The Nearly Deads
Nashville rock band The Nearly Deads has released their hotly-anticipated new EP, Revenge of the Nearly Deads, on vinyl, CD and digitally for purchase and stream via Kobalt Music.
Led by the inimitable vocalist Theresa Jeane along with Steven Tobi (guitar), Kevin Koelsch (bass), Javier Garza Jr. (guitar) and Josh Perrone (drums), The Nearly Deads are one of the hottest, rising rock bands to come out of Nashville. The band became a viral sensation with their break out, zombie infused music video for the single "Never Look Back"; as a result, their fans dubbed themselves "Zombies", creating The Nearly Deads #ZombieNation. The band’s amalgam of powerful pop vocals and aggressive alternative rock music combined with their love of all things geek and messages of positivity and empowerment creates a truly unique style that’s garnering attention from media and fans around the world.
The band is currently gaining massive traction with their smash hit song “Diamond In The Rough.”
Theresa Jeane - Vocals and Keys
Steven Tobi - Lead Guitar
Kevin Koelsch - Bass
Javier Garza Jr. - Rhythm Guitar
Josh Perrone - Drums
1. ) How did you all come up with the band name "The Nearly Deads"?
TJ: There’s a saying about Florida that it’s home to The Newlyweds and The Nearly Deads. We formed the band in Florida, and after moving up to Nashville we wanted to change our band name to something that sounded punk and paid homage to our roots.
2.) Why the fascination with zombies?
TJ: Our producer and co-songwriter Jon King has also directed several videos for us. A zombie-themed video for “Never Look Back” was his brainchild, and we filmed it on a shoestring budget in my basement. Since the video went viral, a lot of our new fans started calling themselves ‘zombies’ and it really just stuck! Everyone in the band is a fan of horror, video games, zombie films, etc so it’s also a very authentic nod to who we are as people.
3.) Which one of you has been playing music the longest?
TJ: We’ve all been musical our entire lives, but since I’m the oldest in the band I’ll say me!
4.) What are your top 3 albums of 2017?
TJ: Kesha, “Rainbow”, Brand New, “Science Fiction”, Julia Michaels “Nervous System” I listen to her song Uh Huh on repeat!
5.) What inspires your lyrics?
TJ: I’m inspired by every day life, things that I’ve been through, and my relationships. I want people to gain their own meaning, so I sometimes leave themes purposefully vague.
6.) What would be your dream tour lineup to be a part of?
TJ: Alkaline Trio, The Used, and a My Chemical Romance reunion!
7.) How was your first concert experience?
TJ: It was awesome! I saw Blink 182 at a big arena show when I was younger.
8.) Do you enjoy being on stage or being in the studio more?
TJ: I really love the creative process of being in the studio.
9.) What is #1 on your bucket list of places you must play at?
TJ: I’d love to play at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, or the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
10.) Whats your favorite spot to grab a bite to eat when on tour?
TJ: We have to stop at In N Out Burger whenever we see one.
11.) There's a lot of downtime when on tour. What do you do to pass the time?
TJ: There’s a lot of napping, because we drive at night a lot and don’t get great sleep. I also like to read and find alone time to just take a walk around a new city or do a little thrift shopping.
12.) Any pre show rituals before a set?
TJ: We are big on stretching before a show. I do vocal warm ups every night and right before we perform I always do a series of stretches.
13.) What band's or artist inspire you musically?
TJ: I love Brody Dalle and The Distillers, Garbage, Something Corporate and Avril Lavigne.
14.) What can I expect at one of your live shows?
TJ: We have a lot of fun and energy on stage. We love to get people singing along and moving in the crowd.
15.) If I were to show a first time listener one of your songs, which would you want to be their first impression?
TJ: I’d go with ‘Never Look Back’ because it perfectly captures our pop/rock sound.
16.) Take us through your writing process?
TJ: There’s really no structure to it. We start with bare bones, maybe a riff or chord progression that either myself or Steve Tobi has written, and then I like to decide on a main theme for the songs lyrics. I love to be collaborative because sometimes someone will have an idea for a word or phrase that I’m stumped on that fits perfectly in the music. We finish a lot of the writing seconds before I jump into the booth and record it, and I love it that way!
17.)What's your favorite song to perform live?
TJ: Currently I love performing ‘Revenge’ off of our new EP. It’s a lot of fun and since it’s new I’m not tired of it yet!
18.) Dogs or Cats?
TJ: Cats, definitely!
19.) What is your craziest tour story so far?
TJ: It’s always pretty funny touring in a state like Washington or California, because marijuana is legal there and people will just see that you’re in a band and just hand it too you off the street. One guy came up to us at a rest stop, gave us a huge bag, and just said “Welcome to California” and left!
20.) What can we expect from you all in 2018?
TJ: We’re going to continue promoting “Revenge of The Nearly Deads” and have a few tours in the works as well!