A brief chat with Doomtree

Yellow Scene: When did the band form and what was the mission?

Lazerbeak: Man, it’s been a long time. It’s been over a dozen years since we started. We were all solo artists at the time, and a lot of us had been in high school together. We were into making rap music but we didn’t know how to expand so we did the “power in numbers” thing, started our own label and company, and became a band as well as releasing solo projects. We eventually became this almost family business endeavor.

YS: Describe the sound…

Lb: I think we’ve learned how to make music together slowly, so I feel like I’m more influenced by the six other people in the group at this point musically than I am by anything on the outside. When we started, we were still learning how to even make a beat. So I think we just stumbled along, and now it’s evolved into what it is.

YS: Are you looking forward to Riot Fest?

Lb: Absolutely. We’re super-pumped. We’re actually doing all three of them, and we’re really excited to be kicking off in Denver.

YS: What can we expect from your set?

Lb: High energy. Everybody’s running around. A lot of times, rap sets can look like a rapper rapping along to his CD, but we have a super-intense energy. A lot of smiles and crowd interaction. Seven best friends hanging out together.

YS: When Riot Fest is over, what’s next?

Lb: We put out our record in January, so we’re wrapping up this year’s cycle. We’ll be announcing some more tour dates and getting out to various cities and festivals throughout the fall and into the new year. Then we’ll take a second to catch our breath and work on new music.