Isaac: It’s an amazing time to be a DIY artist/performer/band/musician. What do you enjoy the most about being an indie performer?

Rudies: We enjoy live performance, interaction with our fans via Internet, and the ability to do exactly what we want artistically.

Isaac: If you had an opportunity to sign with a major label, would you sign now knowing you may have to give up some of what you have build up over the years about you in the process?

Rudies: Good question. As artists, we want to reach as many as possible on our own terms. If signed with a major, we would hope that they would understand our commitment to keeping our sound under Rudies’ control and allowing it to grow and change as we do. For us, music is more about invoking thought and dialogue than the trappings of rock stardom. 

Isaac: I remembered Simon Cowell from American Idol talking about the “it” Factor that makes a musician/band stand out. What do you think is your “it” factor that makes you stand out from others in the music business?

Rudies: Our sound is unique among bands in our genre, and you can hear the many different styles that we are all influenced by. We feel that and the working class attitude of the band make us more genuine and more approachable...easier to connect with.

Isaac: Why should music fans listen to your music? Describe what they are going to get when they listen to your music?

Rudies: What you will hear is a mash-up of classic reggae and ska styles with a punk edge in the tradition of Specials, Badbrains, and Clash. Our lyrics range from urgent calls for change and social justice to raucous rude boy party style. Some of our songs are a bit more roots/rasta influenced dub sounds, that is what our fans like about us...we keep them interested by not staying in the same style all the time.

Isaac: Briefly describe your humble beginnings that led you to where you are at musically now.

Rudies: All of us first and foremost love music, all have been playing since our early teens and some of us go back that far in friendship. After playing and touring with different bands, we got Rudies together because all the bands we had been in, none did what we do now. Recently, we were signed by blue pie records and are staring to receive some notice and airplay on an international level.

Isaac: You have some strong iconic influences. Of these influences, which artist/band do you relate to the most and why?

Rudies: The music of The Wailers, The Clash, Peter Tosh, and others like them. Their call to political and social justice for all really speaks to what we are about and what we want to say. A lot of music is about ego...not saying we don't have them, but we do feel if we have your ear. We should try and put some positive sounds and food for thought in it.

Isaac: Do you feel that Indie music gets the respect it deserves? Why or why not?

Rudies: Yes, in the sense of the many outlets that an artist has and the underground scene can be really supportive. The downside is that people define indie a lot of different ways, so that means lots and lots of bands ....makes it harder to reach the industry people that can help you. We got noticed because we sound so different from most in our genre.

Isaac: If you could change one thing about the music business, what would it be and why?

 

Rudies