So who are PVMNTS? The three-piece pop-punk outfit hail from Los Angeles and are made up of Tyler Posey, Freddy Ramirez and Nick Guzman. Posey and Ramirez previously played with Lost in Kostko, a now defunct punk band which made waves on the Southern California music scene amassing a reasonably large following. With Posey’s acting commitments having elevated to new levels, the band was eventually put on the back burner and fizzled out ultimately disbanding in 2013. It seems there was an air of unfinished business however as five years later PVMNTS look ready to take the pop-punk scene by storm.
The band are putting the finishing touches on their debut EP, working with acclaimed producer Kyle Black. With a UK tour already announced, featuring stops at festivals such as Slam Dunk and Great Escape, the band look to have a bright future and are certainly worth looking out for.
Luke Morrison of Altwire caught up with the guys to get an insight in to the early stages of the band and how it all came about.
AW: Stylistically, what would you say your biggest influences are?
Freddy: Stylistically, I would have to say new Pop Punk meets old. One day, you’ll get a song that has a Blink 182/Neck Deep vibe, the next, you’ll get something a little more like Citizen.
Nick: I’d like to think that our style and sound is shaped just as much by our differences. When it all comes down to it though, I think we’re just 3 dudes who wanna make music that we ourselves wanna listen to. And it’s cool if that resonates with others.
AW: Two of the three members of PVMNTS were previously in the band Lost in Kostko which had immersed a decent-sized fan base. Tell us about how that band dissolved and how this band was formed.
Tyler: The peak of Lost in Kostko was also the height of my acting schedule. As sad as it was, it was decided that I spend the time to finish out the project I was doing, putting Lost in Kostko on an indefinite hiatus. All the while Freddy and I kept in touch and wrote music together. As soon as I was freed up, the two of us began taking the writing process seriously again, bringing on our friend and like minded musician, Nick to the band.
AW: You’re currently in the process of writing your first EP Tell us about some of the challenges you’ve faced so far. When can we expect to hear it?
Tyler: In the process of writing our first debut EP! Fuck yeah! Challenges we have hit so far have been few but there are some. We have a shit load of songs we want to show everyone but since this is our debut and only have 6 songs to show everyone what we’re about, we want to make sure they’re the best ones. We’re finishing up recording early April, gonna try to get it out as soon as possible after that so hopefully you can expect it sometime in the spring.
Nick: Challenges? Let’s start with the fact these are the worst dudes ever. Just terrible, awful people…nah, I love ‘em!
AW: You’re going to be working with Kyle Black (previous credits include working with Paramore, New Found Glory and Comeback Kid). Tell us your thoughts about working with him.
Tyler: The cool thing about Kyle Black is that Tyler and Freddy recorded a couple songs with him almost 10 years ago in the first band that the two met in, and that he’s Kyle Black, one of the raddest producers in this scene right now. His ear for this scene and style of music is fucking perfect.
Nick: I can’t wait to get my proverbial ass kicked by that guy. That’s gonna be a gruelling/fun time. He may even literally kick me in the ass, I’m kind of annoying. But we’ll see! To me, every piece of music he has been involved with is great because he was a part of it.
AW: Your first headline tour is occurring outside of the US in the UK this May, what was the reaction to finding out you’d be beginning your journey in this band abroad?
Tyler: Our reaction was fucking disbelief. And extremely stoked and thankful. Especially when the tickets started to sell so well. Eternally thankful. The crowd response in the UK is absolutely fucking nuts in the best way so we’re looking real forward to that. But we also felt a little strange because we hadn’t released any music yet and people started to ask. So we recorded tirelessly in Freddy’s bedroom to lay down the “best” version we could record on our own with the “non-Kyle-black-equipment” we were working with. But we made do. And having our good buddy master the song for us helped make the tracks we recorded clearer and louder for everyone to mosh to.
AW: With this band in its infancy, what are your goals for 2018?
Nick: Play music everywhere with my friends. Work hard. Travel. Have unforgettable experiences. Be a part of something that somebody can connect with. Music saved me, and it still does now. So if there’s even a possibility that I can pay that forward, I’m doing it. I think that pretty much goes for 2018 and beyond.
Tyler: Goals for 2018 have already been exceeded with everything that’s gone down so far. We still plan to play shows here in the US before we take off to the UK. We want to put out our debut EP. A music video for “Jumping Stairsets” is on the horizon. We want to merge our experience with film making and music in a unique way that were excited to explore. MORE SHOWS. MORE TOURS.
AW: Up until this point, what has been the highlight of your music career?
Freddy: Honestly, the highlight of our career would be meeting and playing music with these dudes. Without them, we wouldn’t be doing crazy things like going to the UK to play music!
Tyler: As the band PVMNTS, I think the highlight for us so far is being able to play Slam Dunk with so many of our favorite bands. And also hearing the rad response and excitement from our friends and fans about the song we released. More to come!
Check out PVMNTS on Spotify here. UK Fans can check out PVMNTS on their first tour this May:
