Inside the Rise of The Remedy — Collaboration, Chemistry, and a Sound Built for LA
Inside the Rise of The Remedy — Collaboration, Chemistry, and a Sound Built for LA
Inside the Rise of The Remedy — Collaboration, Chemistry, and a Sound Built for LASome bands arrive fully formed; others build themselves piece by piece until the sound finally clicks. The Remedy are the latter — a Los Angeles trio whose music feels like the intersection of shimmering pop, introspective rock, and the kind of collaborative chemistry you can’t fake.
Chris Pollack, Theo Troy, and Samson come from different corners of the musical world — School of Rock beginnings, performing arts training, USC Pop — but together they’ve carved out a sonic lane that feels both nostalgic and forward‑leaning. Their singles Numb, Electric (Lose Control), Nowhere Left to Go, and the upcoming Too Late showcase a band obsessed with craft: riffs that won’t leave your head, choruses that took months to crack, and lyrics that hit with emotional clarity.
Live, they’re a burst of energy — a pop‑rock hybrid built for intimate rooms like We Found New Music at Hotel Ziggy, where their songs breathe and their personalities shine. Offstage, they’re thoughtful, funny, and deeply committed to the work. Whether they’re debating donuts, dreaming of opening for Radiohead, or obsessing over a guitar riff that refuses to die, The Remedy are a band in motion — and early next year, that motion may crystallize into their first full album.
What follows is our full conversation: candid, chaotic, collaborative — exactly like the band themselves.
We’re here with all three members of The Remedy. First of all, introduce yourselves and tell me what you do in the band.
Chris: I’m Chris. I sing, play some rhythm guitar, and I write.
Theo: I’m Theo. I’m the keyboardist — synthesizer and keys — and I write as well.
Samson: I’m Samson. I’m the drummer, and I also help with writing, arranging, and background vocals.
Where are you guys based, and what’s your local music scene like? Obviously Los Angeles.
Chris: Yeah, LA — specifically West LA. That’s the scene I grew up in. Samson went to USC Pop, so a lot of his community comes from there. We’re kind of pulling from different corners of the LA scene and seeing how we can blend it all together.
Theo: I’m originally from Denver, Colorado, but I love it out here in Los Angeles.
Prior to The Remedy, what were you all doing band‑wise?
Chris: I’ve been in bands since I was thirteen. I went to School of Rock as a kid and played in a band with friends from there. When I was seventeen, I started a project called Sunset Apollo. It evolved over time, members came and went, and then in 2024 we started The Remedy.
Theo: This is actually my first band. I’ve always played piano — performing arts middle and high school — so music has always been part of my life. But this is my first time being in a band, and I’m loving it.
Samson: I grew up playing in bands from age seven through high school — rock, funk, classic rock. So it’s very familiar to me. When Chris and I first met, I was really excited.
You’re playing We Found New Music tonight. What can people expect from your show — especially those who missed it by the time they read this?
Samson: We’ve played We Found New Music a lot. We love Grant, we love Hotel Ziggy — we’re really comfortable here and always excited to come back. Expect fun. We’re playing every song that’s currently released plus a few unreleased ones.
We also brought back a cover inspired by an event we played last week — we performed for a guy named Elliot who was eating a watermelon with his bare hands and wanted artists playing behind him all night. So we added “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles. We’re playing that again tonight.
Chris: It’s a rock band vibe, but also a pop vibe. We want it to be really fun for the audience, but also musically strong. Hotel Ziggy shows are great — the sound is good, the vibe is intimate. It’s a special place to play.
You have a song coming out soon called Too Late. Tell me about it.
Chris: I wrote it with NOA, who produced the track. We met at 1500 Sound Academy in Inglewood. It was one of the best songwriting and producing experiences I’ve had.
It’s been part of our live set since the beginning, and we’ve been really excited about it. The song is about a breakup where everything should have worked — it had all the pieces — but it just didn’t. And the only direction left is forward.
Your recent single Nowhere Left to Go — tell me about that one.
Samson: One of our best collaborative experiences. It started with a guitar riff I was obsessed with. We had the verses, but we were searching for the chorus. Once we found it, Chris became the engine behind finishing it in the studio.
Chris: Samson came up with the initial riff, Theo wrote the chorus we’d been chasing, and I did most of the lyrics. It was a true team effort.
Theo: It actually started as a different song. We liked it, but knew it could be better. We all worked on it piece by piece until it clicked.
Samson: And once it clicked, the record was done in about two weeks. It happened fast.
Tell me about Numb.
Chris: Another collaboration with NOA. It’s about numbing yourself to get through tough times — but what happens when you’ve been doing that too long, and you can’t stop? That was the idea behind the track.
Electric (Lose Control) — great song. Tell me about it.
Samson: This was the first Remedy track — the one that birthed the vibe of the project. I scrolled through my oldest voice memos and found a piano idea. Christian, our bassist at the time, said, “That’s a bassline.”
Each of us wrote different melodies — verse, pre‑chorus, chorus. If Nowhere Left to Go took two weeks, Electric took a day or two. It was the perfect kickstarter.
You’ve released a bunch of singles. How close are you to an EP or album?
Chris: The industry pushes singles, but our sound and aesthetic feel very album‑friendly. We’re planning to take a few of the singles we have now, add new tracks, and release an album early next year.
If The Remedy could open for any band — past or present — who would it be?
Chris: Radiohead. They’re my favorite band of all time. Short‑term answer: Almost Monday. They make music similar to ours and recently posted they’re looking for an opener.
Theo: Magdalena Bay. Their album Imaginal Disk is one of my favorites ever. Chris and I saw them live — incredible show.
Samson: Magdalena Bay blends our influences — pop, prog, funk, classic rock — better than anyone. We adore them.
If the music of The Remedy were a donut, what kind would it be?
Chris: I don’t like donuts. So… an everything bagel with cream cheese, lox, tomato, capers, and onion.
Samson: Everything but the tomato.
Theo: Everything but the cream cheese.
Chris: Terrible take, Theo.
Theo: Fine — a chocolate donut with chocolate glaze and star sprinkles. I love chocolate.
What’s next for you guys?
Samson: More music, more shows — LA and beyond. Our brand and image feel more cohesive than ever.
Chris: We believe in what we do. If we write great songs and play great shows, it’ll happen. It’s up to us — and we’ve got what it takes.
Theo: Making things that surprise us and make us enjoy music even more. If we do that, we’ll be successful.
Samson: And right now we’re excited for Too Late, dropping July 10th. We’re really proud of it and giving it all the love it deserves.
In Conclusion
In ConclusionThe Remedy are still early in their journey, but everything about them suggests a band built for longevity — the chemistry, the work ethic, the willingness to chase a chorus for months until it finally lands. Their singles hint at a larger story, one they’re ready to tell as they move toward their first full album.
Whether they’re lighting up We Found New Music, obsessing over riffs in late‑night writing sessions, or debating whether an everything bagel counts as a donut, Chris, Theo, and Samson bring a rare mix of humor, heart, and precision to everything they do.
If Too Late is any indication, The Remedy are stepping into their next chapter with clarity and confidence — and Los Angeles is paying attention. This is a band worth watching, worth listening to, and worth catching live before the rooms get bigger.
(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Karen Burleigh of Rock Edge Photography)
