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Julia Escobosa

Have your wallets be a fashion statement

Inevitable Wallets is not only eco-friendly but fashionable

The truth is that most people, especially men, hate their wallets for a number of reasons, most commonly because they are bulky and boring. 

Inevitable Wallets has the cure for the common wallet with a lightweight, durable, recyclable and stylish alternative to expensive leather wallets and flimsy cheap wallets. Made in the USA from Tyvek material and designed with original artwork, they are simultaneously eco and fashion friendly. The creators of the Inevitable Wallet had tried every wallet-size reducing product on the market, and were tired of those products that just created more mess and less organization. Thus, the Inevitable Wallet was born!

Just in case you were wondering “What the heck is Tyvek?” here’s a quick science lesson for you. Tyvek is a synthetic material made of flashspun, or non-woven, fabric made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) which is a thermoplastic made from petroleum. This stuff has been around since the 1960s, but has mostly been used for commercial purposes, including housewraps and HAZMAT suits, making only brief cameos in the fashion world.

Inevitable has been producing these wallets since 2012, when they developed their first organized men’s bi-fold and women’s clutch style wallets. They chose to use Tyvek because it is ultra thin, ultra durable, waterproof and recyclable.

These wallets are tiny, but strong! Even their largest style, a women’s clutch style wallet known as the Amaranth, is only eight inches by six inches and weighs only two ounces when empty! Despite it’s small size, it has organized card slots for up to 11 cards and a large, secure cash pocket. The traditional bi-fold style wallet known as the Liberty Series offers six organized card pockets, two inside hidden pockets for excess cards, and a cash pocket.

The unisex bi-fold Bones series wallet is equipped with two card holders which can carry up to seven cards stacked in each inside pocket, and of course it has room for business cards or receipts in the outside pockets and has a large cash pocket which accommodates US and most foreign currency. This serious men’s wallet has the thinness of four credit cards when empty but can expand up to four times it’s original size! For the extreme minimalist the Bentley series is a simple card holder with snap closure.

All Inevitable Wallets styles come with over ten original artwork options to suit anyone’s personality, but to offer a bit more originality you can submit your own artwork or picture and have a customized design on your wallet. They use sophisticated printing and dye presses to bring each wallet to life. Each wallet is made 100% in the USA with lots of love and pride.

Inevitable’s “It Pays to Recycle” program offers extra incentive to do right by Mother Nature. Just send your wallet back to them and they’ll take the guess work out of recycling and give you 10% off of your next Inevitable product!

Inevitable’s product line doesn’t stop with wallets…check out their online store for more awesome stuff including casual and bar life clothing and jewelry for “the delightfully inappropriate”.

Do your purse, pocket, wallet, and the environment a favor and fetch yourself an Inevitable wallet!

Get your wallet at http://www.inevitablewallets.com today!

Sew Your Own Way

Los Angeles fashion students get a healthy dose of reality at LATTC

Dakotah Peña, 29, SoCal Native
LATTC (Los Angeles Trade Technical College) – Class of 2016
Twitter @OmniaContexta // http://dakotahtyler.clothing

Why did you choose to major in fashion?
My interest in fashion started around my late teens and my interest grew stronger over the years. Eventually a friend and I visited Japan for the fashion scene a couple years ago. Last year I was working at a company with very flexible hours and I started taking some early morning sewing classes at the Sewing Arts Center in Santa Monica before I decided to officially go back to school.

Why did you pick LATTC?
I had looked for fashion classes at community colleges in LA expecting to find several programs and found that LATTC had a massive program . Later I read that Rick Owens studied there in the 80’s and I decided to enroll in LATTC because of its well rounded practical skill building program.

What is your favorite thing about LATTC?
LATTC is results-oriented so there’s no coddling like there is in private colleges. It’s hard work, you learn real-world skills for getting a job in the industry. They teach you to not be delusional in thinking that it’s all glamorous and the teachers truly want you to understand how to market yourself professionally. A surprising number of my teachers have worked at FIDM and Otis and left because they felt bad for students who are run through school with massive debt and lacking necessary skills, such as basic sewing.

What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to work as a pattern maker while gaining fashion industry experience to slowly grow my own line.

What is your favorite thing about SoCal?
It has the benefits of an urban metropolis but you aren’t locked in a concrete jungle even when you are in the city. I think the mid-city area near West Hollywood to Hancock Park has the best concentration of stores and amenities within walking distance.

Where are your favorite places to shop in SoCal?
Opening Ceremony and H. Lorenzo.

What is your favorite fashion trend for Spring 2015?
I don’t pay attention to fashion trends, it’s wasteful because your clothes are passé after a few years. Great design is timeless.

Where do you find inspiration?
I am inspired by some of my favorite designers, of course, but also clothing from different cultures and eras. Almost all clothing produced by people outside of the developed world, usually to the cheapest and most practical of specifications, have some interesting detail that is inspiring or surprising. Even the way a hole is patched or a sleeve is reattached can be an interesting detail.

What do you think the biggest environmental concerns are in the fashion industry?
I think the biggest area for concern is pesticide use for fibers, dyeing processes that discolor bodies of water, or harsh chemicals used for a certain finish, such as bleached denim.

How has the fashion industry become more or less green recently?
I believe we are at the top of a bell curve of irresponsible practices and things will very slowly get more ecologically friendly. 100 years ago all clothes were crafted by experts, probably sustainably manufactured, and hugely expensive so people owned only a few garments. With the advent of mass production and fast fashion trends the industry has reached untenable levels of waste.

What do you see as emerging trends in green technology for fashion?
I think having the internet brings new possibilities for communication, collaboration, and digital workflows.

How can companies become greener and more profitable at the same time?
Organic textiles, domestic production, and natural dyeing processes could decrease profits in the short term. However, one thing companies can do right now is not participate in the race to the bottom with their prices. Consumers may love fast fashion for now but many may begin to realize the garments are poorly constructed with horrible fabrics forcing them to continuously throw them out or donate them. By producing quality made goods, it would cost about the same for customers over time because the prices force them to love the garments they buy and keep them longer.

Do you think there’s a trade-off between profitability and green technology?
Some industries can switch to more sustainable technologies easily and profitably but I think fashion and the manufacturing industry are areas where there is less financial incentive for recognizing what the pesticides and textile waste waters are doing to the oceans and waterways.

How can fashion companies encourage their customers to be greener?
By not contributing to the fast fashion trend, instead focusing on quality garments. The amount of donated clothing is incredible and is mostly attributed to fast fashion; people usually hold on to quality pieces. Also, placing less emphasis on the shopping bag can encourage customers to utilize one bag.

An Inside Look at Sofar Sounds

Monina Castillo of Sofar Sounds LA takes College News behind the scenes of the worldwide secret show circuit

What do you do for Sofar Sounds?
I handle the local PR outreach in Los Angeles and help to spread the buzz about Sofar Sounds.

How are the bands and venues selected for each Sofar Sounds show?
There are several ways bands are selected…The Sofar LA team is active in the music scene and discover bands by attending shows locally.  However, a lot of submissions are sent to us through our Sofar LA Facebook page); and then they  get reviewed by Sofar’s global reviewers. If approved unanimously, we book them; but since we get so many submissions, the process can take a while. Sometimes we also get referrals from other Sofar cities who have already booked artists at their shows. As far as the venues, people typically volunteer their spaces after attending one of our Sofar LA sessions.  As part of the Sofar Sounds M.O., it’s usually a living room in order  to keep the shows small and intimate. However, sometimes we book spaces that are unique, including work/space lofts, warehouses, that are slightly bigger.

Why are the details kept so under wraps?
Keeping Sofar Sounds as  “secret shows”  creates a sense of fun and excitement. Additionally, it makes people feel special when they get invited to a session that’s “in-the-know.”

Why was Sofar Sounds started?
The concept began in London back in 2009 by Sofar’s founders, Rafe Offer, David J. Alexander and Rocky Start.  They were all frustrated about musicians getting lost or not heard in the standard live, music-venue scene, typically a loud bar or club where people were always on their phones and noisy conversation and drinking took center stage over the performing bands or artists.  They wanted to create an alternative option – an atmosphere where people would truly listen and give respect to the music that was being played. What resulted was a unique experience and an intimate connection for both music lovers and artists alike.

What impact is Sofar Sounds having on LA? How does it compare to other cities?
Sofar Sounds (http://www.sofarsounds.com/) is great music discovery community, which has brought some global flavor to LA.  Music lovers really dig the bands and artists booked by our team.
In Los Angeles, we pride ourselves on curating the best and brightest emerging indie acts, as well as featuring established artists. At Sofar Los Angeles (www.facebook.com/SofarSoundsLosAngeles/) we’ve booked Devotchka, Hunter Hunted, Gardens & Villa, Terraplane Sun, Together Pangea, Jamestown Revival, Run River North, Allah-las, Caught A Ghost, The Colourist and Meg Myers – all reputable bands or artists known in the indie-music scene. Conversely, attendees get to discover these bands if they didn’t know them before.
It’s hard to compare to other Sofar cities because each has their own unique identity, but I can say in Los Angeles, we have somewhat easier access to talent because the city is one of the musical capitals of the world. Everyone wants to play in Los Angeles.

As a whole, Sofar’s hope is to continue creating more special experiences and change the culture of live music so that it will receive more undivided attention. We also want to keep expanding (currently Sofar is in 80+ cities), and to continue breaking talented bands and artists through our network of shows, social media and performance videos on Youtube (http://www.youtube.com/user/Sofarsounds)

The Top 5 Scenes from The Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club turns 30

March 24, 1984 7:00 AM

Thirty one years ago, five Chicago high school students showed up to a Saturday in detention as total strangers, and left knowing each other, and themselves, on a much deeper level. One of the quintessential brat pack 80s films, The Breakfast Club makes us almost long for the days of high school where nearly every event seemed simultaneously mundane and extreme. While we look back on most of these events and laugh at their insignificance, we all have to admit that there were parts of high school that changed our lives forever and helped shape the people we grew up to be. The Breakfast Club perfectly reflects that feeling. Plus, any movie that opens with a shattering quote from David Bowie has to be amazing, right?

In honor of the 30th anniversary of this iconic movie (it made it’s nationwide theater debut on February 15, 1985) we decided to count down our top five favorite scenes featuring the brain,
the princess, the athlete, the criminal, and the basket case. It was tough to narrow it down to just five, but here goes…welcome to detention!

5. A Ruckus The gang covers for Bender’s antics again, even after he totally pervs up Claire’s skirt. We love their half-assed yet successful attempt at defusing the issue of there being “a ruckus.” Disappointing fact: the joke Bender tells in the air ducts was entirely adlibbed and actually doesn’t have a punch line.

4. Blazing Up Can you say #peerpressure? But really, sharing a joint is always a good way to break the ice and get to know new people. This lovely herb breaks down their walls and relieves much of the cross-class tension, allowing them to have a little fun and show a truer side of themselves. “Do you know how popular I am? I am so popular, everybody loves me so much.”

3. Being bad feels pretty good None of them know why they do it or have any idea if they’ll get away with it, but they all follow Bender to his locker to retrieve his stash. And of course it wouldn’t be a classic 80s movie without a montage to a jazzercise worthy track. On top of the priceless Scooby-Doo like skids, you also have Bender’s selfless sacrifice. While he meant it as a front to save his weed, you can tell he really gives himself up for the good of the group. Plus, he’s pretty loveable running around the halls yelling “I wanna be an airborne ranger!”

2. Monkey Business The first real sign of this group joining together against Principal Vernon, or “Dick” as we prefer to call him. “Screws fall out all the time, the world’s an imperfect place.” Anyone could have thrown Bender under the bus for pulling the screw out of the door, but for some reason they all covered for him. Plus, it’s pretty entertaining watching Dick’s attempts to prop that door open.

1. “Sincerely Yours, The Breakfast Club” Our pick for the best scene of the movie, although it’s a little sad that Brian was the only one to leave detention solo. The feeling of victory when John Bender throws his fist in the air gives us chills everytime. Did you know that the track “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was written for the movie?

These scenes were our top five, but here are a few more memorable moments that we just had to mention:

Creative uses for dandruff – what better way to add some snowy effects to your charcoal drawing?

Innovative lunch combinations – you know you wouldn’t have thought of a Pixie Stix/Capn’ Crunch sandwich if Allison hadn’t shown you. Although we can’t imagine that Claire’s sushi tasted very good after sitting in a paper bag under her desk for five hours, no matter how high quality it was. Also, if you want an excuse to eat an entire grocery bag full of food for lunch, just take up wrestling.

Amazingly outdated eighties slang like “wastoid,” “sporto” and the Judd Nelson adlib “neo maxi zoom dweebie” which is just a fancy phrase meaning “dork.”

It’s too bad not many people dress like Barry Manilow, because “Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?” is a pretty great burn.

Not like the Coca-Cola they ended up with was particularly hydrating, but you have to applaud their solidarity. “I have a really low tolerance for dehydration.” “I’ve seen her dehydrate sir, it’s pretty gross.”

It’s pretty great that this movie gives you some killer dance moves to go along with its killer soundtrack, as well as a bonus eighties dance montage. In case you don’t own the soundtrack (which you really should) it’s Karla DeVito’s “We Are Not Alone.” 

Twiztid's New Video "Boogieman"

This horrorcore duo is still giving us first after almost 20 years

Twiztid’s “Boogieman” video marks many firsts for the band, formed in 1997. This video is the first to be released from their album “The Darkness”, their first studio album from their new label Majik Ninja Entertainment. “Boogieman” was the first single released from the album recording in their studio “The Dojo” in Michigan. The Darkness debuted in January on Billboard’s Top 200 at Number 29, marking the band’s 11th album to debut on the charts.

The video premiered on March 17th on the band’s website twiztid-shop.com, reflecting more of a Halloween theme as opposed to the Irish holiday it was released on. A cross between a night at Fright Fest and an internet date gone horribly wrong, it’s worth the five-minutes if you’re a fan of horror films.The actresses opening the video are particularly gifted at delivering their lines, but they do have pretty faces and huge boobs. The video, filmed at the California Institute of Abnormalarts in North Hollywood, CA features horror legends Reggie Bannister, from the “Phantasm” films, and Tyler Mane of the “Halloween” remakes and 2000’s “X-Men”.

While the only repeat viewers may be hardcore fans of the horrorcore duo, it’s definitely worth a watch for the scary movie buffs and absolutely deserves to be added to your halloween video playlist.

You can watch the video here.

www.Twitter.com/TweetMeSoHard
www.Instagram.com/OfficialTwiztid
www.Facebook.com/Twiztid
www.Twiztid.com

Get Your Irish On!

A great excuse to drink on a Tuesday… Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick’s Day – one of those strange days that started as a religious holiday to observe the death of a Saint  and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and evolved into a day to pretend you’re Irish, stuff yourself on corned beef, and get sloshed on green drinks.

Whether you’ve been planning your St.Patty’s Festivities since March 18th, 2014 or you’re just getting it into your head that this day is tomorrow and you may like to contribute to this day of debauchery, College News has got you covered.

First of all, you’ve at least got to have some great drinks. Before we dive into the hard stuff, it’s important to incorporate a virgin option. Consider adding a special mocktail so that the DDs don’t feel left out. Try a virgin martini or a fun punch bowl.

Now, on to the party options! For festive drinks on a budget, you can just add a small drop of food coloring to a glass of light colored beer, and “voila!” green beer. This makes a great option for beer pong as well, especially if you use clear plastic cups to show off your concoction! For a cheap option on hard alcohol, opt for clear choices like silver tequila or vodka and add couple drops of green food coloring to each bottle. Take your St. Patty’s day gaming to the next level with a round of Shot Potato or Irish Kisses.

If you’re looking to get crafty with your cocktails. there are a plethora of tasty options, from classic to exotic.

The crafty shot: Baby Guiness

The drop n’ drink: Irish Car Bomb

Beer Cocktail: Black and Tan

Find more awesome St. Paddy’s Day drinks at Delish.com or more green drinks at Cosmopolitan.com

To balance out that alcohol and make sure people don’t get too sloshed too fast, and to add to the festivities, you should probably include some food. If you happen to have the day off and you’re feeling ambitious, try to go for a whole traditional Irish spread: corned beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and soda bread. If you’re feeling extra fancy, try out this modern Irish menu from Chef Cathal Armstrong.

Have a fun St. Patrick’s Day tradition that we missed? Share it in the comments below!

Happy Pi Day!

Once a century, Pi Day gets super nerdy!

Pi Day is one of those lovely, silly days that can appeal to both nerds and non-nerds alike. While Pi has been around for eons (4,000 years, give or take), Pi Day has only been a nationally recognized day in the US since 2009. For the nerds, it is a numerical phenomenon, for the non-nerds it’s an excuse to stuff your face with obscene quantities of pie. Pizza pies, apple pies, moon pies…you get the idea.

If you’ve never celebrated Pi Day before, Pi Day 2015 is the perfect time to start! Once every hundred years, this day gets an extra dose of nerdiness. For those of you who have avoided math like the plague for most of your life, let’s have a quick lesson in Pi. Pi, or π for you Greeks out there, is a mathematical constant and the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. Pi is often shortened to 3.14, although it’s actually infinite. In the ’15 of each century, pi day gets two exact seconds (one am, one pm) as opposed to a general 24 hour window. On March 14th, 2015 at 9:26:53, this mathematical phenomenon gets a bigger slice of Pi day, representing 3.141592653.

To make the stress of college admissions time a little less intense and a little more fun, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology for the non-nerds) sends out its acceptance announcements on March 14th every year, and this year will send them out at 9:26am on March 14, 2015.

Another fun piece of nerd trivia – Albert Einstein’s birthday is Pi Day, he was born March 14, 1879. Princeton holds a Pi Day/Albert Einstein’s Birthday celebration each year, a fitting location as Einstein spent a lot of time at the university and even passed away in Princeton, NJ in 1955 (not on March 14, that would be weird).

What are your Pi Day plans? Tell us in the comments below!

Learn more about Pi and Pi Day at http://www.piday.org/

Here’s a few of our favorites:

Feel like taking your Pi Day Pie to the next level? Check out this Pi Pie Pan on Amazon http://astore.amazon.com/pidayorg-20/detail/B00GTB1X8C

To see Pi in a portion of its infinite glory, check out http://www.geom.uiuc.edu/~huberty/math5337/groupe/digits.html

’71 Brings Big Booms and Little Laughs

A Review of Yann Demange’s Film Debut, ’71

“That was amazing, but what the f*ck?!”

Yann Demange’s war flick ‘71 is not for the faint of heart or for those who prefer to view right and wrong in terms of black and white, but it is an epic, suspenseful, and masterful display of storyline and cinematography.

‘71 is set in Belfast, Ireland in the midst of the Troubles. The Troubles was a conflict that began in the late 1960’s between the Loyalists and Nationalists. The Loyalists fought for Northern Ireland to remain a part of the UK, while the Nationalists fought for a united Ireland. This conflict went deeper with the discrimination against the Catholic minority by the Protestant dominated population.

‘71 follows Jack O’Connell, a young british soldier through quite possibly the worst night of his life. Each time you think it’s all going to be okay, just wait. This poor soldier just can’t catch a break.

From the beginning, you’re immediately drawn in with the comradery among the soldiers and O’Connell’s faith in the military. The quick paced storyline and consistent tension and suspense is enthralling and firmly holds your attention throughout the film.

The visual effects are stunning, with carefully orchestrated shots to put you in the center of the chaos. In fact, if you’re prone to motion sickness, I recommend popping a Dramamine before heading into the theatre.

‘71 allows for movie-goers to really feel connected to the character and his experiences. Although this film is set in the 1970’s in Ireland, it still has themes very relevant to today. The concept of uniformed military fighting against a civilian force has been something Americans and many other countries in the world have been struggling with for years. The destruction and emotions depicted in ‘71 will likely continue to be very relevant for years to come.

One difference that adds to the uneasy sense of right and wrong being shades of grey is how close these two sides actually are to one another. Unlike two supremely different cultures that are worlds apart, the sides of the Troubles come from very similar backgrounds and have so much in common, it makes it easier to relate to them and more challenging to fight them.

In addition to the on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, this film also offers a few moments of  giggles. Your new favorite quote may just be “hands off your cock and put on your socks.” A bloody and epic battle flick with just enough humor to keep you from having a heart attack in the theatre, ‘71 comes highly recommended by College News. Unless you have a sweet-ass home entertainment system, we recommend catching this one in theatres to enjoy the full effect of the mayhem.

Dear Boy: A SoCal Band with London Roots

College News sits down with Austin Hayman and Ben Grey of Dear Boy

I had a chance to catch up with Austin Hayman at Dear Boy’s February 25th show at Bardot in Hollywood. Ben Grey was gracious enough to join in later for an in depth look at the stories behind a few of Dear Boy’s songs. 

Was a lot of your music written in London?

AH: Well the EP was written in London – that’s the 5 songs on the Dear Boy EP. We’ve done a lot of writing since then. We’ve basically written an entire full length that isn’t out yet. Including Hesitation Waltz that’s already out, we’ve written a lot of the stuff within the past year here in LA.

So, was London the first big batch of songs that were written?

AH: Pretty much. They went to London as an old band and wrote a bunch of material and kind of went through this transformation to become what became Dear Boy and a couple people left the band and I joined and Nils joined. It wasn’t necessarily Dear Boy when that stuff was written, but that became like like: “This is a new thing. This is Dear Boy. This is what Dear Boy is about.”

How did you get involved?

AH: Ben and I were in separate bands that had played shows together and he just hit me up one day. It’s funny, since the EP was written, we’ve evolved so much since then. Not to the point where it’s not relevant anymore, but I think that all the stuff on our full-length is definitely the four of us.

Where did the name Dear Boy come from?

AH: Well while they were in London they were out at dinner for Thanksgiving, and as you know Thanksgiving’s not a real thing in London. And I think they said something to the waitress about being there and not really being able to spend it with their family or anything and the waitress referred to them as “Dear Boys” and that just struck a chord like “alright” and that was it. It fits, it’s cool, there’s a cool story behind it.

What’s the next step for Dear Boy?

AH: We’ve been playing a ton of shows. 2015 has been really awesome so far – we’ve played a bunch of stuff along the West Coast and we’re playing Orange County next week. We’re going to SXSW and we have a really crazy week at SX we’re playing a whole bunch of shows that’s gonna be really fun. Last year we did it, but it definitely wasn’t as busy as this year. We’re also planning on doing a full length and putting it out by the end of the year.

Do you think Dear Boy will get signed soon?

AH: Yeah, we’re definitely in talks with a lot of people but we really haven’t made a choice yet. You have to be really selective about who you wanna work with, especially with your first album because it can really make or break you.

When did you first start playing music?

AH: I first started playing music when I was seven years old. My dad was a music teacher so I didn’t really have a choice…in a good way. Well not necessarily – I hated it when I was a child. I distinctly remember this moment when I was inside and I was being forced to practice. My friends came and knocked on the door for me to come out and play and I was like “I can’t go out and play.” When I was done practicing I went outside and no one was outside playing anymore. I was so mad that I was like “screw guitar! screw this!” -but i was forced to play anyway. It’s just about getting over the hump where you start to feel like you’re good enough that it’s fun. At first it’s not fun; anything you’re not good at, it’s not fun. But now I’m kind of glad that I was forced to do it. Well once I was at least a preteen I became obsessed with it. It was all I wanted to do, all I cared about.

BG: I could never have imagined myself becoming a professional musician. Seriously, I was in punk bands from ages 12 to 16, but that was for fun. It was catharsis. I never thought fun and catharsis could be your job.

I found the courage to start singing my own songs when I was 17 and it all changed. It was clear to me that this was what I was meant to do. My relationship with audiences and expression totally changed. I mean, there was a time I thought I would be a chef. It’s so wild to think about that now. I can still cook though, so don’t even worry about it.

What’s the writing dynamic within the band?

AH: Ben writes all the lyrics. But a lot of times it’s super collaborative. Either somebody will have something and come in, like just the start of something. Rarely does anybody ever come in  with something really put together. It happens every once in a while but a lot of it’s just an idea or something that will happen in practice. Somebody will start something and we’ll be like “that’s really cool,” and just go with it. Most of the time with bands that I’ve been in – that’s not really how it works. It takes a really strong connection between members so that people know how each other play, to be able to do that. A lot of times it takes playing together for a long time to be able to do that. We were just able to do that from the beginning and that was cool. Most of the bands I’ve been in didn’t do that, someone would just come in with a full song – but this is a really cool way to work and it feels like everybody has a part and the sound is all of us. That’s special, you know?

Do you have a standard writing process or do you just write as it comes to you?

BG: The high of this whole thing is chasing the inexplicable. That’s really just a fluffy way of saying there is no set process. I guess that’s part of the reason making music is so attractive: it’s unpredictable and wonderful. A song might come out of a conversation, something you mishear, a mistake, how you feel when you play certain chord. It’s magic.

Are all, some, or none of the songs written about real people and events?

BG: Some songs, absolutely. I’d say all of the songs are inspired by those things, but they’re not all direct narratives or anything. I don’t know about other writers, but I don’t go into a song with the intention of writing about somebody or something specific. The song kinda tells you what it’s about while you’re making it. That’s part of why it’s so exciting… You never know when you’re going to do your best work. That’s why you keep showing up.

Who is “green eyes” and why “goodbye”?

BG: “Green Eyes” is technically the first Dear Boy song ever written, actually. We finished the song while we were living in London and without getting too crazy with this answer, it’s essentially about putting a piece of my history to rest. 

Before we started Dear Boy, I was in a band named after a girl with green eyes… So I guess you could say that the song is a formal goodbye to her and more importantly a goodbye to an identity that I had lived with since I was a teenager. So this signified a change; there would be no Dear Boy without “Green Eyes.” 

What is “Funeral Waves” about? Where did the line “I’ll find God before he finds me” come from?

BG: That line’s origin is a mystery to me… I just started kinda saying it to myself one day while I was riding on the underground. It was actually the first thing written for that song… before a melody or a chord progression or anything. It was a bizarre mantra. A few weeks later, we started rehearsing and I knew I finally had a place for it.

You guys definitely have a very strong connection to your fans. Are you afraid your relationships with your fans will change when you start to get bigger?

AH: I mean inevitably you can’t remain in touch with so many people when you get bigger, that’s just the way it is, but I think that I see really big bands that do have that connection with fans. There are still those people that are at every show and the people that are really hardcore even if you’re super big – you’re gonna remember them. If the same person is in the front row every night, you’re going to recognize them. But it’s super important to have that, especially at our level, to be such good friends with these people. That’s part of the fun of doing this – the opportunity to meet people all the time. Some people aren’t cool but a lot of people are – a lot of people don’t get that opportunity to be around people like that.

BG: One of the things we’re the most proud of is the community we’ve helped create amidst the congestion of LA. We’re all in this together and it’d be impossible to forget the people who have helped take us this far. We’ve been incredibly lucky.

You should also read: We experienced Zedd’s  True Color Tour

Five Minutes with Tapioca and The Flea

The guys of TATF tell College News how they came together and where that name came from

Where did the name come from?
The name was originally a make believe band name I had made up to have somewhere to post my home recordings up on myspace. Eventually, I ended up taking it seriously and started the band. The name just sort of stuck.

How did you guys get together?
Myspace and the Orange County music scene brought us together. Been playing together ever since we met.

What’s your favorite song to perform live?
Definitely “Take It Slow.” We added this 2 minute breakdown that builds back into the chorus. Its so dancey and fun. I usually lose it by the end of the song.

When are you coming out with an album?
We’ll be releasing our EP this summer.

What is your writing dynamic?
I write most of the songs and then bring it to the band. We sit on it for a few rehearsals and tweak parts and ideas around till it feels right.

Are your songs inspired by real people and events?
Yeah, our songs are definitely inspired by real life experiences. A lot of our songs are about heartache or life struggles. We like writing about things that pull on our emotions.c