Refueled Issue 5 by Refueled

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feels like a road movie. issue five. REFUELEDMAGAZINE.COM

Photograph by Cari Wayman

refueled

Chris Brown

Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director

Gustav schmiege Senior Photographer

jamie watson

Features Editor-at-Large

cari wayman

Style Editor-at-Large

Contributing editor Joshua Black Wilkins

contributing photographers

Robert Rausch, Cicero DeGuzman Jr., Jay Watson, Joshua Black Wilkins, Cari Wayman

art direction + design Chris Brown

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CONTENTS. Jay Watson 09. Bill Douglas 20. Jay Carroll 34. Alabama Chanin 48. Cicero DeGuzman Jr. 66. Blacl Owls 74. Joshua Black Wilkins 88. Copyright © 2010 by Refueled Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Refueled® is a registered trademark of Refueled Inc. Produced in the U.S.A.

Cover Photo by Gustav Schmiege

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from the editor

During the last six months, a lot of things changed my life - and in turn, changed the direction of Refueled. While pulling together concepts, ideas and contributors, the whole process starting taking on this road movie vibe. I then, along with Refueled senior photographer Gustav Schmiege & Refueled Films director of photography Lan Freedman hit the road to explore, collaborate and capture what eventually became this fifth issue. We hit the main highways, got off on as many back roads as possible, tripped out in the desert and were in awe of the places and people that surrounded us. Meeting with people who read the magazine and hearing their take on what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing was a great source of inspiration that struck a deep cord in me. In simply embracing my true, original vision for the magazine, I was giving people what they told me was what they were looking for - style, music & life - with an edge. Peace & Love. - Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director Chris Brown

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Photograph by Gustav Schmiege

sanjosehotel.com

FREDDY CORBIN Oakland tattoo artist. Shot for Inked Magazine.

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LIFESTYLE

INTERVIEW BY JAMIE WATSON

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAY WATSON

California photographer Jay Watson specializes in lifestyle and environmental portraits of people on location. His work involves shooting for editorial, advertising, clothing, music, entertainment, industrial, and corporate clients. Elemental Magazine once wrote “he shoots the crazy shit,” and an early issue of Garage Magazine said “Jay came to California to raise free range artichokes.” Some of these things are true. You were raised in Baltimore, Maryland. What did you bring to California’s table?

What was the first thing you photographed when you arrived to California in 1999?

I brought a plastic toy camera, a humidor filled with some cigars, 6 bungee cords, an Alpine car stereo, and a Biz Markie CD. It was all stolen the first week I moved to the Bay Area along with some other stuff. I guess it was a toll I had to pay, but nobody told me about it before I got here. They let me keep my Baltimore accent and blue collar work ethic. I'll never shake those things. In reality I came with a desire to just find my own way, but now I feel the ability to contribute. I have so much respect for this place and the weight of it is heavy. I hope someday California will say that I rose to the occasion.

The "Welcome to California" sign. I pulled over right after the border inspectors check incoming vehicles carrying fruit and vegetables. I shot the sign with a Polaroid Land camera. Then I got distracted in Joshua Tree and stayed there an extra day to shoot and drink up the California desert. I also hit the Dinosaurs at Cabazon with the toy camera.

{Above} Self Portraits

JAY WATSON

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What is your dream job? What was your dream job 10 years ago? 10 years ago my dream assignments were to shoot photo essays for mags like The Fader, YRB, The Face. Now my dream job would be to pitch my own ideas and shoot multi media pieces for both online and print publications. I love shooting assignment work but I want my future to include collaborating, producing my own content, and licensing the usage. Do you have a dream piece of equipment? Na. I don't really dream about equipment. I make due. Where do you want to surf that you?ve never been? Pavones in Costa Rica. I would love to ride what is considered to be one of the world's longest lefts. I also don't feel like I am a true California surfer yet since I have not made a trip to Baja Mexico. That needs to happen first. Where do you want to photograph that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never been? I am sure there are amazing places to shoot 3 hours from my house that I have not been to yet, but I would like to shoot in Africa, Alaska and Japan. Who do you want to photograph? Right now I want to keep paying homage to the people who shaped the California culture that I idolized growing up. This includes a list of some pro skaters from the 80s, but I also want to include some of the early mountain bike builders, BMX freestyle riders, and surfers. I'd also like to get some of the up and coming groms who are changing things now. The list is too long, not to mention things I want to do outside of my portrait work.

{Above}

SINNERS & JAMMERS

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ALEX GAMBINO Garage Magazine.

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COVERED: UNTITLED 01 Santa Cruz, CA

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What was your favorite photo assignment in college?

Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve mentioned that skate parks tend to be friendlier than surf breaks. Can you explain a little?

The best assignments were from specific themes or when we were allowed to shoot our own concepts. The UMBC photography instructors were very conceptual so the student work was either more personal, political, or social compared to commercial work. It was never about shooting a speci?c person with a certain type of light. We certainly needed more of those skills, but I really liked working conceptually. Anyone can learn technique but not everyone studies conceptualism so it really forces you to think about ideas. It also has a double edged sword. The root of post-modern theory is that there are no more original ideas. That really messed with my head. It only took a decade for me to get over it. What were the most important things you learned on set as a photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant? The most important thing I learned was lighting. This included anything from lighting a person at a steel mill, model in the studio, or a plate of food in a restaurant. Assisting was my grad school. I saw photographers gain and lose jobs for reasons that were never explained over details that had nothing to do with photography. Like available drinks, studio location, choice of assistant, crew, and catering. If the client likes the images but hates the studio or food, I might not get rehired. Needless to say, another thing I learned was how to keep my mouth shut. On Wednesday evenings you go to Lake Cunningham skate park. You skate with guys that you used to read about in magazines as a teenager. What has this been like for you? It is like getting to shoot lay ups with Patrick Ewing. You can't hang on the field with pros in any other sport except skating. It was kind of intimidating at first. Lake Cunningham is one of biggest parks in the state so it took a while to get used to riding the really big stuff. Those guys are at a different level but we are all there to have fun and enjoy the camaraderie. We skate until 10 at night under the lights with vintage punk music playing over the PA system. It is as much fun riding now as it was 20 years ago. It pays the bills here (first to chest).

I met more people skating after 6 months than I had surfng in California for 5 years. The Wed night sessions at Lake Cunningham might be more special than other places. Someone said Caballero really helped bring the good vibe to that park. Cab has been a pro since 1979 and has invented as many tricks as anyone, but he is the first one to congratulate anyone who makes a new first trick no matter how difficult or easy it may seem. The Pacifica guys are similar. We are all cheering for each other. The water is just so much more crowded. I think there are 10 times more surfers than skatepark riders. Everyone is paddling to get their own waves and to stay out of each other's way. It is all business. What is your favorite skate trick and what skate trick are you working on now? I don't have many tricks. I just work on my speed, lines, and grinds. Currently working on backside airs and hope to get back to inverts. I have a long way to go. I love seeing a lien air or Madonna in the skull bowl at Lake Cunningham. A proper frontside rock and roll looks good on a wall of any size. Have you ever wanted to collaborate with another artist? Yes. I have collaborated with Brian Bounds on a few projects. We did a back and forth piece together from one of my portraits of tattoo artist Freddy Corbin. Currently I am helping him out with one of his book projects that he is working on with pro skater Jason Jessee. Collaborating can really help to push an idea to a different level. It brings spontaneity and surprise. All of which could lead to new ideas. As a huge fan of noir, do you think these flms will end up influencing your work? Maybe not in my still photography but de?nitely when I start shooting video. The camera work back then was outstanding and I like how it is 10th Annual Tim Brauch Memorial Contestall 100% real without CGI and special effects.

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DUANE PETERS 10th Annual Tim Brauch Memorial Contest

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STEVE SELLERS Garage Magazine.

The action, motion, and lighting from film noir movies are more interesting to me than doing a period piece imitating that era. I would like to do a hybrid film noir concept set in modern times shot in black and white with Japanese gangsters. I have a few good fight scenes in my head. It could take years to develop those skills for that type of cinematography but I am up for it.

You shot the Mavericks contest this year from the media boat. What was it like to see a wipeout up close?

Well we were not that close. Shooting it and riding it are 2 different things. I was really interested in seeing how long they would stay under during a wipeout. I counted a few times and it would take about 20 seconds for some of the guys to break the surface. That seemed normal, but I was surprised they were not pushed more from the waves towards shore. They would pop up about 20-50 yards away from their wipeout. I read that Ion Banner had a bloody nose, a bruised right eye, and was dizzy after his wipeout in heat 1. Sounds more like a street fight. At Mavericks, when waves are that large, did you notice if it?s possible for a surfer to show â&#x20AC;&#x153;styleâ&#x20AC;?? On video I have seen Peter Mel cut it up at Mavericks. Everyone knows how good he is, but I still think he is underrated. As for the style I witnessed that day, it came from Anthony Tashnick. He is the only one I saw reach down to grab a rail and go pig-dog at the end of wave to cut back in order to pick up some speed. It looked awesome to see that on such a big wave. All the guys have some type of style. Shane Desmond and Dave Wassell are more bombers than carvers. To me that is also style. It is also maybe not fair to judge based on one contest. Some very good surfers didn't even advance out of their heat.

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Has our current economy taught you anything new about the photo industry and what positive experience may have come out as a result? The current photo industry is very much in the air and there are not that many answers to all the questions we have. The lessons I have learned is that I can't look to the industry anymore. The answers need to come from within. The economy is supposedly hurting but technology is not stopping and media is a bigger part of our lives now than ever. It is up to me to find a market for my work and not the other way around. You have taught photography workshops and online courses. What is the number one thing you try to impart to your students?

untrue assumptions. There are some people who dedicate their whole lives to photography. It effects where they live, what they do with their time, and it effects their relationships. If this is something you want to be good at then make sure your efforts count. Make it worthy of your time and don't rush. If it takes you 1 hour to make a PhotoShop selection, 6 hours to light something, or 2 days to find the right loction then who cares. It is all part of the craft. Find a way to enjoy that time and be good at it. Your life and photography are so intertwined. Are there any life lessons that you have learned from photography? Yes. Have integrity in everything you do and try not to sweat the small stuff that can crush your spirit. There is always a bigger picture.

Slow down and don't rush. Nobody ever said photography was supposed to be fast, inexpensive, and easy to master. Those are all

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design.

editor X editor a conversation with coupe magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bill douglas

INTERVIEW BY CHRIS BROWN

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O.k. Bill, let's start with the name. Coupe, pronounced Koop, a closed two door automobile with a body smaller than that of a sedan. Oh, yeah, also an internationally acclaimed visual culture magazine. There was really no master plan behind the name. Initially I was working with a concept of presenting two disparate and completely contrasting themes or features per issue and coupe being a two seater seamed to speak of the concept while holding on to a sense of mystery. Ultimately I abandoned that concept but I liked the ambiguous quality of the name Coupe and decided to go with it.

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Coupe contorts and experiments with the traditional magazine format. Let's talk about that. Over the first 10 years Coupe has occasionally come close to resembling content-wise a traditional magazine but then tends to veer about as far in the other direction as possible. It can be article based one issue and not have a single word in it the next. At times Coupe works more as an installation than a magazine. It can be terribly personal at times and then be contributor-based. We began hosting a design competition in 2002 as more or less an

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covers Various.

outlet to the many people submitting work to Coupe in hope of possible collaboration to be a part of the magazine. We thought we would perhaps dedicate 12 or 16 pages of an issue to the best 20 or so entries. I was blown away by the response the competition received and it just keeps growing and growing so now we publish one regular issue in the spring and the Coupe International Design and Image Annual in the fall. Because of this the spring issue tends to be more personal now. Basically each issue of Coupe is a whole new ball game. Our readers expect this and it keeps me from getting bored! Each issue takes a theme and plays around with words and

images to create a stimulating, highly visual, but largely unstructured mood board. The early issues of Refueled also played upon being more "art installations" than a magazine. Where do your loose themes come from, and what was your favorite to explore? Themes can come from anywhere I suppose. Advertisers (we consciously don't have many) will occasionally ask for an editorial schedule and I have to tell them there just isn't one. Themes are like inspiration, they can strike me when I least expect it. The usual suspects; travel, culture, politics, art all fuel the fire. But a theme is usually a response to how I'm feeling within my world or the world at large. Issue 20 for instance, consists of a poem I wrote that runs

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issue 20 The Ten Year Anniversary Issue A quietly beautiful issue. Titled “In Canada...A Poem” it consists of a single poem running through and repeating within while breaking down and altering amid the dense yet stark imagery of a particuler forest.

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throughout the issue repeating and breaking down, interacting with page after page of photographs of a dense forest near a little cottage I purchased a couple years ago in Ontario. It's a cryptic issue and thoroughly uncommercial but I like to throw one of these issues into the mix every once in a while. It's very freeing to sabotage your own project. Like Refueled, Coupe is published twice a year. Is this due to your work with your design studio The Farm? Yeah, to a degree. Magazines like Coupe don't really pay the bills so the magazine has to at times bend a little to work with my schedule. It was initially a quarterly but that proved to be too much in conjunction

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with my client-based projects. The pace of twice a year just feels better. I liken releasing a new issue of Coupe to releasing a new album. In a lot ways Coupe's masquerading as a magazine. Refueled is exclusively a online publication, Coupe is print only. What experimenting do you do with paper stock, format size and binding? Over the first 10 years I've changed up the stock many times, run two or three different stocks and weights in the same issue, printed signatures 4/4, 2/2, 1/1 and mixed them up within issues, binded blank pages of coloured stock, and gone back and forth between perfect bound and saddle stitch. I love both processes. The size has stayed

pretty consistent. Issues 1 to 16 were 9.625 x 11. I then wanted to experiment with something more akin to a book so I reduced the size quite dramatically to 8.375 x 10. But I love the basic standard magazine scale and would never go, say, horizontal. That's an abomination!

printing bill, you avoid the hassle â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and often nightmare â&#x20AC;&#x201D; of distribution, there are many more information options, it's not as environmentally taxing (that's a biggie), and if you make a mistake you can fix it any time. Do you see yourself ever offering Coupe online?

Let's talk about the pros and cons of online vs. print. I don't think so. I'm too addicted to the smell of ink. I guess they are pretty obvious. With print you get to create a physical object, you can experiment with textures and inks. magazine smell great. They work well on the beach or in prison. And you can start fires or line bird cages with them. Going the online route means you have the ca[ability of reaching a much bigger audience, there's no massive

What's the future hold for the magazine? I'm considering spinning it off into an airline. Or maybe a talk show.

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Cover

INTERVIEW BY CHRIS BROWN

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUS SCHMIEGE

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Jay, you came to the attention of many with your new blog One Trip Pass, which we will get to, but let’s start from the beginning. Tell me about your days with Maine-based menswear line Rogues Gallery as brand manager.How much personal influence and ideas were you able to bring to the brand? I started there about 6 years ago. I grew up in Maine, left for a long time and moved back to when I was 24 to reconnect with it. Maine is like the final frontier of the East. All involved with Rogues Gallery are New Englanders. . The brand gave us a chance to explore and express all that fascinated us about the region. More than anything Rogues Gallery was really about telling those stories and celebrating everything strange and beautiful and dark and humorous about New England. O.K, five year with Rogues Gallery and you get the itch to strike out. Levi’s presented the opportunity for you to translate the pioneer-like vibe of their “Go Forth” commercials to their flagship store, so you hit the open road. What was that trip like? I’ve been taking road trips since I got my first car when I was 16probably thanks to my dad who had me start reading Kerouac at age 11. To get paid to do it is nothing short but a dream come true. This particular trip was great being that I had over a month, a new truck and a good sized budget to work with and no defined route – just get from

New England to San Francisco. The timing was right, and I was able to hit both Brimfield and Round top flea markets. Also met and photographed a wild assortment of people we met along the way punks, bikers, professional water ski jumpers, rodeo queens, desert rats, flea markets eccentrics...

Archaeologist/photographer Nate Bressler joined you, right? Nate and I are kindred spirits. We met in Maine on a shoot for Bon Appetite Magazine. Nate is always up for anything, wants to get the most out of every situation, and he’s a funny son of a bitch. I knew when the Stars And Stripes trip came up that he’d be good for it.

The result of that whole adventure was the equal parts art gallery/well-curated curiosity shop Stars and Stripes. It was a mix of vintage clothes, ephemera, furniture, artwork and photography we took along the road, all somehow connecting to “stars and stripes”, the iconic design of the American flag, and how different pockets of American culture have used it to express themselves.

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TATTOOS Jay & Girlfriend/Tattoo Artist Hanna.

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SXSW 2010 Jay Carroll and Refueledâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Brown hanging backstage at the Levis Fader Fort.

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For those who may not of visited the blog yet, explain the vibe, the inspiration and where you'd like to see it go. Its a lot about a kid from New England who moved to the West coast. Where there once was black there is now a lot of color. Santa Cruz through Salem eyes. That and its about the good things left in America, even if those things are sometimes from Japan. You recently gave yourself a tattoo and you also tattooed your gal Hanna, which is really cool. Give me a run down of your tattoos and the meaning. Yeah she’s a tattoo artist so we hang out in the living room and tattoo each other sometimes. I think the term for it is scratching - living room tattoos that is. I gave myself a skull wearing a bandit mask with the word “speed” on its forehead. I gave her “LTD” for livin’ the dream. Tattoos are just good markers in time, but more than anything I want to look good in black and white photographs.

What's your current gig with Levi's? There are a lot of exciting changes happening at Levis that I am happy to be a part of. Just worked on the Opening Ceremony project, the Fort at SXSW, the press event in NYC... I’m working now to rebuild their custom shops and also in a few ways to improve the store experience through special product. Pretty soon there will be another road trip or two. I have a varied, interesting role that I’m super grateful to have. I’m into the history of the brand and how were using that to make it new and great again. Like myself, you love the open road and the adventure that lies ahead. What's the next trip for One Trip Pass? Installation? Also another road trip in the works – more soon!

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style

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT RAUSCH

STYLING BY ALABAMA CHANIN

ALABAMA CHANIN IS A LIFESTYLE COMPANY THAT FOCUSES ON CREATING AND ARRAY OF SPECTACULAR PRODUCTS THROUGH ADHERING TO PRINCIPLES OF SLOW DESIGN AND SUSTAINABILITY. THEY PRODUCE LIMITED-EDITION PRODUCTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE HOME. THIER PRODUCTS ARE CRAFTED BY HAND USING NEW, ORGANIC AND RECYCLED MATERIALS. EACH INDIVIDUAL PIECE IS CONSTRUCTED WITH CARE BY TALENTED ARTISANS WHO LIVE AND WORK IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THEIR OFFICE, DESIGN STUDIO AND THE BULK OF OUR PRODUCTION TAKE PLACE IN AND AROUND FLORENCE, ALABAMA. Alabama Chanin Denim. 100% Organic Cotton.100% Hand-Sewn.100% American Tradition. In fact, Alabama Denim is grown–to-sewn in the USA. Garments use Alabama Chanin artisan-sewn, 100% organic cotton jersey and embellished with traditional embroidery techniques. While most of indigo dying today is accomplished with synthetic materials, Alabama Denim is hand-dyed with the true indigo plant. Each piece is a limited-edition labor of love that comes to you through collaboration with the best of intention.

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All of the indigo that was used to dye this collection of garments was grown and collected in Tennessee and Kentucky.

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The Indigo Children move through the world lightly. Eyes and spirit shining, they dance, they stand, they sing. Quietly and Strongly. The sun shines Indigo.

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style & surf.

boards x city

nyc surf PHOTOGRAPHS BY CICERO DEGUZMAN JR. godspeed4506.com REFUELEDMAGAZINE.COM

{ Opposite Page }

chinatown, manhattan DIRK WESTPHAL Board: Self Made. Surf Spot: “K” Road on Long Island. { This Page }

gowanus, brooklyn CHRIS COFFIN Board: 6'6'' Lost, shaped custom forme by Mayhem Surf Spot: All the jetties in Long Beach, Lido West & Rockaway.

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union square, nyc. MARIE TEMPE Board: Hawaiian sleds by e. Bonservizi - size 6'10''. Surf Spot: Rockaway, but becomes very very crowded.

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upper west side, manhattan JAMES A. WILLIS Board: Clark form, never measured it for length. 1 of 2 yearly summer board builds with Zen-Master Shaper Jim Stephens of Underground Boardworks on Tybee Island, GA. Jim shapes ‘em and I paint ‘em pre-glass. This year we ride last years and build next year. Surf Spot: The “No Swimming” sign near the jetty.

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bushwick, brooklyn TYLER BREUER Board: Shaped by Adam Warden at ALW Surfboards.

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greenpoint BEN SARGEANT Board: Faktion. Surf Spot: Rockaway.

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the darkest trees you’ve ever seen. THE BLACK OWL INTERVIEW BY CHRIS BROWN.

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music.

Black Owls (as in the name of this band is "Black Owls") are a dark horse in Amish country. In this hilly agrarian footprint of Ohio you could expect something harvest rootsy, something campfire acoustic, even collegiate. There's plenty to be found. Nevermind all the rustbelt rock & dormitory metal. But that's the thing about Ohio isn't it? You just never know. From the ashes of spent industry come bands like Black Keys, Guided by Voices, Nine inch Nails, Ass Ponies, Pere Ubu, and yes of course, Devo. Lessons are written on empty factories, rusted cars, and grey snowfall. (You've no doubt heard Chrissy Hinde's syllogism.) But Black Owls have a unique perspective. They have left the dirty cities, and reflect on their lessons in a fortress of solitude. Like so many classic rockers before them, inspiration comes with a newfound simplicity, focus, and isolation. Nestled in their comfortable recording studio in the rolling, forest hills, David Butler & Ed Shuttleworth along with bassist Alan Beavers drink beer, don headphones, and create winsome yet powerful rock songs that meld glam, punk, & classic rock to a uniquely ardent voice. That voice thumps and dances, like a dead tree dancing in the wind. It's all very Edgar Allen Poe you see. They are the perpetual sound of late fall, infusing the impending cold with the warm sounds of harvest celebration. They are the things that go bump in the night. Black Owls sing "cautionary tales of excess" on their label Amish Girl Music. Irony breathes. Addictions and bad timing, tornados, handgun-laden benders, broads & booze, giant white dragons & horrible pilgrims and the darkest trees you've ever seen. Like a stovepipe belching coal smoke or Lincoln's woolen tailcoat. That shade of glorious black. The kind that gives you a Nicholson smile while you furl your brow. Stories set out to sea on a rickety boat, swelling and rolling on a perfect storm of dark sonic waves. Majestic tones & just right notes. Black Owls wear their influences on their sleeves, but the sound is their own. I made ready my beer pellets, and set out to rile the roost. They are an affable lot, like an Irish pub band with two-fisted rock tendencies. They've been doing this rocker thing for awhile, and suffer no delusions of grandeur. From festivals to the smallest of pubs, they rock live, and sit in a sweet spot of early critical success & profound contentment with their mad experiment in song craft. Singer/lyricist/drummer David Butler, and lone guitar/songwriter Ed Shuttleworth rolled up their sleeves and put down their pints long

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enough to chat about their progressions from their first release in 2008 Lightning Made Us Who We Are, to their upcoming Spring '10 release June '71. Your songs have been called darkly optimistic. Can you elaborate on what that means, or maybe what goes into creating a good rock song? Ed Shuttleworth: That description (darkly optimistic) is overwhelmingly owed to Dave's lyrical style and inspiration-- which I would submit has really been the basis for much of his creative work, including his books and artwork. Having known him for 15 years I have seen this recurring theme..the juxtaposition of good and evil...of superficial beauty and hidden darkness, and vise versa--but never in too serious a way; always with a good measure of humor, self-effacement, empathy, sympathy, love and bewilderment. David Butler: That's why Ed's been my friend for so long, he'll start an interview by talkin' up his mate. I just think rock needs a bit of tension. That's what makes it rock, not pop, or folk. Great jazz has musical tension, but it's different, it's about timing and method and notes working without story. The poetry of rock tension has to have a direction, but not necessarily an ending, or even a motive.

{Left to Right} David Butler, Ed Shuttleworth.

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David Butler

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David Butler: It needs to have some sense of standing on the edge, and feeling a bit heavy. But it leads to release, which is a good place. A little introspection never hurt anybody. You listen to a good rock song and you identify with the tone, and the subtext. If you don't, you still get a story and an escape. Dour circumstances are entertaining if they're recounted and not received. Our songs kinda ebb and flow on a tinge of brightness followed by night. The music can be anthemic, with dark undertones. There, I said it. Did that make any sense at all?

music for over 20 years, I suppose I should have a fair measure of fluidity..but I am always truly astonished how deftly David is able to work just the right story to a particular musical idea...it is not at all how songs are usually written...to me it is a far more challenging approach to the whole enterprise--but David is not only able to do it, but he succeeds often in spectacular fashion. Some standout examples being Mr. Tornado, Lightning Made Us Who we are and The Only Sin is Regret (from our first release) and Stone, Horrible Pilgrims, Your On Fire and HNC as I previously noted.

Ed Shuttleworth: Moments of clarity followed by fits of rage (laughs). What goes into your particular song writing process? Ed Shuttleworth: The way I would describe it is Dave creates stories-often many at a certain time, often when on the road or out of the country--stories that are a direct (and indirect) impressions of a specific place, time it's people, culture, traditions, etc. For example--nearly all of the songs on June '71 were written while he was traveling in England. One of my favorite songs is titled "Her Normal Courtesy" which (my own interpretation) is brilliant take of the roles that women have traditionally played in English society....the repressed feelings and aspirations build up inside...are all coiled up to a breaking point ...

David Butler: He's always got a million progressions on the burner. I think his strength is in his intuition. His arrangements are catchy as hell, and it's not about a ton of notes, just the exact right ones in just the right time. I just sit at the drums and shuffle through the words and we start. Sometimes the beat comes easier than the lyrics, other times we find just the right words first. Then Alan comes in and brings his own sensibility and layer of creamy bass goodness. We do this quite a bit. Pulling from our piles of lyrics and music, and as a result, we have an insurmountable pile of songs that'll never see

the light of day unless we put out some kind of table scraps CD. It's the 800 lb. digital shoe box sitting in the corner that we dare not open. There are some really great songs in there. They fall by the wayside in light of our latest song obsessions & pet projects.

Her normal courtesy is to stop in silence her normal courtesy is to let you speak her normal courtesies are sad devotions her tears are falling on the sheet Her normal courtesies are blind perfections Her normal courtesies just hide desire Her normal courtesy is to set the table Her hidden rage will set it all on fire

That's why there's such a backlog of songs?

David brings these stories---to me they are poems initially--but amazingly they are transformed into song lyrics---as I start to play some riffs, chord progression, perhaps laying down a rhythmic/melodic foundation or palette on which he selects intuitively what the music I am playing seems to fit with one or more of his stories. So I'll be playing and he'll start in singing some of the lines, working simultaneously on the timing and cadence and melody, finding what best compliments what I am playing. Having been writing, arranging and performing

David Butler: We share an obsession with song invention. We're obsessed with writing new songs. If you do that all of the time you're going to have a backlog of material. You've got to edit. That's part of the process too. Ed Shuttleworth: Well...we have a lot of songs that is for sure--but that is because we are constantly creating new ones, and what was new the other week is now somehow "old" (laughs)...but that is natural--at least for me--I am always fixated on what is brand new--so much so that I literally get depressed in any significant amount of time (say, a week) passed without anything new to listen too.

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Alan Beavers

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Ed Shuttleworth

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David Butler: The song is the craft. It's the impetus. To write the song you want to hear for yourself. Writing is one thing, music is another. The collaboration of two or three people in making craft isn't something you see in the visual arts, at least very often. That's music, rock or otherwise. That's what keeps it interesting and fresh. We can't stand not having something new. We're like mice with a pile of shiny songs in the corner of our hole. Almost as soon as we've finished one we're thinking about the next.

feel like you are sitting right there with a Bud in one hand listening it all happen. Black Owls have been described as "Punk Blues" and Amish Glam". Do those still apply to the new sounds, and if not, what would the new "2-word description" be? David Butler: Marshall Stacked? Arena Garage? Ha. I don't know. Best left to the critics maybe. Amish Glam is funny, and it's still somewhat appropriate.

Do you think you might put some of that material out? David Butler: Potentially. But I don't know that anyone would care all that much but us. Of course, "They're all new to everyone else." Ed Shuttleworth: Some really must be developed and recorded properly...but then there are those that are as much about the time and place we were at the time when we recorded them--there is such a powerful contextual element to them that really becomes as much a part of the song as the singing and playing. A good example of this is a song called "Gods Not Watching". We wrote and recorded it in this

old barn/garage at the farm in rural Fairfield County where I was living at the time. It was August 19th, 2007 and you can hear the masses of crickets chirping and feel the acoustics of the space---all of it lending this magical element to the song that is truly impossible to recreate...that along with the feel of that first take..most all of what we did back then was one take...just messing around while drinking beer, relaxing with no pressure or anything. David Butler: Ed has this great phrase that describes what happens to us with these songs: "The Tyranny of the Original" Which means once we've recorded a demo of a song that suites us, we listen the hell out of it. And then that version becomes the gospel. And each successive attempt to turn it into a final work is pulled by the gravity of wanting it to sound just like the first one. Sometimes we just get fed up and decide not to do it. We've thought about putting out these demos remastered on a disc entitled The Tyranny of the Original. There's probably around 50-60 songs like this. It's a black hole. It's a Black Owl hole. Ed Shuttleworth: To me so much about it is transcendent --much like early GBV recordings...which we love for much the same reason. You

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Ed Shuttleworth: Maybe "Hair Garage"...or "Amish Invasion" would be better fit right now. You guys aren't really Amish or Mennonite are you? David Butler: Nope. I think there was some confusion based on our early press photos and a few reviews made such references. We didn't "discourage" it. I used to dress it up a bit too. My black brim hat was stolen in Cincinnati. Who the hell steals an Amish hat?

Ed Shuttleworth: Well I think showing up to gigs in home-made horse-drawn buggies may have added to some of the confusion as well. We don't do that anymore--esp. now that our gear is no longer made entirely out of wood, iron nails and homespun cloth. Lightning Made Us Who We Are had a unique and yet diverse sound. How did that sound evolve, and how has the Owl sound changed? David Butler: Well, firstly our founding Owl Mike moved to NYC, so we lost one of three guys responsible for the creation of the music. Pretty dramatic change. So the breadth of the influences and music style, even lyrics to a degree were inadvertently honed. We truly miss Mike's influence and style. He is so cavalier about his relationship with the guitar, and with words. Always progressing. The only real upside has been focus. Ed and I have honed in on the particular styles that have given rise to our sound, and we've built off of a more simplified palette. And with the addition of Alan, who brings his own creative textures with bass, it's worked out very well because we all love the same influences and inspirations.

Ed Shuttleworth: If Lightning walked the fray of blues, 70's glam, punk, classic rock, and even jam band - June '71 has a more keenly sharpened point that feels more driving & rhythmic. The same influences are there, but the total sound is more cohesive. When I think about it too, we wrote Lightning over the course of a year or so, and June '71 in a few months. What was the impetus behind JUNE '71? And what is the sound? Ed Shuttleworth: Our songs have been evolving over the last year or so, becoming more stripped down, straight-ahead late 60's early 70's power rock, influenced by bands like Cream, Stooges, Mott The Hoople, TRex among others. In addition to just plain loving the genre, we have always said that nothing is more important that the quality of the songcraft itself...we do not rely on extended grooves, funky effects, filthy langauge, are repulsed by the widespread insipid "rad-boy" rubbish that is all over radio these days...rather we attempt to recreate the magic of songcraft from the 60's and 70's...with compelling rifs and

song ideas...the stuff that stays in your head all your life. Yes there are many great bands out there doing the same thing (The Embrooks, Darkness, Spoon, Wolfmother, Black Mountain) so we want to align ourselves with that trend. When people say "Why is all the truly great rock music from the 60's and 70's?" that really gets to the heart of it-for us to tackle what seems to be this mythical boundary that exists between today's music and the music of those days, it's just too compelling a challenge not to accept. So in many ways the songs on June '71 are the results of our efforts. David Butler: Not to say that '71 is about the year of '71, or trying to sound like that time period, but it does reflect the same type of change that happened in music at that time.Rock became a bit more in your face, and heavier, in general that is. I think about the types of change that came with the early 70's. Alice Cooper came on big with Killer. His buddy Jim Morrison died that summer.

David Butler: Glam grew out of the weird folk/rock & new art scene, all wrapped up in cocaine & heroine. Things got a bit darker. There's a line in the song June '71 "put down the bowl, pick up the booze" - relating the idea of moving into a darker form of influences. But in some ways a bit more realistic, and maybe smarter. The sound of the Black Owls now is like that in some sense, finding our way out of the initial free & easy whirlpool of our start, where everything is to be explored, nothing is taboo. You know, the 60's! We've found ourselves rooted in a kind of Mott the Hoople, Bowie, Steppenwolf, Stones, Iggy, Who, camp. Throw in the mid 70's punk & glam scene and you kind of get where we're coming from now. Not that we're a retro trip by any means.. Ed Shuttleworth: Yeah...it's just that you cannot help but find your muse dipping her feet in the past. It's impossible to say you work from a completely virgin state of mind. The ultimate joy of this process is

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creating something entirely new that has a familiarity you can't quite recognize. How has the internet and blogosphere helped or hurt you guys? Or rock music for that matter? David Butler: That's a big topic for sure. It's the million dollar question. I sum it up this way. The good news is everyone can be heard on the internet. The bad news is everyone can be heard on the internet. The rock and roll gene pool has gone public, with free admission. You don't have to be a card carrying member anymore. That said, I didn't much care for the big label crap shoots either. Funneling a handful of upstarts through the tour catch-and-release process until something bit. And that still goes on. But it's now an endless ocean of really horrible, and profoundly beautiful fish. The consumer is on a dinghy with kite string and a bent paper clip trying to fish out a single, maybe not even a band, or a full length release, just some scrap of goodness. You can't fight it, so you just have to go with it. We use it to help promote ourselves the best we can. But not with false piousness or self aggrandized posturing. You come off looking silly and/or desperate. There just isn't a shortcut to longevity. There's a lot of crap that gets attention for 5 minutes, you just can't go there.

Ed Shuttleworth: I think It's great if you devote the proper amount of time to it, which could be every waking moment.Wwhile it is truly a godsend for aspiring musicians it had also become a veritable digital Calcutta for individaul bands to negotiate and try to stand out in. The din is overwhelming and only gets louder each day, which is why I would tell any aspiring band/musician that if your music is not the result of your GREATEST possible effort and in at least some way truly compelling to at least some significant segment of the listening public, that you may as well not bother at all--you will only waste your time and money in addition to weathering the sadness and frustration that surely will follow. David Butler: I DO think it has killed the rock star. It has killed the mythology. You are expected to be accountable and visible, you've got to youtube your every move and try to appear charming and affable, or dangerous and crazy. It's quite silly. The good thing that's come of it is the product is also accountable. Rock has to be good to hold up under such a microscope. We're not a glamorous lot. We're no pretty boys, so the music has to stand on it's own legs. That said, it IS kind of like the 70's all over again. Look at Sabbath. Not pretty. I consider you guys a beer rock band. You're like a walking Newcastle ad. What is your favorite beer? David Butler: Well, Newcastle is quite nice actually. But I'm a big fan of Rogue Hazelnut Brown. It's the most readily available of my stable. There are great beers for any occasion, so it's hard to pin down one, or even 10. There are great American breweries that I favor. Bell's, Left Hand, Rogue, Stone, Great Lakes, Schmaltz, Weasel Boy (right down the road from us). And there's great English, Irish & Scottish ales, and Belgian styles. Ed likes the IPA's but he's not so picky, aye Ed? Ed Shuttleworth: Aye, I'm not so picky. Beer flavored is good. David Butler: This is a bad subject. A whole other interview I fear. You're right to consider us a beer rock band. Plus we have our beloved Brews down the road.

while there were African-American friends (not his friends) in the audience. He was just clueless tho, and (luckily) no one was really paying any attention-because it's unlikely they would've know Joey wrote it about Johnny stealing his girlfriend (laughs). Some of them are related to my own physical misadventures, like having a drunken friend celebrating his birthday reach up and grab me, pulling me head over heals over my monitor, over the raised stage crashing face first on the cement floor about three feet below. Luckily I was totally unhurt and just walked back up onstage and continued playing, with nothing worse to show for it than a big chip out of the bottom side of my telecaster. There were also two occasions I gashed my right hand doing "windmills" (I guess that when I am onstage I think I am Pete Townshend, haha) and the blood flew all over. I have a couple setlists that look like they were taken from the coat pocket of some guy that had just faced a firing squad. It's really nice, yeah. David Butler: Many of these stories are mysteries best left unsolved. We remember shows by these little tidbits. "Oh yeah, that's the show the guy got bit on the leg." Or, "The show we did with the burlesque dancers." Typical stuff. I had seen this name on your Owl facebook page...Who is Labbatt Fartouis? Ed Shuttleworth: James Spearman is the coolest guy on the planet, our dear friend who we have made our honorary "manager for life". He is a brilliant photographer, painter and a absolute sorcerer with his iphone. We still need to find him a whiffle-cricket bat....if such a thing exists. If anyone knows please drop us a line! David Butler: Cricket bat to complete his manager image. Whiffle ball version (plastic) because he rules with a kinder, gentler touch. He's the man eternally cursed by the name PapaDino's. He donned this surname "Labatt" in order to respond to junk emails with outrageous requests of his own. Very funny stuff. What is the significance of PapaDino's?

What is the significance of Brews?

You guys have been playing out for nearly three years--have you any interesting stories, anecdotes from some of your more memorable gigs?

Ed Shuttleworth: After we played MidPoint Fest in Cincy last year we ran around until late watching some bands than realized with were utterly famished--well, at that time there was absolutely zero food options open in downtown cincy at 3am, so we repaired to our hotel room and set James to work finding something, ANYTHING we could eat. Well, the sole source of food he was able to find was some pizza place called PapaDinos. They were rather pricey but being the only option available we guessed it made sense and prompltly ordered the biggest pep pizza they offered. So were laying on our beds watching "the Hangover" when an hour and a half later the pizza arrived....and...well, it was singularly the most inedible food any of us have ever come across in our lives. Keep in mind we were STARVING, and under the same circumstances at home I would eat coagulated Plockmans Mustard right off the nozzle...but not this stuff-- I cannot describe it, other than to say it simply just wasnt food. It was like seam filler. To this day I just cannot imagine how something as simple as a pizza could go so terribly wrong. It really makes one think.

Ed Shuttleworth: Yes we have many of them and i wish we had written them down of the backs of the corresponding show posters Dave had created for them because now I am struggling to recall a lot of it. I suppose all lot of it is normal for a rock band playing in clubs, with drunken antics, druggie students and titty flashes, etc. Some of the more unique occurrences were very awkward ones, like a warm-up acoustic act singing "The KKK took my baby away" by the Ramones

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David Butler: It's our pub. It's our Rathskeller. It's our home base stage. It has 46 draft beers for God's sake. 200 some bottles. 3 stories. Our friends work there and come see us play. It's the social heart of our town. We can walk there in minutes. We played our first gig there, and God willing we'll play our last gig there in 20 years. It's certainly the best beer bar in Ohio. Our first gig was a Stone Brewery beer party at Brews the year they won the "Most Arrogant Bar" in the USA by selling more Arrogant Bastard Ale than anyone else. Hard to beat. So yeah, we are a beer band. Ed Shuttleworth: I don't trust ANY band that isn't a beer band for that matter, haha.

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behind the lens

joshua black

PHOTOGRAPHY + WORDS BY JOSHUA BLACK WILKINS

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wilkins

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Like many people that got into photography in the mid 90's, I started with a Pentax K1000. It was a tank, and the smartest thing it had was a light meter. No auto focus, no aperture priority, no auto wind (or rewind). It was a real camera. Film was expensive, but since there wasn't another option, I don't remember it bothering me. Not until I got back to film in the past few years that I found myself bitching about what it costs. It was about three years ago that I had started shooting a lot more music packaging jobs. They were small budgets and mostly for fellow musician friends that I had, which meant I also designed the panels. I hate cropping an image because I believe that I compose my photographs well in-camera, and cutting a third out of a digital photograph was painful. This is where native, square format photography has it's greatest

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strength in music photography. I had bought a Holga in the summer of 2007 at Samy's in Los Angeles. At the time, you usually had to buy them from camera stores as they hadn't hit their hipster popularity yet. For $12 I had a plastic, medium format camera, and a contact I have in LA threw in a brick of 120mm film with the deal. The difference between me and a lot of people that use Holgas is that I know the limitations. By this time I had a good grasp on the fundamentals of photography. Although luck sometimes plays a part in getting a great shot, you still need to know what you are doing with the tools in your hand. I still, on occasion, use my Holga, as well as other low-fi cameras.

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Since I don't shoot big production photoshoots, I also don't have big production budgets and can't afford the shiniest new toys. Please remember, I am first, and foremost, a singer/songwriter. I make records, and making records is expensive. Touring is expensive; guitar strings are expensive. Although I balance two careers, I can't spend all my money on just one.

Soon after getting the Holga, and quickly figuring out what I needed in a medium format camera, I was visually introduced to the Kiev 60. It was a tank. It was three times the size of my first Pentax K1000 and didn't even have a light meter. It was perfect. It shot BIG, square photos. Twelve of them. I loved it right away.

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I strongly prefer shooting film of any format over shooting digital. My photographic heros (like Danny Clinch, and Frank Okenfels) make their most emotional and striking photographs on film, and it's something that digital photography still can't come close to. Although I can't explain WHY that is, my personal experience is that, with film, you must SEE your photograph before you take it. Each image involves using the education you have and the trust in yourself to know that, without the use of a LCD screen, you "GOT" the shot. Most of the musicians that I shoot, or have shot in the past, I have a relationship with. Some of the artists I have played shows with, or drink coffee with. There is almost always a personal connection of some kind with the musicians. This is something that can't be taught, or learned. There is a trust between them and I. They know that I won't fire the shutter if I know that they are "smiling for the camera". What I feel like is most important about a great photograph (like a song) is that it must be honest. So, I do my best to make honest photographs. Some of my favorite photographs that I have taken have been in

private. Justin Townes Earle and I have been the best of friends for several years, and my favorite photographs of him were taken in his bedroom. I have also used peoples backyards, basements, graveyards, backstages, coffeeshop parking lots, and bathrooms. Of course, I don't just shoot musicians. I shoot models too. And burlesque performers. And weirdos. With the exception of my Burlesque work, most of my non music related photography is personal work. I stay inspired by sites like Flickr, Model Mayhem, and "art" and "fashion" magazines that don't print in English. I feel that it is very important to explore what other creative people are coming up with. It's not so much a competition, but a constant reminder that I should always strive to be better at my craft and push my own envelope of what is possible and unique. The moment that I feel like I have succeeded is also the moment that I have given up being creative.

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Photograph by Gustav Schmiege

Malibu, California

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