This psychedelic rock band originated in West Philadelphia by Aaron Mughannam, Larry Flatley, Kazim Zaidi, and Mike Downey. The gang, individually, has over a decade of experience with music, both in group settings and solo. With that being said; Nematode is an artful, whimsical culmination of their creative energies. So you definitely want to give these guys a listen on their Spotify Playlist and be sure to check them out on Instagram, as well!
1.) Can you please introduce yourselves and your roles in the band?
Aaron Mughannam - Vocals, keys, songwriting
Larry Flatley - Vocals, guitar, songwriting
Kazim Zaidi - Bass guitar
Mike Downey - Drums
2.) What is Nematode's biggest success as of the New Year?
We have a record deal with a small local label in the works. Once everything's signed and set, this will be a big step forward for us.
2.) What is Nematode's biggest challenge to date?
I would say our biggest challenge is choosing which songs to bring to life through recordings. Since we all work jobs on the side, it can be hard to have enough time to record. To put it in context, we have about 100 songs written, but only 15 recorded.
3.) If you could describe your sound using one Nintendo Video Game, what would it be and why?
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. The one that came with the bongos that you use as a controller. I know that one is for Gamecube, but it just seems fitting.
5.) Do y'all have any rituals before going on stage?
Aaron likes to warm up his voice using some pretty freakish sounding vocal exercises. Other than that, not really!
6.) If you could only have one quote to live by to describe the overall ambiance of the band - what would it be? Why?
"Long you live and high you fly, and smile you'll give and tears you'll cry. And all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be."
7.) When you're not jamming out or practicing your music - what could we catch you guys doing?
Aaron is a part-time graphic design consultant, Mike works at a PetCo, Larry works customer service for an internet startup, and Kazim is a tutor for high school students. Other than that, we pretty much just play music all the time.
8.) Let's talk about musical influences..(dead or alive) - who are they, and why do they hold a major impact on your sound?
We all really love Pink Floyd (of course). Aaron is really influenced by them as well as Radiohead, while Larry tries not to take influence from other musicians as much as possible. This helps us keep our sound fresh and unique.
9.) Any advice for young, aspiring musicians who are trying to make a name for themselves?
Write songs. We talk to so many up and coming bands who ask us for advice, and the story is always the same "We have 3 songs, now how do we get famous?" You gotta write more. You gotta write hundreds of songs. And it doesn't matter if they all suck! Pablo Picasso said that to make a good piece of art, you have to first make 1,000 bad ones. So don't be discouraged! Just keep on writing and it'll all work out.
10.) What's next for the guys of Nematode?
We're currently working on recording, mixing and mastering our first full-length record. We also have a music video in the works, as well as some live sessions and some singles that we'll release before the album comes out. We should also have merch and a website coming soon :) So definitely stay tuned!
