Music is meant to be a message. There is power in sharing words and meaning with your music. An audience will be affected by what you put out there. The artists that realize this are able to create change in the word using their art. A great example is our recent discovery Nullus Rex. The political rock project is making real waves with their energy.
We caught up with the man behind the project, Dave Amaditz, to get a little deeper into how it all came to be and what the music means. Enjoy the interview here:
First off, tell us about the name Nullus Rex?
Nullus Rex is Latin and means No King.
When looking to name the band I wanted to use a descriptor so the audience would know what we were about without the need to listen to the music or read the lyrics. It had to ring true with the political messaging, sound cool, strong, and evoke an aura of confidence befitting a rock band.
I simply brainstormed some ideas with a few friends and mentioned to Stacy that one of the names we liked, when loosely translated, meant, No King. He liked the idea, checked with a friend for the Latin translation, Nullus Rex, and when we realized that that name was not in use, we jumped on it, giving birth to Nullus Rex.
How would you describe the band’s sound and mission, or would you describe this as a band at all?
I think Nullus Rex might most closely be described as a studio band. I mean, they’re not going out on tour, and all the work is done in studio. But the talent behind the musical creativity is unquestionably there! Right? Just mention Stacy Hogan as the creative musical genius and you’ve got it. Add the talented, Michael David Carnell, on vocals. Wow!
I think Stacy described the sound best…… “Super modern angsty rock magic with a Breaking Benjamin vibe. It mixes intense melody with screamy angst in spots.”
Enjoy The Lyric Video for “The Upside Down” by Nullus Rex
What do you hope to make the fans experience with your music?
Simply put, I would want anyone listening to feel a connection to the story I’ve spun. Love the music. Love the vibe. Love the vocals! Feel drawn in by the message, the sentiments espoused, and keep listening, even if you don’t agree! But, if you do…… Get involved. Stay involved. And begin a dialogue with someone, anyone, even if they believe differently than you so that you could come to some type of mutual understanding.
How did this project come about, and why was it important for you to use music as the vehicle to deliver your message?
One morning, while watching the news, I saw that President Trump had posted an image depicting himself as king and that his White House had doubled down on the story by posting another image on a mock cover of Time magazine.
I don’t know if I was more shocked or angered. After all, wasn’t the American Revolution fought to overthrow a king? To me, the world I knew, the world I had always known, was turning upside down. With that thought I sat in front of my computer and began to write the lyrics for The Upside Down. Ironically, they would have sat on my computer, but I read them to a few close friends who told me the lyrics had captured their feelings and that I should get them put to music.
Because of that, I sent them to Stacy, at A Writers Paradise. He, too, was drawn to the lyrics and, when someone with talent and credentials like Stacy feels that way about what you’ve written you get the boost of confidence necessary to move forward.
Why music? Music has always been used to tell stories and to deliver messages. Protest music, like The Upside Down, I believed, should work especially well, much like some of the iconic political protest artist of the 1960s: Bob Dylan, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, CCR, and John Lennon. They were all unapologetic and let their beliefs be their guide. I make no apologies for what I write, and hopefully, one day, because of that, music we’re now creating may become as timeless as theirs. One can still dream. Right?
You get to play one show where the guest list is every world leader currently in power.
What do you say into the mic right before you start your closing song?
Listen. The little people you lead are the ones who make this world function. Always has been. Always will.
Farmers. Chefs. Bakers. Laborers of all kinds. Rising early. Working all day. Raising families to do the same. Don’t forget them. Don’t take them for granted. Don’t use your power to abuse them, to keep them down, to grant yourself more power. DON’T TURN THEIR WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!
