#trelife

The Romantic Era are a 9 piece pop/rock band with twist. We caught up with them recently to find out more about them. 

  We ask every band this, what is the story behind the band name? Did you guys pick anything else before settling on this one?

This has been our name from the very beginning. Ben (Drummer) was in a music Freshmen year of college and when he heard the name “The Romantic Era” he always thought it would be a cool name for a band. When we started this project the he brought it up and we loved the idea. The Romantic Era period of music represents this revolt from the norm in art. It promoted originality in art and we really embraced those ideas when we started the project. Also, we are a pop band whose lyrics revolve around love themes. The Romantic Era is the perfect name for a romantic, artistic and rebellious band.

The Romantic Era started out in 2010, what would you guys say has been the best part of the last 4 years?

I think the coolest thing for us in the last four years is how this vision has slowly come together. Four years ago we only had 5 members and slowly over the years found the right talent to make the sound we envisioned at the start. We stole members from other bands, recruited my younger brothers and my roommate and finally got the members we needed to make these electric pop sound.

There are 9 of you in the band, who is the one that takes the longest to get ready to go on stage? Who is the one that spends the most time in front of the mirror?

Our emcee Rakim and our emcee Rakim. I mean honestly, we have a female in the band, yet she is ready long before Rak. He may have four or five outfits on throughout the day before he chooses the right one. But I’ll tell you what, dude’s got the most swag in the band.

Is there any special thing you guys as a band do before going on stage? A prayer? Group hug?

6 of us played college football and because our live show is so energetic we love to get amped up before going on stage. Many shows we’ll get in a huddle and chant some crazy random impromptu saying before get it poppin.

 As a band your influences are listed as anything from Michael Jackson to Fall Out Boy. Out of all of your influences who would you guys most like to tour with? (can be alive or dead)

If Michael Jackson were still alive and we had to the opportunity to tour with him that would be insanity. Realistically I think we would kill it if we opened for Queen back in the day. We could get the crowd amped for them and try and match their theatricality. Either way to watch Jackson or Mercury perform would be sick, but to share the stage with them would be a dream.

Justin Bieber calls his fans Believers. Do TRE fans have a nickname? TRE fans are rowdy and love to party. They live the #TRElife and we tend to call them #TREgang or #TREsquad because they make the shows jump and are a huge part of the success of TRE.

Over the last 4 years would you guys say the sound of TRE has changed? If so in what way?

Our sound has definitely progressed from strictly a pop rock sound to include elements of hip hop, electronica and dubstep, and R n’ B. I heard Fall Out Boy talking about the music scene saying that with music now listeners aren’t interested in genres, they just want to hear good songs. We can really identify with this as our music is never really one genre. We build a song around the pop vocal taking elements from each genre to make the song electric, energetic, and pop to the listener. We have progressed to a strictly pop sound but to categorize the band into a genre outside of that would be difficult at this point. 

When writing songs it must get hard there being 9 of you? Is there the main songwriters/songwriter or do you all help out?

We generally write a song by taking a stripped down piano or acoustic guitar and a hook and then building the song off that hook. Each of us has input lyrically and instrumentally and we try to create the optimal beat for the vocal parts we decide on.  

On the bands youtube there are a few covers from you guys. What has been the best cover that you guys have done?

The best cover that we do and the most fun we have has always been the Cha Cha slide. Come out and see us live if you want to really Cha Cha.

If there was no TRE what would you guys be doing right now? The beauty of TRE is that this project is our life and always will be our life. We don’t think in terms of back up plans because we won’t need them. #TRElife

Find The Romantic Era on these sites:

www.theromanticera.com https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/even-if-your-voice-shakes/id576493915 www.youtube.com/theromanticeramusic@TheRomanticEra (http://www.twitter.com/TheRomanticEra)