Happy Monday, readers!
Meet our new Music Monday artist of the week, Komox.Â
Komox is an LA-based alternative indie-pop trio that features lead singer Bryce Soderberg (bassist and backing vocalist for Lifehouse), Pelle Hillstrom (songwriting partner and ModwheelMood guitarist) and Kris Persson (drums).
Komox played countless shows developing, writing and recording demos around Los Angeles for two years under the name 2ndwheel. They switched to the name Komox Kids, and finally settled on Komox in 2014 (the name is derived from one of Soderbergh’s favorite places to visit as a child growing up in Vancouver- the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island).
The band released their debut EP Dreaming Awake – Volume 1, and are already gearing up to put out new material for their fans. Komox released their newest single “Untouchables†this past Friday (August 19th), which is off their new record Dreaming Awake – Volume 2, out September 23rd.
Celeb Secrets caught up with the band to talk all things music! In the interview, Komox opens up about who inspires their music from day to day, what they’ve learned from themselves as a band, and what you can expect from their new record. They also reveal some pretty interesting secrets about themselves — make sure you read the full Q&A below to find out what they are!
For more information on Komox, make sure to visit their official website at http://komoxmusic.com.
Celeb Secrets: “Untouchables†was just released this Friday! How would you describe the sound of this single?
KOMOX: “We pulled influences from some of our favorite bands from the 80’s and kind of blended it  with our core pop-rock influences. It has an upbeat summertime feeling…â€
Celeb Secrets: Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
KOMOX: “A lot of different genres and groups, Tears For Fears, Simple Minds, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Hall and Oates, My Bloody Valentine, David Bowie, to name a few..â€
Celeb Secrets: Your first EP, Dreaming Awake- Volume 1, was released in January, what have you learned about yourselves as a band since the release?
KOMOX: “We have grown musically and have gelled together as a unit since then. Our live show has gotten better and we have developed further into our sound.. We have been writing a ton of songs from our LP that feel like a new healthy chapter for the band.â€
Celeb Secrets: What is the best part about releasing new music?
KOMOX: “Hearing reactions from our fans and closest friends, buying it yourself ritualistically!â€
Celeb Secrets: Your new EP is coming out September 23rd, what can we expect from that? How does it compare to your first EP?
KOMOX: “Our first single, “Untouchables,†is on the EP. Our title track “Dreaming Awake” is on it which is one of our favorite songs as well.  The EP has a little bit more of an upbeat vibe to it compared to Volume 1.â€
Celeb Secrets: How would you describe your sound to people who haven’t heard your music yet?
KOMOX: “It’s a tough one for us to do, but we usually describe ourselves as an alternative pop rock band that has synthwave and shoegaze influences. We are a three piece power trio with stacked production.â€
Celeb Secrets: Do you write all of your own music?
KOMOX: “Yes, mostly between the three of us but we have people we co-write with sometimes as well..â€
Celeb Secrets: Since we are Celeb Secrets, do you have any secrets/fun facts about yourselves that you would like to share with us?
KOMOX: “We are two Swedes and a Canadian…Bryce, our singer used to sell Viagra online for a living. We have FIFA and basketball tournaments, Kris will beat anyone at poker and Pelle was a sandwich artist.â€