Last time we chatted with Mark Solomich and Erik Ratensperger of Junior Prom, we got the scoop on their recently released EP, their time on tour with Panic at the Disco, and established that there is no shame in enjoying pop music. This time around, we really wanted to get to know these guys. From tattoos to favorite types of brews, this duo let us in on the more personal side of Junior Prom. Once again, Solomich and Ratensperger proved that there are no guilty pleasures here!
If you happen to be in NYC, you can catch Junior Prom at Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn on April 5th.
1. Last album bought?
MARK: Dean Martin – Dino does Latino. Google the album cover. He’s dressed like a drunken mariachi.
ERIK: Bette Midler’s Thighs and Whispers, purchased at Rooky Ricardo’s Records in San Francisco.
2. Last tattoo you got?
MARK: A Barbed wire tribal butterfly on the small of my back.
ERIK: A portrait of Jerry Seinfeld on my back.
3. Last show you went to but didn’t play?
Our friend’s band, Elliot and the Ghost, at Cake Shop, NYC.
4. Last meal you had?
MARK: Big Mac, McShamrock Shake, small fries. Held off on the large. I’m on a diet after all.
ERIK: Couple fried eggs with an avocado.
5. Last lie you told?
MARK: No, you look great, really.
ERIK: I never lie.
6. Last movie you saw in the theatre?
ERIK: The Grand Budapest Hotel
MARK: The Monuments Men.
7. Last beer you drank?
MARK: Old Milwaukee. It’s a new artisanal microbrew.
ERIK: Racer 5 IPA.
8. Last time you fell in love?
ERIK: It’s easy to fall in love every day, in this city.
MARK: I saw a dog on the street yesterday. Love might be a strong word, but I’m going to go ahead and say it anyway. He had a Chicago Bulls sweater on.
9. Last trend you hated?
MARK: Don’t know if it was a trend, but whenever people started writing “muah” in emails, etc. I really didn’t get it. I thought they were all doing the evil laugh like a villain in a cartoon. It really confused me, because it always seemed out of context. Now, I know it means “kiss,” but at the time I really hated it.
10. Last guilty pleasure?
ERIK: No guilty pleasures. Though I am guilty of eating.
MARK: I’m with Erik on this one. No such thing as a guilty pleasure.
11. Last car you bought?
ERIK: I only have a learners permit.
MARK: Never owned a car, sadly.
12. Last plane ride?
ERIK: To San Francisco.
MARK: My hometown Pittsburgh.
13. Last time you were stuck in traffic?
ERIK: Yesterday, when I took a cab to Home Depot.
MARK: Don’t forget there was traffic on the way to Bed Bath & Beyond after we left Home Depot, Erik.
14. First vinyl record you bought?
ERIK: Probably some sh*tty hardcore 7″ in the mid-90s. Though I have to acknowledge all the LPs I grew up with that my older sister had; Iron Maiden, Van Halen, The Cure, Depeche Mode, INXS, B-52s…
MARK: Definitely a sh*tty punk 7″ at a basement show.
15. Last time we talked to you, you were planning on going to SXSW, but then I heard these plans got derailed. What happened?
ERIK: Some scheduling issues came up, but I’m certain we will be there for 2015!
MARK: Jay Z and Gaga told us they’d be down there, so we decided not to go. Gotta give them the spotlight for once, ya know.
*Get a hold of the Junior Prom EP here!
It all started when a much younger Jackie dove into her parents’ record collection, grabbed that trippy Magical Mystery Tour album, and played “Strawberry Fields” over and over again until it was engrained into her soul. She grew up on the dreams and stories of Simon and Garfunkel, “Bleeker Street” being one of her favorites, the seduction of The Doors, Van Morrison, because “Brown Eyed Girl” is definitely her song, and the likes of Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Jimi Hendrix…you get the picture. It may not show on the outside, but Jackie has a hippie heart, and that reflects in her musical tastes today. While some of her favorites may or may not be jam bands, her taste in music feeds into many genres. From alternative, Brit, and indie rock - OK, maybe all rock - to pop, to rap, to electronic, she loves it all. As a northerner, she thought she would never understand country until she found herself on a Georgia farm in cowboy boots watching Luke Bryan shake it for her- yeah, she got that. She is a chronic wanderluster, she doesn't believe in guilty pleasures, enjoys a great Moscow Mule, and is an absolute music festival fanatic- you’ll find her wherever the music takes her.