An Interview with Nothing But Silence

A fresh single release from Nothing But Silence delivers an amazingly perfect crossover of approaches that certainly lend a hand to classic, late 90s, or even early 2000s underground post-punk styles, along with a slew of other influences and elements that let the track breathe and portray a semi-experimental approach.

"Mind" is a track that breeds an atmosphere all its own. Yes, it does incorporate a lot of that post-punk style, but it also utilizes vast synth pads to create a robust atmosphere and soundscape so that these tones and notes sort of float through the track's ether, giving it a deepening sort of underbelly.

This lets everything come through a bit cinematically, and I love that because that expansive undertone really helps the aesthetic of the track come through properly.

You can tell this was certainly influenced by those '90s underground bands, and between that synth pad work and the guitars. These guys nail the sound they're going for.

The guitars have a certain kind of twang with effects like reverb or a little bit of delay, which adds to the spaciousness and ambience of the track as a whole but also gives it a little more color.

I would say that this song has a damn near perfect blend of edginess, color, and personality simply because of the way it unfolds.

It's got these flowing waves of sonic presence that you end up attaching yourself to and floating right alongside.

I love songs that take you on these little musical journeys, the way this one does.

You also have that experimental side as well. The beat of the track feels like it's live drums, but is a digital drum beat, so that element lets things feel a little different.

It brings the song into an almost dream or indie-pop feel but it's not overwhelming so the track still keeps to the aesthetic it began with, but has now also reached into other facets, which is why I mentioned how they have this slew of influences in soundscapes that come together to create something very unique.

It's that spaciousness that engulfs you. It does so in a good way, though. It feels great to be engulfed in this track because it takes you out of wherever you are and whatever you're doing and puts you in a different world for a little chunk of time.

I absolutely miss when songs did this, so to hear it now is completely refreshing for me.

I also grew up with a lot of post-punk, so the track gave me bouts of nostalgia at times.

There are some vocals on the track that have a deep-rooted distortion to them, which helps things bleed into that experimental phase once again, and I feel like this combination of elements and experimentation really lets the song have a vibe that you can fall right into.

This is a track that has a particular way of wrapping itself around you and keeping you right where it wants to.

The vastness, color, vibrancy, and sonic presence are all brilliant here.

It all feels like something you could hear in the scene of a film, for example.

By the end of the song, you end up washed away by the soundscape of it all, and it was a little invigorating for me because it felt great.

You can tell there was a lot of attention to detail that went into the creation of this track, but there was also an element of looseness.

Again, there are different influences that come into play, but they weren't aiming for anything super in particular. Or at least that's what I feel like.

It seems like they were creating music that fit the mood they were in, and by doing so, the song itself creates a mood of its own, and this is part of what you get attached to.

There is a warmth to it all as well. It's a sonic warmth, but a warmth all the same. The song is strangely welcoming as much as it is edgy and distant.

So, there's a lot going on. Plenty of layers and textures to soak in, and I suggest doing so with headphones on because it's one of the best ways to really take all of those layers in.

This was created with fewer boundaries than you may be used to, but still sticks to certain kinds of aesthetics and influences you may be familiar with. I certainly was, and I loved their level of experimentation on top of utilizing the influences that made them want to get into music in the first place.

Upon listening to this well-woven single, I wanted to chat with the band to find out where it all came from and what might be coming up next.

Here's what happened.

Buzz Slayers: Let's talk about "Mind"! This had a classic post-punk feel with those vast synths and a blending of other styles! Where did this track come from?

Eric: “MIND” was fun to make, I didn’t really have an influence when I was producing the song. I try to mix a lot different stuff of when I’m making songs such as like the vibe, style, and mode. I was really thinking of that scene in the movie “Forest Gump” when he taught Elvis how to dance lol. So I decided to make a song that I could dance to similar what I saw in the movie. 

Buzz Slayers: I'm hearing a few different approaches to this song! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Eric: yeah, I try to keep things interesting with using different sounds that’s just me personally lol. My inspiration for this project would be the bands Diiv and Black Marble.

Buzz Slayers: Did you guys record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?

Eric: We recorded “MIND”  in my front room of. Y apartment in Chicago. 

Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as a band?

Eric: Honestly Nothing But Silence started because of my buddy Jared Mattson of (Mattson 2) he also played some guitar in Toro y Moi, but I played drums for his solo tour few summers ago he asked me if I was working on anything I played Valerie and that was it from there. He saw something in the project I didn’t and helped me step by step pretty much my mentor, and I thank him also every two week for pushing me. Love that dude. 

Buzz Slayers: Are you performing live right now? Any touring in support of this release?

Eric: yeah we’re booked up until September, and I’m thankful for that honesty. Just played Toronto which was a great turn out, and we have show in Chicago (home) May 28th opening for Blood Club with Obskuros at The Sub-T super stoked for that one. 

Buzz Slayers: Now that this is out, what's next for you as a band? Any upcoming releases on the way?

Eric: Next single will be out in August all I can say lol.

Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?

Eric: Who’s in my headphones sheesh recently Future, Cool Heat, Diiv, and Johnny Cash.

Buzz Slayers: What would you tell people they can expect on this release?

Eric: For the next release, I just hope everybody digs it honestly.  

Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music? 

Eric: Yeah, I just want to say thank you everyone for your support, and my bandmates Edgar Torres, Danny Watt, also Thank you to Rudy De Anda for everything too. All the friends and family thank you so much. Cruel Management too Vinny Blood Club manager and Damian too who’s apart of Cruel Management staff, Thank you guys so much I really appreciate everyone.

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