‘5 Questions With’: Loose Buttons
New York City’s Loose Buttons (Eric Nizgretsky, Zack Kantor, Manny Silverstein, and Adam Holtzberg) are gunning for The Strokes’ crown….
…Even if they get an invite to open for the band, it would be a blessing. Loose Buttons considers The Strokes a huge influence on the band, and it wasn’t until they worked with Gus Oberg, the producer from the Strokes, it seems that it was a clear and cut decision that garage rock was the go-to sound of Loose Buttons, mixed in with other musical elements as well.
Even though the surge of the garage rock scene occurred years ago, the spirit of that scene still continues on through those bands that made the scene popular, and its influences continues to shine through in New York City bands especially on Loose Buttons new album, ‘What’s On Outside’.
Nizgretsky met fellow band mate Kantor on the first day of sixth grade. “I knew I wanted to start a band. That’s what the cool kids do,” Nizgretsky jokes. “We wanted to continue to play throughout college as well.”
Equate sat down with lead singer Eric Nizgretsky of the band and we talked up their new album, their pinch-me moment, and the new album.
Read the full interview below…
Words by Robert Frezza
EQ: You guys capture the spirit of the garage rock scene of the early 00s. How did you successfully nail down your sound?
EN: It took a while. We love all aspects of music. We think our sound is just naturally New York. The moment we started being authentic to ourselves, that natural New York sound bled through our veins.
We worked with Gus Oberg, who worked with the Strokes, on our first record. It was a pinch-me moment. It really felt like we finally figured our sound out on our first record. We wanted to stay true to ourselves, evolve, and add other elements of different types of music that we love.
EQ: Is songwriting a challenge for the band?
EN: I think songwriting is a strength of the band. I have to tell the stories and convey that. Sometimes it stems from an idea, a lyric, a melody, or even chord progression.
EQ: What are the goals for the new LP? Why name the new album What’s On the Outside?
EN: I wanted to write a record that looked outward. The only way I could do that was to look inward and seek my role in this society. We had a pandemic and crazy injustice—it’s just what’s going on outside.
EQ: Joe Reinhart produced the new album. Why did you choose him to produce the new record?
EN: He was a guru for us. He helped us find the beauty in the songs. Incredible guy with a great whiskey collection.
EQ: How do you guys stay on the same page as a band?
EN: When it’s four guys, there’s a beauty in that collaboration. We want to go far with this project. We have incredible fans and we want to keep on growing with them.
Stream ‘What’s On Outside‘ below…
Spotify/Loose Buttons
Keep up with Loose Buttons on socials…
Instagram: @loosenupyourbuttons
Facebook: @loosebuttonsmusic