Thanks to Twitter, and Toronto blogger Gracie Carroll & Plaid Magazine, I was able to attend the official Bloc Party after party on Tuesday Sept.11 at The Hoxton. Russell and Matt, half of the band, played a DJ set for the party but sadly I didn't see the other two. Nonetheless, it was still such a great event. Not only was it super awesome to be in their presence, but I also fell in love with the venue - it's different than a lot of the other places I've been to and it's got such a cool vibe!
Here are a few pics from the night:
Pumped.
Matt Tong!
If you haven't heard of Bloc Party before...you're welcome.
Hey everyone!
Back in April, I was able to interview the talented Ed Sheeran over a meal of Toronto's version of bangers and mash at Elephant and Castle, which was different than what he was used to over in the UK. "It looks great but
we’d never have onion rings with our bangers n mash. I’m sure it’s wonderful
though." While he had a bite to eat during a busy day of press, we chatted about his music, social media, and his celeb twin Rupert Grint.
I had previously posted up a 'sneak peek' - but now that the article is out in the newest issue of Faze Magazine (featuring Marianas Trench on the cover; go buy it!), I am doing a full Ed Sheeran post with a bit of Q&A from my interview :) If you haven't listened to his debut album '+' yet, it's a must!
Read the full article in the latest issue of Faze Magazine!
Q: How would
you describe your song-writing process?
Ed Sheeran: There is no
process for me to song-writing and I think having process to song-writing takes
the - I don’t want to sound too muse-owen and weird but - it takes the magic
out. There’s a certain thing when you write a good song and it takes 20 minutes
to do you don’t know where that comes from, you just sit down and bam it’s kind
of there. I think if you have a structure to it, like I’m going to write a hit,
they end up not having any feeling in it and that’s when you sort of start to
become a manufactured writer and you think in sales rather than think in
feeling.
Q: What
inspired your unique sound that brings together different styles?
ES: I listen,
and have listened, to a lot of music throughout my whole life and I’m a fan of
most of it, so I don’t really like fitting in one particular genre. I find it
really boring if I’m just a guy with an acoustic guitar so I try to experiment
and if I like the style then I’ll write a song in that style.
Q: When you
collaborate with all these hip-hop artists, what do you bring to the table?
ES: I grew up
in folk music and the rappers grew up on hip hop and folk music and rap are so
similar from the point of view that they tell stories. You could take an Eminem
song and add acoustic guitar to it and it could easily be a Bob Dylan song. I
guess we just bring a similar thing just in two different ways. So I bring my
musical melodies and expertise with different parts and being able to create
beats, and they bring their lyrical skill.
Q: How did you
and Rupert Grint come together for your music video for “Lego House”?
ES: The video
concept came together for “Lego House” because I’ve always been told that I’ve
looked like him and I just wanted to take the opportunity to try and play with
people’s heads a little bit and make them think that Rupert Grint had started
up a solo career and changed his name. So I got in touch through Tom Felton,
who played Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, and Rupert said yes and we did the
video. And we’ve been friends since then.
Q: How has
social media played a role into where you are today?
ES: I think
social media plays a role in the music industry now because I’m told countless
times by fans “I bought your album because I like you. I would’ve illegally
downloaded it, but I like you so I bought your record.” And I think nowadays it’s
so easy to download music illegally but you do it for any act, but I think
social media makes you actually care for that act; not only musically, but as a
person. If you find out someone’s personality on Twitter and you click with it,
you’re more with the act. So for me, I’ve been tweeting for ages, and I tweet
everything on my mind and there’s no real barrier so I guess kids just have a
connection to that. It’s cool; I do question and answer sessions and tell them
when things come out and that sort of thing. So yeah I think social media is a
very important thing.
Q: How is 2012
going to be different than any other year?
ES: 2012 is
going to be kind of the same as 2011, but I’m just going to be doing more in
other countries. 2012 is the year of North America for me. Last year I did
Australia and Japan and Europe and England and Hong Kong and Singapore and
those places. And I think since North America is so large that 2012 has to be
focused on that, so that’s very much what it is going to be. It’s going to be
the same sort of thing in capacity, but I’m going to be here really.
Q: Who would
you love to collaborate with in the future?
ES: I’d love to
work with Stevie Wonder. I think him as a musician and artist is one of the
best who’ve ever lived and I think to just even meet him would be enough.
Q: Do you have
a moment you’re most proud of?
ES: I think the
way that it worked out, having all the power within the label creatively from
me not signing early and feeding out some independent EPs and touring out - I’m
proud of the way I did it because now I have a lot of freedom. It’s good.
He'll be back in Toronto this Monday, Sept. 17 for a concert at Echo Beach, as well as for an appearance at MuchMusic on New.Music.Live!
Last week, two of the guys from this season of Bachelor Pad (and season 5 of The Bachelorette) came to party in Toronto at the Stirling Room. Michael Stagliano and Ed Swiderski made an appearance and it looked like they were having a great time. Who knows, maybe they found love in Toronto......
Check out some photos from the event:
Michael & Ed
Me & Michael Stagliano
On a side note, Michael Stagliano also performed a show earlier that night - did you know he can sing?!
Earlier this year, I got to interview the charming Olly Murs, who was in town touring with One Direction, and I posted a sneak peek. But now that the article is published in the latest issue of Faze Magazine, I thought I'd do a full blog post with a Q&A from the interview!
Pick up the latest issue of Faze to read my article! :)
Q: For
Canadians who maybe haven’t heard your music yet, how would you describe it to
them?
Olly Murs: I think my
music is very upbeat and happy. It’s very different; if you get the album, from
track one to track 10, every song has a different vibe. But I always like to
make happy songs, happy-go-lucky and smiley songs, that’s where I like to go
with my singles and songs. I think I’m going to end up doing a new album this year,
which is slightly different, with a bit more emotional songs, a bit more
heartfelt songs, to show a different side of me. But a lot of my songs are
always cheeky and fun.
Q: Are there
any songs from your albums that stand out for any certain reasons?
OM: My favourites
of course are the singles. “Heart Skips a Beat,” incredible, I love that song. “Dance
With Me” is another song I love - it’s very old school Motown, with a great
swing element, that makes people want to dance. And there’s a song called “I
Need You Now,” which is the last song on the second album, I’m not sure what
it’ll be on the new album, we’ll see. But it’s a really lovely ballad, about me
expressing trying to find the perfect girl - and maybe she’s in Canada! Maybe
I’ll find love!
Q: Do you
prefer writing those slower ballads or more upbeat songs?
OM: It’s a
mixture really. If I’ve been in the studio for weeks and we’ve been writing
upbeat songs, sometimes I like to take a step back and write song slow songs.
Because I think when you write ballads it’s always nice to do a heartfelt song.
I tried to release a ballad before, called “Heart on my Sleeve,” and it did okay
in the UK but wasn’t great. And I think right now in the UK it’s very much
about up-tempo, big songs. But it’s always nice to throw in a love song for the
fans, to show them you love them.
Q: I like how
you have this old school vibe, where does this influence come from?
OM: I think
it’s just my influences as a musician and artists I’ve listened to over the
years. Michael Buble does lots of old school songs and the likes of Stevie
Wonder have been around for a long time now. And I listened to a lot of 60s/70s
music and I think as I’ve gotten older, it’s just come back into fashion. So
I’m just branching out there. The new album will be different as well. And I
think I just like to be creative and different. I mean, my tracks on every
album are always so different. And again for the new album, we’re going to try
something new and different and see how it goes. I like the fact that you
noticed that, it’s cool.
Q: How would
you describe your live performance?
OM: I’m an
entertainer. I love performing. I always perform with a smile on my face. I
love what I do and I always give 110 per cent. I feel the energy when I perform
and I love it. I like a challenge and this tour is a massive challenge for me.
It’s probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve had in my career so far; to
come to Canada and the US and try to sell myself to the public. It’s hard. It’s
the biggest challenge. There’s like 240 million people on this island, it could
be more than that I don’t know, and the UK is only 50 million, so it’s a big
country to fill and that’s a big challenge for me, but I’m looking forward to
it.
Q: You were
also on the X Factor - what was the most important thing you learned from that
experience?
OM: I think the
most important thing I learned from the X Factor was that it’s kind of like “if
you believe you can achieve.” Someone told me that and I was like, it’s a bit
cheesy, but I generally think if you believe in yourself enough, you can
achieve anything in life. Sometimes, people like to cut your dreams apart and
say you can never be this, you can never be that, just be realistic, but I
always think you should have dreams and ambitions and that’s how I lived from
the X Factor. I just believed in myself each week and knew that I could achieve
something quite cool. So I was lucky enough to finish the show and have done
well. I’m really happy. Does that inspire you?
Q: What
characteristics do you look for in a girl?
OM: I like a
girl who is fun and up for a good time. I don’t like girls who are too quiet
and too shy or who are ignorant and love themselves too much. I like women that
take care of themselves, but I like girls that, if I want to go for a date, we
can go bowling or we can go ice skating, or something fun. I’m a fun guy, so I
like to do fun stuff. I think going to a restaurant is really nice, but I’d go
to the restaurant and then we’d go out afterwards and do something fun. So I’d
like someone who is up for a good time and who has a really fun personality.
Q: Do you have
any celebrity crushes?
OM: Scarlett
Johansson, she’s incredible. Megan Fox. There’s so many in America, it’s
incredible. I love Transformers, so I love them.
Q: If you
could do a duet with anyone, who would it be and why?
OM: Michael
Buble. Or Stevie Wonder. Only because I did my audition to Superstition and I
do a medley of Stevie Wonder on my tour. I also love Michael to pieces, I’ve
met him so many times and he’s such a lovely guy. I even have his telephone
number in my phone book; that’s like my claim to fame. I would love to perform
with Michael. I’d be delighted if it happened, I’d be screaming. So yeah
they’re the two people I’d love to do a duet with.
Last year, I had the opportunity to attend Kollar Clothing's Autumn & Fall fashion show (view that blog post HERE) and since then I've been following their journey to success in the fashion world. From intricate detailing and stunning tailoring, Kollar Clothing is definitely a clothing line to keep an eye on.
A bit about Kollar Clothing:
-------------
/BELIEFS Kollar Clothing is an art form rather than piece of cloth that is worn. Most of our time is spent on perfecting the fit and the construction of the garments. Each piece is made for the bold individual, to create a unique garment with details only a good eye can catch. Our aim is to separate ourselves from the ordinary and create garments with no rules or boundaries. Kollar Clothing only distributes the garments to handpicked boutiques with a strong sense of lifestyle, to keep the richness of the brand alive. Kollar is not only a lifestyle but a brand where unusual details meet incomparable fabrics.
Yours Truly, THE BLACK SHEEP OF GARMENTS
---------- from kollarclothing.com
The highly anticipated release of Kollar Clothing's S/S 2013 collection will be featuring shorts, denim pants, tank tops, t-shirts, V-necks, button-ups, crew neck sweaters and hoodies. This new collection involves a lot of settled double stitch dye to match threads, which is only visible up close. That's something I love about their clothing - it all comes down to the details and thought that went into each piece. They also use reverse sides of unique fabrics for garments to showcase a more washed-out vintage look.
Check out some sneak peek shots of the S/S 2013 collection:
And for retailers in North America: Kollar Clothing is currently taking submissions from boutiques interested in carrying their line in stores! For more info, visit kollarclothing.com - Christina Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28
As you may already know, I have a series of posts called Dancer in the Spotlight, featuring profiles on various dancers from throughout the industry. I love showcasing talented dancers who are pursuing their passions and giving you insight into how they got to where they are today. Previous dancers featured include Brandon Dumlao, Gregory Villarico and Carlena Britch.
This week, I'm starting a new series of posts featuring some of my favourite dance videos. I bet you all have, at one point, spent 3-5mins of your day (for us dancers, this is probably closer to a couple hours at least...) watching an incredible piece of choreography put together in an amazing video posted on YouTube. It's addicting really, since there is SO much talent in the world that can be accessed with a click of a mouse.
So I'll be putting together a weekly roundup for you all to enjoy :)
Here are 3 of my favourite dance videos for this week:
I LOVE this choreography so much...definitely on replay. On a side note - Ian Eastwood & Chachi Gonzales are the cutest dancer couple on the planet (okay, a close second to Mariel Martin & Keone Madrid).
These girls are beasts. So sick.
And of course I had to throw in a bit of Vancity!
Tweet me with some of your favourites and they could be featured in next week's roundup! :)
Another great film bringing a stellar cast to the red carpet at Ryerson was Spring Breakers, starring Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and James Franco, who all made an appearance. A huge crowd had turned up to see them, so I was glad that I got there pretty early to get a spot.
Check out a clip from the movie:
Also spotted: eTalk's Jessi Cruickshank ready with Mardi Gras beads and Vitamin Water shots
Pretty Little Liars' Ashley Benson looking stunning...I saw her when she came to MuchMusic for a visit with the rest of the PLL cast - check out my blog post from that event HERE
Selena Gomez, gorgeous as usual! It's so amazing to see how far she's come. Did you know that Selena was one of my first interviews? We were both 15 years old and we did the interview during the filming of Another Cinderella Story (you can watch that interview HERE). I've also met Selena a couple other times; from randomly running into her while she was strolling along Robson Street with Taylor Lautner (see the photos from that encounter HERE) to the time she made an appearance on New.Music.Live (check it out HERE), she's always super sweet.
Hahaha I love this photo - Jessi waiting patiently and Selena making a funny face. Golden.
James Franco was here last year for his movie 127 hours (which I JUST realized I never even posted, so I'll be doing that now...only a year late...)
As the festival goes on, the number of celebs in the city continues to rise and I love getting a chance to even catch a glimpse of some of my favourites. On Friday, Sept. 7, the hilariousness that is Kristen Wiig made an appearance at the Ryerson Theatre for the premiere of Imogene. From SNL to Bridesmaids, Kristen Wiig has been one of my favourite actresses for a while now, so it was so awesome to see her up close - I even got an autograph!
The film also stars Glee's Darren Criss, who looked wonderful......sighhhhh. There were tons of girls -and guys - waiting at the carpet specifically for him.
Check out my photos from the red carpet:
*All photos taken by me | Please contact for use
Kristen Wiig's autograph :)
- Christina
Follow my adventures on Twitter: @christinaaa28
