Interview with Rob Richardson

MISSISSIPPI- In the next edition of our series of interviews spotlighting artists in the hard rock/glam metal genre, we are featuring Rob Richardson, member of The Bad Somethings and his new solo project Rich Kid Express. Rich Kid Express already has one EP out now, entitled Bubblegum Radio. Also available is the single Yummy, Yummy, Yummy. These are outstanding releases, and serve as a precursor to the full length debut album, Psychodelic, out on October 30th. I spoke with Rob today, and we at Glam Metal Universe highly encourage you all to pick up not only the upcoming album, but the previously mentioned releases that are already available. A full review after the interview.

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Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. Who would you say inspired you the most as a musician?

I’d have to say growing up a huge KISS fan, they were my biggest influence. I discovered them in the late seventies and my world musically changed. I used to listen to whatever was on the radio, Bay City Rollers, bubblegum rock, Bee Gees, even Elvis. As a kid, I didn’t know a lot about any real rock scenes. I wasn’t even ten years old. As the eighties rolled in, I latched on to any and everything! That was a fun time to be a teenager and as the Sunset Strip scene took off and MTV came about, it was a great time to discover the big world of hard rock music. W.A.S.P., AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Cinderalla, Ratt; it was awesome! Some of my lesser known favorites are Fastway, Y&T, Britny Fox, and Joan Jett. I sort of just take all my influences and roll them into one.

What was the first rock song that made you want to play music?

You know, although KISS brought my attention to rock and roll, I’d have to say hearing “I Wanna Be Somebody” by W.A.S.P. made me want to play music and be in a band. To stumble onto that song at fourteen or fifteen years old, it made me take playing the drums much more seriously. That is a very positive messaged song about believing in yourself and I took it to heart. It’s still my favorite hard rock song to this day.

How long have you been a musician?

I got my first drum set from my grandfather when I was thirteen years old. An old Slingerland four piece kit. Up to that point, I always pretended I was Ace Frehley from KISS. I wanted an electric guitar, but I got a drum kit, so i had to be Peter Criss instead. I took lessons for about six months, then just taught myself after that. I played in a few local bands in the late eighties. Too young to be “in the scene” but too late to “experience the scene” as it was getting ready to change to alternative. I hung out at the clubs waiting to get a glimpse of some of my favorite bands coming to town to play. I got to meet Nuno and Gary from Extreme on their first tour, sat in on the soundcheck and got to go on their tour bus. That was cool. I saw the video for “Little Girls” before MTV even had it! But getting back to the question, I played in a band called Heavens Sake from 1995 until 2001. We toured around in the southeastern US. Got to do some shows with Bonham and Warrant. We released two CDs and almost had a record deal, but things didn’t work out. You can still find the CDs and music out there. We were rock, when nobody wanted rock. The guitarist in Heavens Sake is David Barker and he’s my partner in The Bad Somethings band project. Anyway, I’ve been playing for about twenty five, thirty years. A long time! (laughs).

How did Rich Kid Express come together?

RKE was just something I wanted to do on my own. I formed the label Squib Kick Records in late 2016 and knew it was going to be the vehicle to promote my music. I recorded a few singles under various “disguised” band names. David and I did “The Bad Somethings” album in 2018 and then I decided to do my own solo thing with no outside help. I wanted to try and play all the instruments, just to really see if I could pull it off. When the Bubblegum Radio EP sort of took off for me, I thought maybe I had a good thing going. It was fun to be creative in my own way and try to accomplish something by myself. Now with Psychodelic, RKE has a decent little catalog of music started and it’s fun to see where it might go.

Can you tell me a little about the writing and recording process for the new album?

Being the “one man band” is tough and very time consuming. Tracking guitars takes me forever. Since I’m not naturally a guitar player, I fight with myself on executing everything the way it needs to be. I usually always start with a guitar riff or chord change I like and then develop it from there. I write all the music first and then try to think of the melody line or lyrics to the song afterwards. So I never know for sure how I’m going to make it catchy or fit the hooks in there. I have my own studio for recording, but after mixing I send it out to be mastered professionally by someone who has much more experience and better ears than I do. Usually, by the time I’m done mixing the record I’m tired of hearing it. So my buddy Dave Harris at Studio B Mastering in Charlotte, North Carolina does the mastering for all my work. The only song I had completed when I started the LP was the title track, Psychodelic. That wasn’t the title at the time, I only had the music finished. No title, no lyrics, no melody for the vocal line. I wanted to put it on the EP back in February of 2020 but in the scope of what Bubblegum Radio was, I didn’t think it fit. So I decided to hold on to it for a better time.

Do you have a favorite song off the new album?

Nope, no favorite. I like each song in a different way and for a different reason. A silly way to explain it for those folds who have a couple kids: I love each kid equally; they mean the world to me. But some days I can relate better with one or get along better with one than the other. Maybe one kid made me mad, maybe one kid is being cranky or a pain in the butt. Maybe one kid is extra nice and wants to give hugs and kisses. Having ten songs on the record is like having ten kids! (Laughs) I like them all, and some more than others at different times.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Up until this year, I played flag football in a men’s recreational league. I’ve got some great hands and could catch passes from anywhere on the field! But after playing for nineteen years, my body and my brain couldn’t agree anymore. I decided to hang up my cleats earlier this year and now I just fill in for an occasional tournament here or there. I can’t chase those young twenty-something kids around anymore. The old man gets tired. Sometimes I brew my own beer. I have a nice little beer brewing setup and I make a couple batches a year for my friends and neighborhood folks. Other than that, I like to just relax at home and spend time with the family. My kids are at a point where their athletics are getting more serious, so I practice with them and watch their ball games.

If Rich Kid Express could open for any legendary band from any era, who would you want to open for?

Wow! Tough one. Is it a tour or a “one off” show? If it’s a one time gig and it was a huge festival or monster crowd, I’d say The Rolling Stones or Queen maybe? If it was a full tour and I got to hang out with the band for a while, I’d probably go back to the early/mid eighties and tour with Ratt, Motley Crue, or Van Halen. Just because of all the girls I could meet and the crazy stories I’d be able to tell afterwards! (Laughs).

I’ll ask the eternal question. In regards to Van Halen…Dave or Sam?

David Lee Roth. I like what he brought to the band initially. That is the classic line up, just like seventies KISS was my favorite line up of theirs. But, I will say, I very much like Sammy Hagar. I just like him better solo or with his own band. Van Halen had a different sound with him. It was good stuff, but I like the spontaneous early Van Halen vibe better.

Lastly, anything you’d like to say to your fans and the readers?

Thanks for taking the time to check out the interview. If you have the opportunity to listen, stream, or purchase Psychodelic, give it a shot! I think you’ll find a lot you like about the record and you’ll see that RKE is a style you’ll be familiar with. I’m not reinventing the wheel. I’m just trying to write and record the stuff I miss hearing and giving the rock fans something new to check out that reminds them of the old days. If you like it, give RKE a like or a follow!

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As far as a review goes, I cannot recommend both of these albums enough. Bubblegum Radio and Psychodelic both are amazing testaments to the power of real rock and roll. Listening to them takes me back years, to when I was a kid, riding down the road listening to KISS and Aerosmith with my dad. Get Bubblegum Radio now. Get Psychodelic on October 30th. They go together as well as anything I’ve heard in quite a while. Glam Metal Universe says check them out.

Rich Kid Express’ Spotify page: