Venture Mag #7 by Venture Mag

MAG

VENTURE

MAY ISSUE 2013

featuring

twenty | one | pilots don broco . the hush sound. x ambassadors . paighton . the ready set + more VENTUREMAG.CO.UK

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VENTURE HELLO! VENTURE MAG

ISSUE NO. SEVEN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - MUSIC IS ALWAYS CHANGING AND THE CHANGES ARE UNPREDICTABLE - BILLY SHEEHAN

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STAFF BEKKA COLLINS

FOUNDER | EDITOR | PRESS | WRITER | LAYOUT & DESIGN

BREANNE GILL EDITOR

AMY REBAIR

EDITOR | WRITER

WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

MELISA BAYKENT BRITTANY MCGARITY ELIZABETH TOLBERT HELEN WHITTLE

TERI CWIEK AUDREY LEW NICOLE THOMAS

ISSUE 07 BEARSTOCK FESTIVAL

DON BROCO

THE HUSH SOUND

ALBUM REVIEWS

X AMBASSADORS

PAIGHTON

A.S

SIRSY

TWENTY | ONE | PILOTS

SPECIAL THANKS ALEX DARLING SETH KALLEN BRIANNE BOARDMAN AUDREY LEW TERI CWIEK MARK ORR JENNIFER TODD KEVIN CHIARAMONTE ERIKA CLARK

TWENTY ONE PILOTS | THE READY SET | X AMBASSADORS |RACHEL BROWN | PAIGHTON. CELIA KELLY [SIRSY] / AMY GIBSON [COVER PHOTO] / TOM BARNES [DON BROCO] /P. GASTON [A.S] LAUREN KEOGH [X AMBASSADORS] / CHRIS CLOUGH [PAIGHTON]

SPOTLIGHT

bearstock festival

usa

featuring The Ready Set Ahh, music festival season. Get ready to grab your sunscreen and your sneakers because it’s that time of year again. All around the world there will be a number of festivals taking place, both large and small but equally as exciting. I had my case of festival fever on a small scale, in the form of a one day festival thrown by my school, Mercer University. Bearstock (paying homage to both Woodstock and the school mascot, the bear) started humbly in 2007 and grew to become the largest event hosted by the university, bringing in thousands of attendees each year. It has featured bands such as Gym Class Heroes, We The Kings, Cartel, The Maine, 3OH!3, Yellowcard and Far East Movement. The goal and purpose of the festival is to highlight local artists during the day, and bring in a large band to close out the night. Its appeal lies not only in the quality of artists present but also in the price: absolutely free. This year aimed to be the biggest year yet. The headlining artists were Switchfoot, Travis Porter, and The Ready Set. No doubt an eclectic mix, but that is what gives Bearstock it’s charm: the ability to appeal to many different people at once. The day was a perfect mix of local artists ranging from country sweethearts, Stevens Layne, to the energetic hip hop/indie rock fusion group, Jubee and The Morning After. College students blanketed the park to bask in the sun and fun, reveling in a relaxing music filled weekend before spring exams begin. I got to interview Jordan Witzigreuter, the man behind The Ready Set, before his performance at the university’s festival. We got to talk a bit about the new album, summer festivals, and MySpace. 3

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Is there a name for the new album? Nope! No name for it yet. The release date’s probably gonna be, I would say September? Hopefully? But the name for it, I don’t know. I usually figure out the name for things at the very end, like it’s usually like the last piece of the puzzle. I’ve written down tons of ideas for names and stuff but I haven’t picked one yet. How does this album stand out from the music you’ve made in the past? I’m really excited, I feel like this is the first chance I’ve had where I can do exactly 100% what I’ve wanted. I’ve been writing it for two years, basically ever since I put out the first album. So I’ve got like over 70 songs and I really only like maybe 6 or 7 of them. Writing that many songs and going through the whole process every time made me figure out what I want to sound like. It’s going to be a lot less electronic and a lot less, I don’t know, dance-y? It’s got a lot more real instrument tracking, like drums and pianos and things like that. It’ll be more natural sounding I think, which I’m excited about. You’ve been playing a lot of college shows. What do you find different about this tour as opposed to other shows that you’ve done? Well I think at college shows you get a lot more passer-bys, like people who aren’t necessarily there for your show as much as they’re there to see SOMETHING happen. So I think that’s cool because it exposes you to a lot of people who might have not otherwise have ever heard of you. But every show is completely different, like one show we’ll have

Words + Photo by: Brittany McGarity

TWITTER : twitter.com/thereadyset FACEBOOK: facebook.com/thereadyset WEBSITE: www.thereadyset.com

maybe 50 people and at another there will be 5000. You never really know what you’re gonna get into, it’s kind of a thrill!

You have a lot of social media connections, how has social media played into your whole experience as an artist?

Have you ever played a festival before? What would an ideal festival be like for you to play?

Social media has always been super important. When I first started, MySpace was the thing. I spent a lot of time on that and that’s kind of how I built up a big enough fanbase to be able to tour and play small shows. Those were the building blocks for me. Now it’s like, Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and stuff, so I try to be as active and connected as I can. Honestly all the stuff I tweet about or take pictures of are really nothing too important, but I think it’s funny. I try to have fun and hopefully people get a laugh at it!

Yeah! Besides Warped Tour, we’ve done Bamboozle up in New Jersey a couple of times, a bunch of other random ones in Vegas and Texas, and kind of all over the place. So we’ve definitely got some experience in the festival department! I guess the best possible thing to happen at a festival would be not having to be out in the heat ALL day. That’s usually the worst thing about festivals. Speaking of hot weather, do you have any big plans for summer this year? I guess I’m starting summer by finishing the album, if May counts as summer-ish. We’re talking about maybe doing some tours, I haven’t picked one yet so we’ll see. But there’s gonna be something and it’s gonna be awesome.

So what is up next for you this year? We’re finishing this month and a half of college shows, and I’ll be flying to LA to work on the new album. We have a couple of other music releases coming up, but I’m not sure if we’re touring yet. There’s probably gonna be something at the end of the year in fall or winter.

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PAPER ROUTE// BY: NICOLE THOMAS

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ANBERLIN// BY: NICOLE THOMAS the lighthouse and the whaler // by: courtney dondelinger

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FEATURE take me to the pilot // by: kaylee smoke

DON BROCO

Don Broco are one of the most current UK bands on the scene. Their fierce determination to become masters of their craft, mixed with their unshakeable DIY energy has found them tearing up many stages across the country. Formed officially back in 2008, the Bedford four-piece is made up of Rob Damiani, Simon Delaney, Matt Donnelly and Tom Doyle. Having played their first gig while juggling the strain of high school exams, the band was considered a hobby up until they graduated university. After writing “Whatcha Gonna Do,” the band’s musical career hit a turning point. As things started to slowly fall into place, Don Broco soon realised that if they worked hard enough, there was no reason why success couldn’t be in their grasp. This new found realisation saw the band grab an appearance at Download Festival, a support slot with Enter Shikari and great feedback

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from their self recorded single “Dreamboy”. With a buzz slowly forming around the group, the band knew they needed to release more music. ‘Big Fat Smile,’ a six track release was brought into the world in 2011 and captured the band’s unqiue sound in an instant.. As people outside of their usual fanbase started to pay attention, the boys continued to work hard on their live shows, putting together a captivating performance from start to finish. Noting that there’s no substitute for playing live, their performance soon became polished and mature, which still seems to be a hard task for some bands to conquer. It made sense for the band to capitalise on the buzz that was surrounding them, and so when it came to writing their debut full length, they took all of the necessary steps and then some extra ones, just incase.

conditions // by: annie lindell

Transforming their tour van into a rehearsal studio, by ripping out the back seats and attaching amps underneath meant the band could practice continuously. All of the songs from their debut album, ‘Priorities,’ were then crafted in the van before making an appearance in the studio. By this point the band were already sure of their signature sound, and made a point of focusing on creating melodies that were more memorable than before and lyrics that crossed a new line of honesty. ‘Priorities,’ produced by Dan Lancaster, was released in 2012 and shows Don Broco not only as a band who can craft enchanting melodies and catchy-hook choruses, but as a band who can evoke emotion through their songwiting skills too. Since the release of ‘Priorities,’ Don Broco have been given more opportunities to shine than ever before. Named ‘Best New Rock Artist of 2012’ by iTunes, they made sure to kick of 2013 with a bang.

February and March saw the boys head out on their own headline UK tour with support from Mallory Knox and Hey Vanity. The tour was sold out at almost every date, and having witnessed a show for myself, I can honestly say that the years of graft Don Broco have put into their music has certainly paid off. Starting as they mean to go on, it’s clear that 2013 is going to be a trademark year for Don Broco and we, like many others, are expecting great things from this quartet. Could they be the next biggest rock group out of the UK? We definitely think so. Keep up to date with Don Broco by visting the links below. It won’t be long before they’re the band that everyone just can’t stop talking about. TWITTER : twitter.com/donbroco FACEBOOK: facebook.com/donbroco WEBSITE: www.donbroco.com

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AN INTERVIEW WITH

the hush sound TWITTER : twitter.com/thehushsound FACEBOOK: facebook.com/thehushsound WEBSITE: www.thehushsound.org 9

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We caught up with Greta Salpeter of The Hush Sound, who spoke to us about returning to the industry after a five year hiatus, the wonders of touring and the bands future plans. Bob and I met when he was about 17 and I was 14 through mutual friends in our hometown. He had already been playing in a number of local bands and I was writing songs for fun after school. I wanted a collaborator, so he started coming over and we began writing songs together. In late 2004, we enlisted drummer Darren Wilson and bass player Chris Faller to join us to help bring the batch of songs to life. After ‘So fun), time

recording and releasing our Sudden,’ independently (and we were signed and began and recording for the next

first record purely for touring full few years.

What made you decide to come back into the world of music after a five year hiatus? All of our schedules and attitudes synchronized and we all had a window to give it another shot. When we had gone on hiatus in 2008, we were all emotionally and mentally exhausted and weren’t enjoying ourselves on tour at all. This reunion has offered us a chance to actually enjoy the experience we weren’t able to appreciate before. How did you feel about releasing your new songs “Not A Stranger” and “Scavengers,” and how has the response been so far? We were very excited to release our original new songs independently, and the response has been incredible. We are very happy that the listeners are appreciating the new sounds we’ve made. What was your experience like at SXSW? We played 5 shows, did 10 interviews, and I spoke on a panel, all in 48 hours. Needless to say, it was a bit of a whirlwind, but very fun. You’re going on a co-headlining tour in the States in May. What do you think are the best and worst things about being on the road? There are so many things I love about tour.

Obviously the most wonderful thing is connecting with our fans and playing music, but touring is also a road trip adventure and I try to treat it like vacation instead of work. I love the scenery between cities, the time to catch up on reading and movies, the break from “real lives” at home. One of my favorite things to do is go on a long walking exploration of a city while listening to a record which really suits the setting. I’ll usually map out 2-3 places I want to check out in the town, then walk 5-6 miles. When we were in San Francisco last time, I walked around as the sun went down and listened to Bob Lind’s song “Black Night” about 50 times. The city brought the song to life and the song brought the city to life in a way I’d never experienced. What could we expect from one of your shows? A bunch of adults acting like children. On stage, our banter has a very brother/sister vibe to it and we goof around quite a bit between songs. I love playing music and writing songs, but I envy comedians. On the occasion that we make an entire room laugh at once, it’s the best feeling in the world. What bands

advice would you give to who are just starting out?

Do it for yourself. Make honest music. Be truthful about what your motivations are and then act accordingly. If being in the band ruins a friendship which birthed the music in the first place, it’s time to fix things or to stop playing. What do you have planned for the rest of 2013? Going to record a few more songs, play some festivals this summer and do a bit of touring this fall. We’re hoping to make it over to the UK soon! Is there anything else you would like to say? THANK YOU for reading and listening. Our listeners are the kindest, quirkiest, most creative and amazing people we’ve met and we feel so lucky that you all keep coming to our shows. We can’t wait to reconnect with you guys over in the UK so we can all have a party where we try to copy each other’s accents.

VENTUREMAG.CO.UK BY: BEKKA COLLINS

COASTA// BY: AUDREY LEW

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COASTA// BY: AUDREY LEW

Zach rudulph // BY: NICOLE THOMAS

COASTA// BY: AUDREY LEW

BY: BREANNE GILL

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album reviews ONE TWO THREE four five CHUNK! NO, CAPTAIN CHUNK!

OUT OF / five

‘PARDON MY FRENCH’

‘Pardon My French,’ the sophomore album from French quintet Chunk! No, Captain Chunk is packed full of punchy-riffs, hard-hitting beats and energetic structures. As the arrangements in each song constantly change it’s hard to predict what the next verse is going to spiral into, never mind the next song. The unpredictability factor is an exciting element, though many of the songs are built around a power-stricken chorus which doesn’t always work. “The Progression Of Regression” highlights their notable vocal growls, while “Between Your Lines” executes a perfect poppunk melody. Stripped back more so than the others, “So Close And Yet So Far” is definitely a stand out as is “The Best Is Yet To Come” which ends the album. C!NCC seem to be one of the only bands who can seamlessly blend between genres without their music sounding like a train wreck, and this album is a great example of growth and improvement.

BY: BEKKA COLLINS JOSHUA RADIN ‘WAX WINGS’

Joshua Radin never planned to be a professional musician but after his fifth studio album ‘Wax Wings,’ there is no questioning that he was made for song-writing. The album begins with the stunningly simple “Beautiful Day”. Few songs are more optimistic than this opening track – Radin sings “let’s not forget, we’re alive.” “Lovely Tonight”, “With Me” and “Your Rainy Days” are love songs with folk undertones about the closeness and affection of a relationship. The ballads “Cross That Line” and “Like They Used To” are unapologetically sentimental. “Like They Used To” embodies the album’s meaning and Radin’s songwriting genius. Closing the album is “My My Love,” a light, fluffy melody honouring Radin’s love interest. The album in its entirety, is uplifting, hopeful and reflective, with eleven beautifully-written songs conveying varying moods of love that make for the perfect easy-listening album.

BY: HELEN WHITTLE

BATTLEGHOST

‘DON’T BE A HERO’

Battleghost execute their pop-punk roots well through their second album, ‘Don’t Be A Hero’. Opening with “Habitats,” fast paced drums, dynamic riffs and dominant vocals makes for a bold introduction. “Grown,” follows a similar arrangement but with a slower pace, raising the question of whether the whole album is going to be a bundle of formulaic pop-punk songs. Thankfully, “Boundary” proves us wrong acting as a strong, emotive centre piece for the album. “Steep Slope” spotlights the bands intricate riffs and contagious basslines while “I’m Gone” sees the band break out their signature sound. “Your Words” ends the album on a promising note and it’s clear the band have grown since their debut release. Their signature sound is beginning to become clear, and this is just the start of bigger things.

BY: BEKKA COLLINS THIS CENTURY

‘BIOGRAPHY OF HEARTBREAK’

‘Biography of Heartbreak’ is filled with catchy alternative pop songs that are sure to make you dance. This album is a step in a different direction and is a sound that I’ve not heard from This Century before. Starting off with “Slow Dance Night,” we instantly get a taste of what to expect from the rest of the record. I would say it’s simple, fun, and a perfect summer song. “Bleach Blonde” and “Tip Toe” are very much on the same level but sound more like what could have been found on the ‘Sound of Fire’ release. “Run & Hide” and “Footsteps” are two of my personal favorites. There’s just something about those songs that instantly put a smile on my face. “Skeletons” seems to lean towards the electronic side, and is very tranquil and crisp. The album ends with “Deadly Weapon” which lacks the inital energy I’d hoped. Overall this album is a good taster of the bands new direction and is definitely home to some hits.

BY: MELISA BAYKENT COUNT TO FOUR

‘BETWEEN TWO CITIES’

‘Between Two Cities’ jumps straight into “I Hope Not,” and the pop-punk group give an exciting spin on telling someone how you feel. Their energetic nature and hard-faced front strikes straight on through into “Lavender Town,” which also takes no prisoners. It’s blunt manner of lyrics, power-stricken riffs and upbeat structure shows strong musical progression from the band. Featuring both new and old material, old-timer “You Got Your Woody Allen In My Gerard Butler,” from the band’s first EP, has had an exceptional makeover and sits nicely in the collection of maturer sounding material. The same can’t be said for “Plastic Dinosaurs” though, which sounds like a rough demo in comparison. “My M.O” sees a further progression in the bands sound, experimenting with electronic beats while “Bottles And Books” closes the album with fighting spirit. An impressive release for a band who are just coming into their own.

BY: VENTUREMAG.CO.UK BEKKA COLLINS

AN INTERVIEW WITH

x ambassadors 15

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Sam Harris, one quarter of NYC act X Ambassadors chatted to us about the bands new music, song-writing and what it feels like to have a song appear in a movie. Casey and I started out playing music with our Mom when we were kids; she’s a jazz/cabaret singer and every once in a while during her set, she would bring the two of us up onstage to do a song or two with her. I’d sing a duet with Mom while Casey would tinker around on the piano. I think our signature tune was “I’d Do Anything” from Oliver. Noah started playing music with us around middle school; I had met Noah when I was 6 years old on the first day of kindergarten and we’ve been best friends ever since. The three of us went through various different incarnations of bands throughout high school until we all moved out to New York City for college, where we met Adam and formed what is now X Ambassadors. Could you describe your sound in five words? Alternative/ R&B/ Anthemic/ Tribal/ Slacker-jams. What can you tell us about the new music that you’re recording. What can we expect? We worked really fucking hard on it. It’s some of the strongest songwriting we’ve ever done and some of the most personal. Musically, we’re drawing from a lot of crazy places too. We were all listening to a lot of film scores from the 80s and 90s (in particular, Vangelis’ “Blade Runner” score), some Alice Coltrane, and then a ton of contemporary hiphop and R&B. We also really tried hard to keep away from washing everything out in too much reverb. That was a big thing for us, especially with the vocals. We wanted to try and really pull the listener in with the sound of the songs, rather than let the music wash over them. Can you tell us a bit about your writing process. Do you follow a specific structure or does it depend on the song and the elements involved? As with every band, it’s always different. I think that the worst possible thing you could

do as a songwriter is try and find a formula that will work every time. It won’t. You should have multiple techniques you use over and over again to try and get a song to work, but it’s important to know beforehand that most likely none of these things will do it for you. I find that repetition and discipline work best. Every day, I force myself to sit and stare at a blank piece of paper or computer screen and try to come up with something. Nine times out of ten, I don’t. But that one-out-of-ten times I do, it’s usually something pretty great. A lot of what people don’t realize about writers is that the majority of their time is spent doing absolutely no writing whatsoever. But the ones who are good, are always ready when an idea hits them. You’re touring in May with Imagine Dragons. What do you think are the best and worst things about being on the road? Best things are easily just being on the road and touring with your band. Worst things are the food and finding places to do laundry. What could we expect from one of your shows? Well, I’ll tell you what you SHOULDN’T expect: and that is to leave unsatisfied. Your song, “Litost” appears on the movie The Host. How did that opportunity come about? That was totally Alex and Interscope. They have been so good by us and to us, it’s crazy. Alex was already the music supervisor for the movie and I guess he and Stephanie thought the song had a place on the soundtrack, which we were all pretty psyched about. Not such an exciting story, but that’s usually how it goes in this business. Is there anything else you would like to say? World domination and universal healthcare for all! TWITTER : twitter.com/xambassadors FACEBOOK: facebook.com/xambassadors WEBSITE: www.xambassadors.com

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QUIETDRIVE// BY: NICOLE THOMAS

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CULTURE CRY WOLF// BY: NICOLE THOMAS

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twenty | one | pilots INTERVIEW BY BEKKA COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHS BY TERI CWIEK

Twenty One Pilots from Columbus, Ohio have been making their mark on the industry, becoming one of the most talked about bands of the past year. Having signed to Fueled By Ramen, released their debut album and toured parts of the world it seems like things couldn’t be going better. We caught up with one half of the duo, Josh Dun, who talked us through their story and let us know what they have planned for the rest of this year.

growth and people naturally discovering our music rather than blast people with it through other platforms. The people who take pride in calling this “their band” are very important and special to us, and we will keep it that way.

Tyler and I met in 2010, became really good friends and wanted to play music together instantly. It didn’t make sense to at the time; he was playing music with a couple other guys and I was playing in another band. A year went by as we became close friends, and we were still wanting to create music together. Finally in May 2011 things aligned and made sense for it to happen, so we started playing shows around Ohio. We worked hard through social media and put together an unforgettable live show to build a fanbase around our home state. We were able to eventually sell out a larger venue in our home town which then got the attention of “the industry”. From there we made our decision to sign with the label Fueled By Ramen and it’s been a really cool partnership with them.

I think that’s the attitude any band/artist should have from the get-go. Figure out how you want to be perceived, develop a brand for yourself, and do things yourself. It’s much more beneficial to record in your basement and show people an idea of what you’re capable of rather than spend all of your money in a studio.

You mention your home state Ohio, where you have a strong fanbase. Were building such loyal connections always important to you? Ever since the very beginning yes, and it always will be. We believe in an organic

You seem to have a very DIY attitude. Do you think that has contributed in your favour in terms of recording and generally getting things done?

Your newest album ‘Vessel’ was your debut full-length release on Fueled By Ramen, and it is due to be released in the UK in June. How would you best describe the albums sound? Hopefully a bit “unpredictable”. If I listen to an album, and within the first 30 seconds of the first song, I can figure out what the rest of the album sounds like, I’ll probably want to turn it off. I like being a part of this band and having people not being able to predict what the next song sounds like, or even what the rest of the songs will sound like. On paper, it sounds a bit ridiculous, but there are elements of electronic, rap, rock and pop all balled into one song. You’ll have to see it live..

NOW NOW

JAMIE TWORKOWSKI

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For a debut release on a label, bands tend to want to make a statement or two. Is there a universal meaning or message that you wanted to portray throughout ‘Vessel’? Stay Alive. Can you tell us a bit about your writing process. Do you follow a specific structure every time of does it depend on the song and the elements involved? The writing process usually is Tyler in a basement alone programming and writing lyrics. My involvement usually is adding drum parts and throwing suggestions here and there with structure. Tyler’s a great songwriter. There aren’t any rules in his brain or specific structure to writing a song. An entire song can be inspired by a certain sound or part. Adding a “formula” to songwriting can throw off the whole thing. For a duo I’ve heard you have a pretty big stage presence. What has it been like getting to experiment with your performances more? It’s something that we’re constantly trying to change up and add things to. As much as we’re really happy with what we’ve come up with for a show, we still have so many ideas of things we would love to implement and add to improve it even more. I really think having a group of people in the room is a special thing, and since there are only two of us on stage, we rely heavily on everybody else. It’s a great opportunity to get people involved and be part of our show. They are in our band too, and we need them. How have you adapted to tour life, and what do you think are the best and worst things about being on the road? Since I was twelve, it’s been my dream to play in a band and travel the world and never be home. In the back of my mind, I’ve also always been nervous about that. Always wondering how I will handle being away from home at all times. So far it has felt nothing but normal. I can tend to be a homebody, and love being at my house, but there is nothing that compares to be being on the road, traveling,

and seeing a new place every day. With that, I still need a bit of daily consistency. I like to try and do small things like light the same candle in every dressing room or hotel room. I like to develop some sort of daily routine, to add to the mix of chaos and adventure to keep myself at least a little bit sane. Your latest single “Holding On To You” seems to be getting great feedback. Why did you choose to release it as the first single from ‘Vessel’? The song “Holding On To You” was a song that we agreed sort of encompassed the spectrum of our band. It incorporates a bit of each element that we like to involve in a song. There are some songs that are a little bit left and then a little bit right of center. This seems to hold all of those, and it was our choice of a way to highlight our band from the opening gates. What are your plans for the rest of the year? When we signed with a booking agency, we simply told them “put us on the road, and don’t take us off”. They listened to that and are doing that to the best of their power. I’ve been excited about that, and we have some cool things coming up. We’ll be returning to the UK two or three more times this year, as well as playing some great festivals in the US. I like being as busy as possible, and that’s what we’re doing the rest of the year.

TWITTER : twitter.com/twentyonepilots FACEBOOK: facebook.com/twentyonepilots WEBSITE: www.twentyonepilots.com

NOAH GUNDERSEN

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AN INTERVIEW WITH

rachel brown My name is Rachel Brown and I am a singersongwriter from New York. I got started in music when I took a year off in between high school and college. In that time I bought a guitar and an instruction book and started to teach myself. I fell in love with songwriting and slowly worked on getting the courage to share it with others. Over the the last couple of years, I built my band. Did you always envision that you would have a career in the music industry? I dreamed about it when I was little, but it wasn’t until I bought my guitar and started seriously writing that it became something that I could actually see as a reality. Before then it was all daydreams and scribbles in my notebook, I was too scared to share it with anyone! Your debut EP is called ‘Building Castles’, was there a specific message or meaning you wanted to portray throughout the album? I wanted to represent the different elements of who I was as an artist. Each song was slightly different from the next, but they shared a common thread. Could you tell us a bit about your writing process. Do you have a static structure for every song, or does it change each time? It varies from time to time, but in general, it’s just me sitting on my bed with my guitar, mumbling and humming until I find a melody I love and then a concept to write about, or vice versa. Occasionally ideas will come to me at random (usually inconvenient) times and I’ll type them or sing them into my phone with the intention of working on them later. I have countless notes like those, I always forget to go back and check them!

Do you prefer to write songs with identifiable themes or ones that have multiple meanings? I like to tell a story in my songs, so I think it winds up being pretty clear from beginning to end. The first songs I wrote were more stream of consciousness, though. No matter how you write, people will be able to interpret slightly different meanings, or react in slightly different ways. Every once in a while a close friend will try and guess who or what a song is about. They’ll be totally off base, but when I see it from their perspective, it makes a lot of sense too! I love that about songwriting. Why did you decide that “Bumblebee” was going to be your debut single? “Bumblebee” had been gaining attention for a couple of years prior to the release of the EP, so it just made sense to release it as the single. It was the first song I put out into the world and received the kind of feedback that made me think, wow, maybe I really can do this as a career. So when it was time to work on the EP, we produced a new version and released it as the single. When it comes to playing live, what are a few things we could expect from one of your shows? A lot of fun and a bunch of instruments you probably haven’t seen before! When we play live there are seven of us in total. Everything from standard bass, drums and guitar, to African hand percussion and the kora, which is like a West African harp. We have such a great time playing together, we try and have one big party with the audience. TWITTER : twitter.com/rachelbrownnyc FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rachelbrownmusic WEBSITE: www.rachelbrownmusic.com

BY: BEKKA COLLINS

TWITTER : twitter.com/joshuaradin FACEBOOK: facebook.com/joshuaradin WEBSITE: www.joshuaradin.com

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THE AMERICAN SCENE The

American Scene are a quintet from Berkeley, California who formed back in 2009. Made up of brothers Charles and Matt Vincent, Chris Purtill and Jeff Wright, the band have set their sights high this year, already announcing they will be supporting The Story So Far on their UK tour. Guitarist Jeff Wright said: “We’re really excited to be heading

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overseas. We’re unfathomably stoked to share our music with new parts of the world.“ “IT’S KIND OF THE SECRET GOAL FOR ANY BAND TO PLAY AN INTERNATIONAL MARKET.” The bands debut full length album ‘Safe For Now’ is due to be released on April 22, via Pure Noise Records. Building upon

the bands previous two EPs, ‘Safe For Now’ is a mixture of indie-rock guitar chimes blended with the bands punk rock roots. It’s safe to say The American Scene have worked hard to create their unqiue sound, and it’s beginning to pay off. Keep up to date with the band by visiting the links below. TWITTER : twitter.com/american_scene FACEBOOK: facebook.com/theamericanscene

paighton

Paighton are a band that most people won’t have head of yet, but one they soon won’t be able to forget. This up and coming co-vocal quartet from the Midlands formed a mere three months ago, back in February, and have already managed to get people talking about their music. Their sound is an effortless blend of pop and rock, but I promise it’s not what you would usually expect. With a stronger focus on melodic keys and driving bass lines, the band have often been best described as “piano rock.” They are aiming to push organic pop music back into the mainstream media and their latest song, “Somebody,” proves they definitely have the talent to do just that. “Somebody” is an exciting mix of dual vocals, energetic verses, and a catchy chorus which is relatable in almost every way. The band stated: ‘We wrote “Somebody” about change; when two people that used to depend on each other start moving in different directions.

There’s a very nostalgic feel to it, we wanted our first released track to be something that people would instantly connect to,’ and that is something they have easily achieved. With some members being a part of previous musical projects, Paighton have spent the past three years carefully crafting their unique sound and style. Having already received a great response from their rapidly growing fanbase, Paighton are determined to continue moving forward as a unit. Their debut EP ‘Chapter I: Umbrellas Away’ is already impressing fans across the globe and is a fine example of the bands influential sound. With tours planned for summer and an urge to share their music with the world, you’ll be hearing a lot more from Paighton before the year is out. TWITTER : twitter.com/paightonuk FACEBOOK: facebook.com/paightonuk WEBSITE: www.paightonofficial.co.uk

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TWITTER : twitter.com/astheband FACEBOOK: facebook.com/astheband

Sounding

like the standout artist from your favourite indie movie soundtrack, A.S. are guaranteed to make a big impression on listeners. The duo from Paris, consisting of members Nick McRoberts and Idriss Halfaoui, have already managed to generate a large amount of support from their tours throughout

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AS France and the UK. Their live shows tell the story of their tunes in a completely different way. Often compared to acts like Coldplay and Radiohead, their debut album ‘Intimate Circles,’, which was released in 2009, was highly praised by the media. The band’s sophomore album ‘Exile’ is a more mature sequel to their debut, with A.S.

by ELIZABETH TOLBERT

taking a more adventurous approach to their music. While the subject matter of ‘Exile’ is decidedly dark, the duo take that vibe and create a hauntingly beautiful record that won’t disappoint. A.S. will make their touring debut in the U.S. this summer and are definitely worth checking out.

TWITTER : twitter.com/sirsy FACEBOOK: facebook.com/sirsyband

Made up of Melanie Krahmer (vocals, drums) and Rich Libutti (guitar), SIRSY are an indie pop rock duo taking America by storm.

With their music delivering honest lyrics and catchy melodies, this duo magically create a sound that resonates a five-piece band. You certainly can’t argue that they are both incredibly talented. Mel is well known for being able to

sirsy sing and play the drums whilst standing, and sometimes even handling a bass or giving a flute solo, while Rich’s guitar playing is often accompanied by his ability to play a keyboard at his feet. Their new album, ‘Coming Into Frame’, was produced by Grammy-winning producers Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade. Sirsy’s upbeat and well crafted music is translated easily into their

by amy rebair

captivating

live

performances

Currently on a nationwide tour, the band have had plenty of experience on the road already. Having rocked 200 tour dates in one year alone, Sirsy have shared the stage with bands like Maroon 5, Boys Like Girls and Train. It’s certain this duo love what they do, and it’s only a matter of time before they will be hitting the big time.

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QUIETDRIVE// SAINTHOOD BY: NICOLE THOMASREPS// BY: AUDREY LEW

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CULTURE CRY WOLF// BY: NICOLE THOMAS

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MAY ISSUE 2013 VENTUREMAG.CO.UK