The Riff Rag - March 2025

GRINDSCAPE

VOL. 11, NO. 5 - MARCH 2025

PROJECT MIGHTY PLUS: NAKED MANNNEQUINS

PUBLISHER: ANTHONY WELCH THERIFFRAG@GMAIL.COM FACEBOOK.COM/THERIFFRAG INSTAGRAM: @ANTHONYTHERIFFRAG SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE NOW FREE! EMAIL OR MESSAGE US TO GET ON THE LIST!

COLORADO SPRINGS

GRINDSCAPE Who are the members of Grindscape?

Dave Potter - guitar Keith Keeran - drums Jimmy St Yves - bass Todd Morrison - vocals How would you describe your sound? We're kind of a mix of old and new metal. We don't really try to be one particular style, we just throw in anything and everything we like.

When and how did the band come together?

Dave (guitar) and Todd (drums/vocals) started writing together in 2002 and recruited Jimmy (bass) later that year. We tried to get Keith to join after a Dye Maniacal … took a few years, but he finally came around.

What's the subject matter of the lyrics? Life. Everyday struggles, mostly. Things most people endure in one way or another.

How many recordings do you have out, and where are they available? We have two - “Overwhelm” (2003) and just released our most recent release to vinyl, “Stain to Flesh” (2025). It’s available on all streaming platforms, and physical copies are available at What's Left Records or at shows. Bandcamp is coming soon!

Where did you record “Stain to Flesh” at? We recorded drums in Keith's garage. We tracked everything else between Todd's jam room and Dave's house. It was all mixed and mastered at Dave's house.

What are each band member's musical influences? We have a wide range, we are influenced by all types of music.

What is one of your favorite show highlights or moments? Our record release a few weeks ago was great! A lot of good friends, old and new faces with some great bands!

Where can people find you online? Facebook, Instagram, streaming platforms.

GREELEY

NAKED MANNEQUINS

PHOTOS BY @BROOK.PICTURES ON INSTAGRAM

Who are the members of Naked Mannequins?

McKayla - vocals Katie - bass Mikah - guitar Jacoby - drums

Who are each member’s musical influences?

Mikah: Nirvana, Whirr, INTHEWHALE. Katie: Mom rock, Green Day, Twenty One Pilots.

McKayla: Paramore, Destroy Boys, Sir Chloe.

Jacoby: NOFX, Ghost, Avatar.

How would you describe your sound?

We would describe our sound as fuzzed out indie punk with emotional lyrics and a harsh yet gentle sound.

Talk about a memorable show moment.

Our favorite show we have done has to be Greeley Stampede, being our most successful show to date.

That show definitely brought the most energy and biggest crowd.

How did the band come together?

Mikah and Katie had started a band together in high school and recruited Jacoby for drums, first starting NM. That later brought McKayla onboard to do piano and backup vocals which turned into lead vocals, thus forming the Naked Mannequins you see today.

What’s the subject matter of your lyrics?

We take events going on in the world and translate into music, anything starts as an idea.

How many recordings do you have out, and where are they available?

We have an album out titled “Bare Minimum” as well as a single titled “Soup and Grilled Cheese” on all streaming services.

What’s your upcoming show schedule look like?

Our next confirmed shows are May 14th opening up for the Toxhards and June 28th playing at the Greeley Stampede.

Where can people find you online?

You can find us on Instagram and TikTok as @thenakedmannequins. Facebook, and all music streaming platforms as @nakedmannequins.

COLORADO SPRINGS / CONNECTICUT

PROJECT MIGHTY What artists are involved in this project?

MILOGIC: Retro the Project, aka Retro da Project aka my little big brother and myself, MILOGIC, aka Mighty Joe Young aka MI and all the other ingredients.

Retro: It is a collaboration me and my big brother orchestrated together. As a group we are Project Mighty, but this EP is a combination of original dope beats from Mighty MILOGIC with dope lyrics by me.

How did this project come together?

MILOGIC: The thing is that we’ve been dropping an extreme amount of singles over the last year and so, and some were with my beats and some were beats from producers like LethalNeedle. I noticed there is a particular grimy style of music that my brother wanted, and somehow I started getting better at making them so then Retro said we gotta make an EP. Retro: It was simple how the project formed and emerged to the masses. Me and my brother collab on many tracks, but this would be the first project I did with him making all the beats. It was an amazing combination - and a work of art!

Give some background of your musical careers.

MILOGIC: My younger brother has a lot of respect for me as an emcee. He watched me creating music at a young age, writing rhymes and freestyling, and he followed suit but in his own way and his own style. He was primarily making music with his lady JMillz the Fire Phoenix for years anytime he could. As I being the one who left South Carolina, I have had the blessing of performing from small clubs to bigger venues, along with being part of a few different movements and groups (Sound Powered Engine, Mountain Peeps Movement, Mic Bansky, A Black Day and Company).

Retro: Me and my siblings were raised in a musical background. From my dad playing lead guitar in bands to my mom singing gospel music at church, I always had a big musical influence in my life as well as my brother MILOGIC. I always wanted to rap like big brother!

Who are your musical influences?

MILOGIC: Like Retro said, our Mom (RIP) sang in church and wrote poetry (by the way, mom used to always have us in front of the church singing, so there’s always a little stage anxiety, but by her putting us in those situations when we were younger, that’s helped us to be able to stand in front of people today and spit those rhymes. Dad is a mean guitarist - Woody Woodstock.

Retro: My musical influences are my dad and my brother MILOGIC. Also, shout out to my boy JDGAF for putting me on a lot of music as well.

What inspired the subject matter of the lyrics?

MILOGIC: Retro has always been like a savage, monster, gangster beast. He’s always been a hustler and street smart individual. His process of writing is extremely insane. He writes daily.

Retro: I like to throw quick punchlines in my rhymes, so you will have to go back and listen to what I’m saying. I try to focus on witty punchlines combined with some grimy lyrics.

Where is the release available? All digital platforms; anything you can think of.

Where can people find you online?

MILOGIC: trustmilogic.com lists me and Retro’s information along with other artists who are family members of mine - J Mills and Hey Buddy.

Retro: @retrodaprojectboi on all social media. Make sure to leave a message and let me know which song that you rocking with!

Any plans for live performances?

MILOGIC: I’m working on that for Retro. As for me, I’ll be performing on April 14 at Tree Life Cigar Shop and Lounge in Colorado Springs.