Artist: NIGHTLIFE 
Album: Salt & Acid 
Release Date: 24 February 2017

Louis Cooper-Hughes

London based punk rock outfit NIGHTLIFE have been gearing up towards the release of their debut full length album. “Salt & Acid” will be released on 24th February, and it follows up from their two EP releases “The Road To Hope & Glory” (2012) and “For The Record” (2013). These first two releases made solid work of introducing fans to NIGHTLIFE’s distinctive pop-rock inspired punk featuring heavy guitars, huge drums and unique vocals, but with a deft ear for catchy pop melodies. There is no doubt that fans of the band would have been eagerly anticipating new material in the four years since their last release and this new full length record really justifies the long wait.

On “Salt & Acid”, NIGHTLIFE seem to be pulling from influences at every end of the pop-rock/pop-punk spectrum. The bouncy opening track ‘Left Alone’ kicks the record off with a bold show of their strengths with technical-yet-accessible guitar riffs that never wear thin and constantly shift as the track progresses. The vocals have a distinctive tone which sits within the realm of unusual alt-rock vocalists such as Suede’s Brett Anderson and Placebo’s Brian Moloko. The song climaxes with an instrumental section built around well timed blasts of drums and guitar in perfect syncopation which makes for a great opening number.

The lead single ‘Out Of Your Mind’ which saw its release accompanied by a fantastic animated lyric video set in a dark alley in a seedy part of town, makes its impact with a powerful almost metal-esque guitar riff and frantically delivered vocals. It’s a great choice for a comeback single and provides a well rounded introduction to new fans by showcasing the band’s ability to craft powerful rock songs with one foot in the familiar and another in the unorthodox.

‘Out Of Your Mind’ Lyric Video

‘Dilute’ is also another great example of NIGHTLIFE’s pairing of the two approaches. The track begins with very heavy yet beautiful guitar lines which settle between monumental power and sublime nostalgic moods much in the same vein as Mellon Collie-era Smashing Pumpkins. This track also shows the band’s penchant for tightly knit vocal harmonies which drift between the lead vocals and instrumentation in a really intriguing way.

All in all, the entire record is filled with subtle nuances which you probably won’t hear on any previously released music in punk history. NIGHTLIFE are continuing to push the boundaries of their genre and really breathe new life into the quite frankly beige modern pop-punk scene. They stand head over heels above their peers in terms of musicality and innovation and bring plenty of fresh ideas to a music style which has been at risk of painting itself into a corner. Hopefully NIGHTLIFE will continue to drift into uncharted waters and give punk, pop-punk and rock music in general the kick up the backside it desperately needs and hopefully inspire more bands to take risks with their music. Until that day comes, you have “Salt & Acid”, and it certainly warrants your attention.

NIGHTLIFE are:
Paul Foster – Vocals, Guitar
Will Wilson – Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lewis Harrison – Bass, Backing Vocals
Garth Vickers – Drums

‘Salt & Acid’ track listing:
1) Left Alone
2) Purgatory
3) Out Of Your Mind
4) Broken Man
5) Blamer
6) Dilute
7) Lonely At The Wheel
8) Wholesome
9) Bullet Wounds
10) Wake Me When It’s Over
11) Salt & Acid

Teri Morris

Last week NIGHTLIFE front man Paul Foster kindly took some time out of his busy schedule to be interviewed by us. Here it is:

Hello, NIGHTLIFE!
Would you mind introduce yourself?

Hello! I’m Paul, I’m the vocalist and guitarist in the band…Hello?

Hi Paul. Thank you. First of all, could you tell us how you all met up and became a band?

Nightlife formed when my previous band ‘All or Nothing’ decided to call it a day. A few of us in AON wanted to continue playing and we were able to tweak some of our unreleased material and record ‘The Road to Hope and Glory’ EP, which was the first release of the new incarnation, Nightlife.

Great. Glad you did that. Who are your influences? Does everyone listen to similar music and bands?

It’s cool because although we’ve all been involved in a similar music scene, we all have slightly different tastes. I grew up listening to a lot of punk, Sick of it All, Give up the Ghost, No Warning, the chaotic riffs from bands like these were the reason I picked up a guitar. My voice has never suited those type of vocals, so I got more into Alternative Rock and Pop Punk, Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, Foo Fighters, which definitely influences the type of music I write today. To have a career as long and successful as those bands would be my dream.

Okay. How do you go about writing your songs?

I tend to write the guitar and vocals first, demo the songs on my computer and then send it to the rest of the guys. We then iron them through at practice and come up with the drums and harmonies.

I get inspiration at really random times, my phone has hundreds of audio snippets of me humming melodies or singing random lyrics that I’ve recorded whilst on the tube to work or walking down the street trying not to look like a mad man. If anyone were to ever steal my phone, they would be in for a treat.

Don’t ever lose your phone!
You are just about to release your debut album “SALT & ACID”. Could you describe this album for us?

It’s like a really pretty female body builder. It can be attractive and sentimental at times… with sweet melodies and catchy hooks, but can still kick the shit out of you when you’re not expecting it, still got the heavy handed riffs and beats to keep up the energy! I’m awful at Similes…

Haha you have lovely smiles! Do you have a favourite track? And why?

I said the other day ‘Salt & Acid’ was my favorite track, but my mind changes with the weather. This week, I’m thinking ‘Blamer’ is my favorite for a few reasons. Musically, it stands out as a little different from the other tracks, being more subtle and calmer in parts. Lyrically it’s different to a lot of stuff I’ve written before. It’s about a guy friend who was in a verbally abusive relationship with a girl and couldn’t see it, just thought it was normal. I wrote it as if I was in his shoes and could tell the girl what she was doing and why it’s not right to treat a guy like dirt just because he allows it. Guy Power!

Interesting, thanks for telling us! It has been a while since you released he last EP. By the way, I still listen to it!

Thank you!

Well, how are you feeling about the album release?

I’m really excited to get this album out into the world, as you mentioned ‘For the Record’ came out in 2013, so it’s been a while in the making. I’m the only remaining member of the lineup that recorded our last EP ‘WAS IT SOMETHING I SAID!?’, so it has been a rocky road to get to where we are now with a few lineup changes.

Life starts to get in the way more for people when they get past their mid-20’s, but now the lineup is as strong as it has ever been and I can’t wait to play the songs live to people once they’ve heard the release.

It will be a weight off of my back to have it out there and I can’t wait to hear what people think! …Be nice, I’m fragile.

For sure!
Recently you just from the UK tour. It was great to be at London show. I heard that the tour got better and better each day! Tell us about it?!

Mannn I got the post-tour blues pretty bad once it was over! We had a stupedous time, which was made even better by the bands we toured with who we got on with really well! Some bands you tour with pretty much ignore you throughout and don’t even watch your set, but by the end we were all standing at the front of each bands set singing every word.

There was no ‘bogey’ show, each one was fun and rewarding and I can’t wait to get on the road again soon!

I absolutely enjoyed your set, which mixed with older and newer songs. My favourite part was that you played Good Intentions from For the Record EP last on the day.

Ta very much! Yeah we struggle to leave that song out of our set. It gets people involved and singing along. Good Intentions is a nice transition song from our previous ‘pop punk’ sound into the rockier genre of new songs.

Is it most popular song so far?

Yeah it’s probably the most popular song from our last release. It’s very relatable as it talks about the struggle of growing up and trying to do your best even through failure. We’ve all been there!

Absolutely! Are you planning a special show for the album release?

Yeah we’re currently booking in another London Show for the release. We will announce it soon I promise!

Exciting! I’m looking forward to it!
Is there anything you would like to say?

Shout out to Bob Cooper for doing such a good job on the new record.
Album is out on 24^th February, have a listen! What have you got to lose!?

Of course!

And…
Have you ever tried spreading peanut butter on chocolate hobnobs? Treat for the taste-buds!

Sounds nice! Thank you for your time, and good luck!

To find out more about NIGHTLIFE, visit their sites using the links below;

Official Website: http://www.nightlifemusic.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/nightlifepunx
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nightlifepunx/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nightlifepunx
BandCamp: https://nightlifepunx.bandcamp.com/music
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/nightlifepunx
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2i3ek0G6YZ3LE8tySQjQI5
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeQ8ffyWNhwM5v78no2INBg

* Header Photo: Jennifer McCord Photography
* Live Show Photo: Alex-Jay Photography