No Small Children was able to do a restart on their careers and lucky for them it was the best move they’ve ever done.
It’s not very often that any of us is able to do a reset to the career we have. I was lucky enough to sit down with this band who was able to change their careers from teaching to making music.
What made you all want to form the band?
Lisa – Nicola and I were at recess duty on one particularly difficult Friday. We were like, “screw this, let’s start a band”. It made us feel better in that moment. At first, we just had the name and talked about our new band a lot (which really didn’t really exist yet). It made us feel happy and “pretend” badass. But then we started writing songs and playing shows. Then we recruited Joanie and we have been full steam ahead ever since.
How would you describe No Small Children’s sound?
Lisa – We like to think that our sound has evolved. When we started, we were all emotion. The songs on “Dear Youth” songs were mostly fast, simple and “to the point”. I think our music still is that at the heart, but we have had a lot of fun being super creative in the studio. “Trophy Wife” and “Hold Tight I’m Flying” had a bit more production, plus I got to play my trumpet and Joanie got to play her cello. For “What do The Kids Say”, we had Bob Marlette as a producer, so the process was a different and I think our bar went up too.
Was there a theme to your album What Do The Kids Say?
Lisa – When we wrote the music for this record, we are not thinking of a theme, but when we had our body of work at the end, the theme revealed itself. This is how we feel. This is who we are. I love that Miles Davis quote, “I’ll play it and tell you what it is later”. That’s what we did for this record.
It looks like the band has been on tour most of the summer. How has being on the road been?
Nicola – We love traveling together, meeting new people along the way, and reconnecting with others who return to see us again. For us, touring is less complicated than everyday life. As teachers, we are constantly juggling the demands of parallel careers and home lives. On the road, our sole purpose is to get from one place to the next recharged, with working gear, ready to melt faces.
What has been the best show so far and why?
Lisa – It is definitely too hard to answer this question. Plus, I don’t think we would agree! Haha. For me, each show is made up of a bunch of little moments that happen at the show. We find that there is so much goodness everywhere we go…and that propels us. Sometimes the most amazing experience is in the most unlikely places.
Nicola – Hey Lisa, we agree:)
What place are you all hoping to play at in the future?
Lisa – We are so psyched for all the momentum we have right now and all though we don’t know where it will take us, we will take it one show at a time….and we love every minute of it!! We would love to play shows with some of our favorite bands. We would love to play shows that make people feel like they are not alone in this crazy crazy crazy world.
How can people keep up with the latest news about No Small Children?
Nicola – Our website, www.nosmallchildren.com, is always current. Of course, we love people to stay connected with us through Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
