[Premiere] Nuex Has A Party We Wish We Were Invited To
If you aren’t a believer in “all things happen for a reason,” then you should take a listen to Nuex’s debut single, “Lights Off,” just so that you can see with your own eyes that serendipitous things actually happen in real life.
Singer Camille met long-time musician Teddy at a rando cafe (with the help of Craigslist) where they spent hours talking about music, and eventually formed the group together.
They’ve begun building a following with their music and spell-binding performances, having opened for Broods and Junior Boys over the past year, and now, have released their pretty sick and mesmerizing video for “Lights Off.” The tune is dreamy and chill, but still has vibes that makes you wanna dance — and the video features a dreamy party that we only wish we were invited to. “Everything you’re seeing is a dream, and it represents the tone of the song, like this is what life could be—a party, a dream,” Camille says.
Check the video out below and our Q&A with Nuex below.
Why are you called NUEX?
The name is based on the context-driven French word “nue” which can be loosely translated to mean “of the heavens, clouds or sky.” That’s a concept we really dig. The otherworldliness of the universe, heavens, cosmos, etc., greatly inspires our sound and some of our lyrics. It is pronounced “new”, our cheeky nod to our music being something new, something different.
How did you decide to become a group?
We met via Craig’s list! Teddy posted a very vague advertisement for a singer and left his phone number. For some odd reason, I felt compelled to reach out. The rest is history.
Who are some of your influences?
Camille: M83, Coldplay, Billie Holiday, Beach House, Solange
Teddy: Empire of the Sun, of Montreal, RadioHead, TV on The Radio, James Brown
If you were to describe your sound, like Cyndi Lauper meets Guitar metal, what would it be?
I can describe a feeling… Drinking fine wine in the back of a spaceship.
If “LIGHTS OFF” were on a movie soundtrack, set to a specific scene maybe, what would it be and why?
Camille: When I wrote the song, I actually envisioned it being this warm, summer night — someone coming home from a party and waxing poetic about life, while still half drunk — the way us young folk typically do. So I can definitely see this song being used in an indie flick, like Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist or DOPE.
Teddy: I agree with Camille, DOPE would be a great fit. The scene when Malcolm and Nakia are in the car getting chummy and flirty.
What inspired you to write the song, “LIGHTS OFF?”
Camille: It is hard to articulate how the inspiration comes. Most times it is a mystery even to me. But basically, when I write, I listen to the music and decide what mood the melody is expressing, and then create lyrics to fit that mood. Or I am just in mood and project that mood onto the lyrics and into the song.
When I heard the music for what is now Lights Off, it felt hopeful, fun, and ethereal. So I married the idea of a typical party (drinking, dancing, smoking, etc.) to this bigger, more existential way to view life as a party, and our role within it. We’re all kind of travelling through life, trying to find where we belong. The song asks of you to just rest your head, because this entire place is home, and it can all be a party.
Tell us the idea behind the music video for “LIGHTS OFF”
Camille: Our director, Othello Banaci, took the lyrics of the song to heart and helped us visually manifest this whole life can be a party concept. He took the narrative one step further to have the video take place in my dream. And then from there we just wanted to film ourselves having as much fun as possible with our friends, family and loved ones. We tried to make each scene dreamy — filled with lush colors and lights.
What was the weirdest/funniest thing that happened while filming the music video?
Camille: I don’t know if it counts as weird or funny, but a lot of the music video was filmed at a private air park that we technically did not have permission be at. So I can remember that whole day of filming, just looking over my shoulder for the cops. I mean, we were setting off colored smoke bombs. Pretty reckless!
Teddy: Successfully ghost riding my mom’s whip (old ass Kia minivan) without crashing into an airplane. Good times!
What bands/music are you listening to right now?
Camille: I’m really into this guy SOHN at the moment. And the INSECURE soundtrack.
Teddy: I’m really into M83 and Kraftwerk right now and always.
What do you hope to accomplish this year? Where do you think you’ll in a year?
Camille: We hope to release a body of work, to play more shows across the nation, and to solidify ourselves as promising up and comers in the music scene. Oh, and to quit our day jobs!
In a year, I think we’ll be touring. Either opening up for an acclaimed band/singer, or hell!—being the headliners ourselves. A girl can dream…
Teddy: The goal is to play double the shows we played last year and do a couple notorious festivals. We got this!
Most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you while on tour or while performing?
Camille: Sometimes I close my eyes when I sing, and I’ll lose my balance or trip over a cord/wire. Hard to play that off!
Teddy: Hmmm, I feel like I’m pretty in my own world when I’m performing. So if it’s embarrassing, I’m not noticing, so I guess nothing…from my point of view anyways.
When can we expect to hear a full album from you? What’s next for you? Is there an upcoming tour?
We are aiming for a spring 2017 release of our EP, Affectus. Next up for us is, hopefully, more shows and festivals. And as always, more creating.
You can catch us next at the Black Cat in Washington D.C. on December 29th.
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