Today we’d like to introduce you to Riley Rogers.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
The Infamists is a blues-based hard rock power trio from Denton, Texas that began in 2012 as a result of the three members responding to “Musicians Wanted” advertisements on Craigslist while they were attending the University of North Texas. The band has since retained the same solitary lineup for over a decade and has consistently performed hundreds of shows, released four full-length albums, 2 EPs, multiple singles, and has had music featured in a major motion picture. The band is well known for their high-energy stage performance and is regularly compared to ZZ Top, Jack White, and Wolfmother. The group is no stranger to the music scenes of the Golden Triangle and makes regular appearances in their hometown of Denton as well as Fort Worth, Dallas, and other regional markets. In 2023, the group released their newest album, “Live Evil,” which was well received and earned the band the supporting slot on a show featuring Dinosaur Jr. at the Longhorn Ballroom after it recently reopened in Dallas. A song from this album, “Death by Misadventure,” was selected by the editors at Spotify to be featured on their prominent “Modern Blues Rock” playlist and was nearly selected by Warner Brothers to be featured in a new HBO series featuring Charlie Sheen. “Live Evil” has since garnered half a million streams, and a follow-up album is currently in the writing process. The band has continued its aggressive gigging schedule into 2024. In the spring of 2024, the band fell victim to a new music industry scam in which a fake album made by artificial intelligence managed to hijack the band’s profiles on all of the major streaming platforms. The band fought back and was able to get this removed and has since used this occurrence to spread awareness about the upcoming challenges musicians and bands will face in regards to artificial intelligence.
The Infamists are:
Riley Rogers: Guitar, Vocals.
Spencer Wharton: Bass, Vocals.
Ryan Weiss: Drums, Percussion, Sampling, Backing Vocals.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The band has faced several obstacles over their decade-long existence, which include the obvious roadblocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal loss, financial struggles, and even someone using artificial intelligence to create an album that stole their identity.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
We are a rock and roll band that specializes in energetic performances, community building with other creatives, and conducting ourselves with a persistent work ethic to continue delivering new music to anybody that wants to listen. We are most proud of our recent album, “Live Evil,” as it is the release that completely changed the trajectory of the band. The band is unique in their approach to playing classic and blues-based rock and roll but with a modern Texas twist.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The band has fully understood from the beginning how important networking is and takes every step to make as many friends and connections with like-minded people as possible, whether it be corresponding with them online or just having a beer with them after a show. Being an active part of the music community has worked the best for the band to build and nurture those connections. You can often mind members of The Infamists at other local shows (if they have the night off from their own).
Contact Info:
- Website: theinfamists.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theinfamists/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Theinfamistsband/
- Linkedin: https://linktr.ee/theinfamists
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_infamists
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmbsbHjY3kApWHHmXCGXdEA
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rqXUA24KUryMCNvNTqR6B
Image Credits
Hayley Knight
Andrew Sherman
Bane Cook
