Into The Crowd #11 // June 2013 by Into The Crowd Magazine

June 2013 | # 11

oung Guns artist spotlight:

the maine | the wonder year | such gold | vampire weekend

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

2 2 YO U N G G U N S

contents 12 Mindless Self Indulgence

3 2 Va m p i r e W e e k e n d

28 The Maine

music 6 DillDeShane 8 Such Gold 16 While She Sleeps 38 The Wonder Years

40 Summer Festival outfit for lads

reviews 43 forever halloween

42 how to look cool at music festival for guys

fashion

44 the great generation 44 modern vampires of the city 45 biography of heartbreak

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

into the crowd are.. Founder: Dania Dwikhanza Editor-In-Chief: Winnie Gracia Copy Editor: Abbey Toomey-Fisk Social Media & Web Manager: Tiffany Lam Art Director: Winnie Gracia Staff Photographers: Winnie Gracia Kelsey Hall Tiffany Lam Gabby Mendoza Pauline Nguyen Abbey Toomey-Fisk Staff Writers: Cara Friedman Chloe Hoy Shelby Kreiger Tiffany Lam Lauren Lyford Paula Mirando Karmin Yu Seanzha Kemal Contributors: Dana Amrami Toni-Rose Castillo Catherine Khom Avery Fiftal Lilly Nguyen Oscar Rodriguez Promotions and Communications Manager: Kasey Peterson

Hey guys! I hope everyone is enjoying summer and congrats to those who are soon graduating! If you’re still stuck at school and struggling with final exams, join the club -- but don’t get stressed out just yet trying to plan those summer music festivals now with school work still piling up. We’re here to help! In this issue, we’re bringing you some music festival guides as well as style guides! I mean, festival season is quickly approaching and in few weeks, Vans Warped Tour 2013 will kick off; but don’t forget all those other badass festivals like Bonaroo, Boston Calling, NXNE, Osheaga, Ottawa Bluesfest and many more! We’re stoked for what’s to come in the next few months! In this issue, we caught up with the young british rockers in Young Guns to talk about their latest album Bones now released in Canada. On top of that, the Maine talks about their upcoming album Forever Halloween! I really hope everyone enjoys this issue. Don’t forget to follow us throughout the rest of the summer, we’ll be having a bunch of contests and giveaways to celebrate our 2 years anniversary! Thanks for sticking with us for the past years. Cheers. -Winnie // @angelawgs (editor-in-chief)

Tweet To Win Want this signed The Maine poster? In light of The Maine’s new album coming out and the 8123 tour kickick off soon, we’re giving out a limited signed The Maine poster. All you have to do is tweet us: “@intothecrowdmag I just checked out issue #11 and I want to win that signed @themaine poster!” and we’ll count your entry. Contest ends on July 1st! Goodluck!

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Playlist

Issue #11

1. The Front Bottoms Skeletons 2. Phoenix S.O.S in Bel Air 3. Vampire WEEKEND Worship You 4. The Maine Love and Drugs 5 . N e c k D e e p Ta b l e ’s Tu r n e d 6. Mumford & sons Babel 7 . A l b e r t H a m m o n d, J r . I n Tr a n s i t 8 . D a d s I f Yo u r S o n g T i t l e H a s T h e Wo rd B e a c h i n i t , I ’ m N o t Listening to it 9. 1975 Chocolate 1 0 . D i a m o n d Yo u t h S u n b u r n 11. arctic monkeys When The Sun Goes Down 1 2 . L i z L a b e l l e I t ’s N o t Yo u , I t ’s Me 1 3 . t H I S c E N T U RY M y We a k n e s s

Listen to it here: h t t p : / / 8 t r a c k s . c o m / intothecrowdstaff/june-2013issue-playlist

Taken by Tiffany Lam May 7, 2013 Sound Academy TORONTO, on

NETWORKS: www.intothecrowdmagazine.com www.twitter.com/intothecrowdmag www.facebook.com/ intothecrowdmagazine Instagram: @intothecrowd Want to advertise with us? or any other inquires, please contact us at: intothecrowdmagazine@gmail.com

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Into The Crowd Band | dILLdEsHANE

DillDeShane

What’s your earliest musical memory? When I was about 9 or 10 I use to sing in my church choir.

What made you decide to pursue music? My Nana and I were watching a show and a young man was performing and she said “Now this boy right here, he can write his butt off…he has talent”. I replied by saying I can do that too it’s easy, not really that hard. So she said “show me” and the next day I wrote my first verse.

Who are some artists that influence your music? Kendrick Lamar, Mojoe, Jay Z, Lil Boosie, Earth Wind & Fire, and Beyoncé.

What do you do in your free time when you’re not creating music? Look for Inspiration.

How do you describe your music to others? Inspiration for the youth. It’s different from what you hear on the radio. Who are your biggest musical influences? Jay Z and Lil Boosie What are some of your goals for the future? Master my craft into the best and my difference from the rest. What is your dream tour lineup? The World What is the best advice someone has ever given you? Be yourself because following others will not take you anywhere. P h o t o s & i n t e r v i e w by G a b by M e n d o z a

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

SUCH GOLD I n t e r v i e w & p h o t o s by K e l s e y H a l l

Into The Crowd Into The Magazine band ||such June gold 2013

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013 Five years ago where did you see yourself today? Nate: Skylar wasn’t in the band 5 years ago and we haven’t been a band for five years. Five years ago I wanted to be in a band.

What kind of music influenced you guys into starting a band? Nate: Punk and hardcore. Years ago I really listened to a lot of pop punk. Like when we started Such Gold the first Transit EP and we listened to a lot of kid dynamite. We started out as a pop punk If you guys had to or wanted to play another band quickly moved away from that and we don’t genre of music what would it be? consider ourselves to be a pop punk band but Skylar: It would be fun to play folk country music I everybody else does. I don’t like putting a label on think or hardcore rock. what we do. We fit in a lot of places. It was like we Nate: I’d probably just play stoner rock. can do this we can write songs like this and that became stand tall and now here we are. What’s your dream tour lineup? Red fang or any punk bands we listen to. Who influenced you in wanting to play the instrument you play now? What’s your favorite part of this tour been so Nate: Probably all the dudes from the bands I far? watched growing up. Bands like Marathon a lot of Nate: Yesterday was really great (Portland) we got them moved onto polar bear club like Nate Morris. voodoo, cheap hair cuts, had Thai then the guy who He was from my home town. He was the reason I cut my hair is the bass player of his band owns a deli bought the amp I play. down the street from the venue we played and he Skylar: My cousin Jason used to make me tapes gave us subs and we just partied all night after that. and let me play his guitar and then taught me how to play it. What’s the weirdest thing that has happened Nate: Now that you say that it reminds me that my to you on any tour? best friend’s sister was in a really bad pop punk Nate: Soundwave was pretty weird but in just a bands and I used to go to their practices and they surreal way. Blink 182 was on the same flight as made me want to buy a guitar. us and we also went to a bbq before the Brisbane festival; put on by Metallica and that was very Do you have any plans in the current future for strange and slayer was there and every band another album or a split? was there was hanging out and we just kept to Skylar: We have a split that’s been done for 3 ourselves and ate. months that has no release date yet. Nate: We’re also going to start writing for a full Has anything changed drastically since you length in the summer. guys released misadventures? Nate: Not really, we gotten some better tours What food do you go to for on tour the most? and we have some stuff coming up that I feel is Thai, it’s the best or fish tacos. really appropriate for us. We’re doing some of the biggest tours this year that we’ve ever done. This What song describes you guys as people? is probably the biggest US tour we’ve done. Skylar: Wild heart by Stevie Nicks and blacked out for one of our songs What’s your favorite song to play off the new Nate: You are your greatest threat of our songs. album? Skylar: I like survival the most because it’s really What’s your favorite release of 2013 so far? fun to play. Skylar: The Tigers Jaw split with Code Orange Nate: It’s very groovy to play to and you can rock split just came out and it’s really good. out to it and do a lot of head banging. I think I do the most during that song.

Into The band | such gold

“..we don’t consider ourselves to be a pop punk band but everybody else does. I don’t like putting a label on what we do.” 11

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

in 12

Into The band | Mindless self indulgence

Mindless

Self

ndulgence I n t e r v i e w by pa u l a m i r a n d o p h o t o s by w i n n i e g r a c i a

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

You guys recently achieved your kickstarter goal. How do you think that went? Well, considering we were the 2nd highest music kickstarter when it was all said and done, we think it went great! You released a demo for “it gets worse” after funding the album. What kind of responses have you gotten about it so far? Everyone loves that song! It’s my personal favorite too! When can we expect new singles to drop? We are doing sh*t super unorthodox, so videos singles remixes albums, ect are all dropping when we feel like it. How does the new record differ from your previous ones? Its very very pure. Frankenstein was super pure raw MSI and so is this new record except that the production on this is super banging. How was it playing soundwave this year? Great we love love love love Australia and that tour is especially sweet. There is nothing like playing a show in Perth then jumping in the ocean for a quick shark attack. Where are you most excited to tour this time around? The whole thing. I like the road in USA. It is a very pirate ship experience. You dip in set up have a party in our honor rape pillage burn and move on to the next town. Anything new planned for the upcoming tour? New songs new outfits new rants. I’m gonna ghost in the shell stand alone complex that sh*t. Other than the new album and the tour, do you have anything else planned for the future? We are working on setting up a UK/Euro tour and a video or 2 and a remix record, so yes.

Into The band | Mindless self indulgence

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

While

She Sleeps I n t e r v i e w & p h o t o s By A b b e y T o o m e y- F i s k

Into The band | While She sleeps Who formed the band and what did you want to accomplish when the band started? The band was formed by Mat Welsh, Sean Long and Adam Savage in the second year of school in the UK. They just chose to jam together and play punk rock and other stuff like that. So, I think that they basically formed the band. Obviously, when you start playing music that young, there is never really a fore vision; it’s just a case of you and your friends rocking out. How does touring in the States differ from touring in the UK? The majority of the time, from what I’ve experienced, is that it’s a lot warmer. When we left the UK, it was snowing. Most of the places we’ve been [in the US] have been pretty warm, which is a nice change from English weather. How do you go about establishing a fanbase in the US? I don’t know, really. I think that the Parkway Drive tour has helped us establish that and helped us find a new fanbase. Obviously, it’s an amazing thought to be on it in the first place. We just go out and do what we always do in the UK, which is going out, playing and rocking out pretty hard. We’ve gotten a pretty good response so far and there’s not really a direct thing we do. We just do what While She Sleeps always does, which is rocking out and having a good time. What makes While She Sleeps different from any other band out there? Without sounding cliché about everything, we’ve got the passion, we’ve got the drive and it’s energetic. The morals and the lyrics behind the music are quite honest. I don’t know if that’s different from a lot of bands or if that’s similar to a lot of bands, but that’s kind of what we’ve got. What is the message you want your fans to get from listening to your music? We’re just an honest band that writes about things there and then. We’re not saying that things won’t change, or our ideas and beliefs won’t change throughout the course of the band. The way that we’re set about writing our lyrics and writing music is just quite in an honest way. We touch on religion, things we’ve been through, moshes in school, respect for people who fought in a war for the country. So there are a lot of different things. I kind of hope it spurs for someone to make a band, to be honest with it and to write music. What does your family think about you being in a

band? I’m not 100% sure… I used to tell my parents that it’s all I ever wanted to do. I joined While She Sleeps quite late (into my 20’s). Before I even joined the band, I was in other local bands. I worked at the same place my mom did at the time and I walked in one day and said: “Look, I’m quitting to join a band.” She was a bit like “You only get one opportunity to do it and if you strongly believe in the band if you believe you can go somewhere, then do it because you only have one shot.” So, she was really supportive. I don’t know what she thinks now because I’m away a lot and stuff like that. Is there any one statement that someone in your family has said that sticks in your mind? Yeah, when my parents said: “Look, you only get one shot at doing things you enjoy. If this is that, then don’t miss out on the chance to do it.” That always sticks to my mind and you kind of know by saying that that we’ve got the support from people back at home. How does the fanbase in the UK differ from the US? Like I said before, this is our first time in the US. You need to start building it and you need to play to people for them to see. It’s difficult for us to say what the differences are, but it’s quite similar in a lot of ways. We’ve got a lot of good support from new people and from people who have already heard the band. I’ll have to come back and tell you in a couple more years to see how it’s going. Is there anything you would like us fans in the US to do more of? No, just if you enjoy the music that we produce, then come out to shows and let us know. We’re a band that likes to meet people and go out to merch and chat to people about the shows, what they’re into and stuff like that. If you weren’t in a band now, do you think you would still be somehow involved in music? I’d like to think I would. Since I was 16 years old, I’ve been in and out of bands. Even now, when I’ve got a bit time off of the band, I always try to pull local hardcore shows or local metal shows just to encourage people to come down to the shows. It also encourages young metal hardcore fans to create their own band. Obviously, if you haven’t done it in your local area, it’s hard to spiral out from there and start playing in other areas, which is what primarily starts a band. I’m really

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Into The band | While She sleeps

big into helping other bands out and trying to promote shows that I go to myself. I’d like to think that if I wasn’t on the road so much, I’d still definitely be involved in music, even if it was Djing in a horrible local pub. Is it hard being away from home when you’re on tour? A bit. It’s hard being away from your family and your girlfriend. Then again, it’s kind of what we’ve always wanted to do and as a band as a whole, it’s what we’ve always wanted to be: a band. It’s hard; you have to balance it out. You do miss people at home, your friends and family. At the same time, you know you’re out doing a job, and it’s still a great experience. What do you miss the most when you’re on tour? I would have to say my girlfriend. If I don’t, I’d get shot. What’s one food you have in the UK that you miss having? I think the traditional English food (I’m quite a sucker for them). I like my Sheperd’s pie and my roast. This is our first time in America, so we don’t know the exact places to go to try and get something similar to that. Is there anything you’ve tried anything in the US that you wish you had in the UK? Filet cheese steak. We’ve tried one of those for the first time and I got a little scared because I thought it was going to give me a heart attack. How long do you plan on doing what you’re doing? For as long as I can. For as long as we’re still considered as a good band by people. If we start boiling down, it’ll be an upsetting thing. But if we go until we’re like 50 and be a bit mellower, it’d be awesome. What is one question that you wished interviewers asked you? That’s a difficult one. I always get worried about interview questions anyways, so it’s difficult. “Are you nervous about this interview?” might be a good one.

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Such Gold April 25th E l- C o r a z o n , S e at t l e , WA by K e l s e y H a l l

Fall Out Boy

photo gallery

M ay 2 3 r d M u c h M u s i c , T o r o n t o, O N By W i n n i e G r a c i a

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

artist spotlight | young guns

oung Guns 23

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Recently we had the chance to sit down and chat with John Taylor and Gustav Wood, two members of the British rock band Young Guns, to discuss their new album “Bones” now released across Canada. They are currently on the North American HardDrive Live Tour with Bullet For My Valentine. Q: So you mentioned this wasn’t the band’s first time in Toronto/Canada, right? Tell me a bit about the last time you were here. YG: Correct. We’ve only been to Toronto, but the first time we played was kind of like a showcase at the Horseshoe Tavern and that was back in September while we were on tour with Seether. That was really cool. That was our first American tour. Q: How is Bones different personally and musically in comparison to your last album? YG: Well, fundamentally it’s better. In terms of song writing anyway, I feel like it’s definitely a step up. It’s more cohesive. Q: Do you think you’ve changed a lot from the 2010 album? YG: Yeah I think so. I mean we’re the same band but there’s just an evolution there. I think our song writing got a lot better, our opinion of what constitutes a good song has evolved; I think that it’s probably a more confident sounding record and a record that sounds a little bit more like a band who knows who they are. I mean our first record we wrote it very quickly and we hadn’t been together for very long; it’s just more of an assured kind of record with a bit more conviction to it. I’m really happy with it; I think it’s more of a positive sounding record as well. Definitely has bigger songs on it, it’s more anthemic, and a little bit more to the point as well. Q: What was the best part about recording the album? YG: It’s got to be where we recorded it, haha. We did it in Thailand, which was just an incredible place to do a record. Really beautiful environment. I mean doing an album can be quite stressful. If you’re going to be really stressed out and worrying, it’s lovely to be surrounded by palm trees and have a pool you can chill out in. It was really somewhere that a band of our stature at that point shouldn’t have been able to go to. That was kind of lucky, it was like a bit of a blague – a friend of a friend knew a guy with the studio that just opened up, and he gave us a good deal that meant it was basically pretty much the same price as recording it in London, so there really wasn’t much of a decision. Q: So to those who don’t know Young Guns and come across a copy of Bones in store, what can they expect? In about five words, describe this album.

YG: Anthemic, universal, “something for everyone”. Q: What are your favourite songs off the new album? John: Mine’s probably Broadfields, which is the last track on the album. That was a really fun song to do, we’ve never done anything like it, it was basically more like an acoustic folky type song that I actually came up with when I was really hung-over and all I had was this little guitar and we went out to Thailand and it kind of set off the atmosphere and we finished the album there. The lyrics, or even the whole song feels really evocative and I don’t think we’ve ever written anything like that before. Gus: I agree it’s kind of unique. For me, I really enjoy the first song on the record; it’s called I Was Born, I Have Lived, I Will Surely Die. It’s not a song we play live that often; we only do it at headline shows. It’s big and noisy, and it’s just the sound of us having a lot of fun and experimenting with new structure ideas. It was the first song we worked on in Thailand and it just kind of encapsulates us in that point in time. Q: So I spoke to a couple Young Guns fans and they all mentioned that your shows are very energetic and hardcore, and there’s a lot of engaging with the crowd. What’s the best part about being on the road, touring and performing live? YG: Probably that really. Connecting with the audience and establishing that connection, and when it works, when it’s really there it’s a really great feeling. You can just lose yourself in it a bit and get really carried away. It’s a real rush. When a live show works out, it’s like the best feeling in the world. When you come off stage and you know it was a good show, and you can see it on all the other guys in the band, they’re all on it. Even if we’re fucked up or hung over or jetlagged, I think as soon as we step on stage, we always kind of try and turn it on and get the crowd moving; we’re all about energy and atmosphere and creating that kind of connection with the audience. We want our shows to be the same kind of shows that we loved going to when we were kids – you know, people crowd surfing, everyone singing along, shows were it was all about the energy and chaos etc. Whether we’re playing an arena or a small venue like the Horseshoe, it’s always just about creating an atmosphere and hopefully giving the audience a workout and making it so that everyone leaves feeling kind of tired, but still had a good night. Q: What’s your least favourite part of touring? YG: Not sleeping. That’s probably number one. Sleep

becomes something that you have a really vague relationship with. We get maybe about 2 hours of sleep a night at the moment because we’re traveling in this vehicle that’s not that great for sleeping. And that’s a psychological thing that just really seems to weigh you down. There’s not really a lot of negatives about it, though. You kind of live a professional hobo lifestyle; you’re never really in one place very long. We’re never really home, which is not a huge problem. The only thing sad is missing family and relationships and all those things that kind of get pushed aside. But what we do is a temporary thing so you kind of just have to enjoy the moment and get every last bit of worth out of it you can.

artist spotlight | young guns

Q: Anywhere you want to tour next? YG: Probably to Canada. We’ve only seen Toronto, and now that the record has come out here, there’s kind of a motive and reason for us to come here which is great. Hopefully that’ll happen at some point this year. Other than that, South and Central America. We’re going to Brazil for the first time in July which is really fantastic – we’re doing a show at a festival in Sao Paulo. Back to Asia would be nice, maybe Japan. Q: Where did the inspiration for the album artwork come from, and what made you guys decide “This is what we want for Bones”. YG: We have a friend, Paul Jackson – he’s done all of our artworks to date. We knew when we came to this new record we wanted a piece of art, you know an oil painting. We spoke for a long time; we knew we wanted to avoid the obvious pile of bones or whatever. He actually came up with this idea. Bones is metaphor for inner strength and something intimate and personal inside you. So really it’s not actually a woman levitating in the air – it’s a woman in her bedroom with the early morning light coming through the window and she’s just lost in her personal moment of rapture. Q: If you could tour with one band or artist, open for – or have open, who would it be? YG: Oh, that’s a tricky one. Well, we all love this band called Thrice, and obviously they’re not playing anymore. I guess we’ve done a couple festivals with them, but I think that would be our collective number one. We grew up as fans and stayed fans throughout the journey they went on musically, and really loved kind of every step of that journey. It’s always difficult to know what kind of tour we want it to be, but I’d say they were always the number one we wanted to tour with.

i n t e r v i e w & p h o t o s by t i f fa n y l a m

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

artist spotlight | young guns

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are all here tonight for the same reason, and that is for the love of fucking rock music.â&#x20AC;?

G u s tav W o o d

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Finding Sincerity Floating in a Fishbowl of Songs

The Maine w o r d s by l a u r e n ly f o r d p h o t o s by w i n n i e g r a c i a

Into The band | the maine

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

ecently I had the pleasure of getting to talk to The Maine’s front man, John O’Callaghan, about their upcoming release, Forever Halloween and the summer tour they are about to embark on with their good friends A Rocket to the Moon, This Century and Brighten. O’Callaghan had some very insightful things to say about the new record and the writing process. For those of you that have been following The Maine on their journey to success you’ve witnessed the ups and downs and the bands strive to stay away from cliches and normality. Starting out as a somewhat poppy band and soon becoming an established almost genreless band in the greatest way possible. The upcoming release Forever Halloween, encompasses a completely unique sound, “Inspiration and influence comes subliminally and subconsciously” says O’Callaghan. “It can shape-shift and sneak up in most scenarios known to man. From alarm clocks to night walks, inspiration is everywhere.” When asked where his inspiration for the songs on album derived from, he couldn’t say, “I have a burning passion for music and the consumption of music, which prevents me from pinpointing one particular artist that specifically influenced my songwriting this time around.” On Forever Halloween, there is no clearly defined specific message, as a songwriter O’Callaghan feels that it is most important for the listener to take what he or she needs and feels from each song. He believes that “interpretation is the most ethereal element in music” and if he were to state a specific message of the album it would be “unjust to say the least.” As for the cover it does have an important message to convey, it represents “The abuse of camouflage we express when we allow fear to dictate our daily decisions and behavioral patterns” says O’Callaghan who partnered up with photographer Dirk Mai to help convey his idea. “The name inspired a vision of what would become the artwork. Thankfully, I had some great people help see that vision through, and without Dirk Mai (and many others) it would have never come to fruition.” Over the years we have all seen The Maine grow as musicians and lyricists, once writing mostly about girls to now expressing their feelings on life and love. I wanted to know what O’Callaghan believes is the most important part of songwriting and to which he brought his insight to, “To be honest, I’m not sure. I believe if it’s all coming from a sincere and tangible place, and I can proudly stand behind it, then I have done something right.” He also commented that “Forever Halloween

is the most honest and forthright I’ve been to date lyrically and although it’s a bit exposing I’m glad I made the decision to do just that.” His songwriting throughout the entirety of this album is brilliant and all fans will be enthralled to hear. The bands first single release from the album was “Happy” which O’Callaghan and the rest of the band feel “ [that] it tip-toes the line of balance between past works and those of it’s mates on the album.” O’Callaghan added that “[he] proposed the creation of a fish bowl with the twelve songs floating about. No one liked that idea.” O’Callaghan feels that “Though few have heard it, the title track on the album” best encompasses the mood of the entire record, “A coaster ride of sound and emotion that goes just as quick as it comes, much like the album entire.” As most probably know, The Maine will be setting off with some of their best friends this summer on the tour that will sadly be A Rocket to the Moons last US run. The Maine and Friends Tour will go down in history for having one of the greatest line ups ever. O’Callaghan states that “it varies” on what The Maine looks for when choosing bands to hit the road with. “We’ve toured with so many groups over the years that range in sound and audience that we’d be lying if we said there was a criteria. We’re trying to be a band that can tour with mostly anyone, save for the shit we don’t like listening to. This summer will be one to remember for us seeing as we haven’t toured with Rocket in 4 years and are close friends with everyone who will be out with us!” I know that for a lot of fans out there including myself, we have bought tickets for more than just one date, and we are sure to not be disappointed. “The tour as a whole is what makes us most enlivened” says O’Callaghan, “Couldn’t ask for a better caravan to share the road with.” Since the release of the new album coincides with the beginning of the tour fans are sure to hear plenty of their new songs, but “Harmony needs to be exercised when creating a set list. It’s important to counterbalance the new material with old alike.” O’Callaghan exclaims that “We wait to create a blend of the two.” Forever Halloween will be the album I believe, to set The Maine apart from the rest, lyrically and musically. This will be a summer of The Maine with their release of Forever Halloween on June 4th and the upcoming tour that is soon to begin.

Into The band | the maine

“From alarm clocks to night walks, inspiration is everywhere.”

-John O’Callaghan

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

a 32

Into The band | vampire weekend

The

Vampires are Back in TheCity W o r d s & P h o t o s by W i n n i e G r a c i a

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Into The band | vampire weekend

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

fter their last performance promoting their second album Contra in Toronto 3 years ago, Vampire Weekend finally made a comeback to the city with a brand new album entitled Modern Vampires of The City last May 16th at Sony Centre. The quartet from New York City recently released their third LP after their long break, yet this is possibly the best album that the band has ever released so far. The Vampire Weekend that we used to know with their ska and afrobeat music, along with songs about the famous Cape Cod and grammar, changed their music scheme into a modern baroque with deeper lyrics about love, death and the future.

Vampire Weekend did an encore after “Giving Up The Gun” which I think was what made their performance better, with red strobe lights that moving up and down. “Diplomat’s Son” and “Mansard Roof” came afterward. According to the setlist, the band was supposed to perform “Obvious Bicycle” that night, but Koenig explained that due to technical problems, this would not be possible. While I was quite disappointed, their overall set was still totally mind-blowing.

After their tour promoting Contra, the band revealed that they were doing things separately. Frontman Ezra Koenig said that he was practically homeless after the tour, yet he got to collaborate with Major Lazer on a song entitled “Jessica”, and also made an appearance on the HBO series Girls, while multi-instrumental and producer Rostam Batmaglij did some solo project of his own.

Koenig gave a speech, “Now anybody who’s ever seen us before knows that we have a traditional farewell song and it’s a song about leaving Cape Cod tonight”, and closed their set with “Walcott”. Everyone who was sitting on stood up and sang along. A few were also dancing along; kudos to the middle aged couple who stood beside me the whole set dancing like they were in their early age. It was a night to remember.

The band’s performance at Sony Centre Toronto happened two days after the release of Modern Vampires of the City and the band walked in to a well decorated stage with four giant pillars and a huge mirror in the center; opening their set with “Cousins” off Contra, this was followed with some older songs like “White Sky”, “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” and “I Stand Corrected”. Koenig, gave a shout out to Toronto in between songs as the crowd aggressively screamed. The band did well with transitions between songs, such as between “Horchata” and “Everlasting Arms”, where they played an instrumental version of LMFAO’s “Shots” with a lot of claps. The best transition of their set happens to be between “Campus” and “Oxford Comma”: the white curtains dropped into their famous floral pattern backdrop.

Into The Band | Vampire Weekend

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

W o r d s by k a r m i n y u p h o t o by pa u l i n e n g u y e n

riginating from Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, The Wonder Years define the pop-punk scene with their loud and energetic music. Currently busy promoting their fourth and upcoming record, entitled The Greatest Generation, and preparing for the very MANY shows that they will be playing in the next few months, bassist Josh Martin takes the opportunity to give us the scoop about his personal life, the band’s early days, info on the new album and much more. Named after the television show of the same name, The Wonder Years was founded in 2005. Consisting of Dan Campbell aka Soupy on vocals, Casey Cavaliere and Matt Brasch both on guitars, Michael Kennedy on the drums and Martin himself on the bass guitar, the band started off as nothing but a joke. Martin tells us that they played silly covers and also recreated their own versions of Blink-182’s songs. Prior to forming the Wonder Years, the members were all in different bands, with the bassist being in his first band at a young age of 11. For those of you who don’t know, Martin can play more than just the bass, he explains that he started playing the cello in third grade and is even able to play the double bass, the tuba and the trombone!

Into The band | the wonder year

however, he says that his favourite record would be The Greatest Generation since he and the guys put a tremendous amount of effort into this album and he is excited for fans to hear it. This album is different in a way because the band always tries to change things up a bit in order to bring new things. But old fans and people who enjoyed Suburbia won’t need to worry about the band’s changes since pop-punk is something that they are always going to stick with. Martin also stumbled on his reply when he was asked to define the term “poppunk”. He feels that the word became bigger than the genre itself. He says that “pop-punk” is more than just a genre, but a community containing many bands that also create different types of “pop-punk” sounds.

Which tour would Martin consider to be the most memorable? It’s quite hard for him to say because each tour is very special, but Warped Tour seems to be the one that comes to mind. There, he gets to meet many bands and makes many friends. The Wonder Years are constantly on tour and the bassist of the band gives us tips on how he stays sane when he’s touring and away from home a lot. For him, finding a hobby that is non-related to music is very important in order not to burn out. This multi-talented musician says that the group Getting away from members and doing something first mainly played weekend shows. It was hard for that is best for you is also vital in staying grounded. him to juggle between school and being in a band For example, he likes to watch a lot of TV shows to at the same time, but said that it was fun since he keep his mind away from music for a short while. got to make new friends. As time went on, the band But the most important thing is to make sure that gradually became more serious and this can be you keep your stuff dry. shown by the numerous EP’s and albums that they So be sure to buy a copy of The Greatest have released in the past years, with The Upsides Generation when it hits stores on May 14th. If (2010) and Suburbia: I’ve Given You All and Now I’m Nothing (2011) having really exposed them you want to get a sneak peak of how the album to a larger fan base. The same year they released will sound like, you can listen to Passing Through The Upsides, they even announced that they were a Screen Door and Dismantling Summer if you haven’t already done so. Fans can also be assured signing to Hopeless Records. that The Wonder Years will be touring all When asked which album from the The Wonder summer long with Silverstein and they will be on Years was his favourite, Martin was unable to this year’s Vans Warped Tour as well. really pick one because each was very special to him and different in their own ways. For now,

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

Into The fashion | festival guides

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013

or the past several months, The Maine has been hard at work writing, recording, demoing and releasing their new album. While it’s always an antagonizing wait for new music, it’s safe to say that this wait has been worth it. I would say this is their most mature album yet.

The Maine Forever Halloween Rate: 5/5

Release Date: June 4th, 2013 Tracklist: 1. Take What You Can Carry 2. Love and 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 Must Listen To: These Four Words Kennedy Curse White Walls Review by Shelby Kreiger

The highly anticipated release of Forever Halloween marks the fourth full-length album the band has put out since 2008. While their last album, Pioneer, added a range of experimental vibes to the roster, it did not quite live up to the hype of it’s predecessor, Black & White. Forever Halloween, however, may just be the band’s greatest achievement. Starting us out is “Take What You Can Carry”, a perfect choice to set the mood for the album. Initially sounding like a pop/rock song reminiscent of Arctic Monkeys’ newer vibes, the old sound of Black & White eventually breaks through by the second verse and the song takes off from there. Track number two, “Love & Drugs” was the second single and one of the more alternative-sounding tunes. It’s a classic ‘reckless teen’ anthem with an upbeat tempo; something you just want to dance to. By the third song, we’re given frontman John’s ever-maturing lyrical storytelling in high gear. “Run” gives us the sound of a feel-good song, but with the lyrical strength of something much deeper, therefore easing us into the belly of the record. The change of emotion throughout this record is immense, and is quite impeccably done. The fourth track, “White Walls”, is a fantastically executed song with lyrical composure that makes it a great love song – except love isn’t actually mentioned at all. One of the great things about

this band is that they can make you truly believe what they try to convey through their music, and this song is a perfect example of it. “Happy”, the fifth track, was the first single. It’s a great song to showcase the band’s split from their old days of Pioneer while still continuing their rock sound. After “Happy”, however, a shift occurs in the album’s emotional spectrum once again. And this time, we’re thrust into a dark world of heavy sounds and equally heavy words. “Birthday in Los Angeles” is basically a breakup song with the city; an open letter honing in on the corruption that can get the best of anyone. “Blood Red” gives us back that evaded Pioneer sound with grunge-rock undertones. Rounding off the melody are Kirch’s drums and some heavy bass from Nickelsen. The eighth track, “Kennedy Curse”, is an unexpectedly dark song with, once again, those impeccable lyrics from O’Callaghan that draw you in. Concluding with heavy guitar from Brock and Monaco, we are taken out of the darkness and brought back ready for more. “Sad Songs” brings us a poprock sound with melancholy lyrics to accent it. This tune could easily speak to those individuals who live life quite pessimistically, with lyrics from O’Callaghan stating “I only like the sad songs/No one gets me like the sad songs”. “Fucked Up Kids” hits us with another ‘reckless teen’ anthem with an immense guitar break. At the break, we see one final shift on the emotion spectrum, with a slowed-down tempo reminiscent of “We’ll All Be…” from the band’s first album, Can’t Stop Won’t Stop. Somewhat bittersweet is this recollection though: while the breakdown of “We’ll All Be…” spoke

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013 of good times with good friends, “Fucked Up Kids” talks about being alone. From there, the album’s up-down swing of emotions ends, and the album is brought to a close with two modest songs, “These Four Words” and the title track, “Forever Halloween”. “These Four Words”, the album’s masterpiece of a song, is a beautiful piano number accompanied by O’Callaghan’s poignant lyrics. It may very well be the saddest song The Maine has written yet. And leading us to the end is “Forever Halloween”, a somewhat macabre song with lyrics giving a haunting farewell to adolescence. Monaco heads it off with a slamming guitar solo, and the song breaks off and ends suddenly, suggestive of that moment when you wake up one day and your childhood is long gone. Superbly executed, it is certainly a great end to the album. If you aren’t a fan of The Maine, give this album a listen and I’m positive you’ll be wanting more by the time you’re finished. This band has done it again, folks. They’ve given us their best and then some. Hats off to these five men who works their asses off every day to make music that they not only enjoy, but that they are proud to have made. That pride flows through each note and lyric with a sense of urgency one can only marvel at, and like a constant high, this band will never let you down.

more amplified sound to highlight profound emotion by which this song is driven. Similarly, another slow jam entitled “Madelyn” features strummy acoustic guitar juxtaposed with shouty vocals you can still fall asleep to.

The Wonder Years The Greatest Generation Rate: 5/5

This is, quite possibly, The Wonder Years’s best album yet.

By Paula Mirando

he GreatestGeneration, the newest album by pop-punk band The Wonder Years, features improved lyrics along with hard rock aggression juxtaposed with a few songs on the softer side, creating what may be the band’s greatest album to date. “Passing Through a Screen Door” is a lyrical masterpiece you can jam to. With it’s great guitar riffs and infectious melody, it’s an overall amazing song. “We Could Die Like This” starts out aggressive and energetic, building to a catchy chorus. The breakdown in the bridge is awesome, something you can jam to with your friends on the last day at school or at the Vans Warped Tour. “Teenage Parents” is a song you can dance to, full of punchy guitars and lyrics that tell a story that is truthful and honest. “The Devil In My Bloodstream” begins softer and slower. In this ballad, Campbell’s vocals and the heart-wrenching piano complement each other perfectly. Halfway through, Campbell speaks up, jumping to a

The final track, “I Just Want To Sell Out My Funeral,” sums up everything you just heard on the album, a perfect conclusion to The Greatest Generation. It’s an anthem and an affirmation.

Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of The City Rate: 5/5

By Lauren Lyford

ampire Weekend newest anticipated release Modern Vampires of the City is sure to impress. Lyrics on the album seem to be the most passionate yet, discussing things from god to the future. Some of these topics may come across as frightening such as the their thoughts on the unknown but they are delivered in a warm and comforting way. The melodies on the album are

Into The Crowd Magazine | June 2013 warm and welcoming like a summers rain. The lyrics in “Don’t Lie” seem to have a warning about the near coming future along with “Diane Young”. Whereas the album’s lead track “Obvious Bicycle” very uplifting song, fitting to be the opener. And in the track you hear hints of mild 90’s hip-hop. Throughout the album you hear beautiful and classic piano riffs helping to complete songs such as “Young Lion.” Some would argue that the lyrics showcased on Modern Vampires are some of the most insightful and best written to date. It’s seems as if Koenig and Batmanglij enjoy outdoing themselves lyrically album to album. Along with the profound lyrics every song comes together to create a very cohesive album where nothing seems to be out of place. Everything about this album seems “right”, it’s time for us all to start thinking of Vampire Weekend as the band that is eventually going to take over the world with their music.

This Century Biography of Heartbreak Rate: 4/5

By Lauren Lyford

ight from the beginning This Century hits you with a pulsing pop track, “Slow Dance Night”, bringing you back into the strength of the quartet. The band produces a solid mix of pop/ rock and electro tunes with this album. It seems as if This Century has really grasped who they want to be musically with this album. I believe that this is, This Centurys year to shine with a solid album such as this, and being apart of a strong summer line up. Biography of a Heartbreak will be the album that sets them apart from some of their fellow pop/rock contenders. Sure to impress their “grassroots” and any other. One track entitled “Run and Hide” reminds me of “When I’m Gone” by fellow friends A Rocket to the Moon having an islandy vibe to it. Along with that, familiar track “Bleach Blonde” is featured on the album just in time to sing you right back into summer. The song “Love is a Fools Game” showcases Joel’s falsetto and talent. Other tracks like “My Weakness” and “Tip Toe” with their catchy choruses are sure to find their home in the hums of all listeners. The final track “Deadly Weapon” closes out the album quite nicely, leaving the listener with a message of being “Unstoppable and Unbreakable” sure to resonate with all. Having consistency throughout it’s entirety, Biography of a Heartbreak is sure to become the pop/rock album of the summer. There’s not a moment where you won’t want to start dancing.

. I N T O T H E C W W N E . C O M R I W O A Z W W G N T O T H E W C D A . I R W W M M O W M D W . I A W W D

Z I N E . A G A C O D M O T H E C R O M W W N T O I E . C O M W WD M . N R I W Z W A GW W C A . W E I N A Z W A G H T M

W D M A C R O E W . I N G A Z W W T T H M O A G A Z O T I N T C O O W D M H E I N E N . E I E . C R C C . C . E R N H O W I T M O

Into The Crowd G

INE

W W M C O W W D . E . C R O I N E W . I N T O T H E I N T Z T H -W W C O R A T A O G T OG W A D

new s • t o r o n t o t o u r c a l endar • exclusive inter views • Photos • a l b u m r e v i e w s • l o c a l spotlight • contests • many more new i s s ue #11 o ut ju ne 3r d www.intothec r owdm agaz ine . com be s u r e t o f o l l o w u s o n twitter and like our face b ook page f o r GIVEAWAYS THIS SUMMER ! @ INTOTHECROWDMAG / INTOTHECROWD magazine ONLINE TORONTO-BASED ROCK/POP/PUNK/ALTERNATIVE MUSIC MAGAZINE