NEVER BETTER — Melodic Noise

It’s weird how new music can make you nostalgic, but “Never Better” reminds me of life before my 9 to 5. Life was simple, emotions were raw, and I was a smart ass. Every track on “Never Better” has a clever title and even cleverer lyrics. The five track EP slants towards the pop-punky side of emo, taking full advantage of the quiet-loud formula, building intensity and then releasing it with an explosion of energy and angst. For me the stand out track is “Love Handlez,” which was also the first single. The lyrics invoke a sentiment of not caring at all while also caring way too much, and isolation while being surrounded by friends/family. “I know that you’re getting drunk with out me, sitting at home and you’re feeling real lonely, surrounded by people who swear they care about you” is definitely a mood I’ve felt more times than I care to admit. The following track, “Blunt Force Marijuana,” will raise feelings of anger/frustration for anyone who has ever been a disappointment to or disappointed by their father(s), I look forward to sobbing in the mosh pit when I see/hear this song live. “Minneapolis vs. St. Paul: This Time it’s Personal” concludes the EP, featuring feelings of disillusionment and a trumpet. Check out “Never Better” out March 1st and niiice. at their EP release show March 17 at the Garage with Victor Shores, Marmalade, Honeygold, and Doggy.

niiice.:
Abe (He/Him) - Bass
Roddie (He/Him) - Guitar
Sage (He/Him) - Drums

(Melodic Noise) How's your day going?
(niiice.) Good! Just got off work, so I’m pretty tired, but all in all a good day.

(MN) What genre do you consider niiice.?
(n.) We like to say Party Emo

(MN) What’s niiice.’s origin story?
(n.) We started jamming in late 2016 when Me(Roddie) and Sage went to the same school, and had our first show on Halloween that year. After some member shifting, Abe joined and it’s really sick!

(MN) How'd you get involved with Brace Cove?
(n.) We met John, who runs the label, through our friends in a band called Granddad! We ended up getting asked to be on the Brace Cove 4 way split with Granddad, Pretty Still(RIP), and Marmalade, and John recorded our song for that. Him and everyone else involved with BCR are the best people, and we feel really fortunate to be a part of the team!

(MN) What is the story behind the album name?
(n.) This EP is called Never Better. I think we chose that name because it kinda pairs well with our full length we put out in April called Try to Stay Positive, as well as I feel like this last year has been particularly rough. But in a lot of ways, it’s been the best time of my life. On the album cover there’s a kid, looking like they just got the shit beat out of them, holding a thumbs up and I think that’s pretty indicative of how the last year has gone for all of us.

(MN) Lyrically what stands out on the EP?
(n.) I think on this record I tried to write more about specific things, instead of vague feelings of sadness, and I think that comes out the strongest on Blunt Force Marijuana. I talk about my relationship with my dad, and while by no means is it a super deep, contemplative song, it was important to me to write about it.

(MN) What was the inspiration behind the album?
(n.) I think this record is just about struggling. Like struggling to do mundane things, like drink water and take vitamins every day, but also struggling to be the person you portray yourself as on the internet.

(MN) What do you hope people take away from the album?
(n.) PARTY THROUGH THE PAIN BAYBEE

(MN) Is there something that connects the songs together?
(n.) Probably just struggling to find inner peace, and feeling that no matter how much you try, and how much you grow, you’ll never find it.

(MN) Locals or transplants?
(n.) Abe is from Cannon Falls, but me and Sage are both from Montana

(MN) Who are your big influences and Minnesota influences?
(n.) I think all of us were really heavily influenced by Green Day early on. I think American Idiot was the first album all three of us bought, which is pretty sick! As far as what influences our sound now, Stars Hollow is an insane band, as well as Prince Daddy & the Hyena, Gulfer, and we listened to a lot of Tiny Moving Parts while writing this record.
As far as Minnesota influences go, I really love what Why Not is doing, as well as Gully Boys.

(MN) Favorite current Twin Cities artists?
(n.) OOF this is tough to narrow down but my top three are probably Gully Boys, Harper’s Jar, and Marmalade! We’ve toured with Gully Boys and Harper’s Jar, and they are the sickest bands in the world.

(MN) Favorite venue to play & see shows in Twin Cities?
(n.) Paperhouse! No other venue in town, whether it’s a house, or 7th street, has done what the Paperhouse has done for Minnesota DIY. All of the coolest shows from the past 4 years, as well as our coolest shows, have happened there. I’ve become pretty close to most of the people who live there, and it really just feels like home whenever I walk in the door!

(MN) What can fans expect when they come to a niiice. show?
(n.) A whole lituation! We love to party and have a good time, and try to get the crowd involved as much as possible, while also letting everyone know there’s a zero tolerance policy for bullshit. We don’t tolerate boys who can’t keep their hands to themselves, boys who don’t understand what no means, or just being mean in general.

(MN) Favorite/crazy memory of playing a show?
(n.) We played a sold out show at 7th Street in January, and when we played Sweaty Hands, the whole crowd was singing the song and I got to step back from the mic and just listen. It was a pretty emotional moment for us, no one has ever taken the time to learn the words to our music before.

(MN) Who are your dream tourmates?
(n.) Prince Daddy & the Hyena for sure! Would love to tour with that band

(MN) Other hobbies?
(n.) Shlonkin doinks

(MN) What do you like about living in the Twin Cities?
(n.) It’s a very unique city! I don’t think I’ve ever been to a place that’s supported music as passionately as the Twin Cities, whether that be on a DIY level, or at First Ave

(MN) What sets the Twin Cities scene apart from places you've toured?
(n.) I don’t know if we’ve ever played anywhere that supports their local bands like the Twin Cities. It’s a very supportive scene, and it seems like everyone really wants to see you succeed. Obviously there’s haters, but it’s too cold to pay attention to haters.

(MN) Favorite places to grab food or drink in the Twin Cities?
(n.) Hard Times Cafe for sure!

(MN) Day jobs?
(n.) I work at Chipotle, Sage works at Papa Murphy’s, and Abe is a full time student which is really like two jobs in one. He got straight A’s last semester too it was so sick!

(MN) What are the band's plans for the future?
(n.) Record release and tour! The EP will be out 3/1 and we have a tour booked 3/8-3/17 that we are really stoked for! After that we have a couple little runs planned out, but the latter half of the year is gonna be grind season, we are going to tour a lot!

You can listen to niiice. on Spotify and Bandcamp.
Tickets for the EP release show at the Garage.

Review and Interview by: Andrew Perrizo