Issue #16

ISSUE 16

HIGHLIGHT

MAGAZINE

CAPITAL CITIES // RYAN CABRERA // THE PLOT IN YOU // WHILE SHE SLEEPS & MORE

IGHLIGH

co-founder – editor-in-chief – marketing – photography ashley osborn co-founder – art director – photography cara bahniuk managing editor jenn stookey content director anjel lopez copy editor courtney dondelinger marketing coordinator matthew leimkuehler co-founder mckenzie hughes contributing photographers dan deslover, courtney dondelinger, tarina doolittle, jordan fischels, nicole mago, charlie martel, heather phillips, petey place, danny raybon, sam roenfeldt, sam san roman, daniel shippey, jared thomas and amy willard contributing writers (online & publication) ryan argast, haley black, jennifer boylen, colleen casey, trevor figge, perry fsh, tamara fuentes, briana henry, will howard, logan kant, jessica klinner, matthew leimkuehler, taylor pittman, claire pope, allison reames annette schafer and morgan waldorf digital marketing rachel carter, johnnie efta, colton oltesvig, ashley parrill and becca white _________________________ www.highlightmagazine.net contact us info@highlightmagazine.net facebook facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter @highlightzine instagram @highlightzine subscriptions hl-mag.myshopify.com _________________________ thank you the league international, monolith pr, mike cubillos, promenade music entertainment, capitol music group, ken phillips publicity group, impulse pr, bb gun press, press here, the rest of the incredible staff and artists that made this issue happen as well as our incredible readers. thanks for being apart of our family!

june

08 clothing highlight 09 venue highlight 10 label highlight 11 keltie colleen 12 festival survival guide 14 sweetlife 16 sugar glyder 18 sharks 22 spitalfield 24 capital cities 28 ryan cabrera 32 the plot in you 34 while she sleeps 52 reviews ______________ 06 you me at six cara bahniuk capital cities jordan fischels the plot in you tarina doolittle sharks cara bahniuk 07 sugar glyder peter place while she sleeps ashley osborn ryan cabrera ashley osborn twenty one pilots cara bahniuk

THIS

OR

WAFFLE FRIES

52%

TATER TOTS BOTH

8%

25%

FUN.

35%

THAT

40% 75%

BOTH

13%

TWENTY ONE PILOTS

52%

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YOU ME AT SIX - 38

CAPITAL CITIES - 24

THE PLOT IN YOU - 32

SHARKS - 18

16 - SUGAR GLYDER

34 - WHILE SHE SLEEPS

28 - RYAN CABRERA

TWENTY ONE PILOTS

CATCH ONTO THESE TRENDS COMPANY: Create Clothing Company™ LOCATION: Orange County, CA (Fullerton) OWNER/FOUNDER: Joel Wiesner, Ian Martinez, Edwin Wiesner WEBSITE: createclothingco.com

COMPANY STORY?

Create, started a little more than a year ago, officially signing their business licenses on January 27, 2012. Edwin and Joel previously ran older clothing brands and a screen printing business (since 2006) out of the garage, while Ian was brought up heavily influenced by the art scene. They put their creative forces and knowledge together to do what they love best… CREATE! As far as the brand name goes, “we wanted a name that could appeal to everyone, yet be simple and easy to remember.” While reading and email one morning, Joel stumbled across a promotional email from Disney, subject: “Create The Magic!” He thought to himself, “Create” is a really simple name. It’s appealing and could be used worldwide! He told the rest of the team and thus, Create Clothing Company™ was born.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOUR BRAND REPRESENTS?

Our brand believes in the “creative” lifestyle. Hence the name Create Clothing Company. People are creating every day; whether, it is from art, music, fashion, dance to even the food we make in the morning, everything involves our unique sense of style. We’re here to promote the individual. Sure, the three of us (who founded the brand) make up Create, but it’s you, the individual, who make up the other half! You are the inspiration.

You are the creator. YOU are an individual!

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REASON YOU STARTED YOUR BRAND?

It’s a common goal for a lot of people to do what they love in life. We don’t want to be stuck working that 9-5 job when we could be out creating something we can call our own. With our past experiences and found joy in meeting new people, Create just comes naturally.

WHAT ARE YOUR THREE FAVORITE DESIGNS?

1) “Create Yourself” tank. This is one of our biggest sellers and we feel it really represents who we are as a brand quite perfectly.

2) “I Am” t-shirt. This design is a little more complex but overall it reads “I AM Create to be an individual”. Simple and true to the brand.

3) “Einstein” t-shirt. Also another one of our big sellers.

This shirt display one of the most thought out and creative minds in history and reads “Imagine”. Rendering, you can create anything you think up.

WHY PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK OUT YOUR BRAND?

Create is simply for everyone! We aim to develop designs suitable for every day enjoyment. The overall experience that anyone can create on any platform drives our imagination.

And we want our customers to feel the same way wearing our products.

YOU MAY WANT TO LISTEN TO...

Established in 2007, Partisan Records is an independent record label based out of Brooklyn, New York. With an impressive roster of 22 artists, it is obvious that Partisan has done a great job establishing themselves, considering their humble mission statement. Co-founded by Tim Putnam and Ian Wheeler, Partisan Records stands out from larger record labels by projecting a sincere thankfulness for the opportunity to share an artist’s music and story. Maybe it’s this refreshing concept that has attracted the unique, indie sound of artist like Deer Tick, Guards, John Grant, and Emily Wells.

Whatever the allure is, it is certainly the right vibe for making great music.

Emily Wells -

Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, violinist Emily Wells has never been one to play by the rules.

After leaning to play the violin at a very young age, Wells ran with her appreciation for eclectic music and branched out into electrical influences. The result is a beautiful manifestation of electric violin, dreamy vocals and a touch of hip-hop for flavor. In 1999, Wells released her first album Midori Sour independently. After creating several more albums under many different record labels, Wells finally settled down with Partisan Records for the debut of her 2012 release Mama.

Her next project, an acoustic recording of Mama is set to be released on June 11th.

Listen to: “Let Your Guard Down”

Guards -What do you get when you mix an LA surf party, your parents closet from the 1970’s and Foster The People?

The upbeat indie band, Guards. Birthed from the accidental intersection of three separate bands, Guards came to life when Richie Follin of Willowz, joined forces with Loren Humphrey and Kaylie Church. After fronting Willowz for eight years, Richie Follin decided he wanted to take his music career down a different route. He started collaborating with other artists and groups, including his sister’s band, Cults, and evolving his song writing. In 2010 Guards released their first album, an EP fittingly titled, Guards. Just earlier this year, the band released their first full-length album In Guards We Trust, debuting their new, unified sound and setting the ink with Partisan Records.

Listen To: “Coming True”

Warm Ghost - Brooklyn based experimental duo Warm

Ghost has a unique sound that sort of creeps up on you.

Uncategorized by many, the electric vibe and organic vocals can only be described as haunting. In 2010, under the name Warm Ghost, band member Paul Duncan released a solo album, an EP titled Claws Overhead, with Geographic North.

The group was officially formed when Duncan and Oliver Chapoy collaborated together in 2011. Warm Ghost released both their first album, an EP titled Uncut Diamond, and their latest release Narrows under Partisan Records.

Listen to: “I Will Return” WORDS: Perry Fish

keltie colleen los angeles CA

What is your personal story?

I am a former back up dancer to the stars, with a love of all things internet, who created the super popular blog aprettyheart.com and then hashtagged my way onto being a correspondent on the nationally syndicated entertainment news television show Omg!Insider.

What are three of your most memorable career moments?

1. I was covering the red carpet on the American Music Awards, and P!nk came up to me and said she had seen my story on her, and that she loved it.

2. Covering The Grammy Awards- music is such an important part of my life, (if I had any musical talent I would totally be in a band) and to be on the carpet and interviewing the biggest musical stars in the world, was mind blowing.

3. I was interviewing Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper, and he called me a, “Modern day Cher.” My head exploded. I love Cher!

What do you want to accomplish still in your career?

It is really important to me to continue to build and inspire the readers that have followed me on my blog. Oprah has always been my idol, I love how she’s able to report on what is happening in the world, and does it with such grace and compassion. I would love to host my own talkshow, start my own magazine, help people live out their own dreams.

e id u g l a iv v r u s l a iv fest We at Highlight LOVE festival season. Who wouldn’t? You get to spend your whole day outside and see your favorite bands.

But, festival season also means summer and summer means VERY hot temperatures. Follow these simple rules and we are positive you will have a great day you will remember forever.

how to act

WORDS: Jenn Stookey

1. Everyone is there for the same thing you are, to hear great music by some of their favorite bands. It’s simple, be nice!

2. When you’re in a crowd that gets a little to rowdy and people are being pushed down, help pick them up! No one wants to get hurt and it is possible to be very injured, so when you see someone in a tough spot, lend a helping hand!

3. If the crowd is shoulder-to-shoulder and impossible to move through and someone desperately wants to get out, crowd surf him or her to the front (it’s the easiest way). If that’s not an option, try your best to make an isle for them to walk back through.

what to do

1. When you get to the festival grounds, make yourself aware of your surroundings. Find the stages, bathrooms, the merch tents, food, and a place to sit and rest if you think you’ll need it later on. (Most festivals also have an app that will have information you can use if you have a smartphone) 2. Discuss with your friends a place to meet incase you lose each other. It tends to be hard to find your friends, even if you all have cell phones. Cell service can be sketchy at festival grounds no matter where you are.

3. Get a schedule or write it down for which bands you want to see at what times and what stages.

4. Go off without a friend and discover things on your own. It’s easier to meet new people when you’re not clinging to a friend, and vice versa. This also will give you time to do your own thing, see the bands you want to see, and go to certain tents your friend might not want to go to.

5. Make sure you STAY HYDRATED! Even if you don’t feel hot or aren’t thirsty. Countless number or people will be hauled to the emergency area of the festival or even the hospital from dehydration and heat exhaustion. Don’t let that be you.

6. Go watch a band/artist you have never heard of before. They might just be your new obsession.

what to wear/bring

1. Close toed shoes! – This has to be the most important. There are strong possibilities of you either losing your shoes or your feet getting extremely hurt. Be smart and wear closed toed shoes!

2. Don’t wear jeans – Concerts in the winter are hot. Concerts in the summer are hot. Concerts outside in the summer are even hotter. Don’t wear jeans or pants. This will eliminate some the sweatiness, uncomfortable-ness you may experience. Not to mention you will be thinking all day of how you should have worn shorts!

3. Wear light colored clothes. Dark colors attract the heat. It is a world of difference wearing white or grey as opposed to black all day under the sun in the summer.

4. Girls (and some guys), tie up your hair – This is a big one! Wear your hair in an up-style. It doesn’t have to be fancy; a ponytail will suffice. The worst thing about being at an outdoor festival is either being hot from wearing your hair down, finding out your hair has frizzed and doesn’t look how it did in the morning, or having your hair get stuck and pulled between patrons in the middle of a crazy high energy crowd.

5. Waterproof Makeup – if you’re going to wear makeup, make sure its waterproof! Sweat will cause eyeliner and mascara to run.

6. Proper shirts – Anything that you feel comfortable in and will remain comfortable in all day.

7. Bring a drawstring bag. If you aren’t planning on buying anything, by the end of the day or weekend, you probably will. These are perfect because they don’t get in the way of your hands and they don’t get caught on or in between people in a crowd.

8. Bring an un-opened water bottle. Some festivals don’t allow any food or drinks, especially if they have previously been opened, but some allow water bottles that are still sealed.

9. Bring cash. Festivals, especially individual merch tents, normally don’t take plastic cards.

Single bills are always a great thing to have because many tents take tips instead of a set price for certain items.

10. Bring a sharpie. Many artists will do signings or you may see someone walking around on their own. Have one handy incase they don’t have one. Or you never know, maybe you’ll need it to get some digits from new friends you meet!

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REPORT CARD FESTIVAL: Sweetlife: A Music and Food Festival LOCATION: Merriweather Post Pavilion WHEN: May 11th, 2013 PHOTOS: Cara Bahniuk REVIEW: Ryan Bahniuk

{

Food

Sweetgreen, the festival’s namesake, sponsor, and organizer, was omnipresent throughout Merriweather. The restaurant, known for its organic and locally grown green food choices, used this same philosophy when selecting food vendors to occupy the “experience forest”. The forest is actually more of a treelined grove that sits behind the main field and pavilion at Merriweather.

Normally an afterthought during other performances at the venue, Sweetgreen took full advantage of the space, filling it with food trucks from DC and booths representing restaurants from all over the Mid-Atlantic.

Grade:

Music

A-

Did I mention the all-star lineup of artists yet? I’m getting all caught up in the food experience, and I’ve barely mentioned the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gary Clark Jr., and of course Phoenix and Passion Pit. Arriving early at the festival, I staked out my seat in the first row for all of the main pavilion performances.

Grade:

Weather

A-

The one factor that Sweetgreen couldn’t control was how the weather held up, and let’s just say that it didn’t. The day started with the normal mid-atlantic summer humidity, but as always, that ended up breaking into a ferocious downpour. The rain started right before Kendrick Lamar’s set and turned the festival grounds into a giant mud pit, drenching all the fans not shielded in the seated pavilion. The food trucks closed their doors and windows and the restaurant vendors bunkered up, waiting out the storm that eventually passed revealing a great sunny day again.

Grade:

Sustainability

C+

Promoting sustainability was the goal of Sweetlife and short of finding a way to recycle mud, I think they accomplished this goal. From the locally sourced food vendors, to the organic farmer’s market, the philosophy of the festival’s two main sponsors, Sweetgreen and Honest Tea, was everywhere. Sweetgreen gave away sunglasses and shirts for recycling used bottles and even installed solar panels on the pavilion’s roof to offset the energy footprint of the festival. Each vendor also distributed their food with compostable utensils and napkins.

Grade:

Fans

B+

I am usually a harsh judge of festival goers and their true familiarity to the artists performing. It seems that at a lot of festivals the fans are there more for the “festival-experience” than the performances themselves. This sounds curmudgeonly, but at Sweetlife there were fans who showed up because particular artists were performing. Chants of “Gary! Gary!” rang through the pavilion as Gary Clark Jr. proved his guitar prodigiousness. Even the first act of the day, Lindsey Stirling, had fans who have followed her music and seems genuinely excited for this moment in her career. Ignoring the high school bros in lax pennies, the fans at Sweetlife impressed me.

Grade:

Overall

B

This festival was a rousing success for Sweetgreen, the local DC food scene, and the authentic promotion of the DC music scene.

I already can’t wait to see what artists Sweetgreen draws for next year and hope that we are invited back.

Grade:

A-

To see more photos and read an in-depth review, visit highlightmagazine.net/sweetlife

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

HOME: Charlotte, NC NOW JAMMING: The Eyes: They See - Full-Length CURRENTLY: On tour with The Almost and Palisades

AS SUGAR GLYDER’S LEAD GUITARIST Chris Rigo will tell you, animal themed band names are a lot of fun and while this four piece from Charlotte, North Carolina, might grab the attention of many with their quirky name, people are sure to fall in love with their positive attitudes and dynamic music.

The band made up of Daniel Howie (vocals/keys/guitar), Bobby Mathews (drums), Chris Rigo and Robby Hartis (bass) had previously known each other and were involved with different projects within the Charlotte music scene but when the four joined forces something special began. “It’s a lot like the back story behind a married couple. We all dated other people for a while and knew of each other but didn’t see what an awesome team we’d be until fate brought us together,” Howie laughs, “Cue the sappy music. The exception to the metaphor is that our married couple is actually 4 dudes.”

When the band first started they just wanted to write and play music and didn’t worry about a band name until they needed one to start playing shows. The name came about during a late night conversation with a friend. “A ‘sugar glider’ is a strange little marsupial that resembles a flying squirrel. It makes strange noises, smells a little bad and enjoys staying up all night. These are things we can all relate to on some level. We changed the ‘I’ to a ‘y’ and it just looked better on paper,” Rigo said.

For their newest album The Eyes: They See, Sugar Glyder combined the indie rock sound they’re known for with a more melodic pop driven sound. Howie however is confident that the record is not a “sell out” album. “I think we’ve done a fantastic job of keeping our old fans and reaching brand new ones. It’s really hard to do that these days,” he said.

The new album has allowed the band to go beyond just the music with their art. The music video for the single “Lost In The Woods” is unique in that it can be watched in 3D format. Josh Stauffer, who directed and filmed the video, wanted to try something new that hadn’t been done by too many other bands. “We were simply looking for a cool way to stand out from the crowd,” explained Rigo, “We brainstormed with him for a while on ways that we could tie in the music video with the album artwork and promo images. It turned out fantastic and we couldn’t be more happy with the results,” he said. “We’ve definitely incorporated visual illusion as a theme on this album. So it only makes sense to experiment with that,” added Howie.

The band can’t wait to take the new material out on their upcoming tour with You, Me and Everyone We Know, Squid The Whale, The Orphan Poet and select dates with Paper Route.

“It’s been really nice getting to hear lyrics to all of these new songs being sung right back at us! We have been really excited to get these songs out to everyone, and we are even more excited to get on the road and play them for everyone,” said Hartis.

“This is our first tour being direct support for national bands. I’m looking forward to playing in front of lots of new people who haven’t heard or seen us before. I have my fingers crossed that everyone will find something they enjoy about Sugar Glyder,” added Mathews.

The band have been through their fair share of difficulties such as Hartis missing shows to have a tumor removed and the strain being away from home can put on relationships back home. “As far as us collectively, I think the most difficult part of our career has just been being able to get where we are now,” Rigo said, “A lot of people don’t understand all the little things that it takes in order to tour and spread your music… having a place to practice/ write music, a van in order to actually get from town to town, a booking agent, manager, label, etc. Luckily for us our hard work and sacrifices are starting to pay off and yield positive results.”

Despite the struggles the band always seem to keep going by focusing on the positive and remembering why they do it in the first place. “Whether it be an email from a fan who’s lost a loved one letting me know that a song carried them from depression or that our music is a bright light at the end of a dark tunnel in their lives. I keep all of those messages and emails because I know there are days where I will need them to inspire me to keep moving and remind me why I’m here,” Howie said.

With that positive outlook the band plan on continuing to do a lot more touring to get their record into as many hands as possible.

They also want to hopefully put out another music video by the end of the year. “All while having the most fun we can possibly have,” said Hartis.

PHOTO: Peter Place INTERVIEW AND STORY: Morgan Waldorf

HOME: Leamington Spa, UK NOW JAMMING: Selfhood - Full-Length (Rise Records) CURRENTLY: Playing a bunch of festivals throughout June/July and releasing a video soon for “Sunday’s Hand.”

“Punk’s Not Dead.”

The phrase certainly still remains true, especially with bands surfacing such as the United Kingdom’s very own punk rockers, Sharks. The band, assembled of James Mattock (vocals), Andrew Bayliss (guitar), Sam Lister (drums) and Carl Murrihy (bass) have made quite the impression on their US audience with their unfeigned lyrics and classic rock vibe.

For many bands, the music industry in the United States presents more opportunities for success, and vocalist James Mattock admitted that they have had more of a struggle to create a strong following in their home country than they have across the pond.

“It’s an overwhelming feeling to play to fans overseas. The only thing is that our home in the UK is actually the hardest market for us,” explained Mattock.

Constant touring is without a doubt a draining, yet rewarding experience for bands; it is hard to imagine the toll it takes on the individuals, especially when oceans away. Being away from loved ones, the comfort of a nice warm bed, and home cooked meals for months at a time is tough, but you will never catch Sharks complaining about homesickness or taking their incredible good fortune for granted.

“Touring is an absolute piece of cake, and whoever has the arrogance to moan about how blessed they are to get to play their music every night and travel the world with their best friends, deserves a slap with a wet plimsole.”

Sharks maintain a humble attitude in all aspects of their career, whether it be touring or during the songwriting process. Like all good musicians, they write songs that they themselves would enjoy listening to if the roles were reversed and they were the fans purchasing the records.

“I write songs, listen to songs, it’s a catharsis. You also need to have an extraordinary balance of self belief and blind faith,” said Mattock.

Many of the emotions the punk-rock band covers may seem a little dark and depressing on the surface, but the band knows not to take themselves too seriously when covering such topics.

“The themes of self deprecation are usually dusted with dry humor.

Just writing about what you know tends to be the most effective in the end.”

Love has always appeared to be the most prevalent topic in terms of songwriting, but Mattock did not always find the task so simple.

It was not until their most recent album Selfhood was released that a love song from Sharks would first come into play.

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“I always thought they were hard until I wrote this one… probably because I’ve never been able to write one in the past with true meaning. I wrote [‘My Wild One’] in probably half an hour.”

Even in a continuously evolving music industry and an era where technology rules, Sharks would never trade their traditional style for the world. Mattock gave his thoughts on the growing phenomenon of electronic, computer generated music saturated with synthesizers and auto tune, and how the dynamic of music has changed over the past couple of decades. “[It’s] definitely for the worst in my opinion. It’s just the way it is now and we’re just gonna have to find out way around it,” said Mattock, “We take inspiration from real bands playing real instruments and singing about real things. We were born too late, and we are drowning in a modern era of digital and disposable music.”

Sharks’ authenticity and ability to stay true to their sound in such an evolving musical era is reputable, which is what makes them such a genuine group of artists. The quartet are very much appreciative of the lives they lead and how much they have already accomplished in the six years they have been together since first forming back in 2007.

“To look at our band on paper: what we are about, how many records we have sold, etc. it is unbelievable that we have played places like Australia, Japan, America and Canada with some of our favorite bands,” said Mattock, “We have honestly been really, really lucky.”

The four members have matured since the time they started the band as teenagers up until now as young adults. They have lived and learned so much about themselves and as musicians in such a short amount of time. It is refreshing to see a group of people who play the classic type of music they love despite the modernized generation they were born into.

“We’ve been in this band since we were 16, we are now 22 and I’m beginning to think that I’ll never be able to do anything else. I doubt McDonalds would even hire me,” said Mattock.

From the time they began to where they are now, the band has already accomplished and done more than most people ever dream of doing by the time they are in their early 20’s. It is evident that a band this talented will be around for years to come. Sharks are only just getting started.

POSED PHOTO: Adam Weatherly LIVE PHOTOS: Cara Bahniuk INTERVIEW AND STORY: Haley Black

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HOME: Chicago, IL NOW JAMMING: Remember Right Now CURRENTLY: On the “Remember Right Now” 10–year Anniversary Tour

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOUR

favorite band broke up? Most people don’t want to think about it… but what if they came together for a ten-year reunion tour?

Jackpot. And the fans of Chicago natives, Spitalfield, got just that chance. There are now ten dates set for the band’s anniversary of their sophomore album Remember Right Now and Highlight caught up with singer Mark Rose to discuss all about it.

Named after the town in London Jack the Ripper was from, Spitalfield started in the west suburbs of Chicago in 1998 when Rose and JD Romero were only sophomores in high school. The band started as a just a simple side project but by the time college rolled around for it’s members, Spitalfield became a full time career. Even after a few line up changes, this tour features the original line up of Mark, JD, TJ Minch and Terry Hahin. Although they broke up in 2007, Spitalfield has played a handful of shows since then but they don’t have plans for much else.

“I think it all stems from just wanting to be able to get together to play some music that we wrote together. The band was such a huge chapter of our lives, and while we have no intention of reforming on a more permanent level; who says we can’t get on stage once in a while? We’re all at different places in our lives, so being able to come together on something special to us is definitely a great thing.” Rose said.

That being said, they could not be more stoked for this anniversary tour. It has slowly become an entity of it’s own.

“The idea started as trying to put together maybe one show with that line-up in our hometown to celebrate the anniversary. It slowly turned into more, and now we’ve got ten performances scheduled!

Kind of crazy, but definitely welcomed.”

Rose admitted this is coming at the ideal time in his life and hopes it is the same for the rest of the guys, but it’s definitely perfecting timing for fans.

Rose admitted that even though at first he wished Spitalfield had stayed together, he has come to realize it was for the best and he now enjoys the flexibility he gets from being a solo artist. He is focused on what he’s working on now but Spitalfield had a great run and he’s very excited for the tour and the anniversary of Remember Right Now. “That record represents a huge pivotal point for the band. It was with that release that we went from being a local and regional band to a full-time act. We stopped going to school, working jobs and what not, and got into a tour van for the next five years. I think, musically, we got stronger with each release— but there is something about this album that has connected with our following, and become the record we are most known more.”

Even though they aren’t planning on coming back together for good, Spitalfield was definitely a huge chapter in all of the members’ lives. The band is even responsible for the highlight of Rose’s career. “I think getting to tour Australia in 2007 with Spitalfield would be hard to top. So much fun and something so unique… I hope to make it over there again with my own material, at some point. I held a koala! I pet a kangaroo! I gotta go back.”

Right now, Rose is needed in the USA though; Spitalfield is playing Remember Right Now cover to cover on this tour and all they are looking for is some quality stories and to have a good time for themselves as well as “for anyone who comes out to share those times with us,” Rose said. If you’re lucky enough to celebrate the birthday of Remember Right Now with the original line up of this great Chicago band, embrace it… Spitalfield definitely is.

PHOTO: Album Artwork INTERVIEW & STORY: Jennifer Boylen

TWITTER: @SpitsMusic FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/Spitalfield

“The response thus far has been really cool! [I’m] so excited that there are a bunch of folks out there who are looking forward to coming out to the shows.”

Ultimately, it was the business more than anything that lead to Spitalfield calling it quits and Rose opens up about it being the biggest struggle of his career.

“Once music becomes your job, there is a business side to it that is truly not often about the music. That is hard to deal with sometimes.

Finding a way to strike a balance between creativity and what it takes to pay your bills can be challenging and lead to some tough times and situations.”

Even with those challenges he has continued to pursue music for over a decade. “[I have to] step back and remind myself why I love doing what I do. Remember the sun will rise again tomorrow-and just keep plugging away. I’m very fortunate to be able to do something I love doing everyday, even if it can be difficult at times.”

“I think it all stems from just wanting to be able to get together to play some music that we wrote together.”

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HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW JAMMING: In a Tidal Wave of Mystery - Full-Length (Capital Records) CURRENTLY: Finished their “Dancing With Strangers” tour and playing summer festivals

IN AN INDUSTRY IN TRANSITION,

there’s much skepticism surrounding the use of digital means in music. The recent rise in popularity of electronic music has sparked much debate over the legitimacy of using digitized sounds versus live instruments, especially in independent music. Enter Capital Cities— the independent synthpop group from Los Angeles whose unique blend of dance beats, live instrumentals and dual lead vocals resonates with music fans across a wide spectrum of genres.

After teaming up because of a Craigslist posting in 2008, members Sebu Simonian and Ryan Merchant’s writing chemistry flourished while co-writing TV commercials. After writing songs together on the side, the pair decided that it was time to form a “real band” and Capital Cities was born.

Drawing influences from a variety of artists such as Daft Punk, Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd, Capital Cities fosters an incredibly unique and infectious sound. Their hit single “Safe and Sound” has been incredibly well-received, most recently being added to one of the top pop music stations in the nation: KIIS FM in LA. Following the success of their Capital Cities EP the duo signed on with Capitol Records to promote their debut full-length album In A Tidal Wave of Mystery due out this June, and it’s already garnering a positive response from fans. With offbeat song titles such as “Kangaroo Court” and “Farrah Fawcett Hair,” fans can expect the same eclectic mix of songs all with the Capital Cities’ signature stamp. “When we write songs, we like to create a little world both lyrically and sonically around the song… usually one of us will create a beat with a chord progression. We then start to melodically and lyrically riff over it until one of us stumbles upon a melody that we both feel is special,” explained Merchant.

While the new album promises the familiar Capital Cities style, listeners can also expect a variety of collaborations on the album with voiceovers from NPR underwriter Frank Tavares to an unexpected verse addition to the song “Farrah Fawcett Hair”

by Andre 3000. “That is one of my favorite songs on the album because it is so random and different,” said Merchant, “Lyrically, it’s homage to all the things that we find to be undeniably good like Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ or Farrah Fawcett’s hair… We got Andre 3000 to do a verse, as he was part of our list as one of the most undeniably good rappers. When he said yes, we were ecstatic.”

Currently touring their new album, the duo admits that it’s “the audience reaction to our music that pumps us up,” and with overwhelmingly positive reaction to samples of the new songs they’ve got a lot to be pumped about. One of the most notable traits of a Capital Cities show is the atmosphere that they’re able to create; with their infectious dance beats and vibrant onstage personalities, Capital Cities is able to capture the feel-good danceall-night whimsy of the dance music scene and seamlessly couple it with the unmistakable charm one expects of a live music showcase.

It’s no easy task to appeal to such a wide variety of musical tastes,

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but Capital Cities achieves this and then some, all while whipping the crowd into a frenzy of with each track. The vibe in the room is beautiful chaos as the band tracks their hit single “Safe and Sound” and dives off the stage into a crowd of eager fans.

And if their unique musical styling and unbeatable stage presence were not enough of a draw to their live performances, the pair are also charitable; with proceeds from their upcoming June 7th show at El Ray going to benefit MusiCares and A Place Called Home.

“Both of these organizations are about helping people living on the fringe. We have been extremely lucky in our career so far and feel a need to pass along some of that good fortune to people that probably need it more than we do.”

While a nationwide tour and incredible crowd response are enough to inflate anyone’s ego, Sebu and Ryan remain incredibly humble about the success of Capital Cities so far; “There is not much to complain about when you get to write and perform music for a living. That said, touring can take a toll on your personal life. This year we will go months without seeing close friends or significant others [and] that can be hard. All you can do is make sure you spend quality time with these people when you are back home.” With the upcoming release of their first major-label album in the near future: an event one could pinpoint as a highlight in the band’s career, Merchant had only this to say: “Honestly, everyday brings a new highlight. We hope people listen to the album after having heard ‘Safe and Sound’ and realize there is a lot more to us musically than our hit song.”

PHOTOS INTERVIEW & STORY: Jordan Fischels

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HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW JAMMING: I See Love - Single CURRENTLY: On tour with “American Idol” star, Jason Castro

LET’S REWIND A FEW YEARS TIME TO the post boy band era of alluring acoustic solo artists who got girls swooning with the sound of their smooth, captivating vocals and songs of love and relationships. His name may not be one that many people have heard in awhile, but Ryan Cabrera is currently making his way back into the spotlight of the music industry after five years of being off the radar and he is returning stronger than ever. If the name doesn’t sound familiar at first, take a listen to his previous hit singles “True” and “On The Way Down” and the memories will most likely come flooding back.

Cabrera discussed the release of his upcoming album, his involvement with raising money for charity and all of the highs and lows he has experienced throughout his career thus far when we caught up with him during his tour with fellow artists and friends: Teddy Geiger and Tyler Hilton. The pop rock artist also took a brief look into the past, recalling his path to stardom and the musician who inspired him to pick up a guitar in the first place.

“I saw Dave Matthews play and that was kind of like…I saw him, and wanted to be him. I even copied him at first and that’s how I learned to play guitar. I just watched him play and learned chords and how he played inspired me,” said Cabrera. “I even did the dancing and shit, but then right around 19 years old I kind of broke off and finally discovered what I wanted to do and what kind of music I wanted to play.”

As a kid in his late teens trying to break out into the music scene, he took any opportunity to perform in front of an audience that he could possibly find, including for the college Greek life. As an aspiring musician who did not attend a university, he had to get in his college experience somehow even if it was in an unconventional way.

“I did this tour where I went from city to city and I would just knock on all these doors of sororities and ask if I could come play in their living room, so I’d play for them and then sleep on the floor of the frat houses. I did that for like 40 days and pretty much anywhere I could play, I would.”

Not making music for so many years might cause an artist to ultimately fear becoming irrelevant, but the pop-rock star is more than ready to get back to business doing what he is most passionate about. Despite the pressures he faces, he admits that he is his own worst critic when it comes to creating a final product that he is proud of.

“I think the pressure I feel mostly comes from myself to write such an awesome record that I continue to become better and better and beat my last record, which is kind of why it took so long,” said Cabrera. “For the first two, three years I was writing and writing and I found myself trying to write hits and do what labels told me to write. I didn’t care enough to be like ‘I have to put out a record’ though because I can tour and do this.”

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Going from being a mainstream artist back to his roots of composing music simply for himself rather than a label is truly admirable. His mentality is to do what comes naturally rather than creating an unauthentic fabrication for the sake of selling chart-topping records. “I See Love” is Cabrera’s first single since releasing The Moon Under Water in 2008. Once this particular song was perfectly polished, a spark was ignited and the tone for his upcoming album had finally come full circle.

“I knew that at some point I was going to write a song that would spark the whole record and that was ‘I See Love,’ which is going to be the first single when the record comes out. With that song I scrapped everything I wrote before and wrote a whole record.”

The songwriting process for an artist is not always a simple task, but an intricate one. Cabrera is constantly competing with himself to become a better musician and songwriter any way he possibly can, whether it means scrapping a song completely or tweaking it until he is satisfied with the final result. He hopes that his fans will fall in love with his new material and be as proud of the album as he is once it is finally released.

“I take a song and I kind of tear myself apart and rewrite it, and then I take that song and try to write a better song, and continue to try to make it better and better,” explained Cabrera. “Each song is its own thing. It’s like a TV show where each episode is like a movie; you want that episode to be the best episode, so for me I’m challenging myself to make each song [for fans] like ‘this is my favorite song,’ then ‘no wait this is my favorite song.’”

During all of these years off the map, Cabrera and his friends have spent a lot of his time organizing events to raise money for different charities; whether it was through online streaming or taking part in intimate performances, he spoke about the dynamic of the project and how the whole idea came together.

“It started with me and my friends always being in my house just jamming and performing, and a lot of the times I’m sitting there watching as a fan of all of my friends. It’s cool to watch, and in my head I thought people would die to see some of these people playing. So I was like ‘okay, what way can I stream it so everybody can see it,’ and do it for something good so that way we can raise money for charities and people get to see these awesome performances going on in my living room. I have so many talented friends, well-known ones and up and coming people that I want people to learn about, so it just kind of made sense. From there it just grew and grew. It’s a fun night for us there to be able to watch it, and I wanted to be able to incorporate the world to let the fans watch it and stuff.”

Being a well-known musician comes with many perks, and it is admirable to give back to the community who are one of the huge reasons for the artist’s success in the first place. Musicians have the power to inspire and convey emotions in ways that not everyone

YAN CABRER

“I think the pressure I feel mostly comes from myself to write such an awesome record that I continue to become better and better and beat my last record.”

can explain in words, and that fact that Cabrera uses his gift to raise money for different charities is truly incredible, and the feeling he receives in return is very rewarding.

“For me as a person it just feels good, you know? I get to play music for a living and I feel blessed to be able to do it. When I was a kid I always imagined a band that I loved doing something nice for me and how I would freak out, so I was like ‘if I ever make it I’m going to be that guy’ who brings everybody in and does things a little bit different than the whole ‘rockstar life.’ So if somebody asks me to do something, I usually do it,” said Cabrera. “I try to do as much as I can for other people beside myself.”

During his long history in the music industry, Cabrera has been presented with several opportunities that many other artists would envy and could only dream of doing. He became nostalgic when he recalled what he considers to be the highlight of his career, which was performing alongside some of the biggest names in songwriting and rock history.

“I think the highlight for me is probably when I sang at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame and I got two awards that year from ASCAP. I got to sing with Smokey Robinson, Bill Withers, John Fogerty, Richie Sambora and a bunch of people that I grew up looking up to as my heroes,” said Cabrera. “It was just weird because when you’re in a room like that with all these legends and you’re being honored and getting awards and singing for them, that tripped me out. I’ll never forget it and it will never make sense to me.”

For a short period of time, he was caught up in the spotlight and got sucked into becoming an MTV reality TV star, which was not his favorite part of his career, but he has since overcome the obstacle. Being a famous musician is definitely not always fun and games, especially in the not so glamorous Hollywood world of scripted television shows and simulated drama.

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“[The] downfall…that would be dealing with The Hills. My girlfriend was on that show at the time and she talked me into doing it…it was miserable. It was all scripted and we had to fake break up and then get back together, then fake break up and get back together again. I was just like ‘I’m a musician, I’m not trying to do this.’”

His short-lived career on The Hills helped teach him a valuable lesson about life in the limelight as well as the music industry in general. Whether it is from the public or hateful critics, the detrimental comments and opinions should only be taken with a grain of salt because at the end of the day someone will always have something bad to say, but the positive will always outweigh the negative. The solo artist has never been one to let fame go to his head, and he remains a genuine artist despite all of the recognition and exposure he has received throughout the years.

“I guess that you can’t take too much personally? A lot of the time it has nothing to do with anything and it’s not you or how good you are, so you do it because you love it and no one can tear you down. A lot of people will go out and try to get signed or something and they don’t get signed and think it’s them and then quit. So I guess just always try to be positive and keep trying.”

Old fans and new are more than eager to see what Cabrera has in store for the future, with his trademark style which includes charming love ballads and catchy choruses that have the ability to make anyone who listens melt. You’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the near future, with his plans to release a new full-length album and to continue touring across the country. There’s no need to worry about the heartthrob going AWOL again any time soon.

PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Jenn Stookey & Anjel Lopez STORY: Haley Black

WHEN A SIDE PROJECT BECOMES A full time gig it has got to be something special. What once began as just a way to write the music front man Landon Tewers wanted, The Plot In You happened to be one of those bands grew into something bigger than ever imagined. The Plot In You now has more than 100,000 likes on Facebook, two albums and a huge following. Tewers opened up about what it is like to be a musician and what The Plot In You has been up to.

The Plot In You was one of those “right time right place” things.

It was the perfect opportunity for Tewers to write and release the music he wanted, and he simply could not pass it up, and neither could the rest of the members. When everything started to work out, the band just ran with it.

“I stole all the members from different local bands that I was good friends with. It started as a side project so the bands weren’t upset since it was originally just for fun in our free time. When shit got serious and they had to choose… that’s when people got upset.

But we’re all good now and it worked out how it was supposed to.

We’ve only had one member change and the dude is still a close friend to us all,” Tewers explained.

The line up now consists of vocalist Landon Towers, bassist Ethan Yoder, guitarists Josh Childress and Derrick Sechrist and drummer Cole Worden; and this combination of five individual musicians turned out to be the right fit.

The band is currently signed to Rise Records and the decision to join the label was a no brainer for this group. Tewers has had a history of working with Rise Records and did not hesitate when the opportunity came to work with the label again as The Plot In You. The band released their sophomore album on the label in January entitled Could You Watch Your Children Burn. They wanted to create something fresh and out of the ordinary while still being dark and blunt. The entire record from start to finish was Tewers’ way of coping with the ugliness with in our world.

“There are a lot of things I really hate about our world, and the people in it. It’s just a fun way to vent and let out frustration without

actually killing someone,” he said about writing this record. The title even lends itself to that idea and was inspired by Tewers’ frustration. “If I were god and had ultimate control over everything, I would never be able to watch my creation destroy, rape and kill itself,” he expressed.

This record was a long time in the making, but Tewers could not be happier with how it turned out. “I was writing in between tours over the course of a year and a half; every song was written really far apart. I never had so much fun making a record. [I] just stopped worrying about making it as heavy as possible and wrote whatever I felt,” he said.

The Plot In You spends a lot of time on tour; but the downsides of tour have turned out being the most difficult of being a musician for this band. “We’ve all gone broke because of this band. Straight up. It’s just now starting to pay back a little bit for us. But it put all of us in debt for a while—countless tours barely being able to pay ourselves to eat… it sucked.”

But they do not let that get them down. “Playing fun shows rules, simple as that. There’s so much down time where there’s nothing to do, but the shows and getting to see new shit makes it worth it,” he continued. Plus he has found ways around the struggles of not making much on the road; Tewers records other bands during his time home to make ends meet.“ I still ask myself why I keep doing it a few times every tour. But I guess a part of me still loves it because I keep doing it.” And even though touring from everywhere to the United States to Australia (and wherever the road takes them in between) can get tough, the successes make it worthwhile in the end for them.

The Plot In You will not let the struggles of being in a band get them down and they are fully prepared to continue at full speed ahead.

Fans can expect more great (and angry, as Landon says) music in the future plus a ton more touring to accompany it. The band wants to visit all the places they have not been to yet so make sure to watch out for them in your town in the future.

PHOTO: Tarina Doolittle INTERVIEW & STORY: Jennifer Boylen

HOME: Findlay, OH NOW JAMMING: Could You Watch Your Children Burn - Full-Length (Rise Records) CURRENTLY: Preparing to write for their next album release HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 33

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HOME: Sheffield, UK NOW JAMMING: This Is Six - Full-Length CURRENTLY: Preparing to return to the USA for a full run on the Vans Warped Tour this summer

FOR A BACK PATCH WEARING, METAL loving, hardcore YouTube searcher like myself While She Sleeps has been in my top ten played for quite a while. The rest of the United States, on the other hand, is just getting its first look at the Brits. With a ten-year friendship solidifying the band as more than friends, but brothers, While She Sleeps have been chipping away at the UK music community for quite a while. “We were all friends at school and been playing together for almost ten years,” said guitarist Mat Welsh as he attempted to give those less familiar with the band a quick history lesson. Taking on the form of While She Sleeps officially in 2006, the band spent the next four years perfecting their craft, not releasing any official studio work until 2010 with the band’s hit, The North Stands For Nothing. And soon after releasing the album on their own, the band hit the world with a smash, eventually catching the eye of Bring Me the Horizon front man and fellow Sheffield-native Oli Sykes.

While She Sleeps are more than just another steel-city metal band making their one and only record before fading into the background of the next band. They managed to release a follow up to The North Came For Nothing—This Is Six as well as its extended reissue in 2012. “We are in no rush to put out another record,” explained Welsh, “reissuing it gives us more chance[s] to the push the album around the world. [But] we are working on new music, and look forward to having some time off the road to focus on it!”

The band is not one that operates in cycles, changing with the seasons between writing and touring, releasing and promoting records. Rather, the band is a living, breathing organism in both the writing process and within its individual relationships. “We write constantly,” said Welsh, “the road can be a difficult place to write and finding a designated time or space isn’t always easy.” With a group of talented musicians who have been playing together for so long it is no mystery that the band is able to work as a cohesive unit.

“We all work separately on personal ideas but talk frequently,” Welsh commented on the band’s writing process, “Being on tour and traveling definitely influences your creativity and it’s a great time to put your emotions and feelings down on paper or through music.”

Although the band has been prominent in Europe for years now, the United States is still an untapped market for the band. “To the US we are a new band playing in the scene,” said Welsh. While She Sleeps, however, have not faced the negativity and difficulty so many other bands face as they enter into a new market.

“Reactions are obviously different to the places we have spent the last five years gigging,” said Welsh, “it was really exciting seeing people who had never heard of us react positively to our music.”

They hit the US with a one two punch, just hard enough to knock the metal scene on their behind, and recently announcing in January that they would be playing Vans Warped Tour this summer. “The tour is going to be a huge adventure for us. The

longest consecutive run of dates we will have ever done,” Welsh expressed, “it’s definitely a milestone for all of us to get the chance to play.” As the band embarks on the epic journey that is Warped Tour, long time veterans and new comers like themselves will be joining them throughout the summer months. “There are also some amazing bands, getting to watch the Chariot and LetLive play every day for the whole summer is pretty exciting.”

As a band that has been built on the DIY mentality since 2006, keeping up with the changes in the industry must always be on the forefront of their mind. “We pride ourselves on a DIY ethic and try to stay as grounded to our roots as possible.”

Somewhat a part of the MySpace Generation, the band personally witnessed a lot of changes to the industry over the years. Welsh felt that the experience as a whole made the industry change for the better. “Hopefully [it] made people focus on the actual band and the live music, not how many friends you had or plays that day,” Welsh expressed. As we are all aware, social media has gone through a number of revolutions beyond the death of MySpace; from the creation of Facebook and twitter to the proliferation of iPhones, the constant revolutions of technology have redefined the way fans connect with their music. Because of their DIY mentality, While She Sleeps are one of the best at staying connected with these fans. “I think it’s important to keep in touch with your fans and promote what you are doing,” said Welsh, “I enjoy seeing bands documented well and try and make everything we do as fun and easy to watch as possible.”

And as band that has been doing it as long as While She Sleeps is far from without struggles. “We got to a point in 2009 and decided collectively to leave our jobs and incomes, and work solely on the band,” said Welsh, “ It was a tough first year. It was difficult at times but the most rewarding thing we have ever done when things start to work.” As their career continues to grow and prosper these sacrifices and struggles have begun to pay off.

“I think getting the opportunity to travel the world with our best friends [is a highlight],” said Welsh, “If you do what you love with passion and focus you can achieve anything you want.”

As the band adamantly moves forward into what is without question their most exciting and productive year to date, While She Sleeps do not allow the excitement get to their head. After the tragic bombings at the Boston Marathon, While She Sleeps chose to push back the release of their music video for their new single “Death Toll. ”When asked about coming to this decision Welsh said, “The song doesn’t have a negative message, but we felt some lyrics and words were inappropriate to release on the same day the disaster in Boston Happen.” Fueled by their DIY mentality and an undying passion for their music, While She Sleeps will take North America by storm just as they’ve captured the interest of the UK’s scene. Be sure to check them out on Warped Tour this summer, they are not something to be missed.

PHOTO: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Anjel Lopez STORY: Will Howard

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“Being on tour and traveling definitely influences your creativity and it’s a great time to put your emotions and feelings down on paper or through music.”

HOME: Surrey, UK NOW JAMMING: Sinners Never Sleep - Full-Length CURRENTLY: Working on a new album and waiting to tour for the rest of 2013

OVER THE YEARS, COUNTLESS BANDS have made their way to the good ole US of A to make their name in our music scene. Iconic names like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones have been among the most successful British bands to break through into the American music world, and this is not an easily accomplished task. There are many bands originating from the US who have not been able to make it; it takes dedication and perseverance to build a fan base in your own country let alone another. You Me At Six have only just begun their career in the U.S., but have the potential to take the country by storm with their high energy shows and revolutionary sound.

“That was the most incredible thing we have ever done,” said Barnes.

While all the members are all now in their early twenties, the band got its start at a much earlier age, which is even more of a testament to their success. They started the band while still in high school and began playing gigs. Being young and impressionable in a dog-eat-dog type of music scene can be difficult, but You Me At Six gave it their all. Looking back, the band members can see the mistakes they made and the things they could have done differently, but it is all in the past now. They let their past shape their future and form them into the band they are today.

The five lads from Surrey, England, saw their first glimpse of success through Myspace when they were listed among the top unsigned artists in the UK. The band has since then released three

“I think everything happens for a reason. So, everything that has happened up to this point has shaped [us] and may be the reason our old U.S. label didn’t support us for the last three records. It’s

albums and taken the UK by storm. They even received the award for Best British Band at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards. It goes without saying that You Me At Six has had a great amount of success during their short time as a band and we don’t expect it to stop any time soon.

because we needed to do it all ourselves, all organically, so that we can build a fan base the right way here rather than just come here and jump on the radio or jump on the TV. I think it’s all panning out the way we hoped it would,” said Franceschi.

The formation of the band came about when lead singer Josh Franceschi and bassist Matt Barnes decided they wanted to make music together. After going through several lineup changes initially, the band finally came to the current lineup by adding guitarists Chris Miller and Max Helyer and drummer Dan Flint.

“The dream team was complete,” commented Barnes.

Last December, the band played the infamous Wembley Arena as the last stop on their headlining tour supporting their latest album Sinners Never Sleep. The show was appropriately titled the Final Night of Sin. The 12,500 capacity venue brimmed over with fans waiting for You Me At Six to rock their faces off. The show was such a landmark for the band that they had the entire show recorded and put it out as their first DVD so everyone who could not attend would be able to experience it, and those who did could relive the special night over and over again.

When asked about the highlight of the band’s career, it was without hesitation that both Franceschi and Barnes responded with playing Wembley Arena.

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“I wouldn’t change anything for the world,” added Barnes.

All past mistakes aside, You Me At Six has overcome any obstacle put in their way. A true test of a band is whether they can stay together through thick and thin and it is clear that You Me At Six has passed this test with flying colors. They have held the same line-up for their entire career, which is impressive given that they have been together for around 8 years.

“I think we’ve done well because none of us are on coke or, you know, gambled our money away so we’re doing alright,” said Franceschi.

With all the success they have achieved over the years, it would be reasonable to see the band as arrogant rock stars that keep to themselves. Thankfully, this is not the case with You Me At Six. Each member is humbled by the ability to play music for a living.

Look at any member’s Twitter page on any given day and see just how connected and personal they are with their fans. Social media has been a platform for bands to really reach out to fans.

Instead of complaining about the exposure of their personal lives

through social media, You Me At Six uses it as a way for fans to get to know them better as individuals and collectively as a band.

“Without social media, I don’t think our band would be here today, personally,” said Barnes.

“You can learn a lot about someone’s personality and I think the fans really enjoy that sort of relationship and that attachment. I think Twitter allows us to reach out to fans that we may have never met yet or that live in a country we haven’t visited yet, but we can still communicate with them and they can still communicate with us. I think that’s quite incredible,” commented Franceschi.

There may be many differences between touring in America and touring in the UK, but one thing is consistent in both countries: changes in the music industry. Even though You Me At Six has only been around for about 8 years, they have experienced their fair share of shifts within the industry. In their home country of England, they have seen musical fads come and go like the seasons; the United States has an array of genres that are continuously popular and do not fade out as quickly as they do in the UK. “I feel like in England, a band like From First To Last was kind of massive for a year and then no one really gave a shit. I feel like, in America, like Warped Tour, every other band is screaming,” said Franceschi.

“It’s sorta like ‘Lads on Tour,’ like a massive hang out. Most tours you go on you take a few weeks to find out who you are going to be on tour with, but we already knew all the All Time Low guys, some of the Pierce The Veil guys and we’re like best friends with Mayday. Everyone is like a family basically. So, it’s been an absolute hang out. We only play a half an hour so the rest of it we’re hanging,” said Barnes.

Any one of the bands on the Spring Fever Tour could easily headline a full US tour, but together as one tour they managed to sell out some of the biggest venues in the country. This is what you call a power tour, and the band was only allotted a thirty-minute time slot on this tour and was the first band to play every night.

“We’re still a very, very new band here in America although from what we’ve gathered from this tour is that our fan base is definitely growing here but, by all means, we can not headline a tour this size. For us, it’s a great exposure. I can’t mention what else we’d be doing but being on this tour really. We’re going to come and headline in the fall so hopefully we’ll be able to see what happens,” explained Franceschi.

The Spring Fever Tour was without a doubt the must see show of the spring touring season. It was filled with highs and lows, but one moment sticks out for all of the bands on the tour: the bomb scare. On the Philadelphia stop of the tour, a bomb scare occurred

“It’s different…The UK and the U.S. are different,” added Barnes.

You Me At Six experienced the two different worlds of touring. In the UK, they are highly acclaimed and well known. While in the US, they have had to start from the bottom and work their way up to where they are now; they even played an entire summer on the Vans Warped Tour. Anyone familiar with the tour knows that playing it in it’s entirety is a rite of passage for any band wanting to make a name for themselves in the alternative music scene.

On their first run on Warped Tour, You Me At Six played the Altec Lansing Stage with bands such as Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals and Parkway Drive. Being able to share the stage with bands that have been around for a while and have established fan bases was a great way for the band to get their music out to people who had never heard of them before. They appeared on a few dates of Warped Tour in 2012 as well. The band also played many festivals in the UK including Reading and Leeds. Needless to say, they have continued to work hard and progress in their musicianship to get to where they are today.

“I was saying to the guys in the U.S. bands the other day that I feel that American bands can come over to England and easily start headlining. I feel like here you have to really, really work your ass off to get anywhere. This is like our 7th tour in America. I think it probably won’t be until our 10th or 11th tour where we will really start seeing where we are at as a headlining band. I think that’s the main difference,” said Franceschi.

“It’s a lot bigger, too. In the UK you can travel from the bottom to the top in like 12 hours. In America, you can travel from one side of Texas to the other side of Texas, and still be in Texas in 12 hours. It’s a lot harder,” chimed in Barnes.

Touring in the US has allowed You Me At Six to expand their fan base as well as make friends with other bands. The British band just finished the Spring Fever Tour with co-headliners All Time Low and Pierce the Veil and fellow openers Mayday Parade.

“I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE ARE AT A STAGE NOW WHERE WE HAVE FOUND OUR SOUND.”

at The Electric Factory, where the bands played. A few threats had been made towards the bands on the tour on the venue’s Facebook page and later a glass bottle with suspicious wires was found. The bands were rushed out of their buses and into a safe place until all was clear. It turned out to be a false alarm and thankfully, no one was hurt. This bomb scare was not taken lightly especially given that the Philadelphia date was a week after the Boston marathon bombings occurred.

“It was all a bit weird really. No one really knew why or what was going on,” said Barnes.

“It was pretty scary… You obviously can’t take any risks,” chimed in Francechi.

Most bands try and keep their fans in the know while they are on tour by making tour updates. For the Spring Fever Tour, You Me At Six decided to take tour updates to the next level. They created an eight part short documentary called An American Spring. The documentary appears in eight short videos all directed and edited

by Tom Welsh; the videos feature day-to-day shenanigans of the You Me At Six lads and give fans a look at what life is like on the road. Even though when describing them, it sounds like a normal series of video updates, it is much more. An American Spring features voice over commentary from the band members, interviews and live concert footage and unlike other documentaries this one is free and can be easily accessed on YouTube.

“We literally just piss about on the road, just show people what we actually do day-to-day. There’s nothing really much to it,” said Barnes.

“It wasn’t planned. It was kind of just like, ‘Hey! Do you want to come film us in America being goofballs for 5-6 weeks,’ and [Welsh] was like ‘Alright!’ I think he’s taking it more seriously than we are. It’s all coming out amazing. He’s really good,” added Franceschi.

The Spring Fever Tour was very different for You Me At Six for more reasons than the obvious being that it was a US tour. The band, who usually tours with a crew of around thirty people, only brought three crew members along: a tour manager, a guitar tech, and a videographer. They started the tour off in a van, reminding them of their early years of touring. Later in the tour though, they decided it was best to get a bus like the rest of their tour mates.

Along with touring non-stop around the world, You Me At Six has been working on a new album. “We’re kind of in the baby stages of it, like we haven’t really properly started piecing stuff together yet,” explained Franceschi.

“We’re very far away from a finished product, basically. We have wrote a few songs but we need to write a lot more,” remarked Barnes.

For touring musicians, the best time to write music is all the time.

Most musicians are constantly writing new material. Some songs may see the light of day and make it onto a record while others will sit forever in the confines of a band member’s laptop.

“Bands constantly write. People get stoked when they think that we’re writing again, but musicians never stop writing music,” confessed Barnes.

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This may be disheartening for fans waiting patiently for new music from the band; the album writing and recording process can be a long and bumpy road. “We need to figure out who is recording it, then we have to record, then master it, and mix it…It probably won’t be out for a long time,” commented Barnes.

While this seems like a vague answer, album releases tend to be unpredictable and out of the bands control once recording is completed. Franceschi gives us hope though, “I think, we’re hoping for an early 2014 release like January, February sometime.

But there could be some new music before then.”

The question that every band gets when they announce they are going to be writing a new album is, “Is it going to sound the same as (insert previous album name here)?” For some reason, fans absolutely hate change. Change is good, and often times can be for the better.

Though for You Me At Six, a new sound may not be in the game plan.

“We’re just going to keep the You Me At Six style. We aren’t going to do anything crazy. We aren’t going to go super rock. We aren’t going to go super metal or pop or anything like that. We are just going to do what we enjoy playing, really. It’s going to be a lot more mature. That’s what everyone says. It’s sort of a cliche thing,” explained Barnes.

Most bands are able to find their unique sound by their second or third album and from there create solid music that they love, but every band needs to grow and mature. Once they figure out what their sound is, they can go on to produce their best records.

You Me At Six is at that point in their career. Sinners Never Sleep was a defining album for the band and set the stage for what their future releases will sound like.

“I kind of feel like we are at a stage now where we have found our sound,” said Franceschi.

“We don’t like to really look at other styles and try to imitate or copy anything,” Barnes added.

The writing process for You Me At Six varies depending on the song and album, but remains simple. It starts out with a riff that turns into a chorus and so on until the instrumentals are all set in place. Barnes says that after all is said and done Franceschi comes in and “puts the magic over the top and sprinkles the melody.”

As far as collaborations are concerned, there won’t be any in the near future for You Me At Six. “I don’t think we will be doing a collaboration again unless it really makes sense. We have done a few, which have been great, and a few which haven’t been so great. I think it’s time now just to put that to one side,” Franceschi remarked.

“I WOULDN’T CHANGE ANYTHING FOR THE WORLD.”

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The only hope of collaboration any time soon would be if Francheschi could get rapper Drake on board. “I would like to do something with Drake. I just think it would be funny,” added Franceschi while sipping his afternoon tea out of a Red Solo cup.

If only Drake could see that You Me At Six started from the bottom and now they are here, maybe then he would be inspired to collaborate with them… YOLO? As far as the future goes for You Me At Six, we can expect a lot within the upcoming year. The year 2014 may seem like a long way away, but it will be here sooner than you think. “I think 2014 will be the year that people will really know about You Me At Six in terms of a new record. Until then, I think you may or may not hear new music. It just depends on how things go,” concluded Franceschi.

You Me At Six brings something new and fresh to the US alternative scene. They are becoming a well-known and loved band here in the States and are steadily making their way into the hearts of music fans everywhere. The wit and humor of Franceschi as he yells at fans to run around a tent at Warped Tour or stop crying over chicken nuggets is among the reasons why people cannot get enough of this crazy bunch of dudes from across the pond. Their sound captivates listeners immediately and any band having that kind of effect on people will surely be around for a long time. With a fall US tour in the works and a new album on the way, You Me At Six is about to take the US by storm. They will have to prepare themselves for all the gossip that comes with stardom and just bite their tongue(s) or else they will have to pay the consequence. Right now they are just underdogs, but come 2014 we will all have our jaws on the floor because of the perfection that will ensue from their new album. After all, no one does it better than You Me At Six. PHOTOS: Cara Bahniuk INTERVIEW: Jenn Stookey & Anjel Lopez STORY: Jessica Klinner

THE BAND PERRY

WHERE: Calvert Marine Museum, Solomons, MD PHOTOS: Cara Bahniuk

all time low

WHERE: Towson Center, Towson, MD PHOTOS: Cara Bahniuk

FALL OUT BOY

WHERE: The Rave, Milwaukee, WI PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn

album

reviews artist:

The Maine album: Forever Halloween rating:

Sounds like: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Jimmy Eat World Augustana

Recommended tracks: “These Four Words” “Sad Songs” “Blood Red”

Tracks: Take What You Can Carry Love & Drugs 3 Run 4 White Walls 5 Happy 6 Birthday In Los Angeles 7 Blood Red 8 Kennedy Curse 9 Sad Songs 10 Fucked Up Kids 11 These Four Words 12 Forever Halloween 1 2

Release date: June 4, 2013

website: www.wearethemaine.net

The Maine’s fourth studio album displays a side of the band that no one has ever seen before; the honesty in the lyrics and conviction in lead singer John O’Callaghan’s voice make this album more personal and vulnerable than any of their previous releases. Apart from lyrics and sound, the mere fact that they recorded this album on tape sets it apart.

Forever Halloween sounds raw, natural and effortless. This is the album that has been brewing within The Maine for years just waiting to boil over.

Through and through, this album screams rock and roll. Each song distinctly tells a story.

O’Callaghan truly outdid himself with the lyrical content of this album. Whether each song describes personal experiences or not, fans will be able to find something they can relate to and a lyric that will stick with them. “Happy” and “Love & Drugs” are two of the most upbeat songs and sound more like The Maine’s signature sound than any of the other tracks on the record. “Fucked Up Kids” could be the older, more mature brother to Can’t Stop Won’t Stop’s “We’ll All Be” because of the gang vocals and the repeated chanting of lyrics at the end of the song. “These Four Words” stands out on the record mostly because it is a piano ballad; while the band has released a few songs containing piano, none have showcased just O’Callaghan’s vocals against the piano. This is the most unique and captivating song the band has ever released. The last song and title track of the record puts to rest concerns and questions of what exactly “Forever Halloween” means.

As I listened to the album, I could just picture the band in a room together recording the songs. The imperfections found throughout the album give it a texture and roughness that can only be found in a live performance. It captures the essence of the band at the moment they recorded it. Forever Halloween is going to please long time fans and skeptics alike. Anyone who has ever doubted the talent or musicianship of The Maine will run back to them with open arms after hearing this album.

REVIEW: Jessica Klinner

Artist: City and Colour Album: The Hurry and The Harm The Hurry and The Harm is the latest release from Canadian singer-songwriter and former Alexisonfire front-man Dallas Green. City and Colour shows off Green’s softer side with laidback folk inspired music.

The album starts off with the title track “The Hurry and The Harm” and instantly goes into the acoustic pop/rock sound that makes up the rest of the record. Each song flows into the next seamlessly with haunting and beautiful melodies that are greatly complemented by Green’s soothing and soulful vocals. Where this record seems to fall short is its lack of variety; many of the songs sound fairly similar and don’t really ever fully grab you in, although tracks “The Lonely Life” and “Thirst” tend to stand out above the rest. “The Lonely Life” has an upbeat tempo unlike the rest of the record, and the track “Thirst” has catchy and edgy guitar riffs.

Green has definitely made it clear with this album that he is an incredibly talented writer and musician. It’ll be interesting to see how he continues to grow with City and Colour.

recommended tracks: “The Lonely Life & “Thirst” review: Annette Schaefer

Artist: Eisley Album: Currents The Valley was a phenomenal record, so Eisley had a lot to live up to with their followup album, Currents, although they rarely (if ever) disappoint. There is no other word to describe their latest record other than beautiful, with the angelic tone of the DuPree sister’s vocals, dynamic guitar riffs, and delicate piano melodies intertwined with cellos and violins.

Chauntelle sings the least out of her two sisters/bandmates, but she finally gets her chance to shine in “Millstone.” There is even more talent from the family displayed in “Wicked Child” featuring Merriment, the other two siblings of the DuPree family. The album is a bit more uplifting and reflects the happier stages of life all of the members seem to be in.

Currents remains true to the whimsical nature of Eisley’s signature sound while still being distinguished enough to hold its own in their flawless discography.

recommended tracks: “Save My Soul” & “Real World” review: Haley Black

Artist: Sleeping With Sirens Album: Feel Sleeping with Sirens’ brand new full-length record Feel brings together the band’s more poppy and laid-back side than any of their previous records. Without entirely losing their edge, the band explores the versatility of their talents and incorporates more pop sounds than the traditional syncopation or heavy breakdown.

With Quinn serenading listeners as he sings “I feel so alive again” the record catches attention with the beautiful melody and the simplicity of the band on the very first track. Sleeping with Sirens’ old heavier style need not worry. With heavier tracks like “Congratulations” featuring Matty Mullins (Memphis May Fire), both new and old fans will be pleased to hear both the familiar and the experimental.

Sleeping With Sirens reached notable success albums ago. Feel is the bands experimentation, with two successful records under their belt and an acoustic EP, it comes at a time when the band is looking for a new direction, and allowing their influences to expand.

recommended tracks: “Congratulations” & “I’ll Take You There” review: Will Howard HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 53