There’s been a lot of talk lately in both online forums and IRL panels about the current state of rock and roll, and lots of mindless chatter about whether or not the art form is dead. A deep discourse into that is probably not something to be found in Vanyaland, because the evidence of rock music’s endured vitality is plentiful across our digital pages. The latest case in point: 10 days ago The Record Company dropped a blistering new guitar-rock record in Play Loud, and the Los Angeles trio will be doing just that when they play Boston’s Paradise Rock Club this Sunday (October 24).
In advance of the Commonwealth Avenue gig, and to celebrate the release ofPlay Loud, we linked up with the band for a quick chat about their new album, what it was like working with acclaimed producer Dave Sardy, and just what they think of all this “rock is dead” nonsense.
Spoiler alert: It’s not, obviously. Check our interview below.
Vanyaland; First of all, welcome back! How good does it feel to get back on the road and play for crowds again?
The Record Company: It’s been awesome so far. There is a definite energy in the room and you can feel that everyone has been missing live music. After almost two years it’s great to be back out doing what we love.
There’s been a lot of press around ‘Play Loud’ and how it finds the band expanding its sound. Do you think the album is a departure from the familiar Record Company style, and if so, was that intentional in the writing/recording process or just something that happened naturally?
At its core, it’s still a record that centers around guitar, bass, and drums. Big guitar and bass riffs and hooks are something we’ve always tried to do so Play Loud isn’t as much as a departure but a natural progression. We had a lot of time to work on this record, especially when it came to the writing process. That gave us the ability to really examine every bit of every song and tweak things. It also allowed us to experiment with different sounds and instruments which was really exciting.
‘Play Loud’ was produced by Dave Sardy, whose credits list is absolutely bonkers. What was the Sardy experience like for the band, and what did he bring to the album?
Working with Dave was awesome. We’d never had a producer work on an entire album of ours so we didn’t know what to expect. He made it clear from day one that this was our record and he was there to guide and advise, so that together we could get to a place in which we were proud of. He is an ideas factory and that mentality really meshed with our openness to trying new things this time around. He was also very clear about keeping the lines of communication as open and honest as possible. He’d let us know if he wasn’t feeling something, but then give us room to make a case for it. Really a true collaborative experience.
And lastly, there was just a forum hosted by a college here in Boston that declared “rock music is dead.” Would you say that’s true or not? And what kind of reaction does a statement like that get from the band?
We’re a rock band and currently alive so I’d have to say rock is not dead. There are plenty of other great rock bands that would agree as well. It’s true that rock is roundly ignored for the most part by the mainstream but ask all of these people that have been coming out to the shows on this tour, screaming, dancing and singing along if they think rock is dead.
It’s funny that there was a forum about this… did they discuss that guitar sales were booming during the pandemic? Or that legacy groups like The Stones and The Police are some of the few artists that can tour stadiums? I think we’re approaching a tipping point with mainstream pop in which younger people are growing a bit weary and are looking for something more authentic and visceral. Just like in the era of Nirvana and later with The Strokes, two rock bands that changed the industry.
This time we’ll be waiting with open arms, along with a lot of other great current rock bands, to welcome everyone to the party!
THE RECORD COMPANY + JJ WILDE :: Sunday, October 24 at The Paradise Rock Club, 967 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, MA :: 7 p.m., all ages, $23 :: Advance tickets :: Venue event page