The Load-Out: June 22, 2011

Since the last time The New Royalty was interviewed for Project Greenroom was November, it was time to catch up. I headed up to their practice space and I’ll tell you this, there was never a dull moment.

We started off by filming a few acoustic songs. It was great how they translated from their big electric sound to the acoustic renditions. A special treat was in store with the brand new, “I Can’t Say No,” and since it had been nine months from their When Poets Dream debut, it was great to see the new direction The New Royalty are going. As they explain in the interview, this is the first time the five of them are writing together, and we can expect big things to come from the new process.

The band also filmed a couple acoustic covers, including My Chemical Romance’s “I’m Not Okay” and Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “The Kill,” finishing up with a couple more songs from When Poets Dream, which added a great touch to the interview.

After the acoustic session, it was time to head up to the “Royalty” room and get the interview started. They were hilarious! I don’t even know how many takes there were to get, “We’re The New Royalty and you’re watching Project Greenroom.” Difficult, I know. But in all seriousness, it was great hearing about how they are bonding and how their songwriting method has evolved. It was great, too, to hear he excitement in their voices as they reminisced about their Bamboozle and Warped Tour appearances, along with their countless other memories from the past year.

The summer is just beginning, and I can guarantee you will be seeing and hearing a lot about The New Royalty the rest of this year. So stay tuned to thenewroyaltymusic.com for all updates.

Another amazing band I had the pleasure of meeting this past winter was I Am Fighting. The first time I heard of them was at The Break Contest, and instantly I was hooked. As soon as I got home that night I contacted their lead singer, Joe, and set up their Project Greenroom interview. Since then we have all stayed in touch, and they have gone on to play a showcase for us, become one of our OTV bands, and we have continued to go out and see them live. When I heard about their live DVD filming, I was ecstatic.

The small intimate setting at Soundwaves in Union was a perfect setting for a live DVD shoot, and as usual, I Am Fighting packed the house. They opened with a special song for Father’s Day, “John Francis,” and it was clear that this was going to be an excellent night. Playing songs off their debut EP, All the Ways We Can, along with a few new ones, you could tell the time the band puts in to not only writing these songs, but also constructing them into a live set.

When they played their crowd favorite, “Believe, Believe,” Joe joked and said, “This is going to be the song you’re not going to want to hear anymore.” With laughs around the room, the crowd sang along to every word of the song, like it was on the top 40.

After hearing a few new jams, I am beyond excited for their debut full-length to come this fall. I Am Fighting are extremely lucky because it just so happens they have one of the most talented producers around, Mike Lisa (The Crash Moderns, Goodbye Friday), in their band.

To think they debuted in September 2010, less then a year ago, and to see how much they have accomplished, sold-out shows in New Jersey along with a top five Break contest finalist, the year 2012 is going to be a big one for I Am Fighting. Incorporating influences that range from Jimmy Eat World to The Script, I Am Fighting is going to be a band that when their song comes on the radio, you turn it all the way up and sing along.