USA NAILS INTERVIEW WITH VOCALIST/ GUITARIST GARETH THOMAS AND VOCALIST/GUITARIST STEVEN HODSON BY CALEB R. NEWTON
T
he London-based group USA Nails have captured a marvelously vibrant mash-up of noise-rock abrasion with punching melody Ă la classic-feeling post-punk on their new album Character Stop, which drops October 23 via Hex Records.
In the music, the vibe of the rainbow that’s splashed across the cover shines through quite brightly, but not to the exclusion of the album’s grimier undercurrent. There’s a free-flowing tension in the lyrics, the sometimes-shouted vocals, and the sharp music. “As well as the overarching, middle-aged man still trying to be in a punk band, there’s songs that are a bit more personal,� the band’s vocalist and guitarist Steven Hodson explains. “I think, in the past, my lyrics have been a bit more tongue-in-cheek, but
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Fighters, probably. Having said that, I am up for working with you, Rick, if you are reading this, which you definitely are.� Even if Rick Rubin happens to hit up the band soon, USA Nails will always be rooted in the bustling DIY heavy music community.
I’ve started to reflect a bit more Behind that accomplishment, Thomon my experiences and my per- as explains that he “wanted to exsonality. I’m quite an anxious pand on the more melodic ideasâ€? character but cover it up a lot that cropped up on the band’s 2019 “Things are so vibrant at the moment through having one too many record Life Cinema. The production in the underground, and it is great beers to build confidence. I have from Wayne Adams, who has han- to hear what’s coming out at the recently become a father too, dled all five USA Nails albums, also moment, but the fact that even the which is great, but it has brought figures prominently in the latest re- DIY scene is still dominated by white, some mad experiences up from cord’s construction, as Thomas sees it. cis, het men is telling,â€? Thomas obmy past. I lost my dad when I was serves. “We try to be more mindful of quite young, and certainly don’t “I don’t think we are that similar that these days, like doing what we want my daughter to have to ex- to any singular noise rock band, can to make sure bills we appear on perience what I did. It’s made me or any band, really,â€? he observes. are inclusive and diverse, and that think about my lifestyle a lot.â€? “Having said that, I don’t know if gigs provide a safe environment for Wayne has go-to references when everyone to enjoy. The band members have “all played we’re making records with him. Ofin bands for years,â€? fellow vocalist ten, when we’ve tried to give him “Not saying that we are perfect, of and guitarist Gareth Thomas adds, our own references, he’s come course, and there’s always more but he personally reached a mile- back and said stuff like, ‘Nah, your that can be done. But thankfully, it stone with Character Stop. drumming isn’t crap enough; this feels like most people share the idea won’t work.’ that more needs to be done to make “I think this is the first recording sesthe scene more inclusive and more sion where, as soon as I stepped out I’ve always thought a large part safe. There are so many generous, of the studio, I immediately thought, of genre comes from production. progressive, wonderful, and talent‘I really love what we’ve done here,’â€? Imagine how we would sound if Rick ed folk who are part of it; it makes he shares. Rubin produced us. Like the Foo me excited for the future.â€? đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł đ&#x;’Ł
