Backstage with the Bands

Fine Line Music Cafe has hosted a wide variety of musical artists over the years, from Buddy Guy to Lady Gaga, and recently some up-and-coming artists took to the stage. Aer, New Beat Fund and RDGLDGRN played to a sold-out crowd on Feb. 22. While most of the concertgoers said that they came for headlining band Aer, New Beat Fund and RDGLDGRN gained plenty of new fans by the end of the night. With New Beat Fund sounding like a melting pot of Sublime, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Radiohead, and RDGLDGRN’s fusion of rock and hip hop, it’s easy to see why people are starting to appreciate their unique sounds.

RDGLDGRN was founded in Virginia in 2011 by guitarist Red, bassist Gold, and singer/rapper Green. Inspired by the D.C.-area go-go genre, the trio created a unique blend of go-go and indie rock and soon attracted the attention of music industry bigwigs. Dave Grohl, known for being Nirvana’s drummer and frontman of the Foo Fighters, played drums on all but one of the songs on their debut album (the exception being the track “Million Fans”). In addition, hit producer/musician Pharell Williams co-wrote and co-produced their song “Doing the Most.”

Green said that working with Red and Gold was an easy choice since they were already familiar with each other. Because their music relies heavily on go-go, a style of funk that originated in Washington D.C., it was important to work with people who understood that distinctive regional genre.

“We were all in a band before, and we all went to the same high school at one point in time, not together really. But we’re from the same area. That’s how people meet, when they’re from the same small town. And right now we like to call our genre indie go-go, just for the reason that indie can be anything, and go-go represents our area, so we’re anything from our area,” Green said.

Even though they’re known for working with Grohl and Pharrell Williams, the band said that they’ve had the opportunity to play with many other talented musicians. They also got to record their album at Sound City Studios, the same space where artists like Foo Fighters, Metallica and Elton John have played.

“[We’ve played with] New Beat Fund and Aer. Besides them, Outkast [and the]Black Keys, so that was cool. Hopefully we’ll be playing with some, you know, black people, like Erykah Badu and D’Angelo and the Roots,” Green said.

The band’s fanbase exploded when they uploaded their self-made music video “I Love Lamp” to YouTube; according to RDGLDGRN it reached over 100,000 views in just a few days. However, they have simple advice for anyone looking to break onto the music scene.

“Two rules if you’re in a band: stay together and don’t suck,” Green advised.

At first glance, the other band featured at the Feb. 22 concert seems to be RDGLDGRN’s polar opposite. One is West Coast, the other’s East Coast; one loves the Beatles and the other can’t stand them. But both bands are laid back and fuse musical styles that aren’t often paired together.

New Beat Fund formed in Los Angeles about two years ago, although the band members have been playing with each other in different formations for many years. Comprised of lead singer Burnie Baker, guitarist Button, bassist Snapz and drummer Silky, they formed NBF after deciding that they wanted to bring something fresh to the music scene. NBF called their style G-punk, which they describe as a derivative of  West Coast early 90s punk rock and hip hop.

Before their Minneapolis show, I got a chance to catch up with New Beat Fund at Pizza Luce, and found out that their growing fame isn’t going to their heads—they definitely don’t take themselves too seriously. Here’s a glimpse of what went down during the interview:

Q: Who are your musical inspirations?

Button: We’re huge fans of the Chili Peppers,

and we hate The Beatles.

Burnie: We’re better than them!

Button: Yeah, we’re a lot better than them.

Burnie: But not as good as the Rolling Stones.

We like Blink 182; they’re pretty cool.

Snapz: Weezer.

Burnie: We like Nirvana, and then like the

classics like Hanson.

Silky: To be honest, we’re into all kinds of

music. Like between all four of us, it’s so

eclectic.

Burnie: Snapz actually fantasizes about one

day snuggling Taylor Hanson.

Snapz: Yeah. One day.

Burnie: Whoever made this pizza is really

inspiring.

Q: Any weird/bad gigs?

Burnie: The bad ones we still liked though.

Snapz: Maybe the sorority party.

Burnie: Yeah. That one was really fun. It was

probably a bad, I guess a technically bad

show we played in the rain, at a Long Beach

sorority party. It was like a bake sale, and we

thought it was gonna be like a party, but it

was not. It was like a bake a sale, and we

were outside in the rain and the speakers that

I was singing out of were like this big [about a

foot high], and you couldn’t hear shit. And

then the rain was just pouring on us. But

we rocked out really well and people still had

a really good time. But it was a really—basi

cally odd conditions to play a show, but fun

nonetheless.

Snapz: We made a lot of friends and they fed

us pasta salad.

Burnie: And we got a cookie. It was pretty

good.

Q: Any advice for aspiring musicians?

Silky: Just don’t go to school.

Button: Do drugs.

Silky: Just go with—have a drug phase. Don’t

get addicted.

Button: Get arrested.

Silky: Don’t get arrested.

Burnie: Watch the Ninja Turtles repeatedly.

Silky: Practice a lot. But practice in front of

people, like at shows.

Snapz: Don’t practice.

Silky: Yeah, or don’t practice. Don’t try to

sound like other people.

Snapz: Sound opposite of those people. And

get your music out there. I think that’s prob-

ably like rule number one: make sure people

can hear it. And play shows.

Burnie: And don’t get a record deal.

Silky: Make your parents uncomfortable.

Button: If your parents like it, then it’s not

good.

Burnie: Don’t forget to be a kid.

Button: Don’t forget to have fun; it’s all about

fun. Have lots of fun.

Q: What are your hobbies outside of music?

Burnie: Amateur rollerblading. Also, profes

sional skid mark makers. We’re trying to get a

Hanes sponsorship.

Silky: Pro pizza eaters.

Burnie: We like to make T-shirts.

Snapz: Speed reading. We skateboard.

Silky: It’s kind of hard to skateboard in the

ice up here.

Button: We decided to leave the skateboards

at home this time.

Snapz: Ugh, who put on The Beatles, man?

Are you—you’re in control of this thing, aren’t

you? You’re in cahoots with this pizza parlor.

Burnie: We’re also pro coffee drinkers.

Snapz: We’re really good at drinking alco-

hol. I don’t know if you knew this, but today’s

actually National Margarita Day. It should be

“International.”

Burnie: Silky’s a good chef.

Silky: I like to cook when I’m drunk. It’s dan-

gerous.

Snapz: He needs to start a show called “The

Drunken Chef.”

Silky: That’s our biggest goal, to get “The

Drunken Chef” on air.

Snapz: It’d probably be like “The Matrix” with

an apron on.

Both RDGLDGRN and New Beat Fund are touring with Aer until March 21; tour dates and other information can be found on the bands’ websites, www.rdgldgrn.com and www.newbeatfund.com. They can also be found on iTunes, Spotify and Facebook, and RDGLDGRN’s music is on Amazon.