The Nexxt

The Nexxt Chapter...

When did you first get into music?

Wake: I think the first time I played guitar I was 12 at church. They were giving free lessons to kids and I went and didn’t stick with it. It wasn’t till a few years later that I got really serious about playing and performing. When we were in high school Aidan and I asked Snacks if he wanted to join our band and he was like “sure? When do you guys start?” And I was like right now, grab your stuff were going to my moms to write songs.

Aidan...well when Wake came to me and said that we were gonna start a band I was all in! Of course then it hit me that I didn’t know how to play an instrument. So I went out and bought a bass and a guitar and I learned to play. Next thing I knew, I was hooked!

Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music?

me tell ya if you’re ever thinking “is it a good idea to play a show in your underwear”, I can assure you the answer is fucking no mate. We used to try and just be as high energy, balls to the wall intense as possible. But now we have learned that that’s not authentic, not every song needs you to be full insanity. Sometimes you need to back off and get present in the moment. For me I go to a different place during each song, I find the site of the what caused the me to write those words. And the thing is I fearlessly go there no matter what, whether it’s sex, depression, drugs or loneliness, I go there for that moment and relieve it. That’s the only way you can do this is to go there and be honest about it because in this world we want to be superficial but this can’t be. This has to hurt because it’s honesty and people deserve my honesty.

Wake: Not to be arrogant; but I was 17 and I watched the guys on the stage at a show an thought “you know what? I can do that better.” So I walked into my dad’s office one day, I sat down and said “Dad we’re going to start a band.” My dad who was on the phone told the guy he’d call him back and he looked at me and said “Son you guys can’t play any instruments. How can you be a band?” And I just said “don’t worry about it, we’ll figure it out later.”

Aidan: Well first I want to say, that I have to disagree with my brother here, playing music in your underwear in front of a few hundred people is a great time! For me though music just made so much sense, I started listening to music like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin and I was completely blown away by the sounds they were making.

Then I started finding more bands and genres that just were just mind blowing. The first of which was the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who has been the biggest band in my musical journey. I remember listening to the way Flea and John Frusciante played with such passion and love. The blend of so many different styles

of music was just mind blowing! And from there it was just one band after another. Punk, jazz, rock, grunge, pop, blues, everything under the sun.

I’d like to think that in the songs we write now you can hear my love of all of these styles of incredible music.

You recently changed your band’s name. Tell us about that?

Wake: You know that was a different era, a different time. We were different men. This is different, this feels different and the name had to change to reflect that. When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, you call it a butterfly. That’s the thing to remember. You call a butterfly a butterfly.

Aidan… right... butterflies...

I’m sure you have shared the stage with a lot of talented artists/celebrities along the way. Would you share 1 or 2 of your favorite stories with us?

Playing with the Maine was pretty cool, Hawthorne Heights was a fun show to play. We got to open for Set it Off once too. Also when I was playing basketball in High School I played Kawhi Leonard one time in Phoenix. We lost the game 79-26, but I like to think we left the floor with a mutual respect for each other as warriors. Kinda developed a rivalry if you will. I like to think he occasionally thinks back to those battles.

Aidan.. a couple of months back I got the opportunity to meet Flea and I got to hug him and thank him for the amazing music and gifts he’s given world. I cried, like ugly cried.

Then a few years ago I had dinner with a famous producer named T Bone Burnett and actor Jeff Bridges. It was a delightful meal, Mr. Bridges was an amazing man and he was a great story teller. We talked at length about the Big Libowski and music. He was very kind and never even bothered asking how I got a seat at his table!

Oh! I also met Shia LeBeouf one day, we hugged and I told him how big of a fan I am and then he smiled and kissed me on the cheek.

If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why?

Wake: I don’t know if belief is an emotion but I’m gonna say it is. We need each other and we believe in one another and I know we’re going to discover what were supposed to be. If you don’t believe, if you don’t have faith, you can’t do this. It’s that simple. I wish it was easier, but I know it’s going to be ok because I believe that it will be worth it in the end.

Aidan...For me it’s the love of music and it’s ability it has to make life better for people. Music can truly save people and it’s a beautiful thing to see.

Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in an industry overflowing with new faces and ideas?

Wake: I think my energy is what makes us different, I don’t know, I’ve always been able to really connect with people. I have always connected and cared about people and I think in my performances you can see that. I feel people’s emotions and I share mine as well and we experience things together.

Aidan.. other bands don’t have me writing their songs.

What has been your biggest challenge as a musician/singer-songwriter? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

Wake: The biggest challenge has been the mental strength to believe in what you’re doing and to keep pushing. Truly It is hard to keep the faith and frankly that’s why some people don’t make it; people lose the nerve and the stomach for it. It’s hard putting your whole life into something and keeping the faith can be a challenge. We’re lucky we as a band have each other, we have a group of guys that have been doing this for a long time with each other and there is faith in the group and sometimes that is what carries you forward. Someone else in the group believing enough for both of you.

Aidan.. I’ve gotta kinda agree with him. This isn’t like working towards a degree or moving up the ladder at work, you really just have to keep the faith that it’s something you will succeed with! But man it’s hard as hell some days.

A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art?

Wake: You know I don’t know if suffering is the right word. I think it should be “you must live and be honest for your art.” I don’t think I truly have suffered, I think I have gotten to live a life that has had it’s ups and downs; but I am willing to be completely honest with you. Be completely sincere when I talk about my heart hurting or the feeling of loneliness that we can all relate too. I think that is what you need for good music, good lyrics, honesty so that someone can relate to that experience.

Aidan… well like he said, honesty is huge. I don’t think you have to suffer in order to be an artists, I personally always encourage young artists to make better choices than I did. Because I was a suffering artists and I personally think I could’ve skipped over that stage, and still written some incredible music. Because my life after getting clean and after my suffering, has given me far more opportunities and music to write.

How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business?

Wake: Well the good news is it is far easier to get music out there. But by the same token it is hard to get noticed in the sea of artists.

Aidan.. I think it’s caused bands to not put in the same amount of work as they once did. You post something, you buy ads for it, people see it. No one hops in the mystery machine anymore and goes and tours! And people don’t go see bands they’ve never heard of at a club that is down the street from them.

Have you done or plan on doing any Live-stream Concerts? If you have, how has the response been from your fans?

Wake: We actually have one coming up, it’s on September 5th that’ll be announced soon.

If you could change anything about the music industry. What would it be?

I just wish our genre had a bit more diversity and inclusion. We can always use more ideas and sounds that come from other cultures.

Aidan.. we need more kids starting bands in their garages and just suck. And then they need to go and play on a stage and suck. And then they have the time of their lives and they practice more and more and get good at it! More people just need to be playing music!

What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today? And why?

For me it’s gotta be The 1975’s first record, Glass Animals- How to Be Human, Oasis- What’s The Story Morning Glory, Kings of Leon- Come Around Sundown and probably Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness on the Edge of Town. I feel like there is a sincerity in each one of these records that I try to draw from, a feeling of genuineness that I hope to capture the energy of in my work.

Aidan.. I mean that’s a huge question. I mean at so many different points albums moved me musically forward. To get to an other album. For me I couldn’t put them in any particular order, cause that’d make it impossible to answer. But I would have to say The Beatles Rubber Soul, Red Hot Chili Peppers Californication, Foo Fighters Waisting Light, John Frusciante’s When Shadows Collide with People, and Catfish and the Bottlemen The Ride. There are so many more that I could list off that have moved me and made me think about music and life differently, but when I think about myself as a song writer those all have been so key for me. And they’re all albums that I can listen to all the way through and love each song on it. Plus he also took my favorite Oasis album (I’m the one with the picture on that street and the Oasis tattoo)

Tell us about your current project. Are you working on new music? An EP or Album?

We do have an EP that will drop soon. We recently got added to a Universal label and our stuff will soon be out there for all y’all. In the meantime follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook for news and stuff. Oh we have a youtube channel that will soon have music videos.

Aidan.. always writing music! It’s like drinking water or sleep. It’s a part of my day like anything else!

How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? https://www.facebook.com/TheNexxtbandoffical