Roman Candle, a 4-piece collective from Las Vegas, Nevada, has been on the rise within the DIY-punk scene. The band, while only existing for half a year, has reached a massive outreach of fans from all over the country and have only released one EP, titled Discount Fireworks. The members consist of Piper Ferrari on lead vocals, Bryson Drace on drums, Nico Borgia on guitar, and Jonas Vece on strings.
Being a recent follower of Roman Candle and loving the atmosphere that the band creates for fans and anyone who comes to their shows, I had the pleasure of speaking to Ferrari about the band’s existence and what the future holds for them, including the Flyover Festival coming up in November.
First of all, I just wanna say I’m a huge fan of Roman Candle, and also your work as a graphic designer! It’s so cool, and everything that you do with the band and your solo work is awesome.
Thank you so much! That really means a lot to me, I really appreciate it.
Of course! Alright, for Vegas bands, it’s rare to see women included within the scene. Do you feel like that certain phenomena is starting to change? How is Roman Candle being a part of that change?
When I was 18, there wasn’t a whole lot of girls who went to shows and I think that’s just the nitty true of hardcore, unfortunately, but I do think, not just in Vegas, but everywhere, it’s kind of expanding. I really hope to see more girls come to shows and front bands and be a part of it in any way they can, and I hope that with Roman Candle being one of the first, I hope it keeps inspiring more to keep coming forward and doing it.
I know that there are now smaller bands rising in Vegas who are led by women and it’s super sick to see. Roman Candle has been busy doing shows and opening for other artists, but when can show go-ers expect new music?
Great question! We have a whole EP pretty much almost fully written, and we’re in the process of recording it and everything, but we’re talking to a couple of labels. Until we get that figured out, everything is on pause for a minute. But, I wanna say definitely before the end of the year.
What specific artists are the main inspirations when making music with the band? Are there any inspirations that are from Vegas?
I think Curl Up and Die would be a good influence for me, they’re an older band here from Vegas. Aside from that, we’re really into bands like Sacia and Love Lost But Not Forgotten, Poison the Well, that kind of early 2000’s gap of not strictly hardcore but heavier bands that still fit on hardcore bills.
For fans not in Vegas, can you talk a little more about your experience and growth in the Vegas scene? What are some venues, bands, businesses, that we should be following and supporting?
Definitely check out Blackpath Booking, they put on pretty much all of the bigger hardcore shows in town; they are exclusively the reason why there even is a hardcore scene out here, and why bands started to come out here. It’s tough in Vegas to be a DIY-fan or to do DIY-things because of the liquor laws and the entertainment taxes and all that shit, so big shoutout to Blackpath. It’s been cool seeing that grow over the past couple of years. There’s also Hellhouse Productions that really does some cool shit, Outlook, Blacksheep Booking. There’s enough for everyone if you just do a little bit of digging.
I saw your performance at the Barrio Bowl on TikTok! Performing in a swimming pool is so incredibly cool, and it was super inspiring to see a bunch of young fans attend. They’re continuing the scene’s legacy, and I love it. What’s your favorite part of performing and being on stage as a band in the scene?
The crowd reaction is my favorite. Seeing people be into it, any crowd, any age, people rocking with it and singing along is always the most meaningful thing to me.
What would you like to see more of at shows within the upcoming year, whether it be within your own sets or other artist’s sets?
That’s a good question, I think I would like to see more people just uplifting each other and supporting each other. One thing I really love about the hardcore scene out here is that all of the bands really ride for each other and really support each other. We all go to each other’s shows, and it’s very community-based. I’m not too familiar with other smaller scenes, or pockets of the scene in Vegas, but I really hope that that’s going on elsewhere as well.
You are performing at the Flyover Festival in November! How does it feel to be included in such a wonderful fest?
I’m so stoked! It’s gonna be so sick, seeing the bands that are on it, and being able to play with the bands included is gonna be really sick. I’m really happy that they reached out to us to be a part of it.
The crowd is gonna be so insane, I already know it. What are you looking forward to in Tulsa? Any cool restaurants, spots, specific performances, etc.?
I’ve never been to the Midwest, so I don’t really know what to expect. I’m excited just to see what’s up and feel the vibes. Hopefully they have some cool coffee shops or something goofy like that.
If you had to share one last thing with us, what would that be?
I just wanna encourage everyone to be a part of their scene. Go to shows, share flyers, that’s what keeps this shit alive; new people coming, and being respectful, and having a good time and just putting it on for their city. I think that’s the biggest thing, and I think that’s what helps Roman Candle out the most and I hope that other bands get to keep experiencing that.
Watch Roman Candle perform live in Fullerton, California in April 2023 below!
