Hey what’s going on everyone its Eric with Side Stage Magazine and I’m here with Mr. Elias Soriano of Nonpoint…
Side Stage Magazine: How’s it going?
Elias: Good…good how ya doing?
I’m doing ok. You were in New York last night and I believe Boston the night before, how has the tour been treating you so far?
Outstanding. Alter Bridge’s crowd is great very similar to the crowds we’ve been playing to this year.
You mentioned this year. How has the overall tour and support been for “The Poison Red” CD with the fan response and media/radio response.
It’s great…Our ticket sales are better than ever we are getting love on the sales; the label has picked up the next option. Fans are digging the new production it’s a new look for the band we’re playing a lot of new music a lot of good stuff to see.
You mentioned something I find interesting “A new look”. With preparing because I know you’ve done some headlining tours, is the preparation any different for a show like this?
You adjust to the crowd; we have 9 records so we have a lot to choose from we’re playing all different types of songs from like the heaviest songs to the fast songs and slow songs we gauge our crowd and we put on a good show.
With the music through the years that you have been out there you’ve been featured on WWE material, several movies you’ve been featured on the soundtracks. With that being said is there anything in the life of Nonpoint as a band or individually you feel you haven’t quite achieved yet?
Little detail stuff I’d love to play China, or Japan. Indonesia, Micronesia all that stuff Thailand even Korea a lot of the Asia countries that I haven’t had an opportunity to go to and visit maybe even Russia. I know the guys in Korn played back there not too long ago and they said the crowd was great. It’s really about getting into countries I haven’t been yet that’s really the only thing I see on my list of things I want to do.
What do you see on the horizon for Nonpoint? Obviously support “The Poison Red” CD, but is there anything new to be looking for?
When you’ve been doing it for as long as we have, its cycle, then new cycle, then break from a cycle…then new cycle and the attention we’ve been getting from bands like Alter Bridge, picking us up and taking us out with them that’s kind of where I see us leaning. We’re becoming valuable to bands they see our show and know our camp our message and I think it’s something that they appreciate and want on their show.
You mentioned your message…What is your message?
Just having a good time, protect yourself and care about things just a little bit deeper than you think you should.
How do you feel and I don’t want to seem too political, but with the climate as it is now that all of us are facing, how do you feel maybe directly or indirectly that effects Nonpoint not only in the music but as individuals?
I said this yesterday the country’s really divided right now, and unfortunately you have to tread lightly because for the first time in my almost 30 years of being a registered voter its the first time that I feel and I’m seeing people opinions come to the surface and people are really wearing their true colors these days and its breaking friendships it’s doing a lot of things I would have never expected it to do and the optimist in me is saying maybe this is exactly what should be happening maybe this was the evolution of what are politics was eventually going to become. Which is what’s on the surface what’s really inside say it like you mean it? It’s ok when it’s an opinion and you’re passionate about it, when it’s not political and it’s just morality and human rights but we’re talking about it like politics that’s when I think its fair game for anyone to speak out loudly about it.
From 1997 independent release of “Separate Yourself” to 2016’s “The Poison Red” how would you best describe the evolution of Nonpoint as a band as well as the music?
They both grew up is basically how you can say it. We’re not the band that we were in 1997. Granted we still on the scale in comparison to you know what I know is out there I know I give it 110% and my band gives 110% and people know that. I think the maturity of the band with our music and our show is a 20-year-old kid. We’re old enough that we’ve figured it out but young enough that we can still party.
No to repeat questions that I’m sure you’ve been asked, but when it comes to the music writing how is it built?
Everybody does their job. Granted we try to stay as open-minded as we can but everyone has freedom to do what they want. If my guitar player wants to write some drums and the drummer wants to write some guitars or someone wants to submit vocals we leave that option there but everyone does their job.
Will we see you out on the road anymore this year?
Yeah end of spring into summer don’t want to give or say too much but yeah we’ll be going out for about 4 or 5 weeks co-headlining with another band.
Sir I thank you once again for sitting down and taking the time with myself and Side Stage Magazine.
Anytime.
I will talk to you soon, have a great show and I’ll see you out there.
Appreciate man, see you soon.
