Steve Fishman

Steve Fishman at the entrance to the alley that once led to the Masque

STEVE FISHMAN

At the Former Site of the Masque
1655 N. Cherokee Ave., Los Angeles (Hollywood)

The storefronts, eateries and faces along Hollywood Boulevard are always changing, but the palpable, buzzing energy at the heart of Hollywood is a constant. That electric vibe drew a teenage Steve “Trash” Fishman to the area, as well as the late Brendan Mullen who created an underground club, the Masque, in the basement of a building at the corner of Hollywood and Cherokee. 

“My friend from junior high school was playing at the Masque in 1977, so I went down to see him play drums with his older brother. I had never been there before, and it just blew my mind. This bizarre environment with all these people and their spiky hair, stuff sticking out of their faces – real alien-looking characters – it was fantastic,” Steve says. “I used to go there all the time to see the Germs, the Weirdos, the Eyes and the Alley Cats, who probably played there more than anyone.”

Although the Masque was forced to close its doors by fire marshals after just a few months, the club – which began as a rehearsal space for the Go-Go’s, the Motels, the Berlin Brats and others – made an indelible mark on the L.A. punk scene, having had X, the Dickies, Black Randy and the Metrosquad and many others perform there. Mullen penned a book, Live at the Masque: Nightmare in Punk Alley, documenting the time and there’s a new documentary, Who Is Billy Bones?, about the Skulls that offers a glimpse inside what remains of the club housed in the basement of what’s currently World of Wonder Productions.

As Steve shows me the alley where one was able to access the stairs down to the Masque, I could tell how much the club meant to him personally. After getting a taste of live punk music at the Masque, the bassist became a part of bands that were equally as influential as the club on punk (Bent, the Deadbeats, DFO), recorded/toured with the Stranglers’ Hugh Cornwell, the Sex Pistols’ Glen Matlock, the Damned’s Dave Vanian and Blondie’s Clem Burke, shared stages with Paul McCartney, Roy Orbison and Elton John, and is currently a member of Chrome and a slew of other projects that you can get a taste of via the new album Bubbling Up From Underground: The State of the Art–Rock Pt 1, which released in June.

We start walking down Hollywood Boulevard in search of a place to sit and have a cold drink, and the punk veteran tells me about growing up in Burbank.

“A lot of my friends had hippie parents – their moms and dads were smoking pot, listening to rock and sharing records – but my dad was in his 40s when I was born, so it was about Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, swing, big band and pop from that day. My parents didn’t get rock, so I would piss them off by playing stuff like the Doors’ ‘When the Music’s Over’ or ‘The End.’ It would freak them out,” he laughs. “But I had a babysitter from when I was 15-months-old whose daughter was around 16, so I was in my crib listening to the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks and the Who.”

Steve has vivid memories of watching Beatles albums spin on a turntable, having his mind blown at seeing Keith Moon’s drum kit explode when the Who performed “My Generation” on “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” watching crowds of girls chasing the Beatles and Monkees and thinking, “what could be better?” An older cousin introduced him to Jimi Hendrix and Cream, which led to the blues, Robert Johnson and B.B. King. Then at around age 7, he met the first of the really great mentors that would enter his life

“I came home and said, ‘I want to play guitar now,’ so my parents put me in lessons. When my brother and cousin decided to play too, I was like, ‘Nah, I’m going to switch to the bass,” he chuckles. “My dad was really old and square, so when he said, ’Oh I know a guy who could give you lessons,’ I said, ‘Oh no.’ We go into the music shop, and there’s this guy with long hair and a beard, so I was relieved. Then he proceeded to completely destroy a guitar in front of me, and my jaw dropped. My teacher, John Balkin, was Tim Buckley’s musical director at the time. He also played on Zappa albums with the GrandMothers of Invention, so he was doing really experimental, cutting-edge things at the time, but I didn’t know. Later on I checked out the Tim Buckley albums he was on, Starsailor and Lorca, and the GrandMothers where he was doing improvisation, classical, and rock, and I realized how perfect that match was when I was at such a young age.”

He began cultivating his own musical taste, exchanging records with friends, and encountered another musical mentor in junior high.

“I had a friend who was in my first band, and his older brother, Steve Hufsteter, was playing guitar in the Quick. He was into all kinds of music from all over the planet, everything European – weird bands, krautrock – Miles Davis and older stuff that I didn’t really know, the Zombies,” Steve recalls. “It was a totally ridiculous education. I was just in awe at his record collection.”

In addition to diving into Hufsteter’s collection, Steve heard the Sex Pistols and Devo for the first time on Rodney Bingenheimer’s “Rodney on the Roq” radio show, was exploring Brian Eno, David Bowie and Roxy Music songs and started to take his own songwriting skills seriously as a member of a band called Bent (aka the Deadbeats).  

“They were, in my opinion, one of the most important bands to come out of the punk scene in Los Angeles. Geza X was in it, and a lot of the people involved have done really interesting things. They were really good musicians and really weird, eclectic. They would go from a swing, big band thing but in a punkesque way to a Cramps thing to a Frank Zappa thing to a free jazz thing since they were influenced by Sun Ra, Captain Beefheart and Chicago as much as Bowie and Eno – a total full spectrum,” he tells. “That was actually my third mentor, Scott Guerin from the Deadbeats. He had an amazing record collection, but he was more into the weird and kitsch stuff. So I got a lot of the modern composers that I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else like Xenakis, Charles Dawes, John Cage.”

We come across a Tom Jones portrait that a street artist has painted over a storefront’s window covering on Hollywood Boulevard, and Steve tells me about being mistaken for the singer while living in London.

“Every day people would go, ‘Has anyone ever told you that you look like Tom Jones?’ I would reply, ‘It’s Not Unusual,’” he laughs. “In fact I played with him a couple of times on Jonathan Ross ‘The Last Resort’ show when the Attractions were the house band. I was playing with Steve Nieve and Pete Thomas from the Attractions on another thing and wound up getting a job in the house band.”

We duck into Rise-N-Grind café, order some cold drinks, take a seat and I ask Steve if he missed anything about Los Angeles while he was living in London for 20 years.

“I didn’t plan on staying there so long, only for six months, then all of these things happened work wise and with relationship stuff. Of course I missed the weather, my family and Trader Joe’s! English food has gotten really good now, but back then it wasn’t quite on the same level. But I didn’t miss much else, I was pretty fed up with L.A. I grew up in the Valley, and I was sick of ‘hey, dude’ ‘no way, dude’ – it wasn’t me, so I went to Europe,” he admits. “But since I came back a few years ago, it has become more international, more intelligent, more cultured here. When I left there was a few Starbucks to get a cappuccino, but now everyone knows what an izakaya is, more people from all over the world are coming here who are aware of culture.”

All of Steve’s talk about the city’s mix of different cultures and his own musical background of various genres coming together leads to the topic of Bubbling Up from Underground: The State of the Art-Rock Pt 1, which showcases songs from the different projects that are currently in his life.

“Some people have said, ’It’s a little bit of this and a little bit of that.’ It’s a combination of a bunch of projects that are actually being launched as individual things and at the same time,” he explains.

The tracks, all written and produced by Steve except “Lady Feline” from Chrome’s Feel It Like a Scientist album, range from funky, glam rock to jazz punk and feature guests that are equally eclectic: Shawn Lee, Pam Hutchinson (the Emotions), video artist Doug Aitken, Clem Burke and Hugh Cornwell. With collaborators such as these, it must have been hard determining which tracks made the final cut to the actual album.

“It was really hard, like choosing which kids you can take on an emergency flight out of a danger zone. You have 20 kids, but you can only take 12. When you’ve been producing by yourself and listening to all the tracks alone, you can be very forgiving since you know what’s supposed to be happening. Then you bring somebody in who hasn’t heard everything, and it changes the whole perspective. ‘Oh, that’s way too low so they’re not getting what it’s supposed to be.’ Seeing people’s reactions has helped a lot: if i see other people getting excited about it or if my daughter dances to it,” he says. “I tend to go with my favorites, too. I love Richard James of Aphex Twin, but I’m jealous because he has achieved the ultimate. I heard him say in an interview, “I never have to do anything purely for money ever again, and I don’t care if anybody likes my stuff as long as I like it and a few of my close friends like it. That’s all that matters to me.’ Yeah, that’s it! That’s what we tried to do with the album. It’s about doing what you like.”

Steve continues to do what he likes and work with musicians he likes on projects like the Bubbling Up From Underground album and producing for artists like FKA Twigs. Having been a first-hand witness and participant in the L.A. punk scene, his words of wisdom and advice for up and comers should be taken to heart.

“Kids now can study music, go on YouTube and basically take a course in oh, say the post-punk period from 1978 to 1980. It’s great, but it’s not like being there when it’s being invented. It was dangerous, exciting, wild and vibrant. Now music is a bit more studied, but there are still great bands,” he says. “The way the whole music industry fell apart, imploded was great for music because especially in the ‘80s anything that went big, like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, all of a sudden in the paper you would see this band is influenced by the Chili Peppers and whoever else is big at the moment. Everyone was thinking, ‘I want to be a rock star with a massive advance, limousines and all the accoutrements that come that.’ Now they’re like, ‘Maybe there won’t be a million-dollar advance, maybe I ought to do it because I love music or I want my friends to think I’m cool or I want some meaning or even just I want to impress the girls/boys and get laid’ – that’s great, it’s better and more organic than just the money and the fame. It’s the raison d’être, as they would say in French or as an actor would say, ‘What’s my motivation for this scene?’ Doing art, music and saying, ‘I just love it, and if I can’t do it, I’m going to go nuts.’”

Steve is not only still very passionate about music, but his guilty pleasure is hunting for old and unusual instruments and equipment. Most of his treasures are stored in his recording studio, which is located just up the street, and after finishing our drinks, he agrees to take me there.

We arrive at the old Security Pacific Bank Building, which was built in 1922, and Steve tells me they filmed the first music video for the album, Trashbeat’s “Come Slumming” on the roof. When we get to the studio space, I’m amazed at his collection of instruments – a teeny tiny sitar, countless guitars, even a child’s toy keyboard from the ‘80s – from all around the world and pieces of equipment that were once a part of places like Abbey Road and Motown studios.

“A lot of people will shoot pool, sleep in their room, go to the pub and drink beer while on the road, but I’m at the shops looking for instruments and music-related stuff,” he confesses. “I play with this band called the International Swingers, and the guitarist, James Stevenson, is a collector and even has a shop, so we go out together and check out pawn shops all the time.”

I wonder what his wife thinks of such a hobby that could cost thousands of dollars, and he proudly states that he would never buy something that wasn’t priced at half its potential cost.

“I could buy a guitar that will be worth twice as much next year, while her handbags will always remain the same price,” he laughs.

Steve has spent the last three months away from home on three separate tours, and the hardest part is being away from his wife and young daughter so long. When I ask if he plans on taking his daughter to music lessons one day, he smiles.

“It’s funny, most musicians wouldn’t recommend that their kids do it professionally. There’s a joke my friend told me: A guy’s on a deserted island walking down the beach, and he sees a bottle. He’s polishing it up, and out comes a genie who says, ‘Thank you, I’ve been in here for 2,000 years! I can give you three wishes.’ The guy says, ‘Get me off this island, and give me $20 million.’ ‘Done, what’s your third wish?’ ‘This whole Middle East conflict has always upset me. I would like to solve it.’ He starts drawing a map of the region, and the genie says, ‘That was going on before I was in the bottle, it’s really complicated and difficult. I’m a genie, but I don’t think I can do that. Is there anything else that wouldn’t be quite so hard?’ ‘Well actually I’ve always wanted to be a success in the music business.’ The genie replies, ‘Let’s have a look at that map again,’” he tells. “She’s already really into it, and I’ll teach her how to play things. You have to have art and creativity in children’s lives, you have to channel all of that inner energy that gets trapped. We all need that! If you don’t have a way to express yourself, let the tension, stress, worry and fear transmute into something positive, you start to lose it a little bit.”

Steve Fishman has been playing music since he was 7 years old, and he doesn’t plan on quitting anytime soon.

“I started young and never gave up, even when times were hard I just kept at it. There might be something like a God-given talent, but it could also be that if you do anything long enough, eventually you’re not going to suck –  like Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours rule. You might just be able to rock a little coffee house for people but at least at the end of your life you can look back and say, ‘I gave it a try,’ rather than always wondering. You can get caught up being a professional, thinking about why you should do things – is it viable, good for my career – then you go back to why people do music in the first place: for the fun, the social interaction,” he concludes. “The spirit of ‘I’m going to try to find something new, I’m going to try to make a statement that’s uniquely my own even though it seems like everything’s been done’ needs to go on. I still keep the hope that I can find something that hasn’t been done, at least a new combination of things. A lot was done by, I would say, 1974. The statements had been made. There’s nothing that you could find that hadn’t really been done pretty much. But it doesn’t matter, we still try.” 

Bubbling Up From Underground: The State of the Art–Rock Pt 1 is currently available. For more information, visit facebook.com/steve.fishman.50?fref=ts or majortalent.org.

Galvanized Souls

Zakk, Matt, Chris and Kevin of Galvanized Souls in Guitar Center Hollywood's Vintage Room

 

GALVANIZED SOULS

At Guitar Center

7425 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (Hollywood) 323-874-1060

Whether it's to pick up some cables, to have a pedal repaired or to be able to play a highly coveted instrument for an hour, most L.A. musicians have spent time at Guitar Center's first and flagship store. When it comes to the Ventura-based foursome of Galvanized Souls, a stop at the retailer's 29-year-old location, which is less than a mile from the Sunset Strip, is always mandatory.

"I just love to look at shiny guitars," coos lead vocalist/guitarist Zakk Silveira when we walk through Guitar Center's doors and are immediately faced with stands of beautiful instruments. It's apparent that each of his fellow bandmates – lead guitarist Chris Traylor, bassist Matt DeMartini and drummer Kevin Cogen – would love to make a beeline to their respective instrument's section as Zakk admits, "Sometimes, I just frolic around everywhere."

Even if you aren't musically inclined, it's impossible not to be awed by the vast amount of inventory covering the store's walls. We wind through the stands of instruments, and the members of Galvanized Souls find it hard not to comment and on each instrument that captures their attention.

Galvanized Souls on the Rock Walk

Matt: "Ohh, that fresh hollow body!"
Kevin: "All the pretty, polished guitars!"
Zakk: "Shiny pedals!"

"We love to look and try new things," Chris comments. "I really like all the effect pedals because we try to make every song sound different, have a different vibe. 'Kingdom of No One' has a disco sound and 'Behind Green Eyes' is very pop punk, while 'Shut You Down' and 'Fall of Icarus' have more of a grunge aspect. It's all from us wanting to push our music and experiment. You can also hear how something from the past has inspired us."

All of the songs Chris mentions appear on the group's debut self-titled EP that released last fall. Since forming in December of 2012, Galvanized Souls have also been a featured ReverbNation artist, received Beat 100's Ultimate Musician Award and won the 2013 Thousand Oaks Teen Center Battle of the Bands. All of the band members are still in their teens, yet they possess a maturity illustrated by the thoughtfulness, firm passion and dedication they put into their craft.

This love for music is apparent as they check out Guitar Center's Rock Walk. Music aficionados travel from all over the globe to see the Rock Walk inductee plaques of artists that include Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Dimebag Darrell and Elvis Presley. Galvanized Souls see how their hands size up to greats like Les Paul and Peter Criss in the collection of cement hand prints. Window displays boast memorabilia, such as photos from Guns N' Roses' first show, a Steve Gadd drum kit and the guitars of Jimmy Page, B.B. King and Eddie Van Halen. There is a homemade guitar from Bo Diddley that immediately reminds me of Galvanized Souls' love for customizing their own instruments.

"We like creating things, taking apart guitars and putting them back together like a Frankenstein type of thing," Chris offers.

Chris, Zakk and Matt were all able to explore this fascination when they attended Ventura County's Architecture Construction and Engineering High School. The idea for part of the band's name was even hatched from a box of galvanized nails in the school's shop.

"Since I was a kid, I would absolutely love building stuff or getting a radio and taking it apart," Zakk tells. "Finding out how things work has always fascinated me, so having the tools to do that at ACE made things like figuring out the wiring on a guitar so much easier."

The Galvanized Souls axe men obviously love playing guitars just as much as they like taking them apart or modifying them. It seems like they were all fated to pick up the instrument.

"The first guitar I ever picked up was a plastic toy for 'Guitar Hero,'" Chris recalls. "I had a lot of fun playing; I really liked the feeling of hearing music coming out of it. It made me want to get a guitar."

"In middle school I was very much into poetry. I liked how sentences sounded when they rhymed. I liked doing it all the time," Zakk jokingly starts to rhyme. "It's so much easier to write lyrics when you have something to write them to, so I learned guitar. And, I am named after Zakk Wylde. My dad was into Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society."

"My parents always listened to music. I grew up listening to rock and other genres, and then I started playing an instrument by myself and stuck with it ever since," Matt remembers. "Then, I thought Ross Valory, the bass player from the band Journey, was awesome. I was playing guitar, but he was the one that made me switch to bass."

Kevin also found his musical calling at an early age, too.

"Ever since I was an infant, my parents would play Chicago and I would go to the mirror and air drum or air guitar. They knew that they had a musician on their hands, and they didn't know what to do with me," he says with a laugh. "I was in my preteens when I realized, 'hey I can actually do this, I really love this. I grew up listening to the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Herman's Hermits – all the great '60s and '70s bands – so it was a dramatic change for me, because I went from listening to the Hollies to finding Escape the Fate, which is a completely different genre. Dying Is Your Latest Fashion, was the album that really changed my outlook on music. After I dove into that type of music, I found bands like My Chemical Romance then discovered the grunge scene. Nirvana swept me away, and then the Foo Fighters."

Besides music, Zakk and Kevin share a love for "Doctor Who" (David Tennant is Zakk's favorite), while Matt and Chris just finished watching the entire series of "Breaking Bad." Chris is an avid Star Wars fan, and Kevin can't resist taunting him with a gibe that the "Doctor Who" Time Lords could give Star Wars a run for its money. When I ask if any of the band members surf Ventura's great spots, Kevin is the only one who says he used to "and then I became a drummer and can't have my limbs being bitten off by a shark." All joking aside, it's clear that the foursome are completely focused on their music.

"We're always doing something music related," Zakk confesses.

"We usually hang out at Rock City Studios in Camarillo," says Matt.

"Rock City is pretty much our home venue. It's like our own little Whisky a Go Go. It's a great environment, and a lot of bands play there because it has great sound, great staff and the audience that comes there is very responsive."

If they're not at Rock City for a show, then they're in their rehearsal room practicing or writing new material. The band is pretty casual when it comes to a songwriting process.

"With some of our songs we try brainstorming together and we'll get an idea down, but other times, one of us will have an idea already then share it with the others," Chris explains. "If it's good, we'll say it sounds cool and then suggest, 'He can do something to that part, I can do something to this part.' Whether it's with the lyrics or melodies, it becomes a group effort."

A song that isn't on the Galvanized Souls EP, but has become a popular track that they perform, is a cover of Cher's "Believe." The hard-hitting cover's story began when Zakk installed a vocal box pedal with Auto-Tune on his guitar.

Kevin says, "He decided that he wanted to sing the chorus to 'Believe,' and it sounded exactly like the song."

"It started out as a joke, but then we started playing it and people really liked it. During that time, we started noticing that some of our fans had been having troubles with bullying or problems at home with their family," Zakk continues. "We decided to make a music video for it, a public service announcement video. You can get through this, you just have to believe in yourself."

Along those lines, Galvanized Souls just played the No Bull Music Showcase at the Joint in Hollywood, in support of the Great American No Bull Challenge dedicated to empowering teens to stand up to bullying. Whether they're performing as part of an event festival or a headlining gig, they strive to put on shows that stand out all others.

"We want to give as much energy as we can because we are performers, entertainers," says Chris. "That's what we need to do: entertain the whole crowd."

"People come out to see and hear a good show, so you have to give them their money's worth." adds Matt.

Kevin chimes in, "You have to give them both sides of the sword: good sound and good visual. You can't have every song look or sound the same. You have to think of ways to be interactive with the audience and spice it up to keep them going."

Along with numerous shows throughout Ventura county, the quartet have played at the House of Blues, Troubadour and Canyon Club, where they have an upcoming date on May 8. But their favorite so far was at the Roxy.

"It's the Roxy because of the curtain," Chris says. "We were on the stage getting ready to play. The curtain rose, and we started the song.

"Usually there's that moment where you're setting everything up, and people are watching you so it feels like you're starting the show," Zakk adds. "To have a curtain rise when the show starts – it's more real, more intense."

Speaking of intense, we decide to venture down into Guitar Center's vintage room that also serves as the set for the "Guitar Center Sessions," which has featured performances from the likes of Jane's Addiction, Buddy Guy and Weezer.

"Let's go see how expensive a guitar can get," Kevin comments. "You just have to love the smell of a vintage, acoustic room."

Zakk finds a particularly unique, gold glitter Italian guitar and exclaims, "What is this sorcery?!"

Amidst all the fun as we stare longingly at all the pricey guitars, I ask if the guys have any other places in Los Angeles that they like to visit.

"We really like eating over at the Rainbow because of its great atmosphere," Chris replies. "The rock scene is there, and it's fun to watch all of these '80s looking people there. We'll probably go have lunch there after this."

The band recall a particularly fun visit to the City of Angels for a recent Dead Sara show at the El Rey. That group's bassist, Chris Null, actually did a remix of the first single from the Galvanized Souls EP, "Shut You Down" and stars in the video for the song.

"It's a prequel to the original video for 'Shut You Down,' and was shot by Jared Sagal, who has directed all of our videos," Matt informs.

Zakk yells, "Rockerrazzi Filmz!"

"[Jared] helped us produce our EP with Luke Tozour," adds Chris. "They're working on our new tracks with us, too."

While we're waiting for more new music from this talented young band, Galvanized Souls have a slew of upcoming shows scheduled, including one in Mesa, Ariz. They perform Feb. 15 & April 5 at the Vault, Feb. 21 at Rock City Studios, Feb. 22 at the Chop Shop, March 8 at Rock & Roll Pizza and May 8 at the Canyon Club.

The Galvanized Souls EP is currently available. For more information, visit galvanizedsouls.com.

Robert Hensley

Robert Hensley (Tobias Daniels)

 

ROBERT HENSLEY of 'FACE VALUE'

At Kitchen 24

1608 N. Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles (Hollywood) 323-465-2424

Have you ever looked a photo of your favorite celebrity at a red-carpet event, thought they were a certain age and then were shocked to find out their actual age? Makeup artist and esthetician Robert Hensley often does, and in fact, he has just debuted a new radio show called "Face Value" on Universal Broadcasting Network (UBN) Radio centered around the idea.

"The basis of the show was actually a cocktail game I came up with as a way of rating celebrity photographs – figuring out their photographic age versus their actual age – and creating a system to give them a numerical score based on the differential," Robert explains. "I had originally written it as a television pilot, but I had been booking people on UBN's shows as a publicist and got to know the owners and what shows they were looking for, so I was said, 'Let's do it.' I knew that I could do something around the Face Value concept where I could chat with makeup artists, skincare experts and estheticians about their expertise and how everyone can look fantastic and younger. It's worked out really well."

Every Friday at 6 p.m., you can tune into "Face Value" on UBN Radio to hear Robert play a round of the former drinking game and discuss beauty-related topics with his co-host, actress Danielle Inks, and special guests, ranging from actress/musician Traci Lords to makeup department head for The Conjuring and Insidious Eleanor Sabaduquia and experts like Seti Mayet. Danielle selects a photo of a celebrity on a red carpet for Robert to examine, he guesses their age and they get a zero if they look older than they actually are, 1 if they look up to four years younger than their physical age, 2 if five to nine years younger, 3 if 10-14 years, 4 if 15-19 years and 5 if they're 20 or more years younger. So far, Sandra Bullock has received a 2, Oprah Winfrey a 3 and, sadly, Jamie Lee Curtis a 0.

Robert Hensley at Kitchen 24

"I like how happy people look when they're just enjoying life. Unfortunately that forced me to give Jamie Lee Curtis a low score, and I'm still upset by it. Regardless of your score, if you're doing amazing things and you're happy, then fuck what I have to say," he says with a laugh. "I hope that comes across on the show, that it's not enough to just use makeup and skincare products, you have to act and feel young. It really is how you present yourself. OK, Jamie Lee looked a little older in one photograph, but what she presents to the world is that she's an ageless icon. If you've got lines because you're livin', then have at it."

While they have fun playing the game, Robert and his guests really do strive to give listeners good advice on how to lead a healthy life and take good care of their skin to ensure they look as beautiful as they feel. Recent topics include the importance of keeping your makeup brushes clean and substituting detoxifying "Beauty Waters" for soda, as well as current news and social issues relating to beauty, such as the Chinese man suing his wife over ugly children and winning.

"Face Value" is broadcast from the UBN Radio studio at Sunset-Gower, so Robert takes me to his favorite place to go after recording shows, Kitchen 24. The diner's flagship location on Cahuenga is the former home of Shelly's Manne-Hole jazz club, and the late Hall of Fame drummer's wife, Florence "Flip" Butterfield, is one of the restaurant's regulars. One glance at the menu, and it's easy to see why hungry Angelenos flock to Kitchen 24 for classic comfort food with a modern twist 24-hours a day. Robert recommends the Disco Fries (seasoned fries smothered in gravy and melted provolone cheese), the k24 Turkey Burger served on a toasted, buttery brioche bun, the Fried Chicken Salad or the soups that range from the daily Spicy Tomato and Wednesday's Blackbean & Chipotle Cream to classics like French Onion (Thursdays) and New England Clam Chowder (Fridays).

Danielle joins us for a quick bite before they head off to record this week's show, and shares that she normally gets one of Kitchen 24's coffee drinks to keep her energy up through the broadcast. This afternoon she opts for the Pulled Pork Sandwich, while Robert gets the Smac & Cheese. After perusing the dessert items, I forgo the cupcake flavor of the day (Pistachi-OMG), Waffle Ice Cream Sundae and Chocolate Chip Cookie in a Skillet with Ice Cream for the delicious Strawberry Shortcake. Served in a tall milkshake glass, there are several layers of sponge cake, strawberry ice cream and fresh strawberries, topped with whipped cream.

I dive in to the divine dessert, and Robert fills me in on his background. After high school, he moved to Los Angeles to attend FIDM, but after a year returned to his home state and began studying Special Effects Makeup at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

Kitchen 24's Strawberry Shortcake

"Before I went to school for special effects in Pittsburgh, I was a total theater geek doing costume design. It was when the [Tim Burton] Batman franchise was around, and the Catwoman suit was everywhere. I started to realize that a lot of the materials they were using in special effects makeup were also being used to create wardrobe, and I wanted to learn that process," he recalls. "As a result, I fell in love with makeup and being able to utilize all my skills to create a full character."

Robert continued to work in Pennsylvania as a teacher's assistant for the Governor's School for the Arts' technical theater program. He also spent time on the East Coast as a published playwright, in San Francisco as a publicist and in Los Angeles doing makeup for various photo shoots and theatrical productions.

"I'm a huge fan of the play 'Bus Stop,' and an even bigger fan of the movie – Marilyn Monroe is perfect. Silas Weir Mitchell, who is the werewolf on 'Grimm,' directed 'Bus Stop' at the Met Theatre  in 2003, and I got to come in and talk about period makeup and work with some of the actors on their looks," Robert remembers. "Being able to step in and have something to do with a production that I liked so much was special to me."

While in Pennsylvania, Robert also worked at a museum, where Catwoman would again play a role in a significant life moment for him.

"He and my mother worked at a museum together," Danielle offers. "I went to a Halloween party with my mom dressed all in leather as Catwoman and, of course, hit it off with Robert right away."

"It's like a reoccurring theme in my life," Robert laughs.

When Robert enrolled in esthetician school and Danielle was studying to become a massage therapist, they hatched a plan with another friend to start their own day spa. They opened Project Diva, which lasted for almost year, before Robert eventually settled back in Los Angeles in 2009, with Danielle joining him last year. He continued working in the cosmetics industry before landing in public relations and, now, "Face Value."

"Makeup has always lingered somewhere in the background as I worked crazy jobs outside of the industry, but it feels like it's all coming together now producing a radio show, having an understanding of PR and media, and I am able to accept makeup job offers, too," he happily informs. "I have a reputation for being a glam hag, but I like doing stuff that's not straight beauty as well. I can do the cuts and bruises. I'm great at sculpting, painting and applying prosthetics, so if the opportunity arose, I would love to do it. I enjoy doing makeup so much again."

Robert and his co-host, Danielle Inks

Los Angeles has definitely become home to him, and he isn't planning on leaving anytime soon.

"I moved to Los Angeles three days after graduating high school. I had never been to California or the West Coast, but I just needed somewhere else to be," he says. "It is the land of opportunity. People come here to change who they are, to become something else or just to become something. It felt comfortable, a place where I could be creative and explore what I wanted without taking any shit for it.  I understood the people here and the motivation, it was really good for me."

While Robert does most of his shopping online, he loves to window shop and walk around Beverly Hills. He also likes going to the Grove early on a Wednesday when it isn't so crowded or to small, independent boutiques. Since "Face Value" is a radio show, he gets to play music from some of his favorite local artists in between segments. You can often hear songs by Vintage Trouble and Ben Caron during the show, and find Robert at their concerts at places like Rockwell Table & Stage,  Room 5, M Bar, or Hotel Café.

He spends the majority of his free time writing, though. In addition to product reviews and how-to's for Examiner.com and ghost writing for other websites, Robert just published a new short story, "Smiley Jackson and the Dark Day," that he might turn into a series. He also takes time to try out new products to talk about on "Face Value" and often does giveaways for his favorites so listeners can sample them as well.

"One of my beauty essentials is Jan Marini's Skin Care Management System, a collection of five products that really cares for your skin. I'm a huge fan of the way that they find their ingredients and manufacture their products. I talk about them on the show a lot," he says. "'Face Value' is really about helping give people information about keeping their skin in optimal condition, which leads to the side effect of looking younger. There's a misunderstanding that you have to have massive collection of products in order to care for your skin and look good, but most women can get away with with five products and a good set of brushes. It's not the product, it's the application. You can be working with the most expensive cosmetics, but if you apply them incorrectly, you can age yourself. It's really about being educated about application as well as your face. The important thing is to collect what products you think you want to use, sit down in front of a mirror and just play. "

Aside from hearing great tips and advice like that from Robert on "Face Value," there is always plenty of fun had during the show – guests, giveaways and, of course, a round of the game itself. Don't miss their special Black Friday show on Nov. 29 when Robert and Danielle will be joined by a few friends, partake of some cocktails and play a big game of Face Value. If you miss any of the broadcasts, they are available to stream or download at UBN Radio. Tune in, and join the party!

"Face Value" airs Fridays at 6 p.m. on UBN Radio. For more information, visit facebook.com/WhatsUrFaceValue and roberthensleymakeupartist.com.

Lisa Germano

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano

 

LISA GERMANO

At the Hollywood Farmers' Market

1600 Ivar Ave., Los Angeles (Hollywood)

I really enjoy it when the location an artist selects as their favorite place in Los Angeles so perfectly matches their personality that I can immediately see why they love to be there. Within the first few minutes of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lisa Germano leading me through the Hollywood Farmers' Market, it's crystal clear that she truly loves spending time here.

"I really do try to come here every Sunday. I work at a Whole Foods, and I could, of course, shop there, but I really like supporting local farms by coming here," she says. "I love people-watching, too. I often bring a diary, get a cappuccino, watch everyone walk by and write in my diary."

The Hollywood Farmers' Market runs every Sunday on Ivar Avenue between Hollywood Boulevard and Selma Avenue, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. It can get quite crowded, but Lisa knows exactly where her favorite booths are and easily leads the way through the aisles. We navigate towards the South Central Farmers' Cooperative booth where Lisa would like to pick out some beets for borscht, and she tells me about the soup and its particular meaning to her.

"This borscht is pretty amazing. We had a neighbor growing up who brought borscht over, and it was so unbelievably good. He gave me the recipe; I had it for maybe 10-12 years, but it looked complicated," she confesses. "He just died last year, so I got out the recipe, called my mom and said, 'Tell Lucille that I'm making borscht today in honor of Bill!' I made it, and it was so good. This is my third time making it."

As we move on to a root vegetable stand where Lisa buys some ginger and the Flora Bella Farm  booth for some arugula, she shares some other dishes that she likes to prepare at home.

"I cook lots of soups, pastas – I love red sauce – roasted chicken and roasted vegetables. I made a lasagne with kabocha squash, which sounds weird, but it was out of this world. It's a normal lasagne with red sauce, but in between you put a layer of steamed squash and a little nutmeg. I like experimenting with flavors and learning about different spices. I need to expand because I tend to make the same things all the time. I would like to be better at Thai food and Indian food."

We come across the Silver Lake Farms stand that sells 100-percent natural loofah sponges, and the owner explains how they grow the scouring pads on long vines that get to be about 20 feet. On one corner, there are a few kittens and a dog up for adoption, who just about break our hearts since we have both adopted pets in the past.

Lisa and Silver Lake Farms' natural loofahs

"Thank god for adoptions. All my kitties are rescue kitties," says Lisa. "I would never not have a pet. I can't even imagine it."

We go through about half of the market before sitting down at Caffe Etc. to talk about Lisa's upcoming album (her 13th release), No Elephants, that will be available on Feb. 12, 2013.

"The name No Elephants came from a few different ideas," she says. "I had it floating in my head for many years, and I wanted it to mean there are no elephants in the room, meaning that, you're not lying, there's nothing that hasn't been said, there's nothing that you're not talking about. But then it turned into, some of the songs are about cell phones and how people aren't connected and aren't communicating anymore. They're plugged in, and they're tuned out. There's no elephant in the room because nobody is talking. And then the third one is actually no elephants – when the poachers who poach these lovely beings for ivory. It's devastating that it still goes on. These animals that communicate in the most magical way: They know when one of their tribe that is miles and miles away is ill or lost. They're family oriented, they're not just things. For poachers to just kill them, I can't fathom it. So, the name is about all three of those things."

When it came time to record No Elephants, Lisa turned to producer Jamie Candiloro, who worked on her three previous albums: 2003's Lullaby for Liquid Pig, 2006's In the Maybe World and 2009's Magic Neighbor.

"He's worked on my last three records, more and more on each one. This one I gave him production credit totally because he inspired me to not be afraid to record my songs. I'm always afraid of my songs until they become what they are, it's ridiculous. He gives me the support that I need to move forward, and he recorded and mixed everything," Lisa says about Candiloro. "Sometimes he'll already kind of know what I'm going to say when he's starting to work on something. He knows as he's doing it that I might change my mind in the middle and say stop it, and he never gets mad or goes make up your mind. He's awesome."

For No Elephants' artwork, Lisa enlisted the skills of artist Lizzy Waronker.

"She does these collages that almost look like junk, but they're not. They're absolutely gorgeous, every little thing in there is in there for a reason. That was my original idea, for her to do something like that. She ended up coming up with some ideas, and the one I ended up using – a doll with her eyes closed lying on fur – when I first saw it, I thought, 'there's no way I can use fur because this is about not doing that," Lisa recalls. "Lizzy didn't push it on me, but she said, 'That's the whole thing, look how beautiful and comforting that fur is. The doll is so comforted laying there and has no idea what blood and horrible shit that the animal went through,' so it is kind of about what the record is about, to have the fur. Then on the back, the doll has her eyes open, so she's awake. I just love what Lizzy did. She's such a creative woman. She's married to Joey [Waronker], and I met Jamie originally through Joey."

Throughout her career, Lisa has worked with a veritable who's who of musical artists. From becoming a member of John Mellencamp's band in the 1980s to stints with Simple Minds and the Indigo Girls, she has collaborated with Giant Sand, written with Yann Tiersen, David Bowie and Neil Finn, and recorded with Iggy Pop, Linda Perry, Sheryl Crow and Jewel among many others. Our discussion about working with Joey Waronker leads to the mention of one artist whom Waronker has toured with that Lisa has yet to work with but would love to collaborate with in the future.

"Beck is another one of those very creative people. I've never met him, but it's unbelievable the stuff he comes up with. I would love to work with him," she says.

Besides the Hollywood Farmers' Market, there a few other aspects of Los Angeles that Lisa has come to love in the almost 15 years since she moved here from Indiana.

"I do love the weather here, but honestly, I really love the spas," she admits. "I go to Olympic Spa,  where it's only $15 to get in. They have a 'mugwort' bath, a really hot bath with mugwort tea in it. They have a plunge pool, a Himalayan salt sauna, an oxygen steam sauna and an oxygen infrared sauna – all for $15! If you want, you can get a massage. Sometimes I just go and use the sauna and it's completely and utterly rejuvenating. I think about moving back to Indiana sometimes, but I don't know how they live without the spa there."

Although Lisa also loves the diverse spectrum of cuisines offered by L.A. culture, working at Whole Foods has raised her awareness about only eating meat that has been humanely raised.

"I used to have a lot of favorite restaurants, but now I feel like I can't go to them because I can't support the meat and the eggs they serve. The eggs and chicken have to be cage-free or free-range, and the meat has to be local. I would love to go out more – I can go online and search or find out about places through word-of-mouth, but I usually end up cooking. I did take my nephew to Matsuhisa, an amazing Japanese restaurant where I am sure that they get fresh fish. I felt good about going there, and my nephew's dad was treating, so we had a ball," she says with a smile.

When her family visits from the Midwest, there are few places Lisa usually takes them.

"We almost always walk up in Runyon Canyon. My sister and brother have come twice, and they love it there. They can't believe I live just five minutes from that place," she says. "We often go to the beach, walk from Venice to Santa Monica along the beach. If it's a girl visiting, we go to the spa. I do miss stuff from the Midwest. We had farmers' markets, beautiful forests, mushroom hunting and fruit picking. I miss that stuff, but this is a good place for now."

One thing that has been a mainstay in Lisa's life since birth is music. Her father Rocco and mother Betty were musicians who taught lessons, and Lisa and her five siblings formed bands and would giver performances in their yard. By age 7, Lisa had already taught herself the piano and had written a 15-minute opera on her own. It was during this time that she began to play the violin.

Lisa admires South Central Farmers' Coop's beets

 "Our parents took us into a room and said, 'Pick an instrument yourself, because you're going to play this until you're 18.' They wanted us all to learn discipline and eye-hand coordination," she fondly remembers. "I bet you I picked the violin because my dad played viola and violin. I was my dad's pet. He was a really tough guy, so I probably wanted to be like my dad."

While songwriting came naturally to Lisa, coming up with lyrics was something that took a little more time to develop.

"I wouldn't ever have thought I could write. I'm not very good with words, to be honest, which in a strange way is what makes it work. People tell me that my music is very simple, and that's because I write then I strip away. You say too much at first, and then you strip away. That's the most exciting part;" she tells. "The beginning part is more struggle because you know you want to say something, like I had that line 'no elephants' for three or four years before I knew where I was going to put it. I wrote a song [sings a line from 'From a Shell,' which appears on the 2003 Underworld film soundtrack], 'It's the buzz, It's the buzz,' and I thought it was going to be a funny, weird song about being drunk. It ended up being about 9/11."

For Lisa, writing is a puzzle, and sometimes she's not really sure where some ideas spring from. Recently she watched a video of Elizabeth Gilbert's (Eat, Pray, Love) TED talk and found comfort in the author's stories of her own struggles with the writing process.

"She talks about how, now that she's had a hit book, everybody's saying that she's going to be a failure. She goes into that in the past that geniuses were called geniuses because they had a genie in them. It was cool because she talked about that it's not just you, that [ideas] come from somewhere, and it really relieves your pressure. You can say, 'Well they're not coming through for me today,' blame it on them. She had this story about Tom Waits driving. He was in the car and got this great idea. He says, 'Why did you do that when I was driving? Can't you see that I can't write this down right now,'" Lisa describes. "I never thought of that, that there's a genie and you're a catalyst for their ideas. I can't stand that whole process that people go through [forcing creativity], there is so much bad music out there because of it. You should wait until an idea has matured, and has become what it can become. Sometimes you still don't know if you've waited long enough because you'll start playing a song differently than when you recorded it. Performing songs helps them become what they really are."

Lisa released her first solo album, On the Way Down From the Moon Palace, in 1991, which led to a record deal with Capitol and the release of Happiness in 1993.

"It's always been important to me that my records tell a story. I don't feel like I'm being honest, giving the genuine article, if they don't tell a story. That's why the sequencing is very important to me," she shares. "When I was on Capitol, they would not let me have my sequence. We fought about it for months; that was the reason that the record didn't come out on time. They finally got their sequence and it probably didn't really make any difference, but to me, I was devastated. It was my first major-label record, and it didn't even say what I wanted it to say."

She parted ways with the label and found a champion in 4AD's Ivo Watts-Russell. His label re-released Happiness with the sequencing that Lisa desired, as well as her Inconsiderate Bitch EP, 1994's Geek the Girl, 1996 Excerpts from a Love Circus and 1998's Slide. Although Geek the Girl and its subsequent follow-ups garnered Lisa much critical praise, she was eventually dropped by 4AD. Lisa packed up her things and moved to Los Angeles for a fresh start. She worked at West Hollywood's Book Soup for a while, but songwriting remained a part of her life.

In 2002, Lisa put forth two efforts on her own, Concentrated and Rare, Unusual or Just Bad Songs, and hooked up with Ineffable/ARTISTdirect for Lullaby for Liquid Pig the following year. No Elephants is going to be released by Badman Recording, and Lisa remains hopeful and positive as she looks to the future. When I ask her what words of advice she would whisper into the ear of younger Lisa, she replies:

"My mom's a huge inspiration, so I would say listen to Betty's words instead of Rocco's words. Betty's positive, Rocco's not. I would say, 'Do what Betty would do.' I don't know how you would tell a kid who is depressed to not be depressed because you kind of have to go though it yourself or you can try to be an inspiration that isn't irritating. Some people that are happy are just too happy, and you don't trust them. Unless you can do both – be sad and happy – I don't think you can be truly happy. I would also say, 'Always look to the earth for answers when you're depressed because everything dies and everything grows back, it's all OK.' It's sad to think of it that way ,but that's how it really is because that's how the earth is and we are the earth. It makes sense. It's taken a long time to think that, but I really do believe that."

No Elephants will be available Feb. 12, 2013. For more information, visit lisagermano.com.

L.A. LANDMARKS - Amoeba Music

 

AMOEBA MUSIC

6400 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (Hollywood)

One of the most recognizable landmarks on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood is Amoeba Music. While the neon red logo and music notes set its exterior ablaze to catch the eye of passing motorists, most are attracted to the shop by the promise of the many treasures to be found within its walls. Established in 2001 as the third location of the chain founded by former employees of Berkeley's Rasputin Music, the Hollywood branch has grown into the world's largest independent music store. The building takes up an entire city block, and millions of CDs, vinyls, DVDs, VHS tapes, posters and other collectibles occupy its two stories.

I've spent countless hours scouring the new and used bins for titles to add to my collection, and I always look forward to seeing bands perform in-stores at Amoeba. From the Black Keys and Black Flag to P.J. Harvey and Elvis Costello, so many amazing artists have done free shows in the shop. Besides the live sets and signings, Amoeba hosts charity auctions and special events like next week's Halloween extravaganza.

Although the vast inventory of goods and incomparable concert calendar already make Amoeba stand out from other music retailers, it's the sense of community that the store fosters that truly makes it unique. The staff is made up of musicians, artists, DJs and writers, and music is their life. If you can't remember the name of the band who sings the song that's been stuck in your head for days, someone behind the counter will undoubtedly be able to come up with the name and help you find that CD. Not sure what to buy? Head to the Music We Like (staff picks) or Home Grown (local, unsigned artists) sections for a multitude of suggestions.

No one is ever looming over you, pressuring you to buy something and leave. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The atmosphere at Amoeba is so laid-back and positive, you feel like you can browse as long as you want. With holiday shopping season fast approaching, I know that I would rather spend an hour at Amoeba rather than a disgustingly crowded mall.

Stars in Stereo

Stars in Stereo's Justin Siegel, Bec Hollcraft, Drew Langan, Jordan McGraw and Ryan "Frogs" McCormack at Delancey

 

STARS IN STEREO

At Delancey Bar and Pizzeria

5936 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (Hollywood) (323) 469-2100

On the surface, Delancey might seem like your average bar and pizzeria. But what may appear to be a regular Italian restaurant to some, will forever be a treasured place for the five members of one of the city's fastest rising bands, Stars in Stereo.

"The first time we all worked together was at a studio next door. We just kind of stumbled across this place and ended up coming here every day for the next three months," says guitarist Jordan McGraw. "Delancey means a lot to us because we grew closer as a band here."

"Our first meal together was here, so it holds a lot of memories," adds vocalist Bec Hollcraft. "It's just a cool spot, too."

The rest of the group is just as enthusiastic about Delancey while telling me about their usual orders.

"They have awesome beer," begins drummer Drew Langan. "I normally go with the Downtown Brown and a Chopped Salad."

Bassist Justin Siegel says, "They have a different fish special here every few days, which is usually very good. I like that, and the Cucumber Carpaccio."

"I usually get the pizza," says guitarist Ryan "Frogs" McCormack. "They make damn good pizza. The thin-and-crispy crust and all of the toppings are really good. Everything works well together. The one with a sunny-side up egg and truffle butter [the Horatio] is so good."

While Jordan sticks to the Penne alla Vodka and a glass of the Allagash Curieux, Bec usually gets the Spaghetti with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and basil.

"I'm kind of picky with what I eat. I don't eat meat, and I try to stay away from dairy. Sometimes I eat fish, but I'm a wannabe vegan, that's the best way to put it," she says.

I take a sip of pear cider as Bec shares some of her favorite L.A. vegan haunts.

"The one I like most is in Silver Lake, which isn't so close to where I live, but it's worth the drive. Flore Vegan is so good; it's like vegan junk food. I also like Real Food Daily and M Café."

Bec is not only the group's only female and wannabe vegan, she's also the newest to the quintet. The four guys were formerly band mates in City (Comma) State. When it came time to start another project last year, they found their perfect frontwoman in Bec – who, after several years of touring as a solo act, was ready for something new.

"Now, these guys are my brothers," she says. "I'm much happier being in a band than being solo because I would have to travel out there alone, and it's so much better when you get to experience the excitement with other people. When I'm on stage, I feel like these guys have got my back and I've got theirs. It's a family. I love bouncing ideas off them and creating with them, too."

Bec is a Portland, Ore. transplant and, like most of Stars in Stereo (except Lakewood native Drew), didn't grow up in Los Angeles, but they've all come to love the city.

"I grew up outside of Boston, Mass., then I moved out here after college. It was nice growing up there, but there was way too much snow," says Frogs. "I like just about everything here. The weather's a lot nicer. All my friends moved out here, so my social circle lives here. The music industry – basically if I was anywhere else, I would feel like I was standing still."

"There's a little bit of everything here, so you can't really be bored. Anybody who says they're bored in L.A. is full of shit," laughs Justin, who grew up in South Florida. "I actually like the people. Some complain about the people who live in L.A., but ... wait, I only have four friends—"

"Let the record show that he pointed to the four of us in this group," interjects Frogs.

"No, seriously. If I didn't live here I wouldn't have met you guys," continues Justin. "I didn't start playing music until I moved out here, either. So that's a big part of why I love it here, because I started that chapter of my life here."

"I grew up in Texas and moved out here with my family," shares Jordan. "As soon as I finished high school I moved out on my own near the Sunset Strip. I used to walk to the House of Blues and go down to the Key Club for random shows. Metal Skool was always fun. There was a period when I went to Metal Skool every week."

Nowadays, Jordan is more likely to be found hanging out at the Den or the Rainbow ("It's like going to the '80s") late at night. The self-confessed Disney freak also enjoys the occasional trip to Disneyland.

"I love the Nightmare Before Christmas, so the Haunted Mansion at Halloween is definitely my favorite ride," he says.

Bec likes to spend some of her free time going shopping.

"I love Melrose, searching through shops there," she admits. "Also, AllSaints is a great store. I like certain brands that I find at places like Urban Outfitters. I like LF, it's one of my favorite stores. There's so much shopping here. That's one of the things that I love about Los Angeles. I know it's girlie, but the shopping is amazing."

Drew, on the other hand, is the person who can steer you to the right sports bar to cheer on your favorite football team and can't wait until there's an L.A. team.

"I love the game, but because I was born and raised in L.A., I have yet to latch onto a team. Every year I grow more fond of one team than another, but I'm going to wait to pick a team for good until L.A. gets one," he says, before sharing his sports bar picks. "There's Big Wangs, which was my favorite for a long time. I've never had a bad time at Buffalo Wild Wings, either. There's a really cool Ravens bar called the Parlor. I'm not that big of a Ravens fan, but that's a fun place to watch a game."

I soon learn that Drew not only likes to watch the game, but likes to play it on the Stars in Stereo tour bus – well, virtually, at least.

"Drew and I may be the most competitive people on the planet, so we have an ongoing bet with 'Madden.' Loser has to shave a line in their eyebrow. I'm up 9-6, for the record," tells Jordan. "I  actually paused a game of 'Tiger Woods' before coming here. We'll play that all night, every night. I think everyone else hates that game because it's always on."

The band has spent a lot of time on road lately, opening for the likes of Foxy Shazam, Hoobastank and the Used.

"All the bands we've toured with have been some of the coolest people we've met," says Justin. "They each gave us an opportunity to learn something different. The Used do what they do and make no apologies for it, and they own the crowd. Foxy Shazam are probably, without a doubt the most interesting performers we've ever seen. And then Hoobastank's fans are almost a part of the band because they're so engaging. They make it look so easy. We've gotten to learn something from each of the bands that we've been on tour with. I don't think we could have asked for a better first set of tours for a new band."

Whether they're on the road or rehearsing together here in Los Angeles, the band is always writing new material.

"Writing is like therapy for me. If I'm going through something I just write it down, and it helps," says Bec. "We all like to write. We all come in with ideas, sit in the studio and figure out what we're clicking with the most. And we don't leave the studio until we're happy with it. It's really important that everyone is stoked on everything, and that is represents everyone."

One song that not only resonates with all of the members in the band but also with many of the crowds they've reached on tour is "The Broken."

"Everyone feels broken at some point in their lives, I know I've been there," confesses Frogs. "It's one thing that connects us to our audience. A lot of our lyrics talk about not just being broken but being able to come out of stages of being broken, how we could all come together and help each other out."

"I can say that whenever I sing that song it upsets me the most out of all of our songs. It comes from a really personal place," adds Bec. "Growing up, I struggled a lot with that feeling of isolating myself because I felt different or unique or weird or like an outcast. It's liberating every time I sing it. I just want to scream, 'I'm broken, and I don't care!' It feels good, and it's cool to see people start to learn the song on these tours. We write these songs about our internal struggles, but we really people to be a part of our music. So it's really amazing to see that reaction from the audience."

After wrapping up some dates with the Used, the band is crossing the nation with Blue October to reach even more audiences. With their self-titled debut album on the horizon, Stars in Stereo plans to spend as much time on the road as possible.

"I think that's where we excel the most: giving a great show," says Bec. "We put everything into our shows."

"We've had the opportunity to learn from some of our favorite bands," adds Drew. "We really know how to focus all of our energy on connecting with our audience and putting as much as we possibly can into the time that we're on stage."

For more information, visit starsinstereo.com.