sailor’s talk magazine ISSUE 8 | APRIL 2016
THE KNOCKS - WATERPARKS - ME LIKE BEES - PULLING PUNCHES - GALANTIS
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STAFF
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF // FOUNDER // PHOTOGRAPHER // ART DIRECTOR JAKE LAHAH DESIGN ASSISTANT // TIFFANY CHACON PHOTOGRAPHY CONTRIBUTORS // ALEXA FRANKOVITCH, BROOKE LONG, CAITLYN WILLARD, JAKE LAHAH, KRIS KOELEWIJN, PENELOPE MARTINEZ, RYAN STACEY, TIFFANY CHACON WRITING CONTRIBUTORS // ALEXA FRANKOVITCH, KAMNA TALWAR, LEE BARICH
INFO
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WEBSITE: sailorstalkzine.com CONTACT: jake@sailorstalkzine.com GET CONNECTED FACEBOOK: /sailorstalkzine/ TWITTER: @sailorstalkzine INSTAGRAM: @sailorstalkzine TUMBLR: sailorstalkzine.tumblr.com
SPECIAL THANKS TO: AUSTIN GRISWOLD, SECRET SERVICE PR, AMY SCIARRETTO, ATOM SPLITTER PR, PULLING PUNCHES, JULE VERA, THE KNOCKS, ILANA GOLD, ATLANTIC RECORDS, WATERPARKS, EQUAL VISION RECORDS, NATALIE BISIGNANO, GALANTIS, ME LIKE BEES, JESEA LEE, HIGH ROAD PUBLICITY, ALYSON STOKES, HEATHER GRIFFITH, FEARLESS RECORDS, MIKE CUBILLOS, EARSHOT MEDIA, + MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS ON THE COVER
JULE VERA // 30
PULLING PUNCHES // 6 ST RESPONDS TO THIS SUMMER’S VANS WARPED TOUR LINEUP //8 GALANTIS (PHOTO OP) // 10 WATERPARKS // 16 THE KNOCKS // 22 ME LIKE BEES // 26 ALBUM REVIEWS // 28 GALLERY END // 40
PULLING PUNCHES
Emerging post punk and hardcore group Pulling Punches recently released their EP The Old Colors Are Dead. This groups sound is not typical to your everyday hardcore group, sounding differently and unique than most other artists. We sat down and spoke with the band about their newest EP and about their sound. Tell us a bit about yourself? Who are Pulling Punches? What do you guys do? Pulling Punches is: Joe – bass, Michael – vocals, Mike – drums, and Rob – guitar. Rob: We’re an eccentric group of guys that like to play music Michael: We’re a collection of fanatical song rewriters that haven’t killed each other yet. So you guys just recently released your newest EP “The Old Colors Are Dead”. How does it feel to have it released? Michael: It was recorded about a year ago, so for me it’s been a long time coming, good to finally be out. Joe: There was a lot of build up, so it kinda feels like an orgasm.
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Mike: We were excited to get some streams up, and see people’s reactions. We’re glad people have liked it so far. What is the main inspiration for this release coming up? Does it have any hidden truths? Michael: We wanted to challenge ourselves to write differently. We like our older songs, but we wanted to see what would happen if we pushed ourselves to create something different from what we listen to and hear in other music happening right now. Mike: If you read through the lyrics you may find some truths, but none of them are hidden. Michael: The main hidden truth may just be that the spirit of getting to the truth has been lost by the mainstream media, and I was brought up thinking we needed to look to media sources for information. So much media coverage is just noise now, or a mouthpiece for one marketing effort or another. It’s getting harder and harder to find reliable sources you
can count on to report on current events honestly. That theme pops up in a few places on the EP.
Mike: I guess you could say it’s unintentionally unique.
Coming from Philly, what are some of the bands you guys are inspired by? Any other Philly hardcore bands that you find influencing your style and music. If so, why?
Rob: We definitely didn’t set out to sound like someone else, that’s for sure.
Joe: Blacklisted and Kid Dynamite for sure. Rob: There are bands from Philly that I like, but none that I think I’m directly inspired by.
Michael: These songs are probably the closest musically to the hardcore we grew up listening to, so they’re definitely aggressive, but we didn’t want to stoop to playing what people might expect. I mean, why try to copy what Sick of It All or Cro-Mags have already done?
Michael: It’s a good question for us, because as a band we can’t collectively agree on any influences. A couple of us may love a given band, and another member may hate the same band. It’s tough to list influences because we don’t want to mimic other bands; we’re trying to contribute to what so many great hardcore, punk, and metal bands have done before us.
Mike: Exactly. Those bands are amazing at what they do. If we tried to do the same thing, we’d probably suck at it.
Moving into March you guys will be playing some shows, what’s going on with that? What should people that want to check you out expect?
Lastly, what can we expect from Pulling Punches over the next couple months? Anything exciting going on?
Rob: A band that likes to have fun… Wait, are hardcore bands allowed to have fun?
Michael: A bunch of shows, here’s what’s coming up: 4/1 at Uncharted in Lowell, MA 4/2 at O’Briens in Boston, MA
Michael: A certain level of mayhem always ensues. We don’t know how to play without going nuts. Joe: Definitely a band that knows how to laugh and party when we play. Musically, you guys have a bit more bite to your hardcore sound. It’s a bit more aggressive feeling and not as deep as in tone. Do you think this is a unique character or trait about your style? As well, do you find it difficult creating music off of it comparatively to other hardcore bands since you have a different sound?
Rob: We didn’t want to compare these songs to another band when we were writing them, we just hope people are into our take on hardcore.
Joe: After that run, I’m going to be a dad, wish me luck! Mike: It’s Joe’s last chance to break teeth BEFORE he has to mentor a child Rob: More songs, stay tuned! interview by Jake Lahah photo provided
Pulling Punches’ The Old Colors Are Dead Available Now!
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RESPONDS TO THIS SUMMER’S VANS WARPED TOUR LINEUP
With this years Vans Warped Tour being announced, this years summer punk rock camp will be a bit different compared to previous years. With the addition of bands such as Sum 41, Yellowcard, New Found Glory, and Good Charlotte, it screams nothing but a blast from the past. Our team responded to what might be the comeback of the summer as far as touring festivals go.
“Vans warped tour took what I thought was going to be the line up and completely tricked me. This is the best line up I have seen between all genres. They brought back bands I used to listen to in high school and also brought the current ones. I will not be missing it this year.” Ryan Stacey // Photographer “My instant reaction to the lineup was, “Throwback!” I remember my first time at Warped (2005) and a lot of the same bands were there. Less Than Jake, Yellowcard, 3OH!3, New Found Glory. But then again, it’s been years since seeing most of these bands live. It’ll definitely be a reminiscence tour for me. You will notice many generations this year. As always.” Tiffany Chacon // Photographer, Design Assistant “I’M SO EXCITED. I feel like Warped Tour is really going back to it’s roots this year and showcasing all of the bands that solidified them as a great music festival. They’ve got a good mix of artists that returners can feel nostalgic about and newcomers know and are excited to see. I think everyone will be able to find something they truly enjoy in this year’s tour.” Alexa Frankovitch // Photographer, Writer “As much as I want to be as excited as everyone, I’m not. The bands are sick, don’t get me wrong, but I just was never that big of a fan of them when I was younger. I got in the scene too late to enjoy them. However, it’s very cool to see other people be as excited as they are and I can tell it’s going to be a fun year.” Penelope Martinez // Photographer “Every Time I Die is playing this year. That’s all I could ever need in a summer festival, but to be able to see Sum 41 will be a killer experience. I also really like the idea of seeing two Monster Energy stages this year. Looks like Vans Warped Tour will be embracing the heavier side of things this time around.” Jake Lahah // Editor-In-Chief
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EXCLUSIVE PHOTO OP BY JAKE LAHAH
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Picture this: slightly oversized tour t-shirts and rainbow crewnecks; a plastic beaded necklace, electric blue hair, and jean jackets; classic baseball caps and a pair of dirty black and white checkered Vans. No, this isn’t the setting of a Warped Tour throwback photo, but the day-to-day aesthetic of rising pop-punk band Waterparks. Self-identified as “A band from Texas. Handsome.”, Waterparks is truly cannonballing into the music scene, making this adorable trio a go-to on everyone’s Spotify playlist. Fresh off of their first tour opening for NeverShoutNever and Metro Station, Waterparks has been climbing the ladder and gaining incredible leverage and support from fans and other musicians alike. “Tour has been so sick! Exploring this haunted venue called The Rave was awesome. Juggalos stole our license plate in New Mexico, that was weird. These people brought us a copy of Paul Blart 2 on Blu Ray so that was probably the tightest thing that has happened the whole time. Tour rules though, it’s been a super solid experience,” said frontrunner Awsten Knight.
social media accounts. “I’ve always hated when bands’ social media pages’ sound like boring commercials and so we just run ours like human beings. When I post, I just speak the way I do in real life and try not to take any of it too seriously. As far as the way the fans take it, I think it makes us seem more real and approachable which (I’d imagine) only strengthens the artistlistener relationship,” said Knight. Goofy, self-deprecating, and completely inclusive to everyone, Knight, alongside guitarist/vocalist Geoff Wigington and drummer Otto Wood, have developed, if nothing else, a hysterical online presence. Between reposting fan photos and calling people out between shows, every word you read makes you wish these boys were your real life best friends. “OK LEXI IDK WHO YOU ARE BUT UR DEAD
With the kickoff of their first tour, Waterparks released their EP Cluster, which immediately received rave reviews. “Everyone’s been super hyped on it which rules! People have always told us our songs are cool when we release stuff but Cluster has had a totally different energy around it,” said Knight. “As soon as we started dropping songs from it, tons of people started paying attention to us and it’s been really crazy and weird. We’re not mad at it, the last six months have been the coolest of our lives for sure.” While still holding to their pop-punk roots, Cluster offers a slightly more electronic melody, something fairly uncommon in the similar music of their peers. “We’ve always wanted to try and cover as much ground stylistically as possible with each release. Cluster had 30+ potential songs, some heavier than others; However, the final five that made the cut weren’t as “hard” as some of the final tracks people heard on Black Light,” stated Knight. In addition to their poppy, new wave sound, Waterparks is gaining a solid following via their
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PUNK. U AND THE PARX BOYS HAVE BEEF AND I WILL FIND U OK BYE.”
“.@JoelMadden butt dialed me twice today. I had two deep conversations with your no-no square and both were equally exhilarating.” And with much love as Cluster and the band
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themselves have been receiving, we can only assume from this photo that their parents are just as thrilled with the skinny jean clad “The Parx Boys.”
“Us imitating our parents listening to Cluster.” Beyond their social medias, Waterparks is made up of a genuinely hilarious, heartwarming group of humans. After each show on tour, the boys made a point to go to their table after every set to snap photos with fans and talk about anything and everything with everyone who stopped by. They sold t-shirts and albums, and directed people to their website where you have the opportunity to buy band member
Geoff for $10,000,000. And when asked to each describe their band in three words, they responded earnestly with “Geoff: Loud. Moist. Bing; Otto: Wet. Overrated. Unsanitary; Awsten: Goth. Dads. Power.” With the release of a brand new EP, the finale of their first US tour, and a huge rise in popularity, what else can we expect from Waterparks this year? “We’ve got a lot going on behind the scenes but for now we can tell you we’ll be at South By South West
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and So What?!, as well as playing some dates with Set It Off in April. I also feel comfortable saying “If you live in America, there’s a very solid chance you’ll have the chance to catch us live this year.”” If you haven’t heard it, be sure to check out Waterparks’s newest EP Cluster available on iTunes now, and follow their social media to keep up to date on announcements and all things hilarious.
Squaderparks out. “SQUADERPARKS”
story and live photos by Alexa Frankovitch social photos taken from Waterparks
Waterparks’ Cluster Available Now Via Equal Vision Records
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Within the music industry, there are many artists out there that are pushing the boundaries of the standards of a specific genre. The Knocks, comprised of Ben Ruttner and James Patterson, is a dynamic and experimental group that recently released their album 55 via Atlantic Records. Being one of the newest emerging artists in the scene, The Knocks is pushing the boundaries of genre definition and style.
reflects the nature of their album and sound. 55 incorporates such high contrast between track to track in the tone and style. Between tracks like “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)” that has a more dance and trance feel with an indie twist, and “Love Me Like That (feat. Carly Rae Jepsen)” that has a much more 90’s pop revival tone to it, The Knocks presents a question of what genre they are pushing the musical norms of these genre.
By meeting in the studio and being roommates before the formation of The Knocks, Ben Rutter explains their formation as being natural and right.
“At the beginning it was because people didn’t’ know how to categorize us. We weren’t ‘EDM’ or ‘indie’, so no one knew exactly what to label us. Today, music has change a lot and people don’t seem to care as much what genre our style you are as much… which is cool.”
“We met through a mutual friend at the studio and became roommates before we formed The Knocks. We just both really seemed to see eye to eye about music and styles of music, so when we started working together it just felt really natural and right.” Their love for music have focused and honed in on this experimental hip-hop/dance type of music. But the band didn’t always start listening to hiphop. Through experimentation and their love for music in general, The Knocks sprouted as a blend of all those factors.
Defining what genre The Knocks is, is difficult; and it is partly due to the importance of collaboration with songs. Collaboration with artists is a big significant component of their music. In their writing process, The Knocks have worked with various artists to remix popular songs and elements from many of the songs that feature guest artists, have moments of their sound included in it. But keeping a sound to their own while incorporating some familiarity is the root of their writing process.
“We both started different ways. I (Ben) started by just being a fan because my parents listened to a lot of music around the house,” Ben Ruttner says in relation to their tie to music. “Then I ended up being in some bad punk rock bands as a kid. James came up in a very musical family as well, playing a lot of instruments in church, and also joining a few bands growing up.”
“We just try to stay true to our sound as well as ourselves. We never want to chase a trend/sound that’s “of the moment” because that fans will see right through that and it wont work. Our formula has always been to do what feels natural. We love to work with artists that come from a different world than us, and make them fit into our sound. That’s always the challenge.”
Being in multiple groups not only kick-started their love for music, but further enhanced The Knocks’ ability to create a dynamic sound in a technical matter.
The Knocks has something to show for it though. For being a group that is new and emerging, they’ve accomplished quite a bit including their song “Make It Better” being on a national TV in a Corona commercial.
“We were both in multiple bands/hiphop groups growing up. Being in other projects makes you better musically and you also learn from experiences/mistakes.” Don’t get it wrong! The Knocks cannot simply be classified as one genre or the other, and it
“That was a really cool moment for us. We got so much exposure from that sync and people all over the country were texting us about it. We were brand new at the time so getting that look gave us some credibility as artists and drove us to get better and really take this music thing seriously.”
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The Knocks also has performed with Wyclef at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn, which Ben describes as “the most surreal moment in his career”. “Clef came out for our collaboration on “Kiss The Sky” wearing a Knocks sweatshirt and was riding on my shoulders. The crowd was completely in the moment and that felt special for us.” With the launch of their newest album 55, they get their name in reference to neighbors knocking on the door because music is playing too loud. All-in-all, The Knocks represents this with their perseverance to keep playing, which is exactly what this duo is about. “One afternoon, a woman came down from the floor above and was basically in tears, begging us to the turn the music off. She was sick and at home trying to get rest. As much as we wanted to, we were working with a big artist at the time and we couldn’t pass the opportunity. We are sorry. Haha.” Be sure to check out their newest album 55, available now via Atlantic Records. photos and interview by Penelope Martinez story by Jake Lahah
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So you guys just finished up a rad tour doing some dates with Never Shout Never? How was that? Minus the blizzards and cold, our leg of the tour was great. Met a lot of great people and played in front of some great crowds. I always feel grateful to play with friends like the guys in NSN. You and Never Shout Never are from the same city, hows that working with a band that is pretty big on the same label and from the same city? Do you guys see any musical crossroads between you guys or similarities because of location? Well, I don’t really know how much geographical location plays into how you write music. There isn’t a ton of crossover between us. We’re thematically different and musically different too. Chris is great at connecting with his lyrics, and while we are kind
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of punchy indie rock, they have a lot of psychedelic and folk elements in their music. The newest EP There will Be Time is coming out in April? Any new updates on that? We just released a lyric video for the single Tundraland! You can watch it through this link: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2F3dHeeVGLQ&feature=youtu.be Comparatively, how do you guys think fans will react about this new release? Do you think it will be because of a difference in sound or some other aspect? We’re very proud of this EP. There is a little more production in these songs than in The Ides, but I think it’s true to who we are musically and I think fans will enjoy it.
What’s the concept behind the EP? Any specific statement of idea that unifies it? The phrase “There Will Be Time” is from a line in a T. S. Elliot poem called The Love Ballad of J. Alfed Prufrock. It’s my favorite poem of all time. The theme throughout the EP is essentially that we think we’ll always have time to be who we want, and that isn’t necessarily true. It’s sort of a reflection on taking advantage of our youth and not putting off what you want to accomplish in life because time is really short. You guys released a lyric video for the newest single “Tundraland”. Aesthetically, what was the decision behind creating a video that has black and white film only and pink text? Do you think the new EP will reflect that kind of vibe? Or will it be a collaboration of other styles and tones?
The guy that put that together is Sam Chenoweth. I’m not a particularly visual person artistically. I’m almost deaf to visual arts. I can tell you if I like something (and I like this video) but I can’t describe why or why not. So even with album art and music videos I just trust the judgement of the other guys in the band with stuff like that. Lastly, what can fans expect over the next couple months. Any touring or new videos? We’ll have a few goodies for people before the release so stay tuned. interview by Jake Lahah photo provided
Well, we didn’t really come up with that concept.
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ALBUM R The Word Alive - Dark Matter Fearless Records Release: March 18th, 2015 Dark Matter is the eagerly anticipated fourth release from metalcore band The Word Alive. Released March 18th via Fearless Records, Dark Matter is a diverse release that displays many elements of The Word Alive: such as catchy, fast and chaotic pieces and slower, more intimate parts. The release definitely carries some atmospheric tones as well. “Trapped” is the first single off of the album, and was released earlier in the year. The track conveys an ominous tone, and the video is equally as haunting. The second verse hits hard, driven by a heavy riff and a wide presentation of Telle Smith’s vocal range. The song has one slow moment that is abruptly interrupted by a crushing, bass-fueled breakdown, and then closes after repeating the chorus. Another highlight on the release is “Sellout,” which kicks off with an energetic beat. The track is catchy and fun until the last minute, where it suddenly slows down. A somber, intimate mood takes over before a triumphant final eruption of drums. There are several tracks on Dark Matter that showcase the versatility of The Word Alive. “Made This Way” is a powerful track that captures a vast spectrum of sounds and emotions. Smith’s voice harmonizes beautifully with the guitars, and the instrumentation sounds mature and strong. “Insane” shows a different side of the album as it is more of a ballad. “Suffocating” is an eerie and slow track that features a cool guitar solo. Some of the heaviest tracks on the release are “Grunge” and the title-track. “Grunge” opens with the groovy main hook of the song, and the breakdown features some of the heaviest riffs on the entire release. “Dark Matter” immediately hits with extremely low tuning and Smith keeps his vocals in the harsh mid- to low-range. The instrumentation shifts from sporadic guitar bursts to slower grooves, making it dynamic and engaging for listeners. Dark Matter is a solid release for fans of The Word Alive or metalcore in general. Be sure to catch The Word Alive this summer on the Vans Warped Tour. They will be playing alongside Crown the Empire, Every Time I Die, Whitechapel, and more on the Monster Energy Party Zone North Stage. review by Kamna Talwar
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REVIEWS Movements - Outgrown Things Fearless Records Release: March 11th, 2015 Movements released their EP Outgrown Things via Fearless Records on March 11th. The album is merely an exploration between post-hardcore and pop-punk looking at how they can be incorporated in a unique matter. Movements opens up their album with “Kept”, which is somewhat of a heavy song. The tone is more hard and not as light giving a sense of raw vocals and emotions and as the album goes on, Movements reveals a sense of urgency for the artist to display some sort of expression. It goes from more expressionistic to a more somber and focused general tone. Songs like “Nineteen” and “Hatchet” show the more lighthearted and looser expression while tracks like “Vacant Home” and “Loosing Fight” have a centralized tone and feeling. It represents a struggle in both the way the songs are composed and lyrically. Hearing the lyrics “I’m a fucking mess!” in conglomeration with grungy sound shows off the idea of hardship, which is very relatable to the everyday teenager or adolescent. Outgrown Things is perfect for those that enjoy to see raw emotion captured through sound, while also enjoying. The most interesting thing that makes this release worth listening to is the uniqueness of the bands vocals for a first release. It’s not merely parts that are clean and parts that are unclean in vocals, but somehow it seems to exist as one type of style defining them as a group.
Wildways - Into The Wild Artery Recordings Release: March 26th, 2015 Wildways released their newest album Into The Wild on March 26th via Artery Recordings. The album is unique and full of energy in a chaotic manner. One of the signature things this album uses, is a creative form of pushing the electronics in it. The release blows the electronics out of proportions making it an emphasis in the release. It has a sort of manic state that lets the viewer travel around the sound and really sit and thing about the chaotic nature of the song. For example, songs like “D.O.I.T.” and “What You Feel” let the electronics create the energy in the song As well, Wildways includes a level of fuel for the listener with the vocals. You’ll often find moments where the band spits out lyrics in an in your face rap matter while still being an intense metalcore group. These exist in both clean and unclean vocals. Tracks “3 Seconds To Go” and “Faka Faka Yeah” show the unclean and clean examples respectively. The most successful song on the album is probably “Don’t Give Up Your Guns” with a nice balance using all those elements. Overall, the release has a level of aggression and play within the context of each song, which is not bad for an emerging artist that is on the brink of up and coming. review by Jake Lahah
review by Jake Lahah
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AGE IS JUST A NUMBER for one
of Pure Noise Record’s newly signed acts. Jule Vera is considerably one of the youngest bands in the industry out there at the moment, and after a successful launch on last summers Vans Warped Tour, and the release of their EP Friendly Enemies, they have a lot to show about their hardworking nature as musicians.
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When someone grows up with a grandfather, a mother, a father, and several sisters who all sing, it doesn’t come as a surprise when that person has a vocal gift of his or her own – and that is exactly where Ansley Newman, singer of alternative band Jule Vera, began her musical career. With her talents rooted early, from singing with a church choir in middle school to teaching herself guitar and songwriting at a young age, Ansley broadened her bases to playing in a group. “Jake, Will, and I were in a local cover band for a few years; we just played all of the local scenes. It was mainly to practice playing live and to start saving money.” Ansley, guitarist Jake Roland, and bassist William Stacey, were then introduced to now drummer Hogarth Horvath, and the rest was history – Jule Vera began their journey in 2013 and has come strides since then, being named “Best Emerging Artist” at the 2014 music festival Summerfest, and listed as one of the “100 Bands You Need to Know in 2015,” published by Alternative Press. They released their eight-track EP Friendly Enemies in June of 2015 and just finished up their spot on the “Black Cat Tour” with Never Shout Never, Metro Station, and Waterparks. They have worked incredibly hard for the credit they’ve received, making a point to make themselves accessible, relatable, and completely honest. “We try pretty hard to share our music with people and also encourage fans to share our music. On Vans Warped Tour last year we held up a sign all day every day that said “Come listen to my music.” We would pull people over to our tent and let them hear a song. A lot of them would end up buying our EP,” stated lead vocalist Ansley. But of course, chatting with concert-goers during festivals or after shows can only build so much support; bands can lure people in by comparing themselves to the sounds of other artists to spark interest, but separating themselves after the fact into an original, authentic voice that doesn’t fall onto the bandwagon is difficult.
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“One of the most challenging things is just being original and creative in everything we want to do,” Ansley said. “That includes our music and even goes to pictures and videos and social media and everything. There are so many artists right now, it’s hard to brainstorm unique ideas for everything.” With Instagram feeds and Twitter timelines full of promotional photos and antics to make each new band seem like the coolest kids on the block, Jule Vera has worked hard to separate themselves from the bunch, both musically and aesthetically. Rather than posting a constant stream of professional photography and tour advertisements, Ansley, Will, Jake, and Hogarth fill their social media streams with refreshing, genuinely captured moments, like playing video games together on their couch or running around in Disney World. Their earnest sincerity separates them from the masses because rather than an up-and-coming big name artist, they are simply a group of friends who play great music; and that is something people can be attracted to in and of itself. And beyond the simple fact of their incredibly relatable nature, Jule Vera’s songs allow for a trust to be built between themselves and their fans; they care about what they write, as well as who they are writing to, and listeners can immediately latch onto their wholehearted lyrics. “We try to be as honest as we can in our songs. Obviously there’s some stuff we don’t choose to write about but for the most part, we just write what we feel. We’ve learned that it’s our job as musicians to do our best at everything we put out. With music, that always starts and ends with the song itself. We always try to focus on the songwriting before we add any other instruments or production to it. Originality and creativity are very important to us as well.” Even more than just a creative voice, Jule Vera is original in every aspect of their craft. They take a truly DIY approach to everything they create, extending their sincerity and genuine intentions past their lyrics and into the most technical parts of being a band.
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“One of the most challenging things we’ve done is make our own music videos. We did almost everything ourselves besides the actual video filming. For the video for “Light the Night,” we built the whole mirror room and hung all of the lights and everything. For the video for “Scarlet Letter,” we had to pick out all of the costumes, scout the locations, and get all of the props.” For Jule Vera, 2016 started off on a great foot with a full U.S. tour, and is now continuing with their first UK tour alongside As It Is and With Confidence. And while they are also working on writing and recording their first full length album, the foursome is doing everything they can to make their mark in the industry and follow the advice of “always be writing songs and to always try to make them the best they can be.” The foursome got their start at a very young age, with Ansley and Jake barely 17 years old when the band formed in 2013. But through it all, they have always had a rock solid foundation that has supported them through their rising fame. “My family was extremely supportive of my choice and I’m really grateful for that,” said Ansley. “Like I said, they all love music so they were really happy and excited for me. All of our families were really supportive of us. Jake’s house is where we practice so his whole family has to deal with us and they’re really cool about it.” A solid support system is important in any career choice, especially in the music industry, but it is even more essential for a group like Jule Vera who joined forces before any of them even hit the
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age of 20. They were catapulted into the world of music, learning how to balance touring, recording, and being independent adults, the latter of which is difficult on it’s own. But family encouragement helped them stand tall. Regardless of their grounded roots and clear focus on their future, the band has had its truly surreal moments in getting to where they are today. “The first time we heard from Sony/ATV – Rich Christina from Sony messaged the Jule Vera page on Facebook asking us who our lawyer was. When we saw who he worked for we freaked out. We sent him the info for a lawyer we had talked to but never used before, and they started working on a deal for us. We signed to Sony/ATV for our publishing in 2014 and it was just awesome to see that music industry people were hearing about us and liked our songs.” With an official record deal, a full album in the works, and multiple tours on the horizon, Jule Vera has not only a bright 2016, but a bright future far ahead of them. Be sure to check out their EP, Friendly Enemies, and catch them on their spring UK tour with As It Is. photos and interview by Penelope Martinez story by Alexa Frankovitch
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GALLERY END
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I SEE STARS PHOTO BY ALEXA FRANKOVITCH sailor’s talk | 41
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BEING AS AN OCEAN PHOTO BY RYAN STACEY sailor’s talk | 43
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MISS MAY I PHOTO BY TIFFANY CHACON sailor’s talk | 45
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HIGHLY SUSPECT PHOTO BY CAITLYN WILLARD sailor’s talk | 47
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CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK! PHOTO BY ALEXA FRANKOVITCH sailor’s talk | 49
sailor’s talk magazine
OUT CAME THE WOLVES PHOTO BY JAKE LAHAH