Ska Pop Band Plays With Big Names at Blitz
By DONNA BALANCIA
The Interrupters are red hot with their hit single “She’s Kerosene,” but the band’s “overnight” success has been years in the making.
The Interrupters play the Surf City Blitz this weekend in Huntington Beach, joining the big leagues with Rancid, Social Distortion, Bad Religion, Pennywise and The Suicidal Tendencies.
With The Interrupters’ mega-hit single “She’s Kerosene,” today’s hardest-working band, born in California in 2011, has secured its place in the mainstream spotlight. “She’s Kerosene” has almost 4 million views on Youtube but it hasn’t come easy. The Interrupters do what it takes to make it in music today, continually touring and playing, connecting with the fans, and of course, selling merch. And they’re grateful for every minute of it all.
Their singles like “A Friend Like Me” and “Take Back the Power” brought notice, but it’s “She’s Kerosene,” off their latest album, Fight The Good Fight (Hellcat Records), produced by Tim Armstrong, that has gotten them real attention. They’ve been getting play on major radio stations like KLOS, they’re filling huge concert venues, and they’ve performed on late night TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Check out The Interrupters Tour Dates
The Interrupters are promoting Fight The Good Fight and they’re prepping for some November West Coast dates and a winter tour of the U.K.
CaliforniaRocker.com editor Donna Balancia chatted with the band’s dynamic and talented front gal, Aimee Interrupter.
Donna Balancia: Congrats on your hit music, your radio play and recent appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Is there one thing that triggered the mountains of attention and praise The Interrupters are getting?
Aimee Interrupter: Thank you! I don’t think it’s any one thing, but a combination of things. We’ve been touring as much as humanly possible and we poured our heart and soul into our latest record and the response has been overwhelmingly awesome. We couldn’t be more grateful that our music is connecting on a level that we’ve never seen for our band, it is truly humbling!
DB: What is the bond like between you and your fans?
AI: Our fans are everything! Our music is all about community and family and without the fans there is no show. We are all huge music fans ourselves so we feel very connected to everyone through the music. It is our common thread and that connection means the world to us. When new people discover our music we like to say “welcome to the family!” It really feels that way at our shows!
DB: Are your fans older or younger or both?
AI: We are so lucky to have people of all ages coming to our shows. When I say all ages I mean ALL AGES! Kids under 10 experiencing live music for the first time all the way to a guy with hair whiter than Steve Martin crowd surfing. We have the whole spectrum and it’s really incredible when we see entire families coming to our show and being a band that parents and kids can agree on. It’s not lost on us how lucky we are to have that broad of an age range in our crowd!
DB: How important has your relationship with radio people been?
AI: Radio is a new world for us and so far everyone we’ve met have been so welcoming and supportive! We are all breathing for the same reason and that’s our love of music. We just sent hand written thank you cards to all the radio stations that are playing our music because we appreciate it so much!
DB: How do you write your songs? Is there a common theme?
AI: Every song comes about in a different way. Sometimes I will have an idea for a concept and we start there. Sometimes Kevin has a guitar part or melody idea. Sometimes we get in the studio with Tim Armstrong and start completely from scratch and write on the spot. We don’t have any one particular writing method we prefer we just follow the creativity and see where it takes us!
DB: Who is the girl in “She’s Kerosene” ?
AI: The girl is someone we all know. We all have that toxic person that makes their way into your life like a tornado leaving you questioning your own sanity. “She’s Kerosene” is the story of a triumph over that abuse.
DB: What’s the best thing about your job? What’s the worst?
AI: The best thing is being able to help people with my music the same way music has always helped me. There is no better feeling then hearing that a song I write made even one moment of someone’s life better. I know that feeling so it means the world to me to be able to give it back. The worst thing is figuring out how to get my makeup through airport security.
DB: Are all four of you brothers and sisters? What does your Italian grandma say about all of your success?
AI: The boys are all brothers but they definitely treat me like a sister! My 97-year-old Grandma is so happy for us and keeps track of all the amazing things that have been happening. She just always worries I don’t eat enough home-cooked food! She’s the sweetest and I always get choked up when she talks about how proud of me she’s always been.
For information and new tour dates check out The Interrupters Facebook Page
Watch the official video for “She’s Kerosene” here:
