New View is a band from northern Minnesota. The band is composed of Kyle Kaliszewski on Guitar/Vocals/Keyboard, Sean Wood on Bass/Vocals, and Matt Skelton on Drums/Vocals. Each member brings something special to the overall sound of the band. Kyle and Matt began jamming together after finding a mutual love of punk rock. Soon after, Sean came into the picture, and they formed the band and began playing covers for a couple of years. The guys decided to step out of their comfort zone and start writing their own songs and eventually released their first demo titled, "Get Ready For Action." Ever since they have been working hard to bring their powerful stage presence anywhere from bars up north to the 100+ crowds in the Twin Cities area.
I have had the opportunity to see New View perform multiple times and every time each member brings it all to the stage. This band has a huge amount of energy, stage presence, and charisma and they do a great job at pulling the crowd into their music.
Listen To "New View" Here!
The guys were nice enough to answer some questions! Check them out:
1. Where did you come up with your band name?
"This is the dumbest story. While taking a class in 6th grade you had to come up with a small business idea and a name. I came up with an aircraft and automobile design called, "New View." When we got together it just stuck. We should change it... is it too late now?"
2. What has been your favorite live performance as a band so far?
"Either the first time we did the Blink show in 2014 or the Zombie Pub Crawl in 2015 at the Pourhouse. We got put on at last minute at the Blink show and there were a bunch of people there! At the pub crawl, we just walked on stage like it was nobody's business and actually sung decently! When we got off stage everyone ran up to us saying how great we were and then we ran down the street to watch Sum 41 soundcheck for their performance later!"
3. When did you guys first start playing music together and start performing?
"January 1, 2012. We got together in our garage and stated playing Blink-182 covers. We played out first gig in a bar in the middle of no where. It was freezing. A bunch of our school friends came out so it was a full bar on a Saturday night full of high schoolers. It was weird."
4. Why did you decide to play the music genre that you do?
"It's the most fun, duh. It is just what we were exposed to and have grown up listening to."
5. Who have been your musical influences?
"It depends on what we are listening to at the time. Some of them are: Blink-182, Sum 41, Motion City Soundtrack, Knuckle Puck, Neck Deep, Box Car Racer, and Hawthorne Heights. Our new EP that is coming out has a really cool transition from where it starts and ends in a matter of five songs."
6. What is your songwriting process?
"It has been a process that we have been learning as we go. This time around we had more of a game plan. We each had our own time to think about what we wanted these songs to be. We then went into the studio and worked our way through the songs logically and then arranged the songs in the way that we thought it should be and made a lot of changes. Once we had the songs built we practiced them to perform live."
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7. Do you have any pre-show rituals?
7. Do you have any pre-show rituals?"We all have our own individual pre-show things. One that we do together is spend time watching the bands that play before us."
Kyle: "I will drink an energy drink if available, and will try to get someone to split a pizza with me."
Matt: "Halfway through the set before us I head backstage and start warming up and playing."
Sean: "We play at The Garage a lot and there is this Chinese restaurant with the awesome Sweet & Sour!"
8. Which song did you enjoy writing the most and why?
Kyle: "My favorite song we have ever written would have to be, "Farther Than Us." It is also known as the long lost New View song. I think it was the best-written lyrics we have ever had in a song. It was also written back in the day when Matt and I were 16-17 years old and would hang out in the basement. It is just a song that is really important to us. It was just really cool and different. Or "second string"
Matt: "I had a lot of fun writing "Wasted." When we played it the first couple of times we felt like something was missing and once we found it the feeling was so cool. I also loved writing "Bottom of the Sea."
Sean: "Fun," just because Kyle and I worked on basically everything. It all blended together super cool and in a fun way."
"Our song, "Bruce" had a writing process that was really big for us. We recorded this song in a super nice studio and we had such a fun experience doing so."
*At this point in the interview the boys decided that it was time for an "elevator intermission" which was quite an experience. Thanks guys!
9. Which song is your favorite to perform?
Sean: "I would have to pick "Wasted" just because it is always so well received all the time and as far as a cover it is a tie between "Not Now" and "Carousel" by Blink-182 because we just nail both of those songs all the time."
Matt: "I have to agree with Sean and say, 'Wasted." I think we are really good at staggering that song in our setlist for right when we are all getting tired and then it brings us back right into the show. It recharges you. My favorite cover is "Carousel" too because it just connects to what we really love in music or "Dancing With Myself," by Blink because it's dumb and fun."
Kyle: "My favorite song to play is, "Second String," because it wasn't recorded the way that we play it now and people seem to really like it when we play it. For a cover song I have to choose, "The Rock Show," by Blink-182."
10. What has been the biggest lesson that you’ve learned throughout your music career so far?
"That there are some a**holes in the music industry. People do take advantage of local bands. When you are playing with people just enjoy what they are doing, they are putting themselves out there just like you are. Their goal might be different than yours, but you still have to respect them. Everyone is out there to do the same thing, play music and meet cool people. Also, when people show interest in your band make sure to stop and talk to them for a bit if you have the chance."
11. If you could perform with any music artist/band dead or alive who would it be?
Kyle: "Absolutely Blink-182."
Matt: "Styx. It would be so much fun to play "Come Sail Away."
Sean: "Led Zeppelin."
12. Do you guys name your instruments? If so what are the names?
We usually just refer to our guitars by the color. On one we wrote "fu*k" on electrical tape and put it on there so that is now known as "the fu*k guitar."
But, Sean is the only one of us who actually names his instruments.
Sean: I have a pink Stingray and when "1989" came out I naturally named her, "Taylor Swift." I also have a car named, "Ke$ha." I also recently bought a Fender P Bass that I named "Ellie" after Ellie Goulding. I'll have to find a Katy Perry one soon.
13. What are your future plans? Any new songs, shows, etc?
"We do have all of these things. We haven't played a show in a while due to recording our EP. On April 21st we plan to be covering Blink at our favorite set of the year! When the EP comes out, we hope to do a "party show" and include some of our friends in it. We are really excited for this EP. It is the best music that we have come out with so far, and I think we have finally found our sound. The title of our EP is... *laughs uncontrollably
"You're In."
The guys explain that the album cover is a picture of a bathroom in Las Vegas.
If somebody can name the bathroom on the EP without talking to any of them, Matt says he will give you $100, so I would get on that, especially if you are a broke college student like myself (sorry Matt).
"We hope to release our EP sometime this summer, and we then plan to play shows more regularly and do some weekend tours."
For news on new music and upcoming shows check out New View's social Media!
