An Interview With The Rock Band, THE NIGHT OWLS!

Photo Credit- Laura Hajar

The Nightowls have spent the past few years bringing their “raucous” live show (Austin Monthly) across the US, hitting every corner of North America and playing dozens of festivals including Austin City Limits Festival, KGSR Unplugged at the Grove, Ouray Mountain Air Music Series, The Levitt Pavilion, Blues on the Green, and the Double Decker Festival.

On April 27th, they released their new album “We Are The Nightowls.” Most of the album was written in 2017 following extensive touring in support of their 2016 EP “Royal Sessions.”

“Our previous 2 albums were concept albums that payed homage to the historic recording studios in which they were recorded,” front-man Ryan Harkrider describes. “This new album is more about capturing the band’s sound…it’s more of an updated, cohesive statement about who we are.”

Connect With The Night Owls Here:

https://www.facebook.com/TheNightowls
https://twitter.com/The_Nightowls
https://www.instagram.com/wearethenightowls/

Learn more about The Night Owls in the following All Access interview:

So how has 2018 been treating you all? What is one musical goal that you have had for this year and how close are you to reaching it?

So far 2018 has been awesome and getting better. Our goal for 2018 is simple: take the music to the people. We didn’t tour as much as usual last year because we were focused on finishing the album. But with the album finally released, we’re spending more time on the road, working on new material, and honing the live show.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be in this band together? Has anything surprised you about it all so far?

Honestly, I have this thought every night we play. It’s such a fun band to be in. And at this point, I’ve seen just about everything with this band. So, I’m not surprised by much anymore.

How difficult was it to come up with your band name? What other names were you considering?

Not too hard, really. I just always wanted to have a band called, “The Nightowls.” Before this project, I had used the name several times for other bands but it always felt better suited for this one. So, it stuck. Didn’t even consider anything else.

What did it feel like releasing your newest album “We Are The Nightowls” last month? Did anything surprise or challenge you when it came time to put it all together? Do you remember how you felt the first time you heard it all the way through?

The process of writing and recording this album was longer than usual for us so, the normal ups and downs of the creative process were extended over a longer period of time. Being hypercritical of your work is not always the most comfortable place to be so, finally being able to release the album to the world was very cathartic experience. Honestly, we were just relieved that we made the deadline set by our label. In the last few months, we kept writing songs that we knew had to be on the album. So, we’d go back into the studio to work and almost didn’t finish the album. In the end, we were just happy that we finished in time.

Suppose you had all the money and time in the world, which song on this album would you love to do a dream music video for? Can you describe the video from beginning to end?

I’d want to shoot a video for Don’t It Feel Weird and bring in a full string section to play live with the band. I’d want to shoot it in an empty theater with the curtains drawn back with everyone performing live. Just one long shot.

Where do you think you are all happiest- in the studio recording new music, on stage performing or elsewhere?

We love it all. But performing live is always electric.

Got any upcoming summer tour dates you would like to tell our readers about?

All of them. We bring it every night, every city, no matter what.

How do you think being a musician and in this band gives you all the most joy in life today?

Making and performing music is an absolute dream. Every time. But honestly, we get the most joy in life from being with our family and loved ones.

Who would you love to work with in the future? Who are some of your favorite artists right now? What do you think would be a dream collaboration for this group?

I would love to work with Stevie Wonder. Some of my fav artists right now are Bahamas, Janelle Monae, Jill Scott, Gabriel Garzon-Montano, Meshell Ndegeocello, Childish Gambino, Archie James Cavanaugh, and Pimps of Joytime,

If you guys were all going to be stranded on a deserted island, what musical item would you want to take with you and why?

A recording device.

What do you hope is the message of your music? What do you hope people continue to take away from your songs?

Love, joy, optimism. People can take away whatever they want from our songs.