VANNA // ACTION ITEM // ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL// + MORE
TABLE OF CONTENTS UPCOMING FEATURES 4 ACTION ITEM 6 VANNA 10 CROSSFAITH 14 TOP 3 MEMORABLE ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL OUTFITS 18
Lead vocalist Brian Cag spoke to us about the unsigned up and coming pop band's work ethic, working with a Jonas Brother, and where he see's the band in two years.
It’s become a common misconception that all pop bands immediately get radio play, and it’s an even larger one that they are immediately signed to a major label and do not have to work their way to the top. Action Item, an up and coming pop band from New Jersey, are living proof that not all pop bands are immediately handed a record deal and world tours and that pop bands are still putting in hard work to get to the top. I had a chance to meet up with the band’s vocalist, Brian Cag, prior to the band’s latest tour supporting their latest release “Resolution”. We talked about Action Item’s intense work ethic, working with Nick Jonas, getting signed, and the future of the band. Speed of Sound Magazine: So you just spent some time hanging out with fans, how important would you say building a relationship fans, new and old, is?
BC: Nick produced our single called "Learn to Fly" It was great. Our manager actually hit up Nick's manager and he sent him the song and Nick was super impressed with [the song]. Basically, he sat at home, built a track around it and kinda Brian Cag: Without fan interaction we wouldn't have reworked the song. He showed up to the studio fans we're the kind of band that would go out after and showed us what he made himself and we're every show, like we kind of just did, to meet our fans like "Oh this is really cool let's keep adding on it" and meet everyone new and introduce ourselves to and it was just a great producer-band people. We are where we are because we did that relationship. He was really easy to work with. and took those steps to really get in front of people and say "Hi, my name is Brian. How'd you like my SOS: Speaking of huge names, what was it like band?" just kind of be very forward about it. opening for Justin Bieber? SOS: Since you’re about to head out on your first headlining tour, can you reflect on the past and tell me what has been your favorite tour you've done so far? BC: Maybe last tour we did with Owl City, but the tour we did with a band called Hot Chelle Rae, [is my current favorite] we're really good friends with and them they're all great guys. I wish them all the best. SOS: On that note, if you could tour with anyone dead/alive who would it be?
BC: It was great. We played a great show with Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez a little while back and that kind of opened a lot of doors for us as far as going on these types of tours. It was kind of mind blowing it was our first arena show ever and going from playing to like 50 - 100 kids to 19,000 was a big shock for us, but it kind of made us better musicians and better friends even. SOS: What is the biggest obstacle you guys face being unsigned pop band?
BC: I guess people sometimes write off a band as unsigned, but I think the way music is turning BC: Of course John Lennon, The Beatles. That would people are starting to understand that being be amazing they're my favorite band ever. Alive, unsigned is kind of a good thing sometimes, and probably Coldplay, Maroon 5. of course kind of negative, but I think it's like a misunderstanding really. If someone is unsigned SOS: As you embark on your first headliner, tell me that doesn't mean they're not great or not where you see Action Item in the next two years? working hard. [Being signed] is usually an option or more of trying to find the right team, which is BC: In the next two years, I hope touring the world, what we're doing. international touring. We've been to the UK before but we'd love to go to places like Italy and Germany SOS: Do you guys see yourselves signing any time and all across Asia and Australia. Hopefully with a soon? top 10 single. BC: Yeah, very soon, actually pretty soon SOS: Since you mentioned you’d love to have a top hopefully! That's the word on that. 10 single tell me what was the recording process like with Nick Jonas? Photos and words by Nicole Stephens
After playing a full set, coordinating a meet and greet, and chatting with me outside of the doors, Cag looks exhausted, but still was able to maintain a smile on his face. While the band’s touring and press schedule is rigorous I have firm belief that Action Item is on its way to becoming a household name by the end of 2013 due to the band’s commitment as a whole to producing well thought out pop tracks and gaining a loyal following with every show they play. Action Item is currently preparing to tour the United Kingdom on the “Wake Up and be Awesome” tour supporting The Summer Set and then play all of the 2013 Vans Warped Tour this summer. The band’s first full length “Resolution” is out now!
Photos and words by Nicole Stephens
In the alternative music scene it is not uncommon for bars and night clubs to double as music venues for four to six hours a night, but on the 27th February Boston native posthardcore outfit Vanna played at a new venue to an entirely different market at Grand Central in Miami, Florida. Being one of the solid openers for Every Time I Die’s headlining tour in support of their latest release “Ex Lives”, Vanna started their set doing what they do best; playing their hearts out for those who appreciate their music. Although after three two songs the band’s heavily bearded front man, Davey Muise, noticed that the crowd full of heavily disinterested hipsters the night club is normally infested with scrolling through instagram where not giving the band the respect he felt they deserved. The front man soon threatened to kick anyone he saw towards the front of the stage with their phone out in the face. “You paid money to be here and you’re not even paying any attention to what’s going on!” the vocalist expressed to the crowd. After the singer’s exclamation phones were put away out of fear, and the crowd did begin to become more enjoy the rest of the band’s set. Highlights of the band’s set other than Muise’s red-flagging certain members of the audience, was the switching of their set list to accommodate the new songs (“Year of the Rat” and “The Lost Art of Staying Alive”) off of the band’s most recent release “The Few and Far Between” . While I will personally admit the majority of the crowd the band played to was a dud, the die-hard fans and great execution of the group’s older material really showcased exactly why Vanna has stood the test of time and numerous member changes. Vanna is currently gearing up for an Austrailian tour with Norma Jean and Safe Hands this summer. “The Few and Far Between” is out now!
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It's not often that we hear about the heavy music scene in the eastern hemisphere, and it seems that when we think about the Japanese music scene, we tend to immediately think of sugary overly produced pop groups and wouldn't necessarily be able to think of any Japanese metal acts off the top of our heads. Fortunately, Osaka native metalcore outfit Crossfaith has been exposing the heavier side of the Japanese music scene to United States audiences for the first time of their latest tour supporting Enter Shikari and Architects. When I was given given the unique opportunity to sit down and speak with the band's lead vocalist Kenta Koie I jumped at it. Koie spoke about the band's first tour in the United States as a Japanese band, their upcoming release, and the impact of U.S predecessors on the creation of their music. SOS: For being an international band did you guys expect this growth from Japan to the states? KK: Actually this is our first time being here, it's quite beautiful. it's been a dream to be in the states for a long time, but we already toured in the UK twice and South Seas, everything worked great, and finally we are here. I expected Americans to be crazy (laughs) I love this place. Speed of Sound: How has it been touring with Enter Shikari and Architects? Kenta Koie: Well we hung out with Enter Shikari in Japan and they remembered us, we've partied hard with them. [As for] Architects we met them in France at Damage Festival which any genre can play. SOS: What can you say about the upcoming album, and what can fans expect from it? KK: Yes, we will be releasing a new album in August, it's going to be a full length and it's going to include a different style. Its going to be heavier, with it we mix dubstep into things into it, but it's still Crossfaith.
KK: Monolith, that song has a big meaning for Crossfaith and myself. Sometimes I write my life in these lyrics, It's therapy for me. This songs message is to break the past and to start up fresh. SOS: Describe your live show in one word KK: Oh! Chaos! SOS: If someone has never heard of your band, how would you describe it and what makes it unique? KK: Crossfaith is extreme rock with an electronic sound, and we mix it up with high energy. SOS: Who all has inspired you to create music? KK: We're always listening to so many types of music like hardcore, new metal, trance, electronic music and everything in between; but our main influences are Slipknot, Skrillex and Prodigy. Mainly Slipknot, Corey Taylor is my favorite vocalist. SOS: What bands do you want to tour with? KK: Oh! Slipknot and Skrillex definitely.
SOS: What are some crazy band memories? SOS: What message do you want to get across from KK: The most craziest thing was in our Europe tour, the Zion EP? In Hungary after our show the staff told us there is KK: Destroy and rebuild... destroying things [of the] a bomb threat. They called the police and everyone past and making new things. and everything escaped from the venue. In the end it was bullshit! It was crazy, I said fuck I don't want SOS: What is your writing process for songs? to die!(laughs) Where do the ideas come from? KK: We get [them] a few ways for song writing, one SOS: With Warped tour coming around the corner is the guitar riffs we come up with, another is what are your feelings towards it? having us come up with a big idea and get that put KK: So excited to be there, you know the Vans we together with vocals, bass, guitar, drums and Warped Tour compilation albums? I listen to every other stuff. We tried new things for the new album, single one, and everything on it. My favorite one and I hope you guys like it. would be 2005. We met Underoath and Atreyu they are the reason I started screaming. Underoath blew SOS: What are some of the themes for the new my mind, it's like fuck their insane! I never heard album? screaming before like in Underoath. It is crazy. KK: Oh well we already confirmed our titles, but we cannot say right now. [laughs] SOS: Do you have any parting words? KK: WE released our latest EP, Zion, in the state, SOS: What song are you currently the proudest of, make sure you check that out! We will also be on and which has the most meaning? all dates on Vans Warped Tour this year! Photos and interview by Brooklyn Parcel
It's that time of year again; music festival season. With so many different genres, locations, and dates it becomes hard to even differentiate each festival from the other, but in Miami there is one festival that will always make headlines every year. The 2013 Miami installment Ultra Music Festival was not encompassed to just one weekend but two causing Electronic Dance Music fans around the world to rejoice. Ultra Music Festival isn’t exactly comparable to Warped, Coachella, SXSW, Lollapalooza, Bamboozle, or Skate-n-Surf, it has enough memorable events to create its own mind altering substance induced subculture. This subculture isn’t just about EDM, but it becomes more about the statement that each individual makes with his or her clothing (or lack thereof) choices. The staff at Speed of Sound has looked through folder after folder of Ultra Music Festival patrons and we present to you a countdown of the top three memorable getups straight off the streets of downtown Miami.