Tag: music

Model by Day, Rocker by Night

SAINT LAURENT MODEL BY DAY, SUNFLOWER BEAN BAND MEMBER BY NIGHT, MODEL/MUSICIAN JULIA CUMMING IS ONE TO WATCH.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEDI SLIMANE DURING THE FITTING IN SEPTEMBER 2014 IN PARIS

INTERVIEW BY GABRIEL RUAS SANTOS-ROCHA

Despite having just graduated from high school, model Julia Cumming already has two seasons as a Saint Laurent exclusive under her belt. As if that wasn’t already a success story on its own, her Brooklyn-based band, Sunflower Bean, is a beacon of hope for old-fashioned rock-’n’-roll. Music has always come naturally to Cumming (her parents met in a band and her father taught her how to play bass), which is likely why Hedi Slimane was prompted to tear her away from the stages of Brooklyn to walk in his Paris runway shows. “It has been pretty amazing working with Saint Laurent,” Julia reported. “Hedi Slimane’s interest in supporting musicians who are starting out is really cool, and brings a different kind of genuine energy into the world of fashion.”

We talked with Cumming about rock in the digital era, her perceptive views regarding the state of the music industry—and why she might like to travel back in time to the mid ‘70s.

What’s your band’s creative process like? Do you start writing new songs while you’re touring or is there a special time for that?

“For me and Nick and Jacob, playing is our favorite thing in the world to do. So we play together every day—rehearsing and writing when we find parts we want to expand on. Nick usually brings in some riffs and we all work with them, turning it into a collaborative thing.”

The internet has been a great vehicle for your music. Do you intend to move into more traditional formats in the future? Shall we expect an “album”? Maybe even Vinyl?
“The Internet is a gift and a curse (I could talk for years about that), but there is something really special about a physical release. We intend to release our first EP in the beginning 2015, hopefully on vinyl.”

As a young artist in the music scene, how do you view the industry today?
“The music industry has changed so much in the age of online piracy, and I think it’s trying to figure out how to survive in a world where it’s almost impossible to profit off of record sales. It just means that if you’re trying to be a musician now. you really have to do it for the love of it, because the days of huge advances and tour buses are just gone. But everything moves in cycles, and you have to be thankful and excited for the moment you’re in. As long as I’m surviving and making art that I’m excited about, it’s all good.”

Did you have an idea of what the music industry would be like—how was your perception different from the reality of the job?
“Everything seems more glamorous than it is. The music industry is a business, and a business is a business is a business!”

The video clip for “2013” was shot entirely with iPhones—we’re interested in the concept!
“My friend Kyle Hiedacavage is a totally amazing artist who I’ve always admired, and we basically sent him the song and he came back to us with the concept for the video. He wanted to shoot it all on iPhone cameras, which was perfect because we had no budget. I bought a fog machine for 100 bucks, and we just went for it. I think Kyle’s interpretation was spot on. It captures the moment, the year, how we were feeling at the time, all while kind of speculating about the future.”

The thought behind “2013”, of science expanding life and changing things at a fast pace, is a bit daunting. Would you want to be able to extend your life to be 1,000 years old?
“I don’t think I would want to extend my life to be 1,ooo years old. I guess it depends on what the quality of life would be like. It’s also nice that you have this kind of short moment where you are alive, you know? It forces you to make the most of it, and to take chances.”

One of our favorite Sunflower Bean tracks is, “I want you to give me enough time.” We’re curious to know what it’s about!
“This song means something different to me than it does to my bandmates. I feel like it’s talking about audience members in Brooklyn that go to shows and make up their minds really quickly about bands without really listening long enough to form opinions.”

 Does music influence your sense of style, fashion-wise? What is the connection between the two, in your opinion?
“I’ve always loved glam rock… Acts like Gary Glitter and T-Rex have been my favorite since I was a little kid. I used to have a tape with Alice Cooper music videos that I watched over and over again until it broke. So those images are burned into my brain and have affected my whole life—my style included. I love going a little overboard and trying to find where elegance and over-the-top meet, especially on stage. I feel centered when I’m wearing an outfit that I love and one that represents myself.”

Is there a period in fashion that you’re more interested in?
“I don’t know if I could name just one period, but I obviously love the early-mid seventies. I used to say that if I could exist at any time I would like to be 16 in 1973, living in London.”

How did modeling come about for you? Had it always been a desire of yours?
“I think modeling is a kind of performance and a form of expression in a way. When I became interested in clothes as an early teenager, fashion imagery started to mean more to me. But I never really thought it was something I could end up actually being involved in.”

Can you compare the experiences of being on stage performing with your band versus walking in runway shows?
“Playing in a band on stage and walking in a runway show are very different. Fashion and music are definitely intertwined, but an art form like rock-’n’-roll offers total freedom, asking you to dress up the parts of you that are ugly and weird and you put them on display.”

Judging by the different avenues that you’ve pursued throughout the years, it seems that you’re not afraid to try new things.
“I love to try new things. You only get one chance in this world (at least until we find out if we can live to be 1,000). I just really enjoy making art and want to try to explore it all the ways I can.”

Interview originally published on CR Fashionbook on Nov, 17th 2014 

Unusual Names and Number One Hits

Madonna and Lady Gaga occupy colossal space in the cultural spectrum.  One is named after a saint, the other after a Queens song.  Few would question the impact these artists have had on pop music and, frankly, like Prince and others before them, their high-octane names can’t hurt their evolutionary power.  So, why can’t these women get along?   

Both of them have been the topic of a much discussed feud.  The first one, a staple in pop culture for over 30 years.  The second one, a more ambiguous but equally explosive presence in the pop scene.  But let’s face it: Madonna is a tough act to follow.  While Madge is the reigning Queen of Pop, there seems to be a general consensus that Lady Gaga is after her throne.  Whether a dethroning is underway or not is not the point. Their unique and explosive impact on our lives makes them kindred artistic spirits.

Madonna is a tough act to follow because she ignited conversations many moons ago, and has continued to do so year after year. Raising awareness to hot topics like women’s rights, gay rights, political and religious freedom, and among many other things, above all, freedom to express yourself, in any way you’d like; Madonna pushed buttons.  From the start, Madonna climbed to the top of pop culture’s Pantheon and there was no argument, she was a phenomenon, she was the Queen of Pop.

Decades later, when Lady Gaga came on the scene, she was too admittedly greatly influenced by the works of the pop diva.  But there hadn’t been anything as fresh and groundbreaking as Madonna in all that time. There hadn’t been anyone willing to expose their creative insanity in order to ignite controversy, bust open taboos, and once again challenge tired social mores. 

And even though Madonna’s fan base is huge, there are new kids on the block (no pun intended) who have no concept of what the material girl has done for them, kids who don’t understand the difficult fights she was instigating.  Somehow, she made it unscathed.  But she was the first one, and perhaps that is why she was able to push the envelope every time and still come out a winner on the other side.  She was selling records and concerts, but she was also changing lives along the way.

Like Madonna, Lady Gaga aims to reach a wider audience, even though it doesn’t seem like her work translates as well.  Her approach at times too far out and on the verge of desperation, she seems to be stuck within her “monsters”, the majority of them members of the LGBT community, like me.  But she is, unquestionably, breaking new ground, blowing apart boundaries and educating an entirely new generation.  Let’s hope her monster base expands along with her message.  

Elton John greatly criticized Madonna, instigating brawls in the media.  But why?  What is the goal of this man, who did too, revolutionized thoughts and invited discussions.  Shouldn’t he know better and just let artists do what they do best, and let them continue to create thought provoking work in whatever way they please?  And I will go even further now.  If there is a feud between Madonna and Lady Gaga, shouldn’t the two of them also know better?  It’s not about who came first or who is the Queen of Pop, but it’s about their work and the message they are trying to convey.

Even though many will argue that we should not have to deal with a “message” and just be able to enjoy the music and have fun, there is still a message. The goal of these women is in great part to affect change, to make people think in a broader spectrum and to open their minds to different possibilities; each of these women in essence have proclaimed these same goals.  They talk about inclusion and acceptance of others, so why aren’t they more accepting of each other, since they are both working towards the same objectives?

Madonna will not lose her throne. Lady Gaga will eventually have to refresh and find new ways, because the regurgitation of ideas passed will get tired. Madonna has remained a staple in the cultural consciousness because she so cleverly reinvented herself and addressed topics from different perspectives.  She has kept it fresh.  Along the way, she made it possible for me and many other people I know to be who we are and to be proud and vocal about it, with no fear of consequences.  Lady Gaga’s staying power remains to be seen.  Each generation needs its muse and it is in this spirit of cultural evolution that I sincerely hope Lady Gaga has the same lasting impact on the new kids that Madonna has had on me.

There is still a long way to go in this world, but it’s greatly because of people like Madonna and Lady Gaga that we are able to evolve openly and accept each other as beautiful and flawed human beings that we are.