www.facebook.com/runawayricochet
From: Minneapolis, MN
Sounds like: Ska/Punk
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? Who thought of the name “Runaway Ricochet" and is there any meaning behind it?
Erik: I got started writing music when I was 15. I started learning how to play guitar and drums so I could start recording it, and after I finished high school I recorded the first Runaway Ricochet album, All You Need Is Here. I met David in College, however shortly after my first semester our school closed. I wrote most of the second album, Gas Station Culture, the following winter, and we recorded it that summer in Detroit at Underground Productions with some other friends from McNally Smith. I think that album channels a lot of the stress and uncertainty of the future we felt after the college closed. Our sound is predominantly Ska/Punk, but we like to throw in some other styles throughout our songs. We all have different backgrounds in music and I think that really shows in how we each play our instruments. I came up with Runaway Ricochet one day when walking back from high school. It doesn’t mean anything, I just thought it was catchy enough to stick in people’s heads. You’d be surprised at how many band names are already taken.
David: Around 12 I started learning Green Day songs on bass and just never really stopped learning. I joined anything that would let me play music in it and just kind of let my life begin to fully be surrounded by people who create amazing music. I think a lot of the Green Day and other early 2000s’ punk band’s influences really come out in a lot of the Runaway material. However, I also love a lot of modern and alternative rock, something me and our drummer share which I think really helps make our sound unique.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
David: When I listen to my favorite bands it just feels like I get it. It feels like we just have this understanding of each other despite never meeting. And this doesn’t even specifically refer to lyrical content. When you look at a band with all stellar musicians each hit, each run, each dynamic starts to tell a story about where that person has been, what they’re feeling. And everyone interprets this stuff differently. I want our music to mean something to people in a way we’ve never thought of.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Kaylah: The way I tend to describe our music to people is Alternative Ska.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Erik: Ballyhoo!
David: Bumpin’ Uglies slams
Kaylah: Twenty One Pilots
5. What are your three desert island albums that you'd never get tired of listening to?
David: Morning View - Incubus
Erik: ...And The Battle Begun by Rx Bandits
Kaylah: Aim and Ignite - Fun.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Ska Punk?
Erik: A lot of people think we’re on the brink of a “4th wave” of ska punk. People have been saying it for years. I don’t think the sound has changed enough to be a new wave compared to 1st to 2nd wave or 2nd to 3rd wave. Ska certainly isn’t as mainstream as it was in the 90’s, but it has a decent underground following across the U.S. Most states have a handful of ska bands, and those bands keep the scene alive in their respective states. The Interrupters proved that a ska band can still make it big in today’s music climate. I don’t think the genre as a whole will blow up again like it did in the 90’s, but there is still a large and very loyal group of people that will always be looking for new ska bands to listen to. In addition, I don’t think there is any concert with more energy than a ska show!
7. What’s the current music scene like there in Minnesota both locally and state wide?
David: Very DIY heavy. A lot of the bands that are doing well right now have the House show scene covered, as well as a heavy fan base from the U of M. It seems like while these bands are exceptionally talented and write good music. The scene feels now kinda like a big social event you try to be a part of.
8. What’s your take on legal/illegal music downloading?
Erik: I think music downloading is at an all time low, both legally and illegally. People will acquire music in whatever way it is most convenient. During the ITunes era, it was much easier for people to pirate music since it was free. Now that music streaming services offer a seemingly endless catalog of music at such a low price, it is much easier for people to stream music than pirate it. Some artists get hung up on the low amount of royalties received per stream, but I think it’s a step up from someone ripping it off the internet.
9. What’s next for Runaway Ricochet?
We have a hard push for releasing content in the next couple months, in the form of an EP and a music video. We’re planning to do a midwest tour in support of our EP release in November.
10. Any shoutouts?
Vibe Corp, Space Monkey Mafia, The Von Tramps, Dry Ice, and Crushed into Place.
