A three-pronged attack on our Band of the Day today, courtesy of Keep Up…
Simple things first – where are you guys from?
(DJ) We’re from Syracuse, New York. Some might call it “Upstate” or “Central New York” but either way, we are born and raised in the heart of the state.
How did you meet?
(Chris) DJ and I met in our sophomore year of high school. Both of us played in bands so we hung out in and out of class. Meeting Ian started with him hiring us for a few music videos for his own project. We hit it off and became best friends. At this point it was a “no brainer” to recruit Ian as a member of the band.
How long have you been playing as a band?
(Chris) We’ve been touring together since 2017 but Keep Up started in late 2018.
Before you get sick of being asked… where does the band name come from?
(DJ) Keep Up is more than just our band name. It’s our way of saying “don’t get left behind”, with our music, with technology, with our treads. Our previous band name was difficult for people to spell and pronounce, so we wanted to be sure that our fans no longer had that issue.
What are your influences?
(Ian) Our influences vary, but as a collective, Keep Up influences are definitely strung between bands like Blink 182, Sum 41, Green Day, and really any pop punk band from the 90’s or 2000’s
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
(DJ) Imagine you chugged a Red Bull while at a trampoline park. Our live shows are very unique and energetic. With us being multi instrumental we switch instruments mid-song and we use that same energy in our studio recordings as well.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
(DJ) No particular lyrical theme outside of writing songs that derive from our everyday lifestyles. Growing pains, relationships, fun times, etc. I find it to be important that we stay true to our story without trying to write someone else’s story.
What’s your live show like? How many shows have you played?
(Ian) Live shows are crazy! We’re all over the place for the entire show and the switching aspect gives fans a visual as well! It’s hard to say how many shows we’ve been apart of so 3000 sounds right.
What kit do you use / guitars do you play / etc.?
(Chris) Our drum kit is a SJC Paramount 3 piece with Zildjian cymbals. For guitars we use Paul Reed Smith exclusively because we fell in love with the company.
What are your plans for 2020?
(DJ) We’re taking a different approach to releasing music. We haven’t discussed our plan publicly so feel free to Keep Up with our social media info the new year.
If you were second on a three-band bill, which band would you love to be supporting and which band would you choose to open for you? A chance to plug someone you’ve toured with, or a mate’s band we’ve not heard of before!
(DJ) We would love to support a bill featuring Stand Atlantic. We saw them a couple hours outside our home town and were blown away with their music and performance. As far as a band to open for us… you definitely have to check out It Came From Space, an instrumental band from Long Island that has incredible chops and such a great outlook on original music. All three of our bands would put on such an amazing show, for sure!
Would you rather live without coffee or alcohol for the rest of your life/lives?
(DJ) I personally don’t drink coffee, so I guess I good go without it. My caffeine of choice is energy drinks of some sort, however I would like to give up that addiction sooner rather than later.
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