Unsigned Spotlight: Between Now And Forever
Alright, kids (or 30 somethings with a mortgage and tribal tattoo) dig out your old JNCO's, slap on a ball-chain necklace and a fresh coat of black nail polish, B-Ball jersey optional. We're taking a field trip to the mall, a place where we used to buy things, or just hang out at the arcade watching people play Dance Dance Revolution, bum smokes, and pound Monster energy drinks like we just may be the father "Kyle" never met.
We asked Between Now and Forever Front Man iRod why they would bother covering "Papercut" and he had this to say:
"Okay, so I have to come clean here. Back when Linkin Park first hit the scene I wasn't into them. My 'lil sis was bumpin' it and I was a Punk. I was into bands like Green Day, NoFx, etc. But this song always got me. So when we started doing "Classic Nu-Metal" covers I couldn't wait to do "Papercut" It was never a question of which LP song. This one made me realize I wasn't too cool for Nu-Metal.
We have original music but covers are fun. Never wanting to chase the latest hits we do the opposite and cover old ass songs just because we like them. Our take on Nu-Metal is to do it just like an aging emo kid would. The main things that turned me off about the genre originally were the slight misogynist "bro" vibes and phony tough-guy voice many of them put on. Let's be honest here. The best stuff was so Emo. We hope listeners like it as much as our "Diary of Jane" cover or hate it as much as our Slipknot cover. Check it out on Spotify or YouTube if you want to trash us.“
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
iRod- Vocals
Austin - Drums
Joey - Guitar
Johnny Smokes - Bass
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Between Now And Forever? How long has the band been around?
This band started in the late 2000s. We hung it up a couple times. Too many lineup changes to keep track of. To the point where there isn't a single original member at this point. iRod joined as vocalist in 2007 and is the one who's carried the torch through the darkest of times. We believe when you truly love something you don't give up. Even if nobody is listening or people are talking shit about you. Because at the end of the day you have to enjoy it for what it is. Expression and therapy. When people have nice things to say about our music it only makes it feel that much better.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
Honestly don't even remember where the name came from it was so long ago. We have thought about shortening it to just "BNAF" but that would kind of be a whole thing.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
Vocalist iRod writes the lyrics. Many of our songs seem to be themed around mental health, substance abuse, heartbreak, and solitude.
But it's not all darkness. A lot of our newer stuff is about perseverance, compassion, and generally just not giving a shit about what the non-believers in life have to say and putting all faith in yourself.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
This can be a tough one because it's not always reflected in what we do. Music is so centered around mood and that's rarely the same.
Bands we wish we were
Bring Me the Horizon, Linkin Park, The Amity Affliction, I Prevail
Artist, we like too much not to mention
nothing,nowhere. MGK, blackbear, M5, ADTR
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
We started back in the mid/late 2000s and back then we really wanted to be A Day To Remember
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc. …
Besides pace anxiously and drink too much water (or whatever) iRod usually will do super annoying vocal warmups he learned from Melissa Cross (Zen of Screaming) though he still can't scream worth a damn. JK
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
We've played so many rad shows, Like opening for bands like Fozzy, Escape the Fate, We Came as Romans, I See Stars, Silverstein, Enter Shikari. Those local opening slots are usually cool because some kids won't realize your not part of the touring package and just be super stoked to chat and hang out at the merch table. We have made a lot of friends that way. But playing all local bills without the ticket hustle feel less corporate and more of a hanging out with real homies and just having a blast.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
I guess if we are in imagination land… literally any band, not just BC (before covid) but back when life existed in the first person. When we didn't need to watch a whole concert with a device in our hand just prove we were there. Or that we exist.
It's almost like we are letting our life pass us by while we try and keep up with a digital world and it's fading consciousness. Sorry for the tangent there. Lol. 2020 has been a hell of a ride and I know I'm not the only one losing my mind with the lack of live entertainment.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
If you're like me and you feel more lost than ever your not alone. 2020 has been like some bad Sci-Fi movie that won't end. If you ever wanted to learn a skill, creative or otherwise. Don't wait any longer. Being stuck at home taught me how much time I have wasted on nonsense.
If you know what you love to do. Do that and don't stop, the only hard part is hacking a way to get paid for it Unfortunately it's hard to keep the wolves from the door without an income of sorts. They've yet to start charging us to breathe, so It's not all bad, I guess.