Why I Love…The Maine

The article appeared in Rock Sound in May 2023.

The year was 2010 and I was just celebrating my 16th birthday. My friends and I flocked to Seattle’s The Showbox for the Harmony Tour with Never Shout Never where The Maine, a five-piece band hailing from Arizona, were supporting the tour. I was no stranger to The Maine, having been a fan of theirs since their shaggy-haired The Way We Talk days.

However, while I still remember their performance like it was yesterday, it was what happened afterward that has always stuck with me. On a bitterly cold October night, I stood outside the band’s tour bus, hoping they would come out and say hello. Little did I know that The Maine have built a strong foundation with their fans not many other bands have been able to accomplish.

After every show, rain or shine, the boys would brave the weather to greet their adoring fans. From taking goofy pictures to signing autographs, The Maine interacts with their fans as if they are just catching up with friends. They always take time out of their busy schedule to connect, even for only a few minutes.

My show was no exception. As someone who has met many musicians in her life, no one has ever quite stood out as The Maine did on that autumn night. I was a fresh-faced fan meeting the band for the first time, and they welcomed me in with such warmth and sincerity, asking me about my life and how I liked the show. It felt like I was reconnecting with old friends and not meeting musicians in one of my favourite bands.

The Maine check their egos at the door and truly aren’t afraid to be themselves. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet them several more times over the years. Each interaction has continued to be filled with warmth and graciousness, the band never appearing rushed to escape their fan interactions. Instead, they go out of their way to make sure they can continue to make those connections, no matter where they may be.

My story is not an anomaly when it comes to The Maine. As five guys from Arizona, they’ve managed to create a fanbase that stretches worldwide, known as 8123. What started out as the address for a parking garage the band used to hang out in has quickly transformed into a global fan movement.

For fan Jordan Wyman, 8123 is a tight-knit group in the Seattle area he has continued to see over the years, creating an inclusive environment where everyone can support the band together.

“My favorite aspect of this community personally is how small it is,” said Wyman. “When you start recognizing people who come to all [of] the shows, there’s something comforting about sharing a finite time in a space with people you have been friends with for years, and people you may only see at [The] Maine shows.”

Another powerful bond within the community comes from the friendships fans make with each other. Logan Buhler, a long-time The Maine fan, shares that she met one of her best friends because of the band, a common connection within the 8123 community.

“I met one of my best friends when I went alone to one of their shows,” said Buhler. “A couple of months later, we flew to Warped Tour together [to see them perform]. We’re still traveling together in the name of The Maine to this day.”

The Maine’s community is so tight-knit and supportive that the band even created their own festival just for the fans. Every January, thousands of fans travel to Arizona for 8123 Fest, a weekend celebrating the anniversary of them becoming a band. Along with DJs sets and afterparties, the event is filled with live music from the likes of The Summer Set, 3OH!3, Mayday Parade, and, of course, The Maine.

In addition to the fest, they have executed numerous other efforts for fans, including always free meet-and-greets, live concert streams in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, pop-up shops with the latest merchandise and cold calls to those who pre-order their albums. More recently, they announced 8123 Day, a special once-in-a-century concert celebrating their fanbase that is set to happen on August 01, 2023, or 8.1.23.

The Maine are constantly reinventing one-of-a-kind experiences for fans. They aren’t afraid to try something new if it means connecting with their fanbase even more deeply.

Meaghan Lincoln, a fan based in Seattle, says that the effort they exert to produce new experiences for their listeners is second to none.

“The Maine go above and beyond in creating unique experiences and festivals for their fans and I’ve never experienced something like that from another artist.”

For the fans, the band have been there through major milestones, acting as the soundtrack to their lives while they deal with the ebb and flow of life. Meaghan further shares that the community surrounding the band’s music has created a sense of vulnerability and comfort, unlike anything she has experienced with other bands.

“The Maine represents a community of validation and understanding that if you’re not okay right now, you will be,” said Lincoln. “It’s a band of five individuals that have created community through their music and invited strangers to some of their most intimate and vulnerable thoughts.”

With eight studio albums under their belts, The Maine have over 15 years of music for listeners to resonate with, with no topic left untouched. Their music spans numerous subjects and situations that one can’t help but identify with.

This broad scope of music that reaches all aspects of life is part of the reason listeners feel so strongly about the band and the music they make. Fans feel seen when they listen to their music, creating a connection that can’t easily be broken. Whatever someone may be going through, there is a The Maine song out there that fits their situation, comforting them as they deal with life’s stressors.

The community surrounding them and the dedication and passion the fans have for the music they create are powerful and cannot be undone. The Maine constantly seek new ways to make their fans feel seen, heard and admired and listeners easily reciprocate that adoration. As fan Jordan Wyman puts it simply,

“It’s that comfort and admiration for these boys that keep me, and many others, coming back to them and probably will continue doing so for years to come.”

Here are all of the collabs on Taylor Swift's surprise album 'Folklore'

This article appeared on Alternative Press in July 2020

Surprise, Taylor Swift is dropping her eighth studio album Folklore on July 24.

Not only are there 16 tracks on the standard edition of the LP, but Folklore also features loads of collaborations.

Swift’s previous studio album Lover was released just last year. The 18 track LP features various collaborations including the wildly successful “ME!” with Panic! At The Disco‘s Brendon Urie.

Now, Swift has decided its time to release a full-length album for her “Swifties” fandom. On July 23, the singer took to social media to announce that Folklore is arriving at midnight on Friday, July 24.

Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon, The National‘s Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, fun.) all collaborated on the new album. Swift reveals that Dessner co-wrote 11 of the 16 songs on Folklore. Dessner has since confirmed that his brother Bryce and bandmate Bryan Devendorf are also featured on the album.

As well, Bon Iver helped co-write material and is featured on the song “Exile.” Swift’s longtime collaborator and producer Antonoff also played a large part in Folklore.

The album announcement comes after Swift was forced to cancel her live performances this year due to coronavirus. Given the current times, she decided to not overthink Folklore‘s release.

“Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time, but the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed,” she says. “My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. That’s the side of uncertainty I can get on board with. Love you guys so much.”

Dessner took to Instagram to share his thoughts on creating the new album with Swift.

“I was excited and honored when Taylor approached me in late April about maybe writing some songs remotely together,” he says. “[I] had been isolating with my family but writing a ton of music in the first months of quarantine which I shared. I thought it would take a while for song ideas to come. I had no expectations as far as what we could accomplish remotely.”

He further shares that collaborating on Folklore with Swift came naturally for both of them. They also created the songs completely remotely.

“But a few hours after sharing music, my phone lit up with a voice memo from Taylor of a fully written version of a song — the momentum never really stopped,” he continues. “Over the next few months, we remotely finished 11 songs (She also recorded several others with the amazing @jackantonoff) of her magical new album folklore. I’ve rarely been so inspired by someone and it’s still hard to believe this even happened — these songs came together in such a challenging time.”

Swift has also dropped the tracklisting for Folklore. Physical deluxe editions of the album include the bonus track “The Lakes.” She is also releasing numerous vinyl and CD editions of Folklore for fans.

On July 23, Swift is releasing the video for the album’s first single “Cardigan.” Due to coronavirus, Swift shares that the entire video shoot followed various safety regulations.

“The entire shoot was overseen by a medical inspector, everyone wore masks, stayed away from each other, and I even did my own hair, makeup, and styling,” she shares.

Folklore is out on Friday, July 24. Pre-orders for the album are available to purchase here.

Sharon Osbourne gives update on Ozzy's health and his new music plans

This article appeared in Alternative Press on July 2020.

On July 2,  Mötley Crüe‘s Nikki Sixx tweeted a fan saying that Ozzy Osbourne “isn’t doing good” health-wise. Following the comment, speculation quickly arose that the Black Sabbath vocalist is struggling following his Parkinson’s diagnosis earlier this year.

Now, Sharon Osbourne has shared an update on her husband’s health. As well, she revealed that Ozzy is currently working on another new album.

After his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Ozzy canceled his 2020 North American tour to focus on medical treatments. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he was forced to cancel his medical trip to Switzerland.

Back in April, his daughter Kelly Osbourne shared that her father was in good spirits amid the pandemic. She also said that his recent treatments have greatly helped with his symptoms and overall progress. Following this, his son Jack Osbourne revealed that his father will likely retire “within the next five to ten years.”

Then, earlier this month, Nikki Sixx revealed that he heard Ozzy “isn’t doing good” health-wise. This quickly led to both worry and speculation from fans regarding Ozzy’s health.

Now, Sharon has given an update on Ozzy’s health during an interview on Steve-O‘s Wild Ride! podcast. Despite his Parkinson’s diagnosis and various medical issues last year, Sharon says Ozzy is “doing really good.”

“He’s doing good,” she shares. “He’s doing really, really good. He’s had a terrible, terrible injury. At one point, they thought he would never walk again, but he’s walking and he’s doing great. He’s been hit by so much medically, but he’s doing good. He’s getting stronger every day.”

Along with his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Ozzy is still recovering from surgery he had last year. The surgery was to repair an old injury he sustained during a 2003 ATV accident. Sharon further shares that the accident and surgery are what “sparked” his Parkinson’s.

“Oh, God. I mean, to be hit with the spinal injury, and then what it had done was it kind of started off the Parkinson’s that he had the gene for but was never activated, he just had the gene,” she continues. “It’s like having the breast cancer gene but it never comes into fruition, it never gets alive. And he had the Parkinson’s gene and this accident just sparked it off. So he kind of had a double dose of everything. But he’s doing good.”

For Sharon, it has been difficult for the family to see Ozzy deal with such health problems recently.

“It’s heartbreaking,” she says. “It’s heartbreaking to see this. He’s had this ride in his life, and then suddenly BOOM you are floored. And to have your health taken away, no matter what you’ve got money-wise or anything in the world, [it’s something you] can’t fix.”

Along with the health update, Sharon also shares that Ozzy is currently working on his next album with producer Andrew Watt. Ozzy released his latest solo album Ordinary Man back in February 2020. The album was produced by Watt and was recorded while Ozzy recovered from his surgery and related illnesses.

“The album was sensational,” Sharon says. “He’s starting his second album with Andrew Watt right now. And you can’t stop him. He’s doing it.”

Jack Osbourne previously revealed that his father will likely retire from music “within the next five to ten years.” Although Sharon doesn’t confirm when Ozzy will retire, she does share that he will do it when the time is right.

“Ozzy says that as far as performing goes, he has to end it his way,” she says. “Because it was his farewell tour that he was on [before he had his accident], but he still had a year to do of that tour. There were seats sold for the next year, but the accident stopped it all. But he said it’s not gonna end just like that, it’s gonna end his way. And he’s gonna go back out. And even if it’s just one huge show to say goodbye, he’s going to do it.”

Last week, it was announced that Sharon, Jack and Ozzy are returning to television for the first time in over a decade. Their paranormal television show The Osbournes Wants To Believe airs on the Travel Channel Aug. 2.

In the new series, Jack shows Sharon and Ozzy various clips pertaining to paranormal activity. Some of the clips include footage of poltergeists, haunted dolls, UFOs and unidentifiable beasts. As Sharon and Ozzy are both skeptics, this new series is bound to be entertaining and perhaps even eye-opening.

As well, Osbourne’s new documentary The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne arrives on A&E this summer. Produced by Jack Osbourne, the documentary shows the Black Sabbath vocalist’s life and career throughout the years. The film will also show his struggles with his Parkinson’s diagnosis and previous health issues. Directed by Greg Johnston, The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne is the first documentary to be released about Ozzy in over ten years.

YUNGBLUD's explosive new single "Strawberry Lipstick" is finally here

This article appeared on Alternative Press in July 2020.

It’s been nearly three months since fans last heard new music from YUNGBLUD. Now, after two weeks of built-up anticipation, his explosive new single “Strawberry Lipstick” is finally here.

The new single is off of his forthcoming sophomore album that is due out later this year.

We last heard new music from YUNGBLUD earlier this spring. His single “Weird!” was released back in April and offered a glimpse into what fans can expect from his forthcoming album.

Then, on July 1, YUNGBLUD began teasing something on social media. The multi-talented artist posted a peculiar tweet telling fans to watch out for an announcement on July 7. He also incorporated emojis of black hearts, a lipstick and a strawberry.

“See you July 7th. Tell ya mates. Goodnight till then. Look after each other. I love you,” he tweets.

A week later, he released a video teaser on the two-year anniversary of his debut album 21st Century Liability. The video shows YUNGBLUD lighting his clothes from the album cover on fire while wearing a dress strikingly similar to the iconic one worn by Spice Girls‘ Geri Halliwell.

Finally, on July 7, he announced that his new single “Strawberry Lipstick” is on its way. The single’s artwork includes his signature pink socks and the Union Jack dress he wore in the video teaser.

Now, after much anticipation, the explosive “Strawberry Lipstick” is finally here. The modern-day love song opens up with YUNGBLUD’s proclamation, “This is a song about a person I love.”

The upbeat single features glam-rock influences alongside YUNGBLUD’s distinctive snarling vocals and charismatic energy. As well, the single’s lyrics greatly spotlight YUNGBLUD’s androgynous style.

Released via Locomotion and Interscope Records, “Strawberry Lipstick” is co-produced by YUNGBLUD and his longtime collaborators Chris Greatti (Poppy, Grimes) and Zakk Cervini (Bishop Briggs, Machine Gun Kelly).

The single’s new video arrives at noon EST here. YUNGBLUD previously teased that L.A.-based singer/songwriter Jesse Jo Stark appears in the new video.

As well, he also shared a clip of the forthcoming video on Wednesday. The teaser shows YUNGBLUD in a boxing ring, jamming out with his band and, of course, loads of strawberries. So, it is inevitably clear that the single’s video is bound to be as entertaining as the song itself.

“Strawberry Lipstick” is off of his forthcoming sophomore album that is due out later this year. The new release follows up YUNGBLUD’s debut full-length album 21st Century Liability that was released in 2018. In 2019, he released his hope for the underrated youth EP which debuted in the top 10 on the U.K. Official Albums chart.

Over the past few years, YUNGBLUD has collaborated with various artists including blackbear, MGK, Halsey, blink-182‘s Travis Barker and Imagine Dragons‘ Dan Reynolds. “I Think I’m OKAY,” his collab with MGK and Barker, was recently certified platinum in the U.S. after it surpassed 1 million sales.

YUNGBLUD recently performed an unreleased song, “The Emperor,” and announced his second graphic novel, Twisted Tales Of The Ritalin Club 2: Weird Times At Quarry Banks University. Preorders are available here.

UPDATE: JULY 16, 2020, 12:00 P.M. ET

Earlier on Thursday, YUNGBLUD released his new song “Strawberry Lipstick.” Now, he’s continuing to celebrate the single’s release with an outrageous new video. Directed by Christian Breslauer, the “Strawberry Lipstick” music video stars YUNGBLUD, his band and L.A.-based singer/songwriter Jesse Jo Stark.

In the video, viewers witness YUNGBLUD involved in various outlandish scenarios. From fighting in a boxing ring to lounging in a bathtub full of strawberries, no situations were off-limits for this new video. Of course, YUNGBLUD takes part in these bizarre moments all while wearing his custom Union Jack dress from Michael Schmidt Studios and showing off his charismatic personality.

The “Strawberry Lipstick” video’s style is clearly inspired by British punk, a genre the Yorkshire-born artist has been greatly influenced by. From his wild liberty spikes hairstyle to the chunky jewelry and stark eyeliner, it’s clear that England’s musical past continues to impact YUNGBLUD today. He even gives a cheeky little nod to the Queen of England at the end of the video.

This petition is trying to stop the George Floyd challenge on TikTok

This article appeared on Alternative Press June 2020

Amid protests revolving around the death of George Floyd, TikTok was accused of censoring posts from users writing the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd. The video-sharing platform blamed the problem on a glitch, but many users don’t believe that’s the true reason.

Now, an insensitive “George Floyd TikTok Challenge” is sparking outrage. A new petition has emerged that demands TikTok to remove all of the content involving this challenge.

Last week, users were briefly unable to see TikToks using the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #GeorgeFloyd. According to a spokesperson, a glitch in the system caused this to happen. As well, the glitch reportedly also happened to various other hashtags not involved with the Black Lives Matter movement.

“This [the glitch] appears to affect words at random, including terms like #cat and #hello,” TikTok said to TheWrap in a statement.

However, many TikTok users believe the censorship of these particular hashtags was due to more than just a system error.

Now, TikTok is at the front of another controversy. This past week, an insensitive “George Floyd Challenge” emerged onto the platform.

Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police after officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for over eight minutes. According to an autopsy report, Floyd died as a result of “asphyxiation from sustained pressure” from Chauvin even as Floyd pleaded “I can’t breathe.”

Now, individuals are taking to TikTok for the George Floyd challenge. Young individuals are sharing images and videos of themselves attempting to replicate how Floyd was murdered in this new TikTok challenge. They are laying face down on the ground while another person puts their knee on the individual’s neck.

The #GeorgeFloydChallenge hashtag has racked up almost 55,000 posts so far. Many Black Lives Matter supporters are flooding the hashtag with images of George Floyd as well as their outrage and discontentment for the challenge.

Images from the challenge have since appeared on other social media platforms and many are calling out both TikTok and the participants.

So far, a few Snapchats, tweets, Instagram posts and Reddit posts have emerged of individuals taking part in the challenge. However, the majority of these original posts have since been taken down. At this time, all of the Instagram posts using the hashtag have been removed.

Now, Black Lives Matter supporters are directly targeting TikTok in a new petition. They want the video-sharing platform to take responsibility for the insensitive messages and images being spread through this challenge and remove it all. The Have TikTok remove any content involving “George Floyd Challenge” has racked up over 10,000 signatures so far.

Although this challenge is unlikely to go viral, it’s clear that TikTok could be doing more. So far, TikTok hasn’t used any form of censorship to stop the #GeorgeFloydChallenge. Due to this, many individuals are taking matters into their own hands. They are spreading the images from the challenge across the internet in hopes of finding the individuals involved. So far, a number of people have been identified.

On May 29, two photos from the challenge emerged from Snapchat. One of the images was taken by three U.K. teenagers and featured the words “police brutality.” This photo eventually caught the attention of local police and they arrested the three teens, calling the photo a “hate crime.”

The three teens have since been released on bail, but according to the Daily Mail who spoke to one of the officers, they are investigating the situation further.

“We can confirm we are investigating after an image was shared on social media which showed two men imitating the recent death of U.S. citizen George Floyd,” an officer says. “They have since been released on bail. We understand that this social media post has caused significant upset and we want to reassure the public it is being investigated robustly and is being treated as a hate crime.”

The insensitive TikTok challenge is just one of my many instances where TikTok users created this type of content. In the past, challenges involving autism, seizures, abuse and more have appeared. For TikTok, the platform has done very little to censor hurtful content or have taken a long time to remove it from its platform. It now appears it’s doing the same with this new challenge amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests.

At this time, TikTok has made no comment regarding the George Floyd challenge and the hashtag is still live on its platform.

As of June 3, four officers involved in the wrongful killing of Floyd have been charged.

Nirvana's Krist Novoselic leaves Twitter after backlash over Trump praise

The article appeared on Alternative Press June 2020

Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has deactivated his Twitter account after receiving backlash for praising Donald Trump‘s recent speech.

The now-deleted social media posts praised Trump for his Monday night speech in which he said that he’s “dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel and law enforcement officers” to the Black Lives Matter protests happening across the country.

Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, protests are happening around the world. On Monday night, Trump gave a speech that included talks of getting heavy military personnel involved in the BLM protests. Of course, this didn’t sit well with Black Lives Matter supporters who demand change and want to protest in peace.

After the speech, police used tear gas to clear protesters from St. John’s Church in Washington, D.C. before Trump arrived to have several photos taken.

For Novoselic, he has been involved in politics for decades. In 2009, he ran for public office and served as a chairman of Wahkiakum Country in Washington state. As well, in the past, he has said his beliefs align with the Democratic Party. For the 2016 presidential election, Novoselic openly supported Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson.

However, Novoselic decided to share his thoughts about Trump and his Monday night speech this week. In now-deleted Facebook and Twitter posts, the former Nirvana bassist praised Trump and said that his remarks were “strong and direct.” Some fans were able to get screenshots of the posts before they were deleted.

“Wow!!! I know many of you can’t stand him, however, Trump knocked it out of the park with this speech,” Novoselic writes on his Facebook page. “I agree the president should not be sending troops into states and he legally might not be able to anyway. Nevertheless, his tone in this speech was strong and direct. I have been watching the images in the media and thinking about how polarized our country is. The violence (and not the protests) appear as a leftist insurrection. Most Americans want peace in their communities and President Trump spoke to this desire. Never mind the legal details that few understand, Trump said he would stop the violence and this speaks to many.”

Novoselic’s full social media post is available to read below. In the long post, he talks about the ongoing protests that are happening in Seattle and Washington state where he resides. The Seattle protest recently made headlines after a video of a child being tear-gassed was shared.

Many Nirvana fans and Black Lives Matter supporters were outraged by Novoselic’s comments. They quickly shared their outrage and anger towards Novoselic for praising Trump’s speech. Some fans also noted that Novoselic’s comments contradict what Kurt Cobain stood for and wanted Nirvana’s music to stand for.

Following the backlash he received, Novoselic deactivated his Twitter account. As well, Novoselic’s official Facebook page has since gone private. After deleting and making his accounts private, the Nirvana bassist reportedly shared an updated statement to an unverified Facebook profile.

“To clarify a few things,” he says. “As an avowed independent, I don’t endorse a major party or candidate. And it feels insane to have to say this, but I don’t support fascism, and I don’t support an authoritarian state. I believe in a civilized society and that we all have to work toward that. Love and thanks to anyone who cares to read this.”

This isn’t the first time Novoselic has made headlines for his comments. Back in May, he shared a video addressing those that believe the coronavirus pandemic is a hoax.

Hayley Williams reveals the real reason why Paramore isn't going anywhere

This article was published on Alternative Press May 2020

Earlier this month, we saw a different side to Hayley Williams with the release of her debut solo album Petals For Armor. The 15-song album caused the Paramore vocalist to break a Billboard charts record as the first woman to ever led the Rock Albums Chart as both a solo artist and in a group.

Now, following the success of Petals For Armor, Williams is revealing how her friendship with her Paramore bandmates helped make her solo project possible. She is also sharing why Paramore isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

When Williams announced her solo project at the start of 2020, the news was met with both excitement and also some skepticism that Paramore may be over for good. For Williams, she admitted candidly in an interview with Zane Lowe back in February that her solo project contradicts what she has said in the past.

Over the years, Williams has always made a point to say that Paramore is her main focus and she never had any solo plans. However, after dealing with a number of hardships in her life, she began writing music that eventually formed into her Petals For Armor project.

Despite this solo venture, however, Paramore’s Taylor York and Zac Farro were heavily involved in the recording and creative process behind Petals For Armor. York produced the entire album and co-write on multiple songs. For Farro, he helped in various parts of the creative process including directing the “Dead Horse” music video.

As Williams revealed in a new Vogue interview, the trust that she has with York and Farro is as strong as ever. It is this trust that the trio has that Williams says reinforces the fact that Paramore isn’t going anywhere. It is also part of the reason Williams felt comfortable pursuing her solo album.

“I can’t deny there’re frontwomen in history who went solo and didn’t go back,” Williams says. “So that’s where I have to trust that the band knows I’m not looking for greener grass.”

In the Vogue interview, Williams also lists a number of artists who have successfully managed to have both a solo career and one within a band.

“I see guys like Julian Casablancas and Thom Yorke put out multiple records and go back to their bands all time,” she shares. “They do their own shit and nobody thinks it cannibalizes The Strokes or Radiohead.”

Along with Williams’ solo project, both York and Farro have projects outside of Paramore. Farro has his other band HalfNoise and York is venturing further into producing for other artists.

Even though the trio has other projects outside of Paramore, their friendship and bond will always bring them back together as Williams says. For Williams, even though her solo debut has been successful, she plans to take everything she has learned during this time right back to Paramore.

“I’m just trying to get some of that other grass and bring it back over to our side, so I can be like, ‘try this shit, it’s not too bad.’”

In fact, Williams has openly talked about Paramore’s future in a number of Petals For Armor interviews. More recently, she spoke with NME about what is in store next for her “favorite band” and where they plan to begin following 2017’s After Laughter.

“After making After Laughter it’s like, ‘okay, we’ve tried this on and it actually fits and feels great. Now let’s see what else we can do to fuck this up.’”

As well, Williams elaborated on Paramore’s possible future sound in a recent interview with USA Today.

“We’ve talked about who might be a cool producer because both Taylor and Zac produce now,” she says. “And we’ve talked about what styles of music we might want to fuck with. It’s funny, though, because we always do this and then we get in the car and take a complete left turn. It makes me excited because we literally just follow our whims and who knows where we’ll go? I think that’s what kept Paramore going all this time.”

No, moshing and crowdsurfing will not be allowed when concerts resume

This article was published on Alternative Press May 2020

The live music industry has made various headlines over the past few months. From Arkansas scheduling their first socially-distant concert to Live Nation announcing their plans for drive-in concerts, a lot has happened since the coronavirus pandemic began. Now, a new health and safety guide is announcing what changes will have to be made once live events resume. This includes a temporary ban on moshing and crowdsurfing.

In a new guide released this week, the nonprofit Event Safety Alliance is sharing what live event regulations will have to happen once the pandemic is under control.

Earlier this month, Live Nation’s CEO Michael Rapino reported that they don’t anticipate large scale live events to return until mid to late 2021. However, Rapino did say the experimentation to bring back smaller events could happen as early as this autumn.

If these claims are true, future concerts may be very different as countries begin to phase out of coronavirus lockdown.

Event Safety Alliance is sharing the restrictions and regulations they believe will have to be incorporated into future live events. Steven Adelman and Jacob Worek of the Event Safety Alliance have spoken with over 400 promoters, caterers, Ticketmaster employees and more to put together this new health and safety regulations guide.

The 29-page Event Safety Alliance guide goes over regulations for venues and promoters to consider when live events resume. Included in the long list of regulations is sanitizing practices and handling staff and guest illnesses. There are also regulations ticket holders will have to follow especially for general admission events.

“A few obvious changes will be necessary whenever GA events do reopen,” the guide states. “Patrons cannot all stand at the front of the stage like they are accustomed; moshing and crowdsurfing are violations of social distancing per se and must be absolutely prohibited during this pandemic.”

Once events and concerts resume, a number of practices cannot take place. For mosh pit residents and crowdsurfers worldwide, it may be a while before you can return to your normal gig habits.

The guide also discusses other safety measures including staggering entry times into venues, contactless merch ordering and more. The full guide from the Event Safety Alliance is available to read here.

The release of this guide comes just days after Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that the state’s scheduled social distancing concert this week does not follow health and safety protocols. Despite this, the Travis McCready concert is still scheduled to take place on May 15.

Last week, Live Nation announced plans to try fanless broadcasts and drive-in concerts. This would require concert goers to stay in their cars, but would still be able to watch live performances. Electronic artist Marc Rebillet also recently announced his plans for a drive-in tour where his opening acts are films. Rebillet plans for the tour to happen in June.

This new app is supporting music fans' mental health with custom playlists

This article was published on Alternative Press May 2020

This month, Spotify launched a new feature that allows users to see the top three songs they’ve been rocking out to during coronavirus lockdown. Now, Spotify users have the opportunity to get their own personalized mental health playlists. Using some of your favorite songs and artists such as Halsey, twenty one pilots, Billie Eilish and more, a new app called Ensu is giving Spotify listeners an even more personalized listening experience.

With the Ensu app, the creators hope that bringing personalized mental health playlists to listeners will help them cope through these hard times and much more.

Many of us turn to music as an outlet to decompress after a long day and even help manage our mental health. Especially during the mandated quarantine lockdowns worldwide, some are listening to music more than ever before. Now, Ensu is making our listening experience even more personal through their new app.

Spotify users can download the app and connect to their Spotify profiles. From there, the app will build playlists using both music therapy principles and data from some of your top Spotify songs and artists. Once the playlists are generated, users can decide which playlist to listen to based on their moods.

For instance, Ensu released customized playlist examples for someone that listens to a lot of Halsey. The happy mood playlist included Halsey as well as music from Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and more. The sad playlist included artists such as Beyonce and Sia. In short, Ensu gives listeners the chance to listen to mood playlists that are tailored to their taste and focused on their mental health.

Ensu wants to not only generate custom playlists for users but also understand how our moods impact the music we listen to. The app also has a social feature that allows friends the chance to check-in on one another.

Amol, one of app’s creators, took to Reddit to share the reasons behind the app’s creation.

“Me and a few of my mates have built an app to help people use their music listening as a tool to more easily understand and manage their mental health,” Amol writes.

Through the app, listeners can track the variations of their mood through the playlists they’ve been listening to most. This allows individuals to be more in tune with their emotions and allowing them to do so through music.

“The app gives you insights around how your music listening correlates to emotional states,” Amol continues. “[It] makes it easy to track emotions over-time, gives you new mood-based playlists in Spotify, lets you check in on friends when they are upset and vice versa.”

As well, the app has a social feature that gives friends the chance to check-in on each other. For example, someone could see a friend listening to their sad playlist often which could prompt them to reach out and check-in. This could be an especially important feature during quarantine lockdown where many friends haven’t seen each other in person in weeks.

“We’ve been working with a couple of support groups to help people more easily check-in on their friends (through the social check-in feature),” Amol says.

Right now, the app is only available to use with Spotify accounts and can be downloaded here.

TikTok is changing the way some accounts can use music

This article was published on Alternative Press May 2020

Up until this point, TikTok users on the video-sharing app had free reign over the songs they chose to include in their videos. However, things are about to change for verified businesses and brands on the app.

This week, TikTok is changing its rules on music usage for verified business accounts. This is in efforts to protects artists who do not want to be associated with certain brands.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, many individuals have been quarantining in their homes with their phones and an unlimited amount of creative ideas. This has led to a surge in TikTok usage and account creation on the app.

For TikTok, music is heavily important for its creators. From alternative music to rap and hip-hop, creators have free reign over the songs they include in their videos. Songs such as Simple Plan‘s “I’m Just A Kid” and Machine Gun Kelly and YUNGBLUD‘s “I Think I’m OKAY” featuring blink-182‘s Travis Barker are just a few songs to recently grow in popularity on the app. However, things are now changing for a percentage of the TikTok population.

Up until now, the app’s existing agreements allowed verified business accounts to use music free of charge or contractual agreement. However, it appears that TikTok has quietly altered the rules around usage for commercial music.

According to Dave Jorgenson, a video producer for The Washington Post, the change in the rules will stop verified brands and businesses from using commercial tracks. Instead, they will have to use music from a new royalty-free “Commercial Music Library” of tracks.

A representative for TikTok reached out to Social Media Today to discuss what the music usage rule change mean for verified business accounts.

“We are always exploring opportunities to create value for our community and our partners,” the TikTok representative says. “The Commercial Music Library enables verified businesses or organizations on TikTok to access a pool of royalty-free music for promotional content and provides the tools and resources to help them further embrace the creativity and authenticity of the TikTok community. If an account chooses to use sounds beyond what is available in the Commercial Music Library for their promotional content, they are still able to obtain the appropriate commercial license and ingest the sound on to TikTok for their use.”

Although TikTok has not said if a specific incident caused this change to happen, it comes as no surprise to many. In the past, publishers and artists have vocalized their worries about having their content associated with brands they don’t like or are not in agreement with.

However, it should be noted that these changes do not impact non-business accounts so many TikTokers will be able to carry on as normal. This includes verified accounts including popular TikTok influencers.

For verified business accounts that are now required to pull from the royalty-free library, they will still be able to listen to all of the songs featured on TikTok videos. It just means that verified companies such as Chipotle, Nike, Red Bull and Radio Disney who all have accounts will no longer be able to use commercial tracks in their videos unless otherwise licensed to do so.

So for now, most TikTok users will be able to continue to create TikToks with the music they choose. There is no word yet on if the new music usage restrictions could eventually apply to all users.

Watch MGK, Steve-O and more unite with blink-182 fans in "Happy Days"

This appeared on Alternative Press in April 2020.

blink-182 have clearly been keeping busy over the past few weeks. Today, the band debuted a music video for “Happy Days” that was created entirely while in quarantine.

In March, blink-182 took to social media and asked fans to submit videos of themselves performing and dancing to the NINE track while practicing social distancing. Included in the footage from fans around the world are a few familiar faces you may recognize.

With #stayhome included in the video’s title, blink-182 is encouraging everyone to practice social distancing while the world deals with the current COVID-19 pandemic. In the video, the band is seen separately rocking out at their homes and promoting good hygiene including hand washing and wearing protective masks.

Some of the video footage shows fans playing guitar, coloring, video chatting and more as they keep themselves busy during the quarantine. Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Matt Skiba also pay tribute to healthcare workers in the video with clips of doctors and nurses jamming out to the song during their shifts.

Alongside the band and fans in the video are a few familiar faces you may recognize. Machine Gun Kelly, the Used’s Bert McCracken, Jackass alum Steve-O, Bella Thorne, Emo Nite’s Babs Szabo and Barker’s daughter Alabama and son Landon all make an appearance and are seen practicing social distancing.

Child drum prodigy Nandi Bushell also appears in the video. twenty one pilots drummer Josh Dun recently gave her the stamp of approval after she posted a cover of “Heathens”. Alongside twenty one pilots, she has also covered Bring Me The Horizon, Foo Fighters, and of course, blink-182 in the past.

Aside from the video, the blink-182 members have been finding other ways to keep busy during quarantine. On Tuesday, Hoppus performed even more blink-182 and +44 songs on Twitch. This followed his recent Animal Crossing: New Horizons stream where he strummed some songs while his son played the popular Nintendo game.

Travis Barker recently teamed up with Machine Gun Kelly to perform a cover of Paramore’s “Misery Business” last month. He has also been working on MGK’s debut pop punk album, Tickets To My Downfall. The album is due out this summer and will feature a number of collaborations including a song with YUNGBLUD. 

Hear the vulnerable ballad that inspired Hayley Williams' solo project

This article appeared on Alternative Press in April 2020.

April has already been quite the month for Hayley Williams. Earlier this week, she revealed she took a break from social media after a slew of ill-intended tweets on mental health were directed towards her.

Now, the Paramore singer is returning her focus back to her debut solo album, Petals For Armor, that is due out May 8. Breaking up the release of her album into three EPs, Williams has debuted yet another vulnerable track from Petals For Armor II. 

Today, Williams has debuted “Why We Ever,” a powerful ballad that was one of the first songs written for her solo project. She shared the new song on social media with the caption “ever tried to sabotage the best thing? Yeah, me either….”WHY WE EVER”, from part II of Petals For Armor is out now.”

A lyric video has also been released for the new song. Filmed by Williams, the video features personal footage of her driving around in her car with close friend and photographer Lindsey Byrnes.

Last night, she took to Instagram to talk more about the song as well as share a behind-the-scenes video of her writing the new track.

“In Dec 2018, I bought Pro Tools, an interface, and some speakers and decided to learn something new,” she shares on Instagram. “These moments are from my first go at it (we’re talking out time/phase/tune…etc!).”

She further reveals in her post that “Why We Ever” came to be during a low point in her life and credits the creation of the song as the “beginning of a new season” of her life.

“I was at my lowest point I’d been in some time. My sadness shows,” she shares. “Now I look back and credit this night as being the beginning of a new season of my life, where I hold myself accountable for learning to love better. I’ve let myself down a lot in love. This was the start of recognizing bad patterns and acknowledging that I’m ready to grow out of them.”

Williams goes on to thank producer Micah Tawlks for helping her to both finish the song and reimagine it for the album. 

“Why We Ever” is the ninth song to be released from Petals For Armor. In February, Williams released the first EP from the project which contains the tracks “Simmer,” “Leave It Alone” and more. 

Following the COVID-19 pandemic that has greatly impacted the music industry, Williams decided to restructure her release schedule for the second EP. With original plans to drop the EP across one week, Williams has now been releasing a song each week. So far, she has additionally shared the songs from the second EP “Over Yet,” “My Friend” and “Roses/Lotus/Violet/Iris,” a collaboration with boygenius (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus).

Petals For Armor pre-order bundles including digital and physical copies of the album are available for purchase here.

Williams also recently responded to speculation that Paramore will no longer continue to make music. In an interview this week with Colorado radio station RXP 103.9 FM, she revealed that a new Paramore album will be happening in the future. Along with this, Williams also confirmed that the band’s cruise ship “Parahoy!” will be returning for a fourth edition at some point.

Williams announced her North American solo tour earlier this year, but shared last month that it will likely be rescheduled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. At this time, no dates have been rescheduled and the full list of cities is available below with tickets here.

Here's why a 'The Osbournes' reboot won't be happening in 2020

This article originally appeared on Alternative Press in April 2020.

Nearly 15 years after the final episode of The Osbournes debuted, Kelly Osbourne is sharing why the beloved reality show almost made a return to television this year.

Airing from 2002 to 2005, The Osbournes gave an inside look into the lives of Ozzy Osbourne, his wife Sharon and children Jack and Kelly. It ran for four seasons on MTV and is credited as one of the first shows to pave the way for reality TV.

Kelly Osbourne reveals in a new interview with ET Live that the reality show almost made its highly anticipated comeback this year. However, the coronavirus pandemic has put all of the plans on hold. 

“This year actually, this is the closest we’ve ever come, but due to this pandemic, everything is on hold,” she says.

Kelly believes now is the best time for the family to return to TV. The reboot will be very different from what we saw over a decade ago.

“Jack’s got kids, we’ve grown up. There’s another generation of us and I think it’s just a retrospective showing where we are now versus we were then. I think people really want to see it.”

Kelly shared last November in an interview with People that the family has been offered several times to reboot the show. 

“I’m not joking, every single year about every three months or so someone else gives us another offer and we keep saying no,” Kelly revealed.

In her interview this week with ET Live, Kelly also gives an update on her father’s health. Ozzy revealed this past January that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease after years of ongoing health problems. Last year, he came down with pneumonia which forced him to postpone his UK and European tour last fall.

Most recently, Ozzy canceled his 2020 North American tour to focus on medical treatments for his Parkinson’s. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, he was forced to cancel his medical trip to Switzerland.

Despite all of this, Kelly shares that her father is in good spirits as he quarantines safely in his home. His recent stem cell treatments have also been going well.

“Seeing after one treatment of stem cell what has happened and the progress that he’s made is mind-blowing,” she shares. “He’s walking better. He’s talking better. His symptoms are lessening. He is building the muscle strength back that he needs after his spine surgery.”

Last week, Kelly took to social media to begin the #StayHomeForOzzy initiative. This initiative is encouraging fans to practice social distancing during this pandemic. 

“If you don’t have someone to stay home for and you’re a fan of my dad, you can stay home for him because you know my father has COPD, Parkinson’s and he is really, really high risk. They have told us how serious this is and I’m terrified,” she says.

Kelly also reminded everyone her dad isn’t the only member of her family at incredibly high risk during this time.

“My mum is high risk, she’s a two-time cancer survivor, chemo, everything. To know that not just one, but two of my parents are high risk, it’s serious and I stay home for them. There’s so many reasons, just shut up and stay home. How is that so hard? But it is for people.”

ALBUM REVIEW: Lizzy Farrall 'Bruise'

This was originally featured on Highlight in March 2020.

After being introduced to Lizzy Farrall and her music last summer when she opened for The Story So Far at London’s New Cross Inn, it was instantly clear the moment she emerged on stage that she is a fireball of energy and originality. Fusing together various musical influences to create her alt-pop sound that is distinctly original, Farrall is about to take the scene by a storm with her debut full-length album Bruise that drops tomorrow. 

Signed to Pure Noise Records, Farrall worked alongside producers like Chris Curran (PVRIS, Handguns) and Anton Delost (Bearings, Seaway) to bring her debut album to life. Full of angsty lyrics, pop-centric melodies, and captivating vocals, the 10-track album greatly shows Farrall’s unconventionality and genre-bending tendencies. 

Titled Bruise, the album artwork features the definition of the word: “ephemeral pain which leaves a purple mark that can last for days, a reminder that none of this is permanent and will soon fade.” The definition, though simple, perfectly encapsulates the subject matter and storytelling featured on the album, Farrall digging deep into her own personal turmoil and experiences to create the cohesive collection of songs.

The previously released single “Addict” opens up the album with a bang, introducing the catchy pop sound and critical lyrical content that are weaved throughout the whole release. As one of the strongest and most memorable songs on Bruise, this is a track I frequently keep coming back to and find myself absentmindedly singing the chorus “I’m an addict / I’m losing my mind/ pocket full of posies / anything just to make you mine” in my head throughout the day. 

“Love No More” offers a unique listening experience on the album. Taking the production down a notch, the track allows both her vocals and lyrics to take the forefront, showcasing the strong songwriter she is. With lyrics like “I’m trying to make sure your words never cut my skin / but I still wish you could’ve been my everything,” the song’s vulnerable inspiration is paired with a more muted pop tempo, allowing listeners to connect with the relatable story she is sharing.

Fusing together nostalgic pop elements and foot-tapping beats, “Knight Rider” is another incredibly strong moment on Bruise. Reflecting back on moments from a past relationship, “Knight Rider” is strong both conceptually and lyrically. With lyrics like “take my body / take my breath / and promise me you’ll call / because I don’t want to be broken no more” and an unforgettable saxophone solo in the bridge, “Knight Rider” has all of the elements for a summer anthem fans will keep hitting the replay button on.

If there is one song that encapsulates Bruise as a whole, it’s “Okay.” With the recurring lyrics, “I don’t need nobody, I don’t need no one” echoing throughout the song, the inspiration of “Okay” heavily reflects back to the album’s title and the meaning behind it. No longer hiding behind flashy upbeat production, it is the most vulnerable moment on the entire release and will surely be a fan favorite for years to come. With the simple layering of her vocals and a piano in the background, the stripped-down song is truly a turning point for Bruise as it comes to a close, allowing listeners to reflect back on the personal stories and critical thoughts Farrall shared with them on prior tracks.

For many artists, their debut album can lack both cohesiveness and a strong concept as they try to figure out their sound. This, however, is not the case for Lizzy Farrall. Despite the fact I find myself frequently skipping over the track “Games,” it is still inevitably clear the direction Farrall is taking her sound. Exposing her inner thoughts and past experiences to create a cohesive album listeners can dance, cry, and relate to, this is an excellent debut album worth listening to. Lizzy Farrall has arrived and she isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Meet Breakup Shoes: The Arizona band breathing new life into surf-rock

This was originally posted on Highlight in March 2020

Arizona has been a mini music mecca for years, notable mainstream artists like Alice Cooper and Stevie Nicks being just a few of the familiar names to have origins in the state. While it’s not usually the first place to come to mind when people think about the music industry, in the 90s and 2000s we saw the alternative music scene really begin to grow in Arizona with emerging acts like Jimmy Eat World, The Format, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and more recently, The Maine. 

Following a similar path Arizona bands long before them paved is an emerging surf-rock band worth paying close attention to as 2020 continues on - Breakup Shoes. 

Forming back in 2015, Breakup Shoes has an impressive discography of music. From upbeat tongue-twisting tracks to laidback songs full of nostalgic tones and lyrics, Breakup Shoes is breathing new life into the surf-rock genre and doing it well. We recently caught up with frontman Nicholas Zawisa to chat about how their home state have influenced them, their brand new EP, So Money, Baby, and what they hope to achieve for themselves this year.

The foundation Breakup Shoes is built on came to be from a chain of events that happened while Zawisa was still in school. As a devoted member of his local church where he led the youth worship team, Zawisa soon found himself drifting from the faith he had grown up with as soon as he entered college. He eventually turned to writing music as a way of coping with the sudden shift in his life. His writing and newfound passion for creating music quickly led to Zawisa getting together with his friends to play local shows. From there, things started to take off for the Arizona band.

"I never really thought anything would come from my writing," Zawisa said. "For a few years, we just played local shows and whatnot for fun, all the while thinking the odds were slim that I'd make a career out of it."

As buzz surrounding Breakup Shoes within the local music scene and online continued to grow, Zawisa completed his degree in psychology and realized quickly it was not the career path he wanted to pursue.

"A career in music was always a sort of pipe dream," Zawisa shared. "I finished out my degree, but then after some online momentum with Breakup Shoes, the dream started to feel a bit more attainable. In lieu of pursuing a career path I wasn't passionate about, I worked harder on music and realized I couldn't imagine doing anything else."

It's the tight-knit and supportive local alternative music scene Breakup Shoes grew up around which they credit as influencing the music they make today.

“I think the emo/alternative/punk scene that’s super big in Arizona has definitely influenced our style lyrically and occasionally our sound," Zawisa said. "The sun is always shining in Arizona, leading to our surfy/bright California-esque proclivity, but combined with the emo influences of the scene around us; Breakup Shoes is the result.”

Breakup Shoes recently took this mentality and their influences into the studio with them to record their latest EP, So Money, Baby. Featuring seven songs, all with different musical undertones and meanings, the cohesive collection came from the band’s decision to approach the recording of this EP differently than anything else they have done before.

“We definitely allowed ourselves to be more produced with this EP," Zawisa explained. "In the past, we’ve self-recorded and produced, but this was our first time spending serious amounts of time with a group of songs in a studio with a producer we trusted to help shape the songs’ final form.”

Working alongside one of their favorite producers Bob Hoag (The Ataris, The Format, The Maine), Breakup Shoes spent about two weeks at Flying Blanket Recording in Mesa, Arizona recording So Money, Baby. Although they approached the production and recording process of this EP differently, their routine when it comes to creating their material hasn’t changed much since they first formed nearly five years ago.

“Our writing process has stayed pretty consistent over the years," Zawisa elaborated. "I tend to write better in isolation so I’ll write out some chords, lyrics and a melody [and] essentially bring an acoustic version to the rest of the boys to add parts or re-arrange.”

When it comes to their lyrical content, it is easily recognized that the inspiration for much of their material comes from a place of reflection and vulnerability. For Zawisa, who is the ringleader for the writing done on Breakup Shoes songs, he has a particular process he likes to follow when writing for the band.

“Honestly, I write as a way to process my emotions so when I’m feeling something strongly, the songs generally tend to flow out," he shared. "When I’m struggling to write something, I usually just abandon it because it feels forced so most, if not all, of the songs [on So Money, Baby] were written in one sitting per track with some edits afterwards.”

Last month, Breakup Shoes embarked on a North American tour run with Summer Salt, an opportunity that has allowed them to play their new songs in front of audiences for the very first time. Although perhaps daunting at times, Breakup Shoes are enjoying their time on the road so far.

"Getting to spend tons of quality time with all of the lovely people in our touring party and playing some of the raddest venues all across the US and Canada has made tour a blast."

Although the year has not started off quite as the music industry had hoped due to the event and tour cancellations that have gone into effect because of the Coronavirus outbreak, Zawisa is remaining positive. He is hopeful for what the year will bring Breakup Shoes as they continue to tour with their new So Money, Baby material.

“My sincere hope for the band as we continue into 2020 is the opportunity to quit our jobs and play music full-time," he revealed. "We’ll be hitting the road as much as possible, recording and releasing more music and hopefully continuing to grow as artists and humans.”

In Studio with I The Mighty for Epitaph Records

NUUXS "Patient" Single Release Campaign

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“Patient” Pre-Save Announcement - video edit by me

“Patient” Single Trailer - video edit by me

“Patient” Video Trailer - video edit by me

BBC Introducing Announcement Graphic - edit by me

“Patient” BBC Introducing Video Teaser - video edit by me

BBC Introducing Announcement - photo edit by me

2018 - 2019 Fergus Marketing Campaign Content

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“Willow” Single Trailer - video edit by me

“Willow” Single Announcement Graphic - graphic by me

Purple Road EP Pre-Save Announcement - video edit by me

“Nobody Knows” Video Announcement - video edit by me

“Strangers in the Night” Single Artwork - artwork by me

The Shantics 2018 Marketing Campaign Coverage

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“Heaven” Single Announcement - video edit by me

“Heaven” Single Trailer - video footage and edit by me

“Heaven” Music Video Teaser - video edit by me

BBC Introducing Announcement - video edit by me

“Stevie Nicks” Single Announcement - video edit by me

“Mind Pop” Video Announcement - video edit by me

“Mind Pop” Single Announcement - some video footage and video edit by me

Gig Announcement Video - footage and edit by me

The Shantics Official Merch - design by me

Press Photo and Edit by me

Promo Photo by me

Promo Photo by me

Seattle gets an EMO-tional Valentine’s Day thanks to Emo Nite

This feature was originally posted on Highlight in February 2020.

Love struck couples and lonely hearts gathered to Seattle’s Chop Suey in the heart of the Capitol Hill neighborhood for the annual Valentine’s Day Emo Nite LA last week. The 21+ 550-capacity venue was completely sold out, bringing together emo music loving fans from all over the rainy city.

As it was Valentine’s Day, individuals who rolled up solo or with groups of friends were given special treatment from the night’s sponsor Bumble. Along with free drink tokens that were handed out to those that use the dating app, single attendees could also take photos with the “Bumble Angels” which really helped get the night going (and also helped some people remember the night better after a few drinks).

Emo Nite founders Babs Szabo, T.J. Petracca and Morgan Freed (pictured below) have prided themselves over the years for putting on unforgettable nights across the country for those looking to relive the 2000s emo era one more time. The Seattle date was a true testament of this as individuals of all ages and walks of life flocked to Chop Suey to sing along to their favorite songs in a room full of strangers.

Playing signature tunes like “The Great Escape” by Boys Like Girls, Metro Station’s “Shake It,” Sum 41’s “Fat Lip,” and so much more, Seattle attendees were in for more than just a good playlist of nostalgic tracks. In typical Emo Nite fashion, Chop Suey was graced by the presence of two very special guests who came out to give a special DJ set.

Craig Owens (Chiodos) was the first special guest of the night, playing a set that included songs from Saves The Day, My Chemical Romance, and of course, Chiodos. As Craig Owens was the first emo crush for so many individuals in the crowd that night, myself included, his presence in the venue uplifted the energy to an all time high.

Joining Owens shortly after was Thomas Erak of the progressive metal band The Fall of Troy. Hailing from the town of Mukilteo which is just north of Seattle, Erak received a warm hometown welcome when he emerged onstage, kicking his set off with Fall of Troy’s “I.D.F.A.R.”

Carrying on into the wee hours of Saturday morning, Emo Nite had another night of success in Seattle last week. From cleaning out the bar to having out of body experiences during MCR’s “The Black Parade” (it just has a whole new meaning now, you know?), it can be easily assumed that all in attendance had a night they will remember (or relive through poorly filmed SnapChat videos) for a very long time.

Whether they arrived with a significant other or a group of friends, there was definitely love in the air this Valentine’s Day thanks to the passionate and nostalgic individuals who are helping to keep the emo scene alive for years to come.