Upstate Royalty is a band born out of quarantine. Lockdown forced the independent rock group from Monroe-Woodbury, NY to record their their new record however and wherever they could. Throughout the summer of 2020 they tracked in garages, sheds, and sometimes outside in order to properly socially distance.
The Rock & Roll quartet consists of Paul Nugent (vocals), Trevor La Due (guitar), Bobby Malone (bass), and Eric Schmit (drums). Way back in 2019, the four friends each attended a different college hundreds of miles away from one another. COVID-19 brought them all back to their Upstate New York hometown. They released the EP “Stolen Youth” on October 30, 2020. The six song collection chronicles in real time, the challenges and struggles facing young people in the age of the pandemic.
Stolen Youth is centered around this feeling of trying to find yourself in a large and not-always welcoming world, and the loss of youthful innocence and naivety that comes along with it.
Upstate Royalty
The band’s sound incorporates different Alternative Rock styles from the decades. The record opens with robotic arpeggios and Zombie movie samples of “What a Time to Be Alive.” The track builds in intesity as the band enters the mix. The song is a coming of age story which will resonate with anyone who grew up in a small town. “Fleeting Memory” follows with a creative mix of dance groove and rocking guitar. Again the band tackles the reality of small town life as the singer recalls the intolerence faced by a same-sex couple.
“Deep End” introduces a grungy Rock vibe. With its distorted bass line and loose raw power guitar and drum groove, the track hints at classic NYC pre-punk bands like The Stooges and Televison. Elsewhere on the record the band incorporates elements of 80’s style synthwave keys into their funky Garage Rock vibe. That technique, along with Nugent’s classic Pop tenor give songs like “One Day” and “Who Said” a solid radio-ready feel that brings The Killers to mind.
The EP ends with the Classic Rock acoustic stylings of “Awake,” a melancholy break-up song. It explores all of the confusion and sadness inherent to the passing of young love. As the song progresses, although it remains mostly acoustic, it gradually introduces more Modern Rock stylings.
“Stolen Youth” is the sound of a talented young band creating and defining themselves in the most difficult of times. You can hear “Fleeting Memory” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below to connect with Upstate Royalty. Get in the loop on all of the band’s current and future projects.
Connect:
Upstate Royalty on the Deep Indie Dive playlist
