Formed in Tallahassee, Florida Wait for Green is an emerging alternative band skyrocketing to success. We sit down with lead guitarist & FSU grad Rafael Britto to discuss life on the road and rise to rockstardom.
Tallatainment:How did the band form? Did you always grow up dreaming about being a rockstar?
Rafael:The band formed in college by fate. Two of us were from the same hometown and we all met in the dorms our first years of college and realized that we had the same musical taste. I never really dreamt of being a rock star until my parents took me to an Elton John show in sixth grade. It was that crocodile rock.
Tallatainment:How would you describe Wait for Green's sound and why do you think people are so receptive to it as well as the band as a whole?
Rafael:Basically, we play the music we enjoy listening to. Each member is influenced by different styles and I think that is what makes the music original. Reggae, hip-hop, and funk are what most characterize our sound but don’t be surprised if you hear some heavy rock, punk, jazz, or psychedelic sounds thrown in there. People are receptive for different reasons. Some may be like because of the intricateness of various songs and others are drawn in by the simple and catchy vocal melodies. Overall, I think people are attracted to it because it is positive music and it is entertaining to watch live. Who doesn’t dig something you can bounce to?
Tallatainment:How does the transition from full time FSU Student to being on tour feel? Are you ever humbled or taken back by your recent spike in success?
Rafael:FSU and Tallahassee gave us more than we could ask for during our time there and we can never be thankful enough because if it wasn’t for our local fans giving us attention, we wouldn’t be where we are now. What we want more than anything is to spread our music to as many people as possible so playing in different states and even different countries only gives us more incentive to keep going. Things happened in steps for us. Success, when we first started, was seeing our name on the Floyd’s marquee and being able to play Floyd’s in the first place. Then, we opened for popular national acts such as Reel Big Fish, Blues Traveler, and Slightly Stoopid. Every step was considered success and once we got accustomed to a certain level, we would set higher goals. We had no idea how far that would take us and we still don’t but performing at Sunfest and at the 2009 Billabong World Surfing Games in Costa Rica was never in my dreams.
Tallatainment: What was your experience at MEISA's Battle of the Band's like? What was the first thing you did after winning?
Rafael:That was the first battle of the bands that we ever played and we were very fortunate to win it. All of the bands were incredible but I think we won because I did 20 squats before we went on stage that night. My legs were looking way too good for the judges to even think about picking another band to win it. The first thing we did after winning was take a victory lap around the venue with our lead singer, Drew, on our shoulders.
Tallatainment:What is the craziest or most interesting thing that has happened to you on stage?
Rafael:I ate a live human on stage…at a reggae show… Is cannibalism crazy enough?
Tallatainment: What's up next for the band? What should we be looking out for in the next few months?
Rafael:We are playing our first show in California at the Whisky a Go Go which is a world renowned venue on the Sunset Strip. As far as the music goes, we are always creating new stuff and plan on releasing brand new songs in a couple of months. We are experimenting with different instruments like beat machines and keyboards so be expecting something new and fresh.
Tallatainment: Where do you see the band in 10 years?
Rafael:Happy.
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