Live-Metal.Net - Interviews: Nonpoint

Nonpoint cuts the cord, goes acoustic for new EP



	NONPOINT

January 5, 2010

It’s been almost 13 years since Nonpoint formed in South Florida, and suddenly everything is new again. New management, new label, new guitarist, one new release available and another in the can. First up: the digital-only acoustic EP Cut the Cord, featuring new takes on five songs from the first three Nonpoint albums and released through the band’s own 954 Records imprint in partnership with Rocket Science Ventures/RED/Sony. Up next: a new full-length, possibly self-titled studio album recently recorded at the Belle City Sound studios in Racine, Wis., with Mudvayne/HellYeah’s Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett producing. That should be coming our way in the spring, while summer could see the release of a second acoustic EP. As if that wasn’t enough, touring plans for the new year should be finalized soon. Frontman Elias Soriano checked in with Live-Metal.net’s Greg Maki to give us the details on all of the latest Nonpoint happenings.

Live-Metal.net: Today (Dec. 8), your acoustic EP, Cut the Cord, is available. Why did you decide to do this? Is it something you’ve been wanting to do for a while? How did it come about?

Elias Soriano: Yeah, yeah. We actually wanted to do it for a while. We were in a camp change, transition, so the powers that be were us. So we were like, let’s put something out in between these records so that people aren’t waiting another year, so they get music in their hands. So we decided to do this acoustic thing.

Are there other bands’ albums or songs that maybe you sort of looked to for inspiration for this?

No, actually, we kind of like to do our acoustic stuff the way that we kind of do it. We like to change it up. If anything, we took the example of other bands that maybe change it up when they do acoustic versions of their songs. We don’t like our acoustic versions to sound just like the original versions. We like to make them very, very different.

Was it hard to rework these songs to play them this way?

No, no. Either I had a vocal line or somebody had a really cool idea for a guitar part or bass part that kind of made it do what it did, and we kind of went with it.

How did you choose the songs?

We had our choice from the first three records because those were the ones that cleared the quickest. I believe the licensing was up for those records. So we went with those and a lot of our favorites are off those records. We did, obviously, “What a Day” and “Your Signs.” Then we decided to think about some of the live favorites, like “Victim.” We were like, man, maybe we could put a cool swing on that song. Then we just decided to start playing with some things and we were like, man, this is gonna be cool. We just kind of ran with it. [Drummer] Robb [Rivera] brought up “Rabia.” We thought that would be a cool way of showing that, yeah, remember that we also do Spanish, but we can even do it like this.

I liked hearing two songs from Development because—I don’t know, maybe it’s just the shows that I’ve seen—but that almost seems like it’s your overlooked or forgotten album because I don’t see you play any of those songs live.

As of lately, we’ve been playing with a lot of heavier bands. Probably the times that you saw us we were either with Mudvayne or with HellYeah or with a hardcore act. We like to keep our shows energetic when it comes to the bands that we’re playing with. But “Circles” is my favorite one off the acoustic record.

When you have the rights or whatever it is, are you planning to record songs from the other albums this way?

We’re actually thinking of jumping into the studio during our off time in January just to knock one out. So it’ll probably out, I’d say, around summertime.

Will that be another EP, five songs?

Yeah.

Why did you go with a digital-only release for this? Just because it’s easier and quicker?

Yeah. At the time, it just seemed like the smartest way to release it as a band that was still looking for management. Then, once we got involved in our actual record contract—our record, our full-length—we brought up the EP and they were like, we’ll release it for you. Give us an administrative percentage and we’ll track it for you, we’ll release it to everybody, we’ll promote it for you guys. So we set the outlets from Rocket Science and their connections, which got us in connection with you guys. I’m really, really, really happy with our new record label and our new contracts and our new manager. We’ve really, to me, gained a lot of control and a lot of help out of a lot of people that are really, really, really working it hard for us. We’re happy.

This has been your first experience recording with a new guitarist. How has that gone?

It’s cool. Zach [Broderick]’s a great guitar player. He knows his stuff. We just did a Dimebag tribute track for Metal Hammer. We did “Five Minutes Alone” and, man, he hit it spot-on. It sounded amazing.

Speaking of that, today is the five-year anniversary of Dimebag’s passing. Did you know him?

I met him, actually, a couple times. I know his brother Vinnie pretty well. I spent the night at his house. He’s probably one of the most gracious hosts I’ve ever met in my life and just a Texas gentleman, man, seriously. Just a nice guy. Just a great guy, man. The more I got to know Vinnie—I never want to bring it up and I never want to talk about it—but the more I feel for his loss. I heard Dime was just as loving and the couple times that I met him he was like, “Hey! Shot! Let’s go!” He was such a cool guy and I was so happy to get on this tribute. Like I said, I feel for his loss.

I met Dime just once, really briefly, but he treated me like we’d been friends for years. It was a really great experience.

Yeah, he was a really good guy.

You’ve been working on the next full-length studio album. Are you still out in Wisconsin now?

No, we actually finished up. On the 3rd, I flew home. Yeah, I’m happy to be home. [laughs]

Yeah, I guess that’s a big change out there from Fort Lauderdale.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It’s very cold out there. And I’ve gotta fly out there to do a show in Madison . Go figure. [laughs]

You worked with Chad and Greg from Mudvayne and HellYeah as the producers. I know you’ve known them a long time, but what was it like sort of knowing them now in this different capacity?

They’re very inspiring, obviously with some of the ideas that they have in the sense of their arrangement ideas and choosing parts that we use as a pre-chorus as our chorus, that we completely flip ideas around, and I’m just like, man, I didn’t even think about it that way. The fact that they can do that, and then on top of that, they’re just very nurturing with the process, of being able to keep you, as much as they can, in the game without letting you overwrite or underwrite a song. They’re great at what they do. We’re the first band that they’re doing this with. Obviously, they’ve done this with their records tons of times, but for us to be their flagship band, it’s very cool and I’m glad that it worked out the way it did.

How would you describe the new material? What kind of direction are you going in with it?

I guess it’s very song- and, to me, power-driven. [pauses] It’s hard to describe it. It’s my favorite record, to date, as of right now. The songs on this record, I feel, are really strong songs. People are going to really be able to connect with them. I’m really proud of it. I’m excited to hear it mixed.

Do you have a title for it yet?

No. We’ve been throwing around title names, thinking about making it self-titled. We haven’t had a self-titled record yet. Since everything feels so new, it seems like a good idea. But we’re still mulling on it.

The plan is for it to come out in the spring, is that right?

Yeah.

You’ve got a few shows coming up later this month. In the new year, will full touring begin for the new album?

Yeah, yeah. End of January we’re probably going to be going out. We’ve got a couple shows that we’ve gotta do. We’ve got one for the Tampa Bay Lightning. We’ve got a New Year’s Eve show for a radio station out in Phoenix . Then it looks like we’re doing the Cold tour from the end of January to mid-March.

I think that’s about all the questions I have for you. Is there anything you’d like add, about the new album, acoustic EP or anything else?

Yeah, yeah, just pick up the acoustic EP, Cut the Cord. Came out today.