Hailing from the Seattle area, Watch Rome Burn is a three piece rock band determined to leave their mark on the rock industry. Comprised of brothers Jestyn (drums) and Drew (guitar/vox) Cummings, along with the enigmatic Mr. Petey Normal on bass, Watch Rome Burns boasts a powerful sound. Their rough, unsentimental music spurns the effete, whimpering death trip of urbanized self-absorption. They light a fire with the dark fuel of addiction, apathy and suicide, watch the flames and survive the darkness; Never mind the heat.
Released late April 2019, “Snakeskin” includes mind bending guitar riffs and spectacular solos. The intro climbs into a steady melody of heavy guitars and drumming that keeps you on the edge of your seat for what’s coming next. “Snakeskin” brings rock n roll grit and powerful noise fused with Watch Rome Burn’s well known spectacular vocals and hard hitting melodies. Jam out, sing along, and groove to this rock anthem for all ages. Watch Rome Burn is wise beyond their years with their mighty, crunchy guitar riffs and their pummeling rhythmic textures and dynamic edgy vocals. “Snakeskin” does not disappoint its fans with it’s fully packed four minutes of soul crushing, groundbreaking, pure rock. Watch Rome Burn’s chemistry and precision blasts through the speakers. The lead guitar weaves through ups and downs of intricate sound as it paints a story. Using vocals to tell a mind bending and powerful story, Watch Rome Burn’s use of heavy instrumentals is just as satisfying. Watch Rome Burn knows what their fans want to hear and deliver it effortlessly, it’s hard to believe it’s only three guys! With so much success already, we’re patiently awaiting the release of their much anticipated album, Fall 2019!
Listen to “Snakeskin” here and read more below in our exclusive interview!
Hey guys! Welcome to BuzzMusic! Can you tell us more about how Watch Rome Burn came to fruition?
Watch Rome Burn: Well, Drew and Jestyn are brothers, they’ve been playing music together since forever; in 2016, Jestyn had actually been on an extended hiatus from the music scene at the time and Drew had just finished up with his last band project and we started doing impromptu jam sessions in Drew’s studio – those sessions morphed into the songs on our first album (2017’s “Now On VHS “). After we had played a few gigs as Watch Rome Burn, we met Petey hanging out in the scene, And we really just all three clicked well - it was like we had known each other forever – we found that we share a lot of common interests and sensibilities- musical tastes, for sure, but also all three of us posses a deep abiding love for vintage cheesy 80s horror flicks - even before we were playing music together we were getting together regularly, (and still do) to stay up all night on marathon horror-binge sessions. Petey had played a couple of gigs for fun with us as a second guitar – then he started jamming with us on bass and the sound was just incredible – really started coming together so well we were like “why fight this?! “ and we officially became a three-piece about two months ago!
Who are you top three musical influences? Why?
WRB: The obvious parallel most people will probably draw, not without good reason, is the early 90s Seattle grunge scene. The bands and the scene from that era are huge influence on Watch Rome Burn - Drew and Jestyn in particular, growing up in the PNW, felt a deep connection to that sound. As individuals, however, we have pretty disparate interests and influences - Drew loves video game composers, like David Whittaker, who he calls “the most prolific composer of all time”, he states, “He wrote more than anyone. And he mixes music like I do. With a style that he calls direct programming, where he is basically in charge of every single detail every single note”. Petey welds am obsessive love of Weezer/The Beatles/Rob Zombie/Metallica together to inform his bass playing. Jestyn is hugely influenced by the early LA punk scene circa ‘77-80 - the innovation, creativity and ferocity and spectacle of bands the Screamers, X, The Weirdos and The Germs made a big impression on him and his playing.
Wait, what was the question again?
Can you tell us more about the meaning behind your track “Snakeskin”?
WRB: It’s a hostile sort of song for the disenfranchised, overworked and hated. We wrote it for people who have busted their backs only to look around them at a world they don’t understand, one that doesn’t care to understand them either. In this modern technocracy, life seems to change faster and faster and leave more forgotten casualties who’ve slipped through the cracks. The title is about your appearance, your surface or skin being connected to the idea of original sin, like that which the snake delivers.
From an artists standpoint, what’s your favorite lyric in “Snakeskin”? Why?
WRB: “Human ingenuity leads human behavior” is our favorite line. Sums up the song in a melancholy kind of way. Innovation and progress can be the most disturbing and disruptive forces on the planet depending on who’s wielding the hilt.
What can we expect from your much anticipated album?
An angelic cacophony of cataclysmically euphonious chaos - venom soaked harmonies and devilishly devine hooks wedded to insightfully meaningless lyrics. They say the album is dead – well, we brought it back from the grave - and this reanimated monster is about to alter your whole lived-experience! Over-wrought semi-romantic ballads, self-important art-damaged instrumentals, hook-heavy pop singles, mega-aggro searing hardcore anthems, naval-gazing introspective goth-folk - we got it all, your one-stop-shop of insane, screaming, crying self-aggrandizement and self-destruction- it’s gonna be a lot o fun - check it out!
Keep updated with Watch Rome Burn via the bands social media: