Interview – Night Argent | Kryptonite Music Magazine

Washington-based band, Night Argent, recently released their debut, self-titled EP. This alternative rock 5-piece consists of Chase Manhattan (lead vocals), Jeff Stachofsky (guitar), Shane Santanna (keys), Evan Taylor (bass), and Zac Burrell (drums). Since forming in 2014, the band has had the opportunity to play alongside bands such as Imagine Dragons, X Ambassadors, and Jukebox The Ghost. Their self-titled EP is comprised of a total of six tracks including a deconstructed version of the record’s lead single “Nothing More Beautiful.” The band released their latest single “Kamikaze” back in March. More recently, the band has been added yet again to Warped Tour on the west coast from 8/6-13. Learn more about the band and the new record from their responses and be sure to check out some tracks from Night Argent below.

How would you describe your music to others?

We tend to refer to ourselves as an alternative rock band. But most of the people who have reviewed our music, have called it anthemic rock with elements of pop music. We’re okay with any term people use, as long as they keep listening.

What is the story/meaning behind the name, Night Argent?

It’s our way of paying homage to our home. Our studio is located on Argent Rd, so we decided to use it in our name as a way to not only represent our hometown, but to bring a little piece of home with us on the road. The word “Night” seemed a fitting term to encompass our sound, image, and preferred timeframe for band work.

Who and what influences your music? Why?

Artistically we draw from a wide variety of different artists and genres. Rock, pop, jazz, classical, country, oldies, etc. Our diversity has proved to be our “most valuable obstacle” of sorts. We draw from countless sources, and constantly evolve our music through recording and live shows. The result is time consuming, but unique.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Spare time is a luxury we very rarely get. Between our jobs and our band work, we stay incredibly busy. Any spare time we end up getting is usually spent with our families. On the road, we spend our downtime longboarding anywhere and everywhere, exploring whatever town we’re in. That’s led us to quite a few spontaneous, but memorable, experiences.

How often and how long do you practice together?

During down time, we meet regularly, but only run our set a couple times a week. When we’re prepping for shows or tours, we meet daily, and run our set multiple times each day. It needs to become second nature. Muscle memory. I remember being on Warped Tour last year (thanks again to Ernie Ball and everyone at BOTB), and at one stop, it was 120℉. After spending over 8 hours in the sun, loading in, doing press work, and then setting up, we were drained, and we still had to deliver the best show we were capable of. We were only able to because we played the same set 100 times prior. That’s just what you have to do, because your fans are worth it. They showed up, so you have no right to give anything less than everything you have.

How would you describe your writing process?

In a word? Continuous. Song ideas have been started many different ways, but the song grows and changes the more we play it. One of our songs on the new EP has been changing for 3 years. And the final product isn’t even remotely close to the original demo. We were still tweaking songs as we were recording them for the EP. That flexibility greatly increases the time it takes to complete songs, but allows us to fully agree with the final product.

From start to finish, how long did it take to create the Night Argent EP?

From first lyric written, to final mastering, it was 4 years in the making. Ever changing, we added songs, scrapped songs, and rewrote songs constantly. In the end, the only songs that made it to the EP were the ones the fans asked for.

Can you talk about the inspiration behind your singles, “Nothing More Beautiful” and “Kamikaze”?

“Nothing More Beautiful” is an anthem to anyone who’s ever felt hopeless and lost. It was written to convey a message of inspiration. That even in your darkest hour, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

“Kamikaze” expresses the internal struggle you go through with a destructive relationship. Trying to decide how much you’re willing to sacrifice for something that’s slowly killing you. Either let it go, or go down in flames.

Do you play covers at practices or shows? If so, which ones are your favorites?

Our set is currently comprised of originals. We’ve played a lot of covers over the years, and keep one in our back pocket as our encore song. It’s called Revolusion, by the artist Elliphant. It’s high energy as is, and we reworked it to make it very percussion driven. The result is an insanely energetic, and exhausting, 4 minute encore.

What do you typically do post-gig?

We always reserve post show time for the fans. They spent their time and money to come see us play, and we want to thank each and every one of them whenever possible.

What image do you think your music conveys?

We have different images behind each song, but we really try to leave each open to individual interpretation. Our sound is definitely dark, borderline ominous, which delivers a mixture of love and suffering. So each listener can relate to the songs based on what they’re going through in their own lives.

What has been one of your biggest challenges?

Finding our collective image was incredibly challenging. We’re so different from an individual standpoint, that meshing took a long time, and a lot of compromise. But we made it happen, and now we have an EP we’re all proud of.

What has been your funniest or craziest fan/show experience?

One of the craziest experiences was at a bar show. We had a drunk fan who started doing push-ups against the front of the stage. The stage wasn’t secured, and he moved that section just as Chase (lead singer) went to step on it. Chase fell, the guy fell, and that part of the stage fell. But Chase bounced back up immediately, and finished the song.

What is something odd you want fans to know about you?

We’re all drastically different. Most of the bands we meet are comprised of like minded members. That’s not us. At all. The positive to that is the unique sound our music end up taking on. The negative is that decisions that most bands can agree upon in minutes, take us hours.

What can we expect from Night Argent in the coming months?

We’ve officially released our EP, so definitely expect a lot of focus on that. We’re also in talks for playing Warped Tour this summer, and looking forward to playing many more shows. All the while we’ll be writing and testing new material.