Review Fix Exclusive: The Lavender Scare’s James Delos Reyes Talks ‘Drag For a Queen’ And More

Review Fix chats with The Lavender Scare’s James Delos Reyes (songwriter and multi-instrumentalist) who discusses the band’s new Single, “Drag For a Queen.” Discussing how the Beatles played a role in the song’s creative process, as well as the video for the track, Reyes lets us know why it’s a special track.

About the Band:

Los Angeles rock band, The Lavender Scare, debut new single, “Drag for a Queen.” The band formed in 2016 and is comprised of core members James Delos Reyes (songwriter and multi-instrumentalist) and Luis Servin (multi-instrumentalist).  Reyes, who often pulls his songwriting inspiration from struggles with his own sexual orientation in his youth, crafts music heavily influenced by his own experiences. Branded “Inspirational Music for Heretics and Backsliders,” their grungy, melodic sound pairs with Reyes voice, a gritty, poignant howl that drips longingly from every melody.   https://soundcloud.com/thelavenderscare/drag-for-a-queen

Their debut single, “Drag for a Queen” is the satirical story of a drag queen who renounces his old lifestyle and finds God. It’s in the church that he works to convert others, preaching about the dangers of the life they lead, only to secretly fall back into his old ways behind the scenes. It’s deeply reflective of the times, condemning the use of conversion therapy and showcasing the harm that comes to those who are put through it. The reverberating, dark instrumentation hums and crashes along with Reyes gritty, frustrated growl. The sound builds as the dissatisfied emotions do, booming away to an intense finish that leaves a lasting impression.

Review Fix: Why is music important to you?

JDR: Music has always helped me navigate life. This is just one example, but Radiohead’s “OK Computer” has always helped me hold on to a healthy, cyncial skepticism about the world. Growing up in the church, it’s a feeling that really guided me even through my most religiously optimistic phases. It’s been a long journey to get to where I am today. Throughout life, through my many different phases, music has always been there in the background disrupting what could have easily become routine.

Review Fix: How did you first get involved in music?

JDR: I had learned how to play guitar in high school, but it wasn’t til I was asked to play for my church’s youth group that I got involved playing music with others. So imagine being an innocent and hopeful teen singing about Jesus to now being a not-so-innocent 30-something year old singing about drag queens.

Review Fix: How did the band get together?

JDR: Craigslist. Luis, our guitarist, was the first person to respond to the first ad I posted for band members. We’ve been friends ever since, and that was about a decade ago. We played for a while under a different band name with a different lineup. We stopped for a while and then started writing music again recently. The rest of the guys in the band are newer but everybody has joined via Craigslist.

Review Fix: How was “Drag For Queen” written?

JDR: I originally wanted to channel the Beatle’s “Honey Pie” but with a darker, more sarcastic flavor.

Review Fix: What makes it a special single?

JDR: Besides being our first single, I find the social commentary unique in the music industry. It’s the type of commentary that I’ve craved to hear in others’ songs. It’s a humourous satire meant to poke fun at the serious topic of conversion therapy which has overwhelmingly been proven not to work. Another aspect that makes it special is that it’s a song about a drag queen that isn’t focused solely on the subject of a man dressing up as a woman. There’s more layers involved that evoke a larger picture.

Review Fix: How do you want this track to be remembered?

JDR: I want it remembered as the first introduction to the Lavender Scare. It’s always a bit nerve-racking to pick any song as a first single since people will make their first impression. It doesn’t paint the entire picture of what we’re about as a band. As more songs roll out, I think people will see the versatility of who we are as a band and what we’re about. Either way, this song will almost certainly set the pace.

Review Fix: What do you think is the best reason to listen to this song? Why?

JDR: It’s different than most things you’ll hear out there. The listener can make a judgement on whether they like it or not, but it’s at the very least different.

Review Fix: What’s next?

JDR: The music video! No spoilers but there’s a drag queen involved.

Review Fix: Anything else you’d like to add?

JDR: Yes, the amazing artwork for the single features the ominous eye of a drag queen against a minimal pink backdrop. It was done by Rafael Suriani who’s a Brazilian/French street artist based in São Paulo/Paris. His work has frequently featured drag queens from Divine to RuPaul’s Drag Race queens. Look him up! His work is great.

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About Patrick Hickey Jr. 14230 Articles
Patrick Hickey Jr. is a full-time Assistant Professor of Communication & Performing Arts and Director of the Journalism program at Kingsborough Community College and is the chairman of the City University of New York Journalism Council. He is the Founder and Editor-In-Chief of ReviewFix.com. He's also a former News Editor at NBC Local Integrated Media and National Video Games Writer at Examiner.com where his work was mentioned in National Ad campaigns by Disney, Nintendo and EA Sports. Hickey was also the Editor-In-Chief of two College Newspapers before he received his BA in Journalism from Brooklyn College. Hickey's work has been published in The New York Daily News, The New York Times, Complex, The Hockey Writers, Yahoo!, Broadway World, Examiner, NYSportScene Magazine, ProHockeyNews.com, GothamBaseball.com, The Syracuse Post-Standard, Scout.com and the official sites of the Brooklyn Aces and New York Islanders. His first book, The Minds Behind the Games: Interviews With Cult And Classic Video Game Developers was released in April 2018 and is chock full of interviews with legendary developers. His second book in the series, The Minds Behind Adventures Games, was released in December 2019. His third book, The Minds Behind Sports Games, was released in September 2020. His fourth book, The Minds Behind Shooter Games, was released in March 2021. The Minds Behind Sega Genesis Games and The Minds Behind PlayStation Games were released in 2022 and The Minds Behind PlayStation 2 was published in January 2023. Hickey is also a contracted comic book writer, currently penning his original series, "Condrey," as well as "The Job," "Brooklyn Bleeds" "Dem Gulls" and "KROOM" for Legacy Comix, where he serves as founder, owner and Editor-in-Chief. Hickey Jr. is also a voice actor, having starred in the 2018 indie hit and 2019 Switch, PS4 and Xbox One release, The Padre (also serving as English language Story Editor), from Shotgun With Glitters. The sequel, The Padre: One Shell Straight to Hell was released in February 2021- Hickey also served as a Story Editor and Lead Voiceover performer. He has also done narration and trailers for several other titles including The Kaiju Offensive, Relentless Rex and Roniu’s Tale. Hickey is also the lead voiceover performer on Mega Cat Studios’ upcoming title WrestleQuest, responsible for nearly 90 characters in the game, as well as Skybound's Renfield: Bring Your Own Blood, where he voices both Dracula and Renfield, as well as several other characters. He also stars in Ziggurat Interactive’s World Championship Boxing Manager 2, where he performs the VO of nearly every male character in the game. He also worked on the Atari VCS’s BPM Boy.

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