A TRIP DOWNTOWN
ISSUE #02
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"UNLIKE ANY OTHER ROOFTOP PARTY YOU’VE BEEN TO IN L A , T H E WAT E R TOWER SESSIONS A R E A C U R AT E D CONTENT SERIES PRODUCED BY THE WINSTON HOUSE TEAM. WORKING WITH THE LIKES OF ARTISTS C A R LY R A E JEPSON, SCARY P O O L P A R T Y, VALENTINA AND SO ON, WINSTON HOUSE PROVIDES AN EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE FOR AUDIENCE MEMBERS TO WAT C H I N T I M AT E PERFORMANCES AND ENJOY DRINKS OVER THE DOWNTOWN LA SKYLINE."
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EP RELEASE PARTY TELL US ABOUT YOUR NIGHT! NOE: IVE BEEN DREAMING ABOUT HAVING MY EP RELEASE PARTY FOR SO L O N G S O N O W T O H A V E I T A C T U A L LY COME TRUE IS INSANE, I’M SO WIRED R I G H T N OW ! I M S O G R AT E F U L , I T WA S S U C H A H U G E T E A M O F F R I E N D S T H AT MADE THIS HAPPEN. I MET COREY ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO AND HE’S BEEN LETTING M E P L AY S H OW S H E R E S I N C E . W H AT A R E S O M E L E S S O N S Y O U H AV E L E A R N E D O N Y O U R P U R S U I T O F M U S I C S I N C E M OV I N G TO L A ? N O E : PAT I E N C E , PAT I E N C E , PAT I E N C E . E V E RY B O DY W I L L D I S P L AY H OW T H E Y ’ R E S O B U S Y A N D W O R K I N G W I T H T H I S A R T I S T A N D T H A T A R T I S T, B U T T H E R E A L I T Y I S G E T T I N G T O T H A T P O I N T T A K E S T I M E ! I T ’ S T O U G H , T H E R E A R E A L O T O F U P S A N D D O W N S B U T S L O W LY Y O U P L A N T S E E D S W I T H T H E P E O P L E W H O S U P P O RT W H AT Y O U ’ R E D O I N G A N D WAT C H I T G R OW I N TO S O M E T H I N G T H AT S H OW S Y O U T H AT T I M E WA S WO RT H W H I L E . I F E E L L U C K Y TO H AV E P E O P L E T H AT A R E J U S T A S P A S S I O N A T E A S M E T O B E W O R K I N G O N T H I S P R O J E C T. Y O U H A D M E N T I O N E D T H E I M P O RTA N C E O F F S U R R O U N D I N G Y O U R S E L F W I T H F R I E N D S . T E L L U S M O R E A B O U T T H AT ! N O E : W H E N I M OV E D TO L A I H A D T H I S P H I L O S O P H Y T H AT I WO U L D N ’ T WO R K W I T H F R I E N D S TO T R Y A N D S E P A R A T E W O R K F R O M P L A Y. I H A D A F E A R O F A S K I N G F R I E N D S F O R H E L P B E C A U S E I DIDN’T KNOW ANYONE WHEN I CAME HERE. BUT TWO WEEKS INTO MOVING I MET COREY MCGUIRE WHO HAD THIS PLACE, AND I BECAME SO MUCH HAPPIER WHEN I REALIZED PEOPLE DO WORK W I T H F R I E N D S A N D I T C A N B E S U C H A N A M A Z I N G E X P E R I E N C E . E S P E C I A L LY W H E N T H O S E P E O P L E HAVE YOUR BACK. NOW MY MANAGER IS MY BEST FRIEND AND WE WENT TO COLLEGE TOGETHER! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO HAVE YOUR FIRST EP OUT? NOE: AW MAN, I’M A BIT OF AN OVER THINKER, AND I NEVER THOUGHT ID ACCEPT THE FEELING O F P R I D E B U T S I N C E P U T T I N G T H I S P R O J E C T I F E E L P R O U D . I P U T S O M U C H I N T O T H I S E P. I ’ V E B E E N W R I T I N G F O R E V E R ( S I N C E I W A S 9 ) . I T ’ S T A K E N A L O T O F S O N G S , L I T E R A L LY H U N D R E D S . AS WELL AS FINDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO WORK WITH AND BUILDING THIS AMAZING TEAM. W H AT I S Y O U R C R E AT I V E P R O C E S S ? H OW D I D Y O U F I N D Y O U R OW N V O I C E ? NOE: IM SURE I DON’T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY BUT MY VOICE CAME TO ME WHEN I STOPPED L O O K I N G F O R T H E V O I C E . I U S E D TO P U T FA R TO O M U C H T H O U G H T I N TO A N D T RY TO C R E AT E T H I N G S I A S S U M E D OT H E R P E O P L E WA N T E D TO H E A R . T H E L E S S I T H O U G H T A B O U T E M U L AT I N G S O M E T H I N G S P E C I F I C A N D J U S T D O I N G W H A T I L O V E D I S W H E N M Y M U S I C R E A L LY C A M E T O M E . T H E M O S T I M P O RTA N T T H I N G TO M E I S B E I N G E X C I T E D A B O U T Y O U R OW N WO R K A N D L OV I N G W H AT 11 YOU DO.
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DONNA MISSAL THE THEME OF YOUR TOUR IS CENTERED AROUND PROM A N D S C H O O L DA N C E S , H OW D I D T H AT C O M E TO B E ? DONNA: I GREW UP HOME SCHOOLED. DOING MY FIRST H E A D L I N I N G TO U R , I WA N T E D TO C R E AT E A N I M M E R S I V E E X P E R I E N C E . I WA N T E D TO R E C R E AT E S O M E T H I N G N O S TA L G I C F O R T H E P E O P L E AT T E N D I N G TO S H E D A P O S I T I V E L I G H T O N W H AT M I G H T ’ V E O N C E S E E M E D L I K E A N E G AT I V E T I M E I N L I F E . I WA N T E D TO G I V E P E O P L E T H E C H A N C E TO R E D O , O R M AY B E F O R T H E F I R S T T I M E , E X P E R I E N C E S U C H A N O U T I N G I N T H E B E S T WAY POSSIBLE. A L OT O F Y O U R FA N S S E E Y O U A S A N L B T G I C O N , D O F E E L P R E S S U R E TO B E A S P O K E S P E R S O N FOR THE COMMUNITY? D O N N A : I D O N ’ T F E E L P R E S S U R E , B U T I F E E L L I K E I T S I M P O RTA N T T H AT W E D I M I N I S H T H E S T I G M A T H AT S AT TA C H E D TO A N Y S E X UA L I T Y O N T H E S P E C T R U M TO T H E P O I N T W H E R E I T S N O L O N G E R A B I G D E A L TO P E O P L E . I T H I N K T H E R E S A N I M P O RTA N C E O N TA L K I N G A B O U T T H E S E T H I N G S A N D G I V I N G I T V I S I B I L I T Y S O T H AT P E O P L E C A N B E C O M F O RTA B L E B E I N G W H O E V E R T H E Y WA N T TO B E . I D O N ’ T F E E L T H AT I L I V E I N T H E S PA C E O F B E I N G A N I C O N , B U T I D O F I N D T H AT T H E R E I S A H Y P E R - S T I G M A T H A T B E I N G B I S E X U A L D O E S N ’ T E X I S T, S O I T S N I C E T O R E P R E S E N T S O M E T H I N G T H A T A L O T O F P E O P L E F E E L L I K E T H E Y C A N ’ T. I F I C A N B E T H A T F O R E V E N O N E P E R S O N , I T H AT S P R E T T Y C O O L . HAS TRAVELING AND MEETING OTHER ARTISTS RESHAPED YOUR WRITING PROCESS? IF SO WHO O R W H AT H A S I M PA C T E D T H AT F O R Y O U ?
D O N N A : I W O U L D T H A T M Y W R I T I N G P R O C E S S I S C O N S T A N T LY B E I N G I N F L U E N C E D B Y T H E WORLD AROUND ME. I FEEL ITS PRETTY COMMON FOR ARTISTS TO PULL FROM EXPERIENCE AND T H E T H I N G S T H AT T H E Y S E E O R S P E N D T I M E A R O U N D . I V E C O M E A C R O S S S O M A N Y I N C R E D I B L E A R T I S T S , E S P E C I A L LY F E M A L E A R T I S T S , S U C H A S K I N G P R I N C E S S , K - F L A Y, B I S H O P B R I G G S , A RT I S T S T H AT W R I T E T H E I R OW N M U S I C A N D H AV E A M E S S A G E T H AT I S A B O U T I N C L U S I O N A N D A C C E P TA N C E O F Y O U R S E L F A N D O R OT H E R P E O P L E . H AV I N G S U C H C L O S E P R O X I M I T Y TO T H O S E P E O P L E I N F L U E N C E S M E B E C A U S E T H O S E A R E T H E T H I N G S T H A T I W A N T T O T A L K A B O U T I N M Y1 9 M U S I C . I T ’ S B E E N R E A L LY C O O L T O L E A R N F R O M T H E P O W E R F U L W O M E N A R O U N D M E .
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