The New Cities

Angel sits with Nick, Francis and Chris a few hours before their set at the NHL superstar weekend

CONFRONT: The first thing I’d like to know is how you guys got together as a band and the journey from getting together to getting signed with Sony.

NICK: Uh it was actually a pretty long journey I’d say we started off a few bands breaking up and the remaining members wanted to do something a little more professional, or a little more to the next level so yeah we started this band and right away just went into the studio, recorded an E.P. and went on tour right away and then we figured we’d get all our, like we just wanted to get things going and show people who we are and it worked out pretty well. We went on tour, the first tour we met Greg and things just started falling into place, and that’s it and we’ve been working with everyone ever since. I guess it’s been maybe like two years and a half and yeah it’s been a lot of work but like a lot of stuff happens at the same time at first and then it kinda moved faster than we were able to move so we had a lot of learning to do and a lot of work but we learnt so much and here we are now, we finally found a record deal, everything’s going well, album’s coming out in a few months.

CONFRONT: How did the signing come about? Did you guys go toward record labels or did the record labels come toward you?

NICK: Um it was a little bit of both, I’d say. Well I think that we’ve been looking for labels for a while and Sony’s always been there from the start, we recorded an album there but sometimes in this industry it doesn’t always go as fast as you want so we kind of looked around, we wanted to shop in the U.S. too because it’s a big market so we wanted to explore the international side and the after a bunch of months of working together we finally found a deal so it was a little bit of both.

CONFRONT: You guys open very frequently for Hedley, it seems every time Hedley is in Canada you guys have to be around, how did that relationship come about?

NICK: Um it started when we first got on Phelmen? They booked us two shows with Hedley and the crowd responded really well and I think everyone liked that so their crowd seemed to really like us so then we played a bunch of dates here and there. Last year we got a full eastern Canada tour from Ontario, Quebec and Maritimes and yeah, we’re playing with them again tonight. It’s pretty cool, it’s always fun.

CONFRONT: How did your fan base develop around Canada because I know that when we did our benefit we passed out flyers with you as the headliner on it and we’d pass them out at shows like Paramore and everyone was like “Oh my god The New Cities are gonna be there!” and it was weird for us because we weren’t expecting that big of a reaction. So how’s your fanbase developed throughout the rest of Canada as opposed to Montreal?

NICK: Actually Montreal wasn’t the first responsive city, it’s awesome now but we spent a lot of time in Ontario because we moved to Toronto for like four months so we played a lot around there and then we got a lot of fans in all the small cities we’ve played in Quebec as well, it really worked out well so I don’t know it depends on the city really but I think like what’s happening in Montreal isn’t happening just in Montreal so it’s cool for us to see.

CONFRONT: Are you guys going into the studio now with Sony recording your new album?

NICK: Um well we’re done recording now.

CONFRONT: Is it similar to the stuff that was released on the E.P.?

CHRIS: A little bit different.

NICK: Yeah. Same basis, same idea but a lot more work into it so that all the rock side is way more rock and the electronic side is way more electronic. Sounds kind of weird but yeah..

CHRIS: … the same kind of energy in it.

NICK: Yeah same energy but like more stuff going on, more work on the vocals too because working with Greg, Dave really explored a lot of sides of his voice like I think we just pushed further.

CONFRONT: What’s the writing experience? Like somebody writes the lyrics, somebody writes the music or do you all collaborate?

NICK: Um well we used to write all as a group but then like we discovered that we were more efficient when like let’s say Dave and Chris would sit down and write the basis of the song and then I would come in and write some lyrics and then ever since Julian was in the band too, he’s a really good song writer as well so like usually the initial idea comes from one or two of us and then we developed it as a group.

CONFRONT: What is your favorite lyric from one of your songs?

NICK: Oh. That’s a tough question. Mine is a song called “Sinking Has Never Been So Easy” and it’s really in-depth, you may not see it when you read it but for us I think it represents a whole part of what we were doing at a certain point in the band..

CHRIS: Um I don’t know..

CONFRONT: Favorite song then…

CHRIS: Um I really like weekend

NICK: We say weekend but that may not be the name on the record.

*Laughter*

CONFRONT: Um just in general, which song means the most to you and why? Well [NICK] kind of answered that one before…

NICK: Yeah I’d probably say the same answer because that song especially meant a lot, especially at that point when that song was written, the lyrics were written so for me that’s the song.. It meant a lot..

CONFRONT: People who have never been to see your shows, how would you describe your show to somebody who’s never been, who wants to know what the New Cities experience is like?

NICK: I think it’s based on energy that’s what I would say. The party is just like.. we play music and we..

CHRIS: Jump around..

NICK: Yeah. It’s like a rock party and everyone dances and it’s fun. It’s just a fun party, that’s what I would say. A lot of energy.

CONFRONT: What do you think it takes to be successful in this industry?

NICK: A lot of hard work, contacts, umm a little bit of talent…

*Laughter*

CONFRONT: Yeah, just a little.. It’s funny how you say talent third.

NICK: Yeah well I don’t think that’s the first thing you need.. Ummm a good attitude..

CHRIS: Great chemistry..

NICK: Yeah, and charisma. Charisma is really important too because you can write great music without charisma but when you’re trying to go on stage and pass it on the crowd, like if you’re not charismatic at all, it just doesn’t go through.

CONFRONT: What’s been the hardest for you as a band, like to get to where you are now?

NICK: The waiting I’d say. Cause we can work and work and work but there’s always a part of waiting, well for me that’s what it is I think. At one point a part of what’s happening, it’s out of your hands so like sometimes you’re waiting for news from someone..so the waiting is really hard.

CHRIS: Uh yeah, it’s probably the same thing for me too. You never know what is gonna happen..

NICK: Yeah and it’s a lot of highs and lows, you get brought up really high and then like the next day everything falls through and you’re like “ughhh.” So it’s just dealing with the highs and lows too but I think it makes us stronger as a band and you appreciate way more.

CONFRONT: What are some of your musical and non-musical influences?

NICK: Well we wanted to start a band to sound like The Faint, Hot Hot Heat, and The Killers a little, but I think after a while we kind of discovered that especially Dave’s voice is way better for pop so we kind of turned into a mix of like those initial influences with a popier vocal.

FRANCIS: Also Steve our sound guy, he produced our first record…

NICK: He helped us get our initial focus..

CONFRONT: Do you find that there’s a negative connotation that’s associated with pop now? Actually it’s been for a while because of these big “boy bands” and Britney Spears there was sort of this negative connotation that’s associated with pop and people would just lump everything that was on the Top 40.

NICK: Yeah totally. I was like that too…

CONFRONT: But did you have to fight against that to build your sound the way it is?

NICK: Um I don’t know I think it was a progression like it’s just getting used to, cause we come from a more of an underground scene earlier but then we got more and more pop but it was gradual I guess, like I was probably the worst for that I was really fighting it at first but then I got used to it and when you accept it like…there’s nothing wrong with pop. In my opinion there’s a big difference between pop and cheesy, so I think that if it’s not cheesy, then it’s respectable.

CONFRONT: Um here are some questions we ask all bands we interview. What was your first and last album purchased?

NICK: My Last album purchased was…I think it was King Khan and the Shrines.

CONFRONT: And what was the first?

CHRIS: My first was like.. Nirvana

NICK: Yeah probably something like that..

CONFRONT: What was your first and last concert attended? And not your own..

NICK: The last one I went to was Stars, it was awesome and the first one I saw was, I think my first concert was actually New Kids On The Block.

CONFRONT: Oh my God! Mine too!

NICK: For real?

CONFRONT: Yes!

NICK: I went with my babysitter, I was kind of in love with her and I was maybe 8 or something..or 6? I don’t know.

CHRIS: My last one was Sugur Ros last summer, it was really good!

NICK: Which one was your first?

CHRIS: My first…umm I don’t remember.

CONFRONT: We have a section on the site called the “Daily Urges” and it’s basically a section where readers can submit artists that they think artists should listen to, should discover or rediscover. So what are some of your daily urges? Artists you listen to on a daily basis.

NICK: I would say The knux, it’s a really cool hip hop band I think from either L.A. or Hollywood. I think you should check them out.

CONFRONT: And lastly, you guys just have to finish the sentences. I never…

NICK: …sleep when I’m in the van…?

*Laughter*

CONFRONT: I would never…

CHRIS: …play in -30.

*Laughter again*

CONFRONT: One thing I can’t live without is…

CHRIS: Internet.

NICK: Umm it’s hard not to be cheesey..

CONFRONT: Well that’s ok. Someone else already said “My mom.”

NICK: That’s a good one actually, I’ll stick with that one for me too. Cell phones

CONFRONT: Alright, that’s all I got for you.

NICK: Cool. Thank you!

CHRIS: Merci.

CONFRONT: Thank you very much. Have a good show even if it’s -30…

To view all the pictures from that night, visit our photo gallery in going to the Library of Content