Nonpoint is stopping down in their South Florida roots for a few shows before going out on the road for The Last Hero Tour with Alter Bridge. We were lucky enough to catch up with vocalist Elias Soriano before he takes off for their first 2017 tour.
Did anything change when writing and recording The Poison Red or did you follow the same formula as your previous records?
I try to change it up as much as I can without getting too far away from what it is we do best. Having new blood in a new style of riffing in the Band with BC is also a fresh take on the process. But the focus is always the same and very singular which is to write an amazing song that we left to play.
What ideals did you put into The Poison Red? The first single "Generation Idiot" seems like a call-to-arms against societies' addiction to technology and modern day mindsets - what other themes played a pivotal part in writing this album?
Life as always is the theme to every Nonpoint record. And every word I spit is pivotal to the music. It's that kind of care and focus that I believe has survived this band. I give a shit about what comes out of my mouth and with the boys play. Like I said everything is pivotal. The theme of the record is no exception.
Favorite song off the new album?
I would have to say "Last Dying Breath" is my favorite song on the record.
Favorite overall song to play live?
Breaking Skin and Last Dying Breath are tied for first.. Bullet With a Name gets a photo finish second place.
Which of your songs means the most to you?
All of them.. without every song I've written, including the ones that never got published, I would not be here. I wouldn't of met my wife, I wouldn't of had my child, I wouldn't have half the friends I have and been 99% of the places I've been. Every song mattered.
What song do you remember most from your childhood?
"Monkey's Lament" by James Taylor
What hobbies do you turn to when you're feeling "burnt out" or unmotivated to work on music - to help respark the passion?
You're going to laugh but I jump on my Xbox One, get online and pretend I'm saving the universe with my clan of friends I've had for decades. Without my online gaming community I think by now I probably would be committed.
What's your favorite venue you've played at thus far?
Wow there are so many I can't say one.. Any of the House of Blues venues are amazing.. especially the Orlando house of blues. Crowds there go to see an amazing show I don't amazing sound level with amazing production and their venues and staff are professional and help bands put on some of the worlds best shows. So I would be wrong not to mention those venues.. but the Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan and the Webster Theater in Hartford, Connecticut have crowds that is hard to beat in commitment, energy and support. I think living into of the toughest hardest hit cities in the country by the economy they really hang onto the things they love. So props to cities like that. Then of course there is our famed city of Madison Wisconsin.. in support of Nonpoint since day one so any venue within 100 miles shows Nonpoint some serious love.
What venue or city are you most looking forward to conquering in the future?
New York City has always been a city we think we can always do better.. so if you listening, New York we wanna show you what we can really do.. get to a show and see what you're missing!
What's the most "rock star" thing you've ever done?
Nothing I want to mention in print that my five-year-old daughter will read later in her teens.. let's leave it at that.
If you could collaborate with any artist, living or dead, on a song who would it be and why?
Two answers: Rage Against the Machine because it would be fucking epic.. and James Brown.. cause he's fucking James Brown The Godfather of Soul!
Are these local Florida shows (at Revolution or Culture Room for example) more of a fun homecoming show for you. is it a more relaxed setting since this is where it all began?
I wish it was more relaxing but I have the most anxiety when I'm playing in front of my hometown crowd. We don't get down there a lot these days because were based out of the Midwest now. So when we do I always want to put on my best show. So I get a little nervous in a good way.
After twenty years what was the moment you felt the band had most succeeded - and what are you looking forward to accomplishing in the rest of 2017?
Being invited to play overseas is always a tip of the hat to the successes in our career. When you reach that far and people want you to come play for them in a completely different country, it's one of the biggest forms of flattery I think any band can get.
Thanks to Elias for speaking with us and south Florida family be sure to come out to Revolution Live on Friday, January 20th to see the guys off before heading out on tour.
Get tickets and more information on dates at http://nonpoint.com/tour/