EXCLUSIVE: Nights In Stereo featuring Ronen Rubinstein Talk Their Debut Single “Open Door”
Ronen Rubinstein, star of 9-1-1 Lone Star, has released his first single with his band, Nights In Stereo. Also featuring Jonny Shoer and Rodrigo Rodarte, their single, “Open Door”, is the first single to be released by the three gentlemen.
We got the chance to talk to the three men about the single, how they created Nights In Stereo, what’s to come for them as a band, and so much more. Check out what they had to say below.
My first question is how did you guys become a band? Where did it all start?
Shoer: “About 11 years ago I met Rodrigo in a bar. He spilled my beer and we started chatting and then moved in together. Became roommates and then started making music, and we’ve kind of always been writing music casually, I’d say, over the years. And then I met Ronen. What year did we meet?”
Rubinstein: “2017.”
Shoer: “2017, we met at a dinner. We then moved in together, I guess I meet people and then immediately I’m like, ‘Let’s live together.’ We became roommates and then I guess during the pandemic, we kind of got serious and decided to finish songs, put lyrics to songs, start demoing songs. Up until that point, we were kind of just jamming around on parts and not really taking it too serious. I’d say we’re still not taking it too serious, but just kind of actually seeing full tracks through and conceptualizing more of an actual band, rather than just a fun project.”
How did you guys finally hit the moment where you wanted to share your music with the world?
Rubinstein: “Man, I feel like the summer of 2020, it was in the peak of the pandemic when we started putting things together. I remember me and Jonny, we looked at each other and we were like, ‘this actually sounds pretty good.’ We’re not trying to sound full of ourselves, but it sounded really pleasing to us. It’s something that I think we would listen to. And once we realized that we could actually put our minds together, make something that doesn’t sound like shit and is actually something you can listen to. We took it seriously.
Luckily, we have a very close friend who’s very big in the music industry and he produced our music. His name is Mike Reilly, and we sort of showed him our demos and he was instantly like, ‘Oh, this is good. We should actually probably work on this. And we should get you guys in the studio and sort of see how we work in the studio and in that space.'”
You can read the rest of our chat below the jump. “Open Door” is now out on Spotify! Fun note, our interview with Rubinstein, Rodarte, and Shoer is their first interview as band!!
Was there any nervousness when you went into the studio?
Rubinstein: “It doesn’t always work out well, if you bring people into the studio. Luckily, we all mesh. And he’s [Reilly] been friends with Jonny and Rod for a very, very long time. And we got in the studio and we all just immediately clicked, and the chemistry was immediately there. We all have very similar tastes of music and ideas and creative ideas. It sort of, one studio session after another things started coming together. Before we knew it, we had like three songs that were, I don’t know, maybe 50% done in the studio.
Then after that, I had a serious conversation with Jonny and I was like, ‘Listen, I really, really want put music out into the world.’ I mean, for me personally, music is my first love. I’ve learned so much about myself and about the world through music way before acting. And I was like, ‘I think this would make people happy and make people rock out.’ And for us personally, it’s something that we would listen to and we’re very proud of.
We went down the road of just working out of the studio and then we finally locked in on one song, which is our song coming out this Friday “Open Door’. And we went all in with that song and we finished it, maybe a couple weeks ago. But we felt so good about it, we love it. And I know I’ve listened to it maybe 200 times. I’m sure Jonny’s listened to it a thousand times, because he’s the musical ears, and I don’t know how to play an instrument. So, so for them, it’s a much different experience. And when I got the green light from Jonny and Rod that the song is good to go, I was like, ‘All right, let’s put it out into the world.'”
How did you decide “Open Door” would be your first single?
Shoer: “Not that it was easy, but once we got into the studio with it, from the demo stage into the studio and it kind of took off and it was like, ‘Oh yeah, hands down, this song, this is the one.’ And then we got other ones to finish up, and there’s more plans and stuff like that. But it was a pretty easy natural choice, I think.”
Rodarte: “Yeah. I think it’s the one that, of all the things that we’ve been working on, where everyone clicked on it pretty quickly, Jonny, me, Ronen, and then Mike, who’s been producing our music, just everyone’s vision on it synced up and everyone’s part came together. There’s a bunch of other stuff that we’ve been working on where some stuff is just Jonny’s stuff, or me and Jonny have been working on it for years and bringing it to Ronen now, or fooling around with this or fooling around with that, or trying to show Mike’s stuff. And we’re kind of, like Shoer said, halfway there on a few things, but this one, it just all worked out and sounded really good, and has a good energy, a fun kind of captures the fun that we’re having in there, so felt right.”
Is this a song that all three of you worked on together or was this something you guys had worked on separately and brought to the group at some point?
Shoer: “The main riff on the song is something that I’ve had probably since, maybe even high school that I’ve been working on this riff. I’ve played in a lot of bands throughout my life the last couple of decades, starting in my first band in elementary school. And played a lot of songs, a lot of parts, a lot of riffs over the years. This one never really found a home, but I always knew it represented the kind of music that I really like, it kind of captured the feeling. And it’s just a riff that never had a home.
Then once I brought it to Rod, we kind of messed with it for a while. Then when Ronen came in and started putting vocals over it, it kind of opened up other ideas, finally, after two decades of sitting on a riff, it finally snapped and clicked once I was with these guys. And Mike, our producer coming in. It found its home once I brought it to these guys. It’s been through a lot. And now it feels like it’s found its home”.
It’s always been with you though, just sitting, waiting for the right pair to join you.
Shoer: “Ready to get called up to the big leagues. And it’s just been waiting. And now it’s our first, our starter.”
For you, Ronen, and for you, Rodrigo, when you guys heard the riff for the first time, did you guys know that this was something that you wanted to help expand on and add your own musical talents to?
Rubinstein: “What’s funny is that this riff is probably the first riff that Jonny showed me when we lived together in 2017. And I was scrolling through my phone and I thought I had a video, but I remember taking a video of him playing it when we pretty much just moved in together. I just remember it was so catchy and so good. Like Jonny said, it’s very much music that I listened to and I enjoy. I’ve sort of been hearing that riff for the last five years now. When we really got into creating music, it obviously stuck out maybe because it’s been there the longest or maybe because it’s been in my brain for the longest.
But I always knew that there’s something there. And then once Jonny and Rod started putting more pieces together, it’s like we said, I think the vocal melodies came instantly. I mean, I remember it was the summer… No, it was New Year’s 2020 going into 2021. Me and Jonny were in my current house. We had nothing in the house, no furniture, nothing. We literally had a fire going, and we had this raggedy piece of wood that we used as a table. Jonny had his laptop and we had a couple instruments, I remember he played the song and we literally recorded the first vocals and the first melodies there. It just happened, and it just started flowing. That’s sort of when you know that you have something and you really have to listen to that. You have to trust that this, this could be something.
And it just was very smooth. It sort of just flowed out of us. And even when we were in the studio, I think we finished the music in one or two sessions, and then we finished vocals in like one session. It was quick, it’s sort of, when it’s there, it’s there and you got to listen to your gut. And then, and now we got a fucking song, man.”
Shoer: “It’s not the first song that we did. We actually wrote a bunch of songs, and then came to this one. It was always there, but we didn’t immediately go after it.”
Rodarte: “I’ve been hearing this riff for 11 years now, but same kind of thing, but for longer. When Shoer and I first moved in and discovered that each one played music and just started sharing. I mean, I’ve been hearing variations of it. We would kind of toy with it. You’d show it to me and not really do anything with it. We went on to write other songs together, and it’s kind of funny how it’s just come full circle.
It just kind of needed that structure of having a real band behind it, and a singer. I think that’s really what Ronen has done for us, is we’ve made music together for so long, but Ronen is a serious guy. I mean, in terms of his work ethic and putting together projects and really talented singer and lyricist. So it just that missing piece came and it collected after so long appearing it, which is really cool. It’s really special.”
Jonny, are you at ease now? Now that you no longer have that riff following you after all these years?
Shoer: “Yeah, I have to say, it feels really nice to set it free. It’s not easy to do, something that you hold really close and to let other people in and to let them mess with it. You’re kind of putting yourself in a vulnerable position. You’ve held on for so long, you’re like, ‘it’s your baby.’ And then you’re like, ‘okay.’ And you need a lot of trust, and I’m proud of every second of this entire song. For this, I’m the most proud of this song that I’ve ever done in any other band I’ve ever been in. And every single piece of it, I’m just really happy about it, so feels great.”
How did the lyrics come together? Because they’re pretty intimate, and when you hear it with the music, it’s kind of haunting.
Rubinstein: “It’s so interesting you said that because almost every single person I’ve showed it to has used the word haunting, but truly has used the word haunting. The influence is very, I guess, universal. It’s love and heartbreak. And I think that’s something that almost everybody, if not everybody has experienced, and specifically in relationships. With this song specifically, it’s about when you’re with someone and you want it to work so badly, but it doesn’t. I mean, the door is open, right? It’s like, ‘Leave or we could try to make it work.’ And it’s like that part of the song, ‘What are we fighting for? And what are we waiting for?’ I feel like it’s a question that a lot of people ask in their relationships.
I think the lyrics also came out quite smoothly, and it’s in a way, probably therapeutic. I think when you have a very clear inspiration, the words come out quite easily. For me, that’s sort of where I pull inspiration from, past experiences and personal experiences. And it just happens to be a love and heartbreak or it’s universal, and it’s what all the greatest songs are written about.”
Do you think a lot of people will be able to relate to the song?
Rubinstein: “I think a lot of people are going to be able to relate to it and have probably had those exact situations in their relationships. Or they may have even said those exact words, ‘What are you waiting for? Or what are we fighting for? I mean, the door is open.’ I think it’ll strike the chord with a lot of people”.
For all of you, what are you guys hoping that first time listeners to the song, get from it?
Shoer: “Good head bang. I just want them to rock out. There’s a lot of influences from all different kinds of music that we listen to in there. And it’s fun. We had fun making it. So that’s all I really care about, is to people having the fun listening to it and enjoying it.”
Rodarte: “No, just the fun part for me. It’s a meaningful song to us. Ronen’s lyrics struck a chord with me and Jonny and it means a lot. All that history it’s special and the music is great, and a lot of work went into it. But it’s also just a really fun song for us to play and record, and it makes us bounce when we hear it, it makes us smile. The friends that we showed it to, makes them smile. So just that people have fun listening to it.”
Rubinstein: “I think it’s an interesting song. I think your first impression, you just rock out. There’s especially the big outro where everything comes together and it’s just the heavy head banger. I mainly listen to the song in the car and it’s just such a fun experience. But I think it’s a song that once you go back to, you start figuring things out, and you start sort of having different experiences with different parts of the song. I think that’s sort of the best kind of art, is when you could experience it multiple times and have different experiences each time, whether it’s film or TV or music.
We created it, there’s been multiple times where I’m like, ‘Oh, shit, that part struck this cord, this part struck that cord.’ But first and foremost, I think people are just going to rock out and have a lot of fun with it. And it’s definitely a song that you should listen to maximum volume.”
Shoer: “There’s a lot going on and props and Mike Reilly, are really good friends and put a lot of work into this as well with us. So we’re welcome.”
So what’s next after the single? What’s next plan?
Rubinstein: “Listen, if people love it, if there’s a good sort of reception, we have a lot of stuff that we can go back into the studio and start working on. We have some things that I know the three of us would be really excited to finish and to put out into the world. I think we just continue making music that we feel good about and that we love, and that feels good to us. And I think if we sort of continue with that way, that it comes from inside of us and it feels good truly to us, I think people will resonate and they’ll feel good about it. And then, for me, the ultimate goal is to play in person live for people. That’s the ultimate goal. There’s probably no better feeling than playing in front of thousands of people, because I know the feeling I get when I go to concerts. I can’t imagine being the one on stage, so that’s sort of the goals we have.”
Shoer: “Even if we play one show to five people in a basement in New Jersey, I’m cool with that too. I just want to play a show, play some shows and just keep having fun in the studio with my friends and being authentic music, I would say.”
Have you guys ever performed live together?
Shoer: “Rod and I have done some stuff together, but nothing that big, and the three of us having together, no.”
Is there any dream location that you guys have, that would be the ideal? If you could kick off your tour with that song anywhere for the first time, where would it be?
Rubinstein: “Madison Square Garden.
Shoer: “Yes. I was going to say the same thing, MSG playing with Metallica and Harry Styles.
Metallica and Harry Styles?
Rodarte: “That’s our influences. Our influences are so different, it’s fun.”
Shoer: “Yeah. We reference all these bands in the studio and that’s what we love is, is the range, is wild and we all love everything in between it. So that would be the show, would be us, Metallica, Harry Styles at MSG.”
Rubinstein: “Kings of Leon would open for us.”
What other musicians influenced you?
Shoer: “I was definitely a pop punk kid, lip ring, vans since I was 10, so that kind of genre is a big influence. I know for Rubinstein too.”
Rodarte: “I think whether intentional, it’s in the front of our mind or not, that we grew up. Shoer and I both grew into music as kids definitely in that genre.
For my final question for all three of you, what are you guys hoping that fans just get from your music in general?
Rubinstein: “Man, it’s sort of what I look for in music. When I listen to it, I just want to feel good, and jam out. If it strikes an emotion or strikes a memory or something, that’s incredible too. But I just want to have a good time with music. I think music for me is my happy place. I think the beautiful thing about music it’s is so intimate. You could literally pop it into your ears wherever you are, or it could be, or car, in your bedroom. And you don’t need to go to a theater or you don’t need to be in front of a television. I think it’s so intimate and so personal. I think that’s why music is so universal and people connect with it forever, pretty much. So I just want people to really have a good time with it and rock out and hopefully enjoy it and listen to it multiple times, because I think there is multiple experiences with this song.”
Shoer: “I would say for fans, for people who listen to our music, what I would hope they get from it is maybe an opportunity to branch into other music that maybe they wouldn’t listen to. Like you’re a Kacey Musgraves fan and you listen to us and maybe then you’re like, ‘Oh, maybe I’ll start listening to slay or converge,’ or vice versa. Because maybe you hear something in there that changes something for you. My favorite bands are the ones that kind of transcend genres a little bit and act as a bridge between different genres.
So again, from all our collective experience and our collective influence, I think that we could possibly, and hopefully serve as a nice bridge for fans to kind of get exposed to different kinds of music and, and different kinds of parts and different kinds of riffs and things like that.”