By Monica Ng
Hot New February Release: Fire and the Dark
How I started tossing and turning
I got a follow from these guys on Instagram and after I checked them out, I was hooked. Seriously – alt-rock music, Canadian musicians and nice guys…need I say more?
I mention it often, but I like it when bands give me a follow on socials. It brings new music to my attention, and since I do these interviews 100% out of passion, you know how much I love music.
Contact
Instagram: @screamingriots
Facebook: @screamingriots
Music
Fire and the Dark – single (2022)
Toss and Turn – single (2022)
Reach for the Sky – single (2021)
Sunrise – single (2021)
Far from Home – single (2021)
About
Born during pandemic times, this three-piece “drummerless” band is made up of Paul Do Carmo (Singer/Bass), Geno Satino (Guitar) and Andrew Pelvin (Guitar). Based in Toronto, Screaming Riots is on a roll, pumping out non-stop rocking tunes.
Interview
Me: Hey guys! Let me just say that Toronto is absolutely rockin’ with incredible musical talent. I’m a bit picky with my music, so when I listened to Toss and Turn for the first time and it hit me – I was all excited. Honestly, I know within a few seconds if I like a song or not.
You guys were part of a band named Forces before starting up this one. Geno, during a live stream session you said that you really missed Forces because you put your everything into it. How did you guys decide to start all over again as a new band? And do you plan to add a drummer?
Geno: After Forces, there were times when we wanted to try to get back together and write again, but life happened and it kinda never worked out. When the pandemic happened, the world went on pause, and we were able to get together because everybody had the free time. It worked out in our favour in a way, where we were able to start collaborating again and started to find out ways to collaborate from home.
Andrew: But how did that start though lol?
Paul: I think I called Andrew or Andrew called me.
Andrew: Yeah, I think I called Paul because I had some ideas for some songs.
Paul: Initially Andrew and I got together to work on releasing some covers or whatever and we thought Geno would be interested in. But seriously though, look at Monica being all thorough lol. Forces was a great band that we loved and enjoyed immensely and I guess at the time it felt like it was like a “final stand” at attempting a lasting career in music. The industry was/is hard on musicians, and rightfully so. It’s an industry that demands time, patience and extremely thick skin. When Forces was at its prime, the band members breathed nothing but music and at its end, it felt more like a job. A job that we weren’t getting paid to do… which made it even worse lol.
Andrew: Yeah, it wasn’t fun anymore.
Paul: It was scarring lol… to the point that I sold everything I owned after that band and anything that remotely resembled music. I just didn’t think I was destined to pursue music after that attempt but ultimately, music never leaves you.
Andrew: With Screaming Riots, one of our number one goals was that we wanted it to be in our free time – no pressure. When we had some free time, we could go onto the computer and add a part to a project or write a new project altogether if we wanted to. It didn’t have to be an every day thing. It obviously evolved from there. It’s a bit more serious now, but definitely has the same vibe.
Geno: It definitely has the same vibe. Do we plan on adding a drummer?
Andrew: It’s easier not to lol.
Paul: It really depends on what the future holds for the band. There are many bands out there that function through hired session musicians for tours and live shows.
Andrew: The writing process may be more beneficial with the addition of a definitive drummer, but it’s been easier as a trio so far.
Geno: It’s not a no from us, but the drummer would have to be equipped with a home studio and be as easy going, open-minded and as passionate as we are about the music we release.
Paul: That person would have to be ready to be family lol.
Me: You guys are obviously in tune with each other. I can feel the camaraderie – love it! I was lucky to catch one of your live streams. You guys are so personable and great! You were chatting about how band members, in general, often come and go – making it hard to have a lasting band. What makes you believe that Screaming Riots will be any different?
Paul: We all grew up together and this is actually the third time we’ve tried this. The difference as of right now, is that it’s just us three this time and in just a short period of time, we feel we’ve accomplished more than past projects. That’s not a statement or testament of the quality of our other bandmates in the past, because we have worked with brilliant and talented musicians. Sometimes, it’s just simply a chemistry or timing in life thing.
Andrew: It’s always been easy with us three. We’re on an even playing field where we feel that no one is better than the other.
Geno: Because we have a lot of history and a good foundation of writing together. In past projects we’ve always felt like the three of us were the core and it has always been easy to make decisions regarding music or moving forward with publicity. We work really well together and always have.
Me: It’s great that you guys work so well together. That will make a big difference. I know how hard it must be to pick a unique yet catchy band name. In my interview with Ben VanBuskirk of Blackout Orchestra, he openly admitted that they picked their name from a site that generates names. What’s the story behind choosing your band name and the meaning behind it?
Geno: With Screaming Riots, I thought it came out pretty organically, because it was part of a lyric that Paul wrote in our first single called Reach for the Sky, and I thought it would be a pretty cool band name.
Paul: I remember us discussing the idea of trying to come up with something that related to the pandemic. I believe we had a few other candidates like “The Essentials” or “Social Distance”. We wanted something relatable to the times we were living in and “Screaming Riots” was different but still completely relevant. The world lost itself during this pandemic and we would love to perhaps propose the idea of allowing music to center yourself.
Me: I’m certain the world wants to scream “Make the pandemic go away!” about now. We are fed up and exhausted. I basically started doing interviews at the start of the pandemic, so there is a common theme of struggle for musicians throughout many of them. Describe one guiding life philosophy that is helping you through these crazy times.
Paul: Oh wow, we’re going deep are we? Uhm…the only thing we can say is that there is nothing out there that gives you permission to give up on life. Music helps us breathe, wake up and push. Music is not our only reason, but we do feel strongly about what we do. We hope we can help you move past a moment that disagrees with you. If music doesn’t work for you, find the thing that does… if you can’t please seek help from your friends and loved ones… they ARE there!
Me: Yup, me digging deep as usual lol. It’s always interesting to have a feel for what others are thinking. I love the lyrics of Sunrise: “Can’t stop the sun from the rise and the fall, couldn’t change anyway/one rise away from us facing the truth and we can’t break fee” – such a great way to express how certain things are beyond our control. What is the process behind your writing and where do you get your inspiration from?
Paul: Writing is hard sometimes, however, the process is almost always the same. The Chorus or “The Hook” essentially determines the remainder of the parts. Words are not necessarily present all at the time. I almost always start off with gibberish at first to catch all the syllables of the melody in my head. I’ve even sent it at times, just like that, to the other gentlemen for review. Imagine their excitement lol. Then sometimes a song title is sent jokingly or purposely and it sparks a line of words. From there, the song evolves into what it becomes. When it comes to inspiration, it really comes from everything around us. Movies, life experiences, conversation or emotions. It could be based on how my mental state was throughout that week. With Sunrise, I’m glad that you caught that lyric perfectly. Sometimes I like to write lyrics that are blatantly obvious while others are complex and may have an underlying meaning. There are no rules to having a right or wrong way… that’s the beauty of being an artist.
Me: Great insight into your writing process. Keep up the good work. You guys are so interactive on Instagram. I had the pleasure of chatting with you and getting to know you. Insta-instant friends? LOL. We live in a new world and with so much expectation from people to get an instant response or feedback through DMs and messages, how do you manage to keep up with socials?
Geno: It’s honestly hard to keep up with on some days because we still have 9-5 jobs, but we feel like we’re doing a great job considering. We understand the importance of maintaining “friendships” online. With the sheer amount of material that is being released nowadays, everyone’s attention span is down to seconds so the “like” or quick response to show people that you appreciate the mention or the reaction to a new release is ever more important. It’s difficult to regularly upload new material to post since we live far from each other, but when we do, we try to document the day when we do and we post important music related news that may have felt important to us that day. It’s probably the most tedious part of being in a band whose main source of advertising is through social media. However, we feel like we underestimated its importance with past projects.
Me: Well, you guys are doing great with your time and distance constraints. And socials are definitely good for free promo, reaching a bigger audience. I’ve discovered tons of new music through socials – including you guys! The three of you are by far the most ambitious I’ve seen with respect to releasing new music. You mentioned that your goal was to release one new song every month. Tell us more about your plans.
Andrew: We actually discussed this for a long time before we started releasing music.
Paul: Yeah, I remember that lol.
Andrew: In the end, monthly releases were realistic. There are times we smash through two songs in a month. Other times we hit a dry spell and get artistically stumped, but the material we have can support that timeframe. We also wanted a timeframe that would push us to actively write.
Paul: We also have a short attention span lol. Any song that takes longer than a month to complete is possibly not worth completing. That doesn’t mean there isn’t anything to work into a potential future song so all ideas are saved.
Geno: In terms of future plans, we hope to release a full album on vinyl towards the end of the year. We don’t feel like a physical CD release is a requirement at this point. There is an increasing itch to scratch with playing a few shows.
Andrew: Our main goal though, is to try and get some radio play. We feel that’s a big deal if that gets accomplished. We need to take this opportunity to seriously thank Sam Cook and our friends from Hamilton’s INDI 101.5fm for helping us realize some of that goal. Mohawk College is doing some great things within the radio broadcasting community. You can catch the station online as well by visiting INDI1015.ca. Currently they are playing Sunrise, Reach for the Sky and Toss and Turn in regular rotation on their station.
Me: That’s fantastic that you are getting some airtime. I’m rooting for you guys and a show! Nothing beats live music. Ok, now my favourite get-to-know-you question – who are your top 3 favourite musicians?
Paul: Ian Thornley, Jared Letto, John Mayer and Dave Matthews (oops you asked for 3…. sorry lol).
Geno: John Sykes, Adam Jones and Slash.
Andrew: Eddie Van Halen, John Mayer, Dave Grohl and… Paul Do Carmo lol.
Me: Sorry, I know it’s hard to limit your selection to three. And Andrew, you’re so supportive of your own band member! It’s not music related, but hiking is something else that I’m really passionate about. I was thinking about people always telling me that it’s unsafe to hike alone or commenting that they could never go out alone. I always say, that if I got a stone every time someone said this to me, I’d have a beach full of them. Of course, I take some precautions, but I don’t think that these types of comments are conducive to living life to the fullest. Often they are excuses from people not to do things. On this note, let’s have some fun…fill in the blank: If I had a dollar for every time someone said “____” to me, I’d be rich.
Paul: Lol, “You should be a singer.”
Geno: “You guys should be on the radio.”
Andrew: “Has anyone ever told you that you look like Chris O’Donnell?”
Paul: “Who?!… OH WAIT, YOU ARE TOTALLY ROBIN FROM BATMAN!!! I will never unsee that now lol.
Me: Chris O’Donnell? And Batman? Totally…lol. Thanks so much for your time and enthusiasm. The world needs more people like you. Guys, look out for me in the crowd – I’ll definitely be rocking at a show real soon. Everyone, you know the drill: Show your support by clicking like and leaving positive comments on their posts and giving them a follow on socials. And don’t forget to buy/stream/share their music, buy tickets to shows, etc.
Guys, before we wrap things up – is there anything else you want to share?
Paul: We’re not the only band trying to make something happen. There are a ton of bands working hard and that deserve to be heard and there are many that we support. We want to send our kudos to Sun Satellite (disbanded but available on Spotify), TRUCE (From Moncton, New Brunswick, available on Spotify), Haley Stark (from Brampton, Ontario) and Maybe May (From Toronto, Ontario… big tunes!!!). We would like to also extend our thank you’s to Greg Dawson of “BWC Studios” for the recording of the Forces albums and Dean Hadjichristou of “All Buttons In” for our current mixes and masters. Dean, you are a MACHINE!!!
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