Ellis Music Magazine Three Year anniversary Issue #19 by Ellis Music Magazine

Shawn Mendes // Marc E Bassy // Jmblya // Pell // Rad Cat // Megan Davies // Charlie Puth // Tillie // Phora // and more...

ISSUE NINETEEN

WHO WE ARE Owner - Danielle Ellis Head Editor - Daniel Zewde Graphic Designer - Rebecca Melanson Pr & Marketing - Jess Mcphee Photographer - Chris Maldonado Photographer - Cristobal Arellano Photographer - Emellia Mia Photographer - Felix Tavera Photographer - Greg Stipp Photographer - Hunter Lohr Photographer - Jessica Padover Photographer - Kimani Graham Photographer - Stephanie Tacy Photographer - Jake Tovar Photographer - Erica Mckeehen Reporter - Betsy Schuller Reporter - Gabealla Jasso Contributor - Traci Schubert Contributor - Ashley Travis Contributor - Kris Lori

STAFF MUSIC PICKS There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back - Shawn Mendes Attention - Charlie Puth You Got It - Bryson Tiller No Promises - Cheat Codes Good Life - G-Eazy & Kehlani Nothing 2 Lose - Kyle In Bloom - Neck Deep American Teen - Khalid Nothing Wrong - G-Eazy Echoes - The Night Of Sleepy Tea - Chon Bodak Yellow - Cardi B Vacation - Dirty Heads Dangerous - Glades Faking It - Calvin Harris Feel Good - Gryffin & Illenium Nuggets - Mura Masa Compass - Zella Day Distance - Killy Backseat - Prelow

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S INSIDE

IN THIS ISSUE Meet The Staff................................2 Staff Music Picks.............................3 Nobody’s Safe Tour........................6 Marc E Bassy...................................7 Jmblya.............................................8

Pell................................................ 10 Rad Cat......................................... 13 Shawn Mendes............................ 14 Megan Davies............................. 21 G-Eazy.......................................... 22 Warped Tour................................ 25 Tillie.............................................. 26 Capitol Hill Block Party............... 28 Phora............................................ 31

THANK YOU FOR THREE YEARS. Sunday, August 20th, 2017 Ellis Music Magazine turned three year old, I’d like to dedicate this issue to the people who have supported us from day one. All the staffers, contributors, friends new and old who have helped make these last three years possible. Most importantly thank you for giving us a platform to share the artists we believe in and letting us showcase talent that could otherwise go unnoticed. Three years ago this all started as an idea and has surpassed any expectation and goal set for it then. THANK YOU, here’s to many more years of Ellis Music Magazine.

DANIELLE ELLIS

Ellis Music Magazine, Owner

SHOW REVIEW: NOBODY’S SAFE TOUR Photography and Writing by: Stephanie Tacy

After last night, there is no question that Future is one of the top rappers of this generation. Thousands gathered at Austin 360 Amphitheater to experience the Nobody Safe Tour starring Zoey Dollaz, A$AP Ferg, Tory Lanez, and Future. Zoey Dollaz started the show off with a ten minute set where he spent most of his time passing out cold bottles of water to sweating fans. A$AP Ferg was up next replacing Kodak Black from the shows original line up. After performing two songs on stage, Ferg made his way into the crowd to perform the rest of his set performing hits such as “Shabba” and “New Level”. As Tory Lanez made his way to the stage he was unexpectedly given an extended set. He used this time to perform hits such as “Controlla” and “Say It” as well as dabbled with a bit of reggae tunes including his own rendition of Bob Marley’s “One Love.” Before his set ended, Tory emerged in the crowd to perform “Diego” while surfing over concert-goers. Now it was time for the moment

the amped crowd had been waiting for, lights dimmed and visuals made their way to the large LED screen. Future ascended a set of stairs onto the stage through a mirage of smoke while performing “Draco”. The energy was infectious as Future danced around stage with the support of his all male dance troupe. A large LED screen and pyrotechnics added to the experience. Cheers radiated the venue as Future performed hits such as “Mask Off,” “March Madness,” “Same Damn Time”, “Move That Dope” and “Shit.”

NEW SONG: “PLOT TWIST” BY MARC E BASSY Photographed by: Danielle Ellis // Written by: Cristobal Arellano Camacho

Marc E. Bassy returns to the scene with Super Duper Kyle to share a new single titled “Plot Twist,” and it’s a hit. The track is infectious, filled with melodies, a beat to ride along to the summer heat and a chorus that will have you hitting high notes. “Plot twist: I never thought it would end up like this / I always thought it would only be one kiss / One became a hundred / Oh, all of a sudden, I’m saying, I love you / Plot twist, everything’s happening so quick / I only wanted a taste of your lips / Lips became your body, nights turning to naughty / You hit me with a plot twist.” It won’t be long before the Bay Area singersongwriter becomes a household name. 7

FESTIVAL COVERAGE: JMBLYA Writing and Photographed by: Stephanie Tacy Thousands gathered to join in JMBLYA’s 5th annual music festival in the land where pinky rings and fur coats designate you a VIP to battle the Texas heat and get the chance to see a lineup of a lifetime. Featuring some of hip hop’s heavy hitters Migos, Gucci Mane, and Chance the Rapper. Up and coming artists got the festival-goers on their toes in anticipation for the main event. Pell started things off with his New Orleans infused rap style while Snow tha Product brought her Latin vibes to the stage in the next set. Lil Uzi burst onto the stage radiating energy as he bounced around the stage Migos served the audience an array of songs including the likes of “Get Right Witcha”, “Slippery”, and “Kelly Price” from their newest album “Culture” and some infamous older tunes such as ”Fight Night” and “Hannah Montana”. Steve Aoki took to the stage sandwiched between two screens that made him look like nothing more than a floating head. Despite this, he delivered a set full of confetti, dancing, and smoke machines. Towards the end of his set Aoki emerged from between the screens to make it rain birthday cakes. Most of which ended up on festival goers faces. Gucci Mane took to the stage

singing “Both” a collab with drake off of his most recent album “The Return of East Atlanta Santa”. He balanced a set of both old and new songs and even brought out Houston Legend, Bun B about midway through his set. After 11 hours of music, Chance the Rapper made his way to the stage performing for over an hour. If you were not a fan of Chance before this show, you certainly were after.

ARTIST INTERVIEW: PELL

Writing and Photographed by: Stephanie Tacy Did you grow up with music or find it later? How did you get into music/ What brought you into music?

I found music growing up. My mom actually used to write songs and she sung in the opera at her college and my dad started a record label when he was younger so music was always around me. I never really took it seriously and thought that I was going to do it until I got to the end of high school beginning of college. How did growing up in New Orleans and then having to move because of Katrina impact your music? And how do you reflect that?

I had to look for more resources for music other than just the south. I was getting a lot of influence from Indie rock, country, and stuff like that when I was in Mississippi and I feel like that helped shaped a lot melodically what I do and that was really cool. I fell in love with melodies when I moved. How do you strive to stand out in an industry with so many artists?

By allowing myself to be myself that is the easiest way. What do you hope listeners get out of your music?

I hope listeners get positivity and a sense of self in the music because I make music to relate. At the end of the day it’s not just about being different and positive, it’s about being able to relate. Not everything is a positive situation and not everything is a negative situation, you got to be able to play both sides of the fence because we are all dynamic people . I want to make sure that I can show somebody my music and that I am not lying about life. What song or album changed your life?

I’d have to say “Man on the Moon 1”, I feel like that speaks for a lot of our generation but that’s a split tie with “College Dropout” and “Late Registration”, it’s a three way. “College Dropout” and “Late Registration” hit me at a specific time in my life because Late Registration came out like around the same time Katrina hit and so I was dealing with being in a new environment and hearing somebody like Kanye who spoke from this middle class black 10

kid who wasn’t readily accepted by his peers cause he’s wearing tight pants and wearing pink polos. I felt like he understood me in a lot of ways other people hadn’t and then later on Kid Cudi and all these other people like Lupe Fiasco came along to help me. What advice would you give to someone trying to make their way incoming out into the industry?

I would tell them stay committed and build a team. You always need a team you know what i mean? It takes a village. Who is your dream collaboration? And why?

Pharrell, because he has soul like none other and vision like none other. I feel like he’s so passionate and so pure that sometimes I feel guilty like I’m not doing enough or I’m not as passionate as him. He’s the only person who I feel like is more passionate than me when it comes to music. Who’s in your top 5?

This is in no particular order by the way: Vampire Weekend, Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Lupe Fiasco, and lastly, Isaiah Rashad. What is your favorite part of making an album? Do you prefer the background work or performing?

I love it all because you are making something out of nothing and there is the beauty of the building it. You set your foundation whether it be beats or whether it be lyrics or whether it be a show that inspired you to write something and you take that and you create this whole piece of art that can be concealed and packaged up What are you working on now?

I’m working on an album right now. It’s my favorite work that I’ve done to date. I feel like every artist says that but I genuinely mean it because I’ve never been on both sides as much as I have on this project. What I mean by that is that I am doing a lot of production as well as the singing and helping engineer whatever I can and etc. My hands are everywhere.

ARTIST TO WATCH: RAD CAT Interviewed by: Betsy Schuller

Let’s start with the basics to truly know your roots, where are you from? Where do you currently reside? I’m from San Diego, CA. I also currently still live here. With such a unique sound of EDM you must have many different inspirations you draw from outside of the genre, what/who are they? Also, what sources do you draw from within the genre?

developed my own “sound”. I hope everyone vibes with the EP. I had a lot of fun making each song and I’m proud of the EP. Check Out Rad Cat’s EP “Untitled” on Soundcloud and Spotify now.

This is very true, I do have a lot of different inspirations haha. I mean, in terms of artists, I look up to people such as; Mura Masa, Flume, Jai Wolf, & my bro Blackbear. They are all very talented and have their own unique sound, which is what I strive to have as well. In terms of genres that inspire me, I take little bits and pieces from the following genres; r&b/soul, jazz, & Indie. With many notable credits to you as a producer such as Blackbear, Kevin Gates and Travis Mills, what was the project you were most excited to work on? Why? My favorite project to work on was definitely ‘girls like u’ with Blackbear. I remember when I showed him a demo of the beat, it was just a really simple beat that wasn’t even done yet, but he loved it and told me to send it to him right then and there haha. The song turned out amazing and I’m very proud of it. When and why did you start producing your own personal music as ‘Rad Cat’? What inspired your stage name, Rad Cat?

I started producing music as Rad Cat around the age of 16. Around that time is when I discovered EDM because of Deadmau5 and Skrillex. As soon as I listened to them, I was hooked. My stage name was just inspired because I like cats and I liked the word rad haha... I just combined the two words. For your upcoming, self-produced EP, Untitled, what can you say your fans have to look forward to? What are you most excited about? Well, I’m always trying to one up myself with each new release. I think with my upcoming EP, I’ve finally

Photographed by Danielle Ellis

CONCERT REVIEW: SHAWN MENDES AND CHARLIE PUTH // THE ILLUMINATE WORLD

On a scorching hot July day in Dallas, Texas fans lined up outside American Airlines Center as early as 9am for a chance to see The Illuminate World Tour, headlined by Shawn Mendes. Shawn, an 18 year old Canadian singer songwriter has taken the States and World by storm since his transition from six second vine covers to being a full time performer. He released his first album “Handwritten” in 2015 which laid the groundwork for his international takeover. His first single “Stitches” quickly charted to number one and made him a teenage heartthrob. In 2016 Shawn released his sophomore album “Illuminate” which he’s currently touring behind featuring songs “Treat You Better” and “Mercy.” As the show quickly approached the teenagers eagerly waiting outside tripled in a matter of minuets waiting to get into the venue to see Shawn and his opener Charlie Puth. 16

As doors opened Fans rushed into the arena to find their seats and buy tour merchandise. The lights dimmed and Charlie took the stage playing his new hit song “Attention” following with “We Don’t Talk Anymore” and “See You Again” which is now a tribute song for Paul Walker featuring Wiz Khalifa. Charlie’s set finished and the lights dimmed again and Shawn emerged from beneath the stage followed by deafening screams from the crowd. Shawn started his set with his new single “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back” that just beat out Justin Bieber’s “Despacito” out for the number one song on the charts. Mid set Shawn disappeared off his stage and was ushered through the back of the arena to his B stage located on the floor in front of his sound board with a large moon overhead. Ushered by a large security team Shawn took the

Writing and Photographed by: Danielle Ellis

b stage and sat behind a large grand piano to slow things down a bit with a cover of Ed Sheeran “Castle on The Hill” and his original slower songs like “Roses” “Life Of The Party” and “Three Empty Words.” Shawn ended his b-stage set and was ushered back to his main stage where he finished off his set with “Mercy” “Never Be Alone” and “Treat You Better.” I was beyond impressed with his performance and his stage presence. He looked like a well seasoned veteran on stage captivating the crowd with his talent and stage design. His show really pushed the boundaries on what its like to be a social media star turn pop phenomenon overnight. At just 18 I truly believe Shawn Mendes has a long and amazing carrier in front of him. His fans seem to only multiply as time goes by. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Shawn and his team. 17

MEET SONGSTRESS MEGAN DAVIES Photographed and Interviewed by: Jake Tovar Tell us a little about yourself?

I was born in Harrisburg Pennsylvania, my parents weren’t musicians I discovered it on my own. I loved music I listened to pop radio at the time, I grew up with Disney, Spice Girls, N/SYNC, 90’s music. I used to listen to songs over and over again and had no idea how they were made, I loved music I found guitar when I was 12 I was just obsessed with it. During my junior and senior year I attended a preforming arts high school where I took guitar very seriously. When I moved to Nashville for collage I imagined myself playing guitar for other people and that being my carrier, I eventually switched over to the songwriting part and just knew I loved it so much and I wanted to be the best guitar player in the room. My junior year of collage I injured by elbow and had to have surgery there was a 10% chance I wouldn’t be able to play again. I couldn’t play guitar for eight months after surgery and I had to switch my major from guitar to something else. At that point I got less competitive and was just grateful I could play guitar. My whole perspective on music changed. Who have been some of the artists you’ve listened to and are inspired by?

I’ve been inspired by a lot of female guitarists and songwriters like, Michelle Branch, Avril Lavigne, my mother introduced me to Sarah McLachlan, Cheryl Crow. James Taylor was consistently played in the house while growing up. Do you listen to music of the opposite spectrum?

their art to be better and better. Continuum is my favorite album of his. If you could describe you or your music in one word or phrase, what would it be?

I think probably passionate. I love what I do so much I try to approach everything with this love for everything I do. I put a lot of time into doing. Do you have any dream collaborations with an artist or producer?

So many, I think Ed Sheeran is pretty high up, John Mayer, Sarah Bareilles, I always love everything she does. Can you speak a little on your new EP coming out and how it represents who you are and where you’re at in this particular time at your musical career?

So this EP is called bad poetry, its named after one of the songs on project. I’ve played covers for the last few years on YouTube that’s sort of how I was able to do music full time. There was this fear of putting out original music even despite the fact that I was writing it throughout these four years just because its far more personal and the criticism is far more different if someone doesn’t like a cover well whatever but if someone doesn’t like a song its far more critical, its just different. Throughout the making of this and growing up these last few years who cares if all I’m just writing is bad poetry as long as its true to me and what I want to say then it doesn’t even matter so titling my new album bad poetry takes the power and like weight that criticism could have.

Oh yeah, totally... I am a big Radiohead fan, I love rap music, I love the rhythms of it I’ve been listening to a lot of chance the rapper lately, I really liked all of macklemore album’s I think Ryan Lewis is incredible as a producer If you could meet or hangout with and artist dead or alive for a day, who would it be?

I think John Mayer is fantastic, and he’s had such a great long carrier that’s something I respect cause its not guaranteed in this industry, like there is in others. Right now I’m playing music but there’s defiantly no certainty, I really respect for people who not have only grown their careers but grown

HOMETOWN COVERAGE: G-EAZY Written and Photographed by: Jessica Padover Bay Area native G-Eazy returned home for a weekend in July to show some love to his fans while promoting the release of his new album. After stopping by Gordo’s, a popular Mexican food joint in the Bay, G-Eazy kicked off the busy weekend by holding a fan signing and album sneak preview in Oakland, California. In between rapping along to his new songs from the album, Gerald spoke with fans that had been waiting outside the building since 7am just for a chance to say hello to this rapper on the rise. G-Eazy signed everything from phones to posters, but fans were especially eager to have him sign their Stillhouse cans; ever since G-Eazy was recently named the co-creative director of Stillhouse, the rapper and the whiskey brand have been closely tied. Fast forward a few hours and hundreds of fans later, and G-Eazy was on stage at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco. Gerald had the whole club packed and singing along to both old and new songs until 2am. After a crazy night in San Francisco, the weekend festivities continued the next day when Gerald threw the first pitch at an Oakland A’s game on Friday evening. The first 15,000 fans that came to the game were given a G-Eazy bobble head to commemorate the rapper’s homecoming. Even Gerald’s brother, James Gillum, was included in the fun when he played the national anthem on the trumpet before the game began. Shortly after the game, G-Eazy was welcomed at Myth Nightclub in San Jose with sparklers and endless amounts of Stillhouse whiskey. If you didn’t get the chance to hear some of G-Eazy’s new tracks while he was home, don’t worry— G-Eazy’s third album The Beautiful & Damned will be released this fall. If you’re dying to hear a sneak peak, be sure to catch him perform on Bud Light’s Dive Bar tour in New Orleans on August 30th.

FESTIVAL COVERAGE: WARPED TOUR Photographed and Written by: TJ Martinez

There are the obvious reasons to look forward to summer. You have the beach, the warmer weather, and the general good vibes of the season- but most importantly, it’s Vans Warped Tour time. I attend the date that comes through San Antonio, Texas. I started attending Warped tour when I was 13 and have gone every year since then.

If you’re not familiar with the tour, it is a summerlong traveling music festival (the only one, in fact) that kicks off in June and runs through early August. The tour started in 1995 and tours around the United States. In a past conversation I had with the tour’s founder, Kevin Lyman, he told me that Warped Tour does not focus on hitting the typical major cities, but the cities that don’t see many large tours and artists come through. Over 100 bands are part of the tour, from up and coming artists to the most prominent and developed artists in the industry. There is something for everyone at Warped because artists of nearly every genre come out. When it stops in a town near you, the crew builds the site for the day- setting up stages, merch tents, and everything else you experience the day of. They then rip it all down at the end of the day and repeat the process every morning of the three month tour. When I arrived at the venue, I picked up my credentials then found my way into the venue to pick up materials to promote the self proclaimed “long lost alt-spice” artist, tiLLie. To help save her voice for the day, in her place she sent her boyfriend, Bring Me The Horizon bassist Matt Kean. I am a huge BMTH fan so getting the opportunity to talk to Matt was definitely a super cool and unexpected experience. After I finished hanging the posters around the venue, I made my way to the press area to get the schedule for the day and figure out who and when I was shooting. As tradition follows with me, I got lost in making my schedule and ended up running across the venue to make sure I wasn’t late for the first band.

Opening the Journey’s Right Foot Stage were Texas natives The Night Of. They are a rock/ alternative band who formed in the fall of 2016 but stayed under the radar until early 2017 to write and record their debut EP at Bloodstone Studios in North Carolina. Since February of 2017, the boys have performed at various shows and festivals. For a band that has only been performing together for a few short months, The

Night Of drew an impressive crowd of old and new fans. They stayed at their merch tent throughout the day with the biggest smiles on their faces chatting with fans. The Night Of can be streamed on iTunes, Spotify, and Googleplay!

After The Night Of, I made my way over to the Journey’s Left Foot stage to photograph Jule Vera. After shooting the female fronted band, Jule Vera, I was back at the Journey’s Right Foot main stage again- this time to shoot Dance Gavin Dance. Throughout the day, a speaker the non profit organization, Hope For The Day, came out to give short speeches about suicide awareness and the fact that no one is ever alone in their struggles. Soon after, I caught New Years Day and Beartooth’s performances. Up next at the Full Sail stage, I photographed tiLLie who I would later meet up with to interview where we chatted about her first tour, her latest single, and many more exciting things she is experiencing in her career. After her set, I took a break for a few minutes then shot Neck Deep. Neck Deep is known for their insane stage presence and crowds so I was expecting a wild set but “wild” would be an immense understatement. Just seconds after the band stepped on stage, fans were screaming, crowd surfing, and moshing. Security most definitely had their work cut out for them as fans came pouring up to the stage throughout the band’s set.

A very close second to being my favorite performance of the day was Andy Black, who is also the front-man of American rock band, Black Veil Brides. I am a BVB fan so this was not my first time seeing Andy perform- with his band or his side project. This was my first time photographing him as Andy Black though and he undoubtedly brought his all to the stage. He performed his classic favorites “We Don’t Have To Dance” and “Ribcage”. After Andy finished, I headed over to shoot Emmure followed by Boston Manor. After a short break to regain some energy, eat some watermelon, and make new friends, II headed back over to the main stage again for American Authors. This was my second time shooting them and I was so excited. The whole band wore adorable matching CKY shirts for their performance. Courage My Love was the last band I shot of the day and probably the most unique. They are a three piece rock band consisting of Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn who are twin sisters, and are accompanied by bassist Brandon Lockwood. 25

ARTIST INTERVIEW: TILLIE Written by: TJ Martinez Photo: Ashley Osborn I want to kick it off with diving right into “Save Yourself”, your latest single. It’s been out for about two weeks now. How does it feel?

It feels really good. Save Yourself is definitely, I think it’s the most important song to me at least personally that I’ve written to date. I usually feel this way toward most songs but this was one of the ones that the day that I recorded it I was like “oh my god, can we put it out tomorrow?!”. There’s always a waiting process, you have to have it mixed and master it and shoot the video so it feels awesome that it’s finally out there in the world. Being that the song is of personal nature, were there challenges creating and releasing it?

Yeah… I like to get real as fuck with my songs, you know some people, they try to leave stuff to be ambiguous or open to interpretation or leave some mystery and I’m just not that person, you know. I like to put it all out there. Because I think a lot of people think that they’re so different from everybody else, but at the end of the day we’re all so similar, we’re all feeling the same things and we put on these faces that we pretend like we’re happy or better off than we are but it just ends up making all of us feel isolated so I like to be real no matter how I’m feeling, just totally put it out there. So it felt good to do that but it was definitely one of the more emotional songs for me cause it’s about uh a breakup that I went through in January and my ex was actually landing back in L.A. on the day I was recording vocals for it and I was even more angry about that and I was getting into singing it that I actually pulled a muscle in my foot because I was so tense when I was singing it and it was in the arch of my foot and I was like “I didn’t even know that could happen” so it was intense but it was worth it. You’re on your first tour right now. How is that going?

It’s awesome, honestly I mean it’s been my dream to do this since I started writing songs when I was 14 and I remember being in high school and I saw a singer of one of my favorite bands at the times, which they were called the Hush Sounds, she was in some teen magazine and I remember her saying that she missed her high school prom because she was on tour and I was like “Uh goals! I want to be that” and I didn’t get to do it and I’ve been wanting to do that for so long and it’s amazing to be able to finally be able to really connect with fans because at the end of the 26

day this is why I do this- to connect with other human beings and I think of myself as a storyteller first and foremost and music is just my vehicle for that and stories unite people and connect people and can break barriers for religions and languages… that so it’s awesome to finally be able to not just be writing these songs, but to be sharing them with people directly and getting to meet all these different kids and it’s just amazing. In a world where lyrical content is often sacrificed to create popular music, how important is lyricism to you when writing your music?

Lyrics are 100% top priority for me. I will never ever compromise on a lyric, ever because to me it’s just like “what’s the point?”. Like I said earlier, I’m a storyteller first and foremost and pretty much all of my songs start from lyrics. I’m always constantly observing everything around me- the people around me and the relationships around me and relationships my friends are having, so I mean without lyrics, I don’t even know what I would say. I always start from there and I build everything else around that. So, nope, never, never will happen, there’s no point. What do you want to convey with your songs?

I just really want to say that we’re not alone individuals. We’re more alike than we are different and especially being a female, I really want to convey a sense of empowerment, self empowerment with girls and other women. Especially in relationships and stuff. Its very rare that you’re going to hear me write a lovey dovey sweet song about someone. Don’t get me wrong, I mean I’m loved, I’ve experienced great love, I’ve experienced bad love but I think there’s enough sweet songs, and I want any woman or any guy or anyone that’s in an abusive or unhappy relationship to know that they’re not alone in that. It’s okay to be brave and to face it. That change is always going to be hard and I think that’s why a lot of people stay in bad situations because of they’re so afraid of the change but when you do it, it’s always worth it and I just really want to convey that to any of my listeners and to just be strong and be self empowered. Who is your dream collaboration?

Oh shit! Dead or alive?! Oh no! Uhm… alive? Probably Shania Twain. A lot of people think that it’s so weird that I’m so influenced by Shania Twain but

a lot of people don’t know this part of her but when she recorded her first big album with “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and all those, her label heard it and they were like “We don’t believe in this, we don’t back this, it’s not country, no one’s going to listen to this, no one’s going to like it” because it was so pop for country back then and she was such a trailblazer and her label was like “no” so they put very little money into her first single but her producer was luckily, a really successful guy so he put half a million dollars into marketing it and it blew up and now she’s an icon, she’s had longevity thats lasted years and years and years because she stood for something and created something different and that’s how I’ve always kind of felt- it’s been a little bit of a struggle for me, cause what I do is never perfectly fitted into what’s happening. I’ve always just been adamant about sticking true to myself so i really admire that about her. Uhm, Gwen Stefani is another one that I would like to collaborate with. Those are the two. I always feel like I’m like the baby of if Shania Twain and Gwen Stefani were lesbians and they would like somehow could procreate together, I would be their daughter. That’s my vibe. Dead? I don’t know- there’s not really that many dead people I want to collaborate with.. or Paul McCartney from The Beatles but he’s alive still so Shania Twain, Paul McCartney, Gwen Stefani.

FESTIVAL COVERAGE: CAPITOL HILL BLOCK PARTY Written and Photographed by: Cristobal Arellano Camacho

With a fast-growing reputation, The Capitol Hill Block Party (CHBP) is a three-day long block party. Unlike the average music festival, this block party takes over six blocks of the Capitol Hill Neighborhood to celebrate Seattle’s iconic arts and music center. Located in the heart of this Seattle neighborhood, over 100 local and national artists fill three indoor venues and two outdoor stages. This year, CHBP began the celebration July 21 with major acts such as; Diplo, Run the Jewels, Lord Huron and many more. The festival kicked off with a variety of genres taking over the stages. One artist who really stole the show was Producer/DJ, Mura Masa and Singer Fliss. What seemed to be a live DJ set, turned into a live performance with Fliss singing all the guest vocals and having the whole block moving their hips. As the headliners for day one, Hip-Hop duo Run The Jewels (RTJ) made their way onto the stage, the whole street was in attendance ready to cause a mosh pit. This was my first time ever seeing a RTJ live performance and their unique style of hardcore and alternative hip-hop definitely had 28

the crowd from front to back jumping up and down. Even the security guards ended their night jumping to the music. Day two started right where day one ended, the gates flooded with the community very early. The block turned into a dance party with acts like Phantoms and Jai Wolf maintaining a great energy throughout the day leading into the night. I snuck away from the main stage to check out a band called Saint Claire that was recommended to me, and I was not disappointed. Lord Huron ended the night, turning the vibe into an upbeat alternative showcase. With their live instruments and soulful lyrics, the whole neighborhood came together to sing along. By Sunday, all ears knew what stages to visit, and the weather stayed as marvelous as the first day the gates opened. Snakehips blessed the main stage with remix after remix and with their famous 2015 single, “All My Friends.” Diplo took the whole neighborhood into a turbulence for his set. He didn’t forget to show some love to the city, stepping on stage with an old-school Sonics Shawn Kemp

jersey. Loads and loads of confetti filled the air as he closed out his set, reminding everyone in attendance why he got the last slot and why he is a show stopping veteran. CHBP succeeded in bringing the city together. Seeing its residents hanging out of windowsills and interacting with the crowd was a vibe. This festival introduced its crowd to some of the most talented local artists Seattle has to offer. Thriving under Bumbershoot and Sasquatch, CHBP is making a name for itself with its diverse group of artists and unique atmoshphere.

SHOW REVIEW: PHORA

Written and Photographed by: Cristobal Arellano Camacho If 9 bullets couldn’t stop one of rap’s biggest names, a stabbing and two shootings definitely didn’t slow this rising star. Coming out of Anaheim, California, 22-year-old rapper Phora has independently released five albums within the last couple of years. His dedication is living proof that with focus, ambition and discipline you can achieve anything. As his Yours Truly Forever Tour came to an end, Phora blessed Spokane, Washington’s sold out Pin venue with his story-telling, narrative rapping style

a big family. It’s obvious that he has a strong bond with his fans that isn’t seen from many artists. Phora is the voice of the unheard people. Without a doubt, his unique use of rhythm and blues will leave a mark in the industry. As he continues to rise to the top, there’s no telling what he’ll do next. Make sure to be on the lookout for his new album, “Yours Truly Forever” dropping August 18, on all music platforms.

DJ Lord Rockwell kicked off the concert by bringing the crowd to its toes with his mixing. His interaction with the crowd filled the venue with liveliness throughout his whole set. Mixing throwbacks with today’s hits and his use of slick transitions made the venue feel like a VIP after party. You can tell when someone is passionate with what they do and Lord Rockwell is an example of that. Mixing record after record making it looks so easy and never losing momentum. As Phora made his way onto the stage, the energy his presence gave was stunning. With his head high and his commanding hold of the stage, his Yours Truly fans’ screams filled the venue. Seeing his young fans singing along with Phora, never missing a word was truly amazing. This is an artist with one of the most loyal fan bases because he always makes sure his fans come first and does the most he can to give back. In fact, he wouldn’t be where he is without his fans. In 2015, his fans helped fund his Yours Truly Records record label through a Kickstarter campaign with over $60,000. As he performed, he not only let you see the emotion in every song, he also made you feel them. Song after song, he had everyone in the venue feeling his pain and his happiness. Performing his hit tracks “I Think I Love You,” “Fake Smiles,” “Sinner and To The Moon”, he connected the audience with love, depression and hard times with his narrative lyrics. For those who have never listened to Phora, he takes the negative things in life and turns them into something positive, an ability that connects him with his audience on a deeper level. His interaction with the crowd between songs made it feel as if every stranger in the venue was a part of 31

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