To be in a band is a powerful, heartbreaking, joyous, terrifying, beautiful thing. It’s also something that Eric Nizgretsky, lead vocalist of New York City-based indie rock band Loose Buttons, thinks of as his forever. It’s special – and rare – to be so unwaveringly certain about something, but to Loose Buttons, it’s making art that touches lives with the people you’ve grown up with who have broken your heart and repaired it into something stronger each time.
“We’ve all broken each others’ hearts and pieced them back together,” Eric says about his bandmates. We’re settled into our seats at a bar in Long Island City where the band has made their home, and Eric has stopped on the way to the studio to chat with Alt Citizen about Loose Buttons’s latest record. It’s a solo interview, but as he speaks fondly of the other members, his words hold so much life that the rest of the band might as well have been sitting at the table with us. And me – I came straight from the clinic, brain still in therapist mode, clearly, as at one point, Eric comments about the depth of the conversation.
It doesn’t become a therapy session, but Eric speaks with the openness and vulnerability of someone with a lifetime of stories to be told, both his own as well as the stories of the fans for whom he hopes his music can be a vessel. For him, having his music mean something to someone is his first priority and his greatest pride. “I never felt like I had to be the voice of a generation,” Eric admits. “That could be Jacob [Slater] from Wunderhorse. That could be Cameron Winter from Geese.” But that childhood dream he shares, the magic that people came to see (hence the name of their latest record, You Came To See Magic), takes the form of bringing people together. He also talks about spending a day at the beach with actor Jon Hamm, how a gift from his father following his parents’ divorce ultimately ended up a catalyst for creativity, and how everyday conversations and bits and pieces of peoples’ lives on the subway inspire his work and later become immortalized in songs.
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Can you introduce yourself and your band? Who are Loose Buttons?
Eric: I’m Eric. I’m the singer of the band. We’ve got Zach, who plays guitar, Manny, who plays the bass, and Adam, who plays the drums. Zach and I met on the second day of 6th grade. I came in and I knew I was going to start a band, and he happened to play the guitar, and he was a good looking lad. And I was like, yeah, we’re gonna we’re gonna start a band together. And here we are.
Is music something that you’ve known that you wanted to do for a long time?
Eric: Yeah, this is the forever of it. We have a song on the album called “Just a Boy in a Band.” This thing is like a childish dream, and now I’m getting older and it’s a different thing, but you never lose the reason why. I think the industry in general has a good way of making people forget why they do it in the first place… the touring, the mental health of it all. Making this album, I tried to remind myself of being that kid and looking at the guys that I’m in this band with and we’re growing together and it’s just this forever thing. Being in a band, like that concept, it naturally will break your heart. And my bandmates – we’ve all broken each other’s hearts, but we’ve also each repaired those hearts every single day we continue to write together and be together.
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Eric: We put out an album right before the pandemic. A lot of people loved it. We had all these grand plans. COVID happens and we’re like, alright, let’s get back into the studio. So we made another album. Our second album absolutely flopped. It was just not understood by people. It felt a little half baked. The vibes were weird also just because it was a weird time. And so now all of a sudden, all these things are happening and your relationships with each other are changing. The relationship with the music. Bitterness, all of that starts creeping in.
So many artists go through those ups and downs. It’s a challenging career. What do you find helped you get through those moments?
Eric: It took a while. It took making this album, and we didn’t really put out an album for a while because we were searching… like really searching for what it is that felt inherently like us. The first album felt like, this is our introduction to the world, but you don’t really figure your way out as a little kid, right? Second album comes out, you’re making your teenage mistakes. And then it took us a while to learn who we were and become really confident with who we are. And that’s what this album was about. Finding our confidence, finding our love with each other, finding that magic of why you did this as a little kid.
A huge part of it is learning what works for you and what feels authentic and genuine to you. And it happens to a lot of bands, sometimes, where their work didn’t reach people the way they might have wanted it to.
Eric: Of course. And I’’ve learned now, maybe that’s just getting older or whatever, like, we’ve made it. We are – to some people – their favourite family. It doesn’t matter how many there are, but the fact that we’re someone’s favourite band, that’s all that matters. We mean something to someone. And they mean something to me. Who cares if we have 1 million streams or not? It just matters that we’re reaching people and people are feeling the same things that I’m feeling, and if I can be a vessel for them to experience or make sense of those emotions, then that’s great. I’ve done my job.
You said that the relationships between you and your band members is something that is incredibly special, and that there have been times where you’ve broken each other’s hearts and then repaired them again. What was the biggest challenge that you guys have faced as a band?
Eric: They say that being in a band is like being in a marriage and I really fundamentally believe that. I think the biggest thing is that if you don’t put the effort into the relationships, you start to grow apart from each other because you’re living different lives. The important thing is always being able to recognize people at their limitations as well, and not expecting them to be everything. Because it’s impossible. But if you can find the ingredients that they bring, it makes the best stew or soup, you know. And I’ve learned to just look at those things. Meeting them at their most creative. I look at them and I’m like, well, I get to play music with the best bandmates ever. I feel very lucky that I can do that.
It sounds like you guys have kept each other feeling very supported and inspired.
Eric: Yeah, that’s the biggest thing. I think a lot of bands, as they go through the different chapters of life, they almost feel like just being in a band is a chapter. I don’t look at it that way. The chapters will naturally evolve, but the band is the constant. Some band members have been in and out of love and some band members have chosen different opportunities… but the band is the constant. And for a lot of bands, it’s like, we spent our 20s in a band and now we’re 30 and we’re going to move on to something else. For us, that’s not a thing. Yeah, we’re gonna go through life because that’s the process of being a human. That doesn’t mean that we can’t continue to support our community… and it’s gonna evolve. Touring has evolved for us. I really never feel like we’re gonna put on a show half-assed ever again. I won’t allow it.
What is your favourite thing about playing live shows?
Eric: I think… not the existential thing. [Laughs] I don’t want to come off that I’m like, this guy, but I’m in a dimly lit bar, so it naturally happens. But the idea that, what if something happens? What if I get hit by a car? I don’t want to have one regret in my life. And I feel more comfortable on stage than I do anywhere else.
A lot of musicians feel like they put on some sort of persona when they step on the stage. But for you, it sounds more like a foil instead of a character. The stage enhances who you already are.
Eric: Interesting, yeah, I feel like it’s very well said. It’s me at my peak. It’s me, the amplified version. I feel like I was born to entertain. And then life gave me the tools to be a songwriter. I know when I go up there, that’s my purpose in it all… life has taught me to be a songwriter, to tell those stories.
That’s really powerful.
Eric: That’s what dimly lit bars do, yeah? You get all philosophical, a little old-fashioned. But that’s what it feels like. You know… there’s a band, Wunderhorse. Jacob is one of the greatest songwriters. We played shows together and they’re great. He was born to be a songwriter. I don’t feel like I was born to be a songwriter – I feel like life taught me to be one. But I was born to be on that stage. I was born to tell you a story.
So then what do you feel like was a formative experience or memory for you? One that really had you thinking like, okay, songwriting is what I was made for.
Eric: It’s funny, this interview is becoming more philosophical, which I like.
I’m sorry, it’s probably because I’m a therapist.
Eric: And I’m excited about that. But my parents divorce had a pretty profound impact on my life. One of the greatest things my dad did through that divorce was give me a notepad to just write. Like a diary, and I didn’t use it as a diary because I didn’t understand that. But it became a tool to make a quick doodle or to write a line or something. And all of a sudden, that informed my ability to songwrite. I found a way to express myself. So that was the first moment where – I don’t want to say traumatic, but I had something that scared me.
Like something that uprooted your life in a way that made you think differently?
Eric: Exactly. So then I started using that. And then you then start to figure out, how do you talk about love? How do you talk about getting fucked up? My parents’ divorce, that one little book that my dad gave me to help figure it out, gave me the lessons to become a songwriter.
Do you still have the notebook?
Eric: I might. It’s in a storage unit somewhere.
Do you use your notes app?
Eric: Oh my god – let me show you.
[He pulls out his phone, opens the notes app. Scrolls – endlessly. It has to be one of the longest notes apps I’ve ever seen.]
Eric: One line here or there, as you can see. I’m still going. I’ve learned my songwriting became informed by falling in love and becoming a partner. The most important thing in any relationship is being a good listener. And I’ve learned how to become a good listener by being in a relationship. I don’t even listen to music on the subway anymore. I just sit and listen to other people talk. Half of my lyrics are just like… people say the most brilliant shit on the subways or around. Someone will say something so mundane, but it holds so much weight to me. And then when it’s time for songwriting, sometimes I’ll be like, maybe the band will write a melody and I’ll try to put that lyric or that line in there. But it’s all through becoming a good listener. And that is a really hard skill to have. As a therapist, you probably understand.
I’ve been in school for 10 years to learn how to become a good listener. It is difficult, but I think it also really speaks to how your music resonates with people. It’s because you hear them.
Eric: Exactly. I don’t think I’m necessarily the most profound person on this planet. I just think I’ve started listening to the people who actually are living life. Those are the most profound people. Like the people who go through everyday struggles. I never felt like I have to be the voice of a generation or anything like that. That could be Jacob from Wunderhorse. That could be Cameron Winter from Geese. I was born to be a listener to the people in my community. Being one person’s favourite band, I’ve already become their voice. And they become mine because I’ve listened to them as well.
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So I know that this conversation has gotten super deep.
Eric: It’s because you’re a good therapist.
Thank you. But I do want to pivot slightly because I’m so curious – tell me about Jon Hamm.
Eric: Now we’re gonna have some fun, now that we’ve gotten the deepness out of the way. It’s a true story: I was at the beach. None other than Jon Hamm was there. He’s a movie star, and in many ways, the epitome of the American man… he’s just like, a beautiful American man who I’ve learned also has had flaws in his life and all of that. He’s there with his loved ones, his friends… I felt like I was having a movie star day and all I did was go to the beach… I had the same exact day as this movie star. So I’m like, fuck it, I’m gonna write a song about it… And there’s a comedian named Scott Rogowsky, who happens to be at one of our shows and is a fan. He’s like, does Jon know about this? And I’m like, I have no idea. But he’s like, alright, I’m going to text Jon right now. And we carry around the Jon Hamm cardboard cutout.
I hear you bring it to shows.
Eric: Everywhere. He’s the 5th member of the band. We did the whole music video with it. So Scott texts Jon, sends him a video of us playing. A day or two later, Scott texts me like, take a look. It’s a video of Jon driving, listening to the song. And our minds are fucking blown. Jon Hamm knows who Loose Buttons are. I’m at a Rangers game with my brother months later, and a friend texts me. She was watching the Kelly Clarkson show, and Jon is on the show talking about us and the song and how we use the cardboard cutout version of him in the music video. Since then, I’ve seen him at the beach again. I went up to him and I was like, “I’m so sorry to do this, but I’m in…” Before I can even finish saying I’m the guy who wrote the song, he’s like, “You’re the guy who wrote the song about me.” And I’m like, “Yeah.” And we’re just like, two friends having a conversation. He’s there with his dog and he’s just the coolest guy ever. And since then, I’ve seen him, and I’ve waved and not tried to annoy him or whatever, but we acknowledge each other now and life is complete.
He was probably starstruck when he saw you.
Eric: That’s what some people have told me, but the reality is, he’s a big star. But hopefully he just likes the song.
Would you say he’s like, your favourite? Like do you stan Jon Hamm?
Eric: I’ll tell you this. I drink Old Fashioned because of Don Draper and Mad Men.
Okay, so yes.
Eric: So yes, exactly. You can take it as that.
Has he ever come to one of your shows?
Eric: No, or if he did, he’s been very lowkey.
When’s your next show?
Eric: We’re doing a Halloween show at Union Pool. We actually have never done a Halloween show. It’ll be fun. I don’t know what we’re going to dress up as. Maybe we’ll dress up as Jon Hamm as different roles he’s had.
So that song about Jon Hamm was on your most recent album. It came out in August, right?
Eric: Yep. You Came to See Magic.
And then you had an album release show where you had magicians. Tell me about that.
Eric: We are a band that likes to lean into the joke and try to create an experience that maybe is a little bit different than just four guys playing rock and roll on stage. So it felt right to do a show where we had magicians come. It was so much fun. We played, we had a magician, and then we played, and then we played with the magician. Magic is such a fascinating concept – there’s a trick in there, but there’s a wow factor too. It’s a bit symbolic and metaphorical… magic is the people that I love. This thing that I was a kid viewing, this magic, it’s all there, and we’re still trying to put that trick on the listener, the person there, but at the end of the day, they came to be loud, and will wow you by being in love with each other.
My next question was going to be “what does magic mean to you,” but it sounds like you already answered it.
Eric: There’s a song on the album, “Dream Life Rotation.” That song is about my brother, and watching him get married, and he’s our best friend as well, and we scream “magic man” right before that song, and it feels like that in many ways is also the core of the record. He is the magic in our lives. They are the magic in my life. You and all this are the magic in our lives, right? It’s all of this community and all of that is the magic.
Everyone becomes a part of your story.
Eric: A main character. If we roll back, my parents’ divorce was a very fundamental moment in my life because it automatically split my family. I had to do two of everything. It was a weird thing for me as someone who loves people. Being in a band forces everyone to come together. It forces the aspect of one. We are one. We are Loose Buttons. And again, this is all gonna come out so sappy and corny.
I genuinely don’t even see it as corny. You just care a lot about what you’re doing.
Eric: I have no naivety about it all. I’m just like, I can connect with people. That is the most beautiful thing ever. That’s the magic, that is forever. You came to see magic.
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Eric: I’m a diehard New York Rangers fan. At a show, [fans] were all lined up front row wearing Rangers gear. And it’s like the most beautiful, caring thing that’s maybe ever happened in my life. I was so grateful and so touched. That was a moment where I was like, holy fuck, we maybe created something that made them feel something. I know what fandom feels like from my favourite bands.
Who are your favourite bands?
Eric: It’s almost laughable because as a New Yorker, it’s in my veins. Like, if I were to go get my blood taken, The Strokes comes out. If it wasn’t for The Strokes, then I wouldn’t have fallen in love with Arctic Monkeys. Alex Turner is my god. At the same time, I fucking love Oasis. At the same time, I don’t think there’s a better guitar player in terms of making guitar melodies than Johnny Marr of The Smiths.
How does it make you feel then, having been compared to Alex Turner, early Arctic Monkeys, early The Strokes?
Eric: When we were first getting reviews of who we are as a band, we would almost feel very embarrassed being compared to our idols because we felt like, oh, we’re so much more unique than that. But we weren’t. We were just cosplaying, just trying to replicate our idols. As you get older, you start to realize that it is the ultimate form of flattery and gratitude, getting mentioned in the same breath as them. So if The Fader says I sound like Alex Turner, that is the most gratifying thing in the world. I do think that over time we have become more confident and we are more ourselves now, for better or worse. Maybe for some, they wish we sounded more like The Strokes or Arctic Monkeys, but I think we are now sounding more and more like Loose Buttons every day.
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What kind of mark of legacy would you like to leave on the music world?
Eric: I think the legacy I want to leave is that we built something that is bigger than us. And as we go through these different chapters of life, our lives will become bigger and better and more beautiful. Something that started on the second day of 6th grade can now be something that is experienced in Houston, Texas. Japan, Thailand, London. Brazil. It’s something that I always dreamed of.
Bringing people together, that’s your forever.
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Catch Loose Buttons at Union Pool for their special Halloween show on October 29.
Watch the new live session of “I Saw Jon Hamm At The Beach” below: