Wed 2/27 @ 7PM
Apparently you can’t spell Nights with only one i. That’s what Cleveland-based band Niights — Jenna Fournier (vocals/guitar), Frankie Maraldo (guitar), Jeremy Dodge (drums) and Jacob Chandler (bass/synth) — decided before changing its name just prior to its recently released sophomore album Hellebores.
“Our first album, Whisper, took us pretty far,” said Fournier, who relocated from Las Vegas to Cleveland nearly a decade ago. “We did some touring on it, but it kind of got buried in the digital world as far as iTunes and Spotify.
“That’s why we ended up changing the band name because people had a hard time finding it when Nights just had one i.”
Heavily influenced by the Smashing Pumpkins, Whisper is Gish-like whereas Hellebores possesses more of a Siamese Dream feel, with an electronic vibe added to the band’s shoegaze, dream-pop and heavier melodic rock sound.
While the group’s 2103 debut was largely made up of Fournier originals, the singer said the songwriting process for the sophomore full-length was more collaborative, with studio experimentation yielding memorable results.
“Our new song ‘Silvia,’ which was the single we put out, shows both the heavy and sparkly side of the band in one song,” Fournier said. “I’m also a fan of ‘Keyhole,’ which I had as a solo song that we revamped it into this rock thing. It came out kind of cool, as pretty straightforward dream-pop rock.”
One of the biggest differences with Hellebores, which the band released in two parts over the last two months, is that the quartet is exploring a heavier sound by introducing some of its metal influences.
“I’d say it kind of foreshadows where the band has been heading as far as writing heavier, but there will always be that pop sensibility to us,” Fournier said.
Where the band is heading now is on a national tour with Elvis Depressedly. This includes a return trip through Northeast Ohio for a Feb. 27 show at Mahall’s. Overall, Fournier has high hopes for Niights in 2019.
“This is the biggest US tour we’ve done,” Fournier said. “We’re pretty excited to share our music with people.”
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