Trevor Moran and Sam Pottorff at the Philadelphia Sheraton – Reality Dance Fall Fan Fest 2013.
Trevor Moran and Sam Pottorff
We Are YouTube Nation
by Sami Speiss and Ali Speiss
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.
Copyright ©2013 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: November 19, 2013.
Photo Credit: © 2013 Danielle Speiss. All rights reserved.
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