Persona 749 Talks DIY-ing Tour and Their New Album JOCK ROCK

Co-written by Carissa Leong.

Persona 749 is a newly East Coast post-punk band consisting of vocalist Che Landikusic, keyboardist Landon Langenbrunner, bassist Rino Ferrarese, guitarists Jeremy Muller and Michael Bloom, and drummer Zoe Gosselin. Having amassed over 300,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, Persona 749 just recently wrapped up their second US tour, spanning across the West Coast. This tour highlighted their first official album JOCK ROCK, which was released spring of this year completely independent of a record label.

Reminiscent of The Strokes, The Backseat Lovers, and Radiohead, JOCK ROCK skillfully combines the electronic elements of 80s pop with the digital effects and earnest lyrics of modern indie rock. The album encompasses a multitude of genres while maintaining a distinctive yet recognizable sound. The captivating vocals range from expressive and energetic on tracks like “That’s America” to breathy and raspy on songs such as “Wonderful.” Defining the album further are its addicting guitar riffs, energizing synth components, distortion effects, and strong standing melodies. With emotionally raw lyrics, JOCK ROCK touches on themes including love, freedom, growth, and personal identity.

Even after the release of JOCK ROCK, Persona 749 expressed having difficulty pinpointing a concrete sound. Che and Rino agreed that this sound is still being defined, and it will naturally evolve as they continue to work together. “I like the sandbox analogy. It’s just as big of a sandbox as you can play in, and you can make anything there,” added Landon. “I think the progression of us just meeting up has been really fun, and naturally over time the sound of the music will change, I mean we haven’t even known each other for that long.”

Photography by Basel Thierry (IG: @baselthierry)

Despite undergoing significant changes, Persona 749 planned and managed the entirety of their first tour without assistance. A significant gamble for the group was hitting the road only a few months after the band fully formed, and yet they performed with great cohesion. “That was a huge learning experience for us, we did that all independently. We booked it ourselves, we talked to all of the venues, we planned the entire thing ourselves which was so much work,” said Rino. “It took months and months of planning to get done, and at the moment it was stressful, but we’re so glad we did it because now we know exactly what we want moving forward from this tour. We know exactly what kind of venues we want to play, the kind of people we want to work with, and what we need when we show up to a venue to make it the best show possible. So that was good, it had its ups and downs. We learned so much stuff like how to pack a car and what to do when a show goes wrong when we’re so far away from home.”

The band put everything they learned about booking shows and being on the road to the test, and luckily their tour was a success, with their friendships and musicianship simultaneously improving. With future tours, Persona 749 hopes to maintain the momentum generated from their DIY and West Coast tours, aiming to grow their audience and improve their live performances beyond locations which included Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco.

Photography by Basel Thierry (IG: @baselthierry)

Responding to my question about finding their community while on tour, Landon opened up about the crowd at Persona 749’s shows and the current state of the live music industry. “[The tour] is such a good experience. It’s so high energy, the music makes you dance and move, and anyone who’s open to that, I think, is who we’re hoping [will] receive it,” he shared. “I think we’re seeing a big swing back into seeing live music again, and having it be personal and not corporate [expletive] music that’s shoved down our throats [is important]. People want something real, they want to feel you in the room, they want you in the room with them.”

Moments from their previous shows have already stuck with Persona 749, emphasizing what makes this project special and serving as inspiration for why they continue doing what they do. “For me it was the Bar Freda show in Queens. It was a great crowd and [we were] seeing the audience members [who were] singing the lyrics when the music was still really new,” shared Jeremy. “It almost felt like they were welcoming me […], and I was experiencing [the music again] for the first time. It was a really cool moment to know that the message and the song were really resonating with people in front of me.”

Specifically recalling the support that they received at their Los Angeles show at Permanent Records Roadhouse on Nov. 14, Landon added, “Even last night [when] they cut the sound, the whole crowd was singing a song we hadn’t played yet, word for word. We didn’t even have our mics on and they were just jamming. It was awesome.”

“It was great just turning around and seeing everyone’s big smiles,” agreed Che.

Photography by Basel Thierry (IG: @baselthierry)

A significant shift for Che and Michael was uprooting their lives in Utah to pursue their dreams of being musicians. It was not an easy change for the duo, but in the face of the unforeseen, their visions have come to fruition through Persona 749 one step at a time. “I think music’s grounding, you can take it wherever you want with you. Sometimes I feel like I’m betraying Salt Lake because I love Salt Lake so much,” shared Che. “But moving, I think it was just really inspiring […] meeting so many like-minded people – I mean now we’re in Los Angeles, and we flew across the country. […] We always talk about how we’re kind of living the dream. Even though it’s small, we’re doing it, this is doable, it’s achievable.”

Driven by their growing fanbase, work ethic, and DIY undertakings, Persona 749 is truly living an indie band’s dream, already on the road to success. As they step into the limelight, the group invites listeners seeking out authenticity and unforgettable live experiences to listen to JOCK ROCK, join them on their next tour, and keep an eye out for what comes next. With strengthened relationships and impressive adaptability, Persona 749 is ready to take center stage and own their place in the music scene.