“Effort Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Success”- Interview with Nick Ghanbarian of Bayside

Seventeen years and seven albums released, Bayside has and continues to touch the lives of their dedicated fans with their music.  Bayside is comprised of Anthony Raneri- vocals/guitar, Jack O’Shea- lead guitar, Nick Ghanbarian- bass, and Chris Gugliemo- drums.  Approaching the two decade mark as a band, a lot can be said about Bayside.  They have been in the scene for a while now and have managed to outlive many of the acts who came up in the scene with them.  Coming from New York City, this band is one of the most humble, with a work ethic that is highly respectable and inspiring.

There is so much that can not only be said about a band that has been around for as long as they have been, but so much can be learned.  I mean seventeen years…they must be doing something right.  As a long time fan of this band, I’m sure I speak for most when I say that, this band has continued to put out music that is true to who they were.  They never changed to try and fit in to whatever was trendy and we as fans have nothing but respect for that.  What else could you ask for from a band? Photo by: Megan Thompson

From Sirens and Condolences released in 2004 to Vacancy released just a few months back in August of 2016, this band proves that hard work and a passion for what you love can take you far.  There’s no question as to why this band has one of the most dedicated fan bases in rock music.

I had the pleasure of asking Nick a few questions about Bayside and their future.

Kaitlin: Are there any current artists who influence your writing or music?

Nick: “I wouldn’t say any artists influence us musically. We have been around so long that we are comfortable with our sound.  However, I do listen to a ton of new music because I never want to become an antiquated music listener so I try to listen to new artists.  Some of my most recent favorites are Wolf Alice, Impala, Angel Du$t, and Bleached.”

Kaitlin: You’re one of the few bands who manages to keep a cohesive sound and show your growth at the same time.  How have you’ve been able to achieve that?

Nick: “There is definitely an effort when we write songs to stick to our distinctive sound but grow within it and it’s not as easy as it sounds!  I’d say our goal is to push our sound but not have it be too noticeable.  Lots of bands just change their sound completely and it’s seen as growth.  I think that just completely changing a band’s sound is a way easier route than to try to expand and improve on the band’s current sound.”

Photo by: Keeyatay Lewis

Kaitlin: What is something that you enjoy doing outside of music, that contributes to your musicality?  Possibly a hobby that you turn to, in order to rejuvenate your creativity?

Nick: “ I find a lot of value in free time that I have when we are off the road.  I live a fairly simple life. I’d be happy being able to ride my bike, drink coffee, and hang with family and friends daily.  My daily life at home lets me appreciate life on the road a lot more.  I recently moved to California, I am hoping new surroundings will help rejuvenate creativity.” 

Kaitlin: How do you think that being from New York City, if in any way, has helped or affected your music career?

Nick: “I think being from New York has mostly helped with our work ethic.  As a whole, our band has never expected anything to happen FOR us, we always make our own way.  We know that the harder we work, the longer we will be around.  To this day, we are still an intensely hands-on band.”

Kaitlin: Since being in a band what is one of the most important/hardest things you’ve learned?

Nick: “One of the hardest things to learn is that effort doesn’t necessarily mean success.  Although we do work hard, there will always be a band that works half as hard as you but becomes largely more popular.  There is just nothing you can do about that.  In our 17 years as a band, we have seen it happen many, many times.”

Kaitlin: Is there any new material being written or worked on currently?

Nick: “Since we just released our 7th album a few months ago, we haven’t yet begun to work new material.  We have a few ideas on what we want to do next, but nothing solid.”


Kaitlin: Is there anywhere you’d like to travel that tour hasn’t brought you yet?
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Nick: “We’ve never been anywhere in Asia, I’d love to be able to tour there.”

Kaitlin: What is it that has allowed you guys to outlive a lot of the acts who came up in the scene with you?

Nick: “I think the biggest contributing factor is that we were never a trendy band.  Early on in the band’s formative years, we didn’t really fit in with a particular sound and that led to us forging our own way and building a fan base in a more grass roots way.”

Kaitlin: What are you most excited for about your upcoming tour with Say Anything?

Nick: “Being able to watch them on a nightly basis will be the best part.  We always tour with bands we like, it’s such a good feeling to be able to detach from your own set and enjoy someone else’s every night.”

Kaitlin: Do you have any advice for kids who are just starting out in a band?

Nick: “Play music you love and believe in, learn your craft and stay humble.”

Kaitlin: What can we look forward to in the future from Bayside?

Nick: “More music, more touring, eventually, a documentary chronicling our career.  Now that we are approaching 2 decades as a band, we have to come up with new ways for people to find out about our music, so we are constantly thinking of new ways to do that.”

Bayside- Vacancy

Bayside’s Top Tracks

Catch Bayside on tour with Say Anything!

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