For the last couple of months, Los Angeles-based alt-rock trio, Raised on TV, have been teasing the release of a new full-length titled Strangers in Pictures. Today, the band is premiering the final single, “Wasted“, which is about searching for balance between waves of isolation and feeling lost. The song is streaming exclusively at Bearded Gentlemen Music along with a brand new interview with guitarist/vocalist Keaton Rogers. Strangers in Pictures will be released on Friday, April 28th via Sell the Heart Records. You listen to their previous singles “Mr. Blue” and the Around the Sun EP to get a feel for what Strangers in Pictures has to offer.
Raised on TV is an indie rock band from the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, CA, that was formed by brothers Keaton Rogers and Kacey Greenwood in 2016 and now includes bassist and keyboardist Chris Clark. They have toured and played numerous venues and festivals all across North America, and have opened for established bands such as Jefferson Starship, Marcy Playground, Sponge, and Green Jello. They embrace the wildly varying and fun nature that comes with being an indie rock band, playing a giant festival stage one night, and a backyard college party the next.
Back in 2017, their first album “Season 1” charted on the NACC top 200 (one of few albums from unsigned bands to do so) and was described by NoGossipLA.com as “grooving from one track to the next with a familiar kick-assery that reminds us that blink-182 disciples are alive and well.” The band wanted to make an indie rock statement, recording the whole album in just three days, mostly with everyone playing in the same room. The lead single from the album, “Big Sur” helped establish the band’s dreamy California rock sound with http://PuregrainAudio.com describing it as “an easy-breezy (and yes, beautiful – what up, cover girl!) mix of alternative, rock and indie.” In a beaten up van, they toured up and down the west coast and all throughout the Southwest, heavily hitting the SoCal live circuit. They would end up driving that van into the ground, needing to abandon it after a show in Las Vegas.
Their second album, “Season 2,” a more polished effort, was recorded mostly at Dave Grohl’s 606 studio in Los Angeles, and the first single “Caroline” got picked up by some Spotify editorial playlists, being described by Soundsphere Magazine as a “wonderfully fuzzy, constantly building alternative rock banger of a tune – melodic in a similar vein to Silversun Pickups.” “Soul on Fire”, the second single from the album was described by EarMilk as having “powerful jangly guitars and throbbing drums. The highly contagious roaring rock track details finding yourself in the digital age.” Season 2 opened some doors for the band. They were featured by LA Weekly, got to play “Jam in the Van,” and were able to get a new van of their own (replacing the beaten up one that broke down in Las Vegas.) They have since used that van to play everywhere possible, getting out to the East coast for the first time in the summer of 2019 for a national tour that was sponsored by the Firestone Walker beer company. A lot of early tour footage can be found in their music videos for the songs “Old Journals” and “Soul on Fire.”
During the pandemic they focused on recording, and released singles and music videos all throughout 2021, dropping their third studio album “Fernando” toward the end of that year. One of those singles, “In the Valley,” helped them to be a featured artist of the week on Malibu’s KBUU 99.1 FM. JanglePop described the single as “mixing the crystalline jangly indie-pop of the Lost Ships with a subtle nod towards the indie-folk of The Decemberists.” That summer, they had the fortunate opportunity of being the backing band in a music video for the one and only David Hasselhoff.
The band has since gotten back to touring, and have been putting the final touches on their fourth studio album which will be released in early 2023 in collaboration with Sell the Heart Records! A new single is planned for release on 9/30 of this year! When the podcast LA Meekly asked the band why they do what they do, they had this to say: “We make the music that we do, simply because we love it. We love it at its best, and we love it at its worst. There’s something about recording songs that mean everything to you, and then getting out in a van, traveling as far as you can, and playing them live for people that is and always will be magical. We love the pursuit, the thrill of a great show and the reaction of the crowd, trying to get better every time we do it while embracing what it means to get tested on the road. It’s finding yourself through losing yourself. Were road dogs in it for the love of the game.” P.S. The van that was abandoned in Las Vegas has since been rescued and now belongs to Keaton and Kacey’s mom.
-Official bio
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