Doughboy Magazine

Music. Art. Singing Doughnuts.

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Feature No. 6 // Sean Lee

This week we are very excited to feature the talented SoCal based musician and soon-to-be music journalist, Sean Lee. After discovering the world of jazz guitar in high school, Sean’s musical career took flight. He has since been recruited by numerous bands across Los Angeles for his musical talent, and is currently the lead singer and guitarist for The Dreads. The group is the newest indie-alternative duo to hit the streets of Los Angeles, with sounds reminiscent of Beach Fossils, The Magnetic Fields, and The 6ths. Their newest album and music video are anticipated to be released this month, and we can’t wait to share their sweet jams! 

Catch the latest scoop on their website!

Bandcamp: https://thedreads.bandcamp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/losdreads/?hl=en

DBM: What’s your favorite doughnut?

SL: I was initially going to say chocolate sprinkles, but I think my favorite now is chocolate doughnuts with sprinkles.

DBM: Do you have a favorite doughnut memory?

SL: There was this doughnut store by my house when I was growing up—it was the first place that I was allowed to walk to by myself. When I would bike home really late I would stop by there— because they were open—and get some doughnuts and a glass of milk.

DBM: When did you start playing music?

SL: I grew up playing classical piano, but it just felt like homework. Then I started playing guitar in 8th grade—when everyone else starts playing guitar. It wasn’t to be a singer-songwriter, it was just to play guitar I guess. Then in high school, I was in the jazz band. That’s probably when I got like really, really, obsessed with music. I realized in that moment that jazz was this great unexplored frontier.

DBM: Did you pursue jazz after high school?

SL: I ended up getting a scholarship to study jazz at a conservatory in Pasadena. My plan was to stay there for two years after high school, but then my mom was like “You should apply to college,” so I applied to UCLA and I got in, and was I like “Well f*ck it, I guess I’ll go to college.” After I graduated high school and left the conservatory, I forgot about jazz for a bit. I wanted to do the singer-songwriter thing— writing folk music—but then I realized I’m not white and can’t make American folk music. Then last year, I started playing guitar again and got called for a lot of bands. It’s been a journey like that ever since.

DBM: Who were some of your favorite musicians growing up?

SL: Probably just what my parents listened to. I really liked George Gershwin a lot. He occupies both the classical and pop realm in the sense that jazz music was the pop music of the time. I remember listening to “Rhapsody in Blue,” and it just blew my f*cking mind. There’s a clarinet solo at the beginning, and it’s just so good.

DBM: What bands are you playing in now?  

SL: I’m in like five bands right now. I play guitar for this rapper named Stefan Dismund (https://soundcloud.com/stefandismond), who just put out a mixtape and got a couple thousand plays. I play in this pop-punk band with my friend Anton. For that band, it’s me on guitar and these two cats from USC who are just so f*cking good. Then I play in a math rock band I started out here called the Night Swimmers (https://soundcloud.com/nightswimmers). We just finished our EP, but it’s just in the mixing process which is taking forever. Then I just started this post-punk/ Beach Fossils project with Anton—the guy in the pop punk band— called The Dreads https://thedreads.bandcamp.com/). We have the album and a music video done, so keep your eyes peeled!

DBM: Who writes the songs for The Dreads?

SL: This is the first project where I’m actually writing my own music. Everything else I’ve been in, I’ve been playing other people’s music. This is stuff I’ve wanted to play since high school, but never got around to doing. So I’m writing the songs, and he’s more on the production side. It’s working really well—I’ll play you some songs later.

DBM: What’s the music process like?

SL: It’s really the fast food of music. We’ll buy a six-pack, sit down with beds across from each other, play a chord progression, and then “Alright, that’s the first one.” It literally gets cranked out so quickly. I’m singing from a pool of lyrics in my head. The songs are being made in a matter of two or three hours, then we mix it right then and there. I have a live band for the project right now. I pretty much chalked out all the musicians that I met in my life and decided who I want for this—I’ve got the all-star cast.

DBM: What’s it like to work with another person on a music project?  

SL: This is the first person I’ve worked with where it actually works perfectly well. We’re both not sticklers for things, like “Oh man, the snare needs to sound a little brighter.” We’re usually down for anything. It’s cool, because he could sing a part and be like, “Hey man, we should throw this melody in there,” and then I play it on guitar. Or I’ll be like, “Hey man, I want the drums to drop out here,” and he’ll just do his thing and the drums are gone.

DBM: What’s the LA music scene like? 

SL: LA is insane. A good majority of pop music is being made here, but not a lot people in LA listen to that. If you’re going to go see a show at the Hollywood Bowl, it’s probably not going to be an artist from LA. One of my favorite scenes is the Chicano Punk Scene—it’s punk, nothing crazy—but everyone is so into it. Some of the good bands that I really like are Triangle Fire (https://soundcloud.com/the_triangle-fire). My friend Robert is the singer-songwriter, and he’s probably the most talented musician I’ve met just in terms of work ethic and being able to crank out songs. Then there’s this band called The Rosewaters (https://soundcloud.com/therosewaters). They’re working on their album right now—pretty good friends of mine.

DBM: What is the best show you’ve ever played?

SL: The best show we played was for The Rosewaters EP release party in Whittier at this place called Da Dank. It’s just a big warehouse with electricity. We opened—which is crazy because usually opening shows suck—but it was awesome! We played with Kicked Off The Streets (https://soundcloud.com/kickedoffthestreets) and The Red Leslies (https://soundcloud.com/theredleslies)— all the artists I’d been listening to as a high schooler. After the show, we could just go outside and smoke a cigarette with them and talk.

 DBM: What is it like to play onstage?

SL: I have a lot of apprehension before a show, which is weird because I used to love going on stage in high school.  But now I get so apprehensive, because I realize you can’t come back from a f*ck up—it all depends on the venue. I like playing onstage with singer-songwriters best, because they’re doing the main thing and I’m just in the corner doing fills.

DBM: Do you have any pre-show rituals?

SL: Right before a show I like to listen to “Blue in Green” by Miles Davis. It’s my favorite song to listen to, because it relaxes me. Then I throw up and I feel great.

DBM: What does your practice routine look like?

SL: There are two types of practicing that I do. One is actual technique practice. I’ll sit down and go up and down the scales. When I’m practicing songs, I’ll practice once with both headphones in, once with one headphone in and one headphone out, and once with no headphones. Then—right before a show—I’ll do a run through of the set. I like to hear the setlist at least a day in advance, because—since I’m usually inebriated—I have to commit it to muscle memory. That’s why they give free drinks at shows to bands, so they actually have to practice the next time.

DBM: Where do you see music going as a part of your life in the future?

SL: I want to go into music journalism, and get to a point where I can sustain my living with a steady gig. The jazz gigs are what pay, so that’s something that I would want to do for the rest of my life.

DBM: Do you have any advice for other musicians?

SL: It takes a while. If you actually want to play music, then it’s a lifelong journey. It’s a craft, not just a hobby. If you want to make it, you’ve got to somehow stand apart (read music, be able to sit down and play to a click track), but at the same time, you’ve got to find your own voice.

[doughboymagazine]

Feature No. 5 // Joe August

Joe August, the visionary behind The Joe August Band, met with Doughboy Magazine to discuss his new single, “Somewhere Someone.” The song blends elements of 60′s pop, funk, and classic rock better than Cap’N Crunch Berries on a glazed doughnut (Joe’s fav doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut). Joe has an extensive background in music, ranging from traditional training, to teaching music therapy. He plans to take his band on a world tour, and for the 23-year-old talent, we “hole”-heartedly believe that he’ll be jumping the charts!

Check out his latest single, “Somewhere Someone” on SoundCloud! https://soundcloud.com/joeaugustmusic/somewhere-someone

DBM: So first question, what’s your favorite doughnut?

JA: My favorite doughnut is the Cap’N Crunch doughnut from Voodoo Doughnut with the Crunch Berries.

DBM: Do you have a favorite doughnut memory?

JA: The first time I ever ate Voodoo Doughnuts I had the Voodoo Man and that was a special moment—my first time in Portland.

DBM: Can you tell us a little bit about the music you’re doing right now?

JA:  I have a ten-piece band in Seattle. It’s a standard rock band, so you have guitar, bass, drums, vocals, and then there’s sax, trombone, trumpet, violin and cello. Pretty much what I’m going for is giant rock orchestra—that’s the vision. Classic rock is a dying breed, and it’s something that not that many people are doing anymore. I kind of want to bring that vibe back, with elements of RnB, jazz, hip-hop, but rooted in Rock ‘n’ Roll.

DBM: How did you collect the team members in your band? What was that process like?

JA: It was a tough process. I’ve been playing live music for the past four years, but I haven’t really solidified a group until now. Most of the people I met through school—choir programs, classes, going to shows, and scouting artists—so, I kind of hand picked this group that I have now. We’re really cohesive and I feel really good about it.

DBM: Can you tell us a little bit about the name, Joe August? Where did it come from?

JA: That is my middle name—August. It just got to point where my last name was too hard to spell, and people didn’t really know how to find me or my music online. So, for branding purposes, I decided to change it to Joe August. My parents gave me that name hoping that I would use that as some sort of stage or industry name. I’ve kind of grown into it, and I think that’s what I was meant to be.

DBM: You just released a single! Can you talk about the title and vision of the piece?

JA: The song is called “Somewhere Someone.” I wrote it last summer when I was in Greece. I was spending a lot of time on the water—so I wanted to incorporate some themes of sailing— which is where I came up with the concept that somewhere, someone is sailing to you. The fact that there are 7 billion people in the world, and you’re supposed to find this one person that’s your significant other, your soul mate, is what the song is about. Somewhere, someone is out there. They’re there for you, but you don’t really know where they are, where you’re going to meet them, or if you’re going to meet them.

DBM: How do you think music has shaped where you are today?

JA: I studied music therapy for the past four years—mainly on the psychology of music, focusing on using music to help other people and for the benefit of others. It’s really important when you have a skill and you have a talent, to not just use it for your own benefit, but use it for the good of other people. That’s crucial.

DBM: Do you have a catered audience in mind for your music?

JA: When people see my live performances, even just for thirty minutes, I want them to forget about everything, every little detail of their life, and just lose themselves to the music. My favorite artists have made me do that at live performances. For an hour I’m theirs, I’m captivated. There’s something beautiful about taking a listener out of their day-to-day life, out of their own thoughts, and just captivating them with your music. I think that that is therapy—an escape from your everyday.

DBM: How did the band evolve?

JA: A couple of the other musicians in my band are also studying music therapy, so it’s been really cool to collaborate with them. We bounce a lot of ideas off of each other. It’s really great to have people to be creative with—they’re my best friends and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

DBM: What was it like to work collaboratively with ten people?

JA: It’s really hard, especially to get everyone under the “same roof.” But, I like to do it in parts. I’ll rehearse the vocals one day, then I’ll rehearse the horns the next day, then I’ll rehearse the drummer, and then at the end of the week we’ll do it all together. That way nobody is going into anything blind—everybody at least has a general idea of where their parts are going to be placed in the whole perspective of the song.

DBM: What is your favorite piece?

JA: The single is one of my favorites to play live. It’s always the song that we start with. It’s fast, it’s upbeat, and it usually gets people dancing. I really, really, love playing that one live—people respond really well to it.

DBM: What was your favorite show that you played with the band?

JA: The last show that we did was at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle—hands down our best show. The band was just altogether, and we were really well rehearsed. I had just graduated college, so spirits were high. A lot of people showed up, and we just played through our songs and they all sounded great. There were no real mistakes, and the crowd loved it. We sold “merch” at the show for the first time—it was a notable show for sure.

DBM: Who are some people that inspired you to take up music in the first place?

JA: I was five years old on my way to kindergarten when I first heard Abbey Road by The Beatles. That was the first time I heard The Beatles, and I remember, even at age five, being just captivated by their harmonies, and their guitar riffs, and by their lyrical content. I knew pretty much straight off the bat that that’s where I wanted to draw a lot of influence from.

DBM: Lots of musicians these days rely on computer technology rather than on live performance to produce music. What are your thoughts on the methodology?

JA: Well, you know it’s bittersweet, because on one hand it’s incredible that now with a computer, and with this software and Logic or ProTools, anybody can create music. Anybody can sit down at their computer and draft a song. But on the offhand, that also means there’s a lot of people who have no training, or have not spent years playing the guitar or crafting their work. They’re just plugging into a computer. And so, because of that, a lot of times I think that music can be a little bit “soulless,” and a little bit heartless. I listen for that when I listen to music.

DBM: Who writes the songs for the JA Band? Is the band involved in the process?

JA: The band brings my songs to life. I write the songs, sometimes alone, but recently I have been writing with the other members, which has been an amazing experience. But yeah, I write the songs, I write the structure, I write some of the lyrics, and then the vocalist comes in and adds a harmony, and the bass player adds his bass line, and they just bring it to life.

DBM: Can you talk a little bit about your process of writing songs? How do you come up with lyrics?

JA: It’s different every time, honestly. Sometimes I’ll just sit down and I’ll write a guitar riff, and I’ll really like that guitar riff, so I’ll throw it on my loop pedal and I’ll sing over that. Or, I’ll try to create the melody and then the lyrics. Sometimes I’ll write songs in my sleep—it’s happened a couple of times before. Last year I wrote a song in Spanish in my sleep, and I don’t even really speak Spanish. But, when I woke up, the first thing I did was I wrote this poem in English and translated that poem to Spanish. I kind of remembered the chords and the melodies from my dream, and it sounded exactly like what I heard. It really is different every time. Sometimes I’ll write a poem and I’ll add music to that. Sometimes it’s just stream of consciousness writing, or sometimes I’ll just improvise a song, press record, and then cut and paste from there.

DBM: What’s your dream for the Joe August band?

JA: I have an album written and ready to go. Ideally I would love to work with a couple other songwriters or producers who are behind my vision and who understand the exact sound and style I’m going for. That’s kind of where I’m at. I would love to record that album and collaborate with others who believe in what I’m doing. I’d like to continue playing shows—go on tour. Touring the world to play music sounds like the best thing I could ever think of, so that’s absolutely one of my big goals.

DBM: Thank you so much for meeting with us today! Do you have any advice for any aspiring musicians?

JA: Just keep going, don’t stop. And, don’t let what people say get in your way. At the end of the day, you have to be yourself. You have to at least try and put yourself out there, because you’re not going to ever be able to get to the next plateau unless you take a risk and put yourself out there. So, I think that that’s the most important thing—never look back.

Check out more of The Joe August Band online in the links below!

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/joe-august/id544571592

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/joeaugustmusic

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xH2UWF8Pzj07E0dRjaLXA

[doughboymagazine]

Feature No. 4 // Space Party

Space Party, an intergalactic party company founded by two siblings, Maya and Miles Crosman, met with Doughboy Mag to discuss the artistic and collaborative processes of creating a startup in our galaxy. Both siblings offer a plethora of visionary and creative input, which has translated into simply one of the most innovative and unique artistic projects we have seen all year. Needless to say, their spatial creations and planetary visions are out of this world!

Locate the latest info @ https://www.spacepartyofficial.com/ and follow their Instagram for party updates on a planet near you @ https://www.instagram.com/spacepartying/?hl=en. 

DBM: First off, what is your favorite doughnut? 

Space Party: Chocolate glazed.

DBM: Can you tell us what Space Party is? 

Maya: Space Party is a company that throws parties throughout the galaxy. Our backstory is that we used to throw parties here on Earth, and then we started making alien contact and expanded our audience to encompass extraterrestrials.

Miles: The rebel alliance wanted to defeat the empire, so we want to defeat hate in the galaxy and create spontaneous loving interactions between people and non-people of all types.

DBM: What is the Space Party atmosphere like?

Miles: We’re big improvisers. The character interactions are fun, fluid, and “non-Disney-esque,” where it’s like “Come and meet the character and take a picture!” We want characters roaming the crowd and being a part of the action—more of an installation art and interactive route —like escape rooms.

Maya: It’s kind of a hot thing to do this right now. Escape rooms are popping up everywhere. It’s an “experience economy,” and we want to give people an experience. That is how we separate ourselves from festivals and concerts. There is a character and there is story. We want for you to put yourself in that story, create a character, dress up, and be a part of it. As the people hosting these parties, we will acknowledge characters that we really like, and they will literally become part of the story. Of course, we haven’t gotten there—we’re jumping a couple light years ahead— but once we thought of it, we had to do it because we had so much momentum.

Miles: That is like every good idea. If it feels too hot, like grabbing a piece of coal, you’ve got to let it go. We’ve always wanted a project together, and this was the perfect project.

DBM: What is it like to work with each other?

Miles: Working with each other is great, because we just agree on so much.

Maya: One of my first teachers in the entrepreneurship program at the University of Michigan was like, “You could have a great idea, but if you don’t have a great team it dies. You could have a great team, and a crappy idea that flies.” The team is so important. 

DBM: How did the idea originally start?

Maya: We started going to music festivals together—

Miles: And figuring out what could be better.

Maya: We analyzed the flow of people, and what they were selling, and we were inspired, because we knew that we could do all of that better.

Miles: But I’ve always loved sci-fi, and Maya has always shared in that as well by default.

Maya: And proximity. It’s like “We’re watching Star Wars now? Great, time for me to settle right in.”

Miles: But aesthetically, we are on the same page. We designed the logo and the lab equipment together.

Maya: Miles designed it and I interpreted in on Illustrator. 

DBM: Can you tell us about the next Space Party?

Miles: We want to do a desert festival really badly. YAR, the character with the glowers, is a desert dweller and we would like to visit his planet.

DBM: I think I might have met YAR at your Space Party send off last weekend?

Miles: You definitely met him, but he hasn’t learned English yet.

Maya: In the story, YAR has moved to Earth and is our roommate.

Miles: Hanging out planet side...

Maya: He’s just hanging out on Earth and loves to party—a party maniac.

DBM: He really did seem like a party animal when I met him.

Maya: He goes hard.

Miles: I was a little nervous, because when we first got a message from him, he was like, “Come to our planet! We won’t eat you!”

Maya: And then he was very eager to escape once he got here...

Miles: Now he is here, and he wants to stay. I feel like his family might want to eat us—or he might be ostracized to our world.

Maya: He doesn’t seem quite fond of his family—he never talks about them.

DBM: Is YAR pretty talkative?

Maya: He is. He just clacks away at the dinner table, “clack-clack-clack” all night. He gets chatty when he’s hungry…

Miles: Or if something’s bothering him. But when he’s having a good time, he just bobs his head and clicks his clackers. They don’t really sleep that much at all—YAR’s people— the Zarbians. Even when his normal eyes turn dark for the night, his glowers are still on.

DBM: What was the process of finding other people for the Space Party team?

Maya: It was a really gradual process. A lot of people came in towards the end of our planning.

Miles: What’s weird is that one of the easiest things was finding the artists. It was really incredible.

Maya: They just fell into place.

Miles: We were taking risks with a lot of them, because they were friends, or friends of friends.

Maya: The only one that we didn’t take a risk on was Louis Futon (http://www.louisfutonbeats.com/), who actually has a following.

DBM: What other DJs performed at the Space Party send off? 

Maya: It started out with Branson, our roommate, who goes by “Beat-Bop-Space-Cowboy”—that’s his artist name.

Miles: He is very talented on keytar, and just shredded for the first thirty minutes that we were there. And then I had my buddy Eric (https://eyelovemusic.bandcamp.com/), who I’ve known since high school.

Maya: He’s really good, and when we gave him a set at our event, he worked at it least a month on it, and did visuals—I mean, it was really impressive. Also our friend Sam, (https://soundcloud.com/hollapainyo). We kind of introduced him to this whole EBM world, and now he’s making EDM music and is just so into it. We know they will forever be part of the team. It’s just inspiring to see what they put forth, because we were so impressed by all of them.

Miles: Although we do want to start integrating fake artists—our own monikers—artists that are dressed up, playing roles as alien DJs. We had the pleasure of working with people that were already doing that. For instance, The Ape and The Alien. 

DBM: What was the production like?

Miles: Bill Boes—the guy doing the production for us, who is also a friend of our dad’s and very talented—was tremendous in helping us with our process. 

Maya: He is a huge asset to our team, because he does set designs on films. So he was like, “Alright, we are installing in and out in one day.” He understands that all these sets are temporary, so while we made them look really good and spent a lot of time on them, they were kind of “slap-dash.” Definitely some of our pieces we wanted to keep so we made them well, but some of them he was just sticking stuff together, like “Give me the staple gun!” 

Miles: It is the background, so make aesthetic choices as you’re making them and the lighting will do the rest. What you’re really painting with is lights. 

DBM: What advice to do have for future dreamers, artists, or people that have an idea, but don’t have the workings of a team to do it?

Maya: Meet the right people. Keep putting yourself in situations where you’ll meet the right people.

Miles: Ask for what you want. Don’t just be in the presence of people, tell them your project and people will come to you. You have to be willing to put yourself out there. 

Maya: You’re going to get a lot of skepticism. Any new idea is either going to be met with, “Oh, well aren’t these people already doing it?” or, “That sounds dumb.”  Either way, if you believe in it, keep talking about it and adapt it. If you get criticism, think about it, see if it actually matters to you, and if it strikes a nerve, pivot what you’re doing.

Miles: The act of talking about doing something is hugely important, it motivates in many ways, because it’s a social pressure that you immediately put on yourself.

DBM: Well, thank you both so much for meeting with Doughboy Magazine. Do you have any parting words for our intergalactic readers?

Space Party: There’s a party in space and you’re invited!

[doughboymagazine]

Feature No. 3 // Leonardo LeGaspe

Leonardo LeGaspe, a young illustrator of gooey creatures and frightening monsters, met with Doughboy Magazine to share a little bit about being an artist in the 21st century. His works, which Leonardo refers to as “fast and natural” ideas, blend the explicit with the nightmare in a creative tribute to the fantastical.  Leonardo’s extensive artistic background shaped his unique style, and continues to motivate his curiosity for the unknown. 

Leonardo is based in Pasadena, California. Check out more of his work on his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/l3ggol3ol3ggo/?hl=en

DBM: What is your favorite doughnut?

LG: Old fashioned chocolate.

DBM: What is your favorite doughnut memory?

LG: As a kid, every time I would eat a doughnut, I always had crumbs on my shirt. So, I was always referred to as “crumb-bum.” It worked with everything--I was always eating as a kid.

happy 420, Leonardo LeGaspe 

DBM: When did you start doing art?

LG: I started when I was about six. I did a chalk drawing on the ground in the backyard, and I put a bunch of rocks on the lines to make this big rock drawing. But, I was always surrounded by art. My dad was an artist and did a lot of Gustave Klimpt kind of art. Then I started seeing my sister draw, she was the eldest, and she kind of developed her own kind of style.

DBM: Did you have any other artistic inspirations growing up?

LG: I watched a lot of cartoons, and I read a lot of illustration books, like Dr. Seuss. Being in class, I would draw on my notebook and on my desk, I was that kid...

why you little, Leonardo LeGaspe 

DBM: When did art became a solidified part of your life?

LG: In second grade. I wanted to be a video game designer and sell my art like my dad. Even at a young age I realized I had my own style-- I didn’t need to copy or trace anything.

DBM: What was it like growing up with an artistic dad?

LG: He would include us in his art shows, then eventually he said “hey, you guys are really good, let’s have an art show.”

DBM: And you did! You recently had a collaborative show with your dad and sister in LA. What was that like?

LG: My dad encouraged us to do as many pieces as we could, but one of mine was too explicit, so I only had three up. 

fierce pierce, Leonardo LeGaspe 

DBM: Who are some of your favorite artists?

LG: My number one is Keith Thompson, then Dominic Qwek, and I have to add one more, Kim Jung Gi. That guy is a beast--he does a lot of pen work.

DBM: What kind of art are you working on right now?

LG: Illustration, and also painting.

DBM: How would you describe your work?

LG: Dark, detailed, intricate, and fast. There’s a lot of meat, blood and monsters. It’s natural. A lot of my work isn’t from anything, just my mind.

mosquito bite, Leonardo LeGaspe 

DBM: What’s your artistic process like?

LG: I have to be in the mood to draw, and I have to have an idea. My ideas just come to me. Even looking at the notches in wood, and I could see something. I also need a certain kind of media, like a nice toned paper, and it has to be in pen. I can’t work with pencil, that allows me to erase, so when I do it in pen, I have no choice but to bear with it. 

DBM: You went to an art school here in Los Angeles. What was that like?

LG: I felt like I was with my people. There was no wrong way to do anything. If I made a mistake, they just showed me how to correct it. But, I won’t forget one teacher saying, “everything that your teachers taught you how to do is wrong, I’m right.” That was funny, an eye opener really, because not everybody “knows” art, you have to find that out on your own.

wot the bloody hell, Leonardo LeGaspe 

DBM: Would you say art is more of an practice or a lifestyle?

LG: Art is religious to me. Just like you need to exercise a lot of things to get better at it, you need to practice. That’s why I do it everyday--I’d rather do that than breakfast.

DBM: Where do you see your art going now?

LG: On people’s skin, on the bottom of people’s skateboards, or in a clothing line.

DBM: What is some advice you have for future artists?

LG: There are no mistakes, nor is there a limit to how much you can know about art. I can’t say I know everything about art, there is always room for improvement. 

lean’d on me, Leonardo LeGaspe

[doughboymagazine]

Feature No. 2  // Alexandra Pedraza

Ms. Fishies, Alexandra Pedraza 

Today we are featuring a very special guest painter and graphic designer, Alexandra Pedraza. Her paintings represent a unity between color and form, which Alexandra alludes to as “bodies.” These bodies float through her canvases in a natural sense of motion, questioning the fine line between the real and the imagined. Alexandra developed her technique over the course of many years, personifying real-life experiences and reveries through brush and design. 

 Alexandra is based in Altadena, California. See more of her art @: http://alexandrapedart.wixsite.com/artist

DBM: What is your favorite doughnut?

AP: Glaze.

DBM: What is your doughnut memory?

AP: My dad used to take me to Winchell’s every day before school, and we would have doughnuts and orange juice...so my favorite doughnut memory is really with my father.

DBM: When did you begin creating art?

AP: When I was very little I began drawing comics and making books. I would make picture books, drawing people, drawing my family, and I used to draw trees a lot too.

traveling, Alexandra Pedraza

DBM: Who is your artistic inspiration and why?

AP: Santiago, my boyfriend. He draws plants in nature, and I really love that. Even though it’s not hyperrealistic, it’s realistic. I’m a person who thinks in abstract, physical things we can’t see.

DBM: Can you talk a little about what you’re doing now?

AP: I’m taking a mini break because I’m focusing on going to school for my degree, which is graphic design, and my minor in fine arts, or studio art.

DBM: Where do you see your art going in the future?

AP: My art is going to a place where people will benefit from the idea of not having to be physically “here” all the time. It’s okay to let go, forget, and be in a space that doesn’t require you to stress out on an idea. So, I hope it ends up in a place that can be therapeutic for people, like museums, galleries, or any space that is designed for it.

little legs, Alexandra Pedraza 

DBM: Right now you’re working at a museum in Pasadena. Can you speak to how this space has been beneficial or influential to your art?

AP: Working at the museum has been beneficial in a “get-it-together” kind of way. It makes you grow up as an artist. It makes you want to be serious about your own art. Deep down we all want a space where people can come in and be close to your art and really respect it.

DBM: How about your own favorite work. Do you have one and why?

AP: Fertility, it’s a pink and green piece. Visually, I love the colors. Each of my works connects to a vision, and that vision was very important, because it’s what has defined me. I painted that one during school. It was a vision I’d had for about two to three weeks. That painting has nine bodies interacting, and once I finished the painting, within that week, I found out I was pregnant. Since then, I’ve made a lot of changes in my life that have been extremely beneficial and have led me to where I am today.

fertility, Alexandra Pedraza

DBM: Name a moment when you knew for certain that art was something you wanted in your life?

AP: In senior year of high school I definitely knew I wanted art to be a part of my life. I was fortunate to go to a public art high school, and they have everything from theater, music, and graphic design. It’s got a spectacular campus. I went when it just opened. I was the second graduating class, and I was really fortunate to have really talented teachers and students who were really involved in their work, and also really kind to each other. We were not afraid to have a little competition, but we also understood that we were just kids. Lots of other art schools make kids think it is so stressful to be an artist, but they are growing. Our concepts are going to change, it’s all a fair game.

DBM: What advice do have to artists today?

AP: Relax! Whatever level you’re at, take it 5 notches down. Artists need to be more genuine with themselves. It’s okay to live a life that you want to live that doesn’t require you to constantly make things, and feel like you have to identify and post about your work. You can be you, and you can do your art on the side, and have a million other things that you love to do too.

[doughboymagazine]

(holly 美)

DBM: What is your favorite doughnut?

DJ Holly K: My favorite doughnut used to be the chocolate frosted doughnut with sprinkles, but now I’m really starting to like the glazed coconut doughnuts.

DBM: What is your favorite doughnut memory?

DJ Holly K: On my nineteenth birthday, when I went to Dunkin Donuts with my roommate at the time at midnight. I was given a whole box of doughnuts and my birthday horoscope from the local paper.

DBM: How has music shaped what you’re doing now?

DJ Holly K: I would say that I still find myself drifting back to music in my spare time since I haven’t really been doing much work in music since I left college. I found that it really helped me find myself now that I don’t really have as much direction.

DMB: What kind of music were you doing in college?

DJ Holly K: It was still the same music that I’m doing now, but I know what I like more now. In college, I did a lot of music for promoting purposes, but now I do a lot of music for myself.

DBM: What are some musical inspirations that have shaped the music that you worked on or are working on?

DJ Holly K: A lot of female artists have always inspired me in industries that are more male dominated. Now, they are people that I know, like friends.

DBM: Do you have a lot a musical friends?

DJ Holly K: I do. I’m really lucky to have met them while I was in college, and it’s nice to see a lot of people grow and evolve as artists, and support them too.

DBM: You’ve lived a lot of different places, New York City , Prague, D.C., and now Los Angeles. What are some similarities or differences you have seen in these places regarding the music scene?

DJ Holly K: I’d say Prague was definitely the most different. D.C and LA have a more similar music scene than NYC. Prague was just so unique in terms of its music scene. It was untouched. It had its own vibe that was very nostalgic, but also futuristic.

DBM: Where do you see music going now?

DJ Holly K: I’d say that music is staying on the internet, and maybe even going towards blending more genres together. It’s like fashion. Every twenty years people go back to older fashions.  Now, we’re revisiting elements of rock music again in all genres.

DBM: How do you think DJing is different or maybe the same as being in a band or playing an instrument?

DJ Holly K: Having a background in music is helpful, and I think most DJs and producers have already had experience, and I did when I was younger. It’s more of seeing a bigger picture rather than focusing on thing at a time, you need to be able to hear everything at once, so just listening to a lot of music is the foundation for whether you’re mixing or producing music. That’s why having a background in music or playing an instrument helps.

DBM: What are you working on right now?

DJ Holly K: Right now I’m thinking of finishing songs I worked on a while ago but never released, and putting out more mixes with new music.

DBM: We’re really excited to feature your “s u m m e r l o v i n ‘ m i x - 2 0 1 7.”   Can you tell us a little bit about the process of putting that together?

DJ Holly K: After I moved to LA and lived here for a while, I had a lot more free time not being in school, and I started itching to DJ and mix again. But, I didn’t have a mixer in LA. So, I finally bought one here, and started listening to a lot of new music that captured the summer vibe I was feeling-- just songs I liked listening to that not a lot of people knew about.

DBM: What is your process for discovering music to include in your mixes?

DJ Holly K: My first process is just going through my Soundcloud feed, and the second part is listening to new songs from friends that I could include.

DBM: Well, thank you so much. We really look forward to hearing what you’re going to put out next. Do you have any imparting words for our aspiring musicians and artists?

DJ Holly K: Just keep doing what you love to do, whether or not anyone is watching you.

[doughboymagazine]

The Kooks - Broken Vow

The latest from The Kooks is icy hot! We can’t wait to catch these guys on their U.K tour this fall. Love, DBM 

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Visit Original Link

The Velvet Underground - Over You (1969)

You know, I’m starting to ring again

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(Heavenly Beat)

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Heavenly Beat never ceases to amaze us with their spacious rhythms. Here’s to happy Sundays. Love, DBM

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DGTL CLR “3 STRIKES” is pretty rad, need we say more? Can’t wait to hear more! Kisses, Doughboy Mag <3

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Glass Animals - Agnes (Official Video) 

Such a fantastic music video. Truly speechless. Glass Animals. Dave Bayley, lead singer and musical genius, is featured here inside a human centrifuge. These accelerating pods are used for aviation training, designed to expose pilots and astronauts to extreme levels of speed in an effort to improve aircraft performance. Ironically, the video is a juxtaposition in itself. It pushes the limits to with which a viewer is willing to indulge in media based viewing experiences. So much talent. So beautifully haunting.

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Panorama 7/28

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We heard these lads at their “How to Be Human” album release party in Los Angeles last August. Needless to say, their smiles were gold and their vibes electric. One year later, and their record has sold off the charts. Spun on a shinny blue vinyl featuring “Life Itself,” “Youth” and “Agnes,” among others, the record redefines not only what it means to not only “be human,” but also the very essence of an album to be a cohesive masterpiece of artistic genius, talent and thought. We can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us next. Thanks for it all boys! Love, DBM <3

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Shout out the sweetest sounds of DGTL CLR, and their electric romance “Elephant.” 

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“Reptile” | The Church

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Happy Friday!!! Jam jams from The Church to set your weekend off right. Love, Doughboy

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What we got sizzling is greater than sprinkles. Stay tuned next week for the hottest jams, featuring some special guests from the U.K. 🇬🇧✌🏼🎧