Young Guns Music Magazine (May 2015 Edition) by Young Guns Music Magazine

YOUNG GUNS MUSIC MAGAZINE MAY 2015

PATSY TORRES

IINSIDE

THIS ISSUE

Patsy Torres San Antonio, Tx P.7

Eztilo Uvalde, TX P.10

The Recasts San Antonio, TX P.13

Michael McMullen San Antonio, TX P.15

Forever Starts Today Austin, TX P.18

Artist of the Month Rachel Laven San Antonio, Tx P.22

Special Features In the loop with 210 Local Media

P.20

YOUNG GUNS MUSIC FEATURED MODEL Vanessa Guimoye P.26

OUR SENIOR EDITOR

ELORA Welcome to the fourth edition of Young Guns Music Magazine. We are so excited! We’ve got so much going on this month and in the coming months. First let me say that we are excited and honored to have the beautiful Tejano Star Patsy Torres grace our cover this month. I had met her a couple of years ago at a private event. Nick & I got to perform a song with her band. It was a memorable moment for me for many reasons. Patsy Torres is one of my personal music idols. I’ve always admired her and her music. She is simply a great talent and role model for young girls. I recently hand the opportunity to share the stage with her at a charity event in the Texas Hill Country. She was so nice and down to earth. It made me just love her more. Second, our little magazine is growing! I just want to thank all our readers for taking the time to view our coverage of up and coming artists. We have plans in the near future to include other sections in our magazine which will include coverage on some of the hottest music venues. We’re also contemplating on adding a section of restaurants letting our readers know about some of the best places dine. This month we’re kicking off a new section: Young Guns Music Models. Yes this section may be a special section for our male readers out there but sorry guys it’s not going to be all T and A coverage LOL. If you think about it, models play a big role in our everyday lives and the business world. We see them in commercials, bill boards, and print ads. They are usually promoting some product or brand. We want to give them the same coverage we give our musical artists. We want to cover “them” and tell our reader about who they are and how they got started in their career. We think it will be fun and interesting and at the same time add a little something extra to our magazine. We’d love to hear your feedback on this new section so be sure to email us and let us know what you think. Once again, Thanks so much for taking the time to visit our magazine. As always, we ask that you please share our link with your friends, and “Like” us on Facebook. Enjoy!

The Santikos Summer Music Series

17703 W IH-10 San Antonio, TX 78257

Patsy Torres

Patsy Torres She is one of the most remarkable and successful women in music today. Gifted and versatile Patsy Torres has become one of the most influential Tejano entertainers of our time. Her career has included appearances on nationally televised events that have reached millions of viewers. She has graced the covers of national and international publications. Billboard Magazine proclaimed Patsy as one of the “top Female Tejano Stars and Vista Magazine selected her to represent “What’s Hot in Texas”. Latin Style Magazine described her as “El Sonido del Futuro” and today we are honored to include here on our cover of Young Guns Music Magazine. Patsy’s music career began back when she was in high school and she utilized her talents as a creative way to finance her college education. She recorded her first Tejano album while still a college student which yielded a #1 hit on the Tejano charts and was eventually named as the Texas Talent Music Association’s “Female Entertainer of the Year”. She is credited with breaking music boundaries and blazing a path for many other artists in the Tejano Music industry. She became the first Tejano artist to film a music video. She was also the first Tejano artists to expose the Tejano Music genre performing her hit song “Abrazame” to a nationally televised audience on CBS. She again repeated the honor when she performed “Abrazame on “International Star Search” which was televised in Los Angeles, California. She again made history as the first artist to perform a bilingual song on TNN’s “Nashville Now Show”. Her popularity and talent soon caught global attention which led to her touring in Hawaii, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Okinawa, Guam, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, and China making her the first female Tejano artist to perform overseas. Patsy was inducted in the Tejano Roots Hall of Fame and continues to be a leading artist in her professional career of recording and touring. Patsy wrote a hit song “Te Juro” (I swear) which became BMI’s Most Played Latin Song of the Year. The Texas Music Association awarded Patsy the Single of the Year and the Album of the Year. Her music video “Chiquitita” won her TTMA’s Best Female Performance in a Video. Mexico embraced Patsy and nicknamed her “La Nueva Reyna de la Musica Tejana” (The New Queen of Tejano Music). Patsy released her first “English” album, a “live” recording of The Positive Force Tour in Concert. Her latest Tejano music release was “Canciones De Patsy Torres” a compilation album of her original compositions.

Her latest Tejano CD is “Mi Inspiración”, My Inspiration, released this past year and destined to be her best album yet. It is a labor of love demonstrating her multifaceted talents as a songwriter, arranger, and producer as well as versatile and dynamic vocalist. Patsy's songwriting talents shine with six new original works, reflecting her various emotions from witty plays on words to a romantic anniversary song dedicated to her husband that is sure to become a standard. The cover songs presented in the album are completely different arrangements than the originals and offer a fresh new sound, including a dedication to Tejano legend Lydia Mendoza that would make the late icon proud Patsy’s star continues to shine bright as artists, but what makes her a super star to so many is the drive and energy she exults in giving back to her community lending her time and talents to so many charitable organizations, schools and community groups, serving has honorary board member for the Cancer Society, Latin Girl Scouts of America, San Antonio College and the American Red Cross. In recognition for her work, Patsy was awarded San Antonio’s coveted “Hidalgo Humanitarian Award”. Her labor of love with today’s youth further earned her numerous additional honors such as the Texas War on Drugs Outstanding Leadership Award, The LULAC National Presidential Citation of Community Service, La Prensa Latin Women in Action, the South Texas Wesly “Inspirational” Award, and was inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame of San Antonio. In addition, S.A. Life readers voted Patsy as one of the Most Influential San Antonians of the year in Creative Arts. Patsy was honored by the National Tejano Music Conference in Las Vegas where she was recognized for her humanitarian work with their National Community Award. Her latest honor was the TAMACC 2014 Women of Distinction Award and the UIW 2014 Alumni of Distinction for Professional Achievement Award She is a strong advocate for continuing education and speaks on a regular basis to young school children encouraging them to stay in school. It’s important to note that Patsy has never been one to just “talk the talk” about continuing education. Patsy has lead by example. She herself returned to school and earned her Ph.D. in Education and Organizational Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word. As you can see Patsy has been recognized by many organizations and has been the recipient of many awards. However, the one unique honor Patsy received that YGMM finds so amazing was that the City of San Antonio, which is known worldwide for the beauty of its famous Riverwalk, honored her with a river barge christened in her name. Recently our Senior Editor, Elora had the opportunity to share the stage with Patsy at a benefit in the Texas Hill Country. Elora said “meeting Patsy Torres was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had as a young artists. She is an inspiration and a great role model for young women everywhere”. YGMM plans to visit with Patsy again in the near future. You can keep up with Patsy Torres by visiting her website at: www.patsytorres.com

Young Guns Music Magazine is committed to supporting community organizations that help foster the learning of music and the arts to our young. We pledge to do all we can to help such organizations with our time, talent and financial support. Daily, many children are neglected, left behind, and face immense danger, it goes unseen and unknown to many of us. On school days, parents are at work, between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00pm. These are peak hours for teens and children to fall into the deadly trap of peer pressure, bullying, crime, drugs, gangs, teen pregnancies, child abuse, neglect and the most terrifying of all, child abduction. NSpire a Child is a non-profit organization in San Antonio, Texas that raises funds to establish a foundation for after school programs, internet resources and summer camps to schools and community organizations at no cost. Its goal is to help reduce, if not, eliminate these atrocities by inspiring the children to do great things through arts training. Programs are designed to help develop a basic creative arts and arts technology curriculum with variants customized to different age groups, skill levels and cultures. Find out more by visiting: http://www.NspireAChild.com

In the past decade or so, a lot has been written about the decline of Tejano Music and depending upon

who you ask, you'll get several differtent theories as to why people believe a decline has occured. However, over the past few months, with the recent Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair in San Antonio, Tx and the Festival de La Flor in Corpus Christi, Tx honoring the late Tejano Artist Selena, one would never know of a decline for the much loved genre that mixes traditional conjunto music with modernized, keyboard-driven pop sounds native to the Mexican-American population of South Texas. Both events drew thousands of Tejano Fans, not only from the South Texas region, but from all over the world. Tejano music is alive and well. We are seeing a rejuvination of Tejano Music and it is widespread, diverse and runs deep in the hearts of its fans. As Tejano music continues to rejuvenate and re-invent itself, we are seeing more and more young acts such as eZtilo who are primed and ready to play a part in this growing â&#x20AC;&#x153;new movement.â&#x20AC;?

The members of the band include percussionist, Alfredo “Frito” Avila, bassist Javier “Chon” Rangel, guitarist Adelso Contreras, drummer Miguel Acosta, keyboardist Omar Avila, accordionist David Lopez, and lead vocalist Matt “Mateo” Padilla. The members of eZtilo are more than just a group of talented nusicians, they have grown to be family. They say that when they practice and perform it’s never “just a job.” Instead, it is an expression of the deep passion and dedication to their craft that keeps this band united and excited about their next project or performance. The band has been fortunate to have gained some valuable stage experience over the years having performed at the 2013 and 2014 editions of the annual “Palomino Fest” in Uvalde, TX, while also having shared the stage with established tejano music acts such as La Mafia, Elida y Avante, Anna Roman, Siggno, and Intocable, to name a few. However, they say it was during the 2014 Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair celebration in San Antonio, Texas where they truly felt tejano music’s power, passion and enthusiasm and there recent 2015 performances at the Tejano Music Awards Fan Fair was no different. Tejano music fans were impressed with their passion and enthusiam. The name eZtilo’s comes from the Spanish word “Estilo,” meaning “style.” These young men, who hail from Uvalde, TX bring those different styles into their music every time they hit the stage. Always working hard, in March of 2014, the band worked diligently with Studio 3 Recording in Uvalde, TX and released their first single titled “El Aventurero” with Erikk Castillon and Richard Villarreal Jr. producing the track. eZtilo is currently back at Studio 3, eagerly planning and working on their debut album, scheduled for release in summer 2015. These hardworking Young Guns are ones to watch on the Tejano scene and YGMM will be there to bring you updates on their success.

The Recasts

The Recasts have been in the works for about 3 years. They are 5 brothers, from San Antonio, Texas. They play an aggressive and emotional, blend of punk, progressive and metal Texas rock music that is powerful at every instrument and lyric. The band first started back in 2011, with an idea of just jamming in their own way, blending sounds and just being themselves. About 3 years and several band members later, the band finally got it all together. Lead vocalist and frontman for the band Mando Gutierrez said: "I had called A.M. Smash about whether he might be interested in being our new guitarist. I knew A.M. Smash for about 15 years. He instantly agreed, then we got Hunter in, then Scotty. It all just kept clicking and making sense. I think Over and Over Again was written in our first jam together". Mando continues to gives us a little background on his band mates: : Mando- Vocalist/Frontman- I'm really just a guy who loves Rock music. I've been a fan ever since I can remember. I remember catching beatings when I was a kid because Rock was the music of the devil. Even though I grew up with Oldies and Tejano, Rock music just always fed my soul. That's why i'm here, because i'm a fan. Even though i'm active duty Army, there's no way I can stop. I am equal parts Soldier as I am a Rocker. Maxx- Drums- Maxx is such a strong, loyal, good man. We started this journey together, and it'll never end. We straight up have eachothers backs, and no one or no experience has shaken that. As a drummer, he is powerful and dynamic. To hear him and see him unleash the spirit that lives inside him on stage, its really amazing to see.

A.M. Smash- Guitar- Since day 1 when I met him, he and I have just seemed to do amazing things together. When we met in school, I think High School, maybe 9th or 10th grade, we won our basketball league championship. We just kind of get eachother, respect eachother, and want to do great things. We just kinda know without saying, what needs to happen. His guitar playing and my lyrical style, are just a straight match. It's 100% dead on. Hunter- Bass- I first met Hunter, when A.M. Smash brought him by, I think he wanted to see what we were working on or something similar. Anyway, after a few weeks of being around us, he just kinda bonded with us. We needed a Bass player, and he was just kinda like, I thought you'd never ask. His tenacity and will, match us perfectly. He's such a strong, dedicated person, and talented! He is truly an artist!

Scotty- Lead Guitar- I went to High School with Scotty as well. We didn't really hang out with each other then, but we knew who eachother was. One day A.M. Smash brought Scotty by just because Scotty wanted to jam. Well he never left us from that day. Scotty is totally daring in his playing, and his style is just unmatched. Just when you think you know him, a fire lights up and he's gone.

"All in all, we have this Brotherhood of ours. Not just band members, but it's definitely a Brotherhood. We may not be blood, but that doesn't really matter. We are in this journey, together, and we won't let each other down. I wouldn't have it any other way. It's truly an honor of mine to be able to do this with them". YGMM was happy to come across these Young Guns; the Recasts. We believe that there is a great future for this group of talented musicians and were confident this won't be the last you'll hear about them. Stay tuned!

Michael McMullen Tribute Artists

If you have not had the opportunity to see Michael McMullen perform you’re simply missing out on some great entertainment. Performing mostly at festivals and special events he takes us back to an era when Rock music was just being born. He goes all out performing as none other than “The King” and “The Man in Black”. He’s quick to put a smile on the faces of both the young and young at heart with his performances often serenading unsuspecting female fans with “Love Me Tender”, “Suspicious Minds” or belting out some classic Johnny Cash and his audience loves it.

YGMM wanted to know: How does one discover such talent within themselves? So we simply had to meet with Michael and find out. He said his story began with him performing as a country singer, musician and songwriter in the late seventies and early eighties, in his hometown of Victoria, Texas. Like most country artists, he found himself traveling throughout Texas performing at various venues and with various local country bands. It was not until the year 2000, that he cut a CD that included several of his own songs. In the same year, he was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year for Traditional Country Music in Beaumont, Texas. Any artists receiving such an award can appreciate the honor because it often serves as validation from fans for the artist’s time and efforts over months or sometimes years. YGMM: But how did all this evolve into you performing as Elvis and Johnny Cash? MM: Elvis and Johnny Cash’s music has always been an inspiration to me and a big part of my country upbringing. During my performances, I always included a few of their songs as part of my routine. It was at that time that I would have people come to me asking me if I did special Elvis or Johnny Cash tribute performances for hire. So with encouragement from my family and friends my career as a tribute artist began. YGMM: How long have you been entertaining crowds with your Elvis and Johnny Cash performances? MM: For the last twelve years I have entertained Elvis and Johnny fans throughout Texas, especially in my hometown of San Antonio. From grand openings for Chile’s, Coyote Canyon, and Target to entertaining guests and at Cracker Barrel restaurants, conventions, auto actions, fundraisers and corporate parties. YGMM: Is there a most memorable performance for you? MM: My most memorable performance was performing as Elvis at the Imperial Palace Casino in Las Vegas! During my performance, I try to bring to my audience memories of how Elvis and Johnny were during their prospective careers.

YGMM: What is it that you enjoy most about perform as Elvis or Johnny? MM: I am so blessed to have met so many people and their families over the past years; it has been a life changing experience for me. Whether it was someone’s birthday, wedding, or dealing with a sickness or disability, I get to be a part of that. And for an hour I am able to bring to them a little bit of Elvis’s, or Johnny’s, magic. And after every performance, I walk away with this great feeling of accomplishment! I have always been an Elvis and Johnny Cash fan, and because of my supporters over the years, I will continue to do what I love to do, paying tribute to The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley and The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, for many years to come. YGMM would like to thank Michael for taking the time out of his busy schedule to talk with us. To find out more about where Michael is performing or when you can catch of on his performances check out his website: www.Elvislivesforever.com or www.johnnycashforever.com

Forever Starts Today Austin, TX

Forever Starts Today is a five-piece Pop Rock band from the Music Capital of the World Austin, Texas. Their music has been described as a fusion of energetic Pop Rock with a spicy dash of heavy metal. FST is made up of lead vocalist Christina Murphy, guitarist and vocalist Nathan Dunn, guitarist Troy Hirschhorn. Cameron Condrey on bass and rounding out the band their newest member of the group Gina â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gâ&#x20AC;? Osmar . The band says "what sets "Forever Starts Today" apart from other musicians is that we are not just a band but also a movement. We stand for believing in your dreams and accomplishing them no matter what & spreading that confidence and support through our music and live shows!"

With 3 out of 5 members already having been on Warped Tour, mainstream cable news networks such as YNN & TWC, radio and nationwide tours, this new group has it's sights on rising to the top. "Lead vocalist Christina Murphy grew up under the Pop-Punk influenceof Blink-182, Taking Back Sunday and Avril Lavigne, Christina says she knew she wanted to be a singer since ripe the age of 12. In 2009, she finally got the courage to pursue her dream and put together her own self-titled PopRock band. In 2011, things started to take off and she signed with Tate Music Group and had the opportuinty to perform in the VANS Warped Tour. It was in late 2014, that she decided to make a change by dropping her name as the band title and rebranded her band as "Forever Starts Today.

Forever Starts Today

Nathan Dunn is FST’s metal musician who hails from Taylor, Texas. He got his start in music playing the French Horn in 6th grade but then discovered guitar and the rest was histor. He was initially influneced by the Dragonforce but then discoved the guitar skills of Steve Vai and Carlos Santana. Nathan’s guitar playing style has evolved from from pop to metal to punk but his true love has always been metal. FTS's bass player Cameron Condrey first learned to play bass at the age of 12. He was taught by his Father and before he knew it, he was performing live on stage. His musical influnces growing up were rock bands such as Breaking Bejaqnmine, Shine Down and 3 Doors Down. It was in 2012 that Cameron and Christina met working on music project which later evolved into FST. Guitarist Troy Hirschhorn also plays guitar for FTS. He's a self taught guitarist but did spend some time learning from Eric Keyesin of Denton, Texas. Troy credits Eric for much his talent as a guitarist. "Without him, I wouldn’t be the guitarist I am today". Like most successful musicians being exposed to music early is important to their development. Troy was 8 when he began to learn piano but later discoved the guitar and is influneced by guitarists such as Jimmy Page, Jimmy Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. Finally there is the drummer Gina (G) Osmar. Gina was a natural drummer who started drumming at age 3, on coffee cans her father brought home from the family restaurant. She received her first kit at 6 and at age 7, Gina was invited her to join the church band of 16+ year olds. Gina has helped write 2 original songs that were released with the band "Banana Nightmare" from Brisbane Australia when she was 12 & 13. "This Feeling" & "In Every Breath" can be found at: her site www.drummergirlg.com. She had a two-page spread in the Summer 2013 issue of "TomTom Magazine" which was quoted; ”At only 13 years old, Gina “G” Osmar has left well-respected musicians and producers wanting more and asking her to contribute to their albums. Now 15, Gina is a seasoned professional performing more than 500 live performances which includes studio/session work in Austin, Nashville, and L.A. YGMM is confident that you'll be hearing some great things about Forever Starts Today in the coming year. Stay tuned!

In the loop with 210 Local Media Mario Zamarron A couple of years ago, when I started the 210 Local Media Podcast (then 210 Local Music), I found out about a “new” band called Slowlikefire. They initially put out teasers on social media for the name of the band and successfully created a buzz based on the name of the band, and the image of a woman with the band name burned onto her side. After a few weeks, they released a music video for “My Name Is Billie Jean Davy” and I realized immediately that I was going to be a big fan. Not too long after, I met up with Slowlikefire for an interview prior to their cd release show for their debut album, Thieves by Nature, at Jack’s Patio. We were out on the patio at Jack’s and started to talk about how the band formed from the ashes of a couple of other local bands, most notably, Ledaswan. I talked to Jojo, Jaime, Lalo, and Nick (David was driving in from Austin later for the show) and we talked about their musical influences and what made them unique in the growing local music scene. Due to bad weather, the interview was cut short. A few weeks later, we finally got to meet again to complete the interview (sans Jojo and David) in Nick’s home. I learned about the signature ‘Monzon brothers sound’, Nick’s drumming style and how he challenges himself to discover new beats, and Lalo’s disdain for Justin Bieber. It’s now the end of April and Slowlikefire is ready to release their next album, City Of Echoes on Saturday, May 9th, at The Korova. They will be supported by other local favorites, Langton Drive, Tera Ferna, Dawn of the Phoenix, and Secrets and Irises, for what will be an amazing sophomore release. Jaime sent me the full album a few weeks in advance to write a review on it, and I wanted to share some of it with the readers of Young Guns Music Magazine.

Slowlikefire is: Jojo Badillo (vocals), Jaime Monzon (guitar), David Monzon (guitar), Lalo Rodriguez (bass), and Nicholas Ochoa (drums). 20

“Anecdote”, the opening track of Echoes completely embodies the name of the album, creating an atmosphere of guitars and a minimal, tapped out drum pattern. The bass/ keys create the heartbeat of the song and soothes you, allowing you to float for the first minute and a half. Speaking with Jojo, he mentioned that this track was a unique challenge that definitely paid off as a perfect intro. Their first single, “With Envy”, is easily recognizable as a Slowlikefire track. It’s got all of the power and melodic beauty of the songs from Thieves and shows an even better understanding of pop sensibilities. Jojo’s hauntingly melodic vocals softly guide you into the bridge and thrust you into a powerhouse of a chorus. Listening to this track reminds me of the best of the Deftones, Filter, and AFI. The second single the band shared on Facebook, “Crown the Ocean” proves that Echoes is not a one trick pony. Once again, they ease you in, this time with Jaime and David panned, individually, in each ear; giving a minimal and light feel to the track. Once you get comfy, the chorus blasts through and carries you into an almost Coheedian (or would it Cambrian) world, just not the crazy uncontrolled parts. On the contrary, Slowlikefire is very much in control of the musical landscape of Echoes, with each track being purposeful and well contrived. Other highlights of the album include the Stone Temple Pilots style slide riff in “Autumn Grey”, very much the ballad on the album, and the spoken word track, “Words Without Sounds”. I’ve always said that Slowlikefire reminds me of the best parts of the 90’s mixed with the best parts of the 2000’s and adds a twist. Echoes continues in that theme but still manages to progress from the sound that came so easy to the band with Theives. You can keep up with Slowlikefire on their website, www.slowlikefire.com and various social media as ‘/ slowlikefire’. Keep tuning in to 210 Local Media Podcast as well for an interview with the band coming soon.

Artist of the Month Rachel Laven

Rachel Laven is an amazing artists who began her music career at the age of five singing with her parentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cover band; the Easy Street Band. By the age of 10, she began playing guitar and writing songs. The topics of her songs ranged from war to fairies and what she way on TV while she was growing up. In 2002, she began to perform with an organization known as GirlsNGuitars which included well renowned artists such as Katherine Dawn and Susan Gibson. The organization hosted open mics at The Cove, a local venue in San Antonio, Texas. It gave Rachel the opportunity to gain stage experience and hone in on her music skills. Although GirlsNGuitars shut down after only a few years, she continued to perform at the Cover performing with her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s band. In 2005, Rachel and her family recorded their first set of 2 CDs: "Sibling Rivalry" & "Rematch" live at The Cove. Some of San Antonio's top musicians, including: Butch Morgan, Glenn Allan and Kim Mackenzie, Gil Polanco, Luckey McClain, and Will Owen-Gage attended the recording session and played on the albums. The CDs were released in 2006 and they have sold out on both of those CDs. At 13, she auditioned for and was accepted to the North East School of the Arts where she attended the arts school as a Musical Theatre major for her four years of high school. There she performed in plays and musicals ranging from Thoroughly Modern Millie to The Odyssey. Her favorite roles included: "Sandy" in Grease, Music Director for The Odyssey, and "Svaard Von Cove" in Pirates of Penzance. In 2007, Rachel recorded her family band's 3rd CD, "Live at The Cove," though this time it was just the family. They recorded several originals, as well as, Susan Gibson's "Perfect World," McKay Brothers' "Spirit Bird," Terri Hendrix's "It's A Given," and Nathan Hamilton's "Fifteen Dollars." In 2012, Rachel decided it was time for a studio album. She saved her own money and did a Kickstarter fund for her first solo CD, titled "Unwind." The CD would feature 11 original songs, recorded without auto-tune, click tracks, or copy & pasting. She did, however, include one song that was previously recorded to the album that does include the 'extra stuff." For this album, she worked with Grammy award winner, Joe Reyes at his home studio. Joe performed most of the background instruments as well, apart from a few bits she had her friends, Will Owen-Gage and Trevor Schultz sit in with her. Other musicians, Matthew Rose and Kim Mackenzie are also featured on the album, as well as her father and brother on one song. The album, "Unwind" was released in August of 2012. In December of 2012, Rachel reconnected with some old friends, Sam Snavely, Addison Freeman, and Steven Sellers to create a band with bluegrass instrumentation, but a more progressive "Sweet Grass" sound. In January of 2013, they were named, Sweet 'Shine & Honey. The summer months of 2013 were very productive musically. Rachel went on her first tour of Europe, playing in England, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and Germany. When she returned home, Sweet 'Shine & Honey recorded their first single, "Wildfires" which was released October 4th, 2013. Now 23 and a graduate of Trinity University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Theatre, Rachel is ready to take on the real world! She is currently working hard at her five jobs as a production assistant, actress, musician, bartender, and teacher to pay off her student loans and start working towards becoming a full time performer and entrepreneur. As she says, she's an "old soul with big dreams and wanderlust!"

YGMM had the opportunity to catch up to Rachel recently and her a few questions. YGMM: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve accomplished so much with your music and coming from a musical family it seems that a lot of your success can be credited to performing with them. Do you still play with your family? RL: Yes I still perform with my family. We perform every Friday night at The Cove as we have for the last ten years. Gigs outside of The Cove are few and far between, but we'll be doing a race this month at Wildseed Farms, and in June, we'll be performing at the Tobin Center for YOSA's Ok Computer Concert. YGMM: Tell us what you remember about your first public performance. Where was it and what do you remember about it? RL: Depends on what you consider performance. I was performing onstage with my family at age 5, and in plays from the time I was a year old. My first "gig" as a singer/songwriter was at The Cove. There was a group called GirlsNGuitars that hosted an open mic night and I went with my dad's Guild guitar, the only guitar we owned small enough for me to play and even then it was huge on me. I remember the host lowering the microphone for me. I remember I sang my first written song, Drafted to War, which I wrote about a lover being drafted because the Iraqi War had just begun and there was a threat of a draft. My brother had just turned 16 that year and I was terrified that he and his friends would be drafted. Other than that, I remember being jittery before I went on, and even more jittery but all smiles when I came offstage. I was hooked from the moment I started playing live. YGMM: You started learning to play guitar and writing songs at an early age. Who taught you guitar and what inspired you to begin writing? RL: So I'd visited the Cove on a Friday night and then, Ashlee Rose performed each week. She was 13, onstage with her guitar, singing mostly Sheryl Crow songs and one of her own songs. I went home taught me in the beginning. Later, my biggest guitar were Susan Gibson, Will Owen-Gage, and Tyler Phillips. I watched their hands and every once in a while, they would show me a thing or two. Other than that I did a lot of learning by ear. Learning my brother's tunes on guitar and other covers helped me to grow as a musician and writer, as it forced me to learn new tricks. I was already writing poetry when I saw Ashlee Rose perform, so once I learned a few chords, melody and lyric flowed quite naturally. My parents were always big fans of singer/songwriters so the style of music was very prevalent in my growing up. Some of the first songs I learned on guitar were John Prine, The Beatles, and Guy Clark tunes. When I discovered Susan Gibson, Terri Hendrix, and Slaid Cleaves, I learned a bunch of their stuff. They were some of my first great inspirations. YGMM: It would seem that you have two loves as an artist, one as an actress and one as a musician. How have these two passions shaped your music? RL: Hmm. I think they've unintentionally influenced each other. I think because I'm a writer, I often ponder perspectives and emotions and actions associated with said perspective, and use that thinking to guide my writing. This understanding and sort of open flow of emotion in my writing, translates well into my work as an actress and also as a music performer. I often get the comment that I'm a very "honest and natural" actress or that I'm natural onstage, and though the two are very different, that sense of making things "natural" stems from my ability to

understand an portray perspective. As an actress, I take a perspective and make it my own, more often as a musician, I'm taking my own perspective and putting it on for display for an audience. I'm myself when playing music. When I'm acting, "myself" creeps into a lot of the characters I play, but obviously I'm not portraying me onstage. Likewise, my work as an actor has helped me to become a better storyteller, and therefore a stronger writer. The ability to put on a character to write a song, is something that I think is unique to my work. If you look at songs like, A Soldier's Heart on my album, there are four perspectives portrayed. When I first was writing the song, I was thinking more in terms of a long form, more like a series of monologues, rather than a verse. I thought in terms of internal monologues, what the four people think about their situation, what they would change, what their state of mind is. It made for an interesting process. In terms of my theatre experience, just about every production I've been involved in, the director has found a way to use my musical talents within the play. I was a singing and guitar playing Viola in Twelfth Night, a whistling and singing Meg in Crimes of the Heart, and guitar playing country girl in the Robber Bridegroom, and music directed and composed a play version of The Odyssey. The two arts have consistently overlapped. YGMM: If you had the opportunity to tour with any artist, who would it be? RL: I would absolutely love to tour with Willie Nelson. He is one of the great songwriters of our time, and so I hear one of the kindest men in the business. In terms of the way he has spent his career, he's a true idol. He's made the music he wants to make, plays the concerts he wants to play, tours with his people, and is respected and loved by everyone in the industry. It's my dream to play a concert with him. YGMM: What are some upcoming projects you have? RL: So I am currently in the rehearsal process for a show at the Tobin Center, called From the Mahabharata. It is an Indian/Contemporary dance-theatre piece that tells part of the tale of the Mahabharata through the perspective of a dance company torn in two, in the process of finding a new leader. That show opens June 4th. After From the Mahabharata closes, I start my new position as the rhythm guitarist and back up vocalist at Cowboys Dancehall which is an exciting and huge move for me as a musician. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be an incredible experience and a step in the right direction for me as a musician. It will, however, take me off part of the music market for a while, at least the Wednesday-Sunday night market. I'll still perform as a singer/songwriter whenever possible and I still intend to do big shows with the family and with Sweet 'Shine & Honey. This year I'll be starting the process of producing my next solo album, titled Love & Luccheses, set to release in 2016. Having the steady position at Cowboys will help me to produce the album, and grow as an artist and grow in the industry. It'll be a wonderful learning experience and should be a lot of fun! YGMM will be keeping tabs on Rachel's upcoming projects and wish her the best on all her future endeavors.

Vanessa Guimoye

Whether you realize it or not, you see them every day, on bill boards, television, newspapers and magazines. Yes they are often attractive; that’s part of their job. However, to the corporate world, they are more than just an attractive face because they can be extremely beneficial to companies by helping brand and sell their products to consumers; they are models. The life of professional model can be an exciting one; but it can also be a difficult one too. It can also be short lived and completion can be challenging. Modeling is more than just looking attractive or sexy. When you really think about it; it’s an art form. There are thousands of beautiful female and handsome male models out there but not all possess the “it” factor that can help make or break a company’s image or product and it is because of this, we thought it would be great to include a section in our magazine that features up and coming model. Just like our coverage of the up and coming musicians we feature, we want to focus on the models themselves sharing with our readers who these artists are behind the products or fashions they are promoting with the hope of giving them added exposure to enhance their success in their profession. We are excited to introduce you to our first YGMM Featured model Vanessa Guimoye. She’s originally from Peru but currently lives and works out of Sarasota Florida. In addition to her modeling, she has also been a host for “Sarasota @ Night” where she covers the Sarasota club scene interviewing local music industry artists and DJ’s. Throughout her career she’s won several pageant competitions including Miss Swimsuit International Peru 2012-2013, and Ms. Latina International United State which she currently holds. She speaks both English and Spanish which has given her greater opportunities to represent brands and companies here in the United States but Latin Countries as well. She says she’s always looking for the next challenge in her career. YGMM had the opportunity to catch up with Vanessa despite her busy schedule and got to ask her a few questions. YGMM: Tell us about your very first professional modeling experience. What and where was it? VG: I got my first opportunity when I was 16 through a friend of my mom’s. I was really excited about it. It was doing a runway show for a Brazilian clothing line. There were many photographers there and other companies and it was that day that my careers as a model was launched. YGMM: How do people react to you when you tell them you’re a model and do you find some time that men or women are intimidated by you? VG: As far as intimidation goes, I don’t think that happens at all. I think it is because I feel secure in who I am and what I do. I’m very proud of my work and always do my best to encourage others in doing their best, especially women.

YGMM: What do you feel is your greatest achievement thus far in your career? VG: My last pageant completion. It was an international event held in Miami with models from all over the world. I was both excited and nervous but I won and I was honored to have been chosen Miss Latin International US. YGMM: It’s hard for us to imagine that there would be anything bad about modeling, what’s hardest think about your career? VG: The worst or hardest this is not to be able to spend alot of time with my family. It seems I’m always traveling and I do enjoy the travel, but it does take me away from my family and I miss being with my family so when I do get time to spend with them I always try to make it special and worth it. YGMM: Is it hard to stay in shape and work out? VG: Yes it is hard. You have to eat healthy and work out at least three days a week, but I love what I do and it's totally worth it. YGMM: What or who inspires you? VG: My family, but specially my mother YGMM: Ok, YGMM is a music magazine so you got to tell us who your favorite artists is and what kind of music you like. VG: As far as music goes, I like everything. It’s harder for me to say who my favorite artists is because there are so many good and talented artists out there but one of my favorites is Mark Anthony. YGMM: Last question, what is your dream gig? VG: I enjoy modeling and have done show hosting, but I would love to work as a news anchor one day. So there you have it. We enjoyed finding out about Vanessa and wish this up and coming Young Gun great success in the future. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll all get to see her as a news anchor for a major network. You can keep up with Vanessa by visiting her website: vanessaguimoye.com

EDITORS BE A ROCK STAR Want to be in a future edition of Young Guns Music Magazine? Submit your bio with a high quality photo of you and/or your band. We also ask that you submit a link to your music or music video where we can find out more about your music. Submissions can be emailed to: info@younggunsmusicmagazine.com. We'll do our best to reply to all submissions. We've already received quite a few so we ask for your patience. Keep Rocking!

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