Nikos

Nikos Klimentos spent seven years on the road, touring. “I had a fan base and a good following, not millions of followers, but we were well into the thousands,” Nikos recalled in an interview with AXS.com. “But I felt like my time with music was over,” Nikos confessed. “I had stopped caring about it. I was just tired of traveling and not being home. And, every time I saw my little brother, he was older and I felt like I was missing out on so much. I was certain I was done with it all.”

However, when Jeff Motekaitis (Westland) heard a batch of songs that Nikos had written, he urged Klimentos to get back into music. Eventually Klimentos formed a supergroup, of sorts, called NIKOS with Jeff on Bass, Matt Beach on Lead Guitar, and Mark Recca on Drums. Things happened quickly for NIKOS. It didn't take long for the band to sign contracts and find themselves going out on the road with the acclaimed High School Nation Tour and performing with such luminaries as Drake Bell (Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh”) and Jacob Latimore (“The Maze Runner”).

“I was definitely at my end,” Nikos reiterated. “But now I have a story that hopefully encourages people whether it’s musicians, artists, or anybody who wants to do anything. It’s crazy the way life works... if it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen somehow.”

NIKOS’ self-titled debut is a lush, progressive orchestral rock masterpiece. With its fiercely engaging rhythms, incendiary hooks, invigorating melodies, and the scorching, soul-cleansing purity of Klimentos enviable vocals, this EP triumphantly announces the arrival of an astounding, dynamic band that is destined to ignite the world with its blazing musical passion.

“I was a little nervous about the High School Nation Tour,” Nikos admitted. “Our music is for a slightly older demographic, but these kids are loving it! They are jumping and shouting and singing, and I’m just blown away by their reactions so far! I went into this tour thinking that this might not be our crowd, but after each show I’m signing posters and taking selfies for about two hours!”

“Again,” Klimentos concluded, “That’s why I tell people, if you have a real passion for music... or anything that’s inside of you, you can try and stop it, you can try to run away, but if it’s meant to be it’s meant to be. I thought I was done for good, but here I am, right now, playing a different city every night. Your calling will eventually get a hold of you, even if you try to run away from it!”

NIKOS self-titled debut is available today (Oct. 21). For more information on this up-and-coming band, visit them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter, and watch their lyric video for “The Chase” on YouTube. - AXS.com

Who are you and what are you doing here? (what is your name, what is the band and what is your role in the band?)
My name is Nikos Klimentos. The band is called NIKOS. I am the singer/song-writer and guitarist for this band.

How did the band start?
This current project “NIKOS” started during spring 2014. Our bass player Jeff Motekaitis was living in LA and I was living in New Jersey. He called me while working with a well known management company and asked me if I’d be interested in him passing around my most recent recordings. A month later he called me and told me all about the positive feedback he was getting. Mid summer we put together a final lineup and now we are on the full US High School Nation tour with Drake Bell from Nickelodeon series “Drake and Josh”.

How would you describe your band?
Our sound is Orchestral Rock/Pop. I’d say our music is for fans of bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, Muse, and Relient K with our own symphonic twist.

If you had to choose one song you’ve written that best defines your band which one would it be?

I’d say “The Chase” but not so much musically. Lyrically it’s a positive and uplifting song and encouraging fans has always been a goal of mine.

In this day and age where anyone is pretty much able to pick up an instrument, what would you say sets your band apart from the rest?
We’ve been playing in different bands over the past 8 years, touring the country, overseas, working with labels, managers, booking agents, etc. Our experience with the business side and our songwriting history I would sets us apart as a newer act. We are taking everything we’ve learned from the past and applying it into NIKOS and pushing this as hard as we can.

Where are people able to hear your songs?

Our full EP will be out on October 21st, 2014. So far the lyric video for “The Chase” is on YouTube and PureVolume and you can hear our second release “Illusions” over on Under The Gun Review.

Are you playing any shows anytime soon (if you live outside of Australia, do you have any plans for a trip down under)?
We are currently on tour with Drake Bell, Jacob Latimore, Leroy Sanchez, and Dakota Bradley. We just finished playing California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico! We’ve got 3 weeks of amazing shows left on this tour and we hope to be touring this winter as well. - Cool Try Bro

The pop rock musician, Drake Bell, has been announced as the headliner for the annual “High School Nation Tour” with Nikos, Dakota Bradley, Bean and hosted by, DJ UNIEQ. The tour will be visiting high schools across the U.S. this fall. This run of dates will be in support of Drake’s newest album, Ready, Steady, Go!. You can check out the dates, details and poster, after the break.


9/16 Los Angeles, CA
9/17 Fresno, CA
9/18 Modesto, CA
9/19 Sacramento, CA
9/22 Salem, OR
9/23 Portland, OR
9/24 Vancouver, WA
9/25 Seattle, WA
9/26 Spokane, WA
9/29 Boise, ID
9/30 Salt Lake City, UT
10/2 Denver, CO
10/3 Colorado Springs, CO
10/6 Albuquerque, NM
10/7 Amarillo, TX
10/8 Oklahoma City, OK
10/9 Springfield, MO
10/10 St. Louis, MO
10/13 Chicago, IL
10/14 Indianapolis, IN
10/15 Cincinnati, OH
10/16 Columbus, OH
10/17 Pittsburgh, PA
10/20 Baltimore, MD
10/21 Virginia Beach, VA
10/22 Charlotte, NC - Digital Tour Bus

NIKOS kick starts their self-titled EP perfectly with the melodic, energetic, “Illusions.” Filled with stunning imagery, rich instrumentals, vocal harmonies, and an alternative rock edge, the track is an incredible showcase of the band’s talents from the opening notes. Nikos Klimentos’s vocals are almost shockingly powerful, with a true grit to them that add depth and character to every line.

“Another Sunday Morning” continues to explore the heavier sounds of rock mixed with the catchy tone of a good pop anthem. Matt Beach’s guitar playing is hard to rival throughout the track, sounding as though influence was drawn from some of the better pop-punk records of the last ten years. With a carefully orchestrated instrumental, the song transitions through several tones and emotions without ever slipping into the “What-The-Hell-Are-They-Doing” Crack. Similarly, “Dancing With The Dead” manages to explore a darker lyrical style while maintaining a catchy tone overall, oozing with originality and accomplishing the task of putting out a love song of sorts without coming off as overly mushy.

Melodic, wealthy in instrumental prowess, building choruses, and an almost indescribable talent behind it, “The Chase” is a standout track on an already perfect EP. Reminiscent of the vocal power of Thirty Seconds To Mars, the musicality of We The Kings and/or Every Avenue, NIKOS have produced a powerhouse of a single that will leave listeners completely entranced and desperate for more. Lyrically, musically, and even technically, this is the perfect track. Put this on your Must Have For Fall supply list. However, while “The Chase” is the standout, “Step, Step” is the surprise. With a soft, vulnerable, acoustic quality, it is by far the most emotionally powerful song, with an explosion of sound coming seemingly out of nowhere as it builds at the bridge. When Mark Recca’s steady drumming slows, and an almost a cappella moment occurs, the song takes your breath away.

To close out the EP, the hauntingly brilliant “Anthem” blasts through the speakers, with heavy bass undertones (courtesy of Jeff Motekaitis), pounding rhythm, MCR Black Parade worthy tempo, and bittersweet lyrics, it’s impossible to resist.

I would be a liar if I said I found NIKOS’s self-titled EP to be anything short of perfection. As an introduction to the band, it is a wonderful preview at where they are headed, and how certain they are in their sound already. Yet another band to watch and anticipate great things from. - Planet Stereo

Nikos are prepping their debut EP, The Chase, and today we're excited to premiere the lyric video for the New Jersey pop-rockers' first single and lead/title track for the upcoming project. Pulling from inspirations like Muse and the Van's Warped Tour (something the band members have experienced with bands past), the four-piece have successfully melded rock with pop sensibilities. Watch the lyric video above.

"If people can only listen to one song from us, I want it to be a positive, uplifting experience," vocalist/band founder Nikos Kilmentos explains. "I want them to feel good. That's why "The Chase" is the band's lead-off single, an energetic, instantly memorable tune with a soaring refrain of, 'Your love is all I need.'"

The Chase is slated for an October 21 release, just as the band wraps up their High School Nation tour with Drake Bell, Jacob Latimore and Dakota Bradley. Get more information here, and check out a full list of dates below.

NIKOS HIGH SCHOOL NATION TOUR DATES
9/16 Los Angeles, CA
9/17 Fresno, CA
9/18 Modesto, CA
9/19 Sacramento, CA
9/22 Salem, OR
9/23 Portland, OR
9/24 Vancouver, WA
9/25 Seattle, WA
9/26 Spokane, WA
9/29 Boise, ID
9/30 Salt Lake City, UT
10/2 Denver, CO
10/3 Colorado Springs, CO
10/6 Albuquerque, NM
10/7 Amarillo, TX
10/8 Oklahoma City, OK
10/9 Springfield, MO
10/10 St. Louis, MO
10/13 Chicago, IL
10/14 Indianapolis, IN
10/15 Cincinnati, OH
10/16 Columbus, OH
10/17 Pittsburgh, PA
10/20 Baltimore, MD
10/21 Virginia Beach, VA
10/22 Charlotte, NC - Purevolume

Do you find yourself aching in between Angels & Airwaves releases? Pacing like a criminal on the run, waiting for a new 30 Seconds to Mars song? Fret no longer, New Jersey’s NIKOS is going to take good care of you. With their new self-titled EP, they will surely join the ranks of bands like 30STM and Muse, with an accessible yet symphonic brand of pop-rock that will shake you to your core. There’s nothing quite like NIKOS around today— they’re bordering on arena rock, yet they could just as easily play for the fickle crowds of Warped Tour.

The ambitious EP begins with the soaring “Illusions”, the vocals of Nikos Kilmentos ringing out like church bells on Sunday, punctuating the din of the strings and keyboards that are sprinkled throughout the album. It’s just the kind of sound that would make Freddie Mercury proud, while still being relevant enough for the iTunes libraries of the high schoolers the band is playing for with Drake Bell, Jacob Latimore and Dakota Bradley this fall.

Things slow down quite a bit with the melodiously heartbreaking “Step, Step”. It’s still got the same huge feeling as the rest of the EP, but it’s softer, as if the rest of the EP was slugging you and this song is holding you tightly, whispering words of encouragement.

The stand out of the record is the Muse-esque “Anthem”, which is just that: an anthem. It’s darker and heavier than the previous songs, jarring after the gentleness of “Step, Step”. The band are not unlike a bird that finally reveals its entire wingspan, taking your breath away.

This EP can be summed up into one word: epic. Sprawling and feeling as though it will burst at the seams at any moment, this is not a release to be missed.

U&U’s Favorite Tracks: “Illusions”, “Step, Step”. - Unsigned & Unleashed

Gearing up for the release of their self-titled EP on October 21, NIKOS are dropping the provocative pop track “Illusions” exclusively via Under The Gun Review. Dark enough to make you bang your head, yet catchy enough to stick with you for hours to come, NIKOS are creating a new brand of aggressive, driven pop music.

The band is out on the High School Nation tour this Fall with Drake Bell (yes, the guy from Drake & Josh), Jacob Latimore, and others. Catch this act now before the record drops and an inevitable explosion of popularity occurs. Singer Nikos Klimentos had this to say about the new track, “Illusions”:

“’Illusions’ is a very personal track on this EP. It was written during a very heartbreaking point in time for me. Most artists have that one bittersweet love song- however, this piece has an optimistic perspective and a hopeful undertone. The chorus plays “You’re the only thing I wanted but still I’m here with illusions of devotion. I won’t give up.” It was a darker time but I wasn’t ready to cave in. Without knowledge of what was coming next in my life, I wrote this song in confidence of something great impending. Strength and hope got me through my heavy heart and that is the message in ‘Illusions.’ Never give up on love.”

You can stream “Illusions” below and check out the band’s tour dates as well. Be on the look-out for the record as it drops next month and leave your thoughts in the comments below. - Under The Gun Review