In the grand scheme of things, 2016 kind of sucked more than a Hoover, but Nick Wold (vox, guitar), Nelson (bass) and Jacob Wick (drums) aka DREAMERS have been fruitful and productive: from thousands of road miles on tour spreading the goodness of their punchy, iridescent and more thoughtful than you would expect pop tinged rock to moving cross country, they made the most of their time. And in the middle of it all, they released their debut album, This Album Does Not Exist – which actually does – and boasts some quality songs such as “Drugs,” “Sweet Disaster” and “Wolves (You Got Me).” It’s been a long and busy year. Perhaps even a dream one in the life of a young band on the rise and we’ve definitely enjoyed their company, but they’re not done just yet: they’ll bring this tour leg to a close in Los Angeles on December 15th with the Mowgli’s.
For a little perspective, we put a few questions to Nick on where DREAMERS have been and where they’re going.
High Voltage: We’ve reached the end of a good long year that included a lot of time on the road; are there any particular tour lessons that you’ve learned as a band?
Nick Wold: We’ve learned that you’re gonna be tired as hell, but you’re not allowed to be pissed about it. Imagine yourself in a cubicle or a chain-gang or a war and remind yourself how lucky you are to be working hard at music. Also, being with people you love and get along with makes all the difference.
HV: One thing that I appreciate is how energetic your live shows can get. Where were some of your rowdiest shows and has there ever been any bloodshed…aside from Jacob nearly killing himself?
Nick: Jacob’s nearly broken his spine, Nelson once annihilated his head on a spiral staircase right before the show in Chicago, and I once split my finger open so bad my guitar was covered in blood; stuff happens. I think if you never get any bruises or scrapes then you’re probably not giving the audience the show they deserve.
HV: This year you made the move from my hometown of Brooklyn, NY here to Los Angeles and – personally – I’m glad to have you out here. How settled are you as residents and what are you really loving about the city?
Nick: We really are getting settled here in LA at this point, even though we’re on tour most of the time. Even though New York is probably my favorite city in the US, I think it’s a really special time to be in LA. We’re finding an incredibly vibrant community of musicians and rad friends here. Bohemians, artists, and serious industry professionals.
HV: The Mowgli’s, Mainland, Bear Hands, Night Riots, Audiodamn!, Colony House, Zella Day, Great Good Fine OK…you’ve acquired a hell of a 2016 tour family and next year you kick off with the fantastic Griswolds. Is there anything in particular that you’re looking forward to about that tour? And what bands or artists are on your dream list to tour with?
Nick: It’s really been an incredible year of touring, we’ve met so many great people and gotten to play with so many great musicians and artists. And to cap off the year with announcing the Griswolds tour, which is definitely the one tour we would’ve wanted if we could’ve picked any. We’re really just looking forward to getting out there and seeing some of the people we’ve seen this year. Us and Griswolds have a lot of the same fans and it’s always a joy to see everybody come together. Dream tours? Besides what we’ve already done…Radiohead, The 1975.
HV: From rescuing a kitten to stolen gear to releasing your debut album to Lollapalooza to moving to the opposite coast, etc.,…how would you sum up the past 12 months of your existence?
Nick: It’s really been a crazy maelstrom of madness and life changes. We think life is all about change, so as long as the ground is moving under our feet we couldn’t be happier.
HV: Looking ahead, do you have any specific goals – band or personal – for 2017?
Nick: Our only goal is to keep going, writing, playing, improving and continuing to spread our music to as many people as possible, to the moon. We have some more specific plans but they are a secret!! Plz stay tuned.
Photo Credit: Justin Wilczynski