FEB. 2018 16 TESSA ALBERTSON
on changing the balance in Hollywood, post-Times Up
04 EDEN BROLIN
18 BABY ARIEL
34 CHLOE LUKASIAK
on the second season of beyond + her upcoming films
on turning her music.ly fame into a professional career
on conquering each aspect of her career
06 KALIE SHORR
22 JACE NORMAN
44 ALEX AIONO
on finding her confidence + the girl power in nashville
on growing up on screen + his newest gig as a ceo
on living in the moment + learning to appreciate success
10 TREVOR JACKSON
28 AMBER STEVENS WEST
50 MELISSA BOLONA
on grown-ish + his new album, rough drafts
on the realities of being an actress + her latest project, ghosted
on her upcoming projects + how she uses her marketing degree
32 SAVANNAH KEYES
on her ununsual route to nashville + what’s next for her CATHERINE POWELL
publisher, editor, photographer, designer, writer
CARLY BUSH
AUTUMN HALLE
MARISSA JOHNSON
SHELBY CHARGIN
IAN HAYS
NICOLE MOOREFIELD
ELIZABETH FORREST
RACHEL HILL
OLIVIA SINGH
writer writer writer
writer writer writer
writer writer writer
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BROLIN
Words by MARISSA JOHNSONE Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair by STEVEN MASON Make-Up by BLONDIE
EDEN
With a massive role in Freeform’s Beyond and a new list of exciting projects, Eden Brolin has definitely found her way into the spotlight. Though she was born in New York City, Eden moved around several times as a child and mostly found herself living on California’s coast, with a move to Los Angeles when she was 11-years-old. Throughout middle and high school, Eden found a love for acting in her school’s theater programs and eventually picked up an agent at age 16. Despite having an agent, she ended up spending most of the end of her high school theater career off stage, getting involved on the crew side and learning about lighting, sound, and sets. After high school, she moved to New York City where she attended The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre where she focused on school and put auditioning on the back burner. Because of the school’s rule against booking jobs and her intense focus on her studies, she ended up not booking her first job for almost four years. For most, the lack of bookings would be discouraging, but Eden remained constant in her passion for acting and finished her last few years of school. “I wasn’t booking anything but 70% of my energy was going to school. [Also], I knew it took work and timea lot of it has to do with timing and who’s on the radar. I knew that it was a process,” Eden says. After a move back to Los Angeles and almost two years of auditioning while making ends meet as a waitress, Eden booked her first television role on Freeform’s Beyond as Charlie, a character with a unique power that allows her to use math to predict future events, or, as Eden puts it simply, “I’m good at math.” She said of the
audition process, “I’m an awful auditioner, but this was one of the few times that I went into the audition room knowing that I had to have this [script] memorized, because it was all numbers stuff in that first episode, its all numbers and algorithms,” she recalls. During filming of the first season, Eden most fondly remembers working with the show’s star, Burkely Duffield, saying “I got to work with Burkely a lot, which was really nice. I think I worked mostly with Burkely, it’s nice to have a buddy on set – I wasn’t alone as much”. Of her time on Season 1, she says that getting to experience the world of multiple directors, writers, and crews was an important experience because she got the opportunity to see how different people work and how it comes together for the continuity of the show and the characters, something she had never experienced before. Eden says that her time on set for the first season was a “weird and lonely time” because she spent a majority of her time alone, or was only on set for a short period of time. “I would go into a manic state when I got on set” she admits. Due to of her lack of time on set, she would have to try to catch up with and meet everyone in the time that she had. However, this time around for the second season there were several new cast members to interact with, her favorites being Keenan Tracey and Peter Kelamis. In Beyond’s Season 2 opener, we see Charlie in a yoga studio where she is pretending to be pregnant in order to get into a class to meet with Robin (Aliyah O’Brien) so she can gain access to her house by finding out dates that translate into the codes she needs. Charlie is also
teaming up with Yellow Jacket (Peter Kelamis) this season in order to find Arthur (Alex Diakun), which will be her main objective throughout the season. A key difference between the first and second season is the lack of “instant gratification” for Season 2. The first season was immediately available to watch in its entirety on the Freeform app, whereas Season 2 will be released more traditionally with one episode per week. “It’s kind of scary because the thing about people being able to binge it was you got those instant fans and instant viewers and it’s kind of scary thinking about people waiting knowing that there’s so much content out there that is ‘binge-able’ these days” Eden says. But is also exciting because everyone will experience it together, with the potential for releasing spoilers online lessened. In addition to Beyond, Eden worked on two movies in 2017 which she anticipates being released this year. Back Fork is about the opioid epidemic in West Virginia, which Eden found especially rewarding to work on. “It’s nice to do something that’s so rooted in real life,” she says, “It was a beautiful thing to work on because I went out there a little afraid that people were going to respond with some resistance about ‘Hollywood’ coming in and glamorizing their [situation] but it was so nice to see people coming up to the director and saying, ‘I just lost a friend from this, thank you for getting this story out.’” She also stars in King Fish alongside Molly Ringwald and Kevin Corrigan, a Goonies-esque film that follows a group of kids trying to find treasure off the coast of Montauk, which will also be out later this year. NKD NKDMAG.COM
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kalie shorr Words & Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
It may seem presumptuous to say a relatively new artist is “going back to their roots”, but for Kalie Shorr, the statement couldn’t be more true. In the last two years since she released “Fight Like a Girl”, Kalie’s life has been on fast forward. With nearly 2 million streams on Spotify, the song became a key to unlocking a plethora of doors - from securing a spot in Teen Vogue’s Music Issue to being named one of CMT’s Next Women of Country. And while her anthemic debut was a perfect indicator of Kalie’s overall message, her latest EP Awake is exactly what she’s been hoping to accomplish sonically since she moved to Nashville. Over prickly pear margaritas and queso dip, Kalie tells me how Awake - which fuses country roots with her unwavering love for pop-punk - came to be. “It’s so much more me than anything I’ve ever done,” Kalie admits. Kalie has been in the room with countless, talented songwriters and producers in Nashville, but struggled to find people who were familiar with the artists she grew up on. “I’d be like, ‘Can we get a Jack’s Mannequin piano sound on here?’ and they’d be like, ‘I don’t know who that is’,” she recalls. She partnered with producer Skip Black, who had
experience working on both country and rock records, and understood Kalie’s vision. While finding a producer who understood her references to 2008’s Warped Tour line up was important, learning to be confident in the studio is what truly made a difference for Kalie. While some of her confidence comes from spending nearly half a decade in Nashville honing her craft, the network of women she has around her these days has been a crucial part of Kalie’s development as an artist. As a founding member of the Song Suffragettes, a weekly, all-female showcase in Nashville, Kalie is no stranger to the power of girls supporting girls. “Being at the forefront of something like that, it makes me really careful of every decision I make because I’m like, ‘How does this reflect girl power?’” she says, “It’s kind of like this angel on my shoulder.” In recent months, the group has come together on two joint efforts: a cover of Keith Urban’s “Female” and an original song Kalie penned titled “Times Up”, which was inspired by the Golden Globes. In addition to her Suffragettes family, Kalie has found an invaluable support system in the young women of country music. After a girl’s night at chart-top-
per Kelsea Ballerini’s home last fall, Kalie and the others formed a network (and a group chat) to support, encourage and cheer on each other. From artists like Cassadee Pope and Lauren Alaina who have been through the trenches of the music industry, to newcomers like Bailey Bryan and Hannah Ellis, there is no shortage of girls for Kalie to reach out to when she needs someone to understand what she’s going through. ”It’s such a great resource to have,” she says of the 20-girl group chat, “It’s super cool. They’re like the nice girls in high school that I never found.” In a few short weeks, Kalie will do what her friends (and Girls Room group chat members) Lindsay Ell and Maggie Rose did before her: take the stage as the opening act on CMT’s Next Women of Country Tour (featuring Sara Evans and RaeLynn), which kicks off in New York City on Feb. 12. As an attendee of the CMT Next Women of Country brunch for four years, Kalie was honored to be chosen for the Class of 2018. Leslie Fram the SVP of Music Strategy at CMT, surprised Kalie with news over breakfast one morning and was able to keep her cool, but when she found out about the tour (five days before the public did), she had a full meltdown. NKDMAG.COM
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Her manager called her into his office to “talk about something important”, and Kalie panicked. “I thought I was being grounded,” she jokes. Alas, she wasn’t in trouble at all, and upon hearing the news broke down in sobs – all of which is captured on video thanks to hidden cameras around the office. “Of all the dream tours for my first one, this is insane,” she says. Because it is such a “girl power” tour, Kalie and RaeLynn will join headliner Sara Evans on stage each night to do some songs together. For her own set, Kalie will just be up on stage with her guitar and a loop pedal, so she can introduce herself to the audience as a singer and songwriter. Because her music is a bit left of the country center, Kalie will also be throwing in some more traditional country covers from the 1990’s, to give the audience some back story on her as an artist. “I 100% grew up on country, but I build off that with my other influences,” she explains. Both Lindsay and Maggie offered her the same advice for winning over the crowd: “To just be myself,” she states simply. Following the tour - which stretches into April - Kalie hopes to get back on the road as soon as possible. After three years of playing nearly every show the Song Suffragettes put on, she has cut down her stage time to once a month in hopes of passing the torch to a new group of young women eager to have their voices heard. What was born in an effort to combat “Tomatogate” has become a Nashville staple, and the platform that Kalie helped
build is now a respected stepping stone for female songwriters. “It feels cool because every time we have a new group of girls play Song Suffragettes, it kind of feels like another class,” she says, “It’s so much more than I could have ever expected.” At every Song Suffragettes show, a projection screen shows off some of the special guests that have dropped in on rounds – women like Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce and Lauren Alaina – and for Kalie, a full-circle moment would be being dubbed a “special guest” one day. All of Kalie’s success thus far has been as an independent artist, and while she’s not opposed to signing with a label one day, she’s not actively knocking on doors to get a record deal. “I’m really big on the concept of teamwork,” she muses, “But if someone’s going to have to be talked into working with me, and I’m going to have to badger them every week, I don’t really want them on my team.” She looks at it in a similar light as dating: if you have to convince someone of all the reasons why you’re great, they’re not someone you need to fight for. After we finish up our bottomless basket of chips, Kalie offers to drive me home. The first song that comes on is an album cut from Riot!, Paramore’s 2007 release, and Kalie sings every word. Her iPod then shuffles to a Sara Evans song and Kalie smiles. “I can’t believe I’m going on tour with her. Like, am I being Punk’d?” she laughs. Luckily, Ashton Kutcher is nowhere in sight. NKD NKDMAG.COM
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trevor jackson Words & Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
35 floors up at The Aviary in Columbus Circle, Trevor Jackson enthusiastically orders something called a “Science A.F.” – a blueberry-infused, scotch-based drink that’s presentation alone is worth its hefty price tag. We dub the splurge a celebration – his latest television adventure, grown-ish, had its soft premiere in Los Angeles the night before, and his red-eye flight commitment didn’t give him much time to celebrate. So we went big and ordered a lab experiment to the table. An opportunity to sit down and enjoy a drink is a rare occurrence for Trevor these days. Since our interview in mid-December, grown-ish premiered to a whopping 1.56 million viewers – making it Freeform’s best comedy launch in over five years, and was then renewed for a second season after only four episodes. Trevor was attracted to the project immediately because of the writing. It’s predecessor black-ish has been critically acclaimed for its ability to bring humor and honesty to real issues, and the same tone strikes with grown-ish. “It’s a voice for the young people. It’s everything we’ve been through, whatever you think about college, whatever you experienced in college, whatever you’ve heard about college, we talk about all of it,” Trevor says. Throughout the first season, grown-ish will explore racial, sexist and technology issues, as well as paint an accurate portrait of what college is really like. “With each episode we have a very significant message we’re 12
trying to convey, and I think it’s just so well written that it’ll hit,” Trevor says. The first episode of grown-ish gave viewers a chance to meet each character – Breakfast Club style. Each member of Zoey (Yara Shahidi)’s core friend group is from a different walk of life and their different issues and experiences are all highlighted. “Because we show so many different people, there will be someone that you know, that you are like, that you want to be like… so it’s very relatable in that sense,” Trevor says. Just being on set was a huge learning experience for Trevor. His character, Aaron Jackson, is a self-proclaimed social justice warrior and is very politically involved, where as Trevor tries to stay out of politics. “Just because I feel like I’m such a creative mind that I’d rather just focus on making great music and great work that teaches you to love,” Trevor says, “That’s my main message and bringing unity to the world.” Prior to joining grown-ish, Trevor starred on the critically acclaimed second season of American Crime – which, like grown-ish, was dealing with difficult topics but in a much heavier way. Because the show featured an ensemble cast, Trevor was able to spend some of his time on set watching the behind-the-scenes world work, and it peaked his interest in stepping behind the camera more in the future. Simultaneously with his acting career, Trevor is constantly working on new music. After
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a few years signed to Atlantic Records, he is now with Empire Distribution and preparing to release a new album this year. This past fall, he released “B&W (Benz and My Wallet)”, followed by “NightTime” in December – both which served as his reintroduction to music since his last album, In My Feelings, came out in 2015. Since his last record, Trevor has become more involved with the presentation of his music as a whole – writing his own treatments for music videos and opting to direct himself. “I’ve been able to write everything and be more in control of my vision, so people are seeing that,” he says. “Being the captain of my own ship is better than just being in the ship and letting someone else sail it.” During the process of leaving Atlantic Records, Trevor spent his time writing and building up a reservoir of songs. He now has over three records worth of songs, and his next release, titled Rough Drafts, will be a collection of the strongest tracks. “It just basically represents that the unfinished product is not a bad thing. Being in this livelihood – especially this generation – where we’re just trying to be perfect because we see all these perfect people that are celebrities or leaders and we think that’s the way to go, I think it’s important to know that the person you want to be, you’re not going to get there tomorrow,” he says. This will be the first time Trevor has had complete control over his music. He wrote every song and picked the beats and
even little things like arranging the tracklist were up to him. While he’s truly excited for every song on the album, “Apocalypse” is one that he’s extremely close to and a video for that will be coming out sooner than later. Rough Drafts summed up is “a lot of truth”, and Trevor is eager for fans to hear this side of him. And because he has a big hand in all his visuals now, he has a vision of bringing back the drama of music videos. “I want to bring story and feeling [into it],” Trevor says, “I want to do what a movie does when it has an amazing actor and an amazing scene and the composing is giving it that extra edge to make someone cry or make them happy.” While Trevor’s career has taken him down both musical and theatrical avenues, his true passion is storytelling and he is game to convey that passion with either form of art at any given time. While 2018 will bring him back to the grown-ish set for Season 2, he has enough music saved up to keep that side of his career active while he films. “Whatever I’m focused on, I binge,” he admits, “When I’m not on set, I try to record and write as much as a I can. Even when I’m on set, in between scenes I’ll record a voice note or whatever,” he says. And especially on the grown-ish set, his costars understand that his music career is just as important as his acting career, and he hopes to collaborate with his musical costars, Chloe x Halle. “We need to make it happen. Immediately,” he says. NKD NKDMAG.COM
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tessa albertson Words by IAN HAYS Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
Tessa Rose Albertson is New York, born and raised - Upper West Side, to be exact. She’s a Leo and extrovert meant to be in the spotlight. At 9 she went away to camp, auditioned for and landed the lead in the camp musical, and turned that spark into a career. When camp was over, she went back home and her mom signed her up for acting classes. Leaving no stone unturned, Tessa also took dance classes at 16
Broadway Dance Center. Here, she was amongst peers already performing on Broadway. They informed her of an open call that would help legitimize her career. Simultaneously, Tessa was work shopping with acting coach, Diane Harden. A revered teacher amongst her thespian peers, Diane saw Tessa’s potential and made her endorsement known. “I went in for the call back and it was like, badda-bing, badda-
boom!” Tessa exclaims. At 12 she played teenage Fiona in Shrek: The Musical on Broadway. Even with this accomplishment, Tessa was still in middle school; drama central. But her older cast mates reassured her that any drama was nothing to fret in the grand scheme of things. “I think that’s why I love acting so much. When your performing you’re there, you’re in the moment. Everything else just
melts away,” she says. Through her teen years she attended Dalton, a ‘progressive’ school designed around children pursuing careers in acting, singing, modeling, the whole gambit. Hard work pays off and Tessa was accepted into Princeton. Education was about feeding her curiosity, not a high SAT score, but this was Princeton, so she chose to attend and was able to find that balance of schooling and acting. This also allowed her to get out of the city; it gave her a chance to miss what she thought was always there while learning to appreciate new places. She took a gap year before attending (now a sophomore) to narrow her focus. Her sights are on directing. “With the Times Up movement, I realized now is the time for me to really pursue my dream of directing. There are a lot of women who are actors, but there were no female directors nominated at the Golden Globes this year,” she says, “I love acting, but it would be great if I could be part of the change of not every set I work on being male dominated.” Perfectly aligned with her goals of bridging the gap, in 2017, Tessa starred in the drama, Blame, which was written and directed by her peer, Quinn Shephard. For Tessa, the experience was amazing. “The key was treat her like this wasn’t a student film. She had an amazing script, a professional cinematographer. I knew this was going to be a quality film. The key was to give her that authority,” Tessa reflects on the experience. This stemmed from Tessa seeing how self-aware
Blame was. It tackled heavy subject matter with student-teacher relationships. It was deliberate in its actions and message which encapsulates what Tessa is looking for in a performance. For the past four years, she has been playing Caitlin Miller, daughter of Liza on the critically acclaimed TV series, Younger. The show is getting ready to shoot its fifth season and Tessa couldn’t be happier. With school work and side projects, Younger has been her bedrock. It’s a show that focuses on the female experience and Tessa has been lucky enough to grow up on set. “It’s a blessing. I remember the first table read and being so excited to be surrounded by these strong, beautiful, talented women. I couldn’t believe I was playing Sutton’s [Foster] daughter. And Hilary Duff has been working forever and she is so grounded, so down to earth. She’s a really good listener and watching her work is amazing, especially when she is getting directions.” This goes beyond the show. Her co-star Debi Mazar shares a birthday with her, making them “astrological twins”. She jokes with Tessa calling her a “city kid” while Debi calls herself a “city rat”. The door is always open for Tessa and she knows she can open up to her co-stars about anything. There is a comradery amongst the cast that Tessa knows needs to be the norm, not the special exception. She is also currently rehearsing for a new play called The Low Road by Pulitzer Prize winner, Bruce Norris. The play is a take on the birth of Capitalism in
America, narrated by Adam Smith’s “invisible hand”, focusing on the points in history the high road should have been taken. While Younger has been her longest run to date, Tessa see’s the stage as the most comfortable place to act. With film, scenes are often out of order and that natural progression of character relationships can be jilted. While your actions can be more nuanced, it’s still about the camera. “Theater will always be first because it’s just you and the audience. You get to be just very present.” Being an actor, most everything happens in the moment. You have to be ready to jump on command and re-learn how to relax between projects. The long term agenda for Tessa is to graduate college. But, this summer, she is looking to shoot a film. She has a script she is working on inspired by the Times Up movement. It focuses on trying to dismantle the current process and bringing the power back into the hands of the creatives, especially of those underrepresented like women. It’s a way of tackling “the powers that be”. The old guard is dying and its artists like Tessa taking the reigns as the new generation comes into power. She has not only experienced the issues of the industry first hand, she is working with people actively working to improve it. Tessa Albertson is a performer who knows her body of work is just one piece of the puzzle. Having a successful career means lifting up others, as well. And Tessa is just getting started. NKD NKDMAG.COM
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BABY ARIEL Words by ELIZABETH FORREST Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
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Ariel Martin, known as “Baby Ariel” to generation Z and pop culture consumers, has been interested in music and dancing since she was young(er). A few years ago, she made it big and conquered the social media scene, taking the internet by storm. At only 17, this emerging star has accomplished an astonishing amount before she can even vote. With features in prestigious outlets such as 60 Minutes, Billboard, TIME and Forbes, Ariel has ensured that her presence in the new age of social media is cemented in place. Ariel’s journey began two years ago on the popular social media app, musical.ly. On the application, users can upload short videos of themselves lip-syncing and share them with their followers. “I started posting on musical.ly just for fun, but over time it developed into something greater,” she explains. Her following grew quickly and exponentially. And because she found success on musical.ly, she expanded her online presence to weekly YouTube video uploads and frequent posts on Instagram and Snapchat. She thought that posting online would be a perfect way to begin her real music career because of her online success. Ariel released her first single, “Aww”, on December 1st. With lyrics like “everyone wants somebody who looks at them like that” and “you’re so freaking cute,” the song is a fun and playful beginning. Though it was her first single, the transition from amateur to professional content
hasn’t been a difficult one for her. She’s been doing music her whole life, so it wasn’t too drastic of a change. She was scared to put out the music because it was going to be shared with more than just her core fanbase, but she was mostly excited to put it out since she has been wanting to share it for so long. “Now that I actually can, it’s just the start of a new layer,” she says. The song’s sound is pure pop and matches exactly how Ariel envisions her future music. “What I like about my music and about this song is that even though I would consider it pop, it has a cool twist, edge or quirkiness about it,” she explains. Ariel’s musical inspirations are Sza and Julia Michaels; she loves their style and the way they write their own music. That, combined with her first single, have set the foundation for Ariel’s professional sound. Ariel had a huge part in “Aww” and the video’s concept. It took two days to shoot the video and featured Ariel’s friends, both old and new, including her best friend Ari and popular makeup legend Patrick Starrr. “Aww” is a video with colorful backgrounds and a plethora of pink, complemented by trampoline bits, cute animals and spray paint. “All my friends came and we honestly just had fun the whole day. We were throwing cheese balls and jumping on the trampolines,” Ariel remembers. In all, shooting the video was just as fun as the finished product looks. The video was a huge success and attracted millions of views
within the first week. Ariel told herself that she wasn’t going to have any expectations before it was released because her only goal was for her followers to love it. “So far, they have been showing an amazing reaction,” Ariel says. “They’re so nice and showing so much support.” With over 30 million followers across all social media platforms, she’s managed to impress a huge fanbase. Ariel is relieved her fans have supported her in this new step in her journey and that she’s gained some new fans along the way. Her supporters are important to her. Because of her beginnings on social media, she’s been given the opportunity to get to know her fans more intimately than many artists do. In 2016, she headlined Digitour and was able to connect with fans more personally than she ever could behind the screen. “It was a month long tour and we traveled all across the United States. A lot of my friends were on the tour with me,” Ariel explains. Not many teenagers can say they’ve explored the country with their friends; Ariel remembers it as a super fun experience. Because of how much time she was able to spend with fans during tour, she had a number of great experiences while getting to know them. “Most of my favorite fan meetings are when it’s not just like ‘Oh, hi, how are you’ and we take a picture and that’s it,” Ariel explains. Digitour allowed her to have dinner with fans and meet and talk with them outside of venues. It went beyond the normal meet and NKDMAG.COM
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greet situation and even allowed her to befriend some of her supporters. Digitour was also the first time Ariel performed in front of such a large crowd. In fact, she had never even been on stage before tour. She was terrified the first time she went on stage with her friend Ari. “We went up on stage together and were freaking out, but once we were on stage it was just a lot of fun,” Ariel remembers. As the tour went on, getting on stage became simpler and easier each night she would perform. Although Ariel is grateful to be able to perform and sing, her online presence comes with intense scrutiny. Sometimes, it can become overwhelming to know how many people are interested in her life. “There are days I do want to disconnect and stay off my phone and just have my privacy,” she says. “I like to be able to hang out with my friends without having to post something or share where I am or who I’m with.” Whenever she feels overwhelmed by the scrutiny, she makes the time to get away from it all. She knows when she needs to disconnect and take time for herself. As with all things, having an online presence on social media can come with its downfalls. Ariel created her own anti-bullying campaign to counter some of the more ugly sides of the internet. The campaign was inspired by her supporters; when she first began doing social media, many of her supporters talked to her about the hate that they would get online. In response, Ariel 20
addressed the unwanted hate she received herself from internet trolls. “I wanted to let them know that they’re not alone and not to worry about what anybody has to say about them. You should love yourself for you and be yourself and not worry about what anybody has to say,” she says. It’s been her message throughout the years; she tweets about it often because she’s so passionate about it. Above all, Ariel exudes authenticity. She’s not just a social media star: she likes to watch movies, write, and is also into sketching. She understands that she’s lucky to be in the place that she is so early in her career. To her many fans that are interested in singing, her advice to make it in the industry is not to be afraid. “Don’t hold yourself back. If that’s your passion, then you go for it. You make your music. And don’t worry about what anyone else has to say,” she says. Music is Ariel’s main priority, but she’s young and still seeing where life takes her. She’s into the arts and has explored more than just singing. She’s done a bit of acting and recently had her first guest role. “Down the line, I’d like to see where that goes,” she says of the craft. In addition, she has her own clothing line that she designs herself. Her favorite piece from her collection is a shirt that reads “frickin cute.” And when asked about what fans can expect from her in the future, she says, “should expect a lot more music and some more cool projects in the near future.” NKD
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jace norman Words by CARLY BUSH Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
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Jace Norman won’t celebrate his 18th birthday for another few weeks, but he’s already an accomplished and respected actor in the the kids’ television industry. Born in Corrales, New Mexico, he moved to southern California early in his childhood and began his acting career with a guest appearance on Disney’s Jessie in 2012. Jace was seen as a promising young talent, and went on to land the lead role in the Nickelodeon superhero sitcom Henry Danger at the age of 13. Since the show’s premiere in the summer of 2014, it has been a staple in kids’ TV and Jace’s popularity has skyrocketed, helping him establish a group of devout young fans. Despite preteen audience’s notoriously short attention spans, Jace and his character, Henry Hart, who hides a secret double life as an assistant to a superhero, have remained consistently popular over the last four years. A Kids’ Choice Award win in 2017 emphasized the fact that kids wanted more Henry Danger. Midway through the year, Nickelodeon announced that they were giving the people what they wanted. A spinoff animated series, set in the same universe but featuring a “more shy, nerdy, reserved” version of Henry, was in development. The Adventures of Kid Danger premiered in January, and the experience has given Jace the opportunity to explore a new side to his character, who he relates to: “I think a lot of people can kind of relate to kind of feeling drowned out by the noise, you know, of the world. I think that’s how he felt at
the beginning, and I think a lot of people can relate to that, for sure,” he says. What are some notable differences between the live-action and animated shows? “We see more of the Henry Danger universe. You kind of see more of the world, which I like, personally, because you don’t really know—you’ve got the Man Cave set, where the superheroes hang out, but you can’t explore it too much because it’s live action, and that would be crazy!” he says. Rather than simply rehashing the same old stories in a quirky animated style, The Adventures of Kid Danger is an entirely new show, with a different narrative purpose. “I think the live action is where most of the story kind of goes, whereas The Adventures of Kid Danger is kind of, like, the adventures that we go on,” Jace says. In other words, while the live-action series will continue to show, in typical Dan Schneider fashion, the comedic mishaps that arise when a normal teenager lives a not-so-normal life, the animated spinoff will be pure escapist superhero fantasy. “There will be new characters,” Jace reassures fans, “And there will be new stuff, but I don’t necessarily think it’ll be too much of where the actual storyline is. If that makes sense.” Having been with the character of Henry through a significant period of his adolescent years, Jace feels connected to him. But he was surprised when the show’s producers asked him to age Henry down for the animated series. “[They wanted] kind of me
when I first started the show, which was when I was 13, so that was interesting,” Jace recalls. “They actually pitched up my voice sometimes.” Previously, he hadn’t done any voice acting work, and for a comedic actor who grew up on the sets of Disney and Nickelodeon sitcoms, both of which rely heavily on slapstick physical comedy, it was understandable that Jace might find it difficult to make the transition. Despite the inevitable ups and downs that are part of the young Hollywood experience, Jace is grateful for his time working on Henry Danger and coming of age along with his character. “The entertainment industry is a very crazy place to grow up in, so it’s been definitely a rollercoaster ride,” Jace says, “But in the end, I think it’s been a positive thing that I had to learn for myself and make mistakes for myself, you know?” Staying grounded is a priority for Jace in an industry where you can never tell who truly values you. “I don’t hang out with people just to hang out with people. I only hang out with people if I genuinely want to. That’s something I’ve kind of shifted from, because there are so many weird people,” he says. Jace confesses that in spite of his fame, he hasn’t quite found his tribe as of yet. “I spend a lot of time alone,” he says, to keep from being taken advantage of by false friends in the industry. He avoids Hollywood events and does not immerse himself in groups that feel inauthentic. Outside of acting, one major NKDMAG.COM
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step he did take this past year was the launch of his own company, Creator Edge Media, which has helped to establish the Gen Z-er as a credible businessman in his own right. “We basically connect brands with millions of people on the Internet,” Jace explains. “Through social media. We already have tons of influencers already, people with millions of followers.” The difference between Creator Edge and other media companies is to encourage authenticity and match influencers with brands they can genuinely get excited about. The main mission, Jace states, is to allow for his influencers’ true selves to show through “so their fans don’t feel like they’re being cheated.” It’s a win-win situation. Influencers seamlessly integrate ads into their social media presence without alienating fans—and brands make more money when they are paired with an influencer who is truly passionate about the product or service. What inspired Jace to step out from in front of the camera and work behind the scenes in the realm of digital media? “Being on TV, you kind of see the media landscape shifting a lot,” he explains. For Jace, it was a matter of “striking while the iron was hot” and capitalizing on a trend that was rapidly growing and changing. He had always had entrepreneurial dreams, but wasn’t sure how to launch his own business at such a young age. Now that he’s taken the risk and jumped in headfirst, he hopes to break the stigma associated with teen 26
actors, who are often viewed as rebellious and selfish, rather than responsible and business-oriented. Balancing his role as founder of Creator Edge and a full-time acting career is “a lot of work,” Jace says, but he’s taking it all in stride. “We started six months ago. It’s a lot of work, especially doing both. It’s weird, because I’ll be doing my acting and come home and work on the company,” he explains. “Or sometimes [I’ll do] both at the same time. I’ll go off set and take a call and stuff like that. So that’s very interesting— and fun.” Jace believes that the success of Creator Edge is directly correlated to his networking ability, and the people he’s met through the film industry. “I think people trust me because they’ve seen Henry Danger’s success, and my own success on social media,” he says. But he’s far from being a distant, hands-off CEO. After they build trust initially, Jace meets with each influencer individually. In addition, his own social media platforms provide concrete proof that influencers are in good hands: Jace has handled his own Instagram since the beginning, and has amassed an impressive 2 million followers. Now that he’s making the transition into adulthood, Jace’s values will undoubtedly serve him well, especially as he begins to take on more mature roles. While he knows that he wants to “branch out,” he isn’t quite certain what his adult career will look like as of yet. “I’ll know it when I see it,” he says. NKD
amber stevens west
Words by NICOLE MOOREFIELD Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Glam by AMBER ROSE
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Born and raised in Los Angeles, Amber Stevens West was no stranger to the entertainment industry growing up. From a “showbiz kind of family,” Amber’s parents encouraged her to pursue a career in the arts. “I think they saw at a young age that I was fit for this,” she says. Amber was introduced to music at a young age. As a teenager, she
encouraged her to try acting and she fell in love with the craft. “It’s all just a wave that I kept riding and it hasn’t crashed yet,” she remarks. When she got her first series regular job on Freeform’s Greek, Amber dropped out of college to join the cast. “All of a sudden I was a full-time actor,” Amber recalls. Like all good things, Amber’s time
doing,” she poses. During the lulls, Amber has learned to live frugally. “I just try to stay focused and save my money,” she laughs. “This is an industry where you’re an independent contractor. You never know where your next job is coming from.” Landing Ghosted was the crest of Amber’s wave. “Ghosted kind
“This is an industry where you’re an independent contractor. You never know where your next job is coming from.” wrote and recorded her own music, but soon realized the lifestyle of a pop artist wasn’t for her. “It’s a very specific personality that can handle life on tour and being very vulnerable,” she explains. Instead, Amber joined a modeling agency and began booking commercials, where she met the agent who is her manager today. He
on Greek came to an end after four years, and transitioning back into the world of networking and auditions was intimidating. “You’re begging for jobs all day long,” Amber shares, “And I had to jump right into that.” Her journey has been bumpy, “but I think everyone feels that in their career no matter what they’re
of happened serendipitously,” she remarks. An hour after learning her current project, The Carmichael Show, had been canceled, Amber received a phone call. Ghosted was reshooting its pilot with a new character, and they wanted her to test for the role. “I read with Adam Scott and then a couple days later found out that I got the job. It was a
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very crazy turn of events where all of a sudden I was pushed into this new show,” Amber comments. Ghosted follows paranormal skeptic Leroy (Craig Robinson) and believer Max (Adam Scott), who are recruited by the Bureau Underground, a secret government agency, to protect the world from an array of unusual creatures. Amber plays Annie, the Bureau’s weapons and technology specialist and “a really smart girl who doesn’t have to apologize for being smart,” Amber states. She designs different weapons for the Bureau “to take down aliens and monsters and all this crazy fun stuff. She’s also a hacker and she’s great with computers, so she’s a highly intelligent girl, but also cool and hip and not your typical nerd character.” Working with Craig and Adam, well-known for their work on The Office and Parks and Recreation, respectively, was intimidating at first. “Coming into a job like [Ghosted], it’s kind of scary, because you’re very familiar with their body of work. You know how funny they are and how talented they are,” Amber notes. However, her initial fears were quelled when she stepped on set. “They’re just the coolest, and so grateful for the careers that they have, and don’t take any moment of it for granted,” she gushes. “They come up with great improv on the fly, so it’s really fun to collaborate with them.” Though familiar with improvisation from 22 Jump Street, Amber prefers to let the writers do their job, adding, “I’m just here to perform the words.” However, Amber has tried to stretch herself with Ghosted. “It’s not something I’m super comfortable with,” she confesses, “but I like knowing that
it’s an option.” Although Ghosted has quickly grown a large fanbase, Season 2 has yet to be confirmed. If Ghosted is renewed, the cast will have a few free months before they return. “My husband (Once Upon A Time’s Andrew J. West) and I are desperate to spend some time in Paris, so hopefully we’ll both have some time off,” Amber mentions. Their long-distance relationship, with Andrew filming in Vancouver and Ghosted set in L.A., has proved easier than expected. “It’s like we have this little affair, but with each other,” Amber laughs. “I don’t know how long it’ll be fun for,” she qualifies, but “right now it’s actually been pretty great.” The couple recently moved into a new home and are in the process of remodeling, which “will be probably half of my summer, too,” Amber admits. “I would like to take a little bit of time off of work to just do some real life stuff, but who knows. If I hear that Ghosted doesn’t continue, then I don’t get that luxury. I’ve got to get back on the grind and hopefully get another job,” she acknowledges. If Ghosted is not renewed, Amber would like to return to her roots in music. “I am desperate to do something musical,” like a FOX or NBC live production, she mentions. She would also love to star in a holiday movie. “It’s not highbrow or anything, but I don’t care. Christmas movies are the best, and then you get to sing holiday songs,” she explains. However, Amber is hopeful for Season 2. “I’m excited to create more of the storylines and the relationships,” Amber shares. “I find that the most interesting television shows to watch are the ones where
you’re really invested in the characters and their relationships with one another,” she discloses. She is particularly curious to see if a romance will bloom between Annie and Max. Amber also hopes to expand Annie’s talents with creating weaponry in a second season. “Hopefully she gets to show more of that and be more of a badass,” Amber adds. Playing a “badass” on television isn’t quite as cool in real life, Amber reveals. In one episode, Annie carries a dead body as bait for a batlike creature. “Shooting the whole thing was hilarious,” Amber recalls, as she had to run down stairs with a prop cadaver on her back while a costumed man flew above her on wires. The show’s creative range, featuring creatures even more outlandish than the bat man, is something Amber loves about Ghosted. “The sky’s the limit with what kind of creature we get to encounter,” she grins. The departure from reality is a change from Amber’s previous work. “It’s so different from The Carmichael Show because we’re not making any sort of commentary on what’s happening in our world right now,” Amber shares. She misses discussing real issues with her cast mates, which “made me reflect on my place in this world,” but sees Ghosted as an equally important project. “This last year has been very overwhelming, and it’s a rollercoaster you can’t get off of,” she states. Ghosted is a break for exhausted viewers, who “get to watch this show and not think about the hard things that are happening in the world. They can just have a lot of fun with these characters and the absurd situations they get into,” she asserts. NKD
savannah keyes Words by AUTUMN HALLE Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
Savannah Keyes wants the world to know who she is in three minutes or less. The Nashville transplant is no stranger to the hard work it takes to make a name for yourself. Born near the sunny beaches of San Diego, Savannah spent much of her 32
youth watching her mother take on the responsibilities of a mother and a father, after her biological father took off when she was four months old. Her mom did everything she could to carve out a life for the two of them, working three jobs and shuffling between rundown apart-
ments and her grandparents place, surviving on food stamps and hard work. “You know those really pivotal moments that are ingrained in you? There’s this memory I have of us on the side of the freeway because our car was impounded and towed,”
Savannah reflects. “It was just my mom and I, I was in a car seat, and she didn’t have a cell phone. We were sitting there for hours after walking to find a payphone to call my grandparents. It was one of those moments where I realized how hard my mom worked to make things happen.” The twosome became a foursome when her mother got married and they moved out to Utah — a move that gave Savannah a father and brother, and a positive new beginning. “My dad is such an amazing person. I honestly don’t think I’d be here in Nashville without him,” Savannah says. “If I wanted guitar lessons he’d make it happen. If I needed to fly out to Nashville for two weeks to record music, he was 100% on board.” At just 7-years-old she was writing melodies and lyrics in her bedroom, running down to the local Sweet and Sassy to perform and record them to an empty store. At 13, she bought a karaoke machine and set to work finding gigs across Utah, sometimes working for nothing but a slice of pizza and a soda. Because her extended family was still in California, Savannah would post videos of her singing to YouTube and send the links to her grandparents. She never expected anyone – let alone anyone famous – to take notice. “I posted a video of me singing a cover of Miranda Lambert’s ‘More Like Her’ to the internet. I thought it was just my grandparents watching, but then I got a phone call from The Ellen Show,” Savannah beams. “They asked me to send more videos of me singing and I rushed home to send off my Dixie
Chicks covers.” Months went by and there was no word from the show, but then she got a surprise call while sightseeing on a double decker bus in Manhattan. It was a call that would change everything for the pre-teen. “It was my first time in NYC and my mom calls me sobbing,” Savannah remembers. “She told me to get to a quiet place and answer my phone the next time it rang. When it did, it was The Ellen Show, they said they loved my videos and wanted to have me on the show!” Savannah had to keep the taping a secret for a couple of months, only revealing it on Facebook when she was en route to Los Angeles for the filming. The surprises, however, didn’t end there. While in make-up ahead of filming, Ellen Degeneres sat her and her family down and revealed that she was setting up a production company in Nashville to help Savannah make her dream of being a recording artist a reality. The television host hooked the family up with a manager, agent, and attorney to help guide her career — it was the beginning of a something special. From there, Savannah flew back and forth from Utah to Nashville to participate in co-writes, record demos, and meet with Nashville royalty. Including one memorable meeting with the head of Big Machine Records, Scott Borchetta. “I went into this meeting with karaoke tapes, a notebook of lyrics, and didn’t even know how to play guitar; I was a mess,” Savannah laughs. “When he asked me to sing I stood up, took my retainer out, and set it on his desk… who does that?”
After working hard for a number of months, learning the guitar and writing songs independent of her co-writes, Scott signed her to a deal with Big Machine. Her family made the collective decision to move her out to Nashville permanently, with her parents splitting time between Utah and Music City. The next few years were a rush of ups-and-down. “At 13 you’re getting this slingshot of success you don’t even know how to handle,” Savannah looks back on that time. ”You kind of just think, ‘Well I got a record deal so my entire life is going to change.’ And that’s not always the case.” After years spent in media training, out on radio tours, and writing constantly; Savannah came to the hard decision that she needed to part ways with Big Machine. “It was one of the most serious things I’ve ever had to do because that was my livelihood,” says Savannah. But the freedom gave her the chance to start writing with co-writers that fit her style and producing with someone that understand her sound; on top of a fun gig as a radio correspondent for Radio Disney. To top this time of change, her voice was recently featured on the Song Suffragettes track against discrimination and harassment against women, appropriately titled “Time’s Up”. Now, she finds herself inspired and excited about the future. As for what Savannah wants in the future, she says, “I’d love to share what my heart is in three minutes. Music is the heart of it all, to share that with people all over the world, whether they love it or hate it, it would be so rewarding to me.” NKD NKDMAG.COM
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CHLOE LUKASIAK Words by OLIVIA SINGH
Photos by CATHERINE POWELL Hair by MIA SANTIAGO Make-Up by FAYE LAUREN
Chloe Lukasiak is a woman of many talents and achievements. She’s an award-winning dancer, rising actress, and social media expert, providing new content for her millions of followers across Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Now, the 16-year-old star can add “author” to her list of accomplishments with the recent release of her debut book, Girl on Pointe: Chloe’s Guide to Taking on the World. Chloe was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and started dancing around the same age that she could walk – at 2-years-old. At the time, her cousin was attending a dance school in the neighborhood and Chloe’s mom suggested that she give it a shot. As she got older, she dabbled with other activities, but dance was a clear and early winner. “I started dancing and then I also started things like soccer and piano and softball and basketball,” Chloe explains. “I tried everything, and the only time I scored a goal in soccer was for the wrong team, so I think dance is my calling.” By the age of 8, Chloe was certain that she wanted to continue dancing for as long as possible. “That’s when I decided that that was my passion,” she says. “It all really clicked for me as a dancer,” Chloe says. “I tried really hard for a whole summer trying to get all my techniques down – my turning, jumping, flexibility, all of it. And then I really tried hard for the next year.” 36
As she fine-tuned her dance skills, Chloe and her mom discovered a casting call for a Lifetime reality TV show along the lines of Toddlers & Tiaras. They submitted videos that showcased Chloe’s dancing and personality, and Chloe eventually booked a spot on what would be called Dance Moms. The show aired in July 2011 and Chloe starred in four consecutive seasons alongside other talented young dancers. Each episode of the show followed the girls as they trained for competitions under the supervision of Abby Lee Miller. Like any reality TV show, Dance Moms had its fair share of drama, but in retrospect, Chloe views her time on the show as a learning experience. “I was on the show for four years, and it was good,” Chloe says. “There were lots of ups and downs. It was definitely an experience that I’m grateful for and it really jumpstarted my whole career, so I always think of myself as the lucky one when it comes to that.” In 2014, Chloe left the show and started exploring other aspects of the entertainment industry, like acting. “I went to an acting class and I genuinely enjoyed it,” Chloe explains. “It was something I really liked and I hadn’t really tried yet, so I started taking more classes and then I did my first movie shortly after that and I’ve done two more since then.” In 2016 and 2017, Chloe starred as Gwen Murphy in
Center Stage: On Pointe, Savannah Stocker in A Cowgirl’s Story, and Lexi Smith in Loophole. She also became more active on YouTube, frequently posting videos that shared DIY tricks, makeup tips, and behind the scenes footage of her daily activities. Chloe’s 1 million+ subscribers are a testament to her loyal following that she has cultivated since stepping into the spotlight, and her status as a fan favorite was solidified when she received the first ever Teen Choice Award for Choice Dancer in 2015. “I didn’t even think I was going to be nominated,” Chloe recalls. “When they first announced that they were having choice dancer, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s really cool. That’s something new.’ And it’s really fun that the fans got to vote that category in.” She was in Australia when she was told about the nomination and when she heard her name called at the award show in August 2015 (which she refers to as “the best night of my life”), the moment was surreal – especially since she wasn’t expecting to win. In the category, Chloe was up against Stephen “tWitch” Boss, Allison Holker, Derek Hough, Les Twins, and Maddie Ziegler. “I won and it was insane to me,” Chloe recalls. “I went in there, and my mom was like, ‘Look, I don’t want you to get your hopes up and then be let down. I don’t think you’re going to win.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s fine. I mean, it was
an honor that I was even nominated. I didn’t think that I would get this far, so I’m happy either way.’” She had a speech prepared in her head anyways just in case she did win, and when she won, her initial reaction was, “Is this a joke? Is this real life?” “The whole thing happened so quickly,” Chloe adds. “I felt like I didn’t breathe until after it was all over.” During the Season 7 winter finale of Dance Moms, Chloe made a surprise appearance and returned to the show for the second half of the season. That unexpected return to the show in 2017 provided necessary closure for Chloe after abruptly leaving the show a few years prior. “I learned so much from that show,” Chloe says. “First, it forced me to grow up faster. It just taught me a lot of things. I learned about being successful, about having a job – it’s just so many things from that show that I learned. I feel like it really helped make me into who I am today. There was obviously the doubt, the whole fighting and arguing, the bullying, but I definitely took a lot away from that show.” While on Dance Moms in 2017, Chloe found herself trying to balance her passion for dance with her love for writing as she started putting together her debut book, Girl on Pointe: Chloe’s Guide to Taking on the World. The book, which was released on January 23, was something that Chloe consid-
ered doing for quite some time and took months of hard work. As a child, Chloe was an avid reader and writer, and continues to enjoy doing these things in her spare time. “I still can’t believe it’s happening,” Chloe says. “I’ve always been a huge reader and writer.” “I literally always read. I read a lot, honestly. But can you really read too much? I don’t think so,” Chloe says with a laugh. For a while, Chloe wasn’t sure if the book was actually going to happen, but as she started meeting with a publisher and working with a writer, things started coming together. During the process of creating the book, Chloe would have several meetings each week to discuss the book and by the time she reached the editing process, she had rejoined Dance Moms. “There are always obstacles when taking on new challenges, but one obstacle I wasn’t expecting was going back to Dance Moms,” Chloe says. With a more packed schedule of traveling, rehearsing, filming the show, and participating in dance competitions, Chloe found it difficult to also make time for her book. But when did have free time, she would write pieces for the book. A few months before deciding to develop a book, Chloe took a creative writing class, which thoroughly benefitted her. She sent her publisher
some of her writing samples and they thought it would be best to include in the book – but Chloe initially had some hesitation. When she previously wrote those pieces, she wasn’t expecting the public to read them. They were simply for her to exercise her writing skills and the idea of the public having access to her personal writing was a bit daunting at first. “Looking back on it, I’m really excited that it’s in the book,” Chloe says. “It’s kind of like another way for people to see a vulnerable side of me, because of course they see it with dancing and with acting, but this is a different experience for me.” In addition to personal pieces of writing from Chloe, the book also includes exclusive photos, other pieces of her writing (like poems) and other things that fans will hopefully appreciate. “For the most part, I’m excited for people to read it,” Chloe shares. “Of course I’m a little bit worried about obviously what they’re going to say and everyone’s comments, but at the end of the day, I’m really happy with how the book turned out, so I just hope that people enjoy it.” For Chloe, she thinks of the book as a self-help one that provides advice. Using her own experiences with overcoming bullying and other subjects, Chloe hopes that even though she lives a much different life than people her age, she can offer advice that NKDMAG.COM
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fans can relate to and apply to their own lives. At the end of 2017, Chloe went on “The Irreplaceables Tour” with some of the other cast members from Dance Moms. While visiting 14 different cities in North America, Chloe got the chance to meet fans, engage with them during dance workshops, and perform routines at each stop on the tour. In 2018, she hopes to continue doing more of what she loves, and improve different aspects of her life – whether it’s working out more or being more confident. Chloe will also participate in more acting projects. With her positivity and people around her who she can rely on, Chloe can certainly achieve her goals – and that’s her advice for anyone who might want to follow along the entertainment path as she did. “Definitely be true to who you are,” Chloe says. “Even though that seems really cheesy, it’s so true. I think it’s really important. A few times, I’ve found myself lost in that world and I think it’s really important to stay true to who you are and I think it’s really important to have a strong, good support team of both family and friends, just because that’s something that I struggled with for a long time and I found that core group of people that I can really lean on. Those family and friends just make everything a lot better. And hope – that’s so important.” NKD NKDMAG.COM
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alex aiono Words by SHELBY CHARGIN Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
Born in Utah and relocated to Arizona when he was two, Alex Aiono has spent the majority of his life learning how to perform. He began at a grade school centered around performing arts where the beginning of the day was normal school, and the second half was worked around singing, dancing and performing. “A lot of my work ethic, a lot of my concept of practicing everyday came from doing that,” he says. Living in a family that constantly played music, Alex was surrounded by performing. “My older sister and I were both writing songs, it became kind of like a thing as we were growing up. It was something that we all did for fun, it was never work though, it was never business,” he explains. “It’s still something that we do you know going to concerts, or playing mu-
sic for each other.” Alex’s life has been a tale of love and support that showcases through his music. In 8th grade, “music became more and more realistic as a - I don’t want to say a career path because I don’t look at music as a career, I look at music as - it’s always just been my passion, but that’s when it started to become a real thing.” Alex took off onto his first trip with his father to meet a producer in Los Angeles, Patrick Leonard. From Alex’s personality, it’s hard to imagine somebody not completely falling in love with his charms right away, and Leonard was no exception – but it wasn’t a love at first sight situation. Leonard gave Alex a lot of advice that he took to heart. “I came back to Arizona, and I practiced everyday. Figuring out what chords are what and learning kind of the NKDMAG.COM
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theory of music which is great. It’s allowed me to learn more instruments which is awesome,” Alex recalls. The next summer was spent in L.A., and when he came back he dedicated his life to music. He relocated from Arizona to Los Angeles California on New Year’s Day at 14-years-old. Meeting with everyone from Babyface to Boyz II Men to Tommy Dickson, Alex quickly established himself in the L.A. music scene. “When I met my manager, we wanted to go the independent route,” Alex begins. “Let’s release music on our own, let’s write songs, let’s make our own connections, we don’t need a record label right now. And so we did that.” Lucking out with his manager, Alex was able to get into the studio with John Legend and write the song “Young and Foolish” which would become the center of his first EP, released in 2013 also titled Young and Foolish. “It was kind of like all of 2012 we were just working on music, working on music and then in 2013 it was like, ‘okay we’re gonna put this out’, at the same time I ended up going out on tour with R5.” Jumping straight into a tour bus as part of his deal, and Alex was truly living his best life. And although he hasn’t been on a tour bus on one of his tours since, he’s been out on the road quite a bit. Opening for Bridgit Mendler quickly after the R5 tour, “it felt like, ‘Man this dream is going in the absolute best direction possible’,” he says. 2014 and becoming an adult made Alex look at his music and his life a bit differently. “I put so much pressure on myself to be this guy - to follow up on all these 46
things we’ve done before when in reality, I’ve learned you just have to take it easy,” he says. Alex’s mindset seems to be constantly revolving around the insanely dedicated work ethic he was taught as a young boy. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact word for what his mentality is, but it’s ever changing with the times, constantly flowing, and glowingly positive. It separates him from a lot of his peers in the way where looking back on anything, the good or the bad, isn’t an option. He just wants to constantly be pushing forward, doing more and doing better. But those lessons weren’t easily obtained. “I put this pressure on myself and in 2014 I ended up moving out to New York City, I didn’t do any touring - I think I played one show, I got a job - like a real job because I wanted to make sure this music thing was what I wanted and there was a lot of doubt, a lot of questioning myself and towards the end of the year I was living out here and my sister was [about to get] married,” he reflects. So, Alex travelled back to L.A. where his manager convinced him to have a meeting with a company called AwesomenessTV. This meeting would take him to the next level. Playing his guitar for the entire office, it led Alex to booking his first show on YouTube, Royal Crush, and reignited his love for performing. “It was like, ‘Whoa,, this is what I’ve been looking for, this is the moment, let’s do this’,” he says. Starting his YouTube channel back up and creating with people again, and learning the insights of the algorithms he quickly burnt out on YouTube again. “We were shooting second, third, fourth
seasons of Royal Crush and I was like burnt out,” he admits. Between the YouTube pressure, and doing a cover of a song he truly didn’t enjoy because it was popular, the idea to start creating content and covers he loved was born. “I thought to myself, ‘Man, if I just did a song that I liked this would have been a lot more fun’,” he recalls. Low and behold, it didn’t matter the song, it mattered that Alex was singing it because his YouTube community remained strong, steadfast and supportive. After that, Alex recording a cover of Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself ” that proved he was right. “There was a clear moment - not even in numbers, I don’t like to look at the numbers anymore, but if I watch myself there’s a different happiness that I really had from that video on. And that’s where things really started moving,” he says. The pace brought him his record deal with Interscope, that he signed in early 2017. Interscope understood his dream, his beliefs and his goals. “They all cared about my dream. Immediately upon getting that meeting done, we brainstormed,” he says. And before he knew it, he was providing his fans with original music and consistently touring. In 2018, Alex wants to “continue doing new things, I’m going on my first headlining tour, playing headlining shows bigger than I’ve ever done before.” If you’re a big Alex fan, you’ll have probably already been to a date as it kicked off last month. He’s ready for this tour to be a moment; his moment and to continue to propel himself into bigger, better and newer things in the year to come. NKD
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melissa bolona Words by RACHEL HILL Photos by CATHERINE POWELL
As a child riddled with society’s interwoven occupational norms, Melissa Bolona never considered acting as an viable option. “When you’re little that’s all fantasy. It’s like learning to be a superhero growing up,” she says. Now, she weaves a different tale. The 28-year-old actress and model was born in Connecticut, later moving to Monmouth County, New Jersey until her mother relocated Melissa and her two sisters to Lima, Peru during middle school. Eventually, her 50
mother became homesick enough to move the clan back to Jersey where Melissa was able to live out her high school days. As an undergraduate International Marketing student at Pace University in New York, Melissa opted to study abroad in Paris one semester. Taking advantage of the rich cultural and artistic environment, she continued taking acting classes, a hobby she undertook in her youth. “In middle school my mom would take me to
auditions and some classes. It was something I always wanted to do, but it was important for her that I finish school,” Melissa says. It was during this time Melissa’s modeling career took off and she has since appeared in editorials for Harper’s Bazaar, Flaunt and Forbes to name a few. “The modeling has actually been really helpful in my transition because I got a bunch of content that established a base of my social media so I established
some sort of presence in the creative industry,” Melissa says, “I guess when I was in college and I started to model I realized there’s a big world out there. When I graduated I figured this is my shot. Before I get involved in a traditional marketing career I have a unique window. So I’m trying it. I’m sticking with it because it’s working thus far and I hope it continues.” Melissa quickly learned how to adapt to a bustling schedule. With multiple projects on the docket,
timing can be a toss-up. In 2016, after shooting Hurricane Heist on location in Bulgaria, she had a month ‘break’, which in reality was filled with learning lines and filming Malicious in Mississippi. “Knock on wood, it’s not often that timing works out like that. And sometimes I swear if you booked a job or vacation or something is when you get work; especially nonrefundable stuff. That’s really how you book work” she jokes. The short turnaround between filming these inherently opposite end of the spectrum movies led to some creative identity struggles for Melissa. “It was difficult. I went from playing a tech hacker to a sassy, kind of edgy sister,” she confesses, “It was once again one of those trying moments where you’re like, ‘OK I have to completely transform. I just was in Bulgaria for a month and now I have to do this and become someone else’.” While on set, Melissa’s philosophy is in essence, sponge-like: soak up every bit of advice, best practices, ways the directors and other actors conduct their jobs. “There’s not once that I haven’t taken away something,” she says, “I literally learned from every actor, from every director on set.” She recalls one of her first film set experiences while working on In Stereo. With an impending emotional scene, self doubt and panic struck leaving Melissa wondering “how the hell [she was] going to pull this off.” She credits overcoming professional trials like this as a sign she’s on the right path. “I was so scared about this but when push came to shove on the day it was no big deal. So I think moments like that you realize ‘Hey, I have these abilities’, and it makes you just want to keep sticking with it,” she says. Social media is often one of the
most reached for tools in an entertainer’s belt in terms of continuing to build his or her brand and staying in touch with fans. Melissa says, “I try to track out my social media, what the viewers like more and try to give them more of that content.” Putting her degree to work, the effort seems as though it’s common sense. “It’s important to keep a social media presence. It’s part of marketing — hello,” she laughs. “Everyone’s like ‘Wow, International Marketing and actress’, I’m like ‘Actually, in a way it goes hand in hand.’ I happen to be marketing myself internationally, I’m the product,” she responds. And a product she is. A swift scroll through her Instagram depicts a spirited twenty-something up for adventure, travelling around the world, with a sprinkle of promotional shots and brand partnerships mixed in. A collection of these posts are in effort to advertise her upcoming projects. In January 2018, Melissa began shooting for the sci-fi film Becoming, which centers around a young woman learning her fiancé is possessed by an unknown disease-like entity, forcing humankind to eradicate it from Earth before disaster strikes. Her other projects include Acts of Violence, an action-packed film starring Bruce Willis, Sophia Bush and Cole Hauser, released January 12, and Hurricane Heist, a Rob Cohen epic, tells the story of a team of tech hackers’ $600 million sting of a U.S treasury building during a Category 5 hurricane - scheduled to hit theatres March 9 of this year. As for a long-term goal, she’d like to earn herself an esteemed Oscar, of course. Her reasoning? “If you’re going to aim for the stars, aim for the stars,” she says. NKD NKDMAG.COM
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