Interview with Quarters of Change

What's going on? It is Adam. Welcome back to bring in a backwards, a podcast we're both legendary and rising artists tell their own personal stories of how they achieve stardom. On this episode, we had a chance to hang out with Ben of the band quarters of change over zoom video. Ben was born and raised in New York and he talks about how he got into music. He lost his father at age three and his dad was a musician songwriter. He actually wrote for the blue oyster cult and he was able to show us a gold record though is issued to his dad, which is really cool. He ended up moving to Portland, Oregon when he was in fourth grade. And when he was there, he had already been taking some guitar lessons. 2 (1m 50s): But when he got to Portland, he joined the school of rock. He had the opportunity to move back to New York summer going into eighth grade. That's where he met the drummer of his band and the rest of the band in high school. They formed chord as a change in high school. He talked about releasing and recording their first album, the success of the song, Kiwi getting signed to 300 entertainment, the huge success of the song jaded and the big tick tock moment that came with that song. Writing the theme song for Netflix's bubble Wallace stocky series called race and all about the success of the brand new song, which is called T love. 2 (2m 31s): You can watch our interview with Ben on our Facebook page and YouTube channel at bringing it backwards. It would be awesome if you subscribe to our channel like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and TechTalk at bringing back pod. And if you're listening to this on Spotify, apple music, Google podcasts, it would be amazing if you follow us there as well and hook us up with a five-star review. 3 (2m 53s): We'd appreciate your support. If you follow and subscribe to our podcasts, wherever you listen to podcasts, 4 (2m 59s): We're bringing it backwards with quarters of change. Amazing. Thank you so much for doing this. I appreciate it. Cool. So this I'm Adam and the podcast about you guys in your journey of music. And we'll talk about the new music you have coming up. 5 (3m 17s): Dope. Dope. 4 (3m 18s): Cool. So first off, where were you born and raised? 5 (3m 22s): So I was born in Brooklyn, New York raised in Brooklyn. My dad died when I was three. We moved to 14th street. After that stated 14th street moved down to like the Tribeca area, lower Manhattan, my parents, then my mom got remarried and then they thought it would be a great idea to move out to Portland, Oregon, and our lives there ended up only spending three years in Oregon before I was offered the opportunity to come back. I accepted it. And about two seconds back in the city for eighth grade met our drummer Attila at the middle school, went to ninth grade, met the rest of the band all in ninth grade. 5 (4m 8s): We became like best friends and yeah, I mean really since then, we've just been together a and I've been had. 4 (4m 17s): Wow. Okay. First off. I'm sorry to hear about your dad. That's that's that's all. And secondly, so you were in Brooklyn and I honestly, I'm not familiar with New York at all. So you said that you moved to white 14th street. Is that fairly close by or like, is that a totally different neighborhood? 5 (4m 35s): Yeah, so Brooklyn, I lived in like the like, around like park slope area and then 14th street is like mid, like it's like little bit lower than it was like lower Manhattan, but not quite lower Manhattan. It's above like now street. Yeah. It's like a different borough. 4 (4m 56s): Got it, got it. And then you lived there until you moved to Portland. How old are you when you made the move to Portland? 5 (5m 3s): I was, I was in Portland from fourth grade to sixth grade. So 4 (5m 10s): Yeah. So handful of years are read on and then you made it back to New York. We'll get to that. But how did you get into music? Were you playing music before you went to Portland? 5 (5m 21s): Basically, I'm still like my birth dad was a musician and he died when I was three and sort of like the only thing I had to, like, he didn't like leave me a note. He didn't leave me like anything to really like, know him by, but he wasn't a musician. So he did leave behind a bunch of like songs and that's sort of like the only things I really had to like go off of, like trying to figure out like who he was. So 4 (5m 50s): What's recorded music that you had access to. Wow. 5 (5m 54s): So yeah, ever since I ever since I could listen to music, I'd be listening to that and really trying to read into it and I loved it and it basically, like, he was almost like in a way, like, like a bit of a comic. So he definitely like had humor in the songs and like, they meant something a little bit more than just like a song, which was something I always really kind of appreciated about it, but it was like, it was some like hardcore, like New York city, like pub rock that I think I basically like kind of grew up on, he, he, he actually, he wrote, see, I don't know where it is in my room, but I'll write it right here. 5 (6m 46s): I got this gold record for, he wrote, he wrote, he wrote for the blue circle. 4 (6m 55s): Oh, no way. 5 (6m 56s): Yeah. So on fire of under an origin, he has a couple of songs on there. So, you know, I've had, I've had that. And that was like always really cool. I always got to look at 4 (7m 5s): So cool. 5 (7m 8s): So definitely like, but he himself never really got any, any real recognition, any, any real, like progress in the music industry. He ended up becoming like, like a high school teacher. That's how he like Matt, my mom. 4 (7m 21s): Okay. But he still is a songwriter obviously. And songs on for those records. 5 (7m 27s): Yeah, he wrote, he wrote until he died basically. And it was, I always thought it was such bullshit. Cause like my, my brother, I have an older brother, he got a song and, and when I was younger, my mom used to always tell me that it was also about me, except the only thing is in the song. He like shouts out my brother by name. He goes, Jacob, I'm just like, damn like now, now I just know, 4 (7m 59s): Does your brother play music? 5 (8m 1s): No. No. He was a professional ballet dancer that, 4 (8m 4s): Wow. Okay. So he went but still in the arts, but didn't a different route than, than you were 5 (8m 10s): Definitely more of a physical route. 4 (8m 13s): Okay. So obviously growing up knowing that your dad was a musician and a great songwriter that drew you to that. And then how quickly did you want to kind of follow in his footsteps? 5 (8m 24s): I mean, I joined my first, like I've always wanted to, like, I remember, you know, I was definitely the kid that was always pushing like a family karaoke night, but my like earliest actual memory, I, I started taking guitar lessons when I was in third grade. And then when we moved to Portland, I joined like the school of rock in Portland. Oh. And that like, sort of allowed me to live out some of those dreams, but it really like, it really, it really wasn't until I met the guys, when we formed the band that it felt like it really felt like I was doing what I wanted to be doing, if that makes any sense. 4 (9m 10s): No, totally. But at least you had, you know, the experience as far as like learning guitar lessons and then going and playing from what I hear about school rock. I mean, you're put in pretty much a band. Right. And you're doing covers and you're playing shows. I mean, that's, 5 (9m 26s): I was doing like Soundgarden covers when I was like fifth grade. 4 (9m 30s): I mean, that's awesome. 5 (9m 31s): A little, a little, a little ass kid, just like trying to sing like Chris Cornell. Really? Really? This is how it works so well, but, 4 (9m 39s): But still, I mean, wow. Where are you? So you were the singer always a singer? 5 (9m 43s): Yeah. 4 (9m 44s): Okay. And you ended up getting the opportunity to move back to New York. You said around seventh, eighth grade. What, what allowed that? I don't know if you even care to tell, but 5 (9m 54s): No, it was kinda like my parents, like, they always told me, you know, they read like a New York times article about how Portland was like the next big thing, like the next big city to like go and like relax and retire. And basically, and that's how they like made the decision. Can we get out there? And we spend like three, four years and they kind of just like, look at each other and they're like, yeah, like we're so bored. Like, like you cannot live like that. My grandma too was dying and she was in the city. So it was hard for my dad. So he, he, he, he just basically like, he, he, they came down to my room one day and they were like, Hey, like I know, like, you're just kinda like finally getting settled in here. 5 (10m 45s): But like, if you had the opportunity, like, would you want to move back? I literally, like I looked down, I look up and I'm like, as soon as possible. 4 (10m 56s): Yeah. Like, should I start packing now? Or 5 (10m 60s): It was like something like three months later, like we were back in the city. 4 (11m 4s): Oh, okay. So your whole family ended up moving back? 5 (11m 7s): Yeah. So basically my brother, my brother in eighth grade moved out he's two, three years older than me. And he, he ended up going to boarding school for ballet and eighth grade. So he left, he left. It was only me. It was only me, my, my mom and my new dad. And so yeah, it wasn't that hard of a decision to make sure. Yeah. It's kinda like, I dunno, like, did you grow up in like, like where'd you grow up? 4 (11m 39s): San Diego. San 5 (11m 40s): Diego. 4 (11m 41s): Yeah. 5 (11m 42s): Yeah. And like, like the neighborhood, like get all those kids like grow up together to, 4 (11m 47s): Yeah. I mean, yeah. Everyone kind of grew up together and I would imagine I'm being very hard to just move into a neighborhood and being like, okay, Hey, you know, and you're like the end of elementary school type deal. And then 5 (11m 59s): Kids are like, 4 (12m 2s): Oh sure. Middle school is the worst. 5 (12m 4s): Yeah. It's like anyone that like moves in is just kinda like, 4 (12m 9s): I feel bad because I did that. I just recently did that to my oldest son. We moved from San Diego to Nashville and it was like, he was in eighth or seventh grade and we're like, sorry, it was a COVID. So I guess there was that little barrier that no one you weren't really going to school, but 5 (12m 27s): There's no one anyways. 4 (12m 30s): Exactly. But yeah. So you're moving back to New York and then ninth grade is when you met one of the members on eighth 5 (12m 39s): Grade. Yeah, like the summer going into eighth grade. 4 (12m 42s): Okay. 8 (12m 45s): Planning on traveling this summer, make saving at the pump part of your plans. But two times the fuel points from Harris Teeter it's easy. Download your EBIT coupon. And for every dollar you spend with your Vic card, you'll get two fuel points. 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But then like when we went into ninth grade to the same high school, we like, we stayed together a little bit more. We like finally got to like talking a bit more. He joined like the, the band, the school had like a band program. He joined like his band program, ninth grade. And that's how he met our guitars Jasper and our other bass player. That's no longer with us Adrian. And it wouldn't be, and then we have another guitars. 5 (15m 0s): His, he has been hacker, but he didn't join until like 12th grade basically. 4 (15m 5s): Oh, okay. Okay. When do you guys kind of start jamming together or when do you start jamming with the drummer? Was that even in eighth grade or not until nine? 5 (15m 12s): Oh, no, that, so I didn't start jamming. We didn't, we didn't start jamming until like end of ninth grade. That was like the first time that we like, you know, we went over to Attila the drummer's house and like, you know, we were discovering weed for the first time he had like a drum kit there cause he like played drums and some guitar amps and Jasper are lead guitars. His father is also a musician and he's just like, he's like fucking Virtuo. So we started doing like hotel California. We literally have it's so crazy. Like we have a video of like the first time we ever played music together, which is like, just like an impromptu, like hotel, California cover, you look like such little babies in it and it's so adorable, but I know for the documentary, you know, for the documentary 4 (16m 9s): Exactly for the rock and roll hall of fame. That's cool. That's cool. So then you let you continue playing cover songs. And when do you start writing the original? 5 (16m 20s): Basically like we just, we, we, like, we hung out that summer a lot. We chilled, we, we wrote a lot of, or we played a lot of cover songs and then the next year is when I joined, I joined the band program and I ended up getting placed in a band with it was all of us plus these two other girls, but you know, like us being the dudes that we are, the girls quickly laughs they did not like the fart jokes and the 4 (16m 56s): Singing also for the, when you joined the band or the band program at school. Okay, cool. 5 (17m 1s): Yeah. Yeah. Bit of a, no I'm not going to expose it to right. 4 (17m 12s): That's funny. So, so, okay. So the band starts, you guys start doing covers and then when do you, when does the band like officially start of course have changed. Like when do you guys go, okay, this is like a thing let's continue. We want to do this. 5 (17m 27s): Yeah. So I think the start of 11th grade, I was starting to, sorry, sorry. Like middle midway through 10th grade, the music department at our school started this elective that was called like basically it was like a learn how to record, like learn how to like record electives and me Attila and Jasper all took it. And that was when we sort of started really realizing that, Hey, like, you know, it's possible to record music and you know, the school had mikes and like it was all kind of like laid out in front of us, like for us to use, no one was really taking advantage of it. 5 (18m 13s): So as we like learn more and more, it didn't make sense for it. Like at least we felt like it didn't make sense for us to record covers. Like sure. You know, I'm not saying it's wrong to record covers, but for us it was like, if we're going to record something like let's record some original music. Like we were great. Like we're great players. We've, we've played all these songs. We, we, you know how to do that. Like let let's, let's move on to the next step kind of. And that's when we wrote probably like end of 10th grade is when we, we wrote our first song, which is called hot blazing sun. And we ended up recording it in the, as part of like the final four that for that, that elective. 5 (19m 0s): And it went really great. We still didn't have like a band name, but we had the piece recorded. We started writing other songs and then come 11th grade, we start brainstorming names for the band, get, get basically around the block, you know, after a couple horrible, horrible names, we had the pasta sauce, prostitutes, the puttanesca line for a second. And it wasn't until it wasn't really, until quarters have changed that we were like, yes. Okay. Now we can like start like the name really had to be the basis for everything. 5 (19m 44s): So like set up like the Instagram that day, like did, did all like the things to finally like just cement it, move forward with releasing COVID blazing sign as the single, we then like would sneak into the school after hours, go down to the like recording rooms and like set up. And we basically were recorded like a eight, eight song album all like by ourselves in the basement. And it was, that was like, I remember being like, that was probably like the most fun that like I've ever had in school. Cause it was like, you know, everyone, it would be like, people would like skip like different people would skip classes to go do like overdubs. 5 (20m 30s): And like sometimes I just leave class and I've ever been like, damn, like I'm really leaving class right now to go down and like record our like debut album. Like that's so awesome. Yeah. There was some, there's definitely closed the bathrooms down at a certain point. So it was definitely some like pee in bottles. Some like, But all stuff that we felt was very quintessential to the rock and roll experience 4 (20m 54s): For sure. Wow. Okay. So then you record this record or these, this album and then you start just trying to play around New York. Is that the next? 5 (21m 2s): Yeah. So, so then we get, we get these songs sort of ready. We start booking shows first show, you know, iconic venue place where all people I felt like should start, was bitter end in New York city. We go, we play our first show there. It like, the thing about the bitter end to me is, you know, I love it. Historical venue, great place, but there's there seating. It's like, there's a stage and there's just seats. 4 (21m 37s): Oh, I've never been there. That's interesting. There are seats there, 5 (21m 41s): Like for rock and roll, I'm just kinda like, you know, we're up there doing like a gent section and like people are just like politely. It's like a jet. Like, I dunno. It's like a, like, it's like a Bob Dylan, like, you know, Cinco, acoustic guitar, 4 (21m 55s): But it'd be 5 (21m 55s): Like rocking out that hard. Just felt like a little awkward. So we, we ended up graduating from the bitter end to Rockwood, which is like a slightly larger venue that has like no seating. And that was like, sort of like our second home for awhile. And then, you know, 12th grade rolls around we've released. We finally, we finally released the project. Things are going like pretty well. We're like tighter than ever at all. The like at all the like battle of the band shows and stuff too. Like we keep getting like Wilder and Wilder. Like we performed that year with like, I remember it was we, we bore just robes and with nothing under it. 5 (22m 40s): And like we hopped on the stage and we started doing like, I think we opened with breed by Nirvana. It was just such a vibe we covered in that, in that time it was mostly red, hot chili peppers covers, you know, we really love the chili peppers, but a lot of like rage against the machine, you know, just like some hardships that's really where like our hearts were. And after that we made a bit of money off of the shows to the point where we were like, all right, like we have, and we started getting a lot better at songwriting. 5 (23m 20s): And we were like, okay, so we have some money. That's when we wrote, we basically during that, that time period you're familiar, but no, 4 (23m 29s): Yeah, 5 (23m 30s): We took it to, we found like one studio and we were like, all right, we're going to book like one eight hour session. Not enough time, not enough time. I've learned that very quickly. But that was like we had, we ended up recording that cycling trips, EAP, which is now the only EPE that really remained from that time on the streaming platforms. We kept the original album on like band canvas, but we just kind of felt that sonically, like it wasn't up to like the par of like what we wanted people just to be streaming. We were not, it's not about being like ashamed of like, you know, like the first songs we've really wrote. 5 (24m 12s): Like I think they're fucking bang. I was like, I love those songs. And like, it was just, it's just really, like, we didn't know what we were doing when we were recording it. Like the room wasn't treated. Like it just like, it just kind of hurts your ears a bit. You know, I didn't want that to like tape anything. And, and I felt like we weren't turning our back on like our high school era because we still have pieces from the high school era up. Yeah. So we, we, we get those three songs recorded and ended up moving. We ended up only really getting like two of them, we set up like a DIY recording studio and until his basement and the, I mean, that's kinda like, that's where we, you know, we left for college after that. 5 (25m 1s): And the only time that we really had was like little breaks in between we'd come back, we'd like rush a song. And it kind of would be like for a little bit, at least, at least that freshman year when everyone was so busy, like Jasper and the telephone went to like music schools. So like, you know, we, we were under the assumption that, you know, maybe they, they would join a band there and that would become their main priority, but it would be like, oh, we just have to record one more song. Like we have this one song and like that songs, the songs. So like as long as we just like record that one, then like, we're good. And we can, like, we can move on almost. And it kept getting like that until it just like kept going like that. 5 (25m 45s): And it always be one more song. It always be one more song and read it. We'd come in and we do it in like two weeks and we wouldn't have a lot of time, but we'd like, bang it out. It'd be fucking amazing. We'd feel that feeling again. It'd just be like really reinvigorating. And basically it continued like that until COVID summer. And then probably the summer hit. And at that point, like I hated school at that point too. Like we had released the, the hay EAP, which was like our first body of work post high school. And even though it was the first body of work since high school, like Q was on that. 5 (26m 27s): And so like, it was like a bit of a mix and mean queen was on that, which is also from high school. So I guess it really was like the final, the final bunch of songs that we had written in high school and high school. Got it. And it's got like, it was the first time that we like really, like, we released something that was received, like just so well, people were like really kind of amazed by it. And it felt like we'd gotten that, just that like little bit of Reward that we had been searching for for years, just for like, from our peers, from others that like, we had never really gone before. 5 (27m 13s): It's interesting to know maybe too, that like, you know, of course the change was never accepted by a scene in New York every time we'd play. And like people would say like, oh, I'm going to bring like an industry person. And they're going to like tell you like how you guys are. The note would always be the same. It always be like, you have like too many, sorry, like you have like too many, too many, like different sounds. And like, you need to like, be like fit into like one 4 (27m 40s): They wanted you to be like in one box, it sounds like Scott. 5 (27m 43s): Yeah. And like, this is a similar way with like, you know, like we couldn't fit into the shoe gay scene, even though we were rocked because we were playing strictly shoegaze. And like, I don't know, like, you know, we weren't like bullied at all. And then we weren't like cast aside as like, oh, those are just like nerd musicians like that wasn't us. But like at the same time, like It was sort of a, I think people were like, we're going to wait and see what happens with these people before we like really do anything like for them or like pay attention to them type deal, which was always something that like kinda, it like pushed us to be more like self-reliant like we had to every show that we had to throw, like we had to throw by ourselves. 5 (28m 31s): Like there was no other bands to really call upon at that time too. There just wasn't a lot, there wasn't a lot of bands in the city really like operating, like, especially at like a high school level. Do you know the band? Hello, Mary I'll plug them. 4 (28m 48s): They, 5 (28m 49s): Their drummer Stella brand stool is like one of my best friends dated our drummer until ma like she, she, she runs a sick ass band and they play like shoe gazey stuff, but she like be kind of like all started at the same time as being like the, we weren't like that. There, there were definitely like other bands before us, but like for, especially like our grade, like, it was really just like three bands I would say. And then now, you know, I look at the, the scene now or whatever, and I don't know, I'm like, I'm pretty proud of New York. Like there's like, at least that I know of. 5 (29m 31s): There's like at least like 10, 11, 12 different like high school bands, like operating, going around doing the same things that we were doing. And it's super, it's super dope to see 4 (29m 41s): Really. That's cool to see the scenes continuing to grow. 5 (29m 45s): Yeah. 4 (29m 46s): Instead of like, you know, the other way around, right. Like, no one's farming bands anymore and it's just kind of going away, but yeah. That's awesome. So with Kiwi though, like, did you see success on that song? Just like on streaming platforms or like, 5 (30m 0s): I mean, the thing was Kiwi was so we released Kiwi and our sort of like obsessed with like the stats at the time. And it was the first song that I noticed, like every single day there was getting like between like 300 and 500 streams, which is like a granted, like, that's like nothing, like, it's not like 4 (30m 24s): A 5 (30m 25s): Band that like, has like, you know, I think before we released it, we had like 800 monthly listeners or something. So like that every single day I was like, damn then we, we, we grew to like 3000, 5,000 and then it would really, it really was just like, you know, like nine months later I wake up one morning, I go and I like look at the Spotify for artists. And it just says like 120 people listening right now. And I'm just like, wow. And that day, like QE got 12,000 streams. And it basically since then, it's just been, it's been going crazy. And it had always been, this is, I'm so happy we're doing this podcast right now because I can finally say it became like the bane of our existence, because it was like, like really like, that's the one song we like wrote in high school is like the biggest song. 5 (31m 15s): And it was like, okay, like, can we please top that? Like please. And finally, we finally, we, when we put out two of the last single that we put out is now the number one, the number one song, we fucked up Kiwi. We knocked that down and I couldn't be more, 4 (31m 35s): That's incredible that I was going to say, not only that though, like you had aside from that's awesome, that that song did really well. And it was a thing from your high school, but like you have a song on like a Netflix stock, you series, you got signed to a record label. You had it, like, I want to hear about this like Tik TOK moment with Jayda too. 5 (31m 53s): Yeah. 4 (31m 54s): So other big things, obviously I've haven't, but that is rad to say that like, you know, your most current single is the one that's crushing. Right. Not to push that to the side, but that's, that's huge. 5 (32m 5s): Yeah. Well then it becomes like a whole other pressure where it's like, all right, now, top that 4 (32m 11s): Like, 5 (32m 12s): You ended up just like shooting yourself in the foot. But yeah. So we got the opportunity to submit like the label. Like we, we got signs last basically like around this time, last year based off 4 (32m 27s): Of Kiwi or like what, what drew their attention? 5 (32m 32s): So during that, like COVID writing period, our drummer Attila, like he had T dropped out freshman year of college. We're like, all right, now we're checking these seniors in college, except we're all now dropped out. He started like a studio of his own at the, at this space at Thompson street in Brooklyn. And it's where you would go. Like, we basically formed a pod during COVID. It was just us. We'd meet every single day. We'd go to the studio, we'd write, we'd write, we write. And we got to the point where we're like, okay, I'm a massive strokes fan. Talk about like New York city alternative rock. 5 (33m 14s): And I had followed like their story really closely to the point where I was like, okay, so like the strokes, what they did is they released this three-star EAP and basically went crazy around the world and they ended up getting signed off of it. And then they made their first album off of it. So I was like, okay. So we need to take like our three strongest songs and we're going to package it into an EAP and we're going to put it out. And then after that, we're going to get signed. And then after we get signed, we're going to go and we're going to drop this, this, this first project. And it's gonna be massively successful 8 (33m 46s): Planning on traveling this summer, make saving at the pump part of your plans with two times the fuel points from Harris Teeter, it's easy. Download your EBIT coupon. And for every dollar you spend with your VIT card, you'll get to you'll points. 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The voice of the proceeded commission was not the actual voice of the winner. 5 (35m 44s): So that ended up being the innocent EAP. And there was a lot of definitely like when it was finally like ready and we were about to roll it out. There was a couple of drunk conversations, walking home, like hugging each other, being like, yeah, like, sounds so good. Like it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. We put out the first two songs from it, which was the first one was down that road. The second one was dancing and the third one was just like the innocent whole thing. And it, it ended up getting a lot of like editorial support from Spotify, which is how all these labels basically find new acts. So we almost immediately started getting hit up by like Mason consumed a, hit us up to do like a single deal, a Warner or a 300. 5 (36m 33s): And we, we talked, we, we ended up talking to a bunch of different people and, and, and it really, at the end of the day, we formed this relationship with this ANR guy named Jonah rapid for at 300. And he, he was just like, he was like an amazing guy. He clearly really believed in us. And you know, he was just like saying like, you know, like if you guys have the vision, like we can, we can bring you there. And luckily we had a, that ACARS dad is a, is a music lawyer, which was like, he best asset. 15 (37m 17s): I was gonna say, yeah, hell yeah. 5 (37m 20s): Well, like sort of put that deal together. We ended up signing with them and we have this whole body of work ready to go, like this whole album that we were going to release independently. But like, after we got signed, we sort of looked at each other and we were like, yeah, they opened up like a recording budget to us. We can finally go into like real studios. And we were like, all right. Like, you know, like this matters like a lot now. Like we need to, like, we only you'll only really get like one shot at it. Right. You know, that's what I was constantly being called. So we were like, all right, let's rewrite this whole thing. So we spent like the year we spent the rest of that summer writing this, the album. 5 (38m 3s): Now we're finally getting to put out. Now we've only ended up keeping two songs from the original album and it feels so good, man. Cause it's like, finally we get to be putting out this work that we'd be waiting years to put out our, our relationship with the label grew a lot. They gave us that opportunity. They were like, Hey, like we knew, we know the studio that's producing this docu series for this Netflix docu-series for Bubba Wallace. I like knew who Bubba Wallace was just from like following the news. And I thought it was a really awesome opportunity. Also thought it was a really cool, like unique opportunity to sort of challenge my own songwriting because it's like, oftentimes, like I'm not given any parameters. 5 (38m 52s): It's just like, hi, like, how do you feel? Like, all right, like look into yourself and just like, start writing about sort of like what you want to write about. But this was like, they gave us like a list of other songs they were considering. And a lot of it was like, I thought a bunch of like Jack Harlow, a lot of like, you know, modern day, like rap and hip hop. So I was like, all right, shit. So they definitely, at first we taught, they wanted like, like a NASCAR ripping, like, like Leonard Skinner type. And I saw the track was, and I was like, oh, 4 (39m 27s): That's not what they're going for. I really am Jack Harlow's lane. 5 (39m 33s): So I ended up being like, all right. Like I think it would be a really awesome idea to try and write like, like a theme song for Bubba Wallace. Like not for the docu-series, but like for this guy in 4 (39m 48s): Person. 5 (39m 50s): And that's why we ended up calling the song, Mr. Wallace. We sent it into the music supervisors. They ended up loving it. We ended up getting, getting spot for like the end credit scene on all the episodes. Yeah. And it was, it was a really, it was really awesome moment. I remember going to like the premiere of it and everyone was so nice. We didn't, you know, I still haven't met Bubba maybe, maybe one day, maybe one day, but he's 4 (40m 15s): Right. I wrote a song for you, man. 5 (40m 22s): He he's a really tough guy. He he's like a musician himself. He plays drums. It would be dope to like jam with him, but yeah, 4 (40m 28s): Yeah. Record the song. I mean, no offense to your drummer, but have him on the song, you know? Yeah. 5 (40m 35s): I think it'd be okay with that. 4 (40m 38s): That'd be crazy. 5 (40m 39s): No, the one, I don't know if this is like interesting at all, but you know, the one thing that we were always, even before, anything we always had agreed on was equal partnership in all the songs. No matter your role in the song, like I write all the lyrics and sometimes I help write some of the like instrumental parts too. And sometimes Jasper writes all like, Jess will write like a bass part, a guitar part, but no matter what, like everyone gets an equal percent of the song. I think it came out of like, I think it probably came out of you remember when that, that queen movie came out? 4 (41m 23s): Oh yeah, 5 (41m 24s): Yeah. The Bohemian Rhapsody 4 (41m 26s): And Rhapsody. Right. 5 (41m 28s): And they just talk about, yeah. You just see how it like tears apart, the band, like from inside out. And that is like, you know, we've talked to other people and they were like, yeah. That's like the smartest thing you guys could do. And it, it feels right too. Cause it's like, you know, these are my best friends. These are like my family. And it's like, you know, w w we either all succeed or like none of us succeed. So it feels, it feels like the best way to like, go about it is just share fair, share on everything. 4 (41m 55s): I think that's smart too. Yeah. Instead of everyone has a, their own equal voice in it, instead of you showing up and be like, all right, here's a song, here's the lyrics. And this is how it's going to be played. You play this, you know what I mean? And that's a lot of bands. That's how it works, how it really works. 5 (42m 10s): I think that that ended up being like a really, like, it's like a really strong thing, I think, because everyone ends up pushing back on everything and like everyone's own influences get, get thrown into the song. And it just makes it a lot more interesting, I think at the end of the day. Cause it's like a little bit of here, a little bit of there, you know, a little bit of sugar, a little bit of spice. 4 (42m 30s): I completely agree. Yeah. The collaboration is, is huge on, on art. 5 (42m 35s): Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. What were we talking about? Were we talking? 4 (42m 39s): Oh no. I was going to ask you about that. That's great. I was curious about the Mr. Walls thing and the deck or the docu-series you had the whole 300 thing. I'm curious now about the tick-tock moment you have a jaded. 5 (42m 50s): Yeah. So we've had a couple of viral, like Tik TOK moments where I was like, oh, this is so cool. Tik TOK ended up becoming basically like the label would come to us and we're like, all right. Like, so like, how are you guys planning on like, promoting your stuff? Like, how are you planning on growing your fan base? And we literally be like, like Tik TOK. And so we had a couple of viral moments, but the hardest thing I think on Tik TOK to do is make the pivot from just making like video content to making video content specific to your song, because it's a lot easier for people on take Dr. 5 (43m 33s): V like, oh, I know like they're playing like a cover, like, oh, they're doing the solo from like that song. Like, oh, that's so cool. Like, but 4 (43m 39s): It's familiar 5 (43m 40s): Original piece of music and have them be like, oh, this is awesome. Was something that was really, really hard to do. The, the first moment that that ever happened was absolutely with T love. We dropped a, like a harmony video of us doing like the chorus harmonies. And this was like months, months before the song was even like ready to come out. And Ben Acker was wearing this Funkadelic t-shirt that has these titties on it. And the next morning we wake up and I'm like, oh, it's only got like 5,000 views like that. That's okay. 5 (44m 20s): But like, you know, I don't think there'll be anything special as the day goes on. I check my phone again. It's at like 20,000 views and I'm like, oh, like, it's moving, it's moving. And then I checked my phone, like two minutes later, it's like a 25,000 views. And I'm like, oh shit. So it's moving. Like I like every time, thousands and thousands, it gets to 40,000 views and I go to refresh it and then it goes, content censored, our content content, like taken down. 4 (44m 48s): Oh. So, 5 (44m 53s): And it was because of the titties 4 (44m 55s): Shirts 5 (44m 59s): That was like heart wrenching, because it felt like I was given the viral moment. And it was just, 4 (45m 5s): Yeah. But basically, 5 (45m 8s): Yeah, it really wouldn't be until we released jaded that we had another viral moment with like our music again. And that was really cool. I, I just kinda like, I didn't copy cause I'm sure she wasn't the first person to do it, but pink Pantheris like, I know that she had a lot of success off of tick talk and I went and I checked out some of her videos and like, basically all it was was just like, you know, she'll just like, be like posted up with their phone, playing like the sound. And it would just be like waiting for people to notice, you 4 (45m 42s): Know, like, yeah. 5 (45m 44s): So I was just like, all right, like I just made, like, I just made like the title, like waiting for this to like reach some people like re waiting for this to reach the right years. And this was like maybe two days. I think I posted it the day that it, it dropped really. And a couple of days later I check my phone at eight o'clock and it had gone from like 800 views. I thought it flopped, I was like, damn, like that's a straight flop. Right? 4 (46m 14s): Yeah. 5 (46m 15s): 800 views, like 3000. And I was like, okay, nice, nice. I checked my phone at 11 o'clock before I'm about to go to sleep and it's at 125,000 and I'm 4 (46m 27s): Like, wow, 5 (46m 28s): I got super duper hype. I was going around. I was calling, I was calling Jonah. I was like, I called, I called like our manager. And it, it was, it was a great time. Cause if it was like, damn, like it's really working right now. I like check the Spotify for artists. And there was like 200 people listening. And I was like, oh my God, like, this is great. This is great. This is great. It finally felt like we had found like the medium of like getting our music out there. And we basically like, you know, we, we found the formula that sort of like worked for us in terms of like promoting and like doing that stuff. 5 (47m 8s): And we were able to replicate it with <inaudible> did even crazier numbers than the jaded ones and the jaded, the genetic talk ended up with like 900,000 views. And then the, the, I think the two of like all those videos combined, probably like 3 million. 4 (47m 27s): Wow. 5 (47m 29s): Wow. We ended up going from like 30,000 followers to now we have like a hundred and like 4,000. 4 (47m 36s): Wow. 5 (47m 37s): And so, I mean, really what I'm hoping for is as the signals come out, like we gain like those like 30,000, like per single. So that by the time we're ready to release the album, we have enough eyes on us that, you know, we'll hopefully like be able to make a debt, which I, you know, the, the, my favorite part of it really is like, I love long songs. Like I love long songs and like my full entire life in like the music industry, like just this past year basically was just getting told, like, you need to cut these songs, like 4 (48m 17s): Three minutes, 5 (48m 20s): Five minutes and 27 seconds, 4 (48m 24s): Like great 5 (48m 25s): With, with tic talking with like, honestly, like the advent of being able to just post like a short clip of the song. Like you ended up, it ended up just kind of not mattering at all. Like how long the song is anymore. Because if, as long as people are hooked with that one, like 32nd clip, then they're just going to listen to the whole song for that 32nd clip and they're going to end up liking it. And so that, that was, that was really nice to be like, affirm that you really can do not, not to talk about clean again, their inspiration, but 4 (49m 0s): You can really do it while he mean Rhapsody. You can 5 (49m 5s): Never put up like the biggest song ever. 4 (49m 11s): That's amazing. Well, Ben, thank you so much, man, for doing this. I love <inaudible>. Yeah. I have one more question for you. I want to know if you have any advice for aspiring artists. 5 (49m 23s): Yeah. Yeah. I mean, my advice is like, keep your head down, move forward. You know, you need to do, you know, you just need to go out there, play, right. It's all sorta like, you know, as long as you, honestly, if you have a phone, like you have like the whole world and like anyone is great, you know, like even if you don't think it, like you could be great. 8 (50m 15s): Planning on traveling this summer, make saving at the pump part of your plans. But two times the fuel points from Harris Teeter it's easy. Download your EBIT coupon. And for every dollar you spend with your card, you'll get to you'll points. That's up to $1 per gallon on quality fuel at participating BP and Harris Teeter fuel centers. 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