Can you tell us about your early life, Power Rob? What were your formative experiences that shaped you as an artist?
In regards to my music career, I had a lot of social anxiety and sensory overload. When I was in elementary school I was diagnosed with Hyperacusis which led to numerous challenges growing up. Music kind of “silenced” the issue since it gave me something for my ears to “focus on”, it also served as a way to keep me isolated from the world when I felt overwhelmed. I would listen to my favorite artists trying to “understand” what led to the hooks in their melodies, to almost try to assimilate them in my musical language. I’d try to imagine the songs I liked a lot without vocals and try to see how melodically the vocalist came up with what they wrote. It was a fun exercise but I believe doing that as a child helped me “speak” the language of melody writing more effectively. I’d like to see if I have Synesthesia at some point, as I experience similar elements when listening to or building music. There was a composer for a rock opera company I worked with who’s music kind of “spoke” the same language, melodies had a conversational element to them that made sense to it. They mentioned they were diagnosed with the condition, could be interesting to look into.
What inspired you to pursue a music career, and how did you first get started?
Growing up as I mentioned earlier, music was like a shield for me, a place to escape into via my CD player. I was enamored with the great vocalists of the 70s and 80s, Freddie Mercury, Paul Stanley, Steve Tyler, Rob Halford, Bruce Dickinson, and it was hearing KISS that really got me interested in higher rock vocals. The opening of Psycho Circus was a huge moment for me, hearing Paul’s big “yeah” note as the song began was huge. I saw KISS twice as a teenager which were extremely important nights in my life, just seeing the spectacle of the show, the energy given off to the crowd, it was almost a religious experience. I wanted that, to experience that with crowds, to connect on that level.
In high school I was in the choir and acapella group which helped me gain confidence as a singer, I also started a band which released some rather unfortunate music. I received a lot of flak for my vocals on the tracks we put out, we had no idea how to record, while good at choir I had no idea how to sing rock/pop. As a result I pursued finding a coach, which led me to my first one which was huge for my growth. During that time I worked with my first legit band, gained confidence in my abilities and eventually worked with another coach for about 4 years while sharpening my skills.
My band ended up opening for a number of artists I was a fan of which was cool, Sebastian Bach, Doro, Symphony X, Metal Church and I starred in about 10 or so rock operas in the region. Around 2012 I landed a studio job for a remix company, I was the resident rock vocalist tasked to recreate vocals for various releases. On my first day in the job, the pop singer they had quit and they asked me to try to cover for the guy which I ended up getting the hang of. In this time I recreated numerous vocalists, Michael Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Justin Bieber, everything from heavy metal to bluegrass. The three years I spent there made my versatility expand dramatically. Eventually, I formed Thrillkiller which I led for about 8 years which we are concluding on the 26th for a farewell show in Baltimore. In 2018 I founded the Synthwave/Power Metal duo, Megatronix with Dark Rob and launched my solo project in 2020.
How would you describe your musical style, and are there any specific genres or artists that have influenced your work?
Great question, for rock singing, Rob Halford, Geoff Tate, Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Freddie Mercury are a few. For pop singing, Michael Jackson is a big one, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross, Charlie Wilson are a handful. As a music writer, Michael Jackson, Katsunari Kitajima and the rest of the Capcom sound team in the 80s/90s, primarily the Final Fight and Mega Man OSTs. There’s a number of other singer’s I probably assimilated a little from the studio years here and there that I’d have to think about.
“Restless Summer” is one of your notable singles. What was the inspiration behind the song, and what message were you trying to convey?
Miami Nights 1984 was behind the arrangement of the song, when I heard it it felt best to write about something with some romantic vibes to say the least. The idea of the song was about meeting someone far away and connecting very intensely but knowing that due to the distance it can’t work out. Melodically it was a fun challenge writing on something so chill, I usually come up with melodies pretty much upon first listen of a song but this one I found myself rewriting a lot of the notes until I was happy with a set of them that could help keep things interesting for the listener. For the vocals, I was extremely picky about the tones/inflections/timings of the notes, I spent about 3 and a half hours tracking various takes and picking what was best for the song.
Are there any specific milestones or achievements in your career so far that you are particularly proud of?
A few come to mind, my first rock opera was a huge deal for me. In 2012 I was the lead in a power metal opera called Valhella that ended up getting a bunch of awards including Best Actor in a Musical for 2012 from DC Metro Theater Arts as well as best show, we also landed Best Musical for 2012 from Broadway World, I got a nomination for Best Actor from them that year.
I reprised my character from Valhella to work in a fusion event with the Concert Artists of Baltimore in 2014 and 2016 where I got to perform with an entire symphony which is absolutely a massive honor for me.
The prog metal opera I did, Frankenstein landed Best Musical for 2012 from DCMetro, Prog Metal Sweeney Todd that I did for a few runs won a few Helen Hayes Awards, and a rock opera in 2019 I did called Space Kumite won a local best show award too.
For music, my bands and I won a few awards here and there but the main achievements as a writer are with the Maryland Music Awards, Thrillkiller landed dual nominations in 2018 for Best Funk and Best Rock Acts. Currently Power Rob and Megatronix are nominated for the 2023 awards for Best Pop and Best EDM/Techno respectively.
How do you stay motivated and inspired as an artist, especially during challenging times?
It’s a task sometimes, my day job is voice coaching which has grown over the past few years, I appreciate my students immensely and do my best to take great care in making sure they achieve their goals as well as maintain a positive outlook on voice in general. That being said, 2024 has started off with twice the roster I had in 2023. I’ve had to pull the plug on Thrillkiller just due to my other two projects moving forward and my obligations as a coach.
Lately therapy has been immensely helpful, I’ve had to force myself to take breaks from music/working out/teaching where I can. Lately, Vice City on PS5 has been a godsend for blowing off steam haha.
Music is ingrained in who I am, I can’t not do it for my job, I wouldn’t know how to function without it, the drive is always there, I just bite off more than I can chew sometimes I think.
Can you talk about your relationship with your fans and the role they play in your career?
I have a hard time calling my fans fans, I see them more as friends. There’s been a point I’ve had with prior bands of mine for years, no matter how big you are, anyone who supports you is doing you a favor. There’s always something else someone could do, which makes the attention a support give you even more precious, they simply don’t have to.
As a result, I will always appreciate people that support my work, I may not be able to respond from time to time, but I do my best to make their importance very clear.
In what ways do you think the music industry has changed since you started, and how do you navigate those changes?
I think my generation of artists has experienced some of the most dramatic changes to the industry probably in the history of music.
When my first band started in high school, Napster was hardly a thing, now most money I made outside of shows as an artist is streaming.
I believe that in some ways I would have had an edge with promotion if I grew up in this era opposed to having to learn it as new tools and ways of life developed. It’s hard to figure out, my plan currently is to work with artists I’m a fan of, and do my best to elevate their sound while building material of my own and hopefully it’ll lead more people to the rest of my body of work.
How do you envision the future of your music career? Are there any specific goals or projects you’re working towards?
2024 has started off really well for me, Restless Summer quickly has become my biggest solo song, and is one of the top 3 of my career in day by day metrics. The attention gained from this has led numerous new fans to the rest of my music which has been humbling to say the least. Currently I have another collab with a big Darksynth/metal artist that I’m tracking Tuesday at The Deep End Studios, as well as a Megatronix Judas Priest cover, a solo cover, and a new single I composed. Power Rob and Megatronix have shows booked out into April including the Neotropolis Cyberpunk Festival in the Mojave Desert which is an absolute blast.
I’ll be hustling in both projects and growing the fanbase as hard as I can, all I know is 2024 will be bigger than any year prior, and 2025 will top that.
