Lightning Strikes: A Look Inside S8NT ELEKTRIC
The room in the back of Molly Malone’s pub is smaller than one would expect, an intimate space that features a bar, a few tables, and a short stage. As I wait for the white foam of beer to dissipate in my glass, a band makes their way on stage, immediately grabbing my attention. The lead singer politely thanks the audience for attending before nodding to the band to begin the first song. A wave of hard rock, funk, and punk radiates the room as the band gets into the performance, introducing me to the impressive sound that is S8NT ELEKTRIC.
The band is made up of five unique members. Jack Kleinman on the bass. Eric Matt and Niko Tsangaris on guitar. London Hudson on drums. And Briana as the lead vocalist. I had the pleasure of meeting the band after their show on a chilly night in December.
Interviewer: How did you guys form as a band? You’ve been together for 6-7 months so far, right?
Briana: 7-8 month.
London: Almost a newborn baby.
Briana: AH! Well, one day I was listening to Marina and the Diamonds and I was like “Oh my God, I think I wanna start singing! (laughs)
Interviewer: Oh really?
Briana: Yeah. I started singing once the band began. I’ve never sang before and I asked my boyfriend (Niko) if he could help me write stuff. London agreed to be on the track. But it kinda diffused.
Niko: Yeah, so we started doing this. I knew Jack from high school, we talked to him and brought him in to play bass. And then Eric, who came into the previous band I had with London at the very end; we decided to take in too.
Briana: We found him on Instagram.
Niko: We’ve all known each other a long time and it just made sense. That can be a problem with some bands, that there isn’t that friendship established. A year later you might realize you don’t like this person, or this person doesn’t like the other.
And you can feel the tight bond the band shares during their performance. Each member feeds off each other’s energy in a positive way, creating a spectacle that results in pure energy and positivity. London’s drumming is raw and real. Eric dances and thrashes around while playing his guitar, channeling something reminiscent of guitarists like Pat Smear.
Niko: Was that your idea, to start a bar fight during a set?
London: (laughs) Definitely not me.
Niko: It would be cool to have one of the cartoon barfights though. You know, where one person starts pushing the other. And Irish music starts playing (laughs).
The members of S8NT ELEKTRIC radiate the same positivity off the stage as well. Even while we talked outside, the band members laughed at each other’s jokes and made me feel like a longtime friend.
Interviewer: What genre would you consider yourself? It sounds like a hard rock/punk sound but more digestible for people not deep in that scene.
Briana: That’s really hard because if you listen to the set, it’s all different.
Niko: A lot of stuff is hard rock so it’s under that umbrella for sure.
Eric: I’d say we’re just a great ass band.
Interviewer: I agree with that one.
Niko: I think what you said is cool. Eric, Jack, and London like punk. I love punk too. But it’s not something I want to make, that’s not digestible for people. I like melodies, well written lyrics, songs that are structured. It’s hard rock with many influences.
The band channels many influences throughout the set. Eric’s playing and dancing can be seen as punk rock. Niko and Jack bring an Aerosmith like quality to their playing. London has that Motley Cruë like energy with his drumming (and I’m not just saying that because of his bitchin hair). And Briana’s vocals are raw but controlled like a young Gwen Stefani from her No Doubt days. While the band has played numerous gigs around LA, they’ve also played at festivals.
Interviewer: I saw that y’all played at BottleRock in Napa. What was that like?
Jack: I think it was an insane experience for all of us. None of us have ever done anything like that before. Most of us haven’t even been to a festival before so it was a whole new experience. It went super well and had a great time.
London: We were able to open up for the Foo Fighters a day earlier there.
Interviewer: Oh really? Did you meet them?
London: No.
Eric: It’s our dream though
Briana: I saw them from afar.
Niko: We saw them in the artist area, we just didn’t want to bug them.
Briana: It’s hard. It was a really big shock for all of us.
Eric: It’s so weird, I was eating a Caesar salad and Young The Giant is like two tables over. And I’m like, cool, Young The Giant at my lunch table. That’s pretty dope.
S8NT ELEKTRIC is one of the many young rock bands that aim to bring back the genre and scene in full force this decade.
Interviewer: What’s it like being a rock band in a time like today? Where rock is not as mainstream as it was in the past but it’s something that can come back in a big way. Do you think there is a future for rock in the next few years? Like a switch?
Briana: I’m ready for it!
London: It’s defiantly imminent. There’s a lack of integrity in music, mainstream music today. And I think when you come to one of our shows, it’s a real thing. It’s a party, a get together. Everyone is having a good time and we let anyone come. We play as loud as we can. As heavy as we can. Everyone leaves with something.
You can see the community during the show that S8NT ELEKTRIC puts on. Even during their performance at Molly Malone’s, where the audience wasn’t you typical rockhead, the band gave their all to put on the loudest, most energetic show they could do. While the audience was shy to get up and dance at the beginning of the set, the band was able to take what they do best and convince the crowd to get up and get moving. Some of it had to do with the fact that it was a 21 and older venue. The band has a big following with younger audiences, mainly because the five members are between the ages of 18 and 23.
Interviewer: Are all of y’all from LA?
Briana: No, I’m from Texas. A small area called Edinburg. Do you know where South Padre Island is? Please tell me you do, it’s a big party beach town.
Interviewer: Uhhh.
Briana: It’s like girls gone wild! All that stuff.
Eric: I remember the girls gone wild stuff. (laughs)
Briana: It was there!
Interviewer: So the rest of y’all are from LA. Did you all go to high school together?
Eric: I’m didn’t. I went somewhere more far out.
Niko: Eric came in the picture later. London and I were childhood friends. We know each other since we were four, going to barbeques and stuff.
S8NT ELEKTRIC has a strong following in Los Angeles. When I went to their show at the Whiskey A Go-Go a few weeks ago, it was packed with high school and college kids. This is refreshing to see since the Sunset Strip scene has become mostly older guys in snakeskin boots. S8NT ELEKTRIC are one of the bands that are trying to change this.
London: We want to revitalize that scene. Rejuvenate it for younger people.
Interviewer: You seem like one of the perfect bands to do it.
And the band is one of the bands that will bring the scene and sound back. S8NT ELEKTRIC has the vibes of bands from the 70s/80s but in a modern way. The band has released a few singles, including a new single called “S8NT ELEKTRIC”.
Interviewer: What’s the process like for you when you write a song?
Niko: Throughout our singles, the process is slowly developing. With each new development, the songs get better. Our last song “Someday” was the first song we all collaborated on. Before that, it was like maybe I had a demo of an instrumental. But with the new single, that was the first song we rewrote lyrics, melodies. We all got together for that.
London: We finished it in rehearsal. I remember you guys came in with it already half done. And we finished the whole thing.
Jack: Everyone adds their own thing.
The band currently had four singles out and are working on another. They hope to release an EP in the near future.
Interviewer: What’s your favorite venue you’ve played at?
All: BottleRock!
Eric: Shout out BottleRock!
Briana: Yeah it was great, we were treated like royalty. We had our own RV. We were across from, who was it?
London: Run The Jewels!
Briana: Yes. We met Milky Chance. I was VERY happy about it. We me Guy Fieri too. It was really cool. We had nice food and people were always checking on us. It was our first time playing at a festival, so it was a little scary at moments. But now we know what to do. We already have two festivals lined up.
S8NT ELEKTRIC have two upcoming festivals they are playing in. The first is at the South Texas Film Festival. In May they are playing at Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Interviewer: What’s your dream venue?
Eric: I’d say Reading, main stage.
London: Madison Square Garden.
Briana: The Rome Olympic Stadium.
Niko: You know that airfield that Metallica played at that one time? Yeah, that one.
Jack: A slightly more attainable one, I really want to play The Roxy.
S8NT ELEKTRIC already has an impressive start. They have opened at the Whiskey A Go-Go. Played big festivals. And continue to find new places to spread their music. The future looks bright for the young band.
Interviewer: Where do you see yourself in the next five years? What are your goals?
Briana: My goal, and I think for all of us, is to have this as our job. We are passionate and really love this. We would want to tour, go around the country and world. Open for big bands and learning the ropes from them. Just having this as our life and career. We all love it, we all enjoy it, and we want to play music for the rest of our lives.
These goals are not out of reach for this band, a band that not only has great tunes but excellent showmanship.
Interviewer: Who are you influences?
Eric: I pull a lot from punk and atmospheric stuff. I get the atmospheric sound from a band called Angels and Airwaves. It sounds spacey and shit, I’m like “Fuck yeah!”. Also, a band called Turnstile. Keeps it fat, open. (pauses) That’s what she said.
London: An influence for me is, I’m a really big Dave Grohl fan. I take a lot of his chops. Whatever fits the songs. I get kickass songs from these guys.
Niko: I like a variety of stuff. Like Led Zeppelin and 70s rock. I really like pop and EDM music as well. I want the music to be catchy and memorable. I’ve been really into the Foo Fighters and they do that well. Also Coldplay, they have great songwriting. Anyone who writes a great song.
Briana: That’s hard. Right now I’m listening to Coldplay a lot. I really like the way Chris Martin sounds. They have a really good sound. He started when he was 23 too so that’s cool. I really like listening to No Doubt. For belting stuff, I really like Lady Gaga. It’s one of the ways I practice. I listen to the “Shallows” song to warm up my voice. I mesh a lot of things together like Carrie Underwood and Calvin Harris. I just want people to be happy.
Jack: I go to USC for music so I’m exposed to a lot. But I would say the big ones that influence my bass playing are the hard rock bands we’ve been talking about. I’m a hug fan of Black Sabbath. I would say funk music too. I really like Parliament.
Eric: Can I say one more? I’m a big My Chemical Romance guy.
While music is the priority for the band, many of the members dabble in other things as well.
Interviewer: Do you have any hobbies when not playing?
Briana: I’m a kickbox trainer.
London: She’ll fuck shit up!
Briana: Do, do, do! (laughs) I’m pretty good.
Interviewer: Do you make the noises too?
Briana: (laughs) No, but you can hear it pretty good! I also paint and roller-skate at skate parks. Like jump off stuff.
Niko: She probably has the most hobbies.
Briana: I don’t like to stick to one thing. I like to get good at a lot of stuff.
Interviewer: What about y’all?
Eric: I occasionally will go bike riding or play basketball.
Niko: London, you’re a great skateboarder!
London: Yeah I skate.
Briana: And he climbs!
London: Skate and rock climb. Play video games, I’ve been super into the switch. Like Mario Cart and Assassins Creed.
Jack: I produce music on my own. I’ve been learning keys and play bass guitar.
Niko: I do enjoy engineering. Like audio engineering. I mix and produce all of the band’s stuff.
Interviewer: You learned that yourself?
Niko: Yeah, through trial and error. It’s kind of a necessity since we don’t have to pay someone to do that. I really love it, it’s something I think about all the time.
In the era of streaming, it’s harder for new artists to get their sound out to the masses. That’s why live shows have become so important again. The band notes that live shows and touring is what the enjoy most, being able to physically and emotionally be connected with audiences. But they are also hopeful for physical media to come back again, for artists to make a living from selling their music too. The band has only played eight shows but will play many, many more in their lives.
S8NT ELEKTRIC has a single on the way and a few more shows. Catch them at the Whiskey A Go-Go on January 28th, 2022.