Boy Romeo
Norcal’s newest & coolest new power pop threat—Boy Romeo; press photo courtesy of the band.
Boy Romeo began with word of mouth swirling around friends of friends of friends about John Steiner from Satan Wriders starting a power-pop offshoot. This was confirmed when home recorded demos began floating about on the phones of various musicians praising the new pure candy-chord configurations and earnest attitude that has already attracted fans from bands that dot the map from Sacramento to Seattle. From listening to the tinny blare from built-in smartphone speakers or eardrum piercing earbuds, feelings of joy began to set it when the single “Ghosts” materialized in full energetic form. Providing to be the title track from an upcoming EP of the same name, Steiner announced the forthcoming release that was the result of working with Dylan Wall where power chord classic forms are given the California sun-baked treatment. Joined by bandmates Patrick Shelley on drums, Matt Maxwell on bass, & Adam Jennings on guitar; John debuts a new kind of Casanova creation carved from the sentimental power chord progenitors of the great rock canon of legends, heroes & villains alike.
Presenting us all with the world premiere of “Answer”, Boy Romeo delivers a botanical bouquet of radical riffs as a response to any inquiries before the questions can be asked. Those familiar with Satan Wriders’ own sunshine pop moments (as heard on “Sun Coma”, “Freeway”, etc) will discover Steiner & company tightening the fidelity to a higher definition of sound where the melodies, harmonies & rhythms strike every bar & note with immense clarity. “Answer” is the epitome of everything the band Boy Romeo is about. Like the image of the speeding motorcycle rolling under a bright sun as seen on the cover art, “Answer” imagines the bike with it’s sunglasses-bespectacled rider & passenger enjoying the open roads on a summer day where anywhere is the limit and everything is open to inifnite possibilities. Then for everywhere that wheels alone cannot take you, Boy Romeo takes you by the hand for a stroll in the sun as you begin to recite the ear-worm chorus refrain of; “My eyes are seeing traces, my mind is more than wasted but when you’re here it’s clear & true…”
On the aforementioned Boy Romeo single “Ghosts”, an attempted haunting occurs that the protagonists in the song will have none of. Paranormal activities are happening everywhere while John, Adam, Matt, & Patrick rock out as if no one from the material or immaterial world is watching or listening. The perceived presents of ghoulish spirits and the like turns everything into a comedy of errors, where one imagines the Boy Romeo gang posted up at a house party just wailing away while the guests are running amok amid unexplained disturbances. Quicker than you can ask the rhetorical who you gonna call question, be sure to read our recent interview transcription with Boy Romeo’s own John Steiner featured right now.
How has your scuzzy Satan Wriders styles informed and impacted you own approach to songwriting?
John: Don’t play too many notes. Use different pause types. When in doubt, rip off the hits. We all learned these and many more handy songwriting tips through trial-and-error at Satan Wriders Corp. I’d love to share and discuss these tips and more with interested parties via email at boyromeoband@gmail.com.
Describe the experiences of working with everyone from Dylan Wall to Justin Paul Vallesteros on this power-pop labor of love.
John: Dylan rules, he mastered the Baseball Gregg LP and both of the Boy Romeo singles so far. Definitely hope to work with him more.
Justin, Frankie (Surf Club) and hecka other people were nice enough to listen to demos and offer advice and criticism. Sam (of SW) probably got the most “listen to this” messages with all the countless re-mixes and such.
Eli Wengrin and Erin Hallagan have both helped so much with the visual aspect, too. They’re both amazing artists/designers and I bother them to make Boy Romeo stuff way too much.
What sorts of questions and answers provided you with the epiphany and chord ripper that is “Answer”?
John: The lyric for “Answer” is about a specific night within the context of loving someone and being bold and sassy. I wrote this particular song very casually over the course of two years, letting the main riff marinate and the melodies and turns come naturally. Usually I try to write songs in one go but this one was just a riff that expanded over time.
Also tell us about what sorts of sick slacker-alt-rock styles and hauntings inspired “Ghosts”?
John: The main musical ideas for “Ghosts” also came out of nowhere, but the lyrical idea took work. It has a fun lil story if you listen closely. Sonically it’s a homage to the big sound of rock’s dying days, the Weezers and Jimmy Eat World’s of alt-radio-rock around the turn of the century.
Tell us about how the band dynamic of Boy Romeo has guided the sound you all are striving for.
Matt: If I were to compare us to any band I would have to compare us to Led Zeppelin. Why? Good question. Patrick easily fits the mold of the playboy drummer. Late nights, expensive cars and line after line after line of cocaine. I’m the dour and watchful bass player. Adam is a bit of a mystic dabbling in the occult and the black arts. Then we have John. What a fucking freak of nature. Not one to compare to us mere mortals. John is a golden god with an impressive banshee like wail.
John: Patrick, Matt and Adam definitely are instrumental to the sound and vision I have in mind for Boy Romeo. They understand and contribute their own styles and I think aesthetically we’re on the same wavelength.
How do you all know when a Boy Romeo song has become realized & ready for performance & recording?
Matt: I’m glad you asked that. Patrick once said to us, Ultimately I just want to make everyone horny. He kind of let’s us know when he thinks it’s finished. Sometime we can just tell when he thinks it’s finished.
John: Usually, I either demo the song or write it all the way through and bring it to the band. We’ll spend a good amount of time woodshedding, changing structural things and getting the fine details perfectly tuned. Usually the song just feels right, and I feel like if it makes us all horny then it will probably make everyone else horny, too.
What have been some power pop songs lately that you all have been playing and perhaps discussing among yourselves?
Matt: New Radicals, “You Get What You Give”
John: Marshall Crenshaw, “Cynical Girl” and Snuff Redux “How Could it Be”
Adam: Tenement, “Garden of Secrecy” and Judy and Mary, “Overdrive”
Give us the the Boy Romeo campaign plan to takeover the world with potent-power-pop.
John: The goal is to turn around material as quickly as possible. So far, that hasn’t worked super well but we’re making plans to record our first LP and I’m a bunch of songs deep into writing another one. We’re gonna hook people in with our cute charisma and charm, and they’ll stay for the music and cool pics, hopefully.
Favorite moments so far from the Boy Romeo summer?
John: Playing the Sacramento bike kitchen, riding down to the American River, seeing my people Snuff Redux play, and watching the movie “Central Intelligence”! Also just staying up late and writing songs on the porch.
Best things you have heard, seen, read, and so forth lately?
Great Spiders, “Peep Show“, Bend Sinister, Kamaiyah.
Parting bits of wisdom & advice?
John: Drink a lot of water, pet a cat. smell the roses and moisturize daily!
