Bad Seed Rising
About
Many musicians experience a defining moment that inspires them to pick up an instrument. For Bad Seed Rising singer and guitarist Francheska Pastor, it happened after watching a television broadcast of Green Day’s American Idiot tour at 12-years-old.
“Right after that, I asked my dad for a guitar,” she recalls. “Following months of begging, he finally got me one. I just wanted to play rock music. I didn’t stop either.”
Francheska enrolled in Maryland’s Let There Be Rock School in 2011 where she first met Mason Gainer who traded in his Guitar Hero controller for the real thing after discovering a box in the basement hiding his old man’s Guns N’ Roses and Bad Brains CDs. Rounded out by Louey Peraza on bass and drummer Aiden Marceron, the quartet started to tirelessly rehearse outside of the program, honing their chops at an impressive pace. Soon, they were on stage in front of thousands at the M3 Rock Festival or grinding it out at local gigs. Barely freshmen in high school, their ages belied an intense musicianship and immediate knack for a hook.
Roadrunner Records caught wind, and they became “the youngest band in history to sign to the label.” In between touring with the likes of Halestorm, Daughtry and 3 Doors Down, the group released their 2014 debut EP, Charm City. That strong introduction paved the way for 2015’s A Place Called Home EP.
“A Place Called Home is really us,” Mason exclaims of the EP. “It was just the four of us in a room writing music together. That’s what we’re most excited about. People will get to hear what Bad Seed Rising truly is.”
Produced by Drew Fulk [Motionless In White], the first single “It’s My Time” kickstarts with a raucous riff before Francheska’s soaring and soulful voice takes the spotlight before a bombastic gang vocal.
“A lot of people are always telling you what to do constantly,” she sighs. “They tell me how to live my life, and I’m just so sick and tired of it. I got to the point where I was like, ‘Whatever, fuck this! This is my life. I’m going to do whatever I want. It’s my time.’ I can’t make anybody else happy unless I’m happy first.”
Meanwhile, the confessional “ADHD” details Francheska’s struggles with a mental imbalance and self-doubt through a schizophrenic hook and staggered rhythms to match.
“That one talks about my own personal battles,” she admits. “I don’t like talking about them. I’m not the type of person who will ask for help. I can be really stubborn. It’s about my ADHD and the problems I have to deal with. I fight depression every day. Music is the one place I feel safe—on stage or in the studio.”
The EP closes out with “Disappear,” which highlights the group’s kinetic chemistry as they lock into a hammering and hypnotic groove. Mason adds, “That really shows the time we put into this. We’ve grown together, and we’re able to deliver big songs we’re proud of.”
Armed with massive anthems and a fiery live show, Bad Seed Rising is going to leave their own mark on rock ‘n’ roll—quite possibly inspiring the next generation to grab guitars.
“I hope this is uplifting,” affirms Mason. “It would be amazing to inspire someone.”
Francheska leaves off, “I make music for me first. If it makes other people happy, that’s amazing. It’s even more fulfilling if somebody else feels it.”