The Aces

Sometimes it only takes one song. Back in May we got hooked on “Stuck” by Utah band The Aces and never looked back. A tantalizing slice of brazen rock with a studio-ready pop twist, the track has seen over one million streams and charted on hypem. In what has been a formative year for the band, not least signing to Red Bull Records, EUPH. caught up with the quartet to talk beginnings, their hookworm of a debut and essential foods.

How did you meet?
Cristal: Alisa and I are sisters, and met Katie and Kenna through school. We are all childhood best friends. 

And how did you get started in music?
We all grew up in musical families and took natural interests in playing instruments/singing at a young age. At ages 8 and 10, Alisa and I decided to start the band, and asked McKenna to get a bass for Christmas. A few years later, Kenna met Katie at school and she joined the band shortly after. We grew up learning to play our instruments and write songs together over the last ten years.

Who is the most influential person in your life?
All of our parents have been huge inspirations for us. They have always taught us to go after anything we wanted. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for them.

Who are some of your major musical influences?
We have been influenced by tons of different artists. We all grew up listening to classic bands like Queen, Earth Wind and Fire, The Beatles, and Depeche Mode. We were also highly influenced by iconic artists like Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, and many more. Music was always playing in all of our houses growing up.

Where did you get the name The Aces from?
In the 5th grade, a friend told us a band name had to consist of a color and an object so we followed the equation and “The Blue Aces” was born. We played under that name for about 8 years, but recently dropped the “Blue” earlier this year. Friends and fans were naturally calling us The Aces and we were entering a new phase as a band. The Aces feels powerful and classic to us. To “ace” something is to do something extremely well.  We also really love that The Aces leans toward sounding gender neutral, and that you wouldn’t necessarily know who the band was just from hearing the name. There’s some mystery to it.

What was the writing process and inspiration behind “Stuck”?
We wrote the song in a bedroom in Brooklyn. This song came about really naturally and was written in about an hour. The concept came from personal experiences of being stuck in a relationship that wasn’t going anywhere. Everybody can relate to the desperate feeling of not knowing how to make your next move.

So you’ve signed to Red Bull Records, now what’s next for The Aces?
You can most importantly expect lots of new music! As well as more videos, shows, and tons more. We can’t wait to show everyone what we have been working on and start traveling!

What’s one thing you’d want to change about the music industry?
We think there can be a hesitancy to take female musicians or all-female bands seriously in the industry and a hesitancy to expect great things from them. There can be an attitude of “well can you play as well as a dude?” and that really bothers us. That’s one thing we would change.

See also

INTERVIEWS

Alyssa Jirrels

Does Provo, UT have a strong musical community?
Absolutely! The Velour is the most popular venue in Provo, and we really developed and grew as artists on that stage. Provo’s music scene was crucial for us as a band.

What new artists have you been super into lately?
We have all really been diggin’ the new The Weeknd record. A few more would be LÉON, Gabrielle Aplin, DNCE, Alex Turner.

If you had the ultimate celebrity power, what would be on your rider?
This is a loaded question that you may regret asking: Puppies, robes and slippers, gummy candy, kombucha, Indian food, segways, a giant trampoline, and donuts.

If you had to live off one food, what would it be?
(the question that kept us up at night)
Cristal: Cheeseburger and fries
Katie: Krispy Kreme Donuts
Kenna: Mexican Food
Alisa: Bread