Noctura

Noctura submitted a few songs to our local music show; we gravitated toward “Don’t Save Me.” It’s a very good song that is just as good as, if not better than, many of the songs released on major and independent labels.

Lenny says, ”Check out Noctura—because they’ll take you by surprise!”

I.S.P.Y. says, ”Check out Noctura’s Offspring cover at www.facebook.com/nocturamusic!

Lenny Diana
PD, WRZX / X103
www.x103.com - Lenny Diana, WRZX - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

If you have listened to X103.3 throughout your day, then there is a very good chance that you have heard Noctura being played on the station. Both songs “Fade” and “Don’t Save Me” are being played on X103 right now. If you have not heard Noctura, it is highly recommended that you check out their music. Their full length album "Surrender the Sun" was released on June 21, 2011 and is available for purchase.

In comparison, Noctura sounds like a better version of Evanescence. Mandy Suiter, the lead singer, has such a melodic voice; however, she is not any better or worse than Amy Lee and they are equally talented. The band that is behind Mandy, though, is much more talented than Evanescence.

The show was absolutely impressive and Noctura definitely proved themselves worthy of the fame that has been surrounding them in the Indianapolis music scene. Myles Berry, the bassist, has an intense stage presence and makes the show amazingly entertaining. Mix that with Mandy’s wide vocal ability and it makes for one notable show.
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Pragmatic, Dead Man’s Grill, and Rituals were just as equally as impressive. Pragmatic has such a vicious sound with intense riffs and brilliant vocals. Dead Man’s Grill is always bringing it with heart-felt lyrics and catchy rhythms. And there is never a dull moment when watching a Rituals show. All of these bands are unquestionably worth checking out live.

The music scene in Indy is really starting to expand and there is quite a lot of talent emerging every day. It’s really cool to see bands like Noctura gaining a wider following of fans. In fact, they sold out this show in less than 3 days and it seemed as if all 450 people showed up.

Birdy’s Bar and Grill was gracious enough to provide enough space for the venue to be comfortable. It was hot at times though and the bathrooms aren’t the best, but all in all it was an interesting venue. The stage there is very well-constructed and the lighting was amazing.
- Lesley Wells, examiner.com

It’s one thing for a band to generate buzz, but before they even make their first public appearance?

A feat like that is almost unheard of, and leave it to the Indy Music Scene for giving us a band that did just that.

Noctura has been in the works for a few years now. Through hard work, dedication and utilizing the social networks, they’ve built a loyal fan base around the world, had two of their songs on heavy rotation on X103, saw their debut show sold out in under three days, and hooked up with esteemed producer Dan Certa (The Fray, Seether, We Are the Fallen, etc.) to release their much-anticipated debut “Surrender the Sun.”

The first album is always crucial in a band’s journey. For the rest of their career, they’ll be judged by what they were able to do with that first effort, for better or worse.

So how does Noctura’s first impression fare?

As fairly or unfairly as this will sound, this album will draw many comparisons to Evanescence, but make no mistake, after hearing what it is they have to offer, you will never mistake the two again.

The album opens with the song “Fade,” which should sound very familiar to those who listen to X103 on a regular basis. With this, you get a taste of what’s to come for the next nine tracks: haunting strings, metal-influenced guitars and drums, and of course, frontwoman Mandy Suiter’s Amy Lee-esque vocals. For their first effort, songs range from those on the more metal end (“One More Day,” “Everything,” “Undone”) to the haunting (“Don’t Save Me,” “Bleeding For Truth,” and their piano ballad “Forever Lullaby.”)

As always, there’s always a standout track. I almost hate to do this, but I have to award this honor to their cover song.

Now you all know the song “Gone Away” by The Offspring, an energetic yet somber anthem for anyone who has ever experienced loss. For this rendition, Noctura strips away the drums and distorted guitars in favor of a piano and a backing string section for an end result that can’t be described as anything but hauntingly beautiful. Cover songs are very “hit or miss,” and in this case, this one is spot on.

Final verdict?

Will they draw comparisons to Evanescence? Definitely, especially with songs like “Gone Away” bringing up thoughts of “My Immortal” or “Don’t Save Me” sounding like something ripped straight from the b-sides of “Fallen.” Yet despite the similarities–which there will be a few considering Suiter lists them as an early influence–this is not a band interested in becoming the next Evanescence. Rather, they’re more focused on carving their own niche and becoming the first Noctura. With this album, they’re well on their way. Expect big things from them in the future.

To learn more about Noctura, check out my recent interview with them here. - Josh Lauritsen, IndyConcerts.com

Indiana based rock duo Noctura (Mandy Suiter & Jeremy Roche) launched their music project on RocketHub and cranked their promo strategy to 11. The result - they hit their goal in just under two days and are still picking up Fuelers excited to see how far they will exceed their original target. Noctura doesn't play many live shows - and has been focusing their efforts online to build their audience. I became curious to know more, and reached out to Mandy to ask a few questions about the Noctura album project - as well as the crowdfunding campaign behind it:



1. Tell us a little about how this record and the songs came about? What is the inspiration for you and Jeremy to make this project happen?



We have been dreaming of doing an album for a couple years now, but haven’t had the resources to be able to afford to do it well – and we knew we didn’t want to settle on the quality. Then we got connected with Dan Certa, a phenomenal producer/engineer out of Nashville who’s helping us make this dream happen, but we haven’t had the means to invest as much into the making of this album as we’d like.



2. In regards to your crowdfunding campaign, how are reaching your out to your fans? How has the response been?



Since there are just two of us and we’re not out playing shows, we’ve relied almost exclusively on online promotion via social networking sites and our official fan forum and mailing list. The response has been absolutely amazing! Jeremy and I are still in a perpetual state of shock. We set a very low goal because we honestly weren’t sure we’d get much of anything. All of these contributions are a HUGE testament of how much our fans believe in us. For people to donate so much to a project like ours that’s just starting out and doesn’t have a lot of major successes to brag about is a huge leap of faith. It’s the best feeling in the world.



3. What has been like as a crowdfunding pioneer in the music world?



I’d have to give a lot of credit to our fans – they have really helped spread the word for us. There’s only so much Jeremy and I can do on our own to promote Noctura, and having fans that span across the globe who selflessly help us out anytime we need anything is the #1 tool in our arsenal. As for the crowdfunding idea itself, I think it’s a fantastic concept. It’s perfect for projects like ours, where the artists have a real desire to share their craft but have some financial roadblocks keeping them from the goal.



4. What advice would you give to other Creatives looking to crowdfund their projects?



I would say the best advice is to just be honest with all your potential supporters and let them know exactly what you’re hoping to accomplish with the contributions. Also, I think you should make sure the rewards you offer are things your fans would actually want. For us, the pre-order of the album made the most sense for the basic contribution, up to greater things like being mentioned in our album’s liner notes for the larger amounts. I don’t think there’s a cooler way for someone to show their stock in a piece of art than having their name on it. Of course, we are offering some rewards for super-high level donations, like writing a song with someone’s name in it, which could be pretty tricky – we’re kind of hoping no one donates that much! And yes, if anyone donates $10,000, we will have your baby (limit 1).



Mandy - Thanks so much for the insight and for flying with Team RocketHub. Great job on your campaign! Check out their project here.



Brian Meece - Brian Meece, RocketHub