Journalist & Interviewer: Kiera
Voltage Live caught up with NOSHOWS this week, chatting about a new single, balancing lyricism with production, and…an upcoming tour announcement?! Check out 5 Questions with NOSHOWS below. You won’t want to miss our final question!
VLM: It sounds like you’ve really refined and defined your sound on FOMO, Fall Apart, and Last Resort, really leaning into your alt-rock element; this feels like a noticeable departure from the funky alt-pop rock sounds of tracks like Free Ride and Used To It we’ve seen in the past. What sounds can we expect to hear on the first track off your upcoming album this Friday?
NOSHOWS: I think what you’re hearing is us getting closer to who we’ve always wanted to be. Songs like “Free Ride” and “Used To It” still feel like NOSHOWS, but over time we became more obsessed with capturing the energy of our live show on record. The newer material leans harder into loud guitars, bigger choruses, and more tension and release.
Our latest single, “I Don’t Want It,” is probably the purest version of that. It’s still melodic and hook-driven, but there’s a rawness and urgency to it that feels very representative of where we are right now. We wanted something that felt like being thrown straight into a packed room with the band playing at full volume rather than easing people into the record.
VLM: You’ve stated that your creative process begins with a riff or an instinctive feeling that guides you, and that lyrics follow that feeling. It almost sounds like that could make it difficult to find the space to say what you want to say. How do you balance finding the space to share the lyrics that externalize what you need to tell the world with lyrics coming second to the sound?
NOSHOWS: For me, the sound and the lyrics aren’t really separate things. With "I Don’t Want It," the riff came first, but it was born out of my frustration watching someone I care about stay stuck in their ways. The lyrics ended up becoming an expansion of that feeling.
The riff or the emotion comes first because that’s what opens the door creatively. Once I find a piece of music that makes me feel something, the lyrics usually reveal themselves pretty quickly.
I don’t sit down and decide, “Today I’m going to write about anxiety or identity.” The music tells me what the song is about. The challenge is making sure the lyrics are honest enough to match the emotion that’s already there. If the music feels undeniable but the lyrics aren’t vulnerable enough, the song never feels finished.
VLM: You’ve shared that your music is most authentically felt in sweaty, crowded venues; what’s your dream stage to play a NOSHOWS show on?
NOSHOWS: As much as I’d love to say Madison Square Garden, I honestly think the dream is finding a way to make a huge stage feel like a tiny club.
The moments I remember most aren’t necessarily the biggest shows—it’s when we’re playing high-energy songs like “FOMO,” everyone’s sweating, and there’s no separation between the band and the crowd. If we can bring that feeling to a festival stage, an arena, or a legendary venue, that’s the goal. The size of the room matters less than the energy inside it.
VLM: There’s a lot of shared experiences to be had in the raw feelings and recurring themes of your lyrics: anxiety, vulnerability, emotional distress, and finding one’s identity. How do you think you’ve gotten to where you are today releasing music on these topics?
NOSHOWS: A lot of those themes come from necessity more than intention. Music has always been how I’ve made sense of things I didn’t fully understand while I was living through them.
The more songs I wrote, the more I realized that vulnerability wasn’t something that pushed people away—it was often the thing that connected us. Songs like "What’s My Name" are some of the most personal songs I’ve ever written, and seeing listeners connect with them showed me that honesty resonates.
What’s been most surprising is how universal those experiences are. You write something that feels incredibly personal, and then people come up after shows and tell you they’ve felt the exact same way. That’s when you realize the song isn’t really yours anymore.
VLM: What are you listening to right now?
NOSHOWS: I’ve been listening to a lot of grittier rock and rap lately, and that’s definitely influenced some of our newer material. Artists who bring a real sense of attitude, honesty, and conviction to what they do have been resonating with me.
I’m always drawn to music that feels authentic—whether it’s a rock band or a rapper. If I believe every word they’re saying, that’s usually what keeps me coming back.
Bonus Question!
VLM: Can we expect to see a NOSHOWS tour in the hopefully-near future? 👀
NOSHOWS: First things first, we’re excited to be back on our home turf at Nublu in New York City on June 2nd. We’ll be playing our new single I Don’t Want It along with a few other new songs we’ve been working on, and we’re really looking forward to sharing them live.
As for touring, we do have something in the works for August. I can’t give away too much just yet, but keep your eyes peeled because we’ll be announcing those dates soon.
Even though we can’t quite hear the details of the tour yet, NOSHOWS is keeping us content with new music. In anticipation of their newest album, NOSHOWS just dropped their newest single, “I Don’t Want It.”
The single’s music video turned New York’s Lower East Side into an open casting call, pulling in strangers from all over to star in the video alongside NOSHOWS’ Max Satow. Perhaps we’ll see some of the stars at NOSHOWS’ show at Nublu? 👀
Watch the music video here, and check out “I Don’t Want It” on your favorite streaming platform now!
Discussion