We were lucky to catch up with Royal Fools recently and have shared our conversation below.
Royal Fools, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
We were 15 when we first tried busking. We awkwardly took our buckets and instruments onto the train, endured a few stares, and made our way into Boston. Grey was bucket drumming and I was playing guitar and singing. We were playing on the streets in mid-January so you could imagine it was wicked cold and no one was willing to take their freezing hands out of their pockets to fork over any cash. After a couple of dollar-less, excruciatingly cold hours on the street, a woman approached us on the corner of Hanover and Cross and gave us our first dollar. She said “thank you for making the North End beautiful.” We were so excited we could consider ourselves “professional musicians” because we’d been paid for making music. Busking became a regular thing after that. We learned better spots and a better set up. Things went a lot smoother in warmer weather! – August
Royal Fools, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As identical twins, August and I have done a lot together. After both of us decided to take music seriously at the beginning of high school, we struggled to find other people for a traditional four or five person band that were passionate and consistent. Royal Fools came out of us realizing we only needed each other. August is an insane frontman with a unique, grungey voice and I compose these massive orchestral songs so together we have a really unique sound! -Greyson
We’re really proud of ourselves for taking the leap and moving out to LA at 18. We moved across the country from everyone we’ve ever known and were able to create this amazing family out west. We love making music and we love playing shows so we’re having a blast running around LA and meeting all sorts of people coming up in the industry alongside us. – August
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
There is nothing that makes me happier than sitting in my apartment and showing my friends the new songs I have been working on. Seeing the people I love engage with the art that I create is such an amazing feeling. It feels very vulnerable but having your vulnerability be appreciated is what art is all about. – Greyson
For me, being on stage and hearing our lyrics getting sung back is so incredible. Performing is such pure adrenaline and I feel like I get to give a weight to the words I’m saying and the music we’re making. – August
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
It never really stops, there’s never a moment where you get to sit back and breathe. There is always going to be the next goal. Every time you hit a check point it feels amazing, don’t get me wrong, but it gets hard to say no to parties and hanging out with friends all the time because there’s always something to do. A lot of being in music isn’t the flashy parts where you’re playing shows and shooting music videos. It’s hours spent practicing in a parking garage because nowhere else is open late enough. It’s sleeping in the studio so you can finish the mix on time. It’s lugging equipment to and from your family van for gigs. It gets stressful, but ultimately I’m incredibly lucky that I’m able to make a living in this field, doing what I love. – August
Contact Info:
- Website: Royalfoolsband@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/royalfools
- Facebook: facebook.com/royalfoolsband
- Twitter: twitter.com/royalfoolsband
- Youtube: youtube.com/@royalfoolsband
- Other: Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/4OQMfxWWXrkJJlIuUfkrC8 Apple Music: music.apple.com/us/artist/royal-fools/1671672595 TikTok: tiktok.com/@royalfoolsband
Image Credits
Jad Maluf Isabela Presti Katherine Osmundson Anna Richardson Amelie McGrath