Behind the Mic: A Conversation with Geordy Shallan, Vocalist of No Kings

Image by Katherine Seibert of Curious Kat Photography.

I had the opportunity to do a Q&A session with Gerody Shallen, the lead singer of No Kings. We talked about his musical path, his band No Kings, and his personal hobbies and interests.

AA:  I would love to hear more about your background and personal journey. Could you tell me where you grew up and how your upbringing influenced your values and perspectives? Additionally, I’m curious about your cultural heritage and how it has shaped your identity. What specific experiences or milestones have particularly impacted forming who you are today? Your insights will provide a deeper understanding of your unique story.

GS: Happy to dive into that! I moved around a fair bit when I was young, but I spent

middle school and high school in San Diego. I went to a high school that was

known for having a specialty arts program, as well as for having a huge naval

presence due to its proximity to a few bases. Growing up in the midst of two

communities like those, which often have diametrically opposed opinions,

becomes a huge catalyst for seeking out your own opinions.

GS: In that type of environment, you have to be able to back up what you say, so

there’s really no use in being anybody but yourself, and no use in holding true to

anything but what you fervently believe. It’s definitely a big reason I don’t fear

confrontation or debate in general, as well as the reason I’m always so intrigued

by the opinions of others. I fiercely believe most people want to be good, but it’s

also, so easy to be misinformed.

GS: My cultural heritage is pretty simple, actually - both sides immigrated to the US in

the early 1900s, and I’m ethnically Scottish and Jewish. Being from a household

of two different cultures wasn’t too crazy, but it did mean a lot of additional

holidays and history lessons. Oh, and a lot of memories tied to drastically

different food. Scottish shortbread rules, and so do latkes. There’s definitely

some dicey moments where I dealt with instances of anti-semitism or being told I

“wasn’t Jewish enough”, but like I said earlier, I’m not one to fear confrontation,

so those encounters didn’t really drag on. I’m proud of the families I come from,

and both sides taught me to be kind and accepting, but to never be afraid to

stand up for what you believe in.

GS: It’d be really hard for me to name every milestone that’s impacted my current self

greatly in a timely manner, but I think there’s definitely a few worth noting! When

my first “real” band’s music debuted on Alternative Press’ Facebook was a huge

one, finding out that a No Kings show was someone’s first show was big too,

getting Davey Havok from AFI’s approval about making music when I ran into

him at a goth club was life altering, and I think I’d also have to go with when I

adopted my dog, because he’s taught me empathy, responsibility, and

unconditional love in a way I will forever be grateful for.

AA:  I'm eager to explore your musical journey in depth. Could you share a specific moment or experience that ignited your passion for music? I’m curious about what led you to commit to this path sincerely.

GS: There’d be 3 that really ignited it - watching my grandfather, who’s a folk and country guitarist and singer, play was the first spark. My dad showing me American Idiot by Green Day got me obsessed with listening to and exploring music, especially if it had high energy, or thought-provoking themes about stuff like politics or religion. Then in middle school, when I beat Guitar Hero III for the Nintendo Wii, I realized I needed to start playing and writing music. From there, writing and performing have been what have brought me the most joy in life, and it’s been a journey of nothing but passion and love.

AA: Is there a particular musician whose creativity and life story has greatly influenced your decision to pursue music? Did their narrative inspire you to take the leap and form your band? Please describe how their journey and artistry have shaped your musical path.

GS: In terms of creativity and pursuing music, definitely, it’d be either Billie Joe Armstrong from Green Day, Bill Kelliher from Mastodon, or The Rev from Avenged Sevenfold. They all write incredible songs with incredibly unique songwriting styles; they’ve never been afraid to tackle hard subject matter, like Armstrong’s writing on politics, Kelliher’s writing on his mother’s death, or The Rev’s consistent themes of writing about the afterlife until his own untimely passing.

Image by Katherine Seibert of Curious Kat Photography.

AA:  I am eager to delve deeper into the story of your band, No Kings. Can you share the unique journey that brought each of you together as a collective? What pivotal moments or experiences acted as turning points, helping you forge a strong bond and operate as a cohesive unit?

GS: No Kings started out as a rebrand of a separate project I’d created, but as the sound shifted, it became a fully different band altogether, with new members and a new name. When that happened, Syd, our bassist and the only other founding member of the band, joined. She’d previously been in the band I’d started years prior, and when we had the opportunity to work together, we jumped at it.

GS: From there, our guitarist Zach joined about a year later, who quickly became an integral part of the band and our sound, as well as swiftly becoming a close friend. Following that, our dear Felipe, the newest member with a penchant for jumping on unstable structures during performances, joined after seeing us play a show in 1720 in the middle of last year. Then we hit the ground running, doing everything from shooting music videos in ice cold industrial warehouses to playing shows in 114-degree weather. That’s left us where we are now, a group of friends playing shows, making music, and making the worst jokes you’ll probably ever hear along the way.

AA:  Additionally, I would love to hear about the inspiration behind your band’s name, “No Kings.” What led you to choose this name, and what meaning does it carry for each of you as individuals as well as for the group as a whole?

GS: Initially, I presented it to the band as the concept of not letting anyone or anything rule your life, that it’s up to us to take care of ourselves and our communities, because the people in power couldn’t seem to care less. Since so many of our songs deal with either socio-political issues or emotional turmoil and growth, it felt extremely fitting.

GS: It was also an accidental reference to Bioshock - I originally wrote down the title years ago when one of my best friends was playing Bioshock Infinite after I lent it to her. In one of the first scenes, there’s a banner that says “No Gods, No Kings, Only Man” or something like that, and for some reason, that middle part really stuck with me. Not enough for me to remember it was from Bioshock originally somehow though, apparently.

AA: How do you find inspiration for your lyrics, and what does it feel like to perform your creations in front of an audience?

GS: Usually, it’s lived experience, whether it’s mine or someone close to me. Often I try to channel it through a unique imagery, like the dystopian violence of our song Red, or some type of literature, like the Faustian picture painted in our song Mephistopheles. I always elect to have the lyrics come from a place of personal honesty, even if it’s channeled through a drastically different aesthetic.

AA:  I am genuinely excited to dive deeper into the music your band has released so far. Each single you've put out tells a unique story, and I'm particularly interested in understanding the motivations and experiences that inspired them. I would love for you to explore your relationship with each track in-depth, including the creative process behind them, the emotions they evoke, and any personal anecdotes that influenced their development.

GS: I’m not sure when this interview is coming out, but at this point, I believe our sole single from the new release is Sisyphus, which is an unique song in the sense that it was written over two years ago, in a writing format I rarely utilize these days. Normally now I write the lyrics and a chord progression together and build a song around that as a uniform piece, but Sisyphus was a way different story. I wrote the instrumental as a love letter to some of my favorite bands growing up, bands like Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, In Flames, and Trivium. The lyrics I wrote completely separately, but as I was forming the melody for the song, I realized that the rhythmic cadence of the lyrics matched what would be the first draft of the song. Then everything was tightened in the recording process, and here we are today, with a full song.

GS: It’s a song that’s ultimately about two things, recognizing that the only decisions you can make are your own, and that no matter how much you care about someone, their choices are theirs to make.

GS: It’s about a friend who thinks the worst of themselves, so they continue to put themselves in the worst possible position, because they think it’s what they deserve. Try as you will with someone like that, and they’re still only going to make changes when they’re ready to. Though that sounds pretty dark, it’s very much a song that’s meant to highlight that no matter how dark it gets in life, you always have the choice to try to turn it around, that people care about you, and that you can get through whatever you’re going through.

AA: What is it like to be your band's lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and booking agent?

GS: Busy! Very busy. But that’s something I take pride in. I’d always rather be busy than bored, if given the option. I’m literally always writing songs and bouncing ideas off the guys, and they’re such good sports about it.

GS: Booking as a DIY Metalcore act is odd, because some people are so excited to work with you because of their love of the scene, and some won’t give you the time of day because you don’t have 100,000 monthly listeners - but it’s always worth it, because playing shows with your friends and engaging with the awesome community is one of the best parts of the human experience.

AA: Could you share your experiences and challenges in balancing these three roles?

GS: Being the lead singer and songwriter is a very easy balance, but booking and management requires me to access a separate part of my brain, so switching into that mode is a fair bit harder. 2024 was easier on me because we elected to take the year to focus on recording our new release and play less shows, but now that we’re in a new year, with releases having already begun, and a handful of shows already booked, balancing becomes harder. The nice thing is that I know that all of it leads to the something I love, so I make it work.

GS: That, and I’m so thankful to my bandmates for handling other avenues of what we do - Syd handles merch and is stellar at it, Zach maintains so much of our live stuff, from tones to cable management, and Felipe is always trying to find business opportunities like endorsements or partnerships.

AA: What three standout qualities make you truly exceptional as a singer?

GS: Normally I try to stay pretty humble about that kind of stuff, because I think there’s a lot of amazing talent out there, and I’d rather lift people up with my commentary than talk about my own talent. That being said, I can definitely say I’m proud of the fluidity between singing and screaming vocals, the distortion and power I’m able to add to my singing, and my range, which I constantly work to maintain control of and grow to its full potential.

AA: I would like to explore the behind-the-scenes elements of the production process in greater depth. Specifically, what vocal techniques and innovations did you integrate to elevate the overall auditory experience of each song?

GS: I don’t think there were necessarily any “innovations” to what we did, it was just a combination of using high quality gear and working with a producer we trust to get the best out of everybody in the band, myself included. Besides that, I double track all of my lead vocals as tight as possible, which is pretty standard in Rock and Metal, and I track additional octaves and harmonies for vocal parts wherever we feel they’ll benefit the song - sometimes that means they’re barely in a song at all, and sometimes that means almost an entire song has harmonies.

GS: I’m a quality over quantity guy. If you can’t give a solid performance of a well written vocal, adding a billion layers really isn’t going to help.

AA: When evaluating the vocal aspect of a song, beyond just performing the lyrics, what particular technical skills must you employ with your voice to attain the intended sound in the final version?

GS: That’s hyper specific to the type of vocal and how it fits into the greater arrangement, so it’s kind of hard to answer that without specifics. In general, though, you always want to make sure that you’re relatively even in terms of volume when possible, so tools like vocal compression are integral. Not hardware compression, which it often gets confused with when I mention this stuff, but rather your own regulation of your volume and power when vocalizing. Obviously, there’s also tone placement - you don’t want to belt the quiet part or fry scream the mixed voice part by accident.

GS: Ultimately, if you’re a vocalist, you have to be hyper aware of your body and energy, as that is your instrument.

AA: Can you recall the details of your very first live performance?

GS: Honestly, no - I think it was maybe in elementary school as part of a class thing? Possibly middle school? Nothing all that exciting, I think it might’ve been for a fundraiser for the public school I was going to.

AA: Describe the setting, the crowd’s energy, and the anticipation leading up to that moment.

GS: I would if I could, but I barely remember it. I got into music and theater and the arts in like 7th grade, which was definitely after whenever my first time on stage was. Perhaps a bit of a letdown, but I’d rather be honest, you know?

AA: What were your thoughts and feelings as you stepped onto the stage, and how did it impact you both during the performance and afterward?

GS: Knowing me at that point in my life, I was probably thinking about food, as most of those school events had free food of some sort after the main event. I can’t say that the first performance had a big influence on me - but I know that I was on air during a telethon in like 5th grade cracking jokes, and I got the host to break down laughing from one, so that was pretty rad.

AA: Please tell us about any upcoming projects, tours, or collaborations you look forward to. I'm eager to hear what you're most excited about and any details you can share about these initiatives!

GS: Happy to! We’ve got 6 more songs that’ll be coming out this year, ranging from the heaviest Metalcore track we’ve ever written to our first attempt at a softer song, and everything in between. Outside of that, I can’t talk about tour specifics just yet, but I can say we’ll be playing regionally a lot more this year, including our first time in the bay area, which I’m incredibly excited for.

AA: If you were presented with the incredible opportunity to open for any band or embark on a world tour, which bands would you choose to join on this exciting journey, and what specific reasons drive your passion for touring alongside them?

GS: That’s a list that could easily be hours long, but my top 10 would probably be Avenged Sevenfold, Killswitch Engage, Alexisonfire, Mastodon, Bring Me The Horizon, Trivium, Bullet For My Valentine, Cane Hill, Beartooth, and Gojira. With bands like Spiritbox, Breaking Benjamin, Malevolence, and In Flames right behind them. All those bands had a massive influence on the new music we’re releasing, as well as most of them influencing me a lot from childhood onward. Without them, No Kings wouldn’t exist in its current form, so opening for any of those bands, learning from them and showing our gratitude, would be such a huge honor.

AA:  What are some of your all-time favorite songs to perform live, and what makes them so special for you?

GS: Right now, probably Sisyphus because it’s the newest and people seem to be enjoying it a lot, Red because it’s the heaviest and gets people moshing, and Rusted because it’s the one that people sometimes know the lyrics to, and seeing people sing along to your song is one of the coolest things ever.

AA: Can you share a funny or interesting behind-the-scenes moment from a music video shoot or recording session?

GS: In the pre-production demo of one of our new songs, there was a dog barking in the background of a vocal take, and Syd got so used to it, that when she heard back the final mix, she was convinced something was missing for 3 days, and didn’t approve the mix until she realized that was why.

Image by Katherine Seibert of Curious Kat Photography

AA: Can you share a funny or embarrassing moment from a live performance that stands out in your memory? Perhaps a time when something unexpected happened on stage or a slip of the tongue turned into a hilarious moment? I would love to hear about the atmosphere, the audience's reaction, and how you or the performers handled the situation!

GS: In our first show of 2025, I slipped on a random wrench on stage and Zach’s pickup fell out of his guitar midway through a song within 5 minutes of each other, that was pretty wild. The audience laughed it off with us and we got right back on with the performance. These things happen, it’s part of life!

AA: If you could collaborate with any musician, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

GS: Probably the Rev from Avenged Sevenfold, as he and Billie Joe Armstrong were the two people who inspired to start writing songs. A chance to work with and learn from him would be game changing.

AA: Can you advise musicians on dealing with rejection or setbacks in their careers?

GS: Sure - I think the simplest way to put it is that if you give up now, when things are bad, that’s it, you’ll never see the good part, there’s no chance for it to get better. But if you keep going, things can only get better, because now you know better, and you have an even better idea of what you need to do to get to where you want to be.

GS: The bad makes you appreciate the good. Life is a complex journey, enjoy the ride when you can - allow yourself to feel the bad emotions, but don’t let them control you.

AA: Share three individuals who have significantly influenced your life, positively or negatively, and explain why.

GS: Well, AJ Minette, my college guitar professor, laid the foundation for my success in what I love by teaching me proper technique for guitar, the foundational principles of composition, and the basics of recording and mixing music. I owe him so much and I can’t thank him enough.

GS: Brendan Collins too, the producer for our new release, he’s a close friend, but he never lets that cloud his opinions or keep him from unadulterated honesty on everything we worked on. He firmly believed in my potential and held me to the highest standard as a vocalist and songwriter, and for that I am so grateful. Oh, and he was also one of AJ’s students - years before I was, but still crazy to think about.

GS: Oh, and Syd. Being in a band with one of your closest friends who accepts you on your best and worst days is something I am so so grateful for. That goes for all the dudes in my band, but she’s been there since day 1, so I gotta give her special props for that.

AA: What are your favorite movies, and why are they significant for you? Is it the story, the characters, the visuals, or something else that resonates with you?

GS: It changes a lot, but growing up it was Jurassic Park, Wayne’s World, and stuff like Van Helsing or Underworld. I’ve always been a fan of unique concepts, dark aesthetics, and layered humor. These days I love stuff like What We Do in The Shadows, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, or Werewolves Within - I love absurd concepts and horror comedies because they make you question the absurdity of life in between laughter, and you often end up thinking deeply in a way that still leaves a smile on your face.

AA: Which TV shows do you look forward to watching? What captures your attention in these shows—perhaps the surprises, character development, or the overall quality of production?

GS: Oh man, there’s a lot - whenever I do vocal and guitar practice, which is most days, I usually have something on in the background, sometimes new, sometimes old. As of now, What We Do In The Shadows - the show, Demon Slayer, Supernatural, Hell’s Paradise, Castlevania: Nocturne, Wednesday, Preacher, Evil, Dad Da Dan, Make Some Noise, Gamechanger, Delicious In Dungeon, Doctor Who, Aunty Donna’s Big Ol’ House of Fun, any of the Channel 5 stuff, AP Bio, Invincible, and The Boys. Stuff like Gamechanger and Make Some Noise are definitely intriguing for the surprise and production quality, but I enjoy how all of the shows I mentioned examine the human experience, whether that’s through the lens of comedy, adventure, absurdity, fantasy, or otherwise. That and I’m a sucker for good character development too, I suppose.

AA: What books do you enjoy the most, and what makes them special to you? Is it the writing style, the themes they explore, or the emotions they evoke?

GS: I’m currently reading Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy’s book, which has been cool! I tend to read more business books than books for pleasure in the past few years, but “None Of This Rocks”, Trohman’s book, has been a welcome departure from that. I’ve always been a fan of candid honesty in storytelling, it’s relatable and you learn a lot from that, which I think is why I’m enjoying it so much.

AA: Which podcasts do you highly recommend and why? What sets these podcasts apart from others, in your opinion? Do they offer valuable insights, entertaining content, or something else that keeps you hooked?

GS: The Riffhard and Unstoppable Recording Machine podcasts with Eyal Levi are great if you want to learn about recording and songwriting from some of the best in Rock and Metal. I used to curate events for URM, and Eyal’s a good guy. Oh, and the Downbeat with Craig Reynolds! I love Stray From the Path, Craig’s band, and he’s easily one of the funniest people in music. It’s a goal of mine to be on both of those podcasts.

AA: I want to know about your favorite bands or music artists that you like. I’d also like to hear about your most memorable concert experience. Please share details about the atmosphere, the performance, the venue, and anything else that made it special for you.

GS: I’ve talked about a good chunk of them so far but I’ll spout off a bunch of my favorites: Killswitch Engage, Avenged Sevenfold, The Human Abstract, Adestria, Alexisonfire, Bring Me The Horizon, Green Day, Alkaline Trio, Bad Religion, Bleed From Within, Mastodon, Three Days Grace, My Chemical Romance, Issues, Trivium, Architects, Paleface Swiss, Parkway Drive, Bullet For My Valentine, Cane Hill, System of a Down, Dragged Under, Beartooth, and Gojira, Khemmis, Spiritbox, Dying Wish, Spiritbox, Thrice, Breaking Benjamin, Alice In Chains, Malevolence, Sylosis, Bilmuri, In Flames, Fall Out Boy, and Loathe.

GS: Man, that was a lot, but I like a lot of bands. But, as you can probably tell, it’s very much Punk, Metal, and Metalcore for the most part.

GS: As for my most memorable concert experiences, the first time I got to pick a show, I saw Green day, when I was like 11, and that was life altering, even if it was a huge amphitheater show. I was with my family, and I quickly realized that I loved shows more than most things. Otherwise, seeing Avenged Sevenfold pretty soon after The Rev died - that was such a viscerally heavy show. Not musically heavy, but more in the sense that you could tell everybody there was mourning an icon. It was the first time I’d seen a concert be cathartic for so many people.

AA: What does success look like to you?

GS: Success looks like being able to make comfortable money solely from music, No Kings being at a point financially where we can consistently make music and tour how we see fit, and where our message of catharsis and community are spread far and wide to the people who need to hear it.

GS: Oh, and playing some DWP festivals and Download. Those are more bucket list items for me though.

AA: How do you define happiness in your own life?

GS: I don’t, I try to embody it. Taking too much time to define an emotion tends to lead to an endless cycle of overanalysis for me

AA: Can you take some time to reflect on your personal experiences with mental health?

GS: Sure, my approach has always been introspection and therapy, when I can manage that. I think of therapy more like the equivalent of a personal trainer for your mental health, so I go when I can fiscally manage to. In that time, I’ve tackled issues like anxiety and past trauma, and I highly recommend taking that route if you’re able - we all struggle, whether we like to admit it or not.

GS: Having music as an outlet obviously helps quite a lot with any mental health struggles too.

AA: Consider how these experiences have impacted different areas of your life, such as relationships, work, and personal growth. What specific insights have you gathered through these moments?

GS: It all works out, one way or another.

AA: Additionally, how have you managed the challenges you face with mental health? Share any strategies, coping mechanisms, or support systems that have played a role in your journey.

GS: Like I said earlier, introspection and therapy - being honest with yourself and your loved ones is really the only way forward.

AA: What insights would you share with others your age who are grappling with mental health challenges?

GS: If you’re approaching 30 and struggling with mental health, there’s no day like today to address it. The best way to start healing is to, well, start. Otherwise, it’s going to be more of the same until you start working on yourself.

AA: What hobbies or pastimes do you find particularly enjoyable when you’re not immersed in your music? Are there specific activities that allow you to unwind and express yourself differently?

GS: I livestream on Tiktok, I livestream on Twitch with my dear friend Reed Sights, I’m a huge coffee guy, I go to a lot of shows - concerts, comedy shows, and plenty of other stuff. That and I like finding new spots for food or drinks with friends when I have the time. I pretty much always wind down with my dog, sometimes playing acoustic, usually by watching TV or a movie though.

AA: What message would you share with everyone if you had the world's attention for five minutes?"

GS: We’re all in this together, we might as well learn to act like it. Take care of yourself, and take care of your community. If we all did that, we could be in a much better spot than we are now. That, and go listen to my band No Kings please. I hear we’re pretty cool, apparently.

AA: We appreciate Geordy Shallan from No Kings for kindly sharing him story and interests with us.

Image by Katherine Seibert of Curious Kat Photography.

Please access the Beacons link below to find detailed information about No Kings and Geordy Shallan.

https://beacons.ai/nokings?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaYVWcYq2bx_VdSRORsSUyJfvdZo4RmDNC_d-aK01jEsszRqNTIb7GvSSdU_aem_IbH_iLW7Ju-8j2HTsAoSDw

*** All images are by Katherine Seibert of Curious Kat Photography and, unless specified otherwise **