Congrats on the release of ‘Reverence’! It’s an incredibly catchy pop-punk melody – what was the process of recording it like?
AJ: “Thanks so much, we appreciate it! Recording and being in the studio is always the most fun part of creating music. The process of getting the song from the original demo to what we hear in our heads is a lot of trial and error with different ideas. This part is also where we have the most fun because we can mess around with the song a lot, and we can hear what the final product would sound like with all the unique ideas a producer brings that we never would have thought of. This is also where we really have to sit down together and decide what kind of sound we want, how we want the world to hear our stories, and how we want to be seen. “
I remember reviewing one of your first singles ‘Home’ back in 2021. What has the musical journey been like for NERiMA since then?
Lexi: “‘Home’ was the first song we’d ever recorded in a real studio and released professionally. It was such a special moment for us that we kept the original recording of it on the EP, and it was the only song we didn’t re-record. We’ve grown a lot since then — we recorded the rest of that EP in a real studio and have gone back twice for two more, and we’ve just kept evolving since then. We’re a lot more aware during the production and writing process now, and we’ve gotten so many amazing live opportunities that I don’t think would have been possible without these songs coming together so well and authentically.“
How did you meet and when did you decide you all wanted to make music together?
Lexi: “The band formed in 2020 right before the pandemic started. Vee and I are cousins and best friends since birth, and one of the main things we always bonded over was music. Every time we would see each other, we would bring a new song or band we liked, so our tastes really grew together, and of course, as huge fans of the band scene, starting one ourselves was just destined to happen. AJ was friends with a previous member and met me and Vee through them and joined the band in 2021. Ever since we started the band, I knew we weren’t just going to be doing covers. I’ve been songwriting since I was a kid, but I guess I was just waiting for the right people I could trust my music with. There was never any doubt that we wanted to make our own music and we all shared that passion, so the connection was really great from the beginning.“
What is your favourite thing about performing your music live?
Lexi: “Absolutely the energy of the crowd. I always try to engage with them as much as I can as the frontwoman, so any time they bring that same energy and passion back, it just makes everything so worth it, and it reminds me who we do this for.”
AJ: “My favourite thing has probably got to be seeing the crowd’s reactions whenever we play songs for the first time live. It’s really exciting to hear feedback from music fans who love the same type of music we do.“
Vee: “I love being able to bring our songs to life on stage! A song played live will always hit different than a record, so getting the opportunity to share that with our audience is truly special.“
If you could go on tour with any artist, who would be your pick?
Lexi: “I’m definitely going to have to go with Paramore. The moment we get on stage with Paramore is the moment I can die happy.”
AJ: “If I could tour with anyone, it would probably be Sum 41 because then they wouldn’t retire. And because I like their music.”
Vee: “I’d love to tour with My Chemical Romance just to be able to watch them play night after night.”
What is your songwriting approach like as a band?
Lexi: “It’s changed a lot from when we started to now, but essentially it’s become really collaborative. Usually, I would bring almost complete songs to practice with lyrics, chords, a basic drum and bass line, and usually the riffs, too. Now that everyone’s a lot more comfortable with our sound and their instruments, I’ll bring skeletons of songs and we’ll all collectively decide how we want to fill the holes together and the changes we want to make, and it’s always so cool seeing their ideas and bringing everything together.”
What advice would you give to bands new to the music scene?
Lexi: “Never be afraid to say no. As a huge people pleaser, I’m still learning this myself. But also, never say no to things you want to do because you’re afraid. Fear goes away, but regret doesn’t.”
AJ: “Just keep practicing. And remember that it’s more than just a hobby or a job, you have to be passionate. But, never stop practicing.”
Vee: “Remember the importance of community. Connect with local bands of course, but also make friends with the people who come out to watch shows! You’ll find a lot of ride or dies that way.”
You can listen to NERiMA’s latest single Reverence here: