Last time we talked with DREAMERS, we were hiding behind a giant haystack at Bonnaroo discussing important topics like ants and playing on the moon. The guys have been pretty busy since then with the release of their album, “LAUNCH FLY LAND,” and recently opened up the main stage on Saturday of Governors Ball earlier this month. Curious to see what they’ve been up to since Roo last year, we had the chance to talk with lead singer, Nick Wold.
Festival Squad: Alright, let’s jump right in. Hopefully you’ve had time to recover from Governors Ball by now.
Nick: Oh yeah, you know, all in a days work.
FS: How was your weekend at the festival? Did you get to hang around at all, or was it just a quick perform and dip out?
Nick: We actually did get to enjoy it. It was my first day off in New York since I moved away from here four years ago, so that was really awesome. We played first on the main stage, so we were done pretty early. We had a bunch of interviews and stuff after, but then we just got to chill and watch some great music. We tried to see The Strokes the next day, but that got cancelled.
FS: Yeah, that really sucked. I was looking forward to seeing them, so I was pretty crushed about that one myself. But I’m glad you at least got to enjoy a little bit of the festival.
Nick: Yeah, you were there?
FS: Yep, we were hanging out there all weekend.
Nick: Did you get stuck out there when they were evacuating?
FS: Oh yeah. I got poured on. It ended up being a pretty bad storm.
Nick: Oh man. Fortunately I was already off the island. We were on the way there when we heard it was cancelled so we didn’t go.
FS: You lucked out big time there. So last time I talked with you guys we were at Bonnaroo. We were hiding behind a giant stack of hay which is still probably the strangest interview setting I’ve ever been in.
Nick: Yeah! Yes, I do remember that.
FS: So what have you guys been up to since then?
Nick: We’ve been up to oh so much. We’ve been touring non-stop. We recorded and released our second full-length album. Now, we’re getting ready to embark on another crazy year of touring. I think we’re gone from July 1st until December without a break.
FS: Busy!
Nick: Yeah, we’re road dogs.
FS: That’s awesome though. Busy tour schedule means you’re doing good.
Nick: Yeah we love it.
FS: Alright let’s go back in time for a minute. Can you share a little bit of how you and the guys each came to music and to each other? Also, what were your first impressions of each other?
Nick: First impressions?
FS: Yeah!
Nick: *laughs* Nice. Well, we’re all lifers. We all grew up playing music in some different way. My mom always tells me that when I was like two I wanted to play the saxophone. So I started playing sax when I was a kid, and that was like my main life for a little while. That got me into NYU for jazz, and I moved to New York when I was 18. But more importantly, I was kinda lost and unhappy with where I was living in Seattle with my peers. Just my whole general scene. I was kinda soul searching and realized that I should just do the thing that is risky, but is what I would have always regretted not trying. That was music, and I’ve never looked back.
The other guys are similar. They’ve been playing their whole lives, you know. Touring with different bands. They’re better musicians than me. I’m like the writer. But, our first impressions of each other were awesome, cause we had all been in bands before. Failing bands, and just failing artistically, so we all just really united on some things like philosophically. So it was a pretty exciting marriage.
FS: That’s awesome. So if you guys weren’t doing music, what do you think each of you would be doing now? Or was music just like always it. There was no plan B.
Nick: Great question. I never really think about plan B’s, because that’s suicide. But, I’m really interested in science, like just as a fan of it. So I feel like I could’ve ended up being a scientist or something.
FS: So cool. Alright your music videos are always super creative. Just a ton of fun to watch. How do you guys come up with ideas for them? Do you get inspiration from elsewhere, or is it all within?
Nick: Videos are just a really fun thing. It’s kinda just like this side project we get to do, so we just always have a lot of fun with it. But yeah, I’m obsessed with surrealism, like Dali and Terry Gilliam, David Lynch. Stuff that’s inspired by dreams and just kinda like absurdity.
FS: I love that.
Nick: Yeah, so it’s probably just inspired by that. I’m obsessed with like sci-fi and fantasy as well, so it’s just a fun opportunity to dip our toes into all of that with the videos.
FS: Do you have a favorite video you’ve shot so far?
Nick: Probably still Wolves. That was the first one. It’s just horrible, janky quality. We filmed it on VHS tapes. Back when we were in our New York days, I was living in like our practice space. No money. Just doing it all on the fly. We wanted to make like a Twin Peaks mixed with Teen Wolf movie on VHS quality. The only quality we could afford. It’s just a good memory.
FS: Alright going back again to the last time we talked. You had mentioned that the end goal of DREAMERS has always been to play the first sold out arena show on the moon.
Nick: Oh yeah.
FS: I think that definitely shows a little bit on this new album cover. What was the mindset going into creating LAUNCH FLY LAND?
Nick: The album is really a concept about embarking on journeys and just going through the things that we go through in life. Throughout the last couple years, while writing it, we had all related ongoing personal tragedies as well as triumphs and just really always moving through it. I had gone through like a huge long breakup. Which the EPs were kinda like the breakup album. At the end of this ordeal of the last year–you know, of being like depressed, but also happy, and all the things–I just came out a wiser person. The album title is kinda just about that. You launch and you fly. And in the end, you land. The album itself is kind of the land phase cause the two EPs were LAUNCH and FLY. So, you can hear that it’s just a little bit happier. Just coming out of the clouds a little bit.
FS: Yeah definitely. That’s awesome, I love it. So how is that journey to the moon going? Any progress there?
Nick: Yes, we’re fast approaching that goal. Even if it’s just looking at the moon, we’re on the way. It’s a long way to go, but you have to aim high, and just do it. Just Nike it. That’s what being a dreamer is all about. Anything short of that, we’ll take it. But we’re gonna see how far we can go. Plus the moon is our symbol. The moon is the symbol of DREAMERS. It represents the night time which is when you dream. But it also represents the goal. The moon shot.
FS: You guys are great. Still probably the most fun interview I’ve ever done, so I appreciate that.
Nick: That’s awesome. I’m glad.
FS: Alright, thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me. I definitely appreciate it. Before I let you go though. I know we just got a bunch of new music from you guys, and we mentioned a tour earlier. But can you share more about what you guys have in store for the rest of the year?
Nick: Yeah, so this summer we are opening for 311 and Dirty Heads for two months. It’s gonna be crazy big reggae shows in amphitheaters. Then we will be playing Lollapalooza, and then we’re off to England for the first time. Which I’m mega excited about. It’s been like my main goal in all of life to get over to where one of my favorite bands came from. So we’re doing a month of touring in England, and then we’re gonna come back and do our own headline show until that gets us to Christmas.
FS: Awesome! Well, congratulations. Again, thank you so much for talking with me. Hopefully I’ll catch you guys out on tour. You said you have a show tonight?
Nick: Yeah! We’re playing in Alberquerque tonight.
FS: Well good luck tonight, and hopefully we will talk again soon.
Nick: Yeah, definitely! My pleasure. Thanks for the interview, and come say hi if you come see us.