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The side of being an artist no one talks about—and Wonderfront’s performers did – The Daily Aztec

It was a sunlit, music-soaked weekend on San Diego’s waterfront, where yacht clubs hummed behind the haze of soundchecks and a salty breeze clung to guitar strings. Wonderfront 2025 brought the good times, but behind the shimmering performances, a quieter thread ran through nearly every artist interview I conducted: being an artist […]

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It was a sunlit, music-soaked weekend on San Diego’s waterfront, where yacht clubs hummed behind the haze of soundchecks and a salty breeze clung to guitar strings. Wonderfront 2025 brought the good times, but behind the shimmering performances, a quieter thread ran through nearly every artist interview I conducted: being an artist in today’s music industry means wearing too many hats, and most don’t fit.

Not one, not two, but all seven artists and bands I interviewed—bLAck pARty, BabyJake, Saint Luna, Baby Rose, Peter Cat Recording Co., Benches, Paco Versailles and Vacations—shared variations of the same truth: managing a music career today means managing an online persona, an algorithm, a stream count, and an attention span. And for many of them, it’s exhausting.

Malik Flint, better known as bLAck pARty performs his set for Wonderfront on the Hazy Stage on May 16. Photo by Isabella Biunno (Isabella Biunno)

“You kind of have to be an artist and a content creator to exist in people’s minds”

bLAck pARty’s Malik Perry Flint put it bluntly when I asked what people misunderstand most about being an artist right now. 

“It’s kind of tough being an artist, because… It’s kind of like being an influencer,” he said. “You kind of have to be an artist and a content creator to exist in people’s minds a little bit.”

Campbell Burns of Vacations echoed this sentiment almost word-for-word, making it clear just how hollow and cynical that digital grind can feel. 

“Every artist goes through it,” he said. “‘You have to make another TikTok’—I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to spend five or six hours being like, ‘Hey, this is what I get up to in my day.’ I’m like, I just don’t care.”

Burns originally leaned into meme-posting as a sort of ironic protest. 

“I put in as little effort as possible, but it had maximum return,” he admitted. But that irony only worked because fans saw it as authentic. Still, he later stopped altogether: “You become known more for the meme than you do your art… That feels like a bit of a disconnect with how people engage with art in the first place.”

Bradyn Jace, lead singer of Saint Luna, puts on a show for the early afternoon festival crowd on May 17. Photo by Isabella Biunno (Isabella Biunno)

“It sucks your soul a little bit”

Saint Luna—one of San Diego’s most promising young rock acts—spelled it out for local student musicians hoping to “make it.” “Don’t forget about posting on social media,” lead singer Bradyn Jace said. “That shit works. It’s annoying and it takes a lot of time, and it sucks your soul a little bit.”

They’re not exaggerating. Posting isn’t just about staying relevant—it’s about surviving in an ecosystem that rarely develops artists anymore. 

“It’s not the 70s or 80s anymore. You can’t just play shows to get noticed,” Jace said. “You have to have a product that is worthy in value… No one wants to develop artists anymore.”

BabyJake, who’s spent nearly a decade in the industry, offered a similar perspective. 

“It never came naturally to me,” he said. “I was always a writer first and music guy first. I wasn’t like a streamer or a YouTuber or a TikToker or a content creator.” He’s lucky enough now to have a fanbase that doesn’t demand as much of that, but early on? “It was definitely difficult.”

For Baby Rose, the issue goes deeper. Her rejection of the algorithm is rooted in principle.

 “We live in a very capitalistic society that doesn’t look at art for healing or intention,” she said. “It looks at it as a commodity to be bought and sold. And the quickest way to lose your love and passion for something is to feel like you have to do it to meet a quota.”

Ryan Merchant of Paco Versailles sings on the main stage during an early afternoon set on Wonderfront Day Three on May 18. (Isabella Biunno)
(Isabella Biunno)

“The digital world interferes with everything”

Paco Versailles, the genre-bending duo of flamenco guitar and French house rhythms, perhaps summed it up best. 

“The whole digital world interferes with everything,” said Ryan Merchant. “It sucks away your creative energy. It sucks away mental energy. If you get too absorbed with it, the music is going to suffer.”

They were refreshingly honest about the trade-offs.

 “It’s a necessary evil,” Merchant said. “It can be a marketing driver, so we’re always struggling with it. We’re trying to focus on the music, but there is a time and place where you have to suck it up and make some interesting video content because that’s part of the storytelling aspect of music, whether you like it or not.”

Even Peter Cat Recording Co., whose sardonic detachment bordered on existential comedy, couldn’t help but mention the absurdity of modern artistic labor. 

“We’re in it for the money,” lead vocalist Suryakant Sawhney joked, “but music is the worst business to pick money in.” Their dry irony says what many are afraid to: we all pretend this is sustainable.

“The grind isn’t glamorous”

Let’s not sugarcoat it. BabyJake was one of the few to actually say what others only hinted at.

 “I wish that people understood it’s a real f***ing job. It’s a regular job… people think tour is you go, you play, you get fed up. You go drink, you go party, sleep around, whatever… It’s really not like that. I don’t even drink anymore—I’m sober.”

The grind isn’t glamorous. He described three-to-four-show stretches, 18-hour drives, sleepless nights and the logistics nightmare behind every “effortless” performance.

 “Actually, 10% of it’s fun. 90% of it’s like… you’re driving a f***ing van or bus or flying or coordinating or nursing bad days,” he said.

Another San Diego local band, Benches, echoed this same reality: “A lot of it would pertain to a lot more work than you expect,” bassist Evan Ojeda said. “It’s not just fun and games. Sound checks and everything..it could be stressful at times.”

Baby Rose performs on the main stage during Day Two of the Wonderfront 2025 Festival. Photo by Isabella Biunno (Isabella Biunno)

So what now?

Nobody in these interviews asked for sympathy. They love what they do. But if you truly want to support artists in 2025, start by letting go of the illusion that they exist to feed your feed.

Respect the slow burn. Understand that your favorite song might’ve taken two years of creative anguish to make. Give artists space to breathe, disappear, experiment, and come back new.

As Baby Rose put it: “We don’t need more art that’s devoid of love and passion and intention… We need things to give people a sense of hope and a sense of power.”

Maybe that starts with letting artists be artists, not influencers.



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Butte Central announces hiring of new volleyball coach

406 MT Sports Butte Central announced the hiring of its new volleyball coach, Karina Mickelson, on Thursday afternoon. “We are thrilled to welcome Karina Mickelson to Butte Central,” Butte Central activities director Chad Petersen said in the press release. “Her experience as both a high-level player and youth coach will be a tremendous asset to […]

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Butte Central announced the hiring of its new volleyball coach, Karina Mickelson, on Thursday afternoon.

“We are thrilled to welcome Karina Mickelson to Butte Central,” Butte Central activities director Chad Petersen said in the press release. “Her experience as both a high-level player and youth coach will be a tremendous asset to our volleyball program. Karina brings a winning mindset and a deep understanding of the game. We believe she will have a positive impact across all levels of the program. Our student-athletes are going to benefit greatly from her leadership and energy.”

Former coach Becky Hancock stepped down after 11 seasons in May 2025.

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Mickelson, originally from Southern California, arrives at the helm of the Maroons’ volleyball program at the heels of a year playing professional volleyball in the Czech Republic. Before that, she competed collegiately in the sport at Tech from 2015 to 2021, where she graduated with a degree in biological science.

Additionally, since 2019, Mickelson has coached club volleyball at Velocity Volleyball Academy.

“I love volleyball,” Mickelson told 406 MT Sports on Thursday evening. “I don’t ever see myself not being a part of it. Professional is the top level I could go, and now I’m ready for the next step which is coaching. Head coach at a local high school in a community I’ve been part of for a decade now, it’s so special.”

Mickelson’s extensive experience as a club volleyball coach mentoring Butte’s youth paired with her professional playing career overseas has prepared her for this role. Already used to managing team dynamics and various personalities, backgrounds and cultures – including during her time in the Czech Republic, where her former Czech teammate who played collegiate volleyball in California served as a translator for their coach, who spoke little English – Mickelson is eager to put her skills and experiences into a leadership role.

“Being able to step into a leadership role in the community is really nice,” Mickelson said. “I have the ability to influence a lot more (girls). So I’m looking forward to that. It’s going to be a really good opportunity.”

Mickelson will begin working with the Maroons volleyball squad in her coaching duties in July. The first day of team practices begin August 15.



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Grant Gondrezick II Joins Long Beach State As Division I Transfer

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and the Men’s Basketball staff have added another Division I guard, bringing in a proven scorer in Grant Gondrezick II.   Grant Gondrezick II | Guard | 6-0, 180 | Benton Harbor, Mich.   An elite scorer in Michigan during his high school career, Gondrezick surpassed 2,000 career points […]

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LONG BEACH, Calif. – Chris Acker and the Men’s Basketball staff have added another Division I guard, bringing in a proven scorer in Grant Gondrezick II.
 
Grant Gondrezick II | Guard | 6-0, 180 | Benton Harbor, Mich.
 
An elite scorer in Michigan during his high school career, Gondrezick surpassed 2,000 career points while averaging 25.3 points and 4.4 assists per game as a senior at Benton Harbor High School. He scored nearly 1,000 points in his final season alone while leading Benton Harbor to a regional championship. After redshirting at Elon, Gondrezick made an immediate impact as a freshman at Detroit Mercy, averaging 8.4 points per game, making nine starts, shooting 41.5 percent from three, and adding 3.1 rebounds per game in his first full Division I season.
 
Acker on Gondrezick II:
“Grant comes from a basketball family. He understands what it takes to be a good player day in and day out. He’s put the work in and knows how to put the ball in the basket. He had some impressive games this past season, and we have all the confidence in the world that he is going to bring his competitive edge and work ethic to our program here at the Beach.”
 
With the addition of Gondrezick, Long Beach State has now brought in five Division I transfers: Shaquil Bender, Cole Farrell, Isiah Lewis, Demarshay Johnson Jr., along with Gondrezick. They will complement the team’s returning players, including Derrick Michael Xzavierro, as well as the incoming freshman class of Dallas Washington and Gavin Sykes. The program has also added two other transfers, Rob Diaz III and Christian Jones.
 



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Half of sports fans see streaming as primary viewing platform

Over half of sports fans now consider streaming platforms to be their primary method for watching sports, according to marketing and tech company PMG’s 2025 State of Sports report from its insights division. The report showed that 56% of the 1,200 participants (all 18 or older and U.S. residents, answering between Sept. 30 and Oct. […]

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Over half of sports fans now consider streaming platforms to be their primary method for watching sports, according to marketing and tech company PMG’s 2025 State of Sports report from its insights division.

The report showed that 56% of the 1,200 participants (all 18 or older and U.S. residents, answering between Sept. 30 and Oct. 9) tuned into a sporting event at least once a week. Sixty-one percent said that their sports viewing encounters have increased due to streaming services’ capability to provide “greater accessibility and exclusive content.” Of Gen Z sports followers, 75% view shorter forms of sport content more often than entire games. Millennials and Gen X are more prone to tune into sports when they’re aired in real time.

PMG said projections indicated that U.S. digital sports viewership grew by 10.2% in 2024, reaching 105.28 million viewers. In 2018, it was 18.6 million, representing a 466% surge in six years, according to eMarketer. The report credits younger fans being drawn to advanced and fast-paced sports content over conventional broadcasting as a major factor in the growth.



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Wednesday playoff recap: Softball splits as both area boys volleyball teams move to quarterfinals | Sports

Playoffs are in full effect for Connecticut high school spring sports with four local area teams competing and playing in games on Wednesday.  There were four teams (not including the Berlin Redcoats softball team) that competed in their respective brackets with two softball teams and two boys volleyball teams in action. Three out of the […]

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Playoffs are in full effect for Connecticut high school spring sports with four local area teams competing and playing in games on Wednesday. 

There were four teams (not including the Berlin Redcoats softball team) that competed in their respective brackets with two softball teams and two boys volleyball teams in action. Three out of the four teams have moved on to the next round of their state tournaments with one of the four teams suffering a season-ending loss. 



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U.S. Toppled by Brazil, Home Crowd at 2025 Women’s VNL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 5, 2025) – Playing before a large and boisterous Brazil crowd draped in their team’s yellow and green colors, the U.S. Women’s National Team fell to the host nation, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) in Rio de Janeiro. The U.S. team (0-2) plays its third match in as many days tomorrow, Friday, […]

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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (June 5, 2025) – Playing before a large and boisterous Brazil crowd draped in their team’s yellow and green colors, the U.S. Women’s National Team fell to the host nation, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19) in Rio de Janeiro.

The U.S. team (0-2) plays its third match in as many days tomorrow, Friday, June 6 at 5 p.m. PDT against Czechia, which lost to Brazil in three sets in its VNL opener.

Get Tickets to Women’s VNL in Arlington, Texas, July 9-13

The U.S. equaled Brazil in aces (four apiece) and stayed close in kills (38-35 Brazil) but could not overcome a 12-4 deficit in blocks. The U.S. recorded 72 digs to 51 for the hosts.

Outside hitter Logan Eggleston led the U.S. with 13 points on a team-high 12 kills with a block. Captain Roni Jones-Perry totaled nine points on seven kills and two aces. Zoe Jarvis recorded five digs.

Opposite Olivia Babcock scored eight points on seven kills and an ace. Middle blocker Anna Dodson added four points with three kills and a block. Setter Ella Powell also scored four points (two kills, one block, one ace). Amber Igiede had two kills and a block; and Logan Lednicky added two kills.

A Dodson block followed by an ace from Babcock gave the U.S. a 14-12 lead in the opening set. The lead was still two points, 16-14, when Brazil finished the set on an 11–2 run. Eggleston led all players with six kills.

Brazil jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the second set, but the U.S. battled back and trailed by just a point, 18-17. After giving up the next point, the U.S. appeared to close the gap back to a point, but Brazil won a challenge and did not give up another point in the set. Jones-Perry paced the U.S. in the set with four points on three kills and an ace.

“We just need to find a little more consistency,” U.S. head coach Erik Sullivan told VBTV after set two. “We have some moments where we’re playing really well and competing at a high level, then we just let down and have these big long runs. We [have to] find that consistency so we’re not giving up points in a row.”

The U.S. trailed by 10 points (20-10) in the third set before going on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to three points, 22-19. Aces from Jones-Perry and Powell, and a kill from middle Amber Igiede keyed the U.S. in that stretch. Eggleston scored a team-high four points in the set (three kills and a block) and Igiede added three points on a pair of kills and a block.

Brazil (2–0) scored the final three points of the third set to secure its second sweep to open VNL play.

U.S. Women’s Week One Roster for 2025 VNL

No. Name (Pos., Ht., Hometown, College, USAV Region)
6 Morgan Hentz (L, 5-9, Lakeside Park, Ky., Stanford Univ., Pioneer)
9 Madisen Skinner (OH, 6-2, Katy, Texas, Univ. of Kentucky and Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
13 Amber Igiede (MB, 6-3, Baton Rouge, La., Univ. of Hawaii, Bayou)
14 Anna Dodson (MB, 6-5, Fort Collins, Colo., UCLA, Rocky Mountain)
17 Zoe Jarvis (previously Fleck) (L, 5-6, Granada Hills, Calif., UCLA and Univ. of Texas, Southern California)
21 Roni Jones-Perry (OH, 6-0, West Jordan, Utah, BYU, Intermountain)
22 Sarah Franklin (OH, 6-4, Lake Worth, Fla., Univ. of Wisconsin, Florida)
24 Olivia Babcock (Opp, 6-4, Los Angeles, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)
27 Ella Powell (S, 6-0, Fayetteville, Ark., Univ. of Washington, Delta)
28 Logan Lednicky (Opp, 6-3, Sugar Land, Texas, Univ. of Texas A&M, Lone Star)
29 Molly McCage (MB, 6-3, Spring, Texas, Univ. of Texas, Lone Star)
32 Saige Ka’aha’aina-Torres (S, Honolulu, Hawaii, Univ. of Texas, Aloha)
33 Logan Eggleston (OH, 6-2, Brentwood, Tenn., Univ. of Texas, Southern)
43 Serena Gray (MB, 6-2, Temple City, Calif., Pitt, Southern California)

Head Coach: Erik Sullivan
Assistant Coach: Mike Wall
Second Assistant Coach: Brandon Taliaferro
Second Assistant Coach: Tayyiba Haneef-Park
Second Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey
Team Manager: Rob Browning
Team Doctors: William Briner, James Suchy, Chris Lee, Andrew Gregory
Physiotherapist: Kara Kessans
Physical Trainers: Shawn Hueglin, Shannon Boone
Mental Performance Coach: Andrea Becker, Katy Stanfill
Performance Analyst: Virginia Pham

Week 1 Schedule: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Matches will be shown live and on-demand on VBTV. CBS Sport Network and the Big Ten Network will also air matches.

All times PDT
June 4 Italy def. USA, 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 30-28)
June 5 Brazil def. USA, 3-0 (25-18, 25-17, 25-19)
June 6 at 5 p.m. vs. Czechia
June 8 at 1 p.m. vs. Korea



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Conard Boys Volleyball Sweeps Ridgefield in First Round of State Playoffs. – We-Ha

Conard Boys Volleyball Sweeps Ridgefield in First Round of State Playoffs.  The still-undefeated Conard boys volleyball team hosted Ridgefield on Wednesday in West Hartford. Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance By Kayleigh Martin and Bridget Dawson After their 3-0 sweep against 16-seed Ridgefield on Wednesday night, the top-seeded Conard boys volleyball team will […]

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Conard Boys Volleyball Sweeps Ridgefield in First Round of State Playoffs.

 The still-undefeated Conard boys volleyball team hosted Ridgefield on Wednesday in West Hartford.

Sports reporting is sponsored by Keating Agency Insurance

By Kayleigh Martin and Bridget Dawson

After their 3-0 sweep against 16-seed Ridgefield on Wednesday night, the top-seeded Conard boys volleyball team will continue on to the quarterfinals of the CIAC Class L tournament to face their crosstown West Hartford rival, Hall High School, the No. 9 seed.

Conard will host Hall – which defeated Glastonbury 3-2 in the first round – on Friday, June 6, at 5:30 p.m. The Hall boys volleyball team’s record is 12-8, and Conard’s is 21-0. Kelly Roller and her team continue to celebrate her recent 300th career victory milestone with another big win.

The first set was an incredibly close, nerve-racking  set, resulting in a win for Conard. With alternating scores from 21, the set continued all the way up to Conard’s win by two, at 27-25. Tyler Richards and Lucas Hartland were strong at the net, blocking countless Ridgefield hits.

Conard started the second set off strong, leading 6 to 1, 11 to 5, 17 to 7, and eventually 19 to 10. Conard ultimately won the set at an incredible 25-12. Conard dominated the second set and this highlighted some of their best players. In the second set, Conard’s Libero, Jonah White, showed off some incredible defense and leadership in the back row.

The third set started off close, with Conard and Ridgefield tied 4-4, and Ridgefield gained a 7-to-5 advantage early on, however, Conard was able to tie it multiple times at  10-10, 12-12 and 14-14. Conard took a 20-17 lead, and was able to secure a 25-23 victory over Ridgefield, with the help of Keith Carreras whose crucial serves helped secure a victory for the Red Wolves.

Conard boys volleyball swept Ridgefield in the first round of the CIAC Class L tournament. June 4, 2025. Photo credit: Bridget Dawson

Despite the successful sweep, the boys believe they didn’t play their best game. Being undefeated, there is a high standard to reach, and even winning a state tournament game doesn’t suffice. Conard boys volleyball manager Kate Riker said, “The boys can do better, They played well today, but are going to lock for their face-off against Hall”

Captain Tristian McClay agreed. “Although we won, I think we can do much better,” he said, noting that the team holds each other accountable in the best of ways, cheering each other on for the good, and pushing each other to do better.

One of Conard’s other managers, Jayme Kline, explained that, “They have really good team chemistry when they’re down,” and that’s what makes a good team.

The Conard boys volleyball team is ready to take on Hall – a team they swept on May 22 – and hopes to secure a victory in Friday’s matchup. The community is invited to come cheer on the Red Wolves as they take on the Titans!

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.





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