Russell HughesNIGHTLIFE have just released their debut album Salt & Acid, which was well handed a strong 8/10 review on RUSHONROCK.
And when the opportunity came up to interview Lewis from the band, co-editor Russell Hughes couldn’t resist.
Have a look through the rest of the piece to read this exclusive interview with a fresh band hot off the production line!
RUSHONROCK – In your press release, you’re compared to bands such as Jimmy Eat World. Does that comparison come with any pressure on your part to live up to that billing?
Lewis – Haha, I think there’s definitely some pressure! I think we focus more on living up to our own pressure to do something we’re proud of ourselves though. If people like what we do, then that’s a bonus!
RUSHONROCK – Salt & Acid was released on the 24th, how do you feel the album has been received?
L – We’ve heard a lot of good things which is great, and it’s nice to hear from people who didn’t know who we were until recently especially. We were sitting on this album for a while so it feels like it’s been out forever; it’s refreshing to have some new perspectives.
RUSHONROCK – Tell us a little bit about your debut. What were your inspirations, what did you aim for with this record?
L – We’re heavily influenced by bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Smashing Pumpkins et al. We just wanted to pour our influences into a big pot and serve up some delicious music soup! Salt & Acid is the new taste sensation!
RUSHONROCK – You guys have just released your first album, but are there any other bands’ debut albums that have impressed you recently?
L – For me it’s gotta be Light Upon The Lake by Whitney, Julien Ehrlich’s voice is so beautiful and haunting.
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RUSHONROCK – Since you released Salt & Acid so early in the year, do you have any plans to release new material this year?
L – Judging by our current track record, I wouldn’t say 100% that we will haha! I will have to remain coy and say “we’ll see”.
RUSHONROCK – Are you bored of the current chart music scene? I’m just thinking about some of the lyrics for Out of your Mind.
L – I think that’s quite a strong statement, there is a lot of amazing chart music, and it depends how you define it as in the current musical climate a lot of bands like us can find themselves quite far up the charts.
It’s a critique on uninspired songwriting more than an attack on the concept of “chart music” itself.
RUSHONROCK – What’s the story behind the Japanese symbols on the Salt & Acid artwork?
L – Our album art was designed by Jack Taylor (@jackkapre) and when coming up with the concept, we were going for a Bladerunner-inspired, comic book style of artwork. There are a lot of Neo-Tokyo elements of that movie and the source material we were looking at, so they ended up sticking and becoming part of the aesthetic for this album cycle.
The symbols translate phonetically as “Nightlife” in Katakana, a simplified Japanese script which they use for more Western words. Thanks for listening to my little language lesson and remember, every day is a school day!
RUSHONROCK – Have you got any plans for a UK tour?
L – We haven’t got anything set in stone, but there are definitely talks! We just came off an amazing co-headline tour with Never Hill and Cavalier (two amazing bands, definitely check them out!) in January and we’re planning some release shows with a view to having a bigger tour later in the year.
RUSHONROCK – Your social media is Nightlifepunx, do you see yourself as channelling the punk spirit?
L – I think in certain aspects we do. We all work full-time jobs which doesn’t seem very punk but I think finishing a shift at work then bombing it to a venue to play a rockin’ show is pretty damn punk if you ask me!
I also designed all of the merch for our most recent tour and our drummer Garth has done a bunch of videos for us so we do like to keep it DIY and in the family as much as possible,
RUSHONROCK – ‘Sweet not salty’, that’s going to be a thing right? (Ed’s note: this question follows from a Twitter conversation with the band – https://twitter.com/nightlifepunx/status/820335012713205760)
L – Hahaha totally! It’s the bubblegum pop follow-up to Salt & Acid.
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