Devil's Gate Music
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Know Your Enemy is a high energy, Hard Rock band from NJ. Their style combines Rock, Punk, Metal, and small doses of Hip Hop to create an Alternative Metal sound. Heavy guitar, clean & aggressive vocals, and a rhythm section groove that will grab you by the ears and make you want to move. The four-piece, Fonz Rodriguez (vocals), Jason Kent (guitar/vocals), Steven Bishop (bass) & Byron Lapola (drums) recently released their new single ‘Same’, and the guys were kind enough to answer some questions fired at them via the old interweb…
What are the origins of the band, how long have you been playing together?
Know Your Enemy was originally formed in 2014 by Jason Kent (guitar), Fonz Rodriguez (vocals), and two previous members. Steven Bishop (bass) joined in 2017 and Byron became our drummer in 2019.
How did you feel performing your first gig? And how was it?!
Anxious and excited all at the same time. It was great! All 4 people and the other bands on the bill loved our set. Hahaha!
What should people expect when they check the band out? How would you describe yourself?
Expect to be thoroughly entertained! We like to bring the energy and give it our all, every time. We’re an aggressive heavy Rock band with a Hip Hop fusion.
The new music scene is bursting at the seams with fresh talent, in what ways do you feel that a band has to stand out from the others trying to build a name?
Bring something real to the world. Something relatable that people can feel.
What are you working on at the minute that people can check out?
Right now we’re working on a music video for our next single. We hope to have it out by September 2020.
What band out there at the minute do you feel that you would be best suited to open for?
Deftones!
What are your first musical memories? And what was the light bulb moment that made you go “I want to do that”?
Jason: I got into music because my father was a guitar player, not professionally, but he would have me play with him often and that sparked my interest.
Steven: I grew up with a love for music. I picked up the guitar one day and wanted to play the songs I liked.
Byron: My grandfather was a bluegrass guitarist and I’d watch him play. That’s all I wanted to do as a kid, is watch him play.
Fonz: I was always drawn to music. As a child, I sang in a church band and was in choirs and plays. I started an R&B group with my neighbors at about 12 years old. It’s always been part of me.
What was the last gig that you attended as a fan?
Jason: Black Label Society.
Byron: Deftones.
Steven and Fonz both attend a lot of local shows. We like seeing the local musicians at their rawest. Bands like Hunter Alive and A Beautiful Somewhere.
The album that you have in your album collection/Spotify playlist that would surprise most people?
Byron: “Serving 190 Proof” by Merle Haggard.
Jason: “Ghost in the Machine” by The Police.
Steven: “Paper Airplane” by Allison Krause.
Fonz: “Purple Rain” by Prince and The Revolution.
What are your plans for the remainder of 2020?
We have 2 singles coming out in the near future. A live EP that’s just about ready to release and we’ve been writing while we have all this free time due to the pandemic.
How active are you on social media and where can people connect with you?
We’re pretty active on some platforms. You can connect with us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The easiest way to reach our social media is on our website, www.knowyourenemymusic.com.
