Interview with John and Paul Thornley of U.S. Royalty

U.S. Royalty is a Washington , D.C. rock band who just released their first album in January called "Mirrors." The band has been together since 2008. The time before the album the band has spent touring and playing live. The band is made up of the brothers John Thornley and Paul Thornley on vocals and guitar. The band also features Luke Adams on drums and Jacob Michael on bass. The bands song "Keep it Cool" has been featured on The Vampires Diaries.

The independent band has developed a following by touring relentlessly and playing music festivals including the South by Southwest Festival and the North by Northeast Festival. The band recently opened for Macy Gray in New York . On YouTube several of their songs have over 10,000 views. The band plans to tour more in 2011 and one of their highlights will be playing in the Sweet Life Festival on May 1, 2011 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia , Maryland . Other bands on the bill include The Strokes, Girl Talk, Lupe Fiasco, Crystal Castles, Cold War Kids, Ra Ra Riot, Theophilus London, Walk the Moon and Modern Man.

I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the brothers John and Paul Thornley about U.S. Royalty, their new album "Mirror" and their future plans.

Mike: How did the band decide on the name U.S. Royalty?

Paul: We had a show booked and we didn't have a name. Our bassist (Jacob Michael) came up with it. He threw it at us and we said it sounds cool.

John: We just started rehearsing together and had a few songs trying to book something a couple of months down the road to work toward and we told the guy I.S. Royalty. He remembered U.S. Royalty and over time it kind of fit.

Mike: Congratulations on the release of your debut album "Mirrors." Travel sounds like a common thread on the album how did this occur?

Paul: Before we started actually recording the album we were on the road for year and a half to two years without an album just playing live a lot. I think just getting that you start to write in that vein because you're in it.

John: We were starting to get some interesting shows early on. We would just keep playing and traveling and we were writing new songs as we were traveling and half the time working day jobs. We finally sat down Winter/Spring of 2010 and wrote the album to have something out that was a complete thought.

Mike: Who are the main songwriters in the band?

John: For this album Paul and I. We are getting ready to record new stuff. A lot of people have recording ideas. So it's whoever wants to bring something to the table. This album (Mirrors) was more my brother and I hashing out arrangements and bringing it to the band to fill out.

Mike: Listening to the album U.S, Royalty appears to have a lot of influences. Who are some of your biggest influences?

John: It starts with the blues and goes off from there. We like a lot of melody and harmony. So much blues music is one guy on guitar we like the great raw aspect of the blues. We enjoy melody hooks, something that stays with you and sticks on your mind. I am constantly listening to music certain things stick in your mind and you wonder why. We like layers of harmonies. Blues and Fleetwood Mac was a favorite of Paul and I for a long time. A lot of that seeped through. The more and more songs we write you start to see who influences on you and give way.

Mike: "Equestrian" is the first single off of "Mirror" what can you tell me about the song?

John: It was a late night practicing in the studio. I slept on the studio couch. Woke up in the morning with a rhythm idea in my head, so before I had any coffee, I laid down a drum beat and laid down a two chord guitar thing and the first thing that stuck in my head was the ooh-ooh chant thing. I wrote it down and tried it out later. Left it alone a while until we heard that chant in our head some more and then we all jammed on it together and added the bridge and then boom.

Mike: I know you have played South by Southwest, what was your biggest show? Biggest in size or biggest show for you personally?

John: We sold out shows in D.C. our home town.I think this firstnational tour in support of the album we sold out the Mercury Lounge in New York where we play a lot. To see our friends and people we work with in New York. It was cool to sell out two nights in New York after touring for two years and have a line outside. Have a lot of friends up there.

Mike: Piggy backing on the last question what is your worst show?

Paul: We have had some funny ones.

John: There are some bad shows but we still manage to have fun out of it some how. There was this place in North Carolina we always end up playing, a back woodsy place, I forget what is called but we have played there a couple of times.

Paul: I don't remember the name of it either.

John: But nobody came out. I don't know if it is us, or the people out there aren't into music, or it is so back woodsy. They have this projector screen they pull down during shows and we ended up playing Wii Tennis all night with the staff. It wasn't really a show as a paid jam session.

Mike: Do you prefer to record music or play out live more?

Paul: I think over the past couple of yearsI've always wanted to play live. This year I'm really, excited about recording again. After the last recording I am ready to do it again.

John: We had an aversion to recording because the first things we did we weren't happy with it. Live is something different totally. People have different reactions which are so positive. This album we are much happier with and look forward to doing it again and making a second, third, fourth album.

Mike: You mentioned more touring and recording what are the future plans for U.S. Royalty?

John: We have gigs in New York , some charity gigs up there. The Sweet life Festival May first at Merriweather Post Pavilion we are playing sometime in the afternoon The Strokes are playing, we played the very first one they had like a year and a half ago, then we played last year in a parking lot, this year they blew it up to Merriweather Post and we are looking at touring in June.

Mike: Anything you would like to say to your fans?

Paul: Look out for new music at the end of this year even newer.

John: We have some remixes we have been sitting on and covers we got to record and miscellaneous type stuff around the album and more videos to look out for and other content around "Mirror."

Mike: What would you want to say to someone who has not heard of U.S. Royalty or is new to the band and wants to check it out?

John: What took you so long?

Paul: Come to a live show. A lot of time live music is put on the back burner with so much music online instead of seeing them live.

John: Check us out live a lot of people we have met that had heard the record and went to the show were really surprised we had such an energetic live show. It is kind of double whammy for them. They get to enjoy the album and enjoy the live show. Before we had the album people didn't know who we were. We didn't have anything to back it up and now with "Mirror" we do.

Sources:
U.S. Royalty Website
In person interview