Spring 2018

VERACIOUS MAGAZINE

Featuring:

Alex Aiono

Issue 6 // April 2018

Featuring: 6

Terminal A

8 Saxon 9 Donkeyboy 12

New Releases

14

Judas

23

Album Review

24

Eric Ruscinski

32

Alex Aiono

40

Bowling For Soup

48

The Mowgli’s

56 DCF

Founder, Editor-in-Chief: Samantha Toy

About Us:

Senior Editor: Anna Toy Playlist Editor & Designer: Tiffany Martinez Photographers: Dana Hope Guy Hurst Kelsey Boeing Léna Villari Marisela Morales Robert Alleyne Tamara Watts Tilley Bruce

Emma Silverstone Kailey Sullivan Laurel Williams Marie Newby Rebekah Witt Samantha Toy Tariq Abdellatif

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: www.veraciousmagazine.com

Reviewers/Writers:

https://issuu.com/veraciousmagazine

Emily Veillette Léna Villari Mackenzie Mason Pavlena Todorova Samantha Toy

Interviewers:

press@veraciousmagazine.com

Brenna Mata

Samantha Toy

Twitter / Snapchat: veraciousmag1 Instagram / Facebook / YouTube: veraciousmagazine

Many Thanks: Alex Aiono Ashley Poitevin Bowling For Soup DCF Dea Zazula Donkeyboy Doug Weber Eric Ruscinski Jamie Giberti Joshua Edwards Judas Kelsey Stanker Lindsay Bailey Nicole Poulos Sasha Camacho Shawna Hudson Siobhain Brackenridge Spencer Foster Saxon Terminal A The Mowgli’s Theola Borden Tony Augello Universal Music 300 Entertainment

4

Cover photo: Alex Aiono by Samantha Toy

Interview with Terminal A How did you come up with your band name?

When we started the band, Lee was living in San Pedro (where we both live now), and Colin was in Long Beach. Between the two cities is the Port of Los Angeles, and Terminal Island, an orange-lit sprawl of heavy industry and labyrinths of shipping containers right on the edge of the Pacific.

It’s a really surreal, intimidating landscape, but there’s a really strange beauty to it as well. We’d drive over the bridges that connect it to the mainland at least once or twice every night. The first thing one sees after the entrance is a sign that says “Terminals A-D.” One of those nights it just clicked: “This is the environment we want to capture, this is the name.”

Photography by: Genevieve Davis & Interview by: Samantha Toy You both have been in Terminal A for almost six years now. What has been some advice or things you have learned over the years?

One of the main things we’ve learned is the importance of sticking by your statements, and staying true to your aesthetic vision. When we first started playing we’d both been out of the music world for a few years, and we weren’t sure if what we were saying would resonate with anyone other than ourselves. It didn’t happen immediately, but as we played more and more we began to find people, both audience members and other musicians, who were feeling the same things we were.

One solid piece of advice we can give is if you’re feeling something, chances are someone else around you is too, so speak your truth as clearly (and as often) as you can. If you do it for long enough, someone will pick up what you’re putting down!

6

Your new EP, Fruits of Gomorrah, was released a few days ago. What can you tell us about it?

The songs on this EP grew out of an attempt to capture the strange shifts, both personal, and political, that we’ve felt over the last couple years. As the political environment in America has grown more unstable and ugly, we’ve noticed a similar shift in our personal, lived experiences. In the conversations we’ve had, it’s felt impossible not to draw a connection between the two.

The forces that have lead us to where we are as a society: alienation, atomization, and the breakdown of social bonds, can seem really abstract, but their effects can be seen on a person-to-person, human level as well.

The EP is a collection of snapshots; moments in time that we’ve experienced which we wanted to freeze, and look at more deeply, and explore the way that personal brokenness can mirror (and perhaps shine light on) the brokenness of our society at large.

Which song took the longest to write?

“Chloe,” the second to last track on the EP, definitely took the longest to write.

It grew out of a short sketch we’d done a while back, but had put on the back burner because it was a bit of a stylistic outlier, and was structurally pretty different than anything we’d attempted before. As time passed we kept returning to it, and we eventually came to the point where we had learned enough to know where to take it, and how to do justice to the original vision we’d had for it.

How did you come up with the EP title?

The title came from us trying reckon with the reality we’ve found ourselves in as Americans in 2018: symbolically speaking, we’re all guests at Trump’s dinner table. So many of the luxuries, and comforts we as westerners enjoy are paid for in the blood of others, be they sweat shop workers in the third world, or marginalized groups right here in our own country. In reality this is nothing new, but with a figure like Trump in power, and so many of the ugly tendencies latent in our national psyche rising to the surface, we felt like we had no choice but to address it directly.

Who came up with the cover art?

We both came up with the cover art together. Colin had the idea of using the image of the damned man, which is a detail from Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel, and we both worked on stylizing it to fit in with the general stylistic concept we had.

Lastly, who are some artists you are listening to right now?

M.A.R.K.-13, the new LP by Sashcloth & Axes has been on constant rotation for us the past month! The new single from Shadowhouse, Faire from Paris, LA’s Band Aparte, and Flesh from NYC have also been solid soundtracks of ours lately! And, as always, TSOL and Kraftwerk!

www.terminala.bandcamp.com Can we expect more shows in the future?

Absolutely! We’re going to be taking it a little easier on live shows for the next couple months as we work on the next set of songs, but we’ll definitely be playing some gigs in Los Angeles through the summer, and are putting together a tour of Europe this fall.

Facebook.com/pacificwaterandpower Instagram: @terminal_a

7

Interview with Saxon

Interview by: Brenna Mata & Answers by: Paul Quinn How did the name "Saxon" come about when the band was being formed?

Our backdrop artist had done the Hulk breaking through a wall for our early name of Son of a B****, and we liked Frank Frazetta's art on the Molly Hatchet albums, so M. Schofield did us a Saxon warrior in that style, as our then label, Carrère, thought SOB unmarketable.

Favorite thing and least favorite thing about touring?

Playing and meeting fans are highlights, but not bouncing around in a vehicle.

What has it been like being in the music industry since the 70's and watching the ways your music is heard change?

It disappoints me that pop music and muzak are synonymous since cheap downloads. The album format is still alive on CD, cassette and vinyl, and the latter is the King for audio enjoyment.

8

http://www.saxon747.com

Why is Saxon different from other heavy metal bands and what is their purpose for their music?

Ferociousness puts us in a sort of Progressive Punk vein, and entertainment, and enjoyment are the main aims.

What is your favorite songs to perform live in concert and why?

The Eagle Has Landed, so I can re-channel Hendrix.

What's one of the most craziest things you can remember that happened at one of your live shows?

Being at Belgian mudthrowers, shouting, "Hit this f*****!"

Who are some of your musical influences that may have shaped the way your band creates music, or writes songs?

Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, UFO & AC/DC.

How has your music evolved since the band was created?

It became both heavier and more complex, so as not to make the same formats ad nauseam.

Interview with Donkeyboy Hey all! How are you doing today?

Hey! We’re doing great! We’re working on something really exciting in the studio.

Can’t wait to show it to our fans!

How did you all get your band name?

Our drummer Thomas’ grew up on his grandparents farm. His grandpa had an old donkey Thomas used to take care of.

Because of this the kids at school bullied Thomas and gave him the nickname “Eselgutten”. That’s “Donkeyboy” in Norwegian.

Interview by: Samantha Toy Donkeyboy has formed over a decade ago. What have been some highlights or things you have learned over the years?

Your music has received #1 singles on the pop charts in Norway, and has over millions of streams on Spotify, and YouTube videos. How has it been getting positive and popular feedback?

There’s been a lot of highlights, like when had number 1 & 2 at both the single and radio list in Norway. If that wasn’t enough our album was number 1 as well. Crazy stuff! We’ve learned to treasure moments like that, because they doesn’t happen often.

It’s been great, of course. We’re always nervous when we release new music. You never know how the fans will respond. Luckily they have been good to us so far!

Do you prefer recording or writing when it comes to music?

What is one thing your fans should know about you?

Both! We often write at the same time as we record. In other words, the songs gets made as we go.

That we love every single one of them ;)

What do you have planned for this summer?

What would you like to accomplish by the end of this year?

We’re going to play at some festivals in Norway, and of course make more songs. We all have children, so we are going to have some family vacation as well.

A dream of ours is to get an hit outside of Scandinavia. It would be great to accomplish that by the end of this year!

Can we expect any new music, videos, or shows?

Yes! And we would LOVE to visit the US to play some shows.

Somebody, please invite us!

http://donkeyboy.no

9

Tyler, The Creator

Photography by: Tariq Abdellatif

SZA

Photography by: Marie Newby

New Releases

12

206 Act I - Bohnes

Like I Do - David Guetta, Martin Garrix & Brooks

I - Felix Jaehn

Places We Don’t Know - Kasbo

Lil Boat 2 - Lil Yachty

Bobby Tarantino II - Logic

New Releases

Lonely feat. MAX - Matoma

Coming Home - Mesto & TiĂŤsto

Feels Like Yesterday feat. Robin Valo - Mike Williams

Sha La La - The Technicolors

Panic Vertigo - The Wrecks

The Middle - Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

13

JUDΛS

Photography by: Guy Hurst // Words by: Samantha Toy

Judas is known for their wild live sets, and being the music children of U2 and Kings of Leon.

Judas is an indie rock band that formed in the summer of 2014 when vocalist/guitarist John Clancy moved from Liverpool to London looking for new members. Clancy discovered Sam Horvath (drums) through the power of the Internet, and joined the group a week later. With the big help of Horvath who knew Todd Blackmore (guitarist), and James Phillips (bass) from college, they joined Judas shortly after, and the lineup was officially complete.

From playing at almost every venue in London, and receiving positive feedback from their music, they were being invited to perform at festivals such as: Y Not, Isle of Wight, Truck, Tramlines, and Leeds in just a short amount of time.

From an unforgettable story, Judas managed to play on mainstage of Leeds when they were about to go on at the Jack Rocks stage, and they were told from the festival’s promoter that Parkway Drive dropped out. Not knowing which stage Judas will move to next, they were surprised by the fact it was going to be on the mainstage, and they were going to be performing in front of thousands of fans. Crazy, right?

You may wonder how Judas got its name though? Well, it’s the opposite of Google’s definition, “A peephole in a door.” Judas’ name appeared when their old guitarist, Tom, James, and John were all disciples. With nicknames circulating, everyone was calling Sam “Judas” which was when they realized it was a super cool band name, and the rest was history.

Two years later after the guys discussed what they wanted their band to sound like, they released a self-titled EP including songs: “Love Is the Enemy,” “Youth of the Young Age,” “Sister”, and “Call Me.” The four tracks consists of incredible vocals, catchy rhythms, and steady beats. They remind me of two other UK natives: Foals, and Nothing But Thieves in a way.

Once their band name around in England from radio play of BBC Introducing, XFM, and Sky 1’s Soccer AM, they were recognized as the children of Kings of Leon and U2. With Judas’ own unique rock sound, they also add a touch of their musical influences such as: Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, and Stereophonics into their music. The most recognizable track would be, “Ceasefire” which has amassed almost one million hits on Spotify.

17

As the band’s career is just in its beginning years, there is much more of music and creation from these lads. If you live in the UK, you can see them in person on their tour this month with Mallory Knox. Make sure to tweet these guys on where you would like to see them in your city!

For more information, music, merchandise, videos, please visit their website. www.wearejudas.com

Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @weareJUDAS

19

The Maine

Photography by: Dana Hope

Coast Modern

Photography by: Emma Silverstone

Portugal. The Man

Photography by: Tilley Bruce

Album Review: Awolnation - “Here Come The Runts” Words by: Mackenzie Mason

Awolnation brings a lot to the table with their

new, and controversial album Here Come the Runts.

Pulling inspiration from Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, and The Cars, Aaron Bruno channels the late 70’s, and early 80’s to create “Here Come the Runts.” From rap in “Sound Witness System” to indie-pop in “My Molasses” there is certainly something for everyone on their third studio record. The LP leaps from genre to genre as AWOLNATION albums usually entail, making for an exciting and intriguing 45-minutes.

On the contrary, the album seem a little messy and inconsistent due to the fact that it doesn’t necessarily flow from song to song. The lack of fixation on a genre makes the album confusing, irritating and simply disorganized. Although the transition from “Passion” to “Sound Witness System” is seamless, the rest of the record emits a certain lack of devotion to the album. In spite of the songs being quite catchy, the lyrics are repetitive especially in “Miracle Man” and “Handyman.” By the end of the album, listeners may perceive the album as inauthentic. In the end, this is definitely an album up for interpretation.

Whether you love it for it’s spontaneity or you hate it for it’s inconsistency, no one can deny that Aaron Bruno’s determination and strength to remain true to himself through the songwriting process is impressive. He writes what he wants to write and proves that music is completely for himself and not to impress anyone else.

Truly an album you have to listen to, who knows it might be your next favorite.

Make sure to purchase the album on iTunes or stream it on Spotify now. You can see Awolnation in a city near you in these next few weeks. More information is at: http://awolnationmusic.com

23

Tour Life with Eric Ruscinski Name: Eric Ruscinski Hometown: Toronto, Canada Resume: Alessia Cara, Tyler Shaw, Brian Melo Job: Live Guitar and Keys with Alessia Cara

Eric Ruscinski’s Spotify playlist: Wild Love by James Bay Everybody by Logic Am I Wrong by Anderson Paak Under the Pressure by The War on Drugs Little Bit of You by Kevin Garrett 24

Alessia’s Band & Crew with Coldplay on the 2016 “A Head Full of Dreams” You’ve had an incredible resume which includes touring with Coldplay, playing on SNL, Ellen, and Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Years Eve. What has been your favorite memory so far?

I like to think I’m generally a grateful and appreciative person and I certainly recognize how lucky I am to have had each and every one of these experiences. That being said, it’s a tough thing to narrow down to one favorite. I will say one memory that I hold dear to my heart was the opportunity to fly my mom Sharlene to Los Angeles the first time we performed on The Ellen Degeneres Show. I vividly remember sitting in my hotel room on Sunset Boulevard and impulsively deciding to fly her out. I booked her a flight and called her to reveal the surprise the day before she was scheduled to fly. I think my mom may have dropped the phone from excitement. I remember my Dad grabbing the phone out of her hands and saying, “She’ll be there!” It also happened to be almost a year to the day that she lost her mother, my grandmother Carolynn Truelove.

I think the Ellen Show was a bright and uplifting part of each day for my grandmother so my Mom and I like to think that she was somewhere watching, happy and smiling.

You’re currently Grammy winner, Alessia Cara’s guitarist and keyboard player. How did you meet Alessia and begin playing with her?

I actually met Alessia’s manager first in May of 2015 at a Canadian Music Week showcase on College Street in Toronto. I impulsively decided to head to the show last minute and two days later, I met Alessia in a rehearsal studio. Alessia was in the process of finishing her debut album “Know It All” and we had a week to prepare for her first record label showcases. Within two months, we hit the road for acoustic and promotional performances across the U.S., Europe and Australia. We also got to perform on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon alongside The Roots. It was an exciting start to say the least and it’s been an incredible journey ever since.

Interview by: Samantha Toy 25

What are your pre-show rituals?

Our pre-show ritual with Alessia and the band is actually pretty funny and it’s been around since the beginning.

I think we’ve become unknowingly a little superstitious about it. We do a team huddle and someone will always say the “words of wisdom” – usually expressing our excitement for the show and how thankful we are for everything we get to experience.

Alessia and I always do a quick fist pump too before we hit the stage.

This seemingly trivial stuff is important because I think it helps relieve pressure and keep it fun.

Eric's Stage Setup with Alessia What has been your favorite city or venue to play at in the world?

That’s tough. I love small, grungy bars and clubs with character and history. I loved playing venues like Barfly (London), Melkweg (Amsterdam) or the Troubadour (Los Angeles).

That being said I can’t lie and say I wasn’t pinching myself every time I got to play a stadium show with Coldplay.

If I could relive one show, it’d be the MetLife Stadium concert in New York, on my 26th birthday. We kicked off the U.S. leg of the Coldplay tour, and I think 12- year-old me unwrapping a red electric guitar on Christmas morning would have been really proud.

Eric with his keyboard When did you first start playing guitar and the keys? Were you learning how to play them around the same time?

Christmas morning of 2002 I suppose. My parents got me my first electric guitar, and they wrote on the wrapping paper, “You better practice or it’s going back to the store.” Guitar always came first and so did rock music.

As I transitioned from playing rock songs with my own bands into playing for different pop artists, I opened up to modern music production in general. I started to explore keyboards, synthesizers and programmed drums, and have since tried to split my time between keys and guitar.

26

As you’ve played around the world to thousands of fans, do you get nervous before shows? If so, how do you calm yourself down?

I certainly feel my share of nerves and sometimes it’s easy to let myself think way too much. Like anything though, the more you work at your craft and the more times you’re thrown into scary or uncomfortable situations, the more aware of yourself you become. As you grow as a musician and your list of experiences becomes longer, it’s easier to settle your mind and truly appreciate each musical moment. I generally listen to music before hitting the stage and try to do some form of meditation at some point in the day. I think sitting back and remembering how lucky I am helps me maintain a peaceful state.

Aside from Alessia Cara, you’ve performed with Tyler Shaw, Canadian Idol Winner Brian Melo, and Canadian television shows “The Launch” and “The Next Star”. How were those experiences?

Those experiences were invaluable. I was really fortunate growing up to find some amazing mentors and friends who I got to share the stage with, such as Brian Melo, Joe Cacioppo, Andrew McTaggart and Justin de Graaf to name a few. They really helped me get my first experiences in the industry. It was in those situations where I made my first mistakes and learned fast. As I’ve grown and experienced more, I realized how my early experiences in music and in life shaped my values and mentality.

Sound check at Levi's Stadium, San Francisco on the Coldplay Tour

27

Taken at Abbey Road Studios, London England, January 2016

Recently, you drove from Toronto (Canada) to Los Angeles, CA (United States) to build a studio. How was it building a studio?

Yeah, I drove from Toronto to LA in February 2017. My dad Craig jumped in the car with me at the last minute and helped me do the 4,000-kilometer drive in just a few days. When I arrived in LA I moved from apartment to apartment, living in different areas within the city. It was a struggle to find a place that felt like home and even more of a struggle to find a place to make music. That entire process of moving from Toronto to California, and then another three or four moves once I arrived was another one of those experiences that feels difficult at the time but ultimately shapes you.

I had a friend and guitarist that I toured with named James Wolf who was born and raised in Studio City.

James’ family has this really beautiful guest house on their property and were kind enough to offer it to me as a place I could flip into a studio. I laid down flooring, built framing and acoustic treatment, picked up some gear and after about a month of hard work, I was able to sit back in a studio I could call my own. I think for any musician, having a place to experiment, create and feel comfortable in feels pretty gratifying.

28

Do you have any advice for anyone wanting to do what you’re doing now with Alessia?

My advice would simply be based on my own personal journey and would revolve around character, work ethic and belief systems. I think it’s important for aspiring musicians to recognize the impact these things have on a career in music. While, of course, it’s incredibly important to perfect your craft, success as a musician is not always derived solely from your instrumental skill. In relation to working as a hired musician, it’s important to recognize that you’re there to provide support on every level possible to the artist you’re working with. I think it’s crucial to recognize the depth of your role as part of a team, from the support you provide as a musician on stage or in the studio to how your presence every day will affect those around you and how you can add value to every situation. Anyone who has performed or toured professionally can attest that your team quickly becomes your second family and you’re going to spend a lot of time together so it becomes pretty easy to see why this all matters so much.

In regards to building a career, I personally always found opportunity in places where I felt the most challenged.

Comfort always seemed to follow discomfort. I would purposely force myself into both musical and personal situations that weren’t necessarily easy for me. I separated myself from people or things in my life that didn’t align with my values and I refused to remain stagnant. I wasn’t afraid to change my patterns and change my surroundings. There is a massive power in making a decision and relentlessly chasing after what you want. I really believe any idea or goal you set in your mind can become tangible and is as possible as you allow it to be.

http://ericruscinskimusic.com

Twitter/Instagram: @EricRuscinski

Eric & Alessia boarding a plane in New York

29

Barns Courtney

Photography by: Léna Villari

Dodie

Photography by: Tamara Watts

Words by: Emily Veillette & Photography by: Samantha Toy

Alex Aiono is a 22 year-old pop musician who grew up surrounded by music in various places including: home, school, and in public. From living with music every single day of his life, he decided to become a full time musician, and now has amassed millions of followers and views from his YouTube mashups.

Every child is asked the same question: what do you want to do when you are older? Well, Aiono’s plans were not necessarily to become a singer, since singing was just his hobby at first. The early memories of music that he recalls began when his family relocated from Utah to Arizona at the age of two. He and his three siblings were raised on well-known legends in the music industry such as: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Lauryn Hill.

After living in a household where music was played frequently, and attending a grade school pivoting around performing arts, Aiono eventually found himself pursuing a music career.

His pursuit kicked off by writing songs with his sister, and tackling every instrument he could get his hands on, such as: the guitar, piano, ukulele, and drums.

With his family’s support of his career choice, Aiono, and his family made the huge decision to relocate again. This time the destination was the beautiful city of Santa Monica, California where he was able to pursue his music career to the fullest. After only a few weeks in a new area, he already made a few connections that led him to working with the Grammy Award-winning musician, songwriter, and producer, Babyface. Aiono began developing original material in the studio right away, where he recorded vocals and other instruments such as his keyboard, guitar,

35

and, computer components for remixing and creating beats. However, his quick road to fame began in 2012 when he started his own YouTube channel to showcase his many talents. He began by posting covers of popular songs, and one of his first was, “Where Have You Been” by Rihanna. “… I remember being super-hyped ‘cause it got about a thousand views,” Aiono recalls of that particular video. Taking his journey to a new level, he started posting his own twists of deconstructed mashups of popular songs. He is known for his hit mashup of “One Dance” by Drake, and “Hasta el Amanecer”

by Nicky Jam which has earned over sixty-one million views to date.

Months later in 2013, Aiono released his first single titled Doesn’t Get Better, and then joined his first tour supporting Disney’s R5. After the memorable tour, he collaborated with John Legend who co-wrote on a few songs of Aiono’s first EP, Young & Foolish. Aiono was only around the age of 17 at the time, but his popularity was increasing exponentially from his YouTube mashups, collaborations with popular artists, and from releasing his own music videos.

Fast forwarding to 2017, Aiono signed with Interscope Records whose bill includes artists such as: Ellie Goulding, Imagine Dragons, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, OneRepublic, The 1975, U2, and Zedd. Under the new label he released several singles and an EP. Within these last couple years his stage presence has grown a lot. From his first big co-headline tour with William Singe to even headlining his own tour which began in the early months of 2018. Aiono is currently continuing to work on new music, interact with fans on social media, and create new YouTube content where he can express his creativity and new ideas. He is still in the early years of his life and career, but his talents and accomplishments so far are impressive.

We can expect a full length album, more tours, and new collaborations in the near future, so make sure to be on the lookout for news on Alex Aiono, as he is definitely an artist you do not want to miss. In the meantime, make sure to follow him on his social media to see his daily shenanigans (plus he is not bad on the eyes)! http://www.alexaiono.com Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @alexaiono

36

37

LP

Photography by: Kailey Sullivan

The Wrecks

Photography by: Kelsey Boeing

Photography by: Marisela Morales & Words by: Mackenzie Mason

42

Bowling for Soup is proof that when

something is meant to be, it will happen.

Throughout 1989-1993 in Wichita Falls, Texas, all members of the band were on different paths. Jaret Reddick (lead singer, guitar) and Chris Burney (lead guitar) knew each other in high school, while the rest of the band met at The Refuge, a small local coffee shop which Burney’s family owned. Over the years Burney and Erik Chandler (bass guitar/background vocals) formed the Folkadots, while Gary Wiseman (drums) formed Gary & the Wiseman. Burney and Chandler, along with Lance Morrill (drums, percussion, background vocals; 1993-1998) later formed the band Slaw.

Around this time, Reddick formed Terminal Seasons and not too long after, Reddick and Morrill formed coolfork!, which Burney later joined. After years of jumping from group to group, the quartet finally came together to form the iconic rock band Bowling for Soup.

Although most know them as a rock band, Bowling for Soup has been characterized as pop punk, punk rock, power pop and alternative rock. The group is inspired by the bands they grew up listening to such as Quiet Riot, RATT, and Mötley Crüe. Bowling for Soup pulls inspiration from Descendents, Elvis Costello and Willie Nelson while writing and editing their music. They have done covers by Green Day, Fountains of Wayne, and one of Bowling for Soup’s most iconic song “1985” was originally written by SR-71. The name Bowling for Soup came from a Steve Martin comedy routine about a game show called “Bowling for Sh**. “We’re all big fans of him and comedy in general. He was a big comedian back when we were growing up, and he’s the

best,” the band told Veracious in an interview regarding the band name.

The group released their first EP, Tell Me When to Whoa, on FFROE in 1998. The record sold over 10,000 copies, causing Jive Records to sign the band. Let’s Do It for Johnny!!, Bowling for Soup’s major label debut, was released on Jive in 2000. Drunk Enough to Dance was Bowling for Soup’s second album with Jive Records. One of the album’s two singles, “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2003 in the “Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal” category. A Hangover You Don’t Deserve was dropped two years later, and has become the band’s only Top 40 album. “1985” became Bowling for Soup’s biggest hit in the U.S., reaching No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The second single “Almost” charted on the UK Singles Chart, No. 46 on the U.S. Top 100, and No. 23 on U.S. Pop 100. Bowling for Soup Goes to the Movies, was a compilation album of cover songs and contributions to soundtracks, was released by the band in 2005. Bowling for Soup wrote and performed the theme song for Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, “Today Is Gonna Be A Great Day”. Bowling for Soup spent most of 2006 putting together The Great Burrito Extortion Case, the group’s seventh album. Sorry for Partyin’ came out in 2009 with “My Wena” as the first promotional single from the album.

“No Hablo Ingles” was supposed to be the first single released from the album, but Jive split with the band and shelved Sorry for Partyin’ after only four weeks of being on sale. Lunch.

Drunk. Love. and Drunk Dynasty were both released to the public on PledgeMusic in 2013 and 2016.

43

The Get Happy Tour was the beginning of Bowling for Soup’s touring. The tour kicked off in Austin, Texas on June 23, 2006 with The Vanished and Lucky Boys Confusion.

The band toured the U.S. over the summer of 2006 with the Get Happy Tour and ended on August 27, 2006 in Amarillo, Texas. Afterwards they began a UK tour in early February 2007.

The tour included Bowling for Soup as main headliners and Wheatus, Son of Dork and Army of Freshmen as openers. To promote the release of Sorry for Partyin’, Bowling for Soup went on a headline tour of the UK called The Party in Your Pants Tour in October 2009.

Zebrahead, with additional support coming from MC Lars (who is signed to Jaret Reddick’s Crappy Records) and The Leftovers supported the group on tour. In 2011, the band toured a few U.S. army bases in Japan and Diego Garcia NSF in the British Indian Ocean Territory to help commence celebrations of July 4th with the troops. On February 27, Bowling for Soup

44

announced a headlining tour of the Midwest and Northeast of the U.S. with Patent Pending and Freshman 15. The tour started in Lawrence, KS on April 18 and ended in Dallas, TX on May 5. In 2013, Reddick announced Bowling for Soup’s Farewell UK Tour clarifying that the band wasn’t splitting up but touring began to take its toll on both them and their families.

On June 15, 2015 Bowling for Soup announced a 15-day UK tour, stating ‘It was farewell, not goodbye. Jaret, Chris, Erik, and Gary missed you too much and are coming back to the UK in February!’

More Recently, in October of 2016, Bowling for soup went on a 4 show UK Arena Tour with Steel Panther and Buckcherry. Later on in the year, Reddick and Chandler came together for an acoustic show in London’s iconic Union Chapel to perform and record Bowling for Soup’s most recent release “Acoustic in a Freakin’ English Church”. In 2017, Bowling

for Soup played some festivals such as Vans Warped Tour and Slamdunk.

“We just did a cruise with Warped Tour which was a lot of fun. It was nice to revisit some friends we haven’t seen in a long time. Also, getting back over here [UK] for this tour, and the build up which has been fun too.”

Their legacy in the introduction of pop punk bands will go on. Bowling for Soup continues to demonstrate what good music sounds like and their hits such as “1985”, “Girl All the Bad Guys Want”, “Almost”, “High School never Ends”, and “Punk Rock 101” will continue to be listened to by younger generations for many years to come.

The group got signed under Brando Records after parting with Jive and in September of 2017, Reddick went on his solo tour “Heartache and Hilarity” through the UK. From February 9 to 17, Bowling for Soup came back together for another round of the Get Happy Tour starting in Glasgow, UK and ending in London, UK. The band even made it to South Africa in March for Fen festival and Lush festival as well as two headlining shows with support from Grassy Spark, With the Rudimentals, Made for Broadway and Slippery When Wet.

As for the rest of 2018, Bowling for Soup is embarking on a South-Eastern tour of the U.S. beginning in April, and continuing in July. Veracious asked Reddick what fans can expect from them later on in the year. “There’s some stuff I can’t share yet, but obviously we got this tour and then we’ll be on Warped Tour in the United States, and hopefully some new music.” Needless to say, through 17 studio releases, more than 10 tours and over 24 years of being a band, Bowling for Soup has created a huge name for themselves.

45

X Ambassadors

Photography by: Samantha Toy

Lights

Photography by: Rebekah Witt

Photography by: Laurel Williams & Words by: LĂŠna Villari

Californian kids growing up together for the most, and coming from the midwest for some.

The Mowgli’s was originally an eight piece band formed in 2010, but is now a six piece consisting of: Colin Louis Dieden (vocals/guitar); Katie Jayne Earl (vocals/percussion); Matthew Di Panni (bass/vocals); Josh Hogan (guitar/vocals); Dave Appelbaum (keys/vocals); and Andy Warren (drums/percussion/ vocals). Their band name was discovered when their dog’s name was called, “Mowgli” after the famous book, The Jungle by Kipling.

“But if we knew we would be doing this almost a decade later, we probably would have thought twice about the name.”

It is hard to put The Mowgli’s in a particular genre as they combined many of them. From indie pop, and country to their rock n’ roll vibes, influenced by the likes of: Neil Young, The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac, but also associated to Grouplove or American Authors, one thing is for sure: The Mowgli’s knows how to make their audience dance over the eight years of creating music.

Releasing their first tracks in 2010 “San Francisco” that will chart #11 on the Alternative music chart in 2012 to then hit #1 on Alt Nation and the Sirius Alt in 2013; “The Great Divide”; “I’ve Been Around” and “Waiting For The Dawn” through bandcamp and the collectiveca.com, platforms largely used by emerging and D.I.Y bands. But The Mowgli’s knew that live performances was more important than releasing lots of songs or using mainstream platforms, and they did their best to play as much as they could, headlining mini festivals and touring around California. As the band says, they learned to be a working band by being one, following their heart and do what they love.

50

Being in a band has its ups and downs, especially with that many members. Spending 24/7 with the same people, in particular on tour, can quickly become annoying and drive everyone crazy, but it also creates an incredible bond, like a second family.

Like brothers and sisters, they fight and would rather tell each others’ truth than repressing their feelings and generate a bad atmosphere in the band. And if Katie is the only woman in the band, it does not seem to bother her as she consider herself as annoying and loud than her band mates can be. She even found love with the guitarist/singer of the band: Josh Hogan to whom she is married since October last year.

The Mowgli’s best way to stay sane? Keeping in touch with their families and friends and having their own hobbies out of the music industry: soccer, cooking, photography, doodles, comedy, hiking, each member knows how to kill time, and explore their other talents. And for the bands out there, going on tour, here is The Mowgli’s tips on how to survive: “Stay hydrated. Bring plenty of underwear. Take a lot of photos. Embrace the experience. Remember that you don’t have to get shit faced every night… just some nights.”

People can identify themselves to lyrics, amazing vocals, harmonies, and catchy melodies that stay in their head really easily, and quickly, The Mowgli’s songs do not just make their audience dance, but they also helps the listeners feeling better by making them have a new perspective on their lives, and a positive one.

After co-headlining a tour with Family Of The Year in 2013, and playing with the likes of Walk The Moon, American Authors, X-Ambassadors or even The Maine, the band keeps on growing. With 3 albums, 1 EP, and a few singles released from 2010 to 2017, The Mowgli’s are not done yet, and they even brought two new singles to 2018: “Real Good Life” released in early February and “Kansas City” that

came out on the 23rd of March. If their sound is a bit more mature, they keep their positive attitude, and their message stay the same: no matter how hard life can be, let go and follow your heart. A message that could seem candid for some, but is clearly needed in the society we live in today.

So one thing is for sure, with those two new tracks, We’re good but we’ll be waiting for more!

Catch The Mowgli’s live: APR 8 SUN Rhythm & Blooms Festival Knoxville, TN, United States APR 27 FRI The WhiskyX Chicago Chicago, IL, United States

http://www.themowglis.net Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @themowglis

JUN 3 SUN Spring Fling Cleveland, OH, United States

51

Colony House

Photography by: Tariq Abdellatif

First Aid Kit

Photography by: Robert Alleyne

DCF “A New Canadian Pop Prince”

DCF is an upcoming pop artist who has toured alongside acts such as: Shawn Mendes, Coleman Hell, Marianas Trench, and Lights by the age of 26.

When you come across a picture of DCF, David Charles Fischer, Prince Caspian, or “self-proclaimed prince of Toronto pop music,” you might think, “Here is your typical millennial artist,” and you might be right about that. For instance, his favorite music is Apple Music which is where he looks for new music songs, and inspiration to create his own killer bangers, but that is certainly not all about his persona. This raising neo-pop star is a proud Canadian by birth. He grew up in Chinatown, Toronto, and loves listening to fellow Canadian natives such as: Daniel Cesar, and Drake.

Fischer first began creating music a few years ago as early as 2013 when he covered songs of other popular songs, and would post them on the Internet.

After covering artists, he incorporated music into his own unique sound, and decided to release his first single, “Twenty Something,” just a year later. As he Photography by: Rebekah Witt Words by: Pavlena Todorova

58

was confident in being a singer as his full time job, he released Pop Songs, an EP of original songs with pop hooks, and indelible melodies where his online mixtapes started attracting attention because of it.

As his music was started to be recognized by many, he had the unforgettable chance to open up for incredible artists such as Shawn Mendes, Coleman Hell, and Marianas Trench in Canada. With his fan base growing, and music streams increasing, he also landed the opening slot of touring with Lights in North America for a 46-date tour. “Oh, I was soooooo stoked. Maybe a little nervous! I don’t think I’ve even played 46 shows in my career so far haha so it’s definitely an adventure,” as he mentioned in an interview with Canadian Beats Media about hearing the news of opening up for Lights.

After releases of his original pop-inspired music, and playing shows in Toronto Clubs filling with friends, and fans, his hard work is paying off as he finally gets to tour around the world more. The self proclaimed prince who is obsessed with baths, and bath bombs certainly seems to be on his way to international fame. Make sure to look out for DCF as he will be releasing a new record this year, and touring a lot more which is hopefully in a city near you! https://www.facebook.com/princeDCF/

59

veraciousmagazine.com