Interview With Dave Nadolski Of Under The Flood
UNDER THE FLOOD is a band based out of Charlottesville, VA and who plays this kind of rock music that brings out the full potential of something that is honest, endearing and captivating. The music is mysterious, dark and alluring and the vocals have this quaint whisper like melodic voice and can also delve into a more powerful surging rock-esque feel that just makes the album an adventure in its self. The album I am truly feeling and thinking is going to make a mark in 2008 is the debut THE WITNESS on Koch Records (Release date may 13, 2008)
I had a chance to get inside the mind of vocalist Dave Nadolski and find out about being in a band with a family member, honesty in music and what is the reason behind the band name and album title.
UNDER THE FLOOD IS ABOUT MAKING MUSIC THAT IS HONEST THAT CAN RELATE TO ALL WALKS OF LIFE. SO DO YOU TAKE IDEAS FROM STORIES YOU HAVE HEARD FROM YOUR FANS OR FROM YOUR PERSONAL LIVES AND THEN MAKE THEM INTO SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE?
I describe our music as being honest and not contrived. A vast majority of lyrical content in music now a days is written about meaningless subject matter, and has no real depth. I think there is a wide audience of listeners who don’t mind singing along to that catchy song, that isn’t really about anything. On a deeper level, I feel that there is an overwhelmingly large group of people who listen to music as a way of dealing with difficult issues in life. I tend to draw from things that I have experienced, or seen others experience, and tell a story about that event. In most cases I don’t go in depth into the specifics of the event or situation, almost in the hopes of leaving room for the listener to “fill in the blanks”. I feel that this makes it a lot easier for a wider range of people to relate to the song, and really be able to take something from it.
BEING IN A BAND YOU BECOME A FAMILY. WORKING WITH AN ACTUAL FAMILY MEMBER HOW DOES THAT CHANGE YOUR ALREADY SPECIAL BOND?
Haha there are a lot more fights! But I think it helps, because we’ve been through pretty much everything you can imagine growing up together, so there’s not much at this point that could come in the way of us continuing to create music together.
KENN DAVIS PLAYED IN CHRIS DAUGHTRYS OLD BAND..WHAT DID HE BRING IN FROM THAT EXPERIENCE AND YOUR FIRST THOUGHTS WHEN YOU GOT HIM IN YOUR BAND?
I wouldn’t say he was any different from the rest of us having previously been in bands. We all had to start somewhere, and when you move on, you take the experiences and the lessons you’ve learned, and try to do it better the next time.
WHERE DID YOU FIND THE OTHER GUYS AND WHAT DO THEY BRING INTO THE BAND?
We recently had a lineup change, and have added Brandon Sidebottom on guitar, and Justin Hayden on drums. It’s been amazing working with Brandon, his playing style, and creativity has been a perfect fit for the band. I can’t wait to start writing the new album with him involved in the process, I think he brings so much to the table, it’s going to make our 2nd album that much better. Justin was the most recent addition, and we’re really excited about how everything has come together so quickly.
IN ANY TYPE OF MUSIC, PHASES OCCUR, AS YOUR MUSIC RELATES TO A ROCK SCENE HOW DID YOU PREPARE TO MAKE AN ALBUM THAT WILL NOT BE LABELED AS A ONE HIT WONDER?
We didn’t really make any conscious effort to write “that hit song”. We began writing what came natural to us, what felt right. In the end we were very happy with the outcome. I feel there are several potential singles on the record, we hope all of our friends and listeners feel the same way.
THE MUSIC BUSINESS IS A TOUCH N GO KIND OF CAREER ONE MINUTE YOUR IN NEXT YOUR OUT. BEING A NEW BAND IN THE SCENE HOW ARE YOU PREPARING TO KEEP YOUR BAND FRESH AND NEW AS YEARS GO BY?
It’s actually a very scary thought when you really look at the lifespan of your average band starting out. This goes back to the reason we write honest music. Any band can write that really catchy meaningless song that’ll be popular for a couple months, then you never hear of them again. I think that it really all boils down to the people who listen to your music. If you can make a real connection with your listeners, and their lives become a part of the music, then they will always be there for you. We’ll keep writing music, and hopefully they’ll continue listening.
MAKING YOUR DEBUT ALBUM DID YOU THINK IN THOUGHTS OF MAKING SONGS THAT WOULD STILL BE LISTENABLE IN 10 YEARS OR DID YOU GO WITH YOUR GUT AND WRITE FROM JUST THE PASSION YOU HAD?
Like I said, we didn’t really go into it with any real rhyme or reason. We wrote the songs almost instinctively, writing what felt natural, and came out with something we felt was an accurate representation of the feeling and emotion we wanted to portray as a band.
THE WHOLE ALBUM FLOWS GREAT AND HAD ME FROM SONG ONE. WHAT ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOU ON THIS RECORD?
My personal favorites are The Bottom, Signs, Remedy and Halos.
WHY DID YOU NAME IT THE WITNESS?
The name of the album came from the title track “The Witness”. I think that the story behind the song, presents a very powerful message and we really wanted to highlight that. The song basically deals with the harsh reality of society and life as we know it. I think the world is in a state of utter chaos, anytime you turn on the news, you witness something that’ll most likely make your stomach turn. Every where we go, we see things that remind us just how terrible society has become. On the front of our album, you’ll see a picture of an innocent little girl, surrounded by an evil ominous eye, and I think that the artwork provides a very vivid look at a very real problem that is shared by countries all over the world. It’s so hard to protect the next generation of children from the harsh realities of the world we live in. I think people have become so callous to these realities; we as a society have begun to accept them as normalcy. I really just wanted to highlight this as the main focus for the album, and try to open some eyes to this problem, and hopefully we can begin to make a change.
WHERE DOES THE BAND NAME COME FROM?
The band name actually was the name of a song that I had previously written in my first band. It’s actually very appropriate, seeing how difficult it is to succeed in the music business now days. However, we plan on rising above the flood.
TOURING IS COMING UP WITH YOU GUYS WITH NONPOINT. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO AND TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE TOUR?
The tour is actually sponsored by Cage Rattle, and it’s called The Most Wanted Tour with Nonpoint, The Exies and Deepfield! We’re extremely excited to have been given the opportunity to be part of such an amazing line up, and we absolutely can’t wait to hit the road. The tour kicks off May 10th in Houston, TX, and carries on all the way to the end of June. People can check out the tour dates on our page www.myspace.com/undertheflood or www.myspace.com/themostwantedtour. If we’re coming to your city, this is not a show you’re going to want to miss! You can also find out more info at www.cagerattle.com.
IS THERE A VIDEO IN THE WORKS FOR THE RECORD. IF SO WHO IS SHOOTING IT AND WHAT SONG IS IT FOR AND WHAT IS THE CONCEPT?
We actually are in the process of finishing the video, and shooting will wrap up on Thursday. This is our first video, so we’re really excited to see how it turns out. The video is for our first single “In Vain” and the concept basically deals with second chances. You’ll have to tune in a couple weeks to see the finished product!
IF YOUR BAND COULD TURN INTO A BAND FROM ANY OTHER ERA THEN THIS ONE WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO BE THEM?
Milli Vanilli. Imagine a time when you didn’t actually have to sing, yet you could be made into a superstar singer…..Oh wait…that still happens…
LAST COMMENTS?
Thanks to everyone for all of your continued support, please stop by and visit us at www.myspace.com/undertheflood! Look forward to hearing from all of you and seeing you out on The Most Wanted Tour!
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