In this week’s instalment of What’s Going On, we’re going deep with FELICITY. Hailing from Orlando, the self-proclaimed “Trash Rock” band has been electrifying listeners with their high-octane melodies and all-too-relatable lyrics. We recently featured their track “GOD MODE” here on Biff Bam Pop!, the band’s exuberant collaboration with Canadian pop-punkers Calling All Captains. With more new music on the way and an ever-growing TikTok fanbase, the band is quickly carving out a space as ones to watch. We had the opportunity to chat with bassist Mike Alosa about all things FELICITY.
Congrats on “GOD MODE”, your new collaboration with Calling All Captains. How did that come about?
Mike Alosa: With all of the new music we have coming out, we really wanted to find some different ways of reaching new fans. In 2018, we toured with Calling All Captains and had a blast sharing the stage as well as our fanbases. When “God Mode” was finished, we knew that Luc Gaffwood would sound amazing as the featured artist and he more than delivered a killer vocal spot.
“God Mode” is a clear nod to gaming. As we’re a pop culture website, are you guys gamers and what games are you currently enjoying?
MA: It’s funny you mention that, we are mostly all gamers on different platforms and “God Mode” definitely came from our gaming habits. Rashid is the odd man out and doesn’t game. Damien is a FIFA fanatic. If it has Star Wars in its name, then Drew and Cory have definitely bought it on pre-sale. Mike is always stuck on Super Smash Bros and Mario Kart. In all of these games, “God Mode” fits in perfectly with the intense moments that come with the competition. We’ve already seen a bunch of people on TikTok use “God Mode” as a sound.
In addition to this collaboration with Calling All Captains, you’ve also worked with State Champs and Hawthorne Heights. Who else out there would you love to work with?
MA: It has already been a blessing to have worked with the artists we’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with over the years. If we could add to the resume, we’d love to work with Point North, Neck Deep, and Silverstein just to name a few. Honestly, given how music is consumed nowadays, no collaboration is off the table. We are always open to experimenting with different sounds and artist genres that we haven’t tapped into yet.
The band seems to be really blowing up on TikTok and amassing quite the following there. Why do you think that platform in particular seems to have embraced what you all are doing?
MA: We cannot thank our TikTok following enough for all of the support. They are responsible for a big surge in our reach across the industry, and the platform as a whole allows for bands to reach fans directly. TikTok live streams seem to be the standard for interacting with fans on a daily basis. Never before have we been in an era where a band can create daily unique live stream experiences for fans to enjoy and consume. What has also helped is how the FYP is set up to expose potential new fans to the music. When a band has been actively posting and making use of the application’s features, the reach expands. We’ve been able to meet so many wonderful new fans across the globe that it’s created a snowballing effect, which we’re very grateful to have right now.
I’ve read that you guys describe your sound as trash rock. What is trash rock and how did you come up with that?
MA: So Trash Rock is based on a pretty relatable idea. When you go to a rock show and really get into the pit to mosh, you’re going to come out sweaty, beat up and almost certainly dirty…Looking like you just crawled out of the trash. The true spirit of Trash Rock is to not care about how you come out the other end of the rock show. You’re there to have a great time and see a band you know and love. There’s some degree of trash that we would all crawl through in order to see our favorite bands. We’re not suggesting to take a hike through a landfill, but there’s some amount of griminess that we’re all willing to get into in order to party with our favorite artists.
What bands do you look to for inspiration?
MA: We’ve drawn inspiration from a lot of bands that have spanned the last 50 years. From newer artists like Maneskin and MGK to ‘90s and 2000s rock legends like Nirvana and A Day to Remember. We will always explore the eclectic decades of rock. Some of the music that we’ll be releasing over the next year goes as far back as 80s hair metal and 70s rock grooves
What’s next for FELICITY?
MA: In the coming months we’re going to release new singles that really showcase the evolution of our sound. Many of these tracks will feature some rising stars in the industry (who we will leave as a surprise for now). Our hope is to really blow these tracks up on all the social media platforms and reach more fans than ever before, both here in the states, but also across the ocean. On our live streams, we routinely see people from Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa to name a few. We want our next moves to involve touring to new states and countries so that the fans who have found us online can finally see us perform live.
Thank you very much for taking the time to speak with us!
