POPTIZED ISSUE 05
FA L L 2 019
WITH
KERO KERO BONITO
PRINT’S NOT DEAD. Buy our issues now at $15. For more information, head on to www.poptized.com/issues.
contents features kelsey karter 12-17 jenna andrews 24-27 the greeting committee
30-37
kero kero bonito
46-50
articles poptized fall songs
8-9
misterwives
10
in real life
11
without fear 18-19 love it if we made it
20-23
women’s experience
29-30
youtube remixes
40-41
the center won’t hold
42-44
photos dayglow 31 the mowglis 45
EDITOR'S LETTER Hi everyone, I’ll be incredibly honest - I hadn’t expected to see this issue come out at all, given the circumstances of our rollout among other things like life, university, other commitments, so on and so forth. I wasn’t even expecting to see myself designing this issue, after having lost passion for graphic desigm for a bit as I traversed my way through first semester freshman year. However, there is always this motivating feeling that compells me to come back to Poptized. Every. Damn. Time. Whether or not it’s the heads on the team that constantly tells me and everyone else not to give up, or the gnawing feeling inside my head craving for a passion to come back to after so long, you name it. And the funny thing is, every time I finish an issue, I feel this amazing sense of pride and accomplishment. The same way I feel now with this issue. Enjoy this one. We’ve put our heart and souls into all the pages in here. We’re learning and growing each step of the way, and we’d love for you to join us on our journey towards better things and greater opportunities. Yours,
Kariann
Twitter: smoothbartowski Instagram: karianntan
TEAM Editor-in-chief Kariann Tan Marketing Director Sara Salamat Creative Director Emma Sophia Valles Web & Content Editor Jack Bentley Social Media Manager Kelly Aloia Music Curator Wen Ip Writers Amy Paine Elena Naze Rebecca Mae Delaney Howard Grace Fiori Photographers Abby Stanford Carrine Hen Cover Photo Tracy Ng
FOLLOW US Twitter: poptized Instagram: poptizedmag
POPTIZED
Fall P laylist Words by Elena Naze Fall has always been my favorite season. It’s cool, but not too chilly—the perfect temperature to cozy up with a hot beverage, go apple picking, or take a hike. If you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack for your fall season, look no further than our perfectly crafted playlist.
Fireproof One Direction
September Earth, Wind and Fire
Fireflies Ron Pope
Echo Jason Walker
Babe, Can I Call? The Hunna
Peach Kevin Abstract
Run Away Ben Platt
Vienna Billy Joel A classic song that’s perfect to follow “Run Away” by Ben Platt on your relaxing fall day. Easy and smooth vocals with a relaxing piano laid over it are exactly how to set the mood for your relaxing fall day.
Say You Won't Let Go James Arthur A guitar-heavy song, “Say You Won’t Let Go” is more poppy than the rest of the playlist, but sometimes you just need some good fall vibes on the radio, and James Arthur has you covered. When I listen to this, I imagine him playing guitar outside while colorful leaves swirl around him.
Check out the rest of our fall playlist below: Baby You're A Haunted House Gerard Way Halloween is my favorite holiday and one of fall’s best attributes. Gerard Way creates a really cute song using a haunted house as a metaphor. It’s happy with a semi-dark twist, just like Halloween. A perfect upbeat song to play both when decorating for a party and the party itself.
page 9 | poptized
MISTERWIVES
AND THE POWER OF EMOTIONAL HONESTY Words by Amy Paine On July 30, MisterWives, an indie-pop six-piece based in New York City, released their first single in two years. “whywhywhy”, penned by singer Mandy Lee, is a dreamy post-breakup anthem that encourages taking ownership of and processing all the emotions associated with the end of a relationship, from regret to sadness to anger. The opening lyrics use imagery to express her feelings: “I turn up my speakers / So I can drown my thoughts just a little bit quicker / Dancing barefoot in the dead of winter / So I can numb this heart that’s full of splinters”. More recently, MisterWives released a second single, “the end”. This optimistic track seems to continue the narrative of “whywhywhy,” moving from the bitter initial reaction to a hopeful view of the future. Like its predecessor, “the end” views emotional expression as a necessary source of strength. From the very beginning of the song, the lyrics “Lot of road up ahead / Not covering my eyes / Lot of space in my bed / I’m gonna look this time”, discuss learning
page 10 | poptized
to face emotions rather than suppressing them. The hazy, shimmering visualizer video that accompanies the track marks a shift from the bright neon colors of the band’s last album, Connect The Dots, to a more minimalist aesthetic. This change has also been reflected in the musical composition; the new tracks feel much rawer than the poppy singles of the past. One of the key features of MisterWives’ new era is the encouragement of emotion as a healing power. Since the release of their first album in 2015, Lee and her bandmates have honestly expressed their feelings through music, with themes ranging from commitment, love, and sadness to fear and female empowerment. As the ongoing conversation about mental health progresses, more and more people are advocating for speaking out and being transparent about the complicated emotions that we experience. MisterWives’ latest era encourages listeners to feel everything, to process their emotions instead of suppressing them, and to stay optimistic rather than positive.
IN REAL LIFE. By Brittany Williams She o is the debut album from L.A. Pop band In Real Life, out now on Hollywood Records. The eleven-track set is promising, if a bit too stylistic at times. Replete with songs that range from radio-ready cuts and faded R&B leaning songs, to Latin tinged tracks perfect for the dancefloor. She Do playfully blends the band members’ unique personalities by way of vocal stylings and harmonies, rapping, and the use of Spanish. In Real Life also try to steer away from typical boy band proclivities, as several members have co-writing credits on songs throughout the record. Tracks like “Hurt for Long” are super catchy with its unique loop samples playing throughout 80s-R&Bmeets-trap beats. “Got Me Good” keeps the party going with its 70s-like disco sound and deep underlying bass. The mid-tempo acoustic “Don’t Go” features Sergio singing in Spanish and a rap feature from Conor. “How Badly” follows a similar recipe as its predecessor, only with a slightly less satisfactory result. The latter half of the album, despite having an overall slick production value and the bands’ glossy vocals consistently staying on point, fails to connect. In particular, “Loveless” and “Tattoo (How About You)” they feel a bit forced. The album closes with their debut single “Eyes Closed” which is the most teen bubblegum-pop single. It’s enjoyable and not too saccharine sweet, the perfect song and fitting end for fans who have been there since the beginning. Stream She Do on Spotify and Apple Music now.
page 12 | poptized
Photography by Emma Sophia Valles Words by Sara Salamat 28-year-old New Zealand native Kelsy Karter recently inked a deal with BMG US and is set to release her album in 2020. Her smile and persona lit up the room and made the conversation fly by in a blink. Dressed in black from head-to-toe with a leather jacket to top it off, Sara spoke to Kelsy to talk about her future in music, her roots, and the genius behind her song and tattoo for “Harry”.
KEEPING UP WITH KELSY KARTER KELSY KARTER KELSY KARTER KELSY KARTER KELSY KARTER KELSY KARTER KELSY KARTER
ME
CATCH
IF
So you recently signed with BMG, and I saw you released your last song "Blast Off" like three days ago. Was that planned to be some type of send-off before signing? Kelsy: Um, yeah, so it’s weird. Cause like, my song “Liquor Store on Mars” was my baby and we released that month or two ago. And then, you know, we were in the process of negotiating and signing with BMG; and I had this song that was giving my fans a story behind everything because I think that that connects them to the music. So I had this song [Blast Off], and we didn’t want to put it on the album because I didn’t think it fit the album, so it’s just its own little thing. And the reason I wrote that song was that I was going through a pretty horrible experience with another label and I felt like I was taking a step back and it was just a horrible experience, really soul-crushing. And so we wrote “Blast Off” just as a fun song one day to be like f-ck this. I’m going to take control again, you know? My fans have been the only reason for my success this far and like working hard. So I wanted to kind of dedicate something to them that was one last independent song that represents the shit we’ve been through, before we do the album with the label and stuff.
YOU CAN
So it was for sure not gonna be on the album? Kelsy: Yeah we just made it kind of like a self-release. No money behind it, no label, no PR, no anything. I was just like, let’s just choose a day and put it out. We shot the video in New York for like 300 bucks within a couple of nights. And I thought it was a cool close to being an independent artist. The song was like over quick by the time I was into the song, it was over! Not in a bad way, but I was like wait...what? It's over? Kelsy: Replay value baby! Do you have a vision or aesthetic in mind for the album yet? Kelsy: I want to continue this character and color for me. I really just started embracing [myself] and putting myself out there and I want fans to feel like they can do that as well. I’m an actor first, and I love theater and theatrical stuff. This album, it’s evolved a lot since I first started it. The name of it has changed and the vibe is definitely evolved, but it’s kind of a continuation of what I’ve been doing. Like, I want to make a jazz record one day, but I’m still a baby artist in the sense of like, my profile and how big I am. So, my success isn’t big enough for me yet to like reinvent...I don’t think. And this is definitely 100% me, so I’m just gonna roll with that. My roommates were asking who like who you were like before I came out here to talk to and I showed a picture and we all literally thought you looked a little bit like Amy Winehouse. So when you said jazz I was like "Oh, okay!" You got the looks and voice to pull it off! Kelsy: Yeah! Well, I grew up on soul and jazz. That’s how I learned how to sing. I can’t wait to explore or all that in the years to come, but right now it’s rock n’ roll baby!
page 15 | poptized
I'm glad you mentioned rock n' roll because I wanted to say like, cause I recognized you from the song "Harry" and first of all, that was genius. Did you expect it to blow up the way that it did? Kelsy: Dude, it’s funny, the whole team was in this room, and I’m a Harry [Styles] stan for sure, I’ve got no shame. I’m sorry. Any musician that tells you they’re not a super fan of someone is too cool and they’re lying—I’m just super candid about it. I started to put my love for Harry out there. I’m not big on Instagram—like fans [fan accounts], will look at me and they think, “Oh, who is this person that loves Harry? She looks big or whatever”. It attracted the attention of his fans, which then dominoed into more and more and more. But when I was writing that song, Harry was my lock screen and my mate was like let’s just write a song about him. So I didn’t plan to make this big PR stunt and stuff! We just wrote this cool song, and then because we saw how fans were reacting to my candidness, we were like, we need to like do something around this song to make it blow up basically. My team called a meeting and they were like, “This idea’s pretty outlandish and if you don’t like it, then we have to think of something equally as outlandish.” And I was like, “Alright, hit me!” They told me about the face tattoo and I was like, pretty sure it wouldn’t work, but I agreed do it. I’m super game to do anything that doesn’t objectify me or anything that’s not tacky or vulgar or against my core values as a person. That was like right up my alley cause I was always a prankster and rebellious person. So it was kind of like a perfect pairing and it was a good, jarring experience. Dude, that tattoo was so wild because like, in the back of my mind I was like, "This can't be real.... this just can't be real." Kelsy: I had like, best mates hit me up and be like, are you okay? So! You just wrapped tours in the UK in the US with The Struts - amazing band by the way. But how was it to go on a world tour?
UK was amazing. What’s cool about the UK is that it’s really close together. It’s small, so touring in over there is so easy, you just like, drive two hours and you’re at the next place. Here, it’s a little bit more tiring—but I love it. My band and I are best mates and I love, I love being on the road with the boys. I cannot wait for next year to just continue doing it. Do you have stuff planned for next year? Kelsy: Oh yeah, it is every single day. I tell my team, so do we know yet? Do we know yet? What’s the move? So I mean, being on stage was my destiny, even though I didn’t think I was going to be a singer when I was a kid, I wanted to act and direct. I was always on stage. Being on stage is going back to my roots. It’s what I do best. Going back to music and aesthetics, how do your visuals play into your musical style? Kelsy: I’m a theater kid, so I grew up as a very visual person, even though I’m a musician now. Even when I’m making a song, as I’m making the song, I’m imagining what visual would go with it. I love that part of it, directing all my own stuff and everything. I like telling stories and there are certain directors that I really admire that I get inspiration from. I’m also super into fashion and stuff. I dress the boys, my band, I do all that. They’ll [my band] show up to set or show and like, my drummer—he’s got hair like you, he’s amazing. And he’ll just show up to set and be like “Clothe me! What am I wearing?” Oh my gosh! In "Harry", you all wore color-coordinated outfits, that was you? Kelsy: I’m a little bit psycho when it comes to the details and stuff, sometimes when I’m on set, I forget that I actually have to be in the video you know. Like my makeup artist will be like, “Kelsy, we need to get you ready.” And I’m like...oh, that’s right, I’m in this video. But I love doing the visuals. I want this album to look like it’s like high fashion with a punk rock twist. Stream Kelsy's latest single "Blast Off" now.
Kelsy: That was amazing. I mean, I, touring is like, my favorite thing in the whole world. I love it more than... almost as much as I love food or my boyfriend. The
page 17 | poptized
WITHOUT FEAR. By Rebecca Mae Dermot Kennedy is nothing short of a legend. This Irish powerhouse just dropped his debut album on October 4th, and it has been declared the fastest-selling album of 2019 in his native country. Not only that, but Kennedy became the first Irish artist to get a number one album in the U.K. in almost 20 years. Needless to say, Dermot is a force to be reckoned with. One of my first pieces for Poptized was an artist recommendation for Dermot, which can be found on our website. He’s one of my favorite artists of all time, and I am stoked to be finally writing an album review of his 2019 release, Without Fear. Let’s dive in, track-by-track. An Evening I Will Not Forget Dermot has said that “An Evening” is his favorite track he has ever written. this track has been out for a while, appearing on some of his very first EPs. The album version, however, is a reimagined version, adding to its pre-existing majesty. Dermot has been playing this version on tour for a few months, but the studio version is absolutely what we needed. The track begins very simply and softly, beginning with a piano and his voice. As Dermot’s voice builds in volume and texture, the instrumentation begins to introduce a more intense composition that climaxes into the title line. Dermot’s stellar lyricism is on full display throughout the stellar composition. All My Friends Another remade track from the Dermot Kennedy archives, “All My Friends” has to be one of my favorite songs of his. A new drum line enhances the first verse but is soft enough to give the vocals room to breathe. The production throughout the entire song is so impressive, but specifically, in the chorus, there is a definite hip-hop influence. Dermot has stated previously that hip-hop and rap influence his music and it is obvious throughout this entire album. Dermot uses these influences enough to show that he is inspired but not imitating those genres and their respective artists. The biggest difference between this version and the older one is the way Dermot sang. He belts the lyrics in the second verse, giving them that much more power. His pronunciation, specifically in the chorus, is much different but fits nicely into the new production and overall vibe of the song. Power Over Me “Power Over Me” has been out for a while, as it was the first single to be released from the album. It has quickly become a fan favorite because of its lighthearted chord progression and upbeat lyrics. Dermot has a gift to turn commonly negative words or phrases and turn it into something positive, shown here with the line “You’ve got that power over me”, as well as in the next track “What Have I Done”.
What Have I Done This track showcases Dermot’s vocal abilities and songwriting. A simple piano ballad, “What Have I Done” takes the often negative connotation of that phrase and transforms it into something beautiful. He is reflecting on being in a relationship that has taken him by storm. This moment of reflection differs from the other love tracks on the album and provides a different angle: an introspective look into how his relationship is affecting him and his environment. Dermot’s perspective on love is effortlessly refreshing. Moments Passed “Moments Passed” is another beloved song from past EP releases, however, unlike other older songs on the album, this version is not different from previous versions. The enchanting lyrics delivered by Kennedy’s powerful yet seemingly melancholy voice makes this song one to remember. The Corner Dermot has been performing this for a few months during his live sets, but the studio version is more than I could have ever expected. Dermot’s voice has a soft edge to it, layered with beautiful and subtle harmonies that nearly take the attention away from his lyricism during lines like “You know me so you know I’m feeling lonely / I’m lonely right down in my heart”. The bridge is my favorite lyric from this song. The weight of the lyrics is gracefully contrasted with the light chords enveloping his voice, which keeps it lighthearted but engaging. Lost “But if only you could see yourself in my eyes / You’d see you shine, you shine”. “Lost” is the pick-me-up song this album needs. Dermot has said that he wanted this song to be a comfort to anyone that needed it, and damn has it served that purpose. The music video provides some stunning visuals alongside this stunning song. This song makes me feel something; some mix of power, comfort, hope, and love. and of course, Dermot’s voice is otherworldly on this song too. Rome This track became a quick favorite of mine. I went into this song completely blind and was stunned at the richness and emotion of this song. This one feels so vulnerable; you can tell he is singing to someone specific. It seems as though this is a letter or text he never sent, and put it to music instead. Dermot truly pours his emotion into this one; “Rome” is definitely extremely personal. This song is a special one, folks. Outnumbered
“Outnumbered” goes hand-in-hand with “Lost”, another comforting song. This one feels even more powerful, with some bombshell lyrics: “I’m in love with how your soul is a mix of chaos and art / And how you never try to keep them apart”. This track exhibits more of Kennedy’s hip-hop influence, making it another lighthearted, optimistic track. It’s fun to sing and dance along to, and I can guarantee it will make you feel better. Dancing Under Red Skies We don’t deserve this song, period. It is perfect and stunning. the lyrics, the musicianship, the emotion...it is all too good. The vocals not only balance out the instrumentation but complement it so well. The lyrics are stellar, and he knows exactly how to utilize dynamics to evoke emotion through lyricism. I think that that is one of his greatest talents. “Let me tell you, no one ever got my soul right like she could”. Are you kidding?! Outgrown “Outgrown” has really grown on me after listening to it repeatedly. It is an easy listen, but the lyrics (once again) paint a perfect story about growing up. “I know every road I run down has a sundown / that’s the way it is”. Dermot has a certain way of choosing words that make the listener feel what he is trying to say, without formulating an impossible to interpret metaphor. This song is simpler in regards to production and vocals, but the lyricism is still definitely gorgeous. “Outgrown” is the go-to feel-good listen. Redemption Continuing the free and easy vibes of “Outgrown”, “Redemption” is another upbeat, hopeful track. the production is a bit more elaborate on this one, with some echoing and extra sound effects. Dermot is once again speaking to comfort someone, but he also is encouraging them to open up to fulfill their potential. “Redemption” is another easy listen, and definitely has a catchier side, but is still Dermot Kennedy at its core. Honestly, Dermot is basically your own personal cheerleader through this album. Without Fear “Without Fear” is another fan favorite, because it is the love story we all want. Dermot’s imagery gives me goosebumps, especially when combined with the deep harmonies and string instrumentation. It is a very sweet song but definitely grows into its own power by the end of the track. As we’ve seen before, Dermot employs texture and vocal dynamics to enhance the overall effect of the song. “I really think you’re heaven sent / Cause you’ve been forcing these hollow hearts to feel again”. Oh, and as expected, the lyrics are killer.
page 19 | poptized
We’re f-cking in a car, shooting heroin Saying controversial things just for the hell of it Selling melanin and then suffocate the black men Start with misdemeanors and we’ll make a business out of them And we can find out the information Access all the applications that are hardening positions based on miscommunication Oh, f-ck your feelings Truth is only hearsay We’re just left to decay Modernity has failed us And I’d love it if we made it Yes, I’d love it if we made it Yes, I’d love it if we made it Yes, I’d love it if we made it And poison me daddy I’ve got the Jones right through my bones Write it on a piece of stone A beach of drowning three-year-olds Rest in peace Lil Peep The poetry is in the streets Jesus save us Modernity has failed us And I’d love it if we made it Yes, I’d love it if we made it Yes, I’d love it if we made it Yes, I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it I’d love it if we made it Tell me something I didn’t know Consultation Degradation Fossil fuelling Masturbation Immigration Liberal kitsch Kneeling on a pitch “I moved on her like a b-tch” Excited to be indicted Unrequited house with seven pools “Thank you Kanye, very cool” The war has been incited and guess what? You’re all invited And you’re famous Modernity has failed us And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it Tell me something I didn’t know And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it And I’d love it if we made it
LOVE IT IF WE MADE IT: AN ANALYSIS By Rebecca Mae The 1975 are no strangers to using their platform for societal change. “Love It If We Made It” was released as the first single off of their 2018 album, A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. Matty spoke out about the song, clarifying that he wanted the song to be as “objective and as fair as possible”. The band spent a year collecting and reading newspapers, magazines, and tabloids to ensure that they had their hands on society’s pulse. I’m diving in line-by-line to unpack this track; although it is almost a year old, the issues discussed in this song are still as relevant as ever. Let’s get started.
"We're f-cking in a car, shooting heroin / Saying contoversial things just for the hell of it" Matty begins the song by shouting an attention-grabbing line, intentionally placed at the very beginning. This line introduces the first issue in a litany of modern failures: the opioid crisis. The epidemic is a personal issue for Matty, as he has dealt with drug addiction and abuse in recent years. "Selling melanin and then suffocate the black men / Start with misdemeanors and we'll make a business out of them" Here Matty touches on a few things. First, he criticizes the fetishization of black people in America, despite the still rampant systemic racism present. While black culture is appropriated and consumed by massive swaths of society, black people have found themselves systematically (and in the case of Eric Garner and others, literally) suffocated. By criminalizing typically black activities, the government uses imprisoned black people as vehicles for production, in order to sustain the system that in turn, preys on more black Americans. "And we can find out the information / Access all the applications that are hardening positions based on miscommunication" The availability of information on the Internet in developed countries is a crucial resource when utilized in good faith. However, the Internet’s ubiquity has made it an easy target for those who want to push personal agendas using disinformation.
"Oh f-ck your feelings / Truth is only hearsay" This line directly references a Trump campaign shirt that read “Trump 2016: F-ck Your Feelings”. The next half elaborates on how fact based disinformation posing as a genuine appeal to evidence and logic (and a slight to emotion) can be manipulated to fit an agenda, in this case a political one. "We're just left to decay / Modernity has failed us" This line is almost a cry of desperation, as if there is almost no hope for the future. Academics use the term modernity to refer to society’s evolution from the Age of Enlightenment to the twentieth century. The term postmodernity refers to the current era that has followed. “Modernity has failed us” was one of the first lines teased in the album’s promotion, and the band used it to hint at postmodern society’s most prevalent issues today; the unregulated development of social media and technology, sexual and racial discrimination, climate change, and more, all of which put massive pressure on the youth. "And I'd love it if we made it / Yes, I'd love it if we made it / Yes, I'd love it if we made it / Yes, I'd love it if we made it" The chorus is more positive, hoping that society will be able to make it through the issues facing us today. We’d love it if we made it, too.
page 21 | poptized
"And poison me daddy" Matty pokes fun at people’s bizarrely common use of the word “daddy”; this line also references an Instagram post by the band’s manager with this line as the caption. "I've got the Jones right through my bones / Write it on a piece of stone" The word “Jones” is believed to be a reference to the term “jonesing”, rewlated to the sale and use of heroin. The term has also been used to refer to love, especially in R&B and hip-hop music. As listeners, we are not quite sure what Healy is using this term to refer to. The last half of the line alludes to a gravestone, and it is possible that Matty is ruminating on what will be written on his gravestone. "A beach of drowning three-year-olds" Matty finally presents the refugee crisis with a mention of Alan Kurdi. Alan Kurdi was a three year old boy from Syria, found dead on a Turkish beach after his family attempted to escape war in their home country. The photo of Alan on the beach after his death went viral, sparking public interest to resolve the refugee crisis. "Rest in peace Lil Peep / The poetry is in the streets" Lil Peep was a rapper from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and passed away in 2017 from an accidental overdose. He was influential in the rap community, and has remained a legend in the hearts of many. Matty wanted to acknowledge not only him, but the other musicians who have tragically passed away unexpectedly in the past two or three years (Mac Miller, XXXTentacion, Nipsey Hussle, Avicii). "Tell me something I didn't know/ Consultation / Degradation / Fossil fuelling / Masturbation / Immigration / Liberal kitsch / Kneeling on a pitch" Matty has described this bridge as a “dump of ideas”; it quickly ties in other ideas and issues he wanted to present at least once in the song.
Consultation: alludes to the fact that almost all people care about what people think about them. Social media has only exacerbated this problem.
Fossil fuelling masturbation: a clever line devised to show that despite the desperate efforts to create electricity in the most efficient way possible, the main use for that energy and the Internet has proven to be pornography. Experts estimate 30 percent of the data shared every year is related to porn. Kneeling on a pitch: this line references Colin Kaepernick, a former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, most noted for his activism against police brutality. Specifically, he knelt during the National Anthem to silently protest this rampant issue in the United States. Colin’s actions have led to other athletes following his lead, and taking a knee before their own games.
"I moved on her like a b-tch" Matty absolutely screams the Donald Trump quote that surfaced in 2016.. This is a direct quote from Trump back in 2005, just one of the many other offensive comments about women. Matty pointed out in an interview that The 1975 would be censored on the radio for directly quoting the sitting President of the United States. “How weird is reality?”, Matty remarked. "Excited to be indicted" Once again talking about Trump, Matty quickly alludes to the charges relating to the Special Counsel Investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Those who were indicted received less severe punishments in return for cooperating with the investigation, which many interpreted as a mockery of justice. "Unrequited house with seven pools" Another reference to Trump, the house Matty is singing about here is Trump’s Seven Springs mansion in New York, with the phrase “seven pools” referring to the name of the house. The word “unrequited” paints just how pointless extravagant materialism is, especially when someone has as much money as Trump. "Thank you Kanye, very cool" Trump responded to a tweet from Kanye West in which Ye praised the President, and stated that he will continue to support him. Matty himself said this was disappointing to see, as he is a huge Kanye fan, and did not think that Kanye would be such a massive supporter of Trump and his controversial actions. "The war has been incited and guess what? / You're all invited / And you're famous" This line has a few different meanings to it, but the largest and perhaps most prominent is the extremely tense relationship between North Korea and the United States. Matty stated in an interview with Genius that the entire world was watching these two nations’ leaders on Twitter, and how truly ridiculous that is. “You’re all invited” speaks to how publically this conflict has been handled, but also acknowledges that if a nuclear war were to erupt, the entire population of the planet would feel its effects. Stream "Love It If We Made It" by The 1975 on Spotify and Apple Music now.
page 23 | poptized
AN UPHILL BATTLE
JENNA ANDRE JENNA ANDREWS JENNA ANDREWS Words by Sara Salamat Photography by Emma Sophia Valles Calgarian Jenna Andrews boasts a prominent singer/songwriter career, however, currently, her talents lie in the representation and mentoring of the future wave of artists. As an executive consultant at RECORDS, she has collaborated with acts like Drake, Dua Lipa, Tori Kelly, and Lennon Stella. Luckily, Sara got a few minutes to talk with Andrews about her career as an artist, songwriting, and working with large acts. Given the entertainment industry is a male-dominated industry, how do you feel being where you are alongside your accomplishments? Every day is an uphill battle, and as a woman in this business, it’s an even harder road to travel on a daily basis. One thing I always keep in mind is that nothing worth getting or achieving comes without a fight, the “easy route” is never an option. With that said, I feel extremely lucky to be where I am and to have accomplished so much. Every win, big or small, is a win to me! You said that you were an artist as well, with releases like EP Kiss and Run. How do you think that shapes your songwriting? I’ve actually spent most of my career as an artist, I started off as one and am proud to say that I am still involved in the creative process to this day. Having artistic roots provides me with a lot of insight into how an artist thinks. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and have used such experiences to help artists who are going through the same things in their careers. I absolutely love working with young up and coming artists, especially female creatives. I feel like I can help them navigate through the business by providing the lessons that I’ve learned throughout my journey in the industry. What would 10-year-old Jenna say if she found out current Jenna wrote for Miss Jennifer Lopez? I often ask myself that! It’s hard to know exactly how that would feel as most 10-yearolds would probably never believe that something like that could ever happen. However, 10-year-old me would definitely freak out! It’s funny, this business has a way of changing your perspective when working with people of such a high caliber and respect. It’s kinda like finding out Santa Claus doesn’t exist for the first time! Jennifer is the epitome of humility and craftsmanship—seeing her work makes accomplishing your dreams look more realistic. Individuals like J Lo show you how much work it really takes to “make it”.
page 25 | poptized
You mentioned that you have a therapeutic relationship with the artists you write with because of your father's psychology background. What are your thoughts about the importance of music on mental health? Yes, I absolutely do! Every songwriter will agree that songwriting is like therapy as it gives you the opportunity to explore your emotions. However, it is sometimes hard to tell your deepest darkest secrets to a stranger. That being said, it usually ends up feeling somewhat relieving to face that test with other songwriters because the challenge in itself helps growth. What is your songwriting process? Do you have a set formula for songwriting? Music and melody usually evoke an emotion in me and guide the lyrics based on feeling. Even if I come in wanting to write about something, or have something on my mind, I usually like to let the subconscious feelings lead. If I’m writing for someone else (and it’s someone I know) I tend to let their feelings lead the way. Once we get something established, I’ll feed off of that energy and contribute with my own input. If it’s someone I don’t know, I like to get to know them first before delving into that process. Honestly, I find it more worthwhile to hang out with someone before writing. That way you can delve into every nook and cranny of their personality and help them to express it. Any upcoming projects that you're excited about? Absolutely! I’ve been working with a bunch of amazing and talented young woman. Here are some of the projects/artists that I’m really looking forward to: Lennon Stella Noah Cyrus Lauren Jauregui Benee Anna Clendening Galxara Little Mix Do you prefer to have a mass team of songwriters on a song, or just a few? It really depends on what is going to make a song the best it can be! If a certain song requires more writers, we’ll make it happen but ultimately, there is no perfect formula to it. What do you think makes a "hit" song? Again, there isn’t an exact method. I would say that hit songs tend to have a unique quality and a certain amount of familiarity. Additionally, it really depends on the artist that performs the song. For example, you can have a demo that sounds like a hit but have the wrong artist performing it. An issue like that can ruin your chances, that’s why you always need to ensure that you have the right artist execute the right song. From Drake to Dua Lipa, do you feel any pressure writing for big artists? There is always a certain amount of pressure to deliver but I’m aware that it’s impossible to control every situation (even for a control freak like me). My ultimate motto is that I try and let the universe lead.
page 27 | poptized
KEEP THE CO
Words by Delaney Howard Recently, we have seen great strides being taken in multiple industries to be more inclusive, diverse, and egalitarian. With movements like #MeToo, Time’s Up, and Free the Nipple commanding widespread media coverage, living unaware of any aspect of this social media wielding fourth wave of feminism is a colossal feat. With that, it may also be easy to think, “Hey, things are looking pretty good right now”, and slip into complacency. It is important to keep this discussion going because if it gets pushed to the backburners, instead of progression, society will face regression. According to an article from Forbes, “women make up 21.7 percent of artists, 12.3 percent of songwriters and 2.1 percent of producers” within the Billboard Top 100. These numbers aren’t great; ideally each number would be closer to
50 percent. I’m sure if a study like this was conducted in the 80s, the numbers would be even more upsetting. However, despite the upward trend, proportional female involvement in music must remain a top priority. Moreover, the numbers beg the question: in a field that seems to deter women from entering, what drives them to get to where they are? What aides them to get to their career? With men holding a controlling stake in every aspect of the industry, how does that affect the women who are making a difference? I am an aspiring woman in the music industry. Seeing numbers like this is daunting. But it also inspires me to be a part of the change. What I bring to the table is useful and unique, but more importantly, what I bring to the table propels a cause bigger than myself. I have taken steps to surround myself with fellow women in the music industry. One of the ways I did this was by joining a Facebook group called
Girls Behind the Rock Show, or GBTRS. GBTRS is a diverse and inclusive group of women and nonbinary people who work together to empower each other, support each other, and cultivate a better future for the music industry. In this article, I’ve collected thoughts from some of the amazing people in this group. Something I love about music is the community it creates. My favorite thing about going to concerts and live events making friends. In that type of environment, you know you have at least one thing in common with every single person in that room: your love for the artist and live music. And that’s what makes me happiest in the world; I want that to be my everyday job. As I have grown up, I have encountered artists that have shaped my worldview, met my best friends, and discovered passions and future goals, all because of music.
ONVERSATION GOING Everyone I have interviewed for this piece have expressed such gratitude for being in the industry. Music is such a beautiful part of people’s lives, being apart of the industry is equally rewarding. Kristina Ferris, artist manager and owner of an up and coming artist management company, MngMint, wrote about what led her to working in the industry:
The motivation can come from anywhere. For Ferris, she found it in small artists that she believed in. For others, it may be from their own passion for playing music. The range of the music industry is ever-growing and endlessly inspiring.
“Long Beach. Seriously, Long Beach did it. The LBC is the most talented city I have ever had the pleasure of spending my time in! For the longest time, I wanted my focus to be on managing specialty acts (circus performers and such) but after spending time in Long Beach and seeing how much TALENT there was hiding in the shadows of other, bigger acts, I knew I wanted to focus my attention on the music scene.”
Many of us on the Poptized team, including myself, are in college. Often, I find myself wondering if education is going to help me in the long run. I have heard about so many instances where someone just worked their way up the ladder with only a high school degree. This can be discouraging and has me questioning whether I should just go for it, or keep grinding out these semesters. Sometimes I worry that my degree may be too broad, or that there are better opportunities in other places that I’ve now missed.
It’s absolutely incredible the different types of communities that form all over the world because of music. With so many different genres, instruments, and roles, the opportunities are endless.
Alexandra Geshel, a concert photographer whose pictures often appear on banners and magazines, explained to me that she is currently in college studying Business of Live and Perform-
ing Arts Management. In an email, she wrote, “It has helped a lot with making connections and meeting so many wonderful artists!” Many other women I spoke to also had similar sentiments—going to college gave them the opportunity to make connections. Steph Hanson, a day-to-day and tour manager for a multitude of artists, studied Music Business with a concentration in artist management. While in school, she worked to make connections with fellow students and faculty, which ended up paying off for her in the long run. From these interviews and my own experience in working towards the industry, it has become clear to me that having connections and knowing people is incredibly important. Meeting people through school or through relevant jobs can lead to amazing things. Getting your foot in the door of the music industry can be daunting, and discouraging. It’s all about finding opportunities, and using whatever skills you have to work your way up.
page 29 | poptized
SHOT BY CARRINE HEN
DAYGLOW page 31 | poptized
The Greeting Committee is vocalist Addie Sartino, guitarist Brandon Yangmi, bassist Pierce Turcotte, and drummer Austin Fraser. Hailing from Kansas City, MO, the four-piece band released their debut studio album This Is It in late 2018, a vibrant and fluid 12-track experience that holds much replay value. A year since then, they’ve released music videos and held a headlining tour in support of this new album, and most recently have released a short EP titled I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry, produced by Hippo Campus’ Jake Luppen. Sara was able to sit down with them and talk about their creative process, touring, and what the new year holds.
Photography by Emma Sophia Valles
Words by Emma Sophia Valles
THE GREETING COMMITTEE
page 33 | poptized
I know you guys have been a band for a while now, how has your music evolved in the past few years of being a band, touring, and releasing new music? Addie: When we started the band it was a lot more like friends jamming out in the basement and then as it obviously became more of an intended career path, I think we started being a little bit more, like, methodic about the way that we do things—trying out new ideas and keeping it refreshing. I think we learned a lot about what we don’t want to do from recording our album, This Is It. That definitely shaped the way that our EP, I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry sounds. Yeah! I was going to ask how your sounds developed because coming of age is a very central theme in your music. Addie: Yeah, I think that just comes from the fact that I am at the age where you think about coming of age. But what I think is cool is that it is a very timeless concept. We actually have quite a few fans that are, you know, in their 30s to 50s. And it’s interesting hearing them say how much certain songs resonate with them. I was worried our music might be a little bit too directed at a certain age group? But that makes me happy. I like music that can be for anybody. Fan response is definitely important. And how have you received that, either live or through the records? Austin: Going into this last record, it felt a lot more premeditated. We really thought about what we wanted to do—not like that we were trying to manipulate how we want it to come off, but rather we thought about what we really wanted to accomplish and explore how we felt inside. So I felt going into this record—and I think we’re all on the same page—like, really wanting to do something that felt more mature, thought out, and premeditated. It was a bit more elaborate with sounds and textures and emotions. And it seems like the feedback that we got back from audiences has been what our intention was, which is really cool. It feels... it’s just a good affirmation to have back.
the label or fans or internal pressure from our expectations), with it being our first full-length record and considering where we were in our career. And I think that ended up coming out in This Is It. And so for as premeditated as I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry is, really it was us sitting and blocking out everybody who wasn’t the four of us. I think that’s really cool to experience and I think our fans noticed that in the music—that we were writing for ourselves. Brandon: I think throughout our whole discography, we’ve like learned a lot in terms of like recording and audio engineering production. Do you guys all do your own stuff [producing]? Addie: Austin and Brandon really champion the demo-ing process so that flushes out a lot of ideas as far as like, the actual audio recording that goes out. Pierce: Austin does a lot of mixing—like figuring out just where things we want to sit tonally, the spectrum of frequencies, and what we want each instrument to accomplish. It all is a way to convey emotion at the end of the day because we’ll still try to express that through like what she [Addie] tries to express through melodies and lyrics or what I try to do with guitar parts. How does that play into like your whole creative process? Do you write music first or lyrics first, or is it just a mix of everything? Austin: A lot of the time we sit down with an instrumental and from there I pull lyrics that I’ve already written. And then I base an idea around that. I can do it either way, but I have more fun writing once there’s a percussion element. I think that just like really can dictate the energy of a song. The way that I write with just an acoustic guitar is gonna be different than the way I’m writing when everyone is participating. Addie: Together. It used to be very like, instrumental and then I would go home. Now I think for I’m Afraid Not Angry it was kind of like, I would leave the room with at least a line that I already knew was going to work for that song and they would run alongside each other, more so than they used to.
Addie: I think for this, it felt as if there was a lot of pressure (whether it was outside pressure from
page 35 | poptized
When you guys put out like videos, does that, how does that creative process intersect with the writing process? Addie: [In regards to] almost all of our visual aspects, I like to know what I’m shooting for and it helps me to have a more complete picture. They’re in my head pretty much. The second I have lyrics is when I start conceptualizing things. How does it work for everyone else? Brandon: I just ignore it (laughs). Like obviously, I don’t want to work in the confines of having a clear immovable goal at the end of the day, especially with art and stuff, where everything has to be refined into one fluid idea. I don’t want to have too many slow songs, I don’t want to do too many like upbeat songs or anything like that. Just make the music and then at the end of the day, you can organize. But you don’t want to limit yourself right out the gate because it’s like telling yourself like, “All right, we can only paint with these three colors.” Why not just have the whole palette? And then at the end of the day, you can choose what you want to actually put out there. Austin: But Addie, with her personality and the way she sees things, drags me to go a certain direction; and then there are ways where I pull her in different directions that she’s not comfortable with—and that’s how the dynamic of working with a group of people is. Addie: I think it’s also important, understanding how each other works because like, knowing that to you, having a goal from the start is limiting, that’s different than me. To, me it’s like, a liberating feeling.. Has there been anything that's been like very hard for you to write about? You guys are so young and it’s also important to think about how you market yourself. How has that been? Addie: I think the cool thing about the way that we’ve like, branded ourselves—and I say that and it sounds really sell-out-ish— but I think the nice thing about this project is that it’s always been...our mission to be as genuine and authentic as we can be. That means for me, being lyrically as honest as I can be. And I think what I liked about this was it had songs that I didn’t want my parents to hear. That was kinda how I knew I was doing something right. “Call In The Morning” is like, a very difficult song to sing at times, just because it’s about my fear of losing a loved one or a family member. A lot of those emotions are...very visceral in my life. Definitely, I’ve gone through things this year were like, I haven’t written about them yet cause it would be too painful. But eventually, it’ll happen. Yeah. Brandon: I think even just for us though, Austin and I have talked about the lyrics on this EP, and how it’s the most we’ve resonated with any lyrics so far. I think with honesty comes with connection.
page 36 | poptized
"The second I have lyrics is when I start conceptualizing things."�
How has everything translated into live shows? Addie: I have such a fun time watching these three sing along to certain lyrics to the new songs. I’m like, a fairly confident person, but the opinion that these three have of me is important to me. Obviously, I want to impress them. At the same time, we all trust each other to make mistakes and have off-nights. I always want to impress them more than anything just because I think so highly of them. I think it’s made touring really fun—it’s always fun playing new songs. It’s also been very different. We’ve normally been the fun band...and now there’s a song about suicide that makes everyone sit silently and it’s like, a very different energy. For me, that’s more difficult because it’s so much easier to be like, “Okay clap!” This is like, “Okay, listen to me really intently! Cry with me!” Pierce: I love the instrumentation on it, that was completely different than anything we’ve done on previous songs. Brandon: Yeah. Pierce: But like, the week or two beforehand we just sat for eight hours a day, which we usually don’t. Addie: I was not there for that. The boys put in all of that time to learn these instrumentals and play them live. Brandon: It’s just different for us because we’re switching around a lot in terms of instruments. Austin is playing keys on certain songs and then I’m playing a sampler on certain songs and he’s switching to my guitar. Other times, I’m switching with our other guitar player, Noah. We’re all moving around a lot and it’s just different instrumentation that we aren’t used to. And also, yeah, we’re used to performing the big interactive fun wildin’ in your face rock. Now we’re trying to understand how to convey emotion live, in subtle ways instead of trying to be big and wild. It’s cool to do that, but sometimes it feels like a cop-out because it’s harder to do the small subtle things and get that emotion across. And I think we’re learning that now with our live performances—we’ve only been doing it for a month. We’re still figuring it out. It feels like ages ago that we played Oxford, Mississippi at the very beginning of this tour, trying those songs the very first time. Addie: Now I think we’re all learning how to like, enjoy that. It’s not instant gratification with those new songs like “Call In the Morning”, whereas while playing “Run for Your Money”, instantly I know people are enjoying that
song. It’s easier to see people jumping and having fun. This is your last show, right? Pierce: Yeah. How do you guys feel? Addie: Good! [laughs]. Austin: Happy to get away from the Hippo guys [Hippo Campus]. Addie: Yeah, they’re just really bizarre andAustin: Jay’s not good at basketball... Addie: And they’re all like dumb handsome. It’s so annoying. Brandon: It’s cool to go out with musicians that have influenced you. Cause like, all of us listened to Hippo for a while. I’ve been listening ever since I was 15 years old, the goal was to go out with musicians that you like and be able to see what they do every night, how they interact with their audience. It’s like, one of the coolest masterclasses that you can have. You can’t learn that stuff in like a college classroom. So we’re very, very fortunate to go out with people like them. Addie: And throwing in friendship on top of that. That’s very nice. I’ve been friends with Jake for a couple of years now, first seeing him in his element and then becoming friends with his family as well. So last question. What's the future for you guys? Addie: We’re going to start working on our second record. The first priority for 2020 is to get on that new record. That’s all I’m going to do. Is there anything else you guys would like to say? Thanks for talking to us, by the way! Of course, of course! Brandon: This stuff is surreal—it’s cool that people are curious and interested! You guys are amazing and good luck with 2020! You guys are going to kill it.
page 39 | poptized
Words by Amy Paine If you’ve ever used YouTube to listen to music, your recommendations may have been flooded with various remixes of popular songs. From ‘80s versions of modern pop songs to ridiculously slow vaporwave music, it’s not hard to fall down the rabbit hole. They can provide a fresh and interesting take on an overplayed song or showcase an aspect of the original piece that didn’t stand out. These remixes might not be taken seriously—the comments section under remix videos are often filled with jokes, and the remixers themselves are often anonymous or unrecognized—but it takes effort to completely change the sound and evoke entirely new emotions, all while keeping the original track recognizable. The 1980s saw an explosion of media and pop culture, and the music was no exception. Highly commercialized pop stars ruled alongside rock ‘n’ roll. Advances in technology let people listen to more music, more easily, more of the time. It’s no surprise that people look back to this time with nostalgia and that some of its influences have survived to this day. YouTube might not be the first thing that comes to mind in relation to the ‘80s, but remix channels like TRONICBOX and TotallyRad80sChannel take the most prominent motifs of ‘80s pop music—heavy use of synthesizers, dreamy soundscapes, and processed/ altered vocals—and use those tools to rework modern pop. Many listeners find ‘80s versions less annoying and far more interesting than the originals, likely partially due to the nostalgia factor, in addition to the creators’ talent. Another, less explainable YouTube trend is entirely unique to online platforms: vaporwave. Although vaporwave is often cited as an example of meme music, some listeners and creators take the genre more seriously. There are many original vaporwave compositions, but it’s also a popular remix genre. Taking well-known songs and slowing them down or making other seemingly ridiculous changes can create an interesting sound, as well as a mood rarely generated by other types of music. The ethereal, often psychedelic feeling can be addictive. ‘70s and ‘80s hits are frequently reimagined by vaporwave mixes, and the end result can vary wildly in tone and melody from the familiar tunes. As far as weird background music goes, vaporwave can’t be beaten. Of course, there are other YouTube remix and cover trends: spooky versions of ABBA songs, 1940s-style covers, and more traditional remixes like what many successful and recognized artists release. ‘80s remixes and vaporwave are two styles that have become extremely popular and well-known, but the creativity of people with a YouTube account and an original idea is limitless. If one of these videos pops up in your recommended tab, try giving it a listen.
page 40 | poptized
THE STRANGE WORLD OF YOUTUBE REMIXES.
THE CENTER WON’T HOLD, But Sleater-Kinney Proves the Importance of Riot Grrrl Lives On Words by Grace Fiori In the early nineties, Washington state was a hotbed for the punk movement, leading to the rise of bands like Nirvana, now music legends. Less widely known is the group that changed women’s role in the punk movement and shifted society’s perception of femininity, Riot Grrrl. Riot Grrrl (yes, with exactly three r’s) was cultivated in the nineties punk movement, where musicians were exploring their rage, angst, and alternative concepts onstage. The movement took root in Olympia and Washington D.C. Riot Grrrl strove to create a community for teenage girls to learn how to express themselves as activists, musicians, artists, and at times, just human beings in a world that felt unspeakably cruel. At meetings, Riot Grrrls formed a safe haven to talk about their pain and learn to cope with pasts that sometimes involved terrible trauma. In an age before social media, they mailed “zines” nationally, and sometimes globally. The zines were raw, cutand-pasted xeroxed magazines that contained art, photography, journal entries, and articles. Whether from rural Wyoming or bustling New York City, girls nationwide were able to read about and identify with the pain and troubles that the contributors experienced. More than simply establishing connections, Riot Grrrls were inspired to use their voice to solve feminine issues. They recognized their hardships often had a direct connection to women’s role in society. They created zines and hosted meetings to connect on a personal level, but as a collective, Riot Grrrl made societal change, organizing marches and protests for women’s rights. Riot Grrrl’s feminism manifested itself strongly in music; many members cre-
ated bands as a way to express their beliefs and themselves. A largely selftaught bunch, their music was less about technicalities and proper song structure and more about the message. They didn’t have to sing well, they just had to have emotion and make sure they were loud enough. Riot Grrrls were ridiculed and brushed off by some, but gradually the bands gained traction. A prominent and successful leader of Riot Grrrl, Kathleen Hanna, was a part of Bikini Kill, one of the most popular Riot Grrrl bands. Alongside Bikini Kill, other bands like Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile, and Sleater-Kinney (even though they were formed in the later years) were recognized and appreciated. However, as Riot Grrrl gained traction, the media that covered them were often at odds. How to reckon with these girls’ frustration, age, and identity? Bewildered reporters couldn’t understand the message: were they musicians or were they just girls playing around? At their core, they were activists using music to amplify their voice, but how could girls possibly do that? The Riot Grrrls were either written off, scorned, or misinterpreted entirely. The movement welcomed the girls who felt they were not accepted, often from a rural area. They faced a barrage of little and large adversities that chipped away at their identity and furthered their sense of isolation. Whether it was a sexist remark, a bad relationship, being dismissed at school because of their identity, or sexual assault, they were perceptive. These Riot Grrrls recognized that while growing up was inherently painful, their gender exacerbated the pain. And they were looking for help changing that. Riot Grrrl, at its core, was about the girl next door. Let her be weird, let her be unsure, and yes, let her be angry.
As the nineties continued, Cobain died, other punk-rock stars did not age well, and Riot Grrrl began to shrink. This was partly because of the barrage of capitalism—outsiders looked to brand their movement and undermine its true message—as well as media coverage that misconstrued their goals. From the start, labels were plastered all over them, leading the Riot Grrrls to doubt what they created. Moreover, many Riot Grrrls simply weren’t equipped or willing to deal with the complexities of feminism—how race, class, and sexuality intersect with women’s goals. Too often, Riot Grrrl was a place for angsty middle-class white women, and the unique differences between women of color and LGBTQ+ women were overlooked. In hindsight, it’s understandable. These girls were trying to harness a very large beast. The world was unwilling to reckon with the complexity of women (we’re only just starting to with the concept of intersectional feminism). Some bands kept playing, like Bikini Kill, but most disbanded and members moved on. However, Sleater-Kinney, formed by Carrie Brownstein (you may know her from Portlandia), Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss (their longest-running drummer who left the band this year), existed later on in the nineties. Tucker had been a part of the band Heavens to Betsy, and Brownstein had formed the band Excuse 17 prior; both she and Brownstein were strongly influenced by Riot Grrrl. Sleater-Kinney survived the crash of the nineties punk wave, perhaps because of their unique sound that ran counter to rough rock music in the late nineties. Their widely praised albums Call the Doctor and Dig Me Out reflected this.
page 43 | poptized
Sleater-Kinney had a message, one strongly and unabashedly feminist. When they came back in 2015 after a hiatus with No Cities to Love, they proved they were not done sharing it. Now, with their newly released album, The Center Won’t Hold, Sleater-Kinney triumphs with eleven tracks both sonically evolved from their rock roots and still firmly established in the context of Riot Grrrl and the punk genre. The Center Won’t Hold feels like Sleater-Kinney’s sound being “updated” for a modern audience. Produced by Annie Clark, the artist behind St. Vincent, they keep their message, their edge, and their talent while incorporating more complexities in their layered sound. They have traded the classic rock sound for a more produced, synthetic rhythm. While Sleater-Kinney always reliably gave us electrifying drum and guitar sequences and raw vocal twists, this is decidedly different with digital technology and mixing. In some aspects, The Center Won’t Hold invokes a measure of nostalgic melancholy. Sleater-Kinney and their dedication to traditional punk sounds and themes felt like a safe haven amidst a Billboard Top 40 stuffed with over-produced, autotuned noises. Like the Riot Grrrl movement, Sleater-Kinney’s authentic, genuine sound is imperfect but refreshing. Riot Grrrl served as a launching point for a generation of women to reckon with their place in the world, their identity, and their anger. It fell short at times (after all, it was created by human beings) but their message lives on to this day. Sleater-Kinney’s music, which features both refined talent and raw emotion, confirmed this idea, and a testament that women could be complex, passionate, and different, and still be successful. As much as The Center Won’t Hold feels like a shift away from that, it’s inspiring that the band is making changes and exploring different avenues. As some tracks do not quite hit the mark, feeling a little too synthetic to be forgivable. Even if they fall short at times, Sleater-Kinney now recognizes like the rest of us, “The Future is Here”. Notable Tracks: “The Center Won’t Hold”, “Hurry On Home”, “The Future is Here” Notable Lyrics: “I need you more than I ever have / Because the future’s here and we can’t go back” (The Future is Here)
THE MOWGLI’S
SHOT BY ABBY STANFORD
page 45 | poptized
KERO KERO BONITO
page 47 | poptized
BATTLE LINES Words by Emma Sophia Valles Photography by Mia Sakai
How was touring for you guys?
about your presentation the moment you begin.
Gus: It was great! It was amazing how much traveling we’ve done off the back of Time ‘n’ Place. When we released that album I don’t think anyone could have expected how much momentum it would create to sustain traveling like that and seeing almost every city in America we hoped to see. It’s been quite an experience.
Moving into the music, how have you been able to capture such a futuristic feeling in both of your records, and how do you plan to continue that?
Hopefully all good though! Gus: Oh, yeah, definitely! There was an unfortunate moment at the end of the tour in America where Sarah got a case of strep throat, so unfortunately for a few fans in Florida, we had to cancel some shows. I promised the Florida fans we are working on rescheduling those as I am doing this interview, actually. I wanted to ask about visuals - how do they come about? Is someone in charge of creating new ideas or is it a group effort? Gus: I feel like Sarah is definitely the point person for the visuals, but it’s a group effort at the same time. The beautiful thing is Sarah did an art degree—she’s an artist in her own right—so that’s made that side of KKB a lot easier. I think one of the reasons why KKB is a really visual and multimedia band is that Sarah sees the world from that perspective. I feel like I could just bunker in my room and play around with synths ad infinitum. Part of the magic for pop groups is having all those different perspectives. Yeah, having that degree and knowledge must make it much easier. Gus: Yeah! Sarah does a lot of Photoshop stuff as well as pure creative art madness. There’s a lot to it actually and I can’t imagine being in a band that didn’t have that element, especially in this day and age where you have to be relatively professional
page 48 | poptized
Gus: Wow, that’s a really good question. I think a lot of independent artists want to be futuristic—if you’re told your art is progressive or refreshing, it’s a compliment. In the case of bravery (or maybe even stupidity), I’d say we’ve always done things the way we want to do them. Especially when we broke through, that was in spite of there not being a whole group of artists using the aesthetic choices we were. I think we were the first people to kind of step out and be crazy enough to make an indie-pop mixtape with general MIDI modules and Sarah rapping in two languages and Sarah wearing a graduation gown made by her mum on the front of an album. All these things were very personal to us and our own statement. Yeah, I think that's something that sets KKB out from a lot of other indie-pop acts, and that's why I appreciate what you guys are creating. Gus: Yeah, that’s really interesting. I don’t know if everybody needs to have an off-the-wall point of view. Not everyone is in the right situation to do that, but I think music would be a more wonderful place if people express themselves more honestly, more bravely, and with more variety. That’s what makes the best pop music stay around. When you think of the best records in pop history that have hung around, they often aren’t the ones that sounded exactly like everything else at the time. They’re either slightly fresh spins on things that were popular or these things that kickstarted copycat movements. It makes pop music and culture in general fun; everybody learns from each other, and it wouldn’t be the same if everyone was just copying each other exactly.
PURE CREATIVE ART MADNESS.
Now's a good time to talk about your newest release, Civilisation I. There's a lot of progressive synth elements, like those found in "The River". What made you decide to go in a new direction with that? Gus: There are ideas that are a reaction to having done Time ‘n’ Place, in that it was a band record. That was the first time we had ever worked with a band and it was incredible and exciting. However, in doing that, our focus was put back on electronics. Electronic production is something that Jamie and I would count as one of our strengths. It’s something I care about deeply; I have a large collection of keyboards and all of that stuff stuff. All three tracks on Civilisation I were composed 100% with hardware synths, which is weird because I never thought I’d be producing a record like that. I think it speaks to the, what is sometimes called the off-modern condition, which is when one considers nostalgia in history but thinks about it in terms of avenues that were never explored so that we might actually create a new modernism— kind of illusionary modernism with bits and pieces that are old and discarded. I think that’s a resonant idea for me right now, because if climate change was to destroy everything in the next year, hypothetically, we’d still be surrounded by all the detritus of our civilization. Anything that might survive wouldn’t be iPhones, it would be Ensoniq samplers and Casio keyboards that won’t break no matter how hard you hit them. Making the most imaginative, futuristic music using those tools feels like a bit of a fatalist gesture towards what we’re so worried about at the moment. It’s a bit of foreshadowing, you know. Yeah, if something were to happen your music would live on through other things, not just the way it's streamed today. Gus: Yeah, that’s interesting. We’ve reached this funny point in pop history and culture where we feel like the future may be less futuristic than the present. There’s always going to be room for development, but I remember being a kid and watching Beast Wars, the Transformers spin-off, and they would video-talk to each other and it just blew my mind. You could tell it was sci-fi because there’s no way that will ever happen. Yet, it’s the most basic tool now—it is totally insane. There was a time when we understood technology, you know, it wasn’t that hard to understand. Sure, it took some engineers to come up with it, but it’s not really hard to understand a printing press or a clock. But if you opened up an iPhone, I don’t know how that works. We don’t understand the tools we use anymore, which is an interesting point for humanity to be at.
Circling back to your music, what album has been the most fun for you to create and has your creative process changed album to album?
on us, I don’t think we would have made Civilisation I, because that is a pretty uncompromising set of music. There’s not a lot that gives to the audience as far as our past style.
Gus: Wow, great question. I think the most fun to make actually might have been Intro Bonito, our first mixtape. You know, there was no pressure on us at all, and the tracks, by design, were very concise and simple. It was more about capturing that energy and atmosphere and executing it properly. We had a lot of fun memories of that record. I remember, for example, we recorded three songs in one day, which is kind of unheard of now. There’s no way that would happen now. We wrote the lyrics and recorded for “Pocket Crocodile”, “Kero Kero Bonito”, and “Homework” all in one day in Sarah’s bedroom. Although I think the creative process for those later two records was more rewarding, but they were definitely harder. Time ‘n’ Place was hard, mainly because there was a deadline. That got mad, so stressful and insane, to a point where I was really aware that I couldn’t work on a record like that again because it would be so unhealthy.
It's good that you’ve had that freedom.
In terms of the creative process, there are some things that carry over. We tend to imagine a framework for every project we do, and that framework might be inspiration from a certain strand of music or certain goals we have. But then, of course, all the techniques within that can be different. That’s how you make it interesting, that’s how you have a reason to make another record. For example, on Bonito Generation, it was very computer-based. Even though for both of those we had a sort of framework—artists and song structures we thought were interesting at the time—the actual process for making the records was very different. Time ‘n’ Place, practicing with a band, going into the studio to record with a band, going into the studio to record with other people, it was totally different stuff. Have you guys felt the pressure increase as you've released more music? Gus: You know what, I think it’s there if you want it to be there. I think pressure makes the creative process worse, although there are cases where I think it helps. We kind of cheated it a bit by calling our first release a mixtape, because it was really a debut album. So it never felt like we were making a “difficult” second album. By the time Time ‘n’ Place was being made, we’d already done it a couple of times. If there was pressure
Gus: Definitely. It’s a balancing act—I don’t want to get too ahead of myself and sound arrogant— but I feel like some people benefit a lot from A&R and guidance. At the same time, I think the best records normally have someone involved who’s been set free. We’re also fortunate to be in this situation practically, you know. We’ve made weirdly prescient moves all through our career, Polyvinyl is extremely good about what we give them. They have a lot of faith in whatever we do. Outside of Polyvinyl, we have no commitments, so we just do what we want. What does the future hold for KKB? Gus: The first thing I’ll say is Civilisation I is named that for a reason, so I’ll leave that at that. There is also another record being worked on, all I’m gonna say about that is given what you know about the trajectory of KKB, don’t expect us to repeat ourselves. Good, that's the best part about KKB. There’s always something new and that makes it more fun. Gus: I think that does make it more fun. How does that fun translate into the live shows? Gus: We’ve kind of taken that as it’s come. It depends on the record. Time ‘n’ Place is a really cool record to transmit to a live setting. We’re very fortunate with James and Jenny that they’ve done a great job with that. Each new project presents a new live challenge. It presents a problem-solving activity, where we’re like “Ok, we’ve got this many fans and these tools, so how do we make it the best live experience it can be?” Keeping it fresh does help, and I can’t imagine what it would be like, on the road for 10 years in a rockstar KKB band playing “Flamingo” every night. I’m very curious to see how the next one pans out because in some ways it’s the most ambitious yet. Stream Civilization I out now.
page 51 | poptized
POPTIZED MAGAZINE
05
poptized is a canvas for the uncontrollable. our souls, brimming with passion and desire for expression, paint an illustration that encapsulates the world we want to live in through our arts. to us, music is a catalyst for creativity— it motivates us, inspires us, and changes us for the better. we are more than willing and absolutely unafraid to express how music impacts our lives. and in this pursuit, we hope our introspection on art can have a similar effect on yours.
