Picture by: Eliza Marie
Interview by: Leah Haviland
Around a month ago I got the chance to interview one of my favorite Long Island, pop-punk based bands, No Coincidence! They have released 6 songs just this year alone, “Sweeping Up”, “Onward”, “Blur (Feat. Tashy)” and more! Here is how it went.
“First, Introduce yourself to the people who don’t know who No Coincidence is.”
Jake: So, we are No Coincidence collectively. I’m Jake and I play bass and sing
Jordan: I am Jordan, I play guitar and sing sometimes.
Nick: I’m Nick, I play guitar and I sing.
Dan: I’m Dan! And I play drums.
Jake: And will sing.. at some point.
Jordan: It will happen.
“Next question, How’s it going with being a band on quarantine, and are you guys still getting anything done, or is it all on ‘pause’?”
Jake: I mean, it’s not on pause fully, It’s definitely not running as smoothly as it does under normal circumstances but, it’s not on pause. Definitely not on pause, we are working hard, separately and together whenever possible.
Jordan: Of course we are still doing what we can, as much that can be possibly done. I mean, Sweeping Out does come out next week and that’s our second song on quarantine.
Nick: Yeah what Jake said, It’s definitely not as smoothly as it used to but we’re still getting things done, we’re just trying to make it work.
“Where did the band name come from?’’
Nick: Oh god, this question always comes up and I always blank. I dont think it has any specific meaning but I believe it came from us having like 90 names to choose from and all of them we were like “nah”. But one day Jordan was like “yo, No Coincidence” and I was like, “yeah thats the one”, and everyone else was like “yeah that is the one” and we were born as a full band.
“Going off of that, how did you guys meet?
Jake: So, I met Jordan in middle school, we have been pretty much best friends for a long time.
Jordan: 11 years strong!
Jake: Jeez, and then I think I knew Nick in middle school, but we became close friends in highschool and same with Dan. Yeah, thats how I met everybody.
Jordan: I Jake in middle school , yeah, and then I met Nick thru Jake, because Y’all had chemistry, and jazz band.
Nick: Yeah, I think it was my sophomore year?
Jake: One of the 4 year we were in highschool, it was one of them.
Dan: Jake, where did I meet you? Was it in jazz band?
Jake: Oh wait yeah, I knew Dan in middle school. We weren’t close but I knew of him and knew of his musical abilities.
Nick: I met Dan when I was 2 uh,
Dan: Craziest thing, I’ve known Nick since I was born.
Nick: I don’t know how i met Jordan but I think I met Jordan before i met him, one of those tuesday night concerts.
Jake: Bottom line to this is that it’s been way too long for any of us to remember and that’s what matters.
“Where do you guys think you would be without being in a band?”
Jake: sadder
Nick: I honestly don’t see myself not making music.
Jordan: To be honest, yeah.
Nick: Like I already make music like, 60% of the time so, when I’m not doing anything else, it’s music.
Jordan: I’d still be playing guitar.. I couldn’t tell you, I’m not good at anything else.
Nick: That’s a lie you are amazing
Jordan: At what?
Nick: You are uh-
Jake: So Dan!
Dan: I dont do anything else besides music so yeah, I mean I’d still be drumming and still be wondering if all the time I keep putting into drumming actually matters, cos i wouldn’t be playing with anyone, right, so I’d just be like, how would I actually play with the people I love.
Jordan: Now Dan is that how you felt before you joined?
Dan: Yeah, I mean there was a time where I wasn’t playing music and even then I’d still wonder. It’s weird to be a musician and not playing music..
“Whats the hardest thing about being in a band?”
Nick: I would have to say, it’s getting people to like actually like you, thats my thing. Booking shows? Thats easy. Making music? Sometimes we have our bad days but like we work and we get it done, its just getting our music outside of the woods, the local scene. It;s really just branching out, thats the hardest part.
Jordan: Im gonna piggy back off of that and say its not getting people to like us, its people giving us a chance. Because, I feel like people if they’d listen to us i think they’d like us instantly it’s kinda like convincing people to check us out. I think if people listen to us they’d be like “oh hey theyre kinda good”.
“If you could be on a tour line up with any of your favorite bands, who would be on the line up?”
Jordan: KNUCKLE PUCK.
Nick: I’d say it's us, Knuckle Puck, All Time Low and Hot Mulligan.
Jordan: I think a sick line up would be us, Knuckle Puck, Story (the story so far), and yeah, and Young Culture! I'm throwing that out there, I want it to manifest.
Jake: for me it would have to be, us, Knuckle Puck, All Time Low and probably State Champs.
Dan: I think, yeah, us, Knuckle Puck, the story so far and All Time Low.
“What is one thing you would like to accomplish as a band?”
Nick: Honestly, its a little goal but like, to have some of our stuff on vinyl, and in order for that to happen we’d need to be signed so like.
Jake: I think, this is a little abstract, but one thing i’d like to accomplish is to just forever stay as hands on with our music as we can. Never really let it fall into any other hands in terms of how its made, just not to let it slip out of our own hands and, style.
Jordan: Aside from touring with those band previously, I’d have to say, well theres alot but like, getting signed and yeah. I wanna play Webster Hall.
Dan: Id have to say just to stay passionate.
“If you could be any famous person who plays your instrument, who would you be and why?”
Dan: Rian Dawson
Nick: This is stumping me not gonna lie.
Jordan: Yeah.
Nick: Im trying to think of who inspires me.
Jake: John Deacon from Queen, to be surrounded with those other members of Queen, like..
Jordan: I honestly, I would have to say either Nick or Kevin from Knuckle Puck, cos I take after them like in terms of sound, I like try to mimic them.
Nick: I still don’t know. Honestly just any guitarist from one of those big pop punk bands.
Jordan: You could be Alex Gaskarth.
Nick: Oh god, yeah I do pull alot from him.
“What's one piece of advice you’d give to an inspiring musician?”
Nick: Start small and do it yourself. Just learn the ropes, that's how we did it. Music production can be very expensive but starting out i think you just have to not get so overwhelmed, you can put your music out there if you just take your time with it and you’re passionate about it. Just get it out there because someone’s gonna listen to it, someone’s gonna like it.
Jordan: Take it step by step, if you don’t have the resources to do it in a bigger way just start small, and do it on your own, just sit there with yourself and learn. Write songs and put it out there, not everyones gonna like them but somebody will. Just keep going with it.
Jake: I would have to say, limit yourself as little as possible in terms of style. Like if you don’t know what your style is in terms of sound just be open with whatever you create and end up making and don’t shut it out, because you will find it eventually. Just don’t close your doors and keep letting everything in.
“Anything else?”
Jake: Catch any of our music anywhere, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, wherever. Just search “ No Coincidence”. We have a new single coming out May 29th called “Sweeping Up”, the art is done by our wonderful host of this interview! We also have 4 other songs we released this year, you can find us again on any platform and follow us on instagram and twitter @NoCoincidenceNY