ISSUE 12
HIGHLIGHT
featuring
Issues
MAGAZINE
BEFORE YOU EXIT // YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE // CROWN THE EMPIRE // OLLY MURS // MISS MAY I
HIGHLIGHT STAFF co-founder – Editor-In-chief – Press – photography Ashley Osborn
Art Director – Magazine Production – Photography Cara Bahniuk
CO-founder – legal McKenzie Hughes
Features Editor – Writer Liz Brossard
Online Editor
Jenn Stookey
Digital Marketing Coordinator Misty Frederick
online media coordinator Anjel Lopez
copy editor Haley Todd
Contributing Photographers
Derrick Austinson, Tarina Doolittle, Jordan Fischels, Charlie Martel, Heather Phillips, Sam Roenfeldt, Sam San Roman and Jared Thomas
Contributing writers (Online & Publication)
Ryan Argast, Haley Black, Jennifer Boylen, Colleen Casey, Tamara Fuentes, Will Howard, Logan Kant, Jessica Klinner, Taylor Pittman and Morgan Waldorf
BECOME SOCIAL WITH US website - www,highlightmagazine.net facebook - www.facebook.com/highlightmagazine twitter - @highlightzine INSTAGRAM - @highlight_mag
INSIDE FEATURES
38 issues Embrace your issues. Regardless of the past, ISSUES is here and ready to continue to take the world by storm. The sextet popped onto the scene just a few months ago and hasn’t stopped pushing forward. We caught up with clean vocalist, Tyler Carter, and picked his mind about positivity and what’s next.
INSIDE FEATURES
8 tattoo stories
We caught up with talented blonde bombshell, Emii, on the set of her new music video and she told us the story behind her beloved tiger and dragon tattoo.
16 before you exit
Although the brothers in Before You Exit haven’t quite reached the level of fame that the Jonas Brothers and Hanson did, they are well on their way to creating their own brotherly legacy. We’ve got the 411 on this trio.
34 miss may i
What hasn’t Miss May I done? This Foursome consists of an indescribable work ethic and drive. Making it easy to see why Miss May I has taken the industry by storm. What do they want to do next? We’ve got the scoop.
9 industry Highlight 20 youngblood hawke 44 photos Rob DPiazza has certainly accomplished a lot in his short time on earth. What’s his most well known accomplishment? Streaker Records.
10 label highlight
Independent record label Glassnote Records was launched by DJ turned music executive, Daniel Glass in 2007. Come read more about the label and view our picks for their three most up and coming acts.
11 venue highlight
Minneapolis has several great music hot spots. However, First Avenue has our pick for No. 1. Come find out why.
14 waterparks
These Texas natives might not be a household name just yet, but have already accomplished so much in their first year of being a band. We talked to them about the amazing opportunities they have had in the past year and what we can expect from them in the future.
The indie pop band hasn’t even released a full-length album. However, they’ve already managed to sign to Republic Records and have their first single place toward the top of the Billboard charts.
We’ve got recent live shots of two of our favorite pop acts. These are two acts that you just NEED to see live.
22 Paradise fears
Indie, metal, a debut album and more. Come see this month’s album reviews. Warning: begin streaming now because these are four albums you’ve just got to snag.
A group of kids from a small town starting a band in high school sounds like your typical story of a suburban teenager, but Paradise Fears is anything but typical. Come meet the sextet that’s taking over the scene.
26 crown the empire
Regardless of the fact that the metal scene can seem a bit oversaturated, Crown The Empire is proving that anything can be accomplished if you have the guts to reach for your dreams. You’ve got to discover this band.
32 olly murs
After winning the X-Factor in the UK Olly Murs’ career has been a whirlwind of opportunity. We caught up with him recently and got the scoop on what’s been running through his mind.
46 reviews
THank you
Issues, Earshot Media, FrameworkNY, Adrenaline PR, Columbia Records, Universal Music and Big Picture Media. We would also like to give a special shout out (as always) to the incredible Tour Managers and artists that give us the time of day and coordinate with us on-site. Without you we wouldn’t have our publication. Last but not least, our incredible readers. We wouldn’t do this if you didn’t take time out of your day to interact with us. We love you!
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INSIDE PHOTOGRAPHS page 6-7
Issues
Paradise fears
Youngblood hawke
crown the empire
waterparks
before you exit
olly murs
miss may i
Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Shaughn Crawford
Houston, TX, Heather Phillips
Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
Washington, DC, Cara Bahniuk
Chicago, IL, Ashley Osborn
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 5
issues - 38
youngblood hawke - 20
waterparks - 14
olly murs - 32
22 - paradise fears
26 - crown the empire
16 - before you exit
34 - miss may i
Tattoo Stories – emi
@EMIMUSIC facebook.com/musicbyemii
The tiger and dragon tattoo was a ten year martial arts anniversary gift to myself. It symbolizes balance and additionally, the tiger is representative of the harder, more forceful styles of martial arts while the dragon represents the softer, more flowing styles. I got it done at Squirrelly’s in Hubbard, Ohio. The whole process took a few hours, but thankfully my best friend was there giving me candy while I was being tattooed. The only part that actually hurt was when the tattoo needle went over my tricep for the body of the dragon. I drew the artwork myself, but had accidentally left several concept drawings at my parent’s home in Ohio, which my mother found and suspected I had gotten a tattoo (I didn’t tell her). I generally kept my body art to myself because years prior, when I had shown my mother the very first tattoo I had gotten with my best friend Rosie (a Celtic dragon on the back of my neck), my mom’s reaction was “Oh no! Can’t you put bleach or something on it to make it go away?” Anyways, a few years after I had the tiger and dragon tattoo done, my mom and my grandmother attended one of my shows in NYC. I tried hiding the tattoo with a sweater during my performance, but the venue was so hot that I had to relunctantly take it off, revealing my tattoo. My mom remembered the drawings and wasn›t too surprised, and she refrained from telling me to put bleach on it this time. Needless to say I’ve been past the point of caring to hide tattoos from my mother (or anyone else) for years now.
Highlight of
Rob Dpiazza who c0-founded
about rob
Name: Rob DPiazza Location: New York, NY Company: Co-Founder and Executive A&R Director of Streaker Records
It’s just making sure we can come up with the right song and making sure it hits your eardrums the right way.
How did founding Streaker Records come about? Streaker Records was an accident. Before we started the company all the owners were in a band signed to a major label. We were having trouble getting dates booked and we felt the best thing would be to try and get on Warped Tour again. Unfortunately, the tour was already booked. Desperate to get on somehow, we told Warped Tour that we were a record label and push our own band. Our hard work managed to chart our band on Billboard. We quickly realized we were on to something big. We didn’t just sit behind the table and wait for sales. We actively pulled kids in to check out our band. We had a hustle mentality because we were a struggling band that wanted to be heard. We keep this same mentality when we push all of our bands. Hard work pays off and Streaker Records has charted Billboard every year because of this work ethic.
What you want to accomplish still in your career? Obviously a gold record, but more importantly I hope that we can keep the same mentality once we become more successful. I don’t ever want to be changed by money. I don’t think any of us do at Streaker Records. I think it would be a lie if anyone said they weren’t in music for the money or fame you could potentially gain, but when that day comes, I still want to be the one on tour every year, I still want to be the one working the tents at festivals and busting our ass working all our own social sites. I don’t ever want to feel like I’m too good to do something myself. We like that hard work ethic and I want to make sure we always stay that way.
What has been a highlight of your career?
Keep updated with Feed Our Children NOW!
Normally the fact that anyone charts Billboard should be considered a huge accomplishment, but I’m not really happy with that anymore. I want a gold record now. I definitely feel we have the talent on the roster.
www.streakerrecords.com www.facebook.com/streakerrecords www.twitter.com/streakerrecords
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 9
label highlight
WRITE-UP: Logan Kant
Independent record label Glassnote Records was launched by DJ turned music executive, Daniel Glass in 2007. Glassnote is a unique force in today’s music industry. Among its accolades, it was the first independent label to have four artists in the top ten of Billboard’s Heatseekers Album Chart, and was named Best Indie Label by Rolling Stone in 2011. This artist-centric label doesn’t subscribe to the traditional label business model. Instead, it maintains a small, but driven, indie and alternative lineup and empowers its artists to achieve their full potential while connecting with their fan base. Glassnote embraces the evolving music marketplace and proves its relevance with a strong work ethic, musical ties and exquisite mix of artists. Glassnote is home to Phoenix, Mumford & Sons, Two Door Cinema Club and many emerging artists. Check out the newest Glassnote artists.
CHVRCHES - CHVRCHES is a Scottish alternative electronic
band from Glasgow and the newest addition to the Glassnote family. The band formed in 2011 after Lauren Mayberry (vocals, synth) was asked to sing on a couple of demos by producer Iain Cook (synth, vocals) and friend Martin Doherty (synth, vocals). The trio fuses elements of classic electronica, rock, hip-hop and post-punk, but is best described as an indielectro/synth-pop band. The band is self-sufficient and writes, records, mixes and masters all of its material in a basement studio in Glasgow. CHVRCHES earned a coveted number five spot on BBC’s Sound of 2013 new music list and has already toured as opener for Passion Pit in 2012. The band is working on their debut album, due in 2013, and just announced spring tour dates in the US and UK with a stop at SXSW.
Listen to: “The Mother We Share”
GIVERS -
Lafayette, Louisiana-based indie sweethearts, GIVERS, is comprised of Tiffany Lamson (vocals, percussion, ukulele), Taylor Guarisco (vocals, guitar), Kirby Campbell (drums, vocals), Josh LeBlanc (bass, guitar) and Nick Stephan (flute, sax, keyboard). In 2005, the quintet connected after playing a night of improvised music when asked to fill a spot at a club. After releasing a self-titled/produced album in 2009, they opened for Ra Ra Riot, catching the attention of Daniel Glass. Their 2011 full-length debut with Glassnote titled In Light is a rich collection of songs with evolving rhythms, bubbly beats and luminous guitars. True to its name, GIVERS matches a warm and infectious sound with an unrelenting positivity that is steeped in the culture and traditions of Louisiana. Don’t miss out on their live shows. You’ll feel like a member of the band.
Listen To: “Saw You First” Little Green Cars - Dublin’s five-piece, Little Green Cars,
features band mates who grew up together. They started working on their emotionally charged songs at the young age of 15. While at school, this folk rock band recorded endless demos and made the decision to pursue music full-time. After experimenting with many genres ranging from acoustic to electronic music, Stevie Appleby (vocals, guitar), Faye O’Rourke (vocals, guitar), Adam O’Regan (guitar vocals), Donagh Seaver O’Leary (bass, vocals) and Dylan Lynch (drums, vocals) fine-tuned their sound and signed with Glassnote in 2011. The band recently worked with renowned producer, Markus Dravs, (Mumford & Sons) to record Absolute Zero, a debut album that showcases their earnest lyrics and rousing melodies. Catch the band during its US/UK tour in spring or at Coachella. The new album is due out on March 26.
Listen to: “The John Wayne”
venue highlight History:
First Avenue is no doubt the most famous music venue in Minneapolis, Minn. and one of the landmarks of downtown Minneapolis. The venue owes it’s notoriety in large part to the filming of Minneapolis native Prince’s 1984 film “Purple Rain” at the venue as well as the countless big name artists who have played there. The venue started as a greyhound bus station in 1937 and was converted into a club called Uncle Sam’s in 1970. It underwent a few more name changes in coming years but soon became extremely popular after becoming First Avenue in 1981. It was at this time that Prince became a regular performer at the venue and both disco and rock music had huge followings in the city. The building now contains two venues in one. The main room is the original club and 7th Street Entry is a small venue that only fits 250 people. Both venues are usually packed with music fans and resounding with loud live music on any given night.
why play here?
It seems that just about anybody who’s anybody has played First Ave, judging by the 531 stars on the outside of the building featuring the names of famous musicians who have played at the venue. The names include; The Beastie Boys, Metallica, Coldplay, Nirvana, Foo Fighters, U2 and Green Day just to name a few. And since First Avenue is in the center of the Minneapolis music scene it has been a starting point for many bands right out of Minnesota such as The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Motion City Soundtrack and Atmosphere. The venue has a great open floor and balcony space that holds a lot of people and makes for great onstage energy. Many bands who play the venue acknowledge how honored they are to be playing there, as it really is a sign that you’re going somewhere as a musician.
MUst attend shows February 10th
Coheed and Cambria REVIEW: Morgan Waldorf PHOTO: Venue’s Facebook Page
february 28th
The Gaslight Anthem
March 4th
Tame Impala
March 6th
Tegan and Sara
HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 11
waterparks
HOME: Houston, TX NOW jamming: Airplane Conversations - EP (Self-Released) currently: Recording new tunes!
Houston, Texas natives, Waterparks, might not be a household name just yet, but have already accomplished so much in their first year of being a band. We caught up with vocalist, Awsten Knight, to discuss the amazing opportunities they have had in the past year and what we can expect from them in the future.
Q) For such a new band, you’ve already been featured in Alternative Press, sold out your first show and opened for Chiodos, how did all that feel and how do you keep that from going to your head? A) Well, I’ve read Alternative Press for years so seeing Waterparks in the pages of it was the most surreal thing ever. We also got to meet Mike Shea at a show so we occasionally interact over Twitter and that’s also ridiculously weird for me. Selling out the first show and playing with Chiodos was both surprising and really cool. As far as letting it “go to our heads,” we’ve never been arrogant people to begin with so that won’t be a problem for us. I’ve met bands before that I’ve been a fan of and seeing them being cocky completely ruined their music for me, so I never want to be that band. It’s all just really exciting. Q) When the band first began, you went through some member changes how did that affect you and do you think you are in a better place with the current members now? A) Well, the past members didn’t actually partake in the writing process and we never actually played any shows as the “old lineup” so I do believe we’re in a much better place with the current one. Plus our current drummer Otto has excellent abs and our new guitarist Geoff is a sweetie. The lineup of Waterparks is undeniably in the best place it has been so far. Q) What is the writing/recording process for Waterparks like? A) Again, the old lineup didn’t really contribute to the writing process much, but with our new line up things are a bit different. This time around, we’re actually demoing out our songs instead of going straight to the studio with the first thing that pops into our heads. This way we can restructure and rewrite them so they will be as sweet as they can be. The goal as of now is to write 20 songs and pick the best ones for an actual studio release and go from there. Q) You are one of the few bands that still goes out and physically promotes your music (ex. at other shows and not just through the internet), do you feel like that is important to do? Have you been well received by the people you meet?
A) Social media is a very helpful tool in promoting your band, but nothing compares to meeting new people in person and handing them your music. Having that personal interaction is easily the best thing you can do when promoting your band. Plus people online can hate on your band without a second thought, but it’s a bit harder to do that when the person who made the music is standing right in front of them. For the most part, we’ve been very well received when promoting in person. Q) The Houston music scene has seemed to drift into mainly a hardcore genre, where Waterparks sounds almost nothing like the current bands that are out there. How would you describe your genre of music? And also is it hard to stand out and be taken seriously with such a different sound? A) The genres we cover now are rock/pop-punk/poprock/power-pop and two-thirds of us love keyboards and electronic stuff so we like to infuse that in with the mix as well. With past bands, we tried really hard to be taken seriously and that was a really shitty time because no one liked us. Waterparks, however, just gave up on that and played exactly what we wanted to, put out some dumb videos that we had a lot of fun making and did it all without stressing or over analyzing all of it. We try to enjoy everything we do and not take things way too seriously, with our music being the only exception, also interviews I feel like that approach is why we’re where we are, and why we also may stand out. We also dig alliteration also grammar, punctuation not so much. As a result, Waterparks has been the best received thing any of us have ever been a part of, by a long shot. Q) You (Awsten), where in a couple bands in the past, do you feel you have grown up since then and understand the music business a little more? A) I have been in bands since I was 13, so I can say as a 20-year-old, after dealing with some ridiculous things over the years, I do understand how the industry works a lot more. Seven years is a lot of time to make mistakes, but I’m glad I had that time to get all the trial and error type issues out of the way before Waterparks. This band has definitely been the most fun to be in out of all of them and has been the best received by listeners and that definitely feels sweet. Q) You recently released a new music video for the track “Silver”, which looks amazing. Who came up with the concept and how fun was it to make? A) The Silver music video was extremely fun to make. Geoff came up with the idea to have a water balloon fight and from there it just kind of snowballed. There were about HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET -13
50 stupid ideas, a few of them were actually filmed, but in the end most of them were cut and what remained was the final product. The first time we tried to shoot the video, we showed up on location and the gates to the entrance were closed so we couldn’t get in. Plus it didn’t help that the owners weren’t answering their phones so we had no idea what to do. After about 20 minutes of panicking and hyperventilating, Geoff had a bright idea and got out of the car and just opened the gates so we were like “Oh, cool. Geoff’s a savior. Let’s do this video.” Then we couldn’t find the owners and once we did, they forgot we were shooting that day and said they had to leave early to pick up a TV. And to top it all off the director’s car broke down driving from out-of-state and so we were really screwed at that point. So after we spent countless hours filling balloons, we decided to waste them all on each other and get Chipotle. The second attempt at shooting the video was much more successful because the video actually got filmed and that’s always good when stuff goes well because….well just watch the video to see.
Q) What has been the main highlight of your career so far? A) I’d have to say our biggest highlight so far is playing the Chiodos reunion tour in our city, especially for Geoff because they’re his favorite band. The venue’s atmosphere that night was really positive because everyone was all hyped up so that was probably our biggest and most fun show to date. Q) What can we expect from you guys in 2013? Are there any major goals you hope to accomplish? A) In 2013, you can expect a lot from us, including a new release. We have been demoing a lot of new material lately but only the absolute best of the best will surface, so you’ll hear some of that for sure. We have a lot of goals, but the one that trumps them all is performing with Ke$ha so we have high hopes for that. INTERVIEW, PHOTOS & STORY: Heather Phillips
HOME: Orlando, Florida NOW jamming: I Like That - EP (Self-Released) CURRENTLY: Touring on the release of their new EP!
Three brothers. Heart melting harmonies. Catchy melodies. Playful lyrics. Any of
this ringing a bell? Although the brothers in Before You Exit haven’t quite reached the level of fame that the Jonas Brothers and Hanson did, they are well on their way to creating their own brotherly legacy. With charming personalities and dazzling smiles, Connor, Riley and Toby McDonough can easily captivate a crowd especially if that crowd is consisting of teenage girls who hang on their every word. With fans like this, it’s safe to say that this band will be sticking around for a while to prove they are more than a few pretty faces. The band started a few years ago with Connor playing by himself in a band and soon after Riley was thrown into the mix. In August of 2012, they thought it was time to bring the youngest McDonough,Toby, into the lineup. To fill their live shows with more sound than just acoustic guitars, the brothers are backed up by their hometown friends Thomas Silvers (drums) and Braiden Wood (guitar). Most bands wait years and years to be added onto a major tour lineup. For Before You Exit, it took no time at all. In Fall 0f 2010, Before You Exit joined All Time Low, A Rocket To The Moon and City Comma State on the My Small Package Tour. The band was the very first opening act and had only a short time to win the crowd over. They obviously made some kind of lasting impression because after the tour was over everyone knew their name . After the tour ended, Before You Exit released their debut EP entitled Letting Go. After having a very successful run on tour, this EP was a great way for the band to gain more fans and give already existing fans the music they had been waiting to hear. The EP is packed full with fun pop-rock tunes like “The Best Thing” that are highly reminiscent of Allstar Weekend, who they ended up touring with later on down the road. Two years since the release of Letting Go and Before You Exit has still to put out any more new music. What have the guys been doing during all that time? Well, the band has been touring and working on their newest EP set to be released this February. The single from this EP called “I Like That” was recently released and the response from fans has been nothing short of ecstatic. The song is just a tiny glimpse into what the rest of the EP will sound like. “It’s a little more like pop radio. It’s more what you’d hear in the Top 40, but there are some songs that are more us. There are some songs that are more acoustic driven, some ballads, and some upbeats. We’re really excited about every song. Each one kind of holds its own specialness,” said Connor.
“It was hard to pick a single because we had so many favorites,” chimed in Riley. Before You Exit felt free to explore their options while recording. They weren’t set on any one sound instead they wanted to try out many different sounds to keep things interesting. “I guess you could say it sounds like ‘I Like That’ or the new version of ‘End of the World’. Everything kind of has its own sound,” said Connor. “I think those songs are definitely a good example of what’s to come and I definitely think there will be some things you might not be expecting like there are certain things we’ve been wanting to do for a while,” commented Riley. An EP is usually only a few songs released by the band as a teaser for the full length album that will follow. Before You Exit have promised that this EP will be longer than most and well worth the wait. “It’s been so long so it’s really nerve racking. We’re really hoping everyone likes it,” said Riley. The band is really hoping to push the songs as far as they will go. Radio play is the ultimate goal for songs on the EP. Before You Exit just wants to be able to get the new music out to fans and show them what they’ve been working so tirelessly on. “We’ve been working on it for a good year and a half,” said Riley. “We wrote a bunch of songs and kind of narrowed it down to our favorites and picked the very best ones that we liked and put them on the album. We’re really excited to release it,” finished Connor. The band’s progress since their start can be seen throughout the progression of their songs. From their first EP to their new single, the talent from this group of guys has grown tremendously. “Riley’s vocals are killer on all the new music. He has really improved as a singer,” said Connor. “So have all of us….Connor…and Toby,” responded Riley. How sweet! The brotherly love in this band is very evident. Connor, Riley, and Toby get along so well you would think they are faking it. Each brother has his own job in the band. Riley takes the lyrics, Connor writes the vocal melodies and Toby contributes to both. Teamwork is the key ingredient to this brotherly concoction, as it should HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET -17
be with every band though we find that is not always the case. Most would find it hard to believe that three brothers so close in age could work together, tour for months at a time together and still get along perfectly well, but the McDonough brothers prove that it can be done. Even though the members of Before You Exit are not even out of their teen years, they have accomplished more than most bands out there. Tours with huge bands in the pop rock world have given Before You Exit a work ethic that Donald Trump would be jealous of. They have learned all the ins and outs of making a tour work properly while still having a good time. Isn’t that what it’s all about after all? “I’d say the biggest thing we’ve learned is work hard at what you do. Never give up. Sometimes you may get stuck somewhere or something goes wrong at the show and you start getting all down, but for us it’s always been push forward and just do the best you can do,” said Connor. “They definitely teach you how to be professional in situations like that. We had some technical difficulties the first night of tour, but because of watching them, it helped us be able to play through it,” said Riley. As many artists these days, Before You Exit is very active on social media especially YouTube. The band has posted countless videos of them covering modern pop songs like “What Makes You Beautiful” originally by One Direction and a mashup of Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me” and “Beauty and a Beat”. The covers have allowed Before You Exit to put their own spin on the widely popular songs, show the world their creative side and reach people they may have not normally been able to reach. Most of the covers are saturated in beautiful three
part harmonies and acoustic guitars. Most of their cover song videos have over a million views and are growing with each day. “We never expected to get such a great response. We love every single person who shares our video. It means the world to us when somebody posts it on their Facebook wall or Twitter…I never would have expected to be here like two years ago,” commented Connor. “It’s crazy too when you film it you’re not really thinking of like amount of people who actually see it. To see that number is very mind blowing. It’s awesome that so many people support us,” said Riley. Before You Exit is living proof that age is but a number. They have continually shown that they can be just as good and work just as hard as any band out there. Their musicianship and vocal abilities have only gotten stronger through the years. 2013 looks bright for Before You Exit. They expect to be on the road a lot and to continue working on a full length album for their fans. The band is currently on tour supporting Action Item. Be sure to grab tickets for a show near you and if you missed the chance to see them on this go round, be on the lookout for more tour dates. Buy their new single “I Like That” and the rest of the songs on the new release on iTunes. Do not pass this EP by. We are calling it now. This EP is going to bring great opportunities to Before You Exit and you can quote us on that!. STORY AND INTERVIEW: Jessica Klinner PHOTOS: Cara Bahniuk
YOUNGBLOOD HAWKE HOME: Los Angeles, CA NOW jamming: Youngblood Hawke - EP (Republic Records) CURRENTLY: Preparing for the relese of their first full-length record
While Youngblood Hawke may not be
a household name just yet, you’ve probably heard the song “We Come Running” blasting on the radio a time or two. The indie pop band hasn’t even released a full-length album or been a touring band for very long, but they have already managed to sign to Republic Records and have its first single place toward the top of the Billboard charts. Although the band is fairly new to the scene, vocalist Sam Martin and guitarist Simon Katz have been around the block a few times with their musical endeavors. Their love for music stems from as far back as they can remember, said vocalist Sam Martin. “I think we both grew up in households that were very fond of music. I was always around it growing up; it has always been a huge part of my life,” he said. Inspired by their upbringings, Martin and Katz began 20 - highlightmagazine.net
a college project titled Iglu & Hartly, where they signed to Mercury Records and toured heavily for three years. Vocalist Jarvis Anderson then decided to release his solo work, which resulted in the band going on an indefinite hiatus. Martin and Katz still weren’t satisfied with their musical accomplishments, however, and Youngblood Hawke was born. When Youngblood Hawke was made official, they recruited the talent of Nik Hughes, Alice Katz and Tasso Smith to try something a little different. Martin and Katz had the drive and determination to make music their career, and just wanted to find others who had the same aspirations. The overall construction of Youngblood Hawke was an easy choice for the band, said vocalist Martin. “Not only are they [Hughes, Katz, and Smith] our closest friends, but they’re also the most talented musicians I’ve ever been around. When were thinking of who we wanted to be in the band, they were our first choice. Simon and I
are so lucky that they believed in the songs and the project enough to drop everything they were doing in their lives to join this band. It meant the world to us,” Martin said. With a solid lineup and inspiration flowing through their veins, it was only a matter of time before they garnered their current fan base of 27,000 fans between Facebook and Twitter, and not surprisingly, a record deal. When Republic Records, which is a division of Universal Music Group, approached the band with a record deal, the band said its decision on joining the label was “very easy.” It wasn’t so much the major label backing them up, as it was the people behind the big-label name. “We instantly felt a great connection with everyone at Republic and we were all on the same page about what needed to be done to get our music out there in the right way. It just felt right,” said Martin. Even before the record deal was settled, the band only had touring on their mind. 2012 was filled with playing shows for Youngblood Hawke, but they wouldn’t have had it any other way. They took on the task of performing at South By South West (SXSW) early in the year, and described it as their favorite festival. According to the vocalist, you will definitely find your new favorite up and coming artist in the midst of the numerous showcases. “What I love most about SXSW is that you always have the opportunity to stumble on brand new bands before the rest of the world. It’s not just a festival for big acts. I saw Cage the Elephant a couple years ago play for 14 people; it was the best show I’ve ever seen in my life. No one knew of them. Now they’re huge,” said Martin. Touring has become the biggest part of any band’s success, but with Youngblood Hawke’s debut full-length being anxiously awaited on by fans, we couldn’t help but wonder what the bands studio time was like. We asked Martin if he preferred being out on the road to being in the studio, and he just couldn’t decide. “Touring is incredible. It’s the lifeline of any band. You get to see the world, meet new people, go on weird adventures and see places you’d never see otherwise. We also love writing songs in the studio. I guess we love them both; they go hand in hand. I don’t think we’d like to be stuck in a studio all the time, though. We like getting out there, playing shows for people,” he said. And the ‘highlight’ of Youngblood Hawke’s career? Not
surprisingly a tour, of course. The band went from playing small showcases at SXSW to playing sold out venues with Passion Pit, which was a staggering experience for the quintet. “Touring with Passion Pit has definitely been a highlight. They were amazing people, incredible musicians, and we had the time of our lives. Every night was a huge party. We made tons of new friends and fans and had an absolute blast doing it,” Martin said. Aside from the dedication to touring, the band also has another unexpected passion – conservation. And not just the conservation of the planet, but sharks, specifically. “For our ‘We Come Running’ video we went diving with 14-foot tiger sharks with no cages to raise awareness about these beautiful, intelligent creatures that are being slaughtered by the millions. They’re not the bloodthirsty killers Hollywood has made them out to be. If sharks go extinct, our oceans will never survive. Either will we. We wanted to send a serious message out there,” said Martin. Using their first music video as a way to project a larger message is something the band finds just as important as the music itself, and they hope the fans care as much as they do. “We care about the earth It’s crazy what’s happening to our planet. It’s dying right in front of our eyes.” said Martin. The excitement that comes from the members of Youngblood Hawke is nothing less than inspiring, and their career seems to be blossoming more with each radio play and booked tour date. Martin said the group has a full 2013 ahead of them, and they don’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. “Our main goal is to play as many shows as we can. We just finished our full-length album and we’re excited to get out there and play our new jams for people. We’ll be touring all year. Other than that we’ll be working on new songs and music videos. We never stop writing new songs,” Martin said. Frontman Martin couldn’t have summed up the band’s passion any better;“Making music is the one thing we’d like to do for the rest of our lives. It’s our passion, and it’s why we wake up in the morning. “ PHOTOS: Shaughn Crawford INTERVIEW: Ashley Osborn STORY: Anjel Lopez
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HOME: Vermillion, SD NOW jamming: Warrior - Single CURRENTLY: Touring and writing
A group of kids from a small town starting a band in high school sounds like your typical story of a suburban teenager, but Paradise Fears is anything but typical. Since their inception in South Dakota, they have grown to be anything but a small town band. With several big name tours under their belt, almost seven million views on Youtube and an ever-growing fan base, Paradise Fears is taking the industry by storm. Here at Highlight, we caught up with the Sam Miller and the band to learn about how they started, new music and what they hope their future holds.
When they got their start, it seemed like Paradise Fears was never going to work. But their mash up seems to work flawlessly. “We’re the American small town story – we all have known each other forever, and in high school we started hanging out, listening to the same kind of music and covering songs together,” Miller. “We had every high school stereotype; the kid from the debate team, the basketball player, the
tech guy, the older cooler kid, the younger rebellious kid and the badass that smoked cigarettes. I guess in that way, our band is kind of like the Breakfast Club, except playing music.” Now, starting as a band is hard enough but trying to make it in a small town is near impossible, and Paradise Fears definitely felt its affects on their success. “I mean, it hurt in the early going, because there weren’t many opportunities, there was no way to network and we could make all of the local noise we wanted, and no one industry wide would hear it, because they’re on the coasts,” said Miller. Even with their struggle, the band managed to stay positive. “It ultimately has become one of our biggest gifts, because we had to go out, travel and earn everything. And no one being interested means that by the time people started getting interested in our band, we had the know how to find the right people and the right deals, rather than getting locked into something unfavorable.”
By the looks of it, they haven’t quite found the right deal just yet. Paradise Fears has weighed the benefits and drawbacks to being independent, but they’re not totally ready to sign any contracts just yet. “The biggest positive [to being independent] is our freedom to release what we want when we want. It also is nice financially, but the problem is that there’s a ceiling to what we can do on our own – we don’t have the resources to make it to the next level without a partner, but we are committed to trying to learn how to do it on our own. Unless the perfect deal comes along, we’ll stay unsigned,” Miller said. Paradise Fears have had continuous momentum and they don’t have any plans of slowing down, especially since they’ve found the trick to staying current; content. They keep up with their fan base by “constantly and consistently releasing things that we’re super proud of, that are unique to us, and that people want to latch on to and share.” “We do covers, we do lifestyle videos… we just always want to be what people are talking about,” he said. People are definitely talking. Paradise Fears has had some major attention because of their covers (my personal favorite is their newest cover of ‘Same Love’ by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis) and while that was exactly their intention, they still acknowledge the support. “I think it was our desire to constantly be releasing new content that didn’t flood the market with original music. It also really lets people see your creative process when you’re trying to re-create something that’s already been created. And yes, the traffic from covering popular songs is nice, “ Miller commented. Paradise Fears may have mastered the art of cover songs, but they still stay fully invested in original music. The band recently finished recording for their upcoming full length and they’re excited to share it with the world; even if they aren’t completely sure when that will be. “We’ve got 14 songs recorded and in post-production now. We tried a couple of collaborations, but didn’t end up with many, but there’s still a few we’re working on,” he said. “The sound is very new and fresh for us – our newest song ‘Warrior’ gives kind of a taste. It’s very orchestral, very theatrical and much more creative for us. Instrument wise it uses all kinds of piano sounds, organs and strings which is wildly different for a band that got their start
doing pop punk. The songs will be released this year and hopefully soon, but so much is going on that’s constantly changing the plan, I can’t really commit to release dates.” As they mentioned, “Warrior” was released in early January. It’s the newest single for Paradise Fears and it features Brian Dales of The Summer Set,well sort of. “It’s actually not really a feature, the way that we consider a feature – he pretty much just sings the backing vocals, which he does on several songs on the record because his voice just fits mine well, but is a lot higher, so we could play with some different harmonies,” said Miller. “Brian and I write together quite a bit, and together we wrote four songs that we’ve done for our album. He actually didn’t write on ‘Warrior’ though – just sings the backing vocals.” They also already have their sights set on other collaborations for the future. “I want to collaborate with a rapper – Drake, Childish Gambino,something like that would be amazing,” he said. Like most bands, Paradise Fears has had their fair share of touring. They’ve hit the road with bands like; All Time Low, Forever The Sickest Kids and Go Radio just to name a few. When the band was asked about the ‘highlight’ of their career, the headlining ‘mini’-tour they embarked on in June was the only thing on their mind. “The ticket sales were incredible, the shows were wild and playing them was like, overwhelmingly cool.” Paradise Fears is progressing non-stop and they just keep gaining speed. They hope to have some free time in a few years, but until then they will dedicate all their time to the band and hope to make an impact on the industry. “I never felt extraordinary at the start of this and I didn’t think we did anything exceptionally, well other than just wanting it more than everyone else. And I want to prove that you don’t have to be born into some incredibly unique talent or some look. Just want it, and be willing to work for it and the rest will come,” Miller said. This year has a ton in store for Paradise Fears as well, “New music, new tours, new everything. and then we’ll kind of see where that takes us.” We can’t wait to see where Paradise Fears is headed, but theirs is a wave you want to catch. PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Anjel Lopez STORY: Jen Boylen
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HOME: Dallas, TX NOW jamming: The Fallout - Full-Length (Rise Records) CURRENTLY: On tour!
The hardcore genre can seem
overwhelmingly saturated sometimes, with new bands popping in and out of the spotlight constantly. A certain kind of determination and talent is what it takes to stay relevant in such an enormous genre, and Highlight had the chance to speak to newcomers Crown The Empire, who generate the spark to be successful (plus some) in today’s hardcore scene. Crown The Empire seemed to emerge out of nowhere. After a few lineup changes and additions the band finally figured out who they wanted to be as musicians, and were determined to make it in today’s scene. Vocalist Andy Velasquez emphasized that the main element they wanted in Crown The Empire was the passion to make music a career, and the right talent to do so. While most of the guys grew up together, they went as far as using the Internet to make sure they had exactly the right crew for the ride. “The band was started when a couple of us met in high school. We got together and played small shows around the area, started getting exposure, and actually found Ben [Vogelman] and [Brent] Taddie through YouTube covers and stuff like that,” said Velasquez. “We wanted solid members of the band and couldn’t find people in the area that were dedicated and wanted to do this for a living, so we found them and brought them in. We started living together for a little bit, started touring over the summer, and this is our first full year together.” When it came to deciding on what kind of sound the band wanted, nothing was forced. They had an idea of what genre they fit into, but when it comes to writing the music, there are no rules. Drummer Ben Vogelman told us that Panic! At The Disco has been a big influence on him personally, while Linkin Park is a band they all pull inspiration from. “We started to pull in different directions with different songs, but there’s usually something on the first record that appeals to everybody in some way, whether it’s beautiful lyrics, big heavy parts or the catchy choruses,” said Velasquez. While most of the band’s roots are from the buzzing Dallas, Texas scene Vogelman and Taddie were recruited from places as far as Washington and Pennsylvania. Not the entire Dallas scene treated the band unfairly, though. The newest addition to the band, screaming vocalist Dave Escamilla was “brought in from the local scene.” “He was the only dude that was going above and beyond, and it has worked out really well,” said Taddie.
With Dallas being such a broad market, Crown The Empire felt the struggle of trying to rise above being the typical Texas “festival band.” The guys had experience playing big Texas festivals like Never Say Never and South By So What, but were starting to feel the hesitance of other bands wanting to team up with them for tour due to their lack of touring experience. However, once the band overcame the stigma that came with their involvement in the local scene, everything started to fall into place and their career took off. “Outerloop [Management] was first, so when we started booking on tours, The Agency Group heard our name a lot and realized we were on Outerloop and contacted us. Then the EP release came out and went to No. 8 on iTunes the first day, and that’s when the labels started hitting us up. Rise Records was the label that gave us the means for what we wanted to do, and they weren’t going to try to change us. They were super excited about working with us and everything, so it all worked out. That was kind of how we signed into our team,” Taddie said. Once Rise Records took Crown The Empire on, it was time to record their first full-length. After months of intense writing, sharing iPhone voice memos on their melody ideas and listening to various genres of music for inspiration, their end of 2012 debut The Fallout was born. The album has a fittingly apocalyptic theme to it, all while encompassing an intense love story. “It’s [the album] a love story that coincides with the end of the world, and it’s just kind of paradox to see what’s really important there. I mean, The Fallout is the actual end of the world, ya’know with ‘Oh, Catastrophe’ building up to it, ‘The Fallout’ happens, and then ‘Memories Of A Broken Heart’ is just a refection on this catastrophe that just happened,” said Taddie. “ Then you start into the rebuilding and you get into this love story that’s going on within the whole album, and ‘The One You Feed’ is straight about perseverance and going through these hard times; the same with ‘Menace,’ they kind of go together. Then ‘Evidence’ is just getting the confidence back, and by the end, it ends hard with ‘Children Of Love’ and ‘Graveyard Souls.’ So yeah, it’s just kind of like the soundtrack to the end of the world.” The full-length was released, and the band has had nothing but good things happening ever since. “Everything that came with the album release was just awesome,” said Vogelman. While the band is still learning to cope with the tough life of traveling and living on the road, they realize the good outweighs the bad substantially in their case. Vogelman, Taddie and Velasquez all unanimously agreed that playing their first shows over in the UK has been the HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 27
definite ‘highlight’ in their short but strong time in Crown The Empire. “Just going over to the UK for the first time and having such a big crowd sing all these lyrics right back to us was insane. We were just about to release The Fallout and we’re questioning like, ‘How’s this record gonna do?’ We put so much into it, and Rise was really excited about it and we didn’t want to let them or our team down. The response was unbelievable and the fans were just super supportive, asking for tons of autographs, and that’s just when we kind of knew...maybe this was the time that all our work paid off,” said Taddie. The band’s hard work and dedication to their craft has more than paid off, and the band said that they owe it all to social media and today’s technology-based music industry. The band self-released their first EP, and instead of taking out ads on websites or paying for commercials, the band did what any current band would do; they made a Facebook and Twitter account. Guitarist Brandon Hoover is the band’s social media guru, and he spends eight to ten hours a day interacting with fans via social media. “They don’t see themselves as fans, they see themselves as friends. And we’re never dicks with our fans, and this is the first tour that we’ve had issues trying to meet everyone at once because it’s the biggest tour we’ve been on so far. We never had an issue just trying to hang out by the merch table and meeting everybody, but now they have to make lines and security bitches at us. But we try to keep it a consistent thing when we can,” Velasquez said. The love and devotion Crown The Empire has for their fans can be seen just by spending a few minutes
speaking with them about their tour experiences, and their affection toward their fans has only gotten stronger while on the Take Action Tour, which is being headlined by The Used. The tour is a charity event benefiting the It Gets Better Project, which is a non-profit organization against bullying, specifically in the LGBT community. The guys in Crown The Empire recognize that their fan base may not necessarily be comprised of the typical “popular kids,” and that their fans just want ways to express themselves through listening to their music and music within their genre. Guitarist Vogelman even admits that he was bullied in high school, and that is one of the reasons he supports the cause and has become even more aware of its seriousness since joining the tour. “Just to give them [fans] a way to express and be themselves without being ridiculed by other people is big for us,”said Taddie. Crown The Empire’s allegiance to their craft and strong fan base are just two major factors to their fast-paced success, but absolutely not the only ones. The band’s capability to thrive outside of their massive Texas scene has been admirable, and with the rate of their success we don’t see a halt in their career anytime soon. Their ability to merge varying tastes in music, backgrounds and personalities to create a cohesive sound in what can be a generic genre is big, and the start of 2013 is the perfect chance for Crown The Empire to take the hardcore genre by storm. INTERVIEW AND STORY: Anjel Lopez PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn
o t y a w a s n a f e iv g o t t s “Ju s e v l e s m e h t e b d n a s s expre y b d e l u ic id r g in e b t u o h it w .� s u r o f ig b is e l p o e p other
HOME: Essex, England NOW jamming: Troublemaker ft. Flo Rida - Single (Columbia Records now Epic) CURRENTLY: Preparing for tours in 2013 and the US release of his full length album Right Place Right Time on April 16th
If you’ve listened to Top 40 radio
lately you’ve no doubt heard Olly Murs. With hits such as “Heart Skips A Beat” and “Troublemaker” the English singer-songwriter has started making a name for himself in the United States and he’s ready to show American fans everything he’s got. While Olly Murs may be a new name for many Americans he’s a very familiar face in the United Kingdom. The past three years have been a wild ride for him. Since getting his start as the runner-up on The X Factor in 2009, Murs has been taking over the UK charts with hit singles. Highlight recently got the chance to speak with Murs and ask him about how he got his start, his X Factor experience and what he has planned for 2013. With Murs natural talent and phenomenal stage presence it’s hard to believe that he didn’t always see himself with a future in music. He cites Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars and Michael Buble as artists he admires and respects currently while James Brown and Stevie Wonder are the idols he had while growing up. “I have always loved music but never really believed it would be a realistic career option,” he said. “I wanted to be a footballer and played semi-pro, and had a knee injury that meant I couldn’t play anymore. So I started doing karaoke down at the pub - that’s how it really started for me. People started to come down every Sunday to watch me, and then I saw an advert on the TV for XF auditions and just went for it.” After he decided to try to make it onto The X Factor he applied three times and made it through on the third try and according to Murs it was an amazing experience. It’s not often that someone simply goes from barely any singing experience to trying out for a singing competition in front of 2,000 people, but Murs said that he knew music was what he wanted to do and he saw this as a huge opportunity. “I wanted to change my life basically and had nothing to lose. I didn’t want to just carry on in my job working in a call center. I packed up and went traveling to Australia to assess what I wanted to do and decided it was music. The XF was a great opportunity for a normal bloke like me to put themselves in front of a music industry panel,” said Murs. Murs X Factor experience included working with Simon Cowell as his mentor who he said was brilliant. “He saw something in me and believed in me,” Murs said. Murs said the highlight of his X factor experience was doing the “Twist and Shout” and that it was his favorite performance. Since 2009 Murs has gone back to appear on The X
Factor, as an artist, three times and done TV presenting on the spin off show “Xtra Factor.” “Also coming back to the XF as an artist was an amazing experience, a highlight was performing with The Muppets in 2011 for a single “Dance with Me Tonight,” said Murs. Murs latest US single “Troublemaker” features rapper Flo Rida which has no doubt contributed to its success. “I had already written a song with Claude Kelly and Steve Robson and had a vocal middle eight that I wasn’t sure about. I wanted to get a rapper on it to give it that extra ten percent. Flo Rida loved the song and did his thing and I loved what he did with his rap. It just turned the song into a hit record for me and I was really happy with it,” he said. With his rising success in the United States Murs has felt welcomed, but knows it’s a bit more difficult to make it here. “The fans in the US have been brilliant. The United States is a huge country though so I understand it takes a lot longer,” said Murs. “I’m realistic but so far so good. I’d love for Troublemaker to be a success here and to keep coming back.” America, Britain or anywhere in the world, Murs appreciates and loves interacting with his fans. “I think I always have a connection with my fan base because I’m genuinely grateful for them supporting me. I spend time with my fans and love meeting them and speaking to them on my social sites,”said Murs. It has been announced Murs will be making an appearance on The CW’s 90210 in April performing two songs and doing some acting as himself in the show, but he probably won’t be doing more acting in the near future. “Acting is something that I would love to try, but to be honest I’m so busy with my music and I always want that to be my focus,”he said. His acting debut isn’t the only big news that’s been announced lately, Murs was announced as a nominee for two 2013 BRIT Awards for “Best British Single” and “Best Male Solo Artist.” After being nominated for “Best British Single” in both 2011 and 2012 he’s still not used to it. “It absolutely still shocks me. There are some amazing artists I’m competing with. Just to be nominated though is brilliant as it means the industry have recognised what I’ve achieved in the UK over the last 3 years,” Murs said. Murs has a lot planned for this year including a UK arena tour, supporting Robbie Williams on his stadium tour across Eurpoe and coming back to tour in the States. “I’m hoping to come back quite a lot this year though so hopefully will see you then.” 2013 definitely looks like another year full of hard work and more success in America for Olly Murs. “My goal this year is to work as hard as I can internationally, and give the States my best shot.” PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Anjel Lopez STORY: Morgan Waldorf
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HOME: Troy, OH NOW jamming: At Heart - Full-Length (Rise Records) CURRENTLY: Preparing to play Australia and then heading to the UK & Europe
When you think of Miss May I,
inspiring, metal and young immediately come to mind. Four years ago the metal quintet signed to Rise Records even before graduating high school. Taking some time to write and record an album, Miss May I graduated high school and immediately hit the road. Now four years later Miss May I is on the top of the world, gracing the cover of AP magazine, headlining warped tour and releasing the bands fourth full length record in just six years. With a work ethic and drive like that it is no mystery why Miss May I has taken the industry by storm. Recently we were able to catch up with the band at the Chicago date of the AP Tour, sitting down to discuss this incredible success with vocalist Levi Benton. “We’re one of the only bands our age really doing this stuff and want metal to get recognition, so we tried to do all live instruments,” said Benton. A much more pure, and powerful record than the three previous, Miss May I really honed in on what they wanted from At Heart. The purity and passion, however, does not die when leaving the studio, the live show is as important if not more so to the Ohio natives. “Our biggest thing is that we always try to be better live than we are on CD,” said Benton. “We try to be as good live as possible”. It appears that this mentality has yet to lead the band astray; “ It’s the best reception we’ve had of all our records, best selling,” said Benton. “And the crowds are insane for it.” At Heart, with only a few months of touring to promote the record, has brought the band more success and more support than ever before.There’s more to Miss May I than just an unwavering determination to be the best they can be. Unlike other metal bands, Miss May I strives to go beyond and inspire their fans. “When I write I’m not trying to write about dragons and castles and stuff,” said Benton. “We always try to have inspirational lyrics”. For Benton the most ispiring song off of At Heart would be “Opening Wounds” which proves the point that he is not writing about mythical creatures and the like. Now as any passionate is dying to know, how does a band like Miss May I come together in high school and achieve such monumental success so quickly? “We never played for anyone, just for ourselves… it was just something to do at night,” said Benton. Rather than making the mistake so many bands do,
jumping on shows before they’re ready, killing what limited potential they may have in the process. Instead Miss May I embodied what ever band or every musician dreams of; a passion so pure that playing together in a friends basement was enough. As Benton continued the story of Miss May I’s origins he said “we finally started to write our own music and play some shows, and then through high school we just got to be one of the big Ohio Bands.” stating it as if he was still a high school student too in shock to process what had become. Four Years ago Rise Records took a chance on these Ohio based seniors and have since been blessed with nothing but success. “We talked to some labels and they were the coolest ones about us graduating high school,” said Benton. “A lot of the labels just wanted us to start touring right away, but Rise was like ‘You guys just finish the record, graduate, then come back and tour.’” It is readily apparent Rise Records had the right idea about Miss May I from the start. Treating them more like family than a commodity to be exploited, Miss May I has been able to feel comfortable and prosper the way they want to, never being forced onto the labels time table. “We grew up with them basically,” said Benton as we continued to discuss the role of Rise Records development. For a band that’s been in the scene for as long as Miss May I, a lot has changed in the industry. Physical record sales continue to plummet, downloads rule everything and the development of technology has become the focal point of most musical genres. As a metal band attempting to stay pure to their musical talents and create an even more impressive live show, Miss May I forgoe many of the short cuts their peers rely on. “I see a lot of bands that want backtracking and a lot of fake stuff live,” said Benton “That’s one thing that really bums me out.” Levi then went on to clarify “I Love Dubstep… it’s just not our band there are bands we’ve seen fake guitar parts that they aren’t even playing.” Just cracking the surface of their twenties, Miss May I has seen more than most twenty-somethings ever dream of. Living in the back of a van or a bus travelling from city to city every night playing for thousands of fans. These young men are living the dream most will never scratch the surface of. As with every dream though there are those pinnacle moments, the sold out crowd, the platinum selling record that tells you that you made it. Miss May I is no exception to this rule.
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As for the the “highlight” of Benton and the bands career he would consider being the direct support for Parway Drive in Australia tour was that one moment. According to him the opportunity was just a fluke. Granted with the opportunity of a lifetime when a band dropped off the tour Miss May I jumped at the chance to tour Australia with metal powerhouse Parkway Drive. To top it all off the tour was not the traditional club tour the band was used to, they were now playing arenas, “I actually felt like a rock star,” said Benton. So what’s next for a group of twenty year old guys who are already on top of the world? What more could the band want? Well, to no surprise Miss May I has a long list of dreams still waiting to be accomplished. “I really want to do Mayhem,” said Benton “We just want to transfer over into the metal world.” As a metal band which has been bundeld into the post hardcore and hardcore music scene since close to their inception, it is no mystery why Miss May I wants to play Mayhem. Searching for the approval as well as the commradery with the musicians that have inspired them, and influenced them since the bands early days. Mayhem Festival is the pinnacle of approval and respect among the metal music scene. With the 2012 Mayhem festival featuring the likes of Motorhead, Slayer, Slipknot, Anthrax and As I Lay Dying, Mayhem Festival features both the pinnacle of new and old metal bands. Miss May I is not just sitting around waiting for the offer to play Mayhem Festival. With the release of At Heart in May of 2012, Miss May I has already begun the preliminary work on a new material. “We’re working on some new songs right now,” said Benton. With no immediate plans to record, Miss May I is taking the process naturally, recording the songs here and there intending on letting the next record develop on its own. To top it all off Miss May I is taking At Heart to the world stage. “We’re doing a lot more world touring,” said Benton. “We’re going to be playing a lot of places we’ve never been and we’re excited about that.” Most guys play in five or ten different bands before they ever even think about being signed or touring the world. Many more never even see the light of day when they finally do tour, or break up before they really even get a chance. Miss May I is one of the lucky few, coming to the world stage before the age of 25. Now touring the world with nearly the same lineup the band had when they were playing cover tunes in basements, Miss May I has kept positivity, family and passion at the forefront of every song, every record and it has brought them nothing but success. Regardless of what comes next for these Ohio based Metalheads, nothing will hold them down for long. PHOTOS: Ashley Osborn INTERVIEW: Anjel Lopez STORY: Will Howard
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HOME: Atlanta, GA / Los Angeles, CA NOW jamming: Black Diamonds - EP (Velocity/Rise Records) CURRENTLY: On tour with Silverstein, the Pierce The Veil and then A Day To Remember
Since Issues’ launch in late 2012, their Facebook page has gained over 82,000 likes and that’s something that cannot be ignored. Issues is the name on everyone’s mind, and there’s a reason for it. Everyone has issues, and Issues is the band that wants to embrace it. They want to make an impact.
Highlight had the pleasure of spending some time with Tyler Carter (clean vocals) to speak about Issues’ struggles, music, life and what he wants to bring to this industry. Issues, in and of itself, is an inspiring story and what they strive for as a band as well as individuals is even more of one. While 2012 was the year for Issues, Carter views it as just the beginning. “Well, 2012 was barely a year for us, [Issues] debuted at the end of the year. 2013, however, is a climb we are ready to make,” he said. And I know I, along with thousands of other people, are stoked to be along for the ride. Though Issues’ start as a band is only recent, the members have quite a history. Currently the members include clean vocalist Tyler Carter, unclean vocalist Michael Bohn, AJ Rebollo on guitar, Tyler “Scout” Acord on keyboards and synthesizer, drummer Case Snedecor and, newest member and bass player, Skyler Acord. Even with a few line up changes, Carter and Bohn have both been in a band together before. They are both former members of the band Woe, Is Me and have stuck together to create Issues. Although they both left Woe, Is Me independently, they have reassembled musically. They wanted to play music together again; they wanted to feel like they have the freedom to be musicians again and express themselves, so Issues was born. “I missed playing heavy music and Michael hated being in the band that I had recently quit. So we reunited, and gave back to our fans,” Carter said. Issues has had quite the rapid uprising. The band emerged, toured and released an EP all in a matter of months. Not to mention, they were signed to Velocity Records, a subsidiary of Rise Records, almost immediately. Most people would find that unfathomable, but Issues sort of expected everything to happen exactly the way it has. “We have a fan base that has been following my career and Michael’s path for some time now,” he said. Before even releasing music, Issues was on the road touring. “Fans needed to see us. We didn’t want to wait.” That being said, they still appreciate every bit of attention they have gotten. “We thought the music was catchy and would catch on for sure, but we are definitely humbled at what a rapid growth this has become,” said Carter.
Regardless of all the positive feedback, like any new act, Issues has had it’s fair share of negativity but Carter doesn’t let that get in his head. “You typically just don’t even see it. We get flooded with so much love and support that we rarely notice any negativity. The Internet isn’t real life, but our impact is. So that’s what we see and feel. We use it as fuel and relief,” he said. Where there is a band, there is music. For Issues, the inspiration for that music comes from a wide variety of places. Relatively they have a hardcore sound, but it is all wrapped up within Carter’s R&B style, Scout’s DJ edge and Bohn’s aggressive vocals. On top of that, their lyrics have touched on so many different things. “Lyrics come from our fans and their stories. Some of them come from our past and subconscious thoughts,” Carter said. From rants about the industry, relationship ups and downs, abuse and sex, they cover every facet of relationships and life in general. Fans have also been the inspiration behind many things within Issues. Including the title of their debut EP, Black Diamonds. “You’ve heard the term ‘Diamonds in the rough’, but us and our fans we have bigger hearts and bigger problems. So I like to think of it as Black Diamonds in the rough. You can always take your own metaphor from that and apply it to your own life,” Carter said. As a band, they want to be there for every single one of their fans. Issues has created quite the community off of Black Diamonds and they don’t take that lightly. “We embrace it daily, and we obviously really wanted to make an iconic impact but it’s actually really surprising some of the movements we have been making. We are so blessed,” Carter said. Issues knows music is powerful and they hope to help people who are going through a hard time via their own. If Carter could be there for every one of their fans who is struggling with something, he would. “Plug us in. We are here for you. Every person has a song. We might not have written yours yet. But we will,” said Carter. Carter has had his fair share of conflicts in this industry regarding his life, personality, musical choices and style. HIGHLIGHTMAGAZINE.NET - 39
“My biggest struggle was probably just being who I am and worrying about rejection from this industry,” he said.
motivational compositions of the decade in our eyes, said Carter.
Even Issues embraces their battles and though they see them as a focal point in their career, they wouldn’t have it any other way.
The members of Issues may have side projects and other endeavors but music is all they need. “It gets tough at times, but I love staying busy and working hard. Keeps me occupied. Besides the typical pastimes of a musician like ‘going to strip clubs, casinos and signing lady lumps,” he said.
“The highlight of our career has been the struggle, starting from nothing and going from meeting two kids a night to meeting over 100. What is the most touching is hearing our fans stories and hearing how we’ve changed their lives. That’s something I will never be able to fathom. It’s just an incredible feeling,” he said. According to Carter the key motivational factor in his career was “realism.” By definition, realism is the ‘interest or concern for the actual or real.’ It is, more or less, bringing a sense of authenticity to the table and anyone who has followed Issues thus far, or Carter for that matter, can vouch for his devotion to this idea and it’s an absolutely respectable form of thinking. Carter and Issues recently spoke out about their support of the LGBT community. “[It’s] something we should’ve been more verbal about for some time now.” He also mentioned that other musicians have influenced him to speak out. “Macklemore inspired us to speak out. His song ‘Same Love’ is probably one of the most
“There’s never a moment away from music. I breathe music. Myself and Scout are always writing and making pop songs for pitching, we are all musicians inside and out and that’s all we know.” 2013 is definitely going to be a big year for Issues but they have kept pretty quiet about what is to come. Carter hinted at full length plans, “We can’t speak about it yet. SHH” he said. As for what’s in store for this year, we all just have to wait and see. Even with the mystery surrounding the future for Issues, I can tell you it’s definitely going to be a bright one. New Music? Hopefully. Touring? Absolutely. Community and acceptance? No doubt about it. Issues may be fairly new but they are definitely making an impact and it should not go unnoticed. PHOTOS: Tarina Doolittle STORY AND INTERVIEW: Jennifer Boylen
“There’s never a moment awa y from music. I breathe music.”
ellie goulding
WHERE: Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL PHOTOs: Ashley Osborn
WHERE: Fubar, St. Louis, MO PHOTOs: Ashley Osborn
goldhouse
review: Haley Black
artist:
Tegan and Sara album:
Heartthrob rating:
sounds like: Metric The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Stars
recommended tracks:
“I Was A Fool” “I Couldn’t Be Your Friend” “Closer”
tracklisting: 1 2 3 4 5
Closer Goodbye, Goodbye I Was A Fool I’m Not Your Hero Drove Me Wild
6 How Come You Don’t Want Me
I Couldn’t Be Your Friend 8 Love They Say 9 Now I’m All Messed Up 10 Shock To Your System 11 Guilty As Charged (Bonus) 12 I Run Empty (Bonus) 7
release date:
January 29th
website:
www.teganandsara.com
The twin sister act, Tegan and Sara are proving that 2013 will be an exciting year for music. Their latest release, Heartthrob, is a mixture of intense love ballads, electronic dance beats and synthesizers. The heavy use of synth works to their advantage, and the autotune is not so much in the forefront that it distracts from their natural voices. It definitely wasn’t necessary, but it makes for sharper sounding record. The album is more modern and is significantly different from their previous quirky sounding indie style. Even the more emotional songs are dancey and upbeat, such as the power ballad “Now I’m All Messed Up.” While somber, it reflects the mood of the whole album, and the passion in the song can clearly be recognized. It is hands down the most powerful song lyrically and instrumentally, and the grief can be heard in the girl’s voices. “How Come You Don’t Want Me” and “Goodbye, Goodbye” are infused with a lot of pop-synth and resemble songs off of an 80’s movie soundtrack. They are simply fun tracks to listen to, but do not have the same caliber as some of the more notable songs on the record such as “I Couldn’t Be Your Friend” and the single, “Closer.” The album title, Heartthrob, successfully captures the element of the record in its entirety. Love, heartbreak and relationships are the most common topics in music, and all ten songs go with that theme. Tegan and Sara stepped outside of their comfort zones and through experimenting with different sounds created a vibrant and upbeat collection of music. Even though not every song stands out quite like “Now I’m All Messed Up,” Heartthrob is undeniably an exceptional record.
Artist: Continents Album: Idle Hands
Victory Records is the label known for launching the careers of bands like Bayside, Taking Back Sunday and Atreyu. However, in the last few years the label has been making some serious moves signing a distribution deal with up and coming label We Are Triumphant, and expanding its roster significantly. Welsh hardcore outfit, Continents are more than just the labels newest addition. With the bands debut full length entitled Idle Hands, the band begins its worldwide takeover with the help of Victory Records. With a signature sound which mixes both metal and hardcore influences in a unique yet comfortingly familiar way, Continents rips harder than anything to come off of Victory Records in the last five years. The 12-track debut record is nothing short of a throat tearing, jaw wrenchingand powerfully killer record. Idle Hands leave nothing to be wanted.
recommended tracks: “Idle Hands” & “Pegasus, Pegasus” review: Will Howard
Artist: Local Natives Album: Hummingbird
I know very few people who weren’t anticipating the release of this record for months. Local Natives seems to be a name on everyone’s lips, including mine, and Hummingbird proves exactly why. “Breakers” is the first single off this record and it has become infectious,but the other ten songs are absolute gems. With a mellow, indie vibe for the most part, you can’t help but fall in love with each and every track. Hummingbird is a record I never want to turn off; whether it’s on a rainy day inside, a long sunny drive with the windows down or just jamming out on your ipod, This whole album has an airy, genuine feeling that is translated through every strum of the guitar or note sung in three part harmony. If I‘m being completely honest; I had to play Hummingbird more than once to actually decide on a favorite and while I’ve come to the conclusion I can’t whole-heartedly choose just a few, the best tracks depend how your feeling. “Woolly Mammoth” and “Black Balloons” follows the same sort of influence as “Breakers” if that’s your muse, while songs like “Black Spots” and “Three Months” are much more chilled out and emotion provoking. Then there are songs like “Ceilings” that is sort of a happy medium between the two. 2013 may have just begun, but Hummingbird might be one of my favorites of the year already and Local Natives are definitely ones to keep your eye on.
recommended tracks: “Ceilings” & “Three Months” review: Jennifer Boylen Artist: Polyenso Album: One Big Particular Loop
When Oceana announced they would be changing its name to Polyenso and releasing a new record, excitement ensued. The name change marked a change in both sound and style. One Big Particular Loop is the band’s first record in nearly four years, a possibility many have long since left behind. Now unsigned, the newly named Polyenso successfully released this debut record under its new moniker through bandcamp where they gained the support of the passionate community of fans who have backed Oceana in the past. One Big Particular Loop is a thirteen track record, which embodies a life that Oceana records were never able to capture. Incorporating big machinery samples in combination with incredibly beautiful light textures the record is impressive and unique. Foregoing its heavy metal and rock influences the album is light, beautiful and contemplative. Writing in a similar fashion as Oceana the lyrics are deeply personal, contemplative and powerful. If you were a fan of Oceana this record will surprise you, but it is well worth the listen.
recommended tracks: “Dog Radio” & “Danger Signs” review: Will Howard
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