Interview: NITE
What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?
Hey this is Myles Mendes ½ of the twin brother band, NITE.
Our dad introduced us to a band called, KISS and they rocked our worlds. They were the first concert we had ever seen (at age 10) and we loved the mystique and energy they brought to their performances. They still inspire us today.
If we had not gotten into music we’d probably be playing in pro sports. I’d like to say NHL for me and Kyle will be a pro baseball player.
What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?
I like to read comics, play video games, watch movies, and read books. I feel that being able to escape reality for a moment is a recharge into facing it. Other sources of media help me express what I see and feel through music.
How long has your band been around?
We’ve been recording and touring for almost 10 years but we are just now getting started.
Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?
I live in Denton TX and I’m surrounded by people with extraordinary talents in jazz music, a neighbor of mine drums on the St Vincent records and has a grammy or two. It’s a strange town with strange people and that’s all I need.
How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?
NITE is the shorthand version of what we almost called ourselves, Nighttime Eyes. Because we’d sneak into our friend’s studio at his work after hours to record our first album, I Am Not Afraid. We’d all look miserable during the end of our sessions with dark circles around our eyes which we called “nighttime eyes”.
Batman has a big part to do with it too. “I am the night, I am vengeance, I am Batman '' Which is why our social handles are wearethenite.
Tell me about your most memorable shows.
We did a small Texas run of dates with Midge Ure (Ultravox). He is a very kind man and we are grateful to have spent some time with him. He even invited us back to perform with him for some acoustic show events and invited us out to perform again when he toured with Paul Young.
What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?
Our favorite venue is Three Links here in Dallas. Not so much a venue but an event we’d like to play again is Absolution Fest in Florida.
If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?
The New Division and Twin Tribes
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?
Don’t think that your music isn’t valuable. When I get inside of my head with negativity like that it makes it extremely hard to write. Keep writing, your music is valuable.
If you could go back in time and give yourselves advice, what would it be?
Always have a back up plan, I’m so glad that I have the NHL to lean on in case my music career fails.
Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?
I don’t really know which song means the most to me. But I’d like for people to listen to our song, Good Boy. It’s a different direction for us and it’s inspired by our own lives. We (artists) get stepped on and ridiculed a lot, this song is us biting back and it feels good.
Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?
I really love performing Good Boy. Our most requested song might be Moonlight.
What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?
Kyle and I start off by writing a segment of music on our own, then we meet up to critique each other's creations and we go back and forth until it’s finished. I’m not exactly sure what drives us to create, but there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a song that you put your heart and soul into and being able to listen to it once it’s finished.
What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?
A message of hope, that no matter who you are, where you are in your life, you can be redeemed.
Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?
We are twins so we absolutely disagree at times! We feel it’s our duty to get past them in just a few hours, we were trained to do so by our parents.
What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?
We plan to release a few more singles before the year ends with some music videos we cannot wait to share with people!