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I U NDIE JULY
SUM-MER
festival essentials
DISCOVERQUALITYMUSIC.
INDIESONGS
Hottest
FEATURED COVER ARTIST
o f t h e s u m m e r
active bird community
INDIEU.COM2 JULY 2016
WELCOME...to our first digital magazine! Most everything you seehere is a link, so we challenge you to click aroundand discover new music, products, and more. Ourmagazine is about to rock your world. Thanks forreading!
HAVE FUN!
IndieU-THE MAG TEAM
INDIEU.COM3 JULY 2016
TABLE OFCONTENTS06 WHAT IS IndieU?
08 MEET THE TEAM
10 TOP 5 MUSIC PRODUCTS
11 TOP 7 INDIE SONGS
12 MEET CECIL JOHN
16 PHOTO COMPETITION
18 ACTIVE BIRD COMMUNITY
24 FESTIVAL ESSENTIALS
26 IndieU REPS
29 MUSIC JUNKIES ONLY
30 ARTIST FEATURES
32 ROBERT MAX TRIBUTE
34 IndieU IN THE NEWS
35 NOTE FROM FOUNDER
30
24
26 12
18 35
INDIEU.COM4 JULY 2016
NDIEUI credits
CREATIVE
CONTENT CURATION
ARTIST FEATURES
TRIBUTE
EDITOR
PHOTO CREDITS
BRIANNA BRYANmagazine director
ACTIVE BIRD COMMUNITYfeatured artist interview
ROBERT MAXultimax star rep initiative
SALIEF LEWISCHRISTIAN KARAKACHIANJACQUELINE EDELLJOSH SIKKEMA
JAY YOUNGfeatured artist
TOWNESfeatured artist
TRAP SATURNfeatured artist
ALACAJAMfeatured artist
CECIL JOHNnew music release
BRIANNA BRYANp.r. & content developer
RACHEL BRODSKY"ABC" feature author
SARA SCHWARTZ"Top 7" author
JULIA PEREZfeatured products
& feature artists
DANA GETZhead editor & 'ABC'
author
WES TARTEstar reps feature
NATALIE EDELLceo & creative director
INDIEU.COM5 JULY 2016
WHAT IS I U?NDIE " I U I S HERE TO WAGE A WAR ON MUS ICALAPATHY , MEDIA MANIPULAT ION , AND THE
MA INSTREAM . "
NDIE
Down the street, a local band performs to a
group of four people, despite the nearby
college’s 20,000 strong students, all complaining
there’s nothing to do on a Wednesday night.
Elsewhere there’s a YouTube listening party,
where half the guests enjoy the pre-selected
tunes, some hate them, and certainly nobody is
dancing. The unfortunate host is left to battle
bored stares and seething glares, dodging
playlist hijacks as advertisements play on.
Let’s not fool ourselves any longer. Independent
music is in a crisis. Not its quality or the zeal
behind it, but the way students have come to
experience it and the way artists have come to
connect to listeners.
In any college, in any city, in any state, in any
country, there is a lonely songwriter or producer
currently counting on one hand the social ‘Likes’
from the debut of their latest release. It was a
passion project recorded over three semesters,
mixed after study group, and destined for
greatness. Instead: the online equivalent of a
dead auditorium. Digital secrecy, lost to your
ears like a bluebook on exam day.
IndieU began with a discussion about music. For
decades music has been how a college discovers
who it is, and music catalyzes that discovery,
forging an identity so strong that no two campuses
could sound alike.
IndieU is here to wage a war on musical apathy,
media manipulation, and the mainstream. For the
first time ever, independent artists have a one-stop
resource to share their music with college students
—a demographic that successfully gave rise to high-
profile acts like Childish Gambino, Vampire
Weekend, Pink Floyd, and the Strokes.
If you can get the students on your side, you’ll get
an instantly passionate, loyal fan base that can
promote, share, and push your music to the fullest
extent.
Wherever you want to reach listeners, we give
artists the chance to grow a strong localized fan
base, and students the chance to listen to the crafts
of their campus and community.
INDIEU.COM WHAT IS INDIEU? REAL TALK
"MUSIC IS THE THREAD THAT TIESTOGETHER COLLEGE LIFE, THE SOUL OF THEUNFAMILIAR COMMUNITY IT CENTERS."
INDIEU.COM6 JULY 2016
ONELOVEGIVE A VOICE TO ANIMALS IN NEED
Here at IndieU, we believe that along with independent musicians, all living creatures deserve to have avoice! A dog is a (wo)man’s best friend, a furry, beloved creature created to give unconditional love.Each day thousands of dogs are being taken from their homes and forced to be victims of the meat
trade. However, The Humane Society International is working to put an end to these horrifying acts bydrawing attention to the government as well as the public across Asia. Your contribution will help fundmoney to train the officials that brutally ship the dogs, the caretakers of the confiscated animals and
towards the enforcement of animal cruelty laws. You can aid in saving the lives of our best furry friends.
For more information on how to contribute to this cause, click here.
INDIEU.COM7 JULY 2016
IND
IEU
TE
AM NATALIE EDELL - IndieU CEO
DANA GETZ - Editor
BRIANNA BRYAN - Exec. Marketing DirWith a family almost entirely involved in music and performance, it was
inevitable for me to become a singer and performer myself. I've been
blessed with the opportunity to share my voice in performances as
small as school assemblies to competitions in New York on Broadway.
It's safe to say that even at my young age, music has changed my life
already. I'm thrilled to continue sharing my passion with the world as Iprepare to release more original music in addition to my debut single
that was released this year on iTunes, Spotify, and more, called "Stars
Inside Your Eyes." As an independent artist, I'm so grateful to be a part
of the IndieU Music Community as it continues to grow into something
revolutionary in the Music Industry.
At 17 years old, I stood in line at a concert in Hollywood and was
‘dared’ to find the manager of the performing artist to convince him to
have his artist perform at my 18th birthday party.
I successfully followed through with the dare, and that day was the
start of my music career. Three years later I have worked at a
Grammy Award winning music management company, managed
many musicians, signed one to Interscope/Geffen Records, worked at
Virgin Records, started this company, and the music manager I met
that fateful night is now a partner of IndieU. Discovering upand
coming artists and helping them develop and shape their careers
became my life’s passion. I saw the lack of ways for these musicians
to truly grow and sustain a strong localized fan base in order to take
their careers to the next level independently, so IndieU was created…in my college dorm shower. Literally.
I’ve been in love with music for as long as I can remember.
When I was in first grade, my mother would blast the Beatles
on our home stereo, grab me by the hands, and dance wildly
around our living room, the jaunty harmonica of “Love Me Do”
ringing out as we swirled and swayed across the carpet. Many
years later, I forged a career in music journalism, having
worked for publications like Entertainment Weekly, New York
Magazine, and Alternative Press. I came across IndieU in
college, growing instantly enamored with its independent
mission and endless discovery, and I’ve served as its Editor
inChief for over three years. When I’m not writing, I’m
scouring New York for the next big thing, drinking an absurd
amount of coffee, or trying to be funny on the internet.
INDIEU.COM8 JULY 2016
JULIA PEREZ - Content Creator
WES TARTE - Content CreatorAs a young kid, I gravitated towards the toy keyboard my mom got me while
all the other kids were playing video games. In high school, there was a
class I took called digital multimedia, where they had Mac books with
GarageBand on them I became obsessed. I would actually skip regular
classes to sneak into that class to create beats. As an indie artist / producer
myself, I know how frustrating it is to get the art you created out there, so
when I discovered IndieU, I knew I would be perfect for the company.
Music has been a prominent factor in my life since I discovered The Counting
Crows while in the backseat of my dads old fashioned, beaten down car 16 years
ago. However, I had viewed music as a passion instead of a possible career until
just this past year, sophomore year of college. A girl in my sorority asked me if I
had wanted to write for a music blog which provided a platform for artists to share
their music. I accepted it through the lens that this would be an enjoyable
extracurricular that would also improve my resume. However, as I completed
each project and worked with the ambitious, light hearted, and driven people I
realized that my love of music could blossom into a career. I never thought I'd
thank my sorority for helping me discover a job opportunity that would also make
me excited for every project, yet here I am. I am so grateful to be involved in
such an inspiring, talented, and dedicated company.
RACHEL BRODSKY - Content Creator
I grew up with parents who were greatly influenced by hip hop and R&B
and as I got older and started making my own musical decisions, I went
more in the alternative direction. SInce then, my music taste has just
gotten broader and weirder. Music nourishes my soul and I will listen to it
any chance I get! With my free time I’ll go to this super sick music club
called Low End Theory at The Airliner and go to every show my paycheck
allows me to go to. Some of my favorite artists include Mac Demarco,
Pixies, Al Green, Joy Division, OutKast, Toro Y Moi, Geto Boys, Jimi
Hendrix, Band of Skulls… This list could go on forever!
INDIEU.COM9 JULY 2016
5Five of the hottest
music products
on the market.
As an Indie musician, new music tools aresome of the most important assets forgrowing your career. With the rightequipment, the vision you have for yourmusic can finally be attained. Here are afew of IndieU's most recommended musicproducts of the month.
by Julia Perez
INDIEU.COM I PRODUCT FEATUREHOT RIGHT NOW
INDIEU.COM10 JULY 2016
This portable USB microphone is ideal for effortlessrecording, handling vocals, instruments, podcasting, andmore. It gives you complete control over manipulatingsound, and with its travel-friendly capabilities, its slightlysteep price tag is totally worth it.
This multi-purpose pedal works for all instruments, not justguitars. It has three knobs for level, tone, and distortioncontrol. The only downside is that you have to buy your own9volt battery and accompanying cords to hook it up, but themoney you save is worth the extra errands.
This durable action camera can capture up to 30 fps. It’s alsowaterproof, has long-lasting battery life, and comes stockedwith an extra battery. It's the perfect camera for everythingfrom snapping concert shots to filming multi-shot musicvideos.
Many tout KORGS as some of the best synthesizers on the market, but witha $300-plus sticker price, they’re not the most rational for up-and-coming
musicians. This Roland comes in at a much more reasonable $270,churning out a psych rock sound á la The Doors. Who doesn’t mind
sounding like one of the best-selling bands of all time?
This mini-mixer is a steal for acts just getting their feet wet. Itworks just as well as its larger counterparts without taking updesk space, and at under 2 pounds, it’s a snap to transport.
YETI Microphoneby Blue Microphones
D-1 Fab Distortion Effects Pedalby Danelectro
Cheap GoPro Cameraby Lightdow
ROLAND SYNTHESIZERby ROLAND
Xenyx 302USB Mixerby Behringer
$123BUY HERE
$17BUY HERE
$49BUY HERE
$38BUY HERE
$270BUY HERE
FEATUREPRODUCTS
1LEFT!
INDIEU.COM11 JULY 2016
"Darling, don't be getting hopeless...
Cecil John ft. KYLE"Waiting For You"
LISTEN NOW!
Click Here to
CECILJOHNMUSIC.COM
INDIEU.COM12 JULY 2016
...I'll be waiting for you."
INDIEU.COM13 JULY 2016
INDIESONGSBy Sa ra Schwar t z
TOP 7 SUMMER SELECTION:
My name is Sara—student, artist, animallover, and music fanatic. I wasn’t exactlyraised in a musical home, but I’vealways had a special relationship withmusic. As an ~angsty~ teen, I waslooking for ways to be understood by theworld around me, and I found that solacein songs. No matter what emotion washanging over my head that week, once Iput on headphones, everything madesense.
After graduating high school, I knew thatI wanted to pursue a career thatincorporated music and creativity insome regard. Little did I know that I’deventually be helping to promote artistslike Meghan Trainor, Beyoncé, andCalvin Harris. But despite working withmainstream musicians, I always comeback to my roots; Here are some of myfavorite independent songs.
and its never-give-up attitude is instantlyrelatable no matter your back-story.Connecting with an audience is so key tosuccessful music.
2. Men of Mountains, “Big Sleep”I may be a bit biased considering the leadsinger of MoM is basically family, butwhen I first heard the final mix of thissong, I couldn’t get it out of my head for aweek. The percussion is so on point it’snearly impossible not to jam to, and“We’re only setting the sun, the night willguide us home” is one of my all-timefavorite lyrics.
1. Gonzalla, “Never Gonna Go”Los Angeles singer Gonzalla makesincredibly gorgeous pop tunes. Iimmediately fell in love with this track’swarm, happy-go-lucky vibe,
3. The Books, “Motherless Bastards”This song is so weird in the most geniusway. It starts out by completely breakingyour heart into a million pieces, only tosweep them back together with a stunning,folk-inspired arrangement. I think myfavorite part about this song—and thisband—is that you end up developing anentire storyline in your head withoutmeaning to, and it’s all because of thosefirst few seconds.
INDIEU.COM14 JULY 2016
Check out Sara's playlist!
4. JONES, “Melt”JONES’ spirited R&B-gone-pop hasearned early attention in the UK. Hernewest, “Melt,” has been my go-to drivingjam as of late. It’s perfect for singing yourlungs out, and let’s be honest, we all needa little more R&B in our lives. Add this toyour summer playlist ASAP.
CHECK OUT SARA'S BLOG HERE!
5. Native People, “Ready for YourLove”At first listen, you’d never expect thissong was a cover. The originality andfreshness Native People bring to theirtake is the perfect representation of whatthey create. The English band’s sharpguitar licks and hypnotizing vocals areabsolute magic. Play it on full blast,throw on a leather jacket, pour yourself astiff drink, and just rock out.
6. JUDE, “Drive”If you’re ever in the mood to bawl youreyes out, listen to this achingly gorgeousentry from Brooklyn duo JUDE. Theirchilly synth pop is cool enough to melteven the harshest of hearts. The lyricthat wrecks me every time? “And no onesees they can never come clean / But Isit in this car and remind myself / ThatI’ll be fine.” Ruined. Sorry about it.
7. Maggie Rogers, “Alaska”I’ve listened to this song every day sinceI’ve discovered it. Rogers’ voice isbreathtaking, and the production is sounique. In a listening session withPharrell Williams, she talked aboutwanting to incorporate her folk musicroots with the electronic dance music shewas introduced to while in Europe. Theresult is incredible.
"IF YOU HAVEN'T HEARDTHIS SONG YET, YOUBETTER DO IT RIGHT NOW."
alaska
INDIEU.COM15 JULY 2016
SALIEF
CORNELL'S BEST.
LEWIS
IndieU held a competition on Instagram to discover the hiddengems of concert photographers. The top picks were BOTH fromNew York’s very own Cornell University! Check out Salief’saudience-infused shots and Christian’s solo lighting basedphotographs. If any musicians in the New York area are in needof some awesome shots, you know who to call.
@LIEFYLEW
@LIEFYLEW
@LIEFYLEW
INDIEU.COM16 JULY 2016
Chance the Rapper
Flume
@LIEFYLEW
CHRISTIANKARAKACHIAN
@TACOSCAMERA
@TACOSCAMERA
@TACOSCAMERA
INDIEU.COM17 JULY 2016
Passion Pit
Joey Bada$$
Third Eye Blind
Th
e Fla
min
g L
ips
Nas
Travis Scott
3 JUNE 2016 INDIEU.COM
BEASTS of
NATUREINTRODUCING: ACTIVE BIRD COMMUNITY,the band that's taking over the Indie Music scenewith their free-spirit flare and their natural, star mentality.
by Rachel Brodsky and Dana Getz
6 JUNE 2016 INDIEU.COM
You've never seen anything like this band before. Active Bird Community aren’t your average 20-somethings. The New Yorkquartet formed before most pre-teens even knew how to pluck a guitar, sincecrafting a canyon’s worth of lawless indie rock as rambunctious as theteenage spirits that inspired it. Over a decade later, ABC is fresh off acollaborative split tape, ‘Narp,' with fellow Big Apple band Primate House.They’re poised to drop a new music video for “Pick Me Apart” in the nextfew weeks. Culled from their latest album, ‘I’ve Been Going Swimming,’ thetrack has reached nearly one million plays on Spotify since its 2015 release.IndieU recently caught up with the four friends, discussing the failed talentshow that brought them together, words of wisdom on being an independentartist, and the obstacles they’ve had to overcome as a band.
Read the Interview
you need all the help you can get.When you don't have a big label backing you,
You guys are young, but you've already been togethernearly a decade. What was it like growing up as a band?Tom D’Agustino: I think it made us really close. It wasalways something we could look forward to when we were
younger. Our town, Hastings on Hudson, was a great place
to grow up and always had great bands coming up in our
high school.
How do you think your sound has evolved over the last10 years?D’Agustino: It's definitely gotten a lot tighter. We know how
to play with each other so well by now; We know how to
write together and hone in on what we're trying to do. When
we were younger it was still together, but a lot looser as we
were still trying to figure out what we wanted to be.
What's the most difficult obstacle you've had toovercome thus far?D’Agustino: A big challenge was trying to coordinate shows,practices, and recording while we were all away at different
colleges. The band definitely kept us all close but it's been
really helpful to be in the same place now working together.
playlists, tracking where your fans are and how to reach
them—all without having to be signed.
Aside from I’ve Been Going Swimming, you also did acassette project with Primate House called Narp. Canyou tell me about how that came about?Zach Slater: We grew up with Primate House and have
been playing with them since high school, so we asked
them if they wanted to do a split and they were down.
D’Agustino: NARP stands for "NonAthletic RegularPerson,” which is pretty accurate, but not why we named it
that.
Wolfson: A lot of our favorite bands have made splits in thepast. One of my favorites is the Porches/LVL UP split.
Why did you guys decide to use a cassette tape? Wolfson: Because Kanye said the CD is dead.
Where do the songs from this cassette tape derivefrom? D’Agustino: The first track on the tape, “Dead Legs,” was ademo I made in my room a few days before we went in to
record. I wrote it during my last semester of college and
then showed it to the guys.
Wolfson: Yeah, when he played the demo for us for the firsttime we all knew it had a lot of potential, so we went down
to our practice space and finished the song that night.
“Longport” is a song I wrote when I was 14 about an actual
squirrel in a beach town called Longport, New Jersey. It was
a song I wrote for my little cousins, like a joke kid song.
Slater: I think people liked it a lot because it was a breakfrom all the seriousness. It lets people dance, and people
kept pushing for it so we put it on the tape.
Tell me a little about the music video for “Pick MeApart,” from I’ve Been Going Swimming.D’Agustino: I really wanted the video to include my family,mainly my little sister Kaitlyn, who’s 12. Me and Nick
D'Agostino, the directorno relation, just a good dudehad
been spitballing for a while, toying with concepts before we
landed on the idea of trying to reconnect with your
childhood. So we had this idea of me, a bearded 22year
old having a slumber party and trying to get back to
that place where everything seemed prettier and goofier.
Having the band appear under the blanket fort was kind of
What did you learn from that experience?D’Agustino: That it's important to communicate, keepeveryone on the same track, and make sure everyone
wants the same things.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told youabout being an independent artist?Wolfson: I never expected it to involve being so active onsocial media. Social media is definitely a valuable tool and
has helped us gain some exposure, but it can get stressful
trying to market yourself all the time. We try to use it to
connect to our fans as much as we can.
Right now, major artists are waging a war againststreaming sites like Spotify and YouTube. For you,those are valuable platforms to help get your music outthere. What's your take on the issue? How do you thinkit affects independent music?D’Agustino: I can't speak for other artists, but I know thoseplatforms have helped us out a lot. When you don't have a
big label backing you and pushing everything for you, you
need all the help you can get. Spotify is really helpful in
connecting the artist to the listener via concentrated
INDIEU.COM20 JULY 2016
the central image we wanted to capture, and we built the video around that.
Where are your favorite places to perform? D’Agustino: Definitely college shows. There are no shitty bouncers or carding and usually everyone is there to havea good time. It's never awkward, just fun. My roommates and I actually started a house venue at Fordham called
The Meat Shop, and ABC has had some great shows there along with artists from a lot of different backgrounds.
Slater: Yeah, a lot of times we get to play in basements where we're all on the same level as the crowd and we getto feel like we're part of the party. When we played at Kenyon College we could barely move, and the floor felt like it
was gonna cave in.
D’Agustino: It's just friendlier, and less about us being a spectacle and more about everyone going crazy. Wolfson: Some of our best shows were at SUNY New Paltz, where I went to school. It's just nice to play in townsthat appreciate and support local music.
What do you guys like to do for fun besides creating music?D’Agustino: Slurp oystersMcNeil: I like to sit on my window and play the only three flute notes I know over and over again. D’Agustino: I've been eating a lot more gelato.
Do you have any longer projects on the horizon?D’Agustino: We're planning to release our new album next fall and hopefully have a single out this summer.
Where do you see ABC in the longterm, and how do you plan on making those goals happen?D’Agustino: We wanna make as much music as possible while we can.
INDIEU.COM21 JULY 2016
COMINGSOON.
I U MERCHANDISENDIE
INDIEU.COM22 JULY 2016
INDIEU.COM23 JULY 2016
splishsplash!
ROOM SERVICE!ring ring!
START VIBIN'Whether you're kicking it back by the pool or
chilling in your room, get in the wild festival vibewith these #IndieEssentials.
INDIEU.COM24 JULY 2016
SUMMER FESTIVALTop 10 #IndieEssentials
IT'S TIME.Don't get stuck at the festival without
these major #IndieEssentials.
INDIEU.COM25 JULY 2016
FRANKCAPPOLA
EMILYFOSTER
What attracted you to the company?
What is your ultimate dream job?
What drew you to want to work with IndieU?
What's your favorite song and why?
I was attracted to work for IndieU because I believeit provides the ultimate platform for both college
musicians and music fans. It is an easy andaccessible way for aspiring local musicians to
display their music to members of their collegecommunity.
I have wanted to pursue a career in the musicindustry since high school so this answer haschanged numerous times for me. Right now, I'dhave to say that my ultimate dream job would beartist management. Managing an artist allows you towork hands on with so many aspects of the industry.
I was blown away by the deep bench of incrediblemusicians in Penn State. When I heard aboutIndieU, I was extremely excited to becomeinvolved because this company allows me tofurther promote and strengthen the musiccommunity by bringing everything together on oneplatform.
My favorite song is "The Spirit of Radio" by Rush. This song combines multiple instrumental
styles/techniques as well as innovative lyricsdepicting the progression and development ofmusic and the music industry as a whole. This
progressive rock song has it all!
STAR REPSthis month
INDIEU.COM26 JULY 2016
KENDALL NETTLETON
RACHELBRODSKY
What’s your favorite song and why?
Who's your favorite up and coming artist?
What drew you to want to work with IndieU?
Best compliment you've ever received?
My favorite song is "Medicine" byRising Appalachia because it has avery soothing sound and I reallyconnect to the message in the lyrics.
I have been listening to TheStrumbellas a ton lately. I really love
how their sound mixes indie rock andcountry.
Discovering new music is always fun and excitingbecause you are being introduced to a whole newworld and get to take a peek into someone’s ownexpressions and talents. The whole platform thatIndieU is based on, getting college students moreinvolved in the music on and around their campus, issomething that I am able to connect with easily whichis why I was drawn to this company so much.
One of the best compliments I have everreceived was when my friend told me that
she relies on my Spotify playlists to get all ofher new music. I always think it’s a huge
compliment to be told that I have a greattaste in music.
INDIEU.COM27 JULY 2016
Represent the Indie
Music Community on
your campus.
Become An
OFFICIAL CAMPUS REP
apply here!
INDIEU.COM28 JULY 2016
PORTABLE SPEAKER
HEADPHONE SPLITTERS
CASETTE TAPE ADAPTER
This is the XLarge one and you can downsize but why not buy the larger
one when it will be totally worth it! This bluetooth speaker is loud, has great
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It’s no Bose or Beats but who needs to pay extra just for the brand name?
To top it off, it’s only 50 bucks! BUY NOW
Headphone splitters are perfect for music discovery on the go. These weigh
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Don’t have the money to upgrade your old car stereo? A cassette tape
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This turntable may look basic and featureless at first sight, but that $129 isn’t
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you can listen to your old Kinks vinyl on your iPod! BUY NOW
STEREO TURNTABLE ADAPTER
FOR MUSICJUNKIES
ONLYby Julia Perez
INDIEU.COM29 JULY 2016
MEET THESE RISING STARS
JAY YOUNG
TOWNES
Q1:Do you have a favoritecollaboration (One you would loveto work with again)?A1: I'm not sure who my favoritecollaboration would be honestly. I'vealways been selective about myfeatures. I do a lot of collaborations,but I don't typically like to unless I havea song that I feel they would be perfectfor. I kind of just stay at my house inmy little home studio and make asmany songs as possible by myself orwith whoever is down to stop by. But,as far as working on songs togetheragain, all of the features I do are withmy friends, so even if we end upmaking something that neither of uslike, it's always a great time and I'lldefinitely continue to work with all thepeople I have collaborated with.
TOWNES is a fivepiece rock bandfrom SoCal that sounds like a 21stcentury Doors. They generallyperform along the West Coaststretch, but have ventured as far asCanada for gigs. They’re in therunning for IndieU’s competition toscore a time slot at Venice WaveWest. Give them a listen onIndieU.com, and if you dig what youhear, give them a like to put themone step closer to winning.
by Julia Perez
INDIEU.COM30 JULY 2016
TRAP SATURN
ALACAJAM
Q1: Where did you get thename Trap Saturn? Is there astory behind it?A1: Full disclosure, our namecame from our inherent
neediness. Two of our band
members are scientists by day
with interests in astronomy and
so the name was born. Trent,
our keyboardist and producer,
was listening to the star talk
podcast put together by Neil
deGrasse Tyson and he was
interviewing Dr. Carolyn Porco,
the leader of the Cassini Saturn
imaging mission. He referred to
her as madam Saturn and from
there we ended up with Trap
Saturn. We actually ended up
having Dr. Carolyn Porco as a
featured speaker in the
introduction overture of our
album.
Q2: As a band that has played both shows and musicfestivals, which do you prefer? A2: We're a fan of both. We've played both venues and festivals
with such great energy that it's hard to pinpoint.
Californian
producerslash DJ,
Jake Garcia, found
his calling under the
moniker Alacajam.
Though relatively
new to the music
scene, he has
already populated
his discography with
a host of dreamy
electro dance.
Check out his music
on IndieU.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THESEARTISTS ON INDIEU.COM
INDIEU.COM31 JULY 2016
ROBERTMAXAND THE ULTIMAX STAR REP: TRIBUTE
Without our team of college reps at colleges acrossthe nation, IndieU would be nothing. We are today’scollege music scene because it’s our reps who arediscovering, exposing and helping the talentedmusicians in and around their own college campuses. When IndieU was first created 3 years ago under thename 18Love Music, a young, promising studentnamed Robert Max Carstens signed the contract andjoined the IndieU family. It was September 26th,2013 and we had no idea how much of an impact hewould have on the direction of our rep network andour company as a whole. Right off the bat, Robertshowed a very high interest in more than just hisstandard rep responsibilities. He would contact uswith feedback, ideas, and ways to truly spread ourindependent artist movement across his campus andothers.
Robert soon rose to the top and was appointed thehead rep position at Indiana University. He was atrue leader, spreading his passion for IndieU to hisentire team, his fellow students and to the localmusicians. Whereas, at other schools it may havetaken months to find a student to join the rep team,Robert would have a student lined up and ready to goin a few days. Robert brought his team together andencouraged strong communication and teamwork. Hehad the largest team managing 8 students at a time.Safe to say, we were very impressed.
Indiana University quickly rose to become one of ourmost engaged schools with IndieU concerts or parties
occurring multiple times a month and users signing upat a rapid pace. We decided to try out a bunch of newideas on Indiana’s campus since any new marketingplan would be quickly implemented with Robert asthe lead. Robert truly embodied each and every traitthat we looked for in a campus representative. Hestuck with us through many ups and downs becausehe was truly passionate about what we are creating. Itwasn’t just an extracurricular activity to add to hisresume. IndieU was his passion, and that was veryobvious to us.
We are heartbroken to say that Robert recently passedaway. Although he is no longer with us, his family,his friends and IndieU, will never forget him. He hasbeen an integral part in IndieU’s development and wewill always remember and honor his contributions tothis company. As we continue to grow, Robert willstay a part of the IndieU family. His legacy willremain for all future reps to learn from and hopefully,aspire to be.
In the fall, we will be launching "The UltiMAX StarRep” initiative where all reps will learn how and whyRobert excelled as a campus rep and how to do sothemselves. At the end of each year we will recognizeour most passionate and involved campus rep thatfollowed in Robert’s footsteps.
Thank you Robert, for everything you havecontributed to the IndieU family. It was a pleasuregetting to know you.
Love, all of us at IndieU
INDIEU.COM32 JULY 2016
33 JULY 2016 INDIEU.COM
SEPTEMBER 10th - FREE MUSIC FESTIVAL ON VENICE
BEACH FIND OUT MORE
CEO NATALIE EDELL FEATURED - "50 LA Women Startup
Founders You Should Know" READ IT NOW
INDIEU FEATURED - "5 LA-based startups transforming
the way we discover music" READ IT NOW
INDIEU.COM - BRAND NEW "LISTEN" PAGE LAUNCHED
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IN THE NEWS...
INDIEU.COM34 JULY 2016
Thank you so much for checking out the first issue of The IndieU Magazine! We hope you enjoyedreading, learning, and discovering lots of new music, artists and products to improve your sound oryour summer festivities. Each month we will be releasing a new issue of the magazine - so staytuned. In the fall we will be launching a huge IndieU upgrade that you're going to love since itinvolves concerts, parties and ways for YOU to make money as an artist or a host. We can't wait tocontinue to grow with you and thank you for being a part of the IndieU family.
A NOTE NATALIE
fromCEO / Creator of IndieU
Talk to you soon,
Natalie Edell
35 JULY 2016 INDIEU.COM
photo by: Jacqueline Edell @jacqueline54321
JULY ISSUE NO.1
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