Previous Story
From Performing on America’s Got Talent, To The Vans Warped Tour to Playing Shows in Russia, the Band REVERSE ORDER Are Seasoned Musicians!
Posted On 16 Mar 2016
Comment: 0
Tag: 3OH!3, AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alice In Chains, All Access, All Access Music Group, All Time Low, Americas Got Talent, Andrew Katsock, Artist Interview, Avril Lavigne, Bamboozle, Boston Marathon, Bruce Springsteen, Cruise Russo, Deryck Whibley, Erase You, Fall Out Boy, Gin Blossoms, Good Charlotte, High School Nation, Jack & Jack, Joan Jett, John Russo, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Linkin Park, Matt Squire, Meteora, Not Alone, OneRepublic, Our City, Panic! At The Disco, Reverse Order, Reverse The Trend, russia, Ryan Tedder, School of Rock, Shawn Mendes, Steve Tippeconnic, Sum 41, Taking Back Sunday, The Cab, The Killers, The Used, Third Eye Blind, Trent Reznor, Van's Warped Tour, Youngblood Hawke, Zumiez
The band, Reverse Order was created in 2008 by brothers John and Cruise Russo, with the addition of Andrew Katsock in 2010.
Their new single “Erase You,” was produced by Matt Squire. The multi-platinum producer/writer has worked with Panic! at the Disco, 3OH3!, Good Charlotte, All Time Low, Taking Back Sunday, The Used, The Cab, Youngblood Hawke and many more
-
Reverse Order created ‘Reverse The Trend,’ an anti-bullying and motivation concert and program that has been brought to more than 300 schools.
-
They have supported Third Eye Blind and Avril Lavigne and performed on the Van’s Warped Tour and at Bamboozle on the Zumiez Stage.
Learn more about them by following them here: reverseorderonline.com facebook.com/reverseorder twitter.com/reverseorder
Check out the following All Access interview with them:
Thanks for your time today! So, what were some of the highlights of 2015 for the band and what are you most excited for this year?
In 2015, we performed over 250 shows in 33 states. We also had the opportunity to record three new songs with producer Matt Squire. The first song, Erase You, was released in December. The other two will be released in the upcoming months. Our anti-bullying concert program for schools and communities, Reverse the Trend, has effectively saved lives from bullying related suicide, and officially became a 501c3 non-profit, and reached thousands of students nationwide.
We have plenty of amazing stuff in store for 2016. We have new music we are very excited to release, a tour from February-June, and Reverse the Trend has been invited to be a part of Warped Tour 2016 which we are all very excited about!
Can you talk about how Reverse Order first formed? Were John and Cruise always playing music together growing up? Where did the band name come from? What other names were you considering?
Cruise and I (John) are brothers so we have been playing music together for as far back as I can remember. We were lucky to have parents that continuously exposed us to music, and took us to concerts like KISS, Bruce Springsteen and Joan Jett growing up. After seeing the movie “School of Rock” we were more eager than ever to perform on stage. We were the very first students to enroll at the first School of Rock that opened in NJ. We loved it so much we started our own band with a couple friends from school. When we had our first gig we needed a name, and had lists and lists of names we couldn’t decide on. Eventually our dad saw the words “Reverse Order” written on a whiteboard at our house and said “Stop arguing, that’s your name.” Everyone loved it so we went with it. A few years later Drew joined the band, and we’ve been having an incredible time every since!
What was it like working with the producer Matt Squire on your newest single, “Erase You”?
Working with Matt Squire was an incredible experience for us. He’s worked on so many records that we love, and we knew working with him would be a great decision for these new songs. Steve Tippeconnic (Shawn Mendes, Jack & Jack) also worked on these new recordings with us, and it was great to have him work on the project with us. When we all got in the studio it was like we had been working together for years, and ideas just started pouring out. Every day was even more exciting than the last, and we are very proud of the new songs!
Can you talk about the anti-bullying and motivation concert and program, “Reverse The Trend” that you created? What gave you the idea to start this program?
After performing on America’s Got Talent, a company called High School Nation reached out to us to do some performances in high schools along with our regular venue gigs at night. After the shows, students would come up to us and talk to us about different problems that were going on in their lives. Many of the issues they would talk to us about we also experienced in high school, and even still today, so we created Reverse the Trend to reach out to those who were struggling, and help them in a fun, interactive way. We never expected it to get as huge as it is today. We started off doing a handful of shows a year in NY and PA, and now we get so many requests we can’t even keep up with them all. It’s been a very rewarding experience for us.
Who are your all-time favorite musicians? Who would you love to work with in the future?
There are so many musicians who have inspired us to do what we do that picking a favorite would be very hard. Growing up we listened to all the classics like Bruce Springsteen, KISS, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, etc. The bands that had the biggest influence on our writing and performance would be The Killers, Fall Out Boy, Alice in Chains, Linkin Park, OneRepublic, and Sum 41. I remember when I first started writing songs I would just write lyrics to the songs on Linkin Park’s Meteora.
In the future we would love to work with Matt Squire again; it would also be incredible to work with Ryan Tedder, Trent Reznor, and Deryck Whibley. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, they are all very different, and that’s part of what would make it so fun! Think of the variety of songs that would be on that record!
What was it like performing in Russia? What were those crowds like? And what was it like playing on the Vans Warped Tour? Do you hope to play there again this year?
Touring Russia was one of the greatest touring experiences we’ve ever had. We met so many incredible people, and every venue we performed at was packed with new fans who were anxious to see this band that came all the way from the US. What made Russia so incredible was how much they truly appreciated original music and discovering new bands. The audience couldn’t wait to talk to us when our set was over, even if it was through a translator. I would say it was the best tour we’ve ever had. We have an open invitation to go back.
Van’s Warped Tour was another incredible experience for us. Performing at a festival is so different from performing in a controlled venue, and it’s something I hope every band gets to experience. The crowds, the bands, the culture; Warped Tour is such a legendary tour, and we can’t wait to be a part of it again!
What do you think you learned from being on America’s Got Talent, Season 7? Would you do it again if given the chance?
The biggest thing we learned from being on America’s Got Talent is that no matter what you do there will always be people who love you and hate you. There will always be people who try to change who you are, and make you something you’re not. It’s extremely important to surround yourself with the right people. You have to truly believe in yourself and what you’re doing, and put everything you have into it. AGT did a lot of positive things for Reverse Order, so if given the chance we would be a part of the show again.
You are headed back on the road in about a week. Where are you most excited to play at?
Since we’ve been traveling so much touring and recording new music, it’s been awhile since we’ve performed shows in PA and NJ which are our hometown markets. We are extremely excited to get back to those states and see so many people who have been with us since the beginning!
What’s been a favorite gig of yours?
We’ve been fortunate enough to play so many incredible shows including the tour in Russia, Mexico, Warped Tour, and opening for Third Eye Blind. Most recently we had the opportunity to perform with the Gin Blossoms which was a huge deal for us. The show was packed wall to wall, and we got to hang out with the Gin Blossoms backstage eating pizza and talking about music after the show was over. They were really cool guys, and it was such a great show to be a part of.
What do you hope listeners take away from your music? Do you think there is a message to some of your songs?
We definitely have a message in our music. While we have the typical love songs you’d expect from any band, we also like to write about important issues. Our song “Not Alone” is our anti-bullying/suicide prevention outreach song letting people know that no matter what happens in life you are not alone, you will overcome it, and that life is beautiful. Our song “Our City” is dedicated to those who were affected by the Boston Marathon bombings, and speaks about how we as a nation united together and overcame what happened. Reflecting on our own personal lives, we also have songs that deal with anxiety, depression, and many of life’s other struggles. Having a message in our music is something that is vital to Reverse Order.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourselves or your music?
We’d just like to say that we are so grateful for all the love and support we receive from our fans on a daily basis. Seeing you at shows, and hearing how our music has become a part of your life, inspires us to keep doing what we do. It truly does mean the world to us. Please keep in touch with us on www.ReverseOrderOnline.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also message us whenever you’d like. We’d love to hear from you!
