December 2013 issue five
Charli xcx
3 December music
5
mo
7 Martin garrix
9 December fashion 17 somo 19 Rac
23 bleached 27 walk off the earth 30 reviews 33 charli xcx 37 American authors 41 Born ruffians
contents
21 the royal concept
Line-up Editor in chief evan Candelmo Senior editors/writers Grant Anderson Ryan cirillo Reece dennison Corey emden Amanda figueroa Sammy Gilligan Carly Meyers Meg tamara style editors ryan cirillo erin malloy mariana rodriguez meg tamara models Grant Anderson Ryan cirillo Ashley Kauffman hitomi mochizuki Soraya tolat stay in touch: facebook.com/teennationtv twitter- @teennationtv
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December music
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Alex young- swtrwthr Ed sheeran- I see fire Aloe blacc- the man Naughty boy and sam smith- la la la Icona pop- just another night Lea Michele- cannonball American authors- best day of my life Charli xcx- superlove Max frost- white lies Dvbbs and borgeous- tsunami Flume and chet faker- drop the game Banks- waiting game Childish Gambino- 3005 Bastille- of the night Peter Thomas and betty who- all of you A great big world- I really want it Chvrches- lies ChlĂśe howl- Paper heart Ella eyre- deeper Say lou lou- julian
Mo
H aven’ t heard of MØ YET? Where hav e you been? The female v ocalist has been featuring on all of the hottest EDM artists’ tracks and now she is ready to break ou t in 2 01 4. What g enre would you des cribe your mu sic as? MØ: I would describe it as dynamic Electro Indie Pop with vibes from Hip-Hop and Soul. And if you want the short version, I would call it Indie Pop.. But I like the detailed one better. A re there any differences between A m erican and D anish audiences? MØ: There must be. But I haven't really noticed a huge difference yet - At least not from the live audience. They are both, great, supportive and in good spirit.. From what I've experienced so far. The music market in America is a hundred thousand times bigger than in little Denmark, so I would guess the difference in that sense is pretty big. What w as g row in g up l ik e for you? H ow did it g et you to where you are today ? MØ: I grew up in a small suburban neighborhood to a small town on an island, so it was quite isolated. But I had a great childhood, and I'm very nostalgic about it - I used to wander around in our neighborhood for hours, singing and daydreaming about what it would be like to be a popstar (my biggest wish back then). You' ve recentl y worked with Av ic ii an d Dip lo is featured on you r song "XXX 8 8 ", wh at is it l ike working w ith th ese established artists? MØ: It gives me great joy and hope that big stars like Diplo and Avicii see some fire burning in upcoming artists like myself. If I ever become a big shark in the sparkling sea I will follow their example, 'cause that is just such a cool attitude. Take Diplo - that guy works all of the time! It's so inspiring and definitely something I strive for as well. Where did you draw insp iration from while m aking "B ikini Daze"? MØ: Youth and boredom. The boundaries of society and the urge for freedom and self-development.
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Martin Garrix Think of 17-year old Martin Garrix the next big EDM star to break out. His song “Animals” has already reached #1 in 3 major music countries. The song is sure to be a big success in the states as he gears up for a big year in 2014. How did Spinnin' Records discover you? I send some tracks to Spinnin's A&R and was invited to talk about releasing them. That's where it al started... They are like family to me now. What made you pick up producing/DJing at such a young age? I saw Tiësto playing at the Olympics in 2004 and from that moment on I knew I wanted to be a DJ and produce music. That’s how I started! What was the process of writing your hit single, "Animals?" The melody from the track is already 2/3 years old, I used it in an older track which I never finished. In January of this year I started looking in old project files to check if there might be something that I could use, and then the melody from 'Animals' popped up. I started working with that melody and after 4 weeks ‘Animals’ was created. Did any other DJs influence the song or any of your other works?
I did Animals all by myself. Of course DJs influenced other works. We often support each other in the process of producing. And I did a lot of collaborations of course. Do you plan to do any other collaborations on upcoming tracks? Yeah already did a lot of them! Planning even more collaborations. Stay tuned ;-)! What is coming up for you in 2014? I already have 5 tracks ready to release in 2014. Touring in Australia and the US, playing some sick venues and festivals! Kicking off with the new EDM department of Scooter Braun. I know you recently signed with Scooter Braun Projects. Though it hasn't been long, how is it working with him? He is a great and inspirational man. But Michael George will take the lead in the EDM department, so he is my US manager in this whole process. I’ll be with them next week in NYC, really looking forward to it. Do you feel any pressure to release tracks quicker because of the success "Animals" has received? Not really. The success of ‘Wizard’ is unbelievable, so we’re in the middle of the process of the whole buzz and release of this new record. Everything at it’s time! But enough tracks to release in 2014!
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December Fashion
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This is a friendly reminder that there are no laws in fashion: only guidelines. If done correctly, the contrast between two different prints adds an eyegrabbing flair to your outfit with out overwhelming the eye. Just make sure the colors offset each other well to keep it all looking coherent and you’re golden!
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You don’t need to neglect your favorite t-shirts just because of the cold weather! Throw a casual jacket (like the denim one pictured above) over it. Add your own personality by adding a varsity jacket, cardigan, blazer, or button up.
soMo Jo se ph So M o i s the ne xt big R& B si ng er. Hai lin g fro m a sm all to w n i n Te xas, his son g “Ri de ” i s ri sin g u p the charts and is su re to be a bre ako ut in 20 14. What w as it lik e growing u p in the sm al l town of Denison, Texas and w hat was the m u sic scene like while g rowing up there? There wasn’t really a music scene in Denison, per se. It’s a small town and everyone listens to all kinds of music. We would share country, hip-hop, and everything. That melting pot definitely influenced me though. When did you really start g ettin g in to Mu sic and kn ow in g you w anted to perform an d sing as y our career? I love music, but I didn’t know I was going to pursue it as a career until fairly recently. It’s all really happened because of the fan response to my music. That's amazing. What w as it l ike headlining y ou first-ever national tou r and p l aying for sold out venu es all over the U .S.? It was awesome. Not many new artists get to experience tour life this early in a career. It’s an honor to be able to go into so many cities, perform, and spend time with fans. What g oes throug h you r head when y ou first wal k out on stage and every on e is cheering your nam e? For me, it’s like football. I have butterflies. Then, I step on to the field--in my case, the stage. Suddenly, it goes away immediately and I am ready to go! Describe y ou r exp erience film ing the “Ride” m us ic video. It was great to have such chemistry with the female lead. The whole thing was a cool experience, and I had a great time. The cinematographer Dan Gotti and I shot some of the video on a single road in Texas by ourselves. We were out on the road at 7am making this independent video. Having to perform like that with no crowd or band is challenging, but something I welcomed and learned from.
RAC Andre, the man behind RAC, has been taking leaps and bounds out of his comfort zone, setting precedents that he would have deemed as impossible just one year ago. Starting as a strictly only remix guy, he has ventured into new territory this year. “There’s nothing wrong with remixes, but I’m at the point where maybe I should be trying to make original stuff.” The most interesting part may be the process though. The creation of “Don’t Talk To” was done completely over the Internet. “It was a back and forth process,” Andre says, “I feel comfortable with it, but it may not work with other people. I haven’t met Kele, I haven’t met Katie Herzing either. Pretty much everyone featured on [the EP] I’ve never met in real life. Amidst the anarchy of collaborations, Andre doesn’t let his career encroach on his intimate life. In fact, he combines them. His spouse, Liz, and him are each other’s biggest and most loyal allies. “She has her own project ‘Pink Feathers’ that I just produced. I feel like we’re compatible on a deep level so that’s why we keep doing stuff together.” According to Andre, the covers they produce together started as a part of a challenge they had to each other to get 50,000 fans on Facebook. Power couple or not, RAC’s success with his first original material essentially allowed him to shatter the window of opportunity and climb in. The soon-to-be-released LP has broadened his horizons as an artist. “I have to look at thins on a basis of how the consumers would feel listening to this,” he finds. Also key in making a full length album? Flow. With many more songs on the full length, flow is key to receive and retain attention. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve listened to this thing. Whenever my mind would drift or when I would get bored, or I’d make a note of that to see what I needed to change.” When asked what his favorite song from the LP was, there was an uneasy silence coming from the other end of the telephone indicating how much these songs mean to him. Thankfully, Andre found an answer within himself. “Tourist. It’s a simple song I guess, but you can play it on a guitar or a piano and that’s what makes it genuine while the other songs have more difficulty to them. I’m pretty proud of the entire thing.” As an active musician, RAC frequently launched new material in the form of covers, collabs and more. Stay tuned for his much anticipated release of his LP.
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The Royal Concept Sweden’s alternative Stockholm based band, the Royal Concept, has proven they’re at the charts and are here to stay. As the immediate love child of Phoenix and the Strokes with their melodic overtones and tepid bass drops, their sound is pure ecstasy. In contrast to their psychedelic sound, their song “radio” proves they have diverse sound, with a mix of acoustic guitar and bubble gum pop. We got a chance to contact the guys behind the sound and dig into their lives, off stage and away from the studio.
The Royal Concept: It just felt right. We were only "The Concept" first and felt like something was missing. So we snuck into a venue in Stockholm and tried out different names on their marquee. "Royal" looked cool in the middle so we kept it.
Li ne-U p: How d id you g u ys m eet e ach othe r?
Li ne-U p: Wh at influ enced y ou w hen w riting your E P, "R oyal?"
The Royal Concept: Filip and I have been friends since high school. We dropped out of jazz college in Stockholm and started a duo that was very Simon and Garfunkel inspired. We hired Povel as our producer, he was already well known by then and we were huge fans of his work. He was Robyn's drummer for example. We couldn't afford to pay him any production fees so we tricked him into joining the band and somehow he accepted. Then we needed a bass player and we knew about a guy, Magnus, from our jazz college that told everyone he was tired of playing double bass and wanted to do rock n roll. So we hired him for our first show and right after that he was an official band member. Since then we've been together, all four of us.
The Royal Concept: All the touring we've done and all the people we've met.
Li ne-U p: You g uys w ent th roug h m any nam e ch ang es. Wh at m ade y ou gu ys fi nally ch oose "T he R oyal Co ncept" as you r nam e?
The Royal Concept: We'll have longer beards and still be touring. Two of us will have kids and the other two will be jealous.
Li ne-U p: How d id you g et dis cover ed by L ava R ecord s in th e U S? The Royal Concept: They found us on blogs and came to Sweden a few times. We got offers from a lot of different labels but felt like Lava had huge passion. We're so tired of hearing that "the music industry was better during the 90s". We feel like this industry and art needs passion. Lava has it.
Li ne-U p: Wh at wa s i t lik e h av ing your song on Glee? Did yo u th ink "O n Our W ay" w ould rece ive as m uc h sup port as it ha s? The Royal Concept: You can never expect anything really. We just put out songs and hope for the best. Glee was fun! We're glad that they kept the vibe of the song and that people liked it. It was fun to hear your own song in that American, slightly autotuned, broadway version :) Line -U p: Wh ere do y ou gu ys see you rselve s i n 5 yea rs?
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BLEACHED After thre e succe ssful single s, Ble ached is ready to takeover the alternativ e-rock scene. Their combination of sunny California beats with 70s rock is the perfe ct e quation for your new favorite song. M ade up of sisters Jen nifer and Je ssie Clavin, a Bleached song is the perfect jam for any day and an y season. Li ne-Up: When did it hit you that you wanted to start this band? Jennifer Clavin: Jess and I were coming to the end of our old band, Mika Miko and since we didn't want to completely stop playing music we decided to start Bleached. At the time we had no idea what Bleached was going to sound like or what we were even going to call ourselves. But we started just messing around with sounds and styles and had different friends drum for us… I then moved to NY to join a band and Jess joined some LA bands. We kept trying to do Bleached on the side but it was too difficult. It finally hit me because I got super depressed not playing my own music... I was like I am moving back to LA and we are doing Bleached for real! Li ne-Up: And wher e di d that name come from? Jennifer Clavin: We grew up listening to a lot of early punk bands and they always have the best names. So we were trying to think of one that sounded like it could be from that time. We were like maybe Bleach because we always used to bleach our jean jackets and hair. But then we didn't want to sound like a Nirvana cover band so we said Bleached! Then we realized
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 when you Bleach something it's forever and sisters are forever like us. So Bleached it was. Li ne-Up: What music did you listen to growing up? Do you think this had an impact on your sound today? Jennifer Clavin: We listened to a lot of Johnny Thunders, Blondie, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gun Club, The Cure, The Misfits, even Fleetwood Mac and so much more. But yes a definite impact on the music we play today. We are inspired by little things each band has to offer. Like the rock n roll side of Johnny Thunders, the pop of Blondie, the lyrics of almost all of them, the catchiness and sound of Fleetwood Mac. We like referring to songs from these bands when we are writing or recording and not to rip of but just to give ideas. Li ne-Up: When writing your debut album "Ride Your Heart," did you know what singles you were going to pick while writing it? Jennifer Clavin: I actually thought Dead Boy was going to be the single from the beginning but then sometimes when songs get recorded they don't come out as expected so that one became more of a b-side and Dead In Your Head, the least expected single based on the demos, became the single. Line-Up: What inspired your image reflected in your music videos and album art? Jennifer Clavin: Jess and I are really into
80's movies, b horror movies, and underground cult films. So most of our art and videos are inspired by that. Even the fact that b movies look that way because of the budget adds to their beauty. For images I want them to say something‌. like when you look at it you already have a story in your head and a Bleached song would be the soundtrack to that. And with our videos I never want them to be boring. I want it to be something you lose yourself in for that 2 minutes or whatever. That's what my favorite movies do to me. Li ne-Up: Do you have a favorite and/or memorable show fr om this year? Jennifer Clavin: Actually I would maybe say this last show we played [a couple of weekends ago] at the Glasshouse. A guy proposed to his girlfriend on stage. But also everyone was sooooo excited and dancing and crowd surfing and kids were just going crazy singing out all the lyrics, I loved it. But then also I can't forget our record release show at the Troubadour, that was insane. I think I got kissed like over 20 times on stage. Li ne-Up: Where do you guys see yourselves in the next 5 years? Jennifer Clavin: Still playing music but I just try to focus on the now and writing our new record. And also I would love to be designing a line of clothes or cool tights. Haha. And I know Jess wishes she was doing the music score for films. So yeah we will see!
WALK OFF THE EARTH
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Walk Off The Earth As the popularity of their Youtube videos has skyrocketed, Walk Off the Earth’s goals have grown even bigger- and they’ve been confident in their success ever since they started out. “We were expecting something big to happen eventually”, explains Sarah Blackwood, the sole gal of the group. “We all have the goals. One of our goals is to be the biggest band in the world. So that's just what we are striving for on a daily basis. We knew that the hard work we put in to our craft would become recognized and perhaps open more and more doors for us. I think if you love something and really strive for it and put your heart and soul and passion into that goal, you can achieve it. With that kind of attitude alone good things are bound to happen”. Although the band had been active for some time, their cover of Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” went viral in early 2012. And when it went viral, it really went viral- it has over one hundred fifty million views. According to Blackwood, the intuition to do a guitar cover was in the works for a while. “Gianni [Luminati, another member,] had that idea kicking around in his brain for a long time. It was just a matter of needing the perfect song to execute it. “Somebody That I Used to Know” was that song. So we did it, and then almost everyone on the planet watched it”. And ultra-popular Youtube videos are just the beginning. The band’s album “R.E.V.O.” came out this past March and was, in Blackwood’s experience, a dream come true. “It was four weeks of writing, singing, producing and sharing ideas. It was really
cool. Writing an album is fun because you get to tell stories about all kinds of stuff. That's what songwriting is for me. Talking about life and sharing ideas with friends. And then getting to sing it. A big ol' musical about life”. Her inspiration for writing music is straightforward. “Life. For me...it is life. Plain and simple”. However, life isn’t always straightforward, especially for both Blackwood and Luminati- they welcomed a baby boy, Giorgio, into the world this past summer. Being in a band, and a band that will begin touring in January at that, will keep them busy. But they are only looking forward to what is to come. “We go with the flow”, says Blackwood “Having Giorgio in our lives has been the most incredible part of my journey. He adds so much brightness to the day. He is the most incredible thing I have ever created. He comes with us everywhere we go. I would never leave him to do anything. He is always by my side”. Fans of the band can look forward to the future almost as much as the band itself can. According to Blackwood, a lot is in the works for the new year. “We will be releasing new music soon! For sure come 2014”, she claims excitedly. “We have a lot planned for the tour and new songs and the new album coming up. And videos, so many new videos!” The band’s tour kicks off January 15, 2014 at the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis, MN. Will you be there? Because, no matter what’s thrown at them, Walk Off the Earth will be there for sure.
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reviews “Tropico” by L ana Del Rey After she announced her 6 month long hiatus to cure her artist's block at Lollapalooza this August, Lana del Rey is still causing vibrations in pop culture. My findings: her thirtyminute long short film, directed by Anthony Mandler, is essentially an artful way to wear together three music videos with a plot that is apparently too complex for us plebeians. The first scene greets the viewer with an aesthetically pleasing grainy film effect and swirls of muted yet impactful pastel hues while modernized biblical scenes are being shot rapidfire. The camera pans over to Lana and model Shaun Ross (portraying Adam and Eve, respectively) looking over bushes to discover Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Elvis Presley, and Jesus Christ having a little rendezvous in a patch of grass. Aside from being a diverse cluster of individuals, all but John Wayne are referenced in LDR's "Body Electric," which begins playing in the background. This seductive, mysterious track playing behind Adam and Eve dressed scantily in leaves and oxblood red roses perfectly creates a beautiful mixture of sensual and dreamy. This scene made me warm to "Body Electric," which, like many Lana songs, have the tendency to be too slow-paced. However, at some points I did feel that the mood was changing from sexy to raunchy and pornographic (maybe Adam can tell us if her p*ssy really does taste like cherry cola!). After Eve takes a bite out of the forbidden fruit, Adam follows in her footsteps. This leads into the next overtly sexual scene. Eve
next appears as an employee in a strip club while Adam finds himself in a run-down grocery store in an unsafe neighborhood. This scene is paired up with "Gods & Monsters," which was a nice fit for Lana in her red stripper outfit, which stood out among the wave of black and white purposefully. I did find this scene to be very symbolic and significant, yet I still did feel that the ethereal, whispery tone of Lana's voice wasn't a perfect match for the risqué things happening on the foreground. When you look past the lap-dancing and flesh-grabbing and pay attention to the lyrics of the music, "Me and God, we don't get along" and "I was an angel looking to get f*cked hard," it became very apparent that Lana is trying to make a statement on how our current world's hedonistic society is a revolt against God. After being robbed by thugs bearing cocaine, Adam and Eve are reunited. After a couple minutes of more erotic material in what seemed to be an office HQ in Los Angeles, the couple was exiled in a desert. After a confusing array of short scenes in which Lana seems to have been forgiven by God, LDR's "Bel Air" begins playing. To be perfectly honest, this minimalist scene didn't do it for me. The simplicity, rather than looking beautiful as was intended, was visually unappealing. The music unfortunately played off the pure scene. The end of "Tropico" was very disappointing in fact. However, I do not regret burning up 30 minutes of my precious time to watch the soft-grunge princess' work and preview to her next album, "Ultraviolence."- RC 3 ½ out of 5
“B eyoncé” by B eyoncé This surprise album may just be the best album of 2013. Though the year has been full of Miley, Katy and Gaga going head to head, this album tops all and none of them saw it coming. From the sultry “Blow” to the collaborations with new age hip-hop icons Jay-Z, Drake and Frank Ocean, the album never disappoints. Queen Bey also managed to get the “it” songwriters of the year (Sia, Pharrell Williams and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic). The best part of this album, though, may be the visual part. This could be considered one of the most visionary things an artist has done. And with it being executed so well, it will go down in history.- EC Standout tracks: XO and Pretty Hurts 5 out of 5
“Wil d H eart” by The V am ps
“Satu rday” by Rebecca B lack and D ave Days This 'sequel' to “Friday“ definitely surprised me. The song builds on the success, you could say, of the original song “Friday “and has some subtle and not-so references to it. Rebecca's vocals have gotten so much better and the song itself definitely doesn't sound as annoying as “Friday” did. While she's definitely improved and tried to become a little more mature, she achieves a Radio Disney sweetness sort of sound (not necessarily in a bad way).–RD 4 out of 5
This song is only The Vamps’ 2nd single, but boy have they killed it with this one. “Wild Heart” is filled with guitars and feel-good lyrics talking about teen love. Overall, the song is very catchy. This song will certainly have girls at their feet. - RD
5 out of 5
“Perfum e” by B ritney S p ears Britney Spears has been releasing a lot of electro-dance tracks of late, but Britney is stepping away from these beats and taking down something a little bit more emotional. Perfume is definitely more emotional and passionate than the music she has released over the last year. This song is a power ballad of romantic longing and conflicting emotions like jealousy, suspicion, and paranoia. There's a genuine emotion in her voice and it is absolutely beautiful, but will probably come as a surprise to people since she hasn't released a ballad in such a long time. -RD 4 1/2 out of 5
B est M usic of 2 0 13 -“Royals” by L orde -“The Wire” by H aim -“Drun k In L ov e” by Beyonc é and Jay -Z -“M irrors” by Ju stin Tim berlake -“I L ove It” by Icona Pop an d Charli XC X -“L ov e M e A gain” by John N ewm an -“L ock ed O ut O f H eaven” by B runo M ars -“2 4 Hou rs ” by S ky Ferreira -“Talk Dirty ” by Jason Deru lo and 2 Chain z
Charli XCX
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Looking for your next pop superstar? Here she is. C harli XCX has already accomplished so much just a short amount of time (officially starting her music career in 20 08). After signing with Asylum Records in the UK, she has skyrocketed to becoming one of the most beloved festival performers as well as being an icon for T umblr users everywhere. You recently started working on your sophomore album. How has that been? What producers and wr iters have you working with so far? It's been so satisfying. I really do feel like this is the best music I've ever made. It just feels so free and punk. It's a punk record. and I'm only working with people who I love and have total respect for. It's like a family with this record, you know. I've mainly been working in Stockholm with Patrik Berger. He's like my musical brother. He saved me from thinking everything was boring. Making music with him is so exciting. Has there been any demos yet that really stand out to you? Yeah, when I came back from Japan I wrote this song about my experience there. That song reminds me of a photograph for some reason, I don't know why, it just makes me feel like I am back in Tokyo again. How has tour been going in the US? Are audi ences in the UK or anywhere else different from the US? I mean, I guess it more depends on the show than the place, like if it's a festival, most people are on drugs and sometimes people don't care as much, but if it's your
own show, people have come to see you so everything is so electrifying... the fans, the noise, the sweat.... the intensity is so much higher. I like that. Your music videos are very elabor ate yet so simple at the same time. Do you prefer the listener to watch the musi c video or just listen to the song? Do you feel that the music video enhances the song? I prefer the listener to watch the music video. Most fans who know me know that’s how I like it. I'm very visual with my work. I see songs in colors and I am inspired more by movies and music videos than i am by other music. Sometimes music videos can transform songs into something beyond your wildest dreams. And that why I love them. They can take a song from being a good song to being something timeless and fantastical. What has been your favorite video to shoot? Definitely the “SuperLove” video shoot, as it was my first time in Japan. It was so surreal, we were only there for 36 hours and we started shooting basically as soon as I got off the plane and we just didn't stop. Plus we shot with a real Bosoku biker gang, and they were pretty gangster, with fingers missing and lots of tattoos and also I got to ride a motorbike for the first time and the police came and shut the video shoot down. It was just kind of weird but amazing. Do you have lots of say when it comes to shooting videos and coming up wi th the ideas? Yes everything. I co direct. It's more of a collaboration than someone else telling me what to do. I see the videos for my songs in my head as I write them. So the
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ideas come from my brain. I work a lot with Ryan Andrews. We have an amazing connection. He just understands me. If I'm like, I want to do a shoot with all of my best friends and a load of machine guns, he can make it happen and make it amazing. If I’m like, let's go to Japan... we just go... it's the best. Growing up in the music industry, why do you beli eve that so many arti sts once they grow up decide to change paths to possibly a different genre? Did you ever find yourself doing the same? I think just because as people grow up they change... like, you just change what you like. I don't like it when people expect you to just make the same kind of music for the rest of your life... I mean, why bother, it's so boring. I think as creative people you just will always have an urge to do something new and exciting. "Superlove," your new single, has came out in worldwi de. Can you tell us more about the inspirations
behind the song ? “SuperLove” is about falling into epic love and running away to a different country.... that's why we went to Japan, we lived that fantasy and just ran away. It’s like a bad love affair, but those are always the most fun and the most intense! Is "Superlove" a taste of what' s to come on your second album or will it be more like "Tr ue R omance?" “Superlove” is one of the most 'pop' songs I’ve written for the record so far. This record will not be a replica of “True Romance”, and not really even that similar. I just wanted to do this record so differently. I don't want to make the expected. I want to make something no one ever thought i would make. This record is punk. It's inspired by The Hives, Ramones, Weezer... and lots of 60s ye Ye pop... France Gall, Brigitte Bardot, Sylvie Vartan... people like that. I'm seeing the record as the color red. It's sexy and passionate. It's very feminine.
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If you don ’t know who
Ame rican Authors is yet, you need to educate yourself. The freshest new band out there is made up of Zac, James, Dave and matt and is ready to take ov er radio. With their most recen t hit “Best Day Of My Life” rising up the charts, it assures a place for them in the music industry for a long time. We talke d with Zac Barnett, lead vocalist and guitarist to see what they’ve been up to this year and inspiration for their art related to their music. So how has touring been going recently? Zac Barnett: It has been great! We have been on tour since May, it has been a lot of fun, you know? Our tour goes up just about until Christmas.
Do you have a favorite show or location you have played at, this year? Zac Barnett: We had our first headlining show in New York City, it sold out at the Gramercy Theatre, so that was really amazing. So going back a little, you formed in 2007 right? And you wer e all in college at Berkley? Zac Barnett: Yeah So your name was origi nally the ‘Blue P ages,’ what made you guys change your name? Zac Barnett: We have been doing that for so long, and our music has begun to take
a new direction, and it was about time for a change. It was really time to get a fresh start. Can you give us some background on the name, like how you came up wi th it? Zac Barnett: Yeah pretty much, we look at ourselves as authors in a sense where we tell stories through the lyrics and through the music itself, as far as our background, we are all from a different part of the country, New Jersey, Minnesota, Texas, and Florida. All of the different ways we grew up, and the culture, helps to bring out the stories we tell So more than year later, you release a self-titled EP and i t gains lots of attention with singles being played on Alternati ve Rock stati ons and bei ng featured in ads. Do you think the name change had an impact on the level of success you garnered? Zac Barnett: No I do not think so, you know a name is a name, there are so many bands out there wth the craziest names, I think it is all in the music and the songs you produce as a group. And you know we were always told when we were playing music, to keep writing and writing music, and develop the best song that you can, and that’s what we did, essentially ever since we joined, we finally hit the mark, by writing the right song. Were you expecting this much success from your debut EP under your new name? Zac Barnett: We did not really go into writing this and expecting a lot of it we were just trying to write the best songs we could, and write the best music that we felt passionate about, and we got very lucky about it, because so many people
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reacted to it and caught on. What influenced you, when you wr ote your EP? Zac Barnett: There were a lot of different things, we just wanted to be ourselves, and have fun with it, so we brought in a lot of different instruments, we brought in a banjo, and a lot of different types of percussion instruments, and have a little more modern setting, and have some classic rock, and folk elements to it, it was also influenced by many other bands coming up right now, Fun, Imagine Dragons, Grouplove, and many other alternative pop bands. And do you guys design your music videos? The music videos really stem from all the
ideas we have and what we really want to be a part of, and then we work with our team, and think of what could be a great idea, and something that could be well executed, yeah we are definitely a big part of the developmental process of our music videos. We have been really a huge part of the music videos I assume you also have a say on your album ar t? Yes we do, we are actually in the process of making the album art for our full length album, which will be coming out in March.
You can look forward to their debut LP in March but for now, you can get their single “Best Day of My Life” in major digital download stores.
BORN RUFFIANS
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The Canadi an i ndie rock band, Born Ruffians, was originally formed in Ontario, in 2004. The band consists of Luke Lalonde, playing guitar and vocals, Mi tch Der osier, playing bass, Andy Lloyd, with guitar, and Steven Hamelin, playing drums. They were signed with Warp Records when they released their debut E P, although they are now also si gned with Yep Roc Records, and Paper Bag Records.They have gone on tour in vari ous places, and has also been featured in a couple of TV Shows. The Band’s 2013 album, “Birthmarks,” was very popular, and was produced by Paper Bag Records. We talked to Luke, vocalist for the band, about their origi ns and what they have coming up in the new year.
from Caribou after suggesting to Caribou that they hire him to play in their band.
Where does the name Born Ruffians come from?
How long does it take to finish an album such as “Birthmarks”?
Luke Lalonde: We changed it to Born Ruffians when we were 18 after playing other under names through our high school years in Midland. We moved to Toronto under Born Ruffians, a name we decided on after my sister paired 'Born' with 'Ruffians,' a word I was fond of and thought should be in the name. I had a list of adjective-Ruffian names and she suggested 'Born'. We all liked it and thought it was kind of ironic considering we're all a bunch of pussies. In retrospect I wish we went with a name I didn't have to say at least 3 times to cab drivers or people in bars when they ask me what I do... "Porn Rustians? Oh, BORN Muffins! Sorry?? Barn Ruffians okay good day sir." How does everyone in the band know each other and how long has everyone know each other? Luke Lalonde: Mitch and I grew up together, we are related on our dad's side. My dad's eldest sister (he is the youngest of 13 children), Irene is Mitch's grandmother which makes his dad my first cousin and Mitch my second. We met Steve in high school. Steve left the band this summer to pursue academia and we replaced him with Adam Hindle who is actually the illegitimate son of two irish sailers shipwrecked and stranded in Midland in the late 80s, so naturally we grew up seeing him around the block banging on his tin cans for pennies and dimes. We knew we'd recruit him one day. We met Andy in Toronto in 2006 and stole him
What was it like performing with the Tokyo Police Club on stage? Luke Lalonde: I'm good friends with Dave (singer of TPC) and we're had some mild musical collaborations in the past. We wrote a song together and performed it couple times on stage when it made sense. They are nice fellas and I've heard their top secret new album (shhhh don't tell anyone) and it's fantastic so get ready for it! Where do your inspirations come from to write your songs? Luke Lalonde: All kinds of places. Right now I'm working towards writing the next Ruffians album around a central theme. The inspiration for this just comes from the last year of my life but something I've been more less dealing with for my entire life. I'm trying to have things be highly personal and to the point right now rather than anecdotal or fictional.
Luke Lalonde: It took us about three years when it was all said and done. What is your favorite single off of your record “BIrthmarks”? Luke Lalonde: I guess I'm still very fond of Needle, I wrote it last minute and it just barely made it onto the album. I also love Too Soaked to Break. I have a hard time choosing favourites. What was the process of getting your single “Little Garcon” in the American Express commercial? Luke Lalonde: Hmm, well this could either be a very boring story about the publishing industry or just a short answer that goes something like: "they asked us and we said "okay!"" Where do you see yourselves in 5 years? Luke Lalonde: Dead or in jail. Just kidding. But seriously who knows where life will take us. I suspect after the apocalypse there will be a lot of pieces to put back together that the healing power of music will help. We'll be there for you guys.
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december 2013 issue five
Walk off the earth
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