INTERVIEW: NEXT STOP ATLANTA

Next Stop Atlanta are a four piece pop punk band from Preston, Lancashire. Over the last 12 months they have made quite a name for themselves recording their debut EP with Matt O'Grady (You Me At Six/ The Blackout) and releasing a video for their single 'I'll Catch Fire (The Gift). The band has also been featured in this week's Kerrang magazine. New Kicks caught up with singer Georgia, guitarist/ vocalist Nik, bassist/ vocalist Blake and drummer Ant for a quick chat.

First of all, what’s new with you guys?

Nik: We have just confirmed the studio dates for recording our mini-album. That is pretty exciting. We are recording it with Dan Lancaster (Don Broco/ We are the Ocean) and we can not wait to get in the studio.
 

Georgia: We are preparing for tour next  month (July 24th - 28th) and demoing more songs for the mini-album. Expect a few demos to make it online in the meantime. 

Ant: Also, today we were featured in Kerrang! magazine, that was cool. Can I mention Kerrang!?!

What’s the history behind NSA? How did you meet?…

Blake: We are all friends and musicians from Preston. Me and Nik had been in bands together for a few years. Nik and I were keen to work with Anthony and Georgia because they were already good friends and great musicians. When mine and Nik's old band faded out we approached Anthony and Georgia about starting Next Stop Atlanta.
 

Ant: The name came about after a few rehearsals. We all agreed with Next Stop Atlanta as Atlanta is in Georgia. Seemed very fitting.

…And what inspired you to start a band?

Nik: We all wanted to write honest, melodic pop rock music with the view of being our own favourite band.

Georgia: I started out as a solo artist, so to come in and work with the guys in a band environment was very exciting. Everything clicked straight away. It's almost like we were destined to start this band. We have gone from strength to strength and have not looked back! 

What’s the song writing process like in NSA?

Blake: Usually what happens is Nik will loosely write a song with a basic structure. We then all give our input musically and lyrically in the rehearsal room tweaking the song until we are all happy with it. On occasion, we will write an entire song from scratch in the rehearsal room. That way we all have creative input from the start. 

What sort of thing inspires you to write? Are you songs generally about similar things?

Georgia: We keep it varied. We write about current affairs, relationships, hot topics, politics. Anything that grabs our attention or we feel passionate about. 

What was it like recording with Matt O’Grady?

Nik: It was great, a real eye opener. Matt is a good guy. He was professional and dedicated to delivering the best he could and bringing out the best in us. 

Blake: We will surely work with him again in the future!

How did you find making the video for ‘I‘ll Catch Fire (The Gift)’? And how did you come up with the concept? I imagine that was pretty exciting?

Georgia: It was brilliant to do! It was our first experience of shooting a music video so we were nervous and excited at the same time.

Ant: We wanted a simple concept that would be easy to translate. I feel we achieved that. It was a great experience. I can not wait to do more!

What has been your favourite gig so far?

Nik: I always enjoy playing shows in Liverpool. We have a good following there and the people are always welcoming.

Georgia: My favourite gig was not so long ago when we played the final of the 'Fylde's Got Talent' competition. We won the competition and as a result, are supporting Status Quo on August 5th at Lytham Proms. It was a great night and great show!

Ant: On our first tour we played Coventry (Kasbah). It is a fantastic venue with brilliant owners and staff. Seeing the fans pressed up against the barrier singing our songs back to us is amazing... Coventry did not disappoint.

Blake: I loved playing our EP release show at Mad Ferret in Preston. Awesome night. 

What do you love the most about being in NSA?

Georgia: Writing and playing music with my best friends. Sharing the experiences and visiting new places. I am proud of what we have achieved and the direction we are taking this band. I love it, its amazing!

Nik/ Ant/ Blake: Exactly what Georgia said!

Finally, do you have any upcoming shows you’d like to let people know about?

Blake: We head out on tour with a great band called Kid's Can't Fly from July 24th - 28th. Full dates will be announced over the next week!

Nik: We also have the show with Status Quo at Lytham Proms on August 5th!



Antonia