Night Terrors: On influences, pop punk and new music—listen

Chicago has given us some of the biggest bands in the scene. Toss in Real Friends and Knuckle Puck’s recent successes, and it’s evident that the city is a band breeding ground.

It's no surprise that Chicago suburbanites Night Terrors’ newest release, Melanie/Island (Wasting Away), is infused with the city's dynamic pop punk—in the best possible way.

Reflecting back on where it all began, Night Terrors’ Dave Gomez (vocals/bass) cites his biggest influencer as Blue Island’s own, Mest. The combination live energy and performance was enough for Gomez to actually imagine a future in music.

“At a really early age, I knew it was one of those things that if they can do it, then I can do it.”

“Even beyond bands like Blink or Green Day because a lot of people don’t even look at them like people. People look at them as legends, if you will,” Gomez says. “So to see a band from the area actually go on the road and make records? At a really early age, I knew it was one of those things that if they can do it, then I can do it.”

And it’s clear that Night Terrors can do it. Melanie/Island (Wasting Away) bleeds the best of pop punk, with bold strings and hard-hitting percussion perfectly blended with angst-soaked lyrics and Gomez’s commanding vocal vigor.

Not only has the Chicago scene seemingly influenced Night Terrors’ sound—the scene, quite literally, worked its way onto the release itself. 

Featuring the likes of Real Friends’ Dave Knox, Bonfires’ Kevin Provencher and 7 Minutes In Heavens’ Alex Rogers, Gomez had the chance to work with a few of his friends—who just happen to be some of the most influential names in Chicago music.

“It’s kind of weird because it was kind of an accident,” Gomez says. “In the Chicago scene, everyone just kind of knows each other. It doesn’t even matter how far away you live—somebody knows somebody who played a show with somebody.” 

Those somebodies came together and produced a set of songs that could easily lead the pop-punk pack. And though Night Terrors is just getting started, the final product has been a long time coming. “I started this like honestly three years ago,” Gomez says. “I started really trying to hone in on what I wanted to do with songwriting and stuff like that, what I really wanted to say and what I wanted it to be. It took a long time—it took a very long time—but I feel like it’s all leading up to this point.”

So what’s there to expect looking ahead?

“I’m hoping to take over the world,” Gomez says, laughing. With Melanie/Island (Wasting Away), he simply wanted a release that would produce some kind of feeling. And if these tracks prove anything, it’s that Night Terrors accomplished that and more.

“It was honestly 100 percent just about getting something that 12-year-old me would be stoked on.”

“It wasn’t really about ‘Oh my god, I need to sell a bunch of records or play big venues.’ It was honestly 100 percent just about getting something that 12-year-old me would be stoked on,” Gomez says. “I think lately, for the best, I just really didn’t give a shit. I was just like, ‘I’m going to write what I want to write’ and see where it goes. And because of that, I feel like I made something I’m really proud of.”

Melanie/Island (Wasting Away) proves that Night Terrors has plenty to look forward to. With a new found sound and new music promised for 2017, it’s clear that this is only the beginning.

Pick up Melanie/Island (Wasting Away) on Bandcamp or iTunes, and follow Night Terrors on social using the links below.

Facebook Twitter Instagram

Welcome Home: The St. Louis rockers are truly ‘Just Happy To Be Here’

Welcome Home basically live on the road. The St. Louis alt rockers spent 34 days on the road in May and June, followed by another 12 come July. They have found their pace, and though it’s not always easy—especially when the AC breaks down two days into a 34-day summer tour—they wouldn’t have it any other way. “You kind of just get lost in the routine of driving, unloading, playing, meeting all these cool people, and then you just pack up and leave,” bassist Kenny Ruiz says. “I think the weirdest part was my mom calling me everyday and being like, ‘So where are you at now?’ and I’d be eight hours from where I was the day before. But it was the best summer of my life.”

With their sights already set on a tour for late fall, they have no plans on slowing down. The group has its roots in St. Louis, where vocalist Nick Pirrone made Welcome Home a reality, recruiting Aaron Selby (guitar), Ruiz (bass) and brothers Austin Jones (guitar) and Brandon Jones (drums) to finish the lineup. They started out as friends in a local scene, growing closer as they took to the touring lifestyle.

“The music scene in St. Louis is great,” Ruiz says. “With touring the country, you kind of see how every scene is different. St. Louis is definitely unique and special to where it’s basically what we grew up with. We’d go out and see everyone playing shows.

“But the biggest decision we had to make is more or less rather than playing St. Louis twice every month, we’re now trying to play St. Louis once every six months and just continue playing new markets all the time. So we’re kind of trying to just establish ourselves, more or less, as a consistently touring band.”

Yet this time on the road is what have given this band their sound—and their experience. The young band, who only solidified their lineup a year and a half ago while wrapping up their second EP, “Where All My Hope Was Buried,” has conquered a feat that can take years for a band to do. For, in that year and a half, Welcome Home have not only produced and released their debut record, but it’s a solid first album at that.

Just Happy To Be Here is brimming with pounding rhythms and emotionally raw vocals, mangled with compelling bass lines and guitar riffs that could be described as both polished and jagged, put together and pulsating. Tracks like “Foolish” slow down the pace of the record, placing an emphasis on Pirrone's commanding vocals, with songs like “Wait” boasting the group's full, impassioned composition—a sound that is specifically Welcome Home.

The record was produced in St. Louis, and it was a group’s worth of effort and influence that created an album that’s as potent in pop punk as it is laden with rousing alt rock. The band thrived in the studio and the team they worked alongside—a winning combination that helped create a cohesive and compelling freshman release. They recorded with Cody James, who they also worked with on their first EP. "Bringing a familiar face like Cody in to the recording process really made the recording process extremely fun and relaxing," Ruiz says. "Cody is one of the nicest and most talented people we know, and we've recorded with him before, so it wasn't much of a thought whether or not he was going to be apart of it." 

Photo credit: Casey Watson, @caseyaudiobot

They also worked alongside Allen Hessler—a man behind so many of the best artists in the scene. “We brought in this guy Allen Hessler, and he’s worked with Real Friends, The Wonder Years, Motionless In White. I mean, his resume speaks for itself,” Ruiz says. “It was a little daunting at first. You know, having that big name come and work with us.”

But working with the big name—daunting or not—seems to have paid off. They’re playing to audiences who are singing along, and it’s blowing them away. When we chat, the group were just decompressing after a house show in Terre Haute, Indiana—which, Ruiz believes, is one of the best shows they've ever played. For them, returning to a venue and seeing the passionate interaction is what they live for.

“There were familiar faces singing the songs, but then there were people that maybe have seen us before, but we just had never had the chance to converse with them. But there were definitely people that I didn’t recognize that were singing the songs,” Ruiz says. “With the new record being out, it was weird looking up and seeing people sing the songs we’ve been playing for months now, but now everyone can actually hear it and own it. It was just cool.”

But being back at home is just as exciting. With an album release show marking their first hometown gig in six months (“We’re itching to be back home,” Ruiz says), Welcome Home are taking it full circle. And really, they’re just happy to be here.

Want more Welcome Home? Pick up a copy of Just Happy To Be Here here, and check out their social links below.

Twitter Facebook Instagram

Dead Fall: Ohio pop punkers on their game-changing EP 'Desperate Situations'

This has been the year for Ohio-based pop punkers Dead Fall. When we sat down to chat, you’d never guess that these humble guys have hit some awesome milestones—they’re simply grateful for it all. But after kicking off 2016 with the release of their EP Desperate Situations, the group is finally starting to feel like they’re gaining some momentum—and they have the proof to back it up.

Their latest release has proven they have found their sound in the genre. Since 2013, they've been slowly figuring it out. Now people are responding, and their successful EP kickoff simply made them realize that they're on the right track.

“That was the biggest like, ‘Oh shit. People are singing these words. They actually know them,’” vocalist Jake Gambatese says of their EP release show. “People were getting on stage, singing along with us. It was pretty cool.”

And as they take the stage at Mahall’s in Cleveland, the guys exude a kind of entrancing energy, all driven by the band's understanding of how to put on a dynamic show. “The more shows we play, I feel like the better we understand how to play live,” Gambatese says.

"FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A PURPOSE!" From our EP release at The Grog Shop 1/9/16. 📷: @garlicjunior_

A photo posted by Dead Fall (@deadfallofficial) on Feb 11, 2016 at 11:37am PST

And the local scene has given them these opportunities to play live; it's one of the few places where any band in the scene would wish to get their start. Based in the college town of Kent, Dead Fall have found a way to thrive in a space that’s as supportive as it is stimulating—a connection to a group of people who are all trying to do the same thing.

In their formative years, the band would take any opportunity thrown their way—it didn’t matter how many shows were in a month, or what genre they were (yes, rap included). But every experience has influenced their sound and the product they’re creating, which may be why they’re not the easiest to nail down.

Nick Barker provides the band’s throbbing beats, with Anthony Lupica and Ryan Task yielding searing guitar riffs, Seth Holt bringing the bass and Gambatese rounding off the effort with rough-around-the-edges vocals. The group finds a way to stray from the cookie-cutter pop punk equation by throwing in post-hardcore breakdowns (“In The Way”) and finding a comfort in slowing down with melodic, acoustic-driven tracks as well (“Deadline”).

Though 2016 may slowly be coming to a close, it's still a promising look ahead for the group. They're hoping for more recording and more rad gigs, with a game-changing opportunity to open for pop punk powerhouses Neck Deep come September. The guys are finally seeing their hard work pay off, and if anything is evident after this year’s success, it’s that Dead Fall has nowhere to go but up.

Want more Dead Fall? Pick up a copy of Desperate Situations here, and check out their social links below.

Twitter Facebook Instagram

Chicago-based Bonfires drop new EP, 'A Reason To Get Home'

The Windy City has given us some of the best bands in the scene, and Chicago-based Bonfires are proving their worth with their latest EP, A Reason To Get Home, which dropped July 12.

The most notable part about the rockers’ five-track release is the honesty and raw emotion behind each song.

“Untitled” kicks off the EP with instrumentals that set the tone for the rest of the record. Heavy-hitting “Walls,” both lyrically and musically speaking, proves that Brad Harvey, who made his frontman debut with the lead single “Colorblind,” is exactly what this band needs.

"Sympathy" perfectly blends rock/emo elements with poignant lyrics, and "Never Meant" boasts catchy instrumentals. The concluding track, "Colorblind," is one of the most solid tracks on the EP and leaves us wanting more—in the best way possible. (Full-length soon? We can only hope.)

Simply put, Bonfires are well on their way to becoming Chicago’s next big thing. The lead single, “Colorblind,” gave us just a taste of the band’s infectious rock accomplishments. If they haven’t made your playlist yet, they’ll be making an appearance now.

Purchase the full EP on Bandcamp, catch Bonfires on tour and follow their social media links below.

Track listing:
1. Untitled
2. Walls
3. Sympathy
4. Never Meant
5. Colorblind

Tour dates:
Aug. 11: Detroit, MI—The Ritz
Aug. 12: Flint, MI—Flint Local 432
Aug. 13: Berwyn, IL—The Wire
Aug. 14: Minneapolis, MN—The Garage
Aug. 16: Iowa City, IA—Blue Moose
Aug. 17: Indianapolis, IN—Irving Theatre
Aug. 19: Lakewood, OH—The Foundry Concert Club
Aug. 21: Syracuse, NY—The Vault
Aug. 23: Providence, RI—Dusk
Aug. 24: Brooklyn, NY—Gold Sounds
Aug. 25: Amityville, NY—Amityville Music Hall
Aug. 26: Vineland, NJ—The Oak Tavern
Aug. 27: Easton, MD—The Dummeyer (29340 Golton)
Aug. 28: Pittsburgh, PA—Smiling Moose

Bonfires
Twitter Instagram Facebook