Interview with Jordan Kellaway from Heavy Rock Band NTH RD
NTH RD is an extremely talented band that come from the lovely city of Melbourne, and create the most atmospheric soundscapes while diving in on strong topics throughout their tracks. Releasing their debut EP “Panic” back in June, these guys have done nothing but strive higher, and higher with every release making a stronger impact than the last. They are simply a band you don’t want to miss out on. Vocalist Jordan Kellaway go to answer some questions we had which you can read below.
You can also check out their most recent release “I Watched You Fade Away” which is out everywhere.
How did the band get started? How did you all meet?
Lucas, Billy and I met through high school; John was a family friend of Bill’s and the three of them formed the band around 2016/2017. I was performing solo stuff at the time and the band and I were both asked to play separate sets at a friend's house party. We decided to perform together for fun, and afterwards they invited me to stay on as their vocalist! The rest is history.
Talk us through a day in your life when you’re not creating music.
Honestly? A day in my life when I’m not creating music or working with music doesn’t exist - I’m always making music! But outside of that I love going to the gym and vintage shopping.
Who are some bands that are inspiring you at the moment?
I’m listening to a lot of Covet at the moment (cheers to our drummer John for putting me back onto them), as well as Movements, Void of Vision, Brainstory, Holy Hive, The Spinners and plenty more. I’d like to think most of the music I listen to in any given day informs the music we create.
Tell us a little about your brand new single “I Watched You Fade Away”.
‘I Watched You Fade Away’ was actually recorded at the same time as the rest of the EP, but we thought the song stood better on its own, as we felt it told a different story than ‘Panic’. The song represents a vague trajectory of what sound we are aiming for moving forward, so we thought it would work extremely well as an epilogue of sorts to the EP. Thematically, it revolves around the idea of losing somebody while they are still very much alive, the loss more so emerging from a change in the person, that then renders them a stranger to you. The lyrics aim to explore the emotions that accompany that sort of situation.
What lyrics from the track are your favourite/stand out?
I think I really love the explosive conclusion to the track, with the song title just being repeated few times with increasing intensity. I think the intensity of that section just encapsulates the mood of the song perfectly.
Your music can explore difficult topics, why do you think these need to be explored and shared with the world, and what does it mean to you?
It’s so important, especially in this genre, that we are as candid and honest as possible with the emotions that we are exploring - people can really tell when you fake that kind of stuff. We wanted to bring these songs to people who resonate with them and we are really focused on ensuring that people know that they aren’t alone in these experiences. The emotional response we all feel as creators when people approach us and tell us that these songs meant something to them? You cannot put words to how that feels, that’s why we do it.
What can we expect next from NTH RD in the new year?
So, so much. We’ve already been back in the studio recording new material. We also cannot wait to bring our live show to our fans in other states and countries. We are really focused on keeping up the momentum we built this year, and bringing our music around the country and beyond!