Wow, where did this year go? I cannot believe this is my final post for 2011. I must say that we covered many talented musicians this year and I feel so blessed to be able to share this music to my readers all over the world. We do not know what 2012 will bring but for me it continues to expose bands like my guest today, Reaul. I am still not sure how to pronounce their name Reaul, but the music is top notch. They remind me of Fall Out Boy before the fame, money, & egos took over. Join us as we take shots of Bushmills and wash them down with Pabst while listening to “My Casino Heart.” The guys talk about everything from 2012 plans, how to say Reaul, being from Indianapolis, and much more. Happy New Year!
Stoli: Where are we talking from today and are you excited for a new year in 2012?
Réaul – Rick: “Today we are home in Indianapolis getting some much needed rest. We are very excited for the new year, especially since 2011 has been one of the best years so far for Réaul. We’ve seen more happen in the last 6 months than ever before. We’re on a roll and we don’t plan on stopping! 2012 will be another breakout year for us. We are planning to release a new album entitled “Black Lines and White Lies” as well as a national tour starting in the Spring.”
Stoli: How did you four get together and start the band called Réaul?
Réaul – Michael: “Rick and I met in a little town just north of Indianapolis at a gig about 6 years ago. We found that we had musical chemistry and started gigging together on a regular basis. It progressed into us deciding to start a new band. We held auditions and brought on Nate (drummer) and about 6 months later Dave (Lead Guitar). It took a little bit for all our musical styles to meld into what you hear now, which we believe is a unique sound.”
Stoli: How did the word, Réaul, describe the music you were making?
Réaul – Rick: “Well, Réaul, which is pronounced “Ray-all” came from one of my dreams. We had been going over band names for weeks trying to find something that truly described us and then one night I had a very interesting dream in which I had a child named “Réaul.” It was so unique that I remembered it when I woke up. I actually got up and went into the studio and wrote it down. I brought it up to the band mates a couple days later and we all felt that it was the name we were looking for. It described us perfectly. Unique, different, refreshing.”
Stoli: Are you guys friends outside the band or is this all about the music and what do you do for fun?
Réaul – Nate: “You’d be surprised to know how many times we get asked this. Both from fans and the press. Yes, we are definitely all friends outside of the band. Even though we all grew up in different parts of the country we are like brothers. We genuinely like being with each other. We couldn’t make the music we do if it was any other way. We have known a decent amount of other bands that just plain don’t like each other. They play great together, but once they step off the stage they could care less about the other people in the group. Usually those bands end up breaking up. None of us in Réaul want to be that way so we make it a point to look out for each other.”
Stoli: I really enjoyed your EP. When did you write “Second String Lover” and what is that track about?
Réaul – Rick: “Second String Lover was written over the course of about 2 months in mid-2010. The idea for the song came when I was driving somewhere. I get a lot of my song ideas in the car. I was thinking back on a relationship I had back in high-school. I really liked this girl. She knew how I felt about her and had a way of stringing me along. I think she liked the attention. I wanted more with her but somehow I could never get out of the friend zone. I remember clearly how it felt. It was like I was on the team and at the game but always sitting on the bench. I was second string football player in her game.”
Stoli: How does it feel when fans compare you to Nickelback and OneRepublic and does that add pressure to make hits?
Réaul – Dave: “It adds pressure, but it is definitely a “good” pressure. It forces us to constantly push the envelope of both our music and lyrics. It pushes us to make the songs the best they can be. No lazy, half-baked songs here. Most of our songs go through 15 or more rewrites before we feel it’s ready to record. If we all feel a song is not a hit we won’t record it.. That’s why some of our songs never see daylight. I think we get compared to OneRepublic, Anberlin, and The Fray a lot because we strive like they do to put out great music every time, all the time.”
Stoli: The video for “My Casino Heart” is getting lots of views. What was the concept behind that video and how important is a solid video in the age of Youtube & Vimeo?
Réaul – Nate: “We wanted the concept behind the My Casino Heart video to go along with the lyrics. Fast cars, fast money, and fast women.We didn’t want just some random video shots of the band that had nothing to do with the song. We wanted people to feel the passion and not just hear it. And that’s what we tried to portray in the music video. The guy thinks he has it made and in the end gets left with nothing.”
Réaul – Michael: “A solid music video in today’s day and age is extremely important. To be able to put a ‘face with a name,’ so to speak, let’s our fans see what they lyrics of the song are all about. It gives the world a unique insight into Réaul and our creative processes. MTV might not show music videos anymore, but fans still like seeing them. As a fan, it brings you that much closer to the artist. Especially, when you haven’t had a chance to see the artist live in concert.”
[youtube VmoRQAGcFVg nolink]Stoli: I “Like” you on Facebook. How does it feel to be able to hear direct from your fans and interact with them like never before?
Réaul – Rick: “Facebook has changed everyones’ lives forever, whether you’re on it or not. Facebook and Twitter get’s us into the lives of our fans and we love it. We are only a click away from every fan that we have. They get to interact with us on a much more personal level. It’s pretty amazing when you think about it. We post news and what is going on with the band, but we also just post random things sometimes that are going on in our personal lives. Our fans love that. They get to be part of the journey with us. We’re all looking for deeper relationships and connections and Facebook and Twitter allow us to do that better.”
Stoli: You guys are involved with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Why is that cause important to you and how can we help out as well?
Réaul – Nate: “The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation has become near and dear to us because of one special kid named Ian. I used to give drum lessons to Ian and during one of our weekly sessions, he mentioned that he had Type-1 Diabetes. He explained to me how difficult life was with the disease and that he would die without injecting insulin every couple hours. The band found a missing piece of their heart that night. Since then, we have been trying to give back as much as possible to help find a cure. We recently headlined the second annual Rock It To A Cure at Old National Centre here in Indy. It was a great turnout and a lot of people were educated about what Type-1 Diabetes really is.”
The best way to help out is to give your time and money to help bring awareness of the disease. Get involved in your local state’s JDRF Walk to a Cure. All 50 states have at least one. Most states have about 4 or 5 in different cities. It’s a great way to meet new people and help out a great organization that’s making a difference in families’ lives.”
[youtube T6ZAbKrHbxo nolink]Stoli: Being from Indianapolis where can we come see you live and what are some cool music venues?
Réaul – Dave: “Indianapolis has about 4 major venues that artists normally play. The Verizon Wireless Music Center and Old National Centre (formally the Murat). We have performed at both these venues multiple times this year as well as crisscrossing the U.S.on previous tours that included some iconic venues. We will be touring in the Spring across the U.S. in most of the major cities. We haven’t announced any dates and who we’re touring with yet, so you will have to stay tuned for those details.”
Stoli: Do you hold hope for the USA in 2012 as we slowly recover from this recession and massive layoffs?
Réaul – Rick: “We definitely hold hope for 2012. The economy will come back around eventually. Even if it is 10 years from now. All we can really do is just keep trying to make great music that inspires people to get up off the ground and try again. We have had to do that many times in our own career as a band. It doesn’t feel very good when you fall, but when you get back up, you have usually learned something valuable and are better off because of it.”
Stoli: What is coming up for Réaul and where can we follow you online & buy the EP?
Réaul – Michael: “We will be in the studio recording the new album due out in the Spring of 2012. I always like when we get back into recording season. Long sessions creating music and drinking tons of coffee. Mmmm! I can almost taste it now. We will be on a national tour shortly after the new album drops so make sure you don’t miss when we are in your city. You can buy any of our music on iTunes or Amazon. To stay up to date on what’s going on with us you can find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/reaul, our website, www.reaul.com, and www.twitter.com/reaul.”
