When Fountain Valley quartet Stereofix's bassist left in 2011, brothers Ray and Kamren Alexander saw an opportunity instead of a hurdle. Along with their drummer Anthony Hainsworth and new bassist Tristan Montgomery, the aspiring rock stars used the circumstances at hand to start all over and bring something new to the table. What developed was four guys in leather jackets and a highly marketable alternative rock band led by Alexander's moody seductive vocals.
Today, they celebrate being on KROQ's Locals Only show 10 weeks in a row (that must be some kind of record), currently charting at number one four times with their hit “Wake Up.” They perform at the Yost Theater this Saturday March 15th for the Rock Star Beer Festival alongside locals Breach the Summit featuring an unlimited tasting of local beers from SoCal such as Stone and The Bruery. We caught up with Ray and Kamren to talk about their latest success and put an end to the rumors that they want to be just like the Killers.
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The guys spent a long night at their home studio rehearsing their current set list with material from their latest EP In the Dead of Night. “We actually went back for fun and played three songs off our first EP from the beginnings of Stereofix last night,” says Ray. “The hairs on my neck literally stood up as we were like, 'Oh God' we actually played this?” Their musical (and probably personal) maturity transcends on tracks like “We're Not Breaking,” where the band refuses to give up on their dreams despite some criticism from other local bands for a lack of identity.
“We try not to take it personal anymore. We would have made it a long time ago writing wise if we would have just conformed to what the radio wants,” says Kamren. “We're the type of band that can't even humor playing something that we don't believe in.” Recently the band started using a lot of DJ technology and drum machines (no wonder their tune caught our ear on the radio) which they bring to the live show. After taking a year off to study musical engineering and producing, Kamren has propelled the band forward with different sounds and samples you wouldn't normally hear including a dubstep/rock version of “This Love Will Tear Us Apart” from their previous debut EP as Ceasefire.
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Ceasefire celebrates a die-hard fan base from all over, who votes for them every week on Kat Corbett's “Locals Only” and show up to gigs armed with glow sticks in hand. “We're all kind of doing the same thing,” says Kamren. I think if everyone worked together, a lot of these bands would get a lot further.” That's what they're doing with bands in LA like The Filthy Souls who heard them on the radio and invited them to play the Viper Room on April 12th. They recently also played a packed show at the House of Blues Sunset on a Monday which further cemented they're on the right track to stardom.
Besides playing in the OC Music Awards showcase and an upcoming KROQ gig at Slidebar in May, the guys are busy working on the official video for “Wake Up” and a TV performance on the reality show “Next Best Bartender.” With lots of new music in the works Ceasefire is using this momentum to hopefully play festivals this summer and land an big movie score which is currently in the works. “A true artist has multiple personality disorder. We have to be able to express ourselves differently, that's what's most exciting to us,” says Ray of their new electric sound. “It's not trying to sound like this or that, it's experimenting with what we're on about at the time.”
See also:
10 Goriest Album Covers
10 Punk Albums to Listen to Before You Die
Ceasefire – House of Blues Anaheim – 6/16/12
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i knew Ray and his bassist back when they were both working at the same bank.When i listened to their demo CD i was very surprised and impresssed enough to go see them preform live.That was 22 years ago and not at all taken a back of their success status now. By the way i still have and continue to play those three songs on my demo CD………… Your ol’ Bank Security Guard/Douglas Kackman…Rock on Never off.