Kmway & Co. Music and Art's Group of the Day

Rascal Stew was formed originally in Burbank, CA back in 2015. Their sound is interpreted as punk but has many well known influences, the biggest being System Of A Down. The band's lineup features guitarist and singer Borjon, bassist Ric, on keys Dylan and their newest member, Tara on drums. In their past groups, ideas were always shut down or bypassed. No limits became the most important aspect for them as a group. Borjon stated, "The next group will have no rules," signaling the new venture of having freedom to explore music with no restrictions now known as Rascal Stew. 

 Rascal Stew! officially formed in the spring of 2015 in Burbank, CA. Now spread across Los Angeles (with members in Van Nuys, Burbank, and DTLA), they still proudly rep the Valley as their home base. The band has known each other since childhood and high school, with frontman Borjon meeting bassist Ric and guitarist/keyboardist Dylan shortly after graduation. Fun fact: Ric taught Dylan power chords at a very young age!

Their drummer, Tara, is the newest member, joining in 2022 in a twist of fate. After sharing the stage at the Whisky a Go Go with Green Jellÿ (Tara was a part of their set back then), she saw the band play and was impressed. When the band posted auditions for a drummer, Tara responded to their post and she turned out to be exactly what they needed or better yet, the missing piece. As Borjon puts it: "No matter! She was the one we needed!"  The band remains “eternally grateful for Tara.”

Rascal Stew is labeled as 'punk' but there is so much more that goes into it to define the sound produced. Their sound blends punk, metal, ska, funk, surf, jazz, swing, dance, and even electronic elements, with more styles constantly being added. If it sounds good, it stays. System of a Down is the most pivotal influence for Rascal Stew and its members—especially for frontman Borjon, who discovered them back in 6th grade when a friend played B.Y.O.B. on an old brick shaped iPod. SOAD opened his eyes to the idea that music doesn't need rules or boundaries. That moment sparked a deep connection, with Borjon collecting SOAD’s full discography and merch.This was a big influence into Rascal Stew!’s motto: no genre limits, no rigid structure—just creative freedom. Other key influences include Primus, Ween, The Beatles, P-Funk, Cannibal Corpse, Prince, Slayer, James Brown, Thelonious Monk, Nirvana, Mr. Bungle, and many more. With all this music, a sound was created that’s unpredictable, diverse, and original. 

 The name Rascal Stew came years before the band even existed. There was a lime green Mountain Dew shirt from a bag of donated clothes chosen by frontman Borjon. He scribbled “Rascal Stew!” on it with a Sharpie to avoid promoting the brand, without knowing what it meant. Years later, he spontaneously joined a jam session with friends Ric and Dylan, which unexpectedly turned into a real band. While brainstorming names, he kept suggesting Rascal Stew, and the band was not convinced as the search continued. The Rascal Stew suggestion happened often while Borjon was wearing the Mountain Dew shirt, and eventually the name stuck. Later, they discovered “rascal stew” is a cowboy dish made from leftover cuts of meats where nothing goes to waste. The meaning clicked with their inclusive, genre-blending style, where no musical idea gets thrown out. Their debut EP, Son of a…, nods to the stew’s alternative name that was first proposed: “son of a bitch stew.” 

Rascal Stew looks to potentially release new music by the event on May 10th. There is originality and now some famous covers are performed such as Blister in the Sun and Rock Lobster. This is what was shared by the band, "We're currently working on a few singles to release possibly day of , if not soon after. Many things in the works!" 

On May 10th, Rascal Stew will be celebrating their 10-year anniversary in Burbank, CA. This particular event will be hosted by Bolo Studio. This is an all-ages event starting at noon and continuing until midnight. There will be 9 other bands performing with a variety of features such as a tattoo artist, a piercer, a raffle, and a food truck selling tacos and burritos.

To get tickets to their show, shoot them a DM on Instagram! See Link Below: 

" The band we recommend is Womb! The song is their song Space Witch! "