“Night By Night chose their name wisely. Their songs come to life in darkness, when life’s normal rules cease to apply – and those who listen are united by the adrenaline rush ignited by the music.
Hailed by the British and international rock press as a force to be reckoned with on a rock and metal scene that has become sterile, this London-based four-piece – fronted by The Sisters of Mercy guitarist Ben Christo – have made giant steps since their formation in 2008 and are poised to make an enormous impact with their new EP Can’t Walk Away, produced by Romesh Dodangoda of Funeral For A Friend and Bullet For My Valentine fame.
The secret behind Night By Night’s music is their modern update on classic rock, with its fusion of searing guitar riffs, widescreen vocal harmonies and a flawless modern production that casts a powerful spotlight on the band’s superb musicianship. You’ll hear Def Leppard and Bon Jovi in the Night By Night sound, but there’s plenty of unexpected (but awe-inspiring) creativity from the schools of Faith No More, My Chemical Romance and Mötley Crüe too.
If you need any more reasons to spend some quality time with Night By Night, just ask the thousands of fans who have witnessed their support slots with rock legends such as Y&T, The Quireboys, Heaven’s Basement, Adam Bomb, London After Midnight, Kory Clarke of Warrior Soul and Dear Superstar. They’ve toured Germany, Switzerland, Norway, Sweden and Poland, with more international dates stretching into the future.
“We are melodic, intense, uplifting and totally for real,” says Christo. “A hell of a lot of people relate to our music, both in its lyrical content and its anthemic qualities. We’re incredibly passionate – our songs and live performance mean everything to us.”
How and when did the band come together and what is the inspiration behind the name?
Jonny: The band had been under several guises but really took shape when, in 2008, Ben (lead vocals and guitars) and myself (bass, vocals) started writing together, then Iain Frisk(guitar, vocals) joined and the solid foundation was born. Moyano (drums) completed the line-up.
Iain: Ben and Jonny had been playing together in various bands and projects. Then Ben and I met in a (now demolished) underground rock club in London; I think we may have met by singing harmonies at each other! Moyano and Jonny used to play in a previous band, we got in touch and everything just *clicked*.
Ben: There’s a saying in the UK that refers to the progression of time in a monotonous, repetitive fashion – 'day by day'. In contrast, the ‘night by night’ experiences in life are often those that are dramatic and emotionally charged. Our songs are often inspired by these highly-compelling experiences.
Can you introduce each member of the band and give us a rock n roll “fact”for each!
Iain: Ben Christo is our lead singer and guitarist, and also plays guitar for The Sisters Of Mercy. That’s both a fact and rock ’n’ roll, right? Moyano El Buffalo is our drummer, and proof of the “survival of the fittest” theory. Let’s summarise by saying that the morning after our first gig, he woke up in Berlin airport. It took him a week to get back to London, the day before our next show. Jonny Thornton, on Bass, used to make his own pyrotechnics for one of his previous bands. Needless to say, the last time he did this, everyone had to evacuate and the club was closed down - forever. I’m Iain Frisk, and when I moved to London to start a band, I had only a guitar, a sleeping bag, and Lemmy’s autobiography.
For those people who haven’t yet checked out your songs on Myspace, can you describe the music of Night By Night?
Ben: Melodic hard rock. Intense and anthemic, both brooding and uplifting, employing classic song-writing sensibilities which are executed with contemporary vigor. Night by Night aim to fuse infectious melody with searing intensity, whilst retaining musical and lyrical integrity.
Jonny: It combines the power and emotive aspects of 80's rock with the loud and aggressive guitars of contemporary rock.
You have recently released your 3 track EP on ITUNES which features the killer song “Can’t Walk Away”. When can we expect more recordings or an album from you guys?
Jonny: We're currently working on more tracks for our debut album and sometime in 2010, we hope it will be gracing your ears.
Who are some of your favourite bands that may of influenced the band's sound?
Jonny: Some of the staples of arena rock are in there, such as Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and various other 80's bands (some of whom were, unfortunately, lost in the swell of hair metal). Then more modern bands such as Thrice and Sevendust.
Ben: Sevendust, Katatonia, Killing Joke, AC/DC, Strung Out, Boysetsfire, FM, The Wildhearts, Thrice, Winger, The Cure, Judas Priest, Bon Jovi, AFI, Nik Kershaw, Harem Scarem and early Manic Street Preachers (Richey James is/was(?) a great lyricist).
Iain: It’s not just bands that have influenced our sound. A lot of our vocal harmonies are influenced by folk and classical music.
When it comes to song-writing, what are some of the key elements to a song that Night By Night have as a priority?
Jonny: It's all about the chorus - if you don't have that, you don't have anything. That's the hook and the key thing an audience will take away. Other than that, catchy riffs and our three-part vocal harmonies.
Iain: Often we’ll write a verse or pre-chorus that most bands would use for their main chorus!
What kind of a rock scene does London have right now for the kind of music that you play? Where do you see the band fitting into both the worldwide and UK scene?
Jonny: At the moment there is a real variety on the London scene. Being a major music city, there's pretty much everything on offer, if you look for it. I reckon what we have in our favour is a fresh approach to one of the biggest sub-genres of rock. It's contemporary but retains a classic edge.
Iain: The London rock scene is so varied, from the heavy, hardcore music to classic rock, metal, punk and pop-punk scene. A lot of these people are surprisingly open-minded about music, and will tell you that they won’t classify it or analyse it; just that if it’s good, they like it. If you approach our music expecting something heavy, it’s there in the guitars and drums, and if you expect something melodic and catchy, it’s there in the vocals. So, we reckon that we'll appeal to a broad range of rock fans.
What has the interest in the band been thus far in the UK and also internationally via your Website and Myspace etc?
Ben: We seem to have tapped into something that many people, worldwide, have been missing for a while – melodic hard rock...with integrity. We've had received messages from around the globe from rock fans, from 3 generations, who have made an instant connection with Night by Night's sound and direction.
Iain: The countries where we’ve received the warmest reception so far has been the UK, US, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Japan. The thing that makes me most proud about this band is that every single venue we’ve played at so far, without fail, has asked us to come back and play again.
What can people expect when they come and rock out to a Night by Night live show?
Jonny: Great songs, entertaining stage show and killer 3 part vocals.
Iain: Tough guitars, spine-tingling harmonies, catchy choruses and heavy beats.
You have played gigs with an interesting collection of bands thus far which actually include some of our favourites in Y&T, Heaven's Basement and The Quireboys. Do you have a memorable gig that stands out so far in the band's history?
Jonny: We've played with some bigger bands that you'd expect would be the better gigs but in reality my personal favourite was Lenzburg (Switzerland) in 2009 - just a great night, but man, that was a hot stage!
Iain: Playing in an abandoned abattoir somewhere in Poland. And whilst I can’t remember where this was, but the first time we started to see people singing along.
Ben: The London show we just played. For me, it was a milestone in the band's history. I'd come to London to start a melodic hard rock band and, now, it's really happening – playing to a crowd of people singing along! I feel as if our ambitions have truly begun to be realised and am so excited about what's to come in '10!
What do you think the band bring to the rock scene that is currently missing?
Jonny: I believe there are far too many bands putting their "look" before their music. That's not going to end well. I think we have a good balance of playing well and getting the image right.
Iain: If there’s anything I’d like this band to achieve, it would be to bring back three part harmonies to heavy rock music.
You have a couple of shows lined up already in the first half of 2010, what are the plans for the rest of 2010?
Jonny: Get the album recorded and released and then, well, world-domination.
Honest answer.
If there's anything else you feel the world should know, but we haven't covered with our questions, here's your chance to tell all.....
Ben: Stay in touch with us:
www.myspace.com/nightbynightmusic
Can't Walk Away is available on iTunes. Please buy it and help us afford to record the debut album!
