Internet Tears singer, songwriter, and frontman Daniel Louis fills us in on the band’s New England roots and music style, gives us a BTS look at the production behind their music videos, and more! The band, comprised of Daniel Louis (vocals), Zack Apuzzo (drums), Esteban Rivera (guitar), and Mikey Feliciano (bass), released their newest single “Feels Like Summer” on July 12th.
How would you describe Internet Tears and the music you create?
Internet Tears is a mix of a few things. We are 100% the sad indie pop-rock band of Connecticut, with a hint of alt-rock and essences of funk sometimes.
Who are some of your musical influences? Is there a time period in music that inspires you?
Matty Healy from the 1975, Tyler Glenn from Neon Trees, Mark Hoppus from blink-182, and I would say the ‘80s and ‘90s are a huge influence on my musical taste, as well as the 2010s.
Where do you hope to be in a year from now as a band?
We’d love to have a full length record out and just keep the train rolling. We enjoy what we do. We want to make more music videos, for sure, because we love having visual art with our music.
Hailing from Connecticut, what’s your favorite thing about being a New England-based band?
The food is pretty good here. Especially in the city of New Haven. But one of the best–and our favorite–parts about it is being so close to New York City. We love having the opportunity to play out there and it’s always a nice change of pace and vibe going to New York vs Connecticut. The music taste and culture is just slightly different in a way where our band seems to be more suitable. But we do love CT. We love performing in Milford, Connecticut, for the skate park audience, and there’s actually a great music culture here. You just have to find where you belong.
Funky PPL Press is an east coast, upstate NY-based publication, so we love highlighting where we are from. Do you have a favorite music venue in New England/NY/NJ or a dream venue to perform at?
We’d love to perform at Gramercy Theatre in New York. In our previous band, which was based in NYC, Mikey and I had the opportunity to put on a great performance there, so I think returning as “Internet Tears” and providing this brand new revamped experience would be something we’d love to do and dream/talk about.
Daniel, we’d love to hear about how you directed and starred in your own music video for “Feels Like Summer”. How was that process? When you wrote the song, did you have a vision in mind for the music video? Where did the idea to incorporate 8mm film come from?
This was my fourth video that I directed, produced, and wrote for the band. It’s not easy to wear all the hats because it’s a little more stressful when it’s all in my hands, but I think because of that, the look and the overall end product is very definitive. More so than if we collaborated with someone who didn’t understand the vision 100%.
My vision for each project/video is very specific, and I’ve been waiting for a while to do a 1970s-themed music video inspired by “That ‘70s show” and the overall aesthetic of that era. “Feels Like Summer” was the perfect fit.
I was fortunate enough to find a 8mm vintage camera that I got for about $30 and restored to work properly, and then I found a company to develop the film. I was excited to have the option to shoot on actual film and experiment this time around. Trying something new, even if it’s a small edition, can really progress your work.
Lastly, what is a piece of advice you’d give to someone who is looking to have a career in the music industry?
Work causes you to be passionate, not because you’re looking for a paycheck. The music industry is very competitive, invalidating, and no one’s going to hold your hand in any aspects of this industry. Everyone has something to prove and you get respect from the hard work you put in yourself. So my advice is to work hard, show your gifts, your art and your vision, and if you’re passionate, love it and believe in it yourself. Other people will then look at your art and feel that energy that you put into it and understand it that much more.
We are so excited to hear more Internet Tears soon! In the meantime, follow their musical journey through the links below.
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