“Keep your day job is advice we refuse to take, we would rather not keep our jobs. Regardless of what people tell you to do, don’t let them bring you down, don’t let them discourage you – ignore them and just follow your dreams”
By Jairo Rodrigues
When life tells you to ‘Keep your Day Job’ you tell life to shove it. No matter if it’s your boss, society or even your parents, if you have something you want to do and you have the passion to excel at it; stick it to ‘the man’. That’s the basic motto of the local rock band that is taking entertainment to a whole new level.
Keep your Day Job! Or KYDJ! for short was formed in early 2009 when high school classmates Clifton Garraway (bass, vocals and makeshift drums) and Ryan Roberts (Bass Guitarist) approached Gavin Mendoca (Vocals, Guitarist) to be the prime vocalist in an already formed unnamed band; it did not take long for a connection to be made and the bonds of brotherhood to take shape. At the very first band meeting they began to immediately write original songs and connect with each other’s experiences.
Clifton has since migrated, but his rock brothers continue to bring it. For those baffled by the exclamation mark behind the band’s name, the guys say, “the reason our band name has the “!” is because our band’s name isn’t just a statement… It’s an exclamation of who we are.”
Their premiere performance was at a Queen’s College Movie Night. Gavin says it was a disaster but they didn’t care and just rocked it out loud. Other stages they rocked included Marian Academy during the lunch periods, at a Walter Rodney Tribute, Upscale Restaurant, the Sidewalk Café and the University of Guyana. The band also has a strong connection to the Dutch Bottle Café where they were featured countless times. One of their most memorable performances would have been performing before Prime Minister Samuel Hinds.
The band is getting used to the spotlight and just last week had a guest appearance on GT&T’s Video Countdown with Wanita Huburn. They were also featured in APSARA Magazine, a Channel 9 production with Linden ‘Jumbie’ Jones, Marian Academy’s newspaper The Pendance (since two of the original three members were Marian graduates) and Youth Expressions.
The Scene wanted the ‘good stuff’, the band offstage and the people behind the facade. But as Gavin points out, “There is no mask, there is no mystery – there is no on stage personality. What you see is us, on stage and off, all the time.” He continued that when they are on stage, that’s the place where they belong, it’s like being at home and possibly the best feeling ever.
But who really are the band members?
Gavin, 20, lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist is a Bishops’ High School graduate and now a continuing student of Chemistry at the University of Guyana. He is smart as he is talented.
Gavin’s family has always been supportive of his academic endeavours. He describes his family to be close-knit; he has one brother and one sister. Music was never a big thing in the Mendonca household, although his uncle is Guyanese rock legend Jude Mendonca who made several guest appearances with the band as a drummer.
When asked how he came across music, he says that from an early age he was always imaginative and inclined. “Since my early years of high school I listened to a lot of rap, then after high school I met a guitar and I was attracted to this instrument – with no formal teaching I taught myself to play because I just knew this is something I wanted to do.”
Ryan, 21, is a Marian Academy graduate and aspiring pilot; he is quite advanced in engineering and technological mechanisms. His ambitions are solid and he has a strong grasp of what he needs to do to get where he wants to be.
Ryan prefers to keep family and relations personal, but says music was always influential for him. His love for the arts came to the fore when he was in Form 1. He had a great love for rock and found comfort in the musical styling of Michael Jackson, Eminem and Elvis Presley. By Form 2 he started liking rock bands like Blink 182 – this actually pushed him to pick up a guitar.
He and his classmate Clifton spent a lot of time together in the school’s extra curriculum activities such as Badminton and Chess, eventually he just decided to form a band with Clifton. At the end of 5th form he “blew out” all of his money on a Guitar and months later they approached Gavin. Ryan was so drawn to music he even made a CD for his “very close female friend” before she migrated; he says she pretty much enjoyed it.
Ryan was also highly influenced by his good friend Arun, who played a really essential role in him first learning to play the guitar. He describes Arun as “one of the best guitarists I know.”
Both Ryan and Gavin have diplomas in Computer Sciences; Ryan from the University of Cambridge through School of the Nations and Gavin from the University of Guyana.
Clifton migrated in early 2011 putting the band on pause. However, this did not break their spirits. “The universe just would not allow the band dormancy; we are now back on track and ahead of the game,” says Gavin. And even though Clifton is miles away, the duo still considers him a brother and eternal band member.
KYDJ! says punk rock is their way of life “It’s the sole reason for the band: playing, performing on stage is just an indescribable feeling. We don’t do it for the fame or for money – it’s for the love,” Gavin says. He describes rock expression to be “basically the life you want to live, forget about what other people say or tell you to do – at the end of the day it’s your life and it’s all about you.”
Ryan describes it as, “raw pulsating emotions. The unedited form of life and expression – nothing is hidden.” Ryan says the worse feeling is coming off stage thinking that this might be the last performance for a while. Nevertheless the members said quite frankly they make their own opportunities and prefer to do everything themselves rather than being marketed and asked to change by producers.
Ryan has a great love for independent rock and roll; they both are influenced by Eminem and world renowned bands such as Nirvana, Angels and Airwaves, Blink 182 and Kings of Leon. Their rock idols would include Slash and Kurt Cobain amongst others.
Gavin is also involved with another band Feed the Flames. When Ryan was asked to comment on this he said it was no problem at all and he was quite comfortable with it. “I also have a pretty close connection to the band, together we can do more than apart and there is no competition there. It’s much more dedication and a collective effort into one goal,” he adds.
The Scene explains that a lot of Guyanese find rock to be bizarre and unusual. Asked to comment KYDJ! points out that most people think of rock as drinking, partying and wild aggressive expression but it’s not so. When asked how they intend to change the mentality toward rock in Guyana they explain that their music is real and is a vocal point for the modern, expressive youths in the country. “We don’t pick random songs, we sing from experience – the band should be called the ‘Ambassador to the Youths’ because we were once there. We are Guyanese youths who want to show the youths that they have the power.”
The band basically would like to focus on how to empower helpless youngsters in society. “We don’t want the fame, we want to show the youths what dreams can do – because this is the dream we set out to live. We want to show them everything is possible because KYDJ! is a living example, relationships and bonds are beneficial to society.”
One way of introducing their expressions into the national music industry is their upcoming debut double album ‘Breakout’ which introduces Guyana to the different genres and styles of expression. This innovative album will feature a two-in-one case where all can explore the true meaning and talents of Keep Your Day Job!. “The band is also teaching responsibilities, relations and how to deal and communicate with people. Life lessons are taught and it’s a way of showing a young and talented nation how to work cooperatively towards their goals,” adds Gavin.
Gavin and Ryan say they are fully committed and fully invested in their band. “The probable mathematical ratio would be 77% into Music and 23% studies,” Gavin says. “But that’s not saying that education does not matter; education is the best thing to have, nobody can take that away from you.” Keep Your Day Job! would like to make it quite clear that they fully support education and it is essential to balance time and complete schooling before aspiring to artistic careers; as both Gavin and Ryan have done.
Not only is KYDJ! fully committed to national youthful expression but also to tourism. They consider themselves very patriotic. Gavin remarked “If Guyana is our home: that is Guyana is my home, his home, her home, your home – therefore it makes sense we all live as one big family.” The band used to play in the City Mall before they were kicked out and told it is against the mall’s policy to have entertainment. Even standing outside the mall’s door was a problem with security. They joke that it was okay for a man to be standing outside the mall with an Anaconda – and that the band was probably more dangerous. The duo can be seen playing around the Georgetown seawalls and is motivated by citizens and onlookers.
The band has huge plans in the near future, for one the guys are investing and working on their own personal studio and taking producing classes online. They are also investing in a drummer but still are adamant that the band is like a family and the smaller the better.
The band will certainly reach new heights as the guys prepare for a joint tour with Feed the Flames to Suriname and possibly Trinidad; as the first ever regional tour.
Just three years into performing, the band has been quite successful and shows no intentions of slowing down. They are professional entertainers and always leave a lasting impression on their audience. They would like to express gratitude to all their fans, supporters and to Megan de Haas who is fully committed to the photography of the band.
