There have been quite a few changes within the brooding, yet uptempo driving indie rock that is Astari Nite. Not only are they under new management, but the foursome has also been recording new material for a buzzworthy first LP and getting promising gigs at established venues such as Culture Room, Florida Supercon, The Peacock (Orlando), and The Laboratory (Gainesville). Moreover, with new bassist Lucia in the mix now and a newly recorded track entitled Waves, Astari Nite proves that changes are an intergral and necessary part of a band’s maturity. To get a better perspective on the band’s recent changes and new material, we caught up with band via a handful of interview questions.
How did the addition of Lucia come about and how has it affected the bands chemistry or writing dynamic?
Since our previous bass player’s departure was somewhat unexpected and unwarranted we weren’t sure how long it would take to fill in her position but we kind of lucked out with Lucia. After jamming with her a couple of times we saw her potential and with her musical background we knew that she would be a great addition. Obviously a new member changes the chemistry a bit but in our situation it really enhanced our sound. I don’t think we’ve really tested out the writing dynamic but early indication dictates that it’s going to be even better the before.
What’s something new that Lucia contributes to the band overall?
Lucia comes from a classical background of music and her versatility with instruments really opens us up to expanding our sound. It’s nice to have members that can contribute from multiple instruments but she’s also an exceptional bass player. She makes it seem so easy when she plays and you’ll hear more dynamics coming from the bass in future compositions. It’s really great having her on board.
Was the transition seamless or was there an adjustment period?
Since we’ve been recording and playing live most of the time, the transition has been very seamless. If anything, it’s been too seamless, but that just speaks of Lucia’s ability to hit the ground running with Astari Nite. It’s funny because previously there was a lot of adjusting going on that we had to worry about, but now it’s such a delight!
The new track “Waves” showcases an evolution in songwriting and even vocally. Is this evolution a byproduct of anything specific?
We wrote this song a while back actually and the mindset was that we wanted to write a slower song. We’ve only played this song live once when we opened up for Stars and it went down pretty well, but the right atmosphere needs to be set so it’s not a common song in our set-list. I think it’s just the natural progression of the band to want to try different rhythms, sounds, tempos and melodies but this song in particular just came about through the melody and we built upon that. Mychael really showcases his vocals on this one and sounds very vulnerable and sincere which is what sets the tone of the song. Illia’s drumming is somewhat of a throwback to the 60′s sound which makes for a nostalgic feel, but it then switches at the chorus for a more jazzy rhythm sound. The guitar and the bass really explore the space and play with different rhythms. I wanted it to be a really sad song for whatever reason but I think it came out as more of a dreamscape if anything else.
Was there an intentional decision to change things up musically or was this evolution just a natural, subconscious progression?
Our intention is always to make great songs, so sometimes this takes us to new places. In part it’s evolution, but overall we’re always trying to move forward musically and sonically. Sometimes that varies in degrees but you can clearly hear it in our songs especially when compared to our initial ones. For us it ultimately comes down to how the song feels and “Waves” feel pretty freaking good.
Check out the band’s new song Waves here: http://soundcloud.com/astarinite/waves-final-mix
Catch Astari Nite on April 28th at Green Room, alongside Fort Lauderdale post-punk favorites Retrocities. In addition to the bands’ performances, there will be art show entitled A Starry Night, burlesque by The Reckless Dames, and DJs spinning all night long. No cover, doors at 9pm, drink specials TBA, 21+
