I Will Never Be The Same Interview

30. Jan, 2010 1 Comment

Josh Atchley

Rock Lifestyle has been catching up with Josh Atchley, aka Nynex, from US electro-synthrock band I Will Never Be the Same, who featured on Rock Sampler #001.

Josh is both the frontman, the producer and the sole instrumentalist on the 2009 album ‘Standby’, with band backup when playing live.

Started back in 2008 as a solo project, their first album was released digitally only proving that modern thinking runs through Josh as strongly as it runs through his music.

Rock Lifestyle: (RL) You’re well known for the fact that you are essentially a one person band. However when you’re out on the road touring you take a full line-up with you. Can you give us a quick intro to the members of ‘I Will Never Be The Same’ live and, of course, yourself?
Josh Atchley aka Nynex: (JA) I Will Never Be The Same was created about a year and a half ago in my little West Hollywood apartment, and when I was creating this project I always knew I wanted it to be from a live standpoint. It was my first time singing and writing lyrics, so that was definitely something I needed to strengthen. I really just created music I wanted to see if I were in the audience.

I Will Never Be The Same live is:

Francis Ten on bass,
Taylor Haycraft on guitar,
Brittany Bao on Synths,
Harry Sullivan on drums,
and I sing and play lead guitar, synths and pianos live.

Francis Ten, Josh Atchley, Harry Sullivan, Brittany Bao

RL: How did you choose the other live band members and what are their backgrounds?
JA: Well Fran and I met when I did a remix for his other band West Indian Girl last year, since then he and I have become great friends and he is working with me on a lot of the day to day of the band. Taylor was a friend of a friend who just loved the music he came to me wanting to play guitar in the band, so one day I just sat down with him and he already knew how to play the whole album. Brittany, I knew for a couple of years and she knew how to play keys, it was just setting up patches and showing her how to use it technically. Harry is the newest member and has only played 1 show with us to date.

RL: How’s 2009 been for you and what’s on the horizon for 2010?
JA: 2009 has been a great year, but it has mostly served as a set up for 2010. We were able to get the live aspect of the band off the ground and a nice team behind it. 2010 will bring a long tour schedule, tons of remixes, and eventually a new album.

iwillneverbethesame_group RL: Who has influenced you in the music you make and what bands were you going out to see when you were younger?
JA: Well when I was young my Dad ran his own company doing lasers for all the big concerts, Pink Floyd, Kiss, Motley Crue, etc., so every summer I would get out of school and join him on tour. A lot of that big production blew me away as a kid, so I really wanted to be in a band that could just blow people away live.

RL: You’re gigging at the moment. What’s the reception from the general public been like?
JA: We just finished a 1 month residency at the Viper Room in LA and the reception has been incredible. The word is just getting out about the band and there seems to be a genuine excitement among our burgeoning fan base. We are starting to play more shows in southern California and with each one we are adding a bit more to the visual production side of things. We definitely have specific plans and goals for the live production side of IWNBTS which we consider essential to the live experience.

RL: Do you find you get more ‘rock’ fans or more ‘electro’ fans showing up to your shows?
JA: Well I have been doing electronic music for 10 years or so and a lot of my friends come from the “Electro” side, but it is actually pretty even. I think the line is very blurred these days between “electro” and “rock” people.

RL: Describe your perfect gig to play? The other bands can be present or R.I.P…
JA: Well I guess just a nice open air festival with some of my favorite bands like M83, Innerpartysystem, Muse, NIN, Justice, and I guess throw in Pink Floyd for the headliner.

i_will_never_be_the_same_-_standby_artwork RL: You’ve spend the last one and a bit years creating what has become ‘Standby’, how do you feel about the album? Is it perfect in your mind?
JA: It’s never perfect, but its just something you have to let go and realize “how is it supposed to sound?” I think overall I am very happy with the album; there are a lot of different styles going on from song to song. There were also quite a few songs that I did not add to the album which would have definitely changed the dynamic of it. I have already started on the second album and as a result of playing “Standby” live it is helping to shape the newer batch of material.

RL: Why did you release Standby, your latest album, digitally only?
JA: It’s only “digital only” for the time being. The main reason is simply due to the ease of delivery that digital affords –it’s pretty much the industry standard now and the best way to get your music to the masses. CDs are available at the live shows and I’m sure we will be doing some things on vinyl in the future as well.

RL: How many opportunities out there do you think there are for new and unsigned bands to succeed? Are we in a saturated market so far as record labels signing bands is concerned?
JA: Well I think a lot of new independent labels are coming up and targeting a certain style of music instead of just a huge roster of everything. For instance we were approached by FIXT Online to sell “Standby” in their store which deals mostly with electronic/rock. It’s in any band’s best interest to know your niche and target audience. On the flip side you don’t want to pigeon hole yourself —it’s a good place to start a core fanbase.

RL: How do you feel the internet has changed things, especially with regards to rock music?
JA: Well the internet is where I think 90% of our music is heard, bought, and seen. We try to live stream our shows so people can watch from any location. Thanks to twitter, facebook and all the other social based sites, reaching people directly and interacting really helps people get to know who you are. I think its good to get personal with your fanbase and I try to engage everyone that likes the music. That said, the internet has also helped to devalue the price of music. If I was just going to rely on digital music sales to break IWNBTS I wouldn’t be putting together this amazing band to go play live with. Watching live rock music is still a powerful experience that you just can’t get by sitting in front of your computer.

RL: What are your aspirations for ‘I Will Never Be the Same’?
JA: Just to keep moving toward creating a sound that hits you in the right spots.

RL: Would you want to tour worldwide? If so, where do you really want to play?
JA: That is my main goal. Playing live is really the only way to make a career out of music. I haven’t seen much of the world yet and its time.

RL: If you weren’t in this band, what do you think you would be doing?
JA: Starting another one.