Drummer Rob Griffith of Bronze Radio Return took time to answer some questions about the band’s new music and upcoming tour for Cliché Magazine. From discussing their latest body of work that will be released as a series of singles and EPs, their own musical tastes, and what they’re excited about in their upcoming tour, we can get an idea of what to expect in the months ahead, and where the band is coming from in the decisions they make in the music they put out.
Cliché: What was your motivation for releasing your latest album in single/EP forms, as opposed to a more traditional few singles and then full length album?
Rob Griffith: We wanted a release plan that felt current, but slightly different. The industry is so singles-driven now, and that can make it difficult to grab people’s attention when releasing a lot of songs at once. The slow rollout gives listeners enough time to focus on a small batch of songs (or just one song) at a time. We hope that this ultimately allows more of the tunes from the record to be heard by more people.
I’ve read that you want listeners to hear a fresh sound from you that they might not have expected before, and how your creative process has changed with time. Would you say that you made a deliberate choice to make music differently than you have in the past or was it more of a natural progression?
I’d say it’s been more of a natural progression. Like most things, our musical tastes evolve as time goes by. While we still love a lot of our influences that surrounded our first record, it’s certainly progressed each time we’ve hit the studio. We’ve always wanted to stay true to the sounds that make our band unique, but we’ve wanted each body of work to have a different signature on it.
How have your own musical tastes changed, if at all, over the years that you’ve been a band?
For me, it’s made me more open-minded in what I appreciate from a certain artist or song. Sometimes it’s just an undeniably good song that catches you. Other times it’s the stellar production. Other times it’s a particular part played on a particular instrument that grabs you. And sometimes it’s just the way a certain song makes you feel, and you have no idea why you like it so much. I think myself, and the rest of the guys still love our older influences, and modern things that remind us of those. But we’re always looking for new and exciting sounds. There’s a stigma that exists as you get older, where people think the next generation’s music is inferior. I couldn’t disagree more….Instead of quickly shooting something down, we try to understand what elements are attracting people to that music. I think that can really help you evolve as a musician, and as a fan of music.
What would you say listeners can expect to hear from your new album, or will we just have to wait and see?
They can expect to hear a continuation of where our music has been heading over the last few albums. I think the term “modern throwback” would appropriately describe this one. There are moments that feel inspired by our early influences, and there are moments that feel fresh and less familiar. I think we found a good balance of the two.
Is there a song that you are particularly excited about to be released from the new album?
The song I’ve been most excited about is “The Storm” which was just released actually. It’s one of the more rootsy songs from this album. It’s an emotional song about bracing for the impact of a relationship that’s going south, but one you still find some comfort and safety in. I think it’s a song most people can relate to, and the way the song builds really conveys the emotion behind it.
I’m sure going on tour is both exciting, but also very demanding, and can come with challenges. What are you most and least looking forward to on tour?
I’m most looking forward to the couple hours a night that we get to play music together. That’s what makes all the early mornings, late nights, and extensive travel worthwhile. There’s no substitute for how we feel when playing these songs for people who want to hear them. The biggest challenge is the time away from our wives/girlfriends. Luckily, we’re surrounded by very supportive people who want the best for us. Oh yeah, and finding good pizza in different cities. Can’t forget that.
What is your dream venue to play? Have you already had the chance to play it?
I’d have to say Red Rocks. Probably very cliché, but it just seems like a rite of passage in this biz. We haven’t done it yet, but fingers crossed, it isn’t far off.
Bronze Radio Return’s first EP from their new body of work will be dropping this Friday, 10/26, and can be pre-saved on Spotify here. They’ll be heading out on tour this January, stopping at cities all over the United States. The list of stops on their tour can be found on their website.
You can listen to Bronze Radio Return’s latest single from their new EP here:
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Bronze Radio Return Discusses New Music and Tour: Featured Image Credit: Bronze Radio Return on Facebook
