In the last weeks, different people came to me and mentioned Slaves To Humanity, including Alex, our new writer, who interviewed them recently for his own blog. It’s always a good sign when different sources mention the same band, it means the world of mouth is working. I was about to invite them on the podcast to see what was going on with them and suddenly I got a message from Briana of the band S8nt Elektric, asking if my band, Yard Of Blondes, would like to share a bill with them and Slaves to Humanity. The show’s happening tonight (March 31st, 2022) and I couldn’t be more excited because we’re about to share the stage with two really young bands but, most of all, two equally exciting bands that could very well be at the forefront of a new scene around town…
S8nt Elektric are HOS alumni and they are definitely making an impact on the local scene. They’re playing a lot around the LA scene, pouring new blood and energy into the Sunset Strip veins, and they are booking more and more big festivals (Bottle Rock Napa, Rockville).
As for Slaves To Humanity, after winning a contest on KLOS and packing Stages (formerly Malone’s) and other local venues in the OC, they have been on the radar of a few labels. Add Velvet Starlings to the mix and you got everything you need for an exciting night of rock n’ roll. I’m going to feel like a dinosaur up there, yet I’m going to pretend I'm like a godfather to the new scene. Hand me the cigar and I'll be fine. I’m half-joking but I’m very serious about the part where I’m babbling about the birth of a new scene. I mean, that’s all we’ve been expecting here at Hanging On Sunset, to encourage and support a new generation of bands who could revive the Strip. People sometimes make fun of me when I talk about the strip but they forget it wasn’t always like it is now. It was the very heart of groundbreaking music for several generations and different genres. CSNY, The Doors, Joni Mitchell, The Byrds, Love, The Seeds, Frank Zappa, anybody? And countless more...
After Grunge made the 80s glam kind of outdated overnight, there was a moment of weakness. But soon again, System Of A Down, Incubus, and Linking Park made name for themselves on the very same stages of The Whisky A Gogo, Roxy, etc… What happens next? It's long overdue since a new generation claims the Strip for themselves.
Aidan Amini, the 17 yo leader of Slaves To Humanity came to our HQ and we spent a couple of hours together, talking about the band’s journey, how it is to be in a High School rock band in 2022, and mainly, his strategy to make a living out of his passion; because Aidan thinks a lot about how the industry works and he’s the type of person who likes to plan. He told us how he’s trying to use social platforms, especially TikTok and Youtube to reach out to a maximum of people. STH are not afraid to do more than just play music and they are ready to use every bit of talent their crew has to offer. Some are good at writing and filming in the band, why not use it to their advantage? In lots of ways, STH are not much different from the other young people of their generation, they have enthusiasm, they are connected and they are eager to push boundaries. They are not afraid, for example, to mix two genres that used to be framed as enemies. By inventing the concept of Sunset Grunge they are trying to combine the catchiness and fun of the classic Sunset Strip Music and the heaviness and darker aspects of Grunge. I have to say, The Start is a very promising showcase of what they can do in that realm. In some other ways, they are a rock n’ roll band from the XXth century. The very fact that they got their first break on an actual FM radio is worth noting. Local Classic Rock radio KLOS introduced their music to their listeners in their program « Stay Or Go » and the listeners decided they should stay. The response was so overwhelming that the radio got them on rotation. I thought only algorithms could make or break a new band now but I was wrong, and I’m glad!
I can’t wait now to see them perform tonight and you should come too. Who knows, you might just witness the birth of a new scene...
LISTEN TO OUR EXTENDED INTERVIEW WITH AIDAN AMINI FROM SLAVES TO HUMANITY:
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Aidan Amini From Slaves to Humanity, Pictures By Vincent Walter Jacob.
