1. Home
2. Blog
3. Interviews

Homebase talk "Nuff Said", Songwriting Pressure and Why Live Shows Still Matter Most

We speak with New Jersey/New York heavy pop-punk newcomers Homebase about their new single, Nuff Said, the gear they trust, dream collabs, their take on music blogs, and more.

By Eugenia RoditisMusicngear Editor

Homebase are a heavy pop punk / hardcore band from New Jersey and New York, coming up fast through the Northeast underground. Formed in 2023, the band regrouped after a previous project with clearer intentions, stronger chemistry, and a shared drive to do things differently this time around.

With their new single Nuff Said out now, we caught up with Homebase to talk about the pressure of writing songs that meet their own standards, the gear they use on stage and in the studio, what success actually looks like for them, dream shows, the role of music blogs today, and where they're heading next.

Eugenia Roditis, Musicngear: Homebase started from a friendly mix of jamming, pizza, and a few drinks before things got serious. At what point did you stop feeling like just hanging out and start feeling like a real band with a clear mission?

Matt: In a previous band that most of us were involved with, we had a clear set of goals. Looking back upon that now, we were overly ambitious and didn’t really have any proper mentorship or real, tangible guidance to push us in the direction we really wanted to go. For the most part, we were just winging it. We ultimately ended up doing the things we enjoyed, or strongly felt like would work (when it really wasn’t a good call, whatever it was). 

After we had disbanded, we naturally began hanging out again. Reflecting on our past music, and playing cover songs for fun in my basement. I distinctively remember us gathering at my place, my father ordered us pizza, we had lots of alcohol, and I think Chris was like, “Guys, I wanna start a band again. I miss playing music with my bros.”

It was that moment when we agreed to do this again and take it more seriously. We knew we wanted to play music and we knew the genre we wanted to play with.

So our mission was clear. Write sick punk songs, really debate if the shots we’re calling was the best ones, and do everything we possibly can to make that shit sound insanely cool and just share it with the world.

Musicngear: For the gear nerds reading us, what’s each of you running right now in terms of guitars, amps, pedals, drums, and bass? And did anything change in the studio for “Nuff Said” compared to your live setup?

Matt: My gear consists of either running my Surf Blue or Matte Black Fender Strat Tom Delonge Signature Model, or my Red Gibson Studio. I use a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Solo Head along with an Evh 5150. For pedals, I use a Behringer Ultra Chorus UC100, an MXR M290 Phase 95, and a Boss TU-3.

In the studio for guitars, I recall using a blend of my Boogie and a Marshall JCM 800 Reissue 2203. I don’t fully remember, but the house cab we recorded from was either a JCM900 Marshall Cab or an Orange Cab. Can't remember the model. 

Chris: I normally use a Tama Imperialstar 3-piece 12” 16” 22” Kit, Tama Black Steel Snare Drum 14x6, and all Sabian Stratus cymbals (received after studio recording) for gigging, but ended up going with a Zildjian custom A pack for the recording. 

We fuckin’ LOVE playing shows. More Shows = More Happy

Musicngear: “Nuff Said” came from an early demo by Chris that slowly evolved through rewrites and key changes. What was the turning point where the song clicked and you realized, “Okay, this is the Homebase sound”?

Matt: Our demos rarely sound how they were originally written. We unanimously agreed to write a kick-ass head-bobbing song. In the early stages of rewriting some parts, we played around with lots of different melodies to try and embody the feelings we wanted to portray with this track.

To be honest, it didn’t take too long to find the right chords. I feel like the turning point was all thanks to Tony and Chris. They just know how to come up with insane melodies or drum beats for our sound.

I think what really sold me was the first drop around the beginning of the song - 13 seconds into it. That sense of pulling you into the song, where it engulfs you, then spits you right out. That’s how we knew it was the best direction we could’ve followed through with.

Musicngear: Every young band runs into walls - money, finding shows, balancing life, keeping momentum. What’s been the toughest challenge for Homebase so far, and what advice would you give to another young band going through the same thing?

Matt: As odd as it may sound, I think writing music has been the most difficult challenge that we’ve faced and are still facing today. There seems to be a lot of pressure when writing music for the band. It’s like we have this standard to uphold, which I feel like we very much strive to achieve.

One aspect I find the most challenging is writing lyrics. I cannot express how frustrating it was, not only to get the words to sit right, but also to find the right words that align with the message for Nuff Said. It felt like it took ages.

Then again, I have that same feeling towards writing the lyrics for the rest of our music. It’s not as easy as it may seem. There has to be a lot of thought behind it all. The phrasing, the pitch, the timing. It HAS to make sense. You have to find the right pocket to fit those words into the melody.

If you are a band struggling with this, my advice is to have patience and really take your time in this space. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your mates if you’re writing a demo that you want to pitch later. (That’s what they’re there for).

The words may not always naturally come right away, and it’ll take a lot of thought before you even get to finish the third line of the first verse. Let alone maybe having to re-write those lyrics again.

Listen to the song over and over. Put that shit on loop and hum along as if you were singing those lyrics. Sing along when there’s nothing to sing along to (sing random rubbish until you find some words or a message that sits well with the song).

If you’re working on lyrics together as a band, have an open mindset. Be open to experimentation and try each other’s ideas. But also be prepared for your mates to tell you that you came up with dog water or that you felt like someone’s lyrics don’t sit right.

There’s some ambiguity to manage here, but that’s just part of the process. You may wanna pull your hair out sometimes. So if it gets that far, remember that you can always take a short break and return to it later!

Musicngear: What does “success” look like for you right now? Hitting a certain number of streams, getting on the road, landing blog coverage, packing hometown shows? And what’s your plan to push the single without losing the fun side of being a band?

Matt & Chris: There are lots of different ways we measure success within the band. But our main focus would be playing live shows. We fuckin’ LOVE playing shows. More Shows = More Happy.

With this new single out, we’d love to play shows along with the release so that our audience can get familiar with it and really feel the energy we push out when playing the track.

A lot of people think that running ads, having meetings with Press Release companies, scheduling shows, and registering for licenses are pretty boring. But to us, every single aspect of this, whether it be the business side or the artist side, is absolutely fun to us.

What most people consider to be the boring parts or stressful parts is where we thrive most because of our connection to one another. Whether it be signing papers or playing at a photoshoot, we’re always having fun because we’re doing it together as one unit.

Musicngear: Making a living as a musician today comes with its own set of challenges. How do you personally navigate the financial side of your career? Do you rely solely on music, or do you balance it with other work to sustain your artistry?

Matt: We are very thorough when it comes to the band's finances. Playing live shows and selling merch can have their pros and cons, especially for a new band like ourselves at the time of answering these questions.

When we’re planning on investing something for the band, we usually agree to split it amongst ourselves. We also have a band savings fund that we try to use when it makes sense to do so.

We have a member within the band who keeps track of the band's finances, which is super helpful. But for the most part, we usually have been paying for things out of our own pockets.

Sometimes we may go into payment plans with each other just to ensure we can cover the costs up-front. Undoubtedly, we have a lot of trust amongst each other, and it’s the main reason why we’re so comfortable with spending money together on band projects.

Honestly, it works so well in my opinion, and I encourage new bands to have serious discussions when it comes to band investments. It can really help expand your brand and try new and exciting things.

What most people consider to be the boring parts or stressful parts is where we thrive most because of our connection to one another

Musicngear: If you could build your dream show tomorrow, which bands would you want to share the stage with, and are there any specific venues or festivals that feel like bucket-list milestones?

Matt: I never had the opportunity to go to the early 1995-2000s Vans warped tour scene, so I'd definitely want to play at one of those festivals with bands like Blink-182, Lit, Sum 41, Fenix TX, Lagwagon, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, GreenDay, The Story So Far.

Dude, I can go on. I might have an endless list of bands I can only dream of performing alongside!

Musicngear: What’s your take on the role of music blogs today, and how do you see it evolving, especially with platforms like SubmitHub, Groover, Musosoup, and Wallstream that connect artists with curators and writers?

Matt: Ultimately, I feel like music blogs are important in today’s age of keeping up with Music news. Not everyone is looking on the same platforms you do when trying to find new music.

So expanding your reach through these blogs feels like a great way to get more coverage, especially if you’re serious about getting the audience you’re looking for to discover you! (Just make sure you do your research!).

We’ve had some great interactions since partnering with platforms like Northern Exposure and The Jersey Sound, and it truly felt like we were being discovered and seen outside the scope of what we could’ve imagined.

Musicngear: Let’s get weird: if your music pulled you into a Netflix universe you're obsessed with right now, which show would it be, and who from the band would show up in it?

Churro: Honestly, the one show that’s been on my radar for the past… 67 months has been One Piece. I finally dove in to see what all the hype was about. It follows this guy Luffy, who’s trying to become King of the Pirates, picking up a crew of unlikely friends along the way.

As for the guest star, it’d have to be Chris. He’s the one who got me into One Piece in the first place, so anytime something big happens, I call him immediately to freak out—like he hasn’t already watched the whole series 31 times.

Musicngear: Your tour van accidentally drives through a time portal and drops you into a completely different era. Where are you, what year are you in, and what are you doing there?

Matt: We’ve somehow entered this fantasy-like world - a dystopian wasteland, let’s call it. Everything seems pretty deserted for the most part. The year? Completely unknown. Why are we there? Only god knows. Shit, we were forced here against our will! Maybe to save a bunch of people and ourselves.

Our van turns into this kick ass muscle car van thing, and it sounds cool. Our instruments turn into these battle-axe weapon hybrids, and playing riffs can change the environment around us or trigger special attacks. We can always wack a bad guy with them, too, if we’re lazy.

Chris’s drums are unique. Now they’re these epic blast cannons. Each drum has a different-sized blast. Tony’s mic is detachable and turns into nunchucks. (It’s pretty fuckin rad).

We somehow met Ozzy Osbourne. And this dude name Eddy? He’s also cool, too.

Musicngear: Looking beyond “Nuff Said”, what’s next for Homebase?

Churro: Well, we’re definitely not slowing down. The release of ‘Bold’ and ‘Nuff Said’ opened the door, and we’ve been busy figuring out what happens when you walk through it.

New music is on the way, and we’re really proud of what’s coming - but we like a little mystery, so we’ll leave it at that for now.

Connect with Homebase
Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / Spotify / Website

About Eugenia Roditis

Eugenia's passion for music was ignited from an early age as she grew up in a family of musicians. She loves attending concerts and festivals, while constantly seeking fresh and exciting new artists across diverse genres. Eugenia joined the MusicnGear team in 2012.

Contact Eugenia Roditis at eugenia.roditis@kinkl.com

LinkedInTwitterInstagram