The Upwelling & Me

I tried to remember this morning how and when I decided I would start a magazine. I remember driving home and listening to Guster. But I cannot remember the exact moment when it clicked. And why. And how all of a sudden it's a year and a half later and here I am. There was something inside of me that was drawn to musicians who were doing everything themselves. It showed passion. It showed truth. I wanted to emulate that with the magazine. I wanted to do it all, and I wanted to meet those who could show me the way. Somehow in the mix of it all, I met The Upwelling.

Looking back, now almost six months since I first met them, it's quite a story. I got a press release emailed to me about this Brooklyn band that sounds like Pink Floyd. Before I knew it, I was lost in god knows where on my way to interview them. I remember speaking to Josh on the phone and him asking if I was freaking out. Funny, now. It wasn't my best interview, but the boys made me feel very much at home in their spotless apartment. I remember Ari walking me back to my car. We couldn't find it. I then actually did freak out, because I thought it was stolen. After some consoling serenades, I was on my way home. I had their E.P. on repeat that ride home, and six months later, I still can't get enough of it.

The Upwelling is everything that the magazine stands for. Three guys, living in New York, talented song writers and musicians (especially live), and they did it all themselves. From digging out an apartment to build a recording studio, to getting their album in Virgin Megastore, I've never seen anything like it. I believed in them so much, I wanted to do everything in my power to help them out. It became apparent why I started this magazine in the first place. It wasn't to meet rock stars, it wasn't to be "cool," it was to believe in music, in artistry, and in the power of making a mark in the industry by doing it yourself.

The reason why I am being so nostalgic today is because I met Josh for lunch. The past few months have unfortunately been tough. The band recently was chosen to be part of the Virgin Recommends campaign, a first for an unsigned artist with an E.P. They continue to play in New York, will embark on their first national tour this March, and are off to Ireland in the summer. I, on the other hand, was trying to balance, school, work, and the magazine, while working on a feature on the boys for NY Press. Then the concert came around, naturally my first choice was The Upwelling. When communication subsided and schedules didn't match, I was bummed. Things took a turn for the worse, for silly reasons. I had so much faith and believed in the band so much, and yet due to us both being extremely busy, I felt lost in a crowd and took it personally. Luckily, things have turned back around.

At lunch today I realized that I have never met anymore more passionate than Josh. He talks, a lot. And yet it is never distracting or superfluous. He's so genuinely excited about everything that is happening to the band, and rightfully so. In return, he completely boosted up my own excitement for the magazine. It's tough, and I unfortunately get discouraged easily. I have a strange dichotomy within myself: pure determination and utter fear. The Upwelling have shown me that if you just keep going, keep believing in yourself, happiness can ensue. And even if Josh became a vegetarian for happiness, and even though he has only seen two episodes of Family Guy, and called Maroon 5 the new Jamiroquai, he's found something. You can see right there, on his face. It's inviting. And it's quite refreshing.

I can see it now: The Upwelling sells out Hammerstein Ballroom two nights in a row; exclusive interview with Underrated Magazine (now THE international publication in music).

I'm listening to their EP right now, again, and you know what? It could happen. And if not, I think I made friends with a rock star.

Check out The Upwelling next Saturday (February 19) at Mercury Lounge.