Early Morning Rebel
Recently called “Darlings of the Fashion World” So Cal based band Early Morning Rebel is proud of its LA roots but their soulful sound has universal appeal and has been winning hearts in Europe as well as the U.S. We caught up with EMR lead guitar player Dustin Bath fresh off the fashion show runway world of London and Paris Fashion week.
Give me some history on your band….
Dustin: There are 3 of us in Early Morning Rebel right now. I play lead guitar, back up vocals and produce, Nathan Blumenfeld- James is the lead singer and writes and produces, and Josh Mervin is our drummer and keyboard player. About a year ago we were feeling inspired to do something new and decided to start Early Morning Rebel. We knew Josh through the LA music scene and invited him in on the project and he turned out to be the perfect fit to complete the lineup. It’s a very collaborative project. Nate, who I met in high school, and I grew up together in Los Angeles and over the years have played in various bands and produced records together. In fact our first gig ever was in NOHO in a club called The Raven. I’m not sure if it still exists but it’s one we will always remember.
What style of music do you play?
Dustin: One of our friends called our music “indie pop noir” which we think is a cool way of describing it. The name lends itself to the dark and light nature of our music.
What makes you unique?
Dustin: We play and record music that we love and want to listen to. We built our own recording studio in Venice and being independent we have had the freedom to develop and create our sound. And we have conceptualized, directed, and edited all of our music videos. Putting visuals with music is another part of our creative process. As a band we’re lucky to say we enjoy each other. Many different things in life inspire us so every song we write is something new and unique to us. Hopefully that comes across to whoever is listening.
What are some of your favorite memories/gigs as a band?
Dustin: As a band we are less then a year old so everything is still new at this point but we have been fortunate enough to have our music placed on some great TV shows like our song “Lifeboat” on Grey’s Anatomy, “Burn Us Down” on A & E’s Breakout Kings, and promos for Steven Spielberg. It’s been incredible as well to play at London Fashion week twice and this year at Paris Fashion week. Knowing our music is being played on millions of TV’s around the world is an amazing feeling.
Tell us about your Paris and London gigs and the Fashion Connection?
Dustin: Growing up in Los Angeles many of our friends are artists, fashion designers, and actors. We’ve always felt music and fashion influence each other and the creative process is quite similar. Being surrounded by creative people the connection to fashion felt natural. We appreciate being around people and things that inspire us. When we were invited to have our music in runway shows and play events during London and Paris fashion week we jumped at the chance. We’ve loved the energy and excitement of the new designers showcasing their lines and being front row has been pretty awesome.
What’s your aspiration, where do you see the band in 5 years?
Dustin: We want to continue writing, recording and playing the music that we love and travel the world surrounded by the people and things that inspire us. In our eyes that is what success looks like.
What advice would you give to new bands/musicians?
Dustin: Being in a band is a hard road but if you love it, just keep pushing forward and never give up. If you put enough energy into something it’s going to give you something back.
{youtube}NjyXl_kWi7s{/youtube}
Watch for Early Morning Rebel’s appearance on NBC’s hit show Parenthood Tuesday, November 27th at 10:00pm/9:00C!
http://www.nbc.com/parenthood
http://www.facebook.com/EarlyMorningRebel
https://twitter.com/morningrebel or if you have a twitter account @morningrebel
Instagram: earlymorningrebel