The Rock n’ Roll Soldiers have made a name for themselves as one of Eugene’s premier up-and-coming rock combos. The band has garnered record label interest and even a short recommendation in Rolling Stone magazine, not to mention a good- sized local fan base.
The group comprises singer/songwriter Marty Larson-Xu, bassist Evan Seroffsky, lead guitarist Lucas “The Ledge” Gunn, rhythm guitarist Quinn “Touchdown” Brown and drummer Oliver Brown, the Soldiers are known for their powerhouse live performances and stage theatrics. The band formed while the four original members were in Roosevelt Middle School (a fifth member, Quinn Brown, joined recently) and before any of the members could play instruments.
Since then, the Soldiers have played all over the country, including multiple shows in their home town. Now, with demos floating around and record labels both large and small showing interest, the band seems ready to move on to bigger things.
“We’re going in to record another demo pretty soon,” Seroffsky said. “We’ve had some labels show interest, but we’re trying to build up our repertoire of songs and get our live shows down.”
Regarding record labels, the band has been making choices about where to go.
“It’s hard to decide between a major label and an independent label,” Larson-Xu said. “Both have their benefits and their downsides. With an independent label you get more focused treatment but there won’t be the kind of money or exposure as there would be with a major.”
The band has become known for its frenetic live shows, which utilize a wide variety of stage antics. Past performances have involved camouflage uniforms, torch-lit stages and the wholesale destruction of cardboard sets by band members and audience alike. But not all such performances have been successful.
“We don’t like to have all our live shows the same,” Larson-Xu said. “Back when we were in high school we did a show at John Henry’s. That was in their old location. We had an incident with a fire extinguisher. Those things fill up a room.”
Larson-Xu promises the next show will top them all, but was silent regarding the details. The band has also been coming up with other performance ideas for future shows.
“There’s going to be an auction for Touchdown. We’re thinking of starting at about $40,” Larson-Xu said.
“Yeah, forty or something strong,” Quinn Brown said. “Preferably of the malt liquor persuasion.”
With their hard-hitting style, the Soldiers have carved a niche for themselves in the burgeoning Eugene rock scene. They perform at the WOW Hall, on the corner of Lincoln Street and West Eighth Avenue, this Friday. Tickets will be $5 at the door, which opens at 8:00 p.m.