Nothing – Dig
The name ‘Nothing’ says a lot about this Philadelphia-born band, the brainchild of a complex artist, the escapism from issues beyond his convoluted intelligence can grasp and the one place he can truly express himself.
Domenic Palermo has dipped his toe in and out of music for well over a decade now, having found early success with hardcore punk outfit Horror Show, which, in 2002, came to an end as Palermo was involved in a stabbing that later led to two years incarcerated.
The two-year sentence sparked a lonely and unhappy period of Palermo’s life, losing two close friends in a short period of time. He later ended up in LA upon his release in an attempt to flee his hometown of Philly, which he described as: “In general always seems negative, even at its most positive times.”
On a hiatus from music, Dominic Palermo always knew he was sitting on an arsenal of poignant lyrics, his time inside in a “weakened and confused state” had opened his musical mind to a shoegaze state and began to move away from his hardcore childhood.
In 2011, Palermo released a demo tape titled Poshlost for the first time under the moniker Nothing and failing to cement a solid line-up for the band, Palermo turned to Brandon Setta. Adding another dimension to the group, Setta brought a lush and fresh approach, and together, he and Palermo created a new soundscape for Nothing.
Starting to receive some deserved credit, I wasn’t at all surprised to see Nothing support DIIV as recently as New Year’s Eve; having experienced Zachary Cole-Smith’s expansive musical knowledge first-hand, I imagine it was quite the meeting of minds.
Their last release, the D.H. Lawrence inspired ‘Suns and Lovers’, epitomised the uncontrollable depth of this band. Having cited French novelist, poet and political activist Jean Genet’s quote, “It’s the hour when night breaks away from the day, my dove, let me go”, as their influence, it’s exciting to see what their debut LP ‘Guilty of Everything’ throws up in March, produced by the brilliant Jeff Zeigler and released via Relapse Records.
For now, though, enjoy the single ‘Dig’ below.
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