Single in Seattle Series: Meet the guys in the band
Duquan’s Downlow on Dating and Love Podcast
Episode 356, with The Rainy Day Astronauts
We Love to Love our Seattle Bands
Duke: Welcome to another episode of Duquan’s Downlow on Dating and Love. I am your host Duquan, but friends call me Duke. Joining me today, I'm excited to have members of popular local band The Rainy Day Astronauts. Thanks for being here today guys.
Nate: It’s a pleasure. Thanks for having us.
Duke: As many of my listeners know, in addition to hosting this podcast, I also host the new hit TV show Cupid Grants a Second Chance. Nate is the head sound tech for the show and that's how we met. When I found out he also plays in a band, I knew I wanted to have them on as guests. So, let's do a quick go around with your names and what instruments you play.
Nate: My name’s Nate. I play guitar and lead vocals.
Connor: I’m Connor. I play bass and I’m backup vocals.
Griffin: Griffin, drums.
Adam: Adam, keyboard. They try to make me sing sometimes, too.
Duke: You know this is a relationship podcast. So I may be asking you about your love lives, but I’ll start you off easy. How many years have you guys been doing this together?
Nate: Connor and I started playing together in high school and we met these two in college. That’s when RDA was born.
Adam: Notice he’s not saying how old we are?
All: (laughter)
Duke: Seattle is known for its music scene. How does that influence you as a band?
Adam: There’s such a rich musical history in this city, we’ve obviously been influenced by the greats like Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Sound Garden.
Connor: There’s something about grunge that really speaks to you when you’re in the rebellious teen stage, which is when Nate and I were first playing together. (laughs) I think it kept him out of reform school.
Nate: And Jimi Hendrix influences everyone.
Duke: Even me! So what would you say you each bring to the table? What’s your role in the group dynamics, outside of the instruments you each play?
Griffin: Well, Connor brings his parents’ garage. That’s our jam space. Without that we might have kicked him out of the band ages ago.
All: (laughter)
Connor: Hey! I’ve been in the group longer than you, wise-guy. You think this dude with his spiky baby dreadlocks is all shy and sweet, but then he gets warmed up and he slays you!
Adam: Griff’s got a point. At least Connor brings a rehearsal space to the team. The only reason we keep Nate around is because his mom bakes for us. She makes the best cookies!
Connor: And don’t forget his smoldering good looks on stage.
Nate: Shut up! (laughs) Duke, why’d you ask me to bring these guys again?
Duke: Smoldering good looks, eh? Is it true what they say about musicians, that you get a lot of interest from the females in the audience?
Griffin: It’s true what they say about drummers, anyways.
Adam: What? That they have good rhythm?
Griffin: You know it.
All: (laughter)
Griffin: Wait, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I meant that women… Not that… Guys!
All: (more laughter)
Connor: And he’s single, ladies!
Adam: Plus, check out those arms from all that drumming. Swoon!
Duke: Griffin, you’re single? He’s nodding. What about the rest of you? Are any of you in a relationship?
All: (murmurs of no)
Connor: Although, I don't know that Nate is technically available. Are we allowed to talk about a certain hard-working, intelligent, funny blonde, Duke
Nate: Connor!
Connor: A blonde who will remain anonymous. We’ll call her Blue Crush.
Adam: Oh… I see what you did there. She's a surfer and Nate has a crush on her…Blue Crush.
Nate: I thought we were friends! Honestly Duke, just throw them out. We don't need them for the interview.
Duke: (laughs) I think this interview is going great. But I'll help you out Nate. You four handsome, available dudes all have a distinct role within the band dynamics. Different strengths you bring to the group.
Nate: We do. And excuse my friends, whose minds are clearly in the gutter, but in all seriousness, Griffin does have exceptional rhythm, even for a drummer. We’d be lost without him. And he’s got a good ear for it. He always has creative ways for us to play around with the tempo. And when we’re working on new material, he'll make interesting suggestions for how the other instruments can mesh with what he's doing on the drums. It’s a gift.
Griffin: Thanks, bro.
Connor: That’s true. And as you can see by Nate being the first one to give a compliment, it's not just for his mom's killer brownies that we keep him around. I don't know if any of us have ever really acknowledged this before, but Nate is kind of the glue that holds us all together. He and I had been messing around in the garage since we were kids, but when we met these two later on, it was Nate who put the invitation out there for them to come and jam with us and see what we could do together. He's the one who really thought we could be something. And here we are!
Nate: Aww, thanks man.
Connor: How’s that for some love on your podcast Duke?
Duke: It’s great. I can see the love and camaraderie between you all that comes from years of friendship.
Griffin: I’ll throw some love out there. I was teasing Connor about using him for his garage—
Nate: By the way, it was his parents’ garage when we started jamming there. Connor and his brothers bought the house off his folks when they moved to Florida. So it's kind of cool that it's the same space. Lots of history there. But just to be clear, it’s Connor’s garage now. We don't still go to his parents’ house to jam.
Griffin: Right, yeah. And because we spend so much time there, it's a second home for all of us, and Connor makes sure it feels that way.
Adam: Guess that makes you ‘Dad’, Connor. (laughs)
Griffin: Kind of. Because we all hang out there, as a group and individually, we end up going to Connor for advice, or to vent.
Nate: Plus, he's got a wicked sense of humor. When we're all frustrated with the creative process, something isn't working right, Connor is the one who cracks a joke and breaks the tension. Which keeps us from killing each other.
Duke: You guys are like family. I like that.
Griffin: If we’re family, I’m definitely the younger brother.
Connor: Yeah. Spoiled.
All: (laughter)
Duke: And what about you Adam? How do you fit in?
Nate: Adam’s got the most tattoos. He gives our band street cred.
Adam: I think it's pretty clear I'm the brains of the operation.
Connor: I’d like to disagree just to keep his ego in check, but it's true. He's got an encyclopedic knowledge of bands, and music history.
Nate: Yeah, Adam is our secret weapon at music trivia night! I'm good at recognizing songs, but this guy can tell you song title, artist, album, release date, interesting facts about the band. It's wild!
Connor: His knowledge makes him good at the business side of things for us, which is convenient.
Griffin: The way his brain works, he's good at problem-solving, and puzzles, which makes him good at writing lyrics – fitting what we want to say into a few words or lines. Like fitting together pieces of a puzzle.
Duke: Like the way you all fit together to create The Rainy Day Astronauts, and the incredible music you make. And speaking of music, with Valentine's Day coming up I thought you could help our listeners out with their playlists. What do you consider the best love songs? What’s on your list? I'll take one song from each of you.
Connor: That we’d actually listen to?
Adam: Closer by Nine Inch Nails.
All: (laughter)
Connor: Great song, but I'm not sure those explicit lyrics qualify it as a love song, man.
Adam: Def Leppard, Love Bites?
Duke: I’ve listened to your music, you sing about relationships. I know you all have big hearts.
Nate: With his voice and style, anything Otis Redding sings sounds like a love song to me. These Arms of Mine make the list.
Connor: Good one. For me it’s Maroon 5, Sugar.
Nate: What? Really?
Connor: Just kidding. There was a time when every girl I knew was obsessed with that song. (laughs) For real now, I'm going with the incredible Etta James, At Last.
Griffin: I’ll take another talented female vocalist, Lauryn Hill. Killing Me Softly With His Song by the Fugees. Wait, is that actually a love song? Now that I think about the lyrics…
Duke: As judge, I accept that song.
Adam: I thought about picking Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits, but I feel like we need something a little newer on the list or the kids will think we’re a bunch of geezers.
Connor: Can’t have that!
Nate: It’s not our fault they really knew how to write a good love song back in the day.
Adam: Love on the Brain. And as much as I like RiRi, I dig the cover version by Cold War Kids and Bishop Briggs. That keyboard intro? So good.
Connor: Thanks for bringing us into the 21st century at least!
Nate: What about you Duke?
Duke: There’s so many good ones that I have a hard time choosing. But right now, in this moment? I'm feelin’ Leon Bridges, Coming Home.
Nate: Nice choice. A modern song that sounds and feels vintage.
Duke: Exactly. And that wraps up today's episode. Thanks once again to Nate, Connor, Adam and Griffin from The Rainy Day Astronauts for joining me. They don't know it yet, but I'm going to get the guys to toss out a few more song titles, and I'll put together a Valentine's Day playlist that you'll be able to access in the link below. Our Love Day gift to you!
Want to see more of Nate, Connor, Griffin and Adam?
Follow each of these handsome, talented musicians as they make their way through life’s ups and downs to eventually find their own HEA.
Single in Seattle kicks off with Cupid Grants a Second Chance.
