LOCAL WOLVES // ISSUE 20 - AMANDA STEELE

#CHEERSTOARADYEAR I must admitt, the beginning of this year was a dealt with life learning lessons that I will never forget. Honestly, everyone has a creative block where ideas just aren’t flowing in your head. Moments like that, I began to realize the importance of what I call “creative content” that you may have seen circling around our publication.

Quality over quanity was definitely what I highly looked up to and when producing content. Our new direction has created a community where we can share stories about individuals with a different kind of craft from all over the world. Turn around, so much inspiration is surrounding you. The ability to have our publication as a platform for individuals to share their experiences and inspire you to create something amazing. I really love this quote I found on Tumblr with two simple words: “Start Somewhere.” - So simple and easy to remember. Find your happy place, for me bus rides is where I gather my thoughts and write about different ways to showcase creative content for Local Wolves. Thank you all for another incredible year! Hope you’re ready, 2015.

Cathrine Khom

founding editor-in-chief

many thanks:

arielle sitrick

dominique

michael derubeis

@alex_reininga los angeles, ca

@dom_n_que new york, ny

@michaelderub michigan

allaboutsaif

dylan rouda

novel nature

@saifhid london, uk

@dylanroudamusic laguna beach, ca

@novelnature seattle, wa

amanda steele

ethan + grayson dolan

orin willis

@makeupbymandy24 huntington beach, ca

@ethangdolan @dolangrayson new jersey

@orinseyes northampton, uk

brian redmon

ezekiel

phox

@brianredmon los angeles, ca

@ezekielclothing southern california

@phoxxband baraboo, wi

cameron phillips

kurtis conner

the orphan, the poet

@jcameronp los angeles, ca

@kurtis_conner hamilton, ontario, canada

@totpband dayton, oh

DE CE M B ER 2014

contents

Classics 07

playlist

08

munchies

09

aptitude

10

diy department

12

on the street

14

p.s. positivity

f e at u r e s 16

novel nature

20

orin willis

22

michael derubeis

24

alex reininga

28

dylan rouda

30

allaboutsaif

32

#cheerstoaradyear recap

36 44 48 50 56

amanda steele kurtis conner cameron phillips ezekiel the orphan, the poet

60 dominique 62

ethan + grayson dolan

66 phox

is s ue t w e n t y / / de c e m be r t w e n t y fo u rteen

a ma nda st eele

founder / editor-in-chief cathrine khom managing editor samai khom copy editor sophia khom publicist faith escalera web designer ariane therrien illustrator jaimus tailor diy coordinator madison bass-taylor playlist maker sena cheung front cover logo fiona yeung back cover logo isabel ramos cover photo madison bass-taylor contributing writers kamrin baker, ashley bulayo, orion carloto, sydney clarke, amanda ferrarese, jessica goldman, mackenzie isom, jacob karre, hudson luthringshausen, jovanna madrigal, shawn mulcahy, lydia snapper, alexandra southerst contributing photographers lexie alley, philipp ammon, riley buttery, justin dingwall, rachel epstein, kylee gregg, amanda harle, emily hedrick, gleann ignacio, katy johnson, rachel kober, lhoycel marie, annie jacobs, ruby james, dunja opalko, dylan razo, elisa rodriguez, haydn rydings, priti shikotra, madison bass-taylor graphic designers christine ennis, elizabeth ellins, gabrielle larsen, isabel manimbo, isabel ramos style department sophie bernard, emily hedrick, jessie yarborough description local wolves magazine, an online + print publication based in southern california with a talented team from all over the world. we focus on embracing the local scene in art, music, entertainment and film. our goal is to capture and share the stories about people doing what they love to do.

st a y c o n n e c t e d w i t h a m a nd a // f a c e b oo k m ake u p by m an dy 2 4 t w it t e r @ m ake u p by m an dy 2 4 ins t a g ram @ m ake u p by m an dy 2 4 v ine a m an da s t e e l e

connect http://localwolvesmag.com http://facebook.com/localwolves http://twitter.com/localwolves http://instagram.com/localwolves http://pinterest.com/localwolves http://8tracks.com/localwolves general inquiries localwolvesmagazine@yahoo.com press + advertisting inquiries localwolvespress@gmail.com

COVERAGE: SENA CHEUNG

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munchies + THE B UN SH O P +

COVERAGE: AMANDA FERRARESE

The Bun Shop is exactly what its name might suggest, a shop that sells buns. From sweet to savory, they’ve got you covered. The Bun Shop has a variety of “buns” inspired from all over the world. Some personal favorites include, the Dirtiboy, the Rotiboy, and their delicious Vegan Curry Puffs. They also have a drink menu that contains some pretty fantastic coffees and teas, which just like the bun, come from all over. Not only is the food here delicious, the shop itself is charming and quaint. Ambient, mood lighting makes it the perfect place to study, write, catch up with friends, or even go on a first date. Although the store opened just a little over two years ago, it has quickly become a favorite spot among locals and a treasured part of the city. Located on Read St. in Baltimore, MD, with an ornate gilded sign on the storefront window, this cute little shop is hard to miss. Next time you’re in Baltimore, be sure to stop by and try a cup of their Vietnamese iced coffee!

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aptitude +

i n s t a g r a m co n t e n t + PHOTOS: DOMINO GUAJARDO

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T

DO IT YOURSELF w ood c r a f t d e co r

SUP P LIES // wood // inkjet printer // internet shipping labels (avery white internet shipping labels) // matte finish sealing spray (krylon matte finish spray) // matte gel medium (liquitex ultra matte gel medium) // clear drying glue (elmers glue) // 2 foam brushes // credit/gift card (as squeegee) all supplies available at michaels except shipping labels

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1

2

3

4

6

7

STE P S

1 2 3 4 5

peel off the backing of the shipping labels. you will be using the backing to transfer your image. tape any perforated seams on the back of the paper so they don’t break while printing. spray the backing with a thin, even coat of matte sealer. let dry completely. use the foam brush to apply a thin layer of the elmers glue on the backing and let dry.

once its completely dry, find your image and print it onto the paper (remember, your image will be flipped once it is completed, so keep that in mind for any text).

6 7

right after your apply the gel medium, while it is still wet, apply your printed image face down onto the wood. use your card as a squeegee to push out any air bubbles, starting from the center.

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let dry for an hour and a half. once dry, slowly peel the paper from the wood and finish with a coat of the matte finish spray.

T

wipe your wood surface to prepare it and apply the matte gel medium to the wood with the other foam brush. make sure the surface is covered throughly for where you want your image to stick.

FINISHED hang this on a wall or rest it against your desk, maybe even try print different photos or quotes onto it!

COVERAGE: MADISON BASS-TAYLOR

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on the street A YEAR IN REVIEW // COVERAGE: EMILY HEDRICK Whether it be at a local music festival or a normal shopping day on Melrose Avenue, street style in Los Angeles is all about originality and creativity. Being fashion forward isn’t always necessarily about being perfectly on trend, but finding a way to incorporate modern trends in an original way. Here are some highlight outfits from this past year of On The StreeT which exemplify just that!

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n o i r O to: Carlo

H

i wolfies and welcome back! I hope everyone had an amazing November filled with autumn spices and hot tea and that now you’re preparing yourself for this winter’s holidays. It’s going to be a cold one, so don’t forget to keep yourself warm!

This month I wanted to go a little more into depth on natural beauty and how important it is! In this day and age, us ladies are blessed with the presence of Mac lipsticks and Naked palettes and although it works magic and art on our faces, people are starting to rely on makeup products for beauty. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for thick eyeliner and contoured cheeks, but I’m just not fond on the idea of only being beautiful when products are covering my bare skin. It took me a while to finally learn and accept this.

God forbid my sixteen year old self left the house without makeup, it just wasn’t going to happen!

My face is covered in imperfections, let’s face it: WE ALL HAVE THEM. From my dark circles, to my oddly shaped nose, my uneven skin tone, occasional acne, and lips that don’t have color. To me these are all things I’ve always been uncomfortable with. I let them take over my thoughts and dictate what I believed made me feel acceptable. I remember when dating my first boyfriend I feared him seeing me without makeup. The first time we ever stayed a night together, I even made sure to wake up early JUST so I can fix myself up so he wouldn’t see my bare face. I feared he would think I wasn’t nearly as attractive anymore! It was the worse thing I could put myself through, but luckily once

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I got over that fear, he didn’t even mind. He still believed that I was just as beautiful without the products I put on my face daily. It was such a relief!

I come across a lot of women having the same mentality of only allowing themselves to be seen with makeup. So I’m here to remind you all that you are MORE than just the mascara you apply. You are how you carry yourself.

Your character and how you treat others is TRUE beauty.

Believe me when I say this, but good character is way more attractive than a pretty face. The big issue is that we often find ourselves comparing our looks to other people. That’s the most toxic thing anyone could ever do! In time, you must be aware that you must focus on the good assets you have, rather than comparing what someone has that you lack. Find your trademark and focus on what makes you the person you are. Everyone is beautiful no matter what they put on their face. Everyone is special and needs to be recognized and admired for that. It may be cliche, but I just wish every single female and male realized how diverse and amazing they are.

NOW TO THE FUN PART! I asked you all to submit photos of yourself on Tumblr of your bare organic faces and I was in complete awe. My inbox was filled with hundreds of cleanfaced babes! You all are just the cutest little souls on this entire planet, and I’m so happy that so many people could help me out with this. Thanks so much for everything and I hope some of you learned a piece of advice from this. Now lets just sit back and admire how cute you guys are:

ton

Langa // 13

Jodie // 16 // Bos

Ivan // 14 //

// NYC

Russia

Lanie // 18 Kenzie // 13

Juwairihya // 17 // Canada

Ellie // 17 //

lorida

Alexia // 14 // Pennsylvania

Jordan // 15 // F

// California

Julianna // 18 //

// Oregon

Canada

Nebraska

Melek // 15

// Netherla

nds

Krystal // 15 // Florida

ton DC

T

ashing ara // 15 // W

couver

Bri // 17 // Van

Peri // 18 // Peru

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novel nature STORY: HUDSON LUTHRINGSHAUSEN PHOTOS: RUBY JAMES

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NOVEL NATURE is a two-part rock band from Seattle, Washington consisting of members, Shane Lance and Emerson Shotwell. The band, formed just over a year ago, is currently in the studio working on their debut album to compliment their EP release in May of 2014. While classified as alternative, Novel Nature has a unique and distinct sound that gives the band its identity. They attribute their influences to artists ranging from Coldplay to Jay Z to Lana Del Rey among many others, but it doesn’t stop there. When it comes to writing their music it “begins with a certain ‘feel’ in mind, and those ‘feels’ can be influenced by anything from rock, to hip-hop, to classical. “We want every song we write to portray some type of emotion,” says the two. When searching for inspiration, their influences aren’t limited to only artists. The band takes from anywhere and everywhere. “The next Novel Nature song could come from an opera song in a car commercial, from a video game soundtrack, from Kanye, or from Jesus himself. We latch on to a feel or an emotion and write until we’ve got everything out of it that we can,” they say.

On their debut EP Nylon Nation, the single “1937” was the first song released and with over 25,000 plays on Soundcloud, led to instant popularity. After seeing listeners react so well, they pushed to write the rest of the EP and get it to fans as quickly as possible. From the time they wrote the first song through the completion of the album was about a year. “It was definitely a pleasant surprise,” says the boys in regards to 1937’s rapid popularity, “It’s a song that means a lot to us, we wrote it as a goodbye to our grandpa, so we really hoped people would connect deeply with it. We’re glad they do.” Shane and Emerson, friends since the fourth grade, formed Novel Nature in lieu of a prior breakup. They set out to form a traditional four piece rock band, but once they hit the studio they knew that between Lance’s dynamic vocals and soaring melodies, and Shotwell’s powerful, swaying rhythms they had something special. Together, they hit the studio with their longtime producer/mixing engineer Mark Simmons and after a few sessions of writing “1937” they couldn’t wait to get it out to the world, “literally couldn’t wait, so we uploaded it to Soundcloud for free download and posted a link on twitter. Our fans just fell in love with it and spread it like crazy,” says the band. Shane and Emerson both agree that their music shines best live, but before they could book a show they had to write and put the finishing touches on their first EP. With no record label, the Washington natives went back to the studio in Tacoma together and began working on more for their fans.

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Seven completed songs later, Novel Nature released their debut EP, Nylon Nation in May of 2014 just months after their hit song “1937” was released. When asked about their favorite song from the EP, Lance picked “Whisper” and Shotwell picked “1937,” but when it comes to performing live each of the members would choose differently. Lance’s favorite song off the EP to perform is “Hush” and Shotwell’s is “She stays.” Despite having different favorites, both agree that when performing live, they want people to have a good time and “to feel something while listening to the songs live.” The most amazing part of performing live is “seeing people sing along to the songs.” Novel Nature’s first live performance came in May for their EP release. “We were a bit anxious, but more than anything we were excited to finally get on stage as Novel Nature,” says the band about booking their first show at an all-ages club in downtown Seattle. While in the studio, Lance and Shotwell were able to pull it off themselves, but when they perform they are joined by both a live bass/keys player and a guitarist.

Apart from their live performing, fans can enjoy their music video for “1937” at the Novel Nature channel on YouTube. Posted back in May, the video features artistic shots designed by friend, Christian Sweet who wrote, filmed, and edited the whole video. While the video has no story line, the goal was to create imagery that moved viewers, and make them feel heartache with a large side of hope.

“CJ did an amazing job capturing those emotions in the scenes. Also, there’s some comedy in there. Always an element of random comedy with us. You should never take yourself too seriously,” says the band on their first music video. As for what’s to come, Novel Nature is currently in the studio working on their first full length album, which is expected to be released in early 2015 and a US tour following. Novel Nature is eager to reach out and connect with their listeners, so they’ve additionally planned a livestream, which they will shoot in studio and post to YouTube afterwards. Music aside, we asked the band about their favorite place to hangout and eat around their hometown of Seattle, and without hesitation they responded, “We love food. We eat at place called The Matador way too often. It’s a tequila bar that serves the most killer South American/ Mexican food. Also, Beth’s Cafe is the best place to get a massive omelet and pancakes at 2AM.”

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orin willis QUESTIONS: SYDNEY ADAMSON PHOTOS: KATYA SCHULZ

THE NAME OF YOUR CHANNEL IS PRETTY UNIQUE. HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THAT AND WERE THERE OTHER NAMES IN THE RUNNING? OW: I chose ‘OrinsEyes’ as I wanted to make videos that showed the world through my eyes. When I first started making videos, I immediately realised I didn’t want to get sucked into doing various tags and irrelevant videos; I wanted to be different. I decided that I wanted to ‘create’ videos rather than simply sit in front of a camera - I wanted there to be originality throughout, which would showcase my opinions and provoke my viewers to have an opinion.

I enjoy all aspects of exploring so ‘OrinsEyes’ just stuck!

However, there we some shocking names in the running; ‘Summer Begins’, ‘OrinFlies’, and ‘OrinsSteps’ were all serious considerations at some point. I cannot begin to imagine the mess I would have caused on the internet if I went with one of those names!

YOU STARTED POSTING VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE JUST OVER A YEAR AGO. WHAT ORIGINALLY INSPIRED YOU TO START CREATING AND SHARING THEM? OW: I think the idea of having a blank canvas in which I could paint anything onto it in the form of videos really appealed to me.

I had watched other YouTubers for a couple of years beforehand and had been really inspired in what they were doing; putting all of their ideas, that would normally have no home, into a video. I thought that was rather incredible! After a year of plucking up the courage to begin, I eventually created my first video and realised I had a platform to not only create, but possibly inspire whilst having fun all at once!

WHERE DID YOU LEARN TO FILM AND EDIT VIDEOS? OW: Before creating videos I didn’t even know that you could take the lens off of a camera. I didn’t know how to record video on a camera. Two things that are considered pretty important, I knew nothing about and had no obvious place to learn the fundamentals. I actually borrowed a camera every other week from a friend and edited at a friend’s house who lived around the corner, so I really had no idea what I was doing. So, with the help of various webpages and YouTube tutorials, I was able to teach myself everything I needed to know to create what I wanted to.

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YOU’RE VERY GOOD AT SITTING DOWN AND TALKING STRAIGHT TO THE CAMERA? OW: To anyone will be reading this and wants to start creating videos or is simply intrigued: sitting in front of a camera and talking is surprisingly hard, but you’ll get used to it! There’s something about sitting alone in a room with a camera recording that still makes me uncomfortable a year ago and I don’t know what it is. So no, it didn’t happen quickly but the more I do it, the more confident I get with the situation.

YOU ALSO POSTED A FEW VIDEOS THAT ARE IN A SHORT FILM STYLE AND FOLLOW A NARRATIVE. WHICH STYLE OF VIDEO DO YOU PREFER MAKING? OW: I enjoy creating videos in both styles as I think it reflects what my channel is all about. I love talking to the camera, but there are some thoughts and feelings that you can’t just sit in front of a camera and talk about. Some ideas need to be shared in a slightly different way to provoke the right thoughts from the viewers and, for me, creating videos in a short film style coupled with the classic vlog style was the perfect way in expressing all of my feelings.

TOPICS FOR VIDEOS AREN’T ALWAYS EASY TO COME BY. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE VIDEOS THAT YOU CREATE? OW: Because my channel is about the world through my eyes, my videos are inspired by life events and the people I meet. When something interesting happens in my life, such as travelling around America, I will find a creative way of presenting it and move from there. I am recently inspired by thoughts and feelings as well. The videos I’m most proud of are called ‘A Letter’ and ‘Eighteen’ and they were both born from an idea or a thought that was so strong it provoked me to start writing about it and eventually turn I turned the idea into a video. I love to create, so I guess my inspiration is the knowledge that there is always the opportunity to create, you’ve just got to go looking for it.

ARE THERE ANY CREATORS ON YOUTUNE YOU WANT TO MAKE A VIDEO WITH? OW: The great thing about the YouTube is that you can become friends with other people who have a shared interest! I would love to collaborate with these ‘YouTube friends’ of mine eventually, but I would not collaborate for the sake of collaborating because that’s not what it’s all about. To me, collaborating is about bringing two different talents together to make one amazing creation, not to gain popularity. So yes, there are many other creators that I would like to work with but I would want to create something special that would stand out rather than something meaningless that is just bridges our audiences together.

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’RE INVOLVED OUTSIDE OF YOUTUBE THAT YOU’RE EQUALLY AS PASSIONATE ABOUT? OW: I enjoy music enormously, it surrounds every aspect of my life! I spend many of my nights looking for undiscovered music and feeling very nostalgic when listening to music I hadn’t listened to in years. It allows me to be separated from reality for a little while, much like creating videos. I also enjoy travelling and it’s feeling of being completely free. The overwhelming and surreal feeling travelling gives you is like no other and it’s helped me grow so much as a person, so I need to do a lot of that in the future.

Hopefully I can blend all three of these passions together to create something truly amazing!

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE YOUR CHANNEL IN THE FUTURE? OW: I don’t want to be a typical YouTuber, I want to be different it all ways possible. I understand that tags and challenge videos aren’t going to stand out from the crowd, so I know that whatever I do I will try to be super creative. I don’t know exactly where I want my channel to go, but overall I know I want to introduce music and travelling in many ways I haven’t yet done because those two interests are a large part of who I am today. It would only be right to explore my passions and then paint them all over YouTube!

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michael derubeis STORY: JACOB KARRE PHOTOS: MICHAEL DERUBEIS

For the average, non-internet savvy individual, there’s a level of uncertainty that surrounds the YouTube community. Most people don’t understand the purpose of standing in front of a camera and explaining your life story in great detail, then posting it to the world wide web for everyone to watch.

There’s even a level of uncertainty for those within the community; but for some reason, it works. MICHAEL DERUBEIS is known as, “that kid that makes YouTube videos” at his high school. “It’s weird for people who don’t get YouTube,” DeRubeis says. “But it is becoming a lot more mainstream, so it gets less and less weird every day.” DeRubeis lives in the Northwestern part of the United States, calling Michigan his home, admitting that he has a “love/hate relationship” with his state. “Does anyone really like Michigan winter?” He chimes in jokingly. At first glance, DeRubeis is your average fourteen year old, but with a bit of Google searching, you’d discover that he happens to make videos on the internet. The world of YouTube didn’t even exist for Michael until he and some friends accidently stumbled upon the community back in 2006.

“I HAD A $20 PHOTO CAMERA THAT HAD A VIDEO OPTION THAT SHOT LIKE, 240P VIDEO AND MY FRIENDS AND I MADE THE MOST RIDICULOUS “SCARY MOVIES” WITH OLD HALLOWEEN COSTUMES AND WHAT NOT, AND WE LOVED IT SO MUCH” EXPLAINS DERUBEIS. “One day we were on YouTube watching random cat videos probably and we came across people like Shane Dawson, BlackBoxTv – all old school YouTubers. Since then he has gained an audience with over 500 subscribers, harnessing over 3,000 views. “I really didn’t start gaining an audience until just before VidCon this summer. It’s such an amazing feeling having someone tweet you telling you how much they love you and your videos, it’s great.” He enjoys attending events such as VidCon and Playlist Live, in which he can meet up with old friends and make new ones. “All of my best friends, I met through YouTube.”

Michael has full faith that the platform will be a dominant player in the future. He says, “Nothing lasts forever, but I really can’t see anything coming and kicking YouTube out of its place.” He also believes that YouTube is a great way to help people springboard into the entertainment industry. “If you want to go into some form of entertainment for a career then yes, it is definitely a good tool but I also see it as a career in itself.”

With his eyes set on making YouTube his full-time job, DeRubeis works hard on his videos to make them the best he possibly can. By doing a lot of YouNow broadcasts he’s slowly built up his online presence and made quite a subscriber jump in the past year alone. “But, having fun is the whole point of making videos so don’t stress yourself out.” DeRubeis adds in. He stresses a good point for many young individuals looking to start their own channels, if you’re not having fun, then why do it?

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alex reininga STORY: LYDIA SNAPPER PHOTOS: RACHEL EPSTEIN

As teenagers, we wander through life consumed by our dreams; our futures are full of success and the ability to survive on doing what we love. However, as we grow up, society tries to put out that flame of creativity and tells us that the potential we see for ourselves isn’t realistic. Sure, it can be scary to pursue your goals outside your of fantasies but, at the end of the day, it’s always worth the risk; just ask Alex Reininga.

Creative, driven, and naturally talented, Reininga represents the very best of what our generation has to offer.

After having worked in the acting industry for a couple years, Reininga decided to give content creating a try and started his own YouTube channel.

He comments, saying “working on a set gives me knowledge that helps making YouTube videos, which is pretty cool! I always thought it would be cool to create my own content and see what kind of response I get. My favorite part though is editing. I sit in front of a camera and film for however long it takes, but when I start to edit and see the video come to life, that’s the best part!” Over the summer, he made a trip to Anaheim for his first ever VidCon adventure.

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He reflects back, saying “VidCon, take me back! VidCon was one of the best experiences of my life. I made so many friends, met a ton of my viewers, and had the opportunity to perform onstage and this was just my first year attending.” As it is for many, both viewer and YouTuber alike, the experience of VidCon was inspiring as he got to see some of his inspirations in person.

Starting off, Reininga says he admired big YouTubers like “Grace Helbig and Connor Franta,” actually having been compared to Franta by many viewers. However, he admits that he prefers watching his friend’s videos “because it’s interesting to see their personalities on and off camera.”

When he’s not making videos, you’re likely to find him at a place called The Harvest Bar in Sherman Oaks enjoying a perfectly made smoothie or acai bowl. However, he admits, that most of his time is spent creating content.

What’s his favorite thing to make for his viewers? All of it!

As a naturally outgoing guy, who appreciates all aspects of entertainment, Reingina has built a sort of hodgepodge of content on his channel. From sketches, to vlogs, to covers, he has something to offer everyone!

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dylan rouda STORY: JOVANNA MADRIGAL PHOTOS: MADISON BASS-TAYLOR

At eighteen years old, Dylan Rouda has created his own image as an up-and-coming artist in today’s music industry. Drawing inspiration from the Arctic Monkeys, the Black Keys, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rouda has steadily begun to establish his image as an indie acoustic pop/rock recording artist.

Unlike most, Rouda knew that music was something he would like to pursue at the early age of six when he picked up the drums. He said, nothing else has grabbed his attention the way music has. “As I grew older, I added more instruments and started singing. It just kept getting more fun and that’s how I discovered what I wanted to do with my life,” Rouda said. He adds on that he believes that his age is both a gift and a curse. His age has allowed him to relate to kids like him through his music though he finds it difficult to relate to older generations. Other artists may contract a team of writers to write their material, but Rouda prefers to write his own songs and believes that by doing so, it lends his music more credibility.

“The words are mine, it’s my feelings and an honest reflection of who I am,” Rouda shared.

Getting up in front of people to perform does not necessarily pose a problem for him, although it does cause a bit of anxiety.

Regardless, this has never hindered him from performing and getting lost in his music. “It’s excitement, really. But as soon as I start singing it all washes away and it becomes pure ecstasy.

Performing is my favorite thing, so I’ve overcome any fear because I absolutely look forward to it,” Rouda said. Rouda draws inspiration from his own personal experiences as well as bands he grew up listening to. He draws inspiration from some well-known bands, including The Black Keys and the Arctic Monkeys, which have stayed relevant to him. Although performing has always been something he was passionate about, when first starting out, Rouda expressed feelings of self-doubt and insecurity.

“It’s more of a thing of not wanting to put myself out there if I’m going to be judged, which was the biggest hurdle when I started out as a musician. I was so afraid of what people thought,” Rouda said. At eighteen years old, the young indie musician has somewhat of a mantra by which he lives by and stands for. “I stand for being true to myself and not letting other people tell you what to do creatively. Take the path you want to take and don’t let others make you into something you’re not,” Rouda shared.

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allaboutsaif STORY: ASHLEY BULYAO PHOTOS: KATYA SCHULZ

Today, it seems like just about anyone could get behind their computer or an iPad and launch their own website whenever they want. It’s true, too. I’m guilty of this. However, it’s hard to grasp anyone’s attention with so many competing blogs along the way. Saif know what it’s like.

ALLABOUTSAIF is a brand new blog in the works you might want to save on your bloglovin’ feed. “It’s going to be a crazy ride, but let’s be a part of creating the next big teenage fashion movement together!” he says. We were fortunate enough to talk to this up-and-coming blogger who may have the same aspirations as we all do but we’re just too shy to admit it!

First off, this nineteen year old is studying law. Yes. Law. He says, “To some law and fashion may seem polar opposites and they are; however, for me both fit just right. After all, I’m a Gemini and Gemini, being the twin sign, is known for its two faces. I guess that’s the reason why being attracted to these polar opposite passions only seemed normal to me.”

Before you go off the edge and think, “How can this work?”

You might want to hop onto Instagram and check out his profile (username: allaboutsaif). With almost 4000 followers, he gives us a huge glimpse of a day in his life. Was anyone else feeling the heart-eye emoji? You can see how dedicated he is to fashion. He sports anything from really expensive high-end pieces to average/low-end pieces.

Expect to see him browsing through Topman, ASOS, Dover Street Market in London, Selfridges and Zara. He idolizes Kanye West, Kyle Lo Monaco, Roger Mbee and Olivier Rousteing so if you see traces or similarities in the looks, you now know why.

But, he’s just like us. We all have those days where we can’t believe we wore a certain outfit. He comments, “What people need to understand is that fashion is prevalent. It has a domineering role in people’s lives since the pace of change in the fashion industry is ever changing. As it continues to change, my style continues to change with it.”

“So I constantly look back and think ‘WTF was I thinking wearing that outfit?’” Going back to his blog, you can see why he realized he can contribute to the fashion world. He has every intention of creating a “teenage fashion movement” but he needs reader’s help to achieve that. Having said that, Saif didn’t have a knack of blogging right away, “Blogging was something that took a quite a while for me to figure out I can do. The intricacies that go behind everything is crazy. I often drive myself mad over the most simple and little of things as everything has to be perfectly done in my book. I’m a perfectionist like that.”

Sure, it seems like it takes about ten minutes to type up a blog but Saif knows the struggle so early in the game! “At first, I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but I’ve come to realize that this whole fashion blog thing is not as easy as it looks. A lot goes behind the scenes, which can be so hectic at times, but as long as you’re enjoying what you’re doing then you’re all good,” says Saif.

Now, if you’re sitting there reading what the heck to expect from this mysterious blog, Saif assures us, “You’re pretty much going to see everything. Expect to see anything from outfit of the day posts, to health and food lifestyle tips to my monthly favorites. All that fun stuff!”

We may just see hints of his favorite places he loves to go to in London: The Radio Roof Top Bar, Camden High Street which he adds “as sketchy as some may think it is,” CocoMaya, “a must for anyone visiting London,” he explains and cheesecake at the JW Marriott Grosvenor House which he says is “absolutely mouth watering.” I guess that means I should buy my plane ticket to London now?

And if anyone was inspired by reading this, he gives us a bit of advice, “Don’t hold back because you’re afraid of what those around you might say or think. Do it because you love it and always be confident doing it.”

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# C HEERS T O

A RA D YEAR Every year, I always try to plan things out too much. This year, I learned to go with the flow. If you try to micromanage everything, you will end up with a huge headache in the end. I’m sure everyone has learned more about themselves within the past twelve months. Our readers is our backbone in what we do, we could not have been where we are today without the amazing support from our wolfies from all over the world. It’s a crazy feeling to get emails from France, Austria to Hong Kong about how much our issues has impacted them. We bring you #CheersToARadYear – a glimpse of what our readers had to say about our issues and we are excited to launch more creative and innovative projects to new features to keep the inspiration alive for all our wolfies and crafty souls. – CATHRINE KHOM, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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/ / / / / W O LFIE SU B MISSI O NS O UR REA D ERS TALK A B O UT THEIR FA V O RITE L O C AL W O L V ES ISSUES FR O M 2 0 1 4 , AN D M O RE !

This year, Local Wolves has grown so much and I’m so proud because it’s my favorite magazine EVER. I have to say that Local Wolves introduced me to so many different types of music and artists this year. My all-time favorite issue is the February 2014 issue (not just because that’s my birthday month) featuring Troye Sivan. The photography in this issue was killer and so was Orion’s column. Can’t wait for another Local Wolves’ year! – ARIEL S. Over my life, there hasn’t been many people that I feel like I can look up to or relate to very easily. When I found YouTube and the fantastically wonderful world of social media, I came across so many amazing people that have changed my mentality forever. The first time I read one of her columns in Local Wolves magazines was in the September/October issue featuring Broods. Orion Carloto’s P.S. Positivity spread. THIS GIRL THOUGH! I immediately fell in love with her writing and personality on the page.

Her writing was so soulful and conveyed such an important message to a young audience. This whole issue was bomb, just like every other issue, but this one stuck out to me because of all the rad articles, pictures, and that super awesome DIY! If you ever need any photo inspiration, then look at page nine of the “Broods” issue, super cool. Also, thanks to all of the awesome articles about music artists, now I have so many new songs to listen to! Overall, I am obsessively in LOVE with this magazine and all the amazing people it features, who I can relate to and look up to on so many levels. – ALLISON FOSTER This year has been one of the happiest, most enjoyable years of my life, all thanks to Local Wolves! After the Joey Graceffa Issue, I can honestly say I have read every single following issue. Local Wolves has helped me notice so many people who have become my favorite youtubers, bands, and writers, and I am so thankful! From the Settle Down Kids and Josh Chomik (who I got to meet this past June and they were amazing!), Oh Honey to Orion Carloto, Local Wolves has showed me an insight to just who these people are and what it is that makes them so relatable.

Thanks to Local Wolves, they have helped so many readers

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like myself, turn into wolfies in a matter of pages. Thanks for a rad year Local Wolves, I hope to continue reading more magazines in the near future! – ALEXIS ALBRECHT I have to say, there were a few issues I had in mind but in the end I had no other choice but go for Issue 17 - featuring Ben Brown. I chose it for a very personal reason. I used to be a competitive dancer in Ballroom and Latin American dancing and I actually was quite good at it as well. It was my passion, my heart and I was willing to give up most of my youth, rather spending my time in training centers and at competitions than going out and getting pissed with the pals. About 4 Years ago, a few months before our very first world championship participation, my world started to crumble. I had a serious back injury caused by too much training, my parents decided to divorce (not in a nice way) and my father also decided to move far away, leaving my mom and me behind. However I did dance at the World Champ. But ended up far behind, left with both physical and mental pain. I came back home not only knowing that home wasn’t home anymore, but heart and emotionally broken with dancing. At this point I had been a dancer for 8 years. A few weeks later I decided to stop dancing immediately and try to start something new. The following years were very dark and full of bad and unhappy moments and it took me 3 years to get into filmmaking and photography which I really enjoy but always had the feeling something was missing.

I started to watch Ben Brown in summer 2013 and quickly became very inspired and drawn to his way of looking onto life. It took me another year to fully understand that I only can be happy in life if I do what I’m absolutely passionate about. 1 month ago I made my decision to return to dancing and since than life has rapidly changed for the better! Issue 17 gave me an even better insight on his life and work.

The shots and the story were absolutely on point. I think Ben Brown is one exceptionally outstanding and inspiring human being and character on YouTube and definitely someone we can look up to! – DAVID BONETTI

My favorite issue has to be the Girl Power issue. I absolutely love this issue because it shows how much power women do have. We are strong, independent ladies. We should be allowed to be comfortable in our own skin without being labeled. This issue explains it all. It shows that it’s okay to love, to be comfortable, to be confident, to have a sex life, to LIKE sex, to feel beautiful, and to be happy with yourself.

It shows that we have our opinions, we don’t deserve to be shut down. Women have a voice and it deserves to be heard loud and proud. Many beautiful, powerful women were shown in this issue, one of them being a huge inspiration of mine, Halsey. Halsey is a confident soul. She is not afraid to stand up and speak for herself. Her words and her feelings towards girl power is so breathtaking. She is someone who I look up too every day. I have so much love and respect towards her. Every time I read this issue, I become more comfortable with myself and my choices. I will never change who I am, nor will I ever be ashamed. I am proud of who I am. Girl Power. – LOURDES ALVAREZ

Y O UR FA V O RITE ISSUES O F 2014!

Hey! I’m a huge fan of the magazine and I have to say my favorite issue of 2014 is definitely the Girl Power issue. As a feminist it’s an amazing feeling to see magazines such as local wolves to talk about woman empowerment and how great women are. I think the issue was really inspiring and educational source for anyone who read it and in the society we live in today, ignorance and discrimination still exist towards women and that is obviously wrong. I hope that people who work for other magazines read and were inspired by that issue and can hopefully go on to do that for their own magazines and little by little make the change society so badly needs when it comes to treating women better. I think that the issue opened many people’s eyes and hopefully will inspire other magazines to do something similar. I can honestly say that personally this magazine has been one of the few i actually take time to read and appreciate because everyone who takes part in this magazine has great things to say and teach. amazing job and can’t wait for all the amazing issues that are to come this year, hopefully more that have to do with women empowerment and feminism. – VALERIA ALVAREZ My name is Cece and I’m for sure my all-time favorite issue of the year had to be November’s Girl Power issue. Girl power isn’t as worldwide as it fully should be. Feminism is so important because its truly unfair that one gender has the power to overrule another. Girl power is so rad how all us girls can agree we are truly awesome and stick up for ourselves and each other. Also, Halsey is so awesome and i think everyone should know who she is and what she’s about. This magazine I really believe needs to become worldwide someday so everyone can see how amazing it is and how spectacular all the writers and editors are.

Sending love to this truly rad year and magazine. – CECE COAKLEY

read them and all our other issues @

issuu.com/ localwolves

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AMAN D A

STEEL E AMAN D A GI V ES US A GLIM P SE O F WHAT HER R O A D T O B E C O MING A Y O UTU B E SENSATI O N WAS LIKE .

STORY: ASHLEY BULAYO PHOTOS: MADISON BASS-TAYLOR

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Growing up? That’s hard. Growing up while millions of strangers are watching you? That’s harder. When you’re still figuring out life and everything around you, it’s different when you have a camera in front of you to document your life. It’s common to see on reality television but on YouTube?

That’s real. As a viewer, you create a bond with someone you feel like you’ve known your whole life when really, you only know that person after watching their videos a bunch of times. One prime example is our cover star, Amanda Steele aka MakeupbyMandy24.

Steele has been killing it out there in the YouTube community since she was ten years old. Slay girl. Slay. She’s been doing what she’s loved and she hasn’t looked back. In the very early days when she first published videos, she was criticized for wearing makeup but come on. We all know girls love makeup, right? She pushed through it all by just believing in herself. “I knew I was doing this for fun and this was my passion, so why should I stop because it might bother someone else? Making videos was just something fun for me to do and I wasn’t going to let someone tell me I couldn’t do it,” said Steele.

But, if she could, she would tell her young self one thing, “I would just tell myself to push through the hate. In my first few months of making videos, I was really sensitive to the negative feedback. If I knew how to deal with it earlier, I wouldn’t have been so discouraged. But for the most part, whatever I did then got me to the place I am today and that’s awesome!”

She’s seen the ups and downs of having a channel first hand and has grown some thick skin to guard herself over time. “Since I was growing up on YouTube, I was also finding myself. At some points I thought I had to act or make a video a certain way for people to like me. I finally realized that it’s important to stay true to myself for my own happiness and because that’s what people watch me for,” said Steele, “One thing I’ve learned that got me to where I am today is that I work hard towards something if I really want it, and whatever it is, I won’t stop until I get it.”

Going with her gut feeling has thrown her into the limelight and in front of the eyes of almost two million subscribers.

Clearly, things has taken a drastic change in her life. “I’ve made so many friends, get to travel all over the place, and work with brands I love! If YouTube never existed, I’d probably find some way of expressing myself through beauty and fashion. I’ve loved this stuff for so long so I think I would have started a blog or learned how to make clothing. Also, I’d still be doing cheerleading and going to a normal high school if I never had a YouTube!” said Steele.

“I WASN’T GOING TO LET SOMEONE TELL ME I COULDN’T DO IT.” 38

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“THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING ME AND GETTING ME TO WHERE I AM TODAY!” Steele now devotes her life to her current career which is the reason why she now takes online classes and skips out on the whole, you know, going to a real high school situation. She does miss it though but luckily the good outweighs the bad when you look at the overall picture.

Plus, having her family by her side supporting her every step of the way helps too.

While so many of us keep praying to not have to attend school every day, that doesn’t mean Steele isn’t keeping herself busy. No way. You can find Steele juggling projects left and right which includes creating her own makeup palette, owning her own merch, being an interviewer for The Meetup on Polished and way more. While some teenagers are trying to figure out what does x equals, Steele is trying to figure out what her followers would be interested in.

(Now that we put it in that perspective, math doesn’t seem that hard, right?) But of course, she’s not ALWAYS working.

Catch her sneaking a Netflix binge now and then or hanging out with her friends around Los Angeles like Urth Caffe and Crave Cafe. BUT, she does recommend everyone to try Sprinkles Cupcakes or ice cream. Spoiler alert: She prefers the ice cream.

With the year coming to an end, she’s got her eye on the prize for next year which is finally scoring her license and a car. Almost every teenager’s dream! However, to say she’s had an epic 2014 would not be enough to describe it. She’s had the time of her life attending conventions, meeting subscribers, and creating her own personal products all while making new friends along the way. This is the year she really discovered her personal style and made videos that documented it.” Here’s to hoping we’ll continue seeing the evolution of her style right before our eyes.

As for her loyal followers that can’t get enough of MakeupbyMandy24, she does have a message for all of you: “Thank you so much for supporting me and getting me to where I am today. Every time I upload and see your comments, I get the biggest smile on my face. I am the luckiest person ever to produce content I am passionate about and get such a lovely response from it.” Thank you, Amanda, for putting up videos we simply cannot get enough of. Keep on going, girl.

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kurtis conner QUESTIONS: ALLYN BERNARDO PHOTOS: ARIANE THERRIEN

TO OUR READERS OUT THERE WANTING TO GET KNOW YOU, CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE INTRODUCTION ABOUT YOURSELF? KC: I am a twenty years old, stand-up comedian/YouTuber/ Viner from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. I am currently enrolled in the Comedy: Writing and Performance program at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; where I am currently living.

I’ve been doing stand-up for just over a year now and it is my favourite thing in the entire universe.

WHAT MADE YOU START CREATING YOUTUBE VIDEOS ON VINING? KC: I’d like to think that I have a good perspective on vining and people are curious about my thoughts/opinions on the app and what comes along with it. There are a lot of trends on vine that are quite odd, and I think putting them out in the open and commenting on them is really enjoyable.

WHERE DO YOU USUALLY GET YOUR IDEAS TO CREATE YOUR VIDEOS? KC: That is one thing I have an extreme amount of trouble with.

I have this terrible habit of thinking that I am the most boring person in the world, so whenever I think of a video idea, I usually tell myself: “That’s dumb, Kurtis. Why would anybody want to watch you talk about that at all, you butthead?” Regardless, I usually end up making a video about that boring subject. It seems to be working, though!

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IF YOU COULD PICK ANYONE TO COLLABORATE WITH IN THE FUTURE, WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? KC: I would love to collaborate with my pal, Orion in the future! We had planned to collaborate this summer but we were both too busy, but hopefully we get to one day!

I would also really like to collaborate with my friend Chris Dalo. I met him through Vine and he has become a really good friend of mine. I think it would be a bunch of fun to film a video with him. Oh, the fun we would have.

WHAT DO YOU PREFER MAKING: YOUTUBE OR VINE VIDEOS? KC: It’s tough to decide! I love making Vine videos because it’s a more suitable platform for my short, stupid jokes. Vine is really fun because you can just mess around and make a variety of different types of videos in a short amount of time. YouTube, on the other hand, allows me to work at a larger project and plan things out. I can have pauses and longer jokes/bits in my YouTube videos that would never be possible in my Vines.

DO YOU SEE YOURSELF CREATING THESE YOUTUBE/ VINES AS A PLATFORM OR IS IT MORE OF SOMETHING TO DO AS A HOBBY? KC: I see YouTube and Vine as a creative outlet. I love making people laugh more than anything, and both Vine and YouTube allow me to do that. All I really want to do is create, and it’s amazing that I have Vine and YouTube to help me with that, and to occupy me creatively when I’m not focusing on stand-up.

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WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION OF ALL TIME? KC: I’m sure that this is the answer that everyone gives, but I think it’s probably my mother. She’s always been a really hard worker, and an amazing parent. She has always put my sister and I’s needs before her own, and has always supported us no matter what. She has inspired me to work as hard as I can, and to treat others with as much respect as I can possibly give.

BASED ON YOUR VINES, HOW MUCH DO YOU LOVE “THE WEEKLY CHRIS”?

KC: Words cannot describe my love for him. He is just an angel. I think I can speak for the entire population when I say: “I want to give him a Weekly Kiss.” To put it simply, my heart is a bracelet, and he is the wrist.

BEING FROM CANADA, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL PLACE IN YOUR HOMETOWN? KC: I am originally from Hamilton, but I didn’t really do much when I lived there. But, I can tell you about my favorite local place in Toronto! There is an incredible doughnut shop called “Glory Hole Doughnuts” that’s only a ten minute streetcar ride away from my house, and it has made me all sorts of happy. On several occasions, my friends and I have gone and stuffed our dumb tummies with criminally delicious doughnuts after class. They have an interesting variety of pop (soda, as the Americans say), and a “S’mores” doughnut that brought me to tears. Toronto is full of awesome and diverse local locations, and I am very lucky and grateful that I get to live in such a great city.

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cameron phillips STORY: KAMRIN BAKER PHOTO: RACHEL EPSTEIN

Cameron Phillips does rant videos, understands the power of Beyoncé, is a latte art lover, and probably the most articulate online personality. Oh, and there’s something about him that makes him look familiar and famous, maybe it’s the fact he looks like a total teen heartthrob. The driving force behind his channel is an intense work ethic and the desire to create a haven of acceptance in the form of entertaining videos.

Phillips posses a sense of self-awareness that’s rare to find in someone involved with media. His understanding of a larger reality can be attributed to the wide variety of experiences he’s exposed to. Not only is Phillips a fulltime content creator, but he’s also a full-time student. The annoyances and enlightenment that come along with being a college student have impacted his videos. “As a whole these experiences are continuing to expand my horizons as an artist, and as a human being, something that I value extensively.”

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“I mean, seeing images of mouth watering, delicious looking food is an emotional experience.” I think we would all love to see more pictures of cappuccinos and various foods from Cameron Phillips. He isn’t just hoping to venture into photography but truly explore all mediums of art.

Phillips says, “I see more music and visual art in my future, with some original content coming in the future months!”

His love of Beyoncé isn’t simply a music preference but rather a powerful influence on the content he creates.

Phillips says, “Beyoncé has shown me the power of art to transport you and to allow you to step back from your problems, your issues, your moods, and take you to another place, feeling what the artist wants you to feel.

That is power, that is something that I aspire to.” From his rant videos to videos of him reacting to old, embarrassing Instagram posts (we all have them), there are traces of this influence everywhere.

His college classes have also led him to understanding how creators and the audience interact. Phillips wrote a research paper analyzing the intense and intricate relationship between Tyler Oakley and ‘his people.’ He goes above and beyond simply pressing the record button on a camera, he’s extremely dedicated to the entirety of making videos.

His message is one that revolves around acceptance and support of social issues that are important to him. It doesn’t come of as political though – Phillips just wants to create a world of fair treatment and entertainment for his viewers.

The foundation of YouTube viewership is grounded in a desire to escape a harsher reality and Phillips’ videos accomplish just that and his hilarious insight reminds you that there are individuals that are creative and care about you.

His creativity isn’t limited to video content but also the medium of photography. Scroll through his instagram and you’ll find high quality travel shots, amazing latte art, and Beyoncé quotes. “I would love to venture into the world of photography on a professional level – I think if I did I would want to specialize in food photography.”

Oh, and want to know the secret to his perfect coffee pictures? I am a big fan of LAMILL Coffee in Silver Lake because of their stellar coffee, great atmosphere, and dare I say, flawless latte art.

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E Z EKIEL PHOTOS: RACHEL EPSTEIN CLOTHING: EZEKIEL STYLING: SOPHIE BERNARD H/MUA: JESSIE YARABOROUGH MODEL: BRIAN REDMON

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TOP: TIKI SS WOVEN BOTTOM: FALKON PANT

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TOP: MOROCCO SS WOVEN BOTTOM: HYNES PANT

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TOP: NUNCA SLIM TEE BOTTOM: WRECK IT HAT: PHAROH HAT

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the orphan, the poet QUESTIONS: ASHLEY BULAYO PHOTOS: JON MEDINA

first off, can you tell our WOLFIES a little bit about The Orphan, The Poet?

TOTP: Absolutely. We’re an alternative rock band from Dayton, Ohio. We enjoy lively conversation and the occasional cup of coffee.

I’m really curious as to know, What’s the story and meaning behind the name The Orphan, The Poet?

TOTP: The name was inspired by a high school friend of mine who had lost both her parents to cancer. Obviously a traumatic experience, but even more so when you consider that it all happened in a span of four years. The part of the story that really inspired me though, was how my friend never let these tragedies break her stride. She could have easily let these awful instances define her and just be “the orphan” but instead she lives above them and, in that, becomes “the poet.” I think it’s a lesson we all can pull from regardless of our personal situation.

When you guys are in the studio or on the verge of making new music, how do you guys prevent yourselves from repeating the same sound of a previous track you did or another similar artist?

TOTP: Honestly, I always find myself worrying about the opposite, that we’re going to create something that doesn’t connect with our previous material at all (laughs). Granted, I think both sides of that coin boil down to the natural anxiety of a musician. I think something that has kept us from writing the same material over and over is constantly trying to be better. For me personally, that’s meant studying songs and composers that would probably come as a surprise to a lot of our fans, but they helped me address weaknesses I saw in my writing. I think as long as you’re making progress and growing, there’s little chance of you producing a carbon copy of what you’d done before.

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In my mind, the most important aspect touring is what I call “van culture.” This basically encompasses anything and everything that goes on in a band’s van. From driving shifts, to sleeping arrangements, to how messy is too messy, and so on, these cumulatively create the atmosphere of where you will spend most of your time while touring in the van. Obviously, van culture is going to be different from band to band, but it’s just about finding a system that allows 5-8 people to live in a van for 6 weeks and not kill each other. Every band is going to have a bad show or even a bad tour, but having a sustainable van culture let’s you weather them that much easier.

For someone who hasn’t seen you perform live yet, how would you explain the experience of attending one of your shows?

TOTP: We really just try to have a good time, both on and off stage. Performance wise, we’ve never understood bands who are too cool to jump around and enjoy themselves, so we do just that, we jump around and enjoy ourselves. Off stage, we try to keep the same ethos. We’re always hanging out at the merch table meeting fans, telling bad jokes, and generally just being weird.

What do you think has been the greatest lesson you’ve learned while being in a band?

I saw in an interview you did earlier this year, you were trying to promote #BananaSantana.

How’s the journey been of trying to make it a viral thing?

TOTP: It’s been a long journey, but I think we’re finally on the cusp of #BananaSantana taking off. I will say, we had a few high value targets that fueled the fire and we’re looking at you, Queens of the Stone Age. For any readers who still haven’t heard of #BananaSantana, (which I’m sure are few and far between at this point), it involves taking a banana peel, taping it to something then instagram it and if you’re having trouble figuring out what an appropriate target should be, we’ve had great success with vehicles, people’s faces, and even cats.

You guys are on tour a lot! On the road, how do you keep yourself occupied? Do you have any TOTP survival tips you can share with up-andcoming musicians who want to tour sometime in their career?

TOTP: Travelling as a band can definitely have its duller moments; a ten hour drive is never exactly cake no matter how you look at it. For us though, keeping things upbeat in the van has kept touring fun. We’ve found its just more enjoyable to tour when we aren’t all plugged into our ipods or stuck on the phone, but rather talking and actually hanging out with each other. A lot of people would assume that the shows would come as the most important part of successful touring, but I would disagree.

The hardest lesson for me was that perfection is more of a distraction than a motivation. I’m the type of person that will plan and calculate and deduce and scheme, all in the hopes of eradicating the possibility of making a mistake, but in that, wasting time in not making actual progress. I’ve learned that, at some point, it’s better to start the ball rolling mistakes and all, rather than trying to plan and plan and plan for a perfect execution. Scrolling through your Tumblr, you receive lots of fan love. What’s it like knowing your music is being so well received from all different parts of the world? (Some even get tattoos of your band’s symbol!) The first time I saw a tattoo of our symbol I was literally speechless. For someone to feel that connected to us is truly a humbling thing. Beyond tattoos, it’s always great getting to see fans appreciating what we do.

When you’re not on tour, what are your favorite local places to go to?

TOTP: This past summer I moved from Dayton, where our band is based, to Columbus. Aside from the practice space being a longer haul, it’s been really great to come home from tour and still get to explore what feels like a new city. I think my absolute favorite spot right now is Yellow Brick Pizza. It’s this cool, little neighborhood tavern that literally has the best pizza I’ve ever had. If you’re ever in town, it’s a must.

With 2014 almost wrapping up, what do you guys have planned for 2015?

TOTP: We’ve been holed up in our writing space for the past few weeks, and I’m really ecstatic about the new material we’re working on. Without giving away too much, you should be hearing some new material from us early next year, with a couple cool tours in the works for then too. I think 2015 is going to be a great year.

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dominique QUESTIONS: hudson luthringshausen PHOTO: RACHEL KOBER

What or who influenced you to begin creating your own music, and how did you get the hang of it?

On your EP, Chains when can listeners expect for it to be released and how was the process for creating it?

I had been involved with music since I was very young, but once I started experimenting with writing around age fifteen I developed a whole new love for it. I’m really not sure what initially inspired me to begin writing, but I always came up with little melodies in my head and I think eventually I just decided to put it on paper. It took me a while to get the hang of, because for a while I was writing literally whatever came into my mind. Eventually after a few years of writing, I started to listen to music in a different way.

Instead of thinking “Wow, I love this song,” I’d think “What is it about this song that makes it so great?” I think this habit of analyzing music when you listen to it is the best way to be taught how to write.

At this point, I’m not even sure when it’s going to be released. Chains has been finished for months, but I’ve been writing so much music lately that I’m not sure if the songs that were going to be released fit me as an artist anymore. Writing the EP and producing it with ZeniF gave me a lot of experience and taught me a lot about making music, and I kind of want to take what I’ve learned and direct it toward a debut EP that I can be really confident in and proud of. But in the meantime, I’ll be releasing more covers and singles.

You’re most comfortable with pop, but what other genres are you interested in?

I have always really loved hip-hop, and I grew up on 60’s and 70’s rock music that my dad would play around the house all the time. Bits and pieces of influence from these genres make their way into my writing.

What thing most influences your creative flow and gets the best results for you and your music?

For me, creativity seems to surface best when I’m not pressuring myself to create something. A lot of times I’ll just be laying in bed, trying to fall asleep, and I’ll get an idea I love and record as many ideas as I can into my phone.

How did you first react to the initial spark from the Buzzcut Season Cover you posted to Youtube?

I was thrilled, because it was the first time I put out something that I got so much good feedback on. I was also writing and producing a lot of music for the first time in a while when I put out that cover, so it made me very excited to release the original things I was working on.

What sort of creative outlets are you looking to explore and where do you want to take yourself?

I’m still trying to cultivate my “sound,” so right now I’m experimenting with different writing styles and trying to figure out which direction I want to go in.

What are your current favorite artists?

I think Taylor Swift’s new album is incredible. My favorite artists right now are FKA Twigs, Tei Shi, Allie X, and Vérité.

How has it been so far balancing school while pursuing music?

I’m very excited to graduate, because I’d really like to dedicate all of my time and energy into making music. It’s hard to be very productive in either school or music when you’re trying to do both, so it’s a little discouraging, but I’m trying my best to put enough work into each one.

What are some of your favorite local spots in your hometown?

I grew up in St. Pete, Florida. Every time I return home I spend a lot of time on the beach, which makes up for these freezing winters in NYC.

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ethan + grayson dolan Imagine this: you are an every day kid from New Jersey, whose immediate universe revolves around football, wrestling, and lacrosse. One night, your little sister tells you about a six second video that has gone viral and from there, as if overnight, your life is catapulted into the spotlight. For Ethan and Grayson Dolan it won’t take much imagination to picture this because that is their reality.

The two were inspired to create a YouTube channel. Grayson tells me that although he does enjoy making YouTube videos and having the freedom of time to fit an idea into a video, he admits that he feels that with “Vine you really have to be creative in order to be successful. It’s a challenge to take a comedy skit idea and make it fit inside of a six second mini movie.”

After an evening spent crowded around a phone with their siblings, the twins immediately became interested in the app and decided to try it out and post their Vine. Grayson tells me that the idea of entertaining people from all over the world is what appealed to him most about the app. He says, “I’ve been making comedy skit videos since I was seven years old and saw that Vine was a fast and easy way to make others laugh.”

Of course, with any creative venture it can be difficult to consistently come up with good ideas to entertain their audience with. Citing the “Jonas Brothers” as their main source of inspiration, Ethan adds that they consciously observe every day life and then talk out what they’ve seen to see if they can put a comedic twist on it.

Posting his first video in May 2013, Ethan recalls that the first time he felt like he was starting to build something was in August 2013, when he and Grayson made a “Same Love” parody which got them their first 1,000 likes. From then on, the two grew a following rapidly, as only six months later Grayson remembers reaching 100k followers. As to be expected, becoming known online has definitely an effect on the twin’s lives; between traveling, famous friends, and fans it’s as if their world has been flipped upside down.

At only fifteen, the two have amassed a variety of enviable experiences, confessing that it’s still surreal to be flown all over the country and to get to go on tours and meet fans.

However, Ethan tells me that one of his favorite opportunities was getting to stay with the Paul brothers in LA this past summer. He says, “I think its so cool to meet others viners because there aren’t many people doing the same thing as me, and when you have that connection its just such a cool feeling.”

As Vine becomes more and more popular, there is more demand for creators like the Dolan brothers to attend conventions where they not only have the chance to meet fans but also other content creators. At occasions like this ,there is time for creators from different coasts and countries to collaborate, which is always a fan favorite and an exciting opportunity for creators to make friends with one another.

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Putting yourself online can be a scary endeavor as you open yourself up to critics. Ethan discloses that sometimes they do get hate from people who are jealous but that they “just ignore it.” Grayson adds that they “expected the hate” and just laugh at it because “its not something worth stressing over.”

It’s an excellent philosophy because why worry when you have an army of supportive fans, family, and friends surrounding you? Ethan continues, saying, “Our parents thinks it’s great.

They love to see us do what we love to do and be successful at it. Also, our sister is our biggest supporter and our biggest help. She films most of our vines and YouTube videos and designs our merchandise.” Grayson adds to that, saying, “Yes, I agree. Our sister is the best. It’s a big help to have a sister who is a graphic designer.”

Not even able drive yet, Ethan and Grayson have an impressive collection of achievements under their belt, but they aren’t done yet. Grayson says that right now is main objective is to keep doing what they are doing and continue to entertain their followers. However, he admits that his long-term goals include, eventually, moving onto much bigger things, such as television and movies.

STORY: LYDIA SNAPPER PHOTOS: SAMANTHA EISENBERG

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phox STORY: HON JUIN WONG PHOTO: PHILIPP AMMON

Matthew Holmen is just one-sixth of indie alternative pop band, PHOX but even on his own, he manages to portray the whimsical, soulful and friendly charisma PHOX has come to represent. However, he feels a little different, calling himself instead the “overbearing, camp counsellor”.

Made up of Davey Roberts (“the silent mastermind”), Matteo Roberts (“another reserved genius”), Zach Johnston (“his brain is going a million miles an hour, thinking of fusing visuals and audio”), Jason Krunnfusz (“the rock, he’s solid and never misses a note”) and Monica Martin (“she has a treasure trail of good ideas but she has to occasionally mine for them”). PHOX all met in high school in the small, suburban town of Baraboo, Wisconsin.

After graduation, they all went their separate ways: film school, a job with Homeland Security and cosmetology school but soon figured that they “weren’t having a great time” with what they were doing in their lives. When asked how they kept in touch, Matt says it was kind of “a coincidence that we ended up at Baraboo at the same time. We all thought about making music together but kind of in a wistful way, like how you didn’t take that girl to prom and you’re like ‘Oh man that would have been great.’”

PHOX released their widely acclaimed self-titled debut album in June earlier this year and one of the songs, “Slow Motion” has received lots of love from their fans. Matt explains, “Our basic idea of songwriting is melody first. If you’ve got a good melody, you’ll probably have a good song” and with “Slow Motion,” Monica had recorded a chorus on her iPhone but the song was missing a verse.”

“However, she had another song with a verse but was floating around in a different key and so, Matt suggested they put them together, and strangely, it worked.” This method of fiddling around with ideas and seeing what fits isn’t an uncommon approach to their songs.

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“Noble Heart,” another song off their self-titled album, was a mashup of a fuzzy guitar solo from Jason, a “weird chord progression” from Matteo and a Sufjan Stevens inspired trumpet melody. The influences don’t just end at Sufjan Stevens; they include Feist and Justin Vernon from Bon Iver who Matt considers to be “one of the most emotive songwriters of our generation.” For Monica, it’s down to the soul singers like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Otis Redding.

For Matt, it’s interesting to hear about the success and the love the album has got because to them, the songs are a bit older and instead, he and his fellow bandmates are more excited about their next set of songs. However, he’s cautious about “staying creative and not letting the business aspect get in the way. We’ve been on the road a lot lately and it’s very challenging to stay creative and create something on the road.” While admitting it is still a work in progress, he hopes that they can “find the right balance where they don’t feel too stretched by performing or too up their own a*ses.”

This self-awareness is refreshing for such a new band, and it might have something to do with them being all friends.

However, it is still trick to negotiate. Matt feels that the “best thing is to not think about it and try to compartmentalise. You don’t really have a personal life when you’re out on the road except within the band, which is great because we’re all friends and enjoy each other but you do sacrifice some elements of seeing family or your partner.”

PHOX are on tour currently, and audiences apparently should be on the lookout for a “very dynamic show.” Matt explains, “we try to respect the room, the crowd and play to them like we’re having a conversation. We don’t play just as loud as we can. We try to be as captivating as we can just play the best music we can do.” As one who’s been to their show at the Lexington in London that is most certainly true.

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