Riot City Rhythm is a new original Rock/Metal project based in Los Angeles, CA.
-Interview- (11/16/24)
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound? How did the name "Riot City Rhythm" come about and is there any meaning to it?
I got started with music by watching my father play guitar from as early as I can remember. He played rock, blues and flamenco. He would take my brother and I to his band rehearsals and performances at festivals and backyard parties. I started playing guitar at age 12 and I developed my sound by listening to various forms of rock music growing up. My favorite bands ranged from Offspring to Ozzy Osbourne to Van Halen to Red Hot Chili Peppers and many more. In my later years, I developed an appreciation for select emo bands, post hardcore bands, and metalcore bands before eventually returning to drawing inspiration from 80s rock influences such as Ratt and Van Halen. I developed my sound by playing a Gibson Les Paul, an EVH Wolfgang, and Charvel guitars cranked through 5150 amps.
When I came up with the name Riot City Rhythm, I was envisioning a name that was catchy and dangerous sounding, as that is how I try to make the music I write sound. Riot symbolizes the spontaneity and thrill that music brings. The word City was inspired by the environment and experience of playing various venues in Los Angeles throughout the recent years. And the word Rhythm is symbolic of the music itself. I thought the three words together sounded good and made for a cool band name.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
My goal is to make listeners feel something positive. Whether the feeling comes from the the instrumental aspect of the music, or the lyrics and message behind the song, the overall goal is to inspire positivity and enjoyment.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
I would say that it is old school 80’s rock with touches of vintage heavy metal, power metal, with a modern approach.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
I would feel happy and honored to be on any tour of major capacity. But if I had the opportunity to choose then I might as well go big and choose AC/DC, Judas Priest, or Metallica.
5. What's your thoughts on AI generated music?
AI in general is a double edged sword. It can be used for good things, but can easily be abused and used unethically and/or irresponsibly. I personally do not support the use AI to recreate other artists’ music in a different style for likes and views, which I have been seeing more and more of on social media. I am old school rock musician. I like to crank up the instruments, get creative, and let the human creativity flow. Using AI to do that defeats the whole purpose for me.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Rock/Metal?
I feel that there is no shortage of rock and metal fans today which makes me happy. I feel that the music, culture, and significance is alive and well all over the world. However, it is unfortunate that it is not as visible and praised in the mainstream in the United States as it used to be. From a mainstream point of view, rock and metal appears to be more of a niche genre these days. But that does not stop fans and communities from banning together at huge festivals from having a great time and celebrating music and life. To me, that is a beautiful thing.
7. What’s the current music scene like there in California?
Musicians out here know that it’s a hustle. To play the bigger venues or pretty much anywhere noteworthy, you gotta bring a crowd. How do most musicians bring a crowd? With tribute acts. The music scene out here is heavily saturated with tribute bands and cover bands...not that there is anything wrong with that. I played in a cover band for a while and the crowds and response were quite decent. But it is a challenge to be an original band out here. Most original bands out here seem to go for that 70’s classic rock vibe. However, there is a lot of love and appreciation for the heritage of sleeze rock and glam metal of the eighties which I do appreciate as it influenced my writing with Riot City Rhythm. I am now focusing on Riot City Rhythm regardless of the obstacles new original bands face in local music scenes.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
They suck. On the flip side, it is easier to get your music out there now more than back in the day when people bought CDs. But yeah, I don’t do this with the hope of making any significant money from streaming royalties. I do it for the craft and the feeling of fulfillment that it brings me of creating something that I am proud of and that hopefully others enjoy as well.
9. What’s next for Riot City Rhythm?
With two singles currently released, the goal current goal is to reach more listeners, get on more playlists, and cultivate a larger audience. We have three more songs that will be released before the new year. These five songs will be the debut E.P. After that, I plan to keep creating more music with Lukky N. as the starring vocalist of Riot City Rhythm and release a full length album sometime next year. I also plan to recruit additional band members for live performances. Right now I am currently writing and recording all the instruments, lyrics, and melodies myself with my vocalist Lukky performing the vocals in the studio. That will change when we are ready to tour in the near future!
10. Any shoutouts?
I would like to give a shout out to my lovely wife, who lets me crank my guitars as loud as I want. And my daughters, who are always excited and supportive of the music I create. I’ d also like to send a shout out to my studio vocalist Lukky who has been a vital component in making Riot City Rhythm come to life, and my audio engineer Chris Flores who does amazing work with the mixing and mastering and for being an overall cool dude.
