Noah Lares & Johnny Avila & Danny Avila shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Noah & Johnny & Danny, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
As a band, we are constantly chasing the next high of personal success. Currently, we are working with a Seattle based record label, GrungePop Records, to secure a deal. We can’t say much, but there may just be a potential release coming soon. It’s hard to imagine giving up on any of the individual pursuits that we have thrust ourselves into within this larger journey; however, should we stop pursuing our goal of continual advancement within the industry, we would all probably get stuck in the same 9 to 5 trap of monotony and dissatisfaction most others find themselves caught in.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Insomnia is a grunge band from San Diego that thrives in contradiction—melodic but noisy, emotional but detached, deliberate but unraveling. We’re not interested in proving anything, but we’re also not content being just another band playing loud songs about nothing. Our music is rooted in real feeling and shaped by whatever sound tells the truth best, whether it’s poppy, abrasive, or quiet enough to make people uncomfortable. Right now we’re revisiting some of our earliest work for a remaster project, not to relive the past but to confront it. In tandem with this, we are also in deep, steady development of writing new original material.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Who were we before the world told us who we had to be? Probably someone unmarketable. Someone loud in the wrong ways and quiet in the right ones. We were kids with feelings too big for our bodies and no interest in filtering them down to fit a narrative. Then came the algorithms, unsolicited advice, and genre labels — all trying to make us palatable, profitable, digestible. It’s funny how quickly “express yourself” turns into “not like that.” So maybe we’re still those same people underneath, just louder, better dressed, and a little more intentional about not listening.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Was there ever a time we almost gave up? Yeah, probably a few. Early on, shows came in slow, and the ones we did get barely felt real — half-empty rooms, broken sound systems, a crowd made up of the next band’s friends who’d already heard our set from the parking lot. It’s hard to keep going when nothing’s really happening and no one’s asking you to keep going. We weren’t special yet — just another band playing the waiting game, and losing. But we didn’t stop, mostly because there wasn’t anything else we wanted to do. No dramatic comeback story. We just kept showing up because we didn’t know how to not.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
What are the biggest lies the industry tells itself? That there’s a formula. That if you sound like what’s working right now, you’ll get somewhere. We’ve seen bands build their whole identity around whatever’s trending that month, chasing playlists and algorithms like there’s a finish line at the end. Most of them end up exactly where they started — just with less of themselves in the music. The truth is, the whole thing’s unstable. There’s no promise. You can sell out and still get ignored. You can stay true and get the same result. So we just do what we want. If something clicks, cool. If not, at least we don’t hate what we made.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
What will people most misunderstand about our legacy? Probably that we ever wanted one. People love to romanticize artists after the fact — turn real moments into anecdotes, pain into merch, songs into nostalgia. But we’re not doing this so someone can write a neat little summary about us when it’s over. We do it because we feel it now. Because it matters now. The things we write about — guilt, loss, isolation, wanting more than what you’re given — they’re not concepts to be reflected on once we’re gone. They’re happening in real time. So if the only way people care is in hindsight, they’ve already missed the point.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nlares3069.wixsite.com/insomniamusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insomniamusicco?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@insomnia_band?feature=shared
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6NbP2qasOXG5yIWrXTeReg?si=vBoMnFeuS6yNz0tpOOGPdA
