The Nearly Deads

One of the coolest bands I’ve heard this year, I dug their sound when I heard it and knew I had to interview these guys for the site. Their songs are well written, very catchy and just a good time had by listening to their tunes. So read on as I chat to Steven from the band.

http://www.thenearlydeads.com/

http://www.facebook.com/thenearlydeads

1. How did the band form?

Cory (drummer) and myself (Steven – guitar) had a band when we lived in
Tampa, FL. The Band decided to move to Nashville in pursuit of better
opportunities. We met TJ (singer) at our last show in Tampa before we
moved. She also had a band in Tampa and joined us in Nashville shortly
after we moved to pursue her music career as well. Our current singer
didn’t work out, so TJ offered to try out for the band. She sounded
amazing, but obviously different than our former male singer, so we
decided to change the name and start from scratch and thats basically
how it went. 

2. What has been the highlight so far?

Reaching over 100,000
views on our newest video (Never Look Back – Official Zombie Music
Video)has definitely been an incredible moment for us. It was a fun
video to make that we thought fans of zombie movies would enjoy, but we
never thought it would take off like it did. Also, having Mike Shea from
AP Magazine tell us "You sound great and you don’t sound like Paramore"
was a refreshing moment. 

3. How did the video clip come about for the song Never Look Back?

Basically
since we recorded that song with our producer Jon King, he wanted to do
a zombie music video for it. Then one day he shows up with all the gear
ready and tells us to start planning. We have always been fans of
zombie movies and thought the theme would fit our band well; plus
zombies are pretty popular right now so we figured it would be good for
marketing. 

4. What inspires the band when writing music? 

We are inspired by
all sorts of things. When writing music, I like to think we are inspired
by the feelings and events happening around us at that moment. There
are different formulas for writing music, but we try not to be too
calculated and instead just create whatever gives us the most
satisfaction to play. 

5. What was the inspiration for the self Titled EP? 

We wrote most
of that music not long after we moved to Nashville. The move was a big
step in our lives and we made a lot of changes to do it. We left family,
friends, jobs and connections behind; some we missed, others we were
relieved to let go. A common theme in that album is moving forward with
your life, pursuing new opportunities and letting go of the destructive
elements in your life. 

6. Who have you guys enjoyed playing with recently? 

We have
friends here in Nashville in a band called Darling Parade, who our
producer also works with, and we always enjoy playing with them. They
are a great band and good people. We also got the opportunity of playing
with Warner Drive from California and The Notion here in Nashville.
Both bands are very talented and again are made up of great people. 

7. What it’s like coming from a music scene known for country music?
 

Ill
have to admit, sometimes its tough. Many times we are the heaviest band
at the show and the crowd doesn’t seem to know how to respond. But on
the other hand it has given us the ability to stand out more as apposed
to being in a city saturated by rock bands. 

8. How has social networking helped the band? 

It is an incredible
avenue for us to reach out to our fans. It definitely creates more
competition in the industry, but without it we could not connect with
people all over the world. We have extremely dedicated fans all over
including the UK, australia, south america, canada, mexico, basically
everywhere. We like to be personable with our fans and respond whenever
they reach out to us, because we know that in the end they are the ones
who hold our career in their hands and we value their praise and
critiques. 

It
is a large and difficult industry to tackle, but if you have a passion
for it you should give it everything you’ve got. Take advantage of every
opportunity to get your music out there, most success is about who you
meet and the connections you make along with great music

10. How has touring helped the band?

Being on the road has made
us tighter as a group. You never really know someone until you are
sitting next to them in a car for 10 hours. It also helps us to further
connect ourselves with our fans. People love being a part of something
and what better way than to be at a live show where the music and
atmosphere is personal and being able to talk face to face with the
talent; that was always a big reason most of us went to shows when we
were younger and even now. 

11. Who would the band most like to work with or play with? 

We
have so many influences and inspirations it would be hard to pick. We
would do most anything to record an album with Butch Vig, the man behind
some of the greatest and most influential rock albums of all time. It
would also be fantastic to write a song with Dave Grohl or Gerard Way.

12. How has radio and the media received the EP?
 

Very well so
far, at least to our face lol. People seem to have their own favorite
song which is cool. We are played regularly on 102.9 the local Buzz
where it has received a great response. We also have been contacted to
be interviewed or have our music featured on several radio/magazine
websites and blogs which leads us to believe a few people out their are
on board with what we are doing.

13. What is next for the band?
 

Touring and more touring. We have a
tour coming up at the end of March and we will be booking more until
the end of the year. We also look forward to getting back in the studio
at the end of the year and recording some new tracks. Also with the
success of the Never Look Back video, you can bet we will do another in
the near future.