New Beat Fund Making Name Following Debut Album, Tour with Blink-182
by Tim Wenger
Los Angeles’ New Beat Fund just completed a tour with a small, up-and-coming band from San Diego called Blink-182, on which they were fortunate enough to hit both the Chicago and Denver stops of Riot Fest. Their sound is a modern blend of reggae and punk with electronic undertones- think 3Oh!3 in bed with The Dirty Heads- and the guys have been working non-stop to dispense their musical love onto the welcoming faces and into the ears of audiences across the country. Colorado Music Buzz sat down with the guys next to a small, artificial lake, likely the only surplus amount of any liquid other than beer on the grounds of May Farms, following their Denver performance and caught up with the guys about where they are going and how they got to where they are currently.
Two brothers, Jeff and Paul Laliberte, form half of the band, with Shelby Archer and Michael Johnson rounding out the lineup. The brothers have been playing music together for years and came Archer and Johnson at separate times to form the complete lineup of New Beat Fund.
They played saturated the Los Angeles market with live shows and radio play, and were fortunate enough to have Rick DeVoe (Blink’s longtime manager) come on board to help the guys out. Eventually, they landed on this most recent tour with Mark, Tom and Travis. “It’s been absolutely amazing,” says Shelby Archer. “All the shows have been a blast. It’s been wild, it’s a little bittersweet today because it’s over.”
New Beat Fund have been exploding out of LA’s burgeoning music scene after only playing together for not even two years. With arguably the world’s biggest pool of musicians residing in one metropolitan area, it can be tough to get any attention. The guys managed to make it work and are all the better for it. “LA’s tough,” says Jeff Laliberte. “We just forged on.”
“There’s no such thing as a scene at this point because so many people play so many different kinds of music,” says Laliberte. “You just gotta find the places that suit your music, and we did a pretty good job of that. And we work hard as fuck, we hustle the fuck out of LA.”
A local venue gave the guys a shot early on and helped them begin the long process of securing their reputation. “There’s a club in Hollywood called Bourdners,” says Laliberte. “They do free shows every Wednesday night for up and coming bands from Hollywood. That was where we really started playing, I feel like that helped us big a good following in Hollywood because the Sunset scene is all pay to play bullshit. It’s about finding a good spot and getting to know the people there and finding where you fit it.”
“Once we got our live thing there, KROQ put us on their locals only show,” says Michael Johnson. “Things kind of started to pick up after that, labels started calling, and managers and stuff.”
Next up for the guys following a couple weeks back home is a tour with 3Oh!3 kicking off in New York on October 16 which keeps them on the road for six weeks, back home just before Thanksgiving. “Just in time for a good turkey leg and some gravy,” says Jeff Laliberte.
Their touring and support for their record Coinz is gaining momentum for the group, with the single Scare Me being added to MTVU as well as alt-rock stations in California and beyond. The guys are big fans of giving their music away for free, and have found that to be the most effective marketing method for spreading the word of New Beat Fund. “Your music is everything to get in the hands of the listener,” says Laliberte. “If it doesn’t end up there, then what really are you accomplishing?”
“We’ve just been touring on Coinz and spreading the word,” says Laliberte. “I think people still really don’t know too much about Coinz. We’re trying to let it get the life that it deserves. It’s slowly getting traction, we’re letting it do its thing.”
“We always work on new music on breaks,” says Archer. “We got a lot in store, next year we’ll probably come out with an album.”
They love tour life and checking out the people and places along the way, and one of their biggest rushes is hanging out with the kids who come to shows. “Directly after we play, we hang out with fans,” says Laliberte. “After the show, whether it’s a party or not, our number one priority is meeting the fans. Connecting with everyone that enjoys our music, that’s always number one.”
“We’ll play with the show, see what the vibe is for that city and just go with the flow,” says Johnson.
“We are grateful for every step of the way,” says Laliberte. “Everywhere we end up, we’re always stoked to be here. This is what we’ve been working for our entire lives as musicians.” The hard work and momentum the guys have put out and gained is obviously beginning to pay off, and New Beat Fund looks towards a bright future and well-deserved national recognition.
Check them out at Summit Music Hall here in the Mile High City November 16. The video for “Scare Me” can be found on YouTube.
Online: newbeatfund.com
Category: National News
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