Doomed Confessionary: Ted Levin (Goodnight Sky)
Goodnight Sky is a grunge/sludge/stoner rock trio hailing from New York City.
The band released their debut full-length album »Oceania« in Spring 2024. Their new EP »Magnum Opiate« is coming early 2026.
Goodnight Sky consists of Ted Levin (vocals, guitar), Bill Peluso (drums) and Stas Poletaev (bass).
Can you please say a few words about your band?
We try and scratch an itch for cool, heavy riffs, trippy melodies, and messed up lyrics that hopefully get that thing between your ears working a little harder.
What was the biggest challenge for the band?
Trying to put together a band in NYC and keep it afloat is a colossal chore. Finding gigs here and promoting it is even harder. Pretty damn cut throat in this town. But there is really in place like this city.
What can you be most proud of so far?
I think that people haven’t been able be lump us into a genre box very easily, and I’m proud of that. It means we’re doing something different. Something that may be reminiscent or familiar of other sounds, but much hard to put your finger on.
What was your biggest regret?
I wouldn’t call it a regret, but I was offered to tour with an all Metal Tribute to The BeeGee’s, Tragedy, right after I started Goodnight and I just couldn’t pass it up. Been to Europe seven times now with them, they’re great guys and we played fucking Wacken . It’s made doing Goodnight hard, made finishing this new record an epic task. We overcame it all though and it only made us stronger. Life is learning how to juggle chainsaws.
What was the best concert/tour so far and why?
Playing with Wino’s new band, Ritual Arcana, next week will be really humbling. Meeting legends and heroes puts thing in perspective. Feeds and fuels your dreams and pours gas on it all if you’re lucky and smart enough to let it.
What was the biggest surprise on the music scene for you?
How supportive the scene was. People will pay to see you play twenty minutes and buy your overpriced merch afterwards. Lots of great cities and scenes are like that and heavy music wouldn’t be around if we didn’t have such great support from fans and bands alike. We go to shows and I love to see other bands at our shows and others shows. There is comraderie in this town, even if it’s near impossible make a buck here doing what we’re doing.
What is currently in your heavy musical rotation?
Slomosa the last six months. They created their own fucking genre, who else has done that lately? Love a band from The Hague called Baardvader, beyond original and absolutely groundbreaking. Kaiser from Finland are killer. Catacopter from Mannheim I really like. Starting to really dig Kal-El lately too, pretty bone crushing and super melodic. Heavy European bands have tapped into something really different and it’s goddamn refreshing I think.
What was the best advice you’ve ever been given as a musician?
Be the singer, he gets the most attention and girls. Find something you love to do and a way to make money at it. My Dad told me both when I was 7. Think he wanted to live through me vicariously. Wish he was still around to do so.
What are your guilty pleasures?
Good food and down time. My partying days are behind me, Hell, none of us even drink. But I love touring and I always miss it when I’m not out there.
Can you say something more about the current music scene in New York?
There are a lot hidden gem bands in NYC, I’m always surprised by ones that were right under my nose. There’s backstabbing here and all that, but at least in the heavy music scene here I feel it’s not as rampant. It’s a good support system. The venues are a different story. But it really is true, anything can happen in The Big Apple and yeah it never fucking sleeps. It can consume you if you let it. I don’t plan to let it.
Where can we see you live this year (concerts/tours)?
We’re still doing one off support slots locally. Excited to play with Heavy Temple from Philly in April. Getting the new record out is our top priority, hope to get on some tours after its out, we’ll see.
What are your plans for the future as a band?
Get to Europe. One way or another. Push the new release and find time to try and write. Has never been easy for me, it’s like giving birth sometimes. You’re lucky when the song takes control and almost writes itself, but that doesn’t happen often. Getting the fire lit is the hard part. If it were easy, everyone would had written a »Bad Motorfinger« or a »Dopesmoker«.
How can people best support your band?
Buy the music, buy the merch. Tell a friend, tell two. Tell strangers on the street about a cool new band you just got into. Come to the shows, please come to the shows. Say hello after and tell us we sucked or we were great, doesn’t matter. All art suffocates without oxygen.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
I hope people can find some kind of comfort or uncomfort in us, some way to relate to the songs, to the vibe, the imagery of the lyrics. Even if I’ve creeped you out or made things awkward for you, embrace that shit. You’ll be better off for having done so. If I can get you to do that, I can go to the grave knowing I’ve done something worthwhile in this world. Mission accomplished.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well