1. art and entertainment
2. music

Welcome to RAGGED
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3OH!3
SUICIDE SILENCE
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
And More!
Kate Nash @ El Rey Theatre / Los Angeles
STREET LEVEL
With her fiery red hair and penchant for vintage sundresses, Kate Nash is one of Ragged’s favorite musicians. So,
there was no way we were going to miss her performance at L.A.’s famed El Rey Theatre. Fans paid homage to
Nash’s style, mixing ’50s-inspired dresses with sneakers, calico dresses with cowboy boots, and denim with lace.
And Kate honored them right back—inviting all of them on stage for the kind of dance party you don’t usually
see on this side of the pond. R
Publishers:
Alan Miller & Alan Sartirana
Editor-in-chief:
Patrick Strange
style editor:
Noelle Valdivia
editor-at-large:
Pat McGuire
layout designer:
Melissa Simonian
photo editor:
Andrea LaBarge Mills
WRITERS:
Lauren Barbato, Kendah El-Ali,
Colin Stutz, Tamara Vallejos
interns:
Nazirah Ashari, Spencer Flanagan,
Daniel Kohn, Greg Christian
photography & styling:
Good Charlotte by Walter Chin
with Marek Associates
Mitch Lucker by Joshua Jordan
with Jed Root
Angel Taylor by Laura Crosta
Wardrobe Stylist: Gino Tavernaro
Makeup: Neil Scibelli
Hair: Natalie Cora
Red Jumpsuit Apparatus by Laura Crosta
Wardrobe Stylist and Grooming:
Gino Tavernaro
3OH!3 by Andrea LaBarge Mills
Wardrobe Stylist: Ashton Michael,
House of Infinite Radness
Wardrobe Assistant: Tiffany Maxwell
Grooming: Heather Cvar
Eisley by Andrea LaBarge Mills
Wardrobe Stylist: Ashton Michael,
House of Infinite Radness
Wardrobe Assistant: Emilie Odeil
Hair/Makeup: Heather Cvar
STYLE
1.
6.
16.
38.
Street Level: Kate Nash in Los Angeles
You Wear It Well: Sarah Ellquist Makes a Grand Entrance
Dress Code: One Piece Four Ways
Play It Again: Four Trend setters Pick Their Favorite Songs
SOUND
2.
12.
28.
34.
42.
SUICIDE SILENCE’s Mitch Lucker: The Secret of Success
THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS: On the Road, Again
ANGEL TAYLOR: Newfound Love
3OH!3: Pop Rebellion
GO RADIO: Distinct Sounds, Distinct Tastes
Sarah Ellquist by Andrea LaBarge Mills
4 Girls:
Photographer: Andrea LaBarge Mills
Ragged is published by Filter Magazine LLC, 5908
Barton Ave., Los Angeles CA 90038. Vol. 1, No.
10, FALL 2010. Ragged is not responsible for anything, including the return or loss of submissions,
or for any damage or other injury to unsolicited
manuscripts or artwork. Any submission of a manuscript or artwork should include a self-addressed
envelope or package of appropriate size, bearing
adequate return postage.
COVER
20.
GOOD CHARLOTTE: Fashion Ready
ARTIST ALUMNI
44.
The Ever-Evolving EISLEY
produced with support from
©2010 Filter Magazine, LLC.
all rights reserved
Ragged is printed in the usa
raggedmag.com
cover and above by walter chin
and marek associates
KATE NASH
By Lauren Barbato
Photos by joshua jordan with jed root
the sounds photographed
in camden,
new//jersey.
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All clothes
by American
Rag.
estled in the corner of Intelligentsia Coffee &
Tea in Silver Lake—Los Angeles’ Mecca for
the young, trendy, and self-assured—Mitch Lucker
is just one of a patio-full of alternatively-dressed 20somethings.Tall, lanky, and sporting dark jeans, Lucker
fits the dreaded ‘hipster’ label right down to his mustard
yellow Tee. But the 25-year-old, hard-edged vocalist
does not take image-fueled labels lightly, especially
when placed upon his metal band, Suicide Silence.
“As Andrew Green of Circa Survive says, ‘It’s the
talent, not the promo shot,’” Lucker touts matter-offactly. “We’re not just another cookie-cutter band.We’re
setting the bar and making every band follow us, which
makes us the ones that stick out like sore thumbs.”
A striking figure with a mix of black-and-vibrant
ink tattoos intertwining down his arms and legs, Lucker
coasts with ease for most of our conversation, until I
return to the previous point—does Suicide Silence have
the talent or promo shot? Lucker’s unruffled deathcore
swagger falters for just a moment. “We’ve been doing
this full-time for the last four years,” he says. “If we don’t
have talent by now, something’s wrong with us.”
It’s several weeks before the start of the Vans
Warped Tour and it’s the only time off the road that
Lucker has had in awhile. He enjoys it, spending time
with his three-year-old daughter Kenadee, whose
name is imprinted inside a rose on the edge of his right
hand. But as he describes his anticipation for the band’s
first-ever Warped Tour, Lucker’s almost too riled up to
remain seated. Perhaps it’s the lure of free tattoos and
free booze—or, secretly, the fear of falling into Hot
Topic-backroom obscurity—that keeps Suicide Silence
constantly on the road, whether for a headlining tour or
a festival such as Mayhem. Admittedly, Suicide Silence
with racing, hard-hitting tracks driven by raw angst
is an unlikely addition to a tour lineup known for its
pop-rock vibe. But whatever the reason, it seems that
working full-time is paying off.
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After the impressive performance of its full-length
debut in 2007, the band beat the sophomore slump with
No Time to Bleed, which peaked at # 32 on the Billboard
200 and helped Suicide Silence garner the Revolver
Golden God award for Best New Artist. Following
last fall’s Megadeath tour, the band members rented a
cabin at Big Bear, California to write their third album.
Putting recording on hold, the band is still deciding on
a producer.
“We look for non-metal producers—people that
are into hip-hop and music that’s catchy—because
putting a radio-friendly touch on an extreme band like
us gives us that extra bit of catchiness that metal needs,”
Lucker says.
Suicide Silence is not so much selling out, however,
as it is tearing down boundaries, making heavy metal—a
once-niche genre that has evolved just as many nuances
as indie rock—more accessible. Besides seeking
out radio-friendly producers, since its formation in
2002, the group has been at the forefront of Internet
marketing. An early recording of a Suicide Silence show
was posted on the band’s MySpace page before the
social networking site was popular among musicians. As
a result, Suicide Silence generated a following almost as
hardcore as the band itself.
Despite all the digital fuss, however, the band hasn’t
forgotten its metal roots. Lucker lives by the virtue
that music resonates best when blood, sweat, and the
occasional tear (we are talking heavy metal, after all)
is involved. As such, Lucker teeters that fine line—as
musicians often do—between art and commercialism,
yet it’s clear he knows what it takes to be successful—
and to stay that way.
“When you’re creating music, you’re creating
something that’s your own,” Lucker concludes. “If
you’re not passionate about it, then you’re not going to
be successful.” R
mitch lucker
photographed in new york
All clothes by American Rag
YOU WEAR IT WELL
You Wear It WELL
Sarah Ellquist Makes a Grand Entrance
Sarah Ellquist is a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and musician. Her band, Robotanists, has recently completed
a vinyl-only release called Current, a selection of songs from the group’s first two records.
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YOU WEAR IT WELL
After a childhood spent studying jazz and
the upright bass, Sarah Ellquist hunkered
down at USC to get serious about the
music business. Thankfully, her story has
that classic good-girl-goes-bad ending that
we all love so much. “The second I got
my degree, I joined a rock band,” she says,
“and the rest is history.” Now, Ellquist
sings, writes and generally makes noise
with Robotanists, who specialize in “beat
driven, relentlessly sincere, melancholy pop
songs.” The band is currently working on
its third release, a conceptual album based
on the idea of first impressions: “The songs
look at all sides of the interactions between
people and places when they first meet. The
first track is called ‘Have We Met Before?’
Another track, ‘Terminal A,’ is rooted in
the first time I went back to New Orleans
after moving to Los Angeles, and how I
got a second chance and a first glance, if
you will.”
As far as impressions go, Ellquist
makes one that lasts.With her thick fringe of
white-blonde hair and a knack for dressing
sexy-but-tough, Ellquist is one part Billy
Idol and another Bratz doll—a look she’s
been subconsciously cultivating since childhood. “I think style is really embedded
in you as a child and growing up, David
Bowie, Miss Piggy, Marianne Faithfull and
Barbie were the icons that resonated with
me the most—Bowie is edgy and mythic,
Piggy is glamorous and tough, Marianne is
soft and sexy, and Barbie can wear any hat
fabulously. Whether I’m on stage or buying
groceries, there’s a piece of one of them in
my wardrobe.” R
For more info, go to
robotanists.com.
AMERICAN RAG SHOWS YOU
HOW TO GET THE LOOK
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red jumpsuit apparatus
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photographed in brooklyn, NY
raggedmag.com
// by
ragged
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All clothes
American
It’s a windy Friday afternoon somewhere off the interstate between
Florida and Tennessee, and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is taking
a break from a road trip to Nashville. The hard-rocking quintet
will be playing a gig there, just a few days after performing for
the troops at Guantanamo Bay. And as if its touring schedule isn’t
enough to keep Jumpsuit busy, the group also has a new EP in the
works. What’s even more exciting is they’re going at it solo thanks
to a recent split with Virgin, with which they released the 2006
debut, Don’tYou Fake It, as well as last year’s Lonely Road.
Despite the Gitmo jet lag and an 11-hour drive, frontman
Ronnie Winter found a spare moment to give Ragged a call and fill
us in on the band’s progress, his own nerdy style and what he plans
to do with his long, gorgeous locks of hair.
How has it been working free from of a label?
Ronnie Winter: It’s been really easy. There’s not a big lineup of
people we have to go through when we want to approve a photo
or have some cool artwork drawn up or write a new song or book
studio time. We can do what we want.
Is the new EP almost done?
I believe all the songs are recorded, but we haven’t finalized the
track listing. We actually have our own studio in our yard, so you
never know. Tomorrow we could write a song we like better and
bump one of the others.
How does the new EP compare to your past work?
Well, the songs on the last two albums were pretty old. It was
stuff we had laying around for a long time, which is the case when
you’re a band that has existed for a while before being signed. But
every song on the EP is brand new. It’s very guitar-driven and has
a heavier vibe. Other than that, it’s classic Jumpsuit—if that means
anything.
Now, onto the important stuff: Who in the band is the
most stylish?
Definitely our drummer, Jon [Wilkes]. He’s the kind of guy who
will go out and buy stuff you’ll see in a magazine.
How would you describe your own style?
I’m the nerd of the band. I’m in the middle of The Dark Tower series
right now—I like Stephen King and I’m also a big StarWars fan. I’m
wearing a Star Wars belt right now.
Actually, speaking of style, I had this app on my iPhone once that
I used to put a fake haircut on my head when I had my hair pulled
back in a ponytail. So many people freaked out on Twitter. It was
funny that so many people cared. But, my ultimate plan is to donate
to Locks of Love. I’m going to cut whatever I need to donate and
then tell them to fix what’s left. R
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: RONNIE WINTER, MATT CARTER, DUKE KITCHENS, JOEY WESTWOOD AND JOHN WILKES
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Jennifer Talesfore
Until recently, a jumpsuit was something rarely seen outside of a throwback
Grace Jones video and a romper was a garment strictly reserved for toddlers.
But oh, how times have changed. Onesies are back by the dozen, and thus,
we’ve challenged four fashionable, music-minded women to work their magic
with the all new American Rag romper. This is what they conjured up…
How do you pay the rent?
I’m a graphic designer and a musician. Right now, I’m in a band called The Lonely
Wild—the music is rock with a bit of the old West in it.
How would you describe your look?
I would say I have a bit of a classic style with mixes of vintage elements. Jaclyn Johnson
How did this romper fit your personal style?
Jumpers are easy—they’re comfy, cute and you can just throw it on. I love that.
How do you pay the rent?
I market and brand companies, blog about fashion and run
a creative collective.
Jennifer splits her time between graphic design—she’s created some of our favorite lookbooks—and making music. She’s currently performing and recording with L.A.’s The Lonely
Wild. For more, go to thelonelywild.com or krop.com/jennifertalesfore.
How would you describe your look?
Some days I’m all about vintage dresses and pretty little
heels, but other days I wear military jackets and combat
boots. It’s feminine and flirty with a touch of masculinity,
like if Zooey Deschanel and Erin Wasson had a style child.
How did this romper fit your personal style?
I loved the vintage polka dot pattern. L.A.’s whole vibe is
somewhat retro, so it’s nice to play up your fashion taste to
your city’s sensibility.
all photos by andrea labarge mills
Since launching her blog (SomeNotesOnNapkins.com) in 2007,
Jaclyn has become known in the fields of fashion, culture and
media. She’s currently spearheading the Los Angeles creative collective, No Subject. For more, go to ThereIsNoSubject.com.
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Emily Simonian
How do you pay the rent?
People pay me to sit at a piano and sing about my
feelings. It’s awesome!
How would you describe your look?
I like to mix and match garments that might typically
be considered opposites, like a feminine, floral top
with something edgy like a short leather skirt.
How did this romper fit your personal style?
It’s a great addition to my closet because of its versatility. It’s been fun thinking of all the
different ways I can style it.
A classically-trained vocalist, Emily ditched tradition, opting
for contemporary rhythms and lyrics. For more info and to
hear her music, go to emilysimonian.com.
Rachel Cragg
How do you pay the rent?
I walk the delicate line between art and business.
How would you describe your look?
38 percent vintage, 79 percent “first five clean
things” I grab before running out the door, 45
percent success rate.
How did this romper fit your personal
style?
The romper gets some serious convenience
points. Anything I can throw on and just accessorize is always a closet go-to. As a manager for Nettwerk Music, Rachel’s style is as
dictated by her busy lifestyle as it is by her proximity
to artists like Landon Pigg and Sarah McLachlan. For
more, go to nettwerk.com.
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By Kendah El-Ali
Photos by Walter Chin with Marek Associates
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hese days, the names Joel and Benji Madden are better associated with the tabloids than their band, Good
Charlotte. Despite their high-profile relationships with Nicole Richie and Aussie model-pop star Sophie
Monk; however, it’s not to say they aren’t still a pair of fashion-savvy identical twins in a band that’s
been running strong for nearly 15 years. This fall, Macy’s and American Rag will present Mad Picks by
Joel and Benji Madden, a capsule line of clothing fit for budding punk rockers. In the interim, they’ll also be busy
touring Europe with Good Charlotte in promotion of their new album, Cardiology.
Ragged had a chance to chat with Joel not only about his take on mid-brow couture, but also family, growing up,
and the science behind the seemingly impossible task of mending a broken heart.
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“When it comes to songs, music, love,
life, relationships… the heart is a mystery.
There is no real emotional or physical cure
for a broken heart.”
- Joel Madden
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How does it feel to be back on tour again?
Joel Madden: Right now, we’re getting our chops
back. We started the band when we were 16, and
toured nine of those years. There was obviously a lot
of living, learning and growing up to do during that
time. It’s good to be back on the road, touring, and
the bands—like P!nk—that we’re touring with are
cool. The last tour we did was in 2008 and the last
record we put out was in 2006. We started making
this record in late 2008, but we really needed to get
back to our lives during that time and have started
families since then.
with Macy’s and American Rag. It’s kind of just our
taste and style, really… casual, but versatile. I like to
wear clothes that you can wear up or dress down, like
a T-shirt you can throw a jacket over it for dinner or
wear it whenever. It’s important for us as a band to
have clothes with which we can both walk on stage or
relax at home.
What’s it like living the rock star life with a
famous partner and two new babies?
The family comes out when they can. Luckily, I have
a partner who’s really awesome and holds it down.
Nicole’s an awesome mom, which is lucky and makes
things so easy for me. She’s a real career woman, but
stays at home and can base from it. My job doesn’t
really allow me to be at home a lot. The foundation I’ve
set up at home is really solid. That’s key with a family,
when you have that person who’s really willing to take
that kind of a sacrifice. I even see it in the kids; they are
really balanced.
It’s all about your partner, it really is. She has clothing
lines and shoe lines, and she does it all at home with the
kids… I always credit her for that and support her for
it. For us, the attention that we get outside the music
and art is just mainly an annoyance. It’s not something
to complain about necessarily, but it gives you more to
maneuver through. Are you going to perform in Macy’s stores? Are
you excited to be putting out a line for them?
Oh sure, we’re going to do some in-store performances
and I’ll do acoustic performances with my brother.
We’ll also do meet-and-greets at the stores and stuff
like that. I personally like to shop at Macy’s, but I also
really like the idea of making nice clothes accessible to
everyone. It was a perfect fit, especially in light of the
tour and new album.
What was your style ideology for Macy’s Mad
Picks clothing line?
Well, it’s a one-off season for girls’ T-shirts and clothes
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What are the pieces like?
Tees and basics. Everything is designed with a sense of
functionality to be both good-looking and comfortable
at the same time.
Can you tell us anything about the new
album?
We have a new record coming out in late September,
early October called Cardiology. It’s a play on the idea of
cardiology, and the idea that there is a medicine and science to the heart when there isn’t really one at the same
time. When it comes to songs, music, love, life, relationships… the heart is a mystery. There is no real emotional
or physical cure for a broken heart. The songs all relate
to that idea in some shape or form. R
For more info about Macy’s Mad Picks and Good Charlotte’s
in-store performances at Macy’s, go to raggedmag.com.
good charlotte
photographed in new york
All clothes//byragged
American
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27 Rag
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ANGEL TAYLOR
photographedin NEW YORK
All clothes//
byragged
American
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29Rag
ngel Taylor could be donning a visor and working at your local Starbucks
right now. She could also be studying at a university, or preparing
lesson plans for a second-grade class. Instead, the 22-year-old singersongwriter raised in Santa Clarita, California, found her life plan exchanged for a
pipe dream when she put her faith—and some demo tapes recorded as a Christmas
gift for her family—in the hands of producer Mikal Blue (Colbie Calliat, Jason
Reeves). “As far as the record business is concerned, I didn’t know what to expect
from someone who does that for a living,” Taylor says. “But, Mikal fell into my lap
and it worked out perfectly.”
Together, the pair sorted through Taylor’s “notebooks full of music” and
crafted Love Travels, a lively soul-pop album that explores the nuances of romantic
relationships. With a voice like Lily Allen and lyrics that resonate with the most
jaded cynic, Taylor found a following on the Internet, and thus, Love Travels was
named iTunes’ Best Pop Album of 2009. This year, Taylor has already toured with
the Grammy Award-winning Adele and cult favorite Ingrid Michaelson, and spent
the summer on the road opening for Barenaked Ladies and American Idol-winner
Kris Allen.
Although she now jet-sets around the country, Taylor—a sunny spirit with
an infectious laugh—is determined to remain grounded despite her newfound
occupation. “There’s a part of me that loves the road and touring, and there’s another
part that misses home,” Taylor says. “It’s a balance I’m still getting used to.”
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You didn’t set out to be a musician. What’s it
like to have your hobby become a career?
Angel Taylor: It’s like someone coloring for a living
and then someone letting them put their paintings in
a gallery—it’s a whirlwind situation where you didn’t
expect any of it.You ride with the flow as a career grows
and progresses on its own.
Were there any vocalists you admired when
you were younger that shaped your singing?
I listened to a lot of Christian music growing up, so
if anything, I probably sound like Avalon or Rebecca
St. James.
The lyrics on Love Travels are very image-driven.
Have you dabbled in other types of writing
besides songwriting?
My sister actually started this whole thing for
me because she started writing poetry first and
I copy-catted it. Naturally, having started writing
that way formed actual songs. I don’t have the
melody or the lyrics penned out first; it’s born all
together at one time.
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Who are the songs on Love Travels about?
They stemmed from one person; I’ve actually only had
one real relationship and it was like a two-and-a-halfyear thing. There are songs on there that relate to other
people at different points in time, but most of them are
about that one relationship.
In your expert opinion, what elements make
the perfect love song?
I think there are two types of love songs: There’s the
heartbreak, and then there’s the princess and the prince
and they live forever and they’re gorgeous and they have
babies and everyone wants to be like them.
I’m guessing you lean more toward the
heartbreak.
[Laughs] Very much so.
Music and fashion often go hand-in-hand. How
much are you concerned with your image?
With every industry—whether music, film or modeling—
people are going to look at what a person looks like. Some
people get carried away with that, but people who generally
are themselves don’t dwell on it very much. I love fashion
but I’ve never really been a super girly-girl in high heels.
Give me a T-shirt and jeans and I’m good to go. R
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3OH!3
photographed in Los angeles
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by American
Rag
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It’s funny to think that Nat Motte of the electro-hop duo 3OH!3 was once, as he says, “vehemently opposed to
pop music.” Considering his group’s knack for producing hits, collaborating with chart-toppers such as Ke$ha,
Katy Perry and Lil Jon, and driving worldwide fans into freaked-out frenzies with party anthems designed to
lodge themselves in one’s head, it’s pretty clear that Motte and pop music have made amends. “Now I think that
pop is pretty interesting,” he says. “People are doing pretty creative stuff within a popular realm and even incorporating things that wouldn’t necessarily make a song popular or even palpable.”
Instead of penning tributes to booze-infused hookups, Motte could have easily taken a more conventional
path as he and co-conspirator Sean Foreman graduated from college a couple years back with nearly perfect
GPAs. Nevertheless, Motte treads the alternate (pop) route with an utmost diligence, and with the looming
release of 3OH!3’s third album, Streets of Gold, the towering 26-year-old Boulder, Colorado-native is eager to
reveal how less-traveled roads are paved.
How did college help prepare you for this
unexpected career path?
Nat Motte: It’s different in terms of the specifics
of what we’re doing, but I really think there’s still a
work ethic Sean and I have that a lot of bands don’t—
the determination to see everything through and be
involved in everything we do.
What pressures did you feel in creating Streets
of Gold?
At once the pressure is self-inflicted but also there are
people who want to hear hits. But whenever it felt too
over-burdening, we just kind of went in with the same
mantra from when we started the whole thing, which
was to make music that was fun and different.
Where are you now as a musician or artist
versus where you were a few years ago?
A few years back it was still that transition between
hobby and job. When we were working on our last
album, I was still going to go to medical school six
months later. Now it’s really what we do. We take our
art seriously but we also really take an active involve-
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ment in everything that is 3OH!3 the business. It’s funny
because being in the studio creating and being onstage
playing is just a micro-fraction of what we do now.
Do you find enjoyment in the business side as
well?
There are definitely parts that are more fun than
others. There are those parts that are a little bit more
laborious, a little more trying but they’re still interesting. And there are parts that suck. Obviously when
you have more success, more people are involved on
the edge of what you do and want to get their hands
on what you do creatively. And that’s always a constant
battle to retain creative freedom and do what we do.
Is your success in proportion to your talent?
I think it is proportional to our talent and to our work
ethic. I think we’ve had a lot of luck too but we’ve
capitalized on that luck with hard work… I kind of
slap myself on the face a lot and revel in the fact that
we’re doing awesome stuff and really appreciate what’s
happened, but at the same time, it’s satisfying to know
that we’ve worked hard for it, too. R
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Four Trend setters Pick Their Favorite Songs
…To Strike a Pose
“Sorcerer”
Stevie Nicks
“Gimme Danger”
The Stooges
“A Sight to Behold”
Devendra Banhart
“King Rides By”
Cat Power
“Lord Can You Hear Me”
Spiritualized
Christina Masterson
Model and blogger Christina Masterson, the other half of A Go-Go
Fashion, understands the benefits of working to a good soundtrack.
“I always shoot with music playing if I can. It helps me pull out different emotions and it puts me in some sort of fantasy world,” she
says. Masterson’s life is a bit of a fairytale, with her ads popping up on
practically every fashionable URL and her face gracing videos from
Louis XIV to Miley Cyrus. “My taste is eclectic,” she says. “I’m open
to so much when it comes to music.”
JENNIFER HUMPHREY
“My personal style is always changing and evolving with the times,”
insists Jennifer Humphrey, who in addition to being a model and classic
rock purist is also something of a fashion dare devil: “I am definitely
not scared of fashion and taking risks.” Her blog, A Go-Go Fashion,
founded with fellow Ragged-muse Christina Masterson, chronicles these
fashionable exploits, including a recent Coachella outfit that consisted
of a white crop top and motorcycle boots, framing bright blue vintage
bloomers—risqué, indeed.
“It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”
Billy Joel
“Crazy”
Aerosmith
“Go Your Own Way”
Fleetwood Mac
“Magic Man”
Heart
“November Rain”
Guns N’ Roses
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ERIC LYLE LODWICK
“I love pop, the ’80s, things that are soft”—thankfully, Eric Lyle Lodwick
isn’t referring to his taste in music but rather his fashion sense. “Also, I love
the color aquamarine blue,” he adds. Perhaps it’s this specificity that allows
him to lead a double-life as a successful model and also as one-third of the
about-to-blow-up band BRAHMS, which toured with Passion Pit and Tokyo
Police Club this summer. This duality is common in the life of a musician, and
Lodwick has some great ones to look up to: “I admire David Bowie. He was
able to transform his normal life into a created stage presence and somehow
keep the two separate.”
“Swing Tree”
Discovery
“Golden Prize”
Apes & Androids
“Concrete Jungle”
Bob Marley & the Wailers
“Vertigo”
Gordon Voidwell
“Sound and Vision”
David Bowie
“Superstition”
Stevie Wonder
“Eleanor Rigby”
The Beatles
“Love is the Drug”
Roxy Music
“Ashes to Ashes”
David Bowie
“All Day and All of the Night”
The Kinks
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JONO NAMARA
“Bowie was always ahead of his time and he had great hats—I can’t
pull off hats,” Jono Namara says. As a model-DJ-club-host, Namara
has shot numerous campaigns and trotted countless runways. His
affinity for both fashion and music culminated a few years ago when
he and three other male models formed the punk band, Mannequins:
“It was a great idea, but being four male models in a punk band,
there were just too many egos to contend with…even the drummer
wanted to be at the front of the stage!”
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go radio
photographed in tallahassee, FL
All clothes by American Rag
By Daniel Kohn
photos by Brook Pifer
The year 2010 has been a busy one for the Tallahassee-based, pop-punk group Go Radio. The band signed with a
new record label—Fearless—and released its second EP, Do Overs and Second Chances. “This record is a lot more
Go Radio than an idea of Go Radio,” says lead singer and band co-founder Jason Lancaster, when describing the
differences between the EPs. “The first EP wasn’t mixed or mastered. This one [Do Overs and Second Chances] had
a lot more of, ‘Hey, this is what I’m thinking, what are you thinking?’ We’re more of a band now because of that.”
With a stalwart fan base ranging from first-time teenage concertgoers to raging college co-eds, Go Radio’s catchy
hooks and Lancaster’s distinct vocals continue to win fans from across the cultural spectrum.
Ragged recently caught up with Lancaster to discuss the songwriting process, the band he admires, and the
thought-process behind Go Radio’s on-stage wardrobe.
What can fans expect at a Go Radio show? What
are you guys like onstage?
Jason Lancaster: We’re more of a high-energy show. I
feel like if we don’t get excited about it, then it will be
hard for anyone else to be. We’re still at the stage where
we’re trying to impress as many people as possible.
Stage presence has a lot to do with that.
What band have you shared a stage with that
really impressed you?
Anberlin is an amazing live band. We’ve been fortunate
enough to play with those guys. And, they’re probably
the most professional-looking band I’ve ever seen. They
have a strut on stage that the crowd goes nuts for. I feel
that’s something we’re constantly trying to achieve.
When you guys are performing, do you try to
be “professional” too?
We try to mix it up. I feel like it’s important to be
comfortable because you’re there for a long period of
time, but you also want to look good because you are
trying to set yourself apart.
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Speaking of setting yourself apart, you seem
to have the “rocker” look working for you. Do
you think it’s important as an artist to have a
distinct look?
A friend of mine once told me, “You don’t want to look
like a kid in the crowd and you don’t want to get offstage and be standing there and have nobody know you
were just onstage.” So, you have to try to set yourself
apart in some way, whether that be a tie or different
hair. We definitely take that into consideration before
we go onstage.
Applying that idea to your new album, do you
see a gradual growth with the songwriting or
are you guys sticking with what’s familiar?
It’s going to be a mixture of new and old. We’ve never
been about trying to fake something. I think there are
always going to be songs that sound like the old stuff
but we’ll just see how it goes. There’s going to be a little
something for everyone on there. R
from left to right: matt burns, steven kopacz, alex reed, jason raggedmag.com
lancaster
//
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EISLEY
photographed in LOS ANGELES, 2007
All clothes by American Rag
By Spencer Flanagan Photo By Andrea LaBarge Mills
When Ragged last caught up with indie pop-rock band Eisley, the group was gearing up for the release of its sophomore album, Combinations. Now, nearly three years and a couple of marriages later, the band of siblings is once again
getting ready for another album release—but this time from a very different approach.
Having recently left Warner Bros., the members of Eisley are ready to leave the messy record label business
behind them so they can, first, finish the new album (hopefully due out at the end of this year) and then promptly
tour the world. With several band members recently betrothed, a new, edgier look, and a fearless attitude toward
“all in the family” pop music, Eisley is more than ready for the future.
What made you want to go indie?
Sherri DuPree-Bemis: I think Warner Bros. was
a good place for us to start out, but it’s one of those
things where unless you have a big pop-rock radio kind
of sound, it’s going to be hard for a major label to put
the time and money into you because it’s a risk. I think
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honestly, if I could go back, I probably would have
gone with an indie label for our type of sound from the
beginning, but you know, you live and you learn.
I think just as we’ve gotten older, everyone has definitely honed in on their own style, which is a natural
thing, but still it’s very cohesive with the band image.
I think that’s partly related to the fact that we’re all
siblings and everyone hangs out together and is into a
lot of the same music and fashion. Everyone has their
own style now but it is still cohesive, which is great
because you don’t have to worry about someone
showing up to a photo shoot in leopard print pants
or something.
How has the band’s sense of style changed since
we last featured you?
What’s the best thing about being in a band
with your family?
Obviously for me, because of how I grew up, family is
the most important thing to me. Our band gets crap
for being a family band. The fact that my brothers and
sisters are my best friends is an amazing thing to me
because it’s a built-in support group. What else could
you want in life? To me it’s a blessing. I love it.
Really? You still get a lot of flack about being a
family band?
We do! People think it’s cheesy, but I don’t know why loving
your family is cheesy. Some people like to harp on us, but it’s
fine; it doesn’t bother me. I have a family who I love and love
to hang out with, so you know… I win. R
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the unplu our
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BEFORE YOU EXIT
EVERY AVENUE
SING IT LOUD
THE BIGGER LIGHTS
THIS PROVIDENCE
ONEREPUBLIC
VALENCIA
Check out raggedmag.com for additional concert details and exact locations.