Your name:
Rob
Saranpa aka "NohawkRob" (I used to have a mohawk, now I shave my head
LOL).
Where
are you from?
Bakersfield, California, USA.
Name
of band:
Lions Named Leo.
Who
else is in your band?
Joe
Barry - Lead vocals and trumpet
Tee
Stevens - Lead vocals/guitar and primary songwriter
Samuel
McKinney - drums and vocals
And myself on bass guitar and vocals
How
would you describe yourselves?
A
very unique and refreshing blend of alternative rock/ska/reggae/punk. FUN!!!
Who
are your main influences musically?
Wow!
Um, too many to list, we all bring our own musical tastes to the mix.
We
have been compared to so many...Sublime, RHCP, Reel Big Fish, Madness. One
producer said, "sounds like Korn mixed with Bob Marley!"
What
do you hope to achieve in music?
Make
people happy, think, and enjoy and do this by doing what we love for a living. Leave
behind something musically immortal.
What
has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?
Personally
I would say playing The Hard Rock Cafe Hollywood. This was a ReverbNation
contest and there were some celebrity judges there; Aaron Rossi (Ministry
drummer) Paige Montgomery - (music industry) and Dan Chlor - of the band Weapon
X and a music industry professional.
Anyway,
they told us at the onset to make sure we are 'creative'. After we were done
one bartender just shook his head and said: "I've seen a lot of these and
you guys are like the best I've heard and seen!". We did not win that
night but we received a critique from the judges...they said: "Tight
musicianship, great enthusiasm and stage presence but your genre is
confusing."
WOW!!!
We took that as a HUGE compliment!!! Especially after they told us to be
creative.
We
hear that a lot.
And
what’s the moment you want to forget?
Um...I
forgot. LOL None really yet...love this group! We have our little issues like
all but we are like a family. When we play in my town of Tehachapi,CA, my wife
lets the whole band stay at our place. We
dont like to party too much when we play so after the gig, usually at 2am, my
wife Kit, makes us all shots and quesadillas and has all the bedding
ready...she ROCKS!
If
you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it
be and why?
TOUGH
ONE! With two distinctly different lead vocalists and a trumpet so hard to
choose.
Our
lead singers Joe and Tee blend so well together I would have to say Can I
Want the World There Too. Very upbeat, trumpet, dual vocals and FUN!
But
it is amazing how different list different songs as their favorites...and there
in lies our strength. It always comes down to the songs, and the ability to
pull them off live!
Where
can we listen to it?
Where can we find out more about your music?
Our main site www.lionsnamedleo.com
@lionsnamedleo on Twitter
Anything
else you’d like to say that I forgot to ask?
We
now have an incredible management team led by Grammy winner Dennis Rubenstein,
and they are polishing us up to present to major labels. I believe we will be
signed soon...question is by who?
We also have major gigs coming up at The Mint in Los Angeles on July 11th and The House of Blues in San Diego on July 27th.
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