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Dan Masterson wins Last Band Standing Competition and plans next moves

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BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

Dan Masterson and his band after winning The Last Band Standing Competition. From left, Jamie Howell, Alec Gaston, Dan Masterson, & Matthew Silva. (PHOTO BY PATRICK CREAN, SUBMITTED BY HAILEY MAGEE)
Dan Masterson and his band after winning The Last Band Standing Competition. From left, Jamie Howell, Alec Gaston, Dan Masterson, & Matthew Silva. (PHOTO BY PATRICK CREAN, SUBMITTED BY HAILEY MAGEE)

Dan Masterson is a Boston based singer/songwriter who is best known for his emotion driven, pop/rock music. On October 15th, Masterson won The Last Band Standing Competition, hosted by New England Music Awards that featured nearly 200 acts from across New England.

Masterson sat down with Limelight Magazine to discuss his recent win. He talked about the competition which was hosted at The Hard Rock Café in Boston and his gratitude towards his band, fans, and the judges.

“The band and I are really proud to have won and we’re excited for the opportunity that comes along with the prizes of studio time and promotion,” Masterson said. “Especially because so many great acts competed (not just at the final round but in the preliminary rounds) we feel lucky to have made it. A few judges who had seen us perform before said we were far more polished and comfortable at this show. I credit that to my bandmates who have been playing out with me now for around two years and to our friends who come through again and again, singing along at the show.”

Masterson spoke about how he met the other three band members Alec Gaston, Matt Silva, and Jamie Howell.

“I met Matthew Silva (bass, vocals) when he responded to a Craigslist ad,” Masterson said. “I’m always very specific in Craigslist ads for bandmates. I think I referenced James Jamerson and a few other bass players I really like so I could find the best match. It’s a tricky business using Craigslist but [Silva] knew all the names, understood the vibe, and was a great fit.”

“Alec Gaston (guitar, vocals) I met in the middle of one of his solo cover gigs in the basement of the Harvard Square Tasty Burge,” he continued. “I stumbled in just to kill some time and grab a bite. There were maybe five people in the room and he was laying it all out, like he was determined to melt those five faces. When he took a break, I introduced myself, asked him if he’d be interested in checking out my group and possibly joining up.”

“Jamie Howell (drums) came on board about six months ago after Alec suggested he join up. Alec and Jamie also played together in a Brooklyn-based group called Chameleon Culture so the transition was very smooth.”

These four band members form a tight knit band family and have continued to refine their music ever since meeting. Masterson spoke about the experience of playing with his band during the competition.

“The Hard Rock Café has one of the best sound systems in Boston and a great staff and vibe to go with it,” Masterson said. “I’ve had the pleasure of playing there five or six times in the last few years and every time our friends are excited to come to the show because they know it’s going to sound good.”

During the competition, Masterson performed several of his original pop/rock songs and a cover of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now.” He explained why he chose each song he performed, showing just how much thought really goes into picking a playlist.

“In a showcase/competition scenario, we have a relatively short amount of time to both entertain the crowd and impress the judges,” Masterson said. “We knew that ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ got great feedback from a recent benefit show we did at Oberon so we decided that would be the cover tune for both rounds. We also rolled out a brand new arrangement of ‘Helpless’ at the first round, which gave our fans something fresh and showed the judges we had some versatility to our sound.”

“For the final round, we went for all the crowd pleasers — the songs that have been popular on Spotify and Pandora like ‘Learn To Live’ and ‘Slow Burn’. We put ‘Atlas’ last at the final because it has a fun bridge that the audience likes to sing along with. These are all things we’ve learned by playing shows, watching footage from the gigs, and thinking critically about how we can constantly engage with the audience,” he continued.

Masterson’s prize for winning the competition included studio time at three recording studios. He talked about how excited he is to record especially at Rocking Horse Studio in Pittsfield, N.H., with producer Brian Coombes.

“We already had some plans in the works for recording new music so to some extent we’re planning to hold that studio time in our back pocket for when it’s most needed,” Masterson explained. “I have chatted with Alex Allinson at the Bridge Sound & Stage (in Cambridge, Mass.) about doing something really special for our biggest supporters but I don’t want to let the genie out of the bottle too soon. Your readers will have to jump on my e-mail list to find out!”

Masterson released his first album in 2011 title The Father Time. He explained the copious ways in which he has evolved since his debut album.

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with several professional engineers and producers since that release and I’ve played tons of venues both solo and with my band,” he said. “I’ve played to audiences of all sizes on instruments of varying quality with sound systems of even more varying quality. All of those experiences reform how we arrange a song, how I play a song, and future writing. Most importantly, I think I’ve learned that the only way to really improve your craft is to work with musicians who are more talented than you, engineers that are more knowledgeable than you, and producers who are more experienced than you.”

Masterson released his most recent album Atlas in April of 2015 and has plans to work on new music soon.

“We’re definitely itching to get back in the studio and put some new tunes down,” he said. “I’m excited to be working through the preliminary stages of a new project with Boston Music Award winner Dave Brophy. I don’t want to let the genie out of the bottle too soon but we have some exciting plans that involve new music coming your way at the start of 2017.”

Masterson is known for his emotional performances both live and on his albums. His music is first and foremost piano driven pop/rock which is evident within his exceptional performances. Masterson said that his favorite part of performing is the “connection the music fosters between people and the ability of songs to reach people.”

“It’s great to look out from the stage and see friends meeting new people,” he said. “It’s energizing and inspiring to hear from fans after a set that a certain song helped them through a breakup or a tough move or some other life stressor. There are also these moments where the whole band vibes and plays off one another in a really indescribable, improvisational way. Those moments are thrilling and keep the songs alive.”

While Masterson’s ability to produce emotional performances has it pros, it also has its cons. He talked about how he deals with being open and honest all of the time.

“I always remember that even though I’m drawing on my personal experiences and personal emotions (which can leave me feeling exposed for sure) these are often universal feelings: rejection, existentialism, financial stress, jealousy, heartbreak,” he began. “Sometimes, I’ll start off writing a song that’s very personal but fictionalize or embellish the story to make it slightly more compelling or more relatable. Putting emotion into a performance is essential to me.”

“It’s great that fans turn to these songs because they are raw, open, and relatable,” Masterson continued. “It’s also great to perform the tunes with a full band because we can enhance the dramatic nature of the lyrics with our arrangements and that makes for a show that sticks with the audience.”

When writing songs, Masterson likes to challenge himself by starting with fictitious scenarios.

“It’s easiest to write about real life scenarios because I can draw on every thought and emotion I might have at the time but a good portion of my writing starts off with a fictional character or hypothetical situation,” he said. “I try to come up with a clear idea of what a person might feel or say or do in a given situation. Sometimes they relate directly to my personal experience. Other times, it’s purely an exercise in empathy and creative writing.”

Although Masterson takes on as much creativity as possible with his songwriting, it is also a therapeutic, self-healing experience for him.

“A good number of the songs off [my sophomore EP] Learn To Live were written after a particularly difficult time for me, when I was questioning my own character and dealing with the fallout of a failed relationship,” Masterson explained. “Sometimes it’s good to vent through songs. My priority though is on the craft of writing a good song. I really respect songwriters who choose each word carefully, consider the meter and placement of words, even how a word sounds on a certain note or how the melody helps augment the emotions of a certain phrase.”

Masterson is a perfectionist when it comes to songwriting. He is passionate about his writing but is also greatly aware of the world outside of emotions and rock n roll. Masterson explained his mission as a musician both on a micro and macro scale.

“I want to write songs that reach people and connect us to one another,” he said. “I strive to have a great, energetic live show and carefully crafted studio recordings. I treat songwriting and performing as a craft that I’m constantly working to improve. I also aim to support other artists, craftspeople, and small business owners who play an active role in their community and do amazing work while doing good. I buy USA made merchandise via locally owned and operated vendors like QRSTs in Somerville. I work with designers and photographers from the immediate area. At the Last Band Standing Final, we also raised $55 (which we are doubling) to donate to the Cambridge Health Alliance’s Haitian Mental Health Clinic. They offer culturally sensitive counseling for folks in our community who may be dealing with family loss or stress following Hurricane Matthew’s devastating impact on the people of Haiti.”

Off the heels of his Last Band Standing win, Masterson has some future plans that he can talk about.

“We’re looking toward a victory mini-tour around New England to celebrate the Last Band Standing win and bring our band to some cities we haven’t been just yet,” he explained. “We’re also starting in early on applications for summer festivals, hoping to get in front of new audiences and keep our momentum moving forward. The radio promotion campaign from Powderfinger Promotions (another Last Band Standing prize) has the potential to really boost our visibility across New England and we want to have some high profile appearances lined up so listeners who happen upon our new tunes have the opportunity to catch our live show too.”

Don’t miss Masterson live at The Common Man in Concord, NH on Nov. 3 and Article 24 in Brighton, MA on Nov. 18. Masterson’s music and complete list of upcoming shows can be found HERE. You can also check out Masterson’s email list which is the primary destination for updates on new music and performances HERE.

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10 record store owners from New England talk about vinyl’s resurgence

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BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

photo-vinyl-resurgence

Over the past few years there has been a resurgence in vinyl records sales throughout North America. Hipsters are credited with bringing the trend back in the hopes of preserving the authenticity of vinyl. Now, this trend has become part of popular culture again.

In 2015, sales of vinyl records were up 32 percent to $416 million, their highest level since 1988, according to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Unlike the 1980’s, records are now sold practically everywhere, not just in record stores but in places such as Urban Outfitters, Barnes and Noble and even Whole Foods Market. Businesses make decent money selling vinyl and continue to stock and advertise them.

Since people still appreciate the authentic, sweet sound of vinyl and hope to preserve it for generations to come, Limelight Magazine recently spoke with 10 record store owners throughout New England about the rise in vinyl record sales and why they believe this is happening.

Burlington Records (170 Bank Street, Burlington, VT 05401)

http://burlingtonrecords.com

Jacob Grossi, owner of Burlington Records in Burlington, VT, believes that there has always been an interest in vinyl but it has recently risen due to the substitute not being good enough. Vinyl was replaced by CDs so that music could be more mobile but not everyone is looking for a mobile way to listen to music. Many people still love vinyl records and hope to savor their originality.

Grossi has personally seen an increase in vinyl sales at Burlington Records and talked to Limelight about what he has experienced.

“We’ve had a vinyl only store for ten years. The change over the last ten years though was that we got more new releases,” Grossi said.

He explained that people not only want vinyl records as collectables but they want new and upcoming albums to be available in vinyl format.

Grossi’s favorite album to listen to on vinyl is (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay by soul singer Otis Redding. Grossi also made sure to also specify that he’s talking about the original cut.

Cheapo Records (538 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139)

http://www.cheaporecords.com

Allen Bay has owned Cheapo Records since the ‘70’s. Over the past few years he has seen a sudden increase in vinyl records sales.

“A few years ago I realized that we’re actually selling more vinyl than CD’s and now we’re selling a lot more,” he said.

Bay talked about the value vinyl records have and how this has changed over the years.

“Records were something you had to have 50 years ago or even 40 years ago. Now, I think it’s more of the fact there are so many young people with disposable incomes. It’s a great hobby. It’s not addictive and it doesn’t put people out on the streets. I think vinyl is great. Young people who are into analog sound, buying old used records, get to hear things the way they should have been,” he said.

Bay also gave his opinion of why he thinks vinyl sales have increased.

“It’s a fad,” he said. “50 years ago everybody who listened to music had to have records. Now it’s an upper middle class, mostly white male, trend. Although I do have some dieheard female customers.”

Bay also talked about another different between vinyl records now compared to what they used to be.

“Not too many people are just buying everything,” he said. ”They’re getting into this, they’re getting into that. I think the internet drives both the interest and the titles.”

Bay mentioned some of his favorite records to listen to on vinyl.

“I grew up as a teenager in the ‘50’s so I like what we called rock ‘n roll,” he said while giving examples, “Ladders, [The] Flamingos, and The Black Keys.”

In Your Ear Records (462 Main St., Warren, RI 02885)

http://www.iye.com

Reed Lapplin, co-owner of In Your Ear Records spoke briefly about why he believes people are interested in vinyl again.

“They’re all bored with their computers,” he said. “They’ve all been staring at their screens too long.”

Lapplin said that he has noticed this rise in popularity within his store.

“Well it’s been going on for a while,” he said. “It’s not the first vinyl revival. It’s happened four or five times already.”

Joe’s Albums  (317 Main St., Worcester, MA 01608)

https://www.joesalbums.com

Limelight Magazine spoke with Joe Demers, owner of Joe’s Albums, about the increase in vinyl record sales. He said that he has seen an increase, “Definitely over the last couple of years, especially the last year. There’s been significant increase that’s coupled with the customer age rang getting a lot broader than it used to be.”

Demers gave his opinion on why he thinks this resurgence in vinyl is happening.

“It might be a push back against downloading music and not physically having anything,” he said. “Vinyl is a bit more of a tangible experience to hold something, put it on the table itself, and maybe sit and read the record sleeve while you’re listening to it. Also, I think you listen a lot more rather than just having music as background noise if you’re streaming or just have something on shuffle.”

Demers had two more possible reasons for the increase in vinyl record sales and interest.

“People in their 40s and those age ranges who grew up with vinyl are now getting back into it,” he said. “Honestly, I also think that the industry is behind it a little bit and pushing it because I don’t believe they make much off a 99-cent or less download and vinyl records are kind of pricey.”

Demers said that his favorite record to listen to on vinyl is Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd.

Music Connection (1711 S Willow St., Manchester, NH 03103)

http://www.musicconnection.us

John Benedict, owner of Music Connection in Manchester, NH, has seen “a steady increase” in vinyl sales and he talked to Limelight Magazine about why he thinks this is happening.

“I think it’s the physicality,” he said. “I think the other reason is that it’s a way to get away from your device. It provides a comfort and solace away from all the other things that take up your time. It’s a getaway.”

Benedict believes that although CD’s once replaced vinyl, streaming music is becoming the most common way to listen now. With devices such as Pandora and Spotify, anyone can listen to a variety of music for free. Benedict talked about why experiencing vinyl is better than streaming music.

“You literally have to physically place it on the machine and be an active participant,” he said.” I think that’s something that’s a novelty to a younger generation. It’s a conscious decision. I mean, there’s the cool aspect but also if you’re on Snapchat or Instagram or any of those things you need a break and I think vinyl provides that break.”

Benedict talked about the relationship that vinyl creates between the musician and the listener that he believes can’t be replicated with streaming music.

“The other thing is, if you’re dealing with a larger graphic platform you have a 12 by 12 inch place to put artwork,” he said. “You can put little trinkets or extras. You can make the vinyl a different color. You can do glow in the dark covers. There are just so many things you just can’t do with a stream or a download that make it a little more special and make a statement from the artist to the listener.”

Benedict talked about his favorite albums to listen to on vinyl and why.

“It’s Revolver by The Beatles,” he said. “To me, it’s one really great listen. I never get tired of it. I always hear something new and fresh. I hear attention to detail. The songwriting is strong. There’s experimentation. The cover’s black and white and it’s a pen and ink drawing with photos. I just think it’s pretty amazing.”

Nuggets Records (486 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215)

http://www.nuggetsrecords.com

Stewart Freedman, owner of Nuggets Records in Boston, MA, spoke with Limelight Magazine about why he thinks vinyl has had a sudden comeback. While he has definitely noticed this trend, he isn’t sure why this is happening. Here are his thoughts.

“It could be the movie High Fidelity,” Freedman said. “Also, some customers think that it might be Jack White the guy from The White Stripes because he has his own record store and really pushed it. I thought that was a little far-fetched but maybe. Also, a lot of kids come in here and tell me that a few years ago they were finding their parents albums in the attic or something.”

Freedman talked about his personal connection with vinyl records.

“I don’t know specifically why but I always thought they were cooler than CD’s,” he said. “When I was a kid you’d have your friends over to look at an album and you would pass around the cover and play the record. I don’t know if people really did that with CD’s. I don’t think they would pass around the booklet because they are so small you can’t really read them.”

When asked what he favorite vinyl album was, he answered, “I like the older stuff like [The] Beatles, [The Rolling] Stones, [Bob] Dylan and there are a lot of good bands out now too that I like such as The Decemberists.”

Round Again Records (278 Wickenden St., Providence, RI 02903)

http://www.roundagainrecordsri.com

Limelight Magazine spoke with Steven Kotler who has owned Round Again Records for 36 years. His store has had great success, although he described it as, “a little 600 foot mom and pop store.”

Kotler doesn’t know exactly why people are suddenly interested in vinyl right now but he has a clear idea about why vinyl has lasted as long as it has.

“Vinyl records sound better,” he said. “They’re tactile. It’s something you can actually hold in your hand. It’s got a great cover.”

Skeletone Records (50 N Main St., Rochester, NH 03867)

http://skeletonerecords.limitedrun.com

Todd Radict, the owner of Skeletone Records, talked to Limelight Magazine about the rise in vinyl popularity and why he thinks this is happening.

“Because it sounds better,” he said. “CD’s always have a high tone pitch that to me is very irritating. Vinyl has a warmer feel. It’s also that you can see the artwork. With CD’s you can’t really see what’s going on. It’s more of a luxury than a CD is. You have to take care of it. If you don’t take care of the record you might not be able to get another one because it might sell out.”

Radict explained the rise he has been in vinyl sales at Skeletone.

“That’s our biggest seller in the store. We have over 100,000 records in the store,” he said.

Spun Records (6 Grove St., Dover, NH 03820)

http://spundover.com

Mark Matarozzo owner of Spun Records, spoke about his opinion on why there has been a sudden interest in vinyl records again. Matarozzo said that he has seen both an increase in vinyl sales and an interest in vinyl again at Spun records

“I think there’s a couple different levels of it,” he began. “There’s an interest through the kids that are hearing about it more and then there’s an older generation that hears ‘oh, the thing that I liked when I was younger is back’. I’ve actually have people here in their mid-forties getting back into vinyl.”

Matarozzo explained a common reason why people prefer vinyl: it’s physical qualities.

“I also think that part of it is that people like to have something tangible,” he said. “Something you can actually hold and unless you get into buying new records, the price for used records is actually pretty reasonable. You can come in with twenty bucks and walk out with six or eight records.”

Matarozzo also talked about his favorite album to listen to on vinyl.

“I usually go with something like Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs. I really enjoy that record and also some of the stuff I listened to when I was in school and younger. I’ve always liked Tool too.”

Sunset Records (1232 Wilbur Ave., Somerset, MA 02725)

Bob Boyer, owner of Sunset Records, spoke about the current resurgence in vinyl sales. He talked about how this sudden vinyl popularity is within many different generations. Because of this, he gets many young people experiencing vinyl for the first time instead of older generations revisiting vinyl.

“A lot of my customers are kids so it’s new to them,” he said. “They’re listening to things that were pre-digital like Led Zeppelin and The Beatles.”

Boyer’s personal favorite vinyl record is an acoustic album by the late Sandy Bull titled Inventions. Bull is a folk singer who Boyer believes has created some amazing music even though he was never very well known. Although he wasn’t a big act, Boyer explained that his music sells well to this day, possibly due to the quality of the acoustic sound on vinyl.

Features & Interviews, Home, Miscellaneous

10 Nail Art Designs for Halloween

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BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

You know Katie Botelho-Bielatowicz as the co-owner of JKB Entertainment Group and Limelight Magazine, but you may not know that she also does amazing nail art.

Botelho-Bielatowicz went to UMass Dartmouth to pursue a degree in marketing and recently went back to school at the Kay Harvey LaBaron Hairdressing Academy to get her nail technician license. She now has her license and has even pursued some possible careers within the field.

Botelho-Bielatowicz spoke with me about what first sparked her passion for nail art.

“I remember seeing a design that looked nearly impossible, so I decided to try it,” she said. “I was pleasantly surprised at how good it came out and from there on out I’ve been intrigued by trying different things!”

Botelho-Bielatowicz has been painting nails for eight years now but she wasn’t always interested in this art form.

“I used to get acrylics done and decided that I had enough with artificial nails,” Botelho-Bielatowicz said. “I started a job at a beauty supply store and bought my first salon brand polish. I was hooked from there. I now have my own little room that’s dedicated to my nail polish, so you can only imagine how many I own!”

Botelho-Bielatowicz talked about what has inspired her as an artist and what nail art means to her. Although Botelho-Bielatowicz has worked at a nail spa, she now enjoys nail art for recreational use only.

“My love for nail art simply stemmed from other people’s nail art,” Botelho-Bielatowicz said. “I wanted my nails to look like that so I decided to try it for myself. It’s my hobby and my way from stepping aside from reality for a while.”

Although Botelho-Bielatowicz has been painting nails for a while, just over the past few years she began to challenge herself and work on more integrated designs.

“I started faithfully painting my nails about eight years ago and probably a few years after that is when I added nail art to the mix,” Botelho-Bielatowicz said.

“Because of my love for nails, I decided to get my nail technician license,” Botelho-Bielatowicz   said. “There I was taught to do acrylics, although I never do them at home. Every so often I’ll do a gel manicure on myself, but I like to switch my colors so frequently that it’s not worth it for me.”

Botelho-Bielatowicz decided to get her nail technician license just for fun, yet she has also learned a lot from practice and research.

“I’m just a self-taught enthusiast, with the help of YouTube and Pinterest,” she said.

Botelho-Bielatowicz combined her self-taught skills with a variety of techniques she learned at the academy to practice this fine art. Check out her nail art Facebook page HERE which is appropriately called “Confessions of a Nailaholic.”

Seen within the pictures on her page, Botelho-Bielatowicz explores many themes and techniques within her artwork. She talked about the tools she typically uses.

“I mainly use a nail cleaning brush, dotting tools and a small paint brush from the craft store to draw intricate designs,” she said.

Botelho-Bielatowicz enjoys exploring many themes of nail art. She does some simple nail styles but her nail art is also inspired by Tim Burton, moon phases, pineapples, popcorn, nature, The Cookie Monster, The Corpse Bride, Star Wars, cats, flowers, ice cream, sports, The Little Mermaid —  you name it, she’ll paint it.

It’s obvious that Botelho-Bielatowicz enjoys exploring many different nail art themes but she definitely has her favorite.

“My favorite time to do nail art is from October to December,” she said. “There are so many different designs with the holidays that there’s always something to do. I love festive nails!”

Botelho-Bielatowicz especially likes Halloween themed nails.

“Halloween is my favorite time of the year so naturally I love everything about it,” she said. “There are just so many great designs you can do for Halloween and I love the reaction I get when people see my nails and they’re all horror themed. For the most part, most of my artwork is related to Halloween/Tim Burton films. It just makes me happy.”

To coincide with Limelight Magazine‘s 10th anniversary, here are 10 nail art designs done by  Botelho-Bielatowicz  that are perfect for the Halloween season.

BEETLEJUICE

beetlejuice-nailsWILLY WONKA

willy-wonka-nails

CHESHIRE CAT

cheshire-cat-nails

STAR WARS

star-wars-nails

CORPSE BRIDE

corpse-bride-nails

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

nightmare-before-christmas

CRIME SCENE

crimse-scene-nails

DAYS OF THE DEAD

day-of-the-dead-nails

MOON PHASES

moon-phase-nails

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET

freddy-kruger-nails

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10 of the most read stories on Limelight Magazine’s website

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To coincide with our 10th anniversary, we wanted to see what the top 10 most read stories on our website were for the past decade (October 2006 – October 2016). Here’s the list of artists with a clickable link to their feature story. (Please click on artist name to be directed to the story).

  1. Jillian Jensen
  2. Paul Bielatowicz
  3. Megadeth
  4. Ayla Brown
  5. Orianthi
  6. Ed Kowalczyk
  7. Audrey Landers
  8. Hurtsmile (featuring Gary Cherone)
  9. Lisa Guyer
  10. Metal Church
Features & Interviews, Home, Up & Coming Artists

Nikki Coogan: The Tattooed Devil’s Twin

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BY JULIA CIRIGNANO

The Devil’s Twins released their debut album Handsome Devils in 2012. Since then, they have released two underground albums. The first they released later in 2013 titled Old Fashioned Mischief, and the second was released in 2015, titled Consequences. Influenced by acts such as Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Amy Winehouse, Johnny Cash, Social Distortion, Local H and Iron Maiden, this trio has had giant success within the underground cult party.

The band consists of Nicole “Nikki” Marie Coogan and Jeremiah “J”  Louf who founded the band in 2010. They later added Matt Young to their auxiliary of live drummers and Shaqed Druyan, who began to drum in new recordings.

Nicole Coogan Tattoo Artist
Besides being a musician, Nicole Coogan is also a tattoo artist. (PHOTO BY JULIA CIRIGNANO)

Although Coogan is very passionate about her music, her other love and creative outlet has always been her work as a tattoo artist. While some girls dream of rose scented futures, Coogan dreamt of being a tattoo artist before she even got her first tattoo. Limelight Magazine sat down with Coogan while she tattooed one of the co-owners of Limelight on Sept.28th to ask her about both her music and her life as a tattoo artist.

“I’ve always been a painter and artist,” Coogan said. “I’ve been really interested in tattooing for as long as I can remember. When I was young I starting noticing them on people and when my dad would get tattooed sometimes he would let me come along. I was hooked”.

Coogan got her first tattoo when she was 18 and started her apprenticeship at Inflicting Ink Tattoo in Portsmouth, R.I., during her senior year at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. She graduated and got her tattoo license the same year and has been working at Inflicting Ink for five years now.

Coogan loves the artistic elements to being a tattoo artist and also the social experiences. She loves to talk to people, hear the stories behind their tattoos, and when they see the end result. She also enjoys the process of getting to know the person she is permanently tattooing.

“I like working with my customers on their ideas,” she said. “I have a couple of favorite parts in each appointment. The first being when I get to meet the person I’ll be working with and hear their ideas. Sometimes they don’t necessarily know exactly what they’re looking for but when I come back down from the drawing table with their ideas put together visually it’s really satisfying to see the excitement they get in seeing it come to life. My second and truly favorite part is when they look in the mirror and see themselves and the tattoo for the first time. I watch for their facial expressions. It makes it all worth it to see themselves become more of who they want to be”.

“It’s interesting,” she continued. “Being tattooed is a vulnerable time for a person because they’re trusting me with their body and we’re very close. It’s like, ‘nice to meet you. I’m going to hold your arm for four hours’ but when I’m tattooing someone they really open up to me and that’s really cool.”

Coogan spoke about the ways in which being a tattoo artist has affected her.

“Both of these parts of my life have really made me a lot more confident. I used to be quieter,” she said. “As a tattoo artist, I get to make people happy all day. I get to talk to them and learn so much. That’s made me so much more comfortable in my own skin.”

Working at a tattoo parlor, Coogan has met a variety of interesting people. She has done some crazy and humorous tattoos. One of her favorite moments was when a nervous chef came to her asking for a tattoo.

“It took her a while to tell me what she wanted,” Coogan said. “What she ended up getting was two sunny side up eggs and a piece of bacon as a smiley face on her bum.”

Another crazy moment was when an older gentleman who Coogan has tattooed showed her a tattoo that surprised even her.

“His body is completely covered in tattoos,” Coogan began. “There’s this myth that he had a totem pole on his weiner and sperm whales on his balls. So one day I got really nervy and asked him and he told me it was true. I just had to know. It definitely was.”

One of Nicole Coogan's favorite tattoos was the (SUBMITTED PHOTO)
Pictured above is one of Coogan’s favorite tattoos that she did for a friend. (SUBMITTED PHOTO)

Coogan talked about one her favorite tattoos she has ever done which she did on her friend Kacey Ellis.

“She has distant ancestors to Lizzy Borden so she wanted to get a Lizzy Borden tattoo,” Coogan said. “We did a lot of research on the story so we could keep it pretty historically accurate. The two of us live in Fall River so it’s pretty common folklore in town. We did a lace doily with the broken axe on it with a couple of peaches with bites taken out of them. The peaches were part of her alibi. We rounded it all up with ‘Daddy Issues’ written around it. It was a pretty sassy tattoo.”

Pictured above is a tattoo of Amy Winhouse by Corey Goyette that Coogan got on her leg after Winehouse died.
Pictured above is a tattoo of Amy Winhouse by Corey Goyette that Coogan got on her leg after Winehouse died.

Coogan herself is covered in tattoos that instantly draw your attention when she walks into a room. She talked about her personal favorite tattoo: a portrait of Amy Winehouse on her thigh.

“I got it the year she died,” Coogan said. “I remember when I heard Amy Winehouse for the first time it woke me up inside. She has this really unique voice. When I was first trying to find my voice, I feel like I tried to sing like a lot of other people but when I started listening to her, I realized that I didn’t have a bad voice. It was just really different.”

When she started singing like herself and not anyone else, Coogan became a far better vocalist. She found her sound, herself, and friends like her.

“If you own it, that’s it. It only takes one person to say something’s cool, before everyone else joins in,” Coogan said.

Coogan talked about her perspective on the way people with tattoos are stereotyped.

“It’s too bad the way some people judge others based only on the way they look,” Coogan said. “I do find that as time has passed things have gotten a lot better as far as tattoos go in means of judgement. Fear and judgment really do just come from people not understanding. It’s too bad that so many people decide that they know you right away rather than just asking questions.”

Coogan talked about one experience she had a few years back.

“I was working at my last job in retail at a tennis place,” she began. “It was when I had started getting a little more tattooed and an older woman came up to me at a tennis tournament and said, with a super straight face, ‘does your mother still talk to you?’”

Coogan understands that most judgement towards tattoos comes from fear of the unknown. She wishes that everyone could enjoy tattoos or at least try to understand them. She said that getting tattoos makes her happy and said, “When I get a tattoo I feel so much more like myself.”

Coogan said stereotyping has changed over the past couple of years. She explained that she now tattoos people of all ages and professions, including teachers and elderly people.

“Tattoos have been a lot more prevalent in the media, newspapers, and TV. Reality TV has really brought the industry way more into the spotlight. In some ways it’s good because it makes it a little easier to digest and understand but at the same time it gives people this preconceived notion of what the job actually entails and means. It’s not all like a show where you walk in and can get a back piece in a few hours.”

Besides being a tattoo artist, Coogan is also a member of The Devil’s Twins. She explained the natural progression to which she and Louf started making music together.

“J and I have obviously known each other for a long long time.” Coogan said.

Although their styles in music differed growing up, they came together in The Devil’s Twins. “In college J had started writing some music with a drummer from Berklee named Jesse Hangen. They were in the studio at MassArt writing ‘I Can’t Stop Sinning’ and they got stuck at a part where J really wanted a soul singer. He came up to my studio floor and brought me down there to lay it down. I think it was a kind of ah-ha moment where we all looked at each other and realized we had really started something.”

The band’s music can be found on Spotify, but Coogan explained why they chose to release these last two albums underground, after releasing their debut album in a more mainstream fashion.

“In the last year or so we’ve definitely made a change in how we want to do move forward together as a band,” she said. “What we’ve really worked for and what has made us successful in the last year or so is totally changing our format. We play less shows so they’re a bit fewer and far between and are more selective to how often we’ll play an area in a concentrated time. For Boston, we’ll plan four or five big events a year and really work sell them out and release something at each one of those.”

Coogan explained why being an underground artist attracted her and Louf and why they have stuck with it.

“We’ve also found that with these more formal releases and special events, we’ve grown so much closer to our fan base and it’s all be so much more special. They’re the reason we can do what we do,” she said.

Many of The Devil’s Twins’ fans come from an underground cult following. Coogan explained how these dedicated fans helped propel the band and how unique and special their relationship is with the band.

“They’re all crazy. They do ridiculous things,” she said. “We have this attitude with them, we’ll never stop playing this music with you and we’re going to support you and make you part of our family but what you do to support us is in your hands. They’re all really in the public eye with their support. So many of them have come to me to get the ‘2’ tattooed which is crazy. So many of them have made patches and pins and merch for our table. They’ll go to other shows and hand shit out and like tag walls and graffiti things. They’re extremely extremely supportive.”

Not only are The Devil’s Twins close to their fans, they’re also close to their crew.

“We try to keep our crew close. The 2 crew are our core fan base. The ones who are always there no matter what.” she said. “They’re like a family that has developed over the past years. They have their own Facebook group where they’ll make plans and share videos and talk. They all have the tattoos and they’re all out of their damn minds. They definitely all feel included and they know we couldn’t do it without them. It’s all felt a lot more special since we started treating things like that.”

The Devil’s Twins are currently working on new music. They’re experimenting with new sounds and collaborating with other musicians.

“We’re working on some new material now that we’re really excited about,” Coogan said. “We just finished a song with the Boston rapper, Slaine which has always been a dream of ours. We’ll be releasing that soon and I’m so excited to have everyone hear it. We’ll be releasing it as a single in the very near future.”

Coogan explained that The Devil’s Twins’ new music will sound like them but with a new twist. They are exploring new instruments and sounds to create what they think will be the band’s best album so far.

“I feel like we’re melding into a new era where we’re less afraid to use more auxiliary sounds,” she said. “We have so many options open because right now it’s just J and I making all of those decisions and we’re both so into just kind of getting free with our music now. I’m really into our lyrics being very wordy and almost tripping over themselves. I love making music that has a real narrative storyline to make people think.”

Recently, The Devil’s Twins have been nominated for two Boston Music Awards: Best Rock/Indie Band and Best Live Artist of the Year. Cast your vote HERE!

Nicole "Nikki" Marie Coogan shines on stage at a recent performance with The Devil's Twins. (PHOTO BY
Nicole Coogan shines on stage at a performance with The Devil’s Twins. (PHOTO BY ROGER GORDY, SUBMITTED BY NICOLE COOGAN)

 

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