Meeting with a Room Full of Strangers

 Room Full of Strangers are an inter-genre band with major influences from psychedelic, spirit of 77 punk, garage, and the no wave movement and consist of members Erik Bundy (bass), Austin Wulff (drums), Mick McIuan (lead vocals) and Jay Yerkes (guitar). Three of the four members sat for an interview at their rehearsal studio on July 11th.

As a 14 year old watching MTV, it occurred to Strangers co-founder and bassist Erik Bundy that music is a valid career path just like anything else. He took guitar lessons and studied classical and jazz on and off until pursuing a degree in recording arts. “I realized that to be a recording engineer wouldn't be fair for me or others to use as a backdoor to launch my own artistic career,” Bundy explained. I wish there was a school where you just learn beats (laughs)!” Drummer Austin ‘LoBo’ Wulff also laughed and added, “PBCC…Phat Beats Community College!” “We should cash in on that before someone else does,” Bundy agreed. 

When Wulff met Strangers front-man Mick McIuan, he was scrapping by as a part-time employee of Home Depot. He repeatedly praised Mick’s work ethic throughout the interview. “He’s shown me a different side of the music and the industry I haven’t really experienced before. I really appreciate him, because I've worked with other musicians before who weren't really willing to work with the weakest link in the band. Not that I’m the weakest link, but I’m no virtuoso,either. Mick was willing to let the band grow together instead of hiring a session drummer who can nail whatever is thrown at him.” Besides being a drummer, Wulff is a self-employed fencing contractor, “but I don’t really want to be swinging a hammer for the next 20 years," he stated.

Founder and Frontman Mick McIuan is a first generation American and military veteran that grew up in the Rust Belt, a region with a rich history of music and home to bands like Devo, The Dead Boys and The Black Keys. “In Youngstown, Ohio, my hometown, you went to work in a steel mill, a rubber factory, went into the military or turned to crime. A few people I knew went to college, but I didn’t think it was possible for me financially. College seemed like the Manhattan Project, I didn’t even know where to start. My mother immigrated to the U.S. from Spain and my father was a factory worker." So, at age 19 McIuan joined the military and was deployed to a warzone in Southwest Asia. After spending some years away from his art, realizing how unhappy he was with corporate America and climbing the ladder to nowhere, McIuan began to form what would become Room Full of Strangers. “The Strangers are more influenced by life itself than by a particular musical influence. We like all different kinds of music, especially under the rock umbrella, but the real influence is life, rock is just the soundtrack template." He went on to share his opinion that the major labels are playing it safe and that mainstream music is very formula. "With Indie music there’s a thousand different sounds, some carbon copies of eras past and some really innovative and fresh. But right now there’s too big of a divide between the underground and mainstream cultures, it’s strange that more people have not been turned on to new music. We want to be a band to punch through that barrier and make a bridge." He also appreciates that Stranger’s fans come from diverse backgrounds and social circles. “We don’t care if people come to our shows in a certain uniform and we’re not selective as to who we entertain. If we turn a mainstream kid on to something new and expand their world, great. Some bands are talented and put out good music, but they want to pick and choose who their fans are, like a social club. For them, music is a social scene, and it’s all fun and games till their parents stop funding them (band laughs). We frown upon that sort of laissez-faire attitude towards being a working musician or artist.”

 The Strangers recently retained management out of New York City to handle distribution through The Orchard among other business aspects such as booking, a major accomplishment for any band. They have also played at the CMJ music marathon 3 years in a row and have been invited twice to play at SXSW. Another proud moment for the band was performing at the inaugural CBGB Fest. The actual legendary CBGB club in New York City closed in 2006 and is considered by many to be the birthplace of Punk. Room Full of Strangers is set to release their new album titled Bad Vacation, produced by Kramer, whose credits include Monotonix, work with Sonic Youth and others. The Strangers begin their Bad Vacation tour, named after their single. on July 24^th, with a kick-off at The Peacock Room in Orlando FL. For a complete list of tour dates visit their website https://www.facebook.com/roomfullofstrangers