Getting to Know The Pheromones
Lessons learned, pre-show rituals, their new EP, and Mad Soul Festival.
Mad Soul Music and Arts Festival is quickly approaching, and The Pheromones are more than ready for it. I was honored to be given a a few moments of their time to pick the band’s brain about everything that’s lead up to their first festival.
As someone who has attended their shows since the beginning, I have only great things to say about The Pheromones’ stage presence, kind attitude, and immense talent. Their brand is distinct, everything wrapped in a cherry-red haze. Their songs are so easy to know and love, channeling the riot grrrl essence that seems to surface for them so naturally. From their time playing shows on UCF campus at the Addition Arena stage, to moving on to venues like the Conduit, there has always been an unwavering sense of confidence in the air as The Pheromones perform. When the band was booked to play Mad Soul Festival with headliners like Magdalena Bay, Aly & AJ, and Cuco, I needed to know how they were feeling and what lead them here.
I had always wanted to know what exactly makes The Pheromones a band. It’s one thing to play music with others, but it’s much harder to find likeminded people that share your vision. Madi expressed that while there were moments where the concept started to set in, “everything just came together organically.” The group reminisced on choosing their band name, recalling the overwhelming “yes” that “The Pheromones” was the one.
The band seems to be a project that each member has found their place in naturally. They went from playing in the UCF garages and just “hanging out” to meet new instrumentalists, to creating something much larger, something that I don’t think any of them anticipated. Mayumi Sofia talked a little bit about how she didn’t know most of the band members before taking the leap to go play music with them. She mentioned that consistently showing up and forming a routine really bonded them as a band. There was a big shift from being involved in the scene, to becoming a large part of it. Nic and Madi both reflected on going to Run the Riot shows, a band Skip and Zac played in previously, and feeling inspired to start something of their own.
They did agree that writing their first song felt like a huge landmark of the band becoming more serious. There was an overwhelming consensus that even songwriting comes easily to them. Madi recalls how easy it was with how many times they said “ooh… write that down!” while bringing their first song to life. Moving from performing covers to hearing the crowd sing your originals back to you has to be such a surreal feeling. There was a movement towards professionalism, care for the craft, and an overwhelming motivation sparked.
Although The Pheromones’ growth has felt so natural, when asked what lessons they’ve learned along the way, they had a ton to say.
“Sooo many…” the band said in unison.
Madi mentioned that with some shows, you just have to “take the L sometimes.” One of her greatest lessons is that asking for specifics is always key and never something to be afraid of. “Knowing what to expect going into a show is so important, and over time you gain experience and learn what to ask.”
Zac felt that he learned more about “acknowledging everyone’s creative input.” He leans on sitting with notes and edits to bring to the rest of the band when the time is right.
Skip said she felt super equipped coming into this band. With her and Zac working on so many projects together, they knew how to guide the rest of the band in many logistical ways, like how to network or how to use studio time effectively. But, her biggest lesson lies in “choosing your band members wisely.” The success of The Pheromones has been largely impacted by their ability to compromise, find confidence in their bandmates on and off the stage, and lead with kindness towards each other and their fans.
Mayumi Sofia found herself in a management role for The Pheromones. She described that this role really teaches you to “pick your battles.” Sometimes it’s okay to take a step back and “detach” in moments of high stress. She felt this calmer attitude usually make the outcome better for the whole band and negates a lot of conflict. Mayumi Sofia described how this project has been a lesson in consistency, from practicing to keeping up with social media. This consistency has grown their socials over 8,000 followers, and allowed them to focus on interacting with fans. The whole band has been overwhelmed by the response they’ve gotten from listeners far and wide.
“I was a fangirl too once, and I would have been shitting bricks if my favorite band responded to me… I keep seeing the same people commenting on our TikToks and it’s so cool. I wanted to make a point of responding to everyone and it’s created such a community. That’s been really surreal to see happen in real time.”
Nic’s greatest lesson was to allocate their time and energy wisely. From saying “no” to a booker they may have had bad experiences with, to stepping back in trying to get someone else to see a vision, they learned that sometimes it’s okay to give up. They are a natural teacher and this drive to help others needs to be allocated to those that are truly worth their time. They reflected on working multiple jobs while being in school and still trying to give everyone possible their time and energy. “Sometimes it’s just not worth it.” Finding those with the “same goal and same purpose” has been their greatest gain in this project.
While the members all come from different backgrounds and have differing opinions, the whole band reflected on the way they can all look into the future and see where they want the band to end up. A common vision and shared goals have been their biggest strengths. If an individual doesn’t align themself with those goals, they’ve found that it’s just not going to work well. Sometimes you have to think a little delusionally. You have to manifest the things that seem so far away. From my time talking with The Pheromones, I can see that they have their sights set on success. This alignment between all of the members is their greatest strength, and what keeps them moving forward.
When asked about their favorite shows in the past, there was an overwhelming response that Grrrls Night x Dyke Nite in Tampa is at the top of the list. Madi remembered having extreme anxiety beforehand, to the point of asking her girlfriend, “is it too late to back out?” a mere ten minutes before their set. She remembers her brain not being able to understand the energy as excitement, rather than anxiety. But, she said the nerves went away as soon as she went on stage.
“Ten seconds after I’m up there, it feels like I’m on cloud nine. It all goes away.”
Something so unique about that show was that it wasn’t super local. The whole band agreed that they felt so welcomed into the Tampa crowd. People were hyped, and that’s definitely reassuring to experience as a performer.
The rest of the band remarked that they range from being nervous, to being extremely calm before shows. Tranquility before getting up on stage is something I cannot imagine ever experiencing. So, what do you do before a show? What’s the pre-show ritual?
Madi has to stare into the mirror and give herself affirmations. “I’ve just gotta sit myself down for a second and have a chat.” She also said she always has to have a banana before a show, maybe a beer.
Skip needs a “fully balanced meal,” her car packed up and ready beforehand, and some time to chill and watch the other bands. Zac shared this sentiment, expressing that his only consistent pre-show routine is to listen to the other bands. It builds the energy and takes some of the nerves away.
Mayumi Sofia said she loves opening with Mama’s Boy. “I truly only play rhythm guitar in that one, so it’s a good way to get the jitters out.” A warm up song is crucial, but she also plays a bit while she’s tuning. “Sometimes I have to remind myself of what I wrote, you know?”
Nic drinks a lot of water, and just tries to chill. They wish they had a green room to warm up in most of the time, but that’s not always reality. The nerves come to them after the show. A post-show beer is better than the post-show attention.
Zac and Nic’s favorite shows have been the Indie Nights they’ve played. At their Geek Easy show, Nic recalls the booker coming up to them, saying “all of these people are here for you!” It’s a surreal thing to be told when you’ve just seen the line wrapped around the block. The memory of the crowd flooding in through the doors to hear them as the opener is a fond one for the band.
In spirit of the festival quickly approaching, I asked The Pheromones about their favorite song they will play during their set.
Madi and Mayumi’s favorite is Love You to Death. Nic is excited to play These Boots Are Made for Walkin’. Skip is ready for Play it Like a Girl.
After sitting in for their practice, it’s clear as to why each of them picked these as their favorites. Play it Like a Girl has some fast-paced basslines. Love you to Death is one of my favorites for vocals and guitar. Boots has some crazy drums that truly can’t be ignored. Even one of the neighbors sent Skip a text that read, “whoever’s on drums is nasty *fire emoji*,” after hearing the song echo across the street.
I asked if there is anything the band feels hesitation towards at this point going into the festival. They assured me that the set is feeling really locked down. As I witnessed their practice, I was reassured further. They all seemed to work so naturally together. The practice was chill, yet professional and intentional. As a listener, I think this is something that’s contributed so much to The Pheromones’ success. They open themselves up to having fun and letting their audience have fun by making sure their set is really tight.
The only aspect they expressed a bit of struggle with were time constraints. Since their new EP will be released the day of the festival, they naturally wanted to fit in as many songs as possible.
“Squeezing in everything we really want to play has been hard, but we did it and we’re feeling really good about it.”
Nic expressed that they were nervous that they’d have technical difficulties, which seems to be a reoccurring issue. “Something is just always not working… I’ll change the battery to my drum mic and all of a sudden it works but not in my in-ears… like okay.” Madi laughed, “that’s just Nic-core at this point.”
If your worries come down to being excited to play too many songs and having a few minor technical difficulties, I’d say you’re doing pretty well. This seems to be the case for The Pheromones. Wish Nic some technical luck for this one, although I don’t think they’ll need it.
Before I decided to head out, I wanted to get their final thoughts on Mad Soul Festival, particularly some commentary on their favorite aspect of the festival.
Zac highlighted how excited he was to play their first festival show “in the town where (his) passion for music took flight.”
“It’s exciting to see opportunities like this that are granted from our work on the music.”
The band, for the whole interview, had a contagious sense of accomplishment. I really just felt so proud of and excited for them. A few years ago, I don’t think any of them would have anticipated the amount of listeners they have now, the support they’ve gotten, and the opportunity to play an event like this. During our hour together, the word “surreal” was used more times than I can count.
Skip immediately expressed that seeing an event founded by a politician that “leads with love and supports creativity so much” is definitely something she, and the rest of the band, wants to take part in.
The whole group echoed how much they can all see that Maxwell Frost cares and is trying to make a difference. Mad Soul Festival has supported various organizations throughout its run. This year’s focus is on immigration, placing the spotlight on some organizations that directly impact our community in Orlando. Portions of the Festival’s proceeds will go to the Hope Community Center, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, and the Orlando Center for Justice.
Madi brought up how “it’s really important for musicians to align their shows and their beliefs, because music is and always has been political… we want people to know that this is something we stand for. I like that people can see that we’re playing shows like this.”
Many of the band members have immigrant parents, and talked about existing as a product of immigration. Mayumi Sofia talked about the current political climate, and its impact on immigration with sadness in her voice. “There are so many beautiful aspects of the U.S. that could have never existed without immigrants.”
The way that this festival shows their support for immigration was something that hit very close to home for the band members. Nic expressed that having so many bands come together and support the cause was inspiring to see. They feel that it’s “good to know they’re there backing us up” and supporting what the Festival stands for.
If you’re interested in learning more about Mad Soul festival and it’s impact, look no further:
The very last, doorknob confession, question I had for The Pheromones was, “Do you have any advice for someone newer to the scene, or even for someone just starting to put their art out there?”
The overwhelming response was, “allow yourself to suck.”
It seems that the pursuit of perfection and fear of judgement have been large hurdles all of the band members have had to conquer. Once you throw that fear away, it allows you to improve.
Mayumi Sofia reflected that “the first iterations of (their) songs suck compared to where (they) are now.”
A masterpiece is not created overnight. Smoothing over the rough draft will be much more successful than trying to create something perfect immediately.
Madi brought up a quote from Adam Grant that sums it up quite well:
“Just make it exist first. You can make it good later.”
Thank you to The Pheromones for giving me some of your time and letting me ask anything and everything. Mad Soul Festival is December 6th at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. After hearing a bit of what they’ll be playing on Saturday, it’s clear to me that you won’t want to miss The Pheromones’ set.
Click here for The Pheromones’ Instagram, and here for their TikTok!