Chicago’s A Beautiful Nightmare is nothing but a nightmare. They take their inspiration from a heavy dark presents making the best out of it with their intense live shows and intense musical content. Whatever the case may be, A Beautiful Nightmare has already released their first EP "Somewhere Between Never and Forever" and are in top secret mode as far as we’re concerned. Little word has been said in regards to record label talk and full-length news but the good news is that all will be revealed soon enough.
1. What's the driving force behind A Beautiful Nightmare?
Bryan: We would have to say our music and our live show are the most important aspects and then how we stay connected with all of our fans on a consistent basis is another.
2. How and when did your band hook up and how did you come up with the name A Beautiful Nightmare?
Bryan: A Beautiful Nightmare was first started 6 years ago and now is a completely different band with Michael our singer being the only “original” member. The name A Beautiful Nightmare was actually an idea of one of the other “original” members and it stuck with Michael and them so they ran with it. Michael actually owns the copyright to the name A Beautiful Nightmare.
3. How long have you all known each other and how did you meet?
Bryan: Bryan (our guitarist) had actually played shows in different bands with A Beautiful Nightmare a few years before he ended up joining the newest form of ABN about a year ago. Zero (Alex, our bass player) and Michael actually met at some parties a few years back before Zero joined the band. Jordan (our drummer) we actually met through the classifieds section on MySpace and he ended up coming out for a weekend on a train from Utah (where he is originally from) last summer to try out and play a show with us and after that he was in the band and moved out here to Chicago!
4. Have there been any changes since you first started your band or changes you would like to make now or in the future?
Bryan: There have been SO many changes in this band since it first started 6 years ago, and even since when I joined the band just a year ago (Bryan is the one typing most of this). As far as changes we would like to make, we are just going to keep pushing ourselves as musicians and songwriters to keep trying to improve our live performance and our music.
5. Who writes the music for your band?
Bryan: The actual “musical” aspect of that is written is done for the most part by Bryan and Jordan. We all collaborate for ideas on the songs and how we want them to sound and what we want them to portray though. Lyrically it is practically a collaborative effort as well. We all sit down and figure out what we want the song to be about, and sometimes Michael ends up writing all of the lyrics to the song and Bryan actually wrote the lyrics for two songs on our full length.
6. You guys are from Chicago, which pizzeria would you say is the best Chicago has to offer?
Bryan: We love Lou Malnattis.
7. Somewhere Between Never and Forever is the title of your debut EP. Why did you choose to go with using this title? What does it symbolize?
Bryan: This title could have many different interpretations and usually we would like our listeners to sort of come up with their own. For one thing though, we have always been interested in the ideas of opposites interacting with one another, hence never and forever. One clue as to why we came up with it: think of receiving some sort of answer within this sort of time frame ….
8. The style you went with is described as an intense, heavy, dark, yet fun sound in comparison to other bands out there. Why did you want to go in this direction with A Beautiful Nightmare?
Bryan: When we wrote our EP Somewhere Between Never and Forever we wanted our sound to be a mix of heaviness and a poppier melodic aspect that would have something for any type of listener to enjoy but also of aspects of what we ourselves enjoy to listen to (what would be the point if we didn’t, right?). With our new CD our sound has taken a significantly more serious tone than any of our previous work but we talk more about that later in this interview.
9. What to you is a beautiful nightmare?
Bryan: The name represents the idea of opposites, of paradoxes.
10. Right now the band is holding auditions to find a permanent second guitar player. Have you had any luck?
Bryan: As of right now we haven’t had much luck but we have a guitar player that plays live for us. Unfortunately he can’t be in the band full time though.
11. How about record labels you are currently seeking to sign with a label. Have you had anyone approach with you any offers?
Bryan: TOP SECRET INFO! Haha
12. You just finished recording your first full-length album, which you say on your Facebook page it will be available shortly. How short is the wait, really?
12. You just finished recording your first full-length album, which you say on your Facebook page it will be available shortly. How short is the wait, really?
Bryan: The wait is going to be related to some of that top secret information. BUT! We are going to be posting a teaser on our Facebook, and we will be and have been playing these new songs live. And on top of that we have been playing songs previewing the CD over Stickam for people.
13. How does it compare to your EP? Would you say that it's totally different 100% or is within the same boundaries?
Bryan: Compared to our last EP it is much more mature, much heavier, much more technical, and much more “epic” sounding in its melodic aspect. We essentially took everything we have wanted to do with our music and took it over the top on this effort. We are really proud with the music we have created on this CD.Ê It is a mix of super heavy music and an emotive aspect that not many bands have been able to pull off effectively.
14. When it came down to it, who did you work with on this record? What is the title of the album and what is the lyrical content based on?
15. What have been your major influences?
Bryan: We all have our own influences and they are pretty diverse from one another so this would pretty much take up a few pages, hahaha.
16. What does you tour schedule currently look like?
Bryan: Right now we are set to be doing a two week tour from the Midwest, to the West Coast, and back in July. If any other opportunities we come along for touring over the summer we will surely let everyone know. There are also some weekend warrior type runs that are in the works right now.
17. Of all the bands you've played with who did you enjoy the most?
Bryan: That is WAY too hard to answer as there have been many bands we have had a blast playing with but one of the best experiences we all shared in the band was playing the Chicago date of the Thrash and Burn Tour last summer at the Metro.
18. Is there anything you'd like to get off your chest?
Bryan: For the most part a lot of what we have wanted to get off of our chests has been written lyrically in the songs of our full length. So be on the lookout for it sometime this year!
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