Rock Documented recently had the chance to interview the up and coming band, Filmspeed. The power trio, originally from Detroit, have relocated to Southern California in hopes of making their rock and roll dream come true. Their sound is a mixture of punk, funk, and rock with a dose of good times. They particularly pride themselves on their live performances as a self-described garage band. I experienced their fun-loving personalities first-hand at their show at The Wayfarer in Costa Mesa with an interview afterwards. The Wayfarer is a club known for supporting local talent such as Them Evils, Joyous Wolf and Of Limbo.
Filmspeed consists of Craig Broomba as lead singer and guitarist, Nick Stout on guitar and bass, rounded out with Oliver Dobrian on drums. Both Nick and Oliver provide vocal support, giving the band a rich, complete sound. Their first full length album, Hexadecimal, had two videos, “Just My Luck” and “I Feel Alright” that display the band’s humorous and ironic take on life. Just recently, Filmspeed released a new single, “Bless My Soul.” The video for that tune dropped just this week. With new material under their belt, they embarked on an eleven date tour of the Pacific Northwest (PNW); a first for them. Our interview started with a recap of how that went for them.
Rock Documented: Tell us how the tour went? Have you ever played the PNW before?
Filmspeed: No, we have never played the PNW before. It was a first for us. We met a lot of people along the way. Every night was a different challenge for us. Literally, a different challenge, including being robbed by junkies in Vancouver in a neighborhood we had no business in. It all worked out but it was a long tour. The shows and people were great and that’s why we do it.
RD: When you’re on tour what are your hobbies/distractions to pass the time?
Filmspeed: Lucky for us (Craig and Oliver), Nick does most of the driving. We listen to a lot of comedy radio, Tom Segura, Joe Rogan, Billy Burr, Jerry Seinfeld, Joey Diaz, Theo Vonn, and Gethard are some of our favorites.
RD: What did you grow up listening to in your house?
Filmspeed: The Beatles, The Who, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, Rolling Stones, Carpenters, and the Eagles to name a few.
RD: You recently did a cover of Foreigner’s “As Cold as Ice,” how do you pick your covers?
Filmspeed: We pick what we like and what we have fun playing.
RD: When it comes to music, what are your guilty pleasures?
Filmspeed: In Sync, Whitney Houston, and of course Michael Jackson (the guys then proceeded to do to a little MJ dance for me).
RD: If you were king for a day, who would you want to collaborate with?
Filmspeed: We would love to do something with Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Myles Davis, and even Beethoven!
RD: I read that you are working on new music, when can we expect it?
Filmspeed: We have a double-sided single out. “Bless My Soul” and “Shakey Love” on the B side. We won’t have a full length album any time soon, but we are always working on new stuff.
RD: What other plans do you have for 2019?
Filmspeed: We hope to be hitting Salt Lake City and Texas for the first time. Bringing our live performances to new towns and conquering the world one show at a time.
The guys in Filmspeed were hilarious. It was honestly difficult to get a straight answer out of them because they are a bunch of kidders trying to not take themselves too seriously. I really appreciated their candor and good nature. For a good time, check out Filmspeed on Spotify, iTunes and YouTube while you’re waiting for them to come to your town.
