Interview with Takeover

• Alex, when you first came up with the idea in 2018, did you already have tracks written and were looking for musicians to join you, or did you have specific criteria in mind for your band?

I had the first 3 albums all written and ready to go and was just looking for the right people to believe in the songs and be good enough to play them and take them to the next level. Unfortunately, I wound up settling for the guys I’ve got in the band now and here we are 5 years later. But they’re alright, good lads that are fun to have on tour…. I’ve kept them around this long so I can’t kick ‘em out now! 

• New York City is known for its iconic rock music scene, with countless big names. Were you worried about the tough competition when you first started out?

Nah, I wasn’t worried about any of that. One of the great things about Takeover is that we’re all from New York so we know what it’s all about. Who’s our competition? Some kid from Bumblefuck Minnesota who moved to Brooklyn because they dyed their hair blue and felt like they weren’t accepted in their small town? And now they’re in the circuit playing their “Dreamy Ethereal Synth-Folk Pop”? Nah, they don’t bother us and we don’t bother them. And there’s nothing wrong with that kinda music mind you, I like a lot of it! But we’re not playing the same game as them so I’m not really worried about competing against those kids.

It’s the Los Angeles trust fund music brats that move here to get some “grit” under their fingernails by “roughing it” in a luxury apartment in the East Village. Those are the kids that will have their Sony Exec uncle get them a free recording session with fuckin Steve Albini or someone. I’m more worried about those kids. Otherwise NYC rock is dead. NYC is a phenomenal hip-hop and rap town these days. All the rock is coming from the transplants and a few bands like us. So no, we’re not worried about the competition. Never have been.

• Most bands start with singles to gauge their audience before releasing EPs, but you guys did it the other way around. Was this a risky move?

It was a stupid move! We spent all of our show earnings on an EP that was mixed like a fucking dance record and that was our debut to the world. I love the individual songs from the “Peak of Her Power EP” but we didn’t know what we were doing in the studio and unfortunately the production on that one is terrible. I hear it and just think “for fuck sake, what a waste of money and a waste of good tunes”

Luckily our latest single “Sleeping With Strangers” is top top quality and we’re very excited about the rest of the singles from that recording session that’ll be coming out soon. Those are proper rock n roll. 

• What are the main themes behind your lyrics?

I’d say if I had to pick one over-arching singular theme then it’d be just “youth”. And yeah, I know how obnoxiously pretentious that sounds hahah. Most of the songs I’ve written for Takeover are about everything thing that happens when you’re young and in a band and having the time of your life. Falling in and out of love, getting absolutely pissed up on a random Tuesday night out with the lads, touring on the road across the country, legendary afterparties with copious amounts of illicit substances, all that shit.

• I noticed that your videos are recorded live during gigs. Can we expect any music videos soon?

If the singer gets off his fuckin’ ass and gets together with our video guy, we should have a music video coming out in the early spring some time. Mid March is the target. 

• I really enjoyed ‘Sleeping with Strangers.’ Could you explain the lyrical meaning behind it?

I’ll be honest, Dylan, our singer wrote the lyrics for that one. But I think it’s fairly straightforward. It’s just about falling in love. And it’s about how foreign your past, loveless, self can seem once you’re finally in love. Either that or it’s an allegory about LeBron James leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA finals victory after being down 3-1 to the Golden State Warriors. 

• As a band that draws inspiration from the old-school era in the digital age, do you think this could eventually have a negative impact on rock music compared to other genres?

I think there’s always pros and cons with new technology. On the one hand, the digital age has completely sucked the money out of the music industry. Record Labels aren’t signing 5 loudmouth New Yorkers to a multi-album contract because some exec sees them play live and has a hunch. They’re only spending their money on sure things. And right now, the sue things aren’t rock bands. It’s more of a niche genre now. Like Jazz in the 60s. Sure, there are some massive legacy rock acts that make a ton of money for everybody, but their primes were in the 90s or even before. They’re selling nostalgia more than rock n roll. 

But then on the other hand the digital age makes it a lot easier to produce and distribute yourself and your music. In the past the only way people would ever hear your recordings would be if a record label signed you. Now any fucker can record his farting on Garageband and upload it to spotify for everyone to hear. So it’s good that the barrier to entry is easier to navigate. But once you’re in, you’re competing with a lot more people for a lot less money. 

But at the end of the day, it’s just music. It’s for fun. It’s entertainment. I know for some bands it’s about the artistry and the “pain of creation” and “expressing your truths” but for us it’s all about putting on a good show and making sure people have a great night out. You’re paying 15 bucks to see us so we’re gonna give you the best show we can. And I know the guys in Takeover are having the time of our lives performing and recording music for your entertainment. So buy a t-shirt on the way out you cheap bastards.

• Can you tell us about your upcoming plans for the rest of the year and into 2024?

Yeah, so we’ve got 2 new singles coming out. One at the end of 2023 called “Lambdas” and the other one, “Wait”, is gonna come out in March some time.  We’re really excited for those. “Lambdas” is a pure rock n roll tune and it’s got a lot of energy and some really catchy guitar hooks. “Wait” is a massive anthemic tune with a big fucking sing-along chorus. So we’re really stoked for those to come out. The rest of 2024 we’re just touring. A couple little mini tours in the first few months just around the Northeast, and then an international tour in the summer. But it should be fun, we’ll see ya out there.

• Thank you for joining us, and keep on rockin’!

Cheers, thanks for having me.