They teamed up to form Early Morning Rebel less than a year ago, but bandmates Nate Blumenfeld-James and Dustin Bath have been friends since middle school -- when they decided to make music their lives. Since then, they've relied on art and personal experiences as inspiration for their alternative sound. With their single "Life Boat" making waves on hit TV shows like 'Grey's Anatomy', this duo is about to hit it big.
J-14: How did you come up with your band's name?
Early Morning Rebel: We used to play a game about creating band names. We'd sit around and text each other silly ones, stupid ones, gross ones. We just kept a list! Some of them were great, some of them were ridiculous. So we picked this one, Early Morning Rebel, and it just resonated. It made sense for the music and the vibe of the whole project. It was just right.
J-14: How would you describe your music to new listeners?
Early Morning Rebel: One of our friends calls it 'indie-pop-noir.' It's a kind of rock/pop, but it's alternative. It's a little bit edgy.
J-14: Where do you find inspiration for new songs?
Early Morning Rebel: From life experiences. It could be anything from the first time my heart was broken to a painting. It can be a piece of clothing. Sometimes I'll just be like, "Wow, that's a really cool jacket!" Or some gorgeous girl walks by with amazing shoes and you're inspired, like there's nothing happening in that moment except for this song. Our single "Burn Us Down" is about coming up from the fire after being burned and always fighting through. The more you draw from your own experiences, the more authentic it feels for the listener.