Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

XS ROCK

Interviews

Interview With Ty Oliver Of Raygun Romance

Electronic Rock/Synth Pop project RAYGUN ROMANCE (former POWERMAN 5000 Guitarist TY OLIVER) has unleashed the official music video for his newest Dark Synth masterpiece, “Adore You.” Filmed by Marie Ilene and the inimitable front-man (who also edited), “Adore You” features burlesque dancer and pinup Princess Miss Spent Youth

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Are any new projects coming out, live shows, or announcements?
Ty: Well, the project is currently promoting the latest Single and Video “Adore You” You can stream the track on all the digital outlets, as well as find the Video on Youtube.


XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together?
Ty: I started this project in 2019. It was initially just going to be a Studio thing. I had some demos that I really wanted to bring to life at the time. I hired a singer to write lyrics and Melodies, as well as a Producer to help bring it to its final form. Over time and out of necessity, I eventually took over on Vocals as well as handling all the Production/Mixing duties myself.


XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band?
Ty: I started out as a fan, as I think we all do. Drums caught my attention first. I got a Kit, jammed with some friends and I was hooked immediately. I eventually switched to Guitar, and that was my focus up until recently.


XS ROCK: What is your music background?
Ty: I have always been self-taught. I can’t read or write music, don’t know theory or any of that kind of thing. It’s all by ear and feel.

XS ROCK: What image do you think your music conveys?
Ty: I’m not totally sure if you mean what style is it? I usually describe it as Electronic Rock/Synth Pop with an 80’s Influence.


XS ROCK: What are your current music career goals?
Ty: Just get as many eyes and ears on it as possible, get a true loyal following.


XS ROCK: Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience?
Ty: Playing live is magical, just as bringing an idea you have in your head and heart to life is. Both are very different, but both are essential parts of the Music puzzle.

XS ROCK: What are your songs’ lyrics about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Ty: They tend to be very personal. I write what I’m feeling or going through. Heartbreak, Love, Depression, not making the best decisions on how to cope with some of those feelings. That sort of thing.


XS ROCK: What is the single most important thing to you as a musician?
Ty: Making the best music I can. Which is always a work in progress.


XS ROCK: Do you have any outrageous tour stories from the road?
Ty: Nah, nothing too scandalous. At least as far as the the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll kind of thing goes. My stories are more kind of the stuff you don’t hear much about, like having a Tour Bus with no heat in the dead of Winter on the East Coast. Not being able to sleep because I was practically freezing to death. Same bus broke down on the way out of Vegas, we had to have someone come pick us up and drive us to the show that night in San Diego. We straight up got there, loaded the Gear on stage and finished Soundcheck within minutes of doors opening. That kind of stuff. Good times!

XS ROCK: What’s the strangest request that you’ve ever received from one of your fans?
Ty: I think someone asked me for some of my hair once.


XS ROCK: Are your friends and family supportive of your choice to play in a rock band?
Ty: Mostly yes, it took my Mom a while to come around. When I got the Powerman Gig in 2015 she definitely took it a bit more seriously.


XS ROCK: What advice do you have for new bands trying to get started?
Ty: Give it everything you have, and don’t give up. Never chase trends. Also, find someone with money who wants to bankroll you, this shit ain’t cheap.


XS ROCK: What are your favorite tracks to play live?
Ty: Have yet to take Raygun Romance live, but that’s something I look forward to.


XS ROCK: Which band or artist inspired you to perform? Why?
Ty: Early on it was a lot of Hair Metal bands. The more flashy and larger-than-life they were, the more I liked it. I just wanted to be able to get up there and have that much confidence in my own performance one day.

XS ROCK: If you could design a dream tour for your band, who would be on the bill?
Ty: Getting to open for CHVRCHES, Julien K or The Birthday Massacre would be epic. Or the opener on a Tour with that lineup!


XS ROCK: What do you consider your greatest accomplishment so far?
Ty: Oh, that’s easy, getting to Tour and perform as a Guitar Player with Powerman 5000 was huge. Life changing. Previous to it coming along, playing shows like that every night and being on the road were things I had only daydreamed about.

XS ROCK: If you weren’t performing in a band what kind of career do you think you would have?
Ty: I’d be a highly respected member of the Custodial Arts.


XS ROCK: What do you think of the current music scene?
Ty: I think there’s plenty of great music out there right now, you just have to dig around a bit. As far as what’s popular? That’s a different story.


XS ROCK: For anyone that doesn’t know you, what would they be surprised to know about you?
Ty: I like some really poppy music like Ava Max, Michelle Branch, and Avril Lavigne.

XS ROCK: Is there anything that you’d like to promote or say to your fans out there?
Ty: Off the top, if you’re listening to the music, and watching the Videos, thank you endlessly. Also, check out the latest release “Adore You” Streaming everywhere now, Music Video is on Youtube.


XS ROCK: Thanks again for taking the time to talk with us at XS ROCK!
Ty: Thanks for having me!
Cheers,
Ty

https;//instagram.com/raygunromance


https://twitter.com/raygun_romance


https://facebook.com/raygunromance1

Photo credit: Eric Vincent

You May Also Like

Featured Articles

During the 80’s hard rock ruled the airwaves. Quiet Riot’s Metal Health became the first #1 metal album of all time. Soon after the...

Featured Articles

For every Motley Crue, Def Leppard, and Van Halen, There were many other bands that were really good, but somehow didn’t quite make it...

80s Heavy Metal

The 1980s hard rock and metal scene is widely known as a generation of excess and a lot of over-the-top imagery. In fact, most...

Hard Rock & Metal

Recently, I received an advanced release for Josh Todd & The Conflict’s debut album, “Year Of The Tiger”. Most of you probably know Josh...

Hard Rock & Metal

Formed in 1982 by Tom Keifer and Eric Brittingham, Cinderella was one of the biggest bands of the ’80s rock and metal era.  Following several...

Christian Rock & Metal

01. Stryper-Stryper has to be at the top of this list. Not because I think they’re the best, but because their contribution to Christian...

Hard Rock & Metal

Britny Fox was formed in 1985 with “Dizzy” Dean Davidson on vocals, former Cinderella drummer Tony Destra, former Cinderella guitarist Michael Kelly Smith and...

80s Heavy Metal

The 1980s and early 90s saw hard rock and heavy metal go mainstream and reach a large audience worldwide. The genre was split into...

80s Heavy Metal

The 1980s were an awesome time thanks to the glam/hair metal scene. The image almost became as important as the music during this period,...

80s Heavy Metal News

Watch First Judas Priest Video "Trial By Fire' From New Album

80s Heavy Metal

Judas Priest have released their first official video from their upcoming new album Invincible Shield for the song “Trial By Fire”. Invincible Shield is...

ZAKK SABBATH announce new double album "Doomed Forever Forever Doomed" ZAKK SABBATH announce new double album "Doomed Forever Forever Doomed"

80s Heavy Metal

ZAKK SABBATH are back with an even more massive dose of pure BLACK SABBATH worship! Celebrating more than 50 years of Birmingham ‘s most famous...

Listen To Brand New Ace Frehley Song "10,000 Volts" Listen To Brand New Ace Frehley Song "10,000 Volts"

80s Heavy Metal

Ace Frehley, former and original KISS guitarist will return with a brand new album called “10,000 Volts” on February 23, 2024. You can listen...

Eric Martin Band Gets 40th Anniversary Album Release featuring members of Mr. Big, Tesla and Y & T Eric Martin Band Gets 40th Anniversary Album Release featuring members of Mr. Big, Tesla and Y & T

80s Heavy Metal

Eric Martin Band – Sucker For A Pretty Face – Original Sessions Tracklist: 1.    Sucker For A Pretty Face 2.    Don’t Stop 3.    Private Life 4.    Letting It...

Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Satriani, And Bonham Announce Van Halen Tribute Tour Sammy Hagar, Michael Anthony, Satriani, And Bonham Announce Van Halen Tribute Tour

80s Heavy Metal

The Van Halen News Desk received an exclusive quote from David Lee Roth regarding Sammy Hagar’s invitation to join the “Best of All Worlds”...

Watch Brand New Video For "Thicker Than Blood" By Extreme Watch Brand New Video For "Thicker Than Blood" By Extreme

80s Heavy Metal

“With “Thicker Than Blood” we wanted to shoot a video that celebrates the 5th and most important member of the band. Our fans. So...

Hard Rock & Metal News

The Top 20 Hard Rock And Metal Albums Of 2023

Featured Articles

2023 had some really good hard rock and metal albums released if you know where to look and listen. The hard rock and metal...

Watch The Video For "Numidian Knowledge" By Necrowretch Watch The Video For "Numidian Knowledge" By Necrowretch

Hard Rock & Metal

There’s black metal. There’s death metal. And then, there’s NECROWRETCH. The French band combine the best of both worlds into music made straight from...

Watch Video for Hell, Fire And damnation From Saxon's New Album Watch Video for Hell, Fire And damnation From Saxon's New Album

80s Heavy Metal

When internationally-renowned actor Brian Blessed OBE delivers a proclamation for the opening track, “The Prophecy”, expectations are automatically high for Saxon’s latest album. Have...

Seven Of Sevendust Box Set Review Seven Of Sevendust Box Set Review

Hard Rock & Metal

Sevendust is one of those bands that I listened to originally from their first album and then somewhere along the way about 2 or...

Joey Belladonna In the Studio Recording Vocals For New Anthrax Album Joey Belladonna In the Studio Recording Vocals For New Anthrax Album

80s Heavy Metal

“This is our first week working on vocals,” said Anthrax’s longtime producer Jay Ruston. “Joey really is a trooper, and he can sing and sing...

80s Heavy Metal

Dear Megadeth fans, I want to share with you a decision that hasn’t been easy for me. In September, I had to step away...

XS ROCK Featured Articles

45 Christian Heavy Metal Bands From The 80s And 90s That You Should Hear

80s Heavy Metal

Angelica Attempting to hit on the sound of guitar slingers like Van Halen and George Lynch, Angelica went for a more glam-sounding singer, similar...

20 Albums Released In 2023 That 80s Metal Fans Should Hear 20 Albums Released In 2023 That 80s Metal Fans Should Hear

80s Heavy Metal

Each year, it seems that the remaining 80s hard rock and metal bands that are still putting out new music seem to get smaller...

Check Out These 80s Metal And Hard Rock Stars' Real Names Check Out These 80s Metal And Hard Rock Stars' Real Names

80s Heavy Metal

Check out these 80’s Hard Rock And Metal Stars’ Real Names! Some of these names are well known to fans, while others might find...

Who Were The Top 15 Most-Glam Mainstream Metal Bands Of The 80s? Who Were The Top 15 Most-Glam Mainstream Metal Bands Of The 80s?

80s Heavy Metal

The 80s were the decade of excess and musically that was absolutely true as well. The hard rock and heavy metal musical landscape exploded...

Who Were The Best Straight Up, No Frills Hard Rock And Metal Bands Of The 80s? Who Were The Best Straight Up, No Frills Hard Rock And Metal Bands Of The 80s?

80s Heavy Metal

The 1980s hard rock and metal scene is widely known as a generation of excess and a lot of over-the-top imagery. In fact, most...

80s Heavy Metal

The 1980s were an awesome time thanks to the glam/hair metal scene. The image almost became as important as the music during this period,...

80s Rock & Pop

80s Pop Icon Tiffany releases new single “Angels All Around”

80s Rock & Pop

Just in time for the Holidays Tiffany is set to release the new single “Angels All Around” and the Limited Edition NEW Shadows cover....

Daryl Hall Gets Restraining Order Against John Oates Daryl Hall Gets Restraining Order Against John Oates

80s Rock & Pop

There’s big drama in the Hall & Oates camp as an ongoing legal battle between Daryl Hall and John Oates continues with Hall gaining...

Missing Persons - A Night In San Francisco Album Review Missing Persons - A Night In San Francisco Album Review

80s Rock & Pop

Dale Bozzio and The Missing Persons are one of my favorite new wave bands from the 80s and still get heavy rotation in my...

The Top 10 Sexiest Music Videos Of The 80s The Top 10 Sexiest Music Videos Of The 80s

80s Music Video Of The Day

The 1980s saw the invention of the music video thanks to MTV and it wasn’t long after that many of the videos started using...

Watch Brand New Video By Bananarama For "Feel The Love" Watch Brand New Video By Bananarama For "Feel The Love"

80s Rock & Pop

Banarama have released their brand new video for the song “Feel The Love” from their upcoming album ‘Glorious-The Ultimate Collection’ Glorious – The Ultimate...

80s Music Video Of The Day: Tone Loc-Wild Thing 80s Music Video Of The Day: Tone Loc-Wild Thing

80s Music Video Of The Day

From the album Loced After Dark, “Wild Thing” was released in January of 1989. The video was made on a shoestring budget but garnered...

Alternative-Punk-Electronic

Co-Founder Of The Dictators, Scott Kempner Dead At 69

Alternative / Punk

The guitarist and co-founder of The Dictators Scott “Top Ten” Kempner has died at age 69 from complications of dementia. He would also co-found...

Shane MacGowan, Pogues Singer Dead At 65 Shane MacGowan, Pogues Singer Dead At 65

Alternative / Punk

Pogues singer Shane MacGowan has died after a lengthy stay in ICU for an infection. A statement on behalf of Shane MacGowan’s wife Victoria...

Controlled Bleeding's Entire Discography On Bandcamp Free This Week! Controlled Bleeding's Entire Discography On Bandcamp Free This Week!

Alternative / Punk

Controlled Bleeding has announced the following: The entire Controlled Bleeding digital discography is FREE on Bandcamp for Cyber week starting today!! controlledbleeding.bandcamp.com To claim...

Alternative / Punk

Kevin “Geordie” Walker reportedly suffered a massive stroke on Friday, November 24th, and passed away on Sunday, November 26th. Killing Joke released their first...

Punk legends T.S.O.L. release soundtrack to documentary film IGNORE HEROES Punk legends T.S.O.L. release soundtrack to documentary film IGNORE HEROES

Alternative / Punk

IGNORE HEROES tells the story of the original T.S.O.L. through interviews with the surviving members and those who were there with them in the...

GENE LOVES JEZEBEL Announce New Album, Share First Single! GENE LOVES JEZEBEL Announce New Album, Share First Single!

Alternative / Punk

Brooding ethereal rock visionaries Gene Loves Jezebel have returned with a brand new studio album, X – Love Death Sorrow, set for release on...

Rock News

The Unknown (Big Dreams) - Pure AOR Magic from the 80’s sees a release via FnA Records

Rock

The Unknown was formed smack dab in the sweet spot OF MELODIC ROCK/AOR music, in 1987.  A mainstay on Florida’s west coast, the truly...

Gene Simmons Announces He Will No Longer Be Posting On X (formerly Twitter) Gene Simmons Announces He Will No Longer Be Posting On X (formerly Twitter)

80s Heavy Metal

KISS frontman and bassist Gene Simmons has posted the following on the X social media platform that was formerly known as Twitter: Friends, I’ve...

The Rolling Stones & Lady Gaga Perform Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (Live In NYC) The Rolling Stones & Lady Gaga Perform Sweet Sounds Of Heaven (Live In NYC)

Rock

Watch the full live performance of the brand new track Sweet Sounds of Heaven from the Rolling Stones, ft. Lady Gaga  Mick Jagger: Lead...

Hard Rock & Metal

KISS has announced the final concert of their End Of The Road Tour and their final live concert ever. The show ends on December...

Jethro Tull launch video for ‘Wolf Unchained’ Jethro Tull launch video for ‘Wolf Unchained’

Rock

Jethro Tull released their 23rd studio album, ‘RökFlöte’, back in April, and the band are currently out on tour in North America. For this run of...

Toto Announces North America Tour Dates Toto Announces North America Tour Dates

Rock

Toto has announced details on the band’s headline appearances in North America within the planned Journey itinerary from February through April 2024. Additional shows...

Rock Stars…Where Are They Now?

Where Are They Now?

W.A.S.P. was originally known for outrageous antics such as throwing raw meat into the audience and appearing to torture people on a horror-themed stage....

Winger...Where Are They Now? Winger...Where Are They Now?

Hard Rock & Metal

Winger released their debut album “Winger in 1988 and it scored the band its first platinum-selling album. Winger released its second album In the...

Britny Fox...Where Are They Now? Britny Fox...Where Are They Now?

Hard Rock & Metal

Britny Fox was formed in 1985 with “Dizzy” Dean Davidson on vocals, former Cinderella drummer Tony Destra, former Cinderella guitarist Michael Kelly Smith and...

badlands badlands

Hard Rock & Metal

After guitarist Jake E. Lee was fired from Ozzy Osbourne’s solo band, Badlands was formed when Lee recruited bassist Greg Chaisson, former Black Sabbath...

Hurricane...Where Are They Now? Hurricane...Where Are They Now?

Hard Rock & Metal

Hurricane started out in 1983-84 with the original lineup of lead vocalist Kelly Hansen (vocals/rhythm guitar), Robert Sarzo (guitar), Tony Cavazo (bass), and Jay...

Black N' Blue...Where Are They Now? Black N' Blue...Where Are They Now?

Hard Rock & Metal

  Black ‘N Blue was formed in 1981 and released four successful and critically acclaimed albums through Geffen Records including their self-titled debut (1984),...