Interview With Frontman Nixon Of Framing Hanley
April 9th, 2009 by Stephanie Stevens
With a glimpse at the lip ring, black hair, tattoos and the sexy voice of front man Nixon of Nashville’s very own FRAMING HANLEY it doesn’t surprise me that this band has the girls all up in arms over them. But overlook the good looks and check out the music. Radio friendly and melodically driving is what their 2007 debut release THE MOMENT brought to us. Their first single HEAR ME NOW did very well and charted on the active rock charts for months and was the #1 most played song on Sirius Octane in 2007, but when the cover of LIL Wayne’s LOLLIPOP became a new single for the band it broke the band into serious video plays and got even more people into the world of FRAMING HANLEY.
I was able to catch up with Nixon although under the weather he was still up for chatting so I got to find out about a new record, a little feedback on two of my favorite tracks on the record, the personal level of lyrics to what Brett Hessler helped the band achieve.
ARE YOU GUYS ACTUALLY GOING INTO THE STUDIO TO RECORD A NEW ALBUM?
Probably not anytime soon, we are really anxious too but I don’t think we are going to be off tour till this fall.
WE NEED NEW MUSIC THE ALBUM HAS BEEN OUT FOREVER IT SEEMS
Yea August 2007 the album came out then we did the re-release November of 2008. But trust me we would love to give everyone new music. We have some new stuff that we demo’d for the new record that we recorded but it’s just like we are kind of in that stage right now where we have to wait until we can go back into the studio
SO LETS GET INTO THE LOLLIPOP COVER! WAS THIS SOMETHING YOU AS A BAND WANTED TO DO OR SOMETHING THAT WAS ASKED OF YOU?
It was a song that we wrote the arrangement and decided to do it at a show on our own as far as recording it was something after the label heard our version of it they asked us while we were in the studio recording our demos for the next record, they asked us if we would record that cover while we were there. So we did but we never planned on it being released as a single or anything like that and then it just turned into what it turned into on its own.
DO YOU THINK THAT HELPED YOU GAIN MORE SUCCESS?
It defiantly helped. At that point we didn’t have a single. Our first single HEAR ME NOW had done its thing and like I said we were in the studio recording and that happened so it got us back out there as far as touring, so I can’t complain because of that. It is a double edge sword because it is a cover song but it is fun every night we play it. That is one of the most fun songs we play.
I LOVE THE VIDEO!
Aww, thanks
DO YOU THINK IT HAS SUFFERED PEOPLE SEEING YOUR ORGINALITY AS A BAND?
No. We even put our elements of HEAR ME NOW into the cover as in the bridge so we tried to make it as original as we could
WITH THE SUCCESS OF IT IM SURPRISED THAT FEARLESS RECORDS DIDN’T APPRAOCH YOU ABOUT BEING ON THE PUNK GOES POP ALBUM THIS YEAR!
We would love to do that one year. Like I said coming up with the arrangement of that song was fun as hell for me, but who knows maybe it will happen.
SO INTO THE MUSIC YOU HAVE BEEN DEMOING WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE FOR YOU AS A BAND?
For one we have a new guitar player now so after Tim left Ryan joined the band and we started writing immediately to see what kind of affect it was going to have on the music and I just think the stuff that we are writing now is a lot more mature because we as people are a lot more mature, we are older and have been together longer now so its like when we wrote and recorded THE MOMENT we wrote 9 of the 11 songs in 3 weeks and recorded them all at once. Now we will have more time to focus on our stuff and have more time to put into writing for this record. There is going to be new elements in the music we are going to try a lot more piano stuff. I think anyone that was a fan of the last record will like the new stuff and I think it is going to break a new crowd too.
AS A VOCALIST WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU?
I don’t know, I think as a band as a whole, we are one of those bands that want to continue to evolve with every record. I don’t want to look back at our CDs years from now and not be able to say that was a step up from the last. I think that is a challenge for us in itself. We are going to continue to push ourselves to be like that.
DO YOU THINK TOURING HAS STRENGTHENED YOU?
Oh totally. I remember when we first started off and we would do a show in our hometown and I wouldn’t have my voice for a week and from just touring we got use to being out there every night and having to put on a show whether your ready to or not. For me it just seems like a Murphy’s Law, I get sick every other week so dealing with that sucks too.
DO YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO SACRIFICE STUFF ON TOUR TO BE A FRONT MAN AND HAVE A VOICE?
Yea I don’t get to drink as much as the other guys
SO DID TIM LEAVE THE BAND DUE TO THE SURGERY HE HAD?
Yea he quit in May of 2008. He had already had a back surgery and while we were on tour it acted up again so he went home to have a 2nd back surgery and while he was home he was with his family out in Colorado and his girlfriend moved out there and she graduated. So it became pretty relevant and it was one of those things that he didn’t want to walk away from that and with all the touring I don’t think Tim was really comfortable with being on the road for long periods of time. Not everyone is cut out to do this, it is really hard to be away from family and loved ones 10 of the 12 months out of the year. He just decided hey I don’t want to do this anymore and we wish him the best. Ryan was Tim’s best friend growing up so that is how we met him and had him fill in. I just think we are in a much better situation with the 5 of us.
BRETT HESSLER PRETTY MUCH TOOK YOU UNDER HIS WING AT THE START DO YOU STILL GET INPUT FROM HIM AS IN SONGWRITING OR BEING A BAND IN GENERAL?
We had never worked with a producer before we worked with Brett. So I think he really opened our eyes to what we were capable of doing as far as songwriters. For example a couple of us were in a band for about a year and a half and wrote about 8 songs in that time period. Like I said before on this record we wrote 9 of the 11 songs on this record in 3 weeks. He opened our eyes to what parts in a song were important and it wasn’t about how flashy the guitar parts could be or even the vocal parts, its just about the song as a whole.
LYRICALLY YOU GET DOWN TO A PERSONAL LEVEL ON THAT FRONT. ARE YOU A REALLY EMOTIONALLY OPEN PERSON IN DAY TO DAY LIFE?
Well I mean that record was either about something I was going through personally or one of my best friends in the band was going through. I’ve always written from personal experiences but with the new record we are working on its very cool cause it’s a concept album and a story I have been writing for a while. So that is presenting to be a challenge in itself to us and I think it is really forcing us to buckle down even more on songwriting and focus more on the song itself.
SO CAN I GET A LITTLE INCITE ON THE CONCEPT FOR THE ALBUM?
I don’t want to give it up quite yet
GROWING UP IN NASHVILLE, WERE YOU BROUGHT UP ON THE WHOLE COUNTRY MUSIC VIBE?
Yea my dad was actually a country musician but I grew up obviously living in Nashville around country period especially with my dad being a musician. I remember my uncle bringing over Appetite For Destruction by Guns N Roses when I was a little kid and that was the first rock record that I really listened to and who got me into rock n roll so I do have to say if it wasn’t for that record I probably would be singing country right now.
IS YOUR DAD HAPPY YOU’RE IN A ROCK BAND?
Yea he has been very supportive
DID YOU HAVE A BACKUP PLAN?
I always wanted to wrestle but God didn’t necessarily give me the physique to do that so I think it worked out perfectly.
SINCE YOU’RE ON THE ROAD NOW ARE YOU OUT WITH ANYONE OR DOING HEADLINING STUFF?
We have been out headlining since January and about to go do some dates with Hollywood Undead and then out with Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.
HOW IS IT HEADLINING?
Its been awesome, we have played for crowds anywhere from 10 people to 1500 on this run so to me its just worth it when one person there that cares about your music and come out to see a show when your thousands of miles away from your home state, it is the coolest thing.
IF YOUR MUSIC COULD CHANGE ONE THING THAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD TODAY WHAT WOULD IT CHANGE?
That is a good question!
AND THERE ARE MANY THINGS THAT COULD BE CHANGED!!
Yea there is so much stuff that should be changed. I don’t know I just appreciate the face that anyone cares enough about our music to listen to it, that in itself is rewarding to me but I’m trying to think of a smart ass answer but I couldn’t even do that (laughing) world peace I am going to use the pageant girl answer. Try to make me not sound totally serious about that by the way!
NA IT’S ALL IN GOOD FUN
Ok cool.
I WANNA GET YOUR MEANINGS ON TWO OF MY FAVORITE SONGS ON THE ALBUM. FIRST ONE IS BUILT FOR SIN.
I wrote that song actually about an x-girlfriend. I was in a situation where I was with someone that I really cared about but I was watching them really tear their life apart with addiction and I was at the point where you care about someone so much but you can only bring yourself down to that level for so long before it really starts to tear your own life apart.
DO YOU PLAY ANY INSTRUMENTS OR ARE YOU JUST A VOCALIST?
I dabble here and there, recently I found it a lot easier to write a song when you can just play, not even play, I use that term loosely, when you can play a bit of guitar. It really helps as far as writing and I play a bit of piano.
SO DO YOU HAVE A SAY IN THE MUSIC WHEN CREATING IT OR DO YOU LEAVE IT FOR THE BAND TO COME UP WITH?
No it’s totally all 5 of us. The songwriting process is all of us for sure.
OK AND THE OTHER SONG THAT I LOVE ON THE CD IS 23 DAYS, WHAT IS THAT SONG ALL ABOUT?
SEX!! Its pretty much it, its about being in a relationship with a person and when its over with the one thing that you miss is the sex and that is it! That is defiantly the shallowest song as far as substance on the record.
HAS THESE TWO SONGS ALWAYS BEEN IN YOUR LIVE SET LIST?
Yea I am pretty sure those two songs have always been in our set list even when we are not headlining. Pretty much on this headlining run we play almost every song on the CD and a couple of new ones
ANY LAST COMMENTS?
Pretty much we will be out on the road for the rest of this year and hopefully we will be in Massachusetts soon
YES SINCE YOU DON’T COME SEE US ON THIS RUN AND HOPEFULLY NEW MUSIC SOONER THEN LATER
YESSS!!!!!!!!
http://www.myspace.com/framinghanley
LOLLIPOP
HEAR ME NOW
I love Nixon so much, and i cant wait to see Framing Hanley at Pointfest in may, 3 days after my birthday!!! so awesome!
okay I have to idmitte Nixon from framing hanley is pretty hot so I am curious nixon are you ever going to rock the stadium in lubbock well if you are just make sure you put that stuff in the newspapers ps nice accent love ya
I love Framing Hanley sooo muchh!!
they played down at desert breeze here in vegas and he and ryan HUGGED ME!!
you guys give really good hugs.
and you two pointed at me too, I love chuu NIxson:DD
hey i love nixon and they are the best band ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Framing hanley is the best band ever!! ILU NIXON!
I LOVE him!!!!!!! He is So Sexy!!
ILY Nixon! U r so sexy:)
Wow i didnt even realize tht 23 Days was about sex!! haha i thought it ment u wanted some1 bak bc of the chorus but still a damn good song!! n fact i cnt think of 1 song of urs that isnt completly freaking awesome!!!!!!!!!! haha cant wait to c u guys!!
Framing Hanley is the best I love all there songs, but the one I like the best is here me now!
p.s Nixon is so sexy!!!!
Hi Nixon i really want to meet u! so can u talk w me on email?
I love nixon <3
"That is defiantly the shallowest song" hahahahahahahaha
LUV NIXON!!!!!!!!!!!! SOOOOOOO F**KING HOT LOL seriously, <3 them so much!
Nixon!!!! SO Hawt!!!! but Framing Hanley!!!Wow Great!!! Love them!!!
<3 yhu guys!!
Hey this is Chris, I went to school with you Nixon
so if you can hit me back up i would like to catch up with you. piece. oh and i got a new song for you guys its great i wrote it myself but i just dont have the voice to sing it im a great lead player but no vocals like you lol ok hit me back. later.