Why The White Collars 'Should Be' on Your Radar!
Photography By: Claudio Flynn (@cpflynn04)
Who watched Surf’s Up when they were a kid? Fell in love with the idea of sun, surf, and vibrantly beautiful music. What if I told you there was a band that could give you that nostalgic feeling everytime you see them play or even just listen to a song of theirs from your phone or radio? Happy, good, goofy vibes are exactly what this band delivers to their audience on and off stage. Using touches of inspiration from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus, Sublime, Blink 182, and the Beastie Boys, listeners get treated with modern 90’s style Ska, Rock, and Rap blended into the package presented to you today. The White Collars!
The San Diego sunrays beam especially bright on whatever stage, backyard, or garage The White Collars rock in/on, leaving a high energy air that encourages fans to get intoxicated on dancing and singing alone. With Cameron Power & Neil Kuhn together on Guitar and Vocals, Ben Freeman on Bass and Trombone, and Aidan Dominé on Drums, your next favorite RockSka band is on the rise! While Ben and Cameron have been close friends since kindergarten, the band truly came to fruition around 2021, releasing two singles; “Rollercoaster”, on August 2nd, and “Should Be”, September 28th. Gaining popularity for their upbeat sound with at times conflicting lyrics, The White Collars artfully display the range of emotions that can be felt in a single feeling or thought.
In 2022 The White Collars went full force with two more singles; “Not Gonna”, released March 18th, and “Mr. Mature”, October 7th. Not slowing down, in between the aforementioned songs, the band dropped an album titled “Vintage Collars” on May 13th. This collection of tunes includes sounds of classic Surf Rock, Ska, Punk, and even a Rap song! A re-recorded version of “Rollercoaster”, stars alongside other fan favorites such as “Patience From Chili’s” and “Gone Again”. This album truly cemented the band as one to watch out for, with their in person performances battling for the spotlight with the songs themselves. Since the “Vintage Collars” release there's been, you guessed it; two more singles uploaded. “Anaphylactic” made its debut on February 17th, 2023, and “Break The Wall” two months later on April 20th.
The current group of boys came together after meeting in college at SDSU, meaning that most of their shows take place over the school year. Though the summer season can be a challenge when planning practices and events long distance, they get some help from other bands within the local scene. Ryan Moyers, drummer for the band Breakside (article coming soon so stay posted!) fills in for Aidan during any scheduling conflicts, guaranteeing a killer set every time he sits behind the drum kit. That ‘find-a-way’ mindset applies to some of their favorite shows as well. Loving the DIY shows they do around SoCal, any place with open space gets transformed into an incredibly energetic venue, throwing all of themselves into every last lyric and note.
With the majority of their music being positive, their biggest goal is to share songs that are not only fun to play and hear, but hold special meaning worth taking into account. In the words of Neil, “sometimes it's just a feeling you get, whether it's completely you identifying with it or not.” Circling back to their at times conflicting sound and lyrics, The White Collars perfectly capture what it is to find comfort in the uncomfortable. Take “Should Be” for example– a song about how it's good to be sad sometimes, but mainly stating that as humans we should allow ourselves the graciousness to feel whatever we want without telling ourselves that there's a certain way we ‘should be’ responding or feeling.
With the school year now back in session, The White Collars are in full swing, playing shows around State Campus, Ocean Beach, and a regular spot of theirs- the San Diego Yacht Club. But, if you can’t make it to a show of theirs soon, don’t worry- they’re making sure their long distance listeners get some new music too. Though I'm not at liberty to say too much, the guys have been working on a rock song that they plan to release soon, so if you don’t follow their instagram already, make sure you do! (@the.white.collars) Either way, in person or online, give The White Collars a moment of your time and I promise they’ll become a staple on your Spotify playlists!
Enjoyed this article? Check out some other pieces I’ve written on local SoCal bands down below!!
Written By: Mykah Worthington (@inside.reds.head)
Published: 9/15/2023