Nicotine Dolls

Have you ever had a panic attack? Recommend it if you wanna know what itʼs like.
Listening to New York City’s Nicotine Dolls, one feels a sense of hope for the future of rock music: Hope, like the best may still be yet to come for this storied genre. Hope, like a new wave of rockers may be just around the corner, ready to sweep us off our feet and bury us in a wild daze. Hope, like you’ll hear a song that absolutely knocks the wind straight out of your chest.

That song is “The Madness.”

The Madness - Nicotine Dolls
The Madness – Nicotine Dolls

This room I call my body is
so small and claustrophobic
Iʼm scared, in here
Have you ever had a panic attack
Recommend it if you want to know
what itʼs like to be drowning on a city bus

Everyone knows
But nobody knows
I think everyone knows
But nobody knows the madness
The madness of being alive

A raw rush of anxious energies and urgent indie rock, Nicotine Dolls’ new single is a frenetic fever dream ready to jilt us out of our collective funk, and Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering its music video today. Dedicated “to those who know what it feels like,” “The Madness” is an intensely magnetizing musical rendering of emotional impact of anxiety PTSD, and panic attacks on an individual.

Independently released September 27th, “The Madness” arrives on the heels of Nicotine Dolls’ successful debut single “Fake,” which arrived earlier in February of this year. Formed in 2017, the NYC outfit features singer Sam Cieri and guitarist John Hays alongside bassist John Merritt and drummer Abel Tabares. Describing their music as containing a certain “cinematic” undertone, the DIY rock four-piece are well on their way to making a name for themselves thanks to their unapologetic, raw approach to sound and song.

Characterized by quick vocal bursts in the verses juxtaposed against smoother, longer stretches of warmth in the chorus, “The Madness” plays on our expectations with big wind-ups and, eventually, an even bigger reward. It is a classic “rock” song at its finest, and yet it also feels ahead of the curve in its subject matter and emotional approach.

Nobody knows the madness the madness of being alive!
Nicotine Dolls
Nicotine Dolls






According to the band, this was never meant to be released as a single, but per the band its “overwhelming feedback” at live shows led them to make it their second official offering. An intimate retelling of personal strife, the song cuts deep into the heart of singer Sam Cieri.

“For three years in middle school I was chased after school, spit on, and beat up on a daily basis,” Cieri tells Atwood Magazine. “The culmination of that was when one of the more popular kids pretended to be my friend just so that he could beat me up in front of the school, which he did when he hit me so hard in the head that he blew out my ear drum. That event and the years of torture before then dug into who I am today more than 12 years later. I get these panic attacks and bouts of paranoia, it is very difficult for me to trust anyone without assuming there is a sinister intent. These thoughts have crippled many moments of my life and have made me feel at times like I am losing my mind.”

Cieri continues, “Both the song and the video were recorded to capture the jarring and claustrophobic feeling someone has when there is a crack inside of themselves. We shot the video over 2 days with a budget of roughly $40. The idea being to show what it feels like to have a panic attack when these memories pry themselves into my head. It was at times hard to put together because everything we recreated were moments I am still haunted by (punched in the hall, head in a toilet, etc…) In the end though, I think there is hope and there is the incentive to not let the demons win. It’s a fight that starts everyday for me – some being harder than others. But if you can breathe through it and find a way to assure yourself that you are and will be ok, then you find a way to live with the madness.”

If you can breathe through it and find a way to assure yourself that you are and will be ok then you find a way to live with the madness.
The Madness - Nicotine Dolls
Sam Cieri in Nicotine Dolls’ “The Madness” video






Cieri’s demons come to life in his self-directed video where we watch his vivid struggle. At first, he dons a pair of AirPods that shut him off from the world, but slowly the past creeps back up to haunt him, and he finds himself forced to engage and interact with the world of these experiences. The saying, “every day is a struggle” feels all the more real as we watch a pair of masked (seemingly) doctors take hold of Cieri, but failt to contain his nerves and fears.

Beautiful, disquieting, and mildly triggering, “The Madness” is a stark, stirring look at life haunted by shadows. It’s the musical manifestation of those manic highs and lows, accompanied by the self-doubt and inner pain that something is wrong – and that something is you. Most importantly, this song is a reminder to all those suffering that they are not alone.

Relentless, fierce, and utterly explosive, “The Madness” heralds Nicotine Dolls as a New York act you need to know; we’re putting them on our radar as an Atwood artist-to-watch in the years to come. Stream the new video exclusively on Atwood Magazine, and entrench yourself on life with “The Madness.” - Atwood Magazine

Up for a dose of new music? There is a new group roaming the concrete jungle, wielding a debut single that demands attention.“Fake” has a luring quality to it, with its glaze of post-punk and Southern rock it immediately recalls the panache that catapulted Kings of Leon to the top of the charts. The single of NYC’s Nicotine Dolls is smooth in its delivery of flexible tempos, intricate harmonies, and gritty lead vocals that make way for a ripping guitar solo which culminates the song. The band is debuting with a solid entry and will be undoubtedly playing the single at their next show at Connolly’s NYC on June 28. We have the release here for you below. - Rene Cobar - The Deli Magazine

We’ve all waded through war of our own kind before. In their newest single “The Madness,” NYC-based alternative band Nicotine Dolls explore the dizzying black hole of emotions, a disturbing look at the way we fight with ourselves for a fleeting moment of sanity sometimes.
We wanted to show what it’s like to have a part of your life that has sort of dug itself into your day-to-day. Having a panic attack because you were beaten up daily 15 years ago can make you feel as though you’re crazy. The video shows that conflict.

Sam and John run a production company (OutaLine Productions) which makes it possible to do all of our videos in-house. It was shot over 2 days for under $100 and we had to sneak into an old high school without anyone knowing.
— Nicotine Dolls
“The Madness” is dripping with a special kind of careful, curated, methodical treatment courtesy of Nicotine Dolls who prove themselves to be a band of great skill and creativity. Not everybody could write a song like this or choose to visualize it like this. There are twists and turns in “The Madness” — it’s never exactly one-speed, though much of it feels like it is, because lurking beneath the steady, incessant percussive pops and warbling vocal tone is, in fact, the madness. Towards the end of the song, a desperate anxiety begins to unfurl in a cacophony of panic and volume and ache.

In the music video accompaniment, the main character is unraveling right before our eyes, delivering a stirring, and often disturbing, performance of high-caliber acting. What is accomplished here is far beyond the scope of just an interesting song — this is music, art, theatre. “The Madness” is a feat of supreme vulnerability made sonic and visual. - The Music Mermaid

New York City-based indie rock band Nicotine Dolls bring to us the fantastic visuals for their debut single, “Fake”. With this amazing track, the talented ensemble makes a splash into the music scene and personally, they are assuring themselves one hell of a start. The track is sonically one of the best I’ve heard in a while, plus the vocals are just so haunting and so dynamic and then you add lyrics that actually say something and you’ve hooked me completely. The soundscape blends in beautifully with what the visuals are setting in motion making the whole experience something memorable and exhilarating. There’s no denying that this NYC band has the right energy, passion, and sound to not only make a debut but become a must listen within the rock genre. So jump into their sounds and verses and get to know your new favorite band. Enjoy! - Wolf In A Suit

While some of us try to enjoy the summer and make memories that last, while enjoying the nerve tickling adrenaline of the ride, a lot of people struggle daily with their own paralyzing thoughts and worry to share them with others. In times like these, there are songs that feel like a shoulder to lean on.

NY-based alternative band Nicotine Dolls are back with the successor to their debut single „Fake“ – after touring the US in Spring, they got themselves back into the studio to record a song, that got amazing live reactions from the audiences – The Madness was never meant to be a single, but its overwhelming feedback left Nicotine Dolls no choice but to release it as their second single on September 27th. Reminding of a modern sound-symbiosis between The 1975 & Nothing But Thieves, the real essence of this song lays in its story:

In “The Madness” the band is working in processing past, hurtful memories into a overwhelming and heartbreaking new sound. They give their audiences an insight in past experiences, where they don’t just describe constant bullying and being in nerve wracking fear of what could happen next, but also about how it should change their future way of living way into their adulthood. “10 seconds and i know Iʼll be fine. 10 seconds of thinking I might actually die. Then it subsides”

The video for “The Madness” is like an intense diary. It shows the struggling of a person who is working through crippling anxiety and panic attacks and how being in public, everyday locations can be triggering and overwhelming for someone. The images are beautifully shot and show the raw expressions of the singer fighting with himself and his emotions. The close ups, the frequent jump cuts and the ever changing color and light schemes help the audience to feel the same intense, breathtaking emotions and to get even more involved into the storyline of the video. - Independent Music Reviews

For today's episode, we invite you to grab a warm beverage and really spend some time reading the lines as well as watching the music video.
Both gave us goosebumps and so being the ones who get to share this piece is an absolute honour.


- Behind The Song -
"The Madness" by Nicotine Dolls


Nicotine Dolls are a four piece from New York City, US.
Their sound settles as Alternative and catches you with personal lyrics, gripping vocals and detailed instrumentals.

Nicotine Dolls are:
Sam Cieri (vocals, guitar)
John Hays (guitar)
John Merritt (bass)
Abel Tabares (drums)

Sam and guitarist John formed the band while on tour with a Broadway show.
After the tour finished, the two spent a year gigging around NYC as "Brea and the Baskets". Once bassist John and drummer Abel joined the band in early 2017, Nicotine Dolls was born.

Playing countless shows in NYC and going on multiple US tours, the band has really honed their craft and is known for energetic and raw live sets, drawing in their listeners with such ease.

After releasing their single "Fake", Nicotine Dolls have now followed up with their rawest track to date, "The Madness".

We feel absolutely honoured to be the ones getting to share the story behind the song with you and we hope that you give the track and the band all the love they deserve.


Here is what Sam told us about "The Madness":

"When I was 11 me and my family moved and I started at a new school in the 6th grade.
On my frist day I wore a t-shirt with a helicopter on it that made the sound of a helicopter when you pressed it. That was the first time I got bullied.
For the next three years I was verbally harassed, beaten up, spit on, thrown down stairs, chased down after school, and brought in front of my entire school just to be hit so hard on the side of my head that they blew out my eardrum.
I went to court three times in three different cases in those three years. I got death threats and ended up finishing my 8th grade year at home.

Those three years created a sort of crack inside me. I have spent a long time covering that crack or ignoring it but it always finds a way to remain just under the surface.
People scare me a lot of the time, I find it almost impossible to trust anyone fully, and I get panic attacks when I catch myself thinking about these things. I feel like a crazy person who just needs to move on but every time I think I have, I find myself gasping for air because I think everyone on the subway car is staring at me.

"The Madness" is about that fear and struggle of some days waking up and knowing that just existing today will be a fight, but that in the end I will be ok and I wanted to share that so if anyone else is where I am they can hear another voice saying you will be ok.

I wrote the song pretty quickly when I played the first chord, there was an unsettled feeling in too, while also having hope in it. From start to end I wrote it in about two hours except for the bridge which I wrote while recording the song almost a year later. There was no rush to record or even show the band the song because I was scared of what people would think. These thoughts and insecurities that are in the song are extremely personal, so I kept the song to myself for a while.

While on our second tour down south we were playing a show and ended up with five minutes remaining in our set. It was a pretty full venue and we had ended the set on a high note. In a split decision I told the crowd and the band that I wanted to play them a song that no on else had heard until then and that the band didn't even know. I started playing with the intention of playing it just me but about a minute in the guys (John Hays, John Merritt and Abel Tabares) started playing along. We finished the song and were all blown away by how great it sounded, no one believed that we hadn't rehearsed the song before.

We put it in the set two more times and each time there was inevitably a few people that would come and talk to us after about how much they related and how they felt a sort of release when they did. I knew then that we had to record it as our next single.

We ended up recording the song at one of our producers Eric Sanderson's (Augustines) studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn. It took us two days to record the song. I recorded an acoustic pass and we built on top of that, there was no bridge so I just said what was the most literal meaning of the song. The vocals were done in one take because I had the flu and could only sing the song once but I thought there was something honest in that, so that's what we went with. Drums and bass discovered this incredible choppy groove that makes you feel uneasy which was perfect, and John created this guitar part that at times sounds like a glitched synth line.

The ups and downs and dramatic full and bare moments came together to truly show what it's like to have these fears and thoughts and insecurities.

This is our second release so far, the first of which being our single, "Fake". That song was us discovering what our musical language was while lyrically using one simple event to navigate it. It was written about a very bad first date I went on whre myself and the girl I was out with were putting on these fake first date personas, something I think we all do but in this case our personas did not match up. It felt like we let each other down by not being honest with one another. There is a cinematic energy musically that we wanted to introduce, it's a much more lush song at time then "The Madness".

"The Madness" changes narrative from observing and giving judgement to "this is what's going inside me". I think we keep our cinematic tones but whereas "Fake" was directed by the Cohen Brothers, "The Madness" was directed by David Fincher.

I am a big believer in music videos being more than just watching the band lip synch to a song. You have the chance to take the world you've created sonically and expand it visually. We also pride ourselves on making our own videos because we love movies, like LOVE movies. John Hays and myself run OutaLine Productions with our friend and producer Nyssa Grant. We created the studio for the purpose of producing the band's videos as well as creating narrative films all written, directed, edited, etc by us.

This video was shot over two days for a budget of about $100.
The idea was to show what it feels like when I get a panic attack in public, when I get these PTSD flashbacks to middle school. Everything we show in the video has happened to me, both the flashbacks and the present day. I knew we made something worthwile when I played the video back after editing it and found it hard to watch the flashbacks. If anyone ever wanted to know what my head looks and sound like sometimes, this video and this song paint that picture vividly and accurately.

If there is someone who watches the video or hears the song and feels that we've captured what they live with as well, I hope they also see the hope we have put inside this work.

We all have moments of madness and feeling like we are alone when the walls cave in on us but we aren't. There are other people that feel this way and we can all say it's worth getting up every day and fighting through these moments and finding beauty in all the other things around you.
You'll be ok, we all will." - House In The Sand