When I discovered Aloha Radio with their single ‘Holidays in California‘, I was like: Cowabunga dude, it’s The Beach Boys sound! Now, don’t get me wrong! Sure, they have that vintage sound to them, but they are far from being old farts! It’s clever catchy, it’s fresh, it’s giving you that ultimate summer feeling, that you’re ready to grab a board and catch a wave.
The positive awesomeness oozes through-out their music & lyrics and you can’t help it but only to feel… Happy! And lets face it, we all want to be happy, right? To me, that’s the feeling what they’re bringing and I think it’s about time I fly out to California, to enjoy the sun, the white beaches, blue sparking ocean and a cold drink. Preferably one with a bright color and one of those little umbrellas on top!
So, surfs up dudes & dudettes and lets catch the surf-soul-rock ‘n’ roll wave with Aloha Radio:
The Dutch Guy (TDG): Can I borrow 20 bucks?
Aloha Radio (AR): Sure, do you accept bitcoin?
TDG: When you looked into the mirror this morning, what was your first thought?
AR: No more after show fast food, even if it’s the only thing open.
TDG: What was the last furry thing you touched?
AR: Our drummer Chris just adopted a new puppy. She’s always at rehearsal and I definitely get my snuggle time in.
TDG: Can you describe yourself in one sentence?
AR: Introverted extrovert.
TDG: What are your (musical) roots?
AR: I grew up listening to country music, oldies and 80′s. I love Patsy Cline. My first concert was Brooks & Dunn with Reba Macintire when I was 7. My second concert was No Doubt when I was 11. By 15 I had totally immersed myself in the indie rock world and decided to start playing guitar and try writing songs.
TDG: How would you describe your sound?
AR: Surf, Soul, Rock n’ Roll!
TDG: What’s involved in your songwriting process?
AR: Every song is really different as far as the “process”. It always begins with an idea, a riff, a melody and then once we all get involved it begins to take on a life of its own.
TDG: Which aspect do you enjoy the most while working on new music?
AR: I really like the bit of inspiration I get right before I start writing lyrics. Anything can trigger it. It’s exciting and almost euphoric.
TDG: Who or what inspires you the most?
AR: Personally, I’m inspired by creative, hardworking, honest and down to earth people. Dave Grohl is pretty out of this world.
TDG: How important is connecting with fans for you? What kind of connection do you have or do you like to have with them?
AR: Without fans, musicians are in a tough spot. We need supporters, so anyone who supports our band isn’t just a fan. They become our friends. We try to make everyone of them feel as important as they really are.
TDG: And social media is a big help in your opinion?
AR: In 2014, social media is one of the greatest resources available to independent artists. If you don’t embrace it you are missing out.
TDG: What do you do to stand out from all the rest on social media?
AR: I’m not really sure if we stand out or not. We use social media to stay in touch with and connect with people, but life isn’t on a computer screen! The best connections are made at shows. We keep our pages updated and try to post behind the scenes stuff to keep our listeners engaged and to intrigue people who might stumble across our music.
TDG: What is the biggest misconception people have about you?
AR: Most people think we are a radio station and many assume we are from Hawaii, but we’re 100% Californian! Born and raised.
TDG: Who is currently on repeat on your iPod or Spotify playlist?
AR: Arctic Monkeys, the new 21 Pilots is pretty jams, Bruno Mars, Paramore, The Beatles, Tame Impala and I just recently fell in love with Lana Del Rey. I’m also pretty excited for the new Jenny Lewis record.
TDG: What’s the best piece of advice you ever got when you started out and you think it would help other aspiring artists/bands?
AR: Keep writing and don’t be afraid to take apart and re-write a song. Take chances and go with your gut.
TDG: We’re enjoying the summer, but what do you have in store for us this year?
AR: Summer is shaping up to be a really exciting one. We have some great shows coming up as well as some other projects in the works that I can’t mention yet.. : )
TDG: Got any last words of wisdom you wanna lay down on us before we wrap this up?
AR: “You can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love. ” – Jim Carey
.