Next Question is a certified source of “high-desert emo” jams in the Reno music scene. With a sound that blends the emotionally raw punk energy of Joyce Manor with the indie-psych shoegaze soundscapes of Dinosaur Jr., Next Question has quickly established themselves thanks to a unique and often-up-tempo musical edge. Songs like “Astigmatism,” “Exposure Therapy” and “Sandcastle Stomper” travel through pop-punk vibes and would fit perfectly on the soundtrack to a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater game. The band is set to perform Sunday, March 8, at the Holland Project. For more information, visit .www.instagram.com/next.question.band. Guitarist/vocalist Jack Lucian is the latest to answer The Lucky 13.
What was the first concert you attended?
The first concert I attended (minus maybe being dragged along to something as a toddler) was Twenty One Pilots in Anaheim. I know, starting things off strong with some Twenty One Pilots talk, right? They were absolutely pivotal for me in building my own relationship with music. I was 9 or 10 when I saw them, my mom and I got these crazy free box seats from a relative of ours who has crazy connections like that in that area. It was pretty phenomenal. I think even someone who doesn’t like them could admit they rip live, so you could imagine what it was like for me being totally enthralled by them at the time. I still listen to most of their stuff here and there, though I can admit there are some flops.
What was the first album you owned?
Guess. Did you guess Blurryface and Vessel by Twenty One Pilots? You’d be right. I remember my mom getting them for me at Barnes and Noble when I was 8 or 9. That pretty much started my obsession with CDs for whatever reason. I think I thought that was the only way you could own music at the time, and I just stuck with it. I still enjoy listening to Blurryface and Vessel on rare occasions, although there are a couple of tracks on each I can definitely do without these days. A way cooler answer would be the fourth or fifth album I ever owned, which was Melophobia by Cage the Elephant. To this day, I think that is one of the best rock ’n’ roll records post-2010.
What bands are you listening to right now?
A huge part of my listening rotation over the past year and a half or so has been absolutely ransacked by this band called Frog. It’s not just me; it’s all of my closest friends, too. It’s this weird, folky, sad, indie, twangy lo-fi shit that is really hard to describe, but it’s maybe the most addicted I’ve been to a single artist ever. The stuff he sings about and the moods and vibes they create are just unparalleled. I don’t know how else to describe it. My current obsession over the past month is this ’80s band called Prefab Sprout. I think I originally checked them out because they get mentioned in a Death Cab for Cutie song. It’s this weird, nerdy take on ’80s new wave/British pop rock stuff. It’s like if you took Tears for Fears and showed them a bunch of Steely Dan and Cake. I wonder if they didn’t make it super big because of their terrible name. It’s nothing immediately that unique or innovative, but I feel like if you read between the lines and listen to the weird details and choices, it’s like, “Woah, these guys might’ve been geniuses.” I feel like it’s kind of changing the way I see all ’80s stuff. Their album Steve McQueen (called Two Wheels Good in the U.S.) is crazy good. Blackstallion from Reno have also been in heavy rotation.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Nothing comes to mind immediately. I guess I’ve kind of soured on new shoegaze/grunge-gaze type stuff lately. Being in a young indie rock band in the 2020s, that genre is shoved in my face all the time, and I get it—heavy trippy guitars and open tunings are sick, but it is evidently really hard to make something in that space that isn’t super derivative. I’m talking about stuff inspired by Deftones and Hum and Smashing Pumpkins and obviously the big two shoegaze albums. All great stuff, obviously (except Deftones ha ha), but people don’t realize how hard it is to make stuff in that style sound actually unique and innovative. That being said, I don’t want to discourage people from trying—go buy that pedal, dude. Malcolm (Critchley, Next Question’s guitarist) isn’t gonna like reading this. He knows what I mean, though. I guess I’m also not too hot on a lot of the “underground” hip-hop stuff that is really big right now. It will be an 18-year-old industry plant dude with 20 million monthly listeners, and it’s considered “underground” because he covers his face on stage and wears all black and the production is ass and he beats his girlfriend. If that matches anyone on your Spotify Wrapped or whatever, don’t show me that shit dude. And fuck Spotify, too.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
A couple of my favorites that I’ve never gotten to see are Destroyer (Dan Bejar), Grandaddy, The Decemberists, and MGMT. Hopefully I’ll get to see a couple of those this year. I think Grandaddy is going to be at Kilby Block Party this year (in Salt Lake City), so that’s cool. Shoutout KBP man;, that is a ridiculously good festival. I want Next Question to play it so bad. In terms of defunct ones, that list could get off the rails easily, ha ha. Wasn’t there some talk of Radiohead touring again soon? Seeing them would be insane. Title Fight and Modern Baseball are also two defunct bands I’d kill to see. Her’s as well; rest in peace to those legends.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I’ve already gone over Twenty One Pilots and Prefab Sprout, so at this point, what do I really have to be guilty about? The only thing I could consider a guilty pleasure is something that I know deep down kind of sucks. For the sake of the argument, I’ll go with First Impressions of Earth by The Strokes. Don’t get me wrong; it has some genuinely amazing songs on it, especially the first few, but there’s some total slop on there where Julian is just totally falling apart. I still love listening to that mess though, for whatever reason—except maybe “15 Minutes.” That might be the worst.
What’s your favorite music venue?
It would be crazy to say anything but the Holland Project. It’s no exaggeration to say that place has made me the man I am today. It was my first local show, the first place I played onstage both solo and with a band, with countless other essential experiences. The staff are legends, dude, maintaining a place like that when art is being so devalued in our society. Staying local, I’d also be crazy not to say Midnight Coffee Roasting. That’s my people, man. The first time Next Question played there, we kind of thought it sucked. It just seemed uncoordinated and lacking—mainly because it was, but now the staff is like family, and the shows have gotten way better, and in my opinion, it is hands-down one of the pillars of the Reno music scene. They just get so many shows in and make it so easy and convenient for the artists. They really care about the community they create and the passion they put into the world and it shows. Outside of Reno, I’ll go with the Greek Theatre in Berkeley.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“That man took you to fast casual on your birthday, it’s the worst thing.” Y’all don’t know that one yet.
What band or artist changed your life? How?
Charity Kiss showed me how good a band from your own city can be. The first couple of times I saw them, it just gave me that warm, tingly feeling that you want to get from a good rock show. If you told me at that time that I would eventually gig with them and befriend them, I would’ve possibly fainted. With zero bias, I can say they’re one of the best bands I have seen play, not just locally, but in general. Their debut full-length, Slackademic, has been a ridiculously big part of the lives of myself and my whole circle. My friends love it; my parents love it; my girlfriend loves it; and one of those 12 tracks has probably come up in my life every day for a year. I never get tired of CK, I hope they have a long, prosperous career. I think they’re at a really exciting place in their arc, too, with the contributions of their new-ish guitarist and vocalist Jacob Darby, who is just an astonishingly capable musician who has the potential to add a tremendous layer of depth to their sound.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I would ask Chad Matheny (Emperor X) what the hell he’s talking about on, like, half of the songs on his record Western Teleport. There are, like, four I understand, and the rest might as well be in another language. Easy 10/10 album nonetheless.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“Sometimes” by Jonathan Edwards.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?
My gut answer for this question for the past four years, even if I don’t listen to it nearly as much as I used to, is We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes by Death Cab for Cutie. The impact it had on me probably can’t be touched by any other album.
What song should everyone listen to right now?
Everyone should go listen to “Unspeakable” by Blackstallion, and then when you get bored with it, you should listen to a song called “BLEED ON” that me and my friend Moshe made that should be out next month.
