Interview with Logan Raskin of The Raskins
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Photo by Rob Greenwood
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By Mick Michaels
COSMICK VIEW: Hello, Logan! Welcome to The Cosmick View. Thank you for taking some time out of your day to chat with me, it's greatly appreciated.
CV: How would you define "Retro-Rock?"
Logan Raskin: Retro Rock to us is a term most
commonly used to describe our music and sound. Our music and sound has been
developed and captured from our youth and pivotal time in our life.
Born and raised in Chelsea NYC, some of our biggest influences growing up have
been artists such as The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, Patty Smith, Blondie,
and The Ramones. Along with the music came a sense of style of the time which
has been carried over into our songwriting and live performances to date. This
has been the foundation of The Raskins as we try and expound and develop
our sound and etch our own musical uniqueness in today’s
musical culture and history.
CV: Does The Raskins being a brother duo set you apart from other acts in your opinion? Is there a unique connection shared that cannot be experienced by just being band members alone?
LR: No question about it. Not only having a brother
and songwriting partner in the band but an identical twin. That being said we
are extremely close. Our working and creative relationship has most certainly
reaped the benefits of that relationship. Now as I know through musical
history, some family oriented musical acts have fallen by the wayside. For The
Raskins, this has been a strong suit and the driving force behind any and all
success to date. Roger has been known for writing all the musical material and me
all the lyrics. Plus living under the same roof with a recording studio built
in most certainly helps grow the creative process while keeping us tight
and sharp musically.
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| Photo by Jason Christopher |
LR: I think music lovers in general love going out
to live shows and concerts to see their favorite artists play. In my opinion,
seeing a musical group that has brothers, sisters, or any family members
involved, gives you a little more sense of your gonna get a show that might
be that much tighter and creatively better. Now, obviously I don't feel
there is any real hard proof to support this, but I think subconsciously we
know as fans we will be seeing and hearing something a little more special
because of the family aspect…and it’s that unspoken feeling that makes us stand
out a bit more to the open public.
CV: Does The Raskins' musical persona...the style, the songwriting, lie strictly in the brothers' involvement or are there other factors or individuals contributing to the total package?
LR: The base and foundation for "The Raskins
Sound" really stems from the two of us and our musical roots growing up.
Our surrounding environment with both our parents in the music industry
for many years and the musical scene at the time really gave us the foundation
of our musical sound and style to date. The two of us have always been open to
collaborating with outside songwriters and have most certainly done so in the
past. At the end of the day, a great song is a great song no matter the
creative source. We love the creative process and have built a lifestyle which
has allowed us to continue to grow as musicians and songwriters.
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| Photo by Jason Christopher |
LR: For us, our musical journey is driven from a
musical obsession and passion for the love of all music. From the first moment
we heard "Queen - News Of The World" or "Kiss - Alive" or "Sex Pistols - Never
Mind The Bollocks," we were hooked. It’s like the thought of submersing
yourself into the style and sound of bands like The Jam, The Buzzcocks or The
Who. I mean wholly shit we were hooked. Money, fame, fortune had absolutely
nothing to do with it. It was a feeling, a love, a devotion to the
sound, to the style, to the feeling you get when you are just simply ROCKING OUT.
I mean what could be better? This is what still drives us and pushes us through
the music industry. We are also in the unique position of doing it our way
creatively and business wise. Having that musical freedom is who we are, not
who we are trying to become. It's our chosen life.
CV: In your opinion, is being an artist a worthy career choice given such bleak odds often associated with the job description?
LR: For us, being an artist isn't a career…it’s
simply who and what we are. The outsiders can judge and give an opinion but
know this, no one will ever tell us who and what we are…they can only give
their opinion of what they think that might be. The day we were born, coming
home from the hospital, my dad had Johnny Cash and Elvis playing on the radio
in the Country Squire Station Wagon. In other words, it's all we
know. Doctors say you are either born a male or a female…we always say
we were born musicians.
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| Photo by Jason Christopher |
CV: Who do you credit as your biggest influence and why?
LR: Hands down our father. Watching our father perform used to give us goose bumps down our spines. The way he could entertain and control a crowd with his powerful voice was magical. Known for his performances on Broadway with musicals such as Westside Story, Oklahoma, South Pacific and Annie Get Your Gun just to name a few. His passion and drive for the musical arts was impressive to say the least. Watching that man work and prepare gave us our most inspirationally memories to date.
CV: If fans take away one thing from The Raskins, what do you hope that one thing would be?
LR: Our total commitment and dedication to what we
do musically…our commitment to our fans…our commitment to our business partners
and bandmates. If you ever get the chance to come to a Raskins show, you know
you will always be getting the best of everything we've got. We've played shows
in front of 20 people and 20,000 people…it’s always the same show…as well as
making time to meet our fans and stay connected with our audience. Music is a
celebration and we are all here to celebrate together…before, during, and after
our shows.
CV: Is blood thicker than water...are The Raskins duo a team ‘til the end come what may?
LR: Our father Thomas Raskin grew up in an
Orphanage. He had no family. So for him family was everything. Needless to say
he raised us incredibly tight. He instilled in us all those important family
values and commitments to one another. There is no question together we are
stronger than apart. That being said, our personal and
working relationship together has always felt good and right. No
question it's that relationship that has been the key to our successes and
happiness throughout life's musical journey. Having that trust and confidence
in one another is the gas that makes this wheel turn for sure.
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| Photo by Rob Greenwood |
CV: What's next? What can fans expect to see from The Raskins in 2020?
LR: Well we are happy to say we have a brand new
album finished and in the can awaiting release. We have touring planed all throughout
North America this year and then making plans to end the year with touring all throughout
Europe and Asia.
You will also see The Raskins heavily involved with
The Masquerade Rock Music Fest. The Raskins will also be including performing
at approximately 6 to 8 festivals this upcoming year!
CV: Thank you again Logan for spending some time talking and sharing with our readers.
It was a pleasure. I wish you all the best and continued success.
LR: Look forward to
seeing you all out on the road. Let's keep on Rocking and Rollin. One Love -
The Raskins
Check out The Raskins at:
Check out The Raskins at:
Official: http://www.theraskins.com/welcome/
My name is Mick Michaels...I'm an artist, music fan, songwriter, producer, dreamer and guitarist for the traditional Heavy Metal band Corners of Sanctuary. Writing has always been a creative outlet for me; what I couldn't say in speech, I was able to do with the written word. Writing has given me a voice and a way for me to create on a multitude of platforms including music and song, articles, independent screenplays, books and now, artist interviews. The Cosmick View is an opportunity to raise the bar and showcase artists in a positive and inspirational light. For me, it's another out-of-this-world adventure.
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