Lights flash every few measures. A girl in a denim jacket with a large Larry David portrait sewn onto the back checks the viewfinder, repositions herself, and takes a different photo. She does this night after night for months on end. Her work will be displayed in magazines, online articles, and social media posts, yet no one will know who she is or what she looks like.
Carly Hoskins is a 24-year-old tour photographer from Los Angeles, California who tours with Dads, an indie/punk band from New Jersey signed with 6131 Records.
“It is my job to document everything on tour,” Hoskins said. “I just strive to document every last thing we do together.”
Hoskins uses a more straight-forward style of shooting the band instead of being more flashy.
“I shoot our tours as if I was filming a documentary,” Hoskins said. “There’s more to touring than driving from venue to venue and playing, and I want to show people that.”
Hoskins received her first DSLR camera as a gift for her eighteenth birthday, but wasn’t too serious about it for a few years.
“I started out taking pictures of dogs and different bands,” Hoskins said. “Eventually, I made some press passes for some friends in a band, and the whole photography thing just took off. Over time, the shutter on that camera blew out because I used it so much.”
Hoskins eventually was asked to tag along on tour with The Sheds, a punk rock band from Agoura Hills, California. She went with them on two tours, where she met John Bradley and Scott Scharinger of Dads.
“I didn’t quite have an understanding of things when I was just starting out,” Hoskins said. “My camera didn’t have a high ISO, so it was hard to shoot in the dim lighting, but that taught me a lot about editing and the importance of black and white pictures in music.”
Carly recently began plotting the light shows for Dads to help benefit her photography. She works with color control to keep the musicians from having unusual skin tones in her pictures.
Those touring may have to be on the road for extended periods of time. On Dads’ last tour, the band and Hoskins drove from city to city for over three months.
“I’d honestly rather be on tour than at home,” Hoskins said. “The only downside is that it’s impossible to maintain responsibilities and relationships at home. I guess there’s just a certain understanding that comes with being my friend.”
Carly recently made a cross-country move from Los Angeles to New York City to be with her mother. But even in a new city, she is finding ways to manage in between tours.
“If I’m on the road for a majority of the year, I don’t really see a point in paying rent,” Hoskins said. “I typically just crash with different friends. In their apartments, houses or whatever. My friends understand what I do and have been really supportive with it.”
Many memorable things have happened to Hoskins and her friends on the road, and has even stopped them in their tracks.
“One day in San Francisco, the van broke down, so the guys rented a truck to continue the tour and I stayed and waited while it was being repaired,” Hoskins said. “They were still touring when it was done, so I drove up to northern California to visit my dad for a day. Unfortunately, it happened to be the day that my childhood dog was being put down. It was sad, but I’m glad I was there to be there for my dad.”
Carly is an avid vegan, along with the rest of Dads. She says that her favorite part about touring is going to various vegan restaurants across the world.
“We always make it a big point to go to a different vegan spot when visiting a city,” Hoskins said. “The best places, in my opinion, are Real Food Daily in Los Angeles, California, Champs in Brooklyn, New York, and V Revolution in Manchester, UK.”
Dads will be going on tour with Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band from Feb. 24 to March 28, and as usual, Hoskins will be recording from her unique perspective.
