Nick Vivid – No More Secrets

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) How would you describe your sound?

A) Take everything I like from 60s psychedelic, 70s glam and funk, 80s new wave, 90s hip hop, 2000’s nu disco, 2010’s Chillhop and Lofi scenes and mix them together – that’s a start. If I ever lose focus, I sometimes picture myself on stage and say, “What does that guy sound like?” Sometimes I’ll have a song I’m not sure about and use the same technique to say, “Would that guy write that song?” If not, I usually don’t use it or work it up until it fits.

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

A) KISS is the de facto standard. That otherworldly larger than life thing has always appealed to me. But let’s see what I’ve been listening to lately – Judas Priest, Steel Panther and 1980s Rush. I’ve been on a bit of a metal kick lately. It goes in phases. I’ve also been really back into late 70’s electronic stuff lately – Suicide, Visage, Icehouse – stuff like that.

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Trainers.”

A) A couple times in life I’ve hit a brick wall and said to myself, “You know, you DO have permission to alter the course here.” The limits we have as to who we are and what we’re about can be shattered the moment we decide to shatter them. Freedom of the mind – that’s kinda the vibe of the song.

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

A) I think people like the catchiness of the vocal. I love hooks anyway, and that song is littered with them, so I think that’s what most people get from it. Now, if you wanna dig a little deeper, and you don’t have to, but there’s more there if you want it. Sure, there’s goodies on the surface, but my personal favorite stuff is the gems that aren’t so obvious to the average listener – little production quirks, interesting arrangement choices, hidden meanings in the lyrics – anything that can be considered a bit of an easter egg.

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

A) It all depends. Sometimes I’ll wake up with a song in my head. Sometimes I’ll just make something up for fun and say to myself, “Hey that’s pretty good. Jot that down.” That actually happened two weeks ago, and that particular song is already almost finished. It’s usually happening when I’m trying the least. I’ve stopped trying to make records for a few years now. Letting the music tell me what it wants to be seems to work best – mentally getting out of my own way, as it were.

Q) How long have you been producing your own music?

A) Since my parents got me a 4-track recorder when I was a teenager. I immediately locked myself in my room and started making my own albums. On very few occasions I’ve gone into someone else’s studio to record. I’ve just always had a love for the process of building an album from nothing to something and being very hands on with every aspect of it.

Q) Your album No More Secrets is out now. What are some themes you explore on it?

A) I lost both of my parents while making the record – that was a big thing. The family secrets didn’t need to be hidden anymore. There weren’t any super dark ones in my case, but I allowed myself to see my relationship with my parents more honestly than I did when they were alive. That caused a subtle, but substantial, shift in my perspective on my life up until now. Plus, we had the pandemic, which was something all humanity could relate to. There was a lot of soul searching all around. I put those things into the music.

Q) In what ways did you approach writing or your sound for this album in a new way than the previous music you’ve released?

A) I got back into chopping up samples which I hadn’t done on the past few records. That process sparked my creativity in ways I’d like to explore further. I just picked up an Uher 4000 portable reel to reel deck and I’m pretty psyched on the idea of sampling all sorts of things while on next year’s tour. That could be a really cool sonic foundation for the next album.

Q) What are some of your favorite tracks off of it?

A) “Blackmail” is my favorite track. I think “The Sky is Falling” has a great arrangement – really tells the same story from several different perspectives. I’m pretty happy with how that one turned out.

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from exploring No More Secrets?

A) I hope, as with all my music, that listeners feel connected and empowered. Music is a spiritual thing. I think the more connected we feel to others, the better.

Q) How do you plan to celebrate the album’s release?

A) We’re doing the album release party on November 13th at this cool quirky venue called “All Night Skate” in Brooklyn. They’re letting me take over the place and really vibe it out, so I think it should be a fun show. My friend KRT_ (Kurt Underscore) is opening – she does really cool Chiptune stuff. We’ve done a couple gigs together over the past few years and our audiences mix really well.

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

A) My favorite gigs have always been underground DIY venues, house shows, art galleries – that kind of thing. I like the danger of things potentially going off the rails. Especially with a show like mine, which is pretty static in terms of the production, I need those wildcard elements added to the mix to have that tension in the air.

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

A) I like a lot of stuff a number of lofi beat makers are doing at the moment. Probably has to do with my renewed interest in chopping samples. I get inspired by where some of those artists are coming from.

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

A) It’s another way to create. Since the dominance of TikTok and the short form vertical video I’ve kinda altered how I use social media. I’ve recently been making these little music video-styled vignettes that my audience seems to really dig, so I’ve got a vision for how I’m going to be using social media for the near term, at least. That’s actually a big weight off my shoulders. It’s one thing to want to post content, but it’s another to use social media in a way that’s creatively satisfying for you and the audience.

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

A) I just really appreciate it. I am so lucky that I get to do this. I get to be an artist and reach people with that art. I’ve had a few fans write and say, “Your music got me through the pandemic.” It doesn’t get much better than that.

Watch the Video for “Hush Money (Straight to the Bribe)”

Watch the Video for “Trainers”