Friday's Nightmare

Check out this exclusive interview to get to know Staten Island indie band Friday's Nightmare, where they talked about the borough they call home, what groups have influenced them, and platypuses!

AXS: For the record, could you please state your name, your role in Friday's Nightmare, and a random fact about yourself?

Todd Stein: Drummer/glockenspiel player. High school English teacher by day.

Stephen Zimmer: Bass and backup vocals. I had to take Russian for 4 years in high school.

Rob Rubano: I'm Rob, I play second guitar/sing backing vocals and I have been known for putting pancakes on my face.

AXS: What bands have influenced you as a musician?

Todd: Bad Brains, Arctic Monkeys, The Who, Dinosaur Jr., Johnny Foreigner, Sonic Youth, Gogol Bordello.

Stephen: Early on it was punk bands like Black Flag and The Ramones. Nowadays it's bands like Arctic Monkeys, Frank Turner, Kevin Devine and the Goddamn Band, and a thousand others.

Rob: For me, my biggest influences are Johnny Foreigner, Los Campesinos!, Interpol, Tokyo Police Club, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, and Glocca Morra.

AXS: You released Animals this April, and according to Facebook a physical release is in the works- what's the status of that? What medium(s) will it be available on (CD, vinyl, cassette…)?

Rob: A few months back, a friend of ours offered to put out our next release on his cassette-based record label, so we were thinking of asking a few of our friends if they wanted one of their songs on the cassette, making it a 4-way split. As soon as all four songs are ready, we'll ask our friend if he could press it. Aside from that, I think we're going to save the songs for our first full-length.

AXS: If your band were to be represented by an animal, what animal would it be and why?

Todd: Platypus. No one knows what the f*ck we are.

Stephen: Platypus because we're weird as hell and no one understands us.

Rob: Platypus, because we're f*cked up, but cool.

AXS: You're based out of Staten Island; what is the live music scene like there? What is your favorite venue on Staten Island?

Stephen: The live scene has been great to me personally. It's where I discovered a lot of my current favorite punk and ska bands early on. Nowadays its mainly pop punk and some metalcore and we don't really fit in. Our favorite venue is Deep Tanks Studio. Literally a small black box with a stage barely big enough for our drums. It's perfect.

AXS: What are some other Staten Island bands you think deserve more recognition?

Stephen: Diet, Paraiso, Wester, Everything Ever, The Knockout Theory, Clockwork.

Todd: Other bands of note are Diet, Paraiso, Giga Herbs, The Seconds.

Rob: Mosey Jones, Diet, Giga Herbs, Davey Crockett.

AXS: Have you played in the other boroughs of NYC much? If so, which borough is your favorite to perform in and why?

Stephen: Yeah, we've played some great shows in Manhattan but our best shows have been in Brooklyn.

AXS: What does Friday's Nightmare have on the table for the rest of 2014?

Todd: We're filming our first music video in mid-August, we just received our first batch of band t-shirts, sending our music out to more venues/cities so we could hopefully actually get contacted back when we ask a venue about performing.

AXS: What's your response to haters or anyone who doubts your band?

Stephen: A giant shrug. Everyone has opinions.

AXS: Is there anything else you'd like to say?

Stephen: Check out our social media. Listen to your friends' bands, even if they suck. Go on Netflix and watch John Mulaney's "New In Town."

Rob: I LIEK CHOCOLATE MILK

Thanks guys! Be sure to keep up with Friday's Nightmare on Facebook, pick up a brand new Friday's Nightmare t-shirt, and listen to Animals on BandCamp. - AXS

Junior business major at SFC, Rob Rubano, has a lot more on his mind than the average student; he is one of the guitarists and backup vocalists for the Staten Island band, Friday's Nightmare.

Although Rubano was not an original band member from the formation of the band in early 2009, he has become a vital member.

Rubano has many ideas for the future of Friday's Nightmare including a summer tour, band merchandise, promotional photo shoots and is very open to other ideas that could get the band noticed.

Other band members include singer/guitarist IIya Usorov, drummer Todd Stein, and bassist Steve Zimmer who were all classmates at Staten Island Technical High School.

After seeing Rubano play a solo set billed on the same show, they knew he would be a great addition to the Friday's Nightmare lineup.

When Rubano's previous band, August Needs A Holiday, faded out he quickly joined and was adopted by Friday's Nightmare.

Their latest EP released this March off of Shoreline Records, titled "Songs To Wear Your Peacoat To".

This seven song EP is filled with low-fi alternative rock tracks that were recorded in a friend's basement which give it a fuzzy, garage-rock feel.

Though the titles of the songs seem to be less-inspired and more jokey, they offer a different type of sound than your average indie rock track.

The guitar and bass on this EP sound muddled, which lets the listener get a look into the band's live sound.

The vocals sound a bit theatrical, but it has a British-Pop Rock vibe that meshes with the instruments, including the glockenspiel used throughout the EP.

Some of the best tracks off the EP include: "It's Unlikely" which has a great baseline and a Vampire Weekend meets Blur sound, supplemented with perfectly pitched vocals, along with "I'm Ashamed Of What I Did For A Klondike Bar" which features a catchy Kaiser Chiefs-like chorus and showcases guitar riffs.

Friday's Nightmare's influences include the Arctic Monkeys and Oasis and they plan to continue spreading their music to whomever is willing to listen.

Friday's Nightmare plays shows mostly at Staten Island venues such as The Cup and Killmeyers but hope to play other venues in Brooklyn and New York City, along with touring in Virginia this summer.

For updates on the band and their new EP coming out soon, follow them on their Facebook page and click here to stream their latest work. - SFC Today