By Makanalani Yamanoha
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Seniors Rhys Regasa, Michael Mollohan and Alex Nim and Junior Kyle Bergeron are “Strangers with Kandy.” Originally a garage band that specialized in punk rock, they now perform at a number of venues, the most recent of which was the Battle of the Bands in Honolulu on Oct. 18. Though they did not place, the performance still provided them with valuable recognition as musicians.
“We are a group of kids that just want to make music and have fun. Now we can do that and to become a legitimate band in the process,” said Bergeron.
Formally known as Hard Rock Rising, the competition is held over the course of a year, with a focus on the punk and rock genres. “This was a pretty big deal, because our band is so small, (with) four members, just by performing, the bigger crowd was a great way to share our music and boost our reputation,” said Mollohan.
Born out of a love of music and the need for new experiences, Regasa and Bergeron created “Strangers with Kandy,” modeling themselves after rock groups such as Lincoln Park and Green Day, as well as infamous garage band “Gifted But Twisted.” “Ever since we started the band two years ago, we just wanted to have fun, as a bunch of guys hanging out and making noise called music,” said Regasa.
Over the course of the year, the group performed for a number of large audiences, including Mililani’s Got Talent and a performance at Aloha Stadium. “Going onstage is the scariest thing in the world, but the concert was like any other, we feed off the energy of the crowd, just as the crowds feeds off the energy of us,” said Regasa. “I perform because of the excitement onstage, it is like the fear in my stomach that goes away as soon as I start strumming.”
The band already has over 20 original songs and continues to gain recognition as they produce more. “Every waking moment we have together is a process for creating new songs. We collaborate, until we come up with something good to perform,” said Regasa. “There are so many great artists out there. It gives us the inspiration to keep making music,” said Mollohan.
The band’s most recent performance occurred at Turtle Bay on Halloween and they have several future performances lined up as well.
