What's up, everybody?

My name is Matty and today we are live from KVCR studios in San Bernardino.

This is Rhythm Lounge, where we spotlight the top musical talent from across the Inland Empire.

Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the Paper Drivers ♪ Take control of the wheel.

♪ ♪ Cause I'm not sure if I can feel ♪ ♪ Turning like the sun goes ♪ ♪ That is what I miss most ♪ ♪ Your red hair from pictures.

♪ ♪ Of before ♪ ♪ Now your body's hidden underneath my blood.

♪ ♪ I went too far.

♪ ♪ I just should just stayed in the car ♪ ♪ But you insisted it was fine.

♪ ♪ When you cuddle on the line.

♪ ♪ Your red hair gets tangled in lies.

♪ ♪ Now I put that knife right in your spine ♪ ♪ and you had your self-inflicted ♪ ♪ cuts and scars ♪ ♪ in Angel's that hide in smoke and crash ♪ ♪ cars.

♪ ♪ Your feeble life was slipping ♪ ♪ through my hands ♪ ♪ Your hourglass is running ♪ ♪ out of sand.

♪ ♪ Its been ages now ♪ ♪ And I'm surprised you have been found ♪ ♪ Is this ‘cause you will regret ♪ ♪ I keep you in my head.

♪ ♪ All I can do is kneel ♪ ♪ And repent to your once brown hair ♪ ♪ Now crimson ♪ ♪ Red ♪ ♪ Red ♪ ♪ Red ♪ ♪ Goddess of the heart ♪ ♪ Lay your weapons down ♪ ♪ I cant win.

♪ ♪ I misunderstood what these kids live for.

♪ ♪ I'm inadequate ♪ ♪ This was not a dying wish.

♪ ♪ Only one needed more than this ♪ ♪ Hold tight ♪ ♪ These parting gifts ♪ ♪ Til the sands of times start to shift ♪ ♪ You surrendered smiles and couple I love yous ♪ ♪ I should have known ♪ ♪ And now youve gone away ♪ ♪ And I'm left.

♪ ♪ With these letters.

♪ ♪ With both our hate.

♪ ♪ This was not a dying wish.

♪ ♪ Only wanted more than this.

♪ ♪ Hold tight ♪ ♪ This parting gift.

♪ ♪ Til the sands of time ♪ ♪ Start to shift.

♪ ♪ This was not a dying wish.

♪ ♪ Only wanted more than this.

♪ ♪ So tie ♪ ♪ These parting gifts.

♪ ♪ ‘Til the sands of time start to shift.

♪ ♪ soft music playing in background ♪ Welcome back.

Party animals.

My name is Manny.

Again, this is Rhythm Lounge.

We are so lucky today because we have the Paper Drivers here with us in person, not virtual.

So we're excited about that.

Guys, thank you so much for coming out and sharing your talent with us all.

You guys performed a couple of songs just now.

What was the name of those songs?

The first one was Red Hair, and the second one was Parting Gift.

Red Hair and Parting Gift.

So first off, what I know, Nick and Caitlin, you guys have each been playing for almost a decade.

Obviously,you guys as as a band have been together for about a year, year and a half But how long have you been playing, Nick?

How long have you been playing the guitar for?

I've been playing guitar for about nine years, and when I started playing it was more of like to write songs rather than like learn how to be this like shredder.

Like obviously that came along later on down the line.

Yeah, but as long as I've been playing guitar, I've been writing songs also.

So how many songs would you say you've written in the past, like, decade?

No.

I. I don't even know.

It's mostly my phone voice memos that are just.

Those are my recordings.

-Right.

So there's there's a lot.

There's a lot.

So you probably got a solid like ten albums in there or something.

Yeah, definitely.

Why do you enjoy the bass?

Oh, okay.

The bass, it, like, holds down the band a lot along with the drums.

Just keeping it down, keeping the rhythm.

Gotcha.

So you guys are from the Inland Empire?

Corona Yeah.

And so you guys are I.E., locals What would you guys say is the most difficult part about being a artist in the Inland Empire.

To drive to L.A., you know, to to mingle with all of them?

You know, like, there's obviously a lot of people out here, but people out here, but I mean, there's a there's a scene here, you know, like a lot of bands.

Right.

And but I think what we're aiming for is to go more to the city.

Gotcha.

Okay.

Yeah, but it's difficult, though Caitlin, I know you have something to say as well, so I'm going to step back over.

I think it just it is pretty competitive out here with like, bands like, all right.

Like I guess its.

Yeah, it's just competitive.

I don't know what else to say.

Gotcha.

Okay.

Yeah.

It's always interesting hearing you know, bands and artists from the Inland Empire just because I think it's a whole different game out here when you're an artist compared to when you are already, you know, in L.A. as an artist.

But then I stop and think, imagine somebody in the middle of Arkansas how much more difficult it probably is for them.

I feel like the only way to get discovered there is I'm like a talent competition show.

I don't know.

So there's another way.

But so yeah.

So what inspires you guys to to make music and create music?

What really like, drives that passion out of you guys?

That's all I ever wanted to do.

I mean, I couldn't see myself doing anything else, so this is it for me.

Gotcha.

In terms of artists and other band sand rock bands and who would you guys say are some of your influences and what are some of your favorite bands just in general?

Uh, favorite bands, definitely bands like The Smashing Pumpkins or Dinosaur Junior, these really loud wall of sound, distorted guitars, just like in your face.

But it's not, it's, it's not just the guitars or the loudness of it, but there's also like a melody and hooks to the music, which is just like overall just this like not only emotionally pulling, but just like physically and like mentally, just like, whoa, you just assaulting all your, like ears, you know?

like Right.

So who's your who's the standout for you in the Smashing Pumpkins?

...Billy Corgan?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Billy Corgan.... is the lead.

Yeah, yeah, he's.

He's the man.

I'm somewhat familiar with their music.

What's your favorite?

A favorite song from them.

I'm sure that's.

Difficult.

Is difficult because I'm a mega fan.

Yeah, but a favorite song, probably either.

A Hummer office, Siamese Dream or Bury Me have their first record.

Gish I think those two songs are like they're pretty much two songs...Yeah, ...but it's one long song.

And so you have this whole beginning where it's like loud, and then the second half is like totally different, but it's just It makes sense though.

...Yeah....

So I like to do that my own songs.

That's something I've taken from them.

That's really cool.

So would you say the Smashing Pumpkins is a band that has influenced you as an artist?

Oh yeah, definitely.

Just in everything I do.

Gotcha.

And Caitlin, what about yourself?

It's a bit I hope it's not Smashing Pumpkins, too, but whats a bad that inspires you and has influenced you in your music, in your sound?

I guess like for being in this band, it pretty much is like the same music because it's like, its like thats kind of sound.

We're, I guess, going for it.

So for bass wise, it is those bands.

But for as a personal artist, like just as myself, I think like a big inspiration is just like female led or Asian you know, led bands because I guess it's like something you dont see as often.

And it's just like Japanese Breakfast or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Gotcha.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, I remember.

I remember a lot of their stuff on like other big networks during probably like the early 2000s.

They were.

Everywhere.

Yeah, yeah.

I remember seeing them like whenever a TV show would end, they would like pop up their music videos and what not.

But man, that's awesome.

So you guys have done some live shows recently, I understand.

And so how has that been getting back up on stage in front of actual humans?

You know, opposed to everything having been, you know, virtual for a number of, you know, months and sometimes years with the pandemic.

How has that been?

getting back in the game?

It's been rough because, you know, everyone took the whole pandemic to write new material and new bands, you know, so its just everyone wants a piece And so you just got to compete.

You got to just, you know, your your live shows have to be a lot more spectacular than the last because people are just going to show up, you know, they're not going to show up just to see it again.

Right.

They want to see something new.

-Gotcha.

What's one place or venue that you guys are still kind of way into?

I seen you guys recently performed at the was it The Loft or the Lot?

I think it was Lot.

The Lot, yeah.

What what city was that in ... L.A.?

East L.A.?

Gotcha.

What places in the Inland Empire or around the Inland Empire have you not played at that?

That you guys would like to play at....personally anywhere Downtown Riverside would be really cool.

Okay.

Was that the mtl or pixels would be cool God, I think pixels gets wild still.

You know, it's those.

College.

Nights.

...Yeah.

So I think, I think it'd be cool somewhere downtown Riverside because it's just so close, but it's a, we know a lot of people in the area...Yeah...

So and we have yet to play any of those places.

Gotcha.

I could definitely picture you guys at a, you know, like a Hanger, Escape.

Those places would be awesome.

too.

You just because I'm a you know a local to those those two spots.

So but anyways yeah so so moving forward, what is your guys's plan or Whats your goal as an artist?

where do you guys see yourselves in the next year?

Because I mean, this past year you guys have kind of you guys have been doing shows and now you guys are here with all of us today.

So what do you envision for yourself in the next 12 months?

Uh, definitely release official music.

We've only just released, like just a couple of demos and all that, but we want something that we would like to listen to as well, ...-Right No, we don't want just something we don't like.

-Right.

And then also just to hopefully get signed to a label ...Got you... -because that's probably like that's how we're going to get further out is with the help of labels, not saying like, we cant do it, but in this day and age, it's like especially after that pandemic, it's like everyone's just trying to have a piece.

You know?

-Right.

Yeah.

How would you guys say you guys currently market yourselves as artists?...-Uh I would probably say we would market ourselves as just... loud.

I wanted.

The goal was originally to be the loudest band in The I.E.

and then but also with that, I think just a band with a great live show cause that's always important.

You know, live shows is that's how youre going to make your money is people coming out and seeing that ...-Right, especially when music streaming platforms are giving artists pennies for a ...-Exactly...-thousand streams which is nuts So Caitlin, I was going to ask you, so the Paper Drivers, how did that name come about?

And where did that derive from?

Basically.

-Thats a question to ask him.

He he made the name.

-So so Nick, it's you who came up with the Paper Drivers.

So so what is what is that about?

-It's a it's a term in Japan for people who have their license, but they don't really drive or they're bad at driving.

So on paper, they're a driver, ...-Gotcha...-but in reality, theyre not really.

But I think just the name itself, it looks really nice written down or just looking at it or saying it, it just kind of makes sense and it makes you like wonder like what type of music would that be?

..-Right.

Yeah yeah yeah.

That's interesting that you say that thats what its derived from because that almost seems like it could be an L.A. thing, too, because L.A. is synonymous for, you know, bad drivers.

So, yeah, but yeah, guys.

So the two songs that you performed earlier in the show, what was the names of those again?

-Red Hair and Parting Gift.

Red hair and Parting Gift.

So Red Hair is the one that definitely caught my attention, Both of them were great, but Red Hair, what was that inspired by?

It was my attempt to to write like an old school blues murder ballad.

You know how you have all of the like ones saying, like, you know, all these Delta blues guitarist talking about how like oh, or like even these traditional songs in American history, you know, talking about how they got murdered or how they murdered and now they're locked up ...-Yeah...-and all that.

So it was more take on like just a just a modernized type of things like that because that music doesn't really get recognized enough, you know, for it being really important.

-Yeah.

-To Just not only just American history but just the Western music in general you know, that's a lot of just great history to that and it's really important to the U.S. -Gotcha.

You know, one thing that I think is just its tough, especially for for rock bands right now and just bands in general is the diminishing, you know, prevalence and like mainstream, you know, I feel like Rock at one point was somewhat more mainstream than it currently is.

And what would you say is what would you, Caitlin, say is the reason for that, having, you know, just occurred the not downfall but diminish of it a bit?

-I just think there are different genres that pop up a lot like at certain times.

And like obviously right now its like probably just pop like we have like people like Olivia Ridrigo whos like rock pop.

So I feel like that's like kind of like biggest genre as of right now.

-Gotcha.

So since you're we're on the topic of mainstream artists, who are your guys?

you know, I know sometimes everybody has those guilty pleasures.

Who would you say your two your guys favorite artists are that are you know from that mainstream sort of pop scene?

-Mainstream.

Huh.

-Uh, I feel like neither was listening.

-Yeah.

I couldn't tell you everything, because when you see mainstream now, it's really just like, all right, well, who has the most money and who's related to the big celebrities, you know?

And so, like, are they really in it for the music.

right?

-Yeah.

-That's so like a lot of our favorite bands are just bands that are, that are, I guess, in the underground now.

But yeah, like I couldn't really say.

-We, we are going to actually do one more song and what's the name of the song that we're going to end with?

-This one's called Carnage.

-Carnage.

And what was Carnage inspired by?

-My attempt to make a I'd say maybe a late eighties rock song that didn't sound like dated because, you know, there's a lot of bands now who are doing like a lot of synth driven like eighties sounds, you know?

And to me it's all like, I don't want the cheesiness of it.

I want like the actual good stuff from the eighties.

Yeah.

-Well, you guys, Caitlin, Caitlin, Nick, I appreciate you guys for stopping by, and I hope to catch you guys at a show.

My name is Mariana Lapiizco and you spell that M A R I A N A -Okay.

Awesome.

Can you tell me about how you heard about the internship program?

-Yes, of course I heard about the internship program on social media and then right after I decided to apply.

-Okay.

And can you tell me why students should join the film TV and media program?

-Working with professionals just gives you a sense of confidence.

You know, as artists we're always self-conscious.

But working with like minded people always inspires you to go more and get out of your comfort zone and keep learning.

Not only that, but people are super cool here.

You know, we're always helping each other out.

If someone doesn't know something, the other person might know it.

And they're always teaching each other.

It's always a teamwork.

That makes a dream work and it's all here.

-One more time.

Give it up for the Paper Drivers ♪ Free ♪ ♪ Me ♪ ♪ From your passenger seat.

♪ ♪ I ♪ ♪ Had ♪ ♪ inaudible ♪