New Years Day

Since forming in Anaheim, California in 2005, New Years Day have released an EP and a full-length album. With a new EP on the way, we caught up with Vocalist Ashley Costello for a quick chat about how things are going...

What’s happening with NYD at the moment?

Well right now we are more focused on our new music than we ever have been before. We just finished playing with the Vans Warped Tour and now we are feeling incredibly inspired. I’ve been through a lot personally since our last record and I feel like I’ve been carrying it inside of me for so long. I have so much to say that it’s almost hard to narrow it all down to a few songs.

Can you tell us a bit about the band and how you all got together?

We actually formed through bad break ups believe it or not. The guys and I have been friends for way longer before we formed this band. We knew each other through being in previous bands in the Orange County area. The Orange County music scene is fairly small, so you get to know other musicians really fast.

All of our former bands were breaking up and we were all splitting with our significant others at the time and the song Ready Aim Misfire was written and it all dawned on us; why don’t we just start a band between each other and that’s how New Years Day was formed and also how we got our name. What better way to describe something that was another fresh start, a new beginning than calling it New Years Day.

I hear you played the Vans Warped tour this year, is it as gruelling as people always say it is?

Actually, I don’t think that it is gruelling at all. I mean, I can definitely see why people would say that, its A LOT of hard work and it’s hard work that you have to motivate yourself to do, no one is out there yelling at you to get up and get to work, you just have to want it really badly. I enjoy it. I love the late nights and the early mornings, zero sleep, extreme weather conditions. Those are some of the best stories of my life and I hope I get to keep doing it for years.

Which bands did you enjoy from Warped?

From this year, I really enjoyed watching Alkaline Trio and Andrew WK. All American Rejects were fun too.


You released My Dear in 2007. How was the reaction to it?

The reaction to it was amazing. I remember how it felt unreal, ‘cause I had spent years being in bands that no one cared about and I was so shell shocked that such a great interest had been taken in New Years Day. Magazines and music channels were all backing it. At the time it seemed like nothing could stop us.

Do you have plans to release another album any time soon?

We plan on releasing an EP before Christmas of this year.

Where does the inspiration for your lyrics come from?

It’s actually impossible for me to write a song that doesn’t come from something I feel inside me. It could be anything. Anything from my love of a ride at Disneyland to the complexity of a new relationship. I like to paint scenes in movies with songs. I have to see it visually first and then I can write for days about it. If I can’t see it then it stops there.

How about musical inspiration?

Musically I’m inspired by movies, places, rides, anything that can move me after seeing it with my own eyes. Our song Let’s Get Dead was musically inspired by the haunted mansion and lyrically inspired by my desperate desire to get my band moving forward again.

You’re from Anaheim, California. What’s the music scene like there? Is it a good place for live music?

I think it’s as good as any other place. I mean, in 1995, Anaheim was the most popular music scene you could imagine. Ska was the in genre and of course, the OC was the place for it, much like grunge in Seattle in the late 80s early ‘90s.

There’s a Lady Gaga cover on your MySpace page. Do you enjoy playing any other covers?

I’m such a sucker for covers. I think I'll just sing anything as long as I’m singing, ya know?

Where would you like to play that you haven’t before?

Japan, the UK, Italy… But I’m in no rush to get to Australia; too many frightening scary deadly creatures there.

Any plans to come over to the UK?

We have always planned on it! Hopefully next year!

www.myspace.com/newyearsday


-Claire