Powerful guitar riffs delivered by this versatile trio in their latest single from their LP. A mix of DIY ethos with an indie aesthetics which sets them aside! Join them On the Dancefloor! Read our discussion below!
- Describe your sound in three words
BAND – Vibrant. Intriguing. Relieving.
- On the Dancefloor is driven by its guitars. Tell us a few things about your creative process.
Nazzo – I would say the true impetus of the groove comes from the swaggering, uncluttered foundation of the drums and bass upon which the guitars can dance freely. But, being a drummer, I might have a bias toward the drums and bass.
Alan – For songs ‘driven by guitars’ it’s easier to cultivate a certain mood/aesthetic/feeling from a well defined riff, as it defines what the other parts can be. The stronger an emotion is conveyed in a piece of music the more it informs us on what to do, what to make. We follow emotions as closely as we can, and let it guide us
Josh This particular song’s backstory — I wanted a 12 string guitar, to have more textures or colors for recording, so I bought a Danelectro. Something Krist Novoselic said about Kurt Cobain is also true for me. Whenever I get a new guitar, the excitement/passion makes it really easy to create. Within 20 minutes of playing the Danelectro, the skeleton of what would become Dancefloor’s verse/chorus came to me. I brought it to the band, and we wrote/arranged it together.
For the lyrics: the music was so vibrant, it made sense for me to use imagery / metaphor moreso than I usually do. I tend to stick to more linear or realism-rooted lyrics. But it felt right to use surrealism and images to express the feelings. The verses express how depression / anxiety can sometimes feel for me and affect my view of myself, others, and all-living-things — and the choruses are about how dancing (something beyond words) can help me understand, move beyond, and feel relieved from those heavier moods.
Josh – In general, one of us has a seed, and we nourish it together, and stay true to the
feelings/emotions this seed has — until it becomes something larger, richer.
- Which is the biggest guitar riff you wish you have composed yourself?
Alan – The simplest, most memorable guitar riffs which every future guitar player always learns. Hope to still make a riff like this but Smoke on the Water or Seven Nation Army. Literal ‘must-learns’ for every guitar player ever.
Josh – the 2 that come to mind first are: “Kashmir” by Zeppelin, and “Dancing Machine” by Jackson 5 — that one slaps really hard.
- What are the good and the bads of being a DIY artist that you’ve identified so far?
BAND:
Pros: Unparalleled artistic and creative freedom. Directly interacting with fans and feedback is really fulfilling and instructive.
Cons: The amount of work/time it takes to manage and grow the audience that digs your stuff. Marketing/promoting/business aspects can take away from time spent creating, so it would be nice to have a team or label take on more of that work.
- What is your favorite album of the past year?
Alan – I’ve mostly listened to older stuff this year.
Nazzo – ^Same, but two albums I have listened to all the way through this year on multiple occasions are Marcy Playground’s self titled album, and Kyuss’s Welcome to Sky Valley.
Josh – The first to come to mind would be “Punisher” by Phoebe Bridgers. Next would be The Strokes’ “The New Abnormal” — their past few albums have been more hit or miss for me, so it’s nice that they came out with a record that may be in my top 3 for their catalogue
- If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
Josh – I think it’s easier now for artists to share their work and build a community, thanks to the internet, social media, distrokid, etc…so that’s awesome. I think the only thing I would hope for, which is more of a general note for humanity, would be more empathy. There are a lot of people in the industry, and all facets of life, that prioritize their wealth, and being “ahead” or “above” others — this leads to exploitation, and stifles people’s creativity, expression, honesty, and love for each other. Art is for understanding, expressing, communion — and it brings joy, and love — sometimes a lack of empathy can spoil those things.
Nazzo – Some venues have placed most of the burden to promote/draw on the performers, while the club does little to nothing and gets an unfair cut of the sales.
Alan – What Nazzo said, and also the disparity of the biggest artists in the world and the smallest (who are actually good). More/easier channels to ‘success’ for smaller artists. Not fame and fortune and world domination but just making a living.
- When was the last time you danced?
Nazzo – I dance everyday! I’m counting car dancing.
Alan – Grooved out pretty hard in my car a couple weeks ago. A bit cliche but it was one of my own songs. Just the first time I heard it in a more complete form. I was able to forget I made it and just enjoy it.
Josh – last night. I was playing a bunch of music while my roommate Gabe was playing a video game. at some point I started dancing because: a) I wanted to / the song grooved hard b) when he looked over I hammed it up to make him laugh
- One last thing we should know about you?
Nazzo – we three in the band have drastically different personalities and opinions on art, music, creativity and therein lies our strength as a collaborative group.
Alan – Little factoid, I’m left-handed but play bass right-handed
Josh – Mister Rogers is my spirit animal.
- Thank you!
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