Nic Rollo Monster Interview

What Happened to the Kid

Perth based producer and songwriter Nic Rollo has announced his driving, eerie new single Monster, about identifying and quelling the monster within us all. Accompanying the track is a dark, revolving film clip, directed by Alex Montanari (Cub Sport, What So Not, Khalid) and Matthew James. Monster follows the 2019 release of Nic's brilliant, iridescent EP What Happened to the Kid.

Monster will feel familiar to anyone who has said something in frustration or anger that they regret after the fact – the track is an introspective interrogation of that remorse, and what it'll take to tame the inner monster who is responsible for those biting remarks. Reminiscent of synth-pop auteurs M83 and indie rockers The Wombats, and mastered by pop royalty Chris Gehringer (Harry Styles, Rihanna, Halsey), the track is buoyed by glistening synths, hooky guitar and driving percussion – while Nic's gentle vocals and arresting lyrics take centre stage. Reflecting on the inspiration behind the track, Nic explains, "Monster was written during a previous relationship of mine when things were a bit shaky. There were a few times that I'd said something to my ex that had started to cause fractures in the relationship and unnecessary conflict. Monster is about that side of myself that I don't always like - the part that is impulsive and lashes out when I should just hold my tongue."

The video for Monster feels like the beginning of a horror film – there's a sense of suspense, as though the calm atmosphere of the night-driving scenes will not last for much longer. It's a beautiful watch too – the lights passing in the night as the song plays out feels like a perfect representation of the moody nature of the music. Speaking about the clip, Nic says, "The video for Monster is a narrative based video that features a lot of driving and aims to be aesthetically pleasing. Matthew James, Alex Montanari and I came together to think about the video a few months back and we all had this vibe of the song revolving around driving and having dark colours. The story itself is supposed to be slightly confusing - am I driving to the burial or from the burial? Am I burying the monster or is the monster burying me?"

The release of Monster is a killer way to kick off 2020 for this exciting young artist, as he enthuses, "It feels fantastic to finally be releasing Monster. I wrote the song over a year ago and have been sitting on it for what feels like forever now. To date, it is probably my favourite song that I've written, and I'm super stoked to finally be able to share it with people."

Interview with Nic Rollo

Question: Can you tell us about Monster?

Nic Rollo: Monster is about saying things that you regret to friends, family and loved ones. The song was written during a pretty turbulent time in a previous relationship where it felt like I kept causing unnecessary tension by saying petty things. I guess in many ways the song is about the dark side of myself that I don't really love having around. I'm hoping people can relate to this song on some level since most of us have a darker side of ourselves, at least to varying degrees.


Question: Where do you find inspiration when creating music?

Nic Rollo: So many different places! Sometimes I'll be sitting at a keyboard or guitar just messing around and I'll write a melody or chords that inspire me to keep working and write a track. Other times, I'll be listening to somebody else's song and here something in it that inspires me to write. I almost exclusively write songs by recording them, so it's pretty easy to keep the inspiration flowing when I can add new sounds in quickly and experiment with stuff at the click of a button.


Question: How did the idea for the video clip come about?

Nic Rollo: I went to grab a coffee with Alex and Matt (who filmed and directed the clip) a few months before filming. Alex and I both had this idea of the clip revolving around driving; it just seemed to fit the vibe and momentum of the song. Since 'Monster' is about that side of yourself that can be kind of evil, we thought it would be cool to have the video revolving around this idea of me going to bury the monster, but in a way that it could just as easily be the monster burying me.

Question: Do you prefer performing live or recording?

Nic Rollo: Performing live is great fun, but I'm definitely a bit of a studio fiend. I've spent so many hours in studios now that it feels like home… it's something about the usually dark and ambient vibes mixed with the excitement of creating something new that I just love and can't get enough of.


Question: Which is your favourite song to perform live and why?

Nic Rollo: Hmm, it's probably the first single I released 'Move Me'. The song has a special place in my heart because it was the first track I'd released after going silent for a few years following the dissolution of a previous band. I had recorded the track almost a year before it was released, so there was a lot of nervous tension around the song for me. It's also just a good song to belt out on the microphone, you know? I'm enjoying playing 'Monster' quite a lot too, so it's a close second.


Question: If you could have anyone, in the world, attend a show, who would it be?

Nic Rollo: Probably The Weeknd, I've been such a big fan for so many years now. If not him then maybe Elon Musk so I can sing on one of his upcoming tracks... I think stylistically that'd be a perfect fit (I'm kidding it probably wouldn't).


Question: Which music/artists are you currently listening to?

Nic Rollo: I've been listening to a lot of Harry Styles and Sam Fender lately, both of their most recent albums are just incredible. I'm also, just like everyone else on the planet, quite excited for the new Tame Impala album so I'm getting my ears primed and ready for that.


Question: What or who was your inspiration to go into the music industry?

Nic Rollo: I don't think there was ever a particularly conscious thought to enter the industry. I've been writing songs since I was about 15 years old, and as I've gotten older I've spent more and more hours of my week doing it to the point where it just became an assumption that I'd pursue music. I guess in the early days I found acts like Tame Impala and Mac Demarco really inspiring from how they home recorded and produced their own music.

Question: If you could collaborate with another artist, who would it be?

Nic Rollo: It'd be so cool doing a song with Kacey Musgraves. After a friend recommended listening to her most recent album I've been a bit obsessed, she has such a cool voice and writes such catchy melodies.


Question: What's next, for you?

Nic Rollo: Lots of releases! I have heaps of music stockpiled so the next few months are going to be pretty full on I imagine. I'm also in the process of lining up some collaborations with other artists and producers, which will be a lot of fun!


Question: What's a typical day like?

Nic Rollo: I wish my days had more routine; recently they've been pretty all over the place. I'll typically be checking emails and doing admin stuff in the mornings (and going to the gym if it's a day I'm supposed to work out), and then keep the afternoons pretty free to do writing and producing work. I also teach music lessons in the late afternoons on certain days of the week, so that keeps me pretty busy.


Question: Can you share your socials?

Nic Rollo: @nicrollo_
www.facebook.com/nicrollomusic @nicrollo
YouTube
http://www.nicrollo.com
Spotify 


Interview by Brooke Hunter