Rooted in alternative rock, but nodding to pop and punk influences, Recess bring driving guitars and infectious, cinematic level choruses, with a serotonin-boosting delivery.

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Vincent Fondale - Lead Vocals

Alex Razzy - Guitar

Anthony Fondale - Keyboards

Lee Payton - Drums

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Recess? How long has the band been around?

We formed the band in early 2008 as kids playing cover songs. As we grew both musically and literally, we began writing music and formed our own unique sound. The band then released our first EP in 2018 and the rest is history.

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

Recess has always been about escapism through musical story-telling and emotional, cinematic music. We created the name as kids, but really grew into it with time.

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?

Anthony and Vincent Fondale are the primary writers / creators of the songs. Alex then adds parts and his unique flavor once the skeleton has been created. The topics of the band’s music changes vastly depending on the composition. Some songs are relatable and emotional pieces, while others are created, wide-ranging stories. Not only do these topics change over time, but they tend to change drastically from song to song.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

A lot of the inspiration for our music comes from cinema, stories, writings, and mythology. The band’s musical inspirations originally stem from bands like Bastille, Coldplay, Onerepublic, and Imagine Dragons, but reach across the aisle to artists like The Gorillaz, Hans Zimmer, Fall Out Boy, Queen, Foster The People, and a plethora more.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

The main band and album that really inspired the band’s musical direction would have to be Night Visions by Imagine Dragons. As for the band’s creation, I feel we can credit older artists like Journey, Styx, and other classic rock bands we covered as young, beginner musicians.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

Anthony enjoys a long gym session before a show followed by extensive stretching, Alex likes to consume copious amounts of 5 Hour Energy, and Vince does his vocal warmups while drinking warm honey tea. Immediately before our performances, Vince and Lee host a quick game of rock, paper, scissors to decide who gets to enter stage left first.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

As of recently, I’d say we all were super stoked to be Cleveland Music Awards 2023-24’s “Best Alternative Band” award recipients upon returning from our summer tour.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

Touring with either Coldplay, Twenty One Pilots, or Imagine Dragons would be a super cool experience not only for us, but for the people attending as well. Seeing that they are some of our biggest inspirations, I think the totality of the show both musically and visually would just be extremely awesome.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Stream and save our new song “Rust” dropping this Friday, November 24th 2023, and come see us play it live at our show opening for musical titans “The Orphan The Poet” at Mahall’s in Lakewood, OH on December 15th 2023!

Unsigned Spotlight: Recess