 I mean, I know, right? Hard to believe this is a Kenyan band, have you had the vocals, the visuals? I don't know what you guys are thinking but yes, this is a Kenyan band and they're right here in studio but first things first, let's catch up. Now, you're watching Rock to a Library here on Y2F4 TV, the hashtag is Rock to a 2F4. We are on Facebook as Y2F4. Y2F4, nge apu ibo uto miwanda kuskizaniniu, konananiu, una repumta gani. We're going to be sending some shout-outs in Slam, love your way. We're also on Facebook, on Twitter, rather at Rock to a 2F4. We have a post as well, go comment below if you're not on Facebook that is. Oh, you can actually do both. Who cares, right? Facebook, Twitter, the more the merrier. So just keep talking to us. We're going to be sampling some of your comments and tweets when you do come back. But right about now, let's meet Nairobi's grunge and hip-hop band, The Dream Racer. I'm not from this idea. That would be nice. But this will have you guys in studio. How are you doing? It is good to be here. I don't know. Y'all are so awesome. I reached out and you just answered immediately. I'm like, what you doing this Saturday? We're free. Why? Why? You don't even want to find out what's going down. Rana has been hard, so you have a plan. We're coming, but I'm so glad you guys made it. Just a short notice, but you're here. So, can you just introduce yourselves? I'm going to start with you and then we get to him. As they say, ladies first, right? Okay. So, I am DXM. I am the lead vocalist for The Dream Racer's band. Yeah. Cool. Thank you. I'm Phil Rock. I'm Tefillin, but now it's Phil. P-H-I-L. Rock, like rock music. Phil Rock. That's such a cool name, though. Thank you. Yeah, I welcome. And then maybe you can shout out to the guys who are not here. How many are you in the band? There's four of us in the band. There's me and then there's Phil and then there's Danger and Pete who unfortunately cannot be with us today. But they'll definitely make it next time. Next time? So who does what for the band? Well, Pete is our guitarist and Danger is our bassist. Right. We are really crucial parts of this band and we make each other who we are. We wouldn't be what we are without each other. Without each other. Like, it takes an effort. Everyone brings something to the table. So maybe you can tell us about the name of the band, Dream Racer's. You know people not dream chase eyes, dream eyes or something. Tell us about Dream Racer's. Where does that come from? Their name. Oh well. We're racing. Are you shy Phil? Okay. Well Dream Racer is exactly as it is. We are racing. Towards the dream. And chasing our dreams. That's why we all got together because we all have a dream and music is everything. There is to us. So coming together and making a band out of it and having to be a part of something. It really feels nice. The rush and everything is just, it makes us. You have something to live for because you're racing after something. That's true. So Phil, tell us how did you guys meet? You don't just wake up one day and you're like, I need to set a band. Who do I know? Let me call, do you want to be in a band? No. It doesn't work like that. So tell us how you guys met. It was more of natural I guess. We never planned to start a band or something. We all vibed to each other. The music that she has in her, the music that I have in me. And each and every one, the danger of this player, Pete. We just vibed from day one and you were like, let's do this. How long ago was that? We were a COVID baby. We had a positive thing. Yes, you know. Apart from being COVID positive. Really? That's a bad job, you know. People are like, if you're here, did you call? Did you send me? So you were social distancing just in case. So you guys started this thing last year, 2020? Yeah. That is just yesterday, you know. It's 2021. Yeah. So when you came together, what was the vision of the band? What did you have in mind? Like, okay, so now we have a band. So because now you do grunge? Yes. And hip-hop as well. So how did you come about that? Like what was the vision behind that? Well, maybe all I can say is when we got together the first time, what I was looking forward to as an artist is jamming with all these people. All these people I've never played with before. Being in a scene that I've never been in, ever before. Right. Something new was way more refreshing than staying at home all day anyway. But that's where it starts though. Mostly when you start up, the best things is to just have your mind at the right place. Yeah. Just want to, you know, enjoy your music at first before you even think of anything else. Yeah. So that was it at the first time. And you mentioned getting into a scene you've never been into before. So this is the first time you guys are trying out rock music. Okay, not trying out. That's literally not cool. This is the first time you've done rock song. Me particularly, not the first time. We have jammed for so many rehearsal sessions together before we actually got in a studio. And it took also like a whole lot of time for us to get the song out because there's so much work that comes with it as well. But it was at first for me to get into the rock scene and get involved with, you know, the rock music and everything. And it has been the best musical thing that has happened to me my whole life so far. I told you guys, telling you, it doesn't get any cooler. Like rock is the coolest thing ever. Like if you don't know this, I don't know. Like they need prayers. What can you tell them? If they don't know, what can you tell them? And then Phil, help me out here. Like I'm thinking about it. Maybe they just come to rock show. They should come to shows. Yeah, by the way, there's that hashtag that goes on. Shout out to Yvonne to end their rock gigs. Especially after Kafu or even after Rona. Like rock gigs are usually so amazing. So usually like when someone starts, usually have an inspiration behind like getting up and just like singing and stuff. But I want to know some of your inspirations or some of the bands that you've been looking up to in the scene. Yeah, everyone's this different. So maybe you was and then he's... Well, right now I'm looking into a lot. Yeah, some of the influencers. Yeah, I'm looking into a lot of Kenyan bands because you don't even realize how many rock bands there are in Kenya until you start looking. You don't even know. At first I was like, wait, there's rock Kenyan bands here. But what? I know, right? Yeah, but then you start digging. You're like, oh my God, they're not only rock bands. They're amazing as well. Yeah. It is incredible. So that's what I'm looking like into right now. It's something I really enjoy. Like literally any rock band right now that is in the scene, they're doing an amazing job and it's just, I am out there for that. Yeah. So try it to them. All the rock bands that came before you guys because they are so many. Like, I don't even know. I know many of them but I assume they were there even before, let's say 10 years before. Sometimes they bump you to them and I'm like, why? These guys are amazing. Where did they disappear to? You get? Yeah, so who are some of the influencers as well? There are lots of guys actually doing great stuff out here. I could think of maybe a rush band. Yeah. They are amazing. Unique people inspire us. Like, they do rock in Swahil, you know? Yes. And they won the Afrima in 2019. Yes, they did. That did. They are amazing. Yeah, rush band. You get some hope from them. Yeah, they've been here. Hello. They've been here. I think that was last year. Yeah. Was it last year? Nice. Last year or end of 2019, I think. Just after they won the Afrima. And they're sitting in the same space, you know? Right, so tell us about this song. You know, it's such an amazing song. If you guys don't know, it's this song they just played before the interview. That was amazing. I mean, what was the inspiration behind that? Okay. No stranger to danger. That's the name of the song and it is... It's our little creation from one of our rehearsal sessions. It was something that everybody, without even knowing it, contributed a little part of it and it built up and it became so huge. We didn't even think it would be this major. You know, it's just that low baby you love so much, but you don't think it's ever going to blow up so much. But it does. You get shocked. One day you wake up and you're like, yo. And you're like, what? What is happening? How many views again? It's on our YouTube channel and it's our first single. And I don't even know. I can just say I'm so proud of it. I don't even know. So what is the song all about? I guess it just happened naturally. We were all vibing into the music and getting free and releasing ourselves and doing what we feel is at that moment and that's what came up out of it. Oh, nice. Do you like the creative process of making it? She's mentioned it so many times. I want to know the writing process. How many times, first of all, do you guys practice in a week or meet up? Tell us about that. How does it happen? As much as you can. Whenever, are you guys real? We just meet up. So you have a studio or you have someone, one of you guys, you're like, today we're going to be at DXMC's place then or Phil's place this time or how does that work? No, we practice at rehearsal studios here around town. So we've just been moving, moving. Oh, that's really nice and it's doing really dope. It just came out like a week ago and the views are just skyrocketing. For a rock song, I'm like really, really impressed because it's your first one out and it's doing really great. And you merge rock and hip-hop. So who does hip-hop? Is it Phil? Like I said, it happened naturally. So I guess you just felt that vibe was right at that time. But is that your style though? Like in future you want to continue doing that kind of music like grunge and hip-hop as well? Because when you mix two things that you love so much and you blend them so that you don't it's something new definitely. You listen to one rock song and then you listen to this other one that has a little rap in there and there's a difference. So you might come back to this one because of the rap. So we definitely get to reach out to more of a crowd than just having to do one thing. Plus you blend it in well and it actually works. Like you did. Right now let's talk about the visuals though. The animation. Who's behind that? Because last week him he did not believe this, this idea we played it and he was like yo wait, that's a Kenyan video? Are you sure? I'm like yeah, it's actually by a Kenyan band. So tell us about that. Who came up with the video? What is the video? Actually Pete did it. Yeah, I started to Pete by the way. Hey, hey, hey. That was so cool. Like after the interview we're going to be playing that song so that you guys can actually watch what we're talking about but you guys were impressed, right? It was a big surprise. It was one big surprise. We worked so hard on getting that song done. The audio. Sushi Pete himself worked so hard on it. He was in a studio every other day making sure that everything is done. The mixing is done. And then when it was actually done he had a video for it that we did not know of. Yeah, yeah. And then he shares it with us and we're like wait, how long have you had that? What is happening? Did you stop making this in second grade? It's an amazing literally it's just right. Yeah, anything else will have ruined it. I feel like it's better than even having a real video like a view lies and everything. I feel like that even. That was just, that's art. Yeah, I guess we draw in direction from basically the scene. When it comes to Kenyan bands, now the making puppet comes to be this. You know, LP. You guys should be proud of that. It's a great honour. I've been called the LP's of Kenya. Anyway, so you said that you draw a lot of like you look up to so many bands from right here in Kenya. So who are you open to working with? Are you, would you work with anyone in the 250? The rock scene that is. Yes, yes, of course. The first thing I'm really looking forward to doing after all this is definitely showing up at shows from this bands first of all. Because more than just working with them, getting to be an audience of this bands is like a really important thing. Even as me as an artist just sitting there and enjoying the music is the most important. It is mind blowing what these people can do. Sometimes you just have to sit down a bit and watch people and see what they're doing because they could teach you way more than you think. That's the whole process. We get there and then we definitely get into working with them later on. And since we mentioned that, we actually play favourites on this show. So I want you to tell me specifically of course there are so many rock events that usually happen across the year. Unfortunately in 2020 we couldn't have many because of covid. Now, when we open sale is an event coming up. You guys have the privilege of opening just for one artist. Who's that? One band, let me say band, one rock band. Who are you guys willing to open for? Who do you be like? Oh my God, I'm opening for so and so. In the scene, yes, in the rock scene. I'd say anyone literally. No, no, no, no. You missed the wine rights and favourites. We play favourites. We're going to pick this one. Just tell us one band. That way. No, it's really hard to choose from like the vasts. No, you mentioned rush, remember? Yeah, rush. See? That wasn't too hard. Yeah, so should have to rush. They are amazing man. Just everyone. I think I'm friends with literally everyone from that band. From Sam to Mike. Literally everyone there. So amazing. And everyone in the rock scene gets along with everybody. It's an amazing thing. So what plans do you have? When is the album coming? Because the first single is amazing. So I want to know about the album. I'm not even going to ask about the EP. Too small. When, when, when. That's just an element of surprise. No. You can not do that. It's just a few days into this year. I know. But that would be nice. This is the first album ever. It's out. It's just another that you're already looking forward to an album. You're not going to say though. We are definitely putting in so much work into this year. Because it's only a few days in and we have seen what rock can do for us. So we are definitely going to just indulge a bit more. Definitely work even harder to get to people that still think rock is not supposed to be a thing. Because there are people who are non-believers and it's just... There are so many in Kenya especially. There are so many. But then are you guys ready though? We are not mainstream in Kenya and I saw you guys talk about being underground artists. So you're okay with just being that or you want to... Let's take this rock to mainstream. Let's make every household in Kenya play rock music. Because that's what you're working towards or you're just okay with being underground artists? Definitely we're working towards going there but we are going to the whole industry like everyone we are going together bringing it, taking it to... And not hire the next level. Definitely looking forward to that. Just adding something to the industry. Alright, so since you wouldn't tell us about the album can you at least tell us when the single is dropping the next one? At least, you see I used the one at least. Can you at least tell us when the next one is going to be dropping? Before we let you go, I know. If you follow the platforms you'll get all those details. We are definitely working on something new. That is one. And what people can do because we can just everything is unpredictable nowadays. You just work with what is coming towards you. You just go with the flow most times. So what's going to happen is we are definitely going to put all our updates on our social media platforms all the time. And you guys are not on Twitter, you have a Twitter account? No we don't. But we will. You need to get a Twitter account. Facebook and anything. Shout out to Yvonne, she doesn't have any Instagram or Twitter. She was like, who are these guys? They are amazing. If you want Twitter, she will have none about you. So please let that Twitter account let it come. And your social media where can people find you? An Instagram account, it's called the dream racers. And we have a YouTube channel. What's your YouTube? Dream racers also. So it's easy for everybody else. The dream racers. But if you go on there and then you put on dream racers and it brings you some funny stuff. I just saw that. I saw the name of the song also. I saw it's easier. Like some animations and stuff. Chinese animations. No stranger to danger. Dream racers and then it will be there. It's going to pop up. So where is your music available? Apart from YouTube, if someone is looking to buy for you guys. So iTunes, Spotify, Amazon. Everywhere. Alright, cool. That's amazing. So guys make sure you follow the dream racers. That's on YouTube. Go subscribe to their channel on Facebook. Oh, you have a Facebook? No? You have a Facebook? The dream racers on Facebook. They have a Facebook. The dream racers on Instagram. Not the dream racers. And then, Chita is coming soon. I don't know. It's tonight. Tonight. We're going to have that. So just shout out to the bandmates that couldn't make it. Shout out to you guys for making time to just come through and we're looking forward to more music from you guys because you're doing an amazing job. But guess what? If you're watching and you're at home, we're still here. We're still here. And we're on Facebook because why 2.4 keep talking to us. We're going to be sampling those comments and tweets in a few. We're about now. No stranger to danger. Bye dream racers. Enjoy.