10 Things with After Romeo
You guys aren’t from Los Angeles. Did you always know that you wanted to be in the music industry?
Blake: I definitely had plenty of interests as a kid, and still do, to this day. I’m passionate about everything, from acting to modeling, to zoology to philosophy. Needless to say, my interests span over a broad spectrum. Music, however, has always been a huge creative outlet for me and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Drew: My dad was an Elvis impersonator, so I grew up surrounded by music. I always wanted to do music and nothing else.
Jayk: Growing up I wanted to be an athlete. I actually thought I was going to be an NFL quarterback. When I was about 13, I fell in love with dancing and singing. I couldn’t get enough of it. It consumed me and took over as my passion.
TC: I grew up playing baseball, so I wanted to be a MLB player more than anything. But, once I got into dancing & musical theater, I knew that my passion had changed. I also would have loved to be a vet.
Who were some of your musical influences growing up?
Drew: Elvis, Justin Timberlake, *NSYNC, Beach Boys and Michael Jackson.
Jayk: Justin Timberlake, Michael Jackson and The Temptations.
Blake: Sia, The Dresden Dolls, Amanda Palmer, David Bowie, Kanye West and Lady Gaga.
TC: Chris Brown, Justin Timberlake, Fall Out Boy, *NSYNC and Panic at the Disco.
If you had the chance to work with any artist in the game right now, which ones would be on your list and why?
Drew: It would be so great to work with Troye Sivan.
Jayk: We would love to work with Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift.
Blake: I would love to collaborate with Sia.
TC: Personally, I love Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, Fallout Boy, and Panic at the Disco. So, I would definitely love to work with any of those artists. It would also be cool to work with EDM artists like Diplo and Skrillex.
We live in the age where social media platforms can make you or break you. You’ve been very successful on YouTube. How have you been able to parlay, using social media as your audience?
Our personalities show more on YouTube than on other platforms. Each of us are jokesters, we don’t take life too seriously. Whether its behind the scenes, a day in the life, crank calls, or official music videos, our fans can see more than just a “polished” product. They see us. We are not perfect and our fans can identify with that.
In 2014, you were on an anti-bullying tour with other artists. What were some of your most memorable times doing this project?
The Bully Proof Tour, which we still do today when we’re not on other traditional tours, is one of our proudest accomplishments. We see fans that are going through tough times and it helps that we can share our stories with them. Let’s face it, middle school and high school is not the “time of our lives” for everyone. We struggled with making friends and finding out who we were and who we wanted to be. We love being able to lend a hand and help motivate kids. I think we might enjoy the tour more than the fans do!
Your new single and video, Pull Over, featuring Silento is getting a lot of buzz. What was the concept behind the song and music video?
The concept is simple and we all have been there. We see a girl drive by and she stops you in your tracks. You want to get her attention to exchange numbers etc. and it ends up being a little game of cat and mouse. Silento came through our manager’s studio and heard the song and wanted to be part of it. He’s a real cool guy and has such superstar qualities, it’s no wonder he smashed it with “Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae).” Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPQe2HVitw
When your fans listen to your music, what’s the overall message that you’re trying to convey to them?
Our most recent EP, The Good Things EP, is really all about the vibe and changing up our sound. We didn’t want to make music that people could identify with as “Boy Band.” Most of the songs are about relationships and being comfortable with who you are. We want our fans to bump our music in their car and sing along with us.
It’s no surprise that comparisons come out when you’re an entertainer. You guys are being compared to One Direction. What do you think are the pros and cons of this?
We are obviously flattered to be compared to the likes of One Direction. They have great music and seem like great guys. The thing that is different about us, though, is that we weren’t put together, we were all friends, before the band. We also write all of our own music and are heavily involved in the creative process. We are different than most “boy bands” because we have done everything ourselves, with just us and our manager. We have accomplished so much thus far and can’t wait to see where else we go with our team and ARmy of fans!!
Obviously, you guys love fashion. Who are your favorite designers and which styles would we see in your closets?
John Varvatos, Gucci, Yeezy, Vans and other designer street wear, and we’re not afraid to pick stuff up in Zara.
We look forward to seeing the development of your album and career. What do you have coming up in the near future?
We have more songs in the works and are planning on heading to Europe to support our Samsung commercial that is airing in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and other places. We want to bring our shows to another level and just continue to be creative and not let the little things distract us.
Twitter: @AfterRomeo
Facebook Page: After Romeo
Instagram: @AfterRomeo
Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TPQe2HVitw
Photo Credits: Michael Becker & Jonathan Swecker