Artist Spotlights: Through the Dream Realm with Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band
In an intense haze of flutes, whimsical lyrics, dark basslines, and fantastical creatures, Austin’s own Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band is pure sensory overload.
Artist Spotlights introduces you to small artists that may not be on your radar yet, but should be. With recently cancelled tours and income loss for small artists, there’s no time like the present to find new talent to support.
Written by Dhiren Wijesinghe
Photos courtesy of Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band
Recommended If You Like: Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Lord of the Rings
Enter the twisted mind of Nolan Potter on the album Nightmare Forever as he and the rest of the Nightmare Band take you on a journey through a dark, yet energetic dream. Released on Nov. 22, 2019, Nightmare Forever is a testament to the band’s highly skilled lineup of musicians. Before COVID-19 hit, the Austin natives consistently played gigs with intense visuals to packed rooms at many of Austin’s venues. If you have had the privilege of seeing them live, you know that Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band can seriously shred.
Perhaps the most unique aspect of NPNB is the wide range of instruments the band brandishes. Flutes, synths, heavily distorted guitars, harpsichords, violins, and keys appear in almost every song on Nightmare Forever. The members of NPNB have highly technical music abilities, and their sound shows for it with quick key changes and fast-paced playing. Their plethora of talent manages to stitch together an ethereal dreamscape into every song while still bringing fierce heat that personifies the energy of a riot. For example, the title track, “Nightmare Forever,” is extremely fast, but chugs along ever so smoothly. Fear, bliss, anger, and content are all emotions that NPNB bombards your mind with as you enter the mythical realm they’ve so wonderfully created through sound.
NPNB’s obsession with bizarre creatures further entrenches the fantasy world they’ve created. From singing about “Elf Curses” and “A Wizard of the Wind,” to ”Seahorse Retreats” and stags, the band produces an escape from the realities of life — something much needed nowadays. Their youthful love for the make-believe offers a stark contrast to the level of maturity each musician in the band shows.
Taking up full stages with their 8-member band, NPNB is truly a live band. A quick browse through the comments section under any Nolan Potter YouTube video will clearly prove their on-stage magnificence. Their sporadic stage presence and colorful light shows gives their audiences an intense experience. Pre-COVID, Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band was a force to be reckoned with in Austin’s live music scene.
Despite their touring days being put on hold due to the pandemic, Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band is still releasing music monthly on their Bandcamp. Their resiliency is a light at the end of the tunnel for those missing Austin’s music, and the future for the band still looks promising.