Don’t Panic it’s Nth Rd
Photo Credit Joshua Nai
Melbourne four piece Nth Rd have just released their debut EP, ‘Panic’, on the 22nd of July. The EP’s first two singles ‘Wearing Thin’ and ‘Worm’ showcased the band’s ability to write incredibly well crafted songs. Drawing influence from a heavier place, Nth Rd arrived at a sound that fused their familiar rock sensibilities with the old school nu metal and metalcore. With the help of producer Christopher Vernon (Better Half, Belle Haven), the band created a collection of tracks that explore feelings of claustrophobia and panic. We got the chance to ask vocalist Jordan Kellaway about ‘Panic’, the anxiety that inspires his writing and that time the rock-core band wanted to be Silverchair.
Firstly congratulations on the release of your debut EP 'Panic'. For those that haven’t heard your music before , how do you describe the Nth Rd sound?
Thanks so much! We are over the moon to finally have this project out in the world. As for our sound, it’s something we've found it quite difficult to label, and as we move forward our sound is something that will constantly be subject to change. But for now we like to call our sound rock-core. Taking foundational elements from both rock music and metalcore.
What can fans expect from the new release?
A meditative look into the various stages of anxiety and panic, wrapped in a tight package. Full of massive choruses, deep atmospheres and crushing breakdowns!
How do you decide which singles you release? What made you choose 'Wearing Thin' & 'Worm' as the songs to introduce Nth Rd to the world?
Releasing a song like ‘Wearing Thin’ as the song that introduced us to the world was definitely strategic. When we wrote WT we really wanted a song that embodied all of the elements of the rest of the EP. Which is why it feels like a good combination of the heavy stuff and the lighter aspect of our sound. Following our first track we really wanted to release something that acted as a stark contrast to ‘Wearing Thin’. So we decided to do a 180 and release the heaviest track we’ve written to date, to show our versatility and ability to wear a number of different faces in our music.
“Writing this EP has been one of the most cathartic journeys I’ve ever been on”
What does the 'Panic' mean to you? What do you hope fans take away from listening to the album?
I’ve struggled with anxiety my entire life, part of my journey as a songwriter has been to find healthy and productive ways to process my panic attacks and experiences that involve my anxieties. Writing this EP has been one of the most cathartic journeys I’ve ever been on. I really feel as if exactly what I’ve felt for years is now laid out in these lyrics. So all I can really hope is that there are people who listen to this EP and resonate with it. I hope it brings them some comfort knowing that I feel how they do. I hope they feel less alone.
The songs were written before Covid hit but recording did not take place till 2021, after the lockdowns had finished in Melbourne. Did the break in the normal process make you reassess the songs themselves or where they were originally headed musically?
Music has a strange way of constantly recontextualising itself. A song you write about a feeling you had at the time may reflect a very different feeling in 5 years. This is something that we unknowingly created after COVID. These songs were definitely quite personal before COVID, I think they lacked something that people could latch onto and resonate with, but after the isolations and many studio sessions with Chris Vernon, these songs took on a different form. They suddenly became far more reflective of the struggles we all went through during those isolations, the lyrics appealed to far more people as they became confined to their homes. We definitely reassessed the general feeling of the songs with Chris and some of the songs had vital changes in them that we wouldn’t have thought of if we didn’t endure those difficult times.
“I really enjoy how we kind of do-away with typical metalcore conventions...”
Do you have a favorite song or 'Panic' or one that is particularly special to you?
I think the title track is a personal favorite of mine. While it definitely has this climactic and heavy finish to the record, I really enjoy how we kind of do-away with typical metalcore conventions and have a predominantly melodic song That's this slow, gradual burn. The lyrical content is also some of my favorite on the EP, it has this brooding sense of finality to it.
Do you play a part in the production side of your music?
Going into the recording process, I was the only one with any production experience, and even that was fairly limited when it came to metal. However Chris Vernon was excellent to work with and I found myself contributing mixing and production ideas occasionally. He’s a wizard with Reaper, it’s a DAW that I was fairly unfamiliar with prior to the recording sessions so he really took the wheel.
Are there plans to tour for the album?
100%! Obviously there’s an element of risk that comes with setting up tours, especially in a post-COVID world. But we spent some time not playing any gigs, and finally being able to perform again? We have no plans to stop.
Where was the first Nth Rd gig? Was it a success or flop?
Well that's a tricky question! I joined the band a little over a year after they had already been playing. So our first gig together wasn’t technically the first NTH RD gig. I was performing and writing as a solo pop artist at the time and I got invited to play at a mates house party, so did the other boys! So they approached me and asked if I wanted to sing a few covers with them, and we did. We had a few people listening in and we definitely catered the covers to the audience. But people lost interest pretty quickly, But we had a great time playing together and they asked me to join them for real straight afterwards, the rest is history!
“I took some time to learn how to scream and within a year or so we launched ourselves with ‘Wearing Thin’!”
How did the four of you come together to create Nth Rd?
I’ve known Lucas since primary school, we didn’t go to the same school but attended the same tennis lessons. We crossed paths a few times in high school and ended up becoming good mates, along with Billy, in music class. Billy and John were family friends and started jamming together very early on, then Lucas joined up as bassist and vocalist for the first year. Then I joined up following that house party gig. We played a few bars and battle-of-the-bands as a more grungy version of the band we are today. We were trying to be Silverchair so badly. The NTH RD we now know really formed through the first few isolations, we started working smarter AND harder, and really took the time to reflect on what we wanted out of the band, all of our aspirations were aligned and we rebranded. I took some time to learn how to scream and within a year or so we launched ourselves with ‘Wearing Thin’!
Who do you credit as your musical influences?
It is so hard to pin down where our influences are, they change like every day. I find myself listening to a lot of non-metal in my day to day, Nujabes, Riz La Vie, FKJ and a LOT of classic 70’s jazz and soul music. However I adore Loathe, Deftones, Northlane, Paramore and Linkin Park. I know the rest of the boys’ influences are just as erratic, but Incubus, Bad Omens and Holding Absence are big ones at the moment.
If you weren’t a musician what else would you be doing now?
I would likely be trying my hand at Music Journalism, I couldn’t see myself pursuing anything outside of music in some capacity. Lucas would be a teacher, John’s a farmer and Billy is a mechanic. But none of us could imagine a life where we aren’t giving this everything we have.
Who in your crew or team deserves a shout out but never gets one? And what is it they do that keeps your world turning?
Joshua Nai holds a very special place in our hearts, he’s been our photographer since day one and we cannot sing his praises enough. Such an easy going guy to work with and he always helps us out in a bind. And of course an honorable mention goes out to our families for allowing us to pursue this as a career and supporting us unconditionally.
What's next for Nth Rd? What's in the pipeline?
We certainly aren’t planning on staying quiet for long after this EP. Make sure you’re tuning into our socials for updates on what we have coming, and come down to a gig! We love saying hello :)
Interview by Michelle Symes
July 2022