Interviews
When you think of boybands you might think of music with catchy choruses and stories about love. We spoke to RoadTrip, a British boyband who is changing the game and making their own mark on the industry through a fresh vibe and a strong social media presence. As RoadTrip grows, those who may be finding out about them now can catch up on their journey by watching all of their previous YouTube videos on RoadTrip Vlogs and past covers on RoadTripTV. This personal connection with the different members of the band is also expressed in the upcoming documentary detailing the events leading up to their show at Shepherd’s Bush. Recently RoadTrip dropped their EP ‘White Label’ that helped to solidify the band’s status and showed listeners that there’s more to what we might think a boyband is. The band is comprised of Andy Fowler, Rye Beaumont, Brooklyn Wyatt, Sonny Robertson, and Harper Dark and managed by Blair Dreelan (formerly of East 17). We were fortunate enough to chat with Andy and learn more about him and the band so stay tuned WCBG: Hello! Hope all is well with you; can you please introduce yourself and tell me a fun fact about you? Andy: Hello, I am Andy Fowler from the British Boyband RoadTrip and I can speak conversationally fluent French. WCBG: We always love to know more about the person we are speaking to so what music are you currently listening to? Andy: Music-wise we just released our new EP, ‘White Label’, and I’ve been listening to it since I’m still getting used to the songs. Other than that, I spent a lot of time listening to acoustic covers on YouTube. Randy Coleman’s version of Bohemian Rhapsody is wicked. I try to find new artists through YouTube. WCBG: If you could change one thing about the music industry as it is today, what would it be and why? Andy: I would change the stereotype boybands receive. Everyone compares you to the band before. For example, One Direction I thought people would say we are the new One Direction, but we haven’t gotten that as much as I thought [we would]. A boyband is a collection of lads that get together and sing and are sometimes idiotic and chaotic. Boybands make people happy. The stigma related to the fact that they can’t sing and write or play an instrument is still common. I think over the past five years or so the industry has started to embrace social media people as well. The number on a page is a way to still look for potential talent and there’s already an audience to directly tap into. WCBG: We’ve noticed that you’re taking a different approach with your own social media. It was refreshing to see this honesty in this market. Andy: We made the accounts on February 15, 2019 and then we added our own personals, so you now have six different platforms to engage with. All I did for the first year was chapters and I noticed that the organized route went well. I wanted to break another barrier because the glamorized life portrayed on social media is inaccurate. I’m willing to lose a lot of followers and interaction to prove that my life isn’t glamorous all the time. This also helps to build a personal relationship. If you have a platform it is your responsibility to show good morals and have a positive attitude. You can influence perspectives. I am a musician and I accept everyone, and I would love it if everyone did as well. WCBG: You guys also post a lot of Vlogs and do covers as well. Andy: Rye and Blair early on came up with this idea to vlog the whole process from day one. When you have others join into the Roadie fandom you weren’t late, you can go back and watch everything and be up to date. It also adds a personal touch; social media is a powerful tool that gives people the option to get to know us. People might watch our vlog and then those number carry over to Spotify and then Instagram. WCBG: We noticed that you can writing credits on ‘White Label’ so congratulations for that. What is your writing process like? Andy: We have released five EPs in total and I’ve written on four of them. Our manger, Blair, knows I want to be in the music industry in whatever form I can be. On ‘White Label’ we wanted to branch out from the stereotypical cheesy boyband pop, we wanted something that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Spotify playlist. That’s also why there is no picture of us [on the cover of the EP], it’s just the word- ‘White Label’- and some artwork designed by Rye and some others. It was a good move for us, it’s not too far away from what is expected; it was a transition we needed. All of us had input on the record and our own influences. They would all sit with me and make suggestions like to change the key and give input on sound. Even though my name is listed, all of us had our own input on the record. WCBG: What is your favorite part of a song you’ve written? Andy: I would have to say it’s on the ‘Dynamite’ EP. The chorus for “Flashing Lights”, we actually recorded that in one take. I was playing around with some chords and Blair pulled out his phone and said record this right now. Off of ‘White Label’, the song “Understand”—we were working with Charlie and what we had wasn’t landing. I had this idea for a lyric that was stuck in my head: “when I’m loving from another land.” We were trying to figure out how to fit that line in. I would say it’s my favorite lyric I’ve written for RoadTrip. WCBG: You mentioned earlier in the interview that you play the guitar, how did you pick that as your respective instrument? Andy: I was about six years old, in primary school, and I loved the band Busted, I wanted to be like Charlie Simpson (the lead singer). The music teacher came in and asked if we wanted to learn a brass instrument and I said I wanted to play guitar. The teacher told me that it wasn’t a brass instrument and that we wouldn’t be able to learn that into secondary school [high school in America]. I asked if I could still learn the guitar and the teacher said okay, so I was six when I got my first acoustic guitar. I took lessons until I was 14 or 15 and I’ve been playing ever since. WCBG: Was there a moment where you were like this is what I want to do for the rest of my life? Andy: There were two. The first was when I was picking options for high school and I wanted to do triple science and math and history. I was stuck between acting and singing and my mom asked me what I wanted to do, and I told her I wanted to be a popstar. She told me to do singing in school and that I could take acting lessons on the side. The second moment—my mom and I were in Redding and we went to a pub where they had karaoke. She said to me that if you want to be a popstar, prove to me that you can do it. I ended up singing “Superstition” by Stevie Wonder and people started to gather around the stage. After that my mom said that I can actually do this now. WCBG: Describe RoadTrip’s sound in three words. Andy: Very nearly current. If you asked me six months ago, I would have said boyband with guitar. WCBG: I was thinking along the lines of power pop. Andy: I like power pop; I think a lot of our older stuff had that anthemic sound. So, the older stuff is definitely more power pop. For the new EP we worked back to front by creating a bass line and a beat first then the rhythm and melody. We wanted to do something different. Brooklyn and Sonny do this triplet spoke word part on “Understand.” We also write with performance in mind. Our new stuff brought out the best in members whose register is not as high, it’s more mid-range which showcases Harper, Brooklyn and Sonny. Rye and I have a higher register, so a lot of the older songs were written with a higher register in mind. They deserve to shine, they’re all great vocally. WCBG: We have a question that was asked at our freshman orientation that we ask everyone we interview. If you could be any item in the kitchen, what would you be and why? Andy: A spork. It’s useful for many things. I’d like to think that I’m a jack of all and master of none. Like you can use it to eat soup and ramen but it’s not good as a spoon or a fork and it looks ugly. It’s a useful tool. Sonny would be a spatula since he loves to eat bacon. Rye would be a sieve since he loves pasta. Harper, Harper would be a wok since he loves to eat chicken and use a wok. Brooklyn would be a bowl since he’s always holding things and he eats a lot of cereal. WCBG: Someone once told me that they would be a blender without the top on. Andy: Can we go back five minutes and ask the question again…I’d be a blender without the top on. WCBG: Okay, why? Andy: It’s a wicked answer, the imagery is great. Please draw the band as the kitchen items Andy said—we would love to see that. WCBG: You guys will be releasing your Documentary of your performance at Shepherd’s Bush on Sunday; can you tell me a little bit about that? Andy: A staggering amount of work went into making it. Our cinematographers, Alex, Conor, Calum and Robbie, who live with us, were there throughout the whole process. It was a solid six to eight weeks of work. They captured sound, were at our dance rehearsals, writing and recording sessions. I recently saw it and its insanely good. It’s a way to let the event not get wasted away. We didn’t really have the time to enjoy it and this allows us to relive it. It’s a way to immortalize the moment. I don’t want a photo-shopped event, I want something real. People will see us mess up, hit dud notes…the culmination of the work, it is a good climax. RoadTrip’s before the show documentary is dropping this Sunday (4/26), be sure to check it out! WCBG: Is there anything you would like to tell our listeners and your fans? Andy: I have not done the other boys justice enough during this interview. On a final note, they are still at the band house working away and creating awesome content for all of you. They are awesome friends, brothers, and colleagues. I cannot thank them enough: Harper Dark, Rye Beaumont, Sonny Robertson, Brooklyn Wyatt, Alex Millichamp, Conor Foley, Calum Morris and Robbie Beaumont. I am eternally grateful to all of you. Everyone stay home and stay safe! You can follow RoadTrip on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube (RoadTripTV and RoadTrip Vlogs) Check out their music here
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