Issuu

Jimmy Page and Gary Clark Jr. Photographed by Danny Clinch, London 2013 S H O P T H E N E W J O H N VA RVAT O S . C O M

CONTENTS CONVERSATION Nick Rhodes: TV Mania

Prêt-à-Rocker

Music Muses

John Varvatos: Rock n’ Roll

The Artists

24 The Art of Gaga 26 Global Rhythms 30 The Rise of A$ap Rocky 32 Music in the Digital Era 34 Audio Couture 37 Sounds of 2013

The Lads

BEAUTY 126 Kerli 130 Jewel 132 Jihae

FASHION Taylor Momsen Kreayshawn Turn It Up Natalia Kills Big Sean Cassie Charli XCX Carmen Electra Chelsea Tyler Marion Corrales Kate Nash Ren Harvieu

138 146 154 162 170 174 180 186 196 204 210 214

EVENTS Bob Gruen Cinema Issue Global Launch Stockists

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VISIT THE UNTITLED MAGAZINE ONLINE www.untitled-magazine.com

MASTHEAD INDIRA CESARINE Editor in Chief & Creative Director

The Untitled Magazine is proud to present its most anticipated issue yet, The “Music” Issue 6. The issue highlights more than 100 of the most inspirational and influential artists shaping the music industry today. From global DJs to hip-hop luminaries and indie band sensations, the “Music” issue is entirely devoted to the global music scene. Offering a one-of-a-kind personal look into the lives and careers of each musician and band with exclusive interviews, photo shoots and behind-thescenes videos, The Untitled Magazine has intimately captured some of the most talked about, cutting-edge artists on the airwaves. For this issue, we present a global perspective on the music industry’s movers and shakers such as A$AP Rocky, Big Sean, Cassie, Django Django, Icona Pop, Kreayshawn, Kate Nash, Lady Gaga, Machine Gun Kelly, Natalia Kills, Neon Trees and Taylor Momsen, to name a few. Duran Duran’s iconic Nick Rhodes provides an exclusive interview on his TV Mania release as well as reveals his magic behind-the-lens with an six-page fashion spread featuring pop star Charli XCX. Designer John Varvatos chatted with us about his legendary collaborations with music icons such as Jimmy Page, Green Day and Axl Rose. We discovered many new artists that are impacting the music scene, and caught up with quite a few legends along the way. Without a doubt this has been one of the most challenging and ambitious issues of the publication to date, and we hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did creating it. In addition to the 224-page print edition, The Untitled App and Digital Editions will include audio tracks, original productions of music videos, and behind-the-scenes videos from the photo shoots – elevating the magazine experience to an entirely new level. Stay tuned for the release of The “Music” Issue 6 App, out in May 2013.

FASHION DIRECTOR Indira Cesarine FASHION EDITORS Brendan Cannon, Erin McSherry CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY EDITORS Bernadine Bibiano, Roberto Morelli FASHION MARKET EDITOR Erin McSherry DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Denise Rossi SENIOR COPY EDITOR Marianne White CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS Carla Popenfus, Ron Cabellos DESIGN ASSISTANTS David Brown, Tara Ghazanfar EVENTS EDITOR AT LARGE Lady Victoria Hervey CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITORS April Roomet, Charles Adesanya, Danny Flynn, Deborah Latouche, Jeff Kim, Kristine Kilty, Irene Manicone, Scott Newkirk, Rebekah Roy CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS Ben Mirza, Frederic Gille, Liz Hazzard, Marianne White, Rod Bastanmehr ASSISTANT COPY EDITORS Erika Broad, Mark Libatique

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS & INTERNS Annie Rygiol, Barbara Bertisch, Celeste Chesser, Cem Engin, Daniel Black, Diego Flores, Erika Broad, Erica Spear, Hallie Geyh, Heather Rest, Jake Glorioso, Jose Terrero, Mark Libatique, Marlon Co, Mika Alexander, Milton Garay, Patrick Brassard

to In the Music Issue No. 6 .

Published by UNTITLED MEDIA 45 LISPENARD STREET NEW YORK, NY 10013

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Aaron Marcellos Alexandra Burke Alexandra McDermott Alexz Johnson Andra Day A$ap Rocky Bat for Lashes Ben Montague Biffy Clyro Big Sean Bip Ling Blondfire Carmen Electra Cassie Charlie Siem Charli Xcx Chelsea Tyler Chelsea Leyland Coleman Dan Black Delilah Dionne Bromfield Django Django Dry the River Early Morning Rebel Elle King Foxes Haim Icona Pop Imogen Heap Io Echo Jesse Wood Jewel Jihae Jjamz John Varvatos Joy Formidable Kate Nash Kerli Kreayshawn Kristian Marr Lady Gaga Laura Comfort Liza Thorn Lianne La Havas Lloyd Polite LP Machine Gun Kelly Marion Corrales Maya Jane Coles Medina Ms Mr Natalia Kills Neon Trees Nick Rhodes Noah Becker Oberhofer Purity Ring Ren Harvieu Sharon Van Etten Sky Nellor Soko Spector Ssion T Mills Tamara Kaboutchek Taylor Momsen The 1975 Wild Belle Wynter Gordon Zara Martin

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PRINTED IN THE UK BY BUTLER TANNER & DENNIS

DISTRIBUTED BY PINEAPPLE MEDIA

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REPRESENTED BY FORWARD PR

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ISSN: 2167-1990

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Website: www.untitled-magazine.com Email: info@untitled-magazine.com

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All Interviews are by The Untitled Magazine, unless otherwise noted in credits.

Special Thanks to K&M Camera, Milk Studios, Pier 59 Studios West, James Goldstein, Gloria Martinez

c o n t r i B u to r s

Anouska Beckwith - portraitS of mARION CORRALES Anouska Beckwith, 25, is the founder and CEO of World Wide Women, a photography collective of female artists. The photographer, film producer, actress and writer lives in Paris and has taken photographs around the world all of her life. She studied at the Spéos Institute in Paris and has already had two exhibitions in Paris and one in New York in 2012. She is currently working on her new series for World Wide Women’s London exhibition in September and São Paulo in November. CARTER B SMITH - PORTRAITS OF STARRED, Foxes, DJ Coleman, Blondfire, Joy Formidable and Purity Ring www.metroflix.com

Carter B Smith lives, works, and breathes in New York City. The photographer has directed music videos for many of today’s leading artists, two feature length films, and is the creator and director for the TV series Skate Maps and Aperture. His renowned photography has been exhibited in galleries internationally. He has published two books, It Takes a Nation with a forward by Barack Obama, and Phonebook. JEFF FORNEY - PORTRAITS OF T. Mills, JJAMZ and Early Morning Rebel www.jeffforney.com

Raised in the East Bay of Northern California, Jeff Forney’s influences were the characters he encountered in the wide array of music that permeated the Bay’s airwaves. After completing a degree in sociology at the “sedate” campus of CSU Chico, he landed in New York City. Jeff spent a bit of post-graduate time in front of the camera doing ad campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Guess, and Jil Sander, as well as commercials with directors such as David Lynch. With a camera in hand, Jeff grew to love its ability to tell a good story and the composition that harnessed it. jordan doner - portraits of Chelsea Tyler AND badbad www.jordandoner.com

Jordan Doner is a NYC-based photographer who has photographed pop stars, designers and Hollywood darlings. His conceptual photography has been featured at the P.S. 1 Museum and auctioned at Christie’s. Jordan’s design work has been featured at the Whitney Museum Store, is part of the permanent collection of both the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Met Costume Institute and the Louvre, and will be featured in next year’s Multiple Exposures exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design in New York. NICK RHODES - portraits of charli xcx Legendary Duran Duran founder Nick Rhodes’s creativity doesn’t stop in the recording studio. The English rockstar, set to record another album with his band, also has a flare for photography, saying that he is never far from his camera. This year, he plans on showcasing the massive collection of photographs he’s accrued over the decades, which enjoy a cinematic and personal quality. In this issue, he photographed pop star Charli XCX and gave an intimite insight to his latest music project, TV Mania. Roberto Aguilar - portraits of Dionne Bromfield and Ren Harvieu www.photoaguilar.com

Roberto Aguilar’s curiosity led him to the darkroom at age 10. Born in El Salvador but raised in the United States, he became a commercial photographer for many multi-national clients in the Central American region. A decade ago, he started teaching photography at Parsons in Paris. Roberto moved to London in 2004 and is now known for his romantic and provocative imagery. JOEY FALSETTA - portraits of SSION, Wild Belle AND Oberhofer www.falsetta.mew

Manhattan-born, self-taught renaissance man Joey Falsetta is a model, rock ‘n’ roll drummer and self-taught photographer who has broken into the industry in style. Having covered musical artists such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Motorhead and Jane’s Addiction, the fashion and entertainment artist does not shy away from challenging himself with learning more about the craft. He currently is working on a slew of projects focusing on old portrait styles, beauty, vintage magazines, fragrance, lingerie and jewelry.

Machine Gun Kelly, 22 From Houston, Texas Lives in Cleveland, Ohio Photographed by Indira Cesarine

“The Apollo Theatre’s, fucking, the most harsh stage ever. Before I even said anything on the microphone, people started booing, and as soon as I opened my mouth, everyone shut up.” On that fateful night in 2009, Richard Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly, with a baby on the way and facing eviction from his home back in Ohio, took on perhaps the most daunting venue in entertainment. “We went out there on a whim, kind of like, ‘If this doesn’t work out, then fuck it.’ You know, I had a kid on the way. I just got fired from a job. I told my friends, ‘Hey, I’m gonna take this out to New York. I’m gonna try it out, and see if it works out.’ And I stayed outside from like, two in the morning until like 1 p.m. the next day. I was 49th in line, went in, did my tryouts, they told me to come back.” In the entire history of the iconic Amateur Night at the Apollo, Machine Gun Kelly was the first rapper to ever take home first place. Twice. Machine Gun Kelly, or MGK as he was known until recently, won his first rap battle back when he was a skinny, friendless 14-yearold in Denver, Colorado. “I saw everyone respecting whoever was

winning the battles, so I was just like, ‘You know what, fuck it.’ And then I stepped in and started whooping everyone’s ass, and everyone all of a sudden was like, ‘This kid is the coolest kid in school.’” A military brat, MGK had a nomadic childhood, spending time in Egypt, Kuwait, and Denver before finally settling in Shaker Heights, a small suburb outside of Cleveland, Ohio. Frequent moves, bullying, family strife, and drug abuse pushed MGK to look to music as an outlet. “I chose to go the music route rather than keep getting my ass whooped…When my father and mom weren’t there for me, the headphones were. That was my escape.” In 2010 he released his debut mixtape, 100 Words and Running, and in 2011 he made the pilgrimage to Austin’s SXSW. The Apollo wins, the mixtape and a growing fan base in Cleveland all came to a head when MGK received the phone call that changed his life. “Puff ended up on my phone personally. He was like, ‘You know, I heard you are setting shit on fire. Who the fuck are you? I want to meet you.’” A deal was signed, and MGK officially entered the Bad Boy/Interscope universe.

MACHINE GUN

KELLY

Stylist: Erin McSherry Grooming by Anneliese Photographed at Studio Cesarine

Fashion Editor: Brendan Cannon Hair by Stefano Greco @ Bryan Bantry Make-up by Ido Raphael Zabok @ Next Caroline wears a dress by Lako Bukia, ring by Joseph Mimi. Aino wears a t-shirt by Maria Dora and necklace by Delphine Charlotte Parmentier.

ICONA POP Icona Pop: Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt From Stockholm, Sweden Live in New York City Photographed by Indira Cesarine

“My mom was out at dinner one night with some Italian friends, and they said, ‘Oh, they’re going to be the next pop icons.’” And just like that, Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt, the duo behind Swedish synthpop sensation Icona Pop, had a name and a purpose. After meeting at a party in 2010, the pair became fast friends and decided to form a band. They haven’t slowed since. “We just sat down with wine and our laptops, and we never discussed what kind of music we should write. Within two days, [we] had our first gig.” True to form, Icona Pop have already made a significant impact on the electropop scene with their uplifting tracks. In 2011, the girls migrated from Stockholm to London. “Our thing is that we want to be where we have the most to do,” says Jawo. “The DJs, the different clubs – it was really good for us to go from our hometown and set out to be in a big place. We learned a lot that year.” After playing just one show in their new home base, the duo scored a management deal with Ten and were soon playing sold-out gigs around the world. Since those early days of wine and laptops, the self-described “romantic rebels” have come into their own as veritable pop stars with their hit song “I Love It” appearing on MTV’s buzz list and recently being featured on an episode of the HBO hit series Girls. Their 2012 EP The Iconic EP made them an international sensation. The duo is still catching their breath with the whirlwind of their recent success, “We played at this place in Brooklyn called the Grasslands—that was amazing for us. We didn’t expect that to have too many people, but there was a line out the door for a long time, and they were singing all our songs—even songs that were only released in Sweden!” “You have to try and be different. We’re not afraid of dreaming big,” says Hjelt. With inspiration coming from their travels, favourite movies and ‘90s music, Icona Pop have exploded onto the scene with their high energy. Touring with Marina and The Diamonds and performing at SXSW, they tell us, “It’s the best thing I think we’ve ever done. The vibe has been great, everyone’s singing along… It feels like we’re living in a dream!” Clearly they are just getting started. Look out for their debut full-length album, slated for release in 2013.

Stylist: Jeff Kim Hair by Kristen Shaw Make up by Kristina Elaine wears a ReissBrown skirt, top and vest by J & Company Elaine is wearing a ReissOlympia. skirt, topTyler and wears vest byshorts J & Company, and and shoes by Charlotte shoes by Charlotte Tyler isjacket wearing shorts by General by General Idea, topOlympia. by All Saints, by Tommy Idea, top by All Saints, jacket by Tommy Hilfiger, and shoes by Hilfiger and shoes by John Varvatos for Converse. Chris John Varvatos for Converse. Chris is wearing a shirt by Tommy wears shirtConverse by Tommy Hilfiger and Converse shoes. Hilfigeraand shoes. Brandon is wearing shirts by Brandon wearsby shirts by Reiss, a watch by Versus, his by John Reiss, a watch Versus, his own jewellery and shoes own jewellery and shoes by John Varvatos for Converse. Varvatos for Converse.

NEON TREES 99

104

HAIM Haim: Este, Danielle and Alana Haim From Los Angeles, California

“I’ve always wanted to work at a magazine, actually. I love magazines! So you never know,” says Danielle, the middle sister of the trio Haim. Though the world of print journalism would surely embrace her, the music industry is clearly where she and her siblings belong. The Americana/R&B/folk-inspired sister band from LA have been playing together since 2006, though only recently released their first album. Influenced by rock from the ’70s and nurtured forward in the craft by their musically inclined parents, Haim began singing covers together at local fairs and charities as kids. “We started playing together when we were really young, actually. My mom taught guitar, my dad played drums, and we just started playing music with them for fun,” says Danielle. When they began to make an earnest go of it, they branched out, incorporating distinct R&B undertones into their sound. They name Prince as an abiding and enduring musical influence. “Collectively I would have to say we all love Prince. I mean, we like everything. But collectively, it’s definitely Prince.” Throughout the late ’00s, the girls were busy with school and side projects. Este graduated with an ethnomusicology degree from UCLA, and Danielle toured with the likes of Julian Casablanca from The Strokes, whom she cites as one of her mentors. “I kinda picked his brain while I was on tour with him, because stuff wasn’t really happening for Haim at the time. We had been playing for five years, but no-one seemed to be caring, and I didn’t really understand why...We really didn’t know what the steps were. So he basically just told me to go write for a year, and then hit the ground running again.” In 2011 they got serious, releasing their first EP, Forever, to much acclaim. After playing a successful string of shows at SXSW, they went on to tour with Florence + the Machine and Mumford & Sons. In January of this year, BBC announced they had topped their Sound Of 2013 industry poll as the most promising act of the coming year. Check out their single “Falling”, released in February, and stay tuned for their new album, coming out in 2013. Interviewhat by by Marianne White Jack Guinness wears a suit by Euphoric, Asher Levine

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The 1975: Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald, Adam Hann and George Daniel From Manchester, England Photographed by Sylvain Deleu

“[Adam] Hann came up to me when we were probably about 15 years old, and said, ‘Do you wanna like…play drums in my band?’ I thought, ‘Yeah, go on, then that’ll be a laugh.’ We were shit. I actually remember playing a song in rehearsal and [former member] Elliot just looked at me and said ‘I reckon we are shit,’” says The 1975 vocalist Matthew Healy regarding their humble beginnings. The 1975 now has two critically acclaimed EPs under their belt. Fans and critics have compared them to artists from The Talking Heads to Michael Jackson, though the group’s influences range from alt rock to ’90s R&B; and they are always sure to lyrically integrate their fascination with sex, love, drugs, hope, death, fear, and most of all, independence. “We kinda started out of boredom, I guess. I hadn’t quite secured my social identity at that time, and I was still really flirting with the boundaries between ‘scally’ and ‘mosher’...I’ve never been 100% sure where my allegiances lay.” In case you’re not up on your Brit slang, a “scally” is a “low-life loser”, and a “mosher” is a person who “wants to be different from the rest of the world”. “We played a show a couple of years ago that we knew every record label in the kingdom was coming down to. It was in London, which can be tough enough as it is. We were really shit, and I think it was because we were almost pandering to what we thought these labels wanted from us. It was shortly after that show that we realised that the whole major label world wasn’t for us—we just decided to do exactly what we wanted, and if people were into it, then that would be awesome. We decided we did not need to look outside of what we do creatively to validate ourselves.” It appears they’ve succeeded in their effort to become “moshers”. The band’s forthcoming album is due out this year. Stylist: Irene Manicone Hair & Make-up by Maria Papadopoulou Photographed at Park Royal Studios, Greater London

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THE 1975

George wears a scarf by George Molinari, jacket by White Raven, shoes by Danner Stumptown and ring by Rumina Khatun. Ross wears a hoodie jacket by Ma.strum, jeans by Edwin and shoes by All Star. Matthew wears a blazer by Molinari, jeans by Diesel and boots by Dr. Martens. Adam wears a sweater by Ma.strum, jeans by Cheap Monday and shoes by All Star.

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Chelsea Leyland | Angie Vu Ha | Maya Jane Coles | Noah Becker

ON THE

DECKS Bip Ling | Sky Nellor | Zara Martin | Coleman

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CHELSEA LEYLAND Chelsea Leyland, 22 From London, England Lives in New York City Photographed by Jonathan Bookallil

“I love fashion, so it’s amazing that the majority of my gigs revolve around it,” says DJ Chelsea Leyland. “Music is inspired by fashion, and fashion takes inspiration from music.” London-born Leyland, however, has her feet planted firmly in both artistic spheres. Though she has risen to the top as one of the most-requested DJs in the fashion scene, she’s never limited herself. “It really depends on what I’m DJing for. If you offered me to play in a club for an amazing party with great energy and people, I’m there. It all depends on the vibe for me.” Leyland – better known as DJ Chelsea – has a self-proclaimed aversion to Top 40, which perhaps is what’s helped her and her brand skyrocket over the past three years. Her niche – fashion shows, arts exhibits and a host of other elite cultural events – is particular enough that Leyland is already making waves in both music and fashion, and loving every second of it. In the midst of her rise to fame on the DJ circuit, with gigs DJing for everything

from Valentino runway shows to Diplo and Santigold, she has maintained a level head. “Manners don’t cost anything,” she muses. “I love the way music can take control of humans. It can make you feel a certain way, take you back in time, totally change your mood, make you feel alive and heal your wounds. Music is magic and extremely powerful.” In between her booked schedule, the inspired DJ is acting, and working on her own talk show series. “It’s gonna be wicked, and I’m going to interview all the most amazing and talented human beings I know in the world!” Stylist: Erin McSherry Hair by Staci Childs Make-up by Andie Markoe-Byrne Photographed at Milk Studios, New York City Dress by Carlos Miele and headphones by SMS Audio

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDIRA CESARINE

TAYLOR 140

Fashion Editor: Brendan Cannon Hair by Lizzie Reilly Make-up by Roberto Morelli Photographed at No. 8, New York City Taylor wears a jacket by Dolce & Gabbana, dress by Alexander McQueen at Saks 5th Ave, shoes by Underground, ring by Push by Pushmataaha and other jewellery from Taylorâ€™s own collection.

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TURN

UP PHOTOGRAPHY BY DANIELA FEDERICI

Fashion Editor: Scott Newkirk Hair by Bradley Irion (NYC) & Terry Millet (LA) Make-up by Sandrine Van Slee (NYC) & Melissa Rogers (LA)

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LP LP wears a jacket by Rick Owens and shirt by Saint Laurent at Barneys New York.

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This page: Sean wears a shirt, hoodie and shorts by Alexander Wang, shoes by Balenciaga, a vintage bandana, sunglasses by Tom Ford and jewellery from his own collection. Opposite page: He wears a jacket by Giorgio Brato, t-shirt by Fear of God, hat by Finally Famous by Big Sean and gloves and accessories from his own collection.

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BIG SEAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDIRA CESARINE Stylist: April Roomet Hair by Tracy Love Grooming by Sarah Uslan Photographed at Pier 59 Studios West

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CHARLI

XCX

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK RHODES Stylist: Charles Adesanya Hair by Elliot Bssila @ DWM Make-up by Jaimee Thomas Photographed at The Scotch of St James, London

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Charli wears a dress by Craig Lawrence.

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THE UNTITLED MAGAZINE MUSIC ISSUE 6