Inspired by a love of 90s video game soundtracks, the instrumental jams of ‘NICKO_1’ will hit you right in the nostalgia with retro synths and drum machines, yet remain fresh and modern thanks to contemporary pop influences and NICKO’s metamorphic style on the bass.
“I had never made an album completely by myself before this, but I’ve always had a clear idea of how I want to sound,” he explains. “Developing the beats and refining the synth sounds was a lot of fun, but learning how to mix my music; really getting into the nuts and bolts of making it sound how I’ve always imagined it… it’s been a long but very gratifying journey”.
The Blackpool-born musician has been a session bass guitarist for many bands and artists, some of the most notable being etherial dance/pop band LOWES (featuring 2021 BBC Radio 1 Dance Vocalist of The Year), and pop singer-songwriter Molly Warburton, with whom he has also been a long-time writing partner and co- producer in studio.
‘NICKO_1’ hits the ground running with the opening track ‘Rise & Shine’ – a snappy, cheerful tune guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Watch the homemade music video here: https://youtu.be/mehwiXv2TVw
Whilst NICKO loves making upbeat music, it’s not all fun and games. The album features one track in particular which came to fruition during a painful time. “I started writing Grief the same week my dad passed away. We were close, so I was just feeling completely lost…”, he reveals. “After a few days I immersed myself in making music. It may sound cliché but I guess I was searching for comfort. Feeling pretty low one night, I picked up my fretless and sat on my bedroom floor. The melody you hear at the beginning was the first thing my hands decided to play that night and, to be honest, I still don’t really know where it came from. Allowing whatever I was feeling to come through, it was almost like the rest of the song wrote itself, while helping me process some of the sadness along the way.”
‘NICKO_1’ is a true representation of all NICKO’s influences and an honest expression of himself as an artist. “At one point I had a shortlist of about 20 potential album names but I started to feel more and more strongly that it should actually be self-titled. Producing it was such a personal experience from start to finish, so… it just feels right”.
