Back in the fight

In celebration of this year’s 25th New Zealand Music Month, Nelson Weekly interviewed local musicians throughout May. Due to the sheer amount of talent in our region, we’ve decided to give you another month of profiles. This week, Kate Russell speaks to Matt Duncan, Andy Riley and Nathan Neumann from local melodic punk act Without a Fight. From forming in 2007 to opening for 8 Foot Sativa in 2013, they have just regrouped after a 12-year break and are celebrating their reunion with an EP re-release and a show at The Boathouse this winter.

When did Without a Fight form and disband, and why have you decided to get back together? Without a Fight was formed in 2007 as a side project for another band we were in at the time called False Heroes Fall. The band had a few different members, and we disbanded in 2013. We decided to get back together, as musically it was a style we weren’t finished with. We felt the songs had aged well and would be fun to play again live.

How would you describe your sound and who are your biggest influences? We would describe ourselves as a melodic punk band. We take inspiration musically from a lot of bands we grew up listening to - everything from NOFX and Bad Religion through to Hot Water Music and The Gas Light Anthem.

What other bands have members of the band been involved in locally? Deranger (still playing), False Heroes Fall, Bat Hawk, The War Within, RSI, and Method in Mono.

How many albums/EPs have you released? We have released two EPs and put a third digital release out right before we disbanded. We recently re-released our first EP ‘Cabin Fever’, with Nathan re-mixing and mastering the tracks.

What are some of the most memorable moments for the band over the years? Lots of highlights - we just all loved playing live, touring around the South Island and hanging out with other bands.

What are your thoughts on the Nelson music scene and the available venues? What do you think Nelson needs to do to attract bigger acts and support local acts? Like many cities, we have seen venues close over the years. There used to be a lot more opportunities for bands to book and play shows, and touring bands would often include Nelson. There are still places like East Street that host original bands, a lot of the time you need to travel to get shows. We think there needs to be more all-ages gigs, and Nelson misses having the Artery, which was a great all-ages community venue, practice space and recording studio.

Do you have any shows planned and what can people expect? At this stage, our first show back will be at the Boathouse on 4 July supporting Christchurch band, Pieces of Molly.

To listen to Without a Fight, go to withoutafight.bandcamp.com, and watch for show updates and tickets on their Facebook or Instagram pages.