The TV: This local indie band that reinvented their sound to stay relevant
Being in a band for a long time is not an easy feat when you constantly have to evolve with the times. The TV is a great example of this. Formerly known as Panic Kings, this local pop-punk band reinvented themselves to stay in the game. And they’ve been quite successful at that.
We got together with The TV to learn more about the early years of the band which started way back in high school.
Listen to their latest song ‘I Want Something Like You’ on Progresif Radio> On Demand> Locals Only. Download the Progresif Radio App on Google Play and the App Store.
Can you introduce yourself?
I’m Mirza. I sing and play the guitar. Yusra plays the lead guitar, Aniq is our bassist and Malek is our drummer. And we’re The TV.
When and how did the TV start?
The TV actually started out as Panic Kings back in 2010. We’re high school friends who basically picked up the instruments and teamed up to form a band. You could say that we all saw each other grow up.
We started meeting up and jamming together, learning the chords and stuff. Our drummer, Aniq, didn’t even know how to play the drums, to begin with. But we put him behind the drumset and eventually he got really good at it. Over the years we grew and Aniq became our bassist while Malek took his place as the drummer.
You can listen to their new song, ‘I Want Something Like You’ by downloading the Progresif Radio App on Google Play and the App Store.
What artists do you think you sound like?
I think we’re going for that Arctic Monkeys (British indie rock band) vibe and, in general, the sounds of indie bands from 2006. And we also adapt sounds from modern pop music, so it’s kind of a mix of those two genres, Indie and Pop. We do a lot of experimenting with our music.
Who have been the major influences on your sound?
We started as a pop-punk band so our influences are Blink 182, Fall Out Boy and New Found Glory. Over the years, we expanded our taste in music and evolved from the Panic Kings to The TV.
Do you have a pre-gig ritual?
We’ve actually thought about doing this chant we picked up. It’s actually a Finnish song and dance piece. We’re thinking of doing it as a pre-gig ritual in the future.
What are your upcoming projects and your future plans?
We have an overseas tour coming up are also recording our first album but that’s going to take awhile. We want to make sure we put out something great instead of something that we’re going to regret. We’ve done that before and it didn’t sound really good.
What does the word ‘progressive’ mean to you?
Progresif means evolving and having the ability to adapt to new situations. Because it’s the only way to grow and move forward.
