The NowhereNauts

When I first saw Sofie Kapur, I had no idea she was the lead singer of the NowhereNauts. As the New York-based, four-member band prepared to take the stage last night at Southpaw, Kapur stood around looking unassuming, disinterested, even a bit shy.

But as soon as the music started, a switch turned on. Suddenly Kapur was belting into the microphone with a beautiful voice that suggested both vulnerability and a don’t-fuck-with-me attitude.

In fact, that’s what the NowhereNauts’ music sounds like: it’s at once emotional and hardcore, tender and venomous. Made up of Hunter Lombard on guitar, Kapur’s brother, Anders, on bass, and Tony Franco on drums, the band’s performance revealed a wisdom far beyond its members' young years. They switched from near-shouting (as when they performed “Over and Over Again,” the group's debut single) to soft a cappella, ending songs on a subtle but somehow harsh note.

The result is music that you can both dance to and cry to, although last night there was more of the former than the latter. Filled with energy and emotion, the band’s 11-song set inspired its groupies to dance at the foot of the stage, throw their hands up in the air and sing along with Kapur.

The scene was markedly different than the band that went on before the NowhereNauts, a Brooklyn-based group called Sweet Soubrette. Led by Ellie Bisker’s haunting vocals, nine musicians crowded the stage with a hodgepodge of instruments (violin, trombone, trumpet and what appeared to be a bass clarinet, among others) and serenaded the tiny crowd. Bisker, who was also playing a ukulele, swayed back and forth in a slinky black dress with a coy smile on her face. She seemed to cast a spell over the room, especially when she sang “Petite Souris,” a French song reminiscent of Édith Piaf.

The spell was broken when the NowhereNauts came on stage and riled the room up. And though the two female leads couldn’t be more different—Bisker donned red lipstick and plenty of eye-makeup while Kapur went au natural with her hair in a simple ponytail—each was incredibly talented, as were their bands.

Besides the music, those went to Southpaw last night got witness an awesome display of female rockers, ranging from the sultry to the kick-ass.
- NY PRESS

01/09/10 The New York Times
“Effective miners of late-’80s and early-’90s indie rock with a ferocious lead guitarist, Hunter Lombard, and a kinetic lead singer, Sofie Kapur.” “Produced by Kevin March, drummer of the well-regarded post-hardcore band Shudder to Think."
-Jon Caramanica, New York Times
- The New York TImes

06/13/09 The L Magazine
“As they started playing I could only mutter "fuck" under my breath, audibly but not so loudly that it would be picked up by the video camera on a tripod nearby Seriously, this band was good - tighter than a lot of the more professional bands I'd seen this weekend, and mostly confident enough to really rock out onstage. Clearly raised on Dinosaur Jr and the Pixies, someone has been looking out for their musical knowledge since day one, and it shows."
-Mike Dougherty, the L magazine - L Magazine

01/08/09 NYC Magnet
“Sofie Kapur’s voice is like butter and “cotton candy clouds” over the intelligently skilled instrumentalists. Their original songs are catchy and their covers are brilliant. Keep your eyes open for these young new yorkers. They are worth the attention."
- nycmagnet.com - nycmagnet.wordpress.com

08/14/10 The Boston Phoenix
....That's how he first became acquainted with the NowhereNauts, who are Nowhere close to anyone's idea of a teen band. Naught at all. Kapur and Lombard share a presence far beyond their tender years. The two possess a certain composure alien to most teenage girls, so much so that this reporter felt almost juvenile in comparison. Read the rest here
-Alexandra Cavallo, The Boston Phoenix - The Boston Phoenix

7/25/10 InYourSpeakers (@ TT the Bear's)
After The Bungles' brief set, adults Farrar and March yielded the floor to Hunter and the siblings Kapur, who performed their own original songs under the name The NowhereNauts. Sofie's voice was still strong as part of The NowhereNauts, but the rest of the band easily matched that strength on their respective instruments. Anders played some seriously tight bass lines and Hunter's guitar skills would make most axemen (and women) envious. Best of all, the band performed with great enthusiasm and energy. After the show, I thought about all the teenage bands I saw at local shows growing up in suburban Massachusetts and realized that none of them played nearly as well as The NowhereNauts did at this show – hell, I've seen plenty of 'adult bands' this year that also didn't sound nearly as good as The NowhereNauts. If they're this good at such a young age, then it follows that great things may come from these musicians in the future. Unfortunately, wide touring any time soon is unlikely since the members of the band are still in school – this was their first show outside of the expansive NYC region. However, inhabitants of that region should go out of their way to see the band perform.
-Tim Gilman, inyourspeakers.com - In Your Speakers