NOTHING FOR FREE - Got To Pay The Price ! (France - Melodic Punk-Rock - Interview with Lut).

Hi! Can you introduce yourself and tell us how the NOTHING FOR FREE adventure began?
NOTHING FOR FREE is a fairly melodic punk rock band that formed in late 2003 on the still-smoldering embers of the ska punk band DIDN'T, which consisted of Lio and Erink on guitar, Wawa on drums, and myself on bass. Wawa moved to Nantes to play in bands like DRAW ME A BUTT and TROUBLE EVERYDAY. We had a few changes in drummers until Alex joined us in 2006. Max, the singer, joined the band in 2022. He's a childhood friend of Alex. The most important thing for the band is the friendship between us and the desire to play music, to play it fast, to play it loud, and to experience things together with passion. I remember when we started playing our first concerts for high school birthday parties, we barely knew how to play our instruments. And not for a second did we think that more than 25 years later we would have made several albums, played hundreds of concerts in France, Belgium, Ireland, and Italy with even more passion every day. (Yeah, what an adventure—that's classy—Ed.)

Can you describe your sound and explain why I should listen to YOUR band at all costs?
Well, at all costs is a bit of an exaggeration. No one should ever sacrifice everything in life to listen to NOTHING FOR FREE. And that goes for all other bands and activities too, haha! NOTHING FOR FREE's sound is powerful and full of melodies. We do things sincerely, putting all our passion and energy into it. If we had to choose, we'd prefer people to come and see us live so we can meet them and share a cool moment.

Lyrical and musical inspirations/influences? How important are lyrics to you? Are there any specific messages or thoughts that you try to develop and share through your lyrics?
The big thing we have in common is punk rock, especially from the 90s and 2000s. But we're all very open-minded and we all have different musical styles or artists that influence us. Whether it's metal, rap, folk, blues, pop, classical music, or film scores, they take us to different worlds that also represent what the band is today. 
The lyrics are obviously very important. For me, for a song to be successful, the rhythm has to be powerful, the melodies have to be simple but effective, and the lyrics have to be good. Everything is important. When I talk about good lyrics, I don't mean that they always have to have a political message or give lessons or advice. On the contrary, lyrics can be poetic, funny, absurd, or more direct. In our songs, we can tackle topics that affect society and question them, or we can talk about much more trivial things, such as marriage, for example. The most important thing for us is to write honestly and not impose dogmas. We talk a lot about the passing of time and, above all, how we waste it by always wanting more. The main message we would like to convey is to take the time to enjoy our loved ones and the moments we can experience.

About the latest album... and the one to come!
“Crimson Sky” was released in April 2024. It marks a turning point for the band, as some of the songs were written before Max joined and others when he arrived. We did almost everything ourselves (recording, mixing, artwork, design—hats off to Max, who managed it all like a pro), except for the drums, which were recorded at Boar Production by our friend Simon, and the mastering, which was done by our good friend Clément at Boss Hog Studio. It is available on CD and vinyl at concerts and online thanks to our friends at Distrolution and their online store.
We have just recorded a third album, which should be released in the spring. It will feature 13 tracks composed in 2025 that explore our various influences. For this album, we returned to Boss Hog Studio for six days in November 2025. We worked hard, it was very intense, but we are very happy with the result and can't wait to share it with people and get their feedback at concerts. The album is titled “Sailing Among The Lost Souls.”

What are your plans?
In the short term, we're going to manage the album release and bookings for 2026. We'd really like to play as many concerts and festivals as possible, wherever we can. We'll be touring western France in May with our friends from DRAW ME A BUTT. Rennes, Nantes, Bordeaux, Seignosse, Mont de Marsan, Toulouse, Tours.
In the longer term, we'd like to release an acoustic EP, but above all we want to play, play, and play concerts! The main thing is to have fun!

Your wildest dream?
It would be to end up in a retirement home together when we're old and continue playing rock music and giving concerts in the retirement home's dining hall, naked in front of an audience of transsexual vampires. It's a crazy dream, isn't it? (Hmmm... a little twisted though, haha! Ed.)

Best and worst concert?
It's hard to say. The worst for me was a concert played on a Sunday afternoon in a bar in front of the owner, his wife, and his dog. It feels like you're rehearsing, but outside your home. The best ones are those where you meet wonderful people.

Next live appearances?
All dates are on the band's website or social media. In February, we'll be playing in Maubeuge and Ath, in May we'll be touring western France, in July we'll be in Valenciennes, and other dates are coming soon. If anyone would like to book us for a gig, please don't hesitate to contact us.

A few words about the local scene?
The scene is overflowing with great bands, and I feel like there are more and more of them, which is really cool. If we tried to name everyone, we'd definitely forget someone. But NOTHING FOR FREE is a family, and certain bands are part of that family. So we salute DRAW ME A BUTT from Nantes, THE SKALOGG'S from Lille, NOTHING MORE from Maison Alfort, CORBILLARD from Belgium, FASTLANE from Bordeaux, REPRISE DE VOLEE from Blois, NO TIME TO EXPLAIN from Hazebrouck, IMAN'S LEAGUE from Singapore, MILES TO GO, MIDDLEFLIP, and NIGHT TRAP from Valenciennes. We love you guys!

The last word is yours...
Thank you for what you do to promote alternative music (You're welcome, guys! Ed.).
As for the rest, think for yourselves, experience things, and take care of yourselves and the people you love! See you soon!

Thanks to :
Christelle Aumonier for making this interview possible 🙏 Perseverance always pays off in the end 🙂