ISSUE #2 // May 2014 by Continuum Magazine

ISSUE NO. 2 // MAY 2014

ABOUT US: Continuum is a monthly music and lifestyle magazine dedicated to featuring passionate bands and individuals in the music industry. Among copious other music publications, we strive to shed a new perspective upon the industry by emphasizing the passion behind artists, their creations, and those who work behind the scenes to make it all possible.

STAFF: editor-in-chief: clare kim managing editor: anam merchant public relations: sarah hoffman design: anam merchant and clare kim copy editors: lori gutman contributing photographers: anam merchant, avery fiftal, clare kim, emily tantuccio, lexie alley, lori gutman, and sarah hoffman contributing writers: anita nham, christina curtin, clare kim, emily tantuccio, emma andrews, jade smith, nic kosirog-jones, sahira zulkifli, and tyler topping inside header by lori gutman

continuummagazine.net continuum.zine@gmail.com

WATERMEDOWN

ELI HAWES

CLASS PICTURE

FUTURE MONARCHS

HAVE MERCY

SET IT OFF

SMOOTH SAILING CO.

GALLERY

POONEH GHANA

ALBUM REVIEWS

citizen, have mercy, set it off, future monarchs, class picture, watermedown, pooneh ghana, eli hawes, smooth sailing clothing co., brixton agency, earshot media, lenny gilmore, paradigm agency, the catalyst publicity group, sunshine sachs, united for opportunity music, paul koehler & silverstein, sacks and co., cobra camanda publicity, universal music group, nick scalise and greg shanahan of bestfriends, and bb gun press.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START MAKING MUSIC? Guitar Hero. I’m 100% serious, too. I spent the majority of my seventh grade summer playing Guitar Hero 2 with my older brother. Once we beat the game on expert, we decided that we wanted to do the real thing. We took our grandfather’s really awful acoustic guitar and learned a bunch of Green Day songs. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE BAND NAME? Well, it was one of those things where I was with my brother and thought, “wow, that sounds really cool.” This could sound really lame but, if you want to get deep about it, I suppose you could say that the name sort of reflects the thought that a person who is built up to be so strong can inevitably be made weak. I don’t know. I’m thinking about changing it to WATERMELON because that’s usually what people see when they first glance at the name.

I had no idea what I wanted to sound like. The music I write now isn’t too far off from what it initially sounded like, considering this project is only a couple of years old. Still, I definitely believe it’s become more realized in the sense of a particular sound, instead of having a handful of songs that don’t even seem like they were written by the same band. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC GOAL THAT YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE THROUGH YOUR MUSIC? Sure! Ultimately, I started this to allow myself to release any kind of distress through songs with no intention of mass publicity, sort of like musical therapy. But with the idea that people feel and relate to some of the words I write, I think my current goal is to reach as many people as possible. It’s a remarkable feeling knowing that people can take a part of your personal diary-like craft and implement it into their own lives.

DO YOU THINK YOUR SOUND HAS WHERE DO YOU DERIVE INSPIRADEVELOPED AT ALL SINCE YOU TION FROM WHEN WRITING LYRFIRST BEGAN? ICS? Absolutely. For the first few releases,

Mainly personal experiences and

such. A lot of my previous material revolved around fictional yet relatable story telling. Now I write mostly about myself and the things that affect my life. I like it more that way because it allows me to shamelessly tell MY story in hopes that someone listening is experiencing an identical or similar struggle. WHAT’S THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? WHAT MAKES IT WORTH IT? Hmmmm, the hardest part is probably funding everything. When it comes to selling merchandise, recording music, and touring, I make virtually no money at all. Especially touring. The aspect that makes it worth it would definitely be the idea that people are actually interested in owning merchandise, listening to my music, and seeing me play live. It’s the craziest thing ever, and it’s well worth frequently losing money and having to keep another job to support this. WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH–

BOTH MUSICALLY AND PERSONALLY–IN THE NEXT YEAR? I graduate from community college in May! As unimpressive as that is, I think it’s a cool personal accomplishment. Musically, I hope to tour a whole lot more and put out a fulllength release rather than an EP or demo. I’m currently working hard to make both possible. What I really, really hope to do is tour as a full band instead of a solo act. Full band shows make me soooooooo happy!

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INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY CLARE KIM WHAT INSPIRED YOU GUYS TO FORM THE BAND BACK IN 2012?

that record, it reminds me of sitting in the Florida sun, eating a burrito.

We’ve all known each other since early high school. The majority of us attended the same school and frequently went to local shows together. We always played in separate bands, but Nathan, Jordan, and myself realized our similar musical viewpoints once we graduated. The three of us recorded our self-titled EP in Nathan’s room over winter break of our freshman year of college. After booking our first few shows and noticing we’d need more members to play the songs, we were lucky enough to get our good friends Ethan and Zac on board.

ARE THERE ANY BANDS THAT HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR MUSIC?

YOU RECENTLY RELEASED YOUR EP, VIBE, BACK IN SEPTEMBER. DO YOU THINK YOUR SOUND HAS DEVELOPED/CHANGED AT ALL SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED MAKING MUSIC? Absolutely. Our taste in music has progressed and broadened over time, which I think had a lot to do with the change of our sound. When we recorded the self-titled EP, we were all jamming a fair amount of pop punk, which I think can be heard in those songs. Since then, all of our musical tastes have branched out in different directions. It’s cool to see everyone bring their own unique views to the table. In our more recent efforts, we tried to avoid conforming to any specific genres and just write whatever sounded best to us. I think that shows in VIBE and even more so in the music we’ve been writing since then.

When we were in the midst of recording our first EP, I think we were mainly drawing influences from The Wonder Years, Transit, and a lot of major-key breakdown easycore bands. I don’t think any of us really listen to that kind of music anymore, although I do know that Ethan still loves Four Year Strong. People tell us our music reminds them of Title Fight. We all love Title Fight. With our new music, we’re touching on a lot of different bands coming from different genres. Emo, hardcore, shoegaze, garage rock, and surf music are all being thrown in the pot with this new material. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU GUYS IN THE NEAR FUTURE? We’ve been hard at work these past six months writing for our debut full-length record. We are in the early stages of recording, and should be releasing that sometime over the summer. We’re also currently booking our first tour of the continental US. We’ll be out mid-June through mid-July, and the solidified dates are on Facebook. We can’t wait to get out to the West Coast and play our first shows on the other side of the country.

YOU PLAY TONS OF SHOWS IN THE BALTIMORE AREA. DO YOU PREFER PLAYING HOMETOWN SHOWS OR GOING OUT ON THE ROAD AND TOURING? We all love playing Baltimore shows. Some good friends who we don’t get to see are usually there. They’re either in other bands on the show, or they’re there to listen to the music. It’s great seeing that there’s a good community where we’re from. With that being said, if it were up to us, we’d honestly prefer to be constantly on the road. It’s humbling to meet so many good people in different places, and to have memories of those experiences. You realize the power the Internet has when you meet people that have heard of your band even though you’re super far from home. IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANY BAND/ARTIST TO TOUR WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE? If I could speak for the band as a whole, I would have to say Pity Sex. Their record, Feast of Love, was released last summer while we were on tour and we spent many weeks listening to that together in the van. Whenever I listen to

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INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY CLARE KIM

HOW DID THE BAND COME ABOUT? I started the band with our drummer Aaron in 2011. We just wanted to write music that no one else in Baltimore was writing and collaborate on something neither of us had done before. Nick and Andrew joined us about a year into the band and really filled out our sound. Personally, I never thought we’d be doing it professionally. I thought we’d play some local shows and break up in a few months. But, luckily, opportunities kept arising, and we went with the flow. HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED ANY MAJOR DIFFICULTIES WHEN YOU WERE FIRST EMERGING ONTO THE MUSIC SCENE? We’ve haven’t had many difficulties when coming into “the scene.” Of course there are the people who think our music is garbage, but I wouldn’t ever hold it against them or get bent out of shape about it. There are a lot of bands I don’t like either. Not all music is for everyone. IN ADDITION TO THE EXCEPTIONAL MUSICAL TALENT, YOUR MUSIC IS ALSO HEAVILY DRIVEN BY EMOTIVE LYRICS. HOW DOES THE SONGWRITING PROCESS USUALLY PAN OUT FOR YOU GUYS? I usually write the skeleton of a song and then take it to 15 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE

the rest of the band. They fill in the spots that I have no idea what to do with or keep me in check with some of my ridiculous ideas. Being in a band for this long, we now know what we like and what we hate in music. We also know each other’s strengths and weaknesses when writing. Now, it’s a science when we write, but it’s still as much fun as it’s always been. DO YOU THINK YOUR SOUND HAS UNDERGONE ANY MAJOR CHANGES SINCE YOU RELEASED YOUR DEBUT EP, MY OLDEST FRIEND, IN 2012? I definitely think our sound has gone through a lot of changes since My Oldest Friend. We used to jam and, when something made even a bit of sense, we’d call it a song. Now we focus on big hooks, strengthening the melodies, and lyrical content. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A BAND UP TO THIS POINT? I’d say my favorite moments are the times when we have a nice place to sleep on the road. It may sound weird, but when we’re all comfortable and chilling is when the greatest jokes come out and the greatest times happen.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ASPECTS ABOUT LIFE ON THE ROAD WHILE TOURING? Everything about the road is great. Even when we’re broken down on the side of the road for hours, we’re still living our dreams. A different city every night, new friends all the time, the good shows, and the bad shows. It’s all an amazing feeling. IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH YOUR MUSIC/LYRICS? I just never want to stop growing as a band. I don’t ever want to feel like we’ve flatlined and can’t accomplish any more as musicians or in the business. I never expected people to relate to my lyrics as much as they do. If I can keep making things that are relatable, I’ll be happy. ARE THERE ANY EXCITING UPCOMING PROJECTS IN THE WORKS / WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOU GUYS IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS? Big things. I can’t say a lot, but we’ve been working our asses off.

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WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START SMOOTH SAILING CLOTHING COMPANY? HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME? I’ve always been involved with design and fashion. Prior to Smooth Sailing, I had never pursued it past making the designs for the band I was in and for other bands that liked our designs. One night in 2011, while on the Vans Warped Tour, I was hanging out with one of my best friends, Randy. We were drinking—probably too much—and we started talking about how we had come to that point in our lives where we wanted to create something special. We realized that we had to forget about failing and just needed to go for it. Live life as it comes and, if you do that, it’s all Smooth Sailing. HOW HAS SMOOTH SAILING DEVELOPED SINCE ITS INCEPTION? HAS THE CREATIVE DIRECTION CHANGED AT ALL? It changes constantly. We are always thinking of creative and different ways to bring something new to the table. WHAT DO YOU THINK SETS YOUR LINE APART FROM OTHER BRANDS? I feel that most brands are selling shirts just to make a buck. I want Smooth Sailing to become its own culture. I want to involve anyone who likes our brand as a fan and a friend, not just some customer. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DESIGN, PAST OR PRESENT? Right now, I love our acid washed ombre dipped shirt. It has this amazing floral pocket design that was made by our friend and SS graphic designer, Bryan Filarksy. YOU’RE CURRENTLY SPONSORING A TOUR FEATURING STAGES AND DARLING PARADE, AND THE ORPHAN, THE POET. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? ARE THERE ANY OTHER TOURS IN THE WORKS? We are! We’ve never done anything like this before and I’m extremely excited about it. We are good friends with Stages & Stereos, and the idea had come up about maybe being a small sponsor on the tour. We had a couple of chats with management, and it just came together. We are also planning on being a vendor on the entire Vans Warped Tour this summer, so that’s gonna be fun (and hot) as well! WHAT’S IN STORE FOR SMOOTH SAILING IN THE NEAR FUTURE, AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE WITH THE LINE? Expanding and growing is the main goal, whether it be with more products, more fans, or more tours. We just want to constantly grow. Luckily, I have Jen (my PR) from Catalyst Group to help me do that. We’ve been working together for some time now, and she’s been able to help us achieve this goal every day by keeping me in line and making sure I’m on top of my shit! I’ve been on tour with other bands over the past few months, and it can be tough to juggle everything, but she’s been an amazing asset to helping SS grow!

CONNECT WITH SMOOTH SAILING CLOTHING: smoothsailingco.com facebook.com/smoothsailingco twitter.com/SmoothSailingCo instagram.com/smoothsailingco

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TOUR MANAGER / MERCH GUY:

eli hawes

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT TOURING WITH MAJOR LEAGUE? My favorite thing would probably be just witnessing how big of an impact the band has on some kids. I’ve had kids come up to the merch table after just meeting the guys, and they’d be in tears because of how much the band helped them in their life. I’ve also seen kids in the crowd, screaming the words with tears just streaming out of their eyes. It’s really an incredible thing. DOES IT EVER GET DIFFICULT TO TRAVEL WITH THE SAME GROUP OF PEOPLE FOR SUCH LONG PERIODS OF TIME? Absolutely. You’re stuck in a van with 4-5 other guys 24/7 anywhere from two weeks to over a month. You’re bound to have some conflicts. You find things about each other that just absolutely annoy you. At the end of the day, you just have to accept those things and move on, because there’s really nothing you can do. WHAT IS A COMMON MISCONCEPTION OF LIFE ON THE ROAD? Everyone thinks that being on the road is just a constant, endless party. It’s definitely fun—don’t get me wrong—but it’s also a LOT of hard work, sleepless nights, and endless stress. The off-days are definitely the best time to party, though. Ha. WHAT DO YOU MISS MOST ABOUT HOME WHEN YOU’RE TOURING? Definitely my dog, and the comfort of sleeping in my own bed. SOME PEOPLE MISTAKENLY ASSUME THAT HANDLING MERCH IS EASY, BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS FAR FROM TRUE. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE JOB? Just dealing with some of the people. After a while, the smallest things become the biggest annoyances. There’s the common “Can I get that black shirt?!” while there are four different black shirts on the racks. Stuff like that. It seems so miniscule, but, after dealing with it day in and day out for weeks on end, it makes my head want to explode. HAVE YOU DONE ANYTHING ELSE ON TOUR BESIDES MERCH? I’ve toured and actually played with my last band, Trophies. Other than that, I’ve only done merch and tour management. HOW AND WHEN DID YOU START WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? I started back when I was about 16 or 17. I started out just playing in multiple bands, ranging from hardcore to pop/punk. As I got older, I 23 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE

realized I’d have a better opportunity to tour/make money if I took the TM/Merch route. Now, here I am. HOW AND WHEN DID YOU START WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? I started back when I was about sixteen or seventeen. I started out just playing in multiple bands, ranging from hardcore to pop/punk. As I got older, I realized I’d have a better opportunity to tour and make money if I took the TM/Merch route. Now, here I am. WHAT ARE YOUR MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS ON TOUR? Ah. I’ll probably leave out the “good” stories, because they generally involve me consuming too much alcohol and making an ass out of myself, so I’d probably say that experiencing the west coast for the first time would be my most memorable moment. It’s a whole different world out there, not to mention that California is probably the most beautiful place I’ve ever been to. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF A FEW YEARS FROM NOW? Not touring. Haha. I love it and have made countless memories and friends from it, but my body hurts and I would much rather just have a stable job at home and not live with my parents.

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future mo

onarchs

INTERVIEW BY ANAM MERCHANT PHOTOS COURTESY OF LENNY GILMORE WHAT INSPIRED YOU GUYS TO FORM THE BAND BACK IN 2010? The band had an interesting formation. Jake and Bobby have been friends since they were kids, and they grew up playing music together. They always played in bands together throughout high school and essentially spoke the same musical language. This project came into fruition when they were about twenty or twenty-one. They wanted to start a project with both of them sharing the role of songwriters. At the time, Bobby was attending Columbia College for audio production and, for a class project, he used a demo that he and Jake made. The demo caught the ear of the teacher, Josh Shapera, who owns his own recording studio. Long story short, Josh enlisted his friend Pat Sansone to help produce and record their demos, and they ended up creating Weird Weather. During that time, they also formed a live band and asked me to join, along with two other longtime friends who have since moved on. YOU USED TO BE UNDER THE NAME “THE DESERTERS.” WHAT MADE YOU CHANGE IT TO “FUTURE MONARCHS”? Legal reasons. Apparently there’s another band from Chicago called Deserters. Our management and lawyer advised us to change it. Future Monarchs was a name that was put together by pulling words out of a hat. It kind of was the only one that wasn’t lame and that we didn’t immediately hate. Unfortunately, there isn’t a juicy story behind it. YOU RECENTLY PLAYED A SXSW SHOWCASE. HOW WAS THAT EXPERIENCE? SXSW was a total blast. Despite it being incredibly stressful to lug our gear back and forth to shows throughout the city, it was a great time. This is the second time we’ve played SXSW, but this year we played our first official showcase. Having the wristband is a huge plus. We saw a ton of great music. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC TO SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER LISTENED TO YOUR BAND? This is always a tough question to answer. I’d say we have a pretty eclectic sound. We have a ton of influences and I think a listener could hear that from song to song. I suppose the goal was to let each song take its own shape and not to confine the arrangements. That’s why the new album has such a variety of instrumentation. YOU’RE FROM CHICAGO, A CITY WITH A HUGE MUSIC SCENE. HAS THAT AFFECTED YOUR BAND IN ANY WAY? Sure, I suppose it has had an effect in some ways. I don’t think Chicago’s music scene had a direct effect on the music for us. I think it is more subconscious: being surrounded by such incredible musicians, bands, artists, venues, record stores, friends, and family is inspiring. IF YOU COULD CHOOSE ANY BAND/ARTIST—DEAD OR ALIVE—TO TOUR WITH, WHO WOULD IT BE? The Beatles, of course. There are a ton of bands that I’d love to tour with, though. The Kinks, David Bowie, The Strokes, The Zombies, Elliott Smith, Neil Young, Talking Heads, Spoon, The Thrills, Ambulance LTD, Phoenix, The Replacements, Supergrass... the list goes on. ARE THERE ANY BANDS THAT HAVE HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR MUSIC? We have an eclectic taste of music, but, at the core, I’d say 60s British Invasion bands and Powerpop from the 70s and 90s. YOU RELEASED WEIRD WEATHER BACK IN 2012. HOW DID PEOPLE RESPOND TO IT? I think the response was pretty positive. We had self released the EP back in 2011 when we were under the name Deserters. Last summer, it was officially released under the British record label Lojinx and we toured in the UK and in Europe to support it. That was such an incredible experience. We were lucky enough to have played every night to packed clubs, and I think we made a few fans out there. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM FUTURE MONARCHS IN THE COMING MONTHS? We plan to do more touring in the US and release our first full-length album as soon as possible. I think the next few months will be exciting. We’re all looking forward to it.

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CONNECT WITH FUTURE MONARCHS: www.facebook.com/FutureMonarchs twitter.com/futuremonarchs instagram.com/futuremonarchs

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SET IT OFF

INTERVIEW AND PHOTOS BY SARAH HOFFMAN

AK = Austin Kerr, bass MD = Maxx Danziger, drums So, just to start us off, how has the tour been going? AK: The tour has been awesome. It feels really good to tour with bands that are so like-minded and have all the kids that come out. Their fans are exactly the kids we’re trying to market to. MD: They’re really friendly too, which I like. There’s a lot of camaraderie going on—a lot of people hopping on for other people’s sets. Usually we have William Beckett come on stage to sing No Control, and sometimes Cody sings for him. So, what’s your favorite aspect of touring then? AK: Uh, definitely not driving. I hate when I have to drive. My favorite part is probably meeting people. MD: I like playing music a lot. You guys have such a great stage presence, but I wasn’t expecting to see what you did tonight with the masks, the storyline, and the stagecraft. As a photographer, it’s really cool to photograph those special things—theatrics, crowd interactions, etc. Do you ever look at the live photos taken of you, and do you have a favorite photo? MD: Favorite live photo? There was one taken by Vladislav Grach at Warped Tour. I’m not usually a guy who gets tan—I’m the whitest person in the world—but I was tan and looked like a badass. I had my arm cranked back, about to wail on a cymbal, and you can see out into the crowd. It just looks so Warped Tour. I’m going to remember that experience forever. This photo captured a memory in my life. So how did you get the inspiration for that setlist? I know you had the storyline…. AK: Yeah it was a spooky story. MD: The record is called Cinematics. We’ve always been a very theatrical band, and we figured, “why not take it a step further?” We always hear, “I love your songs, they tell stories,” so we wanted to tie them all together and create our own story. I haven’t seen another band do that yet. We wanted to try something new and see if it worked. The response has been great, and we’re pretty excited about it. What about the outfits? I know Cody has been wearing the suit during every show for the last couple of years, but you guys had outfits of your own tonight. Where did the inspiration for those come from? AK: The outfits! I don’t know. It’s kind of like we’re evolving. I didn’t do it today because all of my shirts were dirty. Still, I try to do a pocket square or a button up or something whenever I play. Maxx, on the other hand… MD: We generally have the atypical Set It Off look. We have a slight obsession with duality. We like to do all of these different things, so we try to dress up. Cody wears a suit and tie, and it’s an opposite spectrums kind of thing. I feel like that adds to the live show a little bit. Take me through your songwriting process. Is it a collective effort? Who writes what parts? How do they all come together? MD: Usually, Cody and Dan will get together and create the base of a song with melodies and all of that. Then they bring it to the rest of us, and we all tweak it and make it our own. A lot of it is Cody and Dan, though. Once we get to the studio… it’s a melting pot. We all put our ideas in there. Has that process changed between Horrible Kids, Cinematics, and your upcoming album? AK: I don’t think it’s necessarily changed that much. MD: I would say it’s streamlined. With Cody being the main writer, he’s become a lot more comfortable writing songs. Every time we write a record, he gets better and better, and I think now he found his niche. He learned how to write a song in his own way, which is cool. It definitely comes across that way. So, what are you most looking forward to when it comes to writing and producing this upcoming album? AK: We look forward to seeing new ideas become a reality. It’s kind of cool to make those ideas come to fruition and see the way that everything comes together. The thing I don’t look forward to is picking the songs for the album. We have thirty or so songs right now, and it’s going to suck for some songs that I really like to not make the final cut. 31 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE

Maybe release those as a B-side? AK: Maybe. With Cinematics, we had another ten songs that didn’t make it. Sometimes we hold onto songs because we might end up taking a pre-chorus from one song and putting it into a different track. A lot of our songs have elements from songs that didn’t make it in the past. My favorite description of your music is ‘symphonic rock,’ and the horns are a unique aspect of your sound. How did that come about, and will we hear more of them in the upcoming album? AK: Yeah, I think that’s a Set It Off thing. What we’ve come to be is the band that has all of the orchestral elements. Cody and Dan both went to school for music so they’re trained classically. MD: Marching band and things like that. AK: Yeah, high school band... When were first trying to individualize ourselves and figure out who we really were, it made a lot of sense to bring those elements in there because a lot of bands either don’t necessarily have that or aren’t necessarily able to think of it. It’s kind of cool. It adds different elements and fills spaces. The purpose of Continuum Magazine is to showcase the dedicated and passionate bands in the music industry. Who are some of your favorite up-and-coming artists? MD: State Champs, for one. I never really listened to them before this tour. I really like pop-punk music, and they’re my currently one of my favorite pop-punk bands. It’s a group of hardworking, nice guys. They know what they’re doing, and they’re incredible musicians and songwriters. AK: Yeah, they’re great. They’re just awesome. MD: I mean, there are tons. We could go on for days, but that’s just one band that sticks out in my mind. What can we expect to see from Set It Off in the near future? MD: Music…. Music and touring. AK: Our faces? Our faces, probably. We’ll probably keep those on. MD: We’re hitting the studio right after this tour, in April and a little bit of May. From then on, it’s just going to be promoting the new music—letting it come out, seeing what people think, and touring forever. AK: Yeah, there will probably be more storylines and more interesting ways to mix it up. I have no idea when we’re going to do another headliner, but, when we do, we have a couple of ideas and ways to make it unique. We’re aiming for a ‘night to remember’ sort of thing. MD: We’re excited.

CONNECT WITH SET IT OFF: setitoffband.com www.facebook.com/setitoffband twitter.com/setitoff youtube.com/setitoffband

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Very few bands formed during the tentative years of high school are able to endure the dynamic passage of time. Still, some of these bands are able to not only withstand the vying struggle of the music industry, but also progress exponentially in the process. One of these bands is Citizen, an indie/emo punk quintet hailing from Ohio and Michigan. The band—comprised of Mat Kerekes (vocals), Nick Hamm (guitar), Ryland Oehlers (guitar), Eric Hamm (bass), and Jake Duhaime (drums)—has quickly emerged as one of the most promising and auspicious bands in the alternative industry today. In early 2012, Citizen signed to Run For Cover Records—a label most notably known for signing underground indie/punk/emo/alternative/post-hardcore bands and rapidly fostering their quick expansion onto the horizon of the general public eye. Shortly thereafter, the band released their debut EP, Young States, which was received with great praise and acclaim from both music critics and fans alike. Showing great versatility while varying from post-hardcore to more composed sounds, Citizen exhibited promising potential for future endeavors through their debut release. In the same year, the band continued on their journey towards their current success as they released a split with Turnover, another band signed under RFC Records. This four-track split includes the band’s hits “Drown” and “I’m Sick of Waiting,” both of which quintessentially embody Citizen’s overall integrity. Not even a year after releasing their debut EP, the still relatively underground band came out with their first full-length album, Youth. In comparison to Young States, which illustrated a widespread musical diversity, Youth indicated that Citizen had been able to solidify a more cohesive, yet still distinct, sound. With heavily guitar-driven tracks that flawlessly integrated emotive, angst-ridden lyrics, Youth offered an idyllic equilibrium for an extensive and wide range of fans. Immediately following the successful release of their debut album, Citizen joined the lineup of Vans Warped Tour for the entire summer of 2013. This run further promoted their newly released discography, while also building upon their already strong fanbase. But in such a competitive musical era, how exactly did Citizen gain such a rapidly growing fanbase in a few short years? In addition to touring as part of the Vans Warped Tour in 2013, Citizen has toured with a myriad of prominent bands in the alternative scene, such as The Wonder Years, Man Overboard, and The Story So Far. Although constant touring undoubtedly won over a large and supportive group of fans, Citizen’s music holds a distinct ambience to it that no other band in the scene is able to emulate. The band’s ability to surpass all modern conventional musical boundaries assists them in creating a sound that is all their own while simultaneously intriguing new listeners. Although Citizen has already accomplished things that most bands only hope to achieve some day, the band has no plans to slow down. Pretty soon, they will be heading out for Skate and Surf Festival, Bled Fest, Riot Fest, and a headlining tour that includes shows in the US, Canada and Europe. Whether it be through tours or new music, Mat, Nick, Eric, Jake, and Ryland’s collective ambition, determination, and passion for what they do will inevitably lead them to new heights of success for years to come.

CITIZEN HAS BEEN PLAYING BIGGER

really cool to have the chance to play differ-

ROOMS/STAGES THAN USUAL ON THE

ent venues on each tour.

GREATEST GENERATION TOUR. DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR SMALLER,

IN REGARDS TO TOURS IN GENERAL,

MORE INTIMATE SHOWS OR LARGER

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ASPECTS

ONES?

OF LIFE ON THE ROAD? WHAT ARE THE

I generally prefer small rooms, but it’s great

MOST DIFFICULT ASPECTS?

to have the contrast of playing these the-

As we continue to tour, I become more and

atres and huge clubs. It makes me appreci-

more fond of certain cities, so it’s really fun

ate the small rooms a lot more. Besides, it’s

returning to these places that I become

increasingly familiarized with each time

FESSIONALLY, OR DID IT JUST FALL INTO

we play there. The most difficult aspect of

PLACE?

touring is long drives, without a doubt. First

Most of us have played together for years

you get no sleep. Then you ride in a van for

prior to Citizen. Eric and I are brothers so

eight hours or whatever. I never get used to

I think weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re sort of a package deal at this

it.

point. When the band first started, Mat and I were freshmen or sophomores in high

HOW DID THE BAND COME ABOUT? DO

school, so there was no immediate thought

YOU THINK YOU GUYS ALWAYS HAD AN

of playing full time or anything. I think as

INNATE DESIRE TO PURSUE MUSIC PRO-

high school drew to a close, things started

falling into place and we had that decision

the music we wanted to play, and we had

to make. Luckily, I think we made the right

fun doing it. We’ve met a lot of our closest

one.

friends through being in a band and that helps so much. Really my best advice is just

IS THERE ANYTHING IN PARTICU-

to do fun and exciting stuff. Push past your

LAR THAT YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH

creative boundaries.

THROUGH YOUR MUSIC/LYRICS? The only thing I can really hope for in re-

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORA-

sponse to our music is people allowing us to

BLE EXPERIENCE AS A BAND UP TO THIS

evolve. We’re young. Our tastes, influences,

POINT?

and wants are always changing. It’s really

Most memorable experience might be our

cool that people can really like one thing we

record release show for Youth. That was

do, but can also appreciate us taking an op-

truly one of the best nights of my life. A lot

portunity to be more creative or branch out

of friends combined with it being one of

and do something we haven’t yet.

the coolest (and hottest) shows we’ve ever played made it very memorable.

COULD YOU TAKE US THROUGH THE SONGWRITING PROCESS? WHERE DO

BESIDES CITIZEN, DO YOU GUYS HAVE

YOU GUYS MAINLY DERIVE INSPIRATION

ANY OTHER HOBBIES THAT YOU ENJOY

FROM WHEN WRITING LYRICS?

AND/OR PURSUE?

Generally, I write with my main focus on

I’m a freelance graphic designer, so art plays

the instruments. Mat is the opposite, where

a huge role in my life. I recently started a

his main focus is the lyrics. I think in that

side thing called Latch, which is similar to

sense, we make for a really good team. I

Creation Records style stuff. Jake plays in a

will write something and run it through the

bunch of other bands (Freedom, Aksumite,

Mat blender. He’ll do the same and run it

Ornamental Headpiece, One by One). Mat

through the Nick blender. I really like the

writes a lot of music under his name and is

way we do things. Every song on our last re- about to do his first tour off of it. He also record was in response to a change in life.

cords music when he’s home. Ryland is currently becoming a cook at this great Italian

LIKE ALL BANDS, YOU’VE PROBABLY EN-

place in Toledo. Eric is extremely passionate

COUNTERED SOME DIFFICULTIES WHEN

about becoming the most successful shoe

YOU WERE FIRST EMERGING ONTO THE

salesman in the Midwest. Eric and I played

MUSIC SCENE. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU

tennis in high school and, every now and

GUYS TO MOVE PAST THE CHALLENGES

then, we get out to the courts. He loses, of

IN ORDER TO GET TO WHERE YOU ARE

course, but we gotta keep that guy active!

TODAY? We tried to ignore naysayers, we played

I THINK AS WE GET OLDER, WE FIND OURSELVES

MORE INFLUENCED BY THINGS WE DIDN’T THINK WOULD

“MAKE SENSE” IN OUR MUSIC. WE JUST END UP FINDING

C R E A T I V E W AY S TO IMPLEMENT INFLUENCES, EVEN IF THOSE INFLUENCES

AREN’T EVEN MUSIC.

Eric Hamm bass

Mat Kerekes vocals

Ryland Oehlers guitar

Nick Hamm guitar

Jake Duhaime drums

YOU GUYS HAVE ESTABLISHED

think would “make sense” in our

A VERY LARGE AND LOYAL FAN

music. We just end up finding cre-

BASE THAT IS CONSTANTLY

ative ways to implement influences,

GROWING. DID YOU EVER THINK

even if those influences aren’t even

THAT YOU GUYS WOULD BE AS

music.

SUCCESSFUL AS YOU ARE TODAY?

DO YOU THINK YOUR SOUND

I never truly know how to gauge

HAS UNDERGONE ANY CHANGES

the size or success of our band, so

BETWEEN YOUNG STATES AND

it’s really hard for me to say I nev-

YOUTH?

er thought we’d be here because

Oh yeah. I don’t even think we’re

I’m not really sure where we’re at. I

the same band that we were when

am, however, really happy with the

we wrote Young States. Those were

things we’ve accomplished since

sixteen-year-old versions of Mat

high school.

and I just going for it. With Youth, we had a slightly better idea about

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN

what we were doing. Even then, we

RESPONSE TO YOUR ACHIEVE-

weren’t totally sure about how to

MENTS AS A BAND UP TO THIS

form a cohesive piece of music.

POINT? We’ve done things that I’m really

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE

proud of and we’ve played tours

IN THE NEAR FUTURE? ARE

that I never would’ve expected. I’m

THERE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS

never content though, and I’m al-

IN THE WORKS (NEW MUSIC,

ways looking to achieve bigger and

TOURS, ETC)?

better things.

We’re really hoping to devote the next year or two to putting the

ARE THERE ANY OTHER BANDS/

most creativity into Citizen—more

ARTISTS THAT HAVE HAD A PRO-

than we ever have. We started to

FOUND IMPACT ON YOUR MUSIC?

write new music and work on some

If you asked each member of our

really fun things that I can’t talk

band, you would get five different

about. I’ll just say that if you like

answers. We each bring our own

Citizen, the next year is going to be

specific taste to the table, and I

really exciting.

think that’s really good. I think as we get older, we find ourselves more influenced by things we didn’t

PHOTOS & INTERVIEW BY CLARE KIM 46 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

ingrid michaelson PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

wild cub PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

ALL TIME LOW PHOTO BY CLARE KIM

CHIODOS PHOTO BY SARAH HOFFMAN

PHOTO BY ANAM MERCHANT

PHOTOS BY ANAM MERCHANT

cold night

artist: you me at six release date: april 27, 2014 review by anita nham The British pop/rock quintet known as You Me At Six rose to fame

in 2008 from the success of their debut album, Take Off Your Colours. Since then, they have released three albums, including their latest record, Cavalier Youth, which rightfully scored the number one spot on the UK charts back in January. Prior to embarking on their extensive European tour in order to promote their new release, Josh, Chris, Matt, Max, and Dan announced that they will release their track “Cold Night” as part of an EP on April 27th. The four-track EP includes the title-track, which already appears on Cavalier Youth, as well as live versions of their previous singles, “Fresh Start Fever” and “Lived A Lie.” In addition to these aforementioned tracks, the fourth song is a cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together.” “Cold Night” is the perfect track to open the EP. While it starts off slow, the track quickly enlivens about a minute in and soon takes on a life of its own. With an infectious chorus that consists of “Don’t you let me go this time / don’t go baby it’s time for us to know / don’t go honey this way we’ll never know,” the remarkably exceptional nature of this initial track is paralleled by the similarly phenomenal qualities of the following tracks. The live versions of both “Fresh Start Fever” and “Lived A Lie” sound very raw and prove to be incredibly impressive. The live acoustics make it easier to focus strictly on the lyrics and the harmonies without being distracted by the background noise. Their soft sounds make the songs perfect for any restless night. The final track on the EP is a cover of “Come Together.” Although The Beatles are that one-of-a-kind band with music that is extremely hard to reproduce respectably, You Me At Six superseded any doubts through this cover. While respecting and living up to The Beatles’ talent and quality, the band was able to put a twist on it by underscoring their own idiosyncrasies and flairs throughout the song. This classic is a smart and successful way to close an EP.

cope

artist: manchester orchestra release date: april 1, 2014 review by jade smith Manchester Orchestra consists of

vocalist/songwriter/guitarist Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince, drummer Tim Very, and keyboardist/percussionist Chris Freeman. Since its inception in 2004, the Georgia-based band has released four studio albums and several extended plays. Their newest album, Cope, was released on April 1st in collaboration with producer Dan Hannon, the mastermind who worked on their last three major studio releases. With the successes of Simple Math and Mean Everything to Nothing under their belt, it is no wonder that the expectations for this album were high. In the two years since the release of the subtle, ethereal sounds of Simple Math, Manchester Orchestra returned to a darker, unrestrained place that is more reminiscent of Mean Everything to Nothing. Hard-hitting tracks like “Top Notch” and “All I Really Wanted” possess an intensity and energy that cannot be ignored. Their signature grit and heaviness are showcased in the songs “Trees” and “Cope” by rich guitar riffs and pounding drums. Their powerful sound continues across slower tracks effortlessly, much like in the anthem “Every Stone.” Similarly, “The Mansion” is a harmonious song that dives into driving melodies. Manchester Orchestra has always had a very candid element to their music, using it to connect to their fans on a deeply emotional level. The seamless transition from song to song adds to the flawlessly cohesive sound of the album and allows listeners to enjoy it without any interruptions. Echoing beliefs, fears, and doubts, Cope aims to reflect the anxieties of living. These solemn tales of angst and trouble plague all of us, and, much like the album title, we must learn to cope with our demons at some point in our lives. Overall, Manchester Orchestra’s Cope lives up to the band’s distinguished reputation of album consistency. The album gives clear-cut evidence of their steady progression as a band, and any doubts you may have about it will surely dissipate within the first few seconds.

64 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE

The Used’s albums have always been no-

table for their catchy riffs, raw vocals, and honest lyrics. Imaginary Enemy is no different. However, the message that the band conveys through their latest release is their most prominent yet–it’s a call to action. Each song rallies individuals to take a stand and change the world.

imaginary enemy artist: the used release date: april 1, 2014 review by sahira zulkifli

The album wastes no time in setting the tone with opening track “Revolution,” an arena-ready, yell-along rock anthem that is unabashed in its straightforward lyrics against all of the corruption in the world. The vocals are full of angst, yet the words are brimming with optimism for the future: “So from now on I pledge allegiance / To a world that’s so much different / No one suffers, everyone is free / Revolutions starts with me.” Their single “Cry” follows in the same fashion, with a vindictive but catchy chorus that is sure to get fans singing along.

“A Song To Stifle Imperial Progression (A Work In Progress)” is genius in its title alone, and it is probably the heaviest number on the album, both musically and lyrically. It speaks out against the United States’ violent involvement in the war on terror and how that invites more trouble. “Generation Throwaway,” another anthem, is lyrically inspiring and instrumentally beautiful. You can definitely expect this to be a crowd favorite for concerts. The rest of the album is a mix of more heavy tunes and rock ballads, although some songs are a blend of the two. The album eventually winds down with big ballads “Force Without Violence,” “Kenna Song,” and “Overdose” quietly delivering a more emotional and relatable touch. Imaginary Enemy is an in-your-face political rally packaged within powerful vocals, catchy guitar riffs, beefy bass lines, and angry drums. This album is capable of inspiring a new generation of The Used fans while simultaneously pleasing old ones.

lost forever // lost together artist: architects release date: march 7, 2014 review by emma andrews Lost Forever//Lost Together, the sixth studio release from British metalcore band Architects, was released in early March through Epitaph Records. Fans and the band alike can rejoice in knowing that Architects have found their way again—reverting to the progressive, heavy feeling from the Daybreaker/Hollow Crown era rather than continuing with the misguided attempt that was their 2011 release, The Here and Now. Lost Forever gives fans a perfectly even flow of heavy and light throughout the entirety of the album. This is shown in the transformation of front man Sam Carter’s guttural screams into passion-driven clean vocals on tracks like “Youth is Wasted On the Young,” and in the sweeping melodies juxtaposing against fast paced, progressive breakdowns. Taking a step outside of the current metalcore mold, Lost Forever implements diverse structural breaks, as well as a mix of intense, thudding breakdowns and infectious hooks. With this holistically standout record, Architects quickly climbed to the top of the metalcore charts in both the UK and America. After returning to their musical roots and disregarding the typical modern metal band breakdown formula, Architects have set the bar high for their musical peers. Their refined, intricate compositions on this album are some that the progressive genre as a whole should aspire to attain.

66 // CONTINUUM MAGAZINE