The Relative Strangers are an Orange County rock band that played in the OCMAs as Brothers of the Castle. Compose of four eligible and stylish bachelors, the Relative Strangers sat down to have a talk with OCMM.
OCMM: How did you guys get connected with Hands Across America?
Daniel: We did an event for Immigrant Magazine. The emcee was involved with part of it and invited us.
OCMM: Do you guys go to OCC (Orange Coast College)?
Chris: I did. I went for a semester. I took Spanish and a Social Psychology class. I was trying to keep my loans at bay.
David: I went to Santa Ana College where I got my Associate’s degree.
OCMM: Yay!
David: Yay! And I went over to Cal State Long Beach where I graduated with a Studio Art Degree.
OCMM: So you guys have attended many colleges across Southern California?
Daniel: I went to just one school, Vanguard, where I met Chris and Craig, and that’s where I graduated from.
Chris: I graduated and then came to OCC for class.
OCMM: So it would be the definition of “extra” curricular?
Daniel: *Chuckle* Yah. Totally.
Chris: I actually wanted to keep going to school, but the loans stopped. The loan shark.
OCMM: Well, this is to help fight off loans for students.
Chris: I am an advocate for no more loans that is: paying it back.
Daniel: You want grants.
Chris: Yah government, give us grants!
David: Grant us money.
Chris: Obama care us. I heard that there’s a bill where you get to go to school and you get some taxes back.
OCMM: It actually exists. I got back some from my tax return last year and was like “yes!”
David and Daniel: Oh… right… tax return. Good reminder.
Chris: I did mine like a month ago.
OCMM: So how long have you guys been playing together?
Chris: A year.
Daniel: A year in May? We’ve been playing high school since we were (pause) in high school?
OCMM: I thought it was going to be something else like “since we were born.”
Chris: No. That’s the cheesy version. “Since we’ve been playing music.” It’s the best description ever.
Daniel: Yah, since last May. We started this band last year in May, and we got our first gig at Detroit Bar in… May?
Chris: May is the answer.
OCMM: So you guys have known each other before you were a band?
Daniel: I met Craig in 2003 at Vanguard.
Chris: Really?
Daniel: Yah. I met you a year later in 2004.
Chris: I haven’t known you for ten years.
David: He met him this one time in band camp.
OCMM: Really?
Daniel: Actually, it’s true. It was in May?
Chris: We’ll go with May.
OCMM: We’ll just say everything happens in May.
Chris: The Relative May-jors. That’s a band name right there.
Daniel: The Relative May Strangers. The May Strangers.
Chris: I have not known you for ten years. 2013 would be ten years, and it’s eight years right now.
Daniel: Oh wow, it would be eight years. I remember because I was sitting in class and watching this guy solo, and I was just learning how to play guitar. I asked him how he did that, and he said “I just solo’d.”
Chris: That’s a great description. “You asked me how I did that, but I will not answer because I do not know how I did that.”
Daniel: The point being is I remember that clearly.
OCMM: Haha. Okay, so at the OCMAs, you guys called yourself Brothers of the Castle. What’s up with that?
Daniel: We played acoustic at the OCMAs, and when we right songs, we start on acoustic. Brothers of the Castle is a collection of those songs we wrote that haven’t been fleshed out yet. We were actually invited to play acoustic by Ashley Eckenweiler. So we decided why not make it a little interesting and have a side project called Brothers of the Castle.
Chris: Which is a reference to Alcala.
Daniel: It’s an old Spanish word for “of the castle.”
David: History lesson. When the moors invaded Spain, they called them people of the castle… something alcala, so that word came from that origin.
OCMM: So that’s where Brothers of the Castle came from?
Relative Strangers: Yah.
Chris: I think of it as the maiden name, and when they got married, they became the Relative Strangers. Because we’ve all played in other bands before, and then, when we’re together, we’re the Relative Strangers. So if Craig and I had a group before, we’d be something Garcia and that’d be our maiden name.
OCMM: That’s complicated.
Relative Strangers: *Laughter*
Chris: That’s why I said it and explained it. It makes us sound more intelligent and the better our music sounds. You can quote me on that.
*Laughter*
OCMM: I keep this as honest as it is.
Chris: As long as you make me sound attractive.
OCMM: I said earlier outside of the interview that I was going to list you guys as bachelors in the blurb.
Chris: Bachelors – single. That’s what it means in different… verbage.
OCMM: Where did you get the name Relative Strangers?
Daniel: (Slowly) Relative Strangers.
OCMM: …he said seductively.
Daniel: David came with a list of names, and a friend of ours said “why don’t you put those two together?”
Chris: And that’s the close-minded way.
David: We’ve found that it fits with a lot of different aspects of the band: one idea would be Yin and Yang. David and I are twin brothers: we’re from the same family, same blood, same hair, just really similar, but we have different personalities. I won’t touch a drop of alcohol, but Daniel will drink.
Daniel: We find the perfect balance. We love each other despite all the differences.
David: Another aspect: the band started off as strangers but over time, we’ve become like a family so the “Relative Strangers!”
Chris: My interpretation would be… wait… do I even have one?
Daniel: Yes…
Chris: Oh right. We’re all related somehow as in if you like a music, there’s a certain type of family and we should love each other and not start stupid wars.
Daniel: It’s the universal level of we’re all human, so we should all love each other.
Chris: Look at gamers, people look at you a certain way, but everyone plays games. Why is that person any different than anyone else? We’re all related because we all like the same thing. It’s our opinion on who’s strange.
OCMM: You guys have an album due in June.
Chris: Kinda like birth pains right now. There’s a time frame when it’s supposed to come out, but the baby’s not showing form. It’s like a seahorse right now. It’s coming out summer.
Daniel: We’ll record and master them for the next two months, but yah, we’re shooting for summer.
OCMM: What’s it going to be like?
Daniel: Well…
OCMM: Is it going to be relative? Is it going to be strange?
Relative Strangers: It’s going to be relatively strange.
Daniel: We want it to be rock music and universal so everyone can sing along and relate to the lyrics and the message. We want it to be dance music, groove music. We don’t want it to be where you’re just sitting there listening and watching us play like we’re masturbating with our guitars. Like check me out. *Imitates guitar strings*
Chris: I’m not sure that was the best way to describe it.
Daniel: *Laughter* We don’t want it to be that way. We want it to be relatable. No no. I’m not done! These are just some ideas that I have.
Chris: It’s rock music with grooviness that people can dance along to. It’s what they can bob their head to and enjoy.
Daniel: It’s relatively strange.
*David throws a Sprite bottle at Daniel.*
Daniel: OW!
*Daniel begins to chase David*
OCMM: And that’s the end of the interview. Thanks so much guys!
Relative Strangers: Thanks!
