Wir hatten die aufregende Gelegenheit, mit Daniel Oliver, dem Bassisten der dynamischen Rockband Nothing More, zu sprechen. In unserem ausführlichen Interview gewährt uns Daniel Einblicke in die Entwicklung ihrer Musik seit dem letzten Album „Spirits“ und erläutert die kreativen Unterschiede bei der Entstehung ihres neuesten Werkes „Carnal“. Zudem spricht er über die Herausforderungen und Inspirationen während der Aufnahme, die Zusammenarbeit mit anderen bekannten Metal-Bands und die Bedeutung einzelner Songs.
Frontstage Magazine: How has the music of Nothing More Nothing More evolved since their last album “Spirits”?
Daniel: I think that as a band we came down from the clouds a little bit, peeled back some of the complex layers of our music and wrote some big heavy riffs and songs that just feel great.
Frontstage Magazine: How does the creative process for creating “Carnal” differ compared to previous albums by the band?”
Daniel: The creative process for Carnal was a bit different than any other Nothing More record. We typically will take a raw musical idea to the jam room and refine it until we have what sounds like a verse, chorus and bridge. Then write the melody and lyrics based on the mood of the music. For the writing of Carnal though, a lot of the songs started from scratch in a studio setting, and we would start focusing on the melody and lyrics a lot sooner in the process and refine both music and melody at the same time. The big advantage we found with doing more of the writing in the studio is that you very quickly get to hear back exactly what the parts are going to sound like and get it just how you want it to sound much sooner.
Frontstage Magazine: What does the album title stand for / what does it mean?
Daniel: We wanted this record to be more visceral and punch you in the face harder than anything we’ve ever written before. “Spirits” was a somewhat complex and heady look at the different spirits that make up each one of us so as a follow up we thought it’d be cool to go the opposite direction; Heavier, dirtier, more guttural, more Carnal.
Frontstage Magazine: What challenges did the band face during the recording of “Carnal” and how were they overcome?
Daniel: It didn’t turn out to be a challenge; but the biggest unknown going into this record was how we were going to handle working with an outside producer on the whole thing instead of producing the album in house like we’ve done the last 4 records. Working with Drew Fulk turned out to be amazing though! From day one he felt like the 5th member of the band and I don’t think there was really anything that we didn’t see eye to eye on.
Frontstage Magazine: What expectations does the band have regarding fan reactions to the new album “Carnal” compared to their previous releases?
Daniel: I think that the fans are going to love this record right out of the gate. So far it’s been amazing to see the energy that everyone has at the shows for the couple of new tracks that we’ve released.
Frontstage Magazine: You have two songs on your album that were released as singles in collaboration with two very different bands from the metal genre, namely Disturbed and I Prevail. This covers something for almost every metal fan. How did the collaboration with these two acts come about, and why was the selection specifically made for them?
Daniel: We’ve been friends with the guys from Disturbed for a while now and once Angel Song came into existence we all felt it had that epic vibe that David Draiman does so well. We had just gotten reacquainted with them last summer in Europe while we were doing the festival circuit. So the timing was perfect. We actually became friends with the I Prevail guys as well while we were over in Europe last summer. I think it was our last date overseas, we were in Italy with Slipknot and I Prevail, and I think that was when we shared the music with Eric and he was immediately pumped to be a part of it. We are so stoked to have both of them on this record!
Frontstage Magazine: The song ‚Free Fall‘ is described as an emotional ride. How does the song differ from the other tracks on the album, and what significance does it hold for you?
Daniel: I think ’Free Fall’ is special because it both indulges the feelings of being out of control and lost and also gives you an amazing feeling of hope and joy to keep pushing on at the same time. This song really hit home for me because a little over two years ago my life entered a spiral of change. I was freshly married two months prior when we got the news from a friend of the family that there was a fire on my parents street. Nobody could get a hold of my parents and when we drove over to my childhood home, it was utterly destroyed . The police told me that the fire department found my father out by the street, severely burned but alive, but that my mother did not make it out of the house. I can’t describe the feeling of loss I had that day. Devyn and I were just over there the night before hanging out and now my mother was gone. Later that same year my wife and I felt the pull to move out of state as well. So the last couple of years have really been a whirlwind of unknowns and great change.
Frontstage Magazine: Was there anyone who inspired and influenced you during the album recordings, and if so, why?Daniel: The biggest influence for my writing on this record was definitely the tragedy that hit my family. Beautiful things can come from horrible situations though and I hope that this album is one of those beautiful things. My mom was my biggest supporter and arguably the band’s most dedicated fan, so this one’s for her.
Frontstage Magazine: Our last question often stands out a bit! You were on tour through Europe with Eskimo Callboy in the spring! You’ve been on the road for a few years longer than Eskimo Callboy. What could you still learn from the band, and what could the band learn from you?
Daniel: Being on that Electric Callboy tour was pretty inspirational for me. It was amazing watching their music and performance cause 10,000 people to lose their minds and dance every night. It reminded me how powerful music can be, and how unifying it is across cultures. It was energizing being around another band that is just really pumped to be doing what they’re doing right now; and enjoying doing it together as a family. And as on top of things as they are, they are still very humble and caring about everyone around them. I think they connected us all a little better to the true spirit of rock ’n’ roll. From us I think they learned about a couple of good comedy movies that didn’t make it over to Germany. But that’s about it. Haha
Fotocredit: Dante Dellamore
