If you’re unfamiliar with Florida natives Nightlights its time to lend an ear and get yourself acquainted. Their blend of aggression, honesty, and old school punk rock has made one huge fan out of this writer and apparently I’m not the only one who’s taken notice. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with the band to discuss their recent signing to Eulogy Records, their upcoming full-length album and what the future holds for the band.
Check out the interview here.
Let’s start with your upcoming full-length album. What can fans expect in terms of its sound?
Matt: When we wrote our debut EP we were still just figuring out the feel of the band in general. It was a bit more simple and more punk, and I think this new album is more open chord and rock sounding. I guess some people could say its that Gainesville feel.
Andrew: I think it’s a little bit more mellow, its not as punk I guess.
Matt: Yeah, not as punk. There are definitely a lot more emotional parts, and heartfelt parts where its just very “emo” I guess you could say. There are a lot of build ups…
Joe: It’s hard to describe
Matt: It’s definitely a different direction from what we’ve ever done, and we’re really excited to record it soon and have it out. I think it’ll be like a new band all together, I think people will understand us more. I think this full length is something we all wanted to sound like, but it just took a while for us to get there. Writing the EP helped us understand the structure and direction we wanted to go.
Do you have any idea when it’ll come out or when we can hear a new single?
Matt: We’re hoping for the latest around February.
So you’re going on a full US tour, right?
Matt: Yeah, we’re doing a little November one, where it’s just the east coast and some Texas states. Basically its to record. We’re recording in new jersey, but in January and Febuaray we’re going to do a full US tour, west coast and east coast and everyone. It’s going to be fun for all of us, and a new experience for the band.
That’s with Tired and True right?
Matt: Yeah, same thing for the November tour.
So you went from Anchorless to Eulogy. How do you feel about the transition of labels?
Matt: We’re really excited to do Eulogy because we’ve been thinking about it for a while, giving it a try for this full length, and we just think it’s going to help us out. People probably think a band like ours wouldn’t fit on Eulogy just because we’re clearly different from any other band on the label, but I think it will be a good idea for us to do it because it’ll be different. Once people get it settled like “okay, their on eulogy” it will really help us and benefit Eulogy as well by giving them a new direction and a new respect.
Joe: A lot of people expect us to go to other, more stereotypical labels for the style, and we’ve had offers from some…
Can you talk about which ones?
Joe: I don’t know if we should, but you know, like I said John from Eulogy has been talking with us from the beginning and it kind of felt right because he was one of the first, even before Anchorless. Even when we chose to go to Anchorless, he still talked to us. He’s from Florida, we’re from Florida…
Matt: I worked with Anchorless in another band so…
Joe: The real thing is, when we talked to John, he seemed a little new to the style and what was going on in this scene. He was so excited about it though because it was new to him, and he really wants to give something like that a shot. And personally to me, we should give him a shot because he seemed stoked on it. Other labels, you know..
You’d just be another band
Joe: Yeah they might not be as stoked.
I feel like in 2004-05 Eulogy was one of the main labels, but once hardcore died out…
Matt: Yeah, they’re just laid back now and they’re kind of taking a new approach with pop punk. I mean, we’re not really that big, and this might sound a little cocky, but I think Set Your Goals, even though they already had hype, I think that us getting on their will be like that, but a lot smaller.
Joe: Yeah, I know where he’s going here. He’s not trying to say we’re like Set Your Goals or Dashboard Confessional, he’s pointing out the fact that they were different on their label, and seemed to have done the best.
Matt: Yeah, they did a lot of touring. Once we do this full length we’re planning on doing a lot of touring ourselves, and not stop as much as we can, try to do out of country stuff, tour with whoever and just keep going. I think us doing this release, and if people like the idea of eulogy or not…
Joe: That’s the one thing I’m stoked on, there’s definitely going to be a lot of hate on, and its gonna suck, but its obviously going to be good because it supports talk, and people will hear about us, and maybe listen to us. It always seems to work the opposite, the more hate, the more following.
Matt: Espcially because I really don’t think the new songs we have are going to work on Eulogy, judging by their past, that’s why it’ll be cool because its like “Oh, its on Eulogy.”
Now that you’ve got an album deal, now that you’re touring, what are the plans for the future?
Matt: I definitely can say we all want to do this as much as we can. Be on the road as much as we can. I know for a fact we all want to play Europe and we would like to play Canada and Mexico. We’re doing all of the US, like we’re finally hitting up the west coast, we’re hitting up Oregan, and the Midwest. Our new bass player Chris is from Chicago, and it’ll be really good for him to play a town where he’s from. I’m just really excited to play places we’ve never played, even if its in the US or whatever, its just good to do that.
I think that about wraps it up for me, do you guys have anything you want to say?
Matt: Me personally, I just want to thank J.R from long island, he’s just really supportive and an awesome guy.
Joe: Support Amy’s Kitchen
Matt: Amy’s kitchen, that’s who we’re sponsored by, they’re an orangic vegitarian company, they help us out. All of our close friends and family.
Joe: DNA energy drink and beef jerky. It’s my buddy.
Matt: RJ from the label Mighter Than Sword, because he’s going to be releasing the full length on vinyl.
Chris: We’re about to take over the universe.
Matt: My goal is to play with the Goo Goo Dolls….