Thriller Records just added an exciting new band to the roster! Hailing from Orlando, progressive rock quintet Makari officially announced their signing today and launched their label debut, “Speed Freak.”
Drummer Kevin Beljan shares. “This song came from memories. This song came from fantasy. Or rather, this song was written somewhere in between the two…remembering a California sunset drive, a movie I watched with my dad, and a daydream I had of a world that both stood still and flew by my partner and [me.]”
He adds, “‘Speed Freak’ is my attempt to convey the exhilaration of profound and boundless love. It is an attempt to illustrate the beautiful adrenaline high of a scenic drive with the person you love. No worries about the danger, the speed, the sustainability of it all. Just the desire to disappear from the world and all its suffering into the bending pinks and purples of the skyline with the person you chose at your side.”
Check out the new single below and stay tuned for more exciting releases from the rising stars.
idobi Radio had the chance to check in with Beljan more about the band’s new signing to Thriller Records, what they’ve learned on the road, and what they hope the future holds.
You had a whirlwind 2025-2026, supporting the likes of The Home Team all the way to Hail The Sun. What have you learned most from going on the road with various legendary acts? Any advice they shared with you?
Those two bands are so great, and we always try to learn from every experience! I would say The Home Team gave us really valuable insights into managing social media and posting in the current climate that demands so much. And Hail The Sun really helped remind us it’s important to just have fun, and to let the music speak through us and watch it translate into energy the crowd feeds off and vice versa. Both acts also really taught us how important it is to have a great crew that you treat right, to always be as kind as you can, and to roll with the punches.
You are joining the legendary Thriller Records roster. What helped you all as a band realize this was the right label to call home?
We shopped around a little, and talked amongst ourselves after being DIY for a pretty good period, but realized it would be really valuable to have a passionate team that could help us take the next step in our career. That’s what it felt like we were getting when talking with Bob and many of the other folks at Thriller.
With many new alternative music mentors and fellow roster peers, you have so many friends on your side. What do you hope for the band in 2027?
We hope to continue to make more friends in the scene and to play alongside our labelmates more. We’d love to link up with The Home Team again, and basically, anyone on the Thriller roster is dope! We just hope to get out there and play music and connect with people. I think the world needs that now more than ever, as we struggle with the feelings of disconnection that come from being glued to alternate realities in our computers, phones, [and] online games.
