heavy on the heart. On the Making Of “Not Now, Love”
Can you share any interesting or unique musical elements or production techniques used in this "Not Now, Love?"
Costas: This was a pretty straight forward song elemental wise. One thing from a guitar standpoint is the amount of layers used. This guitar was written in an open F tuning. So the main basis of the song is all in that tuning. But to make parts such as the chorus bigger, I tracked multi layers. We took a guitar in standard tuning and did 2 sides of straight power chords, downtrend a half step and did another set of layers of power chords and summed it all up with some octave undertones.
What was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of "Not Now, Love?"
Costas: “Not Now, Love” is a love song. Most of it is based on true events that have transpired in Nikki and my personal lives summed up into a 3 minute song. The name “not now, love” originates from an experience I had in 2012-2013. I was going some not so nice things to my body at the time. To make a long story short, my girl at the time and I had a wedding to attend. I took the wrong blue pill. During the reception I asked her to follow me to the bathroom and she stated “not now, love”. But the song is basically about a love that is discovered between 2 people that cannot be acted on at present time. I know we have all had moments like that in our lives and it is cool to see how people who have walked different paths of life can find relatable moments throughout the past.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for "Not Now, Love?"
Costas: We went to Sound Acres Studio in April 2023 and went through pre-production, tracking & initial mixing all in the course of 2 days. Studio days are typically 8-10 hours, so to watch this song come to life within 16-20 hours was kind of impressive. I remember starting day 2 worried we weren’t going to finish. But our producer Gary Cioni knows how to bring out the best in us and we have been playing this song as a band for so long that the magic just happened.
Could you share some of your musical influences and how they have shaped your sound?
Costas: Some of my biggest musical influences are Third Eye Blind, blink-182, Dear & the Headlights, Against Me! & The Dangerous Summer. When it comes to lyrics that tell a full story, I draw my biggest inspirations from Stephan Jenkins, Laura Jane Grace & AJ Perdomo. Musically, I try to incorporate all that I listen to and find love in in some way, shape or form. While some of our newer stuff has a little more complexion, structures that veer away from pop formats, I do love me a good pop song, haha. “Not Now, Love” is the works of a lyrically driven song backed by a melodic and straightforward musical arrangement. That is where the blink-182 inspiration comes in, I suppose, haha.
Nikki: Amy Lee was a huge influence and inspiration to me growing up as a singer. She was an opera singer which I was as well when I was younger and through injuries and healing over time I realized I was able to connect with my lower register. Amy has such a way of being able to use all of her range together so beautifully.
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
Costas: Playing live is such a rush. To be able to bring a piece of your soul on a stage in front of an audience is a feeling like no other. It’s so intimate, yet out there at the same time. Its so raw and personal yet its being shared with a room full of people. It’s magic. I was just talking about this the other day on a podcast. Getting on stage with heavy on the heart. Is different from anything I have felt from past bands before. I don’t get pre-show jitters or anything like that. I know I am getting on the stage with 3 other individuals who are locked in, in sync and are ready to give their all. Getting lost in that moment is beautiful. Something I appreciate every time I step foot on a stage. Whether we’re playing for 5 people or 500 people, the feeling is still the same. It is something I truly cherish.
Nikki: Performing live is such a rush. I never understood what I was kissing till I got up on a stage and looked out over the crowd. I still remember the first time I saw someone mouthing the words back to me and I honestly teared up on stage. The feeling is like no other, lights a fire in your soul. It shows me this is exactly where I’m supposed to be and what I’m supposed to be doing.