DREAMERS (members of Motive) is a unique brand of grunge that is nostalgic for a space somewhere between art-school eccentric and the late 1970s punk scene.Drawing inspiration from the likes of John Lennon and David Lynch, DREAMERS first sent their kaleidoscopic sound out into the universe with their self-titled debut EP (November 18, 2014) and now return with their highly anticipated follow up, This Album Does Not Exist, due in late Summer of 2015.
Their colorfully passionate music tugged at heartstrings and had tastemakers dancing around the room all in one fell swoop, with praise pouring in from the likes of Billboard, Spin, Alternative Press, Vice NOISEY, Guitar World, and major buzz from the blogosphere and HypeM heavy hitters like The Wild Honey Pie, Earmilk and Baeble. Their lead single “Wolves” has been in full rotation on SiriusXM’s AltNation for over 10 weeks and has climbed the Alt18 Countdown (based on fan votes) – where it has remained for 8 weeks, peaking at #7. It has also received spins on KROQ and reached #2 on alternative specialty radio’s FMQB and KKBB charts.The band has shared the stage with indie rock royalty including The Vaccines, The 1975, Bear Hands, Walk The Moon, Oberhofer, Broncho and will be the direct support for the Stone Temple Pilots tour.
Comprised of Nick Wold (vocals, guitar), Chris Bagamery (drums, backup vocals), and Nelson (bass, backup vocals) DREAMERS are (for the meantime) currently wandering in Brooklyn. With Nick and Chris having awoken in Seattle and Nelson in Maryland, they each found a contemplative solace in music, and first met in another life as part of four-piece band, Motive. After catching the attention of the likes of MTV2 and New York Times as well as opening slots for the likes of The Vaccines and Bear Hands, Motive eventually parted ways only to reform in this current life as a three-piece outfit, which would become DREAMERS.
DREAMERS’ upcoming LP is a psychedelic collection of indie rock tunes that journeys through an array of experiences culminating one transcendental moment. With each track a mystifying journey and tale in itself, DREAMERS are ultimately here for one purpose – to help you follow your dream, whatever it may be.
1. How was it to be on tour with Stone Temple Pilots? How in line was this opportunity with your personal goals as musicians, as well as a band?
It was a great tour in so many ways. For starters they are really great guys and they gave us the star treatment — super welcoming and supportive of our cause. Chester even treated us with hotel rooms for the month. It was definitely in line with our wildest personal dreams, they are one of our biggest influences along with other great grunge/Rock bands of the 90s and beyond.
2. Being in rotation on Sirius XM’s Alt Nation, how does it feel to hear your song in rotation when it comes on?
It’s a little surreal, we’ve definitely discovered some of our favorite music on Alt Nation in the past. We’re grateful for the play they’ve given us.
3. Why is music important?
Music is one of those powerful human art forms — the things we do when we are not just working toward a purpose, when we transcend the necessary slog and get the full rich experience of life. It is philosophy, poetry, and the motion of culture. Also it brings people together.
4. Kurt Cobain said, “If we get popular or not it doesn’t matter, the music’s more important.” Does the amount of success DREAMERS has had in such a short time get distracting for the band? Does it put pressure on the wiring process?
If anything, it’s something to remind us people are there to listen, it saves us from getting stuck on a particular chord or fill or something. Checking social media feels like being in a steam engine and opening that heavy steel door, looking at the coals glowing brightly. We always seem to be busy working on something in another part of the train, so it’s really reassuring and encouraging to see the enthusiasm. We’re really lucky to have the kind of support we’ve gotten, and getting to meet a lot of our fans on the road has been great. We like hanging out after shows, but we also coordinate with people to have some coffee or something like that when we’re driving through and have time. We’ve built some strong relationships that way.
5. What is the writing process of the band?
Nick brings the bulk, whether it’s a fully written song or a seed in some stage and we’ll work it out. Sometimes a mostly finished song gets some input and evolves. All three of us write and play a few instruments, but Nick is by far the most prolific songwriter. Chris has written a few as well, we’ve played a few of them live and recorded two, he’s got many more on the way. As a band we depend on each other’s instincts to keep things alive. When we all get into the room with a new song it’s like watching a baby learn to walk and then suddenly it also knows Kung Fu.
6. Who did you record your latest EP with? What was the experience working with them? Where did the recording process take place?
We recorded the EP with producer Danny Kalb in the woods of Virginia at Ravensworth Studios. Danny’s worked on some amazing records (Beck, Karen O, Ben Harper) and we vibed instantly. The process was fun; we just took a week down there immersed in the music, putting on coffee in the morning and working until very late into the starry nights. Ravensworth had air mattresses for us so we could just wake up and get right to it. The whole thing was magical, we emerged as this band in those woods.
7. What has a your music taught you about yourselves?
That you won’t know unless you try, that anything worth doing is worth working hard towards, and that we are essentially the same as our audience. We want to feel good, we want to transcend and levitate and break free through music. Nothing makes us happier than connecting with people through what we are doing. When someone at a show is going nuts, when they are ecstatic and truly present, we feed off that. It’s a beautiful thing, we need an audience as much as an audience needs a great performance!
8. How do you decide who to collaborate with on your music videos? Who decides the artistic direction?
We usually come up with concept and treatment for the video and then bring on our amazing artist/filmmaker friends to realize the vision. That’s one of theperks of living in Brooklyn, we are surrounded by great collaborators.
9. Being from the West Coast, how did you come to do your official video for Wolves at the Great Notch Inn in New Jersey?
Chris and I (Nick) were born and raised in Seattle, but we are a Brooklyn, NY band all the way. Our friend and collaborator Nikolai Vanyo (who directed the Wolves video) discovered The Great Notch Inn. We were looking for a place that was straight out of Twin Peaks. We are obsessed with the work of David Lynch.
DREAMERS – Wolves (Official Music Video)
10. Why do you like to use horror as a metaphor for the ideas in your songs?
Other than the classics it’s hard to find really good horror movies, especially new ones, and it’s probably because it must be really hard to make a good horror movie. It’s a favorite genre for all of us, and aligning ourselves with it brings us closer to the world of abstract weirdness, exploring impossible or unproven ideas, feeling the shiver of touching on territory that’s so out there we can barely conceive of it. There’s something about that that’s tantalizing and compelling, about acknowledging that humanity at its current stage probably can’t see everything there is, and that mindset pushes open a door to creative thinking, it evokes a blank expanse in which imagination is encouraged to run wild.
Not to mention, there are many 80s horror movies that are near perfect in their design and aesthetic and tone. Everything from Dead Alive to The Exorcist to Suspiria, and really trippy sci-fi like Altered States, π, Brazil, the list goes on.
DREAMERS – My Little Match (Official Music Video)
11. If you could have a famous actress in one of your music videos, from the past or present, who would it be?
Great question. We’ll give you our personal choices:
Nick: Willem Dafoe
Chris: John Cazale, just to see what it’d be like to be around him. I’d invoke Klaus Kinski if we need a shrieking flailing tantrum. First choice is Mia Wasikowska, though, because I need to meet her.
Nelson: Actress: Bette Davis is long since passed so I’ll go with Betty White. Or Tim and Eric dressed up like Bette Davis.
12. What have you learned from the journey of touring and being in the spotlight?
Besides the boring logistical side of coping with the physical and psychological demands of the touring lifestyle, we’ve probably learned that we want this more than we even realized. How are you going to keep a Dreamer down once they’ve played to thousands of people? Met with beautiful, gracious fans? This tour has been an amazing experience thus far. We are invigorated to do more.
13. What are you’re favorite things to do when you are not making music?
At the moment, there isn’t much time for things not band related! But we all enjoy watching the fantastic musicians we’ve shared stages and tours with. We like reading and discussing weird geeky things about science, philosophy, The Quest and The Path. We enjoy exploring and sometimes sitting peacefully in a new place, taking in the beauty of all that surrounds us.
15. Any final words for the interview? Do you have an inspirational quote for your fans?
Thank you guys for having us! To our fans and music lovers in general; We are grateful for the love. We’re in this together. We’re all Dreamers reaching for the stars in one way or another and that’s pretty f**king cool.
Introduction: DREAMER’s official bio
Interview by: Laura DeSantis-Olsson / LDO photography