Consisting of Paul Klein, Jake Goss and Les Priest, LANY is an LA-based alternative pop band. Having only formed two years ago, the three-piece has made a name for themselves through viral tunes and an insane amount of touring (their headlining tour’s sold out!), during which they’ve accompanied the likes of Twin Shadow, X Ambassadors, and Halsey. We spoke to Klein about what seems to be an overnight success. Check out our interview on the bands humble beginnings and big dreams, below.

How did the three of you meet and decide to start this project?

We all met in Nashville a couple of years ago. We were all working on music independently, not together. I wound up moving to LA on my own, just thinking that I would keep trying the solo artist thing that I was doing and it was honestly…I was failing miserably at it. Jake and Les were back in Nashville. They lived in a house together with five guys and they were just kind of making music for fun on the computer and doing it themselves and so…I had a moment in LA when I was playing a show that I kind of wanted to quit music. I called Jake asking if I can come to Nashville to write some songs and see what happens. It was kind of my last ditch effort. In those four days we wrote and recorded our first two songs and then really quickly after that, like six days later, we got an email from Polydor, which is the record label we ended up signing to about a year after that. Things just kind of took off immediately for us.

What’s the difference between the music scene in LA and Nashville?

It’s interesting because we’re actually back in Nashville right now. We flew back here to write and record for three days because we have a little bit of a break but I think that the music that we were making when we started making it, it wasn’t very common. We obviously love Nashville so much, but getting out and all three of us living together in LA was really important to the whole process of becoming a band and informing our sound and growing.

What have you learned while on tour?

Jake’s an incredible drummer and spent most of his life so far drumming for other people. Not in his own band. So he had been out on the road and had become familiar with it. I had never been on tour. I did one tour one time where I played three shows and one of them was at a coffee shop called Cool Beans at like 8:30am. It was awful. But going on tour last year, I think we played close to eighty shows. We played some incredible rooms with some incredible bands, and we played some not so incredible rooms, but still with some cool bands. I always tell the story about how even on our Twin Shadow tour, we were supporting him, and there were many nights that we were playing to no one. [There was one time] when I was hanging off the stage shirtless to literally 0 people.

Have you learned a lot from the bands you’ve gone on tour with?

I kind of hate my answer because it’s “no.” I think overall there’s a huge lack of mentorship and people looking out for people in this industry. I think as a band, when we grow and have some wisdom, we’ll be the first ones to pass it down. But unfortunately no, no one has ever taken me aside and been like look man, this is awesome. You guys are awesome. You have a lot of touring ahead of you. Here’s your advice. Here’s some wisdom. No one ever pulled me aside like that.

But you did have Sam Smith and Selena Gomez endorse you guys a bit.

Yeah, I mean Selena is a great friend of mine. We don’t know Sam. That was a crazy thing to open up your Instagram and all of a sudden people are going nuts. I have no idea how he heard us. But we feel so cool about it. But one day when we’re in a room with a bunch of really cool people and Sam’s there, we’ll at least feel like we know one cool person in the room. So that’s really awesome.

What kind of themes do you find yourselves writing about frequently?

I obviously recognize a major theme. I mean we write love songs. That’s what comes most naturally. I’ve thought about writing politically-centered songs or I’ll read really indie publications and see the things that they praise, and they typically tend to praise everything but love songs. Or they praise artists who have a really radical viewpoint on feminism, or whatever it is, and that’s awesome…but the experiences that we draw from are maybe just a little bit more common. It kind of all boils down to relationships and love songs.

When you’re writing about your own experiences, do you ever feel self conscious about putting it out to the public?

To be honest, I live pretty open book. I have a lot of people in my life who know everything about me. I don’t have a ton of deep dark secrets. Deep dark secrets are fine, but I just mean that when I put something into a song that’s kind of personal, it’s like, well twenty other people around me already know this, so it doesn’t matter. The best thing about music is that one thing can mean a million different things to a million different people. Me writing about my experience, a lot of people connect to it in a completely different way.

Do you have a clear definition for yourself of what defines success?

I think our goal has always been to play music for as many people as possible. You know obviously you want to write songs that you’re proud of, and we do all that. We do all of this on our own. We write, produce, mix and record, and it’s coming straight from us. So obviously that’s always fulfilling, that we’ve made these songs and that we’ve put our stamp on these songs. I think always, from the beginning, even though we were in an apartment and playing for eight people, we always dreamt of playing in arenas and we wanted to be a household name. One career that I look at that’s been incredibly successful is Lorde, who has had so much commercial success without compromising creatively. Something like that for us would be really great; to write our own songs and say what we want to say but have enough momentum that we can be commercial while still really cool.

Check the band out on their Soundcloud here.

U.S. HEADLINE TOUR DATES

May 1                    Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

May 2                    Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour

May 10                 Dallas, TX @ The Cambridge Room at House of Blues

May 11                 Dallas, TX @ The Cambridge Room at House of Blues

May 12                 Houston, TX @ The Studio at Warehouse Live

May 16                 Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel

May 17                 Boston, MA @ The Sinclair

May 19                 Brooklyn, NY @ The Knitting Factory

May 20                 New York, NY @ The Marlin Room at Webster Hall

May 21                 Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live

May 24                 Denver, CO @ Lost Lake Lounge

May 25                 Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue

Photo courtesy of Alessio Boni 

Dirty talk can either be really awesome, or really shitty. While sometimes a guy’s way with words can be a turn-on, other times we wish we could throw a muzzle on the dude that has a hot body but has bullshit spewing out of his mouth.

But did you ever notice that the guys who say dumb things tend to all say the same things? It’s like the first time a guy pops a boner, the patron saint of fuckboys floats down to earth and hands him a script for how to turn girls off.

Anyway, here are nine things fuckboys say in bed that should send you running the other way..

1. “You came, right?”

It’s so cute how boys think that just because we don’t squirt out a mess of semen means that our orgasms are unnoticeable. Honey, if you think a girl’s orgasm is discreet, you’ve probably never seen a real one.

2. “I love when you touch my dick”

Thanks, I guess? Is there anyone you don’t love touching your dick besides your doctor?

3. “I can’t sleep with other people.”

If he starts talking about how he can’t fall asleep with other people in his bed or how he has this “thing” early in the morning, you’ve been fooled. Fuckboy wants you in bed for one thing and one thing only, he doesn’t need you snuggling on him in the middle of the night, or god forbid, the morning.

4. “You’re so wet right now.”

A guy commenting on your wetness would be completely fine… that is, if you were actually wet. It seems that all of the dudes who spit the whole “you’re soaking wet right now” line during foreplay are secretly hoping that somehow them saying that you’re wet will actually make you wet. Or maybe they’re really clueless and are confusing the meaning of the term “wet.” Either way, we’re probably going to assume you’ve never actually witnessed a wet pussy before because of your mediocre eating out skills.

5. “I wanted this to be special.”

Even after eight tequila shots, no girl is dumb enough to think that her sucking your dick on your inflatable mattress while Wolf of Wall Street plays in the background is “special.” You already got a girl in bed, you can stop spitting your lame ass game now.

6. “I can’t cum with a condom on”

If we were as worried about our elusive orgasm as you are, we’d probably never fuck you in the first place. Let’s not pretend that it’s hard for you to ejaculate, because once you put it in (condom or no condom) you’re probably going to finish before your girl does.

7. “This never happens.”

Whether he’s talking about the fact that he brought you to his “special” place for sex or the fact that he’s gotten whiskey dick, we all know that anyone who says “this never happens” or “I never do this,” probably does it all the damn time.

8. “Sorry, it just slipped”

If you’re lucky, you’ve never had to deal with a guy who tries to put it in even when you’ve said no. Unfortunately, many of us have come across Mr. Suave who thinks that even when we say we don’t want to fuck, he can change our minds by casually trying to force his way in during foreplay. Actually, that’s called rape.

9. “Call me daddy”

Whether you’re asking us to call you papi or daddy, it’s fucking weird. If the chick brings it up it’s one thing, but nobody wants to call their random Tuesday night hook-up the same thing that they call their father. The same goes for guys who call girls “mami.” Do I look like your mother? I fucking hope not, Oedipus.

Kinney is a Los Angeles-based musician who says she wants to make the world a better place through yoga, music and love. She spent a year alone in her yoga studio learning to play all the instruments she could, and her new song, “Soul,” is the fruit of that labor. She’s premiered this video, directed by Angelo Kritikos. See the beach babe’s music video down below, along with the original photos that Angelo took of the up and coming pop star.

Can you share your process and experience in making the song, “Soul”? 

The process was super fun and collaborative working with my producers. We felt like we were creating a new genre called “gypsy hop” — blending 808s, mandolins, acoustic percussion and twelve string guitars. The opening sounds are an iPhone recording of a gamelan player that I captured when I was in Bali last summer. We definitely took some risks but ultimately we created something I believe is very unique and fun to listen to.

How did the lyric ‘who owns your hands’ come about? 

The initial inspiration for that lyric came from my ex boyfriend who had his ex’s name tattooed across his knuckles. It seemed symbolic that his hand was owned by his ex. However, as the song continued to grow, it took a much larger meaning- calling into question who is in control of the decisions we make in life. I believe we have a lot of power to create a positive movement of change but the first step is taking responsibility for our own actions.

What did you grow up listening to? Who are your current musical influences?

I am a flower child at heart. I grew up to Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Melanie, Simon and Garfunkel, Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and my personal icon Joni Mitchell. I still listen to those folks quite a bit but more recently have been inspired by Lana del Rey, St. Vincent, Sigur Ros, Fleetfoxes and Florence and the Machine.

We love the witchy vibes in the music video. Tell us what brought this idea and video concept together. 

In this video, director Angelo Kritikos and I wanted to create a hypnotic world where women could activate their own strength and magical powers. Culturally and astrologically, we are entering a new era where woman are truly taking the lead. I wanted this video to show how mezmerizing and powerful women moving together can be. Supported by mother earth, the trinity goddess witches in the video bring light and a compelling energy to the music.

You move beautifully in the video. Do you have a dance background?

Yes I do in fact. I like to say that was my entrance into the performing world. I was a competitive acrobatic dancer all growing up. I started at age ten and continued into college where I studied musical theater. Now I love to integrate my acrobatic dance with yoga and acro yoga.

The makeup & hair in “Soul” looks right on trend for festival season. What are your festival beauty must-haves? 

Bindis or any other face jewels, tribal body markers, and I love anything Tarte sells because they create eco-chic beauty products that are cruelty free.

What are three things you want the world to know about Kinney? 

I believe that we can use music to change the world and help bring humans together to heal some of the massive global issues we are facing. I also have recently become obsessed with roller skating. I listen to Melanie’s “Brand New Key” on repeat and wobble down my street on the daily. I spend about the same amount of time upside down in handstands as I do on my feet. Which definitely gives me an interesting perspective on life.

Photos courtesy of Angelo Kritikos 

Stylist and member of Kanye West’s entourage Ian Connor is being accused of raping and sexually assaulting at least two women.

The allegations came to light on the women’s blogs. Malika Anderson, 23, wrote that he assaulted her in 2014 and that she went to the police — currently, that investigation against Ian is still open, Broadly reports.

“[H]e’s a serial rapist,” Malika writes. “I am not the only one. I’m just one of the only one’s who is telling my story. In short, he is a predator. He seeks out girls on social media that he can try to ‘woo’ or whatever and then try to fuck and if they say no, well he takes it.”

She then goes on to graphically describe what she claims happened after they became friends.

Since then, another woman, Jean Deaux, has spoken out on her own blog. Jean Deaux hasn’t pressed charges against Ian, saying her lack of insurance and ID at the time made it tough for her to do that. Plus, she didn’t want to be seen as a victim:

“As an artist, my art comes first. Being a victim is not on my list of publicity stunts to catapult me into fame. Every accomplishment Ive made thus far is my own, and so will every one in the future. If I wanted to fuck a celebrity to get on, I’ve met much more influential niggas than this piece of shit. Believe that.”

Ian Connor has been tweeting about the allegations all day, and frankly isn’t helping his case by doing so.

Ain’t No Coincidence I Make My First Big Magazine Cover For A Bitch To Make Up Allegations For Her Own Self Esteem Purposes.

— Ian Connor (@souljaian) April 8, 2016

Swear This Is My Karma For Finessing Every Bitch I Came Across Just To Mentally Prove A Point.

Lmao The Universe Is Paying Me Back.

— Ian Connor (@souljaian) April 8, 2016

But I Have Honesty On My Side, So I’m Literally Laughing At Whatever Life Throws At Me.

— Ian Connor (@souljaian) April 8, 2016

Finesse Yea but Lie No.

— Ian Connor (@souljaian) April 8, 2016

The first digital images of the human brain operating on LSD have been released, and now it makes a lot of sense why people like to dress up like Native Americans and suck on lollipops at music festivals like Coachella.

The groundbreaking study claims that the brain scans mimic those of infants and children.

“In many ways, the brain in the LSD state resembles the state our brains were in when we were infants: free and unconstrained,” said Dr. Robin Cahart-Harris, of Imperial College London. “This also makes sense when we consider the hyper-emotional and imaginative nature of an infant’s mind.”

He went on:

“The brain scans revealed that trippers experienced images through information drawn from many parts of their brains, and not just the visual cortex at the back of the head that normally processes visual information. Under the drug, regions once segregated spoke to one another.”

This also leads to a phenomenon that correlates to person identity loss, called, “ego dissolution.” The brain becomes more uniform in its functions, making for a feeling of “oneness” with physical surrounding, therefore probably also responsible for all crew love spread among ravers on the festival scene.

Next, the researchers will conduct studies on psychedelic drugs for the potential medical uses that the drug could have on depression. LSD is the future, y’all, and the future is at Coachella.

Moving in with your BF or GF is a huge decision and not one you should take lightly. Sure, you guys might love hanging out a few times a week and playing sleepover, but what if being around each other 24/7 isn’t the right move?

You never know until you try — but you can take some advice from people who’ve been there. Reddit users are currently sharing what they wish they knew before moving in with bae. Here are some of their best tips.

1.

“Living together doesn’t mean you hang out together all the time. You both need alone time and is totally ok to spend the evening pursuing your hobbies in silence or even in separate rooms.” – NSFBF

2.

“Just go ahead and buy a king size bed. IT WILL SAVE YOUR RELATIONSHIP.” – ddbenson2

3.

“People are often on much better behavior as a guest. Even if you are spending a huge amount of time in each other’s homes, it is still as a guest and as such likely make more of an effort to pick up after yourself and help out. If his or her place is a disaster, but they pick up after themselves or help out when visiting you, chances are they are just being a great guest and when living together they will bring the disaster.” – RubixRube

4.

“Have specific together and alone activities/spaces.” – Krifantasy

5.

“Sometimes the best nights are ones where you’re just doing your regular things together. Cuddling while reading separate books is so comfortable!” – lonewanderess

6.

“Small things that are mildly irritating in those early days become more annoying over time, so address them early.” – SilkPenny

7.

“Understand that there will be days, lots of days, that you may have nothing to talk about and that’s okay. Do not freak out. It’s okay.” – GrandmotherFa

8.

“One of you is going to get mad at the other for not keeping the place clean enough.” – Kip_karo

9.

“It is way harder to motivate to do chores when another person is also supposed to do them.” – PM_CUTE_DOG_PICS

10.

“Have a secret stash of funds that if the relationship does go FUBAR; you won’t be stuck with your ex as the world’s most hostile roommate, sleeping on your friend’s couches or homeless until you can save up enough for another place.” – 78704grrl

11.

“If you haven’t figured it out already, realize that arguing is perfectly healthy and normal. It’s HOW you argue that fucks shit up.” – ADTR1958

12.

“Petsit before getting a pet together.” – wordlimit

Good news for women who have sex/want to have sex/love having sex and live in the Golden State.

Women of ANY age can now purchase birth control without a doctor’s prescription from pharmacies in California, according to the Los Angeles Times. Yup, this applies to all self-administered hormonal birth control. Think pills, patches, injections, and vaginal rings. Pretty much everything except for what a doctor has to insert — like IUDs.

So, how does one obtain their birth control of choice?

It’s actually super easy. The only thing you need to do is fill out a questionnaire at your local pharmacy and have your blood pressure taken. You can request any birth control you desire, or your pharmacist can help you figure out the best one. Then, after the pharmacist assesses your questionnaire, you grab your birth control, and BAM — you get to have all the sex your little heart desires.

Cost remains the same. And if your BC is covered by insurance, don’t worry… it’ll still be!

Cali isn’t the first place to allow women to purchase birth control without a doctor’s prescription. Washington and Washington, D.C. first embraced the prescription-free method. But hey! Cheers, to making a boss bitch’s life a lot easier!

When you think of Kim Kardashian chances are the words “Music Festival Queen” don’t come to mind, but why should they? The only time we’ve spotted Kim anywhere near a music festival was last year when her husband headlined Bonnaroo, and she didn’t look like she was having any fun.

TBH, this makes sense. The idea of Kim enjoying anything about the laid-back, dust-soaked, normal people-filled drug parades better known as music festivals is pretty off brand for her.

Still, festival season is everything, so yesterday Kim released a list of 15 festival packing essentials.

The list includes a number of beauty essentials/sanitizers that probably would be super smart to bring (deodorant, dry shampoo, lip balm, face oil blotters, etc.), but it also included a couple WTF/LOL items.

Here’s what they are:

1. Mara Hoffman Towel, $78

Okay, so you could def save yourself $78 by bringing an old, gross towel from home, but you have to admit, people will seriously be digging your rad, Boho-print towel. It’s like, soooooo Coachella and totally looks like something you could buy from Urban Outfitters.

2. Emi-Jay Hair Ties, $11

Because if you’re not trying to be the sparkliest thing in the dessert, what are you even doing with your life?

3. Cigarette One Hitter Pipe, $7

Because Kim Kardashian totally smokes weed, you guys. Like, we heard she can make a bong out of everything and can even burn through a bowl doused with keif without coughing once because she’s not a regular Mom, she’s a cool Mom.

LOL Kim. Get real.

4. GenTeal Eyedrops, $12

You know, because of all the weed you’ll be smoking.

5. Apple Watch, $299

On the one hand, bringing a watch that almost costs as much as your festival tickets did sounds like a bad idea, but on the other hand, you could probably sell it to buy something to fill your one-hitter with, so maybe Kim’s doing you a favor here.

6. Mini Keychain Flask, $13

Because after all the money Kim asked you to spent on essentials, she wants to help you save a couple dollars too.

So thoughtful that Kim.

When you’re a high school student, your dreams of college are full of debauchery, alcohol, and sex. Girls fantasize about the plethora of hot older college dudes at their disposal, while guys fantasize about college girls who are ready to experiment.

In reality, college is a lot less sexy than you would imagine. When sex does occur, it’s fueled by plastic bottles of vodka and followed by morning after pills and confusion. Girls are going to class in sweat pants rather than mini skirts, and more dudes have beer bellies than six packs.

But, if you’re going to go for the quintessential college experience, you’ve got to have sex in the library. As a senior graduating in a couple of months, I figured it was time to say goodbye to the library, which I went to all of ten times, by getting penetrated in it. Although I’m no stranger to having sex in semi-public educational places, it was actually much easier than I expected.

Schedule That Shit

I said that having sex in the library was easy, but that’s because my boyfriend and I specifically chose to get freaky in the library during the first week of the semester. If you go during midterms or finals week, you might end up having sex on top of that nerdy kid in your Chem class. When we went to the library, there were only about 10 people maximum on each floor, and it was very doubtful that anybody reserved rooms the first week of the term. Because of that, we easily slipped into a private study room towards the back corner of the basement that was partially hidden by shelves.

That being said, there was a decent amount of planning that went into this. We didn’t just waltz by the library one day and decide it was as good a time as ever to fuck among the bookshelves. We’d been wanting to have sex in the library for a while, but we knew we had to wait until the beginning of a semester where the library would be the least crowded. We also chose to go to the library slightly later in the evening (around 6 p.m.) where we hoped there wouldn’t be any new classes doing that whole “introduction to the library” type of bs. Lastly, I made sure that I was wearing an outfit that was easy to slip on and off.

Forego The Foreplay

Just because there weren’t a lot of people in the library when we had our little rendezvous doesn’t mean that we weren’t nervous. I mean shit, what if I didn’t get my degree because I got caught fornicating on a limited edition of Hamlet? That would be a bummer. Instead of leisurely taking our time having passionate kisses and oral sex on a shitty fake-wooden table, we got right down to penetration. I recommend getting yourself going by looking at some porn or erotic fiction, whatever you’re into, while in the library before you start taking your clothes off.

Don’t Get Jizz On The Books

Remember when Ludacris sang, “we can do it in the library on top of books, but you can’t get too loud”? I think he was referring to someone who actually had their own library, because I’m pretty sure in any public or university library, someone is going to find you getting railed on top of the encyclopedias and you’ll probably have to pay some sort of fine for having your bare ass on top of classic works of literature.

Instead, utilize the more private areas in your campus library. You could have sex in the bathroom for extra privacy, but that kind of defeats the whole library feel of things. I would say that the way to go is to find an unreserved study room to do your dirty deed in, because actually getting it on between the shelves seems like you’re just waiting for some old librarian or confused freshman to walk by and take a video for his Snapchat story.

Shh… The F Up 

Obviously, you’re going to have to be quiet while you’re in the library. No moaning of your boo’s name or screaming “fuck me harder.” But also, you don’t need to run around campus bragging to everybody about how you had an orgasm in the library. Definitely, definitely don’t write an article about your experiences and publish it for the world to see. Just because your college seems to be run by a bunch of old white dudes doesn’t mean that they’re not hip to social media or gossip and that they won’t find out about the condom that you left the trashcan next to the Art History section. The only thing worse than getting caught by your university whilst in the act would be to get an angry email two weeks later asking you to meet with the Dean.

Today, GQ released a new celebrity profile/interview about Selena Gomez called “The Emancipation Of Selena Gomez.” And in it, Selena proves herself as an incredibly elegant boss bitch who’s capable of showing creepy interviewers  how creepy they are without even seeming rude about it.

Early on in the interview, the writer makes note that Selena’s 74 million Instagram followers are filled with “an unsettlingly large contingent of adult men, whose motivations she surely would prefer not to think about.”

A few paragraphs later, he goes on to describe Selena in a way that lumps him in with that contingent:

“Her hair is as glossy as a dolphin’s tail. She’s got on a snug neutral-color sweater that she’s sweating through—it’s evident, you can see the twin damp patches that people like Selena Gomez aren’t supposed to have. She keeps apologizing for it, which is heartbreaking, as if she needs to ask for permission to be human like the rest of us.”

Yes, it’s a writer’s job to describe moments in rich enough details that any given reader can imagine them into being, and yes this description satisfies those requirements, but GLOSSY AS A DOLPHIN’S TAIL? Come on, man.

Like why couldn’t he just say that her hair was as glossy as it looks like in her Pantene commercials? Why did he have to compare her mane to a dolphin’s water-slicked tail? And why did he have to bring up that he could see “twin damp patches” of Selena’s sweat through her “snug” sweater?

But don’t worry, Selena got her moment of payback later on while she was talking about how child celebrities are easy and interesting targets for grown adults to puzzle over.

“We’re easy targets. Every single kid who was brought up like this is an easy target. It’s disgusting, because it’s interesting to grown adults that these kids go through weird things because they’re figuring out, ‘Do I like this? Do I love this? Maybe I love this person…’ There’s a difference between being a fan — there’s a difference between that and what you have to do.”

And by you, Selena Gomez clearly means male adults like the writer who’s interviewing her. To his credit, the comparison is not lost on him, and it makes for the most compelling part of the interview.

“It’s dawning on me that the you here is not generic, but very, very specific — she’s talking to me. The you who’s sitting in front of her, pushing mid-30s, asking her questions that she’d prefer not to answer, raising subjects that she’d prefer not to talk about.”

Which brings up the question: is the writer aware of his creepiness the whole time, emphasizing it to bring about a more dramatic revelation at the interview’s climax? Or does he still not realize that the “damp patches” and “snug sweater” moment is part of the problem?

Ultimately, we’ll never know and ultimately it doesn’t matter. What’s clear is that most grown men’s default mode when looking at young female celebrities — or hot young females in general — is “creepy af,” and that’s not lost on Selena Gomez.

Back in 2013, Aluna Francis and George Reid released their debut record Body Music as duo AlunaGeorge.

Francis and Reid had met when Reid remixed a track for Francis in her old band My Toys Like Me. The collaboration led to the creation of AlunaGeorge as we know it now. While their music falls into the indie-electropop realm, they were brought into the mainstream with their feature on Disclosure’s hit track “White Noise.” Now, AlunaGeorge is embarking on their dance-pop sophomore record, where they’ve taken a step forward, collaborating with other artists and building their presence in the U.S.

Before releasing their next record, we chatted with AlunaGeorge about breaking into the U.S. scene, going mainstream, and experimenting on their forthcoming album.

Manokhi Shorts and Alexandra G Shoes

You have a new record coming out. What’s the biggest difference between this one and your debut?

I think the biggest difference is the time we’ve had to develop our musical skills and interests since that debut. We’ve applied that to the studio, really.

Obviously, it’s really hard to cross over from the U.K. to the U.S. You see artists like Rita Ora and Katy B who have had a bit of a challenge in crossing over here, but they have a huge followings overseas. Did you feel like you had that same problem after your debut record?

That’s interesting, because obviously crossing over to America is like the Holy Grail. As an artist, you are a dreamer. You can’t not dream big. So, you dream big and you look for a way in. Initially, we didn’t think about breaking into America. We learned about the way you do things here, which is that you just work. You put out that music, you tour that music, and you make sure you’re putting out consistently good music. If you can do that, then the Americans might pay you some attention.

We never thought that with one song, we would be able to come over to America and excite them all, because we’re not really that kind of act. We’re a slow-burn act. People have to get to know us. The kind of music we’re making is forward thinking, and it’s not from an already established style of music. We’re aware of that as well. We got a couple of invites to come over to America to do a few shows, a small tour. We did those things, and they didn’t send us home. You do those things, and you continue to build that relationship.

One of your most popular songs, “You Know You Like It,” got remixed by DJ Snake, and gained traction after the album hit its peak popularity. It was playing everywhere. What are your thoughts on that?

It was a way to set a new bar for us—to reach people who wouldn’t necessarily have heard about us. We still have a lot to prove, but that was kind of an opening of a gateway. What we do with that will be the most important thing.

Being featured on Disclosure’s “White Noise” was a huge deal. You also appeared at festivals with them. Do you think that was a catalyst for you guys getting attention?

No, I don’t think so, because that came slightly later than the point of when we started to get noticed. I think we were initially noticed for how different our music sounded and for the hardcore music listeners of the world. “White Noise” gave us more of a commercial potential, but I don’t think that song got us noticed, because it doesn’t really relate to us sound-wise. It’s not why people have stayed with us.

Can you tell me more about this record? Were there any collaborations you were excited about?

I think this record just sounds a bit more musically free. I think the fact that we allowed collaborations on it was kind of a freedom. We didn’t allow that on the first album, because we wanted people to see we were AlunaGeorge. We met a lot of people on our journey and it was time to have some fun with people we know. It was also time to get to that next level of songwriting by working with some interesting people and seeing what they could bring to the table. We worked all over the world—the U.K. and America—which is pretty long distance. I think one of the exciting features we have on the record is the Popcaan feature “In Control.”

Did you focus on music your whole life?

I was actually sitting down and looking at the female and male artists that I really got inspiration from, and it was very mixed, indie-oriented, and they’re all character voices. I think when anyone starts singing, there’s a person you try to mimic. I wasn’t the strongest singer. I couldn’t belt out big, booming notes. I could hit the notes—I had a cute voice or whatever—but it wasn’t until I worked with an unusual producer in My Toys Like Me that [I got] to improvise a lot. What he did was, he’d pick out times when I really wasn’t concentrating and doing accidental stuff, and he would chop them together and let me hear my voice. That’s what developed into my voice now. Before, I thought I had to sound like everyone else to be important.

Is there a mistake that you made on your debut that you don’t want to make again?

I don’t think we really do things that way. I can’t remember who I’m quoting, but they do say that being an artist or a craftsman is a succession of fixing your mistakes. That couldn’t be more true. One of us will make a mistake in the studio, and one of us will like it. Mistakes are best left behind, to be honest. It’s important to use them to move forward. We really came at this album with enthusiasm to try new stuff, and I think that will come through.

Photography and Creative and Direction by Prince + Jacob

Styling by Alexandra Mandelkorn

Hair and Makeup by Justin St. Clair

Alli Simpson is a 17-year-old nationally syndicated host on Radio Disney, the face of Mudd, and little sister to Cody Simpson.

After a successful first year fo hosting “The Alli Simpson Show” on Radio Disney, Alli is about to take on a new and larger role as Radio Disney’s ‘Youth Engagement Officer.’ When she’s not doing that, she’s busy working on her latest passion—music. After some guidance from her big brother Cody, Alli’s music career has officially bloomed.

Check out our Q+A below.

You’ve been interviewing a bunch of people for Radio Disney! Who do you think has been your favorite interview so far?

I think my favorite person to interview so far was definitely Selena Gomez, only because it felt more like a girl-to-girl conversation than an interview. It just felt more personal! I loved it. Selena was great. Justin Bieber was great. I also had James Bay in last week, and he was one of my favorites as well.

You’re the youngest nationally syndicated radio host! How does that feel?

It’s really crazy. The radio thing just happened for me quickly, and I ended up really enjoying it. It became a lot more successful than I originally thought it would be, and now I’m the youngest! When they told me that, it was a surreal feeling.

How do you spend your days off?

On my days off, I basically like to do nothing. I’m so busy usually that on my off days, I like to hang out with my friends and go to cafes. My brother lives in Venice Beach, so I’m usually down there hanging out with him at the beach, getting fresh juices, and all that kind of stuff.

Has it been hard making friends in LA?

Yeah, it’s been really tough. I would say I’ve only made some good friends now after 5 years. I’ve been through a lot with trying to find some real friends like my friends at home.

Do you go home to see your friends a lot?

Going home is like a vacation. It’s a different world in LA, but I try to see my friends as much as I can.

You make music now!

Yes, I’ve been getting really into music and taking it a lot more seriously. I have a couple singles out now. It started out all in fun, but now I’m realizing I actually do love to make music.

Have you ever performed live?

I’ve performed live twice and that was really hard for me, because when I was younger, I was so shy. I would never sing in front of anyone. Performing live was really a huge milestone in my life. I was really nervous. I didn’t think I could do it originally, but once I went on stage, I loved it and wanted to do it more.

That’s a ginormous accomplishment!

It was huge for me. I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it! When people would ask me to sing when I was younger, I would cry. I just had to get over that first performance.

Has Cody been supportive of you making music?

Cody was actually the one who got me into music. Initially, when I had moved to LA, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Cody was the one who knew I could sing, and he told me to get in the studio. He reminded me that if I didn’t like it, then I didn’t have to do anything with it. It was just for fun, you know? He definitely helps me with confidence. He’s always encouraging me to push myself because you never really know unless you try. Now I figured out that I love making music. Cody is just always inspiring me. Before any photo shoot or big job I do, he’ll always text me something motivating.

If you were a music festival, which one would you be?

Coachella! I’m sure everyone says that, but it’s the best one.

What’s your favorite festival memory?

I wasn’t originally going to go to Coachella! The day before, however, I found out Cody and Gigi [Hadid] were surprising me with a hotel room and a ticket to the festival. They told me to come and bring a friend. That was my favorite memory because I wasn’t even expecting to go, and they walked in my room and jumped on me and gave me the ticket. It was just the coolest thing. I cried and then we all jumped on the bus together to go.

What album are you most excited for this year?

I mean, I’m really into Beyoncé’s latest single “Formation.” I’m hoping she backs that up with an album. If I was excited for anything, it’d have to be more music from her.

You’ve seen the amazing photos and read our interview with Galore’s latest cover girl, Ruby Rose. Now watch how Ruby and photog Ellen von Unwerth made the magic happen in “BANG BANG,” a behind-the-scenes video of her shoot directed by von Unwerth…

Beautiful Pisces Rihanna is creating her own line of beauty products called Fenty Beauty for luxury megacompany LVMH’s beauty division, Kendo.

The glorious news was announced in Women’s Wear Daily this morning. Kendo CEO David Suliteanu is just as stoked as you are.

“Fenty Beauty by Rihanna is a beauty rocket ship that will appeal to a huge and diverse global audience,” he said. “We are aiming for the stars.”

This isn’t RiRi’s first foray into the beauty world, as WWD points out. She’s also collaborated on MAC’s Viva Glam line and also worked on a four-part MAC line called RiRi Hearts MAC. She’s also currently slaying the footwear game thanks to her Puma collab.

The products will be out in fall 2017 so start lining up now.

When I was eight years old, I wrote fan mail to Aaron Carter.

His poster hung above my wall, and sometimes I would kiss it. I spent my free time counting our age difference, thinking to myself while counting on my fingers, We’re five years apart. My parents are five years apart too, so we can still be together!

When I was 13 years old, I became enthralled with pop-punk bands. I spent every weeknight at a local venue, watching All Time Low, The Academy Is…, and The Maine. Sometimes, my mom came with me and hung around in the back. I waited in 20-degree weather, wearing a tube top, to meet William Beckett, who was my biggest crush at the time.

Once, I actually looked up how to become a groupie on Google. I found an About.com article, and I still remember some of the tips. Wear something unique to stick out from the crowd, it said. Become friends with anyone involved — the merch guy, the roadie. They may not be hot or famous, but they’re good ways to get closer to your final goal.

After a brief (and awkward) MySpace message flirtation with a guitarist from a pop-punk band that you’ve probably never heard of, I was all the wiser. When I finally turned 18, I wasn’t settling for being simply a fan anymore. I found my college roommate on Facebook after she wrote on a group wall stating that she wanted a roommate that listened to pop-punk due to the fact that, in her free time, she followed All Time Low up and down the east coast.

Perfect, I thought to myself, someone who shares my passion for music — and musicians. We bought concert tickets together before either of us had either moved into our dorm. Our first show together as roommates was to be a white rapper that was dapper as hell. Looking back, I wore something completely ridiculous: high-waisted red and navy sailor striped shorts, a white lace bustier, and a big plaid bow in my curly hair. But, it worked. As I got to the front of the meet-and-greet line and said hello, the rapper asked what I was doing after the show, and if he could have my number. Trying not to show my giddiness, I wrote my number down for the merch guy standing next to us. As I left the line, thousands of young girls in crop tops and Converse sneakers glared at me in awe. I loved every second of it.

He never called. I waited up in my dorm room until about 1 am before calling it quits and going to bed. The next show I went to, I was even more confident (and much more drunk). As I spoke to the musician, I asked him what he was doing later. I gave my number to his right hand man, and shortly after, we were all headed to the tour bus together. (I half-heartedly said sorry to the guy I attended the concert with.)

I quickly learned that the life of a B-list musician was much less glamorous than I thought. In the next year, I partied in tiny, cramped tour buses, overbooked 3-star hotel rooms, and backstage mid-sized venues among cases of Four Lokos. It wasn’t glamorous, it wasn’t luxurious, but I was in. I reveled in my ability to get into shows for free, and the way I could secretly gloat about hanging out with someone’s favorite rapper.

For years, I floated around concert venues, wearing VIP stickers, and asking for plus-ones. But you’re probably wondering if I ever truly fulfilled the groupie philosophy and hooked up with someone famous. For the longest time, I didn’t. I was never one to be aggressive, and the few times where a musician did explicitly want to get with me, I either got too drunk or was seeing somebody. The opportunity arose when the first rapper — the one who asked for my number way back when — pulled me aside at an after-party three years later and told me that he had been staring at me during the entire show. He told me that I was the only girl he wanted that night, and that I was the sexiest girl there. I knew he probably recited these lines to a new girl in every city, but I was the girl tonight, and it felt good.

Unfortunately, hooking up with your favorite rapper isn’t much different than hooking up with a fuckboy. It might even be worse. If I learned anything from my years as a groupie, it’s that you should party and enjoy the perks, but don’t place your favorite artist on a pedestal, because their dick game isn’t any better than that loser you matched with on Tinder.

Before Canadian-born Stephan Moccio produced what would be The Weeknd‘s Celine Dion moment for the bestseller-turned-blockbuster Fifty Shades of Grey, “Earned It,” he gave Celine Dion her moment with the comeback we’ll never forget, “A New Day Has Come.”

The classically trained pop producer then went on to produce the opening and closing track for The Weeknd’s Grammy-nominated album Beauty Behind The Madness, expertly piecing together “Real Life” and “Angel.”

We caught up with one of the busiest men in the pop industry about working with Celine Dion, The Weeknd, and what under-the-radar star he currently has his eye on.

Erika Flynn: I know you grew up around pianists and you were classically trained since you were really young, how has this shaped you as a producer working in modern pop music?

Stephan Moccio: I grew up in Canada… in Niagara Falls which is a border city. So, I grew up listening to Canadian radio and American radio. My mother being a classical musician herself introduced me to a lot of incredible music at an early age and I was fortunate enough to have parents who taught me to really practice with instruments. I was exposed to a lot of American music as a kid, so I was very privileged in that sense. I ended up getting my degree in classical music. But I really have this love for pop music. Great pop music is really amazing in the way it’s orchestrated and produced. That’s what’s deceiving! People think that pop music is easy to do. Fast pop music is easy, great pop music is not.

EF: I’m sure you’ve worked with a lot of producers throughout your career, but now, are there other producers who are classically trained as well or can you tell who is trained versus who isn’t?

SM: Off the top of my head, who’s classically trained, as well as who preceded me is David Foster. He was one of my mentors. But who’s in my world right now, at this moment, would be guys like Greg Kirsten, Greg Wells, who are both amazing producers. Also, Jeff Bhasker who just won Producer of the Year. I know he’s had classical training. It’s amazing that these guys and myself are all in a great place right now, but a lot of people don’t realize what that secret ingredient is.

EF: What was it like working with Celine Dion on “A New Day Has Come” and how did that come about?

SM: On an ethereal level, it was wild because I met Celine when I was eighteen years old and I told her that one day I would write her hit single and almost ten years later I did her comeback song. I got together with my co-writer on that song, and after we wrote the song, she got back to us saying she loved it and wanted to record it. It ended up being her first single since she’d taken a three-year hiatus after having her first child, and that was my real first international hit. That one was just massive on so many levels and at that time she was the largest selling female recording artist. The song was number one for 25 weeks. It’s really what put me on the international map. It’s amazing what a song like that does.

EF: I feel like “Earned It’ was Abel’s “A New Day Has Come.” I feel like that was really his Celine Dion moment because it was his first huge radio hit. When you got brought on for this, were you familiar with his older stuff that was much darker?

SM: I was. I’m a huge fan and we connected really fast, but Abel knew he needed to evolve. Not that there was anything wrong, his sound was iconic and he made a massive dent in music and his genre of R&B, but it was time to reach other audiences around the world. “Earned It” kind of fused classic jazz and old-school R&B. It also has strings. It has all of that going on. We all knew what we were doing with that song and we were lucky enough to have a massive platform like Fifty Shades of Grey as well.

EF: The song definitely does have a classical undertone. When you were working on it, were you thinking about how his voice was going to mesh with the strings and influence of the song?

SM: We knew we had something special before. It was definitely evident. It was one of those songs that happens fast, and there was nothing on the radio that sounded like that song. That’s what made it what it is. The juxtaposition of sounds was the perfect ingredient to making a perfect song.

EF: Then The Weeknd brought you on the album to work on a couple more songs, what was it like working on Beauty Behind The Madness?

SM: Yeah, we worked on “Real Life” which opens up the album and another song called “Angel” which closes the album, which is kinda cool. “Real Life” is kind of an iconic Pink-Floyd-meets-Queen fusion that creates that really unique sound. We worked on the songs for a while, but that’s how the process is with music and art. Nothing is an accident with him, and I, and most of our collaborators. We really are just a group of people who give a shit about music and really care, and we really want to do something that’s great… period. “Real Life” went through a few sketches before it ended up sounding the way it did. It was originally much darker, even though it still has a dark element, but it has a sense of hope to it as well.

EF: How do you think artists like The Weeknd who are more underground and not as “radio-friendly” can make that switch to being more accessible while still remaining true to themselves as an artist?

SM: Well I think [Abel’s] doing it right now. He’s very aware of the sequence of the album, the songs, and he’s definitely stayed true to the original crew as well. I was just fortunate enough to be apart of the handful of new collaborators he chose. He remains faithful to his fans for sure, and he’s well aware that his fans have elevated him and brought him to where he is right now. He never wants to disappoint them.

EF: You’re from Canada, and so is Abel. Do you have a favorite artist out of Canada right now, considering there’s quite a few? Are you a Drake fan? Be honest.

SM: It’s funny, I don’t really view artists as being “from Canada” even though I am myself. I mean you’ve got The Weeknd killing it, and Bieber’s killing it. I really admire Abel and what he does, as well as Noah “40” Shebib and what he does with Drake, and Illangelo behind The Weeknd. I view those guys as artists as well and they’re really sculpting sounds.

EF: Is there anyone in general who you’re listening to at the moment? Any up-and-coming artists who you’re into that maybe haven’t had their Celine Dion moment yet?

SM: Yes, there’s this artist Maty Noyes that I’ve been working with whose voice is featured on “Angel” on The Weeknd’s album. She has a really unique voice, it’s really different. It’s kind of a 180 degree turn from BBTM, but we’re using a fifty-piece orchestra, real brass strings, and an all-star cast of some of the best musicians in the world. To be honest, as a producer, my days can be up to 16 hours long consumed with the artist I’m working with. To clear my mind, I listen to classical music. I listen to the farthest thing from what I’m working on.

EF: So after the Grammy’s and BBTM, what’s next for you?

SM: Maty honestly has all of my attention right now. There’s so many great new artists out right now though and so many things going on, I’m getting to work on a couple films as well at the moment, which is awesome. But with artists like Abel or Maty, it’s like going in the trenches for months at a time. There’s so much work to be done.

Follow Stephan Moccio on Instagram and Twitter. 

Emily Ratajkowski, Kourtney Kardashian and Mia Moretti were among the many that joined Stacey Bendet to celebrate the premiere of Alice + Olivia’s new Grateful Dead-inspired capsule collection in partnership with Neiman Marcus this Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The collection is Alice + Olivia’s first ever “see-now-buy-now” runway show, accompanying the launch of an exclusive sale on limited edition pieces from the brand’s Spring 2016 line. Between punchy prints, bold stripes, and funky poo-bear prints, the collection features everything you’d need for Coachella and afterwards.

The runway show was streamed live on Alice + Olivia’s socials, as well as on Periscope and Facebook live, but in case you missed it, check out the new pieces in action, and on their website.

Welcome back to Bennifer Watch 2016, where we scrounge for clues as to whether Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez will get back together now that they’re both unmarried.

This week, the universe has gifted us with a profile of Jennifer Lopez in W. The clues regarding a possible reconciliation are sparse, but they’re there. And since we are your illuminati Bennifer witch hunters, we will find clues wherever the hell we can!

Now for the first clue. Jennifer Lopez married and procreated with Marc Anthony following her breakup from Ben Affleck, but it didn’t work out. J. Lo knew it was headed south pretty quickly, she said, but she stuck it out for seven years. About marrying a fellow musician, she shared this pearl of wisdom:

“Musicians are too self-absorbed. They are too concerned with themselves to be great in bed.”

This is interesting because J. Lo is a musician, so you’d think this would apply to her. But she is also a triple threat, so maybe her dancing and acting abilities offset the self-absorption? Who knows.

What we do know is that of all the high-profile J. Lo exes, Ben Affleck is the only one without a musical bone in his body. Even Casper Smart is kind of a musician, since he’s a dancer. That’s like a musician of the body, right? Idk, either way, he’s not good enough for our girl.

J. Lo further opened up about her hopes for the future, in terms of relationships, and she seems a little ambivalent about including Casper.

“[Casper Smart and I] got together and broke up and are now together again. I still think about getting married and having that long life with someone. I love the movie The Notebook. A dream of mine is to grow old with someone.”

Casper is too young to grow old. You know who’s just old enough to start growing old, though? Ben Affleck. Ghost Casper, J. Lo! Ghost him! It’s right there in his name!

Later, J. Lo went on The Wendy Williams Show and deflected talk of her love life — why would you deflect that if you’re just in an “on-again” relationship with the same dude you’ve been seeing for years? Maybe J. Lo was just worried that Wendy would bring up Ben now that he’s single:

Williams wanted to talk only about her love life: “Last time you were on the show, you were totally single.” Watching from the dressing room, Lopez’s publicist was seething. “She’s supposed to ask about the show, about Vegas,” she hissed. Lopez, however, was in control: “Wow, Wendy—you really look great!” she said, deftly changing the subject. “You really have to come to my show in Vegas!”

Sadly, the world will never know whether Wendy ever would have talked about Ben that day. But it’s pretty telling that J. Lo wouldn’t even let her get within 10 feet of talking about her love life, right?

Until next time, this has been Bennifer Watch.

In order to make the music video for her new single, “How Can I Love,” Manika got her fans involved.

“I messaged 1,000 random fans to submit videos. And you see several of them featured in the music video who made the edit. In my ‘How Can I Love’ music video, I am trying to motivate my fans who have insecurities or depression by letting them know that they are not alone,” she said. “This music video is very very different from any other music video concept you’ve ever seen.  I hope to encourage people to feel better about themselves, because every individual is beautiful and deserves love—from not only from others, but from yourself.”

Every Las Vegas native has a crazy story, Manika says, and she’s no exception. At 15, the singer/songwriter/musician/producer wrote a book in order to donate the proceeds to the ASPCA. At 17, she was discovered by Michael Jackson’s longtime manager Frank DiLeo, and soon began touring with One Direction. Since then, she’s produced four Billboard charting singles, and “How Can I Love” is climbing the charts up to number 7 right now.

She’ll also be hosting “Global Beauty Masters,” a new show on TLC and Discovery Life soon, that she tells us will be, “an international hair, nail, wardrobe and makeup competition in which students from beauty schools across the world compete for one winner to be crowned.” Sounds like our favorite kind of show.

Check out Manika’s new video below, and stay up to date with her wild life on Instagram and Twitter.

The new trailer for “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” is here, and everyone in the clan is back in action, including the family’s youngest brother, Rob Kardashian.

Rob was missing from the show, and the world, for a number of seasons, but ever since he’s been dating Blac Chyna, it seems he’s returned to the public eye, once again enough to appear on television. But he doesn’t look thrilled about it, when mom, Kris Jenner is sitting on his lap, screaming, “Welcome home! Do you love it, do you love it, do you love it?!”

Lamar Odom, Khloe Kardashian’s sort-of-soon-to-be-ex-husband, and Rob’s old roommate, also appears in the trailer, getting a serious big sister talk from Kourtney. The new series premieres May 1st on ET.