NOX NOVACULA: FEED THE FIRE
Hailing from Seattle, Nox Novacula have established themselves as a growing force within the dark alternative music scene. Their latest release "Feed The Fire" continues to carry their iconic deathrock sound, serving as a testament to the staying power of their sound and style in the ever-evolving landscape.
1. Let's talk Seattle! What is the current music scene like? When Nox has a weekend off, are there any venues, bars, or places you would like to frequent?
(Charlotte)
Seattle isn’t the biggest city, but I think we have a pretty cool and diverse music scene. It definitely has a bigger metal and hardcore scene than goth, post-punk, or electronic, but more bands are popping up all the time, and because the pool isn’t as large as some bigger cities, we end up with more mixed bills, which I think is pretty cool. As far as venues, Seattle, like many cities, is becoming less and less affordable, meaning many of us have had to move farther outside the city and even to neighboring cities like Tacoma. Many venues have suffered because of this as well, and Seattle desperately needs more small independent venues. That said, I enjoy catching an all-ages show at Lucky Liquor, seeing more prominent bands at the Showbox, where I also work or dancing at one of the DJ nights at Pony on Capitol Hill.
(Ezra)
I moved to Tacoma about 30 minutes south of Seattle a few years ago. We have some cool venues there: Overkill Lounge, Real Art, New Frontier, The Church, and the Valley, to name a few. More and more artists and musicians are moving down as they’re getting priced out of Seattle, and I look forward to seeing our little city get cooler and cooler!
2. The deathrock genre is one of the myriads of genres that fall under the all-encompassing "goth" umbrella. Throughout the years, it has had a very dedicated and loyal following. Nox, along with a few other notables(New Skeletal Faces, Detoxi, Da'at, Shrouds, and Horror Vacui, to name a few), have been true to keeping the deathrock sound alive. Do you see the genre continuing to thrive? Outside of the aforementioned bands, are there any other contemporary bands that have been carrying the deathrock torch?
(Charlotte)
I think that deathrock will always be a pretty niche genre, I feel like even in its heyday it was pretty niche, but I agree that it’s a genre that has always had a loyal base of true believers. I think as long as people are still making guitar based music, there will always be some people who are drawn to the darker and more macabre elements of punk and rock and roll.
As far as bands that fit the genre, you definitely named most of the bands playing currently, and funny enough, or maybe unsurprisingly, I feel like all the bands I know of currently playing Deathrock we are most likely friends with and have probably played with them at some point. I will add a few more to the list: Nyx Division out of Portland, H.A.L.T. From Vancouver, B.C., and Destros from Milwaukee are all excellent and definitely worth a listen if you like darker guitar-driven music!
(Ezra)
We could be here all day naming great bands that fit under the deathrock umbrella that we have played with, but, a few more would be Tears for the Dying from Athens, Cemetery Sex from D.C., long time staples Altar De Fey from Oakland, and Oracion Funebre from El Paso.
3. Goth culture exists. Lifting culture exists, however, that venn diagram does not seem to overlap. Sure, you have your occasional #healthgoth lifter in the gym, but let's be honest you don't see too many gym goers in a 45 Grave tee stacking plates on the bench or squat rack, however, vocalist Charlotte is the embodiment of both. Charlotte, how did you get into powerlifting? During strenuous touring, are you able to maintain your lifting and nutrition? Are there any other lifters or fitness enthusiasts within the Nox camp?
(Charlotte)
Yes, we certainly are all active in our own way, though I will admit touring is really tough when it comes to trying to maintain strength and stay healthy in general. I will admit that even though I always try to keep some sort of routine on tour, I typically end up giving up pretty early on; maybe one day I’ll figure it out! As for me, I got into powerlifting maybe 6 or 7 years ago. I just wanted to start going to the gym. I didn’t know anything about working out or lifting weights, and I’ll admit I was super intimidated at first, but I was naturally drawn to lifting, probably because I’m a little bit lazy and I absolutely loathe doing cardio, so powerlifting with its low reps and high amount of rests just made sense for me haha. Then, once I started feeling and looking stronger, I became hooked. Taking multiple breaks from touring and life stuff, in general, has meant that progress hasn’t always been linear, but now, the act of lifting is super important not just for my physical health but for my mental state as well.
(Ezra)
I did Boxing for years before some injuries made it much more difficult. These days, you’ll find me in the gym, usually four days a week, when we’re not on tour. As Charlotte said, and especially as I’ve gotten older, it’s a must, almost more for my mental health than the physical benefits. Zu is an extremely avid hiker. You’ll find her on top of mountains from Canada to Chili.
4. The Nox Novacula sound tells me that there are overlapping influences rooted in 1980s goth and deathrock between all band members, however, you all seem to have your distinct style and personality. Common influences aside, are there any outlier bands, influences, or genres that each of you have that the casual fan may be completely unaware of? Any secret die-hard Dolly Parton fans?
(Charlotte)
I mean, who on this earth isn’t a Dolly Parton fan?? For real, though, I know I’m not the only one in my band who has an extremely eclectic taste in music. If you popped into our tour van, you might find us listening to literally anything from Death Metal to Hip Hop to Country to 90s House music or Detroit Techno and everything and anything in between. I don’t know if it would be surprising or obvious, but we are all big Danzig fans and I think he’s definitely had a bit of an influence on our band, Ian Astbury of The Cult is a big vocal inspiration for me, probably unsurprisingly I would think. I also take a lot of inspiration from Sinead O’Connor and Nina Simone. Maybe not necessarily in the way our voices sound, but in the way they were able to express emotion while singing.
5. Since its inception, Nox has been gaining much well-deserved momentum and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. On the heels of this latest release, what does the future hold for Nox Novacula?
(Charlotte)
That’s a good question but a hard one to answer! We’re still recovering from all the work that went into writing, recording, and putting out the last record and the US tour we just got home from. Right now, the future is very open and full of possibilities! We would really like to play some dates outside of the US, and we’re working on making that happen. I am excited to start working on new material. Besides that it’s hard to say, we’re just chugging along at this point and seeing what comes our way.
Don't miss your chance to witness Nox Novacula at Modern Wav in November. The event features a stacked lineup with TR/ST, IAMX, SPIKE HELLIS, MATTE BLVCK, LOUISAHHH, VOID PALACE, and DIE SEXUAL. Secure your tickets for the single-day or two-day event now. Act fast and click the link below before they're gone!
