“We decided to name the album We Are The Nearly Deads because it is a complete reflection of the four of us; who we are now, and how far we’ve grown as individuals and as a band,” says Nearly Deads lead singer Theresa Jeane about the band’s new album due out July 7th.
For a band that sounds as spirited as No Doubt in the mid-90s with a modern Paramore populist formula, the band is far from what their namesake might tell us. The Nearly Deads are built to narrate the triumphs and tribulations of the introvert and extrovert mind sect, with hellacious vocals and a blistering group dynamic.
The four-piece also features rhythm guitarist Javier Garza Jr. lead guitarist Steven Tobi and drummer Josh Perrone who all contributed to its expansive ten songs and let their personalities define the ethos and sound of the album.
“This album has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride for me as far as the process of writing it went. Coming from our last EP that we wrote sweating in a barn in Texas, most of this album was written via emails back and forth and voice memos. That being said, I loved writing this album that way and it’s incredible that technology lets us be able to do that. When we (the band) eventually all got together to hash out the songs it made it that much more impactful in my opinion. This album means a lot to me, it’s meant to showcase who we are as people, musicians, and as a band, hence the name We Are The Nearly Deads,” adds Perrone.
Glide is premiering in full We Are The Nearly Deads (below), with a candid song-by-song commentary on each track featuring chosen band members. For those that miss an emo spirit that rocks with an “alt-nation” essence, check out the colorful insight on this adventurous release and the full album. They will be also having an album release show July 13th in Nashville – get your tickets here!
1. “Suffocating“
“We can’t always be 100% positive all the time. Sometimes, it feels like you can’t even keep your head above water. That’s what “suffocating” is about. Those real, honest moments where you feel like everyone around you believes in you but you just can’t get yourself to see it. We want to show people that it’s ok to struggle and to feel these emotions. It’s part of being human, and especially part of being creative. There will always be self-doubt. Not every song will be a fist-pumping anthem to overcoming your fears, sometimes we need songs about the fears themselves. We want to let people know that at any stage, any age, any time of your life, that it’s ok to still be searching.” – Theresa Jeane
2. “Maybe“
“The back-and-forth nature of the riff really inspired me to write a song about literally being pushed and pulled in different directions. It’s about facing the truth, slowing down and taking a look around at where you are in life and realizing that maybe it’s not where you really want to be.” – Theresa Jeane
3. “Supernatural“
“I really enjoyed writing and recording this track with the band. It’s an amalgamation of my favorite sounds in music (riffy, ethereal, driving and catchy chorus). It spawned from an idea I had years ago when we were writing singles (freakshow era) and I guess it just stuck with us when we started working on this album. We wanted to write a song that empowers the listener to their individuality and place in the universe, so hopefully we achieved that.” – Steven Tobi
4. “Wonderland“
Song: “This was the last song we finished writing and interestingly became the release single. Musically, with each album/EP I try to take inspiration from a previous popular single and elevate/evolve the concept for a new song. This was that song for me on this album and I think it worked. I love the energy, riffs, lyrics and video to go along with it. TJ took her time on the lyrics because she wanted to write something that resonates and I feel she nailed it.” – Steven Tobi
Video: “Filming the video for Wonderland was such a fun and exciting experience. The song itself is about finding our way back into doing what we love, which is performing and writing music together. We wanted the video to have a lot of energy and to showcase what it’s like seeing us play live. Daniel Gonzalez, the Director, had an idea to add lights and smoke to add a dreamy element to the idea of going back to Wonderland. Going back to Wonderland for me is absolutely pouring my heart and soul back into The Nearly Deads one hundred percent. After a hiatus and global circumstances that changed the music industry, we are re-introducing ourselves back into the world with this video and album.” – Theresa Jeane
5. “Believer“
“I have a bit of bias when it comes to this track. It’s the only song that I’ve written everything (music, lyrics and production). I was inspired to write it during a tough period of my life and the band was gracious enough to include it on the album and lend their talents to help bring it to life. It turned out exactly how I imagined and is probably the creation I am most proud of in my writing career. Although it comes from a personal place, my intent was for the message to be general enough to encourage anyone facing an obstacle in life to persevere.” – Steven Tobi
6. “Home“
“I thought the guitar riff for this song was so unique and I couldn’t wait to write over it. I played around with a different type of melody that really sets this song apart from the rest of the album. The road really does feel like home, so lyrically I tapped into both the hopefulness and the struggles that go along with life on the road.” – Theresa Jeane
7. “Redemption“
“I am so intrigued by pop culture and the way people are so quick to judge celebrities that they’ve never even met. As a society, we seem obsessed with building people up and tearing them down just as quickly. The concept doesn’t just apply to famous people, either. People are just as quick to look the other way when they see someone struggling as they are to praise them when they’re on top.” – Theresa Jeane
8. “Relentless“
“Like most of the songs I write, Relentless began as a riff. Early on, the riff used in the intro and choruses kept sticking out to me, so from there we built the song around that energy. As the bridge was coming together I began to notice the song had a bit of a marching rhythm and militaristic vibe, so it just felt right to lean into that with both the lyrics and instrumentation. It was that realization that sparked the idea to incorporate a brass section into the song which I feel is something unique for a rock anthem.”
“For the lyrical theme, I had been thinking a lot about regret, human nature, cancel culture and the idea that we all have these memories that no one but ourselves know about because we are either too afraid or embarrassed to reveal. TJ liked the idea and took it further, expressing that there is an unspoken pressure to be “perfect” coming from both social media and society; therefore we become ashamed and even scared of revealing the honest versions of ourselves. With that in mind, the song developed into what we hope is an empowering message to love yourself entirely, both your success and failures. Live a transparent life with no regrets.” – Steven Tobi
9. “Wild“
Song: “While writing a handful of parts for the new album, trying to come up with some rock songs similar to Nirvana meets Green Day, I took a break and started fingerpicking some ideas which really resonated with TJ and Steve. Inspired, they added some additional parts and then we had violinist Nate Leath guest on the track and it’s turned into this whole production.
Listening to the finished body of work, what “Wild” means to me, is always be open and up for an adventure. And whether it’s family or friends, just knowing there’s always someone out there that cares about you more than you realize.” – Javier Garza Jr.
Video: “The peak was the shooting of the music video. We worked with Filipino-African American film director, screenwriter, and producer, Josh Lovett, whose expressive flair beautifully meshed with the artful choreography and interpretive dance from the wonderful Bianca Rocha. Being surrounded by friends and everyone working together to create something exciting was just pure magic!” – Javier Garza Jr.
10. “Faith“
“When I was writing Faith, I really wanted it to be one of the uplifting anthem-type songs that would maybe make it on the album. I had a couple different ideas, most being pretty straightforward rock songs and after I finished demoing Faith, I thought it had a different type of character to it. I think we all really clicked on the song from its conception. Lyrically I had nothing to do with, but I believe it was TJ’s first draft of the lyrics that she sent over and absolutely knocked it out of the park. The lyrics she wrote completely embodied the uplifting believe in yourself vibe I was going for musically with the song. Hearing Javier’s style on rhythm guitar, Steve’s signature leads, and TJ’s killer vocals took the song to another level, and hearing the final mix that Brian Craddock put together blew me away. I think the song is something special and I’m excited for the fans to hear it.” – Josh Perrone
All Photos by Daniel Howell/Black Owl Photography.
