Bands In The Van
Bands In The Van is where heavy music meets the open road.
Hosted by Tara, this video podcast takes place inside a self-converted camper van, where members of emerging deathcore, metalcore, hardcore, and death metal bands step away from the venue for honest conversations before the show.
From touring stories and band life to completely unhinged questions that reveal each member’s personality, every episode goes beyond the music to showcase the people behind it.
Because sometimes the best part of a band isn’t just what happens on stage, it’s who they are when the amps are off.
New episodes feature individual interviews, behind-the-scenes moments, live footage, and a look at the journey of independent artists carving their own path.
So climb in, buckle up, and come meet the next generation of heavy music.
Stay heavy. We’ll see you down the road.
Bands In The Van
Pretty Pity: Unexpected Talents & Nerd Culture | Bands In The Van Vol. 8
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Pretty Pity: More Than Meets the Eye
What do Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, robotics, hookah, and classical music have in common? Apparently, Pretty Pity!
In this episode of Bands In The Van, I discover just how incredibly talented, intelligent, and fascinating the members of Pretty Pity really are.
Vocalist Tani brings an impressive range of musical talents, playing bass, piano, and cello, along with an unforgettable sense of style and captivating stage presence.
Meanwhile, the rest of the band brings their own unexpected interests to the conversation, including expert hookah knowledge, a love for Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, and even experience on a robotics team!
From musicianship and fashion to pop culture and engineering, Pretty Pity is a reminder that the people behind the music can be just as fascinating as the music itself.
Get ready to meet a band that's full of surprises!
Stay heavy!
New episodes every Thursday featuring emerging bands from the heavy music scene.
Prefer to watch? Full video episodes are available on the Bands In The Van YouTube channel.
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Hi everyone, welcome back to another volume of Bands in the Van. I am Tara, your host, and I am here with Pretty Pity, correct? Yes. And you are the singer. Yes. And would you like to introduce your name?
SPEAKER_02Hi, I'm Tawny. I sing for Pretty Pity.
SPEAKER_03Tawny. Okay, I met Tawny um back in June when you get, I think you guys are just hanging out. You and your boyfriend or husband. Husband. Okay. She's married to one of the band members. How is that?
SPEAKER_02It's nice. It's um, we a lot of so everybody in our band is in a relationship, either married, engaged, or girlfriend, boyfriend. And so they don't get to see their partners while we're on the road. And I'm very fortunate to have mine with me at all times. Um, it's just it's it's really sweet. Of course, being in the same space, like enclosed, like we all go at each other's throats at times, but like, you know, that's my family.
SPEAKER_03So do you guys ever like need space from each other?
SPEAKER_02Not really.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow, that's great. I'm a I'm like one of those people, I need space. So if I'm like if I'm with somebody for too long, I start going crazy. Oh, I'm not very good with relationships.
SPEAKER_02We kind of just like go mute, like even if any if I get overstimulated at all in the van, I have my AirPods and I'll feel like because I've been on social media, so I'll just be like, okay, guys, I'm gonna focus on socials now and just like block everything out and listen to rain noises, and it's and he's very understanding with that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, sometimes men are not, they feel like, oh, you're ignoring me. You know, there's like a whole thing with toxic relationships. So it sounds like you guys have a really good healthy balance with your relationship, being in the band, and that's pretty cool. I love that for you. Okay, so question time. Um, you get three bands to explain your personal musical DNA. Who are they?
SPEAKER_02Oh sleepwood Mac, Alkaline Trio.
SPEAKER_03Chevelle. Oh, Chevelle.
SPEAKER_02Oh I love divorced dad rock.
SPEAKER_03Is that what they call it?
SPEAKER_02Or butt rock, you know. Well, okay, it's like rectangles and squares where like all divorced dad rock is butt rock, but not all butt rock is divorced dad rock.
SPEAKER_03What is butt rock? I think I just saw this for the first time online the other day.
SPEAKER_02So if you listen to any station that says that you're listening to like nothing but rock. Oh it's butt rock. And then divorced dad stuff is like hinder, where you're just like, I should call her. You probably should not call her.
SPEAKER_03No, don't don't call her. Definitely don't call her.
SPEAKER_02Don't call her, but keep making the music because I will eat it up.
SPEAKER_03I don't know, like what I I love, I guess, divorced dad rock then. Hinder and Chevelle and just basically it sounds like mostly the popular early 2000s, then yeah, like that's that wasn't new metal.
SPEAKER_02I couldn't create a tier list, honestly, because I'm so on the spot right now.
SPEAKER_03But no, I mean I personally just I just enjoy like whatever, like whatever I like, I like. So I don't care if people make fun of it. Oh yeah, yeah. Call it butt rock, it's all subjective. I know, it really is. I just like good music. If it makes me feel good, that's all I care about. Right, same. I don't care if they're like, you know, too popular and all that cares.
SPEAKER_02Like people say they don't like nickelback, and I I'll shout to the rooftop.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god, what is up with people not liking nickelbags? Because they're too popular. I love nickelback.
SPEAKER_02There's like a threshold, right, to how big you can get in this genre, and people are like, I'm reading for you, like I want you to blow up. But then as soon as you do get mainstream, it's like, oh my co-workers listen to you soon.
SPEAKER_03You sold out. Did you watch the documentary on Netflix about nickelback? No, oh my god, you have to because it actually explains what happened of like why everybody loved them and then suddenly the entire world started hating them. Oh, okay, I gotta watch. Oh, yeah, it's so good. I was like, this makes sense. Okay, now I don't know. I mean, it just basically they were just overplayed. And everybody was like, oh my god, if I walk into one more bar, one more restaurant, and it's like just the songs were. I think at one point they may have had like two like number one songs out together, like back to back or something like that. So it's like they were in constant rotation, and that's part of why people started hating them. I never joined the hate train, I've always loved nickelbags, so I think I don't know, people should just get a life if they don't like them. I don't know what to tell them. Okay, so what is something you know way too much about for absolutely no reason?
SPEAKER_02I feel like everything I know a lot about is for a really good reason.
SPEAKER_03I know a lot of things for no reason at all. Like, um I weirdly know way too much about the line of secession for the British royal family and the history of it. I don't know why, but I know it.
SPEAKER_02I know a lot about I did theater school, so I know a lot about acting techniques. I am really into uh well, obviously music. So like I'm a big music theory nerd, not a gear nerd. Like a lot a lot of people make fun of me because I don't know shit about dick when it comes to gear. Can I curse? Yeah. Okay, I don't know shit about dick when it comes to gear, but but like the theory behind it, I I love music. Okay.
SPEAKER_03And I also wait, did you like major for in like music grade?
SPEAKER_02I played cello for 10 years. So like throughout like so cool. Yeah, throughout like middle school and high school. My first tattoo actually is a is F holes on my back. I don't know what that is. Like on a cello or violin, like you see the little like oh okay.
SPEAKER_03Oh, cool. I mean, I learned about it briefly in like elementary school, you know, when we when do they still have music classes for the kids? I don't know.
SPEAKER_02I don't really think so anymore.
SPEAKER_03Oh man, it was I actually love those classes so much, and I learned a lot, and I don't remember like half of it right now, but you know, because I didn't learn further. Um, but so you know a lot about music theory, did but did you like major in that in college or anything?
SPEAKER_02No, no, just I did like the junior master musician and master musician programs in middle school and high school, like huge nerd. So I um that's where I learned all that, but that's that's for a good reason. Um I know uh nothing. I've never learned anything in my life, actually.
SPEAKER_03It's sometimes hard when you're kind of put on the spot. It's hard.
SPEAKER_02Like I know what I know really well, but I don't know if there's anything I know a lot about for no reason.
SPEAKER_03Oh man, I like study serial killers and stuff, so I know like a lot of history on serial killers. I mean, not like in a morbid way, but I'm interesting. Tell me more about that. I like to study human behavior. So I study, I like to learn as much as I can about serial killers because I'm like, I need to know what to watch out for. Not because I think they're great or anything. I'm just like, how can we how can what can we do early in life? Yeah, like what can we do early in life to keep people from becoming a serial killer? Right, you know, it's like the nature versus nurtures. Sometimes anti-bullying campaigns. Exactly, you know, so that's the kind of random things that I'm I know way too much about for no reason. It's probably unhealthy. Yeah, absolutely. Um, okay, so so I know you guys are, you know, not the emerging bands that I've been interviewing so far. You guys have a larger following than the bands that I've been interviewing. Thanks. Yeah, so so far, as of this episode, you guys have like the largest like Instagram following, I believe, that I've interviewed. Yes, I you have like how many on Instagram? Yeah, like 30 something. 30 something. Yeah, so yeah, you guys would be have the most of anybody I've interviewed. So you guys are like getting up there, right? We're trying, right? Yeah. So before you got to this point and you know, you were playing in smaller venues and at smaller shows and stuff, like what kept you guys going when you would like go to a show and the crowds less than you expected, or you know, and the streams are low on all the streaming platforms, like and you know, you know, those days when you're starting out when it just feels like impossible.
SPEAKER_02I mean, those days still come and go. Like the the weird thing about this industry is the like the drive, the ambition that comes with it, that goalpost just constantly keeps moving. So, like those numbers are whether you're just starting out or whether you're like five years in or ten years in, it's always gonna ebb and flow. And so many bigger bands that have like come out to see us come hang out, like offer any any advice that they offer is always just like don't stop, just keep going. It's always gonna ebb and flow. And it's so comforting every time we hear that. And even now when we're touring a bunch, like the first time we did a US tour, we first time in New York City, Brooklyn, we sold it out. It was oh wow, 70 cap room, sold like 120 tickets, in part thanks to this really cool local artist called Doolittle. Shout out Doolittle.
SPEAKER_03Um I don't know of Doolittle. I'm gonna have to research you're gonna have to find them.
SPEAKER_02Um, but that was crazy. And then like the next day we're in maybe Chicago and playing to 10 people. It just always varies because like the numbers online don't always match up to what you're going to see in person. Right. It's like it's everything everywhere all at once. It's getting the fan base to come out that'll that'll like come out to watch you while you're on tour, and then having the fan base that'll just like passively listen to you, and then have the fan base for social media for people that want to know you a little bit deeper. It's like doing all of that. And in the beginning, in the beginning, it was kind of similar. I I feel like we thought we were bigger than we were when we're smaller, and now we're like, who the fuck are we?
SPEAKER_03It's it's a weird Well, because I think the social media can like have this false sense of security kind of thing. Yeah. And and it's not because like the fans that follow you don't like you. Yeah, it's they're scattered globally, right? And like if you're looking at the analytics and it shows you like your location, like even just like for the episodes that I've aired, the podcast listeners are there's like I'm like, Australia, how did I reach Australia? It's like I've only interviewed like local Tampa bands so far, like Tampa and Orlando so far. So I'm like, who found me in Australia? You know, and then like somebody what while I was in the UK, somebody found out, and so I know I'm like, I think that's the guy in the UK. So, but it sounds like you guys have like a really good like sense of community, like with other bands, and they encourage you to keep going. That's really cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's probably the coolest thing of all is like meeting bands that we all really like and that fuck with us. Like, we got to tour with good terms for a few days. They even asked me to sing Chickweed with them, who was written by the lead singer of the band called Cliff Diver, and she has an amazing voice, so I was just honored to sing that as well. That is really cool, and even tonight, like being with Royal Lynn, their team is also so incredible. And she asked me, I'm actually gonna get to sing a song with her tonight. Oh so I'm really excited. I love doing that.
SPEAKER_03Um I think fans, like I am doing this podcast as a fan, right? Oh I don't well, I mean, I don't know anybody in the industry, like I don't have any connections or anything other than my friend Josh and Spiritual Chaos. And um, you know, I reach out to him to help me kick off this thing, but I don't know anybody. I'm doing this all for like myself and just from like a fan's perspective, right? We absolutely love it when you guys bring other people out that you're touring with and sing a song. Like fans go wild for this stuff. It's like, oh my god, like you know, they sung this song with you know the other person, and I think everybody loves it, so I'm happy that you're doing that. And I've never seen you guys before, so I'm really excited to see you. I hope we do okay. I'm sure you will. I mean, just from like your Instagram posts, you like kick ass on stage. Oh, thank you. We try from what from what I've seen so far. So I'm gonna get to see it up close and personal tonight. Yay! Okay, so then these are some fun questions about your other band members. Okay. Who complains the most on the road?
SPEAKER_02Probably me. You what do you complain about? I'm hungry, I have to pee of the bladder of a goldfish, I am bored.
SPEAKER_03You need some stimulation, you need to be fed, and you just you don't have a toilet in the in your are you guys in a van or RV? We're in a van. In a van, okay. See, I have my toilet here because I also always have to pee. Yeah, so sometimes a rest area just isn't close enough and I just gotta get off on the next exit, man. Oh I don't I mean, those are valid complaints though, seriously. Okay, and who takes the longest to get ready?
SPEAKER_02Ready for a show? Just ready in general. Oh, well, I will say the one person that takes longer in a planet fitness shower than I do, just because it takes him longer to wash his hair, is Alex.
SPEAKER_03Alex, okay. And he's a bass player, right? Yeah. Does he have long hair? I don't think I noticed.
SPEAKER_02He it's like jaw length right now, but it's very thick. He has the underside like shaved, but it's still so thick.
SPEAKER_03I know what it's like. It takes me over an hour to wash and shampoo my hair. Or it looks like wash and condition my hair. Thank you. That doesn't even include the styling. Right. It's ends up being like it can easily be three hours. Yeah, I know I'm exhausted. I'm already exhausted thinking about something. And okay, and last one, who has the worst fashion since? It definitely can't be you. I know it's not you because I've seen your outfits online and it can't be you.
SPEAKER_02I say this with love. Of course, it's Nando because I mean, I get it. Prioritizing comfort over fashion. I understand he's behind the drums. It gets really sweaty back there, even though he's sitting down.
SPEAKER_03Dude, drummers get so sweaty, that's why I was like, it's a lot, it's a lot of fucking. That's when I was like, I want to learn an instrument, but it's not going to be drums because they sweat.
SPEAKER_02I I they put in the work. That's the that's the one instrument I can't. But but yeah, he um he's always close, he's the one like in the chat asking the most, like, okay, then what's the fashion for tonight? Okay, and what does that mean? Okay, um, and can I see exam- an example?
unknownHmm.
SPEAKER_02That example doesn't make sense. Does this look okay? No, just the most questions, but hey, we find it.
SPEAKER_03No, that's totally fine. And honestly, if it wasn't so hot in Florida summer right now, I would be dressed differently. I'd have a better fashion sense, but it's just miserably hot, and I'm just like, I just gotta throw in like all black because I don't want like sweat stains and stuff showing.
SPEAKER_02I'm like, this shirt was probably a bad idea.
SPEAKER_03No, it's you look fine. You totally off like one song in. Yeah. All right, so for you, do you guys have anything that you want to share with the fans? Any upcoming projects, anything you want the fans to know?
SPEAKER_02We're on tour with Royal Inn until August 27th. We're going all the way over to Texas, which is gonna be really fun. And we are working on new music. I'm not gonna say what or when it's coming out, but keep your eye on that. And yeah, that's pretty much it.
SPEAKER_03Well, I thank you so much for joining me in the van today on this very, very hot August. There's always motorcycles, I swear. On this very hot Florida summer. Thank you so much, and I'm so looking forward to seeing you kick ass on stage today. Thank you for having us. Yes, thank you. I like my brain is being fried from the heat. Yeah, you know. I am back with David, the guitarist of the band. Welcome to the van. Thank you so much. Thank you for being here. I really appreciate it in this hot Florida summer. Of course. And okay, so we'll jump right in because you guys have a show to do tonight. And I can't I can't have you hanging out in the van all night. But you guys seem really cool, so I'm excited to see you. I've never seen you guys play before.
SPEAKER_07So awesome.
SPEAKER_03I'm really excited. All right, so you get three bands to explain your explain your personal musical DNA. Who are they?
SPEAKER_07The Red Hot Chili Peppers Metallica. That's a tough one. That's a tough one.
SPEAKER_03I know there's so many good bands.
SPEAKER_07You know, just throw in Queen in there.
SPEAKER_03Queen? Yeah. Okay. Wait, that's the one with with Freddie Mercury, right? Okay. I will not say he's so talented, was unfortunately. But there's this one particular song that I don't like. And one time I got death threats on Facebook because I said that I didn't like the song. So I will Bohemian Rhapsody. And I only don't like the song, only because it's like it feels like there's five songs in one.
SPEAKER_04Right.
SPEAKER_03And so it's not like because the song isn't good or it's not like a talented thing. It just takes me on this weird roller coaster. And like I can appreciate the talent of the band and everything, right? Like, I have no hate for them, but I'm like, oh my god, this song, like, my brain doesn't like it. And um, yeah, for like almost a year, I got like over 2,000 comments on like replying to my comment, and I got death threats.
SPEAKER_07Oh, it's it's a little bit of a hot take for some people.
SPEAKER_03I mean, death threat worthy.
SPEAKER_07No, not I don't think anything is death threat worthy.
SPEAKER_03I was like, oh my god, they were like, you should die.
SPEAKER_07And I was like, No, you have your own opinion, and that's totally fine.
SPEAKER_03I wanna like the song, I just don't. Oh my god, thank God. That was that was like, I don't know, maybe 10 years ago. So hopefully that's this interview is over. Hopefully that stays buried and I don't get any more. Yeah, that you mentioning them triggered that memory. Oh no. I'm sorry. No, it's okay. I mean, I laughed it off, but I was like, wow, people really feel strongly about that song.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, and but I again I don't think nothing's death threat worthy here.
SPEAKER_03I don't think so. I don't, I personally don't think so, but some people do. Okay, so what is something you know way too much about for absolutely no reason?
SPEAKER_07Smells me good. Um hookah, hookah, yeah. Uh yeah, I had a phase where I did a lot of research on how to put it together and I guess make a good hookah.
SPEAKER_03Really?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, because there's a lot that goes into it, you know.
SPEAKER_03I I did not know that there was enough like that goes into it to be like obsessed about like researching and like knowing way too much about it. You know, so I guess I had a little time on my hands, but like I I knew at the one point, like when like it felt like every guy was like obsessed with like craft beer, and they knew like everything about like craft beer. Yep, and so you're kind of like the hookah version of that.
SPEAKER_07I'm like the IPA enthusiast. I used to be an like an IPA enthusiast, but for hookahs, I guess in college.
SPEAKER_03I hate IPA. Yeah, I mean I don't like beer, but IPA is like just awful.
SPEAKER_07I think people pre people who do like it, I think I might get threats over this, but I think people who do like IPAs pretend that they like IPAs.
SPEAKER_03That's what I said. I was I was a promo model, and one of my accounts was like the Fat Tire beer. Yeah, and they came out with an IPA, Ranger, I believe it was. Oh, yeah. And Body Ranger? Yeah, well, I think at the time when it first came out, it was just Ranger, I think. I'm from my memory. This was like a long time ago, right? I was much younger, and um and I tasted it because I wanted to know what I was giving out, and I was just like, I can't comment on this.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, it's it's definitely a little intense.
SPEAKER_03It's so intense, it's bitter, it burned my tongue. Yeah, oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_07I understand some people like it too because there's I guess a higher alcohol percentage in it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it is a bit higher, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, that's not a trade-off I'm willing to make.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so in hookahand, yeah, what is like one thing about hookah that like like an average person who's going to a restaurant just uh is it restaurants that they have hookahahs or lounges or whatever? I I don't I don't do hookahs, so I don't really know. But what is like one thing that like the average like hookah smoker would not know?
SPEAKER_07I guess how many how many different uh types and uh brands of tobacco for hookah there are? Because there's there's a million out there, and they're all different, and then you pick uh one brand for. This one thing, and you pick another brand for another thing. It's I haven't been keeping up with it, but I'm sure it's if not more diverse, but still as diverse now.
SPEAKER_03So at the time, like what would be like the difference between the brands of tobacco? Because like I know like the um with um what is it? The all the marijuana stuff, they have all the shops, yes, the smoke shops and stuff, and they have like all the different strands and all that. I don't know, I don't do anything. I'm boring. So I'm like, I just know what I hear other people talk about. So I know like there's like the different stuff in like the weed business. Is the tobacco kind of the same with like different variations of strands?
SPEAKER_07Uh no, I don't think there's a flavor. Again, I guess I do know a lot about tobacco. I think you do nothing about it because I didn't even know there was like that much of a kind of crazy that this is what I'm talking about now.
SPEAKER_03Listen, um, yeah, anything in it happens in the van.
SPEAKER_07True. Yeah, there's uh definitely a couple of like I guess mainstream strands of tobacco because there's like I think some something called Virginia, something else, something else, but I think it all comes down to like um like the strength of it, like different companies.
SPEAKER_03Is it kind of like wine where like the grapes in different region, like it gives a different flavor based on like the climate, the dirt, and all that stuff? Yeah, I guess so.
SPEAKER_07I mean, like I guess anything that grows out of the ground, really. Yeah, coffee.
SPEAKER_03I'm sure I'm sure I haven't delved that deep into the tasting of I do not, I do not like coffee, so I don't know anything about no, I can't stand it. I don't like the smell of it, nothing, nothing about it, unfortunately. It seems very popular.
SPEAKER_07Do you like uh matcha?
SPEAKER_03I love matcha. Okay, matcha is what I love. Coffee, not so much. Okay, I didn't I learned something about hookah tonight. Who knew what I was going to lecture? That's what that's what happens with these random questions. I learn lots of things.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I didn't know I had any of that stored away still in my brain.
SPEAKER_03I'm telling you, some of these random questions will like unlock things. Yeah, and then like you're gonna have a fan out there and they're gonna be like, I also love that.
SPEAKER_07And then they're gonna be like we do not promote any tobacco use, or nor do we uh I definitely don't promote it.
SPEAKER_03It makes you age prematurely. You don't want to do that, yeah. You don't want to be 25 looking 40s.
SPEAKER_07Yes, that was stupid stuff in college. Um, you know, try your stuff, but don't get too crazy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I agree. Okay.
SPEAKER_07But not disclaimer.
SPEAKER_03But you're gonna have a fan that's gonna connect like there was a time I was also super into hookah.
SPEAKER_07But you know, I hope someone's gonna.
SPEAKER_03And then they'll come to your shows and then they'll buy your merch and then they'll meet you and they'll say, I heard you talk about hookah. That's the goal. That's the goal of my podcast, is I want fans to connect and then go spend money on the show.
SPEAKER_07And yeah, but would be fun.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Okay, so as you guys are growing, you know, you have memories of like when you kind of first started out. What keeps you going when like the crowds are smaller than you expected, when the streams are kind of low, and you know, it's like, am I ever gonna reach the point of like where we want to be, of like success? How do you keep going?
SPEAKER_07Well, you gotta like the music you're making. And as long as you're making music that you love and you uh adore playing, no matter to how big the crowd, how small, how big the room, then and as long as the people you're doing it with are friends and you can have a good time, then none of that really matters. I feel like it doesn't, it doesn't it eliminates the you know the expiration date on all of that. Yeah. Because even if there aren't any rooms to play in or anybody to play in, if if it's all there, the music's good, the the people are right, then you know you're still gonna be doing it without any of this.
SPEAKER_03So what I'm hearing from a lot of bands is like they're not necessarily, I mean, it would be great if they could like financially live off of being in the band, but they don't, like at this stage in their in their career. And um, and I I guess you just really have to love just be in it for the love of the music, then. Like if you're like, because you guys all have jobs, right?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, we all have our nine to fives, you know, uh, but this is also pretty much a second full-time job.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's a lot of work.
SPEAKER_07So yeah, I mean, but again, you know, like as long as you love doing it, and you know, like if we stop doing this, we're probably gonna go crazy. Yeah, so like it doesn't really like even if there's um making this into a living is obviously the ultimate dream. Over the years, it's become uh a different, you know, everything's always changing, yeah. So like from streaming to label stuff to everything and then they're always changing the algorithms, and that's like so annoying.
SPEAKER_03They are like, why do they do this to us? You know, you work so hard, and then everybody thinks they have it figured out, they know the algorithm, but it's you know you wake up and it's it's always as soon as you start seeing the video come on your feed of like this is what you do to get more views, and they change it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, pretty much. So it's uh it's ever it's the ever shifting, you know, like things just gotta connect at the right time of the right place, yeah. And if the music's good, if you're good people, then you know, it's gonna work out.
SPEAKER_03And then you just I'm guessing you just really love playing the guitar.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I love just music. Yeah, all guitar, you know, anything we uh writing music, we all do that.
SPEAKER_03It's um like everybody in the band shares writing.
SPEAKER_07We yeah, we all sit down in my bedroom, has been converted into a little studio, and we all write, we all we all do it all ourselves right now. Uh record on mix master everything ourselves. God, that sounds like a lot of work. It is, but you know, it's like if you like doing it, if you know some people, I guess I used to hyperfixate on hookah, now I hyper-fixate on this.
SPEAKER_03On this, yeah. I mean, I it's kind of the same with the podcast, right? Like this is obviously I'm not making zero dollars from this. So I'm doing it because I just I'm very passionate about music. I just have no talent to be in a band. So this is like I guess my version of like kind of being in a band. Yeah, well, if you feel like you're in your element and you're yeah, I love I love talking to people and I love learning new things and just learning about just being in a band in the music industry and just what it's like. It's just I was just like when that's kind of how I came up with it. Just oh, I wonder what this would be like. I should ask somebody. And I was like, oh well, maybe nobody's just gonna randomly talk to me as a fan, right? And I was like, Oh, I guess I gotta start a podcast if I want to start asking questions.
SPEAKER_07I will say you have a pretty awesome setup for all this too.
SPEAKER_03So it's oh thank you. Well, I didn't build it for this purpose, so it just kind of turned into like, oh, I can also interview bands out of it, just kind of became a thing. So now I'll be traveling and interviewing at the same time, and we'll see how that's gonna work out on the road. Because I'm about to head out. Sounds fun. I'm I'm hoping that it's going to be more fun than more chaotic. All right, so the questions about your fellow band members. Yes. Who complains the most on the road?
SPEAKER_07I don't know. I can't just pinpoint one person. I feel like we'll just say whoever's driving at the moment.
SPEAKER_03Or do you guys all take turns driving?
SPEAKER_07We all do take turns driving. Oh, that's really nice. So that's uh that's a good uh you know, outlet to be avoided as while you're driving.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I I mean I travel solo, so I'm the only driver and I get exhausted. It is rough.
SPEAKER_07You take breaks often?
SPEAKER_03I yeah, I have to. So it takes me forever to get somewhere because I like always have to pull over to pee. I have to take a break, I have to take a lunch break, you know. So yeah, uh like driving to Atlanta could be like a 12-hour day because I need a break.
SPEAKER_07No, yeah, I get that.
SPEAKER_03You need your snacks, you need your yeah, and I'm like sometimes I'm just like I need to stretch my legs, you know.
SPEAKER_04Absolutely.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, I I guess I yeah, I guess I'd be complaining too if I I mean I guess I do complain, just there's nobody here to hear it.
SPEAKER_07No, but it's like just leave the camera rolling next time you do and just keep start complaining. That's a whole other podcast.
SPEAKER_03The complaints down the road.
SPEAKER_07I'd watch.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna make an episode just for you and send it to you.
SPEAKER_07Please, and then I'll make an episode for hookah for you, I guess.
SPEAKER_03Yes, perfect. I I like the trade-off here.
SPEAKER_07I like don't do any of that, no tobacco.
SPEAKER_03I like where this is going. All right, so who takes the longest to get ready?
SPEAKER_07Uh well, I would say just factually Tani, because she has to obviously uh there's a lot of um prep involved for her. Um she has to do her vocal warmups, she has to do her maintenance, she does the little steamer, she has her this little this little like pipe-looking thing that she has to inhale in a bunch of like constraints. It's like a whole regimen that she does.
SPEAKER_03She didn't even tell me any of this. Well, Tani, you left out the good details. No, I mean, like it's I feel like I need that, you know? Like, I'm not a singer, but you know, just from interviewing, my voice gets tight.
SPEAKER_07It's really cool. It's like it constricts you for a little bit, and then when you actually want to like I guess sing, I don't sing, but when you do like even speak, it's I guess it's like a little easier to like oh wow, yeah, it's it's interesting.
SPEAKER_03I was I was taking vocal lessons and I felt like I was like just doing everything wrong. I'm like, maybe I need to get that and then make and get back into the vocal lessons, and maybe I might see a difference. Thanks for sharing that, Tawny. And she did say herself, by the way, but not because of that. She's you know, just girl, hair, makeup, all the all the things that us women go through to look pretty, you know. And okay, so who has the worst fashion sense in the band?
SPEAKER_07Um okay, I wouldn't say worst, but the I will okay. So my answer is Hernando, our drummer. Okay, I wouldn't say worst, but he has a lot more leeway uh when it comes to fashion because he sits behind a drum kit. Right. And he is, you know, like we're not gonna give him too much uh trouble if he like I want to wear shorts because you have to sit down, you have to drum, you have to.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he's sweating.
SPEAKER_07I mean today, yeah, he's sweating the most out of us. He's got uh his shorts, his tank top, so he's working behind there. So I wouldn't say the worst uh fashion choice, but definitely he gets the most uh leeway.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, so like on a scale, like if you all were like the best dress, he would be like the last best dress, you know, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_07I wouldn't say the last, I would say the more relaxed, the more relaxed.
SPEAKER_03That's very nice and PC Yeah, you know. Now these questions are just all fun and all love. Right, right. We're not really wanting to make anybody feel bad. I would have the best fashion in my band, I would think. I think I would. I'd be wearing like this, I have this fur chair.
SPEAKER_07Is your next question who has the best fashion?
SPEAKER_03No, these are roast questions only.
SPEAKER_07Okay, fair.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_07So you're telling you're telling me to be less nice, is what you're telling me.
SPEAKER_03No, I I don't want to tell you how to behave. You know, if it's in your nature to be nice, look, your fans are gonna be like, he's so nice. See? I just want you to be yourself.
unknownSounds good.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so is there anything that you want your fans to know?
SPEAKER_07Oh, we love you. We love you. Uh we appreciate every single one of you. Uh, thank you for being there for us. Join our Discord. Um, we have a Discord. Yeah, we do.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I have a quick question about that because I hear it all the time. And I'm like, what is Discord? I feel like ancient.
SPEAKER_07Uh Discord is kind of, I guess like a social platform. Okay. It's more of like um the way I would put it is imagine like an old-timey Facebook, but on its own, in its own app, but way better.
SPEAKER_03Is there is it video or is it just messaging?
SPEAKER_07No, it's like a it's like a platform, and that you can make little rooms for like whatever category of stuff, like like we'll have, you know, like the general, we'll have like the for the events, and then people decide where they want to share or talk, and then there's also like hangout little um video calls. We do a lot of um gaming, we game together, and we'll get on like little streams and like all talk while we play video games as well on it.
SPEAKER_03I I was doing my vocal lessons through Discord, yeah, and I did not understand what it was other than I clicked it to link the video, yeah, and I was like, what is this even? And I I never explored it or anything, I just only did the vocal lessons. So, like, I don't know, maybe one day if I have like fans of the show, I should like get on Discord and hang out with the fans kind of thing.
SPEAKER_07That's a wonderful way to engage with uh many of those people.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. Yeah, it's very interesting.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I still don't. I I'm uh I usually ask Alex when I have uh Discord questions because Alex is our moderator on Discord.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_07So he'll uh take care of like how everything's set up, he'll like keep the piece in there as well, I guess.
SPEAKER_03So you guys are all on it together at the same time?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, we're all well, we're all there like individually, so like throughout the day we can well always talk there, and um, yeah, it's just like we coordinate little events and I guess virtual gatherings as well.
SPEAKER_03Very interesting. I guess I'm gonna have to stop being a dinosaur and take a look into that. It's like there's just too many new things. Well, I thank you so much for joining me today, and I hope my questions weren't too chaotic for you.
SPEAKER_07No, thank you so much for having me. Yeah, who doesn't?
SPEAKER_03And fun chaos, I should say. Fun chaos. I don't want anybody to think that I've I'm a drama-filled person. Well, thank you so much, and I can't wait to see you guys on stage in a little bit.
SPEAKER_07Thank you so much for having me.
SPEAKER_03850.
SPEAKER_07850. See you there. Don't smoke tobacco, no hookah.
SPEAKER_03No hookah. Thanks. All right, Mike and send the next person in. They're so nice. I like them. We are back with Billy, and he is the rhythm guitarist of the band. Yes. So you there's two guitarists, and what is your rhythm and what is the other one?
SPEAKER_08He's leading.
SPEAKER_03Yes.
SPEAKER_08He does the solos. Mew mew. I uh spin around, jump around, keeping the uh rhythm with bass.
SPEAKER_03I always see like lead guitar and like rhythm, and I was like, I never knew what the difference was. Like is it like a difference in how you play?
SPEAKER_08Yes. Oh, especially um when um we're writing uh guitar parts. Um David loves to go and hits the high tones, mid-tones, low tones. So we're trying to make sure we cover all the basses. And so Lead usually does nice higher twinklys or gives nice little fills in there during the verses or choruses. Rhythm just stays with the bass and really keeps it all down.
SPEAKER_03Oh that makes sense.
SPEAKER_08Allows me to do my tricks.
SPEAKER_03I just like to listen, you know. I don't know, I don't know the technical aspects of everything. I just love what I hear. I know that. Um, and so I just noticed that you were left-handed.
SPEAKER_08I am, yes.
SPEAKER_03I am also left-handed, so lefties unite, you know. Um do you play the guitar left-handed or right?
SPEAKER_08No, I don't. I play it right-handed, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So I have the space here, and I it is for right-handed, and I wanted to learn right-handed because I was told that I would have more options.
SPEAKER_08Definitely.
SPEAKER_03Is that why you're doing it?
SPEAKER_08No, I think um I was taught to like throw a ball, kick a ball, um, even like hammer things with my right hand, but I eat and I write with my left hand.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I I feel like that's pretty much all of us lefties, is we have to adjust to a right-handed world. So we do a lot of things right-handed. Like I taught myself how to knit and crochet right-handed because there was no book for a lefty. So I learned right-handed.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I always said, I don't know if this is right, but I always said I was left-handed, but I'm not a southpaw because a southpaw is one that, you know, has does everything with their left hand.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Is that like more of a baseball term?
SPEAKER_08I think it's a boxing term.
SPEAKER_03Oh, really? I thought it was like baseball.
SPEAKER_08I have no idea. And maybe I'm wrong, and uh, I'm sorry that might be embarrassing.
SPEAKER_03I I don't know either way. So I just I've heard people like over my lifetime say southpaw when you know, referring to a lefty. I just don't know which sport it correlates to. So I don't I don't know. I guess somebody can comment and let us know. Yeah, let us know. I don't feel like Googling that. And you're married to Tani.
SPEAKER_08Yes.
SPEAKER_03Yes, yeah. Do you like traveling with your wife?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I it's the best. Um, we started dating during the pandemic. So, like, we've been cooped up with each other for the past like seven years now.
SPEAKER_03So, did were you guys already in the band together? Or how did that No, no.
SPEAKER_08Um, I had just graduated law school and Tawny was Law School?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it was one of those We have a we have a rockin' lawyer over here.
SPEAKER_08It was a weird time in my life where I was like, you know what?
SPEAKER_03Are you practicing law?
SPEAKER_08No.
SPEAKER_03No? Okay, my friend is actually starting law school. Oh. And yeah.
SPEAKER_08Hope everything goes well for her. Law school is a nightmare. But yeah, I had just graduated, and um the week before I had met Tawny for the first time at a karaoke bar, and she had invited me to the show. Oh during graduation. Um, while I was walking down the thing, I I started thinking, man, I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to go to my job in uh Orlando. I wanted to go back to my karaoke bar. And so I decided that I was gonna stay in Tampa, and then I decided to go to a rock show, which is the one that Tani was playing at. She was bassist in a band called Tone of the Year with David.
SPEAKER_03She also plays bass?
SPEAKER_08Yes, she was a bassist.
SPEAKER_03Tell me any of this.
SPEAKER_08Yes. Yes, she's a very prolific bassist. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_03She mentioned playing cello.
SPEAKER_08Yes. She also plays the piano pro prolifically too.
SPEAKER_03Multi-talented woman.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, and if you have if you ever ask her about the recorder, she always says she's a black belt in the recorder. She's absolutely insane.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god, I'm gonna have to have another conversation with her after this.
SPEAKER_08Yes, for sure. But yeah, she was playing bass, and that's when I saw them, and that's where I officially talked to Tani from them. And then uh a few weeks later we started um talking and then dating, and then um the pandemic hit, and so we started to quarantine together. And during that is when we really dove into like playing some music. That was our E uh, it was our electronic music phase. Okay, where she and I were just experimenting a lot with electronic music, but then David decided to do a solo project, and he was getting singers, and he got the lead singer of uh No One Road, Gina, in it, and Tawny. And during that is when Nando was like, Wow, I really like her voice. Um we should start a band with her. And so she told me that she was starting a band, and I was like, Oh, that's awesome. If you ever need a guitarist, please hit me up. And then later on they asked me, and I joined in.
SPEAKER_03So you guys were dating before the band formed?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I think like um a few months. Okay.
SPEAKER_03Wow, that is some like starter story there. Like, you know, any well, anything that starts with the pandemic is all like, okay, this where is this going?
SPEAKER_08We spent a lot of time. A lot of time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. See, I was married during the pandemic, and I was like, I don't like being married.
SPEAKER_08Well, I mean too much togetherness for me. We we were forged by fire, you know. We were just together all the time. So now when we're in the van or we're touring, it's not so bad.
SPEAKER_03Because you're already used to it. Right. She's my I love that for you guys. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, she's my partner in crime.
SPEAKER_03That is great. I really do love that for you guys. It did not work out for me. I don't I need my space, but I know that, and that's okay. But I love that so much for you guys. Okay, so you get three bands to explain your personal musical DNA. Who are they?
SPEAKER_08Three bands? Yeah. Do they have to be bands? I don't because to me music. For me, music, uh, my top three. Oh god, that's hard. I would say Jimmy World.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08I loved Jimmy World growing up. Um, Whitney Houston.
SPEAKER_03Who doesn't love Whitney?
SPEAKER_08I got so emotional. Like that alone, the guitar parts in that is just amazing.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08And right now, my favorite artist is Charlie X.
SPEAKER_03I think I've heard that name.
SPEAKER_08British um girl, right? Pop star, yes. Oh, okay. Yes. She's incredible. Um, I started listening to her back in 2020.
SPEAKER_03I don't know if I know any of her.
SPEAKER_08Boom, clap, the sound of my heart, the beat goes on and on. That's one of her earlier things.
SPEAKER_03Oh god, that or I don't care. I love it. I don't care. Oh, those all the songs that annoy me.
SPEAKER_08It's not her fault. I'm giving you like her her own version before.
SPEAKER_03It's not her fault. I've just like heard them at places or on commercial days.
SPEAKER_08They got commercialized to hell.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that that's what it is.
SPEAKER_08But then her her uh EP, how I'm feeling now um in 2020, was like my lifeblood. That's everything about that album is just perfect.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, if you ever if you ever want to listen to Charlie CX Claws, Claws, shout out Claus. Claus fantastic song. It's upbeat, it uh it's a love song. Absolutely crazy.
SPEAKER_03I'm more of a death core girly myself.
SPEAKER_08I get it.
SPEAKER_03Unless if you're talking about pop princesses, I I'm old school.
SPEAKER_08I I get it.
SPEAKER_03My my Britney, Christina, you know, back back in their early 2000s.
SPEAKER_08I love Britney. I'm a huge Britney fan as well. I I love my pop stars for sure.
SPEAKER_03Yes. Um, okay, so what's something you know way too much about for absolutely no reason?
SPEAKER_08Um, Lord of the Rings. I know a lot about the Lord of the Rings. I used to be an avid watcher of the uh extended edition of Lord of the Rings. Okay. I played the games. I've recently started reading the books, and I just finished Lord of the Rings, um, The Return of the King, I finished it last week. Um, one of the best moments on tour has been reading The Lord of the Rings because while we're traveling thousands of miles, I'm also reading about the fellowship traveling thousands of miles to go to their mountain to do their quest. And so when I when J.R. Token talks in the pages about um we are 40 leagues away from our destination, and I'm thinking 40 leagues, uh league is three miles, so that's 70 miles. Uh or no, that's wrong, 120 miles.
SPEAKER_03What unit of who uses that unit of measurement? Is it just in the book?
SPEAKER_08Yeah, um, leagues, uh farthings, uh yeah, those are units of of distance. Just for the book, or is this like ancient in general?
SPEAKER_03It's uh oh, I've never heard of this. Yeah.
SPEAKER_08Wow, okay. And so when I when we're touring and I look out into the horizon and say, how far away is that mountain right ahead of us? And they're like, it's gotta be like 30 miles. And I'm like, there's no way out in the horizon, that mountain is only 30 miles away. But sure enough, it's only 30 miles away.
SPEAKER_03So, okay, so you're a huge Lord of the Rings fan. Yeah. Do they do what is it called? Like LARPing? Is that what it's called? Like live action role-playing?
SPEAKER_08Like, do you I mean, I'm sure there are people who do okay, but you you don't do that kind of stuff with it.
SPEAKER_03Okay, you just like to read it.
SPEAKER_08I like to read it. I love the lore behind it.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08The characters uh are my personal heroes, like Gandalf de Grey.
SPEAKER_03I don't do you know anything about Lord of the C I know absolutely nothing.
SPEAKER_08Well, Gandalf de Grey is an old wizard. He's a well, he's an angel, but I'm not gonna, you know, get into the weeds of of uh of the books. But he's a wizard, and he says some very profound things throughout the story, especially about the main character Frodo, who has this incredible burden. His quest is very perilous, it's almost a suicide mission, and he always wishes that this never happened to him. But then Gandalf says, so do all who live to see hard times, but it's not for us to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. And it's such a profound uh quote that I like embody every day when I especially when are the movies really long? They are super long, they're four hours each.
SPEAKER_03Each movie?
SPEAKER_08Yes, if you want to get it.
SPEAKER_03Is there like an intermission?
SPEAKER_08No, I wish I wish more movies had intermissions. Like Kingdom of Heaven by Ridley Scott has an overture and an intermission.
SPEAKER_03I was literally just thinking, oh, I I'll check it out so that you know I know exactly what you're talking about and what you're referencing.
SPEAKER_08Well worth checking out.
SPEAKER_03I don't have that kind of time. I don't have that level of attention to you.
SPEAKER_08You need a little time to be like in a cozy space. You just want like very good, heartfelt, like, yes, the the the story is very dark in in in nature, but like the aesthetics that they have brought in. Peter Jackson puts this aesthetic that's so beautiful, so cozy. It is well worth the watch.
SPEAKER_03I I gotta really think about that. That's really long. I had no idea.
SPEAKER_08But yes, that is that is like my one thing that I've just been obsessed about for the past like two months is Lord of the Rings. I used to be a Lord of the Rings like fan, but now that after reading the books, I am obsessed.
SPEAKER_03Even more obsessed, even more obsessed. Interest. I maybe I can like get like a clip's notes version or something. Yeah, yeah. I'll check, I'll check it out and we'll talk about it next time I see you guys. Okay, so with your band starting to grow, um, you know, there's obviously going to be points where you have like low the crowds lower uh than you expected, the streams might not be great months. Yeah, and you know, and it just almost feels like impossible. Like, what motivates you to keep going in this?
SPEAKER_08Personally, I love the product that we release and the things I get to do with that product. Like, for me, music videos are my favorite thing. I woke up in the mornings to watch Jumpstart, uh, MTV wake up, and I wanted to just be in music videos all the time.
SPEAKER_03I'm a don't you don't you miss having actual music videos?
SPEAKER_08Yes, I was a hip-hop dancer in high school. What? All I wanted to do was like be in a music video.
SPEAKER_03Wow. Did you ever get to be in a music video?
SPEAKER_08I when I was in fourth grade, I was an extra in the background of a Shinedown music video. Oh, that's in Sanford Orlando.
SPEAKER_03That is actually really cool.
SPEAKER_08If you watch a music video, you won't find me. But I was there for hours.
SPEAKER_03You were there and you have a story, you know that you were there. You have someone save me if you will. That was I always wanted to be in a music video. So do you like to like create your videos for the band?
SPEAKER_08Yes, Tani and I brainstorm, and what we start we start by saying, all right, what's your glee budget um view of this music video? If you could make any kind of music video with an unlimited budget, what would it look like? And that's the story that we start with.
SPEAKER_03Uh-huh. And then scale it down.
SPEAKER_08You start scaling it down to something a little bit more realistic. But usually we try to go as grandiose and like uh outward uh otherwise with the uh with the uh concepts.
SPEAKER_03That sounds like me and this van project.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I started with like what is everything I absolutely want. And it was like, wow, this is really expensive. Now what do I actually like need to survive?
SPEAKER_08So like when when we were um pitching wasted as a music video idea, I was I I first told Tanya, I'm like, wouldn't it be crazy if we did like a crucible music video style? You know the crucible? It's like uh the witch hunts of um the Puritan age. Okay. And I was like, it's gonna be very cool where like the the men are the witches and then uh the women are the the leaders who are doing the witch hunt. Like that's a crazy concept, and then it slowly we scaled it down to uh taking revenge on an abuser.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Going through I have not seen that video, so I'll have to check it out for sure. Yeah, I I like I'm just so busy, I don't have time for life really at this point. So these are some fun band questions um about your other band members. Who complains the most on the road?
SPEAKER_08Oh man. Maybe me. You I complain about it. I I work uh I work during the day at another job.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08Remote. And so I'm always complaining about how uncomfortable I am, that my head hurts, and I need pee breaks. I'm one of those uh that has to pee like every 40 minutes.
SPEAKER_03Well, it sounds like your perfect match for Tani because she also said that she has to pee alive. Yeah, no, no. So you guys really have to pee at the same time. Yeah, same with my mom and I when we travel together. Like I take her on road trips um in the van, and she's always like, I'll be like, I have to stop and pee. Oh, thank God, because I did too.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, it's usually me and Tani who have to stop to pee.
SPEAKER_03But it sounds like you're you just might be overworked, so it's making you grumpy. So we're not gonna like we're not gonna hold that over on you.
SPEAKER_08But I I I I don't I I like to think that I don't like you know run around going, oh, that sucks. Yeah, no, no.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, because then I then you probably wouldn't be in the band if it was that bad. Exactly. You just like all have complaints.
SPEAKER_08We all have our complaints. I'm I'm I just mostly tell Tawny my complaints.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay, and then she's just like we debrief. Oh, I like debriefing, yeah. Okay, and who takes the longest to get ready?
SPEAKER_08Probably Tawny.
SPEAKER_03Tawny.
SPEAKER_08Tawny, yeah. She puts the most on, she puts her armor on. She looks great. Every single time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I like her outfits.
SPEAKER_08Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Especially the one she's wearing today. Yeah, she always super cute.
SPEAKER_08She always says, you know, I'm just gonna turn it up to 11.
SPEAKER_03Love it, love that for her. And who has the worst fashion since?
SPEAKER_08The worst fashion since just as fun.
SPEAKER_03Not we're not really truly criticizing anybody. We're it's all fun and games here.
SPEAKER_08Um, probably Nando.
SPEAKER_03Nando.
SPEAKER_08Nando. I think he can't. He can dress really well, and he has dressed really well. He just has the pop punk aesthetic.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08Shout out Nando, you're awesome. But he he's the uh shirt and shorts.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. But I get it because as a drummer, you don't want to wear like long regalia and like have and be sweating up a storm. I get it.
SPEAKER_03It sounds very hot and uncomfortable being drummer.
SPEAKER_08When like it calls to like dress fashionable, we're all pretty on lock.
SPEAKER_03I like that. I like that. Is this your final look for the night, or you have something like a yeah?
SPEAKER_08This is this is this is closer. Yeah, okay. I think I have a few things though.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_08Essentially, uh, I am dressing a little bit more formal today.
SPEAKER_03Oh.
SPEAKER_08Yes.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yes, you are.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, I'm wearing Doc Martin's.
SPEAKER_03I didn't even notice. Oh, he is. He has dress pants on. I know. Wow. Okay, I like it. Is there anything that you want the fans the your fans to know about your band or about you or anything upcoming that you guys are working on?
SPEAKER_08Why I can't say too much. I don't know um what I'm allowed to say.
SPEAKER_03That there's some things happening, but she's not going to say.
SPEAKER_08Yes, there are a lot of things happening. Um, we're still on it, we're writing. Um, yeah, just keep looking in the coming months. There's gonna be a lot going. Um I can't wait.
SPEAKER_03Now, you guys are just like almost at the end of this current tour that you're on.
SPEAKER_08Yeah. Do you have like another one already planned or we have um something we have a show in November at Skullhouse Rock. It's gonna be in Maryland.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_08Um, and we're going to be um routing some dates around there. Oh, well so northeast. Um, yeah, around the northeast.
SPEAKER_03Okay, well, guys in the northeast, please make sure you come out and check out this band. They're very lovely, very nice people, and I appreciate you coming to stop by and chat with me in the van tonight.
SPEAKER_08Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_03Thank you, and I will be in there to see you guys play. I'm really excited. Let's go. Thanks. All right, who is I have two people left, right? We are back with Alex, and he is the bass of the band. I personally love the basses myself, my favorite member of the band. How are you tonight?
SPEAKER_06Pretty good. How about you? A little sweaty.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's pretty warm out here tonight, but you know, the sun is close to setting, so it's starting to cool down just a teeny bit. Not a lot, but just a teeny bit. So I thank you so much for being out here. Of course, thanks for having me for people because you were chilling in your van with some AC on.
SPEAKER_05Blasting it full. Yeah, I know.
SPEAKER_03I should have, I wish sometimes that I would have done the rooftop AC instead of the skylight, but I like natural light. So I was like, how could I not? And I get to watch the rain and the stars and stuff. So, you know, I wasn't planning on doing this podcast when I bought this van and started building it.
SPEAKER_06She's like, Well, now I also have to use it for this.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I'm like, oh, I should have had that AC. Okay, so um, you're the bass player, and how long have you been playing bass?
SPEAKER_06Since 2008.
SPEAKER_032008. Wow. Okay. So if you had any advice for somebody like me who owns one but does not know how to play it, what would you what advice would you give me?
SPEAKER_06Um, I took lessons when I was first starting out. Like I I went and paid somebody to teach me. Yeah. That helped me out immensely. I think it sets a good foundation. I also used to teach lessons too.
SPEAKER_03So, like see, I wanted to take lessons, but I just don't have time.
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_03But I had every intention of doing it. I just I bought the van and then started building. And then that, yeah, that kind of I mean YouTube also works.
SPEAKER_06Like, I people should learn the songs that they love. And that's like a good starting point, so that way you want to learn the thing.
SPEAKER_03I know, but I love Lamb of God.
SPEAKER_06And they play in drop D. You got the four string?
SPEAKER_03Listen, John Campbell tried to show me, and I was like, yeah, I I mean those are complicated parts. I'm like my guy, really.
SPEAKER_06He's he's out there shredding with the rest of them.
SPEAKER_03I mean, he's probably one of my favorite bases. So he's very good. Well, I'm also just a really huge Lamb of God fan, so but I'm like, yeah, let's try to play this. And I'm like, oh my god, I can't believe I'm never gonna get this. So I'm just I'm gonna try. I'm I will have to make time to take lessons.
SPEAKER_06Look, you learn you learn like one song before bed.
SPEAKER_03Okay, can you? Yeah, is it that easy?
SPEAKER_06Yeah, you just pick if you pick the right like tablature, right? You can look up tabs online or on YouTube uh-huh and uh you can just like follow along and learn those songs. Tabs? I mean, yeah, if you don't if you don't start with Lamb of God, maybe. But like, because that's that's like I said, he's threading with the rest of them.
SPEAKER_03I know, I know. I've who should I start with?
SPEAKER_06Um, I mean, who do you like?
SPEAKER_03I like Lamb of God.
SPEAKER_06Just Lamb of God, you don't like any other bands?
SPEAKER_03No, I do. I like so many bands. Uh Lamb of God, uh Di Artist Murder, Lorna Shore. Yeah, well, you're not making any White Chapel. I know, I know. All the bands that I like are already like mainstream commercially successful.
SPEAKER_06I mean, you could you gotta on bass, you could start with like the white stripes or the white stripes. Oh, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I know the Seven Asian Army songs, yeah.
SPEAKER_06That's the one I used to use, usually like when I would teach uh the students and stuff, that's what I'd start them at.
SPEAKER_03That is what I'm going to do. Go look that up on YouTube. Thank you so much. I'm glad I asked you that because I don't normally ask that question. Okay, so you get three bands to explain to explain your personal musical DNA. Who are they?
SPEAKER_06Um, all right, we'll start with Guns N' Roses.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_06We'll start with Aerosmith and Oasis. Wow. Some of my favorites.
SPEAKER_03And he and he's not lying, he has them all tattooed on him. Wow. I don't think I could get a band tattooed on me.
SPEAKER_06And you know, if you think that way, and you're like, you know what, I've listened to this band for over you know decades now, so I'm like, you know what, I think they could uh they can get a spot.
SPEAKER_03I just feel like the minute I get a tattoo, they're gonna do something like that. Something screwed up throws me off, and I'm like, oh, I need to get this erased.
SPEAKER_06The newer bands is a risk, right?
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_06Like Guns and Roses and Arrow, but they've been around for a long time. So is a waste since the 90s, you know what I mean? So I'm like, yeah, things are pretty established.
SPEAKER_03Right, right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_06For now. I mean, knock on wood.
SPEAKER_03You never know these days. Every day I open social media, somebody else is being canceled. So you just never know these days. Okay, so what is something you know way too much about for like absolutely no reason?
SPEAKER_06Uh no reason? I don't know. I'm a I'm a big nerd, so I played like a lot of TTRPGs and like trading card games and stuff like that. Like DD and like Dungeons and Dragons. Yes, Dungeons and Dragons. Um, like Star Wars variants of Dungeons. Like, I could I could host my own podcast about Star Wars. Like, it's it was to the point where on the last tour we're on, me and my manager were getting into a debate about the sequel trilogy of Star Wars, and like this is after the show, so it's like 1 30, 2 a.m. We're driving, and we're having this like heated argument about the whole thing. And uh David, our guitar player, gets up and goes, This conversation has to stop. And I'm like, go back to sleep. The adults are talking.
SPEAKER_03He says, Star Wars?
SPEAKER_06Yes.
SPEAKER_03I please guys don't come after me. I don't know anything about Star Wars.
SPEAKER_06It's okay. I can I'm gonna I could get some Rage Bank going if you want.
SPEAKER_03I what there's there's Star Wars and Star Trek.
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_03Who does this?
SPEAKER_06Star Trek.
SPEAKER_03Star Trek, okay. I know I think I know most about them only from Big Bang Theory.
SPEAKER_06Right, yeah. I I don't think I've ever watched a single episode of Bang Big Bang Theory.
SPEAKER_03Is it because they're Star Trek?
SPEAKER_06No, I just I don't think I was not a what is that CW, that network, right? I don't remember what I don't remember either.
SPEAKER_03I don't remember where it originally is.
SPEAKER_06I've never watched it.
SPEAKER_03I think it I mean it comes on CBS now, but yeah, I don't know.
SPEAKER_06So what Rage Bait all right you have The Last Jedi from the sequel trilogy is the best one out of all the new ones, and that people will hate that.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so I don't know anything about this. Why is that going to be Rage Bait? Because I will use that as a clip.
SPEAKER_06Everybody, for some reason, thinks that this one that one screwed up the whole entire thing. When in reality it was the last one that screwed the whole entire thing, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_03I'm gonna take your word for it because I have no idea.
SPEAKER_06I will fight with you in the comments about it. I promise.
SPEAKER_03I will make this a teaser clip so that somebody can argue with you about it. Because now I want to see what this online argument is going to turn into.
SPEAKER_06My gloves are on, my hands are for everyone.
SPEAKER_03Rated E for everyone. Okay, so um as you guys are growing, um, what keeps you like motivated to keep going when you have like smaller crowds than you expected, the streams are low, and you just kind of feel like, is this really worth it? What keeps you going?
SPEAKER_06I've I've wanted to do this since like I was a teenager. So like this is I'm pretty much living the dream right now, regardless of size.
SPEAKER_04Nice, I like that.
SPEAKER_06It's like at the end of the day, whether the if the show's disappointing or something doesn't meet expectation or whatever, like I'm still playing rock and roll with my friends every night on the road, whatever. So like that's like the baseline. Like, I'm I'm satisfied at the baseline, you know what I mean? And you have like pun intended.
SPEAKER_03You have like a normal nine to five job. I do, yes. And even though this project isn't making you like enough money where you could quit your nine to five, you still believe think that you're living a dream.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, I mean, like obviously everybody would be like, that's like their dream. I have like my resignation email drafted, you know what I mean? Like for the one day.
SPEAKER_03Uh Riley and Dunfor taught me how to manifest.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So I think that would be part of manifesting is having that resignation email ready to go.
SPEAKER_06We played summer school with uh Honey Revenge at the House of Blues, and I I saw Hop Mulligan and Heart Attack Man there like a year ago, two years ago, whenever that tour was. And I was like, I looked at my girlfriend, I was like, I'm gonna play this stage, put it on your calendar.
SPEAKER_03And then now you just played it. Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_06Playing House of Blues. It was awesome.
SPEAKER_03So that so every time you get like a little something like that, like I like I don't want to say goal because you have like a list of goals, right? So being able to check that off the list is like, yes, I'm gonna keep doing this.
SPEAKER_06I the way I look at it, as I always look at being in a band is learning to smash through glass ceilings over and over again. So like sometimes you wrestle with them a little longer than you want, would like to, and then but sometimes you just smash right through them. So it's like it's just kind of the balancing act of like keeping the faith, working hard at it. Like as long as you believe in what you're doing, then nothing really goes to it. You enjoy it.
SPEAKER_03I like that. Okay, so these are a few fun roast questions about your other band mates. Oh, so who complains the most on the road?
SPEAKER_06Hmm. I mean, I'm gonna say the truth, it's because it's me. I know I'm supposed to roast the other ones, but I'm the complainer.
SPEAKER_03I mean, but you are part of the band. So if it is you that if it's me. I just find this funny because Tawny said she is the most complainer. And then um Is everybody is everybody's just calling telling themselves everybody's saying it themselves? So everybody's like, I complain. So it sounds like you all complain equally, and I love that for you because then it's more cathartic, yeah. Yeah, and it's not like one person is just like bringing down the mood of the whole band. It's like we're all equally complaining. I like that. You guys ever have any like get together and have like complain sessions?
SPEAKER_06I think it's like for one, like I'll give you an example. We were playing like a low, it was like an old brothel. It used to be a brothel in Vegas, and they like they like turned it into an art gallery, and like and then there's like band practice spaces upstairs. And we we're supposed to play outside.
SPEAKER_03Okay, but like it's Vegas, it's hot.
SPEAKER_06Well, here's the thing for some reason, we drive to Vegas and we bring a hurricane with us. That's the one that went through like Arizona and Vegas at the time.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_06So it's like flooding everything. Or like it's raining in the desert for like the first time in months, and so like, okay, we're can't play outside because this whole thing is flooded. So uh one of the local bands there. That was putting on the show was like, hey, can we move this inside? And the owner of the builder's like, sure, yeah. But we have to share the space with like there's a hardcore show going on in the back, and then we're playing in the lobby of the art gallery, and like we can't touch the walls because there's like expensive art on the walls. Yeah. And like it was chaos, but it was so much fun. But leading up to that point, like it paid out at the end. But leading up to that point, we're all sitting in the van, it's raining. We're like, oh my god. This is missing. Like this is crazy. Like everything's gonna go. Right. Yeah, we're like we drove all we drove like 16 hours from Dallas for it to rain.
SPEAKER_03It's gonna be Oh, that drive from Dallas to Vegas. Oh I did it. I sat in El Paso and then Phoenix, then Vegas. Yeah, but from Dallas to El Paso, I was like, I thought I was gonna go crazy.
SPEAKER_06Texas never ends. You're going out west.
SPEAKER_03I will never do that drive again. We probably don't care what band I will not follow a band to Texas ever again. I did it once, I will not do it again. That's it. Okay. And who takes the longest to get ready?
SPEAKER_06That's definitely Tawny.
SPEAKER_03Tawny, okay.
SPEAKER_06But like because she's gotta do the vocal warm-ups, the she's got the Mr. uh like vocal mister thing, and then the makeup and everything. So that's just like standard, I guess. The rest of us are pretty easy. We just put on our shirt and pants and we're like, I'm here to rock.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I know it's so it's so much more difficult for women sometimes.
SPEAKER_06And I even vocalists in general, like their instrument is organic. Like we can just like change the strings or whatever, you know what I mean? It's a little more mechanical, I guess, but like she has to like deal with her throat and her vocal cords and all sorts of stuff. So it's so it's like a a lot more upkeep, right? And you and you gotta be careful about it and like correct about it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I took vocal lessons and I was like, I don't know if I can survive. Right. Yeah, it's pretty much and then you gotta do it every night. Yeah, and I was learning harsh vocals, so I was like, one day of practice I needed two days off because I didn't have like do it wrong and you're screwing up everything. Yeah, so it like made me very nervous. Yeah, yeah. So I I need to get back on that and take bass lessons, and I can be like a one-woman band, kind of half of one at least. And um, who would you say has the worst fashion sense in the group?
SPEAKER_06The worst fashion sense. That's a good question. I'm really thinking. I feel like it's a tie between Nando and Billy.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_06But I will give Billy a little more credit because he's malleable.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_06So like he'll take the suggestions better. As compared to Nando, who's fashion blind. I'm like I'm like, we should look like this. And he goes, I don't know what that means. I'm like, what do you mean that you don't know what that means? So you gotta be a little more heavy-handed with Nando, I think.
SPEAKER_03Okay, but we still love you, Nando. Absolutely.
SPEAKER_06You're that's my dog, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03You're not the only person that said Nando. You think Nando will say Nando?
SPEAKER_06Uh, probably. You know, he knows he's fashion blind. He's aware.
SPEAKER_03Oh, oh well, at least he's aware. He's not gonna be completely blindsided with the.
SPEAKER_06But he might surprise us all and just say some off the out-of-pocket stuff. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_03I can't wait to hear what he says. Because if he's like, it's not him, I'm gonna be like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_06Guess what, man? Majority voted.
SPEAKER_03You need a mirror, is what the rest of the band said. Okay, so do you have anything that you want to share with the fans?
SPEAKER_06Um Thanks for listening. Keep listening. The reason we played the House of Blues is because a lot of people talk about us, and the more you talk about us, the more we get opportunities that way.
SPEAKER_03So is it just like like Instagram following or streams?
SPEAKER_06Streams, Instagram, TikTok, you know, all of it.
SPEAKER_03So like a venue like the House of Blues look at all that kind of stuff when they invite you?
SPEAKER_06It was Honey Revenge's tour, so they're their guys are aware of us or were made aware of us and have they developed a relationship with us. And you know, when they had the idea of throwing like locals and stuff on the show, like we were pretty much first in line for that kind of stuff.
SPEAKER_03So cool. And this is because of the fans' support.
SPEAKER_06Right.
SPEAKER_03I like that a lot.
SPEAKER_06They tag us in the comments, they talk about us. Oh it's like old school, you know what I mean? Like word of mouth is still pretty powerful.
SPEAKER_03Well, keep tagging them, everybody. All right, well, I thank you so much for joining me in the van in the van.
SPEAKER_06The band in the van.
SPEAKER_03I get it's like tongue twister sometimes. Uh so I'm gonna watch you guys shortly. So I'm really excited to see you play.
SPEAKER_06See you in there.
SPEAKER_03All right, see you later.
SPEAKER_06Thanks.
SPEAKER_03Bye. I am back with Nando, who is a drummer uh for Pretty Pity. Pretty Pity, right? Yeah, I keep getting tongue tied every time I say it.
SPEAKER_01Well, we picked the name, that was like one of the things we're like, what doesn't get people tongue tied?
SPEAKER_03And that one I'm always like I but I do like the name. I just I'm just kind of tired today, you know, from the heat. Yeah, like the heat exhaustion is kicking in, and my brain is like, no, we're not saying that. But I said it right, so I'm doing pretty decent, I think. Well, welcome to the band. Thank you so much for joining me tonight. So you guys are about to play, so I'll make it quick because I don't want you, you know, I know you have to get like do you get like in the zone before you go on?
SPEAKER_01Um, for the most part, my zone is really just like if I get like 10 minutes of just kind of like not psyching myself out. I'm doing pretty good. Usually I have like um sometimes I'll drink alcohol and sometimes it's like a diet code.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. You know, yeah. I I do not drink alcohol before doing anything big.
SPEAKER_00Good.
SPEAKER_03Because it like for me it affects my nerves, right? So I did the sky jump in Vegas. Okay. And the people that I was with, they were like, oh my god, like they dared me to do it. But then they were like, We need to take shots. And I was like, oh my god, I'm not gonna take a shot before I go jump off the highest building in Vegas. So I did that sober.
SPEAKER_01Good for you. It was good for you because I don't recommend it.
SPEAKER_03No, I'm kidding. I do recommend it. It was great.
SPEAKER_01Hey, for me, I'd be like, let me get let me shave some of the nerves off. I'll have to.
SPEAKER_03Really? And everybody else did. They had a shot, and then they were like, now we want to do it because I inspired them, they said. So then they all took shots and did it. And yeah, and I like I went skydiving this summer totally sober.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Yeah, so it's on my bucket list to do.
SPEAKER_03Oh, you that was on my bucket list. I did it for my 40th birthday.
SPEAKER_01That's awesome.
SPEAKER_03And it was like, I thought it was a great way to bring in a new decade. Yeah, it was so much fun, and I ended up skydiving on the same plane as Red Man.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I was like, how is this even a thing right now? Yeah, it was a great birthday. It was great. Okay, so you get three bands to explain your personal musical DNA. Okay. Who are they?
SPEAKER_01Um Lincoln Park. Solid for my childhood.
SPEAKER_03How can it's hard to not you know? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh Bring Me the Horizon. Okay. Just because like I've listened to them. So I'm originally from Venezuela.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01And I moved here when I was 10, 11 years old. And I didn't really listen to rock music because that's not something like at the time specifically that hadn't come yet to Venezuela.
SPEAKER_03Like wow.
SPEAKER_01I appreciate that.
SPEAKER_03You worked hard on that, I'm guessing?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, I I don't know. At the time I came, like I had an English teacher in Venezuela. Like, I've worked on it ever since. Because like I feel like there's a stigma sometimes with like an accent.
SPEAKER_03So I've done my what I can to not not for there's no stigma on my part, but I did notice that like wow, I can't even like I wouldn't have uh been able to tell that you were like born and raised there for 10 years. You're foundational. I don't know any Spanish. I studied French.
SPEAKER_01Oh, there you go.
SPEAKER_03So I don't know any Spanish.
SPEAKER_01French, I know a little bit, just enough to be you know powerful.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. I mean it should be easier if you already know Spanish, right?
SPEAKER_01They're kind of the same.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, learning from English is just like what?
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_03Okay, so Lincoln Park, bring me to Horizon.
SPEAKER_01Yep. Uh, and then not a band, but another artist that has stuck with me since I was really young is Mac Miller.
SPEAKER_03Mac Miller. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01The rapper.
SPEAKER_03Oh, the rapper, right.
SPEAKER_01The one that passed away.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay, yeah. He was dating that one girl.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Ariana Grande.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. Yeah. I'm I listen to metal music. I am I see things on social media, and that's like the extent of my knowledge of it. So sorry for any fans that might be upset that I didn't actually know who Mac Miller was. But I I know of him. Couldn't tell you what he's saying, but I do know of him. But he was like, he's a big inspiration. 100%.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I mean, I I used to buy a lot of CDs. Um, and so like my first three CDs were literally like the Devil Works product, uh, Evanescence, and Mac Miller. Like that was cool. Sixth grade, those Evanescence.
SPEAKER_03They were great. Yeah. Okay, so what is something that you know way too much about for absolutely no reason?
SPEAKER_00For no reason? Um what can I tell you?
SPEAKER_01Um, to be honest with you, uh I think today, like nowadays, I know a lot about um like technology, but I can't say for no reason because like I've I worked, like that's my job outside of being in the video.
SPEAKER_04Okay.
SPEAKER_01Um, but like I've always I like to tinker with stuff. Uh, and one of the things I'd like to learn about recently was like um I was in a robotics team when I was in high school uh for a couple years.
SPEAKER_03I always see that in like TV shows and movies. I don't even know if we had a robotics team. We might have at my high school. I was not on it. I've never met anybody on a robotics team. This is fascinating.
SPEAKER_01Wow. And so like after that, um, I keep at home, I have like a little uh board that I can do like little circuits with, and once in a while I like throw it up on some wheels and like reprogram it and just like kind of keep my skills sharp.
SPEAKER_03My god, that is so cool. Wow, I could have used you while I was building this van.
SPEAKER_01I'm pretty handy.
SPEAKER_03I like I just uh last like I built my whole electrical system myself. Yeah, so you sound like you probably could have like answered a few questions that I had. Yeah, because these, you know, with the controllers and things, they get real technical, and I'm just like reading and following directions, and I'm learning as I'm going, right? But I'm like, oh if I could have had somebody to just say, hey, does this sound right? So I didn't like you know blow up the van or anything, that would have been really great. Yeah. Well, that's really I mean, that's definitely not like useless knowledge, but that's really cool. Yeah, I like that. Okay, so when you guys have like, you know, you're you're on tour and you're playing at all these different venues, and some of the cities I imagine there might be a crowd that's smaller than other cities, and you know, there are months where like the streams are a little low, and you know, how do you keep motivated to keep going in the band? Because I know you all have jobs outside. Yeah, so what keeps you motivated?
SPEAKER_01Um, to be honest with you, this is something I've like I've always done. Like, I think I played my first instrument when I was eight years old. Eight, wow. I picked up the guitar okay and didn't like it. So I like picked it up for like six months. I was like, I don't really like this. So I dropped it, and then when I moved here with my father, he got a drum set from Craigslist because I was like, I want to play an instrument. And he's like, Why don't you play the drums? Alright. And ever since then I've always played, and it just got in my head. I forget what concert I went to, but uh, fun fact, my first concert that I've ever been to is a Jonas Brothers concert.
SPEAKER_04Jonas Brothers?
SPEAKER_01I love that because I grew up with uh girl cousins, like I had three girl cousins, yeah, and they were all about Jonas Brothers. They're like, Do you want to go to a concert? I was like, Yeah, thinking it was gonna be like, you know, at the time I was like, it's gonna be some great American uh artists, and they're like, It's the Jonas Brothers.
SPEAKER_03I mean, they I don't listen to them, but they're awesome. From what I've heard, they're great American artists, and you were not wrong.
SPEAKER_01They're awesome, they're awesome. So, like, going to concerts and stuff has always like inspired me.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Uh, and so like even in times where I find it hard to make music or dedicate time to this, like, there's a bug in the back of my head that's like I wouldn't even be able to not do this, even if I wanted to.
SPEAKER_03Like, even you have like an itch that constantly needs to be scratched.
SPEAKER_00100%.
SPEAKER_03Interesting. I like that. I don't know. I have to think about if I have anything that I like that would be like that itch I have to scratch. Now I gotta go deep dive on my life, man. I always wanted to be in a band. Yeah, I think maybe because I was a cheerleader. So I still like miss those moments of like performing for a crowd, but I don't have any talents as of yet, and I don't want to play the drums because you guys sweat.
SPEAKER_01Oh, all the time. Yeah, so I don't I don't know. You gotta coordinate it all your time.
SPEAKER_03So that's why I got the bass, but I haven't learned how to play it yet. So I gotta I gotta work on that. Okay. So these are just some fun band roasting questions. Who in the band complains the most on the road?
SPEAKER_01Um that's gonna be, you know what's funny? Is that um it's uh it's uh I'm gonna say it's a tie. Uh, because David can be a pretty big diva, but he's also he's got the least amount of flexibility with his day job, so he's not on the road with us a lot.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_01Right? So he doesn't, he hasn't done like the three-week long tours like the rest of us have.
SPEAKER_03So what what do you guys do when he's not?
SPEAKER_01Uh we usually will put some sections, like Billy will take some of his stuff, and then whatever Billy can't do where it needs two people playing guitar, we'll just throw it up on the laptop. Oh, okay. And let the and but David tracks it, so it's just like if he was playing live there.
SPEAKER_03Okay, that that is fascinating. I did not know any of this. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So we like layer them. Okay. He's a pretty big diva. So like sometimes he gets he gets in like a mood sometimes where you're just like, Are you good?
SPEAKER_03Okay, so then who's he tied with?
SPEAKER_01Uh he is tied with, I would say, um Tawny.
SPEAKER_03Tawny, okay.
SPEAKER_01But she also like I feel like she has it the hardest because she has a lot of like with her vocals.
SPEAKER_03I mean, she said herself, you know. Yeah, almost everybody kind of said themselves, and then I think I think it was David. I have to check after when I edit. But I think it was David that was like we all kind of equally complain.
SPEAKER_01I don't know about I don't know about that. We're gonna have to say, you're like, I'm not, I'm not a part of this. No, I'm good. Like the last week that we've been on tour, I think I drove like three two to three days total driving time, like from when we wake up to when we go to school.
SPEAKER_03Well, that's what that well, that's what David was like. I think it was David that said it. But so one of them, somebody said, because you all take turns driving, so you all like equally complain because you take turns driving. So it's like, okay, well, that's fair though.
SPEAKER_01We take turns, it's not always even, but we take turns.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, I listen, I'm driving by myself, so I would love to have even like an hour of relief, but I don't. I don't they don't have self-driving vans just yet. Okay, and then who takes the longest to get ready?
SPEAKER_01Um, I mean it's gotta be Tawny, right? I think between the vocal warm-ups, and then uh she's the only one out of like we we haven't broken into the makeup for everyone yet. We may one day, who knows?
SPEAKER_03You never know, right?
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah, but because we haven't broken into that, she has to do makeup too.
SPEAKER_03So okay, yeah. I mean, because I don't know what motionless in white does, like who if they do their own makeup or they have a makeup artist with them, but it looks like it takes a while. So yeah, that makes sense. And okay, this one is very interesting. Who has the worst fashion sense in the band?
SPEAKER_01Um, probably me, to be honest.
SPEAKER_03Okay, because everybody voted you, and so now it's like, are you gonna vote you?
SPEAKER_01No, a hundred percent. I have like, to be honest with you, I to put it plainly, I don't give a shit. Like, I just really I really don't care. Uh, not that I don't care what I look like, because I think presentation matters. Yeah. But I'm also like, I don't know, like, it's fucking hot in Florida.
SPEAKER_03Well, for full disclosure, everybody did name you, but for like different reasons, and most of it is because you're the drummer. Sure. Like, you know, you're working really hard, you're sweating, you know, so it's like not that you don't care, but like you're like, I need to be comfortable.
SPEAKER_01I'll say it, I don't give a shit.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03They did not say that. They were just like, you need comfort and you know, all these things. And I'm like, okay.
SPEAKER_01It's a nice way to put it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but they all said it with love. Nobody wanted to hurt any feelings, but you're just like, I don't give a shit.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, honestly, like I could I could care less, man. It's like being here, if our outfits were like wearing leather jackets in Florida, I'm good. I don't I'll be the only one that's like, I'm not wearing like a leather jacket. It's too hot.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's way too hot. And I love a good leather jacket, and it's just too hot. Like, I couldn't, like, I'm boring right now because it's so hot. Like, I can't, you know, get extra fancy.
SPEAKER_01This is like my regular outfit.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Okay, so I really appreciate you chatting with me tonight. Is there anything that you want your fans to know about you or about the band?
SPEAKER_01Um, about the band, we've got new music coming. Uh, so keep an eye out, and probably about the end of the year. Uh, some more shows. We're gonna just keep on rocking.
SPEAKER_03All right. Well, I really appreciate you guys so much. And uh, I'm gonna be seeing you in about 25 minutes. So I'm really excited. So thank you so much. And I am Tara with Bands in the Van. Stay heavy. I'll see you down the road. Yay! Thank you.
SPEAKER_00Thank you again.
SPEAKER_03Now I can like eat some watermelon.
SPEAKER_01Oh, there you go.
SPEAKER_03I am back with my motion of reflections. I actually got to see them perform, which is great. Their stage present is so good. Um, she really I can like I can see her performing on larger stages, and she's so comfortable um in front of a crowd. I love that. It was so great to watch them, and then and the whole band just has just so much fun energy. Billy's up there playing the guitar, they're turning in circles. It's so much fun. Um, just a couple notes. The interview with them was so great. They are like the the whole band is just like an onion, and you're just appealing back layer after layer with them. They are, you know, finding out that Tawny plays the bass, plays the piano. She told me that she played cello, and she has such cute outfits, and she's just great. I mean, I can't say enough great things about them, and um, David and his knowledge on hookah, which I learned so much about hookah that I did not need, I did not know that I needed to know that much about hookah. Um, but yeah, definitely don't smoke hookah, it's not good for your lungs, and um Billy being a fellow lefty, and his uh obsession with Lord of the Rings and learning units of measurement that I did not know exist because you know we're in America. Why would I need to know these certain um these certain units of measurements that we definitely do not use here? And uh Alex being uh a huge Star Wars fan and Nando and the robotics. I feel like Nando, if I have any electrical questions, I might reach out to you because I uh I could have somebody with some knowledge on things that I do not know that I don't know about. So this whole band was just so fascinating and I I really enjoyed everyone and also watching them. And uh hopefully I will my schedule will align with varies and I will get to watch them again in the future. So you guys definitely should check them out if you haven't had food and I can see them growing and uh and doing festivals and larger arenas for sure. Absolutely. So thank you guys so much for jumping in the van, and I'm so sorry it took a while to get this interview out. I had to uh find an editor to help me with editing social media content, and I just have a million things going on. And you know, just uh traveling across the country in the van, there's uh always going to be some van issues. So thank you guys for your patience, and thank you so much for watching. I am Karen. With the vans in the van, but stay heavy down the road.
