#Ariel is about to rock Rafael’s world looking at him like that

[alexxmason]

Joel x Ava (MWZ) || Selena x Alex (Black Ops)

Dahlia x Simon (MW) || Ariel x Rafael (CI)

Tagged by @sergeiravenov & @hollytanaka for this couple picrew. Here’s some news and some favs 🕺🏽🕺🏽😈😈

Tagging @carlosoliveiraa @bbrocklesnar @tommyarashikage @ghastlyrider @aceghosts @eccentrcks @finding-comfort-in-rain @yuelaos-codex @aceghosts @simonxriley @efingart & anyone else

[onestowatch]

Hollyy Dives Headfirst Into Heartache on ‘Miss The Feeling’ [Q&A]

Photo By: Tess Graham

Chicago alt-soul band Hollyy warms our hearts with their passionate vocals and retro-inspired grooves in their latest EP Miss The Feeling. The release is a skillful blend of something old and something new, embodying a vibrant Memphis soul sound full of heartache and visceral emotion that cannot help but transmit that feeling out into the world for others to see, hear, and feel. Although this isn't the band's first EP, Miss the Feeling is their unyielding introduction into a world that needs unapologetically honest music.

Formed in summer 2018, Hollyy consists of Tanner Bednar (vocals), Brandon Couture (guitar), Peter Giere (keyboard), Rafe Soto (drums), and Dominic Zeier (bass). Ones To Watch was able to chat with the band about Miss The Feeling's creation process amid a global pandemic.

Ones to Watch: With this being the first EP the band has released since your debut "Letters From Lawndale," what are some things you all have learned about the production and creative process that made this an easier release?

Tanner: I think we've mostly just all grown as musicians and songwriters during that span between projects, which is great. We've also changed our process quite a bit for the better. Rafe has really souped-up our basement studio into a magic music-making space, which we love and hold super dear to us. This EP was also the first time we worked with a producer, and it was truly the most incredible experience. We owe a lot to our friend/producer Nick Boyd for this work.

Brandon: This EP was a much more collaborative songwriting process than our first EP as Holly,. We all contributed songs and helped shape each other's ideas. Once someone brings an idea forward, it becomes all of ours, and we all put in a lot of care to make each song the best we can make it. It takes a willingness to feel exposed and accepting of how someone else is going to hear what you write.

Rafael: I think we've all learned a thing or two about collaboration and how we can change certain aspects of a song and get something brand new out of it that plays to our strengths.

This EP is full of retro, warm tones that still touch on themes and feelings of loneliness, lost love, and more. To you, what is this EP about?

Brandon: It's a reflection on times past that you once longed for and trying to find your way forward.

Tanner: Miss the Feeling is kind of a perfect literary send-off for acknowledging you've been stuck in a rut for a while as well as just not feeling yourself and getting back to that point of being internally content again. It could translate to human relationships or emotional struggles not involving human relationships, and I like that.

Rafael: I agree with Brandon. It's about being able to let go of moments in your life.

What was your favorite song from the EP? Why?

Tanner: I love all my children equally hehe. But I have found that rocking out to the end of Turn it Around has been rather therapeutic during quarantine. So I guess that??

Brandon: Beach is one of my favorites to play live, we've been playing it back to back with Miss the Feeling, and it's really fun.

Rafe: I also enjoy the miss the feeling/beach medley because it's super fun to play.

Pete: Like anything, it depends on the mood. The ending of "Beach" has a very dreamy/jazzy vibe and has been fun to expand and jam on musical ideas.

How do you feel Hollyy has evolved not only as a band during the pandemic, not only in regards to your sound but overall?

Brandon: This time has really affected my writing for sure. This year has been challenging on many people, and the future is so uncertain for so many. People need something to look forward to, and I've found myself trying to write about that pain and confusion of not knowing which way forward is.

Rafael: I think it's helped us really streamline our process and figure out what we absolutely have to do in person and the things we can collaborate remotely on. Our writing process usually takes place in person but it has found its way to a million different messaging and document apps, I think this gives us the chance to reflect multiple on what we're writing.

What have been the biggest struggles of trying to record this EP during a pandemic?

Brandon: Luckily, we finished a lot of the recording for this project before the lockdown, but it's forced us to find other ways to push our new music while not having the ability to promote it live. It's also changed how we've had to work on our next project, moving to virtual meetings and writing from our respective homes.

Tanner: Yeah, it's honestly been super cool to see how we've adapted to essentially being a virtual rock band these past seven months while still being very efficient and productive with our tunes, writing, and releases. Personally, I have really enjoyed the challenge of needing to get creative to find different outlets of marketing and content pushing during the Covid-era, and we have a super supportive and talented team that helps us out along the way as well, so that's been great.

What would be a dream collab or feature for a future Hollyy track?

Tanner: We're ready to get down in the writing trenches with Stevie Wonder or Anderson .Paak at ANY point!

Brandon: Kevin Parker from Tame Impala would be incredible, as would the Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio.

Rafael: Probably Gwenno or Dex Romweber.

Pete: I think we've talked about having a rapper put down a verse on a song before. I've been listening to a lot of Action Bronson lately, so I would have to put him.

The EP not only goes on a sonic journey but a visually artistic one as well. In all the music videos, fans have seen a mysterious driver in a vintage car driving into the sunset and towards an unknown destination. Who is the artist, and how did this concept come to be? Is there a deeper meaning, or was it just something the band thought looked cool?

Brandon: The artwork is meant to elude themes of escapism and finding your own way forward, which I think are some of the more subtle themes in our music. When I drive alone, I often find myself having intense internal conversations with myself, often to reflect on something that might be bothering me.

Tanner: Yeah, the artwork is definitely super purposeful with some underlying meanings and symbolism, and that's something that I'm glad came together for us in the end, and people are catching on to and deriving their own ideas of what it may mean. We had talked about using the car and the geographic locations to help depict escaping and longing for new and better days. We played with the concept of colors and backdrop settings to allude to what lyric meanings may be included in that single as well. All in all, our friends Lucas and Ariel from Brazil (two super talented artists, by the way) helped us out with these images, and we're super happy we got to use our friends' work for these.

In a time when touring and live shows are on pause, what does Hollyy plan to do from here? Live stream concerts? Do y'all plan on pulling a Flaming Lips move and encourage people to go to shows in bubbles?

Brandon: Giant bubbles would be incredibly fun! We've been finding ways to get together, make some videos and live stream, and certainly plan on continuing, but our big focus now has been writing and working on the next project. The one benefit to the pandemic is it's given us a lot more time to write, and we have a good number of songs that have piled up now. It's helped give us something to look forward to and work towards.

Tanner: Yes, I think nothing says giant bubble mosh pit quite like the intro to Miss the Feeling. I would love to try that out one day. But to piggyback off of Brandon, we're absolutely just enjoying the writing process right now, staying safe + healthy, and looking forward to creating more and more music with each other while we're stuck in the dystopian universe. One day we'll play a normal, carefree live show again :)

Who are some "Ones To Watch" you would recommend people to check out?

Brandon: Chicago is an incredible hub for local bands. Ratboys, Divino Nino, and Sen Morimoto are some really incredible artists that have been crushing it lately.

Tanner: I think some of these artists are going to start/continue to make some noise over the next year: Neal Francis, Fat Night, MICHELLE, and Qari.

Rafael: Lately, I've just been listening to a ton of roots reggae, so checkout Desmond Dekker. I am stoked about the new Fuzz album though.

Pete: I think right now, everyone should check out Wyatt Waddell. He has an absolutely incredible mix of RnB, soul, and hip-hop to his sound. He's also from Chicago, so that helps too!

[viraljournalist]

Colby Covington's divisiveness hits home ahead of UFC title fight

New Post has been published on https://viraljournalist.com/colby-covingtons-divisiveness-hits-home-ahead-of-ufc-title-fight/

Colby Covington's divisiveness hits home ahead of UFC title fight

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — Colby Covington is shadow boxing, warming up for a private striking workout. He’s with a coach, inside a room tucked next to an acai bowls cafe. Rock music is playing on Covington’s smartphone, and he’s wearing a shirt that reads “Stomp my flag, I’ll stomp your ass.”

It’s 1:06 p.m. on a Monday in mid-November at the famed American Top Team training center. A few feet away, on the other side of a closed door, the other pro fighters at the gym — including ESPN’s No. 2 bantamweight, Marlon Moraes, No. 5 flyweight Jussier Formiga and PFL standout Kayla Harrison — are wrapping up a group class. Covington can’t see his teammates when they gather in the center of the mat or hear them when they all yell “ATT!” in unison to end the session. That’s partly by design, as some fighters prefer private sessions before a big fight. But for Covington, the isolation is deeper.

“I’m doing stuff behind closed doors now,” Covington says during lunch, a month before his first unified title shot. “I don’t want people to see my training. That’s a big concern of mine. I don’t want people to see the game plan I’m working and how much I’ve improved and the skills I’m developing every single day. You’ll see that on fight night when I step into the Octagon.”

The UFC is closing 2019 with a loaded card in Las Vegas this weekend. UFC 245 features three title fights, including Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington (welterweight), Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski (featherweight) and Amanda Nunes vs. Germaine de Randamie (women’s bantamweight).

UFC 245: Usman vs. Covington • Saturday, Las Vegas • Early prelims: ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET • Prelims: ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET • Main card: ESPN+ PPV, 10 p.m. ET

Top UFC 245 content

• Covington’s divisiveness hits home • Urijah Faber at 40 • Why Usman’s grappling is key

Order UFC 245 now

Aside from being one of the best fighters in the world, Covington is known for being one of the UFC’s greatest villains. He is skilled at incendiary — and sometimes crude — trash talk.

And it’s not just with opponents. Over the last few months, Covington’s divisiveness has shaken the walls of American Top Team. He has publicly feuded with several teammates, including former friend — and perhaps the hottest act in the UFC — Jorge Masvidal. The Covington-Masvidal beef has defined the growing tension within the gym and put a spotlight on ATT that will grow more intense should the teammates eventually become opponents.

In the meantime, Covington will challenge Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title in the main event of UFC 245 on Saturday in Las Vegas. In his corner will be coaches from a gym — the only gym Covington has known as a pro — where at least one of its stars wants him to lose.

“I don’t feel comfortable,” Covington says. “I feel like I always have to look over my shoulder. I have to watch my back. I don’t know if people are gonna come up and try to attack me. I’ve had people yelling in the gym at me, creating scenes and stuff. It’s not a good environment for me there.”

But some argue it’s an environment Covington helped create.

“Colby doesn’t need to watch his back at our gym,” says Dan Lambert, owner of American Top Team and Covington’s agent. “He might need to watch his back just about anywhere else he goes as a result of what’s happened. … There’s pros and cons to being who Colby is and that just might be one of the things he needs to deal with moving forward.

“I think Colby thrives on that chaos,” Lambert continues. “[‘Chaos’] is his nickname and appropriately so. I think it pushes him to go harder at those people and at the gym.”

It was Oct. 28, 2017, when Colby Covington reinvented himself in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He said he became a showman for business reasons, but not everyone saw it that way. Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

How Covington went from afterthought to one of the sport’s most polarizing figures dates back to June 17, 2017, when he beat Dong Hyun Kim. UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby told Lambert after that fight that the UFC had no interest in re-signing Covington when his contract was up after his next fight.

Lambert says he told Covington he shouldn’t alter his fighting style, but “there’s some other s— you can change.”

2 Related

After decisioning former title challenger Demian Maia on Oct. 28, 2017, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Covington called Brazil a “dump” and its fans “filthy animals” while standing in the Octagon.

Covington’s new identity had come to life. And it was drawing attention. Covington’s ATT teammate Amanda Nunes lashed out at him on social media. Another Brazilian fighter, former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum, threw a boomerang at Covington a few weeks later during a fight week in Australia.

The strategy worked. The UFC re-signed Covington, and his next fight was for the interim welterweight title, which he won by beating Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 225 on June 9, 2018.

If not for the sudden turn, Covington says he would have been out of a job, “just another guy nobody cared about.” Against Maia, he says he made $30,000. Against dos Anjos in his next fight, Covington says he took home $200,000.

“I’m trying to be a high-paid fighter,” Covington says. “I’m not trying to fight for 20 grand the rest of my career, getting my brains knocked in, lose brain cells and not have something to show for it at the end of my career. You see a lot of these guys at the end of their career, they’re brain dead, they have no money, they’re doing GoFundMe accounts. It’s sad, dude. After I’m done, I want to be set, man. I don’t want to have to work another job.”

After seeing early returns, Covington accelerated his transformation.

Things may already have started to go south in their relationship by the time Jorge Masvidal worked Colby Covington’s corner for his fight against Rafael dos Anjos on June 9, 2018. Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Mixed martial arts is an individual sport, but in gyms and training centers all over the world, athletes and coaches work as teams to help fighters prepare and evolve. Many fighters say they wouldn’t be where they are without their teammates, sparring partners and coaches.

Covington upset many with his comments in Brazil, but turning against Masvidal fractured the gym.

“You never talk bad about your teammates, doesn’t matter if you like them or not,” former UFC strawweight champion and ATT veteran Joanna Jedrzejczyk said.

It’s one thing to be controversial, but to some fighters at American Top Team, Covington sold his soul for headlines.

Not long ago, Covington and Masvidal were more than teammates. They were friends and roommates.

Covington says the beef started after he beat Maia, because Masvidal lost to Maia earlier that year. Covington says Masvidal became jealous.

Masvidal says the falling-out started when Covington stiffed one of their mutual coaches, Paulino Hernandez, on a payment for working the dos Anjos fight.

But hard feelings were kept private. Masvidal worked Covington’s corner when he faced dos Anjos and celebrated his teammate’s win. Covington would later say that although Masvidal worked the corner, he didn’t help Covington make weight and, in fact, abandoned him.

But when Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren in a UFC-record five seconds on July 6, Covington posted on Instagram about always having each other’s backs.

Both would later say the relationship had soured by then. The fracture started becoming more public in late July, when rumors circulated that Masvidal could fight for Usman’s crown ahead of Covington, who was quoted on July 30 saying it would be crazy if Masvidal landed a title shot despite being 2-2 in his last four fights.

Masvidal and Covington had words in the audience at UFC 241 on Aug. 17 and security stepped in at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The feud boiled over two days later on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, after Covington joked that Masvidal was trying to improve his seating by getting closer to Covington in the first row. Masvidal said Covington told UFC president Dana White that Masvidal was going to assault him — and that White then warned Masvidal about getting into a confrontation.

Masvidal grew agitated during his interview with Helwani and referred to “some stuff” between Covington and one of the coaches, likely the payment issue. Masvidal said Covington knew what gym he’s at and when he’s there, and he said he could be there the following day.

Within the next few weeks, Masvidal and Covington had a verbal altercation at American Top Team.

“I said, ‘If you don’t pay him, I’m going to F you up,'” Masvidal said on The Dan Le Batard Show. “My coach got in between it.”

Lambert says he sat down for a meeting with Masvidal after that altercation, and Masvidal agreed not to come to blows with Covington inside the gym out of respect for the team. Masvidal has called ATT home for 15 years.

“They’re gonna act like professionals,” Lambert says. “They’re gonna coexist. They’re gonna do what the coaches tell them to do. Or they’re not gonna be there. … I don’t think you’ll see problems inside the gym, because they respect it.”

Masvidal told ESPN he wasn’t interested in talking more about a subject that could further divide American Top Team. Both Covington and Masvidal said they would never leave the gym, even if they sign to fight each other.

“We’re better than that,” Masvidal says of his teammates. “Maybe some shady s— has gone down. But we’re not slimeballs. I’m ATT until the day I die.”

Covington and Masvidal are both welterweights, ranked No. 2 and 3, respectively, by ESPN. The possibility of them fighting is real, and it’s something Covington wants.

“You never talk bad about your teammates, doesn’t matter if you like them or not.”

Joanna Jedrzejczyk

“It’s a big opportunity businesswise for both of us — and for the gym,” Covington says. “The type of hype around that fight? Honestly, that would probably be one of the most sought-after pay-per-views in the history of the UFC.”

If Masvidal and Covington do end up booked to fight each other, Lambert says protocols would be put in place at the gym to ensure the best possible environment for both.

“It’s not my favorite situation to be in, but I guess at the end of the day it’s probably a good problem to have,” Lambert says. “It means the gym is doing something right.

“We’ll deal with it. We’ll keep them separated. They’ll train at different times. They’ll train in different parts of the gym. They’ll train with different training partners and different coaches. They’ll both get the best possible training, they’ll come in ready and it’ll go one way or the other.”

If the byproduct of a successful gym is occasionally having two fighters face each other, the downside of a beef like the one between Covington and Masvidal is the atmosphere it would create.

“It’s just gonna be like Team Colby and Team Masvidal,” Harrison said. “It’s gonna literally divide the gym and divide the coaches. Nobody wants that.”

But a potential matchup is further away than some think, according to Masvidal’s manager, Abe Kawa. Masvidal has mentioned Conor McGregor or Nick Diaz as potential next opponents because they could produce bigger paydays.

“As of right now, he’s not in our plans,” Kawa says of Covington. “We’re so far ahead of that. Usman and Colby are fighting for the right to possibly face Jorge. Jorge is the ticket — he’s the A-side.”

It’s not unusual for a fighter to work out alone before a big fight, but for Covington, the isolation could have a deeper meaning. Marc Raimondi

On Saturday night, Covington could be considered the A-side for the main event of a card that features three championship fights. That’s a long way from worrying about getting released by the UFC.

And while ATT teammates Masvidal, Jedrzejczyk and Dustin Poirier dislike Covington — Jedrzejczyk said she hopes Usman will “beat his ass” — there are those who understand his motivation, and even respect it.

“He’s accomplished more in a short period of time than a lot of guys that have been in the industry forever,” says Thiago Alves, a UFC veteran out of Brazil, a team leader and fighter-coach. “You can’t hate the recipe. You don’t have to like it, but you have to respect it. I respect the dude and I like him. … I’m ATT, man. Forever. And he’s a great kid. Never disrespected me. Yeah, say some s— to sell it. But even with everyone here, he’s always been super respectful.”

Nunes was one of the first to criticize Covington on social media after his “filthy animals” comment about Brazilians. Now they share a head coach, Conan Silveira, and Nunes says she harbors no ill will toward Covington.

Silveira, also a Brazilian, says he has not taken any of Covington’s remarks personally and understands what Covington’s goals are by talking trash. He says hard feelings within an MMA gym are not rare, but they shouldn’t be a problem as long as everyone stays professional about it.

“Do you get along with everyone in your family?” Silveira asked. “Colby at American Top Team is a completely different guy. He’s a part of the family. … Of course I’m gonna support him. It’s never that I’m gonna turn my back on him. I say that on behalf of me and them. We’re never gonna do that.”

Covington believes those who knew him before what pro wrestling fans would call a “heel turn” should see that he is just trying to maximize his income in a cold, dangerous sport.

“It shows me their true colors and it shows me who they really are inside,” Covington says. “They can’t understand I’m doing this because of business? They’ve seen me for the last eight years at the gym. And they know who I really am deep down inside. But when a camera turns on, when a mic is put in front of my mouth, it’s a different story, because I’m doing business at that point. And that’s how I look at it.”

Not everyone differentiates between the trash talk of a showman and real bad blood.

“All these words, they do have consequences,” Masvidal told Le Batard. Askren, a noted trash-talker himself, found out the hard way. After knocking out Askren, Masvidal added a couple extra shots and later called them “super necessary.”

Covington embraces the challenge.

“[There’s] a unique element to it where I do actually enjoy and thrive in people wanting to see me get knocked out, people wanting to see me lose and fail,” Covington says. “There’s something really nice that I like about it that makes me want to just prove them all wrong and shut them all up.”

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