Siena Saba
Audio By Carbonatix
Shoegaze is a genre that remains very much alive and well in Texas. trauma ray, flowerbed, Glare and plenty more have given us an abundance of melancholic melodies to drown out our sorrows with. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly why the Lone Star State has become such a hotspot for the genre, but Novulent thinks it’s simply a result of everyone pushing back against the state’s mainstream country music culture that they grew up with.
“I think collectively people in Texas were like, ‘I’m gonna start a shoegaze band, that’s gonna stand out!’ and we all ended up lowkey doing the same thing, and ended up creating this community on accident,” they say.
Novulent (who identifies as they/them) is the latest breakout star from Dallas, thanks to a steady stream of quality tracks, a few viral hits and a small push from fellow Texan, Megan Thee Stallion. The Houston rapper used Novulent’s song “scars” as the background music on a post with pictures from her trip to Japan, and the track went viral.
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“It happened insanely quickly,” Novulent says. “It was blowing up right when I’d started college. I was 19, and it was so weird trying to tell my mom, ‘Yeah, I’m gonna drop out because this song I made just blew up’ right after getting into school.”
We got to talk with them over Zoom ahead of their inaugural NOVMAS FEST, a new annual rock festival that’ll kick off on Nov. 29 at Puzzles Deep Ellum. The Halloween-themed event features performances from Kwasi Kao, an Atlanta-born artist, as well as local hardcore bands Rosasharin, Dead Butterflies and Bleeding Truth. This is a stacked lineup for any headbangers out there, so be sure to dress up and pop out.
Originally, Novulent aimed to become a tattoo artist, but they quickly fell in love with music after toying around with BandLab at 17. They’d always had an urge to sing, but were initially too shy, so they started out making dreampop with lower, more atmospheric vocals, then later shifted to the heavier sound you hear now.
“saviour” opens up VOL. I with Novulent singing ethereally over brooding guitars and drums that are surprisingly rhythmic and in the pocket for this style of music. One of their newer tracks, “rip,” is an ironically upbeat-sounding song with big, bright riffs that nicely contrast its lyrics dealing with uncertainty in love and past failed relationships. After beginning with gentle, resonant plucked chords, the beat drop in “soul ties” feels like falling backwards through a glass table into an 80-degree pool – the guitars swell to atmospheric levels as sharp snare hits and crash cymbals wash over Novulent’s low, almost guttural roar.
A common trait of Novulent’s music is that their songs are very short and to the point. Instead of overstaying their welcome and looping a chorus three times, Novulent leaves the listener wanting more every chance they get.
Their most popular track to date, “scars,” features Novulent’s light, distorted voice over a lax, melancholic riff with near-dead drums that push the track forward. Really, our only complaint is that the song only lasts a minute and a half, but that’s what the repeat button is for, right? It’s Novulent’s favorite song that they’ve made, but not just because of its popularity.
“‘scars’ basically explains the whole origin of how I became Novulent and decided to take music seriously; friendship betrayals, relationship betrayals, everything,” they explain. “When I made ‘scars,’ nobody cared about it, but I always liked the song. It’s whatever; usually, the artist’s favorites never end up blowing up. Then it randomly did and became my most-streamed song by a mile.”
The 21-year-old quickly claims Deftones as their favorite band, a surprisingly divisive statement in the shoegaze scene considering the band’s undeniable success and impact within the genre. Novulent still remembers watching Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge as a kid and going crazy when “Change (In the House of Flies)” came on. This fairly common Gen-Z pipeline from Dragon Ball to Deftones is what led Novulent to fall in love with the genre and further explore other styles of rock.
Aside from music, Novulent is an avid gamer. Their all-time favorite title is Persona 5, an action-packed JRPG that usually takes around 100 hours to complete.
“Yeah, I’ve beaten the game four times now,” they say casually about a feat that surely took them no less than three weeks of pure playtime.
One of the reasons Persona is so well-beloved by fans is its spectacular soundtrack. From bass-slapping acid jazz bangers like “Last Surprise” to low-key, rainy day music like “Beneath The Mask,” there’s a little bit of everything to love, which is something Novulent has drawn inspiration from for their own music.
Courtesy of Interscope Capitol
“I love how [Lyn Inaizumi] sings and how dynamic the tracks are in general,” Novulent says. “That’s why I don’t stick to one type of sound, I like exploring. If I’m gonna make a more shoegaze song, I don’t want it to be basic, cookie-cutter shoegaze, I’m gonna add other elements to it.”
To keep things fresh, Novulent employs a special method to help determine when a track is ready for release. After making a song, they won’t listen to it again for a month or two. This way, the next time they listen, it will be with fresh ears, and they can hear the song without any of the post-creation bias.
“Real music is music that lasts a long time, not something that just hits in an instant,” they say. “If it doesn’t pass my own test, I just don’t release it at all. I can’t expect other people to enjoy it if I don’t.”
Their unwavering criteria for quality have made the creation of their latest project, VOL. 3, a longer process than first expected, but Novulent knows it’s well worth taking the extra time to put out something they’re truly proud of.
“I’d had 12 or so tracks made for it, then whenever I heard my peers in the scene drop their music, people like Wisp, quannnic, Midrift, I listened to my own album and scrapped it entirely,” Novulent says without a hint of regret. “I reworked the entire thing because I realized it was nowhere near the quality my peers around me are making.”
This level of dedication and high personal standards is a crucial element in what has led to Novulent’s success. Despite their darker, moody aesthetic and young age, they speak about their craft with a soft, free-spirited wisdom that even some of the most seasoned rockers may never grasp. We couldn’t be more pleased to have Novulent putting on for our city, and we’re definitely looking forward to dressing up for NOVMAS FEST this weekend.
NOVMAS FEST featuring Novulent with special guests Kwasi Kao, Dead Butterflies, Rosasharin and The Missing Peace will take place on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 6 p.m. at Puzzles Deep Ellum, 2824 Main St, Dallas. Tickets are on sale starting at $33.78 at eventim.us.
