Respected music journalist and published author of the book
George Harrison in the 1970s , Eoghan Lyng, sent over a series of interview questions recently to find out more about Nick's writing process, influences and ambitions.
*How does your writing process work: words first, music first, or both at the same time?
I have no formula for writing songs and I do not believe there is a right or wrong way. What I can tell you is that I never sit down to, or set time aside to write a song. More often than not, song idea’s pop into my head at random and inconvenient times. I could be walking the dog, in a supermarket or half asleep in bed.
And when I say ‘song ideas’, that could be a melody, a lyric idea or in some cases, a new section for another song in development. The trick is to make a note of them, and or record them into your phone. I’ve had some very strange looks from people as I’ve been singing into my phone at Sainsbury’s (other supermarkets are available).
Songs rarely happen all at once, and most can take days, weeks, months or even years to develop before they’re ready to be released. I firmly believe that songwriting should never be rushed or forced, because if it is, the song ends up sounding rushed and forced.
*How old were you when you wrote your first song, and has your perspective changed over the years?
I was thirteen when I got my first guitar. The reason for getting a guitar was because I wanted to be a Beatle. I was their biggest fan and I listened to their albums obsessively. As soon as I’d learnt three chords (A, D and E), I wrote my very first song.
I remember writing about ten songs in the first two weeks and then when I started to learn more chords, I really started motoring.
I’ve obviously matured and learnt so much since then, but one thing that hasn’t changed is a desire to write a good melody as I believe melody is key. I believe that a good song will still sound good whether it is played on an acoustic guitar or with a full arrangement.
*Do you consider yourself a pianist or a guitarist? Which is the hardest instrument to muster?
Neither and both, and a few more. I consider myself to be of an average standard at most instruments. I love playing piano, guitar and especially the ukulele. And what is interesting is that I write different songs on each instrument.
Strange as it seems, writing on the ukulele produces more musically complex songs, as even though it only has four strings, many of the easiest chords to play are jazz chords, which means that when writing you tend to use those more than standard chords.
*Are your influences predominantly British a la Lennon, Bowie etc?
Yes, I would say so. Obviously The Beatles were my biggest influence and I think to some degree, if they were a writers only influence then that would be enough as you cannot get better in terms of songwriting.
But then you have the almost poetic lyrics of Elvis Costello, the pure out and out melody of Jeff Lynne, the darkness of Roger Waters and the energy of Britpop in the 90’s.
Don’t get me wrong, I think of bands like Jellyfish from the US who should have been one of the biggest bands in the world if they hadn’t ended prematurely.
I’m not even touching the surface of what is a massive subject here but in short, I tend to lean towards British songwriters.
*How many takes do the vocals normally require?
Well, I have learnt that if you do an hour of vocal exercises before recording a vocal, it is so much easier and quicker to get a good take. I usually record four or five takes and then comp the best bits of each one to make one good take that I am happy with.
*What is the most satisfying part of studio work: recording or mixing?
I do not mix. Mixing is such a dark art that is developed over years. So instead of trying to learn myself (and this eating into creative time), I leave the mixing process to other far more talented people than I!
*Going back to Lennon, the Beatle rhythm guitarist evidently preferred the studio to the stage. What is your opinion on studio v stage?
There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the final mix of a song you have written and worked hard to record.
Also, there is nothing more satisfying than standing on stage and playing to an amazing audience.
So it’s hard to choose really. Both are great and very rewarding in different ways.
*There's something cinematic about your work; would you consider writing a soundtrack?
Absolutely. In fact I have already written and released two classical piano pieces which could be used as film music in their own right. Scoring strings is something I really enjoy and seem to be able to do quite easily, so if an offer came my way then I’d be really up for it.
*Is it fair to describe your most recent work as a concept album as such?
There is a running theme running throughout a lot of the songs, but that is only in my head. I’m not sure what the listener would think. By the time it gets to This Is Not a test (the penultimate track) then there’s clearly something going on here, but its not something I plan to reveal at the moment. I think the final song, My Love rounds off the album nicely. Could there be a clue there?
*Are you working on another project?
I never stop as I enjoy it too much. I have been writing for another artist recently on a project that I am not producing, so it will be fascinating to see how others interpret my songs.
I would love to work with and produce other artists, especially younger people with real talent. I loved working on the Georgia Project (released in December 2023) and would like to do more of this kind of work.
Other than that, I’m sure there will be plenty of new music around the corner.
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