Issue 13 by Symphonatic Magazine

76TH STREET FROM INDIAN LAKES SEEKING VALOR MAJOR LEAGUE THE TRAGIC THRILLS CANDY HEARTS & MORE

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STAFF FOUNDER EDITOR IN CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER & DESIGNER S H A N A MY E R S

co desi gner & photographer B R A N DY N N L E IG H

P HOTOG R A P H E R S Abby Gillardi, Abby Griffey, Amanda Jensen, Amanda Puglisi, Anam Merchant, Brandynn Leigh, Brian Baker, Cassie Deadmond, Chelsea Gresh, Evgeniya, Kait Rairden, Kelli Coyne, Kim Cisneros, Kylee Gregg, Lauren Zaknoun, Lindsy Carr, Lori Gutman, Maeva Valbousquet, Meaghan Brown, Melanie Jacknow, Mika Schmeling, Penelope Martinez, Priten Vora, Sami Wideberg, Shana Myers. Taylor Novak, Victoria George

W R IT E R S Branda Cavanna, Candace Carter, Caitlyn Tanner, Josie Adnit, Lu Lu Green, Maisie King, Mike Martin, Mila Hrisimova, Sarah Kempster, Scarlett Grant, Victoria George

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ON THE COVER

WE ARE THE IN CROWD

CONTENTS SHOW REVIEWS

ALBUM REVIEWS

N E W P O L I T I C S 10 S O M E K I N D OF W O N D E R F U L 12

INTERVIEWS T H E R E A D Y S E T 16

28 7 6 T H S T R E E T

A N B E R L I N 18

30 F R O M I N D I A N L A K E S

Y E L L O W C A R D 20

32 S E E K I N G V A L O R

D E M I L O V A T O 23

34 M A J O R L E A G U E

P E A R L J A M 24

36 E R I C D A S H

N E W S B O Y S 26

38 M A C K E N Z I E B O U R G 40 C A N D Y H E A R T S 42 T H E T R A G I C TH R I L L S 44 W E A R E T H E I N C R O W D

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album r e v i e w s 6

ARTIST: MAJOR LEAGUE ALBUM: THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH ME RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 4, 2014

After the departure of Major League’s former vocalist, Nick Trask, back in January, guitarist Brian Joyce took over on vocals. The band has now released their sophomore album, There’s Nothing Wrong With Me which is the follow up to 2012’s Hard Feelings. This album brings more changes than just a different vocalist , it delves into an emotional, personal story of vulnerability. The album starts off with “Wallflower” which sets up their new sound of mid-tempo rock songs as opposed to their previous pop-punk sound from the previous record. The song is Joyce recalling the last time his parents were together and it brings you into the changes that later occur in his life. The story grows as he talks about struggling with who he is while growing up in “Just As I Am”, while the song “Montreal” explains the highs and lows of dealing with depression. It is the only acoustic song and provides a much needed change. While the album is beautiful lyrically, the songs seem to get lost by sounding too much alike at times. A definite standout is the single “Kaleidoscopes” which is fast paced while still showcasing Joyce’s voice. It has an overall sound that brings you back to the days of Hard Feelings but a new, matured version. The album clearly shows the new direction that the band is heading in and their ability to progress. REVIEW BY: LINDSY CARR

ARTIST: SLIPKNOT ALBUM: 5: THE GRAY CHAPTER RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 21, 2014

The intro ‘XIX’ alone sets the long awaited album up for a monumental listen. As always Slipknot unites band and listeners, to “walk with [them]” and to not fear anything alone. The Gray Chapter really captures what everyone wanted of the band; unison in acknowledging there is pain, but we do not focus on it. We ride it out through the music, together. The whole point of the album seems to be a therapeutic process for the band, and the listeners who have had time away from the music. But yet the tracks still manage to reiterate (quite heavily) that we must be ourselves no matter what. With tracks such as ‘AOV’ which delves between metal riffs, and a melodic chorus. The ups and downs mirror the insanity of life, which the album seems to strive to do. Such as ‘The Devil in I’ which explores deeper what we must consider about ourselves. ‘Lech’ however angrily drums its way through the pain and realisation that we are all immortal. The beats from Jordison are insane as always. The band playing has not faltered, and this really heightens the skill the band honed in and can perform and create together. Their skill and talent allows for a masterpiece of an album. Which is shown in the special track of ‘Goodbye’ that is almost a poetic soliloquy, which will bring tears to eyes, especially during a live performance. Metal can be mean madness, but it doesn’t have to. And, even if it does in some tracks, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t carry true value and sense. Ending on a decision maker, the album questions what path we choose, even when we are faced with the despair of not wanting to choose any. The album will not let fans down, but most importantly it is a huge personal compilation of music for the band.

REVIEW BY: SARAH KEMPSTER

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ARTIST: NEW FOUND GLORY ALBUM: RESURRECTION RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 7, 2014

Following their two year break, American pop punk band New Found Glory re enter the music scene with an eighth album titled Resurrection. Facing the loss of rhythm guitarist Steve Klein and record label change the band admit to growing up for this album and producing a cleaner version of their older music such as the popular ‘My Friends Over You’ from their third album Sticks and Stones. New Found Glory bask in the light of being one of the greatest pop punk bands for almost two decades alongside the likes of the masters Blink 182 and Fall Out Boy (although some would argue Save Rock and Roll is more pop than punk). Members Jordan Pundik (vocalist), Chad Gilbert (guitarist), Ian Grushka (bassist) and Cyrus Bolooki (drummer) preformed nothing less than fantastically thought the album singing about heart break, betrayal and growing up, arguably all about Klein. The second single from their album ‘Ready and Willing’ is slightly less typical of their sound, not as melodic hardcore as the rest hence the satirical video ripping pop culture bands with their ironic ‘boy-band’ video a direct mock of teen sensations 5 Seconds of Summer. Equally the albums first single ‘Resurrection’ is as full of fire and energy as you might expect setting up the rest of the album to be packed full of punch particularly from pit enticer ‘The Worst Person’ and pathological track ‘Angel’ the first of its kind since the 5th album Coming Home. There’s no doubt in saying New Found Glory have pulled off yet another astounding record as real and energetic as ever before providing the band with plenty of new crowd pleasers for their latest UK tour (November). Favourite track: Selfless Least favourite track: On My Own

REVIEW BY: MAISIE KING

ARTIST: U2 ALBUM: SONGS OF INNOCENCE RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

No one does rock n’ roll quite like U2, so no one would do a comeback quite like them either. U2 is back, and with them has come a new age of music: An ode to the past; childhood and adolescence being found again. Their new album, still free on iTunes if you’re interested, is a masterpiece full of both the band’s classic style and with new spirits. This album truly gives everyone a little piece of comfort. No matter what genre you prefer, whether it be rock, pop, metal, indie, or simply listen to whatever’s on the Top 40, you will appreciate some aspect of this album. It’s soothing to the ears, and to the mind. It will have you in thought and at the same time making you want to dance or just rock out. I can gaurentee that California (There Is No End to Love) will be playing in the back of your mind for a few days after you listen to it. I’m also sure that you’ve heard The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) either on the radio or on the commerical promoting the album. If it’s not ringing a bell, do the lyrics I woke up at the moment when the miracle occured, heard a song that made some sense out of the world sound familiar? If that song doesn’t make you just want to burst out singing, I don’t know what does. Now a lot of people are saying this album is tacky and the lyrics are predictable. Some saying it’s “formless” and that it’s “vaingloriously hoping to fit around the experience of millions.” (this coming from an article I read in a magazine) Now, I don’t know why this person and many more are complaining about. What’s so bad about songs where the audience fills in the meaning? It makes it more personal to each person listening, and every person can relate and connect to it in their own ways. Think about that while the lyrics you and I are rock ‘n roll play in the backround. (ALSO HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED TO FANS OF COLDPLAY)

REVIEW BY: MIRIAM MOREK

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STALKER SERIES PREMIERE DATE: 10/1

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SLEEPY HOLLOW SEASON PREMIERE DATE: 10/3

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LIVE REVIEWS NEW POLITICS

P H O T O A N D R E V I E W B Y: K E L L I C O Y N E

Concerts on Halloween night are always bound to be silly. The peeps of SomeKindaWonderful, Bad Suns, and New Politics did not disappoint in the costume department on the Anaheim, CA stop of the Everywhere I Go Tour. The House of Blues packed itself with fans in costumes of their own, the overall vibe and anticipation leading up to showtime feeling slightly different than if the show was on any other day. SomeKindaWonderful took the stage first, each member sporting butterfly wings on their backs as a nod to their band logo and skeleton makeup. They immediately kicked into tracks off their debut self-titled album that released over the summer. Hate to say it, but the crowd didn’t seem to wake up until they left the stage. That’s when I realized who these kids was actually here for; they were here for Bad Suns. Yep, the Los Angeles natives were definitely the reason this show was sold out. I couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of the tour had been like this (the crowd showing more interest in an opener than the headliner), or if it was just because this particular show was local for them. Either way, when the band hit the stage (Halloween makeup on point) -— it was chaos. I will admit that I hadn’t actually heard their music before. However, I have mutual friends with some of the members because like I mentioned, they are local. So I’ve been familiar with them in that sense, but I was pleasantly surprised by their sound and immediately understood the big deal. It gave me a nice sense of pride to witness the impact of their success when most of the local bands around me hardly ever make it anywhere. Once the adrenaline died down, it was already time for the main event. New Politics’ road crew appeared on stage all dressed in various animal onesies, so that gave everyone a bit of a hint as to what was to come. When the lights went down and spooky horror music started creeping through the sound system while white strobe lights hit the stage, the outline of someone in a monkey costume came running on stage throwing bananas into the crowd before slinging a bass over their shoulder; Søren Hansen. A giraffe took a seat behind the drums; Louis Vecchio. And as the intro to their hit single “Tonight You’re Perfect” built up, a very enthusastic pig came skipping out down center stage; David Boyd. The guys got through about five songs before realizing how bad of an idea it was to wear heavy animal onesies on stage combined with all the body heat in the venue and eventually tore them off. The band debuted multiple new songs they wrote/recorded for their new album while on the road with Paramore and Fall Out Boy over the summer. The new material and previous album tracks had everyone losing their minds from start to finish, but obviously not as much as their previous singles such as “Dignity”, “Yeah Yeah Yeah” and of course the closing number, “Harlem”. Their third studio album Vikings is set to be released early 2015.

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SomeKindaWonderful

P H O T O S A N D R E V I E W B Y: L O R I G U T M A N

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Five-piece SomeKindaWonderful was the perfect opener for New Politics. Although the band’s set definitely wasn’t as wild and over-the-top, they got the crowd moving right away. Everyone had a great energy, and the interactions between vocalist Jordy Towers and percussionist Sarah Dyer were fun to watch. Sarah definitely stole the show for me, however. She seemed like she was having the time of her life, and it made a great performance that much more enjoyable. With only a handful of songs, including “Honeymoon,” “Police,” and their hit “Reverse,” SomeKindaWonderful had a pretty short set. Still, it’s safe to say they left me wanting more. This group is definitely some kind of wonderful, and I would love to see them again in the future!

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THE READY SET One thing that I love about seeing The Ready Set in concert is the fact that he always has so much energy on stage. He get’s so into performing that he hardly ever sits still. He’s constantly all of the stage, giving his fans the best performance of his life each and every single time. He puts so much heart into it which, in my opinion, just makes the show that much better. Usually when I see The Ready Set in concert, the crowd is going insane. They’re singing along, jumping around and having a good time but for some reason, this show was different. I hate to say it but this was honestly the most boring crowd I have ever seen. That didn’t stop Jordan from going crazy on stage, though. In fact, it didn’t seem to really faze him in the slightest. He still talked to the crowd, he still jumped around the stage, and he still sang his heart out. I personally feel like The Ready Set is one of the best performers, both vocally and stage precence, of our generation. I give him props for continuing to do his thing and having fun while the crowd just stood there and watched him. I do hope he at least noticed my cousin and one of my best friends going crazy with him, though. They were literally the only two who acted as though they knew how to have fun at a concert. Either way, I highly recommend you go see The Ready Set in concert if you haven’t done so already. I’ve seen them about 5-6 times already and each time is a blast. Not only is it fun, but he always tries his hardest to meet fans after the show even if it’s freezing outside. He is one of the niceset people I’ve met. Not just in the industry, but ever. P H O T O A N D R E V I E W B Y: S H A N A M Y E R S

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ANBERLIN Florida-based rock group, Anberlin, is calling it quits after what was surely a solid run more than twelve years. The band released seven albums through its career, and each album adding another chapter to the band’s legacy. The Final Tour, rightfully names, stopped at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH for one final night of music and memories before the band steps off the stage for good. “Columbus has always been wonderful to us,” lead vocalist Stephen Christian says. “Every time we played Newport was amazing.” Having no opening band, it was Anberlin’s night and its night, and those in attendance certainly had no complaints. Fans filled the venue, wall to wall, at the cold out show: a perfect example of just how important Anberlin was to its loyal following. And those fans sang the lyrics back as if their hearts depended on it. Anberlin’s setlist was filled with many favorites, a total of twenty-four songs, including their completely fitting encore, “*Fin.” Among those songs were hits “Paperthin Hymn,” “Feel Good Drag,” “Inevitable” and “Godspeed;” the ultimate combination of acoustic and heavy tunes, just as any setlist should be. At one point during the performance, vocalist Stephen Christian jumped onto the barricade, allowing fans to sing for him as he held the microphone for whoever gained the opportunity to use it. Shortly after, Christian tossed the mic aside and threw himself into the crowd for a short crowd surfing session. “Thank you so much for being here through all the years,” Christian told the crowd, “for seven years, this has all been for you.” Fans roared for their soon-to-be-fallen favorites before the night drew to a close. After playing its encore, Anberlin stood together, on stage, and took its final bow.

R E V I E W B Y: H A N N A H P L Y M P T O N P H O T O S B Y: H A N N A H P L Y M P T O N & M E A G H A N B R O W N

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After months of waiting, fans arrive outside the House of Blues in Boston for Yellowcard and Memphis May Fire’s co-headliner. Earlier in the day, Yellowcard announced that they would be livestreaming the whole show, which only added to the excitement for the fans. An hour before the show started, the fans started pouring into the venue to see Emarosa, Memphis May Fire, and Yellowcard. Emarosa played an energizing 30 minute set with lead vocalist Bradley Walden jumping into the crowd several times during the set. Six out of the eight songs from the set were from their latest album, Versus, which was released on September 9th through Rise Records. This is the first album Emarosa has released since Jonny Craig has left the band. They played some of their hits including Mad, I’ll Just Wait, American Deja Vu, Say Hello To the Bad Guy, and Set It Off Like Napalm. Next up was Memphis May Fire, who had the entire crowd going. Fans have waiting months to hear MMF play some of their favorite songs including hits off of their recent release, Unconditional, which came out in March 2014, Challenger out in 2012, and The Hollow out in 2011. Some of the hits include No Ordinary Love, Beneath the Skin, Legacy, and The Sinner. The fans were signing their hearts out, as well crowdsurfing. Half way through the set, lead vocality Matty Mullins took the time to talk to the crowd. He talked about the fact that musicians are no different from them, the fans. “The only difference between you and us is that we are on this big stage.” Finally, it was Yellowcard’s turn to come on. On October 7th, Yellowcard released their ninth studio album, Lift A Sail. The lights went down and violinist Sean Mackin came on stage and performed the first song of their new album, Convocation. Then the rest of the band came out to perform, Transmission Home, and the crowd went crazy. Yellowcard played mainly songs off of their new record because the tour was in support of the new album they just released. However, it wouldn’t be a Yellowcard show without the huge hits that we have all grew up with and have loved for nearly a decade or more. They did in-act play Lights and Sounds, Only One and Ocean Avenue. They also played The Deepest Well featuring vocals from Matty Mullins of Memphis May Fire. Yellowcard performs with such a high energy level. Fans were singing along with all the songs, including songs off of the new album that was released less than a month prior to the show. During Lights and Sounds as well as Ocean Avenue, all of the fans were jumping and singing at the top of their lungs as if this was the last time they would be playing. Surely, this will be far from the last time Yellowcard performs, and if they continue with the high energy and catchy songs; they will be here for a very very long time to come. P H O T O S & R E V I E W B Y: M E A G H A N B R O W N 20

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P H O T O S B Y: M E A G H A N B R O W N

P H O T O S B Y: S H A N A M Y E R S

DEMI LOVATO, CHRISTINA PERRI, MKTO

P H O T O B Y: B R I A N B A K E R

On Wednesday October 15, 2015, we had the privilege to attend the Demi Lovato world tour at the KFC Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The artists that performed were MKTO, Bea Miller, Christina Perri, and Demi Lovato. The motivational speaker Spencer West also came out on stage and talked for a little bit. Overall, the show was great! Everyone did a fantastic job. We only got to catch the end of MKTO’s performance because of construction traffic on our way to the venue slowing us down, but from what we saw they were amazing and looked like they had an amazing time doing their set. Bea Miller was really good as well. She made sure she was interacting with the audience and anyone who went to that show that didn’t know who she was definitely does now. I loved Christina Perri’s set. She played the piano so beautifully. I personally don’t know many of her songs, but I am definitely going to start listening to her more now after seeing her live. Demi Lovato killed it, like usual. She is always so energetic when she performs, it’s hard not to get up and dance with her. Her set was definitely the highlight of my night, which went nothing but downhill from there. We had car trouble and had to spend the night in the car in a parking garage. I don’t recommend anyone ever doing that either. If you have car trouble and you’re out of state like that, make sure you have enough money for a hotel because that was not fun. Other than that, the show was amazing and if you ever have a chance to go see any of these artists perform, go see them. They are really good and definitely worth the money to go see. :) R E V I E W B Y: E R I K A R A N K I N

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PEARL JAM For a 3 hour concert, people defiantly got their money’s worth seeing Pearl Jam at the iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois. Besides the fact of playing “No Code” in its entirety which is not my favorite Pearl Jam album, the guys played a pretty good batch of songs. I was pleased to hear a good amount from TEN. You always feel part of the show with Pearl Jam since they are great with the fans. R E V I E W & P H O T O S B Y: B R I A N B A K E R

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NEWSBOYS R E V I E W & P H O T O S B Y: B R I A N B A K E R

I seriously don’t even know where to begin. The Newsboys set was amazing. I LOVE the Gods Not Dead album and totally needed a worship night to just let go. They played some of the songs from Born Again as well which was really cool how they mixed things up during their set. Michael sang “Nothing But the Bloodl” acappella which was amazing!! Seriously, it sends chills down my back hearing him sing a song acappella. I love when Duncan uses a megaphone during “Escape” and has his sunglasses on stage...that song is so full of energy. The worship songs were awesome. I especially loved “The King is Coming” and “Gods Not Dead”, but all of the songs that they had in their set from the Gods Not Dead album were amazing. They did “Jesus Freak” which is one of my favorite songs from DC Talk and Duncan was on his spinner. No matter how many times I see the spinner, it NEVER gets old!! During the evening Jeff, who isn’t much for public speaking, gave an amazing talk about Creation. At the end of the night the whole tour came out on stage during “Revelation Song” and sang together which was a super cool way to end the night.

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INTERVIEWS

76th Street I N T E R V I E W B Y: P I T R I N A G I L G E R

How did you two (Spencer and Haley) meet? How did the band form and how did you come up with the name? The two of us met at the lunch table at Grayhawk Elementary School in 5th grade! We have always enjoyed putting together songs and performing them whenever we have the chance. After pursuing our solo careers from the ages of 12, we decided to fuse our passion for music together and become a duo. It was the best choice we’ve made and we haven’t looked back since. Our band name came about because of its significance of being the street that divides each of our neighborhoods and brought us together!

Swell Season, and London Grammar. We were drawn to the mystifying and almost haunting sound and harmonies of these three music groups.

Who would you consider your biggest musical influences? Some of our musical influences include The Civil Wars, The

Your EP came out this year, and it’s available on iTunes! What’s it like knowing that your music is reaching a larger audience

You are a fairly new band. When did you first start playing music together, and what has been your experience entering the music industry? We started singing and performing together from the age of 10 but only a year ago created our official band of “76th Street”. So far, we have had an amazing experience! Just being given the chance to share our music and passion with people has been an honor. It is even more special to share this experience What made you interested in music? with your best friend of eight years and running. We are conWe both became involved in musical theater from a very young stantly learning new things about ourselves and how the music age. This definitely sparked our interest for singing and music. business works. One of the biggest things we have learned is Being a part of the choir in elementary school also helped our the importance of staying true to your own music even while interest in music grow. the industry tries to shape you into what they want you to be.

than just people who come to watch your shows? It is an amazing feeling knowing that a few of our songs are available to people everywhere! One of the greatest messages to see is that someone stumbled upon our EP and can’t stop listening. It is just another outlet and way to get our music out there. As this EP was only released a few months ago, our minds are already on the next one and we can’t wait to get started! Where do you draw inspiration for your songs? Is there one song in particular that you feel represents your band or musical style? All of our songs are very different from each other but they all do share one very compelling theme. The songs we write are meant to encourage strength and independence. We are hoping to stray away from writing the hopeless love songs we were hypnotized to write years ago. Writing with somebody else has been an interesting and very rewarding experience because we have the opportunity to bring each of our styles and ideas together. We hope to inspire people with these songs and create a feeling of positivity and empowerment.

really show the direction “76th Street” is headed. As we toured the four corner states this past summer, we hope to do this again on a larger scale throughout the country, possibly with another band! The sky is the limit for us and we can’t wait to see what 2015 has in store. What’s your favorite memory as a band so far? One of the most memorable moments for us occurred during our summer tour. We had just finished our show in Taos, New Mexico and decided to check out the radio station down the street. There was a band performing there and we were clearly the youngest people at the venue. We noticed the band was on their break and there was a huge crowd of people patiently waiting for some more music! We talked to the band about singing a song or two and the next thing we knew, we were introducing ourselves as “76th Street” to a huge crowd! As we sang one of our own, each of the band members one by one came in with their own instrument. By the end of the song we had a full on production in the radio station. It was an amazing moment!

You’ve been playing a lot of music festivals lately. Do you prefer festival venues or a more intimate crowd? The festival venues are amazing places to share our music on a larger scale and to a larger audience. However, there is something so special about intimate venues for the reason of connecting to the audience on a more personal level. We have the chance to connect to them through the stories our songs tell and learn about them as they learn about us. What’s your biggest goal as a musical duo? Our biggest goal is to grow our music on the larger scale of a world tour, meeting as many people as we can and doing the thing that makes us happiest. We understand how much work it does and will continue to require but both of us have our eyes and hearts set on this passion. Being freshman at ASU, we have had to balance social life and school life while trying to build a musical career. Amongst all the distractions we encounter everyday, we are completely determined to stay focused. What musical artists would your dream tour consist of? Some artists we would love to tour with would have to be The Civil Wars, One Republic, Imagine Dragons, and Sara Bareilles. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received involving your musical career, and who was it from? One of the best pieces of advice we have received was from somebody names Todd O’Neil whom we met in Houston, Texas after our audition for “The Voice”. He stressed how important it is to not get caught up in the bumps in the road and the things that may go wrong. When you look at the bigger picture, it is easier to see how insignificant those things are. By having complete focus on your goal and believing yourself that you are going to achieve something, the little things can never discourage you. What are your plans for 2015? Where do you see the band in ten years? We have high hopes for this coming year! We hope to release our second EP or possibly CD with brand new, fresh songs that

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Your third album, Absent Sounds, is due out on October 7th. How did the writing process for this album differ from previous albums? I think being in different cities while i was writing definitely changed the tone in some ways. I wrote the other albums mostly while up in the mountains where i grew up, so writing Absent Sounds was a different in the way living in a big city can change things. The Man With Wooden Legs and Able Bodies were both independent releases. Do you feel like the reception of Absent Sound will be different now that you’re signed to Triple Crown Records? I think that no matter what you do, people will have misconceptions about a label released record vs an independent one. To me the only difference in this record from the previous two was that someone else was paying for the studio time. We signed a deal thats very focused on creative freedom, and i think now that the album is out people are noticing. What has been your favorite parts about touring so far? I just like to play music in front of crowds. Thats probably my favorite part. Trying different foods is fun too.

favorite artists. Thats a very rare thing for an artist. How would you describe your sound to someone who may not have heard you before? Alternative rock is the easiest i guess. PostRock is another easy one. I guess the specific description is Ambient indie rock with soft and loud moments at times. Which three songs would you recommend to a new listener that would best represent From Indian Lakes? Why? Sleeping Limbs, Ghost, and Awful Things. I think they display all of the elements within the sound of From Indian Lakes. Do you have any stories that have stuck with you from fans that personally relate with your lyrics? I mean, people have gotten tattoos and that sort of thing. I cant really remember any stories from fans relating to lyrics that arent more on the sad side unfortunately. I guess thats what happens when you write a lot of melancholy music. -Joey Vannucchi

I N T E R V I E W B Y: A Y L A E L D E R What musicians do you draw inspiration from? I’m really into Radiohead, Mew, Death Cab For Cutie, Feist. People like that. Mike Einziger is probably my favorite guitar player. Is there any song in particular you feel most proud of? I really love “Awful Things”. I think it turned out really well, and is in a realm of songs that i would personally get into from one of my

FROM INDIAN LAKES

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SEEKING VALOR Can you give me your name and role in the band? My Name Is Frank Gannon, and I play guitar, as well as co-write the songs in Seeking Valor How did you come up with the name “Seeking Valor”? What does the name mean to you? The term Valor can be defined as great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle. We decided to call our band “Seeking Valor” because of the insirpation we get from our late friend Gary Diamond. People who suffer from depression struggle with their own internal battle, and it is our hope that our music will allow people to find solace in the fact that they are not alone, and will let them seek courage within themselves.

artists like The Foo Fighers and Kings of Leon. Indie and experimental rock groups such as Dr. Dog, Minus the Bear, and Fleet Foxes. More singer/song writer types of music from Damien Rice and Bon Iver. You could aslo never leave out classic bands such as The Beatles, The Doors, and Fleetwood Mac

You have been working on your upcoming album, “7 of Diamonds,” what can you tell me about this album? Do you have a projected release date? We have been working on the “7 of Diamonds” record for two years this December. After our close friend, Gary Diamond, lost his battle with depression and took his own life, We wanted to use music not only as an outlet for ourselves to cope with the loss of our friend, but to also use it as a platform to help make For those who haven’t heard of you yet how would you dea difference. We tried to write from different perspectives of scribe your music? Who are some of your biggest influences? the loved ones who were effected by the tragedy that we had Our music has elements of both indie and experimental rock all just grown through, with the idea that others would hear our but also a radio friendly alternative sound. There are countless music and believe their life is worth living. Right now we are aimbands from differnt genres that all play a role when it comes to ing for the album to be released in late December 2014. inspiring the music that we make. Anywhere from mainstream

Is it ever hard having six people in the band? How did the six of you work in the studio to begin recording? The recording process has been a very unique experience to say the least. Some might think it would become difficult having six memebers of the band, but it has been the exact opposite of that, and the most collabrative project any of us have ever been apart of. The entire “7 of Diamonds” album was recorded one track at a time , one instrument at a time and all of us were rarely ever in the same room. In fact, almost all of the lead guitar recordings were engineered and performed by Brian Fritz in his own studio while living on the west coast. This album seems to come from a very dark experience in all of your lives. Can you tell us about what inspired this album? The inspiration from this album simply comes from using the power of music as an outlet of expression and a therapeutic way to cope with a tragedy. As a band you have all been working on changing the world, can you explain what you have been doing for suicide prevention? We believe our main contribution to suicide prevention will be our music being heard by people who feel like they have nothing left to live for. We want to be a symbol of hope. A portion of the proceeds from record sales will go to the American Foundation for Suicide prevention. You released a new music video for your single, “So Far Gone,” can you explain what inspired this? What was it like recording this video? We knew from the beginning that there was something special about the song “So Far Gone”. Not only from a music stand point but from an emotional one as well. It captured everything that this album represents. We shot the video with Strange Dreams Films, and it was truely and experience none of us will ever forget. The crew was not only as emotionally invested in the video as we were, but with their vision and professionalism was present through the entire process and it clearly shows in the quality of the video. Do you have anything planned for the future? Is there anything that you would like to add? Our main goal is to finish the album by the end of the year, and then begin the process of promoting and playing live by early 2015. I N T E R V I E W B Y: B R A N D A C A V A N N A

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What has been your inspiration for your music? Our inspiration for our music honestly comes from a lot of things. Ideas sometimes come easily, and sometimes we sit around and are unable to think of anything we really want to build off of. Our ideas could stem from songs we used to listen to when we were younger, songs we listen to now or they could come from an event that occurred in one of our personal lives. We build off of each other’s ideas and I think that really helps us write songs that we all love playing.

so grateful to be playing with all the bands. I can certainly say for myself that starting out playing small local shows in a variety of bands to being on a tour like this is a dream come true. I’m pretty sure I have thanked Mayday Parade for having us 57 times so far.

If you could pick any band to tour with, who would it be? That is a tough one haha. Well, I think I have to say AC/DC. After a shirt, weird Backstreet Boys phase in my life I moved on to rock and roll music. AC/ Have you had any major struggles in regards to DC was my first “I need to be like this band” feeling writing, touring, etc.? Major successes? I had ever had. It would be so crazy to do a tour I think there are always going to be struggle stories with them. with touring and writing no matter what band you ask. Some tours we run into nothing but bad tours. What are your biggest goals as a band? Things like popped tires, border patrol issues and I mean we honestly take this one step at a time. just trying to get by are really the main problems We want to continue to grow and grow and never we have run into in the past. We all do this bewant to stop playing. The main goal that we have is cause we love playing music together so there are that we can all one day support ourselves and our never really any internal struggles while on tour. families just by playing music together. That would be a complete dream come true. How did you and your bandmates meet? 8. If you could pick a favorite track off of ‘Hard Well, I joined Major League in 2012 after they Feelings,’ what would it be and why? had been around for a good bit. But, I knew them I look at this a little differently than the other guys through playing shows together when I was in a because I had just joined the band when they went few local bands in Delaware. We all always got in to record “Hard Feelings” so I look at the record along so when the time came for someone to join I as more of a listener and performer and less a was super excited and ready to hop to it and start writer. So, that being said, my favorite is probably touring with my best friends. Final Thoughts. I love the structure and guitar work in that song. But, I know everyone else really likes Who have been your major supporters since you Homewrecker too. started a band? Obviously, our parents have been so helpful in If you could tell your fans anything, what would it helping us maintain the lifestyle we all live. They be? really understand how much we love playing with Thank you for always standing by our sides and this band. Additionally, the areas of New Jersey helping us continue to grow as a band. Without and Long Island have always come out to shows, people listening to us and coming out to shows learned the words and helped us keep moving there is no way we could still be doing this. forward as a band. Where do you see your band in the next 5 years? Are you excited to be on tour with such big names I see us all still jamming together and hopefully (as like Mayday Parade andTonight Alive? I said earlier), supporting ourselves with this band. I Excited is an understatement haha. We are think we all really hit our stride with our new record currently 3 days into the tour and it is by far one and we couldn’t be happier. I don’t see us slowing of our favorites we have ever done. We are all down any time soon. I N T E R V I E W B Y: C A I T L Y N T A N N E R

MAJOR LEAGUE

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ERIC DASH For those who haven’t heard of you, how would you describe your sound? A 90’s/00’s and blues guitar boy stuck in 2014. So acoustic pop music influenced by cool ass rock music with the electronic air of today.

ERIC DASH

Who are some of your biggest influences? Not in this order: N’Sync, Blink 182, Something Corporate, Gavin DeGraw, Chili Peppers, Clapton, Hendrix, SRV, Coldplay, John Mayer... The list goes.

What made you want to become a musician? It was the divine path. I’d listen to music and feel so much angst and love. I had to be a part of it.

You are currently working on your debut album, how is it going so far? Amazing. It’s almost done - fingers crossed. I just want to release it. What is it like working with someone as talented as producer Jack Joseph Puig? Unbelievable. His ear for music is absurd and he’s a wealth of knowledge. I keep my mouth shut and listen because I want to learn as much as possible every moment with him. But I talk to him on very regular basis considering he’s like a surrogate dad for me on the West Coast now. My father’s elated I have someone like Jack in my corner, professionally and personally.

How has he impacted your music thus far? He put me a music school. The Jack Joseph Puig music school that never existed before me. It’s pretty much 10 steps above the Harvard of music because I’m learning with the people who worked with everyone - from artists like Michael Jackson and Springsteen to Rihanna and Demi Lovato. I’m a sponge. Soaking up everything to apply to my writing, arrangement, production mind, guitar playing, vocals and whatever I find out I can learn tomorrow.

How did you two meet and when did you first decide to work together? I sent an iPhone video of me playing my song One Plus One to the front desk of Ocean Way Studios asking for them to send it to Jack. I’ve known who he was since I was 7ish and I saw No Doubt in Camden NJ at the Tweeter Center. He was in the credits and I kept an eye on everyone. He’s the guy I stayed watching though and I wanted him to produce my

record. I got a call from him a week later and a week after that I was recording at Ocean Way. Who or what inspired you to create this new music? Do you know when you will be releasing this music? Life kicks you in the balls or in the face. Someone needs to write about it - that’s me. And I’ll release it as soon as I can. I don’t know when yet. You recently opened for The Janoskians on the “Got Cake Tour,” what was your favorite moment from the tour? They are known for pulling pranks and goofing around, did you ever pull pranks on each other? I loved chilling with the boys in general. Walking off my bus and having girls screaming and knowing who I was was a surreal experience. But it was just cool touring on a bus and playing my music every night. And yea we did, but the best ones are to come besides for Jai and me running around in Cleveland shooting everyone with Nerf guns - and waxing my managers chest and posting it on their blog. What was it like having your very first single, “One More Love Song”, reach the top of the Nielsen Top 40s chart? Did you ever expect this kind of success while writing the song? It did not reach the top but it reached the chart! And it was something I didn’t understand until I saw the video blow up on YouTube. And I always dreamt of that success. I’m in this for the long haul and you need that success so if I didn’t have that kind of success so early who knows if I’d still be at it. What was your most memorable moment so far, onstage or off? Do you have any stories that you’d like to share? I opened for Nelly in Texas. Don’t ask me why because I’m not sure myself. I’ve never heard a crowd roar like that when I started playing my first song. I stopped playing. I didn’t know what to do. I just laughed into the mic and told them exactly what happened and started again. Thank you for your time, is there anything that you’d like to add? Thank you for having me. I feel grateful every time I do an interview. It means something is working. I N T E R V I E W B Y: B R A N D A C A V A N N A

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MACKENZIE BOURG

How excited are you for finally releasing “Falling Up”? Its been a long time coming hasn’t it? At this point it’s been over a year of writing, recording, and recording again. The songs we started off with weren’t bad, it’s just that I wasn’t sold on them or my identity as an artist. I feel that time period helped me to grow into the musician I am today.

The song was written right when I came off the show. I felt that I should’ve gone further but was coming to grips that I still had a boatload of fans who loved me and needed to embrace the fact that this was my journey, and in many ways, it has been a blessing. The song is about accepting your life and your story, and living the heck out of it.

You have something unique about when you sing and perform, its not the same pop style you hear from so many artists being played on the radio today. Is that the same type of sound for “Falling Up” or do you switch it up some? I like to think of my genre as “Organic Pop.” Sure it’s pop music, but it’s centered around more acoustic instruments that I feel add to the overall feeling of the records. I wrote the songs from a genuine place so I didn’t want to lose that in production.

Like mentioned earlier, you have a unique something about your voice. How did you find your style? Was there something that pushed helped lead you to have the different style you do? Growing up in Louisiana I was exposed to a lot of blues and soul from an early age. This music inspired me in many ways. Through the feeling and raw emotion I’ve found that passion is what people connect with. To match that with something unique is a pretty good plan.

How did the name for “Falling Up” come about? That’s an interesting title for an EP. Growing up I absolutely admired Shel Silverstein. At a young age I thought it was so cool that he was such a crafty poet. I’d like to think he was my first real inspiration to be creative. My favorite poem book of his is entitled Falling Up, so it’s an ode to him. That was my first inspiration and this is my first record...seemed fitting.

What is the one message that you want to send to your fans? Aside from the fact I love them, I want to tell them that I can’t do it without every single one of them. Every song download, like, retweet, those all go such a long way in the success of my career. So to anyone who thinks they don’t matter, you do, and I appreciate the heck out of you. I N T E R V I E W B Y: A M B E R C H I L L S C Y Z N

Do you still use techniques and advice from Cee-Lo when you perform or record even so long after you were on “The Voice”? Does the things you learned still help you today? Lo sent the message to embrace myself, whoever that was. So I definitely use that to this day and will continue to use it. Is there one venue or festival that you have always wanted to play? Where is your dream stage? I’ve always dreamt of playing in Madison Square Garden. It’s something you always hear about, and just seeing my name in lights there would be surreal. If you could tour with anyone, dead or alive, past or present, who would you love to tour with? Personally I would love to tour with Ed Sheeran or One Direction at this point in their career. I feel like Ed’s music makes sense with mine, and 1D is pushing towards more of an organic feel that I’m pretty into, so I think that would make sense too. I’d be grateful to tour with either of those acts. I’ve personally been a fan of you since “The Voice” and I love the two singles that you have released so far. “Everyone’s Got A Story” is such a relatable song and the lyrics seem like a push to people afraid to live their story. What was the inspiration behind the song? symphonaticmagazine.com

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How did you guys get started? Mariel: The band got started when I was in college. I was playing folk and country music by myself and I decided I wanted to start a band with my friends. I wanted it to be a band and not a solo project with baking musicians. So, I got my friends and we started Candy Hearts. We started booking our own shows at DIY venues. And along the way, we met people who got to play with us and that’s how we started. How did the band members meet? Mariel: Originally all the members met in school. When we graduated, we met new people when others grew up and got jobs. How did you come up with the name? Mariel: I was just listening to stuff in my room, and we were going to start this indie pop band. Which it didn’t turn into that , but originally we were gonna start this indie pop band. It was going to be like Belle and Sebastian and this all girl summer fun band and really cutesy, but it didn’t work out that way. That was the original intention, so I was listening to a bunch of stuff in my room, and we just picked which one that fit that sound best. How would you describe your sound? Mariel: I think we’re a little bit more alternative and a lot more punk than I thought they’d be. Which is great, you know. I mean I’m just writing the songs the way they come out. They’re a lot more high energy than I thought they would be.

alternative 90’s sounding band then we evolved a bit more pop punk. We were alternative and pop, but not quite bridging the pop punk gap. In our EP, we kind-of bridged that pop punk gap and we made it more pop punk. Then with our new record, we went back and made it more alternative and a little bit more pop than pop punk. What has been the most exciting thing about being on tour with New Found Glory? Mariel: I think it’s just the fact that I get to see New Found Glory play every night when I love that band so much. I’m like a little fan girl. It’s so much fun and meeting all these people who’ve been so supportive who are doing the same thing. I couldn’t trade it. With this year coming to a close, what can your fans expect in 2015? Mariel: I hope we just tour as much as possible. I want to get out there and visit as many places in the whole world as we possibly can. And I want to record music. I want to be in everyone’s face all the time. I want people to be like, “I can’t stand this girl’s in my face all the time. She needs to go away.” And I’m going to be like, “I’m not going away.” Any fun fact that you’d like to share? Mariel: I have a twin sister and I have a cat that is almost a hairless cat. She doesn’t have fur, but she isn’t quite hairless. She looks like an alien. And I also have a webbed toe. It’s not that webbed, but its a little bit webbed. That’s a little gross.

You guys have 1 EP and 2 full length albums out. How would you say your music has evolved? Mariel: I think since the beginning, you can see the trajectory be more of an

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How did you guys meet? Cam: We all came from different projects and groups. Zach and I came from Allstar Weekend and we met Chris and Ans through our manager. And Gabe had just finished a project, so it all worked out really well. Where did you come up with the name? Cam: We were just trying to come up with a name, and that was the one that stuck. We had a list of band names and that was the one that everyone agreed on. How would you describe your music? Zach: It’s like folk rock Any inspirations behind the songs? Zach: Yeah, I mean all the songs have inspirations behind them. They’re all written about our lives, so anyone or anything that happens is a potential inspiration. Do you guys have any fall plans? Cam: Yeah. I mean we’re gonna go home first. We haven’t seen our families in a long time. After that we’ll be trying to get back on the road. Zach: I’ll be doing some writing, and yeah getting back on the road. Any fun facts you’d like to share? Cam: Zach has been wearing the same pair of socks the whole tour Zach: Cam has a birthmark on his left butt cheek! Thank you to Cameron and Zach for answering our questions. Check out their website, http://thetragicthrills.com/, to learn even more about them and when they’ll be in your city next.

I N T E R V I E W BY : M E A G H A N B R O W N

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I N T E R V I E W B Y: C H E L S E A G R E S H P H O T O S B Y: C Y D N E E B U R D E N 46

Alongside some pop-punk legends, We Are The In Crowd headed out on the Glamour Kills Tour this fall across the United States. This five piece band from Poughkeepsie, New York is made up of Tay Jardine (vocals), Mike Ferri (bass), Cameron Hurley (guitar), Jordan Eckes (guitar) and Rob Chianelli (drums). We had a chance to talk to their frontwoman which was nothing short of awesome. Earlier this year, the band put out their second full-length album, “Weird Kids”, which was perceived very well in the scene. They released their first full-length in 2011. We asked if there was a difference between the touring cycles for each of those album. “There’s this growth that I feel is sort of more obvious. If your band keeps putting things out, hopefully, the point is to grow.” Jardine says. “There’s that kind of growth, but I also feel that there’s been a lot more sincere attachments, like fans coming to meet and greets or even us meeting them after the show and connecting with individual songs. I definitely see more of that and that’s really cool.” We Are The In Crowd has been working hard since the beginning of the year, starting off 2014 with their newest album dropping, a headlining UK tour followed by a headlining US tour. They also headed out on the Vans Warped Tour this summer, which they were no strangers to. Playing 2010, 2012 and 2014, they are basically veterans to the tour. “Every time it’s different. I mean, there’s the difference of getting used to the ropes and understanding Warped Tour as a tour, not getting in anyones way and working together because it is a huge production that goes on everyday,” she says. “I think the biggest difference was the comfort level. I think we were probably more comfortable this year. It was kinda like, ‘alright we’ve done this before,’” We Are The In Crowd played the Warheads Stage this summer. Ending this year out on a good note, you can catch these guys doing some holiday shows on the east coast. In the beginning of 2015, the band will be overseas doing the Kerrang! Tour. From the sound of it, they’ve got some big plans for the spring so keep an eye out for We Are The In Crowd! symphonaticmagazine.com

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JORDAN ECKES symphonaticmagazine.com

CAMERON HURLEY 52

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G A L L E RY

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JAKE MILLER

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P HO TO S T A K E N BY : CY D N E E B U R D E N

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TARA TERR

ELSINORE

SUN STEREO

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TARA TERRA

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