RAC INTERVIEW
(All photos by IrieAZ Photo - MYSPACE)
For those lucky in the know, they would be aware a vibrant reggae rock community has been slowly developing in the dusty deserts of Arizona over the past couple of years. As a prominent member, the guys from RAC have strayed away from the inland and headed for the coast to let The Pier in on what's going on out there. Hopefully RAC will be the first of many of these exciting AZ bands to stop by The Pier.
The Pier: For those that haven't heard RAC yet, how would you describe your sound?
Derek Peper (guitar): This is always a dreaded question I think for any musician. We of course don’t want to be labeled. So let me give some of our major influences that come through in our music: Sublime, The Ziggens, Pennywise, Guttermouth, Long Beach Dub All-Stars, Slightly Stoopid, NoFX, Authority Zero, Suicide Machines, Rancid and Bob Marley. But if you want to tell your friends, we're a reggae, punk, surf band.
The Pier: There is quite a healthy reggae rock scene in AZ at the moment, with you, Fayuca and Underwater just to name a few. That must be pretty cool to have those other bands for support?
Matt Roberson (drums): Ya, the AZ reggae rock scene is growing and growing. Before we started out as a band we would always go to local shows, where we would see Unsound and Underwater. After starting the band then being signed to Lock and Key Records, we began a very close relationship with Underwater and Fayuca, which is why on our album, Lost in Paradise, we had many collaborations. We consider the guys from Underwater as close as brothers. It has been great these past three years.
The Pier: What is it about the area that inspires these bands to play this type of music do you think?
Derek: Well we play reggae; it is a feel good music that pretty much everyone loves to listen to. And punk. Rebel inspired full throttle punk. Phoenix is a pretty laid back place; we are in a desert so you pretty much drink, skate, smoke, play music or sleep. Not much to do but the pure adrenaline in this city craves the punk. Arizona is a place where culture emerges from youth.
The Pier: Nice. Personal question time: has being in RAC helped you with the ladies?
Matt: Who doesn’t love the ladies? Well for Ben and Taylor they have had girlfriends most of the time since the band started, but with Derek and I we have our fair share of meeting new ladies before and after shows, we love the company of beautiful women. So if you are reading this don’t be shy and come an say hi!
The Pier: Do you want me to post your cell numbers too or something? (haha) So what was it like recording your debut album Lost in Paradise?
Taylor 'Juice' Hawkins (bass): During the whole process of recording your first album you learn so much more about the creation and development of music which we believe was part of what made the creation of Lost in Paradise great for us. Spending that time in the studio also allowed us to see what goes into the production of an album, and all the hard work that goes into the creation of something that you hope will bring enjoyment to the listeners and fans out there. Now, having the experience of one album we hope to take this to the next level with the recording of our newest album.
The Pier: So have you actually started work on your next album yet? What can you tell us about it and the songs written so far?
Ben Florine (vocals & guitar): Yeah we have several new songs written and a bunch we’re working on. We’re going to be recording some at the end of this month for Sense Boardwear and for our new album so we’re pumped! So far we got a few reggae jams and some punk stuff.
The Pier: So we can expect a similar diverse mix on your next album. Lost in Paradise is a pretty diverse beast. Is it something you are conscience of?
Ben: Oh yeah we’ll for sure be putting out an eclectic CD. We don’t really try and create one genre for our band. We’re just really into all sorts of music, mainly punk and reggae. With the new album we’re definitely looking to focus more on punk because that’s what we were all into way before reggae. Expect some good punk and some catchy melodic reggae on the next disc.
The Pier: You mentioned Sense Boardwear before, you had a couple of songs on its latest compilation. How did that relationship start?
Derek: Well we received a call from Mike P. over at Sense saying they had heard us and some people had recommended that they check us out so he did and he liked it. We set up recording time for the next compilation and it all began. The guys at Sense are some of the coolest, straight up people we know in the reggae scene. They have a great outlook and work ethic that makes them enjoyable to be around.
The Pier: As I have not caught you guys live yet, how would you describe a RAC live show? Is it a pretty polished performance?
Derek: A RAC live show is something we thoroughly enjoy. Energy is what we try to bring when we play. We play music that is very much alive so we try to replicate that when we play. Polished, well that would probably first depend on the level of inebriation but that’s just how that goes. We are our own worst critic, I think out of the hundred and some shows we have played there is maybe three or four that we all came out saying that was “perfect”. We always want to better ourselves so we always fight to play better.
The Pier: What has been your craziest show to date then?
Ben: No specific show has been ridiculously crazy. We’ve definitely seen some funny stuff at our shows though. One time Cisco from Fayuca pissed on our old label owner’s car. This other time we were partying with the Dirty Heads after one of our shows and we saw a cop get rear-ended at 50 mph by a drunk driver. As far as during our shows, people can expect Taylor to shave arrows into his body hair that point down into his pants. Like I said, nothing too crazy.
The Pier: Did the band have any New Years' resolutions and what else have you got coming up in 2008?
Taylor: We can say our resolution is to continue to play the music we all love so much, and also the creation of a new album for all our fans out there. Other than that we will just continue to do what we have always done, just play our music and even if no one wants to hear us we will still be there doing what we love.
The Pier: That's an awesome attitude. So where is a cool place to hang out in AZ during the summer?
Matt: Things that make any place a cool place to hang out in AZ during the summer:
1. A Big Pool
2. Ice Chest full of beer and a wide variety of hard alcohol
3. Many Beautiful women with you at the pool
4. Good friends
5. And of course good music
Well there's no arguing here and seems like a perfect way to end the interview. Thanks to all the members from RAC for joining us at The Pier today.
To find out more about RAC check out:
You can also purchase Lost in Paradise online here