Interviews: Ok Goodnight

We have had the opportunity to interview the Progressive Metal band Ok Goodnight from the USA. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or come out just like that?

M. Gonzalez: When I was a freshman at Berklee College of Music, I used to say “Ok Goodnight’’ (in a very funny and lazy way) to my roommates every night before going to bed. My wife Elizabeth Hull (who was a friend of mine at the moment) heard me say it a lot and suggested the name. It resonated in my head a lot. I told the other guys about it and we all agreed on it!

2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

M. Gonzalez: At first I wanted to form a "Metal" band, but when I started playing with Casey, De Lima and Augusto, they brought so many other influences to the table that made our music fresh and not so "Metal" driven. We have lots of Indie, prog rock, post-rock and orchestral influences so I guess Progressive Metal could be the genre that defines us best. We just do it because we love it, and not because we want to fit in a particular genre or sound. 

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

M. Gonzalez: Yes! We met at Berklee in 2017. De Lima and me lived in the same building and met during orientation. Augusto is Argentinian, and we got to meet him because some other latino friends introduced him to us at a party (or something like that haha). I knew Casey also from orientation, and I remember we even danced some salsa at the cafeteria before I knew she was a singer. I started playing only with the guys at first for a couple of months, and then I brought Casey to a band rehearsal and that's how we all met!

4. Each band member favourite band?

Radiohead (Casey), Pink Floyd (de Lima), Plini (M. Gonzalez), The Beatles (Augusto) 

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

M. de Lima: We take a lot of inspiration from different sources. Personally, I take inspiration from happy accidents that happen while I’m playing around with an instrument or while creating soundscapes. This small idea usually inspires new material to build upon (if the idea is good enough haha). I know Martin Gonzalez has mentioned that he takes inspiration from nature and experiences. With this new album we are writing though, the inspiration comes from the story we are trying to tell. It’s a bit early to give any specific details, but I think most of our creative decisions have revolved around the story.

6. Where was your last gig?

Our last gig was at a place called Midway Café in Boston. It was over two years ago. We took a small break from playing live right after that and then the pandemic happened. Now we’re focused on finishing the new material, but we’ve been talking seriously about starting to play live again. 

7. Where would you like to act?

M. de Lima: We’d love to play anywhere that would have us haha. But Dalhalla, in Sweden, looks like the coolest place to play at. 

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

Augusto: We don't have a specific artist in mind at the moment to feature with as we are focused on the production of our next record, but we would definitely be open to do a feature in the future. I think that our sound is very malleable so it would lend itself well for a variety of different artists in different genres.

9. Whom not?

Anyone that doesn't take their work seriously!

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

Casey: Oh absolutely. It can be really nerve-wracking to get up in front of a crowd, be it 5 or 5,000 people, and play original music that represents yourself and your whole band. On top of that, you have to get into a good performance headspace and hope that you’re selling it in a way that’s interesting to the audience. But usually, after taking at least one song to loosen up, we typically feel right at home when we get onstage. At the end of the day, you just want to have as much fun as possible. If you look like you’re enjoying yourself, the crowd will too. 

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

Casey: We have a lot of different artists that have inspired us collectively as a group. To name a few, our sound definitely resonates with the likes of artists like Plini, The Dear Hunter, Porcupine Tree, Kindo, and The Mars Volta. Myself and de Lima are especially inspired by artists Gotye and Sigur Rós while Martin G. and Augusto take a lot of direct inspiration from Dream Theater. 

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

Generally, our fans are the coolest people ever and we don’t get too many strange requests, but we have one gotten a request to collaborate with Kanye West, which we all thought was pretty interesting. Not that we aren’t open to it, of course! 

13. What do you think of your fans?

Our fans are great and very supporting of what we do. We definitely feel their love in social media and appreciate each and every one of them. They are the ones who enable us to do what we do and they have received all of our work with open arms. Hopefully we'll get to see them live soon! 

14. What do you think of our site?

Your site looks very nice. It’s great to see platforms like these dedicated to showcasing independent bands. There’s a lot of talent outside of the mainstream!

15. Something to add?

Thank you for the interview!"