Photo Credit: Nathan James
Hot Topic started out scaring parents in suburban mall settings and has since gone through an array of makeovers. From gothy to Disney, it’s always sold what was cool but not cool-cool. More like what was cool to the kids who leaned alternative, and nestled in between the all-black ensembles and a wave of Little Mermaid merch was the pop-punk/emo boom of the ‘00s. Initially, it was all scene queens and studded belts, but along the way, a subgenre emerged that brought about a style that was draped in neon as bands like Forever The Sickest Kids and 3OH!3 brought the party vibes to the likes of Warped Tour, and today artists like BOYR!OT is bringing us back to those days in particular, and I for one could not be happier. With their main character energy levels at full capacity, we chatted with this LA-based duo about their neon ways, their latest singles, and more in this back-and-forth exchange that’s bound to be a very topical moment that’s also hot.
Kendra: You’d noted upon the release of your debut single, “MA!N CHARACTER,” that y’all are psycho perfectionists. Other than a shared love of music, do you feel that the need for perfection is one of the main factors in why you two work so well as a cohesive unit?
BOYR!OT: We are definitely both perfectionists, sometimes to the point of being super hard on ourselves! But that also means that once we release music, we truly love it and believe it’s the best it can be. We both have to approve of the songs we release, and we’re tough critics but we believe our high standards have helped us in the long run.
Kendra: Sticking with “MA!N CHARACTER” for a second. I want to talk about the music and era it instantly took me back to but we’ll get to that in a second. I’d like to talk more about main character energy. It’s something that we all have to some degree, but for you two – is that something you’d say you feel more so than others, or was this song inspired by the self-obsession that lingers in the Los Angeles air?
BOYR!OT: This song was actually written in Nashville during our first-ever writer’s session but we love that you interpreted it to be about self-obsession in LA (isn’t that the truth)! We definitely took inspiration from all the “main character energy” memes we’ve seen across social media but at the end of the day, we also consider it our mantra. Instead of feeling lost or insignificant, we remind ourselves every day that WE are the main characters– at the very least in our own story.
Kendra: Now you wrote that track out in Nashville, but again – you’re in LA now. I lived out there for 16 years and it was hard to leave the insane amount of music venues there. For you, what’s the bucket list venue in LA that you feel matches BOYR!OT’s energy best?
BOYR!OT: The quantity and quality of music venues in LA is one of our favorite things about this city! Some of our favorite venues that we’d love to play at in the future include The Viper Room, The Troubadour, The Roxy, and The Bourbon Room. Basically, we love any music venue bringing back the golden age of rock and roll in LA, especially on the Sunset Strip. We’ve been lucky enough to have found a home so far at the iconic Hotel Cafe, where we’ve played multiple shows but you can expect to see us performing a lot more with a full band in 2025!
Kendra: You’re on a roll because “MA!N CHARACTER” was followed up by “ALL THE BEST, JESS!” Both tracks take me back to what elder emos refer to as the Neon Era. The period when bands like Forever The Sickest Kids and Cobra Starship were widely popular in the Warped Tour scene. Would you say that’s where BOYR!OT draws inspiration from?
BOYR!OT: Honestly, we’ve never heard of the Neon Era before, but after looking into it that’s actually exactly what we’re trying to do! We both grew up on emo and pop-punk music. We loved Linkin Park, Good Charlotte, Fall Out Boy, and all the other Warped Tour bands. Our sound was inspired by what you call “the golden age” of pop-punk and emo music (around the late 2000s) with a modern, electronic twist. A lot of our inspiration came from earlier trailblazers like 3OH!3, Boys Like Girls, and Metro Station.
Kendra: Warped Tour could be viewed as a former meeting hub for outliers. Today though, Warped no longer exists, and while things like Sad Summer march on – the feel of Warped is something people yearn for and look back on with such reverence. Do you see another touring festival like Warped coming back to that same level and response, and if so – would you want to tour in that capacity?
BOYR!OT: Yes, yes, and yes! We are very hopeful that these kinds of tours and festivals are coming back, with the introduction of When We Were Young Fest and Sad Summer. It’s been really cool to see a new generation listening to alternative and punk music. Given how messed up the world is right now, we see more and more people gravitating towards the genre and starting a R!OT! We say that our music is for the outliers and those tours fit our scene perfectly so we absolutely hope to be included on those tours in the next few years!
Kendra: Time for a side note – With it being summer, I’d love to know – and for you to share – your favorite road trip song. Like, what’s the one song that has to be on your mix when you hit the road?
BOYR!OT: Having gone on long tours and driven cross country when we moved to LA, we know how important a good road trip playlist is! A few of our favorites include “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, “Drive” by Incubus, “So What” by P!NK, and “Uprising” by Muse.
Kendra: Lastly, with two brand-new singles out now, what are your plans as we start to roll into the fall?
BOYR!OT: We plan to continue releasing music throughout the rest of the year, so stay tuned! Keep your eyes peeled around the holidays as we’re feeling festive this year.
