In a world where the authenticity of rock and roll seems to be fading, one band is on a mission to reignite the flame of true rock spirit. Wicked, a group formed in 2022, is challenging norms and breaking barriers in the music industry with their electrifying performances and genre-bending sound.
Led by the charismatic Chad Michael on vocals and rhythm guitar, Wicked comprises Danny on bass, Scotty V on lead guitar, and Gunnar on drums. Together, they form a powerhouse of talent and creativity that is pushing the boundaries of what rock music can be.
The evolution of Wicked began with a simple idea - to create a band that embodies he essence of classic rock while bringing something fresh and innovative to the table. Inspired by legendary acts like David Bowie, the band set out to combine the entertainment factor of glam rock with the raw energy of punk and the melodic sensibility of pop. Thus, Wicked was born.
From their debut single "Gorgeous" to their latest album Sunburn, Wicked has been on a relentless quest to evolve their sound and deliver music that speaks to the soul. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the band seized the opportunity to focus on recording and writing, resulting in a collection of songs that are as bold and dynamic as they are introspective and heartfelt.
One of the defining characteristics of Wicked is their refusal to be confined by genre boundaries. As Danny puts it, "Good music is good music," and the band isn't afraid to draw from a diverse range of influences to create something truly unique. Their willingness to experiment and take risks has led to a sound that defies categorization, blending elements of rock, pop, punk, and beyond.
With the release of their second album Sunburn, Wicked invites listeners on a journey of self-discovery and reflection. From the contagious energy of tracks like the opening "Sunburn" to the heartwarming sincerity of the closing beat "Summer & Sun," the album showcases the band's versatility and depth as songwriters.
But Wicked isn't just about making music - they're about putting on a show. Their upcoming live performances are expected to be legendary, known for their high-energy antics and infectious enthusiasm. Whether playing to a packed stadium or an intimate club, Wicked brings the same level of intensity and passion to every stage they grace.
As they gear up for their North American tour in support of Sunburn, Wicked is ready to take the world by storm. With their infectious energy, raw talent, and unwavering dedication to their craft, there's no doubt Wicked is destined for greatness. So grab your tickets, crank up the volume, and get ready to experience the magic of Wicked live. Rock on!
In Conversation with Wicked:
Emmy: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today, so let’s kick it off by introducing yourselves, your role in the band, and a fun fact or two.
Danny: Awesome, I am Danny, the bassist in Wicked. Fun fact about me is I’m the band dad.
Chad: I am Chad Michael, lead singer and rhythm guitarist. Fun fact about me, these guys always say I have lead singer syndrome
Danny: LSD
Chad: I take too long in the shower so
Danny: And doing his hair and getting to the show…
Chad: It’s not true, though
Danny: And to clarify, I might be the band dad but I didn’t give birth to them
Chad: That’d be weird
Scotty: I am Scotty V, lead guitar and I like cheap bourbon with no ice
Danny: And he’s snobby too, Snobby Scotty. He won’t tell you that though
Gunnar: I’m Gunnar, I play the drums, and I’m kind of like the roadie for everybody.
Emmy: Okay,
Chad: Road dog, you're the road dog.
Gunner: Lugging these guys all the time
Emmy: Love it
Chad: That’s probably why he’s always tired, he’s always carrying stuff
Emmy: So, Wicked came together in 2022 with your first release ‘Gorgeous’ which today is your most streamed single, how did the band become a reality? What inspired it? Were there any struggles trying to make a name for yourselves after the pandemic shut down?
Danny: I think, like, it definitely all started with my brother Chad and I, we wanted to create a band that, you know, was like some of those bands back in the day, like, David Bowie, you see Ziggy Stardust hit the stage, the entertainment factor along with really good songs and we were lucky enough to find these guys, yeah
Chad: And like, prior to that when Danny and I were trying to come up with band names, we were trying to keep it very simple, one word, something catchy and he just happened to spit out Wicked and I started drawing a logo and that’s the one we use to this day.
Danny: It definitely fits our level of extremes, between like really good and really bad, like such a definition, and we play on both ends of that. And like yeah, when COVID hit it, I mean, it obviously sucked for everyone because it was very hard to get out and play but that afforded us a lot of opportunity to go in and focus on recording and writing where we built our own studio in our house with the help of our producer Nacho Molino and that’s when ‘The Last American Rock Band’ came about, and also, when ‘Sunburn’ started to become an idea that we were penning down
Emmy: Recently critics have made the claim that authentic rock and roll is dying but I feel like is Wicked is reviving this scene with their most recent releases, how do you find yourself breaking standards within the scene and music industry overall? How has your sound evolved since the start?
Gunnar: These are really good questions by the way, I just want to get that out. Scotty?
Scotty: The evolution, huh. So… In the earlier days of us we kind of were being pushed in a certain direction and you know the typical age old story of managers and this and that telling you what, where, how to sound, this and that, the other thing and it got a certain point where we just realized, you know, this is the direction we want to go and we kind of took matters into our own hands and drew more from our true influences and sort of just discovering our own sound
Gunnar: You’ll see. ‘The Last American Rock Band’ is kind of like
Scotty: Not that we don’t like the past and our older verison
Gunnar: Right, that’s more of our older stuff, you’ll really see the difference, the whole evolution of it, once this album comes out .
Scotty: There is a clear evolution
Danny: Yeah, back in the day like, you know, well, even until today, everyone is so afraid of genre-bending if you will, that’s our new motto, is like ‘we’re genre bending, so like whatever, get over it,’ but like people really define themselves by the genre of music they listen to and they like to like they battle with other people that their genre isn’t as good as theirs and at the end of the day we’re like, we’re musicians, we’re like ‘this is so weird, good music is good music’ like if I go to see a country band like Candy, Hannah’s band Candy, that sounds like Dolly Parton but they rock the hell out of the night, like great, I just had a great time, so, we, like Scott said, we really just said you know what? We’re going to break down those barriers and facades that everyone puts up, that like it’s not okay or it's taboo to like ‘hey you guys were born in the 90’s you like power pop too’ like mixed that with your Scorpions influences and see what you get and I think that afford new styles and just fresh music, right? Cause if I just listen to Finn Lizzy all the time, I will never know how to write anything but something that sounds like a copy of Finn Lizzy. So that’s kind of like the tip we’re on and where the ‘Sunburn’ album really is kind of like finally opening the veil to us saying ‘Fuck it, let’s just do what we want to do.’
Emmy: Yeah, so actually speaking of the ‘Sunburn’ album you mentioned that “we decided that there was so much more to what we had to share musically” can you elaborate on that a little more? What are you hoping that listeners take away from this album after listening to it for the first time?
Chad: It’s definitely the maturity of the band. Not only just from an aspect of the way we grew up playing a certain type of rock and then started to mature musically, instrumentally wise, musically in the sense of vocals, melodies and harmonies, but like we really hunkered down. We went into the studio to write this album and made it a point to really show the creative side of each individual member and what they bring to the table in the band, which is something like we see it everyday and some people don’t, and it’s great. Even in the writing process, everybody is so involved and in this album you can definitely see that show through.
Danny: And I think too like, you’ll see, there’s a song that finishes off the album ‘Summer in Sun’ and that one is very very different, right? Like it’s acoustic, it’s got a different vibe and it actually kind of came about when we were like already underway of writing and recording the album with our producer and we were sitting out on the front porch, you know, just taking a load off after a long day of recording and looking at the stars and we were like kind of playing with an idea on our phone and it was for our grandmother, that these guys kind of adopted as well over the years, our late grandmother, and we would always go to see her. She was one of our biggest influences to music, you know, when we were young. So we were like ‘yeah, why not… we are not too tough or cool to like put a song on there that is like meaningful to someone in our family and somebody we love’ so we did that. We think it came our great, it’s a good song, and if you’re into being a good person and talking about like the
Gunnar; Mom and Pop
Danny: Yeah, people that you love, you got that too.
Chad: Definitely a more moving song, something that we haven’t really touched on prior to this album, so it’s really nice to get, you know, those types of songs out there for people to listen to.
Emmy: So while listeners don’t have much information on the new album, we’ve been seduced with the idea of 5 accompanying music videos which aren't easy to produce. What has been the hardest obstacle throughout the process of recording ‘Sunburn?’ And which tracks are you most proud of?
Gunnar: Jesus Christ, these are good, I’m stuck.
Scotty: I would say the most intense part of the whole process was going to record the videos, we had to drive cross-country, in what? 38 hours
Unison: Yeah
Gunnar: Yeah, we drove straight, no breaks
Danny: We drove from Rochester to Huntington Beach and like shot like I think three of the music videos out there. But it was crazy too cause like, you know, you bring a film crew and all that and you can plan to the ends of the grave with them like you’re dealing with permits and LA county or stuff like that so it’s like all those behind the scenes workings of, you know, the details that have to come together and that goes to for recording the songs. It was COVID time, everything was shut down, so it wasn’t easy to say like ‘hey let’s go to the studio’ either so we did some research and worked with our producer to actually build a studio in our house that we live in to cut the record and we think they came out really good but there was a lot of pre work that went into that, so it’s pretty cool.
Emmy: So, finally, you guys will be embarking on a North American tour in support of Raven to honor the latest album this spring, so what can fans expect from a Wicked live performance? Why should we buy tickets?
Gunnar: The powerhouse from the set that we’re going to be playing
Chad: Yeah, the really cool thing about a Wicked show is that not one show is the same. It’s high-energy rock and roll, we’re in your face, we’re, you know, really making you feel and move and it’s kind of an escape from your daily life, to get out there and just have a good time and let loose and that’s what we try to strive for for our fans too, to come out and just take a half hour, thirty minutes, to an hour of a Wicked set and just let loose.
Danny: Forget everything, have a great time, it’s all about fun and I haven’t seen, or well, been part of a Wicked show where the crowd hasn’t just totally gotten into it, jumping up and down, clapping, singing along, even if they don’t know the songs by heart yet, maybe a couple bars in, there’s sing-alongs, and that’s really the whole thing with this band is, it’s about community like Chad said. We come together and you forget everything else besides having a really good time with us.
Scotty: We’re going to bring the same show whether there’s a few people in the crowd or a whole bunch. We never don’t give it 110%
Danny: It’s always Madison Square Garden
Emmy: Before we end things off here, do you have anything to say to those tuning in, any final words?
Chad: Yeah, absolutely! So we have our second album, ‘Sunburn,’ coming out March 1st and we will be on tour with Raven this spring, you can check out the details on our all of our socials, make sure you grab a ticket. Our socials are @wickedrocknroll and our website wickedrocknrollofficial.com. Grab your tickets, we really wanna see you out there, we wanna meet you, take pictures and we are excited to see you guys!
Danny: Get on there now you can pre-save the album on all the streaming and digital services as well as pre-order physical CDs and vinyl if you’re still into that, we are.
Gunnar: Get your merch now, there’s shirts too!
Scotty: A lot of sick merch out there relating to the album too
Danny: So study up now because we are coming to a town near you.
Emmy: Thank you again for speaking with us today, we are really excited to hear ‘Sunburn’ live and recorded in the coming weeks. Pre-order the album now and snag tickets to Wicked’s tour this Spring! Thank you!
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