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INTERVIEW: Alt-pop rockers Night Argent lead the way in Washington

Jon Berrien
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Washington based pop-alternative rock band Night Argent consists of vocalist Chase Manhattan, guitarist Jeff Stachofsky, bassist Evan Taylor, drummer Zac Burrell, and Shane Santanna on keys.

Together they have a created a fresh anthemic-rock sound with infectious pop vibes. Their single “Nothing More Beautiful” is leading the way and with a debut EP to come, GroundSounds wanted to know more, check out our exclusive interview with Night Argent below. 

 

For those just discovering Night Argent, how did you guys all come together and form the band?

We’re all from the same area of Washington, and have played in different bands around the area. We actually all went to the same high school at different times. We knew of each other, but had never played in the same band with the exception of our bass and guitar player. Night Argent formed when the five of us realized we all had a common goal, to do what we love for the rest of our lives, and create music that matters.

How did you decide on the band name Night Argent?

Argent is the name of the road in our hometown that we built our rehearsal studio on. It’s where we’ve spent countless nights working on our sound and developing our live show. 

10885288_786468611390556_7775004187026717822_nCan you tell us about the creative and writing process for the track “Nothing More Beautiful?”

Our lead singer pitched the melody and lyrics as a potential song for the band. He was wanting to write something that would have the potential to uplift and inspire hope. From there we began building the music and production around the song in our studio, but it wasn’t until we started playing it live that the song really began to come to life for us. Nothing More Beautiful was the first song where we felt we had truly found our musical direction. We’ve written several songs since then and with each one we feel like we discover something new about ourselves as a band, but Nothing More Beautiful was our first step on that path. 

What do you guys enjoy most about Washington, what was it like growing up there and what is one thing every visitor should check out?

All of us grew up and live on the South-Eastern side of Washington, in the dry heat of the desert. The thing we love most about our area is definitely the community. Everyone is so supportive of one another, and it’s really allowed us to pursue our goals and our dreams as musicians. We also live right on the Columbia River, and during the summer there’s nothing better than taking a boat out on the river and spending a day on the water with friends and family. Each year they have hydroplane races on the columbia, and people come from all over the Northwest to party and play on the water.

You guys have spent a lot of time traveling, playing at universities and festivals, what do you enjoy most about being on the road?

Meeting new people, and seeing all the places we’ve never been before. Having the opportunity to actually interact face to face with our fans is definitely the highlight of every tour. 

What musicians/bands are you guys currently listening to?

Individually we have a pretty varied taste in music. The artists on our current playlists range from Tove Lo, Seven Lions, Sam Smith, The Weekend, The Neighborhood, to Bruno Mars.

You guys recently won Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands, what was this night like? What were you guys feeling win your name was announced as the winner?

It was an unforgettable experience. It was our first time playing in Hollywood, and being able to play at such a well established venue with such amazing artists was incredible all on its own. When they announced our name, they did it so nonchalantly that we almost didn’t realize what was happening. As soon as it hit us, when you add in the adrenaline of playing a show and the crowd’s energy, we were on top of the world.

How does music make you guys feel and what inspires you all to create?

Music gives us the opportunity to take the experiences we’ve had in our lives and share them with our fans. We’ve all had songs and artists that have affected our lives in huge ways while growing up, and our hope is to do the same for others. 

Are you guys currently working on an EP or album? What can fans look forward to?

We have an album’s worth of songs written that we’re getting ready to take into the studio. We’ll be releasing our debut EP this year with the help of producer John Feldmann, who’s been responsible for some of the most successful albums over the past 20 years. 

http://www.NightArgent.com/