New York-based singer-songwriter Nicholos is releasing a brilliant new single, ‘Secrets’ on April 22nd, 2022 reintroducing the world with his creative artistry. He has collaborated with fellow artist Pluto Koi for the track, who has given an incredible performance. The song features a charming resonance that reveals his true potential in both singing and songwriting. The gifted artist has agreed to do an interview with our team and answered quite a few questions about his music and future plans.
Thank you Nicholos for taking some time out of your busy schedule and doing this interview with us! Best wishes for your upcoming single, “Secrets”. Let’s get started:
DMR: Tell us something about yourself like where are you from, how it affects your music, what your soundscape is about, and such.
Nicholos: Well I’m from Queens, New York, born and raised, and growing up here I’m not quite sure how I would say it affects my music other than perhaps the drums in my songs. Growing up in New York City I, along with my cousin/studio engineer Alvin Nirmal (4LVIN), just listened to a lot of hip-hop/rap music and I feel as though it made the the sound of the processed MIDI drums Alvin would use in my music so much more attractive to us because of that. Other than that I mean, since I was young I was into play guitar and music and living in New York I also got the opportunity to see quite a few concerts which made me even more so invested into the idea of wanting to be able to make my own music and perform live just like those artists I saw.
DMR: So, you’re releasing a new soundtrack, “Secrets” on April 22nd. Tell us about the song in brief.
Nicholos: The song is just really chill and easy to listen to. I have a lot of songs in the works for an upcoming EP hopefully this fall, and while making all those tracks, some of which are really emotional and others which are really attention-grabbing and out there, I really enjoyed making this song because it was just so easy to love. It’s easy on the ears, easy on the mind, and most importantly it contains a feature from one of my favorite artists Pluto Koi who I cannot thank enough for helping me out with this one, he helps even more so bring those chill pop vibes that I was looking for. I hope everyone will agree with me in saying that Secrets is a song you can listen to at any time of the day and enjoy it, that was my intention.
DMR: What made you collaborate with Pluto Koi and how did he contribute to the song?
Nicholos: Pluto Koi is quite simply an incredible singer/songwriter who I discovered awhile back when I was in the studio with my cousin. I ended up listening to his music and released the vibe of his music was so cool, and vocally he was so talented, so I ended up emailing him and seeing if he was interested in doing a song together and I knew from all the songs I had in works that this song was the perfect chill vibe for a feature from him. He heard the song, we talked about the meaning behind the lyrics so he could connect, and he sent me his parts within a month or so of first contacting him, it was such smooth interaction and honesty I’m just thrilled to have him on this track and I hope his fans enjoy this song too.
DMR: What is the subject matter of the track and is there is a special message you are trying to give to your audience?
Nicholos: The subject matter is one that I think a lot of us have probably seen or can relate to whether we realize it or not. It basically talks about when you’re together with someone and once you guys break-up how sometimes the other begins to talk about all the things you told them within your relationship, sometimes out of spouse and sometimes because they didn’t realize that it was truly meant to stay between the two of you. You see, a lot of break-ups, especially when we’re young, can end with remaining as friends and a lot of mutual friends amongst the two, but sometimes it’s hard to remember that although you’re just friends now, some of the things that you know was only told to you in confidence as part of a relationship, it wasn’t meant for everyone to know. That’s basically what this song is all about, a post break-up where all your secrets get told.
DMR: The storytelling is incredible in the track. What made you write such insightful lyrics?
Nicholos: I had just experienced this with a friend a little while back which inspired the track, he had went through a breakup and both him and his girlfriend were friends with our friend group, and she began talking causally about what seemed to be pretty personal stuff, it made me think that she’s suddenly telling all of his secrets now that they broken up, whether she realized it or not.
DMR: What kind of response are you expecting from the audience? And do you plan to make a music video for the song?
Nicholos: I’m hoping to have a solid response for this song and I’m really hoping to make this my biggest release yet. I feel as those this song is the easiest to relate to out of all my songs thus far, and also the easiest to listen to and enjoy no matter who you are. Additionally, having Pluto Koi on the track, he’s able to help me reach new heights with this release due to his following now being tuned in to the release as well so hopefully with that, along with a few blog posts, radio placements, etc, this will be my biggest song yet, but we’ll see.
DMR: What makes this song different from its contemporaries?
Nicholos: I think the point of emphasis for this song that helps differentiate is the overall theme versus the sound. When you listen to the song it is honestly pretty linear and super easy on the ears, which was intended, but what make it different is the fact that it is actually pretty sad and speaks about a sad subject lyrically, while holding that happy major sound. This is actually the theme for my next EP as a whole, lyrically the songs oppose the sound, if it is a major, happy sounding instrumentally, it is met with deeper lyrics that actually speak about a sad subject and vise versa. I think that theme really emphasizes you can still feel happy reminiscing about a sad situation, and you can get emotional thinking about a happy one.
DMR: When did you first start making music and what was your first-ever release?
Nicholos: I first started playing guitar at age 8 and making music in high school, in terms of writing songs, but frankly I wasn’t any good at it. When I was 18 my cousin and I finally made a makeshift studio in his attic which we would be able to use to produce some music, and in March 2020 I released a few songs to the public on a project called “Pisces”. Throughout that next year I realized how much better that project could’ve been, and how in terms of marketing I was so scared that people would dislike it so I almost hid it from many and just threw it out there on release day. I ended up taking that project down and really having a proper, confident release in November 2021 with my debut EP “OUI” which has far exceeded my expectations already, and it has given me so much confidence in myself to continue making music.
DMR: Who are your favorite musicians and what did you learn from them?
Nicholos: My favorite musicians, which are honestly a lot, have got to be JP Saxe, Ed Sheeran, James Arthur, Harry Styles, Khalid, Dominke Fike, Baby Keem and Blackbear at the moment. These artists have all influenced me and my music in some way or another, whether it be JP Saxe who I saw at Irving Plaza last year and who really taught me how to use delicate vocals in a song and still make them impactful, or Khalid who’s rhythm is so unmatched in his music that it inspires me to create music that can have such a vibey melody that it is setup for success. The most impactful of them all though will have to be Ed Sheeran, who I also had the pleasure of seeing live last year at Irving Plaza. Ed Sheeran was the first person I started listening to when I began playing guitar and his music has inspired me in so many ways and genuinely it is what has inspired me to pursue music. I saw an interview with him once where he said that he doesn’t believe that he has any God given talents and that if you want to make music you have to keep practicing and work hard to get better, and that alone is something I always keep in my mindset.
DMR: What is your objective in making music and where do you see your career in the future?
Nicholos: My objective as of now is to just make music people can connect with. I think when you connect with a song on some level it keeps you coming back and really helps you deal with things in life sometimes, so I’m just hoping to make connections with people through my music. In terms of the future, honestly right now I’m a college student about to get his degree and maybe go to graduate school, if the opportunity ever comes where I could go out there and make music and do shows and make it my career, just know at first glance I’ll take it.
DMR: Are you an independent artist or signed with a record label?
Nicholos: I am currently independent but if any label wants to sign me I am more than open to it.
DMR: Is there any other project you are working on other than the upcoming song?
Nicholos: Yes, this song is being released as a single but it is also a track off of an EP I intend of releasing later this year, most likely in the fall. This project will be really special as I think more so than anything, it shows how much is being learned as how the music continues to grow with me. Honestly this next EP will be special one, that’s all I can say.
