top of page
Search

Runaway Ricochet Discuss MN Music Scene, Future Plans, and Their Musical Journey

  • Writer: Mainstream Magazine
    Mainstream Magazine
  • Nov 9, 2019
  • 6 min read

ree

Author: Ani Carlson


After spending the majority of their time traveling through the West Coast over a summer tour, consistently playing gigs in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul area, and putting out a deluxe edition of their sophomore album Gas Station Culture, one would think ska/punk band Runaway Ricochet is ready to take a step back from the madness and take a minute to breathe for the remainder of 2019. However, the group is doing just the opposite. The Minnesota-based ensemble is back in the studio for the recording of their upcoming EP and show no signs of letting up anytime soon.



Over the months of July and August you went out on your 2019 summer tour, which consisted of dates in South Dakota, Nebraska, and a ton in California. What was it like to bring your music on the road? In addition, what was the response you received on that tour from audiences outside of Minnesota?


David: It was really incredible to see the atmosphere change the father West we got. People seem to just be much more down to be moved not only by music but by art in general over there. And it’s everywhere, whether it’s a shop devoted to creative homemade soaps, or people staring out at the ocean while they paint it was really easy to lose yourself in the creative vibe. The genre (ska) is also still very much alive and well on the West Coast, so a lot of people really had an interest and genuine excitement about our take on the genre. It also came as a pleasant shock how truly incredible and welcoming a lot of the people we met were, especially when it came to welcoming us to stay at their houses while on the road.


You’ve had quite a few member switch-ups and fill-ins over the past couple months. Would you say you’ve finally got a permanent group together? If so, how did you know that those with you now would be a perfect fit for the band?


Erik: It’s impossible to say if we’ve got a permanent lineup. People change overtime and with that comes a change in interests. Right now we’re pretty happy as a band, and we’ll keep playing shows together until that changes. The most important thing about playing music for a living is that you have to love what you’re playing. If that is no longer the case, it shows through in performance. For now though, I’d say we’re all fairly happy making music together.


You describe your music as “1 cup ska, 5 ounces of punk, 3 tablespoons of reggae, and a pinch of indie”. Who are some of the musical influences behind your decision to mash these four genres together into one great blend?


Erik: We all have our own musical influences when it comes to writing and playing our instruments. My biggest influence is probably the soundtrack from Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4. It had Goldfinger, Less Than Jake, System of a Down, that kind of stuff. I also listened to a lot of Rise Against as a kid. I got more into Ska and Reggae in highschool, started listening to bands like Ballyhoo, Passafire, Mad Caddies, Big D and the Kids Table. The indie really comes from the Minneapolis scene, and the Midwest as a whole. The more I got into the local scene, the more I came to appreciate that genre.


How would you describe Minneapolis in terms of its musical scene?


David: The indie and punk scenes really have a major hold on the cities right now. This stems from there being a lot of exceptionally talented, personable, and lyrically compelling bands playing in the area. For a while the house show scene was the place to be for a lot of the shows people got hyped for and I think that very quickly became the community that would regularly go to shows. Something cool that came out of that is the Minneapolis scene has definitely become really heavy on the “anyone is welcome” mentality.


Rumor has it you’ve been working on some new tunes. Can we get some insight on what your next release will entail?


Kaylah: We're working on an ep, which will have some older tunes redone with better quality as well as some new stuff that we’re really excited to release.


What prompted you to re-release your album Gas Station Culture as a deluxe edition?


Erik: I started writing Gas Station Culture when I was attending McNally Smith. When we heard that the school was closing I wanted to record some demos in the studios since I would never have the chance again. Our former trumpet player Caleb Anderson and I had also talked about wanting to record on tape since there were some tape machines in the recording labs there. He ran the machine and board while I recorded five demos. Only two of those songs ended up on the album. I was fairly happy with four of the five recordings, and personally I love hearing the demos and alternate takes of songs bands sometimes release in deluxe editions of albums. Additionally, it’s so easy to upload music to streaming platforms nowadays since you don’t need to go through a label. Since we had those demos recorded, I figured why not release them? Thus the deluxe edition of Gas Station Culture came to be.


Erik, I’ve heard you attended McNally Smith College of Music before it closed its doors on December 20, 2017. What was the path taken for each of you to where you all are now including any other musical schooling?


Erik: My parents had me take piano lessons when I was six. I kept with them for about four years, but looking back I wish I never would have quit. I started playing saxophone in middle school, but didn’t start seriously practicing until late high school. I knew I wanted to be in a band, ideally as a singer. I started teaching myself bass in ninth grade because I was told that would be the hardest spot to fill in a band. I joined the jazz band at Anoka Ramsey Community College when I was 16, and that was my first real experience playing bass in an ensemble. It really challenged me to become a better player. The director is also the one who told me about McNally Smith. I started taking bass lessons the summer before I started college so that I wouldn’t have any gaps in my knowledge since I was mostly self taught. When I started at McNally I met so many other phenomenal musicians, including David, whom I was living with at the time. After that it was just a lot of practice.


What are your greatest tips for musicians just starting out?


David: Just because something is hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try for it. A lot of the gigs we get outside of Runaway kinda follow the “uh, sure I can probably do that” and those are the experiences that give the most amounts of growth when you have to teach yourself how to be comfortable doing something you weren’t necessarily. Specifically with people just starting out I would say don’t get discouraged by people who are incredible, everyone started at square one at some point.


Kaylah: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes! You may be criticized for them, but even some of the most professional musicians make silly mistakes on stage. It can be disheartening but if you just keep at it, you’ll be amazed at the progress you’ll make.


What are your plans for the rest of the year as well as going into 2020?


Kaylah: Our main thing is working on the EP, but besides that just playing some shows here and there


Erik: We also have a music video in the works to go along with the EP!


If your band were a food, what would it be and what ingredients would go into it?


Erik: We’d probably be something obscure like Baked Alaska, although instead of having a lemon meringue we’d probably have more of a strawberry whipped cream. We like to get a little complex with our songs, so a complex dessert seems fitting. Much like forming a ska/punk band in the midwest in 2019, most people are skeptical the first time they hear about Baked Alaska. Their thoughts are somewhat along the lines of, “why would you ever put ice cream in the oven? Wouldn’t that melt the ice cream?” It’s a recipe that makes no sense on paper but in reality it tastes really, really good.


What’s each member of the bands favorite horror movie or book?


Erik: Cabin in the Woods, although I’m not sure if that’s more of a comedy than a horror movie.


Kaylah: I’m gonna have to say 1408, which is about a haunted hotel room. I watched it when I was maybe a bit too young and was scared to travel for awhile after seeing that one!


David: My take on horror movies is interesting because I really like the psychological aspects of them, so movies like the first Saw movie I find quite interesting because of how it examines people’s behavior. That being said, I scare exceptionally easy.


Anything else you would like to plug or let readers know about?


All: Please recycle


-----


Be sure to check out Runaway Ricochet on the following links:


 
 
 

Comments

Post: Blog2_Post
bottom of page