Rikas, a four-piece German band, hails with influences from like David Bowie, Quincy Jones, Tyler, the Creator, and Phoenix all while looking like they stepped out of a Wes Anderson movie. We met the band in an Austin coffee shop in between shows when they were here for SXSW. From the initial greeting, something about this band was different. Their personalities are just as eclectic as their stage presence. We discussed their inspiration, late-night television sketches, and what’s next to come.
So when you guys are curating songs, how do you draw the inspiration?
Rikas: I’d say it’s pretty diverse! We're not only working for inspiration in music but like all different kinds of arts. Sometimes we like to do these little like sketches and videos and we’re inspired from late-night shows. Also, movies and aesthetics, in general, we like the graphic design and everyday art we come across.
I think that’s so incredibly cool. Is there a particular late-night sketch or movie that sticks out or that was pivotal in creating a track for y’all?
Rikas: I think anything Wes Anderson-related has been huge for us when we’re creating tracks. I remember one time we were working on a song and we just had the film running in the background as we were recording. We’re also massive fans of the Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon sketches.
Which song of yours are y’all most particularly proud of?
Rikas: There a lot of songs we are proud of. I think one of them is "Never Leaving the House." It is so fun to play and we had a great time recording it in LA with Jonathan Rado. Emotionally we all connect with I always think of You. It is a break-up track and we all can relate with the songwriting in a good way.
And then what's next for y'all? Well, we're about to head back after this, and at the moment we're recording.
Rikas: We're still like in the process. Mm-hmm. like Uber and drilling for the last two months, we pretty much working on songs all the time. Locked up in the studio and like cold, cold Berlin winter. So it was nice to get out and now we're going back after that we're playing some festivals in Europe. Mm-hmm. Play tour and hopefully the record comes out at some point.
Keep up with Rikas on Spotify and Instagram.
Samantha Fong
"At 15 years old, I begged my mom to take me to Walmart to get Taylor Swift's debut deluxe album and I never turned back. This was my very first entry point to stan fandom. Growing up in Memphis, Tennessee I was exposed to a ton of music - from rapping 3 6 Mafia to bopping to Justin Timberlake's solo discography. Now, in LA have a day job working in nonprofit development, but by night, I'm a full-fledged fangirl. I'll listen to generally any genre, but I'm a sucker for a good pop song. If you ever need someone to scream sing Carly Rae Jepsen's E·MO·TION with, I'm your girl. No, I still have not gotten over the One Direction hiatus. Please continue to respect my privacy. Twitter : samfonggg, Instagram : samantha_fong"
