head Live, Baltimore, MD, Cara Bahniuk
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 5
the ready set - 22
secondhand serenade - 20
adora - 14
outline in color - 16
a day to remember
18 - lions lions
12 - love, robot
boys like girls
TRENDS YOU’LL LOVE
COMPANY: Hide&Seek Clothing LOCATION: Missoula, Montana, United States of America OWNER/FOUNDER: Bryon McKoy - Owner/Designer/Shipper/ High Fiver/Hugger WEBSITE: www.hideandseek.bigcartel.com
3 2 1 How did Hide&Seek come about?
Three personal favorite designs?
What do you feel your brand represents?
#2 Ebbets Field Flannel x H&S wool baseball caps. I LOVE how these turned out. Made in Seattle Washington. These hats are made using the same materials they would have seventy five years ago. Wool, a goat hair crown, satin and felt. A great way to class up the baseball cap.
Hide&Seek Clothing was started during the downtime between touring with my old band, the Sharktopus. Originally I was doing design work for my band and other bands that we befriended on the road. Once we broke up, I put all my design effort into my clothing company. Six years and over one hundred items later, here we are! As our Wake Up tee says, “Sleep is for dreamers, so get dressed and go.” I want people who wear Hide&Seek Clothing to feel inspired and creative. To know that anything is possible, you just have to work hard for it. I make comfortable clothing for all your lives adventures.
Reason you started your brand?
I started Hide&Seek because I didn’t like what other companies were making. I was on the road a lot in the beginning, and saw lots of kids wearing super ugly clothes. Everything was neons/splattery designs, and the message behind it was dark/sad or about partying. I wanted to make simple, clean designs for folks who wanted a portray a positive image and look super awesome.
8 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.net
#1 Bonfire Tee. This shirt is a collaboration I did with a super talented photographer from London, Paul John Nelson (http://pauljohnnelson.com). This shirt also comes with an autographed mini print of the design, a limited edition button pack, and ten lucky folks will get a copy of Paul’s zine, “23”.
#3 The Wake Up Tee. This pyramid holds the meaning of life. A must for everyone, everywhere.
Why people should check out your brand? I think people should check out my brand because H&S is more than a company, its a family. I want to be part of people lives. I’ll always be the one designing the shirts, shipping, and tweeting at you. I personally respond to everything. If you wear Hide&Seek Clothing, you’re wearing me, and I couldn’t be happier about it.
venue highlight The Gramercy Theatre - New York, new york History:
why play here?
In 1937, The Gramercy Theatre opened its doors to the public as a movie theatre and art-house. It wasn’t until 60 years later, in 1998 that it turned into a 499seat theatre for off-Broadway productions the largest at the time. It was shut down in 2004 until it was bought in 2006 as a new concert space for artists to play in.
Located in the historic Gramercy neighborhood in New York City, it is one of the very few venues of its size to offer standing room in the front and seating in the back. Because of this, it is known to be one of the most intimate concert venues in all of New York City, with various big artists hosting smaller concerts here for their biggest fans.
MUst attend shows october 9th
The Early November
october 21st Pilfers
october 23rd
Michael Sohenker Group
october 27th
Napalm Death Municipal Waste
REVIEW: Tamara Fuentes
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 9
label highlight
WRITE-UP: Liz Brossard
Run for Cover Records was founded as an independent hardcore label with a heavy focus on finding great music from around the United States and showcasing it to the masses. Jeff Casazza began the label in 2004 in Boston. Today, the label is still located in Boston and they are consistently growing its roster of bands. Over the last eight years, Run For Cover Records has nearly 50 releases and has built up quite a reputation as a consistent and reliable label. Run for Cover is always expanding and exploring different genres of music and this is where pop-punk, post-hardcore, indie-rock, folk and hip-hop find their home. The label has successfully launched bands like The Wonder Years. Casazza is committed to the DIY theory that he founded the label on and is committed to keeping the label an important part of underground music. Check out some of our favorite artists on Run For Cover’s roster below.
Daylight-
The four-person ensemble from Doylestown, Pa. began in 2009 with a singer/songwriter by the name of Sean Williams. He began putting an album together and came to the realization that he needed to add other sounds and life to the album. Rather quickly he added three more members to the band and Daylight was formed. After four years they have three EPs under their belt. The music is reminiscent of ‘90s grunge/ hardcore with huge drums and dynamic vocals. Keep an eye out for Daylight, I have a feeling they may be the next big thing in post-hardcore. Daylight’s first LP is set to release before the end of 2012.
Listen to: “Damp”
Fireworks -
The five-member band began in 2005 in Detroit and quickly signed with Run for Cover Records and released their first EP, We Are Everywhere. They create a blend of punk with incredible harmonies and engaging personalities. Fireworks had the opportunity to tour Europe in 2009 supporting Set Your Goals. And in 2010 they were able to tour with New Found Glory, not only around the United States, but in Australia as well. The band spent the summer of 2012 touring with Warped Tour. If you live in or around the Midwest, Fireworks will be playing in Dayton, Ohio on Oct. 13 and Nov. 1 in Big Rapids, Mich.
Listen To: “Arrows” Koji - Andrew Koji Shiraki, better known as Koji, is a musician
and activist from Harrisburg, Pa. His live shows are a mixture of visual art, storytelling and music all aimed at the purpose of empowering and building up the youth in a positive manner. In 2010 he joined Run for Cover records and released Spring Song Volume 1, a full-length live record featuring his spring tour, followed with Some Small Way, his first full-band release. Within the same year he was proclaimed one of 2010’s most overlooked albums by the Associated Press, along with artists like Mumford and Sons and Grace Potter. Currently, he is touring the east coast and will be in Georgia and Florida at the end of the month if you want to catch a show.
Listen to: “Color Quiet Loud”
Highlight of
mike cubillos
who founded and works for
Name: Mike Cubillos Location: Hermosa Beach, CA Company: Owner/Publicist at Earshot Media Website: www.earshotmedia.com
about mike How did you become a publicist?
I started out as intern at a record company, then got hired on as an assistant eventually taking a position in the publicity department. After working a few different record companies and finally getting laid off from Mercury Records, I decided to start my own company which is when Earshot Media was born.
What are two personal career highlights?
1. Getting to the point where clients seek out Earshot Media rather than having to constantly be searching for work. 2. Being involved with bands like The All-American Rejects, Avenged Sevenfold and All Time Low (to name a few) from the early stages and watching them
grow to become the established acts they are today. 3. Being a part of the team at Rise Records and getting to work their amazing and ever-growing roster of bands. What you want to accomplish still in your career? I feel like I’ve accomplished most everything I’ve set out to do with Earshot, so really I’d just like to keep the company growing and continue to broaden the roster with music of all genres and different types of clientsnot just music, but lifestyle, clothing, websites, art, etc.
Keep updated with Mike!
www.facebook.com/earshotmedia www.twitter.com/earshotmedia HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 11
love, robot
HOME: Long Island, NY NOW jamming: Rebuild | Rebirth - Full Length (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Setting huge goals left and right STORY AND INTERVIEW: Ashley Osborn PHOTO: Sam San Roman
In the beautiful state of New York,
tucked away on Long Island, you will find a, what Highlight Magazine likes to call, “rarity band.” To Highlight, a “rarity band” is what we can only describe as a band who cares possibly too much about every aspect of their music and a band who’s unique genuine nature is projected through every note. This rarity band is in every way, shape and form, Love, Robot, and they are truly a band whose music is not only incredibly hand crafted, but passionate on every level. Composed of a brilliant mix of artists, after one quick listen it’s clear that Love, Robot is a band unlike any other. You’ll hear the vibes of Brand New, La Dispute, Pierce the Veil and Explosions in the Sky, with a female/male dual vocal ability that we cannot put into words. We recently caught up with female vocalist and guitarist, Alexa San Roman and she spoke with us about their incredible new album, Rebuild|Rebirth and much more. Check out what she had to share below. Q: To start, what are the roots of Love, Robot? When and where did you all meet and how did you form? A: The roots of Love, Robot begin as a three-piece hardcore band with three previous members- Jon Biegen, Matt Clunie and Brandon Hom. The three of them went to
high school together and I was introduced to them through mutual friends. The band evolved from hardcore to an indie rock sound when I joined the band as a guitarist. Jon asked me to start singing with him and then we added Taylor and Sean on bass and guitar. We entered into the pop rock genre with songs like “Things You Do” and “Eleven Eleven.” After we released the 2009 EP Jon, Brandon and Matt all parted ways with L,R making it what it is today. Most recently Taylor Schwab who’s played bass with us for a very long time has decided to part ways as well bringing us full circle back to a three piece line up. There are a lot of roots underneath this band but they’re most definitely essential for the transformation of what we sound like today. Q: So you’ve recently released a brand new album. Tell us about it? A: Yes! About a month ago we released our first full-length album titled ‘Rebuild|Rebirth.’ We’ve been working on this album for over a year now and through countless member losses we found ourselves at the Love, Robot that we are today. We’ve tripled the energy and stripped ourselves of our past pop punk roots to try and create our own style. Ranging from the beautiful soundscape of “There’s So Much Beauty In A Storm,” to the driving heavy riffs of ‘’S.O.S.!”
Q: How do you feel the line-up changes have affected your music? How will fans be able to see this on ‘Rebuild|Rebirth?’ A: After finally settling in with our new line up, we began writing. With that came rebirth. We have nearly eliminated all of our pop punk roots to create a new, real, raw, and unstoppable sound that is guaranteed to have not only a new style unlike anything you have heard but also longevity. You will not hear a song on this record that is not a story that has happened to one of us. We really don’t believe too much in making up stories because the emotion just isn’t there and we really want people to feel our music. But more importantly we want it to help them. Anyone who can relate to one of our songs... We just want to tell them that we HAVE been there. This isn’t something we’ve made up. We want everyone to know every thing is going to be okay, life is hard but you’ll make it through and if our songs have anything to do with helping during that process then we truly feel we’re doing our jobs right. We recently lost our bassist Taylor Schwab with no hard feelings and we haven’t found a permanent replacement bassist yet. There are no hard feelings between the band and him whatsoever. Q: We heard through the grapevine that you guys have
been filming a lot recently. What have you been working on? A: We have COUNTLESS videos on YouTube, but recently we have self-filmed five videos for our brand new album. Most recently for “Dismantle, Destroy” and “ S.O.S..” We have found we prefer to make our own videos so that we can work at our own pace and get things exactly how we like them. Q: With the very unique vibe that Love, Robot has, would you ever consider working with any other artists and branching out? A: Yes! We’ve recently been in the studio with our friends in the band Paris. Lyndsey (Paris’ vocalist) and I wrote the song back and forth by sending garage band files to each other and then when we all met in person we had a band practice all together and now the song is being recorded. It’s going to feature Lyndsey, Sean and myself as vocals and we’re all very excited to hear the final product! We even have plans to film a video for it! Q: What are your plans for the rest of the year? A: We’ve set a few milestone goals including more shows, an acoustic EP, music videos and recording new songs. We have no plans on slowing down anytime soon so expect lots of new material coming from Love, Robot.
adora
HOME: Chicago, IL NOW jamming: One Word - Full Length (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Looking into recording new music this winter!
Out of the countless bands trying to make a name for themselves in the Chicago area, there are few that stand out and actually make that crossover from unknown to a recognizable name. It’s safe to say that Adora is one of those bands. With just about three years under their belt they’ve self-released two EPs, played many venues and festivals in the Chicagoland area and will soon have their song “Skeleton” available on the Rock Band Network. Highlight had the pleasure of speaking with lead vocalist Stormie Radtke and was able to acquire some insight about the band and where it’s headed from here. The band chose the name Adora because of its meaning, “Affection or involving feelings of togetherness.” Adora was started by pianist Keith Pink and drummer Chris Eckstrum after leaving a previous project they had been involved in together. Auditions were held to find members for the project and singer Stormie Radtke immediately clicked with the guys. Soon after, guitarist Michael Drew was recruited as the final member and the band has been a tight knit group since. Adora tends to play on bills with pop bands but their sound is not so easy to define. According to Radtke defining their music is the most challenging question that they must answer for fans and interviews. “Our sound is aggressive and sometimes pretty heavy, but you can still sing along with every word. It’s upbeat rock, but Keith’s piano leads are what set us apart from the typical female fronted rock band. I tend to write vocal melodies that are catchy and groove well with the music,” explained Radtke. The band just released its second EP, One Word, in March. Their previous EP, Save Yourself, was recorded very early in the band’s career, before Drew had even joined the band. “When we tracked our first record our producer, Matt Dalton, wrote and played the guitars on the EP. Having Mike write with us really solidified our sound overall,” said Radtke. The process of recording this EP was more collaborative and Adora is much happier with the result. Radtke said that with this EP they wrote all of the songs together and took their time doing so as opposed to , Save Yourself, which was a more rushed process. “We spent limited time in the studio and we learned from that experience. With One Word we tracked all of the songs on our own in our home studio which allowed us to take our time and not worry about spending money for tracking,” said Radtke. “ We sent it out for mixing and mastering. It felt like us and we wrote the best songs we possibly could, which wasn’t necessarily the case for Save Yourself. One Word hits harder and that was our goal.”
Another goal of Adora’s music is a message of positivity and individuality. “There is always a positive message that can be taken from our music. Usually, that message is the importance of staying true to yourself. It’s something that the four of us value and I feel that I can’t write about it enough. In a world where kids are vicious and everyone wants so badly to be accepted, I hope our listeners will understand that our message of being yourself and believing in yourself is so important. I hardly ever write about love, but when I do, it’s really about loving yourself. In the end, you are all you have. Be the best person you can be and don’t let others drag you down in any way. My lyrics might sound dark, but I always have these positive messages in them somehow,” said Radtke. The band has been working with a card game theme in its cover art, promo pictures and lyrics for One Word. The theme started with the lyrics “Life is just a never ending game/ we fight for love/ and we cheat for fame” from the first song on the EP, “Prologue”. “We ended up using the concept of playing life like a game for this record. You can strategize in life; you can be very lucky or very unlucky,” said Radtke. “The last line in Prologue is, ‘..just don’t get lost playing without aim.’ You have to have goals and want the most out of life or you will get too caught up in the things that don’t matter. All of the songs on the record fit with these theme of life being a game and trying to stay focused on what matters.” With that in mind the band has worked hard, found their sound and as their name would suggest, have done so collaboratively. “We’re still the same four members writing the best music that we possibly can, but I believe that now we’re really focusing on challenging ourselves and each other musically. We’ve really found our sound and we have a definite direction now. We’ve matured a bit in what we write but we’re still a bunch of weirdos,”said Radtke. Adora seems to be achieving their goals and playing its cards right. The band plans on recording three or four new songs this winter and will be shooting a new music video soon. They would also love to go on a tour throughout the Europe and the United States whenever the opportunity presents itself. “We’re picking up momentum and we have no intention of stopping,” said Radtke. Keep an eye out for Adora, they are currently playing shows around the Chicagoland area and they are in the beginnings of recording a new album. PHOTO: Melissa Emory INTERVIEW AND STORY: Morgan Waldorf
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 15
outline in color
HOME: Tulsa, OK NOW jamming: Jury of Wolves (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Promoting the release of their new album!
Did you ever wonder what makes your
favorite rockers tick? What passion, and unending drive takes a group of guys from their basement to the world stage? For up and coming rockers, Outline in Color it’s about more than just the music, it is about the fans. Forming in 2010 the Tulsa Oklahoma natives have spent the last two years of their lives working, creating and building the perfect foundation to launch themselves into the music world for good. Outline in Color’s debut full length, and only music release since their self titled EP, Jury Of Wolves has done just that. Highlight was able to speak to Michael Skaggs, bassist for the band about its new full length, Jury of Wolves and the bands future. “We are the same band, Jury of Wolves is just a much more alive version of our vision”, said Skaggs. Taking a year to write and record the record, Outline in Color, have created something that is truly unique . “We tracked everything ourselves also, so it’s really “Us” in essence. There was no producer pushing us in a different direction, the album is naturally inspired,” Skaggs added. That sound comes through in every track on the record. The meticulous process of writing and rewriting every track until it is perfectly executed and placed in the track listing can be heard throughout the album. Outline in Color is not without backing. With a host of passionate and supporting fans in Oklahoma, Outline In Color has caught the eyes of fans and musicians alike. Memphis May Fire vocalist Matty Mullins is featured on the track, “I aint afraid of no ghost”. “Matty is a sweet heart. The experience was pretty awesome,” said Skaggs. “He listened to the whole album in my car and loved it.” As we dive deeper and deeper into this decade of online music and piracy, it has become increasingly difficult for bands to maintain the success that is so commonly associated with rock stardom. Now bands must fight with all that they have just to differentiate themselves in this saturated world of online music. Outline In Color does this by being as accessible as possible to their fans. Telling stories of how a high school kid drove three hours to their practice just to do an interview for his high school newspaper. According to Skaggs this was a very personal moment for the band.
“This kid was a huge fan, he started coming down to almost every one of our shows though, and every time he would bring someone else that had never seen us and sometimes even heard of us,” said Skaggs. “He’s an artist too, and has drawn us up some awesome fan art [I still have it up on my wall]. It’s kind of magical seeing a fan base grown in that way”. As Outline in Color continues to grow on the national level, this home grown tight knit community may be lost, but the memories and experiences will not. As they continue to grow and tour the US and venture out into the rest of the world, Outline in Color will always remember that one kid who loved them enough to drive three hours just to speak with them. They will always remember the fans that loved them when they were nothing. With a perfectly orchestrated explosion of releases; including their debut full length, a music video and new management it is hard to believe that Outline in Color has only been together for two years. A group of young, passionate and motivated individuals, Outline in Color will never be told they can’t achieve their dreams. Jury Of Wolves is their statement to the world, their manifesto. “Jury of Wolves is a term we coined. For us it is; The groups of people who told us we wouldn’t be able to make it. The people who talked about us behind out backs while being fake to our faces,” said Skaggs. Now succeeding under their own power, recording the record themselves without the backing of a label and carrying the band on their own blood, sweat and tears, Outline in Color is ready to show the world what they’re made of. With plans of hitting the road at the end of this year and heading straight through 2013, Outline in Color is ready and willing to give it all they have to succeed. Being in a band isn’t all fame and glory. It’s hard work, spending long nights far away from home squished into the back of a van scraping together what you can for food. Playing each night to small crowds in places you’ve never heard of, hoping that out of the few people that show up and stick around for your band one or two of those people will like you. Outline in Color has suffered through all of these ups and downs, building their fan base one by one. Now after all the long nights, hard work and relentless dreaming the success is knocking on their door. Jury of Wolves is that door finally opening. PHOTO: Colby Moore INTERVIEW AND STORY : William Howard
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 17
lions lions
HOME: Boston, MA NOW jamming: To Carve Our Names (Hollywood Waste Records) CURRENTLY: Eager to get back on the road!
Coming out of the heart of Boston,
the band Lions Lions brings a unique style of rock and post-hardcore music to the table and their newest release, To Carve Our Names, proves that this wild four piece has a unqiue sound that sets them apart from the rest. Each of the Lions Lions members brings a different element to the table, considering they were all in different bands with different genres in the past, which gives them a different but intriguing sound. “Everyone in our current line up writes songs. Which is awesome because everyone approaches writing differently. It keeps things fresh and gives a different feel to every song. We all grew up listening to and playing different styles of music, so our sound is sort of a mash up of everything we like,” said vocalist Joshua Herzer. Every band has a different style when it comes to recording a new album. Some bands may not even have many songs written or completed by the time they reach the studio. Where as Lions Lions are different they had everything all prepared for when they hit the studio. A lot of pre-production was done and nearly the whole album was all ready to go before they stepped foot in a studio, which would make the recording process a lot simpler than if they would not have had done preproduction. It helps with everything, in terms of how long it is going to take to record. If you go into the studio with that extra preparation, when it comes to tracking guitars, vocals, drums and bass it will be nothing but smooth sailing. “Every Lions Lions album sounds and feels very different, in my opinion. We try to think out of the box, and push ourselves as musicians and songwriters. I guess experimentation is what sets To Carve Our Names apart from previous releases,” said Herzer. The need to grow and develop from a bands first album is evident, without that how can a band further their career if they don’t seem to increasingly get better? Lions Lions is one of those bands that have progressively gotten better with time and a lot of dedication to their music. They take in their biggest influences and throw it into something that is meaningful to them and to each and every one of their fans. Every band gathers influences from different places to create interesting songs. According to Herzer it doesn’t matter if it’s intentional
or not, you tend to pull from the music you listen to. For Herzer and the other members of Lions Lions, bands like Saosin, Story of the Year and Linkin Park affected them quite a bit. Bands often gather inspirations from bands they grew up listening to every day. Lions Lions was lucky enough to work with Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta. With their extensive knowledge and wide variety of clients they were able to help Lions Lions put together a masterpiece new album. Goodman and Accetta have worked with musicians such as Aaron Carter and range to bands such as Bayside. With that being said you are able to sense the amount of work and effort they put into each album the work on, since each band or musician they worked with are vastly different. “The band has had a lot of member changes. Playing in a full-time, touring band is a big commitment,” said Herzer. “Finding the right people, with the same drive and vision can be tough. We’ve been lucky enough to keep pushing on, without member changes really slowing us down.” Being in a band is not a cakewalk, especially when it comes to touring. It’s more challenging to find people who will be dedicated to go through the extensive amounts of touring that a typical touring band has to go through. Everyone has to be strong mentally in order to handle the sacrifices that the members will have to endure while out on the road. Lions Lions has been lucky enough to find a good group of people who will sacrifice what they need to in order to live the life they want to lead. Lions Lions was just recently on tour with Silverstein and Such Gold. This tour they traveled to numerous venues that were completely new to them and reached out to and found new fans to love and adore their music. Currently, Lions Lions has no set plans on tours but they are playing some sporadic shows between September and October. Their shows are mostly confined to the North East, but there are a few shows down south in southern Florida and Texas. Be sure to watch out for Lions Lions and see a show if they end up in your city. They are a band you definitely need to keep your eye out for, or ear, I should say. STORY AND INTERVIEW: Kristy Siciliano PHOTO: Ashley Osborn
follow lions lions On Twitter
follow lions lions On instagram
Band - @lionslionsMA Issac Vigil - @isaacvigil1 Johnny Kay - @johnny_akay Joshua Herzer - @joshuaherzer Brandon Davis - @brandondavisLL
@lionslions @isaac_vigil @johnny_akay @joshuaherzer @brandondavis
website
www.lionslions.tumblr.com
www.facebook.com/lionslionsMA HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 19
HOME: Menlo Park, CA NOW jamming: A Naked Twist In My Story - Full Length (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Promoting the release of ANTIMS
Most artists would consider having
a song on the radio and scoring a contract with a major label the end destination on the road to making it in the music industry. For John Vesely of Secondhand Serenade, creating music while maintaining the best relationship between artist and fan was more important. After landing spots on major music festivals like, The Bamboozle and South by Southwest and even scoring a certified platinum single with “Fall For You,” Vesely has gone back to his roots to work on new music for his loyal fans. The idea of leaving Glassnote Records first crept into Vesely’s mind while he was vacationing in Mexico; however, these feelings of negativity were no longer new to him. “I felt really detached from everything really even my own life. I was getting in a pretty low place in my life altogether,” Vesely said. While vacationing, he had what he calls, an epiphany that sparked his decision to begin a new chapter in his life. “I didn’t feel that the relationship with the label was changing, and I missed the connection I used to have with my fans. I wanted to get it back,” he said. Upon returning home, Vesely surrounded himself with postivity hoping to influence others around him. Both he and Glassnote decided to mutually part ways (they are all still on great terms). His next step was to release a new album. How could he do it without a label and all of its resources? He decided to rely on the one thing that had remained constant throughout his personal battles; his fans. In January, Vesely started a Pledge Music campaign. The campaign allows users, or pledgers, to contribute money to help in creating and promoting Secondhand Serenade’s new album. In exchange, donators receive what the site calls, exclusives, according to what they donate. Vesely personally chose the exclusives, which include handwritten notes, limited edition t-shirts, phone calls and even a trip to Disneyland with him. The campaign was remarkably successful with 40 percent of the goal achieved within five days. In fact, all of the donations exceeded his target as his progress on the site currently reads 112 percent. Vesley noted that asking the fans to participate was an easy decision and doesn’t consider it outside help. “The fans are directly responsible for music being made, even as responsible as the artist. In my opinion this is our project, not mine,” he said. With the success of the campaign, fans were clearly more than willing to take on their share of responsibility.
Before focusing on the new album, Vesely wanted to thank his fans for sticking around. Many old fans missed Secondhand Serenade’s iconic acoustic sound. His gift to them was “A Naked Twist In My Story.” Created in his basement in two weeks, “A Naked Twist In My Story” is a stripped down version of his 2008 release “A Twist In My Story.” His first acoustic album since “Awake,” the record includes acoustic guitars, violins and pianos to pack emotion and truth into each song. With no distractions from heavy instruments or complex melodies, Vesely presents a vulnerability to his listeners. “I’m hoping that they get a little more of me out of the songs,” said Vesley. He confessed that the album was a completely spontaneous decision and started a recording process like no other. “It took on a life of its own and turned into a totally different record.” The recording process, time constrictions and choice of instruments in the album make it unique and perfect for Secondhand Serenade to jump back into a headlining tour this winter. With high hopes of releasing his new album by the end of the year, Vesely has high praise for its progress so far. Fans can expect the new album to emphasize the acoustic guitar and focus more on the joys of life, not just its struggles “I think it’s turning out amazing. My writing style has definitely evolved. I finally found that passion again with my music,” Vesley said. “A lot of it is about celebrating life. There are lots of tambourines, shakers, some ukulele, even some snaps going on”. He hopes listeners take on this new positive vibe and enjoy the record as much as he has while making it. Recently Vesely has balanced an opening spot on Boyce Avenue’s US tour, the release of an acoustic album and the production of another record. Add on his exit from his label and his journey has been anything but easy. His decision to return to his roots and rely on his fans is a risk many artists would not take. Even though he recognized the struggle of independent artists, Vesely knew it was the right thing to do in order to maintain his love for making music. “Sometimes you have to take one step back to take two steps forward. I couldn’t be happier with the decision, he said. According to his fans who have welcomed him back with open arms, they couldn’t be either. STORY AND INTERVIEW: Taylor Pittman PHOTO: Sheri Berman
secondhand serenade
HOME: Fort Wayne, IN NOW jamming: Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever) - Single CURRENTLY: On Tour!
For the past few years,
social media has played a significant role in many musicians’ lives from posting cover songs on YouTube to writing and recording original music for their Myspace fans. Over the past decade, more bands have been born from social media than anything else. Emerging from the Myspace generation, Jordan Witzigreuter, also known as The Ready Set, posted a few songs online in hopes of gaining a few devoted fans. “I put some songs up on Myspace, got a decent reaction, and then it kind of became a game to me just to see how much of an online buzz I could build. At that point, it took up all my time so I made it my focus and it went from there.” The Indiana native grew up in a thriving local music scene. Spending every weekend during high school going to shows in basements, VFW halls and churches fueled Witzigreuter’s desire to go on the road with his music. “I’d see bands come through in a van and trailer looking absolutely beat, get onstage and go insane for whoever was there and most of the time nobody knew who they were. That kind of work ethic inspired me and still does,” said Witzigreuter. He played in several local bands growing up, but none of them took off. The Ready Set was a side project Witzigreuter had been working on. After his Myspace success and a few independent releases, The Ready Set was officially put on the map when Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy signed him to Decaydance Records. Being attached to a label associated with so many great artists and bands has to come with some kind of pressure. Witzigreuter disagrees, “When I see somebody I know succeed, it definitely puts the wheels in motion for me to work hard for myself. I’ve never felt inferior, though.” In June of 2010, The Ready Set released his debut full length album entitled I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming. “Love Like Woe”, the first single released by the band, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at number 27 and later went platinum. The music video for the single has received over 18 million hits on YouTube. A year later in September 2011, The Ready Set released the Feel Good Now EP. Like many artists, The Ready Set had many small releases including a Christmas EP and covering the song “Roll Up” with Mod Sun on the fourth volume of Fearless Record’s Punk Goes Pop compilation. It only took a few months after the release of a new album until fans were begging for more. For fans of The Ready Set, it had been two years since a full length had graced their eardrums. A few EPs here and there were enough to take the attention off the release of a full length, but after hearing that Witzigreuter spent most of his summer in the studio recording new music, fans are going stir crazy waiting to hear the new songs.
We at Highlight have heard straight from Witzigreuter that The Ready Set will be releasing new music soon. This should bring welcome relief to anxious fans. “I’ve been working on it for such a long time and for a while I was in the mindset of ‘Release it now!’ I don’t feel that way anymore though. I write songs, re-write songs, forget about them, and write better ones. I just want to make sure I get it perfect,” said Witzigreuter. The decision to take things slow in order to create a better record is a good move for The Ready Set to make. Wanting to put out the best possible work for his fans shows how dedicated Witzigreuter is to his music and those who support it. He does promise that a few songs will be released before the album comes out, though. After having such a successful debut album, expectations for The Ready Set’s upcoming sophomore album are at an all time high. Having a single hit the mainstream also adds on to the pressure of writing the new album. “I like the pressure. The interesting thing about crossing over into the mainstream world is that almost no matter what somebody is going to want the ‘old’ you back. After you reach the radio audience, the expectation is for more singles,” said Witzigreuter. “The problem is when an artist starts thinking or writing in terms of singles, it comes across as dishonest. It also comes across as dishonest when an artist tries to keep writing songs to match the ones they did in the past to appease old fans, too. The way I see it now is I’m going to write whatever makes me feel good. If it’s a mainstream hit, great; if it’s an album track, also great. As long as somebody is enjoying it, then that’s what counts.” We could not have said it better ourselves. This kind of attitude is what draws people to Witzigreuter’s music. Fans and disbelievers alike can tell that Witzigreuter does what he wants with his music in hopes that people will positively respond to it. That’s all any artist can do. So musically what can fans expect from the new album? Will old and new fans be happy with the sound? While most mainstream artists are producing the same sounding songs over and over again, Witzigreuter seeks to alter the direction of his music artistry. “It’s always been important for me to keep things interesting. I’m not going to put out the same type of song over and over; that’s always been a big thing for me. I think I have a style with my songs. I’m not sure what exactly it is, but I think it’s there and my fans recognize it hopefully. I want to mix as many genres as I can with that style and make a distinct end result,” Witzgreuter said. When it comes to influences on the record, Witzgreuter got in touch with his hip hop side. “I love that production
style. It’s clean and simple. A lot of the production on this album is more concise and focused. It’s less busy and lets the really important parts shine.” So are we looking at a possible collaboration with Jay-Z on this record? Probably not, but we can dream, right? Witzgreuter says that so far there are no collaborations on the record, but he hasn’t really pursued any yet. From our interview with Witzigreuter, it is easy to see that he is very excited about his new album. He doesn’t let anyone or anything get in the way of his art and that is such an admirable quality. He is truly dedicated to his art. “All I care about is writing good songs that will make people happy. I just do what I do and its worked out so far,” said Witzigreuter Needless to say, this guy is a rare breed. Most artists only listen to what producers and outsiders say they need to do to succeed. He listens to his heart and his instinct knowing that it will lead him to creating great things. Although Witzigreuter is a proclaimed solo artist, he can’t do it all on his own. Even the biggest solo artists have a band to back them up. He has been touring with a full band since the beginning of his career. The highs and lows of the road aren’t for everyone though. After touring as the bass guitarist for The Ready Set for several years, Andy Snyder decided to resign from the band. As bummed out as fans and other members of the band were, they had to pick up the pieces and move forward. The band has already recuperated from Andy’s exit from the band and hired on a new bassist to pick up where things left off.
“We’ve toured with Boys Like Girls before and they are great dudes. I’m not really nervous about any of it. We have a lot of experience playing to new crowds. We did a short tour with Carly Rae Jepsen this summer and some nights there would be more than 10,000 people, most of which hadn’t heard of us before. It’s an opportunity more than anything,” said Witzigreuter. Being on tour for months at a time can be gruesome and tiring. Missing family and friends at home is constantly in the back of band members’ minds. It takes a special person to leave their life behind in order to pursue their dreams. As time rolls on and a fan base is acquired, more is expected of that person. Witzigreuter is certainly one of the hardest working people in the industry. He stays after every show he can to meet as many fans as possible and doesn’t take a moment of it for granted. When we asked Witzigreuter how he keeps his set every night so energetic and lively, he said, “If we aren’t putting on an energetic show, we aren’t giving people what they came to see. Also, there are tons of kids at these shows who would probably do anything to get to have this job playing music every night, getting in a bus, and waking up in another town to do it again. Keeping that in mind, there’s never a reason to be bummed out about having to play the same songs every night.” The rest of the year looks promising for The Ready Set. Witzigreuter will be starting a radio promo for his song ,“Give Me Your Hand (Best Song Ever)” and finishing up the long awaited record. “I’m on tour right now as this is coming out and I’m probably feeling pretty rad. Feel rad with me and see a show or check out my new song or both,” said Witzigreuter.
“It was kind of shocking. I had a feeling he may have been on his way out, but there are definitely no hard feelings. We love Andy and are excited for him! I think he definitely brought his own aesthetic to the show,” said Witzigreuter.
You heard the man. If you didn’t (or aren’t) get to see The Ready Set on their recent stint with The All-American Rejects, go support them by buying the new song and sending lots of positive feedback. You never know, it could result in the album coming out a lot sooner.
On a brighter note, The Ready Set just recently set off on tour with The All-American Rejects and Boys Like Girls. Both are pop rock veterans with large fan bases, but big crowds are nothing new for The Ready Set.
POSED PHOTOS: Jared Thomas LIVE PHOTOS: Matt Vogel INTERVIEW AND STORY: Jessica Klinner
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24 - HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.net
The weekend of chaos that is Riot Fest
started out north of Wicker Park at the Congress Theater. Regardless of the fact that Congress is similar to an easy bake oven (you walk in and you’re cooked in two minutes or less), Pegboy, Dead Sara, Neon Trees and The Offspring set the tone that night for what I’d find to be an incredible weekend of music, carnies and a very diverse group of fans infused with absolute chaos at Humboldt Park. The next day I headed to the enclosed confines of Humboldt Park. As I walked in, I was greeted by dozens of face painted, stilt walking carnies, rides galore and four huge stages lining up with the horizon. It was bliss. The entire weekend I found myself overwhelmed with pure joy as I experienced something I’m unable to describe with words. As I sat down against a tree on Saturday afternoon before I caught Of Mice & Men’s set, I glanced around to find an entire array of fans that I had not witnessed the entire summer. Warped Tour is a trendy scene, Lollapalooza is a hipster’s paradise and Riot Fest was solely tens of thousands of fans of all ages, types, styles and tastes together for one reason and one reason only: to watch some good bands kick some serious ass. There was no judgment. No criticism. It didn’t matter who you were. It didn’t matter what you were wearing (especially because half of the fans ended up covered in fake blood from GWAR’s set anyway). All that mattered was that you were there to enjoy music. It was something that I can honestly say was beautiful and made the entire weekend nothing but pure joy. Saturday I was able to catch the metal melodies of Of Mice & Men and August Burns Red, the pop-punk
badasses Fireworks and The Story So Far, Andrew W.K.’s performance dance party, Minus The Bear, punkers the Gaslight Anthem , the phenomenal Rise Against and many more. I left Humboldt Park with the enlightenment and knowledge of knowing that the scene that I lost was not lost forever. I had to arrive late on Sunday and was incredibly disappointed I had missed one of the greatest up and coming bands ever; Imagine Dragons. Fortunately, I arrived just in time to see Chiodos. As vocalist Craig Owens took center stage, he announced that Riot Fest was actually the first event they decided to play together after so many years of being split. Their performance was truly phenomenal. Later I was able to catch the unique grooves of AWOLNATION, the hard rock sound of Screaming Females and NOFX. I was honored this night to be able to catch a band who hadn’t played the United States in months’ set. A Day to Remember played what I can only describe as the greatest set of the entire weekend. It was phenomenal from open to close and included fans climbing up a street lamp, vocalist Jeremy Mckinnon in a ball and many more. The band’s performance truly blew up the non-headlining stage they were on and I say that they had the most insane crowd of the entire weekend. Overall, I can truly say that I’m more than excited for next year’s installment of the festival. I hope that the array of bands is just as diverse as this years and I hope that more types of people come out to the festival. From carnies to Goths, from pop-punk kids to rides, from 40 year old, old school punk vets to a lot of delicious food – Riot Fest has everything and more that you’d expect from a festival.
review: Liz Brossard
artist:
Mumford & Sons album:
Babel rating:
sounds like:
The Avett Brothers The Devil Makes Three Bon Iver
recommended tracks:
“Babel” “Ghosts That We Knew” “Reminder”
tracklisting:
Babel Whispers In The Dark 3 I Will Wait 4 Holland Road 5 Ghosts That We Knew 6 Lover Of The Light 7 Lovers’ Eyes 8 Reminder 9 Hopeless Wanderer 10 Broken Crown 11 Below My Feet 12 Not With Haste 1 2
release date:
September 21st
website:
mumfordandsons.com
Mumford & Sons is back with a new album after three years. Their debut album, Sigh No More, became an instant hit in 2009 and its songs were on the radio before most of us in America even realized who the band was. Their new album, Babel, is destined to be an incredible follow up to their breakout album. Babel does not disappoint and carries the same sound that made Sigh No More such an incredible album. Its first single, “I Will Wait,” was released as a little teaser to the upcoming album about a month ago, and it was the perfect introduction for fans into Babel. “Reminder” may be one of my favorite tracks. It is only a two-minute song, but it is the perfect song for a broken heart. “A constant reminder of where I can find her/ I lost my love/ don’t fade away.” At first listen, “Broken Crown” sounds quite reminiscent of “Little Lion Man” from the album, Sigh No More. This is a good thing. It is a very similar song with the banjo strums, yet it is a little bit more of a heavy hitter than “Little Lion Man.” However dark it may be, it will still have you dancing. The 12-track album is worth the listen and I have no doubt that after you listen to it once you may be putting it on repeat. Obviously, if you didn’t like the band’s first album, you will dislike Babel greatly. For the rest of us though, this is a welcome album in a mainstream pop music world that doesn’t allow for much originality.
Artist: Green Day Album: ¡Uno!
In the 25 years since Green Day started out as three young punks playing small shows in California they’ve sold 70 million records, had a broadway musical adapted from their album American Idiot and become one of the biggest bands in the world. It’s safe to say this band doesn’t really follow any rules. So when the band announced that they would be releasing three albums in five months it seemed that if anyone can do it, it’s Green Day. The first album, ¡Uno!, finds the band showing fun, party vibes with energetic, rock and roll songs. The record has a classic Green Day sound without being too redundant and worn out. Compared to the last two albums, American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, the songs are simpler. While the previous two records lyrics were commentary on the state of the world we live in, the band takes it back to good old-fashioned songs about sex, love and having a good time on this record. With songs heavily influenced by bands like The Clash (Carpe Diem) and Ramones (Fell For You) the band’s punk influence is still present. The tracks are short, fast and pack a heavy punch. If you’re a fan of Green Day’s pre-American Idiot songs that were more carefree, fast and energetic you’ll love this record. And just think there are two more records where that came from!
recommended tracks: “Kill The DJ” & “Troublemaker” review: Morgan Waldorf Artist: No Doubt Album: Push and Shove
No Doubt appeared back on the map in 2009 for a summer tour, showing fans that they hadn’t fallen off the face of the earth, when they also announced they were headed to the studio to write their sixth album. After 11 years since releasing their last studio album, Rock Steady, it appears as if nothing has changed for them in their latest installation, Push and Shove. The mixture of reggae, ska and pop that is No Doubt’s signature sound is like a 90’s throwback, bringing a hint of nostalgia with it. All of the songs are pretty much on target with its original music, including the use of horns, synth and percussion. If one thing’s for sure, Push and Shove will never compare to the classics. Very few songs stand out, but there is no doubt that they still had some hit singles up their sleeves. Kids who grew up listening to Gwen Stefani and seeing her and the band on MTV will probably always have a special place in their hearts for No Doubt.
recommended tracks: “Push and Shove” & “Settle Down” review: Haley Black
Artist: Outline In Color Album: Jury of Wolves
Outline in Color’s debut Full Length, Jury of Wolves is deserving of every bit of buzz, focus and attention it has received over the past few months. The bands first release since their debut self-titled EP, Jury Of Wolves is the first look into the new and exciting era of Outline in Color. A rather long record of eleven track, Jury of Wolves contains something for nearly everyone. Brining together electronic, hardcore and even some classical influences Outline in Color brings together all of their experience, emotions and passionate desires to the table in Jury of Wolves. With heavy tracks such as “A Fracture, A Fallout” contrasted with a ballad in “I’ve Had this Dream Before” and even a cover of the boy band N’ysnc (on the bonus tracks) the record really contains almost everything. Overall I would give Jury of Wolves four and a half out of five stars. This is an expansive and creative record that is long overdue from the project. Also, the fact that the incredible Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire does guest vocals in “I Ain’t Afraid Of No Ghost” really tops the cake.
recommended tracks: “A Frature, A Fallout” & “The Chase Scene” review: William Howard
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