Ex-Members of the Chariot Resurface in Queens Club

Kansas City's Queens Club, formed in 2008, features former members of the Chariot. But Queens Club isn't as blood-blisteringly brutal as the Chariot. Jake Ryan -- not the teen heartthrob from 'Sixteen Candles,' but the drummer/programming specialist of the band -- told Noisecreep, "Queens Club is like the Chariot, because like the Chariot, we do, play, say, think, what we want without worrying if someone is going to dig it or not. There is very much a rawness to our live show and our music in general, even though anyone would clearly say that our songs are much more polished then any of the Chariot's records."

Ryan also said, "We aren't afraid to experiment with sounds of guitars or with synths. During my time in the Chariot, we explored a lot of 'noises' that we just thought sounded cool. If we could capture that and put it on record, we did it. In Queens Club, we aren't so far off base with that idea. We are exploring sounds in different ways, be it digital or analog synth pads or doing some weird filler guitar sounds. It's all there on our full-length, 'Young Giant,' and I can't wait for everyone to hear it." The album is expected to be released in early 2010. For those who can't wait, the 'Nightmarer' EP is out now.

Ryan says he continues being experimental with his new outfit, saying, "I still like trying lots of different drums and cymbal combinations in the studio. I used the most drums and cymbals than I ever have on a record with this Queens Club full-length. I nerd out over the opportunity to use so much great sounding gear. It's awesome. We aren't into auto-tune or vocoder like a lot of bands are out there," Ryan said, referencing the wave of vocoder-using bands that are either loved or vilified in the scene! "It sounds cool, but it just isn't our thing. Who knows, there might be a point when we feel like doing it, but there is like one part that kinda sounds like a vocoder on our record, but Dan [Eaton] actually sang all of the harmonies. We're trying to keep it as real as possible, trying to use our talents to our fullest extent and always trying to stretch ourselves to be better musicians."

Ryan knows that given his pedigree and his past, people might surprised at Queens Club's sound, which isn't super hard! "Obviously, there will be people who don't get why we are doing this band and expect us to be doing something heavy or punk," Ryan said. "In my humble opinion, the most punk thing possible to do is something unexpected so maybe we are accomplishing that? But we have actually had lots of great feedback from longtime fans of the Chariot and we have had the biggest support from our brothers in the Chariot actually. People will probably like us. People will probably hate us. It's a two-way street, ya know? I'm okay with whatever happens. It's a cruel world out there and everyone has an opinion about everything."

Music isn't the only thing that Ryan is passionate about. The drummer aspires "to be a major league pitcher, er, or at least just a minor league pitcher. I hate the winter time because it's not baseball season. All of us play baseball, basketball and football year round when we aren't on tour, and I'll be honest that my favorite is baseball. I am also a huge fan of science fiction anything. So if you are ever trying to think of something to get me for my birthday or for Christmas, then you should probably just get me anything sci-fi-related, because I will love it no matter what it is. I promise!"