Band Photo Credit: George Reed
Live Photo By Travis Failey Photography
BUDDERSIDE is the first band to really excite me since I first discovered THE DEAD DAISIES a few years ago. I remember hearing how Rock was dead and when I first discovered THE DAISIES I took notice because there was a band that was loaded with rock stars and songs and musicianship in the band were of real, high quality. Well move a few years forward to 2021 and I start hearing all kinds of stuff about this band BUDDERSIDE from Hollywood that really had something special to offer and that BUDDERSIDE was a band that just might be the next big thing!
BUDDERSIDE has lived up to everything I have ever heard about the band! The music is a cross between Appetite For Destrcution-era GUNS N' ROSES and BUCKCHERRY. The songs are really well written and the band's lead singer/front man Patrick Stone is responsible for that! The following interview centers around the band's new single/music video for their song "Too Far" which focuses on how people are often triggered by things other people do and say to harm themselves and even commit suicide. Mental illness and depression is also a topic that is touched upon in both the song and the music video. In addition to the new single and music video Patrick Stone gets really personal and discuses tough times in his own life and the fact that he's had members of his own family commit suicide which explains why the topic is so personal to him.
KNAC.COM: The band's latest single/music video is for the song "Too Far". The video was shot on the Hollywood Sunset
Strip at locations such as The Rainbow Bar and Grill and The Whisky a Go Go. Talk about why you chose to shoot the video at those locations?
STONE: Because it is our city. These are the backdrops to our lives. The strip is our home. Whatever we go through, The Rainbow, Viper, Whisky and Roxy are a part of it. The Maglieri’s have always treated us like family. You know I went to the 'Bow once when I was homeless on Thanksgiving and they invited me in and fed me for nothing.
KNAC.COM: The song “Too Far" is about people being pushed too far by other people and how that can often times lead people to harm themselves and even take their own life. Often times people do not realize that words hurt and those hurtful words can often be a trigger for people to commit suicide. Talk about why you wrote this song Patrick, I mean have you ever gone through something like this in your life? Have you known abyone who took their life or even just tried to do it?
STONE: We have. We’ve talked each other off the ledge a couple times since we became BUDDERSIDE. There’s a lot more than meets the eye when it comes to this group. A lot of it is pretty dark. I personally lost my sister to suicide. It was absolutely horrifying. Retracing the events, red flags were everywhere and I can’t understand how we were unable to let her know she was loved enough. Not one day passes when I don’t think of Devon and how wonderful it would be to have her here to share this life with us. A lot of her is in this video. My great-grandfather shot himself right in front of my father. Some say it runs in the family. I’ve gotten so close so many times because I can’t stand how I was, because I can’t stand the way others have treated me, because I can’t imagine going on if I can’t fix what is broken. I’m fucking broken. One time my puppy nudged the barrel away. I miss that dog. My closest friend through high school, Keith, hung himself in his mother's shower. Heroin and a broken heart did that. I’ve had those both in my system more times than I can count. There are others, too. The song really spilled out as we were all going through a time when people around us we cared about deeply were “twisting and turning” everything we said and did into weapons against us. Gaslighting us. Especially through break-ups, toxic people love injecting venom into you. They would rather hurt you than heal. Destroying you is winning to them. Arguments escalate, it feels like there’s no way out. A close friend of mine, a security guard where I used to work at, married, kids, always happy and kind. I jumped in to save him a few times when shit went down and he did the same for me. We were usually outnumbered and gangs frequented the place. But he was the kind of guy that would stand up for his buddy. One night he found out his wife was cheating. He went to the dude’s house. When they came out to the front yard, he shot them both. This is real life! I wish I could have been there to talk him out of it. I wish we could have talked Cobain, Bennington and Cornell out of it. Robin Williams. Behind the happiest faces often lurk the darkest demons. We need to talk. People, friends need to feel comfortable talking about it.
KNAC.COM: Talk about your decision to include the suicide prevention hotline # in the video? I must say it was very cool to do that because for all you know somebody could be watching this video who is going through a tough time in their life and they may have suicidal thoughts and just maybe seeing the video will trigger them instead of taking their life instead to call the suicide prevention hotline and seek out some assistance which they would obviously need. Patrick it's your song and music video that could make that difference! What are your thoughts on that?
STONE: We think of the song as our cry for help, begging others to do the right thing. We’re not alone. Luckily, we as a band have each other. Suicide is a very selfish act, but it’s because people feel so alone, like no one will ever understand how we feel. We know how you feel. Maybe if we talk about it, raise awareness, we can reach one person who is suffering and connect. On the day of release, Jill reached out to me. I woke up to a text. I was in tears, man. She told me how her son Danny had just committed suicide on October 7th this year, leaving behind 3 sisters. I remember how hollow we were two months after losing Devon. She told us how grateful she was that someone was speaking out, because she had felt so alone. A suicide in the family will tear it apart. It did mine. This helped her recognize that this isn’t something she has to face alone. My heart aches for her, the family and for Danny. This is our true mission with “Too Far”. Others have come forward in comments and shares. It’s been overwhelming and awesome to heal with so many. Our publicist Kelly mentioned it, of course the Hotline had to be there. Make the call, change your life, DM us, come sing with us, talk to us, let’s get through it together.
KNAC.COM: I was curious who the actors were in the music video? The guy and girl in the car at the begining is what I am talking
about.
STONE: Two of our favorite people ever! Ian Nelson and Nadia Lanfranconi. Ian is on fire. Hunger Games, The Boy Next Door, Teen Wolf… Do I need to go on? Dude is a superstar and this roll required him. I’ve acted for years and was in awe watching this guy. How in the hell he makes it looks so easy is beyond me. Ian and Sam drool over guitars together on Instagram and that led to them hanging out when Ian was performing at the Viper Room. Sam and I were very serious about casting the right guy for this role. Sam gathered the courage to ask Ian if he thought he might know someone good enough, willing to help us out. After sharing the script and the song with Ian, he offered to do it himself. We were blown away and are just so grateful. I’ve known Nadia for years. To know her is to love her. I asked her if she’d do it. She was so comfortable, so talented and so fun! Nonstop laughs with Nadia behind the scenes. She stepped right up to Ian and they worked their magic. The icing on the cake was Brooke Restad, our lead. Her and Gabe had become friends in Vegas during one of his 27 Shows at Virgin. I just had a feeling about her. I wanted her in, I reached out. She wanted to “try something she had never done before”. Brooke was all in. She’s so fucking SMART! I never had to explain anything twice. She nailed almost everything on the first take. I knew we were creating something very special with these actors. Hats off!
KNAC.COM: The song "Too Far" is off the band's next release...What can you tell us about the next BUDDERSIDE release? Will it be a full length CD, an EP, and do you have a release date yet?
STONE: You won’t have to wait long. We really love what we do so it’s just going to keep coming. This is our third release of eight we have in the bag, all produced by the incredible Matt Good, so they will all have that class about them. Matt’s done an insane job of bringing the best out of this band. We will have released all eight by summer 2022 as singles, then we’ll sneak another four into the collective to give our fans a full twelve song record at that time. Date and title TBD.
KNAC.COM: In regards to the next BUDDERSIDE release, how far along is the band with it? I mean obviously "Too Far" is the first song to be released but do you have more tracks that have already been recorded and are you still writing songs for the next release?
STONE: We are in the process of creating the fourth video to accompany the fourth release. “Voices” debuted Sept 3rd and was the first of this campaign. “Ghostlighting” came second at Halloween, now “Too Far”. The other five I mentioned are recorded, but the content like videos for them will be created one by one. We have yet to write and record the final four to make twelve. Our work is definitely cut out for us.
KNAC.COM: Patrick I have to tell you that I always enjoy watching BUDDERSIDE music videos because they are what I'd call eye candy. You take a lot of pride I can tell in the music videos you make. How involved were you in the making of the video? I mean were you involved in coming up with the concept for the video?
STONE: I really appreciate that. There really is a lot to enjoy. The lyric videos, too. Pablo Conde and his team create our animated lyric videos and we love to give them as little direction as possible. I trust him. It’s really cool to see how someone else interprets the song and brings it to life. I do take charge when it comes to the official videos. I’ve done so many and am so passionate about them, gotten really good at it, the band put a lot of faith in me to deliver. We are a team so everything is discussed in major detail before shoot day. Gabe came up with the Scooby Doo idea for “Ghostlighting” and I just ran with it and came up with a bulletproof script. The lyrics really seem to dictate the theme of its video. Sam and I think I should start a video production company to make millions, lol. As far as “Too Far” is concerned, I could see it in my head from start to finish long before it was casted. It usually is that way. But it’s so important to all of us that everyone makes it what it becomes, together. My boy Draysin, who let us use his apartment, was so involved. So much love for everyone who showed up and bent over backwards to make this happen. Above all, of course, our director, Vicente Cordero. Getting our madness from mind to screen beautifully.
KNAC.COM: What did you enjoy the most about making the video for "Too Far"?
STONE: Getting to know all of the people. Tish Atkinson, our makeup head, kept me from losing my shit when certain typical Hollywood POS decided not to show up. Getting to know Brooke was one of the most meaningful friendships I’ve ever encountered. I felt so lucky. Watching her breathe life into this character meant so much to me. She handled the chaos on set like a pro and kept it moving. The funny thing is, everything that could have wgone wrong, did. But those who showed up for us made it work. Matt Pinfield, Gabriel Pimentel, Sofiya Vasilyeva, Chris Leonard, all of our BUDDERSIDE family, some I knew, some I didn’t, now I know them all. Friends flew in from Texas and Chicago to be a part. A squad of them came all the way to Vegas to see us play last weekend. Forging new friendships that will last forever. Watching Nadia and Ian click was priceless. I could go on…. and on. We really loved making this for you.
KNAC.COM: What has been the reaction to "Too Far" so far?
STONE: Outstanding! It feels like we’re making a difference. We are pouring our hearts out and hearts are pouring back out to ours. We’ve never felt so fulfilled or proud of something.
KNAC.COM: What can fans expect next from BUDDERSIDE?
STONE: Valentines Day is coming. They should be very, very afraid! Hahahahaha!
