Rich Moms Band Review
Just in time for the swimsuit season of summer 2021, Rich Moms came into the local music scene eager to give Provo the sound they were missing. Ethan Clark, Peyton Harden, Cole Bates, and Enzo Frassa were on a mission to deliver us a freshly squeezed pitcher of indie-rock lemonade.
The original members of the band (Ethan, Peyton, and Cole) hail from the far reaches of southern California where they found inspiration for their band name while living in a community (Ladera Ranch) flowing with milk, honey, and rich moms.
Back here in Provo, it was hard to go anywhere without seeing posters with bold graphics advertising their EP or fans wearing “I heart Rich Moms” shirts. Before the public even heard a strum of the guitar, the members of Rich Moms had built a reputation. According to Enzo Frassa, this was a combination of careful marketing and luck. Fortunately, the band was able to live up to the hype.
In the band’s four-song self-titled EP they deliver a robust sound. On my first listen I heard echoes of bands like Peach Pit and Summer Salt.
Rich Moms uses unique instruments and sound effects to set themselves apart from the mundane—listen for the saxophone solo in ‘68 Porsche and reverb in Chonies.
Their sound mixed with the lyrics sung by several of the band members makes for an excellent listening experience. The band mentioned that they hoped to create a classic summer song, the kind you listen to on a road trip with the windows down. '68 Porsche is that song.
While most of their music is more upbeat, Chonies is what you listen to on those melancholy “sad boi” nights (you know the kind). Every time I have gone back to listen to this EP I have been pleasantly surprised to pick up on lyrics or hooks I hadn’t heard before.
It’s also clear how important the instrumentals are to the band's core. Their music, while on the surface feels fun and light, is layered, not unlike cake, onions, or a certain green ogre.
Eloigner (Crazy), the last song on the record, is my personal favorite. The lyrics hit home every time, and the accompanied groovy sounds from a synthesizer create a hypnotizing jam. Try Not To Skip (Extremely Hard edition) is a different story.
This song is a roller coaster. While most rides have ups and downs you are mostly going to feel those thrilling declines in this song. Appropriately, the only words in the track come from sound bites, which are taken from the reminders to stay buckled on rides at Disneyland, which are juxtaposed by Ethan Clark's shredding on the guitar.
This is a song I would love to hear live, and true to its name it is extremely hard to skip. In fact, every track on this EP is hard to skip.
I am excited to see where the artists of Rich Moms go from here. With this record, they have certainly created a name for themselves. My only hope for their future is that they continue to give a college town some music to think about.
Several of the band members plan to follow in last year's footprints and bring more uniqueness to Provo. Expect to hear some new tunes by this June.
