Words by Peter Tanski
Anachronistic futurists Now After Nothing have been offering up single after single of Dark Wave informed electro-pop, with an inspired Cure cover to add some umami to the salt and acid, for the past few months. With an E.P. in the can and an eye to performances, Matt Spatial and I skim the surface of where he has chased the muse, the shape of Post-Punk to come, smart answers to silly questions, and what the it takes to reimagine the classic “All I Want”.
Off Shelf: Seeing as though you had undertaken so many projects in the past, what was the initial intention behind Now After Nothing? What sets this apart from your former groups?
Matt Spatial: It was really intended to be a solo project. I didn’t really have any preconceived notions other that sitting down to record an album’s worth of material and flex my creative muscles again. As the material began to take shape and my enthusiasm increased, I realized that it begged for an actual band to honor it.
OS: As to serve the songs themselves…
MS: Yes! And the cool thing about that, for me, is that this is the person I’ve always been. This is the music I’d always wanted to make. It’s a musical return to who I am. This is what I do best.
OS: And what you do best is, as I had coined during one of our previous conversations, “S&M Disco”. “Sick Fix” is the penultimate Sado-Disco track, both musically and lyrically. May we ask about the toxic relationship in the story that is that song?
MS: I’ve actually used the term “S&M Disco” since we’ve spoken last, so thank you! You really nailed that descriptor! The music itself I had literally cranked out in several hours based on a baseline I’d written a decade ago. Lyrically it is exploring the toxic side of some relationships, be it interpersonal; friends, lovers, parents, kids, or be it substances, food, anything! We have relationships with politics, the internet… exploring toxicity in said relationships and dealing with it.
OS: Did the lyrical themes come after the music was completed?
MS: Ninety nine point nine percent of the time, the lyrics come after the songs. For me, the lyrical content is about my emotional connection to the song. Regardless of words. Plus, I’ve never been the “lead” singer before in any band, so it was a bit of a challenge to take on the lyric writing duties. From there, I was stuck between procrastination and really wanting to take the time to write thoughtful lyrics.
OS: As we are enmeshed in what is, increasingly, a “singles” based music culture, are you more inclined to release in that fashion, or do you aspire to maintain the album format?
MS: The original plan was to go single by single, but what I’m finding is that as I get positive feedback that entails “more, more, more…”, the more I’m inclined to release something more akin to the album format. As a brand new, unknown band, singles make the most sense. As we build, the long form becomes more… attainable, I suppose? I’m hoping for a 6-song EP that includes the last two singles sans the third, a cover of The Cure’s “All I Want”.
OS: Was there any trepidation, as you are like myself, a long time Cure fan?
MS: There is a bit of sacrilege involved when covering a song by a band that isn’t only a touchstone for one’s self, but an absolutely iconic, universally loved group. I just went for it. Hopefully people won’t slam me too hard for it as I’m not Robert Smith, nor do I pretend to be. I’m certainly no Simon Gallup, though I wish I were in the neighborhood of his talent, as he is my biggest influence. I just hope people take it for what it is. [At this point in the conversation, talk of Robert Smith still sounding fantastic and Simon’s Lululemon style leggings as stage-wear ensues.]
OS: So, when can we expect to experience you in a live setting?
MS: As it happens, I have retained a good relationship with a promoter that I’d worked with in my other bands, so we are certainly gearing up to play some shows. I have people in place to round our a live band. I have things cooking.
OS: Aside from the obvious Dark Wave and Industrial elments, as well as the Post Punk and electro-pop hallmarks, you seem to employ an almost Philip K Dick / CyberPunk nuance. Is that something that you have been cognizant of?
MS: Not on a conscious level, but once I’d established the sound, yes, absolutely. This sound is what I’d always been striving for in my previous groups, and for whatever reason, it never came to be. Now that I’ve become more accustomed to how synths work, it’s become more of a “driver” where songwriting is concerned. Every instrument has it’s place, but I’ve finally made that instrument make sense to me within song structures.
OS: Have you considered that, at this point in music and culture, basically anything is acceptable? One can conceivably get on stage with a computer and a microphone, go off for 40- 50 minutes and perform, and not one person would take issue?
MS: Absolutely! Especially in the Goth/Dark Wave scene. People are more flexible, especially younger folks. It’s fantastic. I probably wouldn’t have accepted it in my youth, but it’s indicative of the ushering in of new tech. It’s the new guard. I think it’s phenomenal.
OS: If I were to explain to someone what Now After Nothing sounds like, curbing my S&M Disco Cum CyberPunk soundtrack assertions, how would you have me describe it?
MS: Dark Pop without the bullshit. I always hate this one! I have to work on my elevator pitch!
OS: Oh, I get it, and I don’t think you need one, but the F.F.A. blurbs still abound. But I think Dark Pop sans bullshit applies, so I’ve given you at least 3 workable pitches right here!
MS: I know, I have to get you on staff! But you hit it on the head with the past influences, like Bauhaus and the usual suspects, and Curve, who are timeless; merged with modern approaches. I’m not reinventing the wheel, but much like Curve, imbuing emotional complexity into simple structures. So, days of future past maybe where I start with that question moving forward!