Roosevelt

What are your names and what instruments do you play?  Daniel Molchanoff - Vocals, Guitar Eric Sunderland - Drums, Vocals Brett Williams - Lead Guitar Rick Sybrandy - Bass

How did you come up with your band name?

We were hanging out after a rehearsal back in 2003 3 weeks before our first show. We knew we had to pick a name since we had to start promoting the show. We decided that we wouldn't leave until we had a name and that everyone had to agree on it.  About an hour later, after some hilarious suggestions (Die Uriah) Eric (drummer)  came up with Eisenhower, because of a biography about him that he was reading. We couldn't agree though so we switched presidents to Roosevelt, and it stuck. It doesn't have any deeper meaning, it just fit our sound and was something that people could remember...

Which venue in San Diego is your favorite and why?

Tough question. It would probably have to be The Belly Up Tavern. We have played to some huge crowds there, and the sound is just incredible. The Front Of House engineer and the monitor engineer make everything sound wonderful. It has a great atmosphere and the staff is very professional and fun to hang out with. A close second would be SOMA for our all ages shows. High energy, great sound, and a great staff as well.

In the next 5 yrs where do you each see the band?

Eric: In the next five years I see us touring, writing, and working as a band full time. We have had a lot of things happen as a band in the last 5 years and I feel that it has led us to where we are today. We've gone through 3 bass players, 2 guitar players, and had our singer leave and come back again (though Brett and I, the lead guitarist and drummer, have been here since we started the band) and now we're just beginning to write the kind of songs that I feel we are capable of. The EP we're releasing next month "Miracles and City Lights" is the first taste of who we are as a band. I feel that we have only reached the tip of the iceberg in terms of what lies ahead for us. I'm really excited to see what is in store for us...

Daniel: I see us touring full time and playing regularly for large audiences...

Brett: I see Roosevelt continuing to play shows, have fun, write songs, and meet people.

Rick: I see us playing shows, having fun, and making great music.

Who are your favorite bands/biggest influences on the music you write?

Eric: I draw on a lot of influences, consciously or subconsciously, as I write material for the band. I grew up listening to Chicago, James Taylor, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Pink Floyd, and all types of rock bands so I think they've all had a part in influencing me in the things that come to me. My favorite bands include Lagwagon, Incubus, Payable on Death, Frank Sinatra, the Foo Fighters, and Vince Guaraldi.

Daniel: When it comes to writing lyrics I obviously draw upon my life experiences and my faith. So I guess God would be one of my biggest influences. Some of my favorite bands are Radiohead, Pearl Jam, and United Live.

Brett: My biggest influences in my writing are definitely my life experiences. In terms of musical influences it would be classical and spanish music, Paul McCartney, and the book of Psalms.

What CD’s are in your each of your cars right now?

Eric: Lagwagon "Resolve", AC/DC "Back in Black", Jurassic 5 "Power in Numbers", Pink Floyd "Dark Side of The Moon", Wayman Tisdale "Decisions", and Incubus "Light Grenades."

Daniel: Mute Math (Self titled), Something For Kate "Echololia", Rise Against "Appeal to Reason", Kings of Leon "Only by The Night", and Radiohead "Rainbows"

Brett: Foo Fighters "The Colour and The Shape", Anberlin "Cities", Cibelle "Deisha", Over The Rhine "Good Day Bad Day"

Rick: I don't have a CD player.

How do you describe your sound?

Progressive Rock. Commercial yet tasteful. We're a rock band.

How do you feel about the local San Diego music scene?

San Diego has a ton of great bands and musicians. Lots of great artists. It's warm and friendly. I (Eric) was amazed to find so many great musicians come out of Point Loma Nazarene University when I was there (Greg Laswell, Brian Holwerda, Evan Bethany, Darren Raser) and have been pleasantly surprised to see so much talent in the area. San Diego as a whole has been growing and producing some great bands. It is definitely a great place to start and has treated us very well. 

What is the biggest thing about the band that you want to improve?

We are constantly looking in the mirror to try and refine what we do and how we do it. The songs on our latest EP are a reflection of that. When we started playing again about 9 months ago after a year off we threw out all of our old songs and started from scratch with some ideas that Eric and Brett had been working on. We wrote a ton of material in a short time and picked 7 songs to put on the EP. The main thing we want to do is to play as many shows as possible to find out who we really are as a band and share that with everyone.

Any last words?

It has been a long time since Roosevelt started playing back in 2003 and we're totally excited about what lies ahead for us. We feel like we have a lot to offer the music enjoying world and we hope that everyone can have fun with us as we continue to grow as a band and, more importantly, as friends.  

 

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