NONA has Arrived!

Back in 2003, a friend of mine was talking about this band called The Format. Over the years, I downloaded tracks and added them to mixes. With all of my music ventures, I'm surprised I never saw them live. In 2008, The Format parted ways, and I haven't really thought of them much, unless I listen to a mix of mine, which has Time Bomb, from their album Dog Problems. Earlier this year, I heard the song "We Are Young," by the band, fun. Realizing the voice was familiar, I Googled the band. Lo and behold, fun. frontman is Nate Reuss from The Format! I also found out that Sam Means, who co-founded The Format with childhood friend, Nate, was also working on his solo career. I went over to Sam's site, to check out his tunes. I was excited about what Sam had created, and I could not wait til his EP, NONA, was released.

NONA is named for Sam's daughter, Lola, who had trouble pronouncing her name - hence the title of the album. The EP contains five tracks, most of which fall under the three minute mark. Have no fear though, Means created some quality tunes. All of the tracks showcase a variety of instrumentation, which are tastefully arranged. Means is a talented musician, and it shows in his work. My favorite track is "Will You Hang Around," but I truly love the entire EP. Its not often that I find new releases that I listen to from start to finish, but NONA is definitely noteworthy. 


As of yesterday, NONA is now available on iTunes. If you'd rather go the independent route (which I highly suggest), you can download it from Sam's site by clicking here. If you go to the aforementioned link, you can listen to the EP in its entirety before purchasing. If you're a collector like I am, you can also purchase the exclusive Record Store Day release 7" NONA vinyl, which includes the digital downloads. Either way, you can't go wrong.


Here is Sam performing an acoustic version of "Will You Hang Around." Happy listening!

Will You Hang Around? (Acoustic) from Means on Vimeo.



You can find Sam Means on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Image and video via Sam Means.