“Once the drag queen comes out of the cake, you’re up.”
I nodded to my editor and a fellow Dallas Observer writer and I walked onstage, envelops in hand.
The Canton Theater was full of local artists and Dallas music enthusiasts. All eyes were on me as I read out the nominees to the Dallas Observer Music Awards and then did the whole “And the winner is…” while opening the envelope.
One of the names I read was “Bobby Sessions.” He was nominated for a few awards throughout the night, and won 3 of the biggest ones.
The next day, my friend Yani who works for the Universal Music Group asked me to photograph her interview with him.
I arrived at a management studio in Deep Ellum. Bobby Session’s manager, Vince, came to the lobby to get me. When we came up the elevator, Yani and Bobby were sitting on a black leather couch. They both got up to greet me.
Bobby Sessions sang the title track for the new movie featuring KJ Appa, Amanda Selberg, and Common, The Hate U Give.
I took some candid shots of Bobby and Yani as he spoke about his career, his life and his personal connection with the issues in the movie.
Once the interview ended, Yani and I just kind of stayed and chilled in the room with him, his manager, and his girlfriend. We just got to chatting. We talked Kanye West, SMU, and other random things.
Here’s where I took advantage of the situation. I asked him about interviews he’s had with people and what has made a good and bad interviewer. He told me a few key tips:
Be genuine, but don’t sound fake.
Be genuine, but don’t sound disinterested.
Ask questions you genuinely want to know, because the interviewee can tell if you do.
That’s it. Then he took us to the roof of the studio where he often hangs out and thinks. It had a breathless view of downtown Dallas.
Bobby Sessions is a deep thinker and an artists through and through, but he’s also just a chill kid. Almost everything he said was profound, and it was cool to get to know him just as his career is taking off.
On my quest to conduct interesting and unique interviews, I’ve added a couple “experimental” questions. I’m trying out a couple different questions outside of the typical “how would you describe your musical evolution,” or “what’s your tour going to look like?”
I asked Josh to describe himself, which I know is a weird question to ask somebody who has been famous as long as I’ve been alive.
Last week, when I covered the Troye Sivan show, I was very confused about this whole concert photography thing. How does it even work?
My first attempt at this was during the Haim concert. The Southside Ballroom staff was super nice and gave me a photo pass, though I had no idea how to use one.
At the Box Office, once I gave them my name and publication I was there for, they gave me this nice canvas-like sticker with the Haim girls printed on it. It said “Photo” on it. They said it was my photo pass and pointed to a security guard that would show me where to go.
The only thing? I didn’t have a freakin. Camera.
The venue coordinators were very confused with me. “Did you bring your camera?”
I held up my phone like the dork that I am. “I thought I would take photos on my iPhone?”
Again, I had no idea how this worked. Clearly.
Long story short, they told me I’d probably get better iPhone photos if I just tried to get as close to the stage as possible. I ended up not using my photo pass (as it now decorates my waiter bottle), and just asked my friend for the photos she took with her phone.
When I covered Troye, I thought I could just hop on the photojournalism train for fun. The Observer had hired a photographer to shoot for my article (shoutout to my boy Mike), but I thought I could just join anyways for experience. Wrong. I found myself looking like a dufus at the media table, surrounded by 8 professional photographers who knew that they were doing, ready to go with multiple giant cameras around their necks.
So, at NEEDTOBREATHE, I got my shot at redemption.
I got handed a photo pass at the box office of Toyota Music Factory.
After explaining to the people at the metal detectors why I was bringing in a big black bag with camera equipment, I was in.
I waited at the media table tucked at the corner of the venue, getting my camera settings ready and the zoom lens on.
At 9pm, the event coordinator came to grab me and the other photographer at the table to bring us to the pit.
Toyota Music Factory hold 4,000 people in the pavilion. Not only was this a sold-out show, but they opened the back of the pavilion to a lawn that holds another 4,000.
The other photographer and I were led into the pit, about a 5-foot gap between the railing that held back the mosh pit and the stage. It was just us and the bodyguards allowed in this section.
I adjusted my camera settings, and soon enough the band came onstage.
The other photographer put in earplugs.
Why didn’t I think of earplugs?
I couldn’t hear anything for the next couple hours, but it was worth it.
8,000 people and I got the best view.
This was one of the most nerve-racking jobs I’ve ever had. I only got to shoot for the first 3 songs, that’s it. It was sheer luck that I went away with clear photos.
I was so scared everything I shot was blurry. Granted, 80% of what I shot was horrible and either too light or dark, but I was so excited with what I came away with.
I got back home close to midnight, and couldn’t sleep until I edited all my photos.
I’m working an internship at a summer camp is Philadelphia. Basically I’m helping to lead a leadership training program.
But while living at a camp and working full time, for some reason I thought, sure. I can keep working Observer articles. So that’s what I’ve been doing.
I recently submitted an article on my experience being backstage during a Lion King production (which will either get published soon or I will put it up on here), and then I landed two interviews.
One Tuesday morning at camp, I took a break from my internship duties to go back to my cabin and have a phone call with both Kristian from Sugarland (the duo that just did that song “Babe” with Taylor Swift), and Kevin from Pentatonix (aka my favorite member).
Kristian was very professional and pleasant to talk to. He gave me the scoop on his partnership with Taylor Swift and everything.
Kevin was calling from Cali so he had just woken up it seemed, so it was a very chill conversation. He was super nice, even trying to work with a couple technical hiccups I had. I gushed about how much I loved their show last year, and he was so excited about coming back to Dallas for Whataburger.
I already had a ticket, but I told her I’d take another one if I could. So the Southside Ballroom (the uber-cool venue Haim was performing at in Dallas) gave me TWO tickets BESIDES the one I had already bought for myself (yes, to go watch them alone. I bought it before going to concerts was something I got paid for.) They also gave me a photo pass!
I knew about one of my extra tickets early, so I was able to surprise my friend with it.
Also, while lining up two hours before the show, I found out I got two free tickets and was able to call my sister to come join. It was so spontaneous and super fun.
I am not kidding when I saw I FREAKED OUT THE WHOLE FREAKIN TIME. It was by far the best concert I had ever been to. These girls are so incredibly talented. I don’t think I breathed the whole time.
Anyway.
I basically just freaked out about how much I loved the concert, and that’s what resulted in this article.
My only thing? My editor wrote the headline, which I didn’t like very much. I felt like using “Sex” in the title was click-bait-y and distracted from the whole point I was going for.
You see that beautiful piece of zebrawood I’m holding? That gorgeously crafted piece of art? That is my electric-acoustic Ibanez, commonly known as Troy.
(Side note: My first guitar was a classical named Gabriella, so maybe you can connect the theme here. I unfortunately can’t plug her in or put a strap on her, so I needed an acoustic guitar to be able to bring around and use for church and performances and stuff.)
Yesterday, Troy died for the third time.
Get ready for a musical story of love and heartbreak. If you’re a musician of any sort, this might be hard to read. Just bear with me. Stay strong.
Right after the picture above was taken (the picture of me and my best friend, not the gif of Will Ferrel…), I forgot Troy at our church building. It was right after I had done a rendition of “Beautiful” by MercyMe, and I had headed to work right after. Luckily, I was meeting a friend later that day, so I just asked her to grab it for me. The thing is, Troy didn’t have a case at this time. I had still been saving up to buy one. And unfortunately, the strap was a little finicky. While my friend carried it, the strap came undone, and CRASH.
Troy was decapitated.
Pretty much.
Well, his head was hanging off. (Technically it’s called a headstock, but… details.)
Needless to say, my friend was mortified. And it’s been a while since I’d seen her freak out that much. She knew how much I love Troy.
We took turns comforting each other during this emotionally traumatic time. Luckily, she being the good friend she is, paid for Troy’s repair. Guitar Center fixed him for $150. Looking back, I should’ve just used the money to buy a replacement guitar, but hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it?
Troy was fixed.
The End.
Right?
No.
Months later, on a road trip to visit our friends in College Station as pictured below, I decided it was a good idea to leave Troy in my friend’s car overnight.
Worst. Idea. Ever.
You see, I had left Troy in the car many times before and it was fine! That is, I left him in the car many times before he was damaged. I didn’t even think about how his fragile state could affect his ability to withstand the intense Texas heat.
On the way home, I found Troy dead again. His head was once more hanging lose. The glue from his repair had come undone, and we were back to having a broken guitar.
This time, my parents were angels and agreed to pay for his repair. Once more, I really really really should’ve just bought a new guitar. I really really really really really really should have.
…
Anyway.
After going to a big worship music ministry conference with my church, I was super inspired to start playing Troy again.
It was a Sunday night. 8:04 pm. I was in my dorm room. I opened the hard case I now keep him in, and there he was.
This time, completely decapitated. His head(stock) wasn’t even hanging, it was just completely off.
My guitar was in two pieces.
Keep in mind, I got Troy for Christmas, but had to still pay my parents half of his cost. He was $399. I’ve spent $250 on repairs by now. And he just freaking KEEPS BREAKING.
After a very intense cry session in which I had a questioning-my-life-and-contemplating-quitting-music-forever-and-never-picking-up-an-instrument-ever-again-maybe-this-whole-thing-is-an-omen-and-I-should-just-live-a-music-less-and-miserable-existence breakdown…….
I eventually gathered myself together. An omen to stop music? Ridiculous.
I took the poor guitar to Guitar Center, and a nice man who worked there heard my sob story and offered to repair it for free, since their last repair was only a little over a month ago. There he now sits, getting his third surgery. But the Guitar Center repairman told me that he won’t last long. He explained that it’s like having a wrecked car. You can fix it, but it will never be the same. It’ll just keep breaking.
Basically, I need a new guitar. I’ll still have Troy, but I need something I can actually bring around since he’ll only last maybe a couple more months.
I’m still trying to figure out what to do, honestly. My plan was to save money for an electric guitar and a keyboard. Now I have to backtrack and figure out how to get a replacement acoustic. No new toys until I replace it. Do I get the same guitar as a replacement? Do I get a different one? Should I just get a keyboard instead? Should I wait until Black Friday? Or Christmas?
I don’t know. I’m bad at decisions. I’m still looking around and spending a questionable amount of time at Guitar Center feeling out the instruments and trying to figure out what I need to buy and with what money. We’ll see what happens.
So there you have it. The story of how Troy died. Three times. And though he’s getting repaired again, his life is over. So let’s just end this weird cliff hanger of an ending with some pictures commemorating our good times together.
The snapchat I put on my story when I unboxed him on Christmas Day
Here’s us leading worship at a teen summer camp.
Here’s one of the only humans in the world I trust to play him.
For my Intro to Digital Hybrid Media Class, my professor had us listen to a couple podcasts on Song Explorer. On this website, artists take apart their music piece by piece. If you want to hear musicians dissect their work, I’d highly recommend to check it out!
I scrolled down and stopped when I saw “La La Land,” of course. It’s my favorite movie, so obviously I want to hear about it. It was the coolest thing to hear the different parts of “Audition.” I heard Emma Stone’s voice stripped of the orchestra, and vice versa, all taken apart with commentary from its creator, Justin Hurwitz. This guy is mega talented, so I loved hearing his thought process and creative journey through making this beautiful song.
I also listened to a podcast on The Lumineers. It was about their song “Ophelia.” I’d never heard the song before but I’ve liked some of their music so I wanted to learn more about them. I loved listening to the behind-the-scenes clips of the artists working on the song and hearing their thought processes. My favorite part of the podcast was when they were telling the story of stomping on a wood floor in a random corner of the studio with their boots for a beat.
After a night out in Lower Greenville with my closest girlfriends, we passed by this record shop and had to stop by. I returned from this gloriously cool place with a Barbara Streisand Greatest Hits CD, of course.
Ed Sheeran took a year off. He got rid of social media, communicating solely through email, and traveled the world with his girlfriend. He came back, finished up ÷, and has recently released it. The following is a breakdown of each song, pulled from an interview (which will be in a link in Part 2), in which Ed addresses Divide track-to-track.
As Ed says, he “couldn’t have made a better album.”
Eraser
Track 1, and Ed hits us with verses upon verses of what he calls “verbal vomit.” The words strike with such rawness and realness. Almost the first whole minute is simply Ed spitting bars about fame, money, and the “trappings of the industry.”
Ed wrote this song in his treehouse the same night he wrote “Hearts Don’t Break Around Here.” He says “there’s so much that has happened to me in the last 5 years that I haven’t been able to talk about.” A great kick start to ÷, “Eraser” packs a punch for sure.
Castle on a Hill
Here we have a single that was released in January. A classic roll-your-windows-down-a-country-road Sheeran song. Most of his friends cried when they first heard it, and it’s his dad’s favorite song on the album (probably because he actually lives near the castle on the hill). Ed remarked that he was influenced by Snow Patrol, and that he had the idea of doing a reflective song for a while. He said he thought, “No one’s done this reflective thing! And then that Lukas Graham song came on- and I was like, aaaah!”
Dive
Ahh, now we’re chilling it out a bit after a couple hard-hitting tracks. A great ballad filled with Ed’s underrated belting skills. A classic beat with some very unique melodies and lines like:
So don’t call me baby Unless you mean it Don’t tell me you need me If you don’t believe it So let me know the truth Before I dive right into you
When asked about this song, Ed said “that’s hard to sing.” Understandable. But he did it great, didn’t he? “It was meant to be sung falsetto. I was in the kitchen belting it out and Benny (Benny Blanco, producer) was like- ‘that’s how you’re meant to sing it!’.”
Another surprise in this song was the background female vocal. Out of nowhere, a woman named Jessie Ware (who did vocals for 3 songs and co-wrote “New Man”), comes in. Ed confessed that none of his managers and no one at the label agreed with adding her in (it had never happened before on a song of his), but he insisted.
Perfect
Well I found a woman, stronger than anyone I know She shares my dreams, I hope that someday I’ll share her home I found a love, to carry more than just my secrets To carry love, to carry children of our own We are still kids, but we’re so in love, fighting against all odds I know we’ll be alright this time Darling just hold my hand, be my girl, I’ll be your man I see my future in your eyes
Before writing this soft, classic love song, Ed said that his mindset was “I need to write the best love song of my career, and I need to do it %100 me.” Ed’s mission was to beat his hit “Thinking Out Loud,” and ended up writing, singing and producing what he sees as his best song yet.
Talking about his current girlfriend and childhood sweetheart Cherry Seaborn, he admits that he is “really happy, really comfortable,” and has “never been more inspired.”
Galway Girl
A personal favorite of mine, and apparently Ed’s as well. About this ode to Ireland, he said “That’s like my favorite one. My whole album is my favorite one, but that one I was so excited to come out!”
For those who don’t know, Galway is a harbor city in Ireland. Ed had an Irish folk band called Beoga over at his house to record for some of his songs, and decided to write a song in their style. Some people are speculating that the “Galway Girl” is Niamh Dunne, the fiddler in Beoga, but some facts in her life don’t really match up with the song. Also, Ed has said that this was one of two fictional songs in the album (the other, we have no idea).
“I know there’s like 400 million people in the world that claim Irish, and they’re going to love it, and I can’t wait to put it out there. And also Ireland is my biggest market.” There you go, Ireland. A perfect song all wrapped in a bow.
Happier
Ain’t nobody hurt you like I hurt you But ain’t nobody need you like I do I know that there’s others that deserve you But my darling I am still in love with you
“When you’ve had your first relationship or second relationship when you’re young and it ends, you’re so bitter about it and I get to sort of… look at exes in their relationships and think ‘she actually looks happier than she’d be if she were with me’,” Ed said, when asked to explain the feeling that this song stemmed from.
“It was a kind of epiphany moment,” he commented, comparing it a little to Adele’s “Someone Like You.” He described meeting the new boyfriend of the girl who his first and second albums were mostly about, and thinking, “he’s so much more suited to her than I ever was.”
New Man
Now, this song is just plain funny. It’s definitely one of my favorite tracks, and proof that Ed can put things like Instagram stalking, kale, Kardashians, and eyebrow plucking into a song and still make you dance.
But still, I’m just keeping it real, still looking at your Instagram and I’ll be creeping a little I’ll be trying not to double tap, from way back, cause I know that’s where the trouble’s at Let me remind of the days when you used to hold my hand And when we sipped champagne out of cider cans I guess if you were Lois Lane, I wasn’t superman, just a young boy trying to be loved So let me give it to you
About this song, Ed said “I was basically like, let’s write a list of like- you know when your ex leaves you and the first guy she gets with- what that guy is like.”
Apparently this was going to be a bonus track (Ed wanted “Save Myself” to be in its place), but the management insisted on putting it in the top 12, and I’m glad he did.
Hearts Don’t Break Round Here
Ed did say that this was his favorite song of the album, but by this time he’s said that about maybe 3 or 4 tracks, sooooo we’re just going to accept the fact that he can’t show favoritism with his babies. That’s okay.
This track came a bit later, and was an “Ed production” as well, meaning that it was %100 Ed-produced, written and recorded. He wrote it on his kitchen table, remarking that he often “finds the best songs- like happier- where it’s not structured.”
What Do I Know?
This song was Ed’s way of having a say in politics.
We could change this whole world with a piano Add a bass, some guitar, grab a beat and away we go I’m just a boy with a one man show No university no degree but lord knows Everybody’s talking about exponential growth And the stock market crashing and their portfolios While I’ll be sitting here with a song that I wrote Saying love could change the world in a moment But what do I know? Love can change the world in a moment But what do I know? Love can change the world in a moment But what do I know?
Many a British artist can get confused about the craziness of American politics. I mean, even American politicians can get confused about it sometimes. I don’t know about you, but I love how Ed has put his two cents in. He describes this song as a “knee-jerk reaction” to what happened last year. “It’s me looking at the world and being like, we’re not doing too well here, are we?” I appreciate Ed giving us some perspective, and as always, backed up by a catchy beat.
How Would You Feel
I was a little iffy about the new album when I heard “Shape Of You”- I thought, this could go either way. I hoped Ed hadn’t gotten sucked into the swirling vortex of pop music. But after hearing this song, I was confident that Ed would never do that to us.
Another classic love song to add to Ed’s collection of perfect wedding songs. He was asking Cherry what her favorite song of the album was, and she replied with, “my favorite song, you don’t even know it exists.” So, she found it in her email and played it to him. As it turns out, he had written it a while back, recorded it on his iPhone, sent it to her, and forgotten about it. Thanks to his girlfriend, we get to enjoy this gorgeous ballad.
Another fun fact! Ed said that while he was trying to get the guitar solo down, he wasn’t satisfied and kept thinking about how only John Mayer could do it well. And since he’s lucky enough to have John’s number, he called him up. The brilliant guitar solos that you are graced with in this track is the John Mayer.
The last song and the four bonus tracks will be covered in Part 2.
In a previous album, Ed had released “Afire Love,” one of my favorite songs of his, as a tribute to his late grandfather on his father’s side. Here is another song about a grandparent, this time about his late grandmother on his mother’s side.
His grandmother was very ill and passed away when he was making the record. At first, he wasn’t going to release this song, but was encouraged to do so by his father and grandfather after he had played it at the funeral. A beautiful song, written from the perspective of his mom.
So I’ll sing Hallelujah, you were an angel in the shape of my mum When I fell down you’d be there holding me up Spread your wings as you go And when God takes you back He’ll say Hallelujah, you’re home
Save Myself
Another one of those songs that make you sort of rethink your life. Thanks, Ed.
I gave you all my energy and I took away your pain Cause human beings are destined to radiate or drain What line do we stand upon cause from here it looks the same? And only scars remain
Life can get you down so I just numb the way it feels I drown it with a drink and out of date prescription pills And all the ones that love me, they just left me on the shelf, no farewell So before I save someone else, I’ve got to save myself
Nancy Mulligan
If you’re listening to this after “Save Myself,” it’s a bit random and out of place. Yet, it fits. Perhaps it’s a cousin to “Galway Girl”?
This was basically Ed telling the love story of his grandparents. The whole thing was a true story, which makes it a thousand times better.
She and I went on the run Don’t care about religion I’m gonna marry the woman I love Down by the Wexford border She was Nancy Mulligan, and I was William Sheeran She took my name and then we were one Down by the Wexford border
Well I met at her Guys in the second world war She was working on a soldier’s ward Never had I seen such beauty before The moment that I saw her Nancy was my yellow rose And we got married wearing borrowed clothes We got eight children now growing old Five sons and three daughters
Let me just say, wouldn’t we all want to have a grandson like Ed?
Bibia Be Ye Ye
After the opening lines about losing his shoes and not knowing where he put his keys, I was hooked by how relatable this song sounds, you know?
Someone told me, always say what’s on your mind And I am only, being honest with you, I I get lonely And make mistakes from time to time Se enioma enko ye Bibia Be Ye Ye Bibia Be Ye Ye Ye Ye Ye Ye Ye Bibia Be Ye Ye
Okay, let’s translate. “Se enioma enko ye” means “if things aren’t working out,” and “bibia be ye ye” means “everything will be alright.” It’s not just a bunch of random cool sounds.
This is another ode to Ed’s year of travels, because it was recorded in Africa.
Barcelona
This song was going to be the first single, but ended up as a bonus track, and I’m not really sure why, because it’s awesome. I mean, not only is it one of Ed’s catchiest songs, but he even speaks spanish in it! He said that he was in Barcelona about to make the video when he got a call that his album wasn’t good enough yet. He said that his managers “know that if you put pressure on me, the songs will come.” At that point, he kept writing, and was happy he did, because he came up with an album he is really proud of.
For the full interview (it’s an hour long; I watched it so you don’t have to, but you do you), see below:
When people cover songs from other artists, I think it’s just so cool. I love how you can listen to one song, and then someone new sings it and it can turn into something totally different. Here are a few of my favorites. Enjoy!
(These aren’t in order. I can’t choose favorites.)
Imagine Dragons- Stand By Me
The band performed this at the 2015 Billboard Music Awards. They’ve done some really cool covers, including “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift, if you wanna look that one up. This one I thought was super cool.
2. Boyce Avenue and Bea Miller- We Can’t Stop
Can we just take a moment to appreciate these people’s voices? They’re those kinds of singers that don’t really need to try, they just sound naturally beautiful. Love their take on Miley Cyrus’ song, how they softened it up and made it sound so pretty. And Bea was only 14 at the time!
3. Taylor Swift- Riptide
I love Taylor’s version of Vance Joy’s song, I actually like it better than the original. It’s also refreshing to see her with a piano.
4. Little Mix- Doo-Wop/ Never Leave You (Acapella)
The only thing I love better than a good cover- a good acapella cover. I love it when Little Mix does acapella. It really shows off their talent and individual voices. Little Mix are the winners of the British X-Factor in 2011. They are currently #2 in the charts in the UK with their new album “Get Weird” (which I highly recommend, by the way).
5. Fifth Harmony and Boyce Avenue- Mirrors
This one is also with Boyce Avenue, featuring Fifth Harmony. The blending and harmonizing in this is marvelous. I listen to this version even more than Justin Timberlake’s.
6. Ed Sheeran- Stay With Me
If the sunset had a voice, I’m pretty much it would sound like Ed Sheeran.
7. Birdy- The A Team
I think this one is just beautiful. And her piano- playing skills are incredible! The way she sings this song makes it seem like I’m hearing it for the first time.
That’s all for now, folks! Hope you enjoyed these! Feel free to comment your favorites, or if you have any other cool covers you’d like to share!
I also listened to a podcast on The Lumineers. It was about their song “Ophelia.” I’d never heard the song before but I’ve liked some of their music so I wanted to learn more about them. I loved listening to the behind-the-scenes clips of the artists working on the song and hearing their thought processes. My favorite part of the podcast was when they were telling the story of stomping on a wood floor in a random corner of the studio with their boots for a beat.
isabel notes 