PropertyOfZack is thrilled to have the chance to be launching our new interview with Dave Melillo of Nocturnal Me, a great band that just signed to Apparition Records. Dave and I discussed Nocturnal Me signing to Apparition, their new material, and his solo career, among other things. Read up and enjoy!

Nocturnal Me has been extremely quiet the past few months until just a few days ago when it was announced the band had signed to Apparition Records. When did talks with the newly formed label begin?
That was a long, long time ago. Nick owns the label and Denis does the marketing. I’ve been talking to them for over six months. They actually showed some interest back when we first released Too, which was our second EP. From there we kept in touch and they got more serious about it once the New Year hit. I’ve been working on it for a really long time and I’m just glad that it finally came to fruition.
 
When we spoke back in September you mentioned that Drive-Thru Records was still in your life as far as a contract went. Does signing to Apparition mean that you and Drive-Thru have finally split?
I don’t know what the deal with Drive-Thru is. I’m in the dark as much as everyone else as far as they go. They really don’t have any say over what I do with Nocturnal Me. Richard has had a chance to sign the band several times and that’s pretty much the only right they need; the first right of refusal. In my eyes, they’re out of the way. Richard has kind of given me a free pass with Nocturnal Me and that’s great. I really appreciate that. He’s done that because he knows he has caused me trouble in the past. We’re completely free from them and anything they can do to us.
 
You guys are of course Apparition’s first signee. Can you walk us through how discussions with the label began and what brought the deal together in the end? Was the band shopping other offers from labels as well?
We’ve been really close with Atlantic Records because of Cute Is What We Aim For, which is where the band ended up at the end of its career. Atlantic/Fueled By Ramen would be great, but I think they’re looking for something different that we don’t want to do with Nocturnal. We’ve always wanted this band to be something that happened organically and that grew like bands did in the old days. Bands that hit not because someone’s pushing buttons at a record label, but because it was organic and people like the music. Labels like Fueled By Ramen were giving their artist the space to do that two or three years ago, but that’s not so much anymore. We were talking with several different labels from Universal to Atlantic, everyone poked and prodded, but it always came down to us selling albums and us touring with The Ready Set. No one knows where to put us, so that’s why we needed to go with a label that has some finding to do as well. We can both define ourselves by working together and gaining some success. That’s why Apparition made a lot of sense. I also know that they’re going to put a lot of their resources into what we’re doing. That’s very important to me as well. We’re their first signing, we’re their only signing at the moment. They’re going to put the whole team behind us and they’re treating us with a lot of TLC, and that’s really nice after dealing with all these major labels and these situations that I’ve been in. They want to be involved in every sense of it; they want to hear demos. They want to do everything, and to me that’s awesome. It lets me and the rest of the guys just focus on what we have to do, and that’s writing amazing songs.
 
Were there any fears with signing with them considering the label is just starting?
Let me tell you, there’s shit with each one. A label that size can’t get you radio play, but I’m telling you man, you get lost in the shuffle with labels like Fueled By Ramen, unless you get lucky and sign a deal at the right time. Cute Is What We Aim For is a band that sold 300,000 records and got dropped by Fueled By Ramen as soon as there was a sign of danger. So yeah, they have the resources, but they’re also not committed in any way, shape, or form to what you’re trying to do. They’re looking at the bottom line. Apparition Records obviously wants to make money, but it’s more important for them to make a name with something that’s awesome and progressive. That’s what we’re trying to do. We can’t drive that home enough. You mentioned that we were a little bit quiet, but it wasn’t about being quiet. It’s about being patient and letting this happen as it unfolds. Nocturnal Me is going to be something that is consistent and is something that’s going to be around, but we’re going to do what we want to do. We started that band with that mentality and I never want to turn back from that. This project is my baby. Anytime that I really want to express myself will be through Nocturnal Me. I’m not scared of taking risks like this because it matches our mentality.

Nocturnal Me released two smaller EPs in 2010 that were met with fair reaction. You were even focusing on producing and writing with other artists for a good amount of time. Have you sort of taken a break from production work to focus on the band once again?
No, not really. I think that people doubt that I can do everything that I say I’m doing. I question it as well, but I’ve had absolutely no problem balancing everything. I think in order to be who I really want to be as a musician and as a businessman, I have to have all of these things going at once. Let me tell you man, I’ve gotten so much better at songwriting from producing and vice versa. The reason why I really took a lot of time to hone in my craft of producing was because I want to be able to create my music from the ground up. I used to be able to write songs with no problem, but I needed to go to something to engineer and produce it. Now I can build it from the bottom up. That’s what’s really important. I want to be able to do this 100%. The artist has to be in control 100% now, and I’m kind of OCD like that. I just produced a mixtape in Orlando and I’ve got some rock bands to produce. I’m going to continue to do that. Nothing ever takes the back seat.
POZ: So all of that producing has helped out your own music as well?
Dave: Oh my gosh man, let me tell you. I needed that. I was in a very small box when I first got on Drive-Thru and everything. I loved the niche I was in, but I’ve seen so much of the musical world now. I’m starting to incorporate different genres and production techniques into our music and I feel like that’s what’s going to separate it from what’s out there. I am marrying several different kinds of writing and recording techniques. When Nocturnal Me gets together you have some of the best musicians in the scene. It’s a perfect storm. I’m waiting for someone to realize it.
 
It seemed like there were concerns with fans about the band’s closeness when questions regarding Jeff joining Shaant onstage for a Cute Is What We Aim For show arose. Is the band in a solid state right now?
Yeah, again, we’re all really good friends. We make the call and everyone comes together and does their part and we do something awesome. All of us have a lot of potential and opportunity. It would be ridiculous to exclusively dedicate it to Nocturnal Me, unless the situation called for that. If something happened where we were able to turn our attention to it 100%, I would love to. But for now we’re taking every opportunity we can. That only makes the band better at this point. We’re going to hone our crafts with or without the bands. I know that sounds a little bit callous, but that makes us actual musicians.
 
You guys will be heading into the studio in April to record your next release. How many tracks are we looking at?
Six. There’s going to be an original release with all original songs, but I’m a really big fan of what Anarbor just did with their mixtape and I’d really like to do a version of the EP that has a lot of acoustic renditions and maybe some mashups and covers. In addition to the five/six song EP that’s going to be released through Apparition, hopefully we’ll have a digital component as well with a lot more tracks. I want to give people a road map to our sound. I think that’s what a mixtape could do.
 
Will you be producing the record or will somebody else be working with you?
We’ll have someone working with us, but I’m very confident with my experience that we’re going to bring it all together. We’re not going to have an outside guy come in. It’s going to be all about us.
 
How would you compare the work to the past two EPs?
It’s definitely going to be a departure from what we have been used to as musicians. We come from Cute and rock bands, and this will definitely have a rock band element to it, but I’m much more interested in pop music. That has been a side of the band. We’ve been all over the place with our releases. This one will develop our sound to the next level.
 
Are we looking at a June or July release?
End of June. Can we go in the middle somewhere [Laughs]? We’ll have it delivered by the first week of May and I want to give the guys at Apparition Records more than enough time to work with it and get to the right outlets. We’ll give them their due time.
 
Can we expect some summer touring for the band as well? Has anything been confirmed yet?
That’s a little tougher. Not that I’m opposed to touring. We did shows with Craig last year and they were really great. Something like that would be awesome. For us it’s about producing great music for people to listen and connect to. If there’s a demand for us, we’ll definitely do that. There’s no plan right now though.
 
 
Last time we spoke you mentioned that you weren’t into the album format anymore. Does that mean you guys will just continuing making EPs?
Definitely. We want to release an album, but over a year’s time. Five or six tracks on each EP. This time I just hope to have some filler with a mixtape. At this point we only have like ten songs, and I know there needs to be a lot more. There will be another one after this going into 2012. In between the summer and winter will be some filler.
 
What about solo work? Will you possibly be putting out an EP soon?
I started working on it in February and got a lot of tracking done. I have a lot on my plate, and I want to give my full attention to the acoustic stuff. Once we’re done tracking the Nocturnal Me EP I’m either going back down to Florida or to Phoenix to finish my EP. Both of these EPs will be coming out at the same time. This is the summer of Dave for me. It’s very important for me to follow through on what I’ve started. I finally have the songs that I love and have met the people that will help those songs come to life. That tracking will be done in May for my solo EP. That’ll come out in July or August.
 
You have personally been through nearly everything the music industry has had to offer in terms of both ups and downs with past bands, label deals, and more. What do you think about the present state of the industry and where we’re heading?
It’s Motown again, man. It’s not about songs or talent; it’s about the salesman in front of the song. I look up to Bad Rabbits. Anarbor is another band like that. It’s just what it is. We’re in the era of Britney Spears, but now we have Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga and Rihanna. It’s about faces and the lifestyle more than your song. Either way, I feel like I can keep going in it.
 
Thanks so much for your time, is there anything else you’d like to add or that we should be on the lookout for?
I’m always on Stickam every Monday 8 to 9. I always do new Nocturnal songs, my songs, and covers.