New York City’s rock scene has long been dormant, but rising from the couches of Bushwick to the Spotify charts, Noshows’ Max Satow hopes to bring rock back with a mission.
Today, the singer-songwriter released a double single, “FOMO” and “Last Resort.” His team gave us a sneak peek before he sat down to explain his creative process and the forces behind the two songs.
Noshows, Satow’s New York City-based band, has a unique sound, mixing elements of 90s rock, hip-hop, indie and funk. The band delivers the energy and instrumentals of punk rock with a more accessible, pop-forward sound.
“It is sort of an amalgamation,” he said. “I try to piece those things together, but in a way that’s seamless and feels like one cohesive sound.”
Though he described it as “fun to dance to,” there is no lack of musical complexity. Satow said he has never abandoned the spontaneity and technical depth he learned playing jazz open mics in his hometown.
“I was a jazz musician, so I love music, and I really try to bring the musicality into it along with the pop sensibilities,” Satow said.
Satow said his three biggest influences are The Beatles, Tame Impala and Nirvana. At a time when so much music, especially pop and rock, feels recycled, Satow was clear about what makes him unique.
“The thing that sets our sound apart is that we are not afraid to lean into a more vulnerable, raw sound and intense lyrical themes. There’s a lot of realness, and there’s a real story being told in the lyrics. And there’s a mission — there’s intent behind it, which I don’t want to speak for a lot of what’s out, but I think in the rock scene, that is what people are craving at the moment.”
For Satow, sharing vulnerable experiences through his music is what fuels him as an artist.
“The goal for my music is to channel all of the dark, real emotions that I experienced in a way that others can either relate to or understand and feel in their own way. So basically, channel my darkness to connect with the darkness of others and maybe help them out.”
“FOMO” is an instant winner, mixing nerve and “frantic energy” over an impressively technical bass line that is guaranteed to make your head bob. According to Satow, the song comes from a specific time in his life.
“I wrote it when I was just starting recovery. I’m two years sober now, but at the time that I was writing this song, it was a very new thing for me,” he said. “A lot of my life and identity revolved around partying, having fun, going out — all those types of things. And when you all of a sudden stop that and completely change your lifestyle, you can really have some complicated emotions. I started to really feel like I was missing out on all sorts of things.”
That energy is captured in the pace of the song, which signals a shift in Noshows’ sound toward 90s alt-rock and a true rock star disposition.
“I had this nervous energy, and I channeled it through the song. It was a lot, which is why it’s so fast and frantic.”
“Last Resort” also features lyrical storytelling cutting through heavy guitar and a relentless rhythm. The song explores the pressure and freedom of being in your 20s.
“I think when you’re in your 20s, you’re in a very strange place of being an adult, but not quite, and you want to feel like an adult, being an adult. So you don’t really want to ask for help all the time,” Satow said.
Noshows will take these new songs on the road with two upcoming shows. The band will play Feb. 26 at Underground Arts in Philly and March 6 at The Park Theater in Hudson.
“These are the types of songs where you can feel them by listening to them, but you can’t truly feel them until you hear them live,” Satow said.
Noshows has received significant attention in recent years, moving up the New York music circuit and accruing 283,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Asked about what comes next, Max Satow did not hesitate.
“I want the New York rock scene to come back, and I would like to be a part of it. So look out, New York.”
The double single is available here. For more information and tour dates, visit Noshows’ website.
