NKD Mag - Issue #69 (March 2017) by NKD Mag

MAR. musicians: 04 SAM TSUI putting his own twist on everything

28 RUSSELL DICKERSON nashvilleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest one to watch

actors: 08 GEORGIE FLORES always working; never expecting

20 AISHA DEE

30 DANIELLE CAMPBELL

on her new life in l.a. + next steps

40 ECHO KELLUM on mr. terrific + personal sturggles

44 BREANNA YDE showing off her skills on school of rock

social stars: 12 ALISHA MARIE on remaining authentic

on portraying powerful females

double threats:

24 ELVY YOST

14 JORDAN FISHER

on soaking up culture + the catch

making the world his stage

publisher: CATHERINE POWELL

editors: CATHERINE POWELL

writers: SAMANTHA BAMBINO SHELBY CHARGIN DIANA FIGUEROA ELIZABETH FORREST AUTUMN HAILE IAN HAYS MEGAN MARUSAK CATHERINE POWELL HANNAH SCHWARTZ OLIVIA SINGH

photography: CATHERINE POWELL

design: CATHERINE POWELL

sam tsui Words by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

While studying at Yale, Sam Tsui envisioned a future in musical theater. Music had always been his passion, so as an alternative way to make a name for himself in between classes and performances, he experimented with posting videos to YouTube. “That was around when the digital space first became a place where people were actually consuming content and watching music and entertainment,” Sam remembers. A few of his early videos went viral, so he officially became a YouTuber. He was among the first generation of YouTubers to look at the platform and realize that it wasn’t just a place to post silly content. In its early days, YouTube was most well-known for cat videos and reposted clips from TV shows. It wasn’t somewhere consumers could turn to for their main source for entertainment, but it quickly evolved into the media monolith that it is today. “We realized that YouTube could be a super power04

ful platform if you make content specifically for it,” Sam says. “If you create content that’s really high quality, people can think of as a more premium type of thing.” Over two and a half million subscribers later, the thought still rings true. High quality content is no easy feat, though. “There are some videos, especially the bigger productions we do for original music, that can take days or even weeks of planning,” Sam explains. “Setting things up, getting extras, getting props and securing locations can make one video as big as a fullscale production.” A short and simple video might only take two hours to complete, but no matter the length, Sam has a hand in every single aspect of the production. Because of this, he’s a self-proclaimed perfectionist. Well-known for his cover videos, Sam has become a student of pop music in a way he never expected. Since there are so many people doing covers online nowadays, he

stresses that it’s important to create something exciting to surprise people and keep them interested. “I’ll just listen through stuff and think about how I could hear that as a cool moody a cappella thing or reimagine this as sort of a funkier synth pop,” he says. He’s always listening to what’s coming out and thinking about how to look at a song in a fresh, new way. “I think some people trying to get into YouTube now are seeing the success of others and try to just emulate what they do,” Sam says. That alone won’t catch people’s attention because videos need to have something different or special in order to be heard. In addition to covers, he’s also a master of the mashup. “In a lot of ways, what I do are like fun little puzzles,” he says. When choosing which songs to include in a mashup, there are multiple aspects of the song to consider. Sometimes the two songs are similar musically, but they tell a completely different sto-

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ry. Conversely, sometimes they’re musically opposites but could tell a fun story together. Then there’s an added challenge of making them fit. “Every time I go to approach a mashup, there’s a list of things to satisfy,” Sam says. “I have to find a way to overlay this on top of that, or maybe I have to re-harmonize this or that, but the musical nerd side of me gets to come out.” Because of the challenge, mashups can take a huge amount of planning. Although Sam originally began to post on YouTube for the music, the platform also makes it so he can connect to his fans in a personal way. “Every good pop singer has to have a name for their fanbase,” Sam insists, which is why he affectionately refers to his fans as the Samily. It has the double meaning of considering fans to be as close as family and is spelled like “Sam ILY,” as in “I love you.” In true Internet fashion, fans were the ones that originally brainstormed the title. They also considered being called the Samurais, but Sam ultimately made the executive decision and decided to choose love over aggression. “I love it because it does really enforce that idea that there’s a lot of love in the Samily,” he says. Anyone that watches his videos can see that it’s true. Uploading videos made it easy to connect to fans, but joining YouTube made it possible for Sam to build positive relationships with other content creators, as well. Since there were no guidelines about the best YouTube practices or the best way to make videos in the early days of the website, YouTubers had to rely on each other to learn and grow. They also collaborated on content together. Sam has made videos with many talented YouTube stars, his favorite person to collaborate with is his husband Casey. Their mash-up of Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud” is Sam’s most popular video to date. “That was the first video I ever did with him,” Sam says. “He’s an amazing singer. People freaked out. They

loved it.” YouTube truly allows Sam the unique opportunity to combine his personal life with his music. Though their Ed Sheeran cover is popular, it isn’t the most meaningful of Sam’s uploads. “Last year we got married. A couple month after the wedding, we released an original single,” Sam explains. “That might be my favorite collaboration because it’s super us and super personal.” In addition to serving as a way to share a huge life milestone with the fans that Sam considers family, it also has the added bonus as serving as their wedding video. A few years ago, the idea of releasing a single as a wedding video wouldn’t have been feasible; but since he’s been with YouTube since the beginning, Sam has had a front row seat in watching the music industry shift and change. “One of the cool things that a lot of us in the digital space have started to do is work with ‘mainstream artists,’ especially as those two worlds collide and essentially become one thing,” Sam says. Two artists he dreams of working with one day are Jessie J and Bruno Mars, but he’s already made a place for himself in the more “mainstream” realm of artistry. Sam’s first time going to Mexico was to open for DNCE during their tour. He also opened for Bon Jovi in Indonesia, which he considers his biggest artistic accomplishment so far. The crowd was 40,000 people deep and Sam was able to perform a full half hour original set. It was the largest crowd he’d ever performed for and a career highlight, but he didn’t get stage fright. “Once you’re at a couple thousand, you can’t even see farther than that because of the lights. The fear diminishes,” he says. Though Bon Jovi was his biggest crowd, Sam is no stranger to festivals and world tours. Just in 2016, he was able to perform in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia and beyond. In the future, he hopes to travel to even more faraway destinations

that traditional touring doesn’t usually reach. For example, he knows he has an active fan base in Kazakhstan and Serbia, so he hopes to someday make it there. Booming on the Internet truly allows him the amazing opportunity to connect with fans from all over the world every day, and it all becomes that much more clear when he’s touring and performing in person. “It was scary to travel to all of these faraway places and see that there were fans there singing every word to my original music,” he says. Sam’s most dedicated fans even know the words to his unreleased songs, including Sam’s favorite called “Clumsy”. “The fans that come to the shows are the ones who have already looked up bootleg versions online,” Sam says. An ‘80s power ballad, the song is over a year old and served as a staple during his 2016 tour. The fans liked the song so much that they kept asking him for a studio version. Equally as enthusiastic, Sam actually reproduced the song ten times in order to get it perfect. Fans will be happy to know that “Clumsy” will be featured on Sam’s next original album, set to be released sometime this summer. One question that Sam got in his early days of his career was whether he would leave YouTube once he became a “real” musician. With Sam’s success, it’s clear that he’s past the point of being a “real” musician, but he has no plans to leave YouTube. “If anything, I’ve been putting out more and more original stuff on the channel,” Sam says. “I’ll never stop throwing up the occasional cover or mashup.” Even when he’s posting mostly original uploads, what he does is a fun way for him to hone his craft. He loves what he does and he doesn’t plan to stop. “I think I’m one of the few Asian American, gay pop artists, if not the only, so I’m eager to inspire other kids with what I’m doing,” Sam says. Because of this, he promises lots of new, original music for the Samily this summer. NKD NKDMAG.COM

georgie flores Words by MEGAN MARUSAK Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

For some actors, success comes quickly. For others, it takes years. And Georgie Flores knows all about that. “I was born in Eagle Pass, Texas to my Mexican mother and father. I’m the youngest of five girls,” Georgie says. She spent the first two years of her life as a Texan, but her family moved to Florida when she was still a baby, and she spent most of her childhood there. The acting bug got to her early when she fell in love with Disney movies and she decided she wanted to be a Disney character. “Aladdin, Pocahontas, Beauty and the Beast, and The Lion King… I was obsessed with Disney movies, so I was just like ‘When I grow up, I want to be a Disney character’,” she says. She gave theatre classes a go, but picked up a few other hobbies as well, all with endless support from her mom, despite the fact that they didn’t have a ton of money. “I did gymnastics, I did hip-hop, I was in art classes,” she says. But after trying out so many different talents, Georgie always went back to acting. “I knew I wanted to be an actor always, but I was living in Florida. And then I had a plan to save up enough

money and when I did I was going move to Los Angeles,” she says. Eventually, she did just that. She moved in with a family friend for a few years, all while going to auditions, working multiple jobs and struggling to keep herself afloat. “It was me, living at their home, and I had, like, seven jobs,” Georgie recalls. At this time her best friend also decided to give acting a go, and happened to book a job after her first audition. But despite struggling with money and seeing her best friend’s success unfold before her eyes, Georgie didn’t give up. “I never really asked for help. I had a few people who would be like ‘Oh, do Actors Access and LA Casting and submit yourself.’ So I went step by step, slowly auditioned more and more,” she says. A friend eventually introduced her to a few managers, who helped her in finding better roles to audition for. “I’d been auditioning for, like, co-star or like, ‘Girl Number 7’ before that,” she says. Slowly, Georgie began getting better auditions, and for three years, she was getting closer and closer to booking major roles. “I just didn’t give up. I just kept trying, and

kept auditing, and got discouraged a lot, cried a lot, screamed at my boyfriend or whoever a lot, but I never had the idea that I was going give up. That was never even a question,” Georgie says. Surprisingly enough, Georgie’s big break came from something she was completely against. “Always I was anti-commercials because ‘that’s not art, that’s not acting, blah blah blah’,” she admits. But eventually, with money getting tight, her friend convinced her that it was time to get over that mindset and start auditioning for some. It didn’t take long for her to meet Justine, a commercial casting director, and the wife of the producer of an upcoming book-to-television show, Famous in Love. And not only did she book a commercial through Justine, but Justine also decided Georgie would be perfect for a part in her husband’s new show and convinced her to see him for an audition. “I auditioned for it and kind of, like, winged it. I was so terrified; I was literally shaking. So I go in, I botched it for sure, I was shaking, and so nervous, barely got it out,” she recalls. Two months went by with no word, NKDMAG.COM

and by then Georgie had basically forgotten about the failed audition, until she got a callback and was invited in for a network test. “Which was even worse, because then you’re in a theatre room with 30 people watching you, and there’s a spotlight on you and you’re just, like, performing,” she says. But she went in, pushed aside her fears, had fun, and got the part. “I hysterically cried in my car. It was the most intense amount of relief,” she says. Ever since that day, Georgie’s been on a high. Georgie says that transition from commercials to a recurring role didn’t feel like much of a change. “It’s just a change of scenery,” she says. “It’s more of a relief. I know that it was worth it, like, auditioning, and taking every job, and working really hard.” Although she admits that she does still have to pinch herself when she remembers she’s working on the same soundstages as some of her favorite movies and TV shows. When asked about her character, Cassie, Georgie is quick to relate her right back to herself. “She’s a lot like me. She’s weird and quirky, she’s a good friend. She’s obsessed with this Twilightlike series, and I’m obsessed with Harry Potter and Star Wars and Indiana Jones,” she says. Her character is also a struggling actress, going to auditions with

her best friend, watching her best friend book roles while she continues to come up empty handed. “Which is kind of the story of my life,” Georgie laughs. But at the same time, her and her character are very different. “She’s like obsessed with the Dolan Twins and celebrity culture which I am not obsessed with celebrity culture at all,” she says. Georgie has never been given the opportunity to play a character for an extended period of time, but so far, she loves the change. It gives her a chance to help her character grow, whereas before, she only had days to work on a role. “You have, like, five days of this character who just murdered her boyfriend with rat poisoning,” she recalls of her guest roles on crime shows. But with all these positives she’s finding, there are some downsides to the newfound fame. Number one? Social media. “I’m the worst at it. I hate selfies, I don’t like taking too many photos of myself, I don’t like having to post,” she admits. She’s thankful that the show hasn’t been pressuring her to post any sort of promotional material. “They let you kind of do your own thing,” she says, “I love to promote the show, absolutely, but I’m going to do it in my own way.” That being said, she promises that the cute photos of her puppy will con-

tinue to be her Instagram’s main focus. Georgie is also having a hard time figuring out how she’s going to feel about the attention she’s bound to receive once the show gains more fans. At the end of the day, though, she’s very level headed about the whole thing. She wants people to admire her for her talents and her acting abilities, but she does hope that the love and devotion won’t go too far. When asked about what to expect from Season 1 of Famous in Love, Georgie can’t give us much insight. A lot of it is still a blur to her. “I really want to see [the episodes]. I honestly don’t even remember,” she says. But from what she can recall, there will be a bit of bad singing on her part, a lot of comedy, and hopefully, a second season. Now that season one is done filming and Georgie quit her previous job, she has a lot of free time, and a tiny bit of extra money. “I’m back in acting class, I started ukulele lessons, tap.” On top of that, she hopes to get into directing, and has been working on a short that’s been brewing in her head for a while. And of course, she hopes to get the opportunity to audition for a few roles that are a little more exciting than ‘girl number seven.’ “I’m hoping for this to be a busier year than before,” she says. NKD

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alisha m a r i e Words by SHELBY CHARGIN Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Alisha Marie got her start in YouTube before it was even a big thing. In 2008, she began her channel and started becoming obsessed with make- brands like Mac and Sephora. It was watching a random girl doing her own non-brand related tutorial that captured Alisha’s attention. “I’m going to try this!” she laughs, reflecting upon how her she “failed miserably” in her earliest days of YouTube. “Those videos are either private or deleted, you can’t find them,” she continues to joke. The easiest way to describe Alisha Marie is contagious. Everything about her from her bubbly smile to her addictive laugh makes it easy to see how she quickly captured the YouTuber fan base she has. “I think just over the years I kept falling more and more in love with it,” she expresses. It was makeup tutorials that got her started, but over time the channel “quickly transitioned into more personality. ‘Cause people just didn’t care what I uploaded, they just wanted me to upload,” she says. It was a step in the right direction for Alisha who was able to create and explore more content and being able to create a brand for herself. “When I was able to do more personality and lifestyle videos, it was fun to be able to

bring more of my personality into it and seeing how people relate to that,” she says. Her fan base resonates with her emotions and struggles, and her openness only adds to the appeal of the contagious being that shines so bright as she speaks. Her well-spoken nature is easily accredited to all her time in front of the camera, but it also speaks volumes for her mission to make a community larger than herself. Having gone on tour Alyson Stoner, Alisha and the Girls Night In tour was solely based on uplifting the fans who attended. “At the end of it we just wanted everyone to feel empowered,” she explains dutifully. “Whoever came we just wanted them to feel very accepted and very empowered for what they wanted to do and that was our overall goal.” It’s the goal of hers to continue to promote the community that she has built as a safe space that her fans can come and be free of worry about what they are and just embrace who they are. “Being able to bring it in person and have it live was an amazing experience,” she says. Between Alyson’s musical performances, and Alisha’s comedic appeal, the tour was an extreme success. “It was a little hard coming up with the creative of every-

thing…” she confesses. “It was just super interactive and I think that’s the one thing more to where concerts you pay money just to go watch, it was super interactive.” They could tell the fans to utilize their social media and continue to push the community that brought them there in the first place in real time with their favorite digital stars. “It just felt more like our videos in real life,” Alisha says. Her videos in real life require a lot less editing, however. Alisha is all self-taught from her spoken word to her editing style, her YouTube is all her. “I was like, I can figure it out myself,” she says. “On average it takes a video about 12 hours to edit. I’m also a perfectionist so I’ll sit there even if I don’t have too.” The stressful process is relieved by her ability to create the content she wants. “Honestly, depending on each video I like at least one thing to be different or creative,” she says. That one thing could range from music, to the style in which she films or brand new content itself. And it’s hard for her not to fall in love with her own videos, like her “10 Things You Do With Your Best Friend” one who she filmed with her YouTuber best friend. “We had so much fun filming it, like it didn’t even feel like we were working at all,” Alisha says. And although her world is crazy, and it’s easy to get caught up in the limelight that is YouTube Alisha remains humble. “One time me, and my friends had a meet-up when we each had over 100,000 subscribers,” she tells me. And although only a few showed up, she was humbled by the fact which made it that much harder for Alisha to realize just how big her community and fan base had grown. “I’m really just like a normal girl and I do YouTube,” she says. Alisha’s hobbies surround her career. Between photography and filming, she truly is a creative content producer through and through with a mission to help empower the world. While the YouTube part resonates strong, so does her need to give back. As the month of March approaches, she’s gearing up to head over to Ethiopia with some of her GNI crew. The trip was inspired by Alyson. [On tour she was talking about it – because she’s an ambassador for I Pour Life and that’s the organization that we’d be going through – and she was just talking about it and they way she’s so passionate about it rubbed off completely on all of us,” Alisha says. NKD NKDMAG.COM

jordan fisher Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Growing up in Birmingham, Alabama, Jordan Fisher participated in countless theater productions. At the age of 23, his resume now includes appearances on TV projects across Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, MTV and FOX. Today, he stars in Hamilton: An American Musical – the Broadway hit that needs no introduction or explanation. To some, Jordan might appear to be a newcomer in the entertainment industry, but it’s a career he has worked tirelessly for since he was a child. Jordan’s theater experience began in the fifth grade, after joining a drama club class that his crush was a part of. Prior to joining, the thought of a potential future in the arts never crossed his mind. “Ultimately, I was a gymnast and I played soccer during off seasons. I appreciated art. I appreciated film and music and that kind of thing, but I didn’t really know that it could be something that could be pursued,” Jordan says. Realizing that he found a new passion outside of athletics, Jordan immersed himself in more theater experiences, particularly after joining a theater company in Birmingham. “They kind of developed this conservatory-based program that happened year round and that’s where I made some of my strongest friendships that still have lasted,” Jordan explains. “That was my formal training. I didn’t go to college, or Boston Conservatory or Juilliard – or something along those lines. My curriculum was eight years of working with this conservatory program and then starting my career at a young age.” The list of productions Jordan participated in includes Dreamgirls, The Jungle Book, A Christmas Carol and The Music Man – just to name a few. “My theater resume from Birmingham, Alabama is extensive.” At 13-years-old, Jordan moved to Los Angeles with his mother in order to seriously pursue acting. “I started living there six months out of each year, from 13 to 16 or 17-years-old. Then I moved there permanently,” he explains. The rest of his family moved to the West Coast, and Jordan began auditioning for roles. “I just had relentless auditions and support from my family from the beginning. Like, ‘This is what you want? Okay, let’s give it a shot. Let’s go to L.A. and do whatever you want do to make it hap-

pen’ – and that’s exactly what happened,” he says. Jordan’s first official role was booked in 2008, when he participated in a webseries called The Hustler. Since then, he has appeared on iCarly, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Teen Wolf, The Thundermans and Liv and Maddie. Building on his years of theater experience in Alabama, Jordan also went on to star in musicals, like Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2. Aside from gaining young fans through Disney Channel roles, he earned even more traction after starring as Doody in Grease: Live. Among a cast of well-established singers and actors, Jordan held his own and his rendition of “Those Magic Changes” was praised by viewers. With millions of people tuning into these successful TV projects, Jordan continued gaining traction in the entertainment industry. In addition to acting roles, a large sum of Jordan’s time over the years has been spent expanding his musical skills and adding more instruments to his repertoire. “I’m just that guy who went, ‘I don’t know how to do it. I have to learn. I have to figure out,’” he admits. Currently, he can play the piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, drums, the French horn and the harmonica – but with his mindset, this list could get longer. “I self-taught, for hours at a time,” he recalls. “Often, that was how I ended my day. Before I went to bed at night, I would sit in my room and play music for three or four hours, and I’d do that every night. Eventually, that evolved into learning how to compose and then that evolved into wanting to learn how to start writing music and now, the EP.” In August 2016, Jordan released his debut, self-titled EP, which included four carefully selected tracks. “Those four songs felt like the four corners of my artistry, and they felt like the best way to introduce myself,” Jordan explains. “That’s really how I kind of narrowed that down.” The EP’s sound is fusion of pop, soul and R&B – a direct product of the kind of music Jordan grew up listening to. He names Luther Vandross, Prince, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, The Commodores, The Doobie Brothers, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Tyrese and Usher as some of his main influences.

“Where I sit in my artistry is in this space where I’m trying to bring those genres – pop, soul, R&B – I’m trying to bring them all together without considering myself too much of one thing, Jordan says. “That’s my goal as an artist, and I feel like all of those people were able to do that.” Prior to releasing the EP, Jordan constantly modified it until he felt confident that it was authentic and reflective of his musical style. “You have one first EP and you have one first album. You can make one first impression,” he says. “I wanted people who didn’t really have an understanding of me as an artist to hear what that was, without giving too much away.” With his debut album scheduled for release this year, Jordan has put even more pressure on himself to ensure that he makes a good impression. He’s been working on his album for over two and a half years, while simultaneously lending his voice to other projects. His latest venture involves Hamilton: An American Musical, which has become one of Broadway’s most popular shows. Over the course of nearly three hours, the play examines the life of Alexander Hamilton with over 40 tracks. Think of it as a history lesson come to life, but with performances that actually motivate you to pay close attention for the entire duration. Though Jordan officially joined Hamilton on October 22, 2016, the plan was set in motion thanks to his work on Grease: Live. The TV special was directed by Tommy Kail, who also directed Hamilton. Shortly after wrapping Grease: Live, Jordan visited Tommy in New York and saw Hamilton. Immediately falling in love with the concept and execution, he revisited the show months later with his team. The opportunity to join the play materialized one night after a performance in Nashville. Following his performance that night, Tommy reached out to find out if it would be possible for Jordan to set aside a window of time to be part of Hamilton. “I was on a flight 41 hours later,” Jordan recalls. “I went from Nashville back to L.A., went straight to a session, just repacked my suitcases and filmed the next morning for some content to promote before I went to the airport. I started rehearsals the next morning.” In the weeks leading up to his BroadNKDMAG.COM

way debut, Jordan spent hours learning the show alongside directors and choreographers, watching the show every night and taking notes. For approximately four to five hours each day, five or six days a week, for over a month, this was Jordan’s routine. Despite joining one of the most in-demand shows on Broadway, Jordan recalls receiving a warm welcome from the cast. “You don’t know what it’s going to be like, you don’t know how people are going to treat you, you don’t know what the vibe or the dynamic is going to be – and it was love from the beginning, the minute I opened the stage door,” Jordan says. It’s been months since his debut at the Richard Rogers Theatre, but Jordan still has a tough time recalling the range of feelings running through his mind during his first performance. “It was a blur,” he says. “The first night, I was like, ‘I just have to get through it. I just have to get through it.’ Then I finished the show and I was like, “Wow, I just made my Broadway debut. That’s pretty incredible.”’ Once Jordan completes his run in Hamilton on March 5th, the remainder of the year will be dedicated to releasing his debut album, touring and anything else he can squeeze into his schedule. “My goal, my career for 13 years has been to find a world where I can do whatever I want whenever I want, and for me, that means putting out a record, going on tour, work on a film, work on a Broadway show, maybe develop television – do all those kinds of things – and find a rotation where I can do all these things as simultaneously as humanely possible,” he shares. “Obviously, logistically, that can’t ever really happen – but there can be years where I manage to do all of the things that I like doing in one year, and this is that year.” Although 2017 is sure to be a jampacked one, Jordan looks forward to the opportunity to tackle as many passions as he possibly can. “So many people join chasing the intangibles because they seem so grand – fame and finances – but those are the things that leave you hollow,” he says. “I think at the end of the day, success to me is doing what you love. Every night, regardless of how great the day is or how exhausting the day is, when my head hits the pillow, I look forward to doing it all over again the next day.” NKD 18

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aisha dee

Words by HANNAH SCHWARTZ Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Many people dream about growing up in paradise. Aisha Dee did just that. She grew up on the Gold Coast in Australia with her mother in a touristy beach town. “People holiday there. I grew up in an apartment on Surfer’s Paradise Boulevard,” she remembers. In addition to the backdrop of the Gold Coast, Sesame Street also was an inspiration for Aisha. In the Gold Coast, most people had beach blonde hair. “The kids on Sesame Street looked like me,” she remembers. She admired the kids on Sesame Street and wanted to be like them. Her mom told her that Sesame Street was in New York City – and that is what made her want to

characters sang songs, rode horses, and gave group hugs. “I look back on it now and I can’t believe that was my very first experience because who gets to do that [ride horses and sing songs all day]? It’s crazy!” she remembers. The Saddle Club was a very popular program in Australia. “It was an institution of sorts,” she explains. The producers genuinely listened to the kids and used some of their ideas in the scripts. Aisha is credited for an episode that she created and wrote with some of her cast mates. “It was kind of this family affair to where they would encourage everything with us,” she says. When she was 16-years-old, she

her to go out for more auditions and try for more opportunities. “I was lucky that I came here being so naive,” she says with a laugh. When Aisha booked Chasing Life, she felt more job security than ever before. It was the first show that she had been a part of that lasted for a couple of years, instead of only a couple of months. However, even though Aisha loved working with her cast, the material was challenging. Chasing Life is about an aspiring journalist whose life gets turned upside down when she gets diagnosed with Leukemia. “I don’t think anyone walked away from Chasing Life unscathed by the subject

“I don’t thInk anyone walked away from Chasing Life unscathed by the subject and what It meant to all of us because It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone has a connectIon wIth that.” come to America, so she could act like the kids on Sesame Street. Watching Sesame Street motivated her to move off the island to pursue a career in acting. “Watching Sesame Street is a favorite pastime,” she says. “I pushed my mom to let me do the acting thing, and she was always very supportive, but I think she kind of wanted me to be a musician instead because that was what she knew,” she remembers. When she was 13-yearsold, Aisha auditioned for an Australian children’s show called The Saddle Club. When she was booked the part, she moved to a small town called Daylesford to film the series. In the show, the

moved to America with a dual citizenship. She realized the difference between auditioning in America versus auditioning in Australia pretty quickly. Auditioning in Los Angeles is more intimidating, compared with the more low-key atmosphere in Australia. Casting directors in Australia said that she had a certain look to her so she only had limited audition opportunities. Aisha has found Hollywood to be more diverse and open to people of all backgrounds. “I think the industry and the world are kind of in this transition where people are starting to embrace all different kinds of people,” she says. She also credits her naivety for pushing

and what it meant to all of us because it doesn’t matter who you are, everyone has a connection with that,” she says, “I know everyone who was on Chasing Life knew someone who was sick or was very close to someone or who had some kind of experience with it so it hit us all in a really big way.” The material was a lot to handle most of the time because it was so relevant. The whole cast relied on one another as support systems. “You can’t really escape the heaviness of that and to be honest, you kind of don’t want to because you are telling these stories that are important to you but also important to so many other people and you want to do it

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right,” she says. Aisha felt very connected to Chasing Life and was upset to hear that it was cancelled. She was in an uncertain place in her life. “I was in this weird phase of my life where I was kind of questioning whether or not I still wanted to act, to be honest, and it kind of felt like something that needed to happen,” she remembers, “I kind of needed that time to focus on real life.” After taking some time for herself, Aisha heard about Sweet/Vicious from her friend, who is a writer on the show. Sweet/Vicious is about two women in college who go after sexual attackers on their campus. She was shocked to find out what the show was about, but she felt that it was important to tell that type of story, so she auditioned for the part of Kennedy and got the role. “I feel like a lot of programs that are geared toward our generation, they constantly dumb them down and be like ‘they can’t handle this or that’ and the fact is, that’s what we want to see because that’s what we’re dealing with in our lives,” she says. One of Aisha’s favorite aspects about

Sweet/Vicious is that the sorority is filled with nice and supportive girls, instead of the stereotypical back-stabbing sorority girls portrayed on television and in movies. “The show is so important to me, especially in the time that we are living in, we need to make sure we’re telling the stories that need to be told and we did that,” she proudly says. While Sweet/Vicious is on hiatus, Aisha is working on a new show called The Bold Type. This show is about three girls living in New York City working on a magazine. It is based on the experiences and the life of Joanna Coles, who is the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine. “It tackles a lot of modern feminine issues, which is such a blessing. The last three shows I did were female driven, all about empowering youth and making us feel like we do have power and we do have a say and our voices can be heard,” she says. A big focus on the show is finding work-life balance. When Aisha chooses roles, she focuses on playing strong but flawed characters. “That’s what I am attracted to: female driven but no one is perfect,”

she says, “We forget to put more importance on our female friends, but they are the ones we actually end up staying with for life. Your boyfriend comes and he goes and all the while you still have those same girlfriends who were there and saw the whole thing.” Music has also always been a passion for Aisha. She made an EP in 2015 under the name, Dee Dee and the Beagles, which had a very 1960s vibe to it. She is working on her music career now, while she has time off. Her goal is to make her songs “a little confrontational masked in a very sweet vibe,” she says while laughing. Aisha is also starring in a miniseries on SyFy called Channel Zero, which is a horror anthology television show. The season Aisha is on is based on the book, The No-End House, by Brian Russell, which is about a house with unsettling rooms and once someone visits, their lives change completely. Most importantly, she is taking time to focus on herself. “I’m just kind of taking the next couple of months to focus on me, Aisha, not me, Kennedy or me whatever,” she says. NKD

elvy yost Words by AUTUMN HAILE Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Elvy Yost is one of those rare and unique triple threats. An actress, musician, and writer — she finds inspiration around every beautiful corner of life. The born and raised Californian spent much of her youth in the Bay Area surrounded by the arts, from music to photography to acting — she was immediately fascinated by the pursuit of creative expression in her own life. A fascination that was encouraged and nurtured by her parents. “I was very lucky in that my parents were big proponents and fans of all of the arts. I was exposed to a lot of different mediums and encouraged to try everything,” she says. It became clear at a young age that acting was the art form she was most drawn to. In fact, it was so ingrained in her, that there was no clear cut moment in which she knew she wanted to be an actress. It was a part of her from the very start. With the encouragement of her parents and a natural talent for performing, the world of professional theater immediately became NKDMAG.COM

a secondary classroom. “Most of my learning has been through seeing and doing,” she says. “Most of my time in high school I spent understudying for professional productions. That really helped shape my studies in theater. I’ve always been acting, since I was little. It was a gradual learning and doing experience.” All those long nights spent after class working on various productions paid off in a massive way. At 19, after being discovered in a local Berkeley production, Elvy got her ticket to the big time. Instead of moving away to go to college, she moved to Los Angeles and hit the audition circuit. “Working in theater in the Bay area was sort of like my college experience. Starting to audition in L.A. was a continuation of that. I didn’t go to acting school, I just dove right in,” she says. Each audition led to a bigger project, including work on shows like The Office and Mildred Pierce. Her biggest break, however, came in the form of playing Sophie Novak on ABC’s The Catch. “I was initially drawn to the character because the way she was written as sort of this multi-linguist. I’ve always been fascinated with language and accents”, Elvy says, “I grew up speaking Hungarian and French and studied Japanese. This would have been the first acting job I had where I got to speak another language.” Elvy even credits her knowledge of Japanese as one of the main reasons she landed the role. But there’s a lot more to the character than just language, as the layers of Sophie unfold week to week, viewers begin to see how incredibly dynamic she is. It’s one of the things Elvy considers the most important aspects to the character. “She has a host of all these other fascinating things. She’s a lawyer, a lip reader, a hacker, a jazz singer and sort of a mystery. So it’s been fun to bring different facets of her out and find a bit of myself in her. As well as chase down all the little things that make her who she is and keep her a human being,” Elvy says. As the The Catch transitions away from a case of the week format, there’s more opportunity to allow the

mainstay characters a chance to shine, one of the things Elvy is most excited about going into the second season of the show. “There’s more opportunity to explore the characters of the show that we already know, instead of bringing in a new character every week. It’s less distraction from the main storyline,” she says. What’s in store for her own character this season? “One thing I really love about her — there is a lot of very casual and stylish looking criminal activity that happens on the show, which Sophie mostly observed in the first season, and in the second we get to see her notice that effect a little deeper,” Elvy says, “I think that was really interesting for me to play with and a good thing to represent on TV, that it really isn’t normal.” It’s that distinction between reality and fiction that Elvy thinks is important for the show to define. She hopes to see her character grow some awareness around that issue. “As a lawyer and someone versed in different languages and art forms, I really hope that Sophie and the audience will notice what is happening in the world and take stock of what is affecting people in a negative way. Then try to figure out how to fix that,” she says. It’s not all that far from how Elvy conducts her own life. An active tweeter, she uses her platform as an actress to address issues that are deeply personal to her, and encourages others to do the same. “Aside from the personal issues that affect my quality of life — my body and my choices as a woman, as someone who won’t have health insurance soon. Aside from all of those hopes and fears, I think it’s on all of us, it’s our personal duty to look out for each others health and safety and not keep quiet about all the things happening around us that could hurt us,” she says. Having a voice isn’t something she’s afraid of, she frequently chimes in on everything from women’s rights to equality for all, linking followers to articles and statistics that are aimed at educating and influencing, rather than demeaning and attacking. When she’s not tweeting, she’s channeling her thoughts and feelings

into creative endeavors, including writing music, narratives and of course, acting. And when it comes to her creativity, she finds inspiration in the world of art that buzzes around her. “I try and make it to as many museums and galleries as possible. When I’m in New York or the Bay area I try and see as much theater as possible,” she says, “The only radio station I listen to in Los Angeles is KUSB, it’s a constant source of soul, and satisfying brain food.” But there’s nothing quite as therapeutic as witnessing beauty brought to life by another artist. “Swimming through art in a gallery is always so helpful and inspiring. I just discovered Richard Sandler’s work, a lovely filmmaker friend told me about him and his new book, The Eyes of the City. Last weekend I got to swim through his beautiful and tragic photos, they just have so much humanity in them. That was really inspiring and soul feeding,” she says. With all this inspiration around her, it’s not a surprise that when it comes to her acting career, she wants to do as much as humanly possible. “I just would like to be able to exhaust my every interest and every talent. Play every instrument and sing all different genres, I want to speak every language, I want to speak every accent, act in every time period. I just want as wide a variety of characters as possible. That’s what really matters to me,” she says. She’s already well on her way with a new project in the works, ready to jump from one set to another as soon as Season 2 wraps up. “I’m going to be shooting an indie movie this spring that I’m very excited about. Kenny Riches wrote and directed it, I worked on a short film with him in the past,” she says. And in the future, she has some high hopes for other creative minds she’d like to work with. “I would be over the moon if I got to work with Wes Anderson. He’s so incredible. His vision is so clear and so beautiful,” she says, “I recently watched Moonrise Kingdom. In this volatile time of people fighting and being scared, it felt so helpful to watch a beautiful work of art about the power of love.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

russell dickerson Words by SAMANTHA BAMBINO Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

All of the great country songs tell a story, whether it be of life, loss, or love. Oftentimes, these songs originate from the artist’s own emotions and experiences, and this is certainly the case for “Yours” singer, Russell Dickerson. This country boy’s story began in Union City, Tennessee, where he spent 10 years living the life of a normal kid. Russell’s family then moved to Nashville, a city thriving with the country music scene. Naturally, a spark ignited. “That’s where a lot of the musical influence came from, in the big city,” Russell reflects. Russell started his college days at Middle Tennessee State University, then transitioned to Belmont University, where he began writing songs and tossing around the idea of becoming a professional musician. “That was when it all started clicking in my mind. I could do this for a living,” Russell says. “Being in Nashville, you see all these people doing it, and I’m like, I can do that.” Russell’s ultimate dream was to perform live shows, and he knew the only way to get there was to keep writing songs. For several years, Russell released a few tracks, but they didn’t catch on as quickly as he’d hoped. Things changed with the release of “Yours” in 2015 and its unprecedented popularity with fans. “It was dragging us and we were trying to keep up with it,” Russell says of the song’s immediate take off. “Yours” was heard on all of the major FM country radio stations, as well as XM and Spotify. Shortly after, Russell signed a record deal, which allowed him to reach more fans and finally achieve his dream of selling out live shows. When Russell wrote his first hit, he had a feeling it would be big, but never in his wildest dreams did he realize how many people would truly connect with it. Endless couples have told him stories of how they changed their wedding song at the last minute to “Yours” after hearing it. “When we wrote the song, it wasn’t like, what is a bride? What would they want to hear as their first dance? Or what’s the perfect first dance song? We just wrote an honest love song,” Russell

says. The story behind “Yours” is truly “honest” as he describes. While writing the song, Russell and two friends from Belmont borrowed heavily from his own life and relationship with wife, Kailey. After the initial success of “Yours,” he knew that he needed to record an acoustic, or “wedding edition” of the song, which includes less guitar solos and more piano and cello. “There was such a crazy request for that kind of vibe that I was like, I can’t not do this for the fans that are connecting with this song and changing their wedding songs just because they heard this song,” Russell says. With any successful radio hit comes an intense radio tour to further promote the song. Russell sometimes visited several stations in the same day to make sure “Yours” was heard by as many potential fans as possible. Though the experience was physically exhausting due to the crazy schedule, it was more exciting than anything else. “It’s not hard for me. I feel like I’m a super outgoing person. But I can see how it’s exhausting for people who have to fake being a people person,” Russell says. “You gotta be on 100 all the time. I feel like I’m on 110 most of the time.” While Russell was actively promoting “Yours” on his radio tour, the song was gaining an incredible amount of traction on Spotify, which Russell says led to his ability to sell out venues. “A lot of people have tons of social following but then it doesn’t translate into ticket sales. It’s weird because you have all these people, why are they not coming to your show?” Russell says. The reason is that social media isn’t focused on the music and artist behind it. Once Russell started getting his music out there on platforms like Spotify, things took off and he gained a loyal fan base. The key is to produce quality music, and the social following will naturally come after. Russell’s success as an emerging artist attracted attention from other country stars, and he was invited to open for Thomas Rhett on the Home Team Tour. This opportunity allowed him to get his name out to more people than ever, but there was a challenge.

“We have 22.5 minutes to give this massive audience who Russell Dickerson is in this little time frame,” Russell says. After some trial and error, Russell and his band nailed down their set list to include not just the craziest and most popular songs, but the ones that will give the audience a true understanding of what he’s about. These include the light-hearted “Billions” as well as “Blue Tacoma,” which has potential to be his next single. Thomas Rhett took a chance on Russell, which turned out to be a great one and allowed him to grow as a performer. Country duo Florida Georgia Line also had a hand over the years in forming Russell into a successful artist. Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard met Russell in 2009 when they all attended Belmont University, and before Florida Georgia Line even had a band name yet. Though Brian and Tyler graduated before Russell, all three were in the same spot. “It was a really cool moment in both of our lives to just be broke, and just loving music and just trying to rise up,” Russell reflects. He was able to witness his friends’ rise to fame, and get advice on how to handle the road, be away from his wife, and work with his team. “They really cherish the same things that I do, so it’s been awesome to have that to look up to and to follow,” Russell says. Well on his way to achieving the fame of his mentors, Russell plans on releasing his first full length album in 2017. The album will be a mixture of fun tracks like “Float”, and reflective songs like “20-Something”. There is also “All Fall Down,” which Russell describes as a “sexy jam.” This year will also include another nationwide tour with some of Russell’s good friends, which will kick off in September. There is clearly nowhere but up for Russell Dickerson, who wants to perform more concerts, sell more tickets, and perform in bigger venues with his name at the top someday. “I’d love to be selling 5,000...6,000...10,000...we’ll call it 20,000,” Russell says. “20K by next year.”NKD NKDMAG.COM

DANIELLE CAMPBELL Words & Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Styling by APUJE KALU Hair by BRITTANY GHARRING Make-Up by MEGAN LANOUX Location THE MARMARA PARK AVENUE

Over two years ago, I met a 19-year-old Danielle Campbell on the top of The High Line in New York City to discuss the second season of her show, The Originals. She was living in Atlanta at the time and enjoying the excitement of her first series regular role on television. Three seasons and 65 episodes later, Danielle made her departure from The Originals and moved to Los Angeles fulltime. When I meet at 22-year-old Danielle in New York City in February, she’s digesting New York Fashion Week for all it’s worth – as it’s the first time her schedule has permitted her attendance. Atop The Marmara on Park Avenue, Danielle runs barefoot around the hotel’s rooftop deck in a flowing, white, couture outfit as the sun sets behind her wind-blown hair – not once complaining about the dropping temperature. When we catch up after her return to Los Angeles a few days later, she reflects on the last year with admiration, and excitedly shares her goals for her career as she embarks on hunt for her next job. “It was sad,” Danielle says of her exit 32

from The Originals, “But at the same time it was exciting taking this next step in my career.” Danielle portrayed Davina Claire – a young witch who often found herself making sacrifices for the notorious Mikaelson siblings – the world’s first vampires. Danielle had been with the show since it began, and everyone in the cast and crew had become like family to her, so leaving was difficult – but she thinks Davina’s death was important for both the character and the overall storyline. “I really feel like Davina leaving did justice for the character,” she says,” “It was a strong storyline and I got to grow up with my character.” Since The Originals and its parent show, The Vampire Diaries are notorious for bringing back characters from the dead, Danielle isn’t completely ruling out a grand return for Davina, but has no plans to return to set at the moment. “I love that about the show. The writers do such a great job bringing emotion to the roles without always needing to say goodbye forever,” she says. Over the course of three seasons, viewers watched Davina grow from a

lost, little girl into the most powerful witch in New Orleans – which was exciting for Danielle to play. “Watching Davina be[come] a coven leader was really awesome and empowering,” she says, “Her power had always been so strong, but when she was finally trusted to lead her people, it showed how much she had grown up.” While personality wise, Danielle didn’t feel her and Davina shared many of the same traits, she felt that as the years went by she was able to relate to Davina more on a human level as Davina struggled with heartbreak, the loss of so many loved ones and finding her own voice in the world. Ultimately, it was Davina’s fierce leadership and strong devotion to her loved ones that led to her demise. After putting her life on the line time after time to assist the Mikaelson clan – especially her boyfriend Kol – the original family sacrificed Davina to defeat their enemy. But despite her untimely death, Davina Claire still made an impact on the young girls watching the show because she was strong and fearless, and acted out of love more than

“P owerful

women are strong , confident

and attractive . i think young girls need strong role models to look uP to because it ’ s insPiring , and girls need to believe that they can be Powerful , too .”

hate. “Powerful women are strong, confident and attractive,” Danielle says, “I think young girls need strong role models to look up to because it’s inspiring, and girls need to believe that they can be powerful, too.” Leaving The Originals also meant it was time for Danielle to leave Atlanta. She had moved straight to Georgia from Chicago to film the show when she was 17, and although she had traveled to Los Angeles for work, her visits were always short lived as she had to return to set. “Moving here full-time has been an adjustment,” she says. While she misses her friends and family in both Chicago and Atlanta, she has a solid group of friends in L.A. as well. “It has made the adjustment so much easier for me,” she says, “And I love being out here and inspired for work.” Danielle’s first project post-Originals is a movie titled F*&% The Prom, which she filmed last spring in Los Angeles and is expected to be released sometime this year. Danielle was immediately attracted to the light-hearted, comedic tone of the film’s script.

“It’s very current with social media and topics,” she says. The film follows a group of kids from different cliques are over the high school hierarchy. So, as prom approaches, they plot a way to destroy the annual event in an effort to remind everyone that high school is about the friends you make and the memories you make with them, and now about a popularity contest. Danielle plays Maddy, “one of the popular girls of the school until she reunites with her childhood best friend and decides to help change the social dynamic at school,” Danielle shares. Being in Los Angeles also means being back on the audition circuit for Danielle, which she is very happy about. “I actually love auditioning, which makes the process exciting for me.” She admits. While she’s open to all sorts of opportunities, she’s anxious to play a character that she doesn’t easily relate to in an effort to challenge herself. “A role that I really have to dive into and study,” she specifies. While she truly enjoyed the opportunity to grow with Davina for over three years, she’s excited to get to know a new, different

character – either in film or television. A less demanding filming schedule permits Danielle to explore other opportunities outside of her acting job – like attending New York Fashion Week for the first time. One peak at her Instagram posts during the annual celebration made it clear that Danielle was taking full advantage of her time in Manhattan and thoroughly enjoying herself. “I couldn’t have had a better time at Fashion Week,” she gushes, “I was surrounded by the most incredible and talent people, the most stunning clothes and I was captivated by the city of New York’s energy.” As someone who had dreamed of attending a runway show since she was a little girl, sitting front row at Marc Jacobs’ show was a dream come true for her. “Fashion is continuing to grow as a passion in my life,” she admits, “This year I want to explore that world further and continue to get more involved.” Since leaving Atlanta almost a year ago, Danielle’s personal life was brought front and center when news broke that she was dating One Direction member Louis Tomlinson (the NKDMAG.COM

two have since parted ways) and Danielle became a high target for paparazzi and gossip blogs. “I don’t think anyone chooses to have their personal life on display for the world to see and judge, but at the same time, I won’t stop living my life and going with my heart,” Danielle says. She understands that “everyone deals with judgment and other people voicing their opinions without ever knowing the full and true story”, and that having rumors spread about you isn’t exclusive to the entertainment industry. “People won’t stop spreading things they’ve heard through the grapevine, or creating stories based on a random picture. It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in,” Danielle says, “There will always be people who react even when they don’t know what’s going on.” She credits her incredible support system of amazing friends and family that “bring [her] to tears laughing” for always reminding her who she is and what’s important. While Danielle totes an impressive 2.2 million followers on Instagram at the time of press, she is rather reserved when it comes to posting about her personal life. “I really like keeping my world private,” she admits, “But what I do post is definitely 100% authentic and true to me.” A quick scroll through her Instagram page and you’ll find snapshots of polaroid photos, blog-worthy food photos, multiple appearances by her two pups and lots and lots of photos of her and her girl friends enjoying music festivals, nights out and beach trips. “I like sharing moments when I’m happy with my friends and being goofy,” she says. When she’s working on a project, she’ll also share tons of behind-the-scenes shots – and her Originals co-stars are frequent features on her page. Looking forward at the rest of 2017, Danielle is extremely focused on work and ready to sink her teeth into something new. “I’m excited for this coming year, for new projects,” she says, “I’m really looking forward to diving into new roles.” Her main goal for the year is to challenge herself creatively, so her and her team are being very selective about the roles she goes out for and about choosing the right projects. “2017 here I come!” she says. NKD 38

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echo kellum Words by IAN HAYS Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Echo Kellum is proof that hard work pays off. The actor and comedian is widely recognized for his recurring role as Curtis Holt (Mr. Terrific) on the hit superhero television program, Arrow. Echo adds depth and wit to the series, utilizing his talents that he has honed over the years. And just like any superhero, Echo Kellum has an origin story all his own. He grew up in Chicago – born on the Southside. His family moved from the projects to a little further south. And despite what many may read into, his memories are filled with how much fun he had in his youth. Reminiscing on the shenanigans he and his friends would get up to comes easily to Echo. “It was a different time. We would walk around by ourselves down the block and we were like, 9. And now, with kids who are 9 or 10, there is no way I would like them walk alone 5 blocks down to a friend’s house. It’s so interesting how things have changed,” he says. But for Echo, his childhood was an adventure and just a “blast”. While they were impoverished, that didn’t stop him or his friends. The fun ran the typical gambit of video games, walking to the corner store for food, and playing sports with others in the neighborhood. But, one thing he and his friends also did was create short comedy videos; a premonition that would become a recurring theme throughout Echo’s life. “I think from around 6-years-old

I knew that I wanted to be an actor and do music. I would watch my older siblings do this government funded showcase on the Southside and it emboldened me to want to do that,” Echo says. He started off with church plays (his devout mother brought him to church about five days a week). But his aspirations fully solidified when he started watching In Living Color. “I was absolutely fascinated with Jim Carey. He just blew my mind. The commitment he had to those characters – I was like, I have to do this. I have to be on TV,” Echo recalls. As luck would have it, he had an extremely supportive mother. When he was 13, she signed him up for a troupe called Kids are People, Too. This allowed him to perform live theater in front of thousands of kids throughout Chicago and the Midwest. The cast was diverse – with children from the inner city and suburbs who came together to perform and work together. The cherry on top for Echo was also getting paid. Like any hero origin story, there’s always a surprise around the corner. Jump forward a few years, Echo is in college and still pursuing live theater when his girlfriend breaks the news she is pregnant. “When she told me, I was like, ‘Whelp, time for me to get a job’,” Echo says. Focusing on supporting his family. Echo put acting to the side for a couple of years. He worked his job at Blockbuster and bartended at

night. And as luck would have it, he started making industry connections in Chicago while bartending. He met a talent agent who got him work in commercials. The bug bit him again. He started performing in live theater any chance he got. And the more opportunities he got, the more he realized he needed to go to the epicenter of the acting world – Los Angeles. Work then became not only about supporting his family, but saving up enough and finally moving to LA. “I dealt with depression my first months out in L.A. Being away from my son was very tough. But I knew that doing this would help make his life better,” Echo admits, “I didn’t want him to have to grow up with what I had to deal with. I wanted him to live in a safe place. While I had blast [growing up], it was still a tough area. You look at Chicago now – the statistics of the shootings and murders – and I knew I had to do better for my kid.” But in 2009, Echo was in L.A. He was doing sketch comedy, stand up, and other live performances. Even still, it was a crazy process for him. He was working at a nightclub and the struggle was real. But, again, through making connections at his day job, he picked up a new agent and started booking commercials again. That was the first domino to tip and everything began to fall into place. This led to him getting his role as Tommy on the TV comedy, Ben and Kate. He was a recurring character

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on the show for its year-long run. After that got cancelled, Echo got his next major role as Hunter on Sean Saves the World. Again, this show ran for a year. But, even between major recurring roles, he still booked guest spots on Comedy Bang! Bang!, Hot in Cleveland, Rick and Morty, and You’re the Worst. Then came Arrow – one of the most successful superhero television franchises today. He landed the role of Curtis Holt (Mr. Terrific). Curtis is a tech savant, a member of Arrow’s team, and one of the only openly gay heroes on TV and film in recent memory. And Echo couldn’t be happier with his character. “Curtis is a tech genius. But, I just love how he finds optimism throughout all the darkness,” Echo says, “He’s the type of friend that you know will have your back in any situation.” The success of not only this role but the show as well is just on a whole other level. The fans’ passion knows no bounds. They give everything to knowing and believing in these characters. “It’s such a cool

feeling seeing how passionate and devoted they are to the show. I’ve never experienced that before. And everything from social media, to being recognized on the streets, to hearing from people of the LGBTQ community what the character means to them,” he says. While Echo is focused on his recurring role in Arrow, he also has other projects that are keeping him plenty busy. There’s the film Girlfriend’s Day that was filmed for Netflix; he has recurring voice over roles for some children’s shows; stand up slots every weekend. Then there is also a hip hop album that he is working on. Music has always been something Echo’s enjoyed but hasn’t had the opportunity to really delve into until now. “I’m not trying to out a lot of pressure on this album,” Echo says, “For me, it’s a side project, a passion project that I’m working on as tribute to a brother of mine who is now deceased.” For Echo, this project is strictly about the art. He is not expecting

anything more upon releasing it. It’s not about the accolades, but about creating art and expression through music. It’s a cross between hip hop and electronica and he hopes to have it released by the end of the year. And it’s not about trying to be the next Donald Glover/Childish Gambino. “In this industry nowadays, you got tackle art and present yourself from a lot of different angles and perspectives. As an artist you just have to keep putting out art and keep pushing,” he says. And as for advice for those young people looking to pursue the arts, for Echo, consistency is the key. While there may be bumps and detours, things will line up, one way or another; you just have to stick with your dream and forge ahead. The more experience you gain from the consistent hard work, the more connections you gain, and eventually the chips will fall into place. Just as a hero’s journey is never linear, Echo knows that the power of belief in art and always giving it your all will lead to great things. NKD

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breanna yde Words by DIANA FIGUEROA Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Imagine watching one of your favorite films over and over again, only to be cast as a lead in the made-for-television series reboot of the same name. Once a dream, now a reality for 13-year-old actress, and now singer, Breanna Yde. Breanna’s story begins in a sunny Sydney, Australia, although it doesn’t take place in the Oz for very long. At two years old, Breanna’s family left the sun and the surf and headed over to the United States for a different life. “We moved around a lot of places,” Breanna says, “But we ended up in San Diego. I told my parents I wanted to be an actress. I was 6-years-old at the time.” Between agents and acting school, Breanna found herself moving up and around again, to pursue her Hollywood dreams, until the family moved permanently to Los Angeles in 2010. “It was a huge thing, but it was because of all the auditions and stuff,” she recalls. Ultimately, the big move paid off. A few small film roles and television commercials later, it was after her big L.A. move that Breanna landed a role on the successful, albeit short-lived, Nickelodeon sitcom, The Haunted Hathaways. “I was 9-years-old when I first got the role [of Frankie], so it was a really weird feeling that I was on a TV show on Nickelodeon. I always watched Drake & Josh and Zoey 101 when I was younger, so I was like, ‘woah, I’m now going to be that person’ on that show,” she says. Growing up in the spotlight at such a young age was, and still is, an experience Breanna had to get used to. “I miss school a lot,” she reflects. “At first, I did go to regular school [while acting]. It was really hard because of my schedule, so I think it’s nice having the flexibility of online school now, but I miss hanging out with my friends who aren’t actors.” The Haunted Hathaways ran for two seasons, but unfortunately was not picked up for a third. Despite a minor halt in her career, Breanna continued to pursue auditions and other roles. It was

in between the uncertainty of the future of The Haunted Hathaways that she came across another major opportunity. In 2014, Nickelodeon announced that it would be adapting the popular musical 2003 comedy film School of Rock, into a television show. By 2015, most of the cast had already been selected, but that didn’t deter Breanna from taking initiative and going after what she wanted. “It was one of my favorite movies,” she says. “I really wanted to be one of the singers on the show, so I went to one of the Nickelodeon executives while I was doing press in New York for The Haunted Hathaways. At that point, they had already picked everyone, but I really wanted [a role]. I loved music and it would be the only time I’d ever be able to do it. I wanted them to give me a chance.” Taking bold steps and even bolder chances, after a few more auditions, Breanna landed the role that she wanted: the shy, tomboy, lead singer of the group, Tomika. “She’s kind of the tomboy, the rebellious one. She’s basically me,” she laughs. “We both love music. She was very shy at the beginning; she didn’t want to be the singer. She didn’t want to play a big role in the band, but as time went on, she [actually] did want to sing and do her thing.” The main differences that both the actors and audiences noticed between the film and the television series was that the show instead focused more on the children of the prep school, rather than the goofy, “bummish” character of Dewey Finn, played by Jack Black in the 2003 film. “It was my first time doing a lot of things on this show. It was my first time playing an instrument on a show. My first time showing my musical skills,” Breanna recalls. Nevertheless, the experience has proved to be positive and impactful, not only because the 13-year-old finds herself back in a academic and school setting, one that she misses in her own personal life, but also where she found her love

for playing music. While on the show, Breanna started taking piano lessons, followed by guitar, and of course bass for her role on School of Rock. She now plays five instruments in total, including the ukulele as well. ‘It was a much bigger step for me, but it was so cool seeing me achieve these musical skills on air,” she says when asked about the differences between her role as Tomika versus her role as Frankie Hathaway. “I love music. I’m now writing my own stuff that I’ve been working on for a little while now, but I haven’t really stuck to any genre. I’m always switching!,” she laughs. As of December, School of Rock has been picked up for a third season. In the meantime, though tied between a busy schedule and continuing her education, Breanna says that she will always find time to work on her music and watch “old school cinematic” films that have always piqued her interest. The actress has her own YouTube channel that she occasionally uploads to, and shares another desire of potentially working on her own short film. Though the year has only begun, the actress has plenty more to look forward to within the rest of the year. “One of the highlights of 2016 was that School of Rock aired! And on the day of the Kids Choice Awards! So, that was the biggest thing,” she says looking back of her busy year. As for 2017, the young star has a lot more plans, including staying on pace and finishing middle school, working on her own music and potentially putting out an original single by the end of the year, and of course, what every teenager wants this early in their career: growth. “I want to keep finding out more about me. [I learned] that I just love music and I want to do so much more with it. I’m not a big fan of ‘what do you want to happen [in the future]?’ because I like to live in the moment, but I definitely want to focus more on me, music, and of course, acting!” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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