NKD Mag - Issue #20 (February 2013) by NKD Mag

NKD

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N A K E D M A G A Z I N E

PUBLISHERS Ariella Mastroianni Catherine Powell

EDITOR Nicola Pring

PHOTOGRAPHY Catherine Powell

WRITERS Katie Amey Olga Khvan Alexandra Lane Stacy Magallon Christine O’Dea Stephanie Petit Catherine Powell Nicola Pring

OLLY MURS

DESIGNER Ariella Mastroianni

COURTESY OF » Basic Vacation

Olly Murs

Before You Exit

Satellite

Working Group Management Big Picture Media

Craig Owens

Brigitte Wright Management

Emma Kenney Platform PR

Gunz

Idobi Radio

Mike Naran Mike Naran 2

Columbia Records Big Picture Media

Sofia Black-D’Elia Sofia Black-D’Elia

Stefania Owen

McKeon Myones Entertainment

The Swellers

Another Reybee Production

Teddy Geiger

Promenade Music Entertainment

ALSO FEATURING 8-13

4-7

16-23

14-15

STEFANIA OWEN

TEDDY GEIGER

24-29

SATELLITE

30-31

EMMA KENNEY

CRAIG OWENS

42-45

MIKE NARAN 52-53

46-51

BEFORE YOU EXIT

58-61

54-57

GUNZ

BASIC VACATION

SOFIA BLACK-D’ELIA

THE SWELLERS 3

TEDDY G

GEIGER

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WHEN TEDDY GEIGER WAS JUST 16, HE RELEASED HIS FIRST FULL-LENGTH RECORD. By Christine O’Dea Photos by Catherine Powell

he album, Underage Thinking was a compilation of 12 songs about a young man’s experiences with heartbreak, growing up and finding himself. It peaked at No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart and was a great success among teenage girls all over the country.

Then, Teddy all but disappeared from the music scene. Now, after years of music hibernation, Teddy, 24, is on tour with Ryan Cabrera and Tyler Hilton, and he’s set to release his sophomore album later this month. Teddy is still in pursuit of the same career he desired at 16, and now he’s well on his way to the comeback his fans have been waiting for. “For a while I was pretty out of touch,” Teddy says of the past few years. We are sitting in a small private room in the basement of The Gramercy Theatre in New York City on the second day of the co-headlining tour with Hilton and Cabrera. After riding the success of Underage Thinking, Teddy began writing his second record but ran into some trouble with his label. “I left [the label] and had to say goodbye to a bunch of songs that I had recorded,” he says. “I was trying to figure out exactly what I wanted to do.” Teddy chose to move back home where he would face the loss of his record deal, and his parents’ divorce. “My dad’s house was basically empty so I just set up a studio downstairs with my piano, and it was great to just write everything,” he says. After waiting patiently for years, Teddy’s fans finally have a full record to look forward to. When he gathered enough material, Teddy moved back to New York and started to play more shows, write more songs and get back to the routine he left. “That’s when this album started coming together,” he says of his move to New York. “I’ve been working a lot out of my apartment and doing a lot of writing sessions.” In a sense, learning about what happened during Teddy’s career through the new album will be a treat for his fans. “I didn’t have a plan, so there wasn’t much to talk about and it was frustrating because I had fans that wanted more music,” he says about the last few years. Teddy talks about the transition between being a teenage songwriter and who he is now — an experienced, professional musician. “Before, I wrote a lot more about girls I liked and asking girls out,” he says with a laugh. “Now I think it’s more about being in a long-term relationship and figuring out when that ends.” Teddy says the new record is also about what happened when he grew up. “I write about the feeling of being isolated from your friends and family and how that can be,” he says. “It’s about things that people my age have gone through in the last couple of years, with leaving home and figuring out what to do with the rest of our lives.” A new song titled

“Home” is about connecting to his roots and his experience moving back home. Other songs on the album are “just fun,” according to Teddy, while some focus on his choices and lifestyle. One of the biggest differences in Teddy’s career today is that he’s an independent musician — he writes and produces without a label. At 16, when he began the process of signing a record deal, he was skeptical about the experiences of other artists he had learned about on TV. “On VH1, everyone says ‘We thought being signed was going to be great,’” he says. “And you think to yourself ‘Yeah it’s probably just as great.’ And for a while it was really great and the people I was working with were excited about the music, then there was a personnel change and it’s like you’re at a different company.”

“I DIDN’T HAVE A PLAN, SO THERE WASN’T MUCH TO TALK ABOUT AND IT WAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE I HAD FANS THAT WANTED MORE MUSIC.” TEDDY GEIGER

At the beginning of his career, Teddy had malls full of girls screaming his name and crying at the sight of him. At the peak of his success in the early 2000s, fans would knock on the door of his home in upstate New York. “My mom would invite them in for cookies,” he says. Today the shows and the fans are different. “They’re more drunk,” Teddy says of his fans. “That’s basically the biggest difference.” Now that he’s grown up alongside his fans, they can appreciate both him and his music on a deeper level, and with more alcohol. Though Teddy is not specifically aiming for a more mature audience, he says his new music helps to broaden his fan base. This seems to be his year, and he has many hopes for it, including more time on the road and career opportunities. “I’m hoping [the new record] will open up more doors to do more production and songwriting.” All in all, Teddy doesn’t seem to have changed too drastically. Eight years of growing up can have an enormous effect on a person, but for Teddy it seemed to be a time of learning about more than just his identity. With a genuine smile and look of content, Teddy describes what his life and career are like today: “It’s good in the moment.” NKD

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STEFANIA OWEN By Stacy Magallon Photos by Catherine Powell

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STEFANIA OWEN’S ACTING CAREER BEGAN BY ACCIDENT. all started when family friends suggested to Stefania’s parents that she and her two sisters could be actresses. Her family found an acting agency for the three girls, and acting gigs began to come in as small opportunities. In due time, Stefania booked her first commercial. Soon after, she booked a role in the 2009 film, The Lovely Bones. After such accomplishments, the New Zealand resident decided it was the perfect time to find an American agent and manager, and to audition for American roles. “My opportunities began to spiral into bigger things after that,” Stefania says. The young, blue-eyed brunette didn’t expect her commercial work to blossom into a full-blown acting career, let alone lead her to St. Marks Place in New York City this afternoon. This brings 15-year-old Stefania to present day, where she’s filming episodes of The Carrie Diaries, a new teen drama on The CW network. Stefania plays Dorrit Bradshaw, the famous Ms. Bradshaw’s younger sister. The series, based off the novel of the same name by Candace Bushnell, revolves around the teenage years of Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw in the early ’80s. While The Carrie Diaries may be a spin-off of the iconic Sex and the City, Stefania clarifies that comparisons need not be made. She is eager to see how audiences will react to the aspects of raw teenage reality in upcoming episodes. “The show is based around real events that happen to teenage girls,” Stefania says. “Girls losing their virginity, being one of them. The Carrie Diaries shows all of those troubles that not a lot of shows address because it’s risky on television.”

While she portrays Carrie Bradshaw’s dark and rebellious little sister, Stefania admits that other than owning a similar pair of Doc Marten combat boots, there is a defined line between her personality and her character’s. “My character, Dorrit, is the biggest rebel ever, but I’m not a rebel at all,” Stefania says, laughing. “I love Dorrit’s sense of style, but I love reading books and I love school. I guess I’m really just more of a dork.” Stefania’s experience on The Carrie Diaries has been smooth sailing so far. Working with a cast and crew who double as an on-set family makes for a fun advantage while filming. Stefania mentions that she’s closest to on-screen older sister, AnnaSophia Robb. “We know each other from way back in the day,” she says of her relationship AnnaSophia. Their friendship dates back to 2007 when AnnaSophia starred in the film Bridge to Terabithia with Stefania’s older sister, Carly Owen. In fact, group photos from their younger years conveniently make excellent props for the set of The Carrie Diaries. “On the first day of shooting, I had to bite her,” Stefania says, laughing. “It’s a good thing we knew each other before then.” Though Stefania has two sisters of her own, AnnaSophia could easily be the unofficial third. There’s an extreme distance between her temporary home in New York City and her home in New Zealand, but Stefania feels more comfortable than she could’ve imagined thanks to AnnaSophia. “We go shopping together, she takes me to her exercise classes and she took me to a Justin Bieber concert. I’m so far away from home but AnnaSophia is like a sister to me,” she says with affection in her voice. “I love her so much.”

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“MY CHARACTER, DORRIT, IS THE BIGGEST REBEL EVER, BUT I’M NOT A REBEL AT ALL.” STEFANIA OWEN

Carrie Diaries is different from any project Stefania has taken on before. For one, shooting at a studio with her own dressing room is a completely new experience. For another, Stefania is surrounded by actors her own age on set. “It’s nice to be working with a young cast,” she says, recalling memories of herself and her cast mates gossiping and dancing around between scenes. Filming in the big city has led to many great experiences for the New Zealander, but living in New York has been quite the adventure itself. “I first came to New York City two years ago for five months. It was a complete culture shock,” Stefania says, highlighting the differences between New Zealand and New York, mainly New Zealand’s natural environment and Manhattan’s high-rises and bright lights. “Being in New York City is literally like a movie for me,” she says. “It’s amazing to be here and I’m so lucky this is where The Carrie Diaries is being filmed.” Though she’s busy filming, Stefania still is still focused on her education. Because the seasons are opposite in New Zealand she is currently on summer vacation but she still finds time to expand her knowledge while in the city. “I do have an on-set tutor and I’m still learning while I’m here,” she says. “I love going to museums. I get to experience the New York culture while still being in school.” As for a potential college experience, Stefania is all for it. “I definitely want to go to college. It’s the one thing I want to do in life,” she says, without hesitating. Though she hasn’t thought much about possible majors or minors, Stefania hopes to pursue an academic challenge in the future. “Acting is so great, but I also need something to fall back on,” she says. Back home in New Zealand, Stefania’s family and friends are as eager and excited for The Carrie Diaries as she is. “They watch the show and they’ll usually text me, call me or get on Facebook to tell me about it,” Stefania says. “We don’t get to see each other that often. They’re over there and I’m over here, but it’s like they’re seeing me. It gives us something to talk about.” With Stefania bouncing back and forth between auditions, it’s unclear what she’ll book next. For the time being, she’s more than content to go where life takes her. “I’ll either be back in New Zealand with my family living my normal life, or doing all the exciting things that come with acting,” Stefania says, smiling. “It’s a win-win situation.” NKD

THE

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SATELLITE By Stephanie Petit Photos by Catherine Powell

ast night, rock band Satellite played their first show in New played bass and guitar, respectively, for various bands. Steven and Josh York City. Today they’re recovering, and frontman Steven had been friends for a while, and began discussing forming a band after McMorran has a distinct rasp in his voice. Steven impressed Josh during a performance at a songwriting event. “Steven doesn’t always sound like a 14-year-old boy,” “I was like, ‘Where did that come from?’” Josh says of seeing Steven guitarist Josh Dunahoo says. “He sang his heart out perform. “I got tired of playing other people’s songs because you just yesterday.” don’t have any feeling about it. So I left playing guitar to play guitar, the Steven smiles and agrees. “Yesterday was quite a day,” he says. difference is I care about these songs.” The band will have to get used to a busy schedule given their big plans “One thing that’s cool about the current state of the music business is for this year. Calling Birds, their debut album, is set to be released on that it’s boiling down to people who are doing it because they have to, to March 5, more than two and a half years after the release of their debut stay alive,” Steven says. “They’re going to make music because [they say], EP, Ring the Bells. ‘I’ll go crazy if I don’t.’ There’s a place for dance-pop, but there’s also a “We made the rest of the record, listened to it and felt like we got off place for things that make you feel something other than club.” track,” Steven says. “We are one of the only scenarios of a band having The group hired Erik to play bass with them, and after developing a the chance to develop a sound. We didn’t like the record we had finished, relationship with him, they asked him to join full-time. so we backed up and scratched a few songs, turned a few around [and] “What he won’t say is we were pretty rocky in regards to [not knowsaved some for the next record.” ing] how to proceed,” Steven says. Their careful attention to each “Erik came along and evened us all dimension of a song is apparent in out. He helped us all communicate the way Steven talks about putting with one another.” a song together and what he hopes “He made us friends again,” to convey. Josh says. “He brought us “Poetry is great, poetry is together.” something I love, and lyrics are “It felt like it was supposed to very important, but melody is like be from the beginning,” Steven a new type of punctuation inside adds. that,” he says. “A chorus can be “Brooklyn,” Satellite’s first one word and you would never single off Calling Birds, debuted in read it that way that you would January. Another song, “Say The STEVEN MCMORRAN hear it.” Words,” is also out with a music Satellite have been compared video, which Steven shot almost to Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon and entirely on his phone. even Bruce Springsteen, but they humbly hesitate to compare themselves “I had just moved to Nashville, and I’m not terribly good with change, to others. so it was a little awkward at first and I felt like the new kid,” he says. “I get a little antsy on answering that because I don’t want to box us in, “What I was hearing from anybody to do with a band was let people in or somebody can go ‘You’re not as good as them,’” Steven says. “But I like and show who you are. I sort of tore off on this idea of making a music those comparisons and I would like to be among those bands if we ever video. It became this idea of admitting the truth. The flying or the could.” floating [in the video] is supposed to say you’re capable of things you Bassist Erik Kertes adds, “As not being the singer, I’m allowed to say don’t even know about unless you just admit it. Admit what’s really going this. Steven’s voice is so unique. You can’t really compare it to anybody. on and then build from there instead of keeping up this fabricated idea Listen to the radio and you can’t find a singer that sounds like Steven.” that you’re super stoked about what you chose to be at 17.” Satellite are influenced by a wide range of artists from Johnny Cash to Now the guys look forward to the record release and a lot of touring Arcade Fire, and they aspire to become known among similar musicians. this year. “That’s the delineation we want to make,” Steven says. “We listen to “Anybody who has hit us up and said ‘Come to my city,’ we’re going to this certain body of music and I feel like you’re either adding to that body find a way to go to their cities,” Steven says. “Everybody should look out. of music or you’re impersonating it. We want to add to it. That’s the goal.” We’re going to push the record as hard as we can and hopefully it goes Each of the guys contributed to the music business on his own fast and we’ll be playing stadiums before the end of the year.” before coming together as Satellite. Steven wrote songs for many artists But again, Steven’s humility takes control and he adds, “We’re just including Melee, David Archuleta, and Celine Dion, and Erik and Josh putting one foot in front of the other, just like any other time.” NKD

“WE LISTEN TO THIS CERTAIN BODY OF MUSIC AND I FEEL LIKE YOU’RE EITHER ADDING TO THAT BODY OF MUSIC OR YOU’RE IMPERSONATING IT. WE WANT TO ADD TO IT.”

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BEHIND THE SCENES

BEFORE YOU EXIT Before spending the day with Before You Exit, I had no idea what to expect from a couple of teenage boys. But after hanging out with the band on their New York City date on Action Item’s Resolution Tour, I learned that I clearly didn’t give them enough credit for what they do. For five young adults, they know how to handle the business like pros. By Stacy Magallon Photos by Catherine Powell

4:11 P.M.

5:14 P.M.

4:41 P.M.

5:55 P.M.

I head into the green room at The Gramercy Theater and I see BYE guitarist Braiden Wood strumming his acoustic guitar in the back stairwell of the venue. He introduces himself then leads me down the staircase where I meet the band — brothers Connor (guitar/vocals), Riley (bassist/vocals), Toby McDonough (keyboard/vocals) and Thomas Silvers (drums). They’re warming up their vocals and guitars for a VIP acoustic set for a small group of fans. Before they head out into the carpeted underground lobby of the theater, Braiden asks me, “Do you like Chipotle?”

After their acoustic set the guys head back into the green room. Thomas shows off a canvas painting created by a fan, designed with BYE’s logo. He then spends the next few minutes entering and exiting the green room, unsure of what he’s looking for. Toby talks about green rooms — about how most of them aren’t actually green. Braiden complains about not having Chipotle because he’s needed around the venue. “It’s literally 20 feet away from me,” he says, pouting with his arms crossed against his chest.

4:54 P.M.

The boys walk out of their backstage lounge for a little meet and greet. Within a few seconds, fans swarm around them. The guys welcome new fans with hugs and catch up with familiar fans from the New York City area. Connor manages to briefly escape the madness, finds me and screams, “It’s crazy in here!”

Connor, Riley and Toby have four scheduled interviews. They sit beside one another on a gray suede couch, and Connor explains the mission of BYE to an interviewer. “Before you exit, make a difference,” he says. “That’s the point of this band, to make a change.” Between each interview, the McDonough brothers take the time to check Twitter and Instagram, catch a breath and eat. Riley holds a bag of tortilla chips like an infant while Toby sprawls himself out on the couch. “Chips and napping,” Connor says, looking up from his iPhone. “It’s the rock star life.”

Braiden returns to the green room with Chipotle chips in hand. He’s grinning from ear to ear.

6:12 P.M.

Thomas and I manage to catch a few minutes of pop-rock solo artist, Mikey Deleasa’s performance. He heads back downstairs after the second song to begin warming up for their set at 6:55.

6:30 P.M.

The boys do some final warm-ups while Mikey Deleasa and his band finish their set upstairs. Toby and his older brothers warm up their voices. Thomas has changed into a comfortable pair of basketball shorts, which I imagine are easier to play the drums in. The five members, along with their tour manager and roadies, form a group huddle. They cross their fingers for a good show, and pile their hands into the center of their circle and shout, “B-Y-E!”

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“BEFORE YOU EXIT, MAKE A CHANGE. THAT’S THE POINT OF THIS BAND, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.” CONOR MCDONOUGH

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7:15 P.M. 6:39 P.M.

I take a photo of Connor, Riley and Toby with Kevin Jonas, who came out to support Mikey Deleasa, his brother in-law.

6:55 P.M.

The boys’ set is scheduled to begin now, but due to some technical issues, it can’t. Toby’s microphone isn’t working, Ben, BYE’s tour manager, suggests he takes Braiden’s, because he won’t perform vocals tonight. Thomas and Riley run from the stage to the green room, looking for extra cables. Toby sits on the steps of the side stage staircase, looking a little stressed. I ask if he’s ok, and he responds quietly with “Yeah,” then runs his fingers through his hair. For a couple of teenagers, they handle the behind-the-scenes stress fairly well.

7:06 P.M.

Before You Exit’s set is officially 11 minutes late. Within a few seconds, the venue lights are dimmed to black, nerves are shaken and Thomas begins the set with a loud, energetic drum introduction. When the guys run out on stage, the uproar of screaming fans is so loud I doubt anyone noticed they were running behind schedule. Their onstage excitement and energy is so powerful that it seems to overcome their anxiety. After their second song, Ben reports that Toby’s guitar isn’t showing up on the sound board. He suggests they cut into an acoustic song.

Braiden and Thomas walk off stage during the impromptu acoustic song. Braiden pulls me aside to explain last night’s mishaps in Boston. Due to technical difficulties at the Brighton Music Hall, BYE were forced to cut three songs out of their usual set of seven. “Everything that could have possibly went wrong, went wrong,” he says.

7:30 P.M.

Before You Exit’s set is over. I hear the audience slowly chanting for more as the guys walk off stage. As much as they’d love to play another song, Paradise Fears’ set is up next. The guys stroll back downstairs into their green room, overwhelmed with compliments and good vibes from their tour mates.

7:50 P.M.

I watch Paradise Fears’ set upstairs with Connor and Riley before Action Item goes on at 8:30.

9:36 P.M.

Action Item’s set is wrapping up upstairs, and the boys of BYE are already downstairs mingling with their fans. Show number two of the Resolution Tour is officially coming to an end, and despite the technical misfortunes, fans congratulate the boys on an awesome performance. I make my way through the crowded venue lounge, hoping to say my goodbyes. Each of the guys pulls me into a warm hug and thanks me for sticking around the madness all day.

As I exit The Gramercy Theater and make my way toward 5th Avenue, I can still hear bits and pieces of conversations about how great the show was. From a bystander’s perspective, I have to agree. I’m nearly knocked over by an excited girl wearing a BYE T-shirt, but I can’t blame her for her enthusiasm. The sky is dark and the show is over, but Before You Exit is only getting started. Tonight, they prove that hard work and play go hand in hand, and I know they’ll continue to prove that, on and off stage. NKD

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EMMA KENNEY By Katie Amey Photos by Catherine Powell

alking to Emma Rose Kenney, the young star of Showtime’s Shameless is like catching up with an old friend. The bubbly 13-year-old is wise beyond her years — although her age does show occasionally, like when she discusses her ongoing obsessions with Harry Styles and Justin Bieber. She is eager to talk about everything from her critically acclaimed show to the similarities and differences between herself and her character Debbie, and even her recent New Jersey International Film Festival submission, which she directed and produced herself. The New Jersey native first got her start in improv, because while other six and seven year olds were heading to karate and ballet, Emma was already beginning to hone her craft. ”I just did it for fun,” Emma says. “But at one of the showcases, my now manager was there and asked me to join them.” But success didn’t come overnight. “I did about five years of auditioning and booked nothing,” she says. I did a bunch of student films. But Shameless was my first big project.” For someone who’s not even old enough to watch Shameless, playing

the middle Gallagher child on the show could be a huge challenge for the burgeoning star. But Emma insists that, though Debbie is nothing like herself, taking herself to dark places isn’t as hard as one might think. “A lot of people ask me, because the show’s based on the British version, if I followed that character when I was playing Debbie,” Emma says. “But I didn’t. I didn’t want to do that. This is a new TV show, even though it’s the same base.” So where does she find the inspiration to play the conflicted teenager who cleans up after her family and holds the clan together? “I do have one friend who has a sort of very distant similar situation in her life to Debbie, so I use those tidbits [for inspiration],” Emma says. Emma was involved in long audition process before she landed the role. There were four auditions in total, and they took place in both New York and Los Angeles. The experience was pretty intimidating for the then pre-teen actress. “I met the girl who was competing against me for Debbie [and] the other options for each character,” she says. “I was terrified.” (Cont’d on page 28)

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“EMMY ROSSUM TAUGHT ME TO SHAVE MY LEGS. NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THAT.”

EMMA KENNEY

But when producer John Wells told her she’d landed the role, Emma knew it was time for the real work to begin, alongside major Hollywood names like William H. Macy and Emmy Rossum. “I’d actually met Bill Macy at the mix and match and he was so nice,” Emma says. “We did the [audition] scene together, so I guess I was more relaxed around [him].” But meeting Emmy, for some reason, well, I love Phantom of the Opera, I was kind of star struck. But she’s so nice. I fell into being really close with them really fast.” So close, in fact, that soon Emmy was even teaching Emma how to shave her legs. “We were in the makeup and hair trailer and she was shaving her legs for a scene. So I was like, ‘Oh, what are you doing?’ And she was like, ‘I’m shaving my legs, let’s do yours!’ I was like, ‘Oh sure. Got nothing better to do,’” she says, laughing.. “Emmy Rossum taught me to shave my legs. Not many people can say that.” Aside from those memorable girl-becomes-a-woman life events, Emmy and Emma have also shared some other hilarious moments together — namely, a mutual love for One Direction, Harry Styles in particular. When the floppy haired boy-band member began following the TV stars on Twitter, a shared freak-out was, of course, in order. “It was like 7 o’clock in the morning and I get a call from Emmy Rossum. And she’s like, ‘Oh my god, Emma! What are you doing right now?’ I was like, ‘It’s 7 o’clock in the morning!’ She was like, ‘Go to Twitter right now, I don’t care that it’s 7 o’clock in the morning. Go to Twitter.’ So I check it and I’m still on the phone with her. She goes, ‘Harry Styles is following you and I on Twitter!’” Emma remembers. “I literally started to cry. I was like, ‘Is this real life?’ It was 7 o’clock, I was alone in my room, and I was bawling.”

When Emma recounts such innocent teen moments with overthe-top enthusiasm, it’s clear she’s just a normal 13-year-old girl — but then, she switches to discussing the screenplay she is writing, and I’m surprised by her knowledge of her field and her drive to succeed. “Sometimes when I’m in a really manic mood, I’ll [write] all day,” she says. “I’ll wake up at 10 a.m. on a weekend and I’ll just go all day until like 8 at night just writing. Other days, I’ll just do one scene.” Emma wrote her first script when she was nine. “After I did an eBay commercial, my first commercial, I bought a camera with my eBay money,” Emma says. “I cast my friends and we shot it in my backyard and at my friends’ houses.” After submitting the film, “The New Girl in Town,” to a bunch of festivals, and not thinking much of it, she found out it had been accepted for the New Jersey International Film Festival, in the horror category. “I didn’t win, but I got to go and it was so much fun,” she says. Now that Shameless is on hiatus, Emma is working on a new script inspired by a photograph she took while in Chicago for work. “It’s of a snowy beach,” Emma explains. “I was going to do a script off of this, but I totally forgot about it. Though, now I want to do it again. It was this idea that you go into the water and it’s this whole different paranormal world.” In addition to writing, Emma continues to focus on acting — including for her first ever voiceover role in the new animated flick, Epic. “You have to get your emotions across more through your voice and I’m more of a facial expression kind of actor, so I guess you could say that was different, but a good type of different,” she says. “It’s my first film and I’m just really excited.” NKD

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MIKE NARAN By Stephanie Petit Photos by Catherine Powell

uitarist Mike Naran knows he has a lot to offer the music around 2,500 times in the first 12 hours of its release. The video currently world and he’s ready to show it. has close to 30,000 views. He recently parted ways with the pop-rock band Sparks “I was pretty pumped,” he says. The Rescue so he can focus his attention on making it big While he has no intentions of becoming a YouTube celebrity, he says as a solo artist and songwriter. it doesn’t hurt to have some recognition from the site, and fans can likely “Sparks was great for a lot of things,” Mike says. “It got look forward to another cover in the future. He is looking to the past for me into doing what I’ve always wanted to do, which is tour, meet people, inspiration. “I’m not sure what song, but I want to do a throwback song,” be in a different city every day. I wanted to do that my entire life and Mike says. “I’m thinking like, Eddie Money, ‘Take Me Home Tonight.’” Sparks gave me that opportunity.” Mike is still adjusting to the differences between band life and solo At 25, Mike is ready to write for an older and more mature audience life. than the typical fans of Sparks The Rescue, who he says tend to be around “It’s weird because I’ve never really started anything from the ground,” 16 years old. he says. “Every band I’ve been in has already been established somewhat “It gets rough because you’re playing the same clubs you were playing and I kind of jump in. I’m trying to learn patience.” three years ago to the same, if not a less, amount of people,” Mike says. Now, Mike says the pressure is all on him. “When you’re in a band, “It’s hard to keep young people’s attention. Very few grow up with a it’s like you have the right to bitch because you’re not really in control of band.” everything,” he says. “When you’re by yourself it’s just [like], “Damn! I In addition to looking for an older audience, Mike wants to use his have to finish writing the EP [myself].” ability to play many instruMike plans to finish writing ments and sing, rather than his EP within the next month. just play guitar with Sparks The Then he will head into the stuRescue. dio by late February and release “I felt like it was my time it, likely digitally, around April to branch off and do what I’ve if all goes according to plan. wanted to do for four years In the meantime, he is now, which is to pursue my playing a few gigs around his own music with my own voice home state of Connecticut, and lyrics,” Mike says. including a show on March 16 MIKE NARAN As his first display of more at The Space in Hamden with of his many talents, Mike put several artists including Ben out an impressive cover of fun.’s Lemieux from Brookline Drive. “Some Nights” on YouTube. Ultimately, Mike says In the video he does all the vocal work and plays guitar, drums and he wants to continue putting his music out and doing what he’s been keyboard. doing. He aims to release his first record by himself and tour, but most “I kind of wanted to show the fans that Sparks has gained over the importantly, make his career last for the long run. years that I could do more than just play guitar,” he says. “I just wanted to “I want to make it a longevity thing, I don’t want to make it like a flash play all the instruments and have fun.” of a hand like a lot of people when they start a new project after a band,” For two months he debated among songs to cover. He says he was he says. “I just really want to focus and write the best possible music I nervous that he might not be up for “Some Nights” because the song is, can. And just keep going. I want to do it all.” as he describes, “fucking awesome.” He finally decided on the song only a He knows he was not destined for a 9-to-5 job, and Mike is not afraid week before he was scheduled to put it together. to try whatever it takes to make it. “I just decided on ‘Some Nights,’” he says. “Fuck it. I can do it.” “I don’t really feel like anything’s impossible,” he says. “There’s nothing Mike says it took two days to track the song and a day to film the that I hear about that makes me go, I’d never be able to do that. In my video, which debuted about two weeks later. He says it was viewed head, I can do that if I just keep going.” NKD

“I FELT LIKE IT WAS MY TIME TO BRANCH OFF AND DO WHAT I’VE WANTED TO DO FOR FOUR YEARS NOW.”

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OLLY MURS WORDS // STACY MAGALLON PHOTOS // CATHERINE POWELL

THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS I COULD SAY ABOUT OLLY MURS. I could begin by discussing how the fragments of his career pieced themselves together after he finished as the runner-up in the sixth season of the UK’s The X Factor in 2009. I could mention his multiple charted number one singles and double-platinum albums. But instead, I’ll start with the first thing I learned about Olly Murs — music has always been a constant in his life. When I’m first introduced to Olly at the Columbia Records office in New York City, I’m quick to give him a swift “up and down” glance to properly observe his chic, gentlemanly attire. He’s dressed in a white, short-sleeved collared shirt, layered with a charcoal suit vest and a black blazer, complimented by a pair of medium-wash jeans neatly cuffed at his ankles. And to top it off, he wears a simple, black fedora. Olly approaches me with a wide, charming grin and extends his right hand to meet mine. It’s a bitter 20 degrees in Manhattan, but Olly’s presence just made the 26th floor warmer. After shaking my hand firmly, he pulls me in close to continue his greeting with a friendly kiss on the cheek. I shy away, but Olly pulls me right back in. “I’ve gotta do two of them,” he says, snickering before he plants another kiss on my other cheek. “I’m British.” Once we to settle down on the sand-colored couches in Columbia’s dimly-lit conference room, Olly sets his messenger bag on the floor and his fedora on the desk in front of him.

He starts flipping through a past issue of our magazine and lets the soft cushions engulf his whole body. Between non-stop interviews and radio promotions, today has been quite a rush for the 28-year-old. He voices his exhaustion and the effects of jet lag finally hitting him hard, but he could have had me fooled. While casually skimming through past articles and photo shoots, the first thing Olly inquires about is the name of our magazine. “Are you going to snap a picture of me naked?” he asks, eagerly. “That would just be great.”

young Olly was completely certain of his two passions: music and drama. Even before performing and songwriting waltzed into the grand scheme of things, he was loved Frank Sinatra, James Brown and Michael Jackson among others. “One time I was really annoyed with this girl I fancied because she didn’t notice me so I made a playlist of heartbreak songs for myself, “ he recalls, laughing at his teenage years. “But I also had a playlist of great love ballads that I would listen to, wishing that she cared about me.” Though public speaking

“Telling my parents I wanted to be a popstar was probably the most ridiculous conversation in the world.”

Olly Murs

Olly Murs isn’t just the guy you can share a beer with at the pub. He isn’t just the guy who would take you out on an unforgettable date, nor is he just the guy you could bring home to meet mom and dad. Olly Murs is all of these guys. However, there was a time when the musician didn’t have the self-confidence to be himself, let alone embrace his popstar dreams. Over a decade ago at the ripe age of 16,

wasn’t his forte, he was always the clown and the center of attention when it came to the company of his mates. Despite what he was doing at the time, at the end of the day, he loved performing. “Everyone would have thought that I was gay,” he says. “But that’s what I wanted to do. I chose to play some semi-professional football instead, and I left those talents in my conscience.”

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IN HIS HOMETOWN OF WITHAM IN ESSEX, ENGLAND, OLLY SPENT HIS DAYS AS AN AVERAGE JOE, WORKING A 9-5 JOB. “Telling my parents I wanted to be a popstar was probably the most ridiculous conversation in the world,” Olly says, laughing. “They didn’t even know I could really sing.” At first, no one had any hope for Olly’s dream. He admits to lacking faith in himself, too. For a simple man from a small town like Witham, a music career wasn’t disregarded as impossible, but inaccessible, if anything. “Being a popstar isn’t something you can just do,” he says. “You can’t just find a job center and apply to be famous.” After a football injury halted his athletic career, Olly and his usual gang started hanging out at their local pub to pass the time. And though he temporarily buried his affection for the art, sooner or later came out. “I used to do a little bit of singing for fun and I never sang in front of my mates,” he says. “But once I saw the karaoke machine at the pub, I just had to go for it.” His favorite go-to tracks were a range of past pop hits such as Mario’s “Let Me Love You” and Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back.” He fondly refers to them as “his jams” before he suddenly breaks into Omarion’s “Ice Box,” appropriate hand gestures and all. While on vacation in Australia, Olly spent most of his time soul-searching — he was looking for the next step to take. Office work wasn’t cutting it for him anymore. It was on this break away from home when he finally figured

out his calling. “When I was looking for the next step to take, someone told me to sit down and write a list of things that came to mind when it came to a job. The first thing I wrote on that list was ‘music,’” Olly says. He quit his day job. Football was no longer an option. But there was one thing that was. In the middle of our conversation, the office phone rings. Olly glances at the phone, picks up the receiver, then slams it back down to its base, hanging up on a potentially important call. “So I went for the hardest job in the world,” he continues, smirking. With time, his self-created performances at the pub became popular among the regulars, and they soon became a Sunday night ritual. It wasn’t long afterward that Olly saw an advertisement for The X-Factor — the last chance to get what he calls “his perfect job.” After auditioning with Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitious” for The X-Factor’s judges (Simon Cowell, Cheryl Cole, Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue), he was granted an overall “yes” from the panel to move forward to the next stages of the competition. Week after week, the country voted for Olly to keep his spot in the competition until the season finale, when he lost to Joe McElderry. “Even though I had so many people voting for me, I felt like the biggest loser in the country,” he says of his defeat. But following his

loss, he was offered a joint record deal with Epic Records and Syco Music. At the time, songwriting was completely foreign to Olly. He had never written a song in his life. When he was sent into the studio, he was lucky to work with songwriters who have aided in creating hit records. In the mix of his first experience of “fucking genius writing” came the absolute opposite — horrible writing. “When you’re passionate about something, you’re willing to learn,” he says. “I was willing to listen to songwriters and producers when they told me a lyric was rubbish because they’re far more experienced than I am.” His first single, “Please Don’t Let Me Go” debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Singles Charts. Soon afterward came the launch of his self-titled debut album, Olly Murs. The album went double platinum, and was charted the fifth best selling album of 2010 in the U.K. It was after this major milestone that Olly realized his previous doubts were unwarranted. “Ever since then, I have made myself believe that everyone’s doubting me at all times. I’m always out to prove people wrong,” he says. Though Olly did not emerge victorious from The X-Factor, he learned one crucial lesson that still sticks with him. “The show taught me to have more belief in myself,” he says. “I’m not just the guy at the pub anymore. I was meant to do this.”

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WHEN OLLY’S MUSIC BEGAN TO TAKE OFF, HIS JOB OPPORTUNITIES CHANGED. He was hired to host The Xtra Factor, a spinoff that features behind-the-scenes footage not seen on the show. He hosted alongside English television presenter Caroline Flack, and used the opportunity to showcase his playful personality. Though Olly presented himself as confident, cheeky and possibly a little bit arrogant while the cameras were rolling, he assures me there are no obnoxious bones in his body. “People have perceptions of artists. You might have had a perception of me before we met,” he says. “I know of people who have seen me on television and thought I was rude, but after they met me, they thought I was a pretty nice guy.” As rapidly as his music and personality were spreading overseas, Olly had no expectations of bringing his music to the United States. He was content with his sound staying in U.K. music scene, and he doubted Americans would “get” him. To his surprise, Americans take him in rather well. “I was naive in thinking that I wouldn’t be successful in the states,” Olly says. After Olly hopped aboard the long list of Columbia Records’ clientele in 2012, the major label was keen on releasing his single, “Heart Skips A Beat.” That summer, Olly joined British boy band One Direction on their summer tour. “Those six weeks were such a crash course for me,” he says, recalling how the experience broadened his understanding of the American music market. “It was refreshing to be the underdog here.” His “USP”, or “unique selling point” as Olly phrases it, is his personality. He’s a laid-back, easygoing guy, and that’s the message he wants to get across to the American public. As an experienced singer and songwriter, Olly is all about experimenting with different sounds and elements in his music rather than just sticking with a consistent sound. His first

album, Olly Murs, centers on reggae and pop while his second full-length, In Case You Didn’t Know incorporates more Motown. His third record, Right Place, Right Time, is a bit funkier. It has already hit double-platinum in the U.K., less than two months after being released. The album is due for release in the United States this April, and Olly is anticipating feedback from his American fans. “You can tell that the writing has really developed,” Olly says. “This is the complete album for me as an artist.” Tomorrow night, Olly is scheduled to perform for a packed house at The Fillmore at

a collection of international passport stamps from worldwide travel, there are still moments when Olly could use a break. “I’ve had days of interviews after interviews after interviews,” he says, making a silly, tortured face. “I’ve had days where I felt like shooting someone if I spoke about my life one more time.” But Olly knows that if supportive fans and No. 1 singles are the upsides of his music career, talking excessively is no big deal. Aside from musical success, above all, Olly wants to stay happy this year. “I’m also gonna try to lose some weight,” he says, chuckling while gesturing to his stomach. “I’ve still got a

“When you’re passionate about something you’re willing to learn.”

Olly Murs

Irving Plaza. Aside from long, grueling days of photo shoots and interviews, he has been doing a lot more of one other thing in New York City — eating. “I went down to the deli, as you call it, and there were just so many options,” he says, happily mentioning the variety of salads, burgers, sandwiches and snacks. While ordering a chicken chopped salad the other afternoon, he found himself in a massive debate due to a minor misunderstanding in language. “I told the guy I wanted mayonnaise, and he was like, ‘What is that?’” Olly says, laughing. “The lady next to me had to tell him I meant mayo, which is weird, because the full term is actually mayonnaise.” Even with nearly 4 million Twitter followers, over 2 million likes on Facebook and

little bit of Christmas weight on me. Normally I have more of a chiseled chin too.” He makes it clear that at this place and time, he doesn’t need complete stardom to be proud of his achievements. For now, all he needs is a hit record, an awesome tour and his loyal fans in order to quite possibly carve a bigger name for himself than he would have reckoned back in the days of brews and late-night karaoke. “If I were to end up in that category of massive fame, then brilliant. That’d be amazing for me,” Olly says, smiling. “Am I a few years off that? Maybe. A few months? Who knows. I don’t. Sometimes it’s just a lucky break.” This could easily be Olly’s year — but like him, we’ll just have to wait and see. NKD

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BASIC VA 42

ACATION NKDMAG.COM

THEY ARE YOUNG, INSPIRED, PASSIONATE AND A LITTLE QUIRKY. AND, CONTRARY TO WHAT THEIR NAME SUGGESTS, THE GUYS OF ALTERNATIVE-POP GROUP BASIC VACATION ARE NOT PLANNING ON RELAXING ANY TIME SOON. By Alexandra Lane Photos by Catherine Powell

uitarist Jon Paul, drummer Mike Montalbano and frontman Chris Greatti have put school and other musical endeavors on hold, and they’re taking the time to focus all of their efforts on music. Chris and Jon met through the indie music scene in New York City and started “throwing around ideas and songs,” according to Jon. “[We] realized that it could be kind of a fruitful thing for us to work together,” Chris says. They went on to develop the concept of the band. “Instead of going for a straight pop band, or something like that that a lot of our friends were doing, we wanted to do something with an alternative rock edge, while still having the pop foundation,” Chris says. With the idea in place, the pair decided they needed another member, so they recruited Mike, a longtime friend of Chris’s. “We needed that strong foundation, and thankfully he was free so he joined,” Jon says. Since the band’s inception, Basic Vacation have been on a roll. The budding indie-dream-pop group made their debut in May of 2012 with the release of the video for their first single “If You Want To.” The video, which is a mash-up of pop-synth fun, subway rides, rooftop hangouts and random dancing, brought the group a wide local following. Since the debut, the band has become a serious endeavor for the guys. “For the three of us, it was like the first serious band that we were all really proud of,” Chris says. Now, with the support of their growing fan base, Chris, Jon and Mike are entering the studio for the first time. They are working with Grammy Award winning producer David Kahne on their first four-song EP, which is due out in February. The EP will consist of an updated version of their original single, and three new originals. “We haven’t even played them live yet,” Chris says. “The ones that we played live were like half completed versions.” The guys decided it was necessary to revisit those half completed versions before entering the studio with Kahne. Chris and Jon are both excited to be working with Kahne on this project. Jon, who had recorded the initial ideas for the songs himself in Logic, a streamlined recording program, says working with Kahne has been a great experience. “He has all kinds of ideas, and ways to accentu-

ate different things, like for vocals and stuff like that, that we would never think of,” Jon says. The recording process has been unique — Jon says they did everything backwards. “We actually did vocals first, and then guitar, bass, drums and then synths,” he says. “Which is sort, the weirdest way you can do it.” The guys are also learning the ins and outs of the industry, the best ways to sell merch and how to keep up with their fans via social media sites with band updates. “We are on Twitter everyday,” Chris says. “Jon’s tweeting up a storm, about cats and donkeys and stuff,” he adds, laughing. The group will play a show with Action Item at The Stoned Pony in Asbury Park, N.J. in February, which will be the live debut for their EP. Their previous shows have been learning experiences for the guys, and have also helped them to expand their fan base. Chris says Basic Vacation try to keep things fresh for fans and for themselves. “[We] have a lot of stuff in our set that is very energetic,” he says. “There’s a lot of percussion stuff, that keeps things fresh, instead of just playing songs straight through. So we [get] a lot of great reactions.” They are tentatively planning on releasing the new EP at the show with Action Item, but are still putting the finishing touches on the songs. “As soon as we can get it out is when we want to get it out, but it’s looking like sometime in February,” Chris says. Fans will be able to purchase digital copies of the EP right away, and the band hope to release on vinyl and cassette eventually. The plan is to have everything done in time for South by South West (SXSW), which will be held in Austin, Texas in mid-March. “[We] are definitely going to be down there,” Chris says of the festival. “We are trying to figure out if we are going to be playing or not.” The guys are keeping their fingers crossed that they will be slotted to play because, Jon says, his goals for the band going forward include touring consistently and putting out records every year. “I would like to have our music get to as many people as we possibly can,” Chris adds. “And be able to play for all different kinds of people across the land. Spread our message.” “Be yourself, and [don’t] be afraid to express yourself in the way that you feel most passionate,” Chris says, when asked what that message is. “Which is the way that we do it. That’s the moral of Basic Vacation.” NKD

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CRAIG OWENS Words & Photos by Catherine Powell

raig Owens’ music career has been anything but ordinary. He has lent his vocals to more projects than most musicians — five so far, in addition to his solo project. The 28-year-old prefers to warm up his voice with tea instead of the whiskey his 20-year-old self may have chosen, and prior to our interview he was quietly going about his day and helping set up the stage at Webster Hall in New York City for his performance later this evening. I notice right away that he takes responsibility for himself — he’s done a lot of growing since the beginning of his career. We find a place to sit and chat, and Craig tells me about his passion for music. When he was growing up, Craig used music to “drown out the rest of the world,” with help from bands like Weezer, Green Day and Slipknot. It was when he was in seventh grade that he first learned he could sing, and began to think of music more seriously. When he was 15 his first band, Chiodos, formed and together they started to write their own music. “The rest is history,” he says, laughing. “There’s been some ups and downs but music has always been my main focus for [the past 15 years.]” In those 15 years Craig has bounced from singing lead for Chiodos, to D.R.U.G.S., back to Chiodos, all while maintaining a solo career and various side projects. When Craig writes music he tends to let other people decide whether his songs are for the band or for himself. “I don’t

want to focus on that while writing because I feel like it creates two dynamics and takes away from who it is that I am,” he says. He typically writes alone with an acoustic guitar, and some songs simply stay like that. There was a brief period where Craig was only writing for himself. In the fall of 2009 he parted ways with Chiodos and didn’t announce his new project, D.R.U.G.S., until the summer of 2010. He rejoined Chiodos in April of 2012 almost by accident. “Originally we were only going to do a few shows, and I thought I could co-exist [with Chiodos and D.R.U.G.S.],” he says. “But the D.R.U.G.S. guys weren’t too stoked about it.” He explains that the members of D.R.U.G.S. began to feel nervous and announced they were breaking up the day after Chiodos announced Craig’s return. The members of Chiodos then asked Craig to come back as a permanent member and he accepted. “I grew up with these guys,” he says, referring to the members of Chiodos. “We went to high school together. I always say that I was away on vacation for a while and then I came back home.” The status of D.R.U.G.S. is still up in the air for Craig, who says “it is what it is.” He doesn’t feel any pressure to make an announcement on the subject. “If I want to pick up and do a D.R.U.G.S. record, that’s ok,” he says, shrugging his shoulders. “It really can just wait.” For the past few weeks Craig has been writing a new record with Chiodos, which will be released this year. “I think [the members of Chiodos and I] have a lot more respect for each other now,” Craig says. (cont’d on p. 51)

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“I DON’T KISS ASS VERY WELL, I LIKE TO KICK IT.” CRAIG OWENS

“We [all] respect that we’ve done it on our own and we can do it without each other.” He says simply growing up has helped the group bond again, stating that his personal growth means listening to others’ ideas more and separating himself from his artistic vision, as well as becoming easier to talk to. “I was a bit more abrasive in the past because I was so determined, as opposed to just taking a step back and being a dude,” he says. When touring non-stop and writing music in every spare second, it’s easy for artists to lose themselves and let their careers take over, which is what Craig thinks happened to him. “Over the past few years that’s changed and it’s really nice,” he says. Craig the person is a lot more laid back, less critical and a lot more focused on relationships than Craig the musician. He finds it easier to take time off and focus on himself as instead of just focusing on music. His new outlook has helped him to focus on other things as well, like acting. He filmed his first movie, K-11, (directed by Jules Stewart, Twilight star Kristen Stewart’s mother) in the summer of 2011 and says he would definitely be interested in pursuing other acting opportunities. Anything involving art attracts him. He’s heavily involved with artwork and videos for all his bands. “There’s a lot of art left in me,” he says. “I’m always venturing off and doing new things. As long as I can be creative.” Despite all his experience in the field, the business side of music industry is something he stays clear of. “It’s just bullshit,” he says. “I don’t kiss ass very well, I like to kick it.” He used to be a lot more business-oriented than he is now, but he doesn’t think that sort of environment would

be good for him at this point in his life. “I like to just step back and be the artist,” he says. Throughout all his musical endeavors, Craig has had his fair share of experience with record labels. Though a lot of musicians are steering clear of signing these days, Craig says that Chiodos will be signing again very soon. “I have done things independently, but not on a larger scale like with D.R.U.G.S. or Chiodos, I can’t imagine that sort of pressure and I don’t want to be involved with [self-producing],” he says. “It takes too much time away from what I’m here to do, which is make music.” For Craig, being able to make music for a living is enough. “That’s the accomplishment I should be most thankful for,” he says. “There are other little accomplishments that are great, but nothing compared to that. Getting back with Chiodos is something I’m really proud of, too. I don’t think the music world really understands what’s going to come of it.” The band are planning big things for 2013 and Craig says fans will not be disappointed. Throughout our conversation I’ve noticed a spark in Craig’s eyes every time he gets to talk about his music or his writing. It’s a spark that some musicians lose over time, but not Craig. He has spent a decade and a half of his life perfecting his craft, and continues to do so every day. But he’s different now — older, wiser and all the other cliché terms that come with growing up. And he’s proud of himself. “Growing from a boy to a man in the music industry is a huge accomplishment,” he says, “But I’m not done growing yet.” NKD

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NAKED

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

MIKE GUNZELMAN of

THE GUNZ SHOW 46

How did you become interested in music?

GUNZ

I’ve always loved music. I’ve always said music pretty much saves lives. There’s always a song out there, no matter [what] you’re dealing with. Music helped me so much when I was growing up that I wanted to pay back and give back to the bands I looked up to. I wanted to help them. Since I was so young I started going to shows and becoming friends with these guys when they were play 20-people capacity rooms and I started street-teaming for them. [Later] I went over to Much Music [then] into Fuse and started helping out and doing some stuff behind the scenes there, and some stuff on-air. And then I went to idobi which was a huge music station I had heard about in the past. I wanted to help out bands that I liked and also be able to interview them and get their music out there and so I legitimately went to idobi and I go ‘Hey, I’m Gunz,’ and the program director was like ‘Yeah, I’ve heard about you,’ just from everything I had done in working my way up there and getting my name out there, and he goes ‘You know what, we really don’t do this, but let’s take a chance with you, we’ll give you a one hour try out on Sunday nights, and we’ll take it from there.’ I’ve been there four and half years.

How did you get the word out about your show before social media?

GUNZ

I honestly would go to concerts and hold up backs of posters that bands were selling and write “The Gunz Show.” I’d go to shows, I’d hand out fliers, I’d pay for my own fliers, I would legitimately make something up on Microsoft Word and make a thousand copies and hand them out to everybody, because I always think that you can always do more than do less. You can never do enough with getting the word out there. I just whored myself. Myspace was pretty much all you had. It was just word of mouth and just pushing it, just being out there on the street.

How many listeners do you have now?

GUNZ

Idobi just became the 11th largest station in the world. We just got these ratings. I average easily over 80,000, lately it’s been a lot more.

How did you get into broadcast journalism?

What’s your goal for The Gunz Show?

GUNZ

I knew that I always wanted to be in front of the camera, whether it’s news, sports, entertainment, music, I’ve always wanted to be in front of the camera. I wanted to be like Ryan Seacrest and Carson Daly, but cool. Or, cooler. Broadcast journalism was my main focus because then you learn how to read, do the dramatic pauses and how not to get nervous when there’s breaking news or you’re interviewing someone that you care about.

How did you get the Gunz Show to be what it is now?

GUNZ

I never really asked anything from any of the bands growing up. I befriended a lot of them and all of the sudden they started becoming bigger and bigger. Once I got on idobi I called in all these favors from these band and started getting a lot of big guests. When I got guests I got more notice for my show. I started with one hour from my dorm room at Fordham University, I lived with six other guys, it was chaos. I was pretty bad at first, I didn’t have a theme song or my catchphrase [‘Ballin’’]. I don’t think they would have let me on if I started saying ‘ballin’’ my first day. The ratings started getting higher and higher and all these bands who were friends started coming. I went up to two hours then three hours, now it’s two days of the week, three hours a day. I have an app, my own website, I have sponsors now.

What bands did you have on the show in the beginning?

GUNZ

My first show I remember it was Matt and Kenny from the Starting Line, Gabe from Midtown, I did Senses Fail, I did Early November, a lot of bands I grew up with.

I want it to be everywhere. I want to be able to get music out there that I think kids will like, or even won’t like. I just want to take broadcasting to the next level. Hopefully we’ll get on TV, maybe some music TV networks out there.

Where did ‘Ballin’ come from?

GUNZ

The beauty about ballin’ is it’s a lifestyle. You can ask someone, like ‘ballin’?’ And they’ll be like, ‘Yeah, I’m ballin’.’ It does a lot of stuff, so that’s why I use it. I love using it now because some people absolutely despise it. But as long as I have kids and fans on my side, then it’s cool.

What do you have planned in the next few months?

GUNZ

We’re taking The Gunz Show to a huge level. Definitely going to be doing the Skate and Surf Festival, we’re going to have bigger acts, bigger sponsorships, more of The Gunz Show out there.

NKD

CONNECT with GUNZ @thegunzshow facebook.com/gunzshow NKDMAG.COM

SOFIA BLACK D’ELIA Words & Photos by Catherine Powell

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“I’VE ALWAYS LOVED TELEVISION. I LOVE THE IDEA OF PEOPLE COMING INTO YOUR HOME EVERY WEEK AND FINDING THEIR WAY INTO YOUR HEART.” SOFIA BLACK D’ELIA

he world of the elite socialites on The CW’s Gossip Girl was high-end and over the top. It was a world filled with scandals, designer clothes and eating disorders. It was a world where actress Sofia Black-D’Elia, 21, was a high school con artist named Sage who sabotaged a fashion show, tricked her love interest into thinking she was in college and broke up her father’s engagement. When I meet with Sofia at the East Village apartment she shares with two roommates, far away from the Upper East Side where her Gossip Girl character lived, she’s happily eating Chips Ahoy cookies at her kitchen table with the Falcons vs. Seahawks playoff game on TV in the background. The space is cozy — photographs and a small chalkboard where friends have written messages hang on the walls, and a collection of pillows sits on the couch. Sofia sits childishly on her knees and tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She’s adorably welcoming — she offers me cookies and a seat next to her at the table. I quickly realize that playing a bitch on television was probably a stretch for this girl. Acting was never something Sofia considered pursuing seriously until someone else suggested it. In high school she met a commercial acting teacher through her dance teacher and began auditioning at 15. Her first major role came at 17, when she starred on the hit soap opera, All My Children. She was shooting for over six months during her senior year of high school, and with the help of her vice principals she was able to graduate on time. “I went to a very normal, suburban high school, so I think they saw what I was doing and were like, ‘This is cool, this is different, let’s let her do this and not fail her,’” she says. Sofia’s life hit a crossroads that spring. She was accepted to her topchoice college, the prestigious Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, and MTV picked up the American version of the hit British show Skins, which she had a starring role in — both in the same week. After weeks of considering her options, Sofia decided to skip college and dive straight into an acting career. She spent the next few months filming in Toronto as Tea Marvelli, a smart, confident lesbian. Though Skins only made it through one season before MTV canceled it, the show was one of the best experiences she has ever had. “We really became a family,” she says of the Skins cast. “I wish it went on for longer because I really found a home there.” When Gossip Girl’s final season hit The CW this fall, Sofia was once again in the spotlight, and most fans’ reactions were positive. “I think more than anything fans just wanted to see what would happen to their main characters, and as long as I didn’t get in the way of that it was alright,” Sofia says. However, not everyone felt that way. “There was one person on Twitter who really did not like me or my character,” Sofia says. “She was very mean.” Originally Sofia was only supposed to appear in a few episodes, but she was written into the whole season because the Gossip Girl team liked her so much. She describes her experience on set as “stepping into a machine that’s been running awhile.” She was used to starting something from the beginning, like she did on Skins. Sofia’s latest role is Andrea on the upcoming HBO pilot, Criminal Justice. “I was only on set for a short period of time, but I learned a lot,” she says. “I got to work with some of the best people you could work with.” The show is based on a British mini-series, and though she will only appear in the pilot because “very bad things happen” to her

character, she’s thankful for the experience. Before Criminal Justice, Sofia had mostly worked in the teen acting world, but she says she feels much more comfortable in the adult world. “I’m ready to put the stereotypical teen stuff behind me,” she says. “I don’t think I’ve done enough to be pigeonholed into anything.” She pauses. “Maybe if I had played three lesbians instead of one I’d be a little stuck,” she says, laughing. Between jobs she’s been taking acting classes at The Willam Esper Studio and will graduate from the two-year program this spring. “When I got back from filming Skins and realized how much I had to learn, I wanted to jump into a class immediately,” Sofia says. Bill Esper, the founder of the school, created the acting program at Mason Gross, where Sofia initially wanted to go to school. “In this weird way I was getting the program I always wanted to get,” she says. “It’s been the most incredible experience of my life and I’ve learned more there than I have anywhere else.” Though Sofia has met a lot of actors who say that no education compares to the one you get on set, she feels that nothing she has done yet compares to this class.

“I DON’T THINK I’VE DONE ENOUGH TO BE PIGEONHOLED INTO ANYTHING. MAYBE IF I HAD PLAYED THREE LESBIANS INSTEAD OF ONE I’D BE A LITTLE STUCK. ” SOFIA BLACK D’ELIA

Sofia has found a sort of haven with the group of people in her class. Whenever an audition hasn’t gone as planned or a job turned out differently than she expected, she’s had something to fall back on. “We can be creative, and we can mess up and no one cares,” she says with a smile. She’s considering taking master classes at The Esper Studio after graduation if she has the time, but doesn’t think she could study with any other teacher. Currently, Sofia is auditioning for various TV and film roles almost every day. “Something I’ve been trying to prove to my agent and my manager is that I can do comedy,” she says. She explains that her dad is something of a comedian, and she would love to follow in his footsteps for an audience larger than her family. When I ask if she’s looking to break into film she thinks for a moment. “That would be great, but I’ve always loved television,” she says. “I love the idea of a group of people coming into your home every week and finding their way into your heart. It’s just magical.” As our conversation comes to an end, Sofia gets up to put our plates in the sink. She’s quickly distracted by the football game. “Sorry, I just love football,” she says. “You can put on record that I want the Ravens to win the Super Bowl.” NKD

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THE

SWEL 58

LLERS

By Olga Khvan Photos by Catherine Powell

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ON A SUNDAY EVENING A FEW WEEKS AGO, a line of teenagers took over a good portion of a block on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, their hands hidden away in the pockets of their puffy winter jackets, their feet stomping in place as they waited to enter the Studio at Webster Hall. Briefly, the crowd’s attention shifted from the bitter December cold to the basement door, which opened to reveal Nick Diener, lead vocalist and guitarist of The Swellers, emerging from below. “Doing the ‘stay warm’ dance?” he asked them with a smile before going back inside. Sitting down on a stool at a deserted bar on the second floor of the venue, he puts his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket, which reflects the red overhead lights. It isn’t that much warmer here. “I don’t know why they’re waiting in line. It’s so cold,” he says. “You’re going to get into the show regardless, I’ve been telling people that for years. We’re a small band and there’s plenty of space for everybody, I promise. We couldn’t sell out a phone booth.” Nick insists The Swellers are a “small, small band”, but their level of commitment to what they do is anything but — they’ve been playing music for a decade now. At the core of it all is the close-knit relationship between Nick and his brother Jonathan, the band’s drummer. “Being in a band with him, it at least kept half the band alive if anybody wanted to quit or change direction or do something else,” Nick says. “He was still there and he still had the same ideas that I did, so we kept it going. Where a lot of bands would’ve broken up two years into it, I still had him and we had plans and we’ve been really fortunate.” The Swellers formed while Nick was a sophomore in high school and Jonathan was a freshman. The lineup underwent a series of changes over the years and has included friends from the local music scene in their native Michigan, as well as people they had met on tour. The most important thing was finding people willing to stay on the road. “We wanted to find guys who wanted to stay on the road all the time and those guys are with us now. They’ve stuck it out and they’re great,” Nick says of guitarist Ryan Collins and bassist Anto Boros. “They’re just on a different level of human beings to me. Co-workers, best friends, brothers. Everything rolled into one.” The Swellers have been at it for 10 years, but right now they’re doing something they’ve never done before — taking a well-deserved break. “We haven’t been home for more than two months in that six and a half month period that we’ve been touring. We were kind of going crazy,” Nick says. “I didn’t even know what it was like to have a home anymore. I’m so used to just being out, so getting to relax and settle down is really, really nice.” Nick has spent his time off getting engaged, recording other bands in his home studio and reading up on philosophy, a subject that interested him during the semester and a half he spent enrolled in college while waiting for Jonathan to graduate high school before they could fully commit to the band.

But even during their time off, The Swellers are plotting their next move. Earlier this year, they parted ways with Fueled by Ramen, the label under whom they released two albums. “It was just time to go,” Nick says. “It’s kind of like, why you would get out of a relationship that you weren’t happy with, you know? We really loved everybody at that label, everybody that helped us out, but we always told ourselves if people are going to work for us, they better be working as hard as us, at least.” The reaction to the band’s departure from a major record label has been overwhelmingly positive. “I think the reputation we have now is slightly better than it was when we were on the label,” he says. “If we were on Fueled by Ramen and they made us the next Paramore or fun. or Cobra Starship, I’m sure we’d be stoked. But we didn’t quite cross over into that. We were a punk band doing everything on our own under this big New York City sky-rise label, so when we told everybody we’ve gone independent because this makes sense, the reaction was so much better.” The Swellers never turned into the huge rock stars that major record labels want to produce. Instead, they’re happy staying the punk band they’ve always been.

“I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO HAVE A HOME ANYMORE.” NICK DIENER

“I’m glad we never started wearing stupid clothes or playing stupid songs,” Nick says. “We never changed our music to fit any certain kind of mold and if we were promised anything, we never thought that it was going to happen for sure. We were always skeptical and that’s what kept us grounded.” A decade is a long time, but The Swellers are ready to keep going, with a few die-hard fans following them, but mostly crowds of new, young fans like the ones waiting outside of Webster Hall in the cold, who are just figuring out their tastes in music. “We were a lot of people’s first band that they ever saw play, which is just mind-blowing to me,” Nick says. “I don’t think we’re going to convince all the cool punk kids that we’re the coolest band ever, so we rely on the new kids that hopefully find a new band that they dig and it keeps us alive. Every year when we get to a point where this is just burning us out and I’m starting to not like this, something cool will happen, you’ll have an epiphany or play that one great show. I feel like we’re starting over, but we have everybody coming along with us. It’s a nice feeling.” NKD

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