NKD Mag - Issue #15 (September 2012)

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ALL TIME LOW

FEATURING PARACHUTE BELLA THORNE HONOR SOCIETY KATELYN TARVER

NKD

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N A K E D M A G A Z I N E

PUBLISHERS

Ariella Mastroianni Catherine Powell

EDITOR

Nicola Pring

PHOTOGRAPHY Catherine Powell

WRITERS

Olga Khvan Stacy Magallon Nicole Mazza Christine O’Dea Catherine Powell Nicola Pring Tanya Traner Kiki Van Son

DESIGNERS

Ariella Mastroianni Catherine Powell

ALL TIME LOW

COURTESY OF » All Time Low

Jawbreaking

Austin Gibbs

Katelyn Tarver

Bean

Parachute

Bella Thorne

Paradise Fears

Christian Serratos

Phone Calls Grom Home

Honor Society

The Thirst Project

Big Picture Media Eighty One Twenty Three Management Adam Mehl Much & House PR Much & House PR Kat Gilbride 2

MSO PR

David Blaise

Mercury Records Tiffany Taylor MSO PR

Much & House PR

ALSO FEATURING 4-9

10-11

KATELYN TARVER

12-17

18-19

AUSTIN GIBBS

20-27

40-43

28-29

BELLA THORNE 44-51

JAWBREAKING 52-53

PARACHUTE

54-59

BEAN

THE THIRST PROJECT

HONOR SOCIETY

CHRISTIAN SERRATOS 60-63

PARADISE FEARS

PHONE CALLS FROM HOME NKDMAG.COM

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KATELYN TARVER Words: Stacy Magallon Photos: Catherine Powell

KATELYN TARVER

EIGHT GUYS TO ONE GIRL. For Katelyn Tarver, this male to female ratio on her current tour with The Cab and Parachute is no big deal. Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure she’s always hanging around guys and their guitars, but my slight envy is beside the point. For the past two weeks, Katelyn has been living in a 12 passenger van, hopping from city to city on her month-long tour. Tonight, she finds herself in Asbury Park, N.J., and I watch as she gets the crowd pumped up for a great night.

As Katelyn’s ponytailed, honey-colored hair whips around wildly as she shimmies on the stage of The Stone Pony, I immediately realize that this is not the same girl I saw live at the Gramercy Theater in New York last summer. For one, Katelyn, now 22, is older.

I also take note of her improved stage presence — she’s joking with the crowd about her hidden “hip-hop side” before she covers “So Good” by B.O.B. That’s difference number two. But as I laugh at her dramatic air drumming through one of her songs, I see she’s still as quirky as the time I saw her last.

“Alright, we’re gonna do the interview,” Katelyn announces, settling down in the venue’s green room after her set. I take a better look at what she’s 6

wearing in better lighting — a cream colored floral top and black high-waisted shorts — a perfect combination to compliment the season and her fun personality. “So shut up,” she says, smiling angelically.

Performing has always been Katelyn’s number one passion. The born and raised Georgia girl’s obsession with singing came shortly after she learned how to talk. At 13, Katelyn was on the reality singing competition show, American Juniors, and she began showing off her talent to television viewers nationwide. “I got to sing on stage every week and I fell in love with it,” Katelyn recalls. Performance wasn’t an expected or realistic career for the small town Southern girl, but Katelyn planned on chasing the dream anyway. With the support of her family behind her, she pursued music throughout high school and eventually fell into the hands of an agent.

“I did a lot of performing in high school that no one knows about,” Katelyn says. “I performed at elementary schools, middle schools and a lot of fairs where I sang for no one. Literally no one. I’ve even sung for babies who started crawling on the stage.”

KATEYN TARVER @ THE STONE PONY » ASBURY PARK, NJ » JULY 29, 2012

KATELYN TARVER

SECRET LIFE OF THE AMERICAN TEENAGER

CATCH KATELYN

ABC FAMILY » MONDAYS @ 8 PM

BIG TIME RUSH NICKELODEON » SATURDAYS @ 8PM

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KATELYN TARVER By the time her senior year came around, Katelove. As more acting opportunities came, she lyn’s career was becoming more serious, but there turned them down left and right in order to keep was only one problem: college. “I always told myself, songwriting a priority. “Right now I’m writing an ‘I’m going to college. Duh, of course.’ But by then, I album and if I were going to be on a television show had a manager and things were going pretty well,” that works all the time, I would have no time to Katelyn says. “I couldn’t just stop it all for college, devote to writing a record,” Katelyn says. As an artist, and for some reason, that made sense.” The Universacrifices are inevitable, and this is one of Katelyn’s. sity of Georgia had accepted her, a dorm room had The sadness in her voice is clear, but I think she’s already been assigned and a meal plan was signed happy with her choice. “It was one of those terrible up for, but at the last minute, Katelyn changed her decisions a person has to make. I told myself to folmind. After graduating high school, she moved low my gut, and hopefully it would work itself out,” to Los Angeles where she booked a guest role on Katelyn continues, beginning to smirk. “There’s been Nickelodeon’s live-action comedy show, Big Time a couple sold out shows, but that’s no big deal.”

Rush.

When it comes to writing her music, Katelyn’s When Katelyn ditched the idea of college for initial inquiry to herself is simple: “‘What do I want her career, she clung to to portray?’ When I’m her character, Jo Taylor, writing and trying to get hoping the opportunity my feelings out, that’s the would lead to something question I’m constantly more. For two seasons, she asking myself,” Katelyn played Jo, a love interest explains. Primarily, she of the character of Kendall aims to show off her goofy Knight. When I bring up the personality, all while hoppossibility of her returning ing her listeners will get on to the show, Katelyn grins. their feet and dance along “Maybe,” she says with an to the catchy tunes. More exaggerated wink. “I’ll neiimportantly, her music ther confirm or deny that.” intends to document her Once her participation journey through life while with the family-friendly she figures it out herself. network took off, it only As a fan who has spent opened more acting gigs multiple hours listening »KATELYN TARVER« for Katelyn, including a role to her last EP, A Little More on ABC Family’s popular Free, it seems like she’s teen drama, The Secret Life done a sensational job of of The American Teenager. doing just that. She states With a variety of television her purpose as a musician shows in her acting arsenal, in one sentence: “I’m 22, Katelyn has proven her career as an actress to be trying to make good art, all while trying to stay true pretty versatile. to who I am and what I believe.”

Katelyn makes acting look easy on television, so it As our interview comes to a close, I pat myself on comes as a shock when she tells me that sometimes the back for being right about one thing: this is not she doesn’t know what she’s doing. “Acting brings the same girl I saw on stage last summer, and I’m out another side of my personality that I get to work certain that’s a good thing. For every artist, growth with creatively and learn about. It’s definitely more comes with time, and Katelyn has shown me her of a challenge for me than music. Even now when development over one year in the past 20 minutes.

I’m on set, I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing,” Even with two successful television shows and a Katelyn says, laughing. “It’s just so foreign to me, and couple sold out concerts, she’s managed to stay I’m still kinda floundering.” humble about all that she’s accomplished thus far.

Though she’s grown more comfortable as an This is what Katelyn’s worked for, but like she said actress over time, Katelyn cites music as her first before, it’s really no big deal. NKD

“Acting brings out another side of my personality that I get to work with creatively and learn about.

It’s definitely more of a challenge for me than music. Even now when I’m on set, I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing.”

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WORDS: OLGA KHVAN | PHOTOS: CATHERINE POWELL

AUSTIN GIBBS

A

AUSTIN GIBBS ustin Gibbs wants to leave the world with 40 million records.

That’s 40 million records, not songs. Just to clarify.

“40 million is a lot, but hopefully I’ll get it done,” Austin says. “I have one right now, so I hope I have quite a life to live through.”

That number may be hyperbole, but it’s clear Austin has high hopes for his future in music. At the same time, however, he hesitates to present himself as a professional musician.

We’re standing in the rain outside of the Stanhope House in Stanhope, N.J., where he’s making an appearance with pop/rock band This Century, but unless you were already familiar with him, it would be hard to tell he’s about to play a show. Wearing jeans and a plain white T-shirt and taking a drag of a cigarette, he looks like a regular guy and that’s exactly how he sees himself.

“I don’t want to call [music] a career, but this is all I do. I want to do it for a long time, which I guess you would call a career, but I don’t want to go there, you know? I want to just keep having fun. That’s the truth,” he says. “Just playing some gigs, having some good times, having some laughs. That’s about it.”

Compared to a lot of musicians, Austin discovered his musical talents at a late age. Nobody in his family had played any musical instruments and he wasn’t inspired to pick one up himself until after he attended a Damien Rice show while in college.

“He was just up there with an acoustic guitar and it touched me, it really did,” he says. “I taught myself how to play guitar. I didn’t know how to sing — I still don’t know if I can sing — but I just kind of did it. I was like, ‘Man, I wonder if I could sing a song,’ and I wrote one and my mom liked it and my girlfriend at the time liked it, so I just kept writing songs and now I’m here.”

Currently, Austin is working on writing his second full-length record. He’s taking the same easygoing approach with it as with everything else. “It is what it is. It’s just whatever I’m feeling right now,” he says.

“Sure, [the songs] might sound different [than the last record], but it’s still me. I’m just writing songs from what’s happened in the last couple of months.

I don’t have any songs on the back burner, it’s just however I feel right now. That’s the process.”

Just as he wishes to forego declaring music as his career, Austin also wishes to forego all the formalities professional artists undergo in the period before an album release. If it were up to him, it would be released the second it’s done. “I want to say, ‘Okay, that’s it,’ and put it up that day, but you know, I’ve got a manager who likes to do the three months of promoting and all that, which I do understand.” he says.

One aspect of artist promotion Austin especially understands is connecting with fans via the Internet. “The power of the Internet is that it’s like a community online. It’s as if you were to take online as its own neighborhood with houses and this and that. People have moved into my neighborhood and they like to hang out. We’re all involved,” he says.

Out of all the social media websites, Austin favors Twitter, which he regards as the coffee shop within his online neighborhood, where everyone gets together to talk. “If Twitter was my child, it would hate me. I’ve abused Twitter to its core. Every day I love talking to people on there because it’s so simple. It’s just having a conversation with someone,” he says.

While he enthuses about his online neighborhood, however, Austin also fondly recalls growing up without it. “I really do love and I cherish being born before there was Internet or cell phones or text messaging and seeing the evolution of technology and social media. It’s crazy. I feel like an old man when I don’t understand some of it,” he says.

“There is a definite boundary between face to face and over the Internet. Most people understand that and it’s awesome because when we do meet face to face, we have something to talk about. I don’t like to get very personal [online], but I like to have a conversation and see what’s going on.”

Austin aims to keep the conversation going, both within his online neighborhood and through his songwriting. “I’m not trying to preach or anything.

I will write a song and it can mean something completely different to someone else from what it meant to me and that’s cool,” he says, taking a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaling the smoke. “I just like to tell my stories.”

With his easygoing confidence, Austin will undoubtedly continue to tell his stories. He has to — he does still have 39,999,999 records to fill with them, after all. NKD NKDMAG.COM

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HONOR 12

SOCIETY WORDS: TANYA TRANER » PHOTOS: CATHERINE POWELL NKDMAG.COM

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HONOR SOCIETY

“it’s difficult sometimes to make music that is fun and not also corny, but we’ve always embraced our funky rock nature.” »MICHAELBRUNO«

C

an you imagine devoting 90 percent of your time to something? Honor Society can. Like many musicians, Honor Society devote at least 90 percent of their time to music.

And they want more.

Irving Plaza, where I meet Honor Society before their set on the Summer of Love Tour, isn’t like most venues.

Swanky isn’t the right word, but it’s the first word that comes to mind. You enter into a classy lobby painted red with gold trim and travel up a staircase to the main event room. Polished wood floors and crystal chandeliers make me think more of a ballroom than a concert venue. Just as I consider heading home to put on my heels and corset, the fixed stage ahead brings me back to reality. My formal wear would have been even more out of place after seeing the New York natives dressed in their jeans and tees with a few accents of plaid and denim here and there.

The guys of Honor Society had humble beginnings. Most of them went to high school together and played in different bands. It wasn’t until after college that they formed Honor Society and began 14

to write music together. Bassist Andrew Schmidt says they started off playing venues in New York City to try and gain a local following. They then happened to find a very famous sponsor. In late 2008, the Jonas Brothers discovered them, and soon after they were signed to Hollywood Records.

Since that time the guys say that things have really taken off.

“We’re a band that’s done a lot of things, late night TV, opening for groups playing in arenas,” singer Michael Bruno says.

Outside of the band, they’re typical guys. Video games, sports, skateboarding and reading are all past times they truly enjoy, but they all agree that most of their time is spent on music.

Most recently, they have been working on their new EP slated for release sometime in September, and seem very proud of their work.

“We finally got the formula right,” Michael says.

“It’s difficult sometimes to make music that is fun and not also corny, but we’ve always embraced our funky rock nature.” He also notes that some of the songs are deeper lyrically than songs in the past.

Playing in a band discovered by the Jonas Brothers, you might think they cater their writing to a specific crowd, but the guys say it’s just the opposite.

HONOR SOCIETY “We make music that makes us excited, that turns us on,” Andrew says. “We just want to put out something we are proud of.” And there is no doubt they work really hard to do so.

They spent 10 months writing the songs for their EP and say they had 30 to 50 songs before going into the studio. Andrew says they tried to make a statement with each song, noting that every song reflects something that is going on in their lives.

Being a rather successful band, I ask why they decided to do another EP as opposed to a fulllength. Michael says it’s the current nature of the business that helped them make this decision.

“The music industry a week from now, will be different than it was this week,” he says. Currently, the trend for musicians — even as mainstream as Bruno Mars — is to opt out of a full-length and record an EP. Michael says Honor Society toyed with the concept of releasing a new EP every few months because to remain relevant in the music world, you must be fluid. They seem to be working toward this goal, and they have a new Kickstarter page to raise money to complete their EP. Honor Society are using Kickstarter because they’re now independent of a label. They left Hollywood Records amicably — they say the partnership just wasn’t beneficial for either party any longer. They are positive about this change, however. They say they have their own freedoms and it allows them to really get the music out to the fans. Currently they are giving their single “Serendipity” away to fans via a download card.

There is a bit of a catch, right now you have to go to one of their shows in order to receive this card, something they might not have been able to control as a signed band. Michael says they are open to a label in the future if it is the right fit, but ultimately “it’s all about the music for us,” he says.

For a band whose life is 90 percent music, it’s no surprise their future goals are 100 percent music.

Honor Society would like to headline some of the same arenas they have been lucky enough to open.

They say they would like to get more radio play and do a lot more touring. They specifically want to play Saturday Night Live one day as well.

“It’s close to our hearts being New Yorkers,” Michael says. “It’s one of those cool things you want to do.”

If you have the drive and the heart, you can make it in this business, and Honor Society are fast on the way to their dreams. NKD NKDMAG.COM

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WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START SOMETHING SO SPECIFIC AND SOMETHING SO DIFFERENT FROM ACTING? Seth Maxwell, one of the founders of The Thirst Project, wanted to be an actor. While studying theater in college, he learned about the water crisis in third world countries from his friends and began speaking to other students at his school about the issue. The rest was an accident.

WORDS & PHOTOS CATHERINE POWELL HOW DID THE THIRST PROJECT GET STARTED? The Thirst Project started four years ago, when I was in college. Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to safe water. So, when I was in college I had a friend who was a photojournalist who first exposed me to the water crisis. I started raising awareness on my college campus, my friends got involved and eventually schools began asking us to come bring our friends to go tell their students about what we were doing, so we did, and in about a month, two schools had raised about $12,000 that they gave to us and said “Go build wells.” That was really the inception of The Thirst Project. So now, we travel across the U.S. speaking at high school and colleges to educate these students about the water crisis and then challenge them to fundraise. So we’ve got about 200 campuses across the U.S. with active chapters.

SETH:

WERE YOU NERVOUS ABOUT STARTING A BUSINESS? It was terrifying. I have a degree in theater, I had never studied business, I didn’t study non-profit management, I didn’t study water. So the first thing I did was find people that were experts in business and experts in water and bring them to the table.

SETH:

My friend showed me photos of people drinking water out of mud puddles or ponds. Literally drinking water where cows were defecating in the same water, and then went on to show me the same people who were dying of dysentery just because they drank dirty water. Or cholera, or diarrhea. Diarrhea kills more kids than AIDS, malaria and all world violence combined, including war. So it was the reality that you can’t do education or agriculture without water. It was just such a basic thing that boggled my mind, that everybody couldn’t open a bottle or turn on a tap and have it.

SETH:

HOW HAS BEING AN ACTOR HELP YOU WITH THE THIRST PROJECT? Storytelling is, and always will be, perhaps the most critical thing that we do at Thirst Project. If I can’t tell a compelling story as to what’s happening with the water crisis and why it’s unthinkable that you wouldn’t sit on my board, or that you would let this go on any longer.

I’m not going to get the board members I need to make it happen. I don’t apologize for my degree, I think it’s one of the most important elements that we do at Thirst Project, is telling the story of these billion people without water in a way that’s humanizing, dignifying and also real and compelling.

SETH:

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO TAKE THE THIRST PROJECT TO WHERE IT IS NOW? DID YOU THINK IT WOULD BECOME A LARGE ORGANIZATION? I never set out to start a charity. My friends and I were just like ‘Oh, we’re going visit our school and raise awareness,’ and then when other students asked us to come to their schools, we said OK, and I think the moment of inception really was when people started fundraising and giving us money saying ‘Hey, go build wells.’ And that was really the moment where it was sort of a do or die where we could let it die and just have it be this one time thing, or we could make it something. NKD

SETH:

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BELLA THORNE Words: Stacy Magallon Photos: Catherine Powell

It’s 6:22 a.m.

The sun isn’t even up at this hour — so why am I? After falling asleep on the C train for the second time this morning, I decide caffeine is necessary.

I spot a Starbucks near my destination at the intersection of Spring and Varick Streets — how fortunate. With a cup of coffee in hand, I cross the empty street and nearly drop my drink on the block of the elegant building standing before me.

The first thought that enters my head as I walk through the large, intimidating doors of the Trump SoHo Hotel in New York City is, “I’m too underdressed to be here.” The abstractly shaped coffee tables, soft, cushioned couches and warm, yellow lighting don’t exactly compliment my denim shorts and dirty sneakers. I sink into the nearest mahogany-colored leather chair in sight and begin doodling in my notebook to make myself look busy.

Click, click, click.

I’m distracted from my sketch by the sound of high heels clacking against the marble floor. As a pair of deep orange shoes glide past me, I look up to examine the remaining pieces of this lady’s outfit — a marigold mini-skirt and a sleeveless royal blue top. Her long, fiery red hair is coiled into voluminous curls, and the locks drop down to the middle of her stomach. She looks like a modernday, redheaded Snow White. This poised, runwaymodel of a girl in 4-inch heels can’t possibly be 14-year-old Bella Thorne, can it? But it is.

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BELLA THORNE

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BELLA THORNE

ON HER CAREER Most six-week old babies are learning how to sit up on their own, but at that age, Annabella Thorne was already modeling. Fourteen years later, the young Floridian has grown into a triple threat. The actress, singer and dancer is most well known for her lead role as CeCe Jones on Disney Channel’s teen sitcom, Shake It Up. On the dance-themed show, Bella makes intricate dance moves look effortless, but she tells me she wasn’t a dancer until the show began filming. “I learned how to dance through Shake It Up,” Bella says. “I took three dance classes every night for six months to get where I am.” Even now, Bella and her cast mates spend roughly nine and a half hours every day rehearsing and dancing for the show — but she’s not complaining. Her Shake It Up cast and crew, along with the entire network, are stuck on each other like glue, and in the best way possible.

“Disney is like my family,” Bella says. “They care for me and make sure I’m comfortable with what I’m doing. Some networks don’t do that. That’s where Disney comes into play. If there’s something you want to accomplish, they’ll get you there, and they’ll help you through it.”

On top of all the hours spent on set and in a dance studio, Bella says that she’s also found time to pursue singing, and it’s all because of Disney.

She tells me about the song she recorded prior to her visit to New York City, and the song she plans to 22

BELLA THORNE

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BELLA THORNE record once she gets back to Los Angeles. “One is a holiday song. The other is a re-make of another song which I’ll be singing in a girl version [of ],” Bella says.

“I think they’re going to be really great.”

But her work doesn’t stop at acting, singing or dancing. As a W for “Staples for Students” and a global ambassador for DoSomething.org and Disney’s “Friends for Change,” Bella believes in being involved with charity work above everything else.

She understands that the world could use a little change, and she’s willing to take action. “I want to get more involved than I already am,” Bella says.

“It’s a great thing to do. Even if you’re my age, you can still get started.” Bella’s exposure on the Disney Channel and the power of social media have helped her with her many causes — the young star has over one million followers on Twitter.

JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE At the mention of her following on Twitter, Bella tells me about her latest unexpected encounter on the popular social networking site. “Miley Cyrus tweeted me last night!” she exclaims, jumping in her seat.

“I still freak out over things like this, just like everyone else.” Though numerous fans and media icons have labeled Bella as ‘the next Miley Cyrus,’ she seems very calm about being compared to one of her role models, and she has her family and friends to keep her grounded.

“I’m kind of weird, actually,” Bella says, grinning. “When you really know me, you’ll know that I like to make weird noises in people’s ears while walking down the street.” Even with the spotlight chasing her, Bella is proud of who she is — even if she’s a little left of center. “I’m that crazy girl with bursts of high energy. Miley is the only other star 24

BELLA THORNE

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BELLA THORNE I know of who is like that too. She’s really funky and playful, and I think that may be why people compare me to her. We have a similar weirdness,” she says.

On the coffee table in front of us, I spot Bella’s grande Caramel Frappucino slowly melting. I gesture to her frozen drink and the small puddle of water it’s standing in. “You see, I want to drink it, but that means moving my legs,” Bella says, laughing from her position on a comfortable couch. She pushes herself forward, groaning as she extends an arm to grab onto her Frappucino.

I smile to myself — she really is just like everyone else.

WHAT’S TO COME This triple threat has a lot on her plate. Bella’s love for singing is growing day by day, dancing will never leave her side and acting has always been her forte. Bella may be young, but she’s definitely certain of what she wants — which includes a chance to study at The University of Southern California. “USC has always been a dream of mine,” Bella says. “They have a really great film school.” Bella has high aspirations, but at such a young age, she’s already achieved so much.

It’s now 8:38 a.m. We’re walking back into the hotel from our outdoor photo shoot when a fan outside the Trump’s entrance asks Bella for a photo. She happily wraps her arm around him and smiles for the camera. It’s heartwarming to see that the word “no” isn’t an option when it comes to her fans — even this early in the morning. For me, it’s time to go. Bella pulls me into a warm hug and bids me farewell. The sun has fully risen, and I think I’m fully awake. Maybe it’s the caffeine, or maybe Bella just shook me up. NKD 26

BELLA THORNE

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JAWBREAKINGCLOTHING WORDS & PHOTOS BY CATHERINE POWELL “Sometimes I feel like I’m the Taylor Swift of creating shirts,” Aly Silverio, the founder and designer of Jawbreaking Clothing says, laughing, as we sit at a table in the press area at Van’s Warped Tour in Uniondale, N.Y. Aly may be the hardest working person on Warped Tour. Earlier, while sitting in the Jawbreaking merch tent, set up between designer Samii Ryan and the band Avion Roe, I’m amazed by how well this girl can work a crowd. When there are people standing

at her table ready to order shirts, she’s talking to all of them at once. When there is no one waiting for her attention, she’s saying hello to people passing by and giving them free stickers. What’s most impressive about Jawbreaking are the designs, which Aly creates with her mom in her bedroom in Cary, N.C. As Aly and I take a walk away from the crowded row of tents set up between stages, she tells me what inspired some of her favorite designs.

>>

>> >>

>> NOT ALL WHO WANDER ARE LOST

BAND BOYS EQUAL TROUBLE

LIVE FOREVER YOUNG

ROCK N’ ROLL GYPSY

As last year’s Warped Tour was nearing its end, Aly faced a lot of doubt from the people around her when it came to Jawbreaking.

No one believed she could do it and they told her she was wasting her time. At the end of the tour she decided she was going to wander and didn’t care if she got lost along the way.

At one stop on last year’s Warped Tour, Aly was texting her mom about how she had just met Phone Calls From Home and they were really nice guys. Her mom responded, telling her that “band boys were bad news and trouble.” They then decided that message would make a cool shirt and wished they thought of it sooner. The shirt was designed as soon as Aly got home and was released as part of the fall line.

“I literally don’t want to grow up… ever,” Aly says. As cliché as it sounds, she wants to be forever young. When it came to designing the shirt she chose to put an infinity sign in the middle to represent “forever” and placed the words in a circle so it never ends.

On Warped Tour 2011, the people Aly was riding with ditched her and her friends. Aly, not being a quitter, decided to finish the tour one way or another. They “gypsied” around with a bunch of different bands to get their shirts and themselves to the next few tour stops. The bands they rode with would joke about how “the gypsies were back, all for the love of rock and roll.” The shirt made it into the fall line.

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ALL TIME

E LOW WORDS & PHOTOS BY CATHERINE POWELL

A

ll Time Low are not The Beatles. They are not Michael Jackson, nor are they The Rolling Stones.

But like all those acts, All Time Low are timeless.

I’m sitting across from frontman Alex Gaskarth and guitarist Jack Barakat in a secluded lawn area near the back parking lot of Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. away from the madness that is the Vans’ Warped Tour.

It’s rather chilly considering it’s July, and the trees providing our shade are swaying lightly in the wind. Alex is sporting pink highlights in his dirty-blonde hair, and Jack’s brown hair is accented with blonde for the first time since 2008. I feel 13 again.

I remember picking up the Warped Tour 2006 Tour Compilation at the Borders bookstore at my local mall and being blown away by the number of bands listed on it. I begged my mom to buy it for me and eventually she gave in. Having just gotten into music beyond Top 40 radio, I considered this CD my own little discovery. I uploaded it to my computer and listened to every single song. Some struck a chord, others didn’t, but one that did was the 20th track on the first disc — Coffee Shop Soundtrack, All Time Low’s single at the time.

Over the next year and a half I listened to that song hundreds of times, and I added every All Time Low song I could find to my music library. When I finally saw them live in April of 2008 I was hooked. There was something so captivating about their live performance — the enthusiasm, the jokes, the songs. They were special.

After that show I went home 32

and watched interview after interview, update after update. I couldn’t get enough. They were so charismatic and entertaining, and I couldn’t help but compare every boy in my eighth grade class to them. None measured up. My favorite member constantly changed based on their latest YouTube upload and at one point I’m sure I had all the names of their touring crew memorized.

I was a stereotypical fan girl and I couldn’t care less.

I snap out of my daydream and redirect my attention to the two 24 year olds on the other side of the picnic table. All Time Low, which is comprised of Alex, Jack, Zack Merrick and Rian Dawson, have returned to Warped Tour for the first time since 2009. They’ve also returned to their original record label, Hopeless Records, and the sound that accompanied their Hopeless debut in 2006, Put Up or Shut Up, is inching its way back on their new album, due to be released later this fall.

people who were working with us at the label got resituated.”

This meant that All Time Low were suddenly small fish in a really, really big pond. “We had no one fighting for us,” Alex adds.

“About halfway through the record cycle we asked to be let go and they complied because they didn’t care.” The band stayed quiet about their departure and remained unsigned for quite awhile and made the decision to record a new album.

“We wanted to record it while unsigned,” Alex explains, “so we could be creatively free and…“ “It fucking worked!” Jack interrupts.

Alex smirks at him, “Yeah, it fucking worked.” Unlike their last two albums, which had multiple producers, All Time Low recorded Don’t Panic with only one producer, Mike Green, in California.

The East Coasters relocated for the summer and despite how hard they were working in the studio, they were finally able to relax for the first time in years.

“We had no one fighting for us. About halfway through the record cycle we asked to be let go and they complied because they didn’t care.”

ALEX GASKARTH After the success of the their third studio release with Hopeless, “Nothing Personal,” the band signed a deal with Interscope Records in 2010 and Dirty Work was born. “At the time it was awesome,” Alex says of signing to the major label, “But somewhere along the line a lot of

“We were really happy out there,” Jack says of the band’s time in California. “And clear headed,” Alex adds. According to the guys, the recording process went smoothly and efficiently compared to their experience recording Dirty Work. (Cont’d on page 37)

ALL TIME LOW

ALL TIME LOW @ THE VANS WARPED TOUR » Uniondale, NY » JULY 2012

the best of

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PUT UP OR SHUT UP

SO WRONG, IT’S RIGHT

NOTHING PERSONAL

DIRTY WORK

» LULLABIES «

»STAY AWAKE «

» WEIGHTLESS «

» HEROES«

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RIAN DAWSON

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ALEX GASKARTH

ZACK MERRICK

JACK BARAKAT

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ALL TIME LOW “I’d compare it to ‘So Wrong, It’s Right,’” Jack says confidently of their 2007 release. The statement makes me smile. It’s a bold thing to say, since many fans of the band still consider SWIR their best record to date. With Nothing Personal and Dirty Work it almost seemed like the band lost the rock influence that inspired them to begin with. Their current single off the new album, “The Reckless and the Brave,” has shied away from the electronic beats and general pop feel that accompanied Nothing Personal and Dirty Work; it’s a rock song.

“We’ve always made the records that we want to make,” Jack explains when asked how recording without label support was different, “But this time around we didn’t have anyone whispering in our ears telling us what they liked better.” Though the album doesn’t necessarily have a theme, there are a lot of songs that focus on taking chances, growing up and not walking the beaten path. “It’s something that we’ve been through, but it’s also something a lot of our fans are going through because a lot of them are about to go to college and everything,” Jack says. I smile and laugh to myself — I’m starting college at the end of the summer, an experience the members of All Time Low missed out on.

“We were gearing up to go to college,” Alex explains. “Everyone applied accept for me.” The Towson, Md. natives all had backup plans that they dismissed as soon as they signed their record deal on Valentine’s Day, 2006. The band were lucky — they hopped on tour almost immediately after graduation and began working on their debut full-length for

Hopeless. Though all their friends were headed off to college, Jack says, “it only got weird when they would come home and no one was there.”

After recording, All Time Low had the opportunity to meet with a lot of different record labels for the first time since their senior year of high school, when they originally signed to Hopeless. “At the end of the day it just came down to the fact that the people at Hopeless Records care about our band more than anyone else,” Alex explains with some confidence in his voice.

Prior to this year’s Warped Tour the band spent three summers in a row on the tour starting in 2007. “What’s cool about the Warped Tour is that it hasn’t

Europe for a festival tour with Green Day and Foo Fighters, followed by a U.S. headlining tour with The Summer Set, The Downtown Fiction and Hit The Lights starting in October.

L

ater in the day I watch All Time Low perform on the main stage in the Nassau Coliseum parking lot.

The sun is beginning to set and their crowd is thousands of people deep. Their stage presence and clever banter haven’t changed — they’re still the same goofy guys I was so intrigued by in 2008. They start to play “Jasey Rae” off Put Up or Shut Up and I’m taken back into my daydream.

“WE’VE ALWAYS MADE THE RECORDS THAT WE WANT TO MAKE, BUT THIS TIME AROUND WE DIDN’T HAVE ANYONE WHISPERING IN OUR EARS TELLING US WHAT THEY LIKED BETTER.” JACK BARAKAT changed much,” Alex says, leaning forward against the table. “They found a formula that works and stuck with it.” This year, the band knew exactly what to do to get themselves settled in and enjoy the tour. All Time Low credit a lot of their success to their early years on Warped Tour.

“It’s why I dyed my hair back,” Jack says, referring to his blonde ”skunk hair.” “I had it when we got our start on Warped.” When Warped Tour comes to a close the band will immediately fly to

It’s 2008 and I’m standing on the balcony of Irving Plaza in New York City watching four good looking, talented boys play to a sold out crowd on a rainy, April night. Their energy is translating to the soggy crowd and I don’t think I see one person standing still. I see kid after kid crowd surfing over the mass of people and I feel a sting of jealousy. Having only been to a few concerts before this, I never got the chance to feel that rush.

I dare myself to do it. I make my NKDMAG.COM

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ALL TIME LOW

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ALL TIME LOW way down the stairs and find a strong, tall stranger to lift me up.

As I make my way over the raised hands I can’t stop smiling and I’m screaming the words to “Jasey Rae.” As I make way over the barricade a security guard helps me down. I’m still singing along when Jack high fives me and goes back to playing.

My 14-year-old self just had the coolest moment of her life.

As the song ends, I come back to reality, and I join the loud applause from the crowd. As I look around me I see groups of people smiling and clapping.

Many of them are people I met because of All Time Low. I think about what Jack said earlier about the new record being about growing up and I realize that in a way, I’ve grown up with them.

Since seventh grade I’ve been eagerly buying their new albums on release day, attending their concerts all over the tri-State area, and even though my young-teen obsession has long since passed, if I stumble across a new YouTube update I can’t help but watch it. All Time Low take me back to a time of innocence, curiosity and eagerness that began to disintegrate as I made my way through high school. But even still, six years after I bought that CD, I can always find an All Time Low song that makes sense for what I’m going through.

I wrap up my conversation with Alex and Jack and ask if they have anything else to say. They thank their fans for everything they do for them. As I go to turn off my recorder, Alex stops me. “I also want to add that I wake up in the morning and piss excellence,” he says with a serious face. A few seconds go by and we all crack up.

Yeah, All Time Low will never get old. NKD

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Christian Serratos Words: Nicole Mazza Âť Photos: Catherine Powell 40

CHRISTIAN SERRATOS

Christian Serratos never wanted to be an actress.

“Acting was never really something I grew up saying I had to do,” the 21-year-old explains, sitting in the Hilton Hotel's lobby in New York City, far away from home. The born and raised Los Angeles girl focused on dancing, figure skating and modeling growing up but it didn't take long for her to catch the acting bug. Though she was hesitant when the first opportunity arose, she ended up “falling in love with it,” put everything else aside, and was on her way to stardom. Her very first role, an independent movie, could have been mistaken as a bad omen for her new career path. When a scene called for her character to fight with her obsessive-compulsive mother, things took a dangerous spin. “I went in

to it with a fractured wrist from skating,” Christian explains. “It actually ended up turning in to what was a real fight and so I left with a broken arm rather than a fractured one. That was interesting.”

After a string of guest spots and a role on Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, then 16-year-old Christian got a call that changed her life. While she was in Minden, Nev., taking some time off and toying with the idea of a music career, she was asked to fly home to Los Angeles to audition for the first film in the Twilight series.

“I inevitably went down there and I thought I fucked it up,” Christian says about her audition. “In fact I knew I did and I was like 'Well I came down here for nothing. There goes that.'” But much to her surprise, the call backs continued and before she NKDMAG.COM

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CHRISTIAN SERRATOS knew it, she was flying from Nevada to Oregon to start filming. “It was crazy. It wasn't anything like I ever did but I totally loved the process.”

It's a funny thing, hearing an actress from the Twilight series, one of the biggest blockbusters and franchises across the globe, admitting that acting was not always in the cards. Portraying Bella's human classmate Angela Webber, Christian has experienced more than many actresses ever will as a secondary character in a film that has become a cultural phenomenon all around the world. Nothing could have ever prepared her for what she was about to experience. From the intense security and the challenges of filming in freezing conditions with paparazzi hounding the actors’ every move to the fan craze that has Christian stopping on the street to sign autographs and pose for pictures with crying fans.

“It freaks me out because it happens to a lot of the boys in the cast but for the girls it's an obscure moment,” she says.

“When it does happen it's really endearing. A lot of people are like 'Are you used to it?' and I'm like 'No'. When somebody asks me for an autograph or to take a picture I'm still flattered. I still think it's cool. I like to talk to people. I won't just take it and say peace. I want to say 'Hi how are you?' and talk to people. I think it's fascinating.”

Her next film, due out next year, is a horror movie called 7500. "I remember when I was little I told myself I have to do a horror film because I'm so deathly afraid of anything paranormal so it was good for me to do a horror film because I thought it was going to give me the feeling of zen [knowing] it's all fake,” Christian says. “[Now] I've done one and I know what it's like… didn't at all!” she says, laughing. “I was scared shitless filming. I'm scared 42

watching scary movies now. It almost makes it worse I feel like.” She even goes as far as to admit that she'll change hotel rooms if she gets a bad vibe or feels like it could possibly be haunted. One of her most memorable days on set was a night when the power went off in the studio and throughout the city. “I'm walking around aimless in this dark cement studio trying to find somebody and they're all outside,” she recalls. “I think I'm Dorothy and about to be taken away from Oz or some shit. It was nuts.”

Acting isn't Christian’s only passion, though.

She's a huge fan of fashion and design and is currently working on a jewelry line called “Kisshy!” with her mother who has been making jewelry since she was a little girl.

“It's the one thing other than acting that I'm focused on.

“I would help her do whatever she needed to do,” Christian says.

“I've known how to do this for awhile, I just never knew how to really do it in a way that would benefit other people.” Besides designing her own pieces to wear on red carpets and to events, she looks forward to selling pieces to different stores and making designs for her friends.

“Fashion is a huge thing for me. Everyone is into fashion in some sense or another but it's something I always knew might just be my end all.

Not acting,” she explains.

Her options are open wide for the future that's completely unlimited. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, it might just be her calling. “I don't know which it's going to be but I know I'm probably not going to be 80 and still doing movies," she says. "I feel like designing is something I'd want to do for the rest of my life. There's so many things I want to do, it's not just jewelry. Clothes, bags, anything. It's just [a matter of ] getting there.” NKD

CHRISTIAN SERRATOS

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parachute

Written by Kiki van son Photos by Catherine Powell

PARACHUTE

“A la la la bumba!”

the boys of Parachute sing in harmony as they eagerly await our interview, or, as they call it — the “stripped down” interrogation of their “naked souls.”

“We’re willing to bear all,” bassist Alex Hargrave proclaims. He’s immediately interrupted by lead vocalist Will Anderson. “We hope we can be as vulnerable as you’d like,” Will says. Chemistry is the first thing working for Parachute, and it’s not surprising to learn the band have been together since college.

Parachute found their grounding in Charlottesville, Va. where the group attended the University of Virginia together. The band changed their name from the original “Sparky’s Flaw” upon graduation in 2008 and have been making music and touring since. In 2009 they released their first album, Losing Sleep, a record composed of soft pop-rock melodies.

The album cover portrays a wooden roller coaster in front of a promising blue sky, and like the mounted wooden track —without steep drops or banked turns — their sound does not see much variation.

Their second album, The Way It Was, was released last year, and they’re currently on tour promoting it.

They’re also writing songs for a third album, which they plan to record this fall.

Now all 26 years old, the members of Parachute recall their beginnings in Charlottesville, a place they describe as having a “diverse music scene for a tiny college town.” Their own experiment sprung from an environment of “eclectic, worldly, organictype bands.” “Really good jam bands,” saxophone and keyboardist Kit French adds with emphasis.

Lead guitarist Nate McFarland confesses that comparably, they were doing pop and making commercially liable stuff. He counters this observation with his belief that, “As long as you sound like a band, you can pretty much fit with any other band and you can make it work.” Parachute have toured with artists such as O.A.R., Switchfoot, Matt Nathanson, The Goo Goo Dolls, 3 Doors Down, Secondhand Serenade and Kelly Clarkson. “You can rock harder, you can rock a little less,” Nate says, describing a supposed versatility inherent in any band. “We’ve always loved bands and sounding like one, like real instruments,” he adds.

Each member of the group got involved in music young. Will started on piano before he tapped into singing. Kit, inspired by his brother, chose to learn 46

PARACHUTE

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the horn to fulfill a school requirement in fifth grade.

He’s continued with saxophone in Parachute and also plays keyboard. Alex began with the saxophone but soon “dropped [it] like a bad habit” in favor of the bass. Drummer Johnny Stubblefield’s father, also a drummer, is the reason he fell into himself, and similarly, Nate first picked up his mom’s guitar in the eighth grade.

Parachute, they declare, is the only band they’ve ever been in, and being around each other is what kept them motivated beyond college. “Actually, I take that back. Johnny was in another band,” Will says, accusingly. Johnny reminisces how he hopped from one band to the next playing percussion in 50

high school until this one stuck sophomore year.

“Sophomore year,” he repeats nostalgically, and the others joke that they only came together in spite of Johnny.

While the five agree that finishing college was like “monkey off our backs,” as Kit puts it, they know they would have wanted to receive degrees at some point. But when asked what they actually planned to do with those degrees, they all again agree — “Nothing.” It really all worked out,” Nate says.

Music aside, the guys’ interests still compliment each other. They like outdoor activities, like golfing, mountain biking and climbing, as well as playing video games. Johnny reveals an alternate reality

where he becomes either a professional biker or his own superhero — “like a knight or a modern Robin Hood,” he says.

The guys express gratitude at the support they’ve received from friends, parents and professors, who have been fundamental to their success, though they don’t see the sense in saying they’ve “made it.” Though they’re clearly overjoyed doing what they’ve always wanted to do, and their priorities are seemingly unchanged since they first picked up their instruments, they’ve also faced discouraging moments as a band.

The group laughs collectively at a certain memory, then Will collects himself to explain: “Long

before we were signed, probably fresh in college, a buddy of ours was getting married at the beach and he wanted to jam with us, so we all brought our instruments down and we jammed,” he says. “Later when we were at the wedding party chitchatting, an older couple says to us, ‘Well, you have to move on to other things at some point, I hope you’ve got Plan B worked out.’”

They rejoice in a few memorable milestones, including playing in Times Square in New York on New Year’s Eve in 2008 and opening for Kelly Clarkson at Wembley Stadium, to which Nate happily sums up, “Luckily, we’re at a point where we’re playing for people!” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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V

Bean

Two years ago, 20-year-old Noelle Bean picked up a guitar, learned to play and never looked back. The charming, bubbly Nashville, Tenn. native wrote a few songs, recorded herself singing and playing guitar and posted videos to YouTube. Bean’s sweet voice attracted attention on the site, and she quickly developed a loyal fan base.

This year, the singer released music videos for two of her original songs, and played in the Band Against Bullying show in New York City with Megan & Liz and Hot Chelle Rae. Later this month, she’ll release her first single on iTunes. Bean is taking her chances on music and following her dreams, and she won’t stop until she makes it.

WORDS BY Nicola pring

PHOTOS BY CATHERINE POWELL

BEAN You’ve only been playing guitar for two years. Did you play any other instruments as a child? When did you start singing?

You released videos for your original songs “Cops And Robbers” and “Sunshine” this year. What was your experience shooting those videos?

I played piano when I was a kid for a couple of years then stopped for a while because I started playing sports in middle school. But I always loved piano and music in general. I grew up singing in church since as far back as I can remember and my mom always jokes saying my very first words were “Hallelujah!”

BEAn

BEAN

Have you always wanted to perform? Is there anything else you ever considered doing?

In school I was involved in drama and acting classes, competitive cheerleading and singing in church always so I think it’s safe to say I love being on stage and performing. As far as considering any other careers, I love interior design and DIY projects so any time I get a free minute I’m either working on a new song or moving furniture around.

BEAN

When did you write your first song? What was it called?

BEAN

I wrote my first song the end of my senior year in high school. It’s called “Cinderella Smile.”

The “Cops And Robbers” video shoot was a super fun one actually. I posted on my Facebook saying, “Hey guys, I’m shooting a homemade music video for my single. Be at my house tomorrow at noon! P.S. THERE WILL BE FOOD AND CANDY.” I think what really got all of the people to come out was the food and candy part. I edited the video on my MacBook and threw it up on YouTube to see what would happen. But the shoot was tons of fun.

The “Sunshine” music video was shot in my hometown, Nashville, Tenn. Being able to get a professionally shot music video was the coolest thing ever, I loved it.

You’ve said, “I’m quite strange and I’m okay with it.

Everyone’s a little weird, others are just better at hiding it.” What’s the strangest thing about you?

Truthfully, I’m just a big nerd at heart. When I’m not out doing something music related, I’m such a homebody. I love watching the Discovery and History channel[s]. Shark Week is my thing. I’ve got a pretty quirky personality and lots of laughing in me.

BEAN

What’s coming up next for you? What do you hope to What is your songwriting process like? Where does your accomplish? inspiration come from? have my first single release on iTunes in late BEAN ISeptember.

What I’m working on right now is My songwriting process is quite sporadic. It’s been merch design for tees and totes. My goal for my first self BEAN known to happen that I wake up in the middle of the night and have a lyric idea in my brain, so before I can go back to sleep peacefully I have to get that idea out on paper. I get my inspiration from real life events, whether it be about a breakup, family or just a fun song to make someone’s day a little better if they’re listening. But I always write what’s in my heart.

When did you start posting videos on YouTube? What has response from fans been like?

I posted my first video on YouTube in March of BEAN 2011 and my fans have been nothing short of absolutely incredible. I know every artist says it but it’s because it’s so true, without them I wouldn’t have the opportunities or growth that I’ve had thus far.

Who would you love to collaborate with?

I’ve wished on a countless number of stars to one day [collaborate] with Coldplay. There’s bound to be one star in there that’s in my favor, right?

BEAN

released single is to sell at least 30,000 copies of “Cops And Robbers.” But my biggest goal is to one day win a Grammy.

You recently performed in “Band Against Bullying” in New York City with Hot Chelle Rae and Megan & Liz. What was that experience like? How did you get involved in the show?

Well first off, NYC is one of my favorite places to play. The crowd was so energetic and living that moment like it was their last. Hanging with two of the sweetest girls in the world, Megan & Liz, was a blast too.

They were as sweet as pie as well as the Hot Chelle Rae guys. I was involved in the “Band Against Bullying” show from a connection with Akoo who will be featuring my new music video for “Cops And Robbers” next month. I wish I could go back and re-live that moment again, but hopefully instead we all just get to play another show together in the near future. NKD

BEAN

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Paradise Fears

A DAY IN NEW YORK with

>> Before spending the day with Paradise Fears at Gramercy Theatre in New York City, I had heard two very different things about them: that they took the easy way out and that they were some of the hardest working kids in the music industry right now. After six hours with the guys, I learned the latter is true.

WORDS & PHOTOS BY CATHERINE POWELL

PARADISE FEARS

>> TIME LOG <<

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PARADISE FEARS

>> 4:43 P.M.

>>7:36 P.M.

I walk into the band’s green room and I’m greeted by frontman Sam Miller and guitarist Cole Andre.

Sam is typing away on his MacBook and Cole is texting. “We’re really boring around this time,” Sam says, laughing. I ask him what he’s doing and he smirks and says, “challenging someone.” There’s a label that’s been actively pursuing Paradise Fears for the past five months, but the band isn’t positive they want to sign the deal. The president of the label gave Sam a task: challenge him on everything he’s doing with the label’s current roster. Sam is making a list of questions to ask him before the band takes any steps forward. “We can finance and release a record on our own,” Sam says, “but there are things that we can’t do on our own and we’ve been looking for the right people to help us with those things.”

High on the list for Paradise Fears is radio play, bigger tours and new marketing.

Sam breaks another piece of wood over his head.

>>5:25 P.M. Sam breaks a piece of wood over his head.

>>6:12 P.M. The rest of the band (Michael Walker, keyboard; Marcus Sand, bass; Jordan Merrigan, guitar; and Lucas Zimmerman, drums) arrive at the venue and filter in and out of the green room. They dig into the large bag of candy given to them by fans and hang out backstage, running to catch bits and pieces of The Good Robot’s set upstairs.

>>6:55 P.M. Someone sets off a fire alarm, causing the fire department to show up and the sending the venue staff into a panic. Talk of evacuating the building floats around, but thankfully it’s a false alarm.

>>7:00 P.M. With show time a little over an hour away, the band begin to change into their stage clothes. Sam emerges from the bathroom in gold basketball shorts, a gold t-shirt, gold cardigan and gold glasses.

The room erupts in laughter and everyone takes out their phones to snap photos. Sam goes through two more outfits before settling on light gray pants and a dark gray shirt.

>>7:53 P.M. The band follow the stairs to the stage and begin their pre-show preparations. This includes tuning instruments, warming up voices, smacking each other’s butts, assembling a massage line, stretching and rapping Drake lyrics.

>>8:02 P.M. Michael develops a plan to turn Paradise Fears into a nudist band.

>>8:09 P.M. The band begin their set. Their live show impresses me; it’s much more mature and polished since I last saw them in May. The audience members clearly aren’t strangers to the South Dakota natives — they sing along to every song. The whole room joins in when the band strategically added a snippet of “Call Me Maybe” into their third song. During the band’s last song, “Sanctuary,” Sam jumps off stage onto the barricades to high five the first few rows of kids.

>>8:33 P.M. The band walk offstage smiling and panting after a crazy set. “That was the best set ever,” Jordan says in between breaths as he puts his equipment away.

Michael talks about how hot it was onstage tonight and jokes about how he would have been more comfortable if he wasn’t wearing clothes.

>>9:01 P.M. Sam’s aunt made it out to the show and the two catch up backstage as Ashland High play upstairs.

The rest of the band, excluding Michael, is relaxing or out getting $1 pizza across the street. Michael leaves to hang out with a friend, but makes sure to spend time meeting fans before leaving.

>>9:45 P.M. After meeting fans between Ashland High and Forever The Sickest Kids’ sets, Sam and Cole decide to invest in the $1 pizza and make a beeline through the venue and across the street, where an episode of Law & Order: SVU is being filmed.

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>>10:22 P.M. Sam devours a bag of Extreme Airheads a fan had brought the band earlier in the day.

>>10:37 P.M. The band wait politely for Forever The Sickest Kids to finish their set before heading out into the lobby to meet more fans. They all stay out there until the venue kicks the concertgoers out, and then they follow their fans outside until everyone who wants to meet them has left. I say my goodbyes and hail a taxi.

On my ride back to Port Authority I can’t help but grin at how polite, hard working, sincere and entertaining the members of Paradise Fears are. It didn’t matter to them that it was raining outside — they went and met their fans anyway. It didn’t matter that the show wasn’t sold out — they played their hearts out regardless. Paradise Fears don’t have downtime, they spend it working or talking to fans via Twitter. After following tours around for years selling CDs and spending that money to jump on two highly successful tours, Sam says they’re done with that. They don’t need to follow tours to build a fan base, they’re on those tours themselves now, and not because they bought on, but because they were chosen for them. It may take some time for Paradise Fears to figure it all out, but they’re onto something. As I say goodbye to Lucas he asks if I’ll come see them next time they’re in town and I tell him I will. As I turn to leave I notice the huge clumps of people surrounding each member of the band.

I smile knowing that each one of these people will come back for them too. NKD

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PHONE

CALLSHOME FROM

After touring, recording and learning as a band for the past few years, Phone Calls From Home feel their focus lies in helping their young fans through their music.

WORDS: CHRISTINE Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;DEA >> PHOTOS: CATHERINE POWELL

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PHONE CALLS FROM HOME

“Sometimes we have ‘Ugly Duckling Syndrome,’” frontman Dave Place says. We sit at a picnic table just outside of the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y., a stop on the Vans Warped Tour. “That’s where we see a big band that we love and we say to ourselves, ‘Man, I wish we could be like that for someone someday.’ But lately, all of the fans have been saying that we are that band for them.”

For Dave, guitarists Jason Vieira and Zack Gowan and drummer Danny Stockman, this success seems to be just beginning. The last four years of their lives have been dedicated to music and touring, and the last two summers to Warped Tour. This time around, Warped Tour is not new territory and the band have no reason to feel intimidated.

“It’s great because we feel so much more organized this year,” Danny says. “This year we feel a lot more confident in ourselves and what we’re doing and where we need to be.”

This newfound confidence can be seen and heard in PCFH’s latest projects. In March, they released an acoustic EP as well as a cover song EP, both in addition to their latest full length, “Live.

Love.,” which was released last year.

“We really like Live. Love. a lot, and we didn’t want that to stop,” Dave says. “We didn’t want to replace it so instead of releasing a new full-length with original songs and pushing it so hard, we wanted to release these EPs to keep the fans interested while still pushing Live. Love. to people who never heard it. Those two EPs are doing just what we want them to do, which is just to be there [and have] extra songs for people to listen to.”

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“It’s like Coca-Cola putting out a new flavor,” Jason says, laughing. “They never get rid of the original Coke but they put Cherry out. We weren’t ready to replace Live. Love. But we wanted to release new music.”

After Warped Tour, the guys will be working on what may just be the next original Coca-Cola flavor. For six months, they plan on writing new music and perhaps making a new EP. “With this project, we want to hand make it and mold it into something not only meaningful but something people want to listen to,” Dave says.

The guys hope their next album will combine aspects of Live. Love. and their 2009 full-length, Connected.

“Connected was a very catchy album and Live.

Love. is a very personal and meaningful one,” Dave says. “We enjoy them both. We can’t play a show without songs from Connected, while Live.

Love. really defines us now more than ever. So I think we want to write a few songs that have both elements from those two records.”

Since the beginning, PCFH have remained focused on their goal of providing a positive message for fans who need it. With music, they find purpose in helping people and they want to do it in any way or scale they can. Dave explains that when they first started, positivity was one of the main messages they wanted to express in their music, but they didn’t want to be pigeonholed and labeled as “Disney.” The band also chose not to become a Christian group, even though they are all devout Christians.

“We are Christians, but for us it’s alienating to people sometimes when we go up and play music and then speak about religion,” Dave says. “We strongly believe in it, but we try to use our discretion and be careful about it. It seems that as soon as you hear that a band is Christian, you assume the message is so purposeful or religious.”

After spending time thinking about the band’s goals and messages, the guys came to a conclusion.

“Finally, we figured out that we can just define ourselves,” Dave says. “We don’t have to put ourselves in the boxes that we imagine. We’re just trying to create our own box. We just want to be a band that provides hope for people that need it most. Maybe I’m wrong, but we seem to be the band that isn’t for the mass majority who are already feeling OK. Some of our songs

PHONE CALLS FROM HOME

PHONE CALL’S PICK-ME-UPS » Jason & Dave « “We love to watch a good comedy with friends to get us laughing. If it’s a serious situation, we love talking out issues with friends and trying to be as productive as possible to get through it.” » DANNY « “Driving around and listening to music always makes me feel better.” » ZACK « “Daniel Jacob Stockman’s beautiful smile and charming southern accent.”

are for dancing around and feeling good but we wrote them for people that are hurting and need someone to be there.”

“The message [of our music] kind of stems from the fact that we’ll never really be amazing musicians,” Dave continues. “We don’t talk about it too often, but I think all four of us have this feeling of inadequacy in the fact that the bands we love have talent that we might never have, but we want to provide something bigger than all of that. Bigger than trying to be perfect, bigger than trying to be what our idols were to us.”

In a way, PCFH get inspiration from themselves in order to provide what many people need — hope. Their deepest hopes are to help and be the light at the end of someone’s tunnel. They know what it’s like to look up to people, and to grow up and feel as though they aren’t good enough. Their

bottom line for fans is that they are good enough, which is a lesson the guys have learned firsthand through their journey as a band.

“For all those reasons, our message not only helps others but helps us to qualify and keep going until we don’t know what to do anymore,” Dave says. “It’s a message that says ‘If you quit your band someday, what else can you do? You’re helping people.’ That’s the point, music is music.

People can play it but we are helping people.”

The members of PCFH have found weaknesses in themselves, but continue to do what they love — a message they want people to go home with at the end of each show.

I ask the band what they would be or what they would do if they weren’t PCFH. “We’d be lost for a little while,” Dave says, “until we find ourselves somewhere else.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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