VERACIOUS
MAGAZINE
Featuring: Smoke Season Issue 4 // October 2017
Featuring: 8 Hampton 16 Eidola 22
Never Let This Go
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Smoke Season
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Danny Zapata
40 Baseline 44 Bumbershoot 48
City of Trees
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Community Festival
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High and Low Festival
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Calgary Stampede
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Vans Warped Tour
About Us:
Founder, Editor-in-Chief: Samantha Toy Senior Editor: Anna Toy Playlist Editor & Designer: Tiffany Martinez Photographers: Aili Hauptmann Alan Cruz Daniel Landsburgh Ian Enger Luxicon Photography Samantha Toy
Alex Reynoso Cassidy O’Hara Emily Veillette Jessica Piochon Marie Newby Tiffany Martinez
Veracious is an online and print music magazine located in San Francisco, California. We have a worldwide team of photographers, writers, interviewers, that all have a passion for the music industry, and promoting upcoming musicians. We not only photograph, and interview the bands themselves, but we also cover behind the scenes crew such as: managers, tour photographers, publicists, lighting directors, and merchandise sellers. It’s our goal to showcase those who work hard behind the stage to make the musicians shine. Say Hello // Talk To Us:
Writers: Alessandro Mascellino Maria Reynon Samantha Toy
www.veraciousmagazine.com Cassidy O’Hara Pavlena Todorova
https://issuu.com/veraciousmagazine press@veraciousmagazine.com Twitter / Snapchat: veraciousmag1
Reviewers & Interviewers: Luxicon Photography
Samantha Toy
Instagram / Facebook / YouTube: veraciousmagazine
Many Thanks: Adam Nicol Amanda Blide Amy Laudicano Ashley Graham Baseline Brittney Danielle Bumbershoot Festival Calgary Stampede City of Trees Festival Community Festival Daniel Pearson Danny Zapata Eidola Hampton High and Low Festival Jana, Anna, Sam Missi Callazzo Never Let This Go Samantha Herr Smoke Season Ted Sullivan Vans Warped Tour Vicky Vogiatzoglou
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Cover photo: Smoke Season by Samantha Toy
Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness
Photography by: Marie Newby
Photography by: Tiffany Martinez
War on Women
Ham
pton
Photography by: Aili Hauptmann Words by: Samantha Toy
A brand new pop-rock group from Portland, Oregon will be your next favorite band. The five piece consists of TJ Sheridan (vocalist), Tyler Groce (lead guitarist), Bryan Corona (lead guitarist), Andrew Le (bassist), and Tate Mercer (drummer). About a year ago, the band formed when TJ and Andrew both moved to Portland with the idea of creating an acoustic project. They realized they both loved pop rock and the bands in the genre such as The Maine, Jimmy Eat World, Boys Like Girls, and Relient K. As they all had similar interests, they added Tyler as their drummer, and met Tate through a mutual friend via Facebook. The four of them met at Sizzie Pie, and decided to bring Bryan in as another guitarist. It was then that Hampton was officially formed when they all met up the next night. The name came together when the band was at Andrew’s karaoke room, and making a late night trip to Taco Bell. “The name has no meaning, Tate just though it sounded cool,” stated by Bryan in an interview with Sick Snaps.
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Hampton has opened up for acts including Alvarez Kings, COIN, No Better, and Daisyhead along with performing at Friends of Noise Festival. Currently, the band has two singles out, “Without You” and “Makeup” which you can watch their music videos now via YouTube. You can check out Hampton on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube for all of their latest news including music, shows, and videos. Don’t miss out on this incredible band! Twitter: @hamptonband Facebook: @hamptonofficial Instagram: @hampton.band
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Recent Releases: Declan McKenna - What Do You Think About The Car For Fans Of: Circa Waves, Hippo Campus, The Hunna Released: May 12, 2017 Hometown: Hertfordshire, England Website: http://www.declanmckenna.net Lil Yachty - Teenage Emotions For Fans Of: 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Travis Scott Released: May 26, 2017 Hometown: Atlanta, GA Website: https://www.lilyachty.com
LANY -LANY For Fans Of: Oh Wonder, The Japanese House, Wet Released: June 30, 2017 Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Website: https://thisislany.com 12
Recent Releases: Foster The People - Sacred Hearts Club For Fans Of: Cold War Kids, Passion Pit, Young The Giant Released: July 21, 2017 Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Website: https://www.fosterthepeople.com
Cage The Elephant - Unpeeled For Fans Of: Cold War Kids, New Politics, Young The Giant Released: July 28, 2017 Hometown: Bowling Green, KY Website: https://www.cagetheelephant.com
Macklemore - Gemini For Fans Of: Hoodie Allen, Sammy Adams, Watsky Released: September 22, 2017 Hometown: Seattle, WA Website: https://www.macklemore.com 13
Photography by: Emily Veillette
Third Eye Blind
Crown The Empire
Photography by: Alex Reynoso
Eid
ola
Photography by: Ian Enger Words by: Maria Reynon
Formed in 2011, Eidola is going to quickly be your
new favorite progressive post-hardcore band. The group consists of Andrew Michael Wells (vocals), Brandon Bascom (guitar, vocals), James Johnson (bass), Matthew Dommer (guitar, vocals), and Matthew Hansen (drums) who all hail from Salt Lake City, Utah and has amassed a large following of fans throughout the six years. Eidola was founded many years ago by Andrew Wells and Matt Dommer’s previous projects that both went on a hiatus. It was then for the band to set on a name which eventually led to “Eidola” which was the band’s song.
Their most recent album, To Speak, To Listen has garnered many praise, from their fans to the critics and was released via Blue Swan Records on June 2. The album features twelve hauntingly honest lyrics, refined songwriting, and is a lot more technical than their past two albums. The main takeaway the band would like listeners to hear is that their music is meant to be meditative and cathartic; it is meant to give a sense of hope within yourself. The band also wanted to make sure that this album had a good balance of trying new things while maintaining the vibe they have built on their previous releases.
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Eidola has toured with bands like Dance Gavin Dance, Hail The Sun, Capsize, and more. Back in 2016, Eidola has toured heavily while also writing and recording for To Speak, To Listen. The group just wrapped up a North American Tour with The Ongoing Concept and Save Us From the Archon. The tour spanned from mid-August to end of September. As of writing this, they only have one upcoming show on December 2nd, at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California. You can keep updated with Eidola on their Facebook page for the latest videos, music, tours, and more!
Twitter/Instagram: @eidola http://eidola.merchnow.com
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Paramore
Photography by: Valerie Rudland
Sabrina Carpenter
Photography by: Samantha Toy
Never Let This Go Photography by: Luxicon Photography Words by: Pavlena Todorova
If you are a pop-punk fan, you might associate the phrase Never Let This Go firstly with Paramore and their song from the album “All We Know Is Falling”. But in recent years a new phenomena on the music scene is making that title popular. Never Let This Go is a rock band formed in Tempe, Arizona, back in 2013. Since then, they have grew enormously.
Shout Never and Set It Off. After several changes, the band now consists of David Kleinebreil, vocals and guitar, Zach Rabago, bass, and Vic Chan, drums. Their music video for the single “Right Now” from the EP “Believe”, was the band’s first big success when it premiered on Stan Lee’s World of Heroes. It also gained them a large media attention.
They have toured all around the country and played on the same stage as Never
Their third record, “Sleepless Nights” was recorded in 2016 with Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount (Cartel/Mayday Parade/All Time Low) at ZK Productions. At a first hearing the record is mostly about love and sadness, popular topics in the rock genre, but David Kleinebreil describes it as “his most personable batch of songs yet”, written after his mother’s battle with cancer. In June of 2017, they released their lyrics video for the song “Love”. The video takes inspiration from, surprisingly, Taco Bell. According to Alternative Press, the guys love Taco Bell, and during theirour months tour around the states and multiple stops at Taco Bell, David came up with the idea of creating a music video involving their favorite restaurant chain.
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Most recently, they were supposed to shoot a music video on the 20th of September, but an official announcement on their twitter page they posted a message saying: “Sadly we're going to need to reschedule today's video shoot due to illness. We will reach out to everyone once we have a new date.� The band will embark on their USA tour on September 28 in Phoenix, Arizona. Tickets are available now on their website, and make sure to check them out! Twitter/Instagram: @nltgaz https://www.neverletthisgo.com
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Six Bands You Need To Know: Band: Monsta X Genre: K-Pop Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Record Label: Starship Members: Sohn Hyun-woo, Shin Ho-seok, Lee Min-hyuk, Yoo Ki-hyun, Chae Hyungwon, Lee Joo-heon, Im Changkyan
Band: Whethan Genre: EDM Hometown: Chicago, IL Record Label: Atlantic Members: Ethan Snoreck
Band: Dreamcar Genre: Alternative-Rock Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Record Label: Columbia Members: Davey Havok, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont, Adrian Young
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Six Bands You Need To Know: Band: Dreamers Genre: Rock Hometown: Manhattan, NYC Record Label: Fairfax Members: Nick Wold, Marc Nelson, Jacob Lee Wick
Band: Missio Genre: EDM Hometown: Austin, TX Record Label: RCA Members: Matthew Brue, David Butler
Band: Jo Smith Genre: Country Hometown: Arlington, GA Record Label: SMACK Members: Jo Smith
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Reckless Jacks - “Right Here Right Now” Review by: Samantha Toy
Hailing from London, England, the four piece indie-rock band has released their next single “Right Here Right Now” via Soundcloud. Reckless Jacks consists of Mathieu Bertin (vocals, guitar), Magnus Ericson (guitar, backup vocals), Cesare Augusto (bass, keys, backup vocals), and Daniel Akaoui (drums, percussion) who all have formed from four different European countries. Their diverse backgrounds and influences brought this single a soft guitar hook and gentle first verse vocals. It has soulful melodies that will make you stream their music for days on end, and Matt’s powerful vocals captures the heart and the emotive lyrics and takes you on a journey steeped in melody. The sound is reminiscent of songs from the likes of 90’s acts Starsailor, Travis and even Oasis. Just good old rock and roll. The band collaborated with Brit and Grammy award-winning producer, Jim Lowe (Stereophonics) who came on board after seeing something special in the band and their music. Lowe then decided to produce the band’s debut EP at Stereophonics studio in London. The hard working band are busy recording their debut album, planning UK and European shows and finalising plans for a busy 2018. You can visit the band’s website at recklessjacksmusic.com for further information, tour dates, and more!
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Nothing But Thieves - “Broken Machine” Review by: Samantha Toy Muse. Arctic Monkeys. Nirvana. Catfish and the Bottlemen. All four bands you have at least heard once in your lifetime. If you dig those bands, you’ll love Southend-on-Sea’s Nothing But Thieves. This five-piece rock band is comprised of Conor Mason (vocals), Dom Craik (guitar), Joe Langridge-Brown (guitar), Philip Blake (bass), and James Price (drums) who all formed the band back in 2012. Over the past five years, the band has been working nonstop with constant rhythms, and catchy lyrics. “Broken Machine” is Nothing But Theives’ latest album which dropped on September 8, 2017 via Sony Music U.K./RCA Records. As Broken Machine has sold over thousands of albums already, this fifteen-track album is fulfilled with hypnotic vocals of Conor Mason, pulsating rhythms, and menacing riffs. The group worked with Mike Crossey (Foals, Arctic Monkeys) as he helped the band make this album with an intensive yet emotional punch to it. “I Was Just a Kid” starts off the album with a fast paced beat of swinging chords that matches the hard rock energy of the record. The band adds a swirling pre-chorus that adds beauty, but also chaos before erupting into an earth-shaking chorus. Next up is my personal favorite, “Amsterdam” that has received the most attention on this album of over ten million streams on Spotify. The band has been finalizing their setlist recently with this track, and I agree with them that it’s the best song to end a set with. The next tracks of the album follow will have you hooked on their music for good, and you’ll get those catchy lyrics stuck in your head for days. If you’re eager to check out this record, but you’re not sure which songs you want to listen to first, I recommend, “Amsterdam”, “I’m Not Made by Design” or “Number 13” if you’re looking for songs you want to blast. As for the slower songs, “Particles” has been on repeat for me. After you have listened to at least one of those tracks, you’ll be belting out their lyrics to all of their songs in no time. Overall, Nothing But Thieves released a killer record. All five of these lads have worked nonstop to create the success and the dedicated fanbase they have now. The band has had the opportunity to perform at festivals including Bottlerock, Woodstock, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Voodoo Festival, and Life Is Beautiful. Given the success surrounding their first album and anticipation for the second, Nothing But Thieves is a rock force to be reckoned with. You can follow the band at @nbthieves on social media, and nbthieves.com for more information. The band will also be headlining this fall in North America in honor of Broken Machine being released with opening acts of Missio, and Airways.
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R5
Photography by: Jessica Piochon
Matchbox Twenty
Photography by: Emily Veillette
Smoke Season
Photography & Words by: Samantha Toy
Los Angeles-based Gabrielle Wortman
and Jason Rosen, the duo that comprises Smoke Season, seem to form their own genre of music drawing on electro-pop, rock steady, and soul to create something fascinating. Smoke Season has released three EPs, a series of inventive videos and built a growing fan base dialled in to the duo’s activism for social causes. Produced by Fabian Ordorica (Goldroom), their song, “Good Days” puts Smoke Season’s artistic craft and genre-breaking skills at the core of their infectious pop, with Gabrielle Wortman’s fierce vocals and Jason Rosen’s distinctive guitar work layered with bursts of saxophone from guest instrumentalist James Ragusa.
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In the past 2 years, Smoke Season has independently released an EP with a corresponding short film (which received features at 2017 Cannes Film Festival and 2017 Hollyshort Film Festival), and toured nationwide. Their millions of Spotify plays and acclaim from major press outlets (W Magazine, Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, Clash Magazine, LA Weekly, and The New York Times to name a few), are proof that their sound is resonating with fans throughout the country. The lyrics explore growing pains and the combination of looking forwards to the future whilst remembering the past. “Good Days is a song about nostalgia,” explains Wortman. “We wanted to capture the bittersweet feeling of remembering times that shaped you into who you are today. Those events seem to slip by as they’re happening, but their importance becomes so clear in retrospect. To us, this is the definition of soul-shaping.”
Smoke Season will be annoucing more European dates soon along with new music before the year ends, so make sure to follow them on social media for all of the updates! You can also sign up for their mailing list on their website now. Twitter/Instagram: @smokeseason
http://smokeseason.com
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Danny Zapata
Photography & Words by: Cassidy O’Hara
A few weeks ago, I met a very talented young man named Danny Zapata from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. After getting to know him, I realized that there was so much more to him then I thought. He wasn't like every average high school student you meet now days. He's passionate, hardworking, and a young man that has dreams and goals that he wants to achieve in the near future.
During our shoot, I asked him some questions, personally my favorite was his ultimate goal as a musician. Danny said, “My ultimate goal as a musician is to inspire others through music. I want to be one of those artists that someone may hear and think Hey, maybe I can do it too.” “I know there are artists that I looked up to and that inspired me to pursue music. I want to make songs that resonate with people on deeper levels than just being catchy. You know how the songs that you love the most often become more than just songs, but they become companions to you. They're songs that you take with you through life and that
you always come back to for comfort. So I guess I’d say that’s my ultimate goal as a musician is to make music that inspires people.” As a young child, Danny was influenced by musicians. “Well first I'll mention Bruno Mars. He was kind of my introduction to pop music way back when Doo-Wops & Hooligans came out. When I first started singing, I definitely tried to sound just like him (I quite achieved that). Another one for me is Ed Sheeran since he inspired me to become a musician. He was my first concert at 15, and after seeing him onstage with his guitar while singing in front of thousands of people who sang back his lyrics, was absolutely breathtaking to me. That was a moment when I really thought to myself “that’s what I want to do.” John Mayer is big one for me as well since he’s an artist who had influenced so many people. He has had an amazing career and he’s
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put out so much great music throughout his career. Another huge artist for me right now is J.Cole. By far my favorite rapper right now. I saw him live in Boston and it was an incredible experience seeing him share his art so passionately. When he shares his stories and shares a message that transcends the music he’s making.” Another very important part of his musical journey was his guitar and learning how to sing. “Growing up, the guitar always eluded me since I could never play it. My dad had one and he always played around the house and at parties, and it fascinated me of the way he’d fingerpick the guitar. Then one day when I was about 13, my older brother brought home a ukulele and taught me how to play “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz (which has 4 chords). I felt really accomplished since I’d never done anything like that before. That made me think that the guitar must not be that difficult. So he taught me the first two chords on the guitar, then he forever changed my life when he said “You can look up the rest of the chords online”. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with Danny, sometimes when you meet someone you can just feel the absolute love they have for something and he absolutely lit up when asked about music. For everyone that has read this I truly recommend checking out his music @dannyzapps, it will be worth your time.
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Baseline
Photography & Interview by: Luxicon Photography Words by: Alessandro Mascellino
Baseline is a five piece pop punk band from Mesa, Arizona. The group formed in the summer of 2015 and is composed of Michael Schuster (Vocals), Gianni Jinks (Guitar/Backing Vocals), Shawn Sass (Bass) and Michael "Slack" Cully (Guitar/Backing Vocals). The band got their name at a Taco Bell on Baseline Road, and one of them suggested the name.
On October 21st 2016, they published their first EP "Not In The World, But Inside My Head", which was sold out at a 350 cap venue. They are currently touring in the US and they will be in LA on October 4th, Sacramento, CA on the 5th and in Portland, OR on the 7th.
You can discover all the dates of the tour and grab the ticket for their shows on their website at They debuted with the song "Fragments", first baselinebandaz.com. published in January of 2016, and after three months they released another single, "Last Years Tragedy".
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So, you guys are just about to go on tour for just about the whole month of October. What are you most looking forward to on tour?
We are looking forward to seeing the west coast some more, seeing some old friends, spending everyday with our best buds in Never Let This Go, and just being on the road putting in work. I hear there's some new music in the works. Can you guys say when that will surface? Our new single “Garden” just released on September 22. Make sure to listen to it now! How was the recording process for the new music? It was so quick. We wrote the song and had time to sit on it and so when we went into the studio we knew what we wanted and Hiram helped us out that together.
What role does everyone typically play in the writing process? We usually start off by getting in our practice space and turning all the lights off except some candles and a string of Christmas lights to set the mood. Then we get a guitar riff from gianni or slack and from there we add drums and bass. While we are writing the music in the garage michael comes up with melodies and later on he will sit in his room and write the lyrics to the song. For those that haven’t heard your band’s music yet, what song would you recommend they listen to first? Garden. It’s our newest song and most well rounded one. If you guys could tour with any band at all, who would it be? Limp Bizkit. What are all your social media links/where can people listen to your music? baselinebandaz.com & Twitter/Instagram: @baselinebandaz
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Big Sean Photography by: Samantha Toy
Lil Yachty Photography by: Samantha Toy
Kaleo
Photography by: Samantha Toy
Blink 182
Photography by: Samantha Toy
Bleachers
Photography by: Samantha Toy
Photography by: Dan Landsburgh
Nothing Bu
ut Thieves
Photography by: Dan Landsburgh
The Hunna
Photography by: Dan Landsburgh
Brand New
Photography by: Alan Cruz
COIN
Photography by: Alan Cruz
Alessia Cara
Photography by: Cassidy O’Hara
Marianas Trench
Photography by: Cassidy O’Hara
Neck Deep
Photography by: Ian Enger
Creeper
Photography by: Ian Enger
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