SEV Fest is fast approaching ( 4 days and counting!!), and one of the many talented groups gracing our stage is All New Episode. ANE is a pop punk group from Bellemore, fronted by female vocalist Noko. Their sound can best be described as a 90’s skate punk with elements of ska thrown in. The band not only loves to play local shows with local bands such as Flak Jacket, Go Big, and the Calvary is Us; they also sign up for charity shows with organizations such as Wings for Warriors, Pours for Paws, Breast Cancer awareness, Toys for Tots, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness, to name a few.
What’s interesting is that the band has been around, albeit in different incarnations. After going through different members, they finally have a solid lineup. “Through social media and through various shows we’ve all come across one another, and decided to steal each other away from whatever acts we already had going on with the thought, “hey we can totally play awesome music together and don’t suck as friends,” and the rest is history!” says drummer Doug.
When asked about influences, a clear answer could not be given. “We definitely overlap in what we like, but musically range tremendously. We can pull influences from pop punk and ska, all the way to rap rock and reggae to metal and hardcore, there really is no ceiling to our influences.” After listening to them I not only get a strong Blink-182 vibe, but I also hear influences from skate punk and DIY style bands such as New Found Glory and Less Than Jake. On a much bigger scale, their vocalist reminds me a lot of Tsunami Bomb and Save Ferris. I know, most people are inclined to include Paramore whenever a rock band is fronted by a women, but I get hear less Hayley Williams and more Kathleen Hanna.
Doug goes on to say, “Our singer (Nicole) is a storyteller. She conveys her own experiences and life lessons through her lyrics. Each song and set of lyrics can be taken to heart and portray more than just a nicely put together sentence but a message about how life is a learning process.” Their music is indeed a mini story packed into each song, such as demonstrated in the song “Tonight”, a love song with a fatal twist.
All New Episode has an EP released on their bandcamp, which you can stream for free OR pony up the $3 and buy the album with their bonus track. As for future plans: “Right now our main focus is completing the new songs we’ve been working on so that we can put out a full length album with our current iteration of the band. Our style has changed a bit and our EP just doesn’t do us justice anymore. Putting out a full length is still definitely a major goal and playing shows at venues along the east coast; and of course, the same goal we try to accomplish every night, try to take over the world.”
You can check out All New Episode this Saturday at SEV Fest.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allnewepisode
Bandcamp: http://allnewepisode.bandcamp.com/