Last year, Brooklyn ensemble Nude Beach released its sprawling third album, 77, which literally doubled down on the band’s catchy-as-hell journey through rock history. CP talked to drummer Ryan Naideau about the band’s current state.
How did you decide to go so big on 77 with an hour-long double LP?
It had a lot to do with us just touring so much around the first two records, and listening to so much music that was bleeding its way into our sound. So, inevitably, some of those influences — whether it was soul stuff or different folk rock — started popping up in some of the new songs that [guitarist] Chuck [Betz] was writing.
A few years ago, you said that the band was a good excuse to have fun, get drunk and play music together. Has that approach changed over time?
I feel like we take the band more seriously now, since we’ve been touring a lot. Once people start giving a shit about what you’re doing, I would hope you’d take it a little bit more seriously, even if you didn’t ever anticipate it being something people would care about. ... We’ve sort of grown as friends and collaborators in a way that we probably never anticipated.
In 2012, you said that the band hadn’t been to a nude beach. Any new developments?
We still haven’t gone to a nude beach all together. I think some of us have been to nude beaches, though ... or have been naked on the beach.
