Editor's Note
Rock & Roamer caters to good music, both mainstream and indie, finds you the most interesting places to travel, and the food to get you there.
Rock & Roamer 21 2020 Playlist Fall rue girl in red Skydiving in Dubai Sleep House Inside Friend 36 Leon Bridges (feat. John Mayer) Older Than I Am Lennon Stella I'm Ready Black Pumas IN A DREAM
48 Troye Sivan Photo by Cortney Crump | The Last Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA
The COVID-19 pandemic has been in effect for months now, changing the way we travel, consume music, and live our lives. This issue of Rock & Roamer is dedicated to the ways life, music, and travel continues. We hope to introduce you to artists you’ve never heard of, bring you more of your favorite music, and give you a safe way to travel during COVID-19. Get to know Cara Paige, Cassidy Louis, and the members of Sleep House through their Rock & Roamer interviews. Cara Paige recently released her first EP What If I’m Sad Forever? which gives a deeply personal look into her life, and features the fantastic quarantine-inspired song, "Love You Through the Window." Cassidy Louis released her first album Crown last year and just released a new EP Technicolor in September, of which I can't get enough of. Sleep House is just a really cool band. Every song of theirs makes me want to dance. I listen to their songs "Clementine" and "Follow You" every day. We also explore a COVID safe travel location, Yellow Springs, Ohio, where one of the town's residents, comedian Dave Chappelle, has been hosting socially distanced comedy shows. I hope this issue of Rock & Roamer surprises you, moves you, and gives you something to look forward to.
LAUREN ELIZABETH CAMPBELL Editor-in-Chief ROCK & ROAMER | 2
Bones Lindsey Lomis Technicolor Cassidy Louis What They'll Say About Us
FINNEAS
Don't Play Pretend Anna Sofia Sail Away Surfaces Chernobyl Alec Bailey Girlfriend Charlie Puth Just Some Drug Cara Paige august Taylor Swift
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Table of Contents
04
SLEEP HOUSE
06
KATY PERRY Smile
09
CASSIDY LOUIS Technicolor Crown
11
ANNA SOFIA
12
CARA PAIGE
SLEEP HOUSE
What If I'm Sad Forever?
14
MOZZARELLA STICKS RANKED
15
TAYLOR SWIFT folklore
KATY PERRY
CASSIDY LOUIS
ROCK & ROAMER | 3
16
DAVE CHAPPELLE
18
5 QUARANTINE PLAYLISTS
19
KELSEA BALLERINI ballerini
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INTERVIEW
FALL 2020
GET TO KNOW SLEEP HOUSE
Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Alternative pop/punk band Sleep House released its second EP High Tide August 18th. Members Adam Mink, Evan Marcinko, Nicholas Gardyasz, and Nick Marcinko started the band in 2016 while freshmen in high school. They have since released 13 original songs which they wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered on their own. Get to know the band: Who/what first got you into music? AM: My mom and dad were always huge into music and my mom actually played guitar as a teenager, so I’ve grown up my whole life listening to all the classics like The Beatles, Billy Joel, etc.. My mom was really into John Mayer when I was a young kid and would play his CDs and all the 70s/80s music in the car and hearing all those songs and how John played guitar and wrote when I was that young is what really first inspired me with music. EM: It was when my grandpa showed me Michael Jackson for the first time. NG: I first got into music when I was a kid because my dad would put on The Beatles’ radio, and I fell in love with the songs. After that, my sister’s music taste heavily influenced me as I grew up. NM: Music has been with me since I was born. My dad used to play in a cover band when I was a kid and they would practice at my house a couple nights a week after I was put to bed. I used to sneak out of bed every night to go sit by the door and listen to them. I always thought that playing music was the coolest thing you could do in life, so from that point on I stuck with it. What is your favorite song to perform? AM: I really enjoy playing "Dizzy," one of the songs from our EP There Is No Time for Romance, because that song was originally conceived with us playing in our rehearsal space and we all really lock in when we play
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Photos in This Story Courtesy of Sleep House | Pictured Left to Right: Nick Gardyasz (Vocalist/Rhythm Guitar), Nick Marcinko (Drums), Evan Marcinko (Bass), Adam Mink (Lead Guitar) that one. I think that song, even from the initial writing stages, had been a song that really gelled together when we play it live. EM: "Her." I think the live version of that song has so much more emotion to it, which is why I love playing it. NG: My favorite to play right now is probably "Stephanie" because by now it’s nice and comfortable to play, and it just has a great vibe live. NM: I love playing "Dizzy," its the last song off our second EP. The last couple of seconds of the song have one of our most unique arrangements we've ever written, and every time we play it I just close my eyes and get lost in all of the sound. What is the best musical advice you've ever been given? AM: I try to watch as many interviews and hear as many of my favorite artists speak about their lives, creative process, etc. as often as I can, so I try to use that a lot to help inspire me. I’ll never forget though, my first guitar teacher I had, who lived across the street from me, would always emphasize the extreme importance of constant practicing with learning and improving at guitar and I
still remember his importance of practicing and patience with guitar today when I practice. EM: Practicing and always working to be better. NG: To keep writing songs and making sure to finish them even if they aren’t the best. The majority of ideas aren’t used but it provides practice for finishing off songs, which can sometimes be the hardest part. NM: Never stop learning. I'm always looking for new techniques to try, books to read, videos to watch, etc.. How would you describe the music Sleep House creates? AM: It’s really hard to describe exactly the sound we try to make with our music because our influences pull from all over and are constantly changing, but I’d say we’re an equal mix of indie, pop, and rock while trying to incorporate and fuse in our other favorite genres like R&B and Jazz. NG: I would say our music is pretty chill and easy to listen to. Our songs are written around the basic guitar, drums, bass setup but we love experimenting on recordings with other synths and percussion.
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INTERVIEW
FALL 2020 NM: Unrestrained. Our songs are made very organically, with no linear format to how we write them. We have songs like "Her" and "Dizzy," that were written in less than 15 minutes. Then we have songs like "Stephanie," that floated around with us for about a year before we released it. Each song has its own timeline, and whenever it wants to grow it will. What is your creative process like? AM: Inspiration for the music really can come anywhere. Experiences, how I feel that day, just wanting to sit and write. I try not to force it too much and I just let myself sit and go wherever I lead myself. Lyrics-wise, I want to write songs that will mean something to me on a personal level but that could also relate to someone different with a different situation. I really want to connect with listeners in that way and I’ve really started to try and leave the meaning of the lyrics more up to the listener. Not that our songs are super obscure or ambiguous, but I still love when people take away an emotion or lyric from a song that I had not thought of in that way and when they have their own meanings for the songs. Up there with playing shows for people who like our music, that feeling is probably the best and most rewarding feeling for me. EM: When we first start an idea I’ll just follow the rhythm guitar and get a feel for the main notes. Once I got that down is when I started adding more notes to the part. NG: My creative process is usually just
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sitting with a guitar in my room and noodling around. On a good day, a certain idea will stick with me and that’s when I’ll bring it to the band to hopefully produce a great song. NM: The first thing I focus on when I'm writing a drum part is figuring out what parts of a melody/riff I want to give space to or help lift. We'll usually jam an idea a couple of times till I get something I like, and then after that, I’ll spend hours refining it and tweaking it till it’s complete. Which song of yours would you have a new fan listen to first? AM: I would say "Skydiving in Dubai" because it displays a lot of what we’ve been able to do and accomplish musically as writers and producers throughout our career so far, and I think is also probably our most fun and exciting song to listen to. EM: "You’re Still My Favorite Thing." I feel like that song has one of our tightest pockets, and the melodies in there are some of our best. NG: I would have a new fan listen to "Clementine" because it’s a nice and easy tune. Plus, it’s off of our new EP, which our best sounding project yet. NM: "Clementine." Production-wise it has all of the different sounds we've experimented with throughout our career, and it’s all executed in those three minutes. What songs are you currently listening to? AM: Right now, I’ve been listening to a lot of Paul Simon, The Doors, Rory Gallagher, and mostly older music, but I’ve also been really into Snoh Aalegra’s catalogue and I
mean, I always have John Mayer in my playlists as well. EM: I’ve been really into Mac Demarco lately. NG: I’m listening to a lot of Grateful Dead and Dr. Dog right now. One song I’d recommend is "Where’d All the Time Go?" by Dr. Dog. NM: I've been on a huge jazz binge for the past couple of months, listening to artists like Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Jim Hall, etc.. I've also been listening to Onion by Chase Ceglie. What’s next for Sleep House? AM: We still have a lot planned for High Tide but after that, it’s really uncertain. We keep working and hoping to play shows again soon. There’s definitely new songs being made and we are always thinking of what’s next for us but right now, we hope everyone just enjoys High Tide as much as we did making it. EM: I’m excited for some of the projects we're working on for the High Tide era. Hopefully, shows are gonna start coming back so we can get to jam with the new EP. NG: We will play these High Tide songs for y’all at a show someday, but until then, stay tuned for a lot more to come. NM: We have a lot more planned for the High Tide era that has yet to be released. If everything in the world returns to normal soon, we'll be out touring and releasing music asap! Keep up with Sleep House by following them on Instagram @SleepHouse.
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REVIEW
FALL 2020
Photos in this story by Christine Hahn | Universal Music Group
KATY PERRY SMILE ALBUM REVIEW
By Rebekah Shanks Digital Director
Katy Perry has been at the forefront of the popular music scene since her 2008 breakout single, "I Kissed a Girl." Her second studio album, Teenage Dream, set world records rivaling Michael Jackson's Bad. Katy Perry's iconic sound incorporated captivating melodies and powerful vocals that shot her to the top of the charts for a decade. However, Perry's 2017 album release, Witness, failed to impress fans and critics alike, which in turn damaged her status as a top pop icon. Smile tackles the backlash of Witness and the trials of being in a then-turbulent
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relationship with Orlando Bloom, her present fiancé. This album calls back to Perry's roots with disco-pop and 80s synthpop rushing through its melodies. She continues her catchy staccato vocal style in various songs throughout. Perry presents metaphorical lyrics with powerhouse vocals to describe her insecurities and eventual hope over her future in the industry and her personal life. Introduced in the first track of Smile is Perry's struggle to handle the on-again/offagain breakup with Bloom in synth-heavy "Never Really Over," produced by Zedd.
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REVIEW
FALL 2020 She distracts herself from the pain of the breakup in the catchy melody of "Cry About It Later," and in the lingering vocals of "Teary Eyes." The album's narrative veers into heavy metaphorical meaning. In the first released single, "Daisies," Perry calls out, "But I’ll never let 'em change me/'Til they cover me in daisies," signifying those who said her career is over have no effect on her worth as an artist. This track title has profound meaning to Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom as their newborn child has been named "Daisy." These metaphoric themes continue in the forgettable track, "Resilient," and in the fight-song of the album, "Not the End of the World," which is Perry's popular hit, "Roar"'s fiery sister. The uplifting switch occurs when track themes turn into a more hopeful and grateful direction midway through Smile. Perry is "2.0, remodeled" in "Smile," reminiscent of her past PRISM sound. This track is the shining star of the album representing Perry’s playful nature and her popular sing-song vocal presentation used
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in lyrics, "Now I got a smile like Lionel Ritchie/Big and bright, need shades just to see me." How can she go wrong with lyrics as delightful as that?! Unfortunately, the following tracks: "Champagne Problems" and "Tucked" fail to live up to their predecessor in terms of memorability. Both songs express Perry's feelings about her significant other being present in her life. Their lyrics are simple and to-the-point but offer unobtrusive support for the rest of the album. The tenth track, "Harleys in Hawaii," is a summer bop infused with acoustic guitar plucking and smooth, layered vocals. It is a standout song among the album's latter lineup with its unique sound, and has earned a place in Smile's top tracks. The two remaining songs: "Only Love" and "What Makes a Woman" have what can only be described as "grown-up pop." They are distinctly unlike any other on the album in connection with the subject matter. "Only Love" covers Perry’s emotional outreach to express only love in her life going forward after learning from her past mistakes. Its
surprisingly catchy melody lingers long after listening. The vocals are layered to resemble a choir that harkens back to Katy Perry's gospel foundations. It stands out as her most vulnerable song on Smile. The final track, "What Makes a Woman," uncovers Perry's personal idea of womanhood. It’s not as noteworthy lyrically as the previous song, but it signifies growth from past album incarnations, aka Teenage Dream's "Peacock." If the lyrical content from these two songs tells us anything about Perry’s future, it's that she won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Though 2020 has been a tough year to navigate through, Perry’s sixth studio album, Smile, may just be the thing to help remind us to be hopeful and grateful. Smile has some bops - "Never Really Over," "Smile," "Harleys in Hawaii" - and some duds, but it's an album definitely worth spending time with. Listen to Katy Perry's new album Smile wherever music is available, and keep up with Katy Perry by following her on Instagram and Twitter @KatyPerry.
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INTERVIEW
FALL 2020
CASSIDY LOUIS: "MY VOICE MATTERS" Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Cassidy Louis released her first fulllength album Crown last year. Now she's back with a new EP Technicolor. The NOLA artist explains how she found her voice: What drew you to the music industry? Music has been a huge part of my life since I was young. I've been singing since the age of 3, and I began songwriting at the age of 9. I honestly didn't think of it as more than a hobby until I reached college, where I realized it's more than a hobby - it's a lifeline. It's my purpose. It's what I'm meant to do. Freshly graduated, after four years during which I was fortunate to have a surplus of opportunities in a variety of industries, I have a lot of trouble seeing myself doing anything else with my life. One silver lining of COVID-19 is that I've had the chance to focus on my career more than I ever have, so that's definitely something I'm grateful for and excited about. How would you describe your music? I would say it's pretty pop, but with dark, moody, and indie elements and a heavy emphasis on narrative style. Every EP or LP I've released is a story told in chronological fashion, usually centering around romantic experiences. That being said, I write when I feel like my voice isn't being heard, and that doesn't just happen in romantic relationships. For example, my first full album, Crown, details experiences I've had with romantic interests, as well as a falling out with a few old friends. I turned to songwriting to amplify my words so that people would finally listen to what I have to say in situations where they didn't. My songwriting has continued to stay true to this process since then. I want to use this platform that I've created to empower myself, as well as to empower my listeners, and also pretty much anyone. What artists are you inspired by? I'm honestly inspired by almost every song that I listen to. Well, at least the ones that
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Photos in this story courtesy of Cassidy Louis touch me or impact me in some sort of way. There are some artists that have really influenced my sound, though. Those include MUNA, Kacy Hill, Lorde, BANKS, Lennon Stella, Taylor Swift, I’m not ashamed to admit that I've been a Swiftie since '06/'07, Amber Mark, and Carole King - I absolutely love these ladies. What song of yours is your favorite? I'm torn between two. The title song of my new EP Technicolor, means the most to me. I'm really proud of this song because I think these are some of the greatest lyrics I've created so far, despite this song being really hard for me to write. I wrote this song after the fact about a romantic relationship I was in during the summer of 2019. It was the first time I really fell in love with another person. It was also the first time I really fell in love with myself. However, the relationship came to an end and it was really hard to come off that high. I wrote "Technicolor" on the downward slope, but I think I was really able to capture that whole experience in a personal way, but also in a general way as an ode to love in a more vast sense. On the other hand, "Over It" is probably my number one fan favorite, and it's also one of my favorites. It makes me feel good, like I'm taking up my space again and owning it. Personally, I would recommend it for a good post-break up dance session. I'm also proud of how the production of the song turned out. I think I learned a lot about digital audio workshopping through that process, and it's one of my best works for sure. What should everyone be listening to? Definitely depends on the listeners' moods! If you're feeling down about a breakup, a rejection, or just somebody treating you with disrespect, check out "Over It" or "Temple,"
and just dance it out. I think it's a good song to remind you of your worth, which can be hard to remember sometimes. If you're in a more romantic or chill mood, check out "Technicolor." I hope you love the production on that one as much as I do. What is something you learned while making your first album? My voice matters. And so does yours, as well as the voice of every human being on this earth. I learned that often we may forget how valuable we are or treated in a way that makes us believe otherwise - but it isn't true. Everyone is worthy and capable and beautiful and powerful in their own unique way. Crown helped me to remember that. I hope my music can help you to remember that too. What are you working on right now? Right now, I'm still trying to exercise my songwriting muscle every day. One of my mentors taught me that it's important to write a song every day, even if it sucks which is hard for me to do as a perfectionist, so I'm still trying to master and practice that every day. Additionally, in July I hired an amazing team of ladies who have been hard at work promoting the album in unique ways. Since we're not able to tour in a traditional sense, we're hosting a virtual tour via livestream. My band and I will be hosting down in New Orleans, but every two weeks we'll be teaming up with venues and artists across the country to bring y'all a taste of live music in an attempt to also raise money for those in the industry who have been impacted by COVID-19. Be sure to follow me for updates and tune in to every show, as they'll be different every time and offering unique raffles to viewers.
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PLAYLIST
FALL 2020
TIKTOK PLAYLIST GET TO KNOW THE SONGS OFF THE APP: Roses - Imanbek Remix SAINt JHN, Imanbek
Magic In The Hamptons Social House, Lil Yachty
Toosie Slide Drake
Lose Control
Party Girl StaySolidRocky
GOODMORNINGTOKYO! Tokyo's Revenge
death bed (coffee for your head) Powfu, beabadoobee
Say So Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj
BLACKOUT Lil Kapow Lottery (Renegade) K CAMP ROXANNE - Remix Arizona Zervas, Swae Lee
MEDUZA, Becky Hill, Goodboys
Bored In The House Tyga, Curtis Roach Blinding Lights The Weeknd Circles Post Malone
Backyard Boy Claire Rosinkranz
Interior Crocodile Alligator Chip Tha Ripper
Stunnin'
CITY OF ANGELS
Curtis Waters, Harm Franklin ROCK & ROAMER | 10
24kGoldn
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PROFILE
FALL 2020
Sofia's released 2 EPs within the span of 5 months.
Photo courtesy of Universal Music Group
ANNA SOFIA: A NEW INDIE-POP SOUND By Taylor Payne Staff Writer
Following the release of her first EP Self Aware Bitch in early February, Anna Sofia didn't waste a second, releasing her second EP Broken Promises in July. The EP displays an honest, cynical depiction of teenage feelings, problems, and just life in general. Kicking the project off with a punchy surge of bass hits between melodic lyrics on the title track of Broken Perfection, the song highlights the struggle to maintain a picturesque relationship with a love interest. When talking about the concept of perfection, she says she doesn’t believe in it, and this track sets the precedent of her positive attitude, and being optimistic about her "broken" situation. The second track on the EP, "Don’t Play Pretend," sums up that idea perfectly with the lines, "I'm on that juice cleanse with
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a cigarette," and "I'm a mess, least I don't play pretend." This style of acknowledging one's problems but being okay with it is what sets her apart from her contemporaries in the pop genre. Taking inspiration from Elton John and Michael Jackson, Anna Sofia attempts to bridge the gap between funk staples of the 80s and 90s with current pop waves. This can be found on the fourth track of the EP, "Chill," where Sofia’s vocals ride on a bouncy synth and a drum beat that mimics the feeling of staying at home all day, which relates to a lot of teens at the time of release due too the coronavirus outbreak causing lots of students to take online classes and stay home. During a °1824 press conference, Sofia stated some creative experiences she's had during quarantine, such as dying her hair so
much it "turned from a hobby to a lifestyle." Changing her hair influenced her so much that it became the concept for the lead single "Happy For You," an upbeat interpretation of acceptance when it comes to moving on from a break up once a significant other finds someone else. But Sofia isn't just releasing EPs about being in relationships and the influences of social media, she is also picking up hobbies like painting, and reading books just like any other sixteen-year-old. Since Sofia is so young and early in her career, it's hard to tell what alleys she will take with her sound in the future, but she has already proved that she's a promising talent, attempting to bring to light unfiltered experiences of high school using indie-pop music as her catalyst.
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INTERVIEW
FALL 2020
CARA PAIGE: THE MAKING OF A NEW ARTIST
Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Singer-songwriter and University of Georgia student Cara Paige released her first EP What If I’m Sad Forever? on August 21st. She explains her work, creative process, inspirations, and what’s next: How would you describe What If I’m Sad Forever? What If I'm Sad Forever? keeps an upbeat pop vibe while also displaying very melancholic material. I've always felt kind of like an outsider and a lot of the songs describe how I feel when I'm "forgotten about," as well as how I always feel like I have to pretend to be someone I'm not to fit in and please others. It was hard for me to release this because I was scared people would look at me differently, but being sad is real and not a bad thing, and everyone feels it at one point or another. What did you learn while making this EP? This process was completely new to me. I've released singles in the past but never more than one song at a time. It made me learn not to rush the process and not to write things just to write things. What I mean by that is originally I wanted to put out a whole album which would have meant I needed at least eight songs instead of six. I have a lot of drafts saved on my phone of songs that I never finished. I sat there and tried to finish them, but it just wasn't happening so I decided to cut those songs and do the EP instead. Songwriting should be meaningful and not writing just to write. I guess it really made me think about quality over quantity as I wanted to put out music that had real meaning to me. Can you describe your creative process when writing a song? Honestly, I know this is what most artists say, but it really is different every time. Sometimes I'll think of some lyrics I really like, and then pick up my guitar and start playing a random chord progression and put it all together. Other times, I'll think of lyrics I love but I won't be able to find a tune that I feel fits those lyrics. If that's the case, I may scrap it entirely or I'll try to think of lyrics with a similar meaning. I've also had days
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Photos in this story courtesy of Cara Paige where I'll start saying random words and all of a sudden, and in fifteen minutes, I have an entire song written and done. Usually when that happens, the lyrics end up even better because I'm writing about feelings and emotions that I had been suppressing, and it feels really good to get it all out. What is your favorite song on the EP? Okay, so I have two favorite songs. "January" is the first song I wrote and recorded. It's the most meaningful song to me on the EP, and probably that I've ever written because it tells the story of the last time I saw my great-grandmother before she passed. The first time I sang it live was at her unveiling ceremony, and it was hard to get through the whole song without crying. "Sweatshirts" is also a really special song to me. There are days where I just feel like no one cares about how I feel or anything and that's where the song stemmed from. There's also a lyric in the bridge that says, "I need
someone who will make me wanna stay alive," and this was really hard for me to write and honestly I was so scared for people to hear that because obviously I really value my life, but then I have those days where I feel like no one cares. It was hard being so honest in that song because I don't want people to think of me differently. I'm really good at smiling and nodding so people don't really know how I feel and this is the first time I'm really showing people what's underneath myself. How long have you been writing music? I started playing the guitar back in 2014 and from there I started writing my own songs. When I was in middle school, I used to write parodies about people when I was upset and people started telling me I should write my own stuff. I have a lot of stuff I write that I absolutely hate and then a lot that I love. Sometimes I'll know exactly how I'm feeling and exactly what I want to
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INTERVIEW
FALL 2020 write about but I won't know how to say it and that is the hardest part about songwriting for me. Describe the concept behind your EP cover. When I came up with the title of my EP, I knew I wanted to have a cover that was super washed-out and melancholic. I then had this vision that I wanted to take the cover photo in the rain, and I wanted to be wearing all white to stay with the washed out vibes. I put up a white sheet on the retaining wall in my backyard so that the entire picture would be dull. Then I looked at the weather to see when it was going to rain and I made my brother come outside and take a bunch of pictures until I had the one I wanted. I didn't really have a specific pose in mind, all I knew is that I wanted to be sitting in a white sweat outfit soaking wet from the rain, and I got just that. What do you hope listeners take away from What If I’m Sad Forever? Talking about how I'm honestly feeling has always been something I struggle with. Like I said earlier, I like to tell people it's okay when it's really not. Honestly, it's hard for me to be honest with myself because it's scary admitting you're depressed. What I want my listeners to take away from my EP is that it's okay to feel depressed and it's okay to be honest and admit stuff like that to yourself. Everyone should be real with themselves because the problems won't go away from hiding behind a fake smile. I want my listeners to know that every feeling is valid and talking about them is so important to remain in a healthy state. How would you describe the music that you typically create? I listen to a lot of pop and today's hits music so most of my music is similar to that. I like to make sure I have a catchy hook when I write my music and I also like to make sure that my listeners are able to connect with my music. Before I started writing my own music, I would always love it when I heard songs that pertained to situations I was experiencing in my current life and so I aim to bring my listeners that same connection I always felt from other artists while still writing about topics that are meaningful to me. What and/or who inspired you to make music? Hands down it's Taylor Swift. I connect with her music so much and honestly, I feel like I have so much in common with her. The
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day after attending her 1989 World Tour I sat down and wrote my first song ever. She is such a huge influence in my life and my dream is to collaborate with her. I just think it would be so cool to sit down and write a song with her to see how our songwriting processes differ, and I just feel like I would learn so much from a session with her. What songs are you currently listening to? I've been listening to Taylor Swift's new album folklore almost every day because I think it's absolutely amazing. The lyrics are incredible, the way she connects multiple songs through lyrics just blows my mind and I love it. It also amazes me how she has written so many different genres of music and succeeds in all of them. I also listen to a lot of AJR because I love the electronic vibes their music contains, and I love Billie Eilish. I love how raw Billie is with her lyrics and I love how she doesn't care about what anyone thinks of her because that's a huge thing I
struggle with. If you could open a show for any artist who would it be? Why? It would have to be Taylor Swift, just because she is my favorite artist and she is the one who inspired me to start writing my own music and putting it out there. The thought of opening for her seems insane, but I hope I'm able to get to that point in my career. What’s next for you? I'm going to keep writing music and releasing it, but I definitely want to release my first album in the future! I don't know when that will be, and I may release some singles before then, but I do know that I definitely want to write and release my first album. Before then though, I want to start playing live more so that I can get over some of my fears, but I'm not sure when that would be because of COVID-19. Hopefully in the near future though everything will be safer and I'll be able to showcase my EP live!
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FOOD
FALL 2020
FAST FOOD MOZZARELLA STICKS RANKED
By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
I fell in love with mozzarella sticks at the concession stand of my childhood pool. Growing up, three months out of the year, mozzarella sticks were one of my major food groups. But when summer ended, the few times I could get my hands on the sticks, I was consistantly disappointed. The mozzarella sticks available to me didn’t live up to the poolside mozzarella sticks I enjoyed all summer. The perfect mozzarella stick has a crispy outer layer, is thick with cheese that stretches when it is pulled apart, and is accented with sweet, velvety marinara sauce. From a self-proclaimed mozzarella stick aficionado, here are fast food mozzarella sticks ranked best-to-worst: The Best Hands-Down: Arby’s Arby’s mozzarella sticks are better than most mozzarella sticks at sit-down establishments. Stretchy, cheesy, melty… They are worth the trip to Arby’s, even if you don’t like their meat sandwiches. Their prepackaged marinara sauce is even good. You can never go wrong getting mozzarella sticks from Arby's. Runner-Up: Sonic Drive-In Sonic’s mozzarella sticks are really good. Sonic is owned by Inspire Brands, the same company that owns Arby’s, making them unsurprisingly second on this list. While they are slightly thinner than the mozzarella sticks at Arby’s, their cheese is stretchier, which makes for a fun cheese stick experience. They are also cheaper than most fast food mozzarella sticks on the market - a real bang for your buck. Pair it with Sonic's classic cherry limeade, and you have a great lunch. Third: Checkers & Rally’s Checkers & Rally’s just seem like the kind of place that would have great mozzarella sticks. And they do. They serve them tossed together with their seasoned fries, which makes for an interesting presentation style, and more variety of flavor. It is served with Red Gold marinara sauce.
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Fourth: Burger King Burger King mozzarella sticks are good. There’s nothing fancy about them, nothing spectacular, but they are good. If you are craving mozzarella sticks, they do the job well. The only complaint I have is the marinara sauce, which could be a bit sweeter. Fifth: Captain D’s Captain D’s does seafood great. They do mozzarella sticks pretty well. What is most interesting about them is they serve them with either a traditional marinara sauce or honey mustard, which is an unconventional mozzarella stick sauce choice, but it really works. Captain D’s has discovered how a different sauce can reinvent a food. Sixth: Sheetz Sheetz is sixth on the list solely for convenience. Anywhere you can get gas, milk, ibuprofen, and decent food items at the same place is a win. Are Sheetz mozzarella sticks the best? No. But they also aren’t the worst. If Sheetz put in some effort, they could definitely be improved, but to be able to make one stop, they're ok.
Seventh: White Castle White Castle mozzarella sticks are a good option if it's late at night and it's the closest option, or if you go to White Castle for a burger and want an ok side option. These mozzarella sticks and their marinara sauce are nothing to brag or complain about. They simply exist. At least you don’t have to make your own. Eighth: McDonald’s McDonald’s mozzarella sticks are rare. You can only find them at select locations, and for good reason. They are not very good, and therefore, there is no demand. They were even part of a 2016 class-action lawsuit where a California man sought $5 million for false advertising, claiming the sticks contained 3 percent starch, and not "100 percent mozzarella." McDonald’s mozzarella sticks are thin, soggy, and barely contain any cheese. I can get behind McDonald’s apple pie, but their mozzarella sticks can be skipped.
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ALBUM
FALL 2020
TAYLOR SWIFT: THE FOLKLORE LOVE TRIANGLE
By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Taylor Swift became the fastest artist in 2020 to sell 1 million units with the surprise release of her album folklore. It’s a fantastically narrative album and a departure from the pop sound that she has taken on since the 2014 release of 1989. And in usual Swift manner, folklore leaves several Easter eggs for Swifties to decode. One of the most prominent being a teenage love triangle depicted throughout three of the album’s songs: "Betty," "Cardigan," and "August." Swift confirmed the love triangle during a live chat of her "Cardigan" music video premiere on YouTube, "There’s a collection of three songs I refer to as the teenage love triangle. These three songs explore a love triangle from all three people's perspectives at different times in their lives." In the song "Betty," a 17-year old named James sings of missing a girl named Betty who found out about another person James
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was also seeing from the school gossiper, Inez. Betty rejects James because of this, and in the end, James comes back to Betty, asking, "Will you have me? Will you love me?" wanting Betty back. "Betty" uses the names of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold's daughters "James," "Inez," and revealed their youngest child’s name to be "Betty," which the public was unaware of. "Cardigan" is told from Betty’s point-ofview. The song reveals Betty knew James was a player, but she wanted someone to love her, shown in the lyrics "And when I felt like I was an old cardigan, under someone's bed, you put me on and said I was your favorite." The point-of-view from the other girl is shown in the song "August." This girl is not named, but she knew when she was with James that James was still in love with Betty, "'Cause you weren't mine to lose," and "'Cause you were never mine."
The folklore love triangle is very similar to the love triangle in a song created on the TVshow Friends, titled, "Two of Them Kissed Last Night." Friends character Phoebe Buffay sang and wrote this song that was inspired by three fellow characters: Ross, Rachel, and Julie. The song starts, "There was a girl, we’ll call her Betty," and continues introducing Neil, the man Betty loves, but then things get trickier in the song when another girl shows up that catches Neil’s eye. It is no secret that Swift is a huge Friends fan, and in 2015, she had Lisa Kudrow, who plays Buffay, as a guest at her 1989 concert in Los Angeles, having Kudrow teach her the correct way to sing "Smelly Cat," another one of Buffay’s songs, on stage. While it is not confirmed Friends inspired the folklore love triangle, Swifties can speculate.
Photo by Beth Garrabrant | Universal Music Group
TRAVEL
FALL 2020
Photo by Anna Campbell | Wirrig Pavilion, Yellow Springs, OH
DAVE CHAPPELLE'S CORNFIELD SUMMER CAMP
By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Dave Chappelle is hosting socially distanced comedy shows in his hometown of Yellow Springs, OH, a hippie farm town 18 miles east of Dayton. These shows, which have gained popularity on social media under the name, "Chappelle Summer Camp," are held in a cornfield, with a gazebo for a stage, fourmiles away from Chappelle's home. Every show features different comedians, and the audience never knows who might show up. Jon Hamm, Common, Questlove, Michelle Wolf, Michael Che, David Letterman, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, and controversially, Louis C.K. have all been surprise guests. Due to limited space, and with extreme social distancing measures set in place, only two-hundred people can purchase tickets, and given the way the audience seats are set, everyone who wants to buy a ticket must buy two, with a maximum of 400 people in the audience. Every show has sold out in minutes. Spray-painted in the grass and spaced out across the cornfield are circles with two fold-out chairs each attendee must sit in the entire duration of the show while wearing a mask. These circles are roughly 10 feet away from another circle. The same spray-painted circles, without
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chairs, line the walkways to get in. Attendees only move up a circle after the person in front of them moves. There are employees heavily enforcing this. Employees also check everyone’s temperature, hand out personalized Dave Chappelle face masks, as well as spray hand sanitizer. The performers are the only people not wearing a mask. However, they are required to be tested for COVID-19 before and after performing. I attended the show on August 8th. The morning of the show, Ticketmaster changed the show’s name from Dave Chappelle & Friends: An Intimate Socially Distanced Affair to Controlled Danger, a show Chappelle does with John Mayer, so it was no surprise who the main guest would be that evening. My mom took my second ticket and we arrived at the field around 8 p.m. for the 9 p.m. show. Several were already there. After giving the parking attendant my name, we parked, left our phones in the car as instructed, went through the entry process, and found seats in one of the twohundred spray-painted circles. Sarah Silverman opened the show, which is kinda crazy to be at an event where Sarah Silverman opens. However, by her use of flashcards, it was easy to tell she was working
on new material, much of which was heavily influenced by Judaism. Her set probably would have worked better with a New York crowd, rather than in a cornfield in Ohio. After her set, Mayer played a solo acoustic set, noting this was his first time out of quarantine in months. He played fan favorites, "Neon," "Who Says," and "New Light," took a crowd suggestion to play the Grateful Dead’s "Althea," then played two new songs that will likely be on his next album, "Till the Right One Comes" and "Shot in the Dark." Mayer then played an electric guitar intro for Chappelle who came out and did about thirty minutes of solo stand-up comedy. But the night’s real magic happened when Chappelle brought Mayer back on stage. Both Chappelle and Mayer improv'd jokes while Mayer played guitar to go along with the jokes. During their set, Tiffany Haddish surprised the crowd by coming out to tell jokes and make up a song about her boyfriend, Common, who was also there, just not on stage, to Mayer's guitar playing. The show lasted until around 1 a.m.. It was beyond hilarious and a night to remember. Chappelle will continue hosting these shows through October 4th.
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THINGS TO DO IN
WHERE TO STAY
WHERE TO EAT
Mills Park Hotel
Sunrise Cafe
A quaint, quiet hotel with a restaurant and within walking distance of all of the town's shops.
A popular spot that caters to vegan and vegetarians. A great place to grab breakfast.
Grinnell Mill B&B
Miguel's Tacos
Grinnell Mill is a roomy historic B&B restored from the 19th century.
Miguel's food truck serves tasty tacos, bowls, and burritos made-to-order.
Arthur Morgan House
Ye Olde Trail Tavern
A clean, friendly B&B within a short walk from downtown.
A popular spot among locals with a diverse menu and craft brews.
WHAT TO DO
PLACES TO SHOP
Young's Jersey Dairy
Yellow Springs Pottery
Young's is a great place to spend an evening. They have a farm where you can visit and pet goats, a driving range, batting cages, homemade ice cream, and more, depending on the season.
This shop offers beautiful pieces of handmade pottery by local potters.
Glen Helen Nature Preserve A wooded area with hiking paths and the yellow spring, for which the town is named after. ROCK & ROAMER | 17
Asanda Imports A unique shop with clothing, jewelry, decor, and a little bit of everything.
Kismet A women's clothing store with affordable, unique items. @ROCKANDROAMER
PLAYLIST
FALL 2020
COVID-19 PLAYLISTS By Beth Campbell Staff Writer
If you ask musicians what their favorite music is, no matter what kind of music they play, they say, "good music." To those who make music, good songs transcend genre. They are well executed with hooky melodies, fresh arrangements, and lyrics you can live in. The more soaring the better. Not monotonous. Good songs move you. Good songs get you through. You have your playlists: Sad, Mad, Work Out, Break Up, Celebration, Run, Sleep, Eat. Songs that set you on fire... But what is a COVID playlist? Quarantining? Being alone? Fear of
Missing Out? Grieving Missing Out? Accepting Missing Out? A COVID playlist is all of these, because you are missing your life, and you feel every feeling. These COVID playlists will take you through confinement, conflict, rage, worry, confusion, and even hope. A few are funny. But what these COVID playlists are not are regret, nor loneliness, aimless angst, revenge, nor jealousy. You already have those playlists. Any song you don’t know is "new." New songs give extra fire to your feelings, articulate your thoughts more powerfully,
and aim your ambitions higher and mightier. New songs get your attention. Good songs come from every era. While quarantining makes your lives seem severe, those who have gone before have always worried about the future. You benefit from their artistry as their songs give definition to the hurt and frustration knocking about in your brains and hearts. These songs, these COVID playlists, will help you cut the fabric of the night to sew a mask of understanding. Another reason to have hope: music has never been more portable.
Sadness:
Sickness:
All Things Must Pass (Acoustic), George Harrison High And Dry, Radiohead This Too Shall Pass, Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers Honest Work, Todd Rundgren The Feeling Of Losing Everything, Archive Anthem, Leonard Cohen Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, Crash Test Dummies The Perfect Space, The Avett Brothers These Days, Powderfinger The Light, Regina Spektor 'Til I Die, The Beach Boys Brain Damage, Pink Floyd Mad World, Gary Jules Don't Let Us Get Sick, Warren Zevon Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, The Smiths Baltic Ice-Breaker, Bel Canto
Unwell, Matchbox Twenty I Wanna Be Sedated, Ramones Fever, The Black Keys Manic, Coleman Hell Anxiety, TRACE Coconut, Harry Nilsson Brain Damage, Pink Floyd Mad World, Gary Jules Don't Let Us Get Sick, Warren Zevon Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now, The Smiths Baltic Ice-Breaker, Bel Canto
Hope: The End, The Beatles Hold Your Head Up, Argent Do It Now, Paul McCartney When The World Ends, Dave Matthews Band The Waiting, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Head Above Water, Avril Lavigne It's Your Thing, The Isley Brothers Don't Stop Me Now, Queen We Are The Champions, Queen Stayin' Alive, The Bee Gees In My Blood, Shawn Mendes Impossible Things, Big Dipper O-o-h Child, The Five Stairsteps My Body, Young The Giant
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Worry: Grey Street, Dave Matthews Band The Way It Was, Coast Modern Lawyers, Guns And Money, Warren Zevon Under Pressure, Queen & David Bowie The Lightning Strike (What If This Storm Ends?), Snow Patrol Youth, Daughter I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, U2 Pressure, Billy Joel I've Been Waitin' For Tomorrow (All Of My Life), The The Trapped, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Someday, Flipsyde Believe, Mumford & Sons It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), R.E.M.
Quarantine: Stay Away, Nirvana No One To Depend On, Carlos Santana Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrubs, Todrick Hall What's Behind The Mask, The Cramps Don't Leave Me Behind, Everything But The Girl Vultures, John Mayer Get Off Of My Cloud, The Rolling Stones Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down, Kris Kristofferson Six Feet Apart, Alec Benjamin Stuck In The Middle With You, Stealers Wheel Everyday Is Like Sunday, Morrissey Quarantine Together, Drive-By Truckers These Are Conditions, Pajama Club Pam's Moods, Kilburn and the High-Roads Don't Fence Me In, Gene Autry
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REVIEW
FALL 2020
KELSEA BALLERINI REVISITS KELSEA By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Kelsea Ballerini released her album kelsea March of this year. She is now back with a stripped-down version of kelsea in her follow-up album, ballerini. Both albums feature the same 13 songs, but ballerini takes on the heavily-produced, pop-country sound from kelsea, removing the polish and production, proving the songs can stand without it. Ballerini expressed her enthusiasm for the album, which was released September 11th, and its changes from kelsea on Twitter, "different keys, tempos, melodies, lyrics, production. each song has its own set of changes...all super intentional to make the lyrics hit different. I'm so freaking excited," wrote Ballerini. The album is equally fantastic as it is smart. ballerini shows off the strength of her songcraft while simultaneously giving fans a deeper look into her creative process, that only could have only happened by Ballerini believing these songs could stand on their own. While studio-recorded, ballerini gives an intimate, live-music feel because of its limited prodution. After pressing play on the album, and listening to the first track, "Overshare," I instantly felt transported to Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe. The limited production and vocal-heavy focus surround any room its played in, like Ballerini is singing with her acoustic guitar and a limited-band right in front of you. This feeling continued throughout the length of the album. And while the album release may look planned, Ballerini told The Tennessean it came from wanting to do something special with kelsea after all her other plans for it were cancelled due to COVID-19. "And the truth is, I kinda detached myself from the project. I got bummed out because
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Photos in this story by Peggy Sirota | Black River Entertainment I loved the album that we made... Everything we planned for it went away," said Ballerini. The idea for ballerini came from collaborator Jimmy Robbins, who also worked on kelsea. In Ballerini's own words, they scraped "everything except for the actual heart of every song and rebuilt it." ballerini gave them the opportunity to test out new lyrics as well. While most lyrics remain the same, fans attempting to singalong to songs they learned off kelsea will find themselves fudging lyrics, such as in "la," which changed the lyrics, "Saw me on the TV," to, "But which part is reality?" They also tested how songs that featured other artists on kelsea fared when sung solo. "half of my hometown," with Kenny Chesney, and "the other girl," with Halsey are only sung by Ballerini on the new album. Both songs are more interesting with
Chesney and Halsey, Chesney was Ballerini's Knoxville, Tennessee hometown hero, and the dynamic between Ballerini and Kelsea's emotional back-and-forth in "the other girl" is fantastic. However, we've already heard their duets, and the ballerini album version continues giving listeners what the songs would be like if she were able to tour with them. kelsea is great, but ballerini is the imaginative album we all need.
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EX CL US I VE Cassidy Louis on her new EP Technicolor, and how she found her voice.
Fall 2020 Issue 1
