NICEGUY CD RELEASE
Tue, Dec 23
Sidetrack Café (10333-112 St.)

If change is constant, then everything must be constantly changing. That rhetorical equation seems simple enough, just not necessarily applicable to the music world. More often than not, bands comfortably resign themselves to generating album after album of genre-safe music, and, while the subtleties may change, the group rarely strays from a working formula once they’ve found it. Mind you, if you heard Niceguy’s music three years ago, and you approved of their standard format, you’d be likely to slap them with an accusation, like, "Man, you’ve really changed." But brothers Kieran (singer/guitarist) and Brendan (drums) Halloran, partnered with bassist (and SEE contributor) Geoff Moysa, might well take your observation as complimentary.

In fact, the members of Niceguy’s will be the first to acknowledge, proudly, the band’s musical metamorphosis. Originally a straightforward pop-punk unit, Niceguy has become a more self-aware practitioner of intricate songwriting, one that is attentive to the evocative possibilities of their music. On a chilly and relaxed Saturday afternoon, Geoff, Kieran and Brendan discuss Niceguy’s past, present, and future, and where the three time-signifiers meet in the context of their new album, What Matters.

"At the time, that was a good representation of who we were," reflects Kieran about the band’s debut album, First and Last. "After it came out, and we started listening to it, I felt like we were capable of more, and that we could go further with the ideas on that record. On the new album, the core songwriting ideas aren’t too drastically different, but the implementation of them is. I think the problem with the last album was that it was behind who we were, and that’s what was frustrating for us."

Brendan’s memory is more particular: "I remember one day Kieran and I said to each other: ‘I think we should start this band over.’ We decided we should start from the bottom and go in our own direction."

Formed in high school, Niceguy spent its formative years playing shows in the hardcore and punk scenes, but their strong pop influence usually resulted in mixed reactions and odd-band-out status. They could either disguise their tastes, chameleon-like, and wriggle their way into the hearts of fickle punk teenagers, and thus become something they weren’t, or accept their fate as hopelessly pop- and melody-driven enthusiasts. As principle songwriter Kieran Halloran points out: in retrospect they probably never really had a choice.

"Paul Simon has always been held as God in this band," laughs Kieran, as his band mates guiltily confirm his statement. "But more important to us was just the classic songwriting structures he represents. I kind of feel that innovation isn’t always as important as putting out a really good song. Good songs speak for themselves, whether they innovate or not. I’m more interested in classic themes and structures of songwriting than [in] coming up with the most original music ever created."

Recorded during the summer months in order to avoid conflicts with their over-achieving scholastic careers (two med students and one law undergrad!), What Matters reflects the diligence and studious attention that the band members usually focus on their academic pursuits. The problem with being in a band–in contrast with completing a law or medical degree, say–is that a well-paying job doesn’t usually await you at some point down the road.

"We try and push the music as far as we can without having to sacrifice our education," explains Brendan. "It’s a fine balance, but we don’t really worry about it because we enjoy doing it so much. We’ve put four years into this band, but over 20 years into our education, so [the latter] would be hard to completely drop. On the other hand, if someone offered me the chance to tour around the world and get paid to play music with my best friends, I can’t imagine turning that down."

Kieran offers a more philosophical and pragmatic response to their ideal dilemma: "We’ll cross that bridge when we get to that bridge–if and when that bridge ever actually materializes."