They jokingly call themselves “Groovegaze,” but labels are only a hindrance to Orange County based band, Nihil Amoris. “We’ve never really been the kind of people to label ourselves you know? I feel like a lot of people, especially because of the internet, they label everything,” said drummer Bradford Thompson. “They have to organize everything into some kind of sub genre or sub category. But I feel like genres are a thing of the past.”
Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Bryce Jensen, guitarist Sam Sargent, drummer Thompson, bassist/vocalist Gavin Capuano, and synthesist Colin Kenehan. Hard hitting groove is at the forefront of Nihil Amoris’ sound. Yet, listeners would be hard pressed to label a genre or one particular influence toward the group. And Nihil Amoris intends to keep it that way.
Refusing to box themselves into one specific genre, each member of the band brings a unique influence to the table.
“I think we’re all inspired by our own things and bring it to the band,” explained Jensen. This variety of influence and inspiration found amongst the members of Nihil Amoris certainly plays to their benefit.
Having joined the outfit only a month prior, Kenehan expounded upon the unique quality Nihil Amoris holds during their live sets.
“I like the live sounds more than the recorded sound. I love shoegaze, but I also love the unique quality of this band. It’s rhythm. You don’t hear all the instruments, but you can hear just this wall of sound where it’s almost like one great note that creates this beautiful landscape of sound,” said Kenehan.
Songs like “Migraine,” and “Orange Giant,” are certain to find a home in the playlist of post-hardcore fans. Even unreleased songs that are in the works may find their way into the hearts of shoegaze listeners.
Rhythmic, groovy, spanning a multitude of genres, Nihil Amoris has had their nose to the grindstone over the last year. However, haphazardly releasing music is not a part of the band’s MO. They are in the artist’s pursuit of perfection.
“We’re very specific with how we present ourselves, especially in an auditory sense,” explained Thompson. “We’re really working on perfecting not only our live shows, but every part of our recordings we can because we only want to release the purest art that we possibly can. So if it takes a while, it takes a while, but we work on our own timeline.”
Nihil Amoris’ sound is varied, from groove inspired post-hardcore to shoegaze, the band is full of surprises within their music. The listener may not know what to expect within their unique soundscape. One thing is certain, Nihil Amoris will never set the bar low when it comes to their art.
While the band may only have one demo with two songs on all streaming platforms, the band advises to stay in anticipation for what’s coming next. “I feel like we sound pretty unique. We bring a lot to the table if people give it a chance when we drop what we’re working on. I think a lot of people should stay anticipating,” said Thompson.
A refusal to narrow themselves into one particular sound and a dedication to releasing only the highest, most pure form of their art is what makes Nihil Amoris, Nihil Amoris. The band intends to have the echo of their melody heard through the wall of sound in an upcoming EP. The date of release is currently undetermined and will certainly garner anticipation among followers of the band.
