Interview with DREAMERS (4/4/16)

DREAMERS and I after the show

On Monday, the day of this interview, I was full of anxiety, excitement, and a feeling that I was going to be apart of something important. I arrived at then venue shaking and on the edge of a having a panic attack, but I pushed through and texted Plotkin, DREAMERS' tour manager, asking where I should meet them; he let me know that the guys just got on a last minute call- when I met Nick and Nelson they said it was about "business", because "contrary to appearances, this is a business we're running here"- and the interview would be pushed back 20 minutes, but I could hang out in front of the venue with him and some other people (artists and crew members). I went out to the front gate of Kilby Court, and Plotkin immediately introduces himself and talks to me about the venue, other bands I've seen and interviewed, my blog, and just Salt Lake City; he might not be aware of this, but he helped to calm me down so much just by having a conversation with me. I had no idea what to expect from all these new people I was meeting, and it was so great to start of with someone so sweet, so thank you Plotkin! (Everyone else I met were super great, too, I must say.) When the guys were ready, he led me to the greenroom where Nick and Nelson (Nick Wold is lead singer and guitarist; Mark Nelson plays the bass and keyboard) were seated on a couch in the small room painted bright green, which was surprising, because- as Nelson put it- "green rooms are pretty ubiquitous in their adolescent humor scrawled all over the walls" or- as Nick said- "dick drawings". Jacob (he's their drummer) was in the bathroom, so we just talked about David Bowie, the great city I live in, and other unrelated topics, and I felt immediately at ease and welcomed by them (which was such I relief). Jacob joined us a few minutes later, shook my hand (I'm trusting that he washed his), introduced himself, and we started the interview, so- without further ado- here is the product of all my stress and anxiety written out into a beautiful combination of nonsense and genius:

Autumn Lucas (me): Have you been to Salt Lake City before?
(Nick was talking before the interview that he'd been to Salt Lake once when he was younger, and his mom used to live here for about a year.)
Jacob Lee Wick: Yes
Nick Wold: Jacob actually played here, in this venue.
JLW: Yeah, 10 years ago. Found that bag in the dumpster *pointing at a black duffel bag, that seemed to be in great shape, that was on a table behind me*, I still use it.
NW: Oh yeah, that duffel bag that he still uses.
Marc Nelson: Which is a great duffel bag, why did somebody throw that away?
JLW: I think someone stole it from the airport and then took the-
NW: contents
JLW: -the inside-
NW: -and dropped it off.
MN: Yeah, 'cause it is such a good bag.
JLW: Yeah, and I found that and- like- a Gucci bag, and an XBOX.
NW: An XBOX?
JLW: Not the actual thing, but the box that is comes in with all the cables.
MN: *laughs rather loudly*
NW: Oh, an XBOX box
JLW: Yeah, I didn't want to say "box" twice, but...
MN: I still haven't seen SLC Punk; is that a good movie? I've heard it's great.
AL: Yeah, I've only seen it once, and that was a little while ago, but I don't know... (It's a great movie, but it's depressing, so I'm not totally sure how I feel about it)
NW: Was it a Salt Lake movie?
AL: Yeah
NW: Nice, I haven't seen it yet.
MN: Now that we're here, that's- like- on my immediate to-do
JLW: Don't you guys have a nice tea shop here?
AL: I have no idea...
JLW: Yeah, that was a while ago, though.
MN: There was one particular cup of tea, that he definitely remembers.
JLW: The Red Iguana, is that a place?
AL: Oh, that's a burrito place (it's a Mexican restaurant, but you know what I mean), we just went there for my brother's birthday
JLW: Then there's Blue Iguana on the other side of town?
NW: There's multiple colored iguanas?
AL: Yeah, they're both Mexican food places. The Blue Iguana is by the Capitol Theatre.
JLW: Oh yeah, I did spend some time here. High School Musical was filmed here.
NW: Wow, wow *in an odd, high-pitched tone*

AL: I looked at some articles online before I did this interview and say that almost every one that I looked at had you classified as a different genre-
NW: Nice.
AL: -so I was wondering what genre would you classify yourselves as or if you feel that you don't apply to a single genre or...?
NW: We can't be defined, man!
MN: You can't pin us down; they try, they try. They put their finger [on it] and it just keeps moving around.
JLW: It keeps moving around; it's like Whack-A-Mole.
NW: Yeah, we try not to define ourselves, I guess, genre-wise, but we're definitely- like- some kind of rock-pop situation. We're a trio... a power trio.
MN: I like that actually: saying we're a rock-pop situation.
*agreement amongst the band on the phrase "rock-pop situation"*

NW: People say that... We like music from all these different periods- 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s, and even today- so we totally mix all that together in our music, and just want to carry that torch on forward. So whatever it comes up sounding like, we'll let the journalists decide.
AL: That's kind of how felt, because... I first heard you guys on AltNation-
NW: Awesome.
AL: -and when I first heard you guys, it's sort of like... It's just liked the sound of you guys, because it was just you guys, not a specific genre. Like, you guys have built your sound around the band, not the band around the sound. If that makes sense?
MN: No, we love that.
AL: Ok *while releasing the breath I'd been holding throughout my whole speech, because I was so worried they would totally disagree with my assessment*
MN: That's definitely the intent, so it makes us happy.
NW: We don't think we sound like the other bands on the radio, and we think that we like that.

AL: How does it feel to hear your own song on the radio?
NW: Feels *split-second pause to find the correct word* awesome.
MN: I'm not going to lie, I really like it.
JLW: It kind of feels like when you lay down on grass and look up at the stars, and kind of feel a little dizzy or something for a moment.
NW: I like when they play the weird sounds, like *doing a very amusing impersonation of a crazy radio DJ* "Now this is DREAMERS with wi' der sung 'Wolves'", *imitates explosion*, then the song comes in.
*laughter*
WARNING: Marc is going to get deep and philosophical 
MN: It's a little bit like raising- like- a dove-
JLW: Yeah
MN: -and you're just like, "Ok, I'm going to set you free."
NW: And it flies.
JLW: And it flies really well.
MN: And it flies away, and then, just one day, it comes back, and it's just like, "Yo, that's my dove, and he's doing good, and he's just chillin' and he just wanted to stop by to say, like, 'Thanks, Bro. I'm doing good now; I just wanted to say I'm doing alright.'" And he flies away, again.
*imitation of dove noise*
MN: It's like that.
JLW: Exactly.
NW: Yeah.
AL: ... *stares, for a split-second, at my list of questions at a complete loss for words*
NW: Did you get that?
AL: That was just- like- a really good analogy.
MN: *laughs* Whew... Some of them fall flat, so I'm glad that one worked.
NW: That was good.

AL: How does it feel knowing that people enjoy your music, and people relate to your music? Along those same lines, but- like- personal, people...
NW: Wait... people.. oh, people relate to it?
AL: Yeah (*facepalms into another dimension, because I couldn't word that question properly*)
NW: Oh yeah, I mean, it feels awesome, because when you're writing you hope that somebody's going to listen, I guess. And I've written a ton of songs that no one will ever hear, so when somebody say, like, "Hey, your lyrics are- like- really meaningful to me," or something, I'm like... It makes me feel good, and then validated. And, uh... Music is- like- about connecting people.
MN: That is cool.
JLW: It's one of the most rewarding as an artist, is to hear that people connect to something that comes from you, you know?

AL: Who are some artists that you are listening to right now?
JLW: You want to go first? *pointing at Nick*
NW: Yeah. I really like this album by Rodrigo Amerante, most people don't know who that is; it's really good. Jake showed us this band, Alvvays (pronounced "always"); super cool band. The other day, when we were in New York, on this tour, I went to my friend's show and saw this band, SLOTHRUST,-
JLW: Yeah *quietly while nodding enthusiastically*
NW: -never heard of them before, but they were sick.
MN: They were really good.
NW: They're a trio, like us, but with a female singer and kind of a 90s vibe, which I dug.
JWL: Darwin Deez, started listening to him
NW: Ooo, yeah.
MN: There's a lot of good bands. I just started listening to two really good bands. I like The Virginmarys, I just started listening to them; I started listening to this band, Houndmouth; just like yesterday, I started listening to the record.
AL: Houndmouth was here a few months ago, I didn't see them, but they were here.
NW: Nice.
MN: They have some really great stuff.
NW: Alright, this isn't new, but I recently started listening to The Jesus and Mary Chain.
JLW: Yes!
NW: I had never heard of them before-
MN: They are phenominal, I remember back in the day
NW: -and they are badass.
JLW: Yeah, they have that song, what is it?
NW: "Just Like Honey"?
JLW: "Just Like Honey"
MN: I think that song has a really good video, that I kind of want to steal- that I kind of want us to draw from the video down the line.
NW: Not gonna lie
MN: Not gonna lie; we're gonna steal that video.
(if you want a sneak peek at DREAMERS' new music video here's the link: "Just Like Honey" by The Jesus and Mary Chain)

AL: On Twitter, you interact with your fans so much and I love that-
NW: Nice.
AL: -and I was wondering if that was an intentional sort of thing that you did, or if it just sort of happened?
NW: Yeah, I don't know. It's kind of just fun. When our song, our first song, "Wolves", came out on AltNation, that was when we suddenly... For the first time, there were all these, like, Tweets and stuff about the song,-
MN: Yeah.
NW: -so that was how we immediately saw that there was actually a reaction and there's people, like, doing it, so it just started up right away, just, like, responding to them all. And then, we met a lot of people that way, so we still just do it.
MN: It felt really good, and we were like a completely independent band when "Wolves" got on AltNation, when they started spinning it... Totally, TOTALLY independent, and we had just really started and, uh... So, it just felt really good to see that immediate response, so we were just like, "Wooo!", ya know? And from that it felt like a community kind of, which we're really proud of.NW: And Nelson runs the Snapchat. (username: dreamersjoinus)
MN: Yeah, I don't know if "running" it is a good... I, yeah... You can't really run a Snapchat, you know, it's kind of...
JLW: He tries.
NW: He bathes in Snaps, constant Snaps.
MN: I do. You can't run one, you just gotta run with it.
NW: It runs you.
MN: It runs me, actually.
AL: Yeah, I saw the cat you met.
MN: Oh yeah, the cat, the cat.. Cutest cat ever.
NW: That's a nice cat, then we ate lamb gyros after.
MN: We did. Well, I didn't actually, because I don't anything but protein bars,-
JLW: Yeah.
NW: True.
MN: -but if I, I would *unsure what he's trying to say*... Cute cat.
JLW: Cute kitty.

AL: You guys, I feel, as a band, have a personality, and it, like, blends each of your individual personalities. Do you feel like that was something you planned, or do you feel like that has sort of changed and happened as you've grown as a band or..?
NW: Yeah, I think it definitely has grown. Naturally, when you make music, it's just, kind of, you're taking all the things that you like the most and you're putting them in one place, and with three different people. We like a lot of the same things actually, which, it's probably not a coincidence that we like the same things,-
MN: Yeah.
NW: -but, also, we like some different things, and we all inject it and that's kind of what it is. I think that's how bands become unique.
MN: And there's just three of us, too, which kind of... It allows our personality to probably-
NW: -to be more defined.
MN: Yeah, to come through a little bit more. If there was eight of us, it would just be like "who is that guy in the band?"
JLW: Then it would just be a crowd.
AL: That's kind how it is with The Mowgli's, though. There's, like 12 of them. (I am exaggerating, don't hate me, Colin)
MN: We just had a different guy playing keyboards, no one would even notice, just like, "Wait, is that a different keyboardist?" "I didn't notice, maybe."
NW: Yeah, it's pretty different...

AL: Are you directly involved in creation the concepts for your videos?
NW: Yeah, totally.
MN: For sure.
NW: The "Wolves" video, we made entirely, pretty much, ourselves with our friend Nikolai in New York, and I did all the animation on my crappy, little computer. Uh, yeah, and the "DRUGS" video, we wrote it, we wrote the script and, then filmed it in LA with our friend Frank, so, yeah, it's all pretty... we're pretty involved in it.

AL: Now with the "DRUGS" music video, did you envision that concept when you were writing the song, or did that idea come later?
NW: That came on later, but it's still related the concept of the song.
AL: Yeah, because, it's like, I feel that listening to the song and having seen the video, but, it's like, I wasn't sure it was intentional.
NW: Yeah, I think we wanted to make it more obvious in the video than it is in the song- what it's about- so we wanted to spell out how it's about social media and phones and being addicted to "likes" and "followers" and stuff. So we wanted to kind of make that clear, so that people got it.
MN: Yeah, swiping...
NW: Swiping left, swiping right.
AL: Yeah, I really like that video.
NW: Nice, thanks.
AL: I got chills watching it honestly, it was just, like, really good.
NW: Awesome. Chills is the ultimate high.
MN: We shot a bunch of stuff in the desert, well we tried to shoot a bunch of stuff in the desert, too.
JWL: Yeah, the last scene of us walking away.
MN: It's like everything, it evolves. We tried to shoot in the desert and got, like, shut down.
JWL: Permits
MN: Permits? In the desert? We're just like, "We're in the desert, who cares?", but, ya know, it was still fun. We got to hang out in the desert with all the extras and our friends.
JLW: Filmed in my apartment...
NW: The government was keeping us down!
MN: I was like, "You can't own the desert, man!"
NW: We just found out that this awesome, big festival in Boston we were gonna play, but then the city of Boston banned us,-
MN: *laughing* We got banned!
NW: -because of the song "DRUGS". They thought it was too offensive,-
JLW: They banned us. *in disbelief*
NW: -even though there's not a single curse word in the song.
JLW: We just played there.
NW: And the song's about social consciousness, so the joke's on them... So I think we're gonna go there now and play a different afterparty after, which is gonna be interesting. I don't know if I'm allowed to say it... (they have announced it on Twitter, so we're all good now)
AL: You should just play "DRUGS" over and over.
*laughter* (that's right, I made them laugh #bigpimpin')
NW: Yeah, we should. Just, like, 12 times.
AL: Yeah, just keep going.
JLW: Instead of confetti blowing, it'll just be white powder.
*laughter*

AL: Do you have a favorite city or venue that you like playing?
NW: Salt Lake!
MN: Yeah, that's what I was going to say.
NW: We've never played here before. Uh, I don't know, not really. There's so many favorites, so many awesome places we've played. It's, like, you never know what's you're going to get, man.
MN: That's true; we've played cities, where that's our first time there, and it's a Monday night, and we're just thinking, "Oh, it's gonna be chill," then it's awesome. It's awesome.
NW: Then, there were town's that we'd never heard of that we think are going to be small, and then they're like the best tour.
MN: Like Maquoketa, Iowa
NW: Maquoketa, Iowa
MN: They brought the fire in Maquoketa, Iowa. No kidding, like, literally, the middle of nowhere.
NW: It was the Daytrotter Downs out there. It's so awesome.
MN: It's incredible.
NW: We had a good show- a really great show- the other day in Kansas City, Missouri. It's one of the best shows of the tour, if not the best.
MN: We were not expecting it... Because we'd never been through Kansas City, had we? Missouri, we'd never been through.
JLW: A life changing one.
MN: It was, it was pretty, it was pretty epic honestly.
NW: We transcended this mortal plain.
JLW: Yeah, we have beautiful flowers there.
NW: Orange tulips
JLW: They need some more water, though.
MN: And they have goat-cats
JLW: Oh yeah, that's where the goat-cats are
MN: That's where the goat-cat was
JLW: I mean, that was the start of our day there, so...
MN: That's how we knew
JWL: Once you see two goats walking down the street...
NW: The goat blessed us.
AL: When I went to Kansas City, it wasn't as pleasant. I'm a Real Salt Lake fan, and I went there for the MLS Cup against Kansas City and we lost and it was bad, and there were drunk guys telling me to "fuck off", because I was crying as we were leaving the stadium. (Though, I now remember that we were on the Kansas side of Kansas City, so maybe that's the difference.)
JLW: Yeah, that sucks.
NW: I wanna punch them guys for you.
AL: But, the hotel we stayed at, had a waterpark in it, so that was pretty cool. It was also really cold there; like, it's the coldest I've ever felt.
JLW: Hence the waterpark being inside
NW: That's crazy.
AL: Yeah, and it's like, one of the slides went outside, and you could feel the cold when went out...
MN: That sounds awesome.
JLW: That's crazy.
AL: Yeah, and it was all steamed up in that part of the slide.
NW: That's cool to know that they have water, because we saw a big city fountain there and it was completely empty.
JLW: Yeah, it had LEDs, though.
NW: And we saw a Vietnam memorial with these big pools and fountains, but they were all empty of water.
JLW: Yeah, it's supposed to be really cool.
AL: They probably haven't filled them back up from winter, since it gets so cold. Like here, we have restrooms at parts and stuff that aren't open, because pipes freeze and everything. (I don't know why I chose that as an example, because we also have fountains and pools of water in Salt Lake City, not just outdoor restrooms that are closed in the winter)
NW: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.
JLW: Yeah, can't flush it.
MN: Can't flush ice!
NW: What did we learn today?
JLW: Can't flush ice.
MN: Can't flush it.

AL: Did you feel, when you started DREAMERS, that you'd get to where you are now?
NW: Definitely.
MN: Yeah, I think that so, yeah. I mean, when I met Nick it was kind of like that, I was like, "I'll do this."
NW: We've all been in bands before, and this is one where we felt like we knew how to do it now, so we're going to do it for real. And so... And also, we always just try to think- we believe that we can do anything and we always operate on that frequency, and we aim for the stars, so we really believe that we can do whatever we want.

AL: Do you have an ultimate goal as a band?
NW: When we play this first sold-out show on the moon,-
MN: You beat me to it.
NW: -then we'll have made it.
MN: Yeah.
AL: I don't know, Walk the Moon might want to get there first.
NW: They can open up for us.
MN: They can open for us on the moon.
JLW: I like that.
NW: Isn't there a band Walk Off The Earth?
JLW: Yeah
AL: I don't know, it sounds familiar, but... (Walk Off The Earth's Website)

AL: What about plans for the near future?
NW: Yeah, we just put out our EP, You Are Here, which is from our latest California recording sessions. We're going to release a full-length album- this album does not exist from those sessions- coming up. And we're going to tour a ton. I think that's it.
MN: Mmhhm. Big festivals, big shows. Gotta keep it movin'-
NW: Keep it movin'
MN: -upwards towards the moon.
NW: Yep.
AL: You're gonna get to the moon someday?
MN: We're gonna get to the moon. We're gonna be the first band to play the moon.
NW: The moon is the symbol, the mystical symbol of DREAMERS, so I think it's only fitting that we should play there.
AL: My brother was actually just watching a video about building bases on the moon.
MN: It's gonna happen, and NASA's already, like, they're fans of us. We're on, like, NASA's radio station.
NW: True, we're on their playlist.
MN: We're on their playlist, so-
JLW: Get ready.
MN: -we've got an in.
NW: We can make space popular again.
MN: Yeah
JLW: Who knew a rockstar could go to the moon?
MN: Space is pretty cool.
NW: It is.

AL: How do you keep the emoji game so on point on Twitter?
JLW: We study a lot; reading up on emoji use.
NW: We have an ancient scroll from Ancient Japan about the art of emoji. Yeah, and we study it everyday.
MN: It's carefully guarded scrolls. We met a Buddhist monk in Compton Square Park-
NW: Compton?
MN: Yeah. We had a moment with him and he gave us the scrolls, and he said, "Look, you guys seem like cool guys and-
NW: "Use it wisely."
MN: -and I want you to learn the art of emoji," and he just handed us these scrolls. It's been on point ever since.
JLW: Yeah, we're still learning. You can never learn too much.
MN: He had a pitbull with him, too.
NW: My favorite emojis are the moon and the setting sun.
JLW: You've sent me an amazing emoji story.
NW: You can make whole paintings with it.
JLW: It's like flip books
AL: Like just the moon, or the creepy moon with the face?
NW: I like the sliver moon with the face the most, and if you see that, that's how I sign things, so you'll know that's me. (What if Jacob or Nelson start using that now just to fuck with us, though?)
AL: It's like every time you tweet, I'm like, "oh, emojis!" It's, like, just adorable.
NW: Yeah, it's just way more colorful and expressive that regular.

AL: This is more of just a fun one, but what are your spirit animals?
NW: Oooo...
MN: Hhmm...
NW: Yes, we all have several. They definitely have different roles in our spirits, but mine is definitely the crow; that's the mystical bird of my homeland of Seattle, it's all black, it's smart, it's mysterious, it eats carrion. And also, though, I feel like my spirit animal is a whale, because they make me feel hard feelings whenever I see them,-
MN: Beautiful.
NW: -and they sing, and they're big and peaceful, and they're also smart. What about you guys? *turning his attention toward his bandmates*
MN: This, it was somewhere, somewhere random, and this, like, hippie girl just came up to me and she's like, "Do you know that your spirit animal is the wolf?" And I said, "no, I did not know that." Then she said, "well it is," and then she walked away. And she had crystals and stuff, so I assume that she understands spirit animals.
NW: She knows, and we have that song. (What song might that be? 🤔)
MN: I don't know what that means, but she seemed like an authority, so that's probably it.
NW: He's a lone wolf.
JLW: But they're in a pack, too.
NW: Pack animals...
MN: But small packs; they like their people.
AL: Like The Hangover, The Wolf Pack
MN: Mhm, exactly. Except my band's my wolf pack.
NW: What were you Jacob?
JLW: Uhh, a falcon... A dragon.
NW: Were you born in the Chinese year of the dragon?
JLW: I was. I like dinosaurs.
NW: Those are like real life dragons.
JLW: Yeah, they are dragons, we just painted 'em different when we were killin' 'em,-
NW: True
JLW: -the ones that were left.
MN: The dragons?
NW: Someone was slaying 'em.
MN: It's so sad that there's no dragons left.
JLW: It's like the couple dragons, or dinosaurs, that were left we decided we'd kill them all.
NW: And that's where dragon slayers were.
AL: *thoughtful pause* I'm learning a lot right now.
*laughter* (yeah, that's twice I've made them laugh.)
NW: Most people don't know that there were dinosaurs in Medieval Ireland.
JLW: Yeah, they used to fly around and you'd ride on their backs, and- if you kicked them right- they'd blow fire.
MN: This is true. They were in Scotland, too; that's the one thing that Braveheart got wrong. He was riding a dinosaur.
JLW: They were there, though; they just knew they didn't want to get involved in that shit.
MN: They couldn't pay for the CG,-
NW: -so it's historically inaccurate.
JLW: Also Jurassic Park's real.
MN: Totally real.
NW: Yeah.
AL: Did you see Jurassic World?
JLW: No, see... I can't do it; too much CG... I can't do it.
NW: I watched the first half of it, but, then, I guess something happened and I couldn't finish. Yeah, but it's great; I love those movies, so I'm not hating.
AL: Ok... On that note...
*laughter*
MN: That's a good way to end an interview.
*clapping*
AL: Thank you guys.
NW: Thank you; that was a great interview.

Nick Wold being a badass

After the interview was over, we said our goodbyes, talked a bit more as we were leaving- about my Converse I was wearing, Salt Lake City, and the venue- and they headed out to get some barbecue. Before they left, I more hugs; I was taken a bit aback by how tall Nick and Nelson are in person, so mid-Nelson-hug, I just say, "You guys are so tall." Luckily, Nelson handled it like a pro, just say, "That's how we roll," so I didn't die of embarrassment and was able to see their show later. I'm really glad that I got to see this show, too, because it was so great. And before they played their last song, Nick thanked me for interviewing them while he was onstage, so that's pretty damn cool.

Marc Nelson shredding the bass and Jacob Lee Wick killing it on the drums

I feel like this is the best interview I have done so far, because I ended up just feeling like I was talking with my friends; the conversation- at least in my opinion- didn't feel forced, and I felt like we could've talked for hours. These are such amazing guys and I feel honored to have been at all acknowledged and complimented by them. One of the best feelings in the world is when you meet someone you've loved and looked up to for a long time, and they are just as nice- in this case, nicer- than you thought they'd be. I can't how lucky I am to have met Nick, Nelson, Jacob, and Poltkin (along with all their tourmates that I was able to meet), because I feel like I am a better person having just been around such genuinely nice and cool people. To put it in Nick's words, this interview was "awesome"; when DREAMERS play the first show on the moon- even though I am more afraid of going to space than anything, and have sworn I'd never leave Earth for any reason- I will be there; I hope you'll join me on DREAMERS' journey to the stars. 🌛

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My Top 15 Albums of 2015

This was a really difficult list to narrow down, and I put a lot of thought into where each album is placed and they the ones that are in the honorable mentions. I love each album that I mentioned on this list, but some just didn't make the cut; there are also a few EPs that are in the honorable mentions, solely because I don't feel like it's fair to compare full-length albums with EPs. I hope you'll look up each and every album that you're about to read about. I also made a playlist of songs I loved this year on Spotify that I hope you'll look at as well: https://play.spotify.com/user/1230813544/playlist/3gbXaauLzZV2PypKTHxU7K

15. American Beauty / American Psycho- Fall Out Boy
I have loved Fall Out Boy for as long as I can remember; I was belting out Thnks fr th Mmrs, Dance, Dance, and This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race as a little girl, and that hasn't changed. This album is really good, and I absolutely love each song on it. There's a real story to each track, and that's one of the things I love about Fall Out Boy; there is a story to each song and they use music to tell it. Favorite Record is on me that I fell in love with immediately, and it's sort of relationship goals. Fall Out Boy have been there for me through every important moment in my life, and I'm absolutely positive that will continue to be true. This song is full of great songs, and I absolutely love that I'm able to hear their growth as a band for the little baby-faced boys in their video for each of their paragraph-long titled songs.
Buy American Beauty / American Psycho on iTunes
Fall Out Boy's Website

14. VHS- X Ambassadors
I am not going to lie and say I was into X Ambassadors before Renegades got popular, because I hate when people do that, but after i heard that song, I looked them up and bought this album. I have come to love every song on it, especially Superpowers, Gorgeous, and Feather. I wish I had started listening to them sooner, because they are absolutely superb. If you were like me, and only knew Renegades, go look up more of their songs because you will not be disappointed. He just has a great voice, and their song writing puts words together that just sound eloquent and beautiful.

Buy VHS on iTunes
X Ambassadors' Website

13. Smoke + Mirrors- Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons are a band that I was into before they got popular, and I will say that until I die; that may seem like sort of a douchey thing to say, but it is the truth. When they got popular, I did the typical hipster thing and sort of disowned them, and I was so sure this album was going to be totall crap honestly, but then I listened to it and it's just as good- if not, better- than their first album. I actually tried not to like it, because I didn't want to be too "mainstream" but it found its way into my heart. At their concert in July, I was just hysterical; I was screaming, crying, and feeling totally overwhelmed. At the end of the show, they played The Fall while autumn leaf confetti the fell from the rafters and I was just so in awe and fell in love with Imagine Dragons again- even though every time I see someone wearing Imagine Dragons' merchandise, I have an inexplicable urge to punch them in the face.
Buy Smoke + Mirrors on iTunes
Imagine Dragons' Website

12. Run- AWOLNATION
I fell in love with AWOLNATION the first time I heard Sail, and I've just fallen further and further since. I saw them live a couple of years ago, and it was an almost religious experience; everything he told me to do, I felt compelled to do it. That was the first time I was really sore after a concert- though it was also my first festival- and I really credit them for making me see what was so amazing about attending a concert; before that I would just listen to the music and watch videos of live shows, and that let me feeling content, but seeing AWOLNATION in concert left me with an unquenchable desire to see live shows. This album is so much more than its title track, Run; there are so many great songs and there is so much talent and creativity in each and every member of this band. I absolutely love this album, and every song on it.
Buy Run on iTunes
AWOLNATION's Website
My Review of Run

11. Wilder Mind- Mumford & Sons
Mumford & Sons are one of the bands that my parents got me into, and I am so happy they did it; they are an amazing band with a unique sound. It's difficult to find a band that can play folk music with a modern twist like they do; on this album they have gotten more rock and roll sounding on Wilder Mind, and part of me hates that, but it's still so much better than most of the music that's out there in any genre. Believe is such an amazing song, and it is one of my favorites that came out this year; Marcus Mumford said that he wrote the song after a fight with his wife, and it is conveyed perfectly through the lyrics and even just his voice. He is a beautiful song writer and he can make almost perfect music; this is such a good album and I love every song on it.
Buy Wilder Mind on iTunes
Mumford & Sons' Website
My Review of Wilder Mind

10. Badlands- Halsey
My friend, Bella, is the one who really got me into Halsey; she was into Halsey way before she was "cool" and she dragged me along. The first thing I noticed about Halsey was her spectacular voice; she sings in a way that causes you have an actual need to listen. I could listen to her for hours upon hours. She is an amazing musician, who plays music that actually has a meaning. I saw her open for Imagine Dragons this year, and I was blown away; I knew she was going to be good, but she was just mezmerizing. I was able, after seeing Imagine Dragons, to get my friend Kenzie obsessed with her as well. Halsey's music could be classified under many different genres, but the best way to describe it is as great music. You can recommend her to your friends, your aunt, your parents, your significant other, or just random people on the street- though you may want to give them a warning about the language and themes in the music first- but I guarentee no matter who you recommend it to, they will find at least one song on this album that they enjoy.
Buy Badlands on iTunes
Halsey's Website
My Review of Badlands

9. In The Cards- Robert Delong
Robert Delong is one the few artists everyone in my family will enjoy without complaints; he is an amazing musician with many talents. When I saw him live in March of 2015, I realized just how engaging a DJ could be; he used video game controllers, televisions, drum pads, mixing boards, and an actual drum kit. He made me do something I'd never thought I would do: fall in love with techno music. I have looked up other groups and gone to other shows all because of how much I love Robert Delong; he has opened my eyes, ears, and mind to a whole new genre of music. His song Jealousy has been one of my jams this year and I think every single one of you should check it out. He has done a lot for me, but most of all he's made me fucking dance. (look up Global Concepts as well)
Buy In The Cards on iTunes
Robert Delong's Website

8. Lovetap!- Smallpools
At first I wasn't going to include this album, but then I thought about what I was listening to during my worst times this year; Dying to Live, Dreaming, and Mason Jar are songs that I have listened to over and over again this year in all different moods. Smallpools are one of the bands that made me see that was worth living and things could get better; I still struggle everyday with the pain that I feel, but this band has helped me feel like I mean something and someone out there needs me. Their music has a way of picking you up when you're down, making you smile when your face in covered in tears, and- most importantly- making you feel like someone gives a shit about you and you will find a way to be happy. This album is one of the reasons I am still alive, and I'll never be able to repay Smallpools for that.
Buy Lovetap! on iTunes
Smallpools' Website
My Review of Lovetap!

7. Dopamine- BØRNS 
I just bought this album five days ago, and I'm already obsessed; in all honesty, if I had another couple weeks before I made this then Dopamine could've been higher on this list, but that's not how this works, is it? I have listened to every song on this album at least ten times, and I don't think I'm going to get tired of it anytime soon. I love his voice- though when I first heard Electric Love I thought it was a woman singing- he sounds unlike anyone else out there right now and I feel lucky to be listening to his music. Every song on this album could easily become a hit, the radio stations just need to realize that. I feel like this is going to be an album that grows with me; I will find new meaning in each song as I have new experiences and I'm sure I'll be playing it for my kids at some point.
Buy Dopamine on iTunes
Borns' Website

6. Glitterbug- The Wombats
This is an album I'd been looking forward to for a long time, probably since I first heard Jump Into The Fog; I had extremely high hopes, yet I was left completely in awe. The first time I heard Isabel, I cried; I'm not even sure why, but it was just totally beautiful and it was sort of overwhelming. I wanted to see them so fucking badly, but their show here was 21+, so I guess I just have to wait for another tour. I listened to this album about 20 times when it first came out, then another 40 when I actually bought the album, and each time it seemed to get better. Alt Nation is, in my opinion, overplaying Give Me a Try, but every time it comes on I rock out and that's something that is kind of difficult to find nowadays.
Buy Glitterbug on iTunes
The Wombats' Website
My Review of Glitterbug

5. Use Your Time Wisely- Strange Names

Strange Names are a little known alternative rock band; if you haven't heard them, then you're missing out. Each song on this album shows so much thought and work, you can tell that they worked hard to make it exactly what they wanted it to be. I saw them live in October when they were on tour with Maudlin Strangers, and I even got to interview them- I have been working on typing it up, but it's been a pain of in the ass. They are great guys, and I genuinely enjoyed being around them; they made me feel less stressed and I was right next to Tyler Glen, the lead singer of Neon Trees, and he's a fan, so you have no reason not to look them up. My favorite song on this album is Only Boy; there's really no specific reason, but when I heard it for the first time I fell in love with it. Everything about this album is practically perfect and I can't think of a single flaw.
Buy Use Your Time Wisely on iTunes
Strange Names' Website

4. Wiped Out!- The Neighbourhood
I have loved The Neighbourhood for a long time; they were the first band I actually was campaigning with my parents to attend. Jessie Rutherford just has such an amazing voice, and I find it impossible not to just melt listening to him. They find a way to mix rap music with rock and roll, and it ends up just sounding absolutely spectacular. I liked this album more than their debut, because, I felt, there was more personality and meaning in the lyrics; he brings his own thoughts and opinions in- aside from just ones involving the beach- and it makes me feel like I know more about him and that makes me feel more connected to the music. I relate to some of the things Jessie is singing about, and it gives me a sense of validation and comfort knowing that I'm not alone.
Buy Wiped Out! on iTunes
The Neighbourhood's Website
My Review of Wiped Out!

3. Love Stuff- Elle King
Elle King has helped me with more than just her music; she has helped me feel comfortable in my own skin, know it's alright to tell everyone what I'm thinking, and decide not to give one fuck about what anyone thinks or says about me. She is honestly a woman that girls should be looking up to, because she is just being herself and she's totally fine with that; she is comfortable with her sexual side and isn't shy about anything, as far as I can tell. Elle King gives me hope that I will find a sexy man with similar interests who will genuinely love my big, curvy ass- I don't mean anything against her, so don't take it that way- because she owns up to the fact that she's not a skinny girl, but not in the obnoxious way a lot of people do. She is an elligant lady, who doesn't take herself too seriously, and that's the vibe you get listening to her music. She has done a lot for me this year, and most of it doesn't have a single thing to do with her kickass music. Every song on this album has a great sound and amazing lyrics, and she is just amazing at what she does.
Buy Love Stuff on iTunes
Elle King's Website

2. Vikings- New Politics
As much as I try not to, there is going to be bias in this list, but that's kind of the point of a blog; when I was thinking about my favorite albums of 2015, I knew Vikings was going to be somewhere on the list, but I didn't want to let my love of New Politics cloud my judgement. I thought and thought about how high on this list they really deserved to be, and no matter how many times I thought about it, they were right here in this spot. This album is just too fucking good not to be this high on the list, and giving artists the credit they deserve is one of the most important things that I'm trying to do with my blog. They did exactly what an artists is supposed to do with a new album: grow and change their vibe and sound, while still keeping their personality and style. Even if I wasn't already a huge fan of New Politics, I'm quite sure that I would be after listening to the songs on this album.
Buy Vikings on iTunes
New Politics' Website
My Review of Vikings

1. Blurryface- twenty øne piløts
When I heard that twenty øne piløts were working on their third- really fourth, but for some reason everyone forgets about Regional at Best- studio album, I wasn't really sure what to expect; there was a lot of differences between their self-titled and Vessel, and I wasn't sure which style of music they were going to lean towards. When I heard Tear In My Heart, my first thought was, "oh my god, they went pop," but as I listen to it more, it started to grow on me but it still didn't really sound like tøp and that actually upset me a lot. I wasn't really excited about this album, but then I heard Stressed Out, and I pre-ordered Blurryface that night. The rest of the album was a lot of mixed emotions for me, but all of it was still so fucking good. I saw them in September and I actually cried for around 60% of the concert; I just couldn't believe how good everything was and that I was able to see them so close doing what they love. The lyrics from Lane Boy, "Honest, there's a few songs on this record that feel common I'm in constant confrontation with what I want and what is poppin'. In the industry it seems to me that singles on the radio are currency," are definitely true, but there's also a line that says "All these songs I'm hearing are so heartless. Don't trust a perfect person and don't trust a song that's flawless," and I believe that full-heartedly. Every song on this album is great in its own way, and I am grateful that I'm able to listen to it and enjoy it.
Buy Blurryface on iTunes
Twenty One Pilots' Website
My Review of Blurryface

Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):
Our Own House- MisterWives My Review
Comeback Queen EP- LOLO
Kindred- Passion Pit
In Colour- Jamie xx My Review
What Went Down- Foals
How do you feel now?- Joywave
Strangers To Ourselves- Modest Mouse
Acoustic EP- The Griswolds My Review

Kids In Love- The Mowgli's
Future Hearts- All Time Low My Review
Better Nature- Silversun Pickups
The Kids Will Be Fine EP- Young Rising Sons My Review of Fucked Up

Wilderness Politics Tour (The Complex- 10/23/15)

I had been looking forward to this show for a really long time, even before it was announced I was waiting for an opportunity to see The Griswolds for the first time and see New Politics- one of my favorite bands- for the third time. When this tour was announced I actually cried, quite a bit to be honest. This tour gave me a reason to live in some ways, not to be over dramatic, but I was in a really bad place and then when this was announced I was able to focus on better things and look forward to something amazing. My greatest fear was that it wouldn't reach my expectations, but it was amazing and I cried multiple times throughout the concert.

LOLO was the first opener, and she was just amazing; I don't really know how to put it into words, it was just so good. She came out on stage with one guy- Josh- and they played some kickass music. He just had a guitar, some sound pedals, and a laptop; she just had her voice. There was just so much energy and emotion that it was almost overwhelming; even though a lot of the crowd didn't seem to know her music, she was able to get everybody into it. I had two main favorite songs she played- though they were all spectacular- the first was a cover of Halo by Beyoncé and the second was her original song Heard It From a Friend. She just gave it all she had and I absolutely loved it. 

The second opener had me in tears before they were even on the stage; by the time The Griswolds stepped onto the stage I was hyperventilating and I was having a small panic attack. Before they came on the stage, their tour manager, Danny (who has also been lovingly nicknamed Stoopid Danny), was setting up their equipment and I yelled "I love you Stoopid Danny!", and this led to him flipping me off- my only regret is not getting a picture of it. When the band stepped on the stage- while Kung Fu Fighting is blasting through the speakers- they started playing and in that moment I felt completely overwhelmed and filled with happiness; I think I was actually made of moonbeams and just exploding with utter perfection- if any of that makes sense. It was everything I thought it would be and more; the crowd was into it, I was screaming every word, and I was so close to catching a drumstick but I guess my life would've just been too perfect at that point so something must go wrong. It was still one of the best shows of my life and I still feel sort of numb from it. I continued to yell at them as they were cleaning up and they all at least glanced in my direction; I told Chris that I had bracelets for him and he told me he'd be at merch, and I yelled at Lucky "do the pose!"- if you don't understand this, look up "lucky west af" on Twitter and you'll get the idea- and he laughed but did not do the pose. 

The New Politics show was also one for the books. They have put on an amazing show every time I've seen them, but you could tell that they felt more comfortable on stage and were confident. I don't really know what to say, they were spectacular and I was screaming the whole time and was a nervous wreck because I wanted to see their whole set but also was so desperate to meet The Griswolds. My highlight of the night came when they played Tonight, You're Perfect, because David Boyd- lead singer- came into the crowd and grabbed my hand; I was crying and screaming, I couldn't believe he was holding my hand, and I just kept thinking "hold on! Don't let go no matter what!"- later I also touched his butt, yet (as you can imagine) that was a lot less romantic and special. I felt, for the first time at one of their shows, like I was something good and that their songs might actually be about me- though, just so everyone knows, I understand and accept that they are not- and that is a big step in me feeling like I'm something good and worth loving. New Politics have been there all through my Dark Age- for lack of a better term and comedic relief- and I'm glad because the bands that have helped me through are the ones I know I'm always going to remember and treasure. They're a great group of guys who seem to genuinely love their fans, and even if it is all a show- like my brothers and dad think- it makes me feel like I matter, and I think it does the same thing so other people and I don't want anyone to feel how I have felt before. This band has helped me more than I'll ever be able to thank them for, but I'm just going to keep saying it- thank you David, Søren, and Louis for existing. 

The other headliner was Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, and Andrew McMahon is a spectacular performer who has surrounded himself with other talented individuals. I listened to his whole performance, but for a lot of it I was outside trying to meet The Griswolds. He is absolutely amazing live though; he created an amazing atmosphere- with visual props and his energy. He played stuff from all three of his groups: Something Corporate, Jack's Mannequin, and- his current group- Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. I can't believe how crazy people got during some of the slower songs; there were people more energized during his set than at some of the more hardcore shows I've been to, but it was just fucking awesome. I love how people are able to just get into the music they love, no matter what.

As I mentioned before, I was trying to meet The Griswolds, and right once I went outside I saw Danny Duke- guitar and keyboard- and Tim John- bass-; as you may assume I immediately freaked out. I got pictures with them and talked to them for a bit, and told them about yelling at Stoopid Danny- to which Danny laughed and Tim said, "oh yeah, he hates that. Keep doing it though!" I was really, really happy. I also met Hot Jay- merch sales person extraordinaire- and got a picture; after that my dad said,"he's the lead singer, right?" I was so confused until I realized he thought Jay was Chris then I kindly corrected him saying he was the merch guy, to which he replied, "why the hell did you want a picture with him?" And I just had to shake my head and say "because he's Hot Jay, he is important" my dad knows not to question me sometimes- this being one of those moments. Jay also informed me that Chris and Lucky were at a bar down the street from the venue- which my dad said (and Chris later confirmed via social media) is a gay bar-, so I did what any sane person would do: stand out in the cold to see if they ever show up (I did make friends with two other sane people though so that was fun). After waiting for a very long time, they finally came back...then went directly inside the venue. So then we waited a bit longer, and Danny (Duke) came outside again and I proceeded to explain to him how Lucky had ignored me yelling for him to come say hi to us and he said "I have no idea what any of that means, but ok", so I explained again- this time slower and in words I knew even a drunk Aussie would be able to understand- but he just smiled and nodded and said "I don't know where he is" and walked away. So we waited some more, and FINALLY Chris came out and I got meet him- I took pictures for like eight people- and I have him my bracelets (mentioning that one of them I had originally made for Danny Duke, but when I asked if he wanted anything as a present when I saw them, told me "anything not bracelet or food related"), then Chris did an amazing impersonation of Danny saying he didn't want bracelets while u put the bracelets on his wrist, and then I said "I've tweeted @ you a bunch of times" to which he replied "I know! What, did you think I didn't recognize you?" I nod, and he says "well, I guess a lot of people do tweet us, but for the past day- well, couple of days- we've been talking about Utah and you've been telling us all the info." We then talked about the two other Autumns that are apart of our stan and the dankness of the Great Salt Lake. I bought a vinyl after that and got it signed by Chris, then I went outside and found Lucky with Josh from LOLO. I talked to them for a bit and got pictures with them and had Lucky sign my vinyls and gave him a bracelet- which he put onto his backpack- and I had a poster that they both signed, and Josh signed his name next to LOLO (+Josh), which I loved. I got hugs from all of The Griswolds, signatures from two, and pictures with all of them. It was good.

If all that wasn't enough, I still had a meet and greet with New Politics. They were rushing people through and it wasn't amazingly personal or anything, but it was still amazing. I think that David may have recognized me- either from the show, the last meet and greet I went to, or maybe even social media- but that could've all been wishful thinking. They were all really nice and the picture I got turned out SO good! I waited outside- in the cold again- until they were done and tried to get all of their signatures for my poster, but I only got David's and Søren's, but Søren was super nice about it and tried to get Louis to sign it, and even though Sprout, their tour manager, was telling them they had to leave they quickly signed my poster then left. They are awesome guys, and I love them. 

And if all that wasn't enough, Andrew McMahon was outside the venue to sign stuff and meet fans. I got a picture with him, talked to him a for a little while, and he signed my poster. He didn't have to stand out in the cold, and meet people or take the time he did to actually talk to each person, but he did and that's just fucking awesome.

LOLO's Website
The Griswolds' Website
New Politics' Website
Andrew McMahon's Website

WARNING: I'M ABOUT TO SHARE OPINIONS THAT ARE UNRELATED TO MUSIC AND COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL. I'M ALSO GOING TO  BE GOING INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT VIOLENCE AND POLICE BRUTALITY.

I know this isn't a political blog, and some of you may never want to read my blog again, but I feel like I need to bring this up. I have kept this seperate from the rest of the post, so there is no confusing what I'm saying with any of these musicians- once again, ALL OF THIS IS MY OPINION and I'm only relaying what I saw; if you have a problem with what I'm saying take it up with me, don't drag others into your argument. 

There was a TECH N9NE concert going on at the same venue as the Wilderness Politics show, just across the lobby area they have. There was a lot of people who seemed to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol- to be completely fair, I did not administer drug or breathalyzer tests, so I cannot be 100% sure about this but you can tell when someone is wasted. As you can imagine, some people were getting pretty rowdy and causing some issues; I saw security escort a lot of people out of the venue. Most of these people were relatively cooperative and didn't cause problems, but one guy that I saw- only about three yards away from me- did get a little aggressive. He said that he didn't want to leave- at this point PD got involved- but they said he had to, then he started swinging his arms around and two uniformed members of the Salt Lake City Police Department pushed him onto the ground and hit his head against the cement- twice. After that he seemed a bit out off it, just repeating "why y'all gotta be bitches?" over and over as they led him to their cop car. I assumed they had taken him to the station, but when I was on the other side of the cop car I saw the man, handcuffed and passed out in a puddle of his own vomit, and he seemed to be foaming at the mouth. While I understand the actions they took at the beginning, I don't think they needed to hit the man's head into cement- which could've possibly led to severe, permanent damage- and I don't think they should've left him there. He did eventually get medical attention, but that was around 45 minutes after the original incident, and I was standing there while he was passed out for at least 10 minutes; that could be the difference between someone living and dying.

After both concerts had let out, there was another altercation. This one started out just more worrisome than violent; I'm not sure about all the details, but I heard people say they found the couple- a young man and a young woman, who looked to be in their early twenties- who were passed out on the side of the venue. The rest I was a witness to: they called an ambulance- which arrived within five minutes- and when they tried to take they girl out of the guy's arms- she was completely unresponsive, while he was drifting in and out of consciousness- he would hold on tighter to her and say "no, don't take her! I need to help her!" When the paramedics did finally get her out of his hold, she seemed to be waking up and she wasn't cooperating; I'm not sure whether it was a paramedics or PD, but after about thirty seconds of her moving around- not letting them put her in the stretcher- they pushed her up against the fence- with quite a bit of force, and she is a small girl. Someone was also holding down the man, though with not as much force as what was used on her. When they finally did get her on the stretcher they aggressively tied her down and carted her away, and I believe the man was arrested. 

I'm not saying what these people did was right, especially not using illegal drugs, but I feel like we need to be able to trust the people who are out there the "serve and protect". Even when someone is a criminal, they are still human; we can't just say that since someone did something wrong that they don't deserve to be treated with respect. I know they are just trying to do their job, but the largest part of their job is to keep people safe, not put them into more danger. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, but I felt that it needed to be said- but, no matter how you feel, thank you for reading, because I feel this is really an important issue that needs to be addressed in our country.