Chatting with Dylan of Cloud Nothings

You never know what to expect when you go to interview an act. Some could be extremely reserved and some could be a little too talkative; however, it is very rare that an act is as interested in the interview as the interviewer is.

Cloud Nothings, a band consisting of Dylan Baldi, TJ Duke, and Jayson Gerycz, brought a new vibe of brilliance to The Space in Hamden, Conn. this past weekend. I was lucky enough to speak with Dylan Baldi, the singer, songwriter and mastermind of Cloud Nothings intriguing lyrical catalog.

“Living my life over the past two years and realizing a lot of things about myself that I wasn’t aware of previously really inspired Here & Nowhere Else,” Baldi said. Here & Nowhere Else was recorded in NJ and released on April 1, 2014. “It’s the first record I’ve made where I just did exactly what I felt comfortable with and didn’t try to be or do anything else,” Baldi said.

Normally, when I ask for a song that means the most to an artist they’re reluctant to answer, or they provide me with a ten minute long story as to how they wrote the hook on a bus to Georgia, but Baldi kept it short and sweet. “‘Now Hear In’, only because I’ve had the main guitar part kicking around in my head for a long time but could never figure out anything to do with it. Once that song finally came together, it seemed like the rest of the record was easy.”

The next is a question I have never asked an act before; I guess I always assumed that a band or musician on tour is doing what they’ve always wanted, but it occurred to me that sometimes people get thrown into situations because of circumstances, and once that situation becomes comfortable, it’s their new norm. I became curious as to whether or not this was Baldi’s dream job. “I’d be happy with anything where I get to travel,” he said. “Playing music is great, but my favorite part of being in this band is seeing new places and meeting new people.”

Another short and sweet answer from a man who seems to know himself as well as the music that pumps him up before every show was, “If I had to make a playlist of three songs I would listen to pre-show it would have to be Thin Lizzy; The Boys Are Back In Town, ZZ Top; Sharp Dressed Man, and Golden Earring; Radar Love.”

This isn’t Cloud Nothings first rodeo when it comes to releasing an album and touring around to promote it, so I wanted to know if the band felt they had developed over the years. “Our music has gotten better! On every record I’ve just gotten slightly more adventurous with my songwriting, and been willing to try new things.”

When asked about mainstream comparisons Baldi shuttered, “I don’t think we really have the kind of aspirations that it takes to become a mainstream artist, so I’m not sure I identify with many of them on a musical level.”

Cloud Nothings is their own kind of unique. They combine indie-rock with lyrics that mean just as much to the listener as the three men on stage. From Cleveland to Connecticut, Cloud Nothings is making an impression on every city they visit with their new album Here & Nowhere Else, and the charisma and likeability they possess performing.