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Today's intereview is with fellow New Yorkers NEVEREVEN!
Can you give my readers a brief introduction to the band, for those who are unfamiliar with you. How did you form?
Sure. The band's name is nevereven. We formed in New York City in 2003, right before the release of our first album. The band started as a springboard to get my original music played. The original line-up were friends of mine from high school and college. Since then, it's evolved into what it is today.
When did you first start writing music?
I started writing what I call "song experiments" in high school, just to see if I could actually write. Mostly instrumental stuff...more of a tool to learn music theory, song structure, etc. When I got to college, I started writing music with lyrics in addition to instrumental music. Now, I rarely write music that is strictly instrumental anymore.
How did you choose your genre?
That's a weird question...probably because we don't categorize ourselves by genre. I guess loosely, you can say that we are hard rock, or progressive rock, or melodic metal, but these are just terms...and we've been put into all of them. The most entertaining part of this category game is seeing some of these classifications contradict each other. The people who classify bands by genre are the people who listen to the music, not the people who make it.
Who were your influences?
Every single person in our band has very different and diverse influences. This is probably one of the main reasons why we have a more unique sound. Bands that we are constantly compared to include Rush, Queen, Dream Theater, Muse, King's X, Faith No More, King Crimson...the list goes on. These bands are all some of my personal favorites, so in my opinion, it's pretty good company to keep.
Did you ever take any formal music lessons?
Starting when I was 8 years old and continuing until today, including a BA degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance. You are never good enough at your craft not to study and learn more.
Did your environment while growing up have an impact on the kind of music you make today?
When I went to high school, you either listened to rock or rap. It wasn't just about personal taste, it identified you, down to the clothes you wore and who you could hang out with. I thought it was terrible how personal taste in music could be the catalyst to make sworn enemies...although, I did make many friends that way. It shows the real power that music has on society. It's also probably where my hatred for being pigeonholed originated. I was listening to rock, but I was also listening to jazz, Motown, classical, blues, even some rap...everything I could get my hands on, just to learn about it. I never did fit into that system.
Which of your works would you say is your favorite, so far?
I don't know if I have favorites, but our more recent material is the most evolved. Starting with our first release, you can really see (or hear) how we got to where we are today.
How did you come up with the name of the new album?
Pretty self-explanatory, I think.
How do you feel about the impact of the internet on the music business?
The internet has been a double-edged sword. The up side is that recent technology allows virtually anybody to produce their own music, making it unnecessary to sign to a label to make progress in the music business. The down side is that the music market is now so saturated with bands and singers who might be computer saavy, but they don't know how to write good songs or play their instruments very well. It makes it harder for good music to be heard or found.
Do you think major record labels are necessary any more?
Major labels are most certainly not necessary. Though I don't think it's a crime to sign with one, contrary to how many other bands think. As long as artists can keep both their integrity and complete control over their creative process and output, it doesn't matter to me.
How do you normally write your songs?
It's a long and painful process that I thoroughly enjoy. There's no exact formula. Sometimes it's an idea that wakes me up in the middle of the night...sometimes it's a riff that I've been laboring over for months. The constant is that I take my time when writing...I don't believe that I've ever completed a song within less than a week.
In your opinion, what does a good song need to consist of?
Good songs have good melodies. Interesting chordal and harmonic structure is a plus. A good song makes you think, whether it's about the musical content or the lyrical content or both. If it's a good song, it usually gives me the chills...that's a surefire test in my book.
What song is most exciting to play live? Original and/or cover, please!
It's like asking a mother to choose her favorite child. I can't give you an honest answer on that one.
What cities have been your favorite to play?
Again, I don't have any favorites...if people come out and like what we are doing, I don't care what city I'm playing in.
What do you think the best part of touring is?
The best part of touring is playing for people who might not already know us and just watching them react to our music for the first time.
What cities have had the best reception for your music outside of your home state?
Boston, Hartford, Chicago. When we get some more national touring under our belt, we will elaborate on this.
Describe your worst night on tour, ever.
A few years ago, we were booked to play a venue on Long Island (that will remain nameless). We got a caravan of about 30 people to come out with us from NYC, only to get to the club and find out that the cops raided it the night before and shut it down on some ridiculous charges. Stranded with 30 irate fans, things could have gotten ugly...Instead, we made the best of it by all going out bowling. Weird scenario, but we kept everyone happy. Any problem is only as bad as your reaction to it.
Where do you see the band in 5 years? 10 years?
I never like answering prediction questions because predictions rarely come true. Wherever we are at that point, I'm sure that we will be exactly where we need to be.
Any words of wisdom for those with hopes of breaking into music?
Be patient and know your craft.
What was the strangest thing to have happen while performing on stage?
Playing in a near-empty bar and having about 150 Hell's Angels show up out of nowhere demanding songs from bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZTop. Not our thing, but we did our best to oblige them because we wanted to get out of there alive. Free Bird!
What's the best part of touring to you?
The music...and sharing the experience with the other guys in my band.
What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
Guilty pleasure?...that insinuates that I'm ashamed for liking something. I don't know...I might like some things or have some views that are unpopular, but I'm really not ashamed of supporting anything. If I like it, I like it for a good reason.
If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?
Wow...getting deep here. Being a practicing Buddhist, probably Shakyamuni Buddha. I'm sure that I would gain some wisdom from that.
What has surprised you most in your career so far?
Probably the reaction of people to our music. It's very visceral. People either love or loathe what we are doing. We never tried to make music that was so polarizing, but I guess it means that we are on the right track.
Any hobbies outside of music? Sports, etc?
No sports for me, thanks. Film, history, card games, video games. It's really mainly music though.
What do you watch on tv?
Every month, I say that I'm canceling my cable. If it's not the History or Discovery Channel, it's Cartoon Network or Comedy Central. Also movie channels, like TCM and IFC. I haven't watched network TV in ages.
What movies do you like?
A steady diet of art house cinema, foreign film and horror movies, mainly.
Read any good books lately?
Not lately...all of my time has been put into promoting the new album! The last book I read was probably Dante's Inferno, again.
Where do you live?
Astoria Queens, but our band is based out of Brooklyn.
Find Nevereven on the web:
on Amazon
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