ISSUE #12 | 09.24.20 DISPLAY UNTIL 10.28.20
OUT & ABOUT:
TOP TRAX:
NATHAN'S VIDEO BAR OPENING IN SOUTH BEACH
DUA LIPA & THE BLESSED MADONNA CLUB FUTURE NOSTALGIA
FEATURE:
FEATURE:
YANNI BURTON DISCUSSES LIFE & NEW SINGLE “A PART OF ME”
JOHN DUFF SINGS THE “HOKIE POKIE”
STEVE GRAND
ALL-AMERICAN MUSICIAN & SINGER-SONGWRITER
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TABLE OF CONTENTS: 5. TOP TRAX: CLUB FUTURE NOSTALGIA
Dua Lipa & The Blessed Madonna’s new album is “the dance floor we all so desperately need.”
10. OUT & ABOUT: NATHAN’S VIDEO BAR South Beach’s LGBTQ nightlife is about to get better with the opening of Nathan’s Video Bar.
16. COVER STORY: MEET ALL-AMERICAN
MUSICIAN & SINGER-SONGWRITER STEVE GRAND Steve Grand is an all-American musician and singer-songwriter who also founded the GRAND AXIS underwear and swimwear line.
24. FEATURE: OUTRAGEOUS SINGER JOHN DUFF PLAYS THE “HOKIE POKIE”
Singer John Duff is out now with “Hokie Pokie,” the playful first single off his upcoming visual EP.
26. FEATURE: WANT A PART OF YANNI? Out singer Yanni offers himself up, body and soul, in his latest single “A Part of Me.”
WIREMAG.COM: ISSUE VIDEO
Enjoy our video of issue 11.2020 which features sexy Argentinian fitness trainer and musician Leo Ledesma with photos by Photo Studio Miami.
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TOP TRAX By DJ FR8-O
YOUR DANCE FLOOR IS OPEN
DUA LIPA & THE BLESSED MADONNA - CLUB FUTURE NOSTALGIA in the club with me.” she explained to her fans. “During this time, I decided to take the party up a notch with the incomparable The Blessed Madonna, who secretly helped me to craft the mixtape that would become Club Future Nostalgia.”
Not to be confused with THE one and only Madonna, The Blessed Madonna (aka Marea Stamper) is a Londonbased DJ and producer who has become one of the most celebrated names in global club culture. She and Dua have collaborated to create a remix session featuring some of the world’s finest dance music talent. The continuous mixtape is an eclectic blend of past and present with cameos by Madonna (the OG), Missy Elliott, Gwen Stefani and BLACKPINK, as well as remixes weaved by the legendary Masters At Work, Godfather of house Larry Heard, aka Mr. Fingers, Japanese superstar Gen Hoshino, Mark Ronson, Jacques Lu Cont, Erykah Badu, producer/collaborator Zach Witness, UK DJ/producer Midland, Horse Meat Disco, Hot Chip and The 2 Bears Joe Goddard, queen of the underground Jayda G, DJ/ Remixer Paul Woolford, Korean-American electronic star Yaeji, and Detroit house legend Moodymann.
PHOTO BY HUGO COMTE
Last spring while we were all in the midst of a global lockdown, dance pop diva Dua Lipa gave us the best gift ever. Since there were no parties to be found, she decided to bring the party to us by blessing us with her sophomore album Future Nostalgia. The collection of perfectly crafted club-ready anthems was designed to lift our spirits and turn our makeshift home offices into hallowed dance floors; instantly solidifying her permanent spot in the LGBTQ pantheon of music. Where other artists might have closed that chapter and moved on to their next album, the English singer wanted to keep the celebration-in-place going. “I’ve watched you all dance in your homes and on your Zoom parties to Future Nostalgia like you were
If you're like me and still can't get enough of Future Nostalgia, you'll be obsessed with this follow-up! Play it loud at home, pop it in your ears during your workout, or check out the Blink & BlinkInk-directed Club Future Nostalgia mixed media visualizer on YouTube. The 45minute video features album visuals by 14 different artists and animators from around the world, including the video for the new single, "Levitating" featuring Madonna and Missy Elliott, remixed by The Blessed Madonna. On working on the album, The Blessed Madonna says, “When Dua asked me to recreate Future Nostalgia as a DJ style dance mixtape, I was excited because I knew I was being asked to introduce not only myself, but my heroes and sheroes from both pop and club music in a whole new way. This mix is a story about dance music, pop music and the women who have defined both for generations. Club Future Nostalgia, is the dance floor we all so desperately need but can’t quite reach.”
If you're a recording artist, producer or musician and would like your work featured in TOP TRAX, hit me up at abarrios@wiremag.com. #12 2020 WIREMAG.COM 5
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PUBLISHER’S CORNER SO MUCH TO LOSE If you are unsure about voting or who to vote for in the election, ask yourself two questions: 1) How much do you value the rights our LGBTQ community has achieved to date, and 2) How important is it having good healthcare coverage during a pandemic? Then think about what is at stake in our current lives right now. For me the answer is crystal clear, I DO NOT want us to lose any of our hard fought LGBTQ rights, and having good healthcare coverage that includes pre-existing conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic can be the difference between living and dying, and between financial stability and financial ruin from thousands of dollars in medical bills. I got into my car this past Friday after a wonderful dinner with my dear friend Kim, and as I connected my iPhone to my vehicle I glanced at the screen and saw the devastatingly sad news that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had passed away. A deep sense of sadness came over me as I thought of how pernicious it would be for RBG to be replaced by a justice who believes in the opposite of what she fought so hard for her entire life. Justice Ginsburg was a champion of our LGBTQ rights and a beacon of equality who gave her all until the very end. Image how our lives could change if RGB is replaced by a justice who votes to overturn gay marriage as the law of the land, or ObamaCare’s pre-existing conditions coverage in healthcare? Imagine if other LGBTQ rights get overturned as well, and you can be legally discriminated against in other facets of your life as a gay person. A conservative majority on the Supreme Court could in fact lead to such an outcome. That is why it is so important to get out and vote for Joe Biden and against the policies of discrimination and unequal rights of Donald Trump and Mitchell McConnell. If you think this is an overstatement, just remember that when Trump lied blatantly about COVID-19 people died. He told Bob Woodward on a recording that the virus was highly contagious through the air, even to young people, and then encouraged his followers to attend packed rallies with no social distancing or masks, knowing full well that these people would spread the virus, get sick, or, worse, die from it. To date, 200,000 of our fellow citizens have died as Trump continues downplaying this contagious, deadly virus and blatantly lying to further his political objectives. Best regards,
Rafa Carvajal Publisher & Editor in Chief rafa@wiremag.com
“FIGHT FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU CARE ABOUT, BUT DO IT IN A WAY THAT WILL LEAD OTHERS TO JOIN YOU.” - RUTH BADER GINSBURG 8 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
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OUT & ABOUT By Rafa Carvajal
NATHAN’S VIDEO BAR IS OPENING IN SOUTH BEACH asked by my mortgage broker Oscar Sanchez when TWIST was going to reopen, I figured the refi was being held up because of it. I told Oscar I was going to go after another job, and he was shocked that I would leave TWIST. So he came up with the idea of approaching the bar Waterloo to do a takeover. We had dinner with Derek and Lisa Sanchez of Pilo's Tacos in Brickell and Wynwood. He liked the idea and Nathan’s Video Bar was born. The three of us came together, and, with the space being closed, we were able to go and create a space that was inviting and COVID-19 safe.
South Beach LGBTQ nightlife is getting a great new alternative with the opening of Nathan’s Video Bar. I sat down with Nathan Paul Smith to discuss what his new venture will be about and what it will bring to the heart of South Beach. Get ready for a fun new place to go out and enjoy great cocktails and tasty bites. Health safety is also an important priority at Nathan’s Video Bar given the times we live in.
RC: Why did you decide to name it with your own name? NPS: I cannot take credit for that. Oscar came up with that idea and Derek was in full agreement. I was extremely honored. I still cannot believe it. To have an establishment named after you in the heart of South Beach, and in the community that you love and call home, it’s mind blowing. Trust me, I’ve had this dream for over 15 years, and my aunt Colette told me a few years back that I should call it Nathan’s. I would never in my wildest dreams believe it would be a reality, but here we are and I am beyond grateful and proud. This is huge for me!
RC: What motivated you to open your own establishment? NPS: I knew on March 15th, when I was bartending and vjing my last night at TWIST before the initial lockdown, that nothing was going to go back to normal anytime quickly, and I had to figure out how I was going to save everything I worked for during the last 21 years of my life in South Florida. My first thought was to refinance my house, and when I kept being 10 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NATHAN'S VIDEO BAR
Rafa Carvajal: Tell us about your new venture Nathan’s Video Bar? Nathan Paul Smith: It is located at 1216 Washington Avenue, in the heart of South Beach. We are going to offer something completely new to South Beach. We will pride ourselves on keeping the community safe while they escape and take a moment to forget about 2020, be with friends, and watch great and exclusive video content while sipping their favorite cocktail and eating one of their favorite bites. We are working on doing a movie night and a night where you can come and watch a classic concert like Blonde Ambition. I have to get a Madonna mention, she is my queen and the Queen of Pop. The space will be a pop culture explosion with selfie moments throughout. When permitted, we will provide you shows with some of South Florida’s greatest entertainers. Nathan’s Video Bar is my passion project. It is a dream come true.
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RC: Is this a cocktail lounge, a music bar? How would you describe your new bar? NPS: Nathan’s is a bar with bites. We wanted to have a space that felt like you were coming home and having a good time with friends in your living room watching TV, but being out and social at the same time. Inside there are six different seating areas. Each space is designed to keep you safe and having fun. We designed it with the pandemic in mind, and we have the ability to adapt when restrictions are lifted. I wanted to give people a space where they could let go again, feel free, and have a feeling of acceptance while being there, and do it as soon as possible, in lieu of the pandemic restrictions. I am proud to say we have created just that.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY NATHAN'S VIDEO BAR
RC: Tell us about the different themes and areas Nathan’s Video Bar has. NPS: Let me tell you about the six different seating areas inside. Following the idea of a living room seating and wanting to tie in pop culture with that, I came up with the idea of designing the seating areas after some of our favorite TV shows. We have The Brady Bunch, Sex and the City, Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Black-ish, and Stranger Things. We have solidified the TV living room concepts by mocking the sets of the shows to the best of our ability, with signed scripts from each show, autographed photos of the actors and actresses, and other really cute props that you will have to come in and see for yourselves. This concept also allows us to change up the living rooms every year to different TV shows, so we can keep things fresh and new for the community. I do have to give props to Oscar Sanchez, one of my partners, who took my idea and put more details into it than I could have come up with myself. His eye for detail has been a complete blessing.
RC: What type of food will you be serving at Nathan’s Video Bar? NPS: We will be serving small bites and tasty treats. We will have items like a special Bread Cheese Fondue, Vegetarian Nachos, and, during brunch, items like Stuffed French Toast Sticks. Also, I am happy to announce that we will have sweet homemade surprises by our very own Carlton Maloney. Carlton has joined the family of Nathan’s Video Bar and will also be our pastry chef. RC: Will you be open 7 days a week? What will the hours be? NPS: We will be open 7 days a week. Right now, under the current restrictions, our hours have to follow those guidelines, but will be extended as restrictions are lifted. Current hours will be Monday to Friday 3 p.m. to midnight, and Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight. 12 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
on the floor to remind everyone of the 6 feet of separation. The staff will be cleaning surfaces between seating and all surface areas regularly. We will be wearing masks, face shields, washing hands constantly, and following all COVID-19 guidelines to protect ourselves and you. Also, there will be hand sanitizer stations throughout Nathan’s. We will pride ourselves on giving the community a safe place to go, and one of the reasons you will want to come back will be because of the safety you will feel while at Nathan’s Video Bar.
RC: What are you planning for your live entertainment? NPS: We are having a Pussila Drag Brunch on Saturday and Sunday with guests like Ruby Dior, Nelly Norell, Dash Sweetwater, LaDonna Sucia, and more. Also a night with Tiffany Fantasia. Under the current Miami Beach guidelines we cannot have live entertainment, so these events cannot really happen until the City allows it, but I have a feeling that you may see a Celia Cruz – Nelly Norell – walking around during a Saturday or Sunday brunch one afternoon, and maybe also Pussila asking how brunch is going. We will work with the entertainers to help support them until they can do full live shows. RC: What will Nathan’s Video Bar add to LGBTQ life in South Beach? NPS: It will add a safe place to be themselves without judgment. When I was 16, I walked upon a gay beach and nightclub in St. Petersburg, Florida called Bedrocks. The feeling I got on that summer day was a feeling of being in the right place and a feeling of being home. I started working there at 17 and never stopped working in the gay nightclub scene since then because of that feeling of acceptance I felt. I want to provide a space that gives the LGBTQ community that same feeling. The feeling of being accepted and being home. RC: Since we are living during the COVID-19 pandemic, how did you prepare Nathan’s Video Bar to be as safe as possible for your patrons? NPS: This question is the most important one to me personally. I go nowhere without my mask and belt loop Purell hand sanitizer. I take this very seriously, and I am doing the same with Nathan’s Video Bar. First, everyone is required to wear a mask. Please do not come to Nathan’s without a mask. If you lose it on your way to Nathan’s one will be provided. We at Nathan’s believe that masks are to protect each other, and by wearing a mask you show you want to take care of others as well. No mask means no entry. We also installed three UV light filtration systems called APCO-X in the air conditioning to fight viruses, bacteria, and mold in the circulated air. Next, we have built Plexiglas dividers with a metal base between each of the seating areas, so you and your friends are actually getting your own space when you are visiting us. We have the stickers
RC: What are you looking forward to the most about Nathan’s Video Bar? NPS: Being able to connect with everyone again. I miss the community very much. My fuel in life is watching you guys let go and have a good time. To see you all dancing and singing to music I put together gives me life. Watching and also helping you break the ice and meeting someone new. Watching you laugh and tell stories to each other. Being a part of a celebration like a birthday. Simply entertaining you all. I miss those moments the most and can’t wait to see them happening again and being part of those moments. That is what I am looking forward to, I cannot wait. RC: What do you have planned for your opening and when do you expect to open? NPS: We are planning a soft opening. We hope to open by the time you are reading this interview. Given the updates to the COVID-19 guidelines in Miami Beach, we will announce our opening day on social media on Facebook (search Nathan’s Bar), on Instagram @ nathansbarsofl, and on our website nathans-bar.com. We want to give everyone a chance to experience the place first and tell me what they think works and what may need to be changed – because we are a local establishment. I think we need to keep in mind what is going on with the pandemic, and large gatherings should not be happening right now, so a big grand opening is not in the best interest of the community or our staff. With that said, a huge one year anniversary will be happening. RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers? NPS: Yeah, and you may have heard this from me before. 2020 has been hard on us all, but we need to really look at what the times are trying to tell us. It is really simple. We are all connected and the time to start taking care of each other is now. Leave the selfish behavior and judgments behind, and then we all could start having a really good time again. But we have to get it right, so take care of each other and remember to love. Hope to see you all really soon! Xoxo.
Visit wiremag.com to read the extended version of Nathan’s interview. #12 2020 WIREMAG.COM 13
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OUT & ABOUT
STEVE GRAND By Rafa Carvajal Photos by Anthony Kosinchuk kozzphoto.com @antonykozz
For this week’s cover story, we sat down with Steve Grand, an American musician and singer-songwriter from Lemont, Illinois who writes music and was performing all over the world prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Steve’s big break came in 2013 when his debut song and music video called “All-American Boy,” that tells the story of unrequited love between two men, went viral overnight, allowing fans from around the world to get to know him. Steve also founded his GRAND AXIS underwear and swimwear line and has been very busy with the new swimwear during the pandemic. Enjoy the interview and very sexy photos of Steve by Anthony Kosinchuk.
16 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
ALL-AMERICAN MUSICIAN, SINGER, SONGWRITER, AND GRAND AXIS ENTREPRENEUR
Rafa Carvajal: For the benefit of our readers who may not know who you are, what do you do for a living? Steve Grand: Well, first and foremost, I’m a singer/songwriter, so I write music and perform it all over the world. I had my big break in music in 2013 with my debut song/music video called “All-American Boy,” which tells the story of unrequited love between two men and went viral overnight. And now, as of December, I am the owner and designer of a men’s underwear and swimwear line called GRAND AXIS. RC: Where are you originally from and where do you live? SG: I was born in Chicago, and raised in the southwest suburbs. Now I live on the north side of the city which, in the summer at least, is my favorite place on Earth!
RC: What ventures or projects are you focusing on these days? SG: I launched the swimwear line for GRAND AXIS last week, so I’ve been so busy with that. It’s been more work, and more time-consuming than I’ve ever imagined, but it’s also been a fun creative outlet. The swimwear was supposed to come out in May but then COVID happened. Since our swimwear is made in New York, it took a long time for things to get back up and running again. Even with all that, I’m still trying to make time to write music, and even though all my performances this year were canceled, I make a point to sing a few hours every other day to keep my voice in shape, and keep the songs at my fingertips.
#12 2020 WIREMAG.COM 17
RC: Who is the person that inspires you the most? Why? SG: My grandma Kay is one of my biggest inspirations. She just turned 90. Throughout my entire life she has been such a source of wisdom for all of us. She was always very vocally grateful, and now in my own life I’ve been a witness to the power of gratitude, and how coming from a place of gratitude can be so positive and transformative.
18 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
RC: Are you working on anything new that you would like to tell our readers about? SG: I’m working on finishing up underwear designs for the Fall 2020 line of GRAND AXIS, and I’m also trying to finish some of the songs I’ve been writing during this time because I really would like to release another body of work next spring. RC: What do you consider your greatest three achievements so far? SG: My debut song/video “All-American Boy,” the success of my Kickstarter campaign that funded my first album, and teaching myself about design and sewing and launching GRAND AXIS last December! RC: How do you stay in such great shape? SG: I work out at least 4-5 times a week. I try to eat as clean as I can: a lot of protein and good fats and not a lot of carbs, and, lately, I’ve been intermittent fasting a few times a week. So I will refrain from eating anything for 16 hours in a day and eat everything within an 8hour window. I’ve really responded well to this I think! RC: What do you enjoy the most about modeling for photography? SG: It engages that creative, visual part of my brain. And it’s a good outlet to be a bit of a show-off with my body that I’ve worked so hard on! RC: What is your favorite pastime? SG: I really like to learn, so I watch a lot of YouTube on the cosmos, early human civilization, and politics. RC: What is your favorite vacation destination? Why? SG: I didn’t realize I haven’t actually been on many true “vacations” over the last several years since I do so much traveling with music. The last place I went for a true vacation was Poland, last October. That’s where my great-grandmother came from and none of her descendants ever went back to connect with our family in Poland until my grandmother a few years ago, and then my whole extended family went. It was a powerful, emotional experience for all of us.
#12 2020 WIREMAG.COM 19
RC: What is your biggest dream you have yet to achieve? SG: To feel some sense of stability in my life… I’m joking a little bit… but on some level, because of the nature of the things I do for work, its hard to ever feel in any sense of routine, because everything is constantly changing. Will I continue getting hired to perform live music? Will people like the swimwear I design this season? Those answers have very practical implications, like my ability to pay rent, etc., but they can also have deeply personal implications. RC: How has the current COVID-19 pandemic affected your personal and business life? SG: Quite drastically. I am lucky I started GRAND AXIS when I did because before then my primary source of income was live performances. And now those are completely out – probably for the rest of the year. It has been difficult for me, but I know many more folks are struggling far worse. I am fortunate to have a strong support structure around me.
RC: What is your current struggle? SG: I’m always in my head, over-thinking. I struggle to be present and in-the-moment. RC: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers? SG: Thank you for doing this interview and featuring me in your magazine! I would encourage everyone out there to check out my music and videos on YouTube.com/SteveGrandMusic, to follow me on Instagram and Twitter at @SteveGrandMusic, and to buy some underwear and swimwear at ShopGrandAxis.com!
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FEATURE By Chad Conroy
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JOHN DUFF
JOHN DUFF PLAYS THE “HOKIE POKIE”
John Duff, an outrageous singer who admits he has had sex only once in the past year, is out now with “Hokie Pokie,” the playful first single off his upcoming, yet unnamed visual EP. Written by Duff and produced by Luke Mitchell and Jose Maldonado, the aggressively raunchy song about cunnilingus hits hard with clever wordplay over genre-defying production – equal parts house and hip-hop. “The world could use some joy right now,” he explains. “As a collective, we are experiencing the darkest and most confusing times any of us have faced. I think now is as good a time as ever to indulge in fantasy. As Jesus once told me – it’s not that serious.” “The main message in my existence as an artist is: do whatever you want,” John Duff continues from his Los Angeles home. “As long as you don’t kill anyone, steal, violate, or drink and drive – you’re doing ok. There is no point in hiding from love, whatever that may be for you. After all, there are only two guarantees in life – you are born, and then you die. There’s great freedom in acknowledging that – life is a gift, LIVE. I’m a thirty-year old gay man working on a debut record. Do you know how many people have told me to hang it up? I won’t ever do that, though, because I make music for love; not for any other reason. I’m living for love. What other people think of me is none of my business. They’re just going to die too.” Continued on page 24
#12 2020 WIREMAG.COM 21
Continued from page 21
John Duff grew up in a suburb outside of Baltimore, Maryland, the youngest of two sisters and a brother. He describes his childhood as “cute.” Like most of us, he faced constant bullying. “I couldn’t even take the bus in middle school because other kids couldn’t control themselves around me – they were so upset by my existence, but whatever, I’m alive. The past doesn’t matter.” He says he doesn’t hold any animosity towards anyone, and is even grateful for all he experienced. In a snarky aside, he admitted, “In the end, I have the most hair and abs of anyone I graduated with, so, ha.”
“They wanted me to tone it down and I get it. The mainstream big label record execs are pretty much all straight white men and they don’t see how I fit. I can’t be mad because for a long time, I didn’t see how I fit in either.” John admits today that his first two videos as an independent artist are not accurate reflections of himself. “Then, I was so attached to the way I was perceived that I ended up hiding behind concepts and characters. Like, ‘Rich’ and ‘Girly’ – you don’t get John Duff. You get John Duff trying to give a viral moment. You get John Duff the clown. I only got sober this year, so I’m actually really mortified looking back at a lot of my output. It wasn’t me. It was a mask – same with the drinking and the drugs.” He says “Hokie Pokie” and the upcoming songs from his EP are better reflections of the real John Duff. “I’m not attached to my success. I’m simply making things that I want to see in the world. Things that I would’ve wanted to do when I was a child. I am honoring that little boy that had to dim his shine to assimilate. This is a healing process for me. I feel bold and clear, and, above all, free.” His orgasmic love of life is reflected in the
24 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JOHN DUFF
John eventually left Maryland to study musical theater at Syracuse University, and after graduating college he made his way to the bright lights of New York City. He competed on the nationally televised competition show, The X Factor. “It was the most degrading and humiliating experience of my life,” he recalls. Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul laid into him with criticism that had little to do with his talent. “It was because I was unapologetically gay,” he confirms. “Simon even implied that I should consider a sex change.” It was the crowning jewel in a long line of hurtful rejections.
music video for “Hokie Pokie.” Conceptualized by John and directed by Brad Hammer, the video wreaks of summer and offers a special nod to Khia’s iconic, “My Neck, My Back” video. The action takes place at a cookout, with a pool, slip and slide, and plenty of sun-kissed bodies in skimpy bathing suits, grinding, shaking booties and soaking up the fun. “Don’t be blinded by all the silliness,” warns John Duff. “Listen to the lyrics because they go as hard and are as clever as anything else out there on the charts. “My story is one of resilience and I will not quit until I am the greatest – and that greatness is defined by me. Personally, I think I’m doing great.” John Duff’s “Hokie Pokie” is being distributed independently and is available on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its video is available on YouTube. Follow John Duff on Instagram @ iamjohnduff and Facebook @ shakeitfast.
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FEATURE By Connor Davenport
WANT A PART OF YANNI?
THE OUT SINGER OFFERS HIMSELF UP – BODY AND SOUL – IN HIS LATEST SINGLE Connor Davenport: Who knew pretty people got dumped? Yanni Burton: (Laughing) More than once! I often reflect on my failed relationships. So many have ended with unresolved issues that still linger, even after years apart. CD: Why can’t you just let go? YB: Who bloody knows! My mind is curious and annoyingly persistent! I get lost and stuck in all these crazy emotions and memories to a point where I can no longer tell if my feelings were even real or not. CD: Have you ever been accused of scarring someone else? YB: Umm, yes, it’s all about timing, and I had some terrible timing in a couple of break ups. In retrospect, I’m not sure how I would have avoided that, but let’s say, it was not pretty, and I’m sure there are some battle scars… CD: You are complicated. How does your fiancé put up with you? YB: (Laughing) Another excellent question, that I try not to ask him too much.
Photo by Courtney Charles
CD: Is your fiancé the one taking the nearly naked pics of you in the sombrero? YB: Yes, he is. It’s been our little way to have fun together while in quarantine. Since we really didn’t get a summer this year (which is fine, safety first), I would literally just go outside in it half naked, scare the neighbors, live my own summer fantasy and he would be there snapping pics.
In his new single, “A Part of Me,” Yanni Burton turns the spotlight on his own struggles of letting go and moving on from past relationships. “I have a history of getting lost in memories and emotions,” the out Aussie singer admits. “To the point where I become consumed with panic, anxiety and I can’t function properly or move on with my life.” Produced by Yanni with his close friend Tiger Darrow, the song contains a dreamy, trippy soundscape and is darker and more intense than his previous singles. However, it still contains the pop/dance feel the artist has become known for. “As heavy as the lyrics may seem, I still want listeners to have fun, dance a little and let loose,” he explains. He’s managed to keep his spirits up during this time in quarantine with impromptu photo shoots. We spoke with Yanni from his home in New York City. 26 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
Photo provided by Yanni
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CD: What is it about the hat that brings out the fierceness in Yanni Burton? YB: That hat is everything! CD: Have you always been comfortable in your skin and is that an Aussie thing? YB: I wasn’t always comfortable in my own skin. Growing up, I was overweight. I would never take off my shirt at the beach, let alone squeeze into a speedo. But once I started to train and take control of how I wanted my body to look, it became a slippery slope, to the point where now I might be too comfortable! CD: What is your favorite body part to show off? YB: Um... CD: Unless you admit it is your bootay, I won’t believe you. YB: (Laughing) Maybe… CD: Does your fiancé like to run around in jockstraps, too? YB: Absolutely not! My fiancé is a close the blinds before walking into the living room nude type of guy. Obviously, opposites attract. CD: Is that the view off your balcony in NYC? YB: Yes! We just moved in this year and we love it.
CD: Where do you see yourself going with your music? YB: I want to get back to my roots as a musician and create more acoustic sounds, with strings, piano and maybe even myself on double bass. I’ve got a huge backlog of songs that I’ve written and they just seem to fit a more acoustic and heartfelt vibe.
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY CHARLES
CD: Love the bikini photo by the piano. What kind of music are you working on there? YB: To say I was working on music would be a lie. I was having a few cocktails and decided to have a sing along with some friends. If I remember correctly, we were all in various states of undress. CD: Of all the songs you have released, which best represents you? YB: It’s hard to say! They all represent me at a specific period of time in my life, but if I have to choose one that best represents me, it would be “Beautiful.” It’s about my fiancé, it's true to my original style of writing and love for acoustic music. CD: What drives you today and how has that changed from when you first started out? YB: I think the biggest driving force for me now is the desire to challenge, grow and learn. There are so many reasons not to create, write, and invest in my music, but I know I can always do better and do more, so why not? I think when I was starting out, I didn’t know much about the industry and I was a little intimidated about how to even produce or release music, so I put it off for a while. Now, though, I have a close community of artists that I love to work with, and I think that has been a big driving force and source of inspiration for me to continue to write and create. Yanni Burton’s “A Part of Me” is available now on Apple Music, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its music video is on YouTube. Follow Yanni on Instagram @ yburton.
28 WIREMAG.COM #12 2020
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