Unsigned Spotlight: July Crowd
July Crowd's energetic and hook-laden brand of pop-punk marries the old school and the new, with driving guitars and massive choruses intertwining with thoughtful lyricism and a heart-on-sleeve delivery.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
July Crowd is: Dom Walters (Vocals, Guitar), Nic Faller (Drums), Niko Stivanakis (Bass Guitar).
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to July Crowd? How long has the band been around?
This is the first time any of us have taken a swing at playing in a rock band! The three of us were close friends before playing together, so we were so excited to find out we were all into the same scene of music too! We put our best foot forward with our Debut EP in 2021 and haven’t really stopped since!
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
We probably spent too much time trying to come up with a band name when we first started out… we tried name generators and other ideas but nothing really felt like it encompassed what we wanted to do. We were running out of time before our first release and had to submit a name on the spot.
We sat down as a group, and tried to think of all of the things we love the most about Pop Punk - Warped Tour, hot summer days, basement shows, etc. The name July Crowd came up and we loved it.
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?
Dom writes the bulk of the music and melodies, and Nic spends lots of time working over the drum parts. Usually guitar, bass and vocals seem to come first, and drums are written overtop to match the song. Honestly, I think we’re still learning our writing process, and I expect it will keep evolving as we grow into better musicians.
Our songs are written about real experiences; the challenges of learning how to be an adult, handling relationships, cutting toxic people out of your life, or sometimes just ranting about how difficult life can be are all themes. In the ever-changing world we are living in right now, and as we get older, I’m sure the things we’re inspired to talk about will continue to change too.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
We try to pull as much inspiration as we can from different kinds of music, since our listening habits can be pretty eclectic. That said we listened to so many Sum 41, Green Day, and Good Charlotte CD’s growing up that those sounds are probably engrained in our writing. We’re really loving the new WSTR, Stand Atlantic, and Real Friends right now.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
There was probably a few moments like that growing up, but going to Warped Tour in 2019 was most likely the catalyst. Seeing so many of our favourite bands in one place, and noticing how happy the artists were to be there with us really inspired us to want to do something like that.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc…
Most of our show preparation comes from our rehearsals; if we’re feeling tight on all of our songs, transitions and such it makes show day a lot less stressful… and coffee. Lots of coffee.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Well, there was a festival we played at last year that hid our name behind a flower graphic on the poster. This year, we’re in front of the graphic, so probably that. Haha.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
This is a tough question, because there are SO MANY acts we would be stoked to tour with. Doing a dive venue tour in North America with a couple other Pop Punk bands would be so much fun. If we had to pick one, maybe John Feldmann and Goldfinger? We could learn so much from them.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Our new EP, “Seat of Your Pants” comes out July 21st! We’d love for you to hear it and tell us what you think! We’re on Instagram too, @julycrowd!