Str8Up Show Podcast

Music Monday - RenRiot

Episode Summary

What happens when you stop trying to fit into the sound people expect from you and start making the music that actually feels like you? On this edition of Music Monday, we turn up the volume with RenRiot, a Black, queer, female-led alt-rock/grunge-punk band emerging from Washington, D.C.’s music scene. What began as a solo project has evolved into a full-band collaboration built around honest lyrics, gritty riffs, vulnerability and a sound that pulls from emo, grunge, punk and alternative rock while refusing to stay inside any one box. RenRiot joins us to talk about where the band began, finding each other creatively, and what it means to make space for themselves as Black women and queer artists in a rock scene where identity, representation and expectations can intersect in complicated ways. We also get into the purpose behind the music. From turning personal experiences into songs to using vulnerability as a creative weapon, RenRiot opens up about creating music that allows people to feel seen, heard and understood without sacrificing the raw energy that makes rock hit in the first place. RenRiot then plugs in and closes out the episode with a special performance of their new song, “Hunt You Down.” FOLLOW RENRIOT: WEBSITE: WWW.RENRIOT.NOISEYARD.COM INSTAGRAM: @RENRIOT.WAV TIKTOK: @RENRIOTBAND BANDSINTOWN: @RENRIOT

Episode Notes

On this edition of Music Monday, we turn the spotlight on RenRiot, a Black, queer, female alt-rock/grunge-punk band from Washington, D.C.

Blending the vulnerability of emo, the grit of grunge, and the energy of punk and alternative rock, RenRiot is creating music rooted in raw emotion, personal experiences, and a desire to make space for voices and perspectives that haven’t always been centered in rock.

IN THIS EPISODE

We talk with RenRiot about:

• The origin of RenRiot and how the band came together
• Developing a sound that blends alt-rock, emo, grunge and punk
• Their experiences as Black women making rock music
• Navigating intersectionality as Black and queer artists
• Representation and creating space within the alternative music scene
• Breaking expectations surrounding what a rock band is “supposed” to look and sound like
• Using vulnerability and personal experiences as inspiration
• How music can become an outlet for identity, emotion and self-expression
• Building RenRiot’s sound, chemistry and creative direction
• What’s next for the band

SPECIAL PERFORMANCE 

The conversation doesn't end with the interview.

RenRiot closes out this edition of Music Monday with a special performance of their new song, “Hunt You Down.”

ABOUT RENRIOT

RenRiot is a Black, queer emo soft-grunge band from Washington, D.C., blending raw emotion and vulnerable lyricism with influences from alternative rock, grunge, emo and punk. Their music combines nostalgia with a perspective and sound distinctly their own.

FOLLOW RENRIOT

WEBSITE: WWW.RENRIOT.NOISEYARD.COM
INSTAGRAM: @RENRIOT.WAV
TIKTOK: @RENRIOTBAND
BANDSINTOWN: @RENRIOT