An Interview With the Boy Band, CITIZEN FOUR!

Meet the 4 guys of Citizen Four! Earlier this summer, they signed to Island Records. They have been releasing incredible cover after incredible cover over the last few months including Nick Jonas’ “Bacon”, Justin Bieber’s “Deja Vu” and more. They’ve also put out their debut single entitled “Cold.”  

Here’s a little more information about the four members of Citizen 4 here:

–Josh Levi  from Houston, TX

• Actor in Friday Night Lights

• A finalist on season 3 of x-factor

-Austin Percario from New Jersey

• X-Factor finalist on season 1

• Interned at Epic Records in 2015

-Carson Boatman from Iowa

• Brother is band-mate Conner

• In addition to singing he’s also an actor

-Conner Boatman from Iowa

• Competitive in gymnast and coach

• Dropped out of school to move to California to pursue his passion or singing

Learn more about Citizen Four in the following All Access interview:

JOSH

Now that we are entering the fall of 2016, what are some words you would use to describe this year?

A Blessing. Rad. Confusing (at times). Bomb. Crazyyyyyyy, and Inspiring 🙂

What have been some of the highlights for the band?

I would say the main highlight for Citizen Four is putting out our first piece of Citizen Four music out into the world –and there being a positive and accepting response of our music. We definitely strive to create something that feels authentic to us, as well as what we think is authentic to other people–so it is really appreciated when fans or people enjoy our music. Also, our first ever concert (Arthur Ashe Kids Day at the U.S. Open) was pretty dope as well.

Can you recall your earliest musical memories?

The earliest memories of music I ever had was probably sitting at my dance teacher’s kitchen table and watching both Beyonce and Michael Jackson’s live concert movies and most likely drooling because I was very young and also very mesmerize 🙂 That moment is something I’ll never forget because those two artists were one of the first non-gospel artist’s I was ever exposed to.

How did Citizen Four first come together?

Essentially, the coolest label ever–Island Records– wanted a band that wasn’t lame and made dope music. Through the process of our manager Tim–who put together One Direction and Fifth Harmony– he found myself and Austin on different seasons of The X-Factor and found Carson and Conner on YouTube. Then after a couple days turned into weeks–Citizen Four had been diversely born.

CONNER

What’s it like making music together?

Making music together is super fun because there are so many unique, and different ideas always being tossed around. Every time we’re making music whether we are writing, recording, or just vibing somewhere, I always learn something from each of them.

Who are some of your favorite artists and what bands continue to inspire you and your music?

I have a lot of favorite artists! (Laughter) Some of my favorite artists at the moment are Michl, Zayn, Ella Mai, Tove Lo, Jon Bellion and Rihanna. All of them have such an identity in their music and they inspire a lot of my music.

Who would you still love to work with in the future?

Some people I would love to work with in the future are the artists above AND Max Martin, and Major Lazer. They produce some incredible music and it would be so cool to work with them. 

When you aren’t performing, working in the studio, what do you like to do for fun?

When I’m not working in the studio recording I like to go out with friends, hike, surf, and stay active! I love finding new spots and traveling. I’m kind of an adrenaline junkie!

CARSON

How would you describe your sound to someone who had never heard it before?

For someone who had never heard our music, I would describe our sound as dark, sexy, fun, and edgey. Like a group version of Zayn, or The Weeknd.

How do you think C4 is different then the average boy band?

C4 is different from other boy bands because we are not afraid to push boundaries, in fact, we prefer to push them.

You have all done such different things, everything from competing in X-Factor, acting, gymnastic competitor and more. How does being in this band compare to all of that?

Being in a band is totally different than anything any of us have done before. Before we were all on our own trying to pursue various careers. Now we have each other, we work as a team towards one single goal. So there is more support in everything we do coming from one another.

When can fans expect new music from Citizen Four?

As far as original music, you can expect new music from C4 sometime in the next few months. In the mean time, please continue to support us by checking out our covers on our YouTube channel. We put a lot of effort into them for people to enjoy!:)

AUSTIN

When can fans see you perform next this year?

Citizen Four is busy writing & recording music so we can tour it as soon as possible! Soon!

At the end of the day, what do you hope is the message of your music?

I hope people hear an authentic message through every record we release. Be yourself & don’t be afraid to stand apart. Music makes me feel like I always have something to go back to.

What do you hope listeners take away from your songs?

I hope listeners can find themselves dancing & jamming along to Citizen Four on the daily. It’s all about love & fun for us so we hope the music translates.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

I have always considered myself a singer but it took me a minute to start calling myself an artist & I think it’s important to recognize that if you stay true to yourself your music/artistry will come alive.