Divide By Zero – Interview – Thanks for Asking!

Divide By Zero – Interview – Thanks for Asking! – by Liam Sweeny.

We caught up with Shua from “Divide By Zero,” and asked what was happening. This is what was happening.

RRX: Every artist’s first song is a milestone. But so is the latest song. Describe the first song/album you recorded, and also the latest song/album you recorded; what are the differences?

Shua: We’ve retroactively labeled our first EP as our “demo EP” because it was THAT bad. We had only been a band for a few months and we rushed to the studio to get something recorded. In retrospect, we should have waited till we were tighter as a band (and some of the choices I made in my songwriting at the time, were less than stellar). I am glad we have that demo, so we can hear our progress through the years.

Our latest single “Sure as Hell” is the complete opposite of our first EP. It’s the first time I’ve truly loved a song we’ve released, and at risk of sounding braggadocious, I’m extremely proud of it. We’ve improved so much as a band through the years, and we worked with some incredibly talented people on the production.

RRX: Music genres are difficult for some artists. Some strictly adhere; others not so much. What is your perspective on the genre you play, or the genres you hover around?

Shua: So far, all of our music has been ska-punk, but we have plans to explore more punk adjacent genres. It’s our goal to release a pop-punk EP, an org-core EP and an EP influenced by emo rap. We’re also going to attempt to showcase our ska roots on all these records. Wish us luck!

RRX: We all get a little support from those around us. And we also can be impressed by our fellow performers. Who do you admire in your community, and why?

Shua: It’s been incredible to watch local Albany bands become national acts. We pride ourselves on being a ska-punk band, but Millington is by far the best ska band to come out of Albany. Honestly, I’d argue that Millington is the greatest ska band of this generation. They completely reinvented the genre by introducing horns to emo.

We’ve been extremely fortunate to work with their front man Cody on multiple occasions, and it’s been a highlight of my musical career to feature Millington on one of our songs.

RRX: A band is a business. A business of love, but you got to work for it. Let’s pretend, instead of a band, you all owned a business. What would it be, and why would it be good?

Shua: I’m actually in the process of starting my own business. I’m a graphic designer but I’ve begun focusing on my freelance work. I’ve even had the chance to work with some local Albany bands!

Our singer Chris is also a voice actor, and it takes a real entrepreneurial spirit to be successful in the voice over field.

RRX: Tell me about your most recent song, album, or video (you pick.) Tell me a story about what went into making it. Not a process, but a cool story that took place within the process.

Shua: For our latest single, we had the incredible opportunity of shooting our music video in Orlando at Full Sail University. There was a crew of 30 people and it was shot on a legitimate sound stage. We had our own green room and the crew treated us like rock stars! The whole team that made that music video were amazing, and we were so appreciative of being given the opportunity to record a video of that scale.

RRX: Let’s talk about your next project, your next few. Just not the ones you’re working on now. The ones you have your eyes on for the future. What’s coming to us?

Shua: I mentioned earlier that we have a goal of releasing 3 EPs. Two of those are already in the works (the emo rap EP is a debate amongst the band). It’s also my goal to write a concept album. I specifically have an idea for a story that I want to tell through multiple genres including punk, ska, jazz and electro swing.

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