From seemingly coming out of nowhere in late 2015, ROAM are set to have a very successful 2016. I spoke to bass player Matt Roskilly to discuss influences, touring life, festival appearances and what he thinks 2016 will bring for the band.
ROAM first came to my attention when they appeared on Scuzz TV's UK Throwdown special earlier in the year, where I first heard their single 'Deadweight'. Their pop punk necessities mixed with a heavier intro and thrash guitars got me very excited for what else this brand new band could produce, and the release of their debut album in January was far from disappointing; it was great to hear pop punk return even further to its roots, and for a band to bring classic elements that made up 90s and early 00s pop punk into 2016. Matt hoped the appearance on Scuzz would increase their fan base by rock fans happening to stumble across them, and I can confirm they have at least one new fan in the shape of myself.
When listening to the tracks from Backbone, it is very easy to pick up on some of the band's influences, especially the era they came from. It came as no surprise when Matt told me their influences lie with bands like Sum 41 and Set Your Goals, as well as taking inspiration from their very varied music taste as a band, with Matt admitting they all listen to 'stuff like Slipknot to Shakira', and whilst heavier undertones are easy to pick up on, I couldn't personally detect any Latin American influences in their music (maybe next album, lads?). It's great to see that the band are still inspired by the bands they listened to growing up, with bands like Blink 182 and Good Charlotte arising when discussing topics like their dream gig line up on the long journeys in their van.
Being enclosed in a van for hours on end with 'zero privacy' doesn't strike anyone as a great time, but Matt assured me he 'wouldn't change [touring life] for the world'. The band are currently supporting Against the Current on their European tour, and are gearing up to play alongside bands like New Found Glory, Mayday Parade and Four Year Strong at Slam Dunk Festival this year, celebrating their 10th year with an incredible line up. I'm glad the band enjoy each others' company and their beloved van, because they have a very busy year of tours ahead of them, and Matt couldn't be any more excited.
The band as a whole are looking forward to whatever 2016 throws at them, as well as their already set in stone plans. As well as 'endless touring' and seeing the world, Matt let me know that they will also 'get on with writing some new material', which he describes as 'always exciting', and I don't know about you, but I am definitely excited about hearing how the band develop further in the future, and build on their already solid foundations. 2016 sounds like a very promising year for the band, and we could be hearing the name ROAM around the pop punk scene a lot more by the time 2017 rolls around.
Make sure to check out ROAM when they return home for the UK leg as support for Against the Current, playing in London, Leeds, Birmingham and Hatfield in May, before hitting up Slam Dunk Festival. Also make sure you give their debut album Backbone a listen on iTunes or Spotify.
