Interview With 'Nerds In Denial'
Firstly, introduce yourselves and tell us a little bit about the band and how you came to be?
Nerds in Denial was formed in Brockport, NY in 2011 by guitar and bass players, Richie (Bass), Devin (Rhythm & Vocals), and Ben (Lead) at ages 14 and 15 respectively. Drummer Dashuan (Day-Shawn) was added in late 2012 to complete the sound of Nerds In Denial. Nerds In Denial, as a whole, aspires to share emotions and experiences with listeners through our music. Music is all of our passion and none of us could imagine pursuing another career.
What were you all up too prior to the band, was this always the chosen path or did you have other dreams and aspirations?
Prior to the band, the members of Nerds In Denial were very involved in music through schools. We are relatively young musicians, though we have put more time into this than some bands do before they break up. This is the dream that we have been working on since high school. Though there are other aspirations, they all include the band succeeding either before or after the other goals.
Tell us about your latest EP and why our readers should check it out.
We have recently (May 15) released our newest single, 'Crazy', off of our upcoming album, 'Take Two'. 'Take Two' in its' entirety was recorded live by Victoria Polla at The Studio @ FLCC, and mixed and mastered by Low Key Records. The album itself covers a wide range of different styles, including pop, punk, jazz, bossa nova, funk, and many more, while staying in the realm of rock and roll. The album will be released completely July 4th, 2016 online on our website to order physical copies, or digital download. Also look out for more singles that will be coming out before the album!
Have you ever come face to face with someone within the music scene who has left you awestruck and why?
We love seeing so many live bands, but awestruck better describes the first person who gave us a chance in the Rochester music scene. His name is Dave. Dave made a company called RT Booking that books shows in Rochester, NY, and one of his old promoters reached out to us in 2012, asking if we wanted to play a show at Water Street Music Hall, which in Rochester is a pretty big deal for a couple of 15 and 16 years old respectively. The only stipulation was that we had to sell 25 tickets. We didn't have much of a draw at the time, other than our parents and girlfriends, so while we played our hearts out, we felt it was a failure. Luckily Dave came to the concert, and saw a lot of potential. He told us about his history in the scene and industry and we were absolutely awestruck and excited about our possible future for the band. Since then Dave has booked us, helped us plan many a show, and strategize for different events.
If we were to head out to one of your live shows what can ourselves and others expect?
Our live show has progressed over time. When we first started playing, we would create such difficult parts it was hard to move. People would love the music, but wouldn't want to go see a bunch of statues. We took that into consideration, and added a very real level of stage presence, that is heavily influenced by the jumping and passionate playing of Jimi Hendrix, or The Red Hot Chili Peppers. We love to have fun with each other, and with the audience during the show. Whether that means throwing balloons into the audience for them to toss around, or even letting an avid fan sing a chorus. When we get off the stage we are always sweating, and exhausted, yet people never fail to come up to us as we are moving equipment off stage to shake our hands let us know they enjoyed it.
If you had one artist/band that you could go on tour with tomorrow who would it be and why?
It would have to be Cage The Elephant. Hands Down. In addition to the amazing music they make, they are also very similar to our style in that they use similar instruments. They have the ability to take the energy down and to bring it way back up. Their stage presence is a very similar passionate mosh to ours. They are amazing musicians, especially live, and to work with them would be more than a dream come true.
You can spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead, who would you pick, why and what would you speak about?
This is a very different answer for each member of the band. Luckily I, Richie Cardiel, am answering this question, so here's my answer: If I could spend an hour with a musical icon living or dead it would have to be Gene Simmons of KISS. Being a bass player, it is intriguing how much fame he has received by being the bass player of a band, though that's not why he's actually famous, or what I would want to talk about. Gene Simmons created and did a huge amount of work to promote his band and his brand KISS. Gene Simmons is basically a marketing genius, the way he was able to fit himself and KISS into the mainstream, when no band like KISS existed before or after them with that level of success. I have spent a lot of time personally doing research, but the problem is that you have to predict the trends, and start them because when you hear about the trend, it's too late. Throughout his life, Gene Simmons has had a knack for knowing what to do to continue growing the KISS brand, and I believe that he still has the insights to help a newer band such as Nerds in Denial.
And finally and most importantly is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?
Before we analyze whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not, we need to define what exactly a Christmas movie is. Some prime examples of Christmas movies are Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, Home Alone, and It's A Wonderful Life. These movies have many things in common to make the Christmas movies. One is the presence of a villain. Stormella, also once called the "Evil Ice Queen" was the main antagonist of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie. She is named so because of her magical ability to start a snow storm. Harry Lime and Marv Merchants aka The Wet Bandits, and the Sticky Bandits, or simply known as Harry and Marv, are the main antagonists of the 1990 and 1992 Theatrical Fox Christmas comedy movies Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. They are robbers who rob money and cash, but are also very bad at their job. Henry F. Potter (commonly referred to as "Mr. Potter" or just "Potter") is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1946 Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life.Mr. Potter is depicted as a greedy banker whom the film's protagonists find to be utterly unlikable. Everything he does in the film is motivated by money and greed, regardless of the consequences the action in question may have for anyone else. They also all have their happy endings. Santa asks Rudolph to lead his team and once Rudolph agrees, he is given a Medal of Valor (which all Flyers wear) and his father tells him that he is proud of him. Rudolph guides Santa's sleigh through the storm, and receives a hero's welcome when he returns and it turns out to be a merry Christmas after all. In home Alone, on Christmas Day, Kevin is disappointed to find that his family is still gone. He then hears Kate enter the house and call for him; they reconcile and are soon joined by the rest of the McCallisters, who waited in Paris until they could get a direct flight to Chicago. In It's a Wonderful Life, George runs back to the bridge and begs for his life back. His prayer is answered, as Burt catches up to him, but only to say he was glad he found George as everyone was worried about him. George runs through the town joyously, wishing everyone he sees a merry Christmas, and is fine with his forthcoming arrest when he comes home. Mary and Uncle Billy arrive, having rallied the townspeople, who donate more than enough to cover the deficit and for Potter's warrant to be torn up. They all also take place during Christmas time. Knowing all this we will now look at the plot of Die Hard. On Christmas Eve, New York City Police Detective John McClane arrives in Los Angeles. He aims to reconcile with his estranged wife, Holly, at the Christmas party of her employer, the fictional Nakatomi corporation. While McClane changes clothes, the party is disrupted by the arrival of Hans Gruber and his heavily armed crew. The group seizes the tower and secures those inside as hostages, except for McClane, who manages to slip away. A whole slew of unforgettable lines are uttered by characters in scenes that will forever be etched in our minds. In the end John McClane saves the day, and his wife, all in time for Christmas. So to make a long story short, yes. Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
