E341 Elias Soriano of Nonpoint on Staying Hungry and Having More to Say on The Last Word

Elias Soriano: Hey, this is Elias from the band Nonpoint, and you are listening to The Itch.

KC: You're listening to The Itch. My name is KC.

Dan: My name is Dan.

Aaron: And I'm Aaron. And this week we're scratching The Itch for The Last Word. It'll be a lot of last words, actually, and it almost certainly will not be the last words that we speak about this band. However, we have been building this ongoing story and relationship with the band Nonpoint since very early on in this podcast, since right around our first anniversary, when Jason Zeilstra and Robb Rivera joined us in May of 2021 for an interview. And ever since then, the band in some form or another is just a recurring topic, a recurring guest on this show. So before we get any further into what we're going to do today, I want to give you guys a chance, Dan and KC, to guess how many official episodes have directly covered Nonpoint.

Dan: Directly covered.

KC: Okay.

Aaron: So not them mentioned in somebody else's thing or anything like that.

Dan: I'm still going with 12. I think 12.

Aaron: Okay. What do you think, KC?

KC: Well, I was thinking that would be like six interviews and then at least four concert recaps.

Aaron: You guys are both essentially right. We have done six interviews with the Nonpoint team. I'm including Francesca Ludikar, who was part of 361 Degree Records, and that's over seven interviews because that Jason-Robb one was a two-parter.

Dan: Yes.

Aaron: We've also covered them at least four different Concert Catch-up episodes. We did— it wasn't an album review per se, but there was a couple times early on in the show where I published Flavor of the Week talk from the radio show, and you guys did the Ruthless EP, so I think we can count that.

KC: Yeah.

Aaron: Yeah, as it wasn't an episode, but it was like a separate thing. Plus they made appearances in two shortcuts. One was I called Bands Talking Bands, and I think it was just like a leftover clip from Robb and Jason, I believe. And the other one, you guys might remember this story, was the Grodiest Dive Bar in Lawrence, Kansas.

KC: Yes.

Dan: Yes. We'll never forget that one.

KC: No.

Aaron: So you can go to itchrocks.com or your podcast player. If you search Nonpoint, you will have so very many opportunities to listen to further coverage of them.

Dan: My favorite part about Nonpoint in this whole series that we've kind of done is all three of us are very nerdy. We really like silly gimmicks and just stupid things to entertain ourselves. And this is totally one of those that Nonpoint, whether or not they wanted to participate in, they did. And I love it. I love it. I felt like we were collecting band members along the way, like Pokémon.

Aaron: Yeah, it really has been one of our goofiest gimmicks because basically if you go look at those interviews, what will happen is that we did a thing where unofficially Jason, their guitarist, would quote "introduce" us to the other members of the band. So the first one was Jason and Robb. The second one was actually Jason solo. Then Jason and Rasheed, then Jason and Adam, and Frankie was solo as well. And now we are coming to, I guess, the grand finale, which Jason decided to step aside for to give us some time with frontman Elias Soriano. And I guess that caps off the whole series, but it's definitely been one of the most fun things that we've done, in my opinion.

Dan: And far from over. Like, just because we have spoken with all the members, it doesn't mean that we're not going to have them back, that's for sure.

Aaron: Jason doesn't know it, but his contractual obligations are not finished yet. There's probably some, some fine print in there. I can get him on to come back sometime. But for now, we just put the spotlight solely on Elias. And with good reason, because this timing worked out perfectly. Actually, those interviews were one a year for those first number of years until last year. We talked to Jason about coming on. He was like, if you wait till spring, we might have some pretty exciting stuff to talk about. It took a little bit further than spring, maybe a little more into the summer, but taking that year off worked out just fine because now we get to talk about The Last Word, their 11th album coming out September 18th. So I love that this whole interview series culminates in the first album that they've released in most of a decade.

KC: Yeah.

Dan: And so like Aaron said, The Last Word comes out September 18th. And I assure you, the people of St. Louis that went to that concert to see Nonpoint at Pop's, they're not going to forget that. They were programmed to remember that date by Elias by the end of the show. So we'll get into that more, but we got a chance to see them live. It was incredible. And the whole day was amazing. So for one, as we said, it was at Pop's and, you know, it's all the way over in Illinois, but we wanted to make sure that we got out there early. And Jason was kind enough. He basically told us whenever we got out there just to hit him up and he would have us on the bus. And KC,  why did we go on the bus?

KC: We went on the bus to listen to the entire album because he offered to play the entire album on the bus for us if we got there early enough. But then we were setting up this interview and we were wondering if we could get the advance listen. But then I'm kind of glad that that didn't happen because I didn't want to be like, oh, sorry, Jason, we already heard it all.

Dan: Yeah, he wouldn't have been able to get our reactions like he wanted to get.

KC: Yes. So yeah, we show up there pretty much right on time, got our rockstar parking yet again.

Dan: Two concerts in a row I was the second spot at Pops! It was amazing. Could have crawled to the front door.

KC: So we met up around back, and as we're meeting with Jason, so in the back of Pop's Nonpoint's bus is parked, and they had these guardrails, and then they had these overturned guardrails that were like blocking the entrance, but not really.

Dan: Because somebody ran into them with the bus. Like, they were supposed to be like one of those makeshift fences, but one of the buses just knocked this shit over. So we meet Jason, he's like, watch your step, and he just— I'll just step over this shit, it's fine.

KC: And so I just step right on it.

Dan: Trample on some fences to get to that bus. Yep.

KC: And so as we get on, we see Elias, and he sees me, and he goes, hey, there they are! Man, you're, you're every bit as big as I thought you'd be.

Dan: Yes, indeed.

KC: So that was quite humorous.

Aaron: So tell me about this experience. You were promised a listen to this new album, and since I still haven't heard it because I wasn't there at this one, I gotta get the whole story.

Dan: Yeah, so he plays it on the system of the bus, and man, it sounded great. For one, the sound just was amazing. So it was very loud. It was very clear. Like you could hear everything, all instruments very distinctly. The thing that was funny is, as soon as Jason started playing, he said something. He's like, all right, I'm going to watch for your reactions. And then just like stared at us real quick.

KC: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dan: He was joking.

KC: Like, he did the manspreading on like the subway type of thing.

Dan: Yeah. This is one thing that talked about yesterday when we were talking about this on the radio show, is that when I listen to music, I typically listen to music doing something else, whether that's driving a car, working, or playing video games. Like, I typically don't just sit and listen to music and then stare at the wall. So this was a very different experience because that's essentially what we were doing, was listening to music and staring at the wall. But one of the things I loved is that that allowed us a chance to focus on the music. And I am super excited for this album. They really took their time. You can tell that they all thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed making the album because— it was funny. As we're sitting there listening to it, the front door to the bus kept opening and like one by one different band members would come in and they'd hear the album and they'd sit and listen to it with us. So like Rasheed came in and, and then Adam came in and, and by the end of it, the whole band is sitting there jamming to the album with us. It was really awesome. Elias was sitting there jamming out, playing on like a PlayStation or something like that. It was pretty awesome.

KC: Yeah, that was the one thing that was interesting listening to this because it's our one shot listening to it, so we can't like take notes and write shit down on our phone.

Aaron: I mean, you could.

KC: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dan: But I didn't want to seem like I was playing on my phone though. Like, I wanted to make sure that I was paying attention and listening intently for sure.

KC: Well, it was fun though, because like, I don't know about you, Aaron, but whenever I listen to albums for prep for interviews and stuff, I'll listen to the whole thing the way through. And then the second time through, I'll listen and then try to pick up on stuff that I didn't catch the first time through. And then I might go back at certain parts and hear certain parts again, kind of dive more into the music. And so not really being able to do that for this, just kind of, I was mostly watching the band members' reactions to listening to their own music, because— so this this happened a couple hours before they even took the stage. So Elias is making his tea and he's playing his Switch or whatever he was playing, and we're jamming out to these tracks, and Jason's saying little tidbits here and there like this song's probably going to be the next single, this is my favorite song. And so he's giving us little details, but you can't really commit them all to memory. But it was more fun watching all the band members' reaction to their own album because Elias is saying that this is his favorite stuff that he's created so far.

Dan: That was my takeaway from it, is that when we were listening to all the tracks, there was not one song that I thought that I could skip. Like, no, they were all bangers. And that's the one thing I really took away from it, is that every single song honestly could be a single if they wanted to. And hopefully, you know, with the way things are, maybe it will be a single eventually.

KC: Which is funny you say that because Jason did skip the two tracks that have been released already. He's like, ah, you've already heard this one. Ah, you've already heard this one.

Dan: He wasn't wrong. I've listened to the shit out of Red Yeti.

Aaron: Same. Yeah.

KC: But it was funny catching Jason's reaction because he was on his phone doing a couple of things, but he would still like head bob to certain parts of the song. And then as, as other band members would get on the bus, they would start, especially Rasheed and Jason, they would do air guitar on that and make a face to each other and just have fun. And then watching Elias was— especially on the last track. The last track, the whole band got into it.

Dan: What was really cool too is after the album was finished, Rob Ruccia walked in and Jason introduced us to him. So Rob is their manager, and we kind of got to hear some business talk. And we're completely naive to the business side of music, so it was really cool to just kind of be a fly on the wall. And it was funny too, because he's talking with the band and he's like looking at us for confirmation. Like, that's crazy, right? And we're just like, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. I'm just like, yeah, sure, cool, that sounds awesome. I totally agree with you. No, I totally— yeah, that makes sense. Yeah, I 100% agree with you. But it was just really cool because like this is a man that's been managing this band for 20-plus years. And it's like second nature to him, just the decisions. He's not even thinking about it. It was just really cool to see him at work, so to speak. And then, you know, we told him we definitely want to have him on the show for sure.

Aaron: Try to commit some of whatever that conversation was to memory because I think he's next. I mean, they've all told us from the beginning, you got to talk to Ruccia at some point. He's the other member of their band functionally.

KC: Yes. Yeah. And for context, what he was talking about was, so this bus isn't their actual bus. Like, the other bus was getting work done to it. And also the vinyls are being pressed. So they were gonna pick up the bus and approve the vinyls all in the same shot. And like half of the guys on the bus won't be on the bus because they're leaving to go elsewhere. So it was just a giant cluster. And, like Dan said, he kept looking over to us for confirmation, and it's like, we have nothing to do with this, but okay.

Aaron: Absolutely.

Dan: I agree with you, whatever you say.

Aaron: That really is a good— like, one of the other through lines of this podcast in its entire existence is learning the industry. Like, we've always considered ourselves as laypeople because we are. We're not involved in the industry other than being huge fans trying to learn about it by talking to people and by listening to a crapload of music and going to a million shows.

KC: Yes.

Aaron: And so that's a perfect example right there of just that little bit of education and insight that we can get into about how all this stuff works from our angle.

Dan: Yeah. And so before we get into the concert, which we'll get into that here in just a second, I did want to say that— so I sent Jason a message actually today, just kind of thanking him because I will admit, with my actual job that pays me being a grind right now, you know, the family, all the concerts that we go to, all the recordings that we've been doing, interviews and stuff like that, it's been weighing on me. I've almost felt a little burned out. And just doing that, sitting on the bus, was such a reminder of why we do this. Like, it is for the love of the music, but it's friends like that. And just getting to hear that album before anybody else. I came home and I bragged to my kids, like, you know, they're gonna really give a shit. But I make sure that I feel special somewhere or another.

KC: Yeah.

Dan: Like, oh, I got to hear the new Nonpoint album. They're like, oh, that's so cool. I'm like, yeah, confirmation!

KC: Well, and our, our buddy Joe from high school— oh yeah, I made a quick post about it just saying how cool the experience was, mostly just thanking them for the whole situation. And he's like, man, I'm so jealous of you guys, like, of all the awesome shit you're able to do. And it's like, yeah, this doesn't happen all the time.

Dan: Yeah, he asked us to adopt him. We, we don't— I I barely take care of my own kids. I'm just joking. But all in all, to say thank you very much, Jason, for having us on, for being such a great friend and just continuing to inspire. And I said this to Elias too, but, just making everybody feel relevant, like whether just by talking to us, inviting us on the bus, they always have ways to just make everybody feel special around them.

KC: And that's what was so cool with— because we got this the first time that we were invited on the bus, but the whole band has like a different process to get in the pre-show mindset. So every member of the band was off the bus at one point or another, and then they would just come back on the bus and so they would see us and then they would get excited that we were there. Everyone with the exception of Robb, which I don't know if he hurt himself after that show or not, but we didn't see Rivera. So I don't know if he was resting or if he was out and about. There can't be too many places that you could be out and about in Sauget.

Dan: No. I'm not sure what the situation was there, but regardless, always a good time and always enjoy the company of everyone in the band. And so the first band there was a local band, and when they were playing, we were on the bus. So the second band was hed PE. They were the official band of the start of the tour, and I have to say that was one of my favorite hed PE sets I have seen in so fucking long. They start off with Jesus of Nazareth, which, as soon as I heard that, I'm like, oh, this is gonna be a good night. It is not a song that hed PE plays very often and he fucking killed it. Like, I think we've discussed this on the show a couple of times, like where his voice just, in the past, sounds strained and almost like he was just losing it. And on this night, he had like a pedal in front of him that he was doing different things with. And I don't think it was like voice distortion or anything like that, but he sounded fantastic from what we heard. And because of that,  he was into it. The crowd was really into it. Like they were singing every single word. And this was one of my favorite sets they put on because they they played almost every song off of Broke, which is like one of my favorite albums of all time.

Aaron: Yeah, they've been doing a 25th anniversary for Broke even though we're now into the 26th year. They've just got a couple of years celebrating Broke. Why not?

Dan: As they should.

KC: The extended edition of the 25th.

Aaron: Yeah, deluxe anniversary tour.

Dan: I'm here for it.

KC: Yeah, that's right. But we've had the pleasure of seeing hed PE quite a few times over the last few years, and Dan's correct, his voice is sounding really, really good.

Aaron: They just dropped a new single too that sounded— he sounded great on that too. It was the best sounding thing I've heard from hed PE in a while.

Dan: Funny story about that, that new single. Hannah has never really been a fan of hed PE. But I didn't tell her who the band was. And I said, I bet you're not gonna believe that you're gonna like this song from this band that you typically don't like. And so I played the song and she's like, yeah, it's a pretty good song. I was like, yeah, that's hed PE. She's like, what? No way.

Aaron: Jared tricked me into liking him.

Dan: It's a fantastic single. And that was the one bummer about them playing the Broke album is we didn't get to hear the new song, which, like I said, only a bummer because Broke is the shit. Like, that album was amazing and the band sounded great. They were so good.

KC: Yeah.

Aaron: I'm actually kind of surprised that even if you were doing like, you know, the anniversary thing, that unless they're doing the album start to finish and only the album or something.

Dan: It wasn't start to finish. It was definitely a weird-ass order, but it was all songs off of Broke and they didn't play like every song off of Broke, but they played 90% of it.

KC: Yeah.

Aaron: Local H did that last time I saw them with their album. They're doing an anniversary thing on it. Wasn't entirely in order, but the whole setlist was songs from that album.

Dan: Yeah, it was incredible. My biggest gripe of the night is that they didn't play right before Nonpoint. And my thought process for that is because everybody knew the lyrics to every single song that they played. It was crazy. Like hed PE, like I said, Broke was probably their most popular album and one of my favorites. But everybody knew it. It was crazy. It was a huge karaoke sing-along and he got into it because the crowd was singing it so loud. Like he deferred to us on certain parts where he knew we're obviously gonna know the lyrics. And it was just— it made for a fantastic show when you get that energy from both sides.

KC: Then Spineshank took the stage.

Dan: They brought the energy, I'll give them that.

KC: They did, they did.

Aaron: And one of the most violent band names.

Dan: Yes, it is.

Aaron: Every time somebody says Spineshank, my body literally lurches.

KC: Tenses up.

Aaron: Yeah. Oh, not the Spineshank. It's a Mortal Kombat finisher or something.

KC: Yeah.

Dan: I mean, it's definitely an awesome name for a band too.

Aaron: Yeah, I mean, especially from that time period.

Dan: Yeah. And, and that style of music too.

Aaron: Because, you know that's exactly what they were thinking when they named that band. They were like, what's the thing that's going to make people's body tense up when they hear it? How about we stab you in the back? Oh yeah, that'll do it. Okay.

Dan: Yeah.

KC: Directly into the spinal column.

Aaron: Yeah, exactly.

KC: But yeah, I was familiar with some of their songs and I, for the life of me, couldn't remember where I heard what and when. But there was about three or four songs that when they played them, I'm like, oh yeah. And he even said, he's like, this is off the Freddy vs. Jason soundtrack. It's like, oh, that's where I know this song.

Dan: Yeah, it was funny because it was one of those bands that you're like, I don't remember this band name. And then all of a sudden you hear like, oh, okay, I do know this song. Oh, I actually know this song too. So they were good. It's just, you know, we've talked about this before, that the screaming— because he screams a lot. And yeah, melodic singing in the chorus here and there, but he screams a lot. And then Nonpoint took the stage and they were incredible.

KC: Of course, this was our first seeing Jason without dreads.

Dan: Yeah, and he— you can talk about this actually because I think you'd said it better. Never mind, you say it.

KC: It was just funny watching Jason throughout the show headbang because he had the same energy that he always has had. He did the same movements  that he's always done, but it just, it just had a different vibe with the lack of dreads.

Aaron: I legitimately was wondering about that. If your hair is a big part of your movement on stage and you get rid of your hair, do you change your movements as well? But also it's probably just ingrained in him at this point. Like, this is— these are my moves.

KC: Well, yeah, what was the funniest was The Reckoning, because we've— they've played that every time we've seen them, and that's the song that they headbang the most to. So he did the same movements, it just— the hair wasn't there, which we talked with him afterwards and he said, yeah, It's good not having the hair because, you know, the weight and then plus the dread notes that would happen.

Dan: I was like, wait, what is a dread note?

KC: So his hair hitting, hitting the fretboard at times.

Aaron: I never thought about that, but that's awesome.

Dan: Yeah.

KC: The dreaded dread note.

Aaron: The dread notes.

Dan: I learned something. I had never heard of anything like that, but it makes sense. I never even thought about that, but yeah, it makes complete sense.

Aaron: He's like, my playing is better now because my hair's not playing its own parts on my guitar.

KC: Exactly. And so Dan and I, we forgot to mention this. When saw hed PE, we were kind of far back. And then when we saw Spineshank, we migrated to stage right because that's where Jason would normally stand. And then after Spineshank, then we got up to like the second row, basically. So we were right up on that stage for Nonpoint.

Dan: Yeah. And one of the coolest things was when Elias was programming the crowd to remember September 18th is when the Last Word comes out, because he kept saying September and then the crowd would be like, 18th. And they'd be like, September 18th. And he just kept repeating it. And so everybody knew by the end of that show that The Last Word came out or comes out September 18th.

KC: And then so on one, right before he played Is It, he's like, are you ready for some new music? Are you ready for some new music? And he saw us and pointed right at me filming. I didn't film the whole show. I just filmed select things.

Dan: Yeah.

Aaron: So he shouted you guys out and I, it's still a big deal.

KC: Yes.

Aaron: But I love that things like getting on a bus or like going up to the green room or whatever, those are super rare still. This is not a thing that happens all the time. But getting shouted out has happened more and more. And I love that.

Dan: Yeah.

KC: Yeah.

Dan: It means a lot.

Aaron: I've kind of lost track now, but it's still exciting every time it happens.

KC: Yes.

Dan: Yeah, agreed. And it means a lot. Like the fact that they take the time on the stage to call us out. It was funny too, because when he said that everybody's like, huh? Who?

KC: Right.

Dan: That's fine. You'll know soon enough.

Aaron: Because you were both wearing your shirts. Yeah, I saw that because KC had his one with the logo on the front and Dan with the logo on the back.

So you were representing both ways all day.

Dan: Yes.

KC: And the new tracks are awesome live.

Dan: Yeah. So I will say the energy was definitely high all night. The one thing that I will— my takeaway though is that by the end of the night, my fucking arms were tired. Okay, Elias had everybody raising their hands like every second. Like every second we'd put them down, he'd be like, no, hands up! Like, oh, okay, fine.

KC: Yeah, he— and it was always different variations of hand movements. It was like, all right, fist in the air. All right, palms up. All right, horns up.

Dan: Let me see your fucking hands. I'm like, all right, all right, I just put them down. Okay.

Aaron: What is it with you and hands?

KC: Like, put your phone lights up.

Dan: Oh, that was— it was fun. It was great. Like, energy was high, but man, by the end of the night, my shoulders were feeling it.

KC: So after their set, we were able to catch Jason right after that, and we told him that we still— you mentioned contractually obligated to be on the show. We told him that we would love to have him on after their tour is over and he's got some time. And he said, yeah, that would work out good because then the album would be out and he could give some more context to certain things. So might have yet another quick turnaround with Nonpoint for another conversation.

Dan: Year of the Frog.

Elias Soriano: That's right.

Dan: Which I did make the mistake on the bus of calling it a spider. He's like, it's not a spider, it's a frog. I was like, oh shit. He's like, we're not Cold, man. I'm like, oh, sorry.

Aaron: We're not Cold!

KC: We're not Cold. We're not Year of the Spider.

Dan: My bad.

Aaron: That's great. I actually didn't realize, like, I've known over the years that it's a frog, but I never understood why until actually just before this album when I learned that it's a species of frog that is native to Puerto Rico. So it's part of the band's ethnicity.

KC: Yes. Nice.

Dan: Makes sense, yeah.

Aaron: I don't think we've done an episode quite like this before where we did the concert review before the interview. We usually separate them altogether. Back in the day, we would occasionally do an interview followed by a here's what happened when we then saw them live.

KC: Yes.

Aaron: For the purpose of this one, you know, as the buildup, the kind of— not the finale or conclusion now that we've mentioned what the future probably will hold for Nonpoint and The Itch, but kind of the conclusion to this chapter. We wanted to do it this way. And so we had far more adieu than we would in the buildup to an interview. So Elias just got the most pregame speak of anybody.

KC: Yes, yes, as he should. So with no more adieu, here's our conversation with Elias Soriano of Nonpoint.

Dan: So for one, it's awesome for you to join us. Thank you very much for your time today. I definitely appreciate it.

Elias Soriano: No doubt. Thanks for having me.

Dan: So our guests might not know this yet, but Nonpoint is actually a crucial part of Itch history. My high school girlfriend actually got me into Your Signs, and then I saw Nonpoint live in 2004. And honestly, that concert changed my life. Like, that was one of the best shows I'd ever seen in my life. And to this day, it was with you guys, Skindred, and Sevendust. It also introduced me to the album Recoil and Skindred. That was the first time I had ever seen Skindred, and it was life-changing for sure. So to that, I wanted to say thank you very much for just making an impact and all the things that you do.

Elias Soriano: Well, I appreciate it, man. Thank you for following me so long, and I'm glad we could have such an effect and be part of your story.

Aaron: So beyond that, you guys' impact on The Itch never really stopped. So we've been a radio station since '04. You guys have been a regular rotation the entire time. You were one of the first liners we ever got at a show. And then when we started the podcast in 2020, about a year later, Jason and Robb were some of our very first guests. And ever since then, we had Jason on like an almost yearly basis of coming back and introducing us, as it were, to the rest of the band. So Rasheed and Adam have been here too. Now the timing is perfect. You guys are about to drop your first full-length album since 2018. So we're completing— we'll call it the 361-degree circle.

Elias Soriano: Yeah.

Aaron: With the man behind the microphone, with Elias. So we've been deeply intertwined throughout the history of the radio and especially the podcast, honestly.

Elias Soriano: That's great. Well, I'm glad we finally get to talk.

Aaron: I gotta take a second to give Jason his flowers for kind of jumpstarting that relationship. Also have to ask, did he breach his contract with the band when he cut off his dreads? And exactly how much guitar playing strength did he lose when he did it?

Elias Soriano: I don't think there was no, you know, issue with him cutting his hair whenever he felt like it. But there— I don't think there was loss of power. More like a gain of neck power.

Aaron: That makes sense. I think last time we talked, he was talking about the back issues and the neck issues from all the jumping around that you guys do. I'm sure you can relate to that very well.

Elias Soriano: Yes, indeed, indeed.

Dan: I have a real quick question. Does his haircut have anything to do with how the video was designed for Is It? Because I just felt like he looked like such a businessman, like that was kind of the idea, like now, now he's a businessman yelling at us.

Elias Soriano: No, no, that was It was actually a surprise. He kind of gave us the— I think the day before, hey, I think I'm cutting my hair. So we saw it just before you guys saw it. So nice, different era, different look, you know.

Aaron: That's right. So probably the most satisfying thing to me about following this band over the years, aside from shouting along to Ruthless whenever we see y'all live, is that where a lot of bands that started when you guys did have kind of embraced that legacy tag, you guys really seem to reject that idea, this idea that longevity in any way means limitation. The temptation to rest on your laurels or this idea of maybe we don't have anything to say anymore. We're just going to play the old stuff and call it a day, that kind of thing.

Elias Soriano: Right.

Aaron: At all points that we have followed Nonpoint, you feel fresh, you feel energized, especially in this new era where you've gone fully independent an taken control into your own hands. I think you've said this before, and I know we've said it before in our own conversations, that it genuinely seems like you guys are putting out some of the best music of your career. Like, I could even go as far as to say that Nonpoint is in your prime.

Elias Soriano: I couldn't agree more. I definitely feel like this is our best music and our best show right now is going on. Even compared to those shows in the past, we're definitely putting on a show, which is what we're known for. So to be so far into our career and to have put out so many records and really not stopping all these years, it would be different if the tag of the legacy wasn't like, coming out of, I guess, nowhere, or saying that, hey, we haven't been around, but we're making a resurgence. We've basically been going nonstop for almost 30 years. So same thing with Sevendust. It's surprising to them as well just because they're like, what are you talking about? We didn't go nowhere. So we're in that same kind of thing where it's like, yeah, legacy, I guess. I guess just like first we were rap metal, then we were nu metal, then it's— I guess now we're a legacy act.

Aaron: I think you guys have followed a similar thing with Sevendust, where commercially maybe your biggest hits were at a certain period of time, but you've continued to— as you said, you didn't stop touring, you didn't stop recording, you continue building the following not just based on the older stuff but also on the newer stuff as well.

Elias Soriano: Yeah, yeah, yeah. And the show really, you know, going overseas and expanding the reach, is really what's making this. That's the part that feels the most different, is extending that reach. So we're the most excited about that. The hometown fans have really gotten a dose. Basically every single year, we most likely come through your town. So we're a little bit more selective now because we're having to spread ourselves thin internationally, but we're still enjoying writing music and enjoying the music that we write. This is my favorite record. The only one that I honestly can listen to from beginning to end without skipping a song.

Dan: And you and Robb have been anchors in the band from the start. So do you think you'd still be this enthusiastic after this long if it was anybody else behind the kit?

Elias Soriano: Probably not. It's just because of, you know, Robb has been my dude from the very, very, very beginning. He was the one that encouraged me to join the band. basically demanded me to join the band. And, so I gotta give credit where credit's due. My life completely changed after that.

KC: Yeah. You've also managed to exist in a space where you're able to— the tools that you've come up with, like this current run with Spineshank and hed PE, and also newer bands that are just now rising in the scene. So what do you see in this generation of artists that excites you?

Elias Soriano: You know, this last band that we just came out with, Upon a Burning Body, was really— oh, there's you guys.

Jason Zeilstra: Are you talking to my boys in The Itch?

Elias Soriano: Oh yeah, but, but the dudes that I'm— oh God, these—

Dan: That's awesome.

Rasheed Thomas: What's up?

Dan: What's up?

Elias Soriano: So yeah, bands like Upon a Burning Body, those boys throw down pretty heavy and they take their show pretty serious. So it's a great show to watch. I'm glad that there's bands, young bands coming up like that. Then there's the fun bands like Aurorawave that are coming out of nowhere. And those boys are really, I'd say, finding not only their niche, but really embracing the fact that being up there is fun. So we like to have fun sometimes, and it doesn't always have to be so serious and so doom and gloom. You know, so, bands coming out like that now and doing so well is very, very positive to me.

KC: Yeah, happy that you bring up Aurorawave because you somehow keep end up working with other guests that we've had on. We've seen you over the years with Matt and Blacktop Mojo, with Skye and Sumo Syco.

Elias Soriano: Yes.

KC: And then last year with Craig of Boy Hits Car and Nathan of Aurorawave.

Elias Soriano: Yeah.

KC: At this point, we're wondering if you're just deliberately collecting Itch interviewees.

Elias Soriano: I think, you know, I'm lucky to say that I'm in a position where I can push to have my friends out on the road with me. So, you know, when we can get those people out and also to people that we respect what they do on stage and their music. So having that full package and having access to those people is a blessing. It's a huge blessing.

KC: We agree.

Aaron: And that kind of leads me into the next thing we wanted to bring up is, you guys went independent, you built this team with 361 Degrees Records, you've released the two EPs and now this LP, all really on your own terms. I heard you say elsewhere that holding control is the key to staying happy in the creator context.

Elias Soriano: Yeah.

Aaron: What does that look like day to day? And how has having that control changed the way you operate as a band?

Elias Soriano: It's really on the creative side. And, you know, control is a strong word. People take that the wrong way. So I would say having control of the creative is key, is 100%, should be 1,000% in the hands of the person putting the music together. And even when it comes to direction, I'm not saying everybody can draw or take pictures or can do an album cover. It's not always for you to be a part of every part of the overall package of the creative process when it comes to like the final thing. Like sometimes it's I like having another artist involved, but I also got five different versions of an album cover before I was like, you know what? Let me take a crack at this before I just decided to do it myself. So having the ability to have that control leaves you at least happy with that side of the creative process. You don't feel rushed, you don't feel influenced, and you just kind of put out what you put out. And then you kind of let— you know, it's like Dr. Dre said, it's like, I'm not gonna know if you guys like it until we put it out.

Dan: Right.

Elias Soriano: Yeah. So I like it. I love it. I think it's great. Whether or not you're gonna love it is all perspective. So I just want to love it as much as possible. So when there's a lot of influence, when there's like, hey, we got a guy that does album covers, all of our album covers, it's probably gonna look like all the other dozen that he's done. If not, it's really gotta wow me. And there's been lots of instances where I've had artists going, wow, I couldn't have done better than this, and it's here, take it, you know, go with it. But then at the same time, it's part of the fun part of being in a band and being an artist is being able to do that stuff too. So I don't want somebody to suck the fun out of it.

KC: Yeah. Speaking of album covers, that brings us to The Last Word, which is a pretty loaded title for a band that's been around for almost 30 years. But you've been very clear that this isn't a farewell. You've described the pencil on the cover as being handed one last tool and being expected to fit everything you have left to say into it. What do you want people to understand about the title before they hear the music?

Elias Soriano: That the title is because of the body of work. It's the stringed-together sediments of song to song to song. So if you read the titles of each one of those songs on this record, if you pre-save it now, you can see all the titles. You can see it's like, you know, we go from Dial Tones to Off the Hook. You know, you hear an off-the-hook sound on your phone, and that's, that's because you've been sitting there a while. Somebody hung up on you, and you've been sitting there stewing on whatever the hell just happened to you. But there's songs like Crowd Control, there's songs like Settled, you know, so it's really giving people a title to the book. And that's the book. And it's really not so much my last word, but getting in the last word. I want to get the last word in.

Aaron: Mm-hmm.

Dan: One song that's out now that we absolutely love is Red Yeti, which features Skye Sweetnam of Sumo Syco. We've seen her perform That Day with you guys several times and always thought she should be on a studio recording.

Elias Soriano: Yeah.

Dan: So we're thrilled to see it happen. Was she a part of the writing process for that song?

Elias Soriano: Uh, not that one. The lyrics and melody were basically there. She just added her top-end harmony and what we really wanted from Skye, which is her voice and her character. You know, she's got a really strong hold on her image and who she is on stage, who she is off stage, who she is as a person. And that's what we're really looking for in collabs is somebody that we enjoy sharing the stage with, and our voices blend together great, especially when it's me, her, and even Rasheed. Having that ability to have your friends up there and then be badass on top of it. You know, I, I was stoked to send it to her. And I'm gonna be honest with you, I sent her the song. I was like, hey, let's just go back and forth. You hear my line, you hear how I did it again. Just be you. And she sent it. It was the first swing. I swear to God. We were like, cool, they sound great. We're using them. And we used them. So it was just that easy.

Dan: That's awesome.

Elias Soriano: Yeah. She's a talented young lady. It's great. It was great to work with her.

Aaron: I don't even know if Dan and KC heard this yet, but I heard you say in another interview a couple of other guests that I believe are on this album being Brandon Yeagley of Crobot.

Elias Soriano: Yes.

Aaron: And Mikey Carvajal of Islander.

Elias Soriano: Yeah, we're getting Mikey the song. I've been kind of dragging my feet with that one. I'm gonna do it when I get back home, but I'm looking to get Mikey on. I'm also looking to get Dryden from Alien Ant Farm.

Dan: Okay.

Elias Soriano: I love his voice. I've always adored Dryden's voice. He's such a talented dude, and just an interesting soul and a kind soul. So he's another one I'm chasing right now. I gotta hit up Dryden and send him a song.

Dan: That's very interesting. So when we did our radio show, we never really had these interviews, and the first liner that we ever got was from you. I got it from you when you were getting off the bus or going back to your bus. The second liner we got was actually from Dryden. So that's amazing.

Elias Soriano: Yeah, the universe puts you right where you're supposed to be.

Dan: Yeah, exactly.

Aaron: I'm curious because we talked to a lot of people who love to collaborate, and you mentioned these names and these people. When you're writing these songs, is it with them in mind, or does the song come first and then you're like, okay, who would work with this?

Elias Soriano: Yeah, song came first, and then I'm like, oh my God, this is— his voice is perfect for this, or her voice. I was like, as soon as I heard Red Yeti, I was like, Skye.

Aaron: Yeah, we think you guys have phenomenal taste in guest features, so we're excited to hear all these.

Dan: Agreed.

Elias Soriano: Yeah, yeah, but It's gonna be the second version of the album. So we're gonna put out the version with all of just me singing, and then the extended version's gonna have a couple extra songs and all the collabs.

Dan: Very cool.

KC: Awesome.

Dan: Do you know how long after the extended version is going to really be released?

Elias Soriano: However long it takes to get everybody's shit together and get all that stuff.

Dan: Fair enough.

Elias Soriano: That's the good part about being independent. I ain't got no calendars, brother.

Dan: Yep, that's right. So you guys apparently had like 27 songs in the running for this album. So was building such a huge pool of choices always the plan, or did you guys just keep going because the songs kept flowing?

Elias Soriano: Initially it was, actually— you know, Jason and I talked about seeing the same quote or hearing the same interview about when Michael Jackson went in to do Thriller, he got up to like 25 or 26 songs. And we decided to do the same before we— and it took some getting some out of the way to really dig in and get those ones that we really could all agree that, oh, wow, this one. Yeah, this one, this one, definitely.

KC: You've said elsewhere about this record that, I'm rapping in ways that I really had to try. What were you trying to push yourself towards on this record that you hadn't done before? And how do you keep yourself from reaching for things that you already know work?

Elias Soriano: Well, because, I mean, it's got to be fun for me too. It can't just be fun for, for the listener. I'm writing stuff that also, too, my goal is to display my uniqueness in a big pool. And I try to go for— I want to do shit that other people can't do. So I'm trying to do lyrical and, you know, metaphorical and entendre acrobatics over here, just so not only so I can fit every bit of sentiment in, but I can also show people what's up.

KC: All right.

Dan: I have one more random question because I am not a I'm not very musically knowledgeable. Like, I don't, you know, I don't play guitar. I love listening to music and stuff like that, but I don't understand the music. So—

Elias Soriano: I don't play guitar either, buddy. You're good.

Dan: Well, I was hoping that maybe you could help me understand this because, you know, everybody has been ranting and raving over the new tw new songs where the, I guess, the guitar tunes are lower? So was that kind of intentional to try to change the sound up a little bit from what you guys have been doing since Jason's been in the band?

Elias Soriano: Well, I don't know if it was— no, I think it was just the guys had new toys and we were playing with new toys, and all of a sudden we're like, whoa, we can go that low? Holy shit, let's write a song that does that. And then that's what we did. It's like, you guys got to remember, man, we're still— at the end of the day, we're all fuckin' kids. We're all having fun.

KC: Yeah.

Elias Soriano: We're just blessed that we get to do it for a living. So we're out here sandboxing, man. We're— these guys are plugging in new gear, they're playing with their guitars, they're trying new stuff. They send something that is inspiring that makes me just literally have to run over to my computer and start recording stuff. It's like, that's the goal. So, you know, sometimes it takes thinking outside of the box. And yeah, there's new technology that's allowed us to go from drop C to A to G to E. So we're like, we keep going lower and lower and lower. Yeah, it's pretty fun. It's pretty fun. It shakes the inside of the club something fucking fierce.

Aaron: That's right.

Dan: Awesome.

Aaron: I'm glad you mentioned that because that's another thing that comes to mind when I think about Nonpoint's energy. And like I said, that kind of youthfulness is the fact that you guys at all times are very clearly enjoying each other's company and having fun doing what you're doing on stage. If you follow you on the socials, you see the silliness going on there, even kind of enjoying the weird stuff that happens to you, like when someone misspells your name on a sign.

Elias Soriano: That's right. The day I stop laughing is the day I pack it up and I go home.

Aaron: There you go. All right. If we have time for maybe one or two of what we call Burning Questions that we ask everybody, then we will be— I think we'll be all set.

Elias Soriano: Light it up. Let's go.

Aaron: Can I hop in with a personalized Elias one? And then when you guys can grab the typical one that we ask everybody.

KC: Yeah. Yeah.

Dan: All right.

Aaron: So rumor has it that you are a big fan of yacht rock. So I have to ask, if Nonpoint were to cover a yacht rock song, what would you choose?

Elias Soriano: Damn, you put me on the spot. Okay. It would be a toss-up between— Man, I would go for something weird like like the Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks.

KC: Yeah.

Aaron: Okay, I like that.

Elias Soriano: Yeah, I would I'd want to get something that gets the audience involved. I'm an audience guy, you know.

Aaron: Yeah, yeah.

Elias Soriano: I'd be spinning around just like the wide windows. You know what I'm saying?

Dan: What is a song or an album that changed your life?

Elias Soriano: Everything You've Ever Needed to Know About Silence. First Glassjaw record. That one made me go, okay, okay, we can all be different here. All right, we're gonna all be different. I'm gonna try to be different.

Aaron: All right, let's do one more. Let's sell this because we've already hyped it up. We've talked about seeing Nonpoint live in like six different episodes on this show.

Dan: Yeah.

Aaron: So let's continue selling that. What is a song from the new record that you are hyped for people to hear live?

Elias Soriano: Red Yeti slaps. Absolutely fucking throws down live. That one and the bridge of Is It kind of blows up too. But I'm hoping, I'm hoping, I'm hoping that the guys get their shit together and they learn Settled. Because if we get to play that song live, I think, well, a lot of lawsuits, a lot of, a lot of injuries, a lot of, you know, heads lobbing, you know, heads, heads flying from this side of the pit over this side of the pit, just like— I'm talking like Games of Thrones. Like, it's just like, oh my God, like the dark— you know, the Black Knight. Like, it's gonna be crazy, bro. I'm talking ain't no Dance of Dragons, bro. This is gonna be ice and fire.

Dan: Tell them to get their shit together by Wednesday. That'd be appreciated. No, I'm just joking.

Aaron: Yeah, The Itch is gonna see you at Pops, so—

Elias Soriano: Hey, it's not me. Dan asked.

Aaron: It's true. We'll claim that.

Dan: Well, thank you very much, Elias. We really truly appreciate you joining us today. Real quick before we go, we just want to thank you not only for the great music and the great times that Nonpoint's given us, but you and your band have a way of making people, you know, whether it's fans or even our podcast, just feel relevant all the time. And we truly appreciate that. And it's also really fun to see you take newer bands under your wing and continue to stay hungry. So thank you very much. It's really cool to watch from this side, and we appreciate everything.

Elias Soriano: Hey, well, it's my absolute fucking honor and my pleasure and my privilege, so I appreciate you guys.

Dan: So thank you very much for listening to The Itch Podcast. My name is Dan.

KC: I'm KC.

Aaron: And I'm Aaron.

Dan: And until next time, I wave and leave your ass goodbye.

Elias Soriano: See you later, buddy.

Aaron: If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please subscribe and tell a friend about The Itch.

KC: Check out the show notes for links about the episode as well as our new music playlist and where you can hear us every Sunday night.

Dan: And you can interact with us at itchrocks.com or on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Gmail, all at Itchrocks. I-T-C-H-R-O-C-K-S.

Dan: Well, I have a really awesome killer last line, so I'm ready to wrap it up.

Aaron: Well, remember, we're going— this is further adieu.

Dan: Ah, shit.

Aaron: Because we're going right into the interview after this.

Dan: I was gonna be like, until next time. Is it the last word?

KC: Yeah. Nope.