The creativity and performance within New Orleansβ music scene has always thrived and the word “eclecticβ really can’t describe the variety of clubs, venues and performance spaces that comprised the New Orleans live music scene and served as one of the main foundations for activity of locals acts of all music genres. With the latest concern of the COVID-19 pandemic and a real threat to destabilize local music scenes, New Orleans looks into an unknown future, but thankfully, there are a lot of new bands emerging and thriving out of the legendary music hub. Our today’s guests, MOMENTS OF BEING, belie the notion of New Orleans being a home for jazz, funk, blues, and heavy metal only, and with their new album “part of the emerging monster to whom we are attached, unveil their own version of gloomy, aptly stained and tainted NOLA version of screamo.
“With the music of “moments of being” (original title by Virginia Woolf) I really wanted to elicit the unapologetic apathy of the world towards the individual, how the moments of our lives are shaped and ultimately disregarded.” – explains guitarist Colin W.
“But this callous nature of life isn’t it entirely. I also have this feeling that humans have perverted any remaining semblance of beauty or profundity, that there are always sinister hands at play in the world that has been thrust upon us, and unfortunately for us, we are a part of it.”
Asked for their sonic inspirations, the band says: “We kind of latched onto the concept of “screamo via NOLA” and tried to reconcile the frenetic and more typically cold, short and fast evocations of screamo/skramz with the down-tuned, heavy, oppressive doom-y lineage of the New Orleans scene. The band is four “transplants” (as much as that term is whack…) who have lived here for years and one NOLA native – our vocalist Zack.”
“part of the emerging monster to whom we are attached” by MOMENTS OF BEING is out December 20, 2020. For fans of: Senza, Hundreds of AU, Thou.
Tracked and Mixed by James Whitten “High Tower Studios” / Out via Larry Records (NYC), Canada’s Tomb Tree Tapes – ZBR sister label, and Malaysian screamo label Utarid Tapes.
“Much like with anyone and their “hometown” the implications of claiming “NOLA” for our vocalist Zack were compounded and different than for the rest of the band.” – says Colin. “There was a sort of cross roads involved with insecurities of what is the “spectacle” of New Orleans and how it is perceived around the country. This includes the highs and the lows (Thou and Eyehategod, Pantera…etc.) as well as news media sensationalization of what occurs down here and just– sort of– the perception of what NOLA is from within and without.”
πΌ π€πππ‘ π‘π π ππ¦ “π‘βπ ππ’πππ ππ ππππ πππ ππππ£π πππ π€πππ” ππ’π‘ ππ£πππ¦π‘βπππ ππππ’π‘ π‘βππ‘ ππ ππππ π.
“The punks of NOLA are unwell, we’ve all been unwell for a while. But in that state, there is still a level of perseverance and even motivation to continue creating music and sticking together.”
Ever hungry for some more inspirations and New Orleans music tips, we asked Colin to give us his shoutouts and here’s what we got.
“Some shout outs are as follows: Bryan Funck of Thou, for being a great friend and helping us play on some killer bills as well as keeping his dank record shop “Sisters in Christ” afloat throughout this 2020 nightmare…and for not letting us smoke in the practice space.”
“Several of our friends and the incestuous punk scene that is New Orleans: Thou <-(members of in) Mehenet, Cikada <-(members of in) I’m fine, Our friend Sam: The Three-Brained Robot which we have had the pleasure of maniacally sharing the stage with on several occasions. And the only trve New Orleans screamo: Ekumen.”
For some venues that should be mentioned for keeping the spirit alive, Colin gives us three names: – The Goat – For their live stream events “Goat Notes” and basically being our residency bar pre-covid. These folks are rad goths who support local art creation in a big way, check out their page; – Gasa Gasa – Bankrupt by covid turns Co-op venue; – Belly Up – a diy space/warehouse that will never die.”
Some other sick NOLA-centric honorable mentions:
Kayvk (this new song really slaps)
And one band, from Boston, that is criminally unknown: Needle Play
