Los Angeles-based pop-punk band Senses is back and making waves with their latest EP, I'm Still Breathing. The EP is a collection of tracks that showcase the band's growth as artists while still providing their one-of-a-kind and innovative sound. When it comes to creating irresistible melodies and always having a high-energy stage presence, there's still so much more this band has to offer. I recently had the chance to talk with Madison Taylor and Nick Sampson of Senses; here's what they had to say.
MSM: What was the inspiration behind your latest release, "I'm Still Breathing?"
Madison: Well, a lot of the songs have to do with resilience, really, in some way or the other. They're kind of around situations that affect us really in all areas of our lives, like from relationships with a significant other, friends, or people we work with. Also, relationships, even with ourselves. They're all just about making it to the other side and showing resilience, so that's kind of the overarching theme.
MSM: How does this EP reflect where you are as a band right now?
Madison: That's a good question. I mean, honestly, I feel like we're always growing and changing in terms of our sound, and I think that's always exciting for us when another project comes out. Our last EP was all with the same producer, and this EP was with a few different producers, one of them being the producer from the last EP. So it's cool to get to collaborate with more people and really change up the sound and keep exploring. We never want to stop being in a state of exploring our sound, and I think this EP definitely reflects that.
MSM: What was the songwriting process like for these songs? Did some come easier than others?
Madison: Yeah, definitely!
Nick: Yeah, I think some of them were pretty easy and straightforward and just naturally came to us. Some of them took a little bit more time. I'm trying to think which one was kind of a difficult one.
Madison: I would say "me against me" was super easy. It just came really naturally, but then "pull me under," for instance, we kind of went back to that one and recorded some things. We kind of went back to the drawing board and really made sure that it was what we really wanted to say.
Nick: Yeah, the original demo version of that is way more electronic. It's way different than what the final song came out as.
MSM: Do you happen to have a favorite track from the EP?
Nick: That's tough because I really like all of them in their own respect. I think for me, the one I would choose is? Hmm, ok, so at first I was like, "Oh yeah, this song's cool, but now I'm like, Ok, this song is really cool!" is "stabilizer."
Madison: Yeah, and for me I would say I really like "me against me" just because of its vulnerability. What I really like, though, is just remembering the excitement we had upon finishing "diamonds on your dagger," with just how big it sounded and how epic it was. So that's definitely a favorite for me.
MSM: I thought "diamonds on your dagger" was such a perfect song to start the EP off with. That's also a favorite of mine, too!
Madison: Thank you!
Nick: Thanks! I know; it was the fourth song we released, but we wanted it to be the number 1 track on the EP.
MSM: Did you experiment with any new sounds or styles this time around or just in general with your music?
Madison: I think in general, but definitely diamonds is a good example of that. It's a little heavier, it's a little harder hitting, and there are a lot more kind of cool electronic elements in it. Honestly, I think we tried to switch it up with all of it. You could say the same for "me against me" in the opposite way that it's just very straightforward and simple. I think it's a good collective mix of styles and expressions.
MSM: How do you feel these songs or your other music translates when performing them live?
Nick: Oh, I think live, they're just way bigger and just better.
Madison: Yeah, I just feel they become a little more personal. You know, the recording, to me in my mind, I think of it as the jump-off point. Like that's the base point, the bare bones of the track itself, and then you get to see it live, and we either embellish it a little or you just get the vulnerability more. It's a more intimate experience, and also I think it's just a little elevated in a way.
MSM: What's next for Senses following this release that fans can look forward to?
Nick: Well, we are just touring it right now. We got our headline tour that we just started the other day. So we're just going to be on this for the next month across the country and then back to writing. We have a bunch of songs that are ready to go to start kind of rolling out the new world that we're trying to create.
Madison: Yeah, we want to give people a little time to really enjoy this EP, and then after this tour and after a little bit of time, we're going to start working on getting some new music out. So luckily we have a lot of stuff stockpiled that we're really excited about.
MSM: Lastly, if a new listener is just discovering Senses, what's the first song you'd recommend they start with?
Madison: Wow, that's a really good question. The first song?
Nick: The first song? You know what, I'm just going to go with "diamonds on your dagger."
Madison: Yeah, hit them hard! Let's go with diamonds!
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