Issue 14: Arden Jones

I ssue14

November2022

Ar d e nJ Jo o n e s Ar d e n J o n e s Ar d e n n e s Bl ueRi dgeRockFest i val• 93 FeetofSmoke J essySchr am • Fi r ef l y•MaeveSt eel e Ri valLi ve• J ust usBennet t s

93 Feet of Smoke

Jessy Schram

Maeve Steele

Justus Bennetts

Writer: Ashley Vitarelli Photographer: Heather Koepp Stylist: Camille Bersier Clothing by 5 Star Vintage

Writer: Danielle Taylor Photographer: Heather Koepp

Writer: Ashley Vitarelli Photographer: Heather Koepp Stylist: Camille Bersier Hair: Terra Rose Puncerelli MUA: Jessica Ahn

Writer: Olivia Vitarelli Photographer: Heather Koepp

Editor in Chief Heather Koepp Layout Design By Liat Halmos 2

Arden Jones

Writer: Olivia Vitarelli Photographer: Heather Koepp Stylist: Claudia Avila

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2 TEAM CREDITS 4 BLUE RIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL 22 93 FEET OF SMOKE 36 JESSY SCHRAM 50 FIREFLY 52 ARDEN JONES 62 MAEVE STEELE 74 RIVAL LIVE 84 JUSTUS BENNETTS

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NOTHING MORE

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93 FEET OF SMOKE By: Ashley Vitarelli For many recording artists, collecting over 77 million Spotify streams, receiving acclaim from top music publications such as Earmilk and Elevator Magazine, and collaborating with some of the biggest names in the industry is the dream. For 93FEETOFSMOKE, however, it is reality. Outfitted with a style and a sound that is uniquely 93FEETOFSMOKE — from vocals that are unfiltered, raw, and real to explosive and captivating soundscapes that take listeners on a dynamic sonic journey — the gifted artist has gathered a vast and loyal fanbase and compiled an impressive discography. In fact, if 93FEETOFSMOKE’s recent debut album is any indication, this is just the start for the talented creative.

“I moved around a lot, chased ice cream trucks, and played outside in the woods,” the artist recalls about growing up. “My parents had a huge collection of CDs that I would put in a player and try to find songs I liked. I got my first guitar for Christmas in third grade. It was a $99 starter guitar and I didn’t really take it that seriously, I just played by ear to songs I liked. I didn’t start taking music seriously until way later in life when I was in college and got super into production and bass and jungle music.”

It was in college when 93FEETOFSMOKE began to thrive in the underground music scene in North Carolina and first started collecting fiercely dedicated fans. “It was really unexpected,” the singer says of gathering fans. “I definitely had a big imposter syndrome feeling from that. I just wanted to be around the music scene and other people who were making music and pursuing their creative passions. To have people actually rocking with my music was something I never at all expected.”

On a similar note of unexpected joys, another pleasant surprise came to 93FEETOFSMOKE upon discovering that making money from music was not only possible, but happening. “My big break was really just making $100 off of streaming for the first time,” the singer recalls. “Around 2015 or 2016 there was a moment when I matched the average amount I would receive from my restaurant paycheck with music. That was a huge moment for me and really solidified the feeling that surviving off of art could actually be possible.”

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Flash forward to 2020, when once again, the unexpected came to pass for 93FEETOFSMOKE — this time in the form of a collaboration with Savage Ga$p and a hit track called “Pumpkins Scream In the Dead of Night.”

“I don’t think either one of us expected it to get over 67 million Spotify streams and 10 million cumulative YouTube views at all,” the artist shares. “That’s how it always goes though, the ones that you think are it usually aren’t.

It’s the ones that you didn’t put that much thought into that become the ones that translate the most across an audience.”

Indeed, 93FEETOFSMOKE is an incredibly gifted collaborator, a fact that is further proven by the hit 2022 single with Phem and Tosh the Drummer. “One night I was about to fall asleep and I just heard the hook in my head so I recorded a voice memo and finished the song with my producer homies Aaron Osborne and Orion Meshorer a few days later,” the recording artist says of the creative process behind the track. “That’s usually how most songs go for me — it’s hearing it in its entirety in my head first and rushing to get it made on the computer before I forget how it sounds.”

93FEETOFSMOKE’s music runs the stylistic gamut, with highly intense tracks to more cathartic and gentle ones such as “All I Ever Wanted,” a song that is “really just about the human condition of achieving your goal and experiencing those goal posts shift downfield in real time,” the creative shares. “It happens to everyone. The ‘I got what I wanted why am I not happy’ paradox. After every success you’ll eventually notice that ugly thought lingering in the background. It’s the shadow on the walls of all of our human pursuits and it’s super normal to feel that way but it’s not real. Your brain is just lying to you, trust me you’d be feeling even worse if you didn’t achieve that goal. The never ending pursuit of happiness is kind of the point of life, isn’t it?”

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The powerful way that 93FEETOFSMOKE can write about the human condition is something that the artist attributes to perspective. “My music is just an audio manifestation of my own experiences in life,” the creative notes. “Everything is vibration and the vibrations that sound good to you and are subsequently created by you have absolutely everything to do with your environment and the energies you are surrounded with. The power of music is everything. Sound can be a weapon. Sound can be healing. Music can be a ritual. Music can be a community. Music can be absolutely anything. Music is really just a collected arrangement of syncopated tonalities and vibrations and those respective tones and vibrations are incredibly tied to our physical and metaphysical world and have the ability to do a lot of things that I think humanity doesn’t even realize.”

For career highlights, the singer notes “making music, meeting other artists, and meeting other passionate people. Even though touring is hard and draining, it has been the source of some of my favorite moments. Being on the road with my friends back in 2018 and 2019 was such a cool experience — being on stage and singing songs with people that you’ve never met before but feel inexplicably linked to, sharing an unspoken connection with people and just looking into their eyes and feeling that and knowing it.” As for musical motivations, 93FEETOFSMOKE has many, listing Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, Curren$y, Bassnectar, and Bladee. “I love the experience of creating new concepts and trying to come up with new ways to present said concept to the world in a way that maybe hasn’t been done before,” 93FEETOFSMOKE shares. “Art is super important to me and super important for the world and the world’s different cultures.”

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Looking towards the future, 93FEETOFSMOKE has many exciting things on the horizon, including “tons of new songs, a new album, new EPs, and lots of new music and events!” Indeed, if 93FEETOFSMOKE’s career so far is any indication of what is still to come, the creative’s future is beyond bright. 93FEETOFSMOKE represents the kind of star that is always getting bigger, always shining, and always making the world a better, more authentic place. “Making music is therapeutic and I know it’s a tired thing to say but that’s the reason why I do what I do,” the singer says. “It’s always been for myself. Over the years people find the music and relate to it and then you meet these people and they tell you their life stories and there are so many parallels to your own life story and it’s honestly a bit cathartic and also a bit daunting. There are certain albums or songs in my discography where I can understand almost exactly what you’re experiencing in your own life based on what specific song or album you tell me resonated with you as a listener.

It’s like an instant understanding of each other. I am endlessly grateful for those that resonate with my music. It lets us both know that we are not at all alone in these unique life experiences.”

Photographer: Heather Koepp Stylist: Camille Bersier Clothing by 5 Star Vintage

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JESSY SCHRAM By: Ashley Vitarelli Multi-hyphenate Jessy Schram has been dazzling screens and enchanting audiences for years. Provisioned with intrinsic talent and a unique capacity to deliver one captivating performance after another, she has solidified herself as one of the most formidable faces in the industry, bringing beloved characters to life in magnetic and mesmerizing ways. From hit television shows to fan-favorite films and everything in between, Jessy Schram’s experience in the business speaks for itself, demonstrating her sheer star power time and time again.

“I grew up in Buffalo Grove, a Northwest suburb of Chicago, in a very modest and hardworking family,” Schram recalls. “My parents had a screen printing business that they started out of our garage and I grew up alongside my older sister and brother.” It was this environment that fostered Schram’s initial interest in performing, an interest that she wasted no time in exploring. “I’ve always loved performing,” she shares. “My mom would take me to nursing homes and to my great grandpa’s house often just so I could sing the same songs over and over and over again. It didn’t need to be in front of people though, I’d be in my room singing those same songs, acting out stories on my own. My siblings and I would make SNLinspired fake commercials on our VHS camera and put on plays in our backyards. I loved performing.”

That love for performance inherent in Schram’s being soon manifested itself in the world of acting. “I started acting when I was about 10 years old,” she explains.

“Since commercials and radio were really the only things going on in Chicago at that time, I never had to be home schooled full time or miss a lot of activities for long periods due to filming. Growing up I was fully in ‘normal kid’ mode, the only difference was that after school I’d get dropped off on Michigan Ave to perform in a theatre production or head to auditions! I think the first time I realized I could be on the ‘real TV’ was when a friend in grade school went to an open casting call for Harriet The Spy and I asked my mom if I could go with her. My friend got a call back, I didn’t, but I asked my mom if I could try again. She helped find me an agent and I auditioned and auditioned over and over again until doors started opening. I was in the business at a young age working, but then I was also participating in all the highs and lows of common pre-teen and teenage life in the suburbs.”

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From teenage life in the suburbs to teenage dreams coming true in Los Angeles, when Jessy Schram was 17, she headed off to Hollywood. “I went to LA for the first time when I was 17, after getting a callback for my first pilot audition,” she notes. “It felt worth it at the time to fly all the way out to LA, so my mom flew out with me and booked a room at the Extended Stay Suites in Burbank, before the strip mall was really built up. The audition process kept getting extended with all the different steps, so we kept extending the stay. In that time I booked my first ever TV gig on Drake and Josh for Nickelodeon. Let’s just say ‘Hollywood’ felt awesome. It was my first time in LA and my first time in TV and film. I remember noticing weird things, like the highways didn’t have a lot of billboards like Illinois and that they were very dark without a lot of lights. What people in California consider hills, I still consider mountains. Venice was my favorite spot and we would drive to the beach almost every day.”

Soon, everything about LA became an every day occurrence. “I moved to LA on my own after graduating high school,” Schram explains. “It’s pretty amazing because I had plans to move, but then booked a gig and moved a day earlier with a job in my pocket. It’s such a rare scenario to move to LA with a job and it definitely shaped my experience first starting out alone in the very different world of LA.” Indeed, despite being relatively new to Los Angeles, it did not take long for Jessy Schram to make her mark on the town. “I would say being a part of Veronica Mars was a different kind of break for me,” she recalls. “It was my first recurring character and gig and the first time I went on location. I had gone in to read for ‘Girl Number 1’ and the casting director, Deedee Bradley, asked me to look over some other sides. So I went in the hall, learned the lines, and then went back in and read for Hannah and booked the job. It was the first time I played a character through more than one episode and a job that definitely gave me a stepping stone.”

Indeed, Schram’s career was only getting started. “I’ve gotten to work on projects that have transformed me as a person and as a performer,” she reflects.

“Falling Skies was the first show that became like a family to me and an opportunity to help mold a character in a way that was new to me. I consistently learned so much from all the actors, crew members, and creators within the process and was able to take that into the next job. Last Resort was similar in the extent of feeling the trust that was given to bring the story to life. It was an adventure of its own filming in Hawaii. Something fun I valued a lot while working on this job was that I had the ability to meet with different Navy wives based in Pearl Harbor that were generous enough to share their stories and experiences, which brought me closer to my character and another culture I didn’t know much about.”

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Jessy Schram’s name quickly became synonymous with some of the top shows on television. From Mad Men to Once Upon a Time, Schram shared her talent with countless iconic roles and programs. “Mad Men was a show I was already a super fan of before walking onto set,” Schram explains. “I auditioned for a part that I thought would have just a few lines in one episode because I just wanted to be part of it all, not realizing it was going to be a larger storyline and presence than just those few lines!

Being a part of the show was definitely a milestone for me and because I was such a fan of the work, it was exciting and then also a little terrifying because I wanted to live up to the standards! The creator, producers, writers, cast, and crew had such great attention to detail. It was also the first role that I felt like I was stepping into the shoes of a ballsy, confident woman. Everything about the experience was a fun challenge that I got to do with a group of people that brought their best each day. It’s one of my favorite experiences and roles.”

As for Once Upon a Time, “it was scary and beyond fun,” Schram recalls. “It was special to be a part of such an epic show from the beginning, before it aired, because we didn’t know what everything looked like yet. We didn’t know how people would react and how it would come together. So taking this beloved character that the world, including myself, has an emotional attachment to, and then adding layers that were brand new from the creators, Eddie and Adam, was a trust exercise in myself and them!

I remember feeling that I wanted to fill those shoes and the vision that they had so badly and to not disappoint people in playing this iconic character! Everyone brought their A-game and it set a high standard which I’m happy for.”

In addition to television, Jessy Schram is also an absolute force in many cherished Hallmark movies. “My favorite part of Hallmark movies is the connection and response from the audience,” she shares. “The movies are fun to make and I’m obsessed with rom-coms, so I love the romance and the journey of getting to the happily ever after.

I genuinely enjoy the joy that it brings the audience and being a part of people’s happiness. We film those movies in three weeks, so the whole thing is a bit of whirlwind! We accomplish a lot in each day on a schedule that is pretty packed. For me, on these movies, I’m usually in every scene unless it’s more of an ensemble cast, so there’s not much time for anything other than doing the scenes! I’m there bright and early with hair and make up, and depending on the activity of each scene we’ll have five to seven scenes a day and location changes and scene set ups. During lunch, I take a nap and then shovel my food down real quick back on the way to set. I wrap with everyone else, head to the hotel, heat up my frozen dinner, take an epsom salt bath, and practice my lines for the next day!”

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The fantastic talent of Jessy Schram does not stop there. Indeed, she is also a skilled musician. “I love singing,” she notes. “It’s somewhat of my first love. I started writing melodies when I was young and then learned some light guitar and started coming up with ideas. Music is definitely something I do as an outlet and something that I use a little more as therapy. I absolutely love playing with other musicians.

While filming Nashville I discovered that playing with a full band was the greatest sensation ever! I don’t know how to explain the feeling, but music hits a different chord inside and it’s satisfying.”

Most recently, Schram can be seen in one of her most beloved and awe-inspiring roles yet, portraying Dr. Hannah Asher on the hit NBC series Chicago Med — a part that had a less than traditional audition process. “The audition process was an adventure,” she explains. “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to audition because it came in late at night and the film dates conflicted with a bucket list trip I was leaving for the next day — a surf camp in Nicaragua. I remember looking at the audition sides when I got them and thinking, I’m going to kick myself if I don’t try for this. There was something different about the audition that grabbed my attention and about who Hannah was and what her journey might be. So I filmed it real quick before my flight and sent the tape in not thinking anything would come of it. Two days later, I got a call from the director of the episode with a handful of notes, asking if I could send in another tape. This, of course, was the first time ever I didn’t bring makeup or any kind of vanities to help with my appearance. So I woke up at 4:00AM — howler monkeys in the background — wore one of the girls’ sleep shirts from the camp because it was the only professional and doctor-ish looking thing anyone had, put bug spray in my hair to fluff it up, and my mom read the audition with me over the phone while I acted with an X on the wall. It was so not how I prep for an audition. But I got the call a day later that I booked it and was in Chicago two days after that, filming my first scene as Hannah Asher on Chicago Med. I’m glad I trusted my gut on that one!”

Schram’s sensational resume outfitted with incredible roles and experiences speaks to her impressive prowess as a creative, while her mature and profound perspective on the industry speaks to her remarkable wisdom as a person. “I’ve noticed that a lot of the time I’ll get a role or storyline of something I’m personally needing to work on,” she shares. “Something within the character resonates in a different way, or I’ll have learned something in the process of the filming that was super helpful to my personal world. Not always, but it definitely happens. I think that both my creative and life skills are constantly growing and they take different turns at different times periods. What’s great about what I do for a living, is that it’s necessary to live life and observe your own self and situations. I get to pull experiences from my life and career into each other whenever it’s necessary.”

Her wisdom also extends to charity work and making the world a better place.

“I have a few organizations that I work closely with that mean the world to me,” Schram says. “I’d like to focus on Corazon de Vida, which is a charity that umbrellas over 12 different orphanages in Baja, California. The kids range from one month

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to 17 years old. One of the reasons I love CDV is that any funds they receive go into the fundamentals that help support a child or teenager. Think basic necessities — nutrition, a balanced diet, plumbing, clothing, a safe place to live. In the 16 years I’ve known them, they’ve expanded into providing school supplies, uniforms, education, workshops where trade skills are taught, and they do weekends where all different doctors will be provided to give health care. They now have college graduates who have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, and hair stylists. They provide a world in which these children and young adults are able to create a life and support themselves when they leave. I used to go on trips constantly and be able to play with the kids and see everything in action first hand — anyone can visit, you’ve just got to get yourself signed up and to a bus! I learned that love is a universal language, that effort in communication goes a long way, and that consistency gives security. Corazon de Vida and their volunteers do that on a physical and emotional level. Volunteering with them for so many years really gave me a sense of purpose and connection.”

In the same way that Schram finds purpose and connection in volunteering, so many people find purpose and connection in the characters that she portrays and the stories that she shares. “My favorite part of my work is getting to be a part of something that makes people feel something,” she shares. “I get to portray a voice, a story, a point of view that makes someone think, makes someone feel. Being on set is one my favorite things, it’s my happy place. Collaborating and talking to all different people, I love that because of my work I get to go inside worlds, learn things, and meet people that I never normally would get the opportunity to. The power of storytelling is massive. It’s the connection that brings understanding, empathy, exposure, reflection, relief, and imagination. Storytelling exposes us to a connection with our hearts and thoughts.”

To summarize Jessy Schram in one word would simply be an impossible task. In truth, she is many things: a TV icon, a movie star, a singer — but allow us to simplify. Jessy Schram is a monumentally talented and conscientious creative making the world a more connected, understanding, and better place through her art. “I’ve gotten to work with so many talented and generous actors — luckily ones that have also been great human beings,” she reflects.

“It can be exciting and empowering to play in a scene alongside someone whose work you’ve admired, to be present with people that are so good at what they do, and to get to stretch your own abilities. I’m constantly learning from the people around me. No matter how large or unknown their name may be in the spotlight, I love creating with people that care.”

Photographer: Heather Koepp Stylist: Camille Bersier Hair: Terra Rose Puncerelli MUA: Jessica Ahn

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ARDEN JONES

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ARDEN JONES By: Olivia Vitarelli Bright. Carefree. Welcoming. Fun. These are the four words singer-songwriter Arden Jones uses to describe his sound, and, coincidentally, they’re the four words we’d use to describe him. With over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify and an already vast discography, Arden shows no signs of stopping. He sat down with RIVAL to chat all things family, touring, the age tapes, and the bonding power of good music.

“I definitely came from a musical family,” Arden says. “I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. My dad was in a band in college for all four years. He was the lead singer and he’s just super talented. My mom’s a music lover and she writes poetry and is just creative. I have two older sisters. They’re also both super musical and have great voices. So all that influence was huge for me.”

Beyond immediate family, Arden reveals Mac Miller, Prince, Greenday, and Spoon were some of the many key influences for him growing up. “I turned my family on to Mac Miller when I was pretty young. My parents are just super good at listening to music for what it is. My mom and dad both love Revenge by X and Crooked Smile by J. Cole. Those are great songs by hip hop artists that might not necessarily be the genre that we listen to as a family, but they’ve been super receptive to that type of stuff.”

While music was “always a big part of family culture,” Arden is the only family member to pursue it as a career – an aspiration he held tight to since the age of thirteen. “I didn’t really count on it happening, but I really wanted to create music, whether it was songwriting, or as an artist myself. I wanted that to be my job.”

In January of 2021, Arden got started. From the confines of his college dorm room, he wrote and released ‘Parallel Parking,’ the single responsible for starting it all. “My manager found the song with like 500 views, and it wasn’t even out,” Arden explains of this serendipitous discovery. “I think it was on SoundCloud with like 700 streams. And he hit me up and

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we just did it the right way: got [the song] all ready to go with this super sick cover…I was like a brand new artist and everything. Somebody at Spotify was amazing enough to put [the song] on New Music Friday. And that was my first release ever on Spotify.” From there, Arden explains, ‘Parallel Parking’ spread sheerly by word of mouth.

Around the time of the initial release, Arden was still in school – on track to be a PR and advertising major. “I’d been recording music for like four or five years and I had dozens and dozens of songs that I loved. I had all these old demos, so when I sent my manager [them] he was like, ‘How do you feel about dropping out of school?’ I was like, ‘I’m down, but I don’t trust this guy yet.’” Spoiler: it worked out. “I think if I had stayed in school, I really couldn’t have put in the amount of work that was needed to get good music out,” Arden notes. And so, with his newfound free time, Arden got to work on the age tapes.

ARDEN

A brief crash course for those unaware: on the first Thursday of every month in 2022, Arden has been dropping a collection of three songs unified under the moniker “age tape.”

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Starting with tape 1 in February 2022, he’s released the subsequent sequels every month. On November 4th,2022, he dropped age tape 0, the tenth and final installment of the age tape series and Arden Jones’ debut album.

“Everybody at home called me Age,” he explains. “So, that’s what it is. And I don’t think anybody really gets what it means, but if you grew up with me, you knew me as Age. Arden Jones is my real name, and everybody called me AJ, so then that abbreviated to Age. And we were like, ‘What are we gonna call these tapes? Let’s call them the age tapes.’”

If three songs released per month sounds like a hefty undertaking, it is. But it’s worth it. “I had a lot of music that I wanted to drop. I knew that I was creating music at a rate where I could supply it. So I’m excited, because now I don’t have to hold back, and each month my fans know exactly when they’re gonna get music,” he reveals. “All of that is a lot, but it’s been great. It’s been a really cool way to schedule out a year of music, and then people can listen from start to finish. Every tape is different, and I get to do a different thing with it.”

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The unique character of every tape is reflected in the writing process behind it. “It’s all over the place, for sure,” Arden says of the songwriting journey. “We could be on our way to the grocery store and have a little ukulele in the car and come up with the next single. Or, we could go sit down and work for eight hours and it isn’t what we were looking for. I think most songwriters agree, it’s whatever works and however you wanna do it. You could go into a room and hang upside down and mess around with your friends and talk about stories until you come up with a song. Or you could watch a movie and tell the side for a different ending in the movie and make that the song. It’s all over the place and telling a story has been the biggest thing I’ve been trying to work on and focus on. Just being consistent in getting people into an entire world in my song, rather than throwing in repeat lyrics that don’t add detail.”

Given Arden’s sunny sound, it’s no surprise that song inspiration often comes from the happy moments. “The times I’m really enjoying my life…I think about the details around that and why life is so good, and then put that into a song. I did that with ‘Parallel Parking,’ just talking about classic California adventures. I just hope [fans] can relate to what I’m talking about. Because I’m talking about real things in my life, and feelings I have about past experiences and things,” Arden explains. “I think it’s super cool when somebody’s like, ‘Dude, I felt that that literally just happened to me.’ Because that’s the best thing when I’m listening to music: I love it when that happens. Like, woah. They know my life, you know? It feels super together and fun.”

Arden has been opening for Chelsea Cutler on her ‘When I Close My Eyes’ tour, joining her on the road until mid-November.

“I’m honored that I get to go. For my first tour, I did a west coast run with Thomas Headon. He’s amazing. So that was great.” Still, Arden notes, “Those were smaller rooms, you know, and this is a big boy tour. You get to see your work in action. Obviously, people are listening to your music all the time in their car and stuff, but this is for real: you can see them enjoying it, or not enjoying it,” he says with a laugh. “[It’s] exhilarating. And fun.”

Photographer: Heather Koepp Stylist: Claudia Avila

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MAEVE STEELE By: Danielle Taylor

Maeve Steele is out making a name for herself. The singer/ songwriter named after a street she frequents in Los Angeles symbolizes its own world; a metaphorical bridge as well as a physical one.

Falling in love with music while living and attending school in Nashville, Steele was determined to follow her dreams and found herself on the road to California. “That sounds like somewhat superficial information, but I think all of those places play an important role in my writing style and sound,” Steele said.

Musicians of all kinds always play a role in molding an artist to who they are.

“I listened to a lot of folk rock, a lot of country music growing up. John Prine and Tom Petty are household favorites. I think a lot of music that I grew up with had an emphasis on natural imagery…California almost felt like a character in so many of the songs that I love. I absorbed that tendency. I started listening to Amy Winehouse and Lana Del Rey in middle school and they blew my mind. They are both so different and cool, while still having this classic musicality. Amy was so gritty, and Lana was so romantic, they’ve both really inspired me.”

Steele recently released her debut EP titled Overland in September. It showcases her individuality as an artist. Her music roots from bittersweet meditations on change, growth, and self-discovery.

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On the creation of Overland, Steele explained, “The process was basically ‘figure it out as I go.’ I was writing a lot, and finally felt like I was figuring out who I wanted to be as an artist. I had a specific sound in mind, and I had a lot of unfinished songs. It wasn’t until I made “Riptide” with Matt and Brian that the direction of the EP materialized for me. It sounds so obvious but after we finished “Riptide” I thought oh ‘here’s this song that feels so authentic to my current stage of life - what else am I feeling? ‘I was falling in love and trying to write about the joys and anxiety and everything in between…mostly so I can sort out what I was feeling for myself.”

The most recent single “Riptide” is all about the overwhelming and exciting feeling about being in a new relationship. The songwriter took a poetry class in college and someone’s voice was described as a riptide. “Ever since, I’ve loved the idea of something softly pulling you out to sea, and then you look around and you’re in the middle of the ocean. It felt fitting.”

If Steele could picture listeners listening to the song for the first time it would be in a kitchen. She said this EP is mostly made up of kitchen songs. “I picture someone having that moment of being pulled in with the chorus, swaying as they’re cooking or putting away dishes.”

The singer/songwriter finds her inspiration for a song through a line, word or melody and then starts writing around that.

“It’s funny how rarely that initial spark ends up in the final version of the song. And then it’s just putting the puzzle togetherlistening to voice memos I took of myself humming or playing around with words to make it all fit into a format that makes a little bit of sense.”

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MAEVE For those looking to break into the music industry, Steele has found that doing morning pages per the advice of so many great writers and artists has helped take some of the pressure off. She feels that it’s freeing to feel like you can write nonsense. “I try to remind myself that writing is a muscle, any way you use it is going to be helpful.”

Vulnerability is strength and for Steele she’s usually a private person and she tends to keep things close to her chest. “Writing always felt like the time where I could be vulnerable, but when I started writing songs to be released to the world, I think I retreated to coyness. I’ve realized that most songs don’t make it outside my note’s app, so I may as well be as honest as I can. It’s only hurting myself if I’m not. My favorite songs of mine are ones that I probably would have been too embarrassed or nervous to release a couple years ago.”

She found that “Sweet Talking” was the most difficult to pen on the EP. It was the last one written and she went in wanting to write a fun, sexy rock-ish song. It

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was the only track that the singer had a specific aesthetic that she was going for which ultimately, was kind of a self-destructive mindset to write from. There was a lot of self-doubt in the process of writing that one and she did admit that she was a nightmare to work with in the creation of the track.

If there’s anything Steele wants her fans and listeners to take away from listening to her music she said, “A lot of the time I’m trying to write about feelings or situations that are bittersweet or sweet bitter. It’s easier because there’s so much relatability in those in-betweens, so we rarely feel fully one thing. I hope people take away that there’s not just a lot of beauty in hearing about those moments, but in looking for them too.”

As for the future of her career, Steele has huge dreams. “My biggest goal right now is to write my first album! In the next 3 years I want to have made an LP and played it on tour. I have some bucket list venues that include Red Rocks, The Greek in Berkeley, The Ryman in Nashville. I grew up going to Outside Lands and playing that festival would be really special. I want to make music that I really love, I hope that’s where my career takes me.”

Photographer: Heather Koepp

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RIVAL LIVE

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PALAYE ROYALE

SHOT BY HEATHER KOEPP

Nov 6th, 2022 - Hollywood Palladium: Named after their fourth studio album, ‘Fever Dream’, Canadian rock band ‘Palaye Royale’ embarked on a 25-date North American tour with special guest ‘Mod Sun’. The album which has already been recognized on the U.K Top 40 charts has fans lining up for the second half of the tour which begins in early 2023 as it makes its way into Europe and the United Kingdom.

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Aug 10th, 2022 - Hard Rock Stadium: Puerto Rican rapper and singer ‘Bad Bunny’ has quickly become one of the most influential names in music today. Leading the way in Latin Trap and Reggaeton, the singer’s previous album “YHLQMDLG” became the first all-Spanish-language album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 charts while his latest album, ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ became the best-selling Latin album of 2021. Recognized as one of Spotify’s most streamed artists, the singer embarked on his fourth tour dubbed, “The World’s Hottest Tour’ and immediately sold out the 43-date stadium tour making history as the highest grossing tour by a Latin artist in Billboard Boxscore history.

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LAMB OF GOD

SHOT BY HEATHER KOEPP

Oct 13th, 2022 - YouTube Theater: Celebrating the release of their 9th studio album titled ‘Omens’, veteran heavy-metal band ‘Lamb of God’ embarked on a massive, Live Nation produced, U.S headlining tour. With ‘Killswitch Engage’ as support, the tour brought in additional appearances at select dates from ‘Baroness’ and ‘Suicide Silence’ in the first half of the tour and ‘Motionless in White’, ‘Spiritbox, ‘Fit for an Autopsy’ and ‘Animals and Leaders’ closing out the second half. The show included the bands signature high intensity performance complete with pyro effects and a smart lineup that had fans asking for more.

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Oct 11th, 2022 – The Kia Forum: The return of ‘My Chemical Romance’ saw sold out dates across the world as emo loving fans flooded ticket sites to get a front row seat. Postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the band who have been on a 6-year hiatus were finally able to kickstart their global, ‘The Reunion Tour’ in the United Kingdom and Ireland. With a month-long break in between, the tour continued into North American with 41 dates across the United States and Canada. Headlining the inaugural ‘When We Were Young Fest’ in Las Vegas the band concluded their North America tour and will grace the stages in New Zealand and Australia in mid-2023.

With a legacy of 4 studio albums, 3 platinum album singles, and a dedicated fan base that’s only expanded over the past decade, it’s no question as to why this was one of the most highly anticipated tours since its inception.

SHOT BY HEATHER KOEPP

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MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

Oct 11th, 2002 - The Wiltern: Alt-metal rockers ‘Nothing More’ stopped in Los Angeles supporting ‘In This Moment’s’ headlining “Blood 1983 Tour”. Originally formed in Texas, the band consists of Jonny Hawkins (vocals), Mark Vollelunga (guitar), Daniel Oliver (bass) and Ben Anderson (drums), the band released their brand-new sixth studio album, ‘SPIRITS’ accompanied by a metapersonality ‘SPIRITS’ test.

With various projects in the works including Vol 1. Of an upcoming graphic novel and social initiatives such as #LOVEMEANS, the 3-time Grammy nominated band show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

NOTHING MORE

SHOT BY NIKKI PHILLIPS

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Aug 30th, 2022- Hard Rock Stadium: American rock band “Red Hot Chili Peppers” returned to the stage for their “Global Stadium Tour (Unlimited Love Tour)” for the first time in a little over five years bringing back original guitarist John Frusciante.

Celebrating the release of their twelfth and thirteenth studio albums, ‘Unlimited Love’ and ‘Return of the Dream Canteen’, the North American tour began in Denver, CO on July 23rd 2022 and concluded on September 18th, 2022. The successful 32-date tour saw the veteran band performing in North American stadiums for the first time in their 39-year career.

IN NTZ MART SHOT BY LA

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS

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HER HEAT T BY SHO PP KOE

RENFORSHORT Oct 5th, 2022 - The Moroccan: Fresh off the heels of Yungblud’s “Life on Mars Tour” and Tai Verdes “HDTV Tour”, Lauren Isenberg professionally known as ‘Renforshort’ is no stranger to the spotlight. With an impressive catalog of musical collaborations under her belt *insert Travis Barker and Mike Shinoda* the singer-songwriter is just beginning. With the release of her debut album ‘Dear Amelia’ and headlining her first tour earlier this year, the Toronto native is quickly solidifying her place amongst the greats.

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Aug 6th, 2022: Hard Rock Stadium- With over 75 million records sold it’s no wonder global phenomenon ‘The Weeknd’ has been selling out his stadium tours since the announcement. In support of his fourth and fifth studio albums, ‘After Hours’ and ‘Dawn FM’, the tour held nothing back in terms of production, theatrics, and pure artistry. The stage design included a dystopian like city complete with dilapidated buildings, two long catwalks one leading to a quadrangular stage and the other to a circular stage with a massive moon lurking above.

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TURNSTILE HEATHER SHOT BY

KOEPP

Nov 3rd, 2022 - Hollywood Palladium: When it comes to rowdy, modern-day punk rock, ‘Turnstile’ is as authentic as it gets. With a stage presence that is infectious, it’s no wonder the “The Turnstile Love Connection Tour” has seen sold out dates for most of their 2022 Summer and Fall tours. Leading the way in the rejuvenated punk rock era, ‘Turnstile’ is at the top of the wave, riding in on the highs of their killer EP ‘Glow On’ and a stellar 2022 tour run.

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JUSTUS

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JUSTUS BENNETTS By: Olivia Vitarelli Whether performing live or creating his next track, musician Justus Bennetts has one goal: provide comfort through the simple awareness that loneliness is universal. With a sound blending modern pop and rock music, Justus, at just 22-yearsold, has garnered over 200 million global streams. Here, he chats with Rival about his sources of musical inspiration, new single ‘Dead Inside,’ and the big move that started it all.

Justus grew up in Seattle, Washington, but moved to North Carolina when he was just fourteen. “Being able to get out of the small town I was living in to see another place across the country is definitely where I draw a lot of inspiration from,” he says. “Especially the feeling of being alienated and not fitting in.” This universal feeling of loneliness is a keystone of Justus’ music – he builds community through familiar experiences and sonic surprises. While he says many “people in [his] family were musical,” like his mom and uncle (performing in church and in a rock band respectively), his ultimate source of artistic inspiration is the emotional upheaval that came from a cross country relocation.

Although music was always an outlet for Justus, he “never really thought it was possible” to make it a career. “I was always just planning on doing it how my dad did, or at least going to college,” he reveals. “Just up until a couple years ago, I was writing music for fun with no desire or thought of it becoming a career.” But once people started responding to his work, he realized a future in the music industry might just be possible. “I knew I was making it when I started getting DMs from random people telling me how my music helped them,” Justus says. “Music is supposed to bring up a certain feeling, and as long as I’m helping people feel a little, then I’ve done a good job.”

The artist’s latest single, ‘Dead Inside,’ grapples with the inability to resist people who can hurt you so severely. “The song is basically about loving so much it hurts, but growing accustomed to the pain in chaos that it has become normal.

I actually got inspired by a t-shirt I was wearing that had a skeleton on it. It said ‘you make me feel alive.’” Clothes aren’t the only unexpected source of inspiration for Justus. He adds, “I try to draw inspiration from every simple little thing I can.

Whether it’s a TV show or something my girlfriend says, I just pull from my experiences. And when the right instrumental is playing, the thoughts and emotions tend to flow.”

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Justus is currently wrapping up his second tour.

“Performing live is such a surreal experience and I don’t believe it’s happening most of the time,” he reveals. “I’ll just be on stage singing and be like ‘oh shoot there’s a bunch of people watching me right now, wtf.’” After the tour concludes, he says, “My main focus for these next coming months is to relax, finish up this project that I’m looking to drop at the beginning of next year, and make tons more music.”

With his budding career just underway, Justus reflects on his journey to this moment, revealing, “As much of a carefree child as I was, I really was worried about my life and where I would end up. So I’d just tell [my younger self] to take it easy.”

Mirroring the cherished sentiment he shares with audiences, Justus offers a reminder to himself: “everything will be okay.”

Photographer: Heather Koepp

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