NONPOINT – Remember Me

By starrymag | September 15, 2020

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

Elias: First off, I want to thank you for the opportunity to talk to your readers.  We are always thankful for the opportunity to educate people on our mission and project.  If I had to describe our sound, simply put it’s energy and deep emotions across the entire spectrum of emotions, stuffed into a bottle with dynamite and shaken to the point of explosion… Then hit record.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

Elias: Personally, I’ve always been influenced by a good song. Good music is good music, but your connection is a personal journey that changes with what’s sitting in front of you or that you’re will to go out and find.  For me it was the 8-track my parents blasted on Sunday when it was time to clean the house.  So, what did my parents listen to?  Everything. Journey, Billy Joel, Led Zeppelin, Sabbath, James Taylor, Pat Benatar, Sade, Earth Wind and Fire, Weather Report and Christopher Cross just to name a few.  Mount that on top of being a child of the rise of rap, hip-hop, 80’s pop and 90’s EVERYTHING that still to this day gets entire stations dedicated to these times.  Good music is my influence. Period.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Remember Me.” Why was it important to you to write a song dedicated to support essential workers?

Elias:  Because the least we can do is say thank you to not only the people who have already dedicated their lives to the survival and well-being of their fellow man, but also to those thrown into the frontlines like grocery store clerks and stock people.  Or delivery drivers and those packaging your new game controller and risking infection at the same time so you cannot be bored. I believe it’s important to not be selfish with the lives of those trying to help get our necessities and do the simplest things like social distance and wearing a face covering to lower chances of the spread of this infection we’re all up against.  We should be smarter than this here in America and should have dialed this part of our moral compass a long time ago.  We are taking what used to be the American Dream and gambling with peoples’ lives that are doing nothing but trying to help us through this.  Countries like Japan have had less than 100 deaths, never shutdown and has less than 3% unemployment currently for the simple fact that their population didn’t allow politics and ignorance to get in the way of science and the safety of their neighbor.  They wore masks, kept their distance and got though it TOGETHER.  That should have been us setting that example for the rest of the world.  Instead we’re almost a year into this, worse than ever and no end in sight besides the chase of a vaccine that was said to be delivered months ago.  So, this song is more than a thank you.  It’s an apology for those who will never apologize for having decided this is about them getting a haircut more than saving a life.  Shame on all of them.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

Elias:  I hope it’s the honesty and the meaning behind the lyrics.  These people go completely nameless and without even a thank you most of the time.  The rest of us need to start figuring it out and stop being so entitled.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

Elias:  It puts a face to the selfless efforts of these freaking modern-day superheroes we got popping up everywhere due to the pandemic.  Rick in shipping is now Batman.  Go RICK!

 

Q) How would you say “Remember Me” sets the tone for more music coming this fall?

Elias:  We like to shift gears so I wouldn’t bank on too many ballads in the near future.  I think we flexed those creative muscle enough this year.  It’s time to shake trees.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

Elias:  Normally I like to hear what the guys got going and build from there.  But there’s no rules to how things get going for us when it comes to writing music.  If I got a riff or a beat to translate, I hum it out for the guys and they oblige.  Together is the only way to make music, right?

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

Elias: We’re certainly a hands-on band.  Sometimes people say too hands on.  But I attest some of our greatest successes to our understanding of things some people believe shouldn’t be a part of the world of a creative.  As of late we’ve been lucky to find a creative partner in our producer Fred Archambault that we can lessen the reigns and not worry about the how so much anymore.  It’s trust that releases those boudoirs when working with an artist on their music.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

Elias:  Where the crowds value who we are and what we bring always give us those warm and fuzzies.  The list is pretty long but just to name a few our hometown of Ft. Lauderdale always brings us back to our beginnings.  Madison, WI has been there from day one as well so they always show the love.  Flint, MI we probably play more than any other city and it shows in crowd reaction.  Hartford, CT on of the toughest towns to crack welcomes us with the most open of arms.  Lots of great places to play here.

 

Q) What impact do you think our current climate with COVID will have on the music industry?

Elias:  The biggest impact I’ve seen since Napster.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

Elias: Personally, there’s a few names I’ve always thrown around.  Anthony Green, Chino, Lizzy Hale and Benji Webb just to name a few.  I really like those artists that escape into what they love.  They all seem to love the creative process.  I inspirationally gravitate towards creatives with gravity in their love for the art.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them?

Elias: Currently I’ve been trying to get buried in today’s music as much as possible.  It’s getting better by the day.  So, I’d say, ALL THE YOUNG music writers and playlists have been playing through my speakers.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

Elias:  It’s the best, fastest and easiest way for us to connect.  We like to be connected with our fans.  It keeps us happy and who doesn’t want to be happy?

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

Elias:  As I always do, I would say thank you and tell a friend who we are and why you like us.

 

 

 

All Questions Answered By Elias Soriano