Pop/Interview No Direction - Everything Was Better in the 90's
No Direction was created by 'Executive Producer' Shane Vincent McDermott (aka DJ Gas4Cash) and consists of four members: Zen, Nico, Dino, and Seva (from India, Italy, the UK, and Greece, respectively). It is claimed that they are the first international, internet-based boy band of all time.
How did the idea for No Direction come about, and what inspired the concept of an international, internet-based boyband?
I’ve made it my mission to try and have a hit single anywhere in the world before I turn 40 years of age. I’m currently 39 and three months old which gives me 8 months. I have had some culturally significant but commercially poor attempts in the past and thus I have thrown everything behind the No Direction boys.
Your debut single, “Everything Was Better in the 90’s,” celebrates nostalgia for the decade. What are some of your personal favorite things about the 90s?
It was the greatest decade of all time. I am a keen amateur historian and I would argue that Western Civilization peaked around 1998. June to be exact. We were just around the corner from 9/11, George W. Bush and the Y2K bug. There was optimism and beautiful ignorance everywhere. There was no internet and thus, no internet bullying.
The song humorously critiques modern life—what specific aspects of today’s world do you think pale in comparison to the 90s?
Literally everything. I can’t think of one aspect that has been improved. Technology has advanced beyond our wildest dreams yet none of these brainiacs has been able to reproduce the level of serotonin you got when wearing a new pair of Reebok Classics to the pub and paying €2 for a pint.
With members from India, Italy, the UK, and Greece, how do you manage rehearsals, songwriting, and band dynamics while being based in different countries?
As yet, the lads haven’t met. I currently very much recruit their services on an ad hoc basis. I’m waiting for the song to be a success before getting them all together in the same room. Probably somewhere in Galway. In terms of rehearsals, I’ve been working on some dance routines with my niece and am excited to see the boys' reactions.
The track was written by Josh P and produced by Ihsan from Indonesia. What was the collaborative process like working with such an international team?
To be honest, I was looking for a Koren team to work with, in particular those with a proven track record in producing K-pop tracks. Alas, I couldn’t find anyone within my strict budget. What appealed to me about Josh and Ihsan was their excellent array of reviews from past collaborators and their clear, affordable pricing structure.
Your sound takes inspiration from K-pop but with a unique twist. How does your music set itself apart from current boyband trends?
I’m not sure it does! I knew nothing about the K-Pop market before I read an article about these lads called BTS who are really successful. I wanted to produce a song that slips undetected into this genre.
How do you balance humor and nostalgia in the song without it feeling too critical of the present?
I didn’t try to balance it at all. I’m unequivocal about this: modern society is horrendous. We are the generation that made Jedward famous and we deserve everything that we get.
Shane Vincent McDermott (DJ Gas4Cash) is the mastermind behind the band. How did he bring you all together, and what’s his vision for No Direction?
I found all my collaborators on the website ‘Fiverr’. My vision for No Direction is to firstly take a slice of the K-Pop market before focusing my attention on the Netherlands and France.
If you could bring back one thing from the 90s that doesn’t exist today, what would it be and why?
Stephen Gately
What can we expect next from No Direction? Are there more singles or an album on the way?
You can expect that I will give my all to bring success to these plucky underdogs. If the song is the viral success that I am hoping, I plan to record more singles, an album and then launch an ethically responsible clothing line.