Nexus Meets… Naked Face
Refusing to be pigeon-holed, Australian trio Naked Face burst through your headphones with a raw melding of reggae and indie rock. We speak with Nathan Stone (drums), Steve Slik (songwriter and multi-instrumentalist) and Lou Kous (multi-instrumentalist) about their latest single ‘Coming Home’, future plans and much more!
How did Naked Face come about?
Naked Face came about in 2019…
Back in 2017, singer/ multi-instrumentalist Slik auditioned for a jazz fusion band where he met drummer Nathan Stone and they developed an immediate bond with one another. Due to the creative differences and lack of passion from the other band members, Slik decided to leave the band and further his passion for songwriting.
Fast forward to 2019, Slik decided to contact Nathan for a jam and after jamming together both realised they had a special chemistry. In August 2019, after answering an ad for ‘guitarist needed’, Eddy Seagoon arrived with his trademark Lacoste slippers and jammed with both Slik and Nathan. That momentous jam cemented Ed as a member of Naked Face.
In 2020, the band released their debut single ‘Beach Punk’ on the 31st of July, instantly creating a global cult following of fans around the world, sending the song up to number 1 on Triple J’s Unearthed Punk, Rock, and Indie charts for over two consecutive weeks. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Eddy decided to leave the band and move back to his home in Sydney. He was then replaced by multi-instrumentalist Lou Kous in early 2021.
What can you tell us about your new single ‘Coming Home’?
Vocalist Steve Slik says of the song: “‘Coming Home’ is a song about the human emotions involved in a toxic relationship. The person is constantly looking back in retrospect, trapped in the past and trying to make sense of it all”.
What was the writing and recording process like?
The writing and recording process for ‘Coming Home’ was a mix of both challenging and enjoyable. We recorded the single at Sing Sing Studios In late 2019.
Writing the song was a fantastic experience and the same could be said about the recording process, but the challenges arose when recording the guitars for the track. There was a lot of experimentation with the tone, equipment and mic placements, all to try to get the best sound that we could for the track.
There was also a lot altered from the original written rhythm guitar parts to try best suit the song’s vibe. We ran into some difficulties when attempting to get the right reggae feel for the drum section of the chorus, just to make sure it fit the vibe we were going for. Was all worth it once we got right.
What do you hope people take from ‘Coming Home’?
We hope ‘Coming Home’ can resonate with as many people as we can using the human emotion we express from the song to help people in their own unique way. It’s not about what the song means to us, it’s what it means to you.
Describe your music in three words.
Intense. Alive. Unpredictable.
What inspires you to make music?
Just life. The intense love and passion for the song and a perpetual battle of trying to better the art.
Do you have any specific creative process and, if yes, what is it?
Our creative process is trying to complete a song as soon as an idea arises. Keep moving forward and do not go back. Always move forward with what you are doing.
What do you think is the best way for people to discover new music?
Given it is a crowded market space either word of mouth, live gigs and social media.
Where do you hope to be in ten years?
Letting the art support the music.
Do you have any future plans?
I cannot wait to release my dance tracks that I have been writing!