Roll of the Dice is a short interview format with a variable amount of questions. A Pair of dice is rolled and the total, between 2 and 12, is the amount of questions we can ask. All questions are given to the interviewee(s) at once, and no follow-ups are allowed. The interview may be lightly edited for content and clarity.
TGEFM had a chance to speak with Matt Spatial of Atlanta’s darkwave act Now After Nothing about their new single, “Fixation Fantasy,” how the band transformed from solo project to the current incarnation and and a quick hint what’s next for the duo.
Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Congrats on the release of “Fixation Fantasy.” What should TGEFM readers know about Now After Nothing? How’d the band start out, and what’s next for you and your growing fanbase?
Thank you for having me!
The band started just as an idea I had to do a solo album. I had been away from music for awhile and was really feeling lost without it. Although the idea of a solo record and doing everything myself was pretty intimidating at first, once I started making progress on the songs that old spark was ignited to take it further because I really felt that these were some of the best songs I had ever written. From then on, I knew in my heart that I really wanted to be in a band again and play these songs live but I needed to first see the songs through to completion. So to finish the recordings, I recruited Michael to play live drums. He’s a longtime friend, a phenomenal drummer, and really easy to work with. I knew I could trust him with my vision and so we went to work recording everything in my studio with him on drums and me on everything else.
As of now, I’m just finishing off some of the tracking and will be shifting focus soon toward getting the live band assembled. Over the next several months we’ll still be releasing more singles and looking to play the first live shows!
You are looking to hit the road shortly, which song off the new record are you most looking forward to playing live and what can we expect from live Now After Nothing performances?
I know that “Sick Fix” will be a really fun song to play live because it’s so high energy. I’m also looking forward to playing a song called “Criminal Feature” because it has a really catchy, harmony-filled chorus. I’ve always loved the sensation of singing harmonies live when you and the other vocalist(s) are locked in together. As far as what to expect… I’m brainstorming that now actually. I’ve always enjoyed putting on a bit of a show so I hope to bring something special to our live performances. In past bands, I’ve played around with video projection and other little extras to add to the performance, so I will certainly explore some visual elements with Now After Nothing.
One of our obligatory questions in these interviews also tends to be the one I have found most important on a personal level. Who are some bands on your radar that TGEFM readers may not know about, but you think they should know about?
Great question!
Among my favorite bands that I imagine some people may have missed out on include:
Scarling – Incredible in every way! Massive walls of sound back up some of the most dynamic vocals you’ll ever hear – sometimes soft and sad, sometimes reaching through the speaker to rip your face off.
Check out their debut EP Sweet Heart Dealer.
Plexi – a mashup up goth, 70’s glam rock, and brash guitars with tons of attitude all around. Listen to their debut album Cheer Up. I listened to this album, and only this album, for three months straight at one point in my life.
The Joy Formidable – gorgeous shoegaze-y sounds fill out their not-really-shoegaze songs. Check out their debut The Big Roar. The only band on this list that is still performing so see them now while you can!
Switchblade Symphony – I’m not sure how many people reading this don’t already know of them but if you do not, you definitely should. Old school goths that slipped in and out of trip hop. Beautiful songs through and through. Their most goth-y release was the debut Serpentine Gallery, but the second release Bread and Jam For Frances, is where the goth meets trip hop sound really came to be. I miss this band!
Now that the world has gotten its hands on “Fixation Fantasy,” what is next for Now after Nothing?
I’m prepping for the next single now set for release in early April.
You’re getting the exclusive here first… I think this next song is going to be a bit of an unexpected surprise. Maybe a song that sounds a little familiar to old school goths *winkwink*
After that, more music and as many shows as we can make happen!
Bad Dad (occasionally called Ed) has been on the periphery of the punk and punk-adjacent scene for over twenty years. While many contributors to this site have musical experience and talent, Ed’s musical claim to fame comes from his time in arguably the most punk rock Blockbuster Video district in NJ where he worked alongside members of Blanks 77, Best Hit TV and Brian Fallon. He is more than just an awful father to his 2 daughters, he is also a dreadful husband, a subpar writer, a terrible dresser and has a severe deficiency in all things talent… but hey, at least he’s self-aware, amirite?
Check out the pathetic attempts at photography on his insta at https://www.instagram.com/bad_dad_photography/
