July 14, 2022 | Nashville, TN | Photos by: Stephanie Siau

July 14, 2022 | Nashville, TN | Photos by: Stephanie Siau

EVAN GIIA by Jewel Fiorillo What are some of your large inspirations when creating music? My inspirations when creating music would have to be definitely a mix between Dua Lipa and RL Grime. I like to say that I make “pretty bangers” so the verses are beautiful and using that side of my voice. Then have the courses hit hard. What is a goal of yours to keep performing for festivals like Forecastle and EDC? I always wanna be able to hold my own at big DJ Festivals. I want to have this mix of music so that I can be able to play at all different kinds of festivals. So I have the right music for EDC where it is solely with EDM DJ’s and then indie pop festivals like Lollapalooza and Forecastle. It’s exactly what I am doing and it seems to working for me so far. Do you have any more goals for festival season or any more festivals coming up? Yes, I have a festival every weekend. I’m going to be performing at lollapalooza, hard summer, electric forest, party in the park in Denver and tons more. There’s so many and I am so excited for it. Who inspired you to start creating music? MOO Has definitely been an inspiration to me when creating music. She really took electronic and pop music and made it her own. It really inspired me to create the music because she destroyed that gap very well. When did you start making music? I started in 2015. That’s when I started dabbling in trying to write my own songs. But three years later in 2018 things started to kick off with me going on to tours. It’s definitely been a whirlwind going super fast because for years later here I am. I’m grateful for all the opportunities that come my way. If all I could really ask for. And lastly what would you be doing if you weren’t making music? Well I’m super into fitness, so I would probably still be a spin instructor. I think I would definitely be involved in that world still somewhere if I wasn’t doing music. I love inspiring, motivating, and coaching. I grew up around an active family so it’s something I’ve been doing for a very long time.

Rachel Leyco: Premiering Web Series CRAZY at Outfest LA, Being an Multi-Hyphenate Creator, & Paving Way for the LGBTQ+ and AAPI Community in the Entertainment Industry Interview by: Lauren Sanchez PHOTO: Tony Moux My name is Lauren and I'm sitting down with the talented Rachel Leyco to talk about acting filmmaking and her upcoming web series CRAZY. Well first of all, I just wanna say thank you for taking the time to sit down and talk with me with this interview. How has your day been so far? Rachel: Thank you so much for having me. It's nice to see you and meet you. And uh, yeah, I've been, it's been good. It's been really hot here in LA, but, uh, trying to stay cool in the heat um, but yeah, it's been kind of a pun intended, crazy, rollercoaster you know, past few weeks just prepping for the premiere. But it's all fun. Yay! So, for those who might not be familiar with you or your work, could you just tell us who you are and how you got into acting and filmmaking? Rachel: Oh, wow. I can tell that, this could take for hours But, um, yeah. Hey, I'm Rachel Leyco. I'm a multi-hyphenate actor, filmmaker, writer, director, producer, all the things. I got into acting since, uh, very young. I did a lot of theater in Texas where I grew up and once we moved to California, my family and I decided to pursue acting professionally here in Hollywood. When I was pursuing it professionally, I was going out for roles that were really stereotypical, you know, especially for like Asian American women and it wasn't fun. And then I found a new passion and love for screenwriting when I took an elective during my undergrad and decided to go to film school. And then that's kind of how my journey started into filmmaking and writing and directing, and then just kind of doing it all now. That's what I've been doing for the past few years, and I love it. That's awesome. So what word would you use? Like if you could choose a word to describe yourself as an artist, which word would you choose and why? Rachel: Oh my goodness. A word. Wow. That's so good. Um, oh, wow. I think I would say the word that comes to me is empowering. I guess I would say because not, I guess, yeah, that's it. That's the word. Because a lot of the stories that I tell on characters that I write and everything that I find in my material is empowering. It doesn't matter what genre it is that I'm working on. I always try to strive to tell really empowering stories. That's a great word. Um, so we're here to talk about CRAZY, your short web series that's premiering next month in LA, right at that Outfest Festival. That's so cool. Um, do you mind giving us a short summary of what the series entails? Rachel: Absolutely, so CRAZY is a web series that follows two queer Asian American frenemies, who get caught up in these like romantic entanglements while battling mental illnesses and realize that they're more alike than they realize. So what inspired the creation of the web series? Like what was the creative process like? Rachel: So, we wrote this, me and my co-creator Sheena Midori Brevig, who's amazing as well. So, we were friends and I actually cast her in a short film that I was doing a while back. And then we just became friends from there and she was actually playing like my significant other, and then we became friends and we just started to really bond over being Asian American and dealing various like mental health issues and illnesses and problems that we were going through in our lives. And, you know, it's super taboo in our culture. And so once we started like, kind of bonding over that and, I had been wanting to create a web series for a really long time cause prior to that I had been doing a lot of short films, which is fun and great, but I really wanted to like challenge myself and kind of elevate my career and my skills. And so I was like, 'I really wanna do a web series.' And I was talking to her about that. And then she wanted to as well and so we kind of just were like, 'Oh, well maybe we should do something together.' And then we just kind of started brainstorming and the story came up really naturally because already, we had a really good friendship you know, it's like, okay, let's just do our brainstorm session and these characters just kind of like came to us. The storyline came to us and it's very much inspired by our lives, individually, and like how they intersected together. Um, and yeah, so that's kind of how the series came about. And we wrote six episodes fairly quickly, probably in like a few months. And then just started to, you know, see what we could do with it and we did some fundraising. We did two crowdfunding campaigns, which is actually really interesting because I hadn't done that before the first. So, we crowdfunded on Seed&Spark, for just production. And then we filmed, filming was so wild, it was like shooting a very short feature film and we shot over the course of like two weekends. So we shot like one weekend, three days, and then took a break, which I'm really glad we did because it was a lot, especially on like a limited budget, you know, low budget shoots. It's fast-paced and there's a lot to do, and then we shot again on the next weekend. And then we had to crowdfund again for post-production. Our strategy was really interesting, but it worked out, you know? Um, but yeah, that's kind of how the journey of the series started and then the pandemic happened and it delayed post-production because we had limited funds and also, you know, everyone was in crisis. And so we were like, you know what, let's just take some time off, like everybody, you know, it's okay. And then our editor had to like leave the country and so there was a long delay in post-production. It was only until like this year when we started to get back up and then, you know, got into Outfest which was amazing and fun. Yeah. That's like, oh my God, that's a long journey. So that's like over what? Like, um, almost two and a half years? Rachel: Yeah. We filmed it in 2019. And, so we premiered the pilot web series at Inside Out actually in Canada, but that was just the pilot. And then we were like, 'Okay, we really want to, we need to get the entire series out there. Like we need to finish this.' During the pandemic, we were just trying to you know, I, because our editor left the country we were like, ‘Okay, she did most of the part.’ And then Sheena and I had to kind of like take on the rest of post-production together, along with our amazing music composer and sound mixer and just putting all the last pieces together. Um, and yeah, I'm really glad that we can finally premiere the entire show. Well, like I'm glad that now, after all the struggles it's finally like worth it, you know? So you mentioned before that you made short films before you made the web series, what do you think sets crazy apart from your other works? Have you seen yourself grown as an artist or, and as a filmmaker? Rachel: Absolutely. I mean, even just watching the show now, you know, like I've watched so many times for edits, but even just watching that again, we filmed it in 2019, and there's still moments like, of course, I'm so proud of it, but there's moments where I kind of like cringe and I'm like, 'Oh my God, I could have done that so much better,' but, it goes to show how much I've grown even now as an artist and filmmaker. And it's the same thing when I look back at my short films and that's the reason I wanted to do the web series. As an artist, I, you know, you always wanna challenge yourself. The series is the biggest challenge I've ever done in my career so far. A short film is kind of, you can do it in a weekend and for low budget and it feels like a one and done kind of thing, but a web series, you know, it's a show, it's a whole show. We tried to treat it as this mini legit television production, and we brought on like guest directors to shoot certain episodes. And, um, so that was really like a learning curve too. Like, we were learning as we went, you know? But I definitely have seen the growth in myself from my first short film to the web series to like now I'm working on feature films. Yeah, cause I was lucky enough to be able to like screen some of the series and I think it's brilliant. Like even, if it's been three years ago and there are some parts that you still may be not happy with, I think it's pretty great. And I really liked how organic and natural it felt, like it wasn't like you were forcing us to try to like these characters, they were genuinely likable. You can understand the story and like where they're coming from an Asian, cultural, familial background, you know, and how they deal with their mental illness and set boundaries for the people that they're surrounding themselves with and themselves. I really liked the little descriptions that are written throughout the series that like display the symptoms that each character like Lena and Jaz are exhibiting because of their mental illness. And especially in today's age while mental illness is still being more talked about and like it's more open, it's still stigmatized. Like for example, the relationship with Jaz and her mother and how her mother doesn't understand her mental illness with being bipolar. How did you go about incorporating such heavy topics into the series while creating a dialogue that accurately represents and brings awareness to mental illness? Rachel: Wow. Well, first of all, thank you so much for saying that. I really appreciate it. Um wow, she said, brilliant. I'm gonna take that. But no, that's such a great question because that's definitely something that Sheena and I talked about because you know mental illness, mental health in general is, like you said, so stigmatized and very much not talked about in a lot of BIPOC cultures. And you know, we had firsthand experience with that. And so we were like, 'Okay, both of us are really big mental health advocates.' And we were like, 'How can we tell the story and how can we raise awareness on certain mental health topics without it being too heavy-handed? Without it being too in your face, like you said, and without forcing it on people. And so we're like well, comedy is one of the best ways to do that, you know? So we're like, we have to make it true and authentic, but then also lighthearted so people can ingest it better. You know there's this saying, I don't remember who said it, some artist said this, but you know, it's when people laugh, it's easier for them to kind of like take in information. We wanted this web series to be entertaining, but most of all, educational, you know what we called it, "edu-tainment", because we wanted to raise awareness and there's so many different types of misconceptions and misinterpretations and misunderstandings about certain mental illnesses and that it can look different with different people. That's what we really strive to do in our writing. I think what I'm really proud of in this show is that we took a lot of time and care into writing these characters and storylines and making sure they were true and authentic, not only to like our own experiences but hopefully to others too, that they can also resonate, you know? I think that's one of, for me, again, like, so proud of what we did is it's very unique and very personal for sure, because we drew a lot of inspiration from our own lives. Of course, they're still very, very much dramatized in the show, but again, taking those personal stories and trying to make it universal. Yeah. I understand that it's very authentic, you know, it's very like I said before, organic and easy for others to relate. Like I can relate myself to the series because I do have anxiety, I am Asian American, you know, so it was very like, ‘Wow. Okay. I can see myself within each of the characters,’ and I love that you got to add your own personal experiences into it because not only are you a creator of it, but you also directed, produced, wrote and started it, which is incredibly impressive, ambitious and it's so admirable to a lot of people who are in the entertainment industry and don't think that they can do it all, so how did you manage to do it all? And how has your love for both acting and filmmaking helped you in your creative process? Rachel: I'm so glad you mentioned that because I have a lot of other, especially female and non-binary filmmakers, friends who wanna do it all. And, you know, we've talked a lot about this. They'll come to me and be like, people always tell me even for myself, I experienced it too, of like, ‘Oh, you gotta pick one lane,’ or like, ‘You're doing too much.’ But like, I just say ‘F that,’ you know, we could do whatever we want. And like, if you wanna do it all and you love it all, then do it. That's always just been my belief and trying to empower, especially women in the industry, to do that as well. And I think, for me when I was in film school, I felt empowered to do all the things because I was seeing like Issa Rae and Mindy Kaling at the time, they were coming up and I saw them doing it all. And I was like, ‘Well if they can do it, I could do it too.’ How has your love for both acting and directing right helped your creative processes? Rachel: I think they go hand in hand because especially when I'm directing, it helps to have that acting background and then when I'm acting, it helps to have the directing background. Every single aspect of filmmaking, whether you're in front of the camera or behind it, they all inform each other. And you also have a greater appreciation for the craft and a greater understanding of it all. I went to film school and we had to literally take every position. Like, I had a class where I had to be like the sound boom operator, you know, and I'm like, ‘Oh my goodness, like, this is, this is wild. I, I, this is really difficult.’ I had a greater appreciation for the craft because I stepped into that role. So, I'm really grateful that I have been able to practice every single lane of filmmaking. And I think that has made me a better artist overall, and they all go hand in. Yeah, for sure. But, if you had to choose between directing or acting, which would you rather do? Rachel: Gosh, I get asked so many times. I think it really changes, it depends on like what's going on with my career at the time and how I feel, like I definitely go through periods where maybe acting is number one because there's a lot going on and I'm getting cast in things and whatever, so then that'll be my focus. But then there's other periods where maybe acting is a little bit slow and then I can really lean into and focus on my writing and directing and all of that, so it really depends for me. No, I get it. It's a totally hard question. Like, I don't think I could answer that. But speaking of your acting, in the series, you do play Jaz, who is like the main role of the friendship duo. What was your favorite part about playing her? Were there moments that challenged you as an actress through that role? Rachel: Yes, it was really fun to play Jaz. Like of course, you know, I wrote Jaz drawing from a lot of like my own life and I really wanted to showcase a lot of Filipino culture in the series because I haven't seen a lot of it, you know? And, so I was just so unashamed and just threw all of that in there, and drew from a lot of my own experiences like with my mother, with mental health, like some of those things are very, very true and, of course very dramatized in the show. But, I think the most challenging part with Jaz is like, it's so interesting because honestly she is a part of myself from the past, you know, and it's like this old version of me and like watching her now, like even for me, I'm seeing my own inner growth and the healing that I've done in the past few years. Um, so seeing her is so wild to me and seeing the growth that I've done. But, I think the most challenging part when I was playing her at that time was a lot of what she was going through with bipolar, with dealing with the struggles with the consequences of her actions with her friends and family, at that time was still a bit like fresh for me, you know? I remember like on set when we were filming, I think especially the scenes with her mother, that was definitely near and dear to my heart. But, I think it served to me as an actor when I was filming that because I was still so very close to it. I think that was probably the biggest challenge was trying to take care of myself while I was stepping into her character during those scenes that were a little bit tough or very like sensitive for me at the time. Oh my gosh. Wow. So you've mentioned a lot, like throughout this interview about growth as an actress and growth as an artist. Especially, because this series was created in 2019, and now it's finally being premiered in 2022, at the Outfest Festival in LA. Well, first of all, I forgot to say congratulations on that. That's like really, really cool. How has this recognition and success made you feel like, what are you most proud of from creating this series? Rachel: Oh, wow. It's made me feel very I mean, a lot of things. I feel a lot of things for sure. Like one, a little bit of relieved honestly. A little relieved that finally it's getting out there. We've worked on this for so long and it's been such a challenge because there was definitely moments. This was the longest post-production of my life, let me tell you. There were moments where I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, like, are we ever gonna like release this? Maybe we shouldn't, let's just give up and forget about it.’ Like all of those, moments that I think a lot of artists go through in the process. But I feel very relieved now that we're so close, it's gonna be out there and we're just gonna release the baby out into the world, so relieved. I feel excited for sure because it's a project that again is like one of my biggest projects that I've ever done and the most challenging. I'm really excited to finally just showcase that. I'm also very nervous to be honest, I think with anything that I create and like put out into the world is so nerve-wracking to me, because again, you don't know how people are gonna respond, but at the same time, it doesn't matter because I'm proud of it and I'm proud of my team and what we created, even in the midst of how challenging it was to do. I feel the most, most proud about, I think, even my relationship with Sheena, my co-creator, we have been through it in the past few years, like with our friendship, with our working relationship, with creating this show. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but like what we did together, that's what I'm most proud of for sure, because we saw it through and, and here it is, it's about to come out. That's awesome. It's like you said before, when I asked you to describe yourself as an artist, you used the word empowering, and you can definitely see that, like perseverance in wanting to succeed throughout everything that you've told me so far, which is like really admirable. But speaking of describing yourself as an empowered artist and making these films and web series that talk a lot about queer experiences and Asian American experiences, which is something that is not seen a lot in mainstream media and in the film industry, from what I understand is incredibly difficult to navigate and succeed in, especially with most actors and directors being predominantly straight, white, and male. So how, as being a queer Asian American woman, have you created your own path to break the boundaries set and how do you think you are contributing to the narrative that the LGBTQ + community and women of color are a force to be reckoned with in the film industry? Rachel: Mm, wow. I love that question. I think for me just being queer, being Asian American and like being loud about it and being so proud, you know, and specifically to Brown, Asian American women, like for me, I'm Filipino, very proud. I think, largely in the industry, when we think of Asian Americans, it's very East Asian, you know, and it still kind of is. There's a lot of, there's still a lot of colorism and like systemic issues within the industry itself that I have been absolutely trying to break through and that's why I create shows like this. And that's why I center queer Brown Asians, Asian Americans, and talk about topics like mental health and the things that our culture usually sweeps under the rug, because we haven't seen it and because we need to, and it's time for us to see this kind of representation seen. So for me, in every single project and every single story that I create, I always try to center people who look like me, not just for myself but for the communities that I represent because I know how important it is to be seen, to be heard and feel validated. I think stories for me are the most powerful way to allow people to see who we really are as human beings. Sure, you can put on these labels of like we're queer and Asian and all of that, but we're still, we're human and just like the tagline for CRAZY, ‘We're just like you,’ you know, so yeah, for me, I think that's my entire focus and goal with everything that I do, that is like my mission in the storytelling because I think it's so important and I think for me creating this space is not just for myself. Creating these stories not just for myself, it's for the communities and to empower other artists and filmmakers like me who are queer and Asian American and Filipino to come into these spaces, and empower them to also do the same. That's a great answer. Oh my God, so this is kind of going into my next question. You've mentioned a lot about diversity and representation and how that matters to, so so so many people who don't fit that generic mold that a lot of the industry exclusively has on people. I noticed throughout the series that there. is a bunch of different cultures and foods, to character speaking different languages, to characters who are openly queer, of color and who have disabilities like Addie, who's in a wheelchair. Even off camera, I was stalking the Instagram, the crew consists of queer womxn and people of color. So why do you think representation matters both on and off camera? And what advice would you give to aspiring creatives who don't necessarily fit that mold that makes the industry so exclusive? Rachel: Hmm. I think it's so important to have, you know again because when we talk about representation, it's mostly like what we see on screen, which is like, you know, the actors right, which is absolutely so important. But then we also need to take it a step further and remember that like, well then who's telling these stories? I've seen a lot of projects even recently, you know, we see BIPOC actors and faces on the screen, but behind it when you look into it, the writers, the producers, the directors, the team who made it happen are like mostly still white, cis men. And so I'm like, well that's the problem still. And we need to look at that and we need to change that because we have to allow queer, Asian American, BIPOC artists to tell our own stories. Like, allow us those opportunities to tell our own stories, because then you'll see how authentic it is when we are able to exercise our voice. I think you can also see that here in CRAZY, and that's what we really did. We made it our mission to like; we are gonna hire as many queer BIPOC filmmakers, cast, and crew all over as much as we can. Because we also wanted to show the industry like this can be done, you know? Cause a lot of the excuses in Hollywood are like, ‘Oh, well we couldn't find them,’ or ‘We don't know where they are,’ and ‘There's not enough talent,’ but we did it on this small, low budget scale. If we can do it, you guys can too, you know, like hire the people we hired. It was not hard at all. Um, so for me, that was a statement for sure, like that was very intentional on our part to showcase that it's possible to do that. What advice would you give to aspiring creatives? Rachel: Um, my advice to aspiring creatives trying to get into the industry or doing work like this is to know your voice, and then exercise your voice. Like, know what you wanna say like, who are you as an artist? And like, what is, what are your intentions? What do you wanna say? Because what you say, you, everyone has a voice, and it is important and we wanna hear it and we should hear it. So I think like, just letting go and releasing whatever fears you may have as an artist and just going for it and saying it and just step into your power. Period. That's great advice. Just to wrap it all up and like looking towards the future, I know that this series is premiering in LA in July, which is super exciting. Um, are there any new projects that that you are excited for besides the series? Rachel: Yes. Yes. Um, this is me like continuing to elevate. And my next few projects are focused on creating some really amazing feature films. One that I'm really excited about, which is called “‘Re-live’ A Tale of an American Island Cheerleader" with the amazing Emmy-nominated Rain Valdez, which we co-wrote together and we're also starring in. We have Rosario Dawson on board as an executive producer. And so that, this is a very fun queer rom-com movie but is still very centered on family and sisterhood, and queer joy too, so that is in the works right now. We're hoping to film sometime early next year, stay tuned for that movie. And then, also working on my own, another queer-- everything I do is queer-- another queer Asian American coming of age, a drama-comedy feature film that I plan to direct as well. Oh my God. Yay. That's so exciting. Wow, you're a role model. I'm not gonna lie, that's crazy. Like seeing what you're doing for like Asian American women and really making it yours is so incredibly inspiring and I wish you all the best of luck with it. Rachel: Oh, thank you so much. This was so great. Thank you. It was so nice to meet you and chat with you here. Yeah, thank you for having me. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to sit down and chat with me. It was really fun and I can't wait for the web series premiere next month. Um, do you have any final words or lasting thoughts you were like to leave the people who are reading/ watching? Rachel: Um, watch CRAZY. If you're in LA, come through to Outfest, we're gonna premiere the entire series. There's six episodes. It's a lot of fun. It's very crazy, very queer, very Asian. So yeah, come out and support us, July 19th. And yeah, I hope you guys continue to take care of yourselves because it's so important, especially in everything that's going on in the world right now, especially here in America. I think prioritizing yourself is so, so, so important and making sure that you know, take that time to love and care on yourself.

Interview by: Lauren Sanchez | Photo Credits: Motown Records & Kaoru Yamazaki | July 13, 2022 Malachiii's debut EP The Ascension is out now! Listen to it here! Check out Malachiii's interview with Hazze Media journalist, Lauren Sanchez! How did your journey into music get started? Who would you consider to be your musical inspirations and why? M: My journey into music began when I discovered singing and doing musical theater around 12 years old. This was the first time I had to perform vocally, but I didn’t start writing my own songs until around 14 years old. My biggest musical inspirations are Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Kanye West, and Pharrell. These are artists that are bigger than life, have inspired a generation of artists, and have transcended music through their creativity and humanity. Congratulations on the release of your debut EP The Ascension, that’s amazing! How would you describe the sound/vibe? M: Have you ever been really excited about a movie you just saw, your friend asks you to describe it, and you tell them, “It’s crazy, you just have to see it”? That’s what my music is like. It’s something that you have to experience for yourself. This EP has a bit of everything. It’s an opportunity to hear the many sides of Malachiii. How did you go about choosing the title The Ascension? M: I’ve had a concept for an album called Up in the Clouds for quite some time now, so when we decided to do an EP first, we needed a name that sounded like a precursor to that album. My manager Brian actually came up with the name The Ascension, which was so fitting with the world-building we’ve done on this project and where I was in my life’s journey. What are you most proud of after completing your EP? Were there any creative challenges/hurdles you had to overcome during the process? M: I’m just grateful to have my very first project and body of work out in the world and to share my art, which is my heart! The biggest challenge was picking songs because I make so much music and so many kinds of music. It’s always a challenge to put together a body of work that accomplishes the dynamics you want while also having a project that flows well. What song(s) are your personal favorites and why? M: I love all the songs, but I’d have to say "Back We Were Kids” and “Elevate” are very special to me. “Elevate," because it represents and reflects upon my life in such a vulnerable and personal way, and “Back When We Were Kids” because of its universal message as well as feelings of nostalgia, hope, and longing for a better world. What do you hope listeners resonate with most after listening to the EP? What do you hope they learn about your music style and you as an artist? M: I hope at the very least they’ve discovered something that's meaningful. I’m just grateful for the exchange of energy and the ability to share my art and have people enjoy it. I hope my creativity, humanity, and life experiences resonate with people. What do you think differentiates you from other musicians out there? How do you strive to make your sound and style unique and authentic to you? M: I think my approach to music and the many colors that I bring to the table in my own unique way is what differentiates me. I’m a very hands-on creative, producing and writing on all my songs. What I’m learning is that if you’re being yourself, the uniqueness is inherent. In the world of comparison, it can be hard to be OK with just being you, but if you can stick with that, you won’t have to try hard to be unique because you're already unique by nature. In your artistry bio, it reads “Malachiii knows joy." What, from your perspective, does joy look like and mean to you? M: Joy is being present, being grateful, being one with your inner child, and smiling because you can! We know you just released your EP in May, but are there any upcoming projects that are in the works? Perhaps new music videos? Upcoming live performances? M: There’s a lot more to come as this is just the beginning. What I can say for now is, stay tuned because we’ve got big plans and a lot in the works.

Photo by: Kyle Ambroise Ryan Halsa talks with HAZZE MEDIA about his career goals with social media, dealing with bullying, and combating cyberbullying. Read Below... Q: Introduce yourself! Who are you and what is your purpose as someone with a social media presence? My name is Ryan Halsa some know me as the prince of Instagram reels, the new Charli Damelio, the biggest influencer on Instagram reels. My purpose on social media is to be the biggest influencer ever, I am on the path to being as big as Charli D'amelio in next two months as I am averaging over 1 million views per video and just hitting 1mil followers. I want to be the prince of Instagram and be one of the most followed on the platform. I am going to end cyberbullying and bring awareness to suicide prevention. Q: What inspired you to start using your platform to combat cyberbullying? We live in a world where bullying is the center and the creator of suicidal thoughts, suicide is one of the leading causes of death among kids, and some people do not make it out. I was bullied for making videos in high school which led to a very dark lonely point in my life where I got very low, I made it through, and I feel like I owe it to the kids that aren't here to make a difference and take a stand to this epidemic. After 7 years of failing on social media I finally made it and I want to help the kids that dm me they are suicidal, or the kids that are depressed, or the kids that are just getting bullied, I get over 100k DMS per day and some are very sad and hurt my heart to hear. Stories of kids that stopped hurting themselves because of my videos, or texts of people that are getting bullied... I hope I can help save people from the hurt and pain I went through as a kid. Q: What is your favorite part about having the platform you have? Being able to show kids that you can really do anything, we live in a world where everyone tells you nothing is impossible. But [a lot of people] believe not everything is probable. I am a beacon to show kids do whatever they love Q: What projects do you have coming up that you want to share with us today? The future of social media is on the rise, I am history in the making and I am so blessed to have this opportunity. I do not think people understand how big this rocket is about to enter Hollywood and enter the industry. Q: If you could change anything about the experience you’ve had as someone with an online platform, what would it be? I don't think I would change anything, as harsh as this industry is, and how much hurt it can bring a person it also has taught and made me learn many valuable lessons that I use day to day and I am much stronger because of it. Q: What do you have to say to someone who has projects like yours in mind but doesn’t know how to get started? Take it day by day and just focus on that next small thing or next small step and keep your head down and focused. If you do that I guarantee next time you lift your head up and look at what you have been doing you will realize you created something larger than you would know, also stay polite, and do not let people mistake your politeness for weakness. Q: What is the hardest part about raising awareness of cyberbullying? Getting influencers, not social media influencers but the real influencers. I am talking about teachers, parents, school counselors, and principals to put their egos down and listen because you cannot tell a kid his mental health isn't just as important as your physical health, especially the older adults that come from different time that didn’t believe in mental health. That it is real and your kids need to feel like they are in a safe environment to open up. Q: What is your ultimate goal as an influencer? To be the next best of the best, be a visionary. To live a life bigger than me, where my work and actions will live longer than me. If you want to break through and raise the bar when you get to the top you have to keep on climbing.

Photos & Review by Orchee Sorker (@orchees_photos) from Hazze Media | Gulf Shores, Alabama | June 6, 2022 Back for the first time since the pandemic, Hangout Music Festival returns in the sandy shores in Gulf Shores, Alabama on May 20-22, 2022. With over seventy artists, this year's lineup had music for every type of audience from country to pop to rap. The first day began with a slight delay due to the stormy weather which occurred in the afternoon. Fortunately, the Hangout team managed to keep the schedule on check after the rain had passed. Friday afternoon performances began with artists like Remi Wolf, Dayglow, Surfaces, and Oliver Tree; then, ended with headliners like Kane Brown, Zedd, Maren Morris, Fall Out Boy, and Post Malone. Saturday followed with an incredible lineup with artists like Rolemodel, Still Woozy, Chelsea Culter, Flo Milli, Lil Yachty, and the Band Camino. Headliners included Leon Bridges, Illenium, and Halsey. Fans awaited for Doja Cat, but unfortunately she had to drop festival appearances and her summer tour with The Weeknd due to health and recovery from surgery. In place, Griz was scheduled to perform. Sunday began again with a delayed start due to the rainy weather. It did not stop fans from coming. Fans managed to catch performances by Fletcher, Louis the Child, Phoebe Bridgers, Jack Harlow, Megan Thee Stallion, and Tame Impala. During Jack Harlow and Megan Thee Stallion's performance, the rain poured as the heavy winds approached, but the vibes from the audience were immaculate. Thousands of people waited to see these artists. Hangout is more than a music festival. It is an experience everyone should choose to attend. The festival offers activities like volleyball, slip 'n' slides, kickball, Roller Disco skating, and the Ferris wheel. Attendees can choose to go surfing in the waters, tanning on the beach, or cooling off by dipping in the ocean. Various shops and food areas are located throughout. The seating areas and mist stations were much needed while out in the heat. This was just a recap of this year. Come experience it yourself next year. Stay tuned for next year's lineup. Check out the full gallery! Scroll below to read artist Q&As from JVNA, Zach Hood, 347AIDEN, renforshort, and Surf Mesa as they spoke with Orchee Sorker (Hazze Media Team Photographer & Director of Press). Artist Q&As at Hangout Music Festival JVNA Los Angeles based, dance/electronic artist JVNA sits down with Hazze Media to talk about life of a multi-instrumentalist and her past struggles which led to debut album Hope In Chaos. Zach Hood Los Angeles based, Alabama born, Zach Hood sits down with Hazze Media to talk about performing live at his hometown. After beginning to gain the attention of 3M people after posting a snippet of "Flashbacks", Hood started sharing his songs regularly. Hood has accumulated over 1.2M followers on TikTok, and chats about how TikTok is changing the music industry. Surf Mesa Originally from Seattle, Los Angeles based Surf Mesa sits down with Hazze Media to chat about the origin of his stage name, collaboration with Nitti Gritti on "Marching Band", success on "ily baby", and how TikTok is changing the aspects of the musical process. renforshort Originally from Toronto, renforshort is a pop-indie vibe artist. At the Hangout Music Festival, she sits down to talk to Hazze Media about her songwriting process and collaboration with Travis Barker on latest single "We'll Make It Ok". She released her debut EP Teenage Angst in March 2020. 347aidan Alternative/indie rap Canadian artist, 347aidan sits down with Hazze Media to talk about the meaning behind his name, his writing style, and viral song "Dancing in My Room". "We've been married for 52 years & never missed a single Hangout Music Festival!"

Interview & Photos by: Orchee Sorker | July 4, 2022 How are you doing? Is this your first time at Bonnaroo? It is my very first time. I'm so excited to be here. I've only heard good things. How did you get started with music? I just started working in GarageBand when I was like 10 years old. I just got obsessed with it. Ever since then, I've just been making music every day. So the exact same process I did then, I just make music in my bedroom. Congrats on the viral song “Can I Call You Tonight?”! What was the story & creative process behind the song? What was your initial reaction when the song was blowing up? Were there certain aspects to promote the song on TikTok or was it purely a surprise? It's been a long time and the song continues to grow, which is so cool. I don't know. I didn't have anybody pushing it…like a label or something. I was literally just alone in my bedroom. I made the song completely by myself and it was really encouraging to watch something like that gain traction. It gave me the confidence to keep doing what I want to do. I was 17 and I didn't really know anything about the music industry. Thankfully because sometimes it's good to not know how things work. Then, you find a new way to make something work. I made a stupid music video with a friend using a green screen and that helped the song. Yeah, but I don't know. It's been a crazy trip. What are you planning on releasing next? When can fans expect new music? Right now, I'm working on releasing an album called People In Motion. That'll be out this year. The first song “Then It All Goes Away” came out June 22. 'm really excited about it. It's like a brand new chapter for me. I'm really excited to share this music. It’s fresh and really fun. I think it's good timing all around. So, I'm excited!

Interview & Photos by: Orchee Sorker | July 4, 2022 What made you want to get into music coming from a film background? I started playing classical piano when I was four. I don't really remember a time where I wasn't really playing. From the beginning I took it very seriously, my teacher was amazing. She really guided, mentored, and helped me take it seriously. She really made me feel like this is something that I could do…that I could be a musician and showed me that it's like a real option. My parents because my dad is in film and my mom dances…I think the arts were definitely very supported in my household. They were able to kinda appreciate it and accept it and support me in that. Your new single “Seance” was recently released. What was the creative process behind the song & the message you wanted to convey to your audience? This song is really about me feeling disconnected from my culture and my roots. Coming from an immigrant family, it's something that I continue to navigate. I have had ups and downs through my life. As a kid, I grew up in a predominantly white school and environment. I felt very insecure about being too Indian or something like that. There were often times where I would kind of suppress aspects of myself to try and fit in. Even quirky things would be considered nerdy. I was really rejecting myself then. Now as an adult, I'm feeling different about that. Especially as an artist, the things that are unique and different are the things that make you be able to create, value, and add things to the world. If you're just trying to fit in, then you won't have anything to add. I'm struggling to come out of that now. It's definitely a pattern that I set for myself. As an adult, I'm trying to navigate those things and reconnect with my history and culture now because I never really appreciated it before. You know, I never tried to understand the traditions. I just accepted it. I'm trying to actively talk to my grandparents, learn about them, hear their stories, and just absorb it. I just wanna take it in and recognize it's a part of me. That song is really about that kind of bringing my true self back. Congrats on going on tour with Giveon! What is one thing you look forward to on tour? It is my first full tour. I've opened for people on the pieces of their tour before but not a full tour. I'm very nervous and very excited. Giveon is my dream artist to open for. I literally had a list of dream artists to open for and he was there with like stars next to his name. I love his music and think he's an incredible vocalist. I'm just excited to be part of that show, to learn from him, and meet new people. It's gonna be a huge learning experience for me. What is it like being an Indian American female in this industry? Do you think representation matters? Do you think your dad [M. Night Shyamalan] helped the way you see/value diversity in the entertainment industry? Has he helped the way I see and value diversity? Oh, definitely. I would say it's all very connected. My dad being a filmmaker…he kind of roped the representational stereotypes that we have here and was one of the first people. His parents obviously grew up in India and being a filmmaker was just not on their radar…they were like be a doctor or an engineer…anything outside of that, it's the unknown. They found value in that. Because of my dad’s history, my generation felt inspired by that from my cousins to myself. We knew we could do that too. Whether it was acting, singing, performing, writing, whatever it might be, we can follow these artistic careers. It's a real thing to be able to see yourself in that form. That's why representation matters. It's such a weird thing because like when you don't have representation you're not even conscious of it. I didn't even realize how much representation mattered until I started seeing Indians in TV shows and seeing them on screen in music. Then, I would suddenly feel so connected and be like, oh, they're telling my story. There's something I can relate to. This is a family like mine. I realized that I had never felt like that before. I'm realizing how important it is, and I'm lucky to come from a family that I have a great representation. There's a lot of growth that needs to happen, especially in the music industry for South Asian women but it’s starting. I get so excited every time I see another South Asian artist. It's coming and I'm happy about that. Do you have any advice for any POC females wanting to get into the industry? In terms of the family aspects, even my parents who are doing amazing things and crazy things, they felt hesitant. There was a transitional period when I stopped playing classical piano, and started singing and performing on stage. Their fear and their kind of resistance to it always came from just wanting to protect you and make sure that your child is safe. If you're going into a field that they know nothing about, it's unknown. They're scared for you and worry about you. Sometimes it doesn't come out in the right ways and may seem like trying to hold you back, but the intention is always protection and love. I try to remember that like with my parents I feel very lucky that I've been supported, but I see that my friends and my cousins are struggling with that with their parents. Then I would just say, there's gonna be a lot of extreme imposter syndrome. I don't know if that comes from being Indian in an industry that there's not been too many Indians or women. I'm in mostly male dominated spaces. I feel a lot of imposter syndrome, but I'm trying to work through it. I haven't gone to the point where I would like to give advice to people cause I'm still struggling with it. When I first started writing songs, I was 16 and would be in these studios with like all these huge producers. I would never know how to assert myself. I never knew how to communicate. After studying my craft and feeling very confident in my work, I know that I can communicate with people and that I'm a valuable asset in those situations where I'm feeling diminished. I'm learning how to communicate.

How did you get into music and what has the journey been like through that? “I got into music when I was seven. I started playing the piano And that led to playing songs when I was about 12 years old. I made my first album when I was about to turn 21 years old. I’m actually about to release my fifth album. It’s definitely been a long journey. But you know I love it just as much as I did when I was seven years old.” What are some of your major inspirations that you take in for your own music? Musical or personal. “You know I actually don’t know. I really like to write it based on my personal experiences. I love writing music off of all the things that I've observed in my life. I’m interested in what it means to be human. What it feels like through all the good and the bad. I also like to write on what people do and feel when dealing with joy and suffering.” “I feel like with any form of art whether it be music, literal or film communication is a beautiful thing to do to really connect with the audience or anyone. When you can feel like you can connect with someone through your art or feel a place of comfort even in sadness, that's when it feels more genuine to me. I love being able to do that to really connect with people.” What are some of your aspirations when creating music? Do you have any long-term goals you have in mind or are you reaching any of them currently? “I don’t tend to think of things so much like that. I try to live in the present the best I can. I tried to put a great presence into what I’m doing currently so that I can make it the best I can. Like the songs I am making, the performances I am giving and trying to not think about what might come from it rather than focus on making it the best I could. I know I want to continue to make music long term but I have no expectations except for continuing to do this.” I love that you want to live in the moment and write this music for not only people to connect with but for yourself to express these emotions whether it be hurt or love. “Yes we live in highly consumerist times, capitalism and surrounded by so much money. What we should really care for is art and how it makes us feel. I wish we could all listen to music for what it is as an art. I want to do that and not chase a mirage for success and fame. The whole thing for music, in my opinion, is having a shared moment and having it transcend time. Forget all the advertising. The real joy is people coming together, forgetting their troubles and sharing a moment with each other. It’s beautiful when we do that ”

You guys just recently released new songs called Sunburn and Sun Keeps On Shining. What were some of the inspirations behind the music and the lyrics? Luke: “Well, Sunburn is really cool because we reversed-engineered it. We started with the title and tried to imagine what Sunburn would sound like. It kind of just went from there. It turned out pretty cool, it's always fun to switch up the process when making music. Seeing different styles of what works and what we can do to change up the sounds.” Dawson: “With Sun Keeps On Shining, we wanted to write a song in a humorous way. The verses are really bad situations to be dealing with but the chorus is a happy alternative way to kind of bring a jokingly light to them. Basically as much as life gets you down there’s still always a positive or hopeful way you can take going forward.” You guys just filmed a music video in Australia? How was it and it wasn’t your first time going there? Cole: “Australia was amazing. It was Dawson and I’s first time in Australia. Luke has actually been there once before that. We were in Sydney for a week And then we traveled up to the Sunshine Coast. It was great and there were just amazing beaches up there. We are all from San Diego and it’s known as a beach town area so it was great to be near some other beautiful beaches. Ironically, we didn’t have a lot of sun while we were out there. We had to cram a lot of our filming into about two full days. We got to drive around to a lot of cool different locations. And just really see a lot of amazing scenery. We also got to do some really fun things out there as well and checked out the zoo.” You guys have been traveling all over. Going to Australia and on your tour. How was your first international tour? Dawson: “Honestly this has been amazing. Everyone has just been so happy to be there and the crowd has been absolutely amazing. It was a really cool experience and hopefully we can go and do that again.” What is your pre-show routine? Luke: “Oh, I usually try to distract myself. I like to go talk to people about random things. I also really like to shake my arms out and get moving a lot. Sometimes we get into a huddle and just kind of talk about everything. I really like to have it out of sight out of mind so that I don’t get too nervous.” Cole: “You know right before a big show, I tend to get super anxious. And when I get anxious I get really tired. So I try to distract myself from yawning and getting tired. I really don’t know why and it’s kind of the exact opposite energy I need before I go and perform.” What are some dream collaborations that you guys have? Cole: “We haven’t done any collaborations with other artists yet. We’ve had people remix our songs but nothing made with someone else. It would be really cool to make music with someone now. We’ve been getting into artists so I think Empire The Sun would be a big one for sure.” Dawson: “ Personally, I would like to collaborate with Shaq. We are currently listening to him as we are interviewing. And I’m truly just inspired. He’s really impressing us with him throwing down. I can see it now “Almost Monday x DJ Diesel”. I don’t know if anyone wants that but I want that. I see it now, Shaq with some surfer rock indie kids from California.” Luke: “I definitely agree with Cole. Parcels would be cool and Empire The Sun too. I really like them and it would be cool.” Do you guys have any new releases that you’re working on or an album in the works? Luke: “We’re definitely working on a ton of singles right now. We are shooting the visuals for them currently. There will be more songs to come forsure.” You guys are going on a summer tour with Clubhouse. Do you guys wanna talk about it a little bit? Dawson: “Yeah we’re all super excited for it. It’s gonna be a really great time because you know everyone’s there just to support you. When you are playing as an opener you get this underdog feeling where you really need to win the crowd over to get them all hyped up for the headliner. But, there’s something beautiful when people are just there when they like you. For me it makes it so much easier to perform when I know people there like you. You feed off of energy. We’re really honored to have the Clubhouse boys with us. It's gonna be a great time.” Do you guys have any specific cities on the tour that you’re excited to visit? Cole: “We’ve actually been playing in all of the cities that we’re going to. All of them are great places. I think one of my favorites has to be Chicago. We played there about five times and it’s always been amazing.” I have some individual questions for you all now, Dawson, what is your pre-show pump up song? Dawson: “Personally, I listen to Jai Wolf’s Indian Summer song. Then I just go on stage and let it happen. I kind of just let loose. We all saw him live together and I saw that song and I just connected so spiritually. I try to harness the energy from the first time I saw it, to every time I listen to it before I go on stage. We were playing at Summerfest and he was going on that night. It was like the loudest show I have ever been to. I remember the bass being so strong it felt like it could rip your clothes off. I don’t know how to explain it so I bring Jai with me everywhere I go. Thank you Jai.” Now Cole, What is your favorite song to skate to? Cole: “Favorite song is skate to? Hm. I actually don’t really skate to music but if I had to pick a song it would have to be anything by The Strokes. I don’t really wear headphones or anything while skating. But definitely something by them.” Now Luke, what is your favorite Taylor Swift song? Luke: “We did some shows earlier in the year and after the show we went to a Taylor Swift after party. I like Taylor Swift. I don't listen to her a lot but I did listen to her with my sisters. We all shared an iCloud growing up so I would have their music downloaded and I think I would have to say “Our Song”. I remember that song would make it into my playlist as a 14-year-old.”

Is this your first time playing at Governors Ball in New York City? And what are you all most excited about? Jasper: “Yes this is our first time in New York City performing at Governors Ball!” Isaac: “We are all super excited to be playing at Gov Ball, and personally I’m super excited because I get to be able to see Shaquille play as DJ Diesel.” Do you guys have any new releases coming out? Tarrek: “Yes we have new releases coming out. Our newest single coming out is called “Let You Go” releasing on June 24th. We are actually performing it live today at Gov Ball for the second time ever. We are super excited to release new music out.” Do you guys have anymore plans for festival season? And tell me more about your tour! Joseph: “Yeah, we have a ton of festivals coming up this summer in Europe. I’m actually wearing the shirt for our tour merch right now. We have two in France, one in Finland, Sweden, Belgium, and really all over Europe basically.” Jorge: “It’s going to be our first time touring in Europe and we’re all super excited. It’ll really be almost all of our first times in Europe and leaving the country. It’s definitely going to be an experience. We are all excited to meet everyone over there, play shows and have a great time.” What is something that you guys have all learned while performing at festivals or concerts that you using your shows ? Issac: “I think something that we have learned while performing live in front of people is that we should focus on the people that love our music and also focus on the people who don’t know who we are but are at our set. We want to show them a reason that we are worthy for their listens. We want to make sure the crowd has an amazing time whether they know who we are or that is the first time they see us and hear our music.” “Another thing I wanna add that you have to let go and not care what you look like up on stage. Because when you let go and don’t care that’s when your truly rock.” *Group begins to laugh and agree” How did you guys all meet? There’s a lot of you so I’m curious if there was any connection when you guys were younger. Tarrek: “We actually Met in high school. Ya know when we all had crushes on eachother.” *group laughs* “Then finally I decided that I would go and talk to one of these guys. The first one I actually met with Dom. And then came Joe.” Issac: “I actually saw all of them hang out on social media. And I was just like I want to hang out with them. It looked fun and I was like I wanna be there! But I was at home chilling because I didn’t have friends yet. *laughing* I slowly but surely Infiltrated into the group. Then I found Jorge on the Internet and he fit in perfectly. The rest is history.” What inspired the name peach tree Rascals? Jorge: “We came up with the name like two weeks before our first single came out. We were all camping together and just throwing ideas out. I came up with Peach Tree Village but the guys hated village. They decided to beat me up. *group laughs* I’m just kidding, so I came up with Rascals instead. We slowly grew into the name. We weren’t like super crazy about it but overtime we started to really feel like it was us. What are some of your guys largest inspirations when creating music? Dominic: “We really pull inspiration from any music that’s good music. We have so many but I would have to say Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Stevie Wonder and so much more.” Joseph: “We all have such different taste in music so I think it brings a lot to our music that we can incorporate different genres and styles to make it our own. It’s a huge melting pot and we bring to the table what we think would be a good flavor and taste. When people ask us what kind of music we make we always respond with genre fluid. Because we’re not one specific genre and we like that about our music.” Stream Let You Go on all major streaming platforms!

June 21, 2022 Model/Singer Alec Benjamin (@alecbenjamin) Director of Photography Stephanie Siau (@stephaniehsiau) BTS Videographer/Photographer/Journalist Maegan Grendell (@maegangrendellphoto) Groomer Colleen Dominique @colleendominique for Exclusive Artists (@exclusiveartists) using Ilia Beauty / Stmnt Grooming Lead Wardrobe Stylist Naomi Zinns (@naomizinns) Wardrobe Stylist Pariya Rahni (@pariyarahni) using Vintage One of One Wardrobe Stylist Cameron Hunter (@camcamhunter) using Lonely Ghost Editor-in-Chief Ezzah Rafique (@ezzahazka) Design Director Mohja Filfil (@mxhja) Press Director/Creative Coordinator Orchee Sorker (@orchees_photos) Website Director Camila Camacho MG: How are you? How was the photoshoot? AB: I’m great, it was awesome. I’m having a lot of fun! You guys are great. MG: How would you describe your music to those who haven't heard it yet? AB: I think there are a lot of different layers to it. I would say that it is good for casual listeners but also if there’s somebody that, you know, wants to get a little more out of it and dig a little bit deeper… I would describe my music as pretty introspective. I put a lot of emphasis and a lot of effort into my lyrics, so, I would describe it as very lyrical. But also, it doesn't have to be. If you just want to sort of listening to it more peripherally and sort of just have it on. I think the music itself without the lyrics is strong enough. But for me, I think what I try to focus the most on is the meaning. So, I would say my music is meaningful. That’s how I would describe it. It’s hard to describe music. MG: Was there ever a moment in your career where you realized… this is it, this is going to be your job? AB: Well there was a moment where I realized this is what I was going to pursue because I didn’t really want to do anything else. And that was sort of when, you know as any high schooler does, you come to that threshold in your life where you’re like “okay, well, I have to make a decision… am I going to go to college and pursue a degree that has a path towards a graduate degree or…”. But, I don’t like school so I decided by process of elimination that music would be the thing that I would pursue professionally because it requires the least amount of school, if I’m being honest. MG: Is there any advice that you would give to somebody who is in that same position? Someone who is in school and not really loving it? AB: I don't necessarily feel like I’m in a position to really give anybody advice, especially because the landscape of music is changing so quickly that the variables change so fast, it’s hard for me to say with any degree of certainty what somebody else should do. It’s hard for me to be aware of the intricacies of anybody's individual situation. But, my advice, or at least one thing I would say, is that it’s going to be a lot harder than you think it’s going to be. So, if you really want to do it then you really have to commit, and you have to want it more than the person next to you because if you don’t, it’s not going to work. And I feel like I learn that every single day. You have to really want it. MG: Let’s talk about the tour! How are you feeling about the European leg coming up? AB: I feel great about it! I’m ready. I’m ready to get out and tour the album because I know what it’s like to put out a record and not be able to tour it. And I feel like the most crucial part of the record promotion process for me has been getting out and actually playing it for people. I feel like a lot of the relationships I have formed with my favorite songs records, a really crucial part of that bond that I form between those records and myself is the live experience. The first time I heard it and then what was going on in my life at the time and how I related to it and then also where I was at that specific point in my life when I was able to experience it live… I feel like it completes that feedback loop. For me at least as an artist too, making music is a means to an end. That’s my favorite part. I’m excited. And I haven't been to Europe in two and a half or three years. My music got popular in Europe first, before it started anywhere else. So, I think it’s going to be pretty awesome. I think people are going to be stoked. And they haven't had concerts in a long time, they're just opening up now. MG: Do you think COVID-19 has grown your appreciation for touring? AB: It’s definitely grown my appreciation for everything in my life. Well, not for everything. There are certain things about my daily life that I didn't miss during the pandemic. But, most things I have learned to appreciate more. I’m very grateful for the perspective the pandemic has given me, not grateful for the pandemic itself. I learned a lot from it. MG: What’s something you wish you knew when you started touring? AB: Do you want a funny answer or a real answer? This is not funny. What I was gonna say is bring underwear. You laugh, but I brought no underwear on my last tour. Like I literally wore the same two pairs of underwear inside out every day. For two weeks then I did, then I did [buy some]. The other answer is that not everything is gonna be perfect and you're gonna have to learn as you go and you can't take everything so seriously, because if you do, ultimately you're gonna burn out… the only way that you can avoid making mistakes is if you know somebody who's made those mistakes and they can enlighten you or you make the mistakes yourself and you learn from them and you don't make them the second time around. And every time I entered into something or like touring, there's so many different moving pieces that I was so worried about everything. I didn't actually get to enjoy the show. I wish I would've let go of a lot of those little things. Because at the end of the day, I'm able to adjust and move forward. And I have to enjoy the present moment. There's a lot of touring advice. There's not enough advice in the world that could prepare somebody for a tour...especially a van tour. MG: How does this tour differ from previous ones? And is that something you expected going into this after COVID-19? AB: The way that it differs is that it's following a pandemic. It differs from every tour everybody's ever done, unless you toured after the Spanish flu in 1918, you know, I don't think that anybody is alive that did that. So it's different because, well, because I have a whole new album. I have a whole new body of work that I'm excited to play for people. And it's different because my show's way better because I had two years to work on it. And I'm grateful for that time and that I didn't waste it because I think our show is the best that it's ever been. MG: You just spent your birthday in Korea, right? Happy late birthday. How was that? AB: Well for me spending my birthday in Korea was awesome because Korea is actually probably my favorite place to play. I just love it so much. I love Asia. Culturally it's awesome, the food is amazing, and the crowd is awesome. And it was my first time out of the United States since the pandemic. So, what a way to [celebrate]... I get to go to Korea, that's amazing. It was awesome. MG: How have you noticed that tour and your career, in general, have affected your personal life? AB: Well, honestly, it's hard for me to remember because I've been touring for a long time now, even if it wasn't my own tours. Since I was 20, I was playing in people's living rooms or trying to follow other people's tours around or whatever. So honestly the pandemic impacted my personal life more than touring does. I'm used to spending days on the road. I like it that way. Yeah, I prefer it. MG: How do you keep a good balance between work and then also your personal life? Or do you find that they're just the same? AB: I don't have a balance, but I've never had balance in my life. I don't want anything different. I feel like if I want to make the music that I want to make, then I have to give a hundred and if I want to play the shows that I want to play, I have to live my life in such a way. I never planned for moderation. It takes a lot of work. MG: What's your dream collaboration? AB: My dream collaboration…a lot of the collaborations that I do that have been the most fulfilling for me have been the ones that were unexpected. Like getting to collaborate with you guys and [Hazze] and the people who are doing the styling and all that stuff is really cool for me. So getting to explore more stuff like doing more collaborations in the visual realm is something I'm excited about. And then for some reason, the only name that's coming into my mind is, uh, Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer. Nathan (Alec’s Manager): What happened to Elon? AB: What happened to Elon Musk? Yeah, controversy. MG: Was that on the list before? AB: Yeah, it was number one. He's in some hot water… next question. MG: Truthfully… Do you listen to your own music? I listen to my own music, not for pleasure, but because for me, I like to listen to my songs and imagine myself playing them in an arena or stadium or something. You gotta do the visualization. Or when my song is doing well, when good things are happening to it, I'll turn it on and be like, “yeah, that's a good one”. But I'm never like, “oh man, I could really go for some of my own music right now”. But I know people who do that really. We’ll be in the car and they'll put their own song on. I wouldn't do it for that purpose. But when I'm just imagining, when I'm really excited about where my career is taking me and stuff, sometimes I'll listen to my music and think about the person I was when I wrote the song and the things I was going through and be like, ‘thanks for doing that'. I remember when I wrote, “Let Me Down Slowly”, which is the first song that I had that really sort of gave me the opportunity to go around the world… I didn't even want to go to that session, but I forced myself to go to the session because I was like, “okay, I'm gonna appreciate this later”. And then I listened to it the other day, I hadn't listened to it in a while, when I was playing in Korea and there were people in Korea who were singing that song and I was like, “good shit, bro. Good for you for going for that session”. But I'm not like, ‘man, I could just really go for a little bit of “Let Me Down Slowly” right now. That's weird to me'. MG: How does it make you feel knowing people are singing back your songs that you wrote about yourself? AB: That's the coolest part. It's awesome. It's the best part. I'm from Arizona, and I said this on stage, I had a cactus in my yard when I was growing up, that's where I'm from. You know, I didn't imagine that I would end up on the other side of the world. I mean…, I did, I dreamt of it. And when you were actually there, you're like, “shit, like I'm here”. And one of the artists that made me want to sing was Jason Moaz and he did a performance in Korea that was super inspiring to me. And then I was like, I want to follow in the footsteps of him and John Mayer and Paul Simon and all these guys. And then I'm like, “oh, I'm doing it”. Sometimes it's hard to believe. So it's cool. Listen to Un(Commentary) album out now

Interview by: Orchee Sorker | Photos by: Chad Griffith | June 7, 2022 How are you doing? How did you get started in music? How did you come up with “A STARR”? Hi, I’m doing good! I'm A STARR. I'm from New Jersey and Miami. I love making music. I've been doing it since I was a toddler. I cling on to music…to be myself and to embrace who I am. That's when I'm most able to express myself. Why I am called A STARR is because of my dog. Starr has been with me for a long time. She’s a teacup Pomeranian. She has a special meaning in my heart, so I always wanted her with me. I wanted to keep ”A” because my name is Alex. How would you describe your music? I would say pop, pop, alternative, and hip hop. What was the creative process behind your recent single “No Filter”? It actually took about a day to write. We recorded it in a day. We went back in the studio and we went over things too…maybe a second day and checked over things…made sure everything was good. It came out just perfectly. It was really fun to make because it’s about being yourself and being authentic. The message is to stop being something that you’re not, and the real people will accept you for who you are. I want to be able to give that to others and people to lean on to as the shoulder of support. Do you create the melody or lyrics first? It all depends on what circumstance you're in. If you have the beats done already, and then you start listening to the melody and writing. You could also have it written before you even have beats. Then, you go and record it pretty much. I just sat down and wanted to write about the world, how it is today, and just wanted to make a difference. Everyone can relate to it, but it's something I can relate to myself as well. I'm unapologetic, but I'm going to tell you the truth and I'm going to have some respect for it. There's a fine line and a place for everything. I really liked the song. What are your upcoming goals for this year? Are you hoping to release more music this year? I want to release more music. There's a lot more coming soon, and I'm excited to share it with everyone. The little things that matter about all of it. I love to do more interviews. I love talking to people and meeting people. I want to travel the world. That's something I want to do. I think that's a beautiful thing to see all the different traits and cultures.

The Depot Photo & Review: Maegan Grendell Role Model (Tucker Pillsbury) at just 25 recently began his world tour for his debut album, Rx. The tour spans from April to September, and is not one you want to miss. After waiting in line for up to 10 hours, fans were giddy to be in the same room as Role Model as he performed his new album live. And he did not let them down. Tucker starts and ends his shows with nothing but energy, which is reciprocated by the audience. It was apparent that he appreciated his fans, loved performing live music, and was excited to be on tour. Tucker performed fan favorites "neverletyougo", "Blind", and ended his sold out Salt Lake City show with "forever&more". To prepare the crowd for the show to follow, Role Model brought artist THE BLSSM on tour with him. THE BLSSM's, a non-binary artist based in Los Angeles, music could be described as a unique take on indie and alternative pop. Between these two growing artists, this is a concert you will not regret going to, granted you can find tickets.