Who are you, how old are you and what is your position in the band?
My name is Todd Lowry, I’m 23 and I do vocals in Once Nothing
Once Nothing as been around for quite some time now. How did it all started, and what made you keep going?
We’ve been around since 2000. I was 15 and my friends and I started a band. We started slow and just learned as we went about everything. It keep going because all of us had a passion for music that took presidence over everything else we had going on. we just wanted to play shows.
Who gave you most support? Family, friends?
Friends for sure. we had some die hard friends/fans that supported us and believed in us. it was great!
This is a question i know a lot of bands hate, but still people like to; know about it: why choosing Once Nothing as a band name?
Like I said before I was 15 years old. Young, stupid and decided on a name. It stuck and we’ve just been growing with the name ever since.
How many shows have you played all in all? What is your best gig moment?
In all??? that would be impossible to calculate. last year we played well over 250 shows. we play all the time…pretty much everyday with the occasional break for some R and R. A big moment and highlight in the past seven years was getting to play Tooth and Nail Day at Cornerstone last year. that was truelya dream come true….i’ll never forget that day!
And what kind of relation do you like to have with fans (on and off stage)?
Our fans our family, the best people on earth and The Offical Head Bang Gang!!! I love talking and hanging out with everyone. I’ve been told i’m intimidating or whatever but I think i’m nice haha.
You signed last year with Solid State Records. While this is an obvious sign of recognition, what made you sign with them more than another label?
I personal grew up with this label. Bands like Living Sacrifice, blindside, project 86. zao and others are the reasons a started playing music in the first place. To me we are in the company of the greats!!!
Given the actual saturation of the metalcore scene, what do you think makes you stand as an act people would want to listen to and see live?
Our uncanny abiltiy to head bang? haha I don’t know. we are a good time, singing and dancing band from the ‘burgh.’ we’ve been doing this a long time…we know what it takes to have a good live show.
You’ve been quoted describing your band as “blue-collar”. Could you explain what does it mean?
Hard working, middle class, tough as nails music! We work hard and try our best to give something back in return. whether that is a good show, a good conversation or a positive message we hope people take from our music as much as we put in.
What bands are you listening to right now, and the ones that influenced you?
Well alot of rock and roll and some other jams that are good to drive to. A band called Airbourne from austrailia has been in our cd player alot. so has paramore and some sweet country mixes
First Came The Law just came out January 15th. It’s a very solid12 song record and, contrary to most other releases of the same genre, that is not short, clocking at almost an hour length. Aren’t you afraid it may bore people to listen to the same music for that long? Is it to prevent that that you have included the acoustic song “My Sweet Medusa” at it’s middle?
we didn’t intend on making a long record. we wrote songs and when we thought they were complete we stopped. It just so happens that our songs always seem to last a good 4 minutes or so before they are complete. haha. The acoustic song on the record is not to break anything up. its just there cause we want it there. i wrote that song and played that song and we put it on the album to give people something different. we’re not a band that is trying to follow a formula or a blue print of other bands. if we felt that song was just a “filler song” or a song to give people a break from the heavy stuff then it wouldn’t be there.
How did the writing process went? Who writes?
We all write. our drummer, giuseppe is incredibly gifted at writing music and playing music. He was definately the primary composer if you will but everyone brought everything they had to the table and we pieced together the album.
Lyrically speaking, what is the main theme of that record?
There is really no theme. Just honest lyrics that I wanted to write. I wrote the most honest i could without sugar coating the nasty stuff. You’ll get a little bit of everything in there.
I’ve been pretty pumped up when i realized that the ending track was more than a conclusion to this piece of art, being an echo to the album title : First Came The Law … And Then Came Grace. This is brilliant artistry display, as well as an awesome testimony of your faith. Do you see your band as a way to touch people (some sort of ministry), or is it just a job?
Its both. I know that maybe a little weird to say but it is definately both. We are not a “ministry band” and we never have been. We are a group of dudes who are believers in God and His only son and the message that is the Gospel. You won’t find us preaching at you or cornering you at a show to tell you what we believe. You will find us hanging out during the tours and shows we do. If someone wants to ask us about our faith thats great. if someone wants to ask us about how sweet mountain dew tastes that awesome too. We’re at the shows to meet people AND play rock and roll. Our beliefs are personal decisions and not something we want to force on anyone else.
Speaking of that last song, it really is a thing of beauty. Makes me think a lot to the song Sean by Stavesacre if you know it. Will you end up writing more emotional music in the future?
Who knows…we just hope we’re still writing music in the future!!!!
What will 2008 hold up for Once Nothing?
Hopefully some great times, great tours, great people and great growth. We have some sweet things lined up and maybe some other things will follow! 2007 was killer…hopefully 2008 will be killer too!!!
What is the most important thing you would want people to think off when the name Once Nothing comes up to them?
Those dudes really gave it their all. They wrote some sweet songs and were an honest band that worked hard!!!!
A final word?
Thanks for reading and thanks for supporting blue collar metal!!!!!!!!
This interview was originally written in French on behalf of beehave.fr