Rock Monsters Romania

There is a new alternative rock band in Bucharest and they are ready to fight against the odds to become a fans’ favourite!

The Strizzers are the latest adition to Bucharest’s amazing rock underground culture.

Founded in August 2022, the band formed by Adrian Popa (Guitar), Mihai Arapu (Drums), Andrei Hoisescu (Guitar), Alec Cardos (Bass) and Monica Costin (Vocals) is ready to show everybody what they are capable of in an amazing concert with Heavy Strings at The Pub Bucharest on the 30th of September.

We tried to find out more about them and we are glad to share it with you:

How did you meet?

Adi & Andrei met a while ago – they shared the stage a few times, but as part of different bands… They became friends and realized it would be fun to work together on a project. So, a few years ago they got back in touch and set in motion The Strizzers. Mihai was a friend of a friend and joined from the very beginning. Alex and Andrei knew each other from work, and Monica gave a fantastic audition, impressing the rest of the band members with her talent and enthusiasm. Briefly, this is how The Strizzers came to be.

How was the band founded?

Andrei had a vision for this type of project for quite some time, but you know how things don’t happen unless it’s the right time for them to happen. We think this was the case here. Andrei is also the one who wrote the songs a while ago and reached out to the other members. Then things just started falling into place.

Where does the band’s name come from?

We decided to invent a unique, made-up word, a word that could mean anything we wanted it to mean, thus giving it our authentic spirit. Our inspiration comes from the city, the place where we’ve all been born and raised in. We feel like we are drawn to the urban noise, the buzz and maybe even some of the chaos that comes with a large city, like Bucharest. We wanted our band’s name to reflect that. Our name takes your imagination to us, the guys who sing about and on the urban rock streets.

You haven’t released any song yet, but we’ve seen on your social media pages that you are working on something. Can you tell us more about it?

This is true, we plan to release our first single soon. The pandemic has messed up our initial plans a bit, but we have a single almost ready and an album in the making, that will most likely be released at the beginning of 2023.

When should we expect your first release?

Our first song will be released this year. We’re working on a video for it right now and we are very eager to share it with the public.

On the 30th of September you are going to have your first concert as a band at The Pub Bucharest. How does it feel like?

We’re really looking forward to getting back on stage, especially because it’s been a while. We’re very proud of how the music arrangements flow and we’re excited to share the energy and the good vibe with our public. We think we did a good job with the songs and the project as a whole and there is no better test than performing in front of a live audience.

Should the crowd expect some surprises from you?

Well, it’s our first gig and we think the surprise will be us. Do you know the feeling that you get at a concert, when you hear a band for the first time, you have no clue who they are but by the end of it, you’re very much into them? That is what we strive to deliver to people.

Are there any more concerts already planned for this year?

No specific dates yet, but we will definitely have a few more gigs in the following months, and a big show with some guests for the official launch of the band.

What are your goals and plans for the rest of 2022? What about 2023?

Our main goal for 2022 is getting back on stage and delivering a good show – we all love music and the feeling of being on stage is a reward by itself. In 2023 we plan on releasing the first album, playing more gigs and maybe even joining some festivals, but mostly we just want to both have and share a good time with our audience.

What objectives do you have for the next 5-10 years?

More music, more shows, more albums, more fans, more fun and a few recognizable songs on the radio and streaming platforms. We want to grow together as a band and leave a mark on the rock scene.

What message do you have for the people who have supported you since the band was born? But for the ones who are discovering the band through this interview?

We want to thank all our friends and family, it’s been a lot of work and we appreciate all the help and support we got in order to be able to create, record and promote our project. Special thanks to Mihai Tacoi (:Umbra), Daniel Olteanu (Inspiratmedia) and Marius Samoila (msamoila.ro).
To all your readers – we are looking forward to meeting you and sharing our music. Hope we’ve made you curious and maybe hungry for more. Stay tuned, the ride has only just begun – keep rocking!

Do you want to see them live? More details about their next concert are available here.

Article and interview by Radu Mihai