INSPIRERMAGAZINE MARCH 2012
Interview with up & coming band Twin Atlantic First Person Films
Nadja Seale: our new style crush!
Interview with music photographer Matt Vogel
Sunglasses by Mafalda 86 Racism Still A Part of Soccer March Madness Quickly Approaches
band you should know:
he is we
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He is We is composed of the lovely duo Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly. Their calming, inspirational songs are catchy and deserve to be widely listened to. Every track that He is We has produced shows off Taylor’s lovely vocal chops and Kelly’s brilliant musical skills. Hailing from Tacoma, Washington, this humble band has plenty of talent and would love to share their music with as many people as possible. As said on their bio on their band website, heiswemusic.com, He is We is “the idea that someone who you pass by everyday can influence the rest of your life… and you would never know. It’s the thought and power one person can have over their surroundings.” He is We was recently on tour with The Cab and The Summer Set, and is soon departing on a headlining tour on May 2nd in Minneapolis, MN. See them live if you can because you do not want to miss their inspirational, feel-good set.
by; nicolette tabor
album reviews
by: kory woodard
Scars & Stories is the third album by the popular American band, The Fray. This album was released on February 7th.
Many people haven’t heard of Lana Del Rey, but believe it or not, Born To Die is her second studio album.
After the first two songs on this album, the sound changes a little bit from what we’re used to from the band. “Turn Me On”, the third track, is by far the most different, but also the most interesting. After that, the songs range from somewhat upbeat to slower ballads. The album is good, but I was hoping for it to be a little more of what I’m used to I guess. Regardless, if you’ve been a die hard The Fray fan, I’m sure that you’ll love this album.
Although at first listen, I wasn’t sure what to think of Miss Del Rey, after finishing the full album I couldn’t stop humming the songs. The music is a lot different than what’s popular right now in the US, but I can tell that there’s nothing to worry about considering this album has already sold 500k copies! If you like alternative hip hop, alternative pop, or indie pop, then this album may be for you.
Overall Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating
Overall Rating: 4/5 Overall Rating
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in case your new year’s resolutions have kept you too busy to keep up-to-date with the latest album releases, here’s a short review for each of these four albums that you’ll definitely need to check out.
Hospitality is a female fronted, up and coming indie pop band hailing all the way from Brooklyn, New York. Although they’re just getting started, they’ve already released their first studio album, self-titled Hospitality.
If you haven’t heard music by fun. and you think you know what they sound like, there’s a pretty big chance that you’re wrong. Not alll Fueled By Ramen bands sound the same, and these guys prove this on their album, Some Nights.
For their first full length album, Hospitality is a hit. When I heard this album, I couldn’t pass it up. The songs are mostly simple and upbeat, and the lyrics are beyond catchy. Personally, I think lead singer, Amber Papini’s, sound can be compared to that of Zooey Deschanel. If you’re a fan of Indie music, I highly recommend that you check this band out.
Although most of the songs on this album aren’t really my taste, I did really enjoy their hit single, “We Are Young” featuring Janelle Monae. I also really enjoyed the fact that while all of the songs flow together, but at the same time they sound different. You wouldn’t think that these guys draw their inspiration from Kanye West, but they do & it makes their music that much more interesting.
Overall Rating: 4/5 Overall Rating
Overall Rating: 3/5 Overall Rating
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Top: Bring Me The Horizon Bottom: Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan
b t s
behind the scenes
interview with music photographer: matt vogel by: morgan young
The music industry, like planet Earth, has many different layers that each contains a handful of people working under one job title. One of these layers includes photographers who are determined to give their audience a quality image that showcases the best of a band’s ability. From on stage to in a well-lit studio, there are many tasks that these photographers must complete before their photographs reach your computer screen. Photographer Matt Vogel can be seen as one of the more creative individuals in his scene, with subjects ranging from metalcore band Bring Me The Horizon to alternative rock’s Taking Back Sunday. What sets him apart from others in his field, however, are the steps he takes in the editing process. Ever wondered what it’s like to “make it” in this realm of the music industry? I conducted a short interview with Vogel himself about how he got started, his hopes for the future and the messages he sends through his creative masterpieces. inspirer magazine | 9
What got you started in photography? I started out my experience with photography like a fifteen-year- old girl - taking pictures of flowers and dogs and whatever else I could find in my backyard. At the time, I was really interested in graphic design, and wanted to use my own photos in my work instead of using free stock photos. At the time, I thought of photography as nothing more than a tool to aid my design work. Shortly after I picked up the habit, I went to my first ever concert, at the age of sixteen. Switchfoot and Relient K played, and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I loved the lights, the atmosphere, and just how damn loud it was. I'm pretty sure the whole night I was thinking to myself, "I could totally take sweet pictures of this." So I started going to as many shows as I could, and brought my mom's camera along. For a long time I just shot local shows and little bands in clubs. That's pretty much how it all came together!
chance to work with both of them is exactly where I want to be.
Why did you choose to pursue a career in photography? Were you planning on getting into the music industry from the start? I still don't know if a career in photography is what I'm after, but I think I'd love to always do it to some extent. The music industry is definitely where I wanted to be after going to that first concert. Music and photography are two of my favorite things, so getting the
What's your favorite part about being a music photographer? Getting kicked in the back of the head by crowd surfers. Not really kidding, though. One of my favorite parts of shooting shows is the challenge. You're in a three foot wide photo pit that holds back hundreds of kids that want to be closer to the artist, and you're taking pictures in terrible light, trying to watch out for all the other photographers in the pit, all while trying to capture someone jumping around a stage. It's awesome.
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Seeing all the unique edits you do to some of your photos, where do you draw inspiration from? All those crazy edits are just the result of me experimenting while listening to the band's music, which is definitely the biggest inspiration for them. For me they're therapeutic, I can just zone out for an hour or two and mess around in Photoshop. At some point I decided to upload a few and people seemed to enjoy them, but they were always intended to be personal work. I feel like some people misunderstand that;; they think I'm trying to make some statement or trying to change photography. Or they just think that they're dumb, which is cool too. The desired end product for me would be when someone can look at one of those crazy photos and say, "that looks like that band sounds."
But my favorite part is definitely the people I've met. There are so many amazing and talented photographers, fans, musicians, and just people in general that I've become friends with that I would have never met without picking up photography.
What do you believe have been your biggest accomplishments thus far? Last November I was lucky enough to get a picture in the magazine Alternative Press. I've been subscribing to AP since I was a kid, and my walls in the room I grew up in are completely covered with photos from pages I ripped out and
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Music and photography are two of my favorite things, so getting the chance to work with both of them is exactly where I want to be.
taped to the wall. So getting that photo in there was really, really cool for me. Maybe somewhere, someone ripped out one of my photos and put them on their wall. The cycle would be complete!
What are your goals for the future? I'd love to start traveling and shooting a lot more. Right now I live in Iowa while I go to school and it's pretty difficult to be able
to shoot music regularly as nobody really tours here much. I'd love to start expanding from mostly just shooting music too, but I guess time will tell! What does photography mean to you? It's by far my favorite creative medium. It's incredible how much 1/200th of a second can mean. Every photo has a story and they're often really personal, and nobody knows about them. Photography leaves everything so open to interpretation. Shooting shows, in particular, is my favorite form of photography because you have no control over anything. You get in the photo pit and deal with what's given to you, and have to create something different than everyone else standing right next to you. The whole thing is a never-ending creative challenge to me and I love it. Which photographers do you look up to? I could list probably hundreds of names right here, but I'll keep it brief. Just know that these are a very tiny piece of my inspirational photographer pie. Jered Scott is
one of my favorite photographers. There was an Alternative Press story on him a few years ago that I hung up on my wall, actually. It was like, Two Weeks in the Life of an AP Photographer or an AP Photographer something. I remember reading it and thinking just how cool his life must be. Practically half of the photos in the old Alternative Press issues are Jered Scott photos, I swear. I'm a huge fan of the guy, his work is always phenomenal.Adam Elmakias is the man. He's probably the most successful music photographer I can think of, and he's only a year or two older than me. His work is so good, and he's constantly
traveling on tour or just flying all over to do shoots. I think it's fair to say he's living the dream, and he's totally earned it. Despite his success he's still the most humble guy in the world. Total inspiration! What would take place in a perfect shoot? Any time all of my gear actually works is a perfect shoot in my book. It's extremely rare! for that to happen. What's one piece of advice you would give someone who's just starting out in music photography? Take as many pictures as you can! The more you shoot, the more you learn. It's the simplest piece of advice anyone could give, but it's entirely true. Top: Anthony Green of Circa Survive Left: The Wonder Years inspirer magazine | 11
Alternative Press – Track by Track: ‘The Wonder Years’
The Wonder Years took over the pop punk charts last year with “Suburbia, I’ve Given You All And Now I’m Nothing.” On that record is a magnificent song called “Hoodie Weather” that changed the way I look at this small city that I have been living in for a number of years. Dan Campbell’s words on the Track by Track article that A.P. Magazine did with him, really hit home. I know a lot of people who complain about where they live but don’t yet know what they want out of life. It might be the illusion of “grass is always greener on the other side” but just moving to a different city isn’t going to make you happy;; you have to figure out what dreams you have and go get them. It doesn’t matter where you live if you don’t know what makes you happy. “The entire world seems to want to leave. Everywhere I've ever been, when you ask what's cool there, the response is, "Nothing;; this place sucks. I can't wait to get out." But, if everywhere sucks, where are you going, and why? I feel like a lot of people around here are without goals. They don't know where they want to go or what they want to know. They just know they don't want to be here, and they don't want to do this. It's a pointless cycle. I've grown up in this town my whole life. I watched a lot of people die here. I mean, they're still technically alive, but they're practically dead. They don't have anything that they want to be anymore. A lot of people hate a lot of places, but it's not enough to just run away from them. You need to figure out what you love and what you don't, and place yourself in this world according to that, or you're going to end up miserable no matter what city you're in.”- Dan “Soupy” Campbell
Paste Magazine- The 20 best movies of 2011 Last July I came across this Paste Magazine article “The 20 best movies of 2011 (so far)” and “Midnight In Paris” was on it. This movie absolutely blew me away! When I first started watching it I had no idea what to expect. This Woody Allen movie is an exploration of nostalgia and happiness, or trying to find it. This movie centers around the theme of ‘Golden Ages’, everyone has one;; but whether it’s now or back in the 20’s is a different story. I’m definitely the type of person who can’t stop reminiscing about the past, looking forward to the future, but after watching this movie I have learned to really take in moments and grasp the present. “We do not know the true value of our moments until they have become a memory.”
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What The Ruckus-Top 25 Songs of 2011
If you follow the music industry closely, then you see every year that it’s a contest to put out the best of the best top songs/albums/movies/ of that year. I, actually, love those articles. It shows me the things I might have missed previously, or makes me try out the song/album again to see if it grew on me. What the Ruckus put out their ‘Top 25 of 2011’ list and I figured why not look at it. I don’t regret at doing so because I found Bebe Black. Before I ever heard Lana Del Ray’s music I heard Bebe Black’s song ‘I’ll Wait.’ I couldn’t believe my ears! I was so astonished that no one had showed me this song before, or even talked about it. I haven’t been able to find any of her other music, if she has any, but this song shows that true talent isn’t dead.
Rolling Stone- John Mayer Reveals Why He Quit Twitter
While giving a speech to students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston last July, John Mayer talked to them about why he quit Twitter. During the speech, he gave the students a major tip on how to become successful. Instead of promoting their music on social media sites, he told them to focus all their time and energy on songs, so they can be the best that they can be. "I realized about a year ago that I couldn’t have a complete thought anymore, and I was a tweetaholic, I had four million Twitter followers, and I was always writing on it. And I stopped using Twitter as an outlet and I started using Twitter as the instrument to riff on, and it started to make my mind smaller and smaller and smaller. And I couldn’t write a song. Here are the rules for recording this record: No drum machines, no loops, no keyboards to start out with, no excuses, no breaks, no laptops, no nothing, if you take a break, it’s to eat. If you’re done, you go home. This time is a really important time for you guys because nobody knows who you are, and nobody should, this is not a time to promote yourself. It doesn’t matter. This is the time to get your stuff together. Promotion can be like that. You can have promotion in 30 seconds if your stuff is good. Good music is its own promotion."
Facebook- Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station
“A man sat at a metro station in Washington, DC and started to play the violin;; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the train station, most of them on their way to work. Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule. A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk. A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work. The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on. In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the top musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written,with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars. Two days before e his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston and the seats average $100. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people. The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context? One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?” n This story has been going around Facebook for a while but it’s one that I truly appreciate. A couple weeks ago as I was walking into a store, during this INCREDIBLE sunset that lit up the entire sky, everyone who was outside didn't even bother to look at it or even stop walking. I was amazed at how something so astonishing could be right in front of someone’s eyes and they don't even noticed or care. It’s not even about it being “just a sunset, “it’s a shame that people don't stop, even when they are not being rushed, to appreciate the small things in life.
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twin
atlantic by: selma rakovic Stemming from Glasglow, Scotland and well known for its unique, authentic style of alternative rock, Twin Atlantic is a band that has seen incredible international success since its formation in 2007. Through tours with music giants like Angels & Airwaves, as well as the release of Free, the band’s sophomore studio album, the charming Scotts that make up Twin Atlantic have experienced an explosion of popularity in the music scene. Their distinct style is one that is not easily overlooked or forgotten, and I was lucky enough to have a chance to sit down with two of the guys on their latest tour with The Swellers, You Me At Six, and We Are The Ocean in the United States. The following text is a transcript of my interview with band members Barry McKenna and Ross McNae, two of the most genuinely kind people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, conducted on January 31st, 2012 in Worcester, Massachusetts.
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interview with the scottish band
Hi, I’m Selma from Inspirer Magazine and I’m here with the guys of Twin Atlantic today. How about we say names, what you play in the band, and your position on Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings. Barry McKenna: “Well, erhm, okay, you threw a curve ball there! [laughs] My name’s Barry and I play guitar in Twin Atlantic, and uh, Lord of the Rings every time because Harry Potter is nonsense... For kids, and I am not a kid.” Ross McNae: “I’m Ross and I play the bass, and I, uh, could not pick between them, I don’t think. But if I had to, just to spite Barry, I’d say Harry Potter.” So, tell me a little about how you guys formed. BM: “Well, Ross and Sam went to school together and started playing music together years ago, and then met me and Craig just through, we all played in bands in the classical music scene and we all kind of had a very similar outlook on life, and we thought ‘why not put our heads together and form a new band?’ Well, not new band, ‘cause Ross and Sam had actually already started Twin Atlantic, so, we put our heads together to forge a Twin Atlantic mark.”
RM: “The new and improved Twin Atlantic. The sequel.” How did you guys come up with the name ‘Twin Atlantic’? RM: “Erhm, basically we were listening to Death Cab For Cutie’s album ‘Transatlanticism,’ so we liked the word ‘atlantic’ and we thought it sounded big and massive and, eh, it didn’t necessarily sound like a type of music. You know how certain bands, you hear their name and you know who they are? We didn’t want that, so we just found a word that we thought worked well with it, and we just wanted to sound quite, like, wholesome and big and open and epic, and that’s it.” That’s good. Yeah, usually you hear names like ‘Bloody Screaming on the Dancefloor’ and you know exactly what kind of music they play. RM: “Exactly.” Good, good. So, when did you guys know you were going to be musicians in life? RM: “Uh, I don’t know. I’ve kind of always wanted to be, but never thought I would actually be. I remember
even going to the first gigs with my parents and watching people on the stage and deciding that’s what I wanted to do. I learned to play piano first when I was, like, really young, but with no actual inspiration of being a pianist. It was more of just ‘because your parents wanted you to learn’ kind of thing and then just different instruments, but, I don’t know if I was ever learning them thinking that that’s what I wanted to do, or if I was just learning them for fun. I think... Is that not similar for you as well?” BM: “Erhm, similar, yeah, I’d say for me. Like, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a musician in terms of I wanted to play music, but I didn’t really have any aspirations until a few years ago, really, until we started this band I thought I could actually make a go out of it professionally, like, full-time. Same as Ross, I played cello and piano when I was really young, and
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and yeah, I just loved playing music. I knew I was going to play music throughout my life, but I didn’t necessarily know it was going to be the foremost thing I was going to be doing, so...” RM: “I kind of mean the same thing as you, it’s not that I didn’t think that I would be a musician as more of a musician, you know what I mean?”
remarkably different to say ‘we are this different because of this’ just because when you think about all the music that came before us, you know, rock, pop, but we’re kind of mish-mash of all the music we’ve heard throughout our lives, and I think most bands are. You know, you’re influenced by where you come from, and obviously, there’s always going to be a difference in every band because they’re made up of Yeah. Alright, so, what distinguishes you guys different people, so I think that every band’s going to as a band from other bands? have its own personality changes and stuff. But, I BM: “Erhm, probably... Uh, ridiculously... Like... think on the whole, bands generally, not sound the Great looks? You know? I think we’ve got such same, but sound fairly similar to a lot of other bands handsome faces, and with supple skin. Most bands because, how different can drums, guitar, and bass out there are tough-skinned, but we’re nice and sound from each other when they’re played together? supple, and it’s all about the moisturizer, you It’s just like, I don’t know. But then again, we’ve know, when you’re on tour, you’ve got to keep always been quite sappy and we’ve never really been your skin in shape. [laughs] I don’t know...” massly about, well, we’ve always been about the RM: “Sam’s voice, obviously. Well, all of our v sound of the band, but especially in this last album, oices, when we all sing, we all sing in Scottish we focused more on the meaning of the songs and accents, which I suppose is unusual in this genre of actual themes and stuff like that. So, I think for us it’s music. See, most other genres more about doing something different of music that aren’t rock and with... I just went to a whole new roll tend to be a little bit more level...” honest, but it’s something about rock that’s all about [laughs] Yeah, you did, you image and ego, and it can be answered about the next 10 really, really false. Actually, questions. Do you have anything mostly false. So, I think that’s else to add? a part that it’s just not about RM: “No, don’t ask him more. He’s RM the image or like lifestyle or annoying. [laughs]” whatever, we just... play music. And it’s just the music we like So, let’s talk about your latest playing, so maybe that. album, released last year. How Honesty, and the fact that would you say you guys have we’re Scottish. [laughs]” develope- why are you giggling? BM: “One word answers from now on, and we have BM: “Well, I think it’s hard to find anything BM developed good.”
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“we’ve got such handsome faces and with such supple skin”
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RM: “[laughs] What, developed on this album from the last album? I don’t know, I think we get to the point a lot quicker. We used to kind of beat around the bush for ages, really, and never really felt like when we got there we actually got there. But, I think on our last album, not that I dislike earlier things, but I just think it took us a way to work what it was we actually wanted to do, and on this last album I feel like there’s less dressing around the point and also the point is stronger. So, I just think the songs are a lot better, really, just the songwriting is a lot better.” Do you have anything to add? BM: “I concur.” Okay, so, tell me about your first show. RM: “Well, we actually had two first shows, I know that’s impossible, right? But, our first show was in Glasglow, in this little pub, and basically we didn’t tell anyone, any of our friends, that we were playing or anything like that because we had our actual first show, which is our second show but we said it’s our first show, the week after. So, we kind of wanted to warm up because we invited so many of our friends, and everybody wanted to come because, I don’t know, maybe they were just intrigued because they knew we all played in other bands and what it would sound like, or they were wanting to come witness a car crash, or I don’t know what they wanted to do, but. So, our first gig in this little pub, Barry actually nearly quit the band after one gig.” BM: “I did quit the band, but he talked me out of it.” RM: “Talked him out of it, and we’ve been regretting it ever since. [laughs]” BM: “Yeah, I think, basically we needed that first warm-up gig without anyone seeing us because it ironed out a lot of things I’m glad didn’t go wrong our second
gig. It wasn’t the most triumphant first show ever to the point where I was like ‘alright, that’s it, enough’s enough’ and the guys were like ‘no, no, wait until we play our first proper show and see how it is.’ And that was great, so we’ve never really looked back since then. RM: “Yeah, the first proper show was cool, it was like the sold-out room. I mean, I say sold out, but you couldn’t buy a ticket, but there was no more people allowed in, and there was a lot of our friends, so it doesn’t really count, but to me- I’ll tell the story as sold out. It was good, I mean we were probably rubbish, but in our heads, because it was so busy, we were like ‘this is amazing!’ you know?” So, going back to what you were talking about before. Who do you think has changed the music world? BM: “I think, through time there’s definitely been defining bands of like defining a genre, like in the wait Oasis defined a lot of music in the world when Brit-pop got massive, and they were kind of at the forefront of that, and later on when, I guess it was before that actually, when Nirvana defined the grunge-punk scene that was going on in Seattle and America. But having
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said that, those bands wouldn’t have changed the world if it wasn’t for the bands that inspired them, so it’s kind of a chick and egg question. If it wasn’t for the Beatles, Oasis would never have existed. So, I guess you could say Nirvana changed the world, you could say Mud changed the world because they inspired Nirvana, so I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Yet again, I sound pretentious.” RM: “It’s hard, isn’t it? I guess the very fact that we as a band means that maybe a band will start because they like us, and then a band might start because they like them, and so on and so forth. I think it’s little baby steps, everybody’s probably got something to do with it in a good way or a bad way, either changed it for the better or changed it for the worse. That’s a really pretentious answer. I honestly don’t think I could name one, it would just be too obvious to say the Beatles.” BM: “Yeah, they were definitely a game changer, but then again, the Beatles would say they wouldn’t have been a band if it wasn’t for Elvis, so it’s like, that kind of whole thing. There’s certainly been game changers like, for instance, the way Pink Floyd changed music in terms of live 18 | inspirer magazine
shows, because before it used to be a band on stage and they were the first band to start using psychedelic things like lasers and like weird light shows, which inspired a lot of modern-day bands, like if you look at the production of the Muse tour for instance, like their production, I would say, now they’re kind of out there in a league of their own in terms of they actually have like- when they played Wembley Stadium, and this is gonna sound like I’m taking a piss, but a UFO came into the stadium-” RM: “Oh yeah.” BM: “Honestly! A UFO came into the stadium, on a wire or something, but out of the bottom came a trapeze artist dressed as an alien and did like an aerobatic trapeze display while they were playing one of their songs and then the UFO flew back over the stadium again. So, when you think of bands like that, I guess they’re game changers in terms of production and stuff, but in terms of music, it’s kind of hard to say.” Alright, well let me rephrase that question- RM: “[laughs] After all of that?” [laughs] Who would you say has inspired you the
most? Besides the obvious bands you’ve listed. RM: “Queen. They’ve got to be up there.” Of course. Okay, to wrap it up, what can we expect from you guys in the future? RM: “Oh, who knows?” BM: “We’re gonna have two UFOs.” RM: “More music? I don’t think we’re finished yet, RM writing music, so hopefully we’ll just keep writing music and as long as anyone wants to listen to it, we’ll keep making it!” We have some fan questions, now. What is the weirdest conversation you’ve had with your parents? BM: “Too many. Way too many. Just... Wow. Too many.” [laughs] I’ll move on. What’s your biggest pet peeve at a show? RM: “I hate when bands call their fans ‘kids.’ I hate it more than anything when they say, I don’t know, ‘oh, the kids loved it’ or ‘so many kids were buying merch.’ It’s like, so condescending and patronizing and weird. And, see, if you’re in a band, for me, anyway, that has the opportunity to call your fans kids because you’re adults, what the f*** are you doing? Why are you playing to kids? It’s like your Barney or something like that. You should really take a look at what you’re doing. You’re like a children’s entertainer.”
At this point, about 15 minutes into the interview, my iPhone ran out of memory. The slew of technological difficulties and obstacles of not being allowed my camera indoors forced me to resort to the (Mc)trusty voice memo feature on my phone, and just as I was about to get to the interesting questions I had promised to ask for fans, it decided to fail me as well.
One of the questions came from a fan named Katrina Langevin and she asked, “have you ever seen a competitive dancer dance to one of your songs, and is it something you’d be interested in?” They answered with jokes about dance-offs of flailing concert goers they’d seen in Germany, but never had they seen anything professional. Barry and Ross stated that it would be incredible seeing something like that, and they asked me to tell her that if she ever planned on going through with something like that, she should send them a video clip. They would love to see a competitive dancer perform to one of their songs. A second question read “if you were on a deserted island with someone who knew the cure for cancer, Megan Fox, and your mum, who would eat first?” Both Barry and Ross answered ‘the person who knew the cure for cancer’, because how would someone deserted on an island be of any use to the world? Ross also said that, having known so many people who battled with cancer, it’s part of a natural flow of life, and he doesn’t know if he could interfere with that. I assume it also has something to do with Megan Fox being a gorgeous human being, but I’ll leave that confession for another interview. Twin Atlantic is composed of a group of humble, honest, and kind guys who want nothing more than to play the music they love for people willing to listen. It was an absolute pleasure having the chance to speak with them for over half an hour, and the following show they put on was nothing short of incredible. If you aren’t acquainted with their music or personalities, I highly recommend looking them up. If you have the chance, go see them live and try to get to know them in person, or if not, go buy their music and start falling for them that way;; I guarantee that you will not be disappointed. inspirer magazine | 19
Russia's
Unceasing Rally Against Putin If you have yet to hear the name Vladimir Putin, rest assured that this name will undoubtedly dominate world news headlines for the next couple of months. by: sandy kasper
Vladimir Putin is a Russian politician who served as the second President of the Russian Federation. He was first elected on December 31, 1999 and was re-elected for a second term that lasted until May 7, 2008. Due to term limits, Putin was unable to run for a third consecutive presidential term;; however, he currently holds the position of Russia's Prime Minister. Last September, the Prime Minister announced that he would run for a third, non-consecutive term in the 2012 presidential election. However, the citizens of Russia are desperate to put an end to Putin's rule.
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news
On December 10, 2011, the Huffington Post reported, "Tens of thousands of people held the largest anti- government protests that post-Soviet Russia has ever seen to criticize electoral fraud and demand an end to Vladimir Putin's rule". An estimated crowd of 60,000 gathered in Moscow, 7,000 in St. Petersburg, and smaller protests of up to 1,000 people took place in more than 60 other cities. Just fourteen days later, on December 24, 2011, an officially sanctioned protest took place in Moscow. An estimate of roughly 60,000 Russian Internet users expressed their intention to participate in the protest via various social media sites. However, it was reported that over 120,000 people attended the demonstration. Despite the immense amount of protesters, Russia Beyond The Headlines reported, "The second mass demonstration in central Moscow finished peacefully and on time, adding momentum to Russia's civilized revolution."
On February 4, 2012, four separate rallies, composed of over 175,000 people, took place despite the chilling below zero temperatures. According to Russia Beyond the Headlines, "The largest demonstrations took place on Bolotnaya Square and Poklonnaya Hill." However, the protesters at Bolotnaya Square were those in opposition of Putin and election fraud. Protest slogans chanted included: "A third term is not necessary" and "Sorry for the inconvenience, but we're just trying to change the world." Whereas, the protesters of Poklonnaya Hill met in support of the presidential candidate and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The slogans of those in support of Putin included: "We have something to lose" and "The opposition is undermining the idea of democracy." Protests were not confined to Russia on February 4, however. In New York, a public protest of roughly 200 people and eight non-profits that work with Russian citizens living in the U.S. gathered against vote fraud.
The 2012 Russian presidential election will be held on March 4. According to Russia Beyond the Headlines, "Several Russian political and social forces are planning to hold public rallies in the second half of February in hopes of bringing more than 250,000 people into the streets of Moscow." The rallies are scheduled for February 19, 23, and 26. Former Russian Finance Minister, Alexei Kudrin gave the following wise advice to the protesters: "Organize a platform for dialogue, (including with the authorities) or else we will face a revolution, losing the chance we have today -- a peaceful transformation and the confidence needed to create new authorities."
These statistics show just how many people were participating in the protest against Putin.
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standing betwee tanks and civilian by: lubna saďŹ
As a testament to how the paranoia of dictators eventually makes itself come true, defectors from the army continue to grow as the Free Syrian Army takes up arms and goes on the offensive.
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Their counterpart, the Syrian Army, continues to shell fire against defenseless ci- vilians in the city of Homs. The neighborhoods of Bab al-Amr and Khalidiya are near deserted. Life is no longer visible above ground as many of the residents have taken refuge deep underground. The uprising that began in March is nearing a full year of protests that started out peacefully and have now escalated to violent attacks from both sides. The Free Syrian Army, a group of growing defectors from the official army, first joined the uprising to help protect the protestors from the regime’s fierce crack- down. They have since started attacking regime troops and transferring to the of- fense in an attempt to gain control of pro-opposition areas. The commander of the FSA, Col. Riad al-Assad said to the Associated Press, “We consider that Syria is occupied by a criminal gang and we must liberate the country from this gang.” After the vetoes at the U.N. the FSA sees no other way to crush the Assad regime without the use of violence. “There is no other road” says Riad al-Assad, “This regime does not understand the language of politics, it only understands the lan- guage of force.” He also called the Russia and China veto at the UN “a strike against the Syrian people”. In mid-January, the FSA claimed control of Zabadani, a town north of Damascus. According to a U.N. count in January, more than 5,400 people have been killed in the regime’s crackdown on protests. The massacre in Homs is reminiscent of the 1982 one in Hama when Bashar’s father, Hafez al Assad, ordered the deaths of tens of thousands following an up- rising by the Muslim Brotherhood. But what worked for Assad’s father is not succeeding now. Despite the continued crackdowns on army personnel and their families, more defectors from the army are joining the FSA. According to Reuters, there are up to 20,000 soldiers in total that have deserted the army since the beginning of the conflict. While their numbers continue to grow another concern is mounting. Fear of fur- While their numbers continue to grow another concern is mounting. Fear of fur ther militarization of the conflict by Western countries has caused a deep hesita- tion for support of the FSA. And while the FSA’s claim has always been to pro- tect and liberate the Syrian people, there is fear that an armed conflict would only exacerbate the situation.
prop 8:
struck down
by: sandy kasper
Over three years ago, on November 5, 2008, otherwise affecting the fundamental constitutional rights of same-se the Supreme Court of California ratified Proposition 8 as part of the California state The news release contained quite interesting diction: "narrow," "lim constitution. "restricting." Better words for describing Proposition 8 would have "narrow-minded," "limiting freedoms," and "restricting equality."
What was Proposition 8? The clause was: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." The results of the popular vote on Proposition 8 on November 5, 2008 were as follows: Yes 52.5% (5,387,939 votes) and No 47.5% (4,883,460 votes). After hearing oral arguments for and against the legality of the passage of Proposition 8, the Supreme Court judges came to a 6-1 decision and ruled to uphold it. On May 6, 2009, the Judicial Council of California released a news release that stated: "The California Supreme Court, by a 6-1 vote, today rejected a constitutional challenge to Proposition 8, an initiative measure adopted by voters at the November 4, 2008 election that added a section to the California Constitution...The court further unanimously held that the scope of Proposition 8 is narrow, limited solely to restricting the use of the term "marriage" to opposite-sex couples, while not 26 | inspirer magazine
After a three year battle against the unjust Proposition 8, on Tuesda 2012, a federal appeals court panel abolished the ban on same-sex m ruling that the ban violated the constitutional rights of gay men and California. According to the New York Times, Judge Stephen R. Re in the decision to ban Proposition 8: "Although the Constitution per communities to enactmost laws they believe to be desirable, it requi be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats dif of people differently. There was no such reason that Proposition 8 c been enacted. All that Proposition 8 accomplished was to take away same-sex couples the right to be granted marriage licenses and thus the designation 'marriage.' Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gay men and les California."
Despite this immense victory, supporters of Proposition 8 seek to re on gay marriage and intend to take the case before the Supreme Cou
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This past season, a disconcerting development or redevelopment has engulfed the world of soccer: racism. John Terry, an English player for Chelsea Football Club was forced to step down from his position as captain of t he team amid accusations that he racially abused an opponent during a match. Luis Suarez, the Liverpool striker, was accused by Patrice Evra of Manchester United of racial abuse during a match last October. To understand the precarious nature of these accusations, one must look back at the history of racism in the sport. In the 1980s, black players were often subjected to monkey chants, many times even by their own supporters. At the time, use of abusive and offensive language was tolerated as banter among the supporters. Attempts by organizations such as Show Racism the Red Card to present anti-racist messages to young people have helped render the sport more tolerant since the 80s. Yet the wounds of the past have been torn open this time by players, not the fans. Suarez, who met Evra on the field after the accusations, refused to shake his hand. Further concern comes from the shocking ignorance of This does not mean that, in general, there is racism by the officials who are responsible for preserving racism on the field of play.” the sport’s integrity. Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, claimed that there is no racism in soccer. “Racism and discrimination of any kind have no place in football,” Blatter said, “However— and it is not an excuse—sometimes, in the heat of the moment, things are said and done on the field of play. 28 | inspirer magazine
Blatter said too that comments are often made in anger during games but then are "forgotten" after the whistle is blown. He suggested that if league officials have to deal with an issue or complaint they should do so by bringing the two parties together and have them shake hands.
by: lubna safi president of FIFA he’s got to be shouting from the top of the hills that it’s unacceptable on the pitch. We want players to set an example to the rest of the world and particularly the supporters.” After the controversy his remarks stirred, Blatter quickly apologized two days later and reaffirmed his commitment to ending racism in soccer. There is a fine for players who are found guilty of racism during the game. Though for them, it may not be a huge ordeal, there is still concern for the club and its sponsors. Players are also banned from playing for several games as a punishment.
Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand, whose brother Anton was on the receiving end of racial slurs, spoke out against Blatter’s statement. “Sepp Blatter your comments on racism are so condescending it’s almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?" Ferdinand wrote on Twitter. "I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism.....it seems it was just on mute for a while." The Chief Executive of England’s players’ union said, “As the
Amid these concerns, Jeremy Hunt, Culture Secretary in the United Kingdom said to BBC television that the U.K. Prime Minister, David Cameron, will meet with leading figures from the soccer world in an attempt to eradicate racism from the field. “The lesson of the last couple of months is that you can never be complacent,” Hunt said, “The prime minister is very concerned to make sure that we are absolutely on our mettle at making sure that the football authorities and the government continue to do everything they can to stamp out racism.” inspirer magazine | 29
fashion
jana banana student,
A 20 year-old landscape architecture student from Osnabrück, Germany, Jana Banana is well known as one of the top members of the fashion site, Lookbook.nu. Her looks are always hyped by lots of her fans and other lookbookers, but it‘s not just because we love her taste of fashion.
What do you do? I’m just writing my bachelor thesis in landscape architecture. I’m also of course, a blogger J at Bekleidet.net (http://www.bekleidet.net) What was your best memory of 2011? There were so many great moments in 2011, for example I was in Tallinn, Estonia in summer. This town is so amazing. I really fell in love with these old buildings and especially with the food (the pancakes are the best I’ve ever tasted). Where have you’ve been wishing to visit but never been? I’d love to see Taipei. I saw a documentary about it and I’ve seen so many photos at Color me Kati and It seems like such a great place. What are you inspired by the most? I love to watch people in the city. What they’re wearing, how they act… I also love lookbook.nu to discover 30 | inspirer magazine
fashion
blogger, and fashionista by: yuka chiba great outfit-inspirations. What’s your favorite fashion site? There are so many blogs I love to read, like Color me Katie with all these great colorful photos or Katjusha Dawai (http://www.katjusha-dawai.com/) who always makes nice DIY’s. Skirts or pants? Definitely skirts. Skinny or baggy jeans? Skinny! Edward or Jacob? No one. I’ve seen the last film in cinema and it was so terrible corny. They should leave each other alone! Short or long hair? Hard question. But I always want long hair when I’ve got short hair, and I want to cut them when they’re long. Realist or Idealist? I’m a realist. But I wish I’d be an idealist.
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Paris or New York? New York, I’ve been there in 2010 for fashion week and I fell in love with this city and the people. Love story or mystery? No tearjerker, please! Coffee or tea? Tea, coffee tastes disgusting. Going to a party or making yourself at home? I like to go on a cool party but I also love being alone sometimes. Chanel or Louis Vuitton? Chanel. Chocolate or short cake? Both! Flower or animal printed? Flower. Phone or e-mail? Depends on who’s on the other line.
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FLAUNT BRAND
Do you know FLAUNT? This international online site offers articles very fashionable and at reasonable prices. The many categories leaves a vast and varied choice. Flaunt wants a fresh and trendy brand or we can feel comfortable while being fashionable. We have selected for you some street style outfits for the summer. A cream and black dress matches with a pocket crocodile style to add a chic touch. A black glitter dress for a more glamorous side and red offset to give a touch of color and fun to the outfit.For the third look we chose a flowery dress to announce the spring by adding the side pocket for a more dressy. We also have a crush on these two little colored bags perfect for summer and existing in several colors. The brand offers us a wide selection of shoes all more stylish than the other and these two Wedge very trends are not an exception. Discover FLAUNT on their website http://www.flaunt.cc/ 34 | inspirer magazine
Mafalda 86 by: guilia brandimarti Mafalda 86 is an Italian eyewear brand born in 2008 and founded by Vittorio Sebastiani. Before founding the brand Vittorio Sebastiani traveled the world looking for vintage glasses for his family run optician’s shop located in a small town in central Italy. Afterwards, thanks to his friendship with Stefano Di Berardino and Marco Albani, he started designing his own line of glasses completely handmade in Italy. Their shop in now located in the heart of Via Tortona (Milan), the most strategic and popular area of the exhibition of fashion, art and design. Which is the concept of your brand? Our collections tell the story of the fifties and sixties, and are based on the concept that so many ideas are up in the air, and the only people who count are those who bring them to life. Your glasses are totally made in Italy. Which are the steps of the production? The glasses are produced in a factory in central Italy and are completely handmade by skilled craftsmen. It’s a very long process that requires time and precision. There are few machines that rub up the uncut mounts but the other steps are handmade. It’s an hard work. Is it difficult finding craftsmen able to do this work? Yes sure. The artisans able to do this kind of work are few and are mostly very old. The true craftsmanship is dying because the machines replace human labor, then because this is not longer a job category chosen by the new generations. The machines are very efficient but the man's hand is definitely better. So you don’t mass-produce the glasses. Is this an obstacle? No. Our glasses require hours of work, the craftsmen are few and concentrated to do a perfect job. Moreover I often find the plates used for the production around the world, they are unique and I can make only limited pieces. What is people’s attitude towards your brand? People really appreciate our models. People love the quality of materials and the facility which models can be adapted on every face. The international audience freaks out for our glasses, but the Americans are certainly those who appreciate them more. Americans have a strong tradition about the glasses so they can recognize a good product.
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will manning by: adam dillon
interview with the photographer Will Manning, a college student from Baltimore, Maryland, is a fashion and portrait photographer. Inpirer.nu sat down with Will to talk about life, photography, and how he perceives the world around him. Tell us the story of Will Manning and how you came to be who you are today. Tell us a little about yourself. I have to thank my parents for the person I am today. Throughout my life, they have pushed me to explore and to try new things. Although I often didn't understand their logic at the time, I am eternally grateful for it now. I'm currently studying Poetry and German at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. I'll be graduating in May and am planning to move up to NYC to pursue photography. Tell us a little about your style, from day one until what you shoot now. I don't think I started out with any particular style, but I have gravitated toward fashion and portraiture. Photographing people is just a very rewarding experience. I have immense respect for all genres of photography and art in general, but portraiture and fashion feel the most natural to me. When did it finally click that you had a knack for photography and you wanted to pursue it as a major
part of your life? I don't know that I have a knack for it, but I do love doing it. I got my first SLR in early 2009 and started to take photography much more seriously after that. Since then, I have just been trying to learn and grow as much as possible.
What makes a great photo in your opinion? I always want to say "intention," but that's not correct. In one of his essays, James Dickey says this about what makes a great poem: "This is true with a kind of truth at which I could never have arrived by myself, but its truth is better than the one I had believed." This statement is different and amusing when you apply it to photographs, but I think it makes sense. Do you spend a lot of time casting models for your shoots or how do you go about choosing people to be in your images? I do spend a lot of time casting models, but I also love building a relationship with a model over a longer inspirer magazine | 39
period of time. It's one of my main goals to get people to feel comfortable in front of the camera, so working with a person more than once or meeting prior to our shoot really helps to accomplish that. What do you think makes a successful photographer or any artist for that matter? It all depends on your definition of success. I think each artist has to answer this question for him or herself. For me, any work of art that causes the viewer to think is successful. Do you incorporate photography into other areas of your life, such as music, fashion, or food? I would say that I incorporate all other aspects of my life into photography... I am constantly thinking about it and finding inspiration in everything. Explain your website to us a bit and what you wanted the viewer or client to understand when looking at it. I wanted the site to be very simple. For now there are two portfolio sections, a section of editorials, and an about section. I just wanted the navigation to be very easy for viewers. The images in the portfolio sections are divided for two types of potential clients. Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now? That's a scary question! I would love to be shooting f ashion editorials for bigger clients and photographing talented artists and entertainers. Are there any personal projects that you have in the works that you are especially excited about? I have a few editorials that I've been planning out, and I'm also working on a catalog with Vernato, an up and coming menswear label. I'm really trying to step up the quality of my work in the new year, and I'm looking forward to the challenge. 40 | inspirer magazine
giants repeat super bowl win If you had a feeling of déjà vu while watching Super Bowl XLVI, you were not alone. The New York Giants once again came out on top over the New England Patriots just as they did four years ago.
by: lindsay king
Coming down to the last moments of the fourth quarter, it looked to be anybody’s game. Nearly completing a Hail Mary pass for a touchdown to bring his team back from a four point deficit and to a Super Bowl victory, Tom Brady tried but just could not finish the job once again. Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who went 30 for 40 with 296 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions was named MVP. In the first quarter, New York was the first and only team on the scoreboard. Thanks to a sloppy start from the Patriots, the Giants earned a safety when Tom Brady was called for an intentional grounding in the end zone. The Giants added to their lead when Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz for the first touchdown of the game. At the end of the quarter New York was up 9-0. The second quarter seemed to be in favor of the Patriots, who came on strong scoring ten points with a 29-yard field
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goal and a 96-yard drive for a touchdown. Going into halftime, the Patriots were up 10-9. New England continued with the momentum they had built up in the second quarter scoring on their first possession of the third quarter. This made the score 17-9, with the Patriots looking to have control of the game. However, Eli Manning and his Giants would not give up. New York drove down the field not once, but twice to score on two Lawrence Tynes field goals of 38 and 33 yards to end the quarter 17-15 with the Giants down by two. With a good defensive battle in the fourth quarter, it was back to being anybody’s game. As time was quickly dwindling, the Giants knew they had to score, as they forced New England to punt with 3:53 left on the clock. Quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Mario Manningham combined on a highlight reel play that was upheld on a coach’s challenge for 38 yards putting them at midfield and that much closer to victory. The Giants continued to move the chains to the 6-yard line. With under a minute left, Ahmad Bradshaw scored for New York, making it 21-17. Bradshaw had attempted to stop at the 1-yard line, but could not hold his ground and fell in. After several key drops, the Patriots finally made it to midfield and with five seconds left in the game, Tom Brady gave it all he had throwing a Hail Mary that fell in the end zone and just like that the Giants overcame the Patriots for a second time in four years.
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First-Person Films:
Concrete or Passing Phase? by: lauren laveria
For a growing amount of time, first person camera films have been gaining and increasing in popularity with film viewers. Movies such as “Cloverfield”, “Chronicle”, and “Paranormal Activity,” have been inspired by these new film techniques, and have had rather successful results in the media. The new ABC horror series, "The River", is also expressed in a first-person live view. The first person camera view started emerging around the beginning of the year 2000, bringing out movies such as “The Blair Witch Project,” into the eyes of the public media. Although sometimes the audience may suffer from severe nausea and dizziness spells due to the frequent movement and action that is clearly viewable in every movie that involves this technique, this form of filming shall more than likely always remain popular in the art of film making. Not only does it give the movie a new form of edge, but it allows the viewers to experience the chance of feeling that they are part of the film that they are watching. It is a tool used by film makers to help engage the audience and create a more stimulating viewing experience.
Perhaps even in the future, directors may begin making films that are filmed in a first person view, but with an added effect of 3-D glasses. Would it be a good idea for attracting more viewers, or a horrible idea that shall create more nauseating experiences? Only the future can tell, but as for now, these kinds of movies will definitely be attracting more and more attention. 44 | inspirer magazine
As skeptical as it can be with choosing a series to dive into, The New York Times Bestseller, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins should be a read to cave into this month. Each page will not only leave you on the edge of your seat, but will probably leave you reading into the wee hours of the night through the suspense of each chapter. There’s a definite mix of nerve-wracking tension, jam-packed action, and a smidge of an engaging love story. The movie for the book is scheduled to release in theatres March 23. “In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, 46 | inspirer magazine
the hunger games by: agie lee a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.” The Hunger Games is the first book of the trilogy and was released in 2008. Story setting of The Hunger Games is comparable to Brave New World, where a futuristic nation is oppressed by it’s government. Through one of the exciting plots I’ve ever read, Katniss is in constant battle of life and death;; survival. The book constantly evokes different emotions as Katniss makes and loses friends - The character development throughout the book is one of the main reasons that make the read compelling.
Though the book is geared towards young adults, there is no doubt that readers ages 17 and up will find the book to be riveting.
“A violent, jarring, speed-rap of a novel that generates nearly constant suspense… I couldn’t stop reading.” – Stephen King,En “I was so obsessed with this book… The Hunger Games is amazing.” – Stephanie Myer, author of the Twilight saga “Brilliantly plotted and perfectly paced.” – John Green, The New York Times Book Review Collins’ does an excellent job creating a society worth questioning. And though the annual Games among the districts of Panem and structure of the Capitol may come off as an extreme, do you think there are some traditions in your country that should be changed or reevaluated? If so, why?
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culture
photographers y Karrah Kobus produces the most colorful and vivid, conceptual images. If you're tired of seeing the same old stuff, check her out. Her work is definitely unique. She states on her personal Facebook page, "I want to be a living, breathing piece of art. My life is my canvas." http://karrahkobus.zenfolio.com/ Evan Dell has some of the best entertainment portraiture I've seen. He's worked with some amazing labels, bands, and magazines. You're sure to have seen his work before, even if you didn't know it was his! http://www.evandellphotography.com/ Alexis Mire is another photographer that had a featured interview with Inspirer.nu in the past. If you have a Tumblr, I can almost guarantee you've seen her work floating around. She has some very impressive film work that will definitely get you to inspired to use your analog camera more often! http://alexismire.com/ 48 | inspirer magazine
culture
you should know by: shannon bray Cameron Rad's fashion and lifestyle photography is brilliant, to say the least. It's definitely editorial worthy for any magazine. Look forward to seeing an interview with Cameron on Inspirer.Nu very soon! http://www.cameronrad.com Derren Versoza was one of our featured up and coming artists on the website not too long ago. If you missed his interview, I suggest you go check it out! He has some amazing conceptual work that can get anyone inspired! http://derrenversoza.com/ Jordan Voth's work has to be some of the most quality lifestyle portraiture out there. If anyone knows how to capture a candid moment- It's Jordan! His work will definitely give you a happy, summer vibe! http://www.jordanvoth.com/ inspirer magazine | 49
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being in the military and that helped me gain more ground in my initial quest. I'm not going to say it wasn't at all scary. I was very unsure of what to expect even with good planning, it was a bit like driving straight into a tunnel hoping to come out on the other side unscathed. You aren't only an incredible artist, but a brilliant father as well. Constantly having to be on the road, appointments or even just growing inspiration, do you find it hard to be able to balance out your life at home and work? Or do you find them as the same? First off thank you that's very kind. My work life does melt into my personal life, Im very dedicated to the tattoo industry and every thing I do is duel purposed to maximize my time. Ill get my inspiration from the road being surrounded with artists at a higher skill set. When its time for my family its all about them. I find that setting time out is most important. What would you call the style of art that you do? Especially when
it comes to portraits, as I would know, you have a special technique of bringing an image to life. Its popularly known as photo-realism, others call it fine line black and gray, and illustrative realism As not only well-known tattoo artist, but the owner of a tattoo
studio as well, how do you manage maintaining the ability to run a business as well as keep your work up to par? My work is my business and I strive to keep the quality high, but I never get comfortable. Im always looking to improve and I'm never
satisfied. I grew up hearing my parents say "Things aren't built the way they used to be", well my work is...its my product and I never want to be called out on it. I don't want my tattoo work to fade or heal incorrectly etc, same goes for the standards I have here at Kustom Thrills. Kustom Thrills Tattoo is a product and you'll get nothing less than great quality from my establishment. Being a well-known tattoo artist is similar to being a musician, on the road to attend conventions, can you describe what it felt like
the first time you got to experience that? The excitement and fears? Being on the road is a lot like being a musician, the excitement, the
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e
?
hotels, the after parties. I have been attending
something no one has done yet. My goals are set in the
conventions for over 15 years now but in the past 8 years
moon and my head not in the clouds.
I have stayed on the tattoo convention circuit. I work up to 20 shows a year and travel all over the US and Europe.
In the artistic industry nowadays, it's a constant
Its just like being on tour, once you've reached a certain
battle between all the competition of others and
level people start to follow your work and you have fans.
trying to get yourself to a living stand-point. But for the artists who want to make it in today's society not
What equipment do you find using the best for the
only as a tattoo artist, but one that has work like
styles that you prefer?
yourself that stands out, like the man you admired.
I have some hand built tattoo machines made specifically
What advice would you give them?
for the type of work I do. I have a signature machine
Be humble and work hard. Shut up and listen to others
coming out soon with a company that makes professional
that have been around longer than you have and learn
tattoo machines. And it will be available worldwide to
something. Nobody knows it all so don't be arrogant
licensed artists.
and walk around with an undeserving sense of self worth. Too many of today's generation are doing that.
When tattooing the Lion, what techniques and styles
I believe in being self made and that's what builds
did you choose to create the realistic view and why?
character and good judgement.
Do you have a preference on angles on portraits? The better my reference is the better overall design will be. Composition and placement are major factors when putting together a design. It has to fill the space correctly and create flow. On top of all that its very necessary to keep the light source in mind. Technique is where the artistic skill comes in to play. Knowing how to create realistic fur and lifelike eyes come with experience. Being able to manipulate needles to act like a paint brush or in some cases an airbrush (effect) takes time to learn. Working in other mediums such as pencil and even oils or acrylics help hone in on this. If you have a next goal, either for the studio or yourself in the industry, what is that and how do you want to be able to achieve it? I will continue to tour the convention circuit and promote my book. Like I mentioned I have the line of machines coming out and another book is in the works for tattooing professionals. My goal is to be a leader in the industry and help take it to a new level. Maybe even create
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march madness by: kamron clark
Get your brackets ready, it is that time of year. What is the only good thing about the month of March? College basketball's March Madness of course! Basketball every night, teams playing their hardest, players knowing if they lose their dreams of being champions are over. This is what is missing from a lot of sports today. It is simple;; if you win you move on, if you lose you go home with nothing to show for it. It forces athletes to play more aggressive and with a higher level of competitiveness. Which school has the best team? Which players deserve to move on to the NBA? The month of March is the key to answer these questions. The University of Alabama won the BCS Championship in football earlier this year. Although, they completely dominated LSU and looked like the best team this season, whether or not they were the best team is debatable. With there being no playoffs or elimination games in college football we really do not know which team really deserves the title. With March Madness being a must win to move on tournament, you can actually tell which basketball team should get bragging rights for the rest of the year. So break out those brackets, even the President of the United States plays along every year. Kentucky, Syracuse, Kansas and Duke all look like they will be competing hard to not go home empty handed. UConn won the tournament last year, but they are definitely underdogs in this contest. There are going to be 68 schools trying to win the respect of the nation, each with a team looking for glory. Expect buzzer beaters, students rushing the court, and nets getting cut down. Who is going all the way this year? I am going to post my bracket as well as a blank bracket on the website so you can play along. Make sure you let us know how you do. Never underestimate the madness of March. 54 | inspirer magazine
nadja seale
inspirer’s new style crush by: shannah leaf The "dream girl", 25 year old Nadja Seale, not only beautiful but carries i ncredible style and is a chef! This girl isn't just an inspirer, but she's an icon in many different eyes of the world. Nadja coming from South Africa is also another factor of this fashion blogger that makes her unique and special. She brings something special with her class and beauty, and sense of style. Are you ready to fall in love? Because INSPIRER.nu already did. How did you start getting into the fashion blogging industry? Did you think that you would get as far as you have? Well it is actually a funny story, after I finished my studies as a chef I decided to study make-up, because in Chef School we were not allowed to wear make-up and it somehow provoked a new fascination with make-up for me. When I completed my make-up course I joined a creative agency in South Africa, that places you with top magazines like Cosmopolitan, Oprah ect. The girl gave me one look and said that she rather wanted me as a stylist (despite the fact that i did not study
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fashion and the next day I had to do my first styling job for Fairlady.) That was the beginning of my love for fashion. Soon after that my first ever boyfriend broke up with me and I started my blog as a psychological outlet to combine things that I love. I never intend for it to grow into anything. How would you describe South Africa's fashion industry compared to other countries? I can definitely say that in South Africa people tend to be a bit more conservative so they take
Who is latest your biggest inspiration when it comes to fashion? I really admire Amish inspired clothing. It might be because it reminds me of vintage but I like the fact that they always opt for earthy tones and hats. You get to work with an incredible photographer, who you aren't just close with but related to! How is it being able to work with your family? Glad you asked that question. It is the biggest privilege in the world. First of all Paula really puts you at ease in every aspect and when I work with her it is like our creativity levels reach crazy heights! Plus we get to make fun of things that really eases any tense atmosphere.
What is your goals and dreams for the fashion industry? I hope to always stay true to my own person, it is so easy to get infiltrated in what the world considers fashionable. I believe fashion is very relative and that you should always consider it as a non verbal means of communication with others. Then dreaming.... I guess to do online styling for a well established magazine that have elements of my style like Lula or Frankie.
When the average person outside of Africa imagines the wild life there, but there is far more. How would you describe your home less risks with fashion, but that is about it, other than that I country which would give them a better visual? think we are on the front row of fashion. I recently went to It is funny when people hear that I am form South Asia, and tried to place Africa on the world wide fashion Africa they always ask me if the animals run wild scale and I felt proud to know that we have some great in the street. Unfortunately they don’t otherwise I talent developing here. might have had a pet leopard. If I could compare South Africa to a country i would definitely say it What would you say is your favorite fashion trend right reminds me a lot of Australia. When I go to now? Australia, I always feel like I am in my own I am all for Aztec prints and tribal wear now. I love outfits country. Except our koalas are big cats called that combine tribal prints and textures. A perfect autumn lions . outfit would be leather pants with a tribal inspired printed top and I could maybe add a faux fur jacket to that, and some oxford shoes. 58 | inspirer magazine
How do you go about shopping? Do you find styles that you like and go find what you were looking for? Or do you just build an inspiration of style individually? My style is totally based on my current feeling. I would wake up in the morning, listen to the Clash and be in the mood for leather... the next day I listen to Florence and The Machine and miss my vintage dresses, that builds my frame of mind.
What is everything else that you do other than the fashion? Well I am a chef, from time to time I bake cupcakes and sell them at an organic food market, I have a vintage clothing range called Vintage Vices, I usually organise a sort of pop-up store, show casing the rare treasures. My big love is my work as a make-up artist, and I have been privileged enough to work with companies from Beijing doing online marketing and styling. Then my latest venture is ceramic art, which I have been doing since . the beginning of 2011 and have it sold and advertised at an art gallery in South Africa. Like I said before about the image of Africa also plays a part in Fashion, many people think you have to be very thin, to look a certain way, etc. In your own terms, how would you like to explain it being a ? large factor in it? What advice would you give to readers who want to enter into the fashion, and fashion blogging industry? I know it might sound cliché but I believe every single person on this planet was created with a God given talent of some sort. If your interest leans toward fashion pursue it with a flavour of your personality. Every day we are bombarded with an image of how you should look, in a big way I also play a role in it but I always think of the fact that this old shell on the outside will fade in about 50 years if I am lucky (not to sound pessimistic), but it
wholeheartedly with your individuality. Take inspiration from people but blend it into your what is left then? I think that if you have a love for the fashion or blogging industry to pursue own. Hard work, dedication and excellence in the smallest of your daily things leads to success. And have a balance.
Be sure to check out Nadja online at: http://www.nadjaseale.com/
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in this issue Cover, content page, and page 56 by Nadja Seale He is We photo by Brighten Photography Interview with music photographer Matt Vogel, all photos by Matt Vogel Interview with Twin Atlantic, all photos from www.twinatlantic.com Russian Rallies, photos by http://www.time.com/time/photoessays/personoftheyear/0,30706,1694941,00.html http://rbth.ru/articles/2012/02/04/protestors_not_afraid_of_the_cold_14316.html http://rbth.ru/articles/2011/12/25/second_mass_protest_adds_momentum_to_russias_ civilized_revolution_14088.html Prop 8, photo by http://izzoiz.com/2011/11/what-happens-now-after-todays-prop-8-ruling-good-article-and-video/ Racism on the soccer field, image by simon stacpoole Jana Banana, all images by http://www.bekleidet.net/ Flaunt Brand, images by Lena Peterson and Flaunt Interview with Will Manning, all photos by Will Manning Super Bowl, images by http://csupueblotoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/super-bowl.jpg http://www.mlive.com/sports/index.ssf/2012/02/four_downs_recap_of_new_york_g.html http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57371721/giants-beat-patriots-21-17-win-super- bowl/ First Person Films, images by http://teaser-trailer.com/movie/chronicle/ http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/cloverfield.php http://scifipartyline.net/?cat=1 The Hunger Games image from http://www.gaiaonline.com/profiles/goldenflower123/25031523/ Photographers you should know, images by Karrah Kobus, Evan Dell, Alexis Mire, Cameron Rad, Derren Versoza Jordan Voth Kustom Thrills Tattoo Studio from http://kustomthrills.com/
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