Taking heavy influence from artists from today like Troye Sivan merged with a strong 80’s electronica element, She & the Bandit is one of the hottest emerging bands today. Lead singer Ryan Adamés formed the electro-pop band in 2018 & his slick writing skills and swoon-worthy good looks are giving the much-buzzed about band plenty of attention. I caught up with Ryan to chat about how forming a group like She & The Bandit was a creative challenge, their single “Heartless” and why including drag performers in the video was absolutely crucial!
Michael Cook: Let’s start at the beginning; how did you get into music and when did you know that it would be your passion?
Ryan Adamés: Ever since I was a young kid, I’ve always been a writer, through poetry and such which was how I expressed myself, and through the pen I was able to talk about whatever struggles I was feeling at the time. But my musical journey really started back in 2011 when I released my first single and video and that’s kind of what catapulted me into this whole realm that I’m in now
MC: When was She & The Bandit formed? How would you describe your musical style?
RA: She & The Bandit was formed in 2018, sparked by the struggles of feeling like I had put myself inside a box and really wanted to challenge myself creatively, and as a songwriter and composer. I knew I could push myself more than I had been doing in the past. It became purely about the music, and heavily influenced by the 80’s and cinema. Heavy synths, bangers, and all things fun are where my sound is right now.
MC: Was working in the music industry always your passion? When as a child did you think it might be what you wanted to do?
RA: think I always knew as a child that I would have some sort of career in entertainment. I mean, I was relentless with performing for anyone and everyone that would watch honestly (laughs).It really became a thing for me when I saw Michael Jackson for the first time and I just remember being so enamored by him and his dancing. So in the back of my mind I think I knew this was something I wanted to pursue
MC: Tell me about your latest single ‘Heartless’..
RA: ‘Heartless’ was such an interesting thing for me because it was a song I wrote about heartbreak and the feeling of betrayal and kind of a one off as far as sound goes for me with the heavy Western influence, but ultimately I knew it was important for me to put it out so that I could have my own form of forgiveness in the situation. It was a good feeling to put this one into the universe
MC: The video for ‘Heartless’ weaves in some drag performers and truly seems to be an inclusive type of work. Is that kind of inclusivity something you want to deliver?
RA: I absolutely love and have always supported the drag community. A lot of my friends do drag and was always enamored by the artistry that goes into it. It’s pretty damn amazing and I’m glad the community is getting more recognition and becoming more mainstream. Inclusivity means so much to me which is why everyone I had in the ‘Heartless’ music video was there in the first place, being part of the important story that I was telling, which if there’s one thing we can all relate to; it’s heartbreak. But the coolest part was just hearing their stories, it was a therapeutic moment for me and just having them there was amazing
MC: Are there any videos or performances that She & The Bandit have gotten to do that truly made you think “this is it-I have arrived it and am living my dream!”
RA: I think the big moments for me are to come! I had this whole idea of how and where we’d perform this year and of course we know how that went but I really am optimistic about the future, especially with the incredible response I got from ‘Heartless’. It was truly such a great feeling and made me realize that I was on the right path
MC: Who do you see as some of your own biggest musical influences?
RA: I am forever influenced by artists that follow their own sound, I love Troye Sivan, Allie X, and of course Gaga! Being an artist is hard when you’re trying to please so many people at once, but I feel like a lot of the artists I really love have figured a way out to be true to themselves and the audience follows. That to me is really inspirational
MC: What’s next for She & The Bandit?
RA: Well I’m super excited to continue this journey that I’m on. I recently wrote and recorded a new song that I’m releasing on November 13th titled “Bad Kids” which I cannot wait for people to hear! I wrote this during the riots and it kind of inspired this whole mindset that I was in to compose and write this track. It’s all about rebellion and not giving a shit what anyone thinks of you, which to me is so important. Life is short, do what makes you happy. That’s what this is about. Beyond that I am so ready to start doing live shows again so that’s definitely the next step.
MC: How have you stayed musically and creatively fueled during the pandemic?
RA: This pandemic has been so hard for so many people, and I can definitely say it was for me too. I think us creatives have a very specific type of mind and it really took me a bit to figure out how to channel that creativity into art. But once I did there was no stopping me, I’ve been able to write a lot more and work with my really close friends on this passion project of mine. Sometimes it really takes a huge jolt to turn on the lights and I think that’s what it was for me.
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