Hi, everyone! A few days back, I got to sit down and chat with Gary Larsen, the lead singer and guitarist of the Louisiana-based indie pop group Royal Teeth. Though Larsen was not an original member of the group, he met members of another band that ended up reforming into Royal Teeth in 2010. The group has released one LP and two EPs, but you may know the group for their 2013 song, “Wild”. It appeared in many different advertisements, as well as the world-famous EA Sports video game, FIFA. Throughout their music career, they have had the opportunity to tour with bands such as Fitz and the Tantrums, Walk the Moon, American Authors, and the Mowglis. Additionally, they have also performed at some of the country’s biggest music festivals, including Bonnaroo, South by Southwest, and Austin City Limits. After hearing about their big music background, I was very excited to reach out and chat with the band.
bazzreviews: Which artists or albums made you want to start a music career?
Gary Larsen: I don’t know if there’s anything specific. I grew up in Slidell, Louisiana, just outside of New Orleans. I’ve always loved music, and was raised with whatever was on TV. I went through almost every trend of music possible. When I was really young, I went through the boy band phase, and then I got into rap music videos, followed by some of Marilyn Manson’s stuff. I started a band when I got older, and we wanted to sound a lot like Brand New.
br: I understand that you were the original founder of Royal Teeth, but that you met members of the band that were performing under a different name. How did you end up meeting them?
G.L.: Technically, I was the one who started Royal Teeth. It was me, and our former bass player, Josh Wells. Our drummer, Josh Hefner, guitar player Thomas [Onebane], and Wells when he was in the band. We also had a keyboard player named [Andrew] Poe. They were in a band called Oh Juliet in Lafayette. They would play all the time, and I would go watch them at shows. I was in an up-and-coming band, and weren’t super talented or anything. I was huge fan of them because they were so professional. One time, Josh invited me up to Lafayette and he said he wanted to start playing music with me. Oh Juliet was kind of on their way out, and that’s how we started the band. It was essentially them, but I reformed it. Our lead singer (Nora Patterson) joined even later, but this was at the very beginning of Royal Teeth. Once she joined, we knew we were a real band.
br: In earlier Royal Teeth records, there appears to be a lot more folk elements. What made you guys want to shift from that sound to a more pop-driven sound?
G.L.: I don’t think there was any specific reason. If I listen to our our first EP, Act Naturally, for example, it sounds like a very pop-driven record in my opinion. We always talk with our manager, and he’ll tell us what he thinks fits well with our band. He’ll also tell us if he thinks something that sounds alternative is too poppy and vice versa. We’ve always been a band that tries not to fit in to a specific category, and I think my influences being so diverse contributes to that. I will say that some of our older stuff did sound more folk-inspired, mainly because I was writing straight off of an acoustic guitar. I built a home studio for our latest record, and Thomas and I produced the whole thing ourselves.
br: You mentioned releasing some new material this year, can you tell me a little more about what it has in store?
G.L.: We’re hoping to drop the new album sometime this year. We haven’t picked a date or a title yet, but as of now it’s finished. Since the music world is so driven by singles nowadays, and we had some songs ready at the end of last year, we decided to start dropping a few singles. The first single, “Never Gonna Quit”, was released July 27 of last year, and we have been releasing new stuff since then. Two years ago, we went through a period where we had some record label drama, and we’re now on our third label. It’s been a bumpy road, and we haven’t been able to put out music as often as we’d like to. That messed with us for a little while, and now we’re in completely different places than we were when we first started recording stuff. I think we made it a point this time around to keep putting stuff out and keep interacting with fans.
br: Can you describe how you guys typically make a song?
G.L.: As we touched on before, it’s changed over the years. I used to be so dependent on everyone else for ideas. I would write something, then present it to Nora and the other members to play around with. Leading up to this record, we spent some time and more money than we should have in Nashville to bring in different producers to different studios to help us out. Mentally, I don’t think we were prepared. I think it had to do with some of the drama we had in the past, and I think we were very confused with what sound we were trying to go for. We went back home, and a weird sense of urgency came through me to start writing songs and producing music. I started building a studio at my house in New Orleans, and the writing process began once that was in process. I’d wake up in the morning and just write, regardless if it was bad. In the time of about a year and a half, I’ve been working on around sixty demos. Like I mentioned for our single, “Never Gonna Quit”, I forgot that I had recorded the base of it like a year before I started writing it. It was basically what became the bridge of the song, but I liked what I heard, so I went with it.
br: I love your song, “Wild”. What emotions were you guys feeling after it started appearing in so many different places?
G.L.: Thank you! It’s a weird thing. If it happened now, I would have appreciated it more than I did then. When it first took off, I was about 21 or 22, and the band was still sort of new. When we recorded our first EP, we were unsigned. Within a year, we had labels interested in us. We did our first South by Southwest, “Wild” was on its first commercial, and we were starting to sign contracts. It all happened so fast. You get this idea in your head where you feel that’s normal. It’s exciting, but I was like, “okay, now what are we going to do?” When I look back years later, it was an amazing thing that we had accomplished. We had connected with an audience everywhere. In the video game, on TV, and radio stations, it just opened up so many doors for us. Without that song, we would not have had half the opportunities we have had in our career. We’ve done a lot since then, for sure, but “Wild” will always have a special place in my heart. I wish I could tell you the formula, but I’ve tried many times to recreate it and failed.
br: Throughout your career, you guys have had the opportunity to tour with bands like Fitz and the Tantrums and Walk the Moon. Which band was your favorite to tour with?
G.L.: We’ve done some pretty great tours. I like different ones for different reasons, and every tour we do is different from the last. Working with Fitz and the Tantrums was pretty great, they were one of the first artists we toured with. It stood out to me because of their work ethic on stage. They’re a very well-oiled machine and put on a show every night. We were still working out some of our kinks on stage at the time because we hadn’t toured very much. Once we saw them, we figured, “okay, we could make our own version of what they do”. We’ve become great friends with the band Silent Film, and a lot of fans who go out to so many Royal Teeth shows. It’s amazing to have so many fans who will travel the world with you. We’d really love to travel internationally in the future, but it’s just really expensive to send our equipment overseas.
br: What music goals does the band have for the future?
G.L.: I used to believe that having a band was all or nothing, but the older I’ve gotten, I realize that’s not what having a band entails. I think that the band succeeds when we’re all happy. We all have different things in our lives that are important to us. Nora’s an incredible graphic designer, and she’s really happy doing that. Josh is a music attorney in Nashville and makes way more money than we do. He loves playing with the band while making all of these connections with other musicians. That’s exciting, too. Thomas is a producer that helps a lot of other artists make their music. For me, I’m kind of falling in love with the whole songwriting process, and Royal Teeth is my main commitment as of now. In the future, I’d really like to help other artists write their songs or have my own side project. I already have so many demos that I could use for it. I think as long as we’re all doing our own thing and achieving our own goals, we’ll be alright.
I would like to thank Gary once again for his time to interview. Despite the band having a lot of past drama, he continues to persist. He remains incredibly humble about his success and quick to put his bandmates before himself. For those who haven't listened to Royal Teeth yet, I would recommend checking out. They have a great sound that I really enjoy! Thanks to my supporters once again, and more great stuff is coming soon!
To support Royal Teeth's music, go to https://royalteeth.bandcamp.com/
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