Atlanta-based darkwave band, Now After Nothing recently unveiled their latest single, “Sick Fix” (Spatial Remix). The song is a remix of last year’s debut single, “Sick Fix” by Now After Nothing’s own Matt Spatial who wanted to give fans something new while the band wraps production on their debut EP set for release this summer.
Spatial says, “I wanted to put something different out so I lined up another artist to do a remix of “Sick Fix”. I never intended to remix “Sick Fix” myself, The “Sick Fix” (Spatial Remix) just kind of happened. When the remix was done, I loved it so much that I began to incorporate elements of it into the live version of the song.”
The lyrics to “Sick Fix” and the remix are about dealing with ‘toxicity’ and the very real struggle to stay away or detach from the things we know are harmful to us: the family member that treats everyone poorly or the narcissistic partner for example.
The track is also about the attachment to social media or the commercial media that spews false narratives to instill fear. Deep down we might know that continuing to engage in these things/situations is unhealthy. Yet, like the proverbial ‘car crash’, we can’t seem to turn away. Over time maybe it becomes so all-consuming that it might feel similar to addiction. It’s a ‘sick fix’ that we begin to subconsciously crave.
The “Sick Fix” (Spatial Remix) is available on all major digital platforms including Bandcamp and Spotify.
Atlanta-based darkwave act Now After Nothing is bringing classic influences and modernized electronic instrumentals to the present-day crowd. Frontman and multi-instrumentalist Matt Spatial brings masterful expertise to the expansive project and it’s evident in the dynamic collection of tracks that cover a vast selection of genres from punk to industrial and new wave. The influences from Bauhaus, The Cure, My Bloody Valentine, and Sonic Youth shine as he seamlessly enmeshes the best parts of those artists into a new iteration of seductive, introspective, and mesmerizing goth tracks for the next generation. Spatial intricately weaves social, political, and personal narratives within the instrumentals to add depth and darkness that resonates with lost and misunderstood souls.
What originated as a solo idea is now skyrocketing into a full-fledged project coming to fruition. Now After Nothing is poised to announce a new EP on the way that was fully written and recorded by Matt Spatial alongside drummer Michael Allen. The band has also been making waves with their energetic live shows having shared the stage with Curse Mackey (My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Pigface) and darkwave rising stars, Astari Nite.
Interview – Now After Nothing
Hello. Thanks for doing this interview with Kainklangmusicmagazine.
KKM: Can you give us a bit of a background on Now After Nothing and how you came up with the name?
Thank you for having me! Now After Nothing is a darkwave/post-punk band from Atlanta, USA. To give you an idea of our sound, our biggest influences are bands like Placebo, Bauhaus, Sonic Youth, The Cure, and My Bloody Valentine. The name came about just from wanting to find something that rolled off the tongue and playing around with different words and phrases. At first, it didn’t really have any specific story or meaning, but I quickly realized that it actually had quite a lot of meaning behind it. Starting this band was a return to music for me, and more so a reclaiming of my identity, after a relatively difficult time in my life. The band name is actually quite apropos in that sense.
KKM: Your new Single is named “Sick Fix” (Spatial Remix). What can you tell us about it?
The Sick Fix Spatial Remix just came about when I realized that I was getting a little behind schedule on our first EP. I wanted to put something out to give our new friends and fans something different to hear during the wait. I always enjoy doing remixes, but never planned on remixing my own song. I had a lot of fun with it though, which is exactly what I needed at the time. It served as a small shift away from the EP and our live show so that I could start fresh again when it was done.
KKM: Are you involved with any other projects or remix work for other artists?
Currently, I’m not. I am going in 100% on finishing the EP, shooting/editing the video for the first single, and some really cool show announcements coming soon.
KKM: The musical landscape has changed dramatically from what it used to be. Bands are no longer simply doing the album tour arrangement. What is your idea to navigate through the changing times at the moment?
Yes, it’s definitely changed significantly since my first band was playing clubs in my late teens. But I am also at a point in my life where I really have no expectations for anything. I just hope to release songs as often as I can, play as many shows as I can and see where it takes me. Once the EP is out and we have our first official base of songs though, I think it will be much easier to release singles instead of taking so much time in between releases.
KKM: Aside from geography, what do you think separates Now After Nothing from other artists in the music world?
I think it’s just the blend of our specific influences that makes us a little different. Whenever I list the band’s influences, it’s definitely crossing into some different (though complimentary) genres. When I’m writing I don’t think about it much really – I just do what I do – but I don’t know that I’ve heard a lot of other bands that have that same unique mix that we do. Just like there are tons of other great bands out there that each have their own unique mix of influences.
KKM: Concerning influences… what would you say that the musical influence would be which might be the most surprising to listeners?
That’s a good question – I think it’s easy to hear the darker influences that stand out in our songs, but I am also influenced by bands like The Go-Go’s or Jellyfish, neither of which are dark bands in the least, but their songwriting was excellent. In the case of Jellyfish especially, their production and instrumentation was phenomenal. As a studio rat, I can usually get into anything with really solid production. Another band I really love is Curve who really dove head first into mixing alternative rock with electronica.
KKM: Where do you see social media strategy changing in 2024 for this music?
If only I had a clue – ha! Within the darkwave genre though I’ve been feeling a shift recently towards even more community building, which is really incredible. I hope that things continue to go in that direction, in which case I think you’ll see that more and more in social media and possibly new avenues with which to make that happen.
KKM: Let’s say that sometime in the far future, someone locates a recording of Now After Nothing. What do you want them to learn from your message?
Be it the present or future, I’ve only ever wanted to reach that people that can find some connection to the music. I don’t think it’s a message per se, but more about letting others know that they’re not alone – we feel your pain as well.
KKM: What’s a live Now After Nothing show like? Have you played outside of the U.S.? Or is this exclusively a studio project?
The band actually did start as a solo/studio project but pretty quickly knew in my heart that I had to get back out on stage again. The challenge was making all of those layers of sound from the studio come to life on stage but I think we have accomplished that and hopefully do it in an entertaining way. I recruited some of my best friends (that I’ve played with in various bands with on and off for years now) to help me make that vision come to life. Though we have not yet played outside of the U.S., I am going to be exploring opportunities and ways to make that happen in the coming year. I do have one possible European show in the works for later this year though – *fingers crossed* that it comes to fruition.
KKM: How do you balance time between your profession, your creative work and family?
Ha! Sometimes it feels like I do it “poorly” but it helps that I am a night owl in a house with early-risers. I’ve got a pretty good groove/schedule happening where I don’t really attempt to shift into creative mode until after 9pm or so when the house is quiet and I know I have a long stretch of time that I won’t be interrupted. I usually stay up until about 1am or 2am working on band stuff. I can then keep the daylight hours for work/family. Just having this mindset of a schedule helps to keep me sane – knowing that I have the nighttime hours free of distraction makes it so that I don’t feel creatively frustrated or grasping for time during the day.
KKM: How important is literature to you as an artist?
As an artist, not a whole lot to be honest. I enjoy books but I get more lyrical inspiration from the world around me than I get from other things like books or film, etc. If I can first create a mood with the music, the lyrics then fall into place usually based on some personal experience. I do sometimes create a little story or character in my head, but the inspiration is usually more broad than any specific piece of literature.
KKM: Favorite cities to visit or perform in?
I’m really excited to eventually bring Now After Nothing to New York City. I’ve played there with previous bands and really look forward to going back – hopefully in 2025. Other than that, some of my favorite cities around the world that I’d love to play someday include Tokyo, London, and Edinburgh. I’ve been really lucky to have done a good amount of traveling and these cities in particular do hold a special place in my heart.
KKM: What scares you?
Other than losing a family member or something like that, I think what scares me most, specific to me as an individual, would be losing a creative outlet. I went through a period before Now After Nothing where I didn’t have one and it was a really dark time for me.
KKM: Are there any locations on the globe where you would like to retire to & that you think would be inspiring as long as you live?
Yes, definitely. A few of my favorite places that I dream about retiring to are Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, and Iceland. I’ve been to each and I could see myself retiring in any of them someday. If I could feasibly move to Tokyo tomorrow though, I would!
KKM: Name a song that can make you cry. Have you ever cried after you created a song or during the process? If so, what song?
“Surgery” by Jack Off Jill is probably the most gut-wrenching song I’ve ever heard. Pure perfection on the doom-and-gloom scale. Jessicka’s vocal performance is just beyond incredible. The closest I’ve come in my own material is a song from the upcoming EP titled “Entangled”. I got a little choked up when I first completed and played back the demo for it. I was feeling really proud of it.
KKM: What was the last great record you heard?
Placebo’s Never Let Me Go. The music of Placebo just ‘gets’ me and this latest album, though not my favorite of theirs, is still a really, really good one. Metric’s Art of Doubt is a really great record too – I still listen to it in the car quite a bit.
KKM: Motto?
Unofficially, I try to keep a mindset of “it will happen when it happens”. I don’t mean this in the sense that I expect things will just be handed to me, but more in a sense of not rushing just to make something happen. I’d rather take a little more time on something to get it to where I really want it to be.
KKM: Any other thoughts you might have are now yours. Thanks for your time. We thank you for your music, inspiration and your time;-)
Thank you so much for the questions!!
I truly appreciate each and every person that reads this and maybe gives us a listen and follow on our socials.
Cheers!
written by C.T.
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Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nowafternothing/photos
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/nowafternothing
spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/26KhwetisDzHdx22OLK6ZG
