Today, Music Crowns sat down with Cleveland, OH pop-rock outfit Recess, who have recently dropped their latest single, “The Sound of Giving Up”.
Childhood friends can grow apart, move away or see the rigours of adult life interfere in relationships. For Recess however, the three kids who were playing music together at elementary school have only grown closer with time.
From one of the youngest touring bands in the Northeast Recess, formed of Alex Raz, and brothers Vincent & Anthony Fondale, have come full circle winning Best Alternative Band at the 2023 Cleveland Music Awards.
Whilst the three young men have matured both on and off record, the youthful exuberance and joy of playing music that brought them together over a decade ago ago has not.
Music Crowns recently had the opportunity to sit down with the band, to discuss the journey to date.
Recess has been a touring band since you were in 8th grade! How did that early start shape your stage show and what lessons did you take from playing shows at a young age?
We’ve definitely learned a ton about performing in the sixteen years we’ve been a band. The experience has helped us shape the way we perform, being air-tight musically while simultaneously not letting the little mistakes get to you, engaging with the crowd, and focusing on the physical performance while being aware of your surroundings. Another crucial part of performing we learned is talking to the crowd and having a bit of fun on stage. Don’t take everything so seriously; you and everyone in the audience is there to have fun!
Listening to 2023 release “Rust”, and your latest release “The Sound of Giving Up” back-to-back, there’s a significant shift. Is the latest song a sign of a move away from pop-rock/pop-punk and into a more out-and-out pop band?
As a band, we’ve always been diverse in the sound of our music. We want to write what will portray our message the best. We definitely expand on our genre and don’t hold ourselves to a structure. You can hear that in the way we structured our newest releases: “Rust” and “The Sound Of Giving Up”. They both have their own unique style and we try to allow each song to form its own identity while each having a unique message.
Last year you landed the award of Best Alternative Act in the Cleveland Music Awards. Congratulations on that. Has generating a following across your local/regional market and building out from there been a conscious part of your growth plan?
Thank you, we are so happy to be recognized in that way, especially a music conglomerate like Cleveland! This year, we were also listed in the top 3 best bands in the city by Cleveland Scene and we couldn’t be more grateful. Building locally has been a big focus of ours, especially as the music scene in Cleveland continues to grow. It’s important to treat everyone like family (after-all, we are one big music community). From the audience, to the artists and production, we all need each other to make waves around the world. We also look to build outside of Cleveland and Ohio. Especially when the community we want to create will be so much bigger, and we can’t wait to wear the city proudly with us along the way.
What is the best & the worst change in the music industry since the first show you played as Recess?
The best change in the industry since we started would be the diversity and opportunity everyone has to succeed. It’s more accessible than ever to reach a wider audience, and it gives independent artists a better opportunity to be discovered. The worst change is how much more expensive and saturated the industry has become. You have to stand out more than ever, and more than once. It doesn’t take one video to make you recognized anymore, it’s a consistent stream of increased reach. Also, the more money you can spend, the more access you have to opportunity.
What’s next for the band? Can fans expect any more new music this year?
In the upcoming months, expect to see more videos and content from us! Super excited to show what we have in store! We also plan on releasing another single (this one is going to be one of our best)! By following us @Recessofficial on instagram, tiktok, facebook, and X. We’ll definitely be hinting more about it!
