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danielletinybruiser · 3 years

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The Good Fight New York/New Jersey Open 7/31/21

I competed yesterday! And I actually feel really good about it! I'm a writer, so, writing about my experiences helps me really grasp them and process them and such, so, here goes!

And also: as always, when I compete, it's in basically no-stakes tournaments for anybody. I'm not going to big competitions, I'm just doing this as a hobby and going to light fires under my butt and test my skills as they are in the moment. So, I take it seriously, but I don't go into this with delusions of grandeur! I do not think I am the next Danielle Kelly.

(Content warning for weight here, I talk about it a fair bit!)

I think I prepared pretty well this time around! I trained *a lot* and took conditioning very seriously. I also had a funny thing with weight: since getting my (cough, cough, under my breath) Peleton - I've been riding a lot and running a ton using the app. I sure thought I was being a genius doing frequent two-a-day cardio workouts, thinking "oh yeah, I'll be 125 no problem." Instead, obviously, I gained some muscle weight from doing tons of high intensity interval workouts. It's a good thing! I'm so much stronger than I was, walking now at 134-137, and my cardio is very solid. But it did mean having to be very conscious of weight to ensure I came in at 135 on Saturday.

Again, this should actually be ideal for this level of competition (read: LOW), because it means my walking weight and competition weight are super nice and close (I used to be around 126-129 and still competed at 135, thanks to the other major tournament I do having nothing between 120 and 135), and I feel so much more durable.

An action shot! Thanks for reading so far! Lol

So, I was strict with my diet for the last month (I usually am, this just meant no cheat days for a couple of weeks, really), and did weigh-ins periodically, then every day in the last week. It also meant doing a little bit of math and knowing exactly what kind of food I could have in the morning, and what was safe to do in terms of sweating just in case. It was good to know, because that came in handy!

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 136.2 (you get a 1lb allowance, so I was only .2 over). I did a shorty 15 minute HIIT workout so I could have a tiny bit of food and fluid, being very careful to not dehydrate or do anything stupid. I'm not going to cut weight for this, lol, but it would be truly ridiculous for me, at my height (5'5") and body composition (muscular, but not JACKED), to have to go in at 145 for being, you know, .2 over.

The nice side effect of a short workout in the morning was helping my nerves a little bit (they were BAD), so at least that helped me breathe. I don't know if I've ever been this anxious before competing before, and I'm not sure exactly why — I know there are no stakes besides my pride, there's no money on the line, this isn't my career! This is my hobby, for fuck's sake, so I don't know why my body interpreted "lets compete" as "we are going to WAR and we might DIE," but there it was! I was scared! Brains are stupid!

We got a tiny bit lost on the way, but it was ok because things were running behind at the tournament. No problem at all. I made weight (135.6) and started to warm up. The venue had plenty of extra space on a turf field to warm up, and Viki was a SAINT, not only to drive my nervous ass over, but to help me warm up about six times. I felt better after just drilling and flow rolling a tiny bit.

It was a long wait, but my gi division was up first. I had one opponent at bantamweight, so, a small bracket in gi.

Here's how it goes in a submission-only tournament: you have your brackets, for a full division it's basically semi-finals and finals, with a bronze medal match and the two winners do a gold/silver match. With two, it's best two out of three wins gold, the other person gets silver.

For blue belts, we have eight minute regulation matches. No points, no advantages, no stupid bullshit (sorry, I hate points tournaments). If you both survive eight minutes with no submissions, you go into overtime rounds: a back take, a spiderweb/armbar, and a classic head and arm triangle. For each, the defender needs to escape, and the attacker needs to submit. If you successfully escape, and you successfully submit, you win! If both people escape, or both people submit, you go to the next round, and it repeats as needed (back, armbar, triangle).

It's a great format, imo, and really suits my style: I play defense, I like to wear people down, and then go for it when I see an opportunity. I will play all kinds of wild positions and try to get creative and weird with it, and frankly have fun, and I think submission-only facilitates that!

Still, I was so goddamned nervous.

We started the match and it was ON. My opponent and I were really, really well matched. Size and skill wise, we gave each other a lot of hell. It was rough, too, and I have all the bruises on my face to prove it! But I was having fun. A lot of fun.

Overtime action shot!

Our match went through regulation, to overtime. I escaped her back take, but her coaches fought with the ref a little. I offered to do it again, because, hey, I want to do it better. This may have been stupid of me, but I also, like... the reason I like sub-only so much is that I hate stupid technicalities and bullshit. So I offered to go again and did! And I escaped pretty well. On my turn to attack, I submitted her.

I honestly couldn't believe I won a match in gi. The last time I got a gold medal in gi, it was because I went to the 30+ division, and my opponent was 53. I was happy to win that day, but like... c'mon. I was 35 at the time. In sub-only, women don't have age categories, and I believe my opponent was maybe a bit younger than me, but probably not far from my age, and tough as hell. She was my size, we were well-matched in strength. And she BROUGHT IT.

I remember that going through my head, like "you can win in gi???" I could hardly believe it. I got my hand raised IN GI.

This felt great, and I was basically in shock.

(I won't belabor this, but I hate the gi. I think I'm terrible in it. Tuesday night - my last hard training day before competition, I did ok, but felt demoralized. I almost cried after training and told Viki that night "I don't think I'm going to compete in gi" and thought about pulling my registration. This is why I couldn't believe it, lol).

We had a short break and went again. Again, we did the full regulation match - she had an armbar at one point that I escaped, and I did have a last second back take and choke attempt, but I ran out of time. We went to overtime, I escaped her back take... and I remember, in the moment, getting ready for my turn to attack: "this is probably for a medal. IN GI. You are this close!" and I cinched it with a submission. I got my hand raised again. I thanked her and her coaches, and even chatted with them a little.

We went to the podium - another woman congratulated me on the match, saying she watched it and love dit. The podium worker said the same, and I was flattered. Kirsten (my opponent, who again, was fucking AWESOME and tough) and I did the podium thing, getting our medals and taking pictures.

Podium action shot!

Then, it was off to watch my teammate Ollie compete and kick ass, and then get changed for no-gi, where I absolutely knew Kirsten was going to come for blood, lol.

It still didn't feel real: a gold medal? Me? Danielle? Gi-hating Danielle who almost cried after just training in a gi on Tuesday night (again, nothing went wrong, lol, my training partners are incredibly conscientious and were preparing me!) - I let myself wear the medal for a couple of minutes before putting it in the backpack.

Even now, just about 24 hours later, it doesn't feel completely real. I swear, I only even compete in the gi because it's just five bucks more to do both divisions, and you may as well get all the rolls you can on a day you are showing up.

There was a pretty big time gap between gi and no gi, but I was honestly a little nervous again. They put a (fantastic) purple belt (that's the next skill level up if you aren't familiar with jiu jitsu, and a pretty huge gap for me, being honest) in our division, and I faced her first. There was really no pressure at all here, I do not expect to win against a purple belt. I feel — very honestly — that I have a very, very long way to go in blue. Based on how the day went, I do feel like I'm on my way, and making real improvements — But I'm no where near purple.

I survived about five minutes of an eight minute regulation period, and did survive a pretty intense back take at first, but she got me with a second back take and rear naked choke/crank. All the power to her!

Then, the bronze medal match was between me and Kirsten again (who I faced in gi). Holy shit, this was a doozy. We fought really, really hard in regulation. I know she wanted it BADLY after gi, and I could tell she had serious wrestling and probably Judo as well in her background. She tossed my ass around! It was rough and it was tough, and my face is a little fucked up today, not going to lie. But I loved it, and loved rolling with her — she had such good pressure, and beautiful knee cuts, and she was strong and fast and athletic.

We went through regulation, to the first overtime. I won the "rock paper scissors" to determine who went first and I took her back... and she escaped. She did her back attack, and I escaped.

At this point, I was TIRED. Not no much cardio-tired (I have myself conditioned pretty well), but... "I want to lie down and sleep" tired. But I got her in the armbar position for the second round, squeezed... and got the tap! Again, I thought "you are this close to a medal!" and defended the second round armbar well.. I really, really thought I was out, but in the last possible instant she just NAILED IT and got my arm back and I had to tap. It was fantastic, she did well to grab it back.

So, we went to a third round of overtime. Triangle. I had her in, squeezed, cut the angle... and got the tap! Yes! Now, I really knew I was close. I tapped her, all I needed to do was escape her triangle and I'd have a bronze in no-gi. I wanted it. I really wanted it!

I got into her triangle. It was tight right away (which it should be!), I *thought* I had stacked her in the correct position to escape, I thought I could do it...

And then... I remember dreaming. I started coming to, thinking I was asleep in my bed, and that i was dreaming about competition. I started to become conscious, and I heard her say "I think she's out!" and saw her face and the ref's face. It took me a few moments, but I realized where I was, and that I had passed out completely. She sank a PERFECT blood choke on me. Absolutely picture perfect.

I sort of kept saying, in my confusion "I'm ok! I'm ok!" and shook her hand and kind of stumbled off the mat.

Me, laughing in utter confusion after taking a nice nap on the mat (my opponent was really nice about it!)

Later on, I realized: we were actually supposed to go to a fourth overtime round! We both submitted to a triangle (if you lose consciousness, that counts as a tap!), and I believe the ref was actually asking me if I wanted to continue. Hand to heart, I'm not trying to save face, I just didn't realize it at all, in my complete confusion. I accidentally forfeited by walking off, lol. I seriously had no idea, and honestly, it was probably better that I didn't try to do another round THAT confused.

But still, that is absolutely going to be something I kick myself about, for forever. Just being THAT CLOSE.

By the way, I will say: it was the second time losing consciousness in jiu jitsu (and the first time... I'm not sure I was all the way out, this time I absolutely was) — it doesn't hurt. I'm not saying it's pleasant or great, exactly, it's very, very disorienting, because you actually start to dream a bit and have NO IDEA where you are for a few. But I would rather that than a broken arm or a torn ACL, so, as things happen on the mat, really not a terrible experience.

Kirsten deserves all the respect in the world — she put me out, and FAST (I had no idea how fast until Viki told me, lol. I sure thought I was fighting it for much longer!). She was wonderful to compete with, and I felt we were very evenly matched and got the best out of one another. I chatted with her afterward and we both complimented one another.

Overall, I'm proud of how hard I fought. I know that, in competition, I have absolutely defeated my self before, and gotten so discouraged. It's never conscious, I will always push, I will always mechanically force myself to get back up and get back out. Always. But mentally, in the past, I've really fucked myself.

Yesterday, I vowed to stay patient, and I actually did. I stuck to a gameplan fully: patience, defense, attacking whenever I saw or felt an opportunity. I actually feel, for the first time, that I did my best out there, the best I can do with my jiu jitsu right now, at 4.5 years of training, as a blue belt with one stripe.

That is a wildly unfamiliar feeling. Every other time I've competed, I've come out with at least a few things that were "holy christ, I am terrible at X and need to work on Y." The only other slight exception was the sub only tournament I got my first-ever medals at (silver in both) where I legitimately shocked myself. Even then, I had a couple of specific things I needed to work on (ankle lock defense! I still think about it!)

I'm a little bit beat up today (that armbar I thought I was out of, then got caught right at the last second? I tapped on time, but "on time" with adrenaline is "a tiny bit late" so it hurts like hell today), and will probably just do cardio for a few days to take time to heal up before going back to grappling. But I feel really proud. I feel good about it. I feel stupid as hell for accidentally forfeiting, but overall very pleased with the day.

Where do I go from here? Rubber guard, baby! I want to get *great* at rubber guard. And this has given me a huge boost to keep chipping away at gi, no matter how much I may hate it in the moment. Because I won yesterday, I do get a free invitation to the submission only worlds for this tournament, so, that's something I can think about...

But for now... I'm going to try and let the good parts sink in. Viki got me victory pizza last night, and holy shit, I don't know if anything has ever tasted so good :D

#bjjwomen #bjj #jiujitsu #competition

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doctorgerth · 5 years

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Okay ! So. I’m a young bisexual French gal, pretty smol ( 1m58 lmao ), rather long hair, and « thick ». I have big hips, bigs boobs, big thighs, flat tummy, I’m not skinny tough. I did a lot of exercise to build this body, and I’m really proud of it. I used to be so insecure, but now, I’m really into swimming, dancing, parkour...So yeah, I’m pretty fit. But I eat crap all the time. I’m currently in training for the army of my country, I wanted to be a pilot in the Air Force but I can’t, I’m too short. So, I’m in the para-commando. I’m pretty determined, devoted, and alway willing to help people. I’m the kind of gal who just want to settle down, have my own dream house, adopt lots of kids and some dogs...I was an only child with pretty mean parents, and because of that, I want to spoil my s/o and children to death and give them what I didn’t have. But I also want my family to be proud of me and see me as someone strong who can protect them. It’s so important for me to be praised and recognize for my work...I need compliments, and comfort. I would also like someone more mature, probably older than me...I like men better than woman. But, no matter the gender, I want to feel secure. I think it’s important to have each other back. I don’t know how to explain my personnality in detail...I’m blunt, sarcastic, I stay polite with stranger but have absolutely no filter with my close friends. However, I tend to laugh over silly things, joke about myself, and make fun of my mistakes....I not easily offended. But when I am, I never apologize. It’s hard for me to do the first step toward the one I love.

Hello, sweet anon! Thank you for giving me so many details! Enjoy your match <3

Your match is...

Smoker

Smoker is head over heels for your confidence, drive, and sense of duty. He simply adores how you both share the same passion - fighting for justice and the freedom of your people! He was disappointed just as much when you were told you couldn’t be a pilot in the Air Force. However, when you told him you weren’t giving up and were gonna join in the Para-commando, he was absolutely elated. Your strength and ability to overcome is what he loves most about you.

On the physical side, this man is definitely pleased with your body. You might be pretty small - he makes sure to call you pipsqueak, tiny tot, mouse, shortie, all the like - but all that extra oomf you got on ya, sends him reeling. He loves to have a little bit of extra to hold onto at night/during sexy times ;) But, he also admires what you did to get that body. He’s seen you train and work out, he even does it with you sometimes! That is, until things get too heated, which happens way too often...He’s had to stop working out with you because he calls you a “distraction”, even though he’s the one to ravish you in the workout room! He understands your past insecurities, but you’ve overcome, and you’re fit, agile, and tough now! He loves it! But he definitely gives you shit about the stuff you eat sometimes.

Though he doesn’t think about it too much now, he knows he definitely wants to settle down with you; have a nice house in a quiet, peaceful town, with some dogs, and *maybe* some kids. He thinks about this most when he watches your sleeping face or when you’re smiling up at him. He loves you, and he couldn’t have ever imagined he’d find someone with the same dreams as him. He wants to make all of yours come true.

He’s not crazy about kids, but seeing how you interact with them, he doesn’t think having some of his own would be a bad idea. He thinks it’s adorable how much you spoil children, but you also ensure the kids know you are their protector. Smoker knows you would be a strong, loving mother. He doesn’t enjoy being spoiled himself, he thinks he should be the one spoiling you, but he understands your reasoning for being this way. Therefore, he lets you spoil him every now and then! :)

It didn’t take long to learn that your love language is Words of Affirmation. He recognizes that you need to be told when you’ve done a good job or when you’ve accomplished something. Though it took a while to get used to that, he makes sure he always reminds you how wonderful you are and how great you’re doing. He’s a bit awkward sometimes, especially when he gets super proud of you. He gets overwhelmed by how proud he is and sometimes doesn’t know what to say! But you know he means well. Smoker knows it’s important to work as a team, and that’s why you work so well together! People question how you two work out so well, but you both know it’s because you have each other’s backs, always. <3

Other potential suitors:

Robin - she finds your bluntness and lack of filter amusing. Robin is a woman who is very good with her words. Therefore, she is probably the best at accommodating to your affirmation needs. She’s always there to pick you up when you’re down, remind you how much of an incredible person you are, and to tell you how great you’re doing at everything. She is the best at comforting you, and is always willing to make the first move for you.

Bell-mere - she’s tough as nails, just like you! You both share an interest in activities, like swimming, dancing, hiking, parkour, all the like. Life is never boring with you two, there’s always a new adventure ahead. Your personalities also work so well together since you’re both sarcastic and blunt, but also absolutely loving towards children. You both have a protective side and are always willing to fight for others.

Aokiji - he shares the drive of fighting for justice with you. He admires your durability and courage. He knows you’ve been through stuff, but he sees how you’ve overcome, and that really inspires him. You inspire him to be a better man, every day. Aokiji is a low-key man who definitely dreams of settling down with you, dogs, kids, and all.

Here you go, anon! Sorry again that I didn’t post this last night like I had planned! Hope you enjoyed. x

#one piece #one piece matchup #matchup weekend #matchup #anon #anon matchup #smoker

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theghostriversagas-blog · 6 years

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All right, here’s a short intro chapter to the world of the Ghost River Saga, a Dungeons and Dragons inspired WayHaught AU. Let me know what you guys think and if I should keep going!

Hi, I’m Waverly Earp. And this is my story. There will be action, romance, mystery, and just about anything else you could want, so stick around and I’ll be sure to show you a good time!

To start things off, I think I should tell you a little bit about the place where I live. It’s a tiny little town called Purgatory, in the Ghost River Triangle, which is located in the land of Alberta. I won’t bore you with details of the way the country is run or economics, just know that most Albertians are pretty happy with our quality of life. Even the undead are able to make a decent living if they can keep themselves from falling apart (literally and figuratively).

Now let’s zoom in on Purgatory for a minute. As I said, it’s a teeny tiny town in the Ghost River Triangle. But what you really need to know is that it’s filled with baddies—specifically demons, vampires, werewolves and monsters. Not that all of those groups are automatically evil, but they do tend to fall more on the chaotic side of things for the most part. Especially the demons. Adventurers come from all over the world to make their fortune here hunting baddies. Some do quite well. Most are never seen again, hence why we can’t seem to get our population over two thousand people.

I work in a tavern called Shorty’s. It’s not a bad place. There’s a long solid wood bar, lots of room for patrons, and rooms upstairs where I used to live until my older sister came home from gods know where. As usual, when she reenters my life, things tend to go to shit. Of course I should mention that she’s the heir to our family’s curse. Yep, I’m cursed. Wynonna is pretty damn good at getting me out of trouble with that pistol of hers, so it’s not so bad honestly, except that she’s wildly overprotective. She won’t even let me inquire about any of the postings on the task board at Shorty’s! Sure, some of the jobs are super dangerous, but a lot of them are completely harmless too! Ugh.

Anyway, more on that later. Let’s get started on this story, shall we? Let’s see, I think I’ll start the day that I met her.

It was a quiet morning. Wynonna had come home as I was leaving for work and I’m pretty sure she was still drunk from whatever the hell she had been doing that night. Probably another mechanical bull competition at Pussy Willow’s. I tucked her into bed, grabbed the keys to my red Jeep, and headed out.

My sister and I lived on our family’s homestead just outside town. It was old and practically falling apart. Before Wynonna came home I was honestly so in denial about my family and the horrible things that had happened on the property that I refused to make any repairs. My Aunt Gus lived there for a while but she was getting too tired to keep up with the rotting floorboards and termite eaten attic. I thought maybe after I’d moved back home I’d hire a handyman to fix things up. Or maybe not.

I pulled up to Shorty’s and hopped out of the Jeep, shivering in the brisk morning air, and pushed strands of long brunette hair from my face. It really was too cold for a tank top, but I just couldn’t help myself. It would be warmer once I got the hearth going anyway!

After grabbing an armload of firewood, I headed inside, dropped my coat and bag on the floor and made a dash for the fireplace. I arranged the wood inside and muttered, “Ignis.”

Fire began to leap from the logs. I suppose I should have mentioned by now that I was mage in training. Unlike wizards, my magic is innate, so I had to study hard with a mentor to keep it under control. Though I was convinced that I was getting close to graduating. After all, it had been five years since I started training with Maddie the Blacksmith, and she was the best mage around!

I warmed my hands by the fire for a moment before heading to the bar. I grabbed a rag and began cleaning the taps when the tavern doors swung open, revealing a tall, lean woman with bright red hair and an armored lawman’s uniform. She wore a longsword at her hip. I thought I knew just about everyone in town, but I’d never seen her before. I sucked in a breath. And the taps broke. Beer spewed all over me; hair, face, shirt, everywhere. I shrieked, “Desino!” The taps snapped back into place but it was too late, I was soaked.

The stranger chuckled, her voice like velvet. As I grabbed a dry rag to clean myself up she sauntered to the bar. “I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet tee shirt competitions. You okay?”

A blush crept up my neck but I kept my composure. “Oh. Yea. I, uh, keep telling him to fix the taps.” It was a lie. There was nothing wrong with the taps—I had created a magical surge when she walked in. I could have kicked myself. I hadn’t made a rookie move like that in years!

The woman seemed to buy the fabrication, at least. “I’ve been meaning to introduce myself. I’m Nicole. Nicole Haught.” She stuck out her hand to shake. It was warm and soft, but with a firm grip. “And you’re Waverly Earp. Quite a popular girl around here.”

“Oh, you know, it’s all in the smile and wave.”

It took me entirely too long to let go of her hand and when I did, I realized Nicole had been staring at me. She cleared her throat. “Can I get some coffee to go?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, we’re actually not open yet.” In all honesty, I wanted her to get out of there. I could feel another surge coming on and I couldn’t figure out why I was suddenly so incapable of keeping my shit together.

Nicole looked around, seemingly noticing for the first time that we were alone in the bar. “Oh, right,” she shrugged. “My bad.”

I finished wiping most of the water away but the wet shirt was driving me crazy. Luckily, I kept a baseball tee with the Shorty’s logo on it tucked under the bar. “Gods, I need to get this off. Could you, uh,” I mimed covering my eyes and she seemed to get the hint.

“Sure, right.”

The redhead turned and I began to pull the tank top over my head when a thread got caught on my earring. Oh crap. My head was completely encased in the top and I knew if I moved I’d just end up hurting myself. “Uhh, officer Haught? Help, please.”

I heard her move from the stool she had perched on and within seconds she had somehow gotten the shirt off of me safely. “Are you all right?”

The blush had definitely made its way to my face now as I noticed just how close she was standing. I covered my front with the wet shirt. “Yea… Good thing you’re not some guy or this would be really…awkward.” She grinned. Dimples. “I—I owe you.” I tried to step away but felt the bar push against my back.

“Okay, how about that coffee? Tonight?”

“Oh, I can’t. I mean, I’d lov—like to but I have plans. And, you know, I like to know what I’m doing three, even four days in advance. I’m a planner!” Oh gods, stop talking!

A knowing look flashed across Nicole’s face as she strode back around the bar. “Some other time then.” She reached into a pocket and set a small paper on the wood top. “I mean it.” Her voice was playful but it sent a shiver down my spine.

CRACK! The fire flared and popped as she shut the door. Another surge. I took the paper she had left into my hand. A business card with her number on it.

#wayhaught #wynonna earp #fanfic #wayhaught au #nicole x waverly #nicole haught #waverly earp

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carlculationinfinityinterviews · 6 years

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RUBY THROATED INTERVIEW

Ruby Throated are an eclectic four piece based in Los Angeles who’s sound is plenty atypical, textural, progressive and fierce. Each song is an grand exhibition of the collective musical union and personality that each member brings to the creative table. Its refreshing to hear something that’s musically clever and solid at the same time. I’ve been listening to them since the release of Shortie Newbie and haven’t stopped wanting to find out about the internal processes of the band.

RUBY THROATED - SHORTIE NEWBIE

youtube

First and foremost, how did the band form and what led you to wanting to work together as a collective of musicians and what drew you to each other? What were you looking for in relation to forming a band before you all met and how does Ruby Throated deliver that result?

Rodrigo Moreno: Ruby Throated formed under a much different pretence than what we are today. This was back in 2010 while Jocelyn and I were attending Saddleback College. A friend of ours had put together a group to play through some klezmer charts she had and really just sort of jam. Shortly after, Jocelyn began bringing in original music for us to play, and in my mind, that’s where ‘Ruby Throated’ really began. Being full-time music students, we spent an immense amount of time together and that led us to foster both a uniquely creative environment and supportive community throughout the department. Ruby Throated became the creative outlet for us to express our art honestly and true. Those core values are at the heart of the band and have remained intact throughout its evolution.

Hayley Bronwell: -The band originally started out with a completely different personnel and I joined because Rodrigo and I went to college together and he just asked me to play a gig with them one time. Then…we just kept playing and now it is what it is! I was just down to play.

Jocelyn Raulston: Rigo, Tony and I met in community college. Later, Rigo met Hayley at CSUN. I was just looking for people who were down to play my songs. And particularly ones who were interested in stuff that was a little bit out. I think for this music it was necessary to have individuals who are down to learn their parts/ write their parts in advance and outside of rehearsal. It’s not the kind of stuff that is easily taught in person.

Tony Dangond: The band had already been together for a while when they asked me to play at a house show. They sent me some rehearsal recordings and I was blown away by how unique and interesting the music sounded, and by how well they all played together. The party show was super fun and afterward they asked me to join for real.

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

How does playing in Ruby Throated compare to other bands that you have played in? How do you feel that you are exploring music differently with this act?

RM: There is really no comparison, because this band is our art. Working professionally, I’m very fortunate to get to play in a lot of different musical contexts and configurations. It’s something I absolutely love, but often, at the end of the day, it’s as part of a specific job. I am hired to help create someone else’s vision. With Ruby Throated, I am able to create the music and fulfil the vision that is in my heart.

HB: Being a freelance musician, I am always playing other artists’ music so having Ruby Throated as my own creative project really brings out who I am as a persona and musician. I get to be my truest self because I’m a part of a creative process with some of my best friends. It’s a very different feeling than just showing up to play a gig.

JR: Ruby Throated is more personal because it is my voice and my words.

TD: It's a very rare situation to be in, being good friends with everyone in the band and gelling so well musically. You really feel like a team and a family when you're in a group with that magical combination. I think our music has a fast pace to it, not neccessarily in terms of tempo, but in how quickly the songs take rather sharp emotional turns, changing feels and sounds in kind of a drastic way. Over the course of a set, we go to a lot of different places in a short amount of time, so I think we've been exploring maintaining that kind of pace and intensity and still having the music feel cohesive.

What are each of your earliest musical memories and what was the point where you realised the music was starting to become an important factor in your life and how would you describe the need to want to express yourself and create music?

RM: My earliest musical memory is of my mom putting on records and dancing with me as she was preparing me for bed. This was while we still lived in Mexico so I must have been around 2 or 3 years of age. In fact she was a huge factor in developing my gravitation towards music. Through not musical herself, she just absolutely loved listening to music. I remember the radio always being on. K-RTH the golden oldies station was her, and in effect, my, absolute jam. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was through seeing her become so affected, being brought to such joy at the sound of her favourite songs, that I learned the power that music carries.

HB: -All I can remember is that I started playing drums at the age of seven and I just never stopped. Luckily, I had incredibly supportive parents that always gave me the opportunities to create things, explore and to pursue my passions. I just never ran out of drive to to make music and for me, it’s the clearest way I express myself.

JR: One of my earliest musical memories is from when I was about 5 at my first violin recital. I remember standing on stage with a group of tiny violinists and playing the open strings. It was the first time I heard a bunch of violins playing at the same time and it surprised me. I grew up being told that I was musical, so I always thought it was important. I would describe the need to express myself creatively as something that builds up in you and will start to make you sick if you don’t do it and get it out. That gets complicated when you find yourself at a time in life when it is difficult or impossible to write. The need doesn’t go away.

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

What was the initial point where you decided that you wanted to become a musician, how did you feel, think and approach music back then in comparison to the music that you create now, what did you want to achieve as a musician back then in comparison to now?

RM: I wouldn’t necessarily say there was an initial point in which I decided to become a musician. By the time I acquired my first bass, to play punk by the way, the decision had already been made. But I didn’t think about it. I just cared about playing and so that’s what I did, as relentlessly as I could. I remember my friends and I would exchange albums on a daily basis, each of us eager to show the rest of us the gems discovered the night before.

This was in the early days of the, sort of, ‘Kazaa’/P2P sharing platform era. Not knowing any better, being teenagers on the internet for the first time, and being only able to buy so many cds, we spent a lot of the time scouring for all the deepest cuts we could find. I couldn’t tell you how many Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd bootlegs we had collectively. But that was just it.

Music was our lives. And through this brotherhood, during our formative years, of a shared experience, driven by what meant most to us, we were able to develop a powerfully raw yet meaningful and intimate relationship with music and each other and really just what it means to be a fucking human being and human family. That foundation would later help me develop my own voice and philosophy as I grew not only technically, on the axe, and spiritually, through my mind, but also logistically, having to figure out a sustainable economic model for making a living as a musician.

HB: As I kind of said in the above question, it was just something I never stopped doing. I never really had to face a question of “what should I do?”…it just was.

JR: I feel like I had almost no idea what I was getting into when I decided I wanted to be a musician. I was basically a child as I made those choices. I just kept following what I was interested in.

What was the first piece of music that you sought out buy with your own money, how would you describe that feeling of having to hear something and the experience of it connecting with you?

RM: Honestly, I don’t remember the first piece of music I ever bought. I remember being a little kid and going to garage sales with my mom and just looking through cassettes picking things out based on artists or songs I recognised. At that early age, I just didn’t think about it on a trivial sense. My attraction and curiosity just produced a sublime connection to music on a material sense. I couldn’t tell you how I got access to a record or piece of music but if I liked it, boy did I play the hell out of it.

JR: The first album I can remember buying with my own money was Millenium by the Backstreet Boys. I was seven.

Do you get the same feeling from listening you music now? How do you think the way that you have listened to music has changed?

RM: I’m obviously able and have to listen to music on a much broader scale, but fundamentally, the feeling/connection to music is and just always has been a fact of my existence.

JR: The way I listen to music always changes. I think about it differently in relation to whatever I’m currently practicing and writing and I go through phases. When I’m sad I listen to a lot less music. But in general listening continues to feel better and better for me.

TD: I think one thing I sort of had to un-learn after studying music in college and always thinking so analytically about it was how to just *listen* and not get distracted by wanting to figure out what those cool sounds were that I heard. But once in that place of non-judgemental listening, it's really about just letting the song take me on an emotional journey- whatever emotions those may be- and then later come back to the things that made me feel something strongly and figure out what quality created that kind of experience.

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

Is there anything you miss now as a musician that you did when you were younger/novice musician? What do you think your younger self would have to say about yourself as an artist if you were to sit down and have conversation now?

RM: Well, between the crushing weight of adult responsibilities and the dismal infrastructure of the music business, I just miss being able to jam endlessly or put on record after record without a care in the world.

JR: The older I get the less afraid I am to sing and to perform. Every bit of my relationship with music continues to improve and deepen, so I prefer things now to when I was younger. Now I get to do a lot more of what I want with music. My younger self would be surprised to see me tolerating the stage because I was a very shy kid.

TD: No, my experience with music- listening and playing- has really only improved with time. I understand/appreciate more music, and I've got a much more open mind now when it comes to checking out music that I don't normally listen to.

HB: I don’t know if I necessarily miss anything, everything that happened then and that is happening now is appropriate for its time. I do like looking back at memories I have of learning something for the very first time and how excited I was to be learning. I try to keep that same mentality about everything now; enthusiasm to absorb and information and more music.

How did you develop your skills and stylistic approach that you take with your instrument? Was it through musical tuition or just from listening to albums, what artists/musicians/bands or any other forms make up the artistic ingredients of your musical identity?

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

RM: When I first started playing, I would spent countless hours just learning my favourite bass lines. Back then I was immersed in the world of classic rock and punk. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, Yes, The Misfits, The Ramones, Dead Kennedys. Although I had picked up some educational material to help learn scales, chords, etc., I spent a majority of the time just jamming out trying my best to pick through my favourite songs or riffs. It didn’t take long for my friends and me to form a band.

We were actually very fortunate, one of our guitar player’s dad had been a rock musician for long time in his heyday, and he really helped guide and support us as we learned the fundamentals of our artistic vision. It almost seems cliché, but it was in the garage that I really learned how to just jam and communicate with other musicians on a deeper level.

I couldn’t say we knew what we were doing but that sure didn’t stop us from playing and improvising around the same riff for hours at a time. Once I got to college, that’s when things got serious.

I was lucky enough to be accepted into the jazz program but having no previous formal training, I had a lot of catching up to do. Alongside learning a completely new idiom on a new instrument, the upright bass, I also had to learning how to read and write musical notation. It was tough work and it took me a long time but every obstacle helped define who I was and what life and music meant to me. Both my time at Saddleback College and Cal State Northridge were cornerstone to my development and are experiences I’ll treasure for the rest of my life.

HB: I definitely wouldn’t be anywhere I am now if it weren’t for the teachers that invested in me at a young age. I did most of my learning from being a part of performing groups at a young age, taking lessons and being in band at school. It wasn’t until college that I really started finding my particular voice by listening to some of my favourite bands- Local Natives, Grizzly Bear, MuteMath, Hiatus Kaiyote. And of course, being immersed in an intense Jazz program at Cal State Northridge.

JR: I studied classical violin from age 4-20. I started singing in college just out of necessity and shortly after that I began actually taking voice lessons. My stylistic approach is probably mostly a result of all the music I have listened to and obsessed over throughout the years. It varies so widely. Indie music was my first true love but my dad had a pretty hefty CD collection when I was growing up, and I think his taste was a huge influence on me at a young age.

TD: The most crucial tool I gained from studying music through lessons and in school (aside from the technical aspects) was how to listen and think critically about music, and the rest really comes from exploring the sounds that I like in other music. After listening to something long enough, the sounds and styles start seep into my own playing, so I might accidentally discover something and recognise it as something from a song I really like, and then just try to further explore that idea until I can make it my own.

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

How do you implement these influences in your playing style and in Ruby Throated and how do you maintain your musical proficiency to ensure that you are always moving forward? Is there a specific skill or goal that you are working towards?

RM: What’s really cool about Ruby Throated is that, since I’ve been doing this band for so long, it has always been an accurate representation of who I am. With this band being my foremost means of artistic expression, I get to voice myself as honestly as I can.

At this point, with my philosophy being largely defined, music isn’t about maintaining proficiency. That part is sort of just inherent. There is no ‘end’ to the journey so I’m always going to practice my scales, I’m always going to seek out new music to listen to or play, etc.

Now all that operates on a higher level, allowing me to be more fluid in my continued growth and evolution. Also, ultimately, a large portion of my mind and energy have to be direct towards building an economic model that works for doing what I do. Just like progressing on the axe, you have to progress in terms of the industry.

HB: -I just play what feels good to me and what serves the music that usually, Jocelyn, brings to our rehearsals. I’m not sure I have one specific goal I’m trying to reach but I definitely put time into practicing and listening to a lot of music. Luckily, I play a lot in other projects as a working musician so it challenges me to learn quickly and to serve any time of music, no matter the situation.

JR: I maintain my proficiency through regular playing and writing. Having shows is a good motivation to write and learn new material. I also teach music now, so I have to be able to demonstrate all the things I am teaching. I am always working toward being more comfortable performing in front of people.

What has been the greatest musical advice and experience that has helped you progress as a musician and when was the last time that you experienced or listened to something that changed your perspective on what you thought was possible with music or creativity?

RM: That’s a tough question for sure. Along every step of the way in my development I was fortunate to have incredible mentors and colleagues, each adding an immeasurable amount of inspiration in their own way. Sure some may have hit harder than others, but music just isn’t a competition for me. I can’t rank my experiences in any way. They are all really more of ‘one’ grander experience. Everything being connected, though separated by time and space.

HB: Honestly, the best hands on advice that I have received has really just been seeing all my friends doing bad ass shit; making amazing music, pushing me to make music and ya, just seeing THEM do it. It’s the coolest thing to watch and really has shaped me to be the musician I am right now. If it weren’t for that kind of support and example….IDK!

JR: Playing with this group has challenged me in really positive ways. It keeps demanding that I get out in front of people and express my music. And it is a constant reason to be working on new material.

TD: The idea of creating music and not caring whether it's "good" or "bad", but rather just staying true to your tastes and letting what wants to come out come out, has been a very liberating piece of advice, that's still sometimes hard to follow. The real stuff always ends up sounding more authentic than trying to play cool shit.

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

How are the songs in Ruby Throated written please describe the process from A to B? Does each of you have a specific process that works best for you individually or a way that you prefer to write and have to had to think of any new methods or approaches with writing in Ruby Throated?

RM: I’d say that our tunes are built around the lyrical/melodic content, which are written by Jocelyn. Often she will send out a demo for us to learn the song and then we explore it together in rehearsal. We have a habit of recording our rehearsals so that we can also work on material individually and that helps us continually further the evolution of our tunes. We definitely like to consistently be working on new material and arrangement ideas.

HB: Jocelyn is mainly the mastermind behind the skeletons of the songs. A lot of the time she’ll have a full song she brings in and Rigo, Tony and I will take that, sit with it and come up with our own parts and really shape the song. Although, in this past year or so I have rhythmic ideas that I will record on my phone, send to Jocelyn and she’ll straight write a melodic/lyrical idea over them and sends me back a demo. In which I then cry because it’s always SO SICK. I think we might share a brain…

JR: I usually write at the piano or in my car, because I drive a lot and it’s an easy place to work out lyrics. Then I make a rough recording of the lyrics and the initial piano part. Everyone basically memorises it before they get to rehearsal and then we work out the specific parts. If anything, we have had to get more and more detailed with our writing. More specific about sounds as well.

Sometimes Hayley will send me a cell phone recording of a drum part and I will listen to it 30-40 times while I’m driving around and sing to it. After that I sit at the piano and maybe work out some parts there. Other times, I start with a piano riff and write to that. Very rarely do I just hear words first without any other music. Melodic or rhythmic material usually inspires me to hear words.

I like to handwrite as I am coming up with words so that I can get a lot of ideas onto paper quickly and then organise them later. My phone is full of voice memos of lyrics and ideas. Most of my songs are from personal experiences, but they do stretch into more imaginary territory to make the song work sometimes.

TD: Joss will usually bring in a song (often written at the piano), and then we'll jam on it as a group to find ways to further arrange and orchestrate the song. We often discover something new during that process, and we're all willing to just explore those ideas and see where they go until we find what feels right.

How does this differ between what you want the listener to feel/hear in a live setting and listening to your recorded material? How do you feel about being honest with each of these displays of music?

RM: I’d like to think that honesty in our music is one of the things we all hold most dear. I mean, otherwise what’s the point? You can’t have an honest voice, as an artist, if you are letting it be dictated by something other than your heart and soul.

JR: I just want the listener to feel what I felt when I heard the words the first time. Obviously that will be a different experience in every setting and to every person. The words I hear are always accompanied by some sort of feeling or tone that I work to define during the writing process, using words or images. That helps a lot in finishing a song.

I think my approach to being honest with the songs comes from writing lyrics from a place of listening more than trying. I try to get into the feeling space of a song and just be quiet and hear what my brain makes up, rather than try to force an idea.

( Photos by Amalia Sepulveda )

What do you want the listener to take away or experience when listening to Ruby Throated?

RM: One of the biggest reasons I play music is simply for the fact that I want others to experience music. I know how greatly if affects me, and by creating music myself, I can hopefully help someone else achieve that same sort of feeling and experience. Ideally you want someone to like your music and be positively impacted by it, but you can’t really control that. So without ego attached, I really just want everyone to have their own honest reaction or experience when listening to our songs.

JR: I hope they feel that sort of emotion that wells up inside you and surprises you and kind of leaks out. Whether it is joy or sadness.

HB: “This isn’t mainstream music but this is sick and I can connect to it.” That’s literally what I want people to say/understand haha. Not everything has to fit in a box ya know?

TD: I want them to think "fuck yeah".

What is in your rig and what are the preferences within your setup?

RM: My main axe is a Fender American P Bass I bought back in 2015. I swapped out the stock pickups for EMG’s Geezer Butler signature set. I go through a Genz-Benz Streamliner head into a Markbass 1 15 cab. I spent a lot of time researching those components and I couldn’t be happier. It’s just super versatile. Small enough to easily lug all over town but also with enough headroom to carry even the loudest gigs. It also works well on upright, which is a must. On most gigs I carry a small pedalboard consisting of

3Leaf Audio Octabvre, Wayhuge Porkloin, and Tech21 SansAmp bass driver. With Ruby

Throated, both live and on recordings, I take more liberties with the bass tone and layers. I’m a big fan of using phase and reverb to create textures as well as hugely distorted tones accompanied by a clean channel to maintain the integrity of the bass’s role in supporting the harmony and melody.

HB: -So, currently I am playing TRX cymbals, I usually play a lot of dark, thin cymbals- I like a lot of wash. I have a baby Gretsch Catalina Jazz kit, 18” bass drum, 14” floor tom and usually a 14” or 15” snare depending on what I want that day. I also use a lot of percussion toys like, baby tambo’s, rattlers and usually an 8” splash on my snare drum. Also, I add in some electronic sounds/samples at times with a Roland SPD-SX.

JR: Right now I’m using the voice live touch 2 for vocal harmonies and for doubling. It has so many options but my favourite is just having parallel 4ths or 5ths with my melody. I also use the octave down a lot.

TD: I used a Nord Stage 2, with a lot of combining keyboard and synth sounds, as well as various built-in effects, to design the sounds used in this band. The sound-layering and keyboard-splitting allow me to combine a multitude of different sounds and be able to play a lot of it live.

Finally what artists are you listening to and what can we expect from Ruby Throated in 2018?

RM: I’m really always jumping around to what I am listening to. Having to constantly learn new music for gigs, whether originals or covers, I frequent a wide spectrum of artists and genres. In a contemporary sense, the artists I’m often listening to are: Kendrick Lamar, Hiatus Kaiyote, Grizzly Bear, Anderson .Paak, just to name a few. It’s kind of crazy because with the internet you get thrown into this realm of having access to so much information that it can be hard to focus as a listener. The shear breadth really affects thedepth a listener can absorb. I am and have always been an album listener. I’ll find something and put that sucker on repeat until I know every piece of it.

I wonder how much that still goes on in today’s general listening public.You can expect a number of releases from Ruby Throated this year. Both tunesand videos, we have a consistent schedule to be on the look for.

HB: OH MAN, this is the year for new music for me! Right now, I am listening to Hundred Waters, Hippo Campus, Half Waif, Kehlani, Billie Marten, St. Vincent, Polica, Allie X, Sylvan Esso, Moses Sumney, Purity Ring…man, there’s so much more, though!

JR: Right now I’m listening to Hundred Waters, Xenia Rubinos, Juana Molina, Jesca Hoop, Adult Jazz, and a lot of pop music. You can expect a few music videos and 2 EPs of music that we are happy to be wrapping up.

You can follow Ruby Throated at the following links below:

https://www.facebook.com/RubyThroated/

https://soundcloud.com/rubythroatedmusic/shortie-newbie-2

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrwcGphAxMTxfj9OpEjf5Tw

http://www.rubythroatedmusic.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rubythroatedmusic/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/7E0AjvC20Uka142Sh3N6L5

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