Emo-rockers Dearly Beloved are a rock band from Orlando bringing old school pop-punk and emo back to the masses. I had the chance to review their EP, Nova Roads, recently – it’s one of my favourite records of the year, so you really ought to check it out!
By Jane Howkins
You recently released an EP titled Dearly Beloved, which we reviewed. What can you tell us about the EP?
We started working on Nova Roads during the pandemic and it took a while to write – we went through a lot of revisions during our isolated boredom. There’s a lot of angst and attitude in it. It’s like the diary of someone who’s lost their mind, like most of us felt at the time.
How has the reception been for Nova Roads and where can it be purchased?
Nova Roads is our first release and it’s been doing very well! It’s gotten us a lot of attention in the local scene which has been a lot of fun to be a part of. As of right now, it’s on all major streaming platforms, but we hope to have some CDs and maybe even some vinyls in the future. We will definitely set up an online store for our UK friends to get their hands on them!
Do you plan to release any singles from the EP in the near future?
Coincidentally, there was one song that we didn’t get to record on the EP that we started recording this week with our producer, Matt Goings. We plan to release it sometime in early 2023 as a B-side to Nova Roads to close that chapter.
Are there any plans to release a full-length album?
After we finished recording in March this year, we didn’t stop writing. We’re sitting on a few songs right now that we’re trying to decide what to do with. But whether it’s an album or another EP, it will be bigger than life and we look to surpass Nova Roads!
Has the pandemic hindered your work much?
Obviously, not playing shows was a huge let down. Oddly enough though, it enhanced the writing. Most of it was written in isolation during the pandemic. The only set back was getting it properly produced and it was released a year later than we expected, but it was worth the wait. We love everything about it!
Your music harks back to the emo/pop-punk movement. What/who influences you most as artists? What have you been listening to recently?
American Idiot and The Black Parade were huge influences for us during the writing process. We also listened to a lot of Neck Deep and Rise Against at the time, leading to this emo/pop punk and punk rock fusion that is Nova Roads. Lately we’ve been listening to a diverse variety of artists like Movements, Angel Du$t, Turnstile, and so many more.
How do you compose your songs? What’s the process like?
It’s been different for every song so far. Stuck (Again) started with the vocal melody and we built the rest of the composition around it, while The Ballad Of Marcus & Maria started with a guitar riff. Lately we’ve been demoing out some of the new songs after using tools like Guitar Pro, which has really helped with structuring and making sure everything fits. During the pandemic, we weren’t able to write as a band jamming in the same room, so we’re pretty excited to figure out the new songs together and not on a zoom call or by sending demos back and forth.
You’re based in Orlando. What is the local music scene like?
The Orlando scene is pretty gnarly. There are so many bands and they’re all unique! We’ve been supporters in the scene for years and it is full of not only the friendliest people, but also the wildest people. You go to any show in Orlando and you’ll make friends at the bar or in the mosh pit!
Do you have any UK tour dates lined up?
That would be a dream come true! Given the opportunity we would gladly get on a plane play some shows across the UK. We’re currently working on doing some weekend runs across Florida on 2023 and we’ll possibly do some small runs across the US.
Any last words for the fans?
Thank you so much to all that have supported us and listen to Nova Roads! Keep an eye out for what’s to come on our social media! We’ve got some music videos being edited, new songs being produced and more explosive shows! And once we’ve taken on a US tour, we’re coming for you UK!!!