AGAINST
THE
CURRENT
THIS WILD LIFE THE MAINE DIY BANDS: CHANGING THE INDUSTRY + MORE
staff Carol Simpson co-founder/editor-in-chief/writer/photographer Karina Cordova co-founder/photographer Jake Lahah art director/photographer
contact us Website: underdogpress.net Email: underdogpress2012@gmail.com Issues: http://issuu.com/underdogpress
special thanks to Against The Current, Mike Ferri, Nick Harrison, Austin Griswold, Secret Service PR, Christine Morales, Michele Stephens, Epitaph Records, This Wild Life, The Maine, 8123, Chelsea Dunstall, Matt Arsenault, Razor & Tie, Kerri Brusca, Sarah Facciolo, Big Picture Media, Dayna Ghiraldi, Shelby Grajeda, This Is All Now, and Shorebreak
NOTE: No copyright infringement intended. All rights of the album artwork use go to their respectful owner. underdogpress | 2
GET CONNECTED /underdogpress /user/underdogpress @Underdog_Press @underdogpress
CONTENTS PAGE 6 ALBUM REVIEWS
PAGE 12 TOUR GALLERIES AND REVIEWS
PAGE 16 DO-IT-YOURSELF ARTISTS: CHANGING THE FACE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PAGE 20 THE MAINE
PAGE 24 THIS WILD LIFE
PAGE 36 THE GALLERY
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ON THE COVER:
AGAINST THE CURRENT PAGE 30
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ALBUM ALBUM
REVIEWS REVIEWS
ALL TIME LOW - FUTURE HEARTS
review by Carol Simpson
Best Tracks: Don’t You Go, Dancing With A Wolf, Missing You, Kicking & Screaming, Cinderblock Garden Pop-punk heavyweights All Time Low sixth release Future Hearts has been highly anticipated by fans since it was announced. The album is finally here and it is nothing short of amazing, despite the few duds on the album. Although the band has faced criticism in the past for either dramatically changing their sound or not changing their sound enough, they have finally found the balance between growing up and staying true to their roots. Future Hearts contains 13 songs with variety and depth. Tidal Waves features Blink-182 member Mark Hoppus. With a sub-par chorus and melodramatic instrumentation this song is saved by its lyrics. “It’s hard for me to make amends when you stab me in the back.” Dancing With A Wolf is dark and edgy. The strong drum beat that carries on throughout the song is what makes this song as great as it is. If All Time Low don’t add this song to their live set it will be a loss for all who attend their shows. Similarly, Don’t You Go would be a great song for the band to perform live. The perfect song to satisfy old fans and lure in new fans looking for something fast paced to bob their head along to. “Can we stay here? Right here? Nothing else to do” “It was a one night stand until I woke up next to you” The lyrics aren’t as poetic, but still carry a certain grace. This song stands out as my favorite on the album. The Edge of Tonight slows everything down. The song is actually quite boring until it somewhat picks up for the chorus. Once again, a sub-par song with boring instrumentation saved by its lyrics. Missing You is simple and sweet. “If you need a friend, I’ll help you stitch up your wounds/I heard that you have been trouble finding your place in this world” All Time Low are one of those bands that help countless fans through their music. With encouraging lyrics that resonate with their young audience, this song is sure to be loved by those struggling and those who have struggled in the past. It’s a beautiful song with a strong purpose. Bail Me Out features Good Charlotte member Joel Madden. It is another one of the lighthearted, fun songs on the album. Easy to dance to and enjoy it’s a perfect summer song. Songs that you can jam out to and sing at the top of your lungs are on this album. Songs that you should skip over and never listen to again are also on this album. All Time Low put their heart and soul into these songs and their hard work shows. It’s paying off and they are sure to stick around for many more years. Catch them on tour with Issues, Tonight Alive, and State Champs this spring!
SPEAK LOW IF YOU SPEAK LOVE - EVERYTHING BUT WHAT YOU NEED
review by Carol Simpson
Ryan Scott Graham’s acoustic endeavor under the moniker Speak Low If You Love produces captivating songs with deep lyrics. Graham’s remastered release of his debut album “Everything But What You Need” is a 14 track soothing ride with captivating lyrics that tug on your heartstrings. The first track Art School gradually fades in like the lighting at the beginning of a play. It’s a great opener for the album. A strong introductory piece that reflects what is to come Knots is only the second track, but it displays his strong lyricism. “I purposely chase the hearts I know I’ll never win” is just an example of the many strong lyrics that can resonate with all listeners. A List of Things is my personal favorite on the album. It has soothing background vocals that have been edited to sound almost like a voice in the wind. Ruined is the first track that finally brings in some variety by starting with a strong drum beat. His vocals are essentially the same in each track, but it was nice for the album to finally take a turn. Confusion slows everything down. “I’m stuck in this body that doesn’t know what it wants or what it needs or who it loves” is by far the best lyric out of all songs. This track screams sad punk as opposed to smooth acoustic singer/songwriter. This song is exactly what the album needed. Not Enough To Say No brings back the sad punk vibes several tracks later, but this time with stronger guitar in the intro. While Graham does not have the strongest vocals, he displays great musicianship and passion through his songs. If you’re a fan of This Wild Life, Koji, or The Scene Aesthetic you will love Speak Low If You Speak Love. This album is everything that you need to welcome the warm weather back.
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YOU ME & EVERYONE WE KNOW - DOGGED
review by Carol Simpson
You Me And Everyone We Know are coming back full force with their Dogged EP. It is dynamic and exciting. The songs are charged with passion and emotion. Frontman Ben Liebsch is now four years sober and getting back on track with music. The EP is a memoir full of growth, but still holds on to that old YMAEWK sound that fans love so much. Incorporating experience and emotion into music will always be a recipe for success, especially in YMAEWK’s case. Raise Them Bones starts with high energy. This 57 second intro to what is possibly one of the best EPS of the year (so far) acts as a preface to what YMAEWK want to tell you with this EP. “I’ve had 30 whole years to get this right…So if you are sitting up holding your life’s work in your hands and they’re saying give it up” The lead single, and my personal favorite, Does It Amaze Thee? took me by surprise when it was released. The lyrics were complex and interested, but still had that YMAEWK vibe that I missed so much since listening to them in high school. I’d Rather Be Sleeping is a journey in a song. The vocals are unique with their creative use of layering and singing the verses in a style different than the pre-chorus and chorus “I could use a break from all of this misery” “I’ve never felt so devalued” Lyrics that resonate with natural human emotion are always a stand out point for an album. Brooks Was Here is a lyrical dream. “Skip the burial process and all the drugs they’d feed me just to keep me alive until I’ve withered completely/if it’s all in my head then let me out” Is a prime example of the art that YMAEWK have written. It is smoother and simpler than the other tracks on the EP. A Pleasant Bummer brings the EP to a close with an acoustic song. The title itself is a deep statement. This complex EP delivers originality and poetic lyrics. YMAEWK will be making a crash landing comeback with this EP. For fans of Hit The Lights, Mayday Parade, Cartel, and We Are The In Crowd.
HIT THE LIGHTS - SUMMER BONES
review by Jake Lahah
Hit The Lights’ Summer Bones is nothing less than great. The album has the potential of redefining the pop-punk scene to create something new and unique. Summer Bones is definitely one of the best releases of the spring of 2015. The album opens up with Fucked Up Kids. This thrilling powerhouse pop-punk song with their fast guitars and drum beats really sets up the listener for the rest of the album. The rest of the album is filled with pop-punk vibes that are perfect for someone that wants something new. Songs like The Real, Life on the Bottom, and Old Friends, have fast and moving verses. In contrast with the verses, these songs have catchy choruses that all pop-punk listeners can catch on and sing. Hit The Lights really outdid themselves on this album. With a song like Sitter it shows how the band can be a little more in your face tracing back to old punk roots. The beginning of the song opens with vocals that sound more raw and pushed back to the rest of the instruments. This style of vocals is repeated in the song a couple song. Their choice to bring back the old The lyrics to this album are absolutely genius. Hit The Lights incorporated subject content in their songs are I reminiscence of early 2000’s pop punk and punk bands. The album is full of deep and meaningful lyrics that give off the pop-punk vibe. One of the best lyrics is during the chorus of Sitter where it says, “Such a bitter ending taste of what becomes, the only drug I never loved.” This line is repeated and in conjunction with the overall sound, brings the sound back five to ten years. Overall, Hit The Lights’ Summer Bones is an overall success. Compared to their previous past couple releases, this album brings back a sound similar to their release Skip School, Start Fights. Be sure to listen to Summer Bones, which is out now via Pure Noise Records.
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photo by Carol Simpson
TAKING BACK
SUNDAY
photo by Carol Simpson
THE WORLD TOUR
PIERCE THE VEIL & SLEEPING WITH SIRENS photos & words by Jake Lahah
THE WORLD TOUR
F E A T U R I N G
Pierce The Veil and Sleeping With Sirens’ World Tour was a thrilling experience for all of those that attended. With exceptional openers PVRIS and Mallory Knox on the lineup, the night was filled with great music and even better stage presence from the artists. The production for this tour was exceptionally well with some of the best special effects for a concert setting. From multiple backdrops, confetti guns, and large electronic screens that showcased the artists performance, this was a show to remember.
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TAKING BACK SUNDAY featuring LETLIVE. AND THE MENZINGERS
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Taking Back Sunday’s headlining tour featuring letlive. and The Menzingers was a thrilling live experience from start to finish. The cross genre dynamic between post hardcore letlive., the punk Menzingers, and alternative rock from Taking Back Sunday kept the show interesting and each set brought something new. Taking Back Sunday put on a phenomenal live show filled with sick lighting, clear sound, and sweet dances from frontman, Adam Lazzara. photos + words by Carol Simpson
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DO-IT-YOURSELF ARTISTS CHANGING THE FACE OF THE MUSIC INDUSTRY It used to be that getting a record deal was the start of your career. It was your golden ticket into recording, touring, merchandise, and so much more. Technology and social media has basically demolished this idea. Bands are operating like small businesses now and learning how to get where they want to be on their own. Many local scenes are even seeing a revival recently. Local bands are more and more savvy. Well known East coast local bands like This Is All Now, Shorebreak, Hollywood Ending, and The Big Time have built a strong following for themselves. Their active social media pages help them stay in contact with old fans and connect with new ones. To record they work from home studios or start crowdfunding campaigns with epic prizes to fund the process. They design and develop their own merchandise. This Is All Now even have their own earrings and custom TIAN state jerseys! DIY bands are entrepreneurs, designers, accountants, managers, publicist, and so much more wrapped into one neat (sometimes) and talented (always) package. Long Island pop-punk band, Shorebreak, have learned these skills through simple trial and error. Bass player, Nick Montanino says, “From personal experience, it was all trial and error. How-to-books tend to give you the point of view of someone else in a similar situation and demographic. What might work in one state or city might not work in another. I’m happy that I’ve made mistakes over time, it’s made me a much [smarter] individual. When we first started this band, we made a lot of decisions that have made me cringe thinking back to them, but I’m happy they happened because moving forward we can avoid falling into those same holes.” The hardest part about doing this all yourself is the part where you actually get your music out there. How do you reach new fans and new cities with your limited resources? Fortunately for them, their dedicated fans work hard to promote and share the music with their friends. Some start local street teams and word of mouth to friends helps the most. Nick Montanino has accepted the challenge of acquiring new fans. “I enjoy the challenge of acquiring new listeners, booking shows, and just the overall management of the band. When things go right for you, the feeling is so rewarding. Nothing else compares to it” he says. This Is All Now believe there are advantages to being a DIY band. “Being a DIY has its perks. For one, you make all your own decisions. No one is there to tell you how you have to do things - you can do your own type of trial & error. You try things and see what works and what doesn’t work. You write songs about what you want to write them about.” underdogpress | 16
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Even harder than getting your music out there? Touring. This is possibly one of the most difficult and expensive tasks for any band. Routing and booking for a tour needs to be done months in advance. Before you even think about hitting the road, you have to make sure your band can successfully go on the tour and be financially stable enough to, hopefully, breakeven or make small profit. When we asked This Is All Now about touring they told us what their biggest struggle has been while out on the road. “Our band for example, almost always has van troubles on every tour we’ve been on, whether it be small or very large. We all work as much as we humanly can while we’re home to save for tour. It’s like having two full time jobs. If your band isn’t your “full time job” you’re never going to reach your full potential.” Shorebreak agrees that having steady job for when you’re not touring is an essential for the band to survive and save money. “It’s important to learn how to manage your money and be responsible. Get a steady job and save as much as you can. When you’re out on the road be cautious about where you are staying and what you’re buying. Small amounts add up over time.“ Of course, all of this doesn’t mean being signed by a label or management company is the end of the world (your career). DIY bands that go on to be signed are significantly more prepared to protect themselves and sign with whoever is going to best help propel their career in the direction that they see fit. Shorebreak says, “If you learn how to fend for yourself [then] when your bands finally signed you will be able to see if it is the right fit for you and if they have your best interest in mind.” Be sure to follow This Is All Now and Shorebreak on their social media accounts, buy some music, and support your own local scene! This Is All Now encourage you to go out and get involved with your local scene any way you can. “Get your hands on in your local scene and learn that way.”
story + interviews by Carol Simpson
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR LOCAL ARTISTS
THIS IS ALL NOW:
SHOREBREAK:
/ThisIsAllNowBand
/ShorebreakNY
@ThisIsAllNowNY
@ShorebreakNY
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THE MAINE
“Both the vibes from the environment we lived in and [the] uplifting music we set out to achieve, created my favorite record to date.�
photo by Dirk Mai
The Maine’s fifth album American Candy is one of the most anticipated albums of 2015. Their evolving sound and honesty has helped them continuously grow over the years. We caught up with guitarist, Kennedy Brock, and asked him about the new record, new tour, and how he feels about streaming and music sales. The Maine took some time off of the internet to focus on their album. They “blacked out” their social media accounts late in 2014 and got to work on what many consider to be some of their best work to date. Brock explained why it was important for the band to focus solely on the album. “It was to do just that, focus ourselves on making the best album in our power. We found ourselves recording in the middle of the desert for the same reasons. The work we do is better when we dive completely into a project, with nothing to distract us from the task at hand.” But the band wasn’t entirely trying to limit outside influences, “Outside influences always find their way in. It would be impossible to stop said influences from being in our music. That’s what makes any of us who we are. It was more about keeping out the distractions, and doing our best work.” The 26 year old guitarist even opened up about how recording the album helped him stay positive as he faced some health issues. “I don’t think it could have gone any better. It was a life changing experience for me. I had some personal health problems during the recording process, so being able to engage in the record completely, and the energy in the new music, kept me moving positively forward. We always get a lot of enjoyment out of recording, but this was a special record.” Even though they were recording in the desert, the nature that surrounded them was still greatly appreciated by the band and really enhanced the process. “We had the best vibes going during the writing process. Which were then amplified all alone in the desert, in such a beautiful part of Joshua Tree. The surrounding views and the isolation brought a whole other element to the process. I think the songs were heavily impacted by such a stress free environment. It’s something I believe you can feel in the tracks. This being our 5th record, it was natural for us to shift gears and keep things interesting. Both the vibes from the environment we lived in, and uplifting music we set out to achieve created my favorite record to date.” American Candy isn’t the first time The Maine isolated themselves to create. The band did something similar for their 2011 release Pioneer. “It was similar to what we experienced while recording Pioneer, but without having the stress of a label on our backs. Isolation is my favorite way to record. So doing the record in the middle of nowhere set this process apart from the others. It brought us closer as a band and fueled some very lively music. For the first time we recorded on our own gear only, not in someone else’s studio. Despite it being unfamiliar, we felt oddly comfortable.” On top of a highly anticipated album, they will be heading out on a spring headliner that includes Knuckle Puck, The Technicolors, and Real Friends as support. “Diversity from tour to tour is always a goal. We like people that really play their instruments, the ones that can just get onstage and rock. If we can find that in a bunch of cool dudes, it’s a winning combination. It inspires us to be able to play with the bands we respect. This tour really hit that nail on the head.” The band will also be revamping their live show and making it extra special to satisfy new and old fans alike. “We will be getting together to create a fresh setlist and new quirks and parts. It’s important to us, that we change things up drastically from tour to tour. We try to play the things we didn’t play the last time and rework songs that feel stale, to give them new life.” underdogpress | 22
GET CONNECTED /themaine @themaine
With a new album on the way, some artists might worry about sales and how digital retailers and streaming are “killing” sales. Brock agrees that the band finds it be so much more important that people are listening to the music and enjoying it regardless of listening platform. “It is much more important to us that people have the record and are able to enjoy it, streaming or not. I want them to like it first of all. Then go to a show where they get to see the human side of us. That is what helps to make a record do well in my opinion. Our career has been built on making lifelong fans, and catering to them personally. It’s a journey we take together. I personally stream records and find/listen to bands that I eventually support in the same ways. I may have missed out on many special groups without services like those.” Be sure to purchase American Candy and catch The Maine on tour this spring! “Thank you for letting us be who we are, however weird we can be. We get to be ourselves and follow our passions because of YOU! American Candy comes out on [March 31st] and I hope you enjoy!” interview + story by Carol Simpson underdogpress | 23
Say you’re name and role in the band. Kevin: I’m Kevin and I play guitar and sing. Anthony: I’m Anthony and I play guitar. M: How’s the tour going so far? What’s it like touring with bands different to your sound like New Found Glory and Turnstile? K: The tour has been really good. We both grew up listening to New Found Glory. So going on tour with them is a treat for us. We get to watch them each night. A: We really don’t want to tour with anyone that sounds like us. K: We’ve only ever done one tour where we were out with another acoustic artist. We prefer playing with pop-punk or hardcore bands. Anything other than acoustics really because it helps us stick out. A: We don’t want to bore anyone to death at a show. K: Yeah, that’s such a boring show if everyone is acoustic. So how did this wild life start? What inspired you guys to create a project like this? K: We actually started off as a four piece, pop-punk band. Originally it was supposed to be a five piece with a different singer, with Anthony on drums, and I was playing lead guitar. We didn’t really have a foresight with it and we slowly dissolved into two guys as playing two acoustic guitars. We didn’t really have a master plan with this. M: So you guys sort of just let it flow and take its lead? K: Yeah, we would just put out some music and see how the reaction was to it and rolled with that when it seems like it was working. So how does it feel to be going on Warped Tour again this summer? K: Super excited. I feel like last summer we got the hang of it and we’ve learned so much from the tours we’ve done since warped. We just did a tour with Pierce the Veil and Sleeping With Sirens and both of those bands put on crazy live shows. Obviously we can’t do everything that they do. A: It really just makes you want to step your game up. K: You just want to be a better performer. A: You just let the set flow. If you watch a Bon Jovi set it flows perfectly. If you watch our sets a year ago there was a two-minute break between every song to drink water and tune. We kind of just focused on the music instead of our live show. So now we are more focused on writing a set. What’s it like making the transition from The World Tour to the New Found Glory headliner? Do you notice any differences? How do you think fans have been reacting to that? K: It’s a totally different crowd. New Found Glory’s crowd is more guys and older than the last tour we were out on. So we are playing for totally different people than we were on The World Tour. A: A thirty-year-old man might not scream bloody murder when you play because he is so excited, but a fourteen-year-old girl will. They are viewed completely differently but you can’t tell on stage. Where did the name This Wild Life came from? K: It was supposed to be the “Wild Life” as in animal wild life and we quickly realized that’s a terrible Google search and none of the domains were available so we broke it up until it worked. A: We sent out a bunch of texts to everyone sending random words. K: We just kind of formed a band name.
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A: We each asked people if our name was this would it make sense. And th Are there any bands in the scene that you resonate well with? If so, who and K: Mine would be The Color Morale. I’ve never seen someone as passionate ant that he does that. Like how much time he devotes to his fans and just try relationships with their fans from any band I’ve ever seen. A: Both of these aren’t really in this scene but probably Copeland’s new CD Their old stuff is all acoustics. By branching out and listening to other music it How important are your fans to you? Do you find that being active with fans K: Yeah, from day one we decided that we were going to be as available a to our fans at our merch table. We’ll be doing meet and greets everyday on A; I think it’s important because our music is very relatable. Everything Kevin how it affected them. It’s not just party music that means nothing. Anything else you’d like to say to your fans? K: Come and check us out on Warped Tour this summer. We’ll have some n that’s our focus right now.
GET CONNECTED /thiswildlife @thiswildlife
hey were like, ”Yeah that works.” d why? e as the singer Garret on stage and offstage. I think that is equally importying to actually physically be there for them. They have one of the coolest
and Daughter with trying to change up the mood a lot with their new stuff. t’s inspiring. s is important for the growth of a band? as possible to our fans. We’re always going to come out and say what’s up n Warped Tour. n writes is very sincere. So people want to talk to us about our stories and
new tunes out and we’ll be trying to do something big for Warped Tour so interivew + photos by Jake Lahah
AGAINST TH UNDERDOGS
HE CURRENT ON THE RISE
Against The Current have just signed with Fueled By Ramen, but that is just one of the many huge steps this band has taken recently. They have just wrapped up a sick run on Glamour Kills’ Spring Break Tour with Set It Off, As It Is, and Roam. “We got to play a lot of cities we haven’t been to before especially on the northwest coast” Chrissy told us. This NY based band only has three members, but together they make a powerhouse group. It’s no surprise that they had several labels looking to sign them before they decided to commit to Fueled By Ramen, whose impressive roster includes Twenty One Pilots, Young The Giant, and Paramore. “We had a couple of labels approaching us and talking to us and just the more we talked to them and hung out with them we kind of realized it was the right fit for us and it felt natural” Chrissy explained. Guitarist Dan Gow sees only positive coming from this new chapter in their career. “Obviously it changes the way the band releases things and how we approach different things. It’ll keep us busy.” Chrissy agrees, “I think it will expand it, but the identity of who against the current is, isn’t going to change.” Their pop-rock edge has helped them stand out from the competition. Against The Current’s recipe for success has led to a stellar release for their new EP Gravity. The fans have been responding so well to the new songs night after night despite only having been released a couple of weeks before the start of the national tour. The band instantly agreed upon the crowd favorites each night being their cover of Bruno Mars’ addicting hit Uptown Funk with Set It Off and their pop-rock driven lead single Gravity.
Vocalist Chrissy Costanza believes that they’re versatility is what helps them stand out the most amongst the tough competition. Especially, when most female-fronted are often lumped together into one category. “I think definitely even as far as bands go we are different in the sense that we don’t fit in one world or another. We don’t completely fit the mainstream world or the warped band scene, but we have one foot in each of them. A lot of the female fronted in the warped tour scene are pure rock bands, but we have a lot of pop going on in ours. We fit a little bit more into the mainstream world. [Our] fan base doesn’t have a specific identity. It’s not just teenage girls. You see every different type of person at meet and greets and in the crowd.” Drummer Will Ferri also agrees that their universal sound has helped their fan base grow tremendously and has allowed it be more diverse than the typical. “We try to be really universal. There is something for everyone! You can even see it when you come out to a show. In the fans there is so much diversity [right] there.” If you missed your chance to see Against The Current on this run, don’t worry! They’ll be working on new music this summer and hitting the road this fall. “We’re going to start recording and writing once this tour is over basically. We’re [also] touring in the fall.” Dan told us. Be sure to pick up their new EP Gravity available now!
story + interview + photos by Carol Simpson
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AGAINST THE CURRENTS NEW EP “GRAVITY” AVAILABLE NOW!! GET CONNECTED /againstthecurrentband @ATC_BAND
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photo by Jake Lahah
THE GALLERY
HAVE MERCY photo by Carol Simpson
photo by Karina Cordova
photo by Jake Lahah
photo by Jake Lahah
HAVE MERCY
photo by Carol Simpson
photo by Jake Lahah