Here's What We Have:

Versatile, vibrant, and with colorful personalities, the mind and spirit of a Gemini have an incomparable duality. Gemini is the third sign of the 12 zodiac signs. Gemini is represented by the two twins. A common misconception of Geminis is that they are two-faced and manipulative. What people fail to understand is that Geminis aren’t two-faced for the sake of being two-faced. They are “two-faced” because there is a dichotomous harmony about their personality. Geminis are just complex girlies. They are both extroverted and introverted. Loud and quiet. Loving and cold. Geminis are a lot of different things all wrapped in one. But when you allow a Gemini to open up, you can begin to understand all facets of their seemingly infinite personalities. A relationship with a Gemini, whether it is platonic, romantic, or familial, will be a relationship you will remember forever because Geminis have a memorable personality because of their charm, wit, and charisma. Geminis value trust and loyalty and when a Gemini truly loves you and allows you into their intimate circle their loyalty is unwavering. One of the things I love most about Geminis is their passionate and adaptable nature. Whenever I meet a Gemini I am in awe of how outgoing they are. They know how to keep it fun and interesting because of their adaptability. This is because Geminis are driven by change and they can effortlessly shift between extroverted enthusiasm and introspective contemplation. This enriches their relationships and deepens their understanding of themselves and others. In all, Geminis deserve a lot more credit than what is offered to them. They are often villainized by stereotypes and they may feed into them. Astrology is not the catch-all to understanding people as, like Gemini, it is more complex than understood. That being said, the core of Gemini is a colorfully chaotic character made of many different personalities. To truly appreciate a Gemini is to embrace their complexity and give them space to reveal the many facets of their vibrant personality. Their dynamic spirit ensures that no encounter with a Gemini is ever boring. Instead, it's an exploration of endless possibilities and profound connections. Written by K. Pereira Photography by Rose Miller

If you’ve followed any sort of news in the past couple of years, you’re probably aware of the ongoing attack on queer and trans rights in the United States (and the rest of the world, to be fair, but we’re going to focus on the US). As of last year, there have been hundreds of anti-trans bills and anti-queer bills introduced to a variety of state and federal legislatures, and the number continues to grow. Many of the bills are targeting trans kids since far too many people run under the assumption that people under the age of eighteen are incapable of making choices about their own bodies and well-being. This includes restrictions on access to hormones and hormone blockers for people under eighteen, restricting people from using the bathrooms that coincide with their gender, and banning trans people from playing on sports teams that coincide with their gender. Plenty of these bills are also trying to demonize the parents and health professionals that support trans kids, such as charging parents with child abuse if they allow their children to receive hormone therapy and restricting doctors from practicing for administering it. There are, unfortunately, outspoken “LGB” groups who try to distance themselves from the trans part of the queer community. They seem to think they are morally superior, and that the cishet people in power will see that they’re just so different from us trans folk. The truth is that the community as a whole is being attacked—there have been numerous states trying to ban drag performers, and there have been a multitude of bills introduced trying to prevent any education on the queer community, inclusive sex education, and queer history. There are also people who try to claim that queer and trans rights are not an issue of politics, but that could not be further from the truth. Queerness and transness are inherently political; it does not matter if we wish they were not. We will exist regardless of whether or not the government has deemed it right or lawful—we have always been here, and we will continue to. Still, it is important for us to be recognized and respected by government officials, so those of us who wish to seek medical care and procedures are able to do so safely. The people in power should be able to influence the public in some way, so we do not have to continue to see hundreds of hate crimes documented in the news each year. Change has to start somewhere. Sign petitions, research the politicians you support, and keep up with what they are or aren’t doing, call them out if they aren’t doing enough (and they probably aren’t). Support your queer and trans friends, stay up to date with how these laws are affecting their lives where you live, and respect and try to understand their identities even if it doesn’t match how you’re used to seeing certain people present. Trans people especially do not owe you attempts at “passing,” and your respect and support for them should not waiver if they don’t match up with your binary ways of thinking. To my queer and trans friends reading, I have faith that things will get better, and know that you are absolutely not alone in any of this. Seek support from your friends and family, and don’t ever think you’re a burden for existing. Don’t settle for anything less than you know you deserve. Written and Illustrated by Alec Conwell

This year has proven to be one for music history books. With famed artists such as Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande dropping chart-topping albums earlier this year, we were all biting our nails in anticipation of the release of Billie Eilish’s third studio album, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft.’ The title, along with the imagery of Billie being pulled into deep, dark waters for the album’s cover, was a promise from Billie to return to the raw and honest art that we have all grown to love her for, and she did not disappoint. Billie and Finneas have managed to craft a true work of art that speaks to the soul in numerous ways that can only truly be heard through several listening sessions. If you were not a “Billie-stan” before, this album is sure to surprise and comfort you simultaneously. At only ten tracks, ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ is Billie’s shortest studio album to date. However, this did not stop her from being able to connect with her audience and fully articulate the song’s emotional weight. The album opens with “Skinny”, a tragic ballad about the detrimental effect heavy scrutinization has on self-image. With lines like, “People say I look happy / Just because I got skinny,” this opening track deeply resonates with the misery that exists because of people’s need to comment on every aspect of your life. This is especially true for celebrities who became famous at a young age and have had their entire childhood on public display (“Twenty-one took a lifetime”). Its spacious, aching string quartet makes the song feel almost as if it were a sister song to “What Was I Made For? (Billie’s Oscar-winning track from “Barbie”).” Following right after “Skinny”, the sure-to-be club hit “Lunch” perfectly and humorously conveys the primal attraction you could have for a person, specifically a woman in Billie’s case (Let’s go Lesbians!). The rhythmic, yet progressive, production feels like a return to the playful pop seen in Billie’s debut album, ‘When we all fall asleep, where do we go?’ My personal favorite lyric in the track, besides “I could eat that girl for lunch,” is definitely “Tell her, ‘Bring that over here’ / You need a seat? I’ll volunteer.” Every line, bass strum, and snare hit work in sync perfectly to create this summer gay-pop banger we knew we desperately needed (Sorry, Jojo.). Next on the track list is the ethereal “Chihiro.” Inspired by the Studio Ghibli movie “Spirited Away,” it takes listeners into a different spiritual realm with its muted vocals and thick, milky bass. Playing on the themes of its muse, “Chihiro” evokes feelings of longing and missed connection. The repetition of the line, “Open up the door / Can you open up the door,” conveying that search for love but in such an innocent way that reminds me of the film’s ten-year-old protagonist, also named Chihiro. The end of the track transitions into an arpeggiated synth that completely overwhelms the track by the end, a technique used by many DJs to rile a crowd, adding to the album’s overall motif of being drowned out by your own feelings. “Birds of a Feather,” is sure to become a timeless hit in the years to come. This song is a true testament to the quality of talent shared between both Billie and her brother Finneas. There is no other feeling that can explain this track other than love in its purest form. Every time I hear, “I don’t know what I’m crying for / I don’t think I could love you more,” I can literally feel my body become overwhelmed with pure positive emotion. This is truly a song for people who feel so hard that they don’t know how to put it into words. My favorite part of the track is the lead synth line, which almost seems to mimic a bird’s tweeting making the track feel like a run through a field of sunflowers. Anyone who believes Billie Eilish only makes sad music is sure to be shocked by this one. “Wildflower” and “The Greatest” both serve as soft, yet extremely heartbreaking, acoustic cushions in the middle of the album. Both tracks slow the pacing down immensely, but they both raise the stakes in terms of emotional complexity. “Wildflower” dips into the extremely complex emotions of being in a relationship with your friend’s ex, and the toll that can take on someone’s psyche even if neither the friend nor the ex seem to care. “But I see her in the back of mind all the time / Like a fever Like I’m burning alive, Like the Sun,” evokes such a strong, aching feeling in listeners that is extremely reminiscent of the guilt being communicated. “The Greatest” is a track that also conveys a profound, lingering feeling. However, this song caters towards the self-sacrificing ways in which we can engage with love. It talks about how we can try anything just to feel the same appreciation that we give from a partner. This track is self-deprecating and soul-crushing in the most beautiful ways. [Fun Fact: Throughout the entire album, Billie belts higher than we’ve ever heard from her, reaching a D5 in the climax of “Birds of a Feather”] Billie digs into her jazzy inspirations for “L’Amour de ma Vie.” Billie and Finneas were not afraid of getting mean in this one. In heavy contrast with the previous song, it tells the very relatable story of the potentially messy aftermath of a relationship and the nonchalant energy we can get post-breakup. It is sung from the perspective of a person who did not feel the love as strongly as their partner claimed to feel themselves. The tone shifts from apologetic to more accusatory once it gets to the lyric, “You said you’d never fall in love again because of me / Then you moved on immediately.” This tone is carried into the shift from minimalist jazz to autotune techno through the closing lyrics as Billie screams, “I'm so glad it’s over now.” “The Diner” is a return to the villain-esc, darker sound heard from Billie in songs like “you should see me in a crown” and “bury a friend.” Drawing on inspiration from personal experience, Billie sings this eerie track from the perspective of a stalker. Like the other songs mentioned, Billie and Finneas made excellent usage of vocal distortion and a raw, unsettling style of production to create the perfect track for strutting the streets on both Halloween and New York Fashion Week. The penultimate tracks “Bittersuite” and “Blue” show off Billie and Finneas’ excellent ability for blending songs within songs. “Bittersuite” is a moody love track that opens with an artful use of Billie’s airy vocals and synth distortion, transitions to a reggae-like groove very reminiscent of Bossa Nova, and ends with a synthesized version of the melody of the first half of “Blue.” During my first listen, I marveled at how Billie and Finneas were able to smoothly blend seemingly completely different sounds to be cohesive to this singular story they were attempting to convey. “Blue” is a blast of nostalgia for any long-time Billie fan. Billie wrote the first half of this track, nicknamed “True Blue,” shortly after releasing “Ocean Eyes” in 2016. Unfortunately, the original demo got leaked on the internet, and many fans lost hope in ever hearing a finished “True Blue.” However, Billie not only released a reworked, finished version of the song but also combined it with the haunting “Born Blue” to create this beautiful closing track. It completely encapsulates the energy of the entire album. Billie and Finneas even go as far as to reference lyrics or phrases from the whole album just within the first verse. It is tear-jerking. It is groovy. It is storytelling at its best. The usage of a leaked song from the beginning of her career on a track about the tragedy of childhood fame is pure genius. "Blue” is the perfect way to end the impactful piece of work that is ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft.’ If you are a fan of dissecting music production and symbolism, want new songs to add to your gay club playlist, or desire to hear the most depressing lyrics written in the past 3 years, then this is the perfect album for you.  Billie Eilish and Finneas are masters of the dedication and attention to detail it takes to create such a successful project as this. Debuting at #1 in over 14 countries and getting over 500 million streams in less than a week, this is Billie’s most successful album to date. Billie has truly found her specific sound in music, and it is exciting to see both her and Finneas grow and mature while remaining the insanely talented artists we have grown to love. I truly recommend listening to this album in the dark all alone. Do not listen to the music and wonder who Billie wrote it about. Instead, listen as it relates to you. Who do you see in the back of your mind? Who is your bird of a feather? Who do you want to eat for lunch (metaphorically, of course)? Listen fully and listen deeply. Something may hit you harder than expected. Written By Jai Leprince

A Sit Down with Brooke Muller The question, “What does it mean to be creative?” is not an easy question to answer, let alone ask yourself that. Brooke Muller, a creative who balances a nine to six and a six to indefinitely, and more, as the manager of a rising band here in New York City, Wilmah, brings inspiration to many other creatives in the music industry, tackling the balancing of passion and work in a heavily male-oriented industry, and she does it with such grace. I was lucky enough to sit down with Muller to discuss her journey from the start of loving music to working in it, what it's like to manage a band, her challenges with the music industry, and the concept of creativity. (This interview was conducted in person and has been edited for clarity.) When would you say your love for music began, whether that's like live music or just music in general? For as long as I can remember. You can watch the home videos of me when I'm three years old, and you can't understand a word I'm saying, but I'm singing Cheeseburger in Paradise or Pop by NSYNC. I was the biggest NSYNC fan at four years old. There's a video of me from my fourth Christmas when you can see me opening up an NSYNC backpack and pretending to faint. Being a fan was something that's always been with me from an early age. I always say my first iPod was when I was in elementary school. My dad loaded most of it, so I was like the only fifth grader listening to songs like U2 and Love Shack by the B-52s, Jackson Brown, and Squeeze, and I feel like that opened my eyes up to the world of music. But then, with that, I had all the radio Disney hits playing in the car, and then, I think, the next stage of that evolution was when I was 16 and stumbled upon a little unknown band called One Direction, and that changed my whole world. I've never known a love like that up until that point, and that's when I started my first fan accounts, which always sound so funny, but they're the whole reason I am where I am now. I would sit on Instagram and Twitter and make connections with people all around the world or states away, or I'd come into the city for a concert and meet up with them. It was the first time that I felt like other people felt as deeply passionate about music as I did, besides my dad, but he wasn't, you know, talking and tweeting about One Direction at the time. I just saw that there was this whole world out there that I could be a part of. Growing up I thought I couldn't be a part of music because I didn't have the musical talent, but connecting with these people and supporting these bands taught me that there's a whole other side to music, which helped to grow my fan passion. With that, I started a blog in high school called The Underground Studio, where I was reaching out to local musicians, interviewing them, and trying to share their stories. Then when I got to college, I was the VP of Marketing for the student-run record label and worked with a band there called The Trips, my first band, and that's when I saw that artist management and working with artists directly was what I wanted to do. Not so much management, but being a part of an artist's team, I wanted to have that personal connection with them. I did that throughout college and then when I graduated I just kept embedding myself in the New York music scene. Those are kind of like the big pinpoints of my life where they just kept building and growing on each other, and when I look back, it tells this holistic story of where I started and where I am. When you talk about the struggles of trying to be creative when you're not the one creating the art, it makes me question: how do you define creativity and being creative? That's a great question because I didn't consider myself creative for a long time. When I graduated college, I was working in healthcare marketing and talking about pharmaceutical drugs, and I felt like any creative spark that I had was just zapped out of me. What I discovered  is that creativity is innate in everyone; you just have to find the right thing to bring it back out. For me, that was finding these smaller bands who are working hard and trying to make something for themselves. I found that being a part of their worlds and getting to know them and the people who love them brought my creativity and spark back to me because suddenly that's all I wanted to talk about. Finding new ways to spark that with other people was helpful. I'm thinking about what I do mostly with Wilmah, which is that understanding people's communication styles is a part of creativity nobody talks about because not every person is going to receive information the same way or be inspired the same way. A lot of the creativity of what I do comes from understanding how people receive information and finding ways to connect with it. I'm not creating a product, I'm forming/ being creative in my connections, which I think is interesting. Not all of us are musicians; a lot of us are managers, journalists, or photographers. Because of the work you do, you surround yourself with a lot of musicians. Do you ever find it difficult to find other managers or connect with other people, especially women in the industry? It is the thing that I crave the most. I kind of just broke my way into this on my own, and I've been very fortunate with the people that I've met so far, but there has to be more, and there have to be, especially more women that I can meet. I went to a cool manager meet-up a couple of months ago, and there were some inspiring women there, but I'm craving people in their 20s who are also trying to do this because I think it's so important to learn from those older than me, but I love to have some peers who are doing the same thing I do. So it's something that I'm hoping to find more of this year and make more connections. In what ways do you feel supported, and what does that mean for you? Because the band you work for, you love very deeply. So how does that support translate? I always say that I am so fortunate to work with the people that I do. Matt and Will of Wilmah are some of the greatest guys I've met, and I've known them for a long time now. From the very beginning, I've always felt very supported by them and always respected as a woman, but never looked at as just a woman, which I think is great. I feel very valued, and I think I bring a unique fangirl opinion to what we do; they're the type of guys who appreciate that, and they don't diminish, especially since fangirls often get diminished. I'm very lucky to be working with them. Although sometimes I say that I mother them, which I've had a complicated relationship with because that's not the role I want to take on. I always say to them that as long as I feel respected, I'm happy to help them out, support them, and do things for them. Once that respect goes away, so does my support in that sense, but we've come nowhere near that yet, and I don't imagine us doing that. So I'm happy to make sure they eat, make sure that they have water when they're hungover at a photo shoot, and be that supportive figure for them because I also just think that's part of being a manager. That's a rambling answer, but... No, I think that makes complete sense because I think managers sometimes have to parent and act as guides. There is a business aspect to managing, but taking care of the band is important. I think that's part of my nature, though. I'm an older sister; I'm the eldest daughter. I think that's just who I am, and I was thinking about this the other day. It's nice to be in a role where I can put those innate skills to use and help other people through it, and just tap into what I naturally act like anyway. So I think it makes a lot of sense that I've ended up in the position that I have. Could you tell the readers: who is this band you work for, and what your role is? I am the day-to-day manager for a New York-based indie pop band called Wilmah. Wilmah is Matt Connolly and Will O'Connor. They've been best friends their entire lives. They're from Buffalo, New York, and they are here now in Brooklyn. They've been making music for years, and it's very upbeat pop. It’s music that you want to dance along to, but when you listen to the lyrics, there's a real level of depth that I don't think people necessarily get the first time that they hear it, but it makes for a really exciting and complex listening experience. How did you meet them and start working for them? I met them when I went to a Sofar Sound show in the fall of 2022, and the last act that came up was this guy, who came up to me and said something like, “All I've had today is a cigarette and a Heineken,” and I was like, “Here we go." Then they proceeded to play one of the best live sets I've ever heard in my life. I had tears in my eyes after the last song, and then I left and said, “Who is that?” and looked them up the next day, shot them a message on Instagram, just started connecting online, and started going to a bunch of their shows. I accidentally showed up too early for a show, and they were like, “What are you doing here? We don't go on for three hours,” and I was like, "That's so awkward.” But then they invited me to come play Jenga with them in the basement of the venue, and that's where the friendship sort of blossomed. Then, when I left that show, I went home and said, I have to be a part of this. I felt this burning sensation, like in my gut, that if I didn't try something more here, it was going to be a missed opportunity. So I went home and put together a 15-slide pitch deck saying, “Here's everything I can do for you from a social media perspective,” emailed it to them, sent them a DM to check their email, and they were like, “Yep, we need all the help we can get.” Then in January 2023, I started working with them more as a social media consultant and strategist, and then naturally evolved into taking on more of the PR and publicity work. Then, in September of last year, their manager called me and said, “You're doing everything a day-to-day manager does. Let's just put you on the management team,” and I said, “Why not?” Ever since then, I've been the day-to-day manager, which means a lot of everything. It mostly consists of helping your senior manager with anything he's doing, whether that's booking shows or making sure the day of the show runs well. Lead a lot of the marketing and PR efforts, such as working on social media, contacting the press, setting up interviews, photoshoots, live reviews of shows, working on the website, and writing bios. Generally, just being there. I want to talk about the moment when you were like, “this is it.” You see a lot of bands, but what was it about Wilmah and their performance that made you say, “I want to be a part of this?” I've asked myself that question so many times. I wish there were words to describe it, but all I can go back to is that burning gut feeling I've had. I've only ever had it two other times in my life. The first was when I was applying to college. I only wanted to go to one school, and I felt that burning sensation about it, and it ended up being the best place I could have possibly been. The second was when I moved to New York, and I just felt like that was something I wanted my whole life, and when that came true, I had that same burning sensation. I just really trusted my gut that if this had only happened two other times before and it ended up being for something or someplace that changed my life deeply for the better, I needed to listen to that feeling. I could go on and talk about, you know, they have great lyrics, their music is fun, and they are great live, but that's the same for a lot of bands, but with Wilmah specifically, I just knew this is what I'd been looking for. I had been waiting for years to find my way into the music industry. It wasn't working at a label; it wasn't working at a corporate music job; it was waiting for the right opportunity. So when I get that feeling that I can't put this aside, I have to try and do something about it and it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. How do you think your love for them as a fan translates into the work that you put in for them? I remember when I started doing this, my dad said something to me: “Don't say to yourself, ‘I have to do this’ instead say ‘I get to do this,’” and I think about that a lot when it's, you know, 10 o'clock on a Wednesday, and I just worked for nine hours and have to write a press release for the new song coming out or I need to respond to a bunch of emails, it never feels like work. This is the fuel that keeps me going through the mundane of life. I care about these boys, and I believe in this music so deeply that it's been a year and a half now, and every day still feels like an honor to be a part of it. I just tap into that feeling to drive through everything I do, and I feel so deeply fortunate that my favorite bands have become some of my good friends and are the people that I work with daily, and I never take that for granted. Do you want to talk about what it is like to balance a nine-to-five and this at the same time? And what do you do outside of your music job? The goal is, you know, that Wilmah becomes the biggest band in the world, and I get to do this full-time, but until then, the realities of living in New York are very relevant. Meaning from nine to six, five days a week, I work at an advertising agency, working in social media strategy. I'm very fortunate with the place where I work. They're very supportive, and it's a great place to be. I just feel such a spark from all the work that I do with Wilmah that carries over into everything else that I do. I use that passion to fuel me through the corporate work days. I'm very supported, such as today I sent a message today to my friends at work to come to the show on Friday, and they said that they would, which is exciting. It is a great place to be in the meantime, but the goal is to tour the world with the biggest band in it. You started off working with Wilmah as a social media manager and then went into PR and then management. Did you think you'd end up managing, or was that always the goal for you? No, I never thought that I would have a manager title. I have always wanted to be a publicist. Ever since I was a teenager, my goal has always been to be a music publicist. I went to school for PR and advertising, intending to always use that in the music industry. Once I started doing publicity work for Wilmah, I was like, “That's great, this is it.” But when I got the opportunity to join the management team, I said, “Why not? If I have this great opportunity to learn as much as I possibly can right now, why not take it?” And I was already doing it without knowing it, just by the happenstance of being so close with the Wilmah guys and doing so much for them already. But it was something that I never saw for myself. I always say it works out well with Wilmah because it just did. I don't know if management is something that I would consider more widely. I think PR and social media are really where my love is, especially with this because I come from such a fan background that being close to social and PR feels like the closest you can be to the fans and building that fan connection. That's what lights me up in this whole music world. That is probably where I see myself going more in the future. But to have this experience at 26 and see what it's like to manage a band and everything that goes along with that is so valuable, and I'm very grateful for it. You've had the chance to work with other bands, such as helping out with PR and social media, and you've even been asked if you'd manage another band. So I ask, do you see yourself working this closely with another band? Or do you just feel like you're just going to continuously help other bands when you can? Yeah, I never want to close the door anywhere completely. I think I'm way too young and way too new to all of this to have a strong answer either way. I think for me, it comes down to who I'm working with and how deeply I believe in them. I think the level to which I believe in Matt and Will and the music they're making as Wilmah is deeper than I've ever felt for anyone else before, and I think that's why being able to be a part of everything that goes on as a manager works so well. I need to have that really deep, passionate connection, but depending on the level of that, I think that would determine how closely I would work with them because it takes a lot of time, so right now I'm focused mostly on working with Wilmah and bringing them to the next level, but I'm always open to opportunity. Consulting more from a social and PR side is where I see more of this going. My dream is to one day have my own little agency where I get to work with a lot of different artists and musicians from a social and PR consulting perspective, that's the big, long-term goal. Right now the goal is to work with musicians from a social and PR standpoint on a larger scale. Did you see yourself working this closely with a band, or did you see yourself working from a more outside standpoint? Being this hands-on is one of my favorite parts of it. My job in college was through an office that helped set up a lot of the events, a lot of the cultural events, and speakers and musicians that came to campus. Half my job was sitting in an office working on promotional material, and half of it was being at events and interacting with people, helping sell merchandise, collecting tickets, and ushering people to their seats. Those were always the days that I felt most alive in that job having that human connection. I'm such an extrovert and just thrive on connecting with others in person. I think that's why this role works so nicely because I get to be with the guys a lot, and being at shows and meeting people at venues and going out to meet other bands and other artist teams is where my natural skill set just tends to thrive anyway, so I love the hands-on aspect of it. When I was working for Spotify, I was working on an account called Notable, which was like the songwriting and producing arm of Spotify, and I was helping them with a lot of their social media and community management. Sometimes we would reach out to artist teams to see if we could do a social collaboration post with them, and every time the artist team would respond, I would get this thought of, “I want to be the one on the artist team, like responding.” I've never been super drawn to the corporate side of things. I've always been drawn to the more personal side of things. What is your favorite part about what you do with Wilmah? I get to hear demos early because I am a fan. My favorite band is Wilmah. Getting to hear a song in its beginning stages, watching it evolve into a final recording, hearing it live, and then seeing other people start singing is just the craziest experience. Other than that, definitely the live shows. I think Wilmah puts on an incredible live show, and they've cultivated a very connected community where the people who come come because they love Wilmah and they love supporting them. I've been able to make so many good friends through that, which is exciting. It's nice to be surrounded by people. who love something as deeply as I do because I didn't have that much growing up. That's been a really special thing that working with Wilmah has brought me. Every time I get a text from Matt and it's a new demo, it makes my entire day. Do you have any pieces of advice for anyone, whether it's people in the industry, women in the industry, or young people in the industry? Trust your gut, which sounds cliche, but I think it's important to check in with yourself and figure out how you feel when you're around certain people. I don’t think I'd be able to do what I do if I were surrounded by people who didn't feel supported and respected. When I'm around the Wilmah crew or some of my friends that I work with, I feel a sense of calm and excitement, and I think that's important because who you're around dictates a lot of what you do, the places you go, and the energy that you spend. Make sure that you're spending the right energy on the right people and places. I always say things aren't going to come to you. You have to make them happen, especially in an industry like this. How many people want to work in music? You can't just sit back and wait for it to happen. You have to find the right opportunities for yourself and then put your head down and drive as hard as you can into those moments to make them happen for yourself. I think you'll surprise yourself with what you find in that. Who inspires you, whether that's musically or your career, or whether that's just a motto you live by? What inspires you? My dad. My dad has been an inspiration my entire life in the sense that he has a creative spark that I've recognized as I've gotten older that I also have. In the sense that he dreams big, can always see what things could be, and works to make them a reality. Growing up in Connecticut, he and I had a pact that if there was a show I wanted to go to, I would buy the tickets and he would drive me there. I spent my teenage years driving into New York with my dad to see incredible live music, and he would get just as invested as I would. We would listen to it on the way in and out, and we would talk about the songs, the bands, and the artists. Through what I do with Wilmah, he was the one who proofread my entire pitch deck; he worked on it with me. He’s been my soundboard to bounce ideas off of. Sometimes I'll brainstorm with him because he has such a good head, both in reality and in what I think is key for doing this, in the vision and the dream of the possibility of the future. He surprised me at the last Wilmah show, which was a really special moment. I teared up a little bit because we spent so many years growing up saying, “This is what I want to do. One day, I'm not going to have to drive out of the city. I'll just walk from the show back to my apartment.” As a team, we'd stand at those shows and look around and be like, “Who do you think the managers are? Who do you think the label executives are?” And he'd be like, “Go talk to them." He always encouraged me to talk to the artists and talk to people around me, so for him to show up at a show of a band that I work with felt like a crazy full-circle moment. He stood in the back of that show, and he sang along to every word, and he was cheering just as loud as I was. That was a really special moment. I feel very fortunate to have had him by my side throughout all this. Does your dad have a background in this? Yes, my dad's been an avid music fan his entire life. I think a lot of my discography comes from him. In high school, he had to write a poem for English class, which he forgot to do, so he got up and recited the lyrics to a song by a band called Oingo Boingo, and he always told the story that music is poetry. His brother was in a band, meaning he was always surrounded by music growing up, and he's just been a deep appreciator of it. He's the one who introduced me to the Foo Fighters mini-series, Sonic Highways, that they did back in the day. I always say that is what made me see music differently, and I see it not so much as something passive that you listen to but something that you can be a part of. I credit him for that. Spitfire questions now. Favorite Wilmah song? Don't ask me this; this is the hardest one. Of the released music, it changes every day, but I'm going to say that Crazy for Your Crazy was my top song on my album last year. I listened to it 229 times, which is a little wild but there's a lot of really great unreleased music that is coming soon. The best show you've ever been to? The best show I've ever been to was with a band called The Dip at Bowery Ballroom, and it was special because The Dip had been my favorite band for a while. I was supposed to see them right before the pandemic happened, so the show had been canceled and rescheduled about three different times. To finally be there was special. One of my best friends who lives in North Carolina had flown up that weekend to see them because we shared a mutual love of that favorite band, so to be there with him and my other best friend, who's my roommate here, seeing a band that we love at an iconic New York venue after we hadn't seen live music for so many months, is to this day one of the most special moments of my life. If you could only listen to one album, one song, or one artist for the rest of your life and could not listen to anything else, what would it be? Shout out to my girl, Taylor. Taylor Swift has been my older sister since I was 10 years old. I have listened to every album since the day it dropped. I love her music, but I never had an older sibling, and she sort of feels like my older sibling, who's been with me from 10 to 26. As she's grown up, I've been able to grow up alongside her. Her discography has something for every emotion and every feeling, and when I don't know how I'm feeling, I just scroll through her Spotify and find it, and then I'm able to explain my own emotions back to me. If there is one musical artist that you could recommend everyone listen to at some point in their life, what would that one be? Wilmah… Well, my favorite song of all time is this song called Kidnap Me by the band Cruisr, who isn't around anymore, but it's been my favorite song for the last decade, and I anticipate it will be my favorite song for the next decade. It's just a feel-good, upbeat, indie pop representation of everything I love about music-type songs. I would recommend everyone put that on their playlist. Go follow Brooke Muller on her socials! Check out the band she manages, Wilmah. Interviewed and Photographed by Veronica Anaya

Komodos, a Brooklyn-based garage-rock post-punk band with influences that stray from just one genre label, recently came out with their second single, Deliverance. Following their first release, The Score deviates from the liveliness of their lyrics and adds range to their sound, adding an angsty edge to their lyricism and overall production. Deliverance starts with the isolation of a droning note and the beginning of the drum beat. The isolation that is noted at the beginning of the song repeats twice, highlighting key moments within the lyricism and emphasizing guitar riffs and drum beats. The structure of a Komodos song tends to show off their skills in understanding the power of isolation and emphasis as they create remarkable crescendos, not just instrumentality but through the emotions lyrically. There are two instances in Deliverance, besides the beginning, where all drops except the bass and the drums which result in the lyrics having a spotlight. This is where you can hear the lyrics clearly as Taran Dugal, lead singer and guitarist of Komodos, sings “There’s snakes in the grass,"  “Bite your tongue, get inspired,"  and “The curtains close, Don't you know I burned the brakes last night?"  some of my favorite lines. During this part of the song, Dugal continues to sing with more urgency and passion as the instruments build themselves back up, allowing the listeners to experience what Dugal feels. What is interesting about Komodos is the production that goes into their unique sound. There are influences of Julian Casablanca with the distortion of the microphone on Dugal's voice that creates this muffled sound, making him sound further away, almost as if you're listening to this song play on the radio. The distorted sound is pretty reminiscent of post-punk bands because, in contrast to the vividness of the instruments, it has a heavier tone that adds a sense of rawness to the song. The instruments themselves do not have that distorted sound except for the lead guitar, which blends the deeper tone of the voice with the intensity of the drumlines. They successfully blend two contrasting genres of post-punk and rock by bringing in elements of garage rock and punk rock, as the use of contortion blends them well, resulting in them creating a new sound for themselves. The warped sound comes from the instruments, but the use of drones that I previously mentioned makes their sound unique. This added element can be heard evidently in many garage rock bands of the 90s, but this sound was huge during the punk rock era, reminding me of bands such as The Velvet Underground and The Stooges of the late 60s and early 70s. The droning sound created this ambiance of darkness and creativity and had lyrics that spoke out against issues, their beliefs, and their morals, which is what Komodos do in their way. When you listen to Komodos, I wouldn't say they sound like any other band, but rather, when you listen closely, you can hear the influence that they pull from, honoring bands and musicians from different generations they have pulled from to create their indescribable sound. If you’ve followed this band for a while now, as I have, you will know that they had an EP out before these two singles. It's incredible to see how their sound has evolved and how they've grown into it. Written by Veronica Anaya Photography by Kabir Dugal Listen to Komodos latest single, Deliverance, and more from them!

After spending 4 years in film school, walking out with abundant knowledge about the history of film, experience working with the university’s Blackmagic camera, and using words like mis en scene when discussing films, how do you have your movie? How do you get a film into Sundance? Where do you find your funds? Where do you start? If privileged enough to receive a formal education in filmmaking, the curriculum always seems to forget to include key details on making a film. As major studios live in the past coming out with reboots and remakes, how do filmmakers tell their original stories independently? While studying at Northeastern, Catherine Argyrople discovered her passion for storytelling. Instead of going to film school, she opted to go to the best place to learn how to make movies and film sets. By graduation, she had worked on various productions and made several short films.  She took the knowledge from those experiences into producing her debut feature, Growing Pains.  The film follows two childhood best friends the summer before their freshman year of high school, capturing the hardships of growing up and friendships fading. After a long 3 year journey, the film had its world premiere in Argyrople's hometown at the Boston International Film Festival. I had the pleasure of talking with Argyrople to discuss the challenges independent filmmakers face and the creative freedom to provide representation where Hollywood lacks. Growing Pains addresses hardships most often faced in adolescence (and often follows us through adulthood), such as mental health, sexuality, and drifting of friendships. What was the process of building these characters’ stories authentically? I am big on authenticity– it informs how I show up in the world and my work. I wanted to create a diverse and authentic story about teenage girls that shows two unique life experiences that feel true to key struggles and themes that young women face in their daily lives. I am grateful that my writing partner, Mariana Fabian, had a similar passion for authentic representation. We both felt that many depictions of teen girls feel very inauthentic to real life. Whether that be from overdramatizing storylines and events to harmful portrayals that oversexualize or age young girls inappropriately, illustrating girls in these inaccurate representations in the media has major implications for negative cultural and societal impacts. It was important that we showed our characters, Zoe and Nat, in an honest light with sensitivity to the subject matter, as they are both seen in intimate emotional and even physical portrayals. We casted teens to play teens instead of casting adults. While this created more restrictions for me as a producer and writer, this was something that Mariana and I felt very strongly about, and we were not willing to compromise for the sake of authenticity. Similarly, we casted people who could represent the backgrounds of the characters that they played. The most special thing for me was casting Molly Morneweck to play Zoe’s character, as she had a similar medical background to me as a cancer survivor and the same scar as myself, as well as the character. Few films offer a true and honest representation of teen girlhood. What are some common mishaps mainstream media makes when telling female coming-of-age stories? What essential themes were you determined to have depicted accurately in your film? What a great question! My writing partner, Mariana Fabian, and I wanted to tackle this ambitious and personal film with an authentic lens, in terms of the representation and how it portrays teen girlhood. Oftentimes, movies about young women aren’t written or directed by women themselves, which can be quite toxic depending on how they are depicted. Teen girls are often oversexualized and portrayed from the male gaze, and many times in mainstream media, these actors are adults playing children. All of this can create really harmful representation! While many are blinded by the glitz and glam of big Hollywood studios such as Paramount and Universal, independent filmmakers lack the funds and resources compared to these big studios. What was your experience producing this film? It is my dream to work with incredible studios like Paramount, NBCUniversal, and Disney one day. They make incredible work and provide many great resources to their teams and filmmakers! This is most definitely true about independent filmmakers having limited resources. Many independent filmmakers, including myself, are self-financing their projects and relying on grants and crowdfunding campaigns to be able to tell their stories. I used the money that I saved for film school to instead make a feature film, which was one of the best decisions that I have made in my professional career. While it would be amazing to go to film school and receive an MFA, I really wanted the opportunity to tell a personal and special story to me and to be able to have the creative autonomy of directing, writing, and producing. We also received so much community support from a successful crowdfunding campaign with 100 supporters and 4 grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which is where I am from and where we made the movie. I am extremely proud of the movie and I know that we did a great job of creating this movie with limited resources and bandwidth. I have poured so much into this film over the past three years and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to make this film. The film was quite ambitious for a microbudget feature film debut– shooting over 21 days in 9 locations with 110+ people, including on the water! If we can make an ambitious feature film completely independently, imagine what we can do with ample resources! Hollywood being a male-dominated industry, it is not often you hear of a film crew made up of a majority of women and nonbinary filmmakers. How do you think the collaboration with a crew that reflects the characters on screen translates into the film? I feel that it is important for women to have the opportunity and platform to be able to tell female-centered stories. So often, stories of women and girls are written, directed, and produced by men. We felt that it was important to tell this story about girls with a team of women. I am proud that the film was awarded our ReFrame Stamp by Women in Film and The Sundance Institute for gender-balanced hiring, as over 80% of our crew was female or non-binary! I think that this female-centered, inclusive lens had a large part in creating a safe space for my actors to feel comfortable and supported on set, especially when dealing with sensitive subject matter surrounding mental health, sexuality, and intimacy. I heard a lot of great feedback from my team that they felt like this environment for filming was quite positive, especially compared to other sets. For sensitive and intimate scenes, we had a wonderful intimacy coordinator present named Kayleigh Kane who was incredible and was instrumental in helping my actors feel safe. Not only did you shoot in Boston, but having the film premiere at the Boston International Film Festival.  How does it feel to share your debut feature with your hometown? It was so special to world premiere back at home in Massachusetts, where we filmed the movie. We had a wonderful turnout at both our premiere at BIFF and our Community Premiere that my team planned independently at the iconic Somerville Theatre. At the Community Premiere, we had over 400 people on a Tuesday night! The house was absolutely packed and the reception of the film was overwhelming, as I felt so much love and support. People were laughing, crying, clapping, and cheering! It was wonderful to see that after three years of hard work and dedication to the film. The premieres also showed me the impact of the film on the lives of our community members who helped make this film a reality. I was very moved by people’s feedback, hearing that Growing Pains was their favorite set and professional experience in their careers. It also was quite fun to chat about the film at the Community Premiere with Alecia Orsini Lebeda from Women in Film & Video New England, who moderated the Q+A. Lastly, a big highlight was meeting my writing partner and associate producer, Mariana, in person. We had been collaborating remotely over the past three years, so this was a very special opportunity to celebrate our work in person with the people who helped us make our movie. There is a longstanding debate among filmmakers whether or not film school is worth the investment.  What advice would you offer young filmmakers who may be questioning if they should make this investment? I honestly think this is a really personal decision and each individual will have a different feeling about it. As I mentioned above, I decided not to go to film school and make a feature film instead. I believe that this was the right call for me, but I had extensive film production experience before embarking on this journey. I had wrote, directed, and shot a number of short films, as well as worked in the corporate film world and on a number of sets. I am also a very motivated, driven person with big goals and ambitions. I don’t think that making a feature film is for everyone, and I was actually advised by a mentor of mine to make a short film instead of jumping to the feature. I didn’t feel that making a short with Growing Pains was the right call for my story or career, as I actually made Growing Pains as a spec for a television series. Having some significant experience in shorts is a really helpful background to have before making a feature. I think film school can provide a wonderful education in film from seasoned professionals, as well as a great team of collaborators who you will learn and grow with. The networking and resource aspect of film school is incredible. My advice would be to ask yourself, “What feels like the right direction to go for your story and your career?” If you feel strongly to write and direct and/or produce, I suggest making your film independently. In film school, you typically pick a specialization and you wouldn’t have the same creative autonomy on a project. I would also find great collaborators who are going to help you realize your vision, supporting you along the way. Lastly, I would encourage you to pursue what makes you the most passionate. When embarking on a film, passion and drive are key as you will be working on the film for years potentially. After completing your debut feature, what have you learned from this experience that makes you feel better prepared for your next film? I learned so much from making a feature! It was the best “film school” experience for me. I learned how to be a better collaborator and leader, which has aided me in every area of my life– personally and professionally. I learned when to take important feedback from others and when to stick to my original vision, as everyone on the team has a valuable perspective to add! I also learned how to be a better director, articulating my vision and story with more clarity and complexity to my actors. I am in pre-production on a TV pilot, Getting Back Out There, and in development on a coming-of-age surfing drama feature film. I feel my experience with Growing Pains has taught me so many lessons and learnings that I will bring with me and build upon for my lifelong career in the arts. Stay updated on Argyrople's journey on Instagram and her website. Be sure to check out the Growing Pains Trailer and stay updated by following their Instagram. Written and Interviewed by Ashley Murphy

In the digital era, musicians have a better chance than ever to be discovered. While many view the internet as a way to find instant fame, it also provides us a track record of the length of a journey artists take before trending and catapulting to a new level of recognition.  While I don’t believe in gatekeeping music, it feels like a gift to stumble upon an unknown artist before the rest of the world discovers them. Just a few months ago, as I mindlessly scrolled on Instagram Reels (don’t judge me), my thumb stopped in its tracks as I heard the most infectious beat, with an edgy/rebellious flare resembling the early days of Ke$ha. I was instantly hooked. Thanks to the mysterious wonders of the algorithm, I discovered my new favorite song, “Dirt” and my newest hyperfixation, Zoe Ko. The alt-pop singer came into the scene two years ago after releasing her first single, “Line”. Since then, she has kept busy, ending 2023 with the release of her first EP, “Baby Teeth”. Then, within the first half of 2024, she signed with Big Loud Rock, released her first two tracks under the label “Dirt” and “Eat,” and just concluded her US and Canada tour with Games We Play. I had the privilege of chatting with Ko about her music and what she has planned next. How would you describe your music to first-time listeners? Cheeky, flirtatious, alt-pop bangers that make you dance and sing. What story did you want to convey when you wrote your first EP “Baby Teeth”? Each song was about my past or a new problem I was dealing with. “Baby Teeth” was about myself holding on to past traumas and not letting them go. “Petri Dish” was about the new girl I was becoming and me in my hoe phase. “Pink Noise” is me discovering the common struggles of a woman in today's society. “Tangerine” is introspective about my past, upbringing, and hardships, and still trying to have a positive outlook on life. “Rib Cage” is about my hardships growing up but finding healing in new relationships and love.  I think it’s all about growing up, coming to terms with your past, and eventually finding yourself and what matters to you most. How did you come up with the title “Pink Noise”? Honestly, I was in class at NYU, and we were learning about the different types of noises, like white noise and pink noise, etc. I loved the phrase pink noise from a while ago and never let it go. I thought it would be the perfect metaphor for pure feminine rage. I noticed a lot of familiar faces in the “Pink Noise” music video: King Mala, Catie Turner, Sophie Truax, and many more.  What was it like having so many fellow artists on set? Omg, it was so fun!!! Love all of them, and it was the perfect powerful girl group I had envisioned having in this music video. Your recent single, “Dirt”, is an absolute banger! With an infectious beat and catchy lyrics longing for the grit of NYC. Could you dive a bit into the headspace you were in while writing this track? I had just moved to LA from my beloved city, NYC, and boy, I missed the city. I missed the clubbing lifestyle and crazy dirty nights out with my girls. So, I wanted to create a song I’d hear in one of my clubs about missing the DIRT and wanting DIRT in general. It was mainly just fun and hilarious to write. That’s why it’s so fun and such a good listen: you can feel the fun we had while making it. After living in NYC and LA, where do these cities differentiate within their music scene? I don’t know how different they are. There are definitely more influencer artist figures in LA, and LA has a bigger music industry at the moment, but in general, they operate the same, just in different sizes. What can we expect next from you? Maybe some new music? Yessss, so many new songs are on the way!! I'm excited about the music video and, hopefully, more shows soon! All leading up to another project this year :) You can find all of Zoe Ko's music on Apple Music and Spotify. Written and Interviewed by Ashley Murphy

From a young age, schools present their students with limited career paths. If the students express an interest in an industry (such as in the arts) for which the school could not make a step-by-step guide, it would be deemed a risk or unrealistic. The corporate world would be portrayed as a field that would make one financially stable—told that the only path to success is climbing the corporate ladder. Young creatives looking to pursue a career in the entertainment industry are often not provided with any direction from their high school and college advisors. In a series of interviews, I will discuss with NYC-based creatives their journey in the industry and the different paths they took to get where they are today. I had the pleasure to sit down with Brooklyn-based writer, photographer, and social media strategist Vincent Perella. At the young age of 25 he carved out a social media manager position for himself at Indiewire. He has covered some of the biggest events in the film world such as: Sundance, The Golden Globes, The Oscars, and many premieres. He also works as a freelance digital editor for an independent magazine, ODDA, interviewing celebrities such as Angus Cloud, Michael Cimino, Taylor Schilling, and many more. In two short years of living in NYC, Vincent has solidified his standing in this hard-to-navigate industry. —--------- A: What are some of the responsibilities of the Social Media Manager at Indiewire? V: So going into the job, it was baseline a social media manager job. My day-to-day consists of planning the content across all our social channels (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube), writing the copy for that, coming up with graphics, and coming up with an innovative way to repurpose editorial content when certain things are trending, or I think a certain story will perform well. The role evolved. My higher-ups liked what I was doing; they asked what I wanted to make out of this job and would try to evolve to get there. We evolved the role into a red-carpet correspondent; paired with that was also after-party photos and stuff for corresponding events such as premieres, film festivals, and award seasons. I just hit my one-year anniversary with the company, so we are now…having a discussion over my title and where we want to mold me towards a little bit more than social media manager. So updates to come:) A: Could you also give us a breakdown of your position as Digital Editor at ODDA? V: The Odda team is really small. It's a global magazine, and the people running it are ten or fewer, including me. ODDA is really fascinating, we do two print editions a year, and each edition has 300-400 pages yearly (it's like a thicc boy). Apart from print, we run digital stories year-round. We cover everything from fashion to entertainment, highlighting up-and-coming talent in the art world. It's really cool having my toe dipped into culture in every possible sense. As a digital editor, apart from the print world, I am usually the point person running all the online stories. Often I help with pitches; I have a cool hand in sourcing talent. I do most of the digital interviews, I help with the planning of the editorial shoots that go into it, and I coordinate with their team and PR; planning the launch and rollout is cool. It’s really fun. To sum up both roles, Indiewire is like the hub of all my interests in the movie and tv world, which is what I have always been passionate about. ODDA is really cool too, because I can get a taste of the fashion and art world. A: How do you prepare for these interviews after filtering pitches for interviews and selecting the celebrity/influencer? V: I immediately jolt out questions I can think of off the top of my head. Most of the time, if I agree to interview someone, I know who they are. First, I write down questions that I find interesting. Then I google their name and click on the news tab to see what projects are on the horizon to keep it as current and relevant as possible. The best/worst part of these interviews is that I am limited to 10-12 questions, so you have to narrow it down, which could be tricky. I approach it as finding the best story; I’ve never had an issue when asking a question and asked to scratch it, which is good. A: When you do red carpet events for Indiewire, how do you keep tabs on all the people you’ll potentially meet? V: That's a great question. With ODDA, you talk to one person and know you’re only talking to one person going into it. With Indiewire, when I’m going to a movie premiere, they’ll give me a list of expected attendees for the carpet, but they don’t all stop for the press. Typically, I approach it by picking the big names and preparing a couple of questions hoping to get them. And for the people I don’t prep questions for; it’s easy to come up with something off the top of the head. One thing I found advantageous with larger groups, such as at the Emmys, was asking specific questions to relevant talent, but I was asking a lot of people the same question. One question I asked was, “If you could put your character in any other show nominated tonight, what would it be and why?” That was cool because we could make one article of their answers and conceptualize the storyline—the same thing with social videos. A: How long have you lived in NYC? What was the process like getting your foot in the door? V: I’ve been living in NYC for just over two years. Getting my foot in the door was a lot of work in college, in internships. Throughout college, I bartended to fund my move here; that was always the lifelong dream. I had four internships in college; one was at a small PR agency, two were at Boston Magazine, and the fourth was at Vice in Williamsburg. They all were pretty similar, social editorial focused. My first job out of college was at an agency doing socials for the New York Times. It wasn’t a sexy job, but most media people will say, “you need the agency experience to get started.” I was like, alright, let me get this under my belt. It was kind of a sucky job, and six months into it, I had to get out. I started to apply for jobs, and Odda came across my lap first. I was obsessed with the magazine, and I was bugging the editor-in-chief for a couple of months to give me the opportunity to show him what I could do. For a month or so, I helped him do socials and did a couple of interviews for digital. They didn’t have a digital editor, and after a month of doing this, he asked if I wanted it. It was never a full-time opportunity. I continued to work at the agency and used Odda to keep me excited about my day-to-day work life. It was an excellent resource for connections and building my portfolio with writing samples, and I grew from there. In January 2022, I saw a job listing at Indiewire for this role, and went into it like, “I’m going to fight to the death to get this; I don’t care what it takes.” I applied for the job, found out who the hiring manager was on Linkedin, and messaged her. “Hey, girlie, I would love to hop on a call with you and learn about this opportunity.” That went really well. It was seven interviews and two tests, it came down to another person and me, and I got it. To answer the question on how I got both those opportunities, it was having a strong resume and being knowledgeable about both those spaces. ODDA, which I was always passionate about because it covered so many spheres of culture I was interested in. What worked so well with Indiewire, I am so addicted to movies and TV, and I think they picked up on that. —----- When Vincent isn’t conducting interviews on the red carpet, he continues to put his creative ambition to work through his photography. Looking through his portfolio, you’ll start to recognize a number of faces, such as Jennifer Coolidge, Anne Hathaway, Dylan O’Brien, Jenna Ortega, and many more. Captured right off the red carpet or at exclusive events, Vincent has a collection of unique portraits that feel spontaneous and raw, unlike most photos captured at these highly covered events. These celebrities are captured in a radiant and natural moment. With the vintage look amplified through the slight grittiness and overexposure in his photos, these candids resemble a ‘90s college vibe rather than a staged photo op. Pictures by Vincent Perella (From Left to Right; Bella Thorne, Dylan O'Brien, Desus Nice, HoYeon Jung) —------ A: Taking a look at your Instagram, there are a lot of familiar faces. How did you get started with your photography, and how do you approach celebrities at these events? V: Before these jobs, I always had my camera on me. If it was taking pictures of friends or at a restaurant/bar, I was always strapped for aesthetic purposes. It started with ODDA, a lot of these events celebrities were sprinkled around. I said, “I like taking pictures of my friends, but let me try to get some celebs in the mix and see if I can pull it off.” I would straight up walk up to people and ask if I could take their picture. No one has ever given me a problem with it except [name censored, not spilling that tea]. A lot of these portraits come from after parties and big events. If you go to a movie after a party, they are expecting people to take pictures, which makes it pretty relaxing. I am pretty outgoing, so if I see someone I want to take a picture with, I will just go up and ask. A: What is your favorite film you have seen while working the red carpet? V: If I had to pick one, I would say Tar. It was my #1 of the past year. A: In your recent red carpet coverage for Knock at the Cabin, you chatted with Dave Bautista about potential DC characters, and he brought up an interest in doing a rom-com. How would you pitch the actor to be in a rom-com? V: It’s hard; Dave is a beast. I can’t picture him being soft, cute, and funny in a rom-com. If I could pitch him in a rom-com, I think it would be cool if he could be a character of himself. I think it could be interesting if he were some sort of wrestler in the film, but behind closed doors, he is a miserable, sad man who needs someone to pick him up. —----------------- Check out his most recent coverage with Indiewire at the Independent Spirit Awards. He chatted with Paul Mescal, discussing his commitment to the independent film industry. As well as getting Jamie Lee Curtis’ input on the current nepo baby conversation. To see more of his work, check out his Instagram @vincentperella or his website below. You can also find his work on Indiewire’s website. Interviewed and Written by Ashley Murphy Photography by Mark Bluemle

The "country aesthetic," the latest in the internet's identity crisis, has been everywhere, fueled, in part, by Beyoncé’s newest genre-bending record, Cowboy Carter. Two years after her previous disco/house-inspired record, Renaissance, her latest album has defied much of what was commonly expected of Miss' Yoncé, as she has fully repatriated to her St. Louis roots with this pop-country jam. While the casual listener was left stunned by the sudden change to Beyoncé’s music, her devoted Bey-Hive has been coyly aware of the many references she had left in her previous album, hinting that this second-act of her alluded three-album project would most likely be heavy in the yeehaw-department. Beyoncé’s record-breaking Renaissance world tour transformed stadiums into a sea of leather and chrome, with fans donning cowboy boots/hats and assless chaps (for the brave), as was the compulsory dress code in anticipation of the mythicized Cowboy Carter. By the time Beyoncé kicked off her tour in May 2023, Taylor Swift had already begun her long-awaited Era’s Tour in March, and, much like Beyoncé’s fans, Taylor’s fans had brought their twist on the “classic cowgirl.” Swifties bedazzled the cowgirl in fringed tinsel jackets over sequin dresses with cowboy boots, and bright pink flare pants with matching vests and cowgirl hats (à la western Barbie). T-Swift’s uncompromising and unapologetic femininity brought the cowgirl to an uber-girly level, whereas Beyoncé fans kept it sleek, sexy, and silver (but still cunt to the feminine). Some see the outfits as an homage to Beyoncé and Taylor’s country roots; others see it as more of a cosplay of a modern cowgirl. But this quick adoption of Western aesthetics should not shock most terminally online folks. The "cowgirl/boy" aesthetic has been on the rise since the early months of COVID-19 when everyone was forced to watch life pass by from their bedroom window, seeking some semblance of community by participating in trend after trend. Typically, TikTok trends have a shelf life of 90 days, but this cowgirl flare has quickly become the exception, with its influence finding itself in daily wear. Pre-TikTok, we were used to trends reemerging 20 years after their inception; now, the trend cycle has grown shorter and shorter with each appropriated trend of yesterday. We are witnessing a rise in the Southern comfort wear of the down-to-earth cowgirl. She represents a natural, homey, and fearless je ne sais quoi that is the antithesis of another popular fashion trend, the coquette girl. However, unlike the coquette, the cowgirl can keep up with the boys while not sacrificing her femininity. She is often seen in dirt-covered flare jeans, point-toe cowboy boots, a big leather belt with an even bigger belt buckle, and that trademark wide-brimmed Stetson. During the early days of quarantine, this neutral, low-maintenance vibe was ideal for many who were not into the maximal fashion trend, which was also popular during this time. Soon, early adopters began implementing a southern twist into their wardrobes, but with a microtrend-y pop of color. Nightlife quickly became a barrage of tiktokified pseudo-southern fits, dripping in fringe, feathers, and jewels. The "jeans a cute top" look was elevated by cowboy boots instead of the traditional going-out bootie and a boho belt to tie it all in. At that point, throw on a bedazzled hat to up the sparkle factor. The casual cowgirl look became the go-to going-out outfit. We all have a shared memory of drunkenly walking down a city street during the summers of 2020/1, fighting for our lives in a swarm of pink cowboy hats. As this year’s Coachella, the Instagrammer Olympics, comes to a close, we are getting a sneak peek at what in-trend styles we should expect to see come summertime. Among the most popular items littering the valley (and our feeds) were ruffle-tier skirts, concho belts, chunky jewelry, anything denim, loose/flowy tops, and cowboy boots/hats. Besides fashion, vices like tobacco have become southernized as more twenty-somethings drop their e-cigarettes for the latest dipping tobacco successor, the Zyn. Similar to Dip in both cowboy influence and consumption methods, these tobacco-filled plant-fiber pouches are meant to be lipped for 5-30 minutes (depending on nicotine percentage and the user's tolerance). Think Nicorette, but with less chewing and more gum recession. Zyns are increasing in popularity, particularly in the nightlife scene, in part due to an increase in federal crackdowns on flavored e-cigarettes and public perception of traditional cigarette smoking continuing to nosedive. The discourse on trend-cycle decline overconsumption continues as Gen Alpha kids are pining over an uncanny nostalgia for pandemic-era style. Dubbed "Pandemic-core," it is a repurposed infatuation with the fashion, music, makeup, and lingo of a time most of us remember like a PTSD flashback. Everyone old enough to have their social lives permanently disfigured by the shutdown talk about it like a biblical slight, a modern-day Noachian Flood. But while most of us sheltered in the Ark that was TikTok, the Gen Alpha kids only experience this shared trauma through our recollection of it. Their FOMO is now bringing back Bella Poarch-style videos and whipped coffee a mere four years after its initial popularization. At this rate, we will soon run out of things to overconsume if we haven't already. Once the next "it" (re)style comes around, its fate might be that of the cowgirls: regurgitated until it is a parody of its history, community, and cultural values. Yet, we all wait with bated, Zyn-laced breath for the next over-manufactured trend to please the drop-ship-buying masses. Written by Daniella Fishman Creative Director, Production Manager, Photographer: Ben Pfeifer PA: Mark Bluemle Talent: Ariana Catalinotto (@aaariana.c), Diamond Durant (@diamondurant), Sen Zacarias (@senzacarias)

With the release of Beyoncé's highly anticipated COWBOY CARTER, country has been at the forefront of everyone’s minds, including 47 Magazines. We at 47 Magazine want to appreciate the many aspects of country music, old and new, so here is our 11-song playlist titled: CUNTRY. Protector by Beyoncé and Rumi Carter Take Me Home, Country Roads by Lana Del Rey Goodbye Texas by Harriette Too Good to be True by Kacey Musgraves Walkin’ Back to Georgia by Jim Croce Holy Roller by Zach Bryan, feat. Sierra Ferrell Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way by Waylon Jennings Buddy by Willie Nelson Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That by Dolly Parton Do I Ever Cross Your Mind by Chet Atkins and Dolly Parton Gettin’ Rich, Goin’ Broke by Willow Avalon Written by Lucy Anderson

As Spring has begun to bring the world alive once more it is said by the ancient Greeks that Goddess Persephone has returned from the underworld starting the season of spring. Persephone has always been one of my favorite goddesses to learn about. Her story is one that has two different tellings, different versions of the infamous tale of her and King of the underworld Hades. As well as the other tales revolving around her and her relationship with her mother Demeter. Since Spring is now fully in action I thought that it would only make sense to write an article as well as create a photoshoot in the image of the Goddess of Spring herself. In this article, I will be sharing some basic information about Persephone as well as the story of her abduction which contains the ancient Greek explanation of spring. Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, having a close relationship with her mother. Persephone is considered to be a dual deity being a goddess of multiple things including spring, vegetation, and fertility. Persephone and Hades have a complex story which can be told one of two ways: that being the relationship which had been forced onto Persephone by the kidnapping or that after the kidnapping within the underworld Persephone had truly fallen in love with Hades. They both have two children together, one daughter, Melinoë,and one son Zagreus. The symbols associated with Persephone are a pomegranate, seed of grain, a torch, flowers, and deer. It is said that Persephone was picking flowers one day when Hades saw her. He was so captivated by her beauty that he took her by force to the underworld. Demeter, goddess of the harvest and fertility, searched for her daughter when Persephone went missing. Once she realized Persephone was taken to the underworld, she protested the abduction by stopping her work with the crops. Zeus and the other gods tried to convince Demeter to lift her curse on the land, but she would not until her daughter was released. Zeus then sent Hermes to Hades urging him to release Persephone. Before Hades released her, he had her eat the seeds of a pomegranate. Since she had eaten fruit from the underworld she was now tied to the underworld and to Hades forever. Zeus was forced to make a compromise between Demeter and Hades in their claims to Persephone. He arranged a plan for Persephone to spend four months with Hades as his queen, one for every seed of the pomegranate she had eaten. The other eight months she would return to her mother. Demeter continued to allow the crops to fail when Persephone was with Hades. This myth of Persephone was used by the Greeks to explain the cycle of fertility in nature, explaining why there are only four warm seasons in the climate cycle. Written by Celeste Nieves Creative Director, Production Manager: Celeste Nieves Photographer: Alec Conwell PA: Jazzi Almestica, Isabella Lopez MUA: Marlie Kaye Talent: Summer Star Campos (@summerstarcampos) Stylist: Sophia Querrazzi

Have you ever woke up and thought "Huh, I wonder which 47Magazine Staff member I would be...". Well, you're in luck! Take the quiz here to find out your twin flame from the team. Let us know your result on our Instagram or comment down below! Creative Director: Ben Pfeifer & Celeste Nieves Production Manager: Ben Pfeifer & Celeste Nieves Photography and Editing: Ben Pfeifer Talent: Jazzi Almestica (@shes.so.dope) & Jaiden Alexis (@thejaidenalexis)