DDR: How did Losing September form up?
Nick: I actually came into the band a few years after it formed. When I met up with them I was actually in a death metal band. I was going to school at Ball State along with Bruce's girlfriend at the time, and she would say "Hey, I got this guy thats looking for a guitar player" And I would reply "Well, I have this thing going on". A little bit after that, my band broke up and she asked me again, and I was like "Heck, let's try it out". I was studying musical engineering so with Bruce's training and education, things really worked out well. In the past, Bruce and I went through alot of members. We needed to find people that believe in this and themselves. We have a great core of folks in the band now that buy into the idea of DIY.
DDR: Explain to me the 'Rise of the Loser' creed.
Nick: It's about overcoming obstacles! Throughout life, stuff happens. Just because we lose once does not make us a loser. It's about taking ownership of being a loser! If you learn from defeat, you are not a failure. It doesn't matter how low you go, what matters is you can pick yourself up.
DDR: From your perspective and being a unsigned band doing what you do, what are some of the pros and cons compared to a signed band?
Nick: The pro is that we can do whatever we want to. We don't have to worry about a label telling us you can't do this or that. We have our own say in a way. The con is when you have no money. Can you go on vacation? Can you do what you want? As you know, we live in a monatary society, everything is based off money. Whereas some bands may have it easier to get from gig to gig, we have to work for it. It's a lot more work being independent, but it can be more gratifying. With independent bands, I feel that if we are successful at what we do, we have the potential to change the direction of the music industry!
DDR: Is there anything you would like to say to your fans?
Nick: Check us out, look us up on YouTube. We hope to inspire everybody to be proud of who they are. Believe in yourself and try!