In this interview spotlight, we chat with Michael of Niantic to discuss influences, the newest project, the move into a digital music world and more.

Full Q&A along with links and streams below.

Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

We make groove orientated alternative rock that has its roots deeply ingrained in our Los Angeles roots.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to stay the course?

Determination? This is our primary focus for all of us, we don’t really have a plan B. That’s the big motivating factor, we’re in it for the long haul!

Who or what are your biggest influences when it comes to your creativity?

Our ability to work as a unit is the biggest boost to our collective creativity, from start to finish. We all come from different places musically and find a way to synchronize all of those disparate threads into something that really works as a whole.

How is your new release different than previous ones? Did you set out to accomplish anything specific?

We took the crowdfunding approach to our upcoming EP which gave us the budget to really push the envelope in terms of executing our vision. At the end of the day we strive to sound live, we really set out to recreate the sounds that we created during the writing process.

Do you face any challenges as an indie musician in a digital age? On the flip side, how has technology helped you (if it has)?

There’s so many of us! The competition is everywhere and we have to vie for everyone’s attention through social media, which people use to pass the time every day. We have a lot of reach for that same reason, I mean, we’re talking to you, aren’t we?

How do you feel about streaming services? Any romantic attachments to the physical formats: vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs?

Streaming is great, we get to listen to whatever it is that we want whenever we want to! I personally kind of weened myself off those romantic attachments years ago, though I used to be a major vinyl head.

Where can we follow you online and hear more music?

We’re out on all the streaming and download platforms but our favorites are

Niantic.bandcamp.com or https://soundcloud.com/niantic/sets/floating-islands-ep

Anything else before we sign off?

Thanks for having us!