Based in Seattle, Washington and founded in 2012, THE FAME RIOT is quickly gaining traction in the music industry with their unique and original sound. THE FAME RIOT is on the forefront of a shift in musical style and culture, drawing influence from the last four decades of rock, pop, electronica, disco, and everything in between.
THE FAME RIOT is made up of brothers Liz Scarlett (19) and Shazam Watkins (21). Liz and Shazam began experimenting musically at a young age, gathering their many inspirations from traveling worldwide with their mother and father. At a very early age Liz and Shazam learned to inspire themselves artistically by listening to anything they could get their hands on. While secular music was outlawed in their own home, the brothers recorded their favorite songs off the radio onto cassettes, and stashed records anywhere possible. Their incognito love of music quickly took on a life of its own.
THE FAME RIOT’s debut EP “DUST FUNK” was released on Tuesday October 13, 2015, and features nine original tracks produced by Rob Daiker [Katy Perry]. Of the new EP they share, ““DUST FUNK is just the beginning. The beginning of the beginning. The alpha conception of the eternal idea we intend on revealing. It is only a fragment of what we plan to unleash upon this world. Three years of strenuous effort, passionate depths, low lows, and high highs, and DUST FUNK is the result. It shall be a window for listeners to peer into, showing the infinite aspects to our philosophy, sonic sensualism, and visual chemical stimulation. It’s taking all the old stories and telling them in a new way.”
THE FAME RIOT is unlike anything else out there. It is original and different, creating a fresh and groundbreaking alternative/pop soundscape, while still reminiscent of the rock and glam gods of the past. THE FAME RIOT has been hand-picked and declared the next great act by Rodney Bingenheimer (KROQ) and championed by many others including Rock and Roll Hall of Fame DJ Marco Collins (discovered Nirvana), who recently stated, “I discovered THE FAME RIOT by reading NME Magazine in the UK. Who knew that the guys lived just down the road from me!! The last time that happened was with a band called Nirvana. Since then, THE FAME RIOT have written some of the catchiest jams I’ve ever heard. Try getting “Heart Stray” outta your head! It’s become a staple of every playlist I’ve ever created. If these guys don’t make it, I quit.”
On the touring front, THE FAME RIOT recently performed at Bumbershoot Festival over Labor Day weekend, sharing the stage with notable artists including: Ellie Goulding, Hozier, Social Distortion and Zedd.
Tell us a bit about you?
Shazam: A DOPAMINE DUO CHOSEN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS. A PERSPECTIVE OF GLOBAL PASSION THROUGH AUDITORY CLEANSING AND VISUAL STIMULATION.
Liz: Tall. Skinny. Ambitious. Ridiculous. Determined. Passionate. Loving. Caring. Genuine. Misunderstood.
How would you describe your music?
Shazam: A soup that never stops cooking, but you can try it anytime you like. A glorious splicing of tangible serotonin and a celebration of our togetherness as a movement.
Liz: 30s-80s existence + time travel to 2023 rave scene + the sexiest electro-pop rock music your brain can handle = TFR.
How did you get started?
Shazam: Music is the simply the delicious composing catalyst for our genuine adoration of people and the need for all humanz as a species to learn that other’z preconceived notions have never been important, and will never hold power over yoo.
Liz: No backing band. Just a guitar, a synthesizer, and a beat machine. Pre-designed, pre-recorded, funkpop robot musicians, originally composed and performed.
Explain your sound in 3 words?
Shazam: Miraculous, Delektable, Healing
Liz: Metaphysical. DUSTFUNK. MOONJUICE.
Who you would love to collaborate with and why?
Shazam: Amongst many many many…
David Byrne – FREEEEK
Tom Waitz – Psychedelic Shaman
Charlie Blacksmokez – Fresh
Rufus Wainwright – Gorgeous
I could jus go on n on babay.
Liz: Damon Alburn. -he’z a genius.
David Bowie – he’z a Freek.
Tell us about your debut EP “DUST FUNK”?
Shazam: Just a sample of da main course. Being tossed through an ocean of megafrequenciez and yottabitez whilst being caressed by 1000 threads of memoriez and emotionz. –
Liz: Itz only da beginning. A sampler tray of alien fruitz you can sonically/physically ingest.
What we can expect of this EP?
Shazam: Every song is a great song. Real talkz doh. You will struggle 2 find even like one part about it dat yoo don’t love. We have spent so much time and energy for our freekz delight. Yoo will want to see uz live 2! It’z next level.
Liz: The sudden urge to take your pantz off and dance. The sudden urge to hate shitty music. The sudden urge. Mainly just sudden urgez.
Tell us about your recent hit “Heart Stray”?
Shazam: Datz one dat everyone can really dig. Itz a perfect sunny day song for when yoo relaxing and jus need sumfing to tikkle yo earz, but also SOOOO fun to groove and dance 2. CATCHY n pure joy.
Liz: Itz got a new music video for the song dropping VERY soon… Itz on the radio… Itz not our favorite song to play. Hmm.. Itz about LOVE..?
How was the experience of performing at Bumbershoot Festival?
Shazam: Bloody well nerve splitting don’tcha know! Wez have wanted 2 play Bumbershoot for SOOOOO long and trust me, that is not where our ambition endz. So many wonderful freekz FLOODED 2 our stage and let loose their collaborative ecstasy vibez! It waz spiritual.
Liz: Seamless. Fluid. Pure. Rugged. Bloody. Painful. Joyful. The reason to be passionate about the next show and the onez after that!
Best advice ever given?
Shazam: “Never drink more than two Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters unless you are a thirty-ton mega elephant with bronchial pneumonia.” -The Hitch Hiker’s Guide To The Galaxy
Liz: “Know thy self.”
Any advice for upcoming singers?
Shazam: Be honest n be YOO! Nobody haz da same voice and wez shouldn’t worry about who iz technically better. Singing iz like nothing else in da world. Take care of ur voice! – Shazam
Liz: Trash all the predetermined notions of how you want your voice to be heard. Vocalize. Take risks. Be self-sufficient with your ability to produce musical (instrumental) content. Don’t expect someone else to do it for
Future plans you want to share with us?
Shazam: SO MANY FINGZ IS HAPPENINGZ. Tour, Muzik Videoz, Travel, and life movez fast. I kannot wait to give everyone more and more muzik as time progressez. All da stuff we’re working on jus getz better and better. We takin dis to da top.
Liz: Heart Stray music video release! Tour? World dominationz. We’re your new musical vaccination.
What music we can find in your iPod?
Shazam: THE FAME RIOT (VANITY), T.Rex, Justin Timberlake, Hot Chip, Zappa, Hiatus Koyote, Prince, Mouse On the Keys, Rufus Wainwright, Bobby Darin, Arctic Monkeys, Lou Reed, The D4, Iggy Pop, Spiderbait, Talking Heads, Charlie Blacksmoke, Paul Simon, Rage Against the Machine, James Blake, King Krule, Jeff Buckley, Xploding Plastix, Jack White, Club of the Sons, The Mars Volta, Harry Nilsson, Odd Future, AND ONNNNN
Liz: Michael Jackson, Prince, David Bowie, James Brown, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Empire of the sun, Kings of, Leon, Aphex Twin, Harry Nelson, Tom Waits, Foxy Shazam, Underworld, Waveracer, The Strokes, Talking Heads, Bob Marley, EEETREE, Elliphant, Die Antwoord, Hot Chip, Gorillaz, King Krule, okay I’ll stop..
Any loves, other then music?
Shazam: Creative writing, cartoonz, voicez, accentz, kooking, Half-Life 3, video, photo, fantasy/science fiction, voice-over, psychedelic art, boooooookz, jewelry, glam, coffee omg, audio spook, hair styling.
Liz: Cinematography. Theatrics. Acting. Digital media. Photonics. Motion graphicz. Animal love. People love.
How’s a normal day in your life?
Shazam: Close friendshipz, reading, creating, hair cutz, working, working, working, cooking amazing foodz organically, luvving people, practicing da instrumentz! I find being busy to be fulfilling.
Liz: Abnormal. Spiritual. Relationship-driven. Full of strenuous work. Artistic production. Songwriting. Goofy light-hearted interactionz. Lovely and blessed.
Any last message for our readers?
Shazam: We are not stopping here. We invite yoo all 2 accompany uz on dis incredible journey! Wez write for YOU and wez wanna meet you and provide you with quality art that speakz to the individual as well as the whole. Try a taste of da succulent freedom!
Liz: Yeah. We’re coming for YOU, Freekz. and… Yes, we can.
How important is Social Media for you guys?
Shazam: I luv da way it can connect and bring people closer to us as well as bring us closer to them. Wez could not be doing dis stuff wivvout the inkredible support that wez get from our fanz and freekz. I really hope they feel da luv and i cannot wait 2 keep them wanting more of our honey dew drops!
Liz: Letz put it this way… Just as important as it is to brains being successfully washed. Vital in the current paradigm.
Where we can follow you?
Instagram: @thefameriot
Twitter: @thefameriot
Facebook: The Fame Riot
Quote:
Shazam: “Then Iluvatar spoke, and he said : ‘Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, that I am Iluvatar, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done. And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the musinc in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined.’
Liz: Quote: “Do be do be do..” Frank Sinatra
Book:
Shazam: The Silmarillion – NEXT LEVEL SHITZ!
Liz: Holy Bible.
Food:
Shazam: GUACAMOLE. THAI. HOLY BAGEEZUS. I LUV IT.
Liz: Mexican and Vietnamese.
Festival:
Shazam: I have my eyez on Sasquatch… but I wanna play all of dem. Like really. Everywhere. So many amazing placez 2 see and give our energy to!
Liz: Have yet to decide. Coachella always looked amazing.
Travel Destination:
Shazam: REALLLLY wanna go check out da Japanese muzik scene. But also I fink Sweden. Cannot WAIT 2 go to Italy.
Liz: Caribbean Islands.
Sports Team:
Shazam: Slaughter City Roller Vixens
Liz: the ones we played on
Movie:
Shazam: The Princess Bride. Forever.
Liz: The Princess Bride. Anything Tarantino, Scorsese, Nolan, JJ Abrams.
Photo Credit: Paris Corrick (P.Rex Photography) & Erin La Rue
