Rags and Riches – The Beast

By starrymag | August 12, 2021

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) There isn’t a specific genre to describe us, so it would be as if Twenty One Pilots, Imagine Dragons, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Queen all had a baby together.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Our music influences stem from Dave Matthews Band, Queen, Twenty One Pilots, Imagine Dragons, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Post Malone and Kanye West. Just to name a few.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “The Beast.”

 

A) “THE BEAST” started lyrically as a song on controlling your anger, but quickly turned into a mental health anthem. Everyone has personal demons that they battle with… how we handle those struggles is what defines each of us. From there the video concept was born as well!

 

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

 

A) It is so relatable because everyone has some form of mental health struggles that eat at them daily. We also feel like the arrangement being so unique gave the song and edge.

 

Q) It is quite different from your regular sound. What made you decide to switch things up?

 

A) We love to constantly change our approach and style up. The world’s attention span is very short, so releasing content that looks, feels and sounds the same anymore gets old quickly.

 

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

 

A) The video is about this character who is slowly losing in his battle against mental health. He can’t see the signs all pointing this direction for his life, so he just continues to make poor decisions.

 

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

 

A) The writing process changes every single time we approach a song. Sometimes I (Tanner) will have a chorus, melody, etc. or Peyton will have some lyrics or music started. We never hinder where a song can go by just doing the same things every time.

 

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

 

A) We do all of our own production. Since the beginning we loved the idea of “doing it all ourselves.” That is much easier because we have a studio in our parents’ house that we had built and Peyton does all the recording, mixing, mastering, etc.

 

Q) Will there be a full album or EP coming in the near future?

 

A) Potentially, we have a few more singles planned for the remainder of 2021. Beyond that, things are completely “up in the air” if we want to release a full-length album or just an EP.

 

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

 

A) We absolutely loved performing on the west coast, specifically Seattle and San Diego were amazing. Seattle is close to our number one favorite slot because we played for a completely packed out show the first time there.

 

Q) With concerts currently on hold, what do you miss most about being on stage?

 

A) There is NOTHING like being on stage with a crowd fully engaged and singing lyrics to your songs. The energy and rush from those moments are something we miss constantly!

 

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

 

A) Post Malone. We feel like we would make an incredible track together that can showcase both of our extreme styles.

 

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

 

A) We do love Twenty One Pilots new album, but lately I (Tanner) have been going back to some oldies like “My Way” – Frank Sinatra, “Georgia On My Mind” – Ray Charles and “What a Wonderful World” – Louis Armstrong.

 

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

 

A) Instagram, Facebook and YouTube have played extremely significant roles in discovering new fans and new fans discovering us. When a new fan lets us know how a song of ours “changed their life” or “meant the world to them,” that is one of our favorite parts about being RAGS AND RICHES.

 

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 of the support so far! We have only just begun this journey together creating something truly special.