NKD Mag - Issue #92 (February 2019)

ISSUE #92 - FEBRUARY 2019

by Catherine Powell

PRETTYMUCH

FEB. 2019 18 GRETA ONIEOGOU

on moving to los angeles + her current series, all american

04 JADE PETTYJOHN

22 WYLAND

36 PRETTYMUCH

on growing up with her fans + working with nicole kidman

on aiming high + their plans for the future of the band

on not being constrained by genre + their goals with the group

08 LIAM JAMES

24 TOMMY MARTINEZ

46 GABBY BARRETT

on his early acting roles + his latest gig on deadly class

on being the youngest of six + his breakout role in good trouble

on american idol + her debut single, “i hope”

12 CHRIS LANE

28 NATALIE ALYN LIND

50 STEPHEN PUTH

on accidentally falling in love with music + laps around the sun

on the themes of the gifted + lauren’s journey this season

on how “sexual vibe” came to be + what’s next for him

34 NICK HARGROVE

on not wanting a nine-to-five + joining the cast of charmed CATHERINE POWELL

publisher, editor, photographer, designer, writer

SAMANTHA BAMBINO

IAN HAYS

LOUIS OPRISA

CARLY BUSH

RACHEL HILL writer

VANESSA SALLES

writer

ELIZABETH FORREST

NICOLE MOOREFIELD

OLIVIA SINGH

writer

writer

writer

writer

writer writer writer

jade pettyjohn Words by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Few actors have the chance to come of age with their fan base, but Jade Pettyjohn is in the midst of her transition from child actor to burgeoning movie star. “There’s so much beauty in the world of drama, so I’m just kind of attacking it and going straight on into it,” Jade says. “Just like the people who have been following my career thus far, we’re both growing up and I really just want to explore things that I haven’t done before.”

Jade, now 18, began acting at 7. “It’s weird to think I’ve been acting now longer than I haven’t,” she laughs. Her experience in the industry is evident; she discusses her work and process with practiced clarity and self-assuredness beyond her years. “[2018 was] a crazy transition year, with working on projects that are lighthearted and fun and also working on projects where I really have to dive in and challenge myself as an actor and go to those darker places,” Jade insists. From Nickelodeon shows to, now, award show-nominated drama pieces, Jade has proven her versatility.

One of Jade’s latest, darkest projects, Destroyer, released on Christmas Day. In it, Jade plays Shelby, the daughter of LAPD detective Erin Bell. It was love at first script read. “I felt like

this is someone I’ve seen and observed and someone who exists,” Jade remembers. “She wasn’t that classic, stereotypical teenage girl who yells at her mom and says she’s ruining her life and slams the door.

She goes down a self-destructive path with the only reason being that she wants her mom to pay attention to her and love her. That’s something I think a lot of young girls go through, unfortunately.” She was drawn to Shelby’s strength, brokenness and vulnerability, and wanted to be the one to tell her story.

While preparing for any role, Jade has a standard set of one hundred questions she asks herself about her character. Beyond that, her process is ever-changing because every project demands something different. Jade had a special interest in working with spaces and environments while preparing for Destroyer. “I would go to Echo Park, which is where Shelby’s grown up, and just work on the scene and prep in that space,” she recalls. In addition, insightful conversations with the film’s “fearless” director, Karyn Kusama, prepared Jade to play a role that pushed her limits.

Nicole Kidman, the film’s star, earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Erin.

Working so closely with Nicole

gave Jade insight into her craft, both in front of the camera and behind. “Nicole was so unafraid to use her voice and so unapologetically creative. I think that was so strong and empowering,” Jade remembers. “Because of that, she gave this really incredible performance and pulled out amazing performances in everyone else. That really gave me the confidence to use my voice, and if I have an idea for my character, to use it and be unafraid to go to those places and explore.”

Even before working on Destroyer together, Nicole was one of Jade’s favorite actresses. Spending time together on set was a surreal experience. “I worked with her for a very short amount of time, but because of the heaviness of this particular project, I feel like we really bonded and like I’ve known her for a longer time period,” Jade says. “Everyone knows how stunning and fantastic she is, but she’s also just such an incredible human being. I have nothing to say but beautiful things about her.”

Jade’s latest projects range from dramatic to controversial and political. She played Julie Gilbert in Trial by Fire, a biographical film about Cameron Todd Willingham, an innocent man from Texas who was sentenced to death for murder. The NKDMAG.COM

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film appealed to her because it was based on a real person and case. “I don’t think I shy away from political projects,” Jade says. “I think if the script feels right and I feel like I can help with a situation, I’d like to help with that.” In another political move, she played Clarissa in the dystopian Hulu pilot, Kansas City; with a literal wall separating Kansas City liberals and conservatives, the episode explored the problem with the two party system and living life on such extreme, opposite ends that it is impossible to find middle ground. Unfortunately, the pilot was not picked up for further production.

In 2019, Jade’s fans can expect more new content. In the spring, Jade will play Caroline in Deadwood, a historical film that serves as a continuation of the HBO show. “That had a lot more research as far as history goes, because it was based in the 1880s,” Jade says. Fans can also expect to see her in Against All Enemies later this year. The film stars Kristen Stewart and is based on a true story involving Jean Seberg and the F.B.I.’s surveillance program COINTELPRO. In the future, Jade is interested in writing and producing her own content. Everything is in its formative stages, but Jade is drawn to the idea of supporting other artists and creating her own subject matter. “I have a lot to say; that’s something I haven’t done and is a little terrifying,” Jade admits, “but I kind of like being terrified, so I’m going for it.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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liam james Words by LOUIS OPRISA Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Springing onto the TV thriller scene with a great deal of fanfare, Syfy’s Deadly Class has already excited audiences with a star-studded cast and heavily stylized combat scenes. The likes of Benedict Wong and Lana Condor help propel a storyline about the seedy underbelly of 1980s counterculture, focusing on an assassin school for dozens of misfit young adults.

With cinematographic choices skewing towards shadows and dark color palettes, the colorful and wacky nature of the show’s cast shines through in an endearing way. Perhaps one of the most intriguing of the main set is Billy, played by Liam James, whose signature green mohawk may serve to be the least interesting thing about him as his character develops throughout the first season.

22 years of age at the time of this writing, Liam James is already an established acting veteran, having played his first TV role at 10 years old in Psych (2006), and his first film roles at the age of 11: Good Luck Chuck, Things We Lost in the Fire, Fred Claus, Alien vs. Predator: Requiem (2007). Born in Vancouver, Canada, he lived with his mother, father and brother growing up. While they weren’t exactly film buffs, Liam always was, and his family was encouraging about exploring art. Liam recalls being thankful as a child and teenager that his parents didn’t hassle him

for watching R-rated movies with explicit content. His favorite movie at the age of 11 was The Green Mile.

“There was this unspoken agreement that if it was truly a piece of art and it wasn’t being gratuitous for the sake of being gratuitous, then it didn’t matter if it was more mature,” he explains. Another personal favorite of his is The Simpsons, which he watched with his father regularly.

Liam’s beginnings in acting at an early age, he says, were thanks to a friend of his mother’s, who was a background acting coordinator. She got him involved on movie and TV sets, and after enjoying his experience doing so, Liam took on work as a body double. With a lot of downtime in between shot setups and actual filmmaking, he found that he enjoyed the atmosphere of a set and being around adults.

Eventually in 2013, he’d even get to act with one of his personal favorite actors.

That would be Sam Rockwell, who played William “Wild Bill” Wharton in The Green Mile. This time, they would work together on The Way, Way Back, an experience Liam is deeply grateful for to this day. “This is someone who permeated my consciousness and didn’t even know it, influencing all of my work. Sam’s had an enormous effect on my career,” Liam says.

That’s led him to now, where Liam says Deadly Class has been

the most transformative experience he’s ever had in acting. He actively reflects on the litany of time spent channeling so many characters already in his 22 years: “Before Deadly Class, every [role] is special.

Every year means something. My first experience with dramatic roles was on The Killing, which was when I was 14. That was when I realized it wasn’t about having story beats, but also about having an experience with the person there and thinking outside the words on the page,” he says.

Liam says he was one of the last members cast to portray Billy, a role he’d auditioned for via longform monologue on tape. His agents were stunned but joyous to see their client send it merely one day after receiving the script. Liam attributes his quick turnaround to an infectious energy about the script, especially when it came to the potential for growing Billy’s character. An audition with casting producers was scheduled.

“Walking into an audition is not an easy thing to do, but the casting producers were super cool, they wanted me to succeed. They had seen some of my other work from shows like The Killing and because they respect the shows that I was in, they were immediately nice to me and immediately put me at ease,” Liam recounts.

Billy himself is a living display of a fractured connection between NKDMAG.COM

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outward demeanor and actual realities of his life circumstances. He lacks a traditional family structure, has endured violence plenty in his young life and lives day-to-day, yet maintains a boyish joy and jump in his step, replete with a cigarette in his ear to go along with booze in his hand. Liam sees him as an ever-positive force making the most of surviving in a dangerous wasteland. “My mindset was to play this character as ever gleeful in the face of things we usually gasp at. It’s interesting to me how Billy manifests his own happiness,” he elaborates.

When it comes to his preparation for stepping into the role, Liam says, “All acting work comes from day-to-day experiences and what you find interesting about life, and you go share that into the rest of the world. I think making what’s authentic and honest to me is what’s authentic and honest to Billy.”

What people can expect from Deadly Class in 2019, he says, is not just the thrill of stylized violence, defeating villains or the indulgences of drugs and sexuality, it’s “genuine material with actual human conflicts and questions that people can relate to.”

Although Liam’s usually occupied with acting endeavors, he says he hopes to take on more writing and perhaps directing in the nottoo-distant future. In the meantime, he’s focused on Deadly Class and capturing the gritty highs and lows of his show’s world.

“I truly do hope that audiences will not only be entertained, but invigorated and inspired to question themselves and the people around them in order to find out more about themselves,” he says. NKD 10

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CHRIS LANE Words by RACHEL HILL Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Chris Lane developed his passion for music haphazardly, still not sure he even made a conscious decision to pursue it in the beginning. But he’s been fortunate enough to tour with or perform alongside some of the most legendary acts in music such as Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, and even the Backstreet Boys. Beginning in March, you’ll see him on Dan + Shay’s The Tour as a special guest for select dates.

Chris Lane, the capable athlete.

That’s how he was known growing up in Kernersville, North Carolina. In the small town outside of Greensboro, the now 34-yearold country star would rotate his extracurricular focus based on whatever sport was in season, be it basketball, football or baseball.

“That’s really what I’ve worked for my entire life, was just any sport,” Chris notes. There was always a dream of playing professionally.

Away at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte for college, Chris’ talents were good enough to land him on the baseball team.

It was during his second ACL tear in which he started to contemplate whether he would ever end up drafted after repeated injuries. In the fall semester of his senior year, Chris was faced with substantial down time in order to recover from a reconstructive surgery. He had recently seen guitar-slayer Keith Urban in concert and was in the market for something to keep him occupied, so he asked for a guitar for Christmas. He recalls his parents gave him a “little $99 guitar because they didn’t want to spend a bunch of money on something I would set to the side.”

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But Chris couldn’t put it down.

Putting his undeniable drive back to work, his practicing was disciplined enough to where he figured out how to play and sing simultaneously. “I had so much fun doing it and my passion just kept growing for it,” Chris recalls, “And then that’s when I made the move of trying to get some shows playing in front of people.

As he was finishing up his last semester of college, Chris would hit up nearby open mic nights to practice performing the handful of songs he’d taught himself.

“People would always tell me that they thought I was pretty decent.

So I took that to heart and kept practicing as hard as I could,” he says. He even ventured out to try out for American Idol in 2007 with an admittedly hilarious audition selection of freestyle rap.

As a newly minted graduate helping out with his father’s landscaping business, he decided he was ready for the next level: threehour sets. “During the midst of all this my twin brother Cory started learning how to play the drums, so we’d sit upstairs in our parents’ house, driving them absolutely crazy practicing everything that we wanted to do in our show and just started playing,” he mentions.

Three years down the road, Chris had built up a notable enough following to book (and sell out) the bigger club venues across the state and took it as an opportunity to produce and perform his own music. “I didn’t really know how to write a song, or what made a song great or anything like that,” Chris admits, “I just knew what I loved from listening to music my whole life.”

He grew up an avid country fan, listening to the likes of Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, young Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw, taking tips from his fascination with their music and applying it to his own. To his surprise, crowds showed up and sang along. A few years of branching out into neighboring states and a steadily rising fan base and the powers that be in Nashville took notice. Chris signed with Big Loud in 2013.

The Chris you know today now has over 800 million career streams, nominations for the 2017 ACM Awards New Male Vocalist of the year, and 2017 Best New Country Artist at the iHeartRadio Music Awards. His debut album Girl Problems (2016) earned two consecutive gold certifications for “Fix” and “For Her.” In 2018, Chris released his sophomore album, Laps Around the Sun, which debuted at No. 1 on the iTunes Top Country Albums chart. His first single off the record, “Take Back Home Girl”, features Grammy-nominated artist Tori Kelly and hit platinum-certification status at the end of 2018, Chris’s first piece of work to achieve this.

The current single off Laps Around the Sun hitting the charts, “I Don’t Know About You,” is about those initial questions you have for a partner on a first date.

The tune, co-written by Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps and Jameson Rodgers, wasn’t initially intended to be a single. It was the fans who took the reins in their own hands with their immediate draw to it. “I’ve never had a song this early on react like that,” says Chris. He

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noticed his fans already knew all the words to “I Don’t Know About You” following the album release.

“This was one of those songs that people just, I guess they gravitated towards and loved it and they show up to the shows and they scream it,” he adds, “And for an artist, that’s always your favorite moment because you try to spend as much time writing songs as possible and to see people react like that is always the biggest honor and it’s the coolest thing ever to hear a crowd singing back your song.”

Night after night, “I Don’t Know About You” would be one of the loudest sing-alongs from his passionately energized fans. Chris started to video clips on his phone of the crowd singing the lyrics back to him and posted them to Instagram. It became a highly anticipated show tradition. “I just started videoing it from show to show because I think when people are able to see that people from all over the country know it, maybe it makes them like it even more,” Chris laughs, “People always love a good sing-along or seeing themselves in a video on an artist’s that they love Instagram.”

As an artist who always wants to put out music that is representative of himself and true to his musical journey, Chris is aware that his records are evolving. “On my first record, I was still learning what kinds of songs I wanted to record,” he explains “And sometimes you don’t figure that out until your second or third record.”

He recalls a festival in Myrtle Beach where he caught fellow performer Kenny Chesney’s set.

“I watched how he connected

to the crowd, and even with me, through the music and the whole atmosphere and everything and I wanted myself to create that same thing. I want to make people feel stuff,” says Chris.

His song “Hero” off Laps Around the Sun tells the stories of people from all walks of life who are in need of a hero in one form or another to ease their daily struggles, a theme everyone can resonate with. This deeper connection he’s made with his fans through this record has set him on course for what he wants to do with his next, “I think for me the takeaway from this is people connected a lot more to this. So, it helps me go into my next record kind of knowing a little bit more about myself and what my fans actually want from me.” As for his next, he says, “Let’s just write whatever we think is a great song.

I based a lot of it off of the feel and energy and whatnot. So I love songs that have a good energy live because that’s how I want my show to be.”

Writing while on tour as a headliner has proven to be a bit of a challenge. In 2017 while opening up for Florida Georgia Line, Chris got to jump in on some sessions with writers FGL flew in. Of course, now living in Nashville, Chris speaks highly of the infamous writer’s rounds that take place in town. Many of your favorite country songs have been conceived in this manner.

“The good part about writing in Nashville is there’s a lot of track guys who make up the music, but I’ll go in with plenty of ideas that I feel could be cool or the songwriters you’re writing with that

day, somebody might come in and say, ‘Hey, I had this idea this morning’ and everybody in the room might agree, ‘Oh wow, that’s a really cool idea.’” As they follow the idea down the creative rabbit hole, sometimes the group turns up short. “Even if you’re halfway through a song and you just don’t feel right, a lot of times it would just stop and get on something new and maybe we ended up rolling with an idea I had or vice versa,” Chris explains. And that’s what he appreciates about the process, especially the uber-collaborative one in Nashville, commonly deemed the co-writing capital of music.

The Laps Around the Sun Tour wrapped up with Chris’ hometown show in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 19. Viral social media sensation Mason Ramsey and American Idol 2018 alumna, Gabby Barrett, served as openers. “[Mason] is literally so funny. I watched him every night and he definitely got them going and that’s what you want out of an opening act,” says Chris, who has fostered a familial atmosphere on the road, especially concerning the musicians who make up his band. For one, twin brother Cory is the drummer. When on the hunt to build up his repertoire of touring musicians, Chris looked to cover bands operating in his hometown and surrounding areas like Winston-Salem. There’s just something about taking a little piece of home out on the road. He notes, “I have a bunch of great guys who work really hard and you know, it’s a family atmosphere. We have so much fun together,” Chris says. NKD NKDMAG.COM

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greta onieogou Words by SAMANTHA BAMBINO Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

If there’s one thing that always puts a smile on Greta Onieogou’s face, it’s organization. The 27-year-old loves structure. There’s just something about having a plan that brings her a sense of security and peace of mind. Ironically, her chosen career lacks every one of these qualities.

When Greta decided to give acting a real shot, a passion she held dearly since childhood, she knew the road to stardom would be a treacherous one. Success is rarely guaranteed, and if she was lucky enough to land a role, her schedule of filming and press would be all over the map. But she was up for the challenge.

Today, Greta’s life is nothing short of a whirlwind as she splits her time between her family in Toronto and professional career in Los Angeles, where she is shooting the first season of The CW’s All American. On the series, which is inspired by pro-football player Spencer Paysinger, Greta portrays Layla Keating, the most popular girl in school who, behind-thescenes, isn’t as put together as she appears.

For Greta, who spent the first five years of her life in Saint Petersburg, Russia before her parents moved to Canada, it’s been a thrill to immerse herself over the past year in the hectic Hollywood world.

Greta grew up in a household of academics, but that didn’t mean her upbringing was completely devoid of the arts. In fact, her parents both held deep passions for it. After trying her hand at gymnastics, Greta’s mother enrolled her in a Toronto-based arts school, where she was able to explore new interests such as drama under the guidance of experienced teachers.

“Through that, I sort of found acting in a more professional sense. When I was a kid, I would always play make believe or put on little shows, but you don’t necessarily realize that you could do that as a job,” she says. “It just seems like a past time.”

By her teenage years, Greta was pretty much set on becoming an actress. Still, she desired a safety net just in case.

“It’s a scary industry and you never know what’s going to happen. So I did end up going to university. I studied criminology and classical civilizations at University of Toronto. I think it was partly for my parents, but also, if I’m being honest, partly for me just to have peace of mind to know that if it doesn’t work out with acting, to know I was doing something toward giving myself some semblance of stability,” Greta says. “I really like structure and having a plan, which is most often not the case with this job. It’s usually very

much waiting around and you’re very third-party dependent. So going to school was great for me because it allowed me to have those things.”

Thankfully, Greta hasn’t needed to use her backup plan just yet.

And if 2018 was any indication of what’s to come, she may never have to. Early last year, Greta received an untitled script for a show that would later be called All American.

“I instantly connected with the material and was really excited about it, which doesn’t always happen,” she says. “So it’s always exciting when you’re up for something that you would actually want, and I definitely felt that way about this.”

Though Greta admits she couldn’t exactly be picky in the beginning about the roles she was taking, there was just something about All American that intrigued her. The day after receiving the script, Greta filmed herself on tape.

By the following afternoon, she learned the network wanted to fly her out to L.A. The next week was spent doing a handful of auditions. Greta was originally up for the role of Olivia, but ended up reading for both Olivia and Leila. By that Friday, Greta was informed that she would be portraying Leila on All American.

“I was in Santa Monica with my dad. We had finished everything.

I was just unwinding and thinkNKDMAG.COM

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ing, what an awesome experience.

Whatever happens, happens,” Greta says, remembering how she stood on the edge of the pier. “It was out of a movie. The sun was setting and then I got the phone call from my agent and manager, so it was pretty cinematic. It was a great way to start things off. It was pretty unbelievable.”

The pilot was shot in April, and the show got picked up one month later. This meant Greta would be forced to temporarily relocate to L.A. for the duration of filming.

“I really only moved out here to do the show. I had never lived in L.A. before. I had only come down for auditions a few days at a time, so this has been my longest stretch of time out here,” she says. “I’m definitely still finding my footing.

It’s very different from Toronto, obviously. It’s a different kind of city. I feel like right now, Toronto is still home, but it’s really nice to get to spend a chunk of my year out here as well.”

Despite missing her family and friends, Greta immersed herself in the project of All American, which she referred to as “a tale of two cities.” The show centers around lead character Spencer James, a student at South Crenshaw High, who has the opportunity to play football for a prestigious high school in Beverly Hills - a stark contrast from his rough-and-tough area.

“It’s really just about how he balances functioning those two worlds and the problems that arise for him and for those around him,” Greta says. “We’re really showing the beautiful sides of each neighborhood, but also the more complex sides, and no one neighborhood is vilified or glorified.

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They’re both shown in all of their complexities and intricacies.”

In Greta’s opinion, All American is relatable to viewers on a number of levels.

“It’s really interesting, especially in a city like L.A., how close those communities are to each other and how people can be blind to it,” she says. “You have people living in great privilege with all this wealth, and a couple blocks down, it’s a completely different picture.”

As far as Leila goes, Greta is honored to portray someone that girls of all backgrounds can connect with.

“My character is your popular girl in school, seems to have it all together. Big house, dad is a music producer. She’s dating the hottest guy on the football team. It seems like she’s got all the boxes checked, but there’s a lot more going on for her under the surface,” Greta says.

“I think she’s a lot of girls in high school where you’re trying really, really hard to put on a face for everybody, especially in this day and age where it’s very much about that with social media reflecting back this perfect life.”

As shooting for season one concludes, Greta will jump back into the “actor grind.” Her agenda for 2019 is to travel between Toronto and L.A., go on auditions and land another role until she learns if All American will be picked up for a second season.

“Sending positive vibes out there,” she says. “We’re tackling some subject matter that I think is, and should continue to be, at the forefront of people’s minds. It’s a divisive time and hopefully this will be a part of bringing people together in some small way.” NKD

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WYLAND Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Wyland is a band based in New Jersey and comprised of Ryan Sloan (29; lead vocals, piano, guitar), Ariella Mastroianni (27; vocals, keyboard), Chris Luna (28; drums, vocals), Patrick Viso (29; guitar), and Zach Calidonna (26; bass guitar). They’re considered an indie-alternative rock group, but Wyland is still trying to pinpoint their sound.

The band was formed by Ryan a few years ago and arrived at the current lineup 22

within the past year. Although everyone hails from a different place – Ryan, Patrick, and Chris from parts of NJ, Ariella from Canada, and Zach from upstate New York – they all converged in Kearney, NJ. For Ryan, the desire to pick up instruments occurred after attending Bonnaroo in 2011 and seeing groups like Mumford & Sons and Arcade Fire perform.

“I guess it was a combination of all these different acts that

I was seeing and taking in, in a live setting,” Ryan adds. “I’ve never been to a festival like that in my whole life, up until that point. I’ve seen my friends’ bands play and things like that, but I never saw a band of that caliber control a sea of people emotionally. Something about it just woke up this passion inside of me, just lit a fire.”

2011 was also the year that Ryan discovered Bon Iver, who inadvertently inspired the group’s name. At the time, the

group’s most popular song was Holoscene, and Ryan misheard the lyric, “You’re in Milwaukee, off your feet,” for, “You’re in the world, get off your feet.”

That prompted him to think more deeply about the song’s literal and figurative meaning.

“That kind of just inspired ‘Why Land.’ Why ever get back on the ground? All the cool, hip kids were connecting words and cutting out vowels, so I ended up with ‘Wyland.’”

Each member of Wyland brings a different musical influence. Chris brings Latin, hip hop, and R&B styles. Ariella is drawn to groups like The Staves, which focus on harmonies and unique time signatures, and Zach “is a straightup classic rock guy.” As for Patrick, he’s tough to read.

“I think if you can make something that Patrick is going to like and continue to like, that’s when you did a good job,” Ryan says. “He’s always pushing us to just do better and create something that hasn’t been done. All of those influences and all of those velocities mixed together I think is what makes Wyland special.”

In 2014, Wyland competed in a battle of the bands contest for spot at a music festival called Skate and Surf. They won, but Ryan knew that he was probably a bit too ambitious at the time.

“From there, it was almost like every show we played was almost a little too big for us, but we just kept doing it,” he recalls.

The following year, they

played the after party of the Gentlemen of the Road tour with Mumford & Sons and Alabama Shakes in Seaside Heights, NJ. “It all just seemed like madness,” Ryan says. “It was like I knew we weren’t ready for it, but then again, there’s a cocky Noel Gallagher part of me that was like, ‘Yeah, this is what we deserve.’ I’m definitely brought down to Earth. I understand now that that was all just luck and we’re like any other band.

We’re just fighting to the top, nice and slow.”

Recently, Wyland toured across Canada and the East Coast with Valley and released a song called “Nowhere”. The idea for the track’s chorus struck a year or two ago while Wyland was at SXSW. However, the lyrics didn’t come until 2018, shortly before the band traveled to Ireland to record new material.

“I always write the lyrics last,” Ryan explains. “I do that because I just want to pull exactly from where my life is at that moment so that when the song does come out, it’s really close to who I am versus if I wrote it two years ago, that might not be who I am anymore.”

In Ireland, the band met with producer Philip McKee and effortlessly created new music.

“Everything he wanted to do just made complete sense with who we are and what we’re going for,” Ryan says. “That coupled with the incredible, beautiful landscapes of Ireland,

I think it just really produced a really great, powerful record.”

Since traveling to Europe and wrapping up a tour, Ryan’s perception of the band’s sound has changed.

“I’m kind of back at that point where I’m not sure what our sound is because I have all these new ideas that are going to change the route of where we are, or at least where I thought we were going,” Ryan says. “I know that the one thing that everybody always agrees with and is always pushing me to do is to just be honest with my lyrics. And I don’t do anything if I don’t believe in it. And the guys respect that and always push me.”

Wyland has a few things planned for 2019 but don’t feel pressure to constantly release new content. Whenever Wyland does decide to release new music, Ryan’s goal is for it to resonate with listeners, the same way he was moved by groups like Arcade Fire.

“I’m hoping that somebody’s going to feel what I felt when I was standing in a sea of people at Bonnaroo,” he says.

“I’m hoping that somebody’s going to be inspired. I think every songwriter hopes that their song is going to be the soundtrack to somebody’s day or week or life or night. I can just hope that if somebody’s having a bad day, or if somebody’s having the best day, that this song can be a blueprint in that person’s memory and whenever they hear it they’re brought back to something positive.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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tommy martinez Words by IAN HAYS Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Born in Venezuela and raised in South Florida, Tommy Martinez’s household was beautiful chaos with five other siblings. Sports were his outlet. In high school he played everything but football. His sport of choice was wrestling before moving into mixed martial arts like jiu jitsu.

“Acting was this hidden passion that didn’t come out until college,” he says. “My parents gave us a lot of freedom. They could still be strict at times, but after six kids, who could blame them? They were like, ‘Just get your homework done and we’ll be good.’”

Around graduation, Tommy was at a crossroads. How do you settle on just one path? While he enjoyed sports, he had no interest in pursuing them professionally. He enjoyed writing and exploring photography more deeply. So many of his peers had their future paths slowly carved out by their parents. Tommy had the freedom to set his own path; the unknown staring back, unblinking.

He went to community college in Tallahassee, Florida to see what fit.

“I had an early life crisis. I was just taking classes, didn’t know where I was going, my friends were getting their degrees soon, and I thought that I was just going to be left in the dust. It was terrifying,” he says.

A few weeks into retreat and reflection, he gets a Facebook message. A local, aspiring director reached out about a short film. He

tells Tommy there’s a character that feels like a perfect fit for him. Tommy always had unfettered respect for actors. But for him, acting had never felt feasible.

“The first day we started shooting, it really struck me inside. I was like, ‘Damn, this is an amazing feeling!’ I don’t know, it was something I had never felt before to this extent,” Tommy says, “After a month and a half, I was like, ‘This is it!’”

So, he dropped out. While he felt the concern in his parents’ voices, they supported him. After a year at home and working a customer service job, Tommy had enough to survive a few months out in L.A. That was nearly three years ago.

There was no schedule or bullet pointed list for what came next.

While in Florida, he had done some modeling with Wilhelmina. After a few meetings in California, he signed to their L.A. team. He wasn’t sure if it was the path he should be on, but he was willing to do what he needed to. So, for a couple years, he worked in the modeling world, jet setting to different campaigns.

“It was about a year and half in that I started taking acting classes,” he says, “I got myself confident enough to walk into a room and be like, ‘This is what I want to do’ – speak from the heart.’”

A few months into acting classes, with nothing on his resume and no professional head shot, he

was signed to an agency. He started getting sent out on auditions, his first leading to a small part on Shameless. He was already a fan of the show, so getting an audition blew his mind. As Tommy puts it, it was a “very, very, very little role”one line. But even with that, he was positive after the audition that he had bombed it. The big wigs were in the room and butterflies were in his stomach. They inform of who will be reading lines with him.

Lines? He thought he only had one.

Panic set in. He whisks through the line, having already mimed knocking on a door. But he got the part.

Tommy started going to more and more auditions but wasn’t getting any bites. Modeling had started to slow down so he got a serving job to keep afloat. It was then he auditioned for a part on Riverdale.

He was at work when he got the call from his agent. He runs to the back bathroom and is told the news he got the part.

“I screamed in the bathroom. I’m pretty sure everyone in the dining hall heard me but couldn’t tell who it was. I came back out all professional, but with just a huge smile on my face,” he laughs.

Again, Tommy was trying to process the gravity of getting this part. He grew up watching Cole Sprouse on Suite Life; he’d seen the cultural phenomenon the show has become. It was not just another stepping stone, but validation that NKDMAG.COM

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he should keep pursuing acting.

This led to more auditions and hoping for a call back.

Then came Good Trouble. A spin-off and continuation of The Fosters, the show follows two foster sisters who move to L.A. and the ups-and-downs of trying to find yourself and your path in a new city. Tommy plays Gael, a graphic designer who befriends the main characters of Callie (Maia Mitchell) and Mariana (Cierra Ramirez). To prepare for the role, he binged The Fosters.

“I was glued. I squashed that whole series within a month, nothing but a couch potato. I loved it. I was like a fly on the wall, watching all this mess and beauty come together for good reasons and meanings,” he says.

Tommy had never felt more connected to a character throughout his career. The further he got with auditions, the more he knew he was meant for this part. Each call from his agent meant he was one step closer. Of course, there were times when the process felt endless, but it was all worth it to get the role and play Gael. When he got the call that he landed the part, he was elated, tears and all. His roommates recorded it and Tommy still watches that video to remember that feeling.

The nerves that held tight during those first table reads dissipated as he got to know his cast mates and crew better. They became a family and Tommy reached the point where he knew he could take Gael to the places that character needed to go.

“The love we share on set is palpable. I tend to keep to myself out here with just a close circle of

friends. So, to extend this circle to this amazing group of people… I’m just indebted to their love,” he says.

When it comes to embodying Gael, he related with being an artist in pursuit of his dream – doing what’s needed to be done to make that happen. Tommy knows what its like to try and balance the day job with pursuing your passion.

There’s always questions of what could have been while you’re stuck at work trying to make ends meet.

For Gael, this artistic pursuit is coupled with trying to find himself and live in the world as an out, bisexual, Latino man. Art is his way of not only expressing himself but coming to terms with who he is and finding strength in those truths.

“In terms of sexuality, it opened up so many doors in my mind.

Where I grew up, sexuality was never talked about; it never really crossed my mind. And with getting this part, it got me relating it to my own life,” Tommy says, “Love is love. Why should anybody be able to tell you who you can love? As the show continues, you’ll see this more.”

Recently, Tommy spoke publicly at an event about an experience he had with another man about a decade ago. While it is not a coming out, its proof of the strength art and representation has. So much of life is spent compartmentalizing rather than embracing. There’s beauty in nuance. Representation matters; its already allowed self-acceptance in the actor portraying the part. The next step is the message and support reaching those that need it most. The path is set, ripe for exploration and understanding.

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natalie alyn lind Words by NICOLE MOOREFIELD Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

When Natalie Alyn Lind says she’s been acting her entire life, she really means it. Her mother, actress Barbara Alyn Woods, was filming a television show during her pregnancy, so “I was on camera before I was even born,” Natalie shares.

Like most actors, Natalie loved the arts from a young age. Unlike most actors, her work was professional from the start. “I’m not sure how much acting you can do as a newborn,” she laughs, but Natalie’s producer father, John Lind, arranged her first job at around 6-months-old. Natalie’s first speaking role was on One Tree Hill, where her mother worked, when she was only 6. Despite being so young, Natalie can still remember falling in love with acting on that set.

“That was a huge step for me,” she recalls.

Another childhood role Natalie holds dear is her episode of Flashpoint. Her character, Alexis, went on the run from corrupt police officers after witnessing her mother’s shooting. While most 10-year-olds would have struggled to put themselves in that headspace, “it was something that clicked for me,” Natalie explains.

Though she was the youngest to start her career, Natalie’s sisters, Emily and Alyvia, followed in her footsteps. To better pursue their shared passion for acting, all three sisters were homeschooled by their mother.

The accelerated pace allowed Natalie to graduate high school and enroll in college at 14.

Natalie sometimes laments missed milestones “like meeting a boy in school, having your best friend clique,” or attending prom. However, she is grateful for the opportunities homeschooling presented. As a visual learner, Natalie was able to learn through experience instead of text30

books.

Additionally, spending so much time together developed a strong family bond. “My sisters and I are best friends,” Natalie says. When considering new projects, “I respect their opinions so much.” Because they are all in the same industry, “my family’s been through pretty much exactly the same experiences that I have” and are a built-in support system through it all.

Out of 19 years’ worth of characters, Natalie’s favorite was Dana Caldwell. She spent four years growing up on The Goldbergs, and “the entire cast and crew will always be like family to me,” she tells. In addition to The Goldbergs, Natalie has had major roles on two comic-based shows: Gotham, and now The Gifted.

The Gifted is set in the X-Men universe at a time when “being a mutant is socially unacceptable,” Natalie explains. “They’re feared, and they’re just really not accepted because they’re different.” Mutants are forced to live underground and mask their identities, intentionally mirroring many real-life groups experiencing persecution. The show compares how rival factions “deal with being the minority,” Natalie adds, and strives to show how diversity and authenticity are the best parts of humanity. “The plot is about family and love and sticking together and fighting for what’s right,” Natalie shares, “and fighting for who you are.” Unlike other Marvel shows, which focus on caped superheroes fighting crime, The Gifted shows mutants with ordinary lives, jobs, and apartments. The show has a lot of heart, Natalie says, following families in all shapes and sizes as they navigate new dangers each week. “In our show, you see that there’s a family for everyone,” she

elaborates.

Natalie plays Lauren Strucker, a young mutant who grew up hiding her ability to create shields. “She didn’t want her family to see her [as] different,” Natalie explains, especially her father, Reed (Stephen Moyer), an attorney prosecuting mutants. When her younger brother Andy (Percy Hynes-White) develops powers at a school dance, Lauren also reveals her own secret, and their family must go on the run from Sentinel Services, a mutant-hunting government agency.

This season, Lauren “has found her strength, and she’s kind of the glue for her family,” Natalie remarks.

In Season 1, she struggled with her identity but has become much happier since finding community in the Mutant Underground. Lauren’s defining characteristic is her strength, which Natalie admires and relates to.

Both are “willing to do anything for our family and our friends, and we’re extremely strong-minded.” Lauren is quick to take control of a situation, “and I like that about her,” Natalie adds. “Being a young woman in any social environment is extremely hard,” but Lauren never hesitates to make her opinions known. Lauren is selfless and is always fighting for justice and equality, which Natalie attributes to a love of the X-Men and what they stood for. “She’s trying to help take that back.”

Although the role fits her perfectly, Natalie stumbled upon it by pure luck. She originally auditioned for The Runaways, where she met legendary Marvel producer Jeph Loeb.

He asked her to test for both Inhumans and The Gifted, and for a while, she was bouncing between projects.

“In my heart, I knew that The Gifted was my favorite and I related with this character the most,” Natalie says,

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so she is grateful for where she landed.

“I have uncles and cousins who have been huge X-Men fans their entire life,” Natalie reveals, so she grew up reading the comics and watching the movies. When she got the role, Natalie scoured Marvel’s online comic database for information about Lauren, but neither she nor Andy were in the comics. In fact, Natalie and Percy didn’t know their characters were based on the von Strucker twins until halfway through Season 1. Instead, Natalie pieced together aspects of different characters and studied past X-Men adaptations.

Lauren’s powers are Natalie’s favorite thing about the character. In Season 2, Lauren’s abilities are evolving as her connection to the von Strucker twins becomes more clear. Fans of the comics know that the von Strucker twins, when together, “are some of the most powerful mutants in the X-Men universe” and have twisted, sinister minds, says Natalie. Lauren and Andy have inherited the Fenris Force, and Lauren can now create tiny saws like her ancestor Andrea von Strucker. In Season 2, fans “get to see a much darker, cooler side of [Lauren],” Natalie shares, which she has enjoyed. She loved playing a villain on Gotham, and “I almost prefer the evil characters,” she admits.

Their first year at Comic-Con, The Gifted filled the second-largest ballroom months before the show’s premiere. “That was a good jumpstart to realizing what it was going to be,” Natalie notes. The support for the show has been overwhelming, she says, especially through fan art and social media. As an X-Men fan herself, she didn’t want to let anyone down. Knowing that long-time fans “respect the movies and the comics 32

so much” was intimidating, so the positive reaction means a lot.

Unlike The Goldbergs, where there was “a lightness on set” stemming from the comedic writing, The Gifted is full of action and drama and must find its lightness from off-screen dynamics. “We’re all such a close family,” Natalie remarks. “The moment that it cuts, we’re just back to being our own selves.”

Which is fortunate, as fight scenes can be humorous without special effects. “I have to have people around me that will genuinely tell me the truth,” Natalie reveals, or she risks looking ridiculous in the final product. For example, Jamie Chung’s character creates portals and must “pull air in between her hands” to create the effect. “It’s so aggressive what she’s doing with nothing happening.” Skyler Samuels plays triplets, so “you see her talking to nothing,” Natalie laughs. “I’m so happy that we have a group of people that are willing to make fun of themselves because if everybody took it too seriously, it would be so stupid.”

Set dynamics aside, working in the entertainment industry can be draining. Actors are constantly being evaluated, which can feel very personal.

“When somebody tells you that you’re too fat, that you’re too skinny, that you’re too tall, that you’re too short,” all things Natalie has heard in castings, “it has a very negative influence on your mind.” Her advice for actors navigating the superficial world of auditions is to never take a stranger’s words to heart.

An added pressure of the industry is the responsibility to be a positive role model. Because Natalie’s mother “has been in the industry for a while,” Natalie is familiar with the public eye. “Not [just] for actors, just setting

good examples all around, there’s always someone that’s smaller looking up to you or somebody that’s going through a hard time,” she notes.

In her work and her character, Natalie draws inspiration from X-Men compatriot Jennifer Lawrence. “I respect her so much and I also love that she doesn’t have the typical actor profile,” Natalie remarks. “She’s not afraid to say what she wants to say; she’s not afraid to be who she wants to be.” Natalie also admires the actress’s versatility. “I love that she is able to be part of franchises and also do movies that she genuinely cares about,” Natalie adds. Her dream cast mate, however, is a different X-Men star: Hugh Jackman. “I’m a huge fan,” she reveals. “I would love to meet Wolverine.”

While Natalie cannot work in television during the off-season, she is focusing her energy into shorts and independent films, hoping to play a character edgier than Lauren.

Natalie loves to create characters that challenge the audience’s mindset.

She brings up the film Beautiful Boy, which gave her a window into the mind of an addict. Many people in Natalie’s life have experienced addiction, she shares, so she would love to work on a similar project. “Art is entertaining and art can show so many different things,” she asserts. “It can change the world and it can change how people see the world.”

Natalie is proud to be part of a show that explores the reality of being different. “I think X-Men has always done a very good job of doing that,” she reflects. Natalie’s own aspiration is that people will find her unique, and she hopes the show inspires viewers to embrace who they are, because “who you are is probably fucking cool.” NKD

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nick hargrove Words by SAMANTHA BAMBINO Photos by CATHERINE POWELL 34

Nick Hargrove never thought acting could be a viable career. After graduating from high school, he embarked on the path most teens find themselves aimlessly traveling attending a decent college, choosing a major with a solid job market, and landing a steady nine-to-five after four years of study.

But for Nick, who pursued a bachelor’s degree in economics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, having a 401K and healthcare benefits didn’t thrill him. A lifelong lover of film and television, he knew he was destined for the spotlight. Despite knowing nobody and having limited acting experience, Nick moved to Los Angeles after his senior year to give his dreams a shot.

It was the risk of a lifetime, but one that’s paying off better than he ever could’ve anticipated. Now, the brown-locked heartthrob is gracing television screens nationwide every Sunday night on The CW as Parker in the rebooted series, Charmed, which follows the lives of three sisters who discover they are witches.

Though Nick is finally living out his passion while wrapping up Season 1 in Vancouver, he’s still, at heart, the quiet boy from suburban Haverford, Pennsylvania who always had an innate acting ability.

“Growing up, I always did accents and voices, watched a lot of The Simpsons and cartoons,” he says. “I didn’t really realize it, but doing those voices and accents, me creating characters and using them to entertain my family, I didn’t know that you could actually do that for a living.”

At the age of 11, Nick discovered a booming film market in his own backyard thanks to Philadelphia’s M. Night Shyamalan, and went on a handful of auditions. Still, acting

wasn’t something he envisioned himself doing for the long haul. Admittedly shy throughout middle and high school, the thought of standing in front of lights and cameras just didn’t seem possible.

When he arrived at college, Nick studied economics and German.

While he enjoyed his classes for the most part, he soon found himself not as engaged as his peers.

“It was one of those things where you graduate from high school, you don’t really know what you want to do. You go to the best school you get into, then you study what you think you should study,” he says.

During summer breaks, Nick completed several internships, working a typical nine-to-five job in a typical office.

“I realized it wasn’t for me at all,” he says. “I’d always been into film and television, so I decided my junior year of college, I would move out to L.A. and pursue acting.”

Reflecting on the experience of moving to the opposite coast, Nick describes the transition as simultaneously stressful and exciting.

“It was a little bit of both because I didn’t really know anybody out in L.A., so I had to start from scratch, which was nerve wracking because I had just studied something completely different in college. So I was worried that I had just wasted four years of my life,” Nick says. “I also wasn’t sure if I would be any good at it. It was just scary putting yourself out there.”

But Nick wasn’t about to sit back and hope for the best. If anything, his lack of acting experience only made him work harder. Soon after arriving in L.A., he enrolled in multiple classes, hired an agent, and went on as many auditions as he could.

Last year, after booking a role on

the Netflix mini-series Medal of Honor, Nick’s agent contacted him about another audition, one that would change the trajectory of his career forever. It was for the role of Parker on Charmed. Approximately four months prior, he had auditioned for another male character, but another actor was chosen.

“I thought, that’s it. I’m not going to hear from the show anymore,” Nick says.

He was wrong. Nick’s audition took place on a Monday, and by Sunday, he was invited back for a chemistry read with Sarah Jeffrey, who plays Parker’s love interest Maggie Vera. The next day, he learned he had booked the role and on Thursday, was settled in Vancouver to begin filming and embrace the enigma that is Parker.

“Starting off, he’s kind of mysterious. You don’t really know who he is.

He’s this charismatic guy that swoops in, saves the day a couple times. Then he starts dating Sarah’s character Maggie, and as they get closer, you start to find out a little bit more about who he is and his family. You find out that he might not be exactly who he said he was,” Nick says.

Currently, Nick and the rest of the Charmed cast are waiting to hear if the show will be picked up for a second season. In the meantime, Nick hopes to get involved with his first feature film. He’ll also continue to revel in the fact that he escaped the monotonous life that was almost his reality.

“It’s been great. It’s every actor’s dream to get a regular role in a TV show,” he says. “It’s amazing how quickly it all happened because you go from this grind of auditioning eight, nine, 10 times a week for three years and then all of a sudden, you get a show, and then it’s a totally different grind. It feels like vacation.” NKD NKDMAG.COM

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PRETTYMUCH Words by OLIVIA SINGH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

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PRETTYMUCH is an American-Canadian boyband that’s perfectly tailored to the modern age. They’re comprised of diverse guys – Brandon Arreaga (19), Edwin Honoret (19), Austin Porter (21), Nick Mara (21), and Zion Kuwonu (19) – who are pros at harmonizing, able to perform synchronized dance moves, and can garner a global following through their talent.

When 2/5 of PRETTYMUCH – Edwin and Nick – hop on the phone to tell their story since becoming a five-piece group in 2016, it’s clear that the carefree vibes elicited through their songs, music videos, and internet presence are not for show.

It’s how they present themselves on a daily basis.

All the members of PRETTYMUCH come from different parts of North America. Brandon is from Texas, Edwin is from New York, Austin is from North Carolina, Nick is from New Jersey, and Zion is from Ottawa, Canada. They all came together as a group after being scouted by Sony Music and Simon Cowell. But before that, none of them really considered it a potential career path growing up.

“I feel like that’s why the label and Simon kind of were more willing to sign us and take us under their wing, because it felt like it was authentic and genuine,” Edwin says. “It was coming from a place of raw talent and appreciation for the craft and less about the idea that one day this could be a career. And even to this day, we don’t even

see it as a career. We just see it as five dudes having fun doing what we love.”

Prior to becoming PRETTYMUCH, all the guys had experience singing to a certain extent and taking vocal lessons.

On the dancing side, Brandon and Nick started learning when they were around 10-years-old.

The latter also competed on America’s Best Dance Crew as part of the ICONic Boyz.

After being contacted by Sony Music, all the guys went through auditions to see if they fit the vision that Simon and the label were going for. Brandon was the final member who joined the group, and the other members met him in February 2016. The following month, they moved into a house together in Los Angeles, California. They even got tattoos to commemorate the day – March 18, 2016.

For approximately a year, they took dance and vocal lessons several days every week to hone in on their skills. Naturally, there was some pressure to live up to expectations since Simon is known for spotting early talent in groups like One Direction and CNCO and catapulting them to fame.

“We really wanted to show Simon in general that we have what it takes, that we want this, that we were made for this, and that we can succeed as a group,” Nick says. “But once we had Simon’s blessing, it just felt good.”

“But we didn’t get too comfortable,” Nick adds. “We still had to work our butts off. But it just felt good to have him in

our corner. It was hard living up that expectation, but we grinded and it worked out.”

As Brandon, Edwin, Austin, Nick, and Zion began training together, they realized that even though they had varying degrees of singing and dancing skills, they were all on the same wavelength.

“When we all moved in together and we saw everyone’s full potential at the time, it felt special to know that not only does Simon care for what we have to offer, but at the same time, it was nice to be in a room full of guys who were just as talented as I think that I am, if not more, and it helped to push us to be better,” Edwin says. “It’s harder to be a solo artist when you have no one to kind of tell you that you’re wrong or that something sucks.

And what we do a lot is be honest with each other and if something sucks, we’ll tell each other, but that just means that we’re just pushing ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be in that time.”

Being part of a group means that they have other people who know exactly what they’re going through, who can be honest with each other, and play to their individual talents.

“We all kind of have our own roles within the band where if someone is stronger in one suit, we’ll let them kind of carry that weight,” Edwin explains. “And if I can multitask in another suit that will help the project, then we’ll all be working at the same time, but taking different tasks.

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“It’s a stronger project or a stronger song or a stronger piece of choreography when we have five really dope minds coming together from different perspectives and adding to the table,” he adds.

In addition to their different skillsets, each member of PRETTYMUCH draws from dissimilar musical inspiration to create the group’s sound.

Nick is drawn to early ‘90s and 2000s R&B, Edwin also likes R&B, Zion’s interest ranges from trap to reggae, and Austin likes hip hop and bands like The Beatles.

As Nick sums it up, it’s “all different flavors put into one big melting pot.”

“We all listen to the greats in respective to our taste of music,” Edwin adds. So when they’re brainstorming song ideas, he might bring up a Boyz II Men reference, while Brandon will point to music from Michael Jackson.

They’re also influenced by current artists who are succeeding, like Post Malone.

“We get the most inspired and the most motivated when we end up going to concerts, because it’s nice to have a goal in place of where you want to be,” Edwin says. “Recently, I went to the Post Malone concert in the Barclays Center and it was just really nice to see when they turned on all the lights and you saw everyone’s face. It’s just nice to know that that amount of people actually give a damn about what you have to offer.”

“We’re all bringing references 40

at the top of our class of what we feel like genre-wise is our best,” Edwin adds. “I might not listen to what Austin is listening to but I can still appreciate how good the music is. So when we do come in with the references, it’s like someone is bringing in salt, the other person is bringing in the meat, someone’s got the salad, and now we’re eating at the buffet.”

This “buffet” of styles is what led to PRETTYMUCH’s debut single, “Would You Mind.” The 2017 song begins with a few a capella lines before jumping into a funky, R&B sound that’s reminiscent of the music released by ‘90s boybands.

“We were searching for a sound that the world could be familiar with,” Edwin explains.

“But also, the new kids who aren’t familiar with the sound could still sit and appreciate it and it would be like a new sound to them. I think it did a great job of showing the world what we can do. We can sing our harmonies, and we can sing our riffs, and we can dance.”

The accompanying music video, which has amassed more than four million views on YouTube, also features plenty of signature boyband shots of all the members leaning toward a camera while they sing, plus perfectly synchronized dance moves.

PRETTYMUCH followed up “Would You Mind” with a slew of songs, some of which departed from that style, but nonetheless showcased their talent. This includes the R&B heavy “10,000 Hours” (which appeared on

their April 2018 EP), the Ed Sheeran-penned “Summer on You,” and the Latin-inspired “Solita” featuring Rich The Kid. They also collaborated with French Montana for “No More.”

In December, PRETTYMUCH dropped another feelgood song called “Jello,” which Edwin says embodies “feeling carefree” and “having a good time.” Following that, they released “Blind” in mid-January, along with an official music video.

“And in a time like this, where there are so many political views, and everyone’s got something to say on social media, it’s nice to get that reassurance of just straight fun and being carefree, because that’s what we stand for,” he elaborates. “We’re just making music, so a lot of the things that we release and a lot of the vibes we go for is not taking life too seriously, just being as carefree as possible, as long as nobody’s getting hurt.”

In 2018, PRETTYMUCH supported Khalid on his Roxy Tour and later headlined the FUNKTION Tour.

“Meeting him for the first time, we all just got a great vibe,” Nick says. “We were friends on tour, so it was just really fun. It felt like a big family, everyone was chilling, and there were no egos.”

One of the biggest takeaways from touring with Khalid was the sense of camaraderie.

Unlike headliners that might not interact too much with the opening artists, Khalid fostered a sense of community and

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wanted to get to know them.

“I think what I took away from his whole tour – and I feel like we definitely took that for our tour – is treating the entire team as a family,” Edwin adds. “I can’t speak for any other artists, but you’re with each other for a month, so you might as well learn to love each other and I feel like he definitely tapped into that. He was good friends with every single team member on his tour and it definitely carried over to our tour, so it just makes it feel less like a career and an actual job and more like a good time.”

2018 was marked by other highlights, including an appearance on TRL, performing at the MTV VMAs and The Late Late Show, and traveling to Tokyo, Japan. Despite all these standout moments, PRETTYMUCH is still waiting for that one defining moment. They’ve only been a group for nearly three years, after all.

“All these opportunities and all the things we’ve done so far, they’ve been amazing and they’re definitely memories I’m going to keep with me for the rest of my life, but for me personally, we’re still making that climb and we’re still on that grind, so I don’t feel like we reached the top yet,” Nick says. “I’m still waiting for that one moment.”

They also have a ton of major artists on their dream list of collaborations, but for now, they want to focus on working with other rising talents.

“We want to grow with the other artists who are just pop44

ping off and growing,” Edwin says. “We have so many up and coming artists who are friends with us, who appreciate the grind as much as we do. We just appreciate making a song with that, because it comes from a place from raw talent and love for music.”

“I feel like – not to knock on any artist – but you get to a certain point where it’s not about the music,” he continues. “Hopefully we don’t end up there but, some artists do get to a certain point where it’s not about the music, it’s about the sales. Or it’s not about the inspiration, it’s about what’s popping. And we don’t want to get to that. We don’t want to end up getting to that place. We always want to create and start trends and be who the Kanye’s and the Jay-Z’s and the Usher’s were in their time.”

In 2019, PRETTYMUCH would love to create “a bit more of an appearance on the internet” and dabble with fashion.

“We love to create outside of music,” Edwin says. “So it’s going be fun to just create with other really dope creators outside of the music scene.”

They also want to continue interacting with their fans (known as “BEANZ,” which was created using the first letter of each member’s name) online and in real life.

“It’s important,” Edwin says.

“There was a time without social media and the world didn’t know who you were until you stepped on their soil and now we have the opportunity to showcase what we have to the

entire world at the same time.

And we don’t ever want to take that for granted because once you make a fan in say, Australia, you need to keep feeding that fan, just to make sure that they stay in your corner.”

In regards to music, they want to release even more songs and do more shows.

“I think we’re trying to switch up our vibe a little bit with the music,” Edwin says. “A lot of the music and a lot of the sessions that we’ve been in have come from us. Brandon’s producing beats and we’re getting top liners in and we’re sitting in the sessions and writing from top to bottom, so hopefully we can release a bunch of those tracks to show the world that despite being pretty boys, we actually have talent. We have talent behind the scenes.”

“We don’t want to lock ourselves into a specific genre,” Edwin adds. “I feel like this year is going to be a great year to showcase to the world that because we’re five individuals coming together to add to the table, we want to tap into everybody’s strong suit.”

“Maybe who knows, we’ll drop an R&B song and we’ll drop a rap song and we’ll drop in a country song if need be,” Edwin continues. “We’re just trying to create music that we love. So if we’re in the room and it sounds sonically pleasing and we all love the lyrics, then let’s release it, despite being labeled as a boy band or being labeled as a pop band, because at the end of the day, we’re just making music.” NKD

gabby barrett

Words by VANESSA SALLES Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

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Winning the hearts of viewers all across the country, Gabby Barrett nailed every performance on the American Idol stage. Finishing in the top three, the country singer is primed for stardom and is set to make this new year unforgettable. With a newly released single, Gabby’s securing her spot on the top of everyone’s favorite playlists.

The 18-year-old, Pennsylvania native - who started singing when she was just 11-years-old - spent most of 2018 on the road. This past summer, she toured alongside her American Idol co-stars, and more recently wrapped a massive, nationwide tour with Chris Lane and Mason Ramsey, and has big plans to put out original music throughout 2019, and is currently working on a new release with award-winning songwriter Ross Copperman.

NKD: How did you know it time to take the leap and audition for American Idol?

Gabby Barrett: It was always a dream of mine to be on it, because that was the show to be on. I remember my parents voting for Carrie Underwood to win. American Idol casting producers had found my singing videos on the internet and reached out.

They wanted me to audition for the judges in Nashville, TN and that’s where it all started.

It was the best experience of my life!

NKD: What’s something about the Idol experience that fans would be surprised to know?

GB: Something the fans would be surprised to learn is that it’s an extreme emotional roller coaster. I wasn’t expecting it to be that at all! Also, no mat-

ter how prepared you are for something, you will always be feel challenged. I thought I was so prepared going in, knowing I’m a performer/entertainer, but I had to face quite a few challenges.

NKD: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten?

GB: The best piece of advice I’ve gotten has been from my dad. He told me how you have to believe in yourself before anyone else can believe in you.

NKD: What’s the creative process usually like for you?

GB: When I write songs or create videos, I want to make sure they connect to other people. I write from a point of someone’s happiness or pain.

I want girls to know, that I go through the same things that you do.

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NKD: What can you say about your new single, “I Hope”?

GB: My new single, called “I Hope” is about a relationship, where a guy cheats on his girlfriend with another girl.

Normally after break ups, the female puts on that she wishes him well with whoever he dates next. But a lot of girls are actually still mad over the situation and hope the worst for him. So, this song is for anyone that’s been in a relationship, that got taken advantage of, and didn’t get to say what they really feel.

NKD: Is the new single a taste of what’s to come from you?

GB: Yes! This new track is definitely a taste of what I want my future music to sound like. I always told people, I want to be the Whitney

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Houston of country music.

I’ve been working really hard and already have more songs lined up to be released throughout the year!

NKD: When it comes to stage presence, which artist(s) inspire you?

GB: I studied and took after artists that really put on a show for people. Michael Jackson, Van Halen, Shania Twain, Bruno Mars and Sam Hunt.

NKD: What’s the best way for fans to get your attention on social media?

GB: The best way for fans to get my attentions on socials would definitely be to just send genuine, heartfelt messages. I go through my messages every day and they blow me away; I am so thankful.

Also, people making videos

singing my songs or posting merchandise and tagging me definitely catches my attention!

NKD: What’s on your bucket list for 2019?

GB: Something on my bucket list for 2019 is to be nominated for a CMA Award!

NKD: What’s something you’d like to see more of in the music industry?

GB: I would like to see more females on country charts.

NKD: Any special message for your fans?

GB: Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart, to everyone that shows or has shown me love and support.

I could not do this without y’all. I am so blessed and so grateful and cannot thank you guys enough. NKD

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stephen puth Words by CARLY BUSH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL

Growing up in small-town New Jersey in a musically inclined family, Stephen Puth was encouraged by his mother to learn piano, along with his siblings, older brother Charlie and twin sister Mikaela. Later, despite being what he calls “the farthest thing from an academic,” he chose to study English and History at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. He enjoyed producing music, and during his time at Gettysburg he gained a small following on YouTube for his cover videos of pop songs.

After graduating in 2016, Stephen recalled a poetry class he had taken during his junior year, which had sparked his interest in writing original music. He believes his education made him capable of articulating himself in more unique and innovative ways. Not only that, but it changed the way he engaged with music.

“I think it just made me hyper-aware. I would go back and listen to my favorite songs, and I would pay attention to the structure, and how weird it was, and how everything unraveled,” he says.

With an autodidactic intensity, he began to analyze songs, listening to them up-wards of hundreds of times before the subtleties became clear to him. Ultimately, he decided to pursue songwriting at the professional level. It didn’t take long before he made the right connections; he signed a publishing deal and made the transition from liberal arts campus to Hollywood almost overnight. Soon after, he met David Massey, the CEO of Arista Records. After signing his first record deal, Stephen was quickly confronted by the simultaneous thrill and chaos of the entertainment world. He recalls attending an industry party when he first moved to Los Angeles. “It was at a nightclub, the most terrifying place for someone with crip-

pling social anxiety like me,” he says. By the end of the night, he was entranced.

“I kind of liked it, you know?”

Early the following morning, inspired by the electric pulse they had experienced at their first Hollywood party, his friend called him. “Let’s go to the studio,” he said.

“The whole time we were sitting there,” Stephen remembers, “We were trying to think of a fun thing, with a fun melody—a fun thing to say. The whole time he’s just playing the guitar, saying, ‘You know, it’s got to have the sexual vibe.’” Stephen’s friend was using the term as a descriptor, not suggesting a title—but the song that came out of that late-night writing session was “Sexual Vibe,” Stephen’s first single. It dropped this past December and was favorably reviewed by critics, who were impressed by the bluesy backbeat and sensual R&B vocals. For a debut single, it’s a remarkably sophisticated blend of sounds, indicative of the amount of time Stephen spent writing behind the scenes before releasing music to be heard by the world.

What influences are lurking behind “Sexual Vibe”? According to Stephen, a vast majority of different genres.

“I liked my parents’ music, like Van Morrison and Led Zeppelin,” he says, going on to say that he has always been inspired by a lot of 1960s surf rock, mainly The Beach Boys. The laidback simplicity of “Sexual Vibe” certainly suggests this.

Despite Stephen’s claim that he is more of an artistic than an academic, he speaks with conviction and intelligence about song structure. While he’s not one to gen-eralize (“I don’t think everything on the radio sounds the same, because that’s not true”), he has noticed a certain

trend in modern pop music—one he’s gone out of his way to try to avoid.

“They want everything to build up with tension. They want the verse to have a lit-tle energy, the part before the chorus to be a little bit energetic, and the chorus to be the big explosion,” he observes.

When Stephen went back to revisit many of his favorite childhood songs, he found that they were less structured, that there was more of a “groove.” When it came to writing “Sexual Vibe,” a consistent groove was exactly what he felt the “style of the song called for.”

Stephen is a solid songwriter, but he’s a self-taught producer with a lot of technical knowledge, which enables him to create a soundscape that suits a specific song. He’s worked with artists who enter the studio with the expectation that he can make them sound exactly like another specific artist, but his personal approach is more organic: “Some people are really good at emulating, but I’m really bad at emulating! I’ll try to sing like that, and it’ll sound completely different.” With “Sexual Vibe” standing in direct opposition to much of what is current, it’s understandable that many fans are wondering if Stephen will continue to blaze his own trail in the industry, or if this track is simply a snapshot of where he is crea-tively right now. “The next single,” he teases, “has the same feel.

It’s a live band playing, essential-ly. But there are a few 21st-century elements in the mix. It’s not me trying to rip off myself,” he says.

Looking ahead to the future, is Stephen determined to put out an album any time soon?

“I have a body of work. I could put out an EP, but we’re just playing it by ear, seeing how each song does. I think we’re just letting it generally evolve,” he says. NKD NKDMAG.COM

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