First off, please introduce yourself and tell us what you do in the band!
My name is Jordan and I play drums in the band.
Your latest music video, Hold Up Girl, was shot by using Instagram and has gone viral! How did you guys come up with the concept for this video?
J: We knew we wanted to do something that was really out of the box and shareworthy. A lot of our favorite music videos are the ones that are extremely difficult to create. We brainstormed some ideas for a couple weeks and then one day Ian called me and was like, “dude, I got it!”
On top of releasing a viral music video, you guys also released your debut full-length just a few months ago and were also listed as one of the “Top 100 Bands to Watch Out for in 2013” by both Alternative Press and Absolute Punk. How does it feel to earn so much exposure over the past year as a DIY band?
J: It feels good to know that even without a lot of resources and outside help people are still taking notice to what we’re doing. It’s really tough to be a DIY band and it requires a ton of sacrifice. It’s definitely rewarding that it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Twenty One Rooms is a great album that shows how diverse you guys can be with your sound while still staying true to yourselves. What do you hope your fans walk away with after listening to this album?
J: With this album we wanted to show how much our band has grown over the years. We’re constantly fighting an uphill battle, but we always stay persistent and keep fighting to reach our goals. This attitude of triumph against adversity is one of the biggest themes on the record. The fact that fans have reached out saying how much the record meant to them is such a humbling thing, and it’s exactly what we’ve set out to do.
You guys actually stayed in an abandoned estate of journalist and poet, William Cullen Bryant, to write and record Twenty One Rooms. Do you think this made a difference in what direction the album went?
J: The house we recorded in definitely played a huge role in the album. We went into the house with a lot of the material already written, but we were inspired to get in there and just write. We ended up writing some songs in the house that made the record over songs we had been working on for months. Ian pretty much scratched all his pre-written lyrics once we got into the house as well. I know the pictures and poetry on the walls really affected him. We also recorded the entire album live in the ballroom of the house, so the tones on the album are very roomy and alive.
What can we expect next from NGHBRS?
J: We’re really excited to be a part of this year’s CMJ Festival, and we’re hoping to really capitalize on the buzz our video created. Expect to see us on the road in 2014 for sure!
Thanks for your time! Anything else you’d like to add?
J: Thank you!!! Here are our links for you to have…
www.facebook.com/nghbrs
www.nghbrs.com
www.twitter.com/nghbrs
www.nghbrs.tumblr.com
www.youtube.com/nghbrs
www.instagram.com/nghbrsband
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