Tell us about your top performance.
Answer:
Every new show feels like the best one so far, because the band keeps getting tighter and more connected. The first Famous Strangers show will always be special, that was the moment we stepped out and said, this is real, this is happening.
We have not hit our absolute peak yet. We are still chasing that show where everything lines up perfectly in our heads and on stage, but every night we get a little closer.
Who has been your most influential teacher or mentor?
Answer:
For Jeff, it has always started with his dad, Darrell, who was a touring musician and had Jeff sleeping on jam room floors as a kid.
For Amanda, it was her stepfather Robert, who bought her first acoustic guitar and taught her Beatles songs at the kitchen table, and later Timothy Prevost, who dragged her into the metal scene and snuck her into shows.
Braden will point to George, and Beej gives a lot of credit to his brother and a few key drum mentors over the years.
Have you ever taught or mentored another musician?
Answer:
Yes. Jeff has taught guitar for years and still does when someone is keen to learn. He also is a founding member of Center For Arts and Music, a program that helps youth at risk play music.
Beej has taught at places like Axe Music, as well as private students at home, including autistic kids who connected deeply with drums. He also worked with a school for kids in need on a charity music program.
Braden spent a period as a junior high band teacher, and Amanda has done some vocal lessons, even while insisting she is still figuring it out herself.
How do you deal with disinterested or unruly audiences?
Answer:
You play the same show for two people that you would play for two thousand. If you let a quiet or grumpy crowd into your head, it will wreck your performance.
We focus on each other, on the songs, and on the people who are actually there to feel something. Kill them with kindness, play hard, and do not take it personally. Once the first note hits, we try to stay in our own world.
How do you nurture your own creativity?
Answer:
By playing. Even on bad days, especially on bad days, getting into the jam room shifts everything. You can walk in burned out and walk out feeling human again.
We give ourselves permission to experiment, to have “bad” jams, to try strange ideas without judging them too early. That freedom keeps the well from drying up.
How do you differ from most other artists?
Answer:
We lean into being organic. Four people, four instruments, no backing tracks, just what you see and hear in the room. That is less common these days.
We also do not try to squeeze into one subgenre. Some songs lean metal, some feel more rock, some drift into bluesy or atmospheric territory. We are not afraid to break the so called rules if the song asks for it.
What instruments can you play?
Answer:
Jeff plays guitar, bass, most stringed instruments, some basic piano, simple drum beats, and he can sing. He also proudly claims elite recorder skills from childhood.
Braden will tell you he can play everything, just not all of it very well.
Beej handles drums, piano, vocals, and can get around on reed and brass instruments from his band days.
Amanda focuses on vocals but loves picking up any instrument she can get her hands on and trying to make it work.
What would you say is your greatest strength as an artist?
Answer:
Openness. We listen to each other, leave room for ideas, and are willing to follow strange directions if they feel true.
There is also a shared stubbornness that keeps us pushing through hard moments. We do not quit on songs or on each other easily.
What is your proudest accomplishment as a musician?
Answer:
Finding each other and building Famous Strangers is at the top. This band feels like the payoff for decades of work in other projects.
Individually, there are big moments like Amanda playing to ten thousand people in India or hitting festivals in China and Europe, and the many records and tours the others have done. All of that led to this chapter.
Is there a new album or EP in the works?
Answer:
Yes. We are writing and tightening material for our first record, with plans to record through the coming winter and roll out songs into 2026.
Right now we are on the cusp of releasing the official video for Deepstar, which is the next big step in this cycle.
