From the way Jonny Hawkins sings on Nothing More‘s hits “This Is the Time (Ballast)” and “Mr. MTV,” it’s a little hard to believe that he didn’t join the band as their lead singer. Instead, Hawkins originally was Nothing More’s drummer. The band cycled through several different vocalists before finding Hawkins right under their noses.
Hawkins says his development and maturation as a singer is part of the reason Nothing More’s 2014 self-titled album has been the band’s breakout record.
“As a singer, I kind of came into my own [on Nothing More],” Hawkins tells ABC News Radio. “I’ve been a drummer my whole life, so that took a little while to develop, that comfortability and skill.”
With Hawkins transitioning from drums to vocals, Nothing More was then left with a void behind the kit.
“Then we got our drummer Paul [O’Brien], and he was kind of the missing piece of the puzzle,” Hawkins says. “[Nothing More] was his first record.”
Nothing More is currently on tour with fellow prog-rock lovers Periphery. The band is using the tour to help lay the groundwork for fans who may have just discovered them with Nothing More.
“We spent a lot of time on this record that we’re touring on now,” Hawkins tells ABC News Radio. “It’s 17 tracks, it’s a lot to digest for people who are hearing about us for the first time. So we’re kind of letting that stew.”
Given the success of Nothing More, one might think that a band would want to record a followup immediately, but Hawkins feels Nothing More has resisted that temptation.
“I think there’s a lot of bands who try to rush the next one, whether it’s because they feel pressured to do so or they just think that’s what they’re supposed to do,” Hawkins says. “We want to release something when we feel really inspired and good and ready to do so.”
Nothing More’s tour with Periphery concludes Valentine’s Day in Philadelphia. The band will then be touring Europe alongside Halestorm starting in March.
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.