The Simple Radicals Interview 08/10/20
MM: Can you tell us about your Band and who’s your biggest influences?
We’re a retro-rock and roll band that combines sounds and styles from some of our favorite classic and alt-rock bands like Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Green Day and Cheap Trick. You can check us out on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/4rgBmqnv7h3p5gYPGjiXfU, YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2rmuHn02XI1CIphHvmh-Vg and follow us on facebook.com/thesimpleradicals, twitter.com/simpleradicals, and instagram.com/simpleradicals.
MM: Where do you draw your inspirations and ideas from?
I hate to sound so cliché, but I really explore the things and issues that are near and dear to me or affecting those close to me. Our album "New Revolution" is a very personal and poignant project. There’s so much shit happening today and so much to write about. that the words and music came to me literally in the form of pictures and images.
MM: What would you say is your Bands favourite song?
We love playing our song “Learn”. It’s very Pink Floyd-ish and my fellow radical John Griffin does a kick-ass David Gilmour-type “Comfortably Numb” building guitar solo. The title track “New Revolution” is also a blast to play and a kick-ass rocker.
MM: Plans tour and festival wise for 2020?
We had an amazing 2020 planned including two showcases at SXSW, playing festivals with Molly Hatchet, Jefferson Starship, Puddle of Mudd, and Blackfoot as well as a tour starting in Chicago, but all got axed due to the apocalypse. We’re going to play live as much as we can once the clubs and festivals are ready to book again.
MM: What can we expect from The Simple Radicals live?
Total debauchery. Just kidding. We love to perform live and our fans know that. We feed off their energy and passion and try to give it right back to them in the way we play our music. We also try to interact with the audience as much as we can. There is nothing more rewarding than watching people lose themselves in your music. It’s intoxicating.
MM: What do you like best and worst about touring?
At this point we love everything about it. Setting up. Anticipation before the show. Hitting the first note. Even the packing up and getting to the next show doesn’t bother us. We all get along really well and have a great time playing and hanging out. Of course ask us in about 2 years and maybe the answer will be different.
MM: Which three Bands would be your ultimate touring buddies?
Pearl Jam. Foo Fighters. Zeppelin. Sorry. I dream big.
MM: What's the most memorable concert you've been to (other than your own) and why?
Pink Floyd. I was absolutely blown away by the fact that they can sound as good or better than their albums. It’s still ingrained in my mind today. But Man I wish I was able to see Zeppelin before they ended.
MM: What do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment so far?
We’ve only been around for less than two years and we’ve really accomplished a lot so far. Our album, "New Revolution" (https://open.spotify.com/album/4rgBmqnv7h3p5gYPGjiXfU) is getting some nice attention – and the guitar-God Vernon Reid from Living Colour plays lead on the track "Medicate". We just released a song and video called “Rich Man Wanna Be King” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehjT9RZdpe4) which provides a scathing lampoon at Trump, was just released on YouTube and it’s already racked up 100,000 views and climbing. Our video “New Revolution” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY7cm3-1m7E) has already racked up over 60,000 views. And we’re building a nice social media audience.
MM: Which are your Two favourite Albums of all time?
My personal favorites are UFO “Lights Out” and Led Zeppelin IV. I know the other guys have their own but I’m too lazy to ask them.
MM: Can you remember the first time you ever played live and how it felt to have people watching you?
It was both nerve-racking and exhilarating all at the same time. There’s so much anticipation on both what the crowd expects and the expectations that you put on yourself as a performer and a band. But as soon as we hit that first chord and the crowd starts to get into the music we get totally pumped and play off the energy of the crowd. There’s nothing better than sharing your own music with new and old fans.
MM: Growing up which Bands posters did you have on your bedroom wall?
I shared a small bedroom with my two brothers who had completely different musical taste so none of us got to hang posters. And we didn’t have a lot of wall space. But when I was playing drums as a kid in the basement before I took up guitar I surrounded myself with Ozzy, Zeppelin, and The Who and even Kiss posters. And of course the iconic Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” poster.
MM - Who do you think influenced the world of Metal / Rock more than any other person?
There are so many that influenced me but if you had to distill it down -- Ozzy and Black Sabbath had the biggest influence on metal. In rock it’s Zeppelin.
MM - What's the most important thing to the band right now?
With the pandemic upon us it’s really important that we remain active and continue to release new material and build our fan base. We’re constantly gaining new followers to our social media. We’re about to release a wicked cover version of Jefferson Starship’s “White Rabbit” where we collaborated with an incredible husband/wife duo called Che-Val. We’ll soon be releasing a quarantine video to our song “The Optimist”. And, we’re about to release a podcast called “Music & A Brew” where we crack open a cold one with different musical artists. So far we’ve had one with Kenny Aronoff (drummer for John Mellencamp), Todd Sucherman of Styx, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Daxx Nielsen of Cheap Trick, and Jackie “the Joke Man” Martling from the Howard Stern Show.
MM: If you could do a cover of any song which one would it be and why?
I’d love to cover Pearl Jam’s “Better Man.” What an amazing song with so much build.
MM: Tell us why we should buy and listen to your Band?
If you love the combination of classic rock and alt-rock sound then I think you will really like our band. We try to convey a refreshing change with music and lyrics that aim to both observe and reimagine the current state of affairs in the world today. Our fans tell us that our music penetrates them on an emotional and visceral level, and they feel that they are not alone in what they are thinking and feeling today. And if it helps spark a new revolution in how we approach society in a smarter way…then so be it!
MM: Four words to describe The Simple Radicals?
Non- stop visceral energy. Is non-stop one word?
Final Words for your fans and our readers
Thank you to all our fans for your continued support. Please stay safe. Stay healthy. And stay Radical.
