INTRODUCING: THE BOMBASTIC ALTERNATIVE POP QUINTET THE SCARLET OPERA
INTRODUCING: THE SCARLET OPERA, THE BOMBASTIC ALTERNATIVE POP QUINTET
If you have not heard of The Scarlet Opera, the exciting quintet fusing Pop, Rock, and, yes, even Opera. Lyricist and frontman Luka Bazulka (whose natural grandeur is ever present and charming), with Colin Kenrick on Keys, Daniel Zuker on Bass, Justin Siegal on Drums, & Chance Taylor on Guitars. The glue holding the band together is friendship and identity. Identity, friendships, relationships, sexuality, love, loss, band life, and the music industry are major themes often explored within their lyrics.
Last month I got a few minutes to speak with The Scarlet Opera during a presser. I asked what the go-to karaoke songs were for everyone, and a fun type of chaos ensued. It seemed like ‘Skyfall’ by Adele was the overall favorite. You could feel the excitement from the guys. They were on the cusp of dropping their now-released new EP “Comedy”, the high of their first late-night tv performance on James Corden, and touring. There was a joy and bombast felt through the screen during the presser. Well aware of comparisons to their predecessors, they were flattered by it all. In an industry where bands and artists can get jaded quickly, it was refreshing to see. Yet, I found it more exciting to see a band that has finally begun to put the puzzle pieces together with their sound finding a niche in the big wide world of Pop music.
INTERVIEW WITH… CONNECTICUT INDIE EMO ROCK BAND THE INSIDE OUT
INTERVIEW WITH… INDIE EMO ROCK BAND THE INSIDE OUT
THE INSIDE OUT
Connecticut Emo rockers The Inside Out are thrilling audiences and collecting new fans with their satisfying mix of Indie Pop and Emo Rock. Their debut album "No Brains, No Blood" was released late last year, and the band which is comprised of James Howard, Zach Stout, John Landino, and Andi Wright, recently played a show at NYC's famed The Bowery on February 11th. I talked with the group about their album release show, any musical influences, the debut album, and much more which you can read below.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Hi, guys let’s just dive in. Talk about your upbringing? How pivotal was music to each of you then? Were there any artists or bands that shaped those early years?
JAMES OF THE INSIDE OUT: I personally didn’t even think of music at all until I was about 9 when my parents bought me a Tama drum set. My dad set it up in our backyard shed at the time with some lights and when I could, I would go and practice. I was in band and drumline up until my freshman year of high school. However, I started playing football and didn’t pay much mind to music for a year or so after that.
(cont.) My younger brother Nick was taking guitar lessons and I would always hear him playing and shredding away in his room. To be honest, I loved hearing how his lessons would go, and it inspired me to mess around on the guitar with him and later take up the bass. I loved the idea of being self-taught and bought an acoustic guitar off a friend for $20. I started teaching myself and got a little Peavey amp for Christmas. I rarely left my bedroom practicing that next summer, unless I was walking around the neighborhood and hanging with my friends.
(cont.) I honestly haven’t stopped with music in general since. I got a lot of my early influences from bands such as Taking Back Sunday, Green Day, Modest Mouse, Brand New, and The Killers. There are so many more bands I used to listen to and love but those are really the ones that stuck with me.
ZACH OF THE INSIDE OUT: Starting with the Suzuki method for cello at age 3, my appreciation for classical music was spawned. A little later in my childhood, my dad was a major influence in getting me hip to classic rock; we’d jam out all the time in the car to Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, and whatever else Sirius XM Classic Vinyl was playing. I decided to vastly expand my musical horizons again in the fourth grade when I picked up guitar and bassoon, before deciding to teach myself guitar after the fifth grade.
JOHN OF THE INSIDE OUT: Growing up I remember just being obsessed with my mom’s CD collection. She had a lot of RnB and movie soundtracks that exposed me to a lot of different stuff. Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose” comes to mind haha. I also remember jamming to Notorious BIG’s Life After Death album on the way to elementary school every day. That was lit.
(cont.) Coincidentally, I discovered Blink 182 around the same time I got a guitar in my hands for the first time, so naturally, I became obsessed with everything in their orbit and wanted to play it all. I feel extremely lucky to have been exposed to so much good music and to be alive at this point in time.
ANDI OF THE INSIDE OUT: I started listening to Aerosmith, Meat Loaf, and ‘90s boy bands when I was 5 years old, thanks to my trusty boom box that I still use to this day to play CDs and cassettes. I started learning piano around that time but ended up not sticking with it because my teacher scared my first-grade brain away with time signature fractions.
(cont.) The first time I really got into music that wasn’t what my parents put on in the car, it was the album The Young and the Hopeless by Good Charlotte when I was 9-10 years old. I started to gain more appreciation for music in middle school when Pop-Punk was at its prime with Green Day, Paramore, Blink-182, MCR, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, and so many more. I dabbled with various instruments as a kid, but it wasn’t until 10th grade.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: How did The Inside Out form?
THE INSIDE OUT: We formed in early 2020 with Zach, Andi, and James, but we didn’t reach our final form until early 2021 when we snagged John off of a craigslist ad, haha. The band had a few different lineups from 2017-2019, varying from some of James’ high school and college friends, but nothing that really stuck. Honestly, he considers most of those times super fun and enlightening, which led this project to where it is now, but nothing has been official to him since the current lineup.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: Is there a set creative/recording process you have as a band? what was for this new release? How did you approach the creative and writing process this time on your latest release, "No Brains, No Blood”?
THE INSIDE OUT: Our creative process for songwriting usually stems from an idea James has dabbled with on his acoustic guitar and then presents to the full band. We’ll jam on it for hours if we like it enough. Each member will start dropping in their own flair and originality, and sooner than later we have a new song idea. Sometimes the best fuel for songwriting and creativity is taking a step away, walking around downtown, grabbing some drinks or food, and just talking about it.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: What are some goals you hope to accomplish as a band this year?
THE INSIDE OUT: We’re looking to continue to expand our horizons and play at new venues and cities as much as possible, and we’re hoping to make new friends and fans along the way! A major goal is to continue to introduce lovers of indie/alt-rock to our latest album No Brains, No Blood., and we’re looking to release some fresh tunes by the end of this year.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: I read that you’re playing at The Bowery in NYC coming up on February 11th. How are you prepping for that show and what are most excited for?
THE INSIDE OUT: We've been doing a lot of rehearsing and trying to refine the setlist. This is our first time playing the big stage at Bowery so we want that show to be the absolute best it can be. We’re also really excited to see all our NYC friends and family. It's gonna be an epic night for sure!
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: If you were to create your dream festival to headline what other three artists past or present would you pick as your co-headliners and why?
THE INSIDE OUT: Ooh, it’s tough to narrow our answer down to just three. Inner Wave, The Audiots, and Tame Impala would be super fun to play on a bill with. We have so much respect for the artistry that led each respective band to where they all are now, and those vibey, dancy strains of indie-rock that they’re each known for would mesh nicely with our sound.
THE RECLUSIVE BLOGGER: So, to close what's next on the horizon for The Inside Out?
THE INSIDE OUT: Good times are on the horizon! This year we’re looking to play a bunch of shows and go on tour in the fall. We’ve started writing our next album, which is more upbeat and dancy than our last, and we plan to release new music and a music video by the end of this year.
STREAM THE INSIDE OUT’S DEBUT ALBUM “NO BRAINS, NO BLOOD” OUT NOW
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES ON OPENING NIGHT OF KIA FORUM RESIDENCY
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES ON OPENING NIGHT OF THEIR KIA FORUM RESIDENCY
MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A SOLD OUT FIVE NIGHT RESIDENCY AT L.A.’s KIA FORUM
TRB WAS AT OPENING NIGHT LAST TUESDAY
READ THE FULL SHOW REVIEW WITH CONCERT PHOTOS BELOW…
Gerard and that Flamethrower
For a band that first came onto the scene at a time when it seemed like many of that generation were carbon copies of each other or just very surface-level. My Chemical Romance has easily been the band that has stood the test of time astutely navigating an increasingly challenging music industry. One where bands come and go or quickly lose their identity and creative freedom somewhere down the line. So to hear that My Chemical Romance was to return in 2019. A band that stuck their roots AND experimented. The band whose songs many of us adored in our teenage and young adult years when we felt unsure or worse about ourselves was back. Waiting two more years would only cause the feverish excitement around this reunion to grow.
On each of the five nights, the band featured different opening acts. For night one, they had Youth Code, an EBM (Electronic Body Music) and Industrial music duo, then the band Taking Back Sunday. Youth Code shook up the crowd. Unfortunately, much of it was still arriving. Lead vocalist Sara Taylor has a visceral and fierce stage presence. Something that truly opened up the show and what would ultimately be five nights of incredible music. Taking Back Sunday took to the stage next, with the crowd slowly filling up and even TBS taking note of that. The guys of Taking Back Sunday put on a fast-paced, energetic eight-song set. Frontman Adam Lazzara pulled out some sweet dance moves with every swing of his microphone. They ended with their 2006 classic and biggest hit, MakeDamnSure.
You could feel the weight of the two-and-a-half years reverberating throughout the forum. Hearing the crowd chant MCR! MCR! as The Foundations Of Decay familiar signature buzzing sound began to whirl until silence. My Chemical Romance takes to the stage under the cloak of darkness, with frontman Gerard Way walking out dressed as a cheerleader holding an actual flamethrower! Wait... what just happened? Before anyone can digest that, the band launches into The Foundations Of Decay, the first new song from the group in years, and it sounded just as harrowing and insane live. It was the perfect way to reintroduce the band in a city that can quickly become jaded. The band has never sounded better and more in sync with each other live. The band said early on that they were playing whatever they wanted each night, and that's what they did.
My Chemical Romance then proceeded to hopscotch their way through their back catalog, playing with finesse and intensity. The crowd sang along, chanting, dancing, and even crying. Nostalgia had hit hard for many as the band went from songs like This Is The Best Day Ever, which has a harrowing punkish lean. To the power pop strut of Na Na Na, each of these tracks are two albums apart. Other songs like Planetary (GO!), DESTROYA, and Teenagers had the audience go from head banging to straight-up booty shaking. Also, that night the band pulled out, Desolation Row for the first time since 2011. One of the most unique and edgy Bob Dylan covers. The show ended with a two-song encore with songs from their first album, I Brought You Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The moving heartache of Skylines and Turnstiles and the haunting euphoria of Demolition Lovers. Songs that both truly encapsulate why we fell in love with the music in the first place.
THE DARKNESS // "HEART EXPLODES" - SINGLE REVIEW
English Rock band The Darkness drop new single "Heart Explodes". The song is off the bands' upcoming concept record Easter is Cancelled. The album is due out October 4th the band will tour the United States in 2020, and are currently opening up for Ed Sheeran in the UK for a string of dates.
“It’s about the despair of change. Having to reappraise your life and what you're holding on to. It’s like that feeling when you just want to go for a swim and keep going. Wanting to be enveloped by something that will gradually pull you down. If you really, really want to survive that process, you can. We've all been there - people who say they haven't are lying.”
- Justin Hawkins
"Heart Explodes" finds the band in excellent form, lead singer Justin Hawkins well known and often used falsetto is not overdone on the track. From the first hit of the drums that anchor the entire song, which seems to ride back and forth between ballad and mid-tempo rock number. The abundance of emotion is fully present with every guitar stroke and lyric sung. The Darkness has become known for their unique blend of opera rock this single isn't any different, as Folk-rock elements, even a banjo, can be heard well within the mix of instruments on the song. It's a tune essentially about being caught between the apathy and wanting to change. Something that is often told but on "Heart Explodes", The Darkness dig into what they are good at to find a novel approach to this subject matter.
You watch the lyric video for "Heart Explodes" below...
Until then
Brittney x
