A Day in the Life of... Archives - SPIN https://www.spin.com/spintv/a-day-in-the-life-of/ Music News, Album Reviews, Concert Photos, Videos and More Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:04:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://static.spin.com/files/2023/08/cropped-logo-spin-s-340x340.png A Day in the Life of... Archives - SPIN https://www.spin.com/spintv/a-day-in-the-life-of/ 32 32 A Day in the Life of…All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth https://www.spin.com/2025/10/a-day-in-the-life-ofall-time-lows-alex-gaskarth/ Fri, 17 Oct 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=473770 All Time Low. (Credit: Nick Stafford)
All Time Low. (Credit: Nick Stafford)

Alex Gaskarth, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for pop-punk band All Time Low, says the group’s new album, Everyone’s Talking, out October 17, was inspired by the 20th anniversary shows they were playing in 2024. “There was such an outpouring of love and support from the fans, and that invigorated us to start writing new material,” he says. “We were impassioned.”

The release of their newest record makes 10 albums in 20 years, roughly an album every two years, an accomplishment many recording artists are unable to achieve. 

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Formed when Gaskarth and lead guitarist Jack Barakat were in eighth grade in Towson, Maryland, the group took its name from the New Found Glory song, “Head On Collision,” which was, as Gaskarth admits, “the best sounding band name on a list of pretty mediocre potential band names.” As Gaskarth and Barakat both learned guitar and jammed in the comfort of each other’s bedrooms and parents’ basements over the next couple of years, they met drummer Rian Dawson. “At that point, it really started to feel like we had a band, so naturally we needed a bass player.” Eventually, Zack Merrick joined on bass. 

(Credit: Nick Stafford)
(Credit: Nick Stafford)

All Time Low released their debut EP, The Three Words to Remember in Dealing with the End EP, in 2004, followed by The Party Scene in 2005, the band’s first album. 

They were still in high school. 

“Between Homecoming and Algebra 2, I guess we fit in some band practice,” Gaskarth says.

Once they graduated, Gaskarth and his bandmates focused their energy full-time on the band, releasing their next album, So Wrong, It’s Right, in 2007, followed by the group’s first tour in 2008. 

(Credit: Nick Stafford)
(Credit: Nick Stafford)

While So Wrong, It’s Right wasn’t necessarily a commercial success, it produced the fan-favorite song, “Dear Maria, Count Me In.” 

It wasn’t until they released their third album, Nothing Personal, in 2009, that the band began to see widespread fame, with the album selling 63,000 copies in its first week and debuting at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. 

All Time Low continued churning out records over the years, all with varying degrees of success. 2020’s Wake Up Sunshine, however, marked the release of the album’s fourth single, “Monsters,” featuring singer-songwriter-producer Blackbear, which became the highest-charting song of the band’s career. 

Now, with Everyone’s Talking, Gaskarth says that the new album is a nod to the marketing process and “the need to drum up a groundswell to get people paying attention again.” 

Two years can be an eternity in the lifespan of a band, invoking a need to stay relevant in whichever way it can. After 20 years, All Time Low has been able to achieve that. But Gaskarth says that staying relevant is only part of being successful; it’s also about “recognizing that as a human being, you’re putting yourself through his public tumble-dryer every time you step into the spotlight. The whole album wrestles with those themes. It’s an exploration of self within the context of being in a band for 20 years.”

Here’s a Day in the Life of All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth.

Date (when you are writing this)  September 23, 2025

Time I woke up  8:00 a.m. 

Every day starts with  A series of yawns followed by some doom-scrolling, mild existential dread, and then a vast appreciation for another day on this planet.

Breakfast consists of  Today it was a crappy coffee from a highway truckstop, an energy bar, and half a chocolate glazed donut. But I swear, usually it’s way more chic, healthy, and mindful.

To get going I always listen to  Prince.

I don’t feel dressed without  A hoodie and a hat with the brim pulled down for that low-key stealth vibe where it feels like maybe I’m still in the womb.

Before I start working I must  Endure.

Currently working on  Finding a place to do laundry.

But I’d really love to be Finding a place where someone else will do my laundry.

(Credit: Nick Stafford)
(Credit: Nick Stafford)

Book I’m reading  Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson.

I don’t know how anyone ever  Makes it through a day without at least one little sweet treat.

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.

The perfect midday consists of  A second (or third) coffee and a really good sandwich.

To help get through the day  The sound of a loved one’s voice.

Not a day goes by without speaking to  My wife.

My daydreams consist of  Ambition, longing, whimsy, faraway places, a really good slice of pizza.

(Credit: Nick Stafford)
(Credit: Nick Stafford)

I’ll always fight for  Trying to do the right thing. 

Currently in love with  Small, potted succulents.

Hoping to make time to watch  The next sunset.

By my bedside I always have An unopened sparkling water that I forget to drink.

To help get through the night  A small amount of THC.When I think about tomorrow I hope for a better future for all the lovely people.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of…Maddox Batson https://www.spin.com/2025/05/a-day-in-the-life-ofmaddox-batson/ Thu, 08 May 2025 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=459588 Maddox Baston (Credit: Lexi Lovelace)
Maddox Baston (Credit: Lexi Lovelace)

Fifteen-year-old breakout country artist Maddox Batson has always been surrounded by music. Growing up, his father sang and played the guitar all the time. 

Batson, however, was much more into sports, playing baseball, basketball, and football. But when he was diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter disease in his right knee in 2022, his life took a different direction. Unable to play sports anymore, he turned to music, playing and singing with his dad on TikTok Live. 

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As Batson sees it, he really had no choice but to fall in love with music and start playing. 

When Batson decided to pursue professional music at such a young age, his parents supported his decision wholeheartedly. “I have amazing relationships with both of my parents, so the support has always been there,” he says. “Having them during this process has made everything a million times easier.”

Batson’s determination—along with his parents’ blessing—paid off. The Birmingham, Alabama-based songwriter started quickly gaining notoriety from covering country musicians Zach Bryan and the Red Clay Strays on social media. His cover of Sam Barber’s “Dancing in the Sky” went viral with more than 1 million views. Eventually, he began getting noticed for his original songs, such as his 2024 single “Tears in the River.” which garnered more than 21 million streams globally. 

(Credit: Cooper Pattison)

Just over a year later, Batson has released other singles such as “I Wanna Know,” “X’s,” and “Southbound,” and has more than 4.5 million followers on social media, exploding onto the forefront of the country music industry. 

But Batson’s talents go beyond country music; he co-wrote Lana Del Rey and Quavo’s latest single, “Tough,” a mix of alt-pop, country, and trap. “I freaked out from excitement when she released it with Quavo,” he says. “It’s such an honor to be a part of that record, let alone being the inspiration.”

On May 2, Batson released the deluxe version of his first EP, First Dance (The After Party), which includes three new songs and explores relationships, breakups, and as he puts it, “capturing the love life of a teen.” In April, he finished his headline tour, with his final stop at the Stagecoach Music Festival in Indio, California. The singer-songwriter, however, will be back on the road supporting Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind tour in the fall. 

“There are so many great aspects of touring—seeing new places and getting close with your band,” he says. “But mine by far is seeing the fans. From the second I walk out on stage and hear them scream my name, I can’t stop smiling. They mean the most to me.”

Batson made his Grand Ole Opry debut on March 26, performing songs from First Dance, participating in a Q&A, and signing autographs for his ever-growing fan base. 

Here’s a day in the life of Maddox Batson…the Grand Ole Opry edition. 

Date  3/26/25

Time I woke up  7:30 a.m.

Every day starts with  A shower.

Breakfast consists of  A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich. 

To get going I always listen to  TikTok…haha.

I don’t feel dressed without  Cologne. 

Before I start working I must  Have coffee or breakfast. 

Currently working on  Touring and my Opry debut!

But I’d really love to be  Golfing.

I don’t know how anyone ever  Can willingly eat sardines.

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous.

The perfect midday consists of  A great lunch and some time to watch TikTok. 

To help get through the day  I put on a good outfit.

(Credit: Cooper Pattison)

Not a day goes by without speaking to  My parents and managers.

My daydreams consist of  Playing sold-out shows.

I’ll always fight for My sister.

Currently in love with  The grind. 

Hoping to make time to watch  Severance.

By my bedside I always have  A candle.

To help get through the night  I watch YouTube.

When I think about tomorrow  I think about how to make the most out of that day.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of…Two-Man Giant Squid https://www.spin.com/2025/04/a-day-in-the-life-oftwo-man-giant-squid/ Tue, 01 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=454145 Two-Man Giant Squid (Credit: Michelle-LoBianco)
Two-Man Giant Squid (Credit: Michelle-LoBianco)

Brooklyn-based Two-Man Giant Squid started off as an anonymous, experimental bedroom project by multi-instrumentalist Mitchell Vinokur three years ago. “I had no plans to play it out or be a band or anything,” says Vinokur over a video call. But he sent the album titled Abyssal Gigantism to some publications for coverage, which led to a few invitations for live shows. “I texted Rob right away and I said, ‘Hey, do you want to play guitar in this project? If he had said no, I would’ve just been like, yeah, this isn’t happening. But he said yes.” 

Rob is Robbie Sawyer. He and Vinokur are childhood best friends who spent many days jamming together in Sawyer’s bedroom playing Neil Young covers. Since then, the band has evolved into a five-piece group, with the addition of bassist Yan Kogan, Sam Borges—who is also Vinokur’s fiancée—on synth, and drummer Brendan Jones, who is also currently playing with another Brooklyn-based band Nara’s Room

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Two-Man Giant Squid is a blend of two band names Vinokur was considering: Two-Man Bobsled and Giant Squid. “I really wish there was a cooler story… I’m going to start telling people that I was on acid and I just thought of it. I think I was watching the Olympics or something and the other option was Giant Squid. And I had a deadline of when this album [Abyssal Gigantism] was going to be released and I just knocked them together. And it was Two Men Giant Squid.”

The band has released two other albums, 2023’s Intro to Basement and its most recent, the eponymous Two-Man Giant Squid, which came out in March. Throughout the group’s discography, its sound has evolved. 

Vinokur says that the band’s latest effort is a combination of their first two records, which is why they chose to make it self-titled; it’s a commitment to who Two-Man Giant Squid is as a band and the sound they’ve developed since they’ve been together. 

“We’re looking for high-energy art-punk,” says Vinokur. We want to imagine you listening to this in a sweating basement, but also, there’s a lot of introspective and tongue-in-cheek writing that has always been a part of our band.” 

While Two-Man Giant Squid generally plays around the New York City area, they made their debut appearance at SXSW in March, playing five shows. “To see people on the street stopping and coming in to see what’s going on when we’re playing, which I think is the best thing about SXSW…there are people there who genuinely want to see music,” says Jones, who was playing there with his other band as well. “The room can be empty when you start playing and it can fill up within two minutes because people generally want to go to the rooms that music’s playing out of, and they’ll give a shot to bands that are there.”

As they continue to promote their new album, Vinokur has already written two new songs for the band’s next project and hopes to expand their tour regionally and eventually, nationally. 

Here’s a day in the life of Mitchell Vinokur, Robbie Sawyer, and Brendan Jones of Two-Man Giant Squid.

Date  March 28, 2025

Time I woke up  

I woke up at 7:50 because there’s construction right next to my apartment. — Mitchell 

I woke up around 7:30 because I had to go to work. And I’m at the office right now. — Robbie

I woke up at 7:00 and was on my phone for an hour. No need to wake up that early, but I did. — Brendan 

Bunch of early risers. — Robbie

Every day starts with  

Coffee. — Mitchell

Coffee for me, always. That’s the first thing. — Robbie 

Me getting anxious about what the day entails. — Mitchell 

Egg sandwich, green tea, coffee. — Brendan 

Sounds like a healthier thing than I’m doing. — Mitchell

Breakfast consists of  

I don’t usually do breakfast. — Mitchell

I’m actually not really a breakfast guy either. I usually hold off until around noon. But I’m a big sandwich guy. — Robbie 

When we go on tour, I’m going to need my breakfast. I can’t start the day without any of those things. — Brendan

To get going I always listen to 

“The Boys Are Back in Town.” — Mitchell 

I will truly listen to “Brianstorm” by Article Monkeys before a show to really get myself in a good drumming kind of mindset. — Brendan

I’m kind of late to the party, but I’ve really started getting into Amyl and the Sniffers and they just rock so hard and just make me want to run through a wall. — Robbie

I don’t feel dressed without  

My long black pants that I have worn to every single show that we’ve ever played. — Mitchell

I’m usually a hat guy. I’m usually wearing a ball cap or something. — Robbie

Nike Cortezes for me are like my ultimate drumming shoe, so I need to wear them for a show. — Brendan

Before I start working I must  

I spend way too much time on my phone procrastinating. — Mitchell 

Coffee. — Robbie 

Not give myself enough time to let my computer turn on and then I’m late to some meeting. — Brendan

(Credit: Annalie Bouchard)
(Credit: Annalie Bouchard)

Currently working on  

Two new singles and the rollout for this new album and thinking of some covers we can throw in on this tour because if we’re going to go on a tour we like to plan a cover or two for the fun of it. — Mitchell 

But I’d really love to be  

On vacation. — Mitchell 

I would really love to play some West Coast shows at some point. I feel like that would be really cool if we could extend the journey out to the L.A. area. — Robbie 

For me, it would be on a festival bill, one of those three-day-kind-of-weekend-in-a-single-location festivals. — Brendan

Book I’m reading  

I just finished a book called Rant by Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve read a few of his. I like the satirical writing. Sam, our synth player, is reading a Brian Eno book. She is currently obsessed with Brian Eno. — Mitchell 

I’m reading a book called Mindfulness Meditation — Brendan

I can’t read, but I’m trying really hard. No, I’m a big sci-fi-fantasy guy, so I like Game of Thrones and stuff like that. So I just recently read the book that House of the Dragon is based on. — Robbie

I don’t know how anyone ever  

Does nothing. I need something to do at all times. I can’t sit and not do anything. — Mitchell 

Goes to work at a job they don’t like. — Brendan 

Goes through a live set without turning up their volume mid-set. — Robbie

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be 

The Wall. I feel like I’ve never listened to The Wall and not enjoyed it. — Mitchell 

I absolutely love At Fillmore East by the Allman Brothers Band. And when me and Mitch used to live together, I would just play that album on repeat all the time. And Mitch was probably just like, can you please shut this off? — Robbie 

Get these Southern rockers off. — Mitchell 

I think a live album is a sneaky good pick for repeat. Why don’t we go with Springsteen’s Born to Run? One of my favorite albums that has a journey in it. — Brendan

(Credit: Sam Blieden)
(Credit: Sam Blieden)

The perfect midday consists of 

Midday beer is great if you don’t have anything to do after that. Midday beer hits like no other. — Mitchell 

A nap in the park, laying down in the grass. — Brendan 

It’s good to get out of the apartment if you have a work-from-home situation. So it’s always good to take a little stroll and get a breather, to break up the routine a little bit. — Robbie

To help get through the day  

I need to listen to music at some point every day, especially if I’m working. I’m a person who, if I have music in my headphones, I could just be much more productive. — Robbie

Lately, I need a to-do list. I’ve been keeping one in the Notes app on my phone. — Mitchell 

I’ve got to go with a nap again. I use that answer for a lot of stuff. — Brendan

Not a day goes by without speaking to  

Sam. We live together…my fiancée. — Mitchell 

Yeah, same here. I live with my fiance and we’re pretty much attached to the hip. — Robbie 

I live with my girlfriend as well, so yeah, I have to go with that. — Brendan

(Credit: Annalie Bouchard)
(Credit: Annalie Bouchard)

My daydreams consist of  

Imagining whatever the next show is and making sure it’s going well. — Mitchell 

Yeah, I would say that’s actually the same thing for me. The daydream is always…you fantasize about the next show and how good it could go. But the actual dream is it’s always something going wrong. It’s like I’m back in college and I haven’t been to this class once all semester and I’ve got to get a certain grade to pass the class and then I wake up and I’m 30 years old. — Robbie 

Maybe it’s not the next show for me. It’s when we are headlining Madison Square Garden or a big festival stage or something like that. — Brendan

I’ll always fight for  

People being able to just be themselves, do what they love, be with who they love. — Mitchell 

Alone time. No matter how late the day ends, I always need those two to three hours to do whatever I want to do, even if it means staying up a little later. — Robbie 

People doing what they’re interested in or passionate about or just want to do and fighting against the idea that you have to do a certain thing in life or be on a certain path. — Brendan 

Currently in love with  

I’m going to say Sam because she’s going to read this. — Mitchell 

Well, besides my fiancée obviously, I’ve really gotten into Wunderhorse lately. I’ve been listening to them a ton. I actually just got tickets for their show at Warsaw in August. So yeah, looking forward to that. — Robbie 

I’ll say my girlfriend too, of course. But there’s this Caroline Rose album that just came out and it was made, I think, on an iPhone and it was only available on physical copies and in Bandcamp. And also the tour, they’re only doing DIY venues and venues that aren’t attached to certain big companies. And I’m really inspired by that model of fighting against a little bit of the big system in music. — Brendan 

(Credit: Sam Blieden)
(Credit: Sam Blieden)

Hoping to make time to watch 

I’ve got to watch Severance. Everybody’s on the train and I feel very left out. — Robbie 

Yeah, everybody needs to watch Severance. I never thought of myself as someone who would be watching every show that’s on and I feel like I am. I just started White Lotus and I’m hate-watching it, but I’m watching it and I need to stop. — Mitchell 

White Lotus is great, though. — Brendan 

I didn’t like this season. The other ones are good. — Mitchell 

I’m just going to say more Survivor. I watch a lot of Survivor, but there’s always room for more. — Brendan

By my bedside I always have  

A glass of water and for some reason, my checkbook is there. — Mitchell 

I always have four glasses of water at my bedside table just accumulating from the last several days and I’m probably at the point where I need to clean that up now. — Robbie 

Yeah, a glass of water, a mask, and three books I’m not reading and haven’t read for six months. — Brendan

To help get through the night  

I need some noise to fall asleep to. I was always the opposite of that, but I’m getting a little touch of tinnitus from a lot of the shows we’ve been playing. So, I need some noise to drown out the humming. — Mitchell 

Unfortunately, I’m just a social media scroller and I just do that until I fall asleep basically. And I usually go down YouTube rabbit holes, too. — Robbie 

For me it’s the mask again. I want to go on a campaign of how much it’s improved my sleep and I just discovered it about a year ago. — Brendan

When I think about tomorrow  

Well, I think about our show at Market Hotel because it literally is tomorrow. That’s our big New York release show. We’re expecting a big turnout and we’re really excited. We will have physical copies of our vinyl for sale. So it’s a nice big celebration here in the Brooklyn area. — Mitchell

Yeah, amen to that one. — Robbie

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of…Dierks Bentley https://www.spin.com/2025/02/a-day-in-the-life-ofdierks-bentley/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=454141 Dierks Bentley in concert. (Credit Zach Belcher)
Dierks Bentley in concert. (Credit Zach Belcher)

“I’ll show you this,” says country music superstar Dierks Bentley as he walks me through his Nashville home to his bedroom closet. When we arrive in his bedroom, he holds up a gray and white check-print flannel shirt. In his closet, he shows off more. 

He’s not wearing a flannel right now but a green, short-sleeved T-shirt with Skiv in black, capital letters. I can’t tell if it’s in reference to the dungeon-crawling role-playing game on Steam, the London-based rock band, or the British slang word for “sovereign.” 

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Bentley isn’t just a member of the Grand Ole Opry—the very place he was once kicked out of when he was younger. Nor is he just a three-time CMA Award winner, or a 15-time Grammy nominee with 22 No. 1 songs and eight billion streams. No, Bentley is also a bit of an entrepreneur. Besides his Row 94 Kentucky Straight Bourbon brand and his chain of Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row country bars in Arizona, Colorado, and Tennessee, he also has a clothing line with Flag & Anthem.

“That’s another thing I jumped into,” he tells me. “I didn’t mean to, but these guys found me on the road. They were like, ‘We love what you wear and we want to get involved with you.’”

Talking to Bentley is like talking to a friend. He’s present and enthusiastic and personable; traits that have helped build his legion of fans over his more than two decade-long career. 

Bentley with his Row 94 bourbon. (Credit: Robby Klein)
Bentley with his Row 94 Kentucky Straight Bourbon. (Credit: Robby Klein)

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, Bentley remembers hearing Van Halen for the first time when he was 13 years old. “It kind of blew my mind,” he says. It wasn’t until he was 17 that he began getting into country music. 

Dierks moved to Nashville in 1994 to attend Vanderbilt University and discovered a bar called the Station Inn. “Seeing a bunch of guys my age, wearing whatever they were wearing that day, walk in and walk up on stage wearing the same clothes…they weren’t dressed for showtime,” he says. “And they were just playing the crap out of these instruments and singing and harmonizing and laughing. I think that’s what made me want to really try to get better at playing the guitar.” 

He decided to pursue a country music career. Since then, the “Drunk On A Plane” singer has released nine studio albums, his most recent, 2023’s Gravel & Gold.

Now, he’s at work on his 10th album and gearing up for his summer tour, which launches on May 29 in Austin, Texas. 

On Valentine’s Day, Dierks released a new single, “She Hates Me,” a sort of comedic anti-love anthem about a vengeful ex-girlfriend. “It’s one of those songs that wasn’t really even meant to be written,” he says. He had been working on some other songs with longtime collaborators Ashley Gorley, Chase McGill, and Ross Copperman. But they started fooling around on their guitars, making each other laugh, and the single was born. 

Between his music career, his business ventures, and his family, Dierks is a busy man. “People talk about retirement and stuff, or you have to take a break. And I always think, well if I’m getting to do what I want to do, with who I want to do it with, when I want to do it, why would I ever stop?”

Here’s a day in the life of Dierks Bentley.

Date  2/12/2025

Time I woke up  I didn’t wake up today until 6:30. It was 5:30 yesterday for my son’s hockey practice. But today was a nice little sleep-in. 

Every day starts with  A cold plunge. I went out this morning and walked straight into it. I’m not usually in the best spirits in the morning but a little cold water and I chirp right up a little bit.

Breakfast consists of  Coffee…black coffee. That’s it.

To get going I always listen to  I’ve got to be honest, I love Frank Sinatra. Put on a little Frank and just ease into the morning. 

I don’t feel dressed without  A good flannel, preferably from Flag and Anthem.

Before I start working I must   A morning workout class is the key to my mental morning health.

Currently working on  A new record. Yeah, it’s going to come out this June. I was just in the studio today with John Anderson. Really fun. That, and just putting together the tour for the summer.

But I’d really love to be  Hanging out with my buddies out in Colorado, doing a little outdoor adventuring, whether it’s some pond hockey or some skiing. I love this. You know, I love the winter. It’s oddly my favorite time of the year, and I just love being outside doing stuff in it. So anywhere just in the mountains is where I’d usually prefer to be.

Book I’m reading  I just finished a great book, Long Island Compromise. I’m reading a book called The Hunter right now.

(Credit: Robby Klein)
(Credit: Robby Klein)

I don’t know how anyone ever…  I hate social media, so this is my answer to that question. Hopefully, our kids one day will look back and go, “I don’t know how my parents’ generation lived that way, connected to an iPhone and always on social media.”

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  How about the Del McCurry band? Cold Hard Facts,1996. That’s a good album.

The perfect midday consists of  What I did yesterday. I do it every Tuesday. I play pickup hockey with some ex-pros and some up-and-coming kids, and some people like me who shouldn’t be out there. But it’s the perfect once-a-week midday thing.

To help get through the day  Music to regulate my emotions. 

Not a day goes by without speaking to  Gosh, my wife. I mean, not an hour goes by. We’ve been together for 20 years and there’s not a single day that goes by that I don’t talk to her.

My daydreams consist of   An empty schedule. I mean, there’s nothing better than seeing somewhere where you go, “Oh my gosh, I have nothing going on that day. Wow!” Those days when you’ve got nothing on the schedule.

I’ll always fight for Is it weird to say you always fight for your kids? I’ll do whatever it takes to try to help those guys out. 

Credit: Robby Klein)
Credit: Robby Klein)

Currently in love with  Tennessee. I’ve lived here for 30 years, and there’s been times I wanted to be back out West. You kind of have a love-hate relationship with it over the years of being here. But I just really love Tennessee. 

Hoping to make time to watch  I know there are some new shows out there, but I don’t know. I don’t know.

By my bedside I always have   Earplugs. I found out early on that earplugs are the key. It’s kind of a weird thing to have as a parent in the house. But just a little blockage between me and the noise of the house.

To help get through the night  Trazodone sleep gummies.

When I think about tomorrow  I’m usually pretty stoked. I love what I get to do for a living. I love playing live music. I love my band, and my crew. I wake up thinking about tomorrow… another chance to do something that I love to do so much.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of… BoyWithUke https://www.spin.com/2024/12/a-day-in-the-life-of-boy-with-uke/ Mon, 02 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=449404 BoyWithUke Performs At Elysee Montmartre BoyWithUke performs onstage at Élysée Montmartre on February 17, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)
BoyWithUke performs onstage at Élysée Montmartre on February 17, 2024 in Paris, France. (Credit: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images)

Twenty-two-year-old Charley Yang initially created his mysterious moniker, BoyWithUke, as a way to anonymously share his music on social media. “I didn’t want to show my face because my friends would roast the heck out of me if they knew it was me,” he says over a recent video call. 

His disguise—a hoodie and an evolving series of masks—combined with the extremely personal, original, bedroom-pop he was playing, rocketed him to social media stardom. Four years later, BoyWithUke—with a global audience of more than 17 million fans, three EPs, five albums, multiple platinum records, and a slew of sold-out, headline shows—is retiring. 

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Well, sorta. 

Burnout, his fifth studio album released on November 15th, is his final one under the BoyWithUke moniker. Yang’s new album chronicles his hero’s journey from the shy, ukulele-playing masked singer-songwriter to an artist who confesses self-doubt, personal trauma, questionable relationships and his fear of change through masterful experimentations of doom rock, grunge, R&B, and hip-hop. In his final album, BoyWithUke shows not just who the man behind the mask is but also how he came to be.

Yang never intended to be famous. He began playing violin and classical piano when he was four, then writing songs at 15. It wasn’t until he was a senior in high school that he started playing the ukulele to impress a girl. “I think it worked. We dated for a while,” he says. 

It was his little brother who encouraged him to upload his music to TikTok in 2020.

“For the longest time, I would just make music and not share it with anyone,” Yang tells me. “But my little brother heard the songs and he thought they were pretty good.”

Yang admits that he’s not a huge social media fan, but decided to upload the one-minute songs he wrote with the camera strategically pointed below his face to avoid any potential embarrassment. Then the mask came. And he blew up.  

But what originally was a way to overcome the shyness that came with creating his deeply vulnerable music evolved into an alter-ego that became increasingly difficult for Yang to sustain. 

“It helped me just do things I normally wouldn’t do, and it was great for a time,” he says about the LED mask for which he became famous. But in October 2023, BoyWithUke made the decision to share an image of his face on social media, alongside the release of his fourth album, Lucid Dreams, where he experimented with a more personal narrative with lyrics detailing his personal life, now with a revealed identity.

Charley Yang unmasked (Credit: Connor Gaskey)

“I think towards the middle and end of that whole mask stint, it sort of got to the point where…I had to be something that I wasn’t, rather than getting to be something that I couldn’t do before,” Yang says. “It had a really big negative association towards the middle and end…it almost felt like I had to because this character that I had built…the kids are hungry for more content and more of this character. It just became something I guess I was forcing myself to do.” 

While the act of shedding his mask was symbolic of a new chapter in his music career, Yang’s BoyWIthUke persona still echoed online (and in comic-book form) until this month, when he told me he’s starting a new music project under the name,  Chandol, which is the English spelling of his Korean name. Yang says his new creative venture will be less about social media content and more about the music. “…which is something I’m super excited for, honestly,” he says. “it’s what gets me out of bed in the morning to work on new music. And it’s been nice.”

Yang will be touring for the last time as BoyWithUke in 2025. Then, Chandol will emerge. 

Here’s a day in the life of…the artist formerly known as BoyWithUke. 

Date  11/20/24

Time I woke up  Like 6:00 a.m.

Every day starts with  A shower.

Breakfast consists of  A Clif Bar and tea.

To get going I always Listen to  “Ballerina” by Yehezkel Raz.

I don’t feel dressed without  Socks.

Before I start working I must  Have my tea.

Currently working on  New artist project.

But I’d really love to be  Finished with new artist project.

Book I’m reading  This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin. 

I don’t know how anyone ever  Sleeps at a reasonable hour.

BoyWithUke
(Credit: Connor Gaskey)
(Credit: Connor Gaskey)

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  Sunburn by Dominic Fike.

The perfect midday consists of  A breakthrough in the studio. 

To help get through the day  More tea.

Not a day goes by without speaking to  My girlfriend.

My daydreams consist of  Playing live shows.

I’ll always fight for  FC Barcelona.

Currently in love with  Music and my girlfriend. 

Hoping to make time to watch  The Champions League.

By my bedside I always have  My headphones.

To help get through the night  I listen to people on YouTube talk about history.

When I think about tomorrow  I geek out. I try to stay in the present.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of…Bailey Zimmerman https://www.spin.com/2024/11/a-day-in-the-life-of-bailey-zimmerman/ Mon, 25 Nov 2024 16:30:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=448846 Bailey Zimmerman (Credit: Chris Ashlee)
Bailey Zimmerman (Credit: Chris Ashlee)

Country singer-songwriter Bailey Zimmerman’s rise to fame didn’t start in music; it started in the world of custom cars and trucks. In 2019, Zimmerman began his #TruckTok videos on social media. The first video he posted focused on him adding a lift kit to his GMC truck, which, he says, got him somewhere around 70,000 views. 

“It was kind of all very random,” he tells me over Zoom. 

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Zimmerman fell down a TikTok rabbit hole, posting videos of his truck, getting views and comments, building an audience. “I really loved putting my truck out there,” he says. “People were loving it. I was meeting a lot of new people by doing that.”

He even joined a truck club, and for a year and a half, he traveled throughout the country and met up with other customized truck lovers. During his occasional bouts of drunk karaoke, friends would compliment Zimmerman on his voice, but he never took it seriously. It wasn’t until he was singing along to Black Stone Cherry’s “Stay” one day that he realized that maybe his friends were on to something. Then he decided to record himself singing it and post it online

That’s when Gavin Lucas entered the picture. 

Lucas’ dad drove Zimmerman’s school bus in his hometown of Louisville, Illinois, and approached him about getting together to play music. “Gavin was like, ‘Hey man, I don’t really tell a lot of people this, but I’ve been writing songs and I’ve written them for a long time. And I know I play guitar and your voice is really cool. Would you want to sing and hang out and like, listen to my songs?’ I’m like, heck yeah man, I don’t know how to play guitar, but I would love to try to listen…And we started hanging out…a couple weeks go by, a month goes by and I’ve been watching him write, I’ve been just trying to like, champion him almost. Like, I still didn’t really think of me being a singer.”

After a couple of months, in December 2020, Lucas and Zimmerman wrote their first song together and posted it on Zimmerman’s TikTok account. Lucas told him that if they got some views, they’d go and cut it at a real studio. The next morning changed his life, Zimmerman says. The video had more than one million views. 

That song was Zimmerman’s debut single, “Never Comin’ Home.” 

 (Credit Isaac Mason)
(Credit Isaac Mason)

“I quit my job that same day,” says Zimmerman. “I started working on that and that’s kind of how I came up, man. I just tried. And then every single thing I’ve done since then has been, I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m just trying to sing really good and trying to write awesome songs that I love.” 

Since then, Zimmerman released his debut album, Religiously. The Album in 2023, which debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart and became the biggest streaming debut across all genres. He then set out on his first headline tour with 30+ dates in North America and Europe, selling out every show. This year, he achieved his fourth consecutive No. 1 single on country radio with “Where It Ends,” following “Rock and a Hard Place,” “Religiously” and “Fall In Love.” 

Ending the year on a high note, Zimmerman performed at the 2024 CMA Awards and was nominated for “Best New Artist.” 

“Six months before I started singing, I remember asking my mom, ‘Hey, I want to move out and I want to get my own place…’ And she’s like, ‘You think you can afford to get your own place?  You can barely afford your truck.’ And she was right. I couldn’t afford nothing back then. Didn’t really have a plan, didn’t know what was going on… and now to not only be able to do music for a living, but to be looked at and acknowledged, like that is crazy. And it’s a great feeling too, because there are a lot of people behind the scenes who believed in it just as much as I did…it’s such a good feeling for everybody. It’s definitely a privilege…to be able to get recognized for all the hard work is yeah, unreal. And I don’t feel like I deserve it, but I’m very thankful.”

Here’s a day in the life of…Bailey Zimmerman.

Where are you?  Hollywood, Florida. I got a show where we are playing at The Hard Rock. Yeah, it’s gonna be fun. 

Time I woke up  I woke up this morning about 5:30 a.m.

Every day starts with  Marley May [my dog] and Pie. Pie is my new puppy that I just got. Nice. Yeah. So Marley and Pie. 

Breakfast consists of  I’m a massive Eggs Benedict guy. I love Eggs Benedict. I can do McDonald’s Chicken McGriddle. I just had a chorizo egg quesadilla this morning, which was unbelievable. So yeah, breakfast is one of my favorites.

To get going I always listen to  Probably Nickelback. “Burn it to the Ground” to be more specific. That or Zach Top.

I don’t feel dressed without  Air Force 1s.

Before I start working I must  Eat.

Currently working on  Everything, everything…music album, new tours for next year, the tour for ’26. Man, I’ve got another company called BZ Motorsports where I give trucks away and money with the trucks to help people out. And I do that all the time. So honestly, everything. I stay busy doing all the stuff. 

But I’d really love to be  If I had all the money in the world, I’d love to be at Cabo on the beach playing golf. 

Book I’m reading  Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey. And getting more into the Bible as well. 

I don’t know how anyone ever  Eats oysters. That’s disgusting. It’s absolutely disgusting. I don’t understand how you do that. Tastes like a loogie.

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  It would actually be a tie for Traveller by Chris Stapleton or Golden Hour by Kasey Musgraves.

The perfect midday consists of  Man, I love going on a cruise [in a car] during the middle of the day. Maybe go get some lunch, go out to Mexican or something, and then honestly get back to the studio. 

Bailey Zimmerman performs onstage during The 58th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 20, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
Bailey Zimmerman performs onstage during The 58th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on November 20, 2024 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

To help get through the day  I drink chocolate milk when I’m not supposed to. That’s a real thing. That’s one of the things that I do during the day to help me get through. I would say that and allotted breaks with Marley and Pie. Breaks and chocolate milk, you know? I got dirt bikes on the property. So ride dirt bikes, play with Marley, swim in the pool…and then get back. 

Not a day goes by without speaking to  Wish I could say God, but I can’t say that. There’s days that go by where I don’t. Tracy Martin…not a day goes by without talking to Tracy Martin. And that’s the president of Core Management [The Core Entertainment]. And she is one of my best friends. And we talk all day every day. My mom. I usually talk to my mom quite a bit too.

My daydreams consist of  Just honestly, the daydreams consist of, how do I blow more up in my show? What else can I do in the show to have more fun? And then I also think about what truck do I wanna build next and what car do I wanna build next? The beach a lot of the time. I’m like, man, I could definitely just go live in a shack on the beach if I never wanted to do this. You know? That’s definitely a daydream, you know? And food. I’m skinny, but man, I’ll put it away. 

I’ll always fight for  My faith. I’ll always fight for my faith. 

Currently in love with  Italian food. I’ve been eating so much Italian food every night. Chicken Alfredo or Bolognese. Yeah. And Caesar salads. Woo. I’ve never experienced the amazingness of a Caesar salad until the other day. And now it’s all I want. I’m like, dude, Caesar freaking salad.

Hoping to make time to watch  There’s a couple of Netflix shows that I’ve really wanted to watch. I just can’t remember the names of them. I really wanna take the time to watch this show called Capone. I’ve been seeing it all over TikTok. I would say also I’d like to make some more time to watch more football at the bar, preferably with my boys.  

To help get through the night  Leave some lights on because when I wake up and that chair is in the corner of my room and it kind of looks like something’s in there…

When I think about tomorrow 
I’m excited. Hopefully, I get the chance to live tomorrow, but I also don’t think about tomorrow that much anymore other than work, you know, having to look forward into the future on that stuff. But as far as life goes or decisions or things that I want or whatever may be, I really try to live in today so I don’t miss what could be tomorrow, you know? I feel like if I’m not watching today and looking today and I’m just daydreaming, then I’ll never be able to have a tomorrow.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of… Grace Bowers https://www.spin.com/2024/11/a-day-in-the-life-of-grace-bowers/ Wed, 20 Nov 2024 15:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=445991 Grace Bowers (Credit: David McClister)
Grace Bowers (Credit: David McClister)

It was Slash, the top-hatted, sunglasses-wearing guitarist for Guns N’ Roses, who inspired Grace Bowers to pick up a guitar at age 9. But it wasn’t until she heard B.B. King on the radio playing “Sweet Little Angel” that she realized her passion for the instrument. “That’s the song that made me realize I love this, that I want to do this forever,” she says. 

When she was 13, COVID hit and, like most of the world, Bowers was confined to her house. She spent five hours a day practicing guitar, live-streaming her sessions on Reddit. “I remember the first time I did it, I had like 20 people watching,” she says. “And all of a sudden there were 20,000, and I just remember sitting there freaking out. But I couldn’t stop because there were 20,000 people watching.”

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That was a confidence booster for Bowers, to say the least. After moving from California to Nashville with her family, she began playing in as many clubs as she could, despite being underage. “I think I’ve probably played every single venue there is in Nashville at this point,” she says. “I definitely got myself into a lot of situations I probably shouldn’t have been in. And I saw a lot of things that I was definitely too young to see. But at the same time, that was the best way for me to learn…just, like, throw myself on a stage.”

Thanks to that experience, musicians began asking Bowers to sit in on sets. Not only was her online presence growing, but so was her stage presence. She always felt like someone else’s guitar player, she says, but deep down, that’s not what she wanted to do. “I always knew I wanted to make my own songs and do my own thing. Because, you know, I have my own voice and things to say.”

Now at age 18, Bowers not only debuted at the Grand Ole Opry earlier this year, but she’s also played with Dolly Parton, Lainey Wilson, and Gary Clark, Jr., among other talented and famous musicians. Recently she appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with her own band, Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge.

(Credit: David McClister)

She and her band also have a new album, Wine on Venus, which was inspired, Bowers says, by her love of Funkadelic (“…specifically their first three albums”) as well as Buddy Miles and Sly and the Family Stone. “It sounds like a bit of a throwback for sure,” she says. “One song on there is the first riff I ever wrote. So they’re songs that I’ve kind of had in my back pocket for quite a bit. So it just feels nice to have them out there.”

The album’s title, along with its eponymous first single, was inspired by her “nana,” who passed away a little over a year ago. “She was 100 years old, and before she died she would tell everyone in the family not to worry about her because she’d be drinking wine on Venus because it’s the brightest star. I just think that’s the coolest thing ever.”

On October 15 Bowers played WhyHunger’s Amplified: Annual Hungerthon Kickoff Concert with the Roots, and in November she kicked off another tour starting in Japan. This was Bowers’ first time traveling internationally. “I’m excited…also a bit nervous,” she says. “I don’t know how that’s going to go, but it’ll be cool for sure.”

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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 A Day in the Life of… The Story So Far https://www.spin.com/2024/10/a-day-in-the-life-of-the-story-so-far/ Wed, 30 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=447441 The Story So Far (Credit: Eric Soucy)
The Story So Far (Credit: Eric Soucy)

Frontman Parker Cannon remembers scrolling through an iPod in 2007 together with friends Ryan Torf and Kevin Geyer, looking for inspiration for a band name. They grew up in Walnut Creek, California, most of them attending the same high school together. “…Getting a band name is like the hardest part,” he says over a video call. “…A lot of our favorite bands were just titles of other bands’ songs or other bands’ records.”

Torf, who’s also on the call, tells me that though they had a variety of musical influences, it was pop punk bands Blink 182 and Green Day that most influenced the kind of music they played. “ I think we all kind of grew up in that era where a lot of the big pop punk bands were there, like the ‘90s, early 2000s stuff.” 

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They landed on The Story So Far after the Newfound Glory song of the same name. 

The band—which currently includes Cannon, Geyer, Torf, and  Will Levy—has recorded five studio albums. Its most recent, I Want to Disappear, was released in June of this year. The album is a departure for the group, as it was heavily influenced by a personal loss for Cannon. Themes of grief and personal loss can be heard throughout the record.

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

“I lost my dad to cancer going on three years now,” he says. “He was the biggest musical influence in my life. He’s the one that showed me music, showed me bands. He was himself a singer in this dad cover band thing when I was young, and he was the coolest dude I knew, so I learned everything from him.”

Cannon’s relationship with his father wasn’t always great. They had their fair share of arguments, he says, especially when it came to Cannon’s choice to pursue music as a career.  “He was just like, ‘I don’t know, can you do it? Can you make it work?’ And I was always like, ‘Yes, yes, I can do it. I swear to God, just lemme go try.’ And so, we had our differences before the band really started making it and making some money. And then as we got more successful, he was so proud and we were just best friends about it every day. He was the biggest Story fan of all time, he knew every song, knew every word.” 

Cannon tells me that each time the band recorded new material, his father was the first person he would let listen to it so he could get an honest critique. “He was the first ear I always went to, and so when I lost him, it was very hard for sure.”

Cannon, who watched his father struggle with the disease for three years, was lost after he died, and had a difficult time coming to terms with his death. In fact, the record almost didn’t get made. 

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

Besides the death of Cannon’s father,  the band members, who are now in their 30s, began starting families and working on their own personal projects.

“It was very different for us for a lot of reasons,” says Torf. “ I think throughout our whole career, we’d had some pretty crazy consistency with how we operated; not just with making albums, but with touring and the cycles and writing new music and recording. And then I think we were faced with a lot of new challenges, and the foremost of that being, what Parker was going through, losing his father.”

Despite those challenges, Torf says that the finished product is some of the band’s best work yet.

“I’m beyond stoked how it came together,” Torf tells me. “The momentum we did manage to gain…Parker writing some of what I think are his best lyrics and most personal lyrics.” 

The Story So Far’s U.S. tour kicks off November 21 in Nashville.

Here’s a day in the life of…Parker Cannon and Ryan Torf. 

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

Where are you right now?  I’m in Los Angeles, California. – Parker

I’m at home in San Francisco. – Ryan

Time I woke up  I woke up today around 8:00. – Parker 

Like 8:15. – Ryan

Every day starts with  Coffee. – Parker

Quick cleaning and meditation, then coffee. – Ryan 

Breakfast consists of  A good bagel. – Parker

Oatmeal. – Ryan

To get going I always listen to  Gotta be the big O for me…Oasis. – Parker

Gotta be the Beatles for me. – Ryan

I don’t feel dressed without  A good pair of shoes. – Parker

Carhartt pants. – Ryan 

Before I start working I must  Focus. – Parker

Drink coffee. – Ryan

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

Currently working on  New songs on the Europe tour. – Parker

Just getting ready to play some new songs for the tour. – Ryan

But I’d really love to be  On a beach in Hawaii. – Parker

Seconded. – Ryan

Book I’m reading  The Uriel Ventris Chronicles, Volume 2. – Parker

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle. – Ryan 

I don’t know how anyone ever  Yeah. I got nothing. – Parker

I got nothing. – Ryan 

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)
Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  This is a tough one. I might go with Be Here Now by Oasis or Revolver by the Beatles.- Parker

Yeah, both good choices. Definitely Maybe by Oasis has been on repeat for me. – Ryan

The perfect midday consists of  Video games. – Parker

Working out and maybe more coffee. – Ryan 

To help get through the day  Try to appreciate. – Parker

Yeah, try to stay present. – Ryan

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

Not a day goes by without speaking to  My girlfriend and my mother. – Parker

Yeah, friends and mother. – Ryan 

My daydreams consist of  Playing in the World Cup. – Parker

Writing more music. – Ryan 

I’ll always fight for  My friends. – Ryan 

Yeah, my friends. – Parker

Currently in love with  Life. – Parker

Soup. – Ryan 

Part of a photo series the band took during its Summer 2024 tour. (Credit: The Story So Far)

Hoping to make time to watch  I’ll just say good movies. Though, there aren’t many of them nowadays. – Parker

Yeah. I don’t have anything for that. I’ve had time to watch them all. – Ryan

By my bedside I always have  Water. – Ryan 

Yeah, a glass of water. – Parker

To help get through the night  Read before bed. – Parker

AirPods or earplugs. – Ryan

When I think about tomorrow  Get excited. – Parker

Possibilities… – Ryan 

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of…The Beaches https://www.spin.com/2024/10/a-day-in-the-life-ofthebeaches/ Thu, 17 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=446373 The Beaches (Credit: Meg Moon)
The Beaches (Credit: Meg Moon)

“A lot of people who grew up there don’t end up leaving the neighborhood,” says drummer Eliza Enman-McDaniel of the Beaches, the area of Toronto she and fellow bandmates, sisters Jordan and Kylie Miller, are from. That neighborhood is a chill, touristy, family-friendly area with bistros, boutiques, and a quaint boardwalk—basically the Canadian version of Florida’s Seaside (of The Truman Show fame). 

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Before they were the Beaches, the three friends were known as Done with Dolls, a band they formed in their tweens in 2007; Jordan on bass and lead vocals and Kylie on guitar. But six years later, they added another guitarist, Leandra Earl, and reformed as garage-rock band the Beaches, an homage to their childhood neighborhood. They released two EPs independently, The Beaches in 2013 and Heights in 2014.

Earl and Enman-McDaniel both point to Avril Lavigne as the artist who inspired them to become musicians. “She represented the other side of the pop world,” says Earl. “I was a little tomboy…and feeling like [I was} kind of the outcast of all the girly-girls in [my] class…and then Avril Levine came out and she made me want to play guitar and be up on stage.” 

The Beaches released their first album, Late Show, in 2017 after signing with Universal Records Canada a year earlier. The band’s following grew after winning “Breakthrough Group” at the Juno Awards the next year. In 2019 they were invited to open for the Rolling Stones. The group, pardon the pun, was making waves. 

Eliza Enman-McDaniel of The Beaches performs at Massey Hall on November 1, 2023 in Toronto. (Credit: Jeremychanphotography/Contributor/Getty Images)

But during the pandemic, everything fell apart. Universal dropped the Beaches in 2022, which caused them to re-evaluate their trajectory. “We kind of took that period as time to grow as a band and figure out what was working and what wasn’t,” says Enman-McDaniel. “And we kind of cleared house, got a new manager and new agents, and just really sat down and talked about what we want this next chapter to be and how we want our music to be.”

The band aimed to re-establish themselves—and that they did. In 2023, they released Blame My Ex, which won “Album of the Year” at the Junos earlier this year. The Beaches—never to be satisfied with just one award, also won “Group of the Year” thanks in part to the TikTok sensation, “Blame Brett,” the album’s first single. The song also led to an almost sold-out North American tour last year and another opportunity to open for the Stones.

Not bad at all for a group that had to start over from scratch during the pandemic. 

“It’s been the most fulfilling year,” says Enman-McDaniel. ”I mean, we’ve been able to travel to new places. We got to go to Australia. We checked off so many things on our bucket list, I feel like, this year. But on the same token…it’s exhausting and it’s quite tiring. But we wouldn’t be doing it if we weren’t having the most fun.”

The Beaches are currently on tour through November 21 and working on a new album, which they hope to release next year. 

Here’s a day in the life of Eliza Enman-McDaniel and Leandra Earl, who chose to shake things up and alternate their responses.

Location  Charlotte, North Carolina. – Leandra

Time I woke up  10 minutes before this interview, so 12:50. – Eliza

Breakfast consists of  Today, half a Cliff Bar. – Leandra

To get going I always listen to  Fred Again. – Eliza

I don’t feel dressed without  My hat. – Leandra

Before I start working I must  Smoke a joint. – Eliza  

Currently working on  A new album. – Leandra

But I’d really love to be  I don’t know how to answer this one. Lee, what, what should I say? – Eliza

I think all of us would love to be, like, on a beach somewhere. – Leandra

Or honestly, home. I’d love to be home. – Eliza

I don’t know how anyone ever  Finds true happiness. – Leandra

2023 (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  The self-titled album by the Band. – Eliza

The perfect midday consists of  A nap. – Leandra

Yeah, I was going to say a nap. We all need to get a nappy at that time. – Eliza

To help get through the day  Drink coffee. – Eliza

Not a day goes by without speaking to  My ex-girlfriend, Alex. – Leandra

My daydreams consist of  Being at home. This whole time, I’m just like home, home, home. – Eliza 

I’ll always fight for  Love. – Leandra

Currently in love with  My band. – Eliza

Hoping to make time to watch  Abbott Elementary. – Leandra

By my bedside I always have  Like, at home or on tour? I mean, I guess it doesn’t matter. My melatonin. – Eliza

To help get through the night  Drink beer…You’re talking to the two currently, emotionally unstable people on the tour. – Leandra

The two who are the most depressed right now.  – Eliza

When I think about tomorrow  I shudder…No, I smile. Every day is a new day. That’s what I try to think about. – Leandra

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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A Day in the Life of…BLOND:ISH https://www.spin.com/2024/09/a-day-in-the-life-ofblondish/ Tue, 03 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.spin.com/?p=443171 BLOND:ISH (Credit Riccardo Vimercati)
BLOND:ISH (Credit Riccardo Vimercati)

When Vivie-ann Bakos was 5, she wasn’t quite old enough to understand how to turn on her father’s record player. But she did figure out that if she took a needle from her mother’s sewing kit, she could spin the turntable herself, aligning the needle on the grooves of a record to create music. “That was the starting point of everything,” she says.

Her father wasn’t a DJ necessarily; at least not professionally. As a sailor, he traveled around the world by boat to places like Lebanon, North Africa, and South America, absorbing different cultures, particularly when it came to music. He was also an avid vinyl collector, and she recalls an old reel-to-reel player he used to own—the centerpiece of the house, she says—that he used for her family’s weekend parties. Instead of using his record player for music, he recorded his vinyl collection onto reel-to-reel tapes that he would then play for his soirees; a much more efficient tactic, he found, for entertaining guests than having to flip over and change out records every few minutes. Bakos became obsessed with the machine, watching the tape snake around from reel to reel. 

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Flex Basel Party in Miami, December 8, 2023. (Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Flex)

Bakos admits she’s a super nerd, consumed with how things are put together (she built her first computer at 12). Growing up in Toronto she never planned on becoming a DJ. But like her father, she was always on the prowl for new music. Bakos became fascinated with electronic dance music (EDM) at age 12 and would make fake IDs to get into clubs, eventually deciding she wanted to learn how to DJ; it just made sense. She earned a degree in computer science and, while in school, was hired to DJ a high-profile party during the Montreal Grand Prix, which led to a regular weekend gig at a club in Italy. 

Since 2007, Bakos—known professionally as BLOND:ish—has become a powerful force in the EDM scene, a world-renowned DJ and producer. She released her first full-length album, Welcome to the Present, in 2015 and has also issued several EPs, including Lonely Days, Inward Visions, and Wunderkammer. She’s created remixes for artists such as Depeche Mode, Taylor Swift, and Post Malone; collaborated with Madonna; has her own label, Abracadabra; and started a non-profit called Bye Bye Plastic, a collective of musicians, DJs, and other music professionals committed to eliminating single-use plastic in the music industry.  

“Music is just another form of zeros and ones,” she tells me from her summer retreat in Ibiza, a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea known for its thriving summertime EDM scene.

BLOND:ish tells me that during her budding DJ career while attending university, she would travel by bus to New York City to play gigs. Because she had little money, Joe’s Pizza—a city staple at the corner of Bleeker and Carmine Street —was the only place she could afford to eat; it didn’t hurt that the pizza happened to be really good. Every time she went there, she would wonder if she could make her passion for music a career; if it was even a viable option. “Every time when you’re in there, you’re looking at the wall and you’re like, just dreaming…and you’re just staring at the wall and you’re like, ‘Hey, hope I get there one day…” she says, referring to the idea of being on Joe’s Pizza’s famous wall of celebrity photos. That’s when she would know she really made it. 

Date (when you are writing this)  Wednesday, August 21.

Time I woke up  9:00 a.m.

Every day starts with  Hot water with lemon and salt from Iceland.

Breakfast consists of   Protein (eggs).

To get going I always Listen to  432 Hz frequencies.

I don’t feel dressed without  My topknot.

Before I start working I must  Do some Qigong and put an energy bubble around me.

Currently working on  Finishing my album that’s coming out in the new year.

But I’d really love to be  Freeeeeeeeeeeee.

Book I’m reading  The Wisdom of the Shamans by Don Jose Ruiz.

I don’t know how anyone ever  Doesn’t pee in the shower.

If I had to play one album on repeat, it would be  I don’t really listen to albums anymore.

The perfect midday consists of  Lunch with friends at Jondal in Ibiza without plans after.

To help get through the day  I need a plant press (super clean caffeine without the coffee ups and downs).

Not a day goes by without speaking to  My wifeyyyy Liana.

My daydreams consist of  Having a day without responsibilities.

I’ll always fight for  Freedom for humans, and their happiness.

Currently in love with  My new son. He’s brand new.

Hoping to make time to watch  More content on YouTube on LP mining in crypto. It’s how I build my passive income.

By my bedside I always have An eye mask. Some lavender.

To help get through the night  I take some magnesium before bedtime to get quality sleep.

When I think about tomorrow  I don’t think about tomorrow…trying to be present.

To see our running list of the top 100 greatest rock stars of all time, click here.

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