https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575124566463
From: California
Sounds like: Punk/Rock
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound?
Speaking for myself, I started out with Garage punk rock bands playing back yard parties for beer money starting when I was 15 or so. Not long after that, I started the LA punk rock band “The Generators” in 1997. I didn’t really develop as a songwriter until a few years into The Generators, around 2003 when we wrote and recorded are critically acclaimed release “Excess, Betrayal …And Our Dearly Departed. From that point on, I embraced a dark, emotional style of songwriting, but with a melodic icing. I’ve carried that craft of writing into the Bats.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
I want people to take what it is for what it is. Whatever it makes people feel or whether they understand it or not, thats what I want to be taken away from it. The music is honest, and the takeaway is also meant to be honest.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
Our sound is rock n roll at it’s core. It’s mid tempo sometimes, it’s fast and aggressive sometimes, it’s mellow and slow at times. It’s usually from a darker/melodic perspective. We try to keep a cohesive feel with all of our songs, and we like to make sure the energy translates.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
That’s a hard one. We would obviously need the bands to have a similar thing going… a melodic punk/rock band. I’ve been interested in Ultra Bomb, they are 3 guys from 3 amazing bands and the drummer Derek has shown up to a few of our gigs… he told me Bats could be a good opener for them. I agree… thats the kind of bands we need to be around. Not just big punk bands like Dropkick Murphy’s or Rancid… I don’t tink that would help a band like us much, as the fans may not get it.
5. What's your thoughts on AI generated music?
I am 100% against AI generated music, in the same way I oppose AI generated art. I think AI has its good, but it has a LOT of bad and does not belong in the creative industry.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Punk Rock?
Punk rock is a very complicated thing these days, which is a but sad given what it was meant to be. The scene is oversaturated and everyone sounds like everyone else. It’s extremely hard to come out of the punk scene these days more than ever before. Nobody really pays attention to new bands the way they used to… and it’s always the same headlining acts that have been headlining for decades with a lot of the same bands supporting. I’m grateful coming out of the punk scene, and I’ve survived it for 30 years, but for a band like us, we need to get in front of a broader audience.
7. What’s the current local music scene like there in California?
I dont think there is anything exciting going on in California. You have a few bands here and there that spark a buzz with the community, then they’re gone just as fast as they became a buzz. I think a lot of why the scene isn’t great also, is because nobody comes out to shows anymore unless it’s the same old headline acts. There is NO way you can get people to fill an LA venue on a Friday night if it’s a bunch of even veteran local bands. It’s hit or miss… but a lot of miss it seams. People are tired and jaded in California, just my opinion.
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
I think it’s absolute garbage. We’ve become a prisoner to streaming services. There are some bands that boycott streaming and push to get people to buy tangible records, CDs or download directly from them… for a lot of us, thats not a good idea because we have to adapt to the environment of the common fan. They’d have to REALLY love you to buy something from you.
9. What’s next for Bats in the Belfry?
We’ve been working on our debut full length over the last year, and hoping to finish by end of this year (2026). We’ve self financed the whole thing, so it’s taking a bit of time. We opted not to get a label involved in that part of it, so we can remain the owners of the music. We also have a few shows to close out the year. But there real touring work will be seen in 2027. More US dates outside of Los Angeles and European dates.
10. Any shoutouts?
Just to my bandmates, Teddy. ANT, Marco and the man behind the keyboards Mason Hensley, and our producer Rich Mouser. All these souls are responsible for what we’re doing and any successes we have along the way
