Somewhere, in the small city of La Habra, California, there is a band. They Attend Sonora high school. and the band is called Riley. Made up of Spencer Alfonso, Patrick Hill, and Jarred Colemane, this band rocks many events at their high school.
I was very lucky to be able to score their email to begin this interview with frontman Spencer Alfonso
How and when did the members of Riley meet?
The four original members of Riley have all be friends with me since I was a little kid. We group up together. Me and Patrick met in sunday school in first grade, and Daniel and Ryan have known me since I was a baby.
How did you guys get your name?
Daniel suggested it in the car, and coincidentally “Riley” is my middle name.
When Was your first gig?
My first gig was with Patrick and our band Metallic Tiger. We performed at the Rancho Starbuck Battle of the Bands, and got to play right before Cold War Kids. Luckily for us they weren’t competing in the competition. They were super nice guys and really encouraging.
Where was your first gig?
The first gig as Riley was at my church in Whittier called Whittier Hills Baptist Church.
How nervous were you?
I was pretty nervous because it was my first time singing in front of an audience.
Who is one of the bands inspirations?
The Kings of Leon
Who writes your songs?
I write about 90% of the lyrics, that other 10% being Hope Like an Ocean which was written with Emiko Woods. Usually a song begins with patrick and I sitting in a hotel room bouncing of each others ideas musically.
What inspired yours song “Hope Like An Ocean”?
Emiko and I had challenged each other to write a “happy” song. Hope like an Ocean was mine.
What does “Purpose” mean?
Purpose is about not being cool, and trying to figure out why.
Do you guys like your acoustic songs over your “live”(Full Band) versions?
It really depends. We just did an acoustic show in Whittier, and a lot of the fans that have been following us since last summer, said it was their favorite show.
Most importantly, why should people go and listen to your songs?
People should listen to our music because they want to listen to it.
Is there anything that we should know about the band, upcoming releases, concert dates?
Yeah you can purchase our debut release, “For the Love E.P.” on iTunes. Just search the title of the cd.
Visit www.myspace.com/rileyrockband for more information on Riley. Give me your feedback! rjp@multimediamouth.com
