Straight out of Ontario, Canada, ROMES is hitting virality that's taking them all the way to their first tour in the EU. The duo is comprised of two brothers whose sound blends pop, industrial, and 90s grunge to make a full and unique sound. They recently talked with me about their EU tour, how they found their sound, and their newest album release, "SONIC TRASH."
First, we talked about how the two brothers decided to make music together;
"We’re brothers, so we’ve been playing together since we were still rocking diapers. We’ve played in lots of bands together over the years, but ultimately a duo is the arrangement that’s allowed us to really make the music we’ve always wanted to," the brothers answered.
With that, we went into their sound and how they found one that represented them both; nonetheless, how they created such a characteristic sound. To which they filled me in: "It’s really a culmination of all the influences we grew up on in the 90s. Electro, industrial, rock, big beat, hip-hop — our parents introduced us to a lot of different genres in our childhood, and all those sounds have somehow found their way into our music. We come from a rock background but have always loved electronic music. Once we bought a couple of analog synthesizers and started messing around with them, we found a passion for sound design and musical ideas that lean into the electronic space while keeping a lot of raw grit and energy from rock and punk. Distortion is king."
With their fast rise in virality and how quickly they have blown up from it, I had to know what that was like and if it's been a culture shock all on its own! They, of course, didn't leave me guessing either; "We’re just so grateful to everyone who’s supported us and the record so far. There’s something very rewarding about making the record 100% DIY — from production to mixing and mastering — and seeing people respond positively is awesome. It’s funny because we’ve been making music together for a long time, but 'SONIC TRASH' felt like a rebirth for us. We’re having so much fun playing this record live, and it’s really rekindled by our love for music."
I love to notice little things about album formats, and with "SONIC TRASH," I noticed some song titles were capitalized, and some were lowercase. I had to pick their brains about why some were different; "The lowercase ones initially started as interludes, but as we fleshed them out, we felt they could stand on their own as full tracks. They’re like the palette cleansers of the 'SONIC TRASH' experience," they explained.
Next, we touched on the recording process they had while bringing "SONIC TRASH" to life; "It was all trial and error and lots of experimentation. We had zero preconceived notions on what the album should sound like — no thoughts of "Will this fit this format, playlist, etc.?" In fact, originally, we didn’t even have plans to make an album. We just started integrating gear in unconventional ways in our studio, whether it was triggering modular synths with an acoustic drum kit or running the drums through a pedal board. Essentially, any idea that popped into our heads, we tried to find a way to make it work. We were just having a lot of fun with sound design — trying to create new sounds in unusual ways — and a lot of those clips formed the inspiration for the songs. The more we experimented, the quicker we started to realize there was a cohesive sound forming and decided to make a record."
They told me about their recent EU tour that they just got back from; "Europe was incredible. Being our first time there, we really had no expectations of what the crowds would be like. Then the shows started selling out, and people were coming out to party. It was awesome to see how people reacted to our style. One minute it’s a dance floor, and 30 seconds later, people are moshing. We’re truly grateful for the love Europe showed us and can’t wait to get back."
I have a special interest in media-to-music sync, and I saw they had nailed some great sync accomplishments already! With sync being such a rough area for most artists to get into, we had to talk about their wins in that field: "Definitely a happy accident! For example, when we started really getting into the weeds of our sound design journey a couple of years ago, we decided to set up a camera and start posting the results online. We thought it’d be cool to give people a look into the process. In one of the videos, we ran my acoustic drums through Jacob’s pedal board, which resulted in some gnarly synth-like sounds, and Jack Wall, composer of Call of Black Ops, came across the video on Instagram and messaged us asking if we wanted to collaborate on the Black Ops 6 soundtrack. We were like, "Hell yeah!” Then that opened the doors to more opportunities. We never considered getting into the video game space, but it just happened from doing what we love. Pretty much all of our sync placements came from creative directors discovering us online and reaching out directly."
To close out our talk, I wanted to give them a chance to talk about any other goals they want to achieve in 2026. "As soon as we get back from this US tour, we’re back in the studio working on new music. There’s a lot of downtime on the road, between long drives and hotels, so we’ve already got some ideas cooking." I can say I am very excited to hear they are headed back to the studio with more ideas in tow because I loved this album and the band's vibes! Here is a special thank you from Jacob and Nicolas Bitove: "Thanks for the love! Sonic Trash will never die."
I can see this band sticking around for a long time. They have a sound that can evolve and grow in so many different directions, keeping the band's sound and brand fresh but still true to them. They have a really fun sound and blend elements to make something very much their own. I can't wait to hear what they put out next and see what they have coming up!
Meet the Duo:
Jacob Bitove - Main frontman, vocal performances, and contributor to the band’s bass and synth elements as well as production, mixing, mastering, artwork and merch design.
Nicolas Bitove - Drummer and rhythmic foundation as well as handling production, creative direction, and the band's branding.
