Interview & Article by Gabrielle Groves

Led by multiskilled singer Daniel Louis, Zack Apuzzo on drums, Esteban Rivera on guitar, and Mikey Feliciano on bass, the indie pop band Internet Tears is making the current high temperatures a little more bearable. The recent Black Barrel Records signees have released their third single this year titled ‘Feels Like Summer.’ To commemorate the radiant song, their label threw them a release party with performances from fellow local artists The Inside Out, Soft Spot, Drink Baby, Mariah Quartz, and Gold Eris.

Were there any specific summer songs that served as inspiration for ‘Feels Like Summer?’

DL: “I was listening to alot of “The Beaches” at the time actually. I'm not sure if that directly coordinates, but I feel like it might have inspired some of the ‘feel’ of the song.”

What was it like filming the music video for the song? Was it as fun as it looked?

DL: “Yes, everything we did was all on the spot. I literally told my bandmates to do all this random stuff, one thing after another. None of them even really knew what was going on. Every scene was just a surprise and candid.”

ZA: “This was the most fun I had doing a video with the band! My favorite was being able to smoke a cigar on camera. It fit the space perfectly. I had a great time just messing around with the guys and with our friends who helped out. We also had a White Castle feast afterwards.”

ER: “The professional answer is it was great and a lot of fun! The inside scoop is a lot more mischievous! Not sure what I can say in this interview, but you can ask us about it later! Mikey helped me channel my inner rockstar in the performance for the camera. Mikey is a total rock star and I can’t help but bounce off that energy! Like Daniel said, he had a vision and he brought us all together in that room; one afternoon and we executed his vision. We’re a crew and we are all comfortable around each other, so it was as simple as getting out of Daniel’s way and letting him direct his vision. I love being on camera and moving around, and I think Daniel did a great job editing in all the fun stuff! When I saw the video I was happy right off the bat!”

MF: “It was really fun. This was my debut with the band. The first time anybody gets to see me alongside Daniel in Internet Tears. Daniel and I have always been in bands together, so it’s nice to finally have this release be the first visual representation of us performing as this band together.”

How did the release party for the song go?

DL: “Great, we all had a good time, very happy with all the bands that performed and we had a great crowd. We had new people discover and listen to our band for the first time that night as well. Really had a fun time with our friends and family too.”

MF: “The party was my favorite part! We had a ton of live music from great local bands at our label’s recording studio!”

Daniel, not only are you the lead singer, but you direct and edit the music videos, choose the wardrobes for them, write the songs, and more. How do you manage all the different roles you have?

DL: “My art is very definitive so directing and envisioning isn't very hard to do. It can be very stressful at times, but I have experience holding all of these roles for years in other bands I've been in, and for other musicians and artists, and I am grateful that the band and label trust me with my quality of work. It's not all easy doing it myself, and I don’t prefer it 100%, but I think with how we express our art, we feel like even though sometimes it can be a lot to manage, it's something we're very proud of doing and happy to do.”

How did you all meet and form the band? How was the band’s name chosen?

DL: “It really started with just me starting the band as a project idea, making demos in my room. I met Zack by selling retro games online. He bought a retro game console of mine and met up with me to purchase the item. He then mentioned how he noticed and saw some of my music on Facebook and said he was a drummer. Funny enough, right at that time, I was auditioning drummers because I was considering making Internet Tears an actual band, so Zack auditioned and it just really made sense for him to be an official member.

As for Esteban, he's a chameleon musician, guitarist, vocalist, bassist. He can do a lot at a very high quality and in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, Connecticut, there's a booming scene of music and musicians. I live really close by and met Esteban through some mutual friends, and he even jammed out on stage with Mikey, our bassist.

Mikey and I have been in bands for 15 years, but he wasn’t an original member of Internet Tears. With the departure of our previous guitarist, Mikey joined in as the new bass player and Esteban took over lead guitar. Mikey and I have always connected through music and have had a great best friendship. He is my right-hand man when it comes to performing musically.”

What unique characteristics do each of you bring to the band?

DL: “Sad boy vibes. I bring all the lyrics and sound to the band.”

ZA: “They all tell me I’m the dad of the band, which is funny because I’m the youngest member. I’m usually the one driving us to shows and making sure everything is together and organized. I also handle most of the live tech. I’ve made our own on-stage lighting and I control our set with samples from my computer or sampler pad.”

ER: “Zack may be the dad of the band, but I’m the Papi of the band! If Dan is Michael Jordan, and Zack is Scottie Pippen, I’m Dennis Rodman. Mikey and I are now both Dennis Rodmans, so things can get a little loco here and there! We’ve got that Latin Lover in us. I like to have fun, play, be outside the box, wiggle my butt, and have fun with my wardrobe. I’m also the guy that will call it like it is and when something or someone is off, even if it’s me, I am a music geek and I will pay attention to make sure we’re at our best. So under the hood I definitely like to get into the details of the song, and on stage or in front of the camera I like to live it all and leave it all out there for the audience!”

MF: “Well, I’m the backbone of the band. I bring the groove. I think the duo between Daniel and I because we’ve grown up together, we really show that now that I’m in the band. I’m the quiet laid-back one for sure, but I’m a team player with lots of experience.”

Which dream venue would you love to play one day?

DL: “Madison Square Garden. It's the most Iconic venue on the East Coast. I was born in NY as well and saw my favorites there.”

ZA: “I would love to play at my personal favorite venue for shows, which is College Street Music Hall in New Haven, CT. I’ve seen so many incredible shows there and just love the whole atmosphere and surrounding area.”

ER: “I would feel at home on a big stage like MSG. I would love to get a crowd that size to jump like I saw Justin Timberlake do in 2019 over there! I’ll never forget how captivating he was and how the crowd was synchronized to him. We’re a ways away from something like that, sure, but the vision to rock hath no limit!”

MF: “Red Rocks or the Viper Room in LA.”

What is one goal that you would all like to achieve as a band?

Internet Tears: “To play a bus tour in Europe.”

DL: “I would love for us to go cross country together. More touring for sure. I just want to have great memories with my bandmates connecting with people through music we all love to perform.”

ZA: “I would love to release a full-length definitive album and get it on vinyl and other physical media. Complete with lithographs, credits and special thanks, and Easter eggs!”

ER: “I want to get in the studio more and release more music and videos, along with touring. I’d love to meet new people on our journeys and learn the land by way of the band. It was so much fun touring with these hombres!”

MF: “I just wanna travel around with my good friends. I’m really happy that I got a chance to be in a band with Daniel again. We’ve had a lot of memories touring and I’m very happy that we can continue to do that together.”

Internet Tears

Anberlin

Kevin Smart