Nothing But the Truth
Domenic Palermo on Living Loud and Paying the Price
“I can comfortably say that the band has saved my life. I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have this as an outlet.”
By Fred Spanner
Nothing’s frontman, Domenic Palermo, has never done things the easy way. If his life were a movie, it would be grainy, loud, and slightly uncomfortable to watch. Ravaged early on by street violence that landed him nearly two years in prison, followed by years of chemical excess and self-destruction, Palermo has spent most of his adult life pushing forward with one foot in the fire.
Now, with his band Nothing’s new album a short history of decay landing on February 27th, he’s staring straight down the barrel of everything that’s finally catching up with him.
Since emerging from Philadelphia and accidentally helping kick-start the 2020s shoegaze renaissance, Nothing has lived hard and toured harder. There’ve been endless miles, endless records, and a second album so influential it was later named one of Pitchfork’s Best Shoegaze Records of All Time.
But behind the wall of noise and acclaim, the cost has been mounting. In the five years since their last release, Palermo has been forced to slow down and take stock; of time slipping through his fingers, of a band that became all-consuming, and of a past he’d spent years outrunning.
Most confronting of all is his health. Palermo lives with essential tremors, a Parkinson’s-like neurological condition that causes his body, and now his voice, to shake uncontrollably. Rather than bury it under reverb and distortion, a short history of decay leaves it exposed, a physical reminder of age, damage, and survival etched directly into the songs. The record also sees him opening doors he’s kept shut until now, singing openly about his upbringing and an abusive father for the first time.
This is a bruised, brutally honest stock-take from a frontman who’s lived fast, paid the price, and decided that the only way forward is the truth, no matter how raw it sounds.
Domenic is at home in New York City when we chat.
I hear so many elements of other bands in Nothing: Smashing Pumpkins, Pale Saints, and Nirvana, to name a few. How do you feel about sitting under the ‘Shoegaze’ banner?
It’s always been a bit of a difficult thing for me with the genre stuff. I’m a fan of all the bands you just mentioned; the early UK shoegaze bands and the 90s American shoegaze that followed thereafter. It was inspirational to the early sound of Nothing. Shoegaze is the one most people go with, but I don’t get too caught up in the genre game.
I was inspired by all the bands you mentioned, so it’s been great to see how that’s evolved since we started playing. There’s a ton of new bands now from the Philadelphia area, which is great. It’s like a blossoming scene of where all of this is coming from.
I guess what I’m saying is that we get lumped in with some really great people, so I’m all for it. It’s what I’ve loved doing since I was a kid. I don’t always see it, but I don’t fight it.
How much of the band’s evolution has been through self-destruction?
Unfortunately, a lot of what happens with this band is inspired by my life, which is a little turbulent sometimes. But that’s always what’s got me moving. I’ve always said that writing for Nothing has always been therapeutic for me. It’s how I’ve learnt to grow and deal with certain things.
We’ve been doing this for 15 years now, and I’ve found that people attract themselves to that. A lot of people have been experiencing the same things that I’ve experienced. They feel a connection with us. I always try to be as honest as I can. I learned early on that honesty is the best policy for what we do. It’s worked, but for me it can be a double-edged sword.
Has Nothing been a safety net for you?
I’ve been asked that a lot, and I can comfortably say that the band has saved my life. I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have this as an outlet. With all the inner rage and turmoil, and everything in life that’s guided me into trouble, has led me here.
I’ve always been in turmoil, so if I wasn’t doing this, I guess I’d be in some kind of trouble. I really don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have this project keeping me on track. Before it existed, I was in a very strange place, so that alone gives me the answer.
Your new album is brutally honest. Do you ever think you reveal a bit too much about yourself at times?
Yes, always. It’s always a hurdle I have to get over when I’m writing. I wonder how much information I want to allow the public to have. At times, I alluded to things and kept it open so it wouldn’t be so literal, but, as you get older, time has its way of making you more comfortable with things. It’s art, though it’s hard to admit that.
If there’s no honesty in my art,t then it’s kind of shit. It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be painful. I’ve put a lot of distance between myself and some of the things that have happened to me, timewise, so they’re easier to deal with. At the end of the day. If you’re honest with yourself, you can avoid the inevitable embarrassment of trying to be something that you’re not.
Do you think this album shows how you’ve grown stronger as an individual?
In previous records, I think I was trying to create a plan of action on how to deal with certain things. On this album, I feel I’m just telling the stories. I think that's the big difference. It’s like a novella at this point.
What’s the best thing about getting older?
For the most part, I’m in quite a bit of pain all the time, which stops me from doing a lot of things. I think as I’ve got older, I’ve made better decisions. I’m less rash, and I’m thinking a lot more before I jump.
Also, I think it’s the clarity that comes with harbouring things from the past, and seeing things around you decline, but still seeing the things around you that really matter. I think the world is shit, and some people are terrible to each other. Do I secretly wish a comet would come and wipe us out so we can start again? Absolutely, haha.
But I have a great support group around me, including friends and family that I love. Rather than trying to self-destruct, I want to be a good person for the people around me.
Are you aware of a younger audience discovering you?
The cool thing about Nothing is that we always had that. We’re somehow able to ride through time and have this hardcore group of people who remain loyal to us and will do so until I do something stupid, or they die. We have a broad range of ages now. You can see it at our shows.
Is touring freedom or hell?
There’s a lot of freedom in hell. That would be my answer.
How do you see Nothing evolving after this album?
To me, this feels like a 360 for the band. At this point, I’ve kind of said everything I need to say. Musically, it’s the natural progression of where Nothing should be at this moment. And that’s a great feeling.
I try not to think about what’s next. I just try to keep putting one foot in front of the other.
a short history of decay is released on 27th February.
