RAINE MAGAZINE Volume 20 | Innovate

Sweeping the world with their energetic and spirited performances, vocal
sensations PENTATONIX are taking instrument-free music and reimagining
the timeless doo-wop style of the 40’s and 50’s and adding a breath of life
to the music industry.
The group, comprised of Scott Hoying, Kirstie Maldonado, Mitch
Grassi, Avi Kaplan and Kevin Olusola, has enjoyed tremendous success
with their signature style of music that pulls equally from their individual
strengths. Their musical inspiration draws from a wide range of genres,
which include pop, jazz, R&B, indie, folk, dubstep and electronica to name
a few. Pentatonix’ Mitch Grassi takes a brief moment during their European
tour to share some insight with Raine Magazine.
RAINE: How was the group formed? Is there a meaning behind the group’s
name; Pentatonix?
PENTATONIX: Kirstie, Scott, and I were in an acappella trio in high school.
When Scott went off to college, he had heard about auditions for NBC’s
The Sing-Off. He wanted to audition with us, but his colleague suggested
that we add members to fill out the sound. We found Avi through a mutual
friend, and we discovered Kevin on YouTube because he had had a viral
video going around at the time. Thus, the group was formed. The name
“Pentatonix” comes from the word for the five-note scale that is popular in
modern music, namely, pop and R&B.
RAINE: As creative entrepreneurs in music how would you describe your
sound?
PENTATONIX: Pop music with heavy electronic and soul influences.
RAINE: What other musicians inspire you?
PENTATONIX: We all have various influences. My main influence is a
musician by the name of Imogen Heap. I draw a lot of vocal style from her,
and her ambitious and attentiveness to creating her music really inspires
me.
RAINE: Pentatonix covers a wide range of musical genres how do you
decide who to cover and why?
PENTATONIX: If one of us is especially inspired by a particular song, we will
bring it to the group and gauge their reaction on whether or not we could
do a good rendition of it. If we decide to move forward, we arrange it as a
group.
RAINE: Moving forward, will the group continue to do covers or can fans
expect to see more original music?
PENATONIX: There will definitely be a lot more original material in the
future, but we’re known for our covers, so I think we will keep doing them.
RAINE: What has been your biggest challenge in breaking into the business
and how did you overcome it?
PENTATONIX: I would say being an acappella group in itself has been fairly
challenging. A lot of people don’t think it’s marketable, and we’ve been told
“no” a number of times. But we never let that discourage us, and I think it’s
worked out pretty well so far!
RAINE: Who are some other artists and producers that you would like to
collaborate with in the future?
PENTATONIX: I would love to write with Frank Ocean. He’s a brilliant
songwriter and I think his style could really lend itself to what we do. I’d
also love to see a major EDM producer remix one of our tracks.
RAINE: What are some upcoming projects you can tell us about? Are you
working on a new album?
PENTATONIX: Yes, we are! We will also be releasing another Christmas
record this year, I believe. We have a few ideas for some YouTube videos,
as well.
RAINE: Where do you see Pentatonix in the near future? Are there other
pursuits that the group is interested in as a whole or individually?
PENTATONIX: That’s a tough question to answer. Hopefully, we’ll be playing
huge rooms and arenas! Other than that, I’m hoping to have a ton of original
material.
RAINE: What has been the most embarrassing moment you have had on
stage?
PENTATONIX: The only thing I can think of is when my hat came off on stage
in Nashville and my hair looked atrocious. Which isn’t super humiliating, but
I’m glad that’s been the worst of it!
RAINE: What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
PENTATONIX: Don’t compare your material to anyone else’s. It’s okay
to draw influence, but putting yourself down because you think you’re
incompetent in comparison to your favorite artist is unhealthy.
RAINE: What are three fun facts about Pentatonix that people might now
know?
PENTATONIX:
a.) I’ve been practicing DJing and I’m hoping to land some gigs soon!
b.) Avi and Kirstie are massive Game of Thrones fans.
c.) Kirstie, Scott and I are the only band members with tattoos!
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