Inspired by the mood and joy that the Australian summer brings, Melbourne-based producer/artist Nightingale provides listeners with a springboard to living life fully through his first release of 2022, ‘Vermillion’; a lively and elating Piano House / Electronic Dance flavoured track that fans of Paul Woolford, Calvin Harris, and MK will love. ‘Vermillion’ showcases an upbeat and playful side of Nightingale, where his dream-like lyricism and warm melodies focus on the youthful energy and desire to chase memories that summer brings, especially after extended lockdowns in his hometown.
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
What strengths do you have that you believe make you a great musician?
Personally, I think I have the drive and resolve to persist and keep going towards my goals. While this affects all things related to being an independent artist, having these strengths has pushed me to practice, and find the right sounds in my head.
Who inspired you to make music?
Creatively and as a purpose, I stem it back to my faith, like with everything in my life. I think a lot of it has also got to do with my parents too, especially my mum! Our home was filled with music all the time and the variety of music I got to experience really made me fall in love with good songwriting and melodies and I believe this sparked my interest in picking up the guitar.
Your latest track is 'Vermillion'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
I wanted to capture the buzz I had coming into summer after the repeated year of lockdowns we had here in Melbourne. It was akin to the excitement of coming up to any big event in your life and wanting that time to be precious, joyful, and forever lasting. You feel youthful, free, and devoted to making things count. This gave my production and songwriting on ‘Vermillion’ a focus on encapsulating this energy and feeling.
During the production phase, I was humming along to the draft. I realised it was too high for me and I was not gonna be able to sing on it, so I had to tune it down! I think this happened because I was barely humming when I was 'sketching' it out on just me and a guitar.
What is your creative process like?
I generally write a song with just one instrument, most of the time on an acoustic guitar or sometimes just some piano chords. I forget who said it, but I recall reading/hearing in an interview once that a great song can be reduced to the bare bones of the melody and an accompanying instrument. That resonated with me especially in today's world where there are shortcuts everywhere, except in my mind, the skill of songwriting. I usually go on to try different sounds and textures on Ableton to see what will match before I go and produce the whole track.
What is the biggest decision you’ve had to make?
Pursuing music as a solo independent act! I knew it was going to be a lot of hard work and learning, and that there would/will be challenges. It was daunting at first, however, I couldn't shake the feeling of pursuing it.
What makes you different from others?
My ability to carry out most aspects of being an artist by myself. The only thing I'm not doing at the moment is mastering, and my press photos. I believe this showcases my adaptability, growth mindset, and willingness to work hard.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
I am forever grateful for your support. Stick around as I'm always going to be releasing!
How do you feel the Internet has impacted the music business?
For me, the internet runs the music business. I hope that shows the magnitude of how the music business has been shaped by the internet. My whole exposure, marketing, opportunities, and communications, are all/have been through online avenues. There are still key things like in-person relationships that you forge through real-life experiences together, and those feel fewer and far between in the overall picture, albeit one could argue more precious now.
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
I work full time at the moment so usually it's "What time is it?"
What are your plans for the future?
To keep releasing singles consistently! Around every 7-8 weeks. Maybe an EP as well? I am planning a live show with a band to perform the songs I've been releasing, it'll be great to do live music again. It's been a while for me so I'm gonna have to rehearse a lot!