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SEPT. 2018 04 CARLY CRAIG

16 KATHRYN GALLAGHER

32 MEGHANN FAHY

on creating sideswiped + her favorite guest stars

on working on jagged little pill + her new show, you

on her life-changing year + her hopes for season 3 of the bold type

06 SOFIA WYLIE

20 THE NIGHT GAME

42 DREAMERS

on chasing her disney dreams + being a positive voice

on finding purpose in music again + the songwriting process

on building the band + their upcoming ep, fly

10 LOVELYTHEBAND

24 JENNA JOHNSON

46 AMANDA GRACE BENITEZ

on their formation + their debut album, finding it hard to smile

on following her dance dreams + her recent engagement

on her love of drumming + her upcoming movie, the ranger

30 NADIA AFFOLTER

on her role on amazonâ€™s jack ryan + working with john krasinski

CATHERINE POWELL

publisher, editor, photographer, designer, writer

ELIZABETH FORREST

RACHEL HILL

VANESSA SALLES

AUTUMN HALLE

NICOLE MOOREFIELD

LEXI SHANNON

writer writer

IAN HAYS writer

writer writer

OLIVIA SINGH writer

CRAIG

Words by LEXI SHANNON Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

CARLY

From actress to screenwriter, Carly Craig does it all. The 38-year-old California native has been seen on the big screens since 2005, featuring roles in hit feature films such as Role Models and Hall Pass. The multi-faceted talent has recently released her own show – Sideswiped. Featuring Craig herself, alongside Rosanna Arquette and Chlesea Frei, the show follows the tale of a newly single 35-year-old woman on her ventures throughout the world of online dating. NKD: How did the concept for Sideswiped come about? CC: After getting out of a 12 year relationship at 35, I was thrown into this new digital world of dating and was shocked by how much it had changed. I thought I had skipped out on the Tinder era and was fine with that. So, I decided to be open-minded and dive in, hence all my crazy stories. Plus, my journal of embarrassing experiences was getting full and I was ready to start writing them into some characters. NKD: How long had you been working on Sideswiped until you realized you wanted to share it with the world? CC: I knew from the beginning

that this would be something I wanted to share with the world. Whenever something happens to me that’s embarrassing or uncomfortable, I feel it in the moment, but get excited to write about those experiences because they’re so relatable and you can’t make this stuff up! NKD: What made you decide to release the show via YouTube Premium? CC: I loved being able to get in on the ground floor with a company that was just starting to transition to premium programming. They’re doing amazing things and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of it. NKD: If you could redo the filming of the show, is there anything you would do differently? CC: I don’t think so. I’m really happy with how “Sideswiped” turned out. We got really lucky with the cast and crew being so talented. It made the first season run really smoothly. NKD: Who was your favorite guest actor to work with on set? CC: I don’t know if I have a favorite, but I always love working with Jason Sudeikis. He’s hysterical, very easy to work with, and

such a professional. And we shot the first scene of the show in the gynecologist’s office as a teaser before we went to YouTube Premium. That really helped show people the tone of the show and the kind of guest stars we were going to get. I will forever be grateful to Jason for shooting that with me. NKD: Who would be your dream guest on the show – dead or alive? CC: Dead: Lucille Ball; Alive: Paul Rudd or Kristen Wiig NKD: How has the public reacted to the release of the show? CC: We’ve gotten such amazing reviews and people contact me all the time via social media to let me know how much they enjoyed Sideswiped and that they binged it in one night. It’s so surreal to have it out there for everyone to see after working on it for the last two years. It just makes me so happy to see how much people related to these characters and loved the show. NKD: Can we expect more Sideswiped in the future? CC: I hope so! I would love to do a Season 2 (and many more!). We should find out really soon. I’m ready to get back to work on it. NKD

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sofia wylie Words by AUTUMN HALLE Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair by MONAE EVERETT

Sofia Wylie is bursting with confidence. The 14-year old star of Disney Channel’s Andi Mack has all the reason in the world to be. In just a few short years, the actress has worked hard to make her dreams come true. A dream, it turns out, she never really thought was a reality. “I really never thought that a kid like me could become an actress,” Sofia says of those early dreams. “My sister and I used to stand in the living room and pretend to do the Disney wand ears like we had our own television show, but I never thought it could be real someday.” The triple threat, actor, dancer, and singer, got her start on the dance floors in her hometown, Scottsdale, Arizona. Studying hiphop and other forms of dance, she gravitated towards the stage and immediately craved being in the spotlight. Her successes in the dance world are numerous, including performing alongside Justin Bieber and even hitting the stage at world-famous Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was during a dance audition in Los Angeles, surrounded by actors studying their lines, that Sofia realized she wanted to experiment with other forms of creative expression. The acting bug was in her and there was no denying it.

“I just started going to auditions. I ended up booking a commercial here and a small role there,” Sofia reflects on how she got started. For much of her success in the early stages of her career, she credits having mentors like casting director Amber Horn. Amber was one of the first people in Hollywood to see the potential in the young star and even ended up casting her in her first acting role. After they started working together, Sofia booked a reoccurring on Nickelodeon’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky and Dawn and School of Rock. It became clear that she was well on her way to carving out a name for herself. “It was when I ended up booking the role of Buffy on Andi Mack that I realized it was all happening for me. I was so excited I couldn’t breathe,” Sofia laughs as she thinks back on that pivotal moment. “I couldn’t believe I was going to be on a Disney Channel show.” From there, Sofia started making a name for herself among Disney’s huge fan following. It was her enigmatic charisma and unapologetic confidence that garnered her a loyal fanbase. Sofia’s confidence has been a driving force, not only in her career but in her life as a whole. “I always want to convey confi-

dence and put a lot of importance on that for my fans. I think what helped me be confident and successful was my family,” Sofia says of where she draws her positive personality from. “They’ve always lifted me up and made me feel supported and special. It’s easy to feel like you can do anything when you have people telling you that you can.” What’s the one thing she wants fans to know about confidence? Believe in yourself. “If you think things like, ‘I could never do that’ it’s the worst thing you can do to yourself,” Sofia warns. “Just because people are telling you that you can’t doesn’t make it true.” Wise beyond her years, Sofia also feels that she shares her confidence with her on-screen persona, Buffy. It’s one of the many things that drew her to the character. But the comparisons don’t end there. “I think one of the other things Buffy and I have in common is that we both like athletics,” Sofia laughs. “Buffy really, really likes being an athlete and I love getting to experience new things through her and grow as she does that.” While Buffy is a huge inspiration for many Disney Channel viewers, Sofia has found inspiration in the entertainment world through admiring the careers of NKDMAG.COM

lovelytheb Words by NICOLE MOOREFIELD Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

band

kathryn gallagher Words by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

At 15, Kathryn Gallagher left her first record deal because they “didn’t understand” her artistic vision. Then, with a batch of songs she wrote herself, she personally reached out to every venue in Los Angeles to ask whether they had any space for her to perform. Eventually, she heard back: she was going to play The Whiskey. It was such a bold move that her parents didn’t believe her when she told them. “It wasn’t until they got a call from The Whiskey asking for them to sign my contract and they were like ‘what, this is real?’” Kathryn laughs. Music was Kathryn’s life until she was 20, but she was also heavily involved with musical theater. Since she joined an after-school theater group when she moved to Los Angeles at 11, she grew up with and performed alongside a talented number of kids that Kathryn is still in contact with today. “It’s so lucky and rare that we have such a good group who is genuinely supportive and genuinely excited about each other,” Kathryn says. “We’re the first people to say ‘I’m not right for this role, but you have to call my friend’.” One such friend from her theater group, Ben Platt, who most recently performed in Dear Evan Hansen, was actually the catalyst to Kathryn’s

professional musical theater career. “He called me and said, ‘My friend Michael is doing a production of Spring Awakening with Deaf West Theater and he’s looking for people. I told him about you, so he might give you a call’,” Kathryn remembers. Although at that point she was fully focused on music, she missed theater and felt like a part of her was missing. In the end, Michael did call, the two got coffee, and a year later, Kathryn made her Broadway debut in Spring Awakening. Since then, life has been a whirlwind. After Spring Awakening, Kathryn chased another musical theater role in Jagged Little Pill, a rock musical written by Diablo Cody and inspired by Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name. Initially the production said there was no part for her, but eventually Kathryn received an email for a general ensemble call. She read for seven different roles and sang “I Can’t Make You Love Me” during the audition process, but the most difficult part was the dancing. Sidi Larbi, who also choreographs for Beyonce, ran the auditions. “If you can imagine, a girl with only lyrical dance experience at a high school level is not really succeeding in that

realm,” Kathryn jokes. She was called back for the role of Bella, one of the most raw and honest roles Kathryn had ever seen written, especially in theater. She was ecstatic to be given the opportunity. “Very few writers write fully fledged, layered, complex characters, especially women, as well as she [Diablo] does,” Kathryn says. She wanted the role badly; Bella is a sexual assault survivor and from the very beginning, Kathryn knew the musical meant something. Three weeks after auditions ended, Kathryn officially booked the show. Playing a deeply complex and vulnerable role in such an important story was not an act that Kathryn took lightly. She worked with the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center to receive training and truly understand what survivors go through. One of the most moving parts of the role was to hear how impactful it was to hear a survivor’s story told. “So often we don’t hear the story from the survivor,” Kathryn explains. “We’re just now starting to hear what happens from that woman or person’s point of view.” Many people in the audience found it powerful to see this story told so unapologetically; knowing that gave Kathryn the strength to play the NKDMAG.COM

THE NIGHT GAME

Words by IAN HAYS Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

To feel purpose is to be in the present. As The Night Game, Martin Johnson has never been more self-aware. Uncertainty is as human as eating and sleeping. But through music, meditations allow for honest growth. Martin is no rookie when it comes to the music industry- or music in general. But as The Night Game, a new found energy is driving him, coalesced with his past selves after a period marred by doubt and fear. As The Night Game, he has found meaning in music again, eager to share it with the world. Born and raised in the Boston area, music has always been Martin’s biggest passion. He received his first ukulele at 3- years-old and his first guitar at 6. “You had to rip me away from the mirror because I would be in front it pretending I was a rock star. I used to watch the Simon and Garfunkel Live in Central Park VHS. There was this little pole on the preschool playground,” Martin recalls, “While the other kids were running around playing tag, I would be standing there pretending to sing into it like Paul Simon.” When he was around or 8-yearsold, he began doing musical theater. At that age, it’s hard to find a band. Martin yearned to sing and perform, and musical theater fulfilled that need. Community theater pro-

ductions led to bigger roles around Boston. But his parents wanted to ensure a safe and normal childhood. So, when theater agents came sniffing around, they were promptly turned away. But around 15, Martin decided he wanted to write and perform his own music. To do that, he needed a band. He likes to joke that he forced his friends into it, but they all got their respective instruments and jammed for years. Influenced by Martin’s cousin who was in a streetpunk band, they played ska and punk. Then, Martin was introduced to emo. He knew that was what he wanted to perform and write. Eventually, he joined a new band. After completing a DIY tour, he befriended a drummer on tour, John Keefe. “We got home and decided we wanted to join forces. So, we broke up both of our bands and started Boys Like Girls,” he says. Boys Like Girls are synonymous with the pop-punk side of emo that dominated the early 2000s. Lyrics to “Hero/ Heroine” were written in high school binders all over the world. By 2010, touring for Boys Like Girls had started to slow down. That’s when Martin began writing for other artists. But years of treating music as an office job wore Martin to his core. “There came a point in 2014 or 2015 where I cracked a little bit. I

wasn’t being fulfilled by music anymore,” he admits, “I would look at myself in the mirror, remembering when I would stand there with my telecaster, wanting to be a rock star, and thinking, ‘When did I lose this kid?” Some might call it extreme, but Martin, in search of purpose, cancelled his writing sessions with other artists and took an indefinite hiatus from writing for others. At a certain point, the ever-present commodification of artistic talents places doubts. Martin found himself in that gnawing, depressive spiral. He found himself in an unrelenting cycle of doubt, stealing that sense of self. He came too close to quitting music for good. A desperate revelation was due. Martin decided to embark on a passion project of recording his own music his own way. But even with this new found freedom and primal urge to write and record, it took time for Martin to form The Night Game and become comfortable in a sound that is uniquely him. “I was writing really depressing singer/songwriter stuff. I have a full album sitting on my hard drive of those original demos. I don’t know if they’ll ever come out. A year of staring at the wall and wondering if I even liked music anymore, things finally began to click. I found truth NKDMAG.COM

jenna johnson Words by RACHEL HILL Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Styled by AUDREY BRIANNE

LOOK 1: Dress by ABERCROMBIE & FITCH LOOK 2 Shirt + Jeans by ABERCROMBIE & FITCH LOOK 3: Shirt by GUESS Sunglasses by LOREE RODKIN

nadia affolter Words by VANESSA SALLES Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Set to star in Amazon’s Jack Ryan, newcomer Nadia Affolter is proving to be one to watch. Born in the U.S., the rising actress spent her childhood internationally in Central Asia, Africa and Europe before settling in New York. “My dad works for the United Nations so we traveled quite a bit,” she reveals. “Still, I think my passion for acting came very easily. My entire family loves it and we’ve always loved putting on performances and being musical and whatnot. When we moved to New York, I joined the Children’s Theater Company and started going to auditions. Eventually, I booked a role on The Blacklist, joined my agency, and landed Jack Ryan.” Primed to serve as the actress’ breakout role, Nadia recalls the audition process to be a lengthy one. “The audition process was actually very long,” she laughs. “After my initial audition, I didn’t get contacted for months. At that point, I just thought they had decided to go with somebody else because that’s how things go in this industry. When I finally got a call back, there was a lot of back and forth to figure out things like speaking the language, etc. Time went on and then one day, I came home and my mom told me I booked the role. I was shocked!” On-screen, Nadia is Sara: a resilient, young, refugee woman. “My character is definitely a strong one,” she shares. “Sara’s character development throughout the series is remarkable and I really admire her strength. One thing that the series really touches on is the story of refugees and

that’s something that’s shown pretty early on. Sara is a refugee and has to step into the role of ‘mother’ to her younger siblings and has to leave her home and everything that she knows. It was intense and rewarding to portray her.” Though she’s definitely got the acting chops, the up-and-coming entertainer couldn’t help but be intimidated on set. “Jack Ryan is the first major project that I’m involved in,” she shares. “I think it was really helpful watching the seasoned actors just do their job – I learned so much. John [Krasinski] was incredibly focused and determined while on set but he was also very nice to all the cast and crew members; he made everybody feel good and I really admired how he was so ready to work but also made himself available to everyone around him.” Ultimately, Nadia made sure to use her experience on set as an opportunity to learn as much as possible. “I think we all learned a lot from each other,” she says. “A lot of what I learned was just me being able to learn from experience. It was nerve-racking to be there and having to act in your first big project while everyone watches you but it was just such a great environment that I felt very comfortable with everything I was doing. The directors are amazing and I definitely learned a lot from them and their feedback on my performance.” With all episodes now streaming on Amazon, Nadia assures viewers that the show will keep everyone at the edge of their seats. “You can expect a lot

of thrill,” she says. “There are so many important topics that are discussed but it’s still so full of action and excitement; I would recommend it to anyone.” When thinking of her dream role, the young star says it’d have to be something with purpose. “Something that’s very important to me is making sure the role has a message,” Nadia says. “I’d want to be involved with something that has a serious message and in-depth characters. What’s great is that I think movies and shows are now moving in that very direction and bringing awareness to bigger issues. I’d want to be apart of something that’s in touch with the serious things going on in today’s world because I think that’s what audiences connect to the most. Jack Ryan is definitely a dream role.” One of many talents, Nadia is also incredibly gifted in music, having even performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall. When she’s not busy on set, Nadia can be found singing, songwriting and playing her guitar. “I think music has always been a big part of my life,” she shares. “I’m very serious about both music and acting. Ideally, I’d be happiest being able to do both.” As for what’s up next, Nadia’s working on finishing up high school before devoting her time to acting and music. “I’m in my senior year now,” she shares. “It’s a lot of work but when I’m done, I hope to continue going out on auditions and start to pursue music. I’m definitely excited to pursue both my passions but I think, for now, I’m going to do one thing at a time.”NKD NKDMAG.COM

MEGHANN FAHY Words & Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Make-Up by BRITTANY GHARRING Hair by HIKARI TEZUKA

DREAMERS Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Los Angeles-based band DREAMERS can’t categorize their music as falling into one genre. It’s inspired by grunge rock, classic rock, jazz, and synth-pop – among others. Tracks are sparked by endless thoughts, from deep, existential questions to heartbreak. With more than one million monthly listeners on Spotify, a second album being released, and a headlining US tour, DREAMERS are not stopping any time soon. DREAMERS – comprised of Nick Wold (vocals, guitar), Marc Nelson (bass), and Jacob Wick (drums) – began a few years ago in New York. Nick, originally from Seattle, moved to the East Coast to study jazz saxophone at NYU. His interest in the instrument first began when he was 11-years-old. At the same time, he also grew up with an older sister who played grunge music. In a way, listening to those cassettes inadvertently paved the way for his future as a musician. It was during his time in college that realized that he needed to fully pursue music on his own terms. “I remember pacing around at a

certain point, just thinking, ‘Am I going to do music as a career?’” Nick recalls. “Because growing up, I always thought it would be finance or a lawyer or something. But I could do music, and I remember ending up deciding that one, I felt like music, if you do it right, if you do it well, it can be really meaningful and make a positive impact on the world. And two, I felt like I would always regret it if I didn’t try to really do the thing and follow the dream, so I just kind of cut it off there and made the full decision.” He was part of a band called Motive with drummer Chris Bagamery at the time. But once the group fizzled out, Nick continued to write music while living in a practice space. He wrote “maybe 100 or more songs in there” and that’s when he met Marc (who goes by his last name). Nelson, who frequently practiced bass growing up in Maryland, took a liking to songs that were written and joined a band with Nick and Chris. The group got some radio plays from songs like their first single, “Wolves (You Got Me)”, and went on tour with Stone Temple Pilots.

When they were offered a record deal in Los Angeles, Nick and Nelson signed on in early 2015 and moved to California. Then, they filled the vacant drummer position in the group with Jacob, a San Luis Obispo native who grew up in a musical family. “That was the final piece of the puzzle,” Nick says. In August 2016, DREAMERS released their debut album, titled This Album Does Not Exist. The LP included “Wolves”, “Sweet Disaster”, and “DRUGS”, in addition to other tracks. All the songs were the result of artists that the guys grew up listening to, from Nirvana and Weezer to Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles. “When I moved to New York, I was obsessed with The Strokes and the new punk thing that was going on there,” Nick recalls. “I kind of got back to my roots of the grunge rock in a way, because to me, the ‘60s rock and the ‘70s punk and the ‘90s grunge are all the same ethos, and it just carried forward into the future. I think that’s what we wanted to do with our band, just carry it into a new time, that same mentality.” NKDMAG.COM

amanda grace benitez Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Growing up in Valencia, California, Amanda Grace Benitez inadvertently discovered an interest in acting through dance. Around the age of 3, she started dancing and later did so competitively. Then, Amanda randomly decided that she wanted to audition to be the host of her school’s talent show. Aside from memorizing her lines for the show, she managed to recall everyone else’s, too. At the same time, Amanda’s parents were set decorators, so she often accompanied them to work. “I thought their job was super cool and I would actually fake being sick just to go with them to sets,” she recalls. “I walked around the soundstages and I remember my mom was working on Becker at the time and I was always watching, interacting with Ted Danson and I just thought, ‘Oh my gosh, these people get to do this for a living? That is so much fun’.” At 10-years-old, Amanda enrolled in acting classes – but she also gravitated toward the drums four years later. She used to visit an Italian restaurant with her dad, and would often stop by the next door Guitar Center. “For some reason, I would just walk upstairs and I just loved drum kits, the look of it, and I would get in the back and sometimes just jam out,” she recalls. When her dad noticed that she could keep a beat, he bought Amanda a drum kit for Christmas and enrolled her in lessons. “I just realized that it was such great therapy for me and such a great relief,” Amanda says. “It felt innate to do drumming, which is interesting for actors, because most of the time, actors

want to sing or be guitar players and be right out in the front. But for me, it just feels like home.” Around 16-years-old, Amanda focused her attention on building her acting career. “There’s nothing else that I connect with or to, it’s what I was meant to do,” she says. After getting roles on The Bold and the Beautiful, All Cheerleaders Die, and School of Rock, Amanda landed a part in the upcoming horror film The Ranger. In the movie – scheduled for release on September 7 – Amanda stars as Amber. She’s one of several punk teenagers that finds herself in trouble with the law and coming face-to-face with a menacing park ranger (played by Jeremy Holm). “It’s about these punk kids that go to a warehouse party,” Amanda explains. “There’s a new drug on the streets called Echo, which is a hallucinogenic.” At the party, “things get out of control, the cops come, and then one of the punk kids decides to do something that ends up making us having to flee to the forest,” where they are introduced to the ranger. For Amanda, her character was reminiscent of her own demeanor when she was a teen. “I fell in love with the role of Amber, because I was a punk kid growing up,” Amanda explains. “I listened to Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits, Comeback Kid, so I was automatically drawn to it because I already felt like I was her – except Amber was probably way cooler than I was in high school.” In addition to music taste, Amanda related Amber’s need to try and fit in with others.

“She’s not very close with her own parents, she doesn’t really technically have a home, so wherever she travels, she just tries to navigate her way through people and just try to find people that she considers family,” Amanda says. “She hops trains and just travels. And she basically just hops from style to style, trend to trend. Punk is something that she decided to take on just for fun, just for her to be able to meet new people and have friends.” “When I was younger, I think I was the same way,” Amanda adds. “I think I was trying to try out different trends and styles, figuring out who the heck I was.” Once people get a chance to watch The Ranger, Amanda hopes that they are delighted by the ‘80s punk nostalgia and take away a clearer understanding of the punk community. “I feel like some people think that punks are just anarchy and ‘everything sucks’, and though we do have one character in particular that is like that, there’s so many other things, like what punk is all about,” she says. “I think you’ll be introduced to the culture, and I don’t think it really has been thoroughly introduced yet.” Aside from The Ranger, Amanda recently filmed a movie called The F* It List with Jerry O’Connell and Peter Facinelli. She tries to set other objectives for herself, whether they’re related to acting, music, or another venture. “I always set new goals for myself,” Amanda says. “I’m always pushing myself. I don’t know if this is a negative or a positive thing, but I’ll never quite be where I want to be.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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