The Nearly Deads

Nashville based rock band, The Nearly Deads, exploded back in 2011 with their breakout hit "Never Look Back" putting them on the map. Since then, the band has been touring with amazing acts and recording their latest EP Revenge of the Nearly Deads, which is set to be released May 29th! We caught up with TJ, the incredibly talented lead vocalist and front-woman to talk more on the anticipated release.

"Never Look Back" was the breakthrough hit for the Nearly Deads, did you have any inkling to the success the song would bring when writing it? Were you at all surprised by the response?

We were definitely surprised by the response. It was the first song we all wrote together, and being a new band with no budget, we shot it in my basement. We just wanted to have fun and make a zombie video with our friends, and I think that really comes through in the video and contributes to its continued success.

You've toured with some big names in music, The All-American Rejects, Halestorm, In This Moment, Butcher Babies, Upon a Burning Body, etc. Who were you most excited to share the stage with?

I've loved All American Rejects shamelessly for a long time so that was exciting. Opening for Halestorm in our hometown to a sold out crowd was also incredible for us, and was one of our first big shows. When they all came up and introduced themselves and thanked us for playing with them, we were blown away. We're so grateful for all these experiences and the priceless advice they've given us over the years.

Your latest EP, The Revenge of the Nearly Deads, will be coming out May 26th, what do you hope that fans will take away from it?

We hope the fans will really feel empowered with this one. Revenge doesn't have to be a negative thing, it's as simple as moving on and being happy sometimes. If we can survive, so can they!

What was the mind set in writing the songs for The Revenge of the Nearly Deads? Are there any tracks you feel will particularly resonate with fans?

Living well is the best revenge. We could have gotten bitter and quit when we were having label issues or member changes, but we didn't. We couldn't. Our fans inspired us to keep going, and we couldn't have made the album without their support. Also, after touring with In This Moment and playing some huge shows, we had so much more to write about and so much more to go off of after reading the fans responses. We wanted some heavier songs that would be fun to play live. I really wanted the title track, Revenge, to be an anthem for everyone who's ever had to move on and keep going, which I think most people have dealt with at some point in their lives.

Which song was the most fun to write/record for this EP and why?

Revenge really snuck up on us. We think it's the strongest song on the record, but it didn't start out that way! We already had Diamond and My Evil Ways recorded and planned on making those the big singles, but then as we were finishing up the record, Revenge snuck in and stole the show for us! I think that's awesome, because the goal all along was to release an EP full of only strong songs, so we could really focus our energy on only the best we had to offer.

The Revenge of the Nearly Deads contains tracks with a wider variety of sounds from "As Good As It Gets" to songs like "My Evil Ways" and "Diamond In the Rough," what sparked this evolution in your sound?

We just listened to the fans and took notes. Our biggest songs have been Never Look Back and Fact and Friction, so we wanted to go back to basics in a way. Also, now that we had toured with bigger bands and knew that we had the ability to win over heavier crowds of 1000+ people, we wanted our sound to evolve into something that would really fill a big room and get the whole crowd singing along. We also planned on featuring my piano skills a lot more because our fans love it! We strayed away from that with Invisible Tonight, so now we're basically going back to our roots with a more mature, seasoned sound, and a whole lot more to say!

The Nearly Deads have had such an awesome run thus far, what's been the biggest highlight for the band?

We really think the best is yet to come, but I'd have to say as of right now the fact that we were able to blow away our PledgeMusic goal is the biggest highlight for me. When we started the band, I never imagined we'd have dedicated fans all over the world who would give their hard earned money to help us keep creating music. It's such a humbling feeling knowing that so many people want to see us make it big and are willing to help fund our journey.

Female musicians are, unfortunately, so rare. What would you say to girls interested in getting into music?

I get this question a lot, but I don't really understand why! We're on tour right now with two awesome female fronted bands, Eyes Set to Kill and Bad Seed Rising. We've toured with Stitched Up Heart, Valora, City of the Weak, and played with Icon for Hire, The Dead Deads, Halestorm, In This Moment, Butcher Babies etc...and on most tours our local openers are all female led bands! The one thing I will say is that there is still a lack of women in music business, although we have a kick ass lady on our management team, and I also rarely see female sound techs, engineers, promoters, photographers, producers etc. I do see myself as a role model and always encourage girls to start bands and keep trying if the first one doesn't work out. I also want to tell all the young women out there that there are so many more aspects to the music industry than just playing, so if you love music and want to be around bands, become a tour manager, or study music business or engineering! You don't always have to be the merch girl, although that's a great step in the right direction!