The EERIES are the new guys in the alternative rock scene, with fun, instrument-heavy tunes that make you subconsciously head-bang to the beat.

Their melodies are undeniably infectious because, over the summer, they were featured on the famous alt-rock radio station, KROQ, during DJ Ted Stryker's 4:20 New Music Feature before they were even signed to a label. They suddenly blew up on social media and across various radio stations and, soon after, were signed to Interscope Records.

In the few short months since then, they have already developed an impressive fan-base (over 10,000 likes on Facebook) and will be opening for Gerard Way, former lead singer of My Chemical Romance, starting in October. Their hit single, "Cool Kid," is rightfully and understandably popular on YouTube, for the anti-elitist track has a great melody and is an anthem for those who are, ironically, uncool. 

Despite this quick success, the EERIES are genuine, down-to-earth guys who truly love making music, which is increasingly rare in today's celebrity-driven, often-overproduced music scene. Singer Isaiah Silva, guitarist Brandon Sweeney, bassist Eliot Lorango, and drummer Nadir Maraschin are hilariously sarcastic and incredibly friendly, qualities that contrast with their grunge, edgy appearances. 

We had the chance to chat with them before their sold-out performance at the Troubadour in West Hollywood and got to know everything from their music icons to their guilty pleasures. 

Be sure to check out their seven-inch vinyl in October, which will be available in three colors (a three-color marble, fluorescent lemon-lime, and transclucent yellow) and stay tuned for their debut album, which will be released at the beginning of next year. 

Neon Tommy: So you have a sold-out show tonight. How does it feel?

Nadir: It's been a dream for a long time.

Isaiah: The Troubadour's definitely an iconic venue so it's really exciting to be a part of the history here and sell it out.

NT: What was it like hearing your song on the radio for the first time? Did you celebrate?

Brandon: Yeah, I guess. I think it was so surprising and we didn't know what to do. Like, we all kind of just got together and were like, "Wow. That just happened."

Nadir: It was so overwhelming, the experience.

Isaiah: There's a bit of like a haziness over it, this kind of surrealism to it. Like, it doesn't completely feel real. So, it's hard in that moment to fully feel attached and present. In some weird way, when that's happening, in the moment—at least, I, personally—I felt a little detached from it. It's almost hard to accept that this is happening to you and that this is reality because it's something that we've all just done our whole lives and for it to be taken and now put on a different level and be made accessible to people. 

NT: What was the inspiration behind "Cool Kid"?

Isaiah: I wrote it in my bedroom. I sit and write every day and it was a song that had just kind of come out in five minutes. I didn't really know what it was about at the time. I almost worked backwards, in a way. Because it came out so quickly, I didn't really analyze it and I wasn't really forced to analyze it until now.

But looking back, in retrospect, I kind of see elements of me coming to terms with my upbringing, like my childhood and just having this outsider's view of the world. So, in simple terms, it's just a song about trying to find your place and feeling as though you're somewhat of an outcast. I think everybody feels that way to some degree. 

It's also a social satire as well. It's also poking fun at Hollywood elitism, or just celebrity elitism in general, or "elitism" in general. It's definitely got a social commentary aspect as well. There are all sorts of different angles in there and I'd rather just leave it up to people to interpret what they will.

NT: What does being a "cool kid" mean to you?

Isaiah: See, we want to be the antithesis. It's not that I've always wanted to be. For some weird reason, I've always found myself as the antithesis of the cool kid. I don't know why that is. Probably because my interests aren't necessarily the "coolest." Perceivably. Obviously, that's subjective. The cool kids, to me... I don't know, man. That's a tough one.

Eliot: I think what he's saying is that it makes more sense being the antithesis of it, like, being on the opposite end and not being what society has deemed as a cool kid. But I think that everybody, in every culture or area, is going to have a different interpretation.

NT: Who are some of your musical influences?

Brandon: Creed, Nickelback...

*laughter*

Isaiah: Disturbed, Slipknot, and Three Day's Grace.

*more laughter*

Brandon: And Bette Midler.

Isaiah: Yeah, mainly Creed on repeat and Limp Bizkit.

Eliot: We do mash-ups of those.

*more laughter*

Isaiah: Honestly, I grew up not necessarily caring about bands as much as I did about songs. But I found that I liked a lot of songs by The Beatles. I think John Lennon is a genius writer. The Beatles, I think, are fabulous songwriters. The Stones are great writers, Neil Young is an amazing writer, and Bob Dylan is an amazing writer.

Eliot: One of my favorites is and always has been a band called Fugazi. That's what always comes to my mind.

Isaiah: The Descendants actually are also huge for me.

Nadir: Being a drummer, I try to open my mind to every kind of music I can. The more the better.

Brandon: I'm more of a fan of the good song as well. It doesn't matter who it is. As long as the song is good.

NT: What inspires your songwriting?

Isaiah: There are songs that definitely stemmed from personal events, I guess. Just from living life, you know? If you're on the road and you're traveling, maybe you'll write a song about being on the road. If you're madly in love with somebody, maybe you'll write a song about being in love. And if you're exceptionally heartbroken—your girlfriend broke up with you, perhaps—you might write a break-up song. You never know. It's just whatever life gives you.

And, also, sometimes it's not about what life gives you. Sometimes, it's just completely random streams of consciousness. There's just a good melody or a good lyric that jumps out and write a song around that lyric or that melody. Sometimes it's the melody first and then you find lyrics that fit the melody. Writing is just so up in the air.

NT: What makes the EERIES different from the other alternative rock groups

Isaiah: There is no alternative rock scene right now! That's what makes us different.

NT: You're bringing it back?

Isaiah: No, I don't want to say that. Personally, I'm never one to be over-zealous like that. But there has definitely been a void, at least where we live. We are a band that's a reaction to what's going on. What I mean by that is, at one point, there was a void for synth, pop, and folk music. And that void has since been filled and it's overfilled. So, when we started this band, our natural inclination was to make that type of music. But then we looked at it going, "Ok, well, there's so many people making that type of music. Maybe it's not what's right for us." So we started jamming and the music that came out, was, once again, the antithesis to that. For us, the "alternative"...whatever you want to call it. I mean, we just call it rock and roll! You know, loud guitars and loud vocals. That's rock and roll music to me. Anyhow, there were a lot of bands that were more synth-based.

All the songs that we do and have recorded are all recorded live on two-inch tape. It's all us in a room playing music. If you want to talk about something that makes us different, I think that is something that makes us different. We just get into a room and play and record whatever happens in that room. The spontaneity is there, the flaws are there. We don't try and hide the flaws, we don't try and hide the spontaneity. We like to celebrate it.

Perfection isn't something we strive for. I think, if there's anything that makes us "different," I think that might make us a little different. It's definitely not normal right now to not play to a click track when you record and to do everything with tape and not punch-in and punch-out, things like that.

Nadir: And the beautiful long hair that you can see.

*laughter*

Isaiah: Like I said, it's not like there's nobody doing it. There are bands that are doing it. They're just a little more scarce. 

NT: If you could have dinner with anyone (living or dead), who would it be?

Nadir: Freddie Mercury. I would like to have dinner with Freddie Mercury. I grew up listening to him. He's someone that I always had a great esteem for. I would totally have dinner with Freddie Mercury.

Brandon: Carl Sagan. I don't know. That would be my person.

Eliot: Having him bring up John Lennon, I think that would be an interesting dinner.

Isaiah: Yeah, John Lennon's obviously great. But I guess for me it would be...musicians?

NT: It can be anyone.

Isaiah: Scott Stapp from Creed. I'd like to sit down with him. I'd like to ask him a few questions.

*laughter*

Isaiah: I'd like to have dinner with Scott Stapp and Fred Durst together. No, Scott Stapp, Fred Durst, and Levon Helm.

Brandon: Where would you eat?

Isaiah: Where would we go? Probably like Mickey D's, you know? Business casual.

*more laughter*

Isaiah: But, really, I've always wanted to chat with Levon Helm from The Band. He's just a great drummer and he seemed like a guy who's just very...earthy. And very grounded. Just very humble. And I think he's one of my favorite singers. He's just got this voice that's so real and, like I said, earthy. He's just like a pile of dirt in the best way possible, you know? It just sounds like the earth. It's amazing. I think he's great.

NT: Guilty pleasures?

Eliot: McDonald's.

Brandon: Buying guitars.

Nadir: I actually love to work out. That's my guilty pleasure in the morning. If I don't work out normally, like, if I don't run for three or four days, I don't feel good. It balances my brain for some reason.

Isaiah: Um, I'm trying to think of something. What's my guilty pleasure?

Nadir: What about comic books and stuff?

Isaiah: Those aren't guilty pleasures! Those are things that define my life! I guess I really like candy. I like candy a lot.

NT: What kind of candy?

Isaiah: I love Sour Patch Straws.

Eliot: He does. He definitely does.

Isaiah: I love Lemonheads and the Cinnamon Jolly Ranchers.

Eliot: He had two boxes of Lemonheads in his pocket the other day. And then he busted open some Gobstoppers and they rolled everywhere.

Isaiah: I bought a giant box of Gobstoppers and they all rolled out in the van. The whole box just spilled everywhere. It was really depressing.

Eliot: Every time we would go up and down a hill, you hear this rolling and then you'd hear rolling back.

Nadir: I think the best part was seeing his face.

Isaiah: It was really sad. And there was literally a single Gobstopper left in the box.

NT: What color was it? Was it a good flavor?

Isaiah: No, it was purple. Purple.

NT: Lastly, what is something that you want your fans to know?

Isaiah: That we're here for them.

*some chuckling*

Isaiah: No, honestly! I want people to know that we're accessible and that the idea of celebrity is so ridiculous, you know? We're not here to be demi-gods or celebrities or anything like that. Not to say that we're even there but you know what I mean. I just want people to know that we're accessible and that we're human beings and that we have lives and that they can come and chat with us and be mutually respectful of one another. We're human beings, man. Everybody's a human being and I think that gets lost a lot in celebrity culture.

Nadir: When I was younger, I used to go see bands and shows that I liked. I used to go home so excited and the next day I was like, "Drums! Drums!" And, for me, I hope we can give some enthusiasm to people during their day and send them home with that excitement.

Reach Staff Reporter Rania Aniftos here. Follow her on Twitter here.