Pros & iCons – iConic

By starrymag | November 12, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Pros & iCons’ sound can be categorized somewhere between the angst of grunge and the rhythm of dance hall music. We love alternative music as much as the next emo does, so we like to mirror that feeling with qualities of traditional pop to create our hybrid sound.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) There’s so much music that has resonated with our individual lives! Bands like Linkin Park, A Day To Remember, Bring Me The Horizon and artists like Lady Gaga, Jon Bellion and Elton John have has a profound influence on us as humans and creatives.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Catch Me.”

A) We all have been part of an artistic journey one way or another, thus have become well versed in the struggle for success. “Catch Me” was written as an ode to those that are young and have dreams that might seem lightyears beyond their reach. We have been told to be “realistic” with our career choice but settling doesn’t sit well with us. This song is inspired by those moments and, furthermore, dedicated to those that experience similar subjection to living a “common life” where dreams are just that.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) The song sonically offers a feeling of nostalgia, as if you’ve once had this emotional connection before. We believe music is at its strongest when it possesses a sense of nostalgia. Lyrically, “Catch Me” comes from a place of struggle. The hook “I will make it on my own, you can catch me if you can” symbolizes one’s expedition to achieve their dreams.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

A) We are quite proud of how we reflect the message of “Catch Me” in the video. The video starts with Joey Dean running down a hallway, clutching himself as if he is about to metaphorically fall apart. On his knees, he strikes the camera with an ashen face symbolizing an internal struggle yet a reckless and relentless harkening to trudge forward. The first half of the video features a mild temperament from the band under blood red neon lights, symbolizing the hardship that is involved with being young and having big dreams. The bridge of the song leads to the band’s caprice in the final chorus, which ultimately has an explosion of white light glistening off of the chic reflective clothing of the dancing band members. This coincides with the sonic value of the music, which starts with a minor, otherwise sad or gloomy, tonality and ultimately climaxes with a major, otherwise uplifting or happy, ending.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

A) You can never control when and where muses whisper in your ear, but typically music is at the forefront when starting the writing process. We all are equipped with studios we built from the ground up, so creating and sharing our ideas with each other is intrinsic.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

A) All of it! We proudly produce and write all of our music, including our covers! You can check out all of our music on our YouTube, youtube.com/prosandicons.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Pros & iCons performance?

A) We revive the iconic 1980’s era of partying and not giving a fuck on stage. At a Pros & iCons show, it isn’t uncommon to witness concert-goers on stage to dance with us or the band members going into the crowd and raging with the fans. The audience came to see a show, which is why we change up the music from the album by adding guitar solos, breakdowns, extended sing-a-longs and much more. We even programmed our own light show that triggers off at specific parts of the concert with smoke and lasers.

 

Q) What songs off your debut album iConic do you really enjoy performing live?

A) At the risk of sounding generic, we love playing all of our songs. Each song in our set list contains different ways we interact with the crowd, which is special in its own way. To answer the question though, we do love playing “Spotlight” for the extended breakdowns, “Magic” for the crowd participation, “My Way” for the fans mimicking our dance moves and “Catch Me” because it’s our favorite song!

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to this album as a whole?

A) At the root of it all, we are fans of music. We grew up with our favorite artists’ music being the soundtrack to our life. It is our ambition to have Pros & iCons’ music be the soundtrack to the lives of others.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

A) Our hometown loves us, so places like NYC, Long Island and even the Hudson Valley always show up ready to party. Cities like Philly in Pennsylvania and Fitchburg in Massachusetts show us a good time, too. We love hitting those stages in particular because we grew up in these areas watching our favorite bands perform—except now it’s our turn to take to those stages.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) The list is endless! We are the producers for our music, so naturally we would love to collab with pop’s biggest names like Sia, Gaga or Taylor Swift. Unfortunately, we always thought we could create something beautiful with Linkin Park if given the chance.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

A) We are anxiously awaiting new Jon Bellion music! We have been listening to the new Polyphia record and enjoy the new Gerard Way single too!

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) What’s awesome about social media is that we can directly connect to our fans. It’s almost become a family at this point. We see fans not only recognize each other at shows, but also hang out with each other in real life! It’s really great to see people bond together as a result of our music. Follow us @prosandicons so we can stay connected!

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) Thank you for all the support! Let’s take pics together when we visit your city soon! Our video for “Catch Me” is out now and we have some awesome merch to keep you warm and stylish for this cold weather—just visit our website at prosandiconsmusic.com, and be sure to follow us everywhere on social media, Spotify, and Apple Music @prosandicons!