NKD Mag - Issue #93 (March 2019)

ISSUE #93 - MARCH 2019

by Catherine Powell

ELIZABETH LAIL

MARCH 2019 04 SUNNY MALOUF

20 JILLIAN JACQUELINE

38 ELIZABETH LAIL

on fighting to be taken seriously + her 2019 plans

on writing love songs for the first time + her musical upbringing

on her slow-building career + the overnight success of you

06 MARIA GABRIELA DE FARIA

26 MICHAEL EVANS BEHLING on going from sports to acting + his breakout role on all american

48 DAREN KAGASOFF

on becoming a teen idol at 20 + his new show, the village

12 DYLAN SCOTT

30 JESS GLYNNE

52 AMERICAN AUTHORS

on the american dream + her new series, deadly class

on releasing new music + his latest headlining tour

on switching from corporate job to artist + writing with ed sheeran

on following “best day of my life” + their new album, seasons

16 QUINN XCII

36 MITCHELL TENPENNY

58 SETH ENNIS

on mental health + his new album, from michigan, with love

on growing up in nashville + his love for songwriting

on growing up with music + his latest tour with dylan scott

CATHERINE POWELL

publisher, editor, photographer, designer, writer

SAMANTHA BAMBINO

ELIZABETH FORREST

NICOLE MOOREFIELD

OLEVA BERARD

IAN HAYS

VANESSA SALLES

writer

writer

STACY MAGALLON

OLIVIA SINGH

writer writer

CARLY BUSH writer

writer

writer

writer

writer

SUNNY MALOUF Words by SAMANTHA BAMBINO Photos by CATHERINE POWELLHair by MARK MENA

04

When it comes to today’s youth, most kids will name a Nickelodeon/Disney actor or popstar like Taylor Swift as their idol.

But not Sunny Malouf. Rather than picking up T-Swizzle’s 1989, 9-year-old Sunny could be found jamming to the late, great Michael Jackson.

“He was a huge inspiration in my life,” she says. “My dad introduced me to him at a very young age. I became infatuated with his success and what he did to help people, how he made them feel.

He was creating a movement and I wanted to do the same thing.”

Today, Sunny is on her way to doing exactly that. Just as the King of Pop entered the spotlight at an extremely young age when he joined his brothers in the Jackson 5, Sunny is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the pop/R&B spectrum at 14.

Not only has she amassed 1.1 million followers on Instagram and toured with Team 10, her single “One Minute” reached more than 132,000 views in a single month.

Despite not having too many trips around the sun under her belt, becoming a professional musician has been a long time coming for Sunny. It’s something the Dallas, Texas native always felt destined for. From the age of 3, the self-described “performing baby” did it all, from dancing and cheerleading to acting and modeling.

But it wasn’t until Sunny was 9 that an agent encouraged her to give singing a shot. A natural entertainer, she automatically clicked with it. There was just something about expressing emotion through

her voice that intrigued her.

“Singing was another way to touch people, help them through their day, or even connect with them to let them know that I’m going through the same thing as them,” Sunny says.

Once her mind was made up that she would follow in MJ’s footsteps, Sunny began traveling between Dallas and Los Angeles to make a name for her 10-year-old self in the cutthroat music scene.

“It wasn’t the easiest coming into the industry because a lot of people doubted me. I had so many ‘no’s’. I heard ‘no’ like every single day,” Sunny says. “Finally, I got this one ‘yes’, and that’s what made me feel like I could do this.”

Since then, Sunny has released a handful of singles, including “Lightning in a Bottle” featuring “Whip/Nae Nae” artist Silentó, with her most recent being the catchy “One Minute.” According to Sunny, her first “official” single is an accurate representation of her artistry, and the type of music she will continue to create for listeners.

“I’ve experimented in the past, but I think now it’s the direction I want to go in and what I want to talk about,” she says. “‘One Minute’ is about an everyday boy and girl crush where this guy likes you one minute, and then one minute he doesn’t. I really wanted to touch on that because I knew every single girl, and even guy, can relate to it and put it into their lives.”

With her new music, Sunny’s mission is to connect with fans of all ages and demographics, not just teens.

“I wanted it to be universal

with the meaning,” she says. “It’s definitely something that happens in everyone’s lives, so I wanted to relate to people and make them understand that it happened to me too.”

To hear Sunny speak about her craft, it’s clear that she’s wise beyond her years. This is a testament to the challenging career path that forced her to grow up faster than most.

“I put a lot of hard work and time into my art. I missed a lot of life experiences by doing this,” she says.

But when she sees positive feedback on social media from fans, who regularly express their gratitude for her music, it all seems worth it.

“I don’t even care if it’s hundreds of thousands of people. If it’s one person that I can really touch or impact, or make them feel like they can conquer or accomplish something, then that’s the best feeling ever,” she says.

This year, Sunny plans to drop at least seven singles, release several music videos and perform pop-up shows.

“It’s definitely going to be a whole new world of who I am,” she says of the anticipated music.

“They’re all in the same bracket, but they’re all definitely different.”

As Sunny continues along this whirlwind journey of success, she has a few words of advice for fellow teens with big dreams.

“You’re the only person that holds the key to your success.

You’re the only person, and God, that can determine where your future goes and what it holds,” she says. “No one else can tell you what you can and cannot do.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

05

MARIA GABRIELA DE FARIA Words by STACY MAGALLON Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

“Fake it ‘til you make it,” is a popular aphorism suggesting that when one imitates confidence and competence, it manifests into reality.

So when actress Maria Gabriela de Faria tells me that, up until recently, she was living up to that adage, I’m floored.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Maria began acting when she was 5-years-old. A decade later, she was cast in a prominent children’s program called Isa TKM broadcasted throughout Nickelodeon Latin America. As a teenager, she traveled to and from Bogota, Colombia to shoot Isa TKM until 2010 when the series ended. “When I turned 21, I felt like I had done everything I wanted to do in my country,” she says. “It was time for me to try something else.” The 26-year old, now a Los Angeles local, calls me on a gloomy afternoon in New York, but on the other side of the country, I hear her voice dripping with a kind of joy one only feels from the immediate touch of sunshine.

For someone who had no problem booking roles in Latin America, Maria had little to no luck landing jobs in California. Casting executives didn’t know of her, and in order to continue living in Los Angeles, she needed to find a side job to continue paying rent. “I had to come back to Latin America to do a couple shows and films just to remind myself that I was an actress and actually good at what I do,” she says.

As a new immigrant of the United States, overcoming the emotional turmoil of rejection came second to the language barrier. “Learning English was the most challenging part.

It still is,” she says. During American press tours, she communicates with her parents only through text mes8

sages because speaking to them in Spanish requires different muscle memory. “I took a few classes, but I really learned English by living life; going to the bank and speaking to people at the grocery store.”

With her immediate family in Venezuela and her then-boyfriend (now fiancé) studying abroad in London, the loneliness exacerbated her feelings of loneliness and displacement. “[Los Angeles] can be a hostile place,” Maria says. “It takes a while to find your tribe and all of the rejection was killing me.”

“I thought to myself so many times, ‘Maybe I’m just not good enough,’” she continues. “Maybe I’m good enough in Latin America, but I’m just not good enough here.” And then she was offered an audition as a main lead on SYFY’s Deadly Class, and she didn’t even want it.

Prior to landing the role of Maria Salazar, Maria had already committed to film a movie in her home country of Venezuela and had her sights set on only that. It took two weeks for her agent to convince her to at least send a self-tape. “I didn’t want to even do it until my fiancé made me,” she says. “He had to tell me, ‘This character is for you.’” On the first day of filming in Venezuela, Maria received a call from her agent – she had been offered the role. “I got my first job in America from a self-tape,” she laughs. “And for something I didn’t want to do. It was the best decision of my life.”

Immediately after landing the job, Maria moved to Vancouver to film the pilot. Between the drastic contrast in weather and her lifelong dream catching up to her, taking it all in was a lot to handle at once.

“Everything was so overwhelming,” Maria says. “Seeing huge trailers and

posters with my name on it. And the craft service. There was craft service!” Deadly Class was the American mainstream breakthrough she had been hoping for. But when her dream came to fruition, she felt unprepared and unqualified for a role as momentous as this one. “I really felt like an imposter,” she recalls. “My co-stars seemed so ready for this and I wasn’t. I thought [they] were going to realize that I was a fake.”

Her self-diagnosed imposter syndrome became easier to appease while rigorously training to be a fictional assassin. Between shooting the pilot and the remainder of the first season, Maria and her co-stars had eight months to rehearse – that meant working out every day before she spent 14-16 hours on set. The intense physical demands for the role of Maria Salazar required regular cardio and muscle strengthening to perform as many of her own stunts as possible. “I was not an athletic person at all before Deadly Class,” she laughs. “It doesn’t happen often that you leave a job with a new set of skills.”

Preparing for the role also demanded Maria to channel the different roots of her humanity. Portraying a character with bipolar disorder meant resonating with those emotions and interpreting those feelings as honestly and correctly as possible. “I had to dig very deep to find that anxiety and fear; that sensation of not belonging and constantly wanting to escape,” Maria says.

“Living with those feelings helped my performance feel refreshing and cathartic.”

“I’ve been way more honest about my own anxiety because I know we all experience it on some level,” she continues. “It was very important

NKDMAG.COM

9

10

for me to portray Maria in the most genuine way. Finding her within myself was the right call.”

Devoting that authenticity was paramount to a show like Deadly Class. Inside the dimly-lit halls of King’s Dominion, SYFY’s newest new series follows the deranged academics nurturing the “future disruptors of America.” Founded by a late ancestor of Master Lin (Benedict Wong), King’s Dominion’s immoral syllabus gives “peasants the skills to dethrone their corrupt masters” while the atelier’s lacking social order falls onto the shoulders of teenage “legacies” whose parents work in crime or extortionate global government groups.

“There’s this quote I love from Nina Simone - ‘An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.’” she says, when I ask about the show. Set during the peak of the Ronald Reagan Administration, beneath the guise of San Francisco’s soon-to-be assassins are themes of oppression, injustice, and literally fighting for your life.

Originally set in the grungy counterculture of the 1980’s, Deadly Class finds relevance in its social and political awareness. At the core of King’s Dominion is the age old issue of the struggle and strife of immigrants in the United States. Begrudgingly, Master Lin affirms the raison d’être for the Deadly Arts: “My grandfather came to find the American Dream, but what he found was a lifetime of indentured servitude and abuse.”

“I came to America looking for the American Dream. I believe I found it, but that’s not the case for everybody,” Maria says. “When other immigrants come to look for the same thing, they find exactly what Master Lin says. Pain. Sorrow. Vio-

lence.” Though immigration policy in America has changed severely under current political duress, this 1980’s nod reflects age old oppression and radical racism affecting immigrants and oppressed parties everywhere.

While Deadly Class toes the line between a high school satire and noir crime drama, Maria makes it clear she doesn’t condone the extreme, twisted measures depicted on screen. “It’s a violent show. We have to understand that and separate it from reality,” she says. That kind of expertise taught in their classrooms is tested through the most gruesome of tasks; poisoning students, for example. “As an artist, I believe there are different ways to break through barriers in order to give a voice to the voiceless.” Through the immediate pulse of social media, Maria uses her platforms to advocate for animal rights, environmental issues, veganism, and even Venezuelan current events. And as a woman of color, using each and every platform to speak out is more adamant than ever.

“I want to show directors, producers, and all of Hollywood that women of color are badass,” Maria says.

“We are talented and fully capable of leading a show with complicated roles and people will want to watch us.” The responsibility is amplified ten-fold by her experience as a child in Venezuela watching big budget productions dominated and monopolized by Caucasian talent. “I know Lana feels the same way as I do,” Maria refers to her Deadly Class co-star Lana Condor who gained overnight social media acclaim for her performance as dewy-eyed Lara Jean Covey in Netflix’s To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before in August 2018. The tender delight of a high school rom-

com centered around five accidental love letters and a fabricated relationship introduced a Korean-American protagonist considered to be the first Asian lead in a mainstream teen romance film. “She’s so popular right now. Everybody loves her because she’s paving the way. Not only for Asian women. She’s opening doors for me too,” Maria says.

“We need to show kids like me that you can grow up and see yourself reflected in roles they didn’t believe were possible,” Maria continues.

“It’s a responsibility to me. I need to do a really good job.”

At the core of its sick moral code, the students at King’s Dominion knowingly enroll to glorify their family name and sign up for a lifetime of criminal offense. Unlike her character and her cohorts, Maria chooses to honor her mother and father by not following in their footsteps. “I love them to death, but they weren’t the greatest parents out there,” she says, giggling on the other end of the line. “They had me very young, and they made a bunch of mistakes because we were all growing up together.” (I ask for an example, and she tells me about the time she asked for vacation to celebrate her Quinceañera and her dad wanted to gift her a breast augmentation instead.) “I’m trying to honor them by finding my own ways of doings things and not by making the same mistakes,” she says. “Their journey made me the woman I am. I like that. I really like myself. But we all need to find what’s true for us, and that’s what I try to do every day.”

Maria Gabriela de Faria exudes a kind of honesty that illuminates another thought in my head. Faking it until she makes it seems pretty farfetched. She’s already there. NKD NKDMAG.COM

11

dylan scott Words by VANESSA SALLES Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

A rising star on the country music scene, Dylan Scott is the total package. An oldsoul songwriter with a young spirit, the Louisiana native has quickly made a name for himself and has built a loyal fan base that’s always eager to hear more. Set to bring brand new music from his anticipated Nothing to Do Town EP (out in April) to the stage, the singer will be hitting the road with Chris Young’s Raised on Country tour, starting in May. NKD: Tell us about your upcoming Nothing to Do Town - EP – are there any memorable moments from writing/recording that you can share with us?

Dylan Scott: I haven’t released new music since my debut album, so I’m just excited to get some fresh tunes out there! I performed my new single (“Nothing to Do Town”) at my tour kickoff in NYC, and never having played it live before — I couldn’t believe it when the crowd

started singing it back to me!

I had written the song on my bus at the Iowa Speedway with my buddies Cole (Taylor) and Matt (Alderman), and never thought I’d be singing, “It ain’t New York City...” to a completely sold out audience on a headline tour of my own less than a year later!

NKD: How would you describe the vibe/sound of the EP? D.S.: Just some good ole love songs! It’s a celebration of where I came from (like “Nothing to Do Town”) and where I am at in life today with my wife and family (with songs like “Honey I’m Home” and “Anniversary”).

NKD: Is there a track that holds the most significance to you?

D.S.: There’s a song called “Nobody” and it goes, “Nobody gonna love you like I do.”

It’s got a big church feel and I’ve just recently started playing it live, and the feedback has been incredible. There’s

something magical about it. I can’t help but think of my wife every time I sing it and hope it’s my next single.

NKD: What’s the songwriting process usually like for you?

D.S.: I always write what I know. I’ve been in a relationship with my wife since I was 15, and I’m constantly inspired by her. Some songs like “Look at Us Now” just fall out on paper since they’re based on real life — “Everybody thought that we were crazy… but look at us now!”

NKD: What should fans be expecting from your upcoming live shows?

D.S.: I just wrapped my headlining Nothing To Do Tour, and will be doing a bunch more of my own shows before hitting the road with Chris Young on his Raised on Country Tour 2019 in May. My EP will be out by then, so I can’t wait to switch up my set and bring some new music to my live shows! Get ready!

NKDMAG.COM

13

14

NKD: When it comes to stage presence, which artist(s) do you take inspiration from?

D.S.: I’m all over the place for inspiration! The music I listen to is a huge mixtape, from Keith Whitley to Post Malone. When I’m onstage, I just love to set a feel-good vibe and do my best to entertain, as well as sing. I want fans to be able to escape for a couple hours at my show, and just have a good time.

NKD: Overall, what do you want fans to take away from your music?

D.S.: My music is my real life, so I hope fans learn about me through it.

NKD: With a growing social following, what’s the best way for fans to get your attention online?

D.S.: I love when I’m tagged at shows. I hop on social media after I get back on the bus and enjoy seeing fans having such a good time with their friends or loved ones. It’s a great feeling to know you’ve made people happy.

NKD: What’s on your bucket list for 2019?

D.S.: I have to say, 2019 is starting out with a bang. I was just honored by Country Radio Seminar 2019 to be among this year’s New Faces and I’m also up for my first nomination (ever!) for Best New Country Artist at the 2019 iHeartRadio Music Awards! I can’t wait to release my EP in April, and I look forward to possibly doing a few international shows in the fall. NKD NKDMAG.COM

15

quinn xcii Words by IAN HAYS Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Location: COLOR FACTORY

One of the great challenges in life is finding your voice. Vulnerability and honesty with your story and how you share it with others deepens those empathetic bonds, bringing the world closer together. Mikael Temrowski, better known as Quinn XCII, uses music to find that deeper meaning. And with his sophomore release, From Michigan with Love, the singer-songwriter-producer confronts that honesty. Blending various genres, but rooted in pop, soul, and hip-hop, Quinn XCII has carved his own niche to bring his stories to life.

Mikael grew up outside Detroit, raised on a steady diet of Motown.

The songs were playing around the house whether it was a Tuesday evening or a late night with family friends.

“That music has always stuck with me. I caught on to these catchy, ‘ear-candy’ melodies. I always knew I wanted to stick with writing really memorable melodies and catchy lines,” he says.

While his appreciation and exploration of music grew, he also delved into creative writing, focusing on prose and poetry as his artistic outlet. It wasn’t until midway through high school that his two passions began to join forces. The first songs he wrote himself leaned towards rap and hip hop. He found a new reason to put pen to paper.

This built the foundation for the hook filled songs he was destined to write.

“It wasn’t good by any means,” he laughs, “But I really loved the process of making music and fell in love with songwriting. I quickly realized it was what I wanted to do.”

After high school, Mikael went to Michigan State and started independently releasing music under the name “Quinn”. He put up a Soundcloud and soon found a dedicated and growing fanbase.

People were wanting to hear his songs and what he had to say. This only validated his desire to start taking music more seriously. It was during this time he started releasing EPs. This led to more serious collaborations with hometown friend and label-mate Ayokay. In 2016, they released the single “Kings of Summer”. Reaching No. 1 on Spotify’s Global Viral Chart, the single was the catalyst that took him from indie songwriter to being on the radar of major labels.

“I was a year out of college and working at an insurance company.

But when the labels started reaching out and I was offered a tour, I quit the job and went on the road,” he says, “I haven’t really looked back since. So, with From Michigan with Love, I’m just trying to ride out that momentum and build the brand as much as I can.”

Even with Motown cemented in history, Detroit is often underappreciated when it comes to its musical legacy and impact. Quinn XCII is one of several newer acts out of the Detroit area that is garnering more attention to the variety in the current scene. Mikael’s foundation is built upon is parents’ love for music, taking him to shows whenever possible. Because his parents weren’t musicians or artists, there was no precept to his pursuits; just pure Michigan-bred energy.

“I was sort of the oddball out. I sort of just took it upon myself to make art on my own. And I did this in secrecy at first,” he says, “I was timid and afraid to show people I was into music and show them that vulnerable side. It was a situation where I didn’t feet too comfortable, sadly to say, where I could share those feelings with friends. So, I kept music as private part of my life where I could document stuff through song.”

It was the only way he could truly express who he was. It doesn’t matter if it is showcasing art or just greeting someone, “Hello”, rejection, mockery are legitimate fears.

But with that risk, comes the possibility of the reward of connecting with others. There’s a difference between feeling unique and feeling alone. With art, we display that uniqueness in hopes of quashing NKDMAG.COM

17

that pit of loneliness by connecting with others. That fear has since lifted. Quinn XCII is ready to put it all out there.

This personal growth went hand in hand with the progression of his sound. His first musical projects were straight raps. But he soon found limitations with what he wanted to do vocally. He doesn’t play any instruments, strictly a vocalist. He put all his focus there. He wanted to really explore just what he could do when he treated his voice as an instrument. He found it carried his words differently, which prompted shifts and growth in his storytelling. He’s never rejected his hip-hop past; it’s still a major influence on his current music.

The more he experimented with sounds and influences, the more he realized the power in not focusing one specific genre.

“There’s a time and a place for all of it. On this new album I do a bit of rapping. It’s one of those things I keep to side and pull out every once in a while, to show people that side of me. But, now for the most part, I’m singing,” he says.

Now living in L.A., Mikael is surrounded by some of the world’s top songwriters and producers.

He’s in the thick of it, balancing personal growth with the ever-changing tides of a fickle industry. While he’s known Ayokay most of his life, From Michigan with Love has new collaborations with artists who have carved out their own niches. The opening track, “Holding Hands” features Elohim, while “Werewolf ” features Yoshi Flower.

This type of collaborative effort only makes Mikael more excited to make music as Quinn XCII. “I think the best writers don’t 18

compromise what the artist has done up to that point. They just want to take it to the next level and help that artist expand their music without tampering or watering it down,” he muses.

When he first moved out to L.A., Mikael was ready to work with whoever. As the years have gone by, he has found who he meshes best with, allowing him to keep a close-knit group of friends and collaborators. Getting to work with people he already has a good relationship with makes work feel a little less like work. When there’s trust in the studio, great things happen. Mikael’s found there’s no discord, they work in unison.

Critiques don’t lead to hurt feelings because of trust. There’s an understanding that while they make the art, the art is separate from them and they all have the same goal in mind- to make the best song possible.

From Michigan with Love takes that next step to dig a little deeper, showcasing some of his most vulnerable writing yet. And that vulnerability includes calling out toxic masculinity.

“I wanted to dive into more serious topics. It’s mainly mental health I’m speaking on. This young generation is bringing that conversation to the limelight, which I love. To be someone who’s experienced that stuff, it’s encouraging to know you can talk about it. I want to show people I’m willing to give them more of myself and inspire them to talk about what they are going through. Mental health is difficult for anyone to speak on. If I can help just one person, I’ve done my job,” he says.

He wants people to be able to

take control of lives. To understand you’re not alone. While all pain and experiences are different, we can be united in the understanding that ache is universal. Art reaches beyond the void. Mikael finds strength through the courage of the younger generations to speak up and speak out. A picture paints a thousand words because everyone is gazing through a different lens. And when you share those perspectives, understanding occurs.

With the new album release, that means its time for tour. He is ready to get the show on the road.

“I know it may sound corny, but every show I do is really special to me. It doesn’t matter what city it’s in. Entertaining in general is something I’ve really come to enjoy,” he says, “Just seeing people’s reactions in person is so great and I really take it all to heart, I really do.”

The performative aspects of live music are their own layer of vulnerability. Not only does he see their reactions to his music, they see his reaction. It’s a chance for him to once again as an artist take these songs and continue to push them to that next level. It’s about more than the words or melody, but the experience. As Quinn XCII he puts a face to the vulnerability.

The fans get to know that its not just about the music; the message is real and brought front and center. Entertainment doesn’t make a message any less valid. The joy of finding others who are searching is in making new discoveries together. Quinn XCII invites fans to do that exploring with him; to throw it all at the wall and know they will come out stronger on the other side. NKD

NKDMAG.COM

19

Dress by SNIDEL Tights by SPANX Shoes by STUART WEITZMAN

jillian jacqueline Words by OLEVA BERARD Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Styled by KRISTA ROSER

Jillian Jacqueline has been working to make her dream of a career in music a reality since she was just a kid. A native of Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, Jillian and her family worked to find opportunities to help nurture her musical abilities and give her the experience that she was craving.

When she was just 7-years-old, she was given the opportunity to perform alongside Kenny Rogers in the live production of Christmas From The Heart. She performed on Broadway for three months with the country legend, then hitting the road to tour the show for a five-year run.

Throughout her childhood and teens, she continued to gain experience in the music industry, even performing with her sisters as The Little Women Band until she decided to take time away from the stage to go to college for a more normal young adulthood.

She soon made her return, releasing a few singles and working to develop her resume as a performer. She’s garnered coveted slots opening for country artists like Thomas Rhett, Brett Eldredge, Dwight Yoakam, and Billy Currington and developed her chops as a songwriter in studio sessions with distinguished musicians like Vince Gill and Richard Marx. While her background is impressive, her ability to connect with listeners is what makes her an artist worth remembering.

The country starlet has dreamy vocals with lyrics grounded in the autobiographical storytelling of traditional country music. She found her voice as a songwriter in the music that she grew up on back home in Pennsylvania.

22

“I loved the simplicity of stuff like Patsy Kline, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley,” she says. “The way those words were just very to the point and a matter of fact but could break your heart in one sentence.” Jillian also found herself influenced by alternative rock of the early 2000s with artists like The All American Rejects and Third Eye Blind as she entered her teens. Eventually, she found her way by blending the two and putting a modern spin on the traditional nature of the genre she grew up loving. “I always wanted to try to say things and introduce people to a song as something they hadn’t heard of before.”

While the release of new music signified a break in her career, she was also dealing with the fallout of the dissolution of a fiveyear relationship. “A lot of the songs from that time were the most honest I had ever written because there’s nothing like writing your way through a broken heart and dealing with all that disappointment and loneliness and regret in songwriting,” says, Jillian. It was this weird juxtaposition between my personal life falling apart while my professional life was falling together.”

She allowed herself to tell her story through music, much like her favorite country artists growing up. Songs like the misleadingly upbeat “Reasons” and the hard-hitting “Hate Me” directly reflect the personal turmoil she was feeling at the time and are filled with instantly relatable narration. “ A year later in the fall of 2018, she released another EP, Side B,

a body of work that shows Jillian covering the wounds from the past, finding new love, and exploring the lessons she’s learned along the way. “I had signed my record deal and been kind of thrown into all of these amazing opportunities happening and getting to tour with my favorite artists and doing my first television appearance and all that stuff.” Jillian explains, “but I was also still also healing from the wounds of the past and falling in love with my now fiancé at the time. Those stories on Side B kind of became, I want to say resurrection of hope and healing.” Side B channels the growth that came from those experiences and being able to see the sun come over the horizon for Jillian.

Although Side B features more stories from the lighter sides of life, Jillian doesn’t shy away from the hard parts. Tracks like “If I Were You” (featuring Keith Urban) and “Sad Girls” poignantly capturing the complications of not always being able to fix problems so easily. Jillian’s honesty and willingness to experiment with her sound exemplifies her capabilities as a songwriter that resonate with listeners in the current state of the genre.

While last year there was a double-digit percentage drop in the number of women played on country radio, Jillian is optimistic about the listeners she’s reaching. She doesn’t concern herself with sounding a certain way as she writes according to what she believes will strike a chord with listeners. The “Priorities” singer pulls inspiration from the simplicity of traditional country lyr-

Blazer by MALAN BRETON NKDMAG.COM

23

24

icism without being bound to the expectations of country purists. “I feel like it’s a really exciting time to be a part of the country genre,” Jillian says, “People are willing to listen to things that don’t fall right down the middle.” With her roots firmly planted in the genre, she’s been able to collaborate with some of the artists who have inspired her throughout her career.

Jillian just wrapped a tour opening for her longtime friend Devin Dawson and will soon head to the UK to open a run of sold-out dates for Kip Moore.

Back on the road, she’s able to connect with fans who have been resonating with her music since the beginning. “Obviously, I love the writing and meeting people and kind of all the other stuff that comes with artistry,” says Jillian.

“But being on stage and being on the road, I feel like I come alive in those environments and getting to put faces with all these usernames I see online all the time.” She loves being able to listen to how a song has personally connected to a fan, whether they be long time listeners or just encountering her lyrics for the first time at a show.

Part of what keeps Jillian engaged as an artist is the connections she builds with the people in the audience. “I’ve sort of walked through a lot of tough shit in my life.” She elaborates, “I’m very lucky that I’ve gotten to experience things and put them in music and then share them with the world and find people who have gone through the same stuff.” While storytelling is primary characteristic of country music, the ability to connect with

people over shared experiences is a trait that transcends genre.

As she continues to develop as an artist, there are plenty of new stories to be told through her music.

Though she will be on the road until this summer, she has already begun work on her first full length album. “I’ve been writing pretty much all of December and January so we have a lot of new music that we’re working on!” Jillian is excited by what she’s been writing and to chronicle the all of the new experiences she has been having, including new love.

“There’s always so much more to be learned and to be experienced.

I think heartbreak was a big theme in the first batch of songs and growth has continued to be a theme for me.” With a new fiancé and new experiences on the road, Jillian is ready to tackle new topics that she hasn’t always covered.

“I never used to write love songs.

I felt like everything I would think to say sounded so cliché and now that I’m really deeply in love with someone, I’m like, ‘Oh my God, there’s a million ways to say ‘I love you!’”

Jillian has never been one to worry about fitting into a mold.

She’s taken her personal experiences and turned them into stories that people relate to and can learn from. By pulling from the original musical inspirations that put her on her journey, she has proven that she will not compromise when it comes to telling her truth. She has the credentials to back up her capabilities and as she continues to make strides in her career, she’ll keep paving her own path much like the country legacies that came before her. NKD NKDMAG.COM

25

michael evans behling Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Michael Evans Behling grew up running track and playing football in high school and college Columbus, Indiana. Now, he gets to do the latter as part of his role on The CW’s All American and couldn’t be happier to “suit up” and simultaneously live out his dreams of playing football and acting.

Michael’s interest in acting began during his high school years. At the time, he was particularly inspired by late actor Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. Despite his interest in the entertainment industry, Michael was told that it wasn’t a realistic career choice, so he temporarily pushed the idea away.

“Once my freshman year of high school was concluded, I kind of had that wake-up call that entertainment’s not a real thing,” Michael says. “Then I kind of switched my focus to science.”

“Growing up in Indiana, we’re very conservative,” he adds. “It’s about having a stable job out of college, so [acting] was just really pushed down.”

When Michael began attending Indiana State University, he chose the biology pre-med path. It wasn’t too

left-field, though, considering that his grandfather was a heart surgeon and his mom is also in the medical field.

During his freshman year, Michael’s love for entertainment was reignited after he made “a silly video” on Snapchat. From there, he continued making and sharing videos on the internet. After getting signed to an agency, he started modeling and doing commercial work. In July 2017, Michael took his first acting class and booked a minor role on FOX’s Empire shortly thereafter.

Michael flew out to Los Angeles in 2018 for pilot season, a time frame (typically January to April) in which actors audition for new shows and film a pilot episode that may or may not result in a full series.

In early February 2018, Michael auditioned for the role of Jordan Baker, a quarterback at Beverly High and the son of the football team’s coach (played by Taye Diggs), on All American. It was also during the process that he met Greta Onieogou and Samantha Logan, who both ended up on the show as Leila and Olivia.

After filming the pilot, Michael returned home for a couple of months

and continued his job as a pool manager. Then he moved back to L.A. permanently. Michael vividly recalls the exact moment when he learned that he booked the role on All American.

At the time, he was sleeping on a friend’s floor and had just come out of the shower when April Blair, the show’s creator, personally called him and asked if he was ready to start working on All American.

“I spoke with her about the process a little bit,” Michael says. “And then I got off the phone and screamed. I was very, very happy. It was probably one of the best moments I’ve had in a long time.”

Michael describes All American as “a tale of two cities,” in which Spencer James (played by Daniel Ezra), a standout football player at South Crenshaw High, joins the team at Beverly High after getting an offer from Coach Billy Baker. Once Spencer moves in with the Bakers, Michael’s character, Jordan, finds himself overshadowed and often seeking attention and approval from his father.

“It’s about Spencer handling the pressures of both worlds,” Michael says. “It’s also about the surrounding NKDMAG.COM

27

characters dealing with this change from this new kid coming into town.

Every single character has some sort of reaction to Spencer coming to Beverly Hills. I don’t want to call it football show, but I think it’s a drama with sprinkles of football.”

All American has also been referred to as the show that would result if Friday Night Lights and The O.C. had a baby.

“We have the aspect of the soapiness in there, but at the same time we’re telling a dope story,” Michael says. “We’re telling a real story and I think we’re making it relevant to everybody and I think that’s the best thing about this show, that a viewer can relate to every single character.”

Michael says that he was drawn to the show because “there’s desire for an actor to want to work,” but he was also impressed by the script.

“It was so well written to me and every single character, even just from the pilot, you could tell the core characters are going through something,” he says. “They kind of have their own crisis that they’re dealing with. I think that every character has an identity crisis in a way and you see that as the show goes on.”

“We talk about a lot of issues that go on and are happening in America and our team and in politics and the way that we kind of go about it, the way we kind of distribute it through the entertainment to your TV is such an organic way where it’s not thrown in your face and it’s not forced,” Michael adds.

The show has delivered on approaching topical subjects throughout the first season, and Michael is especially proud of how All American handled a scene that involved his onscreen sister experiencing an overdose.

“That to me really hit home and 28

that immediately hit home for my family,” he says. “To be able to portray something as heavy as that and to bring that to life was really, really cool to do and really, really cool to see.”

“I think that is one of the heaviest scenes from the series as far as Jordan’s standpoint, and that’s one of those scenes that I’m most proud of,” Michael continues.

Michael relates to his character in the sense that they’re both biracial and have struggled with feeling like they don’t fully belong to either side.

“He’s a mixed kid, and he doesn’t really fit in either world,” Michael says of Jordan.

“And I have to agree with that 100%. Being mixed, you don’t fit into either bracket, you’re just kind of in the middle. That’s kind of the biggest thing that me and Jordan can relate to.”

Jordan is also athletic and was the quarterback on his high school team, but that’s where their similarities end.

“He is so very cocky and the way he kind of goes about himself is this ‘I’m the best’ kind of mindset, which was tough for me to get into,” Michael says. “It’s still kind of is tough for me to get into, especially when he’s belittling some of his friends or being kind of the captain in a way. He’s very outspoken and that for me is tough to do because I’m more sheltered” For the rest of 2019, Michael is looking to book more roles, whether he’s part of films, TV shows, or guest-starring on a series. As people tune in to All American, he hopes that they’ll find personal connections to the storylines and characters.

“I hope that they continue to enjoy the entertainment and enjoy the drama,” he says, “And I hope that they can find themselves in our characters and to continue to find themselves in our characters.” NKD

NKDMAG.COM

29

jess glynne Words by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Make-Up by FAYE LAUREN Hair by CECILIE HILDENBRANDT Styled by KATHERINE AGYEI Nails by JULIE KANDELAC

32

At 20-years-old, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Jess Glynne wasn’t behind the microphone; she was in front of it, working as an assistant at a music management company. While there, she learned everything about the music industry, from the basics of touring, to the nitty-gritty of contracts, all the way to planning album promotion. It was also where she learned that she really had no interest in working behind the scenes. She wanted to make music and perform it in front of crowds.

All in all, Jess’ time at the management company was a frustrating experience for her.

“I worked alongside an artist that was so ungrateful and was given so many opportunities, but just took everything for granted,” Jess remembers, “They just showed me how not to do it.” Before long, Jess left the company altogether to pursue her own career in music.

Before she left, she asked for advice on how to break into the business from a coworker. “One of the pieces of advice that was given was, ‘Go away and write 100 songs,’” Jess recalls. “I was like, ‘What?

You’re mad.’” The coworker explained that she needed to do that in order to discover herself as an artist: she needed to find her root, her sound and what exactly it was that she wanted to say to the world. That explanation was what pushed her to take his advice and go out and write

some songs.

Jess soon learned that building a career in music was no easy task. Once she was free of the management company, she reached out to all of the people she could and began working with writers and producers. It was an incredibly slow and frustrating process. At times, Jess admits that she lost her way. She tried out multiple genres of music and wrote with many people, but she eventually found herself in the middle of the road.

During that time of confusion, her friend mentioned an artist development course that seemed like a beneficial and fun program. Jess thought, “I’m working three different jobs and doing all this: writing and working with different people, but it’s taking a while.

I might as well go do it.”

She applied for the class and was accepted. Once the course began, she was completely underwhelmed by the material. The class only met twice a week, but she hardly ever went; she preferred to push herself into the studio when she could. It was pure luck that Jess happened to attend the talk that Janée Bennett, also known as “Jin Jin,” presented to the class. While Jin Jin was speaking about her journey and the people she had worked with as an artist, Jess felt a strong connection to her. She loved what Jin Jin was doing. “When she finished the talk, I went outside and I was like, ‘Yo, I really want to get in the studio with you. I’d love to

write. Can I send you stuff ?’”

Jess laughs. Thankfully, Jin Jin agreed to hear her work.

This was in 2012. Once Jess sent over some of her music and Jin Jin listened to it, she was eager to get in the studio together. Soon, they began to write more and more as a team. One of the first songs that really came together for them was called “Home”.

“When I wrote that song, it was like everything fell into place,” Jess says. “It was like, ‘I know what I want to say, I know where I’m going with my sound and I feel like I finally found something that’s unique to me.’”

It was a welcome discovery.

Up until that point, Jess had constantly been compared to other artists by the people she surrounded herself with. Writing “Home” was when Jess really realized who she was as an artist, not just through her creative process, but also in relation to the rest of the music industry. “It was from that moment actually that everything changed,” Jess remembers, “And that’s the song that I got signed off for publishing and a record deal, everything.”

The authenticity of finding her true voice proved to be a powerful move; in 2015, Jess and Clean Bandit won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for “Rather Be”. With seven songs reaching No. 1 in the charts, Jess holds the title for the most UK #1 singles out of any British female artist. In addition, NKDMAG.COM

33

her sophomore album, Always in Between, was the only album by a British woman to debut at #1 in 2018.

Always in Between released last October. The album’s current single, “Thursday”, was cowritten by Jess and Ed Sheeran. At the time they were writing it, Jess remembers going through an emotional time. The song challenges self-doubt and the tendency for women to abide by society’s expectations just because it can be easier. “It got to a point for me where I was quite fed up with that and frustrated by it, so I made a decision to talk about it,” Jess says, “I wrote down all of these lyrics and it felt like something I needed to get off my chest.”

While in the studio with Ed, the two of them discussed all of the highs and lows of the industry, the incredible pressure that they are under and all that they go through as artists. Jess rarely writes with people other than Jin Jin or someone she’s very close to, but collaborating with Ed was a welcome change. “It was really nice just talking about it to someone who really understands, who has it at a much bigger scale but can totally relate,” Jess says. They looked at the lyrics she had written on her phone already, and they began to expand from there.

“It evolved into a really beautiful message,” Jess explains, “I think I taught myself a lesson whilst writing it; I learnt a lot from myself, and 34

I’m so excited and happy that people get to hear it because I feel like it’s one of those songs that can help people mentally, socially, emotionally. Even though I’m famous in the public eye, I’m not perfect. I don’t always look amazing, I’m not always in the best mood, I have my moments,” she laughs.

Although the process for writing “Thursday” was smooth, writing a song isn’t always straight forward for Jess. The way a song comes together is always different.

“Sometimes a lyric will come, sometimes I’ll have a sentiment, sometimes I have an energy,” Jess explains. “It changes depending on the situation I’m in or who I’m working with.” Not only does the process change, but inspiration can come from anything, even from other pieces of music or someone else’s lyrics.

Jess kicked off the European leg of her Always in Between tour in November in Glasgow, Scotland. The experience has been like nothing else.

“Touring is amazing because you get to meet with the fans.

You get to stand in front of people and introduce yourself as a human being, not just as a voice, and it’s so beautiful when people listen to your songs and sing them back to you,” Jess gushes. “They get to see me for me. I pour my heart and soul into my music and it’s always real and honest, and when I perform it it’s the exact same thing. You can’t see that through listen-

ing to a song on Spotify or on an album.”

The Always in Between tour moves to North America on March 25th at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco; Abir, a Moroccan born singer-songwriter based in New York, will be joining Jess and opening for the US portion of the tour. “It’s really difficult when you’re choosing artists to come away with you because obviously you need to be able to relate and you want to have artists that people can also connect to on a similar level to you,” Jess explains when asked why she asked Abir to join her on tour. “I heard some of her stuff and I thought, ‘You know what?

Why not bring another empowering female on the road,’” she says.

In addition to her headlining tour, Jess will be joining a few other artists on the road in the near future. Jess will be touring with Leon Bridges in the spring for his Good Thing tour. She will also tour with the Spice Girls in May. Jess’ enthusiasm is evident as she explains that The Spice Girls’ agent reached out and contacted Jess’ manager to ask whether she would be interested in joining them on tour.

“It’s every little girl’s dream,” Jess laughs. “There’s no way I could have said no, not in a million years!”

Fans can also expect a new single from Jess later in the year. Until then, Jess is excited for fans to follow along with her journey and tour. NKD

NKDMAG.COM

29

mitchell tenpenny Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

36

Mitchell Tenpenny was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee and naturally fell in love with music.

Growing up in a city that’s considered the heart and soul of country music, the 29-year-old got to understand the industry from a unique perspective thanks to his grandmother, Donna Hilley, who was the president of Sony/ATV Music Publishing for approximately 30 years.

“I was very blessed to be in the middle of it,” Mitchell says. “I got to see a lot of things, a lot of the good and the bad, and especially from contracts to just how the business is handled at Nashville, because we are our own little community here. And it is different from L.A. or New York City. There’s a different process and a different way that people go about themselves here.”

“I thought songwriters were the coolest people in the world and I just wanted to be as cool as them one day,” Mitchell says of being surrounded by musicians and getting to interact with them. “I’m still not there, but I was just enamored by the whole process.”

Mitchell started playing the piano and guitar when he was around 12-years-old. He went on to be part of different bands, from hardcore groups (where he was a drummer and screamer) to pop groups.

Mitchell also performed at his local church and recalled feeling like it was “the scariest thing” because the thought of learning a gospel song and messing up in front of an audience was terrifying.

“I didn’t want anyone to hear me flop a note,” Mitchell recalls. “I remember I was very nervous. But after that show was over, I just felt like when you ride a roller coaster, you’re scared, but you want to go do it again right afterwards, even though you’ve

been terrified for forever.”

When Mitchell entered Middle Tennessee State University, he planned on playing football. He excelled at the sport in high school and admittedly “didn’t really have a plan.”

But Mitchell also knew that he was more passionate about music than football, so he pursued songwriting after graduating with a music business degree.

He got a publishing deal, wrote music for other artists for years, and “didn’t know if I was going to do the artist thing.” Then Mitchell got discovered by Sony Columbia Nashville while playing at CMA Fest, landed a major record label deal, and released his first record.

In December 2018, Mitchell released his 12-track Telling All My Secrets album. He had 200 songs to choose from and narrowed it down to a group that best represented him.

“It just felt like a record that was honest, that I could make people believe,” Mitchell says. “My ultimate goal is for you to believe what you’re hearing, because it’s the truth and if there’s just any slight that it’s not real, people call it out. Those songs felt like exactly who I was at the moment of my life for the record to be made.”

One of Mitchell’s most popular songs on the album, “Drunk Me”, has accumulated more than 60 million streams on Spotify while the music video has 30 million views on YouTube.

“I wanted to write a song about someone who had to quit drinking for a minute, because the standard chance of getting over somebody, every time they try to drink them off their mind, all of a sudden, a floodgate of emotions opens up and it never works,” Mitchell explains.

“I’ve been there. I’ve tried to drink

someone else off my mind when your heart is broken and it just never works.”

After releasing Telling All My Secrets, Mitchell embarked on a headlining tour, which was both nerve-wracking (“you just never know if anybody is going to show up”) and “overwhelming.”

At the shows, some of which were sold out, fans sang along to his new and old tracks, including “Somebody’s Got Me,” “Bitches,” and “Drunk Me”.

Since releasing his first album ever, Black Crow, in 2015, Mitchell has come to understand the impact of his music, particularly through people who have messaged him and said that his songs saved their lives or helped them get over a breakup.

“You would never think that something you wrote in your room could help somebody in any way,” he says.

“And that’s what you hope for. That’s what you dream of, but you never know until it happens. It’s one of the most special feelings in the world and it makes all those ‘no’s’ just disappear.

It gives you all that energy again, to go out there and keep writing and keep doing this.”

Mitchell is currently on tour with Old Dominion as part of their Make It Sweet Tour. For the remainder of 2019, he’s focused on promoting his newest single, “Alcohol You Later”, playing country festivals, and traveling abroad to more places. His goal is to just continue “to keep doing this, to be in the music industry in whatever way, shape, or form.”

“I know at any day it can get taken away and my goal is to just keep getting better, keep learning more about myself, and keep building this team that’s already here. I just want to do this for a long time,” he says. NKD NKDMAG.COM

37

ELIZABETH LAIL Words & Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair by MATTHEW MONZON Make-Up by JAMIE DORMAN Styled by SARAH SLUTSKY Location: COLOR FACTORY

40

“I went to a therapy session once and the first question they asked was, ‘What was your birth like?’” Elizabeth Lail tells me as we sit – literally – on top of a heater in a coffee shop in SoHo. It’s only four degrees outside and there’s ice building up on the windows, hence the heater seat. I resist the urge to make a “the cold never bothered me anyway” joke in reference to her breakout role as Anna in ABC’s long-running, Disney-inspired drama, Once Upon a Time.

The answer to her therapist’s question is she had a very calm and easy entrance into the world, and she believes “calm” is a rather appropriate word to describe her life story. Born and raised in North Carolina, nearly all of Elizabeth’s life has been confined to the East Coast. As a kid, she was always acting out stories alone in her room, and then in middle school Elizabeth’s mother forced her to audition for a play, hoping it would break her out of her shyness. “I was petrified,” she admits. But she booked a small role and more importantly – she made friends. “All of a sudden I was surrounded by people that were interesting to me,” she says.

By her senior year of high school, acting was Elizabeth’s entire life. After year-round productions and theatre camp in the summers, she applied to a high school theatre program and got in. There, she was groomed for college NKDMAG.COM

41

auditions and eventually entered a conservatory program, where she was hyper-focused on growing her craft for four years. “Acting is just the one thing I never stopped doing,” she muses.

Prior to entering college, Elizabeth had one random audition for The E! Network’s The Royals – which she sent in a self-tape for an made it to the testing round, where she read opposite William Mosley. While she didn’t book the part, making it that far on her first audition ever cracked the door open for once she finished school. Almost immediately after graduation she took an auditioning technique class and a month later booked her first role as Anna on Once Upon a Time.

“I’ve never experienced so much joy,” she says of her entire Once Upon a Time experience. Aside from playing a literal princess for her first job, her experience working and living with the cast in Vancouver was nothing but positive. “I was watching actors who were very good at doing their thing, and it was good because all the pressure wasn’t on me and I was allowed to just be a sponge,” she says, “It was magical. It’s literally the most exciting thing to ever happen in my life, to date.”

Elizabeth joined the show for half a season in Season 4, and because of the show’s massive fan base, experience an influx of social media attention as soon as the 42

casting announcement came out. “The Once Upon a Time fans are super hardcore, but they’re so supportive,” she says.

“The best part about Once Upon a Time were the friends I made from that show,” she says. She still keeps in touch with some of her co-stars from OUAT – including Colin O’Donoghue, who she developed such a close friendship with, his family hosted her and her friends when they went to Ireland a few years ago. “We had gone to the pub and when we came home [Colin’s wife, Helen] had all these potato chip sandwiches waiting for us,” Elizabeth recalls, laughing.

Following OUAT, Elizabeth starred in the short-lived Freeform drama, Dead of Summer and had a few guest spots on various television shows. Which leads us to You, the Lifetime drama that found a tremendously larger audience once it landed on Netflix the day after Christmas that stars Elizabeth as Beck, an aspiring writer in New York who becomes the subject of Joe (Penn Badgley), a book store owner’s, unhealthy obsession.

The script came to Elizabeth over a year ago, and her initial reaction was, “How are they going to make this work?” Shows with heavy voiceover haven’t often found tremendous success, but the show had already been picked up to series based on the pilot script. “And then I read the

book…” she says, smirking.

Her entire experience filming You – much like with Once Upon a Time – was overwhelmingly positive.

Some of her cast and crew have become some of her closest friends, and the environment on set was always supportive. “We didn’t really realize what we were making until we were in it,” she admits, “Once you’re doing it, it becomes a lot clearer that [what Joe (Penn Badgley) is doing] is terrible.”

Prior to its premiere, You was picked up for a second season. But when the show premiered on Lifetime in September of last year, it was met with mild success with less than 1 million viewers tuning in weekly. However, when the show hit Netflix on December 26th, it became an overnight success. In a rare disclosure of viewership, Netflix confirmed that over 40 million accounts had streamed You – putting a drastically larger light on Elizabeth and her cast mates.

“It’s a very conflicting thing because the content of the show is so controversial.

It’s really politically incorrect,” she says, “And, spoiler alert, the woman doesn’t win in the end. The white male does.” However, because of the show’s complicated nature, Elizabeth found herself privy to conversations about the show’s content. “Whether they were rooting for Joe and Beck to work it out no matter who he’s killed, or people who were annoyed at Beck

for making bad choices,” she recalls.

“I think we all make bad choices in life, and to me, Beck is very relatable,” Elizabeth continues, “She’s like, figuring out how to adult and how to be in healthy relationships, and has trauma from her childhood.” And while the viewers come to understand both Beck’s and Joe’s childhood traumas and how they inform their adulthood, one slept with their therapist and one murdered people; one is forgivable, and one is not. “It doesn’t mean the justice system shouldn’t run its course.

It doesn’t mean that Joe has justified his bad behavior, just because he’s likeable and charming,” she says.

The show provides an interesting commentary on how we, as a society, are programmed to root for the hero at all costs – even when the hero is problematic. “The lengths we’re willing to go to forgive a white male are endless,” Elizabeth reflects, “It’s interesting to see people’s theories about that and the hope is that everyone is coming to the conclusion that we’re really messed up for rooting for Joe. How did we get here and how do we change?”

For multiple obvious reasons, Elizabeth wants to see justice for Beck, who was tragically murdered by Joe in the season finale. Because of this, Elizabeth will not appear in the show’s second season unless flashbacks of some sort are included. Elizabeth 46

herself hasn’t read the second book, and doesn’t know how much – if at all – the second season will follow that book, so cannot speak to if Beck’s justice will be found postmortem, but assumes it will not. “Because that’s the world we live in. How often is there that kind of justice? The show itself may depend on that struggle always being there,” she says. While there are no concrete plans for exactly how many seasons of You there will be, Elizabeth has hope that whenever the end is, that’s when the justice will come.

While she’s mum on the details, Elizabeth does know what her next act will be. But in the meantime, she’s using her time to grow as both an actor and a person. She’s excited to see if any opportunities arise from the success of You, and has high hopes that some will. “Everyone is always asking me, ‘What’s changed?’ and the answer is nothing,” Elizabeth says, “My friends are still the same and the way I go about my work is still the same.”

The one noticeable difference in Elizabeth’s life, however, is her follower count.

The sudden influx of attention has caused Elizabeth to be more “of a participant” in social media than she was before. “I don’t think I’m doing very well though,” she laughs, “I’m just tossing stuff on the wall and hoping it sticks.” Despite the fact that her character’s murder in You was heav-

ily the result of social media stalking, Elizabeth finds herself on the platforms more than ever. “But my dream life is a no social media life,” she says, “Not that you need it now, but I think there is value in it if you’re trying to grow as an artist.”

With her home base in New York, Elizabeth is hoping to dabble in theatre more – which is the type of acting she grew up doing and initially fell in love with. “I always go out for it if it comes my way, but it’s a much harder market because there’s a lot less of it,” she says, “With television and film, you’re creating little families, but theatre is its own little community.” But looking forward at her career in the near future, she is seeing more doors opening for television and film, and is happy to pursue those avenues, as well. Coming off a very modern show, she’d now love to do a period piece – but also knows that isn’t entirely up to her. “I have all these dreams, but I’ve found so far in my life that the reality tends to be far greater than the dream,” she says.

Following a life-changing role and year, Elizabeth is – and has been – approaching 2019 as her “Year of Wonder”.

“I decided this year instead of creating all these goals and resolutions, I’m just going to add value to my life,” she says, “And I’m kind of doing everything in life small but affective. I’m releasing that pressure to be perfect.” NKD

NKDMAG.COM

47

daren kagasoff Words by NICOLE MORREFIELD Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Despite growing up in entertainment hub Los Angeles, Daren Kagasoff didn’t start acting professionally until age 20. Throughout his childhood, Daren was focused on baseball instead, eventually playing at San Francisco State University.

It was in college that he realized something was missing.

“My heart wasn’t really into playing the sport anymore and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life,” Daren recalls. “I always had a passion for acting,” so he moved back to L.A., found a manager, and enrolled in acting classes. Shortly thereafter, he booked his breakout role as Ricky Underwood on The Secret Life of the American Teenager, a popular ABC Family (now Freeform) series which consumed the next chapter of his life.

“To be honest, I can’t say anything bad about that show,” Daren remarks. He is still close with his former cast mates, and it was a great introduction to television.

“That being my first job, and for us to do 121 episodes, I’m still proud of it,” he adds. The acting industry can be very unpredictable, so “to be able to have a consistent, steady job for five and a half years was amazing.”

Being part of such a successful series could be stressful at times. With a fan base primarily comprised of girls aged 12 to 25, “if you went to a mall, that probably wasn’t the best idea,” he laughs.

Despite the young audience, playing a teen father alleviated any pressure to be a role model — although Ricky did evolve as a parent over the show’s five seasons, Daren notes.

Ultimately, aside from some unwanted fame amongst teenage girls, Daren thoroughly enjoyed his time playing Ricky. “We got to tell fantastic stories and the people that were involved [made] going to work every day a pleasure,” he shares. “It was my first professional job as an actor, so it’s always going to hold a special place in my heart.”

At that time, fresh out of school, Daren shared a lot in common with Ricky. As he grew older and high school receded further into his past, however, Daren was ready to tackle more mature roles, most notably a stint on the short-lived Red Band Society and a foray into film with 2014’s Ouija.

Now 31, Daren has found a project that perfectly suits the current stage of his life

and career. Premiering March 19 on NBC, The Village is a drama in the vein of This Is Us, following the intertwining lives of the diverse residents of a Brooklyn apartment building. Daren plays Gabe Napolitano, an overwhelmed law student whose world is flipped upside down when his aging grandfather moves in.

Daren fell in love with the show the moment he read the pilot. The Village was the first script he received last pilot season, and while he would usually be too busy learning lines for auditions to read an entire script, Daren decided to sit down and read this one all the way through. As soon as he finished, “I had an innate connection to not only the story of The Village but to the character of Gabe,” Daren remembers.

“Gabe is a really heartfelt guy,” he adds. “He’s very sensitive, and I think that’s why I resonated with him so much.”

Like Gabe, “I would do anything for the people I love,” Daren says. Gabe is “willing to stick his neck out for other people,” whether they are close family members or just live in the same building. “He truly has a heart of gold, and that’s been so fun to play with,” Daren notes, as most of his past NKDMAG.COM

49

roles were the “bad boy” type.

While the two have similar personalities, it was their differences that ultimately drew Daren to the role. Gabe is a law student studying furiously for the bar exam, which is “so far from who I am,” Daren explains. “I would never think of picking up a law book,” he admits, but Daren enjoys putting on a suit every day and playing a character very different from himself.

Another great aspect of the experience has been the set dynamic. The Village is shot partly on location in Brooklyn as well as on various stages.

Being immersed in the city brings a new dimension to the role, Daren tells, because “you’re living it. You’re not necessarily playing a part, you’re part of New York City.”

The cast and crew “are there to see everybody shine,” Daren shares. “The scripts are so fantastic that we want to build each other up and put out the best work, not only for the creator but for the people that are going to see the show.”

The interlocking nature of the characters’ stories and relationships creates a deeper sense of community among the cast members. “In order for me to do my job, I need to know what everybody else is going through,” Daren remarks. “If you don’t really know where everybody else is at in the story, it’s hard to be up to date with your storyline.”

The connection most meaningful to Gabe is his relation50

ship with his grandfather, Enzo, played by 88-year-old Dominic Chianese. Dominic, best known for his work on The Sopranos and The Godfather: Part II, also had a small part on The Secret Life of the American Teenager with Daren in 2011. “Our relationship is just so fantastic on the show,” Daren gushes, and the pair is also close off-screen. “I just love the guy so much. He’s my heart,” Daren reveals. “We have such great conversation during lunch. He tells me about his time on The Sopranos and just him living in New York in the ‘40s.”

“The cast that I get to work with, they’re just some of the best people I’ve met, not only as an actor but just as people in general,” Daren expands.

Additionally, creator and showrunner Mike Daniels is very thoughtful and caring, which shows in his writing.

“That’s why I think we have something really special,” Daren shares.

He hopes The Village will show viewers that supportive relationships can be found in unexpected places. “It doesn’t matter if you need help from a neighbor or somebody that you’ve never met,” Daren explains, “when hard times come about in life, it’s amazing to have people to lean on.” Your family — in blood or in spirit — will always be there for you “as long as you have a good heart and are willing to help people in times of need,” he adds. “That’s where the heart of the show is.” NKD

NKDMAG.COM

51

AMERICAN AUTHORS Words by LEXI SHANNON Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

54

The year is 2013. Indie rockers American Authors have exploded into the music scene with their hit single “Best Day of My Life,” which went on to top the US Adult Top 40.

Fast forward - the year is now 2019, and the group is stronger than ever. The four-piece, consisting of Zac Barnett, James Adam Shelley, Matt Sanchez and Dave Rublin have just released their third record Seasons via Island Records, and couldn’t be more stoked about it. Despite the challenges of filling the shows of their early-day success and the struggles of recording a new album, the group successfully released Seasons in early 2019, their first full-length release since late 2016.

“It never feels like it’s been that long for me. Our second album came out in middle of summer 2016, but since then we were constantly releasing more music,” says Zac. Since the release of their sophomore album in 2016, American Authors have been consistently releasing music to the world. From a song in a Disney film to singles and DJ features, the group has never stopped creating.

While releasing single after single during the time between albums, Zac attributed much of the success with singles to the current state of the music industry.

“The interesting thing with the [music] industry right now is it’s different for different artists. You think like rock bands, there’s still kind of this old school mentality that you still need to be doing full-length

albums in a certain period of time. For other artists, it doesn’t matter at all,” Zac says. “I personally think The Chainsmokers do a really good job of just constantly releasing singles, and I guess at some point it turns into a full album. You never know when their album cycle starts or finishes.”

By the time the album was released, nearly half of the songs had been released as singles.

About a year ago, the group decided that it was time to work on their third album, even though in years past, Zac thought he would never release an album again.

“We were working on all of these songs and we got to a point where we really felt like we had something. About a year ago we looked at the body of works and were like, ‘Wow, we actually have a sound that’s really cohesive for this third album cycle,” Zac says, “Something that we’re passionate about, something that we really want to do and we feel like this is something that could create a new chapter for this band.’”

Since its release, Seasons has been received well by fans and the media. Zac even mentioned his friends who “have never been fans” of American Authors before have reached out to him saying that the new album is “insane”.

Sonically, Seasons takes a more alternative rock path than the rest of American Authors’ releases. As opposed to the high-hitting inspirational “Best Day of My Life,” this album showcases a heavier, emotionNKDMAG.COM

55

al sound that we haven’t heard from American Authors.

For any musician nowadays, there is immense pressure and stress that comes along with writing and releasing an album, going on tour and being in a band. The guys of American Authors are no strangers to this stress.

Zac’s inspiration for the album was born out of the stress and pressure of being in music, with the biggest thing being what the pressures have done to his and his bandmates personal relationships.

“A lot of the [inspiration from the album] really came from the stress and pressure and kind of what that’s going to do to your mental health and how it affects you. You’re constantly overthinking everything and just constantly wondering if you’re good enough,” he says.

After “Best Day of My Life” blew up, the pressure to fill those shoes of a huge release weighed down on them.

“It not only causes the pressure of you releasing stuff that big, but also everyone around you, including yourself, gets caught up in, ‘Hey, well, this worked at this time period, how do you replicate that?’” he says.

Learning quickly during the second album that replicating successful songs doesn’t work with the pace music is changing, Zac and the rest of American Authors set out on their own path to release the music they wanted the world to hear.

The album itself caused challenges for the band, trying to agree on a cohesive sound that 56

they would be proud of and the fans would love. Going back and forth with ideas, sounds and concepts, Seasons took over a year to figure out musically.

“We write all of these different styles and we’re still inspired by so many different genres of music and trying to incorporate that into our songs. A good thing about us as a band is, I will say, that we’re all very excited to be creative and try different things. We’re always down to try new genres, new sounds, whatever,” Zac says.

With so many people involved in the creation of an album, it’s near impossible to find a sound that everyone agrees will be successful. Whether that be the band, the label, or the media, there rarely will be a happy medium everyone can agree. For Zac, American Authors reached a point where him and the band needed to put their foot down and decide what they wanted to release.

“There did come a time in the middle where we had to stop, pump the breaks, and go, ‘Hold on. This is ridiculous, let’s look at these songs.’” he says. “’I feel like a lot of these songs that everyone else was focusing on for the wrong reasons, they were not our best songs. At that point, that was the shifting movement when we were like, ‘These are the songs that we have right now that we want to move forward with stylistically and this is what we want to do.” After that, it was smooth sailing, and Seasons was born.

Just how does a group of four come up with a cohesive sound

that everyone loves and agrees on? Zac says it was “super easy” once they hit that “breaking” point. By then, everyone could agree on the style and sound of the album, leading to the writing and recording of the rest of the songs.

Like many bands, American Authors’ writing technique has its ups and downs, Zac even went as far as to call them a band of overthinkers, constantly struggling to figure out the “perfect” sound for a song.

“A lot of time we’ll all get in a room and someone will have an idea or a groove or a drum riff or a lyric or something that we’ll work off,” he says.

Their single “Deep Water”, was started by Dave Rublin, who came to the studio one day with the lyrical concept. Within the day, the song was finished.

Other songs like “Can’t Stop Me Now” are more difficult to perfect. The first song started for the album and the last song finished, the song was constantly reworked by the band until a final version had been decided upon.

Having just released the album, American Authors are planning on spending the next few months recording more music and touring. They’ll be spending this summer on the road with O.A.R., hitting cities all around the USA. Be on the lookout for more American Authors music in the upcoming months. Despite having just released a record, Zac says the band will have another album out before the end of the year. NKD

NKDMAG.COM

29

seth ennis Words by LEXI SHANNON Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

58

Alabama born and Georgia raised, Seth Ennis has carved a significant path for himself in the country music world. Just recently wrapping up a tour with Dylan Scott, the 26-yearold multi-instrumentalist has taken his childhood dream of being a rockstar into a reality.

Growing up in a military family, Seth had homes all around the globe. Japan, Washington D.C., North Carolina and Florida, to be specific. Despite all that, he called Georgia home for years prior to making the move to Nashville in pursuit of his career in music. Playing music from the age of 5, regardless of where he lived, music was there for him. He also grew up playing sports, but knowing he would never be the 6’5” quarterback he dreamt of, he chased the music dream instead.

“My dad made me take piano lessons when I was 5 and I kind of hated it, honestly,” Seth admits, “He made me a deal that if I got through a certain amount of years playing piano that I could pick any other instrument.” With this, Seth picked up the drums and never looked back. Teaching himself guitar in high school, he started performing and touring at the age of 16 when he started playing drums for other bands and artists on the road. After being in the background, Seth made the step into the spotlight and started performing cover gigs on his own, culminating in a move to Nashville five years ago to immerse himself in Music City.

Being only 16 and taking off on the road is a huge step for

any musician, but lucky for Seth, his parents supported him every step of the way.

“They were very supportive, but I think it was just a hobby at first,” Seth said. “My dad had pretty high expectations for me and my brothers, and so I don’t know if he really took it as seriously as me. Then when he saw me, I opened at an amphitheater for Billy Currington. I think it really opened his eyes that, ‘Wow, my son is doing something.’”

Now, Seth takes the stage with some of the biggest names in country music on a nightly basis, performing to sold out crowds he’s never seen before.

He played on tours with Little Big Town, Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line, but his 2019 run with friend Dylan Scott has been Seth’s first full tour as a support act.

“It’s amazing. This tour we really got to settle in [and] get pretty close with Dylan and his crew. He sold out every show except a few so far,” Seth says.

With a positive reaction from Dylan’s fans to his music, Seth’s dream is now a reality. Having crowds singing his songs back to him, even large crowds he never thought he’d reach, has proven to him that he is on a path to success. The tour with Dylan landed Seth in front of crowds from New York, to Florida, to everywhere in between. Even though it’s only one of his first tours, Seth has gained large numbers of fans in every state.

“There’s certain cities that have played my songs on the radio a lot and you can totally

tell when you go and play these cities and you hear these crowds singing back to you,” he says.

“When I played in Boston on this Dylan Scott tour, it was just insane how many fans I had out there. The cool part about doing what I get to do is that there’s so much culture with how people enjoy music in all these different cities.”

Even on the road, however, Seth is working on new material constantly. Writing is “kind of a blessing and a curse” for him – constantly finding inspiration for new tracks, and never being able to turn that off. He wrote Dylan’s last single called “Hooked,” and with that, the two have bene spending more time co-writing during the tour.

“I can never shut [songwriting] off. Sometimes, I’ll wake up in the middle of the night at three in the morning and have an idea and just have to write it up. Or somebody will say something while I’m having a drink out at a bar and I’ll hear it and I’ll just write it down,” he says.

Despite constantly working and writing, Seth still finds time to support his friends and other musicians, such as LAUV, his friend Mitchell Tenpenny and of course, Kacey Musgraves.

He likes to spend his days off of tour relaxing and watching college football and supporting the Georgia Bulldogs.

“My dream day off is sitting on my couch, getting up, making coffee, watching college football, watching game day, then literally not moving from my couch all day long,” he laughs. NKD NKDMAG.COM

59

NKDMAG.COM