Neverless is making waves with their debut self-titled album. Out everywhere on March 15th, this is a dynamic 12 track release that serves as an impressive introduction to the bandโs sound. Check out the exclusive interview below:
1. Can you tell us a bit about where you come from and how it all got started?
NEVERLESS:ย Hey everyone! This is T. J. answering questions, letโs get into it! The band started out back in 2018. I had a bunch of Alt-Rock/Punk songs that Iโd been writing and saving for the right project. One day I was working on a rough demo, and thought it would be cool to add some horns to it. My brother, Cory, grew up playing brass and wind instruments in school, so I asked him to lay down some parts! At some point we decided some of those other songs might sound more unique with some horns added; so we started experimenting, and eventually put together enough songs for a full demo EP. From there, we found some bandmates, and weโve been doing what we do ever since then!
2. Did you have any formal training or are you self-taught?
NEVERLESS:ย My first instrument was drums. I started playing when I was 9 years old. My uncle showed me a few beats when I first started playing, but that was the closest thing to training I ever received aside from playing in the middle school jazz band. I taught myself guitar starting at around age 12 and that eventually took over as my main instrument. I picked up bass and some other string instruments from there, and eventually started singing when I finally got a car at age 16. It was the only place I could ever be totally alone. I wasnโt very confident with my voice back then, so Iโd sing along to songs whenever I drove around. Music has always come pretty naturally to me. Cory is just as gifted. He plays just about everything as well, and then shreds it on the sax. He was taught music through the band programs throughout school and picked everything else up from there.
3. Who were your first and strongest musical influences and why the name โNEVERLESSโ?
NEVERLESS: We both grew up listening to a lot of punk rock. My first show was warped tour when I was 11. It blew my mindโฆ I remember having this realization that this is a career, and something that I could do someday. I became a huge NOFX fan, theyโre still one of my favorite bands to this day. I always cite them as my first musical inspiration. As I grew up, my taste refined, and I opened up to a bunch of different genres. Nowadays, you can put just about anything on and Iโll find something to appreciate about it. I would say some of the more direct influences on our sound are bands like RX Bandits, Oingo Boingo, Green Day, Less Than Jake, My Chemical Romance, Mad Caddies, QOTSA, and even some heavier stuff like The Fall of Troy, or The Mars Volta. I could go on and on though, every band Iโve ever gotten in to has influenced my songwriting in one way or another. The name โNeverlessโ was a spin on a quote from the old Edgar Allen Poe Poem โThe Ravenโ. We swapped Nevermore for Neverless, and thought it sounded cool. The name means more to us than that though. In short, the name encourages one to always strive for more, not less. Keep working toward being a better version of yourself than you were yesterday. We went through a ton of ideas before we came up with the winner though. It helped that nobody else had used that as a band name before (in 2018, that is).
4. Could you describe your creative processes? How do usually start, and go about shaping ideas into a completed song? Do you usually start with a tune, a beat, or a narrative in your head? And do you collaborate with others in this process?
NEVERLESS: Thereโs some consistency to the process, for sure; but thereโs no secret formula for us. A lot of songs start out as snippets of ideas, usually just phone recordings of random riffs or melodies. Sometimes they manifest while Iโm playing or practicing, sometimes an idea will just randomly pop in my head. I have a personal rule where if an idea is still stuck in my head the next day, Iโll always run with it.ย For example, โPheromoneโ was actually the first Neverless song that was ever written. I had just gotten some new drum mics, and I wanted to test them out. I was jamming and goofing around when I โdiscoveredโ the main beat for the song. I did a bit of editing, and eventually had a decent drum track to work with. The next day, I couldnโt get the beat out of my head, so I spent some time jamming over it on guitar, coming up with a riff to match the energy of the drums. Most of the time, Iโll start out with a melody, or a guitar riff, and build from there; but I can certainly say that no two songs are ever written the exact same way.
5. With social media having a heavy impact on our lives and the music business in general, how do you handle criticism, haters, and/or naysayers in general? Is it something you pay attention to, or simply ignore?
NEVERLESS: Thereโs a line in โThink for Yourselfโ that says โForget all the haters, and love all the restโ. I think that sums it up pretty well! We recognize that doing something unique isnโt going to please everybody. Our music is what it is, hopefully you like it, but if not, no worries! We strive to support positivity, and usually ignore the negative feedback. UNLESS, that feedback will help us become a better band in the long run. If you donโt like our music, cool, you do you, we probably wonโt care. But, if someone tells us we need to tighten up a particular section, or be more active on stage, etcโฆ we will always hear them out and consider it.
6. What do you feel are the key elements in your music that should resonate with listeners, and how would you personally describe your sound?
NEVERLESS: When we first formed the band, Cory and I simply wanted to make music that we would listen to. As the band has grown, so has our vision to do something unique. Our goal as a band is to blend genres, and break down musical barriers. Take โThink for Yourselfโ for example. We couldnโt think of any songs that had ever been funky and punk rock within the same track, so we made one! We try to make our music full of surprises. Youโll notice a bunch of different genres mixed in throughout the album, try to count them all!
7. Whatโs your view on the role and function of music as political, cultural, spiritual, and/or social vehicles โ and do you try and affront any of these themes in your work, or are you purely interested in music as an expression of technical artistry, personal narrative, and entertainment?
NEVERLESS:
They say music is the great communicator for a reason. We absolutely feel like music is a spiritual tool. It connects people. It inspires people. Itโs most definitely used in many different ways. It can be an outlet for some, and a platform for others. We live in a time where anybody can upload whatever they want and show the whole world. Thereโs so much content out there, itโs unbelievable. We use music as an outlet more than anything. We make music we care about, and think people can relate to. I think a lot of people, including ourselves, can say that music has gotten them through some rough times in life. Our goal is to create something that can maybe help someone else someday, whether it be inspirationally, relatably, or even just by being a fun band to listen to.
8. On the contrary, what would you consider a successful, proud or significant point in your life or music career so far?
NEVERLESS:
Honestly, weโre living it right now. This past month (March) has been our biggest month yet. We dropped our debut album, we played our first major festival at Reggae Rise Up Florida, along with some of our idols, and we even did a tour run around the state with our good friends in Discord Theory, from Tampa. Weโre going to try our damndest to keep the momentum going. I feel more proud of this band every day. Seeing new fans and followers enjoy our music always puts a smile on my face. It never gets old. Weโll be playing another major festival this month (Florida Groves Festival) in Orlando, so weโre very excited to find out whatโs next, to say the least.
9. Creative work in a studio or home environment, or interaction with a live audience? Which of these two options excites you most, and why?
NEVERLESS: Great question! Honestly, I have to say I love them both in their own way. Being in the studio is always a special experience. Knowing that youโre actively creating something fresh and new is so inspiring, and definitely a great feeling. We have a small home set up for recording demos, but I could sit in the studio all day and never get bored! Someday weโll have our own to play in 24/7 haha. On the other hand, thereโs nothing like the rush you get from playing a big show! Weโre getting to the point where sometimes people will sing our lyrics back at us, and I donโt think that will ever get old to me. We love meeting new people, and are looking forward to doing more touring in the near future, and getting to know the rest of the world! The band life is like nothing else, and I love just about every bit of it.
10. Do you think is it important for fans of your music to understand the real story and message driving each of your songs, or do you think everyone should be free to interpret your songs in their own personal way?
NEVERLESS: ย I try not to put much thought behind the songwriting process. I never set out to write a song about topic-A or topic-B, it usually just develops over the writing and recording process, so I wouldnโt expect anyone to understand every nuance of our music. Sometimes I just write down words that sound cool together, to be honest. But, if you find meaning in something, no matter what it is, donโt let anyone tell you that youโre wrong. I feel like thereโs a lot of misinterpreted art out there, and I donโt think thatโs necessarily a bad thing. I almost feel like thatโs the point for some artists. To capture a feeling, and relate it through any medium is a difficult thing to do; so why bother trying to subjectify it? If somebody creates something out of passion, and someone else is able to appreciate it, itโs a win-win situation. No reason to make it any more complicated than that.
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