Tell us about yourself and your music
I’m from Virginia and just graduated with my degree in audio recording. I’ve been recording and making music since I was a young kid, and I easily get lost playing music on any instrument I get my hands on. The music I tend to create comes from a variety of different influences but pulls most heavily from bands like Oasis, Tame Impala, Dinosaur Jr, and the Beatles. I love big and loud guitars, but well written, catchy and creative songs are what is important to me at least.
Talk to us more about your latest release
My latest release is with my band the Radio Room, and it is a self-released indie rock EP that I recorded before I graduated college. It is a four-song EP, the songs written by both my brother Brady and myself. Brady and I share vocal duties, and we use a variety of different sonic textures throughout the record.
What inspired you to write this release?
During the time that we were writing this EP, I was listening to a lot of 60’s surf music, 90s alternative and indie, and classic rock. I grew up listening to blues and 90s music so those influences come through quite a bit. The lyrics are somewhere between real life and fantasy.
Describe the writing and recording process
Lyrically, half of the songs were written by myself and the other half were written with my brother. We usually started recording with a demo that we put together, then tracked drums at my school’s studio. Most of the guitars were played by me, and a few of the rhythm parts were played by our bassist, Johnny. Instrumentally, the vibe came from me getting an old Wurlitzer keyboard from the ’60s and we wanted to feature keys on each track along with guitars. We approached mixing with a vintage feel, and eventually bussed the EP down to a two-track reel to reel before finishing.
Any plans to release a video?
Any plans to hit the road?
We want to continue playing together, but we each live in different states so it’s hard. We are currently in the process of writing the next EP.
As an indie artist, how do you brand yourself and your music to stand out from the rest of the artists out there?
We just genially try to make music that reflects ourselves. We all enjoy different styles of music so a little bit of all of that comes through our songs. We’re not trying to be any other band or replicate anyone else’s sound and we think that makes us unique enough.
Who have you been listening to lately?
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Steve Miller Band, Oasis, R.E.M., Vulfpeck, and the Talking Heads recently.
Who are your biggest influences?
The Beatles, Tame Impala, Steve Miller Band, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Dinosaur Jr, Oasis, Radiohead in no particular order.
Tell us about your passions
Other than writing and recording, I also fix and build guitars and amplifiers, collecting vinyl, and coffee
What else is happening next in your world?
I’m always writing music, but I’m excited for the next project we’re going to release. We’ve been putting a lot of hours into these new songs and we’re excited to share them.
Thanks for an awesome interview, The Radio Room
Connect with The Radio Room
Website: http://www.drewaudio.com
