Never Loved: Quirky Alt Rock from the Sunshine State

Photo Credit: Brunel Irene

Never Loved: Quirky Alt Rock from the Sunshine State

Bursting out of sunny South Florida in nothing short of an epic way is Never Loved, an alternative rock trio ready to make an impact with their superbly quirky anthems.  Their Self-Titled EP debut was released last year via Equal Vision Records, produced by Matt Squire (All Time Low, Simple Plan) featuring their amazing single Dead Inside.  The band has returned, releasing a new track entitled Over It, once again produced by Matt Squire as well as co-written by none other than Nick Wheeler from the All American Rejects.  In this interview with Highwire Daze, Cameron Knopp and Shane O’Brien of Never Loved discuss the creation of Over It, working with Nick Wheeler, releasing new music in these turbulent times, and a whole lot more.  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Never Loved, and how long the band has been together.
Cameron:  I’m Cameron Knopp and I sing/play guitar in Never Loved. We’ve been a band for almost 2 years.

Shane:  I’m Shane O’Brien and I play Guitar for Never Loved. I’ve been playing with the band for a little over a year now.

Where is the band based out of and what is your local music scene like there?
Shane; Most of the band is based out of Fort Lauderdale. However, I’m the only one living in Orlando. There are some really amazing bands that have come out of the Florida scene. There’s a good range of different sized venues here in Orlando, but in South Florida it feels like it’s either huge rooms or DIY spaces. Even though Never Loved is a new band, we’ve all meet from different projects in the local scene throughout the years.

How did you wind up signing with Equal Vision Records?
Cameron:  One day I got a call that they were interested in signing us so we ended up showcasing for them. It felt like a perfect fit. They’re such an incredible label and it’s an honor being part of their roster.

What was the inspiration for the new song “Over It”?
Cameron:  I was going through a rough week. I remember feeling frustrated, stuck, and kinda just… over it (yes pun intended). One day out of the blue the chorus melody popped into my head and I started demo’ing out the song at home.

What was it like working with Nick Wheeler from the All American Rejects on Over It?
Cameron:  It was amazing! We clicked instantly when it came to writing. Nick is an incredible writer and it was an honor working/learning from him.

Select any other Never Loved song and what inspired the lyrics.
Cameron:  Ooo. The song I’m going to choose for this is “Where Do I Go From Here?”. This song is kind of a mood right now (2020 am I right). What inspired that song was the feeling of not knowing what to expect next in life. It’s cool reflecting on when I wrote that song because although I didn’t know what to expect next, everything ended up working out someway, somehow. It’s a nice reminder that everything will be okay. –

How close is Never Loved to releasing a new EP or full length?
Cameron:  Sooner than later 😉.

What has it been like to release new music right in the middle of a pandemic and so much social unrest in the world?
Shane:  We’ve been sitting on this single for a while now because there have been more important things going on that we felt needed everyone’s attention. It didn’t feel right to say “Hey, check out my band’s new song!” while people were protesting in support of Black Lives Matter and losing their jobs due to Covid-19.  It was difficult to decide when we should release the song because these situations are still occurring every day.  However, we hope that people may find some sort of relief from the everyday stress of life by hearing some new music.

What are you looking forward to the most about the rescheduled Armor For Sleep tour in 2021?
Shane:  I’m really excited to watch Armor For Sleep play each night. They are one of those bands I’ve looked up to for so long that being on this tour is a dream. I remember watching their music videos on Fuse TV when I was younger!

What could one expect from a live Never Loved show?
Shane:  High energy! It feels like each show is unique for me personally. Sometimes I’ll look up and see Camm is hanging from the rafters or he’s jumping into the crowd to sing along with people. One time he started eating jalapenos that some fans threw on stage in the middle of a song.

If Never Loved could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Cameron:  Great question! It’s kind of tough because there’s so many amazing artists past to present. Two bands that stick out to me would be Green Day and The Smashing Pumpkins. Both of those artists have always been an influence for me.

If the music of Never Loved was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
Shane:  I’d like to think it would be some sort of mystery flavor I’ve never heard of. Maybe a donut that’s sour-sweet or in between. I’d also hope it would be from Donut Friend or Voodoo Donut.

What’s up next for Never Loved?
Cameron:  Shane is doing the dead inside challenge so there’s that…

Any final words of wisdom?
Shane:  “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take – Wayne Gretzky”