New Faces

"The New Faces are more than likely new sounds for your old ears. For all you first timers, think Paul Banks vocals meet Arctic Monkeys hooks with old Brit Punk sensibilities. This Port Townsend three-piece's cohesiveness far surpasses their suggested ages of 16 and 17...With music catchy as the pox and a brilliant live show to tout, I can't imagine this group won't go far.

Bottom line: these guys, despite their age, seem to have a firm grasp on what is right in their world. Reading this stance on all their preemptive comparisons made me love them 40x more than I already did.Sounding years older than his age might suggest (aurally and lyrically), lead singer, Nico Janssen, along with bassist Kyle Hove, and drummer Conor Sisk carried their audience through an impressively mature and refined set. With airplay from our buddies over at KEXP already under their belts, I really do think this band has potential of local domination, if not world domination in the future....True indie-rock contenders!"

- Three Imaginary Girls (Seattle)

"Some bands you see for the first time and realize they're going to be big some day.

New Faces conjures up 2000's Brit pop, but they channel the sound to their own beat. Like a lot of local bands, they sweat and toil for their calling -- but then again, they have classes and exams to deal with, too.
This breakout band is still in high school.

The Port Townsend trio -- lead singer Nico Janssen, bassist Kyle Hove and drummer Conor Sisk -- Saturday night became the seventh annual winners of Sound Off!, a 21-and-under battle-of-the-bands competition put on by the Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame.

Janssen, 17, is a senior at Port Townsend High School with a voice that far, far surpasses his years, as does his command of tight, radio-ready live sets"
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer

interview by Rachel LeBlanc

"Word is quickly spreading around the local music blogs about is this year's winner, New Faces, three Port Townsend high schoolers who not only showed off great talent but also exceptional professionalism and stage presence for a young group. I caught up through email with guitarist/singer Nico Janssen, who is not only a huge movie buff and aspiring to be a musician, but also has hopes to become a journalist.

Congratulations on winning the Sound Off! competition! What were your initial thoughts when you first took the stage at the start of the competition?

We were all nervous as hell as we stepped onto that big fancy stage at the semifinals. This is because we were the first band on the first night, and the high stakes of sound off got to us. I freaked out and hid in the bathroom for a while before our set because I needed some silence. It went well, though. We had a fun set and the people seemed to enjoy it.

How did you feel to make it to finals? What bands were you worried about going against?

We didn't expect to go to the finals, and I was sure the batteries would win our semifinal night after watching their set. It was a surreal yet lovely moment when we were announced the winners, because we knew the hard part was over. However, I felt badly for the other bands, because I knew if I were in their place I would have felt ripped-off and apathetic about the experience. That's competition for you; every band in the finals gets a lot of free stuff and recognition, so to qualify for the finale was a big step.

What goals do you have with making music and being a band?

We plan to do music the way we've always done it, though this spring and summer will be our big bid. We'll be going at it harder than ever. We've already put too much into this band to sit back and take everything for granted. This spring and summer we'll be playing frequent shows around Washington, as well as touring in many western states, which will be a new experience. We'll also be putting out a debut full length record in hopefully May. It will be a self-release, but we'll try to get it in any store we can. And� we'll be at Bumbershoot! Meanwhile we're getting on better bills in Seattle, which we are really excited about, such as Chop Suey's Club Pop March 13 and Neumo's April 10 w/ the Shackeltons.

On your blog, you rate movies. What is your all-time favorite? What is your favorite of 2007? Do you think the Oscars were fair?

Yes, we are avid movie fans and I review some on the MySpace blog. My all time favorite film is Casablanca. I adore the classic black and white age of movies and I tend to review half-century old films that most 16-year old MySpacers haven't heard of, such as 8 1/2 or Jules and Jim. I also like to trash current films, which gets an angry response from some readers (see the Independence Day review). It's hard to pick the band's favorite film collectively, but we all love Wes Anderson! As for 2007, i didn't get out to the theater much because I'm poor; I only saw 5, maybe 10 films that were made this year. My picks: La vie en Roseor Superbad. The Oscars continually diminish the credibility of actors. Also, as an aspiring filmmaker, I don't think movies should be a competition�but they are. And so is sound off, and sometimes you have to take what competition gives you, even if you are critical of it. That's what we did, and it's turning out well for us.

Any big plans to cross the water and move to Seattle now?

Kyle and Conor are high school juniors, so moving to Seattle is out of the question until they graduate. However, I'm a senior this year and I'm moving to Seattle in the fall, where I'll study Journalism. How we keep the band together is another story, but trust me, we'll still play shows. School has always been an obstacle but not a roadblock, and that won't change"

- Kexp Blog (Seattle)

Music, in many respects is a cyclical world. Bands start up, do their thing, get old and usually move – it's the life of many musicians. As old bands move on, new ones spring up. When the new band is only in high school and already getting regional recognition for their talented songwriting and solid live shows, then you've got a new band to sit up and pay attention to. Such is the case with Port Townsend's New Faces (formerly Captain Incognito).

Already making a name for themselves outside of PT, New Faces are playing KEXP's Audiooasis in November. With Conor Sisk on drums, Nico Janssen on guitar/vocals and Kyle Hove (nephew of Jeff Panko from Glacier's Bent Grass) on bass, the band is ready to take on the world… well, after school and on weekends.

What's Up!: Give us a bit of background on the band.

New Faces: This whole thing started almost two years ago when Kyle and I (Nico) started talking about music. We were both into 90's alternative. Within a few weeks we decided we were going to form a band. Conor was the first drummer we played with, although we asked a few others to play with us. We started writing songs the first day or two and I think we all mutually knew this was worth a shot.

Things really got going in spring 2006 and ever since that it hasn't really let up. Our songs and our style have gone through some major changes since then. I like to think that we are always moving somewhere different with the songs, no matter where it is.

WU!: How do you explain your sound?

NF: Indie rock that rocks out and feels like something. We get tons of comparisons: "You guys are like a younger Interpol." A lot of Strokes comparisons. But it's frustrating when critics sum bands up merely by their influences. If the songs are good, that's all that matters. It doesn't matter if a band sounds a bit like someone else. In fact, its pretty unavoidable not to sound like somebody else.

WU!: What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of being such a young band?

NF: The advantages of being young are that people are easily impressed with your music. People say, "You're so good for how young you are...RAD!" so people are more impressed that we're playing a lot of shows and getting some press and we're 16,17 years old.

On the other hand there are people that don't take us as seriously as we want them to take us, just because we're still in high school. We live with our parents, but we experience the real world just like anyone else. We are as much in the "music scene" as any other band. The songs may mature with time, but I think we're writing stuff people can relate to. It's the human condition, you don't need to be 30 to get love or loss or connfusion. Everyone experiences those things, no matter how old they are.

WU!: Do you have any plans to record in the near future? What about tours?

NF: We don't have professional studio time booked, but we'll probably track some more songs in the next months. Our plan is to release a full length in spring 2008 and tour on it in summer 2008, West Coast at least and maybe farther.

WU!: How often do you guys get shows out of PT? Do you find you get a different reception because of your youth?

NF: Most of our shows are outside Port Townsend. We play about five shows a month. They are mostly in western Washington. We get a more serious reception out of town than playing in Port Townsend. I'd say about half of our shows are 21+.

WU!: You've gotten some good press early, what's the key to your success?

NF: There's no one key to success. We care about what we do and we've been well received by most people. Apparently others think our songs are good. Some don't, but a lot do, and when that happens, good things happen… Usually. Our extremely good looks haven't hurt either.
- What's Up Magazine (Bellingham)

What the band plays: This Port Townsend group might be young (they're 16- and 17-year-olds), but its members get the job done.

The three-piece (Nico Janssen on vocals and guitar, Kyle Hove on vocals and bass and Conor Sisk on drums) has been hard at work since March 2006, playing shows all over the area. The boys take their cues from modern groups such as Interpol, the Strokes and Modest Mouse, with danceable beats served up by waves of solid, angular guitar. However, lead singer Janssen's distinctive vocals are reminiscent of Joy Division's Ian Curtis; they're deep, a little detached and undeniably interesting. This trio has shared the stage with a wide array of local heroes such as the Blakes, Paris Spleen and Speaker Speaker. Live, (New Faces) is a treat: The members are a rare pool of musical talent, distinctive craftsmanship and charisma that will make you tap your toes at the very least.

- Tacoma News Tribune