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In the quest for social media engagement, random bands have started to follow me on Twitter and Tumblr, and it does amazing things for my ego. In this segment, we talk about the bands that have followed me this week.
--- Clay Gober of Polyphia
I don't listen to a lot of instrumental music. To be fair, prior to listening to Polyphia, I listened to exactly no instrumental music. But "Inspire" has inspired a change. "Inspire" 22 minutes of sheer power and atmosphere. There's grandiose washes of metal, punk, and prog rock influence in their music, which is especially evident in the fact that every song is a massive display of pure technical skill. But there's a depth of feeling to back up the skill, which takes it beyond just technical prowess into the realm of a phenomenon. Polyphia is a band that doesn't need vocals because they're able to create a world without the help of words.
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My best friend Andrea is a band photographer. She let me come along with her behind-the-scenes of this year's Warped Tour, and gave me some insight into what becoming a music photographer entails.
EB: When was the first time you did band photography? AI: Ninth grade... so... 2009. EB: Who were you shooting? AI: Bigger Lights and Anarbor. EB: Did you have a pass or did you shoot from the audience? AI: Yeah, I got a press pass by some miracle. EB: So do you usually stick to shows or shoot bands one-on-one? AI: I usually stick to shooting shows. It's hard to get one-on-one time with a band, especially as a girl, and especially as one who's 18 or 19 years old. Already being well known or being taken seriously is the only way to work one-on-one with bands. EB: So how did you decide you wanted to do band photography? AI: In 2008 I went to my first show, Bring Me The Horizon on October 3, and I brought a crappy point-and-shoot camera and managed to get some good pictures... looking back I realize they were shit, but that was my favorite concert. I felt so alive, and realized the effect of music, and I realized I wanted to get involved in this business. At Warped in 2009, at Devil Wears Prada, that was one of the best. I crowd surfed for the first time. I got good pictures with a crappy camera, and I realized I could really do something beyond the barricade. EB: So are you usually invited to shows or do you request a press pass? AI: There are so many band photographers that it's hard to get recognized. So I went straight to big shows so I could get into photographing them early. I do get invited to shows by random record labels who have my email, but it's usually for smaller unknown bands. I'd like to shoot them all, but I try to hit social media targets so I can get as far as possible as fast as possible. EB: So how do you go about getting a press pass? Do you send people your portfolio? AI: I'll send a bio about my media site, include the link with my signature and offer to send the band photos after the show. EB: So do you work for a media site or have your own? AI: I started independently, but I was looking for an outlet and found a media website. After working for a while, I took over the site. Since I look like I own a media website, I get press passes. After a while the site died, so I started a new site. And now I get to meet lot of photographers with common interests. EB: So what band is your favorite to shoot? AI: I really want to shoot One Direction but I don't know if that's ever going to happen. EB: Who are you most excited to shoot today? AI: I'm most excited to shoot Bring Me The Horizon today. I might get one good picture just because they move so much. And one band I always wanted to shoot was Suicide Silence, RIP Mitch Lucker... -Oh look, there's I See Stars!- Anyway, my favorite to shoot is probably Asking Alexandria. I don't know what happened to them EB: Oh yeah, I meant to give you that Alt Press article... I'll bring it with your birthday present AI: Aw thanks! EB: Okay, so what's your biggest goal for the show today? AI: I try to get as many different pictures as I can that are different from the rest of the photographers. I also try to meet at least one person at a show, but photographers can get into bitch mode, which makes it hard to meet people sometimes. EB: What's your goal for the rest of 2013? AI: I want to get published! I almost did but it didn't work out. A band wanted one of my photographs for an album cover. EB: Wait that's so cool, can I ask which band? AI: Motionless In White. But it didn't happen. So I'd like to get published on a magazine or website. And I want to get my name back out there. I climbed fast and didn't take it seriously, I goofed off with the bands instead of working, and I want to start taking this seriously again. In the quest for social media engagement, random bands have started to follow me on Twitter and Tumblr, and it does amazing things for my ego. In this segment, we talk about the bands that have followed me this week. --- Mr Fisher and the Hospitality Off the bat, the sound is reminiscent of We Were Promised Jet Packs, something that has a spiraling, enveloping quality lying behind the jolting, raw vocals. The Albuquerque, NM band has thus far released two EPs, "Stay Safe" and "Our Friends. Our Family. Our Troubles." Each release has its merits, and your tastes will dictate your preference between the two. "Stay Safe" is more assertive and arresting, but not quite as cohesive throughout as "Our Friends," which also boasts a more robust bass sound. This is for you if: you enjoy the feeling of walking through a lush green forest of sound and emotion My initial response after pressing play was surprise. Fortunately, a pleasant surprise. This is some real, back to the roots emo. This isn't format pop punk, this is emotion and fluidity and original punk sensibilities. There's a restraint that makes the raw edge of the music even more powerful. It feels like running down the wet streets of New York City at dusk, trying to figure out why you moved to this godforsaken town in the first place. Several good releases are available, including: "Break Me," "I Feel Alive," "Place Called Home/ Southtowne Lanes," and a 2012 demo album.
This if for you if: you want to save pop punk |
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July 2015
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