Nxb0dies site themselves as not falling into any genre! but if you mix a bit of punk/ grunge/ alt-rock into the pot you might be close enough, yet still off the mark.
They recently played The Workmans Club Cellar Dublin and a set at this years Rebellion festival (The band were featured on here during the run up to the festival) and only the weekend gone they were at Arcadian Nights punk and grunge festival in Booleigh Co Kildare.
Abigael Paquet has recently had a chat with lead singer Freda Conlon.
Words & photos Abigael Paquet:
Abby: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself ? How was the band formed and where does the name come from ?
Freda: We actually started the whole concept about 5 years ago, but only sort of came on the scene in 2022 “officially”, but the band is just one part of it all. We like to think of ourselves as more of an art collective, as there is more than meets the eye brewing beneath the surface ! We have been super vague in what we are doing so far but it will all make sense soon ! The name always gets mistaken for N-X-BODIES [laughs], but it’s just pronounced like “Nobodies”, the “X” and Zero mean something and are heavily linked to the concept. So, keep an eye on that ! We can’t give away too much but I guess you can say we are very theatrical !
Abby: Is there a particular artist who inspired (or still inspires) you to make music ?
Freda: Of course ! I mean, we obviously have our own unique sound and the music itself has no particular genre, but if you want to put a label on it I guess we could be called “Alternative”. But you can defo hear a lot of childhood influences such as Slipknot, Deftones, Kittie, System Of A Down, Korn, Marilyn Manson, Nirvana … The list goes on. I wanted to go back to my roots and dig deep into the darkness and ugliness for Nxb0dies. Our sound is quite sinister and dark. We definitely have a lot of doomy nu-metal tones, as well as spooky post-punk vibes !
Abby: How would you convince people who don’t know you to listen to your music ?
Freda: We like to use reverse psychology, which seems to work. “Don’t listen to our music”, ” Don’t watch our music videos”, ” Don’t come to our shows”… *waves pocketwatch*
Abby: What can people expect from your shows ?
Freda: We sound A LOT heavier on stage than people usually expect ! [Laughs] So, we do get a few confused heads, but every show is different though and it all depends on the audience. We feed off of them; they feed off of us etc. We love to “throw shapes” and can expect lots of them !
Abby: Are there any artists you would like to collaborate with ?
Freda: We got to record our album with Kristian Bell from The Wytches which was pretty cool and he also played drums for us, so I guess that’s sort of a collab ? Also, shout out to Kristian, what a legend ! We would love to tour with so many bands though, especially in the UK and USA. Possibly Chelsea Wolfe. There’s this new band I’ve recently found, called Witch Fever who are sort of similar sound but they’re like, FUCKING AMAZING. And obviously, wanna tour with all our friends in other bands !
Abby: Where would your dream venue and/or country to play live be and why ?
Freda: Not sure on a dream venue but would love to play a big outdoor stage in the summer, like a proper festival ! Maybe Download one day … Manifest that shit !
Abby: How do you feel regarding the release of your new album ?
Freda: Our album has taken us wayyyyyy longer than we anticipated and are still working on it, but it will be born when it’s ready for the world. She is still in the womb.
Abby: Where do you draw inspiration from for your lyrics ?
Freda: The void … No, seriously though, I write a lot of dark sinister lyrics but they have a sort of unhinged charm or humor to them, and I also create characters and stories which fit in with the concept; which is why it’s taken me so long to write our album ’cause it all has to make sense, you know ?! I also like to write in metaphors and use little mind tricks up my sleeve, like fitting the lyrics to how the music sounds or vice versa ! So, I hope people will notice and be able to piece the puzzle together.
Abby: Are there questions you wish journalists would ask you but never or rarely do ?
Freda: Oddly enough, we never get asked about the masks in all our videos, and they have a really big importance ! Like, THEY ARE PRETTY OBVIOUS !
Abby: What was your worst moment on stage ?
Freda: Awh stop. I had a massive meltdown once and just played a really horrible show, so no one was into it AT ALL ! I didn’t even make eye contact with the crowd or say a word between songs, and we just wanted to get off the stage. It happened because of something that happens to me ALL the fucking time as a woman, and a lot of my female friends in bands experience it too … I ALWAYS have men (in other bands or on sound desk) coming up on stage when we are setting up, condescendingly explaining and showing me how to use the amp, like pointing at the volume button saying: “that’s the volume” or “that’s the on button”, then taking my things and plugging in for me and start moving shit around after I’ve placed it where I want it. Then go to set up my pedals for me, as if I’m not capable myself or haven’t touched a guitar in my life ! I also have a specific sound and settings that usually get laughed at, so I just lost my shit. They never do it to the other band members … Oh, I wonder why ! That shit just puts me in a bad mood man. Luckily now, it’s an inside joke. Whenever it happens, we all just all look at each other and laugh; I even play dumb sometimes. As a band though, I think our worst moment ever was when we were on really late one time and got a bit too drunk and then fucked up the whole set ! [Laughs] It was kinda funny though. We also played this tiny stage in Galway and there was legit no space. I even had to hold the drum kit with my foot ’cause it kept sliding forward and no one could move. We managed though !
Abby: What is the worst thing you’ve ever done during your childhood ?
Freda: Listen to Limp Bizkit … and enjoy it [laughs] No seriously, I think drinking and smoking at 12 is a big regret. Paying for it now !
Abby: What is the craziest rumour you have ever heard about yourselves ?
Freda: Rumor has it that we don’t actually exist, we’re not real, we’re a hologram, we’re a figment of your imagination.
Find Nxb0dies here:
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Nxb0dies
BANDCAMP: https://nxb0dies.bandcamp.com/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/nxb0dies/?hl=en
