Q&A : Nathan Toussaint From 'The Brave' - YEAH; But Seriously ThoughYEAH; But Seriously Though

The boys from The Brave have just released their debut album ‘EPOCH’ and are heading on tour this October with none other than Falling In Reverse.

Eager to find out more we had a chat with vocalist Nathan to get the inside scoop on what the band have been up to!

What is the meaning behind your new single Dreamless?

I wrote dreamless about a point in my life where I was dealing with some personal issues, that were then impacting my sleep and my quality of life basically…Sleep became a bit of a hit and miss thing…sometimes I wouldn’t get much sleep at all, then other times I would get plenty of sleep but still wake up feeling like I hadn’t slept in days.

What was it like working with Marcus Bridge?

Working with Marcus was great! I personally hadn’t met him prior to him coming into the studio, but we were friends with a couple of the other Northlane boys, which was how we initially tee’d up getting Marcus on board. But as soon as he got to the studio we hit it off right away. He’s such an easy dude to work with, super humble, naturally together.

How are we feeling now that ‘EPOCH’ is just days away from its release?

EXCITED! We’ve had this album in our possession for over a year now, so we are well and truly ready to release it to the world and see how it’s received.

What does EPOCH mean?

In a nutshell, Epoch basically means a point or event in time that leaves a lasting mark in history…

What themes musically and lyrically did you try to tackle with this album?

Musically we really tried to improve on our previous sound that we had on our EP and explore our capabilities not only as a band but as individuals as well. Lyrically I tried not to have a whole album of lyrics that were about the same subject. I tackled a few issues ranging from personal troubles to political/worldly issues to stories about people close to me that inspired me. Basically anything that at the time I felt I needed to write about and voice.

How was the recording process and how long did it take?

The recording process ran over a period of 3 weeks and was intense! Coming off the back of doing our EP which had a lot more of a relaxed approach to it, the process for the album was way more in depth and forced us all to really push ourselves not just musically but physically and mentally. It definitely wasn’t a walk in the park, but we had made it clear to the producer Sonny that we didn’t want any slacking off or “easy road” attitude, so he made sure that didn’t happen haha. It was worth it in the end because it pushed us out of our comfort zone and allowed us to really explore our capabilities.

Are you happy with the finished product? Is there anything you may have changed given another opportunity?

We’re all 100% stoked on the finished product…of course there are things you will always want to change, but you just need to know when to cut the cord and let it go and move on to the next thing. Otherwise who knows how long you’ll stay there trying to make it perfect, only for you still not to be happy with the final product haha

Who has the most influence during the writing process or is it all pretty even?

I’d probably say Dave, Kurt and myself as Dave and Kurt write majority of the songs and I write the lyrics. But in saying that we all definitely have input into both the music writing as well as some of the lyrics. We’ll tell Dave or Kurt what sort of sound we are wanting to get and they will smash out a whole pile of songs for us to listen to and then decide what we like or don’t like. Then I’ll start structuring my lyrics around the songs, which the boys will sometimes lend me a hand with if I’m not too sure on a certain part, I’ll get their advice on it. Dan and Brent will sort out their parts for Bass and Drums. Dave or Kurt will usually write in those parts loosely as a bit of a guide to help get more of an idea on how the song could sound, but the boys will take those guides and then adapt them to suit their playing styles and what the think will work. I guess we all definitely have our fair share of influence on the album.

How have the band dynamics within The Brave changed over the last 3 years since its forming?

The dynamics have changed quite a lot I feel. We’ve gone from not really knowing one another as individuals and not knowing each other capabilities or strengths as musicians, to now being best friends, knowing what pisses each other off, what doesn’t haha. What each other’s strengths are as musicians and basically just being 100% comfortable around one another and really coming together to find our sound.

How do you feel when you make such personal memories into music, and why do you do it?

It can be hard sometimes and a bit daunting to put those memories or personal issues and emotions out into the public. At the same time I find it to be almost therapeutic, It feels good to get those emotions out and on paper rather than leaving them bottled up. I love knowing that my lyrics help others as well, that’s one of the most rewarding things for me…even if just one person can find a bit of solace and comfort in my lyrics and know that they aren’t the only person who shares the same opinions or the same feelings towards certain issues, then I feel my job is done…if more people can relate, then that’s even better.

When you are relaxing, what music do you play in the background?

Me personally, I listen to a real wide variety of music…but when I’m relaxing I love to have a bit of Dean Martin, Bahamas, Radiohead, Incubus, Flume, 1975 or maybe some Coldplay just playing in the background…Recently Dave put me on to this amazing artist called Haux, so I’ve been smashing that a fair bit lately when I’m having a bit of a chillax.

What is the worst piece of life advice you have ever received?

Hmm that’s a hard one…most the advice I’ve received has been the pretty good haha. I guess the worst I’ve had is being told to “play it safe” in regards to my future…I understand the idea of playing it safe when planning your future, but where’s the fun in that? Taking risks and stepping outside that comfort zone and chasing your dreams…that’s really how life should be lived in my opinion.

Falling In Reverse ‘Count Rockula’ Australian Dates

FRI 14 OCT
Astor Theatre, Perth
SUN 16 OCT
170 Russel, Melbourne (U18)
MON 17 OCT
170 Russel, Melbourne (18+)
TUE 18 OCT
The Triffid, Brisbane
THU 20 OCT
The Metro, Sydney

Get Tickets HERE