FEATURING: THE VINYL PINUPS ABANDON KANSAS & THE READY SET
VOL 2, ISSUE 2
APRIL 2011
magazine
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Inside The Mind Of Twitpic Founder
NOAH EVERETT
THE CIVIL WARS PART II:
One Year Later
YELLOWCARD RETURNS WITH A BRAND NEW RELEASE, KEEPING POP PUNK ON EDGE
CONTENTS
STAFF
05/ Everett Thomas 06/ Music Reviews 08/ Abandon Kansas 10/ Michael Deppisch 12/ WMCR 14/ A Rocket To The Moon 16/ Oh Snap 18/ Yellowcard 22/ Rep Your City 24/ The Civil Wars 26/ The Ready Set 27/ ESC 28/ Noah Everett 30/ Whitney Crawford 31/ Adonai 32/ SXSW 35/ Systems 36/ City Under Siege 37/ The Damnwells 38/ The Vinyl Pinups 40/ 100 Monkeys
Design/Production: Cole Roberts Advertising/Marketing: Chris Rutherford Writing/Editing: Laura Ladymon Jim Miller Brittany Pickering Jonathan Robles Stephanie Scott Nelson Solomon Amanda Morad Follow Us! Twitter.Com/Variancemag
AVA I L A B L E N O W
available now
featuring the song “glass house”
S W E E T C RY S TA L I I I AVA I L A B L E N O W
EVERETT THOMAS by Jonathan Robles
Everett is offering 2 songs for Free Download Click for “Firesong” and “Herald of Hope”
With so much blurriness in the music industry these days, music itself sometimes takes a backseat to outrageous antics and over-the-top marketing. So it is certainly refreshing to know that there is still great music out there. If you take a trip to Madison, Wisconsin, you’ll find it. Everett Thomas grew up in St. Louis but now calls Madison home. At 25 years old, he is quickly making a name for himself and proving that he is more than just a singer-songwriter. Having already opened for renowned acts such as Lifehouse, Nickel Creek, G. Love & Special Sauce, and Matt Nathanson, Thomas is living a dream come true for many musicians (including himself, of course). But if you ask him what comes next, you might be surprised at what you hear. “I don’t really have expectations,” he said. “Being a musician and having expectations is a good way to find yourself being disappointed. I think it’s just about hard work, writing music, and playing as much as I can. It would be nice to one day make a comfortable living off my music, but it doesn’t really matter if I sell any albums at all. If I sell even five records, I’m going to keep doing this because it’s all I know and it’s the one thing that makes sense to me.” Thomas has put enormous thought into making music his career, having been inspired as a teenager by Bob Dylan’s music—specifically, the song “Spanish Weather.” “I know it sounds cliché,” he explained. “But before I heard that song I didn’t know anything. Six minutes later, I knew I exactly what I wanted for my life. Listening to his latest album, Visions of the Sea, it’s evident that Thomas is influenced by the likes of Dylan, Neil Young, Tom Waits, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and James Brown—all of whom he credits for inspiring him. The album—a deep, gritty blend of folk, blues, and soul—is brimming with candid sounds and pensive lyrics. He may be young, but he’s learned a lot already.
“The key is being honest,” he advised. “I don’t really believe in good music and bad music. I just believe in music that is either present or absent. It’s either there—full of emotion and real—or it’s not. People can see it.” Obviously people can see something genuine in Thomas, because his growing fan base has slowly been taking him across the country and putting him on stage with well-known names. But he recognizes the value of the work that goes on behind the scenes too. “If shows are paying you then play as much as possible,” he said. “I usually play my local area around 40 times a year. There’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re not selling out venues, you have nothing to lose by playing whenever you can. Regardless of where you are in your music career, there are probably thousands who would love to be in your shoes. And if you’re not working hard to be there, remember that there is another guy right behind you, waiting.” Everett Thomas knows his purpose is to make music. But otherwise, he’s just on a journey. He would like to one day be able to write film scores. However, that is the extent of his plans. And he’s okay with that. In the meantime, his fans are waiting in anticipation for more music. And according to Thomas, they’ll have to wait just a little longer. “We don’t have an album release date, but the songs are all ready to go. We just need to record them.” Until then, if his current album is to serve as a preview of what’s to come, get ready for more incredible music from an artist who is as real as they come. Though the industry may be somewhat unclear at times, there is nothing blurry about Visions of the Sea. It is clearly “present music.”
MU S IC R e v i e w s
A Skylit Drive - Identity on Fire
Pollock – Ghost
The Strokes - Angles
Similar to: AFI, 30 Seconds to Mars
Similar to: Radiohead, Mars Volta
Similar to: Kings of Leon, The Killers
“The fire rages in me / Daylight fights through the night”
“I think you saved my life.”
“I won’t just be a puppet on a string.”
Grab your headphones and get ready to find out what originality sounds like. With Identity on Fire, ASD once again juxtaposes the beautiful, soaring vocals of Michael “Jag” Jagmin and brutal screams and guitar, but don’t expect this album to sound exactly like their past releases. If that’s what you want, you’ll be disappointed. Among other differences, Identity on Fire spans several genres with its vocals, from poprock to post-hardcore and just about everything in between.
If you are looking for music that will calm your soul, then look no further. Pollack’s first full album Ghost is an ethereal beauty. The music will tickle your eardrums with calming melodies interspersed with occasional bursts of intensity. These bursts of intensity amidst calming chords are exemplified in the song “I Think You Saved My Life.” The group describes its music as “deeply listener friendly and unapologetically artistic;” however, there is clearly no reason for an implied apology because the music is masterfully created and refreshing.
Once again, these guys have delivered a memorable fourth album full of upbeat riffs and intelligent lyrics. What else would we expect from a band who has been around for over ten years and only seems to be gaining fans?
This album marks a departure from the lyric-writing process ASD used in the past. Where most songs on Wires...and the Concept of Breathing and Adelphia began with the creation of an imaginary place or situation, Identity on Fire is all about reality and connecting with listeners in their everyday lives. The result is 12 songs that are sure to become the anthem album of a disenchanted generation.
After listening to a few of Pollack’s songs you will think that you have their style figured out, but don’t be surprised to find yourself smiling as you hear the next song on the album and find it to be mesmerizingly unique. The bands musical talents are evident through its ability to provide melodious diversity to its fans. Every harmony lover will relish this bands music and will regard all musical libraries incomplete without it.
The title track is almost unsettling. It takes the idea of an identity on fire and makes it more than just words to match a melody. It’s a frenzy of emotion, with singing deftly interlaced with talking and screaming all at once, creating a cacophony that gets into your brain, scrambles it up, and leaves you wanting more. Don’t miss out on a chance to treat your ears to some genrebending melodies and thought-invoking lyrics. Identity on Fire is now available in stores and on iTunes.
The first single from the album, “Under Cover of Darkness,” isn’t the only song that stands out either, though it has been getting a lot of play on the radio. “Two Kinds of Happiness” is like an awesome flashback to the ‘80s, one of the best decades in music in my opinion. The driving bassline in “Games” is sure to catch anyone’s attention within seconds. And with the in-yourface lyrics of “Taken for a Fool,” it’s obvious that these guys aren’t holding anything back. This is definitely one of the best albums I’ve heard in a while and definitely one that fans of The Strokes’ first album, Is This It? have been waiting for. There’s not a bad song on the album, so go have a listen.
CRITICISM IS FR EE ... AND SO IS O UR MAGAZIN E!
Go Radio - Lucky Street
Aaron Logan – Freedom Calls
Driven Cure - Astray No More
Similar to: Mayday Parade,
Sounds like: Phil Collins, Lifehouse
Similar to: Santana, Journey
“And the chains that held me bound / Are broken and no more.”
“I make progress just by breathing / While you rest in your logic I rest in Jesus”
The Dangerous Summer “And I’d never seen a sky a sadder shade of gray / And I thought about the words I told you and others I forgot to say” It’s hard to make an intelligent, deep pop-rock album, but Go Radio pulls it off flawlessly with their first full length, Lucky Street. Heavy on the rock and light on the fluff that often characterizes pop, this album is full of surprising flavor. These guys certainly aren’t afraid to explore everything, from high energy anthems like “Strength to Say” to haunting ballads like “Forever My Father,” taking the listener on a journey through many mountains and valleys. It’s these mountains and valleys that let the listener know just how real these lyrics are. “Forever My Father” is a song from frontman Jason Lancaster to his father, and it has the power to induce tears, or some furtive sniffling at the very least. “Redemption in the Verse” can get even the most reserved person on their feet to dance, and like the rest of the album it showcases Jason’s alluring vocals well. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to buy this explosive first full length from Go Radio. Lucky Street, with its raw emotional appeal and unique approach in a genre that could use a breath of fresh air, is refreshing and definitely worth the purchase.
Aaron Logan’s recently released album Freedom Calls speaks to the heart and its songs are graceful and fluid. Aaron is able to convey a message of love to his listeners that goes beyond his music. Freedom Calls will bring feelings of both peace and encouragement, feelings that music is meant to produce. Aaron’s gift for music was evident at an early age. By age 9 he was playing the piano and at 11 he was playing the drums. Aaron began his first band at the age of 12. Listen to Aaron’s smooth voice and you will notice that it resembles the voice of Chris Martin, lead singer of Coldplay. Not only is Aaron’s voice first-class but the messages he sings are uplifting and catchy. “Freedom Calls” will have you tapping your foot and singing along in the car, but as you sing along make sure that your windows are rolled up because you likely don’t sing as well as Aaron.
Passion. It is passion that has driven the release of Driven Cure’s album Astray No More. Within seconds listeners of this album will be overcome with the passion that permeates its musical chords. The road that led to the making of this album was not an easy one. The members of Driven Cure chose to resign from their full-time jobs as police officers in order to dedicate all their efforts to praise God through music. This decision is emblematic that the words, “Less of me, more of you. This is my prayer,” aren’t simply words that slip off the ends of their tongues but are anthems of discipleship. The riffs throughout this album are catchy and motivating and they exude dedication and commitment to the Lord. The album displays the group’s incredible musical talent by allowing each member of the band to display his individual talents while fusing the talents of each member to form a collective masterpiece. Astray No More is a must hear. The album will assuredly arouse within you feelings of motivation and passion.
ABANDON KANSAS’
new full-length album released March 8 and you have quite
a few tour dates lined up. That’s exciting! What are you looking forward to about the busy
year you have ahead of you? Jeremy Spring: We finished tracking this record in August and heard the mixes in September, so we are more than ready to share Ad Astra Per Aspera with the rest of the world! This is our first full length on Gotee Records, but we put out an independent release several years ago as well. We have been a band for five years, touring full time for three of those, and it’s humbling to think that in a lot of ways this really is just now the beginning of our career. It’s not like we have nothing to show for the last five years though. We have an incredible fan base that has been supportive from the early years and somehow they are still around coming to shows and buying our records. We really couldn’t do it without them! We are doing a nine-week national headlining tour in support of the new cd and some of our best friends are coming out to support us. Swimming With Dolphins, From Indian Lakes, Mike Mains & The Branches, Showbread, Quiet Science, and The Wedding will all be joining us on various legs of the tour. Of all the tours we have lined up this year, I am looking
pretty common across the board, no matter what you’ve been through, it’s part of the human condition to ask these big questions no one else can really answer for you.
What inspired “Heaven Come My Way?” JS: When we tracked this record we went to the studio two separate times. In June we spent three weeks tracking ten songs out of the sixteen demos we came in with. After that we hit the road for five weeks out west and I was able to spend more time with the songs we had and figure out what else the record really needed. Heaven Come My Way wasn’t written until the last minute before we went back in the studio in August. To be honest we made changes to the arrangement the night before we showed it to Mark Townsend, our producer. I knew we needed a song to sum up the concept but I had know idea the music would turn out the way it did. It’s crazy to think the track we spent the least time writing is one of the strongest on the record, but I totally believe in this song. I love playing it live because it’s bold and humble all at the same time. When I sing it I feel like I imagined David felt, confidently asking God for help in Psalms.
forward to this release tour the most because we are playing a full set with lots of songs from
I see that you guys have a Twitter account and have recently started a Tumblr to stay in
both Gotee releases and we’re traveling with some extra production that we’ve been working
touch with fans. How do you find it rewarding to be able to stay in close communication
hard on here at home. This will be a different Abandon Kansas than anyone has seen before
with your fans?
and we’re stoked to introduce everyone to it. We’re hitting all of our favorite cities across the country and with having the last two months off I am so ready to get out there and play music every night again!
JS: Back in the golden days of Myspace it was pretty easy to keep in touch with our fan base, but the golden era has ended and we are now spread out across Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and half dozen other social network sites not to mention our own website. This month
I noticed that your guitarist, Brad, painted the cover artwork for Ad Astra Per Aspera.
we’re even coming out with an AK app on the Android market. It’s hard to keep in touch so
It’s beautiful! Is there any meaning behind it?
we work extra hard at communicating with anyone who takes the time to interact with one of those sites. It’s rewarding for us because the stories and testimonies and even funny lit-
JS: Glad you like it! With Ad Astra Per Aspera being the Kansas state motto, Brad took
tle comments make what we do a reality. Without those tidbits of feedback it can seem like
the image from our state flag and blew it out of proportion onto a dream-like scale. The top half
we’re making music without knowing if anyone is really hearing it. Sometimes I regret having
of the painting is an exaggerated form of the cosmos, the way it would look in a dream. God’s
opened up my Facebook and Tumblr to our fanbase to connect because people can be pretty
hands are in the corner, interacting with the characters in the painting. The mountains are
ridiculous. But for every time being transparent with my beliefs and struggles has burned me,
sleeping giants with faces longing for their place among the stars. I think Brad wanted to com-
it’s helped three times as many people find comfort in knowing that I’m genuine and real. I
municate a sense of longing with the whole piece, a really radical way to interpret “to the stars
can live with those odds.
through difficulty” if you ask me. He has five other pieces featured in the album booklet next to the lyrics. I love how the artwork really resonates with images the lyrics create this project.
Is there any sort of recurring theme or idea behind the songs on the album?
What’s in the future for Abandon Kansas? JS: This year will be a lot of touring and getting the word out about Ad Astra Per Aspera. Last year we got a chance to visit Ecuador with Compassion International and this year I’d
JS: This is a concept album in the sense that the music and lyrics are all on the same
like make it to Africa to see Leonard, the kid we sponsor from Tanzania. We are going to do
page. It’s not a narrative but I do think the songs need to be heard in order, like you would
our best to tour to a few new countries this year as well, since we still haven’t been to the UK.
read a book. Nearly every song has some mention of stars, the sky, heaven, or the journey there. Some are more apparent than others like Heaven Come My Way, A Conversation With The Sky, and Wings (Fear of Heights). Others are more discrete with the concept like The Golden State with the line “the sky is dark tonight in this town, all the stars are in bed or on the
Is there anything you would like to share with your fans and potential listeners? JS: I feel like we should have changed our band name a year ago. We hear, “Oh, that’s
ground” in reference to Hollywood.
what you guys sound like? I thought you guys were more like…” all the time because our
You’ve said that your music asks questions of the listener. What kinds of questions do you
Abandon Kansas or not, I hope everyone is willing to listen to Ad Astra Per Aspera with fresh
ask through your lyrics? JS: There are a lot of questions on this record all having to do with the difficulties we pass through to get to whatever it is we’re aiming for. I don’t really offer a whole lot of answers. In Take My Lead I ask “If all roads lead to Rome, then how are we supposed to know which one is going to take us home?” In Where Else Can We Go the anthem is “there’s no easy answers when the question starts with why, but where else can we go?” Brad actually wrote several songs for this project and one of them made the record. In his song Learn he asks “can anyone learn from me?” in reference to his younger siblings. I really pull a lot from that song too because I have a little brother and I know people look up to us on stage and I want to be the kind of man that younger people can pull positive inspiration from. The final track on record, Give And Take, is offered up almost like a picture of the end of our lives, when we face our final judgment. I simply ask, “am I more than the sum of the things I have and haven’t done?” That song is really personal to me, I am sort of surprised it made the record, but I think it brings everything the rest of the record is trying to say to an end. All of these questions are
sound and presentation has changed so much. Whether you’ve heard of the band name ears. Something special happened on this project, lyrically and sonically, that we couldn’t take full credit for if we tried. It’s humbling to be part of something that’s bigger than the sum of it’s parts, and I want people to hear that and see that in everything this band does. Come out to a show on the Ad Astra Per Aspera Tour and find out for yourself!
MICHAEL DEPPISCH is a young freelance photographer/videographer from Portland, OR, who currently resides and works in Nashville, TN. He has mainly focused on doing album art and promotional photos for musicians. He has also recently begun venturing into fashion photography, editorials, and music videos.
How long have you been in photography & how did you get started? While I had been passively interested in photography since middle school, I had never owned a decent camera or had any formal training. In 2008, due to the encouragement of a roommate, I decided to invest in my first SLR camera. Over the next summer I began shooting just about everything I could.
What is your favorite part of what you do? I love working with others to help realize and accomplish a creative project. Working with a team toward a common goal is addictive. But there’s also something fun about shooting one-on-one with someone and trying to convey to others what you see in them.
What is the most difficult part? Separating the creative side and the business side is difficult. Attaching monetary value to something you truly enjoy doing creates a bit of a mental disconnect at times. Finding a balance is tough. It’s something I’m still learning to do.
Greatest misconception, in your opinion? The greatest misconception in photography is that anyone with a “professional” camera is a professional photographer. Look at your Facebook feed. I’ll be the first to admit, I was that guy three years ago. But running a photography business is about a lot more than just owning the equipment.
What is the coolest thing you’ve done? Shooting Charlie Daniels for his most recent album was a great experience. He doesn’t have pictures taken very often, so it was an honor to get the job.
What advice would you give other aspiring photographers/artists? Ask yourself what is unique and necessary about your work. Focus on what makes you different from other artists and work to foster growth in those areas. Don’t lose sight of why you started creating in the first place. The moment you start looking at your art as just a paycheck, that’s the moment you begin to lose sight of being an artist.
listening to ghosts
JUSTIN CROSS available now
Oklahoma City University By: Matt Bushman
Nearly 2 years ago I traveled nearly 1300 miles to discover for myself the wonder that is Oklahoma City University (OCU) Law School. I was looking for a law school that was academically sound and progressing, and I was looking for a school that would prepare me to become an influence for good in the world. I also wanted an institution that would help me become the best attorney that I was capable of becoming. I wanted a school where I knew that I would be challenged and where I knew the faculty would be comprised of scholars. Through research I discovered that 90% of OCU law graduates passed the bar in 2009, a phenomenal feat! I discovered that nearly 40% of the full-time faculty was educated at Ivy League institutions, and I discovered that the students who went there seemed to be very happy about their educational experience. However, if I was going to invest my time and efforts into such a large endeavor, then I needed to see the school for myself. To my great surprise, the school offered to pay for the trip, allowing my wife and me to make the journey half-way across the country. Upon arrival at campus, the staff of the school escorted me through the law school and introduced me to a number of professors who seemed to have an immediate interest in me. I was treated like a king by the faculty and staff. Having graduated from a vigorous undergraduate program, I understood the stresses that often come from obtaining a degree in higher education. After touring the law school, I couldn’t help but notice that the students I saw in the halls seemed happy, they were smiling as they interacted with their peers and professors. Never before had I experienced a more engaging and friendly group of people. Now after having attended OCU Law for nearly 2 years, I couldn’t be happier. Having been a teacher before my law school experience, I realized how difficult it was to be a successful and influential teacher. My professors have been first-class. They are engaging, knowledgeable, and they demand excellence while protruding respect. They are always open to help the students and their office doors are consistently open. Professor’s eyes sparkle with pride and excitement each time I go to their offices to discuss class material. My love for the study of law has been dramatically increased by my experience at OCU Law and I feel that my capacities to enter the field of law have been greatly strengthened. The law school’s interests in its students are not only academic. The school had been incredibly diligent in supplying us with the facilities and resources to help us succeed. Mental health counselors are available to help the students deal with stress, gym facilities are provided free of cost, and intramural sports are provided. OCU Law School advocates being socially involved and OCU provides plenty of opportunities to entertain. The OCU performing arts department is second to none. The performing arts department has produced world renowned entertainers such as Broadway singer and Toni winner Kristen Chenoweth, three-time Toni nominee Kelli O’Hara, and Emmy nominee Ron Raines. The productions offered at OCU are Broadway-like and are free to students. Aside from great performing arts the university is also home to outstanding athletic teams. The OCU basketball team won the NA1A national basketball championship in 2007 as well as in 2008, and the baseball team consistently produces major-league draftees. The school even has a woman’s wrestling team that is the reigning national champion. Finally, Oklahoma City’s historic Bricktown with its winding river walk and festive atmosphere is figuratively located in the backyard of the law school. These are some of the reasons why Oklahoma City University Law School is a treasure to behold and a pleasure of which to be a part.
Now in the middle of their first headlining tour, A Rocket To The Moon has a lot to celebrate. Variance talked with singer/guitarist Nick Santino and drummer Andrew Cook about the band’s latest successes. The brainchild of songwriter/musician Nick Santino, A Rocket To The Moon has toured virtually nonstop since the release of their 2008 Fueled By Ramen EP, “Greetings From….” The band has shared bills with an array of artists, including Cobra Starship, VersaEmerge, 3OH!3, Forever The Sickest Kids, We The Kings, Secondhand Serenade, Hey Monday, This Providence, and Hit The Lights. However, through the end of April, ARTTM is headlining their own On Your Side Tour, supported by Valencia, Anarbor, Runner Runner, and Go Radio (see posted dates). Then, after just two weeks break, the band is jumping the pond for the first time for a UK tour with Mayday Parade.
A ROCKET TO THE MOON By John Mouser and Amanda Morad
Just after their latest EP release in October, their hit “Like We Used To” was
Even though they were responsible for the new folksy arrangements, there were
featured on two of MTV’s biggest shows, “Teen Mom” and “Jersey Shore.” Their new
surprises. For Santino, it was the way “Mr. Right” turned out: “To be completely honest,
EP, “The Rainy Day Sessions”, showcased some of their most popular songs from their
‘Mr. Right’ isn’t my favorite song from our full length, ‘On Your Side.’ …We all knew we
full-length album, “On Your Side,” in a bluegrassy folk style that seemed to be a major
wanted to do something different with it to make it stand out. We put a folky swing on
departure from their distinctly pop rock sound. But considering Santino’s confession,
it and dropped the tempo quite a bit. I think between that and the female vocals, it
it’s no surprise that the EP paid homage to country music: “I will honestly say that Coun-
definitely made me look at the song in a different light.”
try is my favorite genre of music. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the story telling.” Santino and Cook agree that the variety in their inspirations has made them Andrew Cook concurs. “Most of us grew up on country, and we all like a lot of
stronger. “If you wanted to direct films, and only watched horror movies, but then want-
‘folkier’ artists like Ray Lamontagne, Bon Iver, Seu Jorge, and Good Old War. We want-
ed to direct a comedy, you’d have no idea what to do, what to strive for, or how to know
ed to try our hand at redoing our songs with that feel.” The 5-track project intended to
what you’re doing is total rubbish,” Cook says. “Being well-rounded and open minded
prove the band’s theory that “a well-written song can translate into almost any format
is one of the best traits one can have as a musician.”
and maintain its power and like-ability.” With their covers like Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” making waves on MySpace and YouTube, they’ve been proven right.
Santino also offered a word of encouragement to musicians just starting out: “Just keep at it. That’s the best advice anyone could give you. If you give up and think
“Rainy Day” was recorded with female bluegrass group Larkin Poe for an ethereal addition to the new versions’ soft acoustic feel. Award-winning producer Dan Hannon came on the project with ARTTM after they met on a tour day off. The connection produced an EP that both Santino and Cook agreed far exceeded their expectations.
you’re no good then you’re not gonna get anywhere. If you have confidence and keep doing what you love, then you will go far.”
AVAILABLE NOW AT TATEPUBLISHING.COM
Farewell Fighter & Aaron Gillespie Photos by: Brett Pierce
Pretty Black Chains Photos by: Anna Lee
To Speak Of Wolves, Woe, Is Me, The Color Morale Photos by: Laura & Shaun Ladymon
Yellowcard Photos by: Adam Assoian /Focused in Photography
Yellowcard photos by: Adam Elmakias One of my favorite bands to jam to on a perfect spring day are pop/punk veterans Yellowcard. For years they have filled listeners’ ears with upbeat anthems, honest lyrics,
Also, the fact that Hopeless has been able to produce some very successful acts like All Time Low (ATL), attracted Yellowcard’s attention.
and catchy choruses designed to always put a smile on your face. Following a threeyear hiatus, the band has just released their highly anticipated seventh album, When You’re Though Thinking, Say Yes, via their new label, Hopeless Records.
“Hopeless has just done an amazing job with that band, and took them to a whole new level with their last couple of records,” Key stated. Hopeless has helped ATL reach mainstream success, when their last album, Nothing Personal, debuted in the number
When asked about the hiatus, lead singer/guitarist Ryan Key said, “It was the
four position on the Billboard Top 100 selling over 60,000 copies. “Obviously they are
best possible thing that we could have done. There is no doubt about it. Everything
having a lot of success right now and they are doing something right, so it is a place
about being away from it made it that more special when we came back to it.”
that we want to be.”
The idea to get back together originated from drummer Longineu “LP” Parsons
Once everything had been set in place, the Yellowcard boys began discussing
in early February of 2010, when he decided to see if the other guys in the group were
the goals of their upcoming album. They wanted to make sure they approached the
interested in making a new album or playing some shows locally. Soon after, Key,
album with the right mindset, focusing on the development of the music first and fore-
Parsons, Sean Mackin (violin), Ryan Mendez (guitar) and newly added Sean O’Donnell
most. In the past the group experimented with the writing process, specifically piecing
(bass/former Reeve Oliver member) met up to discuss future plans.
individually developed parts together to create their sound. With When You’re Though Thinking, Say Yes, the band aimed to capture some of the same energy that they had
“We all got together in L.A., sat down, and had some in-depth conversations
as a group in their early 20s, while still producing a fresh “Yellowcard” sound.
about what we were going to need from each other to continue moving forward as a band,” explained Key. “We all got to a place where we felt very comfortable, and excited about doing it, so we moved forward with it.”
Key revealed that, “It just meant spending a lot of time together, designing, working on the songs. When we are all in the room together, that is when you really get that true Yellowcard sound.”
Capitol Records put out the bands last three albums, but the band parted ways with the record label in mid 2008.
The record was built from the ground up by all five members, all of which spent countless hours writing as a collective unit. The band even took the time to demo
“At Capitol, early on the label was so invested in our music and non-intrusive.
almost every potential track, “which we never really got to do in the past because we
None of the typical label stuff,” explained Key. “We were still able to do what we wanted
were always on tour,” said Key. “We would come off tour and have a month or so to
to do, and no one ever came in and said ‘we want to hear a single.’”
spend a little bit of time with what little life you have that’s not Yellowcard, then come
Key also goes on to point out that they were very fortunate to work with a major
back into the rehearsal space where we write and record the songs.”
record label, which most bands aren’t able to do. Soon after Yellowcard decided to
With official recording set for September of 2010, the guys headed to Mendez’s
re-group and tackle a new album (March 2010), Hopeless Records showed immediate
home studio in Arizona to demo the tracks, which Key confessed “definitely helped us
interest.
weed out the ideas that we loved and those that we didn’t love.”
Key revealed that “from very early on they were the most invested, they wanted to be part of it the most.” The band also felt a vibe similar to what Capitol Record was able to provide them with early on, “They were a group of people that were totally invested in the project, and the project hadn’t even started yet.”
Demos and plans in hand, the band aimed to lock down the same producer they have worked with since Ocean Avenue, Neil Avron. Since Yellowcard’s last album, Avron continued to make a name for himself most recently by producing/mixing number one LP’s including Sara Bareilles’ Kaleidoscope Heart, Disturbed’s Asylum and Linkin Park’s A Thousand Suns.
“When we mentioned it to him he was like ‘I’ll do whatever I need to do, I will move whatever needs to be moved to make this happen.’ It was awesome that he was still excited and passionate about being a part of the record.” At this point, Yellowcard had been working with Avron for over eight years, and they considered him to be one of them, “He is a sixth member of the band, in a way,” Key revealed. At first listen of the record, long time Yellowcard fans will notice a big growth in the band musically while still keeping that signature “Yellowcard sound.” The band aimed to do this by focusing on a strong emphasis of the violin parts. “We definitely had a conversation about making a violin-heavy record. One of those things about our early records, was that they were violin heavy,” They knew that bringing the violin to the forefront in some parts of the songs would channel that old Yellowcard sound that fans love, while still creating fresh songs. The band’s resident violinist, Sean Mackin, took on the grand task of writing each violin part, as well as orchestrating viola and cello parts on several songs. “It blows my mind, (because I can’t read music at all), that he is able to write their part and just hand it to them to play,” Key proclaimed. Key also felt that Mackin’s ability to write on the violin was a huge asset to him as a songwriter, “I could be working on a song and ask him to write an amazing string section for a song and he will be like ‘sure.’” With songs like the band’s first single, “You, and Your Denial,” Mackin orchestrated a violin intro that floats effortlessly into a wall of crunching guitars. Key said that “if you want to be reminded that you are a fan of Yellowcard, then you should start a song this way,” when speaking of the first single’s violin intro. Mackin’s pieces are normally written after Key has established the vocal melody for a song, because the violin and Key’s voice tend to be in the same range. Along with growth musically, Yellowcard also tackles some more mature subjects lyrically on When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes. “Sing For Me” is a song written for Key’s Aunt Steph, who was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer a little over a year ago. When Key was just starting his career with Yellowcard his aunt, (who was also the mentioned in “Rock Star Land” on Yellowcard’s 2001 album One For The Kids), was very supportive in the choices he was making as a young man in pursuit of his dreams. “I was dropping out of college and moving to California to be in a band. My parents were obviously distraught over the life change that I was making, and she was like ‘don’t worry. I will side with you,’” admitted Key. Initially, the intent was to write the song from him to her, but as the song unfolded the song was written through eyes of someone else. Keys stated, “honestly it was difficult to get through emotionally, but I ended up writing it from the perspective of her, to her son. Her son, my cousin, is in high school.” Even though the subject of the song specifically deals with the loss of a loved one, Key believes that the many others can relate to the song, “because its got a feeling of having to leave someone behind, no matter what those circumstances may be and making sure that you get to say all of the things that you want to say to them before you go.” The band will be making its way around the country with label mates, All Time Low, aiming to win over new fans. “The fact that we are going to get to go out and play and make all of these new fans is an exciting prospect for us and it’s one of our favorite things to do (play for a crowd that hasn’t heard our band play before, or knows what our band is about).”
A labyrinth of closed doors and legal obstacles confront a creative, inquisitive, and loving child who was born with Down syndrome in 1940s America. Wendy’s Wisdom is the story of a girl born at a time in the United States when her future could have meant lifelong institution and early death. But through a stroke of fate—or intervention from God—Wendy went on to attend school, exceed the expectations of medical professionals, participate in the world of work and gaming, and help pioneer breakthroughs and the acquisition of rights for the handicapped. Join author Sherry Skramstad in her recollection of Wendy’s lifelong journey as she relates the many lessons she herself learned from the simplicity but profundity of Wendy’s Wisdom. Visit: wendyswisdom.tatepublishing.net
AVAIL A B L E N O W AT TATEPU B L I S H I N G . C O M
MARTY RENDLEMAN
SINGING Y O U R WAY TO STARDOM
Marty Rendleman has over twenty-five years experience in the music business and is probably the only person to ever take two nine-year-olds and a fourteen-year-old to major-label contracts—two in Country and one in Pop. Singing Your Way to Stardom chronicles how that happened, and then offers invaluable advice and education for anyone seeking a career in the music business.
marty rendleman
Singing y o u r way to stardom
a B lu e p r i n t f o r s u c c e s s i n t h e mu s i c in d u s t r y
BOOK REVIEW
How far would you travel to find your true self ? Leaving Philadelphia following the death of her mother, Promise Ambrose sets off across the country, heading for remote Fort Laramie, Wyoming, to find a father she never knew. As if she had not already seen enough hard times in her young life, she is captured by stagecoach robbers and rescued by members of a Lakota tribe along the way. Not having the means to find and reconnect with her aunt, Hattie, Promise is forced to stay with the tribe and adapt to their way of life while she awaits rescue from her father. At first, tribal life is difficult and Promise is ill-equipped due to her upbringing in a large city. But little by little, she learns to live and work within the tribe and off of the land and also learns what it means to be part of a family. She adapts to tribal life so well that they give her an Indian name: Yellow Star, Giver of Light. When a chance to return to civilization comes her way, she meets it with sorrow and curiosity—sorrow for the new family she must leave behind and curiosity about the father she has yet to meet. What does Promise’s future hold? Will it be full of sadness or joy? Will Promise be able to readapt to civilization and the only biological family she has left; or will Yellow Star return to the tribe, the place she felt most useful and at home? First-time author Judy A. King’s historical, coming-of-age novel, Yellow Star, is a captivating story with true-to-life characters that will stay will you long after you finish reading. By: Brittany Pickering
I was born and raised in the Live Music Capitol of the world. Here, I attempt to briefly explain why Austin is such a sweet place to call home. On almost any given night you can find something fun to do, especially in the summer. Tons of attractions and events are held in the Downtown vicinity, most of the time family-friendly, and quite often free. Every summer, Downtown Austin becomes home to 750,000+ bats, making it the largest urban bat colony in North America. Around sunset the Congress Avenue bats emerge from the bridge in search of food. For humans in search of food, South Congress has amazing local eats and treats. There are many scenic routes to get around Austin, but I often prefer Lamar, as it also happens to be home to one of the hippest grocery stores in town. My favorite reason to make a mid-week trip to this particular store is to watch the free movies on the big blow-up screen in the adjoining park. These events are sponsored by our local radio stations and Austin’s best movie theater, Alamo Drafthouse. In addition to the fire-fly lit movie nights, they offer cooking classes and live music; it’s like an amusement park for food lovers! A few miles down South Lamar is the Original Alamo Drafthouse, set up like most theatres but with a spin. The Drafthouse offers a full food and drink menu along with movie events. I have never had a bad experience—even when the movie wasn’t that great.
“THERE ARE TONS OF GREAT LOCAL PLACES TO COOL DOWN IN THE SUMMERTIME!” There are tons of great local places to cool down in the summertime but my favorite and probably the most popular is Barton Springs Pool, the fourth largest natural springs in the state. The legendary Zilker Park playground overlooks the pool with a small passenger train track between them. Several of the surrounding restaurants follow the Zilker/Barton vibe by welcoming four-legged friends and having live music several nights a week. Austin has several great music traditions, one being Blues on the Green. This free summer concert series runs every other Wednesday and features some of the very best blues talent in Austin. It’s events like this that keep Austinites jamming year-round. Since 2002 people have traveled from all over to attend one of the coolest festivals in the world; The Austin City Limits Music Festival. ACL takes place on 46-acres in Zilker Park, the most popular of Austin’s public green spaces. The festival is a gathering of 130+ musicians from across the globe, amazing local eats and fun for all ages for three magical days. ACL is also the most green and environmentally-friendly music festival in the country. A couple blocks away in the heart of Downtown are 6th street and the “warehouse district.” Both are great areas to eat, get a drink and dance. Every March the streets of downtown Austin are blocked off day and night to make way for everything “South By,” a five day party lasting until the wee hours of the morning. SXSW is truly and experience. The streets are filled with people from all over, afternoon openbar parties, BBQs and free concerts. The official showcases take priority at night, giving you the opportunity to catch the new up and coming artists in a small club setting. Most of what you know about Texas has probably been portrayed in a late country western movie but don’t let that fool you, because as the saying goes, everything really is Bigger and Better in TEXAS! Hook Em’ Horns!
“AUSTIN HAS SEVERAL GREAT MUSIC TRADITIONS!”
Photos by: adam-jackson.net
i
Instead of going the traditional routes, they recorded a live EP (of their second performance ever) and gave it away for free online—something they admittedly t seems everywhere you look these days there’s a reason to lose hope. One day
wouldn’t have been able to do had they been signed with a record label.
the economy is improving, the next day it’s spiraling downward. From bookseller giants “We didn’t have any red tape,” stated Williams. “If we were on a label, there’s no
to the post office, many are cutting back or doing less. And the music industry is no exception.
way we would have been able to give away an album for free—especially without email retrieval and all the marketing data that the labels want. There’s no way. We believe one
Last June I had the honor of speaking with The Civil Wars (comprised of Joy Williams and John Paul White) for the inaugural issue of Variance. Not even a year later,
of the major reasons we are finding any success is because we haven’t been bound by a conventional system.”
everyone from USA Today to Vanity Fair is raving about this brilliant duo. One publication called them, “the best of what’s next.” Adding them to her iTunes playlist, Taylor
Perhaps it’s for the best. According to the duo, their 2011 record sales goal for
Swift said, “I think this is my favorite duet.” Earlier this year, Jay Leno welcomed the pair
the debut album “Barton Hollow” was far exceeded just in the first week of its release.
to the Tonight Show for a bone-chilling debut performance that sent Twitter abuzz and
Having been a trending topic on Twitter and being iTunes’ top album right out of the
perhaps created a ripple effect. With a stop at South by Southwest—where they were
gate, even the small game plan they had has changed.
arguably one of the standout artists of the event—and a tour across the United States, the pair seems unstoppable.
“It’s a testament to the power of the Internet,” said White. “The beauty of it is, that the people who have connected with our music have really connected. And so, ticket
As Williams and White continue to wow fans, I can’t help but think of how inspir-
sales have been surpassing our expectations—which means we may have to consider
ing a story these two have become. In an industry marked recently by a stream of bad
performing in larger venues. But we value the intimacy of performing in small settings
news and increasing obstacles for “do-it-yourself” musicians, The Civil Wars are a
and we don’t want to sacrifice the connection with our audience. That’s important to
breath of fresh air, and it was great to catch up with them recently at one of their shows.
us.”
From the beginning, they have functioned outside the box. Having previously
If you have seen them perform live, you know what he’s talking about. The chem-
fostered solo careers, they know how the industry works (or how it used to work). White
istry White and Williams have on stage is unmatched. Moving briskly from one song
admitted, “we’re trying to approach this differently—not being afraid to take chances.”
to another, the audience remains completely in awe—thoroughly connected with each
lyric and verse. It’s the stuff legendary performances are made of. And for a moment, you do in fact feel like you will one day share this experience with your children and grandchildren. “We try to create music that is personal,” said White. “It’s just vague enough so that people see their own lives in the lyrics—so they make it their own. We want them to find themselves in it.” “It can’t be conjured up,” stated Williams. “We would love to be able to say, we had this all planned out. But it hasn’t been like that.”
JED WRIGHT
Yes, the Civil Wars are a melting pot of music styles and brilliantly-blended vocals that send chills down your spine. And yes, they embody everything great about the spirit of Nashville and the power of the American dream. But in my opinion, Joy Williams and John Paul White are even greater examples of something truly rare among their peers--a great work ethic and a commitment to doing the right thing. “You don’t make relationships so you can ingratiate yourself to get something,” said Williams. “But if you treat people right, you never know what can happen.” It’s evident those words--those values--are the cornerstone of The Civil Wars’ career. And while they joke that they know they’ve “made it” when people say that Johnny Depp looks like John Paul White, they aren’t taking
Jack Wilson found himself riding in the back of a pickup truck wondering how everything could have gone so wrong.
anything for granted. “People ask us, who do you know?” said Williams. “The reality is, we’re just an independent band. And we are really blessed to have people working with us—and fans—who believe in us.” As the music industry tries to figure out what comes next, music sales won’t sustain careers. If you’re not performing live (over and over again), building genuine relationships, and working hard for yourself, it’s going to be tough. But if you need any amount of inspiration, look to The Civil Wars. And keep your eye on them this year, because they--along with others, of course--are the future. And the future looks very bright. Make sure to get the debut album “Barton Hollow” and the newly-released iTunes Live Exclusive of their South by Southwest performance.
Wake Up, O Sleeper is a page-turning thrill ride that you won’t be able to put down. The shocking ending will leave you asking: “Am I awake or asleep?” “Jed Wright has written an intriguing and exciting novel and…has taught some important truths about culture, love, commitment and the Christian faith.” —Dr. Steve Brown, President, Key Life Network, Orlando, FL “Wake Up O Sleeper is a contagious and inspiring read.” —Dr. Jerry Russell, Pastor, Fairview UMC
THE SPOTLIGHT BY: JOHN MOUSER • MOUSERTIME.BLOGSPOT.COM PHOTO BY: LAURA MEANS
Were you initially intimidated by the Glamour Kills Tour, since it is your first headlining tour? Jordan: I was kind of weird about it for a while. I was kind of nervous to headline. I always
On your last album, “I’m Alive, I’m Dreaming,” you worked with six producers. What was the idea behind that? Were you just trying to feel out as many different sounds as possible?
wanted to wait a long time before I headlined, but I guess the best time to do it is right now.
Jordan: Yeah, that was the idea. I am trying to keep things as diverse and interesting as
Initially I wasn’t really thinking that way, but now I really have an awesome outlook on it,
possible and I wanted to make sure that the album didn’t have any points where the listener
and I think that it is going to be a crazy experience. A bunch of the shows are sold out, it
got bored, or they thought “this just sounds like everything else on the album.” For me,
is going to be awesome!
working with different people from different worlds was appealing. I worked with guys like Matt Squire, J.R. Rotem and a few others. For the newer ones I went with Red one, who did
You have a very energetic live performance. What has influenced your stage presence over the years?
the Lady Gaga stuff and a bunch of other people. I am kind of the guy who likes to float
Jordan: For me when I was younger, going to shows, I was always a fan of the bands that
So with the songs that you have been working on the past month, what are you seeing that is different from your previous songs?
went insane onstage. I was going to shows a lot, like basement shows and CSW shows when I was in high school, seeing hardcore bands and stuff like that. In that world, having
around, but most of the time I do stuff with J.R..
crazy energy is the huge thing. I wanted to make sure when we play live shows that we are
Jordan: A lot of the stuff I have been doing lately is a little bit fast, with more of a dance feel
playing like we are a rock band, something way heavier than what we are, just because
to it. That was the mindset that I was in when I was out there last. I did a couple of songs that
that’s what I like. I feel that in pop music not every other band goes off like that. I just want
have that, “Love Like Woe,” feel to them, a kind of “islandy” song. Some of them are darker,
it to be insane as it can possibly be.
thrown in with some dub step sounds and a bunch of other different stuff.
You said that you try to make your pop sound heavier at you live show, but do you ever see that translating into your recorded music?
Tell me about your latest music video for “More Than Alive.”
Jordan: Maybe a little bit. There are always some dark parts in our songs, and lately I have
some cool stuff going on. I also wanted it to be this weird sequel to the “Love Like Woe”
been using heavier synth parts. There are definitely some grinding noises that give some of
video, where I wake up and the whole “Love Like Woe” thing was a dream, and I just keep
the music a heavier feel. There are a couple of songs on the album that have live drums and
waking up in bed and crazy things keep happening in that room. That is sort of the theme
more of a rock feel to it. I just want to make sure that it doesn’t really drift into one territory,
behind the video. It definitely had some similarities to the “Love Like Woe” video. I think
and that everything stays as diverse as it can be.
with the next song I think that the video will go in a much different direction, but I really do
Jordan: Since it wasn’t a single, I wanted to do it as sort of a fan piece, I just wanted to keep
like doing the thing where I tie the videos together. I’m sure that there will be some sort of
How have you seen your writing process change since the time that you started? Jordan: When I started writing these songs, I would just sit down in my basement with my
connection on the next one.
Are you completely done recording? Are you shooting for a full-length anytime soon?
little keyboard and Logic or Reason, poke around and make some sounds and demos. I have been working with a lot of bigger producers than I have in the past, and what I like to
Jordan: Never really done recording, but for now I think I am. I have eighteen new songs
do right now it to sit down with just an idea, something basic and just discuss the vibe of the
and I think we are going to pick like seven songs and do an actual release, of the actual
song and build it from the ground up. I will end up talking about what I want to do with the
album, rather than just an eight song thing. Some of the old songs will be on there, along
producer, and then they will leave the room for a couple of hours. I will then write the whole
with then new songs I have been working on. The original album was super under the
thing by myself, and then we will take it from there. So, it is like this halfway collaborative
radar, so I think the idea is to call it a “deluxe” thing and just consider it the real album
thing, but not really. It’s kind of weird.
release. Hopefully then we will put three more singles off of the album to radio, do all of the international stuff and just go from there. Overall, it’s been a good year!
-V
A
Variance: You mentioned that you parents are involved with TwitPic? s members of social media sites continue to grow on a daily basis, common
people are changing the way we communicate, the way companies market, and also the way news is disseminated. Armed with nothing more than a cell phone, social media experts and novices alike are creating ways for worldwide news to be available at any time, anywhere and at the push of a button. This trend has also created opportunities for startup companies that would have
Everett: Yeah! My mom and dad came on, I think out of pity because they saw how ragged I was running myself. Mom handles a lot of the support and taking care of booking things. Dad takes care of the accounting and numbers. They’ve really alleviated a lot of the stress on me because I was unable to do everything as we got larger. Variance: Is it important, in your perspective, to have support from family whenever you’re starting something like this?
been deemed irrelevant as early as three years ago. We recently caught up with Noah Everett, the founder and CEO of TwitPic, Twitter’s first and highest rated picture and video sharing service, and got his opinion on all things social media, Twitter and the future of TwitPic in particular. Variance: What exactly is a normal day for you?
Everett: It’s tremendous. Running something like a startup, you’re going to have really high peaks and really low valleys. It’s good to have moral support, especially from family, because they know you better than anybody else and you can be frank with them. My mom does a good job of giving me pep talks. Variance: You’ve been offered millions of dollars to sell TwitPic. Why didn’t you do it?
Everett: We’re eight people strong and we all work remotely so we’ve got people in Charleston, engineers in New York, Massachusetts, Georgia, Texas and Oklahoma. Everyone kind of works from home using programs like CampFire and Skype. We’re actually in the process of purchasing office space in downtown Charleston so people can come here and work normally. Variance: How did you go about getting everyone together? Did you know them all before? Everett: I started TwitPic back in 2008 as a side project and ran it on nights and weekends for the first year as I worked full-time as a web developer. TwitPic finally got so large and took up so much of my time that I couldn’t handle a full-time job anymore and had to quit and start doing [TwitPic] full time. For six months I ran the site by myself before hiring our first engineer; six months later we hired another engineer. Just recently we got two extra engineers on board, plus my mom and dad and recently a marketing director as well. Variance: Very cool. So, you built this? You had the know-how to do this from the start? Everett: Right. I actually built the first version of TwitPic over a weekend and released it that Monday. The day after, Mashable wrote about it and started this snowball effect. I was freaking out because it was something I actually made myself, so that
Everett: We’ve had offers pretty much throughout the history of TwitPic, increasing in value over time. We had offers when the site launched in the six figure range. When we get offers we look at the site and we realize that we’re still growing and we haven’t hit our peak velocity yet. Plus, it’s just too much fun to give it away before that point. Variance: You’ve said that everyone is going mobile. What do you see in store for the Internet and, in particular, TwitPic? Everett: The Internet, in general, is going mobile. When the iPhone came out it changed everything in terms of mobility and left everyone scrambling to catch up. For TwitPic, in particular, we’ll try to make it as easy as possible to share a picture or video from your phone wherever you are as quickly as possible. Variance: What are you working on right now? Everett: We’re working on cleaning up the URL a little bit, maybe some design changes. We’ve also got our new startup, Heelo, which has changed our direction a lot. We’ll start working on that new project soon and we really think people will like it. We haven’t begun releasing information on it yet, but hopefully soon we’ll be giving more details.
was cool.
Variance: You’re 26 years old; you’ve got years ahead of you. Where do you see your-
Variance: So, this is obviously something you funded yourself, right?
self ultimately?
Everett: Correct. I was paying for the server cost and, thankfully, as the cost grew so did our advertising revenue. We’ve been operating at a high margin (around 67 percent) ever since. The way we’re doing things now, 2011 will be a great year for us. We’re really trying to smooth things out. Variance: Since you started TwitPic, have you had any great memories or anything that caught you off guard? Everett: One of the things that made me change the way I look at TwitPic was when the plane went down in the Hudson River and a photo was posted from the ferry. That photo started circling around after about an hour. I was sitting at my desk getting phone calls from the New York Times and all these big publications and it made me realize there was more to this photo sharing thing than just a messaging system. Variance: So, what is it like being a CEO at your age? A lot of people see that as an admirable thing because there aren’t many CEO’s under 30. Everett: It’s good and bad. It’s fun and it’s exciting, but when it hits the fan you have to take care of business. When I was running TwitPic by myself and it would go down, I’d have to roll out of bed at 2 or 3 in the morning and get things working again. Some nights I got no sleep while babysitting the site, dealing with bugs that have to get taken care of. In this case, if you don’t fix it, you’re going to suffer and your company will suffer.
Everett: My main goal is the non-profit ideas we want to do. Running TwitPic and Heelo is a career, but I want to use it to give back locally and globally so that at the end of our lives, we can see the impact we left behind—besides the monetary side. What did I do on a human level? Variance: People who may be in a similar position to you three years ago might read this interview. What advice would you give them? Everett: Make sure you’re having fun if you’re doing what you love. Also, focus on your product and your users as well as your competition. Focus on making your users as happy as possible and your service the best you can. Just make sure you’re having fun. Sometimes we get in this tunnel where we can’t see anything else but our startup, our company. Remember to step back and realize that in a few years, you’re going to be in a different position and in a different place. Variance: Does it ever annoy you that people just associate you with TwitPic? Everett: I get, “Hey you’re the TwitPic guy!” a lot but it doesn’t really bother me. I think it’s cool that I can be associated with something like TwitPic and I’m very grateful to be a part of something like this.
Overwhelmed: The Life of a Single Mom begins as a pageturning drama following author Jennifer Maggio’s journey from homeless teenage mother to successful corporate executive. As the tale unfolds, revealing personal tragedies of death, abuse, molestation, and poverty, Jennifer’s voice is added to the chorus of more than 13 million single mothers in the United States. Overwhelmed offers hope to all who haven’t had everything in their life go perfectly. And it will help all of us who want to represent the heart of Jesus Christ to wounded souls. —Dino Rizzo, lead pastor of Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and author of Servolution Overwhelmed is a journey through immense struggles, personal doubts, and the challenges that face single moms everywhere... —Carolyn Gable, radio host and author of Everything I Know as a CEO, I Learned as a Waitress
AVAILABLE NOW AT TATEPUBLISHING.COM
WHITNEY
CRAWFORD M U S I C
Big heart plus big talent adds up to big potential for Tulsa worship artist Whitney Crawford. Whitney knew at 15 that her life would be driven by her love for music and her love for God. With guitar and mic in hand, Whitney has put her two biggest passions together at Christchurch in Tulsa, where she leads weekly worship. Crawford also has a huge heart for missions. Her travels have taken her to Mexico and Africa, where she has championed the cause of Christ to villages in need. With a distinctly gospel sound, Crawford’s music is similar to that of Martha Munizzi or CeCe Winans. She and her church worship team have recently released a new worship album, “Arise,” which features all of Whitney’s original worship songs. “Arise” is available at her website at whitneycrawford.com. This young, prolific musician is already working on songs for her second and third albums.
WWW.WHITNEYCRAWFORD.COM
A DIFFERENT KIND OF REVOLUTION “Because when the music stops, you need Jesus.” by Brittany Pickering When one thinks about Christian music, one doesn’t immediately think of rap or hip hop music. Rapper Revolution’s debut album, Adonai, shatters the standard rap formula. Original lyrics about living a Christian life despite everyday problems due to economic hardship and worldly temptations are backed by fresh beats reminiscent of large-industry greats like Jay Z and Eminem and lesser-known lyrical rappers like Fredro Starr. Rapper Revolution’s mentors are eclectic as well: “My top three influences would be Jayson McCormack, Michael Jackson, and Tupac Shakur, no doubt about it.” Unlike mainstream rappers who often rap about living the high life or contemporary social issues, Revolution’s goal is to make music that brings others to God and lets them know that God loves everyone, regardless of economic status and past sins. “I would like my music to make others feel and know that God loves them too and you do belong. So much music is used to tear down or draw lines between this person and that person, or this is secular and this is gospel…to me, that is a sickness and illness in itself. The music must be used to unify and bring others, everybody, closer to Jesus Christ—not just some but all.” Revolution’s favorite tracks to perform live are “Sing About It” and “Fire Psalm,” both featuring his friend, Laura Song. In “Sing About It,” a slow jam with a haunting, unmistakable undertone, Revolution tells us how he finds hope in God despite all the bad things in life and rises above them and Satan by singing about how God has saved him. “This war and fight that’s in my life. He conquered death, and it’s alright. Eternal life. That’s why I sing about it, baby.” Singing about Christ and trusting God keeps Satan at bay. We’re reminded that all the bad things in life are okay because God promises eternal life and sent Jesus to save the world from sin. “Fire Psalm” is a praise song in which Revolution raps about how Jesus has a hand in everything in his life, especially his music. “We an empire, simply give praise until we expire and as an entire, we agree on the power of the Lord. I am no lie, and we gonna keep it popping. Talk to JESUS day and night until you get that new-era vibe, walking light. See, I was born to music. It helps to lift the spirit. That’s why I’m adamant with Jesus’ name in every lyric. And if it’s really going down, Im’a take a look around. Im’a bang my sound. Ain’t no other sound banging on the underground or upper ground. Do it all for Jesus’ crown. Humbly, I bow down.” Rapper Revolution remains true both to his genre of choice and to his spirituality. There are times when musicians refuse to do so, but in this case, they’re here to stay and to spread the Word that means so much to them. “Being that the lyrics and the music pertains to Jesus Christ and the gospel, I am very adamant about keeping my talents and abilities from God in perspective. I believe a person’s work and servitude for the Lord should be reflective or it should compliment your everyday lifestyle and belief in the Lord…Living life and obeying the words in red are more important than any song I could ever write. However, if I keep the commandments first and keep music second, then it all works out.”
In the fall of 1991 David Gaddis thought he was on the way up. His business had attracted Sears Roebuck and Company as a partner and was valued at $329 million. But when Sears asked him to give them 90 percent of his stock for free, he refused, thinking they would make a better offer. Instead, he received a series of twists and turns that include betrayals, spooks, false charges, and destruction of everything that he loved and cared for. While many people would turn bitter, after a bit of prodding from an angel in disguise, David used his experience to draw closer to God and emerged with a profound new faith, peace, and joy. An Angel is Calling offers a shocking look into the world of big business and the abuses of the American justice system. David’s story and humbling attitude will inspire you to look at any challenge you face with a fresh and joyous perspective. Readers of An Angel is Calling from whatever religious perspective will be inspired by the depth of David Gaddis’s faith in God, in spite of the extreme injustices he has been forced to endure.’ — Joan Korenblit, co-founder of the Respect Diversity Foundation
Special Edition Hardcover copies are available from the author at
www.anangeliscalling.com
Friends Bar, on the famous Sixth street strip turned into the Buffalo Lounge for the
can write a whole song around them. He makes it so easy and every day he’s encour-
week, showcasing the state of Oklahoma’s brightest musical stars. Variance Maga-
aging me and uplifting me so it makes it a lot easier to have someone there who’s got
zine got an exclusive press pass for Wednesday’s daytime showcase, Sax, Clogs, and
your back when everybody’s not cheering or just standing there, he’s there to cheer
Rock ‘n’ Roll, and talked with Oklahoma favorites John Fulbright, Sherree Chamberlain,
me on.”
Ben Kilgore (a SXSW vet with his band The Hero Factor), Fiawna Forte, and Kite Flying Robot. Here’s the highlight reel.
VM: Describe your favorite moment on stage. JF: “I got to play a Jimmy Webb song for Jimmy Webb one time, on stage. Jimmy Webb is a very famous songwriter from Elk City, he wrote all of Glenn Campbell’s big hits—Wichita Lineman, By the Time I Get to Phoenix. He’s just a powerhouse, master songwriter, and I got to play one of his songs for him last year.”
KFR: “Just being alive, and this crazy weird experience we call life. We’re all really different but we all share this weirdness that we get up every day, and do our thing, you know…do whatever we do, and it’s strange, but we’re all in this together, at least let’s have a good time and dance.”
VM: What advice do you offer most to aspiring musicians or band trying to make it in a crowded industry today? JF: “Read books.”
SC: “Definitely [at this show] when my keyboard fell off of the stand and collapsed at my feet. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
SC: “Don’t be too cool for anything, say yes to everything—EVERYTHING. Play all you can, even if it’s for grandmas. It’s surprising what kind of audience you can garner
BK: “The Hero Factor played a show at the Cain’s Ballroom [in Tulsa] in 2004 or
from the tiniest shows and where you think you sound the worst. It’s not a competition,
2005, and there were 1500 people there, sold out show. I drove up an hour before the
it should be a celebration. Don’t try to tear other people down to try to get to the top
show and there was a line down the street and it felt really good to be supported by
or just to make yourself look cool. I guess my main advice is to assume that you’re like
our hometown and to have a full Cain’s Ballroom. I ended up getting married at Cain’s
the least cool person.”
because of that…it’s a special place to us.” via Jonathan Mooney, drummer “Stay in Oklahoma, because I’ve seen a lot of KFR: via frontman Nikolas Thompson “I’d say the last one where we played Mo-
people move to the very obvious places to make music and it’s never really worked
mentum (venue) and had the floor shaking from so many people dancing was pretty
out. The cost of living is so cheap in Oklahoma; it’s such a productive environment for
cool.”
creativity, I’ve found like more than any place I’ve been in the United States and I think
VM: Describe your most embarrassing moment on stage. SC: via Joey Morris, bassist “One time I restrung Sherree’s guitar, and I restrung
it’s a great place and I love it. via Joey Morris “Practice a lot and don’t expect some big gleaming reward or light at the end of the tunnel. Just play, enjoy the process and that should be enough.”
it backwards. I’m not exactly a guitar player and I thought I was trying to be nice. We realized on stage that it was sounding really bad, and they all kinda looked back at me and that’s when I knew I’d ruined the show.”
BK: “Be patient. Look for silver linings. Find a way to make the best out of bad situations. It never happens as fast as you want it to. And usually the quick ways to the top don’t last. Figure out who you are as an artist and don’t try to be what you think
FF: “We were playing at Cain’s a couple weeks ago and I was jumping around
everyone else wants you to be.”
and my guitar went out and when I was I running back to the front, I smacked right into Lance’s guitar, like the head of his guitar, and I actually had a black eye for a week. And at Cain’s Ballroom of all places.”
FF: “Get up there and don’t care what the audience is doing or what they’re saying and just play like it’s the last time you’ll ever play.”
KFR: “Our ‘sixth member’ (the Mac) messing up and going into a loop that was
KFR: via Alex Larrea, drummer “Just start doing stuff. No matter what, just start
unintentional. We set a loop on [the computer] during practice and forgot to turn it off
doing it. If you have any kind of inkling that any kind of musical idea will work, the most
for our set. That’s why there was like a second part of song that wasn’t supposed to
important part is day one. Just start doing something….If you’re sitting at home right
be there.”
now just get up and start doing something if you like it.”
VM: Many artists play one style and listen to artists that are completely different. Is there anything you listen to that would surprise your fans?
time. You’re never too old to start doing stuff. You’re your own worst enemy.”
BK: “I love Billy Joel. His album The Stranger is probably my favorite of all time. I love Harry Connick Jr.”
Via Nikolas “It’s never too late. It’s never too late to pick up the guitar for the first
Via Tanya Tanya Felter, violin/vocals “It’s really easy to fall into this, ‘well no one likes our music, no one likes what we’re doing’ [way of thinking]. But there is someone out there if your heart’s in it and you’re really sounding good, someone’s gonna like it, so you shouldn’t get down about people thumbing their nose.”
FF: “I listen to a lot of classical and a lot of opera even. Kate Bush is a big inspiration to me even though I sound absolutely nothing like her.”
On St. Patty’s day, Variance Magazine took over the venue to feature four of OKCbased music label Tate Music Group’s artists, as well as Tulsa indie favorite, Snorlaxx.
KFR: “Early 70s glam, 80s, I have a lot of closet artists. Tiny Tim, Nirvana, the Bieb— we have the same hairstylist but I can’t quite get the same look as him.”
VM: What or who inspires your work the most? JF: “Anything with literary value.” SC: “It’s just something we all love to do, so why wouldn’t you?” BK: “My parents. My dad was a worship pastor at church, and since I was three years old as a family we always sang together, traveled as the Kilgore Family Singers. They instilled in me a love for music; lots of music in the house, so that’s probably my greatest asset musically.” FF: “Probably my husband. He comes in with these bass lines and pretty much I
You can watch video interviews with Michelle Buzz, Justin Cross, Scarlitt Redemption, and an exclusive with Snorlaxx on Variance TV. Attracting more than 900 attendees and Austinites, the show built throughout the afternoon, culminating in an Apple iPad giveaway and an epic encore performance by Snorlaxx. Michelle Buzz kicked us off with her sweet, piano-based singer/songwriter style, followed by Justin Cross’s acoustic Americana folk. Scarlitt Redemption transitioned the lineup into rock, covering a couple classics in addition to their original songs, before We the People hit the stage hard with heavy electric riffs and rhythms. Snorlaxx attempted to wrap things up, but with their hardhitting hip-hop beats, double bass, and energetic rapper, the crowd refused to let them go. Only after their entire repertoire had been left on stage did the boys of Snorlaxx close out the Variance Showcase and the Buffalo Lounge for 2011. It was a great first year for Variance at SXSW, and with plans already in the works for next year, it seems the two will be quite happy together for a long, long time.
Variance connected with extreme sport aficionado and eXtreme Sport Christians founder, David Tesar about how he’s connecting extreme sport athletes the world over with a passion for finding community in sports and sharing their faith together.
How did XSChristians get started? God gave me the vision for eXtreme Sport Christians (XSC) sometime after I was born again when I lived in Dallas, TX around 2004. I had a group of friends who were passionate about wakeboarding from dallaswakeboarding.com and another group of
How does XSC reach out to new athletes? When new athletes sign up on the site, they now have the ability to connect with other local athletes. Some of the ways we get people to know about our website is through placing flyers at local churches or extreme-sport-relevant local businesses, search engine optimization, and also having links to our site on relevant websites.
How do XSC chapters impact their members and their communities?
friends passionate about Jesus. I had a hard time connecting with my wakeboarding
The local XSC chapter has helped our members grow in their walk with Jesus and
friends at a deeper level since virtually none of them were Christian and I often didn’t
to be Missional—reaching the lost in the extreme sport community. [We’ve hosted] our
agree with their lifestyle. I had a hard time connecting with my Christian friends on
own low-cost extreme sport events open to anyone and volunteer with local organiza-
anything outside of Jesus, such as wakeboarding. I thought there should be a way to
tions such as Snowboard Outreach Society, Outdoors for All, and Evergreen Mountain
find other Christians who liked to wakeboard, but there was not.
Bike Alliance.
After talking with the national director of christiansurfers.com, it sparked an idea to have local chapters and also create a way to easily find local Christians who enjoy extreme sports, anywhere in the world. Today we are delivering on this mission, allowing members to do a granular search by sport and distance for other members in the United
What significance does Christian community play in an extreme sport athlete’s life? Christian community is crucial for any Christian, which also applies to extreme
States and Canada and search by sport and country for anywhere else in the world.
sport athletes. For instance, Christian community is important to build deep relation-
What sports do most of your networked athletes participate in?
each of us have, and to be a witness to the world.
We have people on the site from all over the world who enjoy various extreme sports: BMX, Inline Skating, Kayaking, Kiteboarding, Motocross, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Skateboarding, Skiing, Sky Diving, Snowboarding, Surfing, and Wakeboarding. Here in the Seattle area, most people on the site are into Skiing, Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, and Wakeboarding. Extreme sports are definitely
ships, for true growth and positive change, to serve one another according to the gifts
What is XSC’s vision for world missions? XSC’s vision is there will be chapters around the world being Missional in their local community. Although I think there is value in traveling for “mission trips,” it is also very important to be on-mission where God has you now.
a culture and most of the time a person will enjoy more than one extreme sport.
Are most of your athletes professional or amateur? We have people of all ability levels on the site, but most people are not professional.
How many local chapters of XSChristians are currently established? Currently we have over 400 members in the online community and one chapter in Seattle, WA, but we have more chapters currently forming. Ideally, I would love to see other relevant Christian extreme sport ministries like Christian Surfers, Christian Skaters, Solid Rock Climbers for Christ, Snowboarders For Christ, and Wakeboard Church allow XSC to place their chapters into our database to enable more connections to take place.
XSC members have access to a list of members who share common interests and live close by at their fingertips.
How did the band come about?
After a year together, what is the greatest lesson you’ve learned?
Michael Rowley: Brennan, Danny, and I all knew each other from college. Brennan
Brennan: That nothing will be handed to us. It is impossible to achieve what
invited Michael Watson to try out for the band after meeting him through mutual friends,
we want to if we don’t treat Systems as we would a full-time job, and that it takes full
and after a few sessions we asked him to become a full-time member. The past year we
dedication from every band member.
have spent a lot of time writing and exploring many different styles of music in order to pinpoint our specific style. Tanner recently joined and moved to Tulsa from Springfield, MO and we couldn’t be happier with the line up and direction we are going!
Considering you have built a substantial local/regional tour, what has been the key to your success? Brennan Schaueble: Hard work and dedication from all members of the band. Us-
What do you hope to accomplish with this EP? Why an EP? Michael R: We decided to record an EP because we wanted to release something to our fans as soon as possible and we wanted each song to be carefully crafted rather than rushing ourselves creatively to write a full-length album. Through the whole process of recording the EP we have continued to write new music for a full length album we are recording this fall.
ing the Internet and multiple social networking sites, we have spent endless hours adding, liking, following, tweeting, updating statuses, and probably annoying people to give our music a listen. Our live performances have always been important to us; this has allowed us to make contacts in our region and around the United States that have helped us reach the point we are at today.
Explain, “The Children Have Grown” (the debut EP). Michael R: Each song has an individual meaning, but collectively they tell a coming-of-age story. The EP focuses on philosophical, moral, and spiritual struggles-walking the listener through honest approaches of how we, as humans, deal with such questions. The opening track, “Where is the Ringmaster,” is an observation of American society and its obsession with materialism and selfishness. “The Thief: Part 1 & 2” is a metaphor of Christianity and how those who view the religion from the outside looking in will often times have a much stronger faith and understanding of what they believe. “High Noon” portrays emotions that everyone experiences, anger and the human desire to take revenge. Overall the EP focuses on honesty and redemption.
Free Download of “High Noon” from Systems-The Children Have Grown
WRITTEN BY: AMANDA MORAD (twitter.com/amandamorad) PHOTOS BY: ERIC DYKSTRA
THE SPOTLIGHT
City Under Siege: A new record deal, a summer tour, and a new album releasing April 4. Is there anything this Buffalo, NY two-man band can’t do? Variance got the inside scoop on it all with front man John Wittlinger. Tell us about the beginnings of CUS, and how you arrived at the group you have now.
What part does social media play in growing your fan base?
City Under Siege came on the heels of a band that I had in high school. I formed it as a solo
of people when we come to their town. And now that MySpace is “dead,” it’s like everything
project but it turned into a full blown band when I realized I didn’t want to play acoustic and
is on Facebook, but even that isn’t as good as it used to be. It’s so saturated with bands
wanted to get more into the indie/pop rock scene.
already that places like reverbnation are so helpful [to bands]. You can do everything from
Social media has a huge role in growing our fan base. We now have to compile an email list
one site—email everyone and direct people there to listen to your music, buy your merch, About six months ago, Ryan Wiesner, my current drummer joined the band and changed
and keep track of your shows. But really the best way to promote yourself we’ve found
everything. We immediately realized that we had a ton in common and really fed off each
is developing the personal relationships with fans—actually going out in the crowd and
other’s writing styles. He brought a stability to the band we had never had. After a few
talking to all the fans, getting their numbers so the next time you play or come through town
months of trying to deal with kids in the band that didn’t want to commit or focus we either
you have friends there, not just people who know who you are.
kicked everyone out or they left each for their own reasons. We thought City Under Siege was over. But then we realized that together we could do
With just two of you in the band now, how do you handle live shows?
so much more than we had been doing with no one holding us back or slowing us down.
Since Ryan owns a studio, we’re able to record bass, piano, background vocals, synth, and
So that brings us to where we are now…two guys just having fun and we have had more
guitars onto a click track that plays through the PA wherever we play. That lets us perform
success in the past 6 months than we’ve had in the past 6 years. Everything is really
as a two-piece band and still sound as full as a five-piece band. We have to put on a stage
coming together for us finally.
show that makes people think there is a lot going on. We have developed an amazing light show that is synchronized to all our songs. It creates movement on stage and helps to
What artist(s) have contributed most to your current sound?
energize the songs and the crowd.
Dashboard Confessional, Relient K, Matt Nathanson, The Ataris, The Spill Canvas, and a lot
We just feel that the more professional you present yourselves and the more professional
of classic rock like the Beatles, or ACDC. Also, pretty much anything that is pop nowadays,
you look live, the more likely people will be to believe you are a great band. So much of the
like A LOT of Ke$ha. She is our favorite—and 3OH3! Stuff like that is closest to our sound.
industry is hype and making people believe you are the next greatest thing, so with only two people on the stage it’s important that we fill the stage up with lights and movement
How has being signed with Expat Records changed the way you share your music?
and great crowd interaction.
What’s next for City Under Siege?
Since we signed with Expat, we have made a ton of videos, which in the past we never really did. Because of the direction everything is headed with YouTube and [social media]
City Under Siege is headed for some great stuff. We will be releasing our CD, “The End
being visually oriented, it’s so important to have an online presence with that focus. We
to Everything,” on April 4th and touring more often. We are headed to the Fargo Marathon
created our own YouTube channel, which is a great way to get fans involved and interested
in Fargo, North Dakota, and on the way we will be touring some of the Midwest. We have
because we try to release new stuff on a weekly basis, even if it’s just a short update or
already started writing our next CD, which we are so pumped about and we are working a
a cover song or something fun like that. Being signed to a label has also motivated us to
lot on getting our music licensed in movies, TV, and commercials, because we feel that is
personally sell our music more. It’s given us the confidence to go around and sell CDs to
another huge tool in promoting yourself. When people hear you in the background of their
people at shows.
favorite TV show or movie, there is no easier way of getting fans. Preview songs from the upcoming release, “The End to Everything,” at www.expat-records.com.
WRITTEN BY AMANDA MORAD
New album, new tour, and lots of history. After its March 15 release, the Damnwells’
The Damnwells latest album, “No One Listens to the Band Anymore,” just re-
new LP, “No One Listens to the Band Anymore,” reached 190 on Billboard’s top 200
leased March 15 with newly formed Pledge Music Recordings. Of the title track, Alex
in its first week. The Damnwells front-man, Alex Dezen opens up about going through
said “I guess it’s just a statement of general malaise.”
record label hell and living to tell the tale. It might sound like a statement aimed at an industry that’s burned them more than Once upon a time in a Manhattan mini-storage unit, a young songwriter and three
once, but Alex contends it’s more ironic than anything. “More than ever, people are lis-
friends recorded their first songs. At that time, none of them could foresee the years of
tening to the music, and really hearing it. They might not be buying as many records…
grueling hard work and disappointments they would have to endure just to make mu-
but the truth is that bands are more empowered now than ever before because of the
sic. Alex Dezen, the singer-songwriter-musician who formed the Damnwells, and bass-
direct connection they can make with fans.”
ist Ted Hudson have been innovating their way through the music industry since 2001. Despite frequent lineup changes, Dezen’s style—a mix of alt-country and alternative
The production of NOLTTBA is proof of that empowerment. In February 2010,
pop/rock—has remained consistent. If there’s any testament to the power of hard work
the Damnwells set up a campaign with Pledge Music, a fan-funded music platform, to
and dedication, these guys are it.
raise money for the production of the album and the tour to support it. By October, they had received 173% of their goal. “All from money generated from fans, not the board of
The Damnwells first EP, Poor Man’s Record (PMR), was recorded, mixed, and
trustees of a record label or corporation,” says Dezen. “The catch is, we couldn’t have
produced by the band. They even stamped each CD sleeve by hand. “It was a labor of
done this ten years ago. We didn’t have any fans. How did we make the fans we have
love,” Dezen said. It was the same story for their first full-length album, “Bastards of the
now who have given all this money to help us make this record? Well, we were on a
Beat,” which was recorded in Dezen’s bedroom. Epic Records picked it up just before
major record label for 3 or 4 years…It’s kind of a catch 22.”
release and put “Bastards” out in April 2003. Naturally, Dezen has a lot to say about the changing atmosphere of the music Two years later, the band began recording their first professional album with Epic.
industry. In Golden Days, Dezen expresses what’s become a truism about major labels:
At the time, it appeared the Damnwells were living every musician’s Cinderella story.
“Instead of trying to assimilate into this new culture of internet media and downloading
The years of cold, make-shift rehearsal spaces and dive bar shows were behind them,
and file sharing, they’ve done basically everything they can to try to stop it.”
and in six months, the new album, Air Stereo, would propel them to alternative rock stardom.
According to Dezen, their story is one of a million. Getting dropped from a label is a new milestone for many bands.
But there was no fairy godmother to wave her wand for the Damnwells. The release date for Air Stereo kept getting pushed back. The band became restless and the
“I feel for both sides.” Dezen said. “There are human beings at the helm of record
label became disinterested. Finally, in January 2006, Dezen received news that Epic
labels and at the helm of bands. Unfortunately, the priority of the record label is to make
had dropped the Damnwells. The band was in complete control of their music and their
an unbelievable amount of money. The priority of a lot of bands is just to be able to
lives before they signed on the dotted line, but with the illusion shattered, and months
survive. Art and commerce eventually have to part ways.”
of work shelved indefinitely, the band’s future had never been more unclear.
So what’s a band to do? Dezen advises going it alone for a while. “Record labels
Independent filmmaker Chris Suchorsky captured the dark days before and after
can make young bands lazy. If you get signed to a big record label and they’re giving
the Damnwells was dropped from Epic in a documentary named after the band’s one
you all this money and you haven’t really even done a tour yet, you get used to tour
Air Studio single, “Golden Days.” The film was released in 2007 and won Best Docu-
support and all these things a record label will pay for, and then when the record label’s
mentary at the Phoenix Film Festival.
gone, going back to zero [is hard].”
As Epic was producing the Damnwells record, they were also producing albums
The Damnwells are on tour in support of NOLTTBA with Harper Blynn, a fellow
for then-unknown bands The Fray and Augustana. “It’s interesting to see what the ma-
Brooklyn-based band, who will also be backing up the Damnwells. Check out the mu-
chine can do when they put their dollars behind you,” said Alex on Golden Days. “To
sic videos for the album’s first two singles, Werewolves and The Great Unknown, on
see an Epic band, half our age, who’s been playing half as long, and been on the label
YouTube, and get free downloads and updates, on the band’s website at www.thedam-
half as long, get up there and have all those people…I couldn’t be happier for them. It’s
nwells.com.
just a weird, massive mentality.” Ironically, the Damnwells went on tour with both bands in 2006 and the Fray is still one of their biggest supporters.
FUTURE SOUNDS Featured Artist: The Vinyl Pinups Jonathan Robles & Weston Shepherd
As the music industry continually redefines itself, music and the musicians that create it are also in a constant state of change. 2010 saw music shift towards a blend of electronic and dance pop that promises to continue as listeners look to their favorite artists to inspire them to think, cheer and also give them music to tap their feet to.
Brennan Aert and Khara Lord make up the Universal music duo, Vinyl Pinups, and embody
Brennan: I started playing guitar for another band and we were signed to Interscope
everything music lovers have come to wish for with a sound that blends new age, pop and
Records. We were in the middle of doing paperwork but it was during the holidays, so every-
rock. We recently had the privilege of speaking with this up-and-coming pair to learn the story
thing kind of shut down. Khara and I decided we would start working on a European, synth/
of earning a record deal, the importance of the fans, as well as a first-hand look at what it’s
pop thing and started a project that was everything we wanted it to be. After the holidays, out
like to work hand-in-hand in music as husband and wife.
of the blue, Khara got a call from the CEO of Universal Republic. He says over the phone, “I came into work this morning thinking it was just going to be another day. But I just heard ‘The
Variance: How long have you guys been playing music together? Brennan: We’ve actually been working together on different music projects for almost
Pinups’ and I just have to have it. I want it now. Basically, I am offering you a record deal.” Khara: I don’t think we said anything for about five minutes. My jaw just dropped.
seven years now...What started out as a side project has become the main project. Now we’re just working on getting online presence.
Variance: You’ve been with Universal for about six months now, would you say a lot has changed in those months?
Variance: Do you guys hang out together outside of work? Brennan: Last year at this time I was picking up shifts at a restaurant and Khara was Khara: We hang out quite a bit, actually! (Laughs) Brennan: Yeah, we’ve actually been married for almost three years now. Khara: I go by Khara Lord for all music purposes but, like he said, we’ve been married for almost three years now. Brennan: We met in college, pretty soon after the first day of our freshman year. After getting to know each other, we started playing music together. After about six months we actually started liking each other but it started out as just playing music. Variance: So, what’s that like being married and working together? Khara: It actually works out better than some might think. I remember having a conversation when we first started and we decided that we’d just see how it goes. We knew we’d either be enemies or best friends. It’s worked out for the best because during the day, even though we are married, we treat each other like business partners. It works for us. Brennan: It works out especially well because in the music business it’s so hard to be
a hostess at another restaurant in addition to her publishing. I would say it has significantly changed. Khara: We still manage our own social media sites and are responsible for building a following. We work constantly day and night building this thing up. Basically, Universal has invested so much into us to get us to this point, but we have to prove we’re ready for the next step. We have to give it some traction, give them something to work with. Variance: So, who wrote your new single, “Hey Hey You”? Khara: Brennan and I wrote it together. Variance: It’s a very catchy song; it’s hard not to listen to it over and over again—definitely made for radio. Khara: First of all, thank you, because that means a lot to us. We did write that—just the two us—and it was a lot of fun. It’s developed into something that people have been positive about.
married since you’re gone all the time and you work with so many different people in all sorts
Variance: You guys have such an original sound and we’re definitely fans. It would be amaz-
of different places. Your schedule is never set in stone. At the end of the day, we still get to
ing to see you all do great things and we’re excited for your future.
see each other—unlike others who never get to see their spouses. Brennan: It’s always exciting to hear someone who loves our music enough to tell other peoVariance: So, you recently signed with Universal Republic. How did that work out? Brennan: It’s a crazy story, really. We had worked together on our project years ago
ple about it. Those people are the life-blood of this situation and we really appreciate it. We’re definitely excited for the future.
when we first started and it never really happened. Once I got out of college, I really started
Although a date has not been set for the release of an album, Vinyl Pinups are currently
wanting to make things happen so I started doing hired guitar work and production. Khara
in the studio, writing and recording in preparation. For more information, visit their Facebook
got a publishing deal with Scott Lynch, a smaller indie publishing company here in Nashville,
page at http://facebook.com/vinylpinups. Variance Magazine would like to thank them both
and was working on a solo project while writing full time.
and wish them the best of luck!
Khara: We didn’t really have the time to work together because we were both doing separate things.
B E N G RA U P N E R
J AC KS ON R AT H B ON E
B E N JOH N S ON
U N C LE LA R RY
JE R A D A NDERSO N
W RI TTEN BY J O H N M O U S E R P H O TO S B Y L A U R A M E A N S
100 Monkeys have quickly been gaining more and more success with their perfect combination of funk and rock. W ith each member of the band able to play every instrument onstage, their live perfor mance is constantly changing and always exciting. The band consists of accomplished artists Jackson Rathbone (who appears in such movies as “The Last Airbender,” and the “Twilight” saga), Ben Graupner (Trapped in the 5150, Devolved), Jerad Anderson ( Wayne/Lauren Film Company), Lawrence Abrams (of the great W illie Bobo, Bob Hope U.S.O. tour, and The Artist Consortium), and Ben Johnson (of the Stevedores and music producer of Spencer Bell’s “Brain”). Check the band out at http://www.100monkeysmusic.com.
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0 I had read about your “100 City Tour,” have you finished that up yet?
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What kind of advice would you have for newer bands in terms of connecting to a crowd?
Graupner: We still haven’t finished it yet. There are several cities on there that we
Rathbone: Don’t stare at the ground (laughs). A lot of people came to see you, so
haven’t gotten a chance to get to yet, so we are just waiting to get back to finishing that up!
look up. I see a lot of bands go up there and do that. I understand that every once in a while you want to look down to see what you are playing, or you are closing your eyes be-
Where did the idea originally come from?
cause you are feeling the moment. But for the most part, see your audience, look who you are so privileged to play to. These are people who have taken their hard-earned money,
Anderson: …one hundred monkeys (laughs)
come here on a cold night, and stood in a line for I don’t know how long. Now they are in
I guess that would be the obvious answer (laughs). I heard that you gave your fans an opportunity to pick the cities you hit? Graupner: Yeah, it was completely fan-driven. The idea was to go where people wanted us to go, so we encouraged people to go onto the website and vote for their city. Those cities we then ranked from one to one-hundred.
Every show you guys put on, you improv a song on the spot. How did that idea come together originally?
this crowded space, watching you. Just to have that honor to be up there, and hear them singing along with you, or even just that they are there - it’s the greatest feeling in the world, so look at them and appreciate them.
Is there any other music that you guys have been getting into, other than the classics? Rathbone: There is a kind of new oldie group that we got into recently, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. We listened to that CD today in the bus on the way here to the show, when we had a thirty minute drive to the venue. When we got here though we were like “we need ten more minutes of the Dap Kings!”...It’s funny because Ben asked “is this new?
Johnson: I guess that happened because we have always jammed together, and
Tell me this is new!” It was really nice to hear that kind of music still being produced with
improvised music together, and made up music together. Uncle Larry comes from a jazz
a modern twist. It really reminded me of the stuff that moved me when I was growing up,
background, and Ben and Jackson have always made up songs on the spot. It is really
like the Temptations and Motown.
fun to do it on stage. Rathbone: It’s representative of our writing process onstage, in a live manner. We really like to be able to write a song in a jam together. You get into a groove and then you develop words, and then the next day you might go out and record it or perform it. We
Tell me a little bit about your new album “Liquid Zoo” and what it specifically brings to the table that your previous material did not. Anything you focused on specificly?
wrote “Keep Awake,” and then performed it that same night. It has just been a staple of our brand of music I suppose.
Rathbone: I think that we always try to achieve something new, whether it be a new chord progression, a new key, or a new beat. We also try to keep our ears open to other
I know you guys enjoy writing in a collaborative manner, but does the writing process pan out in a different manner? Graupner: At this point, it has happened in every different combination of ways that it can. Sometimes someone has lyrics that they want to bring to the table, sometimes a beat or a chord structure . It then gets worked over by the five of us and becomes what it is. Rathbone: Building on it, growing, developing and becoming something different. We are always trying to make something that we haven’t done before. Graupner: We are always adding to songs too. We were recording an album with some friends from Texas, and just came up with a new background melody. These things
bands that we enjoy playing with or just older artists or new artists that we come across. I think is one of those things where you have to find something that you are really in tuned to, that inspires you to make something not exactly like it, but of the same fabric. With Liquid Zoo, it’s like there are all of these different animals in these cages, like a little reggae, a little pop, some shy country grooves, and all-on-rock. We really like to mix it up and be as varied as possible. I think this album has been a lot of fun to work on. We had a lot of artists from Baton Rouge come and help us out with the record, so that has been lovely too. This is the next step.
You guys recently wrote the score for the film “Girlfriend.” Can you explain how you approached such a large task? Anderson: It was something that we set out to do from the time that we got involved
are always changing and we draw from everything and everyone.
When playing live, you switch instruments and lead vocals throughout the show. What would you say is the reasoning behind that? Rathbone: I guess it’s the same thing as the writing process. The idea is that we all like to play all of the instruments. We all have backgrounds in the various forms of the arts, and different instruments that we pick up along the way. I think that sometimes you can
with the project, to challenge ourselves and do it on a feature film. We were game for it and we grew a lot as musicians. We had to think outside of the box and without structure for months. At the beginning of our band we didn’t really have any structure, but then we formed structure, only to have to break it again for this project. It was fascinating and I think that we would be game to do it again.
With most of the band being involved with acting/producing, how would you say it has impacted your fanbase and music?
write differently on a piano than you can write on a guitar, you know, if you hear a beat in your head you can really drum it out. I think that it really helps us, as multi-instrumentalists, to be working with one another because we can be like “hey, let’s try switching this.” We will switch up instruments during one song to kind of see what the feel is like, and then switch it back, and sometimes we will find that the switch is better for it (the song). That’s how we work a lot of our music, by constantly switching instruments and just knowing
Rathbone: Well, it’s a crossbreed. I think that we are all just all-around artists in every right. I think that we all pursue different interests, and sometimes those interests spill over into each other. Just like when you tour with another band on the road, your fans become friends and start liking each other’s music. That is kind of the way that it seems to be with the arts as well, it’s lovely to see.
what each other is playing and it keeps us connected whenever we are playing live.
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