Take five guys from the OC who share a passion for making great music and what do you have? The Relative Strangers. Band members David Alcala (keys/vocals), Daniel Alcala (lead guitar/vocals), Aaron Stapish (bass guitar/backup vocals), Chris Brown (rhythm guitar), and Chris Garcia (drums) make up this exciting alternative group! Combining both a love of classic rock and a need for musical experimentation, the sound of The Relative Strangers’ melodic tunes will have you tapping your feet and humming to yourself in no time. David Alcala took some time to answer a few questions about the band.

Andrea Domoslai: What made you decide to start a band?

David Alcala: We enjoy playing music and writing songs. We want to entertain and show our creativity to as many people as we can.

AD: How long have you been together?

DA: We met Aaron and Browny way back in Jr. High and have been friends ever since. We played music together growing up. In this last year though, Dano, Garcy and I finished college and with it out of the way, we decided to make a set line up and kind of “go for it” and see what we could do.

AD: What do you think of OC’s music scene?

DA: There are a lot of really good local bands. It’s fun to be a part of; just last night there was the first OCMA showcase at the Detroit Bar. We are friends with all of the bands that played and were able to get most of them to commit to play with us for our residency there in March. Sometimes I notice that when there is a show, the band’s fans will show up for just their set and not stick around for the whole show, or not be there for the opening act which is, often times, just as good as the headliners. It would be great if there was there was more cross-pollination of fans.

AD: How has being from Orange County shaped your music?

DA: I don’t really know. I would say how we grew up was shaped partly by our location. Dano and I were born in Mission Viejo and spent our childhood there, I love that city. We later moved to Tustin and then Santa Ana, the time we spent in each of the cities had an impact on us whether we see it or not. In high school we were all really into skateboarding, so the pursuit of good skate spots took us all over the place. We would also do a lot of surfing down at Newport Beach. I’d say the different things that we are able to do base on where we live helped shape who we are, what we play and how we play together.

AD: What’s your song writing process?

DA: Daniel or I will write songs and then present them to the band. We all arrange the songs together.

AD: What is your dream venue?

DA: The Hollywood Bowl!

AD: How did the band name come about?

DA: I was writing down a long list of names that were possibilities. I was writing down anything that came to mind, and I had written down “The Relatives” and then wrote down “The Strangers.” I went down the list and read it aloud.  I read “The Relatives” and the “The Strangers” and Aaron’s brother Adam said that would be a good name: The Relative Strangers. At the time I didn’t think much of it, but he showed it to the rest of the guys and they liked it so we went with it.

AD: Where’s your favorite OC hangout?

DA: We don’t have a favorite place. We find that we’re often going to a lot of free shows. The Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa is cool because it’s free on Mondays, and The Gypsy Lounge is free on Thursdays. We actually are the resident band at The Gypsy Lounge for Thursdays this month (January).

AD: When can we expect your first album?

DA: Our first EP is in the final mixing and mastering phase. So it should be out pretty soon, early 2010.

Photos taken by Tommy Tuong and Sarah Buss

To stay in the know on this talented band and for their upcoming shows, go to: “http://www.myspace.com/therelativestrangers“