Recently, Reality
Dance had an anti-bullying Fall Fan Fest in Philadelphia featuring some of
the biggest names on YouTube. We were lucky enough to sit down with
two of the defining figures in the scene: Trevor Moran and Sam Pottorff. Both are co-founders (with three other boys) of O2L, a
very successful YouTube collaboration channel.
Moran is a singer
as well as making YouTube videos. You may recognize him from the TV
show X-Factor. He is a very talented vocalist with an
out-of-this-world charisma. He just recently released the single
"Someone" on iTunes, with a music video due to be released on
November 19th. Trevor is, without question, someone to watch out
for.
Halfway through
the interview, Moran's best friend and YouTube collaborator Sam
Pottorff joined us. Pottorff is a seasoned YouTuber who started out
making videos just for fun a few years ago. From there, his success
skyrocketed, making YouTube more than just a passion, it was his
job.
What was the best
part about filming the music video to "Someone?"
Trevor Moran: Filming it with my best friends, filming with O2L. We went to a beach
in LA and we were just there all day, super fun. The weather was
nice, everything.
Was it like a big
party?
Trevor Moran:
It was yeah. We basically rented out the whole beach. We had all
production crew, all of our friends, blasting our music. It was
fun.
Are there any
rituals you do before you go on stage and sing?
Trevor Moran: I just wish myself luck, practice over my songs, do vocal warm-ups,
take a puff of my inhaler and I get on stage.
When did you
realize you like to sing?
Trevor Moran: I have actually done it my whole life but I just revealed it two years
ago on X-Factor. I realized I liked to sing maybe at age
eight, seven. I am not going to lie to you and say that I've been
singing since I was born! Since I popped out of my mom's stomach!
Do you have any
advice for aspiring singers?
Trevor Moran:
You should make YouTube covers because it will be on the side of other
covers and you can just get known by that!
Everything is
YouTube right now, it's so big...
Trevor Moran:
Yeah TV is out right now. Well TV is still in, its always going to be
in, but YouTube is growing.
YouTube is now on
Nickelodeon!
Trevor Moran:
Yup, Awesomeness TV.
What musical
artists inspire you?
Trevor Moran: Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga are awesome, but I mean I can’t be
like Lady Gaga. (laughs)
Did you see her
flying dress?
Trevor Moran: Yes, Valantis. She flies into the crowd. Pretty awesome.
What are you
goals for the future?
Trevor Moran: I want to release an album. Yeah, an album would be fun, but I want to
wait until I get a bigger following. So I am going to release an EP
in the beginning of next year and an album after that.
What should your
fans expect on your EP?
Trevor Moran:
Different things, different genres.
So all different
styles?
Trevor Moran: Well not all but its like Mexican, Chinese food, American food. Just
different.
And Indian food?
Trevor Moran: Indian food? Oh I don't like Indian food.
You don't like
Indian food?
Trevor Moran: (rubs stomach) My stomach.
Is there anyone
you want to collaborate with a song or a single?
Trevor Moran: Miley Cyrus would be awesome! Dude that would be amazing. Hey Miley!
What would you
describe your musical style as?
Trevor Moran: Pop dance, pretty much that.
Fun upbeat
music?
Trevor Moran: Fun pop dance. I'm trying to stay away from too mainstream. I want it
to be on the radio, but its got to be a little different from
everyone else.
Because that's
how it gets popular!
Trevor Moran: Yup!
What was the
craziest thing that has happened with a fan or just in general this
year?
Trevor Moran: The craziest? Like weirdest thing they ever did?
Yup!
Trevor Moran: Uhhh, do you want me to be honest with you?
Yeah, I want you
to be straight up.
Trevor Moran:
It actually just happened down there. We're at an event right now and
we just got done with a meet and greet. When she was taking a
picture with me she wrapped around me and slowly put her hand down
and slapped my butt! And I'm like: that's my butt!
What did you say?
Trevor Moran:
I was like oh!
Yeah, you don't
really know what to say to that!
Trevor Moran: Yeah. I'm like: thanks for coming!
What do your
friends think of all this?
Trevor Moran: Oh, super supportive! Since they were being so supportive, I’m like
you need to do this with me and be on my music video! It comes out
on the 19th. On Tuesday on Vevo!
Both of you are a
part of the very successful YouTube channel O2L. What's your
favorite part of being in O2L?
Sam Pottorff: Just having best friends. They are like big brothers!
Trevor Moran: Yeah we're always with each [other], got each others backs.
Sam Pottorff: We fight a lot a lot, but it's because were so close.
Trevor Moran: Yeah! If we're not on top of our stuff, they're like “Oh yeah why
aren't you on top?” If they're not on top, we're like “Why aren't
you on top”?
YouTube wise?
Trevor Moran: Yeah!
Sam Pottorff: They are really sarcastic, too.
Is it stressful
to get your YouTube videos on time, on your day?
Sam Pottorff: It can be, but we have gotten so used to it that it's not even like a
chore.
Trevor Moran: It's just, I've got to fit it in my week, someday!
Yeah, because you
guys both have your personal channel and O2L.
Trevor Moran: Yup. I am trying to do my personal channel, trying to start that up
again. Everyone is!
You're more
involved with your personal channel than you are for O2L?
Trevor Moran: Yeah, right now I am. But I am going to start that up again soon.
Sam Pottorff: Yeah, definitely.
Do you like
Twitter, Instagram or YouTube the best?
Trevor Moran: Oh, Twitter.
Sam Pottorff: I would have to say YouTube, just because I started off that.
Trevor Moran: Yeah, YouTube always wins. But between Instagram and Twitter, I like
Twitter the best, because you can talk to [people] and they are so
funny. They're really, really funny.
Is Twitter the
main social network where you talk to your fans?
Sam Pottorff: Definitely.
Trevor Moran: Definitely, yeah.
Do you talk to
them on Instagram or YouTube?
Trevor Moran: Well, it's kind of hard. They don't ever see my replies back to them,
because its in a huge comment section.
So you do comment
back to them?
Trevor Moran: Sometimes I will!
Sam Pottorff: Yeah.
Trevor Moran: If they say something really nice, I'll be like: “Oh, thank you!” But
if they say something mean, I will be like “Who are you?!”
Do you usually
read all your comments?
Trevor Moran: I do!
Sam Pottorff: I really do! People are like “No, you don't. You get so many.” But I
am bored a lot of the time of day, so I'm just like I'm going to
read all this.
Trevor Moran: Super entertaining!
Sam Pottorff: Very entertaining!
Trevor Moran: You can just sit there for hours. There are so many different types of
girls there like “Oh my gosh, I love you.” Then some just hit the
keyboard like ahhh.
What's your
favorite Starbucks drink?
Sam Pottorff: I have a couple, but right now my favorite is the white chocolate
mocha Frappucino. I got one today actually.
Trevor Moran: For Christmas time I am going to going with white hot chocolate. It's
like white chocolate, but it's hot (laughs). Or the caramel
apple cider.
Have you ever
tried to make your own Starbucks drink?
Trevor Moran: I’ve tried! I used to be addicted to Starbucks. I would look online -
what are the ingredients? I would be like: okay vanilla, ice. And it
tasted horrible! It never turns out the same!
Have you ever
gotten the cotton candy one?
Sam Pottorff: Yeah, actually one of my friends works at
Starbucks. She was like, “This is going to taste exactly like an ice
cream sandwich.” Oh my gosh, it was so good. I wish I could
remember.
Who had the idea
of starting O2L?
Trevor Moran: We were at Disneyland and then they went to [Sam's] house.
Sam Pottorff: I think it was me and JC [Caylen], wasn't it?
Trevor Moran: Well, we were first at Disneyland and JC was like “I want to start up
Cool Collab Bro again.” That was his old collab channel. We're like
okay, Cool Collab Bro 2.0. Then we're like, “okay maybe something
different. ” Then I went to Hawaii [for a while]. Then back to Sam’s house and
it just got formed.
Wasn't there originally a surprise Sunday?
Trevor Moran: Yeah.
Sam Pottorff: Yeah we started off without Kian [Lawley] actually being in it.
Trevor Moran: And then he came in like a wrecking ball (laughs).
Speaking of
Disney, if you guys could be a Disney character for the rest of your
life, who would it be and why?
Trevor Moran: Someone that could fly.
Aladdin?
Sam Pottorff: I was about to say, I want to be Aladdin.
Trevor Moran: He swoops up the chicks, like “hey come on!”
Sam Pottorff: It's Tarzan or Aladdin for me. [They] can swoop up girls.
Do you think a
zebra is white with black stripes or black with white stripes?
Sam Pottorff: Its white with black stripes.
Trevor Moran: It is white with black stripes. I am really positive about that. There
are more white stripes than there are black.
Sam Pottorff: If you look at the stomach it is black.
That’s the
shortened version of our interview with Trevor and Sam. Check out
the full unedited version below or on our YouTube Channel.
CHECK OUT
OUR FULL INTERVIEWS WITH TREVOR MORAN AND SAM POTTORFF! |
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