Today we’d like to introduce you to Narcissus A-Ngel.
Narcissus, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
You know, as adults this might be something that we forget about, but if you try hard enough to remember what it was like to be a kid; how intense your daydreams were when you were alone in your bedroom – when the possibility of being anything and everything was still vibrant, and when job applications were not even part of your daily vocab. No/Hugs is a band that emerged from that world, a long time ago – just as a thought. By someone who never imagined that she’d find herself blessed enough to make it come true.
In 2011 that same someone found herself traveling alone across the world, not quite knowing why or what was in store for her. In 2015, No/Hugs started transitioning from a daydream to a fact.
I found myself getting addicted to this band more and more as the shows went by. It’s really hard when you are 20 years old to hold so much responsibility on your shoulders, but I did it. My name is Narcissus A-Ngel and I’m the lead singer and founder of No/Hugs.
You can’t quite put your finger on when you made the best and worst decisions in life, but just like with anything this band was born an infant and with great love and dedication it’s slowly and steadily growing to where it should be. When I look at everyone supporting this band today I know that every single night I spent overwrought was worth it. As I am typing this, I’m up at 4am worrying about what’s to come next. But none of it matters really when you get to the bottom of it. People’s love, support and warmth is what makes this band what it is at the end of the day – and to them I’m forever grateful.
No/Hugs took its final form when drummer Kat Dukeshire joined the band in summer 2017. I feel like her presence in the band was refreshing, and made a lot of things fall into place. The band was then locked into the form of a duo and that gave us the opportunity to work with many amazing people and musicians, bringing an array of different influence and inspiration to No/Hugs. The genre is becoming much more polished, the songwriting more meaningful, and in my heart we went from being a “band.” to being musicians with a purpose; to remind people of their feelings and to remind them to listen instead of assume and judge.
It was very heartwarming when we saw our “fan base” growing into a genuine family/community. We open our arms proudly to the LGBTQIA community. This journey was a long one up until now. However, it is now colored with so many shades, and we can’t wait to see where it unfolds next.
Has it been a smooth road?
Every struggle is a stepping stone toward success. It’s never a smooth road for anyone in this world – take this last year for example.
I went from realizing that I was working with the wrong people, to laying everyone off, to starting fresh, to writing new songs. Just when I thought life was getting easier, in January I slipped on wet marble flooring at 4 in the morning, and broke my leg in 3 places. I honestly thought that I would never walk again. It’s tough to see past your mind when you’re trapped in a bed for 2 months. Around the end of March, when I was teaching myself to walk again, Kevin Lyman reached out that he wanted No/Hugs to play the Vans Warped Tour. I was pretty damn terrified to take the offer, but I knew that it would push me to get back on my feet again, quite literally. Kat and I have been through a lot this year, life will be life. I am still wondering how on earth we even made it through all that, and so very thankful to still be here to make music.
We have matured a lot along the way. Our bonds with people have grown and we’ve learned to value everything that comes our way. No, it has not been a smooth road, but Kat and I proved to each other that no matter what keep walking forward (with both legs and a bunch of screws and metal plates). That’s what being a band is about. Not giving up on each other, and keeping your eyes set on the goal.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the No/Hugs story. Tell us more about the business.
The primary members of No/Hugs are Narcissus A-Ngel on vocals and Kat Dukeshire on drums. We are based in Boston and our genre orients around alternative rock, pop/punk with sprinkles of blues. What we are most proud of are our followers and the community we have managed to build since 2015,
What sets us apart from others? Our hearts.
Our brand new single Your Satisfaction Is Fake is going to be released at the Vans Warped Tour on July 27th and from then on will be available to stream everywhere online.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The music industry – ever since the beginning of its constitution-it has been changing and hopefully it will keep changing because we need as much talent and diversity as we can get!
There always will be big shifts and changes and trends etc. and who knows where it will be in 5-10 years- that’s not something anyone can foresee. What we know for sure is that we are going to be part of it and keep growing with it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nohugsband.com
Image Credit:
Pascal A. Garoute
Dominique Wheelock
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