Rock Monsters Romania

Summer is here, and festivals are ready to welcome you! Rockanotherworld is just around the corner, so it’s time to meet some of the bands from their 10th anniversary lineup.

On June 20th, you can catch Claro Que No live. This new alt-rock band from Bucharest fuses a fresh rock sound with influences from a wide range of genres, drawing inspiration from bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Muse, Royal Blood, and more.

The band consists of Dany Serrano (vocals, guitars), Andrey Baydin (lead guitar), and Andrei Ilie (drums). These musicians are already well-known in the Bucharest live music scene, having contributed their talents to numerous established bands across various genres within the local music scene. Some of the notable bands and artists they’ve collaborated with include byron, Irina Rimes, EMAA, Spike, and Valeria Stoica, among others.

We talked to them about the festival and their expectations in a special interview.

Before getting into more serious questions, you are a relatively new band, so how would you describe yourselves in one word and why?

Awkward. Hence the masks.

There are a lot of new bands that have appeared in the last few years, and people say that they have less time to discover them. What would be your answer if somebody asked you, “Why should we listen to Claro Que No?”

A lot of new music today very much feels like either escapism or largely inoffensive background music – the type you come across in a playlist without grabbing your ear nor your imagination, never to be listened to again. On the other hand, we’re rather fond of speaking up about uncomfortable truths and rattle your seat a little – but you can dance and sing along to it, too.

You also released your first EP in the first part of the year, called “We Couldn’t Settle On One.” And inevitably, the first question about it is: how did you settle on this name?

In the dumbest way imaginable. We had a list of possible EP names to vote from, and threw in “We Couldn’t Settle On One” as a joke… which of course, ended up getting the most votes.

It is said that self-critique is the best critique. So, what went best on this album? What could have gone better?

Considering our limitations as a new band, we’re not sure there’s an awful lot more we could have done to make it go better. It’s our first body of work though, so we could say that the sound of the band is only starting to take shape, which will probably be more noticeable as we continue to make new music.

What went best? Probably the way it’s all come together with the people we’ve worked with – we’re mighty proud of the result. From the production, mix and master to the videos and artwork, it’s something we really believe is going to stand the test of time. It also meant a lot of firsts for both people in the band and the wider team, and the energy and commitment that was put into it really shines through.

You had your first concert at Control. How does it feel to be on stage as a new project? Does the experience with other bands help with the emotions?

The experience under our collective belts helped for sure, but we were all still very nervous, and understandably so. It’s not every day you play a new band’s first ever gig. For Dany especially, getting up on stage as a singer for the first time ever was particularly nerve wracking. But we sailed through it as best as we could, and we like to believe we left a strong impression. Fuck ups and all.

Now you are heading for a show at Rocanotherworld. How does it feel? What should the crowd expect from you?

We’re obviously excited about it! It’s our first festival with this band and Rocanotherworld is no small deal, so we’re very grateful to be able to tick this particular box there. We’re also sharing the bill with longtime friends from the scene (and for some of us it’s a double duty day), so we’re properly geared up for it. Plus we all also have very fond experiences of the crowds in Iași.

Expect a high-energy set of dance rock tunes, delivered by a bunch of guys looking like Batman – if Bruce Wayne was working class.

What is your message for the people who are coming to your set at Rocanotherworld and are reading this interview?

Arrive on time. Buy a t-shirt. Don’t throw tomatoes at us.

This is also the 10th anniversary edition of the festival, so do you have a special message for the organizers?

Keeping a festival going along is an immense feat, let alone for 10 years and in the current climate. So hats off to the team – and thanks for having us.

Tickets and multi-day passes are still available on the official website (www.rocanotherworld.com), so don’t miss the opportunity to see your favourite bands live!

Interview by Radu Mihai