#startsomewhere Between you and me, summer is coming soon and I’m beyond excited for adventures in the city. Although, one side block is finals where we all tend to stay super late to memorize formulas and annotate articles for research papers. I’ve been there and it feels like time is going by so fast. Back to summer break, what are your plans? A few I had in mind are festivals, coffee hopping, conventions like Vidcon and road trips. I do have to mention that while some people take summer to relax and explore, there are individuals who take in those months to advance their studies, find a summer job or internship and don’t get me wrong, relaxing is always great but it is an essential to how you run your own schedule. It brings me to this month’s topic of #startsomewhere, figure out with your time, what you want to learn and accomplish or that idea you always thought about, why not make that idea into reality. I noticed that during my early middle school years, I would journal what I’ve done and I made dream boards to prioritize my yearly goals. I encourage you to create a dream board for daily motivation. Whether you create one on a seasonal or yearly basis, it’s good to have your key goals in mind.
Cathrine Khom founder + chief editor
many thanks:
anna lee
justin fennert
houston edwards
@annaleemedia oklahoma city, ok
@justinfennert chicago, il
@houston.edwards los angeles, ca
carrie rad
kenzie elizabeth
public access tv
@carrie_rad los angeles, ca
@kenzelizabethyt texas, tx
@public_accesstv new york, ny
chase atlantic
machineheart
raw fabrics
@chaseatlantic australia, aus
@mchnheart los angeles, ca
@rawfabrics los angeles, ca
cheeky fawn
mimi kirkland
rhodes bros
@cheekyfawn los angeles, ca
@mimikirkland los angeles, ca
@aaronrhodes_ // @austinrhodes_ los angeles, ca
grace nguyen
haley ramm
sykes
@therunawaygirls los angeles, ca
@halesbells hollywood, ca
@sykesband london, uk
may 2015
contents
Classics 07
playlist
08 10
munchies diy department
12
on the street
14
p.s. positivity
f e at u r e s 16
cheeky fawn
22
#startsomewhere recap
24
carrie rad
28
justin fennert
32
mimi kirkland
34
haley ramm
38
houston edwards
42
anna lee
46
chase atlantic
52
rhodes bros
60
symmetry
66
grace nguyen
70
public access tv
72 74
raw fabrics
machineheart
78
kenzie elizabeth
80
sykes
iss ue t w e n t y fi v e / / m ay t w e n t y fi ft e en
rh od es bro s
founder / chief editor cathrine khom copy editor sophia khom publicist faith escalera web designer ariane therrien illustrators eduardo martinez + jaimus tailor diy coordinator madison bass-taylor web content coordinator kristy cheung social media coordinator nicole tillotson videographers jessica eu + gloria wong ads/marketing marisa petrillo playlist maker sena cheung front cover logo fiona yeung back cover logo isabel ramos cover photo raul romo contributing writers kamrin baker, ashley bulayo, orion carloto, sydney clarke, rachel coker, anna hall, madisen kuhn, emma fjalland lund, chloe luthringshausen, hudson luthringshausen, megan magers, kaela malozewski, lydia snapper, averly tan contributing photographers lexie alley, philipp ammon, mila austin, pamela ayala, talia azadian, viviana contreras, ron dadon, julio-adrian del la torre, justin dingwall, samantha eisenberg, rachel epstein, simrah farrukh, amanda harle, laura harvey, emily hedrick, stephanie huang, ruby james, katy johnson, rachel kober, vivian ku, chris lampkins, rosie matheson, louisiana mei gelpi, natalie montero lugo, kohl murdock, danny owens, jade park, dylan razo, haydn rydings, andy sawyer, katy schulz, zara staples, meagan sullivan, madison bass-taylor, lhoycel marie teope, melissa tilley, acacia trenholm, alyssa vaphiades, madison vujnov graphic designers cassidy boatright, christine ennis, isabel manimbo, isabel ramos, nicole tillotson style department sophie bernard, emily hedrick, katie qian, jessie yarborough connect localwolvesmag.com twitter / instagram / snapchat: @localwolves facebook.com/localwolves #localwolves community general inquiries localwolvesmagazine@yahoo.com
description local wolves magazine, an online + print publication based in southern california with a talented team from all over the world. we focus on embracing the local scene in art, music, entertainment and film. our goal is to capture and share the stories about people doing what they love to do.
press inquiries localwolvespress@gmail.com advertisting inquiries localwolvesinfo@gmail.com
COVERAGE: SENA CHEUNG
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munchies +
COVERAGE: GLORIA WONG
LE MAR C H É ST . G E O R G E
Hidden away in a small neighbourhood in East Vancouver, LE MARCHÉ ST. GEORGE has quickly become a local staple. A café and grocery store run by sisters Janaki and Klee Larsen and Pascal Roy, Janaki’s husband, Le Marche’s cozy, rustic atmosphere makes it the perfect place to slow down and enjoy a delicious latte in a bowl while picking up lifestyle goods. The service is great and everyone working there is always friendly and outgoing. Local favourites include the bacon and onion flatbread, almond croissant and the cinnamon sugar and butter crepe. LOCATION & CONTACT 4393 St. George Street Vancouver, B.C., Canada (604) 565-5107
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do it yourself + P RESSE D FL O W ERS +
SU P P LIES + + + +
flowers various papers big book glue
IDEAS: create a wall of pressed flowers or maybe even frame some! COVERAGE: MADISON BASS-TAYLOR
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STE P S
1 2 3 4 5
gather papers, flowers, and book
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let simmer for 5-7 minutes and then let cool
open book and place piece of paper in book, continue to lay flowers onto paper
skip a few more pages in book and continue by repeating step two
keep flowers in book for 5-10 days
after flowers have dried, glue flowers to paper
strain
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pour into bottles for storage or mix with drinks
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on the street COVERAGE: EMILY HEDRICK There’s always a certain magic in the air in LA during the spring time. The weather is warmer, the grass is greener, and new trends emerge. To get a preview of what’s picking up style wise this season, I scouted outfits at a perfectly sunny Sunday flea market. Check out these colorful ensembles for some spring season outfit inspiration.
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n o i r O n : o o t i o l r r O Ca : o t o l r Ca
L
et’s face it, we have all encountered that one point of our lives where we feel not only fairly irrelevant, but also like the biggest misfit in our grade. I seem to talk about this phase quite often in my columns because it had to have been the worst years of my life so far. Never did I have anyone to give me kick ass advice like I’m about to give to you guys, so please soak in this semi-important information and value the fact that I care about you guys enough to let you all live vicariously through my ugly teenage life experiences. P.S. I expect handwritten thank you letters sent to my address signed with kisses and puppy dog stickers after you read this. When you think of a ‘misfit,’ you usually come to terms in your head of a quite, shy, and nerdy kid that sits in the back of his/her classroom calculating math problems that no one really cares about. Well, I was the complete opposite of your typical misfit. I’ve always been super outspoken, obnoxious, annoying, and never one to shut up when told to. Being raised in a Spanish household filled with wild Latina women, it’s pretty much in your blood to be as loud and chatty as possible. Of course, being encompassed by your everyday suburban kids raised in a picture perfect Christian household, it’s kind of hard finding people that are down to be your friend and that are also willing to take you around their stay at home mother who scrapbooks
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on the weekends and father that watches golf for fun. I grew up getting weird looks from the girls in my grade and the boys honestly wanted nothing to do with me. It never really seemed to bother me until it came down to every September when my mom was planning my birthday parties and I had like four friends I wanted to invite, two of them being my sisters. I guess that’s when it start to hit me. Damn, I’m annoying. My freshman year of high school is really when I started to “find myself.” Since I’ve always been one to try and achieve the goal of being the center of attention, I found myself sitting in Mrs. Pierce’s first period “Intro to Theatre” class. Man, was this woman a nut case (I say that in the most sincere way possible). Mrs. Pierce is the coolest director anyone could ever ask for. She grew up acting her whole life and her husband is a clown. No, literally. He went to clown school and he’s actually a clown (Not a bozo with a squeaky red nose and scary white make up for all of you uneducated teens out there. It’s okay, I’ve been there). In her class, we started off with mime techniques and then it moved to bringing in inanimate objects to class and then becoming the inanimate objects through mind, body, and soul. I was surrounded by new faces that were just as confused as I was. If you’re imagining a theatre class with weird kids that tell each other dumb inside jokes and they
all have unusual hair colors and random moments of yelling out movie references, you’re 100% right. I made so many new friends and truly found a place where I could be myself without the fear of being outcasted. Weeks passed by in class, and that’s when I decided to audition for my very first production. Our class was putting on a show of “Alice and Through the Looking Glass” and just like you’d imagine in any of your typical family comedy film, I got casted as a flower. Not just any flower. I was a rose but hey, at least I wasn’t one of the three daises, I actually was the one and only rose which was somewhat significant. Anyways, through my experience of being on stage and becoming characters that aren’t myself, I fell in love with theatre and art of acting and I knew that it would be something I would want to do for the rest of my life. Flash forward four years and now I’m a senior in high school. Not only am I so close to graduating, but I have been fortunate enough to find a place where I fit in and where I’m accepted by everyone. Not to say that you need to be accepted by everyone to be happy, but it was nice having a lot of friends that share the same interests and story like me. Fine arts was my safe haven and the stage was my home. I knew everyone like the back of my hand and we all just kind of clicked. No one was weirder than others. Okay, I take that back. David Martin was one pretty strange kid in the best way possible. No offense to David if you’re reading this. You’re pretty cool in my book. Back to my point, everyone loved each other as if we were one big happy family. If it weren’t for the lovely Mrs. Pierce and her passion for what she teaches and if it weren’t for my fellow classmates that made me feel accepted, I don’t really know what I’d be doing right now. Probably at the back of some dingy classroom calculating math problems on a shitty Texas Instrument tool.
illustrations by eduardo martinez
What I’m trying to say, and truly the moral of my story is, art is definitely something that can take you out of reality and make you feel better about yourself and your surroundings. Whether it’s painting, singing, dancing, writing, or even performing like me, you can find a place of pure happiness and self-expression and that’s what makes art so special. It’s the best form of expressing ourselves and our lives revolve around it whether you believe it or not. People convey their feelings and emotions into one form and it can personally make you feel better or even go to the extent of inspiring others. Find an art that makes you happy. You don’t have to be the best actor, the most detailed writer, the most flexible dancer, or even the most talented painter. As long as it can genuinely fill your soul with extreme feelings of little you’s dancing around in colorful tutus everywhere, that’s all that matters. I shall now end this on a good quote my friends. In the wise words of Oscar Wilde, “Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.”
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cheeky fawn Story: Ashley Bulayo Photos: Madison Bass-Taylor
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To quote Charli XCX, “I don’t wanna go to school, I just wanna break the rules.” I’m pretty sure anyone in school feels the same way. Luckily, there are some things that make school bearable whether it be the apple of your eye in chemistry class or mega cute school supplies. I don’t know about you but having cute things to use for organizing not only makes me excited to go shopping but it actually makes me want to do work. Am I the only one? After I found out the mastermind behind Cheeky Fawn also created Carefree Culture, I flipped. If you’re not familiar with the latter, it was well known for it’s upcycled vintage denim and other handmade clothing. It closed during summer 2014 after the owner wanted to move towards a different project and expand her professional portfolio. At only twenty years old, Vanessa Ordaz has already created a majorly successful brand. Who’s to say she can’t do it again? When one door closes another one opens. Cheeky Fawn was created just after Carefree Culture in the fall of 2014. With a knack for sewing since she was seventeen years old after learning from blogs and YouTube tutorials, Ordaz put her displayed her talents once again. She posted a photo on instagram of a pouch she made without any intention of
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making a profit. Due to the positive feedback from her friends, this drove her to share her brand new creations. From then on, she had her eyes set on how she wanted the brand to appeal to others, made a website and a separate Instagram page, and voila! Hello, Cheeky Fawn.
“I get my inspiration from songs, people and popular media. I like for the pouches to have personality, so a lot of the sayings come from what I hear people say. ” Ordaz has been running her own businesses for quite sometime but that doesn’t mean she still gets the jitters when putting new items for the public to purchase. “As a designer, you make yourself a little vulnerable when sharing your creations, especially when you’ve put so much heart and time into creating them,” Ordaz mentioned. Luckily, her clientele continued to grow and so did the recognition of her hard work. Making one of a kind, bold merch may be tough to do but she seems to have it handled.
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With that said, don’t assume you’ll only be shopping for pouches and pencils from here on out. “Who knows what the future may hold,” said Ordaz. To those who are inspired by her work, Ordaz has a few words for you: “‘The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.’ This quote motivates me to pursue my dreams today, and reminds me that good things take time. You may not be exactly where you want to be, but that doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy where you are right now. Live your life today.” Speaking of the future, here’s to hoping we see some collaborations real soon. This is a shout out to TheLineUp from YouTube on the behalf of Vanessa Ordaz: She’d love to collaborate with you. Let’s make this magic happen, yeah? Other than TheLineUp, she’d love to reach out to our very own, Orion Carloto! You never know, big things can always happen when you least expect it. It’s impossible to describe how busy of a schedule Ordaz seems to go by. Juggling her own business, going to a university and becoming an up and coming blogger/YouTuber is no easy task.
So, how does she get it all done? “I plan and organize my week every Sunday night, and maintain my schedule throughout the week. I have a few planners and journals that I use frequently and carry with me just about everywhere since I love making lists. I like to put my goals and inspirational quotes/drawings on my bedroom wall so that every morning I get a boost of motivation,” said Ordaz. But besides detailed scheduling, she needs to take breaks just like everyone else. To get away from all the chaos, even just for a little bit, find her at the arts district in Downtown Los Angeles and grabbing food at the Urth Caffe. We expect to see lots of that location in her new lifestyle blog, nessyfawn. With the start of a new year and a brand that’s continuing to build, Ordaz has major goals set. At the top of her list, she wants to continue making quality products that customers will enjoy for months on end. In five years, she hopes to crowdfund money to manufacture pouches on a larger scale. So far, due to such a high demand, eager customers have to wait until every Friday for a restock on all their favorite items. Even then, some items can be sold out within seconds! Hopefully we’ll see all our most liked picks in some of our favorite stores as she aims to sell them wholesale.
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#startsomewhere + W O LFIE SUBMISSI O NS + This month we asked our readers: In order to #startsomewhere, why is it important to take a risk for your career/future? // illustration: Jaimus Tailor.
No one has achieved anything in life without risks. It’s terrifying, but I’ve learned that you overcome this fear once you start to get rewards for taking a leap of faith. After graduating from high school, I decided to pursue my love for film. I was so nervous to move away from home into a big city at a university where I knew absolutely no one, but I wanted a career in film and I knew I’d have to push myself to get there. College has forced me to jump out of my comfort zone. I would’ve never met the people I now call my best friends had I stayed in the shell that I’d grown to know throughout high school. You truly don’t know what experiences you’re missing out on until you put yourself out there. My future best friend happened to be sitting next to me in our first day of film classes and I now work alongside her in our film production group as her cinematographer. The people you meet by taking these risks will further your career and your passions. Never skip out on an opportunity to put yourself out there. You will get there, it just takes a few seconds of bravery and a lot of hard work. – Larissa Neumann, Chicago, IL I think that it’s important to take risks for your career because sometimes there are opportunities waiting outside of your comfort zone. You have to go out on a limb to achieve the things that you want. For example, I’m a songwriter from Dallas, TX and I’m moving to Nashville, TN to pursue a career in music, even though I hardly know anyone in that city. I’m going because I know that there are more opportunities out there than there ever will be for me in Dallas. Its kind of terrifying, but sometimes you have to do crazy things in order to reach even crazier dreams. It’s so important to do the things that scare you because that’s how you grow, whether it be in your career or just in life in general. So, take risks even if you have no idea what the outcome will be. You’ll either learn from your mistake or benefit from taking the chance. – Kendall Scout, Dallas, TX
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When’s the last time you told everyone about how you got plenty of sleep? Or how about the time when you didn’t try out because you were too scared? President Ellen Sirleaf once said, “If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough.” This is my favorite quote because this is the perfect example of starting somewhere. Nobody accomplishes their biggest life aspirations by playing it safe. To be scared can be a brilliant feeling, something that can drive you in a different sort of way. Taking a risk can come easier to some than others, but its something we all can do. This can be the small factor that keeps you on top, the risk that leads to success and the ability to spend the rest of your life doing what you truly love. We all have our own comfort zones but when we take the step outside our personal bubble we are exposed to all new chances. You need a foundation to build, a foundation created through your own vision. Once you start you have the ability to accomplish your biggest career goal or life milestone. When you take a risk you find that you are exposed to new things, some things that might change your life. Find new interests, a new love, and create. We have a short amount of time on earth, so spend that time putting yourself out there and making every second count. You only need a second of courage to change a million seconds after that. So, what will your risk be? – Raegan Ashlee Brizek, Chaplin SC The words “you have to start somewhere” are often the first words you hear when talking about future plans. For starving artists, this somewhere is often street corners, open mic nights or social media. For athletes, it’s their high school sports team. When you’re 16 though, it’s harder to just “start somewhere.” Many see you as a stereotypical kid that doesn’t take anything seriously because they don’t know what they want. However, I’ve personally taken it upon myself to reach out and take some risks regarding my future. Not only do I want to write music, but I also want to write about it. Again, the fact that I’m 16 has strongly limited my options to get out there and take risks but recently, this risk taking has gotten so much easier. In the past month, I’ve met journalists that work for the Daily Herald, Wall Street Journal and Pitchfork and I recently met the editor of Pitchfork, Jessica Hopper. This time last year, I wouldn’t have approached her or any of the writers that I have met but since this was my only chance to do something significant with my future, I took a leap of faith and reached out to these people. I got amazing advice from Hopper and received a free copy of Pitchfork magazine after sharing my writing with her. In addition to advice from her, I had also gotten some from Danny Yadron of Wall Street Journal. He told me about the college experience and how to start my own music blog and reach an audience. It’s because of people like this that I have reached a certain level of confidence with my writing. Through taking this risk, I have alr-
eady jump started my career by starting my own blog, writing endless album reviews upon album reviews and becoming more immersed in this commitment. Taking giant risks in order to stay afloat in your career and future show dedication and confidence. Playing it safe will never get you anywhere. If I hadn’t contacted these writers and editors, I wouldn’t even be writing this email, sharing my writing with anyone and I most definitely would not be the entertainment editor for my school newspaper. Although risks can be dangerous, ultimately they pay off and the rewards are always so great. If you are willing to take that risk or leap of faith for your future/career, then you know that you’re on the right path and doing what you love. How else do you think Beyoncé became a legend? – Ksenia Gorinshteyn, Chicago, IL In about three weeks, I’m moving to London. To some of you, this may not seem like such a big deal, but to me, as an 18 year old Australian girl fresh out of high school, its pretty much the biggest thing I could imagine. I don’t know anything more daunting than packing your bags and moving to the other side of the world, but if there is anything more crazy than that, I’m not sure I want to know. I decided I would do this about 5 years ago, and I’ve been determined to get to this point ever since. I’m a musician; it’s cliche but music is pretty much the blood pumping through my veins. It’s the reason I’m here and the reason I keep going. Once you find a passion like that, I think that it’s a crime to let it go. My chances are one in a million, something I hear often and think about often, but that’s never seemed to stop me before. Making music is something I do for the sheer passion and love of it, and being able to share something like that with other people gives me immense feelings of joy. I’d love to do it as a career and be able to spend every waking second thinking, feeling and breathing music. I can hear you already, saying there are so many people out there who want exactly what you want, why are you so special? To be honest, I’m not all that different. I’m a girl who plays guitar and sings. I know, never heard of that before! But that doesn’t mean that I can’t do this, I just gotta put a lot of hard work and dedication behind it. So I’m moving to London. The city where many musicians’ dreams come true or fall apart. And sure, I’m scared, but isn’t that the beauty of it all? You gotta start somewhere, to get somewhere. Even if that means jumping on a plane and leaving my old life behind, or taking a chance on a life unknown. All I know is I want to be somewhere. I want to go on roads untraveled, see the world from new eyes and take a risk that might never pay off. In order to get there, I must take that chance. You just gotta remember, sometimes a leap of faith is just a step in the direction of a life you always wanted. You’ve got to start somewhere, it just depends on where you decide to place your feet. – Annika Jane, Melbourne, AUS
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carrie rad interview: Emma lund story: jenn torres Photos: Viviana Contreras
Standing at a 5’1”, Youtube content creator, Carrie Rad bustles around the kitchen as she pours me a cup of iced coffee in a Kerr mason jar. At the center of her kitchen table, fresh sunflowers and sweet williams are backlit by the morning sun. Scattered across it are Mod Podge glue, three yellow sea sponges, an una-dorned aluminum flower planter, and a few baskets of makeup products—all items she’ll be using for today’s shoot. She’ll be filming a ‘natural-look’ makeup tutorial in a few hours for Polished, a YouTube channel, with whom she collabo-rates, and a home décor tutorial for another channel JustLikeThat, later this evening. We move into the next room where her DSLR camera and lights are set up, an upgrade from the iFlip that she filmed her first video on last January—“It was important that I show my viewers that I am serious about this,” she says. Bare-faced, lips slightly parted, Rad poses in front of the camera and applies a light coat of mascara. It takes a level of confidence to put yourself in a place so public, while being so vulnerable. I ask if she feels comfortable shooting. She says yes, but it hasn’t always been that way. “When I published my first video, I didn’t feel nearly as confident, as I do now. It was just like: ‘Close my eyes, press publish and walk away’.” Now a days, she publishes most videos with her eyes open: “I try to take a step out of my comfort zone daily. I have fallen in love with taking chances, thinking outside of the box, and pushing my mind creatively.”
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Though the videos end up being three to five minutes long, after editing is done, planning and prepping footage can take three to four hours. Editing can take just as much time. “I keep busy,” she says, “I work everyday, but never feel burdened by work because I’m doing what I love and following my dreams.” “I try to take a step out of my comfort zone daily. I have fallen in love with taking chances, thinking outside of the box, and pushing my mind creatively.” Rad’s video content varies from beauty-tutorials to personal stories about breakups and inner beauty. I ask if it’s difficult to shoot personal videos. “Yes, it’s hard talking about being confident and being brave [and difficult times in my life]. It took time for me to learn. I thought about posting videos on YouTube for three years before actually doing it, [but] once you push yourself out of your comfort zone, you start to think of all the possibilities. Then, when you push yourself past your limits and the outcome ends up being better than expected, you definitely start to feel more confident,” Rad says. And the outcome has certainly been good. In over a year, she’s garnered over 90,000 followers. “Confidence is something I practice on a daily basis. I’m not always confident, but insecurities are natural. Everyone has insecurities, and they’re not a bad thing. You just have to work on them.”
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“ o n c e yo u p u s h yo u r s e l f o u t o f y o u r co m f o r t z o n e , y o u s ta r t t o t h i n k o f a l l t h e po s s i b i l i t i e s .�
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justin fennert STORY: HUDSON LUTHRINGSHAUSEN PHOTOS: LHOYCEL MARIE TEOPE
A pair of headphones, some smooth jazz and iced coffee is all you’d need to emulate photographer JUSTIN FENNERT. That is, to say, his working environment — the rest of his job may be a bit trickier to match. At twenty six years old, Fennert blends creativity with talent for a truly remarkable collection of photography. From Uganda to Chicago, the young creative has found his niche in the world of artistry, but it didn’t start out picture perfect. His story began in high school, at that time where credits fall short and previously uninteresting classes become necessities with graduation just around the corner. “I didn’t want to paint, draw or make clay pots so my next choice was the photography class,” says Fennert who would show up to class with his mother’s Minolta film camera, not knowing he was about to spark one of his life’s most flaming passions. Even after the class had finished and his mother’s camera was returned, Fennert wasn’t sold on photography. It would take years, a Bachelor’s, and a Master’s Degree in Strength and Conditioning before he picked up the camera again, this time a Canon T3, which instantly ignited the flame again. “I spent hours and hours studying photography when I should have been working in the weight room and at that point I knew I had to find a way out,” Fennert admits before declaring, “I was going to work in photography, I wanted to use it to tell stories of amazing people and organizations working to positively impact the community around them.” Today, Fennert finds inspiration from a variety of artists whom he dubs “amazing,” and attributes their “gorgeous way of telling stories with a camera,” as his creative push in his own endeavors. “The biggest thing that motivates my work is the story behind the person that I get to photograph,” says Fennert, who’s projects all focus on the story that pictures can’t tell.
“I WANTED TO USE IT TO TELL STORIES OF AMAZING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO
POSITIVELY
IMPACT
THE
COMMUNITY AROUND THEM.”
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From trips to Uganda, ventures like @StoryStache which allowed Fennert to photograph over fifty mustached men with stories to tell, passion projects like #LiveCreate, a clever way to distribute his Instax captures alongside a handwritten note, to his position as content and community manager at footwear brand BucketFeet, Fennert exposes himself to a variety of creative avenues. When it comes to his style, he calls himself a man of simplicity and light, “Simplicity speaks for itself. I love decluttering things and keeping the frame as minimal as possible. I love working with light and shadows and using the two to highlight something in the story.”
“SIMPLICITY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. I LOVE DECLUTTERING THINGS AND KEEPING THE FRAME AS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE. I LOVE WORKING WITH LIGHT AND SHADOWS AND USING THE TWO TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING IN THE STORY.”
Fennert finds home today in Chicago, a city chalked full of creatives, but his travels remain at the forefront of his inspirations. “Many of the people I met in Uganda had never seen a picture of themselves and to see the smile on their faces when they did floored me,” Fennert remembers about his trip to Uganda with his wife, Kallie which he calls his favorite project but one face stuck out most to the couple, the face of a young boy named Henry. “There was just something about Henry’s personality that just tugged at our hearts,” says Fennert on the boy he and his wife have now sponsored and watched grow for four years. “We knew we’d want to stay connected with him and be a source of support,” he added. As for Fennert, he finds support in Chicago’s community of artists. Working at BucketFeet, he seeks to connect people with the powerful stories of artists, “it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning,” he says. Photography is his passion, but the man has an un-precedented taste for coffee, a connoisseur, one might say. The Toddy Latte, which he jokingly accredits himself for popularizing, is his go-to cup and Chicago’s Heritage Bicycle and Coffee Shop is his favorite place to grab a sip (or two). “They’ve got such a cool shop and the GM, Alan Gagne, has a sweet mustache so how can you not like them.”
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mimi kirkland Story: Sydney Clarke // Photos: Rachel Epstein
Mimi Kirkland, a ten years old actress who has already appeared in numerous roles; most recently she was featured on the Disney Channel television show, Austin & Ally. Kirkland cites this as her favorite role because her character Lilly, was an “energetic, easily excited, spunky little girl: just like me!” Television is not her only medium, however. Kirkland also had a role in the hit movie, Safe Haven alongside the likes of Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel. Kirkland knew that she wanted to be an actress from a very young age. She recalls telling her teacher at her preschool graduation that she wanted to be an actress. Her parents found an agent in her hometown of Raleigh, and she began booking roles. She started out acting in commercials, with her first role as a child in a commercial for debt consolidation. Ever since then, she has been drawn to the screen, booking a role as Lexie in Safe Haven not too long after. “I like pretending to be different characters, wear costumes and try different hairstyles,” she says. She loves working in both TV shows and movies, because they both bring different experiences. “In my movie experience, we were on location and got to go to a fun place, which felt like I was on vacation the entire time, but I was really working. I like TV because each week we film a different episode, and there’s a different concept to the show, so there is a new surprise each week.” Her acting influences are varied, mostly including people that she has worked with. She cites her biggest influences and inspirations as her acting coaches, Estes Tarver and Deborah Dion. “They help me under-
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stand the scenes and know my personality, so they can help me change a little for each audition.” Additionally, she praises her dialogue coach, A. Laura James who she says helped her to act with facial expressions and movements. “She is funny, friendly and I loved working with her and her dog, Pixie!”
“There is always something that you have to sacrifice to pursue your dream and its not always easy.” While she has an impressive resume and tough work schedule, Kirkland still finds time to be a normal girl. “Its tricky sometimes to balance because I have to learn scripts for shows I’m on and also audition for other things. Acting is my number one extracurricular activity.” She still makes time for family and friends, making sure to FaceTime them every day when she is out of town. Also, she loves to play outside, swim, ride her bike, dance, and play with her friends and sisters. To other girls who are looking to follow their dreams she says, “Be yourself, have fun, and keep working towards what you love! There is always something that you have to sacrifice to pursue your dream, and its not always easy. Stick with it and stay positive!”
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haley ramm STORY: MADISEN KUHN PHOTOS: STEPHANIE HUANG
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There was never a time Haley did not want to perform. Sometimes we’re born with hearts on fire. Sometimes you just know that you’re meant to do something, to be something. Some of us chase it, some of us ignore it, some of us hide from it. HALEY RAMM chased it. A creative from Dallas, TX with no one in her family that had previously been in the entertainment business, she chased it into the unknown. She chased it all the way to Los Angeles with her brother, Max right there with her, who is also pursuing a life in the entertainment industry, with his up and coming band, Tall Bones. “When my parents heard us say what we wanted to do with our lives, they took us seriously even though we weren’t rich and it wasn’t easy all the time.” Life as an actor is challenging. It takes a lot of strength, both mentally and emotionally. It’s the actor’s job to make you believe them, to portray real emotion. It’s a dream, it’s what we wish life was, it’s what we’ve felt before. It’s art. Ramm’s favorite character to play is one that makes the audience feel something unexpected. “I think that’s why we go to the movies and the theater; we want to be whisked away to another place, to feel emotions and to be entertained.” We asked Ramm what her most challenging role has been so far and she answered, “In the film, Disconnect, my character deals with her brother’s suicide attempt and the role she may have played in it by being a terrible although pretty typical big sister. The day we filmed the scene where I find him required hours of sobbing. It took me a long time to get over it in real life.” When putting so much dedication into a role, it’s easy to carry it around with you. Ramm mentioned that she does this with her character Brenna on ABC Family’s Chasing Life, which just finished its first season and will be coming back with new episodes this summer. Ramm plays the rebellious younger sister of a twenty something journalist named April, played by the talented, Italia Ricci who finds out she has cancer. Out of all the roles that she’s played before, Ramm says Brenna is the role that she most relates to. “We are not that different from each other.” And of course, there’s lots of fun that goes with being an actor in the beautiful sunny city of Los Angeles. For Ramm and most actors, work is from sun up to sun down, and sometimes it’s only a few days at a time. Ramm mentioned she most embarrasses herself when Steven Weber is on set. “I cannot get through a scene with him without laughing even if it’s a serious one.” When she’s not working, she likes spending her free time with friends, hanging out in someone’s backyard. “The musicians jam and the singers sing and whoever wants to cook throws together a meal. It’s a good group of people.” Speaking of cooking, when we asked Ramm what most people wouldn’t guess is true about her, she said “I’m great at crockpot cooking!” Ramm, maybe impress everyone with your crockpot cooking skills at the next backyard hangout?
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“I THINK THAT’S WHY WE GO TO THE MOVIES AND THE THEATER, WE WANT TO BE WHISKED AWAY TO ANOTHER PLACE, TO FEEL EMOTIONS AND TO BE ENTERTAINED.”
Ramm also enjoys traveling, and professes London and British Columbia to be her favorite spots. “Anytime I get to film in British Columbia is a treat. We used to vacation in BC when I was a kid and it feels so comfortable to me. Plus, I have friends there so whenever I film it feels like a vacation.” As someone who does quite a bit of traveling, she hasn’t forgotten her roots. Ramm’s favorite spot back in her hometown is Mi Cocina. “We love our Tex Mex. A bowl of guacamole, spicy salsa and warm chips, cheese enchiladas Tex Mex style and a margarita sounds pretty great right now.” Besides acting, Ramm likes to express herself artistically through writing. “It’s good for the soul.” When asked what advice she’d give to young aspiring actors, Ramm gave us some great words of wisdom. “Be yourself because that is unique. You can not have a career if you follow someone else’s path. So many make that mistake when they come to LA. Make your own way. Stay determined and focused. Find an acting coach and a manager you can trust and you can grow with. You can not be a slacker and make it. Do it for the art and not the money.”
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houston edwards STORY: ANNA HALL PHOTOS: RACHEL EPSTEIN & CATHRINE KHOM ILLUSTRATIONS: ABBY PHILLIPS
It’s hard to complain about the scruffy good looks and tousled hair of a rising male model like Houston Edwards. Yet Houston, 21, brings more to the mix than a pretty face. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, Edwards has had to work even harder to establish himself as a high end model in a city with less opportunities than say Los Angeles or New York. Not to mention, he’s been working towards getting a Bachelor’s Degree at the same time. Brains and fierce determination? Sounds like the complete package. Edwards says his modeling career began as the “Classic story of someone coming up to me and asking if I ever have tried modeling. Of course, I hadn’t and thought how any sixteen years old kid would, “I can become famous,” I sent in my digitals and Ford Robert Blacked signed me the next day.” The beginning may have been almost effortless, but he has had to work extra hard to keep up with big city competitors: “I knew I had to make myself stand out in my work in order to be on the same level as those in the LA area.” In addition, Edwards has been working on obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in the exercise science field while “also bolstering my modeling career in hopes that I will be able to balance both passions, one for fitness, one for modeling.”
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“I would tell anyone to never give up, nothing can ever come between you and getting what you want.”
This strong sense of purpose shines through in the advice he gives to other aspiring models: “I would tell anyone to never give up. Nothing can ever come between you and getting what you want. So many people want to do things with their lives but either doubt themselves or never actually act on what they need to do to get there. If you stay true to you and keep a passion and perseverance for what you want, there is no reason you can’t achieve it.” Currently, Edwards calls Los Angeles his new home, he maintains to find inspiration in both the big city and his hometown of Phoenix which he says, “It has emerged as a very trendy city whose social experience is something that people rave about. I have been lucky to experience it first hand.” When he’s in Phoenix, he loves local juice bar, Kaleidoscope, which offers a unique atmosphere with raw juices and healthy, on-the-go food. In Los Angeles, you can catch him at super food cafe, The Harvest Bar which serves up his favorite acai bowl combinations. Whether under the sun in California or Arizona, Houston Edwards will certainly be making a name for himself in the modeling industry. “I would love to collaborate with any designer honestly. The more people I work with the better, it gives me a better chance at meeting more great people. I have been very fortunate in that already.” So keep an eye out for him, you’ll probably be seeing his face all over, from catwalks to magazines, soon enough.
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anna lee // fancamproject COVERAGE: anna lee
sat, 4/11 • 4:45pm in my headphones: tove lo - queen of the clouds
sun, 4/13 • 10:30pm in my headphones: flor - sounds ep
What a day, that extends back more than 24 hrs when I got on a flight out of OKC to layover in ATL. Long story short, there was a bad storm over GA that prevented us landing and deplaning for over 3 hours. Got rebooked and am currently on my way to Boston! All obstacles considered, this has been my craziest flying experience to date but such is airport life! Also happens to be the first time that the airline has gotten a checked bag to my destination before me. Grateful to WTM and their team for taking such good care of me!
Just finished watching the season premiere of Game of Thrones in the hotel room with K-Ray and James (@ jameswooten. WTM front of house engineer who is a good friend of mine from previous tours). We’re on a day off in Boston, so I’ve had some time to relax. I finished editing and uploading last night’s photos a few hours ago. That’s always one of the most rewarding parts of tour for me is the moment when the band gets to see the images and followed by my phone exploding with photo credits on their socials.
I’ve been following the tour via social media and I’m so anxious to arrive and jump in. They have been absolutely killing it, not only on tour, but are topping charts every time I turn around. Anyway, little moments like those make me so proud of the bands I get to work alongside, not to mention getting me pumped for this tour.
Last night was amazing because WTM played the House of Blues in Boston, and it was my first time to see their Talking is Hard tour production in person. It was every bit as epic as I expected and so perfect for their sound. I often get overwhelmed with all of the photos I want grab and all the angles I want to shoot them from, that I’m very glad the set is almost 90 minutes long. I managed to make it into the venue right before show started.
But the most exciting thing for me so far is the inaugural #ALMfancam that is happening tonight! (First fans to put disposable cameras in my hand each show day get them filled up with exclusive backstage and show photos.) The winners arrived in line at 6:00AM! I’m utterly humbled by the response I received as soon as I announced the concept on IG last week and with the project beginning today, my socials have exploded with interaction about it. Most of this is thanks to teaming up with my close friend and PR advisor, Rachel (@Rachel_Shoots). The 405 published a story over the project yesterday, and I’ve collaborated with them and WTM to create an ultimate fan prize pack to help spread the word. I love seeing how big this idea is getting, it’s all very surreal! Can’t wait to meet these kids and get their cameras in my hand, and not to mention see the WTM guys for the first time since last fall! My plane is finally about to land. Gotta rush off, go track down my bag, put on real clothes, grab a Lyft, drive to HOB Boston, and get credentials all before show time!
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I got settled on the bus and found all the guys for reunion hugs and brief catch ups. Then, I rushed out to the pit and had a blast picking up the very first disposable cameras and meeting several WTM fans on the front row. The fact that several of them knew my name was a very bizarre but flattering experience for me. I quickly figured out that four cameras was too many to handle in one night and still have my hands free for my own camera when I needed it, but it was a fun challenge to find times to use them. I even selected a random one to bring on stage when I took a crowd shot with the band. That for me was one of the coolest parts of the night. Something I’ve noticed coming into this tour is that jumping into a group I already know gives me that much more confidence in doing my job, no time is wasted hanging back while I feel out everyone’s personalities and boundaries. Off to settle into my bus bunk, ready for Philly tomorrow!
mon, 4/13 • 2:00pm in my headphones: tillian - future friends ep I had my first ever philly cheesesteak for lunch. Sean and I walked next door to Jim’s Steaks and I didn’t hate it. I’m hanging out in the empty crew dressing room at TLA for a little quiet while I type. I picked up today’s first #ALMfancam from a girl named Lauren! It’s really nice outside so I sat and chatted with her for several minutes. It’s going to be so much better to have the whole day to fill it up this time. I also decided today to put up a fan gallery online, where I can upload crowd and meet and greet shots. The fans have seen me taking these, and I’ve received several requests via twitter and instagram for me to send them. Looking forward to soundcheck and the impromptu jams sessions that occur. It’s also my chance to shoot the guys with free reign of the stage. I use this time to experiment with different photo techniques especially that require flash. After shooting sound check, I’m going to head back out to the line with Lulu (@lulureneeb) to hand out some custom Talking is Hard t-shirts that she made! So great having another girl out right now, love her. Perpetual spunk and positivity with that one.
tues, 4/14 • 4:00pm in my headphones: handsome ghost - steps ep Soundcheck starts in a few minutes. The kids outside in line were so fun today! I grabbed the fan cams and took a bunch of silly pictures with about 20 of them waiting for doors. We’re in NYC today for the first of two were sold out shows at Terminal 5. It’s always a very bizarre feeling to be on the other side of the tour at venues where I’ve attended shows as a fan. I saw Feed Me here exactly four years ago. It’s huge with really cool balcony levels. The guys are just getting back from long string of press that started early this morning, and speaking of that, they’re doing the Today Show tomorrow morning! Epic. I probably won’t join, because as a photographer, there’s nothing I’m actually allowed to do, so I’ll hang back and get some work done. Philly was fairly full of technical difficulties for me that I’m still dealing with, so I gotta get into that some more and go shoot sound check. They are currently filming for a live music video for “Different Colors.”
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thurs, 4/16 • 11:45am in my headphones: lydia - devil I’m calling last night, NYC night two, my favorite show of tour. It was one of those shows where I walk away feeling like I got some of my best shots this week. Being in the same place as last night, I had a “practice round” under my belt. The crowd and band’s energy was amazing, and it translated into the second stage group shot I got to snag. It was a very eventful day! The boys were exhausted from tons of press and the Today Show taping and it was Lulu’s birthday, had some time to get out in the city, a terrifying Uber ride, and buddies from Magic Man came to hang at the show and the bar after. I set my camera down after the show and allowed myself some time just to socialize and spend some more time getting to know the band, The Griswolds as well! Even through being on tour often looks like a perpetual party, it’s a ton of work and very tiring. It’s easy to get spread pretty thin, so you have to actively compartmentalize. As the photographer, there’s always going to be something worth shooting, but I learned to accept the fact that some moments have to be missed and that’s okay. I’ve found it healthy for me to get out from behind the camera and just live the moments. Nick actually makes a comment to the audience about this topic specifically, encouraging the kids to be present, instead of posting Instagram or Snapchat all night. Today I’m back in DC at the 9:30 Club for the second time ever. This place is the best! It’s easy to shoot, but beyond that the staff are touring veterans and so great to work with cupcakes. I pray that every one of you has the opportunity to experience the magical tastebud explosion that is a 9:30 cupcake.
fri, 4/17 • 11:45am in my headphones: sir sly - you haunt me At my layover back in ATL, and can’t believe my week with WTM has already flown by. It’s also crazy to think that I’ll be back with Smallpools in just a few hours! They happen to be playing in my home state of Oklahoma tonight, so I decided to swing by the show and do the first #ALMfancam for them! Speaking of that, the whole project went even better than I could have expected. I’ve seen a few sets pop up on Twitter so far, and we all have a blast looking through them. I’m making some mental notes on what types of shots turn out better than others and it’s gonna be a disposable cam pro before long! DC night one was great, before soundcheck I got to witness an impressive crew band jam session. Most people that tour have some kind of musical background and I love seeing their outlet. I even jumped on Seany’s drums for a minute. I won’t say that I’m the “best” drummer I know but I can play a killer 4/4 basic beat that is mostly painless to listen to for about 90 seconds. I learned everything I know from Beau of Smallpools and James. The boys rallied from the inevitably intense workout that is NYC and delivered a true TIH Tour experience. There were a few injuries, but such is stage life and they pushed through like heros. Trying to think of a way to sum up this experience, and on one had it was entirely surreal. It was the largest headline tour I’ve ever worked. It’s is definitely difficult to remain consistently inspired when shooting similar content every day, but I can’t say that I experienced that issue though some nights I do wish I could jump in the crowd and just dance with the fans. On the other hand, it was completely comfortable. They welcomed me in this second time, and I never lacked their encouragement. I never take that for granted. I will miss them very much, until next time!
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chase atlantic S TO RY: M A D I S E N K U H N / / P H OTO S : R AC H E L E P S T E I N
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There’s something inexpressibly exhilarating and satisfying about being in a car full of your friends, driving with the windows down, and a long road stretched ahead of you. We all know road trips aren’t complete without the perfect tunes — something to bop your head along to while soaking up the beauty of being young and alive. The perfect band to jam to in these types of unforgettable moments is none other than CHASE ATLANTIC. With all three on vocals and guitar, as well as some individual flair on the drums, bass, and saxophone, Christian Anthony, Mitchel Cave, and Clinton Cave make for quite the talented trio. And yes, Mitchel and Clinton are brothers. The two said they both share a very similar mind frame when it comes to making music which makes for an easy process, although they do admit, “we annoy each other all the time!” The boys stated that they have been making music collectively for a few years, but around the beginning of 2014 decided that they wanted to become a band with a more defined and unique style. This is how ‘Chase Atlantic’ was born. Being an Australian band in the Indian and Pacific Ocean, you might be wondering where the name Chase Atlantic came from. In short, there is no direct meaning behind it. “We thought it would be better to associate the music to a name which had no meaning so that when people heard the name they would associate it to the music only.” Definitely a cool idea. Chase Atlantic says they have “a massive amount of musical influence taken from a vast multitude of different genres and styles of music.” They are especially inspired by music from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, and “live to build upon those ideas with modern techniques and sound choices.” A big name they’d love to work with in the future is The Neighbourhood, solely because they appreciate their “forward thinking sound” and demonstrate all the elements Chase Atlantic loves about music. In songwriting, melodies and lyrics are sometimes like the chicken and the egg— which came first? Being a very production based band, Christian, Mitchel, and Clinton like to build their songs from the bottom up. They create a full instrumental before adding vocals for the top line. There’s nothing like music with a rad beat and lyrics that are real and relatable, and this combination is exactly what Chase Atlantic likes to put out. Nearly all of their songs are based on real life experiences. Their song “Roxanne” is actually about a girl named Roxanne that the boys knew.
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“A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF MUSICAL INFLUENCE TAKEN FROM A VAST MULTITUDE OF DIFFERENT GENRES AND STYLES OF MUSIC.”
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So far, Chase Atlantic has put out two EPs, Dalliance and Nostalgia. Their latest EP, Nostalgia, doesn’t just consist of light, chill songs, but also songs with a more late night/heavier vibe, such as “Friends” and “Meddle About.” When asked which are their favorites from the new EP, Mitchel said his is “Vibes.” “To me, it gives off so many feels that I find super relatable.” Clinton said that while he doesn’t have a favorite song, “Roxanne” hits him the hardest emotionally due to that fact that it relates to previous events and people in his life. Christian’s favorite is “Friends” because it was the first song the band sat down and wrote together from scratch. “The song also came together very quickly and naturally, which was an awesome feeling.” The band debuted their first Australian headline tour beginning in April, performing four shows in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne and Brisbane. Their favorite song to perform live so far is “Friends,” because of “the copious amounts of low end and all of the heavy dives into the chorus.” There’s nothing better than a good concert, live music that you can’t help but move your hips to, an atmosphere that makes you throw your hands up in the air. Dancing shoulder to shoulder in a packed crowd to Chase Atlantic’s music that possesses such a contagious type of energy totally sounds like a bucket list worthy experience.
The boys say their biggest achievement so far has been the releases of their two EP’s independently. “It’s such a rewarding feeling when you put in 100% work to receive such an overwhelming response and love for your music. It totally makes it all worth it.” As for the fans, Chase Atlantic feels incredibly grateful to wake up every day to so much support. “They’re like family to us, so we feel the most connected when we’re interacting with them online or performing shows for them.” “Our ultimate goal as a band is to still be making relevant and relatable music in the years to come.” Chase Atlantic possesses all the components necessary to make for a great musical act— cool hair, authentic energy, and passion. Being such a new band with already such a catchy and personal sound, there’s no doubt these guys will go far with their art. When you’re road-tripping with your pals in these next few sunny months, put on some of their tunes, like “Run Away” and “Vibes,” that are perfect for the warm and carefree weather. Let your hair down to blow and get tangled in the wind, turn the volume all the way up, and make Chase Atlantic the soundtrack to your perfect summer.
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the rhode to success Imagine starting a YouTube Channel, posting weekly videos just for fun and hoping one day to have your videos reach millions of people around the world. Then one day it just happens overnight. You wake up and find out one of your videos has become viral, hitting millions of views. That’s what happened for twins AARON AND AUSTIN RHODES, known as the RHODES BROS on YouTube, who after only six months of starting their YouTube Channel have already become viral sensations.
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Hailing from a small town in Ohio, the Rhodes Bros never imagined any of this would happen. After college, Aaron and Austin Rhodes made the courageous decision to move out of their small hometown to a big city. Originally planning on New York, Aaron and Austin ultimately decided that Los Angeles was a better fit. However, the big move didn’t come without a few bumps in the road at first. “Coming from a small town where it is extremely cheap and easy to live to one of the most expensive cities in the country was really difficult. We didn’t get any help from our parents, so we just had to make it work,” says Aaron. Luckily they had generous friends who let them sleep on their couches for seven months while they worked as hosts at a local restaurant. Aside from working, Aaron and Austin wanted a way to connect and meet new people in Los Angeles. Getting started on YouTube, Austin says, “It was all just really random. Someone we knew, Davey Wavey, was doing it and after talking to him, we thought it would be a fun thing to start doing. We were new to LA and wanted to share that with people. This city can be very overwhelming, so it gave us a sense of direction when we first got here.” Although YouTube became a way for the Rhodes Bros to connect with people in Los Angeles, they actually met Davey Wavey through Instagram, and ever since he has become not just a friend, but also a mentor to the twins. “He’s taught us a lot of the logistics and strategy that goes on behind a
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successful channel,” says Aaron. “YouTube has so many creators on it that it’s easy to get lost when you’re starting out, so it was nice knowing someone successful and willing to help us break into it,” adds Austin. The brothers admit that their favorite videos to film are their adventures around Los Angeles. They believe that footage is more real, with no second takes, so they can show off their personalities a little more. Scrolling through their channel, you will find a wide variety of videos, from funny challenges to entertaining How To’s. “Austin and I always just try to keep it as real as possible and I think that’s what sets us apart. We’re just two goofy kids from the middle of nowhere that have no idea what we’re doing, but try to pretend that we do everyday and hope it works,” says Aaron. “But that’s also the beauty of it,” adds Austin, “Because it keeps everyone wanting to get better and better. It’s just fun to share our lives with people.” There is one video that you definitely won’t want to miss while looking through the Rhodes Bros YouTube Channel: the twins’ coming out video to their father through a heartwarming, emotional phone call. “We just really wanted to start 2015 in a very honest way and show people that we’re just like them,” Aaron admits, “we all have secrets, so by sharing ours publicly with our father we hoped that it would inspire others to break down those walls and do the same.”
ON AUSTIN WINDBREAKER, SHIRT, PANTS: ZARA MAN ON AARON SHIRT, JEANS: H&M SWEATER: IZOD CAP: AMERICAN APPAREL
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“We just want to keep getting better and creating fun content that inspires people. We want kids to look at what we've done and feel a bit of hope. that whatever they want to do, do that. whatever they want to be, be that.� - AARON
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“IT's JUST FUN To SHARE OUR LIVES WITH PEOPLE.” - AUSTIN
ON AUSTIN SHIRT: ZARA MAN PANTS: H&M ON AARON SHIRT, BOMBER, SHORTS: ZARA MAN 58
At over 18 million views, Rhodes Bros’ coming out video has already been named the most viewed coming out video on YouTube. Their struggle to get the words out and their uncontrolled emotional reactions throughout the phone call showed just how in the moment and unrehearsed the video really was. When asked what happened before the camera started rolling, the brothers admitted they didn’t even prepare for what was about to happen; it was one hundred percent in the moment, allowing viewers to feel the raw, genuine emotions coming through their screens. After they finished filming, Aaron recalls, “I remember we just looked at each other in disbelief that we’d just done what we’d done. It seriously felt like a million pound weight had been lifted off of us.” Rhodes Bros admit the hardest part was pressing the publish button because they were nervous about how people would react. However, after the video quickly became viral and received so much positive feedback, they knew they had done the right thing. “Overall, the amount of love that came spilling into us was amazing,” Aaron admits. The brothers say that their family and friends have been supportive and excited for what is going on in their lives. The video also helped them become even closer with their father. “We can talk to him about anything now,” says Austin. The video captured the attention of millions of people across the world, casting a spotlight on the twins’ lives that they hadn’t been used to before. “It’s such a surreal feeling seeing yourself on television or in articles of magazines you used to read yourself,” Aaron says, “but with all of that, we’re trying to use this attention for good to continue helping and inspiring young people.” Not only did their heartwarming video catch the attention of numerous newspapers, magazines, and blogs, but also the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. Aaron, Austin, and their father had the unforgettable opportunity to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres show and talk about the video to millions of viewers. “I remember when I got that email I squealed like such a little girl and ran to tell my mom, and then she started squealing with me. It was such a crazy moment because we’d just got done watching Ellen’s show that day and then that email came through,” recalls Aaron. ”We were really nervous, but all the producers and staff did a really great job of calming us down.” “Ellen was so sweet to us, and came backstage and chatted with us for a bit. She kept telling my dad how proud she was of him and I know that meant a lot to him,” added Austin. With all of this newfound attention from the public eye, Aaron and Austin know that this kind of spotlight can bring both positive and negative feedback. However, they believe it’s how you handle the feedback that makes you succeed in this industry. “You just have to remember that not everyone thinks the way you do. What people see isn’t the entire picture, so they will try to draw conclusions and make assumptions about your life that aren’t true,” says Aaron. “You just have to keep on moving and proving them wrong.”
For those who find it hard to be themselves or deal with criticism, the twins suggest finding the kind, supportive people to surround yourself with. “Try to find people who will love you no matter what. It doesn’t have to be many, but talk to people who will support you and stand by your side. You will build confidence that way, and hopefully slowly feel more comfortable talking to other people about who you are, knowing you have people to fall back on,” says Aaron. Although fraternal twins, Aaron and Austin admit that their hobbies outside of YouTube differ. Austin loves staying active. Running is one of his main passions and he hopes to someday finish a marathon. He also admits he loves editing videos; he sees himself working in production or directing in the future. Austin prefers relaxing in his free time. “I’m definitely the kid in the corner of the coffee shop every day looking for new music or reading through a new book.” says Austin. They just moved to Los Angeles, the brothers already love exploring their new city and what it has to offer. When asked what their favorite local place is so far, they admit it’s either the beaches in Malibu or Alfred’s Coffee on Melrose. Since YouTube is the main focus, their talents are limitless. A few months ago, Aaron posted a cover of himself singing Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House,” surprising fans with his hidden talent. The boys also want to dabble more in hosting work, modeling, and acting this upcoming year. “When we were younger, we were in a couple plays and went to theater camp, so we’ve always had some interest in acting. We’ve just never really pursued it,” Aaron says. Now they finally get the chance. After receiving a call from Ryan Murphy, the creator of Glee, Aaron and Austin found out they will be cast in his new show, Scream Queens this fall. “We can’t share many details about the show or our characters just yet, but we can say that it’s a comedy/horror show and takes place on a college campus that is rocked by a series of murders,” says Austin. “I could just tell by being on set that when it comes out people are going to love it, so make sure you check it out and look for us!” With a viral video on their YouTube Channel and a new television show to come, the Rhodes Bros are on their way to making 2015 the most memorable year yet. They admit that they want to keep their focus on YouTube and continue to grow and evolve their channel. With passion, focus, and honesty as strong as theirs, Aaron and Austin are definitely on the Rhode to success. “We just want to keep getting better and creating fun content that inspires people. We want kids to look at what we’ve done and feel a bit of hope that whatever they want to do, do that. Whatever they want to be, be that.” - Aaron. “Yeah, what he said.” - Austin. Yeah, what they said. Story: CHLOE Luthringshausen GROOMING: raoul alejandre Photos: RAUL ROMO STYLING: KATIE QIAN
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PHOTOS: STEPHANIE HUANG MODELS: CALEB MORITZ & KRYSTALL SCHOTT FROM PHOTOGENIC WARDROBE: MODELS’ OWN // BRALETTE: STYLIST’S OWN // HAT: BRIXTON
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grace nguyen STORY: EMMA LUND // PHOTOS: MADISON BASS-TAYLOR
T h e R u n way G i r l Young creative, Grace Nguyen has both been living in France, Vietnam and Florida. Currently, she has settled in Los Angeles, California, but hopes she can soon make it to her favorite city of all, New York. Besides spending her time on high school classes, Nguyen spends a lot of time among friends, goes to coffee shops like Alfred coffee, Intelligentsia and Graffiti, and then she loves to photograph. Her love for photographing doesn’t come from strangers. When she was younger her parents would take every opportunity to take photos of her and their surroundings. They love, as well as their daughter, how taking a photograph can keep a moment forever. Every night, she takes out her phone or camera and scrolls through the bunch of memories she has captured in the pictures, replaying them all in her mind. The opportunity of being able to do this, she says, is the thing she loves the most about photographing and makes it such an exciting form of art. Back in 2013, Nguyen created her own little space on the internet, The Runway Girl, where she could share her passion for photography with the world, and it didn’t take long before her Instagram and Tumblr blog developed into becoming something bigger with website blog as well. She gladly shares photos of her daily life and snippets of her outfits on those social media platforms. Her way of blogging and photographing has changed a lot since she started back in 2013. Having this creative space on the Internet has made her become a lot more confident and open to people. She has become more confident and open by clicking the “publish” button for her posts. Nguyen is not completely sure about what she wants to do with her blog in the future, other than keep it going. She hopes to continue having the same excitement and love for photographing and writing as she has now. But no matter what, she says, it is important to her that she stays true to herself. No matter how popular her blog gets she want to only write about what she truly believes in. One thing, however, she knows about her future is that she wants to move to New York. She loves how chill the people are in Los Angeles, and she has a lot of good memories from her childhood there, but she is, she says, “Way more productive with the irreplaceable,” as she says, “That vibe you only find in New York.” As two of her brothers lives in New York already it is easy for her going back and forth between the two cities.
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public access tv STORY: Rachel Coker // Photo: Rachel Kober
The guys of Public Access TV are cool. Rayban wearing, throwback to the 90’s cool. Already dubbed by some as “New York’s hottest new band,” their debut EP is crammed with high energy singles like “Monaco” and “In the Mirror,” that make you want to Sharpie lyrics all over your ripped up jeans and dance with the crowd under the stage. This is summer music. Sunstreaked hair and making out by the ticket stand music and we love it. PATV front man, John Eatherly says the band came together after years of writing songs in his bedroom and finally calling up his friends to make something out of it. “I’d always written songs and finally decided it was time to start my own band,” he shares, carrying incredible nonchalance in his explanations. “Everything happened really fast.” The band consists of John, Xan, Max, and Pete who released their first EP, Rebounder last year and has since played numerous shows in multiple countries. Getting to travel is one of the most surreal parts of their rise to fame according to Eatherly, who has been touring with bands since he was sixteen. He can’t believe he’s actually getting to take his songs on the road and share them with other parts of the world. The band was a hit at Burgerama in March and have already announced this summer’s tour dates in major cities across the US, from New York to Seattle. Even if they won’t dish out juicy roadtrip stories and insist they’d never “snitch” on each other, just glancing at their social media pages makes it clear that they have a ton of fun and clearly get into some weird situations. So how do they feel about their growing popularity among rock and indie followers? “All we care about is making music we are proud of,” they reply. “It’s great that people like it, but we just want to keep getting better.” And they’ll have their chance with their upcoming roster of events including a full length album scheduled for release sometime in this year. With that comes the promise of more summer hits, grainy old school music videos, and live shows. Until then you can find them on the road or living it up in New York, just doing what the cool kids do: eating pizza at Ray’s and maybe writing more songs.
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raw fabrics story: kamrin baker // Photos: rachel epstein
Some bands, like the Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana, are timeless symbols of grunge rock that will live in infamous lyrics and events that leave fans asking “Do I wanna know?” Other bands, like ACDC and Aerosmith, have that same hint of endlessness, but with a zest of rock n roll. Raw Fabrics, however, gives listeners a new, out of the ordinary take on the classics: tie dying the artistic grunge of modern favorites with legendary sonic sounds. Songs such as “Down the Drain” and “Every Single Time,” exemplify their unique taste for reality and raw emotion. “I met Jon through a mutual friend in late 2012. We both had a similar passion for music and were both looking to start a band,” member Jack Franco recounts. “A little while later, we met Justus through another friend, and it all started to click. For Raw Fabrics, we wanted to pick a name that held a meaning. For us it means two different things; sonically we like to take raw elements from different genres, and like to approach music as if genres didn’t exist. It is also a way of looking at things on a deeper level, trying to cut through the surface level.” Though the band is really just getting its feet off the ground, its members soar with dedication, hoping to stay busy and play as many shows as possible through the next year. They strive to achieve differentiating their listener’s views and making people ask questions because of the music they have created. “When I’m in a good mood or have an open minded attitude, that’s when ideas start to flow,” Franco explains.
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“I focus on doing things that get me out of my normal routine; the less stress I have, the more ideas I have. Besides drawing on that for creative inspiration, it’s something I hold myself to because time is completely unpredictable. I get most of my inspiration from doing things that don’t involve music, life in general.” Franco allows himself to maintain regularly; leaving time open to explore the world around him. Places that are landmarked in his personal geography are Lab Art, a street art gallery in Hollywood that provides him with visual inspiration, and Korea Town. “When I’m in a good mood or have an open minded attitude, that’s when ideas start to flow.” “Most of the time I’m creating something else for the band; whether it’s artwork or a new music video,” Franco says. “I try to keep busy as an artist. I think it’s really important to feel productive when you’re not on tour. In my free time I love watching movies, or going for the occasional swim.” Franco and the guys are avid thrift shoppers and Sex Pistol-listeners. Music, in Franco’s opinion, was more about the sensitivity than it was about the scene. “It’s connection,” he illustrates. “It’s a way for people communicate themselves and connect with their emotions, and it opens the door for them to talk to others about it. Its also a way to connect without using words at all, it’s more about the feeling.”
machineheart S TO RY: E mma LU N D / / P hotos : S tephanie H uang
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A big dream for many is being able to do what they love for a living. Many of these people start to work hard on making their dreams come true in a very young age. Some don’t make it, but some do and they sometimes have to pinch themselves to believe they have reached their dream. One band, which members have to do so, is the Los Angeles based band, Machineheart. The members of Machineheart; Stevie, Harrison, Jake, Carman, and Trevor, are not new into the music business. They have all been in music since they were very young. Jake, the bassist, has a picture on his Instagram showing him as a five years old boy jamming out on his mini guitar, and lead singer, Stevie Scott got her first songwriting journal and keyboard in the age of ten as a Christmas present from her parents, and she has, since then, not considered doing anything other than music. Scott’s parents played in a band as well and she just thought that this was just what they did in that family, they made music and it was always like a second nature to her. Also, a lot of the other band members’ parents have always been involved in music and the band feel super fortunate to have had homes that where was encouraging and supporting about their kids’ music right from the beginning. A couple of years later, Scott got her song writing journal, the first steps towards Machineheart was taken. The high school students: Carman, Trevor, and Harrison started playing in various bands together. These three guys eventually ended up meeting Jake a few years later, and then Stevie met the four of them through mutual friends when she was working on a few other projects in Los Angeles. When she met the boys and started writing and jamming with them, something started to click almost effortlessly and there was something easy and special about the music they came up with. The band’s music has, however, evolved quite a bit since they started playing together. At first, they did not really have a sound. This was not until they started writing together and going through the process of collaborating to understand each other’s tendencies and strengths. Many bands start off first by saying that they need to sound a special way, or that they only write songs about a special thing. For Machineheart, there was only thing they had agreed upon and that was that it needed to be authentic, easy and unique. It was not until they got in the studio and started the production of the songs that they knew they had found their sound. But, since those first few songs, they have seen such a complete progression and disparity in their music from song to song as they are all apart of the writing process and completely influenced by so many different artists and art forms. Since the band was officially formed two years ago, the Machineheart members have worked hard daily on their music and have got together a few times a week to just jam and stay sharp by playing through their set. When a tour is approaching they start to get heavier into rehearsals and work hard on getting the show as tight as possible. All hard work the Machineheart put into their music have had the intended effect. They have recently finished up in the studio with their debut LP, where from two singles has gone straight to #1 on Hype Machine already.
“It was and still is absolutely crazy to us,” Scott says, “Lately our biggest challenge is picking which songs that won’t make it on the record! We have so many great songs that we have become attached to and love so it is hard to think of any of them not going on our record.” Besides just finishing their first LP, another big thing for happened for Machineheart this March. Machineheart played at the SXSW festival, something that has been on their band bucket list since the beginning. They found the experience at SXSW so much fun and memory making that they hope to make it a Machineheart annual tradition to play at the festival. With SXSW checked off their bucket list, it is time for new things on the list. Scott, however, find the furture for the band subject a bit uncomfortable to talk about, because they usually take it day by day. When they originally started to write and make music together a few years ago, there was no set goal or plan. They literally just sat in a room and made the kind of music that they liked and thought was good. In a weird way, it is kind of humbling all at the same time, because they all realise that it is nothing they could have forced to happen on its own. They are literally dependent on whether the fans are or are not connecting with their music They are so grateful and thankful for how quickly things are beginning to unfold for them and how many people are becoming familiar with their music. Seeing how people who they have never met connect with their music is incredibly gratifying and fulfilling, she says there is nothing like that feeling, and to keep that exact feeling is their biggest dream as a band. The best thing about what they are doing is traveling to so many new places, Scott adds. It is to meet so many new and amazing people and getting to see first hand how their music touches and affects people. Every night is its’ own experience because of the people whom you get to share the experience with. It can be, however, difficult sometimes being away from friends and family for extended amounts of time, but it also allows them to appreciate the support from their friends and family. It is also hard for Machineheart being away from their beloved Los Angeles. There is just so many great bands, she says and culture throughout this city that it constantly keeps you either inspired or completely unproductive because of all the cool things constantly going on. For Stevie, Harrison, Jake, Carman and Trevor the big dream of being able to do what they love for a living has come true. They feel very lucky that they found each other at the time they did, and have the opportunity to have lives filled with music in such a young age. “We have to pinch ourselves sometimes when we think about our dream, it’s already coming true,” Scott adds.
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“ W e h a v e t o p i n c h o u r s e lv e s s o m e t i m e s w h e n w e t h i n k AB O UT o u r d r e a m , IT ’ S a l r e a d y co m i n g t r u e .”
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kenzie elizabeth story: Ashley Bulayo Photos: Talia Azadian
Confidence is never easy for some. You always hear, “Gain some confidence” or “You have to be confident.” Well, some things are easier said than done. This isn’t something you can just attain in one day or even a week. For some, it takes years. We’re right there with you. Confidence, however, comes naturally for Kenzie Elizabeth, known to many in the YouTube community, can easily be one of the IT girls for courage, confidence and self belief. At the very beginning of her high school years, she defied everyone and created her own channel for anyone to see after watching countless videos beforehand. For some, high school can be a scary endeavor. Think about it, you have to deal with a new school, finding yourself and put up with constant peer pressure. But, that didn’t phase Elizabeth. Nope. When she uploaded her very first video (watch: morning routine for school) nervous and excited best describes her emotions. Even with impending high school future that was before her, she went on and clicked that publish button. “I was nervous people at my school would think I’m weird but I was excited to be doing something that I really loved. Now when I upload I’m just excited to see the comments! People at my school found out about my YouTube and I actually got a really good response. But I’ve grown so confident through YouTube that it wouldn’t even bother me if they did think it was weird,” mentioned Elizabeth. It’s cool to be weird, isn’t it? As we all learned, embrace your weirdness. “I really stress independence and confidence. I think the most important thing for a girl is to love herself and be completely okay spending time on your own. It’s so important to be happy by yourself!” said Elizabeth. We’re proud of you, girl. Soon after, besides people in her own school, others took notice of her. Little by little, her videos garnered hit after hit. “100,000 views is cool but once you think of 100,000 people actually watching your video, that’s just crazy. It’s awesome!” said Elizabeth. She now randomly runs into some of her subscribers in public or at events where it becomes more “real” to Elizabeth that yeah, she’s a YouTube personality!
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With no real end goal set when creating her channel except to be successful, I think we here can all agree that she accomplished just that. With over 100K subscribers to date, she’d love to make that number grow towards one million in the future, she can and she will. In just one year, she’s grown such a huge following whereas for some, it takes years to get that far in the game. Her secret? “I would just say work on uploading quality videos.” With a morning routine in play during the very beginning stages, she hit close to 1.4 million views that motivated her to keep doing what she was doing. The quality videos is what she gives her subscribers. Each are beautifully crafted and edited well but spoiler alert, that didn’t come naturally to her. “My first videos were terrible. After a lot of time, practice, and help from other YouTube friends, I’ve learned a lot about filming and editing that has definitely improved my videos. One video probably takes about 2-5 days with filming, editing and everything else,” said Elizabeth. Yes, you read it right. Two to five days to film, edit and more.
“I was nervous people at my school would think I’m weird but I was excited to be doing something that I really loved but I’ve grown
so
confident
through
YouTube.” Remember that she also juggles: school, traveling, oh, and yeah, being a regular teenage girl and living her life away from the camera where we can find her shopping or at some coffee shops. Moving away from the technicality of her videos, we have to point out how her personality shines through each video and she owns it in a unique way. Whether it be a vlog, outfit advice or DIYs, no two videos are ever the same nor do they lack luster. “I’ve worked on being completely confident and proud of who I’ve become that I don’t even think twice about negative comments,” mentioned Elizabeth. No negative comments here. With just a year of rapid growth, we here at Local Wolves are excited to see what’s next for her.
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sykes A modern and upcoming band, SYKES recently released their new single, “Best Thing.” Known for their pop and alternative vibes, their YouTube videos have garnered tens of thousands of views: most notably “Gold Dust,” which has received over 70 thousand views and a generally positive response. Quickly gaining attention, the band has played in countless venues across the UK, touring with Kodaline and appearing on a BBC London program to showcase their new single.
Their popular favorite, however was the concert at Leeds O2 Academy. Walking away from the opportunity, the band has learned and grasped a lot from the experience, further increasing their passion for what they’re doing. “We made a load of new fans and hopefully when we go up north again they’ll come down to a show and we’ll continue to build our fan base,” said Will. “Essentially we just want people to hear our music and come to shows, so the more the merrier!”
“We all started at a young age, I started with piano when I was a toddler, and picked up the guitar when I was about ten,” said Julia. “At the time my brother played the guitar so I basically wanted to be like him. Singing was always something I just loved doing ever since I can remember.” The band members then met together in university, though they were in different bands at first. Kristian and Julia later worked together in a couple bands, but it was a separate case for Will. However, once they all moved together to London on a whim, they finally decided to give it a go and have been making music together ever since.
In addition to touring with Kodaline, releasing “Best Thing,” along with producing the accompaning video, was another important milestone for the band. Interested in the growing obsession over self image and the boom of social media, the band wrote the song to portray how we all create these superficial, perfect images of ourselves on the Internet and social media, but reality isn’t always the case. “The video portrays how we can sometimes feel pressured to paint a perfect pictures of ourselves in todays society, but more than often everything is far from perfect,” said Julia. “The song is a testament to that same concept, so we wanted to echo that in music video.”
The band went through a couple names at first, but ‘Sykes’ eventually stuck. “Sykes is actually Julia’s last name,” said Kristian. “We went through a load of band names and used this one as a back up until we decided on one.” In 2013, the band released their first single, “Out Of Your Hands.” The single, brimming with positive vibes, received 20 thousand plays on YouTube and a very good response. Intertwined with alternative rock and jumpy melodies, the song describes moments in life where you’re unable to take control, and are required to just sit back and experience it. As the band grew more and more popular, they recently had the chance to tour together with Kodaline. “It was just a great experience for us. We’re an unsigned band from London so it was an amazing opportunity to play in front new crowds at such awesome venues,” said Kristian. “We can’t thank them enough for that opportunity!” They went on to play in a number of popular venues with Kodaline.
The concept for the video was originally inspired by a photograph from Suzi Ovens, a friend of the band. The same photograph eventually went on to serve as the album cover as well. “We wanted its completely up to the viewer to decide the end fate of the main character, a cliff hanger in essence,” said Julia. “Although the album cover reveals the true fate of our fallen hero, it was nice to have the connection and the reveal of the story between the artwork and the music video.” As the band rises in popularity, they continue to address issues like depression in their songs which separaties themselves from other bands. “I think the only advice we can give is that you are having a difficult time then please don’t feel like you have to keep it to yourself. It’s very important to talk with friends, family or a doctor if you are feeling unwell.” said Will. STORY: BRYAN LIANG PHOTOS: LAURA HARVEY