girlfriends

Both of you were extremely successful before you came together as the band. How did the idea of coming together to create this project come about?

Nick: Travis and I have known each other for a while on and off with different projects. I actually played drums for him for his T Mills stuff at a show in Orange County and we’ve stayed connected ever since. In 2019 I was exiting a previous band I had been playing with and was just looking to see where life would take me, and a month later Travis hit me on Instagram when I posted a story of me at a show playing with Goldfinger. He was like “let’s start a band” and I was super into it.

Travis: I had taken a 3-4 year hiatus from releasing music and just focused on producing and writing songs for other artists. I found a lot of success on that front and as exciting as it was, I was still asking myself why I wasn’t doing it for me. I saw nick posted something about wanting to go back on tour and do something new with music and I felt the same, so I just picked up the phone and called him. we were in the studio 2 weeks later talking about the vision of what we wanted the band to be and how we could do it. we knew we just wanted it to be us 2 cuz we work well together and could prioritize it in a way that other people wouldn’t.

What type of music did you grow up listening to? Who has had the greatest influence on your taste in music over time?

Nick: Man, for me it was a lot of the bands that came out of So Cal. I was obsessed with Blink 182 being a drummer. The Pop Disaster Tour was one of my favorite tours ever with Blink and Green Day. I loved bands like Incubus, No Doubt, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I was pretty all over the map. I loved playing drums to Dave Matthews Band albums. I think Southern California punk rock had the biggest influence over me 100%.

Travis: I grew up on punk-rock, hardcore, and rap. I was obsessed with finding the most obscure bands and lived at music venues. I think the biggest influence on me and the songs I write is definitely Blink 182. Tom DeLonge is the reason I started singing…

In a few words, how would you describe your signature sound? How would you characterize your music for those who have not heard it yet?

Nick: Nostalgic, so-cal, high energy, fun, and might blow your clothes off.

Travis: I think we do a good job of paying homage to the bands we grew up loving and also pushing the sound of what “pop-punk” will be to the future. it’s a constant conversation we have in the studio about where will this be in 5 years? For someone who hasn’t heard girlfriends, I would tell them that we are the best band in the world.

The response to your debut album has been very impressive! Congrats on all your success! What has that feedback been like for you?

Nick: It’s weird we’ve put out an album that we haven’t been able to even tour on. So, we feel like we’re still at the beginning of the first release. This Fall when we hit the road we’ll finally be able to give our debut album some love in the live space and play these songs for the fans. We’re super excited about that and stoked about the positive response so far. I think it shocked Travis and me, to be honest, we didn’t expect to be in the top 10 new-wave pop-punk bands of 2021 that’s for sure.

Travis: It’s the proudest I’ve ever been of anything I’ve ever made musically. it’s nice to see a scene being revived and put to the forefront of music again. the most exciting part is that it’s just the beginning.

You just dropped your brand new single “Congratulations”. Such a dope song! Can you tell us more about it? What was the inspiration behind it and what was the creation process like?

Nick: Such a rad track. A quick 1:40 long. I think that’s so cool. We did the song with Phat Mike from NOFX which was legendary to have him in the session. He adds such a cool dimension to the song in the chorus with those chords that just feel super 90’s and throw-back. Jasiah was a super left-of-center feature for us. He’s the homie. We all just kicked it in the studio one day and wrote two songs. Congratulations was the second one we wrote in 30 minutes. Sometimes those are the best songs.

Travis: It was one of the fastest songs we’ve ever written. we walked into the studio and Jasiah and Fat Mike from nofx were in there with John Feldmann. We all sat and talked about some ideas and I had the hook written down in my notes app. Fat Mike changed one word to “shit” and I ran into the vocal booth and cut it. Jasiah came in after and killed his verse and within a day or 2, we knew we had to get it out.

When you were just starting out, what did you do to get your music out there? Any advice for aspiring songwriters/producers, about either the craft and business?

Nick: Just be relentless. Songs are king. Make sure the music is amazing. Find ways to stay creative and stay inspired. Being yourself is your greatest advantage. Just own your music and your story. The music business is super competitive. Find ways to stand out and break away from the pack.

Travis: I literally sold t-shirts to hop on a tour I wasn’t invited on and burned 250 cds every night and would wake up at 7 am and hit the lines outside of the venues to try to sell them for $5. I’ve slept on motel 6 floors with 10 people. I’ve slept on fans’ couches. if it’s something you love it won’t feel like work. fall in love with the journey and not the destination and watch how happy you are chasing your dream.

If there was a perfect soundtrack for this year of your lives, which song would it be for each of you?

Nick: One Love by Bob Marley. The world needs more love and positivity.

Travis: “we’re all fucked up” – girlfriends

Let’s talk about more of your personal journeys. What is the hardest lesson each of you have learnt in life so far?

Nick: Mine honestly is just all about the people you surround yourself with in life and how crucial that is. I’ve had moments in my life where the people I associated myself with really hurt me. Be cautious of who you associate with and spend time with and make sure it’s bringing you positive energy and enthusiasm to your life.

Travis: That I have to be a better “friend” to myself. It’s something I work on in therapy a lot. I am my own biggest critic and am so hard on myself, but I’m not like that with others. so trying to cater to my inner child and make sure I’m letting myself know that I’m doing the best I possibly can.

Growing as a person, you will always encounter challenges that require leaving your comfort zone to try things that scare you. What scares you? Is there anything new and exciting you’d like to try?

Nick: Great question. I think leaving my family probably scares me the most. I have a new 19-month-old boy and it will probably break my heart to have to leave him to play shows. But, all part of the process and part of the growth!

Travis: I am terrified of dying even though I know it’s inevitable. I think that’s why I love creating, so even when I’m gone I will have left things for people to remember me by. I’m so vain.

We got one last question for you! Thinking of yourself as souls on Earth, what do you think your purpose is?

Nick: To help others find their purpose and to create sonic environments that move humans emotionally and spiritually.

Travis: I think my purpose is to spread positivity and show people that there’s always a way to get through something. I want to always make people feel better about themselves than before they met me.