Grant Nicholas is a man well accustomed to the art of penning a hit single; churning out high octane radio friendly rock-pop gems since the early nineties.
More recently, he has diverted his attention to solo projects, which history tells us can be healthy for both creative and inter-band relationship purposes. In this instance, it has produced glorious results and sparked a rebirth in Nicholas’ writing. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with a field of ecstatic fans singing back ‘he’s got a CD player’ to you, but Grant is no one-trick pony, and is well adept at producing work of a more introspective nature. This is exactly where we find him in 2015 as he releases ‘Black Clouds‘, the companion piece to the 2014 solo album ‘Yorktown Heights’.
It’s a swift follow up to ‘Yorktown..’, which only dropped last summer. But such is his current outpouring of songs, a new release was necessary and, above all else, very much welcomed. The current solo venture has unveiled some soul baring lyrics and acoustic laden, beautiful melodies to boot. ‘Black Clouds’ draws on inspiration from some of history’s most influential artists, from Neil Young to Tom Petty.
We caught up with Grant to catch up on touring, his new record and his take on the current state of the music industry.
Grant Nicholas performing with Feeder at the Brixton Academy, 2012 (Photo: Andy Crossland for Live4ever)
You recently finished a tour of Europe. How did it go?
I had a great time and the shows were really successful. Berlin and Paris were especially good and great cities to play. I hope to go back to do some more shows and possible European festivals.
Which of the new songs has been your favourite to play live, and why?
I really enjoy playing ‘Black Clouds’ and ‘Reminisce’ from the new mini album, but all work well live.
Do you prefer playing smaller or larger venues?
I really love the intimacy of the smaller venues and I think it suits the more ‘lounge vibe’ I have gone for in this project. However, I recently played the Fuji Rock Festival on a large stage and the songs also worked well in a bigger environment.
You’ve said that you tried to make this record have more of an old school, classic 60s/70s sound. What inspired this approach?
I am a traditional songwriter and I just wanted to strip the songs back a bit more and touch on some of the more acoustic/band artists I grew up listening to. Nick Drake, Neil Young, Dylan, Lennon, Simon and Garfunkel, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash etc.
Which do you enjoy the most – being in the studio or out on the road touring?
I usually enjoy the recording process, but this solo project has been such fun that I am probably enjoying playing it on the road live more. I have a great band who are a lot of fun to hang out with and the songs are a bit different in some way every night, they have a free spirit.
Your daughter has done a beautiful job with the artwork. What led you to asking her to do it?
The sleeve was finished and then one night she did this lovely little sketch and said it was her album cover idea for me. I loved it so I got her to do an image for every song on the album after going through them with her and getting some ideas going. She was almost nine when she did the first one. I love the way she draws and the way kids see the world. It felt so right to use her work for my first solo album as I think each one tells a story through the eyes of a child. She has also done the sleeve for my ‘Black Clouds’ mini album.
In what ways do you approach songwriting differently compared to being in Feeder?
I write most of the Feeder songs on acoustic guitar also, so it’s not that different. I think I just had more of a blank canvas to start with this time and lyrically I felt I could write songs that were slightly more personal and close to my heart in some way. I felt very free as there was no real pressure as such. I didn’t even know at the time it would definitely be a solo album until it was finished.
You are synonymous with some big modern rock hits with Feeder, which is something that seems to be lacking among bands in the charts today. Why do you think that is?
I love a good tune or anthem and it’s in my blood as a writer I guess. I think sometimes young musicians are led by what is seen as the latest cool trend and sometimes forget about the strength of a good song. Energy and look is great as long as you have some tunes to back it up.
The music industry and radio is also at fault in my opinion as artists don’t get time to grow and learn how to become better writers and artists. There are some great bands out there and I just hope the next generation will bring forth more artists that can headline major festival stages and hold an audience for more than a song or two. TV reality shows have not helped either.
What artists are you listening to the most at the moment?
A lot of classic 60s, 70s stuff as well as Eels, Sparkle Horse, Jose Gonzales, Band Of Horses, PJ Harvey, Grandaddy and a bit of Johnny Cash.
Aside from music, do you indulge in any other creative outlets?
I love getting involved in design ,especially merchandise and art. This has been great fun so far and very DIY-bespoke. I only do very small runs of each item and I use black tape to write messages and logos. The GN tape logo has become a bit of a trademark now and it has that DIY indie feel I love and is how i wanted to present this. I describe the project as being Redneck/Hillbilly indie – 70s trucker caps and baseballs. I just like anything creative really, maybe something involving food or wine, who knows.
You’ve already established yourself as a successful musician, but what ambitions do you have left?
I would love to do some more clothes or art ideas and would maybe like to write for or with some other musicians that inspire me. I would also like to help or get involved in some way with a few of my artist friends who are very talented. I have bought a few of their pieces for my house.
What are your plans for the rest of 2015?
To do as much as I can; festivals, possibly more gigs and then think about the next Feeder chapter. I have been approached to write for a few artists also so may do a bit more of that here and there. My solo stuff is an ongoing project now which I will be continuing but Feeder’s heart is still beating strong and we will be back at some point soon…
