Getting to Know… Jolly Rox | Interview

In the 457^th Q&A in our Getting to Know… series, we get the inside scoop from Italian hard rock/ glam rock band Jolly Rox. 

“We have two different things that make us distinct,” Jolly Rox responds to the first question in our 457^th Q&A on The Musical Hype. What are those two things, Jolly Rox? The music itself and their live show, where, “We don’t just go out and play, we perform, we act, we bring a show that connects very quickly and involves [the audience] in our show, or better [yet], in our party.” Rock on! We get the inside scoop on the Florence, Italy hard rock/ glam rock band’s genesis, goals, musical influences, and current and future musical endeavors. So, without further ado, let’s jump right into Getting to Know… Jolly Rox: Interview No. 457!

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For those who may not be familiar with you, what would you say makes Jolly Rox distinct or unique? How do you rock the audience’s socks off?

Well, we have two different things that make us distinct. First of all is our music, we set our roots in the glam metal genre, but we go a long distance from there, including a lot of contamination from different kinds of music, sound, and vibes, but it is not just a way of putting things into a blender and calling them something new. First, we try to figure out what is the best “voice” of the message we want to put in music, what is the best color and tone, and then, we contaminate. Also, we use a lot of electronic elements to give more layers of sound and make our songs a more immersive experience. Sometimes we get labeled as a glam band, but then when people hear us, they get like, “Wait a second…this is something new.” Another element to rock our audience is our live show. We don’t just go out and play, we perform, we act, we bring a show that connects very quickly with our audience and involves them in our show, or better, in our party.

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Okay, let’s explore some juicy backstories. How did Jolly Rox form, and what were some of your goals or visions early?

The band got created and took shape under the vision of Joey Zalla. In the beginning, we can say it was a street metal band, but since then, many things have happened, many lineup changes have occurred, and now it is a completely different animal. Joey is the one with the most complete and complex vision about the band, but now we all act together to bring this vision further on and enrich it with every member’s vision and background.

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Let’s talk more about goals.  Have your goals or your perspectives changed since first starting? What do your aspirations or goals look like now?

Well, ultimately, if you start making music, it is because you have some kind of message to bring out and get heard. We love playing, we love making music, so our goal is to play as much as we can in front of as many people as we can and bring our message as far as we can.

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Everybody is influenced by somebody else. Who would you consider some of your biggest musical influences, and how are they influential?

[Capt. Keep, bass player] We all came from different musical backgrounds in the band, so I can only speak for myself. My greatest influences are Iron Maiden and Megadeth. I started loving heavy metal and playing as a kid because I fell in love with Iron Maiden.  [As a] bass player, one of my greatest influences is David Ellefson. I try to emulate his melodic but ultra-solid approach to bass playing, I love his tone and the way he keeps the song going, and the touch of shredding just when it’s needed. I love his tone, I even use his signature bass!

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Ah, the fun stuff.  What’s your craziest tour story or the wackiest thing that’s happened during a performance?  Feel free to be creative. 

Usually, the craziest and wackiest stories on tour are more about logistics and organization rather than sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Little by little, the cliché of rock musicians always being high is fading away. Nonetheless, we had crazy moments like finding yourself with no van the day before the tour, drunken fans trying to pull you down from the stage while playing…many things, but I guess after GnR and Motley, there is not much a metal band can say to impress the audience with wild stuff  :-D.

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To this point in your career, what would you describe as your favorite song you’ve recorded or performed live? What makes that song special?

[Capt. Keep, bass player] Again, here I can only speak for myself. My favorite song is “Dreamer Paradise”.  I love the lyrics, I love the vibe of it, and I love to play it because it is groovy, but at the same time, it is one of those songs that allows you to get creative and shred a bit. Plus, the original bass line was originally composed by Andrea Tower Torricini, Vision Divine bass player, so it’s always a great pleasure to play it and somehow get in the mind of such a great musician.

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Is there anything else awesome, cool, or left-of-center we should know about Jolly Rox? Secret talents or surprising tidbits?

We love to be in touch with our fans, so, we keep all of our socials very active and running. We like to interact with our fans, so I invite everyone to check them out, especially our Instagram for updates and reels, and our YouTube channel to check all of our official video clips!

https://www.instagram.com/jollyrox/

https://www.youtube.com/@JOLLYROXcrew

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What is Jolly Rox currently working on or promoting that you can share? We love secrets, but there’s no pressure.   

Currently, we are working on two new singles to be released before summer and a European tour in October. Keep an eye on our socials for exclusive content.

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Thank you so much for sharing and taking the time to answer these questions, and best of luck moving forward.   

Thank you so much for having us here and giving us the chance to let your readers discover Jolly Rox.

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Getting to Know… Jolly Rox: Interview No. 457 [: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Jolly Rox]

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