New Jersey’s Your Best Nightmare isn’t just a band—it’s a force of nature. Blurring the lines between folk, punk, goth, and art rock, they craft a sound that’s as sharp as their lyrics and as haunting as their melodies. Fronted by powerhouse vocalist, Erin, and backed by Chris on drums, Darrel on lead guitar, and Josh on bass, the band’s signature mix of beauty and unease has captivated audiences worldwide.
Their debut album, Presents: A Simple Solution For Toxic Masculinity, turned heads with its fearless themes and genre-defying approach, earning global recognition. Whether playing intimate club shows or commanding festival stages across the US, UK, and Europe, Your Best Nightmare delivers performances that are equal parts mesmerizing and unsettling.
We sat down with Erin for an exclusive interview on their latest release, "St. Agnes."
SJ: You often play with a ukulele, but your music leans heavily into alt/punk—a space where the instrument isn’t traditionally used. What inspired this choice?
YN: I picked up a ukulele in college and was obsessed with the sound of it. I spent my time as a teacher playing it too! It feels like I haven’t gone anywhere without a ukulele for the past decade. When I started writing music, it only felt right to play it using the instrument that I’ve grown most attached to.
SJ: You’ve described your band’s sound as “a sound as haunting as it is captivating.” How did you develop this sonic identity? Are there any artists who have shaped your approach? What does it mean to you to be both haunting and captivating?
YN: I think the haunting thing began with the lyrics in the first album; you don’t write about vampires and the brutal annihilation of the toxically masculine and get called “sweet and fun.” You see it in albums like MCR’s I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, Lambrini Girls Who Let The Dogs Out, and anything that Streetlight Manifesto does. I love dragging dark or heavy subject matter into the light and making it something fun to sing along to. Being haunting and captivating to me means that our music can make you stop and think, or say “oh god,” but also get you dancing a little.
SJ: You've mentioned classical music as an influence and describe your sound as “baroque-meets-grit.” Are there specific artists or songs that helped shape this style?
YN: When I started writing this new music I was thinking a lot initially about Mozart’s Requiem, which totally isn’t baroque. But what I heard in this music reminded me of the organ music you’d hear in a cathedral. I love the ornamentation of baroque music, think Bach, and I’m obsessed with the lushness of the art and architecture of the time. I wanted “St. Agnes” to have that same kind of over the top feeling, but also be kinda chaotic and gritty.
SJ: Your debut album, Presents: A Simple Solution for Toxic Masculinity, earned global acclaim, leading you to play shows across the U.S., U.K., and Europe. What do you think about this record connected with audiences worldwide?
YN: I think a lot of folks are pissed off. I met a lot of people touring the album solo that shared their own stories and experiences with me that aligned with exactly the stuff I wrote about. It was beautiful to meet so many people enraged and empowered by the same things I was. When the world feels like it currently does, it’s really hot to know that there are so many people who feel the same way I do across the globe that want to make the world a better place.
SJ: Your live performances have an undeniable energy. What do you think is most entrancing about your shows?
YN: We’re all so dang cute. But also, I think we all bring something a little different to the table and it ends up making this really cool final product.
SJ: You’re releasing your new single, “St. Agnes.” How did this song come to life? Can you tell us about the rage that inspired it?
YN: I wrote it about a person in the industry that was getting sued for SA and people not believing the victim in the case. I sat down one day and journaled about all the things I wished would happen to them, and “St. Agnes” was born in like 15 minutes. It makes me so angry that we still live in a society where these kinds of scummy humans can actually have a platform and manage to get praised despite the fact that they’re actually pieces of trash.
SJ: Do you find that many of your songs stem from emotions like anger, rage, or resentment?
YN: I’d say it’s a 50/50 split. Some definitely stem from the rage and anger that things in the world make me feel, but some address other emotions. I totally wrote a love song for the first album, but the next body of work we’re whittling away at definitely takes a look at other emotions.
SJ: You’ve said, “We are often told to forgive and forget, or to let bygones be bygones. But where do we draw the line of forgiveness in the sand?” Why do you think this is something we’re taught?
YN: I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps because we don’t want to upset people around us by holding them accountable for actions that have hurt us? I wish I had a witty, insightful answer for this, but this is something I often ponder myself.
SJ: Where do you personally think that line should be drawn? Do you believe in forgiveness?
YN: I think that line in the sand is different for everyone. Our own personal thresholds of forgiving are all inspired by our own world views and life experiences. I personally believe in forgiveness up to the line I’ve drawn for myself in the sand. It might take me a while to get there depending on how badly I’ve been hurt, but I am typically very forgiving.
SJ: “St. Agnes” is the after the patron saint of young girls, chastity, and rape survivors. What inspired this title?
YN: I’ll be honest, I fell into a rabbit hole of patron saints; I find it fascinating. When I wrote “St. Agnes” I wanted a patron saint that represented the victims that shouldn’t be expected to forgive those that wrong them, and lo, there was St. Agnes.
SJ: I love your nod to St. Francis with the line, “I think St. Francis would understand, I simply cannot forgive and forget,” as well as your reference to the Lord’s Prayer in the lyricism. Did you grow up in a religious household? How does religion influence your songwriting?
YN: I grew up in a mildly religious household, and I spent my collegiate years performing in some incredible churches. Religion doesn’t consistently influence my songwriting, but for this particular body of work I felt a strong connection to the religious works I performed in college.
SJ: Your lyrics in “St. Agnes” are incredibly poignant—often aggressive, even biting. Do you ever feel like you need to hold back, or is that raw honesty the key to your songwriting?
YN: I am known for being, sometimes brutally, honest. Honesty is so important in a world that glamorizes falsehoods and the suppression of the truth. People connect with the truth in a deeper way than they could ever connect to a song with empty words, so I’m going to keep writing honestly and hope for the best.
SJ: This release features a full band lineup with you on vocals/uke/bass, Darrel Norrell on guitar, and Owen Duff on drums. What made you want to bring in a full band for this release?
YN: I loved working with Darrel so much in his brief moment in the first album that I wanted it all the time. Josh, my bassist, has been saying for a while that he’d love to join the party, too; you can hear him live and in other tracks we’re working on! It feels right to have pals adding their flair to the music, and I love how everyone’s personal style can be heard on the album.
SJ: How does having a full band change the feel of this song compared to just vocals and uke?
YN: I’ve played this song solo and full band, and a full band just makes it come to life. The crowd enjoys it regardless, but to see the crowd start to move when we play it as a full band is really friggen awesome.
SJ: You’ve described St. Agnes as “a new sound, but with the same great Your Best Nightmare flavor.” What about this track feels new to you? Are we witnessing a new era for YBN?
YN: We’re gonna have a YBN Eras Tour at some point. For me, the energy and the color of the track are different from the first album. The first album was very red and purple for me, and was really saucy feeling; like murderous girly horror punk. This track, and everything that comes after, are either green or blue and have a harder edge to them.
SJ: Rumor has it you’re working on a new record. Can we expect more of this sound, this band, and this energy on the album?
YN: We are indeed cooking. You can totally catch us bopping in the same way on the album.
SJ: What can we look forward to with Your Best Nightmare?
YN: World domination would be stellar. Aside from that, we’ve got some rad shows (and a festival!!) lined up.
Stream "St. Agnes" below!
Vocals/Uke: Erin Porter, Bass
Guitar: Darrel Norrell
Drums: Owen Duff
Production: Erin Porter
Mix: EJ Gaubs
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