The Expendables doing their thing.
The well known and tight-knit reggae-rock group, The Expendables, is concluding their tour with performances in Malibu, Costa Mesa, Avila Beach, and their hometown of Santa Cruz. Adam Patterson, drummer and vocalist, talks about the band’s unique sound and their plans for the future. Having grown up in a thriving surf community, The Expendables’ music has a beach vibe unlike any other.
Do you think growing up in Santa Cruz influenced your music at all?
Ya definitely. Santa Cruz is kind of a hippie town. There is a lot of reggae and punk rock going on. Our music is a sample of Santa Cruz and the surf/skate lifestyle that it tends to attract.
What do you think differentiates your sound from other reggae/rock bands?
We have more of a hard metal sound sometimes. When most bands start out, they mimic their favorite artists. We were the same way. We listened to a lot of Sublime and tried to go off of that. We eventually found our own niche in the industry, but it took some time. Over the years, our skills improved and we were able to develop our own sound.
What music have you been listening to lately?
That’s a hard question. I listen to so many different types of musicians. Most recently though, I listened to Michael Bublé (laughs).
What are some of your favorite cities to play in?
Every city is so different. I like them all. The ones that stand out are probably Florida, New York, Los Angeles, and Santa Cruz. When we play in Florida, it is usually on the beach which is fun. And of course, we love playing in our hometown.
You guys have been playing together for a long time. When did you get together and what are some of the highlights of your career thus far?
We actually got together in high school. I want to say that was around 12 years ago. We never imagined it would take us this far. We just did it for fun. The most memorable moment for me was probably when we finally made the switch from having to work at a minimum wage job every day to playing music full-time. It is a really hard industry to break into. I still can’t believe we were able to do it and that we are still able to do it today.
Having grown up by the coast, do you guys try to find time to surf while on tour?
I personally stick to body surfing, but the other guys try to surf whenever they can. They grew up surfing. A lot of the venues we play at are nowhere near an ocean. But when we are around some good waves, we try to take advantage of it.
You have a show coming up in Malibu. Excited to play at the Malibu Inn? Pretty cool venue.
I’m really excited. We have been playing there since we were around 18 or 19 years old. I think it was one of the first places we traveled to so it is always exciting to go back.
What’s next?
Our tour is winding down. Once it is over, we will just be writing and finishing up our latest album. Pretty busy but exciting time for us.
For ticket info, visit: theexpendables.net
