Interview: Already Late

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today? 

B-Stixx-  My dad is a musician and has been for years,  so I was basically born into it.  When I was a kid, I’d hang out in the studio with him, travel to places for live shows, and even bang on a drum or two during his rehearsals. I’m really grateful for that because if it wasn’t for that exposure, I wouldn’t be doing this.  

If I wasn’t focusing on music, I’d be still focusing on my acting and filmmaking careers.  I definitely would feel like something was missing in the trifecta though, haha.

Jest A King- A lot of people in my family are musicians so they really paved the way for me. If I hadn't gotten into music I'd probably be in a field that would expose me to it in some way -- I don't think there's any escape haha

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

B-Stixx- On a larger scale, I like making films and acting in them.  I think transporting to other worlds can really influence your music, and you can gain different perspectives from those other worlds.  On a smaller scale,I like to cycle and play video games.  Again, video games give you an opportunity to live in another world, and cycling really gets me in tune with my body.  Especially being out in nature, as the true Capricorn I am.

Jest A King -If I'm not playing music I'm either writing something or staring out of a window somewhere--that's when the best ideas come

How long has music been your career?

B-Stixx- Ooof, great question. I would say about 5 years now? Jest A King (Niguel) definitely has the exact date for that one. Time really flies when you love what you do! 

Jest A King -Not long enough

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

B-Stixx- I was born and raised in Philadelphia and just recently moved to NY.  I would say living in Philadelphia definitely influenced our music.  Philly is gritty (no pun intended) so me and Hakase (bassist of the band) bring that raw energy to our music. 

c -NY-based~ you get exposed to the largest variety of live music from all parts of the world in one place

Tell me about the best and worst shows you have played.

B-Stixx- We have had a few amazing shows where we’re locked in and the crowd is on our side.  One of my favorite shows was playing in Japan, and it was life changing to see how this universal language of music can bring different kinds of people together.  I believe any art form is about connecting and it was really cool to do that through our music in a different country.  

THE WORST SHOW WE PLAYED was at the Delancey. I think it was our second or third show so we were feeling pretty confident at that point.  I was living in Philly at the time, so I was traveling back and forth to play almost every or every other weekend.  Anyway, my bus breaks down and I miss our sound check.  I finally get there and we start playing.  We have a song that has a backing track.  The sound wasn’t the best so it was hard to hear and I couldn’t keep the band on track.  There was one point where I had to stop playing to tell the sound person to turn it up but that didn’t help.  It was a mess and we didn’t play at that venue for years because we got so discouraged.  We finally played this year, we were prepared and we killed it! 

Jest A King- worst show: Mondo Music Festival 2019 --nobody running the festival came to the actual festival

-best show: Fangs Out Fest 2021-- our first Halloween show and probably our biggest turn out

Tell me about your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

B-Stixx- I would say my favorite venue besides the show in Japan was at The Bowery Electric.  The set-up is pretty cool with two levels, and a green room to hang out in before the show.  

I would love to play anywhere and at bigger venues/stadiums where we can have the room to create the world of our music, but a dream of mine is to play at Red Rocks in Colorado.  I’ve always loved that venue and hope that can happen one day.

Jest A King -At the moment, Arlene's Grocery, they have a great stage. I'd love to do a show at Rough Trade or some random place you wouldn't expect to be a venue, but it is.

And obviously Madison Square Garden

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

B-Stixx- OOOOOO this is a great question. Ideally, I would love to play at festivals with amazing bands/musicians that inspire me like Twenty One Pilots, Panic!, Paramore, Meet Me @ The Altar, PUP, and even Doechii who is a dope ass rapper.  

Jest A King-ONE OK ROCK, Childish Gambino, Japanese Breakfast, and Tyler, the Creator

What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into music?

B-Stixx- I would say if you have a passion for it, do it and do it for the right reasons. Music has so many amazing benefits with not only connecting with people but connecting with yourself.  Music was the one thing that was there when other people weren’t. It literally kept me alive. So for those who want to, try it. You have no idea who you can inspire and save along the way. 

Jest A King -if you start now you'll be happy you did

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice, what would it be?

B-Stixx- I would tell myself, like what we do in our music, to let go and get off the stoop.  Due to my anxiety and depression, I held myself back from really embracing who I am now.  I would tell myself to keep going and trust myself more because it led me here and I’m so proud of the journey.  

Jest A King -Keep practicing!

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why? 

B-Stixx- AH! They are all so meaningful and come from a place of vulnerability, but I would say the song “Let Me Go” off of our debut album LITTLE KID DREAMS.  That was actually the first song that I really got to write, compose, and lead.  When I graduated college, Niguel inspired me to pick up a uke.  I taught myself and came up with the progression of that song.  I didn’t know what it was going to be or turn into. Five years later, I finally had the courage to show Niguel the melody and he took it and ran with it.  Worth beautiful words and together we created the harmonies.  Then Eben (Hakase) added the piano and bass which brings it alive.  At the time, I was going through one of the hardest times of my life so it was awesome to have my band allow me to express my feelings through this song and to think it was good enough to be on the album.  

Jest A King -probably Loser--it's come the furthest out of all the songs on the album, so far, I'm sure we'll make better songs but the time spent writing it and turning it into what it is was very special (and those memories ain't going nowhere!)

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

B-Stixx- I would say “Frail” or “Loser”.  They are so so fun and those are songs that really get the crowd going with their grit and rawness. I also really enjoy playing Prism because it’s so funky and it’s an opportunity to really have fun with the audience. We also have a blast playing these songs too. 

Jest A King -fav to play: Sandy, Frail, Loser

-request: probably, Frail (if we asked)

What is the creative process for you, and what inspires you to write your music?

B-Stixx- As cliche as it sounds, life is what inspires me. I’ve always connected to music that was real and that I can relate to and I promised myself that I would do the same with my music/art.  I am able to express myself through my music in a healthy way and I want to encourage others to do the same.  In regards to the process, the band usually has similar feelings/thoughts about certain ideas and we basically pass the ball around with our “YES AND” process until we land on something we love.  

Jest A King- my creative process is hyper dependent on my capacity to keep my attention on just one thing and finish it--so I try to set up different areas to work in. Each area is different enough to keep my attention and inspires me in different ways 

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

B-Stixx- We have different songs for different messages,  but the main message we like to invite our audience to do is to be themselves.  Regardless of who you are. Our album LITTLE KID DREAMS is an invitation to have a conversation with your inner kid.  To NOT allow others define you, not surrender to society's expectations, the highs and lows of growing up, and embracing your cool Loser self.  

Jest A King -When you're with us you are always welcomed

Do you ever have disagreements when collaborating and how do you get past them?

B-Stixx- With every collaboration, there’s always the risk of running into disagreements.  I would say we have run into some conflicting thoughts, but nothing that really stopped us from moving forward and, most importantly, being best friends.  We’ve known each other for what, 9 years or so? Our friendship and connection is more important than anything. 

Jest A King- Not usually, but if there is a disagreement we just vote

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

B-Stixx- Our plans are to continue making music and inviting audiences into our world.  Our goal is to play more shows in places we have never played.  We also are planning on making more music videos to continue the story we’ve created with our last music video “Loser”.  Lastly, we have a show on July 16th at Brooklyn Public House, so check us out! 

Jest A King -We still have some stories from Little Kid Dreams we want to tell, we've got a tour in the works and our very own music festival this fall

Social Media Links:

-Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/werealreadylate/?hl=en

-Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/alreadylateband

-TikTok- @alreadylateband

Already Late is a band shaped by a long list of genres and genders. On top of a variety of guitars, catchy hooks (in both English and Japanese), funky bass lines and drum beats as energized as a riot at a punk rock show, they have managed to find spots in their set for electronics, as well as some ukulele. Thanks to their genre-crossing and bilingual--tracks, their eccentric live shows promise to excite a diverse range of crowds.