www.facebook.com/scaricaband
From: Houston, TX
Sounds like: Alternative Rock
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Scarica" and is there any meaning behind it?
Scarica - It’s a two part answer. Firstly, since I could remember music has always been in my household and important to my family. Records, music playing, etc, but not professionally. My dad started giving me piano lessons when I was 3, and it pretty much went from there, as well as I could. I joined the church choir, and like, would do piano lessons for every other day until my attention span couldn’t handle it. Then I sang in choir from 7th through College, and became leader of my section (alto II) and we sang at Carnegie Hall. I still remember the feeling of my first solo, and feeling this rush of letting it out. I knew I could sing, but at the time, I needed this validation that I was good enough and it wasn’t all in my head. My parents, that’s how I got into music. There wasn’t ever really an introduction period to music since it’s always been around me.
Developing my sound vocally took many events. I needed to go through tragedies and mishaps in order to get the sound that I have now. Suffrage really. Without it, my sound would have been more pop-y, or try-hard vocals. You can quote me on that. Without suffering I wouldn’t be able to sing with as much heartache as I do now. The unhappy emotion behind it, or any emotion behind it mind you. I wouldn’t be able to sing without any attachment to my words, which sounds kind of stupid to say, but you don’t really know until you know in my opinion. You don’t know suffering until you can describe it from your bones, and feel through just a bunch of different songs and begin to pull memories of whatever is happening in that song instead of trying to identify.
One of my great friends Nick Munoz, inadvertently released this name with a phone call. This was a nickname that I apparently had from high school, that I was unaware of until we hung out one day and he received a call from one of our mutual friends. In which, when he answered he said, “Oh I’m just hanging out with Erica” pause “Scarica Erica.” I said, “Who is Scarica?” and he said, “Oh you didn’t know?” And I said, “Know what?” so he said, “Thats been your nickname since high school” I asked why, and he said, “Because you’re scary. You come off strong and you’re kind of intimidating.” and I dropped it. Then I let Daniel know about this event when we were deciding new band names. That name stuck with him when we were originally Audio Visual (First band name). During the changing name process, Dan kept bringing up Scarica which was the only thing everyone agreed on except for me. At that point my path had been started and this is who I am now.
Daniel - I started playing keyboard by ear around 10 years old then guitar at 14 when my cousin passed away. In the beginning, my sound came from listening to a lot of Nirvana, Alice in Chains, so I tried to keep my guitar sound sort of grunge. However, listening to a bunch of 1960’s music helped evolve it to whatever it is today.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
Scarica - Kinship. I want them to feel bonded to my lyrics. I want them to understand where I’m coming from and feel like they are understood. Regardless of the situation. It might not be the same situation, but a lot of times you can see where someone else is coming from even if it’s slightly different. Hopefully, if you’re from the antagonist point of view, as long as you understand where the other person is coming from. I want people to have a shared, which sounds shitty, but I want everyone to have a shared pain. One that we can overcome. One that shows that you can be more. So an understanding that it happened, it hurt, better things are coming.
Daniel - People constantly battle addiction, depression, emotions, or whatever it may be every day. Then they have to put on a mask to face the world. I hope that by listening to our music they know that they’re not alone in their problems and that our music could be an outlet for them to know that we’re in this together.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Scarica - Dark Alternative and the reason being is because I have yet to write a song that is particularly happy. Most of the songs are, if not depressing, then angry. Full of “teenage” angst with adult undertones. It’s pretty difficult to describe our sound because we haven’t pinpointed it ourselves. However, it’s definitely on the darker side. I wouldn’t consider it metal in any shape or form.
Daniel - I honestly can’t describe it more than Alternative. Just typically depends on the mood we’re in, what’s going on, and what we’ve been listening to that influences our sound.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Scarica - The Birthday Massacre, Mindless Self Indulgence, and dream come true? Miyavi.
Daniel - Shit I mean most of the bands I’d love to tour with are dead. So I guess I’ll say Local H, Alice in Chains, and MIyavi.
5. What are your three desert island albums that you'd never get tired of listening to?
Scarica - Back to Black by Amy Winehouse, Surrealistic Pillow by Jefferson Airplane, and Crush by 2NE1.
Daniel - Doggystyle by Snoop Dogg, With Teeth by Nine Inch Nails, and The Very Best of The Doors.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Rock?
Scarica - The current state of Rock Music is somewhat hard to define in the sense that to me.. It all sounds very media-friendly. However, that could be because I don’t dive into too much underground music so I’m not a whole lot sure of what’s out there. What I do know is that the things that were popular in the mid-90s for rock is still popular in the style today. So I feel like, in a sense, rock kind of stopped evolving in a mass fan base sense. Whereas, regardless of the time it used to be, almost every other decade would have something new happening. It kind of slowed down, and I’d also like to point out the internet has a lot to do with it. Diverse music is just not getting out there as much as it used to or at least the way I see it. It could just be because I don’t dive too much into those waters.
Daniel - Man, there are so many different genres of Rock that it’s hard to keep count. I think that traditional Rock or Hard Rock isn’t all that there anymore unless you’re an older act like Guns N’ Roses or something along those lines. Everything is a hybrid of some sort but it’s not a bad thing at all. I highly encourage it.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in the Texas both locally and state wide?
Scarica - From the few cities I’ve seen in Texas, and this does seem to be a repeating pattern, It’s either metal, or “Indie”. So there are bands that thrash, they’re hard and shit, then there are bands that have an acoustic coffee-shop sound with a very soft vocalist. To be honest, it’s somewhat disappointing, disheartening, and discouraging in this state to be a “loud” singer who does not sing heavy metal.
Daniel - Lots of metal and indie bands. It kind of sucks because it seems like no one wants to go to shows anymore to see local acts. All of these festivals are in the hot seat so everyone is trying to jump on that bandwagon. That’s just my own experience though so it’s might not even be the case.
8. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?
Scarica - I can’t say that I’ve never downloaded illegally. Used to do it all the time and to me it was like whatever. After I hit like 20-something I realized it’s a shitty thing to do because they made this and they’re trying to do the same thing I am trying to do. And this was before I was in a band. I realized, how the hell am I supposed to make money if everyone downloads it for free? So, I do understand the temptation, however I don’t feel it’s right. Music is for the people but you have to understand that they need some sort of income. Especially if they are dedicating their lives to this shit. If not, then they won’t be able to do tours or whatever because they will be too busy trying to hold a second job to make money to make ends meet. That’s not fair. That’s asking way too much.
Daniel - It sucks but it’s the world we live in. It really hurts the artist. Now it seems harder for an artist to make money since almost everything is a streaming service. Now you need more listens to make less than a dollar as opposed to just buying a single for $0.99.
9. What’s next for Scarica?
Scarica - An interesting music video. Champagne and hopefully a fan favorite album.
Daniel - Hopefully reach a larger audience and start touring.
10. Any shoutouts?
Scarica - To my family for always believing in us and in the band as well as for trying to make it to every show. Also, to Cassie and Chris for the same reasons.
Daniel - To my close friends and family. Also, to birds. Those little shits make music all the time right when they wake up to before they go to bed. Sounds strange, but it’s encouraging.
