The Real Nasty are an Oakland based trio who are dedicated on bringing a new spin to a classic rock sound. They make music meant to be played loud with songs about love, romance, driving fast, drinking and all those girls who love the scrappy brutes.
The Real Nasty will be making their way to Chico, CA on May 11th to place Chico’s own Lost On Main. Make sure to mark this date on the calendar because this is a show not to be missed.
For all the Bay Area kids they will be make a stop in San Francisco on April 19th at the Boom Boom Room and an Oakland stop at The New Parish on May 12th
I recently had a chance to talk about the bands sound and their past and future with lead vocalist/upright bassist Ryan Lukas.
THE REAL NASTY Q & A:
Let’s start with something simple. The Real Nasty, why did you guys decide on that for the band’s name?
The band’s name was created before we even had a band. I [Ryan] had been living with Smitty, the band’s manager, and he told me about an idea he had for a trio that would be me on upright bass, him on cajon and a friend on acoustic guitar. My initial reaction was ‘That sounds real nasty… whoa! Dude, that can be the band name!’ Shortly after that two things became apparent; that we had chosen the right name and that we were not going to be an acoustic band.
Your musical style is a mix of classical hard rock and country; Songs like “Set Free” off of Dirty Dollars makes me think of old rock music like ZZ top. What would you say your influences and goals were when creating this sound?
My influences were the records that I grew up listening to as a kid- my mom raised me on Motown and my dad had a huge stash of incredible records- Led Zeppelin, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and the like that my brother and I would blast on the stereo while my parents were at work. My goal with The Real Nasty is to pay homage to the music and the sounds that originally got me into listening to and playing music.
In comparing last year’s Strangers and Friends to Dirty Dollars it seemed that as a band you separated a little more from the country aspect and went more with a straight forwards 70s style rock album. What led to this change?
It had a lot to do with the songs I was writing and the way I was feeling. Our live show runs the gamut from rock to country so for the latest album I wanted to express a bit more continuity. The people that the songs are about are also from a very specific time in my life and perhaps my attitude and interaction with those folks provided some unity of style as well.
My personal favorite from Dirty Dollars is “Can’t Stand It”. What’s your favorite track and why? Which was the most fun to write? And the most fun to record?
My favorite tracks are ‘Can’t Stand It’ and ‘Baby & a Bottle’ because they are the songs that people sing along with when we play them live even if they’ve never heard them before. ‘Can’t Stand It’ was an earnest attempt at writing something heartfelt and sweet while ‘Baby & a Bottle’ was more of a salacious come-on and it is fun to play at nice and nasty. Writing all the songs are enjoyable and at times a great relief while recording them is more like labor in the science of sound- entertaining but quite a bit of work!
For people who haven’t heard your band before what should they expect from an album as they begin to listen for the first
time?
People should expect rockin’ music flavored with Southern spice and California sun- plenty of attitude and lots of soul that doesn’t shy away from the good, bad and ugly parts of life, love and having too much fun.
On a similar note, for those who haven’t seen you live before, I myself am excited too on May 11th when you stop in Chico, what should an audience member expect?
People can expect to see me tearing it up on the upright bass and singing like my life depends on it- I mean what I’m singing and want you all to believe it too. Our drummer and guitar player are both brutes on their respective instruments and are, of course, real nasty in all regards.
The Real Nasty formed in January 2009. How have things changed as a band over the last 3 years? Any fun stories from being on the road or lesson learned?
The band has gone from an acoustically motivated group to a full on electric rock trio- we’ve learned how to record and have done a bunch of national tours. Every day on the road is an adventure and there are too many stories to tell… Work smart and trust yourself are the best lessons I have learned. That and always stop for soul food or ribs… always!
For more on The Real Nasty and to listen to their awesome mix of classic rock meets southern alt country to craft the sexiest, bluesy rock you’ve heard visit their website here
To listen & Purchase The Real Nasty’s music go to DeliRadio
