Interview: Alt Rock Nicotine Dolls Talk New EP

Written by Peter Garcia, Photography by Hannah Greve

Formed in 2017, NYC’s Nicotine Dolls have pushed the boundaries of alternative rock and pop through visceral and honest storytelling since their first release, Fake. Made up of singer Sam Cieri, guitarist John Hays, bassist John Merritt, and drummer Abel Tabares, the group’s dreamlike and dynamic instrumentation is sonically captivating, and when paired with Cieri’s imagery, it’s easy to get lost in their narrative of manic episodes and complex relationships. After an appearance on the 2022 season of America’s Got Talent, Cieri was flooded with praise from judges. Still, the band chose to turn away from the opportunity, wary of a differing agenda from the show and committed to each other. Now, with their recent signing to Nettwerk Music Group, the band is set to release their newest EP, How Do You Love Me, a captivating exploration of anxiety and heartbreak through a volatile repertoire of energies. Ahead of the release, Cieri was able to give more insight into the recording process and moments that shaped the project. 

Peter: Listening to the EP, I’m sensing a collection of moments from relationships, chock full of reflection and visual storytelling, but I would like to hear how the EP came to be. What inspired the project as a whole? What stages did it go through to become the touching collection I’m listening to?

Sam: It always starts with my inability to sit still. We have been working on an album for a while, but I had a handful of songs that we couldn’t just sit on, and they seemed to sit inside a year where a lot happened. How Do You Love Me was the first song to come out, and it got me excited to put something symbiotic together. I also turned 30 and felt like I needed to mark that.

Peter: Describe the songwriting and recording process for the band. Are most lyrics written solo and then shared to work further?

Sam: The songs will usually start around 11 at night, with a full demo by the morning. I like to put a whole picture together before bringing it to the guys. They get a stack of songs, and then when we all connect to something, the demo gets deconstructed, and they do their thing. The goal is always to tear it down and build it back up together in the studio. If we’re lucky, we get the time to work them out on the road, and that’s where the fans (with their reaction) unknowingly give us their input by how they respond to the song. We’ve changed whole tunes from the ground up because it wasn’t connecting in the room.

Peter: You explore a lot of different styles on this EP, from the upbeat breakdown at the end of “How Do You Love Me Now” to the deeply reflective “30 Somehow” and “In My Opinion.” Do your songs usually get written with their feeling/pace in mind? For instance, I could see the lyrics of “SLIP” fitting into an acoustic ballad if it weren't for the high-energy instrumentation. 

Sam: Redundancy within collected work is tedious to me. The thread feels inherent in how we instinctually put the music together, allowing us to be free to push into whatever corners the song wants to go. That was the most pretentious way I could’ve said that, but hopefully, it clears.

Peter: You’re gearing up for the official release of the EP but have promoted through singles like “Real House,” a cut that is particularly charged with emotion. I love how your imagery carries the story of this facade relationship throughout the song. Do you gain a sort of emotional respite from framing charged situations like these in writing? Once the songs finally come out, are you ever nervous about reception/sharing these moments?

Sam: Thank you! The imagery in that song specifically sounds exactly like how I saw it in my head. With writing, I tend to have to see the visuals during the process. Like watching the movie and writing the song is just putting the soundtrack together. I’m always nervous about reception, but once they’re out, I tend to pull away and move on. The songs are the most important thing in my life until they are released, and then I adopt the ideology that they no longer belong to the band but to the fans and all willing bystanders who hear them. 

Peter: I love the crescendo and unique drumming during the final chorus. Can you talk at all about the recording process for the song? Did you have a vision for that finale in the beginning stages? What goes into creating a moment like that?

Sam: That ending was me telling Abel (Drums) that I imagined someone being pulled back into a TV set just as they are about to reach out to the person they love. He ran with it, and I lost my mind while he put it together. That’s the power of the band. We’ve been with each other long enough that when we are recording, I know they’ll take whatever vague or specific idea I have to its highest realization (more than often beyond it). That trust allows all of us to really go for it whenever the song asks for it. 

Peter: Finally, you're bringing your new music to fans live on a sold-out US tour. What songs are your favorites to play on tour? Are you excited about any places or dates in particular?

Sam: SLIP is a blast to play live, and I’m exhausted each time, which I love. That said, my personal favorite is “How Do You Love Me”; that was the scariest song to put out due to how personal it is regarding my mental health, so when a room of people sing all that back to you, it’s difficult to top that feeling. Nowhere specific pushes up, to play a Sold Out tour when two years ago we were playing to four people in a basement makes the whole thing pretty overwhelmingly wonderful.