Whether or not you recognize their music, R5 is a group of many hats. Sure, they wear fashionable ones, but by this I mean many responsibilities and talents. With Riker Lynch performing on Dancing With The Stars, Ross Lynch starring in Austin And Ally, and continuous world tours, I think it’s safe to say that R5 have arrived. Their second and most recent album, Sometime Last Night, was released to great reviews and huge momentum. Being so young, they have already accomplished so much in their careers.
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Rocky Lynch, one of the five members of R5, about their current tour, new single, and what the future holds. After meeting them, I knew our conversation would be fun, and it was just that! Check it out below:
Thanks for taking the time to chat Rocky! Where are you all right now?
Hey Maria, we are in San Antonio, Texas!
Wow, I am green with envy. It’s snowing here in New Jersey per usual.
Oh man, really? That’s a bummer. Well, don’t feel too bad, it’s kind of warm and kind of coldish—anything below 60 is cold for us living in California (laughs).
I bet! Do you guys have a show tonight?
No, we have a day off today! We played last night, and we’re going to Austin tomorrow. Plus, a day off to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday!
Oh nice, who are you routing for? I think I know…
The Denver Broncos, of course! We are from Colorado originally, so it would be awesome to see them win.
Peyton Manning going out on top, I would love to see it if it’s true! Now, I will get right into it. 2015 was a huge year for R5, as a group and on a personal level, with the release of Sometime Last Night, Riker on Dancing With The Stars, Ross finishing Austin And Ally, a world tour and so much more. So I have to ask, did you have any resolutions for 2016?
Honestly, we’re going to finish up this tour, and then I think we’ll go back in the studio and write some new records. We have been touring so much it will be nice to just unwind for a bit, take a tiny “break”—a little downtime, we mean. A couple of the band members filmed some movies and stuff, and we’ve all got a lot going on. We just all kind of agreed to take some relax time!
That is a good resolution, you need it. You are absolutely right, you guys have been on the road nonstop! The album appears to have had so much success on many levels. How has the reaction been to the new single “Dark Side”?
You know what is funny, that song was always the one we wanted to push to radio. Everyone on our crew, our friends, our fans, everybody kept telling us “Dark Side” is the one you have to make the single! Not everyone agreed naturally, but we were so excited to be able to release this one. We all love it, and we know it’s a fan favorite, so it’s been going over really well.
We are looking forward to having you back in New Jersey at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank on Feb. 24! Jersey loves you, and I saw you all out at Mercer County Park Festival Grounds this past summer. The vibe was incredible! Can we expect any new surprises on this tour?
It will be some of the same songs, but we always like to change around the setlist on every tour. We throw in some cool covers, old and new, and always promise to put on a rocking show for everyone! I am sure our fans will enjoy it!
I have to ask, R5 are so interactive with their fans on social media, with meet and greets during shows and so much more. How important is it to you guys to maintain that relationship with your fan base?
It’s so important. In this day and age, most of the people that are active on social media are the people that are KILLING IT! You know, we tour with people that come off Vine and stuff, and their following is absolutely insane. It’s mind-blowing to think that they aren’t even signed to a label, they are just doing it all themselves, and it’s really cool to see. I personally think, if you aren’t doing social media and sharing content with your fans, you are missing out on half of what you could be capitalizing on. And also, it’s always cool to communicate with our fans, friends, and family and see what’s up with other people all around the world.
It’s so great to hear you say that. Being so young, I doubt you even remember an era without it, but talking to some older musicians they always tell me how it was hard to stay in touch with their fans with no social tools.
Oh yeah, definitely! We get told a lot by older musicians that “back in the day” they had no way of sharing what they were doing or where they were with their fans, so it must have been crazy!
What are some bands that you are listening to right now?
Lots of stuff, but I always love the classics: Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Queen, stuff like that. We actually got to play a cover of “Purple Rain” the other night at a diner, it was amazing!
I wish I was there to see that! So you said you guys are going to take a break and write and such, anything set in stone after the tour or are you just letting it ride?
Nothing set in stone yet, but that’s the plan we think. We want to finish this tour out strong and focus on new music for our fans. Take each day as it comes!
Great motto. Well, I can’t wait to see you guys at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, New Jersey, on Feb. 24!
Thanks Maria, see you then!
Catch R5 on the Sometime Last Night tour at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ on Feb. 24 and the Beacon Theatre in New York City on Feb. 27. Sometime Last Night is available now through Hollywood Records. For more information, visit R5Rocks.com.
