Review: PVRIS at Warped

By Emily Racanelli

PVRIS At Warped: The Rise To Main Stage

As the morning sun increases its pressure on the pavement, thousands of people line up in preparation for the Vans Warped Tour. Despite the near 90 degree weather, there are a few brave (or crazy?) individuals who disregard the heat and cover their bodies in black sun-absorbing t-shirts, beanies, and even the occasional pair of pants! While these select few are an example of what to do if you want heat stroke, most others are a walking advertisement for the various bands that grace the stages of Warped each day. Covering a wide array of genres, I catch a glimpse of some Atilla, a plethora of Bearooth, The Wonder Years, and the occasional PVRIS tee. For me, the latter is most exciting.

In 2013, the Boston natives won Battle of the Bands and earned their spot on the MA and CT dates of the tour, playing the Ernie Ball Stage. As the trio progressed, growing in popularity--and switching their name from “Paris” to “PVRIS”--they returned for a second round the year after, this time playing two weeks worth of East Coast dates on the same stage. According to the pattern, it would make sense that PVRIS has secured a place on the entirety of the Vans Warped Tour this summer. However, the tremendous success they are currently experiencing was something that nobody saw coming. Originally, the group was bumped from their prior slots on the Ernie Ball and said to be on the Journey’s Left Foot Stage. After only a couple of dates, they were pulling crowds so massive that it only made sense for the newcomers to dominate the main stage alongside veterans such as Pierce The Veil and Simple Plan.

To even categorize PVRIS with bands that have been playing music since lead singer Lynn Gunn was in elementary school is absolutely insane in the best way possible. The electro-pop music combined with Gunn’s vocal range makes for a sound far poppier than what you might expect to hear on Warped. Even though their debut full length White Noise (released by Rise Records) is more on the mellow side, it doesn’t stop the 1,000+ people who show up to their set everyday from going wild.

I attended the Long Island, NY and Cleveland, OH dates of Warped, being sure to catch PVRIS at both. Each time, I was astounded at the amount of people; these weren’t passerby just looking to catch a new act, but dedicated CVLT members who had no problem soaking in sweat for hours just to get a spot near the barricade.

As one of these overtly committed and nearly dehydrated fans, I can say it was worth the wait. Never did I think I’d see people crowd surfing to the anger-ridden ballad “Holy,” but I guess there’s a first for everything! In fact, the audience may have been just as captivating as show happening on stage! When the set drew to a close, things would begin to escalate even further. As per usual, Gunn introduced hit single “My House” by repeatedly asking the crowd “Whose house is this?!” After building the anticipation, people were so rowdy you would think it were Atilla playing, not a band that uses synthesizers and frequents the head voice. By the time the bridge came around, total chaos ensued, as I turned my body to the side to stay alert for crowd surfers. 25 minutes simply just isn’t enough; hopefully the immense attendance--which wrapped around to both sides of the stage--is enough of an indication that a headlining tour should most definitely happen!

If you missed PVRIS on Warped, catch them at whatever other small venues they stop by in the near future, because I can guarantee that in only a few years they’ll be selling out stadiums. With a unique style, powerhouse vocals, and swooning synths, PVRIS is set to be the next big thing.

INTERVIEW: Youth in Revolt

Interview by: Xochitl Hansen

Hitting the Ernie Ball stage on their first year playing the Vans Warped Tour, you can tell Outerloop Records band Youth In Revolt is more than prepared. With a great cover of Lorde’s Royals on Punk Goes Pop 6 and a new album coming this fall this band is knocking everything out of the park. Recently, I was granted with the chance to speak to vocalist True Arahill and let me tell you, he’s one of the most down to earth people I was blessed with meeting.

Can you say your name and what you do in the band?

My name is True and I’m the singer for Youth In Revolt.

How’s tour going?

Tour is amazing; it’s our first Warped Tour eve. It’s a great opportunity, the kids have been really receptive, and you know the Ernie Ball stage has been real good to us. It’s been a great time so far; we met some really awesome people, and get to hang out with some really good bands.

How’s the weather been?

The weather has been pretty brutal. Yesterday [Mesa, Arizona], was one of the hottest days so far, if that was the worst I think I can handle it. Today [Albuquerque, New Mexico] would have to be the second worst. You’ll definitely have fun in Texas then. Texas! I forgot that’s coming up next. There is a hurricane in the coast, so you may catch a break on the heat. Rain, that’s something I haven’t experienced on tour yet. I’ve always watched Warped Roadies, where people’s tents are flying around. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

You guys got a cover of Lorde’s Royals on Punk Goes Pop 6, how was it recording?

That was amazing, the cover has really blown up for us now. It has almost two million views on Spotify; it’s only been out for about seven months or so. It was just really fun to do, I love Lorde and I think her music is great; it was cool to put a nice twist on it and give it more an upbeat vibe to it. Just being on Punk Goes Pop 6 is amazing; I used to listen to them all the time. So, the fact that we were able to be part of it is pretty special. I’d love to do another one too, if you’re out there Fearless.

Any tour stories?

Um, well this girl actually gave me this flannel and it says ‘King T’, because in the Royals song I say ‘you can call me King T’ instead of ‘Queen B’. I just wanted to give a little character to it, so she made this for me and gave it to me at the show. It’s pretty cool. I wear it on stage and stuff. Nothing to crazy yet, it’s only the beginning for the tour so we’ll see.

Any tour Pro’s and Con’s?

Cons, not enough water. We are always running out of water, so that’s a main thing. We’re always trying to salvage water. One con is since we are on the Ernie Ball stage we’re like one of the few bands that is asked to bring their gear with them, so we need to put our gear in the trailer, which limits our space and stuff. But like I said earlier, it’s still a great opportunity. Pros, definitely the exposure, meeting new people that we haven’t before, meeting new bands that I’ve always wanted to talk to and hang out with. Try and get on tours with those guys and girls. So far the vibes have been great; everyone’s been so nice and kind. I have no complaints.

Where’s the best place you’ve played or your favorite here in the US or overseas?

I haven’t been overseas yet; I’m trying to get over there so well see how that goes. Favorite place so far, we actually had a great show in Birmingham, Alabama. I know that’s kind of not so much a popular location, but the crowd response was great. It was a Crown The Empire tour with Volumes and Secrets and it was awesome. Also, another place was Columbus, Ohio which was really nice. Then independently I was with another band, and we went to a place called Bear Lake, Utah and that was really beautiful. They had a raspberry festival going on; it was just a super cool vibe. It was kind of like South Beach in a quiet town. It had a really interesting vibe and the Colorado Rockies made it an amazing sight with a beautiful lake in front. I’m a nature person, so it was really cool.

What place are you excited to play on this tour or in the near future?

Well, I was excited to play California. We always get a great response there. We’ve played Chain Reaction [Anaheim, California] a few times before; we always get a great response there. I guess I’m pretty excited to play the Washington area; it was raining last time we were there now I think it’s pretty nice out. It would probably have a nice breeze out there since its up north; get way from the heat for a bit. Its very wilderness, like I said I’m a nature person. I think I’m going to be pretty excited about that.

What bands were you excited to be on the same bill as?

Definitely excited to see Pierce the Veil, you know they have a new album coming out. They have a new single out and it’s really awesome. Pvris, definitely. I met Alex two nights ago, super cool guy. I’m supposed to hang with them tonight. You know kind of bond with the bands. I met Mallory Knox; they’re really cool. I saw them on The World Tour with Pierce the Veil, Pvris, and Sleeping With Sirens. Which I actually saw on Ticket Master Sleeping With Sirens might be playing a few dates on Warped, so I’m not sure if that is really true or not or if Ticket Master messed up, but if they play I’d be thrilled to see them. I love Sleeping With Sirens. Asking Alexandria, with Denis as their new singer. Big shoes to fill, but he’s been doing really well, I saw them last night and they did a really great job. Attila of course, always a fun crowd. Never Shout Never was good too, Chris- his new style of music is pretty bluesy, and so I’m getting into that. I didn’t realize it was him at first and he played Trouble or something and I was like ‘Wow’ such a cool new dynamic. But, those are a few bands I’m pretty excited to see. There is so many here honestly. So many friends and so many just awesome bands I can’t even choose.

When you guys are in the studio, what does your writing process look like? Any rituals?

This album was a very hectic album for me, we had month to do the album and then get right on the Warped Tour. We wrote a lot of songs from scratch in the studio. I usually like to take a lot more time writing, but we made it work. One of my friends helped with the song writing, so it took some of the work off me. We did it in Fresno with Taylor Lawson, so it’s a real nice area. The food there is really good. It was expensive, but it made the whole experience worth it. You get to enjoy your meals every day, then go back and write. No rituals for this one, we used a couple songwriters in LA for some stuff, we didn’t use all of them. We worked with Mike Green, whose done like All Time Low, Pierce the Veil, and Brandon Paddock who’s done Black Veil Brides, he’s worked with so many people, like Boys Like Girls. It was really cool; we got to try a couple different things for this album. I’m pretty excited to see how it turns out. I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet; I’ve been just in the mix of everything. I’m just rolling with the punches.

You have some pretty nice sleeves, are there any tattoos that hold meaning or are your favorite?

I really like this octopus guy [right shoulder]; I’m a certified scuba diver, and I really love underwater. I’ve always wanted to be a treasure diver. If I ever get really wealthy somehow I’m just going to go buy a boat and go search for treasure in the water or something, like every rich man’s retirement dream. Then, this Jimi Hendrix one [left inner wrist] I started playing guitar because of Jimi Hendrix. It’s a really good tattoo. It was done by an apprentice too so that’s funny. He was an art major, so he had a lot of talent. I grew up on classic rock, so for me he’s the root of rock and roll. He started the whole life and psychedelic guitar playing. It’s really cool; I’m a fan of all classic rock And, I got Zelda right here [left shoulder] huge video game fan. I’ve got spider man, the Hobgoblin. I’m kind of just a video game, music nerd. That would some it up pretty much.

What’s coming up next for Youth In Revolt?

I’m sure we're going to tour to support the new album and the fall is when the album comes out. I know there is a lot of bands on Warped that have new albums coming out, so you never know. We might be able to go on tour with one of them or something. I’d be stoked to go on a Blessthefall tour or something.

One final question, what does music mean to you?

Music to me is an expression; you know emotion, art; it can be angst or just what you’re holding inside. To me it’s beautiful when people can relate to either your lyrics or just your melodies or chord progressions. It’s just an art form; it’s another way of showing how you feel. Sometimes it doesn't even have to be the way you feel, it’s just something enjoyable that people like to listen to. For me, it was just an escape and it was something I always just gravitated towards and knew I was good at and it’s a great way to make friends. All the fans are super nice and the bands on this tour like I said are great too. So, it’s been just a nice community of people. I wouldn't change it for anything. It’s been awesome so far.

  

Make sure you catch Youth In Revolt all summer long on the Vans Warped Tour! They'll be playing the Ernie Ball Music Man stage!

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INTERVIEW: Moose Blood

Words by: Xochitl Hansen

Hailing from over the pond in Canterbury, England, Moose Blood has climbed to the top. Currently on No Sleep Records with other bands such as Lee Corey Oswald, Somos, and Seasons Change, Moose Blood has proven their worth. With two EPs, a split 7”, and their full length album I’ll Keep You In My Mind, For Time To Time under their belts, Moose Blood shows what drives them to be their best. With each chorus and riff, Moose Blood draws listeners in with its intense passion and brutal honesty. Luckily, I was able to sit down and talk with three out of four of the members as they embark on their first American tour, the 2015 Vans Warped Tour.

Can you tell me your name and what you do in the band?

Eddy // Guitar and Vocals

Carl // Bass

Mark// Guitar

Glenn // Drums (was unable to make interview)

You’re obviously not from America, so where are you from?

We’re from southeast England. We’re based around Canterbury in Kent.

How is Warped Tour going so far?

Awesome! It’s so good, so much fun! We’re, I think, slowly adjusting to the weather. Yesterday [Mesa, Arizona] was the toughest day yet. Pomona was very hard because it was really dusty, but so far the shows have been great. Beyond that, this wasn't anything we were expecting. It was just great to be part of this tour, and be out here.

You said this is your first time in America. Have you done any bigger tours overseas?

Only crossing a tiny bit of sea going into Europe. We've toured Europe before with bands like Balance and Composer, Seahaven, and Man Overboard, which both of those tours were just fantastic, but this is our first time playing shows in the US.

When you guys write, what does your process look like? Any certain rituals?

It all starts with one simple idea or melody or a whole song you can get into a practice space, it kind of works that way. We really don’t have any special way of doing it.

Any funny tour stories?

Ah nah, we are a bit boring really. So far really nothing, I guess there has been a lot of funny moments, but you would have to be there. If we were to explain it, it would take a while. We are constantly laughing, though, but we don’t have a story that sticks out yet.

How is it being on Warped Tour?

It’s pretty incredible, and unbelievable. When you’re actually playing and you look out from where you are and what you’re doing. It’s great; I mean from day one it sort of just took me back. It’s great, it’s something we thought we would never do and were actually doing it.

I know you guys are only so far into the tour, but what has been your favorite place you've played? And, where are you looking forward to play?

New York, I’m really looking forward to New York. I really want to get out and explore it a bit. So far we only experienced very little outside of the actual show, but a favorite for me so far was Ventura. It just happened to fall where we played at a really good time and I managed to get out and watch a few bands, which were half the bands I actually wanted to see, so that was really fun. The more you’re on the tour, the more people you meet, as well, and it becomes more of a family.

Were there any bands you were excited to be on the same tour with?

Attila; we caught Attila last night and it blew my mind, so Attila.

What’s coming up next for Moose Blood?

When we get home there’s talk of doing festivals, like Reading and Leeds Festival and maybe something else towards the end of the year but until then it’s sort of just getting into writing.

What does music mean to you guys?

It’s kind of become and has always been a passion and something I’ve loved since I was five years old and listening to Michael Jackson. It has become our jobs, our lively hoods, and it’s become our passion. We love doing it and we can’t believe we are able to do it as much as we do it, so we feel very lucky. Music is everything, I mean outside of our loved ones, it’s what we do and love.

Thanks again to Moose Blood for taking the time to do the interview!

Make sure you check out these British babes all summer long at the Journeys Left Foot Stage on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour!  

Facebook // www.facebook.com/mooseblood

Twitter // www.twitter.com/mooseblooduk

Mooseblood Website // https://mooseblood.bandcamp.com

Vans Warped Tour Tickets // http://vanswarpedtour.com/dates

Warped Review: Radio City

Words by: Xochitl Hansen

In Dallas, Texas, the 2015 Vans Warped Tour was blessed enough to receive a dose of Radio City. You see, these pop punkers were completely in their element before, during, and after they took the Ernie Ball Music Man Stage at the Gexa Pavilion.  From the moment their noon set time rolled around, the large crowd fed on the bands energy and likewise with the band.  Fresh off their performance at this year’s South By So What (Now called So What?! Festivals) Radio City raised a new bar for anyone performing the Vans Warped Tour this year and definitely in the future. The crowd was singing along with every word the vocalist sung, since they were playing songs from their recently released EP “The Greatest Game Ever Played”, which is currently on iTunes for $4.95-- you won’t regret getting it! Honestly, words cannot describe the show Radio City puts on; they are one of those bands you simply have to see in order to get the full experience. It’s understood that it takes a great amount of passion and drive to be able to perform on any stage, but when you see Radio City it’s simply destined.  These guys are a band you need to keep an eye on; because you don’t know what great thing they’ll be doing next!

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INTERVIEW: Handguns

Interview by: Xochitl Hansen

At the 2015 Vans Warped Tour this summer, I was lucky enough to talk to 1/5^th of the touring veterans better known as Handguns.  Currently signed to Pure Noise Records with two wonderful albums – Angst and Life Lessons- these guys are always on the move. Having toured with names such as The Wonder Years, Senses Fail, and even All Time Low, they have drawn a large amount of attention to themselves in a short amount of time.  With a third album underway and the remainder of the Vans Warped Tour left, these guys prove that if you work hard enough, being a musician can be a success!

 

Can you tell me your name and what you do in the band?

My names Brandon Pagano and I play guitar and do backup vocals.

How’s Warped Tour going so far?

Awesome! I love this tour; I’m surrounded by mostly like-minded people who are very dedicated to working hard and showing that this can be your job. This can be what you want to do, I mean look there are people of all ages on this tour. You can reach a certain level of success if you work hard, that’s awesome. Its super inspiring to be on this tour, to be surrounded by people like that.

Do you have any tour stories that stick out?

There is never one in my head that sticks out when people ask me this question, but we've done some crazy stuff. Anything from being locked inside our van in Paris to being surrounded by the sketchiest things around the van, anything like that. There’s just stuff that happens every day  it’s hard to keep up, I should start keeping notes in my phone when things happen, then I’ll have notes  for interviews. I just get crazy; I guess that’s all you need to really know. 

Pros and Cons of touring?

Pros: touring is great, you get to see the world. I think it’s the most important part of what made me who I am today. I've seen so many different things touring and different countries perspectives on people. Another pro is the food you get to eat; you get to try a lot of new food. I love food, so I think that’s awesome! You meet a lot of friends. Then, you know, the cons are you don’t see your family as much if you’re tight with your family, your dog if you have a dog, relationships are hard to keep on the road and stuff like that, but at the end of the day I think the pros always outweigh the cons. The cons are always there, but there are ways you can just deal with them.

You have a good amount of tattoos, is there any one that’s your favorite or hold significant meaning?

I have this little guy on my leg that my dad used to do in graffiti when I was younger and it’s the guys he used to draw. It’s one I like a lot.

When you guys are in the studio, is there a certain process you go through when writing? Any rituals?

Not particularly. Actually, all of our recording processes have been very different from each other. This is good, because we like to try new things, so we always just mix it up. For example, instead of writing a vocal part first, well base it off a guitar part instead. It’s always good to try new stuff.

What’s the story behind Handguns’ album art?

Life Lessons was an extension of the angst album artworks and the angst album art work shows a young kid on a house searching for stuff or an adventure.  Life Lessons art work shows the house the kid grew up in is now torn down and he’s struggling to deal with it. It kind of shows the jump between child hood to the semi 20’s adult hood.

I know you guys are recording a new album, any ideas for the album artwork?

We actually finished tracking our new record about twelve hours before production day of Warped Tour, so we got out of the studio, slept for about a few hours, and drove straight to start Warped. Though, we've been talking a lot in the van about where we’ll take the art work, we honestly don’t really know yet. Hopefully some inspiration comes to us on this tour.

You guys have done a lot of touring, sometimes back to back, any bands you've enjoyed sharing the road with?

Definitely The Wonder Years. Touring with The Wonder Years taught me a lot about touring, being in a band, and how to do it smart and the right way. We've toured with bands like Set It Off (SIO), this was back in 2012, us and SIO were small bands and we were playing to maybe twenty kids a night. Us just doing that tour together, our music was so different but it didn't matter. Both in the same situation, both just doing it right together. We came out of that tour as brothers.

You've done a large amount of touring, what are some of your favorite places you've played?

I like playing overseas a lot, I mean I like playing in the states but we've toured the states who knows how many times, so I've been to quite a few states.  I mean my favorite venue in the United States would have to be The Wave in Milwaukee, Wisconsin which is a super cool haunted venue. Its right across from the hotel where Jeffrey Dahmer committed his second murder. Its super crazy and fun, they have an abandoned pool in the basement that’s haunted. It’s just super fun to play, but overseas I really like playing in the UK. Anywhere in the UK, like the people there are great, we've met and made so many friends there and hopefully we’ll be going back soon.

Since you got signed to Warped Tour this year, were there any bands you were excited to see?

Yeah for sure, '68 is one of my favorite bands on tour, it’s a rock duo. If you’re looking for something different throughout your day, '68 would probably be your best bet. Mod Sun, I saw Mod Sun for the very first time, literally for the very first time day one or day two of warped. I had no idea what he was about or what he sounded like. All I heard was the coolest thing; he killed it, that’s the best way to respond. Riff Raff, I love watching Riff Raff that stuff's awesome.

What’s coming up next for Handguns?

We are going to be on the road, we're going to have a new record out hopefully in the fall time, we’ll be touring on that and promoting. Staying on the grind as we always do.

 

What does music mean to you?

Music is everything, it’s what I do. It’s taught me how to act, its taught me how to express myself, its taught me how to build a relationship with other people. Music has been literally there for me since I graduated high school and took on this life doing this kind of stuff. If it wasn't for music, I would be totally different person; I wouldn't even want to know. Music is great, music is everything.

Make sure you catch them on the Journeys Right Foot Stage all summer! Thanks again to Brandon for taking time out of his day to do the interview! 

 

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INTERVIEW: Kosha Dillz

Photo from shemspeed.com

Interview by: Xochitl Hansen

Rami Matan Even-Esh better known as Kosha Dillz is a renowned rapper that has appeared alongside other musicians like Matisyahu, C-Rayz Walz, Wu- Tang Clan, and even Snoop Dogg. With many other accomplishments under his belt, including being honored by The Jewish Weekly in 2013, Kosha Dillz‘s free style rap and hard work, success was right behind. Currently on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour Kosha Dillz is spreading good vibes anywhere he goes. Luckily, he had time to answer a few questions via email.

Where did the name Kosha Dillz come from?

Basically from being Jewish and being awesome and looking at a jar and it being somewhat sexual and somewhat into food and a combination of hustling as well. I remember being in a super market and it seeing "kosher Dill" and then it became "KD flow," and then it became "Kosha Dillz".

 What makes your music different?

I think the fact I embrace stem rest hip hop style with my heritage and culture has taken it to a level of representing for an entire community of people, where there are many misconceptions until they have met me or seen me play. I cover addiction and depression as well as struggle but also speak on solutions and my freestyle game is crazier than anyone. No show is ever the same

 How does it feel being on warped tour?

Feels like hard work has finally paid off, and now it is time to do more hard work.

How is touring going so far?

We are 3 shows in. I have sweated a lot, not eaten much, and lost part of my front tooth, and played for thousands. So far pretty good!

Favorite place you've played before?

I loved playing at red rocks ... Matisyahu made it happen - that was a great experience ... Wow

What process do you go through when writing your music?

I usually set a deadline for me to finish things because I want to achieve goals. It's like a competitive sport - them I get sad in this time and happy and have lots of other things happening in my life too - depending on how I am in studio - we collaborate with others and get different ideas. It's usually a mental space I am.

What does music mean to you?

What does it mean? It is a flow I get into during the day. Music is my heart beat my pace my life and my livelihood. It happens to me and I happen to it. It keeps me going ...and I love singing and rapping it to others

Make sure you catch Kosha Dillz on the 2015 Vans Warped Tour; he’ll be on the Beatport stage all summer long!

 

Can’t get enough Kosha Dillz?

 

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