by Dakota Levitt
Fresh and new, No Place Yet is just hitting the scene. Their debut single “Show Me Now” was released in February and is now available on all streaming services. Their debut EP is in the works with a release date coming soon- grungy, sludgy, and enticingly charismatic taking the listener on a journey of self-reflection. The 5-piece band from Daytona, Florida held together by John Gray (Vocalist), Jake Tweed (Rhythm Guitar), Brandon Allman (Lead Guitar), Trent Schwadron (Drums), and Austin O’Rourke (Bass) sat down with me on June, 27th to give me the inside scoop on what they have been brewing the last few months.
How did you get your start?
We have all played music for quite a while. We have been in bands that have crossed paths and have jammed together on and off throughout the years but it wasn’t until this March when Jake recruited us that we all cohesively came together like The Avengers to start this project.
Brandon and John, you guys mentioned playing in your school bands before transitioning to the instruments you play now, what was that like?
Brandon: I have played the tenor saxophone since middle school. It was fun to learn. I was always listening to bands like Slipknot and A Day to Remember outside of school so I was able to take the knowledge I learned on the sax and transfer it over to another instrument.
John: Around the same time I was playing trumpet, I picked up the guitar. My dad played the guitar and sang at church and I've always had a passion for singing. In the first band I played in, I volunteered as a singer, and over time I have been able to practice more.
Jake: (Kidding) Yeah, John has no vocal training, just god-given talent!
How did you choose your band name? Is there any meaning behind it?
Brandon: I wrote a demo for the band we were playing in last year and it was a bit too heavy for them, but it wasn't heavy enough to be in one of the hardcore bands I've played in. So, it sat in this weird in-between spot for a while and I titled it “No Place Yet” because it wasn't a bad song, it was just there collecting dust. Jake ended up looking at it and loving the name so we ran it.
What are some of your biggest inspirations for your new EP?
Jake: I love Nirvana, I know Brandon’s into a bit of a heavier sound and John’s background is indie.
Brandon: It was a melting pot essentially, the first riff Jake wrote was very Smashing Pumpkins inspired, I love Type O Negative and I wanted to build up that sound. We didn’t want to go too heavy where John had to have guttural vocals or talk about the heaviest topics for shock value to get people to turn their heads. We wanted the overall package to be pleasant, even if we were talking about something heavy.
John: It kind of fell into place in pieces, we didn’t go into it with one solid idea, we figured it out as we went through it and let it naturally fall into place.
What does your creative process look like?
Brandon: I know it's a common misconception that 5 guys sit down in a room and write a song all together but realistically Jake will send me the guitar snippet and I’ll demo it out and add some flare to it, after that John will go and demo his vocal part. It was really just adding layers on top of layers. We tried not to rush it or make any deadlines and see what would happen.
John: I usually take it into my room, listen to it on my own write up some lyrics, then tweak it from that point on. My notebook is a mess with writing all over.
Jake: I will listen to songs on discover and hear different things. I am no singer so sometimes I just make noise on my phone but I could take it home and transfer the sounds to a guitar.
What are your biggest obstacles in writing music?
We were all going through so much while working on this project, learning how to divide personal life and band life still to this day is something we're working on. At the end of the day, we’re brothers, we are learning to balance life with our dreams and just communicate better.
What’s your favorite song from your new EP?
John: Definitely, Rat Race
Jake: Remember When (acoustic)
Should the EP be listened to straight through from start to finish?
For sure. We definitely want it to be a full-circle experience.
What are your goals with the music short term and long term?
Anywhere it can go, we are hungry biting at the bate, we are dogs in cages barking to get out! We are ready!
If you could go on tour anywhere in the world where would it be?
Red Rocks, Colorado is definitely a dream but realistically a South East tour would be awesome.
What is one thing you’d tell the youth of today who want to do what you’re doing?
Start early and practice your ass off. Don’t stop and do not do drugs. If anything is going to stop you, it's drugs, don’t do 'em play your guitar. Do this with people you care about, you’re going to be spending a lot of time together. Nobody’s art is bad.
Is Rock and Roll dead?
No, it is definitely different but it is definitely not dead. It has just transitioned into another facet, as long as that energy is there and people are able to have that outlet for themselves Rock n Roll will always be there.
