Radio Rejects

Name: Smith

Age: 36

Band name: Radio Rejects

What band influences your music? The thing I’ve loved about RR is that we draw from a wide range of influences and try to keep things far from “samey”. Bands like Descendents, Ramones, 7 Seconds, Misfits, Teenage Bottlerocket , Gorilla Biscuits, The Lillingtons have a major influence on how I write music.

How long have you been playing? Been in many bands since I was 19, but Radio Rejects have been around for under 2 years.

How have you got into music, and why? I failed music all through school. I couldn’t play anything or keep a tune. Then one day a mate of mine owned a bass guitar and I asked to have a go. I started playing anything and realized I could make a little tune. Couple of weeks later I bought my own and started making my own songs by ear.. Next thing im buying a guitar, drums and keyboard and doing the same thing. Writing music all of a sudden was like a drug to me. It was the most natural feeling thing. It’s hard to explain. To this day I play about 7 instruments, not one lesson to my name. Learnt all by ear ha-ha

Your top 5 favorite songs: Ohhh that’s a tough one..

1 – Rockaway Beach – Ramones
2 – Young Until I die – 7 Seconds
3 – Gone – Bouncing Souls
4 – Envy Is Dangerous – Raised Fist
5 – Hybrid Moments – Misfits

What is your worst case of the Mondays? (If you don’t know what it means, google office space)

Ha-ha yes! Such an under rated movie!! I’ll never think of Michael Bolton the same way.

Well im Manager for a Food Logistics company so I’ve had my fair share of horrible days.. But I’d have to say being stuck at work with no music puts me in a foul mood. I always have my head phones on whilst working.

What touches your soul? My kids. Not a day goes past where I don’t think of something rad or fun we’ve done and it just makes me smile. Being a dad is the “Greatest”. No pun intended

An example on how not to be an asshole? Honestly, just treat EVERYONE the same. I’ve done this my whole life. Go into each and every day with an open mind. You’re not going to get along with everyone but if you aren’t willing to at least give them a chance then you’re a dick… If they prove to be a douche down the track then it’s easy to just let them be.

Listen to Radio Rejects here

May 11, 2020 0

Interview with Keeana Martinez

Full name: Keeana Martinez

Age: 23

Name of your band: Immigrant’s Child

How long have you been singing?

I have been singing since I was 15. I started out in a worship group at my church then I joined School of Rock Broomfield when it first opened and then I studied some Opera in college.

What is the style of music you guys play?

Alternative/Indie rock

What is the craziest thing that happened to you on stage? And off stage (music related)?

Back in 2016 we only had four band members. Three of us had gone to see one of our favorite bands, Highly Suspect, in concert. Mario (guitar), Josiah (bass), and I had been standing at the front watching the bassist and drummer solo. Halfway through the solo Johnny Stevens (the guitarist/vocalist of Highly Suspect) leans down to me and asks me my name and who I came with. Long story short, he gave us backstage tickets and later invited us to chill on the tour bus with him. At this time our band practices were more like jam sessions. We struggled to write songs and find motivation to continue pursuing music. While hanging out on the tour bus, we told Johnny that we were in a band and he talked to us for hours about music and how important it was that we pursue our dreams. After that night we started writing more, recording and performing and later added a drummer and recorded our first EP. It took a few years to get from there to where we are now, but it gave us the motivation we needed to move forward as a band.

Last year we played a house party and our drummer sliced his thumb on a cymbal before the end of the set. He didn’t notice it until the song was already over. We all looked back at him and when he got up after the song and just saw blood all over the cymbals and the drum heads. He still played through the rest of our set, we had all been drinking a bit so he didn’t feel much of the pain anyways.

Which artists influenced more of your work?

I guess that depends on who you ask. Each one of us has a different taste in music. We pull inspiration from bands/artists like Mac Miller, Black Pistol Fire, The Strokes, Ariana Grande, Grand Funk Railroad, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rage against the Machine, Highly Suspect and more.

You only play original songs?

We try and do a cover every once in a while to help get the audience’s attention, but we focus on originals.

In your view what is the best part about being an artist?

For me, the best part is performing. I love getting ready, choosing outfits, planning setlists, setting up the stage and then standing in front of everyone and playing for an audience. Hearing them clap along or cheer along is a really good feeling.

What touches your soul?

I currently work as a vocal teacher at School of Rock and I love seeing the way music impacts the students lives. Every student, whether they are 7 or 63, goes through their own struggles and yet they come in with a good attitude and the motivation to carry on.

Give me, one example on how not to be an asshole?

Always think about how your actions might affect others around you. Stack your dishes at a restaurant to help the server, tip at least 20%, open the door for the person behind you, you never know how you might impact someone.

Best way to contact Immigrants Child

immigrantschildband@gmail.com

720.255.6253

Or message us on instagram @immigrants_child

May 6, 2020 0

Interview with Emilie Pnkmondom

Rock-it-ology: What is your show about?

It’s a punk rock radio show in Québec city, on CHYZ 94,3 FM. Every week, i’m playing old and new punk rock, ska and Punk hardcore bands. Half of my show is dedicated to DIY bands from all around the world that i discover on social medias.

I also play a lot of my listeners’s requests when they call me on air or when they are watching my Facebook live! My relationship with the listeners is amaaaaazing! They are so passionate, respectful, funny and nice! We talk a lot about music together! It’s very nice cause they could just listen to whatever they want on their own but they still want to share their passion with me! I could not be more grateful!

Rock-it-ology: How long have you been doing the show?

15 years! Since 2004! Omg i’m so old haha!

Rock-it-ology: why you started the show?

I started the show because i knew i loved punk rock, but i did not know many bands at this time. So i took the time to really do some researches and i really learned a lot about punk rock! I also started the show because i wanted to play some Québec local bands. It’s always been very important for me to promote my own local scene.

Rock-it-ology: What are your favorite bands (top 5)?

That’s a hard question because it changes all the time. Today, it would be : 1) A wilhelm scream: i’m a huge fan of fast and technical punk rock. That band brought me into that kind of music.

2) No use for a name : it’s probably THE band that really made me love punk rock. I absolutly love all tthe songs! Tony Sly was a genius!

3) Descendents : I took the time to dig into that band only a few years ago and now, i’m totally addicted. I love their very simple, immature (in a good way) and very authentic lyrics. I want to write songs like that.

4) Much the same : i love that band because of the fast and technical stuff but also for Chris’s AMAZING voice. He’s one of the best singer in the world, in my opinion. Their lyrics get me emotive!

5) Propagandhi : Because of their BRILLIANT BRILLIANT BRILLIANT lyrics and their new powerful loud sound! Those riffs, man! That band opened my eyes on so many important topics.

Rock-it-ology: Top 5 songs of all times?

Same as the above, it could change every day.

1) Nofx – the Decline : It’s a chef d’oeuvre! What a brilliant song! The lyrics are still so accurate, unfortunatly.

2) Propagandhi – Potemkin city limits: that song makes me cry every time i listen to it! It’s the true story about a pig that escaped from a truck going to the slaughterhouse.

3) No use for a name – invincible: it’s one of the first songs i sang with my dear friend and bandmate Simon when we started our acoustic covers band 50 shades of punk rock, 7 years ago! So it’s a lot of great memories and i love Tony Sly’s vocal melody on it.

4) Moneen – The day no one needed to know. Mannnn, that song is just perfect. I always listen to that song when i’m on a plane at the take off. Cause i’m VERY VERY VERY anxious on planes. This song calms me instantanly. And i loooove its complexity, the transitions, the bass. Damn, i should have put that band in my top 5, above hahaha!

5) A wilhelm scream – Hairy Scarecrow. Ok. The end of that song is so EARgasmic. Sometimes, i listen to that song like 15 times in a row! 🤭

Rock-it-ology: What touches your soul?

I’m an extreme sensitive and empathic (but also very happy) woman so… Almost everything!

Everything about humans and animals suffering touches my soul in a bad way (i need to protect myself sometimes cause it hurts a lot to think about that) , but people who dedicate their lives to help them touches my soul in an amazing way!

What you’re doing for your son touches my soul a lot, for example.

Rock-it-ology: What change you would like to see in the world?

A lot of things but i wish we could learn to be truly touched by people’s reality. I wish we could try to understand each other instead of always judging and fighting. We live in a very hard era of extreme individuality. We should put our phones away for a while and really talk together!

I think that if we could globaly have that new mindset, a lot of problem could be solved (sexism, homophobia, transphobia, racism, violence, etc)…

Rock-it-ology: an example on how not to be an asshole?

“Try not to compare women with each other”

People can reach out to Emilie on instagram : @punk_roquette or on my radio show’s Facebook page :

https://www.facebook.com/punkdetente

I also do interviews with Québec local scene bands! That’s a lot of fun!

I’m also currenttly working on a new podcast! I’m going to speak english on it (i’m a french canadian so it’s a challenge for me haha). I want to put it online in early 2020!

May 6, 2020 0