Persona – Not That Bad

By starrymag | March 6, 2019

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) To us, Persona is indie pop rock music drawing influence from life, vibe and emotion. We have this bipolar sound where each song is different and reflects a different feeling or emotion based on events in our lives. Some songs have this happy bright melodic feel, some songs can be sad and lethargic while others can have this aggressive edge border line rage.

 

Q) Who are some of your music influences?

A) Third Eye Blind, Blink-182, As Tall As Lions, The Dangerous Summer, The Story So Far, Minus the Bear, Portugal the Man, Circa Survive, Against Me!, Mac Miller, Envy on the Coast, Anberlin, Transit and so many others.

 

Q) Talk about your new song “Not That Bad.”

A) Tom [Spartinos] was just jamming on an acoustic one night while we were all hanging out and literally started singing random melodies over it and we were all feeling it and got back to our instruments and started creating what we wanted to be this epic ending. Tom and I started bouncing off ideas for lyrics off of the melodies and certain key words Tom had and it formulated based on some past experiences. Tom was in a previous band called The Vision, which generated some buzz and hype and after extensive touring the band just ended. During this time things started to change and what once was this life filled of promise, love and friendship slowly became empty and isolate. During this all Tom’s grandmother passed away who was a very big impact on his life, making a dark time even darker. I added my own feeling and experience into the song. Around the same time, I was homeless and trying to climb out of a heavy drug addiction, which nearly took his life several times. “Not That Bad” reflects on these experiences and tries to put into perspective the draining mental health and feeling of wanting to give up and sometimes hoping every night you just don’t wake up in the morning. “Not That Bad” is a reflection of this, but also a reminder that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. It doesn’t stay gray forever, it will get better if you allow it to. “Not That Bad” is about going through these motions and not giving up.

 

Q) With all personal struggles personal struggles that the band has faced in the past few years, why was music the perfect outlet for your emotions?

A) Music has always been therapeutic to us. Sometimes expressing your feeling and emotions to a friend, family member or professional stranger just doesn’t give you what you need to find comfort and clarity. Getting lost in the song writing process or attaching lyrics to the emotion of the music is something so dear and special. In the moment it’s like the rest of the world and everything around doesn’t exist and it’s just you, your friends and your music on the same page at the same time coming to terms with a set feeling. It’s like finding yourself in getting lost. For me (Costas), music was always something I would turn to or just put on when I was feeling down or blue and when I started relaying my own expressions on paper and speakers it was truly something so special. Something I have never been able to get from a therapist.

 

Q) What is your song writing process?

A) We tend to always write the music before putting the lyrics to it. To us each piece of music and instrumentation has its own feeling and vibe to it. Each chord progression and riff can take you back to a certain time, place, feeling or emotion and to us it is the most practical way of relaying that feeling to ourselves and our audience.

 

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

A) Nick Zinnanti at Zin Records is one hell of a producer. There are some songs we bring to him and we change little things here and there and there are other songs we bring to him where we sit down and basically rewrite the song. We tend to hold the lessons we’ve learned in previous recording sessions in regard when were writing new songs or ideas. That way we can save ourselves a little time and stress. [laughs] But Nick is our dude. He is awesome.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Persona performance?

A) We like to switch things up depending on the show, but one thing we always bring is our energy, heart and emotion. We also like to add intro and outro jams to some songs and give the audience a little taste behind our vibes. Our stage presence comes with a lot of energy and we try and engage with the audience as much as possible. We are glad to be in the moment with you and we want to give you our all.

 

Q) Will there be a full EP or album coming in the future?

A) Yes! We have been spending these last six months writing, writing, writing. There is no set release date or time frame yet. We plan on doing two or three more singles and are looking to book studio time to go in and lay down five new tracks, which will ultimately become our third EP. These new songs are so jammed packed with energy and I cannot wait to share them with the world.

 

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

A) I am a big fan of Amityville Music Hall and Revolution at home on Long Island. There is something so magical about those spots. When it comes to out of state, Myrtle Beach, SC and Jacksonville, FL have been amazing to us. We haven’t done too much touring as Persona but are planning more runs and trying to bring our music to other scenes.

 

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

A) Over the summer we collabed with AJ Perdomo of The Dangerous Summer, which was a dream come true for all of us. In the future we would love to work with Mark Hoppus, Anthony Green, Laura Jane Grace, Parker Cannon and Ian Metzger of Dear and the Headlights. So many talented artists we would love to work with, but these would be dreams come true!

 

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

A) Oh man, there are so many albums I am listening to right now. [laughs] I am an avid hip hop fan and have been really digging the Mac Miller Swimming record as well as Don Q’s “Season 2.” Such great records. The Story So Far’s Proper Dose, Anthony Green’s Would You Still Be In Love, Fernway’s An Ache for Distant Places, Benny the Butcher’s Table Talk 3, How to count one to ten’s Blue Building Blocks and The Dangerous Summer’s Self Titled. I have been listening to so much different music lately. All so dope.

 

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

A) Social media plays a huge part in connecting with our fans and new fans. It gives us a presence and gives us a platform to share who we are, what we stand for, what are music is to us and gives the fans a place to share what our music is to them. We truly love what social media has done to bring people together and make connections, some which last a lifetime.

 

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

A) Thank you. We love you. One of the most rewarding parts of being in a band is the feedback you get from fans and supporters. I truly appreciate each and every one of you who listen, support and reach out to give us your opinion and feedback. It’s honestly such a blessing to hear from you. I am glad we can make an impact or brighten up your day. Each and every conversation we have truly warms my heart and we all thank you for sticking with us. We have a lot more up our sleeves and no plans of slowing down. We want you to stick this out with us as long as possible. We do this for you as much as we do this for ourselves and for all of you, we are forever grateful. Much love.

 

 

All Questions Answered By Lead Guitarist Costas Themistocleous