After a long day of stressful classes, some students at NJIT find themselves doing just about anything to escape from drowning in homework ⏤ whether it is hanging out with friends in their dorms or simply going out to eat. But who needs any of that when you’ve got a free ticket to an incredible rock n’ roll concert in the Campus Center, performed by none other than the Lowlanders? Hosting shows from just around anywhere on campus, it’s hard to miss the thunderous beats of drums and captivating guitar riffs that jolt through your body. Established in 2022 and affiliated with the Society of Musical Arts (SOMA), we got an inside look at “the greatest college-funded rock band of our generation.”
The band’s musical journey began when SOMA first started holding auditions to have a band on campus, and this is where Paolo Nuñez, the main drummer and fourth-year Financial Technology major, expressed interest in forming a rock band. According to him, these auditions were possible because of the “previous president from two years ago, Jason Morlock.”
“[By the end]…we just so happened to be lucky enough to have enough people to start it.” And in a funny moment, rhythm guitarist Erik Lewis, a second-year Computer Science major, chimes in to question if “the band [has] been around longer than [he’s] been playing guitar?” (It has.)
Next, it is important to understand the context behind the selection of rock songs they choose to perform in front of an audience, and how each member’s interests in music genres influences their overall playing style. Bands such as “Good Kid” and “Phoneboy” were a big inspiration for jumpstarting Lewis’s guitar journey, whereas Louis Scafidi, a third-year Mechanical Engineering major, began with “I Prevail”and “My Chemical Romance” joining the mix. In a similar approach, Nuñez’s most recent influences were “Tool,” “Slipknot,” and musicians such as Joey Jordison, Eloy Casagrande, and Jay Weinberg — “Those three drummers are some of my big inspirations; their power, hitting fast, hitting hard.”
The Lowlanders aren’t just about diversity when it comes to their sound, however. Kie Li, a fourth-year Computer Science major and the band’s vocalist, has made it apparent how important it is to have women in male-dominated settings. While it might feel “a little bit lonely,” she believes “it is incredibly important to have different genders in bands, especially in rock.” For her, “seeing that other women are able to flourish in an area where they’ve been discouraged from being [in] inspired [her] greatly.” She asserts that “diversity is a great reminder that anyone can participate in anything, as long as they love it!”
A good performer must have a solid, personal routine before playing in front of an audience, and Louis expands on this note with his method for keeping a healthy voice. “I started drinking this tea called ‘throat coat,’ and it essentially has like a bunch of really good vitamins for your throat and keeps you healthy,” he explains. After being somewhat traumatized from being sick for 2-3 months, he also regularly goes on a “super allergy pill detox” to keep those illnesses at bay. On the other hand, Li believes in “completely dissociating and letting the muscle memory take over,” while Nuñez requires a quick warmup/exercise and a full stomach.
The members of the Lowlanders are all about living in the present, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have plans for their future. Soon, they’ll be attending several shows such as the Halloween-themed event on Nov. 1, in collaboration with RHA, Anime Club, eSports, and SOMA. According to Nuñez, a “secret, secret event [is] coming [up] on November 12th, establishing it[self] as a ‘solo Lowlanders gig.’” Apparently, there’s even a secret dress code — dress-to-impress and business casual, and for those who like to mosh, tees from your favorite bands; a professional jam night, as the Lowlanders put it.
In terms of the coming years, they hope to branch out, both in songwriting and playing more shows off-campus. “It’s really tough to fit [off-campus shows] into our schedules, but we’ve played off-campus a few times and it’s been a lot of fun,” Nuñez mentions. Coincidentally, their most recent show, Crossroads in Garwood, New Jersey, was pretty big: they made $22!
If you ever have free time and find yourself doing absolutely nothing, check to see if the Lowlanders are performing near you. You’re guaranteed to bop your head away to their enthusiastic live playing and performance and remember ⏤ they’re just college kids too.
