Q: Hey, can you tell us a bit about where you come from, and what made you want to start a career in music?
A: I’m originally from a small town in Western Kansas, but I started Atomic Bronco while I was living in London, and now I live in Austin, Texas. I’ve always been very drawn to music, and during grad school I realized I needed the release of pursuing a music project separate from my day job to keep my sanity. So I started this project, and it’s just kinda taken off from there!
Q: Did you have any formal training, or are you self-taught?
A: I’m completely self-taught, but that might be pretty obvious from my rough-around-the-edges style.
Q: Who were your first and strongest musical influences, and why the name ‘Atomic Bronco’?
A: My life changed when I first heard NIrvana’s Nevermind at age 13, and they were definitely the first and probably strongest influence, but I’ve also learned so much from Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, Black Keys, Eric Clapton, Girl Talk, Interpol, Beach Fossils and countless others. I enjoy a lot of different types of music as well; I listen to quite a bit of House, Disco, Shoegaze, Classic Rock, Techno, Indie-Folk, and just about everything in between. As for the name, I used to go to this bar in Denver called Atomic Cowboy, and I always vibed with their aesthetic, so when I was thinking up names Atomic Bronco was similar and available!
Q: You have just released your new single, ‘Fly Away’. Is there a story behind it?
A: Fly Away is my attempt at getting inside the mind of a stalker-type. Someone who has all these strong feelings but knows they need to keep them reserved to avoid having their true intentions exposed. So the song is almost brooding, even though the lyrics on the surface seem to be a love song. But that is the protagonist’s point of view, not necessarily reality. I wanted the song to have a lot of pent up dark energy, and I think it came out well.
Q: Can we expect a new EP or even an album from you in the near future?
A: Yes! My second album “Bull in a China Shop” is coming out April 14th!
Q: What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
A: I’m an instrumentalist at heart, so I try to communicate with the guitar drums and bass just as much as or more than the lyrics, so pay attention to those little guitar parts! I would describe my sound as aiming for the golden years while embracing the modern day, if that makes any sense at all.
Q: Do you feel that your music is giving you back just as much fulfillment as the amount of work you are putting into it, or are you expecting something more?
A: It’s serving it’s purpose and keeping me sane as a stress relief method, but I wouldn’t mind if I went gold or anything like that!
Q: Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song?
A: Most of my songs start out as guitar riffs or bass lines and then everything builds on top of that. Lyrics are almost always last, but recently I’ve started to try to put more effort and emphasis into the lyrics. It’s not what I personally pay attention to when I listen to music, but most people do, I’m trying to give them more of something to listen to.
Q: What has been the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure in your life or music career so far?
A: Honestly, I wouldn’t use the word endure to describe anything about my life, but it has been a bit disheartening with all the rejection that comes with starting a project like this and trying to get your music out there. However, it feels like the tide is starting to turn, so fingers crossed that the trend continues!
Q: On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
A: I have plenty in my normal life, but music-wise, getting some songs from my last EP onto the AAA radio charts was pretty cool!
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