Nightmare Air are on a roll. Described as “possibly L.A.’s loudest band” (Surfing on Steam), they’ve been on a recent tirade, tearing up LA with multiple shows, dropping in on South by Southwest last week in Austin, and now heading to Athens, GA for night two of Slingshot Festival.
Even better? The band will be playing a Slingshot showcase hosted by none other than your favorite online music mag (us. Vinyl Mag. I know that’s what you were thinking). Come out to the Caledonia Lounge tomorrow night for some ear-smashing loud music. We’ll see you there.
We grabbed some time with NA’s guitarist/vocalist Dave Dupuis to talk about Slingshot, being on a Japanese label, and skateboard tricks. Enjoy.
Vinyl Mag: What sounds or inspiration did you take from your previous band (Film School) to Nightmare Air?
Dave Dupuis: The wall of sound that we had as a five-piece in Film School is something that I love and is important to me, which we do well in Nightmare Air as the power trio….but with Nightmare Air, we’re making music a little more direct, a bit more rocky and upbeat, which is a natural move for the the three of us in this band.
VM: How does living in LA influence your sound or performance?
DD: Hate to be that guy, but the weather is just nice in LA! For me, when the weather is nice, it gives you a lot of mental freedom, which helps when it comes to making a record. This coming from a New Hampshire native and one who has lived for many years in Seattle…the consistent LA weather is appreciated.
There are lot of great bands in LA, too, which keeps you as an artist pushing your creative limits to be the best you can, live and in the studio.
VM: Where do the rock n roll sounds in your album come from/who are they influenced by?
DD: A lot of time in the studio monkeying around with FX pedals, keyboards…..looping bits and screaming/ mumbling into the mic for hours till you get that sweet combination to create the vibe!
VM: You are on a Japanese label, Vinyl Junkie. How did that come about? Do you have a large following there?
DD: The Vinyl Junkie signing came about through the US label that put High in the Lasers out digitally and on CD, Saint Marie Records. The Japanese version has different art work and some extra tracks, which is quite cool, too. Are we big in Japan? Isn’t everyone!? We have yet to go over there, hopefully soon.
VM: Favorite band you’ve shared the stage with?
DD: Tough question. Last year, we did a co-headline tour with a good pals from London called Roman Remains. They are two members of UK band The Duke Spirit, whom I toured with for a couple years. Great bands, great friends, good times.
VM: “Nightmare Air” is the name of a skateboard trick…do you still try to find time to skate between all the tours and traveling?
DD: I do! Depending on the tour, I love taking a board on tour, too.
VM: While you’re touring, do you find time to write, or do you do all of your writing at home?
DD: It’s next to impossible to write on the road; it’s a different brain for me. We sometimes come up with a few musical ideas at sound checks….pretty rare though. I always have my little lyric book and always write down phrases or words that are inspiring, which most of the time ends up being just a collection of weird tripped out shit. A lot of those things make it into the songs though! The name of our debut LP High in the Lasers definitely came off that list.
VM: Best festival ever attended?
DD: Plissken Festival in Athens, Greece last summer was an amazing experience for us. We ended up staying in Athens for a week. Played the opening night party and ended up doing a really fun live recording session at a great studio out there called Lizard Sound. Great people and made some good friends for life.
VM: What are you most excited to do while you’re in Athens [Georgia] besides play Slingshot?
DD: Hang out!
VM: What can audiences expect from you Slingshot show?
DD: A wild ride.
VM: What’s next for Nightmare Air?
DD: We’re in the process of making a new record, we recorded a bunch of ideas before we left for this tour, and hoping to record another batch when we get back…album and a big tour this fall!
Emily is an over-enthusiastic lover of music, books, movies, fashion, and culture in general. Her love of music spans across all genres (what is a genre anymore? she waxes poetic to herself), though she was nursed on true punk and will never understand “redneck country” music – tractors are not and cannot be sexy. Emily currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and considers herself to be a great wit, though she is still waiting on validation from a credible source.