upnow! - Sound In The Signals Interview
I recently had the opportunity to interview upnow!. We discussed the new demo EP, collaborating with Self Versed Records on cassettes, upcoming shows, and more. Check it below.
Can you tell me how you started the band for those who may be unfamiliar with it? How did you become interested in music?
upnow started pretty recently by me (wish). (late 2023) Originally this was a side project to have a lot of collaborations with all of my friends and possibly with artists that I listen to.
How did you come up with the name upnow!?
upnow was named after a lyric in a Danny Brown×jpegmafia song called "garbage pale kids". Danny Brown actually says "I'm up though" lol. I would say "I'm upnow listening on the way to work or to practice”. Just keeping awake and alive, vibrant with energy. My friend Jon said it should mean *positive now* so I'm gonna take that and spread it! I have always been an advocate for empathy, compassion as well as self-love.
Your demo EP ‘Am I Emo?’ came out at the end of last year. Have you been pleased with the response it’s received so far? What are your thoughts now that it’s been out for a while?
It’s up....now! More will be coming. People will slowly find out about it and hopefully it doesn't get buried under my future releases, but if it does it’s okay. I put these out as demos with intention if the songs were enjoyed enough there could be a reason to expand on the ideas.
That’s an interesting title, ‘Am I Emo?’. What’s the meaning behind it and why did you choose it?
I feel like it is a relatable question. It was intended for a specific group that I have been delighted to be apart of aka the emo scene or skramz scene. My music isn't super screamo but I love to play with bands that hit heavy in the emotions because my music does the same just with different sounds. Just wanted people to answer the question is the ep emo? Do you think it is?
I really like the song “just go home”. Can you tell me about writing that song specifically?
I recorded this on bass, it’s the first song I ever wrote on bass. The riff is as old as 2018 on an acoustic bass that sat around a house that I rented with 7 stinky people. Those bass parts and most vocals, and piano were recorded in 2021 and the song was revised and expanded upon via mp3 and logic late 2023.
Self Versed Records released a run of cassettes and they sold out pretty quickly. They’re currently on the second run. How did you end up working with them?
This whole thing was intended to start something new through a platform rather than doing all releases by myself. Kyle and I have performed together a few times and they are one of my great friends and comrades in the music world. I fucking love Kyle. They are literally my inspiration to even doing upnow and starting with these songs. I have always wrote emo tunes, but I suppressed them and felt they were too emo. Kyle has brought this shit back and created an amazing platform. I wanted to be apart of it for whatever it came to be. It has been awesome and overwhelming all at once.
How important is having physical media to you as a band?
Physical media as in magazines? I have always tried to pass flyers out. Media is crazy and I like to live nomadic in a futuristic society.
You’ve recently announced some shows. What can fans expect from the live show? Are there any artists you’d like to tour with?
Upnow will tour as a 4 piece band. It'll be a brand new experience and we are super excited for the first upnow shows.
Follow upnow!:
Follow Sound In The Signals:
No comments: