issue 13 august 2022 learning to be vulnerable with DAYA HALF ALIVE follow their hearts in latest album the reign of STATE CHAMPS: breaking down their new album inside the electrifyingly vibrant world of REMI WOLFREMI WOLF
COIN Mary Perez Editor-in-Chief Mary Perez Art Director Rebekah Witt Cover photo courtesy of Haley Appell Contributors Sonya Alfano, Mia Andrea, Kayla Aquino-Gualderama, Polina Bakgof, Erica Cardozo, Ravyn Cavanaugh, Brianna Celestina, Gianna Cicchetti, JenaRose Dahlstrom, Kayla DeLaura, Lexie Dopwell, Ashley Gallegos, Sophie Harris, Adrienne Joelle, Caitlin Joy, Brooks Kirby, Astrid Kutos, Cailley Leader, Faith Logue, Emily Lopez, Vic Maltese, Jessica Matilszki, Lexi Matuson, Caitlyn McGonigal, Natalie Melendez, Kate Moore, McKenzie Moore, Stephanie Nardi, Emilia Rangel, Cassie Fu Ren, Emily Richardson, Cris Rulli, Ibbi Schwartz, Chelsea Tiso, Mickayla Whitt, Tanya Wright, Anna Xu, Brigid Young, Emily Young kindacoolmagazine.com @kindacoolmag check out our latest website features and galleries!
contents 4 UNDISCOVERED UP-AND-COMING ARTISTS 14 Stand Atlantic INTERVIEW 22 ROLE MODEL ALBUM REVIEW 24�����������������������������The Happy Fits INTERVIEW 26����� Prince Daddy & The Hyena SHOW REVIEW 30 flor INTERVIEW 36 Florence + The Machine ALBUM REVIEW 38 half • alive INTERVIEW 46 Astrology in Music EDITORIAL 50 State Champs INTERVIEW 56������������������������ REMI WOLF COVER STORY 67 Magnolia Park INTERVIEW 74 Daya INTERVIEW 82 The Regrettes ALBUM REVIEW 86�������������������������� The Home Team INTERVIEW 94 ���������������������������������������������� Dehd SHOW REVIEW 96 KCM Graduates EDITORIAL issue 13 • august 2022 56743850
4 • kinda cool.
LOV (they/them)
What can fans expect from you next? My debut album just came out, so I’m hoping to roll out some more elements in the coming months to finish the story. Music videos and new merch are on the dashboard, maybe a few collabs or reimagined works to come later on. It’s the Blueboy era, baby!
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before?
UNDISCOVERED
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? I love playing shows, and most recently, I headlined my first show in almost five years. It was my album release party, and I played with four different acts, all of whom are my years-long friends. It just felt like a huge celebration of not only my work but my community and my chosen family. It was definitely the most heartwarming show I’ve played.
@ryislov
RACHEL CHINOURIRI (she/her)
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? My EartH Hackney show. It was the last show of my tour, and I’ve never had a room that was full of people before listening to my music - it was surreal. The entire tour in general was beautiful, and hanging out with people after was such a blessing. What can fans expect from you next? An album—I think it’s time for a full-length project, and I have so many ideas! I can’t wait to share it!
@rachelchinouriri @rachelchinourir
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? I say it’s alternative indie-pop because these are the three different genres I find myself going between the most.
Searching for your newest favorite artist? Kinda Cool’s team has you covered. One of the best parts about working in music journalism is getting to pinpoint and highlight artists we love, and we love showcasing rising artists whose music may not be on your radar yet. We’ve compiled a few of our favorite artists and asked them a few questions to learn more about their music, favorite memories thus far, and what’s coming next. Be sure to check them out so you can brag about knowing them when they were just in the Kinda Cool “Undiscovered” section!
I describe my music as queer folk-pop: singer-songwriter vibes with a heavy pop influence and intimate — most times melancholic — lyrics.
• 5
@denizlovemusic @denizloveband
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Aggressive pop-punk. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? Going on our first tour in October 2021! What can fans expect from you next? Our debut LP.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? I would describe it as indie pop if I had to. I definitely focus on making my songs sound like the real me. People tell me ALL THE TIME that my voice reminds them of Post Malone. I don't really hear it, but if I had to describe my music to someone who's never listened to me before, I guess I would use him as a reference point. My production and instrumentals feel like the most unique part of my sound, since I collaborate with other producers sometimes and write or produce most of the songs on my own. I have no real influences for production, I just kind of write what sounds good to me. Sometimes you can hear a bit of hip-hop influence in my tracks, other times you hear hints of modern R&B, but most people just describe it as indie or alternative. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? My favorite memory so far has been going on a sold-out tour with Hotel Ugly earlier this year. Getting to meet so many people that I had no idea listened to our music was crazy. Playing in cities we've never been in and getting to do it with my best friends and band was the best part about it. We made so many new friends, many of which I stay in touch with all the time. I learned a lot about myself after playing in front of hundreds of people each night. I was able to take that energy and put it into my album. What can fans expect from you next? I just released my debut album July 1st called All Waves Pass. This album is so much more than a collection of songs to me. It's kind of a culmination of my whole transition as a person. I feel like a lot of people go through these rapid stages of personal growth, and it's almost like we're always trying to figure out who we are again. This album really represents that feeling for me. The phrase "all waves pass" is an analogy for how all things come and go. My name also means “the sea” in Turkish, so I've always been drawn to the ocean since I was a child. We're also going on tour this July through the South and West Coast. We're hitting San Antonio, Austin, Los Angeles, San Diego, Dallas, El Paso, Phoenix, and Houston. I'm playing at a theater for the first time in my career, I'm really excited about that. It'll be in my hometown at The Heights Theater. If all keeps going as planned, we will continue working towards a second leg so that we can tour through the other parts of the country that we missed this round. Expect maybe some music videos off the album, tons of cool merch, and some high-profile collaborations in the future!
kindacoolmagazine.com
UNWELL (he/him)
DENIZ LOVE (he/him)
@unwellband
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before?
What can fans expect from you next?
6 • kinda cool. George (he/him) of HALOGENS
Brendan: Definitely touring as well. That’s the one thing I set out to do when I picked up a guitar, and it’s kinda crazy that we actually get to do it.
@cherieamourband
Trey: We have more touring coming up with Broadside this summer, and we’ll definitely have more music coming soon as well! I think the new songs will go over well.
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far?
Trey: Touring has definitely been fun! My favorite part is getting to hang with such genuine and talented people. It becomes like a little family.
Trey: Our music is like all your favorite stuff blended together. Nu-punk brings pop punk, hip hop, and R&B together in a way that’s pretty unique.
@halogensnj Trey (he/him) and Brendan (he/him) of CHERIE AMOUR
Brendan: Yeah, you remember the Jay-Z/Linkin Park collab? Okay cool, yeah, kind of like that.
Brendan: Lots and lots of touring. Plenty of new music. Now, what that music will sound like, we will never know. We just do whatever feels right to us.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before?
Fun, upbeat, and groovy emo/pop punk music with introspective lyrics that are typically much less “fun” sounding than the music. Sad in the key of happy, basically!
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far?
All of our album release shows (self-titled, Happy Hour, and You’re Being Weird ) had incredible turnouts that we really did not expect. Those shows were all an awesome showcase of a community we’ve built over the last 11 years, and it feels so special to have become friends over the years with a lot of people we met through playing music. Also, past tours with Corrina Corrina, Table Talk, Grin & Bear, ManDancing, and No Dice were some of our favorites, specifically because we grew to become close friends with all of these bands when we didn’t know each other well prior to touring together. Lastly, filming the “Sit Around” music video last summer was one of the best, busiest, and most fun days of my life. Since all of our band members live far apart and we’re not able to see each other as often as we’d like, that day was the perfect combination of goofing off in the summer with your best friends while creating an awesome music video that we’re all very proud of. What can fans expect from you next? New music, merch, and more shows! In July, we have 2 shows that I am so excited for; 7/9 in Toms River, NJ at The Kill Shed with The Dangerous Summer (one of my all-time favorite bands and a huge influence on Halogens), World’s Greatest Dad, & Secret Crowds. Then on 7/15, we are playing in Voorhees, NJ at Tunes Record Store with our pals Innerlove and Heather Grey. We’re also working on an Asbury Park headliner for September with some of our extremely talented friends, and we can’t wait to reveal the lineup.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? My music is a sum of my emotions. Because of this, every song has its own life and personal meaning to me. It’s a mixture of sadness in the lyrics accompanied by a happier production. I would describe it as a beautiful mess. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? My favorite memory would have to be going on tour. This spring, I got to play in front of an audience for the first time with Imagine Dragons on the Canadian leg of their world tour. This consisted of 11 shows across Canada. I met so many interesting individuals and learned to fall in love with the live show aspect. What can fans expect from you next? There’s a lot of new material being made. I just released my debut EP Drowning in the Culture, so there are still some fun surprises regarding that. As well, lots of new show dates.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? It’s like if Patrick Stump was really into The 1975 and Neon Indian and was a pretty good lead guitarist. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? We opened up for Conan Gray’s first live performance ever back in 2018. It was in our hometown of Houston, and I believe it was a sold-out crowd of about 300 people. The energy of the crowd was insane and made a ton of new fans that night. Pretty much the best crowd we ever played to. What can fans expect from you next? We’re currently working on our next EP, which will be entitled Mad Sad. It’s a bit more of an indie rock vibe, and we’re excited to put it out on vinyl.
kindacoolmagazine.com • 7 AVIV (she/her)
@cameracult COLLEEN DOW (they/them)
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Indie Pop. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? Getting a group of artists together to play shows, usually last minute. What can fans expect from you next? Shows in Seattle! @lleencuisine
@itsaviv @itsaviv_ RICKY (he/him) of CAMERA CULT
Bryan: We expect to be touring more, playing more shows, and potentially recording more in the near-ish future.
LAURA ELLIOTT (she/her) How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Indie Folk/Pop/Rock.
Bryan: Our hometown show for the record release. It was really cool to play in front of a hometown crowd with all of our friends and family, as well as celebrate the album coming out.
HATCHIE (she/her) How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Shoegaze pop.
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Bryan and Keegan: Rock music for scared people. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far?
@hihatchie Keegan (he/him) and Bryan (he/him) of CAMP TRASH
8 • kinda cool.
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? My album release show in NY in May 2022 at Mercury Lounge. All my friends/fans were there, people flew out. I never felt so happy and grateful. The perfect night. What can fans expect from you next? In a period of writing/recording new music so just working on more music, and possibly a mini headline tour?
@lauraelliott.mp3 @lauraelliottmp3
Keegan: The last day of recording vocals for the LP was a really triumphant time. This is the first album we’ve ever released and it was really gratifying to see it finally really come together. What can fans expect from you next?
There have been too many to choose from! A favorite gig of mine was playing Primavera in Barcelona a few years ago. What can fans expect from you next? Shows in Australia, UK, EU, USA and Canada.
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far?
@camptrashfl @camp_trash
CAROL ADES (she/her)
What can fans expect from you next? More music and more videos that I've put a lot of love into! @carolades
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Emotional!
II would describe myself being a dreamy type of alternative music... Most of my songs sound quite bright and sweet but they are about darker stories in my life, and I love leaving them up for interpretation!
EFÉ (she/her)
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before?
@musicbyrinas
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far?
RINAS only has an EP and two singles, so I'm looking forward to sharing more!
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? Being able to perform at festivals, especially Longitude, and getting all my friends to hop on stage with me during the last song, it was like a whole party. What can fans expect from you next? Cool shows, more cool music, a lot of cool stuff! @kawaii.mom Marina (she/her) of RINAS
There have been so many memorable moments so far but I'd say that the most memorable thing has been seeing fans sing the songs back to me during shows, [it] has to be one of the most incredible feelings. These were songs that I never wanted a person to see because I'd never thought I'd be good enough or that people would like them... but hearing that people relate and sing them back to me is something I'll never forget. What can fans expect from you next? I am currently working on releasing more songs for an album in January!
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? Indie/bedroom pop, quite heavy production.
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far?
I made a fan-edit music video to my song “26,” and looking through all of the submissions will be one of my favorite memories forever! To just see what my fans look like and the way they express it was just so amazing and emotional. Made me feel like I am really building a community through my music, which is my biggest dream.
kindacoolmagazine.com • 9
@teenagehalloween @tnghllwnband
10 • kinda cool.
Luk Henderiks (they/them) of TEENAGE HALLOWEEN
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? I would say that our music is a blend of power pop with punk undertones and lyrics that have to do with radical themes. I would say our band is very loud and anthemic with dynamics and changing tempos that go along with our focus on melody. What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? I can’t put it down to one memory, but two came to mind that I adore. For me, the best show we ever played at House of Independents in Asbury Park for the Ergs’ reunion show. It was so special for me because it was right when I was leaving an outpatient program, and I was really struggling with my mental health, and when I played that show, it was a serious feeling of achievement and confidence. The Ergs were also a favorite band of mine since I was really young, so it was like playing a show I would have waited in line for anyway. The other memory is the week we were recording our debut album because it was my first time making a full record in a studio and totally shacking up at a space with the goal of having a finished product. I was amazed by how much went into finishing a ten-song release, and it taught me so much going forward about making records. What can fans expect from you next? The next thing any fan of our band should expect is more shows and some updates on recording. This fall, we’ll be focusing on taking some new songs that we care about a lot and recording the best record we can make. There’s a whole lot that’s gonna go into this one, and it’ll be a bigger production than the last. It’s going to be a culmination of songs we’ve all created ideas for and brought forward and will be an even more collaborative piece than the last one. It makes me super excited to be able to have everyone bring songs forward, and we turn it into a Teenage Halloween song and not a song by an individual. I’ve been working on lyrics that are mainly focused on day-to-day depression and the existential struggle of the current world. Part of my experience with depression and existential thoughts is the idea of complete and utter insecurity and loss of selfworth. For me, those feelings are so powerful because they often feel like they come out of nowhere. The existential aspect of the record will always be about my efforts to seek sentimentality and hope in a life that I truly believe is meaningless. Above all things, I’ve always tried my best to believe that people can make a difference if we band together, no matter what negative information our brainsLivingretain.through the impact of the COVID pandemic has created an entirely new perspective for me that wasn’t there at all when I wrote the lyrics for LP1, so the songwriting aspect of the record will have some notable differences from that first record. With this crisis taking place on a national (and global) scale, it was tough to see how many people were feeling hopeless and financially insecure, with absolutely no answer except for what the news was telling them. It was a truly intense reckoning to find myself following the government-issued stances since the government has always failed people, but it was the right thing because of the information that they had at the time. We had to learn to trust each other, and it helped us realize who we couldn’t trust. Isolation has made me really have this flare and need to write songs about personal isolation and how, as a whole, we feel more alone than we truly are.
@lukemockmusic
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? We call our genre "phruitcore" (a play on words including the "ph-" prefix of our hometown, Philly, and hinting towards our "fruit" themed name)! The genre's best described as indie bedroom rock vibes with infectious vocals, bigger bass and drums, and a warmer tone.
@megamangoband LUKE MOCK (he/him)
Sam Poll (he/him) of MEGA MANGO
How would you describe your music to someone who has never listened to you before? I’ve spent the last two years evolving my sound as I've grown into the artist I am today. I would describe my music as very personal and powerful with its combinations of smooth melodies, compelling vocals, captivating guitars, synths, and more. If you’re a fan of pop artists such as Shawn Mendes or Charlie Puth, but also enjoy intimate singer-songwriters like John Mayer and Ed Sheeran, then I think you’ll really enjoy my music.
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? Sharing my music in the moment with my fans is irreplaceable, so definitely shows! Bringing our experiences, emotions, and love for music together feels magical in a way. I guess I don’t really know how else to describe it, but it’s the most gratifying feeling in the world and never fails to remind me of the power of music, bringing people together to share and spread such love and happiness. What can fans expect from you next? They can expect to be enthralled by love in my next song. We’ve all been captured by the idea that you know someone is the one, and my newest song (which I will be announcing soon) portrays those feelings for me in a perfect storm.
kindacoolmagazine.com
• 11
What has been your favorite memory as an artist so far? Our discord is super active and our fans are all insanely talented & creative, so we see lots of fan art. These covers, tattoo designs, and remixes of our tracks absolutely blow us away every time. I think one of our favorite moments has to be from a recent show when a few fans from Discord approached us after our set and asked us to sign a shirt (which was seriously flattering)!
What can fans expect from you next? We have a new song - “Blurt” - coming out on July 13th! It's definitely an exciting track for us since it embraces the brevity and sonic density of a pop tune a bit more than our previous work.
12 • kinda cool. UNDISCOVERED In addition to answering questions about their music, we also asked each artist to recommend a song of theirs for our followers to check out. Be sure to listen to their suggestions — you may even discover a new favorite! playlistthe SitLateEpiphanySosuperegoMyDarlingAtNightAround 2NICE2SAY Disposable Friends Street BoggleBetterSweatLIMEBIGCryingLakeThisBlueRadiatorDreamzEnchantedErieBoysDuringSexMOUTH LOV RachelDenizChinouririUNWELLLove Halogens, Sentient Moss CherieCameraAmourAvivCult colleen dow, snow ellet Laura TeenageCampHatchieElliottTrashCarolAdesRINASEFÉHalloweenLukeMockMegaMango listen here: https://spoti fi/3S3ztRN
BF: Because we're a signed band, unfortunately. I've listened to you guys since “Lavender Bones” came out, so I think that's always been apparent in your music.
Bonnie Fraser: Thank you so much. What was it like writing the album? Are there any differences in writing this album compared to your previous two albums?
MR: And you can tell that on the album. I think 'cause all the songs are so different, but going back to that point, that's why I don't get how rappers do it. They write a song, and then it's out on Spotify the next day. Yeah, if we could do that, it would be sick. I don't know why we can't.
BF: The C-Bomb. We had a lot of time to really hone in on all the songs. I think we had like probably the most demos that we've ever had for an album before. And there was a lot to kind of write about, because going into the record, I was like, “I don't know what to write about because I haven't even lived my life because of C-Bomb. You know what? I'm really angry about that whole thing.” So pretty much all the emotions are like, “Fuck this, fuck you, fuck them, fuck everyone. And fuck everything!” I think that the cool part was that we really had a lot of time to flesh it out and do a lot of stuff.
BF: Logistically, definitely, because we obviously made it during the fucking C Word. Miki Rich: The Covid Word.
MR: This time, we were like, “Okay, we're cutting 30 songs like yeah, we lost some good soldiers.” It was crazy because when we were recording it, we didn't see each other, no studios were open, so we did it all at home. So everything was recorded in Stevie, our producer's apartment, except for drums that we literally did at Jonno's house. Everything was at home, and then we did it one-by-one because of the COVID rules. It was weird because usually, you know, you're like bouncing ideas off each other, but this one was just like, “Yeah, cool. That sounds good, I guess.” I would get in, sit in there, they were like, “So Potter's changed this thing? This is what it sounds like now?”
BF: Normally, we just have the album, and that's it.
BF: I feel like, as a band, we've always tried to try to do stuff that is the opposite of what's popular at the time. We've never been a trendy band because I feel like you can only be a trendy band if you're setting the trend, right? But if you try to follow it, especially for our situation, I guess it's like, say, dance music was massive, right? Everyone was trying to do dance music. And then we go into writing the album like, “Right, cool, let's do a dance album.” By the time you've written it, recorded it, then released it, it's been like a year and a half. And then dance music isn't popular anymore. There's never any point in following trends. We've just done what we like to listen to, what we want to do.
Interview and photography by Cassie Fu Ren Okay, so fuck everything and run, congratulations. Amazing album.
BF: Thank you. I'm glad you notice it. Sometimes I feel like we just like doing all this effort for no reason. Like no one's ever going to notice that we're, like, Over the years, Stand Atlantic has become a very well-known name within the pop-punk scene. I got the chance to sit down and talk to Bonnie Fraser (vocalist and rhythm guitar) and Miki Rich (bassist) after the release of their junior album, f.e.a.r. The Australian band shows that they are a force to be reckoned with, in a time of the pop punk resurgence.
MR: Yes, it's weirdly enough the most songs we have ever had, the most time we've ever had… ever. We had like 40 songs or something. Yeah, usually we have like 15 and then we cut out like four.
MR: We rarely ever go and be like, “This is what we want to sound.”
I know a lot of artists typically pull inspiration from other musicians. Do you have any songs or artists that inspired the sound of this record?
BF: No. The fact that we hated everything, that, in my opinion.
STAND ATLANTIC is taking over the world with f.e.a.r. 14 • kinda cool.
BF+MR: Sounds like Paramore. I think every album has sounded very different, which I commend you guys, but then it also has your style. BF: Yeah, that's exactly. That's our whole thing. We just want to make sure people, like, kind of trust the fact that we're going to write songs that we think are good songs, regardless of all the production, regardless of everything. Like, just songs are good, and then there's always some kind of undertone. I don't know what it is, but there's always something that bridges it to make it sound like Stand Atlantic. And I don't even know what Stand Atlantic is anymore.
MR: She was singing the wrong thing the whole time, but. BF: I think we like to keep that kind of ‘free to do whatever we want’ during headline sets. And that's what I used to like going to a show for. Yeah. Well, like, you see…
MR: With the headlines, it’s easy because we'll just play the songs, we'll make sure it flows nice, we'll make sure there's some highs and some lows. We just play it, and they'll know it at least.
trying to do something different.
MR: To be fair, we do it. And then the first comment will always be like…
BF: How do we introduce new people to us?
MR: Personality. It's cool that we can do that. I think with support, it's harder to do that because you're on such a strict time, and even if you are trying to win them over with your personality, some people are just 16 • kinda cool.
What's the difference between opening and headlining for you guys?
BF: Yeah, at least they'll know it. I know that some bands that we've toured with, their whole set is choreographed, and they have a limited amount of time between each song. We have never done that because we do the dumbest shit. Even like a couple of times this tour, we pull people up on stage randomly just to sing a song. One time, we were asking the crowd if they liked “dumb” or something, and some girl was like shaking her head, and we were like, “Oh, do you want to sing it? Up you come!" Made her sing a song that she had no idea what it was or anything, and it was sick like she actually killed. She was so brave.
BF: Long set. MR: I like headlining because I think you can be a bit more dynamic with the set, but you can do a bit of everything. With support, you have to be like, “Okay, how do we keep the crowd engaged? How do we keep the crowd happy? How do we make them like us?”
MR: What do you mean you don't want to hear my 3-minute joke about ramen? How has touring changed since the C-Bomb?
like “You guys are cringe; get off the stage.”
BF: Flat tires.
BF: But it was mad to come back and play shows and see people not having forgotten who we are, which is nice. And then obviously you come back and headline, like it's our first headline tour here, and it's been fucking nuts. It's so sick.
BF: Yeah. It was so stupid.
BF: Yeah. Find something quick. kindacoolmagazine.com • 17
What has been your favorite moment on tour?
MR: This tour? Yes. No, your whole everything.
MR: I'm trying to think what's the craziest thing that [happened] on this tour.
MR: That being said, there were a lot of firsts on that tour. We've never had to cancel a show before and had to cancel like four on that one run all because of weather and snow.
BF: I guess like just bringing those people up on stage and stuff and just having a big, fat laugh. What else have we done?
MR: We've done so much. I know. Like we went to Vegas and we did some crazy shizz. BF: Yeah. Played at a bowling alley. That's cool. Look through the camera roll really quickly.
BF: Yeah, that's too hard.
BF: The first tour was scary because we didn't know. We were just super careful because we had to test to go to other places straight after, so it makes you worried. But we made it work.
MR: I bet you there's so many funny things, but you get put on the spot. So much has happened, like we went to the UK in the middle of this tour. It's so busy that I feel like everything's just blended into like mush I could think of all the things that went wrong. Virgin Atlantic lost Scotty's guitars.
MR: I think we had everything that had never happened to us before, which is crazy. All happened at once. It was like a blown tire, COVID, snowstorm all in one week. We missed like a whole week, just sat there not doing anything for a week. Yeah, it was crazy. And like, we've never had to cancel before. So it was a weird thing.
MR: We went to a really sick wine bar where they dispense wine from the grape. You just gave someone a whole travel itinerary. Going back to the album, what was the hardest song to write or the song that took the longest to write on the album?
BF: Yeah, so Potter never wants to play it either. He hates it, but he fought for “Bullfrog” on that album, and I didn't want it on, but I don't think you did either.
MR: There is a thing as a “switchblade” chorus version 9. BF: 100%. It was hard. Is there a song that means a lot to you in particular? BF: “bloodclot,” for me.
BF: Yeah. Potter hates “Cigarette Kiss.” One day we'll play it. We'll make him play it on his own.
MR: I think it'd be a fun song to play, to be honest. On that same grain, is there a song you want to play that someone in the band is 18 • kinda cool.
BF: Yeah, what the fuck was that? Went to a mad hotel, we all got in the hot tub.
BF: Miki’s that guy. Come on!
MR: Yeah I had to really fight for that song. It was kicked. It was kicked off the album. I remember on Skinny Dipping, there was a song, I feel like it was “Cigarette Kiss,” and I feel like one specific band member fought for it to never be on the set list.
MR: Yeah, at So What festival. Yeah, it snowed on a summer tour, that's crazy.
BF: Yeah. You just love that.
MR: The song that changed the most was “hair out.”
BF: Someone died on our plane. You said that a little too BF:casually.
They almost died. We thought they died. it was messed up.
MR: Yeah, we went to a sick resort. BF: It looked like the frigging set of High School Musical 2.
BF: The “switchblade” chorus was like… MR: Eight choruses. BF: Absolutely just kill me. MR: “doomsday” changed a couple of times too, actually. BF: I'd say “switchblade” was the one that changed the most, in my opinion.
MR: The verse and chorus changed six times. I think we decided something, then what ended up on the album was also different.
MR: We played in a baseball stadium. BF: Did we?
MR: I don't know. I guess “nails,” just ‘cause.
MR: Went to Edgar Allan Poe's house. BF: Oh, got tattoos. We got little FEAR tattoos, which was cool to commemorate the album. Miki didn't get one. He was a puss.
MR: I was going through the pictures, and I've got a picture of all the ambulances pulling up to the plane.
MR: I think I just didn't care.
BF: Yeah, yeah, I don't think you were even in the band at that point. MR: I don't know why, I was involved in Sidewinder
BF: He's just always been there.
BF: You keep saying this, and I feel like it didn't really change that much.
MR: We finish this tour and we go straight into an Australian headline tour, which is crazy to think because we haven't played or headlined Australia since Skinny Dipping. Like we haven't even played “Hate Me” in Australia before.
MR: Yeah. What about that? Just those, us three as the band. Now to actually incite violence: I don't know if you guys know what Creator Clash is. It's where a bunch of YouTubers and Twitch streamers are boxing each other. So if you had to pick any one musician to box, like who would that be?
BF: I think there's a bunch of the new album that we wanted to play, but we just didn't have the time. MR: Well, they've just come out. Yeah, yeah, we'll come back around to them. There's one: It's weird, I want to play it, and I also do not want to play it at the same time, and that's “cabin fever.”
BF: We were playing in our hometown on that tour. We played a, like, 250-cap room and now we're doing 1500, 1200, or something. So it's just like...
BF: Just learn it.
MR: “Cigarette Kiss.” It's Potter. We all wanted to play “Chemicals” on this tour, but Pot's like "We're not playing ‘Chemicals.’” Sorry.
BF: Fucking hell, until your dying breath. That's fucked because you can't pick someone you don't know because what if you didn't get on?
BF: I want to play it so bad. MR: I want to play it because it would be so fun. But I also don't want to play it because that bassline is annoying.
MR: I'll pick someone weaker than me. kindacoolmagazine.com • 19
BF: Every day for the rest of your life? Bros.
MR: Yeah. We're pretty much doing the world with them right now anyway. You don't have to necessarily watch their set every day. I'd say With Con would be good. If it was for the music, like fun-ness, I'd say Electric Callboy. Yeah.
MR: Like I can learn it, it's just annoying. MR: I just know, if we're going to play it live, it's going to be so fun. But to play it, I'd have to stand in one spot and not move. Just fake it. Ending the realm of the music touring questions, what is next for Stand Atlantic?
MR: Yeah I know, but you can say that about anything. At least they're fun.
BF: Yeah, it's crazy. MR: And then a bit of time off, and then we've got some stuff that we're not allowed to talk about, and we're playing some festivals in Australia in December. Oh, that's really exciting. Now for some fun questions. Not that this hasn't been so fun, but to absolutely incite chaos. If you had to tour with one band forever, like until your dying breath.
BF: Do you know them, though? Exactly. That's what I'm thinking about. I don't care about the music. You just skip their set.
literally not letting you?
MR: I could tour with With Con. BF: I think I could, too.
BF: That's fair.
MR: That being said, Josh from With Confidence... and I had a lot of fun seeing that Electric Callboy band the other day. It was so fun.
BF: Because they deserve it. No, their music's shit too, no offense. Full offense, actually. What is your dream dinner guest? They can be dead or alive.
BF: Who could we fight? Who do you reckon is just, like, a big pussy?
BF: That's sick. MR: Yeah, wouldn't that be sick?
BF: I'd love to meet Janis Joplin. I just feel like she's really cool. She's like one of my mom's favorite artists. I grew up listening to her a lot, and I just think she's, like, really interesting and cool. I did a paper on her once at uni and got full marks for it, and now I feel like I know her because I did so much research on it. Yeah, so I think I'd pick her. And also Charles Manson. Oh, just to throw a little spatter in the works of the dinner table.
BF: Or just everyone is passing the mic, do it like a line. But yeah, that's the end of all the questions. Thank you, guys.
BF: “Gotta Go Our Own Way.” That's our combined answer.
BF: The other one. Not Logan. Who's the other guy?
BF: He can't hit a woman.
BF: Black Veil Brides. What? Oh, I know I know who'd I pick: Blood on the Dance Floor. They deserve to be punished anyway. They're getting it, I'm sorry. They're getting it.
MR: Jake. BF: Josh. Jake.
BF: Potter. MR: Wait, it can be any band?
MR: Jesus. Both at the same time?
MR: Nah, not Gordon Ramsay. We'll get like the guy from New York that owns, like, Momofuku. Do you know who I'm talking about, the famous guy from New York? That guy. Dave something. Not Dave Chapelle. That guy. He has to cook for me. I'm the guest. I'm the guest. I'll have this question turned to him, and I'm the guest. Sick. Yeah, that's it. I'm the guest. I don't care about anyone else. And then finally, what is your go-to karaoke song?
MR: I don't know why my brain... This is so funny to me. My brain first went to like, “what cool chef should I get? Can they cook for me?” They just cook for me instead.
BF: Which one of the Paul brothers did a song?
BF: Yeah, it'd go crazy. I think you'd have to cook if they're your dinner guests.
MR: Yeah, it's always duets for some reason. This is weird because I grew up in Japan and obviously it's so in the culture. When it's doing a solo song, it just feels so awkward to me; it needs to be a duet, or I won't do it.
BF: Gordon Ramsay?
MR: You know what we've never done? But we have to do what? “Barbie Girl” together? Oh, yeah. “Hey, Barbie.”
MR + BF: “You want to go for a ride?” “Sure, Ken!”
MR: I'd have to pick someone a lot weaker than me.
MR + BF: “You got to go your own way.” If you haven’t already listened to fuck everything and run, you’re missing out on a breath of fresh air in the world of pop punk. Stand Atlantic will be opening for I Prevail in the fall; you won’t want to miss a fun and chaotic (in all the best ways, of course) show. kindacoolmagazine.com • 21
MR: You couldn't. Jake Paul literally fights for a living. You'd get crushed.
MR: I don't know.
MR: I would not fight Kenny. His thighs would crush.
BF: That'd be sick. That's great. Go-to karaoke? I hate karaoke. MR: Yeah, me too. Is that weird? That we both hate it? That being said, I think if we went right now, I would put on “You gotta go my own way.”
MR + BF: Thank you.
MR + BF: “What about us? What about everything we've been through? What about trust?”
MR: Oh yeah, let's do it.
BF: I'm advancing on them tomorrow. MR: See ya in the fucking pit. BF: Yeah, Blood on the Dance Floor is getting it. That was probably the best answer I've heard for that question.
MR: Are they a guest? Like, can they cook for you?
MR: Got us to sing you out.
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T ired of the same old love songs? So is ROLE MODEL. The American singer-songwriter, real name Tucker Pillsbury, first rose to popularity online after self-releasing his debut EP Arizona in Summer in 2018. After releasing two more EPs, his debut full-length studio album was released on April 8th, 2022. Confessional and vulnerable, Rx consists of eleven songs chronicling the “greatest drug ever created” – love. However, Pillsbury himself is uninterested in “straightforward love songs,” and it shows – despite the focus on certain lyrical themes, the songs never get boring, as they each cover a different aspect of love and infatuation. They are also distinct instrumentally—Pillsbury mentioned that there are “at least seven genres” in the album—and he skilfully blends bedroom and alt-pop, acoustic ballads, and hip-hop influences to create a musically varied debut.
The record opens with the hyperbolic “die for my bitch,” a synthheavy bedroom pop track with a layered chorus. Catchy and upbeat, it is sweet in its core message and shows Pillsbury laying it all on the line for his partner. This is echoed in another sense in “who hurt you,” a personal highlight of this album. A fairly upbeat song reminiscent of his earlier material, this track focuses on the emotional, caring side of the relationship, narrating Pillsbury and his partner confiding in each other and soothing their concerns. Declaring that “maybe we’re broken right from the start/maybe we’re made for falling apart,” it is one of the more vulnerable songs on the record, showing the reality of supporting one another in a relationship.
Words by Astrid Kutos
ROLE MODEL goes beyond your typical love song on debut album
Another highlight is Rx’s third song, “forever&more.” One of the most popular songs of this release, it perfectly captures the feeling of being completely head-over-heels for your partner. While it’s one of the more conventional love songs, it is a great summer pop song that celebrates being with someone you adore. This is contrasted with “save a seat,” a more melancholic, slow song mourning a past relationship. It is the only breakup song on this record, and the piano and guitar instrumentation complement the wistful lyrics. The mood does not stay sad for long, however - “if jesus
• 23 saves, she’s my type” is another mellow, but still upbeat synth track. In it, Pillsbury likens his partner to a deity, a saviour: “if I die, I know she’s taking the wheel,” a theme that comes up repeatedly on Rx.
Overall, Rx is a solid debut album, successfully blending different genres to keep it interesting throughout the eleven songs and solidly defining his own style. While occasionally slightly missing the mark lyrically, it also includes some beautiful, truly vulnerable love songs and reflections on his life. Pillsbury proves that there is far more than one way to write a love song, and some of the standout tracks leave you waiting for his next releases.
kindacoolmagazine.com
While the religious comparisons already drew some criticism, “masturbation song” is the track that split the opinions of fans and critics the most. While it is instrumentally a beautiful acoustic ballad with stunning vocals, lyrically, it is not for everyone. Some people appreciate the attempt at destigmatizing the topic, but others found the lyrics graphic to the point of discomfort. It is followed by “neverletyougo,” one of the singles released ahead of the album. While it was also initially subject to some ridicule online for some of the more outlandish lyrics, the song definitely grows on you. Essentially just a love song expressing complete infatuation with his partner, the more toned-down alt-pop track was his chance to “talk his shit,” in his own words.“Stripclub music” is another standout track on this album, initially drawing attention due to the title but managing to subvert expectations. It diverges from the rest of the album, lyrically, as it focuses on a fictional story and highlights Pillsbury’s story-telling ability when writing. An empowering ode towards a profession often judged, the chorus proclaims, “go ahead and dance/‘cause a dollar is a dollar.” The darker instrumentation works well and further serves to set the song apart from the rest. Following up is another more upbeat alt-pop song, “life is funny,” focusing on the unexpected sides of life, going against expectations, and finding “something magic” in it all. The last two songs focus more on introspection and Pillsbury’s own issues than the previous tracks. “Can you say the same” is one of the most vulnerable songs on Rx, dealing with feeling isolated by his surroundings, missing friends, and dealing with loss. The outro, “rx”, seems like a call-back to his early bedroom pop days: a simple acoustic song reflecting on the issues he’s facing, concluding that he does not need therapy or Jesus, but someone who “treats him right.” His partner is his answer to everything – “all that really matters anymore.”
The Happy Fits is an alt/indie-pop trio on the cusp of releasing their third album Under The Shade of Green. They have been taking the world by storm and now after playing to a huge crowd at BottleRock Festival, they are soon to embark on a full-length US tour. The band took some time to talk to us about the new album, their hectic touring schedule, and their love of fruit.
THE HAPPY FITS
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Interview by Faith Logue • Photography courtesy of Rahil Ashruff talk new album and their love of fruit
We had six months to record this new record which is the longest we’ve ever had. We had much more time to experiment with extra layers and synths.
The Happy Fits’ new album will be out on all streaming services on August 26th, make sure to follow their social media @thehappyfits.
Touring has been our M.O. since we dropped out of college, after our Freshman year in 2017. We started with DIY touring, playing basements, college shows, and local bars, and slowly moved into playing actual venues. It’s been so satisfying and reassuring to watch our crowds grow, as well as the sense of community we’re building.
We grew up listening to 2000s & 2010’s indie rock; bands like The Killers, The Strokes, Bombay Bicycle Club, Two Door Cinema Club, and Arctic Monkeys.
Fruit has been a massive part of your discography, and the new video for “Do Your Worst” includes pineapples as the central theme. What correlation does that fruit have with the album? I view the pineapple as a symbol of exploitation and imperialism. Thinking back to when the Dole fruit company overthrew the Hawaiian Queen & government, the value of the pineapple on the Hawaiian Islands was worth killing and pillaging for. I see our album cover with a burning money pineapple as a metaphor for how unchecked capitalism will destroy itself. You just played to a huge crowd at BottleRock Festival, and have more festivals lined up in the US and the UK, as well as a stacked US tour. What does touring mean to you and how exciting is it to play all over the world?
I want people to feel understood and not alone after listening to our album. I want people to feel optimistic about the future.
I wouldn’t necessarily say the album is about the pandemic, but more where we go from here now that so much has changed. It was traumatic living through the pandemic, BLM, the election, and the insurrection — and it feels like there is nowhere in the music space that is trying to empathize with what feels like systemic and cultural failures. Will the album have a new sound as you move into a new era?
The album’s central theme is said to be about the pandemic, how did the pandemic affect you as a band, and how is it still affecting you?
I think the sound on this record is full and warm and rockin’! What musical influences helped you in making the album?
As we go further and further into irreversible global warming, it’s becoming more apparent that only those with wealth and money will be shielded from the negative externalities of our beloved free market. There’s a sort of pressure and feeling recently that no matter how you view the morality of our systems in place, we’re forced to participate and expedite climate change to just be ahead of our neighbors for when it all comes crashing down.
Finally, what is the overall message you want listeners to take from the album?
kindacoolmagazine.com • 25 Your new album Under The Shade of Green is going to be released soon, could you describe what the title means to you?
26 • kinda cool.
kindacoolmagazine.com
Through the progression of their career, Prince Daddy & the Hyena have begun to transcend the “emo” label and become something bigger. The first instance of this can be seen on their 2019 second full-length, Cosmic Thrill Seekers, a concept album telling the tale of a bad trip through out-of-this-world riffage and Kory Gregory’s trademark scratchy vocals. With their Pure Noise Records debut, Prince Daddy’s selftitled album takes a further dive into the world of anthemic rock, combining old and new for an overall mature sonic progression. Yes, the band is maturing, but they won’t leave their DIY roots and clever lyricism behind them.
From “Adore the Sun” and its almost heavenly first notes to the immediately following “A Random Exercise in Impermanence (The Collector),” listeners can tell they are in for a whirlwind of a record. The latter is a standout single from the record true to classic Prince Daddy form, but with interesting octave exploration in the bridge that makes it extra earworm-y. Much of the record gets dark, with a concept of confronting mortality based on some of the experiences affecting the band in recent years - see “Hollow, As You Figured” for one of the eeriest Prince Daddy listening experiences you’ll ever have. The story of the record seems to be told with several perspectives of The Narrator in mind, which are different aspects of Gregory’s brain who take turns at the helm, including “The Collector,” “The Passenger,” and “The Observer.” The story unfolds as each aspect comes to play when discussing the injury and mental illness faced by the band and especially Gregory. Besides this, the band gets even further out of their comfort zone on this album - going for straight-up 90’s alt-rock a la Third Eye Blind on “El Dorado” and of course, through their gentlest song yet, “Curly Q.” “Curly Q” is a remarkable moment on the record, not just because of the sonic deviance it presents for the band but the overall beauty of it. This song written for Gregory’s nephew is downright beautiful, with his vocals reaching falsetto notes unlike anything we’ve heard from him in the past, and an acoustic guitar guiding it up until it all culminates in a grand ending. The highest high of the record is undoubtedly “Black Mold,” a nine-minute somber traverse into the most ambient side of the band.Though the album might take some time to adjust to, it shows a natural development of the band’s sound and story. The amount of thought and care that goes into the conceptual vision on this record definitely cannot go unrecognized, as it develops on the precedent set by Cosmic Thrill Seekers into another unique release that makes big strides for the scene it associates with. The record’s release was celebrated through the band’s spring headlining tour throughout the U.S., and I was able to see the final show in Brooklyn a month and a half after the April 15th release date. The show was a high-energy summation of the dedication that listeners have to this band, and the energy in the room was unlike many others I have witnessed. There were stagedivers galore, even during “Curly Q,” and a sense of camaraderie among all bands on the bill that didn’t feel forced or presented just because it was the final stop on the tour. It was a treat to see Prince Daddy play throwback favorites, such as “Thrashville ⅓” and “I Thought You Didn’t feeling stuck and finger-pointing with PRINCE DADDY & THE HYENA
• 27 Words by Gianna Cicchetti Photography by Sonya Alfano
Even Like Leaving,” along with beloved tracks from both Cosmic Thrill Seekers and the self-titled record. Some of the highlights of the setlist were those new songs including the fulfilling anthemic “Shoelaces,” the head-boppable “Jesus Fucking Christ,” and the debut performance of “Black Mold” that shocked the crowd. The entire set started with a bang as there was an immediate leap into the crowd by the vocalist during “A Random Exercise…,” and the excitement never died down from there. The lovable chaos of the band played out in the live show, with members of support acts joining to sing or play on select tracks and a sentimental moment featuring everyone onstage being carried on one another’s shoulders during “I Lost My Life,” a scrappy (mostly) acoustic track.
28 • kinda cool.
The Prince Daddy & the Hyena live show reignited my love of shows in this vein of music, feeling welcomed enough to join the mosh at all times (which I did) and screaming just as hard as Gregory about forgetting to take my meds. As someone who tried to disidentify with the emo parts of herself for a hot minute, this band has always been an outlier for me, and it roped me right back in and made me want to actively embrace what’s coming up in the genre. I definitely recommend checking out the band on their support tour with Joyce Manor over the summer and giving the new record a spin or ten beforehand.
MaríasThe WittRebekahby
Essentially, the album is this coming-of-age journey that really touches up on a lot of the important and monumental – the defining moments of growing up and coming of age. It’s an album that, although it was written in the deep dark depths of 2020, refuses to tie into that dismal atmosphere that we were all stuck in, and instead chooses to focus on a future that we have the ability to create: a bright and exciting future. It’s all these songs that really – when we were writing it, we wanted to write songs that made us feel like we felt when we heard our favourite songs in high school. We wanted to make those songs that just lit you up, got you excited, got you amped, and made you have to share them with your friends, the stuff you wanna put on while you’re doing a road trip across the country. It’s just… I guess it’s feel good? But at the same time, it’s richer than just a feel-good album. It’s got depth, and it ties so deeply into who we are as a band. What does the title Future Shine mean? We kind of had this idea – don’t do this, first of all. When you look into the sun, what would happen if you could look deeper and kind of like – this is gonna sound crazy – you kind of see a portal into the bright and infinite future that’s ahead of you. Once again, don’t go staring into the sun, it’s not good. But what if you did stare into the sun and saw something incredible and cosmic and awesome? And so basically, it’s just like… the future and its infinite possibilities—the sparkly shine of what’s to come. How has the reception on that been so far? It’s been incredible to see how people are getting used to it and warming up to it. The first three songs we put out – “Play Along,” “Skate,” and “Big Shot” – our fans fell right Flor recently released their third studio album, Future Shine, a brilliant indie pop record that refuses to let the misery of the past two years triumph. Hopeful and cathartic lyrics paint the possibility of a better future, paired with catchy melodies and feel-good anthems. Through 11 songs, the alt pop band from Hood River, Or egon provides the perfect summer soundtrack. I had the pleasure of talking to frontman Zach Grace over Zoom about how the album came about, what it means to the band, and their very unique release celebration.
THE SHINE OF WHAT’S TO COME: DIVING INTO FUTURE SHINE WITH FLOR
SPARKLY
You just released your new album, Future Shine, a little under two weeks ago. Could you briefly introduce the record?
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Interview by Astrid Kutos Photography courtesy of Ashley Osborn
You know, in my head, it feels like it hasn’t changed at all, but I think it’d be a lie to say that. We always thought that we were this band that could put out the album Future Shine, we just never did it. Not to say that our other albums are lacking or “aren’t flor” or whateverI think we tapped into what this band can really be and what we can really accomplish with this album. So, to me, it feels like we haven’t changed at all, but I really think that is a little bit naïve to say. We took what we’ve learned from being on the road, from putting out 2 albums. Essentially, we got to say “Alright, what’s next?” That’s a really cool thing to be able to do, and we took that question pretty seriously for this next album. We wanted to be intentional about what we were creating, and we wanted it to have value and purpose. And I think we nailed it! What was the writing process behind this record like? Was the process different compared to your other albums?
32 • kinda cool. back in love with. They kind of went nuts for “Big Shot” because it was a secret. They knew we were putting out “Skate,” but we also threw “Big Shot” into the mix, and it just got them so excited. We hadn’t done anything like “Big Shot” before – something in your face, just a feel-good anthem – and I think it caught some people off guard, but as soon as they got used to it, they were like, “Oh, this is the same flor we knew, they just kind of leveled up.”. But yeah, people have been falling in love with all kinds of different songs. It’s funny to me because “Take It Back Home” has kind of been this one that’s been resonating with people, and I didn’t see that coming it all! So, it’s just really, really fun to see which songs people pick up on, enjoy, and throw into their playlists. But every song has found a home with someone, and that’s all you can ask for. This is your first studio album since 2019 –do you think your music has changed over these past three years?
So, in the previous albums, I kind of crafted the structure of the songs and brought it to the band and then we filled it out from there. But with this one, I brought nothing completed
kindacoolmagazine.com • 33 to the table. When we started writing, it was late 2020, and we all got together and just started spitting out ideas. It was the first time we’d been so collaborative; it was the first time everyone was equally involved in every aspect of it. Whether someone had a lyrical idea, someone had a melody, someone wanted a chorus to go there and a verse to go here –everyone was very hands-on for Future Shine And I don’t think we’ll go back to doing it the other way ever again because it was just so fun! It was what music is meant to be about: connecting, creating memories, creating those moments. It was as collaborative as it gets. It was at the right time, too. We didn’t force it early on in 2020, we kind of did it when everything was opening back up and right when we were just so tired of not seeing each other because we’d gone 8 months without– which is a long, long time not to see your bandmates. The album opens with “24,” lyrically a more bleak and pessimistic song compared to your usual discography. Why did you decide to start the record off with this song? That’s a great question. The logistical sense is that we couldn’t figure out anywhere else in the album to put it! It can’t be in the middle, that’s a weird tone shift and doesn’t translate well into the second half of the album. We didn’t wanna close on it because that’s not what Future Shine is about – it’s not about being bleak or pessimistic. So, it kind of felt like the opening was the only place it could be. And it was a special enough song that we definitely didn’t want to scrap it. We kind of think of it as the little bit of attention we wanna give to 2020 and 2021. It would be irresponsible to pretend like we didn’t live through it, but it’s clearly not what we were trying to dwell on with this album. So, it felt like “Let’s open it up, let’s get it out there, and then let’s move on and get into Future Shine.”
Afterward, the record turns a lot more hopeful, with songs like “Skate” and “Take It Back Home,” closing on “The Way We Talk
The opening lyric is “The way we talk about a song,” right, and it felt like that was one of the major themes of the album, that we wanted to create songs that people tied their memories and their friend groups to. And one of the most incredible things I think you can do with another person is stumble upon a song and know that they’re gonna love it and be like, “You have to hear this song.” So, it’s just like that feeling, that eruption of joy when you find a song you know someone will love – we just wanted to write about that. When you’re in a band, it’s pretty easy to forget that what you’re doing is creating music for people to enjoy and to become a part of. And so this song, more than anything, is just a reminder to us to remember when we were kids who just loved music, remember when we would find a song we love and share it immediately, and then it’s all we would talk about for the rest of the week – let’s write a song about that feeling. You organised three shows in three cities in 24 hours to celebrate the release of the new record – how did you come up with that idea?
I have to ask since I’m calling from Vienna – are there any plans for European dates in the future? You gotta know we’re talking about it all the time, but nothing has been solidified yet. We want to so bad – it’s been too long, it’s irresponsible of us, really. We need to get back ASAP.
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That’s a new bar set. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel as good about ending a tour, except if we go home and end it in our hometown now. You guys are going on a headline tour this fall in the US, and you toured with The Band Camino a little over a month ago – how do you feel about being able to play live again? Man, it feels so good. It’s why we do what we do, you know? It’s those moments that you’re creating with the crowd, meeting new people, seeing smiling faces, singing at the top of your lungs – there’s just not a feeling like it. So, it feels so good to be going back. Getting to play these shows with The Band Camino was incredible. They’re the sweetest guys and have the best fans – so receptive, they were down to just sing and dance and have a good time with us even though I think they had no idea who we were for the most part. So, it’ll be incredible to go back on the road with people that know our music a bit more and just want to sing it at the top of their lungs and fill those rooms with noise, dancing, and sound. I live for those moments. That’s where I’m at my best, when I’m on stage, just connecting. It was hard to not be able to do that for so long, but I’m so thankful it’s back.
About A Song.” Can you briefly explain the title and what the song is about?
Well, our booking agent and our manager were kind of like, “Alright, what kind of crazy stuff can we do for this?” And they called me up pretty much immediately after and were like, “Don’t say no – listen first – what if we did a show in New York, a show in LA, and a show in Hood River, and we tried to do it in 24 hours?”
I don’t think there’s anything more rock ‘n’ roll than that – just doing a show, getting on a plane, doing another show, getting on a plane, and then closing it all out in your hometown?
Immediately I was like, “Let’s do it, let’s go – I don’t know how we’re going to do it, I don’t wanna care about that, I just wanna do it.” And as soon as they heard they go, they were like “Okay, we’re going to plan this, we’re going to make this happen.” And I’m so glad we did! It was really the perfect way to kick off the album.
I think that the core thing I want people to come away from when they listen to Future Shine is that every moment in life is a learning moment. Every moment in life is a new starting point if you need it to be. It can be really easy to get overwhelmed with where you are; it can be really easy to look back on past versions of yourself and say, “I miss that, I want that back.”
I hope you do! You’ve already had quite a busy 2022 – do you have any other plans or goals you want to do this year?
And the reality is that you have the choice to be exactly who you want to be at every moment. The future can be pretty bright if you put your mind to it. Listen to Future Shine on all platforms, and catch flor on tour in the US this fall!
We’re kind of excited about writing more music already, which I know is crazy because we just put out that album. I want to get a couple more songs in our back pocket, just to have in case we want to release anything anywhere. I’d love to be playing just a couple of one-off shows, a couple here and there, just to not totally lose it before the fall. Other than that, I want to go camping pretty bad. I know that’s not music related, but I’m ready to get back outdoors and do some swimming, hiking, whatever. That’s my main thing I want to do this summer. Anything in particular you want people to take away from the record?
FLORENCE
F or Florence Welch, an unstoppable prowess on stage, performance has always come easy. She leaps and glides in the spotlight, throwing her fists in the air with a force powerful enough to break through the heavens. She bellows grand sorrows with conviction, certain she has found her calling in the art of expression. Dance Fever, Florence + The Machine’s fifth studio album, comes at a quintessential moment in Welch’s life and career. At 35 years old, the binary between her persona on stage and off begins to crumble. Welch wonders who she is without the limelight, asking if the rock star empire she has built over the last 15 years is preventing her from partaking in the more mundane pleasures of life. In Dance Fever, Welch holds up a mirror to herself and explores her desires. She grapples with the confusion and anxiety brought forth by the examination of her artistic career and succumbs herself toLivevulnerability.performance is where Welch finds her peace. ‘I hear the music, I feel the beat / And for a moment, when I’m dancing / I am free,’ she sings in “Free.” The song is giddy and upbeat, portraying music as Welch’s escape from her everyday anxiety. It’s where she feels the most like herself, where she can let go and simply let herself be. But singing and dance are also where Welch finds herself in an inescapable trance. In “Choreomania,” she expresses her undying loyalty to her art, which— although a healing mechanism—has contributed to the very anxiety she seeks to escape. “I just kept spinning and I danced myself to death,” Welch sings with striking self-awareness, dancing along to the sporadic beats of a panic attack-inspired tune. Welch’s realization serves as a breakthrough moment in the album, prompting her to delve deeper into the darker parts of herself and her artistic capabilities. ‘And have I learned restraint? / Am I quiet enough for you yet?’ she sings in “Restraint,” her voice raspy and deep as she takes a stab at the unjust expectations of female musicians. This monster-like tone makes an appearance in the record’s most pivotal moments, creating a stark division between a self powered by the beauty of performance and a self powered by relentless Instrumentally,ambition.therecord is just as jarring.
Words by Natalie Melendez
“Heaven is Here” sounds like a church hymn gone rogue. The percussion is loud and demanding, growing heavier with Welch’s moral unraveling.
“More Catholic taste than the Devil / All gilded and golden, yes, I’m your girl / Hell, if it glitters, I’m going,” Welch sings with vigor, her voice accompanied by a choir of gruesome grunts andDespitesighs. its sounds of chaos and destruction, Dance Fever is also filled with quieter moments. In “Girls Against God,” Welch softly curses the heavens, angry at the state of the world, which has left her “crying into cereal at midnight” and “staring at [her] bedroom floor.” The song was written in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when a melancholic Welch became frightened by the possibility of permanently losing the chance to perform. It’s in these pockets of serenity that Welch sees herself the most clearly. ‘And I’m in ruins, but is it what I wanted all along? / Sometimes you get the girl, sometimes you get the song,’ she sings in “The Bomb,” coming to terms with her self-sabotaging tendency to place her career above personal relationships. The final track carries similar sentiments.
It’s both a nod to the themes of artistry versus domesticity—as explored in album opener “King”— and the role of performance as Welch’s saving grace.
“But the call, it always comes / And the songs like children beggin’ to be born” and “But if I make it to the stage / I’ll show you what it means / To be saved,” Welch sings. Her career is a constant push and pull between mayhem and peace, but Welch wouldn’t want it any other way. WELCH dances with demons
CountyOrangeRex WittRebekahby
I recently caught up with the band to talk about GMYS, its inspirations, and the band’s future plans. a new reality
38 • kinda cool. Since the release of their 2018 single “still feel.”, Long Beach, CA-based half•alive have had no trouble remaining in the spotlight. The three-piece alternative band has found success in their groovy beats and dynamic visuals — an ode to the complexity of human emotion. Their latest release, Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 1, is the first half of their highly anticipated sophomore album. It is intimate and introspective, delving deeper into the whirlwinds of life than previous releases and creating new forms of connection.
Interview by Natalie Melendez • Photography courtesy of Grant Spanier
half • alive explore intimacy in
Brett Kramer: I think living in Long Beach has kind of allowed us to slow down if we need to, and kind of keep it a little bit more grounded than I think, coming back from a five-week tour and being right in the middle of like a busy city. We have that opportunity to go back home and slow down, think about things, be a little more intentional, and not get caught up with the fast pace all the time.
JT: We’ve worked with a producer who lives in Hawaii, and he was explaining to us that moving far away has allowed him to just be very intentional in what he says yes and no to. It's not just quick and easy, like in the city going to, you know, three sessions in the same day. But in Long Beach, it kind of feels like we're on our way there. We have the opportunity now to be like, “Well, it's not the easiest thing to go all the way up to LA, do whatever.” So it forces us to say yes and no to what things we want or don't want to do. It's just easy being swept up in the flow, which I think I get lost in sometimes. It’s very easy to get lost in. One of your newer songs, “Summerland,” talks about the summer and the anticipation of waiting for it. Did you guys have your hometown in mind or any other specific place or moment when you were writing
J Tyler Johnson: It was good. I think we've done a fair amount of touring so far this year, under the circumstances, kind of starting with the Twenty One Pilots tour in the fall and then jumping into our own headline. I think we're kind of getting used to what all that brings because we had just been at our homes working for so long. In a lot of ways, it was fun to finally get to actually see the band again and meet people in person that songs are connecting and get to figure out a way to do it in a safe way but meet people before and after the show. That really brought us to life in such a real way. Back in like 2019, the last time we were touring, I kind of forgot about [that] for a second. We just felt like we were writing songs and then getting to see how people are connecting with them again. It's been really great. So a lot of these shows were really exciting for that and a lot of places we hadn’t played before, as well. And people were just going off and so excited, and that made us so excited. It just helps us keep going, keep writing songs, and keep performing. Seeing that, like we've been gone for a minute, but you guys are actually like here with us doing this thing with us, was really incredible about this time. Did you guys find any differences touring this time around, considering that the pandemic happened in between headlining JT:tours?
Josh Taylor: Been organizing the house, been looking at some songs, thinking about videos, trying to edit together as a live tour video of the entire thing. The whole show is a lot of footage. We filmed every single show, so trying to put it all together into one show right now. But that's what I've been thinking about lately. And how did that go? You just finished that tour not too long ago. What was the experience like touring it this time around?
How are you guys doing? What have you been up to today?
JT:this?
I was driving back from Northern California and passed by the Santa Barbara area, and there's an actual Summerland there, which is a sign pointing to it as “Summerland This Way.” That's a cool song title. But ultimately, kindacoolmagazine.com • 39
It feels like the show is always the final form of things. And so kind of like J was mentioning, we sort of forgot what we were heading towards, like, where are all the shows, all the songs, and albums and music videos. They all kind of end up at the live show with everyone in the same room. And so it was definitely a big difference between 2019 and 2021. 2019 was like the first time we'd ever toured. And so now, you know, last year and this year, getting back on the road, I think we were able to process a lot of all the touring with a finite team and then kind of soak all of that information up and be better on this one. So you guys are from Long Beach. Obviously, you're super close to Hollywood and a lot of really big, important venues. But you know, Long Beach is still on the more mellow side of things. Has your hometown had any sort of role in the way that your music career has taken form?
BK: Yeah, we're definitely shooting for cohesion on this one. Do you guys have any idea when Part Two might be released? Or is it something that you're still working towards figuring out? BK: We are diligently working to have it out as soon as possible, but still undecided.
kindacoolmagazine.com • 41 it can be a place, but it's more of a state of mind. It's more of like an eternal place that Summerland is the fulfillment of the romance of all youth and summer and seasonal mythology. Summerland’s the place that we all start and ultimately want to stay in forever. But just like in the seasons, you have to move into death in order to experience life. Springtime and back into summer again. So that's ultimately what that song leads to. On the surface, yes, it is about having fun and the actual season of summer, but it's also much deeper than that. You guys put out part one of Give Me Your Shoulders earlier this year, which was amazing. But you guys went about it in a very unconventional way, where you released Part One and Part Two has yet to be released. Why did you decide to split up the album into two JTJ:parts?
So after we finished in 2019, we kind of took a break for a minute to rest. And then we got back into songwriting and started writing songs and kind of just like whatever we wanted to do. There wasn't much of an aim, it was just like, let's put some songs together and do that process. Eventually, the pandemic hit. And then we kind of slowed down again for a second as a lot of us did, and then took a second, took a beat, to figure out what we wanted to write about and what felt like worth sharing in this particular season. That was like a long journey for us for like two years, where we were writing a ton of songs and trying to figure out what we wanted to say. Part of that was then jumping in with our executive producers on the first part of the album. These guys Ojivolta, and we were working a lot with them and then jumped back into writing a lot of songs again. So there were honestly just a ton of songs that we were writing and kind of figuring out as we were writing the songs what the sound of the album was going to be as a whole. A lot of that led to us figuring out that TikTok’s really important, and the single is really important in trying to just be aware of what's happening in the world at large. So we kind of wanted to try something different because of so many different circumstances that kept changing and the social media game kind of changing. Long form video, though rather important, seemed to be less important at the moment than short form video. So we were just kind of weighing all these options that we had in front of us. We found that releasing multiple singles and trying to just keep chasing releasing singles at a time felt like something that might be interesting and different for a part one as we're kind of working on the full album and see how that goes, how the fans interact with them. It gave us more space to do more music videos for each song, which we really enjoy doing. We want to just try something different kind of within the space and time that we had to get those songs done. As we're working on like the full-length album currently, it allowed us to kind of try something a little different and still gave us the time and space to do a full album and do the whole thing we want to do but make it happen quicker and make sure that people aren't waiting around too long. And we can kind of keep people excited with the new things that we're excited about. Yeah, that's pretty much what happened. Are you guys hoping to have some sort of cohesiveness between both parts? Or did you want each part to be their own thing, but still part of the same album title?
Conceptually and lyrically, what do you feel is the greatest difference between this release and your previous one?
JT: I think that the biggest difference is that, on the last record, on Now, Not Yet, internally, I sort of barred myself from talking about relationships or love. Because, in one sense, I didn't feel qualified to talk about it, and it seems like a topic that everyone's talked about. And so in order to find a new perspective or a new way to talk about it, I wanted to be a better songwriter first. It just felt like there were other topics we wanted to explore in the Now, Not Yet world. But on this one, it felt like there was the opportunity to talk about love. And, yeah, in the songs that we were writing, it kept coming up. This feels like it could be talking to a person and talking to God in the same breath. And what if we just let that flow and allowed ourselves to actually write about this subject, which we hadn’t really talked about before? So, yeah, I think that's the biggest difference, lyrically and meaning-wise. There's now more of the shadow side of emotions here in this record. Like, there's more anger, there's more angst, there's more love and questioning. There's more like desperate longing. And it's more of a heart conversation than a head conversation; a lot of the themes of the last record were more cerebral, now this is more heart-driven. Would you say that this shift was due in part because you feel more comfortable sharing? Is it more of a personal thing that you yourself had to come to terms with? Or did seeing how successful the band was and how the first album was received help
42 • kinda cool.
JT: Yeah, the dance almost seems like a really unique part of, like, abandon this genre, whatever genre we are. Not a lot of people are doing it, but it feels like, to me, it always made sense. Music and dance pair so well together, even if it's not like electronic dance music or in that realm. So the start of it was just that I was friends with Jay’s brother, Jordan, and he's a dancer, incredible dancer. I just love the way he moves and asked him to choreograph something on me for the “aawake at night” music video. And then that went well, so we decided to hire him and his collaborator, Aidan, together they’re JA Collective, for the next music video, which ended up being “still feel.” Then that took off, so it just kind of became our thing after that. But in the live show, it definitely
kindacoolmagazine.com • 43 you open up a bit more?
JT: I think it was the realization that there is a lot of emotion that I don't share with the fans, there's a lot that I was keeping back. We had a conversation once with our producers at the time, Ojivolta, where he asked me a question like, “If someone didn't speak English and they listened to your record, would they even know that you're angry?” Like, huh, I guess not.
Like how is it communicated in the tone of the song? That sort of opened up a lot more of “I do want to be sharing this darker side” both musically and lyrically. Yeah, it just felt like the opportunity was ripe for it.
Your new songs carry a lot of that same movement and dynamic sense as your earlier releases. Can you tell me a bit more about the role that dance and movement play in your music and the way that you guys perform it?
JTJ: Oh my gosh. Um, yeah. I'm afraid that whatever I say will get written down, so I don't want to make a joke. But, yeah, this is good. I'm happy that you're happy is my parting words.
It has multiple meanings. Emotionally, shoulders are sort of an intimate part of the body. Like, if someone's showing shoulders, that means they're comfortable. It also feeds the sort of idioms of, like, to shoulder something or to carry someone's burden on your shoulder. And then the sort of aggressiveness of the word “give,” there’s an immediacy, there's a desperation to it. But it also is pointing to, spiritually, that Jesus is holding the weight of the world on his shoulders. And the weight of death can be on the shoulders of love. But it felt like that title had the same sort of emotional intimacy that the songs had. And so it felt right to use that as the name of Give Me Your Shoulders, Part One. What can we expect from you guys in the near future?
Yeah, they have a really inspiring show. They really know how to perform.
adds a lot more expressiveness that the music already speaks to. Visually, it provides that sort of movement that the music gives you inwardly.
JT: Definitely more shows. We just announced today we're playing in London, and we're gonna open up for Twenty One Pilots on their shows in London, as well. There should be more shows later this year, as well. Are you guys excited to be opening up for Twenty One JT:Pilots?
Could you tell me a bit more about the title of Give Me Your Shoulders, what it means and in what way you feel like it captures the essence of the JT:songs?
BK: We went out with them last year. And every show that we were able to put on with them in each different city, I felt like we learned a lot. Especially this being a pretty unique opportunity where they play small shows and then they play huge shows, I think we look up to them in a lot of different ways, and seeing them operate in those different capacities, we always take something and then carry it into our own dynamic or show. And then secondly, every city that we've been able to engage with them, whenever we come back, it just always feels like there's a new energy towards what we're doing. And so we're excited to bring that to London and experience the same excitement that we had in any other cities. Any parting words that you guys want to leave fans with?
JT: J? You have those words prepared?
JT: That's right. As we always say. JTJ: Yeah, that's the half•alive phrase. While we patiently wait for the release of Give Me Your Shoulders, Pt. 2, dive into the emotional canvas that is Part One — available on all streaming platforms — and surrender yourself to the beauty of its sincerity. 44 • kinda cool.
kindacoolmagazine.com • 45
aries taurus gemini artists artists artists albums albums albums songs songs songs • Lady Gaga • Hayley Kiyoko • Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance • Halle Bailey • Jack Antonoff • Lizzo • Kehlani • Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy • Sabrina Carpenter • Maggie Rogers • Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy • Troye Sivan • Kendrick Lamar • beabadoobee • Jessie Reyez • If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey • Teatro d’ira - Vol. I by Måneskin • Save Rock And Roll by Fall Out Boy • Harry Styles by Harry Styles • Duality by Set It Off • evermore by Taylor Swift • Folie à Deux by Fall Out Boy • Reputation by Taylor Swift • Double Dare by Waterparks • "Red Desert" by 5 Seconds of Summer • "So It Goes..." by Taylor Swift • "Atlantic" by Grayscale • "So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings" by Caroline Polachek • "happier" by Olivia Rodrigo • "Juice" by Lizzo • “Little League” by Conan Gray • “Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac • “Telephone” by Waterparks (march 21 - april 19) (april 20 - may 20) (may 21 - june 21) 46 • kinda cool. astrology in music Have you ever wondered what artists share the same sun sign as you? Which albums and songs inherently feel like they’d be a Leo? Well, it’s written in the stars… and also our newest feature. Learn more about the artists who were born under the same sign (who would’ve guessed that Lizzo and Patrick Stump are both Tauruses?), as well as which albums and songs just give off Scorpio vibes (Grayscale and Taylor Swift fans unite)! Created by Gianna Cicchetti, Cassie Fu Ren, Lexi Matuson, Kate Moore, Mary Perez, Chelsea Tiso, and Rebekah Witt
cancer artists albums songs • Luke Hemmings of 5 Seconds of Summer • Tate McRae • Chloe Bailey • Lana Del Rey • Maya Hawke • Fetch The Bolt Cutters by Fiona Apple • Melodrama by Lorde • Puberty 2 by Mitski • “Love Of My Life” by Harry Styles • “Consideration”by Rihanna, SZA • “It’s Okay To Cry” by SOPHIE (june 22 - july 22) leo virgo artists artists albums albums songs songs • Clairo • Phoebe Bridgers • Whitney Houston • Stormzy • Rina Sawayama • Florence Welch • Fiona Apple • Chase Lawrence of COIN • Beyoncé • Niall Horan • After Laughter by Paramore • Supermodel by Foster The People • Flower Boy by Tyler, The Creator • Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood • Human Ceremony by Sunflower Bean • Heaven Surrounds You by Surf Curse • "Salt" by Bad Suns • "XS" by Rina Sawayama • "Magnets" by Disclosure, Lorde • “Certainty” by Big Thief • “Float Away” by The Greeting Committee • “Don’t Swallow The Cap” by The National (july 23 - august 22) (august 23 - september 22) kindacoolmagazine.com • 47
libra artists albums songs • Halsey • Mitski • Leigh-Anne Pinnock of Little Mix • Lydia Night of The Regrettes • MARINA • Electra Heart by Marina and The Diamonds • BLUE LIPS (lady wood phase II) by Tove Lo • ANTI by Rihanna • “Wind” by Shamir • “505” by Arctic Monkeys • “Don’t Delete The Kisses” by Wolf Alice (september 23 - october 22) scorpio 48 • kinda cool. • Jin of BTS • Conan Gray • Janelle Monae • Samia • Olivia O’Brien • Geography by Tom Misch • The Divine Feminine by Mac Miller • Isolation by Kali Uchis • "Motion" by Luke Hemmings • "In Or In-Between (Remix)" by Claud, The Marías, Jesse • "Solstice Song" by Sure Sure (november 22 - december 21) • SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo • No Good Left To Give by Movements • Nella Vita by Grayscale artists albums songs • SZA • Lorde • Katy Perry • Willow Smith • Frank Ocean • "Lose" by With Confidence • "Flashlight" by The Front Bottoms • "Don’t Blame Me" by Taylor Swift (october 23 - november 21) sagittarius artists albums songs
listen to the songs in our astrology playlist: https://spoti.fi/3zaXNZe kindacoolmagazine.com • 49 • Hayley Williams of Paramore • Declan McKenna • FKA Twigs • Ross Lynch of The Driver Era • Awsten Knight of Waterparks • Harry Styles • Alex G • Remi Wolf • Megan Thee Stallion • Cautious Clay • Olivia Rodrigo • Hozier • Este Haim of HAIM • Tyler, the Creator • Rihanna • Feel Your Feelings Fool! by The Regrettes • Kiddo by Jessie Reyez • PEP by Lights • Hallelujah Hell Yeah by String Machine • Pang by Caroline Polachek • Antisocialites by Alvvays • Fearless (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift • Bella Donna by Stevie Nicks • FLOWERS for VASES / descansos by Hayley Williams • "Working Bitch" by Ashnikko • "Rest" by Half Alive, Samm Henshaw • "Zombie!" by Orla Gartland • “Sword” by IAN SWEET • “Beautifully Unconventional” by Wolf Alice • “Empire Ants” by Gorillaz, Little Dragon • “Block me out” by Gracie Abrams • “Brando” by Lucy Dacus • “Thérèse” by Maya Hawke (december 22 - january 19) (january 20 - february 18) (february 19 - march 20) capricorn aquarius pisces artists artists artists albums albums albums songs songs songs
The title, Kings of the New Age, is also the first line of the album – what does that phrase mean to you?
It’s kind of all over the place. Like I said, we said not to take it too seriously, so we didn’t sit and think, “Let’s write a song about this, that, and the other thing.” We just said, “What does this song make us feel?” So, there are the relationship songs, obviously, and there are some personal struggle songs. Derek has said in a couple of other interviews that he was dealing with some vocal troubles and stuff, and he was nervous –he thought it was the one thing he could always rely on. He started noticing something was different and started talking to a vocal trainer and whatnot, and that was really tough for his mental state. So, we wrote a song about that. I don’t think a lot of people would know that just listening to it, so hearing him open up it was pretty cool. He’s kind of a tough cookie to crack sometimes, so it was cool that he was down to write a song about it.
STATE CHAMPS ARE HERE TO STAY:
released your new album, Kings of the New Age – could you briefly introduce the record to people who might not have heard it yet?
What are some of the lyrical themes in this album?
We just wanted to write a record that was kind of proving our spot in the scene. We’ve been around for a long time, we’ve been doing this for a long time, we know that we’re good. It was a conversation we had where we all realised “Why are we afraid to say how proud we are of what we’ve accomplished and what we’ve done?” And this was kind of like, “Let’s just say it how it is” - we know we’re good, we feel like the kings, and we’re going to take the crown and put out a record that backs that up. And I think that’s exactly what it is. That would’ve probably also become more relevant recently since pop punk has to some extent returned to the mainstream with the rise of newer artists, right? Yeah, it’s actually weird because of the timing. We were doing it during the pandemic, where it hadn’t really happened yet – it was starting to creep into the mainstream, but the renaissance that’s happening now was not happening when we were making this record. It’s cool how it’s worked because you look at artists In the pop punk space that are doing it now that are maybe new to the space, like MGK or jxdn – those are all people who are not afraid to be like “Hey, I’m this, I have this celebrity, or this swag, or this that and the other thing.” And I thought that was cool! It was kind of a hip hop element to rock music. And that’s not something that you really see, in our scene at least. Coming from Warped Tour, you’re supposed to be humble, very grateful, “Thank you for One of the top names in pop punk, State Champs reassert their place in the scene with their new record, Kings of the New Age . Formed in 2010 in Albany, New York, the quartet has been around for a minute. Throughout 11 high-energy songs, they once again prove themselves as pop-punk royalty, chronicling love, breakups, and even singer Derek DiScanio’s vocal troubles. Introspective lyrics are brought to life with the signature, classic pop-punk sound fans initially fell in love with, with newer elements like a surprising country feature weaved in. I had the pleasure of talking to bassist Ryan Scott Graham about the new record, touring Europe after COVID, and their place in the scene ahead of their show in Vienna.
It’s kind of a trip back to what we started doing in the beginning: some carefree, high-energy, fun music. We just wanted to not take ourselves very seriously on this record, and I think we accomplished that. We try to elevate – pun not intended – every time we put out a record, we want to become better musicians and songwriters, but this time, we took a step back and said, “Let’s just make some fun music.”
talking Kings of the New Age, touring post-COVID, and more 50 • kinda cool. Interview by Astrid Kutos Photography courtesy of Beth Saravo and Alex YouMcDonnellrecently
Like you mentioned, you guys have been around for a while – you’ve been a band for over a decade at this point. Has the process behind writing a song or making an album changed over that time?
everything.”
Yeah, a little bit. The first two records were getting a room and just jamming, or getting in a room with an acoustic guitar and fleshing out a song. Once we had the structure, Derek would go and write a melody or write some lyrics, whatever came. I think when we made Living Proof, it was half jamming and half sitting behind a computer, building a song rather than jamming it out and finding where it was supposed to go. It was like, “Let’s do this structure and just plug in the parts.” I think that’s the way this record happened as well – it was about half jamming, half really thinking like a songwriter. It was thinking about what’s going to make this the best song rather than just hoping that something magical happens when you’re jamming because it doesn’t always. When you sit down with the intention of writing a great pop song, you can do that easier when you’re just kind of plugging and going. I actually really enjoy that process. We started calling it the “LA way” when we first went out to LA to make a record. I would say that’s the one way our song writing has changed since the beginning. You mentioned in another interview that you didn’t want to release the record until you would be able to play it live. How long has it been in the works behind the scenes?
We started demoing stuff in 2019. We got off the road and were like, “Let’s start thinking about music.” We put out the acoustic record, but we were making demos at the same time. It was just such a long process, because when we started writing the songs, COVID hit. And we just didn’t know what we were going to do, so we started writing songs over Zoom and demoing things. At that point, we probably already had about 20 ideas for songs. I think we met up at some point during the pandemic, and pretty much
And I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with that, but we’ve done that forever and it’s like – we’ve kind of earned this title. I think it’s okay to be a little boisterous about it. So yeah, the timing was pretty impeccable.
knocked them all out, recorded them. And we were just listening to them for about a year before anything even happened. I referenced it a couple times online –I’ve been listening to this record so much, I’m already ready for the next one, and no one else has even heard it yet. It was a pretty painstaking thing to have it for that long, but we knew it was not the best idea to just put it out there. Not being able to tour on it, not being able to play – it just felt like it was going to get lost. There was so much happening in the world that it was like, even if we were able to play, this isn’t even the right time in culture to put out music. It doesn’t make sense; it doesn’t feel right. So, we sat on it until it felt right. I’m just so happy it’s finally out.
Do you have a personal favourite off the record, any song you’re particularly excited for people to hear, or to play live? I’m really excited to play “Fake It,” which we haven’t yet. It’s track five on the record. It was a song that I immediately fell in love with. It was one of the first demos we did back in 2019. It sounded a lot different, but I always knew that there was something to it. When we finished it, that was the song I wanted to be the first single, and no one else agreed. I had to fight, and it ended up not being a single at all, so I’m like “That’s okay—when the record comes out, I’m telling you that this is gonna be a lot of peoples’ favourite song.” And I’ve been seeing a lot of people saying that, so I feel like I had an intuition that it was gonna be a special one. But for me, selfishly, it’s my favourite bass part on the record, so obviously I just want to play it. I wanted people to hear it because I’m very 52 • kinda cool.
You’re currently touring Europe again for the first time since the pandemic hit – how has it been so far? It’s been amazing. All the shows have been awesome, aside from Paris, which we did not get to do – thank you, Brexit. But yeah, the shows have been awesome, it’s been really, really fun to be back. It just feels like people are excited to be watching live music again. For us, it kind of feels surreal being able to be back here. We did Slam Dunk and that was two days, so it wasn’t enough. Being back in Europe is fun because it’s just an adventure. Anytime we go here, everything is new and exciting for us still, even though we’ve been touring here for eight years. Any time we can get out of the States, it’s just fun for our band. The shows have been amazing, and the reception to the new songs has been awesome. I feel like we feel more confident as a band, more than ever – we’re playing as a four-piece for the first time, so it’s all new and exciting. I think people are very welcome to it, so it makes us feel confident.
Just trying to play more shows. We go back and we play a couple of festivals, we have Red Rocks with blackbear, we’re doing When We Were Young Fest. We’ve got plans for some more overseas stuff, we have plans for a headliner – none of it’s been announced yet, but we do have a lot of plans. Already working on new music, like I said. It’s just like now that the train is going, it’s time to go full speed ahead. Is there anything specific you want people to take away from this era of State Champs? Just to have fun listening to music! The last two years have been so difficult and strange and scary for a lot of people, and I think we made this record to deal with that. Honestly, personally - I think when you make music sometimes, you’re thinking about how you’re going to be perceived, what type of person is going to be listening to this. For us, this time around, it was like “Yo, we need help too” because we’re in this scared, weird place that we haven’t been in ever before. It was just a very therapeutic thing, and I think that’s what music is for most people. So, I want them to listen to the record and just think “It’s going to be alright.”
It’s something we’ve always wanted to do. We really wanted to do one on Living Proof too, it just came down to timing. Some of the songs didn’t really make sense, and it felt like if we were to have features, it would be forced. So, when we were writing these songs, we purposefully didn’t finish some of them so we could kind of feel out whether they should have a feature or not. It was all people that we respect as musicians and friends. Obviously Four Year Strong, Chrissy, and Ben we have long-standing relationships with - since 2014 or so - touring with them and getting to know them through the scene. We wanted to include our friends and do something as fan-service, I guess, have something for people to be excited about. But it’s not really something that’s happening in our scene right now, doing collabs and features. I think it’s kind of started happening throughout the pandemic, people just reaching out to their friends saying, “Let’s do something together, we have all this time and neither of us are touring right now.” For us, it was like the perfect time. We knew we wanted to have a country feature. Initially, our first thought was, “We’re friends with the guys in Dan + Shay, maybe we could make this happen” – didn’t happen. So then our producer Drew said, “Well, I’m friends with Mitchell Tenpenny and I know he’s a fan of your band, I can reach out to him.”[Guitarist] Tyler [Szalkowski] is a massive Mitchell Tenpenny fan, so he was like, “I didn’t even think that was an option, I would be stoked if we could make that happen.” None of us really knew him, but as soon as he sent us the feature, it was just like, “Wow, he crushed this, this is really cool.” I think it was just like a perfect storm of timing and wanting to try something new. Everyone else was immediately on board, so it was really cool. That definitely makes it more special, as well. Yeah, it makes it more interesting! It’s not just a one-dimensional record. Especially for fans of those bands, it’s like “Well let me check out State Champs if I haven’t.” I think that’s always sort of the point of having a feature. I guess you could say it was a bit of a marketing thought, as well.
Through Kings of the New Age , State Champs showcase a more refined, elevated version of the sound they have perfected over the years. Listen to the new record on all platforms and catch them live at When We Were Young in the US, or on their Australian co-headliner with The Maine in September. kindacoolmagazine.com • 53
proud of the musicianship on that song. This time around, you have 4 features, from fellow pop punk musicians to country singer Mitchell Tenpenny – how did those come about?
Do you have anything else planned for the rest of 2022?
Turnstile by Cassie Fu Ren
The Band Camino by Tanya Wright
Remi Wolf is a star. From her incredible stage presence to her mind-blowing vocals, she’s funky and fun both in her music and at shows. She’s authentic and grounded behind the scenes, very intentional with what she does while remaining a free spirit. We sat down with Remi in Toronto to talk about all things “Liz,” lifestyles, and lounging at the pool.
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Interview by Lexi Matuson Photography courtesy of Haley Appell, Alma Rosaz, and Ragan Henderson
58 • kinda cool. You’re having a really fun beginning of the decade right now. From songs like “Photo ID” blowing up on TikTok to performing at these big festivals, how do you think these past two years have helped you grow as an artist? Very immensely. I feel like I didn’t really understand the lifestyle until I started living it. I think I’ve grown in every single way. From my writing, my visuals, my touring, my understanding of how everything works and what I need to be doing, how to be a boss, how to be a friend, and how to be a person in the studio. I think in every way, just experience has really helped. We’ve gotten to see small bits of your writing process like your freestyle with Kenny Beats. What does your process typically look like? Is there a typical? Not really. I think sometimes I’ll go into the studio, the producer will have a beat they’re working on, I’ll really like it, and we’ll build that out. Typically lyrically, I’m very freestyle, freeform, off the top of my head, creating lyrics in that way. But recently, I’ve been taking a little bit more time with my lyrics because it’s been something that’s been calling to me a little more. Sometimes I’ll sit down by myself with a guitar. Sometimes I’ll write something on the drums. Sometimes I’ll be in my car and hear a melody in my
It’s really hard to be away from him. I’ve been away from him for a couple of months now because I’ve pretty much been nonstop touring this entire year and the end of last year. So it’s been kind of rough. But my family’s taking care of him, and they love him so he’s in good hands. In terms of naming the album, I mean I really liked his name – obviously ‘cause I named him that. I knew I wanted my album to be a oneword title. And also, he was just there throughout the entire thing, supporting me pretty much – us supporting each other, really –through the entire pandemic and the entire writing process of the entire album. He was going on all these mini Airbnb trips we were doing, he came to every studio, and he annoyed every single producer that worked on the record. It just made sense to me when it came time to figure out the name. I think I decided on the name before I even finished the project because it just made sense. He was just a huge – even though he just sat there and farted and ran around and peed
kindacoolmagazine.com • 59 head and write and record that into my voice memos and then go back to it later. There are a lot of different ways.
Over the course of writing your album Juno, you had the most important producer in the room – your dog, Juno. How did you end up naming the album after him, and how hard is it being away from him on tour?
It was very natural. It was a very organic process. I started working with my friend Jared Solomon, who I’ve done pretty much everything in my career thus far with. We used to work together in high school. We weren’t together – we were living in different states – for five years, and then we started working together again, and we kind of just ended up building this sound together very naturally. We both have very similar tastes in music and grew up on the same music ‘cause we’re from the same place. So it was very natural. And just a lot of experimenting and a lot of vocal experimentation, a lot of production experimentation that just kind of happened in both of our bedrooms. It was fast but slow. And it’s hard to kind of describe how you come up with a sound ‘cause for us, it was really natural.
Your song “Pool” with Still Woozy really shows off your ability to emote with your voice. How did you two come together with that song?
60 • kinda cool. on the floor – he was a huge part of the album coming together. It’s the energy. Yeah, exactly. The chaos. I love it. So speaking of tour, you’re on tour opening for Lorde on her Solar Power Tour right now. I know you’ve only had a few shows so far, but what’s been your favorite part of your set? I mean, my set’s so short. It’s a 30-minute set, and I’ve been used to doing an hour to an hour and a half long sets, so it feels like a breeze, honestly. It’s really nice to just do a little 30-minute one, and it’s really condensed. But I guess my favorite part – I kind of like the whole thing right now. There’s no filler at all. I love singing my song “Liz” – that song’s really fun always. That’s a really fun one to do. I like the whole thing, but “Liz” is always a highlight to me. I always look forward to singing that one. Do you feel like you’ve learned anything about yourself on this tour so far? Yeah. A lot of things. What can I share? I’m just learning about performance more because I’m in a very confined space on the stage. I think it’s good learning how to work any stage I’m given, which I used to pay a lot more attention to because when I was coming up, I was on these tiny little stages performing in the back of cafés and stuff. So I haven’t been challenged in that way for a long time, and I think that this is a good challenge for me in learning more about crowd work and how to make a really impactful show. That connection is just so important in a live show. And I think that one of the things that makes you so unique as an artist is the way that you combine pop and funk and indie to create your sound. What was the process of developing that?
Sven [Still Woozy] was visiting LA because he lives in Portland normally. And we’ve been friends for a long time because I went on tour with him back in 2019. We’ve just stayed in touch the whole way through. He’s just such an awesome person and so fun to be around and calming and chill, and we just get to talk about our lives and understand each other ‘cause we do the same shit. It’s a great friendship. He was visiting, and we were at the pool at his hotel, just talking about our lives. After we were there for three hours, he was like, “Let’s go to this session I’m doing.” We go in and start playing guitar and just wrote about what we had just
kindacoolmagazine.com • 63 talked about for three hours. Again, very natural songwriting process. I think immediately, we were like, “This is kind of special and cool and different for both of us.” We were both very into it, and I’m glad that we saw the whole thing through because honestly, it’s one of my favorite songs and one of my favorite videos that I’ve released so far. The braids in it are insane. I love them. I love the braids, too. They made me very happy. Your aesthetic is such a well-translated one. You’re able to express it so well with all of the bright colors and the funky outfits. How do you go through putting together an outfit for a show? My ideal for every show is I like to shop the day of the show at whatever local vintage store. I don’t always get to do that because sometimes time doesn’t allow it, but that’s like my favorite thing to do. I don’t know, I just pick out things that I like and things that are cool and comfortable and fun and that I feel will translate on stage. I pretty much dress the same on stage as I dress offstage. It’s not that different. But I like patterns and textures and color and big graphics. That’s so cool! Just having a bit of each city on stage with you. Before your album Juno, you did put out some songs like “Liz” and “Monte Carlo” that aren’t really with a body of work. Do you see yourself doing the same thing in the future, or do you think you’re going to see how things flow or stick with just albums? I think I definitely see myself doing that. I think it’s fun. Sometimes there’s just a song that you just really like that comes out of nowhere, and if you feel like it doesn’t fit in an album or a project you’re going to make, why not just put it out? It’s really not that serious, and I’d rather people hear the song than have to bury it
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Mental health is something that everyone has really focused on, especially during the pandemic. It’s something’s at the forefront of songs like “Liquor Store” and “wyd.” Do you find that it’s been hard to open up about those struggles, or do you think that it's a natural part of being an artist?
64 • kinda cool. because it doesn’t fit into the box of an album. I don’t have any plans for it, but I can see myself doing it again.
I don’t think it’s hard for me, at least. I think I’m maybe a little too open sometimes about it. But it’s good when it translates into a song and I’m able to actually express myself and express that side of myself through music. And I think that is just part of the artist's DNA. Part of making art is expressing and getting through those bad or weird feelings that we all have sometimes, you know? I can’t speak for any other artists, but that’s my vibe with it.
Remi Wolf just dropped an exclusive EP for Spotify, Live at Electric Lady, featuring five of her hit songs and a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Pink + White.” The EP includes:1.wyd Woo! Sauce Liz Pink + White (Frank Ocean cover) Grumpy Old Man Be sure to check out Remi Wolf’s discography online and her upcoming North American Gwingle Gwongle tour!
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You’ve collaborated with a lot of really cool artists like Dominic Fike and Wallows. If you could feature any artist on your next album, who would it be? If I could feature any artist. I really love this artist Hether who’s actually touring with me in the fall. I think he’s so fucking good, and I’ve made a couple of songs with him now. So I would love to feature him. I’m just a huge fan of his work. My dream of dream dreams, dream, dream, dreams would be Erykah Badu, but that’s like on the way. Maybe not, but probably. How do you hope your fans feel when they walk away from a show of yours? I hope they feel… I don’t know. I hope they feel happy. I hope they feel like a load was taken off their shoulders at least for a little bit. I don’t like putting intention on people’s emotions for things that I do. I want people to take away what they want to take away. I think I just want them to feel different than when they walked in. I think that’s what I want. That’s so beautiful. Alright, well, thank you so much for sitting down with us at Kinda Cool! We really appreciate it. Thank you!
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CHVRCHES by Lexi Matuson
Photography courtesy of Jessica Griffith
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A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE WITH MAGNOLIA PARK
Tristan Torres: That all actually came pretty much like right after we recorded Halloween Mixtape. Vince, our keyboardist, he's actually from Germany. He flew in for some studio sessions at the audio compound where we work with Andrew Wade and Andy Karpovck. We went over there, I think, at like 1:00 AM, ‘cause, uh, we just wanted to get some lastminute writing before we go to the studio and he had this hyper-trap kind of like synth intro. And then we just went to try to play something unique. So we added Joy Division elements, elements inspired by The Weeknd. The rest of the songs that we're doing, we're just trying to push like the genre of pop punk forward, you know, do and create something new in that aspect. Speaking of a new era and kind of pushing this pop punk scene forward, what's the most exciting part about it all? Whether it be kind of like getting to write these new songs, going into new cities on tours, what's Florida pop punk band Magnolia Park has been making waves in the scene. Following a lengthy tour, some new singles, and an announcement that they’ll be playing Sad Summer Festival, I caught up with Josh and Tristan from Magnolia Park to see what this year has in store for them.
You guys just dropped “Tokyo” as a new single, so what was the writing process like kind of going into a new era?
Interview by Mickayla Whitt
JR: The most rewarding part is knowing that whatever we write, it's always going to be in the ears of someone that we look up to. That's always something really cool to experience: [them] being like, “Oh yeah, I heard this demo. This sounds sick,” and I’m like “Oh, I didn’t even know that you know who we are.” So I would definitely say, yeah, just like having those in the industry that we looked up to, whether it'd be producers or other artists that are like, “Yo, this is sick like you guys are really doing something different.” Obviously, you guys take some other genres to make something very original and unique. What have been some other musical inspirations from any genre just over the years kind of creating what is Magnolia TT:Park?
With the past Mayday Parade tour and doing some of the Real Friends headliners, what was it like going to all of these new cities and seeing new audiences, even in cities like Davenport, Iowa? That was one of the shows I was at, a place you would probably never expect to play a show.
TT: Yeah, for that music video, we just wanted to recreate an old Sum 41 video for “Fat Lip.” We asked everyone to bring their COVID-19 cards and remain safe, but we want to connect with our fans and meet them all. It's super important for us. Like in our music, we talk about a lot of personal things and things to help people get through things, like a tough time in life with their mental health or stuff like that. Our whole goal has been to help someone get through their day. So that's like super important.
Yeah, we take a lot of inspiration from hip-hop, specifically like the down South, like Memphis kind of thing like Three 6 Mafia. We take a lot of inspo from pop hits like The 1975. Joe, our drummer, he's like super into metalcore, so we have a lot of influence of that in our kick patterns and rhythms. When we approach a song, it's basically how we can cater to this song and bring all our influences together and create something unique that's in this center world of like pop punk. You guys are about to do Sad Summer after doing your first big tour. This sudden burst of attention and getting all of these fans, does it feel odd, or did it kind of feel like a long time coming? Like you guys just knew that it was going to happen eventually?
I know you guys are filming music videos involving your fans. How important is it to you guys that you are able to connect with your fans and share this journey with them?
Joshua Roberts: It was kind of cool, honestly, just seeing different types of people out there. All the different sceneries were pretty cool. We're all from Florida, so all we see are palm trees and traffic on I-4. We'll be out and just experiencing new things every single day. Like you said, Davenport we were like, “Alright it's, like super cold out here, but there's a basketball court right here, so let's play some ball or something like that.”
JR: I would say a bit of both. At certain points, we were like, “Yeah, we're actually doing this. Like, we're actually coming from one tour to another tour.” And other times, it took us two years just to get to this point, but we're not stopping. There are moments where it's like, “All right, we're doing it,” and other times like, “Whoa, we're really doing it.” We’re extremely grateful to be doing it. Just to have the opportunity to play Sad Summer is insane. We never played Warped Tour because we're a newer band. It's going to be awesome. Meeting all these new fans and playing with all these awesome bands we look up to like Neck Deep and Mayday Parade, it's gonna be sick.
Speaking of Sad Summer, you guys will hopefully have some new tunes for us by
kindacoolmagazine.com • 69 that upcoming feeling like?
What has been the most rewarding part of the writing process so far?
TT: Yeah. I mean, it's amazing. We just got off tour with Mayday Parade and Real Friends. It was like our first real tour so it was extremely humbling and amazing to meet all the fans. We had COVID protocol most of the time, so we couldn't get super engaged with everyone, but it was amazing like meeting and talking to all the fans.
JR: Innovative, emotional, and creative. I would say those three. What sets Magnolia Park apart in TT:particular? I would say the unique way we approach our music. Like our main writers in the band, we try to push positivity and real-life experiences we went through in all our songs. I think that connects to people more when you give that real feeling through the lyrics or through music.
With Sad Summer, you guys are doing just a few dates, correct? What's it going to be like getting to do such a big thing and going on that tour? Even though it's not going to be a full, long tour, you're still getting to do something so huge. It's grown within a few years, similar to you guy—do you feel any correlation between that?
JR: Honestly, a little bit. When we dropped our first song, we were like, “Oh, this is dope,” and we got that traction. That was when Mayday and The Maine did Sad Summer. I went to that first year. I was like, “Man, this is crazy. This is going to be the next Warped.” The following year, we were on tour already with [Lil] Lotus. So we weren't able to go, and then now we're playing it. I kind of feel as if it's like almost like a full-circle moment. We just started getting a push in 2019. Now here we are, 2022 and on something that just started basically when we started. It’s a cliche question, but I always have to ask…dream tour lineup?
Do you think being able to talk about those raw things in your lyrics while still having a good time while you're playing these shows and making sure you have this upbeat, positive energy with it contributes to the fans you have gained?
JR: Yes, because I used to go to shows when I was younger, bands like Linkin Park or Mayday Parade, All Time Low. They're all singing about their hardships, but in such a way that we feel as if we were in those shoes. So whenever we're writing and we're performing, we want to make sure that everyone is in those same shoes with us. It kind of helps them know that they're not alone [in] anything that they're going through or anything that they could be going through. I guess our lyrics depict what real life could be for anyone. So whenever they're hearing it live or they're seeing us give it our all, it gives them that open door to walk through and be able to just be themselves and feel what we feel. On this past tour, you guys actually did a cover of “Sugar We're Going Down” by Fall Out Boy. Was that just a song that really influenced you guys when you were younger or was that one you knew everyone would really like and know? What was it like trying to pick just one little song to add in? TT: It's always super hard with us, and we can never settle on a cover to do so. I mean, we all love Fall Out Boy. I think we might do a Paramore cover on Sad Summer.
Describe the future of Magnolia Park in three words.
70 • kinda cool. then. Should fans expect more like “Tokyo” or something that’s different each time and brings something new?
TT: The next song is straight-up pop punk. Like in-your-face, this is an anthem kind of vibe. It has like a lot of those new elements. We have like more, I would say, more pop-punk tracks. “Tokyo” just came really naturally to us, that song, so we wanted to put it out and share it with the world. Most of our other songs are pop punk-centered but adding those elements from “Tokyo,” if that makes sense.
Cause we really feel this, like whenever Josh writes lyrics or like anyone else in the band, it comes from like the heart, for sure. We give our all into our music, and I think that translates through our songs and the way people connect to it certain songs. So I think that's what puts us apart from the rest of pop punk.
TT: Definitely Bring Me The Horizon on there, The 1975, and who else, Josh?
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JR: Honestly, Linkin Park and Bring Me would go crazy. The 1975 too. I feel like I’m forgetting one, but those three for sure. As we go into this new era and as Sad Summer's about to begin, what's the thing you're most looking forward to about continuing this journey that’s kind of starting to speed roll for you guys a bit now?
TT: I would say definitely we have like two projects coming out this year, our main album later this year and then an EP, which has “Tokyo” on it, so definitely like dropping more music and sharing what we've been working on. We’ve been working our butts off like sometimes we pretty much don't have any off days to make this new album happen. We want to share new music with our fans and new people, and hopefully, this steamrolls into something where we can create a positive influence and have a positive community of
TT: Definitely like Josh said, positive, chaotic energy in your face, fun, for sure. If you’re into pop-punk with an experimental side and a band who strives to form connections with their fans, check out Magnolia Park, and maybe even go catch them on tour!
JR: Completely positive, chaotic energy. I would say, for sure, like a lot of sense of community. We love talking and meeting our fans and asking what they're going through. If then they need anything, we always try to be there and go the extra mile for the people who support us because like the fact that anyone would support you doing music is like still insane to me.
JR: For sure. Especially our next track that we're releasing, I can say people are gonna connect really, really well with this next one. You guys have said you have hardly any off days, so do you feel like, in a way, writing is therapeutic to be able to get these words out, almost like that's kind of a time to release the stress from all of this new TT:energy?
Yeah, for sure. I mean, we're all friends and we love hanging out with each other and writing with each other. For me personally, whenever I get with like Freddie or the rest of the guys, I’m having the most fun and feel my most relaxed when I'm like writing lyrics or writing a song. And it's honestly like the best feeling in the world when you come up with like a new idea and feel super passionate about like the song you just created with your friends. And then like, luckily enough, we get to share with the world. Hopefully some people like it, but mainly we do it because we just like making fun songs together.
72 • kinda cool. fans together. Looking forward to that, for sure. With this new music, should fans expect to connect with it on a different level?
If you guys were talking to a new Magnolia Park fan, what would you guys tell them? What would you guys tell them to expect at a Magnolia Park show?
Wallows by Rebekah Witt
DAYA
kindacoolmagazine.com Interview by Chelsea Tiso Photography courtesy of Audrey Steimer
You teased the song on your TikTok back in late May, so can you pinpoint what part of the process you were at then? I had had it mastered and ready to go at that point; I think I had it ready to go as early as March. We just had to get the creative running, like the visuals and everything, so that took a few more months. We wrote it in January, and I just knew immediately that it was going to be the next song. We just went through the process of finishing up production and mixing and mastering it. Yeah, we had all of that ready to go—I think it’s probably the fastest I've gone through all those steps because I was so excited to put it out! Can you take us on a trip down memory lane? How was it going into the studio to record Love You When You’re Gone? It was great. It was actually my first time working with Lewis, Lewis Castle from TheGifted, who I wrote it with. He’s like one half of the duo, James Bairian is the other half of the duo, and they finished up the production together, but for the actual day of writing, it was just me and Lewis. And it was cool! We caught up and got to know each other and started talking about some of our inspirations. I was on a huge new wave bend at that point, so I was talking about The Cure, and he also loves The Cure. We were just talking about their chord structures and chord progressions, so he started playing some chords on the guitar and singing some melodies. I was sitting on the concept of missing someone so much when you’re removed from the situation and kind of romanticising the time that you spent with them. But in reality, you know that it wasn’t as great as you’re making it out to be in your head. You might just be a little lonely and missing the comfort of them rather than the actual relationship. We were just playing around with that phrase, and the rest of the song kinda I had the pleasure of sitting down with Pittsburgh native Grace Martine Tandon, aka Daya, on the day of the release of her new single “Love You When You’re Gone.” Rising to fame at the age of sixteen, the now twenty-three-year-old is back with a single I’m sure her avid fans will recognise as her best and most honest track yet. As well as celebrating the new track, we were able to speak about the various things that inspire her, her touring process, and many other things following her return to the States.
Hiya, how’ve you been? I heard you just got back to the US? I’m good, I’m very jet-lagged. I feel like I haven’t slept in three days but other than that, I’m great! We’re vibing, we’re hanging, we’re just running on adrenaline at this point. How excited are you for your fans to hear “Love You When You’re Gone?” I am so excited. This is probably my favourite song that I’ve ever put out and probably the most personal too. So it just feels very cathartic today to put it out and release it into the world, and the reception has just been amazing. Yeah, I can only hope that people love it and can connect and can relate their own experiences to it.
a conversation with love, representation, and hummus:
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“Love You When You’re Gone” is very different to Sit Still, Look Pretty. How do you feel you’ve matured musically or even personally since its release?
76 • kinda cool.
I feel like so much has changed since then. I was sixteen when I put out Sit Still, Look Pretty, and I'm twenty-three now, so a lot of my life has changed. I’ve just experienced real adult things and real adult relationships, and I think when I was younger, I was thinking more in hypotheticals. I didn't have the real-life connection to what I was talking about in a lot of those songs and it was a gut feeling that I needed to take that time apart, just to grow as a human and fall in and out of relationships and just have different experiences. I'm really happy that I took that time off, and I think I've just matured so much as a person and I think it shows through my new work. Also, it’s just more personal and raw and vulnerable now, whereas before I was maybe a step removed from it. I think it was nice at the time because I was a really private person and didn't love broadcasting those types of things, but as I've gotten older, I've seen the power of being vulnerable a lot more. Do you feel like quarantine has helped a lot more with having the space to be by yourself and really get in tune with your emotions?
wrote itself. It took probably a matter of thirty minutes or so. What’s one core memory that you have whilst writing "Love You When You’re Gone," or even filming the music video for it? The music video was just so fun to film. We really wanted to take it in a narrative route, and Mitch [deQuilettes], the director, has done a bunch of short films. Everything with that video just went from idea to execution so well. It was an 18-hour day so it was really really long and tiring, but it was just a really exciting day. I was just running on adrenaline the whole time and caffeine, but yeah, I'm really happy with how it turned out.
I think it was just a culmination of everything that I've been wanting to be as an artist in a song that I hadn't been or I hadn't done yet. It just felt like the most me yet and it felt like a pool of all the references to songs that I'd listened to growing up. It was a very intimate setting, and I don't normally just write with one other person and just with a guitar. Normally there's a producer that has the tracks readily available, that’s what I kind of knew from an early point in my career. Being that intimate definitely lent itself to have the lyrics be more vulnerable, and I pretty much was in control of all of the lyrics. I think that that's the first time that it's happened in the way that it did. Obviously Lewis was super helpful, but it was the first time that I felt that I was really steering the ship fully. I think collaborating is great, but I think this is the first time that it just feels 100% me. You’ve released music for multiple movie soundtracks, how does it differ from recording for an EP or an album?
Most recently, The L Word one [“What If I
You mentioned earlier that when you were writing Love You When You’re Gone, you knew that it would be the next single, what made you so certain about it?
kindacoolmagazine.com • 77 I think so, my career was going so fast at that point. It was on such a fast track, and everything was kind of fight-or-flight, and I didn't have time to process a lot of what was happening. Quarantine kind of served as like a three-year-long therapy session with myself of just processing my feelings about things because I feel like I didn't really give myself permission to do that when it was just like go-go-go-go-go. I think I really just got in tune with myself and my gut, and I'm honestly so grateful for that. I feel like things would be a lot different if I didn't have that.
It's very different. A lot of those syncs were songs that I had written that I knew I wasn't going to put out, but I still equally liked. They were just never in line with a personal project that I was releasing, so a few of the songs were from demo archives.
78 • kinda cool.
Another collab? I don't know, this one is always hard, I would love to do something with Matty from The 1975. I think that I really like his voice and his style of writing, and I think something like that could be cool. How does it feel knowing that you’re able to provide representation for a multitude of your fans?
You grew up in Pittsburgh, so how did that environment and your upbringing influence your music career?
I think it's really cool, and I think that it's really important
You’ve previously mentioned that you’d love to collaborate with Chris Martin, is there anyone else you’d love to collaborate with?
The first person I saw live, I think, was Coldplay when I was super young. I was a huge Chris Martin fan, I don't know if I wanted to be him or date him, but I loved him so much. I just loved seeing him perform and I loved his energy. That was a really pivotal moment for me to realise that I wanted to be a performer myself and songwriter. Yeah, I love him.
Well, it definitely got me my start, which I don't know if I would've had if I didn't live in Pittsburgh. It was basically through my voice teacher at the time who I was studying really closely with for like five years. She had gone to school with the guy who wrote my first album with me, Gino Barletta. I guess that’s the literal aspect of growing up there and having that be like the exact moment that led to my professional career. But also, Pittsburgh, in general, fostered a really welcoming space for artists, and the artist scene is super small. At the same time, people want to go out and see shows. On the weekends, there are always little festivals going on downtown, and I think it was just the right size for me to handle and start playing gigs because I think I probably would've been overwhelmed if I grew up somewhere like New York or LA or Nashville. I think it was the perfect size, and it was really fun to explore performing and really get my feet on the ground with that super early on. Who was the first person that you saw live in your hometown?
kindacoolmagazine.com • 79 Told You”] was a prompt to make a song about this experience and this scenario, and they kinda showed me the clip of the end of the show. It was so cool to be prompted like that to create a sound around an experience and around a feeling that's already there when I'm usually so used to having it come from me and building it off of one of my feelings. It was really cool to experience that side of it but also like syncs, in general, are just very fun because they're very dramatic and cinematic and part of me just lives for that drama. I love having that as an outlet that's a step separate from my personal stuff.
Yeah, I think reading is usually the thing that keeps me grounded. When I'm travelling, I read a lot. It's nice, and I read a lot of novels, so I feel like I'm just putting my mental headspace in a different world as well. It's one of the only things that can completely take my mind off of something and it's good to have that mental reset especially when I'm using so much mental energy when I get to the city
80 • kinda cool. because visibility is everything. As a kid, if you see someone that looks like you or talks like you or acts like you or loves like you, then you're immediately a lot more drawn to them. As someone who tends to keep things private normally, I've realised the importance of speaking up about my sexuality and my relationships in that way so that it gives that younger person something to kind of model or compare their experiences and relationships to, so I think it's a really cool thing.
I’m sure touring has its upsides and downsides, do you have a routine or a thing whilst on tour that keeps you grounded?
I have a literal veggie tray and a fruit tray, hummus, crackers, and cheese—just the classics. You know, something that I'm never gonna get hold of, yeah. When you’re performing in different spaces, what are your favourite things about each space you encounter?
AWAL was doing a cool thing where they were teaming up with a charity and creating merch lines. Personally, I love merch and creating in general, so that was just a really fun personal project to work on. I didn't have a ton going on with music and so I was able to really dig into that. Yeah, I'm really happy with how everything turned out there, and we ended up donating all of the proceeds from that line to G.L.I.T.S., which specifically helps trans people in the metropolitan areas of the States find homes and healthcare. That was really important to me, and I just felt really passionately about it and was really excited to be a part of it. Who are some of your favourite queer artists? Who do I love? Hmm, so many people. I'm really loving Arlo Parks—her stuff is so good and just so beautiful, and her words are so beautiful and her sound just feels really fresh. I love Claud too! I love MUNA, I love the album that they just put out, a bunch of bangers. I listened to it the other day, it's super good. I think they're great! How surreal was it going back onto the stage after the months we all spent in quarantine? Did your approach to anything change? Yeah, I definitely think that quarantine affected my view on live performing and my approach to it in general. I was definitely very excited to be back on the road and doing shows again, especially because in order to make up for not doing shows, we did a lot of virtual events during the pandemic. Those were really really hard for me. I just hated them and thought that they were so the opposite of what performing is because so much of it is based on the reaction and the energy in the room and the reaction of fans. So going back to it was just really exciting, and I just had a newfound appreciation for it, not that I didn't before, but I think I just wanted to make it the best that I could. What do you usually have on your backstage rider?
I love encountering the culture and people. I love just being plopped in a new space and just figuring out where to eat and where to drink. It's really fun and cool to immerse myself in a different culture that way, and I'm just generally really curious about the way people live their lives across the world. That's a part that's really exciting for me when I'm touring: to go out and just see and do everything. What usually influences your setlist when you’re performing in these different spaces? It depends: I think it's more so what the setting of the crowd is or what the circumstance of the crowd is versus like the actual physical location. For example, some college shows that I've played in the States, people are just really amped up and really excited, and they want to hear all of the more dance and electronic-leaning tracks, so I'll usually cater my set to that. But then some indoor shows are really intimate and all seated, and I'll definitely bring out more acoustic songs or do more stripped-back versions of songs. It just depends on the crowd and also the ages of the crowd. I think that all factors into it.
Earlier this year you collabed with AWAL for a really cool project, as well as ModPizza, what inspired you to get involved?
Final quick-fire question! If you could have a dinner party with anyone, dead or alive, who would you choose?
Thank you to Daya and her team for allowing us to interview her. You can listen to her most recent single on all streaming platforms and watch the music video on YouTube.
What are you reading at the moment?
I'm almost done with Sally Rooney's “Conversations with Friends.” I'm a bit late to the game with Sally Rooney, but I really, really love her, she's amazing.
I think Bob Dylan would be interesting. I think that it would be cool to pick his brain or Joni Mitchell. That would be really cool, I feel like they both would have really good stories to tell.
kindacoolmagazine.com • 81 and I'm doing interviews, shows, and all of that kind of stuff.
82 • kinda cool.
The first song and one of the four singles released, “Anxieties (Out of Time)” kicks off the album with the theme of finding yourself while being in a relationship. A familiar struggle for many in thinking they need to end the relationship to find themselves, The Regrettes allow the listener to think otherwise. The emotional lyrics and upbeat sound create something unique in the first song.
“Barely on My Mind” went viral on TikTok and seemingly has been in everyone’s head. It talks about the memories of someone that shouldn’t be in your head but seem to never leave with rock and electronic beats in the background. “Barely on my mind / barely on my mind / all the fucking time” have been sung by thousands of people get angsty with
Words by Faith Logue Released April 8, The Regrettes’ highly anticipated new album Further Joy talks about self-worth and self-loving through several catchy songs. The album reclaims the punk rock sound the band broke into the industry with while also using indie/ alt roots to create tracks that fit every emotion, from happy to sad to relieved and freed.
The second song, “Monday” is a fan favorite as it brings up the feelings of going through an existential crisis and grappling with the feelings of growing up. It makes the listeners feel less alone as they sing “I’m pulling down my eyelids two at a time / I swear it's just my sinuses, I'll be fine / An existential crisis and it's only a Monday.”The third song and single from the album are “That’s What Makes Me Love You,” an emotional song backed with electronic tracking that talks about how vulnerable being in a long-term relationship can be full of love but also fighting. The song makes use of the blends of love and hate with a catchy tune.
The final song closing out the album is “Show Me You Want Me,” a bubblegum pop tune reminiscent of early 2010s pop songs. It is a heartfelt upbeat anthem, successfully concluding the album. Further Joy is an angsty, pop punk album with hints of indie and alt vibes. It does not disappoint as it takes the listener on a journey through a relationship, all the ups and downs and emotional moments that come with it.
The next track, “La Di Da,'' is drastically different from the song that came before it, uniquely using hints of video game samples, punk rock, and electronic beats. The theme of the album is centered around relationships, and this song addresses the toxic habits that can be part of a relationship as they sing “I hold my ears down / Drown it all out / Singin' la-da-da-di-da-di-da.” The lyrics are sad, but the upbeat background of instruments drowns them out.
kindacoolmagazine.com • 83 on TikTok.“Subtleties (Never Giving Up On You)” is a slower song that speaks about the hurt that can be felt when trying to save a relationship and finding smaller things that help convince you that the love's still there. It is difficult to feel a relationship slipping through your fingers, atnd The Regrettes make note of that: “Why can’t I feel it?/ I know it’s right there.”
Songs like “Homesick” and “Better Now” are turning points in the album, allowing the listener to realize the love is officially gone while also showcasing the self-care one has to go through to officially let go of the one they loved. In “Better Now,” they sing ‘I'll heal myself for the hope of someone else / I'd treat 'em better now/ I'd like to treat me better now,’ good advice for someone going through a breakup.The next two songs “Rosy” and “You’re So Fucking Pretty” go hand-inhand, as “Rosy” helps the person claim themself back from a moment of loss but is quickly brought down by “You’re So Fucking Pretty.” That song is one that many people can cry to as it focuses on one’s pain to not go back into the lost relationship, “You tell me it's too late / Now you're the one that got away.”
The next song stands out from the rest of the album. “Step 9” is a retro song that channels the 80s with electronic beats, and the message focuses on self-worth and not turning back to go into the relationship. The second to last song, “Nowhere,” concludes the feelings of selfpity the album drives hard as they sing, “Used to want the body that I got right now / So, why the hell I gotta lose a couple more pounds?”
5 Seconds of Summer by Mary Perez
The Driver Era by Cassie Fu Ren
THE HOME TEAM: the future of rock
JB: It feels like a dream like I’m going to wake up any day now. We’re going to have a show at El Corazon with 50 people.
DM: All the time! With this record, we went the other direction. We were like, “You know what? We like what we like, and we’re gonna show our Seattle’s resident rockers, The Home Team, are making a name for themselves within the pop-punk/rock scene. Although you may not be familiar with their music (yet), the band have been quickly rising after the release of their 2021 record, Slow Bloom. The quartet concluded a run with This Wild Life and Broadside this spring, where I caught up with the guys after their set at The Foundry in Philadelphia to talk about tour dates, their recent record, and even international rock scenes:
So you were saying that your first record was a representation of what you thought pop punk should sound like, and this new record was more cohesive. Would you say that this shift is closer to what you want The Home Team’s signature sound to be like?
Although you guys are from Seattle, this tour doesn’t hit any West Coast states, so how has the reception been away from home?
Daniel Matson: Phenomenal. John Baran: I would say surreal.
BB: Better Off was written for other people; Slow Bloom was written for us.
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Ryne Olson: These last few days, we’ve done these places on the Don Broco tour. Maybe the crowds have been bigger with Broco, but the reception to us has been so much better. It’s crazy to hear people through my in-ears. I’m used to people not caring. Given that you put out an album last year, how was the reception with that record and the sounds that you were going for? Was there anything unexpected in terms of reactions from Brainfans?Butcher: Completely unexpected from fans. It was the album that we should have made in the beginning. Better Off, we’re proud of it, but it’s a conglomeration of songs that were written by individual people that then came together and had the same drummer and singer.
Slow Bloom was something that was WAY more reflective of us, not only as musicians, but music that we listened to. We were terrified that people wouldn’t like it because it was so different, but the opposite happened!
JB: And to be honest, we ain’t make no money from the first record. We have nothing to lose.
DM: We thought there was a very good chance that it would be a “band’s record.” There’s lots of bands that put out records that other people in bands and other artists love but fans don’t. We were pretty scared that we were gonna put this out and all of the feedback was gonna be from other bands being like, “That’s so sick,” and other fans being like, “Eh, I don’t get it. I like pop punk.
BB: We actively avoid things that sounded metal.
DM: If you need a quote, “we ain’t make no money from the first record.” John Baran, college degree, Central Washington, Class of 2012, degree in communications.
Interview and photography by Mary Perez
DM: It’s been surreal.
DM: I’ll put it this way: we all came from metal and hardcore bands, so when we started the band, we tried to write what we thought people who liked pop punk would like and not what we liked. We were scared that our metal and hardcore roots would shine through, and people wouldn’t like it.
JB: We haven’t headlined here yet! One day.
JB: We took a lot of risks adding horns and saxophones, and Brian is right: this is the record we should have made in the beginning. You can feel the authenticity, and I know that sounds very corny, but I really feel it is a more authentic version of us.
DM: It has been crazy. The amount of people singing back to us, we’re used to playing to 20-30 people in a small club, which is funny because we’ve played here twice. We don’t feel that we deserve it, but it’s cool.
88 • kinda cool. influences and write what we like. If it comes out heavy and weird, that’s what it’s gonna be.”
JB: To be honest, I just wanna rock.
JB: Which is funny because we’ve never really talked about it. Just rockin’.
RO: Honestly no. During the writing process for this, I was terrified of playing it live. We still can’t play “Danger!”
RO: They just had to push us to the level we needed to get to.
JB: I love seeing videos online where we spin at the same time, and it’s like, “Whoa, how’d we do that?” I thought you guys choreographed it! I was going to ask about how you plan your shows and create them to present
Speaking of live performances, I noticed that you guys seem to have choreographed kicks and jumps-
We wrote this one fully embracing our roots of playing in the metal and hardcore scene.
I saw someone online saying that the new record feels like it was meant for huge arenas while still feeling rather intimate, so do you feel like live shows and performances factor into the way you create music? Are you thinking about how these songs would translate into live settings?
JB: We have this amazing shred guitar player named Jeff Loomis, also from the Seattle area. He’s probably one of the best guitar players you will ever hear. He did us an amazing favor and did a solo on the record, and I heard it and will never be able to play it. He’s so talented. A lot of practice and a lot of praying, and I still can’t do it. When writing it, the live aspect really wasn’t a big consideration. It was definitely something that we pulled together and figured out how to do it. That said, I now enjoy playing Slow Bloom songs more than Better Off songs. They’re harder, definitely harder.
RO: As you play more shows, things click, and you figure out where things go though.
BB: Especially with the things from Better Off Better Off is like riding a bike; I feel like there are certain cues in the songs for jumps or kicks.
DM: We play a bunch of shows, and slowly over time, we become a little better each night until we don’t!
JB: To piggyback on that, I think the record came out as good as it did because, obviously the pandemic was horrible, but for the first time in our lives, we can sit at home and just write. We didn’t have to worry about finances. We couldn’t leave anyway, and I think it reflects on the record because we went through a lot of drafts and adding Sky [Acord] from Issues helped to make the record as good as it was. Speaking of Sky from Issues, your album also featured a lot of collaborations with other artists. Is there anyone else that you’d
kindacoolmagazine.com • 89 your music the way it should be heard.
JB: We also want the crowd to be involved as much as they want to be. If they want to clap along, they should clap along. If we can produce a part that facilitates that, that’s wonderful. I love that you guys are thinking about engaging the crowd and not just playing to them, but playing with them.
BB: We do have things, like for “Right Through Me” when we extend the verse. We try to add in things to include the crowd into what we’re doing.
JB: We’re not shit without them. We’re nothing without their support. We want to show them a good time. I noticed that several of your songs have hit over a million streams on Spotify, so did you guys have any goals when you first started the band? Have your goals evolved over the BB:years?Our goals have definitely evolved. I feel like, five years ago, if we looked at where we are now, then it’d be like, “Oh, wow, we made it!” Today, we have so much more to go. A big part of it, I hate to say it, is the financials. At the end of the day, we’d love to go home and not have to work other jobs because if we could go home and start writing more music or anything related to the band, like making more music videos, making more stuff, more art, that is the goal.
JB: It sounds bad, but we had a groove. There’s an artistic flow. I’ll give you an example: there was someone that we wanted to work with, so we sent them a demo. I even wrote out a Google doc to say our influences and what we were pulling from, what direction we wanted to go, really what I was envisioning. The person we sent it to was like, “Okay, I have some ideas,” and sent it back to us. I remember it made all of us really upset and question, “Are we the ones who are crazy here? Does this song need to be changed this much?” We talked to Sky, and he understood what we wanted and made it so much more streamlined and easy.
JB: That’s not true – what about POLKADOT STINGRAY?
RO: I feel like the UK rock scene is always a couple of years ahead, like Bring Me the Horizon, Loathe, Don Broco are pushing the envelope.
JB: Where are you getting these comments from? I wanna read them - that makes me happy! You guys were talking about your earlier influences and the backgrounds that you come from, and I was wondering if your influences have evolved over the years or if you’ve kept the same influences and let them shine more.
RO: The one thing that I’ll always credit the band Don Broco for is that they’re so weird, and the things they do are so unusual that I kinda felt that rock was meant to be done a certain way and everyone was doing it that way. Listening to them and diving into their music opened my eyes to doing anything you want. As long as you find a way to weave it into the general four-piece band song, they were one of the bands that I listened to and was like, “I’ve never heard anything like this.” I listened to it every day during the summer.
BB: Drastically. I don’t even listen to rock anymore!
BB: So many Japanese bands are just tearing it up.
DM: I can’t imagine going into another record without the same group of people.
BB: Same with the mixing process. We sent it out to a bunch of people to get mixed, and none of the mixes we received back were bad, but they just didn’t get it. They didn’t really understand what we were going for, except Seb from Neck Deep.
JB: American bands are gonna reach what Japanese bands are doing in like seven years.
BB: What’s the other band with the masks?
JB: Sleep Token!
DM: Our musical tastes have changed over the years, for sure.
JB: Especially when you have so many instruments in there: 8 string guitar, horns, synths, different stuff. It’s so hard to balance that, and he knew right away what needed to shine in what places. I was also looking at your YouTube and saw someone calling your band “the future of RO:rock”-That’s high praise.
RO: What do you even classify them as, kinda rock? BB: Exactly, the kind of music I listen to is so weird that I can’t lump them in with State Champs.
Another thing I saw online was how one of your songs made someone feel “warm,” so I wanted to know how you create certain vibes for your songs and what you want people to feel while listening to your music.
90 • kinda cool. like to work with in the future?
BB: Honestly a lot of that comes down to postproduction. Don’t get me wrong, songwriting is really important, end of story. We dove a lot into synths on this record, synths and horns, and I feel like a really great synth part can either completely change a part or just elevate it. The production we put into this album versus the last album was not even close.
JB: Another thing I did was look overseas and internationally because the reality is that what’s popular in Japan or Korea or the UK is not the same. Don Broco is playing arenas there, but they’re playing The Foundry here. I really wanted to look at what’s going on in other parts of the world, and they’re doing wild stuff all over the place. Japan has so much cool music. You want to talk about the future of rock? That’s the future. They know. They’re so ahead of the game.
DM: I’d want to play drums because I don’t trust anyone else to keep holding shit down. Without me, it all falls apart, so I’d love to continue being me.
BB: John just wants a Red Bull fridge.
BB: Business Dan with the business plan. What’d be on your dream tour
RO: I’d be Brian for a night.
RO:rider?Lots of candy.
JB: I love Red Bull so much.
JB: That’s too much pressure, way too much pressure! Talk to people, hold down the crowd, oh my gosh.
DM: Actually, I’d love to be Brian just so I could tell people to buy merch between every single song.
BB: $25,000 a night.
DM: Can you imagine if you rolled up to a venue and every single place had a menu for whatever the spot is? That’d be the dream. I’d just want the menu for whatever sick restaurant and coffee shop is around and for it to be right there. I just want to say, “Yes, I want that,” and it’d be there. If you could pick a personal theme song, what would it be?
BB: I could not do what Daniel does at all. I’d switch with John.
92 • kinda cool.
JB: Timbaland, I think it was him, had this really great line that if your music doesn’t make you bob your head, you gotta start over. It’s gotta make you feel, make you move, and he’s right.
JB: Funyuns. I don’t eat Funyuns at home, but when we get them on tour, it hits different!
RO: “Party Like a Rock Star?”
BB: Just be as good as Dr. Dre. That’s the key - you guys figured it out! And just a few more fun questions: if you could switch roles with one of your bandmates for a day, who’d you want to switch with?
DM: It’s the Killswitch Engage song, “In Due Time.” If you didn’t know, when John in 10 years decides to become an NFL wide receiver, that’s gonna be the song.
JB: Russell Wilson needs more targets; Tyler Lockett can’t play forever. He’s younger than me, I think!
RO: Mine would be “96 Quite Bitter Beings.”
If we don’t think it’s cool or don’t vibe with it, how’s that going to make someone else vibe with it? Rhythm is what makes people move, like Dr. Dre does. I wish I could do what he does.
BB: Mine would be the opening riff from “Ichidaiji.” There’s a band that we love called POLKADOT STINGRAY. We can’t talk about it
JB: Do I get to have the talents, or would it just be me singing? If it was just me singing, it’d be awful!
JB: Business Dan!
BB: I’m a simple man with extravagant taste. The best thing to see when walking into a green room would be a four-pack of whatever the sickest beer in the city is and one vegan meal from whatever the sickest vegan spot in the city is.
DM: I know John’s theme song.
RO: If we were half as good as him, we’d be millionaires. That’d solve your issue with finances.
JB: I’d love to play the bass. I love a good slapbass - it’s such a cool sound and instrument.
BB: Be yourself! Stop making art for other people!
JB: Keep rocking. If you think it’s fucking cool, it’s cool.
JB: Scorpion King or something. Their videos are so sick. If you haven’t seen our music videos, we try because to me, music videos are a dying art form, so I really love that there are actual visuals that you can put with your music to speak a different language. Any messages for your fans?
John also wasn’t kidding about telling everyone about POLKADOT STINGRAY—days after the interview, he sent me a link to one of their music videos to continue his quest to introduce the world to that band. All jokes aside, this band knows what they’re doing, and it shows in everything they do. If you weren’t able to catch them on tour with This Wild Life or even their hometown headliner in July, they are heading out on tour this fall, and it’s sure to be a fun one. The band will be playing shows with Real Friends, With Confidence, and Taylor Acorn, so be sure to catch them this time around! Additionally, follow them on Instagram (@thehometeam), Twitter (@TheHomeTeamNW), and TikTok (@ thehometeam_) to keep up with them!
DM: Real rockers only. Let’s get one thing clear: if you’re not already a fan of The Home Team, you’re missing out. Over two nights, I watched the band take the crowds by storm with their electrifying performances that certainly got people moving.
RO: I believe the term is “real rockers only.”
BB: What’d they say again? Striped Rhino?
JB: I cannot shut up about them. I tell everyone to listen to them. They are doing it! They know the secret, they’re ahead of everyone! I told This Wild Life, I told Broadside. They’re from Japan, and we don’t import music the way they do.
too much because this is the secret sauce.
94 • kinda cool.
DEHD
blue skies in bowery: live in New York City
“Flying” is a song that always gets fans on their feet and into the pit, especially after the instrumentals pause and kick into that last soaring chorus. After a “one more song” chant, the crowd got their wishes granted to hear “Desire”, accompanied by all the members of 81355! This yell-y Flower of Devotion standout had about 10 people onstage coming together to celebrate the Bowery shows’ successes, including a surprise rap bridge from the members of the opening band. In only seven months’ time, the band has grown as live performers in front of my own eyes. The Bowery Ballroom show was more dynamic and triumphant than the band’s last NYC tour stop that I attended last year and along with the release of Blue Skies, it is something to relish in.
Words by Gianna Cicchetti Photography courtesy of Alexa Viscius
J ust three days before the release of the band’s fourth album, Blue Skies, Chicago trio Dehd kicked off their two nights at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom. I had the pleasure of attending the show on May 25th, finishing Dehd’s time in the city before they continued on the tail end of their spring tour. The opener of the tour was 81355, pronounced “bless.” This Indianapolis-based collective took the audience by surprise with its blend of alternative hip hop and atmospheric indie rock. This supergroup showcases some of the most beloved members of their city’s local scene, backed by a group of touring instrumentalists to add to the performance. 81355 played standouts from their debut album, This Time I’ll Be of Use, along with some unreleased songs to keep the audience on its toes for what was to come next from the band. Everyone in the room was engaged by the charisma of both Sirius Blvck and Oreo Jones, the two rapping frontmen of the group, especially when songs called for a back-and-forth between their different styles. Both performers took command of the stage and even the pit below, hopping down to become one with the mosh-happy crowd. When things got more melodic, the harmonization between the two aforementioned artists and the group’s third leader, David “Moose” Adamson, soothed the soul and was a highlight of the set. Though I entered their set completely blind as to what to expect, I finished their set in awe of the group’s chemistry and talent, instantly rooting them on and recommending them to friends.One is always bound to have a good time when seeing Dehd live since the band, especially frontwoman Emily Kempf, keeps things laidback and personal in leading the banter (also shoutout to Emily for pulling off a tulle minidress that seemed like a challenge to play bass in!). The crowd was amped from the second the first line of “Lucky” was introduced, initially seeming shy to show it but eventually coming out of its shell to jump around and let loose. The band’s signature jangly post-punk sounds play well live, the room becoming wrapped up in the sounds of Jason Balla’s tenor guitar tones and Eric McGrady’s subtle drum beats. Though standing on complete opposite ends of the stage, the vocal chemistry between Kempf and Balla was extremely strong, bouncing off of each other with their quirks. I would be remiss to not especially highlight Kempf who, on record and in a live setting, is one of the most versatile vocalists in the current indie sphere. She can go from delicate harmonies to urgent low octaves in seconds and is one of the most compelling parts of the Dehd discography. The setlist primarily comprised songs from the band’s acclaimed 2020 release, Flower of Devotion, a personal favorite of mine that truly showcases the peaks of the band’s trademark sound. It also touched on a few old, but never forgotten tracks like “Wild” and “20” from the band’s first two full-lengths and celebrated some of the singles from the record that was to come out in two more days. Notably, “Window” from Blue Skies was a high moment of the show, a song that puts lyrics at the focal point as opposed to vocal performance, which is different for Dehd. The greatest part of the night came from the final two songs, however.
“Take advantage of all of the opportunities your school offers, as well as those you see on social media (shoutout to the GBTRS music industry Facebook group). Never forget why you love what you do!”
Lexi Major:Matuson Film and Television Minor: Entertainment Arts and Management School: Drexel University Graduation anthem: “Coming Soon” by Annie DiRusso
Gianna Cicchetti Major: Arts and Entertainment Management School: Pace University Graduation Anthem: “Growing Up” by The Maine
96 • kinda cool.
kinda cool's class of 2022
Outside of being talented music journalists, many of our contributors are still in school, and we have several spring graduates who have worked tirelessly to earn their degrees. We’re so proud of them for this incredible accomplishment, and we know they’ll continue to do amazing things. Learn more about Kinda Cool’s Class of 2022 in this special feature!
“Don't be afraid to try new things! School is the perfect place to discover things about yourself and take risks.”
“Constantly be searching for opportunities and apply to everything you want, even if you think you're underqualified!”
Emilia Rangel Major: Sociology School: California State University San Marcos Graduation anthem: “Good Life” by One Republic “Patience and hard work is the perfect mix for success. Staying focused and determined will help you accomplish all your educational endeavors.”
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“Never forget why you’re doing what you’re doing, Make sure you are finding joy in your work.”
Mickayla Whitt Major: English School: Columbia College Chicago Graduation Anthem: “Gold Steps” by Neck Deep
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Brigid Young Major: Music Technology Minors: Communication and Theatre School: University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign Graduation Anthem: “Graduation” by Kero Kero Bonito
Samia by Sonya Alfano
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