American Royalty Are a Dance Band Playing for Crowds Too Cool to Dance
On American Royalty's latest EP, Matchstick, it seems like there's more than one band playing. 
Marc Gilfry and Billy Scher, two 23-year-old multi-instrumentalists who like to "fall down every rabbit hole," and drummer Mat Ungson make up the band. They write psychedelic dance songs that venture down a spider-web of musical avenues: electronica, garage rock, blues.
Speaking with them after they spun a DJ set at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs, Scher mentions that, both in their personal and artistic lives, they prefer to remain uncomfortable. "I think there is a real value in that," he says.
That free-floating openness to experience also manifests itself in their music. You can imagine them playing festivals, girls with flowers in their hair busting GIF-able dance moves.
They've been a band for about two years and have built up a solid Westside following. With so many buzz bands and producers coming out of regions east of the 101 (Teebs, Gothic Tropic, FIDLAR) it's somewhat unexpected to hear that they came up playing shows in Venice. (The Shrine are another notable exception.) American Royalty's label, Guns In The Sun, is based in Venice, so naturally they booked venues in the area. "We also lived in Venice because it was where we could couch-surf with friends," says Gilfry.
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