KILLIN' IT
ISSUE 3 // MINI ZINE
MARCH
2019
MAGGIE LINDEMANN GNASH, VICTORIA KONEFAL, JUSTIN ESCALONA, & LIVE GALLERIES
Killin' It Mag ACACIA EVANS FOUNDER // HEAD PHOTOGRAPHER WRITER // DESIGNER
Contributing Writer & Contributing Contributing BTS
Editor Photographer Photographer Photographer Videographer
AMANDA JONES ALI MILLER HUNTER BERRY GRANT EXLINE ANDREA SCHOLLNICK
www.killinitmag.com @killinitmag
CONTACT acacia@killinitmag.com Nashville, TN 37203
Table of Contents GNASH
VICTORIA KONEFAL
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7
MAGGIE LINDEMANN
JUSTIN ESCALONA
3
7
LP GALLERY
11
23
15
JESSE MCCARTNEY GALLERY MARCH PLAYLIST
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17
17
23
GNASH
Photos + Story by ali miller
There is something rare and captivating about an artist who can produce music that not only contains catchy beats and heartfelt lyrics but can also make listeners feel incredibly understood and less alone in the world. gnash broke the Billboard charts in 2016 with his song "i hate u, i love u", recorded with artist Olivia O'Brien. Since that release, gnash felt there was still work to be done with his growth as an artist; new music that he not only needed to write, but we, as a people, needed to hear. His latest album we was released in January of this year with a mission statement of “if we feel together, then we’ll feel better." Although recorded in Los Angeles, arguably one of the most competitive music hot spots in America, we wasn't created with the underlying motivation of fame.
gnash has never had a goal of making a number one hit, but rather creating music that helps him find a better sense of self while simultaneously helping those who listen. This dislike of competitiveness in the music industry caused him to lean towards collaborating with friends. After coming to Nashville he found a new writing experience, one that lacked creating music with the sole purpose of making a hit and instead with the pure intent of creating beautiful art. "I'd say the core difference is not a negative thing...there is just a difference in energy when someone walks into the room." He goes on to say, "That's why I liked having this balance of Nashville and LA because at the end of the day, of course, I want my music to be successful because that is how the most people will hear it. So I could write beautiful music here in Nashville, then go back to LA and get it checked by the more commercial vibe of things, then come back here, and so on." 4
His collaborations with other artists such as Olivia O'Brien and MAXX have come together extremely organically based off of friendships, and they want to give each other respect as not only artists but as people. Even as gnash grows in his solo career, his humbleness and gratitude towards the talented producers and artists he has worked with shines clearly in the way he talks about them and the performance of those songs on stage. Those songs such as “Lights Down Low” and “i hate u i love u” have paved an avenue for gnash, filled with honesty and vulnerability. "I am so thankful for MAXX for helping me in a time where I needed time to create and get my head straight," he said. Even with a few headlining tours under his belt, gnash says that this tour almost feels like his first one ever. Since his 2016 release of the EP us, gnash states that Garrett has grown as a person more than ever and that his transformation has ricocheted directly into his music as gnash. Although he has loved his past songs, the songs on his newest release are pieces that he is incredibly proud of because of the directness and authenticity he has poured into them. With songs like “pajamas” where he sings about wanting to stay in your PJ’s all day because the world can sometimes be too much, or “ dear insecurity” which reflects on breaking down the walls in your life that have previously held you back, his main goal was to be honest with his fans about what he has gone through. To put it simply, “Garrett grew up over the last few years. I bought a house, I am proud of the person I am now, I am seeing a therapist and am heading towards brighter and happier days. And I think that transformation really shows on this album."
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This album and tour had one main goal; leave those who hear his music live or listen through their headphones at home in their pajamas feel better than they did before they heard it. As a strong advocate for mental health awareness, gnash feels like if he didn’t talk about what he is going through and the struggles he has faced, he would be lying to his fans. “It’s just apart of life, we are so obsessed with these little devices that we keep in our pockets and we constantly have other people’s opinions in our faces...so my way of dealing with this is going on tour and asking people to be present with me, asking people to meditate. Because I really think it helps”. By telling others what is going on in his head, whether online or on stage, gnash allows his concerts to be a pocket of peace in an otherwise hectic world. At the end of the day, gnash is “incredibly thankful for people taking the time to be with me and spend time with me”. gnash is currently on tour for his newest album we, and loving every second of it. Be sure to check out this incredibly honest and addicting creation of music.
V I CT OR I A K ON EFA L
Photos + Story by Acacia Evans Hair + Makeup by karly ketelle
Only less than 30 percent of applicants get accepted into the Fiorello H. Laguardia High School Of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York. Days of Our Lives actress Victoria Konefal was one of those 200. Her path to acting began at age 7 when she got up in the middle of an Off-Broadway production of The Hobbit and attempted to join the cast on-stage. The director of the show liked her enthusiasm and invited her to audition for a child role in South Pacific which she, of course, scored. Konefal continued to excel in school productions throughout elementary and middle school. Her acceptance into Fiorello H. Laguardia High School Of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York was a huge deal for the entire family, and her audition monologues were quite the pick for a 14year-old. The first one was a silly comedy sketch, and the second was her telling a psychiatrist about hiding from Nazis during WWII. Her parents were shot and killed, so she took her neighbor to hide in a sewer with her. This is where she accidentally smothered the neighbor while trying to keep her quiet from the Nazis. An even bigger twist to this was that she spoke Polish for half of the monologue because Polish is actually her first language. After her time at this iconic high school, where she studied alongside actors like Timothée Chalamet and Ansel Elgort, she booked her first lead in an indie film. She packed up and drove across the country with her best friends to Los Angeles. Konefal tried college twice but felt like it was stifling her creativity rather than helping it grow.
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“I’m gonna go on set, show up, and do the best work I can. Whether or not I get it, I’m going to be 110% proud of myself,”
Konefal waitressed for 9 months after the move and wouldn’t say no to a single audition. She wanted to test the waters and try out every part she could, anything that was an outlet for creativity. She eventually got an audition for the soap opera Days of Our Lives and didn’t hear back for two months after the audition. It was the most strenuous and demanding audition process for her. Konefal had to go in seven times, two of those being a test where she had to go and say lines with the real actors and directors of the show. “I’m gonna go on set, show up, and do the best work I can. Whether or not I get it, I’m going to be 110% proud of myself,” she thought to herself. “If you have a mindset that makes you nervous, you’re gonna come across as nervous.” That mindset landed her the role of Ciara on Days of Our Lives, a young girl that has endured an immense amount of trauma and pain. She is a survivor of sexual assault and someone who so many young women across the world can relate to. Konefal gets social media messages on the regular, letting her know that her performances on the show make girls feel less alone. "Ciara is a great example for women everywhere. If what I do with my art touches someone in ay way, that's all I could want and hope to do," said Konefal.
Being on a soap opera isn't easy though. A lot of far fetched things happen, such as people coming back from the dead, and Konefal has to trace back to a time where she has felt an emotion that's applicable to what her character is feeling in order to portray it properly. The actors often have to film three scripts a day, which can sometimes be over 65 pages. She looks up profoundly to actors that have been on the show for decades, learning things she could never learn from being on another kind of show. "Being on this show has instilled an incredible work ethic in me that I can't get anywhere else. I didn't get this from LaGuardia. I'm learning something completely different. It's a new skill set that will make me more comfortable when I do movies again," she said. Konefal has so many goals for the future, one of which is following the steps of Angelia Jolie. She wants to play badass roles, maybe even some troubled ones, and full emerge herself into every single character she can. "I'm gathering my tools for the future," said Konefal. "I want to lose my mind. I want to get so immersed and so lost in a character, one with depth and creativity."Â This is really the absolute beginning for this 22-year-old actress. She just received her first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series, and I'm sure it won't be her last. Be sure to follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/victoriakonefal and Twitter at twitter.com/victoriakonefal to stay up to date.
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MAGGIE LINDEMANN
Photos + Story by Acacia Evans makeup by Karly Ketelle
There comes a point in life where you can either continue doing something you don’t love or pack up and make a change. You can remain content and comfortable, or realize that you have more to offer. This is the place 16-yearold Maggie Lindemann was at when deciding whether or not she wanted to maintain the status of track star in high school or move to Los Angeles, CA to chase her dreams of being a singer. Originally from Dallas, TX, young Lindemann wasn't sure what she was good at. She knew that she loved to sing at a young age, but didn't think she was good enough to sing for any of her friends or family. Due to the competitive nature of Texans and sports, she ended up taking on track and cross country. During auditions, she realized that she could run really fast and dedicated all of her time towards being the best track star she could be. Although she excelled at track, she didn't love it. Her passion was for music. Lindemann eventually sang for some of her friends who convinced her that she actually had something going for her. She began posting singing videos on social media, gaining followers across multiple platforms and catching the attention of thousands of listeners. She also caught the attention of her current manager who was there for her when she made the move to Los Angeles at 16. Since her time in Los Angeles, Lindemann has released a variety of singles beginning with her chart-topping hit "Pretty Girl" in 2016 and "Couple of Kids" the year before. She then released her absolute bop of a pop song "Obsessed" in 2017 along with her darker singles "Human" and "Would I" last year.
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Although cohesive with each other because of Lindemann's voice, all of her singles have a different feel and direction to them. It's important to Lindemann to switch it up and base her inspiration on whatever she's going through at the moment. "I love all types of music, all genres, and all sounds. If I can do a bunch of different sounds, why would I just do one genre? If you have fans and you have people that like your lyrics, they don't care if the production is a little different," said Lindemann. Lindemann also works with her team to create conceptual and attention-grabbing music videos. Whether it's choreographed dancing in her video for "Obsessed" or a full-blown haunted house for "Human," she always goes above and beyond visually to portray her message as accurately as possible. She likes to do what hasn't yet been done. Breaking boundaries and stereotypes with her music and image make sense for Lindemann, as her biggest influences trace to some of the most iconic and badass women in the industry. These include Gwen Stefani, Courtney Love, Lana Del Rey, and Heather Baron-Gracie of Pale Waves. She also admires women in the older rock scene in general, as rock music has been one of Lindemann's biggest influences these days. "I study them all the time," she said. "They did whatever they wanted and acted how men act. It was so cool because they were cussing in interviews, throwing shit, and just being crazy. People loved it." Lindemann is actually pulling out more rock inspiration for her upcoming releases and truly coming into herself as an artist. She’s planning on dropping an EP or album this year, much different than anything she’s put out before. It will include electric guitar, heavy drums, and even some ska influence.
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"I love all types of music, all genres, and all sounds. If I can do a bunch of different sounds, why would I just do one genre?"
Alongside music, Lindemann has always been drawn to fashion. As a little girl, she would design her own clothes and put together different fabrics. She now often finds herself in a position where she knows what she wants to wear, but can't find it anywhere. She decided that she was just going to make her own clothes once again. For over a year, she worked with a team of creatives and the clothing store Zumiez to create her own clothing brand called Swixxz. The brand is a combination of goth/emo styles and lettering with fun pinks and blues. It's a collaboration with Zumiez and a perfect reflection of where Lindemann is at stylewise. Lindemann is currently wrapping up a tour with Sabrina Carpenter and about to release her upcoming single “Friends Go” on March 22nd. Be on the lookout for more tour dates and music at www.maggielindemann.com and be sure to grab some Swixxz merchandise at www.swixxz.com.Fosters.
JU S T I N ES CA L ON A
Photos + Story by Acacia Evans
Almost 15 years ago was when YouTube graced the interwebs. This was the era of Fred, Jenna Marbles, Shane Dawson, and many other OG YouTubers. This was also the time where 10-year-old Justin Escalona was creating and uploading 10-second goofy clips with meme-like edits he finessed on After Effects. All of these creators formed a community with each other, one before brand deals and the thought of anyone ever having a million subscribers. Everyone was just working on growing their channel. "The biggest reward was just getting views," said Escalona. "It was all about growing the channel." Escalona continued on to create short films and music videos during his time in middle school and high school. He won several film festivals which may have contributed to his acceptance into USC's film school that only accepts 50 students. It was here that Escalona began his Daily Docs series since freshmen weren't allowed to make movies yet. These videos ranged anywhere from surprise visiting his parents to an insight of what it's like to be at a party in Hollywood Hills.Â
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His time at USC has also taught him that the film world is very fashion forward, and so is he. His passion for fashion began to outrun his desire to make movies, and he wanted to build a clothing brand that reflected his beginnings. Escalona was really inspired by the streetwear community, specifically brands such as Supreme, Diamond Supply, and Obey. He wanted to show the story of his crazy life at film school where he and his roommate constantly left their door unlocked for friends to hang out in, under an unspoken policy that everyone would respect their personal belongings. They've received a stack of write-ups, but never anything to kick them out. This is the time where 1340 Collective Co. began, named after Escalona's dorm room number. He used a strategy that is now called dropshipping to begin his clothing line. With this, he would essentially order one product, shoot all of the promos in that one product, and collect orders online. He would then use that money to actually fill the orders and send them out. Pretty genius, right? These days, Escalona doesn't have to do that anymore on the count of how massive 1340 Collective Co. has become and how unique the brand's business model is. Escalona keeps every collection exclusive, meaning that there is a limited amount of merchandise in each collection and once it's gone, it's gone forever. Each collection drops for a week, and you must DM either Justin himself or the brand on Instagram in order to get an access code that only lasts 24 hours to purchase items.  Â
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"I'm a big advocate of the idea that it's about selling a story that people relate to. It's 50 times more effective than just trying to sell a cool design."
Another thing that is special about 1340 Collective Co. is that it's based solely on storytelling. Escalona has gained over 305k subscribers on YouTube, meaning that he already had a base of supporters that have been watching his story and life from the beginning. He honed in on the fact that when his company began, he was literally making merchandise out of a dorm room. His followers saw that and were drawn to the story because they could relate. "This isn't just merch. There's a story behind the company and true character. I'm a big advocate of the idea that it's about selling a story that people relate to. It's 50 times more effective than just trying to sell a cool design," said Escalona. The most admirable part about Escalona's business strategy is that it is genuinely based off of wholesome relationships he's made throughout his career. Every day he wakes up seeing that a new celebrity or professional athlete has organically purchased his merchandise and worn it in their everyday life. He also makes sure that he is constantly working with his friends. To Escalona, success doesn't mean a thing if you aren't able to share it with the people that you love and care for the most. His roommates and best friends help him with everything from taking photographs of the collections to assisting with production for their promotional videos. This is just the beginning. Escalona and his crew will be embarking on a tour starting at the end of the month to screen an exclusive short film about the story of 1340 Collective Co. He will also continue to have random pop up shops and other exciting endeavors to include supporters in immersive experiences. Escalona is truly an incredible example of what it takes to be a hard worker and someone who doesn't let age define a single thing. Be sure to grab tickets to the 1340 Tour at www.1340tour.com and keep an eye on social media to see when new collections will be dropping.sters.
Jesse Mccartney | by Hunter Berry
LPÂ | by Grant Exline
MARCH PLAYLISt Would I - Maggie Lindemann SUCKER - JONAS BROTHERS INSOMNIA - DAYA it's not u it's me - bea miller nikes - jake miller dancing with a stranger - sam smith and Normani SALLY WALKER - IGGY AZALEA HARD PLACE - H.E.R. BITCH (TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE) - LENNON STELLA PHANTOM - NIGHTLY WHAT A TIME - JULIA MICHAELS FEAT. NIALL HORAN
