BIO
Royal Haunts is the solo project of Pittsburgh born, Brooklyn based singer/songwriter/producer/DJ Anthony X. Resch. Resch has always been surrounded by an eclectic array of music. His father, Kurt, is a guitarist and songwriter who has played in groups who’s styles ranged from reggae to alternative rock.
It wasn’t long before Resch began composing music of his own on guitar and piano. By the age 13 he was performing original material in clubs and coffee shops all over Pittsburgh. His style was driven by his inherited influences, but also his personal passion for soul, indie rock, and electronica. Resch expanded by fronting rock/R&B outfit Mount Royal during his teen years and performing alongside fellow Pittsburgh natives Kevin Garrett, Nevada Color, and the like.
While at the University of Pittsburgh for creative writing, Resch dove into production, programing and synthesis. The first demos of this new sound served as the creative starting point for Royal Haunts. Over the next 7 months Resch developed these recordings and compiled them into Royal Haunts’ first release, 2014’s “The Evening EP”.
In the years that followed, Royal Haunts become a staple in the Pittsburgh music scene. In addition to invariably releasing and performing his original material, (EP’s “I”, “II” and a myriad of singles and remixes) Resch has also made a name for himself as one of the more enticing DJ’s to emerge from the Pittsburgh scene. His left of center mixes are melodic, dynamic, and genre defying.
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Resch solidified his partnership with friend and collaborator Joshua Orange. Together they performed as Pink Camo for multiple live stream events and built a warm and inclusive community, even while constrained to the online sphere.
Despite the challenges the Covid-19 Pandemic continues to present to the music industry at large, Resch has persisted and flourished. Alongside Pink Camo partner Joshua Orange, Resch co-hosts Everything the Light Touches (ETLT), a monthly residency at Pittsburgh’s Cobra. ETLT regularly hosts acclaimed global acts (Derrick Carter, Geotheory, Tomas C, Rose Kourts, etc.) while breaking attendance records and providing opportunities, a platform, and community for local artists.
As of June 2023, Resch has relocated to Brooklyn and is focused on expansion. His debut independent full length LP, “Mana” was released October 13th, 2023. On “Mana” Resch presents for the first time the sweeping breadth of his songwriting, production, and storytelling prowess. The album is an examination of Resch’s relationship to his hometown; the land and the people that have provided the setting for his story so far. Exploring topics of family, mental health, spirituality, and the complex web of romantic and personal interactions that define life in a small city, Resch not only paints a portrait of his own life, but touches on that uncanny element that makes us all human. Through the lens of Royal Haunts’ trademark supernatural tendencies, Resch presents as a narrator not quite “unstuck in time” as Kurt Vonnegut would say, but just curious and aware enough to understand that his experience, however grand, is only a filament in the vast fabric of reality.
Press
“Royal Haunts has delivered a to-the-minute slate of modern electronic material with a timelessly impassioned vocal performance. I represents a capable fusion of stylistic tendencies both past and present, the sort of fusion that no doubt will guide pop’s refractive future.” - Divide and Conquer
“Royal Haunts embodies one of the most unique artists in the city. Just one listen through Haunts’ album “III,” released last year, makes the Pittsburgh native’s talent plainly apparent.” - Logan Armstrong, The Pittsburgh 100
“Resch [is] never stagnant, as he is constantly looking to develop and grow, pushing as many boundaries as he can. His investment in exploring genres juxtaposes his perseverance to stay honest to himself.” - The Pitt News
“Typically, Resch writes his songs with pop or rock structure. When sitting down to make music, he draws on influences from previous experiences and the world around him… The result is always gloomy – a cloudy sky on a cool day.” - The Pittsburgh City Paper
“Expect some cool things from Tony in the near future.” - Hughshows
“Royal Haunts makes music that resists being categorized. The track verges on haunting as it bumps along, “I love you” being repeated over the beat. It’s incredibly danceable.” - The Pittsburgh City Paper
“God Sound” voted Best Song 2018 - InTheRough
“Atop the vivid instrumentation, Roses and Royal Haunts deliver contrasting yet cohesive performances, finding a natural chemistry as they balance hip-hop influenced deliveries with melodic inflections. Their performances interestingly blend the uncertain with the calm, playing a large role in the mercurial feel that is central to the track.” - Roundhouse Music