5 takeaways from Palaye Royale’s Artist Friendly interview

This week, Palaye Royale members Sebastian Danzig and Remington Leith stopped by Joel Madden’s Artist Friendly podcast. During their hour-and-a-half discussion, they dig into the band’s origins, what they admire about their brother Emerson Barrett, and learning to accept their own journey. They also explore how getting off the road due to the pandemic lockdowns made them slow down and learn to like each other again.

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Before you dive into the new episode, we rounded up takeaways from their conversation. Check them out below.

They got their start playing fashion runways

When Palaye Royale got their start over a decade ago, they played gigs around LA’s Sunset Strip and attracted an older crowd. Things changed when they started performing on runways, like at New York Fashion Week. “You guys could also walk runaways,” Madden jokes. “You could be models.” (For those merely listening, the members are wearing more intricate outfits than most who stop by the office. Think slicked-back hair and purple blazers.). “When I wake up in the morning, I look like shit. A lot of makeup helps,” Leith laughs.

They aren’t obsessing about control any more

For years, Danzig has been the acting leader of the band. Between driving the van to dealing with the business end, he bore more responsibility than his brothers. “I was on the phone every day and not even enjoying anything because the last thing I got to do was go onstage for 30 minutes, and that was my only escape,” he explains. Now, however, he felt like he’s “done enough groundwork” to leave things be. “I know what I want,” Danzig adds. “I’m gonna put it out there in the universe and just let it happen. If I don’t see it happen, [I] still gotta keep on working, but I used to be micromanaging every little thing.”

Comparison is the thief of joy

Palaye Royale have undergone many different phases over the years. “We’re trying to slow down and believe in ourselves because I think our biggest issue for the longest time was seeing other acts and comparing ourselves to them,” Leith explains. He calls it the band’s “biggest downfall,” as it made them rush into things, rather than make decisions that fit their vision. “It’s gotten us into trouble,” he continues. “When we see another artist doing something big that’s incredible, that’s their journey — that’s not ours.” Now, they spend time talking out their ideas and having a plan to act on. “[We’re] trying to focus on the happiness behind it all,” Leith says.

They became friends again

Being related doesn’t mean you like each other. In Palaye Royale’s case, they spent their early years growing to hate one another while they played hundreds of shows per year. “We never said no,” Leith says, elaborating that the band abided by a“death or glory” ethos. (At one point, the pair tell a story about how they got into a fistfight after taking shrooms, but we’ll wait for them to post the official video before we dig into that one.) Once the five-and-a-half years spent on the road were halted by COVID-19, they became friends again. “We would’ve never stopped [touring],” Sebastian points out. “It’s OK to feel happy about where you are.”

They call Emerson “the glue”

During the conversation, Danzig and Leith share that Barrett is the one who holds the band together. Whether he’s creating elaborate drawings or building his own world via 3D rendering, the drummer brings a unique vision to Palaye Royale. “He’s definitely one of a kind,” Danzig says. “You have to enter his world — he does not enter other people’s worlds. He just wakes up and creates 24/7. It’s building Harry Potter within his mind.” Leith also expresses admiration. “He knew what life he wanted to live and he just did it,” he adds.

Source: altpress.com