Today we’d like to introduce you to New Angeles. They and their team shared their story with us below:
New Angeles consists of four members: Kyle Fiscus (Guitar, Vocals), Johnny Knowles (Lead Vocals), Aaron Palmer (Bass, Vocals), and Ricky Parish (Drums, Vocals) and officially formed in 2019 on none other than Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. At the time, Ricky and Kyle had a history of playing in small start-and-stop bands for a few years with little motion but always had their eyes set on being the biggest rock band in the world. So, they needed to find like-minded musicians. Enter Aaron. Aaron was a Frequent Flyer on the Sunset Strip’s ‘Jam’ Scene and wanted a no-joke band as well. At one of those jams, Ricky saw Aaron playing and singing War Pigs, and the rest is history.
New Angeles had a few stints with vocalists here and there, but they always washed out. Then, with the Shutdowns of 2020, the band took that opportunity to work their asses off, relinquishing the designated lead-singer role and taking it upon themselves to fill the gap. Throughout 2020, the band practiced and practiced, then finally recorded and released their first three singles in the early months of 2021. In the late summer of that year, as lockdown loosened, they took their hours of dedicated practice to the live circuit as venues slowly opened back up.
**Between the band’s article interview and this article’s publishing, New Angeles appointed Johnny Knowles as its lead singer, once again becoming a four-piece band. Johnny had been pursued by Ricky as a vocalist in 2018 and finally made the right move joining New Angeles after years of failed projects. Johnny’s presence has already transformed New Angeles’ live shows for the better.
Always taking pride in being a true live band, they have performed continuously all over the Los Angeles area, headlining the Viper Room, performing the Whiskey A Go Go, and taking to the grind doing multiple club nights of 2-3-hour nonstop sets in San Diego and LA’s surrounding cities since that time in 2021. New Angeles’ nose-to-the-grindstone attitude is attributed to being a key factor in how the band became so dynamic and tight.
Recently, New Angeles got to live their dream by recording in the same studio as Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, and countless others at Sunset Sound in Hollywood in December of 2022, 2 of which “Fighting For Air” and “It Is What It Is” were released earlier this year with another single coming in late summer 2023. The band has its sights set on recording a full-length album as well as performing all over Southern California in the next year. The band is united by a love of classic rock, but each member brings his musical influences to the table to create the modern rock-pop sound that is New Angeles today.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A smooth road for a musician? Is this a f*cking joke? We’re three non-trust-fund babies bootstrapping our way from stage to stage. From finding a dedicated lead singer that gels with the band to having to book and promote our shows and grind for every ticket sold, to the financial outlay for the rehearsal space, gas, recording, and equipment, Everything is self-made. You’ve got to step back from music and look at every aspect that goes into a modern musician: What is the best social media strategy for a band, and who the f*ck has time for social media? Do we need a lawyer to look over contracts, and where are we going to get money for a lawyer? Sh*t, just naming the band was a daunting task. Everything we have done so far has been done without a record label or external funding, and that just makes for a better story. At the end of the day, it’s because we have an obsessive love of creating and performing music that we work our fingers to the bone with everything.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Aaron moved out to California in 2016 after finishing his MBA and Master in Architecture degrees. He has worked in cybersecurity consulting, recruiting, digital marketing, sales, and customer service. Since 2020, Aaron has been a founding member of MadeMan, a men’s skincare startup, where he is Director of Operations and head of customer service. Aaron is also an actor, model, and photographer.
Kyle moved from Ohio in 2016 with a suitcase and a guitar to pursue his dream of being a rockstar driven by the likes of Eddie Van Halen. He’s played in multiple bands with Ricky and has been performing and recording with New Angeles since its inception.
Ricky is the only member from California, born right in Hollywood. He’s been around music at every stage of his life, even while in the womb his mother was playing drums. He’s a student of Jeet Kune Do under Dan Inosanto and applies that discipline to every stage of his life and music.
Johnny, a Westminster, California native, grew up surfing and wrestling. He had a love for poetry and playing guitar, and decided to pursue singing seriously his first year in college. Johnny is a personal trainer, which helps him stay ripped for his frontman role.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
That’s a harder one. The “Money” has shifted from record sales to live shows and tours. Nowadays, music is the easiest it has ever been to acquire. Streaming gives every song you’ve ever wanted at your fingertips, and that’s amazing. Music should be free for everyone. However, the caveat is that artists and labels don’t make much income off of that and now there’s so much music out there, it’s hard to find space. We believe that what sets people apart all comes down to the Live Show. People discover music through the internet in one way or another, so the way to cement yourself AND earn money is through the Show. That’s why we always focus on being the best possible live band in the world. The goal is to give everyone in that crowd one of the Best Nights of their life. And if you can do that, then you’ve got something you can sell.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/newangelesmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064626742539
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs1y4rKhcxQIWALRxlt7vVw
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/73mDgOLXpcfjNGA2vXkrO4?si=5omNu74ER2yVSTJ-EvJf8A
Image Credits
Margo Akopov & Noah Bascilla
