STYLING
CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL
PHOTOGRAPHY
RENEE PARKHURST
Remington wears: Sweater and pants DOLCE & GABBANA, jewelry RARE ROMANCE. Ash wears: Jacket, shirt and jeans DOLCE & GABBANA, jewelry RARE ROMANCE.
" Every time I get on the stage to sing a note or play an instrument, I give my soul to the crowd."
— Remington Leith
MUSIC & LYRICS
People say tattoos are a form of self-expression and a great way to connect with badass like-minded people. That happened to Ash and Remington. Their friendship was born from the coincidence that both have the word “mischief” tattooed on their knuckles. Subsequently, they discovered they also have a shared passion for music, art, and fashion. Ash Stymest has a 14 year long modeling career fronting campaigns for Karl Lagerfeld, Allsaints, and Dr. Martens, among others. Ash was attracted to music from a very young age and experimented with different instruments and bands. He is a fan of Palaye Royale, the fashion art rock band whose lead singer is Remington Leith. Palaye Royale has been hitting the Billboard charts for a decade with their acclaimed studio albums Boom Boom Room, The Bastards, and the newly released Fever Dream.
Ash and Remington reveal to Vestal that they are working on a project together. In light of the savviness and modernity of this metrosexual duo, we expect the beat and visuals to be dope and can’t wait to see what they have been cooking up.
Suit and shirt THRASH.BESPOKE, Jewelry RARE ROMANCE, Boots PS KAUFMAN.
Remington wears: Sweater and pants DOLCE & GABBANA, jewelry RARE ROMANCE, boots (vintage) JET RAG, Los Angeles. Ash wears: Jacket, shirt and jeans DOLCE & GABBANA, jewelry RARE ROMANCE, boots PS KAUFMAN.
Violeta Nicola __ Your request for this feature together shows you are close. What’s the story behind wanting to do it together?
Ash Stymest __ When I met Remington this year, we became good friends immediately, so it was a no-brainer that I should ask him to join me for the shoot. We are homies, and it was a pleasure doing it with him.
Remington Leith __ Totally! Ash and I had only known each other for a few months and started hanging out almost daily. We quickly became good friends and began collaborating on some great projects.
VN __ How did your friendship form? What was it that made you connect?
RL __ We matched on Tinder [laughs]. I’m joking. Ash hit me up because he noticed we had matching tattoos. From there, we started talking about writing music together.
AS __ It’s funny; It was the “Mischief” tattoo! Someone tagged us in a photo on Instagram because we both have “Mischief” tattooed on our knuckles. So I messaged Remington saying, “Nice tattoos.” [laughs]. When my girlfriend and I returned to LA, we met in person, and we’ve been hanging out since.
VN __ Art, in its many forms, is what brings you together. How did you both find your love for art growing up?
AS __ When I was a little kid, I started playing drums. I’ve played in bands and have been making music most of my life. A few years ago, I started singing and decided to start my solo project.
RL __ For me was my mom. I’ve always had a love for music. I have to thank my mom for that because she always took me to concerts to see iconic artists. I remember there was always the 60s, 70s, and 80s rock ‘n’ roll playing in the house.
VN __ What is one project you would love to collaborate on in the future?
AS __ Lately, Remington and I have been writing and working on some songs together. It would be so sick to get some of it out now, but great work takes time to produce.
Ash wears: Coat GREG LAUREN, shirt and Pants THRASH.BESPOKE, jewelry RARE ROMANCE. Remington wears: Sunglasses DOLCE & GABBANA, necklaces RARE ROMANCE, tank top DOLLS KILL, belt by BOTTEGA VENETA belt (vintage) JET RAG, Los Angeles, pants THRASH.BESPOKE, boots (vintage) JET RAG, Los Angeles.
Earring and necklaces RARE ROMANCE, choker DOLCE & GABBANA, shirt and pants THRASH.BESPOKE, undershirt STYLIST'S OWN.
VN __ What can we expect in terms of music from you for the rest of this year?
RL __ Palaye Royale’s new album Fever Dream is coming out on October 28th, so look out for it! It’s fucking mind-blowing.
AS __ I’m releasing my EP slowly throughout the year, single by single. The first one should be out in a month or so. I am excited to get it out there!
VN __ Remington, you’re currently on tour. How does life on the road suit you, and how does it feel to be apart from people?
RL __ Life on the road is why I love what I do so much; I can’t sit still for very long, and being in a new city, experiencing new cultures, and meeting new people every day is unbelievable! I love it, but I miss my friends and mom back in LA; I always tell them to fly out to see me.
VN __ What advice do you have for young artists who want to follow in your footsteps?
RL __ Every time you get on the stage to sing a note or play an instrument, play like it’s the last time you perform. Give your soul to the crowd and every ounce of energy into the music because I promise you, you won’t regret it.
AS __ Amen to that!
VN __ Who are some artists that inspire you in your work?
AS __ The Palaye Royale guys, obviously! I also love Smashing Pumpkins.
RL __ For me, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Nirvana, and Iggy Pop.
VN __ What do you hope to achieve through your art?
AS __ I love making music and have been working hard on it over the years to find what is most authentic to me and speaks my truth.
RL __ I hope to bring joy to those who listen to my music or to make someone feel like they are not alone and that someone out there understands what they are going through.
VN __ Do you have any upcoming projects together that fans should be on the lookout for?
AS __ Yeah, we both have projects out this year. Remington's music is so good, and we plan on putting out music together, which will be so sick. I can't wait for everyone to hear what we've been working on!
RL __ Look out for it! Because it will be here before you know it. It’ll blow your fucking socks off!
"I love making music and have been working hard on it over the years to find what is most authentic to me and speaks my truth.”
— Ash Stymest
Shirt and jeans DOLCE & GABBANA, jewelry RARE ROMANCE, boots PS KAUFMAN.
Ash wears: Suit and shirt THRASH.BESPOKE, jewelry RARE ROMANCE, boots PS KAUFMAN. Remington wears: Jacket, shirt, and pants THRASH.BESPOKE, choker DOLCE & GABBANA, necklace RARE ROMANCE.
Suit and shirt THRASH. BESPOKE.
Vest and pants ALEXANDER AMI, tank top STYLIST'S OWN, earring and bracelets RARE ROMANCE.
Tank top and pants TRIPP NYC, jewelry RARE ROMANCE,boots (vintage) JET RAG, Los Angeles.
Ash wears: hat, harness and pants 665 LEATHER, boots PS KAUFMAN, jewelry RARE ROMANCE, shirt MODEL’S OWN. Remington wears: earring and necklaces RARE ROMANCE, choker DOLCE & GABBANA, shirt and pants THRASH. BESPOKE.
Photography Renee Parkhurst, Styling Christopher Campbell, Interview Violeta Nicola, Video Ryan Wermich,Talents Ash Stymest and Remington Leith.