1. art and entertainment
2. music

METRIC
OWL CITY
THERESA ANDERSSON
AND More!
Stylin’ Solo
FEST DRESSED: CHICAGO
With daytime heat & humidity, nighttime chills, and flash rainstorms that appear out of nowhere,
summer festivals can be difficult fashion waters to tread. Luckily for us, the crowds at this summer’s
Lollapalooza threw caution (and comfort) to the wind to pay homage to their favorite bands at the
festival. From Lady Gaga’s look-alike Little Monsters to The Strokes’ Lower East Side hipster-cool to
Phoenix’s new-age prepster comeback, fashions were anything but safe in Grant Park. Say it with
us now: feathers and leather and lace, oh my.
Publishers:
Alan Miller & Alan Sartirana
Editors:
Pat McGuire & Patrick Strange
style editor:
Heather Cvar
layout designer:
Melissa Simonian
WRITERS:
Lauren Barbato, Heather Cvar,
Spencer Flanagan, Daniel Kohn,
Clare R. Lopez, Colin Stutz
interns:
Greg Christian, Daniel Kohn,
Clare R. Lopez
photography & styling:
Travie McCoy
Photographer: Anthony Mandler (Art Mix)
Stylist: Misha Rudolph
(Margaret Maldonado Agency)
Hair: Tony Chavez (Frank Reps)
Make-Up: Miriam Azoulay
(Margaret Maldonado Agency)
Model: Alexis Ford (LA)
Model: Sheridan Watson (Wilhelmina)
Owl City
Photographer: Pamela Littky
Theresa Andersson
Photographer: Brady Fontenot
Photo Assistant: Bobby DeVay
Wardrobe Stylist: Olivia Hill
Hair/Make-Up: Brandy Gomez-Duplessis
Plain White T’s
Photographer: Piper Ferguson
Hair and Make Up: Christi Cagle
Styling: Jonny Lozano
Studio: Ultra Star Studios/Apollo Star
Lighting & Assisting: Dylan Gordon and Josh Draft
Intern: Rachel Johnson
Metric
Photographer: Brantley Gutierrez
David Reed
Photographer: Marc Lemoine
Wardrobe Stylist: Sara Cooper
Style
Dahvia Dalton by Sarah Graves:
Maggie Wells by Benjamin Heller
Ashley Eckenweiler by Jeni Rosenthal
Zoe Gholson by Raj Ojha
Judita Wignall by Matt Wignall
Sverrir Gudnason by Gustaf Boman Bränngård
Ragged is published by Filter Magazine LLC, 5908
Barton Ave., Los Angeles CA 90038. Vol. 1, No. 11,
HOLIDAY 2010. Ragged is not responsible for anything, including the return or loss of submissions, or for
any damage or other injury to unsolicited manuscripts
or artwork.Any submission of a manuscript or artwork
should include a self-addressed envelope or package
of appropriate size, bearing adequate return postage.
©2010 Filter Magazine, LLC.
all rights reserved
Ragged is printed in the usa
raggedmag.com
STYLE
1.
6.
10.
32.
38.
Street Level: Fest Dressed, Chicago
Trend: Winter Wonderlands
Dress Code: One Piece Four Ways
You Wear It Well: THERESA ANDERSSON, Marching In
Play It Again: Four Jet-Setters Pick Their Favorite Songs
SOUND
2.
14.
42.
From the Basement to the Penthouse:
The Ascension of OWL CITY
METRIC: No Restrictions
In Transit: The Private Life of David Reed
COVERS
20. TRAVIE McCOY: Stylin’ Solo
26. PLAIN WHITE T’S: Not So Simple
produced with support from
front coveR and above BY Anthony Mandler
back cover by PIPER FERGUSON
Extra 20% off regular priced American Rag Juniors and
American Rag Young Men’s items. Valid at Macy’s department
stores and macys.com. To redeem online, enter code SAVE20
in your macys.com shopping bag. Excludes: Everyday values
(EDV). Not valid on previous purchases, special orders, special purchases, services, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, payment on credit accounts; bridal salons, restaurants, gourmet
foods, wine. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/
coupon, extra discount or credit offer except when opening
a new Macy’s account. EXTRA SAVINGS % APPLIED TO
REDUCED PRICES. Limit one coupon per customer. Valid from
November 4, 2010 to November 14, 2010.
macys.com/inc
From
the
Basement
to the
Penthouse
By Daniel Kohn
Photos by Pamela Littky
2010 has been a breakthrough year for emo-pop outfit Owl City,
aka Adam Young. What began as a project in his parents’ basement several years ago has evolved into one of the
top selling acts of the year. His music has been a hit with fans across the world, exemplified by the success of
his single “Fireflies,” which has topped the Billboard Top 100 Singles chart—twice. Having toured across the
United States and parts of Europe for most of the year in support of his platinum selling album, Ocean Eyes,
Young is continuing his tour in Japan and return trips to Australia and New Zealand. Despite having little free
time, Young says, “The music business keeps me happy and I prefer it that way.” Ragged caught up with Young
from the road to discuss his overwhelming success, a little known secret about “Fireflies,” and what he believes
to be the biggest perk of his rise to the top.
When you were first writing “Fireflies,” did
you ever dream that it would have such lasting
success?
trucks and get hernias for Coca-Cola for the rest of
my life—and then this happened. You can imagine
my surprise.
Early on I was debating whether or not to include it on
Ocean Eyes, and at one point, nearly trashed the whole
thing and moved on to something else. Needless to
say, looking back at what it’s done—selling over four
million tracks and going Number One in 22 countries
around the world—it’s an incredibly surreal feeling.
Speaking of working and uniforms, how do you
decide what you are going to wear onstage? Do
you go for comfort or for style?
In a time when selling 100,000 albums is
considered an accomplishment, you just went
platinum. What does that support mean to you
and does it in any way change how you are
going to approach the next album?
It’s absolutely unbelievable. Maybe it’s inevitable as
an artist, but the knowledge that people are out there
listening, some of them truly appreciating the art
I’ve put out, that’s a fulfilling feeling without rival. I
never expected the band do to anything exciting and
given who I am, where I’m from, and the direction
I was headed in before any of this happened, I have
to admit, it’s a tremendous thing. I was going to load
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I go for whatever is least dirty from the night before.
You must be on the road a lot—what is it like
to be playing sold-out shows at this point in
your career?
I didn’t want to play shows initially because I’m not
a social butterfly and pretty girls scare me to death.
After signing with Universal, I figured touring would
probably be a good thing so I forced myself to do it and
lo and behold, I had a blast.
What has been the biggest “blast”?
It’s been the ability to eat pizza—quite literally—all
day, every day. Success is a beautiful thing. R
American Rag
WINTER
WONDERLAND
The hottest looks for winter months.
Guess
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jenni
Material Girl
jenni
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Jessica Simpson
Calvin Klein
WINTER
WONDERLAND
The hottest looks for winter months.
American Rag
Calvin Klein
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Slade Wilder
No Retreat
American Rag
Parts
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American Rag
Diesel
American Rag
One Piece Four Ways
The Cardigan sweater—this versatile cousin of the sweater family can look right at home with
the mod crowd, the classic college lettermen, elderly librarians or the natty grunge circuit… We
asked four fashion-savvy musical ladies to incorporate this versatile sweater staple into their
own personal style. This is what they conjured up…
Ashley Eckenweiler
Dahvia Dalton
How do you pay the rent?
Owner of The ACE Agency—public
relations, marketing and special
events for the music, art and lifestyle industries.
How do you pay the rent?
I’m a sound mixer. Basically, I put microphones on talent and record their audio. How would you describe your style?
I would describe my style as functional
femme. I generally dress casual for
work but like to add a feminine flair with
accessories.
How would you describe your
style?
Classic casual with a twist.
How did this sweater fit into your
style?
It mixes business and “relax” with
a touch of flair; great for a dayinto-night outfit.
How did the sweater fit into your
style?
This sweater fits great into my style
because it dresses up any casual outfit
and is perfect for day or eveningwear.
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Sarah Graves
Jeni Rosenthal
Ashley is an independent program and event
consultant. In 2010 she founded The ACE
Agency, serving public relations, marketing and
special event solutions to the music, art and
lifestyle industries.
Dahvia has been in the entertainment industry for 10
years, having worked in news, radio, reality TV, film
and documentary production. She currently works as
a sound mixer, which is generally a male-dominated
profession.
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Maggie Wells
How do you pay the rent?
Producing and coordinating large
scale art or lit projects and release
events. Playing records. Building a
secret society. How would you describe your
style? My style is schizophrenic and
I get very anxious wearing the
same thing twice. You may
discover a femme fatale or Shirley
Temple, a sexy secretary, hints
of Japanese street style and
definitely some golden St. Tropez
glam when by the water. How did this sweater fit into
your style? Well, for one, I love layers. The
sweater also adds a feminine
element. It is important to me
to be soft and very female. Zoë Gholson
What do you do to pay the rent?
I help bring the music to the people!
Maggie is the co-founder of Press Body Press,
an independent publisher of literature and art
books that are art objects themselves. She
started the DJ duo The Order of the Lion
in Paris, France, in 2008. For more, go to
Pressbody.com. How would you describe your personal style?
Late ’70s Joni Mitchell riding a magic
carpet with Kate Bush.
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Raj Ojha
Benjamin Heller
How did this item fit your style?
Nothing tempers a flashy outfit for
office-appropriateness quite like a
nice cardigan.
As a marketing manager for streaming music startup MOG.com, Zoë oversees creative marketing
initiatives by day and promotes local music in her
beloved Oakland by night. She also plays drums and
piano, and can dance a mean mashed potato.
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By Spencer Flanagan
Photos By Brantley Gutierrez
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Metric has been making music together for
many years now. What keeps you going?
I guess it’s just the nature of what it is. You don’t get
into music because you ever think you could master it,
at least in my opinion. There’s always so much further
to go, so many things to discover; it’s kind of a selffulfilling thing.
What’s your favorite thing about playing festivals?
All of them are different…Glastonbury [2009] was
Besides writing the theme song for the third (and still not final) Twilight movie, releasing its most successful
album to date and getting ready to tour with Muse, Canadian indie rock band Metric still finds time to sight-see
at Stonehenge and become better musicians—and better people—each day. Metric has been playing its unique
blend of new wave rock music for over a decade and continues to recreate the image of what the band can be.
Ragged caught up with front woman Emily Haines as she waited in an airport for a much needed vacation
to talk about Metric’s favorite festival memories, her sense of fashion onstage, the stereotype of women in rock
music and what the band has in store to “rustle up” Voodoo Festival.
“
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amazing. When we went it was the reunion of Spinal
Tap. We played and then we went to Stonehenge on
our drive back to London. It was like, “Oh, that’s
Stonehenge. We have to go to Stonehenge.” And when
we were there Spinal Tap was there. It was also their
first time, so there are all these photos of us with
Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer—hanging out at
Stonehenge with Spinal Tap [laughs]. Little unexpected
things like that happen around festivals so we’ll see what
we can rustle up for Voodoo.
You don’t get into music because you think you could
master it—there’s always so much further to go.
”
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METRIC
photographed in NEW YORK
All clothes by American Rag
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Being a female and fronting a rock band, do you feel
there is still a sense of stereotyping against women
in the music industry?
There are lots of interesting things you can analyze, but I
don’t normally think gender is one of them—it’s not one of
the ways I interpret the world. But at the same time, yeah,
obviously there are some things people are more comfortable
with—everybody likes the nice, polite girl sitting at the
piano, softly expressing her soft self. But there are things I
guess that are intimidating or unusual for people sometimes
about female rockers.
When you perform, do you go for more fashionable
or functional pieces of clothing?
Kind of the functionality that Batman needs [laughs]. As I look
back at things I’ve worn on stage I definitely get a kick out
of it. I’ve always sort of pushed myself in that way because I
feel really lame just standing there in jeans and a T-shirt. I just
want to try stuff and, in fact, I’ve felt like it was easier for me
to really rock out and have a good time if I wasn’t restricted.
So there is a lot of superhero [clothing]—like latex onesies
and stuff like that—for me that’s really comfortable. It’s hot
up there so there are technical, functional considerations: I
need to be able to move my arms and play the two keyboards
at the same time and dance my ass off. I definitely feel like I’m
preparing to shoot myself out of a rocket when I’m onstage. I
like clothes that are really comfortable and badass.
Metric’s recent album, Fantasies, has sold more
copies than any Metric release to date. Knowing
that, do you feel more pressure moving ahead?
I think I’m more used to the pressure of being afraid that
we won’t exist because we’ve never fit comfortably into
anybody’s idea in the music industry of what they want to
get behind. People have never been able to figure out how
to sell us or make money off us, so we’ve really had to do it
on our own… I kind of hope that on the next run I can focus
even more, go even further into my work, and not have to
dedicate so much of my time with music business and just
trying to stay afloat. Maybe now we’re actually afloat and we
can get started. R
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Stylin’ Solo
By Lauren Barbato
Photos by Anthony Mandler
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TRAVIE Mccoy
photographed in LOS ANGELES
All clothes by American Rag
Two years ago, Travie McCoy was hurtin’.
Although the Gym Class Heroes vocalist had just endured a second stint in
rehab for his lengthy addiction to pharmaceuticals, it was an affair of the heart
that really did him in: a messy breakup with long-time flame Katy Perry. Since
the preacher’s-daughter-turned-pop-star’s latest release hit shelves and gossip and
speculation quickly clogged the music blogosphere, the couple’s split is perhaps
more high profile now than it was when it first threw their respective lives into
disarray. It’s the VH1 Behind the Music story we all know and hate to love. McCoy’s
take on it, however, remains on his computer in the form of MP3s—recorded
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tracks that compose an unreleased LP he affectionately
calls his “somber album.”
“A lot of the hurt was coming out in these songs
and I do think anyone who’s been through a breakup can
relate to all this stuff,” McCoy says. “But I didn’t want to
bring anyone else down because I was miserable.”
As time passed and hearts healed, so did McCoy’s
music, and the 29-year-old musician rebounded
with the spirit-lifting Lazarus, his solo debut that he
describes as “a side project put out on a bigger scale.”
Fans of Gym Class Heroes need not spread rumors
about another breakup just yet—even though McCoy
spent the summer traveling the nation as a last-minute
addition to “The Last Girl on Earth” tour with Rihanna
and Ke$ha, he says the band has been working on its
fifth studio album, which will be released in 2011.
However, for the time being, a little music therapy was
in order for McCoy to turn his life around.
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A breezy, summertime record, Lazarus is a
musical menagerie that flows from carefree reggae
(“Billionaire,” featuring Bruno Mars) to lively R&B
(“Dr. Feel Good”) to melodic pop-rock (“NeedYou” and
“Superbad”). While “Billionaire” showcases McCoy’s
fast-paced lyricism, a majority of the album stretches
his vocal chords, revealing unexpected range. “I always
try to satisfy myself first, my friends second, and then
the world third,” he says of his writing process. “I stay
away from being too conventional, but I don’t go out of
my way to try to stand out.”
McCoy doesn’t go out of his way to impress
anyone, either. Although he’s entertained the
publicity parade for quite some time—Gym Class
Heroes released its first LP in 2001 and quickly
struck success among the Vans Warped Tour
generation—he continually seems unacquainted
arena show with Rihanna and Ke$ha. “You feel more
like you’re a zoo animal on display.”
It’s an honest observation, though somewhat
uncharacteristic for a musician whose current single
peaked at Number Four on Billboard’s Hot 100. But
many things about McCoy seem contradictory, like his
NBA player-like stature yet self-conscious demeanor,
and knack for crafting mainstream hits while also
struggling with a relentless need to create songs that
can stand the test of time.
“A lot of my songs that seem really, really happy
and poppy disguise what’s under the surface; their lyrics
are a little darker than you might get from the first
listen,” McCoy explains. “That’s always something I was
into: multi-layered art.”
An artist since childhood—McCoy recalls being
10-years-old when he started taking his drawing
“b r eAankyuopnceawn hroe’l sa teb eteon atlhl rtohui sg hs t au ff.
But I didn’t want to bring anyone
e l s e d o w n b e c a u s e I w a s m i s e ra b l e .
with the limelight. Lugging around a worse-forwear, red-and-black checkered backpack—stuffed
with nondescript cargo shorts and running shoes—
when we meet at the swanky MILK Studios in
the heart of Hollywood, McCoy is the least likely
person to want to be a “billionaire.” He remains
remarkably aloof when flanked by two gorgeous
models, popping-and-locking between takes to calm
his nerves in front of the camera and the dozen or so
on-lookers ogling behind it.
“I have really, really crazy social anxiety I’ve been
battling since I was a kid. It’s eased up since [Gym Class
Heroes] started touring, but it’s hard to connect with a
bazillion people and make them feel like they’re a part
of something,” he admits several weeks later, calling
from a restaurant in Connecticut shortly before another
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”
seriously—he channeled that ability into graphic and
tattoo design, having drawn 75 percent of the tattoos
on his body. He makes everything look effortless;
from his drawings as a kid (that both teachers and his
parents accused him of tracing) to the way he compares
writing, recording and touring to “breathing, eating and
sleeping.” Yet there’s a sense of unworthiness to it all,
and he still contends that the only time in his life he
“ever felt cool” was when he was 14 and the only kid
in high school with a tattoo. Well, come to think of it,
there’s one other thing that makes him feel better than
the rest.
“The fact that ‘Billionaire’ did as well as it did
among all that electro and dance stuff currently out
there, that’s a huge win for me, personally,” McCoy
says, smiling. “It’s like, ‘yessss.’” R
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Plain White T’s
There must be something in that Chicago River water to breed a population with such earnest perfection. On his
downtime, Second City-native Tom Higgenson, frontman of the heartfelt pop-rock outfit Plain White T’s, has spent
the day riding coasters at Six Flags and for a moment has stopped to wax nostalgic over his hometown. He had a
lot of memorable firsts in Chicago. For instance, concerts: Pearl Jam at Chicago Stadium, and then Weezer at the
Metro where the fans got so intense in the pit he was lifted off the ground and didn’t come down until the show
was over. Eventually, he found himself onstage with his city cheering him on. But there’s more than that to this
place, he says: “Being from Chicago, we were all basically brought up in working class families and I think that we
never take anything for granted. I think that we’ve worked a lot harder than most bands out there to get where we
are and a lot of that is probably from our upbringing here in the Midwest.”
Where they are seems like a pretty nice place to be. Away from the East and West coasts’ biting irony,
Higgenson and his bandmates’ sincere songwriting has brought with it a level of popularity most too-cool-forschool blog darlings may only dream of. With a big thanks to its 2007 chart-topper “Hey There Delilah,” Plain
White T’s may likely forever exist in our cultural consciousness. Now, looking forward to its sixth LP, TheWonders of
theYounger, Higgenson chatted candidly with Ragged about life’s real roller coasters and remembering where you’ve
come from.
By Colin Stutz
Photos by Piper Ferguson
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PLAIN WHITE TS
photographed in los angeles
All clothes by American Rag
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Personally, how was this album born?
I had the inspiration for The Wonders of the Younger
as the title of the album because I saw this Cirque
du Soleil show in Vegas and was inspired by the
youthfulness of it. It was obviously for adults, but
all the themes of the pirates and the carnival and
clowns reminded me of being a kid and seeing a
movie like The Goonies for the first time and being
blown away. And I thought it would be really cool
to try to make an album that would give people
that feeling. So with this album and writing all
these songs, I had that in the back of my head…
We wanted to set out to make something more epic
and more of an adventure to the listener, hopefully
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to give them that feeling that they just experienced
something that they’ve never seen or heard before.
Songs “Wonders of the Younger” and “Irrational
Anthem” seem like they deal with a theme of
aging. Would you say that this is correct?
Yeah, when you grow up you kind of lose that
innocence and wonder that you had when you were
younger. When every single day all you’re worried
about is what’s happening that day. You’re not thinking
about the future, you’re not thinking about how you’re
going to pay your bills—all you’re worried about is
having fun with your friends. And obviously you can’t
live like that forever but you can kind of hold on to that
excitement and zest for life, and that’s what the songs
are. They will hopefully inspire people to remember
those feelings and go back once in a while. If you
abandon your youth altogether you’ll get old and I
don’t think anyone really wants to do that.
Are you concerned that in developing and
changing your sound you might lose members
of your core audience that have come to
expect something else?
You can’t really worry about that. In the end, people
don’t like the Plain White T’s because we play an acoustic
guitar; they like the Plain White T’s because the lyrics
and the songs are very honest, sincere and earnest. As
long as we’re putting our art and inspiration into these
songs, that’s going to come through… If we believe it
and really feel these things, so will our audience.
Do you have a goal for this album?
Yeah, right now I’m tired of being normal. I have
no interest any more in just fitting in. I really want
to stand out and try to do something different with
everything—the way we look, the way we perform,
the album we put out, the artwork: I want to be more
artistic. I’m not thinking about, “Well, I want it to sell
5.6 million copies and I want to sell out this stadium.”
I have a vision artistically and if that comes through and
inspires people then that’s success. R
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theresa andersson
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BY HEATHER CVAR
Photos by brady foNtenot
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YOU WEAR IT WELL
American rag shows you
how to get the look
For some, a solo career means leaving your old band
and starting a new one, writing the songs yourself and
handpicking all the members. For Theresa Andersson,
“solo artist” takes on a whole new meaning: breaking
up with a longtime musical and relationship partner,
favoring solitude as a ritual to prep before shows,
and an unaccompanied performance weaving together
instruments onstage with a loop pedal. Now that’s solo.
Andersson relocated from Sweden to New
Orleans during the ’90s and discovered her love for
her new city outlasted the relationship that brought her
there, cherishing the vibrant surroundings she still calls
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home today. It was also here that she finished her most
recent album, Hummingbird, Go!, which was recorded
entirely in her kitchen. Her domestic recording of her
song “Na Na Na” is onYouTube with over 900,000 views.
Even more recently, she released Theresa Andersson: Live
at Le Petit, a DVD of her performance at a local New
Orleans theater, which showcases her innate ability to
multitask and deliver a whimsical, enrapturing show.
In a uniquely warm accent that is a marriage
between Swedish and southern, Andersson talks to
Ragged about puppet shows, Whoopi Goldberg, and
the task of being the rare tech savvy female musician.
How did you find out about the looping process?
Well, it actually started because I was going to Sweden
to tour and I didn’t have a budget to bring a whole
band, so that’s how I ended up getting my first loop
pedal. I just kind of went to a music store and said,
“I need a loop pedal, what’s the best one?” So they
showed me a couple options and I got one and started
working with it. I found that I really liked that form of
expression. It was kind of like painting or sewing—
putting fabrics together and almost making a kind of
musical quilt. I found that it connected with me on a
much deeper level than just making music.
Are there any other one-woman/man shows
that inspire you?
Whoopi Goldberg. She had one of her shows where
she takes [the role of] four or five different women;
the one that kind of broke her as an artist I think. I
watched that and it was amazing! Also, my husband
does puppetry and we went to Chicago and we saw
this guy perform. He had this one man show where he
had a stage set up with all these different stations. One
was with drums and another was with a 15 or 20 foot
puppet and he would narrate and play this drum and
puppeteer at the same time. It was just very beautiful
raggedmag.com // ragged 35
and very fragile at the same time. I really loved how
he was combining everything. I kind of felt that way
when I was looping—all these elements were coming
together in sort of a dance that included this new
instrument, the looping pedal.
Looping seems like something you really have
to prep for before a show. Do you have any
rituals you perform before a show to get
ready?
Well, I have to focus my brain because there’s a lot of
technical detail to keep track of. I have a lot going on in
my mind and I can’t let other thoughts come through.
It’s an interesting way of performing because when
you’re alone on stage, you really don’t have a band to
generate or pull energy from; it really has to just come
from me. I really have to think about all that before
I step on the stage. If I don’t, it’s little like riding a
crazy horse; it will throw you off. So, I usually end up
spending some time alone to stay in that mind frame. I
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don’t talk to anyone an hour or two before the show. I
just need to think about what I’m about to do.
YOU WEAR IT WELL
How do you feel New Orleans has inspired or
influenced your music? The many noisy and rhythmical street sounds, the
laziness of a hot summer, sweaty all-night jam sessions,
the old colorful houses, the spicy foods and the general
looseness here has made me more brave as a musician.
Where I grew up it was the opposite.
How would you describe the fashion in New
Orleans?
There is so much reverence to tradition here. I think
it depends on what part of town you go to. I am
mostly interested in the Bywater, Marigny, and French
Quarter style of dressing. That’s the area I first moved
to and many young artists land there first. The style is
always a creative mish-mash of found items and resale
clothing. R
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Gustaf Boman Bränngård
Four Jet-Setters Pick Their Favorite Songs
…For Taking Flight
SVERRIR GUDNASON
“My musical taste is like my taste for
food—I eat a lot of different stuff but I
try to avoid factory-made,” says Swedish
actor Sverrir Gudnason, originally from
Iceland. Traveling is part of Gudnason’s job,
as he films in various locations throughout
Sweden, stars as a turbulent rock star in the
Prix Italia winning drama series How Soon
Is Now? and attends film festivals around
the world (taking home Best Actor at the
Shanghai Festival for Original, a quirky
Danish film). In the true spirit of a jetsetter, Gudnason says, “I travel the world
because I can, be it Los Angeles, Reykjavík
or Afghanistan—and for every journey you
make a soundtrack; for every important
moment there is a song.”
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ANDY FORTSON
“Today I Started Celebrating Again”
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
“Jesus Was a Cross Maker”
Judee Sill
“Catch the Light”
Sin Fang Bous
“Dina händer är fulla av blommor”
[Ingenting]
“Hang With Me”
Robyn
“Palm Road”
Wolf Parade
“Modern Man”
Arcade Fire
Andy Fortson has traveled to San Diego, Los Angeles and
Chicago for work and to San Francisco and Vancouver for
pleasure…and that’s just this month. As a Seattle-based
account manager at Banyan Branch, a social marketing
company, it’s his job to be all knowing with popular culture, music and the best places to go in every major city.
Having also worked for a record label in Los Angeles,
music is naturally his prime travel companion. “Traveling
can be stressful, but good music alleviates that stress and
can help create a great experience,” Fortson says. “A good
playlist keeps me positive, calm, and focused.”
“When I’m Small”
Phantogram
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SUMMER HARRISON
Summer Harrison’s unprecedented fashion
sense mirrors her musical taste—she’s
like the human version of a cool, obscure
song you should absolutely know by name.
London, Paris, Taiwan and China are all
frequent destinations for this Los Angeles
native who says Maui is her favorite place in
the world. Being a menswear and accessories
designer for a beautiful leather company
re-launching next year keeps her busy, and
music is her right-hand man. “Music has
always been the underlying inspiration for
travels as it’s inspired my wardrobe and
interest in the underground and subcultures.”
40 ragged // raggedmag.com
“Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow”
Felt
“Blue Veils and Golden Sands”
Delia Derbyshire
“Are You Experienced?”
Psychic TV
“Wuthering Heights”
Kate Bush
If Judita Wignall were a character in a movie,
it would most likely be in a spy caper. “When I
travel I like to pretend I’m in a movie and the
music is the soundtrack,” says Wignall, a true
modern Renaissance woman. She’s an ex-Roller
Derby doll, raw food chef and actress and was
even featured as a character in video game Guitar
Hero. Splitting her time between New York and
Los Angeles while teaching her own private raw
food classes and finishing a raw “cook” book
entitled Going Raw, Wignall says, “If I’m on my
way to a fun destination like New York City I
listen to upbeat songs, and when I’m on my
way home I go to sad and blue songs that match
my melancholy mood. I always hate leaving,
so the bluer the better.” Where will this raw
food secret agent land next? “In January, I’ll be
traveling to Berlin and Stockholm to see the
premiere of my husband’s documentary about
the Swedish rock band Mando Diao—I’m really
hoping we stay at the ice hotel in Sweden when
we’re there.” Would you expect anything less?
MATT WIGNALL
JUDITA WIGNALL
“Not Getting There”
Blonde Redhead
“Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”
Arcade Fire
“Tragic Boogie”
The Life and Times
“Crystalised”
The xx
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The Private Life of David Reed
By Clare R. Lopez
Photos by Marc Lemoine
The Private Life of David Reed is just what it sounds like—
well, maybe not entirely. It may not be the title of the next
great American novel or an up-and-coming indie drama,
but David Reed’s music does seem to have a memoir-like
quality to it. With his self-titled sophomore album out this
fall on Chamberlain Records, Reed has already begun the
next chapter: touring with a full band behind him for the
first time. “It’s my name in the band and these are my songs,
but over these past few months we have very quickly become
this unit and I’m very proud of that,” says Reed of his new
bandmates.
As he eagerly awaits the next leg of his continuing U.S.
tour, Reed talked to Ragged about the origins of his project’s
name, the fine line between his idea of home and being on the
road, and what he isn’t willing to wear onstage.
42 ragged // raggedmag.com
DAVID REED
photographed in NEW YORK
All clothes by American Rag
Why did you go with The Private Life of David
Reed as your moniker instead of just your
name?
Basically, I wanted to do something that encompassed
what the music was about and I didn’t want to be known
as just David Reed. I wanted to actually represent what
the music stood for. I thought of The Private Life of
David Reed because all the songs are very personal to
me and introspective.
On your new album, fast-paced songs lead into
slower ones without the shift feeling jarring.
What common thread would you say links each
track?
I really feel like every single song on there is something
that people can relate to. Each song represents some
part of my life—and therefore someone else’s life—that
people can relate to. I think that’s important in music.
With any band or artist that I listen to, if I cannot
relate to the song then I’m going to be bored within
30 seconds.
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You’ve just started touring again. What does it
feel like to be back on the road?
I consider the road my home. It’s very weird because
growing up in and still living in South Carolina,
whenever I come home off of a tour it doesn’t feel like
I’m coming home anymore. It feels like I’m on vacation
seeing my friends. I go back home for a couple of weeks
and then I hit the road again. It’s a very strange feeling,
but I guess it’s something that I like and at this point I
want to stay on the road as much as possible. Definitely
looking forward to October, when we’re out on the
road for about five weeks. It’s going to be the first time
that I’ll be out on the road with a full band. That’s going
to be interesting to say the least.
Do you dress any differently onstage than you
do offstage?
Not really—when I got the band together they asked, “What
should we wear onstage?” I’m like, “Just don’t wear any
shorts or sandals and we’ll be fine.” I’m not too into “let’s
dress up and play Halloween” when we get onstage. R
raggedmag.com // ragged 45
Plain White T’s Marching On