Rising California Rockers, Them Evils, are roaring through the world of Rock creating blazing fires with hits such as “Got Me Rockin” which proves that these guys aren’t stoppin’ anytime soon. I caught up with Bassist, Jake Massanari, for a fun chat about how “Got Me Rockin” came together organically, excitement for their upcoming experience at Shiprocked 2019, wisdom with Ice-T, preserving mental and emotional health while on the road and much more.
Congrats on the success of “Got Me Rockin” which has served as a key component of the trajectory of your experience as a musician. Let’s reflect; tell us about the creative and recording experience while bringing that track to life.
That was one song that came together pretty organically. We had showed it to our late Producer, Kato Khandwala, and it immediately peaked his interest. So it was a really fun song to track. Every chance we had to work with him was nothing short of amazing.
Have you ever been on Shiprocked as a fan? What do you perceive is to come with your upcoming appearance on the 2019 Shiprocked experience.
We’ve never been before so we’re psyched! We’ve heard that it’s one hell of a party though, so we’re hoping we’ll make it back in one piece.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
That’s a good question. Well the other day I couldn’t decide if I should go out and drink or stay in and save money before tour, but I caved and went out, and inevitably spent too much money. But that’s showbiz, baby. I’ve learned to live with my poor decisions!
What is your perception on the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
It’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s an incredibly helpful tool and 100% necessary component for anyone trying to “make it” in today’s world. But on the other hand, it’s pretty clear that people are detaching themselves more and more from reality and abusing the technology we have in front of us. People are so fixated on how something is being portrayed to their peers or “followers” that they tend to miss out on the actual experiences at hand. I think there’s a balance to be had between the two.
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
I think the most important thing to me is to just be a decent human being. It’s not that hard, but some people still can’t seem to figure it out. Just don’t be a dick. I was lucky enough to grow up with really admirable and respectable people, and I pride myself on the morals and accountability I hold myself to because of them.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
It’s important to not let little things get to you. Between us and our crew, we very rarely have lost our cool with each other. You just need to find ways to occupy your time and your brain, cause those long travel days can start to get to you if you don’t. I try to find a few good books to read while out on the road, and I’ll often try and find some sort of self-help book to ensure that my mental health stays positive.
You have played a wide variety of festivals and amongst a ton of musicians over the past few years. Tell us some words of wisdom that you collected along the way.
We were playing Rock on the Range in Ohio this past year, and I happened to bump into Ice-T in the bathroom. I talked to him for a minute while we’re – ya know, handling our business, and after telling him about my band he said “Fuck yeah, never stop.” So that has always stuck with me. More of a rad situation than words of wisdom!
Any new music coming in 2019 from Them Evils? Share what you can.
You can expect an excessive amount of music from us this year. We recently just finished a new single that we’re super hyped on and gonna hold on to for a bit. We took a whole new approach to songwriting this time around, and are taking things in a bit of a different direction. Y’all ain’t ready!
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?
Come catch us on tour throughout January and February, and pour a beer down my throat while I play! Bring your mom’s and dad’s, and cats. Head over to ThemEvils.com for tour dates, merch, photos of Jordan’s mom, etc. Cheers!
Them Evils Upcoming Tour Dates with Pop Evil: 1/16 – Lincoln, NE – The Bourbon 1/17 – Denver, CO – Summit Denver 1/18 – Wichita, KS – The CotillionDallas 1/19 – Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom 1/20 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues 1/23 – Houston, TX – House of Blues 1/24 – Austin, TX – The Lost Well 1/26 – 1/31 Shiprocked – Cozumel, Mexico 2/02 – Richmond, VA – Canal Club 2/05 – Lancaster, PA – Chameleon Club 2/07 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues 2/08 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Clyde Theatre 2/09 – Peoria, IL – Monarch Music Hall 2/10 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom 2/12 – Nashville, TN – The Cowan 2/13 – Fort Smith, AR – Temple Live 2/14 – Springfield, MO – The Complex Springfield 2/15 – Kansas City, MO – The Truman 2/16 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theater 2/17 – St. Paul, MN – Turf Club 2/20 – Spokane, WA – The Pin! 2/21 – Seattle, WA – The Funhouse 2/22 – Portland, OR – Paris Theatre 2/23 – Boise, ID – The Olympic 2/24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Los Angeles Based Indie Rockers, Arden & The Wolves, are roaring forward with soul-infused fire and make that known throughout their cover of Pentatonix’ “Mary Did You Know”. Trickling into her smokey and deep vocals, Arden & The Wolves travel to wondrous depths to capture an enigmatic and darkened portrayal of the holiday spirit. Having dabbled into the traditional means of going about the holidays within the ripe days of her youth, Arden made the decision to artistically splatter a layer of obscure energy onto a classic holiday hit which is both welcoming and comforting to an idiosyncratic mind and listener. Manifesting an alternative point of view through the traditional holiday lover, Arden & The Wolves cover of “Mary Did You Know” purposely breaks the rule to open chambers of thought.
Reborn and alive in new light, Arden Leigh has restored vulnerability and meaning both within herself and the world around her. Having experienced both sides of the coin, Arden has risen from the ashes with a new awareness and clean emotional slate which has allowed her to selflessly feel compassion and deeply connect with others. Unearthing transformation through choosing not to succumb to the illusions that one can paint through mental hypothesizing, Arden has undergone intense psychological and somatic processing to become an independent and fearless thought leader. Portrayed through her artistry with ease, Arden’s alternative perspectives that sprout through her candid investigations of her subconscious aid in the reorganization of the emotions, the minds and the spirits of listeners. If you’re a fan of fellow musicians such as Evanescence, The Pretty Reckless and Poe, then keep an eye on the ride ahead for Arden & The Wolves on YouTube.
Independent Rockers, Tetrarch, are leading from the heart and giving every ounce of their blood, sweat and tears to the music and bigger picture over the years. Having released their monster debut album, ‘FREAK’, it is evident that the band has started their engines and are ready for exciting years to come. I caught up with one of the most human and genuine shredders of our days, Diamond Rowe, to discuss the wild ride that Tetrarch has been on, perseverance as an independent artist, being happy on tour and much more.
Congrats on the success of your debut record, ‘Freak’. Tell us about the whirlwind of experiences that you have encountered through the release and what the record means to you.
Thank you! Honestly, this record has been so amazing for this band. Even more so than we initially anticipated. Everytime we thought the record had reached a satisfactory point for us something bigger and better would happen. From all of the radio play to all of the press and magazines the support was amazing and the fans we’ve made on this album cycle have been the best! Not to mention, the album is so descriptive of the type of band we are. In a way, we are outcasts. Always have been – but were respected and we are gaining some crazy opportunities from always being ourselves and knowing where we want to go. That’s what being a FREAK is all about.
You do a lot of “the work” of being a musician independently. I witness the extra effort that you put in with your fans and promo and it’s incredible. Tell us about your persistence with Tetrarch.
Tetrarch is our life. Our goal is to be one of the biggest Hard Rock/Metal bands in the entire world and that doesn’t come easy. That’s going to take a lot of hard work for a very long time and I am fully committed and ready for that. Tetrarch is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last when I fall asleep at night and I love every up and down of this journey. I also have so much faith in what we are doing. The plans we have for the near future are pretty insane and things that I only dreamed of so it’s easy to stay motivated when you see results like that.
Showcasing the human in you, what is a challenging thought that you recently had and were able to overcome over time?
That’s a tough one because any discouraging thought I have is pretty quickly fleeting. I know where we want to go and I’m pretty confident that we are going to get there so if I do have a moment of discouragement, I snap out of it pretty quickly. Sometimes things may not happen at the exact moment that I want them to, but over time I’ve seen that even in those cases they usually end up happening at some point and it all ends up being worth it if I just continue on and don’t let it get to me. Having said all of that, I definitely am not perfect.
What is your perception on the digital world that we live in and social media culture?
I think it has its goods and bads for sure. It’s amazing how easy we can all connect with each other and get our content out there for everyone to see. Especially when you’re in a band or an artist of some sort. You can reach an incredible amount of people – I have met so many people in my industry through social media who I am now extremely close with. It’s great in that sense. It can also be negative because there are a lot of fakes out there that can create a perception of who they are or the talent that they have and sometimes it turns out to not be real which is disappointing!
No career path or amount of followers negates the fact that you are a human being that has feelings. Tell us about some parts of you beyond being a musician that you take pride in.
Honestly, I’m super proud of my tenacity with things that I really want. I have been that way my entire life – If theres something that I really want, I always go and get it. Now, there’s a negative effect to that as well – If it’s something I don’t care about, I DON’T CARE and nothing can make me do it. It’s a pretty interesting dynamic but I am proud of my record of being able to become the best at anything I set my mind to.
As you are exposed to tons of stimulus, how do you proactively take care of your mental and emotional health when you’re out on the road?
I LOVE being on the road! Traveling to new cities and meeting new people that love Tetrarch brings me immense joy. I think me and the guys in the band are genuinely lucky in that sense. We all really enjoy being on the road. Van, bus, plane, it doesn’t matter. We’re best friends and we always have a blast. We were lucky enough to have started touring when we were younger so we learned all of the do’s and don’ts early so everything is pretty smooth sailing for us now. For me personally, I usually just need a second alone sometimes to just have some quiet time. Even if that’s for 10 minutes once a week – It’s usually more beneficial than I even thought it would be. Staying connected with loved ones is pretty crucial too. Helps you stay grounded and know that you do have a support circle out there that really believes in what your doing and is proud of you. At Least – that helps me a lot and has kept me strong.
You have toured with some of your favorite musicians over the past few years. Tell us some words of wisdom that you collected along the way.
I wouldn’t say that we have necessarily gained any words of wisdom per say but I will say that a lot of the bands that we have toured with these last few years have reaffirmed what we already believed in doing. We’ve always tried to be professional on the road – show up to venues on time (early), be respectful of the bands and crew, and play our hearts out every single night and a lot of the bands that we have toured with have taken notice of that and made mention of it which feels really good. As an up and coming band it feels great to know when you’re doing things right and up to par.
Speaking of touring, any current or upcoming tour plans that you can fill us in about?
We are definitely going to be doing a lot of touring in 2019. That’s actually what a lot of our focus is on now with planning for the year and it’s so exciting. I can’t wait to be able to announce it all!
Last but certainly not least, any closing messages for your fans?!
I just want to say thank you for the support over the last year. Everything has truly been amazing for this band and we see the benefits of it everyday. Also – keep your eyes peeled on our socials and website etc for all of the announcements that we are about to drop. We’re about to take things to the next level for sure!
