Rising New Jersey band ASTROKATZ unleash their debut EP Hollow Roots & Heavy Hearts, blending metal, alt-rock, and jazz influences into a fearless mix of fear, anxiety, and love-driven soundscapes.
1. First
of all, congrats on your debut EP! How does it feel to finally have Hollow
Roots & Heavy Hearts out in the world?
It feels
really good to have it all finished. When I listen to the songs, I’m overall
happy with them—though I do think there are certain things I’d change or fix if
I could. We’ve tried many times over the years to release music, but sudden
lineup changes or other issues always held us back.
I created
this group over 10 years ago, and we’ve seen many members come and go. I think
we finally have a solid group of talented people who are willing to grind it
out and pour their hearts into it.
2. The
title Hollow Roots & Heavy Hearts is intriguing — what’s the meaning behind
it, and how does it reflect the themes or emotions of the EP?
Great
question! The three tracks each represent or evoke a specific emotion.
“Saint
Tree” is kind of a fun, campy song about an evil tree — very over the top. It’s
filled with tons of riffs and conflicting parts to give the song a weird
metal/prog/jazz-fusion vibe. To me, it represents fear.
“The Void”
is a blazing fast metal song filled with riffs. The lyrics talk about my
anxiety and the feeling of never being able to escape it — wondering if things
will ever get better. We wrote this song many years ago, and even though I’m in
a better place now, I think it still resonates with people who deal with those
issues.
“Nothing’s
Better Than This” is a slower, more pop/ballad-style song. At first, I voted
against recording it since it’s pretty different from what I usually write, but
overall, I love it. It’s about longing and wanting to be with that special
someone who won’t give you the time of day — a topic I think anyone can relate
to.
Fear,
anxiety, love — Hollow Roots & Heavy Hearts plays on those emotions and
even nods to our track “Saint Tree.”
3. How
would you describe the ASTROKATZ sound to someone hearing your music for the
first time?
I’d say
we’re an eclectic metal/alt-rock band that writes and plays whatever music we
feel like.
I’ve always
loved bands that mix genres or even bend them within songs, keeping the
listener slightly unsure of where things are going.
We’ve had a
few people say our song “The Void” sounds like an anime opening, and I totally vibe
with that!
4.
There’s a lot of energy and groove in your riffs and drum work. What were some
of your key musical influences when crafting the EP’s sound?
Personally,
my favorite bands are Muse, Maximum the Hormone, The Back Horn, The Ovens, and
Weezer — I could keep going. Anything with a fun riff usually grabs my
attention.
Our lead
guitarist, Rob Farley, and bassist, Andrew Rucker, are both music teachers and heavily
involved in jazz. They listen to all genres and enjoy playing anything. Their
knowledge of music theory and jazz has really shaped our sound — showing me
unique chord voicings and helping make our songs more distinctive.
Our
drummer, Jack LaMonica, has similar tastes to mine — he loves bands like Green
Day, Biffy Clyro, Dinosaur Pile-Up, and Billy Talent.
Our synth
player, Torii, is into bands like La Dispute, Phantogram, Purity Ring, and The Algorithm,
as well as tons of EDM artists (mostly dubstep).
5. Can
you tell us a bit about the songwriting process — do songs start with a riff, a
lyrical idea, or a jam session?
It’s all
over the place. Sometimes I come up with a riff and write a song around it, or
a vocal line just pops into my head. Other times, Rob will bring a part to me,
and I’ll build around that.
Generally, I’ll come up with something, bring it to Rob, and we’ll flesh it out together before fine-tuning it with the band. Torii usually comes in at the end to add synths and help fill out the space.
6. The
New Jersey scene has a rich musical history. How has being based there
influenced your style or approach as a band?
I’d say
we’re influenced more by our musical tastes and the people around us than by
our environment. That said, we love New Jersey with all our hearts and can’t
wait to play as many local gigs as we can.
7. Which
track from the EP means the most to you personally, and why?
It’s hard
to say, but the song that means the most to me on the EP is probably my least
favorite, “Nothing’s Better Than This.”
It’s a song
that a dear friend, Nolan Syers, and I wrote many years ago. At the time, we
were both dealing with relationship issues, and it just clicked for me. He’s
since moved away, so this song always reminds me of him and the hardships we
faced.
My favorite
song on the EP, though, is “The Void.” It’s such a fun, fast, high-energy track
that always amps me up.
8. Since
this is your debut, what did you learn during the recording and production
process that you’ll carry forward into your next release?
We had a
pretty tight budget and were a bit all over the place while recording. Going
forward, I think we’ll have better time management and put more focus on
improving the vocals — more layers, harmonies, and an overall better tone for
my voice.
This was
our first time back in the studio in over five years! We took some breaks in
between but always kept in touch. I was definitely a bit rusty and not as
prepared as I should’ve been.
9. Your
music blends melody and heaviness seamlessly — how do you balance those two
sides when writing and arranging songs?
We just
write stuff we think is cool — that’s pretty much it. We’re not focused on
appealing to the masses; we just want to create music that resonates with us.
I tend to
go heavier, and Rob tends to pull things back a bit. That push-and-pull between
us creates some really interesting songs, like “Saint Tree.”
10.
What’s next for ASTROKATZ? Are there any live shows, music videos, or future
releases we should keep an eye out for?
We’re
planning to release a music video for “Saint Tree.” We’re also heading back
into Landmine Studios on December 13th to record two new tracks — “Guiding
Light” and “Suffer” — which I’m really excited about.
We’re
currently looking for gigs, so anyone who’d like to book us can reach out via
Instagram:
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