VISIONS by Village Psychic

Note: Volume II of VISIONS starts back up on November 16th, but we’re posting today with a ✨SPECIAL✨ edition of the pod :).Today’ guest, Atiba Jefferson, needs no introduction. But we’ll still give him one – we’re stoked to have him as a guest. He’s photographed some of the most recognizable people on the planet, and, as you know, he came up through and remains dedicated to skateboarding. Over more than three decades, he’s moved between skateboarding, basketball, music, art, and comedy without losing the instincts that got him there in the first place. In this episode, we talk about growing up in a music-filled household (did you grow up in a ‘music home’? Listen to understand more), discovering punk and hip-hop through skateboarding, and how a few chance encounters in a small Colorado town helped set the course for his career. We also get into his latest collaboration with Vans, which brings together his photography, Lauren Halsey’s artwork, and longtime friend Flea for a project that feels a lot like his entire life wrapped into one big package.Beyond the photos, Atiba shares his thoughts on creative ambition, social media, and why the internet’s endless appetite for content shouldn’t dictate how (or, more importantly, why) you work. He makes the case for physical magazines, printed photos, and books in a world that increasingly treats everything as disposable, while offering some refreshingly simple advice for anyone trying to make it in a creative field: love what you do, work hard, be cool, and don’t be an a*****e. Also, he co-owns the American Football house. So there’s that.Thanks for stoping by. Volume II of VISONS starts November 16th. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’re sitting down with Los Angeles-based filmmaker and photographer Kevin Horn (originally from St. Paul, Minnesota!) and trace his journey from filming skate videos as a kid to becoming a professional cinematographer. After film school, Kevin shifted toward narrative work and commercials, shooting extensively for Target before moving to Los Angeles in 2019 to pursue bigger opportunities in film and entertainment, but never lost sight of skateboarding along the way.We talk about Kevin’s return to skateboarding after several years away, starting a skate magazine and his 2023 full-length video Perennial, and finding his way into the LA skate community through Adam Abada and a crew of New Jersey transplants. We also deep-dive into his work with Grant Yansura and WKND, and most recently, working on WKND’s upcoming full-length video, Unc. We also get into the idea of our patented concept of “f**k around cities”.We also look ahead at Kevin’s current work, from commercial and Hollywood projects to a skateboarding-themed TV pilot he’s developing with Grant set in the early 2010s. It’s a good one! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, we sit down with Cephas and Donovan of The Bunt, the Toronto-based skate podcast that started with two friends, a terrible microphone, and an idea to talk about sports and somehow turned into a decade-long institution. We get into how the show started, what they were doing before it, and how two skateboarders ended up building a podcast that brings together skating, sports, friends, and the wider culture around all of it.We talk about the early days of The Bunt, from recording in apartments and working construction to landing their first sponsors and realizing that this thing might actually become something. They break down how their relationships with Vans and other skate brands helped change the trajectory of the show, why they’ve always been selective about sponsors, and how projects like The Bunt Jam (see you there?) and Beamer Beer grew out of the same instinct to keep making weird, fun s**t with their friends.We also get into what 10 years of doing the Bunt has taught them: how they’ve become better interviewers, why they stopped worrying about editing out every mistake, and how getting older has changed the way they see skateboarding, sports, and the community around both. Plus, the unlikely number of skateboarders who are secretly huge sports nerds, the people who have surprised them most at the Bunt Jam basketball tournament, and why sometimes the best thing you can do is make something that’s probably going to suck at first and see where it goes. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

Today on the pod we’re joined by Rowan Zorilla, who you likely know as a pro skater. We’re also joined by footwear designer Jake Crawford. He’s the guy behind Vans hitters like the Era Wafflecup, the Crockett High and the Upland.They’ve joined forces on Rowan Z3, Rowan’s pro new model, and we’re here to talk about it.We get into everything - how the shoe came together, inspiration (spoiler: baseball cleats!), Jake’s path to becoming a footwear designer, crucial video soundtracks, and Rowan skating vulc soles for his entire career and now pivoting into being a cupsole guy(!!!). This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe

Every city of a certain size should have a skate shop, right? So what happens if your city no longer has one? This exact scenario played out in Buffalo, NY, a city who’s metropolitan area encompasses over 1 million people – I mean, come one, they need a skate shop. No one seemed to be doing anything about the situation, so in stepped Dave Eoannou, today’s guest on the pod. We talked to Dave, formerly of Mom’s Skate Shop in Buffalo, NY about what it’s like to be that person, the one holding it down when others won’t, for better or for worse. We got into the current state of skateboarding (and skate shops), unique takes on graphic production, and generational shifts in how people get into skating. We also got into Dave’s new venture, Dauter Skateboards, and how running a sho translated to starting a skate brand, despite being in crowded space when times are changing. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit villagepsychic.substack.com/subscribe