Night Riots
| Industry | Music |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | PK |
| Founded | 2010 in San Luis Obispo, California, United States |
| Defunct | 2020 |
| Fate | Extended break announced |
| Headquarters | San Luis Obispo, California , United States |
Key people | Travis Hawley (lead vocals), Nick Fotinakes (guitar), Matt DePauw (guitar), Mikel van Kranenburg (bass), Rico Rodriguez (drums) |
| Products | Music albums, singles, EPs |
Number of employees | 5 (band members) |
| Parent | Sumerian Records (label) |
Night Riots (occasionally presented as NIGHT RIOTS or || NIGHT RIOTS ||) is an alternative rock group originating from San Luis Obispo, California, United States. Established in 2010, the lineup features Travis Hawley as lead vocalist, Nick Fotinakes and Matt DePauw on guitars, Mikel van Kranenburg handling bass duties, and Rico Rodriguez on drums.
History
The members Travis Hawley, Nick Fotinakes, Matt DePauw, Kevin Menesez, and Mikel van Kranenburg all hail from Templeton, California and first connected during their middle school years. They developed their musical skills together throughout high school and initially formed a band. After graduating, the group briefly disbanded before Rico Rodriguez joined in 2010, replacing Kevin Menesez on drums. Their original moniker, PK, was inspired by the character PeeKay from Bryce Courtenay's novel The Power of One, symbolizing triumph over challenges. In 2010, they independently released their debut album Into the Roaring and cultivated a local fanbase through live shows. The outlet MTV Buzzworthy recognized PK as one of "The Most Criminally Overlooked Artists of 2012."
To resolve trademark conflicts and better capture their musical identity, the band adopted the name Night Riots, aiming for a title that conveyed the intensity of nighttime performances. They successfully raised $12,000 through Indiegogo to self-release the EP Young Lore in July 2013.
In 2014, Night Riots premiered their track "Contagious" on KROQ radio and embarked on a tour with K.Flay. Later that year, they secured a deal with Sumerian Records and unveiled the EP Howl in January 2015. The band earned a spot on Live 105's list of "Aaron Axelsen’s Top 16 New Acts To Watch In 2015." February 2015 marked their first full headlining tour across the US; in spring they supported The Mowgli's on a North American tour and participated in the Vans Warped Tour 2015. In September of that year, they performed at the launch event for the tenth-generation Honda Civic Sedan.
Following their Vans Warped Tour appearance, Night Riots joined Young Rising Sons on the Let The Kids Riot tour, further broadening their audience reach. The spring of 2016 saw them touring with Blaqk Audio during The Material Tour while also appearing at prominent festivals such as BFD, Firefly Music Festival, Osheaga Festival, and Riot Fest. Their full-length album Love Gloom was released in October 2016 through Sumerian Records. From November to December, they participated in Alt Nation's Advanced Placement Tour alongside The Hunna and The Shelters.
During spring 2017, Night Riots toured with Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Atlas Genius. That summer included select dates supporting All Time Low’s Young Renegade Tour as well as opening for The Maine on two US tours and their inaugural European tour. November 2017 featured a performance at Chicago’s 101 WKQX event The Nights We Stole Christmas Music Festival.
In early 2018, Night Riots opened for The Hunna during a UK tour before announcing their own UK headline tour with Silent Rival providing support. On February 20, they released the single "Colour Morning," followed by “On the Line” in May ahead of their nationwide "Dark Violet" headlining tour accompanied by Silent Rival and Courtship.
After nearly a year away from public attention following this tour, Night Riots returned with three singles preceding their sophomore full-length album New State of Mind, which was released on July 26, 2019. They supported this release with a US tour sharing the album’s name.
In August 2020, Night Riots announced an extended break via Instagram while also sharing remixes and demo tracks from New State of Mind.
Musical style and influences
Night Riots initially emerged from a punk rock background, with significant inspiration drawn from bands such as AFI and Thursday. Their musical palette also includes influences from artists like Billy Idol, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, Arctic Monkeys, The Cure, U2, The Killers, and Vampire Weekend.[1][2] The group fuses elements of pop rock and power pop, combining "reflective and heartfelt" lyrics with energetic, spirited instrumentation.[1][3] The transition to the name Night Riots signals a shift towards a more shadowy sound, merging melancholic tunes with uplifting refrains.[2] Identified as an alternative rock ensemble,[4] their music integrates aspects of new wave music alongside 1980s Gothic pop influences.[5] Hawley describes their style as indie pop rock tinged with a "dark undertone," drawing parallels to U2, The Strokes, and The Killers, and has coined the phrase "gloom pop" to define their synthesis of alternative and pop infused with a brooding edge.[2][6] Guitarist Matt DePauw depicts it as "hook-laden rock 'n' roll with touches of pop and darkness".[3]
Comparisons have been made between Night Riots' sound and that of The Cure and The Killers,[2][3] while Hawley's expressive vocal delivery has been likened to Robert Smith.[7] On stage, his presence evokes similarities to performers like Davey Havok and Brandon Flowers.[4]
Members
- Travis Hawley – lead vocals
- Nick Fotinakes – guitar
- Matt DePauw – guitar
- Mikel van Kranenburg – bass
- Rico Rodriguez – drums
- Kevin Menesez – drums until 2010 (Into the Roaring)
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard Heatseekers Albums | ||||
| Love Gloom |
|
15 | ||
| New State of Mind |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard Heatseekers Albums | ||
| Archives and Rarities |
|
— |
| Young Lore |
|
— |
| Hallowed Ground |
|
— |
| Howl |
|
17 |
Singles
| Song Title | Release Year | Highest Chart Position | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alternative Songs | |||
| "Berelain" | 2011 | — | Non-album single |
| "Seawolves" | — | ||
| "Chase the Sky" | 2012 | — | |
| "Spiders" | 2013 | — | Young Lore |
| "Contagious" | 2014 | 24 | Howl |
| "Oh My Heart" | 2015 | 50 | |
| "Colour Morning" | 2018 | — | New State of Mind |
| "On the Line" | 2018 | — | |
| "Tokyo Diamond Eyes" | 2019 | — | |
| "Leave Us Alone" | 2019 | — | |
| "Loyal to the Game" | 2019 | — |
External links
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cite error: Invalid
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<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedSSS - ↑ An Exclusive Interview with Night Riots || Baeble Music, retrieved January 6, 2016
- ↑ "Night Riots". Los Angeles, California: Audiotree. March 5, 2015. Retrieved November 16, 2015.