It is literally such an overwhelming feeling sometimes. I wish I could just get together with a group of people (IRL) equally as in love with music and just LISTEN to ALL the amazing bands and artists we know... & just let the music speak for itself... & just DANCE or lay quietly with our eyes closed taking in every last note, lyric, & melody. I also wish I were even a fraction as talented as the artists i admire so i could actually play instruments to their songs and connect to the music on an even deeper level. There's just something magical about music, man. It gets to me. FUCK.
Sound, Phrase & Fury 4.5 - Special Throwback Issue
Sound, Phrase & Fury Volume 4, Issue 5.
This will be the last issue of our fourth year and the last issue of SPF as you have grown to know it! We've been working on some HUGE changes for 2017, and we wanted to take this time to look back at the amazing artists we have met over the years!
Please enjoy our Special Throwback Issue - We highlight our favourite interviews including Bobby Meader, Nic Dyson & Callaghan! Also features our artist picks: Cory Wells Music, Hope Sacree Music, Life Lessons & SOPHIE STRAUSS!
As 2013 came to an end and a new year rolled around, we couldn`t help but look back on our highlights of the last 365 days. Musically, one of the highlights in Winnipeg music has been acoustic artist, Nic Dyson.
His inspiration and determination has shown hundreds of people that anything is possible, to be who you are, and to follow your heart. Talented and modest, we sat down with the young musician to talk about life, music and growing up.
AS: What inspired you to start making music?
ND: When I was very young my dad showed me the classics: Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. I grew up with that kind of music in my life. I started playing guitar when I was eight. At twelve, I started making chord progressions and recording them on my computer. I was inspired by whatever I was listening to at the time, and I would usually name them after whatever song it was inspired by. I stopped doing that at seventeen, when I was inspired to start singing and writing my own songs. In my last year of high school, I was invited to this creative arts camp. My friends, who had gone there before, said the kids always bring their instruments and that jams/sing-alongs happen on a regular basis. When I got there it was so easy to play for them, to open up and just be myself. That’s something I never really got to do before. That was the first time I sang in front of anyone. It was pretty well received. When I got home I went through a sort of depression because all these people were scattered all over the place. I knew it would be a long time before I saw them again. I missed them so much because of the overwhelmingly positive impact they had on my life, so I wrote my first song about them. It was like my therapy, how I dealt with these overwhelming feelings. It took me a long time to gain the courage to share it with anyone. Now, people tell me to never stop playing that song because they connect with it so well. That is one of the greatest compliments. When I play it now, I get emotional. I think it will always be a song that I can connect with in the deepest way. I think the song means more to me now than it did back then. As I’ve grown up, more of my friends have started their lives, moved away, started following their dreams, and sometimes I’m not in them, and that sucks, but I understand. I thought for a long time that it would be the only song I ever wrote. Obviously, I was wrong.
AS: You’ve had a very successful 2013, what are some of the highlights?
ND: I’ve been given many opportunities and privileges that seem like a dream to me. Right at the beginning of the year I was given the chance to open for my friend’s band, Kobalt, at their EP release show in front of 200 people. In March, I was asked to open for Take Me To The Pilot and other bands like live the story, who I look up to. I got to play in front of another 300 people. Another thing I find amazing, being an acoustic singer/songwriter, is that I seem to have been embraced by the Winnipeg metal scene. I’ve been asked to open for a few hardcore shows. Although I am a huge fan of it, I obviously don’t play that kind of music. It’s simply amazing that our local scene can appreciate and support different genres. This past summer, I played a headline show at a coffee shop. Over 100 people crammed into this small space. Many tears were shared that night. I will never forget it. I also had the opportunity to play at an inspiring art show, Words to Live By, which was eye opening. I also had the opportunity to do a bullying presentation at a middle school. I got to share my experience, and how I overcame my insecurities and adversity. It was extraordinarily humbling to be someone these kids could look up to. Hopefully I’ll be able to do that again one day. I’ve had some incredible experiences, and I’m so eternally thankful for them all.
AS: What’s the biggest influence in your life and your music?
ND: My biggest influence in my early life was my dad. Now, I am mostly influenced by the friends I have. They inspire me and push me to be the best person I can be. They constantly blow me away. I am so incredibly lucky and grateful to have them in my life. Musically, Dallas Green (City and Colour) is my biggest influence. When I listen to his songs, I think, this is the kind of music I want to make. I learn how to play all of his songs, and all of his lyrics are burned into my brain. The first time I saw him play live, I cried the entire time. He’s not only an influence, but I have an emotional connection to his songs. They have helped me through the hardest times in my life. I can also hear a lot of influence from Neil Young, Dave Matthews, and The Paper Kites.
AS: What’s your favourite song to play?
ND:I love to play my song “It’s Okay, It’s Alright.” It’s the song that people sing along to. It’s the best feeling having hundreds of people sing along to a song that I wrote alone in my basement. Nothing compares to it. I also hate to love to play the first song I ever wrote, because it is so painful for me but I’ve been told that it means a lot to other people. I’ve seen people cry along with me when the song is over. That moment justifies any pain I endure while bringing up those feelings.
AS: Do you have advice for young aspiring artists out there?
ND: Don’t be afraid to be who you really are. Don’t be afraid to be honest with yourself and others. It is hard, and terrifying, but if you can get past that, people take notice of it and respect it. I think that’s why people connect with what I do so much. They see that I am 100 percent connected with the words I sing, and I’m not afraid to show it. There is nothing wrong with being emotional and showing how you really feel. I think that’s something society has tried to tell us is wrong, but it isn’t at all.
Like Nic Dyson on Facebook. Grab a free download of his current album, Dreaming Under a Broken Tree on Bandcamp. Originally Published in SPF 2.1 Jan/Feb
