We were lucky to catch up with The Ruffolos recently and have shared our conversation below.
The , so great to have you with us and thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with the community. So, let’s jump into something that stops so many people from going after their dreams – haters, nay-sayers, etc. We’d love to hear about how you dealt with that and persisted on your path.
This is funny that you ask this because we have recently dealt with some unnecessary drama and nonsense from several fronts. As a collection of talented musicians who happen to share a love for having fun with music, we tend to get some negative reviews due to our ongoing successes despite the same nay-sayers reaching out to our connections and even our members to play for them. What helps us persist is that we have a motto: Family First. Music Second. Goals Achieved. And through this motto we have cultivated a fun environment to thrive as musicians who have come together to form the Band THE RUFFOLOS. Our authentic approach brings us joy that we do not have to depend on paying for fake followers or music streams in order to find successes with our music and goals. We persist because we are on a path for long term success rather than short term success that has no authenticity to its growth. We also support one another in personal side projects and freelance work because it only makes us better musicians and opens new opportunities for success!
The only thing that hurts is losing opportunities to bands paying for fake social media followings and fake streams who claim to be authentic. We hope promoters and bookers begin more due diligence as we have worked hard for our following rather than “pay to play” bigger events. Book us now and we’ll energize any crowd or event, as well as invade it with our Ruff Pack!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
The Ruffolos have been labeled as the bridge between East LA and Orange County Ska music scenes! Having been formed in Pico Rivera, CA (w/ members also rooted in Whittier, Montebello, Long Beach, Orange County and Pomona) The Ruffolos are a melting pot of Ska Punk Reggae and Rock influenced by a wide variety of culture and musical genres. They continue to break barriers in the music industry with a true DIY grassroots approach that has cultivated a strong local, national and international fanbase.
The Ruffolos originally formed as a trio in 2017 and released 3 EPs, but really took stride in 2020 during their debut Album Immersing In The Aftertaste of Special Yesterday featuring a crowd favorite titled “Special Yesterday”. The group now consists of 8 members all dedicated to maintaining the tradition of music innovation and having good times. They have grown from residencies at local dive bars into playing venues such as The Glass House, House Of Blues, Sealegs at The Beach, The Garden Amp, Catch One, Party on Pine and more. Their sound is energetic, inviting and has been described as one of the leaders of bringing back raw rock n roll. And while they’re statistics aren’t flooded by paid bots like other bands, you’ll be surprised to see their Ruff Pack in action at any live show. The Ruffolos truly create an energy that is worth every second of your support.
Stay tuned as they will soon be releasing a crowd funded debut EP and work towards a new full length album in 2024, Also stay alert as they begin to serve as direct support for some of your favorite artists new and old! They’re next show is March 15, 2024 at Transplants Brewing in Palmdale serving as direct support for The Aggrolites!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Our motto is the best advice we can give anyone in any personal hobby, interests and/or career. 1) Family First: Put your family first whether it be blood or those you consider family. They are your supports and without them, where would you be?! 2) Music Second: Whether its music, a career, hobby, etc. Its important to prioritize a healthy work life balance in order to work towards the next step which is 3) Achieve Goals: Take care of yourself and those around you, work hard at your craft and you will find success!
This is the motto that has allowed us to grow from residencies at dive bars, backyard parties and family events to playing sold out shows at The Glass House with Save Ferris and sold out shows at Garden Amp with Bite Me Bambi, Littlest Man Band (scott Klopfenstein) and more! We have got to meet some of our childhood musical heroes and collaborate on a show with Skunk Records, Catalyst and more.
Looking back we wish we would have networked sooner to have better plans of action with how “the music scene” works to get to bigger shows, but we would not change our story for the world. Its our story. Its our Ruff Life and we love it!
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
To be short and simple. Here we would like to give a huge thank you to Mike B of Bite Me Bambi and G Scott of Records from Another Place! Connecting with them helped else develop a better game plan and gave us motivation to be on a path to work towards national touring.
We would also like to thank all of our fans, family and friends that have continued to support us from day one. They’re support has not only crowd funded many of our recordings, but also allow us to continue on our passion of music. Without them we would not be able to even have a shot of the American Musical Dream and we are excited that our following is just as passionate about our growth as we are! Shout out to the RUFF PACK!!
Finally our support for one another in and outside of music is essential to our continued growth. We support one another to be the best human beings we can possibly be but have fun while doing it. We just want to make music, have fun and change the world one song at a time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theruffolos.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruffolosoldiers/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruffolosoldiers/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuffoloSoldiers/status/1674599711930716161
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BicxQjNUjGM
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3CkOtHaW0puCi8XQC7DsLT
- Other: https://www.bandsintown.com/a/14559154-the-ruffolos?came_from=250&utm_medium=web&utm_source=artist_event_page&utm_campaign=search_bar
Image Credits
Corona Chronicles.
