"Jay Z edition? What Jay Z edition? Uuummmm. No comment. But man, if there were a Jay Z edition I can guarantee it would knock your socks off."
 
--Jase, on The Art of the Dodge

 
Bliss: Looks like you are starting quite strong. You’ve got some big names already. Tell us about your first few editions underway.
 
Jase: So the first few editions coming out are for JLS the band, Alexandra Burke and Pixie Lott. The bands One Direction and The Wanted; both have recently returned from the U.S. and were received really well. Also, we have an issue featuring McFly who has also been around for a while and they are coming to the U.S. in September for a few shows. Two of the bands were winners on The X Factor UK with Simon Cowell.
 
Each edition is fifty+ glossy pages (print editions) of exclusive celebrity pictures and interviews, celebrity news, gossip & secrets.  There’s always a little something special and extra like money-can’t-buy prizes.
 
Bliss: As you know, Bliss Magazine is proudly made in the USA.  We gonna see you fine Brit chaps (and your fine Brit lasses…) over here?
 
Jase:  The US is the celebrity home, so yeh, we are on our way. Now is probably the best time to give you an exclusive:
 
We have just signed a marketing and distribution deal with SONY ENTERTAINMENT that will give us access all areas to all of their signed artists. It’s a big deal for us and we believe for the market. It’s great for any future licensees of TheirMag too. SONY is a global brand and we are really proud of what we have achieved with them in such a short space of time. Other partnerships are just being discussed but let’s announce that in a future edition of BLISS MAGAZINE ONLINE, OK?....
 
Bliss: OK!
 
Bliss: OK man, you are holding out on us. Aren’t you forgetting someone really huge over here in the U.S.?  Rumour has it you’ve got a special edition with JayZ.
 
Jase:  Jay Z edition?  What JayZ edition? Uuummmm.  No comment.  I mean Jay Z’s music is off the chain, but man, if there were a Jay Z TheirMag edition, I can guarantee it would knock your socks off.
 

"Artists now own their media…their message. As a result, they can also now own a direct relationship with their favourite content and brands — those they choose to endorse through the platforms they control."
 
--Jase Wynn, TheirMag.com

Bliss: Well if you don’t want to talk about Jay Z.  Who can you tell us about?
 
 
Jase: A BIGGY… Lady Gaga said she would love to do an edition but, as always with her, there was a unique twist. She felt that she was confidently at the “top” of her tree (if sales and social media is to be believed) and wanted to put her mag up against another mag: A battle of the celebs, if you will. Her suggestion………..Beckham. Two massive brands and something we are excited to get off the ground.
 

Bliss: We’d like to officially start a twitition to start making requests for some future editions.  We’ve done some grueling work and looked through tens of thousands (ok…10’s) of the hottest, up and coming UK female musicians.  So how about (in no particular order) Leona Lewis? Cheryl Cole? Mollie King? Una Healy? Frankie Sandford?  Adele perhaps? Can you hook us up Jase?
 

 
Jase: We can hook up with just about anyone. It’s all about demand really. We’ve got the access, we can do it, so why not get your readers to tell us who. Go wild, think about those who usually doesn’t play ball. Put us to the test, challenge us!
 
Bliss: What's your personal favourite issue so far?
 
Jase: No real fave, I try and keep an objective opinion.  Seeing the artist relax and open up is actually the part I enjoy the most personally.  Some do, a little more than others as you might imagine. There is plenty of bare flesh during the shoot so I guess on a personal note, any of the issues with females...
 
Bliss: We couldn't agree more.
 
 

"Jay Z edition? What Jay Z edition? Uuummmm. No comment. But man, if there were a Jay Z edition I can guarantee it would knock your socks off."
 
--Jase, on The Art of the Dodge

 
Bliss: Looks like you are starting quite strong. You’ve got some big names already. Tell us about your first few editions underway.
 
Jase: So the first few editions coming out are for JLS the band, Alexandra Burke and Pixie Lott. The bands One Direction and The Wanted; both have recently returned from the U.S. and were received really well. Also, we have an issue featuring McFly who has also been around for a while and they are coming to the U.S. in September for a few shows. Two of the bands were winners on The X Factor UK with Simon Cowell.
 
Each edition is fifty+ glossy pages (print editions) of exclusive celebrity pictures and interviews, celebrity news, gossip & secrets.  There’s always a little something special and extra like money-can’t-buy prizes.

 
Bliss: Looks like you feature all musicians. Was this by design? What does the future hold in terms of celebs?
 
Jase: All musicians? no way. It has just seemed to pan out that way initially. As I said earlier, TheirMag will feature subjects from all areas; Music, Sport, TV & Film and Business. No one is out of reach.
 

Bliss: OK, being coy, eh?  So you’ve aligned with Sony Music and two of your artists have won on a little show, The X Factor from Simon Cowell.  Is there a connection there with Simon we should know about?
 

"Artists now own their media…their message. As a result, they can also now own a direct relationship with their favourite content and brands — those they choose to endorse through the platforms they control."
 
--Jase Wynn, TheirMag.com

Jase: Well, Simon Cowell would be a natural first pick for our first business celebrity magazine. Why wouldn’t we head straight to the top? And yet, alas, I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of the TheirMag Simon Cowell Edition. If it were in the works I would imagine it would have …. Simon is a key Sony exec so…let’s just say…stay tuned.
 
Bliss: OK man, you are holding out on us. Aren’t you forgetting someone really huge over here in the U.S.?  Rumour has it you’ve got a special edition with JayZ.
 
Jase:  Jay Z edition?  What JayZ edition? Uuummmm.  No comment.  I mean Jay Z’s music is off the chain, but man, if there were a Jay Z TheirMag edition, I can guarantee it would knock your socks off.
 
Bliss: Well if you don’t want to talk about Jay Z.  Who can you tell us about?
 

Jase: A BIGGY… Lady Gaga said she would love to do an edition but, as always with her, there was a unique twist. She felt that she was confidently at the “top” of her tree (if sales and social media is to be believed) and wanted to put her mag up against another mag: A battle of the celebs, if you will. Her suggestion………..Beckham. Two massive brands and something we are excited to get off the ground.
 
Bliss: Beckam of course is the uber-talented British footballer (read: soccer) who now plays for the LA Galaxy.  (In your face Limeys) How huge of a match-up would that be?
 
Jase: Beck’s really is a brand phenomenon. Where he is from has almost become irrelevant. Looks, ability and an ability to bridge boundaries. Reminds me of myself is soooo many ways (LAUGHS)
 
Bliss: Surrounded by amazing musicians and the hottest celebrities.  Not a bad gig…
 
Jase: When we have a shoot, it’s important that the subject has a great day with us. A lasting memory that doesn’t just pale into the insignificant shoots they have to do daily.
 
Our brand ambassador in the first year is Rio Ferdinand. For you American chaps, he’s an English soccer star playing for Manchester United. Boy that guy has connections. He was a great help and it really went from there.
 
Bliss: Ok enough talk.  Show us the goods.
 

 
Jase: With pleasure! It was always our intention to release both high quality print editions for the traditionalists out there and support them with a digital edition too. It’s fair to say that some subjects lend themselves exclusively to one or the other but we remain flexible. The print issues really are at the high end in terms of production quality; a keepsake for devoted fans that get tucked away and brought out on spesh occasions. The digital editions are by their nature, “all singing.” Interactive videos especially show the artist interview and really gives the fan a sense of hearing first-hand what their “idol” is all about. Fans ordering both copies automatically get entered into a competition draw to win personal gifts offered up by the artist so that’s really neat too.
 

“ Looking forward to getting involved in MY edition of TheirMag.com to treat all my fave fans”
 
--Pixie Lott

Bliss: How has this helped musician’s gain exposure to new fans?  What kind of impact have you had for their fans and their sales?
 
Jase: Well, we often time the release of the magazines to coincide with some kind of special event; an album release or maybe the start of a tour. We obviously help push these to the fans and support the existing strategies of the artist and their label. The hope is, and we are finding this to be the case, that when then fans order the album or tour tickets for example, that while they are there they grab something a bit out of the ordinary at the same time:  TheirMag.
 
We utilize social networking media to drive subscriptions for each unique, the individual's personal Web site and the channels of brand partners. The artist is so involved that it’s also great when they “tweet” through their own social blog about the upcoming issue. With Sony Artists in particular we obviously benefit from their marketing platforms.
 

Craig David on the JLS edition
 
“JLS have proved through talent and hard work that they are a real R&B pop group that will be around for a long time. The guys can sing, dance and drink, which in my books makes them real pop stars! Check out TheirMag, amaze!”

We are also significantly “fan driven.”  We run regular fan twititions to find out who people wanna see coming up. We get 000’s of signatures and it gives us a good feel for what fans wanna see in future
Bliss: Where do you go from here?  What will we see out of TheirMag in the coming years?
 
Jase: We want to explore the minds of as many interesting people as possible; across an ever-expanding range of interests and professional disciplines. We intend to grow by establishing productive links to the worlds of social networks and Web-based interactivity. Doing so — and using a popular “CELEB” to produce captivating magazines with global reach yet local appeal — will help promote our expansion internationally.
 
We have BIG plans and are currently examining geographical licencing deals with country specific publishers who will hold the rights to artists from their regions. TheirMag.com effectively becomes the “mother ship” guiding each of the regional publishers with some pretty cool initiatives we have planned.
 
Bliss: As you know, Bliss Magazine is proudly made in the USA.  We gonna see you fine Brit chaps (and your fine Brit lasses…) over here?
 
Jase:  The US is the celebrity home, so yeh, we are on our way. Now is probably the best time to give you an exclusive:
 
We have just signed a marketing and distribution deal with SONY ENTERTAINMENT that will give us access all areas to all of their signed artists. It’s a big deal for us and we believe for the market. It’s great for any future licensees of TheirMag too. SONY is a global brand and we are really proud of what we have achieved with them in such a short space of time. Other partnerships are just being discussed but let’s announce that in a future edition of BLISS MAGAZINE ONLINE, OK?....
 
Bliss: OK!
 
Bliss: Absolutely incredible man (and three cheers for the exclusive). How did you get to pitch SonyMusic? (sic) What were those meetings like?
 
Jase: Our lips are sealed. Sorry can’t get into that one.
 

"…Recent trends in media and entertainment have drastically changed the way artists and other thought leaders engage with their audience. These days, through clever use of technology and online distribution platforms, a “CELEBrity” is more able than ever to engage directly with their most ardent fans…"

Bliss: What's your personal favourite issue so far?
 
Jase: No real fave, I try and keep an objective opinion.  Seeing the artist relax and open up is actually the part I enjoy the most personally.  Some do, a little more than others as you might imagine. There is plenty of bare flesh during the shoot so I guess on a personal note, any of the issues with females...
 
Bliss: We couldn't agree more.

Bliss: Speaking of the females, you’ve had some amazing UK lasses come through the TheirMag studios. … what was Pixie Lott experience like?   Our favorite is her smash hit All About Tonight.
 
Jase: The Pixie shoot had to be postponed unfortunately, an impromptu visit to Tokyo meant we had to rearrange, bummer! That’s the only real problem we face to be fair. We are here to support the artist and their work. Fans sometimes don’t quite get it when these things happen, but it’s out of our control. Pixie management has said they want us to produce a spesh edition, or the next album(2013) so we are working on a lead up issue.

Editor’s note:  Just FYI for you true Pixie fans…the correct spelling is “Pixie Lott” although we’ve seen it misspelled as “pixi lott” or “pixie lotte” and even “pixy lott.”
 
Bliss: We can’t leave out Alexandra Burke.  Silky smooth voice and her huge hit Let It Go.
 
Jase: Jase: Man that girl is confident. She swept into the studio with so much energy and charisma. Sexy too, if I may say so. USA is part of her forward strategy so keep ‘em peeled. Well worth a look.

 
Bliss: We don’t normally follow the boy bands but holy crap One Direction is huge, right?  Especially Louie Tomlinson.
 
Jase: Louie is certainly …. Well, don’t know what the word is but Harry Styles seems to be the one everyone this side of the pond is keen for. A lady’s man if there ever was one…with a string of cougars behind him. Watch out Ashton, Demi is not out of the question for him.
 
Bliss: How'd this all get started?
 
Jase: Beginning in 2010, we pondered the best way for the long-established print-magazine format to find its rightful place in a fast-changing world of personalized media and the phenomenal growth of social networking and celebrity culture. We also wondered what interesting people were thinking, and where today's most creative, influential minds were headed.
 
We have considered how existing celebrity magazine brands and other publishers have attempted to achieve this, very few if any have succeeded.  The result of this detailed examination of the marketplace is THEIRMAG.com

"This has to be one of the best shoots I have ever been on because you have a DJ playing sets in the studio from 9am and you gave us disposable cameras to play with."
 
-J.B. of JLS, music artist

 
Recent trends in media and entertainment have drastically changed the way artists and other thought leaders engage with their audience. These days, through clever use of technology and online distribution platforms, a “CELEB” is more able than ever to engage directly with their most ardent fans.
 
This new direct relationship has led to much more efficient and intimate interaction between a “CELEB” and those who follow them. Artists now own their media. They own their message. As a result, they can also now own a direct relationship with their favourite content and brands — those they choose to endorse through the platforms they control.
 
With THEIRMAG, artists can create their own print and digital magazine to help them further leverage such valuable relationships.
 
Bliss: TheirMag certainly seems to be on the cutting edge. How do you think the internet and digital media is changing the way we enjoy our entertainment?
 
Jase: It’s basically everything. Most of us seem to view online nowadays; which is why so many of the traditional print publishers seem to be struggling. You have to embrace it if you wanna move forward, let alone survive. Let’s just say that we keep an eye out for the latest developments and strategic delivery partners. Example, our app developers were recognized in the iTunes app Store Rewind 2011, which lists the top apps, games, movies, music, books and podcasts of the year. They were selected as one of the top iPhone apps of the year. Being featured by Apple in 33 countries, and a nomination at the Digital Magazine awards was one of the reasons we selected them for our digital delivery. What happened next? TheirMag exclusive app is featured in the Apple “What’s Hot” list. Point happily proven.
 

Bliss: We’d like to officially start a twitition to start making requests for some future editions.  We’ve done some grueling work and looked through tens of thousands (ok…10’s) of the hottest, up and coming UK female musicians.  So how about (in no particular order) Leona Lewis? Cheryl Cole? Mollie King? Una Healy? Frankie Sandford?  Adele perhaps? Can you hook us up Jase?
 

 
Jase: We can hook up with just about anyone. It’s all about demand really. We’ve got the access, we can do it, so why not get your readers to tell us who. Go wild, think about those who usually doesn’t play ball. Put us to the test, challenge us!
 
Bliss: When should we look for the first issues to be available?
 
Jase: Well, The JLS edition is already out and soon to be added to the Sony My Play platform. Alexandra Burke and Pixie Lott are on the way too. For the female fans, One Direction, The Wanted and McFly are expected soon and then we are on to other genres…sport, TV & film and business. Let’s see if your twitition has an influence on that.
 
Bliss: Ok, here’s a fun one we were pleased to discover - Your site mentions Cher Lloyd - She’s our new favorite crazy stalker chick.  So adorable. Her edition is going to be a smashing riot.  Any insight you can share?
 
Jase: Mental, just mental. Cher is working on her all-important next album which we hope to support with a TheirMag edition.

Bliss: Jase man, thanks for speaking with Bliss Magazine Online. We wish you fantastic success and look forward to seeing you again. Just one last question: Bliss Magazine Online – great men’s magazine or greatest men’s magazine?
 
Jase: We don’t follow too many others to be fair. Not all of us here at TheirMag are guys but where “men can be men” is a line we use every day! Top mag and we hope to colab often.
 
Bliss: We look forward to it
 
 
 

UPDATE:Since this interview was conducted, Pixie Lott has experienced an unfortunate family loss. After due consideration, both Pixie and her management have decided to re-schedule any promotional activity durind 2012 and focus fully on her new Album. Naturally TheirMag & Bliss Magazine fully support this tough decision and look forward to the release of what is expected to be, a great new Album. (The Pixie edition of TheirMag is re-scheduled to support the new release)