Alternative Wave Magazine covers all things riding the alternative wave today. In spreading Music with Culture through Photographic and Journalistic excellence, we hold Truth and Authenticity at the most high. Forged in the fire and from the ashes, we shall rise. 

We have never officially told the Alt Wave Mag story. Now that we have a rock solid foundation, the time has finally come to paint the picture for you guys. Welcome to The Chronicles of Alt Wave. We are honored to have you here. For those with ears to listen and eyes to see through, we offer this story of how Alternative Wave Magazine was born. 

It all started on the hot summer night of July 1st, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. Founder/Owner, Maddawgg, had the overwhelming, gut-wrenching realization that she was at absolute rock bottom and had been for about a year. “I don’t fully know what it was. Maybe the Universe or God had enough of me screwing off and zapped me with this 20/20 sight. There was a moment where I closed my eyes, opened them, and felt like I could see everything crystal clear. And what I saw absolutely horrified and disgusted me. Looking at my own life, it was completely trashed and embarrassing. Looking at the outside world in culture, it was also trashed and embarrassing. I vowed that day that I would never feel that way again. In that moment, I took my life and decided to spend the rest of it fighting to right the wrongs I see in the world of music and culture today. This was the start of the Alt Wave Mag tide pulling back.” 

Maddawgg’s #1 motivator is and always has been justice. MLK Jr. famously said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Today, the most widespread and deep rooted injustice is the way the mainstream industry treats its artists. The ways of life our beloved artists are forced into by those who control the tides, the current industry standards, the behavior that most of the top a-list talent show to the world, even down to the way the mainstream views artists: Like livestock. Like assets. All disposable. It’s all about the cold, hard cash, hun. 

These current industry standards are pretty awful. And Maddawgg believes these standards have a devastating chain reaction that the everyday life people in the world of today and tomorrow are forced to deal with. On this hot summer night, she decided to do something about it.

You see, being born in Y2K, Maddawgg’s entire life has been the fallout of what happens when greed keeps its thumb over art. If you’re here reading this, we know you too have a similar story of being born into a messed up world. So you know exactly what we’re talking about. 

Everyone knows the saying, “Make love, not war.” It’s just as relevant today as it was in the 70s. Love is a positive feedback loop of creation. A revolving door that rotates all the beautiful things of life. But sadly, that cycle has been taken advantage of and turned into a cash funnel. Who’s at the end of the funnel? Definitely not the artists who input the hard work at the top. Definitely not us, the supporters who transmute these artists’ ideas into global movements. 

Have you ever wondered, “Hey. Where did all the fun in music go? Why is the mainstream media driven by cash grabs and negativity? What happened to all the good vibes in culture?”

If you ask these questions to those up top, they tell you to shut up and go back to your cubicle. 

Haha. Yeah right. The time of that is finished. 

Because it’s our time now. And we aren’t the ones who look at; we see through. Through mediocrity. Through the fake plastic. Through the curtains Hollywood hung to try and cover up the FACT that “the great and powerful wizards of Oz” are actually just a bunch of little posers messing with the balance of how things are supposed to be. All for a quick buck. But unfortunately, this isn't happening in a land far, far away like Oz. It’s in our own backyard. And yeah, it blows. BUT. Realization is the first step to victory. And we now realize that our time is now simply because we say so. 

The Alt Wave Mag movement is about burning down the old to ashes and rebirthing a better world for tomorrow. This is where our motto, “Forged in the fire and from the ashes, we shall rise” comes from. We the culture riders of today, were all forged in the fire.

Think of your roots. Think about how messed up the world you were born into was and still is. Yeah. Us too. We are right there with you in these trenches. But it’s okay because we’re all in this together. And together, we rise again from the ashes to fly higher than anyone ever has to prove that it can be done.

Music is the great communicator. It’s the one and only thing that transcends borders, language, and time. It’s the one and only thing that can bring people together in pure harmony, no matter their colors, classes, or creeds. Yet it’s the one thing taken advantage of most today. That can’t continue. And with this movement, day by day, brick by brick, we build a new era.

An era of authenticity and fun being #1. An era where the world’s wonderful artists are no longer being taken advantage of or forced to compromise their values. Artists who are incredible humans who make incredible art that change our lives in ways that words can’t even begin to describe. And on Alt Wave’s end, we are a microphone to boost the volume of the stories these artists want to tell. Not the stories they are told to tell. 

The old greed and media cash grab ways are having their last few coffin nails hammered in. And who’s holding the hammer? We the people. We the fans. We the supporters of real, authentic art and culture. 

The idea that we can change the tides to be full of waves actually worth riding is the core that Alt Wave Mag was forged from. 

Alt Wave Mag’s core truth can be summarized in these words: “We are the people of culture. And we have had enough.” 

Enough of the old. Enough of the fake. Enough of the plastic. It’s in with the new. In with the evolved. In with culture that is by our design, not theirs. This is why the Alt Wave Riders are here. To truly ride this alternative wave. 

Maddawg planted this seed that hot summer night, which grew into a beautiful lil baby sproutling. So cute with such a bright future. She relentlessly took care of this sproutling as if this were the last Truffula Tree from The Lorax. A few months later, the goat, John Micolta (aka: John MiGOATa), stumbled across the baby sproutling on his fyp and messaged us, asking to join the movement as a photographer. Of course, we were super excited and honored to have him! Right after that, Maddawgg got connected with Cass, who is also a champion Phoenix, AZ creator and writer. 

A month or so passed, the lil sproutling grew into a young lass, and more of our core crew members started rolling into the AW sphere. Some were friends of John, and some struck gold on the fyp. Photo pit slayers Elizabeth, Em, Griffin, and Connor hopped on the wagon. Along with Alt Wave’s first designer, Bailey B, who is also a photographer. This second wave of crew members joined back to back. It was a crazy time! 

A few more months passed when one day, Maddawgg was live on Instagram editing photos for that month's upcoming issue when the amazing Anna stumbled into the live! We were on together for hours just jiving and having a great time. She officially joined the team as a photographer and the first Alt Wave Writer. She happened to be internet friends with Philli’s top Alt Diva Queen, Sammy Q, who is also a photographer and writer. Soon after, the prodigy, Harrison Webb (photographer), hopped on the lineup. Which brings us to our most recent lineup addition; the wonderful Sarah Evangelista (photographer) is now rocking with us! 

That’s the Alt Wave Lead Crew so far! We have had some other wildly talented photographers shoot some one-off shows for us, and we are incredibly grateful for each of them sharing their art on this platform. Because that’s what Alt Wave Mag is on the surface, a platform for these stellar photographers, writers, and designers to share their art with the world in a cohesive final product that is each and every issue of Alternative Wave Magazine. And a community of music, art, and culture riders who are all about going against the current. We are a group who looks at the old industry ways and smirk because what were on is much more evolved. Others will laugh at us. Others will mock us. They will say were crazy. But you know what? You gotta know to know, you know? We know you do. That’s why you are here.

Today, AWM is a globally recognized publication, both digitally and in print, that works with the best of the best riding the alternative culture wave. Alt Wave offers our views of live shows, behind the scenes, in depth interviews, documentaries, and deep dives of questions the community as a whole ponders. We are and will continue to be a strong voice that cuts through the noise of the music industry today. Standing steadfast in our art to bring print media and live music coverage back from its early death. Venturing far past the current bounds of what’s considered “the standard” in live show photography. With a dedication to capturing moments that are far from conventional. We don’t write in the normal editorial way either. We write as if we were talking to a friend. Because we are! We’re talking to you! Yes you, the one reading this right now. And we are so grateful to have you here. Through this expression of photography and writing, we strive to find more and more people like you who resonate with this style. Bringing us all together for a big party every month as each new issue drops. We will always and forever hold Truth and Authenticity at the most high. Forged in the fire and from the ashes, we shall rise. 

This is more than a magazine. This is your alternative hub. By alt, for alt. 

The Alt Wave Riders and Lead Crew all continue to come together under our core values:

Truthful Authenticity

Connection Over Perfection

Having Fun is #1

We never stop. We never give in. We just keep going. And you are right here with us in that. Let's change the world!