Q&A: NONEWFRIENDS.
MAKING THE BEST OF THE WEIRD TIMES - NONEWFRIENDS. are showcasing their creativity with their latest cover video of “I Will Survive”, created through Zoom. Known for their energetic live show, the Syracuse based band is finding inspiration with their spare time lately and brainstorming how to bring the band up to the next level. With plans to release more Zoom-based videos, NONEWFRIENDS. is keeping busy and finding creative ways to connect with their audience. Read below to learn about their influences, the “I Will Survive” video and more.
LUNA: For those unfamiliar with the band, would you mind introducing NONEWFRIENDS?
NONEWFRIENDS.: We have Jack Harrington on bass, Jackson Siporin on sax, Jared Alvarez on drums, Elizabeth Stuart on vocals, Peter Groppe on guitar, and Scott Greenblatt on keys.
LUNA: Your sound definitely fuses a lot of different elements, so who are some key artists that have shaped you as artists?
NONEWFRIENDS.: I’d say as a group, our biggest influences have been Stevie Wonder, Rex Orange County, and Moonchild amongst many, many others. One of the things I appreciate about us is that when we first met, we all came from very different musical backgrounds. And as time has gone on, we have introduced each other to so many of our personal favorites that there is now a lot of crossover between our favorite artists. I think that’s really cool.
LUNA: What’s been inspiring you lately?
NONEWFRIENDS.: Our biggest inspiration lately has been the amount of time we have. We are all trying to take full advantage of this time at home to be productive and try to stay positive. Working on new music and new projects are the perfect way to eat up time.
LUNA: Y’all have previously tapped into the live side of things and are known for your performances in Syracuse’s underground scene, what value does having a foundation in the live side of things have for you?
NONEWFRIENDS.: The most important aspect of our live shows has been the crowd. Having a decent amount of shows under our belt in the Syracuse scene has allowed us to gain a following on campus, and it has been so rewarding to see how excited students get when we’re playing or releasing. Also, playing originals in front of a live audience before we record them has been a great way of letting our songs naturally fall into place. We sometimes run into the issue of figuring out how to arrange certain parts or sections, and these problems are often solved just by seeing how the crowd reacts to what we do.
LUNA: I love your most recent video for “I Will Survive” that you did via Zoom! It’s been really interesting to see how artists stay connected during this time and have adapted their content. Can you talk a bit more about the creation of the video?
NONEWFRIENDS.: Thank you! That was a fun one for sure. We were trying to think of a clever way to engage our audience, and didn’t want to go with the usual Acapella App performance--we wanted to try something out that was a little different. I think we’re all happy with the way it turned out and are currently in the process of releasing another one very soon!
LUNA: On the visual side of everything, are there any references or influences that play a role in your visual aesthetic?
NONEWFRIENDS.: I wouldn’t say any visual or music artists in particular, but we’ve discussed as a band what kind of emotions we want to evoke from our listeners, and we try to do whatever we feel best fits those vibes.
LUNA: What can we expect from your upcoming debut EP? Any common themes or narratives?
NONEWFRIENDS.: It’s tough to speak on a specific theme, but we feel that it definitely has a sense of cohesiveness to it. That’s something we’ve tried to achieve in and out of the studio, and we hope that listeners will walk away with more than just specific impressions of each song.
LUNA: How are you taking care of yourselves during this weird time? Any advice for fellow musicians?
NONEWFRIENDS.: Stay active, stay creative, stay sane. That’s all we’ll say.
LUNA: Do you have any upcoming plans or intentions for the rest of the year you’d like to share?
NONEWFRIENDS.: We’ll be releasing another zoom-esque cover video within the upcoming weeks! We don’t have any specific release dates for originals as of right now, but stay tuned! You never know ;)
