Formerly known as Eye expected, Toxic Nobility took to the studio in 2019 to record their newfound project that would have them opening up for national acts such as Framing Hanley, Shallow Side, and Altitudes and Attitudes.
Known to place emotion into each creation they bring to life, the four-piece band continues to tie listeners into a piece of their own genuine storyline.
After feeling the wrath of the pandemic, Toxic Nobility is ready to set fire to 2021 with their latest single “Arsenal.” The warm embrace of the acoustic guitar riffs seamlessly blends into the accompaniment of empowering violin strings as we welcome ourselves into a universe that is robust with striking lyrical motifs shed by a comforting vocalization.
There’s a deep sense of liberation that reigns supreme from the burgeoning progression that we encounter with the instrumentation of “Arsenal.” By the time we reach the second verse, the impact of the added percussion and piano chords has us effortlessly floating into the realm of anticipation, as we comprehend the power of the words being angelically crooned. It’s easy to find yourself clutching onto the realism showcased through an abstract essence of lyricism that weighs heavily on the poetic components of performance.
‘Through the fog of war, through the eyes of fear,’ is a prime example of how Toxic Nobility takes a slice of their vulnerability and spins it in a manner that has us visualizing the vivid imagery they intend for us to digest. Conveying glimmers of hope through the veracity divulged, we appreciate the notions of Toxic Nobility and their techniques to portray a message.
Hello Toxic Nobility and welcome to BuzzMusic. We love the way that “Arsenal,” builds musically as the storyline progresses! What is the concept behind the narrative depicted? What moment or story inspired this creation?
The lyrics of the song describe a feeling of desire, for safety, security, and reassurances. Its meant to be a message to the listener, that there is always somebody who will be there for you when you need them. In the first verse, it's the expression of needing reassurance, while in the second verse, it relates to the listener, by acknowledging the struggles that we go through and explaining that we aren't alone. The chorus in turn responds by saying that, through all of our troubles and insecurities there is always comfort and safety, exactly where you need it. Whether it's a particular person or place, there is always an Arsenal. A place where you can recuperate, a place that you can feel safe in a difficult world. Arsenal is a very personal song to me. I wrote this song from an experience I had with somebody who has had a huge impact on my life and means the world to me. I wrote it for them, so they would know I'd be there for them, whenever and wherever.
Since undergoing a rebrand, could you please tell us a bit about each member and their contributions?
Oh, where to begin?... Well, there's Steve on bass, who is definitely the unofficial manager of the band. Steve has built this band from the ground up, over years of dedication and determination. Collecting members, making plans, and pushing all of us to be our best. The first person to offer a hand, and the foundation (or bass/ base haha) of our group! Then there's Trever, the pilot, on Rhythm. Trever is the youngest member of the band, but definitely one of the more musically knowledgeable members. He has a mind for performing and always has awesome input on our future goals, as far as what we should be aiming for when it comes to our upcoming releases, and what the message and theme of an album should be. Tyler on vocals, the frontman. He's a born performer, no question. If there's a stage, he wants to be on it. But offstage he's very reserved. Tyler is focused on genuine lyrics and feelings in his writing, and making sure that the listener can relate to the music in their own lives. He writes from his real-life experiences, when the band works on a new song, he hums until he finds a melody, and then the words just flow. David, on Lead, is one of the most talented shredding guitarists we've ever met. David is constantly bringing ideas to practice. He always has a new concept, or a new melody, or even a new sound altogether that he wants to try. We could go on for days about David, but that might just be because it takes him most of that time to settle on a solo he likes. He's creative, he's a perfectionist, but most of all he's the biggest smile in the band, both on stage and off. Jon, definitely the most experienced of us, having been in multiple projects locally for many years, was a great asset to us. He seemed to be the only one of us who could always keep up with David's wild writing style 100% of the time. That probably comes from his extensive musical career both as a performer and as a music teacher! Jon has decided to take some time off and spend with his family, and we still have a great appreciation for his time and can't wait to play with him again!
With Jon on leave for a while, we are still playing; with a talented drummer friend of ours. We are still auditioning for the spot for now.
Could you please share a glimpse of what the recording process entailed when you brought this record to life?
Recording Arsenal brought a few new challenges for us. We wanted to release another song for our fans to listen to because it had been a while since our latest release. The struggle lied in two areas. The first was trying to schedule times to get together and record. With pandemics, and changing work schedules, and other hurdles, we ultimately had to choose to record on our own. The second was that after the song was written, it felt like it needed something more. Tyler wrote the song in 2019 as an acoustic track. We have played it at a few shows but it always felt like it needed something. So we decided that we would add some extra strings to it. With violin and cello, we finally felt ready to record. In our practice space, we set up to do recording, starting with Tyler playing the basic rhythm on guitar and doing scratch vocals. Then we brought in David, to play with the track to do the official guitar lines for the song. Tyler then came back on another day to do the official vocals. Then comes Steve, he reached out to a couple of different musical friends to record some violin, cello, and even subtle piano to layer in. It all became a huge puzzle of sound. Through weeks worth of discussions and mixing, it took a while, but we finally found a mix we could all be proud of.
After a tough year with the pandemic, what has Toxic Nobility learned from this experience? How have you applied that to your artistry?
The pandemic has been tough on everyone, no question about it. For a musician, not being able to play a show or even to get together and practice with our friends, it can make a tough situation feel even tougher. During the bulk of our summer in 2020, we struggled with getting a practice scheduled with everyone. We all wanted to make sure we were as safe as possible, keeping track of our health and looking out for each other. Ultimately we went to very limited practices, both due to possible exposures we may have had, and trouble with communicating schedules. We would have practice with only 2 to 3 members sometimes so we could limit our contact. The biggest lesson we learned was that we needed to learn to communicate with each other outside of our music setting a little better. We are working to be better with that. We still have some trouble with responding to the group chats, but in the end, we are striving to become closer as we continue rocking!
What's next for you?
What's next? To keep growing! In every way we can! We are growing closer as a group, learning from and about each other. We are growing our fan base as best we can. And we are networking, meeting with new musicians and venues, doing our best to get our name in other people's heads! We each have our own goals in the band, to play bigger and better shows each year, to record quality and relatable content for the listeners and fans, and to potentially make a career out of this fun little project of ours. At the end of the day, it's all about the music. We have plans to record a new album very soon, and a few shows have been booked and we can't wait to play more when the world begins to open back up.
