The alternative pop band, The Stolen, are here to capture the hearts of music lovers and steal the number one spot on the charts with their dreamy voices and lyrics to match.
The four-piece New Jersey band includes vocalist Dominick Cuce, bassist Kevin Smart, guitarist Rob Chiarappa, and Mike Chiarappa on the drums. Since forming, the band has released several singles, an album titled “Fragile Heart,” and toured various states.
Famously known for their recent collaboration, “Rooftop,” with singer-songwriter, Jake Miller, released via Revival Recordings, the band explored topics of mental illness and suicide, the song ultimately resonating in the hearts of countless listeners.
With undeniably catchy guitar riffs and memorable beats, it’s hard not to fall for the band.
Photograph via Instagram
How did The Stolen come to be? Did you guys always know you wanted to play music together?
So, I (Dom) grew up next door to Mike and Rob. We would hang literally every day, and as they started getting into music I followed, and we started jamming together. Kevin joined the band a little later and had the same passion and drive for music that we had. As far as playing music goes, we’ve always had this chemistry, mainly because we’ve been friends for an insane amount of time so it just felt right to play and create together.
Where did the idea for the band name originate?
It’s funny, we’ve had the same name since we were 10-12-year-old kids playing classic rock cover songs. When we started taking music more seriously, we needed a name and our previous bass player had suggested ‘Stolen’ because it sounded cool. We searched MySpace (yes, that long ago) and saw there was already a band with that name, so we added the word ‘the’ in front of it. I don’t think there was a meaning, pretty sure it sounded cool to us at the time!
If you could describe your sound to someone who has never heard you, what would you describe it as?
I would describe it as pop rock with catchy melodies and an 80s/Jersey Rock feel. Hopefully, people will agree with that description, haha!
Your recent single “Overboard” is a wonderful song with an extremely catchy sound to it. What was the song process like for you guys? Would you say that it was hard or did the lyrics come naturally?
That process was a fun one. At the time, Rob texted us saying he had a really cool idea for a song. He started working on it and dug into a lot of the synth work. From there we were able to get onto the floor and jam it out and really dig into the track.
You guys also released a recent song in collaboration with Jake Miller, “Rooftop.” The song zeroes in on topics of suicide and desperation. Where did the idea for this song come from and how did you guys go about handling it?
I remember Rob hit me up one night and said he had a cool idea for a track that he was working on. So I went over to his place, and we were just jamming out to it on acoustic guitar. Rob had the song concept and lyrics come to him the day that Anthony Bourdain died. Three notable people died of suicide that week and it was especially troubling because every single one of them seemed like they were so happy and had it all, you would have never expected it, especially in the media and online.
Who are your biggest musical influences?
As a unit, we’re pretty eclectic. We’ll listen to anything from Bruce Springsteen to Drake to The Cure to The Promise Ring or Peter Gabriel. Sometimes we even love listening to a lot more ethereal stuff on late night drives in the van like Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Sufjan Stevens.
What is the number one thing you would like people to take away from your music?
I feel our biggest thing is we want people to know that these songs come from a real spot. Whether someone can personally relate to one of our songs or not, our music comes from an honest place. When creating, our true selves come to the forefront and I feel that’s extremely important. We don’t create to “be with the times.” We create because it’s the most natural expression of ourselves and it’s what we want to do.
If you guys could collaborate with any musician, who would it be?
I feel like every Jersey band says this, but working with Bruce Springsteen would be the top of the list.
When you guys aren’t playing music, what else do you like to do in your free time?
A lot of our free time is still dedicated to this band, at our level, you can never stop working. We do hang with a lot of the friends we grew up with and things of that nature, but this band is always at the front of our minds.
What’s next for you guys? Any upcoming albums or new songs for fans to look forward to?
We have a bunch of cool stuff coming up including a record and tour dates. Can’t give too much away, but we’re very excited for what’s to come.
Haven’t listened to The Stolen’s new single “Rooftop” yet? Listen to the track here and be sure to follow the band on Instagram for more updates on their music. You’ll want to keep an eye on this upcoming alternative pop band.
Featured Image via Instagram
