Performance Anxiety - David Hakopyan (Antenna The End, The Apex Theory)

Today’s guest makes me feel so excited and I just can’t hide it. It’s The Pointer Sisters. No. No it’s not. Please welcome David Hakopyan of Antenna The End. And I have to thank Jamie Park and Teen Cancer America for connecting us. 

David grew up in one of the biggest Armenian communities in the world outside of Armenia, itself. He was influenced equally by rock and Armenian folk music. But music wasn’t always his focus. For a while as a teen, he thought he might be an illustrator. He was the counterfeit Pushead guy in his school. And if that doesn’t make sense, it will after you listen. Or go look up Pushead.

He got serious about music when he started playing in an Armenian, revolutionary, folk, alternative rock band with Serj Tankian called Forever Young. After cheating on that band with another, he started Soil with Serj and Daron Malakian. David discusses the one and only live show they played and its biggest pitfall. 

David and his bands, like Apex Theory & Mt. Helium, have always been hyper-focused on sounding original, to the point of making sure no one was listening to the big rock stations in LA. They’d do spot checks on each others’ radios.

David’s new band is Antenna The End. And you can absolutely tell that it’s David’s band. He started writing after the kinds of personal issues that get a guy writing music. He also tells me when he came up with the band’s unique name. The debut EP will be out soon, but David gives us a sneak peak at the music and stories behind the band’s formation and the music he’s created. Check them out @antennatheend on Instagram & Facebook. Keep an eye out for the EP release in early August. And give him a call at…you know what, don’t do that. BUT, follow us @PerformanceAnx on Instagram & Twitter. Reach out, we don’t bite. Grab merch at performanceanx.threadless.com or donate some coffee money at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And now I hope you enjoy the awesome conversation I had with David Hakopyan of Antenna The End on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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