Artist Interview: avoid.
avoid. 2018. (Photo: Joe Gibbs Photography)
Genre: Emotional Music, Spoken Word, Post-hardcore, Melodic Hardcore, Post-Rock
Hometown: Cedar Falls, Iowa
Formation: 2015
Members:
Nick Booth - Vocals
Chris Boeck - Guitar/Vocals
Dylan Giberson - Guitar
Jon Grimm - Bass
Alex Dickinson- Drums
Interview (by Nic Beardsley and Andrew Sanders):
Dear Untitled: Being relatively new to your band, avoid., we have to ask the cliche 'about you' questions for our readers as you probably can imagine so bear with us here: How did your band form? How did everyone meet?
Nick Booth: After the break-up of my former band I decided I needed to start something new and something that was honest that I really felt resonated with myself. Me and our original bassist Brandon just made a post which Chris (Boeck) commented on and we ultimately really started from there and after going through a couple members ended up jamming with Dylan (Giberson) and our original drummer Josie and we started off.
Dear Untitled: What got you into music?
Nick: We all grew up loving music deeply as fans and all kind of used it as an outlet to create.
Dear Untitled: Your style is unique, especially for only starting out 4 years ago. What inspired your music?
Nick: Lyrically, particularly in our first EP, it was really just me getting things off my chest like dealing with the death of my great grandmother after years of dealing with Alzheimer’s (A Hymn For Her), the overdose and addiction struggle of my cousin (24), the domestic abuse story of an ex-lover/old friend (Behind Closed Doors) my struggle with self and religious questioning in the title track. Things I couldn’t get myself to talk about in my day to day. Every release deals a lot with my own struggle with depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and dissociative moments. Though “Once | Again” and “Everything Ends” are a fictional story I wrote, much of it is based in my own experience, feeling, and truth.
Dear Untitled: Wow, so some pretty intense emotional stuff and experiences. I take it that is what drew you to your ‘emotional music’ genre?
Nick: (Yeah, pretty much) - Sonically, we wanted to make melodic and pretty yet melancholic sounds and mix them with a drive that can feel like a punch in the gut. The ability and talent of the other four to maximize those aspects and throw in their own flavor and personal taste to make something very much their own and cohesively piece it together is something I really admire and will continue to. They really make avoid. what it is.
Dear Untitled: Who are your favorite artists? Who do you currently look up to in the music industry?
Nick: So many! Collectively as a band we all love Touché Amore, Underoath, and Household.
Dear Untitled: Are there any new artists you recommend for people to check out, aside from those on your stellar farewell lineup?
Nick: Some of our friends truly make some of the best music: Rose Gold, Kayak Jones, Mocklove, Summer Homes, Frail Body, Welcome Home, Funeral Attire, and Stars Hollow are a few!
Dear Untitled: Where do you see yourselves beyond the band in 5 years? We know a few of you are going to school here - Anyone going to be learning or doing anything really neat?
Nick: Ultimately all happier. I think that was the ultimate decision in ending was looking down the road and seeing what we wanted were differing things.
Chris (Boeck) and Jon (Grimm) are studying Wind Turbine Engineering in Oregon starting this fall.
Alex (Dickinson) just got married earlier this August and will be starting school soon.
Dylan (Giberson) is getting married next fall, starts going to school this fall for Electrical Engineering, and also recently started his own guitar pedal company called “Giby FX”.
I’m (Nick) continuing full force with music and pursuing it in hopes of doing it full time. I joined a band called Ghost Key which I’ll be playing bass and doing some vocals in. Recently started up a new band with some friends here called “Bouquet” and I’ll be recording my own solo indie record this winter.
Dear Untitled: Wow - Life catching up to everyone all at once. Makes sense on this end to at least take some time to focus in on those paths. That speaks volumes to the guys who surround you for sure in avoid. We definitely wish everyone the best on the next ventures!
Where was your favorite place to play a show?
Nick: Our collective favorite place to play will always be at The Barn in Cedar Falls. It’s a barn on Dylan parents’ property where we’ve periodically hosted our local shows at. It’s also the venue for our last coming up on 9/8/18.
Dear Untitled: What was the favorite place on tour when you finally got to see states and sights?
Nick: We all really loved the Mountains and exploring the beauty that is Utah. California was really cool. New Orleans was CRAZY. As a bit of a history nerd I loved Washington D.C. and we all always look forward to playing Texas. East coast in general was incredible too.
Dear Untitled: How did the desicion to end avoid. come about?
Nick: We had a tour planned and ran into some issues and ended up having to drop the whole thing. That sparked a conversation about us continuing on and it all came to a head when we realized we all had a different plan for it. I would’ve been the only who could really tour and it felt inauthentic to keep going in this project without my best friends.
Dear Untitled: Any closing thoughts on the past 4 years? Are you sad to see it go as much as we are, or is it just time for new ventures and horizons amongst the group?
Nick: While we’re all sad to see it go there are positives, especially financially and within relationships that now have more space to grow.
We are amazed and beyond grateful that anyone took time out of their day to listen to the songs that five kids from Iowa wrote. We went places we never thought we could or would. We’ll always have our art and the memories we made in the process of creating and showing it all.
Dear Untitled: Any merch, music, or anything you want us to endorse? Side projects? Personal media, etc?
Nick: Yes! Definitely follow and check out my band Ghost Key and catch us on tour this fall with War Of Ages and Capsize, we have some huge things coming up!
Stay on the lookout for Giby FX to start posting online.
Check out the non-profit Dreambound.
Also check out our friend’s/team’s projects and businesses:
Ken Ruiz // Versatone Booking
Chris Galvez // Good Fortune Audio
Joe Gibbs // Joe Gibbs Photography
AND SUPPORT THE ARTISTS AND ART THAT YOU LOVE.
Dear Untitled: Wow, my (Nic) first hardcore show was War of Ages back in Erie, PA with Jesus Wept and I forget the openers- That's crazy exciting to be on tour with them AND Capsize? Props, dude! Have fun for sure!
Any other cool hobbies together outside of music? (Andrew wants to know if you play Fortnite because he needs new teammates)
Nick: I’m AWFUL at Fortnite but I play here and there when I have time.
We all have our own things we do a lot but we all like the outdoors a lot so there’s talks of a camping/fishing trip with all of us sometime!
Also big fans of weed.
Dear Untitled: Well, Nic isn't any good either - maybe Andrew can drag us all along with him at some point! Camping would be really cool. As for the last hobby, Dear Untitled has to include the phrase "where legal, of course" ....you understand ;)
What is your favorite “go-to” joke to use when asked for one - We noticed your ‘personal interests’ on Facebook about are "bad jokes"?
Nick: Hahahahaha I forgot we never took that off. We’re all dry-humors and kind of awkward guys so it’s a lot of little things here and there but I love asking people to ask me if I’m an orange and then when they do you say no.
Solid reviews.
Dear Untitled: Well?....are you an oran - wait. Don't answer that. Haha. Gotta love a good joke!
Drink of choice? (soda, adult beverage, water, Monster, Gatorade, etc). Andrew has just started his hand at Homebrew and is a beer afficionado and Nic enjoys a good bourbon or whiskey almost always.
Nick: Ain’t no high like a good HYDRATION BABY. WATER. But we all love trying weird sodas and most enjoy a good beer, rum, or whiskey. Also love shitty beer. We see you Lone Star.
Dear Untitled: Do you have a favorite TV show and favorite quote from that show? We enjoy The Office in our spare time
There’s an awesome and hilarious show called Review that we all die to.
Dear Untitled: Definitely going to be checking that one out!
Anything else you may want us to mention or know? Fun fact / Favorite Food? Hottest Celeb? Something random?
Nick: We all love and would like to personally thank Cookout and Chipotle for being there for us when we needed it most.
Dear Untitled: Oh of course! Kudos to them! Gotta get through somehow!
Seriously, thank you, Nick, and avoid., for doing what you do. As much as we don't want to see this chapter end, we understand it has to, but the creativity and passion continues on through all of you and we wish you the best. Keep in touch for sure - we are excited for your next ventures!
Previous Coverage:
Check out avoid.'s latest album, "Everything Ends"