WHITE NOISE ZINE - ISSUE 6

Issue 6 // APR 2016

HANDS LIKE HOUSES DARE TO BE DIFfERENT

+ fable cry + vista + FAMOUS LAST WORDS + More!

White Noise (noun) - A steady, unobtrusive sound, as an electronically produced drone or the sound of rain, used to mask or obliterate unwanted sounds.

Co-Founder - Photographer Crisanne Glasser Co-Founder - Editor in Chief Danielle Gittleman Contributing Writers Tori Pisco, Layne Edwards, Melissa Thayer, Casey Wolfe, Gianluca D’Elia, Danielle Gittleman, and Kasey Seifried Contributing Photographers Sheri Berman, Alyssa Kromelis, Crisanne Glasser, and Sam Polonsky

Thank You Fable Cry, Dreams of Vertigo, The Qemists, Radionaut, Mr. Shiraz, Hands Like Houses, Famous Last Words, VISTA, Good English, Effective Immediately PR, Carry The 4 We would also like to thank everyone who had a hand in making this magazine possible and for all of the continuous support over the last few months. We couldn’t do any of this without you guys!

Website: http://whitenoisezine.com // Twitter: @whitenoisezine // Facebook: http://facebook.com/whitenoisezine We are currently in the process of expanding our team. If you would like to become part of White Noise, please reach out to either crissy@whitenoisezine.com or danielle@whitenoisezine.com.

CONTENTS Fable Cry

4

Dreams of Vertigo

8

The Qemists

10

Radionaut

14

Mr. Shiraz

16

Hands Like Houses

20

Famous Last Words

26

VISTA

30

Good English

34

Album Reviews

36

FABLE CRY ROCK ‘N’ ROLL THEATRICS Words by Casey Wolfe // Photos courtesy of Jonathon Kingsbury

FABLE CRY

recently released their album, We’ll Show You Where the Monsters Are. The album, released after the band’s self-titled album, is different “in just about every way,” according to vocalist Zach Ferrin, who defines the band’s sound as “theatricalscamp-rock.”

“The first album was more of a collaboration between myself and former member, Kirstie Ferrin. We each wrote half of the songs, played all of the instruments on it, and recorded the whole thing at our parents’ house because ya gotta start somewhere,” said Ferrin.

After Kirstie left, Zach replaced her with a full band. However, while the band makes the music come to life, Zach is responsible for writing the entire album, minus one track. “I would write a song, then record a demo version of it with some rough backing tracks before sharing it with the rest of the band,” said Ferrin. “Then they’d work out some parts before getting together to hash out the final arrangements.”

The band draws inspiration from dramatic and theatrical figures such as Walt Disney, Tim Burton and Danny Elfman because of their ability to take something dark and haunting into something enjoyable and fun. “They’re imaginative and whimsical, but legitimately good as well. We strive for that, not taking ourselves too seriously, but taking what we do very seriously,” said Ferrin. “On top of that, the villains are just incredible!”

“Fancy Dancing,” the latest single off of their new album, has a haunted, creepy kind of vibe to it. Being a band that puts a lot of focus into their music videos, Fable Cry used the upcoming Halloween holiday as inspiration.

“Halloween was just around the corner, and I had just started writing a song about a witch and a murder... So in a matter of three weeks, we learned the song as band, recorded it, turned our living room into a witch’s lair, got/made costumes, shot, and released our first single for an album we hadn’t even finished writing yet,” said Ferrin.

Their other music videos from the album followed suit. “The Good Doctor” is entirely

performed by a puppet. “You Ain’t My Baby No More” has a clown (Ferrin) wandering through an old Mill in one continuous shot. And “Dead Or Alive (For Now)” is a stylized video painting, with references to many different horror icons.

For Fable Cry, it’s all about a flare for the dramatic both on recording, as well as on stage. “What would make me super happy would be to headline enormous tours of our own with unlimited theatrics with our friends who we’re playing shows with now,” said Ferrin. “To name a couple, The Ford Theatre Reunion, and Flummox. Go check them out. In ten years we’ll make that tour happen, and it’s going to be stupid huge.”

The making of the “Fancy Dancing” music video was nothing short of frantic for Fable Cry. “We had such a strict deadline (Halloween) and intense shoot/studio schedule that it was amazing to see everyone involved hustling so thoroughly,” said Ferrin.

“We had a late shoot one night, and an early shoot the next morning that I ended up sleeping in my makeup one of the nights. Natalie Moritz, who played the witch, was in her makeup all day with a costume, makeup, and nails that prohibited her from doing just about anything - aside from casting spells, of course... But somehow, with the help of drinking straws and tiny bites of pizza between takes, we all pulled it together,” he added.

Like any upcoming band, Fable Cry’s goal is to expand their audience, though they are very appreciative of the listeners they have reached so far. “The bigger our monster squad of fans becomes, the more we can put back into the show, plain and simple,” said Ferrin.

Though the band has a specialized sound that may not reach all listeners, they are successful in reaching their target audience. “We’re like caviar. Technically it’s eggs, but it’s not like the eggs you’re imagining. It’s fish, but doesn’t taste like that either,” Ferrin said. “It’s maybe not for everyone, but it is decadent. And that makes you feel special as you enjoy it.”

6 http://whitenoisezine.com

O G I T R E V OF

g S n i M A m a E e R r D pd o t s r e v ne by Words

lia ca D’E u l n a i G

// Ph

f rtesy o u o c s oto

ely PR

Effect

ediat ive Imm

years ago, Dreams of Vertigo lead vocalist Doug Ferguson was sneaking into a Vans corporate office party to meet of his favorite band, MXPX. Just a few years later, MXPX frontman Mike Herrera collaborated on a song with Ferguson’s band.

Dreams of Vertigo got their start in Orange County, California, immersed in an ever-growing rock scene that bands as notable as Avenged Sevenfold call home.

Now, Dreams of Vertigo are ready for their time in the spotlight. Their new single, “Blakey’s Goldfinger,” is the first single from their upcoming album and their most recent release since 2014’s Reject University Part One: The Freshman 15.

Ferguson said the band’s upcoming album, Reject University Part 2: From 6 To Midnight, slated for a summer 2016 release,

Eight

“We’ve been through a lot, I think that comes out in the music we’ve been writing” will bring new changes as the band has been growing and spending hours together writing new song.

“It’s a much different record,” Ferguson said. “It’s always going to be whatever we feel — the vibe of the record feels different.”

“There were a lot of rhythm parts that, although they sounded easy, were very complex in our first two records. I have toned it down and I think it makes a lot of room to let the rest of the band just show off their talents.”

Whether it was opening for Eve 6, losing their lead guitarist, or signing onto a record label and then dropping it, the band’s shared experiences — both good and bad — have inspired their writing process and ultimately helped them develop as musicians.

“I think as individual musicians, we

have all grown so much,” Ferguson said.

“We’ve been through a lot. I think that comes out in the music we’ve been writing.”

Meanwhile, on the West Coast, Dreams of Vertigo kept working on their sound, recording and writing new songs. The rock scene in Orange County is diverse, with bands ranging from hardcore to pop punk to acoustic. Ferguson said Dreams of Vertigo has some elements of all these genres.

“If you’re into So Cal punk and really melodic songs, you’ll like us,” Ferguson said. “I think as a band that has grown up in Orange County, you can’t help but be influenced. This is a scene we were raised as musicians in. We have seen bands like Avenged Sevenfold, who grew up literally right down the street from us, take off and become a number-one selling band on Billboard.”

The ideas and values the band members share are significant to them.

Dreams of Vertigo was founded on the idea that mainstream media should not influence making music. They also pride themselves as being “anti pay to play.”

“I’ve never quite understood the logic mass media has,” Ferguson said. “To me, there is so much great music out there right now. The problem is most mainstream media ignores it. They want something safe, because the industry is changing almost overnight.

Nowadays some kid in Kentucky can record a song in his basement in a day, and release it and get millions of streams on Spotify. The idea that you have to walk this certain line in order to “make it” just doesn’t make sense to us. We’ve never been that kind of band.”

For Dreams of Vertigo, there is no set plan of “making it,” no quest to be played on the radio — just the music. But going against the grain has not stopped the band from attracting a loyal fanbase — Ferguson said he recently met a fan who has their lyrics on her arm.

“It’s amazing to us that four kids from Orange County have made such an impact on our fans,” Ferguson said. “Even if it’s just one.”

http://whitenoisezine.com

9

THE QEMISTS

PICKING UP WHERE THEY LEFT OFF Words by Casey Wolfe // Photos courtesy of A12 Entertainment

The

Qemists, an electronic rock band from the UK, released their new album, Warrior Sound, after six years.

While they haven’t produced any new music in that time, they were still active in the alternative rock scene.

“The truth is we never left. While we haven’t released anything in that time, we have been playing countless shows in every far corner of the globe from South Korea and Japan, to Russia and Europe,” said the band.

This album shows where the band is now compared to where they started. “I think we’ve recently discovered our true identity lyrically and musically, therefore this album is represents our evolution into that which we were meant to be ‘Warrior Sound,’” they said.

One thing that has changed for the band is new member, Olly Simmons. “Olly has brought his experience and talent to the band, so we’ve been working together over time to get to know each other and develop the live show into what you see before you today,” they said.

“Looking forward, we are out on the road with our friends Enter Shikari for their European tour, swiftly followed by a UK tour with our Japanese friends Crossfaith, and then our own headline tour in Japan. From March 12th onwards we march,” they added.

The fans are a memorable part of the experience as well. The band recalls one fan, who they refer to as “Ichiban” which is Japanese for Number 1. “This guy has been with us since way back. It didn’t seem to matter which train station, airport or hotel we arrive at, he was there waiting with arms FULL of merchandise,” they said.

“We were seeing this dude outside of our shows ready to get multiples of the same products signed, and we couldn’t even be sure that he had even bothered to actually come to watch us play. We eventually decided after years of him having the same CD’s/Vinyl/Tees signed that he must be selling it all on EBay or something.”

As for touring with a band like Enter Shikari, The Qemists are seasoned vets. They played with the band in 2009 in their beginning stages and credit them with teaching them how

to tour. “We’d actually only ever performed a handful of shows before that tour so we learned a lot from them with regards to delivering a professional live performance, we’re eternally grateful for that early opportunity,” they said.

“If anyone out there wants to know how to tour, properly, then look no further. It is because of their rigorous and forever evolving live show — as well as great music — that they are rightfully one of the biggest bands out there.

We’re supporting them again on their European tour from the 12th through the 20th of March so we’re thoroughly looking forward to hanging out and playing some killer shows.”

Being of the dance music and rock genre, their fan base has evolved differently than it would for most bands. “The evolution of our fan base is quite interesting to observe. We obviously hail from the dance world in spite of always possessing a certain level of rock influence, so in the beginning while we did always have a number of ‘rock fans’ our crowds were predominantly that of the dance music culture,” they said.

“We’ve played ‘rock festivals’ from the beginning, but as our sound has evolved we find that our appeal has transcended that of just dance music fans and left us in a place where we are appreciated by both worlds equally.”

While the process of writing an album is a long one, the band is proud of the work that went into creating it. “A lot of blood, sweat and tears went into producing this album,” they said. “Writing and recording an album is always something that takes a considerable amount of time and planning, we wanted to make sure we gave this project the attention and care that it deserved in order to deliver our fans something that they will love. We’re just looking forward to getting out on the road and representing all that hard work in 3D.” Like any band, The Qemists appreciate their fans dedication and support and promise that they will be active in the music scene from this point on. “We want to thank anyone who has and continues to support us and our music,” they said. “All the people that have taken the time to write to us about the album and offer us congratulations…thank you. You’ve waited long enough. We’re back for good now. “

12 http://whitenoisezine.com

t u t a u n b o i e d D r Ra i e h ccoouurrtteessyy t s s o o t t o o h h g P P maann //// lem Gititttle iellllee G MawwkbbyyiDDn aannie ie R PR ly P Intteerrvvie In iatteely ddia e e m m Im Im e e iv Effffeeccttiv ooff E

Radionaut, the hard rock band hailing from Los Angeles, California are finally making their recording debut. Their self-titled debut album was years in the making, but these guys are finally making their dreams a reality. With influences from Pink Floyd to The Rolling Stones and Metallica, Radionaut are ready to get their name out into the rock world. We got the chance to talk to the band about their debut album and where they see themselves going next.

Tell us a little bit about your upcoming debut self-titled album. What does it feel like to finally have an LP out?

Frankie Divis: It’s exciting to take this step as a band is a big accomplishment and something we’ve been working hard at for a few years now.

It hasn’t always been an easy road, but we’ve been having a lot of fun along the way. This album is a collection of our first years together as a band. A lot of dive bars, shabby rehearsal spaces, late nights, some close calls… a lot of good memories.

What’s the writing and recording process like for you guys? Since this is your debut, how did you go about the process for your first time around?

We each have our influences and point of view; Aaron and Anthony come more from metal And

Diego and I more from blues and rock. We all bring that to the table and from there we get together and just sort of feel it out. It kind of just comes down to capturing the moment when it’s there.

We were fortunate to come across D.O’B studios in Santa Fe Springs where Derek O’Brien — former drummer of Social Distortion and Agent Orange — runs the studio. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot working with him on the details and finishing touches of the album. It shows the raw nature of our sound… I’m really happy with how it came out.

Is there anything you think you would do differently next time around, or would you continue to do what you do?

Well, of course we’ve learned along the way,

14 http://whitenoisezine.com

and now pay more attention to some of those details and dynamics that we weren’t really paying attention to before. But the core process of how we write and collaborate together is something that we enjoy, and want to keep as pure as possible. There’s a spontaneity that we can capture when we’re all together jamming on a tune… kind of a live feel that can just open up a track and let it breathe a bit.

What are some of your influences? Where do you draw your inspiration for your music?

Well let’s see, Floyd, Stones, Doors, Metallica, Willie Nelson, Zeppelin to name a few, but there’s a bunch more… We draw from a lot of things; the world around us, and how we see it, art, literature, emotions and stuff we go through, a bit of everything I guess.

How would you describe your sound to someone who am has never heard you guys before?

Hard rock. Driving, melodic, and heavy at the same time. If you like Audio Slave, STP, Zeppelin then I think you’ll dig our stuff.

would be your dream tour lineup?

Well, Guns N’ Roses are back at Coachella this year right? Haha. There’s a lot of great artists out there that we would be excited to play with. I think a lineup with The Black Keys, Alabama Shakes, The Mars Volta, Muse or say Foo Fighters?! That would be pretty cool.

Where do you guys see yourselves in a few years time? Any goals you really have for yourselves as a band?

Hopefully somewhere high up on the charts, haha. Of course we have goals. In a few years time we plan on being full-time musicians, touring and spreading our music. Really, we just want to have fun and keep making the music that’s important to us and to our fans.

Anything you’d like to tell your fans?

Get ready for a lot more music coming your way soon! Check us out on iTunes & stay tuned to RadionautMusic.com for new music, show schedules, and all the latest info on the band.

We’re looking to turn it up in 2016 and hope to see you out there. Cheers!

Would you ever consider doing some sort of collaboration? Who would you absolutely love to work with?

Sure, if the right opportunity comes along. We’re pretty focused on what we’re doing right now, but if Slash or say Roger Waters came knocking on our door, we’d be pretty excited… of course there’s a few more on the short-list that we’d consider. Haha.

What are your plans for the next upcoming months? Any plans to tour?

Well, our album is set for official release in early June, so a lot of gigging in LA and southern Cal to support the effort, and then we’re hoping to hit the road and do some touring towards the fall and end of the year.

Is there anyone you guys would absolutely love to tour with? What http://whitenoisezine.com

15

MR. SHIRAZ

DARING TO BE DIFFERENT Words by Layne Edwards // Photos courtesy of Rookie PR

Mr.

Shiraz is a group of quirky, strange, and downright interesting human beings from Huddersfield, England. The band recently released an EP, 21 Grams, a groovy punk collection jams. The main thing that sticks out about these guys is their incredible stage energy. Not a foot is on the ground during their fast pace performances. So how do they manage to keep all of that up on tour?

“Alcohol. It is from alcohol,” joked frontman Mikey Shiraz “No I think a lot of it comes from the fact that at the end of the day we are friends and we don’t take ourselves too seriously. I mean how can you in this world? I mean, when playing live, you are getting up onto a stage to perform for a bunch of people who have paid to see what you are about. I don’t know about you but if I pay to go see anything I want to be entertained.”

“WE HAVE BEEN BLOWN AWAY WITH THE REACTION ON THIS ONE, WE REALLY HAVE” But above all the band’s secret is just being extremely humble. “We are a band that constantly takes the piss out of each other and ourselves, we love playing live, it’s a blessing to be able to do this and I think that translates when we play live. The crowd can always tell we are having a killer time,” said Shiraz.

The band’s focus is actually so honed in on stage performances, they brought a big piece of what makes them so unique and took it to the studio. “We have had many records out over the years and although they have songs on them and they sound good enough we have always been known as a live band,” said Shiraz. “We are loud, brash, excitable but that has never really translated to our recordings. With 21 Grams I feel this has finally been sorted.”

So how have the fans been taking to this new and improved sound?

“We have been blown away with the reaction on this one, we really have. Across the

board the reviews have been awesome and people just seem to dig it which is all we have ever wanted. On past releases it was always a mixed bag, we would get some good, some bad, some who REALLY hated us but the last two releases seem to have been taken pretty well by all around so thanks for that,” said Shiraz.

Mr. Shiraz in its many forms has been around the block a few times. They have been nominated at the Pure Rawk Awards for Best Bassist, Best Frontman, and Best EP over the last several years. This group has been on the map for quite sometime so what has been setting you apart for so long?

“I have no idea,” Shiraz laughed. “I think it helps that we are a bit weird genre wise. We have never really fitted in as part of any scene or genre. We have always been a band who writes a song not because it fits with a certain sound but because we think it sounds good to us and it is something we would listen to. We are into so many different styles of music as individuals and I think that creates a pretty good melting pot when writing. We just want to play gigs. A good example is late last year, in the space of three days we played with Eureka Machines (powerpop/rock), HECK (extreme noise terror) and Suburban Legends (Ska/Pop/Punk) three very different bands but in some way we fit in on each show and went down well.”

Over the years of Mr. Shiraz being a band, they’ve had a number of milestones and huge “oh god this is really happening,” moments. “[There have been] so many! Getting to do an American tour, loads of Euro tours, getting to support some of our favourite bands, seeing your record in the shops. It’s things like that, I mean we are a band from the Yorkshire Town of Huddersfield, how the hell did this happen,” said Shiraz.

As for the upcoming months, the band plans to keep busy and continue to grow and gain success.

“Lots of playing, lots more gigs, we are up for best EP at Pure Rawk Awards so fingers crossed we get that. I guess we have to wait and see what else happens, you never really know what is around the corner.”

18 http://whitenoisezine.com

HANDS LIKE HOUSES SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS Words by Melissa Thayer // Photos courtesy of Secret Service PR

Inspired

by a quote from the 2006 film, The Science of Sleep, Hands Like Houses gave themselves a name that captured what they felt was right at the time of the band’s creation. Later, the name would mold into a new meaning for not only the guys but for their fans as well.

Composed of five members who grew up together in Canberra, Australia, Hands like Houses officially came together in 2008 and has been making a name for themselves ever since.

In an interview with Pearson he describes their music simply, “We’re a rock band —the more specific you try to get, the more complicated it gets. We enjoy making relatively heavy music that’s impactful, both emotionally and musically.”

Immediately after coming together they became

“HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS. GO IN WITH EYES CLOSED, AN OPEN MIND. RIDE THE VIBE.” recording Ground Dweller, originally meant to be an EP and eventually reworked to eventually become a full-length album.

In 2011 Hands Like Houses released two singles, “This Ain’t No Place for Animals” and “Lion Skin” which brought lots of attention to the band. In January of the following year Hand Like Houses signed on with the American record company, Rise Records, and released their debut album Ground Dweller in March of 2012.

The album was a success for the band, in turn debuting at No. 141 on the Billboard Top 200 and at No. 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. By April the band released a video EP entitled Snow Sessions, which featured acoustic performances of songs off their album.

Continuing with the busy year, Hands Like Houses embarked on their first US tour, The Freshman Class of ’12 Tour, with The Air I Breathe, Palisades and My Ticket Home in May. Despite being from Australia the band feels

like the Internet has allowed them to bridge the distance between home and the US, allowing their music and online media to reach people that they could have never reached otherwise.

Pearson explains the reason for some of the difficulty in reaching potential fans outside of the US, UK and EU having to do with the practicability of touring in those places, “… the live show is a huge part of who we are,” he explains.

Despite this, the band continued to have fantastic success and would go on to tour the US again with We Came As Romans, Attack Attack!, and then again later in the year with Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens on the Collide with the Sky Tour.

Hands Like Houses released their second album, Unimagine, in July of 2013. That same year they performed for the first time at Vans Warped Tour and released a music video for “A Fire On A Hill.”

2014 brought even more success for the guys, allowing them to do multiple tours for their new album Unimagine. During the spring they completed their first UK headlining tour with the band, Crooks. The following month the band headlined their first US tour supported by Slaves, Miss Fortune and Alive Like Me. Then returned home to Australia to headline tours throughout the country while releasing another music video for “A Tale of Outer Suburbia.” The finished the year strong with yet another tour throughout the UK and Europe with Bury Tomorrow, Slaves and In Hearts Wake.

Despite all of their incredible success their biggest year yet had yet to come. 2015 kicked off with the release of a new single “I Am” and shortly after performing on Silverstein’s Discovering the Waterfront 10 Year Anniversary Tour. It was a year of music festivals for the band.

Starting off the summer they performed at the Download Festival in the UK before heading back to the US for the Vans Warped Tour. Later in the year they would go on to play the Unify Festival in Australia, which was a favorite for the guys, as well as the Download Festival, according to Pearson. The band hopes to eventually play festivals in Germany or the well-known Reading + Leeds Festival in the UK.

22 http://whitenoisezine.com

As well as completing tours throughout the year the band returned to the studio in March where they began working on their third album, Dissonants which is out February 26, 2016.

When comparing Dissonants to prior albums Pearson says, “We like to think that it’s taken a solid fistful of influence out of each album, then taken a big step forward.” The band hopes that with each album the produce it is evolving and improving the band as musicians and songwriters, while at the same time not leaving anyone behind. With the new album fans can expect to hear some of the same riff-based intensity that they loved in Ground Dweller and the songwriting sensibility from Unimagine.

In anticipation of the album’s release the band has featured singles and videos like “Colourblind,” which the band writes on their Facebook, “… is about our cultural obsession with binary ideas — we are black or white, right or wrong. We’re so caught up, we forget that we live in a world of color.”

The album’s release was originally set for October of last year, however with some setbacks, the release date was pushed back to

early 2016.

This third album was an intense process for the band, one that they hope they won’t have to repeat any time soon. Pearson explains that in being able to work with James Wisner again for this album meant “…we and he both had a greater say in how we wanted to create this record, and by being wholly intentional in the way we wrote, we put a huge amount of extra pressure on ourselves — so much so that we had to take a deep breath, admit to ourselves that the album wasn’t ready, and commit to more studio time in September to finish the record.”

“We enjoy making music that’s impactful - both emotionally and musically.”

Despite the hardships the band faced with completing the new album they also realized that from this came the identity of the album that shaped it into what it is. The album, as most of

http://whitenoisezine.com

23

their music is, was influenced by a live setting, Pearson explained, “… whether that’s the songs we enjoy playing the most or the bands we tour with. That being said, I think the biggest influence on this album was intent — we set out from the beginning with a clear motivation of what we wanted to achieve by it, musically and professionally.”

Over the course of the past few years with the band’s incredible success Pearson believes that they’ve been able to relax and “… embrace who we are and what we do.” Though the may not always agree on what they want to accomplish or how to do so, they’ve still come to understand the group’s dynamic and grow together in order to keeping making fantastic music every time they hit the studio.

So, what’s next for Hands Like Houses and what are fans to expect with the new year?

Pearson gave us a slight hint that though the band will spend the spring touring the UK they might be returning to the US right before that.

The band is currently booking some tours for the upcoming year. Pearson tells us that, “It’s

definitely a more focused year in terms of touring so we’re hoping that any off time we have, we can spend in the practice room, jamming out some new music.” Though, we may not get the chance to hear any of this new music anytime soon the guys look forward to enjoying the writing process again but this time in a more stress-free way.

As far as the new album goes, Pearson says, “Have no expectations. Go in with eyes closed, an open mind and feel the music.

Ride the vibe!” If he had to pick one track off Dissonants for first time listeners to check out he wholeheartedly recommends “I Am,” “It’s just a jammer, live and on record, it capturers everything about who we are right now as a band.” Still, he loves the records “Stillwater,” “Momentary” and “Motion Sickness” and notes them unapologetically as his favorites from the new record.

24 http://whitenoisezine.com

Famous Last Words

MORE THAN JUST THE MUSIC Words by Danielle Gittleman // Photos courtesy of High Road Publicity

All

music tells a story, but Michigan band Famous Last Words takes storytelling within music to a whole other level. The band has been known to tell unique stories throughout all of their previous releases, and this upcoming one is no different.

“I can tell you it’s another concept album.

I won’t divulge too much information regarding the concept behind the album, but here is a general breakdown,” said vocalist Jeremy (Jt) Tollas. “It’s a story that takes place in the United States during 1953. The focus is on a suburban, stay-at-home mother who keeps mysteriously blacking out and begins to have these horrible nightmares. With the support of her husband, she is determined to figure out the cause of these blackouts and to interpret the vicious nightmares that relentlessly haunt her every time she closes her eyes, all while simultaneously caring for her son and struggling daily with the gender stereotypes many women had to deal with back in post WWII America.”

Albums that have a concept and a continuous story aren’t too common in the rock scene. Tollas’ ability to come up with these interesting storylines and turn them into enough songs to make an album is truly remarkable. And to think, it all just comes to him. “I actually get a lot of my ideas when I’m doing really long drives, which is good because those happen a lot in a touring band,” explained Tollas. “After a ton of bad concept ideas race through my head, a good one eventually hits me. Next I do what I call The Twilight Zone test. Essentially if I can imagine the story as an episode of The Twilight Zone, then it’s the proper length and complexity. After that, I pick out the key parts of the story, and those key parts are what become the songs. The trick is to match the ‘vibe’ of the song to the ‘vibe’ of that certain part of the story. If you have a good fluent and interesting story and are able to correctly match the vibes, then you have a fluent and interesting sounding album that people can listen to from the first song to the last.”

The guys in Famous Last Words haven’t changed their writing and recording technique, however they have made some other changes over the past few months. The band recently signed to Revival Records, a record company started by Alesana’s Shawn Milke. “When I first

started talking to Shawn Milke, we clicked right away,” said Tollas. “We shared the same ideas and beliefs about how art should be treated in the industry. There was also a strong passion on both sides that I believe will help push the band further than we could have ever dreamed of. I truly believe 2016 will be our year and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the band.”

In fact the band’s first release through Revival Records is just about finished and ready to be released to fans. Tollas said that the album is completely tracked and are awaiting the final mixes and masters. Although the band is keeping their storytelling concept the same this time around yet again, the band is changing their

“SHIT IS ABOUT TO GET VERY, VERY REAL” sound just a tiny bit. “In this new album, we have shed off some of the overplayed Metal-Core chug breakdowns, and replaced them with a different kind of heavy, which I think everybody will see as refreshing. This album definitely has more depth than any of our previous albums. I feel like we have really created a unique sounding album with a story and sound that is like nothing else out there right now.”

Tollas also revealed that there will be a few guest vocalists on the upcoming record, and the band is really excited about them. As for what’s next for the band, they’re gearing up for a big album release and a tour to support it. Tollas assures that once the band knows something, the fans will too, and to be on the lookout for dates.

“Just keep an eye out on our social media accounts these next few months,” said Tollas.

“Because shit is about to get very, very real. We will see you all soon.”

28 http://whitenoisezine.com

VISTA STARTING OVER AGAIN Words by Danielle Gittleman // Photos

by Holly Turner

30 http://whitenoisezine.com

BEING

a woman in the music industry ‘On The Brink,’ it was the first song that they is a tough job — being in a ever tried to write together, and it came pretty female fronted band is an even tougher gig. naturally,” the band explained.

But for Hope Vista and her band Vista, she’s “Wolf and Brian are both in love with the determined to make it in this male-dominated studio and the recording process, while Hope industry. likes the writing process a lot more,” they said.

Although the band was recently formed, “We all have a mutual respect for each other and Hope was a solo artist for almost a decade and always listen to each other’s ideas, and try to didn’t really have a solid fanbase until about a incorporate them into everything we do. That’s year and a half ago. One day she decided that what makes it work; that mutual respect for each enough was enough and she needed a change. other and everyone’s creativity.”

“I just didn’t feel like I was being challenged Once the EP is out, the band plans to anymore,” said Hope. “It kind of put me in a really hit the road and play some shows for the first dark place, I lost a lot of my passion for a bit and time. They are unsure of where or when at the that was strange for me, because this is all I’ve moment, with all of the recent setbacks they’ve ever wanted to do. I wasn’t writing any music, I gone through. “We’ll definitely be doing shows didn’t want to write any music, and it was kind of in May, and we’re either having our first show at like being at the bottom of a well; all you can do is the very end of April or in early May,” they said. look up and see the light, but you can’t get there. “These setbacks have really thrown off our whole I’d always been against being a frontwoman, but timeline. But we’re consistently working to get I finally realized that forming a band would be things done and we’ll absolutely be playing a lot my biggest challenge yet. I wanted that sense of throughout the summer.” challenge back.”

A social media presence is important And that’s just what Hope is doing in this for bands — especially new ones — as a way new adventure. The band defines their music as to communicate with fans. Vista has a strong “anthemic alternative rock,” — a self proclaimed presence on YouTube, as they post videos genre — adding more to the challenge that Hope constantly to connect with their fans. Yet again, lined up for herself. In fact, the band has already finding ways to differentiate themselves from faced their first roadblock: their very first single other bands, Vista just wants their fans to see “On The Brink,” was supposed to be released who they really are and what they do when on March 4, but due to some issues with iTunes, they’re not playing music. “At our first photoshoot, it wasn’t officially released until March 14.

Hope asked our photographer Holly Turner if she Regardless of the delay, the band is excited for could just randomly film things when we weren’t their fans to hear what they’ve been working on. paying attention. Holly ended up filming so many Good news for the fans, there’s more short videos and we had no idea what was in to come. The band is working on their debut them when she sent them all over. Hope’s idea EP, set to release sometime in the spring. “We was to have these little behind the scenes clips, have some date ideas, but nothing set in stone upload a few to YouTube every week, and just yet. We’re finishing up in a little less than three have a consistent flow of content so people could weeks,” the band said. “We’re kind of behind just watch us actually living and see what our on our release timeline for the year; we’ve personalities are like and what the group flow is had multiple setbacks. But finishing this EP like,” they said. and getting it out there is our main priority. It’ll Although this is just the start for Vista, definitely be out mid-late April.” they’ve already hit the ground running. With their Although Hope is used to doing things on past experience in the music business, and hard her own, she found that working with the guys in work ethic, they’re destined to go far. this new endeavor wasn’t very hard at all. The “Thank you for putting our name in your three all bring their own ideas and creativity to bios, for telling your friend to listen to us, and the table and collaborate with one another to most importantly, for caring. None of it goes make music that they love. “Wolf and Hope wrote unnoticed! Enjoy the new music!”

32 http://whitenoisezine.com

GOOD ENGLISH FIERCE FAMILY OF ROCKERS

Interview by Danielle Gittleman // Photo courtesy of Behind the Curtains Media

Three sisters are prepared to take the music world by storm. With a determination to make it in a male-dominated industry, Good English have recently released their sophomore self-titled album. The girls are dedicated to their music, and are excited to get out there and tour their new album. We got the chance to talk to the girls of Good English and what's next for them.

You guys recently released your sophomore self-titled album. How does it feel to finally have it out? How has fan reception been so far?

It feels so amazing to finally have this album out!

It is less of a meticulously thought out album front to back and more so a compilation of songs from the past two years of writing. We have been playing many of the songs live for upwards of the past year and a half because the sound was new

and fun for us, so we have been anxious to get them recorded and into the hands of our fans. So far the fans’ reactions have been very positive and continue to express an interest in the heavier and more upbeat sound we have become. This album is definitely an introduction to a new era of Good English and we are beyond stoked to have it out in the world.

How is your sophomore album different from

34 http://whitenoisezine.com

your debut? Do you feel like you’ve grown as a band and musically?

The sophomore album expresses a growth of us as the band as well as individuals. Our debut album was recorded shortly after our former fourth member left for college and contained many elements of our early days as a band (ex. acoustic guitar, a softer sound, piano, no backup vocals, etc.), whereas the new album is more of an expression of how we’ve matured into older people with more musical experience, as well as how our taste in music has followed a much heavier rock driven path. It still has the Good English “sound” underneath it, but we’ve added a few more distorted guitars, riffs, and so many backup vocals!

What’s it like to not only be a female fronted band, but an entire band made up of females in the music industry? Do you find it hard sometimes? Or do you like being a standout amongst the crowd of male dominated bands?

Honestly it’s awesome being girls in a male dominant industry! Our style of music isn’t what most people expect from three girls so there is always a surprise factor that comes out of our live set. Our motto is “punch them in the face and leave,” and that’s usually what we end up doing.

We haven’t had any issues within the industry itself as females pursuing a career; however, it has become one of our pet peeves when venues assume we want to only play with other females and we are booked on “girls nights” or with only bands that have at least one female in them. We rock and we roll and we can play with the boys!

Would you guys be interested in doing any collaborations in the future? Is there anyone you’d absolutely love to collaborate with?

We are 100% open to collaborations. Elizabeth has done some solo collaborating and totally understands the value and importance of collaborating. You can learn so much just by sitting down with one other person and watching them play or writing with them. You grow as a musician and we’d love to do that as a band.

We’ll be redundant and say that working with Josh Homme would be a dream because we love what he has created in all of his projects and think his vision and creativity is something that would work extremely well with our music.

What’s next for you guys this year? Is there anything that fans can look forward to?

After this tour we will continue to support the album by doing a bunch of Midwest touring (weekend warrior style) and creating some music videos for a few of the songs from the album. We hope to continue to tour throughout the summer (probably the East coast) and then do another US loop in the Fall.

Now that your album is out and you’re touring to support it, do you guys have any goals for yourselves? Anything on the band bucket list you are looking to cross off?

We have so many goals!! We’d love to continue to grow the band and keep moving up the ladder until we can support ourselves fully off of the music, but for the short term we’d love to continue playing live shows, find a label and a booking agent, play some festivals, and keep writing music! Win a grammy!

http://whitenoisezine.com

35

A L

A WAR WITHIN

B

Believe

U Words by Danielle Gittleman

M R E V I E W S

Hailing from Detroit, Michigan, A War Within have recently released their third album, Believe. The album features twelve tracks that any rock/metalcore fan would love.

The album begins with a high energy, fast-paced track titled “Promises.” The opening track really sets the tone for the album, and it really gave me high expectations for the rest of the songs on the album. Continuing on with listening to the album, I definitely wasn’t let down. Every track brought something spectacular to the table, whether it be a sick break down, intense vocals, or the high energy guitar riffs.

Another notable track and definitely one of my favorites, was “Weight of the World.” The intro to the song features a piano, which I absolutely loved. I am a really huge fan of the clean vocals al this song features a lot of it within the song. “Mirrors,” is an extremely high-energy song that was one of my favorites. From the very second the song kicks off, I instantly loved the track. The guitar riffs are fantastic, and so is the breakdown. This song really got my blood flowing.

What I really liked most about this album were the intros to the songs. Almost every song had a notable intro whether it was electronic, just vocals, or a piano, each song was different from the very beginning which is very refreshing. I also really enjoyed the use of piano in some songs, which is something really different for a metalcore band, and they pulled it off effortlessly.

Finishing off the album was “The Hunter and The Lion,” which I thought was a great track to end the album on. What I really liked about this track was the slow fade in and out, which to me, seamlessly brings the album to a close.

Overall, I really did enjoy this album. There wasn’t a song that I really didn’t like. In fact, there were so many that I did like, that I had a problem picking my top three tracks that you should listen to. I’m really excited to see what’s next for the guys of A War Within.

36 http://whitenoisezine.com

A L

CAN’T SWIM

B

A Death Deserves a Name

U Words by Layne Edwards

M R E V I E W

Can’t Swim, a four-piece punk rock band from New Jersey, just released their newest EP, A Death Deserves A Name. I haven’t been this into an EP since The Front Bottoms re-released their Rose EP. Every song pours well into the next, and leads you through a dynamic heartbreak. The lyrics and melodies are captivating and linger in your consciousness until you find yourself wanting to listen to it again and again.

The opening track, “Your Clothes,” opens with a dark bass line that builds into a fast rhythm guitar and quickly drops back down to the bass line for the verse. What I really enjoy about the album as a whole, and what makes this track special, is the drastic dynamic through the entire song. It feels like a wave picking you up and dropping you into the current just at the crest.

That being said, another huge component of this album is the use of vocal and lyrical dynamic. While the songs easily lead into the other and complete an overall flow of the record, they still manage to separate themselves from each other. Each song has an overall message with a single lyric that breaks them apart from the rest. One of the most captivating lyrics that creates a story like quality to the album are the opening tracks, “I wanna prove that I’m a total waste of my own time.” And the closing title track with, “A death deserves a name I’ve got all my life to bear this pain.”

This is definitely an album you won’t only find yourself going back to, but it will quickly become one of your favorite albums of the year. I can’t really rave enough about how much I enjoy this EP. Can’t Swim is definitely a band I can’t wait to see develop and grow with their sound. You can find, A Death Deserves a Name, on Spotify, Music, and iTunes. Check out the bands facebook page for upcoming shows at facebook.com/cantswim.

S http://whitenoisezine.com

37

A L

FIGHTING SIDES

B

Haven’t Scored Yet

U Words by Melissa Thayer

M R E V I

Fighting Sides, an Atlanta based band, recently released their new EP entitled Haven’t Scored Yet on March 18. The EP features their single “Let Me Be” and a few other new tracks.

As someone who’s music taste has really changed over the past few years, going from bands like All Time Low and Mayday Parade to Mumford and Sons and The 1975, I really enjoyed this album for the fact that it reminded me of why I loved those early pop-punk days.

“One More Day” was my favorite track. While it’s seemingly the mellowest track on the EP, I thought that the lyrics were well written and instrumentals sounded fantastic. I loved the little bit of laughter from the guys at the end, as well. You can really feel the passion and enjoyment that they feel for what they do — making music.

“Let Me Be” was another track that I really enjoyed. From the first few seconds of the song I already knew it was going to be a favorite. The song’s instrumentals and lyrics had that distinct early 00’s pop-punk feel to it.

“Stand Tall” was a track that stood out to me from the rest of the album. While somewhat keeping with the pop-punk feel it also reminded me of A Day To Remember. Another thing I noticed right away was the background harmonizing, which I felt really added a little something extra to the song.

All together, I enjoyed the feel of Fighting Sides and their newest EP. It’s the perfect album for fans of bands like Yellowcard and All Time Low who are looking for something fresh and new.

There is something for everyone off this EP. I can’t wait to what this year has in store of Fighting Sides.

E W S 38 http://whitenoisezine.com

A L

FLANNEL MOUTH

B

The Prisoner’s Cinema

U Words by Gianluca D’Elia

M R E V I E W S

Illinois rock band Flannel Mouth recently released their debut album The Prisoner’s Cinema on March 13. The Prisoner’s Cinema takes listeners on a wild western journey filled with the makings of a great action movie — crime, insanity, violence and a little romance.

The album’s first track, “If You’ve Convinced Me,” begins with a carnival-like piano riff. Then, the heavy rock guitars swoop in and lead singer Luke Myers sings, “welcome, my friends, to the scene of the crime,” as if he is a ringmaster welcoming the listener to a circus — however, the narrator in this story is at a crime scene. “The Prisoner’s Cinema” takes us through a western crime story of a man who learns the difference between love and crimes.

The charming sailor song vibe does not last long though. The song smoothly transitions into “Hello, Gorgeous,” where soon enough, Flannel Mouth gets back to singing about blood again.

The story continues with the courtroom scene in “Pleading Insane.” The changes in tempo throughout the song are an interesting way of telling a story that captures emotions: first guilt and anxiety, then loneliness and vulnerability, and finally more anger and rage as the drums come back in. The following track, “La Deuxieme Partie,” is possibly the most western-sounding track and the most fun. The “oooh” and “wah” sounds give the song a casual feel and the spoken narration strengthens the crime story even more.

In “The Courtroom Showdown,” starts with an electric guitar and breaks into a frenzy as violence erupts in the fictional courtroom. This is followed by “R.A.R.,” a slower track that captures the main character’s feeling of sorrow and regret. The final song, the title track, begins a cappella with only a drum beat in the background as the band sings “Oh wounded lamb, I see you struggling to breathe” until the guitars and fiddle take the lead in the song. “Maybe there’s a hell, and maybe, just maybe I’ll see you there,” Myers sings, ending the album on a dismal, regretsoaked note. After this, the organ and drums take the lead until the song ends subtly on the bass guitar’s last note. Despite the heavy and often graphic topics, the bold use of instruments such as violin and organ kept me listening.

Flannel Mouth ambitiously mixes hardcore with a western sound, as if a metal band recorded an album in a saloon. Making a concept album as a debut was a risky choice but it served as a vehicle for Flannel Mouth to showcase their sound, which is unlike any other. The Prisoner’s Cinema engages listeners in a heartfelt (and manic at times) western rock-and-roll story of love, crime and insanity that you will not want to miss out on.

http://whitenoisezine.com

39

A L

GOOD ENGLISH

B

Good English

U Words by Tori Pisco

M R E V I E

There are people that will look at Good English and roll their eyes (in underlying jealousy) and there are others who will be intrigued at first glance. Don’t be one of the people to brush these ruthless rocker chicks off by image alone because their self-titled album, released early March, is likely the last thing you are expecting to hear. Noted for fans of Sleater-Kinney, Black Sabbath, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Queens of the Stone Age and Black Angels, Good English is just that: good.

The album plays in with a heavy tone from “Carolina,” a haunting rock song reminiscent of what you expect to hear on the True Blood soundtrack. Despite the trite, that is truly the vibe and essence the grunge-pop Rasmussen sisters have crafted into their own combination of fiery punk and classic rock and roll.

“Girl” comes complete as a catchy and well-structured all around good song — featuring an incredibly fun vocal melody to sing along to accompanied by tight riffs and an inevitable girl-shredding-guitar-solo. “Girl” is the second single released and rightfully so, as it is undeniably an anthem track. Conceptually, the song is inspired by the lead character, a powerful and edgy woman warning off another female. Elizabeth Rasmussen explained the writing of this song as fast and natural, going right where she wanted it to — “into the mind of a girl!”

A disappointing track is “Battle Scar,” having a captivating intro with beautiful harmonies and then it goes somewhere not worth listening to. Coming in with such strength, the energy felt as the song progresses is underwhelming. This is the near-end point in the record where you crave a softer sound that is teased delicately but never gets delivered.

With this self-titled, the lovely sisters of Good English leave an impression of nothing other than three chicks with talent and great taste in classic rock and roll. There aren’t many bands out there that can provide the full package these Ohio girls do. Good English will be keeping busy as the album is to be supported heavily by music videos, a national release tour, and showcase performances at South By Southwest.

W S 40 http://whitenoisezine.com

L B

A

WORDS LIKE DAGGERS Perfect Weather

U Words by Danielle Gittleman

M R E V I E

Post-hardcore/alternative band Words Like Daggers recently released their sophomore album, Perfect Weather. As a first time listener of the band, I wasn’t really sure what to expect of them. To say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. From beginning to end, I thought that this album was fantastic. Song after song, I felt like the album got better and better and I really liked each track. The only thing I would change or critique would be the lack of the a slower song.

Each song on the album was high energy and filled with guitar riffs and endless drum beats, it would be nice to hear something slower.

“Sunny Escape,” is one of the most upbeat and high energy tracks on the album. When listening to the song I felt like it was a summer song — one that you would hear being played live at Warped Tour where the crowd is packed with sweaty bodies jumping around and shouting the lyrics back at the band.

“Under The Gun,” immediately stood out to me while listening to the album. The intro is fantastic and the beginning of the song features deep vocals with just a bass line behind the voice.

The song also features a slower section within the song similar to the intro. I love how the song goes from high to low and back again.

Another notable track is “Dead Weight.” The song starts off with an acoustic guitar playing alone. I though the track would be the slow song I was really waiting for, but after a few seconds that changed rather quickly. “Nothing Left to Prove” is probably the slowest track on the album, and although it weren’t the acoustic guitar-filled ballad I was looking for, it was still yet another song that I absolutely loved.

I really and truly enjoyed this album. As a huge fan of alternative and pop-punk bands, this album is something I’d definitely listen to all of the time. This album also really reminded me of Mayday Parade, and as a huge fan of Mayday myself, I would definitely recommend this band to any other fan. Perfect Weather has definitely made me become a fan of Words Like Daggers.

W S http://whitenoisezine.com

41

WANT TO WORK WITH WHITE NOISE? WE'RE CURRENTLY LOOKING TO EXPAND OUR TEAM AND ARE IN SEARCH OF: - WRITERS - PHOTOGRAPHERS - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGERS - WEB CONTENT POSTERS EMAIL CRISSY@WHITENOISEZINE.COM OR DANIELLE@WHITENOISEZINE.COM IF YOU’RE INTERESTED!