When you hear the name ‘Romance & Rebellion’ what do you think? For some, it may just be a mixture of words, but for five people, ‘Romance & Rebellion’ is a ‘bi-product of a vision’, almost a mixture of ‘youthful upheaval and idealistic romanticism’. We had the opportunity to talk to ‘Romance & Rebellion’ about their upcoming EP, their touring experiences and what Romance & Rebellion is to them.
Hello guys! Could you please introduce yourselves, what you do in the band and your best experience while being a part of the band
Aaron: lead guitar and harmony vocals. Best moment with R&R is either playing to hundreds of people at Chain Reaction on June 7th or being selected to play Warped Tour through our participation in the Ernie Ball Play Warped Tour Competition.
Aleksandr: I am Aleksandr. Some call me Sasha. I play Volynka (Auxiliary Guitar), oversee van weight distribution and execute all security protocol.
My best experience with the band was driving back from sxsw through Texas. The banter was hilarious and the desert sunsets were incredible.
David: This is David, I’m the lead singer in the band. I also play rhythm guitar, and I write our songs. At the risk of sounding like a hallmark card, every memory has been a great one. Bringing the band together…every show…every rehearsal…we’ve grown very close in a very short period of time. I think we’re all very grateful to be in this journey together.
Your most recent single ‘For A Moment’ was released a few days ago, how has the response been in your opinion?
Fan response has been extremely positive. I think our decision to take a little more of a rock approach to our music has been well received.
With your next EP planned for January 2018, do you have any plans for the EP you can share?
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” John Lennon once wrote that in a song and I think its pretty spot on. The fact remains that we make plans and something changes and we do something completely different. As the moment we plan to record the remaining 3 songs off our new EP and release it in January. We have the title. We just haven’t released it yet. We want to tour either before the end of the year or directly following the release of our new EP. Those our are tentative plans for now.
Speaking of music, your self-titled album is something not to be missed. How does it feel looking back at the album after your most recent release?
Aaron: A growing artist should never be completely satisfied with their old work. We are still very proud of those songs, but we are excited for the evolving sound of Romance & Rebellion.
Aleks: In all seriousness, for me it feels like looking at your younger self in an old picture. It’s an important reminder of who you were and yet a nice way to appreciate the process of growing into yourself.
David: The fact that you can look back and not cringe in horror is a testament to how good the product still is.
Is there anything you learned from the recording of ‘Romance and Rebellion’ that has influenced your music or plans for recording?
Totally. Every studio experience leaves you with little grains of knowledge to use the next time you’re in the studio. We learned a great deal about arranging parts…executing those parts…and a lot about the art of recording that we took to this new record.
You’ve been quite successful recently, getting the chance to play Warped Tour in Pomona this year! How does it feel getting voted to play such a well-known festival?
It is definitely an honor, and a big confidence boost to be selected for this competition. It shows we are doing something right.
You’ve played a couple of awesome shows in the past. Do you have any funny memories from some of your shows?
Aleks: For the first few shows as a five piece, Brandon and I had a hard time getting used to our side of the stage. We’re two big dudes and it was constant human bumper cars over there haha. I think our top used phrase was “oh shit! sorry brother!”
What does Romance and Rebellion mean to each of you? Does it have a specific meaning to it or did it just come to you?
David: Romance & Rebellion is a bi product of a vision… It’s like peering into my brain for a second…then taking that vision and filtering it through four other extremely talented and opinionated individuals. I’ve always wanted our brand to be a marriage of youthful upheaval and idealistic romanticism. Like the sex pistols taking a shit on a Rembrant.
Aaron: I like to think romance suggests a softer, more sensitive side to the music. That would make the rebellion the unapologetic, Rock ‘n’ roll side.
Aleks: For me it strikes me as the most accurate way to describe the balance of not only the band as a musical being, but the members as human beings. There is this wonderful balance amongst the five of us and our art; a healthy blend of opposites that makes our sound what it is.
On to a more personal question, if you had to nominate the worst person in the band to be stuck in a van with, who would it be and why?
Aaron: All of them. This group of gentlemen is both the classiest, and trashiest ensemble I’ve ever played with.
Aleks: Oh man. Honestly, all of the guys are a riot in the van. I really enjoy my time riding and chatting with them.
David: Everyone has their thing that they do that pisses you off…but in reality it’s a real blast like 99% of the time.
And finally, if you could each say anything to the people reading this, what would it be?
If you want to see us tour through your city soon, tell all your friends about Romance & Rebellion.
Make sure to check out Romance & Rebellion’s latest single ‘At This Moment’ down below!
EUPHORIA OF BREAKDOWN 