Artists in Quarantine: The Simple Radicals

The quarantine was a really hard period for bands and artist. We talked to some bands from all over the world to see the real effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic in music.

Today we talk to The Simple Radicals. The Simple Radicals are a retro rock band from the great blues and rock city of Chicago, Illinois, featuring John Malkin on Lead Vocals and Rhythm Guitar and John Griffin on Lead Guitar and Vocals. Together, they capture the passion and energy of their collective musical experience, with different tastes, sounds, and styles. The music they create is pure, visceral rock ‘n’ roll – poignant, from the heart, topical and direct.

How can you describe the changes generated by the pandemic in the band’s activity?

We had a kick-ass 2020 planned including two showcases at SXSW in Austin, Texas, playing festivals with Molly Hatchet, Jefferson Starship, Puddle of Mudd, and Blackfoot as well a tour starting in Chicago. But all got axed due to Covid. But the downtime has given me a lot of time to observe, create, write as well as think about how to best market and promote the band. We’re working with some great marketing agencies such as Austere in Texas and Factory Underground Studio in Connecticut to develop some great social media and marketing campaigns to support our songs and build our fan base. It’s really starting to pay dividends. I’m also posting quite a bit on our social media platforms to stay engaged with our fans.

What daily activity did you miss the most during quarantine?

We love to perform live and our fans know that. We feed off their energy and passion and try to give it right back to them in the way we play our music. We also try to interact with the audience as much as we can since our songs are so personal to many. There is nothing more rewarding than watching people sing your lyrics back to you and lose themselves in your music. It’s intoxicating.

Were there any pluses for this period without concerts?

I’ve actually taken the time to listen to a lot of new music and discover some new bands that I never heard of before. You have to check out this American indie-groove band from Norwalk, Connecticut called Goose. They are going to be the next huge jam-band.

How does it feel to return to some normalcy?

Good question. I’m still waiting for that moment! To be honest, I’m not sure what “normalcy” means anymore. Are we living in the new normal with the way we interact and protect ourselves and how we work? Or are things really going to go back to what it was before the pandemic. I guess time will tell.

What plans have you got for the rest of 2020?

We continue to promote our album, “New Revolution” which has the guitar-God Vernon Reid of the band Living Colour playing lead on the track “Medicate”. We just released a song and video called “Rich Man Wanna Be King” which provides a scathing lampoon on President Trump. It was just released on YouTube and racked up over 115,000 views and climbing. We’re about to release a wicked cover version of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” where we collaborated with an incredible husband/wife duo called Che-Val. We’ll soon be releasing a quarantine video to our song “The Optimist”. And, we’re about to release a podcast called “Music & A Brew” where we crack open a cold one with different musical artists. So far we’ve had one with Kenny Aronoff (drummer for John Mellencamp), Todd Sucherman of Styx, Vernon Reid of Living Colour, Daxx Nielsen of Cheap Trick, and Jackie “the Joke Man” Martling from the Howard Stern Show.

Do you have any message for the bands or artists who are still in lockdown/quarantine?

Of course please stay safe and healthy. And use this time to continue to create and produce great music. And push it out there on your platforms so others can hear it and discover you. And stay engaged with your fan base and build new fans. It’s challenging and requires a lot of diligence but you have to do it.

What message do you have for the people who are going to read this interview?

We’re a retro-rock band based out of the blues and rock city of Chicago, Illinois that combines sounds and styles from some of our favorite classic/alt-rock bands like Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Green Day and Cheap Trick. If you like that music then I think you will like our band. We’d love for you to check us let us know what you think. Our platforms are:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimpleRadicals/

Twitter: twitter.com/simpleradicals

Instagram: instagram.com/simpleradicals

Website: www.thesimpleradicals.com