We had the opportunity to chat with NeoSoul group The Guest Room! This Southern California band has a great sound that is sure to get you moving, so be sure to check out their stuff! Before you do though, see what they had to say in our Artist Spotlight feature!
1. How did you come to pursue music and how long have you been at it?
All of our journeys with music have been a little different. Some of us have been playing our instrument since we were in middle school, while some of us have just started playing our instrument in the last couple of years! But all of us have loved playing or listening to music our entire lives. It was our communal passion for music that has kept us writing and performing, no matter the obfuscations.
2. Could you walk us through your process of writing music?
Typically, one of us will bring an idea to our rehearsals, whether it’s just a lick or a complete song “skeleton,” and we’ll jam on it for a little while. After jamming and recording a lot of the rough takes for the new idea, we’ll sleep on it for a week or so and come back with lyrics. After we have a solid chord progression with accompanying lyrics, we’ll fix the arrangement of the song and add any extra nuances that might be appropriate.
3. What artists have inspired you in your career?
Some of our biggest inspirations have been: Hiatus Kaiyote, Jamiroquai, Fleetwood Mac, Daniel Caesar, Mac Demarco, Vulfpeck, Trevor Hall, and Sticky Fingers.
4. Do you have any favorite music gear (guitars, amps, ef ects pedals, keyboards, etc.) that you love to use? If so, what’s the story on them?
As we started playing live more frequently, we started developing a more apt collection of gear suitable for the venues we were playing at. Our Bass player uses a type of modular pedal rig that allows him to constantly try out new effects combinations. It’s been a running joke for us that there seems to be a new pedal on that rig every other rehearsal.
5. Can you describe the vibe at your live shows? Also, what do you enjoy most about a venue when you do a show?
One of the reasons we’ve been so attached to the name “The Guest Room” is because it succinctly describes the vibe we want to evoke at our shows. We want the listener to feel as if they are our guests. Bringing lamps and rugs, and playing mellow tunes is all a conscience effort to let our fans know (vocally or symbolically) that we want them to feel welcome and comfortable. It’s for these reasons that we enjoy conversing with and hearing from our fans/listeners at all of the venues we play at! Alt Revue Artist Spotlight Interview Questions
6. What is one thing that you want the public to know about your music?
One thing we feel it’s important people understand about our music is that it is made with the intention of playing it in front of an audience. A lot of us grew up idolizing bands that sounded just as good (if not better) live as they did on their records (i.e. Muse, My Morning Jacket, Steely Dan, etc.). Having a solid live sound and arrangement is so important to us and the story we are trying to tell with our music.
7. Do you have any upcoming projects you would like fans to know about?
Yeah! We are releasing a new single at the beginning of January, and are planning to release an album in the middle of February! We are incredibly excited to share this new music with our fans and are just as excited to begin working on new music!