By Nicholas Jason Lopez
On Dec. 13, 2019, Bronx, N.Y. based pop-punk band Ronx released their latest single, “Roses,” which lyrically revolves around post-breakup problems and how to let go of the past and move forward.
Ronx currently consists of Guitarist/Vocalist Miguel Vasquez and Bassist/Vocalist Joshua Reguillo. After two EPs, ‘Welcome Home’ and ‘I’ll Just Go,’ Ronx released their debut full-length record ‘Division St.’ in Summer 2018.
The Music Bugle recently spoke with Vasquez/Reguillo about “Roses” and recent events.
Music Bugle – Who are your biggest music influences in terms of shaping your particular sound?
Josh Reguillo – A lot of pop-punk bands continue to inspire our sound like Blink-182 or Neck Deep, but other bands like Driveways, WSTR and Point North have been taking over and inspiring us lately.
Music Bugle – How would you describe the overall New York pop-punk scene?
Josh Reguillo – The overall New York pop-punk scene is probably the smallest compared to metal, indie and hardcore scene. We feel like our brother pop-punk bands are doing a great job keeping that little scene we have alive and it’s actually growing more as the years come and go.
Music Bugle – What is the backstory of how “Roses” came to be?
Miguel Vasquez – “Roses” was made after a break up I had about a year ago. I was really in a bad place and I felt like in that moment, I needed to express my feelings and the way that I do that is by writing a song. I had the ideas and knew what I wanted to do, but for the life of me, I had trouble finishing it on my own. One of my friends, Nick Millus, who is also in a band called Persei, encouraged me to keep going because he loved the song and he actually helped me finish writing it. I got to say that I had so much fun writing “Roses.”
Music Bugle – When can fans expect new music?
Miguel Vasquez – We have plenty of things we want to accomplish in the year 2020. Fans can expect music videos, tours and new music sometime in the middle of the year!
Music Bugle – What is your biggest frustration with the music industry and can it be fixed?
Miguel Vasquez – My biggest frustration with the music industry is that in order to do what you want in your life, you have to sell out and become a band that you were not set out to be. In today’s age, the industry takes over your music and decides what goes and what doesn’t. The freedom that we have now to do what we want is what we hope to keep true to.
Music Bugle – What would you say is the band’s most meaningful song or set of lyrics?
Josh Reguillo – At the moment, “Feelings are overrated, I’m good on my own” from our single “On My Own” is an important message and we feel is very meaningful. Everyone goes through this thing where they feel they need a partner or their former partner in order to be happy. We know that feeling well, but found that it’s not true. We can all be alone and happy for ourselves.
Music Bugle – Where was your most memorable show or moment onstage?
Miguel Vasquez – My most memorable show was definitely when we played at our hometown in the Bronx, NY. It was hosted by an underground organization called Hydro Punk. They were hosting a show and we got invited to play in it. What I loved about the show was that everyone was very supportive and it was in our hometown where there were a bunch of familiar faces. It really felt like a home show.
Music Bugle – Which overall feelings would you say are conveyed through your music?
Miguel Vasquez – The feelings of our music are all sad anthems. Moments of our lives where we have felt discouraged or upset about something and we express those feelings through our music.
Music Bugle – How would you compare your earliest days as a band to nowadays?
Miguel Vasquez – In our earlier stages as a band, I felt like we were just a couple of guys knowing what we wanted to do, but we were not sure what we wanted to sound like. After we recorded our album ‘Division St.,’ we have learned a lot about the differences between the songs we have written and took tips from the producer, Doug Gallo of Hodera. He taught us the many techniques that we still use today.
Music Bugle – What’s something you think people should know about the band?
Josh Reguillo – The band consists of two dudes – myself on bass and Miguel on guitar. The third member (drums) is anyone that wants to join the ride. The throne is open. It’s always been Miguel and I since sophomore year of high school, so we’re going on seven or eight years now of us keeping this music alive.
