Nonpoint

Mark Sergi

RAD recently had a chance to speak with Elias Soriano (Vocals) of Nonpoint (www.nonpoint.com). Other members of the band include: Andrew Goldman (Guitar), KB (Bass Guitar), and Robb Rivera (Drums). Nonpoint is currently touring with Papa Roach. The band from South Florida combines a melodic tone with a reverberation of intense rock. Nonpoint’s sophomore effort, Development, debuted at number 52 on the Billboard Top 200 last July. In the interview below Elias discussed the progression of the band and their "Development".

RAD: How did the band start?
Elias: We all lived in South Florida. Rob and Ken didn't go to High School in South Florida. I lived and grew up in South Florida. Andrew lived and grew up in South Florida. He was friends with KB, who was in another band. Then me and Rob met at a restaurant where I worked at and he was playing at.
RAD: What do you do before the Nonpoint came about?
Elias: I was living in Tampa and working with my father. Then I came back to South Florida to live with my mother and step father. At that time I was a host at a restaurant. The bass player in Robb's band also worked there. He took me to a practice and I liked the music. Then they asked me to sing, so I started singing for their band. That band kind of started breaking up. Then we joined forces like Voltron with Ken and Andy and formed almighty Nonpoint.
RAD: What type of phases did you go through when you were growing up?
Elias: We got together in 1997, which was the end of the mid 90's, which was just horrible fashion. There was nothing like wearing a pair of pants where the cuffs were as big as the waist. I went through that, and then I changed my hairstyle a couple of times. We slowly grew as a band. The focus was less about us being in a band, and shifted more to us just being a band. When we were in our hometown, we were very pampered. Our shows were always packed, and everyone was saying we were going to be the next big thing. Then we got kicked out in the big pond. You know. Then we were a little fish in a really big pond.
RAD: How has your music progressed?
Elias: We don't ever go for a particular style. We just kind of go with the mood that we are all in. That kind of steers the music. We will definitely try the extremities of certain parts. Like if want to get real melodic or real heavy, you know we will try that kind of stuff. We don't try to be rap-rock or agro. We are just trying to be a rock band. We don’t want to leave anything not to be touched. We write for the song and write for the music. If that means we scream at a certain part or whisper or moan and groan. We want to do whatever it takes. We want to be the type of band that can do anything, and play with anything.
RAD: If a person was attending one of your concerts for the first time; what would you want them to experience or get out of your show?
Elias: I just want people to come to our shows and walk out of their feeling content that they got entertained. The band has been together almost eight years. We are at the point, where the boat is kind of steering itself, and we know exactly where it is going. We make a mark behind us. I want people to walk away, saying that we put on an amazing show and that we tore the roof of the place. That is what we want. We put on a rock show and we want to rock people.
RAD: What are your goals as a band?
Elias: We want to be ourselves. We don't want to be lumped in with other bands. We want people to talk about Nonpoint. We don't want to be the band that sounds like Alice and Chains or like Limp Bizkit. We want to be the band that sounds like Nonpoint.
RAD: Are you currently working on your next album, while you are on tour?
Elias: Yeah, we are out here working on another record, because or fans want another record. Our next album will be out in the late fall or winter this year.
RAD: How did you discover Sunset Black?
Elias: They are a good band out of Minneapolis. We heard a couple of their songs and thought they had something, so we turned them over to manager. Now they are with MCA.
RAD: What do you do in between tours?
Elias: We had break from the end of November to the end of February. We stayed home and practiced and wrote. And we took a break, because before that break we were out on tour for nine months straight. We only usually take a couple weeks off maybe at Christmas then go right back out. That is the first time we have had more than a month off to decompress.
RAD: Do you enjoy touring all the time?
Elias: I love touring. I love my house when I get one but for right now my house is this bus. This is the most secure place for me right now.
RAD: Do you prefer big venues or smaller club atmospheres?
Elias: I really like big venues because it gives us an opportunity to play in front of the masses. Rocking a big house is awesome.
RAD: What do you see in the future for Nonpoint?
Elias: I don't like to predict the future. Live in the now.