by Anabel DFlux
– Senior Photojournalist —
Senior photojournalist Anabel DFlux chatted with brand new Victory Records band Meridian, covering their upcoming release, what it means to be young in the industry, and what’s coming up next for these young lads.
MERIDIAN consists of Evanko, along with drummer Ronnie Scocozza, bassist Chris Titer, vocalist/guitarist David Mitchell and guitarist Juan Espinosa.
Hardrock Haven: Hi there! Thank you very much for speaking to me today. You are just about to release a debut record for your band, Meridian, on Victory Records. How do you hope fans will interpret the album?
Juan: Thank you very much for having us! We are very excited about putting out our first full length. We are really proud and grateful to have come this far as a band and we really hope that fans see that. This record sonically is a collection of all the different types of music we love to listen to and write, and we hope listeners enjoy picking apart all of the elements to it.
HRH: Tell me about the album’s content. Your bio emphasizes that the album will feature very strong, emotionally driven topics such as suicide, depression, neglect, etc. Why did you pick such issues to write music about?
Juan: We picked the issues based on what has the heaviest effect on our lives. A majority of the content is in the perspective of the two prominent vocalists in the band, being David and Chris. This became the outlet of which they can express themselves freely and we support it.
HRH: Who are your favorite musicians, and how have they inspired you?
Juan: This band is insanely diverse when it comes to who we deem inspiring. Even though its always changing, I’d say my favorite musicians right now, which is also my biggest influence, are Stick To Your Guns and Gwen Stacy. Those two bands for me just embody the perfect sound and exactly what I want to bring to this band instrumentally.
HRH: Meridian is a band consistent of very young members. I personally feel a level of comrade with you as I am also barely 21, being young in the business can be difficult. What have you learned from your experiences, and what advice do you have for other youngins’ who want to dive into the music industry?
Ronnie: Being the youngest in the band, I know a great deal about this. I have learned that you will need to make sacrifices to do this at a young age. I recently had to postpone starting college in order to focus on touring. The best piece of advice I can give is that the earlier you start, the better. Nothing happens overnight in the music business and unless you catch a lucky break, you’ll be working at it for a long time.
HRH: I have taken a listen to some of your music. I hear a fantastic mix of upbeat with hardcore. Why did you pick this genre of music?
Ronnie: Chris and I actually started out in a pop rock band years back so we brought that element into this band. David and Juan are into a lot of heavier music and Titer is a big fan of emo/punk. We tried to stay away from focusing on one genre this time around and we hope to appeal to several different audiences.
HRH: How did all of you meet? What’s the story behind the band’s formation?
Ronnie: Titer, Chris, and I were in a band together before this one and when things started going downhill, we decided to start fresh. We met David through our local scene when he was an intern at our hometown venue, and Juan was a friend from a former pop punk band in the area.
HRH: What are your ultimate goals as a band?
Juan: I think I can speak for the band when I say that our ultimate goal is to keep doing this for as long as possible. Music is everything to us. Being able to explore various parts of the world and different scenes and cultures all while performing music we feel very strongly and passionately about is nothing but a dream come true. We appreciate what we have and hope to accomplish even more.
HRH: Finally, what is next for Meridian, alongside the release of “The Awful Truth?”
Ronnie: After the release, we simply hope new people will catch on to what we are doing and take an interest in our music. We plan to tour as much as possible throughout the fall to promote the album, and hit some new markets we haven’t played before.
HRH: Thank you!
Ronnie: Thank you for having us! Be sure to check out The Awful Truth out September 2nd on Victory Records!
Visit the band online: https://www.victoryrecords.com/meridian
