Music, Why Not! Had the pleasure of chatting with one of our new favorite local bands (Dallas, TX) Northern National! It is refreshing and really nice to hear a band talk about their craft with so much passion and love.
I have had the great opportunity of speaking with plenty of bands in the past and it is those who come across humble and with an immense love for music that I usually get on with better. You see, I believe music heals the soul. Not everyone can create a tune to heal a soul. Just think about how hard and complex it is and how easy musicians make it look. They are born with a gift. The gift of being able to convert their feelings into notes and then capturing the hearts of people all over the world. There is no better feeling than to hear a song that is meant to heal, connect, have a good time with, cry, scream, etc. Music that makes you feel something is music worth listening to. These guys are doing just that with their music. I first heard them play at the House of Blues with two other bands and I was blown away by their charisma on stage. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you my interview with Northern National!
MWN: I know that playing music comes from within but that fire of wanting to create new art is ignited in a way by something. Where would you guys say your passion for playing music came from?
Rossi: The live show. When you play in front of anyone that emotional response to the music we create drives us to create more. We love performing. I love performing. It’s one of our favorite places to be.
MWN: How was the band formed? And why did you guys decided to name your band Northern National?
Kanne: The band was originally created from a project that Rossi & Kanne started now going on 5 years ago. After a lot of personal and musical changes we finally made Northern National a 5 piece band with the current members in September of this last year. It’s all been a fun whirlwind since then. Regarding the name Northern National? I’m going to leave that to speculation. It’s more fun that way 🙂
MWN: Essentially I feel like as time goes by the people, movements, and things that influences our creativity and persona change constantly. So right now who or what would you say is influencing you as a creative being?
Rossi: It always boils down to our life experiences. From loved ones, to each other, to playing shows on the road – those moments are what drive us to be creative.
MWN: Speaking of influences who or what would you guys say influenced your music the most?
Kanne: I think when it comes to “The New Age” EP, the music really came from a place of personal meditation. We reflected on inner struggles, current longings, and future hopes and in turn out came the music.
MWN: Every artist has different ways of developing their sound which then become albums. Sometimes songs start off with a simple melody, other with a guitar riff, and other times they are developed from the lyrics. What would you say your process for creating music is?- (I know it can also vary)
Rossi: It definitely does vary, but usually it all starts with one of us playing something on our instrument and then humming a melody over that music. From there we talk topic, structure, and musical additions.
MWN: Do you guys find yourself writing more about your past and personal experiences or do you focus on writing more about the “outside world”?
Kanne: Definitely personal experience. However, to be frank some of my favorite songs are actually about the “outside world”. I love having a challenge and writing from someone else’s eyes is a challenge to me. You might see more of that in our new music.
MWN: Thus far what would you guys say has been one of your favorite gigs and why?
Rossi: We’ve had a lot of awesome shows recently so that’s a hard question. However, on April 7th we get to open for one of my favorite artists, Mat Kearney, at TCU, so that should be a fun show!
MWN: For me there are artist I wish I could have been able to see perform live- such as John Lennon or Jim Morrison. So for you guys who would be an artist you would have liked to have seen live?
Rossi: That’s also a tough question… probably Sam Cooke. I love his style in general. His style of writing, singing, everything.
MWN: One of my favorite songs from the album the New Age is “Love is Fire” can you guys tell me a little bit more about the making of the song and the story behind it?
Kanne: That was actually the first song that was written for the new EP. It’s cool for us because we first recorded it with a producer out of Nashville and then re-produced it with our now producer, Daniel Stringer. Love is Fire is the song that kind of kicked everything off for us as a band, so in that way it’s a pretty cool and personal song for us.
MWN: What would you guys say was or still is the boldest move you have with your music in regards to sound? Anything you guys did completely different and really liked?
Kanne: I think that is still to come. We have a new single called “Money Blind” that will be coming out later this spring and we can’t wait for people to hear it. It’s different, but still us. Maybe even more “Northern National” than the EP. Ask us that question again in a year from now. 🙂
MWN: Favorite song to perform live?
Rossi: Probably “The New Age” just because we love to kick the show off with that song. It’s the “We’ve arrived. Now it’s time to rock out” song.
MWN: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions. To finish of the interview is there anything you want to tell the people that have supported your music?
Kanne: We just want to say thank you for the continued support and get ready. New music, videos, and shows will be coming your way this year.
Keep up with the band by clicking the links below:
Official Site
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Check Out Northern National’s Exclusive Music Video Below: