Video interview with Nuisible at Hellfest 2018

It's very common you can meet a band and their labels at the same place and same time. Akwell (drums) and Julien (guitar/vocals) of Nuisible are long-time friends but when we noticed that they were hanging out with Alex of Deadlight Entertainment and Greg of Terrain Vague, we could miss the opportunity to interview all of them for the apero time. God knows how apero is a sacred thing for French people.

You used to play in As We Bleed and you now don't play the same music. How has it been from As We Bleed to Nuisible ?

Julien: When we stopped As We Bleed, it was my own move. I didn't have ... Greg: Yeah, what a bad move! Julien: I was really bored with playing music. I was really tired ! So we let time flies by, one full year doing nothing ... and it was good ! I wanted to get back to much more simpler things, no bullshit. So, I told Akwell about this, like "Come on, just jamming at our practice space" and it went good. It all began like this. No pressure. Akwell: Like an old couple. "Hey bud, I have a couple of guitar riffs. What do you think ?". But it was clear from the beginning, just the two of us, no more shows. We were not bored, but too hard, too old, ... but it happened. Julien: We're quite happy with this. I think that having no pressure on our shoulders made it work in the end. Greg: At the beginning, it was just you two, but it was a studio project. When you met Damish at Furet's place, the band took shape. Julien: We told ourselves "We won't ask any label. We won't lose time asking labels to check our stuff. We're gonna get a record and it won't get released by anybody". Then ... we talked with some people, eventually made some connections and talked with Alex, and we found a label. We couldn't find one 15 years ago. Akwell: So, we sent our EP to Alex as we knew him for a long time and we asked him to give it a listen. Nothing else in mind than just "Listen!" and he now releases our first album soon. There are some other guys helping us, some more friends ! (pointing at Greg)

The music itself is quite different between As We Bleed and Nuisible. When you started Nuisible, what was your state of mind and how different the band had to be ?

Julien: I mostly wanted to play simple things ! Akwell: Do what I love, you know. Julien: With As We Bleed, we used to play some really technical and destructured stuff. It was quite fun to play as a guitarist or as a band but it was not the same shit live. Akwell: Especially because we used to play drunk quite often ! Julien: Yeah ! We were really interested into getting back to basics, you know. Oldschool death metal, H8000, oldschool black metal from the early nineties, circa 92/93, and some crust influences too. Crust is death metal played by punks. We needed to have fun, play some simple things but things that are true, you know. There were no modern influence when we started the band. No Deathwish Records, no ... Greg: Hey Jacob, if you are ever watching us ... Akwell: Who ? Julien: No bad blood about Deathwish but, this is not were we come from. Our culture is bands like Entombed, you know ! Not Trap Them, it's Entombed.

Your next album will be out on Deadlight Entertainment ...

Akwell: Alex will release it on CD and digital on Deadlight Entertainment. It will be released on vinyl on Terrain Vague and on tape on Mallevs Records !

Why did you chose these labels ? Why did you chose to release Nuisible ?

Greg: I decided to release them because I know them personnally before they started the band, and apart of the band. I also book shows with Terrain Vague and I booked their very first show. I really liked their music from the beginning, and I made them play several times. I wasn't involved with the EP, but I got closer from the band because I do the booking for them. I also do tech stuff or tour management sometimes for them. I drive, like their Mom, wiping their asses, you know ? I bring them to bed when they're drunk... When they talked about making an album, I've been involed, they made me listen to their stuff and I really liked it. Greg: For the same reasons than Ju' said before, we share something together, there is something between us. Musically speaking, this album is really, really huge. Among all the stuff I've been listening to lately, the Nuisible stuff, is at the top of it. People made me listen to a lot of things lately and this is what peeked my interest. I really like these oldschool influences and it doesn't sound like, you know, Turnstile. What Nuisible do, it's not a kind of music you get these days. The album is cool, it's well produced and they needed a label to release it on vinyl. It's all about passion, with the heart, guts and dicks... Whatever you want ! Julien: And drugs too ! Alex: I know Akwell and Julien for quite a long time. I know them from ... were you still in As We Bleed ? Julien: It was still As We Bleed, I think. Alex: So, I knew them with As We Bleed because they were quite close from Primal Age, and they were on the label then. Even before they started Nuisible, they were supporting the label. They used to buy records from me. Two years ago, they wrote to me : "We have an EP ready, we would like you to have a listen, no big deal, we aren't asking for anything, we don't even want to know what you think about it, we would be happy you can have a listen !". I was driving to a shitty band contest, Battle of the Band, I was among the jury for this, we nearly had a fight with the guys. I was driving and listening to this and I was like : "Fuck yeah". I stopped playing music 10 years ago. Before I stopped, I used to play the same kind of music, and I wish I could technically play this. I was a very bad musician, you know. Greg: You were a bass player, it's not like you knew how to play music ! Alex: I used to play the guitar ! Phenix (video) : I play the bass! (laugh) Alex: I liked the EP. So I told them : "Let's release your EP first then we will figure out how it goes and maybe see if we can release an album". They sent me the album at the beginning of the year and I really liked it too ! What I like with Nuisible is that it's not what people use to listen to nowadays. I don't work like this, I need to feel something. I like bands that are really different. I'm not after them, but when it's about hardcore bands with death or black metal influences, dissonant stuff, I quickly get bored with that. But there, I had something that fits my taste. It's about Dark Throne, Entombed too, I really liked it, you know ! We are from the same generation, we have the same music taste, ... Akwell: We're getting old ! Alex: I couldn't say no to them because they can do way bigger things and they fit with my label, among bands like Primal Age, Ataraxie, Lethvm... It's not about their music style, because we have many, many styles. I'm really proud to have them !

Do they have a bad taste enough for you ?

Greg: Yeah, they have the worst taste ever ! Julien: We have the worst taste ever ! Akwell: Bastards !

What was the feedback with the first EP ? Do you have any expectations with the album ?

Akwell: We play together for 22 years, with my second spouse. Julien: Honey ! Akwell: We have the same goal, we want to play. It's getting harder and harder, we all have our daily lives, we don't make any money with music but we want to play more and more, play more intresting shows. We want to bring people at our shows, nothing more !

If you could make a living with music, would you ? Isn't it a kind of "betrayal" ?

Akwell: I would but I don't want to get mad with this ! Greg: These questions are always funny, you "betray" your music when you make a living out of it, as if artistic stuff should be free, as if it's not a real job. Akwell: I have to admit that if I could ... It's not a hard choice, I just get the minimal wage. If I could get the minimal wage from playing music, I wouldn't complain ! I think that when, in your life, when you get to a higher step, it's not like ... it's more likely it will never happen to us ! Julien: My goals remain the same: play, do it better than what we do now. I don't think our kind of music can be professional. You know, I need it to be dirty, that's Nuisible because I get up early every day to go to work, because it pisses me off to practice at 9:00PM. Akwell: On Mondays ! Julien: You know, our songs are fed by my prole life. This is only my point of view, some people won't agree. I think that my anger needs to be pure, natural anger, that comes from what you live every day. I don't want to fake it. If I get rich someday, I'll stop playing music, you know.

Are there any bands you would dream touring with ?

Akwell: Napalm Death ! Greg: Pilori? Akwell: We already did! Akwell: Talking about big bands, it would be Entombed but the line up we love doesn't exist anymore ... so Napalm Death ! Julien: Almost any band. Greg: Pleymo ?! Akwell: NO ! Napalm Death, they are the straightest band ever ! Greg: And they have Jacques Villeret on the bass ! Akwell: Woaw, they have Jacques Villeret in the band ! Alex: Fuck, I never figured out !

Regarding Hellfest, which bands are you gonna watch today ?

Akwell: Iron Maiden as I've never seen them. Julien: Yesterday, the line up was fucking huge! The Warzone stage was incredible, so good ! Akwell: Madball, Terror, Turnstile, Incendiary, Get the Shot... Julien: Madball, fucking Madball ! Akwell: I've been to my own GOD's show: Mike Patton with Dead Cross. It was incredible ! The older Dave Lombardo gets, the better he plays. It's a very good Hellfest ! Haters gonna hate but it's a good festival ! Greg: What about today... Akwell: Iron Maiden and Alice in Chains ! Greg: There's Marilyn Manson too ! Nah, I'm kidding !

Last words for you : any message ?

Akwell: Hey Eric Zemmour, what's up ? Julien: Hey, it's MY joke ! Hey Eric Zemmour, what's up ? Akwell: Thank you guys ! You are the only ones willing to have us !