Haunting Portraits delivers a classy and moving collection, drawing on a mesmerizing parlay of emo, indie and alternative rock influences.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Jaryd Rosenfeld is the front man, vocalist and rhythm guitarist. Patrick Thoennissen is the lead guitarist. Steven Ciniski is the bassist and vocalist. Jared Yerby is the drummer
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Haunting Portraits? How long has the band been around?
Everyone besides Patrick was in some local projects, but nothing as serious as this. This band started in 2016 and we released our first EP and officially went live in January 2018.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
We’ve always been Haunting Portraits. Jaryd and Steve came up with it one night when they were hanging out during the genesis of this band. They chose the name because it sounded the best out of everything else they came up with.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Generally, one person comes with an idea or a riff and we structure it together until it’s a song. When it comes to lyrics, Jaryd does all of the writing. The topics are generally references to personal events, life lessons, and overcoming day to day stress and anxiety.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Twin Peaks, Bad Luck, Title Fight, Citizen, Microwave, Somos, Tides of Man, Royal Blood, Orchards, and lots of 90s rock.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Warped Tour culture was a huge impact on us. Jaryd went in 2007 and then went for 8 consecutive years. Seeing all of those bands play and seeing the community it created was extremely inspiring. Creating a strong sense of community and belonging to our listeners is a huge motivation for us.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …
Generally we drink a bit to calm to jitters and get a little loose, then we touch tips before every set.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
The biggest highlight has been the incredibly warm receptions we received on tour in completely different states. We booked multiple shows of our first tour days before the show actually took place. In most instances we were booking shows on the road, on the way to the show. It was a major highlight of our band to book these shows on such short notice and have so many people come out and respond so positively to what we were playing.
Our biggest accomplishment has been writing and releasing our new EP. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done on this EP and we’re so excited to see what reception it will get.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
Nirvana, because they’re the biggest rock stars of all time. Pink Floyd, because the party’s would be killer Incubus, because we love their nostalgia and how they have aged like sweet wine. Microwave, because we love their music and really want to be their friends. Circa Survive, because they’re incredibly talented musicians and they seem like they have folksy wisdom
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Check out our new EP on Feb 28th, follow us on Facebook and Instagram for pics of us and our cats, and come see us play live so we’re not alone
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