Editor's Note
Rock & Roamer 21 Summer Playlist Heat Waves Glass Animals
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.
Far Away EASHA good 4 u 36Olivia Rodrigo Golden Harry Styles Rebel Girl The Linda Lindas Apple Pie Lizzy McAlpine
48 Photo by Dax Fallon I Golden Gate Bridge
Live music is back, baby! So this summer, take advantage of live music wherever you can find it. From concerts and festivals to restaurants with local bands, seek out live music wherever you roam. This issue of Rock & Roamer is dedicated to the return of live music and visualizing music - from the stage to the screen. I remember being at a friend's band's show in my college town at the beginning of March 2020. That morning, the University of Kentucky announced its hospital was treating Kentucky's first confirmed COVID-19 case. Rumors of a global shutdown traveled through the venue. When I got home, I wondered when or if I would be able to hear live music again. During the pandemic, we embraced watching music by downloading TikTok. TikTok provided us the opportunity to seek out new artists and watch them play their songs "live." Watching music played was the closest thing we had to a concert experience. As stages and venues start to once again fill with smiling faces, remember to put down the phone and enjoy the live concert experience. However, I hope watching music doesn’t fade away. I hope we view the world around us differently and take advantage of each day and every musical experience. The music community is counting on us to join them.
LAUREN ELIZABETH CAMPBELL Editor-in-Chief ROCK & ROAMER | 2
Risk Piper Page Solar Power Lorde Liz Remi Wolf Rue girl in red
Daffodils and Daisies Jos Vincent San Ber'dino Frank Zappa Butter BTS
Sunday Best Surfaces
Cover Photo by Anna Henderson
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Table of Contents
04
EASHA Singer/songwriter garners thousands of TikTok followers with her dreamy music.
07
TIKTOK RADIO TikTok Radio comes to SiriusXM as companies create a full-time music channel.
08
CONCERT ARCHIVES Founder Justin Thiele describes how Concert Archives came to be.
EASHA
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PIPER PAGE Up-and-coming singer/songwriter releases her latest R&B single "Risk."
14
LOS ANGELES CITY GUIDE Use our editor's guide to plan the perfect trip to the City of Angels.
18
LOS ANGELES EATS A TO Z Eat your way through L.A.’s alphabet of restaurants.
JOS VINCENT
23
WATCHING SONGS Listen to a playlist of songs that inspired movies.
26
MADISON DALEY New York City-based artist is rocking the restaurant/bar music scene.
27 PIPER PAGE
JOS VINCENT Get to know the singer/songwriter behind "Daffodils and Daisies."
Photo 1 Courtesy of EASHA | Photo 2 Courtesy of Emily Keefe PR | Photo 3 by Anna Henderson
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INTERVIEW
SUMMER 2021
MEET SINGER/ SONGWRITER AND TIKTOK STAR Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
New Jersey-based singer/songwriter EASHA has grown her audience largely on TikTok. Her top single "Dying Is a Beautiful Thing to Do" became popular on the platform and now has nearly 1.5 million plays on Spotify. Her dreamy, coming-of-age music resonates with fans' emotions taking them through experiences of love, angst, and growth. EASHA describes her music to Rock & Roamer and what’s next for her: I, like so many other people, discovered you on TikTok, where you now have over 2 million likes and 73 thousand followers. How has TikTok helped you capture fans and grow as an artist? TikTok is this unique opportunity to reach people who resonate with my music who may have never even heard of "EASHA" otherwise. I'm immensely grateful to have a platform where I can be myself, independent, and directly engaging with fans from all around the world. The support system has been insane, and I think it has to do with the feeling of connection and growth. I've realized people love being a part of something greater than themselves and going on the journey with you. Just as much as they trust me with feeding them content, I understand the responsibility to create art and pleasantly surprise them even if they have been here from day one. It's special for both of us. How would you describe your music? I got TikTok comments describing my music as "coming-of-age movie musical" and "nostalgic for a life I've never lived" which are my favorite compliments and indicative of how I think the music makes you feel. Your single, "Far Away," tells the story of you wanting to leave your hometown to start over someplace new. If you could go anywhere to live for an entire year, where would you go?
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Photos in this Story Courtesy of EASHA I would love to live in Thailand. I'm a Thai food junkie, they love spice as much as I do, and the culture is so rich and dense I want to soak it all in. What artists and music have made the biggest impression on you?
I'm a huge John Mayer stan, he's the first person I listened to an album all the way through and understood like, "Oh, this is what I want to do, this is what it means to make music." He has such a mastery of his craft and something to say, which is rare to find.
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INTERVIEW
SUMMER 2021 What music is on your current playlist? In the pandemic, I've kind of reverted back to 2014 alternative Tumblr music! Which is funny because I missed that phase when it happened, but yeah a lot of The 1975! Apart from being a singer/songwriter, you also placed 11th in the world at the 2019 World Championships of Triathlon in Switzerland, and just became one of the Presidents of your sophomore class at Stanford University. Out of all of your accomplishments, what are you most proud of?
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We just won Class President so that's still a high! I would say outside of music competing in the World Championships of Triathlon was... a bucket list moment. One of my goals is to complete an Ironman before I'm 30 and I'm passionate about triathlon. It's something you work at every day and get physically exhausted from so it's extra rewarding on race day! What did you learn while making your first EP, Fact of the Fiction? Honestly, production! I produced that entire EP in my bedroom and it was a long labor of love trying to figure it out!
What is next for you? More music! I hope to do another full project like an album accompanied by mindblowing visuals and really showing myself as an artist! Keep up with EASHA on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter @eashamusic, and stream "Far Away" and "Dying Is a Beautiful Thing to Do" wherever music is available.
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MUSIC
SUMMER 2021
DISCOVER NEW MUSIC ALBUMS RELEASING THIS SUMMER
June 11th Path of Wellness Sleater-Kinney
July 4th BLUE BANISTERS Lana Del Rey
July 16th Sob Rock John Mayer
July 16th Detour de Force Barenaked Ladies
Sleater-Kinney will release their first record since drummer Janet Weiss left the group. Members Corin Tucker and Carrie Brownstein selfproduced the album.
Del Rey will release her latest album on the Fourth of July, only four months after her previous release. The album's title track was released in May.
After months of teasing clips of the album on TikTok, Mayer will release his eighth solo studio album featuring the single "Last Train Home."
The Canadian rock band has released the first single "Flip," and recorded parts of the album in lead singer Ed Robertson's living room during COVID.
July 30th
July 30th Happier Than Ever Billie Eilish
August 6th Release Me 2 Barbra Streisand
August 27th Screen Violence CHVRCHES
The 7 time Grammy winner will release her second studio album produced by her brother Finneas. A world tour is scheduled beginning February 2022.
A follow-up to Streisand's 2012 release, this album compiles rare and previously unreleased tracks and gives fans the studio version.
Scottish synth-pop band announced their fourth studio album, recorded between Glasgow and Los Angeles, alongside the second single "How Not to Drown."
Take The Sadness Out Of Saturday Night
Bleachers
Jack Antonoff will release his third album under the stage name Bleachers. The album's top single features Bruce Springsteen. ROCK & ROAMER
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MUSIC
SUMMER 2021
By Sebastian Potter Staff Writer
TikTok and SiriusXM announced they are joining forces to create new and innovative content across each of their platforms specifically for TikTok fans, including a fulltime SiriusXM music channel TikTok Radio, and Pandora playlists by top TikTok creators including Bella Poarch, Christian Shelton, and Nick Tangorra. They also plan to collaborate with many of the platform’s top and emerging talent for performances and special events. "We are excited to collaborate with TikTok to create new content that brings the vibrancy of the leading social networking service to life on live radio and our streaming platforms," said Scott Greenstein, President and Chief Content Officer, SiriusXM. TikTok Radio will launch this Summer and will feature songs that trend on the platform and are redefining pop culture from TikTok. TikTok Radio will be presented by TikTok creators, tastemakers, and DJs. TikTok Radio will be available in vehicles and as a streaming channel on the SiriusXM App, desktop, and all connected devices. Pandora, which was acquired by SiriusXM in 2019, has already begun launching TikTok playlists, beginning the Tastemakers series with Bella Poarch. "The effect TikTok has on music, and pop culture in general, is undeniable. Our platforms will provide a unique opportunity for TikTok creators to engage with our listeners with content experiences that have never been done before in audio. The exclusive SiriusXM channel will bring a new take on radio by tapping into the latest music trends on TikTok, while Pandora listeners will get access to playlists curated personally by TikTok's top creators," said Greenstein. SiriusXM hopes the channel will feel like a radio version of the platform’s "For You" page, and will include a weekly music countdown dedicated to TikTok's top
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trending tracks. "TikTok is redefining the way that fans discover music and artists, while enabling a new form of musical engagement and creative expression. We are excited to work with SiriusXM on TikTok Radio and to bring TikTok creators to Pandora to make the trends, music, and creative influences that are playing such a defining role in modern culture even more accessible," said Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music, TikTok. TikTok creator Christian Shelton will curate one of the first playlists in Pandora's TikTok Tastemakers series. "When I started posting on TikTok in the beginning of the pandemic, I had no idea that, less than a year after starting my TikTok, I'd
sing in a Super Bowl commercial. Making videos for TikTok is always the highlight of my day, and I'm lucky to have found such a supportive musical community," said Shelton. TikTok fans will also have access to reairings of Pandora’s original events series, Pandora LIVE, available on the app. Currently, the Pandora LIVE Powered by Women series featuring Gwen Stefani and Jazmine Sullivan can be viewed as a re-airing on TikTok. "We're really excited to see this come to life and thank the SiriusXM team for being such an innovative and visionary collaborator," said Obermann.
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INTERVIEW
SUMMER 2021
TRACK YOUR CONCERTS WITH CONCERT ARCHIVES Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
I go to a lot of concerts, so many, it is sometimes hard to remember which artists I've seen and in which venues I’ve danced. As years pass and my memories are flooded with new concert experiences, it gets increasingly more difficult. When I found out about Concert Archives, I was immediately hooked. The website (and now app!) allows concert-goers to input the concerts they've seen and track them all in one location, allowing users to revisit their concert memories. Concert Archives' founder Justin Thiele tells Rock & Roamer how Concert Archives came to be and how it is a useful tool for music lovers: What motivated you to start Concert Archives? It started out as nostalgia. This is in like 2013 and I was getting back into vinyl. I rediscovered my record collection which had mostly been boxed up since moving to Portland, Oregon in 2008. That got me reminiscing about all the concerts I had been to in the prior 15 years. And so down the rabbit hole I went, researching past concerts and eventually discovering a text file in my
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old computer backups called 'bands I have seen.txt' where I listed some of my earliest concerts. To make a long story short, that sparked my motivation to build Concert Archives as a place to keep track of all the concerts I went to, upload photos, etc. And hopefully get my friends to do the same so I could see their photos from the concerts we went to together. Who is the typical Concert Archives user? There is a big range of users. From people who have just started going to concerts, to people who have seen hundreds, or even
thousands, of concerts over the last several decades. Of course they're all music lovers. For some, it’s a hobby where they spend hours documenting concerts from the past 50 years – finding old newspaper articles, ticket stubs, photos, and videos. Others just add in a concert every few months when they attend a new one. Why should a concert-goer use Concert Archives? If you love music and concerts, you know that visceral feeling of seeing a band play the songs you love. Concert Archives helps you capture that feeling, remember it, and connect with others who feel the same way. With that, the people that attended can all add their photos and videos to a concert. Write comments and reviews. We automatically add in setlists. Then you can see stats about how many times you saw a band, how many concerts you go to per year, etc. You can plan your upcoming concerts. All kinds of stuff. It's a home for your concert life and your concert friends! Concert Archives has been around since 2013, but just launched its mobile app. How do you foresee the app helping grow Concert Archives? Users have always been able to use the website on their phone but it was just this year that we launched the native iOS and Android apps. Being a small team, it’s hard to support multiple platforms in the beginning, so we focused on the website and making it as powerful and feature-complete as possible. After we released the social
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INTERVIEW
SUMMER 2021 networking features (like following friends, news feeds, etc.) about 2 years ago, it felt like the right time to shift our focus to building the mobile apps, which was a really big undertaking. The mobile apps help us reach more casual users. The website is super powerful but it can be kind of intimidating for some people to get started. The mobile apps have a slimmed down interface so it’s easier for new people to jump in.
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Where will Concert Archives be by 2031? Concert Archives is 8 years old, but this is still just the beginning. I've always planned for Concert Archives to be a long term thing that would be around for decades. That mindset comes through in how we expand the website and apps, how we grow the team, and how we fund everything. Our core belief is that concerts are really special experiences that should be
preserved and shared. And we want to deepen the connection that fans have to these experiences, to each other, to the bands, and to the venues. So we’ll be doing that in every way we can for the foreseeable future. Visit concertarchives.org or download the Concert Archives app on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to start tracking your concerts.
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SUMMER 2021
INTERVIEW
PIPER PAGE AN ARTIST ON THE RISE Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
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Photos in This Story by Anna Henderson
New York City-based singer/songwriter Piper Page released her latest R&B single "Risk" May 21st. A New York University student, Piper has combined her early training as a jazz vocalist and pianist with her love for musical theatre. In pursuing her musical dream, she advocates for women of color in the industry. Get to know Piper: Where did your love of music come from? I had a love of music from the second I could walk and talk. I grew up dancing, being in musical theatre shows at my local community theatre, and at school. Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé, Hall & Oates, and Whitney Houston rang throughout my house growing up. My parents put me in piano when I was about 8 years old, I started writing poetry at about 12, which quickly led to songwriting and a pursuit of vocal training, and my own varying interests in music. In high school, I was a choir and show choir kid who never thought that pursuing music as a career could be a reliable option until I got to NYU. Music became my entire life and I haven’t stopped working, collaborating, networking, and learning since I got here two years ago. How would you describe your music? I would describe my music as a work in progress. While my current genre is R&B/pop music, I have a love and a passion for a variety of different sounds and am inspired by artists like Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and other songwriters who don’t conform to just one box. People like consistency, but crave variation. With my current songwriting and creation process, I would say my music is a cross-pollination of Amy Winehouse, Adele, Mahalia, Sinéad Harnett, and Ella Mai. What do you hope people take away from your latest single, "Risk"?
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SUMMER 2021
INTERVIEW
"Risk" is about wanting someone but not being able to fully commit to them. When they listen to it, I want people to be able to apply it to their own lives and circumstances. Maybe you've been wondering "what if" a lot lately, maybe you're just starting a new relationship, maybe you’ve just gotten out of a relationship and looking back on it, wondering what went wrong. Maybe it's not applicable to your love life at all but something in your life is preventing you from taking that risk. Like with all my music, I hope that fans can take the words I've put on paper and write their own stories. What artists are you inspired by? I could go on and on and on about this because I take inspiration from everything and everyone, but I especially love Amy Winehouse, Stevie Wonder, Adele, Sinéad Harnett, Sasha Keable, Demi Lovato, and any R&B/pop artists who have successfully displayed honesty in their songwriting. What should everyone be listening to? Well first and foremost, everyone should be listening to "Risk" by Piper Page. Some of my favorite songs I’ve been obsessing over lately are "Bad Behavior" by Elli Ingram, "Exception" by Sasha Keable, any song off of Twenties by Bren Joy, Isolation Tapes by Mahalia, and the new Sinéad Harnett album which came out the same day as "Risk"! What is next for you? I've got so many things in the works right now, and am going to spend the summer collaborating with some incredible producers and songwriters. This is new for me since I write all my music myself, but I’ve been wanting to get into the rhythm of cowrites and collabs recently so I’ll be doing a lot of that this summer! The "Risk" music video will debut in early to mid-June and following that, I’m hoping to release another single or two before the start of my junior year at NYU in September! Keep up with Piper Page on Instagram @piperpage and TikTok @itspiperpage.
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TRAVEL
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P r e s c r i p t i o n & E m e r g e n c y M e d i c a t i o n H a i r b r u s h , T i e s & H e a d b a n d s B a n d a i d s & F i r s t A i d K i t P o r t a b l e P h o n e C h a r g e r B a c k p a c k o r C a m e l b a k C A M P I N G S l e e p C l o t h e s P o r t a b l e F a n S o a p G l o w S t i c k s T a r p s R a i n J a c k e t C h a i r s S u n g l a s s e s H a m m o c k S u n s c r e e n T r a s h B a g s B u g S p r a y L y s o l S p r a y S w i m s u i t B a t h T o w e l s B a n d a n a C a r I n v e r t e r S a n d a l s P o c k e t K n i f e S o c k s J u g s o f W a t e r B o o t s H a n d W a r m e r s H a t J u m p e r C a b l e s E x t r a C a r K e y s T e n t & T e n t L o c k s E x t r a T o i l e t P a p e r C o o l e r s & I c e P a c k s C a m p i n g S t o v e & P a n H e a d l a m p s & L a n t e r n s H a m m e r & T e n t S t a k e s F l a g o r C a m p s i t e M a r k e r S l e e p i n g B a g / A i r M a t t r e s s E x t r a B l a n k e t s , S h e e t s & P i l l o w s S t e r e o o r M u s i c P l a y e r ( E x t r a B a t t e r i e s ) ROCK & ROAMER | 12
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MUSIC
SUMMER 2021
M U S I C
F E S T I V A L
L I N E U P
Day Trip Festival Los Angeles, CA July 3-4 Four Chord Washington, PA July 17 Under the Big Sky Whitefish, MT July 17-18 Rolling Loud Miami July 23-25 Lollapalooza Chicago July 29-August 1 Catskill Mountain Jubilee East Durham, NY August 12-14 Railbird Lexington, KY August 28-29 Bonnaroo Manchester, TN September 2-5 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI September 2-18 4848 Festival Snowshoe, WV September 3-5 Electric Zoo NYC September 3-5 Made in America Philadelphia, PA September 4-5 Pitchfork Chicago September 10-12 Life is Beautiful Las Vegas September 17-19 Firefly Dover, DE September 23-26 Louder Than Life Louisville, KY September 23-26 The Governors Ball NYC September 24-26 Austin City Limits Austin, TX October 1-4 & 8-10 Nelsonville Music Festival Nelsonville, OH October 8-9 New Orleans Jazz Festival New Orleans October 8-17 Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas October 22-24 Outside Lands San Francisco October 29-November 1 ROCK & ROAMER | 13
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TRAVEL
SUMMER 2021
CITY GUIDE TO By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Los Angeles is the largest city in California, with more than 100 cities and communities within its 500 square miles. As an epicenter for the world's entertainment, sports, fashion, and business industries, L.A. provides an open-minded, confident, and culturally diverse atmosphere making it one of the most sought-after places to live in the world. The miles of coastline, mountains, and deserts derive creativity from nature and a way to escape from the urban downtown. The city provides a sanctuary for artists looking to define themselves. This guide will help you navigate L.A. and its hidden treasures:
Stays L.A. hotels are as unique as the city's residents. From uber-luxurious stays to boutique and themed hotels, L.A. has something for every type of traveler. Here are some of Rock & Roamer's top picks:
Sunset Tower Hotel Established in 1929, Jeff Klein, a partner of New York City's Monkey Bar, bought the Sunset Tower Hotel in 2004. He then made
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Photo by Anna Campbell | Urban Light, LACMA it his mission to modernize "the lady," as he calls it, while keeping the character of the iconic art deco building - which is what he has done. The hotel has undergone several renovations to ensure it provides modern luxury in a chic and understated environment to guests in the heart of the Sunset Strip. A stay at the Sunset Tower is not complete without dining at The Tower Bar on the hotel's ground floor, housed in mobster Bugsy Siegel's former Sunset Tower apartment. Farmer’s Daughter If you are looking for Southern hospitality in the "City of Angels," the Farmer's Daughter is the perfect boutique hotel. Surrounded by denim, plaid, hardwood floors, sweet tea, and welcoming staff, the Farmer's Daughter is where country meets comfort. Their onsite
restaurant, Tart, keeps with the hotel's Southern charm by offering dishes such as chicken and waffles and shrimp n' grits, and is only a three-minute walk from The Original Los Angeles Farmers Market.
Freehand Hotel Housed in L.A.'s historic 1920s Commercial Exchange Building is downtown's Freehand Hotel. The Freehand provides guests a retro, artsy vibe with clean, spacious rooms and a rooftop pool. It is a budget-friendly option
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SUMMER 2021 that offers both private and shared rooms. Designed by the New York-based interior design studio Roman and Williams, walking into the Freehand, you expect to see your favorite writers and artists having a drink at the bar. The Freehand is a great place to meet new people and for artists to gather.
Music
Chateau Marmont If you want to splurge, West Hollywood's Chateau Marmont is the chicest location to stay in L.A. Inspired by the French castle Loire Valley, the hotel sits on a hill overlooking Sunset Boulevard. Built as L.A.'s first earthquake-proof apartment building, the structure transitioned to a hotel in 1927 and has become an iconic L.A. institution because of its old Hollywood history. Due to its strict security and no photo policy of guests, it is also a safe haven for stars to avoid paparazzi and socialize in peace. Harry Cohn, a co-founder and president of Columbia Pictures Corporation, once said, "If you must get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont." Last year, the hotel owner, André Balazs, announced plans to convert the Chateau Marmont to a members-only hotel, so if a stay at the Chateau Marmont is on your bucket list book now!
Home to the major labels, the iconic Capitol Records Tower, and your favorite music artists themselves, L.A. has everything a music lover could want. Here are three L.A. music icons you can’t leave town without visiting: Hollywood Bowl Surrounded by the Hollywood Hills, the Hollywood Bowl amphitheater is a 17,500 person venue owned by L.A. County. The Hollywood Bowl serves as the summer home to the L.A. Philharmonic and the year-round home to the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, managed by the L.A. Philharmonic Association. The iconic venue also hosts a variety of concerts, film screenings, and musicals each year. Everyone from Kanye West to Tom Petty has played the Hollywood Bowl. The venue, constructed with acoustic fiberglass spheres, has optimum sound, making it a favorite location for artists to perform and for fans to attend.
Hotel Café The Hotel Café gives a stage to singer/songwriters wanting to make it big and well-known artists such as John Mayer, Adele, and Sara Bareilles an interested, intimate audience. Located in a small alley off the Cahuenga Boulevard Strip, the Hotel Café began when two young writers decided to open a coffee shop in an abandoned alley storefront below a hotel. The coffee shop became a music venue when singer/songwriter Gary Jules, known for his Tears for Fears cover of "Mad World," rode by on his bicycle and noticed a piano in the
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coffee shop's window. Jules convinced the owners to give him a Tuesday night residency. Singer/songwriters have been trickling into the venue ever since. However, if you go to a Hotel Café show today, stop at Groundwork Coffee Company down the street for your coffee fix as they have stopped serving food and coffee. GRAMMY Museum Located next to the Staples Center, where the GRAMMY Awards are hosted each year, is the Recording Academy's GRAMMY Museum, an interactive, educational museum experience devoted to the history and winners of the GRAMMY Awards. Learn how artists go from the recording studio to the GRAMMY stage, hear how your favorite artists sound on an actual gramophone, pose on the GRAMMY red carpet, and see actual GRAMMY Awards up close and personal.
Culture L.A. has the benefits of a big city while being surrounded by beautiful beaches, mountains, valleys, and deserts to escape. With yearround good weather and a health-conscious mindset, outdoor recreation is a priority to Angelenos, who on rainy days can be found inside one of L.A.'s many world-renowned museums. Take advantage of all L.A. has to offer, and explore these activities like a local: J. Paul Getty Museum Commonly known as The Getty, the museum component of the multi-billion dollar Getty Trust encompasses the world's wealthiest art institution. The Getty has two locations, the
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SUMMER 2021 Getty Center in Brentwood and the Getty Villa Museum in Pacific Palisades. The Getty Center features art collections from the Middle Ages to today, surrounded by beautiful gardens and modern architecture. The Getty Villa Museum features Greek and Roman antiquities housed in a re-created Roman country home. Admission to both museums is free.
Farmers Markets Angelenos are known for their sustainable, healthy eating, and their farmer’s markets match this lifestyle. To shop where the chefs do, head to the Santa Monica Farmers Market held every Wednesday and Saturday on Arizona Avenue year-round, rain or shine. It claims to be SoCal’s largest certified groweronly market and hosts more than 75 farmers selling fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy, meats, flowers, and processed farm products.
Surf Malibu Surfers come from all over the world for the Californian waters for a reason. With nearly 300 days of sunshine a year, consistent year-round waves, and a legendary surf history, Malibu provides a playground to surfers and a place for beginners to learn. The iconic Malibu Surfrider Beach, located inside Malibu Lagoon State Beach, is a surfer’s paradise and a great place to learn how to catch a wave. Hiking Take advantage of L.A.'s beauty by hiking one of the city's many trails. Runyon Canyon Park provides 160-acres of natural beauty along the park's West and East Trails. It is one of the trendiest hiking areas in L.A., "the see and be seen trail" of L.A.'s hiking community. Access the park from N Fuller Avenue, N Vista Street, or Mulholland Drive. For a distinctly L.A. experience, hike to the top of the Hollywood Sign. Several trails will get you there, but the Wonder View Trail is arguably the best. To take this hike, park on Lake Hollywood Drive and walk up the street to Wonder View Drive to the end, where the trailhead starts. A sign warns there is no access to the Hollywood Sign, but that is only true if traveling by car. For more secluded hikes, try one of the many trails in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood or in Malibu.
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Rollerskating Much like surfing, rollerskating is a quintessential L.A. sport. Angelenos have been skating along the pacific coastline since the invention of metal-wheeled boots. The best place to skate is by the beach while you are enjoying the year-round warm weather. Head to Venice or Santa Monica and rent some skates. From there, travel to the Marvin Braude Bike Trail, or what locals call "The Strand," a paved 22-mile path that runs along the L.A. County coastline from Will Rogers State Beach to Torrance County Beach. Spend a couple of hours taking in the sun and people-watching skating on The Strand before taking a dip in the ocean.
Marijuana Go to Georgia for your peaches, but head to a California legal recreational marijuana dispensary for your weed. Cannabis is legal here, and you don't need to meet a sketchy dealer to find it. Whether it is your first time trying weed or you are a seasoned user, Sweet Flower is a great dispensary to shop. They have four locations around L.A. that look and feel more like a luxury boutique than a marijuana dispensary. The highly knowledgeable and approachable staff can help you find what you're looking for with their diverse selection of brands, including BIPOC-owned businesses such as Roots and Pure Beauty.
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PLAYLIST
SUMMER 2021
DRIVING IN LOS ANGELES SLOW TO FAST TO SLOW West L.A. Fadeaway Grateful Dead
Buzzbomb from Pasadena Dead Kennedys
Rosecrans Blvd. The 5th Dimension
Come A Long Way Michelle Shocked
Nobody Walks In L.A. Ashford & Simpson
Dead Or Alive On the 405 Gin Blossoms
L.A. County Lyle Lovett
I Love L.A. Randy Newman
L.A. Freeway Jerry Jeff Walker
Stop Driving Like an Asshole I See Hawks in L.A.
Ventura Highway America and George Martin
California 405 Europe
Low Ride War
I Left My Wallet in El Segundo A Tribe Called Quest
Surf City The Beach Boys
Rollin’ Down The Freeway Statik Selektah
Hollywood Nights Bob Seger
Drive (Los Angeles) Lolawolf
The Little Old Lady From Pasadena D r i v e Jan & Dean Halsey ROCK & ROAMER | 17
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FOOD
SUMMER 2021
EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH L.A. By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
As a mecca for creativity and the arts, the food in L.A. is as exotic as it is Instagrammable. West Hollywood’s The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker creates a signature colorburst latte of rainbow colors from the freshest European coffee beans - that both looks and tastes magical.
As the city of stars, L.A. provides dining options made famous by the movies filmed there. Randy’s Donuts, featured in Iron Man 2 where Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) munches on the round treat while sitting in Randy’s iconic giant concrete donut sign. From the ocean on the coast to the San Gabriel Mountain range and the concrete jungle of Downtown L.A., it all contributes to L.A.’s food scene. A little bit of everything is brought to the table, making the food and restaurants unique. There are a lifetime of restaurants to visit, and new ones opening daily, but here are several of L.A.’s iconic eats A to Z:
APL Restaurant Steakhouse - Downtown Hollywood 1680 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028 APL is one of Hollywood's most outstanding steakhouses. Known for his smoked short ribs, Chef Adam Perry Lang perfected his grilling talent hosting "Serious Barbecue" back lot BBQ pop-ups at his friend, Jimmy Kimmel's Jimmy Kimmel Live! studio. APL serves hyper-seasonal, producedriven dishes, but the restaurant's best-kept secret is its seafood.
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Photo by Anna Campbell | Craig's, WeHo Bestia Italian - Arts District 2121 E 7th Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90021 Bestia put L.A.'s Arts District on the map as a restaurant destination when it opened in 2012. While they have since tweaked their menu, it still serves as L.A.'s go-to spot for unique Italian dishes. To order like a local, try the alla'nduja pizza (spicy pork sausage) or the cavatelli alla norcina (sausage pasta). But be sure to save room for dessert - their bar au chocolat bittersweet chocolate budino tart is a must! Courage Bagels Bagel Shop - Virgil Village 777 N Virgil Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029 Courage Bagels, which opened on L.A.'s Eastside last October, soon became an L.A. icon when the New York Times featured the bagelry in an article titled "The Best Bagels are in California (Sorry, New York)" in March. The Montreal-style bagels are only available sandwich style, as they recently stopped serving loose bagels due to the demand from their popularity. Whichever
sandwich option you try, be sure to order their fan-favorite burnt everything bagel. Dan Tana's Italian - West Hollywood 9071 Santa Monica Blvd, WeHo, CA 90069 This L.A. tradition, located in a hard-to-miss yellow bungalow beside WeHo Art Park, is among the city's most iconic restaurants. Decorated inside with Christmas lights yearround, Dan Tana's serves old-school Italian food that may not blow your mind but will fill your soul. While the spaghetti with meatballs is the classic choice, locals know the chicken parmesan is the best item on the menu.
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SUMMER 2021 El Coyote Mexican - Fairfax 7312 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Family-owned and operated since 1931, El Coyote provides a sense of familiarity for Angelenos and a place in pop culture for the rest of the world. Quentin Tarantino featured the restaurant in "Once Upon A Time… In Hollywood," as the reallife location Sharon Tate and her friends dined before the tragic Manson murders. Nothing had to be changed about the restaurant for the filming as it looks nearly identical to the way it looked in 1969 including its bright Christmas lights, kitschy chandeliers, and velvet paintings.
Forma Restaurant & Cheese Bar Italian - Wilshire Montana 1610 Montana Ave, SM, CA 90403 If you have a cheese obsession, Forma is the place to go! Its menu features a fantastic array of cheeses that their knowledgeable waitstaff can help you navigate. In addition, Forma caters to every type of restaurant-goer, offering healthy, gluten-free, and vegan options, as well as options for people who want to splurge on calories.
Greenblatt's Deli Deli - Laurel Canyon 8017 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90046 Even if you've never been to Greenblatt's, the cozy interior and fresh smells provide a sense of familiarity. The old-school Jewish deli offers many items, but the go-to is their hot pastrami sandwich and macaroni salad. Even if you choose a different sandwich item, you must try the macaroni salad, which is the best in the city.
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Howlin' Ray's Chicken - Chinatown 727 N Broadway #128, LA, CA 90012 Howlin' Ray's is one of the only places, apart from the South, that does Nashville Hot Chicken right. The small, order-fromthe-counter restaurant has six different heat levels on their menu ranging from "country" (no heat) to "howlin'" (a Scoville rating of 2,000,000+ units). However, for those who can take the heat, Howlin' Ray's offers two secret menu levels of spiciness: "howlin' plus" and "howlin' plus plus," both of which come with gloves and a stern warning. So, if you are looking for a place to train for a spot on Hot Ones, this is it.
In-N-Out Burger Hamburger - Westchester 9149 S Sepulveda Blvd, LA, CA 90045 The late American chef Anthony Bourdain named In-N-Out his "favorite restaurant in L.A.," and for a good reason. In-N-Out is a California staple. Their patties are free of additives, fillers, and preservatives of any kind and are never frozen. While you can visit their restaurants up and down the West Coast, their location near LAX is their most iconic. Angelenos have made it a tradition to stop at In-N-Out on their way to and from the airport. To order like a local, order your double-double "animal style," a secret menu item where the burger is cooked in mustard, and an extra "secret sauce" is added, with pickles and grilled onions.
Joan's on Third New American - Beverly Grove 8350 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048 First founded as a catering company in the 90s, Joan's on Third is a high-end deli that serves prepared dishes as well as a marketplace of foods to prepare at home. Run by Joan McNamara with her daughters, the menu changes daily, based on what delicious ingredients they have in stock at their store, plus they serve breakfast all day long. In addition to their delicious meals, they bake some of the best cupcakes in the city. A local favorite is their cloud cupcake, a marshmallow-filled dark chocolate dome over a chocolate cupcake.
Katsuya Glendale Japanese - City Center 702 Americana Way, Glendale, CA 91210 Katsuya serves unique sushi in a great atmosphere, with a large outdoor patio. Chef Katsuya Uechi, born in Okinawa, Japan, is known for his high-quality dishes and Japanese flavors for American palates. Along with an inventive sushi menu, a Katsuya favorite is the caked crab hand rolls with baked snow crab and Chef Katsuya's signature dynamite sauce, wrapped with rice in soy paper.
Lawry's The Prime Rib Steakhouse - Beverly Hills 100 La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 Lawry's has been serving luxurious comfort food from Beverly Hills since 1938 and is still operated by the founders' families. For years Lawry's only offered one entrée, rib roast. Today, they offer a limited menu of perfected items. For the ultimate Lawry's experience, order their signature Lawry cut prime rib and pair it with their blue-cheese-stuffed heirloom tomatoes and creamed corn.
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SUMMER 2021 Musso & Frank Grill American - Yucca Corridor 6667 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, CA 90028 Nothing is more "old school Hollywood" than the Musso & Frank Grill, known to Angelenos as just "Musso's." Built before the iconic Hollywood sign, the L.A. icon has sat unchanged on Hollywood Boulevard for over 100 years. Order Musso's jellied consommé (savory brown jelly) and flannel cakes, which have been on the menu since the 1920s. For the full Musso's experience, sit at the counter or request table no. 1 in the West Room, Charlie Chaplin's regular spot. Nobu Malibu Japanese - Malibu 22706 PCH, Malibu, CA 90265 All sushi lovers need to try Nobu Malibu at least once. The iconic celeb-loved sushi spot, located on a wood deck overlooking Carbon Beach, Nobu Malibu is as sceney as it is delicious. When dining at Nobu, it is best to be an adventurous eater. Ask your waiter what they recommend, but be sure to try the Malibu crispy rice with tuna, and to be seated nearest the ocean. Orsa & Winston Asian Fusion - Gallery Row 122 W 4th St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 Orsa & Winston is Chef Josef Centeno’s second downtown L.A. restaurant, located directly beside his first, Bar AMÁ, a TexMex cantina, and named for Centeno’s two dogs, who regularly check-in on the establishment. Orsa & Winston features a hyper-creative menu of Japanese-meetsItalian dishes. For something more casual, try one of their à la carte katsu sandwiches or grain bowls, such as their tsukune chicken-burger sando with cheese. But if you're willing to splurge, Orsa & Winston offers a 5-course tasting menu for $125 per person.
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Pine and Crane Taiwanese - Silver Lake 1521 Griffith Park Blvd, LA, CA 90026 Pine & Crane is a fast-casual Taiwanese restaurant offering authentic Taiwanese food with vegetarian and vegan options. Serving a mixture of small plates and noodles & rice dishes, Pine & Crane has options for people looking to grab a quick bite and those looking to have a full meal. Of course, their pan-fried pork buns and spicy shrimp wontons are a must. They also have an extensive list of teas, beer, wine, and sake.
Quiadaiyn Restaurant Mexican - Mar Vista 12326 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066 "Quiadaiyn" was the name given to owner Melissa Martinez's grandfather's mountain home in Oaxaca, Mexico, and what her family named her restaurant to honor him. Quiadaiyn Restaurant is Martinez’s first restaurant after over ten years of being in the catering business, owning and operating Leimert Park's Melissa's Catering with her parents. The restaurant’s back patio is a great, quiet place for a first date, or dinner with friends and family. Everything is made from scratch, including their traditional Mexican mole sauce.
République French - La Brea-Hancock 624 South La Brea Ave, LA, CA 90036 Serving modern French plates on communal tables, République is led by Chef Walter Manzke, who learned to cook with his family’s backyard produce in San Diego. Manzke opened the restaurant in 2011 with his wife, Margarita. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, brunch at République is a delicious experience. People wait in lines for their homemade pastries. The Spanish-style building of République was constructed in 1928 for Charlie Chaplin as a business investment, and while modernized, the building’s 1920s style architecture shines through.
Sonoratown Mexican - The Fashion District 208 E 8th St, Los Angeles, CA 90014 After the California Gold Rush in 1850, Mexican immigrants settled in what is today L.A.’s Chinatown, but then referred to as "Sonoratown." The restaurant was built in 2016 to honor those immigrants and serve delicious Mexican food in the style of San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, a city in northern Mexico. The menu is small but delicious. Try Sonoratown’s iconic burrito 2.0, served with your choice of meat, chunky guacamole, Monterey Jack cheese, pinto beans, and chiltepin salsa.
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SUMMER 2021
The Apple Pan Diner - West Los Angeles 10801 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 The Apple Pan has been serving classic American fare from burgers to pies from its tiny but iconic U-shaped counter since 1947. In 2019, The Apple Pan was sold to Irving and Shelli Azoff, with the condition they would preserve the food and character of The Apple Pan and keep all the employees. The Azoffs are music industry moguls - Irving, a longtime artist manager for the Eagles and Steely Dan, and Shelli, a managing partner of The Madison Square Garden Company. Despite the change in ownership, The Apple Pan remains the same as intended. A first-timer should try their iconic steak burger served with their homemade secret sauce, and of course, a slice of apple pie.
Urth Caffé Coffee Shop - The Arts District 459 S Hewitt St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 Urth Caffé is an L.A. European cafeteria-style café chain offering healthconscious food, including organic, heirloom coffees, fine teas, brunch options, and pastries. Urth works directly with suppliers in Africa, Japan, and South America to make and supply their unique roasts. The quality Urth provides separates them from other cafés. Angelenos can be found in Urth having brunch with friends, working on a screenplay, or picking up their morning fuel to-go. From their avocado toast to their unique pizza options and their lasagna, Urth has something for everyone to enjoy.
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Villa Corona Mexican - Atwater Village 3185 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039 Tacos Villa Corona serves breakfast and lunch Mexican fare out of their colorful counter-serving location near Griffith Park. Known for their $5 potato-filled burritos, Tacos Villa Corona is a great place to grab a cheap breakfast or lunch. There is no seating, so be prepared to take them to go, eat on the sidewalk outside the restaurant, or picnic in Griffith Park. They are closed Monday and are open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. the rest of the week, but it is best to arrive before 2 p.m. as they sometimes run out of food.
Wirtshaus German Restaurant German - Fairfax 345 N La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Wirtshaus German Restaurant is a great place to celebrate Oktoberfest in L.A., join in on the party in one of their many Bavarian Nights or soccer watch parties. Their menu features authentic schnitzel, sausages, potato pancakes, currywurst, and pretzels. They also feature over 35 German beers. While waiting on food, play “Around the World” on their ping pong table, or relax in their outdoor Biergarten.
X’tiosu Kitchen Lebanese - Boyle Heights 923 Forest Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90033 Started by brothers Felipe and Ignacio Zapotec, X’tiosu Kitchen serves healthy Lebanese-style fast food with a twist of inspiration from their Oaxacan heritage. Their chicken shawarma tacos, made with a corn tortilla, chicken, onion, cilantro, and arabesque salsa, is arguably the most delicious menu item and is best washed down with house-made agua fresca.
Yuca’s Mexican - Los Feliz 2056 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027 Known for its Yucatán-style cooking, Yuca’s is a no-frills taco hut that started more like a burger stand, serving hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, falafel, and steak sandwiches - much more like their previous restaurant menu when they ran a Middle Eastern joint. Eventually, the owner Socorro Herrera’s Yucatán heritage started to take over the menu, and they became known for their carne asada (grilled steak) and carnitas (shredded pork) burritos. You can still order a Yuca’s hamburger, but everyone needs to try their side of Yucatán style tamales, which are only available on Saturdays.
Zinqué French - West Hollywood West 8684 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90048 Zinqué is a community hub for great European food in a warm and charming atmosphere with a welcoming patio. This counter-ordering spot serves upscale breakfast, lunch, and dinner with several authentic-tasting items to choose from, along with many French-Californian fusion meals. For an authentic French meal, try their leek and gruyère quiche. For something more Californian, try their prawn tacos.
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PLAYLIST
SUMMER 2021
QUINTESSENTIAL L.A. SONGS CLOSE YOUR EYES AND YOU CAN FEEL IT. Walking On Sunset John Mayall
All I Wanna Do Sheryl Crow
Los Angeles HAIM
Free Fallin’ Tom Petty
Empty Hearted Town Warren Zevon
Straight Outta Compton N.W.A.
Another Day in L.A. Indigo Swing
Party In The U.S.A. Miley Cyrus
L.A. Murs
Walking In L.A. Missing Persons
The Only Place Best Coast
To Live And Die In L.A. Wang Chung
Los Ageless St. Vincent
Ain’t Nobody Straight In L.A. The Miracles
Time Spent in Los Angeles Dawes
Los Angeles X
Los Angeles, I’m Yours The Decemberists
MacArthur Park Richard Harris
A Long December Counting Crows
Downtown L.A. J.J. Cale
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SUMMER 2021
By Beth Campbell Staff Writer
The urge is strong to act out a song. (Not a lyric to "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles, which was the first video played on the Music Television channel in 1981.) Since the dawn of telling stories with music, singers have been dramatizing their songs for available platforms. There were operas on stage, Vaudeville, musical theater, musicals on film, sketches on television variety shows, and mini music movies. English-language acts like The Beatles, The Moody Blues, Queen, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Prince and the Revolution, and even The Monkees innovated songs visually if only to sell more records. Concept albums became feature-length movies. In many cases, the visual element superseded the music. The standard for experimentation was already high when cable television became the preferred platform for consuming music, supplanting radio. Cable made possible whole channels dedicated to music videos, like MTV, VH1, and CMT. But it was the invention of a videocamera, shooting on videotape instead of film, that enabled singers to record their visual ideas cheaply. Almost overnight, singers had to look great and perform better - or fail. Music videos were short like their songs, about three to five minutes. These short musical movies trained a host of auteur film directors, like Spike Jonze, David Fincher, and Michael Bay. MTV, CMT, nor VH1 no longer show music videos. You could say, in 2005, Youtube killed the cable channel star. The internet - Youtube and many URL platforms - provides an almost infinite supply of recorded music without television censorship. Streaming has almost killed radio, television, and buying copies of music. Much of today's music content is visual.
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With today's technology, shooting, editing, and sharing music videos is easy. Visual content around the world is exploding, and even instrumental songs, like minimalist paintings, can inspire narratives. But songs have lyrics. Lyrics are poems and short stories. And lyrics can inspire feature-length movies. If a 5 minute song can be expressed as a mini movie, can the plot of a song be expanded into a full-length movie? Not as often as you might think. A three-minute plot makes a three-minute film. But some songs just beg to be movies. At 18 minutes and 37 seconds, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree" expanded well into the movie Alice's Restaurant at 1 hour and 51 minutes. Likewise, are you alone in wanting Rami Malek to play Freddie Mercury playing a murderer who escapes capital punishment? That his character, Bismillah, identifies with both genders? That his murderous streak has
everything to do with being abused and misunderstood, in addition to growing up poor? Who will rhapsodize this story as a screenplay? Is any bohemian worthy??? Well there are single songs whose lyrics were so narratively compelling someone produced a movie. Here are songs that came before the movies (not just pilfered titles, not title songs written for the movie, not just songs from a soundtrack, and not songs that became bio-pic titles for their singers). And while this list is not exhaustive, the trend to pillage songs for plots seems to have peaked in 1986. So you content creators, you influencers, this is a Hollywood secret, like data mining for bitcoin. A formula for crafting a movie is to find a great song with vague emotions, then find a horrific true-crime story with the same emotions. There is a world of music before 1981 that has yet to be licensed visually. Break a tripod leg.
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SUMMER 2021
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PLAYLIST
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SUMMER 2021
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PLAYLIST
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INTERVIEW
SUMMER 2021
MADISON DALEY THE DINNER ARTIST Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
After a year of limited - if any - live music, it is important to seek out live performances wherever you roam, including in restaurants and bars, which is where many well-known artists got their start. Taylor Swift and Garth Brooks got their first record deal playing at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe and Jimmy Buffett started out playing for drinks at the Chart Room Bar in the Pier House Motel in Key West. Madison Daley, a New York City-based artist, is wellknown amongst the NYC restaurant/bar music scene, and gives Rock & Roamer an insight on what it is like playing restaurants and bars: How do you choose the songs you play at restaurants/bars? Are they different song choices than you would choose in a more normal concert setting? I use an iPad with tons of lead sheets on them, so most of the time I randomly select songs from that as I go. I also take requests! As far as specific songs, I try to do a mix of genres but lean towards Top 40s and classic rock. That being said, I always cater to what the crowd responds well to. If it's a sports bar full of older men, it's gonna be a lot of Rolling Stones and Beatles. If it's a bar with a lot of millennials, it'll be more T.Pain and Destiny's Child. When I perform at bars, it's almost all covers. I'll play an original if requested, which is rare haha. I actually keep my original music separate from cover gigs, performing under my real name at bars, Madison Daley, and under my stage name, Madame Daley, at original music shows. Do you frequently play at the same restaurants/bars and do you feel pressure to play different songs each time or do regulars/fans rely on the same tunes? Prior to the pandemic, I had a weekly gig at a restaurant in midtown Manhattan. In late 2020 and early 2021, I was in Tampa, FL and played frequently at the same bars. Like I said, I don't really have a setlist but a long list of songs that I'll randomly choose from at the moment. I tend to play tons of the same songs but try out new songs as much as I can. My regulars are friends and family.
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Photo Courtesy of Madison Daley They're so sweet that they don't care what I play, they just wanna hear me! I tend to always cater myself more to the random patrons that aren't familiar with me. What makes the perfect restaurant/bar song or setlist? The perfect songs for bar gigs for me are any songs that people feel compelled to sing along to. Since it's just me and my acoustic guitar, it's not like a band where people wanna dance. Everyone in the venue singing along is the absolute best audience interaction I can get! How do you, as a live performer, enhance the dinner experience at a restaurant/bar? It's an added element to going out that you don't always get! It's sorta like being a human jukebox. People always seem to be very
happy when you play a request or hear a song that they love. That being said, it's an interesting way to perform because people go in and out of listening/watching you and having conversations with their friends. I enjoy that way of playing because it's low pressure and I can just sorta have fun with the people who are interested in what I'm doing and if there's people who aren't, that's totally fine with me! Where can people go to hear you play? I have a gig lined up at Hanswell Green's in midtown Manhattan on May 30th! Other that that, I am actively trying to book some gigs again as NYC begins to fully reopen so keep an eye on my Instagram @madamedaley.
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INTERVIEW
SUMMER 2021
Interview By Lauren Elizabeth Campbell Editor-in-Chief
Jos Vincent began her summer by releasing "Daffodils and Daisies" June 4th. The song highlights her jazz influenced vocals and combines them with a smooth electronic soundscape. Jos gives an insight to Rock & Roamer about "Daffodils and Daisies," her songwriting process, and what’s next for her: How would you describe your music? Vivacious, for sure. I put a lot of passion into my music and I think you can feel my energy and emotion just from listening. Where did your love of music come from? It came from listening to the music my mom would play on the car rides to school as a kid. I remember being very young and singing along to "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac while we drove through our town with me looking out the window - very dramatically, I must add. I remember thinking, "Wow, I want to make music, too." Can you describe your latest single "Daffodils and Daisies," and give us an insight to your songwriting process? "Daffodils and Daisies" is about enjoying warmer weather with the ones you love and just really living in the moment. I co-wrote this song with a good friend of mine, Marissa Cazalas. We were in the same music ensemble in college and ended up becoming friends while we wrote "Daffodils and Daisies" actually! It all happened really fast the song just flowed out of us and it was this really cathartic moment. I had this idea of flowers with faces smiling up at the sun like in Alice in Wonderland and MC had the chords and progressions and together, we were unstoppable! I prefer to write with others because I feel it challenges me in the best way, and this was definitely one of those times. Generally, lyrics come to me first. I was writing poetry before I started writing songs so the words often come to me before melodies or chords do. I will write a few
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Photo Courtesy of Emily Keefe PR lines on my phone and then pick up my ukulele and start playing some random chords and that's how it usually begins. Has studying theater at Catholic University in Washington D.C. contributed to your music and songwriting process? It’s contributed more to my performance style, actually. I'm very bold onstage and studying theater for years only made that stage presence stronger. When I'm on stage, I’m not Josalyn, I'm Jos Vincent and she’s a force to be reckoned with! It's definitely an alter ego that I have the second I'm in the spotlight, and I have my thespian years to thank for that. Where do you see your music in five years? I see myself putting out an EP, a few music videos, and touring along the California coast and beyond. It’s only going up from here!
Keep up with Jos Vincent on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter @josvincentmusic, and stream "Daffodils and Daisies" wherever music is available.
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Summer 2021 Issue 4