Interview with NYGMA

Sep 6, 2022

BURNIE, COLTEN, & CALEB HAVE BEEN PLAYING MUSIC TOGETHER FOR CLOSE TO 16 YEARS. THEY'VE BEEN IN OTHER BANDS TOGETHER AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO TOURING THE US MULTIPLE TIMES. THE 3 OF THEM MET THROUGH LOCAL CHURCH FUNCTIONS IN MANSFIELD, OH. BURNIE MET DANIEL & CHRIS THROUGH THE LOCAL SCENE IN DENTON, TX.

NYGMA STARTED AS AN OUTLET THAT WASN’T FAITH-BASED. EVEN THOUGH YOU HEAR THEM TOUCH ON THEIR FAITH, BACKGROUNDS, & BELIEFS IN LYRICS. THEY GREW UP IN CHURCH/SHUL, PARENTS ARE PASTORS, ETC. WITH NYGMA, WE WANTED TO EXPLORE OTHER AVENUES AND THAT’S WHERE WE ARE.

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

Being raised in churches that were heavily musical, was a huge factor in us getting into music. Being surrounded by influential music figures was also a factor. If we didn’t do music, we would all probably be lost in a way.

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

We all have different artistic endeavors when we are not fully engulfed in making music. We all dabble in things like graphic design, video production, music production, and art.

How long has music been your career?

Our whole lives in some capacity. We have all played in church and various bands since we were kids.

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

We are originally from Ohio. A place that had a very active music scene. Bands we played with, and church events we played highly influenced how we perform and create music. We are all in Dallas Texas now, and it's completely different from what we are used to, but we navigate it by just being ourselves completely.

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

Our best show was performed in Lubbock Texas. They had know idea who we were but they accepted us like family, and they participated fully into the show we played, and it continues to be our favorite place to play.
Our worst show was probably in Fort Worth, when we had way too much to drink and we played way horribly for about 50 people.

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

Our favorite place to play is Jakes in Lubbock. A place we always wanted to play is the whisky a go go and we get to do it September 16th

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

Norma Jean, the mats volta, refused, and black peaks

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

Play any and all shows you can get no matter how bad or good it is. Stand out in some way from the rest of the music scene you’re a part of. Work hard no matter how much you don’t feel like it. And as much as it sucks, get your social media as active as possible.

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

Learn how to record your own music sooner.

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

Hands of arsenic. It touches on a very violent, turbulent, and scary night we dealt with that changed our lives.

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

It’s a tie between white zombie and the fat nasty

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

It’s all about getting all the ideas down lyrically or musically into a demo no matter how good or bad it is. The perfecting of a song comes later. We are inspired by all genres of music and it comes out in our songs in a very obvious way.

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

We don’t have a primary message to get across. We just like to write about different life situations, sometimes with levity, sometimes with reverence. We touch on things like love, hate, light and darkness. Sometimes we just write songs like the fat nasty, which is about being hungover.

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

We plan on releasing singles, touring, and putting out more music videos. Our next single comes out September 13th.