A Q&A with Neverskin

Netherlands alt-outfit with a Nu-Metal heartbeat…

What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
The title of our last released single is ‘Time’. For me personally it is a point of view on the passage of time. Both for me personally in my life, but also on the state of the world, past, present and future. But what it means to me can differ from what you or someone else hears or reads into the text. I write metaphorically for that reason.

What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
As we are doing this project solo and thus independently, we get to deal with both sides of the coin. What I mean by that is, the beauty of independence is that, independence, free to take as much time as you deem necessary, free to make every single artistic and creative choice, no boundaries or limits, just the ones we set for ourselves. The flipside of that coin is the time and work it costs to release the track, shepherding the social media platforms, coming up with promo material, making the visualisers and/or lyrics videos (although this is also a creative and fun process). If I am completely honest, the work that goes into the release and maintaining socials and relevance is definitely not our favourite part of it.

Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
My boy Remy, honestly and truly one of the best producers out there, in my humble opinion. His drive and his insight, combined with his constant desire to stay up to date on the latest plugins and production techniques, make him a real force to be reckoned with. And for those who don’t know, Remy is also the guitarist in Neverskin! 🙂 I studied studio engineering back in the day, so I handle all the vocal recordings and pre-production, but Remy does most of the composing, mixing, and mastering. We write the tracks together for the most part, but all credit for the production goes to him. The enjoyment lies in the freedom and the time to make it into what we both, as hyper-precise people, deem worthy enough to release.

What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
Preferably a content and happy feeling, but I want them to feel some sort of emotion — whether it’s positive or negative. I would be really glad if our music could actually help some people. Music has the ability to invoke all kinds of emotions, and perhaps our tracks can be that pick-me-up for someone on a given day. No matter what, feel free to feel whatever you feel. The only goal we have as a project is for people to listen to our music. If that happens on a larger scale, we would already be very content — more than we already are now! 🙂

How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
Well, the positive side of being completely independent as a musician, project, or band is that you have full creative control. You have no time limits, apart from the ones you set for yourself. This means writing is pure and without restraints. While we have a Nu-Metal-ish baseline, we are free to incorporate anything that feels right, even if it’s outside the norm. We’ve used operatic vocals in one track, experimented with electronics, and even included a sitar — no idea is a bad idea. The process usually goes like this: Remy and I sit together to jam and develop promising ideas. We record a base version with just a verse and chorus, focusing on the core bass and drum grooves. I then take it to my home studio to write lyrics based on the track’s vibe and experiment with vocal lines until I’m happy with the performance. After that, we send files back and forth, polishing the track until it hits the mark for both of us. Finally, Remy takes the base mix and handles the final mixing and mastering. Once the music is done, we start working on the lyric video or visualiser for YouTube and plan the release and promotion — the least favourite part of our independent freedom! 🙂

What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
If we take the “since you started this project” part literally, not many have influenced our sound directly, as we’ve only been working on Neverskin for about a year (since May 2025). That said, watching how modern bands like Architects constantly reinvent themselves, or observing the rise of Bad Omens from a marketing perspective, has been very intriguing. Musically, we’ve been consuming everything from old to new for over 30 years, so our foundational influences go way back to bands like Taproot, Sevendust, Korn, Deftones, and Incubus. For me personally, Silverchair was the catalyst that made me give singing a try. Daniel Johns’ vocal work was — and still is — a benchmark. And no, that doesn’t mean I’m trying to replicate what he does; my instrument is nowhere near as polished as his was, but his style was a huge inspiration. We basically take the entirety of the late 90s and early 2000s alternative scene as our blueprint. Honourable mentions go to legends like Metallica and Nirvana, who shaped the industry just before and during our formative years. 🙂

What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
Close to home, there are a few countries with a fantastic rock/metal scene. Germany is a great starting point, though sometimes leaning more towards traditional metal. The UK, Belgium, and France are also essential markets, and countries like Spain, Italy, and Greece actually have a surprisingly dedicated hardcore scene — shout out to you all! 🙂 But in “dream mode”? I’d love to tour Japan. The scene there is insane and filled with so much passion; an Asian tour would be incredible in itself. The US has always been on the wishlist, though with the current geopolitical landscape, it feels a bit more complicated. Honestly, we’d be grateful to play anywhere, but we aren’t actively planning live shows at this current stage. If there is a growing demand from our fans, it’s something we’ll definitely consider. Venue-wise, big festivals like Vans Warped Tour (US), Download Festival (UK), Graspop Metal Meeting (BE), and Vainstream (DE) are huge goals. We used to dream of playing Lowlands back in the day; the festival has shifted toward a more commercial lineup since then, but we’d definitely not say no — you know where to find us, Lowlands crew! 😛

If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
I’m obligated to promote our latest single, ‘Time,’ which embraces that old-school Nu-Metal sound and turns it on its head. It features strange adventures in the verses, an aggressive build-up, some well-placed screams, and an overall balance with deeper messaging. However, it really depends on your vibe! If you’re looking for something else, ‘Snatched’ offers more of a groove-metal feel, featuring rap-influenced verses mixed with a melodic chorus and a very surprising bridge. Then there’s ‘Piece of Mind,’ which is more like a calm, collected walk through the park where emotions reign — it’s multi-vocal, a bit more straightforward, but still comes with a few small curveballs.

What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
Since we’re in our 40s, our ambitions are quite different than when we were playing in our old band, Ambiossis. Back then, it was all about “world domination.” Now, it’s simply about getting our music heard. The more people who listen and feel something when they do, the better. If people end up loving the music, that’s just a massive bonus for us. Ultimately, I think that’s what all artists want: for their work to be heard or seen. We’ll see what life has in store for us, and who knows where this path leads…

Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
Never stop caring about each other, and never stop rocking out! 🤘

Find out more about Neverskin at linktr.ee/neverskin