Meet the band: Alt9
Do you love artists like The Driver Era and The Chainsmokers?
Meet ALT9, your next favorite pop duo. Made up of members Eric Grooms and Brendan Foery.
First off, what is pop music? Pop music is a genre that appeals to a wide audience and dominates the music charts. It is characterized by its upbeat melodies, catchy choruses, and simple lyrics, often focused on love, romance, and relationships. While some may criticize pop music for being too formulaic and commercial, others appreciate its ability to bring people together and create a shared cultural experience. Regardless of personal preferences, it's impossible to deny the impact pop music has had on the music industry and its continued relevance in today's music landscape. ALT9 brings all this into one with their upbeat songs about finding who you are, falling in love, and being young. All while bringing people together.
Here is a mini interview with the two to get to know their band a little better:
What is the meaning behind ALT 9 and how did you come up with it?
Brendan: Classified information. Lol jk. Eric?
Eric: I concur. Classified information.
Eric Grooms (left) and Brendan Foery (right)
What are your goals with the band?
Brendan: We both love making music, obviously. Individually, we have quite different tastes and inspirations so naturally, what we create has a unique feel and sound. That being said, we really want to engage with and love on people. Through the songs we write, yes, but more importantly we want to perform live and interact with people. We believe God has brought us together so that we can love and serve others. The music we make, the shows we perform, the intimate, backyard jams, all of it is to point people to Jesus and to love others along the journey. We create because we’ve been created in the image of the most creative being to ever exist. We love because He first loved.
(Eric wholeheartedly agrees)
What inspired Lover (I think I need a friend)?
Brendan: Eric, you take this one? The music production side of it was because there was a time we said, “We should write a song in 3/4.” So I started a project in 3/4 and this is what came of it. Lol
Eric: “Lover (I Think I Need a Friend)” was inspired by my current process for figuring out what romantic love really means and looks like. I wrote from the perspective of someone who’s chasing the emotional highs and lows of intimacy like an addict chasing their drug of choice. After being tossed about by the waves of romance, the protagonist of the song reaches the conclusion that they’ve been searching for love in all the wrong places. They come to a sobering realization that what they really need is not the idealized version of love built up in their fantasy, but a real love based on friendship and mutual affection. This is a conclusion I’ve had to come to personally and a lament that I think most of us can relate to.
Who are some of your inspirations? Musically, aesthetically, etc.?
Eric: Some of my personal inspirations are Matty Healy (The 1975), Donald Glover, and Country Western icons like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson. Matty for the songwriting and unapologetic pretentious artistry, Donald for the ability to perfect any medium he touches, and Johnny and Willie bc I hope to be as cool as them one day. Some of our mutual inspirations are iconic pop and rock duos like The Chainsmokers, The Driver Era, and Twenty-One Pilots. We really hope to learn from some of the things that make those guys great and build on them to create our own unique style that can someday inspire others to do the same.
Brendan: I agree with all of the above, though I will add some of my personal inspirations. I love Daniel Pemberton and Hans Zimmer. I draw on that “cinematic” world of music a lot. I also like Justin Bieber, Usher, and Chris Brown…their music is really what got my ear paying attention to musical composition and production early on. I like things that sound really good and I often fight against the “commercial element” of pop music…but at the same time, I see the merit.
If you could work with any other artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
Brendan: We have a few. We think it would be super cool to collab with Post Malone.
Eric: Post Malone would be a cool one. He’s also just a guy that we’ve been praying for a lot lately. I know we would both nerd out over a Justin Bieber collab too. Personally, I would DIE to work with Jon Bellion. I’ve always loved him and have allegedly sent him some embarrassing DMs that we’ll certainly have to address when we meet in person.
Lastly, what is your favorite line in Lover (I Think I Need a Friend)?
Eric: My favorite line from the song is at the end when I go “aight” I’m obsessed with the cute little details of songs and I’m always trying to add them in and I’m so happy that one made the final cut.
